Us asian post march 25, 2015

Celebrating

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INMENT

Ruffa ready to go for another marriage See PAGE 9

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Vol. 4. No. 26 LOS ANGELES

A Balita Media Publication

Wednesday - Tuesday, March 25 - 31, 2015

Trial begins as plea fails US Marine accused of murdering transgender faces 40 years in jail if convicted

Mayor Junjun Binay greets his supporters at the city hall’s main quadrangle on Monday showing the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) issued by the Court of Appeals on his suspension order. (MNS photo)

Makati – PHL’s financial capital – in chaos as two mayors stand off

By Joel Guinto

Manila, Philippines, AFP, Friday 3/20/2015 – The Philippines’ financial capital Makati has been plunged into chaos with two politicians claiming to be mayor, forcing courts to close and delaying government business during a bitter stand-off triggered by graft claims.

Surrounded by hundreds of supporters, Makati mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay has been holed up in city hall since the ombudsman suspended him last week because of its investigation into his alleged corrupt practices.

Insisting the graft accusations are trumped up, Binay has refused to cede power to his deputy and rival, Romulo Pena, who insists he is now “acting mayor”.

The power struggle is widely

seen as a battle between the nation’s ruling Liberal Party and main opposition.

Binay is the son of opposition leader, Vice President Jejomar Binay, while Pena is a member of President Benigno Aquino’s Liberal Party.

Makati’s courts closed for a day last week because of the crisis, and some judges have continued to postpone hearings to avoid the crush of Binay supporters outside the building, family spokesman Joey Salgado told AFP on Friday.

He also warned there was a looming crisis over who had the authority to sign the city’s checks, while some welfare recipients said they did not receive their benefits on time.

If banks do not honor checks See CHAOS IN MAKATI, page 6

Palace: Repatriating OFWs from Libya getting more difficult MANILA, Mar 21 (Mabuhay) – Malacañang on Saturday renewed its appeal to overseas Filipino workers in strife-torn Libya to avail of repatriation now, saying the task is getting harder as the days go on.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the government is trying to cope with such challenges just to make sure OFWs in Libya can safely get home.

“Ngayon nahihirapan ang gobyerno sa logistics, wala nang commercial flights papasok like before. Ngayon mas masalimuot ang proseso ng paglabas sa kanila,” she said on governmentrun dzRB radio.

“The challenges become greater as the days pass,” she added.

Besides, she said, the Department of Foreign Affairs already declared Alert Level 4 on Libya, which calls for mandatory repatriation.

So far, she said some 4,000 Filipinos are still in Libya.

But now, she said the challenges to repatriation are mounting due to problems like the stoppage of commercial flights to and from Libya.

Valte also appealed to kin of the OFWs in Libya to help convince their loved ones to avail of repatriation.

“Huwag isaalang-alang ang kaligtasan. Importante na ligtas kayo para makasama ang ating mga mahal sa buhay... Hopefully mas maraming mag-avail ng reSee REPATRIATING OFWS, page 6

Filipino DH captures dreams through photography

By Aaron Tam

Hong Kong, China, AFP, Sunday 3/22/2015 – From her poverty-stricken roots in a Philippine backwater, via domestic service in Hong Kong to acclaim in New York, Xyza Cruz Bacani’s inspirational journey started with a camera bought with borrowed money.

The 28-year-old came to Hong Kong nine years ago to join 300,000 other women working as maids in the city, hoping to earn enough money to help fund her brother’s education.

But photography has trans- Xyza Cruz Bacani formed her life, her images of everything from trips to the supermarket to scenes of abuse at a refuge for domestic workers earning laudatory spreads in international media and at exhibitions.

Bacani was recently named as one of the recipients of a fellowship by the Magnum Foundation, a prestigious scholarship that will allow her to study in New York for six weeks.

With that in mind, just a week ago, she quit domestic service to pursue her passion for photography. But when she first came to Hong Kong, survival was her first priority.

“The urge to survive is much bigger than the urge to do art,” she told AFP in Macau where her photographs are on show as part of See FILIPINO DH, page 6

Olangapo , Philippines, AFP, Monday 3/23/2015 – The murder trial of a US Marine accused of killing a transgender woman in the Philippines began on Monday after plea bargain negotiations fell apart.

Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton appeared in court dressed in a black suit and dark tie for the start of the trial, five months after he allegedly murdered Jennifer Laude in a red light district hotel.

Prosecutor Emilie Fe de los Santos told reporters there had been plea bargain discussions between both sides to settle the case, but no agreement was reached by Monday so the trial began.

Laude’s relatives said they had been offered 21 million pesos ($468,000) in exchange for their approval to lower the charge from murder to homicide.

“No amount of money could pay for the years I spent raising my child,” Julita Cabillan, Laude’s mother, told reporters.

“What they did to my child was gruesome. Just because we are poor doesn’t mean we can’t fight for justice.”

However one of Pemberton’s lawyers, Benjamin Tolosa, insisted the marine’s legal team did not See TRIAL BEGINS, page 6

Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton when his mug shot was taken by Philippine National Police personnel. Pemberton is accused of murdering transgender Jennifer Laude in Olongapo, Philippines.

Consulate calls on Filipinos to avail of the benefits of AB60 and DACA Law gives licenses even undocumented; work permits for DACA beneficiaries

Los Angeles, 16 March 2015 - The Philippine Consulate General, in harmony with role of assisting its nationals, reaches out to its kababayans, to avail themselves of the benefits of AB 60 and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). With regard to AB60, the Consulate requests qualified kababayans living in Southern California to comply with the requirements of AB60 for the California DMV such as the Philippine Passport issued from 2010 onwards and the birth certificate coming from the National Statistics Office. In the event

Ampatuan’s private army allied with BIFF since 2009: AFP

MANILA, Mar 23 (Mabuhay) – The private armed group of former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) have been allies since 2009 after members of the private militia were implicated in the Maguindanao massacre, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Monday.

Military spokesperson Brig.

Gen. Joselito Kakilala said members of Ampatuan’s private army had sought refuge with the BIFF faction led by former vice chairman Mohamad Ali Tambako because some of the group’s members were related to him.

“They joined the BIFF under Ali Tambako because some of their members had filial relations with Tambako. Di naman sila pwedeng sumali sa MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) dahil may rido (clan war) si Gov. Ampatuan at ‘yung isa sa mga MILF See AMPATUAN, page 6

that the application is rejected or being subjected secondary review, the Consulate requests its kababayans to report by writing the Consulate at 3435 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 550, Los Angeles, CA 90010, USA or sending an email to losangelespcg@earthlink.net with the subject AB60 DENIAL indicating the following: - Name of AB 60 Applicant - Date of Application - DMV branch that rejected the application/subjected to secondary review - Reason provided why the application was rejected /subjected to secondary review - DMV Person who rejected / subjected to secondary review your application (optional)

As to DACA, the Consulate requests qualified kababayans to either proceed to the Consulate to get a brochure produced by iamerica.org or to the following websites to get to know the requirements and benefits of DACA: - http://iamerica.org/ - http://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/consideration-deferred-action-childhood-arrivals-daca “Those who have patiently waited for a comprehensive immigration bill should actively pursue in the meantime the benefits under recent legislation” , said Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim. He added, “the Filipinos have been one of the sources of strength of California, they should not be the last to avail of AB60 or DACA”.

Palace hails Lee Kuan Yew’s ‘unswerving devotion’ to Singapore MANILA, Mar 23 (Mabuhay) – Malacañang on Monday joined the international community in mourning the passing of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’ first prime minister.

“Throughout his long life, as prime minister and senior minister, Lee demonstrated an unswerving devotion to his country, turning it into a state that would be an exemplar of efficient, modern, and honest governance,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

“The development of Singapore has earned it the respect of nations and peoples, including the tens of thousands of Filipinos who work there and visit the country.

“An era has passed, one upon which Singaporeans can look back on with deep pride and a sense of accomplishment.”

Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first prime minister and architect of the tiny city-state’s rapid rise from British military outpost to

Lee Kuan Yew

global trade and financial center, died on Monday aged 91.

Although Lee had receded from public and political life over the past few years, he was still seen as an influential figure in the government of Prime Minister Lee See LEE KWAN YEW, page 6

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Aquino attends toll road event in Quezon after collapse rumors TIAONG, Quezon, Mar 23 (mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III on Monday attended his first public event, two days after Malacañang denied a rumor that he had collapsed.

Aquino attended the briefing on the P13.8-billion South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) Toll Road 4 (TR4) project and other road projects in Southern Luzon at Barangay Lalig, Tiaong, Quezon.

Malacañang on Saturday dismissed the rumor that Aquino lost consciousness on Friday evening.

With the President at the briefing were Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, Quezon Representative Vicente Alcala,

Tiaong Mayor Ramon Preza, Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) Executive Director Edmund Reyes, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) chief operating officer and South Luzon Tollway chair Ramon Ang, and Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corporation (Citra) president and chief executive officer Shadik Wahono.

SMC is undertaking the new 58-kilometer section that would link Sto. Tomas, Batangas, all the way to Lucena, Quezon by 2019. San Miguel and Indonesia’s Citra currently operate SLEx The four-lane toll road project is supposed to cut the travel time between the two provinces from

Six out of 10 Pinoys want divorce legalized: poll Manila,|AFP| Tuesday 3/24/2015 – Most Filipinos back divorce and support is growing in the largely Catholic nation, the only one in the world alongside the Vatican that does not allow the dissolution of failed marriages, a survey has found.

Sixty percent of adults polled

by Manila-based Social Weather Stations in November said divorce should be legalized in the Philippines, up 10 percentage points from three years earlier.

Support for a change in the law rose across society in the mainly Catholic Asian nation, regardless of sex and marital status, according to the survey of 1,800 adults nationwide.

“This is a recognition that there is this need (to allow divorce). The state should give those involved in irreparable marriages the opportunity to move on,” House of Representatives member Emerenciana de Jesus told AFP Tuesday.

Marriage vows are a lifetime commitment in the Philippines, where some 80 percent of the 100 million strong population are Catholic, and which also bans abortions and same-sex unions.

Women who commit adultery can be punished with a six-year jail term, while husbands can be jailed up to four years for having a mistress - although these laws are rarely enforced.

De Jesus said she hoped the poll would give fresh impetus for a change in marriage law, including a divorce bill she co-authored that has languished in parliament for years.

The Social Weather Stations survey showed a support for divorce had grown rapidly in recent years, from the 50 percent that backed it in March 2011 and 43 percent in May 2005.

A divorce law would have virtually no chance of being passed without the support of the Philippines’ bachelor President Benigno Aquino, who has declared that changing the law is not a priority.

“That issue has not been discussed at cabinet level,” Aquino’s spokesman Herminio Coloma told AFP on Tuesday.

De Jesus said a divorce law would uphold Filipina women’s rights, particularly those who are subjected to domestic abuse or abandoned wives left to fend for their children.

She said unhappy Filipino couples often resort to asking courts to allow them to split their conjugal properties, or to have their wedding declared invalid. The latter is allowed in some instances, including “psychological incapacity” by either partner.

In 2012, the Philippine passed a law to provide free birth control to couples and sex education to children.

four hours to just one.

The government hopes the shortened travel time will help boost commerce and tourism in Regions IV and V. SLEx-TR4 is the latest project in SMC’s infrastructure portfolio, which already includes the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway, the at-grade and elevated Skyway system and the Skyway Stage 3 project, the NAIA Expressway project, the existing SLEx, and the recently upgraded and expanded Southern Tagalog Arterial Road or STAR Tollway The first section of the project will be from Sto. Tomas to Macban, Laguna (10.51 kilometers),

the second from Macban to San Pablo, Laguna (12.2 km), the third from San Pablo to Tiaong (8.1 km), the fourth from Tiaong to Candelaria, Quezon (14.4 km) and the fifth from Candelaria to Lucena (12.31 km).

Target completion date for the first section is in 2017. The whole project should be completed by 2019. “We look at infrastructure as an opportunity to participate in the growth of our country. Quality infrastructure will change and impact lives,” Ang said in a statement. SMC said it planned to start construction “in less than a year.”

The public appearance of Aquino followed the rumor that

came from a TV reporter’s tweet that claimed that the President had collapsed.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda immediately addressed the issue by quoting Aquino who said that “no such thing” happened.

Later that day, the President called for a meeting with Palace reporters but the informal gathering was cancelled about twenty minutes after it was announced.

The rumor was eventually quelled when Aquino was spotted by some reporters in Quezon City, having dinner with friends.

He said he was just as surprised when he received Lacierda’s text about the rumor. (MNS)

Chiz slams Trillanes: Don’t sow conflict between AFP, PNP MANILA, Mar 23 (Mabuhay) – Senator Francis Escudero sees no point in releasing the testimonies of military officials who claimed that some 120 Special Action Force (SAF) troopers did not help their comrades who were caught in a firefight with Muslim rebels after killing a terrorist in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

The testimonies, reportedly given to the Senate in an executive session, were made public by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV last week after speaking to sources from the Philippine Army.

For Escudero, the matter is not an issue and only tends to sow conflict between the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“Magkakampi ang AFP at PNP. Huwag nating bigyan ng hidwaan ng dalawa (The AFP and PNP are supposed to be partners. Let’s not create conflict between them),” he told reporters on Monday.

“Ano’ng obheto? Para pag-awayin pa ang dala-

wa? Para ipakitang mas magaling, mas malakas ang kabila, at mas mahina ang kabila? Hindi ko maunawaan kung para saan at para que pa ‘yon (What was the objective of releasing the testimonies? To make the two sides fight? To show which one is stronger or weaker than the other? I do not understand what it was for).”

Escudero refused to confirm, however, if the testimonies that Trillanes made public were indeed given in an executive session, citing strict rules of confidentiality.

Arguing that the Senate’s report on the Mamasapano incident was incomplete, Trillanes claimed that SAF troopers belonging to the 42nd and 45th companies sat idly by even while hearing cries for help from their comrades who were engaging rebel forces.

He said that detail should have been included in the Senate report, and called on the police leadership to investigate the matter. (MNS)

Andal Sr. camp denies clan ‘private army’ involved in Mamasapano clash

MANILA, Mar 23 (Mabuhay) – Maguindanao massacre suspect Andal Ampatuan Sr. has denied that his clan’s supposed private armed group had a hand in the deadly January 25 Mamasapano clash that killed over 60 people, including 44 elite police commandos.

The clan patriarch, through his lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, said reports dragging his family’s name in the Mamasapano incident only meant to “demonize” their clan, some members of which including him are facing murder charges for the Nov. 23, 2009 Maguindanao massacre.

“My client informs me that this is untrue ... the Ampatuans will never be involved, directly or indirectly, in any activity that will result in the killing of government forces,” said Topacio on Monday.

Topacio claimed the powerful clan has no capability to form and maintain a private armed group, especially after being implicated in the 2009 massacre.

“The Ampatuans have been out of power for approximately five years, and their resources practically exhausted; therefore they do not have the influence and wherewithal to form and maintain private armed groups,” said Topacio.

Apart from Andal Sr., his three sons and several relatives, around 100 local policemen and alleged members of the clan’s private armed group are currently under detention and facing trial before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221.

“Our client categorically tells us that the rem-

nants of their followers in Maguindanao will never join ranks with the (Moro Islamic Liberation Front), and thus, their participation in the firefight in Mamasapano, allegedly shoulder-to-shoulder with the MILF, is preposterous,” said Topacio.

The lawyer said attempts to link the Ampatuans to the Mamasapano clash could merely be a “part of the continuing attempt to obfuscate and confound the issue by floating the names of other parties.”

“Our client decries this latest attempt to demonize the Ampatuan name and their clan, and urges the public to be more discriminating in their assessment of statements coming from different quarters which may have their own agenda to promote,” said Topacio.

Topacio said like everyone else, his client “join(s) the call for justice and truth in the killing of the 44 SAF troopers in Mamapasano.”

The Armed Forces of the Philippines over the weekend confirmed the involvement of the private armed group of Andal Ampatuan Sr. in the Mamasapano firefight. “Kasama ‘yung private armed group ni former governor Ampatuan sa Mamasapano [clash],” military spokesman Brig Gen. Joselito Kakilala told GMA News Online in a phone interview on Saturday.

Kakilala explained that most of the members of the private armed group joined the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters after being implicated in the Maguindanao massacre in 2009.

PNP website defaced by pro-Palestine hackers MANILA, Mar 23 (Mabuhay) – A web page of the Philippine National Police was defaced Monday morning, with the perpetrator claiming to be for Palestine.

Visitors to the web page of the PNP Police Security and Protection Group were greeted with a dark screen and a profanity-laced message.

The perpetrator claimed to be one Leon HDz, who told the site owner to secure the site (http:// pspg.pnp.gov.ph/).

Leon HDz also claimed to love Palestine and hurled invectives Palestine’s perceived enemies.

The PSPG is the PNP’s unit in charge of securing VIPs. (MNS)

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Senators on Aquino’s new defense on Mamasapano: What else is new?

MANILA, Mar 23 (Mabuhay) – Senators taunted President Benigno Aquino III on Monday for his latest defense on the January 25 Mamasapano operation, saying there was nothing new with his statements passing the blame on others but himself. “(There is) nothing new there. (Aquino) still says everybody’s fault but his own,” Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said in a text message.

“After this, the people will despair of ever learning the whole truth,” Marcos added.

Aquino said over the weekend that his fault in the botched Mamasapano operation that left 44 elite policemen dead was that he trusted certain people, apparently referring to resigned Police Chief Director General Alan Purisima, and sacked Special Action Force head, Director Getulio Napeñas.

But Acting Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said, “The mistakes of Purisima and Napeñas are forgone conclusions as manifested by the President.”

“What we should focus on also is what transpired from 7am to 6pm? Why was there no help?” Sotto said in a separate text message, referring to that fateful day of January 25.

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero said he has not yet read Aquino’s latest statements but said that based on what he heard, it was just an “amplification” of what he had already said about his knowledge in the operation.

Escudero though believe that in the coming days, the President will continue to issue statements to explain what really happened that time.

Asked if it was sufficient to satisfy those calling for Aquino to say sorry for the botched operation, the senator said: “Papunta na yata dun sa tingin ko. Pagkakataon na lang siguro para mapakinggan sya ng ating mga kababayan. Sana huwag isara ng ating kababayan yung kanilang isip kaugnay sa mga salitang binibitiwan or bibitiwan ni Pangulong Aquino.”

Escudero, an administration ally, is chairman of the Senate committee on finance, one of three committees that investigated the Mamasapano operation.

He reiterated that an apology should be given voluntarily and should not be imposed on anyone.

(MNS)

Singapore’s Lee had ‘unique influence’: China Beijing, China, AFP, Monday 3/23/2015 – China praised Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew as “an Asian statesman of unique influence” on Monday after he died aged 91.

“He was also a strategist with both Eastern values and international perspective,” foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement posted online.

Lee was the “creator and founder” of ties between the city-state, which is ethnically majority Chinese, and the world’s most populous country, Hong said, lauding him for making “historic contributions” to the relationship.

China expressed “deep condolences and sincere solicitude to the Singaporean government, its people and the relatives of Mr Lee Kuan Yew for his passing”, Hong said.

Lee dominated Singaporean politics for more than half a century, and his model of discipline allied to economic growth served as an example to China’s Communist leaders as they embarked on reforms.

For his part Lee identified China as a driver of world economic growth early on, and advised leaders of both Beijing and the West on each other.

Chinese web portal Netease said Lee had visited the country 33 times since 1976.

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OPINION

Singapore in mourning as first PM Lee Kuan Yew dies

by Martin ABBUGAO

Singapore, Singapore, AFP, Monday 3/23/2015 – Singapore was plunged into mourning and world leaders united in tribute Monday after the death of Lee Kuan Yew, the iron-fisted politician who transformed a colonial backwater into a world financial center.

His son, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, issued a statement before dawn announcing the passing of his 91-year-old father at Singapore General Hospital following a long illness.

“He fought for our independence, built a nation where there was none, and made us proud to be Singaporeans. We won’t see another like him,” he said in an emotional TV address.

Local media reported that more than 11,000 people turned up at the main gate of the Istana state complex to get condolence cards – with many leaving flowers – as a private family wake began inside the former British colonial headquarters.

Lee’s coffin will be transported Wednesday atop a ceremonial gun carriage to Parliament House, where it will lie in state for the public to pay respects until his state funeral and cremation on Sunday.

US President Barack Obama, who called Lee “a true giant of history”, led foreign leaders in hailing the man who turned a tiny territory lacking natural resources into a world player in finance, trading, high-tech industries and shipping – all the while exerting a tight political grip long decried by rights campaigners.

Lee’s blend of economic reform allied with political authoritarianism was of particular appeal to communist China as it opened up in the early 1980s.

President Xi Jinping praised Lee as an “old friend of the Chinese people” and said he was “widely respected by the international community as a strategist and a statesman”.

Tearful mother Sharon Tan, 39, and her five-yearold son Ryan Mackay were among the first to arrive outside the Istana.

“I brought Ryan here to share an important part of Singapore’s history to him and also to help him understand why mummy is so sad,” she said.

‘Disproportionate’ influence Lee, whose health rapidly worsened after his wife of 63 years, Kwa Geok Choo, died in 2010, was in hospital for nearly seven weeks with severe pneumonia.

Despite growing anticipation of his death, sales manager June Tay Mae Sann, 37, said “it was still very different when it happened.”

Lee served as prime minister from 1959, when Britain granted self-rule, to 1990. He led Singapore

to independence in 1965 after a brief and stormy union with Malaysia.

Singapore now has one of the world’s highest per capita incomes and its residents enjoy near-universal home ownership, low crime rates and first-class infrastructure.

The opposition Workers’ Party, whose leaders were among those harried for years by Lee, joined the rest of the nation of 5.5 million in mourning him.

On the diplomatic front, Lee’s counsel was often sought by Western leaders, particularly on China as well as on more volatile neighbors in Southeast Asia.

“Lee Kuan Yew gave Singapore an international profile completely disproportionate to the country’s size,” political analyst Derek da Cunha told AFP. But the Cambridge-educated lawyer was also criticized for jailing political opponents and driving his critics to self-imposed exile or financial ruin as a result of costly libel suits.

‘I am satisfied’ Singapore strictly controls freedom of speech and assembly. While it has become more liberal in recent years, it still uses corporal and capital punishment and ranks 150th in the annual press freedom ranking of Reporters Without Borders – below Russia and Zimbabwe among others.

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, acknowledged Lee’s economic legacy but said “it also came at a significant cost for human rights”.

He said it may now be time for a national “conversation” on greater political liberalization.

In a sign that things may not change soon, the government Monday designated Singapore’s only free-speech zone, known as Speakers’ Corner, as a place for honoring Lee. Permits for protests and other gatherings will not be granted in the meantime.

Lee stepped down in 1990 in favor of his deputy Goh Chok Tong, who in turn handed the reins to the former leader’s eldest son Lee Hsien Loong in 2004.

The People’s Action Party (PAP), co-founded by the elder Lee, has won every election since 1959 and holds 80 of the 87 seats in parliament.

Lee retired from advisory roles in government in 2011 after the PAP suffered its worst poll result since it came to power, getting only 60 percent of votes amid public anger over a large influx of immigrants, the rising cost of living, urban congestion and insufficient supply of public housing.

In his last book “One Man’s View of the World” published in 2013, Lee looked back at his career and concluded: “As for me, I have done what I had wanted to, to the best of my ability. I am satisfied.”

‘Made in China’ tops EU list of unsafe products Brussels, Belgium, AFP, Monday 3/23/2015 – From toy-shaped cigarette lighters to a short-circuting plush rabbit that catches fire, a European safety watchdog warned Monday of a growing number of dangerous products for sale, with most coming from China.

The watchdog said it had issued 2,435 notifications of unsafe products ranging from children’s playthings to clothing and appliances in 2014, which was three percent more than in 2013.

Sixty-four percent of the dangerous goods were made in China, including Hong Kong, the same figure as 2013, said the Rapid Alert System (RAPEX), which includes the 28 EU states as well as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

“For me, as a mother and already a grandmother, the high number of harmful products among toys is alarming, so please beware of what you give your children to play with,” said Vera Jourova, the European commissioner for consumer affairs.

“It was also surprising how high a number of harmful products comes to the European market from China,” she told a press conference in Brussels.

Toys topped the list of products stopped before

they entered European markets or were seized afterwards, at 28 percent, followed by clothing (23 percent), electrical appliances (nine percent) and motor vehicles (eight percent).

They included soft toys with stuffing that could come loose and choke a child or those with detachable pieces that could be swallowed by them. In particular there were lighters that resembled toys such as model bicycles and basketballs.

Shoes and leather articles for example may be tainted with allergenic Chromium VI, while fashion jewelry may contain harmful heavy metals.

Just 14 percent of the dangerous products came from European countries, seven percent from unknown origins and two percent from Turkey, according to the watchdog.

Concern remains over the proportion coming to Europe from manufacturing giant China, which has huge market penetration in the 28-nation EU, Jourova said. “The numbers and the situation is not improving,” she added.

Jourova said the EU was working bilaterally with Chinese producers to help them better understand EU safety standards.

Roll over Ebola: Measles is the deadly new threat

by Zoom Dosso

Monrovia, Liberia, AFP, Friday 3/20/2015 – The people of Monrovia’s Peace Island ghetto, refugees of civil war who found themselves suddenly overwhelmed and outmaneuvered by the deadly Ebola epidemic, are used to life under siege.

Yet with Liberia emerging from the worst outbreak in history a year to the day since Ebola was first identified in west Africa, the slum-dwellers are facing an even deadlier threat – the measles virus.

Experts say Liberia and its neighbors Guinea and Sierra Leone are ripe for an outbreak that could infect hundreds of thousands, dwarfing the carnage wrought by Ebola.

Death once again stalks impoverished communities like Peace Island, a cramped spit of land surrounded by swamp where 30,000 people sought refuge behind the abandoned Ministry of Defense after Liberia’s 1989-2003 civil wars.

By mid-March, coastal Liberia is already mercilessly hot and healthcare workers sweat as they pass through the slum in a mini-truck, calling out to mothers via a loudspeaker to bring out their babies.

“I am happy to have the opportunity to bring my child for the measles vaccine because in this community children are dying,” Marie Bassa, 32, tells AFP after climbing down from the vehicle with her nine-month-old baby.

The government said on Friday a woman in Monrovia had tested positive for Ebola, but the case was the first in the country for more than a month and officials said they were not concerned that it would lead to a wider outbreak.

Despite the setback, Liberia is considered to be well on the road to recovery from an outbreak that brought the country to its knees, claiming more than 4,000 of the 10,000 lives lost across west Africa.

‘Serious threat’ One consequence of the crisis has been a dramatic drop in measles vaccinations, with overburdened hospitals unable to keep up, leaving millions of children potentially at risk, experts suggest.

Medical aid agency Doctors Without Borders – known by its French initials MSF – believes that of Monrovia’s myriad slums, Peace Island faces the greatest risk.

“We did a survey and we found out that measles is becoming a serious threat to the Peace Island community... So we decided to launch this campaign in response,” MSF vaccination supervisor Denis Besdevant told AFP. MSF’s initial target is to get 700 children aged nine months to five years into its makeshift community vaccination centre, says Besdevant, adding that 250 infants were seen on the first day of the campaign last week.

Aid workers say convincing mothers, already deeply suspicious of Western healthcare, to hand over their children is one of the biggest challenges they face.

“It is not an easy task. Most of the people are saying that the government is trying to bring Ebola back and that is why they are talking about a measles vaccine,” MSF’s Alfred Godfrey explains.

“We take our own time to explain to them that the sickness that is killing the kids after Ebola is measles. Some of them agree but others don’t.”

Measles causes fever and a rash, and complications can include pneumonia, fatal brain swelling, blindness and hearing loss.

‘I was afraid’ Outbreaks often follow humanitarian crises, as vaccination rates decline because of violence, fear of infection and health systems that are overwhelmed with casualties.

The west African Ebola outbreak has infected around 25,000 people. Crucially, some 852 of those cases have been healthcare workers, 492 of whom have died. Researchers estimate that measles immuniZations in the region – typically ranging between 60 and 80 percent of children – had fallen by 75 percent because of the Ebola crisis.

As a result, 100,000 more children could get measles, in addition to the 127,000 cases already anticipated among children who have not been vaccinated in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

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UTREACH PAL’s latest us route seen to boost tourist arrivals NEW YORK – National flag carrier Philippine Airlines finally made a long overdue comeback to the East Coast by flying into New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday, nearly two decades after it last served its most distant point in the United States.

The resumption of PAL’s fourtimes-a-week service from Manila to New York via Vancouver and back, which took place on the occasion’s of the airline’s 74th anniversary, was lauded by the Filipino-American Community and is expected to boost passenger traffic to the Philippines.

“The resumption of PAL flights to and from the East Coast is something that thousands of our kababayans in this part of the United States have long been waiting for,” Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. said.

“This new service that PAL is commencing today not just offers Filipinos an alternative route back to the Philippines,” Ambassador Cuisia said. “More importantly, it provides them with a deep sense of pride knowing that it is the national flag carrier that is bringing them home.”

Ambassador Cuisia, along with Consul General Mario de Leon of the Philippine Consulate General in New York and Consul General Emilio Fernandez of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., and PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Jaime Bautista were at Terminal One of JFK International to welcome passengers of the maid-

en PR Flight 126 from Manila that included PAL Chairman Lucio Tan and to send off passengers for PR Flight 127.

“The US market continues to contribute significantly to total visitor arrivals in the Philippines and we’re confident that these expansion initiatives will lead to increased tourism traffic and business activities,” Ambassador Cuisia said during the ceremonies that were also attended by Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon; JFK Airport Deputy General Manager John Selden; and JFK Airport Terminal One Deputy Executive Director Rick Feltner.

According to Ambassador Cuisia, the US market contributes the second biggest arrivals in the Philippines with about 15 percent of total visitor volume based on figures from the Department of Tourism.

He said that last year, passenger arrivals from the US reached over 600,000. “It is my wish that with PAL’s expansion, business and travel for pleasure to the Philippines will be further heightened.

The tourism industry’s contribution to the nation’s economy is in the tens of billions of dollars and we are very much aware of the income generated for business and households, employment and revenue from taxation. Thus, PAL’s success is the nation’s success,” Ambassador Cuisia added.

Among those who welcomed the new service were members of the Filipino-American Community in the East Coast, who took to social media to welcome the flight. A

number of them said they will not only be promoting the new service but will also be taking PAL on their next visit to the Philippines.

“Some Filipinos from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Philadelphia have told the Embassy that they are willing to go all the way to JFK to take PAL even if they have the option to fly out to Manila from their respective gateways,” Ambassador Cuisia said.

PAL’s New York to Manila route transits via Vancouver and operates four times a week. Aside from New York, the carrier’s other US destinations are Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu and Guam.

PAL’s latest US route was part of a planned market expansion resulting from the upgrading in April 2014 by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the country’s aviation safety rating.

The FAA decision followed a review of the country’s procedures and facilities and restored the Category 1 safety status the Philippines had lost in January 2008.

In addition to starting new routes, the development also enabled the flag carrier to deploy its newer and fuel efficient Boeing 777300 and Airbus A330 aircraft.

PAL first took to the skies in March 1941 using a twin-engine, five-seater Beech Model 18 aircraft from Nielsen Airfield in Makati to Baguio. PAL now serves 31 destinations in the Philippines and 36 overseas destinations in Southeast Asia, East Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, North America and Europe.

Philippine Airlines Flight 127 preparing to depart from Terminal One of the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. (Philippine Embassy Photo

by Emil Fernandez)

Suddenly, Fil-Ams are registering to vote for PHL polls, Consulate says Los Angeles, 12 March 2015 – This February 2015, the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles reached the COMELEC-set target of processing at least 16,000 registrations for the Philippine Overseas Voting (OV) eight months ahead of schedule. As of 28 February 2015, the Consulate processed a total of 16,507 registrations.

The 16,000 target was set during the meeting of Philippine Embassy and Consulate General Officials from the Americas with COMELEC (Commission on Elections) officials during the onsite “Training for the Resumption of Continuing Registration of Overseas Voters” held in New York in April 2014. In the last registration period covering the years 2011-2012, the Consulate reached a total of 16,395 overseas voter registrations.

In giving justly deserved praise for the recent achievements of his team, Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim said, “I congratulate every Consulate personnel who contributed to the record-breaking

performance. They patiently explained not only the process but also the nation-building value of participation in the election process.”

The Philippine Consulate General started the registration for overseas voters at Consulate on 06 May 2014. A processing window was dedicated at the Consulate’s Community Hall to accept registrations for the Philippine overseas voting.

This service was also made available during all the consular outreach activities of the Consulate since May 2014.

Consul General HerreraLim adds, “I also admire US-based Filipinos for their commitment to participative democracy in our country.”

The registration process will continue up to 31 October 2015 (Philippine time). The Consulate still encourages overseas Filipinos in Southern California, Southern Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas to take this opportunity to register and to participate as an overseas voter during the 2016 Philippine national elections.

Manila-born ex-NFLer Tebow pays Pacquiao visit

Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. with Philippine Airlines President and Chief Operating Officer Jaime Bautista and members of the crew of Philippines Airlines Flight 127 from New York to Manila shortly before its departure at the John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday. (Philippine Embassy Photo by Emil Fernandez)

Los Angeles, United States, AFP, Sunday 3/22/2015 – Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao received a visit from Manilaborn former National Football League quarterback Tim Tebow for a weekend workout sesssion ahead of his May showdown with undefeated Floyd Mayweather.

Tebow watched Pacquiao train for nearly three hours on Saturday, including seven rounds of sparring and eight rounds of punching into mitts at the Wild Card gym of “PacMan” trainer Freddie Roach.

“It was the first time they had ever met and yet it seemed they had known each other forever the way they immediately embraced each other,” promoter Bob Arum said.

Pacquiao, 57-5 with two draws and 38 knockouts, will meet Mayweather, 47-0 with 26 knockouts, on May 2 in Las Vegas for a bout expected to

shatter boxing revenue record.

Tebow, born to Baptist missionaries in the Philippines in 1987, went from unknown backup to NFL star when he sparked the Denver Broncos into the 2011 NFL playoffs. He later played for the New York Jets and recently tried out for the Philadelphia Eagles despite missing the past two NFL campaigns.

Tebow, who will open a hospital in the Philippines on May 1, is also famed for his kneeling celebration known as Tebowing.

While Roach normally dislikes any distractions in Pacqiuao’s training routine, Tebow was a welcomed disruption.

“It was an unbelievable scene,” Roach said. “Tim Tebow is a great competitor, a standup guy who embraces his responsibility for being a good role model. He and Manny shared a lot. It was terrific.”

Manny Pacquiao on Instagram “Good to be with my brother in Christ @TimTebow”

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, March 25 - 31, 2015

Lani Misalucha & a special guest coming to Pechanga Theater this spring Tickets on Sale This Friday, Feb. 20 for Pechanga Resort & Casino Show on May 22

Filipino recording artists Lani Misalucha and a special guest performer are coming to the Pechanga Resort & Casino Theater on May 22, 2015. Tickets go on sale this Friday, Feb. 20 at $90, $80, $70 and $60 for an 8:00 p.m. show time, and are available at the Pechanga Box office, 877-711-2WIN (2946) or www.Pechanga.com. Both well-known stars, Lani Misalucha is known as the “Siren of the Las Vegas Strip” after a long time headlining residency.

Lani Misalucha is a Filipino singer now based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dubbed “Asia’s Nightingale,” she is a multi-faceted artist, from pop, rock, jazz, soul, rhythm and blues and operatic arias.

Having moved to Las Vegas in 2004, Misalucha became the first Asian to headline a main showroom of the Las Vegas strip performing with Hawaii’s Society of Seven at the Jubilee Theater of Bally’s.

Since then, Misalucha has been called “New Siren of the Lani Misalucha Strip.” In March 2008, Misalucha was voted “Best Singer” in the “27th Annual Best of Las Vegas” poll by the Las Vegas Review Journal. Misalucha recently returned to the Philippines to great fanfare to release her seventh studio album, The Nightingale Returns: Lani Misalucha Sings the Greatest Filipino Songbook.

Recently, this special performer together with Lani Misalucha and Martin Nievera headlined the very successful New Year’s Eve Countdown for Solaire Resort and Casino in Manila. Other upcoming events at Pechanga Resort & Casino include: ● March 28 - Battle of the Badges ● March 29 - Amy Schumer ● April 5 & 6 - ”Truc Tiep Thu Hinh” Paris by Night 114 ● April 11 - Pat Benatar & Neil “Spyder” Giraldo ● April 13 - K-FROG Cares Concert ● April 26 - Earth, Wind & Fire ● May 2 - The Moody Blues ● May 15 - Bellator MMA < ● May 22 - Lani Misalucha with Special Guest

● June 5 - Peter Frampton & Cheap Trick ● June 6 - 7th Annual Microbrew & Craft Beer Festival ● August 23 - Diana Krall About Pechanga Resort & Casino Pechanga Resort & Casino offers one of the largest and most expansive resort/ casino experience anywhere in the country. Rated a Four Diamond property by AAA since 2002, Pechanga Resort & Casino provides an unparalleled getaway, whether for the day or for an extended luxury stay. Offering more than 3,000 of the hottest slots, table games, world-class entertainment, 517 hotel rooms, dining, spa and championship golf at Journey at Pechanga, Pechanga Resort & Casino features a destination that meets and exceeds the needs of its guests and the community.

Pechanga Resort & Casino is owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. For more information, call toll free 1-877-711-2946 or visit www.Pechanga.com. Follow Pechanga Resort & Casino on Facebook.com/Pechanga and on Twitter @PechangaCasino.

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Ted Cruz, heavy on faith, launches White House bid

By Michael Mathes

Lynchburg, United States , AFP, Monday 3/23/2015- Ultraconservative Republican US Senator Ted Cruz launched his White House quest on Monday, invoking his abiding faith in God as he effectively kick-started the 2016 presidential race.

The 44-year-old Tea Party favorite from Texas chose Liberty University, the sprawling Christian evangelical bastion founded

by Reverend Jerry Falwell, as the site of the official unveiling of his White House ambitions.

Cruz is the first candidate to formally join what will be a crowded Republican field vying to be their party’s champion in the marathon slog to succeed President Barack Obama. “It is a time for truth, it is a time for liberty. It is a time to reclaim the constitution,” Cruz told several thousand students at the Virginia campus.

“I believe God isn’t done with America,” Cruz said.

“I believe in you. I believe in the power of millions of courageous conservatives rising up to reignite the promise of America. And that’s why today I am announcing that I am running for president of the United States.”

Cruz has been a political rock star since he scored a major upset and won a US Senate seat in

2012.

Seen as a provocateur by rivals – and an intense conservative ideologue even by his supporters – Cruz is a fierce critic of Obama’s administration.

Hitting several conservative buttons, Cruz pilloried Obama’s health care law, vowed to abolish the IRS federal tax agency, and slammed the Democratic president’s bid to shield millions of immigrants from deportation, calling it an “unconstitutional executive amnesty.”

His 30-minute speech, delivered in the round and without teleprompters, brought occasional cheers of “Cruuuuuuuz” from the audience after applause lines.

But it was also an opportunity for him to bond with younger voters, many of whom are more familiar with his likely 2016 Republican rivals – Jeb Bush, the son and brother of two presidents, and Senator Rand Paul.

“I’m coming here to learn more about him,” said Connor Sheehey, an 18-year-old Liberty freshman from North Carolina.

Cruz has raised hackles in his own party in recent years when he helped push the government into shutdown over budget fights.

And he will face intense competition for funds and support from other likely conservative candi-

dates, including Paul, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Senator Marco Rubio. Cruz made extensive reference to his parents, including his father, Cuban-born minister Rafael Cruz.

Asked how his son will distinguish himself from other conservatives, the elder Cruz told AFP that “time will tell. He stands for truth and the Constitution.”

Cruz’s father was soaking up the enormity of his family’s moment, saying: “Only in America can this happen.”

Cruz posted a YouTube video announcement stressing his immigrant roots and his faith in God – something he repeatedly turned to at Liberty where he called for stronger political activism from evangelicals. “Today, roughly half of born-again Christians aren’t voting,” he said. “Imagine instead, millions of people across America coming out to the polls and voting our values.”

His advisors told US media he will aim to raise between $40-50 million for his campaign, and will rely on support from his conservative and libertarian Tea Party base.

Democrats swiftly hammered Cruz on his announcement, with the party’s campaign rapid response team saying “he rattled off a litany of the GOP’s most extreme positions.”

Electronic cards for medicines introduced to Filipinos in California Many Filipino immigrants share the same story that the money they send to their families, thinking it is being used for their intended purposes, is not being fully utilized for the right purpose. One example for that is money intended for buying medicines or health care needs, which is often neglected in the family’s budget until the need for it arises. It also happens that a portion of the funds intended for buying the complete medicines for maintenance or needed vitamins is used for other necessities; or even worse, money is spent for vices and luxuries. It is a sad reality that not only Filipino immigrants experience, but even breadwinners who provide for their families’ every need.

It is for these reasons that Generika Drugstore found a way to help the Global Filipino by introducing an innovative product called MedPadala, and bring it to the market thru a partnership with LBC. With MedPadala, the

global Filipino can now allocate a portion of the money they send to their loved ones for medicines and vitamins, without having to worry that it will be spent for other things. Available in LBC outlets in California, MedPadala can be bought in prepaid cards in PHP500 ($13) and PHP1, 000 ($25.50) denominations.

MedPadala is very easy and safe to use: just send the MedPadala Code and PIN found at the back of the card to your beneficiary via email or SMS. Upon receipt of the Code and PIN, your beneficiary can use the MedPadala instantly to buy medicines and medical related items at any Generika Drugstore branches in the Philippines.

With over 500 branches nationwide, your loved ones can definitely find a nearby Generika outlet to buy their needed medicines. A pioneer in retailing quality and affordable generic medicines, Generika is now the third largest chain of drugstores (in

terms of number of outlets) in the Philippines. Generika also carries selected branded medicines, food supplements, selected consumer goods, galenicals and medical supplies.

OFWs and their beneficiaries can take advantage of the many benefits MedPadala can offer.

Since MedPadala electronic cards do not expire, their beneficiaries are not forced to consume the entire amount when they go to buy medicines at Generika. Moreover, MedPadala can be used in multiple transactions; therefore the remaining balance can be consumed for future needs and for other emergency purposes.

MedPadala and LBC gives the sender the peace of mind and the assurance that it will be spent on medicines and health related necessities when it is most needed.

For more information about MedPadala, just log on to www. medpadala.com.ph or visit the nearest LBC outlets in your location.

ing prime minister of Singapore,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. It said he had died at 3:18am local time (3:18 p.m. EDT)

at Singapore General Hospital, where he had been admitted on Feb. 5 suffering from pneumonia.

(MNS)

LEE KWAN YEW From page 1

Hsien Loong, his oldest son.

“The Prime Minister is deeply grieved to announce the passing of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, the found-

AMPATUAN From page 1

base command,” he said.

The BIFF is a breakaway organization of the MILF. Kakilala said members of the Ampatuan armed group remained with the BIFF even when Tambako left the organization.

“When Tambako left the BIFF, members of the Ampatuan private army [remained] with the

THE US ASIAN POST

BIFF under Tambako. It doesn’t mean they joined his group,” he said. Tambako, a suspected terrorist, was arrested in General Santos City last week.

The AFP has identified the Ampatuan patriarch’s private army as one of the armed groups involved in a firefight with the Philippine National Police Special Action Force in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao on Jan. 25.

CHAOS IN MAKATI From page 1

signed by Binay, street lamps and traffic lights will be shut down, taps in government buildings will run dry and garbage collection will stop, according to Salgado.

“This is a very dangerous situation, if their (national government’s) actions result in delays in salaries, utilities,” he said.

“Any perception of instability would have an effect on the country. They are sending the wrong signal to investors. Makati is the financial centre of the country.”

From an adjacent old building, with hallways that reek of leaking toilets, Pena issued a memorandum on Friday to all city hall em-

ployees asserting his authority.

“All ordinances, official documents and official actions must be submitted and referred to the undersigned for approval and/or appropriate action,” Pena said, referring to himself.

Makati is the country’s largest city in terms of revenue, with 11.9 billion pesos ($265 million) in earnings from taxes and fees in 2013, according to government data.

The city hosts the country’s stock exchange, 82 embassies and consulates, 506 bank offices and 246 business process outsourcing and technology companies.

FILIPINO DH From page 1

the city’s Literary Festival.

A self-professed dreamer, she said she also saw the move to Hong Kong as an opportunity to leave her home village, nine hours’ drive from the Philippine capital Manila.

“It was a big contrast when I arrived at the airport, I was very excited because everything is moving fast, and the lights are wonderful, it looks so alive compared to my village,” she said.

Her passion for photography really took off four years ago, when her employer – whom she describes as a “great lady” – lent her the money to buy her first camera, a Nikon D90.

“When I had (the camera), I shot landscapes to flowers to (portraits of) my mom, and then I did street photography.”

From that point on Bacani took photographs at every opportunity she had, whether out buying daily produce for her employer or ranging across Hong Kong on Sundays off work.

At first she only shared her pictures with friends on Facebook – mostly shot in grainy black and white, capturing street moments in classic reportage style.

A Filipino photographer based in San Francisco saw them on Facebook and was intrigued by their originality and quality.

From there she came to the attention of the New York Times Lens blog and then of acclaimed photographer Sebastiao Salgado, who praised her work at an exhibition in Hong Kong late last year.

Reflecting on her journey thus far, she marvels: “Right now it’s changed my life 180 degrees, here I am having a show in Macau, going to places.”

A voice for the unheard With increasing concerns over the treatment of domestic helpers

in Hong Kong and the region, Bacani is now turning to documentary photography to try to draw attention to abuses.

“That’s what I want my photography to do, to be able to help people ... to me photography is a very powerful tool to change someone’s perspective towards an issue,” she said.

In the summer of 2014, Bacani documented migrant workers who had taken shelter at a refuge after suffering abuse at the hands of their employers, an experience she described as “life-changing”.

“I was angry at first, it was a roller-coaster of emotion when I saw this kind of situation.

“I think I was there to be the voice of those domestic workers who remain unheard, whose voices have been muted.”

Just last month a judge sentenced a Hong Kong woman to six years in jail for beating and starving her Indonesian maid in a case that made global headlines.

Bacani’s own employer could not be more different, she says, offering support and encouragement to pursue her plans of becoming a photographer full-time.

“She said my domestic worker duties... are restricting me from growing up as a person, it’s a chain that holds me,” Bacani said, after stopping her domestic work last week. Bacani’s story has inspired many other helpers in the city, and she is urging them to pursue their dreams too.

“They keep on telling me... now that they’ve seen me, I made them realize that it’s possible to do the things that you really want to do outside your job.

“I want people to see that your job, your work, it doesn’t define who you are,” she added.

“The dreams that I had when I was young, I’m having them now.”

REPATRIATING OFWS From page 1

patriation operations natin diyan,” she said.

“We make that call out to the families of overseas Filipino

TRIAL BEGINS From page 1

offer any money.

“It has been insinuated the demand came from us and that’s absolutely false. It’s contrary to what happened,” Tolosa told reporters at the end of the first day of the trial.

Pemberton, aged 19 at the time of the killing, would face 40 years in jail if found guilty of murder.

The maximum penalty for homicide in the Philippines is 20 years in jail.

He declined to enter a plea at pre-trial hearing last month, as his appeal to have the case dismissed is waiting to be heard in a higher court.

However the local court in the northern port city of Olongapo entered a not guilty on his behalf last month, so the trial could go ahead.

Significant US military presence Laude, also known as Jeffrey, was found naked with strangle marks on her neck in a cheap motel room at Olongapo’s red light district in October last year, according to a police autopsy report.

Pemberton, who had just finished training exercises between US and Philippine marines near Olongapo, checked into the motel with Laude, aged 26, shortly after meeting

workers in Libya to appeal to their loved ones to come home already,” she added. (Mabuhay News Service) her at a bar, prosecutors said.

The prosecution’s first witness, a bellboy, testified on Monday that he saw Pemberton at the motel on the night Laude was killed, according to de los Santos.

However the proceedings were closed to the media, and scant details were only initially available via de los Santos.

She said that, although the plea bargain offer negotiations had broken down, it could be revived and introduced “anytime” during the trial.

But lawyers for Laude’s family accused de los Santos of promoting a plea bargain deal, and separately filed a request with the justice department on Monday asking for her to be replaced.

Laude’s death re-ignited long-simmering anti-US sentiment in the Philippines, a former American colony that still allows a significant American military presence via joint training exercises.

Court cases are only rarely closed to the media in the Philippines. De los Santos said the judge in the Pemberton case had ruled it be held behind closed doors, but did not explain why.

A spokesman at the US embassy in Manila declined to comment on the case on Monday.

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Vitamin D recommendations were miscalculated: study

(Relaxnews) - We need far more vitamin D than previously thought, according to two teams of researchers from Canada and the US. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin D is ten times lower than what we actually need, say two teams of researchers who have challenged the US’s National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM), both responsible for the RDA. “The error has broad implications for public health regarding disease prevention and achieving the stated goal of ensuring that the whole population has enough vitamin D to maintain bone health,” says Dr. Cederic Garland, an adjunct professor at University of California, San Diego.

Currently the RDA for vitamin D established by the IOM is 600 international units per day until we reach 70 years of age, and 800 IU per day thereafter.

A Canadian research team reviewed each of the 10 studies the IOM used to arrive at their RDA and their calculations revealed that 600 IU of vitamin D per day puts only half of the amount that they had assumed in the blood.

In scientific terms, that means that 97.5 percent of individuals will have serum 25 values of vitamin D above 26.8 nmol/L rather than above 50 nmol/L as the IOM had thought.

To get a serum 25 value of vitamin D of at least 50 nmol/L, you could need up to 8895 IU per day, according to the study.

Dr. Garland’s team of US researchers wrote a letter confirming the Canadian team’s findings, in which they suggest a slightly more conservative RDA. “We call for the NAS-IOM and all public health authorities concerned with transmitting accurate nutritional information to the public to designate, as the RDA, a value of approximately 7,000 IU/ day from all sources,” wrote Dr. Garland and his colleagues.

Dr. Garland added that the number is well below the 10,000 IU currently considered safe by the IOM for teenagers and adults.

Two versions exist: Vitamin D2, known as ergocalciferol, and vitamin D3, also known as cholecalciferol, which is thought to be the more potent and favorable version of the two.

Fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, sardines and cod liver oil contain hearty amounts of vitamin D3, yet most vitamin D3 is synthesized in the skin upon sun exposure, according to the World Health Organization.

Cereals, cheese and milk could be an important source of both types of vitamin D depending upon where you live yet because they are often fortified with synthetic versions and the amounts may vary.

Vitamin D is important for skin, bone and heart health and deficiencies can result in rickets and abnormal skin pigmentation, yet side effects of excess intake are rare and minimal, according to WebMD. Both the study and the letter were published in the journal Nutrients.

In a discovery that could give way to prolonging youth, scientists have unraveled the mechanisms of a low-calorie diet that lead to longevity. ©Alexander Raths/shutterstock.Com

Scientists solve 70-year-old anti-aging mystery (Relaxnews) – A low-calorie, balanced diet delays aging and increases longevity in animals because it encourages a sort of house-keeping in the cells, according to a Portuguese research team.

Adhering to the diet, says lead author Claudia Cavadas, induces the recycling of old molecules in the

cells that could clog and cause malfunctioning if they stick around.

The study targeted a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, which was recently identified to be what controls aging, say the researchers, whose study was recently-published in the journal Proceedings

of the National Academy of Sciences of the US. Finding out why a low-calorie diet leads to longevity and anti-aging could be an important step in fighting age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Sex lives of senior citizens more satisfying now: study

Fish such as herring (pictured) mackeral and tuna are good sources of vitamin D. ©Jacek Chabraszewski/Shutterstock.com

(Relaxnews) – It looks like things have gotten spicier for seniors since the 1970s, for a new study out of Sweden says six in 10 women and seven in 10 men over 70 years old are highly satisfied with their sex lives.

Hailing from Sahlgrenska Academy, author Dr. Nils Beckman concluded that sexual activity among 70 year olds has increased from 12 percent to 34 percent for women and from 47 percent to 66 percent for men since the 1970s. Seniors’ sexual activity has increased not just in frequency, but in quality as well, for 62 percent of women and 71 percent of men reported being highly satisfied with their sex lives.

By contrast, only 41 percent of women and 58 percent of men described their sex lives in such a way in the 1970s, according to the data.

Teens turn a blind eye to social media risk strategy: study (Relaxnews) - What were they THINKING when they posted that?

They probably weren’t thinking at all, according to a team of researchers from Pennsylvania State University in the US who say teens and adults differ when it comes to managing privacy risk online.

“While most adults think first and then ask questions, teens tend to take the risk and then seek help,” says Haiyan Jia, a post-doctoral scholar in information sciences and technology at Penn State.

It’s hard for adults to understand, says Jia, because they’ve already learned their lesson and have become used to weighing the possible consequences of their actions.

When it comes to privacy concerns and the information they disclose, teens exhibit a paradoxical disconnect, says Jia. Teens look for protection rather than prevention when it comes to risk, says Jia, including turning to adults, removing the questionable post or closing social media accounts.

Self-expression through social media, and using the platforms as an outlet to gain acceptance from their peers can lead to too much disclosure, according to the study.

Consequences of revealing vital contact information and exchanging photos with strangers can be grave, and parents’ initial response to such behavior is to forbid internet access.

A recent study explains teens aptitude for risk management on social media. ©Subbotina Anna/shutterstock.com

Yet completely avoiding risks could cause other problems, says Jia, who presented her study on Tuesday at the Computer-Supported Cooperative work and Social Computing conference.

“First, I can’t imagine a teen growing up and avoiding the internet and online communications in this age,” says Jia. “But there’s also a danger that without taking on the minimum risks, teens will not have access to all the positive benefits the internet can provide, nor will they learn how to manage risk and how to safely navigate this online world.”

Breastfeeding leads to higher IQ, earnings later: study (Paris, France-AFP) – People breastfed as infants have higher intelligence scores in adulthood, and higher earnings, according to a study published Wednesday that tracked the development of 3,500 newborns over 30 years.

And, critically, the socioeconomic status of mothers appeared to have little impact on breastfeeding results, according to a paper published by The Lancet medical journal.

“The effect of breastfeeding on brain development and child intelligence is well established,” lead author Bernardo Lessa Horta of the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil said in a statement.

What has been less clear, is whether the effects persist into adulthood, and whether a mother’s so-

cioeconomic status or education level played a bigger role in the outcome of previous studies than her choice to breastfeed or not.

“Our study provides the first evidence that prolonged breastfeeding not only increases intelligence until at least the age of 30 years but also has an impact both at an individual and societal level by improving educational attainment and earning ability,” said Horta.

“What is unique about this study is the fact that, in the population we studied, breastfeeding was not more common among highly educated, high-income women, but was evenly distributed by social class.”

Horta and a team analysed data from another study of children born in Pelotas in 1982.

“A general sense of wellbeing, comfortable circumstances, good physical condition and vibrant mental health all contribute to sexual satisfaction,” says Dr. Beckman. “Previous sexual experiences and the quality of the relationship also play a role.”

Dr. Beckman identified three underlying factors – improved quality, childhood experiences and gender roles – that could determine whether individuals will maintain a healthy sex life into the golden years or not.

A senior citizen’s sex life is often a product of childhood experiences according to Dr. Beckman who concluded that experiencing poverty, family troubles and corporal punishment in childhood could reduce sexual desire in middle and old age.

Traditional gender roles within a senior couple are likely to determine how long they keep go-

ing, he says, for the man’s sexual appetite is what keeps the flame alive as a couple’s years turn golden.

“In other words, our studies suggest that women’s desire is not decisive for how active they are,” says Dr. Beckman. “One reason may be the gender roles that these generations grew up with, which dictate that men always take the initiative.”

Dr. Beckman’s research – his doctoral thesis – also reveals that individuals have sexual feelings well into their 90s.

“While unlikely to be active at that age, they talk about their sexual thoughts and dreams,” he says, “Often regretting that they no longer have the chance to share intimacy with another person.” Dr. Beckman advises healthcare professionals that it’s never too late to talk about sex with their patients.

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MOTORING Toyota rolls into TED with zippy new way to get around

Michelle Chen of Shanghai negotiates a course in a 3-wheel Toyota i-ROAD urban mobility prototype being demonstrated at the TED Conference in Vancouver on March 19, 2015. © AFP PHOTO / GLENN CHAPMAN

(Vancouver-AFP) – Steve Gundrum was grinning on Thursday when he climbed out of a Toyota some might call a cross between a zippy scooter and an eco-friendly electric car.

Gundrum was among the TED Conference attendees who test drove one of the company’s i-ROAD prototype “personal mobility vehicles” on a course set up in the basement of the Vancouver Centre, where the gathering took place.

The second seat in the small, electric two-seater vehicles is likely to be better used for backpacks

or grocery sacks than passengers.

Steering was accomplished with the single rear tire of the i-Road’s three wheels, meaning drivers needed to turn a few heartbeats earlier than in a typical car.

“It’s easy and intuitive,” Gundrum said.

“It’s kindred to a motorcycle, but it’s really a very small automobile,” the California man added. Toyota brought the prototypes to TED to find out how the gathering’s attendees see the future of mobility, said Jason Schulz of Toyota Motor Sales USA.

Schulz pictured i-Road being used for everyday short trips— such as getting to train stations, darting to markets or commuting to jobs. “Look at San Francisco or Manhattan where parking is so constrained,” Schulz said.

“You could get around with this and then park a couple of them in the same space as a typical car today.”

The i-Road weighs about 660 pounds (300 kilos), has a top speed of 35 miles per hour (56 kilometers per hour) and a range of about 30 miles (48 kilometers).

It recharges in three hours and plugs into standard outlets.

Gyroscopes and sensors for balancing the three-wheeled vehicle result in it leaning through turns similar to the exhilarating way motorcycles take curves.

“In the 20 years I’ve been in the car business, this is the most fun, interesting ride dynamic I’ve ever had because of the rear-steer and the active lean system,” Schulz said.

“It is just a total blast to drive. We have seen so many ‘Tedsters’ come out of the car smiling and happy.”

The vehicles are being tested in Tokyo, Silicon Valley and via a carsharing program in Grenoble, France.

Toyota has yet to figure out how it will price i-Road, but Schulz said it will need to be attractive enough to compete with new cars.

Paris does Manila as city forces evennumbered cars off roads to fight smog Paris, France, AFP, Monday 3/23/2015 French authorities forced half the cars off the roads of Paris on Monday in a bid to reduce spiking smog levels over the past week.

All cars with licence plates ending in even numbers were taken off the roads of the capital and its suburbs, but plans to extend the measure to Tuesday for cars with odd numbers were cancelled after forecasts showed pollution levels falling.

Public transport was free of charge to take the sting out of the restrictions, but ferociously independent drivers in the capital have still railed against the measure, despite it having been used only twice since 1997.

Similar emergency restrictions were last implemented almost exactly a year ago – on March 17 – during a particularly bad spike in the pollution levels.The Airparif monitoring agency said smog density was still near alert levels Monday, but rain forecast for Tuesday was expected to clear the air – allowing government officials to halt the restriction after a single day. “Due to the improving situation today and tomorrow, the alternative traffic (plan) will not be renewed Tuesday,” announced Ecology Minister Segolene Royal, who saluted “the good citizenship of motorists who understood the necessity of this measure.”

Not all motorists with even-numbered plates were as cooperative as Royal suggested, which explained the presence of 750 police officers mobilized in and around the capital to keep watch for defiant drivers.

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ENTERT

INMENT

Zoren bothered by Carmina’s intimate scenes with Paulo Is Zoren Legaspi bothered by his wife’s intimate scenes with actor Paulo Avelino for the new series “Bridges of Love?”

If you ask Carmina Villaroel, the simple answer is yes.

The 39-year-old actress admitted that her husband has always been uncomfortable with regards to her having romantic scenes with other men.

“Alam ko naman talaga na matagal na ayaw niya,” she said.

Villaroel, however, stressed that Legaspi has been nothing but supportive of her new television project, where she will play the mistress to Avelino’s younger character.S “May tiwala na din talaga kami sa isa’t isa. Alam naman namin ‘yung limitations namin so actually, umpisa pa lang nagdadalawang isip na ako kung tatanggapin ko ba o hindi,” she shared.

“Pero siya pa talaga ang nagsabi na tanggapin ko ito. Pero siyempre hindi naman sa kanya super okay ‘yung intimate scenes,” she added.

“Bridges of Love,” which also stars Jericho Rosales and Maja Salvador,” airs weekdays after “Forevermore. (MNS)

Zoren Legaspi

Melissa Mendez offloaded from plane for causing ruckus ACTRESS Melissa Mendez was offloaded from a flight on Friday for allegedly punching a co-passenger and a cabin crew.

In a video uploaded by model/ athlete Andrew Wolff on Instagram, he said the incident happened while they were in the middle of a flight to Pagadian City.

Wolff said that a certain actress with initials M.M. threw a fit during the flight.

“I’ve seen some crazy things in my life. I regularly travel on planes for work, but this has got to be probably one of the most ridiculous things that I have experienced,” he said. Wolff added: “A certain Filipina actress, past her prime may I add, decided to use our reserved seats on the plane. After being asked to move by flight attendants, the captain and even ground security she agreed to go to her seat (after 30 mins of cursing).”

“Kept claiming she was some sikat na star dati with initials M.M. She smelled like a beer brewery, you just knew something was gonna happen.... Anyway, half way to our destination to talk to our programmer in Mindanao, this “actress” decided to curse continually at my friend,” he said.

Wolff posted a video of a woman, who was easily recognized by the netizens as Mendez.

Melissa Mendez

He said the actress received warning from the flight attendants because of her unruly behavior. He then alleged that she punched his friend and cabin crew.

“She was given 2 warning cards by flight attendants, but didn’t stop. She punched my friend and the flight attendants and had to be restrained,” he said.

The captain then decided to return to Manila.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I apologize, but we have to go back to Manila due to one unruly passenger,” the captain said.

Wolff said that the captain refused Mendez’s appeal to re-join the trip.

“Captain: Hindi na, bababa ka na, hindi ka puwedeng sumakay, nasakatan mo pati flight stewardess ko.”

Mendez said she was originally given seat 2B but moved to 1A so that she could take photos of the clouds. Melissa claimed she requested Wolff and his friend, who was assigned at seat 1A, if she could stay in the said chair while the plane was taking off.

“Sabi ko, ‘Puwede makisuyo, favor lang. Dito muna ako para lang pag-take off makuhanan ko ng picture yung clouds. Sabi niya (friend of Wolff), ‘Hindi puwede binayaran namin yang upuan na yan,” the actress said.

She said Wolfff’s friend threatened to hit her with his bag.

“Pag hindi ka umalis diyan, hahampasin ko yang mukha mo ng bag ko. May lalaki bang magsasalita nang ganun sa babae?” she asked.

Melissa said this was the time she lost her cool with Wolff’s companion.

“Nagalit ako. Parang nakikiusap lang ako sa iyo?

Bigla mo akong pagsasalitaan ng ganyan? Mataas ang boses ko.

Mataas din ang boses niya,” she said.

When the flight was already en route to Pagadian, Melissa said she approached the flight attendant if

9

she could talk to Andrew and his friend to settle the matter.

“Tumayo ako at lumapit ako sa kanya. Sabi ko, ‘bakit ka naman nagsasabi na hahampasin mo ang mukha ko ng bag mo’. Sabi sa akin, ‘Lumayo ka sa akin, ang baho-baho ng hininga mo. Bad breath ka,” she said, adding the guy’s foul language prompted her to slap him.

“So yung galit ko, tapos sasabihan pa niya ako ng bad breath ko. Tapos sinabi pa ni Andrew na nakainom daw ako. Hindi naman ako umiinom. I don’t drink at all,” she said.

“Nasampal ko siya, inaamin ko yun. Right after that inawat na ako ng stewardess, so umupo na ako. Nagsalita yung piloto na babalik daw ng Maynila kasi may unruly passenger. Nagulat ako bakit isang passenger lang, dapat dalawa kami kasi yung altercation (is) between two people.”

But she denied slapping a flight stewardess.

“Wala, wala.

Sinungaling!

Kahit magtanong pa kayo sa lahat ng pasahero doon. Wala akong sinaktan, wala akong inapakan, wala akong sinampal na flight attendant,” she said.

In the end, Melissa apologized to her copassengers who witnessed and were affected by the incident.

“Humihingi ako ng pasensiya, ng patawad kung naabala ko sila. Hindi ko sinasadya yun.

Nasaktan lang ako, isa lang ako sa pasaherong nasaktan. Hindi ako nagpakastar dahil hindi ko naman pinifeel na artista ako. At wala akong natapakan na tao mula noon hanggang ngayon. Wala,” she said. (MNS)

Ruffa Gutierrez says she’s ready to have another go at marriage RUFFA Gutierrez, all the while, thought that after her failed marriage to Turkish Yilmaz Bektas, she would remain a single mother to her two daughters, Lorin and Venice, forever.

But, as she realizes now, one cannot really tell what the future holds.

“Lalo’t where pag-ibig is concerned,” Ruffa beamed.

Currently in love with French-Israeli Jordan Mouyal, an Information Technology expert, Ruffa reveals that she might consider marriage again.

And it looks like it’s just a matter of time before Jordan Ruffa Gutierrez pops the question.

Ruffa is happy that her mother, Annabelle Rama, who openly disliked Jordan at first, now approves of him. Her two daughters, too, are in favor of having him for a stepfather.

“Close ang dalawang bata kay Jordan,” Ruffa related. “Especially Venice, since si Jordan ang nagtu-tutor sa kanya sa kanyang French lessons.”

Lorin and Venice go to an international school.

Ruffa may not be as busy on TV as before, but she is in the reality show, “It Takes Guts To Be a Gutierrez” on cable.

“Ganunpaman, that doesn’t mean I’m not busy,” she counters.

“Halimbawa, ngayon I’m busy talking to several important people in the apparel business. They want to be among the sponsors of the kiddie fashion show I am producing.

“The young participants in the show will wear the exclusive designs of Rajo Laurel,” she adds.

Of course, her daughters are in the fashion show.

Another business venture, according to Ruffa, requires her to go abroad once in a while.

Does this mean she’s no longer interested in local showbiz?

“Susmaryosep naman!” she says. “Anytime I get myself an offer na worth it, kumbaga, ang role, I will gladly take it.”

Her mom Annabelle remains her talent manager. (MNS)

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KITCHENOMICS

FAMILY FEATURES

F

rom full-course brunches to simple sit-down dinners, Easter celebrations are a time to enjoy family, friends and the delicious tastes of spring.

However elaborate the festivities, a rich and creamy dessert is the perfect finale to any Easter gathering. Made from fresh milk and real cream, PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese is the highquality ingredient that makes sweets stand out.

These fresh dessert ideas all feature everyone’s favorite indulgence — cheesecake — along with other lively flavors, such as coconut, lemon and blueberry. Desserts this delicious will have your guests hopping up for seconds. For these and other recipe ideas, visit www.creamcheese.com.

Double Lemon Cheesecake Bars Prep time: 35 minutes Total time: 7 hours, 15 minutes Servings: 16 52 vanilla wafers, finely crushed (about 2 cups) 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 4 eggs, divided 4 packages (8 ounces each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 1 3/4 cups sugar, divided 3 tablespoons flour 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1/3 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons), divided 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/2 cup water Heat oven to 325°F. Line 13-by-9-inch pan with parchment paper, with ends of paper extending over sides.

Mix wafer crumbs and butter until blended; press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes.

Separate 1 egg; refrigerate yolk until ready to use. Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add egg white and remaining 3 whole eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each until just blended.

Pour over crust.

Bake 40 minutes or until center is almost set.

Cool 1 hour. Refrigerate 4 hours.

Mix cornstarch and remaining sugar in medium saucepan; gradually stir in water and remaining lemon juice until blended. Bring just to boil on medium heat, stirring constantly; cook and stir until clear and thickened. Lightly beat reserved egg yolk in small bowl with fork until blended; stir in 2 tablespoons of hot cornstarch mixture.

Return to remaining cornstarch mixture in saucepan; stir until blended. Cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly. Cool slightly.

Spoon lemon glaze over cheesecake. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Use parchment handles to remove cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve.

Note: This lemon glaze can be prepared ahead of time. Cool, then refrigerate up to 8 hours before spooning over individual slices of cheesecake.

Garnish with 1/2 cup blueberries, lemon peel and fresh mint leaves.

Easter Mini Cheesecakes

Blueberry Streusel Cheesecake

Prep time: 20 minutes Total time: 3 hours, 20 minutes Servings: 18 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 3 packages (8 ounces each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 eggs 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons BAKER’S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut, toasted 54 speckled malted milk eggs (about 9 ounces) Heat oven to 325°F. Mix graham crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and butter; press onto bottoms of 18 paper-lined muffin cups.

Beat cream cheese, vanilla and remaining sugar with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Spoon over crusts.

Bake 25–30 minutes or until centers are almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 2 hours.

Top each cheesecake with 1 tablespoon coconut; shape to resemble bird’s nest. Fill with malted milk eggs.

Note: To soften cream cheese, place completely unwrapped package of cream cheese in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high 10 seconds or just until softened. Add 15 seconds for each additional package of cream cheese.

Prep time: 15 minutes Total time: 6 hours, 45 minutes Servings: 16 1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons flour, divided 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 cup cold butter, cut up 4 packages (8 ounces each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 cup BREAKSTONE’S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream 4 eggs 2 cups fresh blueberries Heat oven to 325°F. Mix 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1/2 cup; press remaining onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Beat cream cheese, remaining flour, remaining sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust. Top with berries and reserved crumb mixture.

Bake 1 hour 25 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours.

Note: You can substitute cream cheese with Neufchatel cheese, or fresh blueberries with 1 (16-ounce) package frozen blueberries. Garnish with additional berries or cinnamon just before serving.

Recipes/photos courtesy of PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese

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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 Ă&#x20AC;ower 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

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

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

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

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Juni: New York’s hidden gastronomic gem NEW YORK – Childhood memories are powerful; and in the case of Michelin-starred chef Shaun Hergatt, also delicious.

“I loved Cherry Ripe from my childhood. But after I moved, I started missing it. So I recreated it,” he said of “Cherry Ripe,” one the signature dishes on the menu of Juni, a hidden gastronomic gem in the Flatiron neighborhood of New York.

Chef Hergatt has been New York-based for about 15 years now; but was born and raised in Cairns, Australia where is an experience.” he started “playing” in the kitchen What an experience it was! I when he was only 5. Inspired by lucked out because my husband, the Australian candy bar he used who works out of his company’s to love, the Chef’s version is foie New York office one week of each gras mousse encased in a cherry month, was booked to stay at this glaze made of cherry puree, plat- boutique hotel in Midtown Maned with toasted coconut and bitter hattan. This Small Luxury Hochocolate. tels of the World member did not “Get a bit of each flavor and originally have a restaurant until enjoy in one bite,” our server, An- they purchased the building next drew, instructed. door and built a kitchen. Juni was In one word, it is perfection. opened in August 2013.

The product is edible art; the kind Juni is the Latin word for June, that makes you want to digest the month that represents “the the plate figuratively before de- peak t of the harvest season,” said vouring the flavor, literally. And Robert Smith, the restaurant’s that’s what Chef Hergatt wants general manager. you to have when you dine in his “We have a really good restaufairly new “home” inside the Hotel rant here, called Juni. You might Chandler: “Take your time. Food want to check it out,” the man at is food. What I want you to have the front desk casually dropped as

Juni’s signature “Cherry Ripe” dish, Chef Shaun Hergatt’s version of his favorite Australian candy bar.

Sable cod, pomelo and “kalamansi” (Philippine lemon) dish garnished with roe and edible flowers.

he was helping us check in. The following morning, we once again received an invitation to dine at the restaurant on the first floor, with an incentive, a complimentary bottle of wine. By then, I was already intrigued. When I met my husband for drinks at the bar, at the end of our first day, we decided to book dinner for the following day.

For a Michelin-starred restaurant, booking a reservation at Juni was not too difficult. If you plan on coming to the Big Apple, this is a must-not-miss on my list.

The dinner started with a line-up of different flavors that will feel like a parade in your mouth: pungent - candied carrots dotted with house made goat cheese; rich celeriac chips topped with almond butter and almond oil; salty and savory – crunchy oat with tarragon; tangy – beet gelee with beet paper; sweet – cranberry puree with apple glaze.

“I like creating original concepts by the relationship among flavors,” said Chef Hergatt. “I care for acid and singular flavor in my dishes.”

One of the dishes on the winter menu was sable cod, “kalamansi” and pomelo. Another creation inspired by the chef’s memories.

This time, from his travels in the Asia region. Of course he knows that, for Filipinos the citrus fruit also has some medicinal value.

And he agrees: “I hate it when I get sick. I very rarely do. But when I do, kalamansi juice does the trick,” said the New York Magazine’s “Best New Chef” in 2012.

I was told, during a previous an interview with a celebrity chef, that a any successful chef goes through three stages in their career. First, you cook for critics because you want to be written about in order to create a buzz.

Then you get criticized and some comments don’t sit well, so you go through stage 2 where you stop cooking for critics and you decide

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Chef Shaun Hergatt welcoming us to his Michelin-starred restaurant in Midtown Manhattan.

you will cook for yourself, cook what you feel like cooking. And then you realize it’s not about you; but about the people who follow you. So you reach stage 3 where you’re cooking for your audience.

I asked Chef Hergatt where he is in those stages.

“I’ll tell you when I’m already successful,” he replied.

The unassuming personality matches and perhaps even explains the unassuming look and vibe of the dining rooms – simply adorned with earthy décor in muted hues. There’s no need for the place to impress because the highlight is the upscale seasonal

menu inspired by bountiful harvest – that will send you off with flesh satisfied and spirit inspired.

Jannelle So is credited for creating, hosting and producing America’s first and only locallyproduced daily talk show for Filipinos, that ran for 8 ½ years under her leadership, making it the longest-running Filipino talk show outside of the Philippines.

On her spare time, she loves to travel. This new column will document her sojourns as she shares what she learns an discovers on her trips. Connect to her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; or email her at sojannelle77@gmail.