LOS ANGELES
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VOL. XXI, NO. 51
JANUARY 25-31, 2014
Pope says Internet ‘gift from God’ VATICAN CITY, January 23, 2014 (AFP) – Pope Francis described the Internet on Thursday as “a gift from God” and called on Catholics to “boldly become citizens of the digital world”. “The internet... offers immense possibilities for encounter and solidarity. This is something truly good, a gift from God,” the Argentine pontiff said in his first World Communication Day message, given annual by the pope. “Let us boldly become citizens of the digital world. Let our communication be a balm which relieves pain and a fine wine which gladdens hearts,” he said. The 77-year-old pontiff is a keen Twitter user whose account has attracted more than 10 million followers.
But he also makes a point of privileging human relationships and physical touch, often walking among the crowds who flock to see him in St. Peter’s Square and embracing the ill or disabled. “As I have frequently observed, if a choice has to be made between a bruised Church which goes out to the streets and a Church suffering from selfabsorption, I certainly prefer the first,” he said. “Those ‘streets’ are the world where people live and where they can be reached, both effectively and affectively. The digital highway is one of them, a street teeming with people who are often hurting, men and women looking for salvation or hope,” he added. See POPE, page 12
Pope Francis has 10 million followers on Twitter. He said the Internet is a “gift from God.” (Photo from the official Vatican website)
A Thai soldier keeps watch while others are at rest inside the Wat Phra Kaew Temple (Emerald Buddha Temple) in what used to be an ordinary day in Bangkok, Thailand, where at least 20 million tourists visit annually. However, recent protests against the Thai government that has imposed a 60-day state of emergency have disrupted tourism and threatens the country’s political stability. The protests are aimed at pressuring elected Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to step down in favor of an unelected council. (Photo: Rhony Laigo/Bangkok)
PHL tells citizens in Thailand to prepare for possible evacuation MANILA, Jan 23 (Mabuhay) – The Philippines has called on Filipinos in Thailand to restrict their movements and prepare for possible evacuation amid intensified anti-government demonstrations there. Manila raised Alert Level 2 over Thailand as the 60-day state of emergency was enforced on Wednesday by the Thai government to quell weeks-long protests aimed at pressuring elected Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to step down in favor of an unelected council. “Alert Level 2 is issued when there are real threats to the life, security, and property of Filipinos arising from internal disturbance or external threat,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday in a statement. Under Alert Level 2, the DFA said “Filipinos in
Bangkok and the surrounding areas are instructed to restrict non-essential movements, avoid public places and prepare for evacuation.” “While there has been an effort to maintain a state of normalcy in the Thai capital, the situation remains fluid and volatile particularly in anti-government protest areas,” it said. Filipinos with essential travel plans to Thailand and those residing in capital Bangkok—the site of mass actions – and other parts of the country were advised to avoid protest sites and large gatherings. They were also cautioned against taking part in the protest or other political activities. “Everyone is advised to continue exercising extreme caution and vigilance and to closely monitor developments,” the DFA said. See EVACUATION, page 12
NAIA Terminal 1 rehab won’t address airport congestion – MIAA exec MANILA, Jan 23 (Mabuhay) – Airport congestion is not on the agenda under the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 rehabilitation, which starts Thursday, and passengers are expected the inconvenience of noise pollution long queues as some parts of the airport will be closed. Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Jose Angel Honrado said the only solution in sight is to transfer flights to Terminal 3, which is also undergoing upgrades and won’t be fully operational until mid-2014. “Dito sa gagawing [rehab], it will not address congestion. Ang mag-a-address ng congestion is ‘pag natapos Terminal 3 by July of this year, mag-li-lipat ng 3.5 million passengers from Terminal 1 to 3,” he said. Wall St. Cheat Sheet, a United States financial media company, ranks NAIA eighth among the 10 Worst Airports in the World, citing capacity issues in Terminals 1 and 3. NAIA Terminal 1, designed to handle 4.5 million passengers, processed 8.4 million passengers last year. “Noong November na nag-start ang work sa Terminal 3 at expected completion
ay July 2014, where the whole airport will be 100 percent operational,” Honrado said. Last August, DOTC tapped Japanese contractor Takenaka Corp. to finish and integrate the systems works in Terminal 3. The upgrade involves replacement and upgrade of 23 systems, including walk
bridges, closed-circuit television, baggage handling, flight-information displays, computer terminals, gate coordination and fire-protection system. Honrado said Terminal 1 will continue to operate but some portions of the facility See NAIA TERMINAL, page 12
President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomes US Senator Marco Rubio during a courtesy call at the Music Room of the Malacañan Palace on Wednesday (January 22). Story on page 17. (MNS photo)
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US existing-home sales rose 1% in December WASHINGTON, January 23, 2014 (AFP) – US existing-home sales increased 1.0 percent in December from November, wrapping up the strongest year for sales in seven years, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. Sales of used single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops hit an annual pace of 4.87 million units, compared with a revised 4.82 million the previous month. For the entire year, sales totaled 5.09 million, up 9.1 percent from 2012. That was the best pace since 2006 when the US housing bubble peaked and began to deflate, which turned into the worst financial crisis since the 1930s. “Existing-home sales have risen nearly 20 percent since 2011, with job growth, record-low mortgage interest rates and a large pent-up demand driving the market,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist. “We lost some momentum toward the end of 2013 from disappointing job growth and limited inventory, but we ended with a year that was close to normal given the size of our population.”
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COA insists papers show Revilla’s hand in ‘pork’ scam MANILA, Jan 22 (Mabuhay) – The Commission on Audit (COA) has in its possession other documents that would allegedly prove Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr’s hand in the alleged pork barrel scam. COA chief Grace Pulido Tan made the statement days after Revilla, who has denied involvement in the scam, claimed his supposed letter to the agency confirming his signature to pork barrel documents was forged. “Hindi lang naman ‘yun kasi ang mga sulat na nasa aming possession. There were also other letters written on various dates from 2007 to 2009 to the GOCC’s (Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations) involved,” Tan said.
She said among the letters they have in their possession were those sent by Revilla to the National Livelihood Development Corporation and Technology (NLDC) and Livelihood Resource Center (LRC), which are among the GOCCs allegedly used as conduit in the pork barrel scam. “Yung NLDC at saka TLRC, ‘yung signature naman niya doon sa mga sulat na ‘yun tsaka ‘yung signature sa sulat niya sa amin pareho lang naman,” said Tan. COA is planning to submit the letters to the Office of the Ombudsman as additional evidence to the plunder complaint filed against Revilla and others allegedly involved in the scam.
Revilla claimed that letter received by COA in 2011 where he supposedly confirmed that the signatures in pork barrel documents belonged to him and his staff, lawyer Richard Cambe, was fake. “Napakaklaro di ba? Paano mo sasabihin na pirma mo yun kung forged ang signature. Ganun lang kasimple. Hindi tutuo yun, hindi tutuo,” the senator told reporters Tuesday. He said COA should have been more careful in receiving documents and urged it to confirm the veracity of the letter with the person who sent it. In a privilege speech Monday, Revilla said pork scam whistleblower Benhur Luy forged his signatures on the documents
for the pork barrel allocations of bogus non-government organizations. Luy is an employee of alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles. Revilla is facing a plunder complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly pocketing over P224 million in kickbacks from the alleged pork barrel scam, where billions of public money were allegedly funneled to bogus nongovernment organizations (NGOs) linked to Napoles. Last year, Revilla filed a civil case against whistleblowers in the alleged scam, where he demanded them to return some P500 million of these funds to the national government.
Despite court documents, Bangayan insists he’s not ‘David Tan’ MANILA, Jan 22 (Mabuhay) – Businessman Davidson Bangayan on Wednesday remained firm that he is not suspected rice smuggler “David Tan,” despite being confronted at a Senate probe with court documents showing he used the alias. During the Senate agriculture committee’s inquiry on rice smuggling, senators consistently got a negative answer from Bangayan whenever the trader was asked if he and “David Tan” are the same person. “My name is Davidson Bangayan. I’m not David Tan,” Bangayan said at the start of his testimony during the probe. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima however said that her agency already has two witnesses who said that Bangayan used the alias “David Tan.” De Lima even presented before the committee court documents from a libel
case Bangayan supposedly filed against Jesus Arranza, chairman of the Federation of Philippine Industries, in 2005. In these papers, de Lima said Bangayan admitted to being “David Tan.” “How come in that document, he explicitly admitted that Bangayan aka David Tan? At sa attachment niya, Bangayan aka David Tan? Siya ang nag-attach noon,” de Lima said. The Senate committee gave Bangayan an opportunity to examine de Lima’s document, but the trader stood pat on his denial. At one point during the hearing, Bangayan’s repeated denial infuriated Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile, who claimed that he also has “court documents” against the suspected rice smuggler.
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45 dead, 8 missing in Mindanao due to LPA – NDRRMC MANILA, Jan. 22 (Mabuhay) -- The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Wednesday reported the number of deaths at 45 and 900,000 people affected in Mindanao by tropical depression “Agaton” which has now weakened into low pressure area (LPA). “Agaton”’s prolonged rains induced flash flood and landslides in Mindanao the past several days. NDRRMC partial official death toll was recorded with 18 in Region 11 or Davao Region, 19 in Caraga Region, seven in Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) and one in Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula). Most of the deaths are attributable to landslides and drowning, it said. The NDRRMC also said the number of injured persons rose to 68, while eight are still missing in Regions 9, 10, 11 and Caraga. Damage caused by the tropical depression was estimated to P369,142,178.22, including P128,513,750.00 in infrastructure and P240,628,428.22 in agriculture in Regions 10, 11 and Caraga. In its 6:00 a.m. update Wednesday, the NDDRMC said that 186,543 families or 895,572 persons were affected in 846 barangays in 103 municipalities in 15 provinces of Regions 10 (Northern Mindanao), 11 (Davao Region), Caraga and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Of these, 55,501 families or 260,478 persons were displaced and being served inside 585 evacuation centers. It added that 50 roads and 25 bridges
were rendered impassable in Regions 8, 10, 11 and Caraga. As of 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, 639 passengers and nine vessels along with 111 rolling cargo vessels and five motor bancas were stranded. The NDRRMC said the number of damages houses increased to 2,130 -- with totally damaged houses reaching 837 while 1,293 were partially damaged. The disaster agency reported 16 incidents of landslides, six flooding and flash floods and two maritime incidents in Regions 8, 9, 10, 11, Caraga and ARMM. It added that total cost of government assistance for the affected families has reached P60,381,514.34 worth of relief goods from the combined resources of the Department of Social and Welfare Development (DSWD) that allocated P16,015,498.42; local government units (LGUs) in Regions 11 and Caraga amounting to P43,718,443; and Department of Health allocating P647,572. Meanwhile, NDRRMC also reported that the Agusan del Sur Chapter team assessed the landslide area in Sibagat; distributed relief Tuesday to 500 families in the municipality of Bunawan and 250 families in San Francisco town. The NDRRMC also distributed food items to 624 families in Surigao City and Surigao del Norte; deployed 2 teams on Tuesday for relief distribution in Claver, Higakit and Surigao City to 660 families; and provided hot meals to 128 individuals and first-aid treatment to 12 persons in Ligan City. (MNS)
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Lacson: I am color-blind to politics in the Yolanda rehab MANILA, Jan 23 (Mabuhay) – Six weeks after being appointed as ‘Rehabilitation Czar’ by President Benigno Aquino III, Secretary Panfilo Lacson said his committee has already accomplished a lot in the rebuilding and rehabilitation of the places hit by super typhoon Yolanda. In an interview during the Experts Forum on Rebuilding Communities and Ecosystems After “Yolanda”, Lacson emphasized the progress achieved by the ad hoc committee Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (PARR), which he currently serves as head. “I think we are progressing very well. Just because we are quiet doesn’t mean wala kaming ginagawa. I think, I may be biased, I may be subjective but I think we have accomplished much in six weeks because that’s the time I have spent so far being the [head of PARR].” Lacson said he is forced to finish the rehabilitation and rebuilding process within 20,000 hours as his office is only coterminus with the current administration. “We’re giving ourselves 20,000 hours to accomplish our task because translated into actual years and months, that’s more or less 2 and a half years. And it’s not my choice but we’re forced by circumstances dahil ad hoc itong body and co-terminus kami sa Pangulo.” The secretary said that because of the nature of his job, he learned how to be politically “color-blind” in order to serve the Filipinos in dire need of help. “One thing I’ve learned in this job is being color-blind kasi we’re dealing with different personalities. After all, kapag tinignan mo ‘yung kulay ng pulitika, then we might be able to neglect the needs of the people. Kapag pulitika ang pumasok sa usapan, hindi naman ‘yung mayor ang pinaparusahan mo kung hindi ‘yung mga
tao, ‘yung mga biktima.” Lacson said PARR is relying more on the members of the private sector who have pledged aids and promised direct participation in the efforts of the committee. PARR is currently focused on the rebuilding and rehabilitation of four major components, namely: housing, education, health and livelihood.
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Paid leave for employees to care for sick family members Last week, we wrote Bond child in conPROTECTING about the California Famnection with adoption EMPLOYEE & ily Rights Act (CFRA) or foster care placeCONSUMER RIGHTS which entitles qualified ment. employees 12 weeks of The program, leave from work when known as Paid Family they have to care for their Leave (PFL), is adseriously ill child, parent ministered by the State or spouse, for birth of and Employment Development Department’s bonding with a newborn, (EDD) Disability Inor for the adoption or fossurance Branch. Emter care a child. Unless ployees covered by there are employer policies BY C. JOE SAYAS, JR. SDI are also covered providing payment, the for this benefit. The leave is generally unpaid. However, California created a compo- maximum claim benefit is six times the nent under the State Disability Insurance weekly benefit amount. No more than six (SDI) program which entitled employees weeks of PFL benefits may be paid within to disability payments while they take time any 12-month period. Employees who apply for paid family off work to: Care for a seriously ill child, spouse, leave must provide a medical certificate of parent, domestic partner, the seriously ill family member. The certificate must include a qualified diagnosis; Bond with a new child,
the beginning date of the disability; the probable duration; the estimated time care is needed; and state the serious health condition requiring employee to provide care. This includes “providing psychological comfort� and arranging “third party care.� An estimate of the amount of time necessary to provide care is also required. If another family member is able to provide care during the same period, the employee may not qualify for paid leave. For bonding with a child, PFL is limited to the first year after the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. There is a seven-day waiting period before benefits are paid. Employers may require employees to use up to two weeks of vacation leave or paid time off (PTO) prior to receiving paid leave benefits. The first week of vacation or PTO will be applied to the waiting period. Employees who are entitled to leave under the federal Family Medical Leave Act and the
California Family Rights Act must take PFL concurrent with leave taken under those acts. Employees cannot receive PFL benefits while receiving Disability Insurance, Unemployment Insurance, or Workers’ Compensation benefits that exceed their weekly benefit amount. [C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is trial attorney who has obtained several million dollar recoveries for his clients against insurance companies and employers. He has been selected as a Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, featured in the cover of Los Angeles Daily Journal’s Verdicts and Settlements, and is a member of the Million Dollar-Advocates Forum. He is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center Washington, D.C. and the University of the Philippines. Visit his website at www.joesayaslaw.com or contact his office at (818) 291-0088 for a no-cost inquiry.]
Maid falls to death while cleaning windows in HK
Six-hour workday for public school teachers proposed
HONG KONG, January 23, 2014 (AFP) – A foreign domestic helper aged 28 died Thursday after falling from a residential building in Hong Kong, police said. They said the helper, whose name and nationality were not given, fell from a building in the Wong Tai Sin district onto a concrete canopy and was certified dead when officers arrived. “It is understood that she fell off while cleaning windows in a flat,� a police statement said, adding the death was not being treated as suspicious. There have been a series of such deaths over the years in Hong Kong, where most people live in high-rise apartment blocks. Last August an 18-month-old boy and an Indonesian domestic helper fell to their deaths from the 19th-floor flat where they lived. Police said the helper was collecting clothes from a drying rack outside the window. Conditions for the city’s 300,000 domestic helpers – mostly from Indonesia or the Philippines – have come under the spotlight recently following cases of abuse. A Hong Kong mother-of-two was charged Wednesday with a serious assault on her Indonesian domestic helper. Last September a couple were jailed for savagely beating another Indonesian helper.
MANILA, Jan. 22 (Mabuhay) – “Let’s give our teachers a break,� lawmakers appealed as they proposed to reduce their working hours from the standard mandatory eight to six hours per day. “While teachers’ pay has been increased by recent enactments of law, they still desire higher pay and shorter working hours. Their present work schedule has left them stressed out and exhausted much to the detriment of our students,� said Rep. Diosdado Macapagal Arroyo (2nd District, Camarines Sur) and Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (2nd District, Pampanga), authors of HB 2684. HB 2684 proposes a six-hour workday for public school teachers and exempts them from compliance with the Civil Service mandated eight-hour workday for government workers. It will also be a great reprieve
for teachers given that any work performed in excess of six hours a day shall be considered as additional compensation of at least twenty-five percent of their regular remuneration. The bill shall exempt teachers from Civil Service Rules which prescribed the generally established rule on an eight-hour workday. Section 3 of the bill states that “any teacher engaged in actual teaching may be required to render more than six hours of teaching upon payment of additional compensation at the same rate of his/her regular plus at least twenty-five percent of his/her basic pay.� Said section further states that “teachers who are not engaged in actual teaching but render more than six hours work shall likewise be entitled to the additional compensation.
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Treat arrested Pinoys humanely, PHL Embassy asks KL MANILA, Jan 24 (Mabuhay) – The Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Friday appealed to Malaysian authorities to adhere to the rule of law and treat arrested undocumented Filipino migrants humanely . “We respect the right of the Malaysian government to implement its immigration laws, and at the same time, we are hopeful that the authorities implementing the crackdown will adhere to the rule of law and observe proper and humane treatment of those arrested,” the Embassy said in press statement. Also, the embassy said it will make representations and coordinate with relevant Malaysian authorities regarding reported cases of maltreatment and other possible cases of abuse against arrested Filipinos. But, it said it is still in the process of
validating reports on arrests of Filipinos after Malaysia began the crackdown on illegal migrants on January 21. “We stand ready to provide help, including the provision of needed documents and other forms of assistance,” the Embassy said, adding it is sending one of its personnel to Sabah to check on the conditions of nationals. Moreover, it reiterated its call to Filipinos there to fully complete their immigration documents and always carry proper identification with them to avoid inconveniences in case of immigration checks. Also, it asked employers and agents to hand over any passport and other identification document to their Filipino employees for the protection and safety of the workers. The Embassy has been assisting undoc-
umented foreigners since September, when the announcement of an initial crackdown was made. “The Embassy coordinated with Malaysian immigration authorities in facilitating the release of exit passes and in the decrease of penalties levied on overstaying foreigners. Embassy representatives have been on hand when these Filipinos apply for their exit passes and taking them by the busloads to the Immigration office,” it said. Mobile consular missions and other forms of assistance, particularly in Sabah, is continuously being conducted since last year, it added. “We deployed a consular mobile team of six to seven personnel for two-week stay in Sabah twice a month,” it said. Also, it said the consular missions have visited Kota Kinabalu, Lahad Datu,
Semporna, Tawau, Kudat, Keningau, Kota Marudu and Sandakan in Sabah and Kuching, Labuan, Miri and Bintulu in Sarawak during its missions last year. It will undertake its first consular mission to Kota Kinabalu this month. Malaysia is home to thousands of Filipinos. Many of them are undocumented and reside in Malaysian-controlled Sabah, a resource-rich territory that is also being claimed by the Philippines. Every year, hundreds of Filipinos enter Sabah through Mindanao in search of a better life. Most of the undocumented Filipinos there come from Basilan, Sulu, TawiTawi, and other far-flung provinces in the southern Philippines. They are among the country’s poorest and constantly plagued by armed conflicts. (MNS)
Campaign to protect journalists continuing, says official MANILA, Jan 23 (Mabuhay) – The administration continues to coordinate efforts among government agencies to address media killings in the country, a Palace official said on Thursday. “We continue to work with the concerned government agencies. Ang direktiba po sa kanila ay pag-ibayuhin ang pagsisiyasat at paghahanap sa mga gumawa ng mga krimeng ito, dahil hindi naman po natin mapapahintulutan ang paggawa ng
karahasan laban sa mga journalists, at laban sa mga nagtatrabaho bilang mga peryodista and in the exercise of freedom of expression and freedom of the press,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr said in a press briefing in Malacañang on Thursday. Among the steps being taken are the changes in the rules of court to speed up ligation, especially with regards to the
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biggest case involving violence against journalists—the Maguindanao massacre. Three RTC judges were so far assigned to handle the case, he said. And at a time there were numerous media killings happening, Coloma said the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies made a commitment to heighten the campaign to arrest the perpetrators. “Kaya pag-iibayuhin ng ating pamahalaan ang pagsisikap na mabigyan
PA plans to form air defense artillery unit MANILA, Jan 24 (Mabuhay) – In a bid to increase its anti-aircraft capabilities, the Philippine Army is planning to form a so-called “ADA” (air defense artillery) unit which will help the Philippine Air Force in repelling incursions of hostile aircraft in the country’s airspace. Capt. Anthony Bacus, PA spokesperson, said that the proposal is under the Army Transportation Roadway. Once formed, the ADA will be tasked to address external threats, he added. At present, anti-aircraft assets of the PA are embedded in its Mechanized Infantry Division which is based in Camp O’Donnell, Capas, Tarlac. This unit operates around 343 AFVs (armored fighting vehicles) at present, including 150 of the United Kingdom-built GKN “Simba,” with the rest consisting of the United States-designed V-150 and V-200 APCs, M-113 “Bradley,” Turkishmade ACV-300s and British-manufactured Scorpion CVRTs (combat vehicles reconnaissance tracks). These AFVs give the PA its armor capability and are organized into a 14-vehicle mechanized infantry companion for deployment with regular units. “Our anti-air assets are embedded at our ‘Mechanized Infantry Division,’ meaning that they will play multi-roles if there’s a need to, but primarily their weapons (are meant) to support ground troops,” Bacus said. He added that anti-aircraft weapons operated by the PA as of the moment include: three units of Bushmasters 25mm auto-cannons, 32 units of Oerlikon 25mm auto-cannons, and 14 units of .50 caliber heavy machine guns. (MNS)
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Southland Pinoys celebrate feast of the Santo Niño This past weekend, The Feast of the Santo Niño LIGHTHOUSE was celebrated by various Catholic parishes here in the Southland, in conjunction with our Santo Nino celebration back home. In the City of Buena Park in Orange County, the FILCOM group celebrated their Santo Niño Feast along with the Sinulog Festival on Saturday, January 18th at the St. Pius Catholic Church. Their celebration started with a Mass officiated by the Most Rev. Oscar Solis, followed by a procession of the Virgin Mary and the Santo Niño, attended by more than five hundred parishioners, devotees and guests headed by Consul General Maria Hellen Barber-Dela Vega. The festival BY MYRNA AQUITANIA was highlighted by the presentation of the colorful “Sinulog” dancers. On Sunday, January 19th, the Santo Niño Feast was also celebrated at the 3:30 p.m. Mass of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels, sponsored by the Santo Niño Cruzada group who celebrated their 27th Anniversary since they were established in 1988, at
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Consul Maria Hellen Barber-Dela Vega at the Santo Niño Feast in Buena Park.
the former St. Vibiana’s Cathedral in Los Angeles. In San Gabriel Valley, at the All Soul’s Catholic Church in Alhambra, the annual feast of Santo Nino was celebrated with a procession of the Santo Nino in the streets surrounding the church grounds. Unlike last year, aside from the statue of the Santo Niño, there was a little girl named Marynina Therese Gella who was dressed depicting the Santo Nino. She tirelessly walked with the parishioners during the procession which was done an hour before the 5:30 p.m. Mass. The Mass was officiated by Rev. Pastor Joseph Kim Dang Nguyen and the celebration was sponsored by the Filipino Ministry of All Souls Parish headed by Jun Cabaccang. After Mass, See MYRNA, page 11
One of the young participants, Marynina Therese Gella, garbed as the “Santo Niño” at the All Soul’s Church in Alhambra. Photo: Jean O. Ng
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Garden Grove Tet Festival gallops to Costa Mesa grounds namese celebrated on Easily one of the top AROUND the same day as Chinese grossers in Orange County New Year. It takes place events, especially among TOWN from the first day of the the Vietnamese commufirst month of the Vietnity, the Tet Festival has namese calendar in late a new venue for its many January or early Februattractions for the expected ary. Vietnamese prepare thousands of visitors. for the holiday cooking Many who have enspecial food and doing joyed the largest Tet Festigeneral house cleaning . val in the U.S. will miss the It is also a visitation day street ambiance at its new on the first day of the new site at the Orange County BY RAY ANDRES year and a day dedicated Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa for ancestral worship, located many miles from gift giving of lucky money to the children Garden Grove that has been similarly and the elderly and a good day to open a made famous for the street extravaganza business. where in the span of three days hundreds of Like the Filipinos’ penchant for celebrabooths and family-centered activities have tion, the Tet is also an occasion for pilgrims attracted visitors from adjoining cities for and family reunions. Vietnamese visit their more than a decade. relatives and temples and forget about the The Garden Grove Park event hosted by troubles of the past year and hope for a the Union of Vietnamese Students Associabetter year. Tet is considered to be the first tion had been forced into its new site when day of spring festival. Garden Grove officials “demanded more Preparations for Tet begin one or two to host the event” that forced the group to weeks before the actual celebration and seek for another venue for the traditional the general atmosphere is one of shopping celebration. and decorating the home. People try to pay In year of the horse of the Chinese off debts to be debt-free for a clean slate lunar calendar, the Tet Festival strongly for the new year. Children are not missed identified with the Vietnam community has out in the frenzy with new clothes to wear literally galloped in the new site forced by for the event. Shops are closed during Tet circumstances. Though now really close so people stock up on supplies as much as to where it started, the venue is “still the they could. best option” according to the organizers The first day of Tet is reserved for the who hope the advantages of the new site nuclear family. The Vietnamese believe would lure more visitors. that the first visitor a family receives in the The festival in the last 11 years has cost year determines their fortune for the entire the City of Garden Grove more than $1.2 year and people never enter any house on million. It has been claimed to be “the largthe first day without being invited first. est event of its kind outside Vietnam” and Vietnamese families usually have a famis the annual favorite of the Little Saigon ily altar, to show respect to their ancestors. community that spans over four cities in This is thoroughly cleaned and a tray of the center of Orange County. new offerings of five different fruits are Tet or Vietnamese New Year, is the placed. most important celebration of the Viet-
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all the Santo Niño images were likewise blessed by Father Nguyen and a sumptuous dinner was served at the Community Hall prepared by kitchen helpers Jean O. Ng, Ma. Fe Gan, Lucy and Emma. The menu included warm arroz caldo cooked by Alan Rivera, delicious sotanghon by Venus Rivera, puto, kutsinta and fruit salad. Some friends of mine, Baby Gonzales and Evelyn Enriquez mentioned that they too, attended the Feast of Santo Niño celebration at St. Linus Catholic Church in Norwalk.
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I’m almost certain that numerous other Catholic parishes in the Southland had similar Santo Niño celebrations because back home, we have a large number of devotees to the Infant Jesus and the annual Santo Nino festival has been one of the highly-attended Feasts. Catholic Filipinos celebrate the Feast of the Santo Niño not only as a tradition, but also as a devotion to the Infant Jesus whose birth on Christmas gives all of us peaceful blessings as we go through another year full of hope for a better future.
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Some Bangsamoro leaders still apprehensive over peace talks – MILF official MANILA, Jan 23 (Mabuhay) -- Despite the significant progress in the peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), some Bangsamoro leaders remain apprehensive over the negotiations, an MILF official admitted. “Admittedly, may mangilan-ngilang leaders ng Bangsamoro ang atubili o di kaya may alinlangan sa isinasagawang pag-uusap ngayon,” Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF first vice chairman for political affairs, said. Jaafar did not elaborate on the cause of the misgivings but said he believes majority of the Bangsamoro people will support the agreement once it is signed by both parties. “Pero naniniwala ako na pag nandiyan na, pirmado na ‘yung Comprehensive Compact Agreement... susuportahan siya ng nakararami sa Bangsamoro people, if not all of them,” he said. He reiterated his call to the Bangsamoro
people, including even those from nonMuslim indigenous groups, to support the peace talks. “Panawagan namin ay para sa kanilang lahat na bigyan ng pagkakataon ang pag-uusap, itong peace talks sa pagitan ng Bangsamoro people at ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas. This time, ang Bangsamoro people ay represented by the leadership of the MILF,” he said. Jaafar is optimistic that the ongoing talks in Malaysia will yield positive results. “Considering the fact that 90 percent of the issues are being discussed, under the annex on normalization, are agreed upon already by both parties, meaning meron nang meeting of the minds,” he said. The television report said the government panel shares the confidence of the MILF that the last annex of the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement will be signed soon. The annex on normalization tackles the disarmament or decommissioning of
MILF members and other armed groups and economic programs for the residents of Bangsamoro territories. Miriam Coronel Ferrer, chief government negotiator, believes the two panels will agree on the annex as the issue on Bangsamoro waters – part of the body of water that will be under the jurisdiction of the Bangsamoro government—has already been ironed out. The two panels had set aside the issue in December to finish the annex on powersharing. “Napakahalaga na ma-delineate kung saan talaga yung areas na yun [Bangsamoro waters]. Meron kang wealth-sharing lalo na yung malalaking mangingisda. Baka naman may regulatory arrangements ka sa kanila para naman hindi nila maubos lahat ng isda at the expense of the small fisherfolk,” Ferrer said. She also said that part of the decommissioning is the inventory on all MILF members. “We’re working on certain figures
pero ang procedure naman natin dyan ay magkakaroon tayo ng process of inventory tsaka verification. So ang pag-settle dyan ay hindi mangyayari sa annex na ‘to kundi maga-agree tayo sa process,” said Ferrer. The government and MILF started its discussion on the annex on normalization on Wednesday. The normalization annex is the last of four annexes to the Framework Agreement, which is expected to result in a Bangsamoro Political Entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The panels have already signed the Annex on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities, the Annex on Revenue Generation and Wealth Sharing, and the Annex on Power Sharing. A Bangsamoro Transition Commission shall be in charge of drafting the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which will use the annexes as guide. Ferrer earlier said they hope to present the Bangsamoro Basic Law to Congress by early 2014. (MNS)
Manila’s crowded Terminal 1 was ranked by travellers based on comfort, convenience, cleanliness and customer service to be the worst in the world. ©AFP Photo/Noel Celis
NAIA TERMINAL From page 1
will be closed to give way to rehabilitation works. “Imposible namang mag-repair tayo ng ‘di magsasara ng portion, at ‘pag nagsara ka ng portion there will be some disturbance,” he said. The airport management is suggesting passengers to go to the airport earlier than the usual two-hour allowance before boarding time. “It’s for the improvement. ‘di naman pwedeng isara ‘yan [lahat] dahil saan naman dadalhin ang mga flights. So, hinihingi namin ang pasensya ng mga tao, the repair is here but there will still be some inconvenience,” he added. Last Dec. 24, the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC)
awarded the rehabilitation contract for the 32-year-old terminal to listed contractor D.M. Consunji Inc. (DMCI). DOTC green-lighted the rehabilitation works on January 13, giving DMCI a year to finish the project DOTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya earlier said DMCI must complete the project by December 1, in time for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation senior officials’ and high-level meetings the Philippines will host. Honrado said the project will include three components, namely structural retrofitting, improvement of mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection facilities, and architectural enhancement. (MNS)
POPE From page 1
However, Francis warned people not allow the desire to be connected to the digital world twenty-four hours a day to isolate them from society.
“It is not enough to be passersby on the digital highways, simply ‘connected’. Connections need to grow into true encounters,” he said.
EVACUATION From page 1
“The Philippine Embassy is ready to extend necessary assistance to all Filipino nationals in Thailand.” On Tuesday, the Thai government imposed a 60-day state of emergency in the capital and surrounding provinces in efforts to restrain the public unrest. Anti-government protestors have been clamoring for the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who is ac-
cused of being politically influenced by her brother, exiled former leader Thaksin Shinawatra. Due to the mounting pressure, Shinawatra set a snap elections scheduled on February 2. There were an estimated 16,000 Filipinos in Thailand based on the 2012 data from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas. (MNS)
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Refinancing to remove your PMI or lower your rate even if you are currently unemployed It’s been five years you cant take out the pmi MORTGAGE UPDATE with your lender, maybe since the financial system collapsed and the you should consider a full housing bubble burst, refinancing, make sure and it’s been a long and you do the no cost refisteady road to recovery. nancing. Adding costs of The housing market has refinancing to your loan only been on the mend will sometime defeat the over the last year, and purpose of your intention according to experts, it and just line up pocket of still has some healing the lender. to do. Real prices bottoming BY KEN GO New home sales hit in 2012 their highest level since Housing experts say May 2008 in June, fewer homeowners U.S. home prices peaked in early 2006 and are underwater and home prices in the fell to record lows in 2012. The widelycountry’s 20 largest cities were up 12.1% watched Case-Shiller home price index in June from a year earlier. fell to its lowest level at the end of 2008. I think we are 72% back to normal and Smith says home prices began to ima lot of what is driving the housing mar- prove in 2011 when the market had almost ket’s strength is existing home sales, but digested the crisis and left the average prices have also helped push the recovery. median home price at $166,100. Now he Sales of new U.S. single-family homes says the average price is $213,500 -- up vaulted to a five-year high in June, accord- 15% from last year. ing to the Commerce Department. Distressed Sales If we continue to see good sales, we Smith from the NAR says during the expect them to increase 5%-8% this year height of the crisis, distressed sales, which as prices continue to rise. The market isn’t include foreclosures and short sales, made fully running on eight cylinders yet, but we up 49% of the market. Now, that number are getting there. is closer to 12%. Last year, RealtyTrac What do you do when you were fortu- reported foreclosure filings fell 34% in nate enough to have bought home within August as first-time defaults dropped to the past three –four years? Work out your the lowest level in almost eight years, payment terms and get rid of your PMI if thanks to rising home prices. you are still paying on it. Conventional Refinancing your loan even when you and FHA loan that was written with more are unemployed. than a 80% loan to value most likely carIf you are unemployed MHA Making ried PMI. Home affordable can help you get relief First thing you should do is to make to avoid foreclosure. MHA could offer sure you have the equity requirement from solutions that could help you: your lender to be able to remove your PMI, Get mortgage relief while searching for you can obtain an appraisal and submit the re-employment. report to your lender. Before you do that Reduce your monthly mortgage payplease check if you have any time restric- ments and rates. tions, some pmi companies will require Get help when you owe more than the for you to keep the PMI for 5 years, some home is worth. maybe 2. Leave your home without the sting of If your interest rates are above 4% and foreclosure.
Simple probate proceedings are available for small estates There is a widespread It is very important to i.LAW misconception that proconsult and be informed bate proceedings need at the soonest possible be for large or compliopportunity. Our office cated estates. This is not is able to advise, assist true because simplified and represent you in all summary probate proforms of probate /dececeedings are commonly dent related transactions available for estates and procedures. Please containing real estate or do not hesitate to contact personal belongings of our office. BY ATTY. MIGUEL P. small value. NevertheAttorney Miguel InuINUMERABLE less, these simplified merable is a graduate of procedures, may involve UCLA Law School and other issues concerning inheritance and has more than 25 years experience serving distribution of assets and allocation of the Filipino community. He is bilingual in debts. Also, please note that many items Tagalog and English. His areas of practice of property may be held in certain forms includes Family Law (divorce, custody, of title that may not require probate at all support, restraining orders) Bankruptcy, for purposes of transfer. On the negative Business Litigation, Immigration and side, certain forms of holding joint title Deportation, Probate and Criminal and may preclude inheritance or transfer upon Regulatory Law. death by way of a trust or testamentary The leading source of News and Information for the document. Filipino American Community Living trusts have been popular transfer devices but they may have no effect in transferring a variety of properties and assets, for example, certain properties located NOW AVAILABLE! in foreign jurisdictions. Balita Digital Copy Nobody is getting younger. Unpleasant visit our website! a subject as it may be, It is to everyone’s financial interest and peace of mind to consult with an attorney with regards to probate assets and properties while the transferor is still living.
I spoke to a government employee who I have a direct contact, she says the program will require your lender to do a forbearance payment while you are looking for work to avoid foreclosure. Please call me for further details or call Making home affordable direct 888-995-4673. I have mentioned before that these programs will evolve to help more borrowers towards the later stages of the process, it might be too late for some but not all. So, now that the government finally or maybe got their programs to help homeowners in order, this is the time for some to try and get that help . For those who tried to modify on their own and is not getting anywhere with their
lenders, please send an email to : escalations@hmpadmin.com. Write a complete scenario of what is going on with your loan mod and MHA is suppose to act quickly and call your lender to speed up the approval. I hope all of you can take advantage of these low interest rates before they start to go up, get rid of your pmi, convert your adjustables to fixed rate mortgages, call now to know how you can save on your monthly rates and payments without paying for anything at all. Call Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance , 27 years of helping homeowners save and move thru the right path of homeownership. Call Ken at 562-508-7048 or write to kennethgo@verizon.net.
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Postpetition inheritance is part of bankruptcy estate Suppose you were a we extend the life of the Chapter 13 debtor for plan by one year to make BANKRUPTCY the last two years of a it a 60 months plan in48 months plan then stead of 48. Because you your mother dies leaving inherited your mother’s you as your inheritance house, instead of paying a fully paid house with your credit card debt of a fair market value of $100,000 only $10,000, $250,000. Your Chapter which is only $208 monthly for 48 months, 13 plan pays only 10% you will have to increase of your credit card debts BY ATTY. your plan payment to of $100,000, leaving LAWRENCE YANG $1,708 monthly! $90,000 to be discharged If you do not have the at the end of the 48th month. The $250,000 creates a problem ability to pay the higher amount of $1,708, in that you now have $250,000 which you then the trustee will sell the house you indid not have two years ago. If the $250,000 herited for at least $250,000. The proceeds is not part of your bankruptcy estate, then will be used to pay off all of the $100,000 there is no problem because the trustee credit card debt that you owe. Trustee will would not have any jurisdiction over the also pay all costs of sale and his legal fees asset. If the asset is part of your bankruptcy to administer your bankruptcy estate, probestate, then the trustee will have access to ably $50,000, then give you the difference the asset for the benefit of your credit card of $100,000. I don’t think your mother will creditors. If the trustee has access to the appreciate the fact that her house which asset, then your plan payment will have to took her a lifetime to payoff was used to increase from 10% payment of $100,000 of pay off your credit card debts plus trustee credit card debt, to 100% payment of credit expenses. In Re Ormiston, the Chapter 13 debtors card debt of $100,000. In short, your plan payment will increase by $1,500 month if had a combined monthly income of $2,096.
They had unsecured debt of $21,566, of which less than 1% was going to be paid through their confirmed plan. Before they finished their plan payments, the debtors notified the court that they were going to inherit between $25,000 and $40,000. The trustee responded to the news by filing a motion to modify the debtors’ plan to include the inheritance. The debtors responded that their inheritance was not property of their bankruptcy estate because it was received more than 180 days postpetition. When the trustee’s motion came before the court, the appeal of In re Carroll, was pending before the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. Both sides agreed that it would be prudent to wait for the 4th Circuit’s ruling in Carroll before ruling on the trustee’s motion. In Carrol v. Logan (10/28/13), the 4th Circuit ruled that an inheritance received by Chapter 13 debtors before their cases are closed, dismissed or converted to one under Chapter 7 or 11, is property of the estate. The debtors argued that their case was different from Carroll because they had not yet received their inheritance. They pointed out that Section 1306 only refers to an inheritance that the debtor “acquires� postpetition while Section 541 refers to
TFC’s newest Lifestyle Network joins DIRECTV Jan. 22 DIRECTV’s FilipinoDirect package now provides 11 Filipino channels, including six exclusive channels not available on any other TV Provider in the U.S. EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Jan. 22, 2014 – DIRECTV continues to expand its international programming lineup with the addition of TFC’s Lifestyle Network, which is now available as part of TFCDirect and FilipinoDirect Packages. DIRECTV is already the provider of the largest Pinoy entertainment package, and with the addition of the Lifestyle Network, DIRECTV
raises the bar even higher in popular Filipino programming. The Lifestyle Network is one of TFC’s premium channels offering an indispensable guide to Filipino daily life, with programs dedicated to music, fashion, travel, home, food and design. The channel provides viewers an opportunity to explore and experience Pinoy’s best in lifestyle and popular culture. “We are thrilled to be adding the Lifestyle Network to our Filipino programming line-up,� said Emma Brackett, vice president of Content and Programming, DIRECTV. “The channel further enhances
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the variety and breadth of content we provide to our Filipino customers, and shows our continued commitment to delivering the best television experience available.� Viewers can enjoy shows such as: “Curiosity Got the Chef� exhibiting celebrity chef Sharwin Tee’s exquisite culinary skills The award-winning “The Kitchen Musical,� featuring a mix of international talent, music, drama and food Real-life pilot and producer Joy Roa’s “Asian Air Safari� travel-adventure show, which invites viewers to travel the globe With the addition of the new channel, DIRECTV offers a total of 11 Filipino channels and the most expansive and comprehensive range of Filipino entertainment including TFC, TFC Lifestyle Network, GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Lifestyle TV, Myx TV, and the DIRECTV-exclusives ANC, C1NEMA ONE Global, Bro, DZMM, MOR101.1 and INCTV. The new channel is available to subscribers of DIRECTV TFCDirect and FilipinoDirect packages. DIRECTV also provides access to more than 285 other channels, including popular English-language networks such as CNN, Discovery Channel, The Travel Channel, The Food Network, Animal Planet, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, and more than 195 HD channels. For more information on package selections, consumers can call DIRECTV’s Filipino customer service at 1.888.291.1335 or visit http://www.directv.com/filipino.
property interests that the debtor acquires or “becomes entitled toâ€? postpetition. The bankruptcy court rejected this narrow interpretation. “Sections 541(a) and 1306(a), when read together, support the conclusion that the latter statute expands the time frame set forth in the former, incorporating into the bankruptcy estate any property interest specified in Section 541(a)(5)(A), such as an inheritance, regardless of when that property was actually received, provided that it was received during the life of the case,â€? the court said.â€? “The date of decedent’s death, not the date the will is admitted to probate or distributions made, is the point at which a debtor acquires or becomes entitle to acquire an inheritance ‌â€?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 five 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, Bldg A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803. About DIRECTV DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV) is one of the world’s leading providers of digital television entertainment services delivering a premium video experience through state-of-the-art technology, unmatched programming and industry leading customer service to more than 37 million customers in the U.S. and Latin America. In the U.S., DIRECTV offers its over 20 million customers access to more than 190 HD channels and Dolby-Digital 5.1 theater-quality sound, access to exclusive sports programming such as NFL Sunday Ticket, Emmy-award winning technology and higher customer satisfaction than the leading cable companies for 13 years running. DIRECTV Latin America, through its subsidiaries and affiliated companies in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, and other Latin American countries, leads the pay TV category in technology, programming and service, delivering an unrivaled digital television experience to more than 17 million customers. DIRECTV sports and entertainment properties include two Regional Sports Networks (Rocky Mountain and Pittsburgh), and minority ownership interests in Root Sports Northwest and Game Show Network. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please visit www.directv.com. FOR MORE NEWS AND INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBSITE
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Aquino jokes about Napoles’ ‘I don’t remember’ spiels MANILA, Jan 24 (Mabuhay) – In a bid to make his speech sound less depressing as it was about the Philippines after great calamities and scandals, President Benigno Aquio III tried to crack a joke before MalacaĂąang’s visitors on Friday. He poked fun at Janet Lim Napoles, the supposed mastermind of the P10-billion pork barrel scam, saying the controversial businesswoman lost a chance to be featured on a popular TV drama special because of her “amnesia.â€? In a speech during the courtesy call of Warmth in Winter Tour members, Aquino said he received a text message that Napoles’ life would be featured on “Maalaala Mo Kaya.â€? The scriptwriters, naturally, went to Napoles to interview her and get details for the episode. “Sa bawat tanong po ng mga scriptwriter, ang sinasabi raw ho ni Mrs. Napoles, ay “Hindi ko maalala iyan.â€? May tinanong na ibang bagay, “Wala akong maalalang ganyan,â€? said Aquino. “Pagkatapos ho ng lima o anim na oras sa kaka-interview, wala pa hong nasusulat iyong scriptwriter, hindi na po matutuloy raw iyong episode ng ‘Maalaala mo Kaya,’â€? he added, eliciting laughter from the audience. Napoles repeatedly said “hindi ko alam (I don’t know)â€? and “hindi ko maalala (I can’t remember)â€? when senators asked her about the pork barrel scam during a Senate hearing in November last year. The President said he was happy he was able to make the people laugh amid the problems besetting the country.
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Don’t let debt destroy everything you’ve worked so hard for I often get asked bankruptcy be avoided? MINDING YOUR whether filing for bankIn dealing with debt ruptcy can be avoided problems, usually, there FINANCES in finding a solution to are no magical solutions. debt problems. I usually And while a rich relatell people that filing for tive might die suddenly bankruptcy should be and leave you a fortune, a last resort, not a first don’t count on it. What option. Before filing for about winning the lotbankruptcy, you should tery? Did you know weigh the advantages that you have a better against the disadvanchance of being struck BY ATTY. RAY BULAON tages. How will filing by lightning than winchange your financial ning the lottery? Sorry to situation and your immediate future? Can disappoint you but its true. Until that day assets be protected? What type of relief comes, you have to take the initiative in from debt can be gained by filing? Can finding a solution to your debt problems.
Confirmed flu deaths up by 50 in California SACRAMENTO – Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and state health officer, announced today the number of confirmed influenza related deaths in the state has increased by 50 to a total of 95 confirmed deaths for the season. Three of the 95 are pediatric deaths. There are an additional 51 deaths under investigation, not yet confirmed. “The increasing number of influenza related deaths points to the severity of this flu season,” said Dr. Chapman. “Vaccination is so important, because it continues to be the best defense against the flu.” Influenza vaccine remains available and there is no widespread shortage of anti-virals for treatment of the flu. While hospitals have seen over the last few weeks an increase in the number of patients hospitalized, there is still bed capacity. CDPH continues to closely monitor flu activity statewide and related resources. The 95 confirmed influenza-associated deaths this season have been reported by the following counties: Alameda (3), Contra Costa (3), El Dorado (1), Fresno (5), Humboldt (1), Kern (4), Kings (3), Lassen (1), Long Beach (1), Los Angeles (8), Marin (2), Mendocino (1), Merced (3), Monterey (2), Nevada (1), Orange (4), Riverside (3), Sacramento (10), San Bernardino (7), San Diego (6), San Francisco (1),
San Joaquin (3), San Mateo (3), Santa Barbara (1), Santa Clara (7), Santa Cruz (1), Shasta (1), Siskiyou (1), Solano (1), Sonoma (3), Stanislaus (3) and Tulare (1). The total number of deaths reported for the entire 2012-2013 influenza season was 106. Dr. Chapman also notes that in addition to getting vaccinated, it’s important to practice good hand washing and other good health habits. People who are ill should take actions to stop the spread of germs such as: • While sick, limit contact with others • Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing • Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based rub • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth Those at highest risk - the elderly, pregnant women, infants, or those with other health conditions - who show flu symptoms should contact their physician immediately in order to get the most effective treatment. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue. Visit a flu vaccine location near you to get immunized. Some local health departments may also offer free or lowcost immunizations. More information on influenza and other respiratory disease surveillance reports can be found on the CDPH website.
Guns, swords, grenades: busy year for air passenger seizures WASHINGTON, January 24, 2014 (AFP) – It’s a given that bringing a loaded firearm onto a US plane is illegal. But that did not stop 1,477 people from trying to do just that last year, officials said Friday. Passengers also sought to sneak grenades, inert explosives, tear gas, cane-swords and even a medieval mace onto flights, all part of the varied weaponry detected at airport checkpoints by the Transportation Security Administration in 2013. TSA said agents seized 1,813 guns, 1,477 of them loaded, from checkpoints at 205 airports last year, thanks to the use of metal detectors and advanced imaging technology. That marks a 16.5-percent increase in firearm seizures from 2012. Nearly 639 million passengers were screened in 2013, about 1.1 million more than the previous year. Atlanta, the world’s busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic, led the way with 111 weapons intercepted in 2013. TSA revealed the data in a blog post, with images of various weaponry and non-functioning explosives such as an inert Claymore mine or gag gifts resembling live grenades or improvised explosive devices, that passengers sought to bring aboard commercial flights. “The problem with these types of items is that we don’t know if they are real, toys or replicas until we call out the explosive experts,” TSA said on its blog. The list of intercepted items is long: a fake suicide vest used by an explosives instructor as a training aid; a live blasting cap and fuse lighter; a shotgun discovered in a checked golf bag; an inert Bazooka round; and a stun gun designed to look like lipstick. One passenger who opted out of standard screening at the Pittsburgh airport, but underwent a security pat-down, was found to have a loaded .45-caliber pistol strapped to his ankle.
Here are some interesting facts: Let’s assume you had a $10,900 balance on your credit cards and paid the required 2% minimum every month (about $218). If you didn’t have your credit card payment of $218 per month (in this example), you could be investing this same amount for the next 25 years. At 12% interest per year, you could retire in 25 years with $1,354,930 saved. Do you see what I’m trying to tell you? See, your credit card debt payments are not only costing you a fortune in interest but they may also be stopping you from planning and saving for a secure your financial future! Almost half of the households in this country report having difficulty paying their minimum monthly credit card payments. Is your household one of them? Every year for the last several years, more than 1 million people have been filing for bankruptcy. Excessive credit card debt is one of the major reasons for this. Don’t get me wrong. Credit has its uses. But the abuse of credit has destroyed more lives, marriages and businesses than anything else I’ve seen. Left unchecked, it can destroy everything you’ve worked
so hard for. Making the decision to change is your first step in solving your debt problems. Once you decide, make a commitment to live within your budget and control your spending. After you have reduced your spending, use the money that you save to pay your debts slowly, one by one. For some of you, this may take a while and a lot of discipline to do. If everything else fails, filing for bankruptcy may be your last resort. In a lot of cases I have seen, it’s the only option and has become absolutely necessary in order to recover financially. If you are considering bankruptcy as a possible solution to your debt problems, call my office so that we can talk about your situation. To schedule a free consultation, please call Toll-Free 1-866-477-7772. We have offices in Glendale, Cerritos, West Covina, Valencia and Riverside. (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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US Pacific fleet chief says N. Korea is top security concern BY Bhavan Jaipragas
SINGAPORE, January 22, 2014 (AFP) – North Korea remains Washington’s “number one security concern” in Asia, the US Pacific Fleet commander said Wednesday, despite simmering territorial disputes elsewhere in the region. Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr also expressed concern over “coercion” by China in its maritime disputes with neighbors. He said an increased deployment of US military assets in the region as part of an Asian rebalance announced in 2012 would ensure that “we are where it matters and when it matters”. “Our number one security concern is North Korea,” Harris told reporters in Singapore on board the destroyer USS Spruance. “I am concerned as a commander for the provocations that come from North Korea. I don’t understand them, I don’t understand their leadership and I don’t understand their intent,” he said. Pyongyang last week warned of “calamities and disasters” if the United States and South Korea push ahead with a series of annual joint military drills from next month. Last year’s exercises were held in the wake of North Korea’s third and largest nuclear test, and prompted months of escalated military tensions that saw Pyongyang issue similar apocalyptic threats of nuclear war against its southern neighbor and the United States. Harris also expressed concern at China’s declaration of an “air defence identification zone” over the East China Sea, including over islands disputed with Japan. “We think that the air defence identification zone (ADIZ) was an unfortunate imposition in the region,” he said. “It highlights an issue that I am concerned about, and that is coercion by China in this case and other countries as well,” he added. “It has not affected our military operations at all. We choose to do business as usual in the ADIZ.” The declaration, which caused an international furor, requires foreign aircraft to declare their intentions and maintain communications with Chinese authorities or face unspecified “defensive emergency measures”. China is also embroiled in a bitter row with the Philippines, Vietnam and other nations about overlapping claims in the South China Sea. Beijing claims sovereignty over essentially all that sea. Harris urged countries involved in the territorial disputes to resolve them “amicably, peacefully, and without resort to undue pressure”. He said the recent completion of the deployment in Southeast Asia of the US Navy’s first littoral combat ship (LCS), designed to fight in coastal areas, was an example of how Washington’s Pacific rebalance “is real and being realized.” A second LCS will be deployed in the region for 16 months later this year, he said. He also welcomed the acceptance by China’s People’s Liberation Army of an invitation to take part in major US-hosted naval drills for the first time in June off Hawaii. The biennial Rim of the Pacific exercise, or RIMPAC, is billed as the world’s largest international maritime war games and will feature armed forces from 23 nations. “We welcome Chinese participation, and we welcome quite frankly the growth of China as a military power in the Pacific. There is nothing wrong with that,” he said.
Positive notes on post-Yolanda assessment hearings By Myrna Aquitania
The televised post “Yolanda” assessment hearings of government officials in the Philippines heard the testimony of Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez and Mayor Leonardo Javier of Javier, Leyte. Both mayors were requested by Senator Nancy Binay to relate their “Yolanda” stories in order to enable them, the government officials, to look for solutions to address and minimize many of the problems that resulted from it. According to Mayor Romualdez, “no one had foreseen the capacity of the storm surge, so he suggested that there should be a better coordination not only with the Pagasa weather forecasters, but they (government officials) should include hiring the expertise of geophysicists and oceanographers, particularly in typhoon-stricken areas all over the country. The expertise of geophysicists and oceanographers are needed to enable them (stricken area mayors) to evacuate where and how far inland. Further, he said that though the weather forecasters announced that the typhoon was coming in 48 hours, it wasn’t the surge of the storm that devastated their island but rather, it was the velocity of it that was admittedly unforeseen.” Romualdez also suggested that “communication is vital and contingent logistitics is necessary. He said that confusion during the time of the typhoon on November 8, 2013 left them only with 26 of their police personnel to handle not only evacuation but looting in the Mall, particularly when 160 of their inmates escaped from jail. Their minimal police force didn’t have the necessary equipment nor transportation to augment the overwhelming problems that befell them, including identifying the almost 2,000 people killed and 700 to 800 missing during the time.” “We couldn’t just bury the dead because families of the victims killed wanted to identify their loved ones and with no technology such as Pathologists or Forensic specialists, we decided to just cover them while they lay on the ground.” Mayor Javier on the other hand, related that “with no federal help, it took us 36 hours to clear our town’s 76 km. radius because we didn’t have basic needs such as electric, gas or fuel for transportation,
oil for cooking nor communication, because all the electrical light posts were destroyed. Gladly, through our innate “bayanihan” spirit, “we had our small League of Municipalities in the Visayas and we all helped and coordinated with each other calling ourselves the “Moses of Leyte” in saving the lives of our constituents.” Senatror Rodolfo Biazon reiterated that they have to propose into law, contingent logistics plan in time of disaster, including rescue operations, relief operations, rehabilitation, reconstruction and economic recovery. The government officials also agreed that a post disaster assessment report is necessary to enable them (the officials) to enact particular laws needed in facing the disasters brought out by the recent calamities. A representative from the 2nd district of Zambales, Rep. Cheryl Delobo-Montalla suggested that they (the government officials) should “include or tap the various LGU’s (League of Government Units) such as the Barangay captains in all rescue operations.” In relation to the LGU’s, Senator Biazon also added that “the PHL government has the capacity to lend 26 B pesos to LGU’s for infrastructure in order to rebuild their municipalities.” Finally, Mayor Romualdez proposed a “summit or meeting to address logistics in dealing with unforeseen disasters and to particularize necessary programs needed by typhoon-stricken areas. As an example, he pointed out the difference between the needs of Tacloban and Ozamiz City. Here is an example of two typhoon-stricken cities with different needs such as its coastal attributes as well as its liquefaction capabilities.” It is commendable that the tremendous time spent by these government officials in this post- “Yolanda” assessment hearing is a learning curve where all of us will someday benefit for a more progressive Philippines. In spite of all these calamities, Filipinos have the resilience to withstand it all. And, instead of fingerpointing, let us all rise to find necessary solutions to address our country’s problems. Mabuhay to every Pinoy’s hope for a better future!
Mar defends Aquino-Romualdez remark: ‘Isn’t that true?’ MANILA, Jan 23 (Mabuhay) – “Hindi po ba totoo naman na ang Romualdez ay Romualdez at ang Aquino ay Aquino?” This was how Interior Secretary Mar Roxas defended the remark he made to Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in November last year. Roxas said in front of Romualdez that he was aware of the “reality” that the surnames of the mayor and the President may come into play and create “problems.” “Kasi totoo po. Tingnan po niyo ang nangyari ngayon... Tanggap ko po ang realidad na puwede magkaproblema,” Roxas told a congressional inquiry on the government’s response to Yolanda on Thursday. Although Romualdez was present during the same hearing, he was not able to answer Roxas’s
statements. Before the hearing, Romualdez and Roxas shook hands and even patted each other’s back. During a hearing last month, Romualdez claimed Roxas told him after Yolanda hit Tacloban City: “We have to be very careful because you are a Romualdez and the president is an Aquino.” The Tacloban mayor also said Roxas asked him to cede control of the city to the national government instead of immediately responding to the needs of the typhoon victims. But Roxas belied Romualdez’s claims, saying the mayor took his statements out of context. Romualdez is the nephew of Imelda Marcos, widow of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. President Benigno Aquino III’s father, Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., was assassinated on his return from exile in 1983 under the Marcos presidency. (MNS)
Palace: Public consultation needed before death penalty can be restored MANILA, Jan 23 (Mabuhay) – A Malacañang spokesperson said Thursday that public consultation must be conducted first before they can even consider reviving the death penalty in the country. “Ang bagay na ito po ay pagbabago ng batas at dahil sa malalim at malawak na implikasyon, nararapat lamang na ito ay maging paksa ng malawakang konsultasyon at pag-alam hinggil sa saloobin ng mga mamamayan dahil malaking pagbabago ito iyong umiiral ay no capital punishment,” Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said at
a press conference. Coloma issued the statement after being asked about the possibility of reviving the death penalty amid rising criminal acts in the country, including the recent rape-slay case of a little girl in Manila. Coloma, however, said President Benigno Aquino III and the Cabinet have yet to discuss the matter. “Hindi pa nga po ito tinatalakay at ang aming pananaw sa kasalukuyan mainam na magkaroon ng malawakang konsultasyon para malaman ang saloobin ng iba’t ibang sektor,” he said. (MNS)
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US senator pledges to strengthen PHL-US ties US Senator Marco Rubio has met with President Benigno S. Aquino III, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert F. del Rosario and Secretary of Defense Voltaire Gazmin, underscoring the bilateral relations of the Philippines and the United States (US). This is the Senator’s first official trip to Asia, which also includes visits to Japan and South Korea. Senator Rubio discussed with the President and the Foreign Affairs Secretary matters pertaining to the further strengthening of political and economic cooperation between the Philippines and the US. “We have a unique opportunity to reinvigorate the bilateral relationship of the Philippines and the United States,” Senator Rubio noted. “The Philippines-US alliance should not just be about mutual defense but also economic partnerships,” he added. There was also discussion on global
and regional issues. According to Senator Rubio, “The US rebound to Asia has to be real and backed with concrete measures.” The Senator emphasized that the South China Sea must remain open to navigation and commerce for regional and global economic growth. He also stressed the US’ call for peace and stability in the region. Senator Rubio also visited Tacloban and expressed his admiration for the resilience of the Filipino people amidst the devastation. Secretary Del Rosario thanked the US Senator for the generous and immediate support of the United States government in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda. Senator Rubio and Secretary Del Rosario discussed how economic relations could be reinforced and highlighted the importance of trade missions and the expansion of key industries. Senator Rubio expressed optimism that the Philippines
will be part of the Trans Pacific Partnership in the future. He also emphasized the importance of people-to-people ties given the 123,000 Filipinos in his home state of Florida. Senator Rubio is a junior United States Senator from Florida. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 to 2008 and served as Speaker of the House from 2006 to 2008. He was elected to the US Senate in 2010. He is a ranking member of the Subcommittee on East Asia and Pacific Affairs of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
US Senator Marco Rubio, escorted by US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg signs the Palace Guest Book at the Reception Hall of the Malacañan Palace on Wednesday (January 22). (MNS photo)
Abortion foes rally in Washington, spurred by pope
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her doctor, to decide whether or not to undergo an abortion, the principle enshrined by Roe versus Wade, according to a Gallup poll at the end of last year. Twenty-nine percent want the Supreme Court ruling overturned, however, while 18 percent have no opinion on the matter—the highest level since Gallup started asking the question in 1989. Another poll, by YouGov.com for the Huffington Post website, found 47 percent supporting Roe versus Wade, 33 percent against and 20 percent “not sure.” But the anti-abortion movement – underpinned by the Catholic church and social conservatives – remains a political force to be reckoned with, not least with the 2016 presidential election looming. Last year alone, 22 of the 50 states enacted a total of 70 abortion restrictions – the greatest number in any year besides 2011, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a specialist think tank. The issue, meanwhile. returned to the Supreme Court last week when its nine justices heard arguments over a Massachusetts law creating a buffer zone around abortion clinics targeted by pro-life activists. Pro-abortion advocates cancelled plans for a counter-protest in Washington on Wednesday, citing the cold snap that followed a snowstorm Tuesday up and down the northeastern US coast. On their stoppatriarchy.org website, they lashed out at what they called “a Christian fundamentalist-driven assault ... imperiling abortion, birth control, real sex education and women’s lives.” In the pro-life crowd Wednesday, university graduate Kristin Hagelin, 21, attending her first March for Life, said her opposition to abortion took shape “quite recently” after her boyfriend proposed to her and she reflected on married life. “A lot of people don’t realize how horrible abortion is,” she told AFP as she handed out “I Am the Pro-Life Generation” placards. “Even just seeing pictures of what abortion is – it’s tearing a life apart.” From Pittsburgh, 57-year-old electrical engineer Don Kirkwood, a member of the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima, marched with a statue of the Virgin Mary, “a role model for all young mothers.” “It seems it’s getting worse rather than better,” he said when asked how he thought the struggle against abortion was going.
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WASHINGTON, January 22, 2014 (AFP) – Thousands of marchers braved freezing temperatures in Washington on Wednesday to demand an end to abortion in the United States, with Pope Francis tweeting his support. The annual March for Life marks the anniversary – in this case the 41st – of the US Supreme Court’s landmark Roe versus Wade decision that effectively legalized abortion nationwide. “We’re pro-life because we believe in the rights of unborn children,” March for Life president Jeanne Monahan told the crowd on the snow-covered National Mall, with the Capitol in the distance. On Twitter, where he has three million followers in English, Pope Francis sent from the Vatican a message of support to the protesters, including large numbers of Roman Catholics. “I join the March for Life in Washington with my prayers,” said the pontiff, who last year denounced abortion as a symptom of today’s “throw-away culture.” “May God help us respect all life, especially the most vulnerable,” he added. US President Barack Obama, who has expressed admiration for some of the pope’s messages and is due to meet him in Rome in March, is on the other side of the debate. In a statement to mark the anniversary, the White House reaffirmed Obama’s position that “every woman should be able to make her own choices about her body and her health. “We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to protecting a woman’s access to safe, affordable health care and her constitutional right to privacy, including the right to reproductive freedom,” it said. At the rally on the nearby Mall, speaker after speaker mourned the estimated 56 million fetuses which, they said, have been “brutally slayed” in American abortion clinics over the past four decades. “Our society and our leaders must stop upholding abortion and start encouraging adoption,” said Vicky Hartzler, a Republican congresswoman and Tea Party favorite from Missouri. “Abortion hurts everyone,” she declared. Fifty-three percent of Americans support a woman’s right, in consultation with
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services available today. Acne is the most common skin condition treated at LaVon Skin Care. If you are silently suffering with acne,you are not alone. Thousands of people in the Filipino community have acne including teenagers and adults. A disorder of skin’s oil glands and hair folicles, the red, irritated bumps that are the hallmark of acne breakouts are often painfully obvious. Finally, there is a solution that targets three primary causes of acne and delivers clear, healthy skin that helps to stop breakouts before they start. Another skin problem treated at LaVon Skin Care is Melasma or Chloasma, spots
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are similar in appearance to age spots but are larger areas of darkened skin that appear most often as a result of hormonal changes. Pregnancy, for example, can trigger overproduction of melanin that causes the “mask of pregnancy� on the face and darkened skin on the abdomen and other areas. Women who take birth control pills may also develop dark spot because their bodies undergo similar kind of hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy. If one is really bothered by the pigment, the birth control pills should be stopped. This skin problem is called hyperpig mentation(Discoloration). It is a common condition in which patches of skin become darker in color than the normal surrounding skin. This darkening occurs when an excess of melanin, the brown pigment that produces normal skin color, forms deposits in the skin. Hyperpigmentation can affect the skin color of people of any race including us- Filipinos. LaVon Skin Care discovered these state-of-the-art acne treatment that targets current blemishes while helping to prevent future breakout activity and dark spot removal that makes skin evenly colored, naturally hydrated and smooth. LaVon Skin Care is using synergistic blend of active enzymes - a product that delivers rapid results; reduce the visible signs of acne as early as 2 weeks. It penetrates the pores deeply. all the way down to the follicles - to stop acne where it starts. The end result: you can achieve clearer, healthier, breakout-free skin – fast! How does LaVon SkinCare program transform skin? It penetrates below the surface of the skin to transform skin cell
functions at the cellular level and correct the damage within. It exfoliates old skin leaving healthy, new skin that looks and acts younger and healthier. LaVon SkinCare is a group of highy qualified Licensed Estheticians headed by Cecil Danganan whose goal is to make everyone’s skin Flawless. She achieves this goal by using breakthrough technology in skin care treatments.The skin care specialist brought her highly acclaimed skin care shop in Pasig and Caloocan, Philippines and her skill of making your skin beautiful to the U.S. keeping her apart from others in the skin care industry. Cecil Danganan, owner and head Esthetician of LaVon Skin Care has completed numerous post-graduate courses and attended a lot of trainings to cope up with the fast-changing trends in skin care industry. This skin care entrepreneur and skin specialist has treated adults and teenagers with incredible success. For Cecil’s legion of fans, her skin care treatments and programs are an absolute necessity. She and her colleagues will be happy to arrange a personal skin analysis and consultation to discuss your skin care needs. LaVon Skin Care has two locations, one at Carson and one newly opened, at Cerritos. Both an enjoyable place to relax and to have a beauty treatment. LaVon has an amazing tecnique on curing acne and many more skin problems. LaVon Skin Care, a place to relax and a place to enjoy beautiful skin. They have two shops: 22020 S Avalon Bl, Carson CA 90745 and 17150 Norwalk Blvd. Ste 105 Cerritos CA 90703 . You may call 562 213-6322, 310 518-SKIN (7546) for more services.
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Nutrition and weight control: 7 healthy tips from Dr. Levi Harrison LOS ANGELES, Calif. (January 21, 2014) – Nutrition is very important in assisting to control your weight. It is essential for us to remember that the body is an extraordinary machine; however, it will reflect the types of foods which we eat. There is great truth to the adage, “We are what we eat and we are what we think!” We have to be “conscious eaters” and be aware of the food that we place in our bodies. We must not let food control
the stability of our health or the size of our waist lines. Here are seven healthy tips to assist you to have better nutrition and control your weight: Consider having fruits and vegetables on half of the plate for each meal. Consider eating only vegetables 3 days per week. Your body will love this. Only buy nutritious, life-invigorating food for snacks such as dried fruits, nuts,
M Beauty star-studded opening on Feb. 1 in Rancho Cucamonga FRESH from her historic guesting at “The Dr. Öz Show” on January 10, Dr. Tess Mauricio, America’s Favorite Dermatologist, will make history again on February 1. On February 1, at 10am, Dr. Tess will open her fifth clinic at Rancho Cucamonga. The new M Beauty Clinic by Dr. Tess will be located at Island Pacific Shopping Center, 6753 Carnelian St Unit 1, Rancho Cucamonga CA 91701. The star-studded event opens with the blessing at 10 a.m., followed by a program at 11am featuring a slew of activities and attractions, entertainment numbers, a raffle, and beauty tips from Dr. Tess herself. Headlining the star-studded festivities is none other than actor and matinee idol Dr. Tess Mauricio with Gabby Concepcion. The actor and matinee idol headlines the grand opening of M Beauty by Dr. Gabby Concepcion. Dr Tess Tess’ fifth and latest clinic in Rancho Cucamonga on Feb. 1. will be joining Gabby Concecpcion’s US Concerr Tour in San Francisco /San Bruno on Feb 1, Sacramento on February 2, San Diego on February 7. You can check on your local concert promoters for tickets. Dr Tess gushed” I am personally thrilled to have Gabby in our Grand Opening of M Beauty Racho Cucamonga .I am so excited about our future working relationship because Gabby is my ultimate favorite matinee idol, growing up in the Philippines.” Other stars coming are Hilda Koronel, Anjanette Abayari, and Patricia Javier. Dr. Tess made the Filipino community proud when she guested at the top-rating “The Dr. Öz Show,” where she discussed the latest beauty and skin care tips with Dr Mehmet Öz, America’s most popular health guru. With her historic guesting, Dr. Tess is poised to conquer bigger audiences as an indemand panelist and speaker on television and live events. She has appeared in “The Rachel Ray Show,” “The Talk on CBS,” “The Doctors,” “America’s Next Top Model,” “San Diego Living,” “The Wellness Hour,” and Fox News. Filipino audiences know her from her appearances on “Adobo Nation” at The Filipino Channel and her own “Dr Tess Show” on GMA Pinoy TV. At the same time, her well renown practice is expected to break new ground with the opening of her fifth clinic. The Rancho Cucamonga branch marks M Beauty’s foray into the Inland Empire, which covers the vast San Bernardino County, east of Los Angeles. You can now visit five M Beauty by Dr. Tess Clinics: Glendale, San Diego, National City, Del Mar/Solana Beach, and Rancho Cucamonga. For more information, call (888) 744-7004 or visit www.mbeautyclinic.com.
grains and veggies. Consider minimizing the amount of high caloric, non-nutritious snacks such as soda, candy, ice cream and food that is high in salt, sugar, dyes and preservatives. Eat 4-5 small meals during the day to keep insulin and cortisol levels stable. Be sure to exercise daily, which will decrease stress and stimulate a feeling of well-being. Take time to be still and meditate for 15-20 minutes per day. This will help you to be conscious about your eating habits and fitness goals. These seven tips will help you make more nutritious choices as you become a “conscious eater.” Remember to exercise as you become more mindful about your health and nutrition. Enjoy life! Dr. Levi Harrison, “The Fitness Doctor,” is an orthopedic surgeon and the di-
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ENTERTAINMENT
Kababayan host Jannelle So is engaged!
Janelle So
The kababayan who’s usually on top of news and issues concerning the Filipino American community in Southern California and Hawaii recently felt “on top of the worldâ€? as she tweeted minutes after an engagement at the top of the 46-storey Heron Tower in London, England. Jannelle So, host and producer of “Kababayan Todayâ€? on LA18 celebrated New Year’s Eve in London with her boyfriend-turned-fiancĂŠ, commercial director and EcoMedia/CBS VP Lester Perkins. Before ringing in 2014 (literally and figuratively,) the couple spent five days with Leter’s family and friends in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he was born and raised. He worked on high budget TV commercials for different international brands in London before moving to Los Angeles
six years ago. Jannelle was born and raised in the Philippines before moving to California 11 years ago. She has been the the driving force behind America’s first and only daily talk show for the Filipinos and the longest-running Filipino talk show outside of the Philippines for almost eight years now. “Kababayan Today� is on weekdays at 4 p.m. on LA18 in Southern California and is syndicated on Kiku channel in Hawaii. A summer destination wedding is being planned and spearheaded by community leader and recently-elected Chair of the FilAm Arts Board Rocio Nuyda, a very close friend of the bride-to-be. Congratulations, Jannelle and Lester, from your Balita Media family! We wish you all the best!
Janelle So with boyfriend Lester Perkins
Andi to fight for love ‘against all odds’ MANILA, Jan 22 (Mabuhay) -– “I’m willing to fight for our love against all odds.� This was Andi Eigenmann’s statement referring to what she’s willing to do for the man she loves. While she did not name any person in particular, Eigenmann has been vocal in her past interviews that she still considers her former boyfriend, Jake Ejercito, as someone special. “Loving means taking chances
and doing your best for the one you love,� said Eigenmann. “I think the man I love deserves nothing but the best.� Eigenmann and Ejercito broke up in 2012 after the actress’ mother Jaclyn Jose revealed that Ejercito’s parents do not seem to approve of her daughter because she has a child out of wedlock. Ejercito is the son of Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and former movie star Laarni Enriquez.
However, Estrada has repeatedly denied such accusations, saying he never intervenes with his son’s love life. Estrada also said his son is already old enough to know what’s best for him. nWhile they have been consistent that they are not back together as a couple, both Eigenmann and Ejercito are open that they maintain a good relationship. Their posts in Instagram even suggest that they welcomed the New Year together.(MNS)
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FOOD & DINING
... / 01 1/ 2 3 4 Buffalo Pierogies FAMILY FEATURES
Buffalo Pierogies Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 18 minutes Serves: 4 Wine pairing: The Naked Grape Pinot Grigio 1 cup oil 1/2 cup hot pepper sauce 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1 (12-ounce) box Mrs. T’s Potato & Cheddar Mini Pierogies Non-stick cooking spray Blue cheese dressing Carrot sticks Celery sticks Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine oil, hot sauce and chili powder; toss with frozen pierogies. Coat baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and spread pierogies evenly on the baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 16 to 18 minutes, or until pierogies are puffed and browned. For best results, turn
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Pierogies with Butter & Onions Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 10 to 15 minutes Serves: 4 Wine pairing: The Naked Grape Chardonnay 1 (16-ounce) box Mrs. T’s Potato & Cheddar Pierogies 1 cup sliced onions 1/4 cup melted butter, margarine or olive oil Place pierogies in boiling water; cook about 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, sautÊ onions and butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Place sautÊed onions into large bowl. Add cooked pierogies and mix gently. Serve and top with sour cream, if desired.
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s the temperature begins to drop, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the perfect opportunity to gather your circle of friends and bring the entertainment indoors. Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game day or the season finale of your favorite TV show, these dishes and delectable wine pairings will make any casual gettogether that much more memorable ... and delicious. From finger foods to satisfying meals, Mrs. Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pierogies has you covered. Flavorful whipped potatoes combined with tasty additions, like cheddar cheese and onion, are gently folded into a pasta shell to create the perfect canvas for your favorite ingredients and spices. Dishes like Buffalo Pierogies and Pierogies Pad Thai are perfect for a crowd, whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve planned ahead or are having an impromptu gathering â&#x20AC;&#x201D; just be sure to keep a few boxes of pierogies in your freezer. The Naked Grapeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new high-quality 3L box wine is the perfect choice to serve alongside these dishes. As the only box wine that is fully recyclable from bag to box, you get to experience the same great tasting wine found in their bottles in an eco-friendly and attractive package that can go where glass canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. The box is perfect for large gatherings â&#x20AC;&#x201D; each box holds four bottles of wine â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and can be stored easily on the fridge shelf for up to four weeks. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a wine for everyone with four fresh and original varietals: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay. With pierogies and wine, no matter the occasion, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re guaranteed a relaxing and tasty time. For more recipes, visit www.Pierogies. com. And for more information on The Naked Grape, visit www. TheNakedGrapeWine.com.
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Cooking can be family bonding time You don’t have to be Filipino to support the Filipino community. This is the principle behind an Asian-American entrepreneur’s support for a community that she says she’s discovering to be made up of “warm, loving” people. Masami Iwase-Watanabe is an astute businesswoman trying to conquer the advertising world, if she hasn’t yet. The first generation Japanese-American who went to college in San Diego has always known that she wasn’t going to be a stay-at-home mom. In fact, three days before she gave birth to her eldest son, Ryan, she was still working. And only six weeks after giving birth, she was back in the office. “I started MIW Marketing & Consulting Group because I realized I was working so hard… but only for other people,” Masami said. “I figured I’m putting in these many hours anyway, why not invest the time and effort it in myself?” That was 14 years ago. Today, MIW is the driving force behind the advertising campaigns of notable Japanese brands - Yakult probiotic drinks, Asahi Beer, Tamaki Rice Corporation and most recently Mitsuwa Marketplace – a popular Japanese supermarket chain. “The key is in helping your clients convey their message to consumers in the most efficient way,” said Masami, who also writes her own food and recipe columns in leading Japanese publications, while occasionally appearing on “Kababayan Today,” for cooking segments. “I love Masami and I always enjoy her segments,” said Jannelle So, host/producer of the popular Filipino talk show on LA18. “Masami just gets it because she lives it. She shares her delicious, healthy and more importantly, easy-to-prepare dishes
for busy people. And everyone can benefit from that, especially busy moms who work multiple jobs while maintaining a household.” As Jannelle said, Masami “gets it because she lives it.” Not only is she running her own company during the day, she also strives to create a balance of work and family. Despite the demanding hours of servicing her clients, she makes it a point to personally prepare her family’s dinner every night. “It’s important for me to talk to my boys. I don’t want them to grow up with an absent mom,” explained Masami, mother of two teenage boys Ryan (18) and Kyle (14) “I also enjoy that as they get older, we are able to spend time together in the kitchen. Not too many moms know but cooking doesn’t have to be just a mother’s job. If she can engage her kids, it can be bonding time when the family can prepare dishes together,” she added. Because of this, Masami is rolling out “Shokuiku” cooking classes at Mitsuwa Market. The class which aims to promote healthy living concepts and enhancing food education through parent-kid cooking activities, will be held once a month at Mitsuwa Marketplace, Torrance store. Details are as follows: Date: 2/8 (Sat) & 2/9 (Sun), 2 sessions on each day: 11am and 2pm. Each session will be about an hour; Eligibility: Children 5 years old or elder. Adult participation is required; Participants: First 10 pairs to sign up per session (about 25 people); Giveaways: adult & kid aprons. To apply, pick up application from at Mitsuwa Torrance. Mitsuwa has a total of nine stores in the US - Torrance, Santa Monica, San Gabriel, Irvine, Costa Mesa & San Diego in South-
Masami Iwase-Watanabe with her boys. Masami Iwase-Watanabe is the driving force behind the advertising campaigns of notable Japanese brands - Yakult probiotic drinks, Asahi Beer, Tamaki Rice Corporation and most recently Mitsuwa Marketplace – a popular Japanese supermarket chain.
ern California; and one store each in San Jose, Chicago and New Jersey “Filipinos should check it out. Mitsuwa also carries fresh seafood, sushi and a variety of food products,” Masami invited. Watch out for regular Mitsuwa cooking segments on “Kababayan Today,” Mondays through Fridays at 4:30 pm on LA18. Mitsuwa segments will start on Tuesday, February 1st.
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COMMUNITY
Celebrate lunar New Year at Pala, Jan. 31-Feb. 15, with $30,000 good luck, good fortune drawing PALA, CA, January 21, 2014 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Blackjack, Pai Gow Poker and Baccarat players at Pala Casino Spa & Resort can celebrate the Lunar New Year, The Year of the Horse, January 31 to February 15, and win extra cash in the casinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $30,000 Good Luck & Good Fortune Drawing. Privileges Card Club members can start earning entries into the $30,000 Saturday, February 15, cash drawing from 9 a.m., Friday, January 31, until 2 p.m., Saturday, February 15, by playing Blackjack, Pai Gow Poker or Baccarat. Privileges Card Club membership is free. Players will receive one drawing entry for every same-suit Blackjack, every full house or better in Pai Gow poker or every tie bet with a natural eight or nine in Baccarat. Guests will be required to fill out each entry legibly and enter them in the $30,000 Good Luck & Good Fortune drawing drum that will be located at the casinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s North entrance. Drawings to win a share of $30,000 will start at 3 p.m., Saturday, February 15.. Winners must be present. The schedule includes:
2 arrested used stolen cards from Target breach WASHINGTON, January 21, 2014 (AFP) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Two people arrested by authorities in Texas were using stolen credit cards which came from the massive Target data breach, officials said. Two Mexicans arrested this week were identified as Marcy Carmen Garcia Vaquera and Daniel Guardiola Dominguez, according to the police chief of McAllen, Texas, Victor Rodriguez. The two were using fraudulent credit cards that came from the Target data breach, Rodriguez told a news conference Monday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Someone in Mexico is obviously buying that data,â&#x20AC;? he said. Rodriguez said US Homeland Security and Secret Service officials participated in the investigation that led to the arrests. US officials have said little about the probe which may have affected the data of some 110 million Target customers, but security experts have suggested the malware may have come from hackers in Russia or Eastern Europe. Researchers from IntelCrawler, a Los Angeles-based cyber intelligence company, said last week that the malware was created by a 17-year-old hacker and has been used to infect retail systems in Australia, Canada and the US. US security firm iSight Partners concluded that the hackers stole data on as many as 110 million Target customers. They were able to carry out the data breach by using â&#x20AC;&#x153;a new piece of malicious software,â&#x20AC;? which â&#x20AC;&#x153;has potentially infected a large number of retail information systems.â&#x20AC;? Target began notifying some customers that it was offering one year of free credit monitoring to help customers guard against identity theft or unauthorized charges to their debit or credit cards. Target is not alone, as other big outlets have been victims by scammers.
3 p.m. - $200 5 p.m. - $300 6 p.m. - $500 7 p.m. - $1,000 8 p.m. - $2,000 9 p.m. - $5,000 10 p.m.-$6,000 11 p.m.-$7,000 Midnight - $8,000 Pala also will celebrate the Year of the Horse with traditional Lion dances through the casino at 7:30 p.m., Friday, January 31 and Friday, February 14 and will offer traditional Asian dishes at Choices the Buffet. The menu will include: Lucky Roasted Duck, Golden Baked Chicken, Fu-Chi Fish, Supreme Shrimp,Fried Rice with Sausages, Golden Cheese Wonton, Jade Ramen, Whole Suckling Pig, Fried Chinese Rice Cake and Sweet Red Bean Soup. Pala Casino Spa & Resort reserves the right to alter any promotions. Drawings will be conducted in accordance with the rules. In the case of force majeure, safety factors, equipment malfunction or extenuating circumstances, Pala Casino reserves the right to modify procedures in keeping with fairness and the best interests of all participants. About Pala Casino Spa & Resort Pala Casino Spa & Resort includes a Las Vegas-style casino with 2,000 slot machines, 13 poker tables and 87 table games; a 507-room hotel; a 10,000-square-foot, full-service spa and salon that features 14
treatment rooms; a state-of-the-art fitness center; swimming pool with 12 private poolside cabanas, and dual-temperature outdoor Jacuzzi. Pala also offers 10 restaurants and 40,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. Pala Casino Spa & Resort is an AAA Four-Diamond Award winner for 10 consecutive years. Its stateof-the-art Pala Spa was named the number one spa on the West Coast and one of the top 100 spas in the United States for 2013 by Spas of America. Previously, Pala Spa
was named the 2009 Best Casino Spa by Spas of America, the 2009 Best Casino Spa by the Southern California Gaming Guide and in 2012 received a spaAward and was selected by Spas of America as one of the top 100 spas in the United States. In 2011, Pala Casino Spa & Resort was voted Best Casino in San Diego by the public in the 10News.com annual A-List poll sponsored by KGTV-TV 10 News in San Diego. For more information, visit http:// www.palacasino.com.
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Advancing Justice-AAJC applauds bill to study hate speech on the Internet WASHINGTON – Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC welcomed Wednesday’s introduction of the Hate Crime Reporting Act. The bill would direct the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to analyze the use of telecommunications, including the internet, television and radio, to encourage hate crimes and spread hate speech. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) sponsored the bill. Asian Pacific American Caucus Chairwoman Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) joined 10 other co-sponsors in bringing it to the House. The bill would require NTIA to update its 1993 report that analyzed the role
of telecommunications on the commission of hate crimes. “In 21 years the internet, wireless technology and the media landscape have drastically changed,” said Jason Lagria, Advancing Justice-AAJC senior staff attorney for media and telecommunications. “The 1993 report is severely outdated and needs to be updated to reflect modern communications and the proliferation of hate speech on the internet that foments racial prejudice and hate crimes.” Advancing Justice-AAJC and its colleagues have advocated for the commission of this study for many years. “Studying hate speech in the digital age is a critical step in addressing and prevent-
ing the harms that members of the Asian American community have suffered due to hatred and intolerance,” said Mee Moua, Advancing Justice-AAJC president. Specifically, the bill would require NTIA to analyze use of telecommunications, such as the internet, broadcast television and radio, to advocate and encourage violent acts and the commissions of hate crimes. The report must also make policy recommendations, consistent with the First Amendment, to address the use of telecommunications to encourage hate crimes. A 2012 FBI report found that 48 percent of 5,790 single-bias hate crime incidents were racially motivated. “We applaud Congressman Jeffries and the bill’s co-sponsors for their leadership in working to secure this critically important
study,” Lagria added. “We look forward to working with Congress to ensure the bill’s passage.” Asian Americans Advancing Justice (www.advancingjustice.org) works to promote a fair and equitable society for all by working for civil and human rights and empowering Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and other underserved communities. We comprise Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC (www.advancingjustice-aajc.org), Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Asian Law Caucus (www.advancingjustice-alc. org), Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago (www.advancingjustice-chicago. org), Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Los Angeles (www.advancingjustice-la. org).
Canadian bad boy Justin Bieber risks US deportation By Robert Macpherson
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WASHINGTON, January 24, 2014 (AFP) – Justin Bieber’s run-ins with the law could potentially get him kicked out of the United States, the nation where the Canadian-born teen idol struck it rich, immigration lawyers said Friday. Bieber, 19, kept a low profile a day after he was charged with driving under the influence after police caught him drag racing in Miami Beach, Florida, allegedly after drinking and smoking marijuana. On Twitter, the voice behind hits “Baby” and “Boyfriend” kept an uncharacteristic silence, leaving his 49 million followers to rally behind him with the trending hashtag #WeWillAlwaysSupportYouJustin. Instead, Bieber let a picture tell 1,000 words with an Instagram of himself in a dark hoodie, waving outside jail, alongside an image of Michael Jackson a decade ago when the King of Pop was fighting child molestation charges. “What more can they say,” read the caption. Besides the DUI charge, Bieber – released on a $2,500 bond – also faces charges of resisting arrest and driving with an expired Georgia state license behind the wheel of a yellow Lamborghini sports car. He was already under investigation for allegedly hurling eggs at a neighbor’s house in Los Angeles – an incident that led police to search his mansion, where they seized illicit drugs and arrested one of his associates. By late afternoon (2100 GMT) Friday, nearly 8,000 people had signed an online petition on the official White House website calling for Bieber’s deportation. “He is not only threatening the safety of our people, but he is also a terrible influence on our nation’s youth,” said the petition, which needs 100,000 signatures by February 22 to elicit a White House response. Like many non-American entertainers, Bieber – who, says Forbes magazine, made $58 million in 2013 -- lives and works in United States under a so-called O-1 visa, according to the Hollywood Reporter, a showbiz trade journal. “To qualify for an O-1 visa, the beneficiary must demonstrate extraordinary ability by sustained national or international acclaim and must be coming temporarily to the United States to continue work in the area of extraordinary ability,” says the US Citizenship and Immigration Services on its website. Diana Scholl of the American Civil
Liberties Union in Washington suggested that Bieber could dodge deportation on account of his fame and fortune. “If convicted, another immigrant in his situation would very likely languish in immigration detention before being deported,” she said on the ACLU.org website. “That person - like 84 percent of people in immigration detention – would also likely not have an immigration attorney, let alone a high-priced one.” In their incident report, posted on gossip website TMZ.com, the Miami Beach police department gave Bieber’s citizenship as “USA” – apparently a mistake. It also named Toronto as his birthplace, rather than the smaller Ontario city of London, and listed his occupation as “other.” Immigration lawyer Stacy Tolchin, quoted in the Los Angeles Times newspaper, said Bieber’s alleged offenses in Miami Beach, while “not good,” were unlikely to add up to a violation of his O-1B status. But Tolchin added: “Let’s say if it’s assault, a felony assault, and he’s convicted, that’s a big problem... He really needs to get excellent criminal defense and an excellent immigration attorney.” A drug conviction would equally pose “a big problem,” she said. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, violation of any US or foreign drug law – apart from the possession of a small personal amount of marijuana – is grounds for deportation. So too is “moral turpitude,” a catch-all term that can include anything from homicide, robbery and kidnapping to gross indecency, lewdness and adultery, a rarelyprosecuted crime in 23 states. “If ICE wanted to go after him, they could make a case,” New York immigration lawyer Michael Wildes told ABCNews. com, referring to the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit. “That and the eggs is opening files in multiple government agencies and states, and could make it more likely,” he said. In the event that Uncle Sam gives him the boot, Bieber won’t be alone. One in 10 deportees are legal permanent residents, or “green card” holders, a majority of whom had merely committed “minor, nonviolent crimes,” said the Immigration Policy Center in Washington in a 2010 report.
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as a permanent resident, so poor conditions in Removing two year conditional residence admission the conditional residentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home country usually are not unless those conditions occurred after immigracan be tricky-know the tricks beforehand enough tion. Further, in my experience the USCIS rarely grants Paul Choi is an CHOIce immigration attorney IMMIGRATION CORNER and professor of law located at 5900 Sepulveda Blvd, Ste. 303, Sherman Oaks, CA. 91411. Atty Choi will answer all questions regarding immigration and naturalization for free. Address questions BY ATTY. to pchoi@pchoilaw. PAUL CHOI com or telephone 818 714-2226. Atty Choi is pleased to announce that his administrator is Philip Abramowitz .) Question: I married a U.S. citizen in 2011 and I obtained my temporary greencard in 2012. It is only a conditional residence and it will expire in July, 2014. I am worried about renewing my greencard because my husband has moved out and he is living closer to his work. We are still on good terms but we do not live together because he wants to be closer to his children from a prior marriage and I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leave my work to be with him. Now that my conditional residence will expire, I am worried that the USCIS will deny the removal of conditional residence since I am not living with my husband. I thought about getting a divorce or filing a self- petition based upon hardship. What should I do? Answer: When a spouse immigrates through a marriage that has existed less than two years at the time of admission/adjustment of status, he or she receives conditional permanent resident (CPR) status instead of permanent resident status. The conditional resident requirements also apply to stepchildren who immigrate through a marriage that has existed for less than two years. A conditional resident must file a petition using Form I-751 to convert his or her status to permanent residence before the temporary residence expires in two years. There is a 90 day period in which to file prior to expiration.
Joint Petitions: If the noncitizen spouse remains married to the U.S. citizen petitioner, they may file a joint I-751 petition and must do so within the ninety day period of time before the expiration of the conditional residence. The petition should include evidence of continued cohabitation, co-mingling of assets and liabilities, and other documentation of the relationship. The good news: In these joint petition cases the USCIS usually does not interview the couple if the petition is fully documented properly. Failure to file the petition before the expiration of the conditional residence or failure to attend a scheduled interview results in loss of lawful immigration status and removal (deportation) proceedings. It is therefore crucial to file on time and to include evidence of the validity of the marriage. We have filed many such joint petitions and the great majority of our applications are approved with no interview at all. We have had approvals in as little as 90 days!. You can too if you document your application carefully. Waiver of the Joint Filing Requirement: In some cases, it is not possible for the conditional resident to file a joint petition with his or her spouse. For example, the petitioning spouse may have died, the couple may have divorced, or the petitioner may have been abusive. In these situations, the conditional resident may file an I-751 on her own along with a request to waive the joint petition requirement. This is called a self petition or a waiver. The conditional resident still must satisfy USCIS that the marriage was genuine, but the participation of the petitioning spouse is not necessary. USCIS almost always conducts interviews where the conditional resident seeks a waiver based on divorce or abuse, and in my experience these interviews are long, tedious and decisions are often not rendered immediately. Some cases can take a year or more. In addition, the law states that the USCIS may waive the I-751 joint petition requirement in cases where the conditional resident establishes that removal would result in extreme hardship. The hardship must have arisen after
the hardship waiver as the burden to prove hardship is a heavy one. In your case, where you are still validly married but not living together for a valid reason, there is no reason not to file a joint petition as long as your husband agrees to sign. If you can establish that your marriage is bona fide and you are not separated due to marital issues or legal separation, you have a good chance of success. There is also a good chance that you will not be interviewed by the USCIS. However, even if an interview is scheduled to test the validity of the marriage if your husband attends the interview with you, and proves the marriage is still valid, there is no reason to deny your permanent residence. Filing Under VAWA: Remember if you have been abused physically or even mentally or emotionally, you may qualify for relief under the Violence Against Women Act, and no, it is not limited to women. If you can show abuse, through witnesses, police reports, or even just your own affidavit, you may be eligible to file for removal of your conditional residence by yourself without your spouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooperation or consent. It is one option worth considering. We have had terrific success in this field and we have helped many people gain their permanent residence this way (inlcuding many men,) when they thought that there was no other option. VAWA was created to benefit abused women, (and men,) and it is intended to be liberally construed to help applicants. Your greencard is expiring. There is no need to panic as there are options available to you. If in doubt, you should speak with an experienced immigration attorney for proper legal advice. (Paul Choi will answer all questions regarding immigration for FREE. Contact him at pchoi @pchoilaw.com or at 818 714-2226 or at 5900 Sepulveda Blvd. Ste. 303, Sherman Oaks, CA 91411. As always, consultations in office are still FREE)
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JOB MARKET For advertising, call (818) 552-4503
NANNY/HOUSEKEEPER Less than 60 yrs old. Full-time $1000/mo. 5 Days a week live-in. Can cook & light housekeeping. Victorville, CA. Call 310-989-5469. CAREGIVERS & ADMIN ASST. Live-in/out. For assisted living homes in West Side. Will sponsor. Call Dimitri (310) 367-0104
FEMALE CAREGIVER Female, live-in caregiver, in Hacienda Heights. Call 626-5334456.
FEMALE CAREGIVERS Encino retirement home seeking live-in female caregivers for small facility 818-986-0035.
FEMALE CAREGIVERS Urgent. Driving is a plus. Live-in / live-out, PT/FT. San Fernando Valley & LA. Text or leave a message. (818) 534-7866.
CAREGIVERS NEEDED! Angels Touch Homecare needs caregivers for part / full-time work. Must be eligible to work in CA. Contact RJ @ (562) 556-1729.
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CAREGIVERS Full-time experienced male and female caregiver needed for six bed elderly care homes in Northridge. Day shift. Live-in or out. Please call (818) 436-2663.
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CLASSIFIED ADS TEL.: (818) 552-4503 ext 402
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APT. FOR RENT Move-in special. 1 BR, laundry, covered parking. Close to freeways and schools. 137 N. Rosemont Avenue (between Beverly & Temple), Los Angeles. Manager: Mercy (213) 483-5117.
APT. FOR RENT 2BR, 2 full BA, 2 car parking gated., centralized A/C, w/ patio, near Post ofc, Orange line and State Bldg., 14610 Delano St. Van Nuys. Fil mngr. $1200/mo. (818) 376-0159 / 667-9931.
APTS. FOR RENT Filipino Town area - Temple / Rampart. 2BR 1 BA, parking space. Preferably non-smoker. For inquiries call Vicky @ (213) 944-8887 or (213) 384-1955
APT. NORTH HILLS Studio - newly remodel unit $750/ mo. Please call 818-892-3621 or 818-277-3788
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ROOM -NORTH HILLS $575/mo. Furnished, free utilities, cable & internet. Near Seafood market Nordhoff branch. Welcome students, caregivers & single male/female. Call after 3pm (818) 693-1358.
APTS. FOR RENT 20810 S. Western Ave. Torrance. Large 3 BR 2BA, new paint, gated intercom, car prkng, balcony, dishwasher, hook up laundry. $1,450 + $1,500 sec. dep. (310) 977-3736.
ROOMS FOR RENT Northridge/Canoga Park. Furnished, free utilities, cable, TFC, internet. Very clean and in quiet area. $480 per month; small room $370/mo. 818-477-2027.
BEDSPACER $325 Panorama City. Close to WalMart, Island Paci¿c, Food4Less & bus line. Month to month. Call 818205-8655. ROOM FOR RENT In Panorama. $450/mo. TFC included & other, close to Filipino establishment. Call (818) 3666148; (818) 625-3477 ROOM – W. COVINA For $500.00, excellent neighborhood, convenient location, free utilities. Call or leave message (626) 806-6509. BURBANK -ROOM Close to Costco. Large nicely renovated rm, private bath, walkin closet, separate fr house. Incld covered parking, utils, wi¿, small fridge, microwave, bed. Female pref’d. $700/mo. Edith 818-2166293
ROOM FOR RENT 1 BR $525 Free utilities Female only. San Gabriel area, close to market, bank, hospital, bus stop. Call 626-632-4724; 626-5333267 ROOM AVAIL. Female only. Alvarado area between Temple & Beverly Blvd. Near bus stop. Near Filipino restaurant. Gated. No smoking. Please call 626-991-8336. Salamat po. W. VAN NUYS - ROOM Nice neighborhood, w/ swimming pool. Very accessible to bus line, free utils. Female pref'd. No pets & no smoking. (818) 635-1477 or (818) 757-3671 or lv msg.
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East West Bancorp closes Metrocorp Bancshares acquisition Pasadena, CA, anuary 17, 2014 – East West Bancorp, Inc. (“East West”) (Nasdaq: EWBC), parent company of East West Bank, completed the acquisition of MetroCorp Bancshares, Inc. (“MetroCorp”) (Nasdaq: MCBI), parent of MetroBank, N.A. and Metro United Bank, as of the close of business today. MetroCorp operates 18 branches under its two subsidiary banks, MetroBank and Metro United Bank. MetroBank operates 12 branches in Houston and Dallas, and Metro United Bank operates 6 branches in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. As of December 31, 2013, MetroCorp had total assets of $1.62 billion, total loans of $1.22 billion, total deposits of $1.34 billion and total equity of $179.2 million. The final consideration paid in the acquisition of MetroCorp was $268.0 million, comprised of 5.6 million shares of East West Bancorp common stock and $89.3 million in cash. Under the terms of the merger agreement, announced September 18, 2013, MetroCorp shareholders are receiving two thirds of the merger consideration in East West Bancorp stock and one third in cash. This translates to 0.2985 shares of East West Bancorp stock and $4.78 in cash per MetroCorp shareholder, subject to cash in lieu of fractional shares. “We are pleased to welcome the customers and employees of MetroCorp to the East West family and are excited about the growth opportunities our expanded presence in Texas will provide us,” said Dominic Ng, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EastWest. “We look forward to offering our full range of products and services to our new customers and we anticipate the seamless integration of MetroCorp with East West.” George M. Lee, who had served as
Co-Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of MetroCorp will now serve in a Senior Advisor role at East West. Lee stated, “We are excited to be part of East West. We believe that the indepth knowledge we have of the Texas market combined with the strength and scale East West offers will be beneficial to MetroCorp’s employees, customers and shareholders.” About East West East West Bancorp is a publicly owned company with over $26 billion in assets and is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “EWBC”. The Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, East West Bank, is one of the largest independent banks headquartered in California. East West is a premier bank focused exclusively on the United States and Greater China markets and operates over 130 locations worldwide, including in the United States markets of California, Georgia, Nevada, New York, Massachusetts, Texas and Washington. In Greater China, East West’s presence includes a full service branch in Hong Kong and representative offices in Beijing, Shenzhen and Taipei. Through a wholly-owned subsidiary bank, East West’s presence in Greater China also includes full service branches in Shanghai and Shantou and a representative office in Guangzhou. For more information on East West Bancorp, visit the Company’s website at www. eastwestbank.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking information about East West following the merger that is intended to be covered by the safe harbor for “forward-looking statements” provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than
statements of historical fact are forwardlooking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as “may,” “hope,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “could,” “future” or the negative of those terms or other words of similar meaning. You should carefully read forward-looking statements, includ-
ing statements that contain these words, because they discuss the future expectations or state other “forward-looking” information about East West. Such statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond the control of East West. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and we assume no duty to update such statements.
Dealing with assets omitted from a divorce case munity estate assets or You and your spouse BARRISTER'S community estate liabilimay have gone through ties to the parties that a lengthy and contentious CORNER have not been previously divorce proceeding. This adjudicated by a judgis usually the most diffiment in the proceeding.” cult period of a person’s California Family Code life. Finally, time heals §2556. Even if the parall pain. You and your ties did not expressly respouse get tired of bickserve jurisdiction on that ering and being mean to piece of asset, the Court one another that you both retains the power to didecide to compromise BY KENNETH REYES vide a specific property each other positions and & DARRICK TAN if there is a community resolve all issues in your interest in it. divorce case through The Court’s “continuing jurisdiction” settlement. Shortly thereafter, the divorce judgment is finally entered by the Court over omitted community estate assets or and you get a sigh of relief. Later you dis- debts is invoked by filing a post judgment covery that “Oops!,” your ex-spouse had Motion, or Request for Order in the dicommunity asset and/or debt that was left vorce case. Family Code §2556 provides out of the divorce judgment. This may be a “A party may file a postjudgment motion pension, retirement account, a hidden bank or request for order in the proceeding in account, or a piece of real estate property order to obtain adjudication of any comwhich was not divided in the judgment. munity estate asset or liability omitted or What is one to do in this situation? The not adjudicated by the judgment.” The answer can be found in California Family postjudgment partition of the unadjudicated community estate claims is properly Code §2556. California Family Code §2556 pro- entertained by the court even absent an vides “In a proceeding for dissolution of express reservation of jurisdiction in its marriage, for nullity of marriage, or for prior judgment. Marriage of Moore & legal separation of the parties, the court Ferrie (1993) 14 CA4th 1472, 1483, 18 has continuing jurisdiction to award com- CR2d 543, 549, fn. 9. The postjudgment motion is available to any omitted asset or debt not adjudicated by the divorce judgment. However, Family Code §2556 does not extend to division and adjudication of any separate property. Marriage of Klug (2005) 130 CA4th 1389, 1396, 31 CR3d 327, 331–332. If an asset was partially omitted, the Court can still divide and adjudicate the portion that has been omitted postjudgment under family code §2566. Community Property adjudicated under § 2556 shall be divided equally “unless the court finds upon good cause shown that the interests of justice require an unequal division of the asset or liability.” Family Code §2556. 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, P.C. 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, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, 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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SPORTS Bryant says he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t deserve All-Star nod LOS ANGELES, January 24, 2014 (AFP) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Kobe Bryant, sidelined by injury for all but six games this season, gained a 16th NBA All-Star nod in fan voting, but indicated Thursday heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d rather skip the mid-season exhibition. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With all due respect to the fans that voted me in, I certainly appreciate that, they know how much I appreciate that, but youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to do the right thing as well,â&#x20AC;? Bryant said shortly before watching his Lakers fall 109-102 to the Miami Heat. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My fans know you got to reward these young guys for the work that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been putting in,â&#x20AC;? Bryant added in comments reported by the Los Angeles Times. The NBA had announced the results of worldwide fan voting for the All-Star starters on Thursday afternoon. Bryant was in, even though the Los Angeles Lakers superstar made a belated season debut after recovering from a torn Achilles tendon and played just half a dozen games before a broken bone in his knee put him out of action again. Bryantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 16 All-Star selections trail only the 19 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar garnered in a Hall of Fame career. But the 35-year-old said younger, healthier players should get a chance to show their stuff in the All-Star extravaganza in New Orleans on February 16. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been playing all season. They deserve to be in there,â&#x20AC;? he said. Bryant finished second among Western Conference guards in the balloting, behind Golden Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stephen Curry. Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin
Durant topped the West in votes and is joined in the frontcourt by the Los Angeles Clippersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Blake Griffin and Minnesotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kevin Love. Love overtook Houstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dwight Howard in the last week of voting. Durant fell shy of overcoming Miami Heat star LeBron James as the top overall vote-getter. James, earning his 10th All-Star nod, will be joined in the Eastern Conference starting lineup with his Heat teammate Dwyane Wade, who is also slated to make a 10th All-Star appearance. Indianaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paul George, New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Carmelo Anthony and Clevelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kyrie Irving, complete the Eastern Conference starting lineup. Voting by fans around the world concluded on January 20. NBA coaches will select the All-Star reserves. Each coach will vote for seven players from within his own conference, and a coach canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t vote for players from his own team. After the coaches select the reserves, if a player is unable to participate in the All-Star Game, the NBA Commissioner will select the replacement. The East and West All-Star coaching duties will go to the coaches whose teams own the best records in their conferences in games played through February 2. Indianaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Frank Vogel has already locked up the Eastern Conference head coach job. Neither Miami coach Erik Spoelstra nor San Antonioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gregg Popovich are eligible because they coached in last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game.
Knicks, Lakers top Forbes list of most valuable teams NEW YORK, January 22, 2014 (AFP) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; For the second year in a row, the New York Knicks top Forbesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; annual list of most valuable NBA clubs, with teams an average of 25 percent more valuable than in 2013. Figures announced Wednesday on the magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website showed the Knicks on top at $1.4 billion with the Los Angeles Lakers second on $1.35 billion, the Chicago Bulls third at $1 billion and the Boston Celtics fourth at $875 million. Just 10 days ahead of the February 1 retirement of NBA commissioner David Stern after 30 years in the post, the NBA has grown from a league dominated by superstars Magic Johnson and Larry Bird to a global business only beginning to tap revenue streams in India and China. Where playoff games were televised on a delayed basis in the early days of Sternâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s era, they are now seen live in more than 215 nations. Forbes estimated the average NBA team is now worth $634 million, with profits doubling last year to a record $23.7 million average per club, and league revenue for last year at $4.6 billion. The Knicks made an NBA-record $96 million profit last season, aided by extra income from a renovation of their home arena, Madison Square Garden, according to the magazine. Despite the NBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest payroll, the Lakers made a $66 million profit, Forbes said, with the Bulls third thanks to four years atop the NBA home attendance list and relatively low salary costs. The Bulls
profit of $52 million ranked fourth in the league. The Brooklyn Nets rose by the greatest value last year, jumping 47 percent to $780 million, the team owned by Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov rising from 14th to fifth in overall value. Forbes estimated the NBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 30 clubs are collectively worth $19 billion, with only four teams losing money last season and revenue sharing helping turn Charlotte, Memphis and 2014 NBA doormat Milwaukee into proftable teams. Kobe Bryant of the Lakers was the NBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest-paid player after signing a two-year contract extension worth $48.5 million last November, boosting his total income to $64.5 million with Lebron James of the Miami Heat second on $61.1 million with $42 million from endorsement deals and Chicagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s injured Derrick Rose third on $38.6 million, mostly from a 13-year shoe deal worth $185 million. NBA television deals that expire after the 2015-16 campaign now bring the league $939 million a year, with the Lakers helped by a rich new local TV deal. Ten NBA clubs have been sold since 2010, boosting values for all, the most recent being Sacramento last May for $534 million to India-born businessman Vivek Ranadive. NBA China launched in 2008 and is estimated to be worth between $1.5 billion and $1.7 billion with revenues approaching $200 million in 2014, Forbes said.
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Mazda earns multiple ‘Best Value Awards’ from Kiplinger’s personal finance IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire – The 2014 Mazda3, Mazda6 and CX5today were named the best values in their respective classes by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. As further proof that the brand’s Skyactiv1 Technology engineering produces real-world results, this Mazda triple threat includes recently redesigned models that comprised more than 80 percent of the brand’s 2013 vehicle sales. Offering dynamic performance, some of the best fuel economies and leading-edge technology on both safety and in-car connectivity, the best is yet to come. “The Mazda brand is large on offering luxury – meaning best-in-class fuel economy, superior materials, forward-thinking technologies, award-winning design and unbeatable performance – at an affordable price,” said Jim O’Sullivan, president and CEO, Mazda North American Operations (MNAO). “Value also is of utter importance, and is something we proudly offer consumers. Premium craftsmanship and advanced materials should no longer be reserved only for those with deep pockets,” O’Sullivan also said. The Best Value Awards are part of Kiplinger’s Annual Car Buyer’s Guide, which sorts vehicles by price and segment, ranking each one on performance, safety and valueminded qualities including residual pricing and fuel economy. Best New Models have to be new or redesigned while Best in Class need to have a track record of a year or
more, or have a substantially unchanged powertrain compared to prior years. In addition to the Best Value Awards for Best In Class and Best New models, Kiplinger’s also names the Most FuelEfficient and Best Resale Value winners in each category. Of the 13 categories, a Mazda topped the list for Best New Car Under $20,000 (2014 Mazda3 i Sport), Best New Car $20,000$25,000 (2014 Mazda6 i Sport) and Best in Class – Small Crossover (2014 CX-5 Touring). All-new from the ground up for the 2014 model year, the Mazda3 compact car and Mazda6 mid-size sedan both feature an exceptional level of standard equipment and also offer unexpected features within their segments with all-new safety and incar technologies. This includes the capacitor-based regen-
erative engine braking system known as iEloop and Mazda Connect ™a nextgeneration driving-focused in-vehicle connectivity system that also features an innovative Active Driving Display. While Mazda Connect is currently only available on the Mazda3, i-Eloop is a segment-exclusive technology for both the Mazda3 and Mazda6. Available in two body styles, pricing for this third-generation Mazda3 starts at $16,9452 MSRP for four-door models and $18,945 MSRP for five-doors. Featuring a standard Skyactiv-G 2.0-liter gasoline engine (155 horsepower, 150 lb-ft of torque) or optional Skyactiv-G 2.5-liter (184 horsepower, 185 lb-ft of torque), 2.0L models can be configured with either a Skyactiv-MT six-speed manual transmission or a SKYACTIV-Drive
six-speed automatic. Models with the 2.5L are currently only available with the automatic. The manual transmission has been confirmed to be offered on 2.5L models at a later date. Both engine displacements are available for either body style. Mazda3 also offers an EPA-estimated highway fuel economy of up to 41 mpg, one of the best in the segment. 2014 Mazda3, Mazda6 and CX-5 vehicles feature a suite of active-safety precrash detection systems collectively known as i-Activsense. These technologies use sensing devices such as milliwave radars, lasers and cameras to support the driver in recognizing hazards, avoiding collisions and minimizing damage should accidents occur. While these systems will not eliminate accidents, their intent is to minimize them and reduce the severity of a crash. For a closer look at why Mazda is one of America’s top vehicle brands, visit the Star Mazda Glendale, located at 1401 S Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91204. Better yet, get in touch with their Filipino Sales & Leasing personnel Nick Barber and Mike McCain who have an ongoing program to help our kababayans in the Philippines. “Sa bawat bili nyo ng sasakyan sa Star Mazda, magbibigay kami ng $100 sa mga biktima ng Haiyan/Yolanda Typhoon,” is the message of Nick and Mike and who want to share this with our kababayans. Call Nick and Mike now at (818) 5021480 or toll free at 1-888-646-1664.
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Toyota division no. 1. retail brand in 2013 Camry ends 2013 as best-selling car in America for 12th year in a row; TMS hybrids set all-time sales record in 2013 TORRANCE, Calif. (Jan. 3, 2014) – Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today reported December 2013 sales results of 190,843 units, an increase of 2.2 percent over December 2012 on a daily selling rate (DSR) basis. On a rawvolume basis, unadjusted for 25 selling days in December 2013 versus 26 selling days in December 2012, TMS sales decreased 1.7 percent from year-ago month. Toyota division posted December 2013 sales of 156,086 units, down 0.7 percent year-over-year on a DSR basis. Volume-wise, Toyota division sales decreased 4.6 percent over December 2012. Wi t h t h e s a m e n u m b e r o f s e l l ing days in 2013 and 2012, TMS reported annual sales of 2,236,042 vehicles, up 7.4 percent versus last year on both a DSR and raw-volume basis. “The auto industry was a consistent bright spot in the economic recovery throughout 2013,” said Bill Fay, Toyota division group vice president and general
Malaysia relaxes auto sector curbs to woo foreign carmakers UALA LUMPUR, January 20, 2014 (AFP) – Malaysia announced Monday it would allow foreign automakers to build smaller passenger cars in the country, a liberalising move aimed at repositioning the country as a leader in energy-efficient vehicles. The changes, effective immediately, will for the first time allow foreign automakers to build cars with engines of 1.8 liters or less if those cars qualify as energy-efficient. Such projects will not need domestic investment partners and will enjoy incentives such as tax breaks, Trade Minister Mustapa Mohamed told reporters. “The policies used to be there to protect (national car brand) Proton. But we have opened up the market,” he said. “We believe these policies will enable Malaysia to regain our position as one of the most dynamic hubs for Southeast Asia.” Malaysia, the region’s third-largest economy after Thailand and Indonesia, was once Southeast Asia’s automotive hub. But it has fallen behind its two rivals through decades of industry policies that coddled Proton, which was launched in 1983. Malaysia now produces far fewer vehicles than Thailand or Indonesia. The government had previously shielded Proton via excise and import duties of up to 150 percent on foreign vehicles, and other restrictions. The policies have been blamed for contributing to sub-standard Proton models. The firm, which was state-owned until 2012, has recorded losses in recent years as its market share sank. Consumers have also complained the policies made better-built foreign cars too expensive for many Malaysian buyers. Malaysia already allows foreign carmakers to manufacture larger vehicles in the country, after lifting foreign-equity caps on such ventures in 2010. The reforms could be attractive to some foreign manufacturers looking for a regional production base but should not worry Malaysia’s neighbors much, said Affin Investment’s auto sector analyst Chong Lee Len.
The Filipino staff behind the success of Hamer Toyota located at 11041 Sepulveda Blvd., Mission Hills, CA 91345.
manager. “We expect the economy will continue to gain strength in 2014, with car sales rising to pre-recession levels.” Lexus reported December sales of 34,757 units, an 18.1 percent increase on a DSR basis and a 13.6 percent increase on a raw volume basis, both year-over-year. “Lexus had its best sales month in seven years and the luxury segment outperformed the overall auto industry in December” said Jeff Bracken, Lexus group vice president and general manager. “We expect the luxury market will continue to expand in 2014.” Other Highlights: Camry is best-selling car in America in 2013 Avalon up more than 20 percent in Decem-
ber; posts triple digit gains annually All-new Corolla records monthly sales of more than 22,500 units; up about 4 percent for the year TMS hybrids retain about 60 percent of the market and set all-time sales record in 2013 Prius family posts sales of 15,720 units in December All-new RAV4 up 46 percent with bestever December; up 27 percent annually Highlander posts monthly sales of more than 12,300 units Toyota division pickups up 12 percent for the year Tacoma up almost 13 percent annually All-new Tundra up more than 7 percent in December; up nearly 11 percent year-
over-year All-new Lexus IS posts triple-digit gains in December; up 26.4 for the year If you need to “adorn” your garage with a brand-new Toyota, all you have to do is come down ton Hamer Toyota located at 11041 Sepulveda Blvd., Mission Hills, CA 91345 and get in touch with any of our kababayans Matt Morente (Floor Manager), Marylou Santiago (VIP/Internet Coordinator), Wency Magno, Reno Reyes, Tony Pijuan and Rico Ayala (Leasing & Sales). Call our kababayans now toll free at 1-855-592-7077 and make your dream of owning a new Toyota vehicle a reality today.
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Top Fil-Am car dealer to join LA Motors Veteran car sales executive and a friend to many Filipino-Americans in Southern California has decided to “unretire” and will be joining one of the fastest-rising car brokers to help our kababayans get the best car that they deserve as we all move forward and keep pace with the nation’s economic recovery. Freddie Lacap, reputedly the first Filipino broker who used to run Phil International in the 70s and 80s and who made a name for himself for assisting many of our kababayans during the New Wave era, will be joining his friend Jun Guintu at LA Motors in the Wilshire District. “He is probably the most experienced car brokers,” Jun says of Freddie. “He is known in the community as the first Filipino broker with his own dealership.”
Jun said Freddie is a very good friend. In fact, the two are kumpadres. LA Motors is a very special kind of car dealership. Not only does it have Senior Partner Jun Guintu at the helm, who arguably the successor of Freddie, LA Motors has earned the reputation of providing a service that makes car buying a breeze, the way we all want it to be. Since its inception in May 2005, the main concept was to get rid of a lot of people that are typical in any car dealership – salesperson, the closer and then the finance manager – that car buyers have to deal with. At LA Motors, these people are rolled into one. Not only that, you can negotiate all the things that you need over the phone and just sign and pick up the car of your dreams when you arrive at LA
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die joining him, these hundreds may soon become thousands, for sure. Speaking of utang, Jun has helped a lot who are in debt or not in the best financial status and ending up with a good credit rating. “For some, I have been able to refinance their car loan and as a result, I lowered their monthly payments and they are so happy with my service.” Jun’s “secret” is, “Madali akong kausap. Hindi tulad ng ibang salesman na pinaiikot lang yung customer. I am always straight to the point. Dito sa LA Motors, ako lang ang kakausapin mo.” Lastly, unlike a car dealership, Jun and Freddie are just a phone call away from owning your new car. And the best thing about LA Motors is that they can deliver a car, whether it’s a Mercedes, Lexus or Mercedes you want, or if you prefer the great Japanese brands like Toyota, Honda, Nissan or Mitsubishi. Call Jun at (323) 547-1291 or Freddie at (760) 333 5211 for a real hassle-free car buying experience. LA MOTORS is located 1930 W. 6th St., Los Angeles, CA 90057.
Ford, researchers to work on self-driving cars
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Motors. “Iisa lang ang kakausapin ninyo,” Jun says. “At dahil dito, hindi lang kayo makakatipid, mabilis at madali pati ang usapan.” Jun wants to assure car buyers, especially potential first-time car owners that buying a car at LA Motors is so easy because they don’t ask for a lot of documents to establish one’s identity. “Ang specialty ko ay natutulungan ko ang mga bagong dating, may social security number man o wala basta may lisensya sa Pilipinas OK na. Jun adds that unlike most car dealerships, co-signers are not necessary at LA Motors, especially in cases when the customer may not have the best credit score or no FICO score because they have just arrived in the U.S. This is why Jun has gained the trust of hundreds of customers from Southern California and part of Nevada.. “Yung iba nga na matagal na dito sa Amerika at ngayon lang pumunta sa akin eh nagsisisi kasi nabaon na sila sa utang sa unang pinagbilhan nila ng kotse.” And with Fred-
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WASHINGTON, January 22, 2014 (AFP) – Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday it was teaming up with researchers at two US universities to work on obstacles, technical and otherwise, to automated driving. “To deliver on our vision for the future of mobility, we need to work with many new partners across the public and private sectors, and we need to start today,” said Paul Mascarenas, chief technical officer and vice president at Ford. The Detroit automaker said it would work with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University on Ford’s “Blueprint for Mobility,” its vision for transportation in 2025 and beyond. Ford said in a statement the project will build on its automated Ford Fusion hybrid research vehicle unveiled last month and examine “potential solutions for the longer-term societal, legislative and technological issues posed by a future of fully automated driving.”
MOTORS SALES•LEASING • ALL MAKES & MODELS
WE MAKE CAR BUYING SIMPLE. Ang dealer ng Pinoy na tumutulong sa mga Tax ID pa lang ang hawak at International Drivers pa lang ang lisensya!
BAGO SA AMERICA? FIRST TIME BUYER? NO CREDIT HISTORY? ANY CREDIT SITUATION? REPOSSESSIONS? FORECLOSURES? COLLECTIONS? SLOW PAYS? LEASE RETURNS? TRADE INS?
TAX ID NUMBER? INTERNATIONAL DRIVER’S LICENSE?
JUN GUINTU
323-547-1291 junguintu@gmail.com
WALANG PROBLEMA!
Dito na kayo sa madaling kausap!
FREDDIE LACAP 760-333-5211
323-547-1291 1930 W. 6TH ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90057
www.mylamotors.com
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NISSAN OF MISSION HILLS #1
$ OR
APR UP
LONG TERM FINANCING
*TAKE A TEST DRIVE
9900
Nissan dealer in the World*
TO
FACTORY REBATES
ON APPROVED CREDIT ON SELECT MODELS
& Receive 2 FREE Movie Tickets or Gift Cards!!!
Schedule a Test Drive on the vehicle of your choice at Nissan of Mission Hills. Call Manuel and Test Drive today!*Offer good while supplies last.
11000 Sepulveda Blvd. Mission Hills, CA 91345 WE SERVE ALL AAA, COSTCO, AARP, CREDIT UNION, SAM’S CLUB MEMBERS
San Fernando Mission Blvd
118
d. Blv
Offers subject to availability. Net cost based on current rebates. *Nissan Customer Cash in lieu of Special Financing. **Must finance through NMAC. ***All U.S. Military personnel (active and reserve) All advertised prices exclude government fees and taxes, any finance charges, any dealer document processing charge, any electronic filing charge, any emission testing charge, and dealer add-ons or accessories. Vehicles subject to prior sale. Interest accrues from date of contract. Ad prices good thru 1/26/14 close of business. NMAC financing may be required on some vehicles see dealer for details. All financing subject to credit approval. Factory rebate in lieu of special APR. ****Mission Hills Nissan Loyalty Discount is available to everyone that has purchased a new Mission Hills Nissan vehicle within the last 2 years.
Internet/Fleet Manager
eda
888-588-7635
Manuel Lava
ulv Sep
www.nissanofmissionhills.com
“Ang “A MISSION Ko a“Ang ay tulungan Kayo!” MISSION Ko ay tulungan Kayo!”
818-408-5860 CELL: 661-644-0944
35665855
0
%
Out To Be The
. S. Brand Blvd
N
36
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Weekend, Sat. - Fri., January 25-31, 2014
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Diamond Honda of Glendale of Glendale
Where Customers are Treated Like DIAMONDS.
From left: Christian Marilla, Chris Garchitorena, Bobby Cheng and Jojo Diala of Subaru of Glendale.
2014 Models Here Now!
Subaru of America reports best December ever and all-time record sales for 2013 ported best-ever November sales. Subaru sold 36,621 vehicles in November and 384,511 total vehicles in 2013. The company broke its previous sales record of 336,441 in October with two months remaining in the calendar year. The MotorTrend 2014 Sport/Utility Vehicle of the Year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Forester and the XV Crosstrek both set all-time monthly sales records during the month. Subaru sold 13,410 and 5,311 units respectively during the month of November. But while we all ponder as to why Subaru continues to become a favorite of many, come to Subaru Glendale where you will find that indeed these cars are selling like hotcakes just get in touch with our kababayans at Subaru Glendale, who have been serving the Filipino-American market and who have made Filipinos love the Subaru brand and the Subaru vehiclesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; versatility. What are you waiting for, come on down to Subaru Glendale and our kababayans Christian Marilla, Bobby Cheng, Chris Garchitorena and Jojo Diala will be more than happy to inform you why Subaru is becoming a favorite of Filipinos and the whole American market. Subaru of Glendale is located at 1308 S Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91204. You can reach them at 1-855-230-1547 or you can visit their website at www. subaruofglendale.net.
Hybrid cars fail to ease Pakistanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gas woes BY Masgoor Gilani
ISLAMABAD, January 19, 2014 (AFP) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pakistan last year announced measures to boost the hybrid car market, hoping they might help wean the country off its costly addiction to imported fuels, but seven months on the plan looks to have stalled. Hybrid vehicles, which use a combination of an electric motor and regular fuel combustion, are touted in many countries as the environmentally friendly future of motoring. But in Pakistan, the government hoped they might also address a more immediate concern â&#x20AC;&#x201C; crushing winter gas shortages. Compressed natural gas (CNG) is widely used as fuel by Pakistani motorists as a cheaper alternative to petrol, but demand far outstrips supply in winter. The result is gas shortages that mean people cannot cook or heat their homes and which damage the economy by halting industrial work. Last June, a month after winning the general election, the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said it would slash import duties on hybrids. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Use of imported POL (petroleum, oils and lubricants) products as a major source of energy has not only led to high import bill(s), but has also created a negative environmental impact,â&#x20AC;? Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said in his budget speech in June. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Therefore, use of alternate energy efficient Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)
needs to be encouraged.â&#x20AC;? Hybrids up to 1200 cc were to be exempted from all duties and taxes, while models up to 1800 cc would get 50 percent relief and up to 2500 cc, 25 percent. But there has been little impact on sales, dealers say, and the queues at the CNG filling stations â&#x20AC;&#x201C; on the rare days the authorities allow them to open â&#x20AC;&#x201C; stretch for hundreds of meters. Umar Bilal Sindhu, owner of Pak Japan Motors and leading Islamabad-based car importer and dealer, told AFP the customs duty change had had a â&#x20AC;&#x153;negligible impactâ&#x20AC;?. Running costs For Mujtaba Abbas, the government incentives made little difference, as he bought a Toyota Prius second hand, but with fuel prices moving ever higher, he has been delighted with the carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lower running costs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When it comes to fuel-saving, the Prius is great as it runs up to 24 kilometers (15 miles) on one litre of petrol, while I was getting up to 11 kilometers from a 1.3 liter hatchback,â&#x20AC;? the 24-year-old environmental engineer told AFP. But this efficiency comes at a cost, and observers such as Baber Kaleem Khan, editor of Pakistanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest auto-enthusiast website PakWheels.com, say forecourt prices are deterring potential buyers. A new Toyota Prius, imported through the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pakistan arm Indus Motors, costs around 4.5 million rupees ($45,000), while Hondaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CR-Z goes for $35,000.
ONLY AT Diamond Honda
INCLUDED WITH THE PURCHASE OF ANY NEW OR SELECTED USED VEHICLE. WE WILL EXTEND YOUR POWERTRAIN WARRANTY FOR AS LONG AS YOU OWN YOUR VEHICLE. PEACE OF MIND YOU CANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T GET ANYWHERE ELSE.
COUNCIL OF
EXCELLENCE Honda
Financial Ser vices American Honda Finance Corporation
0% APR
(#( ! - %# $( " ( - !" # ! $ % &'" ($( ! )'* % ( !%( ' " "++% , ! % !( Sales & Leasing
ALL NEW
/%'0 " / # Sales & Leasing
% * &'
"%.
Sales & Leasing Sales & Leasing
Honda CIVIC EX
2013
Redesigned, 4Dr Sedan, Automatic LEASE FOR ONLY
2 AT THIS PRICE
(231603/244144, 231915/253924)
PER MONTH PLUS TAX
Starting at $19,755. $3,795 due at lease signing plus destination, tax, title & tags. 36 month lease, 12k miles/yr. 36 miles with $0.15 per excess mile. No security deposit required. On approved above average credit through American Honda Financial Services.
ALL NEW
Honda ACCORD LX
2014
Totally redesigned, 4Dr Sedan, Automatic
LEASE FOR ONLY
1 AT THIS OFFER
(24122/026467)
PER MONTH PLUS TAX
Starting at $23,545. $3,795 due at lease signing plus destination, tax, title & tags. 36 month lease, 12k miles/yr. 36 miles with $0.15 per excess mile. No security deposit required. On approved above average credit through American Honda Financial Services.
Honda CR-V LX
ALL NEW
2014
2 AT THIS OFFER
Sport Utility, 2WD, Automatic
LEASE FOR ONLY
(24126/00879, 24167/700177)
PER MONTH PLUS TAX
Starting at $23,525. $4,795 due at lease signing plus destination, tax, title & tags. 36 month lease, 12k miles/yr. 36 miles with $0.15 per excess mile. No security deposit required. On approved above average credit through American Honda Financial Services.
Honda Fit
ALL NEW
2013
Automatic
LEASE FOR ONLY
5 AT THIS OFFER
PER MONTH PLUS TAX
Starting at $17,015. $2,232.98 due at lease signing plus destination, tax, title & tags. 36 month lease, 12k miles/yr. 36 miles with $0.15 per excess mile. No security deposit required. On approved above average credit through American Honda Financial Services.
Honda Certified Used Cars & Other Pre-owned Specials )
(91097/198028)
(231643AA/183397)
(91107/269732)
! "
(91055/014755)
(91064/096608)
(232367A/674030)
(C91040/176722)
#
(232366A/005415)
(C91035/188505)
$
% &
'
(C91127/00242)
(
#
(24052A/D15567)
COLORADO BLVD.
5
*+ ) ,
(C91023/191877)
(C232084A/112046)
/*
(C91033/000041)
# #
** On Select Honda Certified Models. On Approved Credit for well qualified buyers
$ - $ .
# 0 12 , +
(24424A/105558)
138 S. Glendale Ave., Glendale, CA 91205
134 BROADWAY
(C24234A/000298)
AVE.
Cherry Hill, N.J. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Subaru of America, Inc. has reported record sales of 424,683 vehicles for the 2013 calendar year. This is an increase of 26.2% over the previous record of 336,441 vehicles, which was set in 2012. This fifth consecutive record also represents the largest ever singleyear increase in volume for the brand. The company also reported sales for December 2013 of 40,172 vehicles, marking the best December ever for the company, and an increase of 9.6% over December 2012. The Forester, all-new for 2013, and the newly-introduced XV Crosstrek model lines both significantly contributed to the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strong sales in 2013 and delivered all-time best results. The Forester and Outback model lines both achieved over 100,000 sales for the first time in the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history. Over 60% of Subaru customers in 2013 were new to the brand and were attracted by the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation for all-wheel drive, fuel economy, safety, reliability and cost of ownership. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are delighted to have once again shown very strong resultsâ&#x20AC;? said Thomas J. Doll, president and chief operating officer, Subaru of America, Inc. â&#x20AC;&#x153;2013 represents our fifth consecutive year of recordbreaking sales. With more new product to come, our retailers can look forward to even higher sales in 2014.â&#x20AC;? In November 2013, Subaru also re-
2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
GLENDALE
New sales record of 424,683 exceeds 2012 record by 26%; Forester and XV Crosstrek sales up 62% and 626.6% respectively for the year
2
www.diamondhondaofglendale.com
All advertised prices exclude government fees and taxes, any finance charges, any dealer document preparation charge, and any emissions testing charge. Ad expires close of business date of publication. For well qualified buyers on approved credit. Not all who apply will qualify. Ad expires on 01/26/14.
38
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