Us asiain post april 22, 2015

Celebrating

T H E

ENTERT

INMENT

Alessandra is Pacman’s ‘Mommy D’ See PAGE 10

WWW.USASIANPOST.COM

Vol. 4. No. 30

LOS ANGELES

A Balita Media Publication

Wednesday - Tuesday, April 22 - 28, 2015

AFP to China: Stop reclamation activities

At a media briefing in Camp Aguinaldo on Monday, April 20, AFP chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. shows the latest satellite images of massive reclamation activities by China in the disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea. Catapang said China’s ‘aggressiveness’ in the area is raising worries, particularly because the said structures have become ‘massive.’ Catapang has called on China to stop its reclamation works in the area. (MNS photo)

China building runway in disputed PHL voices China South China Sea: reports alarm as US war Beijing, China, AFP – China is more than one-third complete, it games begin rapidly building an airstrip on an says. artificial island in disputed South China Sea waters, recent satellite pictures show, potentially ramping up tensions with several Southeast Asian neighbours.

Fiery Cross in the Spratly Islands was little more than a reef when China began land reclamation works to turn it into an island in late 2014.

Now satellite images taken last week by DigitalGlobe and shown on the website of the Washingtonbased Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) show the runway – estimated at 3.1 kilometers (1.9 miles) in total –

When in operation, it says, it will be able to “accommodate almost any type of aircraft that China would want to land”.

“Before this construction China lacked the refueling and resupply capabilities to reach the southern part of the South China Sea,” it added.

“While they have not yet been built, Fiery Cross should be big enough to accommodate hangar facilities for Chinese aircraft.”

Pictures taken less than four weeks earlier showed two sections of 468 meters and 200 meters See RUNWAY, page 12

MANILA, Apr 20 (Mabuhay) – The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Monday called on China to stop its reclamation activities in the West Philippine Sea. “We are amazed at the pace that China is reclaiming the area.

It’s fast, but I hope it’s not furious,” AFP chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said.

Latest satellite photos published Thursday show China has made rapid progress in building an airstrip suitable for military use in contested territory in the Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea, and may be planning another.

IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly said March 23 images from Airbus Defence and Space showed work on the runway on reclaimed parts of Fiery Cross Reef (Kagitingan Reef) in the Spratly archipelago, which China contests with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.

In a press conference on Monday, Catapang said China’s “aggressiveness” in its reclamation activities in the area is raising worries, particularly because the said structures have become

“massive.”

“We have compelling reason to raise our voice and to tell the whole world of the adverse effects of China’s aggressiveness that has created tensions not only among the countries that have overlapping claims in the area, but also among countries around the world who are using the international sea lanes in the West Philippine Sea for trade and commerce,” he said.

He added: “Not that [the structures are] bigger, it’s really worrisome because [you have to ask], ‘What’s the purpose of this?’”

Furthermore he said, “Some countries have reclaimed areas, but not that big. Unfortunately, the size of this (China’s) reclamation makes us wonder what’s the intention of this.”

Of particular concern, Catapang said, is China’s possible reclamation of the Mischief Reef.

“If China reclaims Mischief Reef, we’ll be cut off. It will challenge the Ayungin Shoal that we’re claiming,” he said.

Catapang said: “We call on China to stop its reclamation acSee RECLAMATION, page 12

By Mynardo Macaraig

Manila, Philippines | AFP | Monday 4/20/2015 – The Philippines voiced alarm Monday about Chinese “aggressiveness” in disputed regional waters as it launched giant war games with the United States that were partly aimed as a warning shot to Beijing.

Philippine military chief General Gregorio Catapang released what he said were satellite photos of intense recent Chinese construction over seven reefs and shoals in the Spratly archipelago See PHL VOICES, page 12

WEST SEA OF THE PHILIPPINES (Oct. 22, 2014) The Ticonderoga-class guidedmissile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54) transits in formation with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer JS Sazanami (DD 113), middle, and the Republic of the Philippines frigate Gregorio Del Pilar (PF 15). Thousands of American and Filipino soldiers will on Monday kick off 10-day annual Balikatan military exercises, according to Captain Alex Lim, a spokesman for the US forces, but there will be strict controls on their free time, but the US troops are not allowed to go bar hopping while in Philippine shores. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman David Flewellyn/ Released)

HK politician rapped for ‘racist’ remarks on maids’ No bar, no fun for US troops in PHL sex lives Manila, Philippines | AFP | restrictions include no bars and

The eagerly-anticipated May 2 welterweight unification showdown in Las Vegas promises to be the most lucrative fight in boxing history. “I am very excited,” Pacquiao said Wednesday at the Wild Card gym in Hollywood. “My training and my conditioning is good. I can feel it. I am ready.” Photo: Benny Uy

Pacquiao eager to trade blows with Mayweather

By Greg Heakes

Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Thursday 4/16/2015 – Manny Pacquiao pronounced himself ready to fight Floyd Mayweather, saying he’s willing to engage the unbeaten American in the middle of the ring if that’s what it takes to win.

The eagerly-anticipated May 2 welterweight unification showdown in Las Vegas promises to be the most lucrative fight in boxing history.

“I am very excited,” Pacquiao said Wednesday at the Wild Card gym in Hollywood. “My training and my conditioning is good. I can feel it. I am ready.”

Pacquiao says that is why he is training harder and with more

drive and determination than for any other fight in his career.

“I know this is one of the biggest fights ever in boxing,” he said.

“I am not saying it is the biggest, because that would be insulting to the other fights that have been done already.

“But it is one of the biggest.”

Pacquiao defended his aggressive style after Mayweather, 38, on Tuesday called the 36-year-old Filipino superstar a “reckless” fighter whose careless actions leads to knockouts.

Pacquiao said boxing fans appreciate a fighter who comes to box and put on a good show.

“Reckless fighter, that is how See PACQUIAO, page 12

Hong Kong, China | AFP | Monday 4/20/2015 – A senior Hong Kong politician is under fire after she accused some Filipina domestic helpers of seducing their male employers, in comments branded “racist” and “offensive” by critics.

There are 300,000 maids in Hong Kong, mostly from the Philippines and Indonesia, with concern growing among rights groups over their welfare following a string of abuse cases.

But lawmaker Regina Ip, a close adviser to the city’s leader Leung See HK POLITICIAN, page 12

MayweatherPacquiao tickets to cost up to $7,500 Los Angeles, United States, AFP, Thursday – Tickets for Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao’s long-awaited superfight will cost between $1,500 and $7,500, organizers said Wednesday, but it is unclear how many will go on sale to the public.

Seats at the May 2 bout in Las Vegas promise to be one of the hottest tickets of the sporting decade, with the MGM Grand capacity limited to 16,800 people.

Many tickets are expected to be distributed to high-rollers and A-list celebrities desperate to be seen at a fight billed hyperbolically on Wednesday as the biggest

Saturday 4/18/2015 – The US Pacific Command has banned its troops in the Philippines from bars and nightclubs, a spokesman said Saturday, with the trial under way of a US Marine accused of murdering a transgender Filipina he met in a bar.

Thousands of American and Filipino soldiers will on Monday kick off 10-day annual military exercises, according to Captain Alex Lim, a spokesman for the US forces, but there will be strict controls on their free time.

“There is a 10 pm curfew. The

clubs,” he told AFP. He also said that US soldiers will only be allowed to eat meals “in the vicinity of their place of dwelling,” for example at their hotel.

Lim would not say why the restrictions were imposed but conceded they came after a US serviceman was arrested for the murder of a transgender Filipina he met in a bar in October after taking part in military exercises in the Philippines.

US Marine Private First Class See NO BAR, page 12

Bank deposits up 12% to P8.5 trillion in 2014 MANILA, Apr 20 (Mabuhay) – Deposits in the Philippine banking system grew by 12 percent to P8.5 trillion last year from P7.6 trillion in 2013, the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC) reported on Monday.

The insurer said the increase in deposits may be attributed to the expansion of branch network across all bank types.

“As of end-2014, total banking offices (head offices and branches) stood at 10,041, an increase of 9.3 percent from 9,184 banking offices in 2013.

“Rural banks had the fastest expansion rate of 18.2 percent from 2,132 in 2013 to 2,519 in 2014, followed by thrift banks at 7.5 percent from 1,791 to 1,925. Commercial banks, on the other hand, grew by 6.4 percent year-on-year from 5,261 to 5,597,” the PDIC said.

PDIC data showed 90.1 percent or P7.7 trillion of the total deposits were held by commercial banks, 8.2 percent or P699.9 billion by thrift banks, and 1.7 percent or P144.5 billion by rural banks.

Of the total deposits P1.9 trillion or 22.2 percent are insured by PDIC under the Maximum Deposit Insurance Coverage (MDIC) of P500,000 per account.

See BANK DEPOSIT, page 12

See MAYWEATHER, page 12

1-877-35-NOPAY 818-334-5445 818-552-4500 (1-877-356-6729)

2

Wednesday - Tuesday, April 22 - 28, 2015

Visit www.usasianpost.com

THE US ASIAN POST

PHL embassy plans to bring Veloso’s family to Indonesia MANILA, Apr 20 (Mabuhay) – The Philippine embassy in Jakarta is working hard to bring the family of Filipino drug convict Mary Jane Veloso to Indonesia.

Veloso is facing execution for drug trafficking. She was caught in Yogjakarta in 2010, carrying nearly 3 kilos of heroin.

Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Maria Lumen Isleta says Veloso was originally recruited to work in Malaysia, but when she arrived there, she was told that the employer wasn’t available.

Veloso was then asked to go to Jakarta and was supposedly given luggage containing the drugs.

“Of course we’ve been trying Members of various environmental groups band together to call on Canada to take back its waste in a gathering in Quezon City on Friday. The groups decried shipments of garbage from Canada that have been languishing at a Philippine port for more than a year now. (MNS photo)

Palace reassures Veloso family of govt help until last possible moment MANILA, Apr 18 (Mabuhay) – Malacañang on Saturday reassured the family of Mary Jane Veloso, the Filipina on death row in Indonesia for a drug-related offense, that the government will continue to appeal for her until the last possible moment.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte such assistance this has been the policy of the gov-

ernment not only for Veloso but for other overseas Filipino workers.

“Patuloy pa rin, patuloy pa rin yung (pagtulong) natin. You’ve seen how we have exerted efforts, not just in this particular case, but in cases of mga kababayan natin na naililinya sa death row, talagang hanggang (sa) huling sandaling pwedeng umapela

ay ginagawa natin yan para sa kanila,” she said on governmentrun dzRB radio.

She said the Philippine embassy continues to make representations in behalf of the Philippine government and also in behalf of Veloso’s family.

Veloso faces execution in Indonesia for a drug-related offense.

(MNS)

Poe: No offer from LP yet to run for VP MANILA, Apr 21 (Mabuhay) – Amid reports of a possible Roxas-Poe tandem in 2016, Senator Grace Poe on Tuesday said there has been no formal offer for her to run as the Liberal Party’s vice presidential bet in next year’s elections.

Poe, an independent allied with President Benigno Aquino III’s Liberal Party, kept mum on the possibility of becoming the running-mate of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, the party’s presumed standard-bearer.

“There had been no formal offer from them,” Poe said in a text message.

Poe made the remark when asked to comment on LP member Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice’s statement that the party has been wooing her since November to run alongside Roxas in 2016.

“I cannot comment on the possibility [of a Roxas-Poe tandem] because Secretary Mar himself has not publicly declared his intentions,” Poe said.

Roxas has so far been tightlipped on his political plans for 2016, saying in past interviews that he would rather focus on his work in the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Poe, the daughter of the late actor Fernando Poe Jr., who ran and lost in the 2004 presidential election, received the highest number of votes in the 2013 senatorial race.

Her ratings in presidential surveys have been steadily rising over the past few months, a period that included her leading Senate investigations on issues such as the bloody encounter in Mamasapano between elite police commandos and Moro rebels.

A recent Social Weather Stations survey showed that Poe has narrowed the gap between her and leading presidential contender Vice President Jejomar Binay, who was ahead by only five percentage points.

When asked whether she is also considering running for president given her high survey ratings, Poe said her ratings only encourage her to work harder as senator.

“The survey results inspire me to continue doing my work and to uphold what I believe is right and for the good of our countrymen,” she said. Malacañang has said Aquino will announce his party’s standard-bearer in June.

Meanwhile, Makati City Rep. Mar-len Abigail Binay on Tues-

day said her father is a “unifying leader” and will become a “unifying president” if elected in 2016.

The Vice President has been vocal about his plan to run for president in 2016 and said the allegations of corruption against him are all part of a plan to derail his presidential bid.

In a statement, Abi dismissed as inaccurate a newspaper report attributed to her which stated that “the Binays will not forgive their critics if Vice President Jejomar Binay gets elected to the presidency.”

Abi clarified she wasn’t speaking on her family’s behalf when she said in a television interview that she can’t forgive their critics.

She said a transcript of her interview with Pinky Webb on ANC will show that she was only speaking for herself when she answered the host’s question on whether she can forgive Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for his attacks against her family.

Abi said: “It was an emotional moment for me; I was speaking from the heart. I only expressed my true feelings about Sen. Trillanes, who has been throwing baseless and accusations at our family with reckless abandon.”

to exhaust every avenue. Our lawyers are working on a second appeal. We’re also using the diplomatic approach- asking (President) Widodo to grant clemency.

He denied it the first time but we’re hopeful,” she said.

The ambassador also issues a warning to Filipinos aspiring to work in Indonesia.

She says human trafficking has become a base for drug trafficking.

“Yun mga lumalabas na household workers, minsan may inaabot sa inyo siguro na may ibang laman. That’s good enough for them to be charged in court,” she said. (MNS)

CA employees wear white vs Trillanes’ ‘justice for sale’ claims MANILA, Apr 20 (Mabuhay) – Employees of the Court of Appeals on Monday reported for work in white shirts to protest Senator Antonio Trillanes’ allegation that justice is for sale at the appeals court.

The appelate court’s whiteclad employees were noticeable at Monday’s flag-raising ceremony, which was also attended by CA justices, including Presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr. “Ang panawagan namin ay sana ipakita ang evidence. Hindi naman kami against sa intention [ni Trillanes] to clean ang hudikatura. Ang gusto lang namin ay idaan ito sa proper forum. Hindi pa-interview ka na lang sa media,” Amiel De Vera, president of the Association of CA Employees said.

De Vera said allegations of corruption in the judiciary should be brought before the Supreme Court, which he said has the “disciplining power” over members of the judiciary.

“May mga empleyado at justices rin na mababait. Sa damage na nangyayari, nasasama na pati ang maliliit na empleyado,” De Vera said. He said “almost all” of the CA’s around 1,200 employees wore white today.

He said they all their members were told about the White Shirt Day in a memo sent out Friday.

In a resolution calling for a

Senate probe on the alleged “justice for sale” system in the appelate court, Trillanes cited “reliable sources privy to the matter” in alleging that CA Associate Justices Jose Reyes Jr and Francisco Acosta each received P25 million in bribes to stop Makati Mayor Junjun Binay’s suspension on March 16.

Trillanes also accused the two CA justices of receiving an additional P5 million each after issuing a writ of preliminary injunction to stop Binay’s suspension indefinitely.

De Vera said they would continue wearing white shirts until the issue is resolved.

The CA’s regional offices in Cagayan de Oro City and Cebu, as well as CA employees in Baguio for the summer session, have likewise been encouraged to wear white shirts, De Vera added.

Asked why his group chose white, De Vera said they had to think of another color because they had already donned black and red shirts in protest of President Benigno Aquino III’s call to clip the powers of the judicary amid the debate on the Disbursement Acceleration Program last year.

“Ngayon siguro ang ibig sabihin naman ng white is transparency, purity of the courts, and for the insulation of the institution,” said De Vera. (MNS)

CA justice accused of bias, asked to inhibit from port terminal case MANILA, Apr 20 (Mabuhay) – On the heels of bribery allegations

by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV against two Court of Appeals justices, another one of their colleagues is also under fire for a separate issue - this time for allegedly being biased in a case involving the Harbour Center Port Terminal Inc. in Manila.

In a 26-page motion, One Source

Port Support Services asked CA Associate Justice Danton Bueser to “voluntarily inhibit and/or disqualify himself from further handling the case.” One Source accused the justice of bias and partiality in favor of businessman Reghis Romero II, who is at the center of the dispute on the ownership and management of the port.

On Dec. 1, 2014, a Pasig City regional trial court allowed One Source Port Services to manage and operate HCPTI. Romero elevated the matter to the CA Second Division, of which Bueser is a member, which eventually stopped the Pasig court’s order through a temporary restraining order last January.

After issuing the TRO against the Pasig court’s order, the CA division next issued a writ of preliminary injunction two months later, or last March. Both the TRO and the injunction were written by Bueser, said One Source.

One Source noted that Bueser was always the “ponente” or the one who writes the decision in all cases involving the HCPTI. “It should be emphasized that in all these resolutions above, and despite the many changes in the composition of the Justices issuing said resolutions, Justice Bueser remained a constant signatory,” One Source’s motion noted.

“Because of the casual violation of the private respondent’s basic right to due process as a result of the issuance of the aforesaid resolution, private respondent could not help but lose its trust and confidence that it can still obtain a fair treatment in this case, unless Associate Justice Danton Q. Bueser totally inhibits himself in this case,” the company added in its motion.

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, April 22 - 28, 2015

Visit www.usasianpost.com

US-PHL wargames start under China’s shadow

By Joel Guinto

Manila, Philippines | AFP | Saturday 4/18/2015 – Thousands of American and Filipino soldiers on Monday will kick off expanded wargames, showcasing a deepening defense alliance as alarm bells ring over China.

The 10-day exercises in the Philippines are an annual affair between the longtime allies, but this time they will involve double the number of soldiers as last year in a sign of their expanding military partnership.

The Philippines is seeking more US military and diplomatic support to fend off China’s increasing forcefulness in its bid to assert sovereignty in disputed areas of the South China Sea. In an interview with AFP last week, Philippine President Benigno Aquino said the two militaries operating side-by-side should offer a “deterrent aspect to any entity, be it a country or Islamic radicals”.

Aquino insisted the Balikatan (Shoulder-to-Shoulder) wargames starting on Monday were not directed at China, pointing out they were annual exercises, but he discussed at length the Philippines’ reliance on the United States.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario also said last week the Philippines planned to ask Washington for extra help in containing China.

“We are, at this point, seeking additional support from the US in terms of being able to take a stronger position, in defending our position, which is to uphold the rule of law,” del Rosario told local broadcaster ANC. Beijing claims sovereignty over most of the strategically important South China Sea, including areas just off the coasts of other Asian nations, using vague demarcation lines that first appeared on Chinese maps in the 1940s.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims.

China has sought to expand its presence in disputed parts of the sea in recent years, including by taking control of a shoal that is a rich fishing ground within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

It has also embarked on giant reclamation works on reefs and islets, turning some into islands capable of hosting military aircraft landing strips.

‘Elbowed aside’ The Philippines has been the most vocal of the rival claimants to express alarm over China’s moves.

In his interview with AFP, Aquino warned that the world should fear China’s actions in the South China Sea. US President Barack Obama also expressed concern this month, criticising China for “using its sheer size and muscle to force countries into subordinate positions”.

“Just because the Philippines or Vietnam are not as large as China, doesn’t mean that they can just be elbowed aside,” Obama said.

China has repeatedly insisted it has sovereign rights to the contested areas, so criticism of its reclamation and other activities in the area are baseless.

The US has been looking to re-build its military presence in the Philippines, a former colony where it had naval and air bases until the early 1990s, as part of Obama’s “pivot to Asia”.

The two nations, bound by a 1951 mutual defense treaty, last year signed another pact that would allow more US forces in the Philippines, although the Supreme Court in Manila still needs to ratify it.

Even without the implementation of the new pact, more than 12,000 soldiers from both sides will be involved in this year’s Balikatan exercises, double last year’s number.

On Tuesday, marines will conduct beach landing exercises from a naval base facing the South China Sea just 220 kilometers (140 miles) from the Philippine-claimed shoal that China has controlled since 2012.

Aside from the naval base, live fire and disaster response drills will also be held in various military camps outside Manila.

3

OPINION

AFP: Damage from China’s reclamation in West PHL Sea irreversible, widespread MANILA, Apr 20 (Mabuhay) – As it called on China to stop its reclamation activities in the disputed South China Sea, the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Monday said the “massive” constructions being done in the region are causing extensive damage to the environment there.

At a press conference, AFP chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said, “China’s claim that its activities have not caused damaged to the ecological environment in the area is not acceptable.”

“Massive Chinese reclamation activities are causing irreversible and widespread damage to the biodiversity and ecological balance in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

Included in the damage is the destruction of 300 hectares of coral reef systems, which “is estimated to lead to economic losses to coastal states valued at $100 million annually.”

Catapang also pointed out that China “has tolerated environmentally harmful fishing practices by its fishermen” at Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough/ Panatag Shoal).

Bajo de Masinloc lies 124 nautical miles from Masinloc, Zambales, and 472 nautical miles from Chi-

na’s nearest land mass of Hainan province.

“These bad fishing practices are violations under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Convention on Biodiversity, and the Convention on International Trade,” he said.

He also said they are “saddened” by reports that China drove away Filipino fishermen there, as well as in other reclamation sites.

“It denies our people of their own fishing areas that are their sources of livelihood,” he said.

He pointed out, however, that escorting Filipino fishermen back to these fishing areas is “more civilian in nature” and will primarily be led by the Philippine Coast Guard.

“In the future, we need to help our fishermen get back there... the Coast Guard will have to escort them. [Sending the] gray ship unnecessarily provokes the other side,” he said.

Also on Monday, the AFP called on China to “stop its reclamation activities” in the West Philippine Sea. Catapang said China’s “aggressiveness” in its reclamation activities in the area is raising worries, particularly because the said structures have become “massive.” (MNS)

Reagan still GOP’s reference point for White House seekers

By Ivan Couronne

Washington, United States | AFP | Sunday 4/19/2015 – Barack Obama is weak and Ronald Reagan exuded power, Republicans say. But while conservative White House hopefuls revere the 1980s president as a foreign-policy icon, oversimplifying Reaganism may mask nuances of his diplomacy.

Appreciation for the ex-president, who died in 2004, is nothing new. Buttons and posters bearing his countenance are common at conservative gatherings.

Nostalgia peaks at the launch of each presidential campaign, as candidates jostling for prime position invoke his popular legacy.

Reagan is the most admired Republican leader of the post-Second World War period. According to pollster Gallup, 61 percent of respondents in 2013 rated him as outstanding or above average, behind only Democrat John F. Kennedy who received 74 percent.

“Reagan’s election and my grandfather’s allegiance to him were defining influences on me politically. I’ve been a Republican ever since,” wrote Marco Rubio, who last Monday launched his presidential campaign along themes emblematic of the man long known as “the Gipper.”

“Ronald Reagan was... arguably one of the best presidents for foreign policy,” opined Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker who is exploring a White House run.

Ex-Florida governor Jeb Bush, who could become the third Bush to win the White House, said when he cut his political teeth in the 1980s it was the Reagan doctrine of “peace through strength” that dominated.

Bush, Rubio, Walker and 2016 candidates Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul all use—and sometimes overplay – the Reagan card, calling for a return to the “shining city on a hill” that Reagan invoked a generation ago.

Unconcerned with sounding anachronistic, they say they want to counter Iran, push back against Russia and defeat the Islamic State extremist group much like Reagan brought the Soviet Union to its knees.

Negotiating with the enemy The Reagan who entered the White House during the Cold War was an unrepentant anti-Communist.

He pledged a strong military, sweeping aside the

“detente” strategy embraced by predecessors in order to repel the Soviet threat in nations like Nicaragua and Afghanistan, where his administration financed the Contras and the mujahideen, respectively.

But after his 1984 reelection, Reagan changed.

He met with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and negotiated a historic US-USSR agreement to reduce nuclear arsenals.

“He was inflexible about ends, but flexible about means,” Philip Hughes, briefly a member of Reagan’s National Security Council, told AFP. “Despite his deceptively simple exterior, Ronald Reagan is a very complicated figure,” he added.

“Ronald Reagan isn’t a religion,” and candidates should not claim the “definitive interpretation” of the man.

It would also be dangerous to compare the 1980s to 2015, Hughes warned.

The monolithic Soviet menace was different from the current nature of multiple and decentralized threats, often tinged with Islamist radicalism.

Republican candidates have mostly rejected the international nuclear accord Washington and other powers are hammering out with Iran, blasting Obama for yielding excessive concessions.

They promote a Reaganesque alternative: boost military spending enough to intimidate the Iranians into accepting US preconditions for negotiations.

“One of the things that these Republican candidates are missing is that Ronald Reagan always believed that even though the Soviet Union was our enemy, we could negotiate with them, we could resolve issues like the nuclear issue while other issues we still disagreed on,” said John Bradshaw, executive director of the National Security Network, a Democratic-leaning think-tank.

When Reagan officials started negotiating with the Soviets, “neoconservatives... were horrified,” he said.

Reagan also differed from the current crop of conservative candidates in a key way.

The former California governor notably entered the White House in early 1981 accompanied by an extensive network of advisors, experts and officials ready to implement his policies from Day 1.

According to Hughes, none of the dozen current Republican contenders has such a Rolodex; only top Democrat Hillary Clinton has a comparable network.

Obama says ‘no greater threat to planet than climate change’ Washington, United States | AFP | Saturday 4/18/2015 – US President Barack Obama said Saturday that climate change poses the world’s biggest single threat.

“Today, there’s no greater threat to our planet than climate change,” Obama said in his weekly address, which had an environmental theme to mark Earth Day on April 22. “Climate change can no longer be denied, or ignored,” he added, noting that 2014 was the hottest year on record.

The United States is the second largest greenhouse gas emitter after China, and Obama has pledged to reduce US climate pollution by 26-28 percent from 2005 levels by 2025.

“This is an issue that’s bigger and longer-lasting than my presidency,” Obama said.

“This is the only planet we’ve got. And years from now, I want to be able to look our children and grandchildren in the eye and tell them that we did everything we could to protect it.”

Obama said he would travel to the Florida Everglades, a region known for its tropical wetlands, on Wednesday to talk about the ways in which climate change affects the economy.

“Rising sea levels are putting a national treasure – and an economic engine for the South Florida tourism industry – at risk,” Obama said of the famous wetlands.

Obama, who has made the fight against climate change one of his priorities, hopes to help seal a global deal at an international climate conference in Paris in December.

Inflight entertainment exposes airliners to hackers: US report

By Robert Macpherson

For editorial: Do you have a story tip, letter to the editor or suggestion? Please email info@usasianpost.com or mail your letter to: Editorial Department, The U.S Asian Post, Balita Media, Inc., 520 East Wilson Ave., Glendale, CA 91206. Submissions must include full name, mailing address and contact numbers. All contributions are subject to the paper’s editorial standards. For advertising, please email info@balita.com.

The U.S Asian Post is a publication of Balita Media, Inc., the leading source of news and information for the Filipino American community, which also publishes Weekend Balita. Views and opinions expressed by contributing writers and syndication partners are solely theirs and do not necessarily reflect that of the publishers.

All advertising materials are subject to the paper’s editorial standards and discretion. All rights reserved.

Reprints of materials published in the newspaper should have the explicit permission of The U.S Asian Post.

Washington, United States, AFP – Hackers could exploit inflight entertainment systems to fatally sabotage the cockpit electronics of a new generation of airliners connected to the Internet, a US government report warns.

It comes weeks after a co-pilot crashed his Germanwings A320 into the French Alps killing all 150 on board, prompting talk of airliners one day being 100 percent automated.

Inflight cybersecurity is “an increasingly important issue” that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is just starting to address in earnest, said the audit and investigative arm of the US Congress.

“Modern communications technologies, including IP connectivity, are increasingly used in aircraft systems, creating the possibility that unauthorized individuals might access and compromise aircraft avionics systems,” the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report said.

In the past, the electronics used to control and navigate aircraft – known as avionics – have functioned autonomously, said the GAO. “However, according to FAA and experts we spoke to, IP networking may allow an attacker to gain remote access to avionics systems and compromise them,” the GAO said.

In theory, firewalls ought to protect avionics “from

intrusion by cabin-system users, such as passengers who use inflight entertainment systems.”

But four cybersecurity experts told the GAO that firewalls, being software components, can be hacked and circumvented “like any other software.”

The FAA, the aviation authority of the United States, has yet to develop regulations to make “cybersecurity assurance” for avionics part of its process for certifying new aircraft.

FAA officials told the GAO however that cybersecurity is an increasingly important concern and that it is shifting its certification focus to address it.

‘No evidence this has occurred’ Gerald Dillingham, a co-author of the GAO report, said the issue particularly affects a new generation of Internet-connected aircraft that includes the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350.

To date, he told AFP, there is no sign that any “bad actors” have successfully planted a virus or malware into an avionics system.

“We don’t have any evidence that this has occurred and we are hoping that raising this question will make it less likely to occur,” he said.

Last month’s Germanwings crash, in which the captain was reportedly locked out of the cockpit by his co-pilot, raised the specter of robots one day taking the place of humans at the controls to prevent a deadly repeat.

4

Wednesday - Tuesday, April 22 - 28, 2015

Visit www.usasianpost.com

THE US ASIAN POST

UTREACH USCIS expands myE-Verify used in hiring workers

Photo above shows: (from left) PNB Global Filipino Banking Group Head Benjie Oliva, Pilipino Workers Center Executive Director Aqui Soriano-Versoza, Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim, Los Angeles Filipino Association of City Employees President Linda Granados, Pinoy Town Hall Global Marketing Head Malou Villacisneros, PNB President and CEO Ricky Villacisneros.

Consulate meets with community, business leaders to access opportunities in LA Los Angeles, 15 April 2015 – The Los Angeles Filipino community and business leaders paid a courtesy call to Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim on 10 April 2015.

The Filipino community and business organization leaders informed Consul General Herrera-Lim about recent organization program partnerships and events.

They also announced that registration is now open for a FREE SEMINAR on How to Apply for Jobs in the City of Los Angeles in tandem with How to

Land a Contract in the City of Los Angeles presented by the Los Angeles Filipino Association of City Employees (LAFACE) and Pilipino Workers Center (PWC), organized by Pinoy Town Hall (PTH).

This event, sponsored by Philippine National Bank Remittance Center Inc. (PNBRCI) will be held on Saturday, 25 April 2015, at the PWC Community Room 153 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026.

A complimentary Filipino lunch will be available to all attendees who will be registering

online.

Event Details are shown below: • Date: Saturday, 25 April 2015 • Time: Sign-In 9:00am, Seminar 9:30am • Location: PWC Community Room, 153 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026 • Cost: FREE • Registration: :WWW.PINOYTOWNHALL.COM/REGISTERNOW or call (855) 746-6984 Ext. 801.

Contact: Cynthia

Angelenos call for $15.25 minimum wage LOS ANGELES – As thousands prepare nationwide for the largest mobilization ever of lowwage workers calling for $15 an hour on April 15, workers from every corner of Los Angeles, community, faith and business leaders – all part of the Raise the Wage coalition – are planning to march and rally in Los Angeles.

The national day of action comes as momentum and the number of L.A. workers calling for increased wages continues to grow. On April 14, thousands of caregivers and their supporters will march and rally urging Los Angeles County Supervisors to put home care workers on a path-

way to $15 an hour.

With demonstrations happening in dozens of cities, nowhere is the Fight for $15 more relevant than in Los Angeles, where more than 700,000 are paid less than $15 an hour. Raise the Wage and others have been advocating for a minimum wage increase to $15.25 an hour with earned sick days and enforcement provisions.

In advance of the April 15 national day of action, Raise the Wage co-conveners Rusty Hicks and Laphonza Butler issued the following statements: Laphonza Butler, co-convener of the Raise the Wage Coalition and president of SEIU-

ULTCW and SEIU California: “LA is at the forefront in the effort to raise the wage to $15.25.

We have the opportunity to lift millions of families out of poverty nationally and the brave people in LA who work in restaurants and carwashes, as caregivers and healthcare providers, who cut our hair and help us at the bank are leading the way. No one should have to work two or three jobs to be able to provide for themselves and their families. We will all benefit, as will our economy, when everyone has enough money to cover the basic necessities. $15 is what people need to survive.”

California declares end to measles outbreak Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Friday 4/17/2015 – Public health authorities in California announced Friday the end of a measles outbreak that has struck at least 131 people since it was declared in December.

No new measles cases have been reported for two 21-day incubation periods, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) said in a statement.

“We are pleased this outbreak is over,” said CDPH director Karen Smith, who nevertheless warned that it could reappear in the state at any time.

“The best defense for protection against the highly infec-

tious measles is vaccination,” she said.

The outbreak began at a Disney theme park, and researchers have said it was able to spread because not enough children were being vaccinated.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that causes a rash and fever, and can lead to complications ranging from brain damage to hearing loss and blindness.

In rare cases, it can result in death.

Nationwide, 159 cases of measles have been reported since January 1 in 18 states and the District of Columbia, the federal Centers for Disease Control

says.

Besides California, the hardest hit states have been Illinois, Washington, Nevada and Arizona, according to data on the CDC website.

While not endemic to California, the CDPH said measles can circulate “when a contagious, infected person enters the state and exposes others.”

Two doses of the MMR vaccine are more than 97 effective in preventing measles, it said.

But many parents have refused to let their children be vaccinated, fearing a link between MMR and autism – a link that experts have discredited.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced the expansion of myE-Verify services nationwide. myE-Verify is a one-stop shop for employees to create and maintain secure personal accounts and access features for identity protection.

“Since its inception, E-Verify has provided employees with valuable online tools and resources regarding the employment eligibility verification process,” said USCIS Director León Rodríguez. “myE-Verify signifies a significant step forward for added transparency, features, and identity protection.” myE-Verify gives workers a free and secure way to participate in the E-Verify process by accessing features dedicated for employees, including Self Check and the Employee Rights Toolkit.

For added security, individuals will have their identities verified through Self Check, in order to create a myE-Verify account. myE-Verify introduces the following services now available nationwide: myE-Verify accounts – Allows employees and job seekers to set up free and secure personal accounts to manage the use of their information in E-Verify and Self Check.

Self Lock – Allows individuals to lock their social security numbers to prevent unauthorized or fraudulent use within E-Verify. Users can proactively protect their identities from being used by others to illegally gain employment. Self Lock is available only to myEVerify account holders. myResources – A section of the myE-Verify site that contains information in multi-media formats to educate employees about their rights and the responsibilities of employers in the employment eligibility verification process. myE-Verify accounts and Self Lock were previously released in 21 states and the District of Columbia. USCIS plans to roll out additional myE-Verify services focused on employees and job seekers in the future.

E-Verify is the free web-based service from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security used by nearly 590,000 employers to verify the employment eligibility of persons they hire.

For more information on EVerify, visit the www.dhs.gov/EVerify, or for myE-Verify visithttp://www.uscis.gov/mye-verify.

For more information about USCIS and its programs, please visit www.uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis) and the USCIS blog The Beacon.

Arts Commission releases report analyzing creative occupations in Los Angeles County Report finds creative job opportunities across a variety of industries in La County are not limited to people with a bachelor’s degree

A new study released by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission finds that while half of the 79 creative occupations in LA County re¬quire a bachelor’s degree or more, nearly half of them, require less. The report – Creative Work: How Arts Education Promotes Career Opportunities Beyond the Arts – takes a closer look at data from the US Department of Labor about these creative occupations that do not require a bachelor’s degree, to find out what kind of jobs they are and how they compare to jobs that require at least a bachelor’s degree.

The full report can be found here.

The report looks at creative employ¬ment through the lens of creative occupa¬tions, those that require some kind of creativity on the job but may be found in a variety of industries, from aerospace to construction to education to arts and entertainment. The 2014 Otis Report on the Creative Economy found 198,110 people working in 79 creative occupa¬tions in LA County. Nearly one-third of these creative occupations only require a high school diploma.

Additionally, the report found that the top two work activities of those occu¬pations that both do

and do not require a bachelor’s degree are the same: Getting Information and Thinking Creatively.

For 20 creative occupations that do not require a bachelor’s degree, more than one-third of all California employment in those jobs is in LA County; and on-the-job training opportunities are far more prevalent among those occupations that do not require a bachelor’s degree compared to those that do. The study found that half of the occupations that do not require a bachelor’s degree have median annual earnings higher than median earnings across all occupations in LA County.

“Of course we know the benefits of going to college are significant,” states Laura Zucker, Executive Director, LA County Arts Commission. “Those creative occupations that require a bachelor’s degree do pay more than those that do not.

However, the reality is that not all high school graduates will continue on to college immediately. With this study, we know there are creative occupations offering viable job opportunities that pay living wages, even for those students who do not continue directly to college after high school.”

With these creative occupations so highly concentrated in LA County, the report recommends efforts to prepare young people to enter those occupations should begin in the K-12 system.

New York protesters demand $15 minimum wage New York, United States, AFP, Wednesday 4/15/2015 – Thousands of demonstrators, including many fast-food workers, protested in New York on Wednesday demanding a minimum wage of $15 an hour to escape poverty in America’s largest city.

Fast-food workers held strikes in more than 230 American cities, joined by airport, construction and child care staff, as well as people working in education, organizers said, calling it the largest mobilization of underpaid workers in the US. Between 10,000 and 15,000 took part in the New York protest, they said.

Pedro Gamboa, 58, is a baggage handler at JFK airport who works 40 hours a week and wakes up at 3 a.m. to do it – earning $10.10 an hour.

“It’s not enough. You have to be a magician to survive on that,” said the Guatemalan-born family man. “Once you pay your bills, there is nothing left in your pockets.”

In New York, a first protest began at around 6:00 am outside a McDonald’s outlet in Brooklyn.

In Manhattan, fast-food workers were joined by students and activists, spreading out on the sidewalk outside another McDonald’s to demand better salaries, an AFP photographer said. They held up placards proclaiming: “Why poverty,” “Fight for 15” and “Because the rent won’t wait.”

Workers say they are fed up with pay that does not come close to keeping them out of poverty and the threat of retaliation from employers hostile to them joining or forming unions.

On April 1, McDonald’s said that it was raising hourly pay to $1 above the local official minimum wage for 90,000 employees in company-owned restaurants, and would offer them paid time off.

The increase, however, does not apply to 660,000 employees working for restaurants owned by franchises, which comprise 90 percent of the 14,000 McDonald’s outlets across the United States.

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, April 22 - 28, 2015

Visit www.usasianpost.com

5

Fashion designer Cora Manimbo highlights The Sister City LA Makati Oscar Atendido Filigree Jewelry complement her designs

By Ed Rame

From left to right: Bobby Rimas, UCLA Pilipino Alumni Scholarship Director, Trish Eusala, UCLA Prep Student Coordinator, and Dr. Jeffrey Mariano of Kaiser Permanente

Pilipino professionals give advice to UCLA-bound students

On Saturday, April 11th at the UCLA Carnesales Commons’ Venice Room, the UCLA Pilipino Recruitment and Enrichment Program (PREP) and the UCLA Pilipino Alumni Association presented a panel of Pilipino professionals who graduated from or taught at UCLA. Panelists included professionals in the fields of education, nursing, engineering, entertainment, and medicine.

UCLA Pilipino Alumni Chair Roselyn Castro moderated the panelists as they offered prospective students and their parents insights and advice relating to their experiences as undergrad and graduate students, the challenges they encountered, their accomplishments, and how they entered into their professions. One of the panelists, Dr. Jeffrey Mariano who recently became a Partner at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in West Los Angeles, indicated that “the students and their parents and families are inspirations to

me and countless others. Education is key!”

Patricia “Trish” Eusala, UCLA PREP Student Coordinator, who spearheaded the event, ensured that the panel ran smoothly and warmly answered questions from prospective UCLA students and their families before and after the event. Bobby T. Rimas, the UCLA Pilipino Alumni Scholarship Director, spoke with students and their families immediately after the event to discuss details regarding available scholarships through the UCLA Pilipino Alumni / Lovell Sevilla Scholarship Program.

The UCLA Pilipino Alumni / Lovell Sevilla Scholarship Program usually culminates in the awarding of the UCLA Pilipino Alumni Endowment Scholarship at UCLA Pilipino Alumni’s annual scholarship benefit, which is scheduled to take place at the UCLA James West Alumni Center on May 2nd.

‘Amazingly intact’ WWII aircraft carrier found in bottom of Pacific Los Angeles, United States, AFP – Experts have discovered a World War II US aircraft carrier that is “amazingly intact” despite languishing on the bottom of the Pacific for more than 60 years.

The ship is upright, listing only slightly and may even have an plane inside The former USS Independence is resting in 2,600 feet (800 meters) of water off California’s Farallon Islands with its hull and flight deck very well preserved and clearly visible, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said Thursday.

There also appears to be a plane in the hangar bay of the vessel, the lead ship of its class of light aircraft carriers that were vital during the American naval offensive in the Pacific.

“After 64 years on the seafloor, Independence sits on the bottom as if ready to launch its planes,” said James Delgado, chief scientist on the mission and maritime heritage director for NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.

“This ship fought a long, hard war in the Pacific and after the war was subjected to two atomic blasts that ripped through the

ship.

“It is a reminder of the industrial might and skill of the ‘greatest generation’ that sent not only this ship, but their loved ones to war.”

The carrier is one of an estimated 300 wrecks in the waters off San Francisco and the deepest known shipwreck in the sanctuary, the NOAA said.

Independence operated in the central and western Pacific from November 1943 to August 1945 and later was one of more than 90 vessels assembled as a target fleet for atomic bomb tests in 1946 in the Marshall Islands.

Damaged by shock waves, heat and radiation, Independence survived the tests and returned to the United States.

It was moored in San Francisco until age caught up with her and she was towed out to sea for scuttling in January 1951.

Independence was found as part of a two-year NOAA mission to locate historic shipwrecks in the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and nearby waters.

Experts last month used an autonomous underwater vehicle, Echo Ranger, made by Boeing, to survey the Independence.

Cora Manimbo is the Philippines’ fashion guru for indigenous fabric couture. Her name resonates highly in the fashion world both in the Philippines and abroad. Her directory of clientele is impressive as she cater to the royalties, tycoons, politicians and business people. Her beautiful beaded and embroidered clothes are highly in demand among her pedigreed clientele especially among the royalties.

Sometime in 1997 she started designing Filipiniana dresses and she captured the imagination of every fashion aficionados who attended her shows. By sheer talent and excellent craftsmanship, the news about her exquisite works spread rapidly. The Philippine consulates in the US took notice of her works and had made her a designer of choice to feature Philippine arts and fashion during their numerous events.

Ms. Manimbo’s romance with Philippine fabrics paid well. She put authentic Philippine fashion at the fore in world fashion. Her works are timeless and her talents are endless.

Complimenting the fashion collection of Ms. Manimbo is Oscar Atendido’s jewelry. His art is filigree jewelry which are delicate works in metal like silver, copper and gold. Filigree work found its ways to the Philippines thru the Belgian missionaries.

Before the programs was phased out in schools like the St. Louis University in Baguio City, Oscar believed that this kind of art is worth saving.

His creative mind may somehow been started with his curiosity on his mom’s jewelries. His interest was piqued on how those intricate jewelries were created as he gaze at them in great amazement. So now Oscar has made it his own art.

Cora and Oscar has wowed audiences from different parts of the world like Moscow, Honolulu, The MIddle East and United States. Their works were like coffee and cream that works so well together.

Their creations were so enhanced by both the materials they use and the incredible amount of talent they so passionately put in each ensemble to create a perfect match that so pleases to the eyes.. Seeing

The name Cora Manimbo (rightmost) resonates highly in the fashion world both in the Philippines and abroad. Cora’s (rightmost) directory of clientele is impressive as she cater to the royalties, tycoons, politicians and business people. Complimenting the fashion collection of Cora is Oscar Atendido’s (leftmost) jewelry.

their works together is like seeing a fabled collection of Philippines’ rich heritage both in culture and arts.

Cora Manimbo and Oscar Atendido are really ambassadors of Filipino arts and culture. The fashion show is the highlight of the Los Angeles-Makati Fundrasing Gala to be held at the Omni Hotel at downtown LA. 251 South Olive ST, LA CA 90012 Cocktails will start at 5Pm, Dinner at &PM Major sponsors of the event are FoodTrients, Island Pacific, Image Spa MD, Leelin Bakery and Café, Virgilia Productions, Filipino Heritage Festival, Law Offices of Joe Sayas, Lydia and Jessie Alfonso, Weekend Balita, US Asian Post, Asian Journal Inc, Balikbayan Magazine. Please call Vic at 818-458-9258 for inquiries or Trini at 818-455-2132 for tickets.

Glendale Wins Resource Efficiency Award from the California Municipal Utilities Association Utility wins “Large Utility Water Program” category for its WaterSmart Program

Glendale, CA – April 15, 2015 – Glendale Water and Power (GWP) has won the California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA) Resource Efficiency Award in the Large Utility Water Program category for its water-use efficiency program in partnership with WaterSmart Software. WaterSmart’s technology marries behavioral science and data science to help water utilities engage customers, improve operational efficiency, and save money.

Every year, the CMUA Resource Efficiency Awards honor California’s publicly owned utilities that are on the forefront of innovative water programs. Given the chronic drought the state finds itself in, these awards have never been more important. A leading utility in the effort to improve water-use efficiency, Glendale Water and Power has saved more than 23 million gallons of water in just a 4-month period through the WaterSmart Program.

“Glendale has a consistent track record of innovation. We are always looking for proven and verifiable technologies to better engage our customers,” said Steve Zurn, General Manager of GWP. “As we enter a fourth consecutive year of drought we must help reduce consumption and secure water supplies for the long-term needs of our customers. The WaterSmart program has been a tremendous asset in helping us achieve that objective.”

The Glendale WaterSmart Program delivers Home Water Reports (HWRs) to residential customers that include individualized recommendations to reduce their water use. The reduction in household water consumption in turn helps the utility reduce future capital expenditures. “Glendale Water and Power deserves to be recognized for their leadership in water-use efficiency,” said Robin Gilthorpe, CEO of WaterSmart. “While many utilities are focused on expensive and time consumption water projects, Glendale has chosen to fight the drought with a cost-effective technological solution that delivers measureable results in a matter of months.”

About Glendale Water and Power

Glendale Water & Power (GWP) is the City of Glendale’s water and electric utility. GWP provides water to 33,744 customers in Glendale, California. The city-owned utility also generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to 85,358 residential, commercial, and industrial customers. www.GlendaleWaterAndPower.com About WaterSmart Software WaterSmart Software helps water utilities educate and engage their customers to save water and money.

WaterSmart offers a turnkey, cloudbased engagement, analytics, and behavioral water efficiency solution that helps utilities save water - up to 5 percent - in as little as twelve months.

6

Visit www.usasianpost.com

Wednesday - Tuesday, April 22 - 28, 2015

THE US ASIAN POST

Get free tickets to see Lani Misalucha at the Pechanga Theater If you are interested in seeing Lani Misalucha live at Pechanga Resort & Casino, then perhaps this is your lucky day.

Pechanga Resort & Casino announced a raffle contest, which will giveaway two pairs of tickets to Lani Misalucha’s Concert at the Pechanga Theater on May 22, 2015 at 8:00 PM. The raffle contest will begin on April 11 and will be ongoing until April 29. Entry forms can be submitted via email at advertising@balita.com and put LANI as subject.

Your entry form should contain your complete name, age and phone number.

Participants must be over 21 years old and must also be California residents with a valid form of identification. Contestants will be asked to answer the two (2) trivia questions about Lani Misalucha.

If the contestant submits the correct answer, their names will be entered in the raffle drawing to win tickets for themselves and a lucky guest of their choice.

What was Lani Misalucha called since she arrived in Las Vegas in 2004?

What is the name of the Hawaiian troupe performing with Lani Misalucha in Las Vegas?

To join this raffle contest, please visit one of the following websites: www.usasianpost. com and www.balita.com or get a copy of The US Asian Post and Weekend Balita.

You have to answer the trivia questions and send your answers via email. You will be entered into the May 1, 10 a.m. drawing at the Balita Media, Inc. office in Glendale, CA. The winners of the contest will be contacted via phone or email immediately af-

ter the raffle drawing. The winners will be able to claim their tickets through will-call at the Pechanga Theater on May 22, 2015.

Lastly, winners will be announced in Balita Media’s weekly publications, The US Asian Post and Weekend Balita.

Come and experience it all at Pechanga Resort and Casino located at 45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula, CA 92592.

For more information, call 1-877-7112946 or visit www.Pechanga.com.

Fil-Am to host World Championship Robotics Competition St. Louis, Missouri

\LOS ANGELES, C.A., April 14, 2015 – We are pleased to announce that FilipinoAmerican, Jojo Aguilar, is returning as the Master of Ceremony for the 2014 FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics World Championships in St. Louis, Missouri on April 22-25, 2015 at the Edward Jones Dome.

More than 10,000 high school students from around the globe will travel to compete their custom-built robots and put them to the test.

FIRST is non-profit organization which produces robotics competition around the world exposing students K-12 to the exciting opportunities in science, technology and engineering fields through robotics.

“After being the Master of Ceremony for the FIRST Robotics Los Angeles Regional Competition during the last six years and hosting the World Championships the last three years, being invited back to host an-

other world championships is very exciting for me,” says Aguilar.

FIRST Robotics Competition Director, Frank Merrick, recently said of Aguilar’s performance as Master of Ceremonies, “He was high energy all weekend long, hit all the right notes and kept tuned in to the spectators.”

“Jojo easily gained the respect and admiration of competing students and other event workers at the competition in an atmosphere of significant pressure,” says FIRST Production Developer, Blair Hundertmark.

FIRST Robotics Competition combines sports excitement with the rigors of science and technology.

Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams are challenged to fundraise, design a brand, exercise teamwork and build and program robots to perform tasks against competitors.

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, April 22 - 28, 2015

Visit www.usasianpost.com

7

MOTORING

2015 LONG BEACH GRAND PRIX HIGHLIGHTS: Dixon won the 2015 Long Beach Grand Prix Sunday after overtaking pole-sitter Helio Castroneves in the middle of the race and never looking back. Dixon held off late challenges from Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya and recorded his first career win at Long Beach. Photos: Phillip Ner

Dixon wins Long Beach IndyCar Find out why Honda is the world’s top brand, get in touch with (inset from left) Filipino Internet Sales Manager Patrick Lucas, Sales Manager George Ventura and General Sales Manager Gen Balouev, who are ready to make a deal. of Norm Reeves Honda West Covina. Call him at 1-888-868-9779. Patrick can show you Accord Hybrid’s best features or all the features of any Honda vehicle for that matter. Norm Reeves Honda West Covina is located at 1840 East Garvey Ave., South, West Covina, CA 91791.

A showcase of top Honda vehicles now ongoing at Norm Reeves Honda West Covina

Long Beach, United States | AFP | Monday 4/20/2015 – New Zealand’s Scott Dixon won the IndyCar Series Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Sunday, beating runner-up Helio Castroneves of Brazil for his 36th career Indy car victory.

Castroneves nearly overtook Dixon for position after making his last pit stop, but Dixon fended off the challenge and then drove away from Castroneves, beating him to the finish line by 2.2 seconds.

Dixon’s 36th win moves him ahead of Bobby Unser for fifth on the series’ all-time race winners list. It was also his first win in Long Beach and the 98th Indy car victory for team owner Chip Ganassi Racing.

Prior to Sunday, Dixon’s best finish in eight starts at Long Beach was fourth five years ago. He had placed 11th, 12th, 18th and 23rd in the previous four starts in southern California. “This is huge. I love the event, but as far as coming here and doing well it hadn’t been on that list,� Dixon

said.

Juan Pablo Montoya, who won earlier this season in St. Petersburg, placed third, followed by France’s Simon Pagenaud, who is in his first season with Penske. Dixon’s Ganassi teammate, Tony Kanaan, finished fifth. “The guys did a great job in the pits. It was just perfect. At the end of the day, second place is not bad,� said Castroneves.

Dixon, driving the No. 9 car, started third in the 80lap race, but he passed Montoya, on the opening lap.

Sebastien Bourdais, Josef Newgarden, Marco Andretti, Carlos Munoz and Sebastian Saavedra placed sixth through 10th, respectively. It was the first IndyCar start this season for Saavedra.

Montoya remained atop the championship standings, but Castroneves trimmed his teammate’s lead to just three points. Kanaan climbed to third in the rankings, 26 points behind.

TORRANCE, Calif., Apr the Honda Accord Hybrid that 16, 2015 – The award-win- include being named About. ning Honda Accord Hybrid, com’s “Best New Cars of 2015� boasting the highest EPA city and Green Car Journal’s fuel economy rating of any Green Car of the Year. The four-door sedan sold in Amer- Accord Hybrid also earned a ica1, was named to Kelley TOP SAFETY PICK rating (Relaxnews) – One of the world’s biggest oil and gas which used a revolutionary manufacturing process Blue Book’s KBB.com annual by the Insurance Institute for list of the 10 Best Green Cars Highway Safety (IIHS) and a companies is collaborating with one of the world’s most that reduced weight and materials without comprofor 2015, its second straight 5-star Overall Vehicle Score respected automotive designers, Gordon Murray on a mising strength or rigidity. appearance on the KBB.com by the National Highway project exploring the future of personal mobility.

The iStream system, as it was called, also allowed green car list. The industry Traffic Safety Administration Dubbed Project M and officially announced on the basic three-seat platform to take on many different experts at Kelley Blue Book (NHTSA)2.

Thursday, the collaboration aims to design, develop forms and shapes based on the motoring need, meanFind out why Honda is the praised the Accord Hybrid’s and build an ultra-efficient, ultra-compact city car, ing that the creation of a whole range of different cars stellar fuel economy ratings world’s top brand, get in touch and excellent value proposi- with Patrick Lucas, the Fili- albeit one that is powered by a traditional internal would be simple and affordable.

Although this is now officially a Shell project, it appino Internet Sales Manager of combustion engine. Shell describes the car, which will tion. “Eco-minded drivers looking Norm Reeves Honda West Covi- be unveiled in concept form in November, as a simple pears that it shares many elements with the T25.

Of the project, Murray himself says that it’s a for a new ‘green’ vehicle with na. Call him at 1-888-868-9779. global city car that will “work brilliantly whether you low CO2 emissions don’t have Patrick can show you Accord are in a city where mass-motoring is a relatively new chance to explore future personal mobility needs: “I to look further than the fun-to- Hybrid’s best features or all the thing or already a century-old.� think the Shell car is really important. We can look to drive and fuel-efficient Accord features of any Honda vehicle For Murray, the project is clearly a chance to fur- the future and see where we should be going not just Hybrid,� said Steven Center, for that matter. Norm Reeves ther his own work into the topic. In 2010, he unveiled with materials but in terms of design philosophy and vice president of the Environ- Honda West Covina is located at something called the T25, an ingenious ultra-compact other technologies and take a holistic look at where mental Business Development 1840 East Garvey Ave., South, city car that sat three in a triangular formation and the future car is going.�

Office at American Honda Mo- West Covina, CA 91791. tor Co., Inc. “Recognition from the trusted editors at Kelley Blue Book is proof Super positive of the progress Honda has made developwelcome ing increasingly cleaner kayo dito! vehicles over the last 40 years.�

The 2015 Honda Accord Hybrid is designed Patrick Lucas for outstanding fuel efInternet Sales Manager WEST COVINA plucas@normreeveswc.com ficiency and fun-to-drive performance and boasts EPA fuel economy ratings of 50/45/47 mpg (city/ Due at 1st Mos Cap Cost highway/combined). The Security Lease 2015 Accord Sedan CVT LX Featured †Accord Hybrid’s two-moPayment* Reduction* Deposit* Special Lease, on approved credit Signing* tor hybrid system, part , of an expanding lineup New 2015 Honda New 2015 Honda 2012 Honda of Honda EarthDreams Civic LX Auto Technology powertrains, Sedan CVTT Auto CVT Auto 6WN 9,1 seamlessly blends elec$XWR &\O / 0LOHV tric-only, hybrid and enLease for Lease for gine drive modes along †with powerful regenera, tive braking to provide /mo o /mo 2012 Honda highly responsive, refined + tax ax + tax Accord LX Sedan and fuel-efficient perfor$ $ 0 due at lease signing 0 due at lease signing mance in a wide range of 5 at this offer 5 at this offer 6WN 9,1 driving situations. $XWR &\O / 0LOHV Closed-end lease for 2015 Honda Civic Sedan LX CVT Auto for $199 per month plus tax for 36 months on Closed-end lease for 2015 Honda Fit LX CVT Auto for $229 per month plus tax for 36 months on approved “The Honda Accord is approved tier 1+ credit. $0 due at lease signing, includes 1st payment, $0 security deposit, tax, license and tier 1+ credit. $0 due at lease signing, includes 1st payment, $0 security deposit, tax, license and fees. Drive†off example based on the current Los Angeles County tax rate and actual amount may vary. 12,000 miles per one of the best values in fees. Drive-off example based on the current Los Angeles County tax rate and actual amount may vary.

12,000 miles per year with $.15 per mile thereafter. Dealer contribution may affect consumer cost. After dealer year with $.15 per mile thereafter. Dealer contribution may affect consumer cost. After dealer contribution, only , the American auto mar- contribution, only $0 due at signing on approved credit. Offer expires 4/30/15. $0 due at signing on approved credit. Offer expires 4/30/15. ket, and we expressed our 2013 Honda New 2015 Honda New 2015 Honda admiration for the model Fit HB Sport by naming it our Kelley 6WN 9,1 Sedan n CVT Auto 2WD Auto o Blue Book Best Buy in the $XWR &\O / 0LOHV hotly contested midsize †Lease for Lease for car category,� said Jack Nerad, executive market , analyst and executive 2012 Honda editorial director for Kelmo /mo /mo Odyssey LX ley Blue Book’s KBB.com. + tax + tax 6WN 9,1 $ $ “So when you take all that 0d due at llease signing i i 0 due at lease signing 5 at this offer 5 at this offer $XWR &\O / 0LOHV goodness – fun-to-drive, Closed-end lease for 2015 Honda CR-V LX 2WD Auto for $289 per month plus tax for 36 months on approved great ergonomics and stel- Closed-end lease for 2015 Honda Accord Sedan LX CVT Auto for $249 per month plus tax for 36 months *Closed-end lease for 2015 Accord Sedan CVT LX for $250 per approved tier 1+ credit. $0 due at lease signing, includes 1st payment, $0 security deposit, tax, license tier 1+ credit. $0 due at lease signing, includes 1st payment, $0 security deposit, tax, license and fees. Drivemonth plus tax for 35 months on approved tier 1+ credit. $0 due at lar reliability – and add a on and fees. Drive-off example based on the current Los Angeles County tax rate and actual amount may vary. off example based on the current Los Angeles County tax rate and actual amount may vary. 12,000 miles per sophisticated powertrain 12,000 miles per year with $.15 per mile thereafter. Dealer contribution may affect consumer cost. After dealer year with $.15 per mile thereafter. Dealer contribution may affect consumer cost. After dealer contribution, only lease signing, includes 1st payment, $0 security deposit, tax, license and fees. Drive-off example based on the Los Angeles County tax $0 due at signing on approved credit. Offer expires 4/30/15. that has a 50 mpg fuel contribution, only $0 due at signing on approved credit. Offer expires 4/30/15. rate and actual amount may vary. 12,000 per year with $.15 per mile economy rating, you have thereafter. Dealer contribution may affect consumer cost. After dealer contribution, only $0 due at signing on approved credit. Offer expires a very compelling proposi5/11/15. †All advertised prices exclude government fees and taxes, tion.� any finance charges, any dealer document processing charge, any KBB.com’s honor adds electronic filing charge, and any emission testing charge. All vehicles to the growing list of 1840 E Garvey Ave South, West Covina, CA 91791 subject to prior sale. See dealer for details. Offer expires 4/30/15. prestigious awards for

Oil giant Shell is building a concept car

Super Prices, Super Selection, Super Service!

$14 053

Civic LX

199

$

Fit HB LX

229

$

$15 967

$16 016

Accord LX

249

$

CR-V LX

289

$

888-868-9779

$18 991

8

Wednesday - Tuesday, April 22 - 28, 2015

Visit www.usasianpost.com

THE US ASIAN POST

Millions at risk for blindness due to diabetes

Give your child an appreciation for vegetables, says an expert in children’s nutrition. ©Maryna Pleshkun/Shutterstock.com

Teach children how to read food labels and more advice from a nutritionist on raising healthy eaters (Relaxnews) – Good eating habits could ward off obesity, says Tanda Kidd, an associate professor of human nutrition and extension specialist at Kansas State University who has made kids the focus of much of her research.

What’s more, she says, a balanced diet could foster success in life, for studies suggest it improves concentration, alertness and keeps emotional and physical health in check.

And yet, aggressive marketing of fatty snacks and sugar-laden drinks has made it hard for parents to encourage healthy eating habits in kids who are craving the junk food they see advertised day by day.

Giving in should not occur as a reward for good behavior or school achievements, says Kidd.

“Eat your veggies, Dad,” she says, emphasizing that children’s food habits come from their parents, so eating together is important for kids to watch parents making wise choices about what, when, where and how much to eat.

It’s important to know what your children are eating when they’re in school or at friends’ houses, according to Kidd, adding that it’s perfectly acceptable to ask a school or daycare center what’s on the menu.

According to Kidd, TV encourages mindless eating, and should be strictly limited in favor of active play.

At present, there is no specific physical activity recommendation for children ages 2 to 5, but active play should be emphasized, says Kidd.

Kidd advises parents to avoid putting overweight children on a diet because this could lead to eating disorders down the road.

Tackle the problem by encouraging

physical activity and offering healthy foods, says Kidd.

Parents and children should cook together, go grocery shopping together, and parents should teach children to read food labels, she says.

Comparing costs and nutrition information of products in the grocery store can offer valuable lessons, according to Kidd.

Planting a garden together could give your child an appreciation for vegetables, she says, adding that it also provides quality time spent as a family.

The pressure is on parents, according to a recent study that says positive changes in children’s eating habits and weight loss depend on the progenitor’s readiness.

That study, which was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, concluded that 62 percent of the 202 parents they worked with were ready to make household dietary changes, but only 40 percent were ready to encourage increased physical activity, leading by example.

SAVE THE PLANET

Los Angeles – There are approximately 29 million Americans age 20 and older that have diabetes and almost one third of those are at risk for vision loss because they do not know they have the disease.

“This is a tragedy waiting to happen because people with diabetes can develop diabetic retinopathy, a degenerative disease of the retina (the sensitive area at the back of the eye), which affects 5.3 million Americans age 18 and older,” said Dr. Jeffrey Sage, an ophthalmologist in Los Angeles.

More than one third of those diagnosed with diabetes do not adhere to vision care guidelines by forgoing a dilated eye exam every year. So, as part of November’s Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month, ophthalmologists across the country are urging Americans with diabetes to get a dilated eye exam this year, and every year.

Pregnant women with diabetes should have an eye exam in the first trimester, since diabetic eye disease can progress rapidly during pregnancy.

The longer a person has diabetes, the greater the risk for developing diabetic retinopathy. How-

ever, diabetic retinopathy does not only affect people who have had diabetes for many years, it can also appear within the first year or two after the onset of the disease. For some people, diabetic retinopathy is one of the first signs of the disease.

High blood sugar levels can weaken blood vessels in the eye’s retina causing them to leak blood or fluid. This causes the retina to swell and can lead to vision loss.

Blood sugar fluctuations can also promote growth of new, fragile blood vessels on the retina, which can break easily and leak blood

into the vitreous (the clear, jellylike substance that fills the center of the eye.) This can blur vision and lead to permanent vision impairment. High blood pressure and smoking can further damage blood vessels as well.

What are the signs to look for?

“Fluctuations in blood sugar levels can temporarily affect vision, so it’s sometimes difficult to know if a serious eye problem is developing,” says Dr. Sage. “That’s one of the reasons strict control of your blood sugar is so important. If you notice a vision change in one eye, a change that lasts more than a day or two or changes not associated with fluctuations in blood sugar, call your Eye M.D. promptly.” If you’re diagnosed with diabetes, be sure to schedule a complete dilated eye exam once a year or as often as your Eye M.D. suggests.

Don’t smoke and keep your blood sugar under control through diet and exercise.

Eye health care is provided by the three “O’s” – opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. It is the ophthalmologist, or Eye M.D., who can treat it all – eye diseases and injuries, and perform eye surgery.

Anti-wrinkle creams increasingly target bright young things (Relaxnews) – They say prevention is better than a cure and this is certainly true when it comes to anti-aging regimes as brands are increasingly launching a slew of new creams and ranges aimed at fighting off wrinkles before they show up in young women.

This week UK retailer Boots’ in-house brand No 7 is launching its new “Early Defence Skincare” range, which has been specially designed for women aged 20-35 who don’t need to worry about anti-aging just yet, but wish to keep young skin looking younger for longer.

Consisting of Day, Night and Eye Creams, the series has been designed as a ‘stepping stone’ to help in the transition from everyday skincare to proactively delaying the signs of ageing.

It features the brand’s patent-pending daily protection technology, ‘Double Defence’, which works in combination with UVA technology to protect skin from the sun and environmental stress.

The technology contains a combination of ginseng and mulberry to combat su-

No 7 Early Defence Night Cream. ©No 7.

All rights reserved.

peroxides produced as a result of exposure to sunlight or pollution, vitamin C and lipochroman and Vitamin E which are effective against singlet oxygen, an incredibly damaging free radical produced by UVA exposure. The creams also contain rice peptides and alfalfa, which are effective inhibitors of ageaccelerating enzymes (MMPs) in the skin.

“Protecting your skin from the sun and environmental stress is really important, particularly if you want to proactively delay the signs of ageing,”

says Dr Mike Bell, Skincare Scientific Advisor for Boots UK. “With Double Defence technology we have created a powerful and broad-spectrum antioxidant complex which has been designed to neutralize damaging free radicals that cause the skin oxidative stress, helping you to keep your skin looking younger for longer.”

Women in their twenties and thirties are becoming an increasingly important target for beauty brands when it comes to anti-aging. L’Oreal Paris has proven that it’s never too early to start protecting skin with its Youth Code range of night and day creams, aimed at women aged 25-35 who want youthful-looking skin.

Additional launches in recent years aimed at the demographic include Shiseido’s Ibuki range, designed to help skin resist the stresses of daily life, and Nuxe’s Nirvanesquerange of “First wrinkle creams” for a pre-emptive approach to anti-aging.

No 7’s Early Defence Skincare range is available online at Boots.com.

Maple syrup emerges as potential hero in antibiotic resistance crisis (Relaxnews) – When it’s been concentrated, an extract of maple syrup weakens harmful bacteria, reducing their resistance to antibiotics, according to a new study at McGill University in Canada.

Making microbes more susceptible to being overcome by antibiotics could cut down on the amount that’s necessary to fight them, say the researchers.

Increasing antibiotic use is thought to be contributing to the burgeoning antibiotic resistance crisis, which has become a major public health concern on a global scale.

The key ingredient in the extract is phenol, an acid-rich compound that’s a common component of plants that protects them from pathogens including insects.

Maple syrup is made from the sap of the North American maple tree, which makes it an excellent source of these natural pathogen-killing compounds.

The research team purchased the maple syrup sam-

Proteus mirabailis, which is a common culprit behind urinary tract infections.

The extract was mildly effective in combatting the bacteria by itself, but when paired with antibiotics it was significantly effective, according to the study, which was publishedin the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

The combination destroyed entire communities – called biofilms – which build in stubborn infections such as those that occur in the urinary tract for patients wearing a catheter.

“We would have to do in vivo tests, and eventually clinical trials, before we can say what the effect would be in humans,” says Professor Nathalie Tufenkji of McGill.

Produced from the sap of North American maple trees, maple syrup may contain natural antibacterial elements. ©shutterstock/Daniel Wiedemann/shutterstock.com

ples they worked with at local shops in Montreal, and kept it frozen until the beginning of each experiment when they extracted the part that’s rich in phenols.

In the study, the extract was put to the test against notorious bacteria including sometimes-deadly E. coli and

“But the findings suggest a potentially simple and effective approach for reducing antibiotic usage.”

The research team says the extract affects the bacteria’s gene expression, snuffing out those linked with resistance and virulence.

Professor Tufenkji’s previous research includes studying cranberry extracts that could potentially go up against bacteria.

At present, her team is working on how to use the extract to fight infection and disease.

Broccoli sprout extract could help prevent cancer An extract from broccoli sprouts has been demonstrated to protect mice from oral cancer and was successfully tolerated when taken by a small group of human volunteers.

It’s said to be a safe, natural molecule that works by protecting the oral lining upon which oral cancers form.

The next step, say members of the research team at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) where the experiment was conducted, is a human clinical trial for which they plan to recruit those at risk for head and neck cancer recurrence.

“People who are cured of head and neck cancer are still at very high risk for a second cancer in their mouth or throat, and, unfor-

tunately, these second cancers are commonly fatal,” says lead author Julie Bauman, M.D., M.P.H., codirector of the UPMC Head and Neck Cancer Center of Excellence.

Research conducted in China suggests cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and garden cress have a high concentration of sulforaphane that can neutralize the effects of environmental carcinogens.The mice in Dr. Bauman’s lab were predisposed to oral cancer, yet the sulforaphane reduced the number of them who fell ill. She then treated 10 healthy volunteers to a smoothie containing fruit juice and sulforaphanerich broccoli sprout extract.

They experienced no side effects and in observation of the lining of

their mouths indicated the extract was absorbed and helped bolster the at-risk tissue.

The human clinical trial would involve 40 participants who have undergone head and neck cancer and been treated.

In the trial, capsules containing broccoli seed powder will be used instead of the smoothie.

“We call this ‘green chemoprevention,’ where simple seed preparations or plant extracts are used to prevent disease,” says Dr. Bauman. “Green chemoprevention requires less money and fewer resources than a traditional pharmaceutical study, and could be more easily disseminated in developing countries where head and neck cancer is a significant problem.”

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, April 22 - 28, 2015

Visit www.usasianpost.com

9

KITCHENOMICS

FAMILY FEATURES

KH JDPH LV RQ DQG \RXU KRPH LV ¿OOHG ZLWK IULHQGV GHFNHG RXW LQ WKRVH IDPLOLDU FRORUV UHDG\ WR FKHHU WKHLU WHDP WR YLFWRU\ 1RZ WKHUHœV RQO\ RQH PRUH WKLQJ \RX QHHG WR PDNH WKLV JDPH GD\ JDWKHULQJ JUHDW ² D IHDVW RI GHOLFLRXV HDV\ WR HQMR\ JRRGLHV :KHWKHU \RXU WHDP FRQVLVWV RI VSLFH IDQDWLFV RU VZHHWV HQWKXVLDVWV %OXH 'LDPRQG RIIHUV D KXJH YDULHW\ RI GHOLFLRXV VQDFN DOPRQGV SHUIHFW IRU HYHU\ SUHIHUHQFH RU FUDYLQJ &RPSOHWH \RXU JDPH GD\ VSUHDG ZLWK GHOLFLRXV GLSV ² DQG GRQœW IRUJHW WKH GLSSHUV $GG YDULHW\ DQG FRORU ZLWK VOLFHG XS FDUURWV EHOO SHSSHUV DQG EURFFROL WR VHUYH DORQJVLGH WDVW\ %OXH 'LDPRQG 1XW 7KLQV D SHUIHFW FUXQFK\ GLSSHU WKDWœV DOVR JOXWHQ IUHH *HW LQ WKH JDPH ZLWK WKHVH UHFLSHV DQG PRUH E\ YLVLWLQJ ZZZ EOXHGLDPRQG FRP

T

Blazin’ Buffalo Potato Skins 6HUYLQJV Âą 3 pounds small russet potatoes Olive oil cooking spray 1 cup shredded reduced-fat or regular Monterey Jack cheese 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken 1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce 1/2 cup crushed Blue Diamond Hint of Sea Salt Nut-Thins 1/3 cup chopped Blue Diamond Smokehouse Almonds 1/2 cup light sour cream 1/4 cup sliced green onion tops 3UHKHDW RYHQ WR ƒ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

Grab n’ Go Popcorn Balls 6HUYLQJV 1 tablespoon canola oil 1/2 cup popcorn 6 tablespoons butter 1 (10-ounce) bag mini marshmallows 3/4 cup Blue Diamond Oven Roasted Sea Salt Almonds 1/2 cup chocolate chips Sea salt, for garnish ,Q ODUJH 'XWFK RYHQ KHDW RLO DQG SRSFRUQ RYHU PHGLXP KHDW &RYHU ZLWK OLG VKDNLQJ SDQ RFFDVLRQDOO\ WR FRDW NHUQHOV 2QFH \RX KHDU ¿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œW VWLFN 3ODFH EDOOV RQ SDUFKPHQW SDSHU DQG OHW FRRO 6WRUH LQ DLUWLJKW FRQWDLQHU RU EDJ

Bacon Avocado Dip 6HUYLQJV FXS 1 large avocado, peeled and mashed 1/2 tomato, seeded and chopped 1/3 cup Blue Diamond Jalapeùo Smokehouse Almonds, chopped 1/4 cup diced red onion 3 strips cooked bacon, roughly chopped 2 tablespoons sour cream 1 teaspoon minced garlic Juice of 1/2 lime Salt and pepper, to taste ,Q VPDOO ERZO PL[ DOO LQJUHGLHQWV 6HUYH ZLWK WRUWLOOD FKLSV RU \RXU IDYRULWH ÀDYRU RI 1XW 7KLQV

Honey Dijon Pretzel Chicken Tenders 6HUYLQJV Âą 1 package (about 1 1/4 pound) chicken tenders 1 egg, whisked 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon garlic powder Salt and pepper 1 cup crushed pretzels 1 cup crushed Blue Diamond Honey Dijon Almonds ,Q VPDOO ERZO FRDW UDZ FKLFNHQ ZLWK HJJ PXVWDUG DQG VSLFHV /HW PDULQDWH LQ UHIULJHUDWRU IRU PLQXWHV 3UHKHDW RYHQ WR ƒ) 0L[ SUHW]HOV DQG DOPRQGV DQG VSUHDG RQ ODUJH SODWH LQ HYHQ OD\HU &RDW HDFK FKLFNHQ WHQGHU LQ SUHW]HO DOPRQG PL[WXUH WKHQ SODFH RQ JUHDVHG EDNLQJ VKHHW %DNH IRU PLQXWHV RU XQWLO FKLFNHQ LV FRRNHG WKURXJK

10

Wednesday - Tuesday, April 22 - 28, 2015

Visit www.usasianpost.com

ENTERT

THE US ASIAN POST

INMENT

Vice Ganda, Kris address rumored rift

DCH Toyota’s proud Filipino Fleet: (From left) Phillip Rivera, Filipino Department Manager Loyd Aler and Teddy Villafuerte. DCH Toyota of Torrance is located at 2909 Pacific Coast Hwy Torrance, CA 90505. You can reach Loyd Aler or his fellow kababayans, Sales & Leasing Consultants Phillip Rivera and Teddy Villafuerte at 1-888-311- 0102 for the best deals in town.

“Sisterakas” co-stars Vice Ganda and Kris Aquino have addressed speculation that they are not on good terms, supposedly after a misunderstanding involving the comedian’s idea to come up with a blog and signature shirts.

Vice Ganda said, “Alam mo, hindi namin alam kung kaninong addict nanggaling ‘yan...

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang intensiyon ng mga tao, pero nakakadiri lang. Ang tandatanda namin para mag-away sa T-shirt… Ano kami, mga bata?”

“We share everything. Kris

and I, we share everything,” he said.

The “It’s Showtime” co-host was referring to rumors that Aquino went ahead a business idea that Vice Ganda had supposedly shared with her.

Aquino recently re-launched her official website with more blog content, categorized into family, travel, home, kitchen, reading, fashion and faith.

According to Vice Ganda, he even called Aquino to ask her what they should tell reporters about the rumor, since even they were confused as to how it started.

In fact, the comedian pointed out, he was among the first to get in touch with Aquino and her son, Bimby, after their minor road accident last Wednesday. Vice Ganda had just landed in Manila from the United States when he learned of the incident early Thursday.

On Instagram, Aquino shared a photo of flowers Vice Ganda had sent her and Bimby, who co-starred with the comedian in “The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin,” and thanked him for being her “first caller of the day.” (MNS)

Alessandra de Rossi

What Alessandra learned from being Mommy D Alessandra de Rossi thought it was “genius” idea to cast her in the role of Manny Pacquiao’s mother, Dioinisia Pacquiao or Mommy D, in the biopic “Kid Kulafu.”

De Rossi agreed that she has similarities with the popular “Pac-Mom.” Playing her, however, admittedly proved to be challenging for the 30-year-old actress.

“Nakakatawa ako nang bonggang-bongga,” she said, when asked how she reacted when she was offered the role. “Feeling ko napaka-genius nung nakaisip. Kasi si Mommy D, ‘di ba, seryoso na nakakatawa. May pagka ganoon din ako, eh, ‘yung mahirit, malikot.”

According to de Rossi, while she did not meet Mommy D personally, she studied a footage of her interview to get her mannerisms and speech patterns right.

Explaining her approach to the role, she said: “Ang ginawa ko, parang halu-halo ng caricature, abstract and realism, para naman ma-feel lahat.”

Asked what she learned from portraying Mommy D, de Rossi said she realized the important part that mothers play in shaping the character and future of their children.

“Kung ano ang isang tao, iyon lahat ay dahil sa kung ano ang nanay natin. Totoo naman, eh,” she said. “Kung ano si Manny ngayon, kung bakit siya winner, kung bakit siya champion, dahil tinuruan siya ng nanay niya na magdasal nang bongga-bongga, at naging istrikto ang parents niya.”

“Kid Kulafu,” which was released Wednesday in cinemas nationwide, was directed by Paul Soriano and features teen actor Buboy Villar as a young, struggling Pacquiao. (MNS)

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, April 22 - 28, 2015

J

Visit www.usasianpost.com

11

B MARKET For advertising, call (818) 552-4503 ext 402

•

Fax (818) 550-7635

•

email: advertising@balita.com

LOOKING FOR A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD?

MALE CAREGIVER Immediate hiring. With driving preferred. Call (818) 787-0789.

CHECK OUT OUR

CAREGIVERS Caregivers needed right away.

Irvine Cottages / Memory Care.

Assisted Living or Board& Care experienced req’d. Full-time & part-time live-in female & male.

949-633-1595 or 949-533-1136.

CLASSIFIED SECTION

LIVE IN/OUT CAREGIVERS Experience needed. Wkdays / wkends. One on one. Good English. Driving / non driving.

Bring CA ID, CPR aid card, TB test, Âżnger print results. LA/ SFV residents welcome to apply. Call 818-207-7839.

CAREGIVERS ASAP Live-in male, female, couple ok, caregivers for elderly B&C in Chatsworth. Know how to cook. W/ or w/out exp. will train.

Responsible, trustworthy, hardworking, reliable & nice attitude.

818-987-5223

CLASSIFIEDS TEL.: (818) 552-4503 ext 402

Mag

Tayo!

For more news & information, VISIT OUR WEBSITE

www.usasianpost.com

•

Fax: (818) 550-7635

•

MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED

FIGHTING ANIMAL TESTING

COMPUTER REPAIR Got virus? Is your computer so sloooowww; has a blue screen; the videos are not playing; or your Internet's not working? p Is there something wrong with your computer?

I WILL Fix IT

*

For a flat fee of

I will make your computer working again, fast andd virus-free, f install new parts or even upgrade your computer software (if applicable).

Desktop or laptop, I'll find out why your computer is malfunctioning and fix it right away!

*

LA Desktop & Laptop Services

Call us at (818) 823-5388 ‡ Email us: LAComputerShop@yahoo.com

ANNOUNCEMENTS

!

"

"

#

$

%

"

advertising@balita.com

(* DrŽƉ KÄŤ KŜůy͘ >Ä‚Ä?Ĺ˝ĆŒ ŽŜůLJ Ć‰ÄžĆŒ ƾŜĹ?ƚ͕ ŚĂrdwarÄž ĂŜĚ Ĺ˝ĆšĹšÄžĆŒ Ć‰Ä‚ĆŒĆšĆ? Ä‚rÄž Ä?ŚĂrĹ?ĞĚ Ć?ĞƉĂraƚĞůy͘ ĚĚĹ?Ć&#x;ŽŜĂů Ä?ŚĂrĹ?ÄžĆ? ĹľaLJ ĂƉƉůy.)

PRAYERS

PRAYERS

PRAYERS

PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

PRAYER to the BLESSED VIRGIN

NOVENA of CONFIDENCE

Holy Spirit Thou who make me see everything and show me the way to reach

(Never known to fail)

O Lord, Jesus Christ, to Your Most Sacred Heart I conÂżde this intention. (Here,

my ideal, You who give me the divine gift to forgive and forget the wrong that

Oh most beautiful Àower of Mt. Carmel, fruit wine splendor of Heaven.Blessed

is done to me and who are in all instances of my life with me. I, in this short dialogue, want to thank You for everything and conÂżrm once more that I never

Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh Star of the Sea. Help me and show me here you are my Mother. Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the

want to be separated from You no matter how great the material desires may be. I want to be with You and my loved ones in Your perpetual glory. Amen. A

bottom of my heart to succour me in my necessity. (make request). There are none that can withstand your power. Oh Mary conceived without sin, pray for

mention your request) Only look upon me, then do what Your Heart decides....I count on You...I trust in You...I throw myself at Your mercy...Lord Jesus! You will not fail me. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in You. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I believe in Your love for me. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I have asked for many favors, but I earnestly implore this one. Take it, place it in Your Sacred Heart.

person must pray this for three consecutive days without stating his wish. After

us who have recourse to Thee (3 times). Holy Mary, I place this prayer in your

When the Eternal Father sees it covered with Your Precious Blood, He will not

the 3rd day the wish will be granted, no matter how difÂżcult it may be. Promise

hands (3 times). Say this prayer for three consecutive days and then you must

refuse it. It will be no longer my prayer but Yours, O Jesus. O Sacred Heart of

to publish this as soon as your favor has been granted. Grateful Thanks -NOLA

publish and it will be granted to you.Grateful Thanks.-RONI

Jesus, I place my trust in You. Let me never be confounded. Amen. -DAVID

12

Wednesday - Tuesday, April 22 - 28, 2015

Visit www.usasianpost.com

HK POLITICIAN From page 1

Chun-ying and tipped as a future chief executive, cast the maids as marriage wreckers.

In an op-ed article in Chineselanguage newspaper Ming Pao on Friday, Ip told how jilted expatriate wives had complained to her that their maids had led their husbands astray. “I have received complaints from expatriate women... that Filipina domestic helpers seduce their husbands,” Ip wrote. “I could only tell them that under the current laws it is quite difficult to regulate,” she said. Ip said she had learnt of “families wrecked because of relationships between Filipina maids and male employers”.

“Rather than reporting improper behavior by local employers, should we pay more attention to Filipina maids becoming sexual resources for foreign men in Hong Kong?” she questioned.

In her article Ip linked her theory to the recent case of a 15-yearold girl, with a British father and Filipina mother, who fell from a luxury apartment block in an apparent suicide earlier this month.

RUNWAY From page 1

were under construction, CSIS said, demonstrating the speed of the works.

On Wednesday, defense journal IHS Jane’s reported that pictures taken by Airbus Defence and Space on March 23 showed a section more than 500 meters long and 50 meters wide.

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, on the basis of lines on Chinese maps published

RECLAMATION From page 1

tivities and to be mindful of its responsibilities as a claimant state and an important member of the international community.”

He said the military will “continue with our modernization program to put up a credible defense force for our territorial defense.”

The AFP also said it finds unacceptable China’s denial that its reclamation activities have not caused harm to the environment is unacceptable. (MNS)

Although police said there were no suspicious circumstances around the fall, the teenager’s mother Herminia Garcia – a former domestic helper – and her British businessman father, Nick Cousins, were arrested.

Garcia was charged with overstaying her visa and “neglect” of an unnamed 14-year-old child. Cousins is on bail for neglect and abetting the overstay, but has not been charged.

Ip cites their case as a “reflection” of what she describes as “abnormal relationships” between maids and employers.

The Philippine consulate expressed concern about what it called Ip’s “unfortunate choice of words” but said they did not reflect the feelings of the city’s people at large.

In a statement it said the more than 173,000 Filipina domestic helpers had a positive impact on the families they worked for and the city’s economy as a whole.

“Discrimination should have no place in any society, most especially Hong Kong which prides itself as Asia’s World City,” it added. in the 1940s and locking it into disputes with several Southeast Asian neighbors.

Its island-building in the Spratlys, also claimed in whole or part by the Philippines and Vietnam among others, has been seen as part of an attempt to assert its territorial claims by establishing physical facts in the water.

NO BAR From page 1

Joseph Scott Pemberton is now being tried for the crime in the Philippine city of Olongapo.

Activist groups have seized on the incident to attack the defense alliance between the United States and its former colony, staging frequent street protests against the presence of US forces.

However the Philippines, which has one of the weakest militaries in the region and which has a seething territorial dispute with China over parts of the South China Sea, has been seeking greater defence support from the United States in recent months.

MAYWEATHER From page 1

bout in boxing history.

The clamor for tickets makes it likely that the number actually going on general sale is relatively small compared to other fights held at the venue.

Interest in May’s bout was reflected in the 600 media who attended Wednesday’s Los Angeles press conference between the two boxers, the only press event scheduled before the week of the fight.The fight is also likely to smash pay-per-view records, with cable networks expected to charge around $100 per household for ac-

PACQUIAO From page 1

people like me and love me,” Pacquiao said. “Fans like an exciting fight. Our sport is called boxing, people like a boxer.”

Pacquiao was speaking in Hollywood at the final news conference he is giving before he heads to Las Vegas for the fight at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.

The boxer said he doesn’t need a blockbuster fight with Mayweather to define his legacy, that winning titles in eight divisions has far exceeded his expectations.

“My entire career defines my legacy. Everything I have done in boxing,” he said. “I have had some great, great accomplishments and achievements in my career.

I won titles in eight different weight divisions.”

His hall-of-fame career has

cess to the bout.

“It transcends boxing for sure and will probably transcend sport,” said television executive Ken Hershman of HBO Sports, describing it as the “single largest boxing event of all time.”

Veteran fight promoter Bob Arum said the showdown would be a rare chance for boxing to shine on a global stage.

“Major events like the Super Bowl or even the Olympics get worldwide attention,” Arum said.

“It’s been rare that worldwide attention focuses on a boxing match. Believe me, the entire world will be watching this great event unfold.”

THE US ASIAN POST

Arum last month said he expected the fight to be the most lucrative in history.

“I would say that Joe Frazier is turning over in his grave,” Arum said in an interview. “And Muhammad Ali is looking on in disbelief.”

BANK DEPOSIT From page 1

Around 96.6 percent of all deposit accounts are estimated to be fully insured while 3.4 percent have balances in excess of the MDIC and are partially insured up to P500,000 only, the insurer said.(MNS)

surpassed anything he could have imagined when he got into sport after someone told him he could earn 100 pesos (about $2) for a fight.

The 12-year-old used the money from that first decision victory to buy rice for his poverty-stricken family in the Philippines.

“I don’t want to boast and talk about the eight different weight divisions, but that accomplishment is amazing. Beyond my expectation,” he said. “When I started boxing, I never imagined it.”

Pacquiao spoke to a small group of reporters in the basement of the Wild Card gym in Hollywood.

He then went upstairs to the main gym for a workout in front of a standing-room only crowd of photographers and television cameras.

Pacquiao began his workout with a shadow-boxing session

without gloves.

Wearing a grey t-shirt with the words Team Pacquiao on the back, he worked out on his own for several minutes, while trainer Freddie Roach watched from the corner as the throng of media pressed up against the outside of the ring.

Pacquiao said the fight would have never seen the light of day if he hadn’t agreed to a 60/40 split of the purse, with Mayweather getting the bigger share.

He sought, but failed to get Mayweather to agree on a $5 million penalty for anyone who fails a drug test in the buildup to the fight.

Mayweather had previously accused Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing drugs, which became one of the stumbling blocks that helped scuttle previous negotiations.

lines that first appeared on Chinese maps in the 1940s.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims. China has expanded its presence in disputed parts of the sea in recent years by embarking on giant reclamation work on reefs and islets, turning some into islands capable of hosting military aircraft landing strips.

In an interview with AFP last week, Philippine President Benigno Aquino said the world should fear China’s actions in the disputed sea, warning they could lead to military conflict.

In efforts to deter China, the militarily weak Philippines has encouraged longtime ally the US to increase its presence on Filipino soil and coastal waters through expanded and more frequent war games. This dovetails with US plans to re-build its military presence in the Philippines, a former colony where it had naval and air bases until the early 1990s.

The Balikatan (shoulder-toshoulder) war games are the biggest annual exercises between the allies, which signed a defence treaty in 1951 committing each to come to the others’ aid in the event of external aggression.

PHL VOICES From page 1

of the flashpoint South China Sea. “We have compelling reasons to raise our voice to tell the whole world the adverse effects of China’s aggressiveness,” Catapang told reporters, describing the reclamation and construction activities as “massive”.

He said this was causing concern “not only because it would deter freedom of navigation, but also due to its possibility of military purposes”.

China claims sovereignty over most of the resource-rich and strategically important sea, including areas close to other Asian nations, using vague demarcation