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Wednesday - Tuesday, September 23 - 29, 2015

60 of NPC’s 200 new recruits came from LP: Party spokesman MANILA, Sept 19 (Mabuhay) – The Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) on Saturday upheld that around 60 of its 200 new recruits are from the Liberal Party (LP), despite the latter group’s claim that none of its members have switched political parties.

NPC spokesperson Mark Enverga said most of the LP members are local officials from Batangas while some are from the Laguna, Quezon and Muntinlupa.

Also among the 200 politicians who swore an oath to NPC on Friday are members of the National Unity Party (NUP) and United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

Enverga added that the officials it welcomed into its folds yesterday have long signified their intent to join NPC. “Hindi naman kami nagpapasikat naman. ‘Yung sa nangyari

kahapon, ‘yun ay matagal nang nag-signify na sila ay nagnanais na sumali sa aming partido.

Halo naman ‘yung mga sumali sa amin. May mga nagmula sa Liberal Party, may mga nanggaling sa NUP, may mga nanggaling sa UNA,” Enverga said.

LP stalwart Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice has earlier denied reports of its members pledging their allegiance to NPC, amid indications that the party will support Senators Grace Poe and Chiz Escudero in the 2016 elections.

Erice also blasted the NPC for supposedly trying to “pirate” members, and challenged the party officials to name their new recruits.

Enverga, in turn, pointed out that they have already released a list of their new members to the See NPC’S 200, page 2 Fellow Senators Grace Poe Llamanzares and Francisco Escudero recently declared their intent to run for president and vice president, respectively. Escudero, in his announcement, stressed that ideal contenders for public office should only be beholden to the Filipino people.

Will they run as independents?

Poe-Escudero’s independent bid is mere talk, LP solon says

Police secure a blast site at a bus terminal in Zamboanga City on Friday. A strong explosion caused by an improvised explosive device wrecked a passenger bus originating from Barangay Labuan, killing an 11-year-old girl and leaving 32 others injured.

(MNS photo)

MANILA, Sept 19 (Mabuhay) – Liberal Party (LP) stalwart Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice insisted Saturday that the independent candidacy of Senators Grace Poe and Chiz Escudero in 2016 is mere rhetoric.

The two lawmakers recently declared their intent to run for president and vice president, respectively. Escudero, in his announcement, stressed that ideal contenders for public office should only be beholden to the Filipino

people.

“Ang dapat na partido ay Pilipinas! At ‘di lamang Liberal, Nacionalista o sino pa mang kapartido ang hahanapin o kakausapin kundi lahat ng Pilipino,” Escudero had said. “Pilipinas ang aming partido at mga Pilipino ang aming kapartido.”

Erice countered that it is impossible to run for the national elections as an independent candidate without being backed by the resources and manpower of an

established political party. “’Yung sinasabi po ni Senator Chiz na ang partido nila [ay] partido ng Pilipino at ang miyembro nila ay mamamayang Pilipino, rhetoric po ‘yun. Bola po ‘yun, hindi po totoo ‘yun. Imposible po na wala kang mga kaalyado sa bawat probinsya, sa bawat bayan sa bawat lungsod,” Erice claimed.

“Papaano babantayan ‘yung boto mo? Paano ‘yung pagkakampanya mo?”

See INDEPENDENTS, page 2

Police launch 24-hour patrol in Sept 26 rally Zamboanga City after deadly blast pushes for Duterte MANILA, Sept 19 (Mabuhay) A bomb exploded inside the bus presidential bid – Police has started a 24-hour se- of the D’ Biel Transit Company curity patrol around Zamboanga city following a bus explosion that left a girl dead and 33 others injured on Friday afternoon.

According to Superintendent Glenn Dulawan, Pagadian City police chief, tighter security is being implemented around the city, particularly in public areas.

Dulawan said aside from the 24-hour security patrols, additional checkpoints have been installed in areas leading to the city and more policemen have been deployed in bus terminals.

He added that policemen deployed in bus terminals will inspect the passengers’ bags and luggages as part of the stricter security measures due to Friday’s bombing.

while parked at a transport terminal at past 2 p.m. Friday.

Five individuals, who were found with wires in their bags, have been taken into police custody.

Mayor Beng Climaco said on her Facebook account that the incident was being investigated as an act of extortion.

In January, another bus exploded in the outskirts of Zamboanga City, which police readily blamed on al-Qaeda-linked Islamic militants.

Double murder and frustrated multiple murder charges were filed against the suspects, who used a car rigged with an improvised explosive devise to blow up the bus. (MNS)

Miriam wants DSWD probed for failure to implement relief, anti-poverty programs MANILA, Sept 18 (Mabuhay) – Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago said Friday the Department of Social Welfare and Development must be made to explain why it failed to implement its relief and poverty alleviation programs despite the availability of funds.

Santiago is set to file Monday a resolution urging the Senate to investigate the hundreds of millions of pesos worth of donations the DSWD failed to deploy for victims of the 2013 super typhoon Yolanda.

She cited a Commission on Audit (COA) report that almost half a billion pesos donated for typhoon victims were either kept in bank accounts or used to buy relief goods that were never distributed.

“The purpose of donations is defeated if funds sit idly in government bank accounts. The DSWD is not only denying disaster victims of much-needed assistance, they are also misusing money from donors and taxpayers,” the senator said in a press statement.

The COA stated that P382.072 million in local and foreign donations for Yolanda victims remained in DSWD bank accounts by the end of 2014. The agency also had P141.084 million worth of undistributed and expired or near-expiry food packs.

A food pack contains six kilograms of rice, four tins of sardines, four tins of corned beef, eight packs of instant noodles and eight sachets of instant coffee.

The senator agreed with COA that the DSWD was remiss in See DSWD PROBED, page 2

MANILA, Sept 18 (Mabuhay) – A supporter of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte claimed on Friday that convincing the toughspeaking mayor to run for President in 2016 is the only way to push for real reform.

Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) founding chairman and president Dante Jimenez said Duterte is “the only person who could bring drastic changes” in the country and break the status quo.

The VACC official insisted that no other politician can equal the reforms the mayor pushed in his turf which is now considered as the sixth safest city in the world.

Jimenez appealed to fellow See DUTERTE, page 2

Fishermen in Yolanda-hit areas get ¥150-M equipment from JICA MANILA, Sept 19 (Mabuhay) – Fishermen in areas heavily affected by Typhoon Yolanda in Guiuan, Eastern Samar received a ¥150 million (P58 million) worth of aid from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

JICA turned over a total of 86 types of equipment for production of fish seedlings and algae to the Guiuan Marine Fisheries Development Center (GMFDC) as part of its ¥4.6 billion aid program to support the country’s “build back better” policy for areas devastated by the 2013 super storm.

Guiuan farmers were also assisted in reestablishing grouper or lapu-lapu farming and rehabilitating the public wet market in their province.

Meanwhile, the fisheries sector in Tanauan, Leyte received milkSee FISHERMAN, page 2

Artist Randalf Dilla polishes his 8 x18.5 feet oil and acrylic painting “Salvage Memories, Salvage Lives” at Hiraya Gallery in Manila, Friday. The masterpiece, which depicts human rights issues during the Martial Law era, will be exhibited in commemoration of its declaration on September 21.

(MNS photo)

Philippine Army denies existence of ‘hit list’

MANILA, Sept 19 (Mabuhay) – The Philippine Army on Saturday denied that the military has a “hit list” of 70 activists in Mindanao and leaders of progressive groups.

“There is no such thing as hit list in the AFP. Everybody knows that only the New People’s Army is making a hit list,” said in a statement released by Col. Benjamin Hao, chief of the Army’s public affairs office.

The Army assured in the statement that the Armed Forces of the Philippines is “the protector of the Filipino people whatever his or her social, political or economic leaning is.”

“The hit list allegation is a figment of the accusers’ imagination,” it added.

On Friday, former and incumbent lawmakers under the Makabayan bloc asked the Supreme Court to issue writs of amparo and habeas data against alleged military and police harassment.

In a 37-page plea, the petitioners said the civil society organizations to which they belong have

been tagged by the government forces as “communist front organizations” while their leaders and members have been targets of attack under the government’s counterinsurgency programs.

Among the petitioners were Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Emerenciana de Jesus, former Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano, former Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño, Cristina Palabay, Mary Francis Anover, Irma Balaba, Jacquiline Ruiz, as well as the heirs of former Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran, represented

by Ofelia Beltran-Balleta.

Named respondents were President Benigno Aquino III, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Lt. Gen. Hernando Iriberri, and other officials of the military and the Philippine National Police.

The petitioners cited in their petition the findings of Prof. Philip Alston, the former United NaSee HIT LIST, page 2

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VP Binay files libel suit vs.

Mercado over Makati condo units MANILA, Sept 18 (Mabuhay) – Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday filed a libel complaint against former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado over the latter’s supposed malicious accusations that Binay extorted units from condominium developers in Makati City. The nine-page complaint was filed before the Makati City prosecutor’s office.

“This claim has been publicly belied by the developers themselves. It only shows that Mercado is a pathological liar and has zero credibility,” Binay’s lawyer, Atty.

Claro Certeza, said.

In a Senate blue ribbon subcommittee hearing last year, Mercado alleged that Binay was given units in 60 to 70 percent of condominium buildings in Makati City, where he was mayor for two decades. He said Binay has a 150-square meter unit in The Peak Condominium, which is named under Engineer Ariel Olivar, the surveyor of the so-called Hacienda Binay in Rosario, Batangas.

In his complaint, Binay argued that Olivar himself admitted that it was Mercado who asked him if his name can be used as the registered owner of the condominium

unit. “Nung panahon na magkasama pa sila ni Vice Mayor Mercado, sinabi ni Mercado na kung pwedeng gamitin ang pangalan ko para sa condo. Pumayag ako,” Olivar then told the subcommittee. Binay noted that the unit under Olivar’s name is the same unit where Mercado’s former live-in partner, Racquel Ambrosio, was found dead in 2002.

Binay also said Mercado is one of the individuals trying to publicly malign his reputation in the hope of pressuring him to back out from the 2016 presidential race.

“The damaging and ruinous claims spewed out by respondent Mercado are mere concoctions and fabrications with no other purpose than to malign, discredit, ruing my reputation and besmirch my good name as well as that of my family,” Binay said.

The Vice President has earlier filed a libel complaint against Mercado over the Boy Scouts-Alphaland deal. “The series of libel complaints filed by the Vice President shows his commitment to answer and refute the accusations against him in the proper forum in accordance with the rule of law,” Certeza said. (MNS)

FISHERMAN

From page 1

fish and oyster racks to restore their aquaculture industry while fishermen in Basey, Western Samar were provided with submersible typhoon-resistant fish cages.

JICA Philippines Chief Representative Noriaki Niwa in a statement on Saturday said they hope to contribute to the restoration of “economic opportunities in typhoon Yolanda-affected areas” as the Philippines’ development partner.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Manage-

ment Council (NDRRMC), Typhoon Yolanda left 6,300 people dead and 4.1 million displaced in 44 provinces, 591 municipalities and 57 cities when it barreled through Eastern Visayas on November 8, 2013.

Figures from the government’s Foreign Aid Transparency Hub indicate that pledges from international organizations and foreign governments has reached P73.31 billion, comprising P45.11 billion in cash and P28.2 billion in non-cash commitments.(MNS)

NPC’S 200 From page 1

media.

“Actually nagbigay kami kahapon ng listahan sa mga kaibigan natin sa media. Ibinigay namin ‘yung imbentaryo, ‘yung talaan ng lahat ng mga nag-oath kahapon,” the NPC spokesperson said.

Enverga added that LP solon and Caloocan Rep. Recom Echiverri has expressed his desire to join NPC although he has yet to formalize membership to the party despite attendance in the oath taking yesterday.

The NPC is expecting more officials to join its ranks in the coming weeks. The country’s second largest political party aims to reach a consensus on endorsing a presidential and vice presidential candidate within three weeks.

Enverga admitted that the NPC is likely to support Escudero’s vice presidential bid because of the lawmaker’s friendship with the majority of the party members. Escudero had been an NPC member until 2010, before he resigned to run as an independent candidate.

“Bagama’t si Senator Chiz ay umalis na sa aming partido, siya

pa rin ay malapit, kaibigan pa rin ng karamihan ng mga miyembro sapagkat mahaba rin naman ‘yung mga pinagsamahan ni Senator Chiz kasama ng ating mga kasama sa NPC,” Enverga said.

“Pero of course, factor din, malaking bahagi na mapili si Senator Chiz ng NPC bilang bise presidente. Pero siguro hindi pa naman talagang ‘yung sarado, hindi pa tayo sarado roon.”

The NPC has also earlier heaped praises upon Poe’s accomplishments and stressed that questions about her citizenship is not an issue for their party.

(MNS)

THE US ASIAN POST

Sandigan urged to nix plea protecting Revilla’s assets MANILA, Sept 18 (Mabuhay) – The Office of the Special Prosecutor told the Sandiganbayan 1st Division that the petition filed by Senator Bong Revilla against the anti-graft court’s decision to attach his properties should be dismissed.

In a comment to Revilla’s petition for certiorari, which said the attachment or what may be called a freeze order was erroneous and premature, the prosecution reiterated that there is prima facie evidence against Revilla who was

charged with a 224 million peso plunder case in connection with the pork barrel scam.

“There is prima facie evidence showing that much of petitioner’s wealth is ill-gotten,” the comment from the prosecution read.

Prosecutors cited among other evidence the ledgers of whistleblower Benhur Luy and the investigations done by the Anti Money Laundering Council.

The prosecution also responded to the statement of Revilla’s camp that the attached properties and

monies were not proven to be under his name.

The prosecution said that the attachment list was based on public records such as Revilla’s statement of assets, liabilities and net worth. The prosecution concluded that “nothing in the instant petition which points to any error or even grave abuse on the part of the honorable Sandiganbayan which should warrant a reversal or modification of the assailed resolution promulgated February 5, 2015.”(MNS)

Arroyo camp cites Enrile bail in house arrest plea MANILA, Sept 18 (Mabuhay) – The lawyers of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo have cited before the Sandiganbayan the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision granting bail to Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, among other reasons, in their pending petition for house arrest.

In a reply to the prosecution’s opposition, the lawyers of the current Pampanga representative told the anti-graft

court that Arroyo and Enrile are “similarly situated.”

Though Enrile’s petition was for bail and Arroyo’s is for house arrest, she is also “of fragile health and is a non-flight risk.”

They also said that Arroyo “has undergone three major surgeries and she has yet to fully recover from her bone and other illnesess as certified by veteran government doctors.”

Arroyo has a pending request before the anti-graft

court for “modified custodial arrangement” either in her La Vista House in Quezon City or in Lubao, Pampanga.

After Arroyo’s reply, the prosecution may submit a rejoinder before the court issues its resolution.

Arroyo is facing plunder charges in connection with her alleged misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) funds during her presidency. (MNS)

Sept 26 rally pushes for Duterte presidential bid MANILA, Sept 18 (Mabuhay) – A supporter of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte claimed on Friday that convincing the toughspeaking mayor to run for President in 2016 is the only way to push for real reform.

Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) founding chairman and president Dante Jimenez said Duterte is “the only person who could bring drastic changes” in the country and break the status quo.

The VACC official insisted that no other politician can equal the reforms the mayor pushed in his turf which is now considered as the sixth safest city in the world.

Jimenez appealed to fellow Duterte supporters to join the demonstration at Rizal Park, Manila on September 26 to trump Duterte’s plans to retire from public life next year.

“It’s high time na i-lay down na natin ang baraha. Status quo ba tayo or palitan natin ang sistema ng gobyerno?” Jimenez said.

Jimenez also bemoans the possibility that Duterte may no longer change his mind on ruling out a presidential bid.

“Nakakalungkot kung ito po ay hindi pagbibigyan man lamang ni Mayor Duterte ang panawagan ng mga kababayan natin na sawang-sawa nang araw-araw may patayan, araw-araw may rape, araw-araw may mga carnapping, kidnapping at saka murder, riding-in-tandem, drugs.”

Duterte announced earlier this month that he has no plans of seeking the presidency and will retire from public life next year.

tions Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Execution, in his Report to the UN Human Rights Council on his February 2007 Mission to the Philippines.

The petitioners said the inclusion of their names on the lists and pictures in the police’s “rogues

gallery” provided to them by the local PNP Criminal Investigation Group was considered threats to their life, liberty and security.

“There is no other way by which these information can be obtained than by subjecting the petitioners under undue and malicious scrutiny or surveillance,” read the petition.(MNS)

DSWD PROBED

the Land Bank of the Philippines.

“Clearly, there is something wrong about the government’s flagship anti-poverty program.

They must explain the multiple entries on the list of 4Ps beneficiaries and the frequent delays in coordination and grant payments,” she said.

She also hit delays in the DSWD’s supplementary feeding program because of poor coordination with partner agencies.

About half of the 55,496 of the 116,637 beneficiaries of the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens program also failed to claim

their pensions.

“The government must take social welfare seriously. Those running the DSWD now seemed to think they can afford to slack.

Not only must social welfare programs be well thought out, they must also effectively be implemented,” Santiago said.

DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman welcomed Santiago’s proposal to probe the matter.

“I welcome the Senate probe. It is an opportunity to explain our programs and the positive changes done in the lives of our partner beneficiaries,” she said. (MNS)

DUTERTE

kung ito po ay hindi pagbibigyan man lamang ni Mayor Duterte ang panawagan ng mga kababayan natin na sawang-sawa nang araw-araw may patayan, arawaraw may rape, araw-araw may mga carnapping, kidnapping at saka murder, riding-in-tandem, drugs.” Duterte announced earlier this month that he has no plans of seeking the presidency and will retire from public life next year.

The mayor instead promised that he will support any candidate who backs federalism and will support his advocacy in Mindanao.(MNS)

From page 1

accepting the donations without increasing its absorptive capacity, particularly its warehousing facilities, personnel, available stocks, shelf life, and needs of the victims. Santiago said the DSWD should be probed for failing to hit its target of providing emergency shelter assistance to 468,732 homeless beneficiaries. The COA claimed that the agency only provided shelter to 142,348, spending P3 billion in the process.

She also questioned gaps in the implementation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), highlighting COA findings that some P312 million in 4Ps cash grants were unclaimed from

HIT LIST From page 1

From page 1

Duterte supporters to join the demonstration at Rizal Park, Manila on September 26 to trump Duterte’s plans to retire from public life next year.

“It’s high time na i-lay down na natin ang baraha. Status quo ba tayo or palitan natin ang sistema ng gobyerno?” Jimenez said.

Jimenez also bemoans the possibility that Duterte may no longer change his mind on ruling out a presidential bid. “Nakakalungkot

INDEPENDENTS From page 1

The LP political affairs adviser added that Poe and Escudero’s “independent” candidacy only entails forming a new party that will support them.

This, he said, is far from ideal as the two lawmakers’ support network will be comprised of members with differing stands whose only goal is to win the polls.

“Ibig sabihin lang po ay nagbubuo sila ng bagong partido.

Napakasama po sa pulitika nuong sistema.

Dahil wala na pong panahon para magbuo, kung sino-sino na lang ang kukuhanin nila, halohalo na mga prinsipyo, halo-halo na mga paniniwala. Iisa lang ang objective, manalo sa halalan,” Erice said.

“Sa halalan, hindi pwedeng independent, hindi pwedeng ikaw lang, hindi pwedeng dalawa lang kayo. Kailangan niyo ng mga tunay na kikilos sa bawat lugar na mayroon ding stake. Kandidato rin sila, mayroon din silang stake sa halalan kaya interesado rin

The mayor instead promised that he will support any candidate who backs federalism and will support his advocacy in Mindanao.(MNS)

Mag

Tayo!

sila na bantayan ‘yung mga resulta ng halalan,” he added.

Erice also stressed that independent candidates also tend to have a harder time fulfilling promises to voters, more so if they accept contributions from interest groups to fund their poll campaign.

Erice cited Poe’s vow to lower energy charges if she gets elected, which, he said, will be compromised should she accept financial aid from the power sector.

“For example, sabi ni Senator Poe kailangan mababa ang kuryente. Paano kung tatanggap siya ng kontribusyon sa mga players sa power sector? Mako-kompromiso na agad ‘yung mga bagay na ‘yun,” he said.

The congressman thus advised voters to pore through Poe’s 20-point platform, noting that that LP’s standard bearer, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, will push for programs grounded on policies.

“Mas may panlaban po ang partido kasi may tinatayuang polisiya,” he said.(MNS)

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, September 23 - 29, 2015

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Leni Robredo as Roxas’ VP in 2016 polls?

Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas (right) and Representative Leni Robredo grace the Feast of Peñafrancia celebration in Naga City in Camarines Sur on Friday. Robredo is being urged to run as the administration’s vice presidential candidate for the 2016 elections. (MNS photo)

NPC gets new members as support for Grace, Chiz grows MANILA, Sept 18 (Mabuhay) – Politicians from different parties who are running for local positions have joined the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), amid strong indications the party will support Senator Grace Poe and her running mate Senator Francis Escudero in the 2016 elections.

Some 200 officials took their oaths as new NPC members on Friday, following Poe’s and Escudero’s separate announcements of their 2016 presidential and vice presidential bids. Among them were Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya of Lakas and other officials from Muntinlupa City and the provinces of Quezon, Batangas, and Laguna.

Andaya said he joined NPC to support Poe and Escudero.

“I think the pair would present a fresh start for our country,” he said. “After my conversations with Grace and Chiz, I think it would be best for my province that we transfer to NPC to fully support them.”

Caloocan Rep. Recom Echiverri of the administration’s Liberal Party (LP) was present at the oath-taking. He did not take an oath and initially denied he was joining the NPC, but party leaders said otherwise.

“Yes, he will be joining. Con-

gressman Echiverri will be joining. He has signified his intention to join,” said Isabela Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao, NPC’s president, adding that the party will likely schedule a separate oath-taking for him and other officials.

Aggabao’s statement contradicts Echiverri’s, who earlier told reporters he was at the NPC Club House just to speak with officials on matters not necessarily related to politics.

Aggabao said more officials are expected to join NPC in the coming weeks.

The country’s second largest political party has yet to officially endorse any presidential and vice presidential candidate. The actions and statements of its members, however, all indicate the party will support Poe and Escudero.

Speaking before the oath-taking of the party’s newest members, NPC chairman Faustino Dy heaped praises on the two senators, who have pledged to run as independents.

“Magiging presidente at bise presidente sila ng buong Pilipino, hindi lang ng partido. Napakagandang tingnan no’n na wala silang tinitingala na partido (They will be the president and vice president of the entire Filipino nation,

not only of a party. It’s very good to see they’re not beholden to any party),” Dy said.

Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga, NPC spokesman, said it is possible the party attracted new members because of its possible support for Poe and Escudero.

“We can’t discount that. We believe that since we are still open, maybe there are those that are hopeful,” he said. “We also have members particularly in Congress who have encouraged their local executives to join the party who are probably fanatics of Senator Grace Poe.” Enverga added, however, that the NPC will be part of the LP-led coalition and will continue to support President Aquino until his term ends in 2016.

Meanwhile, An Waray Partylist has officially thrown its support behind the Poe-Escudero tandem.

An Waray’s chairman Bem Noel said Poe’s and Escudero’s platforms are consistent with his group’s.

He said 15 more party-list groups—excluding those from the Makabayan bloc, which are reportedly about to announce their support for Poe and Escudero— are expected to back the tandem.

(MNS)

No credentials for a business loan? PHL proposes use of utility bills for MSME financing MANILA, Sept 19 (Mabuhay) – The Philippines is looking at starting an initiative that would allow micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to apply for financing using their record in paying monthly electricity and water dues as credentials.

Department of Trade and Industry Nora Terrado, chair of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Women and the Economy 2015 Fora, said this proposal conforms with the Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy (PPWE) 2015-2018 Strategic Plan that “supports the integration of gender responsive policies to further advance women’s empowerment and gender equality.”

In the Philippines, more than 60 percent of MSMEs are owned by women.

Terrado highlighted the need for the informal sector to build credentials “because most of them don’t have bank accounts.”

One of the initiatives currently being discussed is to get a record “of how good they are at paying simple dues.”

“What is their habit of paying electricity (and water), etc.? If they can establish (credit-paying) habits then that will help them have access to capital,” Terrado explained during the APEC Women and the Economy 2015 Fora press conference at the Philippine International Convention Center.

Most of these micro entrepreneurs, the official said, need only about P500,000 to P750,000 to boost their business capital.

She noted that the Landbank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines, for instance, have made credit facilities amounting to P1 million available to MSMEs. This is what the government aims to provide to MSMEs – “giving our micro entrepreneurs a chance to get loans because they

have limited capital.”

“We have to work on certain interventions, both the government and the private sector, as PPP (Public-Private Partnership) to allow more opportunities on that respect,” Terrado said.

On Friday, representatives from APEC member economies delivered their joint statement under this year’s theme “Women as Prime Movers of Inclusive Growth,” aiming to reaffirm women’s “crucial role” in achieving economic prosperity and women’s leadership roles as imperative for competitiveness and success in the private and public sectors.

Terrado said the strategic plan will address five areas of APEC’s women empowerment objective.

These are: improved access to capital and assets; access to markets; skills, capacity-building, and health; women’s leadership, voice, and agency; and innovation and technology. (MNS)

Palace welcomes passage of Japan’s new security laws MANILA, Sept 19 (Mabuhay) -- Malacanang welcomed the passage of Japan’s National Diet of legislations that would allow Japanese soldiers to fight overseas in defense of their allies.

“We welcome the passage of legislation on national security by Japan’s National Diet,” Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a radio interview on Saturday. “As Japan is our strategic partner, we look forward to efforts to strengthen such to further our mutual goals of greater peace and stability in the international community,” he told dzRB Radyo ng Bayan. Asked if President Aquino will meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during the APEC Leaders’ Summit in November, Lacierda said the foreign affairs department is still finalizing the list of the President’s meetings.

President Aquino was reported

to be meeting the leader of Vietnam during the summit.

“I don’t have the exact list right now. We will just wait for the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) to make the proper announcement,” he said.

Japan’s parliament passed contentious security bills into law early Saturday, allowing Japanese troops to fight abroad.

Japanese lawmakers approved the bills to ease restrictions on the country’s tightly controlled military, despite mounting opposition as the country drips away from pacifism. Japan has remained a pacifist nation for the last 70 years. Like the Philippines, Japan has a territorial dispute with China in the East China Sea. The Philippines and Japan, in recent years, have agreed to strengthen military cooperation in the midst of China’s aggressive posturing.

“The Philippines welcomes the passage of legislation on national security by the National Diet of Japan. We look forward to efforts that strengthen our Strategic Partnership with Japan and those that would contribute further to shared goals of greater peace, stability, and mutual prosperity in the international community,” Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a statement.

The Department of National Defense added that the new law will “enable Japan to play a more active role in promoting regional peace and security.”

Japan’s new law, heralding a shift in Japanese defense policy, came amid rising sea tensions between Japan and China on the East China Sea, and Southeast Asian nations like the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia and China off the South China Sea.

MANILA, Sept 18 (Mabuhay) – The Liberal Party has formally asked Rep. Leni Robredo to be the running mate of its presumptive standard bearer, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas II, for the 2016 elections.

Robredo, widow of the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, however, said she is still contemplating on whether to accept the offer or not.

Robredo said she will have a final decision before October 12, the filing of certificate of candidacy.

Robredo also said that she posted on her Facebook account a photograph of her late husband with a question “Can I use my lifeline?”

The post has been deleted.

She said that she is now feeling the pressure of accepting the offer to run for vice president.

Refran said that in her prayers, Robredo asked a sign from her late husband on what to do.

Robredo earlier said that she has no plans to seek the presidency and is instead contemplating seeking re-election or running for the Senate.

Roxas is in Naga City with Robredo and other members of LP. The Liberal Party will have a convention on Sept. 28 to finalize the selection of Roxas’ running mate, Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice, LP’s vice president for political affairs, said on Thursday.

Erice said the ruling party is unfazed by the tandem of Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero because it will have a vice president to nominate when the National Executive Council (NECO) convenes on Sept. 28.

(MNS)

Domingo to stay as DTI chief until November MANILA, Sept 18 (Mabuhay) – Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Gregory Domingo has decided to delay his resignation until November, Malacanang said Friday.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abgail Valte said Domingo will stay until after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting scheduled on November 18 and 19.

“Hopefully, now that he has agreed to delay his departure then ‘yung mga agam-agam po kung magkakaroon ng epekto doon sa mga meetings, sa mga hostings should be put to rest,” said Valte.

Philippines plays host to the APEC meetings this year.

Domingo previously intended to step down on the first week of October to return to the private sector. (MNS)

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Pols leaving LP won’t affect Mar’s chances in 2016: Palace MANILA, Sept 18 (Mabuhay) – The decision of several Liberal Party (LP) members to leave the ruling political party will not affect the chances of administration candidate, former Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, in next year’s presidential elections, Malacañang said Friday.

At least 200 local officials from different political parties, mostly from the LP, took their oaths as new members of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), which is seen to support a Grace Poe-Francis Escudero tandem next year.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said switching political parties is a typical move before elections.

“You see that in every election. But what is important for the President and his chosen candidate is that they continue to argue and to discuss based on programs, policies, at kung bakit dapat ituloy,” she said. “‘Yung thrust kasi ng Pangulo, ‘yung hindi na personality politics ‘yung isusog natin kailangan plataporma ‘yung pinag-uusapan natin,” Valte added.

The NPC is the second biggest political party next to the LP, with two senators, 44 congressmen, 14 governors, 22 city mayors, and 217 municipal mayors as of last month. (MNS)

Aquino to support only one presidential candidate in 2016: Palace

MANILA, Sept 18 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III will support only one candidate in the 2016 presidential elections, Malacañang said Friday.

“I think the President has a very clear answer to that. He only has one, ‘di ba? Isa lang po ang inendorso ng Pangulong Aquino, ‘di ba?

Alam naman natin kung sino ‘yun,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a media briefing.

Valte made the response to questions that Aquino will secretly support Senator Grace Poe, who recently announced her presidential bid in next year’s elections.

Aquino had already declared Interior Sec. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II as his anointed successor in 2016.

On Thursday, Aquino said he sees no problem with Poe running on a “daang matuwid” platform, and that it will be up to the Filipino people to vote who they think is a better candidate.

“Kung mapapaganda pa nila ‘yung nagawa natin, sino naman ang magagalit doon? Siguro ang susunod na tanong diyan: ‘Ano ba ang gagawin ninyo na mas mahihigitan pa ‘yung ginagawa na namin ngayon?’” said Aquino.

Both Aquino and Roxas have repeatedly tried to convince survey frontrunner Poe to run as the Liberal Party’s vice president, but talks have obviously failed after the senator declared her intention to run for higher office. (MNS)

Leni’s track record in Congress makes her qualified to be VP: Palace MANILA, Sept 18 (Mabuhay) – The track record of Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo even as a neophyte congresswoman makes her qualified to be the vice-presidential candidate of the administration’s Liberal Party (LP), Malacañang said Friday.

“She has a very good head on her shoulders. She is also a lawyer at wala hong bahid ang record,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a media briefing.

The LP is wooing Robredo to be Sec. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II’s running mate in next year’s elections.

Valte noted that Rep. Robredo, widow of the late Interior Sec. Jesse Robredo, authored several bills promoting transparency and accountability in government.

The congresswoman is one of the authors of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill, which has yet to be approved in the House of Representatives. She also proposed the Full Disclosure Act requiring all government agencies to disclose their budget and financial transactions.

“You see from her work also that is what she wants to integrate into the system,” said Valte. “’Yung prinsipyo ni Congresswoman Robredo ay nahahalata namang naka-align sa prinsipyo ng Pangulo, sa mga prinsipyo ni Secretary Roxas,” she added.

Valte said there have been previous initiatives to convince Rep. Robredo to run for vice president. #jumpwithleni Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, for one, started a social media campaign to convince Robredo to run for vice president through the hashtag #jumpwithleni.

“WWJD? Let us all jump with her,” Lacierda said in his Facebook account. He also posted a photo of him literally jumping for Robredo.

In this instance, Lacierda said WWJD stands for “What Would Jesse Do?”; Jesse being the late Sec. Jesse Robredo, husband of Rep. Leni.

“As Ethel de Borja suggested, you and your daughters are not alone, we will all jump with you!” Lacierda said.

Rep. Leni has earlier expressed apprehension on running for vice president, saying her three daughters are not comfortable with the idea.

The congresswoman had also said she would have preferred Senator Grace Poe to be Roxas’ running mate.

Poe, however, had a higher political ambition, which she announced Wednesday night.

Poe is running for president with Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero as her vice president. (MNS)

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OPINION

MILF won’t avoid legal process in Mamasapano clash MANILA, Sept 18 (Mabuhay) – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front will not avoid the legal process once complaints are filed against those responsible for the Mamasapano clash that left over 60 people dead, including 44 police commandos and 17 MILF fighters.

MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal issued this assurance at the sidelines of the forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) in Ortigas Friday.

“On an individual basis, we will not,” Iqbal said, adding that the MILF will not prevent their members from hiring lawyers to defend themselves.

On Thursday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said about 26 MILF fighters, as well as members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and private armed groups may be charged for the Mamasapano encounter.

But Iqbal said the legal process should be within the peace process mechanism between the MILF and the government.

The MILF signed a peace agreement last year ending the decades-old Moro insurgency in Mindanao.

“If there’s a violation on either side; if it’s on the government side, the government will take charge.

If it’s the MILF, then the MILF will take charge of that,” he said. The filing of complaints is expected next week and is the first step to a preliminary investigation into who should be held accountable for the deadly encounter.

Once probable cause is established, the information will be filed in court.

Both the MILF and the government are saying that if there’s any liability for the encounter, it will be limited to certain individuals.

“Wala namang nagsasabi that there was an organizational decision (during the encounter). The rule of law must be respected and pushed, pero sinabi rin ni Presidente na it must be in such a way that no one misunderstands,” Presidential Peace Adviser Sec. Ging Deles said. (MNS)

Progressive solons seek SC protection from police, military MANILA, Sept 18 (Mabuhay) – Former and incumbent lawmakers under the Makabayan bloc on Friday asked the Supreme Court to issue writs of amparo and habeas data against alleged military and police harassment.

In a 37-page plea, the petitioners said the civil society organizations to which they belong have been tagged by the government forces as “communist front organizations” while their leaders and members have been targets of attack under the government’s counterinsurgency programs.

Among the petitioners were Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Emerenciana de Jesus, former Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano, former Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño, Cristina Palabay, Mary Francis Anover, Irma Balaba, Jacquiline Ruiz, as well as the heirs of former Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran, represented

by Ofelia Beltran-Balleta.

Named respondents were President Benigno Aquino III, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Lt. Gen. Hernando Iriberri, and other officials of the military and the Philippine National Police.

To back their claims of harassment, killings, and abduction of their members, the petitioners cited the findings of Prof. Philip Alston, the former United Nations Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Execution, in his Report to the UN Human Rights Council on his February 2007 Mission

to the Philippines.

The petitioners said the inclusion of their names on the lists and pictures in the police’s “rogues gallery” provided to them by the local PNP Criminal Investigation Group was considered threats to their life, liberty and security.

“There is no other way by which these information can be obtained than by subjecting the petitioners under undue and malicious scrutiny or surveillance,” read the petition.

The petitioners said their lives and security were threatened when the military falsely claimed they were among those responsible for the “manipulation and detention” of Lumad in UCCP Haran.

The petitioner decried the eventual filing of alleged “trumped up and fabricated”charges against them for serious illegal detention, child abuse, kidnapping and murder.

“Recent events show the persisting scheme by the military and the police of threatening and harassing members of progressive organizations – human rights advocates and defenders, political activists, union and peasant organizers, and militant legislators – in the name of counterinsurgency,” read the petition.

Apart from a writ of amparo, the petitioners sought the issuance of a writ of habeas data to compel the respondents to disclose and provide them copies of documents and photos pertaining to them.

They said these documents should be destroyed.

WW II veteran urges Fil-Am youth to continue work for justice

By Abner Galino

FILIPINO American veteran leader Franco Arcebal recently urged the Filipino-American youth to continue seeking justice for his fellow World War II veterans who were denied rights by the government of the United States of America shortly after the war ended.

“You wouldn’t know (the injustice committed against the veterans) if no one had told you. That is why you need to continue telling others about our story so that the others would know,” Arcebal told a gathering in the historic Filipino town in downtown Los Angeles last week.

Arcebal, together Bernie Ganon and Art Garcia, prominent leaders espousing the causes of WW II veterans, were part of a panel that spoke to students and community youths in an event called Face to Face with Filipino American Veterans organized by Kabataang Maka-Bayan, pro-people youth group Los Angeles.

“It’s terrible. Can you imagine? A government propagating justice all over the world, but doing this injustice to Filipino veterans?,” Arcebal lamented.

Arcebal was referring to the Rescission Act of 1946 which took away rights and benefits from some 200,000 Filipinos who fought with the US military during World War II against the Japanese.

The said law was passed by the US Congress a few months after it granted independence to the Philippines on July 4, 1946.

Prior to this, the US Congress passed a law called the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, popularly known as the G.I Bill, which granted a range of benefits for returning World War II veterans that included low-cost housing, low-interest loans for business undertakings, cash payments for tuition and living expenses for vocational, high school and college education, and one year unemployment compensation.

The Filipino fighters, being US nationals during the time that they were enlisted to the US military, were eligible to receive these benefits.

However, because of the Rescission Act of 1946, these benefits were taken away from the Filipino

Veteran Franco Arcebal and Bernie Ganon listen as Justice for Filipino American Veterans Coordinator Art Garcia stresses a point. Photo: Odette Galino

war veterans.

Arcebal lamented the fate of many of his contemporaries who have resorted to virtual panhandling and collecting empty plastic bottles and other recyclable materials in order survive here in the US. “Sinasabi ko sa kanila, huwag naman. Bigyan naman natin ng dignidad ang ating pagiging beterano,” he recounted.

The veteran leader explained that the denial of benefits to the Filipino veterans was an act of bigotry which needed to be corrected by the repeal of the Rescission Act of 1946.

The US Congress had so far managed only to make little efforts to correct the injustice. In 2009, through an insertion in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, it granted a one-time $15,000 lump sum to veterans who were US citizens and 9,000 lump sum settlement for non-US citizens.

But the compensation, according to the veteran leader, was miniscule compared to what the actual benefits that were denied to the Filipino veterans.

Many of the veterans have died due to diseases and old-age but the convenors of the event said that repealing the Rescission Act of 1946 remains relevant because these Filipino veterans have families who should benefit from the sacrifices of their parents/ancestors.

PNoy to keep pushing for Bangsamoro law as raps readied vs MILF men

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MANILA, Sept 18 (Mabuhay) -- President Benigno Aquino III has not changed his mind over the need to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law even as authorities are set to file charges against 26 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Malacañang said Friday. The BBL, which seeks to establish a new Bangsamoro political entity, is based on the peace agreement signed between the government and the MILF in 2014.

The proposed law is supposed to grant the Bangsamoro region more autonomy than the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which it is supposed to replace. The Bangsamoro region will remain a part of the Philippines.

“We will continue to push for the BBL. The president has always said as much because we feel that this is one of the best chances to give our brothers and sisters in Mindanao a sustainable peace that we

all want for them and for us as well,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a media briefing. “So as far as the president is concerned, he will keep pushing for the BBL,” Valte stressed.

Congressional deliberations on the BBL bogged down after the bloody Jan. 25 Mamasapano incident where 44 troopers of the police Special Action Force were killed in a firefight with MILF and its breakaway group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. Substitute versions of the BBL, now called the Basic Law on the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, have been filed at both houses of Congress. The substitute bills correct supposedly unconstitutional provisions in the original proposed bills.

On Monday, the National Bureau of Investigation is set to file complex crime of direct assault with murder and theft in relation to the deaths of 35 SAF commandos.

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UTREACH

UE doctors of SoCal to hold inaugural ball event Oct. 17 There are many associations in Southern California that have worthy causes. One such organization is the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center - Medical Alumni Association of Southern California (UERMMMC- MAASC), a 501© (3) non-profit corporation . Members, Officers, and Directors of this association are Medical Doctors who are alumni of the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Medical Center in the Philippines and who are now practicing medicine in the U.S. This year, UERMMMCMAASC will hold its Inaugural Ball and Dinner Dance, with the theme ‘Black and White Event,’ on October 17, 2015, at 6 p.m., at the Marriott Manhattan Beach, 1400 Park View Avenue, Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles.

For several years, UERMMMC-MAASC has been doing fund raising activities in the U.S. to support its many humanitarian projects. One such major project is its Medical, Dental and Surgical Missions in various underserved provinces, towns and barangays in the Philippines pro-

Dr. Larry Vigilia reviews the Senior Lifestyle Class before the written test.

Meeting of Officers and Directors of UERMMMC-Medical Alumni Association of Southern Calif. and its Auxiliary at Kusina Filipina for their upcoming Inaugural Ball at Marriott Manhattan Beach, L.A. on Oct. 17. Standing from left: Dr. Tarcisio Diaz, Dr. Rita Guiamelon, Roger Igual, Gloria Legaspi, Dr. Cathy Uyloan , Dr. Teri Pastor, Dr. Marita Guevarra, Dr. Glenn Perez, and Joel Pastor. Seated: Dr. Irene Igual, Lucy Babaran, and Dr. Joselito Babaran.

viding medical services to several thousands of indigents. Proceeds of the event will benefit the underserved areas in Lucena, Quezon and District 2 of Pampanga (Lubao, Sasmuan, Guagua, and Floridablanca).

The group would like to thank theirs guests and sponsors for their generous support for the cause of UERMMMC-MAASC

which will benefit the less fortunate in the Philippines who cannot afford to pay for medical, surgical and dental needs. Tickets are $90 per person; VIP packages ranging from $500 and up.

For more information, please call Dr.Teri Pastor at 310.707.8480, Gloria Legaspi at 951.496.0536 or Lucy Babaran at 818.395.9348.

Kenneth Vigilia presents Angelina Afenir with her gift bag of accomplishment.

Jacobina Martinez receives her Certificate of Completion from Arlene Vigilia (Health Educator) and Dr. Larry Vigilia.

Pinoys in Washington share ideas for innovation over Filipino food WASHINGTON, DC – Filipinos and other members of the diaspora community in Washington, DC came together to exchange ideas and connect with like-minded individuals and organizations in hopes to bring about innovation and change in their respective communities.

NextDayBetter + DC, a creative speaker series for diaspora communities which took place on 19 September at 1776 The Penthouse, drew some 150 participants who came to listen to inspiring stories and share their ideas over Filipino food prepared by some of the district’s wellknown chefs.

The event brought together thought leaders and innovators from an array of disciplines including Nani Coloretti, Deputy

Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development; Erik Bruner-Yang, Chef and Restauranteur at Toki Underground and Maketto; Darryl Perkins, VP for Community & Business Development of Broccoli City; Kalsoom Lakhani, Founder & CEO of Invest2Innovate; Cathal Armstrong, Chef and Proprietor of Restaurant Eve; and Patrice Cleary, Owner of Purple Patch.

NextDayBetter, a creative media company, aims to tell empowering stories inspired by multicultural diaspora communities.

In his remarks, Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. commended the company for its efforts to reach out to the Filipino diaspora in Washington, DC and underscored the important role the diaspora

community plays in the district’s economy.

“The Embassy shares NextDayBetter’s vision for partnership and collaboration with migrant groups and multicultural communities. With the growing diaspora population in Washington, DC, it is apt to have the NextDayBetter conference come to the District,” said Ambassador Cuisia.

He added, “According to 2015 data of the American Immigration Council, about 1 in 7 Washingtonians are foreign born. US Census figures show that DC was home to 92,819 immigrants in 2013. Immigrants are not only essential to the District’s economy as workers, but also account for billions of dollars in tax revenue and consumer purchasing power.

Stories of these minority groups

Fil-Am talent agency para sa PHL showbiz Very,very soon ay ilo-launch na ang isang talent agency na based dito sa Los Angeles, California at naglalayong maka-discover ng mga Pinoy-American na may potential na sumikat sa Philippineshowbiz.

Ayon sa dating talent manager na si Allie H. Piquero na ngayon ay based na rito sa L.A., nanghihinayang siya sa showbiz connections niya sa Philippines, kaya naisipan nila ng mga kaibigang sina Atty. Ramonchito Poblete Ocampo at ng tinaguriang singing dentist na si Dr. Ner Azaula.

“Marami rin kasi akong mga nakikilalang mga Pinoy-American na very talented at puwedeng-puwedeng maging big stars sa atin, kaya naisipan ko nga na itayo itong talent agency na based dito sa L.A. at magsu-supply ng talents sa atin sa Philippines,” pahayag ni Allie.

Noong nasa Philippines pa, hindi lang naman mga artista ang mga

Allie Piquero

tinulungan ni Allie dahil marami rin siyang beauty queens at models na napasikat, kaya hindi lang daw mga puwedeng mag-artista’t maging singers ang hinahanap nila.

“Puwede rin ‘yung mga gustong maging beauty queens o models,” dagdag pa ni Allie.

Sa tulong daw ng kanyang business partners na sina Atty. Ocampo at Dr. Azaula, inaasahan ni Allie na magiging very exciting

ang talent agency na itinayo nila.

“As of now, inaayos na namin ang lahat-lahat at very, very soon ay magkakaroon kami ng event to announce itong talent agency namin.

As of now, surprise muna ang pangalan, pero sa mga interesado, puwede nila akong i-email ng profile nila sa alejandra.piquero@ att.net at kung sa tingin namin, eh, pupuwede naman silang magartista, maging beauty queen o model, tatawagan namin sila for audition,” pahayag pa ni Allie.

Sa nalalapit nilang event para formal na i-announce ang kanilang bagong talent agency na itinatag ay inaasahan ni Allie na makakarating dito sa L.A. ang isang top Philippine-showbiz producer na siyang magiging partner nila sa Pilipinas.

“Excited na ako sa bagong talent agency namin dahil marami na nga kaming kausap sa atin sa Philippines,” pagtatapos ni Allie.

Amb. Gary Locke to receive Public Servant Advocate Award at the AAPI Awards Banquet Beverly Hills Los Angeles, Calif- Asian Enterprise celebrates its 22nd year of hosting National Annual Asian Entrepreneur of the Year Awards with Bank of America as Platinum Sponsor.

This banquet supported by a number of Fortune 500 Companies gives recognition to outstanding Asian American and Pacific Islander Entrepreneurs who rise above economic challenges, as well as to outstanding community Advocates and fortune 500’s Best Companies for APPI. Asian Enterprise, together with friends from Fortune 500 Companies, will host the banquet at the Private Club in the city of Beverly Hills in the heart of Los Angeles, California. AE is proud to honor 2015 Public Servant Hon. Ambassador Gary Locke.

Hon Congressman Ted Lieu will

be the award’s night Guest of Honor.

2015 boasts of Special Advocates of the year with a grand slam for PepsiCo. Advocate of the Year award recipients are PAN National Lead, Rahim Sultanally, PepsiCo N. America Beverages, Raghuram Nasasimhan, PepsiCo N America Nutrition and Matt Jordan, FritoLay PepsiCo N. America Foods. Brian Tom of Blind Start of America, will be awarded as Asian Entrepreneur of the Year for Exceptional Business category.

And this years Fortune 500’s Best Companies for Asian Pacific Ameicans are Bank of America, PepsiCo, Caesar’s Entertainment, Comcast NBCUniversal, Denny’s, Inc Nothrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, SCE Edison International, IBM, Statefarm.

These companies are given recognition for their support for diversity and outreach programs to AAPI small business community.

Marissa Pei dubbed as the “Asian Oprah” will be the events emcee. Coctails will be served at 5:30 pm and the awards will commence at 7 pm.

Media sponsors from different major ethnic publications both local and national will cover the event.

For tickets, advertising and sponsorship opportunities, or any additional information, please contact Willy Borromeo or Alma Guiuan of Asian Enterprise Magazine at 909-896-2865, 909-3192306 or email aey.awards@asianenterprise.com.

Asian Enterprise Magazine is the largest small business focus magazine in nation.

Dr. Vigilia with the senior graduates of the eight day seminar on senior wellnness.

Super Silver Senior GraduationDay The eight-day seminar attended by the participating seniors, family and friends, culminated on Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at the Colorado Family Health Center in Glendale, CA. Dr. Larry Vigilia, MD-Family Practitioner said in his opening remarks, that to be able to organize and experience this eight-day seminar is such a humbling experience and a milestone for him.

The topics were derived from the title S-E-N-I-O-R which letter individually stands for the following: S-afety E-xercise N-utrition I-ndependence O-rder R-elationship The seminar was conducted at the clinic, every Wednesday for 1 hour. It was practically and interestingly discussed with emphasis on putting what they learned into practice. Thus, “attending the seminar will change our lifestyle into a joyous and profitable one,

1st to our Lord, then to others and ourselves,” said Mr. J.A. Martinez , one of the happy and grateful participants.

Before the presentation of Certificates of Completion, the guest speaker Pastor Recalde shared very inspiring thoughts on aging – “Stay young as you want to be but pay attention to growing old.

Be productive get involved!”

Kenneth Vigilia, assistant to Dr. Larry Vigilia eagerly distributed gift bags to the participants which will help them get started with the implementation of what they learned from the seminar.

Dr. Arlene Vigilia delivered the closing remarks with a brief presentation on Health and Wellness.

Dr. Larry Vigilia and the rest of the Colorado Family Health Center aim to continue this program and be able to continue serving the seniors especially in the Filipino community.

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Annual Awards Banquet presented by TOYOTA Tuesday, October 6, 2015 The Globe Theatre Universal Studios Hollywood Black Tie Optional

Emcees

Honorees Business Enterprise of the Year

CJ America, Inc. Media Company of the Year

James Kyson Mei Melançon

Wong Fu Productions ABA Chairperson Award

Entertainment

Honorable David E. Ryu Corporation of the Year

U.S. Bank Advocate of the Year

Richard Chacon Paul Dateh

Maker Empire

Balita GET RESULTS! ADVERTISE WITH US TODAY!

abala.org ǀ @ABALosAngeles ǀ #ABAAwards Celebrating the success of Asian owned businesses.

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INMENT

Kim on playing mistress role: Hindi na dapat pabebe

Kim Chiu

Although she has already been in showbiz for nine years, Kim Chiu believes her upcoming movie “Etiquette for Mistresses” has helped her mature as an actress.

“Parang it’s time for me to mature. Hindi na ako dapat ‘yung pabebe na patawa or pa-jologs,” she said at the press conference for the movie.

“Kailangan ko rin tumanggap ng isang proyekto na magsasabi na actress ako at woman na ako. Pagkatapos ng movie na ito, nasabi ko na woman na ako,” she said.

Chiu, however, admitted that she was hesitant when it was first offered to her.

“Nung una siyang binigay sa akin, ang tagal kong sumagot. Hindi ako nag-oo pero hindi rin ako humindi. Inisip ko talaga.

Sabi ko pahingi muna ng script kasi medyo nakakakaba. ‘Yung title pa lang itself,

Iza plans to hire a surrogate mother?

Actress Iza Calzado admitted that she’s not yet ready to be a mother.

Calzado, who is in a relationship with British-Filipino businessman Ben Wintle, also revealed that she’s also considering using a surrogate.

Calzado made the statement as she was asked of her dreams in life.

“Gusto ko ikasal one day. Gusto ko maging mother, pero nagde-debate pa talaga ako. Alam ko in the next four years hindi ko pa gustong manganak. Kaya nga surrogate, so parang iniisip ko baka pwedeng may mag-surrogate muna sa first or second, tapos baka kapag ready na ako baka pwede na,” Calzado explained.

Calzado admitted she’s not yet ready to settle down soon although she and boyfriend are already talking about it.

“Gusto ko talaga to get married. Kasi hindi ako nagdebut. Gusto ko talaga masaya, tapos masarap ‘yung pagkain, sa wedding,” she said.

Calzado is now busy promoting the movie “Etiquette for Mistresses” with Aquino, Kim Chiu and Claudine Barretto.

(MNS)

Iza Calzado

kinabahan na ako. Inisip ko kung may susuporta ba sa akin dito,” she said.

Chiu said it was Kris Aquino, her co-star in the movie, who convinced her to do the film.

“Si ate Kris, ang dami niyang sinabi hanggang sa, ‘Oo nga no? Bakit hindi ko naisip yun?’ Parang it’s time for me to mature.

Marami rin akong natutunan in terms of love sa pelikulang ito and siyempre sa apat na artista nakasama ko. Sa love, it’s about respect, attraction, choice and decision,” she said.

Directed by Chito Rono, “Etiquette for Mistresses” also features Claudine Barretto, Iza Calzado, and Cheena Crab. It is set to be released in theaters on September 30. (MNS)

JM de Guzman

JM challenges Enrique to MMA fight

JM de Guzman seems like he has an ax to grind against fellow actor Enrique Gil as he challenged the “Forevermore” star to a slugfest.

“With all due respect to Enrique Gil’s friends, fans and family. I would like to challenge to a one on one amatuer (sic) mixed martial arts match any place any time, “ de Guzman said in an Instagram post.

“I’ll give you time to prepare. Man up. Face me. (reply to my text messages please.) thanks brother.: @enrique17,” he added.

The Instagram post that has since been deleted but it remained on de Guzman’s Twitter feed.

De Guzman’ is the boyfriend of actress Jessy Mendiola.

Amid rumors about their falling out, de Guzman earlier posted a cryptic message on his Instagram account for Mendiola.

The 27-year-old De Guzman on Tuesday shared to his followers a sketch of Mendiola with the caption: “I don’t draw. Finding it hard to remember the last time you smiled. Thank you [Jessy Mendiola] for everything.”

Rumors about their breakup stem from a series of lengthy notes De Guzman posted on his Instagram page, where he mused about heartache, love, and online critics.

Mendiola was also involved in a drunken incident with Gil during the September 4 flight of some Kapamilya stars to London.

Gil has yet to comment on de Guzman’s challenge. (MNS)

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PRAYERS PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT Holy Spirit Thou who make me see everything and show me the way to reach my ideal, You who give me the divine gift to forgive and forget the wrong that is done to me and who are in all instances of my life with me. I, in this short GLDORJXH ZDQW WR WKDQN <RX IRU HYHU\WKLQJ DQG FRQÂżUP RQFH PRUH WKDW , QHYHU 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 person must pray this for three consecutive days without stating his wish. After WKH UG GD\ WKH ZLVK ZLOO EH JUDQWHG QR PDWWHU KRZ GLIÂżFXOW LW PD\ EH 3URPLVH to publish this as soon as your favor has been granted. Grateful Thanks -MBC

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MOTORING Hacking sends shivers through brave new world of digital cars Sunday September 20 2015 (Frankfurt, Germany-AFP) – The connected car may be catching everyone’s imagination at this year’s IAA auto show. But the new technology also brings with it new dangers, such as hacking.

Carmakers at the Frankfurt Motor Show, which opens its doors to the general public on Saturday, are keen to show off their brave new world of intelligent, digitized models.

But an incident in the US earlier this year when computer hackers remotely took control of a Jeep Grand Cherokee while it was driving on a motorway and brought it to a standstill highlighted the dangers that such innovations can bring.

And the industry must find ways of convincing consumers that these new supercomputers on wheels are safe and secure.

One Jeep owner, Michael Frosch, is taking an extra close look at different models on display at the IAA. “I have the same navigation system as in the Jeep that was hacked,” he says.

“But I guess I’m not important enough for someone to want to send me crashing into a tree.”

Jeep was forced to recall 1.4 million vehicles in the US in the wake of the hacking incident, which was a real wake-up call to the potential dangers, says Ricardo Reyes, vice president of US startup Tesla, a maker of upscale electric cars.

“We were mobilized before” the incident with the Jeep, but “awareness is much stronger” now, says Brigitte Courtehoux, director of PSA Peugeot Citroen’s connected services business unit.

German auto giant Volkswagen has promised to turn “all of our models into smartphones on wheels” by 2020.

But as was the case with computers and mobile phones before them, that will make cars potential targets for hackers.

Around 150 million connected cars will be on the road worldwide in 2020, according to estimates by consultancy firm Gartner.

For the time being, “there is no clear economic model for hacking cars. But once your car stores sensitive data, that will start attracting criminals,” said Egil Juliussen, analyst at IHS.

The 66th IAA auto show in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany ©AFP PHOTO / ODD ANDERSEN

And those criminals always keep pace with any technological advance.

“A connected car is only secure for a short time” until a chink in the armour can be found, said Andrey Nikishin, director of futures technologies projects at the cybersecurity consultants Kaspersky.

- ‘No big challenge’ At the moment, “it’s not really easy to hack just any car on the road. But for a professional hacker with lots of time on their hands, it is no big challenge,” Nikishin said.

In London, for example, around 6,000 cars were stolen in 2014 without being broken into, but simply by hacking their electronic locks, according to the city’s police.

But theft or accidents are not the biggest threats, Nikishin said.

Protecting personal data “is the most pressing problem because it’s a lot easier to steal the data,” the expert said.

For example, such a risk could arise if connected cars are synchronised with drivers’ smartphones containing personal credit card or bank account details.

And while “hackers” currently tend to be well-intentioned researchers, the weak points can quickly fall into criminal hands, said Juliussen.

At the IAA, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association ACEA outlined its “principles of data protection in relation to connected vehicles and services.”

“Data protection is an issue automakers take very seriously, as we are committed to providing our customers with a high level of protection and maintaining their trust,” said ACEA chief, Carlos Ghosn, who heads French carmaker Renault.

Nevertheless, the industry is not always moving at the same pace on the matter.

German automaker Daimler and its chief executive Dieter Zetsche, for exam-

ple, boast that data collected by the group is stored on its own secure servers, rather than those of third parties, contrary to some of its rivals.

PSA Peugeot Citroen is collaborating with IT giants such as Cisco on an electronic architecture for its cars, as well as “some players from the military sector,” says Courtehoux.

US manufacturer Tesla is taking the bull by its horns and working together with hackers themselves.

And the IT sector is also taking the dangers seriously. This week, US giant Intel set up a new research group, the Automotive Security Review Board, to look into ways of reducing the risks of connected car hacking.

In Germany, Volkswagen announced a similar cybersecurity research project with insurer Allianz, and chemicals giants BASF and Bayer.

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Filipino cooks take over the world’s kitchens

In this photo taken June 10, 2015, Rochelle Evaristo (leŌ) makes a sandwich at a school run by the government’s Technical EducaƟon and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in Manila. If you are holidaying on a Mediterranean cruise ship, celebraƟng your winnings at an Asian casino or dining with the president of the United States, the chances are a Filipino will be cooking your meal. Since the 1970s, the Philippines has been known for its mass export of workers, parƟcularly poorly paid maids and construcƟon workers who choose an uncertain life abroad above deep poverty at home. ©AFP PHOTO / Jay Directo

Tuesday September 8 2015 (ManilaAFP) – If you are holidaying on a Mediterranean cruise ship, celebrating your winnings at an Asian casino or dining with the president of the United States, the chances are a Filipino will be cooking your meal.

Since the 1970s, the Philippines has been known for its mass export of workers, particularly poorly paid maids and construction workers who choose an uncertain life abroad above deep poverty at home.

But in recent years there has been a trend towards higher-skilled and betterpaying jobs, and cooking schools in the Philippines are now churning out tens of thousands of chefs a year for kitchens around the world.

“I’ve always been interested in cooking, especially baking, even as a kid,” former bank clerk Rochelle Evaristo told AFP as she took a break from making sandwiches alongside other aspiring cooks at a Manila school.

“I also want to work abroad. My cousin is in Canada and he said they need a lot of cooks.”

In her late 20s, she is among the oldest of the class of 39 mostly teenaged students at her government-run school in Manila.

More than 10 million people from the Philippines work overseas and maids, sailors and laborers are still the most common jobs.

However cooks, bakers, and pastry chefs are becoming the most sought-after professions, with ships, hotels, restaurants and casinos the main employers, the school’s deputy director for operations, Teodoro

Pascua, told AFP. Nearly 180,000 Filipinos went to work in ship galleys abroad between 2010-2014, including nearly 72,000 head chefs, with the rest made up of kitchen assistants, waiters and waitresses, according to labor department data.

Over the same period, about 65,000 Filipinos went to work in similar catering jobs in hotels and restaurants in foreign countries.

Filipinos are big assets in the global catering industry because of their English proficiency, the ease with which they adapt to the host countries, and a resilience that belies their easy-going nature, according to Pascua.

“These are soft skills that we have that make us a little more distinct than either our neighbors or other workers all over the world,” he said.

Pascua also said a graduate of the entrylevel six-month course at his school, supervised by the Philippines’ Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, would be able to master the basics in any kitchen.

“Your employers will know that you won’t drown in the kitchen. You won’t make a mess of anything,” he said.

There are about 2,500 cooking schools – mostly private but also government-run – in the Philippines, according to Pascua.

Remarkable trailblazers The culinary trail was blazed by Pablo Logro, a former dishwasher who rose to become the personal chef of the sultan of Oman.

Logro got his start helping prepare soft buns for a Chinese restaurant in Manila, which gave him a ringside view of its chef’s Asian cooking.

He then got a job as a chef’s assistant at a Manila hotel, where he befriended an Arab guest who offered him a sous chef job in Oman in the early 1980s.

It turned out to be at the Al Bustan Palace, where guests of the sultan would stay.

In interviews with Philippine media, Logro said during his decade-long career in Oman he regularly cooked lamb for the sultan and served visiting royalty and heads of state.

Returning to the Philippines, he became the first Filipino executive chef of a fivestar hotel.

He eventually left the job to open his own culinary school and establish himself as a celebrity chef with his own successful television cooking show.

A more recent success is Cristeta Comerford, who began as assistant chef in Bill Clinton’s White House in 1995 after working at five-star hotels in the United States.

She was then appointed executive chef in the presidential kitchen in 2005 by George W. Bush’s wife, Laura, a position she carried into the Barack Obama presidency.

Visiting the Philippines last year, Obama highlighted her introduction to the presidential family of two of the better known Filipino dishes.

“Thanks to her, we in the White House enjoy the occasional lumpia and adobo,” he said in his toast at a state dinner, referring to fried spring rolls and meat marinated in salt, garlic and vinegar.

Cooking creating dreams Evaristo, the former bank clerk, has far more modest ambitions, hoping to earn more money than her previous career that paid just 14,000 pesos ($300) a month.

After on-the-job training at a Philippine hotel or restaurant following her six-month schooling, she hopes to join a cousin in Canada who is the head chef at a Vancouver restaurant.

“My cousin doubled his salary from his previous job here (as head chef of a Manila restaurant chain),” Evaristo said.

While kitchen salaries vary greatly, virtually all pay more than domestic workers earn. Maids are typically paid about $400 a month in Saudi Arabia and $530 in Hong Kong, two of the most common destinations.

Even an entry-level job as a chef’s assistant on a cruise ship pays about $900, according to industry publications.

But while earning more money is the main aim for most students, it also allows them to dare to dream of emulating the likes of Logro and Comerford, according to Imeldaughter Vera, one of the trainers at the Manila school.

“One of my students has gone on to work in a Middle East palace, cooking for a princess,” Vera said.

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Wells Fargo fuels diverse Chamber leader training, programs with $1.2-M investment Funding to benefit diverse Chambers of Commerce: U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation, U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce and National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce HOUSTON – Sept. 21, 2015 – Wells Fargo, America’s leading small business lender*, and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) Foundation announced today a $1.2 million investment spanning two years.

The majority of the funding will be used to establish training opportunities for diverse-owned small business leaders across the nation. The investment is part of Wells Fargo’s ongoing commitment to train leaders of diverse-segment chambers of commerce that includes more than $6 million in grants and sponsorships since 2003.

“The USHCC commends Wells Fargo for their continued investment in minority-owned small businesses, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to enriching diverse communities across America,” said USHCC President & CEO Javier Palomarez. “Wells Fargo’s support

makes it possible for the USHCC Foundation to provide our Chamber Training Institute (CTI), among other programs and grants. CTI is absolutely essential to our local chambers and makes a direct impact in the lives of entrepreneurs across the country. We look forward to growing our strong alliance with Wells Fargo.”

The $1.2 million total investment, announced at the USHCC 2015 National Convention, will fund micro-grants, a leadership training impact study and the expansion of the Chamber Training Institute (CTI), a program designed in collaboration with the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.

The CTI program develops and empowers diverse chamber leaders while providing unique educational opportunities on how to grow and build their chamber for the benefit of its small business com-

munity members. Additionally, the CTI is one part of Wells Fargo’s four-point plan, introduced earlier this year to help diverse-owned small businesses become credit-ready, access credit and achieve financial success.

National Chambers Key to Driving Diverse Leader Development *Community Reinvestment Act government data, 2002 - 2014 The Chamber Training Institute was expanded this year to include chamber leaders from the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC), U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC) and National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC).

The collaboration and combined effort of the USHCC, USPAACC, USBC and NGLCC will expand the current program during the next two years to allow more than 800 diverse chamber leaders to participate in a free, two-day training.

Currently, the CTI program has trained more than 820 leaders across 253 chambers since 2010.

“We are proud to be a stakeholder in the Chamber Training Institute – a brainchild of Wells Fargo and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. It is a

noteworthy venture that will drive national economic development and build success for our respective constituents,” said, USPAACC National President and CEO Susan Au Allen.

“The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. supports the Chamber Training Institute by promoting it to our 115 chamber across the nation. Specifically, USBC brought Cassius Butts, the Southeast Regional Administrator of the Small Business Administration to the Chamber Training Institute in Atlanta,” said USBC National President and CEO Ron Busby. “This program has educated our membership on issues in the Hispanic, Asian, and Gay and Lesbian communities and provided a platform for multilateral collaboration.”

“The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce is proud to partner with the USHCC in the Chamber Development Institute. This is not only a valuable learning program for our local affiliate chambers across the nation, it’s also another example of how we actively promote all diverse communities working together just as we pledged to do when we founded the National Business Inclusion Consortium.” said, NGLCC Co-founder and President Justin Nelson.

Wells Fargo Support for Small Businesses Extends Beyond Training “We are committed to helping business owners achieve financial success, grow and create new jobs in their communities,” said Jon Campbell, EVP and head of Government and Community Relations for Wells Fargo. “That is why it’s important for us to fund initiatives that aim to help small business leaders serve their communities more effectively. With the support from our partners at the national diverse chambers, this investment will provide dedicated resources to better serve the growth and development of diverse small business owners.” Wells Fargo has a rich history of serving the small business community. Today, the company serves approximately 3 million of America’s small businesses. In 2014, Wells Fargo introduced Wells Fargo Works for Small BusinessSM – a broad initiative to deliver resources, guidance and products to help business owners achieve financial success. This year, the company expanded the support it offers small businesses by introducing the Business Plan Center, a free online resource. The Center provides step- by-step tools and guidance to help small business owners create a simple, streamlined business plan, along with a Competitive Intelligence Tool that provides business owners with key insight on competitors in their market and industry.