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VP Binay vows to pursue DATELINE USA CDC report: most peace if elected president Americans’ hearts are from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

by Bernice

camille V. ManilaTimes.net

older than they are

A NeW report from the centers for Disease control and Prevention (cDc) has found that three out of four Americans has a “heart age” that is older than their actual age. the findings, published in the cDc’s morbidity and mortality Weekly report on tuesday, sept. 1, indicate that the average American man has a heart that is 7.8 years “older” than his chronological age, while the average American woman’s heart is 5.4 years more than her actual age, the Los Angeles Times wrote.

“Because so many Us adults don’t understand their cardiovascular disease risk, they are missing out on early opportunities to prevent future heart attacks or strokes,” said Barbara Bowman, director of the cDc’s division for heart disease and stroke prevention, according to UsA today.

In obtaining its findings, the authors of the PAGE A3

Bauzon

VIce President Jejomar Binay on tuesday, sept. 8 promised that his presidency would address the root causes–poverty, inequality and injustice–of armed conflict that sank areas in mindanao in deep and decades-old conflict.

In a statement, Binay said he would work with all organizations and sectoral groups in creating “a shared national agenda” that will address the core issues because “this is the road to lasting peace.”

“I intend to pursue peace negotiations that will lead to a meaningful and final resolution of the armed conflict, which persists in some areas,”

his statement said. “my presidency will be one that will heal the wounds of political and ideological differences and united the people under one flag,” he added.

In march, Binay said the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), a product of the signed peace deal between the government and the moro Islamic PAGE A2 Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay

Immigrants encouraged to naturalize despite barriers

Journal in an email.

As of thursday, sept. 3, both filipino men remain in custody pending removal proceedings, Ice Public Affairs spokeswoman Lori haley said in an email. the southern california sweep, which took place from Aug. 23 through Aug. 26, was the most successful, Ice enforcement and removal operations deputy field office director David marin

Los ANGeLes—8.8 million lawful permanent residents are eligible to naturalize in the United states, but only 8 percent apply. of that qualified population, 2.5 million are in california and 800,000 in Los Angeles county alone. though naturalization is an ideal goal for most immigrants, obstacles still hinder the process of becoming a Us citizen. Among them: cost, language barriers and low access to information.

A roundtable discussion on thursday, september 3 hosted

by New America media, the New Americans campaign and several city-based organizations at Los Angeles city hall emphasized the urgency of getting immigrants to apply, especially with the elections coming up in 2016.

“I can’t even remember when the idea of citizenship has been disparaged in the political forum the way it is being disparaged now…We think, what do we do? how do we respond? What do we say? It is so important that we encourage all of our colleagues, relatives, friends and audiences to take the idea of citizenship seriously,” said sandy close, executive director of New America media.

As citizenship Day approaches on september 17, community or-

PAGE A2

PAGE A2

California Assembly approves right to die bill the california Assembly on Wednesday, sept. 9, advanced a controversial measure that would allow terminally ill patients to legally end their lives.

After a lengthy emotional and passionate debate, lawmakers voted 42-33 to send AB X2-15 to the state senate, which is expected to endorse the bill, the Associated Press reported. Assembly members cited their own experiences with death and religious faith to argue for and against the legislation, according to the news agency.

“A life lived in pain isn’t bearable for some people,” said Assemblyman Bill Quirk (D-hayward), who voted in support of the bill.

Assemblywoman catharine Baker (r-Pleasanton), who was until recently opposed to the measure, talked about how, as a christian, she is unaware of what God has planned for people, nor why pain and suffering exist in the world.

“But I do know he is a merciful God. And we have the ability to allow others to have a choice,” she said, according to the Associated Press. “I believe it is cruel – nothing short of cruel – to deny them that choice in their final hours and days.” california’s right to die bill, co-authored by PAGE A3

Inquirer.net photo

HOLY ALLIANCE. Three possible presidential rivals—Vice President Jejomar Binay (left), Sen. Grace Poe (center) and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas (fourth from left)—meet Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle at the Arzobispado de Manila compound in Intramuros for dinner, prayer and reflection on how to be a servant leader. At right is Henrietta de Villa, national chair of Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting.

Photo courtesy of the Archdiocese of Manila

Two Philippine nationals arrested in four-day immigration sweep across Southern California by agnes

constante AJPress

tWo Philippine nationals were among 244 foreign nationals arrested during a Us Immigration and customs enforcement (Ice) four-day sweep in southern california. one of the men was 31 years old with convictions for battery and felony burglary, and was arrested in Los Angeles

on monday, Aug. 24. the other was a 39-year-old with convictions for battery, petty theft, felony burglary, and two convictions for being under the influence of a controlled substance. he was arrested in moreno Valley on sunday, Aug. 23.

Ice only released the names of arrestees being held on administrative immigration violations, Virginia Kice, Ice western regional communications director and spokesperson, told the Asian

Baguio, Vallejo celebrate sister city relationship Poe allies fear ‘dribble’ of disqualification case VALLeJo mayor osby Davis and his wife, Judge terrye Davis, together with Vallejo councilmember rozzana VerderAliga with her husband, Nestor Aliga got a “first-person look” at the city of Baguio during a recent brief visit. their visit was not only to celebrate the longtime sister city relationship between Vallejo and Baguio city, but to also attend the celebration festivities in conjunction with the 106th foundation Day of the city of Baguio, which was founded by Americans in 1909 in the early 20th century when the Philippines was under American colonial rule.

“We attended Baguio’s 106th charter foundation day celebration from August 31 to september 3, plus we had a courtesy call PAGE A2

by Paolo

romero Philstar.com

SISTER CITIES. Vallejo Mayor Osby Davis joined in the parade walking along Session Road in Baguio City, Philippines. Mayor Davis, along with his wife Judge Terrye Davis, together with Vallejo Councilmember Rozzana Verder-Aliga with her husband, Nestor Aliga made the recent visit not only to celebrate the longtime sister city relationship between Vallejo and Baguio City, but to also attend the celebration festivities in conjunction with the 106th Foundation Day of the City of Baguio. Shown in photo with Mayor Davis are (L to R) Congressman Nick Aliping, Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan, Mayor Davis and Vallejo Vice Mayor Edison Bilog.

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are Associate Justices teresita Leonardo-de castro and Arturo Brion; and senators Loren Legarda, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Pia cayetano, cynthia Villar and Nancy Binay.

1-BAP party-list rep. silvestre Bello III meanwhile called on PAGE A3

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mANILA—Allies of sen. Grace Poe in the house of representatives expressed fears that her disqualification case pending before the senate electoral tribunal (set) would be “dribbled” until the 2016 electoral campaign to erode her popularity.

A senior administration lawmaker, who declined to be identified, said the set calendar indicates that deliberations on the disqualification case filed by defeated senatorial bet rizalito David could extend until february next year shortly before the start of the national campaign.

Poe’s lawyers reportedly are pushing for an early resolution of her case as she is confident she can resolve the citizenship and residency issues raised

against her by David. the senator has been topping presidential and vice presidential surveys and is expected to announce her bid to be president in the coming days. the set is headed by senior supreme court Associate Justice Antonio carpio and its members

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september 11-17, 2015 • NOrCAL AsIAN JOUrNAL

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From the Front Page

Two Philippine nationals arrested...

PAGE A1 told KPCC. This was because of the number of arrestees who had records with “really serious felonies,” Marin told the radio station.

“We think it’s really important that we get those people and remove them, not only from the community but from the country.

Because ultimately, that’s going to make the community and our country safer,” Marin said, according to KPCC. The majority of individuals taken into custody as a result of the four-day operation are originally from Mexico (191), according to a release from the agency. Arrestees came from 21 different countries, including Ghana, France, Peru and Thailand.

The sweep covered six Southland counties, with most number of arrests occurring in Los Angeles County (99), followed by Orange County (55), San Bernardino County (43), Riverside County (24), Santa Barbara County (20), and San Luis Obispo County (3),

the ICE release stated.

Among individuals captured was Vincente Onofre-Ramirez, 35, a Mexican national who was convicted in 2002 in New York of sexual abuse with force. He was deported from the United States after he served his sentence. Onofre-Ramirez was arrested on Sunday, Aug. 23 at his home in Santa Ana and appeared in federal court on Monday, Aug. 24.

Another arrestee was 46-yearold Guatemalan national who was formerly sentenced to 10 years in prison for the sexual abuse of two children. The individual was arrested in Upland on Wednesday, Aug. 26.

A 50-year-old Salvadoran national who was convicted in Los Angeles County last year of two criminal counts involving sex abuse was also arrested during the sweep in Sunland on Sunday, Aug. 23.

Yet despite the success of the sweep, Kice said it would be inaccurate to conclude that crimes committed by immigrants are on

the rise. Kice also told the Los Angeles Times that not all those arrested in the sweep were violent felons or were in the United States illegally.

“One of the challenges we’re facing is because of state law and local policies, more individuals who are potentially deportable with significant criminal histories are being released onto the street instead of being turned over to ICE,” Kice said, according to the Times. “I think to infer from [the sweep] that potentially foreign nationals are committing more crimes is flawed.”

Individuals arrested during the sting who have pending deportation orders or re-entered the country after being deported are subject to immediate removal from the United States, according to the ICE release.

The remaining arrestees are in the custody of the agency and will have a hearing before an immigration judge, or are pending travel arrangements for removal in the near future. n

VP Binay vows to pursue peace...

PAGE A1 Liberation Front (MILF) that will create a new autonomous government with more teeth than the current one, should not be the only option toward establishing a lasting peace in Mindanao.

Back then, the Vice President is yet to resign from the official family of President Benigno Aquino III, and had not outrightly called out the administration for what it now calls an inefficient and insensitive governance.

Binay voiced out his concerns against the unconstitutionality of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain, a provision of the BBL that would create the Bangsamoro Judicial Entity (BJE), giving special jurisdictional powers to the Muslim community in Mindanao.

He said the government must not rush the passage of the law just because it sees the peace deal as a legacy of the Aquino administration that must be passed before the President

Immigrants encouraged...

PAGE A1 ganizations are sustaining a push to increase citizenship application rates in minority immigrant communities by hosting accessible workshops and providing in-language outreach and information.

Overcoming barriers A main hurdle to citizenship that many immigrants mention is the application fee, which is currently $680.

Nasim Khansari, citizenship project director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice — Los Angeles (Advancing Justice — LA) said that the cost could potentially rise, but there is advocacy being done to consider a sliding scale based on household income and family size.

“There are immigrants out there that want to become US citizens, but they just don’t have the $680 to be able to do so…,” she said. “That’s a real-life barrier we’re dealing with when it comes to naturalization.”

Khansari gave an example of a Filipino couple (who requested not to be identified by name in this article) ineligible to apply for a fee waiver because their household income is $400 above the government poverty level. The couple has reached out to Advancing Justice — LA for application assistance, but has repeatedly been denied by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

To apply for a fee waiver, individuals must fill out a I-912 form and meet one of three requirements: a means-tested benefit (i.e. government programs such as food stamps or Medi-Cal); household income is at or below the 150 percent poverty level; or financial hardship that prevents you from paying the filing fee (having to

pay for medical expenses, for example).

“Cost is definitely a factor, but I don’t think people should be dissuaded by that,” Linda Lopez, chief of the Office of Immigrant Affairs at the LA Mayor’s Office, said. Lopez said that there are other avenues to seek out assistance, like credit unions that offer microloans to those who do not qualify for the fee waiver.

Another barrier is the lack of awareness within immigrant communities of the process that goes into becoming a citizen.

“A lot of immigrants don’t even know where to begin the process.

They don’t know a non-profit organization that offers free or low-cost services even exist, so that’s why we need the media’s help to get these organizations’ names out there to let the community know there are a lot of services providers, particularly in Los Angeles County, coupled with Mayor’s Office, partnering together here to make citizenship as accessible as possible,” Khansari said.

Advancing Justice — LA, which is one of 20 organizations in LA part of the New Americans Campaign, hosts free citizenship clinics at its office in downtown every first three Fridays and the last Saturday of each month.

Lopez cited an initiative by the LA Mayor’s Office to “integrate immigrants local in our civic, political, economic and social fabric” by making citizenship materials available at every city public library branch.

The materials include flyers in English, Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese, naturalization test brochures, naturalization applications and more. She remarked

steps down from office in 2016.

Although the BBL was identified as one of the priority bills for the current 16th Congress to tackle, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. admitted that time is running out for the bill’s passage.

The month of September will be devoted to tackling the approval of the BBL, as well as other priority measures.

Belmonte earlier promised he will do all he can to have the BBL voted upon in the plenary. that there has been an increase in citizenship interest in the city, as the immigration office has been tracking the number of people who go to the libraries for citizenship workshops and the information.

In 2014, 20,000 residents used the resources; it has since doubled this year, Lopez said. Advancing Justice — LA also hosts English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at various libraries for residents who have had their green cards for at least four years.

Despite the common obstacles to naturalization, the benefits of citizenship outweigh them. Naturalized citizens no longer have to fear deportation or circumstances that would cause their legal permanent residence status to be revoked.

Additionally, naturalized citizens tend to experience a nearly 20 percent increase in income.

Some studies have shown that naturalized citizens earn more than non-skilled counterparts and are more likely to be employed in high-skilled jobs, which are attractive factors for highly-educated immigrants who seek opportunities at par with those back in their countries of origin.

Alenoush Bidrousian, a newly naturalized citizen originally from Iran, shared at the roundtable that she was motivated by the opportunities given to women in the US, especially when it comes to higher education, jobs and owning a business “The most important thing as a citizen is that there are more job opportunities, especially government jobs…also being more engaged in the city’s activities and the presidential elections [next year] and I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s our responsibility as a PAGE A3

Baguio, Vallejo celebrate sister city...

PAGE A1 with Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan, Baguio City council members and other city officials,” said Verder-Aliga.

“Baguio City hosted our travel round trip to Baguio including our accommodations, this is the first time Mayor Davis and I are officially representing Vallejo,” added Verder-Aliga.

Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan visited Vallejo last year as part of of the Baguio sister city delegation. Prior to that, he visited Vallejo in 2008 as a guest speaker during the first Business and Economic Development Symposium at the Farragut Inn, Touro University at the former US Navy base facility at Mare Island.

The highlight of the Baguio City-based activities during the three-day itinerary included the Foundation Day parade along Session Road down to Burnham Park, known to many as the park that was built by Daniel Burnham from 1846-1912.

To the delight of many Baguio residents who watched the

parade, Mayor Davis and Judge Davis participated in the parade strolling down Session Road walking along beside Baguio Mayor Domogan and councilmembers in the City of Baguio.

Some onlookers pointed out as one of the “firsts” for a visiting mayor from an American city to participate in a foundation day parade.

“It provided a vivid demonstration of genuine and heartfelt friendship of our guests from Vallejo,” Sonia Daoas, a member of Baguio sister commission, commented.

The Vallejo delegation also participated in other activities at the Baguio Convention Center where awards were given to “Outstanding Citizens of Baguio,” and at the Baguio Country Club where a send-off party for them was hosted by Mayor Domogan.

In an official ceremony and awards night, Mayor Domogan also presented Mayor Davis and Verder-Aliga with a recognition and certificate of appreciation.

In his message during the cele-

bration, Mayor Domogan emphasized that Baguio City has grown to what it is today “because it was built on a foundation of giving.”

Mayor Domogan traced back Baguio’s beginnings from the time Dean Worcester saw in the early 1904 the potential of Baguio as a highland retreat for Americans from the lowlands to its rise to promininence as the tourism, investment and educational hub of Northern Luzon saying, “it was made possible because of acts of giving and sharing of knowledge and skills.”

“I believe nothing is built when nothing is given and it follows that when more is given, more is built by the same token. If we want a better Baguio, then we must continue to give,” Domogan further said.

True to the mission of fostering mutually beneficial relationships between cities, Domogan and Baguio residents are passionate of the sister city relationships with other cities including Vallejo, that included not only cultural PAGE A3

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CDC report: most Americans’ hearts...

PAGE A1 study examined data from the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which indicated participants’ age, body mass index, whether or not they smoke, and whether or not they have diabetes or use medication to control their blood pressure, according to the Times. Other risk factors considered included heart disease, excess weight and systolic blood pressure, which measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats.

Researchers calculated the heart age of 236,101 men and 342,424 women between the ages of 30 to 74 and found that the average chronological ages were 47.8 and 47.9 years, respectively. However, the average heart age for men was 55.6 years, while that number was 53.3 for women.

Among findings by the study authors was that the heart age gap was lowest in Utah, with men at 5.8 years and women at 2.8 years; the highest gap was found in Mississippi where men had a heart age of 10.1 years higher than their actual age, while women were at 9.1 years.

The study also found that heart ages varied across ethnicities. For instance, among men, African Americans had the highest predicted heart age at 58.7 years, followed by Hispanics (55.7 years), whites (55.3 years) and others (54.7 years), the authors wrote. For women, those numbers were 58.9, 53.5, 52.5 and 52.3 years, respectively.

Other contributing factors included education and household income, which, when taken into consideration, bring the average

heart age for African Americans three years higher than white men and four years higher than Latinos. For women, the factors boost the average heart age for African Americans by five years compared to whites and seven years compared to Latinas.

Each year, approximately 800,000 Americans die of heartrelated conditions that cost nearly $320 billion annually, according to the American Heart Association.

And while heart age “is kind of a gimmick,” cardiologist Cam Patterson told USA Today, the concept helps people comprehend their risk for heart disease and conditions, the Times wrote.

“If your heart age is older than your actual age, obviously you are at higher risk,” said Martha Gulati, director for preventive cardiology and women’s cardiovascular health at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, according to USA Today. “If you are 40 years old and told your heart is actually 60 years old, that can grab your [attention and] make you ask, how can I change it? What can I do? If your odds of having a heart attack or dying from heart disease is that of someone 20 years older than you, that might be [a] motivator for change.”

Researchers wrote that a 50year-old male smoker, for instance, without diabetes, a body mass index of 30 and a systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg, has a predicted heart age of 72 years. If he adopted a healthier lifestyle and stopped smoking for one year, his heart age would drop by 14 years to 58. (Agnes Constante/AJPress)

California Assembly approves...

PAGE A1 Sen. Bill Monning (D-Monterey) and Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton), gained traction after California resident Brittany Maynard, who had brain cancer, moved to Oregon last year to end her life.

Eggman, whose testimony was among the most powerful, according to Mercury News, spoke toward the end of the session right before lawmakers cast their votes.

“We are all going to die,” she told her colleagues, according to the publication. “As we look back at that trail of footsteps we have left (on Earth), some members want to be in control when their footstep makes that last mark. I respectfully ask for that vote.”

When assembly members voted on the bill, the response of Dan Diaz, Maynard’s husband, was an emotional one, the Los Angeles Times reported.

“There is a sense of pride in the Legislature,” he said, according to the Times. “Today it reaffirmed the reason Brittany spoke to begin with. The Legislature will no longer abandon the terminally ill where hospice and palliative care are no longer an option. They can have a gentle passing.”

AB X2-15 is modeled after Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act and is nearly identical to the Senate’s version of the bill, SB128, which stalled in July in the Assembly Health Committee, San Jose Mercury News reported. Members of the committee were encouraged by the Catholic Church to vote against it, according to the publication.

Should the bill become law, it would permit physicians to prescribe lethal doses of drugs to terminally ill, mentally competent patients, Mercury News reported. It would also make

California the fifth state to authorize the practice. In Montana, Oregon, Washington and Vermont, doctors are allowed to prescribe life-ending medication.

Opponents of the bill, include the Catholic Church, disabled rights activists and associations representing oncologists. Among concerns raised are that such legislation goes against God’s will, puts terminally ill patients at risk of forced death, and that poor and disabled individuals are left with limited end-of-life treatment options.

“This will push people into cheaper, lethal options,” Golden told the Associated Press. “There is no assurance that everyone will be able to choose treatment over assisted suicide.”

Another concern expressed

by Laura Petrillo, a hospice medicine physician at UC San Francisco, is that the criteria for determining whether an individual is capable of giving informed consent is insufficient, the Times reported.

“This assessment can be very difficult in patients with dementia or cognitive impairment, and that murkiness leaves people with cognitive impairment open to risk of coercion from their families, care providers or even the medical system,” Petrillo said, according to the Times.

Should the right to die bill fail in the state Legislature, advocacy group Compassion and Choices has indicated it would try to get it to qualify as a 2016 ballot measure, the Associated Press reported.

If the legislation makes its way to the desk of California Gov. Jerry Brown, who formerly studied to become a Catholic priest and has declined to take a position on the issue, it remains unclear whether or not he will sign it.

Baguio, Vallejo celebrate sister city...

PAGE A2 and educational exchanges but also through partnerships to create opportunities by creating atmosphere in which economic development can be explored, strengthened and implemented.

Even Dinah Villanueva-Ryan, a Vallejo Sister City commissioner member who was not able to join the delegation because of personal health reasons was ecstatic the visit of the Vallejo delegation went well.

She immediately thanked the executive secretary of Mayor Domogan, Ryan Mangosing for accommodating the Vallejo delegation. “Thanks Ryan for facilitating the visit of our Mayor Osby Davis and Councilmember Rozzana Verder-Aliga, I appreciate it very much,” she e-mailed Ryan.

On the Baguio side, Daoas said, “We have high respects for Vallejo Mayor Osby Davis, Judge Terrye Davis, Dr. Rozzana Verder-Aliga and Sgt Nestor Aliga, they did not hesitate to join us in our 106th Foundation Day parade, walking down Session Road down to Burnham Park.”

“They wished they could stay longer, for sure they will consider coming back to Baguio in the future,” Daoas added.

In 1989, the official Sister City partnership began when some members within the FilipinoAmerican community began formal requests for a formation of a sister city relationship with a Philippine City, with the help of the original proponents that included then Elori Mabolo, a former teacher from Baguio, the late Vallejo real estate realtor, Tita Floresca Quintos and Eduardo Yra. It was timely for Vallejo resident, Dinah Villanueva, who was the president of the Baguio-Californians then. She continued the mission to spearhead the campaign for the selection of the City of Baguio as Vallejo’s sister city.

With the help and support from others within the Fil-Am community in Solano County, the commissioners chose Baguio among other cities in the Philippines as Vallejo’s sister city.

Even today as a member of the Vallejo Sister City commission, she tirelessly dedicated herself in the pursuit of continuing and expanding sister city relationships of Vallejo not only with Baguio but with other cities as well including other Vallejo’s sister cities: Akashi, Japan; Bagamayo, Tanzania; Jicheon, South Korea; La Specia, Italy and Tromdham, Norway. (Ed M. Yra)

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • SeptembeR 11-17, 2015

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‘World War II in the Philippines: The Legacy of Two Nations’ on exhibit at the SF Public Library starting Sept. 12 Bataan Legacy Historical Society first conference on Oct. 24

BERKELEY—In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, Bataan Legacy Historical Society, Memorare Manila 1945, the San Francisco Public Library and the Philippine Consulate General present World War II in the Philippines – The Legacy of Two Nations, an exhibition and a conference.

The four-month exhibition will open on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at 10:30am at the San Francisco Main Public Library (Third Floor) located at 100 Lar-

kin St., San Francisco, CA. The Conference will take place on Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 10AM at the Koret Auditorium of the San Francisco Main Public Library. Both events are open to the public. Admission is Free but Registration through Eventbrite (Bataan Legacy) is recommended for the Conference.

The Exhibition from September 12, 2015 to January 9, 2016 will depict the story of World War II in the Philippines, a seminal piece of history that has been mostly

Poe allies fear ‘dribble’...

PAGE A1

senators in the SET, who may be “conflicted,” to voluntarily inhibit from deliberations in the case.

The senators who belong to the SET are from various politi-

cal parties, including the Liberal Party, which are supporting presidential aspirants other than Poe, Bello said.

Deputy Speaker and Isabela Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao said he believes Poe can easily defend

Immigrants encouraged...

PAGE A2 person living in the United States to be more active in any way that [you] can,” Bidrousian said.

More Filipino immigrants should consider the advantages of being a citizen, the Filipino American Service Group, Inc. (FASGI) Executive Director Yey Coronel noted, including the ability to petition family members from the Philippines and bring them to the US faster.

“A lot of Filipinos tend to not apply for food stamps or other welfare benefits because they’re worried that would affect not just their immigration [status], but also their citizenship, so FASGI will be starting another initiative soon to dispel those notions,” she said.

An issue Coronel mentioned is that the vulnerable immigrant communities need to be guarded against the scams that target them.

FASGI, which is a community or-

forgotten. The exhibition will present a compelling story of the sacrifices of Filipino, American and Allied soldiers and civilians.

One million civilians perished in the Philippines during WWII and its capital Manila became the second most devastated city in the world after Warsaw. It will depict the Bataan Death March, one of the most horrific events during WWII. The Conference on October 24 will feature speakers from different perspectives of the war. WWII

veterans Chief Johnny Johnson of the USS San Francisco, the most decorated carrier during WWII and Maj. General Richard Keith of the 511th Parachute Infantry will be among the speakers. Veterans and survivors of the war will also act as panelists. State Superintendent Tom Torlakson of the California Department of Education will give the opening keynote speech.

For further information, please visit our website at www.bataanlegacy.org.

herself before the SET. Aggabao said David has burden of presenting evidence to disprove Poe’s claim of being a natural born citizen.

“I think this should be a straightforward case. I don’t even think that this would entail presentation of extensive evi-

dence because most of the facts are already established, like she was a foundling,” Aggabao said.

“I think the only issue here would be legal. What is the status of a foundling? That should not be a difficult thing for the SET to decide and to decide very soon,” he said.

ganization that partners with the city of LA to provide English and Tagalog assistance, is trying to be more vigilant when processing applications. A notable scam is notaries or individuals, claiming to be lawyers, who charge too much for application processing.

Business impact of citizenship In addition to the personal benefits of naturalization, there is said to be an effect on the US work environment.

The National Immigration

Forum has launched the New American Workforce to work with businesses who have eligible immigrant employees and assist them with the citizenship process.

According to Laura Barrera, the LA organizer of the New American Workforce, the initiative “engage[s] employers [and] business owners that this is indeed a service to strengthen not only our community, but our workforce.”

Currently, it is operational in PAGE A4

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California agrees to reform use of solitary confinement, ending indefinite isolation

by Agnes

ConstAnte AJPress

CALIFORNIA has agreed to reform its use of solitary confinement in prisons by ending unlimited isolation for certain inmates under conditions outlined in a landmark legal settlement.

As part of the agreement, which was reached on Tuesday, Sept. 1, the practice of indefinite isolation to control violent prison gangs will come to an end and approximately 2,000 inmates will be re-

turned to the general population, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Prison officials have long used solitary confinement as a means of controlling inmates they deem too dangerous to house with the general population because of gang membership or if they’ve demonstrated violence in prisons.

Most of these isolated prisoners have been without significant human contact for more than 30 years, the LA Times reported. The

state has nearly 3,000 inmates who spend more than 22 hours per day alone in cells that don’t always have windows, The New York Times reported. No other state holds such a number of inmates for such a long period of time, according to the Center for Constitutional Rights.

The state has also agreed not to lock inmates with gang affiliations in soundproofed, windowless units just to prevent them from coordinating illegal activities with other gang members, USA Today reported.

“It will move California more into the mainstream of what other states are doing while still allowing us the ability to deal with people who are presenting problems within our system, but do so in a way where we rely less on the use of segregation,” Jeffrey Beard, secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, told the Associated Press.

Tuesday’s settlement does not eliminate solitary confinement, but it caps the duration of time prisoners can spend in isolation.

It also calls on California to create high-security units that permit some group activity, phone calls and job opportunities for prisoners they say are too dangerous for mainline housing.

“This brings California in line with more modern national prison practices,” said Jules Lobel, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights and a law professor at the University of Pittsburgh, who was the lead lawyer for the inmates who brought the

lawsuit against California, the NY Times reported. “People have been kept in solitary confinement for outrageously long periods of time. That’s one of the problems in the U.S. - people are warehoused in these places, and now that’s going to change.”

The suit settled on Tuesday was filed in 2009 by two inmates – Todd Ashker and Danny Troxell – held in isolation for at least 10 years at Pelican Bay State Prison and accused of membership in the Aryan Brotherhood, the NY and LA Times reported.

“This settlement represents a monumental victory for prisoners and an important step toward our goal of ending solitary confinement in California, and across the country,” the plaintiffs of the case said in a written statement. “The prisoners’ human rights movement is awakening the conscience of the nation to recognize that we are fellow human beings.”

As of Monday, Aug. 31, the NY Times reported that 2,858 inmates were in solitary housing units throughout California. Of those, more than 1,110 are in windowless cells at Pelican Bay. The Northern California correctional facility, the state’s toughest prison, had more than 500 inmates in its isolation unit for more than 10 years. But following recent policy changes, the number dropped to 62 as of late July.

Many prisoners who endure indefinite solitary confinement suffer serious psychological damage, including paranoia and panic attacks, according to RT. Terry

Kuppers, a forensic psychiatrist who was among criminal justice experts who filed research findings in the lawsuit, told the LA Times that claimed prolonged solitary confinement increased inmates’ risk of suicide and anxiety, among other things.

“This is a game-changer. California has led the nation in keeping people in cold storage,” he told the publication.

Other supporters of the end of solitary confinement include President Barack Obama, who became the first president to visit a federal prison in July and told attendees at an NAACP convention that month that prolonged periods of isolation are “not smart,” the LA Times reported.

Among criteria California has used in determining which prisoners to isolate include statements from informants, specific tattoos and possession of artwork displaying gang symbols. Now, inmates will not be subject to solitary confinement based solely on gang membership, the NY Times reported. Only those who are found guilty of violence or possessing narcotics will be isolated, according to the publication.

Before the settlement agreement is implemented, it will endure a comment period and hearings, and requires approval from U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken, according to the LA Times. Should Wilken accept it, which she is likely to do, the publication reports, California will have one year to make changes.

Afterward, attorneys representing inmates and a federal magis-

trate would monitor the outcome for two years.

In the past several years, more than 1,000 prisoners who were previously isolated due to gang affiliations were released. Beard, the secretary of the state corrections department, told NY Times that few of these individuals have stirred up any problems.

Thirty or 40 years ago, Beard said there was much violence in the system and something had to be done to stop it, according to the NY Times.

“You had a system that was so overcrowded over the years they just went from one crisis to another and didn’t have the time to look at some of these operational issues,” Beard said, according to the LA Times.

With the settlement, Nichol Gomez, a spokeswoman for the union representing most prison guards, said it was disappointing that “the people that actually have to do the work” weren’t involved in the negotiations, according to RT. David Marcial, a corrections consultant and former regional director with the Connecticut Department of Correction, touted Tuesday’s settlement and told the NY Times it could be used as a model for other states.

“The problem is that it’s a settlement and not a summary judgment, so there’s no case law that can be used to pressure other states,” Marcial said. “But it can be used as a guideline for states that are not as progressive that are struggling with what to do.” n

Obama extends paid sick leave to over 300, 000 Federal employees ON Labor Day 2015, President Obama unveiled a new executive order that will require federal contractors to offer employees up to seven days of paid sick leave.

Contrasting with Republican economic policies, Obama’s plan could benefit more than 300,000 federal US workers, who currently receive no paid leave, the White House said.

“Right now, you have parents who have to choose between losing income or staying home with a sick child,” Obama said to a crowd of hundreds during the annual Greater Boston Labor Council breakfast, sponsored by the AFL-CIO. At the breakfast, the President was met with applause when he said he had signed the paid sick

leave executive order on Air Force One. He chose Boston to make his appeal because “voters in the state approved a paid leave policy state-wide, which took effect on July 1 and is expected to affect 900,000 workers who didn’t have the option before,” according to the White House.

Under the executive order, workers on federal contracts would be eligible for paid leave if they are sick or tending to a sick relative. They will earn one hour of leave for every 30 hours worked, with a maximum of seven days a year, depending on how many hours they work, officials said.

The order would take effect with new contracts after Obama leaves office in early 2017.

The White House did not specify the cost to implement the order, but the Labor Department said “any costs would be offset by savings that contractors would see as a result of lower attrition rates and increased worker loyalty.”

The Obama administration has been working on the executive order for months, as the president works to enact what policies he can before his term ends next year, despite Congressional resistance to some of his previous executive orders to improve conditions in the workplace.

The push has reverberated in the 2016 presidential campaign, where Democrat and Republican

candidates seek to show the better support of the middle class.

Obama’s order drew a sharp contrast between his administration’s policies and those of Republicans. “The GOP believes the best way to stimulate the economy is to cut taxes and loosen regulation,” he said.

“Republicans who say they fight for the middle-class are making big claims, but they have to walk the walk. The values that built the middle class are working people’s values.”

“There are certain Republicans that said we can’t afford to do this,” said Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, lamenting how paid leave is seen as a “partisan issue” in the US despite broad support in Europe. “The Republican Party is out of step with similar conservative governments around the world.”

The Labor Day announcement also came with a renewed call for Congress to follow President Obama’s lead and pass the Health Families Act, which would require all businesses with more than 14 employees (not just contract workers, and excluding the smallest US businesses) to similarly offer seven days of paid sick leave.

About 40 percent of the privatesector workforce does not have paid leave, the White House said.

The act would benefit roughly 44 million private-sector workers currently without leave.

Immigrants encouraged...

PAGE A3

eight cities with large populations of legal permanent residents, including Los Angeles, New York City and Miami. The program, which includes information workshops, one-on-one application assistance and civics instruction, is offered on the worksite either during employee breaks, before or after work hours.

“It’s a win-win situation for their workforce to transition from [lawful] permanent residents to citizens. Our project is unique in that it’s helping change a typical conversation in the community to one that will open the doors to employment sites and changes the way human resources looks at the benefits of citizenship. We hope that through this, it will not only change the dialogue…[and] re-educate employers about why citizenship is important,” Barrera said.

In September 2014, LA Mayor Eric Garcetti challenged 25 businesses to partner with the New American Workforce and educate 25,000 legal permanent residents about opportunities that citizenship provides and help them apply.

Through immigrant integration and increasing workplace diversity, business profitability is positively impacted, according to the New American Workforce.

Political engagement With presidential candidates starting to campaign for 2016, immigration has already become a hot-button issue that has led to many controversial remarks being covered in the news.

Despite the anti-immigrant rhetoric — Donald Trump’s deportation proposal or Jeb Bush’s ‘anchor babies’ comment, for example — eligible immigrants shouldn’t be detracted from ap-

plying for citizenship.

“The fact is, immigrants want to become US citizens, regardless of if someone is disparaging them or not. There is already an interest.

But we do know that negative politics lead immigrants to be more motivated to get involved,” said Elisa Sequeira, director of national civic engagement programs for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund.

Once immigrants become naturalized, community assistance doesn’t stop there. It’s just “the beginning of a journey of civic participation,” Sequeira said.

Foreign-born citizens are even less likely to register to vote, she said, citing a University of Southern California study by Manuel Pastor and Jared Sanchez. However, the study found these citizens would participate in elections if they do get registered.

“We have an important election year next year and a lot of our new citizens will be participating for the first time in electing the candidates and voting for laws that will affect our everyday life,” she said.

NALEO provides civic education for the new citizens regarding voter registration, key issues and laws and political candidates.

Never too late Another key takeaway from the roundtable discussion was that there is still time for older legal permanent residents to become citizens.

Saul Montoya, who is originally from Mexico, became a citizen in June after 35 years of being a green card holder.

“You are always under the impression that you will go back [to your home country],” Montoya said of why it took him so long to become a citizen, but he was grateful that the US gave him op-

The idea has gained little traction on Capitol Hill. In recent years, Obama has frequently used his executive authority to apply policies--such as worker discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation--to federal contractors that he lacks the authority to enact nationwide. His aim is to lay the groundwork for those policies to be expanded to all Americans.

Through labor groups have applauded the acts, many remain skeptical of the president’s push to secure sweeping new trade deals with the Asia-Pacific region and with Europe. Many unions have warned that the deals could lead to the widespread elimination of certain types of jobs.

“The administration has an obligation to get the most out of every federal tax dollar,” said Cecilia Munoz, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council.

“The benefits with respect to businesses will more than offset the costs and ultimately make them, as employers, more productive and more efficient and, therefore, more valued to the taxpayer.”

Obama’s 2016 budget also includes $2 billion for states to expand paid sick leave, as well as create laws that would allow employees maternity, paternity, and eldercare leave. (Allyson Escobar/AJPress with reports from the Washington Post, NBC News, Associated Press, KTLA5) portunities such as a home, job and security.

He was also motivated by his wife (also a US citizen) who convinced him that he still ran the risk of being deported as a green card holder.

Manok Cha shared that she came to the US from Korea in 1996 after her daughter petitioned her, and obtained legal permanent resident status in 2007.

“Living in a new country, I realized that the United States is a nation that protects the rights of its people and ensures opportunities for its [residents]…Slowly I began thinking about becoming a US citizen,” Cha said, adding that she initially had hesitations about applying because she was not fluent in English, which is among the considerations in the citizenship eligibility interview.

However, with the help of the Korean Resource Center, Cha was able to become a citizen in 2012.

Though she was already a senior citizen when she naturalized, she said it’s not too late for older immigrants and noted some benefits that could be afforded to them like housing and government assistance.

Since 2011, the New Americans Campaign and its partner organizations have completed nearly 169,000 naturalization applications for legal permanent residents, and have helped them save $118 million in legal fees and $31 million in USCIS application fees.

Data from the Migrant Policy Institute released back in June revealed that Asians have one of the highest naturalization rates in the country, with 59 percent of the immigrant population becoming citizens.

As of 2013, 1.26 million Filipinos are US naturalized citizens; 43,489 of whom were naturalized that year. (Christina M. Oriel/AJPress)

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Navy, Air Force kick off ‘Dagit 2015’ military exercise in support of territorial defense by alexis

RomeRo Philstar.com

structures on seven disputed reefs, a move seen by observers as a threat to freedom of navigation.

About 200 Air Force personnel and 150 Navy troopers will participate in the activity.

Navy assets that will join the exercises are an Islander plane, an AW109E helicopter, frigate BRP Gregorio del Pilar, boat teams and SEAL teams of the Naval Special Operations Group, Sniper team of the Marines Special Operations Group, a communications van and a medical team.

The Air Force, meanwhile, will send two MD-520MG helicopters, two SF-260TP planes, two OV-10 planes, two UH1H/ UH-1D helicopters, a Huey II helicopters, one S-76A helicopter, a Sokol helicopter, a C130 cargo plane, a F-27 plane, two S211 jets, two

sniper teams, a communications van and a medical team.

“Being the cutting edge in tactical operations, our involvement in this joint exercise speaks of our continuous pursuit for sustained air power. Working hand in hand with our counterparts in the Navy to promote this thrust is a rare opportunity,” said Brig. Gen. Domingo Palisoc Jr., chief of the Air Force’s 15th Strike Wing.

Philippine Fleet Commander Rear Adm. Leopoldo Alano said the successful conduct of the exercise would improve their capacity in formulating, planning and implementing protocols and operating manuals on maritime defense.

Dagit began in 2003 during the term of then Capt. Jose Luis Alano, with the Naval Air Group and 15th Strike Wing as the participating units.

MANILA—The Navy and the Air Force on Monday, Sept. 7 kicked off a joint exercise that seeks to strengthen their interoperability in performing territorial defense operations.

The “Dagit 2015” drills will be held at the Naval Base Heracleo Alano in Sangley Point, Cavite, Marine Barracks Gregorio Lim in Ternate, Cavite and within the vicinity of Manila Bay and Caballo Island.

The exercise will be conducted until September 18 and will include subject matter expertise exchanges, classroom instructions, table top exercise and joint training exercise.

“Dagit 2015 will focus on joint interoperability operations to enhance maritime, air to ground and special operations capability which will enhance further the ability of the Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force in safeguarding our territories, exclusive economic zone and claims of interests,” Navy public affairs chief Commander Lued Lincuna said.

The drills are being held amid China’s aggressiveness in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), a busy sea lane through which more than $5-trillion worth of trade passes through.

China, which claims about 90 percent of the South China Sea, has built artificial islands and A Philippine Navy AW109 Power helicopter during one of its tests in Italy.

DFA rejects retaliation vs China on sea row

by Jess

Diaz Philstar.com

MANILA—The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has rejected suggestions that the government retaliate against China over the West Philippine Sea dispute by padlocking Chinese businesses in the Philippines.

“We have adopted a policy of constructive engagement with China for our mutual benefit,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario told the House of Representatives appropriations committee chaired by Davao

City Rep. Isidro Ungab on Monday, Sept. 7.

“We will remain on that track until such time that there is conclusion to our arbitration case in the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS),” he said.

He was responding to calls from Rep. Fernando Hicap of party-list group Anakpawis for the government to cancel the licenses of businesses owned

by Chinese nationals or Chinese state corporations like those in the mining and power sectors.

Hicap said such retaliatory actions might pressure China into abandoning its reclamation activities in some disputed islands as well as its blockade of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal off Zambales, where Chinese coast guard vessels have been driving away Filipino fishermen.

“Our fishermen are losing P300,000 a week in potential catch because the Chinese are preventing them from fishing in the Panatag Shoal area, which is their traditional fishing grounds,” he said.

FLOODED. Commuters wade through knee-level waters on Chino Roces Avenue Makati city as strong thunderstorms rolled in parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Inquirer.net photo by Jonathan de Belen

Top LP exec named new DILG secretary

by DJ

Yap & Gil C. CabaCunGan Inquirer.net

THE Liberal Party (LP) secretary general, Mel Senen Sarmiento, said Tuesday, Sept. 8, he had accepted President Aquino’s offer to replace outgoing Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, giving his reassurance he would not use the post to advance the interests of the ruling party in the 2016 elections.

“I thank President Aquino for giving me this opportunity to continue the reforms being implemented now… many of which were among those that we usually talked about with the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo when we were still city mayors,” Sarmiento said.

“Replacing Secretary Mar Roxas to head a very complex institution like the DILG is definitely a colossal task but with our people’s prayers and support, I am confident I would be able to effectively carry out the mandate of my new assignment,” he said.

Sarmiento pledged that the entire uniformed service under the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) “will be neutral in ensuring a peaceful, honest and orderly election in 2016.”

“I am ready to accept any new challenge to be able to serve our people better and advance the cause of good governance and daang matuwid (straight path),” the Western Samar representative

said in a statement.

Under his leadership, he said the DILG would continue to modernize the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and the other agencies under the DILG. In a multimedia forum of the Inquirer Group, President Aquino Tuesday said he confirmed he offered the DILG post to Sarmiento.

“The transition is being worked out so that he is not thrown into the deep end right away, and there’s a smooth transition between Secretary Roxas and Representative Sarmiento,” the President said.

He added that Sarmiento’s appointment as DILG chief would be subject to the approval of the Commission on Appointments (COA).

Sarmiento is on his second term as representative of Western Samar’s first district and is eligible to run for a third and final term in 2016.

Roxas resigned as DILG chief on Aug. 3 after he was endorsed as LP standard-bearer by the President in Club Filipino. The President, however, asked him to stay a little longer to complete some unfinished business in the PNP. Sarmiento heads the 12-member House contingent to the COA, and the joint congressional oversight committee on the automated election system.

Before serving as congressman, Sarmiento was mayor of Calbayog City from 2001 to 2010. He served two terms as secretary general of the League of Cities of the Philippines.

According to his curriculum vitae sent by his publicist, Sarmiento authored 48 House bills, including the Anti-Trafficking Persons Act and the law strengthening the Juvenile Justice System.

Colleagues at the House of Representatives sang his praises on Tuesday after President Aquino announced that he had offered Sarmiento the job as the replacement of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, the LP standard-bearer.

Iloilo Rep. Jerry Treñas described Sarmiento as a “leading member of the party.”

“He has the experience and deep knowledge in local government which is required as Secretary of the DILG. Secretary Mel is highly qualified and will be a solid asset to the administration,” he said.

Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles said: “I know him as someone who is level-headed, hardworking and highly principled. He is the best man for the job.”

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said it was a good thing that Eastern Visayas would be represented in the Cabinet: “Mel is very much qualified for the post,” he said.

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Ombudsman to Supreme Court: Bail for Juan Ponce Enrile mocks justice

by Michael

YELLOW LINES. A worker repaints the yellow lines on the stretch of EDSA highways in Guadalupe, Makati City, to clearly mark lanes for public vehicles. The Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group moved in on Monday, Sept. 7, to help manage traffic at choke points on the perennially congested belt highway.

Inquirer.net photo by Marianne Bermudez

Palace reminds lawmakers to pass BBL on time by delon

Porcalla Philstar.com

MANILA—Malacañang reminded congressmen of the need to pass the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) to achieve lasting peace in Mindanao.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the Palace is coordinating with House leaders on the matter.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. over the weekend said time is running out for Congress to pass the BBL because they would soon be busy with the proposed P3-trillion national budget for 2016.

In an interview over dzBB, Belmonte said the leadership of the House of Representatives has addressed the issue of quorum, citing “very good” attendance during plenary sessions in recent days.

He said time is running out because many lawmakers have expressed their intention to interpellate the proponents of the measure.

Meanwhile, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles said yesterday it would be sooner and easier for Mindanao businessmen to gain from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations economic integration with the establishment of the new auton-

omous government under the proposed BBL. “If the Philippines is to grow, if it is to gain a leading place within the Southeast Asian region and the entire global community, we will have to continually work toward the intertwined goals of peace and progress,” Deles said during the Mindanao Business Conference held in Dipolog City.

“Winning the ASEAN, Gaining the Global Market” is the theme of the conference this year.

Deles said a stable peace process is among the crucial factors that would help Mindanao propel its position in ASEAN trade.

Golden age At the same conference, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II said Mindanao is standing on the threshold of a “golden age.”

He cited President Aquino for his efforts to ensure Congress’ immediate approval of the BBL. “This is the time when you in Mindanao have the most to gain and the most to lose if in the event the efforts of peace will not come to pass,” Roxas said.

“It is a golden age where the two sides of the coin, peace and prosperity, can reign.”

The conference adopted a resolution expressing the full support of Mindanaoans to government efforts to achieve lasting peace, economic prosperity and security in the region.

The business leaders also urged Congress to “accurately reflect” the results of the consultations on the BBL. Deles updated businessmen on the status of the BBL, adding members of the government peace panel remain optimistic that Congress would pass the measure.

House ad hoc committee on the BBL chairman and Cagayan de Oro second district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said Congress would work overtime to ensure the passage of the measure.

Deles said the holding of the conference, which coincides with the observance of the National Peace Consciousness Month, underscores the need for the business sector to remain united behind government peace initiatives “if we are to win the ASEAN, if we are to gain the global market.”

Investment opportunities Deles reiterated the statement of economist Cielito Habito during the conference on the need to pass the BBL, citing “huge investment opportunities” in Mindanao.

“The BBL, or whatever version it takes, will unleash so much more investment opportunities in Mindanao especially the untapped Muslim Mindanao,” Habito said. “Mindanao is very well positioned already because ASEAN is an Islamic market.

Punongbayan and Marvin Sy Philstar.com

MANILA—In granting bail to Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile, the Supreme Court (SC) paints “a picture of injustice, inequality, partiality and preference,” the Office of the Ombudsman said.

Based on this argument, prosecutors led by Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang have asked the SC to reverse its Aug. 18 decision.

“It makes a mockery of justice,” read the motion for reconsideration. “It confirms to our very kababayans that a different kind and quality of justice indeed applies to the rich and powerful.”

The motion for reconsideration was filed last Friday, the last day for the filing of the motion, Ombudsman Conchita CarpioMorales told reporters at the Senate.

“There were three main reasons,” she said.

“We were wondering why they had to grant the petition because the ground given by the court was not even considered by the Sandiganbayan or by Enrile himself. He hasn’t raised that. He has raised that fragile state of health and his motion to be confined in a hospital but not in a motion to file bail or petition for bail.”

The other ground for the motion for reconsideration is the violation of the equal protection of the law clause under the Constitution, Morales said.

“That special favor that they gave to the senator should also be given and has not been given

to any Tom, Dick and Harry that was in a similar situation before,” she said.

The filing of the motion for reconsideration just so happened to be “analogous” or similar to the dissenting opinion of Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen and was not necessarily “parroting it,” Morales said.

Prosecutors said the SC must correct its decision granting bail to the 91-year-old lawmaker and resolve the case with “unquestionable impartiality, undisputed fairness and unassailable wisdom.”

“The decision granting bail to petitioner was premised on a factual finding that he is not a flight risk, on a determination that he suffers from a fragile state of health, and on other unsupported grounds unique and personal to him,” they said.

“In granting bail to petitioner on the foregoing grounds, the decision unduly and radically modified constitutional and procedural principles governing bail without sufficient constitutional, legal and jurisprudential basis.”

The SC’s decision “openly ignored and abandoned the constitutionally mandated procedure for determining whether a person accused of a crime punishable by reclusion perpetua such as plunder can be granted bail,” prosecutors said.

Enrile’s actions disproves the SC decision granting him bail on grounds that he is not a flight risk and is of frail health, they added.

Enrile “reports for duty with

Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile

strength and vitality, exhibiting none of the weaknesses and frailty” that he claims to be suffering, prosecutors said.

Granting temporary freedom to Enrile despite being charged with plunder is contrary to the strict requirements of the Constitution, prosecutors said.

“The decision gave preferential treatment and undue favor to petitioner in a manner inconsistent with the equal protection clause of the 1987 Constitution.”

Prosecutors described Enrile as “nothing less than a towering figure in our country’s history,” whose criminal case involves “nothing less than one of the biggest and high-profile corruption cases in recent years.”

“Equality before the law is an elusive ideal, but it will always be an ideal worth pursuing,” they said.

Prosecutors have also filed a motion for reconsideration assailing the SC decision granting Enrile’s motion for a bill of particulars.

Aquino on FOI: We’ve done our part; ask Congress by yuji

vincent gonzaleS Inquirer.net

“THE question should be brought to Congress and to the Senate rather than to us.”

Thus said President Benigno Aquino III when asked regarding the freedom of information (FOI) bill during the Meet Inquirer forum at the Philippine Daily Inquirer headquarters in Makati City on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Aquino, who vowed to prioritize FOI’s passage during his campaign for the presidency, said Malacañang had already submitted its position on the matter.

“There is no change in the FOI. We’ve submitted our position. We can live with the version based on those amendments … I mean okay na with the version as amended,” Aquino said.

The FOI bill, which would allow greater public access to government documents, was approved by the Senate in March last year, but still remained pending in the House of Representatives.

In July, congressional lead-

President Benigno Aquino III speakd with reporters and editors during the Meet the Inquirer multimedia forum in Makati City on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Inquirer.net photo by Kristine Sabillo

ers listed the proposed FOI law as one of the six priority measures that they wanted to pass before the end of Aquino’s term in June 2016.

Other measures which Senate and House leaders agreed to prioritize were the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law; the 2016 national budget; the creation of the Department of Information and Communica-

tions Technology; the proposed amendments to the build-operate-transfer law to strengthen public-private partnerships, and the Pagasa modernization law.

Aquino has earned flak from various sectors for failing to mention the FOI during his last and longest State of the Nation Address in July, which lasted for two hours.

Supreme Court to gov’t: Answer ‘pork’ plea by edu

Punay Philstar.com

MANILA—The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the executive and legislative departments to answer a recent petition of antipork barrel advocates against the government’s spending of lump sum and discretionary funds in this year’s budget.

In session yesterday, the justices decided to require the Palace and both houses of Congress to comment on the petition for certiorari and prohibition filed last Sept. 1 by Social Watch Philippines, led by former national treasurer Leonor Briones.

A court insider said the respondents are given 10 days from receipt of notice to comply with the order.

Briones and other groups, who were joined by former senator and Yolanda rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson, asked the high

court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the executive branch from further implementing Sections 70 and 73 of the 2015 General Appropriations Act and the special provisions for special purpose funds (SPF).

Section 70 defines savings as portions or balances of any unreleased appropriations in the GAA that were not obligated, while Section 73 contains rules in the realignment of allotment classes and reprioritization of items of appropriations.

The petitioners also urged the SC to declare the two sections as unconstitutional, citing earlier decisions of the high tribunal voiding the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and key acts under the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

They said there is a need for the court to act on the government’s continuing disregard of

its PDAF and DAP rulings, with Briones saying the Aquino administration has “disregarded the Constitution and the people’s money” with the way it is spending the funds.

Specifically cited in their petition are the SPF items on eGovernment Fund, International Commitments Fund, Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund, National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Fund, Pension and Gratuity Fund and Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program.

Named respondents in the Social Watch petition are Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, the Senate as represented

by Senate President Franklin Drilon and the House of Representatives as represented by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. The petition was filed with barely four months left in the fiscal year.

Pimentel files bill exempting balikbayan box from duties, other taxes

by Maila

ager Inquirer.net

SENATOR Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III has filed a bill that would not only prohibit the opening of balikbayan boxes but would also exempt from all duties and taxes one box per overseas Filipino worker (OFW) per month.

Citing the constitutional provision that the government shall protect the rights of workers and promote their welfare, Senate Bill 2927 filed by Pimentel aims to institute an expanded balikbayan program, amending for the purpose Republic Act No. 6768 as amended by R.A. 9174 and for other purposes.

Under the bill, a balikbayan box, measuring 24 inches by 24 inches by 30 inches, should only be subjected to non-intru-

sive methods of inspection by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel through the use of trained dogs, x-ray and other similar technologies.

Balikbayan boxes, the bill said, could only be opened in the following circumstances: first, when the consignor’s export declaration and packing list are not attached to the balikbayan box, and second, when the BOC is tipped off that the box contains banned, prohibited or regulated import commodities.

Regardless of the total dutiable value of its contents, the proposed measure also seeks to exempt from taxes and duties one balikbayan box per month per OFW which Pimentel said “is but a small measure of assistance in view of the tireless efforts of our OFWs who work selflessly abroad and endure long

separation and loneliness from their loved ones.”

“For OFWs, the balikbayan box is an enduring testament of their sacrifice and hard work abroad in order to secure a better future for their families back home. It represents the love and care of OFWs for their families, who have to bear months or even years of separation from each other,” the senator said in a statement on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Citing records of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Pimentel said approximately 1.832 million OFWs were deployed abroad last year whose personal remittances accounted for 8.5 percent of the country’s gross national product (GDP) for the year.

“We cannot thus take for granted the crucial role played PAGE A7

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Abueva, Romeo lead Gilas Pilipinas final 12; Clarkson out

by Musong

A

R. Castillo

Inquirer.net

JORDAN Clarkson will not be playing in the Fiba Asia Championship for Gilas Pilipinas, after all.

And so, too, are former Nationals Gary David and Jimmy Alapag and Jones Cup campaigners Aldrech Ramos, Troy Rosario and Fil-Tongan Moala Tautuaa.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas asked for an apology to the Filipino people for not being able to beat the Fiba deadline that would further prove the Filipino lineage of Clarkson even as coach Tab Baldwin named his “(12) basketball heroes to play and fight for glory on our road to (the) Rio (de Janeiro Olympics next year).”

“We did all that we could to have Jordan Clarkson join Gilas for the 2015 Fiba Asia Championship,” said the SBP statement. “Although we pushed the boundaries whenever possible, this process cannot be rushed if it were to be done properly.”

“We are saddened to report that we were not able to beat the deadline to secure the necessary clearances on time.”

National team rookies Calvin Abueva and Terrence Romeo, two of the brightest performers in Gilas’ second place finish in

the Jones Cup, are in the squad together with Jason Castro, Marc Pingris, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, Ranidel de Ocampo, JC Intal, Gabe Norwood, Asi Taulava, Sonny Thoss, Dondon Hontiveros and naturalized player Andray Blatche.

Clarkson had declared to SBP officials Ricky Vargas and Pato Gregorio that he is “all in” for Gilas until the 2024 Olympics, with the cage executives even going to Los Angeles to talk to the Lakers and to Clarkson’s family.

Meanwhile, Lebanon backed out as the fourth team in the MVP Cup, a pocket tournament set to start on Sept. 11 which will be Gilas Pilipinas’ final event before going to the Fiba Asia Championship in Changsha, China later this month.

There was no official reason given by the Lebanese national team from pulling out, which left the Filipinos, the Wellington Saints of New Zealand and Chinese Taipei in the roster.

A day before the end of the Jones Cup in Taipei on Sunday, several local reporters there were writing stories about the USA Select-Overtake team having reportedly been invited by the organizers to take the place of Lebanon.

There was no confirmation of that story, though.

Gilas defeated all those teams in the Jones Cup—all in highwire style—with the 92-88 victory over the Kiwis going an extra five minutes where Dondon Hontiveros played the hero after shooting 11 points in extension.

Nacionalista Party still undecided on 2016 plans

by ChRistina

Mendez

Philstar.com

MANILA—Is the Nacionalista Party (NP) headed for a split?

Sen. Cynthia Villar, whose husband, former Senate president Manuel Villar chairs the NP, said she is confused by reports that Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano may run under the administration banner.

Cayetano is reportedly being eyed as the running mate of administration bet, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II. Villar said the party has yet to discuss its plans for 2016, noting that at least three of their candidates have been going around and testing the waters on their chances of winning.

She was referring to Sens.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Juan Antonio Trillanes IV and Cayetano.

“There could be a free zone

for all our three bets. We are hoping that this will not happen, that they will all run and there will be a free zone,” she said.

Villar said the decision of the three NP senators would affect its coalition with the Liberal Party (LP).

Marcos, for his part, appealed to the public to wait for his decision.

He refused to comment on the possibility that he would be pitted against Cayetano for the vice presidential post.

Asked about the fate of the coalition between the LP and NP, Marcos said the coalition had not been active for two years. LP and NP coalesced during the 2013 elections.

Marcos also refused to comment on reports that Cayetano is being tapped as Roxas’ running mate. “He hasn’t proclaimed anything. Why bother with something that we don’t know

would happen… and why am I answering for Senator Alan?” he said.

Marcos said he is likely to come up with a decision before the end of this month.

“My inclination right now, we are talking about higher office but of course, the senatorial race is always an option. It does not go away. That’s always part of the option,” he said.

Senate President Franklin Drilon, LP vice-chairman, said a Roxas-Cayetano tandem would depend on whether LP would coalesce with NP. “That presupposes that there will be a coalition,” Drilon said.

He earlier called on LP president, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, to convene the national council so that the members can decide on its vice presidential candidate.

Roxas should initiate the talks, he added.

BUDGET DELIBERATIONS. Senate President Franklin M. Drilon talks to Secretary Rogelio Singson (middle) and Undersecretary Romeo Momo (left) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) before the start of budget deliberations for the agency’s proposed P392.5 billion budget for 2016. President Aquino, who is ramping up infrastructure spending in his last year in office, is increasing the funding of the agency, from P303 billion this year to P392.5 billion next year.

Senate photo by Romeo Bugante

Comelec opts for negotiated bidding on transmission of 2016 poll results by tina

g. santos Inquirer.net

MANILA—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has decided to directly negotiate with prospective providers of the election results transmission services that will be used in the May 2016 polls following two failed public biddings.

“We had two failed biddings.

And therefore, we thought the prudent recourse of action to take is to directly meet with telco providers,” said Comelec Chair Andres Bautista.

The electronic results transmission service (ERTS) is the system used in the city/municipal, provincial, and national canvassing centers to send and receive transmitted results of voting.

The service provider will be the one to supply the system, equipment, and services of the ERTS. Bautista said they have been eyeing the Globe Telecom and Smart Communications, among other firms, as service providers for the P558-million project.

He said the poll body would directly dealing with the top two

Pimentel files bill exempting...

PAGE A6 by our OFWs in helping sustain the continuous development of our country through the foreign currencies remitted to their families back home,” he said.

Pimentel said the state for its part must make certain that “our

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telecom companies to ensure better transmission rate in 2016.

Republic Act No. 9184 provides that the negotiated procurement method, wherein the Procuring Entity directly negotiates a contract with a technically, legally, and financially capable supplier, is allowed in case of two failed biddings.

Bautista said that going through a direct contracting would allow the Comelec to minimize the intervention of a foreign entity.

Smartmatic – Total Information Management (TIM) Corporation was the service provider for the election results transmission during the 2010 and 2013 elections.

Meanwhile, the De La Salle University (DLSU) has agreed to host the forthcoming source code review for the 2016 automated election system (AES), the Comelec said. The source code review will start on October 1 and will involve the analysis of the Election Management System (EMS), Consolidation and Canvassing System (CCS), and the Optical Mark Reader (OMR) machines, according to

prevailing legislation would help augment not only the lives of our OFWs, but also their families who were left behind.”

On the average, some 400,000 balikbayan boxes are shipped monthly back home

by OFWs which the BOC had

Bautista. The base source code is the one to be submitted by the winning service provider for the 2016 AES while the customized source code is the one that will include the inputs from the Comelec.

The source code review at the DLSU in Manila is parallel to the one to be conducted by SysTest Labs Inc., which is the independent, third-party reviewer tapped by the Comelec.

He said the venue for the source code review would be a 200-square meter area inside the DLSU campus that would be equipped with 15 computers and covered by closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

The source code review at the DLSU is open to political parties, information technology experts, members of the academe, and civil society organizations.

“It is the responsibility of the Comelec to educate and try to get the people to understand the process because if we build confidence in the process, I think it will be more accepted,” said Bautista. earlier threatened to open at random because of reports that they were being allegedly used to smuggle in highly-dutiable items, including illegal drugs and guns.

The proposal, however, ignited a public indignation that prompted the BOC to backtrack and shelve its plan.

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OpiniOn

Features

Home stretch

AFTER occupying the highest and toughest job in the Philippines for six years, Pres. Benigno Aquino III made it clear that he might be ending his political career after next year’s elections. But with a few months left in his reign, Aquino will be working under a microscope.

In the early years of his leadership, Aquino enjoyed the highest approval ratings, gaining as much as 85 percent approval from the Filipino public. It is highest rating ever recorded by any individual included in trust probes since 1999, something that any politician would aspire for.

Traditionally, when a president is about to step down, his or her approval ratings get lower.

In 2009, a year before former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ended her term, her ratings dropped to an all-time low of -11 percent. Aquino’s mother, the late former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino’s rating plunged to -1 in 1991.

Although the Aquino administration has been bloodied by unfortunate events in the past few months, the President still enjoys the support of majority of Filipinos at 54 percent. However, as the numbers go down, this also means that Aquino may be lauded for his accomplishments, but will be remembered for his shortcomings.

In a gathering with reporters and editors during the Meet the Inquirer forum on Tuesday, Sept.

8, Aquino described being the country’s president as “very daunting” but that the Filipinos’ cooperation made his task easier.

The President also admitted that the job almost took its toll on him. “No matter what you did, no

matter what risks you took, no matter what energy you expended it seemed you couldn’t change anything. So I have gotten to that point in time that you were getting to be cynical and jaded,” Aquino revealed.

Despite the early successes of his “daang matuwid (straight path)” mantra, Aquino has also been under fire over his standing on controversial issues such as the country’s sea dispute entanglements and woes in the transportation sector and infrastructure.

He is also criticized for the limited progress made in crucial areas such as corruption and poverty.

It’s really impossible to measure a politician’s performance. There are so many subjective factors to identify how formidable a politician can be. It is unjust to base the relationship of a leader and his followers on approval ratings alone. What matters more is the successful negotiations and compromises both parties extend to each other.

If the numbers are positive, the leaders are subjected to discernment. They are given an option to either be complacent or work even harder to make a lasting impression to the public. If the numbers are unfavorable, the ratings serve as a wake-up call.

Aquino may have gotten the best grade compared to his predecessors, but the work obviously doesn’t stop there. Before he embarks on a sab-

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

batical, Aquino should focus on ironing out kinks Filipinos should continue to join Aquino’s underon his reforms, and make sure tangible and reli- taking, to aid him in this final stretch of the race. able results are felt by his constituents. In return, (AJPress)

Pope Francis makes marriage annulment easier, faster & cheaper for estranged couples The Fil-Am Perspective Gel SantoS-ReloS AFTER Pope Francis’s controversial statement allowing priests during the Year of Mercy to “absolve” sins committed by contrite women who have had abortions, the leader of the Catholic Church has now radically revised the process by which Catholics may annul their marriages to make it easier, faster and cheaper.

This is especially significant for Filipinos back home who cannot remarry because divorce is not yet legal in the Philippines. The only option for estranged couples is to seek marriage annulment in court, the price of which is not affordable to most Filipinos. But even if the marriage is annulled judicially,

Catholic couples cannot re-marry through Catholic rites unless the Church declares their previous marriage null and void.

Without going through Church annulments, Catholics who remarry through civil rites are banned from receiving the Holy Communion, deemed by many as “a painful exclusion from the church’s chief sacrament.”

“Some procedures are so long and so burdensome and people give up,” Pope Francis said in 2014, as reported by CNN. The Catholic Church announced on Tuesday, September 8, that the following changes will become part of Catholic canon law on December 8, 2015—the beginning of Francis’ declared “Year of Mercy”: 1. Eliminating a second review by a cleric before a marriage can be nullified.

2. Giving bishops the ability to fast-track and grant the annulments themselves in certain circumstances -- for example, when

“BuT he himself is not corrupt, right?”

That is a common refrain in conversations with Filipinos concerned about rising sleaze under President Benigno Aquino 3rd. Ironically, the same thing was once said about Ferdinand Marcos, a frugal Ilocano unlike his extravagant wife Imelda.

After five years of Tuwid na Daan, many are disturbed, if not enraged that smuggling tripled from $7.9 billion in 2009 to nearly $27 billion last year, based on International Monetary Fund data.

Pork barrel more than doubled to over P20 billion annually, while anomalies in commuter trains, license plates, combat planes and choppers, and even office supplies are the biggest ever. And Aquino’s P157-billion Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) is the largest malversation in Philippine history.

Yet many Filipinos continue to give him the benefit of ever escalating doubt, believing or hoping he is personally honest.

America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and

ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFilAmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos

Is President Aquino corrupt?

Commentary

RicaRdo Saludo

spousal abuse or an extramarital affair has occurred.

3. The process should be free, except for a nominal fee for administrative costs, and should be completed within 45 days.

Pope Francis reaffirms the “indissolubility of the marriage bond,” but also says that “charity and mercy demand that the Church, as mother, be close to her children who consider themselves separated.”

As CNN stated in its report, this move is part of a series of reforms

by Pope Francis “as he seeks to make the church more responsive to the real needs of lay Catholics, especially those who have long felt marginalized by the hierarchy”.

The Pope said that in the end, the Church’s many laws and institutions must be aimed at one chief purpose—“the salvation of souls.”

Do you laud Pope Francis in Pope Francis his reforms to make the Catholic ners alike?

Church more welcoming and in*** clusive to people—saints and sin- Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang

This despite Aquino’s constant defense of tainted allies and associates, his failure to probe mammoth scandals, and his refusal to push for the Freedom of Information bill, as he promised voters.

So on Year 6 of his presidency, let us sincerely ponder the question based on plain facts: Is Aquino corrupt? Not just his allies, appointees, aides, and other associates close to him, including family members and the favored clique of schoolmates, partymates, and shooting buddies (KKK by their Filipino initials)—but Aquino himself.

It’s in the bagman Many instantly insist on the President’s integrity because he has never been known or shown to have personally solicited or accepted an inappropriate advantage.

Well, if that is enough to declare politicians clean, so many grafters would be exonerated simply by using bagmen to solicit, negotiate, and accept bribes. Indeed, only one Philippine president has been proven to have personally taken payoffs.

In his plunder trial, Joseph Ejercito Estrada was shown to have received illicit funds.

Documents and testimony established that he was the true accountholder of the Jose Velarde false-name deposit in Equitable Bank, which once held billions of pesos, including P189 million in checks representing commissions on shares bought by state financial institutions at Estrada’s behest.

No other presidents were undeniably linked to payoffs.

Hence, in pondering whether Aquino is corrupt, the apparent absence of actual money or other assets illicitly falling into his hands, pockets, accounts, or other personal receptacles is no reason to conclude he is clean. Otherwise, so many others would be deemed honest, even those currently accused of high corruption by the administration.

Before leaving this issue, one might cite an instance when Aquino may have received an unlawful gift. In December 2011 he claimed to have bought with P4.5 million of his own money a “third-hand” Porsche 911 Turbo sportscar. Seven months later, he said he sold it for the same amount.

Fellow columnist Rigoberto Tiglao, among other journalists, repeatedly pressed the Palace for car registrations and

deeds of sale showing that the Porsche was really purchased then sold, and never gifted. No documents were presented. So many rightly concluded that the purported purchase never happened. But Aquino did get the luxury coupe, so it must have been a gift—and, given its high price, it violates the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Where there’s smoke…

The undocumented Porsche was but one of so many whiffs of Aquino smoke which got many looking for fire. In his first year alone, consider these dubous acts and omissions.

Aquino declined to put the Philippine National Police, the main weapon against jueteng, under anti-gambling nemesis Jesse Robredo. Instead of the DILG Secretary, Aquino himself supervised the PNP through his shooting buddy, then Interior undersecretary Rico Puno—whom anti-vice crusader Archbishop Oscar Cruz named along with then PNP Chief Jesus Versoza as “ultimate recipients” of jueteng payoffs.

Aquino also kept smuggling— an even bigger source of multibillion-peso payoffs—away from another proven sleaze fighter, former Customs Commissioner Guillermo Parayno, hired by

the IMF as consultant in customs reform for his Ramos-era achievements.

What’s worse, Aquino never probed the country’s biggest surge of contraband ever—the 2011 disappearance of more than 2,000 cargo containers— even if records show who kept releasing untaxed, uninspected boxes, though hundreds already vanished.

Congress bribery and DAP malversation came in later years, along with anomalies in transport, defense, agriculture, and police agencies. Yet like townsfolk gawking at the Emperor’s new clothes in the children’s fable, huge segments of public and media, including opponents of graft in past regimes, still think Aquino is honest.

His admirers and apologists should ask themselves if his acts would not demonstrate sleaze if done by other presidents.

For instance, would they think Fidel Ramos is clean if he did not back Parayno’s cleanup against political pressure, but replaced him as Aquino did to reform-minded Customs chief John Sevilla?

Wo u l d G l o r i a A r ro y o b e cheered if she kept expressing trust in Secretaries Hernando Perez of Justice, Angelo Reyes

at National Defense, and Arthur Yap of Agriculture—as Aquino does with his Cabinet—instead of letting the three go amid sleaze allegations?

And what if Arroyo did not scrap the P15-billion ZTE deal, but defended it like the P157billion DAP? Or if she stalled the transparency-enhancing Procurement Reform Act of 2003, as Aquino has done with the FOI Bill?

Would it have been fine for Estrada to treble pork barrel and shower it on legislators ousting the Chief Justice, instead of restricting the fund early in his term?

If such excesses would make other leaders corrupt in our eyes, why not Aquino? Do we need a bagman like Chavit Singson to spill the beans about presidential payolas, before we finally see the fire amid Aquino’s huffing and puffing?

Yet even smoking pistols may fail to convince segments of the public and the press. As the Filipino adage goes, it’s hard to wake someone pretending to sleep. Nor would lapdogs spurn or bite the hand that feeds them.

And often, we keep believing in a false idol, rather than admit he has made fools of us. (ManilaTimes.net)

The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.

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(650) 616-4150 • http://www.asianjournal.com

Your Immigration Solution Atty. RobeRt Reeves MilleR, ZhAng & DiZA DESPERATE times call for desperate measures! We have all heard this phrase many times in our lives. But the reality is that these desperate measures often produce disastrous results. In the context of immigration law, the desperate act of marrying someone solely for a green card almost always ends very badly.

Marrying a person solely for a green card is often called a “green card marriage,” but the more official term used by the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (“USCIS”) is “sham marriage.” It has been a plotline in multiple Hollywood movies and television shows over the years, including most recently in the primetime drama “On The Wings of Love.”

“On The Wings of Love” is a fictional story about a young Filipina who dreams of coming to the US for a noble reason – to visit her mother’s gravesite.

After entering the US she is advised to get married to a US citizen so that she can be granted lawful permanent resident status (“green card”). Before long there is a payment of $7,500 to a person willing to marry the Filipina. The newlyweds are subsequently coached to stage fake photographs, pretend they are a couple, and even to memorize personal information about their spouse so that they can pass the required interview.

Though “On The Wings of Love” is a fictional television show, this scenario too often is played out in real life because many people mistakenly believe that marrying a US citizen is an easy way to obtain a green card. The USCIS is well aware that many people are willing to marry a person for the sole purpose of obtaining a green card. For this reason, they

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 11-17, 2015

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Journal Green card marriages Inspire Learning Institute receives are not a realistic option funding from Thomas Long Foundation dedicate a substantial amount of resources towards detecting these “sham marriages.” Because of the USCIS’ efforts, it is crucial that a person applying for a green card on the basis of their marriage understand what the USCIS considers to be a valid marriage for immigration purposes.

First, the immigrant and their US citizen spouse must prove that their marriage is “bonafide.”

This is not an easy task because the USCIS officers are highly trained to detect sham marriages. And remember, the USCIS does not have to prove that the marriage is a sham.

The immigrant and their US citizen spouse must show that they “intended to establish a life together” at the time they entered into their marriage. Oral statements of the immigrant and their US citizen spouse are not sufficient, and neither are written statements of friends and family members. On the contrary, the USCIS will also want to closely examine the conduct of the parties, e.g., is the couple residing together, how long have they known each other, are they conducting themselves as husband and wife, etc. The USCIS will also consider whether the parties have a sufficient amount of documentation proving the bonafides of their marriage.

The USCIS will also commonly want to ask the immigrant and their US citizen spouse personal questions about their relationship. The potential questions a person may be asked are nearly limitless, as the USCIS may ask just about anything they believe a person should know about their spouse. While you can try and learn as much as possible about your spouse, it is virtually impossible to learn enough about another person if you are not really married to

them. Sure you can learn your spouse’s date-of-birth or name of their employer, but how do you expect to know about your spouse’s eating habits unless you actually live together? How are you going to know about your significant other’s daily routine unless you are married?

Another issue that sometimes comes up is what happens if the US citizen spouse dies or physically or emotionally harms the immigrant. Despite the breakdown of the marriage, the immigrant may still be eligible to apply for their green card.

However, they will still have to prove that the relationship was bonafide at the time of the inception of the marriage.

The risks of entering into a “sham marriage” are substantial. Fines, jail time, but no green card. In fact, the person being petitioned will be barred from ever being petitioned again as an immigrant, even if the subsequent relationship is bonafide. We all understand that sometimes you may think a “green card marriage” is the only option, but an experienced and knowledgeable immigration attorney will advise you against following this illegal, and almost sure-to-fail path, despite what you may see on television or in the movies. *** Atty. Reeves has represented clients in numerous landmark immigration cases that have set new policies regarding INS action and immigrants’ rights. His offices are located in Pasadena, Irvine, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Makati City.

Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com. *** The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case.

(Advertising Supplement)

ANTIOCH, CA – Inspire Learning Institute (ILI) has been serving the youth of Contra Costa County with free Afterschool STEM program for three years now, beginning with a Robotics workshop at the Los Medanos College, in collaboration with the 2013 Youth Summit. Thereafter, for the past two years, the organization has given Computer Coding workshops and STEM Summer Camps. This year’s summer camp was about computer coding and robotics.

Recently, ILLI held the Summer Campers’ reunion. About 15 adults, parents, two trainers, two Board Directors and fifteen students comprising of STEM summer camp graduates of 2015 and some from 2014.

This event is the first of a series of wraparound service to continue to motivate and inspire our students, in addition to mak-

ing them feel valued. The Board of Directors Mary Rocha, a Council Member from Antioch and Ron Leone, a Council Member from Concord gave short inspirational talks, thanking parents for supporting their student’s educational enrichment. Instructor Dr. Joel Malard and Assistant Instructor/Videographer Sanny Leviste gave the highlights of the summer campers’ activities. Students and parents were surveyed on the effectiveness of the summer camp in teaching coding and programming the robots; what they liked about it; and interest in joining any robotics program.

One parent, Laneasha Lee said, “Extra education is my main goal in sending my children. Public school system is trying, but they cannot provide my children with the special attention the STEM program provides. STEM is very

important in our world today, and I don’t want my child to be left behind. I cannot afford a program like this, and I feel very blessed for my child’s opportunity.”

Another parent, Susana Acosta said, “…This really sparked an unknown interest in my daughters. The computer science and robotics was foreign to my girls, but now they are not so much!”

President and Executive Director Evelyn Centeno presented a blown up check of $25,000 from Thomas Long Foundation, slated for Inspire Learning Institute operational expenses. The foundation expressed to Centeno their wish for the charitable organization to be able to maintain its services in the region. This year’s summer camp was also funded in part by grants from PG&E and DOW Chemical.

Centeno said, “I am privileged

u PAGE B2

Filipino Ministry honors the mission of the family in the Church and the Modern World on Oct. 18

THE Filipino Ministry Consultative Board (FMCB) and Advisors are gearing up for the celebration of the 5th Annual Filipino Catholic Ministry Gala, scheduled on Sunday, October 18, at the Patron’s Hall of the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption.

The theme of this year’s event is the Mission of the Family in the Church and the Modern World, which focuses on the pivotal role a loving marriage and family plays in today’s contemporary society. This is also the theme of the “World Meeting of Families” to take place in Philadelphia during Pope Francis’ US visit later this month, and the topic of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops to convene in Vatican in October 2015.

Five hundred guests representing various parishes and or-

The Filipino Ministry Consultative Board (FMCB) and Advisors: (L-R) Deacon Ven Garcia, Fr. Ray Reyes, Loy Banez, Peter Chan, Estrelle Chan, Freda Motak, Estelle Oloresisimo, Fr. Eugene Tungol, Richie Almendrala, Fr. Arnold Zamora and Fr. Francis Garbo. Not included in the photo are Edgar Estonina, Nellie Hizon and Deacon Nestor Fernandez.

ganizations in the Archdiocese of on its fifth year, the FMCB conSan Francisco, along with civic tinues to expand its programs and community leaders, are ex- and services to the community. pected to attend this event. Now u PAGE B2

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Community Journal

SEPTEMBER 11-17, 2015 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

The Metamorphosis

ernie D. Delfin (Part 2 of 3)

FROM the city of antiquity, we decided to spend the afternoon in a new 5- star entertainment hotel casino called Solaire, which is built on a large reclaimed area of Manila Bay along Roxas Boulevard towards Pasay City. This hotel can be compared to the best hotel casinos in Las Vegas.

The price of one San Miguel beer, being served by beautiful young ladies, is about equal the daily minimum wage of many workers, especially in the provinces.

As in real estate, it’s location, location, location that determines the wages and costs of living. Ironically, this place where the affluent have money to burn and “entertain” themselves is just within 30 minutes away from those living under the bridges of Makati or Manila. A universal irony of the socio-economic life of any third country like the Philippines that continues to wallow in poverty. As the late iconic publisher-columnist Max V. Soliven loved to utter and write, “The Philippines is indeed a very poor country but always pretending to be rich!”

As we had experienced eating in expenses places like Solaire in the past, my son and I opted to go to Dampa along Macapagal Avenue to have an authentic seafood Philippine-style dinner, where customers choose any fresh seafood to be cooked to their liking. While waiting, we ordered

US-born son’s first visit to his father’s roots in the Philippines another round of San Miguel.

With dollars to spend, everything seemed dirt cheap, and we indulged in ordering more than we normally can eat but since we were for about three hours, we finished most of it. While enjoying the seafood, the music provided by four guitarist-singers entertaining guests from table to another.

Surprisingly, the group knew several songs that my son requested. They were really good, that prompted my son (after a couple of San Miguels) to even sing with them! Having a real Philippine entertainment experience, he handed them several hundred pesos as their tip which my son commented that’s was not even $20!

That ended our first full day in Manila, where the very rich and very poor co-exist in the same city but one can obviously see the stark difference of their daily lives, like day and night. Oh, well that human condition also exists in New York, San Francisco or Los Angeles. In my reflection that night as a Christian I pondered, “What can be done more to mitigate or stop the continuing widening gap between the haves and the have-nots of Philippine society?” (That is another topic in another column!).

The last week of my son’s stay in the Philippines was in my home province of Pangasinan.

This may be the most emotional experience and memorable that my son experienced, especially when he opted to go to the bar-

Calendar of Events across

rio where I was born, at an era when houses did not even have electricity until I was in the 5th grade. While drinking beer, an accepted social or cultural glue for bonding between friends and relatives, my son willingly participated in the butchering of a goat and chickens for our family’s reunion. With plenty of typical Ilocano food, wine and beer; everybody enjoyed our rare homecoming picnic, especially when my son tried amusingly hard to speak some Ilocano words that our clan chose to teach him. We also invited some friends from Rotary and Gawad Kalinga to join us for village picnic as well as to see the future site of another Gawad Kalinga Hope Village in this barangay where I was born and raised. That fun event started early morning butchering the animals for lunch, gathering vegetables and produce for a big group of guests, and surprisingly the affair did not end at lunch but dragged on until dinnertime!

That was certainly the longest party lasting over 12 hours that my son and I not only in the Philippines but also in the US. The Metamorphosis food for thought: “I don’t want you to give your surplus. I want you to give with your personal deprivation.”

– Mother Teresa *** Email: ernie.delfin@gmail.com or zhunrize.foundation@gmail.com Websites: www.rotaryeclubGlobalKalingaD3780.org www.foundation4nextgen.zhuncity.com

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST-EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS SEPTEMBER 13

PHii tribute 2015 Awardees’ orientation The Philippine Heritage Institute International invites Tribute 2015 awardees to a luncheon and orientation on September 13, at the Holiday Inn Select, 14299 Firestone Blvd., La Mirada, CA 90638. Networking and fellowship are first on the agenda among PHII Trustees and honorees. Marc Jonathan de Jesus will have an audio-visual presentation about PHII. Overall chair Norma Merza and co-chair Lily Lara will acquaint awardees with necessary information about Tribute 2015 onOctober 3, at the Sheraton Cerritos Hotel. For questions, contact: president Josie E. de Jesus (714) 272-0300;joestarisdejesus@gmail.com; event overall chair Norma Merza (562) 947-0248; norma.merza@yahoo.com; or co-chair Lily Lara at nogardc@aol.com.

SEPTEMBER 19

Citizenship Day 2015 The Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association is having a FREE Citizenship Day event on September 19, from 10:00am to 3:00pm, to assist low-income, 18+ immigrants eligible for US citizenship with the full naturalization process. Every case will be reviewed by a legal attorney. Please call us at 407-841-8310 ext. 3123 for an appointment and any questions you may have. Thank You!

Heal the bay Coastal Cleanup Day Heal the Bay, a volunteer-run nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the health and safety of Southland beaches and waterways, will host the 26th annual Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, Sept. 19. More than 10,000 Southland residents and volunteers will mobilize from 9am to noon at more than 50 cleanup sites, from Compton to Malibu, to help remove trash along Los Angeles County beaches and inland waterways, parks, creeks, lakes, highways and alleys. Coastal Cleanup Day participants have collected more than 1 million pounds of trash in Los Angeles County since 1990. By removing debris from beaches and inland neighborhoods, volunteers reduce blight, protect marine animals and bolster the regional economy. Join the world’s biggest single-day volunteer event! Attendees will receive hands-on education about the easy steps they can take to local watersheds and neighborhoods clean, and participants will be given a voucher for free sustainable seafood tacos at any Rubio’s restaurant while extensive supplies last. For volunteers, Cancer Treatment Centers of America will be distributing free tubes of sunscreen at all sites, and Heal the Bay will be hosting a number of community-building activities, such as a sand castle-building contest. Heal the Bay seeks volunteers of all ages and physical abilities, and no special equipment or experience is necessary. For registration information and cleanup tips, please visit www.healthebay.org/ccd.

Contact Alys Arenas, (310) 451-1500, x148, aarenas@healthebay.org, or Matthew King, (310) 451-1500, x137; cell: (310) 463-6266 for more details.

PiliPino inter-Club oPen invitational Golf tournament The 11th annual PILIPINO INTER-CLUB OPEN (PICO) is open to fellow master golfers from the tri-state area. The charity tournament will be held on Saturday, September 19, at Royce Brook Golf Club (201 Hamilton Rd, Hillsborough Township, NJ 08844). It will be a shotgun start @ 1:30 pm. Registration is $120 each player; includes golf cart and food after the game. Come early for registration, refreshments, and mini contests. Come and join the quest for individual and team honors by class. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Family Center Christian Church, and donations are 100% tax deductible. Sign-up now at http://www. spgolfclub.com/PICO. For more details, please contact Ed Badiola (908) 531-7377, or Justil Cruz (973) 926-1400.

ublA: Kaaldawan of the 41st Penafrancia Fiesta 2015 Most Reverend Gerald Eugene Wilkerson, D.D., V.G., former Bishop of the San Fernando Valley Pastoral Region, will preside over a concelebrated High Mass to highlight the Kaaldawan (Feast Day) of the 41st Annual Penafrancia Fiesta on Saturday, September 19, at 10:00am, through the United Bicolandia Los Angeles (UBLA). Bicolanos are inviting all Marian devotees, Filipinos and other Catholics regardless of ethnicity, to join them in the day-long fiesta in honor of their regional patroness, Our Lady of Penafrancia, in the open air of Lincoln Park and Lake: 3529 N. Mission Road, Los Angeles, CA 90031 (corner E. Valley Blvd.) near downtown. There is a solemn Eucharist Mass schedule with music by Saint Anthony Claret Holy Rosary Choir, followed by a kaaldawan celebration including a novena, Fluvial parade of the Holy Virgin, lunch, and cultural entertainment highlighting Bicolano and Filipino culture.

The 8-day novena will start on the afternoon of Friday, September 11 at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Hollywood. The 2015 Penafrancia Fiesta will end on Sunday, September 27, with a fellowship ball at Montery Hill Restaurant (3700 W. Ramona Blvd., Monterey Park, CA 91754) at 5:30pm. For a full schedule, novenas, and more information, please contact UBLA President Lanie Berrei (818) 281-3169.

If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com

The CTV Files atty. Dennis chua, esq.

OFTEN, many immigrants have kept pushing back their decision to apply for US citizenship.

Many of them have also failed to keep track of the validity of their permanent resident cards such that when they are now ready to apply for naturalization, they discover that their permanent resident cards have either expired or are about to expire.

Our office has regularly received queries from immigrants whose permanent resident cards have expired or are expiring, as to whether or not they should still renew their permanent resident cards if they intend to file for their naturalization. This is because they would like to avoid paying $450 which is the current filing fee for the renewal of permanent resident cards.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has posted some guidance as to when

Marketing Matters Giancarlo Pacheco HAVE you ever received an email, a flier on your car, shopping catalogues in the mail, a promotional letter from your cable provider, or have seen television commercials, banner ads, or outdoor advertising? If you answered yes, then you have been a target of direct marketing. Direct marketing is a type of advertising campaign that seeks to prompt an action and usually targets a select group of consumers. The ‘middle man’ advertiser is removed, and what’s left are tried-and-true marketing tactics that have been proven as effective. You might feel that this form of marketing is a bit archaic, but would it surprise you to know that cable, satellite, and telecom companies such as DirecTV and Verizon FiOS are continually utilizing direct advertising to reach out and communicate to their existing clients and prospective customers with tremendous success? In this article, I will focus on the most common form of direct marketing, which is direct mail.

Direct mail is not only utilized by cable, satellite, and telecom providers, but also by small businesses such as dry cleaners, local restaurants, and even your neighborhood auto body shops.

The approach is to mail out promotions or coupons to everyone in the immediate area of your business establishment. This method is called a “spray and pray” approach because it is not

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150

Applying for naturalization with expired green cards immigrants should renew their permanent resident cards even if they are filing for citizenship.

The USCIS has indicated in its website that “if you apply for naturalization 6 months or more before the expiration date on your Permanent Resident Card…, you do not have to apply for a new card……If you apply for naturalization less than 6 months before the expiration date on your Permanent Resident Card, or do not apply for naturalization until your card has already expired, you must renew your card.” USCIS information officers have therefore been informing immigrants to renew their expired permanent resident cards before they apply for naturalization.

Notwithstanding this guidance provided by the USCIS, our office has successfully filed for applications for naturalization for immigrants whose permanent resident cards have expired. An immigrant does not lose his or her permanent resident status with the expiration of his or her

permanent resident card. Only his or her proof of residency expires with the expiration of the permanent resident card.

However, there may be instances when an immigrant must renew the expired green card even if he or she intends to file for citizenship. One such instance is when he or she intends to travel outside the country. An immigrant must have an unexpired permanent resident card to be allowed entry into the United States.

***

Atty. Dennis E. Chua is a partner in The Law Firm of Chua Tinsay and Vega (CTV), a full service law firm with offices in San Francisco, San Diego and Manila. The information presented in this article is for general information only and is not, nor intended to be, formal legal advice nor the formation of an attorney-client relationship. Call or e-mail CTV for an inperson or phone consultation to discuss your particular situation and/or how their services may be retained at (415) 495-8088; (619) 955-6277; Dchua@ctvattys.com. The CTV Attorneys will be at Max’s Restaurant in Vallejo on October 19, 2009 from 5pm to 7pm to hold a FREE legal clinic.

(Advertising Supplement)

The power of direct marketing exactly targeted to a specific recipient, rather it is sending to a targeted zip code and recipients are often random. This may not be the best way to get your ad noticed since it is being distributed with other businesses that may have a more compelling or relevant offer, but coupons are still effective especially with the older demographics. In fact, I often rummage through my “junk mail” pile for coupons looking for a good deal.

Now let’s talk about more popular brands as they tend to use direct mail a bit differently. These companies have the resources to buy highly targeted lists of prospects and addresses from mailing houses. This process can be quite expensive depending on how targeted you want to be with your marketing efforts. For example, a list targeting Filipino males in Daly City, California, between ages 21-35, can cost you thousands of dollars. These large brands also tend to utilize agencies to create attractive direct mail pieces and clever packages including compelling promotional offers just to stand out from their competitors. Many of these brand offers are so alluring that prospective customers jump on to the new service or make the switch from a competitor.

One of the greatest advantages of direct mail is that businesses and organizations are granted extensive measurability. Companies enjoy the benefits of tracking not only their target audience as a whole, but also on an individual level For example, a retailer who sends its catalogues to a new neighborhood can track

which households are buying and determine whether the area is worth pursuing. In contrast, companies are much more limited in tracking their customers via TV ads. Perhaps a customer sees a TV ad and makes a purchase. There’s nothing tracking that in-between period. With so many other factors in place, where the credit goes is often blurred. Direct marketing helps the company zone in on potential customers while keeping the customer loyalty.

Let’s recap. Determine your budget whether you will be able to purchase a targeted list of addresses or you would like to take advantage of the US Postal Service circulars. Secondly, design and develop a mail piece that is attractive and memorable.

Next, include a special offer to get customers and prospects to take action. Take advantage of USPS bulk discounts. And finally, be sure to capture the new customer data so that you can keep customer coming back for more. Remember, sometimes the oldest method of marketing can yield the biggest benefit for your business. *** Giancarlo Pacheco is the President of PCA, a full-service marketing and communications agency with offices in Los Angeles and New York. For over a decade, the agency has been a leader in providing integrated campaigns for Fortune 1000 companies. PCA has served a wide array of clients including Verizon, Gilead Life Sciences, Warner Music Japan, Samsung Electronics, Philippine Airlines, International Media Distribution, Anheuser Busch, Diageo, Lionsgate Entertainment and the Los Angeles Dodgers. For more information, please visit www. plancagency.com.

Convenience at the forefront of LBC’s service

FILIPINOS fly abroad to seek greener pastures and support their families back home. But sometimes, in their pursuit to work hard to provide better opportunities for the loved ones they leave behind, they miss the operating hours of their trusted courier services.

LBC Express, Inc., the Philippines’ trusted payments, remittance, courier products, mail, parcels, and cargo logistics service is giving Filipinos in North America bigger reasons to smile as they’re extending their pick-up hours in Canada, California, New York, New Jersey, and Chicago.

As part of its improved services, branches will offer box pickup services as early as 7:30am up to as late as 8:30pm.

“As part of our pledge to move the lives of Filipinos in North America, we decided to extend our pick-up hours in order to accommodate more customers and make sure they can send their packages,” says Hugo Bonilla, Senior Vice President of LBC North America. “We understand that many of them are here so they can support their family in the Philippines, so we want to make it more convenient for them to send their padama.”

The move to extend hours is part of LBC’s commitment to providing clear, certain, and

convenient service. To date, Filipinos around the world rely on its 6,400 branches, partners, and agents in over 30 countries.

In North America alone, LBC has 176 branches, partners and agents. For added convenience, customers can simply call the nearest branch, partner, or agent to schedule a pick-up, or log on at www.lbchome.com.

To ensure the proper delivery of balikbayan boxes, LBC advises customers to select the right box based on the size and items to be packed. Heavier items must be put at the bottom, while fragile and easily-damaged items have to be secured in bubble wrap.

Sharp items must be padded and empty spaces be filled with crumpled newspaper or Styrofoam peanuts. It is also important to not overstuff the box and sneak in undeclared items, as these will not be insured.

LBC also advises customers not to bring prohibited items like illegal and prohibited drugs, firearms, jewelry, pornographic materials, fake and counterfeit goods, perishable goods, toxic and flammable items, and other items that may be held by the Bureau of Customs.

“LBC is the overseas Filipino’s partner in reaching out to their loved ones back home,” shares Bonilla. “As the trusted name

Inspire Learning…

PAGe b1 t

to work with a Board who believes in the cause and who supports me 100 percent. I feel blessed to be trusted by funders and parents to provide these activities to our youth. It is our responsibility to invest in these children. Our communities have become so segregated. Poor kids and rich kids grow up in completely different worlds now. It’s just not fair for kids not to get a fair chance in life. Equity in educational opportunity was the driver that pushed me to establish a nonprofit organization; followed by searching for funding to give these kids – our kids – the same opportunities that those kids from affluent communities receive. Every time I complete a program, I feel personal satisfaction, that I’ve done something good for their academic enrichment.”

Inspire Learning Institute is a charitable organization located on 301 West 10 Street, Suite 28, Antioch CA 94553. n

in courier, we want to make it faster, more efficient, and more convenient for our customers.

Extending our hours for pick-up is just the first step.”

For more information on LBC, please visit http://www.lbcexpress.com; or call 1-800-2411312 Extn. 7007. *** LBC Express, Inc. is the Philippines’ market leader in payments, remittance, courier products, mail, parcels and, cargo logistics. Through a global presence in over 30 countries in Asia-Pacific, North America, the Middle East and Europe, LBC Express’ network of 4,400 locations, partners, and agents is growing steadily, and commits to moving lives, businesses, and communities in the Philippines and across the globe. Founded in 1945 as a brokerage and air cargo agent, LBC Express pioneered time-sensitive cargo delivery and 24-hour door-to-door delivery in the Philippines. Today, it is the most admired and trusted courier, cargo, and remittance service of millions of Filipinos, an iconic and global Filipino brand.

LBC can move it for you: visit us at www.lbcexpress.com, or call telephone +632 8585 999 (Metro Manila), 1 800 10 8585 999 (Provincial), and follow LBCExpress (Facebook and Twitter).

Filipino Ministry…

PAGe b1 t

The annual Gala dinner-dance helps raise funds for FMCB’s various community initiatives and promotes fellowship among FilipinoAmerican parishioners, clergy, religious, lay and community leaders in the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

The FMCB will publish a souvenir program book in conjunction with the 5th Gala. If interested in attending the event and/or placing an ad in the souvenir program book, please contact the following: Estelle Oloresisimo at estelle.oloresisimo@gmail.com / (415) 595-9248, Edgar Estonina at eestonina@comcast.com / (415) 370-9879, Freda Motak at fredamotak@ gmail.com / (415) 335.5606, Loy Bañez at loy@ epiphanysf.com / (415) 333-7630; Estrelle & Peter Chan at soler35jade@gmail.com/ (415) 575-0828. n

(650) 616-4150 • http://www.asianjournal.com

Immigration Corner

Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below.

Recently, the Department of State (DOS) and the USCIS announced a new format for the priority dates starting in October 2015. There will be two separate charts (or priority dates) for people to follow or monitor: • Dates for filing applications (earliest date when a person may file for adjustment of status or for an immigrant visa) • Application “final action dates” (dates when visas may finally be issued.)

Dr. Val’s Dental Views Dr. VAlerie

De leon

OUR diet affects every part of our bodies. Oral health can improve or deteriorate drastically based on the things we eat! Here are four reminders on how we can improve oral health through diet: First, cut down on sugar Sugar has become far too big a part of our modern diets. In addition to making us sick and fat, it erodes our teeth! Avoid frequent snacking on sugary foods, especially things that are sticky or slow dissolving (like most candies). The constant presence of sugar turbocharges acid-producing bacteria, eating away at our tooth enamel.

The biggest offenders are soda, sports drinks and energy drinks. What makes them especially dangerous is that we tend to sip them, coating teeth in sugar over and over again for long periods of time.

Community Journal

(New format and charts for priority dates)

For purposes of this article, I am listing both the adjustment FILING dates, as those are the operative dates when a person will be able to file for adjustment of status, work authorization, etc., and the visa ISSUANCE dates.

Once the adjustment application is filed, the person would be able to renew work authorization each year, until the priority date on the separate chart for visa ISSUANCE becomes current.

By way of example, the priority date for “filing applications” for employment-based third preference (EB-3) and other workers (OW) is January 1, 2015. However, the priority date for “visa issuance” for the same two categories is January 1, 2007. What this apparently means is that workers in the EB-3 and OW categories may file for adjustment of status and work authorization, if the priority date on their case is earlier than January 1, 2015.

However, no visa will be issued (or adjustment of status will not

be granted) until the January 1, 2007 “visa issuance” priority date is reached. Under this example, a person may file for adjustment of status if they have a priority date earlier than January 1, 2015, and renew work authorizations for approximately 8 years until the “visa issuance” date is reached.

For most people, I would think the dates on the charts for filing applications would be the ones they would be most interested in, as it would enable them to file for adjustment of status and work authorization. Once their applications are filed, they would monitor the “visa issuance” priority dates.

For the first month of this new format, I am listing the “filing” priority dates together with the visa “issuance” dates, meaning if your priority date is earlier than those listed, you could be eligible to file or apply for adjustment of status or immigrant visa: *** Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an

Four reminders for improving oral health through diet Second, a nutrient-rich diet supports oral health Our mouths require many different nutrients. Here are some of the most important ones: • Calcium: remineralizes teeth – found in yogurt, fish and leafy greens • Iron: promotes tongue health and prevents sores – found in red meat, grains and nuts • Vitamin C: essential for gum health – found in citrus, sweet potatoes and peppers • Vitamin A: accelerates mouth healing – found in milk, leafy greens and orange and yellow fruits and vegetables • Vitamin B3 (niacin): promotes good breath and reduces swelling – found in poultry, peanuts and potatoes Of course this isn’t a complete list, but it may give you an idea of the kind of balanced diet you need for good oral health. Be conscious of how you fuel your body and mouth!

Third, drink more water

Overhauling our entire diets can be a significant undertaking.

But here’s one easy thing we can all start doing today: drink more water! Drinking water helps wash away plaque-forming films and keeps saliva flowing.

Fourth, oral health is closely linked to overall health You might expect us to just say “stay away from candy,” but we believe our mission extends beyond that. Oral care is an integral part of overall health, and we’re here to support you in your pursuit of total well-being.

Thank you for being our valued patient and friend! *** If you have questions, pls call Dr. Valerie de Leon at (650) 697–9000 or visit our website at www.millbraesmiles.com.

She is with Millbrae Smile Center located at 15 El Camino Real, Millbrae 94030. She is a member of American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Academy of Laser Dentistry, ADA, CDA and SMCDS. Please call for a free consultation.

(Advertising Supplement)

ticipate in the sale on that day.

Participation is FREE and registration is not required. Help the City in its continuing effort to encourage recycling and reuse by: • Announcing the sale in your church or club newsletter • E-mailing family and friends • Downloading the attached

flyer and posting it on a community or employee bulletin board • Encouraging your neighbors to participate will help ensure a large turnout on your block If you have any questions about the Citywide Garage Sale, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (650) 877-8518. n

William Lyon Homes’ pick and pack savings event includes quick move-in homes at Maplewood TRACY, CA – For a limited time, save on quick move-in opportunities available on new single-family homes at Maplewood in a desirable Tracy setting. Part of William Lyon Homes’ Pick and Pack Savings Event*, homebuyers are invited to visit the sales gallery to find out how they can pick their favorite way to save on design studio credit, closing cost savings or additional appliances and start packing for a quick move-in to their new residence.

Featured homes include Homesite 13, a beautiful Residence Three spanning approximately 3,092 square feet. This spacious two-story residence is ideal for family living with a convenient first-floor bedroom, a versatile bonus room and an impressive great room with surround sound. Well-appointed interiors boast more than $30,000 in upgrades including built-in Whirlpool stainless steel appliances, Maple kitchen cabinets with granite countertops, custom interior paint and much more. Visit www.LyonHomesMaplewood. com to learn more.

“Now is the perfect time to buy at Maplewood during the Pick and Pack Savings Event,” said Kathy Floyd, Director of Sales for William Lyon Homes. “The event will only last for a limited time, so I encourage buyers to visit the sales gallery soon and find out how they can receive a great value on an incredible new home.”

Additional neighborhoods participating in the Pick and Pack Savings Event include Cielo at Palmilla in Brentwood and Victory at Vista Del Mar in Pittsburg.

Visit www.lyonhomes.com/ northern-california to find out more about the quick move-in opportunities available at these neighborhoods.

Located in an established Tracy community, Maplewood’s distinctive new home designs range from approximately 2,878 to 3,324 square feet, with four to six bedrooms, three to four baths

CJ

October 2015 ‘filing’ dates

South San Francisco’s 16th Annual Citywide Garage Sale on Sept. 12 FOR the 16th consecutive year, the City of South San Francisco and the South San Francisco Scavenger Company are sponsoring the Citywide Garage Sale.

The Garage Sale takes place on Saturday, September 12, 2015.

Residents wishing to participate may open their garages and par-

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 11-17, 2015

and two-car attached garages.

Finely detailed exteriors boast Spanish, French Country, Colonial and Craftsman architectural styles and large covered patios.

Prices start from the $500,000s.

Maplewood’s location puts the Altamont Corridor Express ‘ACE’ Train within walking distance and offers easy access to the “H” Train commuter station, I-580, I-205 and I-5. Offering easy access to local schools, Maplewood is also across the street from a park that includes a tot-lot, playground and half-court basketball.

Baseball and soccer fields are also found at nearby community sports facilities.

During the months of September and October in 2015, brokers will receive a 4 percent referral fee per closing. Brokers must bring client on first visit to register for broker referral fee. Buyers cannot be registered online prior to first visit. Broker referral fee to be paid at the close of escrow.

It matters who your builder is and William Lyon Homes is a company built upon a legacy of pride and integrity. A team of visionaries who are passionate about homebuilding and committed to providing a high quality homebuying and homeownership experience, William Lyon Homes has earned a solid track record for outstanding construc-

tion and customer service since 1956. The company continues to expand its well-respected brand beyond California, Arizona and Nevada and into other market areas across the Western region with the acquisition of Polygon Northwest Homes, its newest division in Washington and Oregon, and its Village Homes division in Colorado. William Lyon Homes’ shares are publicly traded on NYSE under the symbol WLH. For updated information and to learn more, visit www. lyonhomes.com.

To visit Maplewood, travel east on I-205, exit 11th Street and turn left at Crossroads Drive, then left on Solomon Lane. The Sales Gallery is on the right and is open daily, 10am to 6pm. For more information, please call 209.221.8946 or visit www.LyonHomesMaplewood.com.

Prices, plans and product information subject to change. *All homes subject to prior sale.

Buyers must purchase between September 12, 2015 and October 31, 2015 and close escrow

by December 18, 2015 to qualify.

Homes that do not already have flooring are subject to added price if upgrade is selected by buyer. Prices and availability of homes subject to change without notice. See sales counselors for details.

(Advertising Supplement)

GET A CHANCE TO HAVE A ONE-ON-ONE “YOuR TANONG, MY SAGOT” WITH ATTY. GuRFINKEL! Kapamilyas in Los Angeles and surrounding areas have the chance for a “free”, face-to-face question and answer with leading uS immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel about your immigration issues or problems. Just go to www.citizenpinoy.com to submit your immigration question on or before September 11. You will be notified if your question gets picked for a one-on-one discussion with Atty. Gurfinkel on September 20 at their Glendale office at 219 N. Brand Blvd. active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-

enactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the uS: (866)—GuRFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

CJ

SEPTEMBER 11-17, 2015 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA IN the fading light of the evening hours on Good Friday in 2014, Shield of Roses, a group that holds vigils on the sidewalk in front of an abortion facility along a quiet street in Glendale, California, held its 29th Annual Good Friday Stations of the Cross led by Fr. Thomas Cusack.

There were about several dozen people, young and old, including whole families, who stood gathered on the sidewalk before the entrance of the building housing the abortion clinic.

There they stood steadfast and bowed in fervent prayer in front of a sizable crucifix held by 2 young boys each taking his turn to hold it up.

After the Stations of the Cross, the group leader, Ana Maria, told the assembly how early in the morning of the same day while a light drizzle fell on a very gray day, the abortion facility was busy (Translation: Humming with murderous ac-

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Community Journal

Abortion, an abomination “Every civil law is based on the recognition of the first and most fundamental right, the right to life.”

— Pope Francis

tivity.) Many women had come to the clinic seeking to terminate their pregnancies. Of those who came, only one had a change of heart, did a U-turn vowing never to come back.

Below is a post on the group’s FB. It is, perhaps, in reference to that day.

“It was tough out there today. Sadly, there were more women going in than the usual Friday count. The atmosphere was quite gloomy (both physically and spiritually) and there was an unusual tension. I rarely, actually do not think I have ever been cursed at, but today explicit words were being flung at me like arrows. I just kept thinking of our sweet Lord, His innocence and humility... Just as we were finishing up I noticed a van go down the street. I decided to head that way and approach

them as they got out. Fifty long minutes later she, her husband and their two little boys left the sidewalk never to return! At one point he said to me “excuse me lady, but you are wasting your saliva and time, she has made up her mind and she is very stubborn.” I replied “don’t worry I have plenty of saliva and God gave me strong legs to stand here as long as I need to and as a matter of fact, when it comes to being stubborn I am definitely one of God’s most stubborn donkeys so it’s okay”. Please pray for M. and her family. All thanks and praise be to God! Just before the Good Friday group dispersed, a woman gave a heartfelt testimony of how she nearly had an abortion years ago but through the intercession of the Shield of Roses decided against it and grateful for

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having done so. At the time, she was in an abusive, violent relationship and she thought it best to terminate her pregnancy. She brought her beautiful daughter along. She says being with her daughter now gives her so much joy and peace.

Pope Francis calls abortion an abominable crime. On April 11, 2014, he told an Italian prolife organization that human life is “sacred and inviolable” and “every civil law is based on the recognition of the first and most fundamental right, the right to life.”

“The unborn child in the womb is the most concrete example of innocence,” he said.

He doubles down and reiterates the unflinching position of the Catholic Church from Vatican II which was called by Pope (now newly minted Saint) John XXIII in January 1959, “From the moment of its conception, life must be guarded with the greatest care, while abortion and infanticide are unspeakable crimes.”

That was 55 years ago. He further said, “It is therefore necessary to reiterate the strongest

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150 opposition to any direct attack on life, especially the innocent and defenseless…”

“If you look at life as something that is consumed,” Pope Francis said, “it will also be something that sooner or later you can throw away, with abortion to begin with.”

“Human life, however, is ‘a gift from God’ and if it is accepted as such, then you have before you a valuable and intangible asset, to be protected by all means and not to be discarded.”

Pope Francis goes further and deeper than his predecessors. He connects the dots. He links the pro-life message of the Church to his view of the global economy and its throwaway culture – a major thrust of his pontificate.

Socialists and liberals have sadly latched onto his deep and abiding concern for the poor and disadvantaged by trying but failing to spin his love for mankind to align with their warped view of seemingly caring for the poor but actually controlling the poor for political gain. The socialist spin is being done in the hope of gaining traction by riding with the authority and the increasing popular acceptance of this pope.

Awake the Christian soldier

in you! If the Holy Spirit moves you to stand for life as a gift of God and want to be a prayer warrior and/or to act and get behind the increasingly strong pro-life movement, currently experiencing quiet seismic shifts around the world, look locally for opportunities to protect the unborn.

Shield of Roses is a Catholic pro-life charitable organization promoting the Church’s teachings concerning the sanctity of the pre-born child. Its members have steadfastly stood witness to abortion facilities where babies, like our Lord Jesus Christ, are led to their deaths. Members try to talk to the women but if words fail, then their prayerful presence, like the presence of St. John, St. Mary Magdalene, and our Blessed Mother standing at the foot of the Cross, continue to stand witness to the dignity of the innocent and defenseless lives being lost in abortion clinics.

If you want to know more, visit www.shieldofroses.com or you can call Anna Maria at (818) 242 3912. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

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SEPTEMBER 11-17, 2015 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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Friday, September 11, 2015

Sanjiv Chaturvedi

Ligaya Fernando-amiLbangSa

KommaLy Chanthavong

IndIa PhIlIPPInes

Kyaw thu

anShu gupta

laos MyanMar IndIa

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cover story

The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - September 11, 2015

The 2015 Ramon Magsaysay Award:

Creating bold solutions to social problems in Asia

By Malou liwanag-Bledsoe AJPress

Celebrating the greatness of spirit and transformative leadership in asia, the ramon Magsaysay award is the region’s premier prize and highest honor, comparable to the nobel Prize. the award has been bestowed on over 300 hundred outstanding men, women and organization in the past 50 years, recognizing selfless service to societies, asia and the world. this year, the awards theme is “Stoking Fresh Hopes for a better asia,” translating to the awardees’ creation of bold solutions to deeply rooted social problems in their respective societies. ramon Magsaysay awards Foundation (rMaF) President Carmencita abella also said in a previous statement, “it is (also) clear that through their solutions, each of these inspiring leaders is building more hopeful lives among their people – one smart, impassioned, and persistent step at a time.”

She added that, “While their respective social causes and leadership solutions are uniquely their own, there is one thing this year’s Magsaysay laureates all share in common: a greatness of spirit that infuses their crusade for change. all are unafraid to take on large causes. all have refused to give up, despite meager resources, daunting adversity and strong opposition.” last Monday, august 31, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the five 2015 Magsaysay awardees joined the community of other Magsaysay laureates who have received asia’s highest

Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa, Philippines

Kommaly Chanthavong, Laos

Sanjiv Chaturvedi, India

Anshu Gupta, India

Thu Kyaw, Myanmar

honor.

The awardees Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa, Philippines For ligaya Fernando-amilbangsa, it is important for people to be reminded of the healing power of the arts amidst ethnic and religious wars. While culture is what makes people of various ethnicities, religions and nationalities distinct, it is also what connects them in the awareness of a shared humanity that is enriched by such differences. born to a prominent Catholic family, Fernando-amilbangsa had always loved dance and the arts. after marrying a schoolmate and moving to Sulu, she immersed herself in the rich cultural life of the Muslim South. in the midst of the region’s secessionist and insurgent conflicts, she turned her love for the arts into a vocation as a cultural researcher, educator, artist and advocate of the indigenous arts of the Southern Philippines, particularly the Sulu archipelago. the pangalay (“gift offering,” or “temple of dance” in Sanskrit), is her signature involvement. She has studied,

moved to preserve, practice and promote the pre-islamic dance tradition among the Samal, badjao, Jama Mapun and tausug peoples of the provinces of Sulu and tawi-tawi.

“Safeguarding an artistic tradition like pangalay goes beyond sharing its beauty and versatility through changing times. it is promoting respect for tradition which is vital to national identity and unity,” Fernandoamilbansa said in her speech during the awarding ceremony. “a fast-changing world with unstoppable growth patterns needs the silent eloquence of an ancient symbol like pangalay or igal residing in moving body to express what it feels than what it sees. respecting such symbols can contribute to the greatness of the Filipino nation.”

Fernando-amilbangsa mainly worked in an individual capacity, and then later on inspired the formation of performing arts groups in asia, and even outside the region.

Kommaly Chanthavong, Laos in a country ravaged by war and authoritarian rule, Kommaly Chanthavong, lived through it all. losing her father in the indochina War, she was a refugee at age 13, walking over 600 kilometers from her village in eastern laos to Vientiane to escape the bombings during the Vietnam War. However, she persevered—

earned a nursing diploma, married and raised a family. but the Communist takeover of Vientiane put her through the same difficult situation. She had to walk long distances from village to village, buying and selling goods between laos and thailand. Still, through these turbulent changes, one thing remained constant—her love for silk weaving, which she learned from her mother at a very young age.

Chanthavong managed to save heirloom pieces of woven silk, which were handed down from her grandmothers. in Vientiane, seeing war-displaced, rural women in desperate need of work, she used her meager saving to buy looms, and started a weaving group of ten women in her home in 1976, calling them the “Phontong Weavers.”

Her valiant efforts helped women earn a living and revive lao silk weaving—a deeply esteemed tradition fast disappearing because of war. From a group of ten women, a network of lao artisans came together to become the Phontong Handicraft Cooperative. in fact, in 1980, the lao government leased to Chanthavong 42 hectares of land for use as a silk farm. the once barren, landmine littered area has since become the Mulberries Organic Silk Farm, dedicated to the revival of lao silk production.

“We confidently believe that

a good quality of life and lasting security for individuals, families and communities will require the support of the people within laos,” Chanthavong said and added, “and from those with hearts to help, who will together build a new and bright generation that understands their responsibility for the future of their community.”

Sanjiv Chaturvedi, India every country has its share of corruption—and india is no stranger to that. transparency and accountability of the government is crucial, but success depends on ethical public servants and a vigilant public.

Forty-eight-year-old government officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi is an inspirational example.

Coming from a family of civil servants, Chaturvedi joined the indian Forest Service (iFS as a divisional forest officer in Haryana state, northern india.

He quickly came face-to-face with the corruption infesting government. a young, idealistic officer, he did not turn away from the irregularities that he saw but resolutely worked to correct them. among those he investigated and exposed were cases of malfeasance involving powerful officials. in his six years in the state cadre, he exposed anomalies that included the illegal construction of a canal that threatened the critical Saraswati Wildlife Sanctuary; the

use of public funds to develop an herbal park on private land owned by a high official; the underpayment of license fees; and the rigging of government auctions. in a foreign-funded afforestation program, Chaturvedi discovered that 90 percent of the plantations existed only on paper, and that funds had been embezzled through the faked signatures of allegedly participating self-help groups and nonexistent workers. Forty forest officers were suspended as a result of his investigation. relentless, he did not waver even when cases involved high officials in state and central governments, well-connected businessmen, or members of his own staff. at great personal cost, he was harassed, suspended, demoted, hounded and humiliated with false charges, and put “in the freezer.” all these did not stop him. “like many other developing countries in asia, in our country also, corruption is a very serious problem. this is not just about money changing hands but is linked to basic human dignity and the dreams of our young generation in ensuring a fair recruitment system, delivery of public services, and issue of illegal mining and deforestation leading to climate change,” Chaturvedi said. “there is no such effective antidote to this problem as an honest and robust Continued on Page SF3

features SF3 The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE – September 11, 2015

Best fall haircuts for men and women Knightley’s, Ginnifer Goodwin’s or Rachel McAdams’s. You have to be prepared for the attention—or the shock (if you had long hair)—that this haircut draws. Know that this cut makes a serious statement. Don’t dare if you can’t take the heat. Also,

By Monet Lu you have to manage your hair’s density with this look, or else the The start of a new season bob will look like a mushroom. means different things to differGrown-out Lob ent people. But as a hair expert, According to Marie Claire’s it primarily means one thing for “20 Chicest Lobs of the Year,” me: new season equals new ‘The Lob was this year’s tour de haircut. force cut.’ But while it is lovely, As you embrace the arrival of it is also way too much work to Fall, it’s the best time to hit up blow out the strands as regularly the salon and get your fall-season as the LA traffic permits. Don’t haircut. But before you do, check worry, I have good news! You out these chicest hairstyles and can still grow you Lob and look cut. Based on my opinion, these like you step out of the salon are the 6 best “hair-looks” that every time. are suitable for both men and Just ask your stylist to women this season. Let me start texturize your mane for body with the ladies. and movement. You can also The Bob cut add some beachy waves to this Seventy percent of my cuscut. That is what’s great about tomers would request this type a grown-out lob, you can style of cut for either of the following it in a variety of ways and it still reasons: a new phase in their life looks chic. (a relationship status-change or One renowned stylist’s a new job), wants a new look to reminder: “Use a combination reinvent their selves, or just beof oil and hold products to blow cause someone they know—and dry,” he suggested, “and style like—is sporting it. Your reasons with a flat iron to add bend.” may or may not fall under any of Choppy and Messy the aforementioned categories, Since we are on the subject but you are definitely in the best of adding playful waves and season to get a Bob cut. body to your hair, let’s push it There is one thing you need further with some carefully sliced to remember if you’re interstrands. It’s razor-meets-gorested in trying a bob like Keira geous! You may check out Kim

Kardashian for inspiration for this style.

If you think this should be your look for autumn, enhance the “messy” effect by using a curling wand on your waves. Use plenty of texturing sprays to out some volume at the roots.

The Mixie Mixie is portmanteau for midlength pixie. This haircut is best suited for fine to normal strands that are straight. I suggest this cut for those who aren’t ready for a super short style, but want something short yet feminine.

For the men After the goddesses, we move on to the gods of killer haircut. And what easier way to describe the famous cuts is to name the celebrities who are sporting such looks. Allow me to borrow and coin the styles with their names.

The “Ryan Gosling” Cut Google it if you don’t agree with me, but I must say this style is suited for any face or hair type. Ask your stylist for something high and tight on the side. Make the top about an inch longer and polish the look by combing it with a matte pomade. I must warn you: this is a head-turner look. Proceed with caution.

The “Chris Pine” Cut If you’ve seen “Starship enterprise,” you pretty much have an idea of your new look sans the highlights. Rock the

“Chris Pine” cut by going shorter and with much tight on the sides.

And please make sure you go easy on the pomade or you just might become the next most eligible bachelor.

For Curly Hair I also have a recommended cut for those who have curly hair.

This is also for those who want a more modest, subtle and less-attention-grabbing look.

If you’ve got curly hair and a more angular face, go with a round cut. You’re going to have to ask your stylist to cut about a half an inch longer on top than on the sides for best results.

And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. These fall haircuts are sure to make you look trendy this season. For a more detailed explanation and on-point demonstration, visit

X Factor UK’s Filipina girl band: Hitting the right notes

by Gino dela

Philstar.com

Paz

enTeRInG the X Factor stage in a fit of giggles, sisters Mylene, Celina, Irene and Almira Cercado told judges Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Simon Cowell, Rita Ora, and nick Grimshaw that they had travelled all the way from the Philippines and were quite excited to be in London. But jaws soon dropped when the siblings, aged 19 to 27, got going with their rendition of Bang Bang, originally recorded by Jessie J, Ariana Grande, nicki Minaj.

“You absolutely just took the roof off Wembley,” said a pleasantly surprised FernandezVersini.

Cowell added, “That was one of the best first auditions I’ve ever seen.”

Grimshaw predicted that the performance was “going to blow up all around the world,” and somehow it has.

Talent show past Introducing themselves as 4th Power, the sisters—who hail from Santiago City, Isabela— have been singing as a group since 2001. A quick YouTube search reveals that they’re no stranger to bright lights and big

Local vocal: X Factor bosses have hit back at claims that girl band 4th Power was drafted in by producers ahead of the auditions.

crowds. Appearing under the name of MICA, the Gollayan Sisters, or the Cercado Sisters, their own channel is packed with videos of their previous attempts at stardom, from local noontime program It’s Showtime to Korean music contest Superstar K and the World Championships of Performing Arts, which they won twice.

Viewers have been quick to comment that the quartet must have been brought in by ITV, home network of the X Factor, rather than having auditioned by themselves. The foursome, however, made no secret of their talent show past during their chat with the judges before their performance.

“X Factor producers did not approach 4th Power to audition—they flew to the UK to audition of their own accord and went through exactly the same audition process as other acts,” said a statement from the show.

Favored to win While 4th Power may already have a background in performing and a sizeable following online, they are still considered amateurs since they are an unsigned act. If anything, their gigs thus far have proven to be excellent practice for their X Factor audition. British bookmakers—or shops that take bets, calculate odds, and pay out winnings—seem to have their eye on the girls, having in-

The 2015 Ramon Magsaysay Award...

From Page SF2 civil services.”

Anshu Gupta, India In India, Anshu Gupta left his job in a well-known firm to devote himself to task of finding a better, more sustainable way of helping the poor and those who been exposed to disasters. his journey began in 1999, when he and his wife contributed 67 pieces of personal clothing for the use of the homeless during winter. This experience drew their attention to the vast quantities of underutilized cloth and other materials lying unused in India’s urban households, while many rural poor die because they do not have enough clothing.

Thus Gupta founded Goonj, a volunteer organization built on the powerful, life-changing lessons he learned: that much more than random disaster relief needed to be done; that better ways of mobilizing public concern and assistance had to be organized; and most importantly, that giving must put at the center the recipient’s rights and dignity rather than the giver’s goodness and satisfaction. For Gupta, extreme poverty is actually a continuing human disaster; hence, giving must have no season. Choosing cloth as an entry point for giving, he has seen its importance for a person’s dignity and survival in a vast country where, aside from disastrous flooding, the winter cold kills many who are underclothed. Gupta’s own epiphany

came in meeting a poorly-clad six-year-old girl who grew up with corpses because her father eked out a living picking up abandoned dead bodies and cremating them for a fee.

Goonj is now a movement working in twenty-one of India’s 29 states, and is much more than a channel for clothing and other recycled articles. Through its staff, its thousands of volunteers, and numerous partner organizations, Goonj redistributes contributed items, and processes cloth and others to fit the identified needs of recipient groups.

Dormant, underutilized cloth—including cloth scraps and loose threads—are used to fabricate essential articles like rugs, blankets, mattresses, and even clean cloth sanitary pads, as a hygienic alternative to the rags that poor girls and women use during their menses. Goonj has branded them “MY Pads,” producing to date over three million sanitary pads that are the cheapest in the world, while raising the taboo subject of menstrual hygiene as an issue of social concern.

“We don’t want to change the world; we are ordinary people, we want to improve first,” said Gupta. “We strongly feel that somewhere, something is wrong because despite a whole lot of us in this room and many similar rooms across the globe with so much intellect, resources, good intentions and hard work, poverty and other troubling issues are not getting resolved.

The gap is growing, the issues becoming more complicated.”

Thu Kyaw, Myammar In Myanmar, a process of democratization is underway after decades of isolation, economic stagnation, and social instability due to war and state repression.

In a transition that is complex and uncertain, the building of social cohesion and a strong civil society is crucial to the country’s pursuit of peace and prosperity.

Fifty-five-year-old Thu Kyaw is an exceptional figure in this story.

A hugely popular, award-winning actor in Myanmar who has acted and directed in over two hundred films and scion of a wealthy family in the movie business, he is professionally successful and socially privileged. Yet, he lives simply and is a devout Buddhist.

In 2001, with a colleague in the movies, he founded Free Funeral Services Society (FFSS) in Yangon, to help relieve the emotional and financial burden of the poor in properly burying their dead. Such a public service is both essential and unique in a predominantly Buddhist society where the proper funerary rites are crucially important but often beyond reach because of high costs, the lack of state welfare assistance, and the taboos surrounding the handling of the dead.

Starting with just a single hearse, FFSS has grown to become not only a provider of free funeral services but also of a Continued on Page SF4

stalled them as second favorites to win the series after only the first show.

Whether they make it to the top or not—and I hope they do reach the finals—their appearance during Auditions Week 1 has made enough of an impression on viewers across the globe and generated considerable interest in them.

If these Filipino hopefuls don’t win the top prize, they can at least say they’ve performed at Wembley. That’s not too shabby.

Monet salon at its brand new location at 20113 Vanowen St., Winnetka,CA. *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is

known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration. To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com

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celebrityworld

The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - September 11, 2015

celebrity world

By Ferdie Villar TIME heals all wounds, they say. This is pretty much true for ex-lovers KC Concepcion and Piolo Pascual, especially after their controversial breakup in 2011. For years, the two never talked and probably avoided each other like the plague.

But the showbiz industry is a small world, and most likely, you will run into people you don’t want to see or talk to, especially if you work for the same network. For KC and Piolo, it was the ASAP show in London that made them patch things up between them.

The trip to London gave them the chance to do some bonding time, and probably set aside all the hurt feelings of the past. In fact, one proof that all is well with the two is an Instagram post by singer Erik Santos, who was with them in the show.

KC Concepcion, Piolo Pascual now ‘more than civil’

The photo included the hashtag, “#lahatngsugatnaghihilom.”

Another photo uploaded

by PR and Media Relations man Eric John Salut showed KC and Piolo all sweet and friendly.

Let’s hope that KC and Piolo have really mended and forgiven each other. As they say, there are no permanent friends and/or enemies in show business. *** It was the first death anniversary of the late actor, Mark Gil, last September 1 and Michael Shown in photo with singer Erik Santos are Piolo Pascual and KC Concepcion during the “ASAP” show in de Mesa admits that he still London. It was said that the ex-couple have finally “kissed and made up” after their controversial split in hasn’t fully accepted the reality 2011. (Instagram photo from eriksantos_esfo) that his brother is gone.

Mark died last year due to liver cirrhosis.

For Mark’s first death anniversary, the whole family had a simple get-together at Cheri Gil’s condominium and they are

Actress and fashion model Glenda Kennedy is now here in California to visit her sister, antique collector Sylvia Ford in her residence in Oakland Hills.

This Instagram post by PR man Eric John Salut of KC Concepcion and Piolo Pascual showed that time indeed, heals all wounds. The ex-couple are now “more than civil” to each other after their bonding time during the “ASAP” show in London. (Instagram photo from ericjohnsalut)

The LuzViMin Association of the Bay Area recently celebrated their third anniversary at Patio Espanol. The event was attended by more than 200 guests, headed by organization’s President, Ora Seyler. Shown in photo are officers and members, including six new members inducted by Daly City Mayor Ray Buenaventura. The event was earmarked to build deep water wells in a depressed area in Bacolod, Philippines through the project Water for Life.

also planning for another gathering for the late actor’s birthday on September 25.

“So I really miss him, I miss everything about him, and I miss the totality of him, who Ralph (Mark’s real name) was and who Ralph is,” he shared.

For now, one of the things that make the pain of longing for his brother temporarily is his

It was the first death anniversary of the late actor Mark Gil last September 1. Mark died of liver cirrhosis last year.

work. Michael is part of GMA 7’s upcoming afternoon series, Destiny Rose, a show that will tackle the life of a transgender played by young actor Ken Chan.

The veteran actor is among the most admired stars in the country for his portrayal of gay Comedienne Eugene Domingo is the host of GMA 7’s game show, “Celebrity Buff.” The afternoon TV show is televised every Saturday and is on its 11th season.

Veteran actor Michael de Mesa admits that he still has not fully accepted that his brother, the late Mark Gil, is gone. Michael keeps himself busy now with a upcoming series on GMA 7, “Destiny Rose.”

roles; his most recent was in the musical “La Cage Aux Folles,” where he played Georges, the lover of drag queen Albin, played by Audie Gemora.

Destiny Rose also stars Fabio Ide, Manilyn Reynes, Jackie Lou Blanco, Joko Diaz, Irma Adlawan, Katrina Halili, Sheena Halili, JC Tiuseco, Jeric Gonzales, and Ken Flores.

Cheryl Burke Dance closes Mountain View studio on Sept. 30 Cheryl Burke appears at dances Sept. 12 and Sept. 13 classes, dances, events continue until closing with a final showcase Sept. 27 MOUNTAIN VIEW—Cheryl Burke Dance will close its 14,000 square foot ballroom complex at 1400 North Shoreline Boulevard in Mountain View on Sept. 30.

Founded in 2009, and ranking as one of the largest and most popular dance venues in Northern California, the ballroom will continue lessons, weekend dances, and events until the closing date.

Studio co-founder Cheryl Burke, Emmy-nominated and award-winning celebrity dancer, will appear at two special events: a “Farewell Party,” on Saturday, Sept. 12, and a “Twilight Tea Last Dance” on Sunday, Sept. 13. The Saturday party is set for 6pm to 11pm, and the Sunday dance, featuring music by popular disc jockey Larry Brillante, starts at 7pm and continues until midnight.

These commemorative weekend dance parties will celebrate seven years of continuous studio operation for Bay Area dancers and their support for civic celebrations, corporate gatherings, non-profit causes, special classes for teens, and events for dancers with physical challenges.

A “Final Showcase” is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 27, from 4pm to 7pm. Students and instructors will perform routines that reflect the dedication needed to master American and International ballroom styles, including smooth dances, Latin, and Swing.

“We are forever grateful for lease extensions granted by LinkedIn, our generous landlord since the beginning of this year,” said Sherri Burke, Cheryl Burke Dance CEO and co-founder. “But the company finally needs our

space, along with others nearby, to complete its expansion plans.”

“Although we are sad to close a personally rewarding business enjoyed by such an enthusiastic dance community, we do not plan to open another studio. But our passion for dance continues, and the Cheryl Burke Dance brand is not disappearing.

“Our senior management team believes it is time to explore new methods for ‘connecting the world through dance.’

We are committed to pursuing this vision, and we will announce specific details as our new venture takes shape.

“In the meantime, words alone cannot express my heartfelt admiration for the managers, instructors and loyal dancers who made this modern, spacious environment a standard for Bay Area studios.”

The 2015 Ramon Magsaysay Award...

From Page SF3 whole complex of social services.

F FSS operates almost entirely through private donations and hundreds of volunteers. Its free funeral services cover everything from caskets, a fleet of hearses, mortuary facilities, burial and cremation, and funeral coordinators. To date, FFSS has undertaken over 150,000 free funeral services.

A charity clinic was also opened, manned by 50 volunteer doctors and a full staff, five ambulances and 24-hour medical emergency response service.

It has provided health care to over 143,000 patients since it opened in 2007. FFSS also has a school which offers free vocational training courses, classes for children, review classes for academic qualification exams

and a library.

“I have always believed that in movies, we actors or artists represent the true lives of our people – their feeling is my feeling,” Kyaw said. “With this is mind, I have entered the world of noble work.”

For more information on The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, this year’s and past awardees, visit www.rmaf.org.

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