Vol 39 Issue 5
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ALPHA PHI OMEGA GREATER LOS ANGELES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
May 2019
Pec hang a Busca pade 2019: Another Hit! echang hanga Buscapade By Bro. Ed Romero
Thank you so much for the unwavering support to the just concluded 2019 Buscapade! Total net income for this year’s fundraiser is $1,538.03. Big thank you to all the Donors (cash & checks) namely Bro PP Ferdie & Sis Rene Yambot, Bro PP Christian and sis PP Betta David, sis Bic Bic Ford, sis Daemma Mendez, Bro PVP Shane Miranda, Jehiel Vinluan and sis Sec. Jen Escartin. Also, I would like to thank Bro Pres Boy Medina for picking up the Empanada and Ice, Bro PP Dan & Sis Myrna Nino for the Bags (raffled), Bro PP Lito & PVP Josie Tarculas for the delicious BALUT, Bro Roland & Ghie Paras for the Donuts: Bro PP Jun Linsangan for the Chicharon; Bro VP Domel Evangelista for the Raffle tickets; Sis Grace Zara and Sis Liza Valera for selling the tickets for the Sarong Skirts donated by yours truly and of course to Bro PP Casey Mansilla & Bro PVP Geoffrey Arroyo for the APO Royal Juice. See pictures on page 4.
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PRESIDENT’S MESSA MESSAGE GE The second Sunday of May, Mother’s Day is one day dedicated to all the mothers out there! It is celebrated to honor the maternal love. APOGLA family and friends will be heading to Lake Perris, Moreno Valley for the annual Family Camping on Friday, May 24 to Monday, May 27 (Memorial Weekend). It’s time to escape the hectic city life, appreciate nature and a good way to have quality time to family and friends. On May 23 to 26, Another big event is happening on the other side of the globe is: APO Philippines, 2019 General Assembly, to be held in Fort Ilocandia, Laoag, Ilocos Norte. On Thursday, May 23, International Medical, Dental, Circumcision and Humanitarian Mission, sponsored by Alumni Council of America (ACNA) will be held in the City of San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte. Twelve (12) of APOGLA members will be attending these events. I would like everyone to pray for Bro. Doms Tunque who is very ill and confined at Kaiser Hospital in Fontana (as of this writing). May the good Lord give him comfort on his sickbed and ease his suffering. Bro. Doms is our 1995 President. I would like to thank Bro. Bodjie Gapido, for accommodating the group on our 4th GMM. We have 50 members, 3 APO visitors and 11 spouses. A well attended meeting. I also, would like to commend and thank, Bro. Ed Romero, our Project Coordinator for a very successful Buscapade, a project that would benefit our service project such as Food Bank and Operation Gratitude, and also for his prompt status report. Next will be our second service project, the Food Bank, which will be on Saturday, June 15. Check the announcement on group email and Facebook or contact Sis. Marisol Lee. Next service project is Operation Gratitude on July 20. For more details on these events, I would like to encourage everyone to attend our 5th General Membership Meeting on Sunday, May 26, 2019 After Lunch (2:00 P.M. ), Lake Perris Campsite. Your opinion and suggestions are always welcome. Respectfully your servant, Bro. Mike “Boy” Medina
Tribo ni Bado Newsletter is a monthly publication of the Alpha Phi Omega Greater Los Angeles Alumni Association exclusively for its members, families and friends. The opinions expressed herein are those of the writers, and are not intended to represent APOGLAAA. Publisher/Editor Sancho Sy Editorial Staff Fely Montecillo • Toti Ayo Photos/Graphics by Sancho Sy Contributors Mike Medina • Ed Romero • Fely Montecillo Troy Agagon • Dan Nino
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WHAT: Alpha Phi Omega Philippines Incorporated General Assembly 2019 WHEN: May 24 - 26, 2019 WHERE: Fort Ilocandia Resort and Hotel and Plaza del Norte Hotel Laoag City, Ilocos Norte Host: APOLINAC (Alpha Phi Omega Laoag - Ilocos Norte Alumni Chapter)
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Pictures from Pechanga Buscapade 2019 Fundraiser
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ASIAN-AMERICANS OCCUPY TOP POSTS IN CERRITOS By Bro. Dan E. Nino Mayor Pro-Tempore Naresh Solanki, an Indian-American, finally became the mayor of this upscale City of Cerritos for the 2019-2020 tenure — after he was by-passed two years ago in a tension-filled mayoral transition. Council member Jim Edward, also a former mayor, nominated Solanki describing him as knowledgeable. Solanki, a CEO/President of retail grocery supermarkets, is the first Indian-American to serve in the City Council after serving as Cerritos City Planning Commissioner. Council member Frank Aurelio Yokoyama, seconded the nomination and outgoing Mayor Mark Pulido moved that Solanki be voted by acclamation by the five-member council.Pulido, also the first elected Filipino-American council member, is serving his eight and last year in office till April 2020. Once elected as mayor, the chamber erupted with applause. Solanki nominated council member Jim Edward, his longtime ally— as mayor protempore. However, majority members Grace Hu, Frank Yokoyama and Mark Pulido voted nay. Thereafter, Mark Pulido who nominated Yokoyama, the JapaneseFilipino-American junior council member was elected as deputy mayor. Pulido is a staunch ally and political mentor of Yokoyama. Frank Yokoyama, a Harvard-educated and real estate attorney said, “I’m blessed to be elected as mayor pro tem. I thank the residents for giving me the opportunity to serve my hometown for the past two years. I look forward to working with Mayor Solanki. I assure the residents to keep our city safe, continue to trim our trees and fix the sidewalks.” Cerritos, an affluent suburban city about 20 miles southeast of Los Angeles has an estimated population of over 51,000 with more than 30,000 Asian-Americans including about 9,000 Filipino-Americans. There was less drama in this year’stransition compared to 2017 when then Mayor Protem Solanki was nominated as mayor but the majority selected Grace Hu by Pulido and Yokoyama. The Indian-American attendees in the Council chamber walked out in disgust. Edward invoked that tradition on succession to the mayorship should have been followed. Pulido countered that top posts are elected by majority of Council members. Mayor Pulido delivered his valedictory speech and state of the city. He said, he was honored to serve and lead as mayor. “I’m very proud of our safe, strong and vibrant community.The City of Cerritos received several commendations in the past amongthemTree City USA, Playful City USA, Greenest City and Most Business-friendly city. Pulido cited the accomplishments of the city under his watch among them: the burglary rate was reduced to 55 %, the upgrades of Sheraton Hotel and the Cerritos Performing Arts, the installation of LED street lights. He made special mention to former Alex Beanum, the first African-American mayor of Cerritos. He added, “I’m very proud of our beloved hometown of Cerritos.” He thanked former Deputy Mayor Solanki for representing him when he was unable to attend certain civic functions. “Cerritos is the best community, the best as can be and Art Galucci as the best city manager in the U.S.” He also commented, the staff and city commissioners of whom he tagged as “unsung heroes that made governing our city easier and better.” Pulido who works as deputy chief of staff of U.S. Congressman Allan Lowenthal thanked his ‘boss’ whom he referred to as his role model. “Congressman Lowenthal came to town from DC just so he can join us in this event. In his brief comments, the lawmaker said, “I have a lifelong love for Cerritos, “It’s a pleasure working with Mark. I’m honored to have him as my deputy chief of staff.” L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn also presented a proclamation to outgoing Mayor Pulido. “You have an amazing and beautiful city. Your leadership is incredible. A former US. Congresswoman, Hahn said that it is in the local level that I’m more effective in delivering local services.” Other dignitaries who presented proclamations were Ernie Nishii of the ABC School District, Artesia City Council Rene Trevino, Miguel Canales and Melissa Ramoso, representative(s) from Assemblywoman Christine Garcia, Cerritos College Board of Trustees, Water Regional District, Los Angeles County Sheriff, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Cerritos Regional Chamber of Commerce, Hubert Humphrey Democratic Party and Rotary Club of Artesia-Cerritos. Pulido acknowledged his wife, Gloria for her love and support, the rock of the family through ups and down. “I thank God for His blessings,
Pictured are members of the City of Cerritos City Council. From left: Outgoing City Mayor Mark Pulido, Deputy-Mayor-elect Frank Yokoyama, Mayor-elect Naresh Solanki, Council members Grace Hu and Jim Edward. – Photo by Dan E. Nino
I’m humbled.” Pulido presented her with bouquet of flowers. A video presentation was shown highlighting his accomplishment as mayor with a background music of Earth Wind & Fire. The Mayor-elect Solanki who was first elected City Council member in 2015 in his first attempt, addressed the jampacked crowd, In his acceptance speech, he said, “I am greatly honored to be named mayor of Cerritos and would like to thank my colleagues on the Council for allowing me to serve our residents as mayor.” “I would also like to thank the Cerritos community for their support, and for sharing the City’s vision to continue to find ways to make Cerritos a better place to live and work.” Mayor-elect Solanki who was mayor pro tem in 2016 and 2018 thanked Pulido for serving as mayor this past year and congratulated incoming Mayor Pro Tem Frank Yokoyama. “I look forward to your year as mayor pro temp,” he said. As top official of Cerritos, Mayor Solanki considers public safety as his number one priority. “We are fortunate to have the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station help protect our city. Although many new difficulties have arisen in recent years, we are all appreciative of the excellent work from all our Sheriffs. We will continue to seek ways to improve public safety for every single one of our residents.” “As mayor, I intend to be prudent with the city’s budget and protect the city’s resources while maintaining the city’s assets, including our high level of exceptional service and outstanding programs.Businesses continue to thrive and invest in Cerritos. Recent and future projects and developments will continue to drive the city’s revenue growth.” He took pride of the city’s “crown jewels including the award winning and internationally recognized Cerritos Library which continues to attract visitors worldwide, the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts that will continue to present quality entertainment and to our well-maintained community parks among others.” “The area of the city that attracted my wife and I to Cerritos was its parks,” he pointed out. The new mayor applauded and thanked his wife Priti for her encouragement and standing beside him in his service. “I would like to thank our two sons: Mehul and Jay, along with the rest of my family and friends for their love and support throughout this journey.” “I look forward to serving as your mayor and working with my Council colleagues and our city staff as we face the challenges and opportunities this coming year.” Other council members addressed briefly the chamber: Grace Hu, a real estate broker and investment consultant said, “We have a wonderful city I want to do the best I can for our community.” Jim Edwards, a former high school teacher and school board administrator said, “We have great staff and a great city. We are so blessed because we have a dedicated staff headed by Art Galucci. We should keep our city strong. – denino1951@gmail.com
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FR OM MY POINT OF VIEW FROM By Bro. Dan E. Nino
What I’ve Learned from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Finally, the Income Tax Season is over. I’ve learned so many things in these new tax laws and codes enacted in December 2017. The major lesson that I’ve learned is that refunds have been reduced in both federal and state tax filings because of new withholding tables in place and caps on the State and Local Tax (SALT) respectively. Among other things, withholding tax have been reduced so that taxpayers can have more take home pay. Although I and my wife are already retired receiving distributions from our pensions (Form 1099-R), I was flabbergasted to see our tax payment to Uncle Sam spike from $4,000 in 2017 to $6,000 in 2018. As a tax preparer myself, my clients are also surprised to see their tax refunds reduced. A typical example from our end is our state refund was down from $700 last year to $49 this year. It was a glaring nose dive despite the increased and nearly doubled standard deductions for all filers. As far as I’m concerned, it’s not a tax cut but more taxes for middle class and working families like us. I keep on hearing that our economy is flourishing. I cannot feel it, however. Inflation and interest rates are skyrocketing, property taxes are increased by 2% every year, sales tax is 9.50% compared to 6.25% in 1983, gasoline cost is now at $4.00 per gallon in California compared to $2.50 in other states. Prices of some goods will inevitably rise due to trade and tariff battle with China. This will be passed on to consumers like us. God forbid. On top of that, our wages are stagnant. How can we cope? But I learned something very important. If you are working as self-employed out of your home, you can deduct 28% of your business expenses like utilities, electricity, phone bills, internet, homeowners association (HOA), mobile phone, etc. In addition, you can get tax credits using an area of your home for business. Part of the tax overhaul are elimination of personal tax exemptions for filers and their dependents amounting to $4,050, union dues, tax preparation fees, college tuition fees and other educational expenses, unreimbursed employee expenses like medical uniforms, job search, moving expenses except for military personnel on active duty. among others and casualty and theft losses like fires and storms announced in a federally declared disaster area not covered by insurance, among others. Alimonies in divorce agreement after 2018 is no longer considered an income on the part of the recipient spouse and no longer deductible on the supporting spouse. Under this new tax law, tax pundits claim that it generally favors high income Americans and companies. Their corporate taxes have been reduced from 35% to a flat of 21%. However, the child tax credit was doubled from $1,000 to $2,000. First time buyers can no longer include their closing costs as tax deductibles unless it is an investment or if you rent out that home. Deductions for State and Local taxes are capped at $5,000 for married filing separately (MFS) and $10,000 for married filing jointly (MFJ). Although vehicle registration fees had increased, they are still deductible, charitable donations, property taxes, etc. Tax filers with disabled dependents or mentally handicapped/challenged irrespective of age are still deductible. There are but a few overview of the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that affect our life’s journey as taxpayers. You win some, you lose some. – denino1951@gmail.com
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GOINGS ON by Sis. Fely Montecillo Hi! there Brothers and Sisters! It is May , the month of the Taureans. This month, we have the full flower moon, also a Blue Moon. The term blue moon has nothing to do with the color of the moon but instead is about another term for an additional moon in a particular time period. Usually the Blue Moon is defined as the second full moon in a month. It’s Taurus time and be ready for a break out moment . It’s an ideal time for fresh starts and bold moves. The Zodiac sign being a bull reveals a few things right off the bat. Tauruses, are known for being unwavering, strong willed and steadfast in their opinions. And if you’re a Taurus, then you’ve probably come to terms with being known for your stubbornness, a common attribute for the sign. So to all of you born under the sign of Taurus, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! ************************** We welcome PP Sis Emma Galang, who, together with her daughter Eunice, had a fun-filled sojourn to Paris and London recently. This was daughter Eunice’s Mothers Day gift for Sis Emma. Sis Emma also attended the wedding of Vic Galang (blood brother of the late Brod Eric Galang), and Carina Guevara of Quezon City last May 3. at The American Church of Paris. Mother and daughter left May 4 for London and their first day there was hosted at by APO UK President Abdul Usman and wife Aida. On their 7th day they left Paris via the Euro train. While in Paris, they watched the Moulin Rouge and even had their dinner there! During this time, they visited famous sites like the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte, the sculpture The Thinker, and the Pavillon Ledoyen where Bonaparte occasionally had his dinner, and of course, the famous Roman baths. ************************** Committee Chairman for Camping Sis Grays Zara was so busy preparing for this well-loved activity. She wouldn’t even want to talk to yours truly as I wanted to interview her for this upcoming activity. Well, I don’t blame her. It really is big challenge to head it. Good luck to one and all as they head to the site of the camp! And advanced congratulations to the Chairman and the people who worked with her in this endeavor! ************************** We all pray for the quick recovery of Brod Doms Tunque. May the healing hand of the Lord touch him and bless him.
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TREASURER’S REPOR T By Bro. Troy Agagon REPORT 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38.
Agagon, Troy Almazan, Alex Almazan, Irma Ambrosio, Ronaldo Amon, Ofelia Amon, Tony Ang-Gayon, Melody Ansula, Bong Antonio, Bobby Argonza, Arvin Arroyo, Geoffrey Ayo, Toti Bautista, Jimmy Bayani, JR Calvario, Rene Carrasco, Danny Castillo, Nards Clarete, Sam Conferido, Ruben* David, Betta David, Christian Delmolin, Froilan Emperado, Rudy Evangelista, Domel Evangelista, Jen Fisico, Teddy Ford, Rebecca Gapido, Bodjie Garrovillas, Ernie Gomez, Tony Guerrero, Jing* Jovellanos, Jobee Lautchang, Wilson Layno, MaryAnn Linsangan, Jun Magsino,Jimmy** Maidin, Yusup Manalastas, Ruth
39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75.
Mansilla, Beeboy Marte, Rocky Mendez, Daemma Mendoza, Armand Miranda, Shane Nino, Dan Ninofranco, Egay Noche, Ceasar Padua, Rey Paggao, Jerome Pangilinan, Angel Parayno, Julius Paredes, Victor Pastores, Alex Peneza, Bobet Posadas, Rey Reyes, Roehl Rivera, Art Roberto, Marisol Romero, Ed Rondilla, Dony Rosal, Jet Salas, Hazel Sevilla, Bobby Sipin, Perry Somera, Herman Sy, Sancho Tarculas, Josie Tarculas, Lito Tavera, Glenda Tunque, Doms Valera, Lisa Ventura, Beth Venturina, Jimmy Vinluan, Jehiel Yambot, Ferdie Yenko, Rene as of May 19, 2019
Please send your $50.00 Membership Dues to: TROY AGAGON 27447 Elder View Dr., Valencia, CA 91354 All checks must be made payable to: APOGLA
HAPPY BIR THD AY BIRTHD THDA MA Y MAY CELEBRANTS MEMBERS: 01 - Glen dela Cruz 02 - Levis Oliver 03 - Tony Amon 05 - Daemma Mendez 06 - Raul David 07 - Art Rivera 08 - Alyson Rondilla 10 - William Chua 14 - Winston Pascual 15 - Sammie Zamora 18 - Filomeno Alcaide 19 - Daff Jorda - Celso M. Uy 24 - Joe Daroya 26 - Mar Garchitorena 27 - Ramon Tuazon 30 - Ferdie Yambot 31 - Oscar Atienza - Jaime Bautista SPOUSE: 01 - Joycee Alo 02 - Beth Garchitorena - Matthew Rondilla 03 - Ofelia Maddela 07 - Merryshun Cadavez 10 - Mylene dela Cruz 12 - Edna Tagumpay 17 - Gloria Arucan 19 - Nenita Atangan 20 - Evelyn Languisan 21 - Estela Mendoza 22 - Melita Sacro 23 - LC Jane Caldoza 25 - Leticia Milano APO KIDS: 07 - Dana Peninong 15 - Angelica Fajota 16 - Katrina Cajucom 18 - Kevin Mendoza 19 - Rodrigo Pepino III 21 - Hanna Grace, - Mark Tunque, - Micaela S. C.Miranda 22 - Natasha Ninofranco 23 - Megan Agagon 24 - Megan Pagado 29 - Jane Javierto, - Byron Atienza
5TH GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING WHEN: Sunday, May 26, 2019 - afternoon after lunch - to be announced WHERE: @Lake Perris Campsite Group Camp 1 & 2 Lake Perris Campground CONTACT PERSONS: Bro. Mike Medina CP# 909-214-4737 Bro. Domel Evangelista CP# 323-302-3871
Mishael Medina 13831 Portofino St. Fontana, CA 92336
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www.alphaphiomega.org