Weekend Balita August 22, 2015 by Balita Media Inc

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VOL. XXIII, NO. 29

AUGUST 22 - 28, 2015

THE LEADING SOURCE OF NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR FILIPINO-AMERICANS

Supporters push for Poe candidacy Runningmates?: Senator Grace Poe talks with Senator Francis Escudero during a break in the Senate session on Tuesday (July 28, 2015) after the latter resigned from his post as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and co-chairman of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Public Expenditures. (MNS photo)

MANILA, Aug 20 (Mabuhay) – Various groups and individuals pushing Senator Grace Poe to run for higher office in the 2016 elections gathered during the commemoration of Fernando Poe Jr.’s 76th birthday, many of them supporters of the late movie star and presidential candidate who want her to continue what her father started. Posters and streamers with Poe’s name and a reference to the 2016 polls were all over the area near FPJ’s mausoleum at the Manila North Cemetery, where a crowd that organizers say reached more than 3,000 assembled. FPJ’s family and friends have been observing his birth and death anniversary yearly since he died in 2004, but Thursday’s commemoration had a political undertone as Poe contemplates whether to seek a higher position in 2016 amid her

strong performance in popularity surveys. “Our objective of course is to convince Senator Grace Poe to run for higher office,” said Oscar Valera, head of a newly formed group called Great People’s Movement for Progress or GPMP. “Grace has been a friend for more than a decade. I know her personally. I know kung ano ang nasa loob niya. Alam ko kung ano ang magagawa niya para sa bansa natin (I know her deep inside. I know what she can do for our country).” Another group called GP 2016 had banners all over the place, expressing support not only for Poe but also for Senator Francis Escudero, her close friend and possible running mate. The group had held a fun run over the weekend to gather support for Poe. “There’s truly a people’s clamor for See SUPPORTERS, page 12

Justice sought for trafficked Filipino bakery workers in SoCal BAYAN USA stands together with the 11 trafficked Filipino workers of L’Amande French Bakery in Beverly Hills and Torrance, California who are victims of human trafficking, labor violations, and retaliation by Analiza and Goncal Moitinho de Almeida, the owners of the business.

We call for justice for the workers and stand together with them as they continue to fight for their rights, dignity, and safety of their families. Earlier this year, the 11 Filipino bakery workers came forward to expose the deplorable working conditions and labor trafficking schemes of the Almeidas. In 2012, Analiza recruited the workers in the Philippines by enticing them with the promise of receiving salaries of $2,000 a month as bakery workers. Instead, many of them were subjected to abusive treatment including working as domestic servants at the Almeidas’ home, being forced to sleep on the laundry room floor, and enduring physical labor such as housekeeping, paintSee JUSTICE, page 12

Mom testifies for US Marine charged with murder OLONGAPO, Philippines | AFP | Monday 8/17/2015 – A US Marine charged with murdering a transgender woman in the Philippines put his mother on the witness stand to start his defense Monday, lawyers said. Lisa Pemberton testified to the “good character” of her son Joseph Scott Pemberton at the closed-door trial in the northern port of Olongapo, his lawyer Rowena Flores told AFP. He is detained at a Manila military camp, accused of murdering Jennifer Laude whose remains were found in an Olongapo motel room in October 2014 shortly after the two left a local bar together. Pemberton had been taking part in joint US-Philippine military exercises nearby. See MOM TESTIFIES, page 12

President Benigno S. Aquino III tours the facilities of the newly-renovated “Museo ni Manuel L Quezon” during the commemoration of the 137th Birth Anniversary of President Manuel L. Quezon at the Quezon Memorial Shrine in Elliptical Road, Quezon City on Wednesday (August 19). Also in photo is National Historical Commission of the Philippines chairperson Dr. Maria Serena Diokno. (MNS photo)

Pinoys in US are outstanding immigrants (Part 2) MPI Report: In 1970, there were more Pinoys serving the United States Navy than the Philippine Navy By Abner Galino

The facts bear out to the strength of Pinoy immigrant community in the US, both in terms of numbers and quality. Now, let us go back in time to see how it came to be. Those who didn’t sleep off their history classes for most part of their high school should know that the American occupation of the Philippines started after the Spanish-American War in 1898. Through the Treaty of Paris, the Spanish empire ceded Cuba, Puerto Rico, parts of the Spanish West Indies, Guam and the Philippines to the US. Subsequently, the US Congress passed the Philippine Organic Act which organized the Insular Government and provided its basic laws. In 1935, this government was succeeded by the Commonwealth of the Philippines through the Tydings-Mcduffie Act, which prescribed a 10-year transition period for the eventual independence of the country. The outbreak of World War II delayed the process of independence up to July 4, 1946. As colonial subjects, Filipinos had the status of US nationals and had little restrictions in migrating to the US. See OUTSTANDING, page 12

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Loan Modification vs. Bankruptcy If you are having a hard time making ends meet and paying your monthly mortgage, you may wondering what to do. People who are having a hard time making their mortgage payments often rely heavily on credit cards, which eventually reach their limit. This of course creates even a bigger problem. While a loan modification may a good option for you, a high debt to income ration can prevrnt you from qualifying. Loan modifications are very desirable for cash strapped ho meowners suffering financial hardship. Lenders will often be agreeable ant to California statutes, each state may to renegotiate the terms of your existing vary. Filing for bankruptcy will halt the home loan, if they know that would keep foreclosure process. A skilled bankruptcy you in the home and avoid a foreclosure. lawyer would be invaluable at this point, This could be a reduction in interest rates, and could advise you to file for bankruptcy, or a change in terms of the loan. Under which can buy you valuable time to explore certain circumstances, it is even possible other options. He could also tell you that if to obtain a principal reduction of the loan the current market value of your home is balance. Your lender does not want your less than the amount of the first mortgage, home to go into foreclosure, because it your second mortgage can be “stripped will accrue a significant loss if the property down,” or removed. value is less than the amount owed. If you are preparing to file for a loan Home owners trying to get their loan modification, it is important to discuss modified, frequently consider bankruptcy your plans with a bankruptcy lawyer. Totoo. A common scenario arises in this situ- gether you can analyze your current debt ation. When you apply for a loan modifica- to income ratio, and make adjustments tion, the mortgage lender will look at your prior to applying for a loan modification. debt to income ratio. The lender will want Consolidating or eliminating debt where at to see that if they reduce your mortgage all possible may make just the difference in payment you will still be able to make your obtaining a loan modification. Your morthouse payments in full and on time. If you gage lender will also want to see that you have a high degree of credit card debt, a are employed, and have a steady income so lender may feel that even with a reduced that you will be able to pay your mortgage mortgage, you may not be able to make payment. Your lender will also want to be your house payment. What the lender is assured that whatever caused your initial saying in this case is that your debt load financial hardship has been addressed, and is so high, you cannot afford to keep your it is behind you. home. The lender in this case could foreDealing with financial problems is close on the property (assuming that you never easy. However, there are actions are behind on your payments). you can take to help you through the proKeep in mind that mortgage lenders cess and help put your financial problems do not want to foreclose on a property, behind you. and it is usually considered a last resort. If you have financial problems, give my However, once a Notice of Default is office a call at 818-552-4500. I will personfiled, the statutory period starts running. ally meet with you and provide you with After 90 days have passed, the lender only practical options to your problems. We has to give 21 days notice of a Notice of have two convenient locations: Glendale Trustees Sale. These time frames are pursu- and La Palma.

LTFRB OKs Uber’s TNC accreditation MANILA, Aug 19 (Mabuhay) – Appbased transport service Uber has been accredited by the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board. The LTFRB has approved Uber’s application as a Transportation Network Company effective Wednesday. Uber filed its Application for Accreditation with the regulatory board on

Monday, three days before the deadline. In a Facebook post, it said that it “has been preparing its submission... over the past few months.” The application came after LTFRB announced that it will apprehend Uber drivers if the company fails to file an accreditation on or before August 20. (MNS)

Pimentel wants nationwide manhunt for ‘missing’ Limlingan MANILA, Aug 20 (Mabuhay) – Senator Aquilino Pimentel III on Thursday called for a nationwide manhunt against Gerry Limlingan, an aide of Vice President Jejomar Binay who has been missing since the Senate started its hearings on alleged corruption involving the Binays last year. “Itutuloy natin ang paghahanap para kay Limlingan at gawin na lang natin itong isang national manhunt,” Pimentel said at the start of the hearing as he justified the need to continue the hearings being conducted for a year now. “Tayo ay nananawagan sa NBI (National Bureau of Investigation), PNP (Philippine National POlice), at sa taumbayan na tulungan ang Senate Sergeant at Arm para po rito sa paghahanap kay Limlingan,” he added. He said the subcommittee is interested to hear the explanation Limlingan as to why he is everywhere the Vice President is. “Where in the world is Gerry. Limlingan? According to the Bureau of Immigration, there has been no record of his departure from the country. If he is in the country, why is he hiding rather than

defending himself and family’s name? Or is he held against his will and thus unable to come forward?” Pimentel asked. “We have to find Mr. Gerry Limlingan and hear his testimony before we can even think of terminating our hearing,” he added. Limlingan’s brother, Victor, who was present at the hearing, was asked where his sibling is, but he too cannot give any information. He said since Gerry was almost assassinated in March 2010, the latter became security conscious and they had an agreement that whenever Gerry is nowhere to be found, the latter will be the first to take a move to contact his sibling. “He was actually almost assassinated so there is a security risk for him. It is difficult for me to accept his decision but I have to accept our agreement that he will be the one to call me,” said Victor. Senator Antonio Trillanes IV then asked Victor if he is not worried that he has yet to contact his brother. Victor said he is, but he will not take the initiative to look for him.

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Trillanes to expose alleged P100-M ghost senior citizen racket in Makati MANILA, Aug 19 (Mabuhay) -- Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is set to expose Thursday the alleged P100 million-a-year racket on ghost senior citizens in Makati City, when the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee resumes its hearing on alleged anomalies linked to the Binay family. “On our blue ribbon subcommittee hearing, we will be exposing the ghost senior citizens of Makati during the incumbency of the Binays who have been claiming benefits,” Trillanes said. “The whole racket amounts to over P100 million per year,” he added. He said they found out that 45 percent of listed senior citizen beneficiaries were either dead or non-existent. Trillanes added that they will be presenting a witness in Thursday’s hearing. In a press statement, Vice President Jejomar Binay’s spokesperson denied the

allegation and urged Trillanes to produce the death benefits of the beneficiaries who are still on the list but were found dead. “The burden is on Senator Trillanes to prove his outlandish conclusion that 45% of senior citizen beneficiaries are non-existent,” Joey Salgado said. “Can he produce actual death certificates and other documents? We doubt it. We expect more half-truths and lies in tomorrow’s hearings.” He said under city guidelines, senior citizens are required to personally apply for benefits. He added that those listed as beneficiaries are actual persons who have submitted the required documents and have passed the verification process. Salgado said the city’s Social Welfare Department monitors the delivery of cakes to senior citizens celebrating their birthday. “Seniors are also required to personally

receive their cash gifts,” he added, adding the department also conducts spot checks to prevent fraud. “It also has a validation process to purge deceased senior citizens from the list,” said Salgado. He said that Trillanes and his cohorts have been making wild and sensational statements to drum up interest in their “inquisition” of the Vice President and his family for a year now. “They want to undermine the exemplary

programs and services of Makati. The senator’s latest statement is no different. After one year, we cannot really expect Senator Trillanes to be truthful and transparent,” he said. Binay, who has expressed no intention in participating in the subcommittee hearings, is set to attend a Mass to be held at Brgy. Pembo in Makati City on Thursday morning to mark the first year of what his camp calls as “Senate inquisition.”

Trillanes: Magdalo Group to support Grace Poe in 2016 MANILA, Aug 19 (Mabuhay) -- Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said Wednesday that the Magdalo Group will support the presidential bid of Senator Grace Poe if ever she decides to run for the post in 2016. “If Sen. Grace Poe runs for president, our Magdalo Group would support her,” Trillanes said. Trillanes is the ex-officio chairman of the group. The group originated from a set of military officers, including the senator and his classmates in Philippine Military Academy Class ‘95, who took over the Oakwood Hotel in 2003 to air their grievances against corruption in government. “We have conducted extensive consultations among our chapter leaders the past few weeks and she is the preferred candidate for the 2016 presidential elections,” he added. On Tuesday, Trillanes told reporters that the Magdalo Group has already chosen its candidate for 2016 but he refused to name it. “Sa amin yung Magdalo group meron na, nakapag-decide na kung sino ang susuportahan,” he said, clarifying that the political party to which he belongs to, the

Nacionalista Party, has yet to decide who to support in next year’s polls. He said the Magdalo Group has already talked with Poe. Poe has yet to issue a statement regarding Trillanes’ announcement. Trillanes said the primary criteria they took into consideration in picking the candidate was the welfare of the country. “It’s a collective decision, the primary criterion would be kung sinong pinakamabuti sa ikabubuti ng bansa,” he said. He expressed confidence that the Magdalo Group’s 500,000 card-bearing members would be solidly behind their candidate. “We’ve done that before and we will do it again,” Trillanes said. Poe, who has been leading presidential and vice presidential surveys, has yet to decide if she is running for a higher post in the 2016 elections. She is being wooed by Liberal Party presumptive presidential candidate Interior Secretary Mar Roxas to be his running mate. Poe has also met twice with members of the Nationalist People’s Coalition. A third meeting has been set next week. (MNS)

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US military deploys troops to help in California wildfires Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Wednesday 8/19/2015 – The US military is sending hundreds of troops to help tackle wildfires raging across parched California, authorities said Tuesday, while also warning of the growing risk posed by drone pilots flying over affected areas. Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said 200 troops from Washington state would receive three days’ training before heading to California to help the 12,000 or so firefighters in the region. “This is the first time since 2006 that (the Defense Department) has mobilized federal active duty military personnel” to fight wildfires, Davis said. Eighteen wildfires are currently raging in California, and 10 states around the country are reporting large fires. Since the start of the year, there have been 4,549 fires in California, compared to 3,173 in the same period last year, according to the state fire agency CAL FIRE.

Some 225 square miles (580 square kilometers) have been scorched this year. A heatwave is exacerbating four years of drought and making California even more vulnerable. CAL FIRE cautioned of a growing problem of people flying hobby drones over affected areas. “A collision with a hobby drone could easily result in major damage to firefighting aircraft, injuries to the pilot... or worse, a midair collision,” the agency said in a statement. “If you fly, we can’t!” The Pentagon has already deployed four firefighting air tankers to help in efforts. Another 440 soldiers and airmen from the California National Guard have also been mobilized. Temperatures are expected to cool to more normal seasonal levels starting Wednesday in Southern California, but high winds will continue to threaten the spread of blazes.

A Pentagon spokesman said 200 troops from Washington state would receive three days’ training before heading to California to help the 12,000 or so firefighters in the region. Photo from calfire.ca.gov

The most virulent fire in the state is called the River Complex blaze in northern California near Redding.

It had burned nearly 70 square miles and was only 18 percent contained as of Tuesday night.

Three firefighters die battling blazes in Washington state Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Thursday 8/20/2015 – Three firefighters died in the US state of Washington while battling a massive blaze, as more than 40,000 wildfires raged across the western United States. More than 30,000 firefighters have been deployed in 10 US states, and the military also sent troops in the fight the fires. US President Barack Obama sent his condolences to the families of the deceased on Thursday. The firefighters were responding to the so-called Twisp Fire in northern Washington when they were involved in a vehicle

accident and a fire overtook their truck on Wednesday, US media reported. Obama said their deaths were a “tragic loss,” according to deputy spokesman Eric Schultz. “On behalf of a grateful nation, the president’s thoughts and prayers are with the families of these brave Americans,” Schultz said in a statement. Four other firefighters were also injured while responding to the blaze, but it was not immediately clear if they were involved in the same accident, according to CBS News. Several wildfires were burning in Wash-

ington state, and officials urged nearby residents to evacuate as fires spread. Washington Governor Jay Inslee also sent his condolences after learning of the firefighters’ deaths. “My heart breaks over the loss of life... they gave their lives to protect others. It was their calling, but the loss for their families is immense and I know the community will come together to support them,” Inslee said in a statement. He warned that conditions in the region remained precarious and urged residents to evacuate if necessary. “The conditions throughout the area

remain extremely dangerous and I hope residents and visitors will heed evacuation orders or other emergency directions,” he added. The 10 states affected by large fires are Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Washington.

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SCE rewards customers with home energy efficiency rebates, incentives ROSEMEAD, Calif., Aug. 19, 2015 – As hot temperatures and summer continue, Southern California Edison (SCE) reminds customers it offers a variety of energyefficiency programs that reward customers with rebates, bill credits and other incentives designed to help reduce energy and lower electricity bills. “There are so many ways to stay cool and comfortable this summer – while keeping electricity costs in check,” said Mark Wallenrod, SCE’s director of Demand Side Management Program Operations. “Now more than ever, people are interested in saving money and helping the environment. We’re proud to be able to help our customers do that.” For example, customers with a swimming pool at their single-family residence may qualify for a $200 rebate if they

replace a single-speed or two-speed pool pump with a qualified Variable Speed Pool Pump and Motor model. The difference could save up to 60 percent of a pool’s energy consumption and maximize savings. Through SCE’s Refrigerator and Freezer Recycling Program, customers with an old, inefficient working refrigerator or freezer can receive a $50 incentive by disposing of their aging appliance in an environmentally responsible way. SCE will pick it up free of charge and dismantle it using Responsible Appliance Disposal standards. By disposing of a spare unit, customers could save up to $180* a year in electricity costs. To schedule a pick up appointment by phone for the Refrigerator and Freezer Recycling Program, or if you have a question, please call SCE Customer

Service at 1-800-234-9722, (TTY 1-800352-8580).Assistance is available Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m., or Saturday from 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Additionally, you can receive a $35 rebate when you buy an ENERGY STAR certified refrigerator, or get a $75 rebate when you buy an ENERGY STAR Most Efficient refrigerator. Upgrading to a more efficient refrigerator could reduce your electricity bill by up to $105* yearly. (*Estimated electricity cost savings are based on an average consumer usage and are not a guarantee of actual savings). Visit sce. com/summer for details. Central air conditioners are one of the busiest electrical appliances when temperatures rise. Updating and maintaining air conditioners can mean big savings on electricity bills over time. When feasible,

it is best to use ceiling fans, standing fans, whole house fans or other more energyefficient technology to stay cool, while also lowering your electricity bill. Cool down your home with a Window Evaporative Cooler, an efficient alternative to a traditional air conditioner. Purchase and install a qualifying model and get up to $200 in rebates from SCE. To learn more about these and other energy-efficiency programs, go to sce. com/summer. About Southern California Edison An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 5 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.

Human ‘super-predators’ should change hunting, fishing habits By Kerry Sheridan

Miami, United States | AFP | Thursday 8/20/2015 – Humans are super-predators that upset the natural balance on Earth by killing far too many adult animals and fish, scientists said Thursday, urging a focus on catching fewer and smaller creatures. People tend to kill adult fish at 14 times the rate of marine predators, said the findings in the journal Science. And humans slaughter large land carnivores such as bears and lions at nine times the rate of predatory animals in the wild. Based on a survey of 2,125 predators around the world on both land and in the water, scientists found that people cause “extreme outcomes that non-human predators seldom impose,” said co-author Chris Darimont, professor of geography at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. These include extinctions, shrinking numbers of fish, smaller sized fish, and disruptions to global food chains. These impacts are made possible by humans’ unique approach to hunting – using weapons and external energy sources like fuel to power our hunts, searching for the biggest catch possible and acting as suppliers for other hungry mouths in faraway places, he said. This is in sharp contrast to the way the marine world operates, with most predators focusing on juvenile prey taking only about one percent of adults. “Our impacts are as extreme as our behavior and the planet bears the burden of our predatory dominance,” said Darimont. New approach If humans want to continue to see large

beasts like rhinos, elephants and lions in the wild, as well as ensure the health of ocean life, scientists said big changes are needed. “We’re suggesting a new and perhaps transformative way to consider what sustainable exploitation could be,” said Darimont. He said the recent outrage over the killing of Cecil the Lion may be an indicator that societies are ready to at least cut back, if not stop all together trophy hunting of large beasts. “If future generations of people are to see these magnificent animals, then this requires cultivating new tolerance for living with them,” he told reporters. “This might include increasing revenues to local communities derived not from hunting, but from non-consumptive uses such as eco-tourism, shooting carnivores with cameras, not guns.” Smaller fish When it comes to fishing, Darimont and co-author Tom Reimchen urged a focus on younger, smaller fish. Currently, humans tend to focus on catching the biggest fish, because they provide more food and they are easier to process than smaller fish, which are often thrown back. But these adult fish are valuable when it comes to reproduction, and should be spared so that they can release more eggs over their adult lifespan, the authors argued. Reimchen’s research showed that predatory fish and diving birds overwhelmingly kill juvenile forms of freshwater fish and generally take no more than two percent of the adult fish.

Salmon fisheries run by people harvest about half of all adult fish. “It is not simply the issue of shifting the extraction rate to juveniles,” said Reimchen, a biology professor, adding that humans would have to drastically cut their fishing quotas in order to better resemble the behavior of other predators. “If you use natural predator-prey quotas as some type of sustainable guide, we would be talking perhaps close to an 80 or 90 percent reduction in our global take,” said Reimchen.

Such sweeping changes may be hard to make, but an accompanying editorial by Boris Worm of Dalhousie University argued that humans may be unique in that regard, too. “We have the unusual ability to analyze and consciously adjust our behavior to minimize deleterious consequences,” Worm wrote. “This final point, I believe, will prove critical for our continued coexistence with viable wildlife population on land and in the sea.”

Philippine eagle Pamana shot dead MANILA, Aug 19 (Mabuhay) -- Philippine eagle Pamana was shot dead just two months after she was freed into her new forest home. Dennis Salvador of the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) said Pamana was found rotting dead last Sunday, August 16. Pamana, a three-year-old Philippine eagle, was found just one kilometer from Sitio Tomalite, Barangay La Union, San Isidro, Davao Oriental, the place where she was freed last June 12, Independence Day. Salvador said that based on initial investigation, Pamana sustained a gunshot wound on her right breast. He said the people of PEF are very depressed upon learning the about the incident, especially because Pamana was killed in a place that’s supposed to be a protected area. Salvador said they have yet to identify the person behind the killing of Pamana, but said the suspect/s violated the Wildlife Act of 2002. Pamana arrived at the Philippine Eagle

Center in April 2012 from the Mt. Gabunan Range in Iligan City. She was found by a local perched on a tree near a creek, appearing weak and docile with a gunshot wound. The Center took Pamana in. The eagle underwent a tedious rehabilitation process before she was released in the virgin forest of Mt. Hamihuitan, a UNESCO Heritage Site. Pamana roughly translates “heritage” or “legacy” in the Filipino language. The eagle’s remains were brought to the Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos, Davao. Pamana is just one of the last of about 400 Philippine eagles fighting for survival. (MNS)

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Client seeks Chapter 11 reorganization to save business Senior seeks chapter 13 reorganization instead of reverse mortgage after two loan modification denials Client No. 1 is 58. Divorced and remarried. He has spent the last 20 years building up his business in Los Angeles. He started with importation of construction materials direct from manufacturers in Asia, mainly from China and Taiwan, at cost that were lower, a lot lower than his inventory. With the Chapter 11 held at bay construction materials and products made with the automatic stay, clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business and in the USA. cash accounts could not be garnished and his He did not have name brand items but inventory was intact. since the manufacturers made exactly the The problem of course is that all of sesame product for name brands in the USA, cured and unsecured creditors are waiting he was able to offer the very same product, to get paid. Unsecured creditors will not although with a different label from a name ship new merchandise without an assurance brand, at a big discount when compared to that they will get paid. I found out that the the name brand product. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just say that if secured creditors were willing to work with you placed a real â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ferrariâ&#x20AC;? side by side with client in Chapter 11 so that took care of one the product he carried, you would not be able problem. However, the unsecured creditors to tell the difference. and suppliers had to be reorganized. It would look exactly the same as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;FerPrior to plan confirmation, the bankruptcy rariâ&#x20AC;? but his product would be called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fercourt protects clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business so that no raroâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ferrigo.â&#x20AC;? He would sell security creditor can attach any of the assets of the padlocks that look exactly the same as a business. As soon as the filing is done, we â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yaleâ&#x20AC;? padlock but he would call his padlock proceed to figure out a business plan that will â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yaluâ&#x20AC;?. You wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to tell the differallow the $1.5 M judgment and the $1.2M ence between â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yaleâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yalu,â&#x20AC;? except of unsecured debt to be handled properly that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yaluâ&#x20AC;? would sell for half the price of and efficiently. Needless to say, unsecured â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yale.â&#x20AC;? Now, if you needed ten padlocks creditors and the judgment creditor will not for you dogs, you wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind saving get 100% dividend because the profit is only 50% on $200 for padlocks that look exactly $200K a year. However, Chapter 11 allows the same and function exactly the same as client to reorganize and present a feasible â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yaleâ&#x20AC;?. So that was his business which was Chapter 11 plan to the court for confirmadoing quite well, His annual sales last year was $4.0M tion. Chapter 11 assures client that he can with four retail outlets spread across the continue doing business as before and not Southland. His profit margin was not big, worry about the $1.5M judgment against him but even with a 5% profit on gross sales of and the $1.2M of supplier credit. Client No. 2 is 65. Since he and his wife $4.0M, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a respectable $200,000 of anretired last year, they have been relying on nual profit. The problem occurred last year $2500 of social security. They have a nice when he partnered with one of his foreign house with equity of $300K. The house suppliers. There was a breach of contract is now worth $500K. They have a first and the foreign supplier ended up with a mortgage with a balance of $100K but now judgment against client for $1.5 M. Judgpast due about $20K, and another $100K of ment creditor was about to put a lien on his home equity loan which is current. It appears inventory on his four retail outlets and all his they stopped paying their first mortgage bank accounts, and that would have crippled following advice of a business that did loan his business badly. As you probably know, modifications. They were told not to pay businesses like this, rely a lot on supplier the mortgage while the loan modification credit. Client owed $1.2M to suppliers, and had another $1.0M of inventory. If judgment request was being processed. The problem creditor froze his cash in bank and inventory, is that they applied twice, and both times, client will not be able to recover. Further, cli- the loan modification request was denied. ent owned two warehouses that had secured The first application took 3 months, and the loans of almost a million each that had very second application took another 3 months. So today they are 6 months behind on the little equity. Since client had a good business going, mortgage. They ask if they should do a he needed an emergency Chapter 11 filing to prevent the judgment creditor from garnishing his bank accounts and putting a lien on

Brazil bank fined for making client remove shoes Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | AFP | Wednesday 8/19/2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A Brazilian bank didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a leg to stand on when it forced a client to remove his shoes and do business in his socks, a judge ruled. Many banks in crime-ridden Brazil have tight security with metal detectors and, on entering the Caixa Economica Federal (CEF) branch in Sao Paulo state, Lourivaldo de Santana was asked to empty his pockets. But after the watch, phone and other small items, one of the guards â&#x20AC;&#x153;asked him also to remove his boots and then said that if he wanted to enter heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d have to go in socks,â&#x20AC;? the Sao Paulo federal court spokesman said Tuesday. Meanwhile, â&#x20AC;&#x153;a crowd was building up at the bank entrance because of the turmoil that occurred.â&#x20AC;? De Santana concluded his visit shoeless, but not without suffering â&#x20AC;&#x153;humiliation,â&#x20AC;? according to a judge, who ordered he be paid 5,000 reais, or about $1,430, in damages.

reverse mortgage. Since I knew their family circumstances, I said reverse mortgage is a bad idea. Clients have a son who is married and an 8 year old grandson. They all live together in clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; house. Son and daughter in law both work and make a decent living. So it makes sense for them to keep on paying down the mortgage so that eventually the family house will be debt free, or even if its not debt free, maybe by the time they pass on, only the 2nd mortgage of $100K will be left. Their son can have that refinanced and pay maybe $500 to $600 a month of mortgage and still have a great house for clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s son and his family to live in when client has gone to heaven to be with Jesus and Adonai, God the Father. I mean, compare that with having to pay $1,800 just for rent. With a $500 mortgage, he gives his family the security of having a family roof over the head that they own that is 2/3 less than rent! That is a wonderful legacy to leave to his son and his family, is it not? With a reverse mortgage, client does not have to make any mortgage payments now and the first and second mortgage will be paid off. But that reverse mortgage balance is getting bigger and bigger every month until almost all equity is wiped out. Sure, client and his wife get to stay in the house until they die. But after they die, the bank sells the house to get paid back on the reverse mortgage. Now, when that happens, clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s son and his family will no longer have a house to live in. And given the high cost

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of houses in Los Angeles now, his son and family will have to rent at $1,800 probably more by that time, and not have the security of having a roof over their head. What happens if son loses his job? They may even become homeless! Chapter 13 will allow client to freeze the past due mortgage default of $20K and pay that over 5 years in 60 equal monthly installments. Eventually, he will be current again, and eventually he will just keep on paying the mortgage down so that he can give that security to his son and his family. At the same time, once the plan is confirmed, he can make a third attempt at loan modification and he may yet succeed but at least, the house is completely protected from foreclosure and their family house is secure with Chapter 13. â&#x20AC;&#x153;JESUS SAID TO (THOMAS), â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; JOHN 14:6. Lawrence Bautista Yang is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and has been in law practice for thirty+ years. He specializes in bankruptcy, business and civil litigation and has handled more than four thousand successful bankruptcy cases in California. He speaks Tagalog and looks forward to discussing your case with you personally. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S Fremont Ave., MAILSTOP 58 BUILDING A-1 SUITE 1125 Alhambra, CA 91803 OR at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789.

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Getting a mortgage loan without any points and fees As a lender myself, we have not had a client pay point fees in many years, borrowers are smarter than that now. Are closing costs keeping you from refinancing a mortgage? If so, a no-closing-cost mortgage may be for you. With this type of mortgage, you won’t need to pay thousands of dollars in upfront fees. However, the trade-off for waiving those fees is a higher interest rate over the life of the loan. Which still should be considered, depending on what your existing rates are today. is still likely less expensive over five For example, you may be offered a years than what you would pay upfront mortgage at a rate of 3.75 percent and in closing costs. pay closing costs. Or, you can take a noYou have to look at the break-even closing-costs mortgage at a higher 4.125 point, which means how long you have percent rate. There’s two ways people to keep the loan to make up for the cost achieve no-closing-cost mortgages. The of the purchase or refinance loan you mortgage company will flat-out waive paid for. them, which doesn’t happen that often. “Say, for example, you had a loan for Or, they will present the rate (with) clos- a while at 6.5 percent and are only looking costs and if you don’t want to pay, ing at being in the house for another four you’ll take a slightly higher rate.” years. Then, you are probably a good When it pays off candidate. You don’t want to put money Closing costs include services such as down if you are going to be there for four the loan origination, appraisal and title years.” search fees and title insurance premiums. But more importantly now is to believe These costs vary from state to state, but that your rates now are on its way up, on average the costs have been rising. because if you refi to a current rate of say due to higher secondary marketing cost 4.25% and the rates drop to 3.75%, you to underwrite loans, the origination and might lose your closing cost fees if you third-party fees on a $200,000 mortgage were to refinance again. cost an average of $3,754. That’s a lot, but The refinance boom happened the it was a $301 decline from a year before. previous two years where in homeowners No-closing-cost mortgages are attrac- getting no cost loans where refinancing tive to borrowers who don’t have the cash multiple times a year due to mortgage to pay fees upfront. Waiving the closing rates declining. These homeowners costs may be the ticket to getting a mort- where refinancing loans 3.875% to 3.5% gage for a new home or a refinance. with absolutely no cost. Is it a smart If you don’t plan to stay in your home move, of course they did not pay any cost for more than five years, a no-closing- to get to 3.875% and when rates dipped cost mortgage also makes sense. With a again, they quickly refinance to 3.5% with traditional mortgage, it could take more again no cost. than five years to recoup the closing costs. That means they have no risk what so The slightly higher mortgage rate as- ever. As one of my client always say “ sociated with a no-closing-cost mortgage It’s a no Brainer”.

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Paying a slightly higher interest rate to forgo closing costs may also make sense if you need the cash to do renovations on your home. When it doesn’t pay Do you plan to stay in your home more than five years? If so, a no-closing-cost loan likely will end up costing you more than a loan with closing costs. That’s true whether you’re taking out a mortgage for a new purchase or refinancing an existing loan. Typically, you’ll break even on your closing costs in a few years. Going with a no-closing-cost loan saddles you with a higher interest rate over the rest of the home loan. That could end up costing you a lot more than the upfront fees if you keep the mortgage for a long time. Take the hypothetical example of two choices for a $150,000 loan. One has a rate of 3.75 percent with $3,500 in closing costs; the other has a rate of 4.25 percent,

with no closing costs. Going with the higher-rate, no-closingcost option runs $43.24 a month more, or $15,567 more over 30 years. In this scenario, it takes six years and nine months to break even and recoup the closing costs via the lower monthly house payments. It’s not something that every lender will offer, but it doesn’t hurt to ask about that option. To me, I will go for the no cost loan even if I intend to stay long term. Now a days, more people are getting the option of a 5 or 7 year fixed rates for loans. Thanks for your inquiries, please call Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance if you have any purchase or refinancing mortgage needs. Call Ken at 562-508-7048. Thanks, I am considering also writing about Reverse Mortgage, please email me at kennethgo@verizon.net or call me if this is a topic you would like information on.

US existing-home sales rise for third straight month Washington, United States | AFP | Thursday 8/20/2015 – Sales of existing homes in the United States rose for the third straight month in July, holding at the highest pace since 2007, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. Sales of previously owned single-family homes rose 2.0 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.59 million, the strongest level since February 2007, about nine months before the US economy entered the Great Recession. Sales were up 10.3 percent from a year ago. Analysts had expected a slightly slower annual sales rate of 5.42 million units. “The creation of jobs added at a steady clip and the prospect of higher mortgage rates and home prices down the road is encouraging more households to buy now,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, in a statement.

Despite the solid growth in existinghome sales during the peak homebuying season, tight housing supplies and rising prices likely pushed the share of first-time buyers down to the lowest level since January, NAR said. First-time buyers, important for spurring momentum in the market, declined for the second month in a row, from 30 percent of all buyers in June to 28 percent. A year ago the share was 29 percent. Total inventory of single-family homes, condos and co-ops fell 0.4 percent to 2.24 million in July, and has shrunk 4.7 percent from a year ago. At the heated sales pace, the limited homes for sale represented a 4.8-month supply, a tick higher than in June and helping to push prices higher. The median existing-home price in July was $234,000, up 5.6 percent from a year ago.

Carson Fil-Am leader just can’t win a council seat By Abner Galino

After losing his bid for a seat in Carson City Council by a mere 18 votes, a FilipinoAmerican political leader also lost an opportunity to be appointed to the same body in a tense and emotional proceeding on Tuesday that drew his supporters to walk out of the session hall in protest. The controversial decision of the City Council to pick Donesia Gause, former City Clerk, over Filipino-American Alex Cainglet was seen by pundits as a wedge that aggravated the already sore political climate in the city. Gause lost to former Carson City Mayor Jim Dear during an elections for City Clerk last March. Cainglet lost to church pastor Jawane Hilton in an elections in June. Supporters of Gause and Cainglet pushed for their respective appointments to the council seat left by Alex Robles after he was elected mayor by his peers. There are still 17 months of unexpired term to the said post and the City Council had a choice of appointing someone to the post or hold another elections. Carson is politically divided along racial lines. Dear and his Filipino-American ally, City Council Mayor Pro Tempore Elito Santarina, are supported mostly by Filipino-Americans. Cainglet is part of this political alliance. On the other side of the political fence are Councilor Lula Davis-Holmes, Hilton and Gause who are all African-Americans. Mayor Robles, apparently of Latino

ancestry, was the crucial vote that sealed the fate of Cainglet. “Be careful what you wished for” The decision whether to appoint or to hold another elections to fill up the vacant post in the City Council was calendared as Agenda no. 5 on Tuesday night. Most of the residents who spoke about the agenda endorsed the appointment of someone to the post rather than go through a new elections which almost everyone agreed was “expensive for the city to undertake.” Four votes (by Mayor Robles, Holmes, Hilton and Santarina) unanimously approved a resolution to appoint a nominee to the vacant City Council seat. But the mood in the chamber suddenly became tensed when Holmes nominated Gause. A vote was called and it was tied at 2-2, with Hilton and Holmes in favor of Gause. Mayor Robles subsequently asked each of the three council members if they were still willing to change their votes. When no one budged, Robles changed his vote in favor of appointing Gause. Before that happened, Santarina warned his peers that “the tempest is on us.” “It’s going to be unbearable here in the city of Carson. Trust me. You know what’s going to happen. I don’t have to say it to you,” Santarina said before the votes were cast. Cainglet’s supporters walked out of the session hall in protest as soon as the votes appeared on the TV monitors.

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Is Bongbong Marcos expecting to be ‘chosen’ to run for President? (Excerpts of Mr. Marcos’ speech continued from last issue) “I was disappointed that in the SONA that we heard a couple of days ago, he neglected to mention the Freedom of Information Bill, a freedom of information bill that he actually can take note. I believe in the FOI because I believe it is a tool to build trust – something that we have to rebuild in our country as we have been set to a political system and even in a social system where we must take sides against each other. The FOI is a tool that encour- or of favoritism towards special interests. ages government to carry out its mandate The FOI will help erase those doubts, but honestly, competently and with due regard it is only part of the answer. to all stakeholders in critical issues and If the next administration is to succeed, challenges facing our nation. meritocracy must be the guiding principle. Government cannot, after all exhort The next leader should surround himself those it serves to practice discipline and or herself with the best of the best in the follow the law if it does not set the example Cabinet. by respecting the separation of authority Our country is blessed with such great and responsibility of the individual branch- human talent and we must engage that great es of government, or to utilize collaborative human talent in the service of nation-buildtools like the Legislative-Executive Devel- ing. Meritocracy must govern all appointopment Advisory Council (LEDAC), or ments, not only in high-level appointments pursue long overdue peace arrangements but throughout the entire bureaucracy...it with enemies of the state with a sincere will guide the organization and leadership objective to improve the lives of all who of even the Armed Forces and the Philipare affected by any such conflict. pine National Police well. Our nation’s Neither the people nor you, as leaders internal and external security, peace and of our vibrant business sector, can have the order for our cities and neighborhoods is a confidence and trust in the competence and critical concern for all of us - government, commitment of government as a partner in business and private citizens – all the same. advancing the nation if doubt is created by Under the new administration, leaderperception of corruption, of lack of ability, ship roles in the police and armed forces

will be regarded with the gravity they deserve..Our military and police leaders have great responsibilities and must earn the trust and confidence of their men and women in uniform if they are to lead effectively...But in order for our leaders in uniform to fulfill their duties we demand of them, they must have our support and be given the tools they need to carry out their tasks. Just as government should strive to help business do business, under the next administration, we will do our utmost to pay tribute to our courageous and hardworking men and women in uniform in deeds and not only in words. Modernizing the AFP is an objective that should be pursued with vigor but with reason...Modernization of the armed forces under any successful administration, will build trust and confidence in government and the armed forces alike, because it will be exactly that - modernization... A successful administration will have meritocracy that will be applied to our law enforcement and judicial sectors with no less vigor than the rest of the government. ..By focusing on meritocracy, efficiency and integrity in government, in national defense and law enforcement, this government will lay the firm foundation needed to ‘democratize capitalism’ and to encourage the sharing of the fruits of our collective efforts with all Filipinos... The next president must initiate peace negotiations with those who wish to stand

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against us - the MILF and other Muslim groups and the New People’s Army with its Communist compatriots. And we will achieve this peace by building self-respect and mutual respect, addressing the root causes of conflict, while partnering the rights and opportunities of all Filipinos...” A good president must ensure that telecommunications services are improved and provide value to their users...We must also direct a critical review of industry pricing structures and practices to be carried out and not abusive, otherwise unjustifiable practices be corrected. I will also explore ways in which greater competition in the industry can be encouraged perhaps through a law similar to the recently-enacted law permitting the entry of foreign banks or changes to the so-called economic provisions of the Constitution.” Finally, Senator Marcos said: “my administration if it should happen... will stress infrastructure-building; it must be the central part of the government’s effort to improve the economy. One of the challenges we must overcome to build a greater nation is to find ways to meet our enormous need for infrastructure...Strong nations need strong foundations... the successful president must emphasize service for the vast majority of our people - not in handouts, but in opportunities to easily join the meritocracy where we can all build our nation together. Thank you very much...God bless us all!”

Amelia Fulgentes, Ms. Philippine Airlines 2015 – Meet & Greet at LAX Amelia Rosanna Castillo Fulgentes was born in Naga City, Philippines and raised in Simi Valley, California. She attends the University of Colorado and is finishing her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing. She was a part of the Royal High School swimming team and was a varsity

Miss Philippine Airlines 2015 Amelia Rosanna Castillo Fulgentes

wrestler. She placed 2nd at the 2011 California Interscholastic Federation Wrestling Championship and won 3rd place at the 2011 National Folkstyle Wrestling Tournament which earned her to become an All-American Wrestler. Amelia is also a judoka (judo player) by heart. Her cousins, Tyrone and Walter, introduced her to this form of martial arts at the age of 7, along with her brothers – Tom, Gerry and Joachim. She has poured years of dedication and commitment to the sport. This 22-year old lady is a U.S. National Judo Champ and is currently focusing on her training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado as she represents the USA in various international competitions. As a young Amelia, she has trained with her brothers under Tony Mojica, a 1992 Olympic coach. She also does jiu jitsu and is a blue belter under Jean Jacque Machado. From the shy little girl that she was, back in the Philippines, Amelia has grown to be a strong, determined young lady. Nay-Nay, as she is fondly called, is a well-rounded young lass. She is a go-getter whose zest for life is envisioned through her sunny and jolly disposition. She takes pride in giving her best effort in everything she does. Amidst

Shown in front of the PAL ticketing area at LAX were: Amelia Fulgentes, (2nd from left) Miss Philippine Airlines winner of the 2015 Miss Philippines USA , Gemma Jaranillo, PAL Western Region Director (3rd from left) and her staff and Lou Razon (fifth from left). Photo courtesy of: Giovanni Fulgentes.

all these, Amelia gathers strength from her family and her faith. She never forgets to bring her blessed cross in every trip and match she goes to. Rest assured that she prays for good health, safety and enlightenment as she makes the sign of the cross before stepping into the mat and moving forward to her journey of life . . . .

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Chiz backs bigger gov’t spending to acquire better, newer military hardware Senator Chiz Escudero favors an increase in military spending to boost the country’s defense capabilities amid concerns over China’s continuous military buildup in the disputed West Philippine Sea, but warns the government against buying old and dilapidated second-hand weapons and equipment. Escudero said that as much as possible the government should purchase “brand new” military hardware if it really wants to modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), which is widely regarded as one of the weakest military forces in Southeast Asia. “If we are going to pour in billions of pesos to improve the AFP, we might as well give our soldiers the best modern and sophisticated equipment we can get,” Escudero pointed out.

The veteran lawmaker said it is high time the Philippines invests in “reasonably priced” brand-new military weapons and equipment, especially those that would improve the country’s maritime defense capability. “Huwag naman tayong bumili ng sobrang luma na at kakarag-karag na mga sasakyan at depektibong kagamitan na hindi na mapakikinabangan ng ating kasundaluhan. Huwag naman po nating ipahamak ang ating mga sundalo,” Escudero said. (We should discard the old practice of acquiring military equipment and vehicles that are too old and defective, and no longer useful to our armed forces. Let us not put the lives of our hardworking soldiers in danger.) He added: “The least the government can do is to make sure that we provide our

military forces with better and serviceable aircraft, naval ships and other equipment.” Under the proposed P3.002 trillion national budget for 2016, the Department of National Defense (DND) ranks third among the line agencies with the highest allocation, next to the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The 2016 budget proposal of the DND, which exercises supervision and control over the AFP, is P172 billion. It is P27.5 billion higher than its current budget of P144.5 billion. On top of this, the government has allocated P75 billion for the first five years of implementation of the 15-year Revised AFP Modernization Act of 2012. Escudero said the law provides that the modernization program shall consist of “capability, material and technology development with the acquisition of new equipment and weapons system and phase out of uneconomical and obsolete major equipment and weapons system in the AFP inventory.” Even as he lauded the current administration for making long-needed investments in the military in recent years, Escudero said more needs to be done before improvements within the AFP can be felt. Escudero said while the Department of Budget and Management reported that a total of P68 billion has already been spent to modernize the AFP since 1999, the much-needed and long overdue upgrades to the country’s armed forces remain elusive. It is for this reason, he said, why the Senate has initiated a probe on the implementation of the modernization program aimed at upgrading the AFP, including the alleged irregular acquisitions of military equipment and weapons system.

The DND recently came under fire for the purchase of 21 refurbished “Huey” helicopters worth P1.2 billion. There were allegations that the choppers, said to be older than the incumbent senior military officers, cannot be used and have obsolete parts, and that the purchase violated certain provisions of the country’s procurement law. The big-ticket project was also supposedly tailor-made for a particular supplier in exchange for kickbacks. Escudero said the helicopter deal controversy exposed infirmities in the AFP procurement process, which he branded as “too supplier-driven.” The AFP Modernization Act, also known as Republic Act (RA) No. 7898, became a law in 1995 under the leadership of then President Fidel Ramos, who himself served as AFP chief and DND secretary during the time of President Corazon Aquino. The law was meant to modernize all branches of the AFP such as the Philippine Air Force, the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Army. It was intended to last for 15 years with an initial budget of P50 billion for the first five years, but the funding was stopped due to the 1997 Asian financial crisis. After the financial crisis, funding for the AFP modernization was halted and later neglected by successive administrations until the law expired in 2010. In 2012, RA 7898 was amended by RA 10349, or the Revised AFP Modernization Act, which extended the modernization program to another 15 years with an initial budget of P75 billion for the first five years in order to continue upgrading all military branches and boost the country’s defense system.

Hostages race to freedom as govt troops battle militants Manila, Philippines | AFP | Thursday 8/20/2015 – Two Philippine coast guard men held hostage by Al-Qaeda-linked militants sprinted through gunfire to freedom as government forces raided the extremists’ hideout, killing 15 of them, the army said Thursday. Gringo Villaruz and Allan Pagaling slipped separately from the Abu Sayyaf camp on Wednesday night and raced through the jungle as their captors engaged in a gun battle with an elite military force, said military spokesman Colonel Noel Detoyato. “Apparently at the height of the encounter, the two coast guard men were able to flee,” he told reporters in Manila. The men, who were abducted in May along with another hostage who was later beheaded, sought refuge at a village about 1.5 kilometers (nearly a mile) away, said Captain Antonio Bulao, spokesman of the unit involved in the clash. Found an hour apart, they did not know of each other’s escape until they saw one another Thursday at a local military hospital, where they were treated for bruises, he told AFP. Yasser Igasan, one of the group’s most senior leaders, was believed to have escaped after the firefight, he added. Fifteen Abu Sayyaf gunmen were killed, but the remains of only five were recovered as the rest were carried away by their comrades, he said. Several soldiers sustained minor injuries. As many as 200 Abu Sayyaf members were involved in the fighting that was so fierce, the military had to use artillery to drive the extremists back, Detoyato said. “It was a long fight: one hour and 35 minutes. That is unusual because they normally disengage immediately,” he observed, without offering a theory for the

change in tactic. Village official beheaded The army this week launched a risky attempt to rescue 11 hostages – including Villaruz and Pagaling as well as two Malaysians, a Dutchman and a South Korean – after the militants beheaded a 12th captive, Rodolfo Boligao. The two coast guard men were abducted in the southern port city of Dapitan, some 250 kilometres from Jolo, in May along with Boligao, a village official. All three were later shown shirtless and blindfolded in videos that circulated on social media, with a masked person behind them menacingly holding a machete to their necks. Boligao’s decapitated remains were found on a dark Jolo highway last week after the government rejected the Abu Sayyaf’s unspecified ransom demand. Bulao said that Villaruz and Pagaling told authorities four other hostages were held with them, including a Malaysian and a Korean. He said the military would continue efforts to free all the hostages. Separate fighting in neighbouring Basilan island on Wednesday left five Abu Sayyaf members and one soldier killed, the military said. Impoverished Jolo and Basilan are known strongholds of the Abu Sayyaf, a loose band of several hundred armed men set up in the 1990s with seed money from the Al-Qaeda network of Osama Bin Laden. The group engages in kidnappings to finance operations, often targeting foreigners and sometimes beheading captives if ransom is not paid. It has also been blamed for the worst bomb attacks in the country, including the firebombing of a ferry off Manila Bay in 2004 that killed more than 100 people.

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PHL land grab issue up at Cal Poly Pomona congressional open hearing Just how serious is the issue of land grabbing in the Philippines to merit the attention of the Committee of Foreign Affairs of California Legislature under the chairmanship of Congressman Ed Royce of the 39th Legislative District. Serious enough for the close to 50-member Foreign Affairs Committee and the first hand experience of its Chair who visited the Philippines recently to look into the matter personally as part of the fact-finding effort. With a colleague from the United States Agency for International Development, he visited the place in question at Antipolo City, Philippines and did not like the experience that lent credence to the allegations. The veteran congressman sounded his concern on the apparent injustice to land grab victims as gathered from an interview at Cal State Fuller- Committee Hearing: Congressman Ed Royce’s Foreign Affairs ton where he delivered a Committee, (second from left) shown here with Buena Park Mayor Art Brown, Civic Leader Atty. Linda Sarno and short remarks at a Grant Representative Young King of the 65th Legislative District at a Seminar that his office recent function, will look into the problem of land-grabbing in sponsored recently as the Philippines at a public hearing at Cal Pomona University. part of a community out- Royce represents California Legislative District 39. reach. What he experienced during his ex- been charged with promoting developploratory trip in the Philippines gave ment in these areas. him reasons to dig deeper into the matter Subcommittee Chairman Salmon said and seek measures in order to correct the the hearing will “explore land tenure, perceived injustice. property rights, and the rule of law in The veteran lawmaker has also gone Southeast Asia and how U.S. citizens to other parts of Asia to look into similar could be served better in protecting their problem and seek ways from his end to rights abroad.” find measures to correct the problem even U.S. AID officials in an article “Lesif the areas of concern are thousands of sons from the Past: Securing Land Rights miles away. in the Wake of Typhoon Haiyan” noted That’s the very reason for the earnest that “unequal access to land is a central effort of the Sub-Committee on Asia and issue that cuts across both rural and urban the Pacific of the Committee of Foreign sectors in the Philippines and has been Affairs is inviting persons of interest who happening for some years now in Cammight be able to share their knowledge bodia, China and Peru”. at an open field hearing on August 21on U.S. AID has noted the in spite of the subject of property rights and devel- the Philippines making a headway on its opment in Southeast Asia at the Bronco fight against corruption, the malady in the Student Center of Cal Poly Pomona Uni- area of land grabbing still “is an ongoing versity.From his official announcement of tragedy”. the hearing Chairman Royce said that for Witnesses at the hearing include in years, the United States has sought to help Panel I: The Honorable Jonathan Stivers, promote security and economic growth in Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Asia the Philippines and Cambodia. of the U.S. Agency for International De“While there have been some suc- velopment; Mr. James Carouso, Acting cesses, many citizens in Southeast Asia are Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau still denied basic protections under the law of East Asian and acific Affairs of the U.S. – including the right to secure property, Department of State. Panel II is composed raise capital, and participate freely in the of the following witnesses - Mr. Joey economy”, he added. Quinto, publisher of California Journal The field hearing will seek to address for Filipino Americans, Mr. Richard J. these continuing concerns with some Rogers, partner of Global Diligence, testimonies of witnesses who have been LLP, Ms. Faith Bautista, President and lined up and are familiar with the problem Chief Executive Officer of National Asian of land-grabbing and how it has impacted American Coalition, and Mr. Zosimo the lives of Filipinos and Cambodians and Laurel Contreras. that of U.S. officials themselves who have Congressman Ed Royce has been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 1993 representing the 39th Congressional District which encompasses cities in Northern Orange County, eastern Los Angeles and southwestern San Bernardino County. He represented the 40th District from 2003 through 2012. He has been a friend of the Filipino and the Asian communities and is an ardent Exposing them young: Cerritos Mayor, Mark Pulido and his wife, supporter of the nonprofGloria, brought their two children to see the recent musical “Noli Me Tangere” at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts recently its in Orange County.

to expose them to the deep cultural heritage of the Philippines.

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MOM TESTIFIES

OUTSTANDING

From page 1

The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) traced the beginning of the modern migration of Filipinos to the US with the entry of 100 Filipino students in 1903. “Between 1910 and 1938, more than 14,000 entered as students. In the same period, thousands of Filipinos were recruited to work in Hawaii as laborers in sugar plantations, most on temporary basis,” the MPI reported. Filipinos came to the US during this period as students, workers and members of the US armed forces. When US Congress passed Asian exclusion laws in 1920s, they did not apply to the Filipinos who were US nationals which allowed them to fill the agricultural labor shortages in the West Coast.

Most of those agricultural workers, the MPI said, were young men who migrated alone. I may have been absent when the teacher discussed this, but I really didn’t know that the US Navy had begun recruiting Filipino seamen since 1903 and that by 1930s Filipinos were five percent of the US Navy manpower. During the Cold War, the US is the second largest employer of Filipinos, aside from our own government, with 68,000 individuals in its payroll. By 1970, the MPI noted, the number of Pinoys in the US Navy was even bigger than the population of the Philippine Navy. Apparently, this was connected to the finding that from 1946 and 1965, half of all Pinoy immigrants were wives of US servicemen. This was marked as the second wave Filipino migration to the US. Family ties, the MPI noted, assured that migration to the US would remain at a steady pace even after the US military bases were turned over to the Philippine government in 1994. This was a consequence of the abrogation of the Military Bases Agreement. The third wave of Filipino immigration, after the passage of Immigration and Nationality Act in 1965 which removed the national-origin quota system, saw the influx of Pinay (women) immigrants who filled up big demands in the health-care sector. By 2011, about 18 percent of Pinay immigrants worked as nurses or were working in child and elder care. There were 105,000 Pinoy immigrants in the US in 1960, according to the MPI, and now it stands at 2.9 million. The 2010 Census, however, said that there are 3.4 million Filipinos in the U.S.

The case has attracted national attention as the Philippines seeks closer defense ties with the United States in the face of Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea. The mother, said by court officials to be a 44-year-old nurse, was the first defense witness after Filipino prosecutors had presented their case. Flores would not say if or when Pemberton himself would take the stand. “Twenty-two people sent letters to show (the) good character of Pemberton.... (His) mother identified the letters,” Flores said.

JUSTICE From page 1

ing, and landscaping. The workers filed a $1 million lawsuit against the Almeidas for multiple violations including illegal recruitment, paying less than the minimum wage, discrimination, harassment, failure to pay overtime pay, and denying workers days off. They were paid $2-$3 an hour and oftentimes working 15-17 hours a day without meal or rest breaks. In 2014, the California Labor Commissioner’s Office ordered the Almeidas to pay roughly $250,000 in overtime wages to the workers. This past week, news broke revealing the Almeidas’ have quickly fired the rest of the bakery workers, closed their two bakeries, and sold their multi-million dollar properties in Southern California, including a 17-unit rental apartment complex in Long Beach worth $2.4 million alone. They are currently in the process of reposi-

SUPPORTERS From page 1

a people’s candidate,” said the group’s chairman Wainwright Rivera, referring to Poe. “All we have to do is really organize ourselves and 100 percent we are confident that she will answer the call of the people.” Actor Rez Cortez, who campaigned for FPJ in the 2004 presidential elections, said Poe can expect the support of groups and individuals who backed her father. Cortez said he is organizing a group that will be called “Adopt Grace Poe Movement,” a reference to Poe’s status as a foundling, which critics have used to question her Filipino citizenship and qualification to hold public office. Poe was found abandoned as a baby at a church in Iloilo in 1968, and was adopted by FPJ and his wife, actress Susan Roces. “Iikot kami sa buong Pilipinas at kakalap kami ng mga taong mag-a-adopt kay Grace Poe at tatanggap kay Grace Poe bilang kapatid, bilang ate, bilang pinuno ng ating bansa, bilang presidente ng Pilipinas (We will go around the Philippines and seek people who would adopt Grace Poe and accept her as a sibling, as an older sister, as our country’s leader, as president of the Philippines),” Cortez said. Even the mass for FPJ had shades of the 2016 elections and Poe’s possible candidacy. In his homily, Fr. Larry Faraon mentioned the issue of Poe’s being adopted. “Si Senator Grace ay hindi ampon. Siya ay pinili (Senator Grace was not adopted. She was chosen),” Faraon said. “Pilinili nina Susan at Da King. Pinili ng sambayanan at pipiliin pa sa 2016 (She was chosen by Susan and Da King. She was chosen by the nation and will be chosen in 2016).” As well as fans and supporters, FPJ’s close friends including his bosom buddy Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada attended Thursday’s event. Estrada has yet to name the candidate he

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They came mostly from family friends, she added. “I have never known him to exhibit any signs of hostility or violence. To the contrary, he has a reputation of ‘never hurting a fly’,” the mother’s best friend Diane Rioux was quoted as saying. “Joseph has always been a non-judgmental person who is accepting of others’ differences whether it is cultural, race, sexual orientation or other,” the mother added. Harry Roque, a lawyer for the victim’s family, said the mother also testified that her son did not discriminate against gay people. tioning their $1.4 million estate in Rolling Hills to Ana’s father, Juan Santos, former CEO of Nestle (Philippines) and Chair of the Social Security Administration, in a frantic attempt to keep the properties out of reach of the lawsuit case, a common tactic used by bad employers found guilty of wage theft. Santos’ role in the scandalous sale of his daughter’s properties only further demonstrates the family’s attempts to escape accountability. “The Almeidas are cut from the same cloth as Ana’s father, Juan Santos, a powerful and wealthy bureaucrat, that has not been held accountable for the violence and abuse against Nestle workers,” said Nikole Cababa, BAYAN USA Deputy Secretary General. “The L’Amande workers are tossed into a corner because the owners have used threats against their families in the Philippines. How can the workers rest easy knowing the Aquino government fails to prosecute traffickers? The Aquino government should also do its job to investigate the Almeidas.” will support in 2016, and he appears to be torn. While a friend of Poe’s family, he is also close to Vice President Jejomar Binay, the opposition’s presidential candidate in 2016 who was his running mate in 2010. In a short message after the Mass, Estrada greeted Poe as “FPJ’s daughter, our next…” But he stopped after that as the people shouted, “Presidente!” Estrada left immediately after the program and did not grant media interviews. Speaking to reporters after the event, Senator Poe admitted that Thursday’s commemoration for FPJ was different from previous years’. “Hindi ko naman ipinagkakaila na mas may mga interes dahil nga sa darating na 2016, subalit ang araw na ito ay para kay FPJ at patuloy na pag-alala sa kanya (I do not deny that there’s more interest in this because of 2016, but this day is for FPJ and his memory),” said Poe. Poe thanked the people expressing support for her, saying they would matter as she continues to ponder what she often calls a life-changing decision. “Ang approval ng tao at ang kanilang kumpyansa at tiwala ang higit na importante sa akin (People’s approval and confidence are important to me),” she said. “Ako’y mapagkumbabang nagpapasalamat sa kanilang lahat (I humbly thank them all).” FPJ ran for president in 2004 but lost in an election marred by allegations of widespread cheating. Poe said she draws inspiration from her father, as she discerns whether or not launch her own presidential candidacy. “Tumakbo siyang pangulo. Alam ko ‘yon (He ran for president. I know that),” she said. “Pinag-aaralan ko pang mabuti kasi sa tingin ko naman, ang importante sa lahat ay mabigyan ko ng pagpugay ang kanyang alaala at huwag kong siran ang kapital na ‘yan (I am still studying it carefully because I think what’s most important is that I honor his memory and not destory that capital).”

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You don’t have to remain stuck in debt forever Life is all about making choices. The choices we make today determine our future. What will my life be like 3, 5 or 10 years for now? Will I be financially secure? Will I remain in the same dead-end job or perhaps move somewhere else that makes my time more worthwhile? Will I be able to send my children to college? Will I be able to retire comfortably and enjoy my older years? These are questions that go through our minds all the time. Unfortunately, when you’re in debt, Your mind is just filled with money worit’s not easy to come up with the answers ries all the time that you can’t even enjoy to them. Why? Because being in debt your time with loved ones when you’re restricts your options most of the time. home. At the end of the day, you’re dead When you’re in debt, you’re basically tired and just want to go to bed. The cycle just in “survival mode” all the time- just repeats itself every single day. trying to live paycheck to paycheck. Sounds familiar? Well, I’m telling There’s no planning for the future. You you that things don’t have to be this way. barely make it from month to month. There is a better way to live. There is

a way to take control of your finances again so that you are not just scraping by from month to month. If your debt problems have taken over your life, something needs to change- and the sooner you take action, the sooner you will turn things around. As a bankruptcy attorney, I understand that NO ONE ever wants to file bankruptcy. It’s always a last resort. But if you’ve done your best on your own and your situation hasn’t changed until now, let me ask you this question: What are you going to do about it? Are you simply going to remain stuck in debt with no way out, wait until your creditors take everything you’ve worked hard for and have nothing left for yourself and family after all your long years of hard work? Is this your only plan? I know this may

Enrile ready to go home, to report to work tomorrow, lawyer says MANILA, Aug 19 (Mabuhay) -Senator Juan Ponce Enrile is in high spirits on the day of his expected release from hospital detention, his lawyer said Wednesday. In an interview, Atty. Eleazar Reyes said Enrile, 91, has prepared his belongings at the Philippine National Police (PNP) General Hospital in order to be ready for a trip to the Sandiganbayan to pay his bail from plunder. Reyes said Enrile’s lawyers have also camped out in the Sandiganbayan on Wednesday, a holiday, to wait for a copy of the Supreme Court decision granting Enrile bail, and the produce order to present Enrile in court. “Uuwi na (He’s going home), his family is waiting for him… He’s in very high spirits,” Reyes said. Reyes said Enrile, upon his release, wanted to immediately report to the Senate tomorrow. “He’s really into law,” Reyes said. Reyes said Enrile wanted to participate in the Senate plenary discussions of the proposed Bangsamoro basic law (BBL). He could not confirm if Enrile would deliver a privilege speech after his one year of hospital detention. Reyes said he expects the Supreme Court in its decision to take note of Enrile’s defense that he is frail and cannot possibly be a flight risk. He added that the conditions to allow an accused to post bail from plunder, a nonbailable offense, are if the evidence against the accused is weak and if the penalty is not reclusion perpetua. Enrile argued that he could not be possibly convicted to life imprisonment because of mitigating circumstances such as his age and frail health, Reyes said. Voting 8-4, the Supreme Court on Tuesday granted Enrile’s motion to reverse the Sandiganbayan Third Division’s ruling denying his bail plea.

The decision came exactly a week after the SC sided with Enrile’s request for bill of particulars in his plunder case over his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam. The Sandiganbayan Third Division opened its doors on Wednesday even on Quezon City Day, a non-working holiday, to accommodate Enrile’s bail from plunder, ordinarily a non-bailable offense. The Supreme Court set the bail amount from plunder at P1 million. On top of the P30,000 bail for each of his 15 graft charges, Enrile is set to pay a total amount of P1.45 million. Enrile went to the Supreme Court after the Sandiganbayan Third Division last year denied his motion that he be allowed to post bail. He surrendered to the police July 4, 2014, just days after he was charged for plunder. He was eventually committed to hospital detention because of his frail health. In his 70-page petition for certiorari filed Sept. 4, 2014, Enrile said he should be allowed to post bail since the prosecution failed to present strong evidence against him and that the charges “cannot be considered a capital offense.” At the same time, Enrile said he is not a “flight risk considering that he even voluntarily surrendered to the authorities when the warrant for his arrest was issued by the anti-graft court.” He also cited his advanced age as another reason for the SC to grant his petition. Enrile is under hospital detention while his chief of staff Atty. Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes is detained at the female dormitory of Camp Bagong Diwa as they face plunder and 15 counts of graft for their alleged involvement in the purported scheme of pilfering the senator’s Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) to ghost projects for kickbacks. According to the financial records of principal whistleblower Benhur Luy, En-

EPA and tribal workgroup launch toolkit to support tribal green building SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its Tribal Green Building Codes Workgroup – which consists of representatives from tribal nations and federal agencies – announced a new toolkit designed to assist tribes to prioritize and implement healthy, green building policies and practices. Traditional tribal buildings were often informed by cultural values and an intimate knowledge of place. The Tribal Green Building Toolkit supports the integration of tribal ecological knowledge and priorities into building codes and practices. The Toolkit was developed with tribes and may also be useful to other communities working to adopt or update green building codes. “There is a tremendous need for healthy, green, affordable tribal housing – almost 20% of tribal households spend more than 50% of their income on housing,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “This toolkit will help tribes develop affordable green building strategies that can dramatically cut utility costs.” The Big Sandy Rancheria Band of the Western Mono Indians received EPA green building technical assistance and adopted green building codes in 2014. Unlike state and local governments, tribal nations are not covered by state or local building codes.

rile received P172.8 million in kickbacks from Napoles, who referred to Enrile as “Tanda” in the use of codenames for the alleged scam. The witnesses had also testified that they personally saw Napoles hand over Enrile’s kickbacks to his alleged agent Ruby Tuason. State witness Tuason, a socialite and social secretary of former President Joseph Estrada, has said she delivered kickbacks for Enrile from Napoles through Enrile’s chief of staff Reyes over lunch meetings in posh restaurants. Tuason said Enrile sometimes fetched Reyes and invited them for coffee after these supposed lunch meetings. Accused mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles is serving life sentence for the serious illegal detention of her entrusted financial officer Luy, who turned against her when he was detained over suspicions he was starting his own scam. (MNS)

seem harsh but sometimes, reality is harsh. And if this is your reality staring you in the face, you need to do something about it or hate yourself later. Instead of hopelessly trying to pay your debts and not making progress, you may be better off just filing bankruptcy now to start fresh and rebuild your credit sooner than later. If you need help in getting out of debt, I would like to help you. Please call Toll-Free 1-866-477-7772 to schedule a free consultation. We have offices in Pasadena, Valencia and Cerritos. (None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped over 5,000 clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866-477-7772).

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OPINION

PHL can’t afford full military modernization: officials

Manila, Philippines | AFP | Monday 8/17/2015 – The Philippines can only afford a “frugal” military upgrade, defence officials said Monday, even though maritime tensions with China are growing. Despite a proposed 25 percent rise in next year’s defense budget, the government must still divide resources between external defense and internal threats like insurgencies and natural disasters, Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and other security officials added. Since President Benigno Aquino took office in mid-2010, the Philippines has acquired two former US coast guard cutters, three landing craft from Australia and South Korea and seven surplus UH-1H helicopters. “The goal of updating and modernizing our armed forces is a long and painstaking process,” Gazmin told a ceremony for the commissioning of 10 more newly-acquired air force helicopters. “That means we have to be frugal and acquire reliable platforms at very reasonable costs... as allowed by our meagre financial resources.” The modest upgrade has been prompted partly by China’s moves to stake its claim to most of the South China Sea. These include building new islands in the Spratly archipelago and taking effective control of Scarborough Shoal after a standoff with the Philippine Navy. Philippine Air Force chief Lieutenant-General Jeffrey Delgado said the 10 new helicopters will be used to address internal security problems. The military expects more aircraft deliveries this year including possibly the first two of 12 FA-50 fighter jets earlier ordered from a South Korean supplier, Delgado told reporters. Delgado said the FA-50S were mere “transition aircraft” toward more advanced more advanced fighters jets which the Philippines cannot now afford. Defense department spokesman Peter Paul Galvez said communist and Muslim insurgencies remained a priority despite the new watchfulness on Philippine borders. “We are first focusing on internal security and in the succeeding horizons, we will go towards external defense,” he said, criticizing China’s reclamation work. “They should stop their island-building. That steps up the pace of militarization,” Galvez said. The Philippines has been among the most vocal in challenging China’s sea claims, which also overlap those of Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. US ambassador Philip Goldberg said the United States, the Philippines’ closest defense ally, was ready to provide surplus military equipment and budgeted $50 million in foreign military aid to the Philippines last year.

PHL says WWII foe Japan now trusted friend MANILA, Aug 15 (Mabuhay) -- The Philippines said Saturday it had rebuilt a “strong friendship” with former foe Japan, as its neighbors criticized Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for failing to properly apologize for Tokyo’s aggression during World War II. Since the war, Japan had “acted with compassion” which led to a relationship “characterized by trust and unfailing support in so many fields”, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a statement. “This 70-year history demonstrates to the world that through their relentless efforts, peoples of two countries can attain a remarkable achievement in overcoming issues of the past and establishing strong friendship,” he said. Japan is now the Philippines biggest source of development assistance and the two countries have also been strengthening defense cooperation in the face of separate territorial disputes with China. Del Rosario’s comments were in stark contrast to reactions from China other Asian victims of Japan’s wartime aggression. Beijing called Abe’s statement a non-apology while North Korea derided it as an “unpardonable

mockery of the Korean people”. South Korean President Park Geun-Hye said the speech “left much to be desired” and stressed the need for Japan to resolve the issue of Asian women forced to work in Japanese wartime brothels. A Philippine group representing dozens of former sex slaves denounced Abe’s pronouncement that future Japanese generations should not be compelled to apologize for past aggression. “He wants a gag of silence. That is unacceptable. You can’t commit a crime and set conditions... Our grandmothers didn’t set conditions when they were victimized,” Rechilda Extremadura, executive director of Lila Pilipina, said. Only 70 of the estimated 1,000 Filipina “comfort women” are still alive, many of them ill and in their twilight years, she said. The women are demanding an “unequivocal apology”, an acknowledgement of the war brothels policy and compensation from the Japanese government, she said. “I am very angry because Japan does not want to close this chapter. Will they wait for another 80 years? 100 years?” she said. (MNS)

Legalizing medical cannabis will not decriminalize abuse: lawmaker

MANILA, Aug 15 (Mabuhay) – A lawmaker has allayed fears of the possible abuse of marijuana once a bill legalizing the use of cannabis for medical purposes is passed in Congress. According to Isabela Rep. Rodolfo “Rodito” Albano III, primary author of House Bill 4477, the bill aims to legalize medical marijuana and not recreational marijuana. House Bill 4477 or the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act, aims to legalize and regulate the medical use of cannabis, also known as marijuana, to aid in the treatment of patients with severe medical conditions. “Ito naman ipinapanukala natin ay medical marijuana. Ibahin natin ‘yung recreational marijuana,” Albano said. (What we are proposing is the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Recreational use of marijuana is a different case altogether.) Albano said the bill would prohibit the administering of cannabis through its “raw form” or through smoking. He suggested creating an agency under the supervision of the Department of Health (DOH) to regulate the use of medical marijuana.

The bill had proposed to establish a Medical Cannabis Compassion Center, the only regulatory body authorized to plant and sell medical marijuana. Albano explained that the bill would not decriminalize the possession, sale or manufacture of marijuana. “We are not decriminalizing this drug. Possession, sale, manufacture, ingestion or smoking of marijuana is still strictly prohibited,” he said. “The law that prohibits the use of marijuana remains,” he added. Various groups including the Philippine Medical Association have expressed opposition to medical marijuana, citing it would endanger the health and safety of Filipinos. Albano, however, said the hype against medical marijuana is because of the “fear of the unknown.” He said that the use of medical marijuana would aid patients “with debilitating disease, severe pain, intense seizures and persistent muscle spasms (since) the legal solution to their problem (would be) at hand.” The House of Representatives’ Committee on Health has started to tackle the bill early this August after Albano filed it in May and had its first reading on the floor in June.(MNS)

In US workshop, an altar for Pope Francis takes shape By Robert MacPherson

Frederick, United States | AFP Deacon David Cahoon is a carpenter on the holiest of deadlines: to build the altar from which Pope Francis will celebrate Mass before an al fresco crowd of thousands in Washington next month. “Thirty-seven days left,” he said Monday, sweat beading on his brow, as the altar and accompanying papal chair took shape in a dusty cabinetmaker’s shop an hour’s drive from the US capital. “One day late is not going to make it... but I’m honored and blessed to do it,” he said. Graceful in its simplicity, the altar pays hommage to the Vatican’s recent encyclical letter to bishops on the environment and global warming with its use of recycled fiberboard and American-sourced poplar and cherry veneer. Besides the papal chair, it will be complemented by 12 other pieces, including a set of eight deacons’ chairs and an ambo, or lectern, from which the Gospel will be read. “We’re not using South American stuff from the rain forest,” Cahoon, 58, told AFP with pride as his

partner Carlos Hernandez put sandpaper to some rough edges. Like Jesus, a carpenter “Deacon Dave” – who, following in the footsteps of Jesus, found his calling in carpentry – is no stranger to the pressures of building to papal order. After all, he built the altar used by the late pope Benedict XVI on the last visit to the United States by a Roman Catholic pontiff, back in April 2008. “’Hey, Deacon, you think you’d like to do it again?’” he remembered a bishop asking him after a confirmation ceremony this summer at his local parish in rural Maryland. “So it developed from there.” Pope Francis arrives in Washington on September 22 on a tour – his first since his investiture – that will also see him in New York and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The new altar will be a centerpiece of the Mass that Pope Francis will celebrate on the east portico of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

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Seven things you should not do when served wtih divorce papers by your spouse For most people, being served with divorce papers by your spouse is probably one of the biggest surprises in your life. The spouse in the receiving end of the divorce sometimes are not offered any explanation for the divorce petition by their spouse. You may start getting upset about how this can happen to you and start doing things that are going to be seriously detrimental to your divorce case later on in the proceeding. Here are seven things you should not do. ing served the divorce. Your spouse can Do not confront your spouse and com- get an order from the California court to mit domestic violence return the child to California and get sole Many spouse feel very angry and upset physical custody of your child. This can upon receiving the divorce papers. You be enforced through law enforcement in may start blaming your spouse and at- other states. In addition, this would also be tacking your spouse. You may even yell, an ATROS violation. Such a move would threaten, scream, or even physically assault seriously undermine your claim for custody your spouse. This type of confrontation of the children. is called “domestic violence.” You may Do not use your child as a messenger to be arrested criminally if your spouse calls communicate with your spouse law enforcement. Your spouse may also Divorce process is a very difficult file a domestic violence restraining order process for the children. Children often against you. Either one would compromise blame themselves for the divorce of their your ability to seek custody of your chil- parents. Children sometimes manifest this dren, child support, and spousal support. through their academic performance durIt would also affect your credibility as a ing the divorce process. Do not involve witness for future proceedings. In addition the children in your divorce case. Using if you do this in front of the children, this the children to communicate messages to may be looked at as domestic violence and your spouse puts them in a difficult and abuse against the children. The incident very stressful situation. may be reported to Child Protective SerThis will also affect your claim for vices for investigation. custody of your children if you regularly Do not run to the bank and empty out all involve your children in your attempt to your bank accounts or sell assets except for communicate with your spouse. In adfunds necessary retain legal representation dition, you should not say disparaging in the divorce. remarks about the other parent to your If you have assets, do not run and empty children. out your bank accounts with the goal of Do not stalk your spouse in social mesecuring it from your spouse. The divorce dias such as Facebook or tweeter. petition and summons includes certain Your spouse probably stopped informautomatic temporary restraining orders ing you as to what is going on in his/her life (ATROS) which prohibits transferring and at this point. You may be curious if your encumbering assets. You will be in viola- spouse hooked up with a third party or an tion of the ATROS if you do this. Your old flamer. You may be curious what your spouse may also make a claim for breach spouse are telling your friends and family. of fiduciary duty against you. However Do not stalk your spouse in social media there are certain exceptions to withdrawing such as Facebook. Do not hack into your funds such as funds necessary for your liv- spouse’s e-mail. This is a crime. Your ing expenses and funds you need to retain spouse can also file a domestic violence an attorney. restraining order against you for stalking. Do not cut off your spouse from any Most of the evidence obtained illegally is insurance policies not admissible in court anyways. If you One of the ATROS prohibits you from have been unfriended by your spouse, let removing your spouse from health insur- it be. ance coverage and other insurance policy. Do not quit your job voluntarily It would be a violation of ATROS to do If you think you can dodge child supso. You need to maintain your spouse on port and spousal support by quitting your all existing insurance until the divorce is job voluntarily, it is not going to happen. finalized or the status of marriage is dis- Your spouse’s lawyer will argue that there solved in a bifurcated trial. was no legitimate reason for you to leave Do not take off with your child and your employment and may seek the court move out of state or out of the country to impute income on you. Your spouse may If the child has been living in this state, seek vocational evaluation for purposes California Court has jurisdiction over your of determining your earning capacity. In child even if you leave California after be- addition, the amount of income you will

CSI Professionals: Endless job opportunities for all seasons The end of summer signifies the start of a new season and the start of a new school year. Here at CSI Professionals, age is but a number and we are more than willing to assist current college students in finding employment, whether it is while they are in school, or graduating soon. CSI Professionals also specializes in work sponsorship and visa options especially for international students. Attention college students! CSI Professionals is proving part-time job openings in customer service, technical support, and book keeping and accounting assistance. Perfect for while you are in school and studying! This does not mean that CSI Professionals is not offering full-time employment and work-sponsorship; we are just simply promoting a lesser known aspect of our job openings. If you are in need of a full-time

job, we are always willing to assist you. Never-the-less, CSI values its clients because our clients are the foundation on which CSI is successful, which is why we offer FREE monthly workshops on Employment, Internship, and Visa Options. Please join us on Friday, August 28 for our next workshop in our Glendale Office in the 6th Floor Conference Room of 100 N Brand Blvd. Glendale CA 91203. The end of summer is the beginning of new career opportunities and new job openings for you! There would be interview sessions before the workshop & seminar, kindly email your resume’s at info@csi-professionals.com. You may reach us at (213) 487-5059 or at (818) 476-0082 and like us on Facebook at CSI Professionals Inc. Follow us on twitter, @CSIEmployment, and visit our blog at csiprofessionalsinc.wordpress.com to learn more about our upcoming events.

lose by quitting is substantially more than the money you will owe in child or spousal support. Even if you are successful in dodging the support orders by quitting your job, your spouse can modify them back up the moment you go back to the work force. If you have been served with divorce papers and are unsure how to react, seek professional help before you dig yourself deeper in the hole. Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship

between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC. This article is not a solicitation. Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Board Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com

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ENTERTAINMENT Boots Anson-Roa’s many passions Veteran actress Boots Anson-Roa finds it apt that she has been cast as this generation’s Lola Basyang. She finds the character pro-education, which is close to her heart. For the past 30 years, Boots has been teaching Broadcast Journalism and Production Management.at the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU). “So ‘yung show (‘LolaBasyang.com’) is like an extension of the teaching course (I’m doing), and what a privilege,” she said in an interview held at Mario’s Baguio. The cast were in the summer capital of the country over the weekend to shoot an episode on location. Boots likes it also that she doesn’t have to undergo a huge transformation to portray the character. “‘Yung ginawa nilang lola is physically kung ano ‘yung itsura ko.” Unlike many people her age, Boots has embraced technology, going on to use various gadgets when teaching. “Kung sa classroom, if you have like 40-50 students, eh ‘yung mga ituturo mo sa kanila ng tatlong oras, marami kang maaabot, marami kang maituturo (sa mga bata when you use technology). May visuals ka pa na maganda,” she shared. More than just imparting knowledge, Boots is passionate with her work as president of the Mowelfund (Movie Workers Welfare Foundation) for 15 years now. “‘Yung trabaho ko sa Mowelfund, devotion yan… It’s my way of giving back. It’s paying back talaga,” she said. Founded to provide for the welfare of workers in the

Boots Anson-Roa

film industry, the Mowelfund has been in existence since 1974. It goes without saying that just like the movie industry, it has its ups and downs. Boots related, “Like in 2002, ‘yung 60 percent share ng Mowelfund, naging 30 percent na lang, eh.” She added, “There have been at least three years na naga-abono ako, eh. Mabuti na lang over the last two

Marjorie talks about reconciliation with Claudine “Life is better now.” This was how Marjorie Barretto described her relationship with youngest sister Claudine after they recently patched things up following years of being estranged. “I’m happy na dumating na kami sa punto ng mga buhay namin na pagod na rin kami siguro [na hindi magkasundo]. Tumatanda na rin kami. Life is better now,” she said. According to Marjorie, she is also happy to see her kids bond with their aunt. “We are okay already and my kids are very happy na nakikita nila ulit si Claudine. She communicates with my children almost every day. Siyempre naman peace at all times is really better than no peace,” she said. Meanwhile, Marjorie’s daughter Julia also shared how things changed now that they get to spend time with their aunt Claudine more often. “It’s very nice to have her back. It’s like having another person to run to,” Julia said.

Marjorie Barretto

Over the past decade, Claudine, Marjorie and their other sister Gretchen have been estranged at different times due to conflicts within their family. Julia’s debut last March paved the way for their family’s reconciliation. (MNS)

Mikael confident about Megan Mikael Daez is doing lead roles in the soaps he does with ka-love team Andrea Torres. Why did he agree to play support now to Dennis Trillo and Jennylyn Mercado in “My Faithful Husband”? “The truth is I’m just happy they offered this project to me,” he says. “Kasi I’ve never worked with them and also with our director, Bb. Joyce Bernal. I welcome the chance of doing a show with them kasi I know marami akong matututuhan sa kanila kasi puro na sila award-winners.” Isn’t he afraid viewers might consider him a kontrabida since he steals Jen from Dennis in the story? “Actually, akong unang boyfriend dito ni Jen. College sweethearts kami. But I’m ambitious, I went to America when I got a basketball scholarship at nagaral ako roon. I didn’t know that when I left, pregnant na pala si Jen. Then she met Dennis and pinanagutan yung pinagbubuntis niya and they got married. Years later, I return to Manila and become a boss in a big company.

Nagkataon, nag-apply roon si Jen at nagkita kami uli. Doon ko na-realize na I still love her kaya niligawan ko uli kahit may asawa na siya at nagkaroon nga kami ng affair.” His real life sweetheart, former Miss World Megan Young, is paired with Tom Rodriguez in the new version of “Marimar”. We heard they have plenty of kissing scenes. Doesn’t he get jealous? “Walang selosan. May kissing scenes din naman kami ni Jennylyn. And I trust Tom. Matagal na kaming friends kasi magkasama kami sa very first movie ko pa lang, ‘Temptation Island’, so there’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m really very happy for them nasa kanila napunta such a good project like ‘Marimar’.” Has he visited them on the “Marimar” set? “No. Malayo location nila, sa La Union. E, kami naman, we’re taping ‘My Faithful Husband’ in Cavite. We’re both busy and more focused with work. Kasi ako, may ‘Ismol Family’ pa ako and ‘Midnight Express’ kaya busy talaga.”

years, hindi na ako nag-a-abono, so that means improved na kami.” That said, Boots continues to appeal to donors. “Sana hindi sila (donors) magkaroon ng donor fatigue. ‘Yung mga sponsors namin, ‘wag magsawa,” she said. Boots has no trepidation in asking for funds as inspired by award-winning actress Rosa Rosal, who is known for her tireless work with the Philippine Red Cross. “She always tells me ‘Boots, ‘wag kang mahihiya kasi hindi ‘yan para sa’yo.’ Kaya kahit paulit-ulit kang hihingi, okay lang ‘yan,” said she. Despite her being adept in using gadgets and the Internet, Boots still has her limits, noting how she avoids getting into blogging. “‘Pag nag-blog ka, naku. If you’re (a) private (person), parang in-expose mo na ‘yung bituka mo sa Internet,” she reasoned. But she has to “eventually,” noting how “LolaBasyang. com” requires her to do so. Right now, the 70-year-old is trying to get a feel for it. “Let me gain some comfort (muna). ‘Di pwedeng basta basta na lang,” she said. “LolaBasyang.com” is a modern fantasy series about the iconic grandmom of Philippine literature. In the modern retelling, Lola Basyang or simply Lola B, is now a tech-savvy blogger who shares her values-laden stories to her grandchildren here and abroad, via webcam. “LolaBasyang.com” airs Saturdays on TV5. (MNS)

Cherry Pie on working with JaDine, new resto Being busy with showbiz commitments hasn’t stopped awarded actress Cherry Pie Picache from venturing into business. She has partnered with several friends to establish Alab by Chef Tatung, a resto offering classic Filipino fare that opened some two months ago in Quezon City. This is her second stab at the trade. Prior, Cherry Pie had a coffee shop. “Ako ang nag-maman kaso tututok dapat eh, so nagsara. I’m just very grateful na dito sa bago malinaw ang designations namin (ng mga partners ko),” Cherry Pie Picache she said. Apart from the resto, the actress is busy with the teleserye “On The Wings Of Love.” Interestingly enough, she celebrated her 45th birthday airborne. “Sa eroplano ako nag-celebrate ng birthday ko,” she related, noting how the date coincided with her trip home from San Francisco, USA, where they shot some scenes for the series. “The night before I left, binigyan nila (production staff) ako ng cake and nag-dinner kami sa San Francisco Bay,” Cherry Pie shared. “On The Wings Of Love” stars popular love team partner James Reid and Nadine Lustre. According to Cherry Pie, the duo are dedicated when it comes to work. She said, “Alam nila pareho kung ano ang pangarap nila. Alam nila ’yung focus and dreams nila. Grateful sila for what they have now. Tapos pareho sila na parang ‘Lets work towards our dreams.’” She has no idea if the two are an item in real life. “Nu’ng pangalawang araw (of working together), tinanong ko na. Like kay Nadine (sabi ko), ‘Ang babae, malambot ang puso, ’di ba? ‘Hindi ka ba nade-develop (kay James)?’ Siyempre, showbiz ang sagot, hindi daw,” she said, laughing. James was equally reticent. “Minsan tumatawa-tawa lang… sabi ko, sige, konting panahon pa.” (MNS)

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HEALTH & BEAUTY US regulators approve ‘female Viagra’

Brony hair: The new trend inspired by My Little Pony Tuesday August 18 2015 (Relaxnews) – My Little Pony has been around since the Eighties, but the toy franchise isn’t going out of fashion anytime soon. In fact, it has even kick-started a new celebrity hair trend. “Brony” hair is the latest style to take over Instagram. The look involves dyeing your locks the signature pastels and candycolored hues of the toy ponies, often mixing up different shades at the same time. Some stars, like Katy Perry and Kelly Osbourne, who is known for her violet crop, have been rocking the look for months, while others, such as model Georgia May Jagger, are new to the Brony scene. The daughter of Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall took to Instagram earlier this week to unveil her new ‘mermazing’ look, with a photo showing off her multitoned green, pink, purple and orange locks captioned “Bronies with @alexbrownsell

@bleachlondon Mermazing Hair color.” The UK fashionista has kept her roots natural and left sections of her long blond hair uncolored to keep things choppy. Cara Delevingne was also spotted championing the look earlier this month when she stepped out with sugary pink hair. The actress turned out to be sporting a wig -- a good idea if you want to test out Brony hair without committing -- but her choice of color proved the trend is hot right now. Brony hair could be a natural progression from ‘Rainbow hair’, the trend that has been sweeping the Internet all summer. Thanks to celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Kaley Cuoco, graduated ombré styles that involve leaving the roots their natural color and adding flashes of pastel or fluo tones to the bottom half of your tresses have been big news. The concept is both fun and practical in terms of regrowth.

Drinking coffee could prevent colon cancer’s return: study (Miami-AFP) – Drinking four or more cups of caffeinated coffee daily may significantly reduce Tuesday August 18 2015 the chance that colon cancer will return in patients who were diagnosed with stage III of the disease, a study said Monday. The study involved about 1,000 patients, all of whom had undergone surgery and chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer. Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Center in Boston found that the greatest benefit was seen in those who drank four or more cups of coffee a day, for about 460 milligrams of caffeine. “These patients were 42 percent less likely to have their cancer return than non-coffee drinkers, and were 33 percent less likely to die from cancer or any other cause,” said the study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Those who drank two to three cups of coffee daily experienced a “more modest benefit, while little protection was associated with one cup or less.” The researchers found the lowered risks of recurrence and death were specifically tied to the caffeine in coffee rather than other coffee components. Stage III disease means that the colon cancer has been found in the lymph nodes near the original tumor site, but not elsewhere in the body. Lead author Charles Fuchs, director

of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center at Dana-Farber, said these patients have about a 35 percent chance of the cancer coming back after treatment. Most recurrences happen within five years of treatment. “We found that coffee drinkers had a lower risk of the cancer coming back and a significantly greater survival and chance of a cure,” Fuchs said in a statement announcing the study’s findings. Other studies have suggested that coffee may have a protective effect against postmenopausal breast cancer, melanoma, liver cancer and advanced prostate cancer. More study is needed to confirm the study’s finding of the link between coffee and preventing colon cancer’s return. “If you are a coffee drinker and are being treated for colon cancer, don’t stop,” Fuchs said. “But if you’re not a coffee drinker and wondering whether to start, you should first discuss it with your physician.”

(Washington, Aug 18, 2015 AFP) – US regulators Tuesday approved the first “female Viagra,” a drug known as Addyi that works on the brain to boost younger women’s libido if they have lost interest in sex. Made by North Carolina-based Sprout Pharmaceuticals, Addyi, also known as flibanserin, received the nod from the US Food and Drug Administration, on the condition that extra care is taken to ensure women do not take it with alcohol due to the risk of serious side effects. “Today’s approval provides women distressed by their low sexual desire with an approved treatment option,” said Janet Woodcock, director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. The FDA approved Addyi specifically for a condition known as “acquired, generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD),” or sudden and severe loss of libido. “Prior to Addyi’s approval, there were no FDA-approved treatments for sexual desire disorders in men or women,” the agency said. The disorder can develop in women who previously were sexually active, causing distress and relationship problems, “and is not due to a co-existing medical or psychiatric condition, problems within the relationship, or the effects of a medication or other drug substance.” The drug must not be taken with alcohol, and will only be available at certified pharmacies because of the potentially serious interaction with alcohol, including risks such as fainting and severely low blood pressure. “Patients and prescribers should fully understand the risks associated with the use of Addyi before considering treatment,” Woodcock added. Failed before In June, an advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration urged regulators to approve flibanserin, after previously voting against it twice in years past. The FDA is not required to follow the advice of the panel, but it often does. Attempts to bring the drug to market failed in 2010 and 2013, given what experts described as inconclusive advantages when compared to a placebo. According to documents on the FDA website, women taking flibanserin reported on average 4.4 sexually satisfying encounters per month, compared to 3.7 in a placebo group and 2.7 before beginning the study. “It has been a remarkable journey to get to this breakthrough moment. Today, we celebrate what this approval means for all women who have long awaited a medical treatment option for this life impacting condition,” said Cindy Whitehead, chief executive officer of Sprout. “We applaud the FDA for putting the patient voice at the center of the conversation and for focusing on scientific evidence.”

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FOOD & DINING By: Jannelle So-Perkins

Here is my dilemma: I can’t eat a meal without rice. But too much rice is considered an unhealthy diet which can cause a plethora of health problems. The most common and popular alternative these days is brown rice. But it’s too bland for most people’s taste and it’s no different for me. So, what gives? Is this a hopeless situation? “No,” said Masami Iwase-Watanabe, an esteemed advertising and food professional in the Japanese-American community in Southern California. “I know because I also encounter the same problems with my Japanese cooking class. We have to use a lot of rice in our sushi dishes. Even my own sons do not willingly eat brown rice or whole grain rice which are considered healthier. So I had to do some research.” This was how Iwase-Watanabe discovered the benefits of a rising star in the cereal grain category: Barley, a versatile cereal grain with a rich, nut-like flavor and an appealing, chewy pasta-like consistency. Experts agree that though similar to rice, barley offers more health benefits. In fact, in 2006, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it was allowing foods that contain barley to make a claim that they can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. And this is especially useful information for Filipinos since heart diseases is one of

Better diet with barley

A bowl of white rice mixed with barley (Will be sent in a separate email.

Iwase-Watanabe’s family photo at the dining table.

the top causes of death in the community. But it’s not all that barley can address. It seems it can be consumed for weight-management, allowing for a sense of “fulness.” “Barley’s beneficial quality lies in its higher fiber content, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber is dissolved by water and is therefore dissolved in the GI (gastrointestinal) tract. It not only draws water into the GI tract, but it actually thickens the water, increasing satiety, or a sense of “fullness”, possibly causing people to eat less,” said endocrinologist Dr. Gladys Palomeno. This gives an explanation to the findings of the European Food Safety Agency that soluble fibers contribute to the reduction of glucose rise after a meal, the maintenance of normal blood-LDL cholesterol concentrations, and the improvement of the intestinal environment. Regarding the insoluble fiber contained in barley, Dr. Palomeno explained that since it is not dissolved, but instead passes through the GI tract and is then excreted,

“this insoluble fiber bulks the stool and improves passage of the stool through the GI tract, decreasing constipation.” She added that insoluble fiber can also decrease absorption of fats, which can help with cholesterol levels. “In these ways soluble and insoluble fiber can help patients with diabetes and cholesterol problems,” said Palomeno. The fiber content in barley is four times the amount found in brown rice and 25 times the amount found in white rice. In addition, the amount of fiber in barley is sometimes greater than the amount of fiber in some vegetables. “In addition, barley contains vitamins including iron, niacin, B6, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc,” Palomeno added, but also gave this advice: “With this said, barley cannot compensate for eating an otherwise bad diet. Although barley has many beneficial effects, we must recognize that eating barley will not cure the effects of a poor lifestyle.” Iwase-Watanabe is pleased with herself. She has been slowly introducing barley to her dishes by mixing it with white rice. “Barley tastes more similar to white rice than brown rice does. So most of the time, kids don’t even notice the difference, yet they reap the benefits of eating healthier with less white rice and more barley grains,” she said.

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SPORTS

3 new players to beef up PHL Azkals Manila, August 18, 2015 – There will be changes in the composition of the Philippine Azkals when they face Uzbekistan in their FIFA World Cup qualifier match on Sept. 8 at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan. The Philippine Football Federation has added three new players to replace defender Rob Gier, forward Mark Hartmann and goalkeeper Tomas Trigo. Gier was put on the back burner because of a knee injury while Hartmann and Trigo were taken out. The three new players are Filipino-German goalkeeper Roland Muller, Filipino-Dutch midfielder Paul Mulders and United Football League (UFL) team Global FC goalkeeper Jun-jun Badelic of Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. Muller joined the Philippine national’s team training in 2011 and was eventually named in the final 20-man squad for the 2011 Long Teng Cup and the provisional Philippines under-23 squad for the 2011 Southeast Asian Games.

In 2013, he was named to the Philippine squad for the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualification campaign, which he helped qualify. Muller’s last played for the Azkals in the 2014 Peace Cup. Mulders was a free agent in July 2013 and lent his services to the Global FC team to boost their campaign for the Singapore Cup. On January 20, 2014, Mulders signed an amateur deal with Dutch football club SC Cambuur playing in the Dutch Eredivisie until the end of the season. Mulders played in the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup and presently he is playing for Ceres La Salle FC in the UFL. Badelic played a year of NCAA football with Emilio Aguinaldo. He came on as a late substitute for Global in their tune-up game against the Azkals before the Suzuki Cup. He played in the AFC Under-23 Championships and

Malacañang: Filipinos proud of Fil-Aussie golfer Jason Day MANILA, Aug 17 (Mabuhay) – Malacañang on Monday said the Philippines is proud of Jason Day, the Filipino Australian golfer who won the 2015 PGA Championship. “Tunay na maipagmamalaki ng Pilipinas ang kampeon na si Jason Day,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement. “Binabati namin ang Filipino Aussie golfer na si Jason Day sa kanyang tagumpay sa 2015 PGA Championship,” he added. Coloma said Day’s mother is a Filipina from Leyte province. He said the golfer’s grandmother and seven other relatives

were among those who perished during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). Day became the fifth Australian to win the PGA Championship after Steve Elkington (1995), Wayne Grady (1990), David Graham (1979) and Jim Ferrier (1947). “It’s an amazing feeling,” a visibly emotional Day told CBS Sports after being presented with the coveted Wanamaker Trophy, which he hoisted high in celebration. “Winning the PGA Championship is very special.” (MNS)

Shaq picks Jordan over James – but ‘Dr. J was best’ Hong Kong, China | AFP | Tuesday 8/18/2015 - Shaquille O’Neal weighed into basketball’s great debate on Tuesday when he backed a young Michael Jordan to beat LeBron James one-on-one – but added that both were outshone by the legendary Dr. J. O’Neal, visiting Hong Kong to promote an energy drink, faced both Jordan and James in their prime and when asked who would win a hypothetical match-up, he didn’t hesitate. “Mike,” said O’Neal, winner of four NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers (2000-2002) and the Miami Heat (2006). “I

think you have to go with a young Jordan every time.” O’Neal was addressing an issue which has captured the imagination during the NBA off-season after both James and Jordan insisted they would win if they clashed at the height of their powers. In comments splashed by media, Jordan said he would come out on top “No question”, while James retorted to the NBC’s Today show: “I’m gonna take myself versus anybody”. But Shaq, 43, said he’d side with Chicago Bulls star Jordan over Cleveland’s James.

the 2015 Southeast Asian Games. The team will play a friendly match against Maldives on September 3 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium before meeting the Uzbeks on September 8 in a crucial qualifying game for the 2018 World Cup. Completing the Azkals squad are Amani Aguinaldo, Misagh Bahadoran, Kenshiro Daniels, Patrick Deyto, Neil Etherdige, Juani Guirado, Kevin Ingreso, Jerry Lucena, Manny Ott, Stephan Palla, Javier Patiño, Iain Ramsay, Patrick Reichelt, Simone Rota, Daisuke Sato, Stephan Schrock, Martin Steuble, Dennis Villanueva, Luke Woodland, and Phil Younghusband. Tickets for the Azkals vs. Uzbekistan game to be held at the Philippine Sports Stadium on September 8, 2015 are now available at www.ticketworld.com.ph. Tickets are at P531.80 for Price Zone 1, P331.14 for Price Zone 2 and P125.40 for Price Zone 3.

Swimrun: the sports trend that’s sweeping the globe Wednesday August 19 2015 (Relaxnews) – Swim a little, run a little – or make that a lot – as you navigate un-beaten paths, choppy water and extreme temperature transitions with a magnificent landscape as the backdrop if you try the Scandinavian trend that’s spreading far and wide this summer. There’s no such thing as an indoor Swimrun: Natural courses span through forests, across rivers and over islands – basically, anywhere that’s off-the-beaten path. Swimrunners race in teams of two, and because the courses are so hardcore, a minimum age of 18 is required for most competitions. From start to finish, teams bring their equipment, which includes wetsuits to keep them insulated, for northern waters are frequently as cold as 10 degrees C even on summer’s hottest days. Water and food checkpoints are positioned throughout the course, and swimrunners are expected to stick to the marked plan. Medical staff is on hand, surveying the athletes from boats and on the trails in case of an emergency. The simple blend of trail running and open water swimming got started in Sweden, where extreme sports enthusiasts and a rocky, ragged archipelago gave way to ÖTILLÖ, the original Swimrun race that later became the Swimrun World Championship. At ÖTILLÖ, teams skim a total of 26 islands off the coast of Stockholm, covering a total distance of 75 kilometers, 10 of which are crossed by sea. They make a total of 52 transitions, hopping in and out of the water and sprinting across the islands, according to the event’s website. Swims range in length between 100 and 1,780 meters and runs are between 70 and 19,700 meters, according to event organizers. The dawn-to-dusk race was conceived in 2002 by Anders Malm of Utö, Sweden, and his colleagues when they challenged each other to a casual version of the race in which the last team to hit a predetermined restaurant had to pay for what the teams that arrived before them had ordered. Known as the founders of Swimrun, Michael Lemmel and Mats Skott commercialized the sport in 2006 and the trend started its own journey across Scandinavia.

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COMMUNITY PHL home, handmade, and lifestyle collections featured in New York trade show WASHINGTON, DC – Filipino designers, manufacturers, and exporters showcased their innovative works in the recently-concluded NY Now Exhibition, one of the biggest wholesale trade shows in New York which features home, handmade, and lifestyle design collections. A contingent of 19 Filipino exhibitors under the Lifestyle Philippines brand represented the country in the NY Now Exhibition which took place in the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City from August 15 to 19, 2015.

Participating companies under the Home sector were Alice Blue Candles & Home Fragrances, Arden, Art n Nature, CSM Philippines, Finali, Klassy Collections, Lightworks, Markalex Creative Craft Crop., Mil Export Philippines, Nature’s Legacy, and Venzon Lighting. Companies which showcased their collection under the Fashion sector were Ann Ong, Beatriz, Crystal Seas, kitSilver Jewellery, Larone, Megabijoux, Risque Design, and The Tanner Manila. The exhibit attracted over 35,000 visi-

DOH probes second case of human plague SACRAMENTO – California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith announced that the department has been notified of a presumptive positive case of plague contracted by a recent visitor to California from Georgia. Confirmatory testing is being conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prior to becoming ill, the patient had been vacationing in Yosemite National Park (Yosemite), the Sierra National Forest and surrounding areas in California in early August. CDPH is in contact with Yosemite, CDC and the National Forest Service to assess locations where the patient visited. Plague is an infectious bacterial disease that is carried by squirrels, chipmunks and other wild rodents and their fleas. When an infected rodent becomes sick and dies, its fleas can carry the infection to other warm-blooded animals including humans. Although the presence of plague has been confirmed in wild rodents over the past two weeks at Crane Flat and Tuolumne Meadows campgrounds in Yosemite, the risk to human health remains low. Action to protect human and wildlife health by closing and treating campgrounds was taken out of an abundance of caution. Park visitors are being notified by Yosemite of camp treatments, possible plague risks and are being provided information on how to prevent plague transmission. CDC has notified CDPH that recent communications about plague enabled health care providers in Georgia to make the diagnosis more quickly.

tors and buyers from all over the United States including Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. who was pleased to see the Philippines represented in the NY NOW Exhibition. “The Philippines has long been a source of innovative, beautiful, and exquisite designs in the fashion, furniture, and lifestyle sectors. It is definitely a source of pride to see this talent recognized in such a prestigious exhibition in no less than New York City, the fashion and design capital of the US,” said Ambassador Cuisia. Lifestyle Philippines is a curated exhibi-

tion of creative enterprises representing the Philippines’ unique and innovative designs. The brand aims to position the Philippines as a sourcing destination for finely-crafted lifestyle products for the world market. The Philippines participation in NY Now was spearheaded by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), led by its Executive Director, Ms. Rosvi C. Gaetos. NY Now 2015 featured 2,600 exhibitors under 400 categories and attendees from 80 foreign countries.

Miss Carson & Miss Teen Carson Scholarship Pageant of Excellence Contestants and Little Miss Carson Princesses take center stage Aug. 28 The search is on for young Carson females who will be crowned as the 2015 Miss Carson and Miss Teen Carson. The winners will be selected at a pageant scheduled for August 28, at 6 p.m. at the Congresswoman Juanita MillenderMcDonald Community Center, located at 801 E. Carson Street in Carson. Candidates will compete in the areas of sports and evening wear, short speech, an essay, and question and answer. Seats are available for purchase to attend the event at $5 per person for ages 13 and up, $3 for ages 4-12, and free for ages 3 and under. The crowned 2015 Miss Carson and Miss Teen Carson will each receive a $2,000 scholarship fund, in addition to many other prizes. They will also get the opportunity to represent Carson in the Miss California and Miss Teen California Pageant as well as in various city events. “All the contestants of the 2015 Miss Carson and Miss Teen Carson have already built a firm foundation for success simply

by competing,” said Carson’s Mayor Albert Robles. “All of them are winners. They have gained the value of confidence, selfworth, discipline, magnetism of character, as well as the rewards of cooperation and fruitfulness of perseverance,” added Robles. Little Miss Princesses of Carson will also share the spotlight and shine on stage with the Miss Carson and Miss Teen Carson pageant contestants as part of the Little Miss Carson Princess program. The Little Miss Carson program is a non-competitive mentoring program where every girl between the ages of 6-12 has the opportunity to learn etiquette, pageantry skills, dance routines and make new friends. All princess participants will learn etiquette, social skills, and gain selfconfidence. They will also receive a tiara, sash, a t-shirt and their photo will be in the scholarship pageant of excellence program book. For more information, please call Recreation and Human Services Division at (310) 847-3570.

City Attorney public awareness campaign as part of continued crackdown on identity theft LOS ANGELES, August 18, 2015 – In the wake of an increase in identity theft cases, City Attorney Mike Feuer today detailed his office’s efforts to crack down on the rampant problem of identity theft across the City including the launch of a public awareness campaign and the allocation of additional resources to prosecute identity theft cases. “Identity theft continues to take a devastating financial toll on so many unsuspecting individuals each year,” said Feuer. “My office will continue to take decisive action against perpetrators of identity theft and will empower residents with the information they need to avoid being victims.” Joined by representatives of the LAPD Commercial Crimes Division, City Attorney Feuer rolled out a new program advising the public on simple ways to protect personal identifying information in order to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft. Tips include: shredding all financial or personal information, don’t respond to solicitation for sensitive information, don’t use debit cards, locking your mailbox and not keeping your driver’s license or registration in your automobile. Additional tips can be found: http://www. lacityattorney.org/#!resources-and-tips/c74z City Attorney Feuer has also dedicated additional resources within his office to review

and prosecute suspected cases of identity theft including assigning a full-time prosecutor in both the San Fernando Valley and Metro Los Angeles as the main point of contact with LAPD. The LAPD currently investigates 20 different types of identity theft including government documents or benefits fraud, credit card fraud, phone or utilities fraud, bank fraud, loan fraud and other types of identity fraud. Since January 2015, the City Attorney’s Office has reviewed 482 identity theft-related case resulting in the filing of 375 cases. In 2014 the office reviewed 406 cases resulting in the filing of 254 criminal cases. Recent cases include: • People v. Yesenia Vargas 5PY04022, People v. Froilan Franco, 5PY03999, People v. Carlos Fernandez, 5PY04027 Defendant Yesenia Vargas allegedly walked into a Wells Fargo Bank in Northridge and attempted to cash a check using the identification of another person. When the teller noticed the signatures did not match she contacted the account holder who advised that the check originally had been made out to a creditor for an amount $1,000 less than the amount on the check that was presented. Vargas allegedly left the bank where she and her companions, Defendants Fernandez and Franco were allegedly contacted.

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El Niño could be strongest in modern history: US Miami, United States | AFP | Thursday 8/13/2015 - 17:45 GMT | 347 words The El Niño weather phenomenon that began this year could be among the strongest in 65 years, US government scientists said Thursday. El Niño comes with a warming in sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, and can cause unusually heavy rains in some parts of the world and drought elsewhere. This year’s El Niño began in March and is forecast to last about a year. Authorities in Australia have already predicted it would be “strong” and “substantial.” That trend is still expected to continue, said Mike Halpert, deputy director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center, on a conference call with reporters to discuss the US agency’s latest forecast, released Thursday. “What is new this month is we are predicting that this El Niño could be among the strongest El Niños in the historical record dating back to 1950,” said Halpert. The reason for the forecast is the finding that three months of average sea surface temperatures in a key part of the equatorial Pacific “could potentially reach or even exceed two degrees Celsius above normal, which is 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, a value that

High waves brought about by strong winds pound a fish port, hours before typhoon Ruby passes near the city of Legazpi last December. Ruby tore apart homes and sent waves crashing through coastal communities across central Philippines, adding to the spate of deadly disasters. (MNS photo)

we have only recorded three times in the last 65 years,” he said. Such temperatures were previously

seen in the 1972-73 season, 1982-83 and 1997-98. The southern United States from Florida to central California may expect higher than normal levels of precipitation, as can the US East coast as far north as New England, Halpert said. The northern Rockies, Great Lakes, Hawaii and western Alaska may be dryer and warmer than normal, he added. Even though forecasts of rain will be welcome in drought-ravaged California,

Halpert said it would not be enough to refill the state’s reservoirs. “One season of above average rain and snow is very unlikely to erase four years of drought,” he said. The last El Niño, five years ago, had a major impact: it triggered monsoons in Southeast Asia, droughts in southern Australia, the Philippines and Ecuador, blizzards in the United States, heatwaves in Brazil and killer floods in Mexico.

Rafael Policarpio, LBC North America’s Area Head, with Joseph Franco, PCCC’s Secretary, Treasurer, and Spokesperson. Policarpio with Ricky Cuenca, ANCOP’s President

Beyond business – LBC makes it easy for customers to give back Poverty, global development, and societal issues. While governments debate these matters and consider what they can do to manage it, there are others who are already taking the first step. LBC Express Inc., for instance, while a private business entity, is already making an effort to alleviate these issues with partnerships with relevant organizations and customers who want to do their part for initiatives. “We have recently partnered with two important organizations based in Canada— the Philippine Cultural Community Center (PCCC), which is focused on providing support and services to the Filipino communities in Canada; and Answering The Cry of the Poor (ANCOP), which provides community development as well as humanitarian relief,” explains Rafael Policarpio, LBC North America’s Area Head. PCCC is focused on continuous education information, planning and direction, health care and social services, and social integration for migrant Filipinos in Canada, while ANCOP is a global Catholic community present in over 100 countries geared towards poverty alleviation through effective child education and various development programs and values formation. For the partnership, members of each organization will be given LBC Community Partner Cards, where LBC will donate $2.50 to their specific organization’s cause for every balikbayan box sent though LBC. The initiative, which will begin in August, runs through November this year

and is available to all members of the said Canada-based organizations. The intent is simple, the process is uncomplicated, but the end result can move many lives. “Ultimately, it’s a means by which LBC can give back to the community with the help of our loyal customers, while at the same time providing them the kind of service that they deserve,” ends Hugo Bonilla, LBC North America’s President. For more information on LBC, please visit http://www.lbcexpress.com; or call the hotline at (888) 652-2522. LBC Express, Inc. is the Philippines’ market leader in payments, remittance, courier products, mail, parcels and, cargo logistics. Through a global presence in over 30 countries in Asia-Pacific, North America, the Middle East and Europe, LBC Express’ network of 4,400 locations, partners, and agents is growing steadily, and commits to moving lives, businesses, and communities in the Philippines and across the globe. Founded in 1945 as a brokerage and air cargo agent, LBC Express pioneered time-sensitive cargo delivery and 24-hour door-to-door delivery in the Philippines. Today, it is the most admired and trusted courier, cargo, and remittance service of millions of Filipinos, an iconic and global Filipino brand. LBC can move it for you: visit us at www.lbcexpress.com, or call telephone +632 8585 999 (Metro Manila), 1 800 10 8585 999 (Provincial), and follow LBCExpress (Facebook and Twitter).

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said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “This toolkit will help tribes develop affordable green building strategies that can dramatically cut utility costs.” The Big Sandy Rancheria Band of the Western Mono Indians received EPA green building technical assistance and adopted green building codes in 2014. Unlike state and local governments, tribal nations are not covered by state or local building codes. In many cases, tribes do not have building codes, and consequently, building standards and practices implemented on tribal lands may not meet a tribe’s sustainability objectives. “The Green Building Codes have helped the Tribe to consistently make sustainable choices not only for new homes, but for even the smallest renovation. Public and environmental health are now in the forefront of every design and decision,

from incorporating renewable energy to the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in flooring,” said Jaime Collins, Environmental Programs Manager with Big Sandy Rancheria. “The implementation of the codes continues to increase staff and resident awareness of sustainable building choices and empowers the Tribe to address a variety of environmental and cultural concerns.” The Toolkit is a detailed “how to” guide with checklists designed to identify tribal land use and building priorities and develop codes, policies and enforcement strategies to support cultural priorities and healthy, green building practices. It

covers Land Use, Materials and Resource Conservation, Green Manufactured Housing, Human Health Hazards, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Water Access and Conservation and Resilience and Adaptability. Other tribes that have worked with EPA on green building code development include: Kayenta Township on the Navajo Nation, the first tribal government to adopt the International Green Construction Code; Pinoleville Pomo Nation, the first tribe to use EPA General Assistance Funding to support building code development; Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and the Spokane Tribe.

Inaanunsyo ng Comcast ang ikalimang back-to-school kickoff para sa internet essentials Dinoble ng kumpanya ang internet speed, nag-aalok ng mga wifi router nang walang karagdagang gastos at nag-anunsyo ng pilot program para sa mga low-income senior citizens PHILADELPHIA, (Agosto 4, 2015) — Inanunsyo ngayon ng Comcast ang ilang makabuluhang pagpapahusay at milyahe para sa Internet Essentials, ang pinakamalaki at pinakakomprehensibong high-speed Internet adoption program sa bansa. Sinabi ng kompanya na balak nitong doblehin ang Internet speed ng serbisyo sa pagdownload, mag-alok sa mga subscriber ng WiFi router nang walang karagdagang gastos, at magsagawa ng ilang pilot program para sa mga low-income na senior citizen. Ipinapagtibay ng anunsyo ang pangako ng Comcast na tumulong sa pagwawakas ng digital divide para sa mga low-income na pamilya at ihatid ang nakapagbabagong kapangyarihan ng Internet sa mas marami pang tahanang Amerikano. Mula nang mabuo ang programa, nakagawa na ang Comcast ng 25 mahahalagang pagpapahusay sa Internet Essentials, at ito ang ikatlong beses sa apat na taon na nadagdagan ng Comcast ang bilis ng Internet para sa mga kostumer. Ang kasalukuyang bilis ay dodoble sa hanggang 10 Mbps downstream, na sapat upang magpatakbo ng maramihang device nang sabay-sabay. Bilang karagdagan, sa pamamagitan ng pag-aalok ng mga libreng WiFi router, ang mga kostumer ay makakapagkonekta ng anumang device na may Internet, kabilang ang mga tablet at smartphone, na tiyak na makakatulong makatipid ng pera sa buwanang bayarin sa wireless. “Nakagawa kami ng makabuluhang pagsulong sa pagwawakas sa digital divide para sa mga magulang at anak sa buong bansa na nabibilang sa low-income class. Wala pang apat na taon, naikonekta na ng Internet Essentials ang higit sa 500,000 pamilya, o higit sa 2 milyong Amerikanong may mababang kita, sa kapangyarihan ng Internet sa tahanan,” sabi ni David L. Cohen, Senior Executive Vice President at Chief Diversity Officer ng Comcast Corporation. “Sa pagdagdag sa bilis ng Internet nitong programa, pagdagdag ng WiFi at mas pinahusay na proseso ng autoenrollment, mas maraming pamilya ang magkakaroon ng lalong mas madaling access sa Internet at sa mga nagpapabagongbuhay na resources nito para sa edukasyon, trabaho, pangangalaga sa kalusugan, komunikasyon at libangan.” Ang pilot program para sa mga lowincome senior ay dinisenyo upang mas maintindihan ang natatanging mga hamon sa pagtulong sa kanilang malagpasan ang digital divide at matutunang gamitin ang Internet. Ayon sa Pew Research Center, 47 porsiyento lamang, o mas mababa sa kalahati, ng mga senior (edad 65 pataas) ang may high-speed na Internet sa bahay.

Pagdating sa antas ng kita, 25 porsiyento lamang ng mga senior na may sambahayang kita na di aabot sa $30,000 ang may broadband sa bahay, kumpara sa 82 porsiyento ng mga senior na may sambahayang kita na $75,000 o higit pa. Ang unang pilot program ay magaganap sa West Palm Beach, Florida, kung saan sinamahan si Cohen ng Mayor ng Lungsod ng West Palm Beach na si Jeri Muoio, ng School District Superintendent ng Palm Beach County na si Robert Avossa, at ng Presidente ng Urban League of Palm Beach County at CEO na si Patrick J. Franklin upang gawin ang mga anunsyo ngayong araw. “Maaaring huling naiisip ang mga senior citizen pagdating sa pagtugon sa kaalamang digital at paggamit ng Internet,” sabi ni Franklin. “Subalit, ang Internet ay may napakalaking kakayahan upang tumulong na mapabuti ang kanilang mga buhay sa pamamagitan ng paggiba sa mga pader na inilagay ng heograpiya sa pagitan nila at ng kanilang mga mahal sa buhay. Maaari rin nitong tulungang maibalik ang pakiramdam na sila ay kabilang sa komunidad, ang mga ugnayan na maaaring humina sa ating pagtanda.” Upang matanggap ang mas mabilis na Internet speed, kailangan lamang i-reboot ng mga kostumer ang kanilang mga cable modem. Ang mga kasalukuyang kostumer na gustong magkaroon ng WiFi router ay kailangan lamang tumawag sa dedikadong call center at hilinging ipadala ang isa sa kanila nang libre, o maaari silang magiskedyul para sa isang propesyonal na pagkabit, na wala ring dagdag na gastos. Ang mga bagong kostumer ay mabibigyan ng opsyon na makatanggap ng WiFi router kapag sila ay nagpalista. Mga Pamumuhunan sa Internet Essentials Sa pamamagitan ng Internet Essentials, ang Comcast ay namuhunan na ng higit sa $240 milyong pera at iba pang uri ng suporta upang tumulong na mapondohan ang digital na karunungan at pagsasanay sa kahandaan at edukasyon, na umabot na sa halos 3.2 milyong tao sa pamamagitan ng pambansa at lokal na mga non-profit na kasosyo sa komunidad. Hanggang sa katapusan ng Hunyo 2015, ang Comcast ay: Nakapaglaan ng higit sa $1 milyon sa mga grant upang gumawa ng Internet Essentials Learning Zones, kung saan ang mga network ng mga non-profit na kasosyo ay nagtutulungan upang mas mapahusay ang access ng publiko sa Internet at maparami ang pagsasanay sa digital na karunungan na nakatuon sa pamilya, sa Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Fresno, Miami, at Seattle, bukod sa iba pa. Nakapagbigay ng higit sa 41,000 nakasubsidize na mga computer sa di aabot sa $150 bawat isa. Nagbahagi nang libre ng halos 46 milyong materyal ng programa ng Internet Essentials.

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The Best Lawyers in America names top attorneys UNITED STATES - August 18, 2015 – Best Lawyers, the oldest and most respected guide to the legal profession, announced the 22nd Edition of The Best Lawyers in America on August 17, 2015. Attorneys named to The Best Lawyers in America were recognized by their peers in the legal industry for their professional excellence in 140 practice areas. In addition, we are pleased to recognize the 2016 “Lawyer of the Year” recipients. “Lawyer of the Year” honorees receive this award based on their extremely high overall feedback within specific practice areas and metropolitan regions. “Best Lawyers is the most reliable reference for quality legal representation,” said CEO Steven Naifeh. “Inclusion on this list indicates that an attorney is valued by

his or her peers for professional success.” The process begins when attorneys are nominated for the consideration. They are divided by geographic regions and practice areas, and are evaluated by their peers on the basis of professional expertise. Those who receive high peer reviews undergo an authentication process to make sure they are currently practicing and in good standing. Only then can these top attorneys be included in Best Lawyers. “Best Lawyers is devoted to recognizing excellence,” Naifeh said. “ We ’ r e p r o u d t o a c k n o w l e d g e the accomplishments of these exceptional legal professionals.” Search The Best Lawyers in America by attorney’s name, firm, region and/or practice area, by visiting BestLawyers.com.

Owner of three LA clinics pleads guilty to defrauding Medicare worth $4.5-M WASHINGTON – The owner and operator of three medical clinics located in Los Angeles pleaded guilty today to submitting more than $4.5 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare. Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker of the Central District of California, Acting Special Agent in Charge Steve Ryan of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General of the (HHS-OIG) Los Angeles Region and Assistant Director in Charge David Bowdich of the FBI’s Los Angeles Division made the announcement. Hovik Simitian, 48, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Beverly Reid O’Connell of the Central District of California to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Sentencing has been scheduled for Nov. 16, 2015. Simitian owned and operated three medical clinics: Columbia Medical Group Inc., Life Care Medical Clinic and Safe Health Medical Clinic, which were located at 1211 N. Vermont Ave. in Los Angeles. In connection with his guilty plea, Simitian admitted that, from approximately February 2010 through June 2014, he and his co-conspirators paid cash kickbacks to

patient recruiters who brought Medicare beneficiaries to the clinics. Simitian also admitted that he and his co-conspirators billed Medicare for lab tests and other services that either were not medically necessary or were not actually provided to the Medicare beneficiaries, and that, to support the bills to Medicare, he and others created false documentation reflecting that the services had been provided. Simitian further admitted that, between February 2010 and June 2014, he and his co-conspirators submitted approximately $4,526,791 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. Medicare paid approximately $1,668,559 of those claims. The case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG, and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Blanca Quintero and Alexander F. Porter of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged over 2,300 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for over $7 billion.

Nine banks agree to pay $2-B to settle forex rigging suit New York, United States | AFP | Friday 8/14/2015 – Nine major banks accused of foreign-exchange rigging have agreed to pay more than $2 billion to investors in settlements, a law firm involved in the process said Thursday. Plaintiffs have “reached settlements totaling more than $2 billion with Bank of America, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Citi, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, JPMorgan, RBS and UBS,” legal firm Hausfeld said in a statement published after a hearing in New York. Hausfeld, which represented investors, gave no indication how the sum would be divided between the banks and said that the agreements were preliminary and must still be approved by US District Judge Lorna Schofield. In June, sources close to the situation reported that Barclays would pay $375 million, HSBC $285 million, BNP Paribas nearly $100 million and Goldman Sachs about $130 million. But they also specified that the amounts were subject to change. None of the banks responded immedi-

ately when contacted by AFP. Some of the banks in Thursday’s announcement had already agreed to specific sums. US banking giant JPMorgan Chase agreed to pay $99.5 million in January, followed by Bank of America at $180 million, Citigroup at $394 million and Swiss UBS at $135 million. “In addition to the billions of dollars in compensation, these settling banks have agreed to cooperate with investors in their continuing litigation” against other institutions, Hausfeld said. Thursday’s agreements are distinct from proceedings led by US and British regulators, which in May ordered $6 billion in fines on six major banks – Barclays, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Royal Bank of Scotland, UBS and Bank of America – for rigging foreign exchange market and Libor interest rates. Barclays, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and the Royal Bank of Scotland all pleaded guilty to US Justice Department charges of conspiring to manipulate the massive currency market.

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City Attorney targets valley towing company for alleged predatory practices LOS ANGELES, August 17, 2015 – City Attorney Mike Feuer today announced that his office has filed a 60-count criminal complaint against the owner and operator of Valley Impound Garage (VIG), a Van Nuys towing and storage business, for alleged predatory practices against motorists parked in a Northridge lot. “Holding vehicles ransom and charging excessive fees for their release is an outrageous and unscrupulous business practice,” said Feuer. “My office will continue to crack down on predatory businesses, hold their operators accountable, and protect Los Angeles drivers.” Steven Garcia,Sr., 60, the owner/operator of VIG, was charged with 60 criminal counts including operating without a State motor carrier permit, towing a vehicle without making a good faith inquiry that a vehicle was parked for one hour, unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, failing to provide the vehicle owner with written notice of towing authorization, failing to provide the vehicle owner with written information where to make a complaint about the tow, charging an excessive rate for towing and storage, refusing to accept payment by credit card, and vehicle tampering. Steven Garcia Jr., 23, a tow truck driver for VIG, was charged with two criminal counts for allegedly operating a commercial motor vehicle without proper permits. Aaron Aguilar Cruz, 31, a tow truck driver for VIG, was charged with seven criminal counts including allegedly operating a tow truck without proper State and City permits and failing to unconditionally release a motor vehicle not yet removed from private property to the owner upon request. In addition, Kevin Gropp, the owner of the parking lot was charged with 10 misdemeanor counts for failing to contract with a permitted tow company and 10 infractions for causing the tow of a vehicle within an hour of it being parked. The complaint alleges that 10 victims were unlawfully towed at the lot from September 2014 through January 2015. Arraignment for each of the defendants is scheduled for Sept. 2, 2015 in Department 40. In 2015, the Los Angeles Police Commission (CID) investigated a complaint alleging that VIG illegally towed a female victim’s vehicle in Sept 2014 from a parking lot located at 9241 Reseda Blvd. in Northridge. The victim alleged she parked in the lot, which abuts several small businesses to the south but serves an office building directly to the north, and went into a nearby beauty salon. Approximately 25 minutes later, the victim was alerted that her car was being towed. The victim discovered her car had been towed to another parking lot across the street, where she was allegedly given a choice of paying $120 cash to release her car on the spot or $280.00 later at the VIG tow yard in Van Nuys. Following up on the complaint, the LAPD Police Commission detectives assigned to the case requested VIG provide them with the written towing authorization forms for tows occurring on several dates between Sept 2014 and January 2015. The detectives made contact with vehicle owners involved in those tows, which led to the discovery of 10 additional victims who were allegedly illegally towed from that same lot.

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ACTIVITY COORDINATOR Full-time Activity Coordinator 2 yrs. ADHC and Convalescent setting exp. Fax resume to: SFV Adult Day Health Care Center (Granada Hills) Fax: 818-8319822.

CAREGIVER Medical background but not required. For 6 bed facility. Fax your resume: 818-991-7925 or call 818-991-7916. Thousand Oaks, CA area.

CAREGIVER/DRIVER Adult Care staff needed. Couple live-in. full-time, part-time. Rowland Heights, Temple City, and San Gabriel area. 626-839-5212 or 909-247-4987.

CAREGIVER NEEDED 6 Bed Elderly Care Facility (not private duty) needs caregiver, work as a team with other staff. No experience is ok, we train you. Susan 562-682-1856.

DIRECT CARE STAFF Direct Care Staff needed for DD facility. Live-out 5 days per week. Driver's license is a plus. Call Rufus (626) 354-9876.

MALE CAREGIVERS Must speak English. For board and care for San Fernando Valley area. Full-time, live-in. Call 818-505-6499.

LIVE-IN CAREGIVER Male / female caregivers for board & care home for four bed. Experienced. Pls call 310-4085519.

LIVE-IN CAREGIVER For elderly facility in Orange County. 5 Days a week. Private room and good condition. Pls. call 714-612-4288; 714-2253725.

CAREGIVERS NEEDED Live-in caregivers needed for Board & Care facility in Woodland Hills. Please leave a clear message (818) 288-5406.

CLERICAL WORK Data entry. PT (min.3 days a week). Company loc in South Bay. Must be at least 25 yrs or older with computer knowledge & excellent communication skills. Gino Battaglia (310) 897-5000.

CLASS B DRIVER Full-time. 1-2 Yrs. exp. Knows SF Valley area. Fax resume to: Cora 562-867-6860 SFV Adult Day Health Care Center 10351 Balboa Blvd. Granada Hills, CA 91344

EXP.CAREGIVER Hiring experience live-in caregiver for facility in West Hills. $1,500/mo. 818-943-7201.

CAREGIVER Wanted experienced live-in caregiver for an Elderly Board and Care Facility in Panorama City. Salary open. Please call 818516-5862.

Balita GET RESULTS! ADVERTISE WITH US TODAY! WAREHOUSE SHIPPING & RECEIVING CLERK Wilshire Beauty is now hiring a WAREHOUSE CLERK for shipping & receiving, packing, and processing online orders. Must be career minded, self-motivated and efficient, and have excellent work references. Wilshire Beauty has been in operation for 60 years. For more information go to: www.wilshirebeauty.com

Please email resume to: nouriel.kohan@gmail.com or fax to 310-510-6777

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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 dialogue, want to thank You for HYHU\WKLQJ DQG FRQÂżUP RQFH PRUH WKDW , QHYHU ZDQW WR EH VHSDUDWHG 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 the 3rd day the wish will be granted, no matter how GLIÂżFXOW LW PD\ EH 3URPLVH WR SXEOLVK WKLV DV VRRQ DV \RXU IDYRU has been granted. Grateful Thanks -FAYWW

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Car Pros Kia announces new incentive program for low & middle-income buyers By Myrna Aquitania

On a recent mid-afternoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weekday visit to Car Pros Kia, this author and media colleague; Liza Rafallo were both surprised to witness an auto showroom brimming with customers excited to learn more about the dealershipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new incentive program for low and middle-income families. According to Ms. Gabi Mora, Marketing Director at Car Pros Kia, this new and exciting program is called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Replace

Your Rideâ&#x20AC;? which was â&#x20AC;&#x153;authorized by the California State Legislature (AB 118). It provides incentives to eligible owners of light and medium -duty passenger vehicles. The retire and replace component of the program also provides incentives for the replacement of old vehicles with a cleaner, more fuel efficient carsâ&#x20AC;? such as the Kia Optima and the Kia Soul EV. The guidelines for the program, according to Car Pros Kia Business De-

Kia Soul EV

velopment Manager, Ricky Meza, â&#x20AC;&#x153; was approved by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in August, 2010.â&#x20AC;? Also per CARBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s information, â&#x20AC;&#x153; two additional acts of the State Legislature (AB 8 and SB 459), was amended and included in the program in June of 2014.â&#x20AC;? Car Pros Kia, a promoting partner along with South Coast Air Quality Management District ( SCAQMD), the air pollution control agency has adopted the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Replace Your Rideâ&#x20AC;? pilot program along with Top Shelf Environmental Consulting LLC which focuses on â&#x20AC;&#x153;consumers residing in disadvantaged communities,â&#x20AC;? while at the same time â&#x20AC;&#x153;offering strong consumer protection rights as they go through the process of acquiring a replacement vehicle.â&#x20AC;? It also puts emphasis on â&#x20AC;&#x153;ensuring that the retired vehicles have sufficient remaining useful life and functionality, and most importantly, offer additional tiered incentives for residents in disadvantaged communities, for the purpose of purchasing environmentally-friendly replacement vehicles.â&#x20AC;? Cars such as the EV Soul, which operates on 100% electric power has additional incentives that can reach up to $9,500.00 and the Optima Hybrid (which uses both gas and electric) has incentives which fall within the range of $4,500 to

Car Pros Kia Carsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s friendly Filipino sales team: Jana Papina (left) and Cha Cha Villarama. You can reach them at 1-877-6001110.

$9,500 applicable toward the purchase of new or pre-owned lower-emission vehicles. Disadvantaged communities are defined by the State Air Resources Board as â&#x20AC;&#x153;those most burdened by multiple sources of pollution as well as socio-economic factors such as low-income.â&#x20AC;?. For those of you interested to learn more about this new program, call the Car Pros Kia Carsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s friendly Filipino sales team: Jana Papina and Cha Cha Villarama at: 310/221-9133 or Car Pros Kia Huntington Beach at:714/613-1119 or Car Pros Kia Glendale at: 818/745-1200.

Super welcome kayo dito!

WEST COVINA

Patrick Lucas

Prices

Internet Sales Manager plucas@normreeveswc.com

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Fit LX HB Manual ual Lease for

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New 2015 Honda

Accord LX Sedann CVT Auto

149 Lease for

5 at this offer

129 Lease for

mo /mo + tax

Civic LX Sedan CVTT Auto C

mo /mo + tax

&losed end lease for +onda Accord /; 6edan &97 Auto for per montK plus tax for montKs on approved tier credit , due at lease signing, includes st pa\ment, securit\ deposit, tax, license and fees 'rive off example Eased on tKe current /os Angeles &ount\ tax rate and actual amount ma\ var\ , miles per \ear ZitK per mile tKereafter 2ffer expires

CR-V LX 2WD Autoo

199 Lease for

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2011 Honda Fit HB 6tN , 9,1 , Auto, &\l /, , 0iles

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2014 Honda Civic LX Coupe 6tN , 9,1 , Auto, &\l /, , 0iles

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Honda Fit is mega hit with buyers and critics alike as 2016 now on sale along with other models at Honda Scott Robinson Offering one of the most space efficient and versatile packages in the U.S. market, the 2016 Honda Fit tops it off with fun, fuel efficiency and style TORRANCE, Calif. Launching last year to strong reviews and eager buyers, the third-generation Honda Fit has since set a blistering sales pace while continuing to garner praise. Now the playful and practical 2016 Fit is ready to take the baton, carrying forward best-in-class passenger and cargo space, 41 mpg highway fueleconomy rating1 and sporty yet refined dynamics when it goes on sale July 1 at Honda dealerships nationwide. With a starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP)2 of $15,790 for the Fit LX with 6-speed manual transmission, the 2016 Fit includes an abundance of class-above standard features including roofline spoiler, LED taillights, Bluetooth®connectivity and a rearview camera. All Fits are powered by a responsive direct-injected1.5-liter iVTEC engine from the Honda Earth Dreams Technology lineup, producing 130 horsepower3 and 114 pound feet of torque4, with an EPA fuel-economy rating of 33/41/36 (city/highway/combined)5 for the LX with Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). “The new Fit has been a tremendous hit with buyers seeking a fun, practical and stylish transportation solution,” said Jeff Conrad, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Honda. “It’s a satisfying car for a wide variety of needs and lifestyles.” Outstanding versatility is fundamental to the design of the Fit. With class-leading interior space and clever configurability courtesy of its center-mounted fuel tank and ingenious Magic Seat, the Fit epitomizes functionality with spacious and comfortable seating for five and the ability to accommodate large amounts of cargo, including long and tall items. The 2016 Fit offers a sophisticated yet sporty ride, with responsive and stable handling dynamics. Honda’s next-generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure also benefits handling, as well as safety performance. In fact, the Fit achieves the highest crashsafety ratings in its class for both the U.S. government and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). An Earth Dreams Technology™ directinjection 1.5L DOHC i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine powers the Fit. It’s tuned for a fine balance of power, torque and response, and is carefully matched with two recently

developed transmissions – a slick-shifting 6-speed manual and a CVT with Honda’s exclusive G-Shift Control. The 2016 Fit has an EPA fuel-economy rating of 29/37/32 (city/highway/combined)5 for the manual transmission, 33/41/36 for the LX trim with CVT and 32/38/35 for the EX and EX-L trim with CVT. The Fit sports a fresh, dynamic exterior design with headlights that integrate into a solid grille design and an aggressive lower intake. Chiseled sides emphasize the wheels and the dynamically tapered roofline that terminates in a color-matched spoiler. Eight colors, including several vibrant options accentuate the design. Inside, the Fit’s interior room and visibility create a sense of airy spaciousness, complemented by soft-touch materials for a quality feel. The available Display Audio touchscreen interface and available leather seating (EX-L models) further communicate a premium feel. A high level of standard and available features are offered in three trims –LX, EX, and EX-L. Standard features on all Fit models include auto on-off headlights, LED brake lights, Bluetooth, HandsFreeLink and a center storage console with armrest. Items such as Smart Entry Push Button Start, a one-touch operated moonroof, 7-inch touchscreen Display Audio7with next-generation HondaLink and heated leather seats are among the available upgrades. The Fit also features a long list of standard safety features, including Vehicle Stability AssistTM (VSA) with traction control, side curtain airbags with rollover sensor, Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist, and Honda’s nextgeneration Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE™) body structure. The Fit has received the highest available crashsafety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) – a five-star Overall Vehicle Score – and a TOP SAFETY PICK rating from the IIHS. Standard driver-assistive features on all trims include a multi-angle rearview camera with guidelines and an expanded view driver’s mirror. The Honda LaneWatch system is standard on EX and above trims. You can check out the new Honda Fit they are all raving about or other Honda vehicles – old and new models – at Honda Scott Robinson located at 20340 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503. Better yet, get in touch with them immediately by calling them at 1-844-816-4545.

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Toyota RAV4: The best small SUV pioneer The Toyota RAV4 got the whole compact crossover segment started 20 years ago as a new kind of vehicle that people didn’t even know they wanted. But a lot of people wanted it enough to make the

segment one of the largest today, with the current generation RAV4 one of its strongest sellers. Now in its third season, the currentgeneration, RAV4 exemplifies the qualities

DCH Toyota of Torrance Filipino Department Manager and Senior Sales Consultant Loyd Aler (leftmost) proudly acknowledges Mr. and Ate Myrna & Kuya Henry Esguerra who purchased their 2015 Toyota RAV4 from DCH Toyota of Torrance.

that keep it a perennial hit. Customers love its sharp-edged styling and roomy, versatile five-seat cabin. The interior has a premium look and feel with soft-touch accents and driver-centric controls. Sure to get attention in any weather, RAV4 drives into 2015 with a new Blizzard Pearl Premium Package for the RAV4 Limited grade. This special package dresses the already stylish RAV4 in Blizzard Pearl paint and new 18-inch machine-finished wheels with black painted pockets. At the opposite end of the thermometer, new Hot Lava paint joins the lineup. The one-touch power liftgate with driverselectable memory height settings,standard on the Limited, is now an option for the XLE grade. The XLE gets new 17-inch Superchrome alloy wheels for 2015. The RAV4 is motivated by a responsive, fuel-efficient 4-cylinder engine mated to a standard 6-speed automatic transmission. Customers can choose between front wheel drive or the advanced Dynamic Torque Control All-Wheel Drive, the same system used in the new Highlander. Shopping for the RAV4 is easier than ever, with three trim levels to choose from, including LE, XLE and Limited.

Cavernous Cabin Though taking up a smallish parking space outside, the RAV4 is cavernous inside, with ample room for five adults and 38.4 cu. ft. of cargo capacity behind the rear seats. With the 60/40 split rear seats folded, that space expands to 73.4 cu. ft. Rear seat legroom is a competitive 37.2 inches. The front seats feature a slim seat back design to enhance rear-passenger knee room. The rear seatbacks also recline several degrees for added passenger comfort. Rear privacy glass is standard on all RAV4 models. Retractable rear seat head restraints aid rear visibility. Sitting at the wheel, the driver faces a sporty, asymmetrical, driver-centric dash panel. Controls fall within easy reach, and, thanks to enticing clear blue illumination for the dash and gauge panel, they’re easy to see in ambient light conditions. Information, too, comes within easy reach in the RAV4. Within the gauge cluster, directly in the driver’s line of sight, a standard Multi-Information Display (MID) provides an array of information including, average fuel economy, instant fuel economy, distance to empty, selected gear, as well as warnings for low fuel, battery, tire pressure monitoring system and more. A button on the right-hand spoke of the steering wheel toggles through the MID’s various screens. Other buttons and switches on the wheel control the audio system,Bluetooth® hands-free phone and audio streaming. Economical Performance and Sport Mode, Too Practicality meets fun with the RAV4’s 2.5-liter direct-injection four-cylinder engine. Coupled to a standard 6-speed automatic transmission, the engine smoothly delivers 176 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 172 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,100 rpm. With front-wheel drive, the RAV4 has EPAestimated fuel economy ratings of 24 mpg city / 31 mpg highway. With Dynamic Torque Control All-Wheel Drive, the EPA estimates are 22/29 mpg, on regular-grade gasoline. Feeling sporty? The RAV4 can play along. Choose Sport mode, and the RAV4 sharpens shift timing, throttle response, and steering feel. Downshifting will “blip” the throttle, as the driver in a stick-shift vehicle might do to maintain driving smoothness. And, on RAV4 models with Dynamic Torque Control All-Wheel Drive, Sport mode also alters torque distribution to enhance agility by reducing understeer. Feeling frugal? Select Eco mode and the RAV4 optimizes powertrain operation to maximize fuel economy. If you want to see the new Corolla, Camry or any other Toyota vehicle, all those on the lot of DCH Toyota Torrance are ready to become part of your everyday life. Come and visit DCH Toyota of Torrance located at 2909 Pacific Coast Hwy Torrance, CA 90505 and let DCH Toyota of Torrance Filipino Department Manager and Senior Sales Consultant Loyd Aler guide you on what’s the best Toyota vehicle to fit your lifestyle. You can reach Loyd Aler or his fellow kababayans, Sales & Leasing Consultants Phillip Rivera, Edgar Relova and JP Panganiban at 1-888-311.0102.

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Mitsubishi Motors introduces more powerful Outlander Sport New 2.4-liter engine produces 168 horsepower – 20 more horsepower than currently offered 2.0-liter engine Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) has introduced a more powerful version of the 2015 Outlander Sport 5-passenger crossover that includes a larger displacement 2.4-liter MIVEC 4-cylinder engine producing 168 horsepower – a 20 horsepower increase over the current 2.0-liter engine. With a starting MSRP of $21,295, the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport 2.4 ES features a black center bumper to visually differentiate this model from the standard ES trim level. The 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport 2.4 GT has a MSRP of $23,595 and includes additional features such as a power driver’s seat, leatherwrapped parking brake handle, aluminum pedals, and exterior enhancements including a black center bumper along with black roof rails and outside mirrors with LED turn indicators. The 2.4 GT model includes an optional GT Premium Package that consists of a 710-watt Rockford Fosgate premium sound system with 9 speakers including 10in. dual-voice coil subwoofer with Punch Control, DTS Neural Surround, PremiDIAWIDE surround, and Dolby Volume; panoramic glass roof with adjustable LED mood lighting and auto dimming rearview mirror. The GT Touring Package adds additional features including leather seating surfaces and MMCS Navigation system with 7-in. high definition touch panel, 3D mapping, point-of-interest information and real-time traffic. Every 2015 Outlander Sport model includes Mitsubishi Motors’ warranty – one of the most comprehensive in the automotive industry. Warranty coverage includes a fully-transferable 5-year/60,000 mile new vehicle limited warranty; 10year/100,000 mile powertrain limited warranty; 7-year/100,000 mile anti-corrosion perforation limited warranty and 5-year/ unlimited mile roadside assistance benefits. The 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander sevenpassenger crossover has been named by Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com as one of its “10 Most Affordable 3-Row Vehicles.” In 2014, Outlander also was recognized for its affordability by Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com. In its assessment this year, Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com noted that the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander “is loaded with value” and that “in addition to its available three rows of seats, the Outlander also comes standard with micron air filtration, hillstart assist, traction and stability control, seven air bags and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, one of the industry’s best.” “The 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander is an outstanding value proposition and comes with a long list of standard safety features and amenities,” states Don Swearingen, Executive Vice President, MMNA. “And for 2016, the Outlander will feature bold new styling and over 100 key engineering and interior refinements, adding even more value to an already feature-laden vehicle.” The 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander is an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) “Top Safety Pick+” – the highest safety achievement designated by the non-profit agency that performs crash test evaluations on vehicles – because

Ed and Connie Ang with their newly-purchased 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander SE Quartz Brown from the Puente Hills Mitsubishi Filipino Sales Alex Jacinto.

of the availability of Forward Collision Mitigation. The 2015 model also includes standard features including an anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA), Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and Mitsubishi Motors’ patented Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution (RISE) body/chassis construction technology that helps absorb and/or dis-

sipate energy in the event of a collision to help protect the vehicle’s occupants. “The 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander is an outstanding value proposition and comes with a long list of standard safety features and amenities,” states Don Swearingen, Executive Vice President, MMNA. “And for 2016, the Outlander will feature bold new styling and over 100 key engineering and interior refinements, adding even more

value to an already feature-laden vehicle.” If you’re interested to know why the SUV and the Mitsubishi has captured the fancy of millions Americans through the years, all you have to do is get in touch with out kababayans – Filipino Sales & Leasing professional Alex Jacinto and Finance Manager Norm Bustamante – at Puente Hills Mitsubishi. You can reach them at 1-866-400-1067.

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LOS ANGELES

Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., August 22 - 28, 2015

Balita

Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., August 22 - 28, 2015

LOS ANGELES

Visit www.Balita.com

LOS ANGELES

Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., August 22 - 28, 2015

Balita