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Volume 8 – Issue 51 • 16 Pages

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‘NEW GOV’T PROBE SHOWS SAF, INDEED, KILLED MARWAN’

Aquino: No Caucasians killed in Mamasapano

by Nikko

DizoN Inquirer.net

PReSIDeNT Benigno Aquino III on Thursday, Sept. 17 dismissed as kuwentong kutsero, or hearsay, the report that two Caucasians were killed in a clash between police Special Action Force (SAF) commandos and Moro rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province, in January, as he affirmed that it was the SAF that

took down Malaysian terrorist Marwan.

“That claim is like, if not exactly, kuwentong kutsero at this point,” Mr. Aquino said in a press conference in Malacañang, following his announcement of the results of a discreet investigation he had ordered into the “alternative versions” of what really happened in Mamasapano on Jan. 25 during the SAF operation to get Marwan, whose real name was

Zulkifli bin hir. he was informed of the alternative versions by various sources, he told the Inquirer two weeks ago.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima told reporters that with the final report on who killed Marwan, President Aquino and the government had found closure.

“In so far as the President is concerned, in so far as the government is concerned, this is the

Poe, Escudero seal team-up

AS expected, Sen. Francis ‘Chiz’ escudero on Thursday, Sept. 17 declared his candidacy for Vice President as running mate of Sen. Grace Poe. In front of enthusiastic supporters, friends and families, including his wife-actress heart evangelista, mother-Sorsogon Rep. evaline Guevera-esPAGE A3

THE MAN BEHIND GRACE. An elated Sen. Francis Escudero joins Sen. Grace Poe onstage on Thursday, Sept. 17 at Club Filipino, where she named him her running mate in the 2016 elections. Poe announced her presidential bid a day earlier at Ang Bahay ng Alumni in UP Diliman, Quezon City. The anticipated team-up drew a strong mix of show biz and political personalities.

Inquirer.net photo by Niño Jesus Orbeta

DATELINE

USA

closure,” de Lima said.

During his national address, President Aquino showed three pictures that he said convinced him that indeed it was the SAF that killed Marwan.

The NBI cybercrime division authenticated the photos.

Asked if there were other leads pursued aside from the pictures, De Lima told reporters that she was “not at liberty” to discuss PAGE A2

Inquirer.net photo by Joan Bondoc

GOP presidential hopefuls square off on immigration in second debate

by ChristiNa

M. oriel

AJPress

SIMI VALLeY, Calif. — FIFTeeN Republican candidates took the podium on Wednesday, Sept. 16 in a two-segment debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library’s Air Force one Pavilion.

The afternoon kicked off with second-tier candidates South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and former New York Governor George Pataki, all of whom have been at the bottom of the polls at around 1 percent among primary voters. Issues covered ranged from immigration, ISIS, Planned Parenthood funding, Iran and religious freedom.

But, another topic dominated Republican presidential candidates stand on stage during the main debate last Wednesday, September 16, at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. the debate early on: Donald Trump.

(L-R) US Sen. Rand Paul, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, US Sen. Marco Rubio, US Sen. Ted Cruz, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, businessman Donald Trump, Though Trump was not onstage former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, businesswoman Carly Fiorina, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

CNN photo PAGE A2

PH Consul General and Fil-Am Chief Executive of NYC Economic Development Corporation vow to promote cooperation on tech innovation and Fil-Am businesses

FRoM The AJPReSS NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

Senate-approved plan would promote legal services for lowincome Californians

CALIFoRNIA lawmakers approved and sent to Governor Jerry Brown a plan to help lowincome residents have greater access to legal services.

The bill, known as Senate Bill 134, would PAGE A3

BODY OF EVIDENCE. President Aquino declares that it was the police Special Action Force (SAF) that killed Malaysian terrorist Marwan on Jan. 25 after his order of a discreet probe on “alternative versions” given by various sources yielded negative. He explains the series of authenticated photos which convinced him of SAF’s rightful claim.

Consul General Mario De Leon (center) and Maria Torres-Springer (2nd from left) are joined by(l-r) Consul Felipe Carino, Ledy Almadin of PhilAm Chamber of Commerce, and Mr. Gianlucca Galletto, Director of International Affairs, for a photo opportunity after a briefing by New York City Economic Development Corporation.

MANhATTAN—Consul General Mario L. De Leon, Jr., supported the promotion of Fil-Am small businesses and increased access to technology and innovation during a meeting with Ms. Maria Torres-Springer, a Fil-Am and President of the New York City’s economic Development Corporation (eDC). Director Gianlucca Galleto and Sara Appleton of eDC’s International Affairs, Ledy Almadin of the PhilAm Chamber of Commerce New York, and Consul Felipe Carino also joined the meeting.

Ms. Torres-Springer is the first Fil-Am to be appointed to as

head of eDC of New York which serves as the economic arm of NYC and is responsible for promoting economic sectors of interest to the City and supporting innovation and increasing economic activity. Ms. TorresSpringer previously served as the Commissioner of the Small Business Unit of NYC. Consul General said that the Consulate General is working with and through the PhilAm Chambers and is supportive of the growth of Fil-Am small businesses. he believes that Filipinos can derive immense benefit PAGE A3

Fil-Am among jail DFA: No Filipinos UNA exec: Binay’s running mate a presidential wannabe deputies charged for affected in Chile quake death of inmate

by DeNNis

CarCaMo Philstar.com

by rosette

aDel

Philstar.com

ThRee correctional officers at a Santa Clara County jail were charged on Tuesday, Sept. 8 with the murder of a mentally ill inmate who was found dead in his cell in late August.

The District Attorney’s office filed charges against 28-year-old Fil-Am Jereh Catbagan Lubrin, from San Jose, California, Matthew Farris, 27, and Rafael Rodriguez, 27, who were suspected of murdering 31-year-old Michael Tyree.

“Michael Tyree was not protected by those PAGE A3

MANILA—The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday, Sept. 17 confirmed that there were no Filipinos affected in the 8.3 magnitude quake that hit central Chile.

“So far we have not received report of Filipinos affected by the earthquake in Chile,” DFA spokesman Charles Jose said in a text message.

Jose said there are over 300 Filipinos working and residing in the Latin American state.

Reports said at least five people were killed PAGE A4

ready entered the stage of selection.

When we say selection, it is now a MANILA—The camp of Vice Presi- matter of him talking to the potential dent Jejomar Binay is now looking candidate,” Bautista said. at three presidential wannabes to be he said that the three prospecthe United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) tive vice presidential bets have equal standard bearer’s runningmate in the chances of being selected as Binay’s 2016 presidential elections. partner in the polls.

UNA Secretary General JV Bautista Bautista said that Binay’s running said Binay has yet to talk to the pro- mate should not only be popular but spective running mates, all of whom has the capability to run the country have expressed their respective presi- in case something happens to the dential bids, about his offer. president. “he has not talked to them yet. It “he has become a vice president so still is on the level of the search com- in his experience the vice president mittee but it’s almost final... it has alPAGE A4

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From the Front Page

Aquino: No Caucasians killed...

PAGE A1 them.

The President warned that those who were after the $5-million bounty on Marwan’s head offered by the US government could be the ones behind the alternative versions of the events.

He also said that 90 people from the Moro Islamic Liberation

Front (MILF), the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), and from the private armed groups would be charged for the deaths of 35 members of the 55th SAF Special Action Company (SAC).

Nine other SAF commandos from the 84th SAC, the strike force, were killed in the opera-

tion.

Mr. Aquino himself disclosed the investigation of the “alternative” versions of how Marwan died during the Meet the Inquirer Multimedia forum last week.

They only look Caucasian At the same press conference, the President insisted that there were no foreigners in the combat operation, whether they were “Caucasian looking,” Americans, or British.

“The SAF did not have foreigners with them. Our Constitution prohibits foreign troops to operate on our soil,” Mr. Aquino said.

He added that if foreigners insisted on joining the operation, the SAF, as policemen, would have arrested them.

De Lima told the Inquirer in an interview that government investigators had ruled out the claim of a government witness that two Americans were killed in the Mamasapano clash.

“Right now, that [has been] discounted. If that video is true, [the men] look Caucasian but

they could be [two] of the [SAF] casualties. We traced it and there were [SAF men] who had mestizo features and they were huge, around [1.8 meters] tall,” De Lima said.

Looking into identities De Lima added that the National Bureau of Investigation- National Prosecution Service Special Investigation Team (NBI-NPS SIT) was in the process of identifying those SAF officers.

In their 225-page report, the NBI investigators took note of what “Marathon,” the code name of their primary witness, said: Two “Americans” died in the village of Tukanalipao, in Mamasapano.

Marathon said the two bodies “did not look like Filipinos.” But De Lima said the witness’ claim was “hearsay.”

Exact roles of US She said, however, that the ongoing second part of the DOJ-NBI investigation was looking into the “exact roles” played by the US government in the SAF counterterrorism operation against Mar-

wan and his Filipino companions Basit Usman and Amin Baco.

“We are looking into the exact roles [played by the US government] because what has been said was they helped in intelligence and information sharing and the medical evacuation,” De Lima said.

The first NBI report said that they were “fully aware of the need for secrecy in intelligence and antiterrorism operations and to maintain it for future PhilippinesUnited States partnership in this regard.”

“But criminal investigations and national security are not mutually exclusive. One only needs to frame the issue and ask the relevant questions,” the report said.

The report said it was not clear whether the six Americans who were reported to be at the SAF Tactical Command Post in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao, violated Philippine penal laws.

It said that the investigative and prosecutorial arm of the government could not “just dismiss the presence of foreigners, however limited, at or near a crime scene or at the first instance refrain from investigating them without even a sketch of what they were

GOP presidential hopefuls square off...

PAGE A1 during the first segment, the four candidates distanced themselves from the Republican frontrunner.

Jake Tapper — CNN’s chief Washington correspondent and moderator of the debate — asked Jindal to respond to remarks made against Trump, saying they violated Reagan’s ‘11th commandment’ of not criticizing fellow Republicans.

“Let’s stop treating Donald Trump like a Republican,” Jindal retorted. “He’s not a conservative.”

Santorum sought not to comment on Trump, but rather remind other candidates about the importance of this debate.

“I think personal attacks just please one person: Hillary Clinton.

“The focus of this debate should be on how we’re going to win this election and help improve the lives of American workers,” he said.

Pataki later chimed in to complain that there were other issues to discuss -- given it’s an “important election with an enormous number of challenges facing the American people,” he said — yet, the opening questions were about

the real-estate mogul.

“I will vote for the Republican nominee, but let me say this flat out, Donald Trump is unfit to be President of the United States or the Republican Party’s nominee,” he said.

The four candidates tackled the issue of deportation and what the United States should do with the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country.

Graham and Santorum agreed that a more rational immigration system should be implemented because of its declining workforce, yet diverged on exactly what needs to be done to achieve that.

“We’re not going to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants here illegally, but we’ll start with felons, and off they go. And, as to the rest, you can stay, but you got to learn our language,” Graham said.

He also added that “in my world Hispanics are Americans” (an answer that earned applauses), noting that Republican candidates could target Hispanic voters next year. “[I]mmigration without assimilation is invasion,” Jindal said.

“We need to insist the people who come here come here legally, learn English, adopt our values, roll up their sleeves and get to work. We do need to secure the border.”

Hours before the debate, immigration advocates bearing signs and oversized papier mache caricature heads of Trump, Rubio and Walker flocked to the entrance of the Reagan Library to protest the Republican candidates’ stances on not granting citizenship to illegal immigrants.

Candidates also shared their positions on minimum wage, with Santorum proposing a 50-centper-hour increase throughout a three-year period.

“How are we gonna win if 90 percent of Americans don’t think we care about them and their chance to rise in America?” Santorum said.

However, Graham countered that a federal increase in the minimum wage would be detrimental to businesses.

Though the first-round was brushed off by many analysts, the four candidates attempted to prove themselves with hopes of joining top-tier candidates in the

doing there in the first place.”

American involvement in the Mamasapano operation also did not fail to draw attention during the Senate inquiry into the debacle.

Senate report The Senate investigation report released in March said the roles of the Americans “cannot be readily dismissed as those of mere observers.”

One telling detail of their involvement was the instance when one of the Americans ordered Maj. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, commanding general of the Philippine Army’s 6th Infantry Division, to fire artillery during the clash between the SAF commandos and Moro rebels.

Pangilinan refused, retorting: “Do not dictate to me what to do.

I am the commander here.”

This detail came out during an executive session and was made public only through the investigation report.

US training, gear The Senate report noted that the United States’ investment in the SAF mission was evidenced by the equipment and training given to the commandos.

u PAGE A5

polls.

The other 11 candidates (former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Fiorina, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Ohio Governor John Kasich, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Trump and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker) took to the stage at 5pm PST. Each candidate was positioned on stage based on their rankings in recent polls.

During the first debate hosted

by Fox News in August, Fiorina was considered a second-tier candidate, but her performance catapulted her in national polls and deemed her worthy enough to join the higher-ranking hopefuls.

Leading into the debate, a CBS/ New York Times poll showed Trump and Carson at 27 percent and 23 percent, respectively; Bush, Huckabee and Rubio each trailed behind at 6 percent of support from Republican primary voters.

The prime-time debate kicked off with a question directed to Fiorina, as to whether Trump could

u PAGE A4

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From the Front Page

Senate-approved plan would promote...

PAGE A1 allow the State Bar to collect unclaimed donations from members to fund a student loan repayment program for public interest attorneys.

“Every year, thousands of young lawyers graduate from law school with a desire to launch their careers performing public service,” said Sen. Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys), who helped author the bill. “Faced with skyrocketing education costs, however, more and more of our finest legal minds are opting instead to go straight into private practice.”

Lawyers of both parties described the legislation, SB 134, as an “innovative revenue source for a worthy program,” said a statement from the office of Hertzberg in Sacramento.

“There is too little incentive to work in public-interest areas of law today because the pay often is substantially lower than in private practice,” Hertzberg, who is also a lawyer, said.

SB 134 would support a loanassistance program for attorneys committed to serving the public interest, by using unclaimed funds in lawyer trust accounts.

The proposal was unanimously approved in June by the state Senate.

SB 134 was previously approved by the Judiciary and Appropriations committees, also without a dissenting vote. The bill was next approved by the Assembly.

If the bill becomes law, an option to donate to the Public Interest Attorney Loan Repayment Program could be added to State Bar dues statements as soon as next year, the Metropolitan NewsEnterprise reported.

According to the American Bar

Sen. Robert Hertzberg

Association, the average debt of a 2012 law school graduate was about $85,000 when graduating from a public school, and $122,000 from a private school.

“This level of debt makes it difficult for attorneys to pay off their debt, despite any interest in public service,” Hertzberg’s office said in a statement.

As a direct result, legal-service advocates (such as child support agencies) have found it increasingly difficult to keep talented attorneys staffed.

“Public interest law offices must retain talented attorneys to ensure that their clientele consistently receive an acceptable level of service and equal access to justice,” Hertzberg told the committee.

In a bill analysis, the Judiciary Committee staff explained that the program is authorized by legislation carried by Hertzberg when he was in the Assembly. The Loan Repayment Program was created years ago to help lower student debt of attorneys agreeing to practice in certain public-interest areas of law. The bill became law in 2001, but the program has

Fil-Am among jail deputies...

PAGE A1 correctional officers who were supposed to protect him,” Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen told press. “Instead, they killed him and we have now charged them with murder.”

Court documents reveal that Lubrin, Farris and Rodriguez reported finding Tyree unresponsive, naked and covered in feces and vomit in his cell after midnight on Aug. 27. They tried to revive him, Sheriff Laurie Smith told the Los Angeles Times.

However, an investigation found that the three beat Tyree to death on Aug. 26. Earlier that night, a jail nurse told Lubrin that Tyree pocketed his prescription medicine instead of swallowing it. Lubrin then confronted Tyree to take his pills.

Documents show that later on in the evening that Lubrin and Farris conducted a routine search of the cells, while the inmates were participating in “program time” in the common areas.

Rodriguez joined the two officers to confront inmate Juan Villa.

They allegedly hit Villa in the head and twisted his arms, according to the investigative report prepared

by Sergeant Marc Carrasco. The three also face assault charges for this encounter.

They then continued their

Fil-Am Jereh Lubrin, 28, was one of three Santa Clara County deputies charged on Tuesday, Sept. 8 for the murder of an inmate.

Credit: Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office

search of other cells, including Tyree’s. Lubrin and Farris allegedly entered Tyree’s one-man cell while Rodriguez waited outside the door.

Carrasco’s report stated that Tyree reportedly asked “Do I have to get up?” and was ordered to get up by Farris.

“Inmate Tyree’s distinctive voice could be heard screaming, ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Stop,’” Carrasco PAGE A5

never been funded.

A budget item that would have appropriated $100,000 for startup costs was vetoed by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2007.

The California Student Aid Commission would administer the program, such as establishing eligibility and selecting participants eligible for up to $11,000 for four years of service in qualifying agencies.

How the commission would access the funds collected by the State Bar is not yet certain, the Judiciary Committee said. No opposition was received, the analysis said.

While the clients continue to have the right to claim their property, the property is transferred to the state General Fund after being held three years.

A similar program in Oregon has collected more than $450,000 since 2010.

Supporters of the bill include the California Public Defenders Association, California State Conference of the NAACP, Equal Justice Works, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Legal Aid Association of California, Hastings and McGeorge law schools, Ventura County Public Defender’s Office, and Worksafe.

Gov. Brown has 30 days to sign, veto, or allow the bill to become law without his signature.

“Too often we grant rights without providing the tools to make those rights real. Here is a creative way to ensure those rights,” Hertzberg said. (Allyson Escobar/AJPress)

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • SEptEmbER 18-24, 2015

Poe, Escudero seal...

PAGE A1 cudero and mother-in-law Cecile Ongpauco, Escudero, accepted Poe’s offer to be her Vice President. ”I am Chiz Escudero, a Filipino, a son, a husband, a father, and a Bicolano public servant. With the grace of God and the Blessed Mother, I humbly offer myself to the mission of serving as your Vice President… as the Vice President of our country,” he said in his acceptance speech.

The event at Club Filipino in San Juan City (Metro Manila) came a day after after Poe declared her bid for the presidency.

It took only 40 minutes for Poe and Escudero to seal their team-up to the delight of at least a thousand supporters who packed the historic Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City.

Among the personalities present were Poe’s mother, veteran actress Susan Roces, half-sister Lovi Poe, former Zamboanga congressman and convicted child rapist Romeo Jalosjos, Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian and Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) president Giorgidi Aggabao.

In her speech, Poe said she chose Escudero as running mate based on his credentials and experience as public servant for the last 17 years. Escudero represented the First District of Sorsogon in the Bicol Region for three terms and is winding up his second term in the Senate.

He served as spokesman for Poe’s father, the late actor Fernando Poe Jr., in the 2004 elections. ”So today, I am pleased to ask

you support for our reliable public servant who can serve us, our Vice President Senator Chiz Escudero,” Poe said.

In response, Escudero said he accepted “this challenge wholeheartedly because I believe in the character and ability of Senator Grace.” ”I once said that I would support any decision that Senator Grace makes regarding her role in the 2016 elections. As a candidate or ordinary supporter, I’m prepared to stand by her, just as I did for FPJ over 11 years ago,” he added.

Escudero said he and Poe “will establish a government with heart through a detailed platform for each agency, which will be based on their yearly budget.” ”Like her father FPJ, Senator Poe’s heart is in the right place. I believe that, as President, Senator Grace Poe or “GP” will lead a ‘GP’ –gobyernong may puso or a government with heart,” he added. ”In governing this country, we cannot afford to dawdle or hold ourselves hostage to analysis paralysis. We should hit the ground running from the first day until the last. We cannot afford to do otherwise,” Escudero said.

Past is past The presence of Cecile Ongpauco, mother of actress Heart Evangelista (Love Marie Ongpauco in real life), proves that she has completely accepted her daughter’s husband.

Ongpauco and her husband Rey publicly condemned their daughter’s relationship with the previously married senator when the two began their relationship in 2013.

A

They also chose not to attend the couple’s wedding in February this year, with Evangelista’s father sending a letter instead that said he and his wife will come knocking at their door as soon as they see their daughter happy with her choice.

Thankfully by May, differences were settled and the senator finally earned the Ongpaucos’ approval and his rightful place in their family.

A simply dressed Evangelista expressed happiness over her family’s presence at her husband’s big day.

When asked why their father was not with the family that day, Evangelista replied he was recently hospitalized, but had called his son-in-law just before his announcement and wished him well.

He also watched the live broadcast from home.

Besides the Ongpauco family, Sen. Poe’s mother Susan Roces also attended Escudero’s rally, as well as her half sister, actress Lovi Poe. Lovi, who also happens to be Evangelista’s best friend, told reporters she missed her “Ate Grace’s” own announcement on Wednesday because of a scheduled taping.

Lovi expressed her confidence in her elder sister’s bid for the presidency saying, “She’s made of Poe material, so I believe she’s a strong woman.”

Meanwhile, as Evangelista’s best friend, Lovi has been present at every important event in her relationship with Escudero, one of which was the lawmaker’s surprise marriage proposal in his hometown.

The younger Poe was escorted by her boyfriend, actor Rocco Nacino. (Neil Alcober, Jefferson Antiporda, Llanesca Panti and Euden Valdez/ManilaTimes.net)

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PH golden opportunity for revisited history presented in Asia Society New York Exhibit NEW YORK—New York and the whole world will see the Philippines in a glimmering light, thanks to the new exhibition, Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms at the Asia Society in Manhattan from September 11, 2015 to January 3, 2016.

The collection, consisting of about 120 pieces of gold ornaments, ceremonial masks, weapons, worship icons and fashion accessories were from the 10th to the 13th century, unearthed only during the past forty years on the Philippine islands of Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

The gold artifacts attest to the recently discovered evidence of prosperity and achievement of Philippine polities that flourished long before the Spanish discovered and colonized the region.

Majority of the gold pieces are on loan from the Ayala Museum, with the Central Bank of the Philippines and private collector Architect Leandro Locsin lending more from their collections to complete the exhibition. Sharing their expertise to the exhibit were Ayala Museum Consulting Curator Nina Capistrano Baker and Asia Society Senior Curator for Asian Art Adriana Proser.

On the opening gala on 10 September, more than 200 distinguished guests came to the

Asia Society New York to formally launch the cultural spotlight on the Philippines. The glamorous evening featured a ceremonial ribbon cutting, speeches from dignitaries, musical performances, a live auction, and a gourmet Filipino dinner to a kick off the four-month season of programming at Asia Society that will highlight the richness and diversity of Philippine culture and current affairs, and explore its cuisine, performing arts, film, design, literature, and more.

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. noted the exhibition is a “great reason to be proud of our ancestors and our heritage ... Taking a look around and marveling at the artifacts on display this evening will make one realize what commonalities our Filipino ancestors shared with our other Indonesian, Indian, Chinese and other Southeast Asian brethren.”

Gala Benefit Committee Co-Chair Doris Magsaysay Ho thanked her Co-Chairs Loida Nicolas Lewis and Fernando Zobel de Ayala. “We thought how wonderful it would be to bring a spotlight on the Philippines as the [country] hosts APEC [in November]. And we thought, why not also highlight our heritage, and our arts and culture?”

The evening also marked the

Doris Ho, Consul General Mario Lopez Jr. de Leon, Josette Sheeran, Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr., Loida Lewis, Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Henrietta Holsman Fore, and Gov. Armando Tetangco.

opening of Video Spotlight: Philippines, an exhibition of contemporary Filipino video art, and Filipino Design Now, an installation celebrating the artistic visions of renowned and emerging Filipino designers.Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms will be on display through January 3, 2016.

“Tonight, we are celebrating a new era, a new beginning for the Philippines, presented through its golden past,” said Asia Society President Josette Sheeran. “This is truly a great day for the Philippines, for the Unites States, and for all who care about our shared histories.”

PH Consul General and Fil-Am Chief Executive...

PAGE A1 in navigating and accessing services that support small and medium-sized businesses in NYC. Ms. Torres-Springer stated that Mayor Bill De Blasio administration’s thrust is to promote inclusive economic growth in NYC and that EDC is tasked with a target of 200,000 affordable housing for NYC residents. The EDC is supportive of technological innovation, applied sciences,

UNA exec: Binay’s running mate...

PAGE A1 should also be somebody who can take the reins of the government in case something happens to him. In other words, somebody who will not only be winnable but who will be very capable,” he said.

He said UNA is expected to make the announcement of Binay’s running mate and complete senatorial slate on the last week of September.

engineering, and real estate citing Cornell Tech as an example of combining and harnessing technology, academic and real estate sectors for a single purpose.

Ms. Torres-Springer also explained that economic recovery is happening, but is not for everyone. She cited the importance of catalyzing growth, promoting access to opportunity and inclusivity. EDC’s Industry

Transformation teams on strategic investment and economic research are working together to achieve their objectives to spur synergies between the innovation sectors and EDC’s recent projects, citing Applied Science NYC, NYC Incubator, Coney Island, and Tax Credits and Bonds as examples, she said.

Consul General De Leon, on his part, suggested that NYC and the Consulate General can enter

be trusted “with his finger on the nuclear codes.”

“I think Mr. Trump is a wonderful entertainer, he’s been terrific at that business,” she responded, but said it’s “not for me to answer” whether Trump could be trusted with that power.

Later in the evening, Fiorina was asked another Trump-related question — his comment about her ‘face’ in a recent Rolling Stone

article.

“I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said,” she said, to which Trump awkwardly retorted, “I think she has a very beautiful face, and she’s a beautiful woman.”

After a commercial break, Tapper moved the conversation to immigration, calling it a “combustible” topic during the campaign.

Trump tackled the issue first,

Photos courtesy of Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan Company

The following day on September 11, Consul General Mario L. De Leon, Jr. spoke in front of more than 200 guests of the Benefit Committee during the Premiere Night Celebration and highlighted three realizations that would come to visitors after viewing the collection. One, that Filipinos had an advanced civilization even before the colonizers came. Two, Filipinos descended from royalty; the gold items being remnants of Forgotten Kingdoms of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. And third, that the Philippines have had active trade and cultural relations with our neighbors in Southeast Asia since this time evidenced in

the design influence of the gold items and materials used in their everyday clothing.

The exhibit was honored by leaders, supporters and friends of the Filipino community the following day on September 12 during the Opera Night Reception.

Consul General underscored the efforts of the whole Filipino community in promoting the exhibit, and contributing their talents to uplift the image of the Philippines through our dance, music, design and visual art, cuisine and film that will be showcase in the parallel events that will run throughout the Philippine Gold season.

into cooperation in the academic sector where younger generation Fil-Ams involved in IT innovation can access training and educational opportunities in the City. He opines that a “mentorship program,” guided by NYC academic institutions, can help institutionalize learning and innovation in the Filipino community. He further said that potential cooperation between NYC and the Philippines may include exchange of experiences and experts in public-private part-

nerships (PPP) in infrastructure projects and government real estate redevelopment (e.g. the New York High Line project).

The Consulate General continues to engage local and elected officials in states/ cities under its jurisdiction as part of its program to promote closer bilateral exchanges, community relations, and helping Filcom members, particularly, entrepreneurs and younger generation Fil-Ams, access available local and state resources and services.

GOP presidential hopefuls square off...

PAGE A2

Peggy Loar, Interim Vice President for Global Arts and Culture; Consul General Mario De Leon; Josette Sheeran, President and CEO of Asia Society; Mariles Gustillo, Director Ayala Museum; Adrian Proser, Senior Curator for Asian Art at Asia Society; Nina Baker, Consulting Curator of Ayala Museum meet for a Press Briefing on Sept. 10.

saying that building a wall along the US-Mexico border is necessary and that if he gets elected, the “really bad dudes in this country from outside” would be gone.

The real-estate mogul has largely been seen as anti-immigration since he announced his plans to run for president.

“I took heat like nobody has taken heat in a long time. And, then they found out with the killing of Katie, from San Francisco, and so many other crimes, they found out that I was right,” he said. And, most people, many people, apologized to me. I don’t think you’d even be talking about illegal immigration if it weren’t for me. So, we have a country of laws, they’re going to go out, and they’ll come back if they deserve to come back. If they’ve had a bad record, if they’ve been arrested, if they’ve been in jail, they’re never coming back. We’re going to have a country again. Right now, we don’t have a country, we don’t have a border, and we’re going to do something about it, and it can be done with proper management, and it can be done with heart.”

Christie rebutted Trump’s plans, going a step further by saying electronics, drones and more government agencies need to be deployed along the borders.

“We need to take the fingerprint of every person who comes into this country on a visa, and when they overstay their visa, we need to tap them on the shoulder, and say, ‘You have overstayed your welcome, you’re taking advantage of the American people.

It’s time for you to go,’” the New Jersey governor said.

Carson, who had been silent for a portion of the debate despite be-

ing second in the polls, said having a border simply isn’t enough.

He cited Yuma County, Arizona, which has a “double fence with a road so that there [is] quick access by the enforcement people.”

“If we don’t seal the border, the rest of this stuff clearly doesn’t matter. It’s kind of ridiculous all the other things we talk about. We have the ability to do it, we don’t have the will to do it,” he said.

The retired neurosurgeon went on to say that a guest worker program, especially for those in the agricultural field, should be considered.

Bush was asked to respond to Trump’s comment back in July about having “a soft spot for people from Mexico” because of his Mexican-born wife.

“We’re at a crossroads right now,” Bush said. “Are we going to take the Reagan approach, the hopeful optimistic approach, the approach that says that, you come to our country legally, you pursue your dreams with a vengeance, you create opportunities for all of us? Or the Donald Trump approach -- the approach that says that everything is bad, that everything is coming to an end?”

The former governor of Florida mentioned his book that laid out a comprehensive approach to immigration reform, one that requires securing the border but not tearing families apart.

“It would send a signal to the rest of the world that the United States values that are so important for our long-term success no longer matter in this country,” he said.

Though some candidates seemed to acknowledge that Trump reopened the conversation on immigration, Fiorina didn’t think so.

“Immigration did not come

Fil-Am among jail deputies...

PAGE A3 detailed. “Screaming could be heard throughout the pod for several minutes and was accompanied by the sounds of thumping, wall banging and what sounded like blows to a person’s body. At some point during the screaming period, Officer Rodriguez closed the door so that it was open a small amount.”

Tyree died “within minutes to no more than one hour,” the report said, after the incident with the officers left him with wounds on his eye, chin and cheek; bruises above his left ear; and injuries on his upper arms, legs, back and hips. The injury on Tyree’s lower left back ruptured his spleen and liver and caused internal bleeding, Carrasco stated.

“The officers then left Inmate Tyree’s cell continuing their searches. They did not call for medical assistance for Inmate Tyree,” the report said.

After midnight, Lubrin went back to the cell for the routine welfare check and radioed, “man down” upon finding Tyree’s body.

Tyree was subsequently pronounced dead at 12:35 am.

An attorney for Tyree’s family said he was schizophrenic and had battled mental illness most of

his adult life, according to an NBC report. He was reportedly going to enter a residential treatment program at the Momentum Crisis Residential Treatment Center, a nonprofit for substance abuse, after serving his five-day sentence for petty theft and drug possession.

The death of Tyree — who was housed in a special wing of the jail reserved for inmates in protective custody or with special needs — has reopened the debate about how jails treat mentally ill inmates.

“This is a tragic sad heartbreaking event,” family attorney Paula Canny said. “And that Michael Tyree, even though he was an inmate in jail, he was a person of value and inmates are to be respected. Michael was somebody’s brother, somebody’s son, somebody’s cousin, somebody’s nephew.”

Since the arrest on Sept. 3, Lubrin’s family and friends have stood by him, describing him as a loving and caring individual.

“He likes his job, and he works well with his sergeant and all of the good people there,” Lubrin’s father Dwight told the San Jose Mercury News. The report also said Lubrin told his father that

The centerpiece of the evening was a special performance of Langhapin, Lasapin, Namnamin … Pag-Ibig (Breathe, Taste, Savor … Love). The special presentation explored love in its many aspects through Philippine songs of various genres performed by outstanding Filipino and American classical singers and musicians, offering a glimpse of Philippines musical identity and heritage.

Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms will run until 3 January 2016. For cultural events related to the exhibit, please visit http://asiasociety.org/ new-york/events/upcoming.

DFA: No Filipinos...

PAGE A1 and 1 million residents have been evacuated from coastal areas due to the quake.

The magnitude 8.3 tremor triggered waves of up to 15 feet along the coast of Coquimbo region.

Due to tsunami alarm, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology also raised tsunami alerts in 20 provinces in the country but clarified that there is no evacuation in effect. up in 2016 because Mr. Trump brought it up. We talked about it in 2012, we talked about it in 2008. We talked about it in 2004,” she said.

Rubio, who is of Cuban ancestry, said the US has “three” immigration problems: people are still coming to the the country illegally; an inoperable legal immigration system; 11-12 million people who have been in the country for the years who are still without status.

“Here’s the way forward: First, we must -- we must secure our border, the physical border, with -- with a wall, absolutely. But we also need to have an entry/exit tracking system. 40 percent of the people who come here illegally come legally, and then they overstay the visa. We also need a mandatory e-verify system. After we’ve done that, step two would be to modernize our legal immigration system so you come to America on the basis of what you can contribute economically, not whether or not simply you have a relative living here,” he proposed.

Birthright citizenship — children born in the US to undocumented immigrants — was brought up, following some previous comments Trump and Bush, in particular, have made.

“Well, first of all, the 14th Amendment says very, very clearly to a lot of great legal scholars… that it is wrong…A woman gets pregnant. She’s nine months, she walks across the border, she has the baby in the United States, and we take care of the baby for 85 years. I don’t think so,” Trump said.

Toward the end of the night, more light-hearted questions were asked: what woman the candidates would put on the $10 and what their Secret Service code names PAGE A5 “something had happened with an inmate” at the jail and told his mother, Julieta, “don’t worry. I didn’t do anything.”

Lubrin was hired as a correctional officer at the Santa Clara County Main Jail in 2012, a step in his dream of being in law enforcement. Lubrin was inspired by his grandfather, according to Dwight, who was a second lieutenant in the Philippine Army.

“He looked up to my dad,’’ Dwight said.

Rodriguez told the Mercury News that he was inside Tyree’s cell for the search that night, but never had physical contact with Tyree.

Lubrin, Farris and Rodriguez were scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 18. If convicted, they could face life in prison.

“It sucks being in here for something I didn’t do,” Rodriguez said.

“These men violated the law, human dignity, and the job that they were sworn to do,” District Attorney Rosen said in a statement. “They may have thought that their violence, enacted late at night in the obscurity of a jail cell and against a helpless and mentally ill inmate, was invisible. Today we see it for all of its brutality. Mr. Tyree was not invisible. His death was not invisible. We will see that there is justice.” (Christina M. Oriel/AJPress)

(212) 655-5426 • http://www.asianjournal.com

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • SEptEmbER 18-24, 2015

Dateline PhiliPPines

A

Marcos: Other candidates should now decide AFP receives equipment against chemical warfare from US by eRnie

esconde Manilatimes.net

SUBIC BAY—Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. claimed that the announcement of Sen. Grace Poe to run for the presidency did not surprise him.

“It was very well expected. Malinaw noon pang nakaraang mga linggo na tatakbo siya bilang Pangulo [As early as last week, it was clear that she’s running for President],” Marcos said.

He noted that the political terrain has become more clear. “[Poe’s] declaration will help other candidates decide what they will do. We will also be forced to decide,” the Ilocano lawmaker said.

When asked when he will announce his candidacy, Marcos

said he has no date yet.

“We will announce it once I have a date, a decision. I will make it known not only to the media but the whole country,” he added.

Marcos said his decision to run and be paired with Vice President Jejomar Binay will not be based on percentage.

“Hindi by percent ang pagdedesisyon. Kung gusto tumakbo, tumakbo. Kapag maayos na mga imponderable variables at malinaw na, mas magiging maliwanag din ang dapat kong gawin [Making a decision should not be based on percentages. If you want to run, go run.

If the imponderable variables are all right and clear, the clearer will be my decision],” he added.

Marcos said the Nacionalista

Party to which he belongs has not yet decided on whom to support for President.

“Without a doubt, kahit ano pa mangyari, the NP will be involved in the 2016 elections. Kung walang presidential candidate sa loob ng partido, hahanap ito ng ibang susuportahan kapag maliwanag na sitwasyon [If the party has no candidate for President, it will look for somebody to support if the situation gets clearer],” he added.

Marcos said members of the NP recently met and saw many political alliances and developments as the date of filing of certificates of candidacy in October nears.

“The NP is still in consultation with different groups and will choose the best programs it will support,” he added.

GOP presidential hopefuls square off...

PAGE A4 would be. Some answers for the former question were Rosa Parks, Margaret Thatcher and Mother Theresa. However, Fiorina called

changing the $10 bill a “gesture”; rather, “we out to recognize that women are not a special interest group,” she said.

As for the code names, some

Aquino: No Caucasians killed...

PAGE A2 But it also cited the testimony of the sacked SAF chief, Director Getulio Napeñas, that no US troops took part in the combat operation.

Napeñas identified one of the Americans as “Mr. Al Katz,” who handled the training of the SAF strike force.

The Senate report also cited a Supreme Court ruling stating that US soldiers in exercises in the Philippines may not engage in combat, except in self-defense.

But the court also ruled that US troops could engage in combatrelated activities. The definition of these combat-related activities, however, was left ambiguous and could refer to a range of activities.

The Senate report said that in the light of the Mamasapano incident, there was a need to refine and delineate the defense relationship between the Philippines and the United States.

The NBI report emphasized that how Marwan’s finger, sliced off for DNA tests, “actually reached” the US Federal Bureau of Investi-

gation (FBI) “was not pursued in detail.”

Photo series Explaining the series of photos, Mr. Aquino said the first photo showed a dead Marwan with his left index finger intact, the next photo showed a SAF commando with the sliced-off finger, and the last showed Marwan with his left index finger gone.

“Let us recall. What does the alternative narrative say? It was posited that one of Marwan’s companions killed him—the same one who cut off his finger and gave it to the SAF. But it is clear from the presentation today, the SAF was there; we can no longer doubt that it was the SAF who took Marwan’s finger.

This also means all the other accounts about the alternative narrative are baseless, and consequently have no relevance,” the President said.

SAF vindicated The investigation, probably set off by the MILF investigation report that suggested Marwan was already dead when the 84th SAC arrived in his hut in Pembalkan village, Mamasapano, early on

responses that drew in laughter and applause were from Bush, who said, “Ever Ready, it’s very high energy, Donald” and Trump who joked, “Humble.”

Jan. 25 angered the SAF. “He should have believed us and his policemen earlier,” Napeñas said.

“We are thankful that he finally believed us. I hope you will believe in your policemen who are just doing their job. I hope you will trust the [Philippine National Police] and the SAF,” said Napeñas, who is now retired.

He said the results of the investigation vindicated the SAF. “I was not surprised. I expected this all along, the truth would eventually come out. We have credible evidence, and we were acting in good faith,” he said.

Napeñas, however, lamented that he and seven others were still facing criminal and administrative charges in the Office of the Ombudsman over the Mamasapano operation.

Napeñas did not give the MILF, which had signed a peace agreement with the government, a heads-up on the Mamasapano operation, resulting in a clash between the SAF commandos and Moro rebels that killed too many policemen, 17 MILF fighters and three civilians. (With reports from Leila Salaverria, Julie M. Aurelio and Gil C. Cabacungan)

by Alexis

RomeRo Philstar.com

MANILA—The military on Thursday, Sept. 17 received equipment that would enhance its capabilities to address chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats.

The package, which included protective gear and detection equipment, was handed over by the United States Defense Threat Reduction Agency in a ceremony held in Camp Aguinaldo.

Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Edgar Fallorina received the 501 pieces of CBRN response equipment in behalf of the military. The equipment arrived in the Philippines last September 6.

The dismounted reconnaissance sets kits and outfits package

consists of CBRN equipment that can be used for site assessment missions.

It includes individual personal protective equipment like protective suits, gloves and boots and self-contained breathing apparatus; decontamination items like flexible waste water tank and various types of water hoses; consumable support items; reusable support items like toolbox and bolt cutter; training reference materials; power supply facilities; and team communications items.

The equipment will allow soldiers to reduce risks and gather information about chemical agents, biological agents and other potential chemical hazards. The package can equip a team of 27 CBRN personnel. The package costs around

$1 million.

Fallorina admitted that the military has capability gaps in terms of mitigating CBRN threats.

The donated equipment will be used by the CBRN Platoon which is under the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Battalion of the Army Support Command.

Around 35 members of the platoon are now undergoing refresher trainings in Fort Bonifacio.

“The equipment that we have collaboratively worked with and trained on and provided to the Philippine government is exactly the same equipment that we provide to our own military forces and to our civilian counterparts,” said US Army Col. Kenneth Deal of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

Wednesday night was the second debate for Republican candidates, with another expected next month in Colorado. The first debate among Democratic candidates is scheduled for next month

in Las Vegas.

CNN confirmed on Thursday, Sept. 17 that the prime-time debate on Wednesday, which clocked in at over three hours, averaged 22.9 million views, making

it the most-watched program in the network’s history. The earlier “undercard” debate only raked in 6.3 million viewers. (Agnes Constante/AJPress contributed to this report)

A september 18-24, 2015 • NeW YOrK AND NeW JerseY AsIAN JOUrNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

OpiniOn

Features

Election season AS early as now, Filipinos are encouraged to exercise their right to vote and do so prudently in next year’s elections. With a number of high profile politicians involved in controversies recently, political reform in the Philippines is hounded by higher a public expectation, making next year’s polls even more crucial. Filipinos must realize the power that belongs to them, which is to choose the leaders they think will represent their interests. They must do so by exercise the right of suffrage with tenacity and good cheer.

Because of such pressure, every vote (from the estimated 54 million registered Filipino voters) has become more precious than ever. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) attempts to capture two million more qualified voters into the system until the deadline of December 15 this year.

However, with less than eight months before the 2016 national and local elections, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed that only three in four Filipinos are eligible to vote.

As much as 46.6 million Filipino voters are at risk of disenfranchisement after the recent SWS poll showed that only 76 percent of 1,200 respondents are registered voters and have had their biometrics digitally recorded.

It was also revealed in the June survey that 16 percent of the respondents—equivalent to 9.7 million—are registered voters but have not yet submit-

ted their biometric data.Meanwhile, eight percent of the respondents, or 4.7 million Filipinos, are not yet registered voters.

The Comelec refuted these figures from SWS and clarified that based on its own records, voters who do not have biometrics data have gone down to 3.1 million. It added that regardless of SWS’ questionable results, the Comelec records are the official data that would used for next year’s polls. The voter registration is set to end on Oct. 31, and there are still 3,130,377 votes to be accounted for.

Meanwhile, to up the ante for next year’s polls, the Comelec is also pushing for the the conduct of debates for all candidates in the 2016 polls. Sen. Loren Legarda, chairman of the Senate committee on finance, said the voters deserve to know the candidates’ stand on various issues and that holding debates is one of the best ways to bring the platforms of candidates to the electorate.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, chairman the Senate committee on electoral reforms, supported the initiative and said there are already proposed laws to make debates among candidates mandatory.

The Comelec also aims to get Filipino citizens abroad interested to vote in 2016 by presidential candidates for their specific plans for overseas Filipino workers and disseminate copies of these plans to embassies abroad. There are eight million potential voters abroad, but only but only 1.2 million have reg-

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

istered so far.

The election fever brings a feeling of obligation towards the citizens and those who aspire for positions in the government. Future leaders depend heir success to the citizens of the nation and may serve as their motivation to work for the people and the common good.

To weed out the traditional politicians (trapos) from actual leaders, the Filipino electorate must use this opportunity to educate themselves and create sensible demands for greater social or economic equality. This will force politicians to campaign toward some of their requests to make their votes count. (AJPress)

Again, the making of a myth: Erap’s last hurrah proof of voters’ supSENATOr Grace P. port for FPJ when Llamanzares’ speech Commentary Grace Poe topped the other day “offering” the 2013 senatorial herself as our next Preselections. After the ident was unexpectedly public noticed her quite impressive. Her fearless probe into oratory would be the anomalies in the final nail on Manuel RigobeRto tiglao management of the roxas II political coffin, Metro rail Transit and for Vice President and the Philippine National Police, Poe Jejomar Binay a loud wake-up call.

As the myth of Benigno Aquino 3rd started topping presidential preference as the prince of the Yellow righteous surveys.”

The myth’s first false pillar: “She will Path has unraveled, comes another myth-making episode in our county’s pursue the mission of her late father to political history—although the more help the poor.”

Llamanzares’ adoptive father, Ferprecise term would be hoaxes-fornando Poe Jr. was by all accounts, even some-purported-noble-purpose.

A myth is a myth because the false by my source who was very close to pillars making it up aren’t easy to spot. him, “a nice man”, a regular guy who But we are fortunate that the gullible was good to his friends.

But he just minded his own busieditors of an internet-only news outfit, rappler.com, wrote an introduc- ness, and his hobbies were to escape tion to the text of Llamanzares’ speech to his farm to work-out before movie that conveniently allows us to uncover shooting, and drinking cases of beer the elements of this new myth of the with friends in some Class B Chinese Avenging Daughter. The rappler.com restaurant, as he loved Chinese food as introduction went as follows (emphasis his pulutan.

Like another celebrity Dolphy, he mine): “Senator Grace Poe declared on was never interested in politics, as his Wednesday night her presidential bid, bosom friend Joseph Estrada was, and promising to pursue the mission of her he never cared about social causes. To claim he had a “life’s mission” to help late father to help the poor.

“I wanted to continue what my father the poor is to claim that Derek ramsey FPJ had started,” said Poe. Actor Fer- is a Marxist revolutionary.

What did FPJ start? nando Poe J. ran for president in 2004, Second fallacy of the myth: “I wanted but he was widely believed to have been to continue what my father started, “ cheated by President Gloria Arroyo.

Political observers considered it Llamanzares said, referring to FPJ’s

bid for the presidency in the 2004 elections.

Did FPJ in one of his beer-guzzling sessions in 2004 suddenly have a St. Paul-like revelation from the God Almighty, to repent and help the poor?

Did he suddenly see his riches and fame as empty vanities of this world, and decided to lead the Philippines to prosperity?

I don’t think even the rappler.com editors would even believe that.

By 2003, the trial for plunder of FPJ’s closest friend, Joseph Estrada, was unexpectedly proceeding fast, with witnesses standing by their ground, documents presented, and the prosecution – manned by the best private trial lawyers – was pinning Estrada down in every hearing. He would be the very first person to be tried and convicted for plunder, and nobody doubted he would be convicted the penalty for which is lifetime imprisonment.

Undaunted by the mass attack on Malacanang, the so-called EDSA Tres, the INC’s requests for Estrada to be freed, and the coup attempts by megalomaniacs like now-senator Antonio Trillanes IV, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stood her ground, and made clear she would not interfere with the trial, although she did give Estrada the proper courtesy he deserved as a former President of the republic.

Estrada had become despondent and desperate. He was becoming almost psychotic after the several episodes of a noisy helicopter landing by his stock-

Bridging the gap

A Law Each Day Jose C. sison THErE is no more doubt that the present administration under Aquino III is the No. 1 enemy of the masses. It is a government against the Filipino people instead of being for the people. It has no concern at all in uplifting the living and working conditions of the common tao.

Its oft repeated catchphrase telling us that “kayo ang boss ko” is exactly the opposite of what it is doing or has failed to do after almost six years in power. And this is very obvious in two areas of governance and public service.

The first is in providing an efficient and adequate mass transportation system and ensuring the speedy and punctual flow of public and private vehicles in major thoroughfares to avoid waste of valuable time. Very noticeable in this connection are the long queues of commuters every morning and late evenings as they try to get rides in the trains or buses going to and from their places of work. While this has been the situ-

ation even in past administrations, it has turned for the worst during this regime.

Seeing all those people suffering under the heat of the sun or amidst pouring rains very early in the morning or late at night should have already prompted this government to sit up, take notice and do something to ease their plight.

Instead however, it has remained oblivious and unconcerned and simply passed the blame on others, or admit its helplessness and ineptness. Its Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) even went to the extent of disdainfully telling the commuting and riding public to just “grin and bear it” as it is not “fatal” after all. Such callousness is indeed so sickening and disgusting.

But more disgusting and repellent is the recent move of Aquino III himself thumbing down proposals lowering the income tax of fixed income earners and the lowly working class. These are proposals coming from Administration lawmakers themselves who realize that the tax bracket systems in the country have been stuck at the 1997 levels yet. Aquino however believes that lowering their in-

ade in the middle of the night to whisk him off to some secure secret place.

This was the SOP of the security forces whenever there was a coup attempt or even just rumors of a coup, according to them, to prevent Estrada from being some kind of rallying figure.

I was told at that time by several sources that Estrada begged FPJ: “rani, kung manalo biling presidente si Gloria, mabubulok ako dito sa kulungan habang buhay. Kilala mo ako, mamamatay ako dito.” Estrada with misty eyes stared at FPJ and asked him, “Ikaw lang ang pwedeng tumalo kay Gloria. Wala kang gagastusin. Ako ang bahala. Tutal buhay ko ang nakasalalay dito.” (rani, if Gloria [President Arroyo] wins [in the 2004 elections], I will rot in jail my whole life. You know me, I will die here. It is only you who can defeat Arroyo. You will not spend anything, I’ll take care of all the expenses. After all, my life is at stake here.”)

Despite his wife Susan’s and all of his friends’ objections (with some kind of prescience one of his friends even warned him he could die in the pressures of the campaign), FPJ gave in to Estrada’s pleadings. One source however said it wasn’t entirely out of friendship: FPJ had been telling friends that he was sad his box-office appeal seemed to be fading, as young Filipinos were tired of Filipino action movies and had come to prefer romance drama.

Mission: Free Estrada FPJ’s mission was to free his bosom friend Estrada. That it was to

Commentary

come tax at his time is “not beneficial since there is no government surplus.” It would just “increase the budget deficit which would be a negative factor from the standpoint of credit rating agencies,” he said.

Quite striking and even perplexing here is the alleged lack of government surplus. Coming to mind right away is the “fund” surreptitiously concocted by this administration since 2011 supposedly for disbursement acceleration program (DAP) of the government.

This DAP funds were eventually discovered as being used to dispense favors and convince (bribe?) legislators to toe the line in passing its controversial pet bills like the rH law and in impeaching high government officials who have incurred its ire, like ex- Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and ex Chief Justice Corona. This DAP which has already been declared as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, seem to be contrary to the very idea of “lack of government surplus.”

Another striking aspect of Aquino’s reason for thumbing down the proposal to lower the income tax is that he seems to be more

Bill imada

PAGE A7

EArLIEr this year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted along party lines to reclassify Internet Service Providers (ISPs) as public utilities and to regulate the Internet under outdated Title II regulations. The negative effects of these burdensome regulations are quickly materializing. There are now clear indications that Title II harms broadband investment and innovation, which in turn harms many diverse communities and small businesses across the country.

Our country’s largest ISPs just issued their second quarter S.E.C filings, and these filings made it clear that the FCC’s Open Internet Order has already had a detrimental effect on investment, with some ISPs showing a decline of as much as 29 percent, compared to this time last year.

Typically, these companies spend billions every year to

help the poor is hogwash.

The Third fallacy in the myth: “FP was widely believed to have been cheated by President Gloria Arroyo.”

This is a lie rappler.com has been repeating in every single news report on Llamanzares.

How could FPJ win when he refused to participate in the presidential debate everyone was calling for? How could he win when he didn’t want to be interviewed that editors and reporters started to hate him, and especially after he lost his temper when he scolded a TV broadcaster before a camera with him (FPJ) speaking as a background?

How could FPJ win, when the entire EDSA II forces – that is, nearly all of the elite – threw their resources against FPJ’s elections, knowing that if he won, Estrada would be released, and come back to power with a vengeance?

Several businessmen and leaders of EDSA II, aware of the killing during Estrada’s regime of such personalities as publicist Bubby Dacer and the Pagcor employee robert Bentain, who had leaked the CCTV tapes of Estrada playing poker in the casino and even told me they feared for their lives if he came back to power.

That “Hello, Garci” thing? If Garcellano did the 2004 cheating, wouldn’t that have been proven in the last five years by a president so obsessed in keeping Arroyo in jail and demonizing her. The truth is that Garcellano was already a has-been at that time and already had PAGE A7

Title II threatens minority populations, small businesses expand and enhance network infrastructure, in order to meet consumer demand, deliver new innovations, and remain competitive. Those billions constitute economic growth, and they create jobs and bring important benefits to consumers and businesses. This decline means that both those who depend on the Internet the most and those who struggle to get access will be negatively affected as broadband providers and tech companies continue to react to heavy regulation.

These falling investment numbers offer a warning about this new regulatory environment, and that’s a warning we cannot afford to ignore. There is much at stake, including economic growth, jobs, and opportunity for minority populations – particularly the Asian American community. recent Pew research shows that Asian Americans are enthusiastic users of the Internet and rely on broadband more so than other groups. When it comes to broadband adoption,

97 percent of English-speaking Asian Americans use the Internet compared to 78 percent of blacks, 81 percent of Hispanics, and 85 percent of Whites.

Embracing policies like Title II will only lead to the deterioration of a resource that has become indispensable to so many people.

The Internet is an essential tool especially for those who live in remote areas where educational and professional opportunities may not be as widely available as in other parts of the country.

Broadband is an important resource for people in rural areas to excel through online education and career development programs.

When overbearing regulations threaten access to Internet innovations, those who rely on that access the most also stand to lose the most.

Having the latest broadband technology is also necessary for small businesses to connect with new markets and offer modern customer services.

PAGE A7

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.

ADVertIsING AND ADVertOrIAL pOLICIes ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board

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OpiniOn & Features

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • SEptEmbER 18-24, 2015

A

Again, the making of a myth...

PAGE A6 an infamous reputation that he had become a pariah in the Comelec and in Mindanao. To her regret though, Arroyo wanted to complain to Garcellano about reports that FPJ’s forces had managed to cheat in Maguindanao, the Comelec official’s bastion.

Arroyo’s running mate Noli de Castro had a mass following, even as FPJ’s popularity had actually been fading fast with the youth, most of whom had never seen his films. The INC threw their support behind Arroyo which meant – as exist pols would reveal – a solid 800,000 vote for her. Of course the El Shaddai and Catholic Church organizations supported Arroyo, knowing that FPJ was just a proxy of a womanizing, drunkard president who was being tried for plunder.

Three pre-election surveys by the Social Weather Station and PulseAsia showed Arroyo leading by 6-7 percentage points or 3 to 4 million votes. I would think it was Arroyo who was cheated.

And these rappler.com editors claim FPJ “was widely believed to have been cheated by Arroyo.” Where on earth were these people in those years?

The fourth fallacy in the mythmaking exercise, which however

unwittingly reveals Llamanzares’ political clout: “Political observers considered it proof of voters’ support for FPJ when Grace Poe topped the 2013 senatorial elections,” the rappler.com nonsense put it.

There here were indeed 11.8 million Filipinos who voted for FPJ, 1.1 million less than the 12.9 million who voted for Arroyo, according to the official Comelec results. While you may call it “voters’ support,” it only demonstrated celebrity power that subverts democracy. How could they vote for FPJ when he hardly said a word on what he would do as president?

Voting for Panday They were voting for Panday, not FPJ, who after all they knew practically nothing about, other than his being wed to another celebrity star Susan Roces and was San Miguel beer’s most popular endorser. They were voting for that comic strip hero in Spandex pants and with a magical sword, or that jeepney driver who always had a cheap face-towel slung around his neck, not for the beer-guzzler who was fond of Boss and Prada jeans and lived in the posh Greenhills Village.

It is the same confusion over what’s real and what’s in the movies that got Llamanzares

Bridging the gap

PAGE A6 concerned about getting favorable economic ratings on his administration. Apparently this is more for “propaganda effect” to show that his administration’s economic performance is outstanding. In the long run however, it is quite obvious that such stance will be more beneficial to the affluent and rich businessmen than with actually helping the low income earners increase their meager earnings and improve their lives even a little bit.

The proposal to lower the income tax however is actually more beneficial to our country. Admittedly, it will lower the government revenues. And lowering government revenues will mean that there will be less money in the government coffers that will be stolen by government officials. So less revenue means less graft and corruption in the government. It would seem therefore that this proposal is one of the more effective ways of fighting and even eventually eradicating the many corrupt practices plaguing every administration which are

the very cause of chronic poverty in our country.

I am not an economist but common sense tells me that lowering the income tax will also mean empowering the low income earners in terms of increasing their means of livelihood. More income will give them more buying power which will thus stimulate spending that will propel the start of economic progress. Besides, more income will provide them with more resources that may even enable them not only to save more but to engage in some small but profitable businesses. Eventually therefore, a stronger and bigger middle class will emerge.

A stronger and bigger middle class is thus a very important factor in achieving sustained and all inclusive economic growth. It will bridge the wide gap between the rich and poor in our country. More people will enjoy the country’s wealth and resources instead of the present 10 percent of the population owning almost 80 percent thereof. The poor will not become

the most number of votes in the Senate race, not some intelligent choice on who should be the best president.

It is also involves that thing called “name-recall.” Even if voters tried to evaluate the qualification of each and every candidate for the Senate, almost always they would be left with three to four empty slots for senator in the ballot. But the household name “Poe” will pop up in their heads, and with the feeling that they don’t want to waste their vote, write Poe in one of the blank lines.

Llamanzares though is certainly a big improvement over her father, first in terms of her oratorical skills, which she learned in participating in debate clubs in college. The fact that her mother is an actress is also an asset, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she went through acting classes recently for her to emote so well as she did when she gave her speech.

Llamanzares would be able to do what FPJ couldn’t: She will eat both Roxas and Binay alive in a presidential debate.

Her second improvement: advised obviously by the wily Senator Francis Escudero, she has built her persona beyond the FPJ-daughter image. “The public noticed her fearless probe poorer while the rich will not become richer anymore. There will be a more equitable distribution of the country’s rich assets and resources. The elusive social justice will thus be attained leading to true and lasting peace.

The proposal to lower the income tax will also be politically beneficial to our country. People will be more independent and will not just rely on the political largesse given by politicians who invariably use government money to dispense political patronage.

With less people depending on dole outs given by politicians, political dynasties who perpetuate themselves in power because of the gap between the rich and poor electorate will gradually be eliminated. Thus in the long run we may even realize our long sought dream of having a government of the people, for the people and by the people.

It would appear therefore that with his move thumbing down the proposal to lower the income tax, Aquino would like to maintain the present economic and political situation. This is really very sad.

(Philstar.com)

Man behind the myth? Left, Mayor Estrada; right, Senator Llamanzares. Inset, “Best friends forever” young men Erap and FPJ.

into anomalies in the management of the Metro Rail Transit and the Philippine National Police, Poe started topping presidential preference surveys,” the rappler.com gushed over her.

But did she do anything to expose the corruption in the MRT3 that is the cause of its horrible condition and require it to undertake changes to improve its services? More intriguingly, why did she not report to the Senate itself the findings of her committee on the Mamasapano massacre, so it could be a Senate-adopted report?

In these two investigations, was she just at that time nudging Aquino to choose her as his candidate and junk Roxas?

Myths put our rational mind in check, and provoke even

among the educated emotional responses. I’m sure Llamanzares the other day got many in audience to have misty eyes.

Myths serve to make us believe the unlikely, that this lady who renounced her country of birth (and of adoption) has come from the other side of the world to be the president of that nation and save it.)

But we’ve been there before, have done that–or have we easily forgotten Aquino 3rd in 2010?

Aquino 3rd’s myth was that he was Cory’s revenge against Arroyo for not stepping down when she demanded so in 2005 with the voices of the Hyatt 10.

This time it is not really FPJ’s revenge, but Estrada’s. He has brought Llamanzares to the INC to convince it to support her.

He introduced her in a party for FPJ’s birthday as the “next President.” He has reportedly asked his usual Chinese business supporters like William Gatchalian to build her campaign kitty.

A wily fox Estrada continues to be, he didn’t appear in Llamanzares’ coming-out party.

But when Congressman Ronaldo Zamora, his biggest business supporter William Gatchalian (represented by his son), and the actors and actresses are there, it is Erap’s party.

I’d be very worried if I were Aquino. Did he think Erap would take likely his son’s jailing, and just be happy with being Manila mayor?

Llamanzares is Erap’s revenge and last hurrah. (ManilaTimes. net)

Title II threatens minority populations...

PAGE A6 In California, there are over 600,000 Asian Pacific Islander-owned businesses. These businesses generate over $181 billion in annual revenue, employ over 910,135 people, and have an annual payroll of $26 billion. Heavy federal regulations place a huge burden on our tech startups and entrepreneurs.

Other businesses throughout the country will

also suffer if burdensome regulations continue to make it more difficult to benefit from modern broadband services.

These early signs of trouble caused by Title II regulations should not be taken lightly.

It’s not too late to heed those warnings and correct course, thereby securing a future of innovation, possibilities, and continued investment, not only for the benefit of our Asian Pa-

cific Islander communities and businesses but for our overall economy and for all Americans. *** Bill Imada is the Chairman and Chief Connectivity Officer of the IW Group, Inc. Imada is also a Board Member of the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, and Co-Founder/Board Member of the Asian/Pacific Islander Amer ica n Ch a mb er of Commerce & Entrepreneurship.

A september 18-24, 2015 • NeW YOrK AND NeW JerseY AsIAN JOUrNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

september 18-24, 2015

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Cover photos Courtesy of Caitlin allen, noah Devereaux, starChefs.Com anD Derek eDwarD pfohl (www.pfotogeniC.Com)

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An Asian Journal Magazine

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY SEpTEmbER 18, 2015

Fil-Am JenniFer lim And husbAnd ben sAndler And their love AFFAir with cider

Introducing: Wassail - NYC’s First Cider Bar & Restaurant

by MoMar

G. Visaya/AJPress

WASSAIL Noun - spiced ale or mulled wine drunk during celebrations for Twelfth Night and Christmas Eve. Verb - drink plentiful amounts of alcohol and enjoy oneself with others in a noisy, lively way.

- go from house to house at Christmas singing carols. “here we go a-wassailing” Place - a vegetable focused restaurant and cider bar in NYC Almost five years ago, the husband-and-wife team Ben sandler and Jennifer lim opened Queens Kickshaw, a neighborhood bar, restaurant, and coffee shop in Astoria without much fanfare. little by little, the place was discovered by foodies and lovers of comfort food and the place became famous for their great tasting grilled cheese and coffee.

Back then, the couple decided to bring cider into their menu by introducing a few cider drinks, three to be exact. the city’s growing cider fiends and cidercurious took notice and Kickshaw added more loyal customers to the mix. that same year, the couple attended an event where there were American and French cider makers and they were surprised to see just how many different kinds of ciders were. “the range of flavors, and notes and tastes, we were amazed,” Jen said. that was when they got hooked and the couple’s love and passion for cider continued to grow exponentially.

Realizing that manhattan (and the city of New York, for that matter) did not have a dedicated cider bar, Ben, Jen and another business partner, sabine Hrechdakian sat down and explored the possibility of opening a cider bar and restaurant. their dreams and vision were realized early this year when Wassail opened its doors in the lower East side. Quite appropriately located on orchard street, Wassail was welcomed by the neighborhood with an affectionate embrace.

“We wanted the place to feel warm, cozy and inviting. We also wanted to capture the lower East side vibe and have food that would complement the cider we serve,” Jen told the Asian Journal.

“Ben and I love cider and we wanted more people to know about it.” the couple’s wish was for the place to be sophisticated yet cozy, a meeting of the old and the new and had all the elements they wanted together.

All about cider Cider is an old beverage that is undergoing renaissance right now. In its most basic, it is an

alcoholic beverage made out of fermented apple juice.

It’s a delicious drink that has a story, one that traces its roots along with the history of America, and it is a tradition that this new generation is now rediscovering.

“America’s love affair with hard cider stretches back to the first English settlers. Upon finding only inedible crabapples upon arrival, the colonists quickly requested apple seeds from England and began cultivating orchards,” according to food blog serious Eats. “Grafting wood to produce proper cider apples arrived soon after and American cider production was well under way.”

Cider’s popularity waned in the early 1900s but a hundred years later, it is experiencing a resurgence as demand for American cider is on the rise.

“Cider is very versatile, it’s very complex and there are so many different styles. It’s not difficult to find a cider that would go well with a specific dish,” Jen explained.

Wassail’s opening is an affirmation that there is indeed, a fermented-cider revival that has fueled a rapid growth in producers, drinkers and other cider bars across America. New York times noted that even big brewers like millerCoors and Anheuser-Busch have begun turning out ciders. like wine, cider has a range of tastes, notes and flavor profiles because of a variety of reasons. most ciders are a blend of different apple varieties. Yeast is then added for the apple juice to ferment. terroir is also an issue when it comes to taste that more and more cider makers are investigating.

Jen says that there is no good or bad way to drink cider.

“Empty your mind. smell it, then drink. sometimes what you smell doesn’t match what you taste and that’s the good thing about cider,” she said. they now have about 35 kinds of cider at Kickshaw.

At Wassail, they have about 12 on tap and almost a hundred different kinds they sell by the glass.

Jen introduced us to Dan Pucci, their cider director. most recently, Pucci directed food and beverage pairings at the critically acclaimed chef’s table

Appetizers sourdough with cultured butter, chicharon and Scotch egg

Tasting hard cider from France and Spain

Chef Joseph Buenconsejo

pop-ups at Box Kite in which he integrated cider into a number of their tasting menus. He was also included in the list of Zagat’s 30 under 30 list of influential people in the restaurant world today. the friendly mr. Pucci came to our table and explained the provenance of the flight of ciders we were about to imbibe, including where they were crafted and the complex, rich flavors we were about to meet.

No meat, no problem the simple and general food concept at Wassail is no meat. “my husband and I are vegetarians. We hesitate to call the place vegetarian or vegetableforward because it implies either a dietary restriction or something that has to do with health,” Jen clarified. “For us, it’s not just health reasons. We want the nonvegetarians to come and try our food too, the food is for everyone.

At Kickshaw, it worked. We didn’t call ourselves vegetarian and it took a while for people to catch on the fact that we didn’t have meat on the menu.” the menu is more vegetablefocused here and not the comfort food level at Kickshaw, where they have grilled cheese and mac and cheese.

Photos courtesy of Derek Edward Pfohl (www.pfotogenic.com), Noah Devereaux and StarChefs.com

“Chef Joseph Buenconsejo wants to let the vegetables shine because we don’t usually that in vegetarian restaurants where seitan and tofu are highlighted,” Jen added. “We’re exploring a new way of approaching meatless food where it’s just good food for everyone.”

At the age of 20, Chef Joe moved to the Us from the Philippines to pursue a culinary career. After working alongside chefs Wayne Nish and JeanGeorges Vongerichten in NYC, he spent three years in California at restaurants such as Aqua and masa’s. Upon returning to New York, he worked as the opening Chef de Cuisine at the lion. most recently, he was the Executive Chef at Hotel Americano.

He tries to incorporate his being Filipino into the menu at Wassail when he gets the opportunity. that is why they have an eggplant dish that is very similar to the Filipino tortang talong.

“Chef roasts the eggplant and cooks it with the egg like it is traditionally done back home.

He has also created a chicharon which is made out of brown rice and gruel,” Jen said.

We enjoyed the healthy

chicharon, which we devoured with the zesty kimchi sauce, fresh avocado, and pico de gallo that came with it.

With Ben and Jen’s approval, other Filipino-inspired dishes have made it to the menu like the escabeche (using pickled mushrooms) and the empanada. they all add to the deliciously complex and beautifully presented dishes that could rival the city’s best michelin-starred restaurants.

Wassail? Wassail!

Ben and Jen decided to call the place Wassail. the word has a variety of meanings.

“It’s a toast, it’s the vessel for the drink, a greeting. It’s also a verb,” Jen explained. “the meaning that inspired us at Wassail (the restaurant) has to do with an old ritual that happens in deep winter. orchardists will gather around one of their largest apple trees, make lots of noise by singing or banging post, and hang toast dipped in cider and throw cider on the tree for a blessing and a good harvest in the spring.” the couple used to live five blocks away from Wassail’s location, which means they had a unique bond and connection

Figs with Angelica and oat walnut mix

Vegetarian chicharon

Corn with chanterelle, milkweed and huitlacoche

Wassail’s version of tortang talong: eggplant torta with peanut and arbol chile

Chickpeas and fava with feta, kalamata olives and herbs

Pistachio with sumac and raspberry frozen yogurt

to the lEs, and that opening the city’s first cider bar here was special for them.

Nowadays, they spend most of their time at Wassail since it’s new but they still go to Kickshaw regularly. this year, they were also invited to join smorgasburg Queens in long Island City, keeping them busy every saturday. At smorgasburg, they sell their Astoria bestsellers: grilled cheese sandwich, watermelon salad and cold-brewed iced coffee.

“We want to offer food that’s balanced and fulfilling,” Jen said, adding that they are hopeful that people get to patronize Wassail like they supported Queens Kickshaw, which put the couple on the city’s culinary power list.

With superb service and great combination of food and drinks, Wassail is set to become a lower East side gem, a destination restaurant for that matter. meat lovers may be taken aback by the absence of meat but with Chef Buenconsejo’s dishes, they will still leave the place happy and fulfilled. It’s a must visit for cider aficionados and for those who are curious about cider and the dishes that complement the drink.

Tomatoes with pine nut, olive oil, wheat grass and whey foam

Summer Squash with buckwheat focaccia, saffron, basil and ratatouille

Flight of cider from across the globe AJPress photos by Momar G. Visaya

October 2015 visa bulletin allows early filing of adjustment applications and work authorizations

Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ STARTING in October 2015, the Department of State (DOS) and the USCIS will utilize a new format for priority dates. (I posted those priority dates already on my website).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.)

The “final action dates” are simply the old “priority dates” that have been listed on the Visa Bulletin for decades. When the dates in the “final action dates” chart are current, a person’s visa can be issued (if he is outside of the U.S.) or adjustment application approved (if he is in the U.S.), and they receive their green card.

The new chart shows the “dates for filing,” but it is really not a new concept. The State Department has been following this practice for years for people applying for their immigrant visas abroad. Months before the priority date is actually “current,” applicants were able to submit forms and documentation to the NVC, so that by the time the priority date was current, the case is “ready to go” for visa issuance.

That same concept will now

renew work authorizations for approximately 8 years until the “visa issuance” date is reached, and adjustment of status is granted.

There are other advantages as well. The law allows a person to change jobs or employers if their adjustment of status application has been pending for over 180 days, as long as it is a similar job, and the new employer is willing to continue the case. Some people may, under certain circumstances, obtain “advance parole” to travel outside the US while their adjustment application is pending. This may give them the chance to visit their family years earlier than if they had to wait for the “visa issuance date” to become current.

However, in November 2015, the filing dates may dramatically change, and in some cases could only be a few months ahead of the visa issuance date, rather than years. Therefore, you may want to take advantage of the October 2015 dates. In addition, if you are out of status, you may not be eligible to file for adjustment of status unless you have the benefit of Section 245(i).

If the priority date (on your employment or family based petition) is now “current” in the application filing date chart, you should seek the advice and guidance of an attorney, who can evaluate your situation, and

be applied to the filing of an adjustment of status application (Form I-485). People will be able to file for adjustment of status (and work authorization) months (or sometimes years) before their priority date (or final action date) is actually current. Once the adjustment application and work authorization are filed, the person could be issued the work authorization and renew it each year, until the final action date is current and the adjustment of status is granted.

Allowing the “early” filing of adjustment applications could have tremendous advantages. For example, the priority date for “filing applications” for employmentbased third preference (EB-3) and other workers (OW) is January 1, 2015. However, the “visa issuance” date for the same two categories is January 1, 2007. This apparently means that workers in the EB-3 and OW categories may file for adjustment of status and work authorization, if the “filing date” (or the old 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 current. Under this example, a person may file for adjustment of status if they have a priority date earlier than January 1, 2015, and

An Asian Journal

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY S E p T E m b E R 1 8 , 20 1 5

THREE PETITIONS BY TWO MOTHERS AND A “SISTER/MOTHER” CREATE VISA CONFUSION — ON A SPECIAL ENCORE EPISODE OF ‘CITIZEN PINOY’. A teenage pregnancy forced Armi (middle) to keep the birth of her son, Kevin (right), a secret. Kevin’s birth certificate listed his grandmother (Armi’s mother) as his mother. Years later, Armi became a US citizen. She petitioned her mother immediately. When Armi’s mother arrived in the US as an immigrant, she petitioned all of Armi’s brothers, including Kevin, who is actually her grandchild (Armi’s son).

Armi also filed a sibling petition for Kevin. After much guilt and reflection, Armi decided to come out with the truth to set things straight and admitted to Kevin that she is his biological mother. After that major revelation, Armi filed a petition for Kevin (now as parent-child petition). This resulted in three distinctive petitions filed for Kevin (as a grandchild, Armi’s brother, and son) which caused a major confusion for the National Visa Center. Watch this inspiring story and find out how Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel helped Armi and Kevin on an encore episode of ‘Citizen Pinoy’ – on Sunday 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC.

determine if you can file for adjustment of status (and work authorization) years before your “visa issuance” priority date becomes current. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an 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 attorney-client 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)

Mining memories of Mindoro

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond

“Take care of all your memories, for you cannot relive them.”

Monette AdevA MAglAyA

AEGIS SA NYC – LIVE IN CONCERT ON OCTOBER 9 AT THE BMCC TRIBECA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER (199 CHAMBERS STREET, NEW YORK CITY). Aegis is a musical phenomenon. The “almost” all-female OPM (Original Pinoy Music) Rock band is made up of the powerhouse singing Sunot sisters: Juliet, Mercy, and Kris; keyboard player Stella Maries Pabico; drummer Vilma Goloviogo; bass guitarist Rowena Adriano; and the only male member, lead guitarist Rey Abenoja. Since their first billboard-topping album Halik (Kiss) in 1998 to their Greatest Hits compilation of 21 favorite tunes including Luha (Tears), Basang-Basa sa Ulan (Drenched in the Rain), as well as covers of Total Eclipse of the Heart and You Raise Me Up, Aegis has endeared themselves with a cross-section of Filipinos (and non-Filipinos as well!). Men and women, the young and the not-so-young, the rich and the downtrodden, professional vocalists and karaoke-only belters all love the group because not only are they OPM Rock pioneers and proud advocates of the genre, Aegis sings from the heart and soul! Buy your tickets now to see Aegis in person at their one-night only concert in New York by texting (917) 868 6486; going online at http://tickets.tribecapac.org/aegis-sa-nyc; or visiting Jollibee Oriental Food Mart in Bergenfield, NJ, Phil-Am Food in Jersey City or Phil-Am Foodmart in Woodside, NY. (Advertising Supplement)

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Magazine

— Robert Frost

(FIRST OF 2 PARTS) EVERY place I have ever been to is made significant by the images and thoughts I have of people, places and experiences that still live on in my memory. For Mindoro, it’s memories of my father, this place called Naujan and sizzling hot summer days.

While my father worked as ship captain plying the interisland routes and waterways and later on, the high seas on international assignments, my mother raised a big brood of seven girls and a boy practically all by herself. During school breaks, she

would pack the girls off for summer vacation to our grandparents’ home in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. It was then a half day’s trip from Manila via Batangas City. I was so excited, I thought my heart would burst.

Time can dull memories and I wasn’t ready to let go of the past just yet. Not until I’ve come full circle. I was determined to see this place one more time to rekindle the memories of glorious summers spent as a pint-sized kid gamboling about like a frisky, wet puppy, with my sisters and cousins in the

beaches of Kanipisan and Aplaya.

These were seaside beach towns abutting this tiny town called Naujan. It was the place my father, Manolo, the eldest of a brood of siblings, were born and raised.

Those memories sparkle. They were happy, carefree, innocent, idyllic days of sun, sand, sea and simple pleasures. Lola would instruct Miguel, a trusted farm hand to bring us to the niyugan, or coconut plantation. Miguel would know exactly which trees Continued on Page 6

&

ON VIEW FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE UNITED STATES

PRESENT

Asia Society Museum, New York THROUGH JANUARY 3, 2016

(Detail) Kinnari. Surigao. Ca. 10th–13th century. Gold. Ayala Museum, 81.5189. Photography by Leandro Y. Locsin, Jr.; Image courtesy of Ayala Museum

us during Filipino American History J oin Month for an exhibition of over 100 spectacular works of gold, highlighting the prosperity and achievements of 10th–13th century Philippine kingdoms. A point of great pride for the Filipino community, this exhibition is a rare opportunity to experience the rich culture and heritage of the Philippines. A season of related programs celebrates Philippine culture, performing arts, film, design, cuisine, and more.

Exhibition organized by Asia Society, New York, and Ayala Museum, Philippines.

Special Group Tour Packages available for $20.00 per person; includes: A docent-led tour of the exhibition, a snack and drink from the Garden Court Café, and 10% off purchases at AsiaStore. Reservations required. Please email PhilippineGold@AsiaSociety.org or call 212.327.9237.

Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms is made possible by Ayala Corporation with additional support provided by Bank of the Philippine Islands, Del Monte Foods, Inc., Philippine Airlines, ABS-CBN The Filipino Channel, Tourism Promotions Board, Philippines, FedEx Express and other generous benefactors.

725 Park Ave. (at 70th St.) New York • 212.288.6400 AsiaSociety.org/NYC

EXHIBITION

Video Spotlight: Philippines Through January 3, 2016 LOBBY SHOWCASE

Filipino Design Now Through January 3, 2016

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

FOOD

Pop-up Filipino Food Bar Fridays, October 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 • 6–9 PM

199 CHAMBERS STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10007

$120 $100 $80

SYMPOSIUM

Encounters with Early Asian Gold Saturday, October 3 • 11:00

AM

($30 - MEET & GREET PASS ONLY) Additional taxes and fees apply.

PERFORMANCE

Alamat: Stories of Philippine Gold with Ma-Yi Theater Company Monday, October 26 • 8:00

PM

PERFORMANCE

Voicing the Ancestral Sacred: Grace Nono and Ensemble Friday, October 30 • 8:00

10.09.15 FRIDAY BMCC TRIBECA

PM

BUY YOUR TICKETS IN-PERSON AT: BERGENFIELD, NJ - JOLLIBEE ORIENTAL FOOD MART JERSEY CITY, NJ - PHIL-AM FOOD WOODSIDE, NY - PHIL-AM FOODMART

ONLINE AT: HTTP://TICKETS.TRIBECAPAC.ORG/AEGIS-SA-NYC

For details and tickets, visit AsiaSociety.org/Philippines2015 or call the box office at 212.517.ASIA (2742) Monday through Friday, 1–5 PM.

BY TEXTING:

(917) 868 6486 MEET AND G REET AEG IS AT TITO RAD’S G RILL IN WOODSIDE, NEW YORK ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6 AT 7:30 - 8:30 PM. RECEIVE A G IFT WITH EVERY CONCERT TICKET PURCHASE!

An Asian Journal

Magazine

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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY S E p T E m b E R 1 8 , 20 1 5

On the PEP Front

People, Events, Places BoBBy T. yalong A sEculAr holiday specially dedicated to grandparents is celebrated in the united states and being adapted by all countries worldwide. Grandparents, too, like mothers and fathers, were legitimately given their own special day to commemorate their unprecedented significance in the most basic component of society--the family.

Initiated and founded by Marian lucille Herndon McQuade (19172008), a housewife from Oak Hill, West Virginia, the proposal was supported by senators Jennings randolph and robert Byrd which was duly signed by then President Jimmy carter. In september 1978, a resolution was officially proclaimed designating the first sunday of september after labor Day of each year as National Grandparents Day with an integrated statute that cited: to honor grandparents, to give them the opportunity to show love for their children’s children, and to help the latter become aware of the strength, information, and guidance older people can offer.

It wasn’t trouble-free for McQuade, who was a mother of 15 children, a grandmother to 40 grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren, to campaign setting aside a day for grandparents but through the concerted efforts on the part of civic, business, religious, and political leaders, her advocacy gained support from various capital cities and states.

Having worked in several senior facilities since 1956, aside from the fact that she was elected Vice-chairman of the West Virginia committee on Aging, having served as President of the Vocational rehabilitation Foundation, and being appointed to the Nursing Home licensing Board, Mrs. McQuade personally knew what and how it was to be in such dreadful and lonely situation that’s why it wasn’t surprising why she chose to dedicate her life to advocating for senior citizens… particularly, the most elderly.

Although the first Grandparents

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Grandparents…the (almost) forgotten linkage to the past National Grandparents Day was celebrated last Sept. 13, 2015

Grandparents with their grandchild

Day was proclaimed locally in West Virginia in 1973 by Gov. Arch Moore, it was senator randolph who introduced a resolution in the us senate but unfortunately suffered desertion and languished in the mounting files of the senate committee.

The media played a significant role when Mrs. McQuade turned to them for assistance to boisterously drumbeat the issue but the legislature, being the main source of “power,” wasn’t left untapped. Mrs. McQuade and her team relentlessly sent letters and appeals to the us congress and 5 years later after its West Virginia inception, the proclamation was finally signed in 1978.

The significant day was earmarked on a september to signify the “autumn years” of life…a fitting celebrated holiday for senior family members who are merely enjoying the sunset phase of their existence while taking pleasure from the company of their grandchildren.

Even though the noteworthy holiday for grandparents isn’t celebrated as pompously as Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, but the said event is hastily gaining popularity and universal recognition especially with the composition of “A song for Grandma and Grandpa” by Johnny Prill which the National Grandparents’ Day council of chula Vista, california announced its being the official song of the National Grandparents Day. And as if a song wasn’t enough

A grandpa enjoys precious moments with grandchild in his arm.

to strengthen and solidify the event’s significance, the Forgetme-not (s.n. Myosotis sylvatica), tiny but exquisite blue flowers that bloom during springtime, was specifically preferred as the occasion’s official flower… although, all flowers during the season are considered.

Personally, I believe precious family memories couldn’t be completely collected without our grandparents (and even our grand grandparents)…them being essential dynamics in building a family tree. Our elders undoubtedly serve as the main foundation of what and who we are as a family and the strapping anchor of our present-day survival to meet our destiny.

At my age, being already a senior citizen for 5years with 7 grandchildren from my 3 sons, I couldn’t help but get scared of the inevitable final years of my life. unknowing of my own lifespan I sometimes dread the imminent occurrences and the unheralded trepidation the future brings.

These and much more fears brought about by old age never skip my mind…especially during times when I enjoy the company of my innocent and carefree grandchildren…surely, I will not be able to see their offsprings.

Admittedly, I’m much aware of everyone’s final hour… that every one of us will perish from this earth regardless of how successfully or unsatisfactorily we have played the roles assigned to us. That we’re merely living on some borrowed

EMPLOYMENT

time. That nothing is permanent and enduring but change. That after all what we have toiled for, amassed or accumulated will be but inconsequential baggage to be left behind. And what legacy shall I bequeath my family? Isn’t it that a gone man still survives when there’s a measure of magnitude and significance attached to his gravestone?

They say children raised by grandparents tend to grow either spoiled or better human beings. custodial grandparenting, which are common especially among christian families, is becoming rampant and reaching a significant increase in number. Grandparents assume responsibility because the grandchildren’s parents cannot or choose not to care for the kids, or they’re financially incapacitated, or due to substance abuse, neglect, HIV/AIDs, mental or physical illness, incarceration, abandonment, divorce, or worst of all, death.

I was raised by my grandparents from my mother side for reason neither of the above but simply because I had to be waned being the first born of a growing family, I was brought by my grandparents, who I called Inang upeng (Guadalupe castañeda) and Amang lucio (lucio Tambongco) to Pinagbuhatan, Pasig (rizal) where they were tenants of a huge farm land.

Being the only child under the care of two elders gradually developed my excellent disposition in different matters and opened my eyes to the very nature of

Familiy Grandparents Day

Marian Lucille Herndorn McQuade, founder of the National Grandparents Day

day to day living. I witnessed my grandfather’s resilience at work in the fields both under the heat of the sun or beneath the pouring rain…and enjoyed with him the bountiful harvest from what he strived for. A tolerant hard laborer with unfaltering ways, Amang lucio was as physically powerful as his carabao and as pliant like the bamboos that dwarfed the western side of our modest abode.

I was always excited to tug along with my Inang upeng to the town market to ply our newly harvested produce. Mang Ambo with his horse-drawn two-wheeled caromata would help us load and unload the goods early morning and would service us back in the afternoon. spoiled, me? Maybe.

I just realized I was. I could savor all the native delicacies available along the sidewalks and my Inang upeng would buy me cheap paper mache toys or a new pair of khaki short pants after market hours… a privilege I enjoyed but never by my siblings or cousins.

I had neither playmates nor a radio but life in the open fields was fulfilling and gratifying.

During daytime, when not with my grandpa in plowing the fields or watering crops, the day would unnoticeably pass just flying my

LAW OFFICE

PSYCHIC

FOR SALE

Forget-me-not...official flower of National Grandparents Day

kite, racing paper boats by the nearby irrigation canal, or assist my Inang upeng in pounding palay, hanging laundered clothes or gathering them when dry.

My childhood stint with my grandparents was most extremely memorable. Growing up close with them made it hard for me to part with what I’ve been used to: my Inang upeng’s touch, her caring ways, her melodious voice, and most of all, her peculiar natural scent. From my Amang lucio… there’s nothing much about him but one thing was never expunged from my mind until now…his whip that hit my back when I let loose of his fighting cock from its pen.

That was also the first time I saw my Inang upeng cry intensely while cuddling me to ease my pain.

I had to rejoin my family during school opening when I turned seven…but my grandparents, because of the unprecedented attachment we have developed, gave up the farm and stayed with Continued on Page 7

Let’s talk about The ‘AlDub’ Fever

By Monet

Lu

A coupLe of days ago, I overheard some of my customers talking about a certain “Yaya Dub” and “Alden” with the highest level of excitement. They were exchanging opinions about how “Lola Nidora” is getting in the way of true love, and that the “diary” will reveal so much more, and now—the latest update—is the meet up between “Yaya” and “Alden,” who (also according to them) have never met each other since the whole thing started. Just hearing them chat as though they personally know the characters is enough to get my curiosity piqued. unlike my customers, I have no clue about who these characters are. And yes, I must be living under a rock because I didn’t know the latest craze that’s been spreading like wildfire!

So like the “martian-who-doesnot-know-aldub” that I am, I looked them up and I discovered that this “AlDub” Mania has spread over the philippines like an airborne disease, and people outside the philippines are following suit. To date, this TV skit-segment has reached over 4 million tweets! There is no escaping the “AlDub” fever and I’m just happy I caught on sooner than later.

So, what’s in it that makes it viral? Let’s talk about the AlDub

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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY S E p T E m b E R 1 8 , 20 1 5

Naked Truth

Effective solutions to hair loss

Dr. Vicki Belo

HeLLo everyone!

I am so thrilled by the influx of your emails! And as I am so happy that you trust me with your concerns, I would also like to share something close to my heart.

Alden Richards Maine Mendoza aka Yaya Dub Recently, my beloved daughter cristalle is finally engaged! As the case-coz she so adorable). And fever, shall we? a mother I always wanted my in the middle of them lip syncing When AlDub fanatics post songs and dubbing lines flawlessly, daughter to be happy with someone anything AlDub-related, everyone jumps right in. And it’s hard to resist the stern and typical Lola-character who will cherish and honor her. She played by Wally Bayola steps in and found the right partner in Justin. I the urge to check them out. And was able to sneak a photo from ruins their flirting session. when you start watching their skit behind-the-scenes of that wonderful I would bet that just by that and following them on every social moment when Justin proposed! description alone, you are sold. I media platform, that’s it – you’re Now on to our letter sender : was. hooked. Welcome to club!

Dear Dr. Vicki, But for the benefit of those who I’ll play skeptic and say that at Doc, I am a marine engineer were like me—before I became first you wouldn’t really get it. You by profession. I have been happily pretty fond of them—who do not would think to yourself: “how is know anything about AlDub, let me married for eight years and have this weird couple flirting stupidly children now. However, my wife give you a brief overview. on screen pass as comic?” But the noticed lately that I have lost hair at AlDub became a phenomenal longer you watch Alden “Bae Alden” the upper back of my head. It has Filipino love team by accident. It is Richards swoon his beloved by gotten thin and it looks like the eye of not one of those love teams that flashing his deeper-than-deepdimples and lip syncs to every cliché are products of a movie promo or a the storm. My wife always watches your show and has encouraged me to teleserye gimmick. That’s probably love song ever written, you get one of the main reasons why people consult with you. I hope you can help stuck. Then you watch Maine “Yaya are attracted to them. The moniker, me with this. I have also attached a Dub” Mendoza does her signature photo for reference. nostril-flare and tom-and-jerry smile “AlDub” is a combination of the Thanks, to look wackily ugly (which is never Continued on Page 7 Enzo Hi enzo, There are many causes of hair loss among men. Some are acquired from genetic, environmental pollutants, or stress. others are by changes in hormones, Canada to source 100 percent cage-free eggs within 10 years caused getting scars due to surgery or health problems like diabetes and OAK BROOK, Ill—To meet high blood pressure. Seems like in consumers’ changing expectayour photo your are showing early tions and preferences, McDonsigns of receding hair line and bald ald’s announced that it will fully transition to cage-free eggs for its nearly 16,000 restaurants in the and socially conscious practices US and Canada over the next 10 for the animals in our supply years. chain,” said Marion Gross, senior “Our customers are increasvice president and Chief Supply ingly interested in knowing more Chain Officer of McDonald’s about their food and where it North America. “This is a bold comes from,” said McDonald’s move and we’re confident in our USA President Mike Andres. ability to provide a quality, safe, “Our decision to source only and consistent supply.” cage-free eggs reinforces the On an annual basis, focus we’re placing on food qual- McDonald’s USA purchases apity and our menu to meet what proximately two billion eggs and consumers truly want.”

McDonald’s Canada purchases “We’re proud of the work 120 million eggs to serve on its we’re doing with farmers and sup- breakfast menus, which includes pliers to advance environmentally popular breakfast sandwiches,

McDonald’s to fully transition to cage-free eggs for all restaurants in the US and Canada McDonald’s USA and

An Asian Journal

patches. What is important is you see a doctor. We have to be sure that your hair loss is nothing short of a health problem. If that’s the case, you have to get well first and we can proceed with your hair loss treatment after.

Think of it this way, the soil is the scalp and the plant is the hair. When the plant is damaged, it dies and gets removed from the soil, same is your hair follicles. We have invasive and non invasive procedures for hair loss depending on the condition and severity. We have something called MesoHair, where we infuse “fertilizers” to your scalpt to enduce hairgrowth.

For our invasive procedure and still the most effective means

to address hairloss, Belo uses an advanced technology to automatically harvest and implant hair follicles to the balding area without removing the scalp. It is called the NeoGrafting. What makes it better is that the results are natural looking hair re-growth, it is least invasive with little to no discomfort, minimal downtime and no linear scar. And it is also FDA-cleared procedure.

Hope this helps you, enzo, on your problem.

So let’s have more stories coming in! Feel free to let me know about you. Send it to vicki@ belomed.com.

Love, Dr. Belo

such as the Egg McMuffin and Egg White Delight. Since 2011, McDonald’s USA has been purchasing more than 13 million cage-free eggs annually.

“Animal welfare has always been important to us and our customers,” added Gross.

“Today’s announcement is another big milestone building on our work with industry experts and suppliers to improve the treatment of animals.”

Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch, a family-owned and operated farm in Michigan, has worked with

McDonald’s for decades to supply nutritious eggs. “Cage-free systems play an important role in our work to keep hens healthy and meet the growing consumer demand for responsibly-sourced food,” said Greg Herbruck, executive vice president of Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch. “We welcome McDonald’s actions to continue these efforts and are pleased to join them in sourcing cage-free eggs across their supply chain. We continue embracing new technologies and Continued on Page 6

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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY S E p T E m b E R 1 8 , 20 1 5

Calendar of Events across

Abad, 2 others bid for Pidci Board

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 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.

SEPTEMBER 20

Virgen De Los Remedios 59th Canonical Coronation Anniversary When: Sunday, September 20, (2:30 PM Assembly for procession) Where: Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (555 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012) Contact: Vidal Aguas, aguadelosangeles@aol.com.

S E P T E M B E R 24

Laudato Si (Praise Be To you, O Lord) caring for our common home Laudato Si (Praise Be To You, O Lord!) is Pope Francis’ encyclical on “CARING FOR OUR COMMON HOME” which addresses the grave impact of climate change in world’s communities and ecosystems. On Thursday, September 24, Climate Scientist, Dr. Josh Fisher, from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will explain the scientific foundation of climate change, which is well-aligned with Pope Francis’ letter. The event will take place 7 to 9 PM at Holy Name of Mary Parish in San Dimas (724 E. Bonita Avenue, San Dimas, CA 91773). All are invited, and free refreshments and childcare will be provided. For more information, please contact Charlie Martinez, Director of Pastoral Ministries at charlie@hnmparish.org.

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 -26

CELEBRATE LOCAL with San Diego Restaurant Week!

This September, San Diego Restaurant Week, presented by Lexus Dealerships of San Diego, will CELEBRATE LOCAL... keepin’ it fresh - really fresh. San Diego Restaurant week returns September 20th - September 26th for ONE WEEK ONLY to “Celebrate Local” at all 180+ participating restaurants. Choose from a three-course dinner or two-course lunch deal to satisfy your cravings. NEW THIS YEAR, San Diego Restaurant Week will be partnering with Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank to provide backpacks for children in need within the San Diego community during the ALL FOR KIDS campaign. Ditch the dirty dishes and join over 150,000 fellow diners as we celebrate San Diego’s thriving culinary scene and the homegrown, local businesses that provide us with the produce and products we love! Tickets are not necessary for this delectable week of discounted dining, but reservations are recommended! Visit SanDiegoRestaurantWeek.com for more information, including a list of participating restaurants, or to make your reservations in advance!

S E P T E M B E R 25 -26

2nd Grand Reunion GOT (RETiRED) from Cerveza San Miguel uS CHAPTER Where: Gold Coast Casino & Hotel (4000 Flamingo Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89103) When: Sept. 25 and 26; Grand Reunion Sept. 26 at 7:00 pm For details and information, please contact Renato Umayam at 323-841-3516, Nida Matias at 818-394-9178, Greg Lacondola at 702-334-8068, or Arnold Navarro at 318-779-6254.

S E P T E M B E R 26

Philippine Medical Association Event The Officers and Members of the Philippine Medical Association headed by President Dr. Arnel Joaquin, and Auxiliary President Divinia Encina will be holding a whole day event to be held at the Reef on the Water in Long Beach, CA on September 26. Assemblyman Rob Bonta and the Philippine Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim will participate in the discussion of the law that was passed by the State Legislature regarding full immunization of children before going to school with no exemption. There will be a Dinner Show with performances by the Tausala Polynesian Dancers. It will be a Luau event wherein all the past Presidents of the Auxiliary will be presented after their 35 years of service to the PMASC. The dinner ticket is $70.00 (if paid before August 31) and $80.00 after the due date. For dinner show reservations: please contact Noli R. Zosa, M.D. or Mrs. Nena Zosa at (562) 572- 2481.

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

Sofie Abad

Ronie Mataquel

NEW YORK – Sofie Abad, a longtime volunteer community leader and organizer has announced her candidacy, along with two others for the Board of Directors of the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) in elections Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015 at the Philippine Center on Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Abad is joined in the bid for the PIDCI Board by Nena Matela, another long-time volunteer community leader who is well known in the religious and greater Filipino community for being the

dance expert leader of the Parish Line Dance Ministry organization ministering dance events in numerous parishes and other social events in the tri-state area.

The other candidate bidding for a place in the PIDCI Board is Ronie Mataquel, who is currently the President of the Unified Federation of Fil-Am Educators (UNIFFIED).

Abad is highly credentialed in the area celebration of Philippine Independence having been most recently an elected member of the same PIDCI Board of Directors twice

Nena Matela

in the last five years in the process also elected Vice President of PIDCI in 2009.

Abad was the Overall Chairwoman of the erstwhile Philippine Independence Day Committee (PIDC) in 1994, the adhoc community organization that brought the commemoration to its full-blown official being in 1990 under the auspices of the Philippine Consulate General.

PIDCI elections this year will vote for a President and seven (7) members of the Board of Directors.

Sillimanians to celebrate holiday season on dec. 5

ThE Silliman University Alumni Association New YorkNew Jersey, Inc. (SUAA NY-NJ) chapter announces its Christmas Celebration on December 5, 1pm-6pm at Astoria World Manor, Queens, New York.

During this 41st anniversary celebration, the newly elected Executive Council for 2015-2017 will be formally inducted into office and will be headed by Laura Garcia, the SUAA NY-NJ 19th President.

Silliman University (SU or Silliman) is a private research

university located in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines.

Established in 1901 as Silliman Institute by the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions. historically, Silliman was the first American university organized in the Philippines and the Asian continent.

SUAA NY-NJ was formally organized on July 21,1974, when an ad hoc council composed of five Silliman alumni met in New York City to spearhead the traditional celebration of Philippines Founders Day. The meeting and celebration

Mining memories...

From Page 3 to climb and with his gulok, (a Tagalog term for a machete), chop off the young nuts which fell to the ground with a thud. We drank cool, clear coconut juice straight out of its shell and with a teaspoon in one hand, scraped off the sides of the young nut, called malauhog by locals. These are young coconut flesh, resembling the consistency of early stage, transparent phlegm.

Alright. Ewwwww. But who cares?

When you’re young, unpretentious and really hungry, your grumbling stomach is the boss.

Calapan is the entryway from the Luzon mainland by air, land and sea to Oriental Mindoro. It enjoys a geographical proximity to the mainland and the shipping routes. It has a small pier in a cove where boats coming from Batangas docked. Calapan provides a bit of excitement that a sleepy town like Naujan couldn’t muster. In recent years, an SM store in town was a definite cause for celebration.

Tio Oscar, my father’s youngest brother, was the town entrepreneur cum inventor who tried his hand at many things. he was short in stature but I remember him as a big kid with a pure sense of fun. he drove around town in an old, rickety open-topped, army surplus World War II vintage weapons carrier which he used for business and leisure. he hauled huge blocks of ice coated with ipa, those rice husks used to prevent the ice from melting for the hot, dusty trip between Calapan and the only restaurant in Naujan, which he and his wife Tia Celia, owned and operated at the time.

During those days, electricity was miserly meted out from 6 in the evening till 6 in the morning — that is, — when the generators were working. The ice would chill Tio Oscar’s stash of soda in a cooler

during the day and he would use the rest for the crushed ice for the best halo-halo in town.

It was said that his halo-halo was so scrumptiously delicious, it would entice barefoot hordes of Mangyans to come down from the mountains and give themselves the cool treat.

When Tio Oscar’s chores were done, he would then haul all of us, a ragtag band of scrawny, eagerbeaver kids, off to the beach. We would bury our soda stash in the cold wet sand to chill it and rush to the sea and swim with abandon until our fingers and toes were wrinkled, our skin a few shades darker. By then we had worked up a fierce appetite.

Tio Oscar’s hungry horde of kids would then mow down grilled fish either banak or banglis, tulingan, halabos na hipon and steaming rice mixed with raw eggs complimented by chopped-up pajo, red eggs and tomatoes. We built black sand sculptures which killjoy waves promptly crushed and swept back out to sea. We would kibitz and swarm about like pesky flies at the abundant haul of fishermen pulling in their nets bursting with their fresh catch of the day from the sea. Those were beautiful summer days. Life was good.

Those days have ebbed and are gone forever. But pure joy still flows back with remembrance. I wanted to revisit the former site of my grandparent’s old place in the center of town where my father was born in 1912. Vicente Adeva, my Lolo was an insular (meaning island) teacher who received his civil service appointment on July 01, 1907.

One of the sepia photos my brother recovered from the old house was of Lolo who as Provincial Treasurer, and then Secretary posed with provincial officials and the American Governor General, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. The tall

gave birth to the formation of SU Alumni Association, when, in the course of that day, the five ad hoc council members determined to set their sights on organizing an alumni association, while commemorating the traditional Founders’ Day celebration.

To attend the festivities, please call: Emma Gornez 516.592.1696 or Laura Garcia 908.627.1954 Email: Laugarcia10@yahoo.com. For more information, please visit the Silliman University Alumni Association Facebook site.

strapping American was appointed

by President herbert hoover in 1932 as Governor General of what was then called the Philippine Islands.

Papa was immensely proud of his roots and proud of being a Naujeno even when he lived in the US after retirement.

While living in Glendale, California in his mid-eighties, he always looked forward to dressing to the nines in a tuxedo, and tripping the light fantastic whirling about on the dance floor with my mother or his daughters for the Naujeno Annual Ball in some posh Los Angeles hotel, half a world away from the place he loved. he may have wanted to reconnect with a few remaining old timers, people he had common ties with while growing up. But mostly during his last years, he was simply happy and content being home with my mother.

If he had the chance however, he would have wanted to visit the place where he grew up —just one more time— before sudden death on a dreary and cold winter’s day overtook him. he was 87 years old.

More than a decade later, I went in his stead. It was something I had planned on doing for some time, as a quiet tribute. For my part, I wanted to understand how such a place shaped who he is and what moved him to sail the seven seas for 40 years as a ship captain, hauling logs and cars and tons of containers from port to port— from Siberia to South Africa, from Pusan to Peru— bringing with him my mother’s keepsake, a small image of the Nuestra Senora de Antipolo, before the wanderlust gave out and he finally found home. he would have been surprised with the changes in his old hometown. (To be continued) *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, email monette.maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

McDonald’s to fully transition...

From Page 5 strategies to ensure our hens are well-cared for.”

In 2000, McDonald’s USA was the first food service company to adopt a standard for hen housing systems, which provided more space per bird than the industry standard. In 2010, the company initiated research with the Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Supply to better understand the impact of various hen housing systems on animal health and welfare, the environment, worker health, food safety and food affordability.

This research provided impor-

tant insights into the trade-offs of various housing systems for the company to make informed sourcing decisions.

Today’s news follows other actions announced this year by McDonald’s USA to source only chicken raised without antibiotics important to human medicine by 2017 and to offer milk jugs of low-fat white milk and fat-free chocolate milk from cows that have not been treated with rbST, an artificial growth hormone.

In addition, McDonald’s USA introduced the Artisan Grilled Chicken patty, seasoned with

simple, everyday ingredients and introduced a new contemporary salad blend of romaine, baby spinach and baby kale.

McDonald’s is also moving from liquid margarine to real butter on English muffins, biscuits and bagels on the breakfast menu and has introduced a new Buttermilk Crispy Chicken, which uses real buttermilk in the breading.

McDonald’s Canada introduced a salad leaf blend, including baby kale, in its three chef-inspired contemporary salads in May 2015.

(Advertising Supplement)

Aiza Seguerra ‘hurt’ by ‘ASAP’ suspension Seguerra said that she understands the decision of the ABS-CBn management to suspend her from ASAP because she will join the cast of the GMA-7 show “The Ryzza Mae Show Presents… Princess In The Palace.”

She said that the war between the two TV networks intensified due to the growing popularity of Aiza Seguerra Inquirer.net photo split-screen lovers Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza of “AlDub” fame SInGER Aiza Seguerra seems from GMA-7. The singer added that to have fallen victim to the raging the suspension was ABS-CBn’s way network war between ABS-CBn of deterring artists not to follow her and GMA-7 as she was forced to lead. take a leave of absence from being While she understands the a mainstay in the ABS-CBn Sunday reasons behind her suspension, variety show “ASAP” after taking Seguerra admitted that she is “hurt” a role in a show in the Kapuso by the decision of the management network. as she will miss her co-singers.

In an interview with Pep.ph, (Inquirer.net)

Grandparents...

From Page 4 us. Even with my parents and siblings around, I still slept with my Inang Upeng in her room. It was really hard to break the habit I was used to: sleeping with my arms around her or hers around me.

Believe it or not, I was already a teacher but I still slept with my Inang Upeng…while she would trace my whereabouts when night fell and I was still not home. Despite my age I felt like a helpless child for her but that didn’t put me to shame even at times when my co-teachers would tease me when she’s around to check on me.

Imagine my situation when she passed away. Friends who comforted me along the funeral vividly recalled that I was intensely crying seemingly on the top of my voice but sans sound. I felt half of me was gone. I thought that was the end of the world for me. It took a huge amount of time to finally let the pain go and moved on…but up to this day, my grandmother never left my side for she was and always be a part of me…having been molded from the way she was.

Incidentally, a popular Filipino proverb (salawikain) goes: “Mas mahal ang tubo kaysa puhunan…”

(Direct translation: the interest is pricier than the capital.)

(Idiomatically: the child is more endeared / loved than the parent.)

I find the proverb somewhat factual after having had

experienced it myself.

Back in the Philippines my kids would joke their mom that she had to look after her grandchildren since nannies command high pays in the US which my wife would readily respond: “You grew up with yayas (nannies) so spare me from babysitting your kids. Let me enjoy old age!”

Fast forward: after my three sons got married and have families of their own, look now who’s crazy looking forward to weekends and day-offs to be with my boys’ kids --- my wife! She never tires with her grandchildren: playing, tutoring, shopping, watching movies, dining out, and having them sleep-over or bringing to or picking them from school when their parents weren’t available…even if it meant callingin sick and unmindful if it might jeopardize her job.

While the family remains solid and closely-knitted, grandparents or the senior members of the household will stay around enjoying the remaining years of their life. Longer life expectancy will also lead to a longer period of grandparenthood especially during this generation when there is a prevalence of early parenting.

And come to think of it… isn’t a family photo more picture-perfect when grandparents are in the keepsake shot called family portrait?

For comments and suggestions, please email to: gemini0646@ yahoo.com.

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Kris Aquino to leave ‘Aquino & Abunda Tonight’ QUEEn of All Media Kris Aquino on Wednesday, Sept.

16 announced that she will be leaving the nightly ABS-CBn entertainment talk show “Aquino & Abunda Tonight” she is cohosting with talent manager Boy Abunda.

In an Instagram post, Aquino said that she will be back on the show Monday for her finale week.

“I missed him. I shall be back on Monday next week for my finale week on @aatofficial,” wrote Aquino, who has been missing from the show for nearly a month

now after being hospitalized.

The actress narrowly escaped stroke after her blood pressure shot up to 200/110 last month.

Meanwhile, Aquino also hinted that Abunda will be keeping the show under a new name.

“Congratulations Boy #BoyAbundaTonight,” she wrote in the same Instagram post.

Aquino will soon be seen in the movie “Etiquette for Mistresses” with Claudine Barretto, Kim Chiu, Cheena Crab and Iza Calzado. (Inquirer.net)

Is Billy Crawford ready to propose to Coleen Garcia?

MAnILA—Billy Crawford is ready to propose and settle down with Coleen Garcia.

But the 33-year-old actor-host doesn’t want to rush the 23-yearold actress-host into marriage.

“To be honest with you, I would love to. I definitely love to take that step,” he said in an interview in “Aquino & Abunda Tonight” on Friday. Of course doon kami papunta. But the fact is ang dami niya pang pangarap na gustong maabot, she’s only 23.”

Although he knows it may take a while, Billy is willing to wait for the “right time.”

“I’ll always be there for her

regardless of what it is and I’ll always wait. But when the time comes and I feel the time is right, I definitely won’t hesitate,” he said.

The Kapamilya actor-host also admitted that he changed for Coleen, one instance is when he stopped drinking and smoking for a year now.

“She definitely made me a better person,” he said, pertaining to Coleen. “She really completes everything about me. I feel so happy, I feel so blessed that I spend most of my time off with her family.”

“Kay Coleen, I couldn’t be happier,” he concluded. (Philstar.

Although he’s ready to propose, Billy Crawford doesn’t want to rush Coleen Garcia into marriage. com)

Let’s talk about...

From Page 5 names, Alden and ‘Dub—short for, “Yaya Dub.” The love team is played by Alden Richards, a Filipino matinee idol and Maine Mendoza, who is an ordinary Filipina who became an internet sensation for her “dubsmashes.” She was discovered and sought by the show’s staff to play Yaya Dub—the nanny of an “evil grandmother.”

The “love team-up” started when Maine Mendoza zoned out of her character being the grumpy nanny, when Alden was seen watching her doing her act. She became conscious

and next thing you know, they were being teased together, thus creating an unexpected and extraordinary chemistry on TV. This is how Eat Bulaga!’s Kalyeserye birthed the “AlDub”.

AlDub can be seen in Eat Bulaga!’s Kalyeserye (a series done live in the streets). It’s the first ever street-skit that aired on TV. The characters, despite of the scenes being impromptu, are witty and natural. Their antics are attracting more and more audiences in and out of the country. And this is where it gets even interesting; Since everything is not scripted and Lola

nidora’s scenes are filmed live in the streets, while Alden is in the studio, the two love birds have not met each other personally.

Therefore contributing to the suspense and “kilig” leading to the day when they will finally meet face to face.

As one critic said, “This Aldub craze started to take over the world through different social media and continued to cause commotion in everybody’s schedule for the day.”

I most certainly agree. In fact writing about this had me smiling the whole time.

It’s nice to see something on TV that is “organically” pleasing to watch. Out of the many things that media tried to manufacture, this

one—I have to admit—they did right. Good job to the creators of AlDub. Borrowing the words of Lola nidora, things are done right “sa tamang panahon.”

Goodluck Alden and Yaya Dub! #kiligpamore *** 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 allnatural 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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