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US Navy cancels port calls to PHL DOF says visits to Subic cancelled due to ‘operational reasons’

SUBIC BAY, Philippines (Oct. 19, 2014) Sailors and Marines assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu (LHA 5) participate in a 5K run sponsored by the Second Class Petty Officer Association during a port visit to Subic Bay Maritime Authority. Peleliu is on its final western Pacific deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility supporting security and stability in the Indo-AsiaPacific region before decommissioning early next year. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Julianne Holland/Released)

MANILA, November 3, 2014 (AFP) – The US Navy has cancelled visits to the Philippine port of Subic amid public anger over accusations that a US Marine killed a Filipino on the city’s outskirts, officials said Monday.

Foreign Department spokesman Charles Jose said the visits of three US ships to Subic this month had been cancelled, while the head of the Subic freeport said nine such visits scheduled for this year had been called off.

“The DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) was informed through normal diplomatic channels of the cancellation of the visits to Subic of three ships for op-

erational reasons,” he said.

Jose told reporters he did not believe the cancellations were linked to anger stirred by the investigation of a US Marine for the killing of a Filipina in Olongapo City last month.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Robert Garcia said nine US ships due to dock at Subic this year had cancelled their visits.

He told AFP that two US Navy ships were still scheduled to make port calls in Subic for “emergency repairs” but their crews would not be allowed to disembark.

Normally, two or three US Navy ships make routine port calls every month for resupply in Subic, a former US naval base about an hour’s drive from MaSee US NAVY, page 12

Aquino on Binay criticisms: You can leave Cabinet if you’re unhappy MANILA, Nov 3 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III said Monday if Vice President Jejomar Binay is unhappy with the decisions taken by the administration, he is free to leave the Cabinet.

But if Binay will not resign, he is obligated to give advice and offer solutions to the problems besetting the country.

Aquino said he was not able to read the entire report on Binay’s criticisms - to which a reporter asked him to react - and only managed to read the first few paragraphs, and could review the article.

Nonetheless, Aquino obliged the reporter, saying that if Bi-

nay really said those criticisms, two options were open to him: he must actively share his views on how to improve things; or, if he’s truly unhappy, he could leave. “If he thinks our decisions are wrong, he is free not to join us,” Aquino said in a chance interview during the inauguration of the Coca-Cola Femsa Philippines Canlubang plant expansion in Laguna aired over state-run Radyo ng Bayan on Monday.

“If he thinks our actions are not enough, he should advise us. That is not a choice but an obligation for him as a Cabinet member.”

“If he has criticisms, for these to be constructive, he has to offer

solutions. But I have not heard him offer solutions in our past Cabinet meetings,” Aquino said.

Binay is currently the head of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and presidential adviser for OFW affairs.

Asked if he still had trust and confidence in the vice president despite corruption allegations, Aquino noted that the accusations happened when he was still Makati mayor; adding that, as over-all in-charge of housing agencies in the Cabinet, Binay had chalked up some achievements.

Meanwhile, Aquino said it is a See LEAVE, page 12

Drilon to accuser: Show evidence ICC is overpriced

Thousands of Catholic Filipinos troop to Manila North Cemetery to honor the departed in the annual observance of All Saints’ Day Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014 in Manila, Philippines. (MNS photo)

Millions across honor their dead back home MANILA, November 1, 2014 (AFP) – Millions across the Philippines packed into cemeteries Saturday to pay respects to their dead, in an annual tradition that combines Catholic religious rites with the country’s penchant for festivity.

The Church appealed for a solemn and prayerful observation of the “day of the dead” and urged against turning gravesites into picnic spots.

Police set up frisking booths at cemetery gates to confiscate alcoholic beverages, playing cards, portable karaoke machines and weapons as huge crowds, including children and the elderly, endured slow-moving queues.

“It is very important for Filipinos to pay respects to their dead.

This is also a chance for a family reunion,” 21-year-old government worker Mary Joy Pasigan told

MANILA, Nov 3 (Mabuhay) – Senate President Franklin M. Drilon today said he was not adverse to any Senate investigation into the Iloilo Convention Center (ICC) but expressed confidence that the Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) will be able to defend the regularity of the project.

“The DPWH, which supervised the ICC, can easily disprove the

President Benigno S. Aquino III and some members of the Aquino family visit the tombs of their parents Ninoy and Cory at the Manila Memorial Park in Sucat, Paranaque Sunday (November 2), on All Souls’ Day. (MNS photo)

Aquino visits wake of late Senator Juan Flavier MANILA, Nov 1 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno S. Aquino III paid his last respects to former Health Secretary and Senator Juan Flavier whose remains lie in state at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.

The President visited the wake with Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas on Friday following their inspection of major passenger terminals in

Metro Manila in preparation for Undas this weekend.

President Aquino reportedly arrived at around 5:00 p.m. and extended his condolences to the late senator’s family. He stayed for about 30 minutes before heading back to his official residence.

Flavier died on Thursday due to multiple organ failure and sepsis attributed to pneumonia. He was 79. (MNS)

See EVIDENCE, page 12

Chot out as national team seeks new basketball coach

AFP at a cemetery north of the capital Manila.

Pasigan carried her five-yearold niece past cramped corridors of tombs to offer sunflowers and orchids to her dead grandparents.

Conchita Pura, 60, brought sandwiches for her two-hour vigil at the tombs of her aunt and uncle.

“We come here to light candles and offer prayers so that their sins may be forgiven,” she told AFP. “Getting here is painful, but I must endure it to observe tradition,” she said.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines meanwhile said praying for the dead was a “duty” as it appealed to Catholics to “bring back the holy”.

Instead of adopting Western Halloween celebrations and

MANILA, November 2, 2014 (AFP) – The Philippines is looking for a new national basketball coach after the team’s early exit at the Asian Games, despite Chot Reyes still being in the job, an official said Sunday.

Reyes, whose side failed to make the semi-finals in Incheon, South Korea, has not yet been formally removed.

But a search for a replacement will soon be launched, said Sonny Barrios, executive director of Basketball Federation of the Philippines (SBP).

“A Selection-Screening Committee has been formed to short list coaching candidates,” Barrios said in an SMS message to AFP. “Chot may or may not be in the short list. (It) depends on the Committee,” he added.

For Republicans on vote’s eve, US Senate theirs to lose as they positioned themselves for a likely US Senate takeover after Tuesday’s elections, emboldened by polls that show them pulling ahead of President Barack Obama’s Democrats in the battle for power in Washington.O

See MILLIONS, page 12

See CHOT OUT, page 12

See REPUBLICANS, page 12

Republicans eye US Senate, but result may wait

By Michael Mathes

WASHINGTON, November 3, 2014 (AFP) – Republicans are confident they will take control of the US Senate in Tuesday’s elections, but Americans may still have to wait until December or even 2015 to learn who controls the chamber.

Recent polls show Republicans pulling ahead of President Barack Obama’s Democrats in the battle for power in Washington, despite the races in Alaska and North Carolina remaining very close.

Republican leaders expressed

confidence in the home stretch of one of the most consequential midterm elections in years.

Democrats currently hold a 10-seat Senate advantage, with 55 members to 45. If Republicans take a net six seats Obama will spend his last two years in office facing a hostile Congress.

“We intend to be a responsible governing Republican majority if the American people give us a chance to do that,” the party’s top Senator Mitch McConnell told ABC News.

The veteran politician is locked

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No Pinoy involved in HK double murder, says PHL ConGen MANILA, Nov 3 (Mabuhay) – There was no Filipino involved in a double murder case in a luxury flat in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai district last weekend, the Philippine Consulate General said Monday.

In a post on its Facebook page, the Consulate General said preliminary information from the Wan Chai Police showed “no Filipino national was involved.”

But it encouraged Filipinos liv-

ing and working in Hong Kong to “exercise caution at all times to ensure their safety,” It also advised them to call the Assistance-to-Nationals hotline at +852 9155 4023 or email atn4. hongkongpcg@dfa.gov.ph.

A report on Radio Television Hong Kong said a 29-yearold man has been linked to the case and was to appear before the Eastern Magistrates’ Court Monday.

He was charged with two counts of murder in connection with the double slaying at the luxury flat in Wan Chai.

“Police have not named the man, but the British Foreign Office in London confirmed that a UK national had been arrested in Hong Kong but gave no further information,” RTHK said.

The RTHK report said a woman was found dead with stab wounds to her throat and

buttocks, with a bloodied knife found nearby.

A second victim was found partially enclosed in a suitcase on the balcony.

The second victim was believed killed days earlier.

The RTHK report also cited earlier media reports identifying the woman in the suitcase as Sumarti Ningsih, 25; and the other fatality as Jesse Lorena, 30. (MNS)

Abu Sayyaf given P1-M for girl’s release, says ARMM police chief MANILA, Nov 1 (Mabuhay) – Abu Sayyaf bandits received P1 million for Wednesday’s release of an eight-year-old girl they kidnapped in July, the police in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao said Saturday.

Chief Superintendent Noel delos Reyes, ARMM police chief, said the ransom money was handed to a woman who served as collector for the kidnappers. “[The girl was] freed by her captors at Jolo wharf after her

father handed over P1 million in ransom money to the designated ransom taker, an unidentified woman,” Delos Reyes said.

He said the ransom was paid an hour before the release.

This was the reason that the girl’s freedom was described in the police report as “pay-off/recovery of kidnap victim,” according to Delos Reyes.

After the money was delivered, Delos Reyes said, the kidnappers instructed the father to get the

girl from a nearby mosque but “the parent disagreed with the scheme so the girl was made to walk by her captors to the premises of the Jolo wharf.”

She was finally recovered at the gates of the docking area for a shipping company around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The girl was abducted by four armed men from a store in her hometown in Olutanga, Zamboanga Sibugay on July 25, 2014.

She was eventually transferred to Sulu.

The Abu Sayyaf, a ragtag band of self-styled Islamists, said recently it was paid P250 million for the release of German hostages Stefan Viktor Okonek and Henrike Dielen. The government, however, maintained the alleged ransom payment never took place. (MNS)

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MANILA, Nov 3 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III admitted on Monday that the fate of Health Secretary Enrique Ona depends on his answers to questions on the government’s health programs.

Asked if Ona still has his trust and confidence, Aquino said: “[The answer] will come after the results of the answers to questions propounded to him.”

Ona supposedly took a leave of absence due to his allergic reaction to hair dye.

Aquino said he had questions on the immunization program of the Department of Health, which Ona needs to answer.

“He asked for time to prepare his answers…

He will not be able to prepare for those if he continues his day to day activities,” he added.

Aquino did not explain further, but said he wants a balance between the preventive and curative aspects of medicine for public health.

“I keep on emphasizing that people should not get sick in order to prevent hospitalization…

He has that aspect of balance, insofar as hospitals are concerned. Admittedly, we have a lot of hospitals that have been left behind by time,” he said.

The Philippine Star reported on Monday that Ona was forced to take a leave after Aquino got irritated by his request for a bigger allocation for the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) amid the possible spread of the Ebola virus in the Philippines.

The report said Ona requested for P600 million for the RITM, even if reports quoted the amount as P500 million.

“Hindi puwede oraorada [He can’t ask for it hastily], especially that the budget deliberation is already at the Senate…

We have a process that needs to be followed. He should have brought it up in the beginning. There’s a need [RITM], but there is a process that needs to be followed,” Aquino said. (MNS)

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P5-B in government cash advances remain unpaid – Romulo MANILA, Nov 3 (Mabuhay) – About P5 billion in taxpayers’ money in unpaid government cash advances may have been used for personal reasons, Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo said in a news release.

“The legal presumption is as clear as day. Under the Revised Penal Code, if you are a public officer and you’ve advanced cash, and you fail to account for the money, then you must have put it to personal use,” he said.

Romulo was responding to a Commission on Audit (COA) finding that about P5 billion in cash advances remain unsettled by more than 100 government executives and employees, including former heads of state-run corporations, well beyond the prescribed period.

Exasperated by the brazen disregard of the law and pertinent COA orders on the timely liquidation of all advances, Romulo wants to hold the erring public officers instantly liable for stealing the funds obtained.

“We’ve already filed House Bill

1287, which make the infraction prima facie proof of embezzlement of the money received,” Romulo said.

“The failure to settle a cash advance will be sufficient evidence that the recipient pocketed the money, unless the proof is rebutted,” Romulo added.

This means the Office of the Ombudsman may already initiate a criminal charge for malversation of funds, according to Romulo.

Depending on the amount involved, “malversation of public funds” carries the maximum penalty of life imprisonment and perpetual disqualification from public office, plus a fine equal to the sum misused.

Also under Romulo’s bill, advances in all government offices have to be liquidated within the following prescribed deadlines: For salaries and wages – within five days after each 15th day of the month pay period; For petty operating expenses and field operating expenses – within 20 days after the end of

the year; For special operations, and operating expenses or purchases of supplies, materials and the like in the amount exceeding P100,000 – within 20 days after completion of the operation or delivery and acceptance of supplies, materials and the like; For local travel – within five days upon the officer’s return to official station; For foreign travel – within 60 days upon return to official station; and For other advances – within six months after performance of the purpose for which the advance had been granted.

Under a COA circular, a cash advance is settled either by returning the money if unspent, or by presenting vouchers, with details as to the items thereon paid, which must be in accord with the purpose for which the money was released, and further backed by proper receipts and other evidence of payment, subject to the result of a post-examination thereof by the auditor concerned. (MNS)

Former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, seen here in a file photo with husband Mike Arroyo behind her, has asked for a nine day temporary house arrest to attend the wake of her 13 month old grandson who died Sunday of a congenital heart disease.

Senate urged to probe ‘delay’ in Bohol rehab Gloria Arroyo seeks temporary house arrest to attend grandson’s wake MANILA, Nov 3 (Mabuhay) – their rehabilitation programs.

She further said the poor im-

What could be delaying the rehabilitation of earthquake-stricken Bohol province? Senator Nancy Binay wants to find out.

Binay filed Senate Resolution 983 calling for an inquiry on the alleged delayed rehabilitation in Bohol considering its detrimental effects to the lives of less fortunate and low income families living in the affected areas.

Citing news reports, Binay, a neophyte senator, said the delay was due to several factors such as lack of technical experts, bureaucratic practices like bottomup budgeting, and the local government units themselves.

She cited the statement of Maribojoc Mayor Leoncio Evasco, Jr., who said the blame should not be on the mayors of the local government units but on the belated release of the guidelines by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) relating to Bohol Earthquake Assistance (BEA) that would have helped the mayors in planning

The said guidelines were issued only on August 1 or almost two months after DILG Secretary Mar Roxas and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad turned over P2.4 billion in funds for BEA on June 6 to Bohol Gov. Edgar Chatto.

Binay, daughter of Vice President Jejomar Binay, said DILG director Ma. Loisella Lucino confirmed the belated issuance of the guidelines, saying her office received a copy of “Guidelines in the Implementation of the BEA-DILG Fund for the affected LGUs in the province of Bohol” on August 1.

“This is not the time to point fingers or look for personalities to blame for the delay. It is time to positively act towards the rehabilitation of affected areas by exerting efforts that would zero in on the need to fill-up the lack of manpower, streamline the bureaucratic processes and ensure proper information dissemination to the LGUs,” Binay said.

plementation of government instrumentalities in the grassroots level has also been alleged as the cause of the delay attributing it to issues in the execution and delivery of rehabilitation projects.

“Pursuant to good governance, government accountability and social uplifting, it is imperative that facts and circumstances surrounding the government’s slow efforts be examined in order to address the government’s inadequacies and improve as well as fast track the rehabilitation efforts that would benefit the less fortunate and low income families in the affected areas,” said Binay.

Bohol was rocked by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake last year.

Several buildings including centuries-old churches, which were also tourism spots, were among the biggest casualty of the earthquake. A year after, the provincial government is slowly picking up the pieces and turning the ruins to opportunities. (MNS)

Villar: Coconut farmers should benefit from coco levy funds now MANILA, Nov 3 (Mabuhay) – Sen. Cynthia Villar pushed for a law that will make sure the P 100 billion coco levy funds will be spent and used for the benefit of the more than 3.5 million coconut farmers in the country.

“The coconut farmers are the poorest in the country; they only make P50 a day on the average.

It is indecent to say the least, to keep the money that is rightfully theirs, away from them,” Villar said.

Villar, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, filed Senate bill No. 2126 or the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Act, which seeks to establish a trust fund that will pay for the implementation of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan.

“It is high time that we implement the ruling of the Supreme Court, which declares these funds as public and should be utilized to develop the coconut industry and to improve the lives of our coconut farmers,” Villar said.

The bill mandates the creation of the Coconut Farmers and Industry fund, a trust fund which shall be perpetually main-

tained for the development of the coconut industry for the ultimate benefit of coconut farmers and farm workers. It shall be used to fund the implementation of programs and projects identified in the plan.

Capitalization of this fund will come from all monies deposited with the United Coconut Planters Bank under the name of the CIIF pursuant to the provisions of Presidential Decree No. 1468, as amended, and any and all proceeds for the redemption or sale of the CIIF SMC Block Shares and all dividends accruing or have accrued thereto shall form part of the initial capital of the trust fund.

The trust fund shall thereafter be augmented with all proceeds of privatization/disposition of the coconut levy assets remitted by the Privatization Management Office, including any and all forms of income, interests, earnings, yields, or any monetary benefit which accrues to the trust fund pursuant to the investments made.

The trust principal shall be preserved and maintained at all times and for this purpose, will be invested in the Republic of

the Philippines bonds. Only the trust income may be used for the implementation of the plan.

Under the bill, the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan will be prepared for the development and rehabilitation of the coconut industry.

It will include, among others, a national program for coconut productivity, replanting, rehabilitation, scientific and medical research, integrated downstream processing, and market promotion.

It will also include local programs that directly benefit small coconut farmers and farm workers, such as medical and health and life insurance services, educational scholarships for deserving students coming from families of coconut farmers, or beneficiaries of the coconut levy funds.

“With the integration of ASEAN economies next year, there is a need to modernize the coconut industry towards global competitiveness and at the same time protect small coconut farmers and farm workers from unfair competition. A fund should be present to make this possible,” Villar added. (MNS)

House bill gives taxpayers option to allocate 5% of their income tax to charities, NGOs MANILA, Nov 3 (Mabuhay) – A bill giving taxpayers the option to allocate a portion of their income tax to charitable institutions and non-government organizations (NGOs) has been referred for committee deliberation in the House of Representatives.

House Bill 5113 authored by COOP NATCCO party-list Reps.

Cresente Paez and Anthony Bravo mandates the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to establish a mechanism to allow a taxpayer to allocate five percent of their annual income tax to charitable organizations or NGOs of their choice.

The taxpayer will select the beneficiary of their donation from the list of organizations to be provided to the BIR by an inter-agency committee led by the

Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Eligible organizations are those that are duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) or other formal accrediting bodies approved by law. If a taxpayer decides not to allocate 5 percent of his or her income tax to charity, the whole amount will go to national coffers.

Taxpayers who are founders, officers, members or employees of a particular NGO or are related to any of these parties up to the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity are barred from allocating funds to that institution.

Funds received by the beneficiary organizations will be exempt from donor’s tax or any other taxes.

Paez and Bravo said charitable institutions, which they described as “partners in development,” are often burdened by funding issues. “[The bill seeks] to clear the doubt of bogus CSOs (civil society organizations) and to make them accountable to the public,” they said in the bill’s explanatory note.

NGOs have been the subject of closer scrutiny by the government in the aftermath of the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam, in which bogus organizations linked to supposed scam brains Janet Lim-Napoles were used as conduits for government funds.

MANILA, Nov 3 (Mabuhay) – Former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria MacapagalArroyo on Monday asked the Sandiganbayan for a nine day temporary house arrest to attend the wake of her 13 month old grandson who died Sunday of a congenital heart disease.

“Accused Arroyo respectfully prays that the Honorable Court immediately issue an order placing her under house arrest for nine days from November 3 to November 12 at her residence in La Vista [and to allow] her to attend daily the wake of her grandson at North Forbes [in Makati,]” Mrs. Arroyo’s motion read.

In the same motion, Mrs. Arroyo asked that she be allowed to attend the burial of her grandson, the date and time of which has yet to be determined.

In an emotional two page urgent ex parte motion for leave, Mrs. Arroyo asked the anti-graft court to allow her to visit the remains of Jorge Alonzo “Jugo” Arroyo Bernas, her grandson and the son of her only daughter, Luli Arroyo-Bernas.

In her motion prepared by lawyers, the detained former Philippine leader detailed how she was devastated by the news that Jugo passed away.

“Arroyo received the crushing news of Jugo’s death while she was waiting for him to arrive at the Veteran’s Memorial Medical Center yesterday morning. A day that was supposed to bring joy in the form of

a grandson delivered unspeakable grief instead. A grandson is not supposed to die ahead of a grandparent.

Jugo was not supposed to die ahead

of his grandmother. But for reasons beyond human understanding, he did,” the motion read.

In her motion, Mrs. Arroyo also reiterated that she is not a flight risk.

“She is not a flight risk and has no intention of fleeing. She only wishes to be with her family at this hour of terrible personal tragedy,” the motion said. The former Philippine leader’s motion also appealed to the anti-graft court’s compassion.

“Arroyo would like to believe that there is room enough in our justice system to accommodate the request of a grandmother to be allowed to properly grieve the loss of a grandson’s life,” it said.

The former president asked for nine days to observe religious traditions. However, in a chance interview with her counsel, lawyer Jose Flaminiano, he said the court will ultimately decide how many days, if any, Mrs. Arroyo will be allowed.

In 2012, the Pasay Regional Trial Court gave Mrs. Arroyo eight hours to attend the wake of her brotherin-law, then-Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo Jr. at the exclusive La Vista Subdivision in Quezon City.

Mrs. Arroyo’s camp had requested a three-day furlough but the court reduced this to eight hours.

Mrs. Arroyo has been under hospital arrest at the Veteran’s Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City since 2012 for allegedly conspiring to fraudulently divert P366 million in Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office intelligence funds “for personal gain” from 2008 to 2010.

Mrs. Arroyo’s motion is set for hearing Tuesday, 8:30 am. (MNS)

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PHL’s tobacco control policy stronger because of Flavier’ – ex-smokers MANILA, Nov 1 (Mabuhay) – The late Dr. Juan Flavier and the landmark “Yosi Kadiri” campaign he launched as Health secretary are the reason “Filipinos are now enjoying the benefits of a stronger tobacco control environment,” an organization of former smokers, including cancer survivors, said Saturday.

Flavier, a tireless public health advocate who was well-loved and respected as Health secretary and senator, succumbed to multiple organ failure due to complications from pneumonia at the intensive care unit of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute on Thursday. He was 79.

“His Yosi Kadiri campaign, the most successful tobacco control drive this country ever witnessed, catapulted a national consciousness about the harmful health effects of smoking,” Emer Rojas, Global Cancer Ambassador and president of the New Vois Association of the Philippines, said in a statement.

“Through his sheer dedication to his job and integrity, Dr Flavier had defied the strength of the tobacco lobby and launched an antismoking program that reached the very core of every Filipino household,” Rojas added.

As senator, Flavier authored Republic Act 9211 or the Tobacco Regulations Act. “It is because of his strong commitment to public health that many have now come to embrace this cause. The landmark passage of the sin tax and graphic health warning laws were results of Dr. Flavier’s endless pursuit to fight for Filipinos’ right to health,” Rojas said.

NVAP also noted that even after he had retired from public service and was recuperating from mild strokes, Flavier issued a scathing remark in 2012 during the sin tax debates after Senator Ralph Recto proposed to slash by half the P30-billion tax approved by the House of Representatives. This, and strong criticism from health and reform advocates, led to Recto’s resignation as chair of the Senate ways and means committee.

Flavier, who coined the catchy “Let’s DOH it!” slogan, was also responsible for the immensely successful Oplan Alis Disease, the national immunization program that led to the World Health Organization’s declaration of the Philippines as polio-free, the Stop TB campaign, and the Doctors to the Barrio program, a takeoff from a personal crusade he embarked on soon after graduating from medical school.

He also authored such progressive laws as the Indigenous People’s Rights Act, E-Commerce Law, and the Anti-Poverty Law, which created the National Anti-Poverty Commission.

Rojas represents persons with disabilities at the NAPC. “Dr. Flavier was the father of public health. He has laid the groundwork for us so that you and I may continue to build up on what he has started and gave his life for,” Rojas said. “We now enjoy eating at restaurants, riding the jeep, and walking in the street without having to worry about inhaling tobacco smoke because somebody stood up for our right to health. A larger than life person, Dr. Flavier has fully served his purpose. Heaven must be smiling right now as it welcomes God’s good and faithful servant.” (MNS)

Scandals pushed Pinoys to run to church – analyst MANILA, Oct 29 (Mabuhay) – The scandals that rocked the different government institutions paved the way for the Church to gain more trust from Filipinos, an analyst said.

San Beda Graduate School of Law Dean Fr. Ranhilio Aquino told Radio Veritas, “Political branches of government saw their trust ratings go down, in particular the Office of the President and House of Representatives – that leaves the people with nothing to trust. The most organized social institution in the Philippines they turn to [therefore] is the Church.”

According to the 2014 Philippine Trust Index presented on by EON Incorporated on Tuesday, the Catholic Church is the most trusted institution here.

The survey showed that 75% of the general public and 66% of the informed public trust the Catholic Church “very much.”

The same survey showed that the “biggest losers” were the Office of the President and the Senate.

General public trust in the Office of the President dropped to 16% from 28% in 2012. Its trust rating from the informed public also dropped to 15% from 24%.

The Senate, on the other hand, had a 7% trust rating from 15% in 2012. Trust from the informed public was at 4%, down from 13%.

Aquino also believes that the Catholic church has been vocal on issues that affected the public.

“The Church never grew silent on social issues. The church made itself heard, but it gave responsible statements. Even if it did not side with one particular political structure, it gave out statements that showed the church principles,” Aquino said.

He also noted that 2016 is nearing. He said people would want to side with an institution that can espouse truth.

“They know that statements from the politicians will be self-serving…and yet society cannot be adrift, they need to trust someone – an institution they would want to listen to.”

He urged the Catholic church not to lose this trust.

“We once lost this trust, and it took time to earn it once more,” he added. In a separate statement, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines secretary general Fr. Marvin Mejia said: “It’s consoling that the Catholic Church still has place in our nation. And our leaders, pastors, and lay leaders have done something good and these are being recognized.”

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Love offers fresh dreams for typhoon survivors

By Karl Malakunas

TACLOBAN, November 2, 2014 (AFP) – Jovelyn Luana and Joel Aradana plan to light candles at a mass grave to mark one year since Super Typhoon Haiyan stole both their families, but they will do it hand-in-hand, sharing a new love that promises fresh dreams.

Luana lost all of her six children and her husband of 13 years when Haiyan, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded, thundered across her coastal town in the central Philippines.

About one kilometre (half a mile) away, the same immense storm surges that savaged Luana’s future also destroyed Aradana’s shanty fishing home as they carried his wife and two of his children to oblivion.

The storm on November 8 killed or left missing more than 7,350 people, the world’s deadliest natural disaster last year, as it laid to waste dozens of already poor farming and fishing communities.

For the next few months, Luana and Aradana endured with hundreds of thousands of other typhoon survivors tormenting grief.

Luana would have killed herself except she could not find anywhere high enough to tie a rope that had been scavenged from rubble.

Then they found each other.

Power of two They met at a cash-for-work program run by a foreign aid group six months ago, with a joke from the incomprehensibly effervescent Luana borne from their similar first names and shared tragedies an unlikely icebreaker.

“I told him: ‘I am a Jo, you are a Jo. I am a widow and you are also a widower. So we were meant for each other’,” Luana said with a big smile as they stood outside their shanty hut recently just a few meters (yards) from the sea on the outskirts of Tacloban, one of the worst hit cities.

Luana, 31, said she unexpectedly felt hope after meeting Aradana, nine years her senior.

“I realized we both had similar values... and he is loving, he is caring, he is responsible,” Luana said, pointing out Aradana worked hard as a fisherman and construction worker, yet also helped do the laundry and cook.

“He would make a good father.”

Aradana cited companionship and the power of two over one as initial attractions.

“Since she likes me and I like her, I told her it is much better that we live together so we can move on with our lives together, rather than doing it alone,” said Aradana, who speaks much more quietly than Luana and is seemingly less able to mask sadness.

Sharing pain Their shared experiences have indeed proved a vital adhesive in the early months of their relationship.

“We talk to each other about our losses,” Luana said. “There is a lot of sharing. We share both happiness and loneliness.”

Luana’s lost children were aged from 19 months to 12 years. Her mother, a sister, three nieces and nephews, as well as her best friend, also died in the storm.

Most of the bodies of Luana’s dead family members were found in the days and weeks after the typhoon, discoveries which she said helped her heal.

Aradana’s pain has been exacerbated by not finding the bodies of his wife, his only son, aged 7, and a 13-year-old daughter.

He still has two younger daughters, living then and now with grandparents in another province, and an elder daughter who is working elsewhere.

“I would have wanted to kill myself too, if it wasn’t for them,” Aradana said.

Deeper poverty Haiyan also crippled Aradana and Luana financially.

The couple’s new home is in one of the typhoon-affected areas’ newly declared “danger zones” in which people are not legally allowed to live but where tens of thousands of the poorest Haiyan survivors do.

Luana could not return to her job as an appliance sales woman and a year later the only work she can find is giving pedicures, manicures or massages to neighbours in their slum community for the equivalent of about one dollar a session.

Aradana occasionally gets construction work for about eight dollars a day, or if not goes fishing using a boat donated by an aid group then sells his meagre catches at the local market.

They rent their hut, made of scavenged typhoon debris and a tarpaulin from an international relief group, for 200 pesos ($4.5) a month.

The government plans to relocate hundreds of thousands of people from danger zones, but no-one has told Luana and Aradana if they will be included.

An initial flood of food and other relief goods dried up months ago.

For a recent breakfast of noodles and vegetables, Luana added a single prawn given to her by a neighbor.

“It is really hard for us to rebuild again, we lost everything... it is as if we are back to zero,” Luana said as she sat outside after breakfast on a small stool painting a neighbor’s toenails a shiny purple, earning enough for one more meal.

Legacy of SARS in Asia offers lessons for Ebola fight

By Aaron Tam

HONG KONG, November 2, 2014 (AFP) – The SARS outbreak of 2003 put Hong Kong on the frontline of a global health crisis – but the city’s ultimately successful war on the virus offers lessons for those now battling Ebola.

The flu-like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome infected 1,800 people and took 299 lives in the southern Chinese city. Panic spread, emptying usually busy streets and restaurants and causing the property market to dive.

But swift moves to quarantine at-risk residents brought the outbreak under control, while transforming long-term attitudes to disease and streamlining the city’s alert and response systems.

Eleven years later, the legacy of SARS can still be seen every day in Hong Kong. Many residents don surgical masks at the first signs of a common cold; disinfectant dispensers are dotted around buildings, and signs next to elevator buttons boast of hourly sterilization.

“All this came about after SARS,” said Nelson Lee, head of infectious diseases at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

“At the time of SARS, Hong Kong had no isolation facilities, or very few – and in general, the medical profession was not aware of the importance of infectious diseases. We have come a long way.”

Hong Kong hospitals now feature emergency isolation rooms, while travelers must pass through temperature scanners at the borders.

Taking no chances in one of the world’s most densely-populated cities, authorities set up a government body to coordinate the response to similar crises in the future.

How well-prepared is Asia?

The SARS virus first emerged in late 2002 in Guangdong, southern China, and was carried to Hong Kong by a doctor.

Staying in a four-star hotel, he passed it to international guests and visitors who eventually helped the disease spread to dozens of countries, affecting 8,000 people worldwide and killing some 800.

Nearly 350 of the deaths were in mainland China, while Asian neighbors including Taiwan, Singapore and Vietnam were also hit.

Since then, Asia’s mechanisms for dealing with infectious disease have been tested several times.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed more than 400 people, mainly in Southeast Asia, since first appearing in 2003. Another strain of bird flu, H7N9, has claimed more than 170 lives since emerging in 2013.

Experts say the experience of dealing with these viruses stands Asia in generally good stead should it face an outbreak of Ebola, which has yet to make it to the continent.

The tropical virus has claimed almost 5,000 lives so far, the vast majority of them in west Africa.

“Generally speaking, the level of readiness is probably more similar to the level of readiness of Europe rather than Africa,” said Isabelle Nuttall of the World Health Organization.

Quarantine drills have been held from China and Hong Kong to Singapore and the Philippines, while many Asian countries have tightened airport screening processes.

In an extreme case, isolated North Korea on Thursday said it intends to quarantine all foreigners entering the country for 21 days, no matter their country of origin.

But experts stress some nations are better positioned than others to deal with an outbreak, and warn that no detection system is fool-proof. Ebola does not always manifest itself in the form of a fever, for instance – so someone carrying the virus could pass undetected through even the most high-tech of airport temperature scanners.

Kerry: Ignoring climate science puts ‘kids, grandkids’ at risk WASHINGTON, November 2, 2014 (AFP) – US Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday that those who ignore climate science do so at a risk to future generations, as UN experts unveiled the final chapter of a landmark climate report.

“Those who choose to ignore or dispute the science so clearly laid out in this report do so at great risk for all of us and for our kids and grandkids,” Kerry said.

The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said Sunday that time is running out to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and that current trends in carbon emissions heralded disaster.

Crowning a landmark review, the climate experts warned that emissions of three key greenhouse gases were at their highest in more than 800,000 years.

Kerry said the report issued in Copenhagen was a fresh warning, “another canary in the coal mine”.

“The longer we are stuck in a debate over ideology and politics, the more the costs of inaction grow and grow,” he said.

The report –the first overview by the Nobel-winning organization since 2007 – comes ahead of UN talks in Lima next month to pave the way to a 2015 pact in Paris to limit warming to a safer two degrees Celsius.

But the negotiations have been hung up for years over which countries should shoulder the cost for reducing carbon emissions, derived mainly from oil, gas and coal – the backbone of the world’s energy supply today.

“The bottom line is that our planet is warming due to human actions, the damage is already visible, and the challenge requires ambitious, decisive and immediate action,” Kerry said.

“We’re seeing more and more extreme weather and climate events, whether it’s storm surges, devastating heat waves, and torrential rain, across the globe,” Kerry said. “It’s not a coincidence.”

Earth, the panel warned, is on a likely trajectory for at least four degrees Celsius warming by 2100 over pre-industrial times – a recipe for worsening drought, flood, rising seas and species extinction.

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UTREACH Trafficked Filipino teachers urged to step out of the shadows WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Philippine Embassy is calling on some 500 undocumented Filipino teachers in the United States who were victimized by illegal recruiters to step out of the shadows so they could be assisted in securing immigration relief and in going after those who victimized them.

“Our teachers need not be afraid. We are here to help,” Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. said after he was told of the sad plight of the undocumented Filipino teachers who were brought into the US by illegal recruiters several years ago.

At the same time, Ambassador Cuisia assured some 25 trafficked Filipino teachers he met with at the Embassy that authorities in the Philippines will continue to seek justice for them by going after their recruiter.

The recruiter, Isidro Rodri-

guez is facing multiple cases of illegal recruitment, alien smuggling, visa fraud and human trafficking filed against him in the Philippines and the US but is at large after he was released from detention a few months ago.

“We will not stop until we get Isidro Rodriguez,” Ambassador Cuisia told the teachers and other trafficking victims who came to express their appreciation for the assistance that the Embassy had been extending to them since 2007.

According to Ambassador Cuisia, the Embassy will also continue to provide consular assistance to the trafficked teachers, including the waiver of authentication fees and issuance of the necessary certification to support their request for immigration relief with the US Department of Homeland Security.

Labor Attache Angel Borja,

who also attended the meeting, said the Embassy will also recommend that employment opportunities being offered to Filipinos in the US be first verified to determine if such jobs exist. “This is intended to protect our kababayans from other Isidro Rodriguezes out there,” he told the teachers.

Borja said Rodriguez remains on top of the watch list of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, the Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Bureau of Immigration.

A total of 21 illegal recruitment cases have been filed against Rodriguez while 41 recruitment violation cases have been filed against his company, Renaissance Staffing Support Center Inc. in Manila, said Borja.

Lawyer Arnedo Valera, Executive Director of the Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC), a nongovernment organization

that has been providing legal assistance to many of the teachers, said cases have also been filed against Rodriguez with the US Citizenship and Immigration Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Valera, who accompanied the teachers during their meeting with Ambassador Cuisia, commended the Embassy’s anti-trafficking efforts, saying it was the report of then Ambassador Willy Gaa to Manila in 2008 that eventually led to the arrest and detention of Rodriguez.

“Since 2007, we have been engaged in a meaningful partnership with the Embassy in the investigation and filing of charges against Rodriguez as well as in other cases of human and labor trafficking perpetrated by other recruitment agencies and individuals,” said Valera.

He said Rodriguez’s victims

could be as many as 1,000 – all of them teachers whom he allegedly was able to convince to pay from $10,000 to $15,000 each for nonexisting jobs in various public schools across the US from 2003 to 2007.

Valera said that while some of the teachers decided to head back to the Philippines most of opted to take a chance by staying and working illegally in the US. He said these teachers had no choice but to take menial jobs to allow them to provide for their families and at the same time pay the high-interest loans they secured for their placement fees.

“Although as many as 300 of the teachers have already been issued trafficking visas amd can now legally stay and work in the US, most are hesitant to surface because of shame and fear,” Valera said. “But they are now coming forward one by one.”

Carson family avoided power disconnection with free help CARSON, CA – Struggling to keep up with monthly bills, Edith (name has been changed), a single mom on a limited budget, found hope and financial relief after talking to a Filipino outreach worker about her situation.

It started with a simple phone call to the Los Angeles-based non-profit organization Campaign for Social Justice (CSJ).

Edith was unable to pay her electricity bill on time because of emergency expenses. As the caretaker of her family, she was concerned about her electricity being cut off. When she called CSJ to inquire, she found out about the many available free assistance programs to help her family. CSJ’s Filipino outreach worker helped talk to the consumer’s utility company to help lower the payment and explained in Tagalog all of the financial assistance available for this family. “May marami tayong kababayan na hindi pa alam kung saan

sila pupunta kung nahihirapan silang magbayad ng kanilang mga ‘bill,’ says Ivy Daulo, a Filipino outreach worker at CSJ. “Minsan, humihiram sila sa mga kamag-anak o kaibigan, kaya lang sayang kasi mayroon naman programa na puwedeng tumulong sa kanila.”

There are numerous free programs to help reduce costs for families or individuals. For example, households can save 20% or more through the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) or Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) programs. In addition, through the Weatherization program, customers can find out how to make their home as energy-efficient as possible which will, in turn, save money every day. Other helpful programs can help pay for your utility bills such as the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and Gas Assistance Fund (GAF).

The process is simple and confidential. CSJ can help you apply fill out the forms for any of these programs. For 10 years, CSJ has helped families resolve issues with phone and utility companies. This free assistance is made possible through the program Community Help and Awareness of Natural Gas and Electricity Services (CHANGES).

If you want to dispute certain charges on a bill or inquire about financial assistance, CSJ can help. CSJ was able to get financial assistance for Edith to pay her electricity bill, and as a result, she felt at peace for her family’s safety and well-being.

Families and individuals can call CSJ directly with any questions about these financial assistance programs available through Southern California Gas or Southern California Edison.

Please contact Ivy Daulo at (323) 987-8238 or email csj.ivy@gmail. com for more information.

CA Public Health establishes Ebola hotline SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has established an Ebola hotline call center to respond to public inquiries related to Ebola it was announced today by Dr. Ron Chapman, CDPH director and state health officer.

“This hotline has been set up and staffed to answer questions from those concerned about the possibility of Ebola in California,” said Chapman.

“Our goal is to be available to eliminate the mystery of this disease and offer the facts to Californians as the situation evolves. This is one in a series of steps we have taken in the last few months.”

The hotline, 855-4215921 will be in operation from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

There are currently no confirmed cases of Ebola in California and no suspect cases.

Since the Ebola outbreak began in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, CDPH has worked with state, federal and local health officials to prepare for potential cases of Ebola in California. In August, CDPH launched an informational website compiling information about the outbreak and preparing California health care providers with guidance and protocols from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDPH

has developed an interim case report form for reporting suspected cases of Ebola to CDPH and has distributed CDC guidance on specimen collection, transport, testing and submission for patients suspected of having Ebola.

Last week, CDPH posted interim guidelines for Ebola medical waste management and recommended that all health care facility environmental services personnel and infection control staff work together to develop facility-specific protocols for safe handling of Ebola related medical waste.

CDPH has provided these and other documents to health care providers and partners via the California Health Alert Network (CAHAN).

In September, CDPH convened more 1,100 health care and public health workers to urge them to assess their Ebola readiness and conduct drills in their facilities.

Last week, CDPH officials held a teleconference with health care providers to discuss the latest news and guidance about handling suspected Ebola cases. CDPH is providing weekly updates to local health officials, first responders and health care providers as the Ebola outbreak continues in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. CDPH joins with a team of state departments and agencies including:

Covered California launches renewal for more than 1.1 million enrollees SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Covered California announced it has begun the renewal process for 1.12 million individuals who enrolled in plans in the exchange last year and unveiled substantial new improvements to facilitate enrollment in coverage for 2015.

“Last year, we succeeded in signing up millions of Californians in health coverage through Covered California and Medi-Cal,” Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee said. “We learned a great deal in the process, and in this second open enrollment we are building on those lessons using effective and concrete changes.”

The first wave of renewal notices was sent to consumers on Wednesday. Consumers who complete the renewal process will hear from their insurance plans in December. Their selected health plan will send a statement reflecting coverage starting Jan. 1, 2015. Consumers who take no action will be renewed into their existing plan.

Individuals who have health coverage through Medi-Cal renew their coverage throughout the year, on a rolling monthly schedule.

Medi-Cal will contact them directly if they need to take action. Unless they are contacted by Medi-Cal, these individuals do not need to go to the Covered California website to renew or apply.

Philippine Heritage Institute honors former DOT-LA chief Annie Cuevas Health workers practice wearing protective suits and equipment during the ‘One Nation, One Direction for EBOLA Prevention’ training at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) hospital in Muntinlupa City on Tuesday, October 28. A first batch of personnel from government hospitals from all over the country is undergoing specialized training on Ebola measures from six international experts. DOH said the procedures in the training modules will cover the patient’s entry into triage, confinement, and in case of ‘nonevent,’ how to rule out future cases. (MNS photo)

California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS), the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) and the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), to address all aspects of preparedness for a potential Ebola case in California.

Los Angeles-Former Philippine Dept. of Tourism Attache in Los Angeles Mary Anne Cuevas-Lim was honored by the Philippine Heritage Institute (PHI) last October 11, 2014 at a Gala event in Norwalk, California. The annual Gala also honored other notable leaders of the Filipino-American community in Los Angeles.

Cuevas-Lim received PHI’s Distinguished Service award for her 20+ years of commendable service with the Phil. Dept. of Tourism.

In addition to the PHI award, Cuevas-Lim received a special Proclamation from the office of California Assemblyman Rob Bonta of Alameda, California, the first and only Filipino-American to be elected to the California As-

sembly. On behalf of Assemblyman Bonta, the Proclamation was presented to her by her husband Atty. Abraham Lim, a practicing immigration attorney based in Montebello, California and current President of the Los AngelesMakati Sister City Chapter under the auspices of Los Angeles City Councilmember Tom LaBonge.

Atty. Abraham Lim also presented Cuevas-Lim with a special Proclamation from Los Angeles City Councilmember Tom LaBonge who honored and recognized her years of service and dedication to fostering cultural ties between the Philippines and the United States. Atty. Lim represented the office of Councilmember LaBonge.

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Wells Fargo offers free credit scores to customers until Nov. 16

Offer promotes financial health and wellness as a third of Americans are more worried about financial than physical health SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 1, 2014 – In an effort to help customers succeed financially, Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) is offering its customers their free consumer credit score and complimentary credit report through Nov. 16, 2014. For more information about this limited time promotion, visit https:// www.wellsfargo.com/freecreditscore.

“A recent Wells Fargo survey said 27 percent of Americans are more worried about their financial health than their physical health,” said Gary Korotzer, an executive vice president in Wells Fargo’s Consumer Credit Solutions Group. “In much the same way an annual check-up helps us stay physically healthy, consumers can take control of their financial health by regularly checking their credit and taking steps to improve it.”

About the Free Consumer Credit Score Program From Oct. 1 – Nov. 16, 2014, all Wells Fargo customers can access their free consumer credit score and complimentary credit report by visiting a Wells Fargo banking store and obtaining a unique personal access code from a Wells Fargo banker.

Since its inception in 2012, more than 800,000 customers and team members have taken advantage of the promotion and obtained their free consumer credit score and complimentary credit report.

In its third year, the Wells Fargo’s Free Credit Score promotion coincides with the American Bankers Association’s Get Smart About Credit day, a national campaign of volunteer bankers who work with young people to raise awareness about the importance of using credit responsibly.

As part of the Get Smart About Credit program, Wells Fargo set a goal of reaching at least 60,000 people through volunteering in classrooms and community centers across the country to teach credit lessons.

Tips for Credit Health and Wellness A strong credit profile can help consumers qualify for lower interest rates. Yet, many people wait until they need a loan to think about their credit situation. Wells Fargo offers these tips to responsibly manage their credit: 1. Check your credit report annually.

Make sure your credit report contains current and accurate information. Errors could negatively impact your credit score and even be a sign of possible identity theft. Request a free copy of your credit report at least once a year from www.AnnualCreditReport.com or call toll-free 1-877322-8228.

2. Pay your bills on time. Your payment

history is one of the biggest factors in your credit score – including things that may surprise you like on-time payment of your rent and cell phone bill.

Using free online tools, often available through your financial institution’s online banking, can help you develop a budget and create an automatic bill payment schedule.

3. Keep debt at no more than 35 percent of your gross monthly income. Lenders look at the amount of debt a consumer has compared to their monthly income when making credit decisions.

4. Understand how strong credit impacts your bottom line. Your credit score influences the interest rate you qualify for. The lower the interest rate, the less you’ll pay in interest over time. Many sites, including Wells Fargo, offer calculators that help consumers understand how interest rates impact their payment and the total cost of the loan.

5. Establish and maintain healthy credit – even if you don’t need a loan. Lenders aren’t the only people who use credit scores to make decisions – many insurance companies, cell phone providers and landlords do, too.

Wells Fargo offers a variety of free tools to customers of all ages to help them take charge of their finances, including managing their credit responsibly. Helpful educational resources include: • My Financial Guide, which features articles and videos about money management.

• Hands on Banking, an interactive financial education program for all age groups (available in Spanish at www.elfuturoentusmanos.com).

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Freezing eggs to halt the biological clock (NEW YORK-AFP) – She is 44 and single, but journalist Sarah still dreams of having a child, while TV producer Susanah, 38, is waiting for her younger boyfriend to be ready.

To keep their hopes alive, these New York women have spent tens of thousands of dollars on freezing their eggs in a practice that has become increasingly popular.

Facebook recently began covering costs of egg freezing for employees and Apple will do the same starting in January.

Susanah jokes of taking advantage of the progress in medical science as an “insurance policy” even if the chances of conceiving are still stacked against her.

The younger the woman, the more fertile her eggs, and fertility drops rapidly after 35. So women freeze their eggs while there is still time, in order to use them later.

Sarah Elizabeth Richards was one of the first to take advantage of the technique, which the American Society for Reproductive Medicine considered experimental until 2012.

She froze her eggs eight times between the ages of 36 and 37, first in Canada where it was cheaper, and then in New York. She has put aside 70 eggs, she told AFP in her tiny apartment in Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

She used her savings. Her parents helped out. In total, she spent $50,000.

“It is an extreme amount of money to spend on something like this, but I always knew I wanted kids,” she said, adding that she is still looking for the perfect man.

“And when I thought, ‘where

could I spend the money? A house, a vacation or a chance to have a family?’ it seemed like a very easy choice.”

Sense of relief She has written a book called “Motherhood Rescheduled: the New Frontier of Egg Freezing and the Women Who Tried it” and said putting aside her eggs gave her a “profound sense of relief.”

She knows her chances are slim but still hopes to have a child in the next two years by thawing the eggs and having in-vitro fertilization, which would cost thousands of dollars more.

She said egg freezing should not be done for the sake of a career, but welcomes debate about the problems of juggling a family and a career in a country where that is still difficult.

“Child care, maternity leave, this is a big American problem, but the answer is not to delay motherhood,” she said.

Susanah, a graphic design producer for TV, also froze her eggs between 36 and 37, after hearing about it “around the water cooler” at work and because she does not feel ready to have kids. But she gets angry when people talk about women delaying a family for the sake of their career.

“Dating is notoriously terrible in the city. I have many friends who are successful, beautiful, in their late 30s and single,” she said.

“If they had met the guy five years ago, they would have.”

The fact that her boyfriend is 11 years younger also played a role in Susanah’s decision.

“It gave him a peace of mind too, because he is dating a woman right at that age where the biological clock is ticking.”

A technician opens a vessel containing women’s frozen egg cells on April 6, 2011 in Amsterdam. ©. AFP PHOTO/ANP/XTRA/LEX VAN LIESHOUT

Twice she has undergone two weeks of hormone injections to ripen multiple eggs, which are then harvested by surgical intervention.

“It takes time, it is uncomfortable and time-consuming, but it is worth it,” she said, proud to talk about it even if she does not want to give her family name.

It cost $16,000 each time and while she says at first she was hesitant about the expense, she was persuaded by a friend that freezing her eggs was worth her savings.

“A friend told me ‘you have your whole life to pay for a

mortgage, you don’t have your whole life to do that.’”

She is giving herself five years. “When we decide, I will try naturally and then, if that doesn’t work” she will think about resorting to the frozen eggs.

Even in 2012, when ASRM decided the technique was no longer experimental, it still did not recommend the procedure.

“Marketing this technology for the purpose of deferring childbearing may give women false hope and encourage women to delay childbearing,” it said in a report.

But demand has only in-

creased, said Sheeva Talebian, a fertility specialist at Reproductive Medicine Associates New York, which describes egg freezing as a “revolutionary technique.”

New York University Fertility Center director Jamie Grifo said success rates are “relatively equivalent” to in-vitro fertilization.

He puts them at 55 percent for a 30 year old, 27 percent for a 40 year old, 15 percent at 42 and six percent at 44.

But the procedure is never foolproof, Grifo said.

“This is a hope, not a promise.”

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Gretchen to pursue theater singing in UK

Sitti Navarro

Sitti Navarro to get married next year THE country’s Queen of Bossa Nova, Sitti Navarro, is set to tie the knot with her non-showbiz boyfriend by mid next year.

Although everything happened so quickly, Sitti said that they are definitely sure of their feelings for each other.

“Magna-nine months kami when he proposed. Yes, it’s a very quick engagement pero ano kasi, eh, panatag na kami sa isa’t isa,” she said.

Sitti added that since she is madly in love with her beau, whom she met through a set-up date, she could no longer live a life without him.

“Ayun, nagtanong siya tapos parang hindi ko naman din maisip na hindi siya ang makakasama ko habambuhay. I enjoy his company so much and I believe in what he does,” she said.

Amid the excitement that Sitti feels right now, she revealed that they don’t have specific details yet of the wedding.

“Simula pa lang naming sa ocular (inspection). Wala pa kaming simbahan, wala pa kaming mga ganyang bagay. Basta we are enjoying everything (preparation).

Definitely financially prepared

siya,” she said laughing. The soon-to-be husband of Sitti, by the way, is an entrepreneur.

Isn’t she afraid of losing her popularity and her career once she gets married?

“Hindi. I think all the more that this new phase in my life will enrich me and that will enrich my music also. Basta alam ko na magle-level up ako dito, as a person, as a human being, ‘di ba? My experience of marriage, of having kids – these will all help enrich me more,” she said.

So what made her decide to say “yes” to this man’s wedding proposal?

“Hiniling niya kasi ako kay God, eh. When we were still in our courtship stage, we would pray together pagkatapos ay bigla na lang ay sinabi niya na:”Lord, I’d like to ask for Sitti’s hands from you, to be my girlfriend,” she said.

With the guy’s clean intention towards her, it wasn’t difficult for Sitti to fall in love with him deeply.

As the wedding draws nearer, Sitti’s heart can’t just stop singing “Sino’ng Mag-aakala”, one of her widely-loved songs, to the soon-tobe Mr. Sitti Navarro. (MNS)

“The Trial’s” Gretchen Barretto may be one of the most established actresses, but there is one thing she still wants to pursue – musical theater.

“I am going back to London after my work. I want to get trainings in theater singing,” she said.

“It has been my dream ever since I was a kid. I knew I wanted that. I just needed a push. So now I feel like, if I have the time in London, I will do theater singing and then hopefully do another album, a musical album,” Gretchen adds.

Gretchen previously released two albums – “Unexpected” in 2008 and “Complicated” in 2009.

The 44-year-old actress recently starred in the “The Trial,” where she played a developmental psychologist who helps a mentally challenged student, played

by John Lloyd Cruz, accused of raping his grade school teacher.

(MNS)

Gretchen Barretto

Myrtle sought Grace Poe’s permission before posing for FHM “Pinoy Big Brother” (PBB) winner and cosplayer Myrtle Sarrosa revealed she asked for Senator Grace Poe’s permission before she agreed to be the cover girl of men’s magazine FHM. Sarrosa is currently going out with Poe’s son Bryan and is also friends with Poe’s daughter.

“We are very close kasi lagi akong bumibisita sa family niya kasi ‘yung little sister ni Bryan, I’m friends with her. Nung nakita ko si Tita Grace, I told her na I might cover for FHM and I asked permission from her and she said susuportahan nila ako as long as wala akong super hubad na photo,” she said.

Asked what made her decide to appear on the cover of FHM, Sarrosa said: “Siguro it’s my way

of saying ‘Hello Philippines, hello world.’ Hindi na ako ‘yung dating teenager [na nakilala niyo]. I’m not a kid anymore. I’m ready for more mature roles.”

Meanwhile, the 19-year-old actress said there is no truth to rumors that she has become “wild” and is often seen in various bars.

“Nagulat din ako kasi hindi yun totoo. I don’t smoke, I don’t drink and I really don’t go to clubs. I am still studying kasi sa UP Diliman so nagulat talaga ako” she said.

A contract artist of Star Magic, Sarrosa has appeared in a number of ABS-CBN programs, including “Kahit Puso’y Masugatan” and “Moon of Desire.” She was also seen the movie “Once A Princess” early this year.(MNS)

Myrtle Sarrosa

Vin defends Aljur from critics Actor Vin Abrenica is confident that his older brother, Aljur, will eventually weather the controversy stirred by his filing of a petition for the rescission of his contract with GMA-7.

“Alam ko na unti-unti na niyang maso-solve ’yung problema niya,” he said in an interview.

Vin stressed, “Kahit ano pa yan, I will support him, kasi I’m his brother.”

The “Artista Academy” alumnus admitted to getting hurt by the negative comments hurled by people towards his brother.

He said, “’Di naman nila alam ang buong kwento eh, and Kuya is not just an artist, he is a talented artist. Hindi naman siya aabot ng almost five years sa showbiz kung hindi, ’di ba?”

Asked about any update on Aljur, Vin shared that his brother is now busy taking up a pilot training course. “Nagagawa na niya ’yung gusto niyang course kaya masaya ako para sa kanya,” he said.

Vin added that his brother is

now also into mixed martial arts, and that the latter has won in a gun-shooting competition recently.

“Dati rin kasi gusto niya gumawa ng short film na action… parang putukan talaga,” he said.

Though he’s remained active in show business, the Kapatid actor is also busy helping his family run Vin Abrenica and brother Aljur their resort in said he is happy with his relaBatangas. tionship with actress Sophie Al“Kapag may free time pumu- bert. Vin and Sophie were best punta ako dun to supervise. Na- of friends before they made their gluluto, ganun…” he said. relationship official last August.

On matters of the heart, Vin (MNS)

Andre Paras: The method man

Don’t be surprised if you see the usually jolly Andre Paras being a bit quiet these days. Apparently, this is his way of getting under the skin of his character Bradly Castillo on the TV series “The Half Sisters.”

Andre explained that he opted for the method approach based on the advice of his workshop coach who told him that “acting is a 24/7 job.”

“Bale ang ginagawa ko, why not be just the character?

Walang masama para masanay ako,” he says, adding, “Para maiba naman.”

His dad, comedian and basketball legend Benjie Paras agrees.

“Sabi niya kasi, acting is not supposed to be acting kasi natural lang dapat. So ’yun ang ginagawa ko, para internalizing my character will come naturally to me,” Andre says.

Adding to his motivation is his younger brother Kobe’s departure for the US some few

weeks ago.

Kobe, who is known for his outstanding dunks, is fielding scholarship offers from several top schools in the US. Andre recalls being emotional the day they bade Kobe goodbye. “Honestly, umiyak ako nu’ng nasa airport siya,” he relates.

Although he knew that his brother was just as sad as they were, Kobe made an effort to keep everyone’s spirits up.

“Ayun, tuksuhan pa rin,” Andre says. “(Madalas) kasi hindi namin pinapakita (kapag malungkot kami) pero ako pinakita ko na. So he’s laughing at me, ‘Ahhh iyakin!’ Sabi ko naman, ‘Hindi, magagamit ko ito (sa pag-arte). Akala mo ha!’”

Andre says he already misses Kobe, whom he also considers his best friend. In fact, the former UP Fighting Maroons rookie admits that his game would not have improved had it not been for his brother.

“Kasi ang galing nga niya sa basketball so ’pag nababantayan ko siya, du’n ako natututo.

You get challenged sa kapatid ko. Eh ngayon wala na siya so it’s just more of me and training alone na lang talaga,” he says.

Kobe may be away but Andre has nevertheless found an acting buddy in his co-star Derrick Monasterio.

“Para siyang veteran (magbigay ng advice). Dati talaga star struck (ako sa kanya) and then naging magkaibigan kami tapos sinasabi niya, ‘Bro, ikaw bahala. Basta kung anong character maibibigay mo, gawin mo lang.’

Andre, who recently transferred to San Beda College, is taking up Marketing. After earning a bachelor’s degree, he aims to enter film school.

He states, “One of my dreams talaga is to become a director or anything that has something to do with showbiz kasi I’m really interested in entertaining people.” (MNS)

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MOTORING AeroMobil 3.0 flying car unveiled (Relaxnews) – The AeroMobil 3.0 flying car has been unveiled, and it takes off quicker than ever.

Revealed at the Pioneers Festival in Vienna, the latest prototype of the vehicle features significant improvements and upgrades since its last version, the AeroMobil 2.5.

The machine, which its designers say is “very close to the finished product”, is now being tested in real flight conditions as part of a regular flight-testing program. Designed and manufactured in only 10 months, the car is around the same size as a limousine or a large luxury sedan and can be parked in regular parking slots in cities. It runs on standard

gasoline and can be fuelled at regular gas stations.

“I believe that AeroMobil will inspire new ways of thinking about personal travel,” says CoFounder and CEO Juraj Vaculik.

“It may really enable new ways of travel, advancing it to a new level.

We are set to reinvent the flying car without constraints and deliver excitement through unique technical solution and design.”

The Slovakian invention has been in development since 1989, when Stefan Klein began working on a concept of a flying car. He was joined by Vaculik in 2010 and the pair embarked upon commercializing the project.

AeroMobil 3.0

BMW unveils the X5M and X6M ahead of L.A. Auto Show (Relaxnews) – Not one, but two supercar-baiting BMW SUVs are heading to this year’s LA Auto Show in November.

Both the X5M and X6M are powered by the same glorious twin-turbo 4-liter V8 that currently works miracles in the company’s M5 executive sports sedan and M6 coupe and the result is, if anything, even more impressive considering the extra size, weight and girth the engine is attempting to propel.

Whether you go for the X5M with its full-sized boot and sufficient headroom for four or the sloping coupestyled X6M you’ll get a car theoretically capable of not getting stuck in the mud and being able to cope with in-

clement weather but that can also go from 0-100km/h in 4.2 seconds and onto a top speed of 280km/h if you ask BMW very nicely to remove the engine’s restrictor.

For those that are too shy to ask about the restrictor or who are frankly scared of traveling at nearly 300km/h in something that weighs 2275kg (2265kg for the X6M), then the cars are limited to a slightly more sedate 250km/h but will still offer the same levels of power and acceleration – 564bhp and 553lb ft of torque to all four wheels.

As a result the new cars are not only faster and lighter than the cars they’re replacing, they also give everything from the latest

Porsche Cayenne Turbo S to the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG a serious run for their money – matching or outright beating them in terms of straight-line speed and acceleration.

To the uninitiated, trying to imbibe a lumbering SUV with the performance and handling characteristics of a sportscar might seem like a strange thing to do. After all, the qualities that make for an excellent off-roader – high driving position, massive chunky wheels and a high ground clearance – are all things that make for a poor track car. Yet car companies continue to try and consumers continue to snap them up in tens and hundreds of thousands of examples.

The new BMW X6M and X5M: Both cars are capable of hitting 280 km/h. ©BMW Group

To try and minimize the negative effects of converting something with the aerodynamic properties of a small chalet into a speed machine, BMW’s engineers have worked overtime on the suspension and chassis set-up so that the

cars can handle the lateral G-force in the bends without rocking like a rowing boat out at sea. The X5M and X6M both ride on air suspension with adjustable dampers as standard and feature a modified front wishbone and a clever self-

levelling rear axle to keep yaw to a minimum.

Following their official unveiling in Los Angeles in November, the cars will make an appearance at the Geneva Motor Show next March before the 2015 selling date.

10

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PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

NOVENA of CONFIDENCE

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

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

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

mention your request) Only look upon me, then do what Your Heart decides....I

is done to me and who are in all instances of my life with me. I, in this short

count on You...I trust in You...I throw myself at Your mercy...Lord Jesus! You

dialogue, want to thank You for everything and con¿rm once more that I never

will not fail me. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in You. Sacred Heart of Jesus,

want to be separated from You no matter how great the material desires may

I believe in Your love for me. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I have asked for many

be. I want to be with You and my loved ones in Your perpetual glory. Amen. A

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

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 dif¿cult it may be. Promise

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 -SP

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

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KITCHENOMICS Festive Loaded Mashed Potatoes Prep time: 15 minutes Bake time: 25 minutes Servings: 8 2 1/2 cups water 3 tablespoons butter 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 1/4 cups milk 2 2/3 cups Hungry Jack Mashed Potato Flakes 1 cup sour cream 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled 3/4 cup diced red bell pepper, or jarred roasted red bell pepper, drained and diced

Double Cheese Spinach-Potato Pie Prep time: 15 minutes Bake time: 30 minutes Servings: 6 1 carton (4.2 ounces) Hungry Jack Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes 3/4 cup Hungry Jack Mashed Potato Flakes 3/4 cup milk 2 eggs 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 16 ounces frozen chopped

FAMILY FEATURES

T

he best holiday meals have sides that are warm, comforting and satisfying — like your family’s favorite mashed potatoes. This year, bring potatoes to the table in three new ways with recipes that can be easily made with little fuss. Gathering everyone together is easy when you serve side dishes prepared with quality ingredients, such as Hungry Jack potatoes. Invite guests to taste the traditional flavors of the season in a whole new light with these crowd-pleasing recipes:  Add some celebration to your spread with Festive Loaded Mashed Potatoes. Red bell pepper and green onion bring crunch, color and flavor to round out a merry mealtime.  A delicious combination of spinach, potatoes and creamy cheese is the perfect complement to your holiday entree. This recipe for Double Cheese Spinach-Potato Pie is a hearty, flavorful side that can be served in its classic pie form or as a casserole.  Family and friends will be lining up for seconds when they try Pumpkin Potato Soup, with its rich, velvety texture and the spice of the season.

You can find more warm and satisfying holiday soup and side recipes on the Hungry Jack Pinterest page, or at www.hungryjackpotatoes.com.

Pumpkin Potato Soup Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Servings: 6–8 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/2 cup diced onion 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree 1 can (14.5 ounces) vegetable or chicken broth 1 cup water 1 cup Hungry Jack Classic Mashed Potatoes 1 cup milk 3 tablespoons brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 cup sour cream

Heat oil in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add pumpkin, broth, water and potato flakes; stir until smooth. Stir in milk, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and garlic powder.

Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until soup begins to bubble around edge of saucepan and is thickened. Reduce heat to low.

Stir in sour cream and heat through before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition information per serving: 180 calories; 7 g fat (3 g saturated fat); 4 g protein; 26 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 15 mg cholesterol; 670 mg sodium.

spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil Refresh hashbrown potatoes according to package directions.

After 12 minutes, drain and squeeze out any excess liquid from carton.

Heat oven to 425°F. Coat 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray.

While hashbrowns are standing, combine potato flakes, milk, eggs, Parmesan, pepper and salt in large bowl. Mix in spinach.

Add oil to refreshed hashbrowns in carton and mix well.

1/2 cup sliced green onion Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or coat with cooking spray 9-inch-by-9inch or 2-quart baking dish.

Heat water, butter, salt and pepper until simmering in large saucepan.

Remove pan from heat.

Stir in milk and potato flakes until blended. Let stand 1 minute. Stir in sour cream.

Spread half potatoes in prepared baking dish. Top with cheddar cheese and bacon. Spread remaining potatoes on top and sprinkle with red pepper and green onion.

Cover and bake until heated through, 25–30 minutes.

Nutrition information per serving: 320 calories; 20 g fat (12 g saturated fat); 11 g protein; 23 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 55 mg cholesterol; 520 mg sodium.

Spread 3/4 of hashbrowns firmly onto bottom and sides of prepared pie dish. Spoon spinach mixture lightly into dish.

Top evenly with remaining hashbrowns, fluffing hashbrowns with fork.

Bake until hashbrowns are well-browned and center is set, 30–35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing into wedges.

Note: To thaw spinach, microwave in large bowl on HIGH for 4–5 minutes. Place in colander and press firmly with spoon or spatula to drain liquid.

Nutrition information per

serving: 260 calories; 11 g fat (3 g saturated fat); 11 g protein; 28 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 70 mg cholesterol; 710 mg sodium.

Casserole Pie Double ingredients and prepare in 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish.

Allow additional time to thaw spinach. Reserve 1/2 carton of hashbrowns for topping; press remaining 1 1/2 cartons of hashbrowns on bottom and halfway up sides of baking dish. Prepare spinach filling as directed in recipe. Bake at 400°F for 40–45 minutes. Makes 12 servings.

12

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MILLIONS From page 1

dressing up as vampires and monsters, Catholics should consider posing as saints, the CBCP said in a statement.

But at the Manila North Cemetery, the mood was more festive than solemn as popular fast food chains set up carts selling roasted pig, dim sum, noodles, fried chicken, and steamed pork buns.

US NAVY From page 1

nila, said Garcia.

He said the authority had been informed of the cancellations by the Subic chamber of commerce, which includes the company that services US ships.

However Garcia could not say why the visits were cancelled. US embassy officials declined to comment.

Jennifer Laude, a 26-year-old transgender Filipina, was found dead on October 12 in a cheap hotel near Subic with marks of strangulation on her neck.

LEAVE From page 1

a “credit to the current regime” that investigations are conducted on individuals such as Binay, regardless of whether or not they are a member of Cabinet.

EVIDENCE From page 1

the malicious allegations made against the implementation of the project.” Drilon said. “I have no involvement in any way in the bidding process for the project. I was nowhere near that process to intervene, let alone nominate anyone to be the contractor of the project.”

Likewise, the Senate chief said he will never use his position as Senate President “to block or prevent the holding of a n inquiry into the matter.”

Wednesday - Tuesday, November 5 - 11, 2014

LOS ANGELES The annual pilgrimage to the cemeteries also triggers a mass exodus from Manila, when tens of thousands travel to interior provinces where their relatives are buried.

Police have been placed on the highest alert since Thursday to secure cemeteries and transport terminals.

President Benigno Aquino inspected Manila’s sea, air, and bus terminals on Friday and ordered authorities to remain vigilant, his spokeswoman, Abigail Valte, told state-run radio DZRB. “(Aquino) will spend the weekend monitoring their updates to ensure the safety of commuters who will visit the graves of their loved ones in the provinces,” Valte said.

CHOT OUT From page 1

He said that Reyes would continue to take the team until a successor is found.

The basketball-mad country national team finished seventh in the Asian Games in September.

The disappointment came just weeks after their first FIBA World Cup victory in decades. Reyes took responsibility for the poor showing at Incheon, apologizing to a disappointed nation.

He had been harshly criticized for benching the team’s naturalized centre, Marcus Douthit for a game for “disciplinary reasons”.

THE US ASIAN POST

REPUBLICANS From page 1

in a tight race in Kentucky with resilient Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes, but two weekend polls showed McConnell extending his lead.

“The wind is at our backs,” Senator Rand Paul, a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate, told CNN on Sunday. “I think people are ready for new leadership.”

Republicans have hammered home their message that a vote for Democrats is a vote for an unpopular Obama and his policies, in particular his still unpopular healthcare reform.