The Filipino Express May 30-June 5, 2014

VOL. 28 w NO. 22 w MAY 30 - JUNE 5, 2014 w NATIONAL EDITION NEW JERSEY w NEW YORK w (201) 434-1114 w $1.00

Triumphs of the Filipino: Pride of the Philippines

FESTIVE, STAR-STUDDED PARADE MARKS 116TH PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION IN NEW YORK CITY, JUNE 1

By Oliver Oliveros New York City -- The Philippine Independence Day Council Inc. (PIDCI), a nonprofit organization best known for the largest Philippine Independence Day Parade outside the Philippines, which is also celebrating its silver anniversary this year, is all set to

Miss World Megan Young graces 116th Philippine Independence Day Celebration in New York City. Photo by Rolan Gutierrez

host its annual Philippine Independence Day Parade, accompanied by an all-day street fair and cultural festival, stretching from 38 th Street down to 23rd Street and Madison Avenue, on Sunday, June 1, from 11:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The Black Eyed Peas CoFounder apl.de.ap; multip l a t i n u m a wa r d - w i n n i n g

recording artist David Pomeranz; boxing and mixed martial arts superstar Ana Julaton; First Filipina Miss World Megan Young; Original Philippine Music (OPM) icons Kuh Ledesma, Cecile Azarcon, Edlyn Peregrina, Lirio Vital, and Ogie Alcasid; First Filipina Carnaval Queen in Brazil Bessie u Page 9

Filipino resilience to be showcased at Asia Europe conference

By Matikas Santos MANILA -- The resilience of Filipinos is set to be showcased to the world as delegates from Europe and Asia come to the Philippines and visit areas devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) for an international conference on disaster risk

reduction and management.

“We are the poster child of resiliency and we have been cited for our resilience and other international conferences have referred to the Philippines because of our determination to rise up a g a i n a n d a g a i n ,” Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Asec. Maria Zeneida Angara Collinson,

chair of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Manila conference, said in a press conference Thursday.

“So far, 140 senior government officials involved in disaster risk reduction and management, experts, non-government officials and civil society leaders, and private sector u Page 4

Fallen Filipino UN peacekeeper, 106 others to be honored

By Frances Mangosing

MANILA -- A Filipino soldier who died last year while serving as a United Nations peacekeeper was among 106 soldiers, police a n d c iv i l i a n p e r s o n n e l posthumously honored for conflict. Among the 56 granite pillars the International Day of UN representing the American states and U.S. Peacekeepers in New York. territories that sacrificed during the war Sergeant Benson Angot of is the Philippines. the 17th Philippine “I am glad we who fought, suffered Contingent to Liberia died of and survived the terrible invasion of our malaria on October 22 last homeland have a prestigious monument year while on a peacekeeping in Washington,” said Almeda. He proudly mission. He was also wore his American Legion Philippine previously given a Post vest and veterans cap. Almeda sat in posthumous award by the his aluminum walker as he watched the Armed Forces of the ceremony program with about a hundred Philippines. aging former warriors, many in wheel “ L a s t y e a r, 1 0 6 United Nations Filipino peacekeepers. chairs. They were accompanied by their Peacekeepers perished family members. carrying out their duty under these courageous individuals. said Secretary-General Ban “The sacrifices of the Filipino People the UN flag, bringing the total We grieve with their friends Ki-Moon in a statement. and her soldiers are honored with the number of lives lost in the and families and we recommit This is the sixth year the Philippine Pillar,” Almeda pointed out. history of peacekeeping to ourselves to ensure that their U N w i l l r e c o g n i z e More than 60,000 Filipino soldiers and more than 3,200. We mourn contributions to the cause of peacekeepers known for their u Page 12 u Page 5 the passing of every one of peace will never be forgotten,”

US Filipino Vets Remember American WWII Fallen in the Philippines WASHINGTON, DC -- During the Memorial Day weekend, two elderly Filipino American veterans honored the sacrifices of their fallen U.S. military comrades numbering 400,000 who were killed in World War II, including 14,000 G.I.s who fought and died in the Philippines and buried there.

Celestino Almeda, 96, of Maryland and Jesse Baltazar, 94, of Virginia attended the 10th anniversary of the opening and dedication of the National World War II Memorial in the capital.

The Memorial, a popular tourist destination in the midst of the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the U.S. Capitol and the White House, is a Mecca for the dwindling members of the “greatest generation.” Sixteen million Americans served during the global

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Pope to visit PH in January 2015 Associated Press ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE -Pope Francis confirmed Monday, May 26 that he will visit the Philippines in January next year as well as Sri Lanka for two days, but gave no definite dates and details.

Philippine Catholic Church officials have reportedly invited him to visit the Philippines, with a trip to typhoon-devastated Leyte as the highlight of his visit.

Early this year Palo Archbishop John Du was quoted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer as saying that “the Holy Father might just come,” adding that there was a plan but that “there is no calendar yet (for this possible visit). But we are praying for it.”

Du talked about the Pope's possible visit during the visit of Robert Cardinal Sarah to Leyte on Jan. 28, 2014, during which he expressed Francis' “oneness and solidarity” with the people of Leyte and the rest of the areas hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda on Nov. 8, 2013.

Cardinal Sarah is the president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council Cor Unum responsible for charity and humanitarian assistance. He said Mass at the damaged Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Libertad village, about four kilometers away from Palo town proper.

Francis also announced Monday he would meet soon with a group of sex abuse victims at the Vatican and declared “zero tolerance” for any member of the clergy who would violate a child.

Francis also revealed that three bishops are currently under investigation by the Vatican for abuse-related reasons, though it wasn't clear if they were accused of committing abuse itself or of having covered it up.

“There are no privileges,” he told reporters en route back to Rome from Jerusalem.

The meeting with a half-dozen victims will mark the first such encounter for the pope, who has been criticized by victims for not expressing personal solidarity with them when he has reached out to other people who suffer.

Francis said the meeting and a Mass at the Vatican hotel where he lives would take place early next month. A statement from the office of Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley, who is organizing the encounter, said the date and details hadn't been finalized but that the meeting was expected to take place “in the coming months.”

“On this issue we must go forward, forward. Zero tolerance,” Francis said, calling abuse of children an “ugly” crime that betrays God. The executive director of the main U.S. victims' group, Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, dismissed the meeting as “just utterly, utterly meaningless.”

“The simple truth is this is another gesture, another public relations coup, another nice bit of symbolism that will leave no child better off and bring no real reform to a continuing, scandal-ridden church hierarchy,” said SNAP Executive

Director David Clohessy.

Clohessy said the pope has shown himself capable of making real change in other areas such as church governance and finance but hasn't done so in dealing with sex abuse by Catholic clergy.

Francis spoke to reporters for nearly an hour after his grueling, three-day trip to Jordan, the West Bank and Israel, taking all 11 questions posed and responding with candor and occasional humor.

Visiting PH He said he would travel to Sri Lanka for two days and the Philippines in January 2015. And he suggested that he might follow in emeritus Pope Benedict XVI's footsteps and retire if he no longer had the strength to do the job.

“We need to look at him as an institution: he opened a door, the door of emeritus popes,” Francis said.

“Only God knows if there will be others, but the door is open.”

If and when the time comes, he said, “I will do what the Lord tells me to do, pray and try to find God's will.

But I think that Benedict XVI wasn't a unique case.”

Francis sought to lower expectations about his planned encounter in the Vatican next month with the Israeli and Palestinian presidents, which he announced during the trip. He stressed that they were coming to pray together, not enter into peace mediation.

“We are coming just to pray, then everyone goes home,” he said. “But I

Pope Francis talks with Vatican Spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, right, during a press conference he held aboard the papal flight on his way back to Rome at the end of a three day trip to the Middle East, Monday, May 26, 2014. He confirmed a visit to the Philippines in January 2015. AP/ANDREW MEDICHINI, POOL

think prayer is important, praying together.”

He said he had originally hoped to arrange the encounter in Jerusalem itself, but that the idea was scrapped because of the enormous logistical problems that would have been involved. Preparations are already under way, he said, noting that a rabbi and Islamic cleric would join him in leading the prayers.

Spontaneous gesture One of the more poignant moments of Francis' pilgrimage came Monday when he visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and kissed the hands of survivors in a show of humility and respect. Francis said his gesture came spontaneously.

“The gestures that are the most authentic you don't think about,” ahead of time, he said.

Given his respect for Holocaust

survivors, Francis was asked what he intended to do about the pending beatification case for Pope Pius XII, the World War II-era pope accused by some Jews of not speaking out enough against the Holocaust. Jewish groups have asked that the case be shelved pending the opening of the archives of his pontificate, or at least until the generation of Holocaust survivors has passed.

Francis has bent the Vatican's saint-making rules for a half-dozen people so far in his pontificate, waiving the usual second miracle requirement for example to canonize Pope John XXIII last month. Francis, however, offered no such wiggle room for Pius.

“There's still no miracle,” he said.

“If there are no miracles, it can't go forward. It's blocked there.”

Inquirer.net

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Asia pivot absent from Obama foreign policy speech Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama laid out a sweeping vision for US foreign policy but made no mention of what has been a signature tune of his administration's diplomacy: the “pivot” to Asia.

The concept of the pivot was that as America wound down its involvement in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that would free up military and diplomatic resources to focus on the Asia-Pacific, after a decade of relative neglect.

Yet in the president's speech delivered Wednesday - a day after Obama outlined plans to get US forces out of Afghanistan by the end of 2016 - there was not a single reference to that shift in regional focus.

That was partly due to the purpose of the address. Obama was pushing back against critics who contend that his approach to global problems, such as Ukraine and Syria, has been too cautious and has emboldened adversaries.

He offered a broader perspective on the role that America should play in international affairs, still leading on the world stage and eschewing isolationism, but less ready to embark on military adventures.

Peter Paul Galvez. Inquirer.net file photo

DND 'wary and troubled' of Vietnam ship sinking

By Bong Lozada

MANILA -- Amid the rising tension in the South China Sea after one Chinese vessel rammed and sunk a Vietnamese ship, the In this May 22, 2010, file photo, addressing the graduates of the U.S. Military Academy, Department of National Defense remained “wary” and “troubled” President Barack Obama outlined a foreign policy vision using diplomacy and a strong of the volatile situation in the disputed waters. military together, in West Point, N.Y. Obama will soon outline a strategy for his final years in Peter Paul Galvez, Department of National Defense office that aims to avoid overreach as the second of the two wars he inherited comes to a spokesman, said that the latest incident between the two close. The president will make the case for that seemingly more limited approach during a commencement address Wednesday, May 28, 2014, at the U.S. Military Academy at West countries is an indication of the “volatility of the situation.”

Point. AP “This further highlights the need to have efforts to avoid such incidents and accidents at sea,” Galvez said.

But Obama made clear that the foreign policy speech he made in He added that the Philippines and the DND is pursuing the threat of terrorism that has Australia in November 2011, where shared protocols of action and code of conduct in the South China preoccupied the US since the 9/11 he declared that in the Asia-Pacific in Sea. attacks remains an abiding concern. the 21st century, “the United States According to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the He said as the US reduces its Afghan of America is all in.” code of conduct in the South China Sea “promotes a peaceful, presence, it can do more to address Despite his administration's friendly and harmonious environment in the South China Sea.” emerging threats in the Middle East intent to devote more attention to Galvez added that the DND would continue to remain vigilant and North Africa.

Asia, the rebalance, as the pivot is in the face of the alarming development in the disputed sea.

It's a far cry from the tone also known, has struggled for air “We continue to be vigilant and we would continue to monitor Obama struck in another keynote u Page 6 the activities of our fishermen,” Galvez said. Inquirer.net

DFA Asec. Maria Zeneida Angara Collinson, chair of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Manila conference, said in a press conference May 29 that the resiliency of Filipino is known worldwide. Matikas Santos

Filipino resilience to be showcased ...

From page 1 representatives from 36 of the 51 Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) partner countries, joined by senior representatives from 19 regional and international organizations have confirmed their participation in the ASEM Manila conference,” she said.

The conference will be held from June 4 to June 6 and will start with a visit to Leyte province where participants will visit the cities off Tacloban, Tanauan, and Palo.

They will also lead in the ground breaking ceremony for the ASEM Elearning center in Bislig Elementary school which will be a token

contribution of the conference participants to the youth.

Collinson said that the conference aims to draw lessons from the Philippine's experience with Yolanda and to exchange best practices in disaster risk reduction and management among the participants.

They also seek to introduce and promote innovation, technology, systems, and services in disaster prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery from the private and scientific community, she said.

“The ASEM Manila conference on disaster risk reduction and mitigation translates into action the collective commitment of ASEM partners or greater collaboration and coordination,” Collinson said.

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Fil-Am named assistant administrator of US airports

By Mico Letargo

Pastor Alex Achacoso (left) with Sigma Rho of SoCal and their families.

Fil-Am pastor rebuilds fire-razed San Diego church after two years

By Cecile Caguingin Ochoa SAN DIEGO, California -- Pastor Alexander Achacoso, a University of the Philippines alumnus, on Saturday May 24, led his visiting college fraternity buddies in dedicating a commemorative fountain that caps the rebuilding of a church razed by fire early one morning on Christmas two years ago.

“The fire burned down our church, but not our faith,” Pastor Achacoso, who immigrated to Bronx New York some 36 years ago, told his friends and their families.

“God is good; He provides at the right time and proof is how the community around Old Town, our friends near and far, gathered their resources to append insurance mitigation,” he told his guests from the UP Sigma Rho of Southern California Chapter and their families.

The fire caused damage estimated at $500,000. The actual cost to rebuild to date is $900,000.

The old church is situated in a tourist area visited for its history

Fallen Filipino ...

From page 1 “blue helmets” who lost their lives “while serving the cause of peace.”

Commemorative activities will be held at United Nations Headquarters in New York, as well as at UN peacekeeping operations and offices around the world.

Ban Ki-Moon will lead the wreath-laying ceremony in honor of the fallen peacekeepers on Thursday, May 29. He will also make a speech at which the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal will be awarded posthumously to 106 military, police and civilian personnel who lost their lives while serving in peacekeeping operations last year.

“Let us all commit to following

LOS ANGELES, California -- A Filipino-American was recently named the new US Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) associate administrator for airports.

Eduardo Angeles will be appointed in early July, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta announced on Wednesday, May 14, according to a report from Aviation News Today.

The position was previously held by Christa Fornarotto, who vacated the office in January this year.

Angeles told Asian Journal that he is “truly honored and h u m b l e d ” t o b e a n FA A administrator under President Barack Obama's administration.

“I am now a fabric of American history, as a member of the team of the first African-American US President,” Angeles said via email correspondence.

Angeles said that as an immigrant from the Philippines raised by a single mom, who worked as a maid in the Army Presidio in San Francisco, the “opportunity to serve this great nation is an exclamation point on my already fulfilled American Dream.”

Angeles also recognized the importance of his appointment to

Eduardo Angeles. AJPRESS PHOTO the Filipino community. “I can only hope that my fellow Filipino immigrants, who come from a similar marginalized background, can find inspiration in my personal story of success. Kaya natin lahat!,” Angeles said.

Angeles currently serves as the senior assistant city attorney in Los Angeles, where he is assigned to the LA Department of Water and Power.

Previously, Angeles was the general counsel to Los Angeles World Airports. During his tenure with the LA World Airports, Angeles oversaw legal matters for four major airports in Southern California: LAX, Ontario, Van Nuys and Palmdale.

Prior to his stint in Los Angeles, Angeles worked for the San Francisco City Attorney's

Office, as an in-house counsel for the San Francisco International Airport.

Angeles said that former colleagues recommended him for the position to the White House Personnel Office because of his previous work with airports in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

He underwent an extensive vetting process, which took months to complete, and which included interviews with officials at the highest levels in federal government.

He was interviewed personally by Department of Tra n s p o r t a t i o n S e c re t a r y A n t h o n y F o x x a n d FA A' s Administrator Huerta.

As the new associate administrator for airports, Angeles said that he will prioritize safety and security.

“I intend to dedicate my efforts during my tenure at the FAA assuring the safety and security of the traveling public at airports. I will seek technological innovations and creative solutions to address these issues throughout all the airports to the entire country,” Angeles said.

Angeles also said that while he is open to new ideas, he fully intends to continue to support effective programs that have provided positive results for the FAA. Inquirer.net

and local crafts in a laid-back, almost pastoral setting. Besides the sanctuary, several items inside the church, which was built in the 1970s, were destroyed, including a carved sculpture called an intaglio that depicted the Madonna and child. The work hung in a handmade wooden frame above the altar, said Achacoso's wife, Irene.

The Old Town community, a quaint parcel of the early Spanish settlement in the area south of Los Angeles has approximately 1,500 residents. The other church in town is the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church that has since collaborated with some activities including feeding programs.

Immediately after the fire, the c h u rc h' s Fa c e b o o k s i te wa s inundated with supportive messages. One was from a local conservationist group, “ The Save Our Heritage Organization.” It offered the use of the Old Adobe Chapel just around the corner from t h e s i n g l e - s t o r y O l d To w n C o m m u n i t y C h u rc h .

Achacoso's fraternity donated u Page 8

the selfless example of our fallen heroes, as we work together to help our blue helmets be a force for peace, a force for change, and a force for the future,”Ban Ki-Moon said.

The ceremonies come at a time when the need for UN peacekeepers continues to be in demand. There are nearly 85,000 military personnel, 12,500 police officers, 17,000 international civilian and national staff serving in 16 peacekeeping operations on four continents.

At present, the Philippines has deployed 676 military and police personnel to the United Nations peacekeeping operations in Cote d'Ivoire, Haiti, India-Pakistan, Liberia, and the Middle East.

Inquirer.net

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Manila traders sued for fake, low-quality China imports The owners and brokers of two trading companies in Manila are facing smuggling charges in the Department of Justice (DOJ) for importing nearly P64 million worth of counterfeit clothing items and substandard construction materials, all from China.

In separate cases filed in the DOJ, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Thursday named the respondents as Rizaldy Valencia and Mae Espino, owners of Clurky Trading and Sun Ford Trading, respectively. Also sued were Elizar Lopez, broker for the Port Areabased Clurky; and Arnel Asuncion, broker for Sun Ford which is based in the Binondo district.

The action brought to 164 the total number of smuggling cases filed by the BOC, an agency attached to the Department of Finance, under the Aquino administration, the bureau said. In a statement, the BOC said the goods imported by Clurky Trading, estimated to be worth P55 million, were packed inside three 40-foot freight containers and declared as ladies' sandals, bags and swimwear.

But when inspected at the Manila International Container Port on Jan. 2, the cargo turned out to be fake Levi's jeans, Adidas and Aeropostale shirts and jogging pants, among others.

The firm also failed to declare the

other items in its shipment, such as mobile phone chargers and other electronic products.

Meanwhile, the charges against S u n Fo rd s te m m e d f ro m i t s importation of 10 containers containing P8.95 million worth of wood and steel products on Jan 6.

The products neither went through mandatory product certification from the Department of Trade and I n d u s t r y ' s B u re a u o f P ro d u c t Standards nor were issued Import Commodity Clearances, the BOC noted.

The company also attempted to avoid paying the correct duties and taxes by misdeclaring its imported items as clamps, hinges and flexible tubings.

Customs Commissioner John Philip Sevilla noted “a very clear intent to cheat the government given the huge discrepancies in what Sun Ford declared and what we found after examining their shipments. These smuggled substandard construction materials flood our market, causing harm to our local industries and posing a threat to the safety of our people.”

Both Clurky Trading and Sun Ford Trading have yet to comment on the smuggling charges filed against them by the BOC. Jerry E. Esplanada.

Inquirer.net

Asia pivot ...

allies is in danger comments that could reassure US treaty allies like Japan and the Philippines.

Obama also reiterated Washington's backing for Southeast Asian nations as they try to negotiate a code of conduct with China to help resolve disputes in the South China Sea, where there are half-dozen claimants.

His comments come as dozens of Chinese and Vietnamese vessels are engaged in a standoff around a Chinese offshore oil rig.

But US support for the code of conduct since 2010 hasn't helped much. Negotiations have moved slowly, and they could become tougher as disputes multiply and tensions escalate. Seeking to maintain its leverage, China remains reluctant to negotiate with the regional bloc rather than individual nations.

Obama even conceded Wednesday that Washington “can't try” to resolve problems in the South China Sea when the US Senate has not ratified the UN Law of the Sea Convention that defines the rights and responsibilities of nations in their use of the world's oceans. Inquirer.net

From page 4 time. The civil war in Syria, the escalating violence in Iraq, nuclear negotiations with Iran, the IsraelPalestinians peace process and the threat of conflict in Ukraine all compete for Washington's attention.

That's not to say Asia was entirely neglected in Wednesday's speech, which was delivered to graduating officers at the elite US Military Academy at West Point.

Allies in the region may draw some comfort from Obama's pointed references to China's economic rise and military reach and its conduct in maritime territorial disputes.

“Regional aggression that goes unchecked in southern Ukraine, the South China Sea, or anywhere else in the world will ultimately impact our allies, and could draw in our military,” Obama said.

Despite stressing the importance of coalition-building before the US intervenes overseas, the president did express a willingness to use military force if necessary if the security of US

House urged to probe abusive yellow cabs at Naia

By Marc Jayson Cayabyab MANILA -- The House of Representatives is urged to investigate the alleged overcharging by yellow taxis at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).

M i n d a n a o representatives and brothers Rufus Rodriguez and Maximo Rodriguez Jr. filed House Resolution 1028 seeking to invite officials of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and other agencies in a public hearing about the issue.

They said yellow taxi drivers dupe passengers by charging fixed rates without using their meters.

They added that these abuses by taxis have put a dent on the country's reputation as a tourist destination.

“There is a need to address this situation as

Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Inquirer file photo

these unscrupulous taxi drivers that operate in international airports can give the country a bad name as soon as visitors step into Philippines,” Rodriguez said.

According to Rodriguez, ordinary taxis charge a flag down rate of P40 and P3.50 for every 300 meters, while metered airport taxis charge a P70-flag down rate and P4 for every 300 meters.

The lawmakers said passengers were forced to take these taxis due to a

ve r b a l p o l i c y a t NA I A p re ve n t i n g t h e m f ro m hailing standard metered cabs at the departure area.

Passengers are even blocked by airport personnel from hailing the taxis, they added.

The legislators cited a report by a passenger who was charged with P620 from the airport to the Mall of Asia (MOA) after being shown a laminated piece of paper listing the rates. Inquirer.net

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Napoles taken back to jail

By Julliane Love De Jesus MANILA -- Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged brains behind a P10-billion pork barrel scam, was taken back to her detention bungalow at Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, on Thursday (May 29) night after almost two months in the Ospital ng Makati (OsMak).

On board a white van with her security escorts, the detained businesswoman arrived at the highly-secured Special Action Forces (SAF) police camp in Laguna at 10:20 p.m in less than an hour of travel time.

Wearing a bulletproof vest and a navy blue hoodie, Napoles was escorted out of the OsMak in a wheelchair by some policemen around 9:35 p.m.

Among the security escorts were Senior Superintendent Ronald Santos, deputy regional director for operations of the Calabarzon police.

Chief Superintendent Jesus Gatchalian, Calabarzon Police Regional Director, said Napoles was not accompanied by any of her family's members or her lawyers, but only by two female security personnel.

Gatchalian said they would implement the same visiting policies as before.

On regular days, Napoles is allowed to receive visitors from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday and from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. during weekends.

Earlier Thursday, the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) ordered the immediate transfer of Napoles back to jail after a series of pleas to stay in the hospital.

The detained businesswoman was admitted March 31.

Napoles' transfer to jail was deferred by her recurring vaginal bleeding after she underwent total hysterectomy and a bilateral salpingo-ophorectomy to remove her uterus and both ovaries last April 23. ‎Following a court order, Napoles was discharged at 10:40 p.m. Wednesday. Inquirer.net

Senate copy of Luy digital files found to have deletions

By TJ Burgonio MANILA -- As far as the Senate's copy of Benhur Luy's files is concerned, it's a mumbo jumbo of the whistleblower's records of transactions with lawmakers, his music, photos and downloads, and only he could make sense of them.

The Senate's copy of Luy's digital files, which was submitted by the National Bureau of Investigation to the chamber on Wednesday, included items that the pork barrel scam whistleblower or anybody who accessed his computer deleted before they ended up in the hands of authorities.

Ronald Aguto, chief of the NBI AntiCybercrime Division, said the agency could not say who deleted the files.

“We don't know because when the hard drive was given to us, we just examined it. During the examination, the software was able to detect some deleted files and we were able to recover it,” he told reporters on Wednesday, May 28 in the Senate.

Familiar code names Luy's “deleted files” included countless entries with such codenames as “Bigote,” “Dahon,” “Sexy,” “Pogi,” “Bonget,” “Tanda” and “Bigboy,” who his boss Janet Lim-Napoles had purportedly dealt with.

Save for Bigboy, these are familiar code names that had been tossed around in the Senate inquiry into the P10-billion pork barrel scam that has riveted the country for months since the scandal broke in mid-2013.

In its February hearing, feisty Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago confronted witness Ruby Tuason about the code names “Dahon for Loren Legarda.

Bigote for Vicente Sotto. Bongets for Sen. [Ferdinand] Marcos.”

Tuason, who confessed to brokering deals between Napoles and lawmakers, however, replied that she was only familiar with “Tanda,” “Sexy” and “Pogi” because she dealt with them personally.

She was apparently referring to Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla.

Most of the senators whose names are mentioned in the Senate's copy of Luy's files and Napoles' expanded affidavit have flatly denied either knowing or transacting with Napoles.

Examples of deleted entries: “2010 Bigote_NLDC Authority & Endorsement Request”; “2011_DAHON_50M_LGUs”; “2011_DAR_Sexy_LGUs”; “2011_NLDC_BONGET”; “2011_NLDC_POGI_100M”; “2011_TANDA_55M_LGUs.”The entries had dates when they were last accessed, first created and last written. If you click on the entries, they're inactive precisely

because their contents had been deleted.

Downloads from adult site NBI Director Virgilio Mendez handed over a CD of Luy's files to Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee on Wednesday.

These are the official files, Guingona said.

The Inquirer ran a series of investigative stories on Luy's digital files that were turned over to the newspaper by his family in April last year. A copy of the files was submitted early this year as evidence to the Office of the Ombudsman, which on April 1 resolved that there was sufficient evidence to indict Estrada, Enrile and Revilla, Napoles and several others for plunder and graft over the scam.

If printed, the files could run up to 31,700 plus pages and could fill a whole room, Guingona said.

The rest of the deleted entries were straightforward: They carried the names Enrile, Marcos, Legarda, Estrada, Sotto and those of House representatives, among others.

The deleted files included Luy's own music, including songs with such titles “Eli Eli Sabactani (My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?) and “The Lord announces good news;” his pictures, and even downloads apparently from an adult site. Inquirer.net

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US naturalization do it for your family It's hard to imagine that we as individuals can do anything about the broken immigration system that is tearing many of our families apart.

But we can. There is one step that, if taken together, could have the power to protect our families and move our communities forward.

More than 8 million immigrants in the United States have green cards and are eligible to become U.S. citizens. Yet only 8 percent of eligible immigrants naturalize each year.

Imagine what would happen if the millions of us who are eligible to become citizens actually took that step. We would be able to vote. But the benefits of citizenship don't end there.

We would be able keep our families together. As naturalized U.S. citizens, we could petition for our relatives. We would get automatic citizenship for our children under 18 who are Lawful Permanent Residents.

And unlike green card holders who can still be deported, U.S. citizens are protected from the threat of deportation, and so are our children. We would be able to

travel freely, visit a sick relative or attend a wedding without worrying that we might not be allowed back in the country if we leave for six months.

We would be able to access public benefits like Medicare and Supplemental Security Income. If we choose to retire abroad, we would be able to keep our Social Security retirement income and of course visit our grandchildren.

We would be able to apply for government jobs that are only available to U.S. citizens. And studies have shown that immigrants who naturalize also see an increase in income!

So why aren't more green card holders applying for citizenship?

Some may be held back by financial and language barriers.

But a group of organizations that form part of the national New Americans Campaign are working to reduce these barriers.

For example, it costs $680 to file for citizenship. But if your income falls below poverty level, you can qualify for a fee waiver.

If you don't speak English well you may think that limits your chances of becoming a citizen. But if you have been here for many years, you can qualify to take the exam in your native language. And if you do need to take the exam in English, many local organizations provide free and low-cost English and citizenship classes.

Becoming a U.S. citizen doesn't have to mean giving up citizenship in our home country the United States allows for dual citizenship.

Green card holders can get other questions answered through CitizenshipWorks, an online tool to guide users through the citizenship application. With so many immigrants eligible to apply for citizenship, the biggest challenge m ay s i m p ly b e a l a c k o f information.

That's why this year, in cities across the country, media that serve immigrant communities are coming together with the national organization New A m e r i c a M e d i a < newamericamedia.org> to help inform our audiences about the importance of citizenship and some of the free resources available to help them through the process.

We are calling on our audiences to take the important step of becoming American citizens - not just for the individual, but for the good all of our families and communities.

Inquirer.net

Fil-Am Pastor ... From page 5 funds to build the “Eternal One” fountain, which welcomes churchgoers. Fernando Sosmena, archon of the So Cal chapter, led some 20 members in the dedication ceremony.

Fast-forward to 2014, after two and half years of fundraising and re-building. Achacoso beamed as he led friends on a tour of the new sanctuary.

Many of his guests drove more than 150 miles one way to mark this event.

Achacoso has served at the nondenominational Christian church since 1993. It has more than 90 family members 60 percent are Filipino American and the rest are Chinese, Korean, African American and Hispanic.

Achacoso celebrates Mass every Sunday from 11 a.m. Community leaders also conduct ministries for children, youth and seniors, which for two years had to be held at the adjacent school grounds.

Not only did the community restore the demolished sanctuary, it was also able to add square footage by including a crying room for parents with babies and toddlers, as well as an additional function room. The church now has 3,500 square feet with a new modern kitchen and dining area, Achacoso explained.

“We're thankful - the rebuilding is a testament of God's faithfulness,” he said.

With his wife Irene of 36 years, Achacoso moved to the Bay area in 1983 where religious life called on him and he entered the seminary. Ten years after, their journey led them to San Diego where the predominantly Caucasian church was closing down. With a family of six children, Alex and Irene have served the Old Church since 1993.

They now have 12 grandchildren and a growing community church.

His goal as a pastor is to continue initiating mission churches where these are needed Chula Vista, for example; leading more people to “His Kingdom.”

At Old Town Church, he plans to open a veterans' facility to address some of the mental challenges this group faces, a rehabilitative mission. His mission is to strengthen the veterans' spiritual side as well as their faith. Inquirer.net

May 30 - June 5, 2014

Page 9

THE FILIPINO EXPRESS

Los Angeles Dodgers to host Filipino Heritage Night in honor of PH Independence LOS ANGELES, California -The Los Angeles Dodgers will host the fifth annual Filipino Heritage Night in honor of Philippine Independence Day (June 12) on Friday, June 13.

The club will take on the Arizona Diamondbacks at 7:10 p.m., and this event features a special ticket package that allows fans to have access to the Coca-Cola All-You-Can-Eat Pavilion, which offers unlimited Dodger dogs, nachos, popcorn, peanuts, and soft drinks.

Fans can also stay after the

Festive, starstudded ...

From page 1 Badilla; Grand Marshals Drs. Emilio and Felicisima Quines; and nearly 200 Filipino American-related nonprofit and for profit organizations will participate in the day-long celebration, whose attendance would likely peak at 100,000 people, made up mostly of Filipinos and Filipino Americans who come from the New York Tri-State area, Pe n n s y lva n i a , C a l i f o r n i a , Canada, and the Philippines.

Leading the parade, along with the Grand Marshals, are PIDCI President Fe Martinez; Philippine Consulate General New York, led by Consul General Mario L. De Leon Jr., who also acts as an honorary adviser to PIDCI; Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Luis Cuisia; Permanent Representative to the United Nations Libran Cabactulan; U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Lorna Schofield; New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Jersey City Council

game for the “Friday Night Fireworks,” which occurs after every Friday night home game.

Fans who purchase the ticket will also receive a one-ofa-kind Filipino Heritage Night T-shirt voucher and a portion of the proceeds from this event will directly support The American Red Cross in their Philippine Typhoon Relief efforts.

Groups of 20 or more tickets can be purchased by calling the Dodger Group Sales department at 323-DODGERS o r b y e m a i l i n g

President Rolando Lavarro and New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) President Ram Raju, MD will also attend.

PIDCI's Goodwill Ambassadors 2014 Mrs. Kalayaan (Mrs. Independence) Josephine Vilar Rafael and 2014 Diwa ng Kalayaan (Spirit of Independence) Mikaela Alexa Rada will also ride one of the many festive floats featured in the parade, alongside worldrenowned Filipino cultural festival live acts such as Bacolod City's Masskara Festival, Cebu City's Sinulog Festival, and Kalibo, Aklan's Ati-Atihan Festival.

Scheduled activities include the following: 8:30 to 9:00 a.m.: FLAG CEREMONY AND INDEPENDENCE DAY MASS at the Philippine Center, 556 Fifth Avenue.

10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.: STREET FAIR, 26th Street down to 24th Street and Madison Avenue.

11:45 a.m.: PARADE OPENING CEREMONY, 38th Street and Madison Avenue 12:00 to 2:00 p.m.: INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE, 38th Street down to 27th Street

britnih@ladodgers.com.

Groups of 20 or more will also receive special benefits including a personalized group message printed on their tickets and shown on the message board during the game. Individual game tickets can be purchased by visiting www.dodgers.com/filipino.

For additional information or for covering the pre-game activities during this event contact the Dodgers Public Relations Department at (323) 224-1301. Inquirer.net

and Madison Avenue.

2:00 to 6:00 p.m.: CULTURAL FESTIVAL, 23rd Street and Madison Avenue For updates, like PIDCI on Facebook: facebook.com/pidci or visit pidci.org.

About the Celebration Theme: Triumphs of the Filipino: Pride of the Philippines Everyone in the world was in awe of the Filipinos' capacity to persevere and triumph over adversity, especially when Ha iya n , on e of t he m ost powerful tropical storms in h i s t o r y, s t r u c k c e n t r a l Philippines last year, but never destroyed the unflagging optimism of the Filipino spirit.

On our 25th year celebrating the Philippine Independence Day its 116th anniversary - in the center of the world, no less - we honor the shining triumphs of Filipinos across different fields and industries: from business and technology to sports; from world ambassadorship to e n te r t a i n m e n t ; a n d f ro m volunteerism to social activism wearing only national pride in our hearts.

Filipino event scrapped in Singapore after drawing abuse Agence France-Presse SINGAPORE -- A Philippine independence day celebration in Singapore has been cancelled, organizers said Tuesday, after plans for a public event generated online abuse and threats against Filipinos in the city-state.

“In view of all considerations in the search for equivalent suitable venues, the PIDC 2014 deemed it is best to cancel the event,” the Pilipino Independence Day Council (PIDC) said in a statement sent to AFP. The PIDC had initially announced a June 8 event outside a shopping complex along the Orchard Road shopping belt. It invited Singaporeans to join them in commemorating the 116th anniversary of the Philippines' declaration of independence from Spain.

But police suggested alternative venues, citing “public order and safety concerns” following threats by an antiimmigration activist to hold a protest at the venue.

The PIDC said other venues would not be able to cater to the expected large crowd and would not be as accessible to public transport.

Online commentators, mostly on anonymously-run local websites and Facebook pages, have heaped racial abuse on Filipinos particularly the PIDC over the planned event, saying the choice of a city center venue was an example of foreigners overstepping their welcome.

Others called on the organizers to hold the event within the Philippine embassy grounds, while a few commentators threatened physical harm to participants if the event was held on Orchard Road.

G i l b e r t G o h , a n e m p l oy m e n t

vgslaw@gmail.com

counsellor critical of the government's i m m i g ra t i on p oli c y, ha d ea rli e r threatened to hold a protest on Orchard Road on the same day as the Filipino event.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in April condemned the campaign against the Filipino event as “thuggish behavior” and called the anonymous “trolls” a “disgrace to Singapore”.

In its statement the PIDC said it was satisfied with other events it had held this year, including a cultural sharing session at a primary school, a blood donation drive and a visit to a home for the elderly.

It said the events were “in line with this year's theme of inclusiveness and reaching out to the local community as our way of expressing friendship and partnership between the Philippines and Singapore”.

Anti-immigrant sentiment is on the rise in some segments of Singapore's local population, with many complaining that foreigners compete with them for jobs, housing, medical care as well as space on public transport.

This is despite a per capita income of $55,183, one of the highest in the world, and an unemployment rate of just over two percent.

Singaporeans make up just over 60 percent of the 5.4 million population, with its low fertility rate forcing the government to rely heavily on guest workers.

The Filipino community is estimated at more than 170,000, many of them professionals seen by some Singaporeans as rivals for jobs, compared to the past when most F i l i p i n o s wo rke d a s d o m e s t i c s .

Inquirer.net

May 30 - June 5, 2014

Page 10

THE FILIPINO EXPRESS

Man that got away

Was it so long ago that we seem to have forgotten the “Hello Garci” scandal that occurred in 2004? Or have we been so snowed under by the pork barrel scam that hardly a peep is heard regarding the man who got away, the man who must feel like the luckiest in the world?

Virgilio Garcillano was the Commission on Elections official heard in a taped phone call discussing the outcome of the 2004 presidential vote count with a woman who sounded suspiciously like Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was then seeking a fresh sixyear term. After the airing of the tape resulted in loud calls by various quarters for the election to be nullified and for Arroyo to vacate the post she had apparently stolen through the machinations of Garcillano and a number of other Comelec and military officials, Malacañang staged a skit on national TV: A morose-looking Arroyo admitted it was indeed she who was caught on tape talking to a Comelec official, in a purported effort to “protect her votes.” For that, she said in a famously measured tone, “I am sorry.”

And with that, the nation moved on. Having owned up to what in other countries and political cultures would qualify as one of the greatest political crimes - the theft, or at least the tampering, of the vote - Arroyo brazened out the tsunami of public outrage and clung to her position even as a whole bloc of her Cabinet resigned and a seemingly endless series of controversies, from the national-broadband scandal to the Maguindanao massacre, buffeted her administration.

Meanwhile, “Garci” himself slipped out of the country, vanishing for a while and causing reports of sightings in such John Boehner (R-Ohio) indicated California) introduced the bill and places as Malaysia, Singapore and London. When he reappeared last year that immigration reform sought a vote on the measure by in 2005, he was summoned to a joint congressional hearing that would be priority legislation for adding it as an amendment to the 2014, he now points out that the 2 0 1 5 N a t i o n a l D e f e n s e was looking into the allegations of electoral fraud perpetrated by As the chances of passing an President's implementation of the Authorization Act. However, the Arroyo and her ruling party. i m m i g ra t i o n re fo r m b i l l i n A f f o r d a b l e C a r e A c t g i v e s effort was blocked by House Garcillano denied that he or Arroyo participated in rigging Congress grow slimmer, President Republicans more reason not to act Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Rthe polls, but admitted he had called her to talk about the election Obama faces mounting pressure on immigration reform. GOP Virginia). tally. He also denied fleeing overseas and trying to evade the from Democrats and immigrant members simply do not trust the This recent development inquiry into his conduct. That denial would form the basis for the right advocates to exercise his President to carry out the law as intensified the call for executive charge of perjury with which the Office of the Ombudsman executive authority.

Congress would pass it. action on the President. The indicted him only last March, after it was found that he had Senator Chuck Schumer (DWhile House Republican President's executive authority presented spurious documents and lied under oath when he told New York) said that Congress only leaders seem to have closed its allows him to ease deportations. He Congress that he didn't leave Philippine soil, when in fact he has a few weeks until its August doors on the prospect of passing a may, as part of his “prosecutorial transited through Changi airport en route to London, as attested recess to act on immigration comprehensive immigration discretion”, prioritize deportation to by the Singapore foreign ministry. To reflect that fabrication, reform. Many believe that if reform bill, they also prevented a of aliens who pose a threat to public Garcillano also apparently presented a counterfeit passport. immigration reform in Congress is vote on the proposed legislation safety such as gang members and Perjury and falsification of documents are not light to happen this year, it has to happen referred to as the ENLIST Act that drug dealers. infractions, and if Garcillano ends up punished for such crimes, within that time frame; otherwise, would grant legal status to young At the same time, he could ease then some form of justice would have been achieved. But in the the President will have to take undocumented immigrants who up on the deportation of aliens who light of the enormously more consequential transgression he action on his own. serve in the military. Under the bill, do not have criminal convictions appears to have committed in 2004, which is the desecration of Since the Senate passed its the so-called DREAMers would be and who have family members in comprehensive immigration allowed to join the military and be the U.S. Although they are still the vote and the thwarting of the people's electoral will in reform bill in June 2013, House eligible for citizenship after four s u b j e c t t o d e p o r t a t i o n , violation of his oath as an independent election official, Republican leaders refused to take years. enforcement would not be focused Garcillano deserves far greater chastisement than the relatively it up on the floor. Although Speaker R e p . J e f f D u n h a m ( R - on them. u Page 12 small-fry cases he is now up against.

That ideal outcome, however, no longer has any chance of becoming real. No less than the current chair of the Comelec, Sixto Brillantes, has announced that Garcillano and others involved in the “Hello Garci” scandal are off the hook, absolved now because the five-year prescription period for the filing of cases had lapsed. u Page 12

Call for Executive Action on Immigration

Alternative scenarios

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Lito A. Gajilan, Jr. Columnists: Reuben S. Seguritan, Esq., Juan L. Mercado, Joseph G. Lariosa Contributor: Grace G. Baldisseri The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not reflect the opinion of the paper nor that of the publisher.

Email: filexpress@aol.com Phone: 201-434-1114 Fax 201-434-0880 2711 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07306

Few Filipinos have visited the Natuna archipelago of Indonesia's Riau province. It straddles one of the world's potentially largest gas fields. And over the last two months, Indonesia twice accused Beijing of claiming part of Natuna, reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

In so doing, China succeeded in shifting Indonesia, from moderator between China and other South China Sea states, to opponent, notes the SCMP commentary “Peril of Price and Prejudice.” It was written by Philip Bowring, who has covered Asia for four decades.

The Indonesian shift comes

when other Southeast Asian countries have had bruising conflicts with China over its “ninedash line.” Beijing's map claim “line” sweeps in almost 90 percent of the seaand barges into exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of other countries.

The Scarborough and Half Moon shoals are within the Philippine EEZ, Bowring notes. But China scoffs at that. One reef is 60 miles from Palawan island, 900 from China. “If it belongs to anyone… it'd be Brunei which previously controlled southern Palawan, the Sulu archipelago and Sabah.”

Indonesian President Susilo B a m b a n g Yu d h o y o n o a n d President Aquino approved last Thursday an agreement that unsnarled their countries' onceoverlapping EEZs in the Celebes and Mindanao Seas. “This is a good example that any border disputes…

can be resolved peacefully, and not t h r o u g h m i l i t a r y m i g h t ,” Yudhoyono said.

Indeed, Malaysia and Thailand managed a compromise over a gas rich area. Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia brought island ownership issues to the international court and accepted the result, the SCMP column recalls. “China, however, refuses to compromise or submit to arbitration. Joint development is impossible because China makes it conditional on acceptance of its sovereignty.”

Beijing anchors its claims on “ h i s to r y.” T h a t i g n o re s t h e existence of other peoples and seafaring and trading going back 2,000 years. Indonesians, for example, colonized Madagascar 1,000 years before Zheng He. Southeast Asians absorbed more of India and the Islamic world than of China, Bowring notes. u Page 12

May 30 - June 5, 2014

Page 11

THE FILIPINO EXPRESS

Climate change is upon us The sights, sounds, and smells that assailed me as I was walking through the devastated chaos and destruction of Tacloban City in the Philippines last year, soon after the most powerful storm ever to hit land, made me realize that this was the future. This utter devastation wrecked by a vengeful nature on her tormentors was going to be repeated across the globe. Climate change is upon us.

Extreme weather conditions will be what we can expect in the future. In the UK last year, massive unprecedented flooding cut off towns and villages. The economic cost was massive. We have to ask why and what can be done to prevent such destructive weather conditions getting worse and less frequent. The Philippines experienced 25 typhoons in 2013.

Humans are the custodians of the creation and guardians of the planet and yet we have sinned

Making life worth living Ellen Tordesillas While we continue to be engrossed with Napolist (she has submitted an expanded list naming 120 lawmakers as alleged beneficiaries of her largesse including her contributions to their election campaign), things are heating up in the South China Sea between China and Vietnam that could destabilize Southeast Asia.

News reports yesterday said a Chinese boat sank a Vietnamese fishing vessel 17 nautical miles from the oil rig of China National Offshore Oil Corporation near the China- occupied Paracel islands.

The rig is 240 km (150 miles) off Vietnam's coast and 330 km (206 miles) from the southern coast of

against it. Now it's time to repent and make amends, but how?

As I write this, the Balkans are experiencing the worst flooding in 120 years when records began. Vast areas of countryside, towns and villages are inundated and as many as 300 land slides have destroyed property and 35 people were killed.

In three days, rain that would normally fall in three months hit the region causing destruction, death and huge commercial loss. In Afghanistan a few weeks ago, an entire village with hundreds of people were buried alive when a rain saturated hillside came roaring down to bury and smother them all.

Every news bulletin seems to carry reports of another huge ecological disaster, droughts and wild fires in the United States are consuming forests and fields, even more destructive floods are to come in Europe we are told.

Last week, the United Nations

Opinion

By Fr. Shay Cullen Inter-County Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made it's latest report after seven years of exhaustive research and number crunching to inform and convince us that catastrophic climate change can be averted and even reversed if we act now. The report was made by 1,250 eminent scientists and experts and endorsed by 146 governments.

It's for real, the planet has warmed up and we humans have caused it by burning fossil fuels

non-stop for the last 150 years. That has to stop. We must turn to alternative sources of energy, the report strongly advises, or else..

The worst offenders are the oil and coal-burning industries. Their power plants, factories, houses and cars warm the earth by releasing CO2 gases. The carbon dioxide and methane gases create a blanket around the earth causing this warming. This in turn has melted huge sections of the polar ice caps and removed nature's big reflector of sun light. Antarctica is melting too. Soon the rise in ocean levels will be covering low lying islands and beach fronts.

The permafrost in Siberia and Canada is melting, releasing even more deadly methane gas from the once frozen bogs and releasing it into the atmosphere. The effect on fo o d p ro d u c t i o n a n d wa te r resources will be massive and will lead to food shortages and the social

impact will be great; migration and armed conflicts will erupt.

China, one of the worst climate polluters with its thousands of coal and oil power plants is in direct conflict with Vietnam after moving an oil drilling platform into waters claimed by Vietnam. Riots, property destruction and the evacuation of thousands of Chinese from Vietnam is the news this week.

The content of the reports of the IPCC are vehemently denied by powerful business interests in the gas, oil and coal industries. These thermal tycoons want the burning of fossil fuels to continue but the time is coming when fossil fuels have to be abandoned and left in the ground. Alternative renewable sources of electric power like solar, wind and geothermal electric generation have to power the future.

Huge investments have to be u Page 20

Tension rising as China sinks Vietnamese boat China's Hainan island.

According to reports, Hanoi said the sinking happened after some 40 Chinese fishing boats had surrounded the Vietnamese vessel, and one of them rammed it.

Other Vietnamese fishing boats rescued the 10 crew members of the boat.

China's version is the Vietnamese boat capsized after “harassing and colliding with” a Chinese fishing boat.

The boat sinking raises the tension in the area triggered by the drilling

by CNOOC starting three weeks ago which Vietnam vehemently protested saying the area is within their 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone. They sent their own ships and engaged Chinese ships in a water cannon fight.

Vietnam said last week there

were 86 Chinese vessels protecting the oil rig as against their 50 vessels preventing China from proceeding their operation which Beijing said will only be up to August 15.

Vietnam said China's Paracels flotilla includes military vessels, marine police vessels, marine surveillance ships, naval ships, fishery administrative boats, salvage tugs, cargo ships, tankers and fishing vessels with iron hulls.

Protest rallies against the Chinese were staged, which in the beginning were apparently encouraged by the government.

The rallies, however, turned into riots which resulted in deaths and injuries not only to Chinese businessmen and workers but also to Taiwanese and Japanese, who were mistaken as Chinese.

Water cannon fight between China and Vietnam over Chinese oil rig in Paracels.

China has since evacuated thousands of its nationals from Vietnam, whose officials called for calm and moved to contain the anti-Chinese rampage.

Tu e s d a y ' s s i n k i n g o f a Vietnamese fishing boat recalls the bloody battle for control of the Parcels that includes 30 islets, sandbanks and reefs over a maritime area in the South China

Sea, between China and then Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) January 19, 1974 which resulted in the sinking of the latter's warship and death of 53 of its soldiers.

Another China-Vietnam battle happened in South Johnson Reef in March 1988 which resulted in the death of 70 Vietnamese and u Page 22

Now Abad is at the epicenter of charges that Napoles was able to steal not an election but boatloads of taxpayers' funds through a scam involving his department, a few selected agencies and a whole mess of members of both Houses of Congress. Abad was even named

by Napoles herself as her mentor in the scam and his department is in charge of all the fund releases for projects whose funding ended up in Napoles' and the lawmakers' commodious pockets.

Yet Abad is not moving an inch.

What happened to his sense of propriety and his easily scandalized nature in the years since Hyatt 10? *** Understand, I am not saying that Abad is as guilty as Napoles herself alleges. All I'm saying is, if Abad could resign from the Cabinet because he was scandalized by the “Hello Garci” flap (which I assume

he had no direct knowledge about), how can he hang on to his post when he himself is being accused of aiding and abetting the principal suspect in the biggest corruption scandal of all by that person herself?

This is hypocrisy. And, as someone once said, “saan siya kumukuha ng kapal ng mukha?”

Of course, things are a little different for Abad these days. For one thing, two of his children are now employed by the government in sensitive, finance-related positions while his wife, who replaced him in his old Congress seat representing Batanes, is also vice-chairman of the powerful House committee on appropriations.

If Abad resigns because he is being linked to the pork barrel scam, imagine the pressure to do the same on his wife Henedina u Page 12

Hypocrisy happens There is now a growing movement calling for the resignation of Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, the supposed mentor of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles and the most prominent Executive official named in her definitive “Napolist” affidavit of beneficiaries and enablers. Abad has not given any indication that he will quit his position any time soon, which is really a mystery to me.

There was a time, after all, when Abad resigned simply because he apparently could not stomach reports that a government he was serving in was not as righteous as he was. This was in 2005, when this same Abad, then serving as education secretary in the government of

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, joined the so-called “Hyatt 10” in quitting en masse.

Abad joined Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development; the late Emilia Boncodin, secretary of the Department of Budget and Management; Cesar Purisima, secretary of the Department of Finance; Rene Villa, secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform; Juan Santos, secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry; Imelda Nicolas, head of the National Anti-Poverty Commission; Guillermo Parayno, commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue; Alberto Lina, commissioner of the Bureau of Customs; and Teresita Deles, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, at the Hyatt in Pasay City in the event that now still bears that hotel's name.

Many of the members of Hyatt 10 have been recycled into officials of this self-righteous administration, which they helped install after turning their back on Arroyo.

Abad was obviously not involved in the “Hello Garci” scandal, which was precipitated by alleged telephone calls made by Arroyo to an election official in Maguindanao province, whom she reportedly asked to cheat for her during the 2004 presidential elections. Like the other “Hyatters,” Abad was supposed to have quit simply because he was scandalized by reports that the government he was serving in was capable of stealing an election.

Abad was morally outraged by l'affaire Garci and, like his comrades at the Hyatt, earned high praise for his very well-developed sense of propriety.

How times have changed.

May 30 - June 5, 2014

Page 12

THE FILIPINO EXPRESS

Alternative ...

From page 10 There is reluctance by China to treat non-Han neighbors as people with their own history and cultures, Bowring writes.

This is of long-standing. “White skin is more than a fashion choice. Belief in eugenics and the need to protect and enhance Han genetic characteristics was strong in the republican era. It has long been rejected in the West and was condemned under Mao.” Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, rights to waters are derived from rights to land, the Jakarta Post reports. Indonesia pressed Beijing for reassurance and sought precise coordinates.

None has been given.

Instead, China used force. In March 2013, Indonesian officials boarded a Chinese boat illegally fishing in the Natuna Islands.

Chinese armed vessels demanded the release of the fishermen. Outgunned, the Indonesians complied.

Indonesia has now added a battalion, plus jets and naval vessels in the Natuna Islands.

Indonesian Military commander, Gen. Moeldoko would funnel more funds for “maritime security.”

There is a “good scenario” and a “less benign one” for this region's future over the next two decades, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at

the Nikkei Conference in Tokyo Thursday. One would be a region at peace, with countries working to secure shared interests. The other would be a region splintered by territorial disputes and protectionism.

These two scenarios will play out in the context of how the United States, China and Japan interact.

Lee's forecast: In 2034, the United States will remain the world's preeminent superpower. Japan will still be one of the world's largest economies, with great strengths in science and technology. The biggest change will be the growth of China's power and influence.

US-China relations are the m o s t i m p o r t a n t b i l a te ra l relationship in the world. But it can easily spiral out of control should a flash point escalate into violence. The Korean peninsula's “status quo will prevail, with repeated brinksmanship and tensions, but hopefully no war….” (Still), failure to denuclearize poses a continuing risk.

One scenario is Asia remains at peace. The US and China relationship will deepen and the Japanese economy rebounds. A stable strategic environment will foster regional economic cooperation. Greater economic interdependence will raise standards of living for all.

Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations could “deepen their cooperation and

integration.” It would remain “an effective neutral platform for major powers to engage one another.”

The alternative is a “riven fractious Asia.” If China's growth forces “an imbalance in the region and in the US-China pivot, Asia may be confronted by another, less benign scenario”: one rocked by territorial disputes and nationalist populism.

The dangers are implicit in the “maritime disputes in the East and South China Seas and recent anti-China protests in Vietnam, Asean nations will be forced to choose sides. And Southeast Asia could morph into “a proxy battleground” for friction between the superpowers.

“Such a strategic climate inevitably sets back economic integration. There are more trade disputes and currency wars and tit-for-tat protectionism. The result is less shared interest in one another's success, more frictions and disputes, and fewer restraints on countries when things go wrong. Everyone loses in such a scenario.”

Lee says the next 20 years is a “historic opportunity” for Asia.

Today, Filipino and other nationals of Asean countries can visit the Natuna archipelago without getting a visa from Indonesia. China, in contrast, would demand one.

E-mail: juanlmercado@gmail.com

US Filipino ...

From page 1 guerrillas of U.S. Army Forces in Far East died resisting the Japanese invasion and in the liberation campaign of the archipelago nation.

About a million Filipino civilians died due to war related causes including famine and diseases, according to the State Department.

Almeda retired as a former instructor and business owner in Manila.

Almeda is also the spokesman of the American Coalition for

Hypocrisy ...

From page 11 (from her House committee post, which identifies projects that the Executive should fund), daughter Julia (whose job as Presidential Management Staff head has supervision over the presidential “pork” called the social fund) and his son Luis Andres (chief of staff of Hyatter Finance Secretary Purisima).

And Abad's resignation will only exert pressure, as well, on his fellow Hyatt travelers Purisima, Soliman and Deles, who are still serving the Aquino government and who, like Abad during the Garci controversy, probably had nothing to do with the current scandal. Will they quit with Abad and give us Hyatt 4?

(Will Harvey Keh, the Black and White Movement and all the other so-called crusaders for good

Call for ... From page 10 The President may also grant a certain category of aliens temporary reprieve from deportation allowing them to live in the U.S. and apply for work authorization such as his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Many experts agree that the President has the authority to expand DACA. The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has even recommended expanding the deferred action program to parents, children, spouses and siblings of U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and DACA beneficiaries. Republicans, on the other hand, believe that this would violate the separation of powers.

Dan Pfeiffer, White House adviser, said that the President

Filipino Veterans, a national advocacy organization based in Washington. He applauded the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement signed in Manila during President Obama's recent state visit in light of China's aggressive actions in the territorial seas of the Philippines, Vietnam and Japan.

Jesse Baltazar, a decorated Purple Heart recipient, was brought to the event by his two sons, Melchor and Thomas, who served in the SEALS and US Special Forces respectively. Baltazar was a USAFFE Philippine Commonwealth u Page 14

government back then, who are so eerily quiet these days when the administration they worked so hard to install is being accused of corruption, sing praises for any new Hyatt movement? Will Senate President Franklin Drilon, the original Hyatt 10's ex-officio lawmaker-member who is also being linked to Napoles, resign again as Senate head after inviting President Noynoy Aquino to Iloilo?)

These are all the things that have to be considered if Abad quits oreven more unlikelyif he is fired by Aquino.

I'm guessing, though, that neither is going to happen, unless a true sense of righteousness motivated the Hyatt 10 nearly a decade ago, and not just political opportunism.

See, this is what happens when an administration that promises honest and incorruptible governance has its hand caught in a pork-larded cookie jar. Hypocrisy happens at the exact same time.

would “use every ounce of his authority” where necessary to advance his agenda on immigration.

Enforcement policies are currently under review in order to make enforcement “more humane.”

Although only Congress can provide legal status for the undocumented, the President's authority can grant temporary reprieve from deportation. If House Republicans refuse to take up immigration reform this summer, the President will have no choice but to take action.

“If the President doesn't take action,” says Representative Mike Honda (D-California), “there would be political blowback from the immigrant community.”

(Editor's Note: REUBEN S. SEGURITAN has been practicing law for over 30 years. For more information, you may log on to his website at www.seguritan.com or call (212) 695-5281.)

Man that got away ... From page 12 Getting caught on tape - the height of incontrovertible evidence in other climes, one that would have caused the downfall of governments and sometimes the suicide of humiliated public officials - proved no match to the industrial-grade sense of impunity and plain, smirking nonchalance of Arroyo and her phone pal. Why, Garcillano even ran for representative of the first district of Bukidnon in the 2007 midterm elections. The political exercise he had dragged through the mud was forced to accommodate him as a wannabe representative of the people's will.

Garcillano lost that election. But in a larger sense, he won. He proved that the Philippines' capacity for the absolute worst that a government and its officials could do was bottomless. He could waltz away from raising a middle finger at the voters; he could even mock them by seeking to become a candidate himself. And his otherworldly luck hasn't run out: The scandal that bears his name now can't even be used to go after him. Inquirer.net

May 30 - June 5, 2014

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THE FILIPINO EXPRESS

Remembering History: Connecting the Dots

By Erick San Juan Recalling the words of the late Senator Claro M.Recto that “in the future, Philippines could be a province of China.” In the '90′s, We were told by an American lecturer at the Heritage Foundation in Washington DC that the future war in South China Sea could spark between China and Vietnam and the Philippine involvement is inevitable. When my father was still alive, he told me the time will come that possibly the Philippines and many Asian countries will be ruled

by China. Thus dividing the world into regions namely: Asia is for China, US controlling north, central and south America, USSR (now Ru s s i a ) d o m i n a t i n g E a s te r n E u ro p e , G e r m a ny m a n a g i n g w e s t e r n E u r o p e a n d I s ra e l conquering Africa and the Middle East to create a Greater Israel in the process.

This flashback of events is now getting into a reality. In the Asian setting, it started with sweet talks from China's leaders diplomatic steps in 2013 to reportedly improve Asean-China relations and bring back confidence in the region, charming it's neighbors with promises of restraint and win-win cooperation. Foreign minister Wang Yi in May 2013, had raised hope in Asean that China was giving first priority to regional diplomacy and China viewed Asean as a

valuable strategic partner.

Asean welcomed the visits of China's President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang to South East Asia in October 2013. Pres. Xi's historic remarks to the Indonesian parliament that Asean and China should build “trust and develop good neighborliness” and “stick through thick and thin”.

China also indicated that it's 'Maritime Silk Road for the 21st Century Initiative' was inspired by Admiral Zheng He's peaceful voyages to South East Asia in the 15th century, which was not about gaining new territories but about commerce and extending Chinese civilization. As a result of these diplomatic statements by Chinese leaders, Asean was hopeful that China was changing it's approach to it's maritime disputes with its neighbors. Asean leaders were closer to becoming convinced that the 'China Dream' could also be made 'South East Asia's Dream'.

Asean agreed to fully and effectively implement the AseanChina Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the SCS-DOC and actively proposed confidence building measures.

The overall situation in the South China Sea went calmer with both sides exercising restraint.

(Casting Doubt on Neighborliness by Nguyen Hung Son of RSIS-Singapore 5/14/14) What went wrong? Action

speaks more than words.

China issued the 9 Dash line, the new Hainan fishing regulations and introduced an ADIZ(Air Defense Identification Zone) in the SCS. It was a complete shock to the Asean and the international community when China sent it's

biggest oil rig near Vietnam, claiming the maritime area as it's own. China even grabbed few reefs and shoals also claimed by the Philippines and installed military barracks. Nguyen concluded that China's action was deliberate, wellplanned and coordinated.

The worst, China even dismissed calls to resolve the dispute through dialogue and other peaceful means. Is this the current version of Sun Tzu's Art of War? The real agenda was exposed by Andrew Browne of the Wall Street Journal (5/21/14) citing CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil Corp.) launching it's first deep water drilling rig in 2012. It's chairman, Wang Yilin called it “our mobile national territory and a strategic weapon”. He claimed that an oil platform enjoyed sovereign rights wherever it floated, like an offshore island. The gigantic $1 billion rig was designed to roam across the SCS, which China claims almost in its entirety.

It got the ire of the Vietnamese people, who resisted and rammed the Chinese ships. The fury of the Vietnamese continued and attacked the Chinese owned factories on shore. China evacuated thousands of its nationals, many injured and several died.

According to Jane Perlez and Keith Bradsher of Intl. New York Times (5/19/14), ” The deployment of the oil rig is a possible game changer. Its China's determination to dominate the South China Sea. While Holly Morrow, a fellow in the geopolitics of energy program at Harvard University who served during the George W. Bush administrations National Security u Page 14

May 30 - June 5, 2014

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THE FILIPINO EXPRESS

Remembering ... From page 13

Obama warns against 'aggression' in South China Sea WEST POINT -- President Barack Obama warned Wednesday, May 28 that the United States was ready to respond to China's “aggression” toward its neighbors at sea but said Washington should lead by example by ratifying a key treaty.

In a wide-ranging speech on foreign policy to US military cadets at West Point, Obama said that the United States should shun isolationism and that its military must be prepared for crises.

“Regional aggression that goes unchecked - whether it's southern Ukraine, or the South China Sea, or anywhere else in the world - will ultimately impact our allies, and could draw in our military,” Obama said.

But Obama emphasized caution on any decision to use force and said: “American influence is always stronger when we lead by example.”

“We can't try to resolve the problems in the South China Sea when we have refused to make sure that the Law of the Sea Convention is ratified by the United States - despite the fact that our top military leaders say that the treaty advances our national security,” Obama said, not naming China directly as he diverted from his prepared text.

“That's not leadership; that's retreat. That's not strength; that's weakness,” Obama said.

Senators of the rival Republican Party have refused to ratify the treaty, saying that the UN convention would override US sovereignty.

Tensions have been rising for months between China and its neighbors at sea, with Vietnam on Tuesday accusing Beijing of ramming and sinking one of its fishing boats in the South China Sea. Japan and the Philippines also have tense disputes at sea with China.

Japanese commentators have voiced concern that the US failure to prevent Russia from annexing Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in March sent the wrong signal to China.

In another reference to policy toward Asia, Obama again cited the democratic reforms in Myanmar as a success story.

The administration upon entering office in 2009 opened a dialogue with the then military-ruled nation earlier known as Burma, whose relations have improved with the United States have improved dramatically.

“Progress there could be reversed. But if Burma succeeds, we will have gained a new partner without having fired a shot,” Obama said.

Myanmar has freed political prisoners, eased censorship and welcomed foreign investors, but human rights groups have voiced alarm over violence against the mostly Muslim Rohingya minority.

​Standing with the flags: Filipino American WWII veterans Celestino Almeda and Jesse Baltazar with a U.S. Marine color guard in front of the Philippine Pillar in the National World War II Memorial, during 10th anniversary dedication ceremonies in Washington DC on May 24, 2014. (ACFV photo by Eric Lachica)

US Filipino ... From page 12 Army survivor of the Bataan Death March in 1942. After the war, he later joined the US Air Force and was the first Filipino American promoted to the rank of major.

Baltazar was invited to the White House and met President Obama for the first time during the Veterans Day breakfast House in November. Amazingly, Baltazar still works at the State Department. Only a few dozen Filipino WWII veterans are estimated to be still living in the East Coast The prominent guest speakers at the anniversary were: U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, a disabled decorated WWII veteran, and Ohio Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur who led legislative campaign that established the memorial. They also presented wreaths at the wall of thousands of gold stars representing the 400,000 who gave their lives.

Council said, “China has been taking incremental steps, escalating and increasing its presence in SCS. CNOOC is a business but the program is not only about energy, its about sovereignty.”

Since two years ago, China was reportedly able to nudge aside the helpless Philippines from the disputed reefs without a fight. While many nations admired the Vietnamese standing up against perceived Chinese invasion. The world has not forgotten that the Vietnamese fought the Americans in the past and won.

Ken Fuller of the Daily Tribune asked a very timely question”Will Washington Defend the Philippines?

(5/20/14) He said that the US government clarified almost 40 years ago that it was under NO OBLIGATION that the US will honor the provisions of the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951, nor will spring to the Philippines defense in the event of a Chinese incursion into areas of SCS claimed by this country.

On June 9,1975, US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger even sent a lengthy telegram to the Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, with a copy to the US Embassy-Manila stating Washington's legal interpretation that MDT commitments do not apply in the event of an attack on Spratlys or on GOP(Government of the Philippines) forces stationed there.

The Spratlys were not included in the territory ceded by Spain to the USA in 1898 and excluded from the maps accompanying the presentation of MDT.( You have to read Fuller's article in full and you will surely get 'goose pimples'.

The worst revelation came from John Mangun, an American based in the Philippines and columnist at the Businessmirror(5/22/14). He believed that Beijing's diabolical plan is not only to take over the Philippines power grid but….. It's a fact: China is not going away and relations and actions must be based on REALITY, NOT FANTASY. He said that the US government is so out of touch with what's happening on the ground that US Sec. of State John F.Kerry might go to Beijing to offer to sell the Philippines to China using the same 1898 Treaty of Paris as the legal basis.

“Ano tayo, pambayad utang?” God forbid!

May 30 - June 5, 2014

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May 30 - June 5, 2014

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THE FILIPINO EXPRESS

By Allan Macatuno SAN ANTONIO, Zambales -- The eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 may have greatly altered the vast landscape of Central Luzon, but the coastlines of one of its provinces, Zambales, have become accidental beneficiaries of this deadly fury unleashed by nature. The scenic coves of San Antonio town in Zambales have survived the catastrophe and are now drawing its fair share of tourists. Rows of agoho trees against a backdrop of crystal blue seas greet solo wanderers, groups and families who love to spend a quiet day or two in nearly deserted beaches, islands and coves in this town, some 130 kilometers north of Metro Manila.

Often mistaken for pine, the swaying trees fan the gentle breeze that welcomes visitors to the cove.

Graceful rows of agoho Annawangin Cove is among the four coves of this town and is the most accessible to the fishing village of Pundaquit. Javar Jimenez, San A n t o n i o t o ur i s m o f f i cer, s ai d Pundaquit served as the jump-off point to other remote and unspoiled islands and coves in the town.

Annawangin (also spelled as Anawangin and Annawangen) got its name from the Ilokano word nuang, a wild carabao often found on the mountain facing the cove. The shoreline is a combination of volcanic

ash and white sand. Locals believe that the Mt. Pinatubo eruption played a role in the surprising presence of agoho along the town's shores. It is believed that seeds carried by the ashfall were dumped on the shores, growing into graceful rows of pine-like trees standing like sentinels from a distance.

It takes a 45-minute boat ride from Pundaquit to reach Annawangin Cove. There are no roads that lead to this slice of paradise. There, tourists will find a marsh under the agoho trees and natural springs. Under the shade, hammocks strung between the trees serve as relaxing stopovers.

The cove is also ideal for campers who may want to stay a day or two.

Jimenez said tourists were allowed to spend nights in the cove. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All they have to bring are their own tents and food. They also have to tell the boatman to fetch them the following day,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Talisayen cove A 30-minute boat ride from Annawangin is another picturesque cove called Talisayen. It got its name from the abundant talisay trees in the cove. Aside from a viewing deck, nipa huts and a private rest house, there are no other structures around.

Nature lovers will enjoy its crystalclear waters, rock formations and a lush mountain. Backpackers can go on trekking or hiking expeditions to the

HISTORIC SIGHTSEEING. Capones Island in Zambales province boasts of its famed Spanish lighthouse built during the 1800s. It is also famous for its amazing rock formation and white sand beach, making it a haven for divers and surfers. San Antonio, Zambales Tourism Office photo.

mountain. Just like Annawangin, this cove is ideal for campers as well.

There is no mobile phone coverage in the cove, making it a perfect summer getaway for people who wish to escape the stresses that go with an urban lifestyle, even for a few days. On lucky days, visitors can have the beach all to themselves.

Nagsasa cove A bigger cove and another perfect

camping site, Nagsasa Cove is a 20minute boat ride from neighboring Talisayen. Nagsasa got its name from a plant called sasa that thrives in the area. This cove is also carpeted with a mixture of lahar and white sand.

Tourists can also try climbing the mountain to see the breathtaking waves of the West Philippine Sea. A small community of Aetas lives in the cove and guards the place, keeping it as pristine as it has been in

the past. There is a horseshoe-shaped creek that leads to the sea and a waterfall that cascades clear, cold waters for a refreshing dip.

Silangen cove The largest among the coves, Silangen (or Silanguin) is also the farthest from Pundaquit. Visitors reach this cove after a two-hour boat ride from Pundaquit, or 20 minutes from nearby Nagsasa. u Page 17

May 30 - June 5, 2014

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THE FILIPINO EXPRESS

Discover havens ...

From page 16 This cove is home to Silangen Mountain, which has inspired poets and singers to praise its postcardpretty, gray sand beach fringed by warm and calm waters.

Closer to the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Silangen is rustic in most parts and isolated from the other islands by a mountain range and vast forests.

Some portions of the beach, however, are rocky.

This cove is popular among mountaineers on their way to the steep sharp boulders and rocks of Cinco Picos. Beyond the grove of agoho trees, one can have a good soak in a waterfall pool or a lake after hours of sunbathing on the beach.

As tourists slowly discover these hidden spots, the San Antonio government is gearing up for the influx with a community-based program to preserve the beauty of the coves. The town's fledgling tourism industry also provides alternative livelihood opportunities to locals who have made the switch from fishermen to boatmen.

Capones Island Exploring San Antonio's beauty does not end with a visit to the four coves. Jimenez also recommends dropping by Capones Island where tourists can marvel at the architecture of an 18th century lighthouse.

Powered by solar cells, it still guides vessels navigating the West Philippine Sea. The island, accessible through a 20-minute boat ride from Pundaquit,

is surrounded by white sand and coral beaches. Experienced divers can also enjoy the newly discovered tunnels near it. Tourists can make this island their first stop before heading south to explore the four coves.

While in Capones, one can also visit neighboring Camara Island. The two islands, which showcase huge rock formations, are connected by a sand bridge.

Surfing spot For surfing enthusiasts, Crystal Beach, a 7-hectare beach resort in San Narciso town, is fast becoming a favorite surfing spot not only because of its proximity to Metro Manila but because of the beauty of its waves that reach as high as 10 feet, especially during the surfing season.

Three hours of road travel (134 km) will get you to the beach.

Surfboards are on display at the entrance of the resort, an invitation for guests to try riding the waves.

Maybelyn Abuyo, Crystal Beach marketing administrator, said the resort had been the prime destination of surfers and travelers since 1980.

She said the beach got its name from the glistening surface of sand and sea seen in bright sunlight or moonlight.

But more than just a beach resort for surfers, Crystal Beach has also become a safe campsite for adventure seekers looking for inexpensive yet fun ways to spend their summer vacation.

Getting there Pundaquit is the gateway to the four coves. To get there from Metro Manila, take a three-hour bus ride

from the Victory Liner stations in Cubao, Caloocan City, Pasay City or Sampaloc in Manila. Take the Iba or Sta. Cruz-bound bus and ask to be dropped off in front of the San Antonio town hall.

If you prefer to drive, take the Balintawak exit to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx). From NLEx, take the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) exit, then follow the route to Subic Bay Freeport.

From the Subic free port tollgate, turn right on Rizal Highway. Then go straight until you reach the dead end.

Turn left (on the right is the tollgate to Olongapo City), then turn right on the first intersection (Canal Street) and exit through Kalaklan Gate (tollgate to Zambales). Follow the Zambales highway until you reach the San Antonio town hall.

From the town hall, take a tricycle to Pundaquit where boats wait to ferry tourists to the coves. Inquirer.net

Annawangin Cove

Talisayen cove

Nagsasa Cove

Silangen Cove

May 30 - June 5, 2014

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THE FILIPINO EXPRESS

EVA Adds Two Latest-Generation Boeing 777-300ERs 1st with Panasonic's new inflight entertainment system SEATTLE (May 22, 2014) -- EVA Air took delivery of its 16th and 17th Boeing 777-300ER (registration numbers B-16718 and B-16719) on May 21, 2014 at the Boeing factory in Everett, Washington. Boeing and EVA staged a delivery ceremony led

by EVA Chairman K.W. Chang and Boeing Marketing, Sales Strategy & Operations Vice President Ihssane Mounir. The event showcased the two new aircraft in front of the delivery center.

“Our new Boeing 777-300ERs equip us to initiate significant changes in the flying experience we offer. We are going to make flying more fun and more comfortable for our passengers than ever,” said EVA Air Chairman K.W. Chang.

EVA's new Boeing777-300ERs are the first in the world to be equipped with Panasonic's latest generation eX3 inflight entertainment system and Global Communication Suite (GCS). With this system, EVA now offers passengers SMS roaming service to send and receive short messages on their own mobile phones. The airline also now provides Sky Wi-Fi access.

At an altitude of 20,000 feet or higher, passengers can send and re c e ive e - m a i l s , u s e i n s t a n t

messaging APPs and check in on social media.

EVA upgraded individual seatback entertainment systems with high-resolution monitors and multito u c h te c h n o l o g y, to o . N o w, passengers can select and execute various functions by simply sliding their fingers across the screens.

In Economy Class and Elite premium economy, EVA enlarged monitors from its earlier 9 inches to 11.1. It equipped its Royal Laurel Class top cabin with 16-inch screens and AV control handsets that have 4inch LCD panels. Now, passengers in this cabin can simultaneously play video games on their handsets and use the remote controls to execute functions on the seat-back screens.

EVA configured its newest Boeing777-300ERs for 333 passengers in three cabins, 39 in Royal Laurel Class business, 56 in Elite premium economy and 238 in Economy. And it has created new interiors that are elegant and stylish in addition to being comfortable and inviting.

EVA designed Elite and Economy Class cabins with seats that give passengers more leg-rest room than similar products and are all equipped with 110v AC outlets and

USB ports. It added full-grain leather headrest covers and new mood-light systems in Royal Laurel and Elite Classes.

As it places its new 777-300ERs in service, EVA is also updating Royal Laurel Class service items. It is outfitting cabins with new noisecancelling headsets that have better sound quality and enhanced noisereduction performance. It has begun serving Fiji Water, a popular premium bottled product from the Fiji Islands. And it is stepping up efforts to make passengers comfortable and feel at home onboard its flights by offering pajamas.

EVA is also introducing two new colors for its sought-after and collectible Rimowa overnight kits, Crystal Green for inbound flights and Prosecco outbound.

Both aircraft departed Seattle's Paine Field Airport at 16:00 (4 pm PDT). The EVA Chairman, an aviator certified to fly Boeing 777-300ERs who has earned the rank of airline captain, piloted the first to take off.

The aircraft will arrive in Taiwan at Taipei's Taoyuan International Airport at 19:30 (7:30 pm) local time on 22 May, 2014.

As it places its new aircraft in

operation, EVA will increase flight frequency from North America, starting June 3, 2014. It will deploy one as BR11 on Los Angeles - Taipei service, flying Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, adding three flights/week to the 17 it now operates. It will initiate the other as BR31 on Monday’s and Tuesday's New York - Taipei flights, boosting service on the route from five times a week to daily. It will also raise both Toronto and Vancouver frequency from three flights a week to four.

When EVA takes delivery of a third new Boeing777-300ER in June, it will increase San Francisco frequency from 12 to 14 trips per week and add one more flight to the 20 on the Los Angeles route. These increases on existing routes will raise EVA's North American services from 45 flights per week to 55.

Before the first Boeing 777300ER rolled out of the factory, EVA was working closely with the manufacturer to design the aircraft.

EVA was a launch customer for the 777-300ER, ordering 15 in 2000 with deliveries starting in 2005. The airline ordered seven more in 2012 for deliveries starting this year. EVA will have a total of 22 Boeing 777-

300ERs in its fleet after all the new aircraft are delivered and company officials have not ruled out the possibility of ordering more.

Delivery of these two new Boeing 777-300ERs brings EVA's total fleet size to 66 aircraft. By the end of 2015, the carrier will have five more of the jets in service. It has also taken delivery of eight Airbus 321200s and is using them on regional routes. It will add 16 more A321200s by the end of 2016. After all of its new aircraft are delivered and older models are retired, EVA's fleet will include more than 70 airplanes.

The newest member of Star Alliance, EVA links an international network of major destinations worldwide, including dozens of cities in China and throughout Asia.

EVA offers more trans-Pacific flights from North America to Taipei where, with just one easy stop, it provides onward connections to more major business and leisure centers than any other airline. Business and leisure travelers can access the expanded schedules and book the added flights now through travel agents and EVA's website at www.evaair.com.

May 30 - June 5, 2014

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THE FILIPINO EXPRESS

NAFA'S 26th Founding Anniversary Seven Fiiipino-American community leaders were chosen and honored for their very active participation in our community with the prestigious Mabuhay Award: Mrs. Henrietta Abenoja,of Bergenfield; Lavina Bing Antonio of Jersey City; Mary Ann Sanagustin of Union Township; Rev. Martha Baltazar of Bayonne; Rev. Fred Tarectecan of Bergenfield; Alice Austria Soriano of New York; and Juline Benemile, CPA of Essex County, New Jersey. Presentor of plaques were past Mabuhay Awardees headed by Sir Lito A. Gajilan, Jr. who also officiated the Knights of Rizal program. Consul General Mario del Leon was represented by Vice Consul Khrys Corpuz.

Crowned Miss NAFA USA was Miss Chachi dela Vega, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Manuel dela Vega and Helen who founded NAFA New York. Miss Teen USA was Kyla Merrow, daughter of Chuci and Debbie and the Ambassadress was Gloria Santos, the lovely mother of Dra. Jo Montana, represented by Dr. Wilbur Montana and JR Panshi.

The crowning guest was the past Grand

Marshals of the Philippine-American Friendship Committee, Inc. (PAFCOM) Mr. Tom and Lida Zabala, Alice Austria Soriano, Awardee and assisted by Arnie Rosario, President of Ilokano USA. Mr. Brian Manongdo and his wife for sash and Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel, guest of Rev. Martha Baltazar, Awardee. The Abbba Ministry, one of our Benefactors/Donors is headed by Rev. Nora E u s e b i o , R e v. A g u i n a l d o a n d businesswoman, Jennifer Hsu. Knights of Rizal officials were among those participated in the event headed by five Chapter Commanders; Sir Gali Munar, Sir Paul Verzosa, Sir Buddy Deuna, and Sir Romy Abenoja with Sir Rene Ballenas as emcee. Sir Sonny Austria, former NAFA New York president Zusan Zamora and former Treasurer Lani Brizo assisted in the program.

Atty. Wilfredo Macaraeg, former Mayor of Tarlac and former prosecutor is the 20122014 NAFA president. He delivered the welcome address with words of appreciation from the founder Rev. Dr. Gaudy J. Soriano.

NAFA founder Rev. Dr. Gaudy Soriano (4th from left) with guests. At left is Miss NAFA USA Chachi dela Vega.

NaFFAA Partners Charice, Natori join all-star with GMA Network lineup for Haiyan Benefit for Community Concert in Washington, D.C. Service Awards In an effort to recognize the services rendered by small groups or community organizations for Filipino-Americans, the Philippines, and the American society, the National Federation of Filipino America n Associations (NaFFAA) is partnering with GMA Network to hold the very first Alex Esclamado Memorial Award for Community Service.

The Alex Esclamado Memorial Award for Community Service is inspired by the life and works of Philippine News publisher and editor Alex Esclamado, who was well-known for being an ardent advocate of the rights and interests of the Philippines and Filipinos in America. His significant contributions paved the way for Filipino World War II veterans to become US citizens, allowed Filipino professionals to hone and practice their craft in the US, and led to the formation of NaFFAA, which up to this day is one of the biggest national organizations of Filipinos in America.

In this endeavor, GMA Network is deemed to be the ideal partner as the Philippine network giant itself has been efficiently servicing its kababayans abroad through its international channels - GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, and GMA News TV International. Each channel is managed by GMA International, which makes sure that the network's offerings abroad uphold

Filipino core values and bring Filipinos closer to home, one show at a time.

Filipino organizations in the US that are undertaking outstanding nonpartisan, non-political, and nondenominational services to the Filipino community or to the mainstream American community are eligible to receive the Alex Esclamado Memorial Award for Community Service.

Those who would like to nominate certain organizations are encouraged to e-mail the Awards Committee through M r.

R y a n Te j e r o a t ryantejero@yahoo.com. The deadline for nominations is on June 30, 2014.

The recipients of the Alex Esclamado Memorial Award for Community Service will be presented at t h e 1 1 t h N a F FA A N a t i o n a l Empowerment Conference to be held at the Town & Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego California.

The event will last from August 7 to 10, 2014.

For more details on events abroad, visit the GMA International website www.gmanetwork.com/international, F a c e b o o k p a g e s www.facebook.com/GMAPinoyTV, www.facebook.com/GMALifeTV, and www.facebook.com/GMANewsTVInter national, Twitter pages @GMALifeTV, @GMA_LifeTV, and @GMANewsTVIntl, and Instagram page @GMAPinoyTV.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. --​ Singer Charice Pempengco and fashion designer Josie Natori will be joining the all-star line-up in next month's benefit concert for victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

After the Storm: A Benefit Concert for the Philippines will be staged at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, 15 June 2014, according to Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. Pempengco, who rose to fame after she was discovered on YouTube and was dubbed as "the most talented girl in the world" by Oprah Winfrey, and Natori, a multi-awarded designer and founder of The Natori Company, will be joining other talents on stage including Grammy Awardwinning singer Apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas; Hollywood actor Lou Diamond Phillips; ballet dancer Christine Rocas; tenor Rodell Rosel; Tony award-winning Broadway artist Lea Salonga; Glee star Darren Criss, and renowned violinist Joshua Bell.

Natori, who will be among the evening's special presenters, is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Natori Company, whose fashion empire supplies lingerie items, ready-to-wear collection, home, fragrance and eyewear to some of the country's leading department stores, including Saks, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Bloomingdale's. Natori is also a known philanthropist, sitting on the boards of several notable foundations and a recipient of numerous humanitarian awards.

The concert was initiated by the Philippine Embassy in cooperation with the US-Philippines Society and the Philippine Humanitarian Coalition and will be directed by Broadway legend Baayork Lee; and produced by Emmynominated producer, Robert Pullen.

Ambassador Cuisia encouraged the

public to purchase their tickets to the concert.

"We are delighted that the concert will be graced by such big talents. I am encouraging everyone to buy their tickets as soon as possible, as the first and second tier tickets are already sold out,” said Ambassador Cuisia. “By purchasing a ticket, you will be helping rebuild the devastation that occurred in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan."

Ambassador John F. Maisto, President of the US-Philippines Society, expressed his gratitude to the sponsors who are helping make this concert possible.

"I would like to thank our major sponsors whose generosity has made this production possible. Among them are platinum and gold sponsors SM Investments Corporation, Primescape Solutions Inc., the Philippine Nurses Association of America, Ayala Corporation, and the Manuel Pangilinan Group of Companies that include Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, Meralco and Smart Communications," said Ambassador Maisto.

The evening will include celebrity appearances and performances along with t h e Fa i r fa x Sy m p h o ny O rc h e s t ra conducted by Luke Frazier and the Broadway Community Chorus founded by Baayork Lee. It will also include a series of video messages of hope from celebrities and other personalities from around the world.

Tickets went on-sale on April 4 and may be purchased online at www.kennedy-center.org, by visiting the Kennedy Center Box Office or charge by phone by calling (202) 467-4600. - Elmer G. Cato, Minister & Consul for Press & Information, Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines

May 30 - June 5, 2014

Page 20

THE FILIPINO EXPRESS

‘It's great to be here in the Philippines’

By Doris C. Dumlao MANILA -- The Philippines' successful hosting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia last week opened the world's eyes to the country's renaissance amid challenging global and regional developments and at the same time raised hopes that Filipino creativity and youth dynamism would be the salvation of a nation weary of boom-bust cycles.

President Aquino took advantage of the event to highlight the country's economic turnaround anchored on governance reforms as well as the nation's resilience following the devastation caused by Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan). Aquino was also a diplomatic host and avoided talking about the country's territorial dispute with China.

Te rritorial disputes were brought to the fore when Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung one of the heads of state who attended the WEF summit - gave a fiery speech against China's territorial aggression during the o p e n i n g p l e n a r y. A f t e r t h e emotional speech, WEF founder and executive chair Klaus Schwab had to immediately clarify that the WEF was a neutral platform and

scholar from New York University and the chair of WEF's Global Advisory Council on Southeast Asia.

“Despite the natural disasters, it has really got it right,” Pang said.

“There's a very strong sense that the Philippines is on track. It's back and there's a lot to look forward to. I think that it has managed to communicate to the world how the fundamentals work and how these fundamental advantages can be sustained,” he added.

Pang, a Malaysian academic and management consultant, has spent a lot of time looking at Southeast Asian economies as founder and former head of CIMB Asean Research Institute Ltd., which was created by the CIMB group as an independent research institute to further the integration agenda of the Association of Southeast Asian Philippine President Benigno Aquino III delivers his speech at the opening of the two-day World Economic Forum on Asia in May Nations.

22, 2014, at the financial district of Makati City. The Philippines' successful hosting of the World Economic Forum on East Asia “It's great to be here in the last week opened the world's eyes to the country's renaissance amid challenging global and regional developments. AP Philippines at a time when the level Photo/Bullit Marquez of self-confidence and hope is so high. Understandably, this year's appealed to the parties to discuss governance reforms would be put in Philippines. I myself am a longtime East Asia Summit reflects the same peaceful solutions. jeopardy when his term ends in observer of the Philippines and exuberance and high spirits. But of Instead of discussing China, 2016. aware of sometimes the weariness course, there's a lot more hard work Aquino dwelt more on how reforms and skepticism due to many rounds to be done both on the public and were bearing fruit and benefiting 'PH has got it right' the country had gone through of private sectors,” added Malaysian ordinary Filipinos. He also spoke “The key takeaway for the what seemed like a revival but were Karim Raslan, chief executive officer about the momentum being Philippines is a very strong frustrated by politics one thing or of KRA Group, a Southeast Asian “irreversible,” to allay concerns that articulation of the case for the another,” said John Pang, a visiting u Page 22

Local dealer prepares 9 Tata vehicle models

By Bernie Magkilat

PHILIPPINES, ISRAEL AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT. Department of Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Abaya (left) and Israel Ambassador Menashe Bar-On sign the air services agreement between the two countries at the DOTC on May 26, 2014

Philippines, Israel sign air services agreement The Air Services Agreement (ASA) between the Philippines and Israel was signed on Monday, May 26.

Israel is the biggest tourist destination of Filipinos in the Eastern Mediterranean Europe.

Because there are no direct flights, Israelis and Filipinos have often opted to travel to easier destinations wherein most of the connecting flights are situated in.

Today during the Pope's visit to Israel this agreement was signed in the Philippines.

This agreement will allow Filipinos the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the Pope and

make the pilgrimage to the Holy Land an easier one.

The agreement is expected to encourage both countries to explore each other's' tourist destinations as well as provide more jobs in the economic and tourism sectors.

It is anticipated that this will also pave way for more trade opportunities as well as help the thousands of Filipinos working in Israel who wish to come home more often and visit their families.

Direct flights between Manila and Tel Aviv may soon be opened by each country's airlines. Manila Bulletin

Pilipinas Taj Autogroup Inc., the exclusive distributor of India's Tata motor vehicles in the country, has lined up a total of nine vehicle models when it opens formally on June 1 in the local market with strong emphasis on subcompact cars and utility vehicles.

Company general manager Nicky O. Mariano said they have already brought in some vehicle models for market testing. These include two cars the Tata Vista INI hatchback and the Tata Manza sedan. It has also brought in utility vehicle models Ace and Super Act and pick-up model Xenon. Four car models including Indigo Indica maybe brought in by July.

The six investors of Pilipinas Taj, which include Pioneer Insurance, Diamond Group and Auto Fir Group, have invested P100 million initially as it prepares for the grand debut of Tata Motors next month.

Already, Pilipinas Taj has

Climate ... From page 11 made in wind and solar power.

Natural gas is a much cleaner source of energy but with some limitations, but a better alternative to coal. The common people and their governments have to stand up to the polluters of the planet and bring closer that day when the

established two showrooms in Ortigas Extension and Marcos Highway in Antipolo.

“But we are hoping to have 6 or 7 showrooms within the year mostly in Metro Manila, Cavite and Davao,” said Ferdinand Raquelsantos, president of Auto Fir Group.

The newest kid on the block has expressed excitement of the local market noting this is the first time for the market to see an offering of passengers that are quite affordable. For instance, the price range of its subcompact car diesel engine Indigo is only from P550,000 to P780,000 pesos and are meant for taxi fleet while the petrol-fed Mansa is meant as private vehicles for P600,000.

Raquelsantos said their entry is timely since the government has just implemented a 7-year life for a taxi fleet. Tata cars are priced lower than Japanese cars but higher than the Chinese cars. “After a year, we hope to attain good numbers,” Mariano said.

demand for oil and coal will taper off. In the Philippines, crony capitalists are manipulating the national leadership and “capturing” the regulators to persuade them to approve more coal plants.

We all have to be caretakers of our God-given world, the garden of Eden is sadly wilting and dying and we humans will be dying in body

The company has also high hopes for its Ace and Super Ace utility vehicle models as this would replace the reconditioned multicabs.

Multicab sells between 10,00012,000 units annually and about 15,000 multicabs are on the road nationwide.

“We will be happy to get 10 to 20 percent of the multicabs market,” Mariano said. Ace has a price tag of between P345,000 to P365,000 while the Super Ace at P680,000 with no rear body yet.

“Super Ace and Ace and the Indigo car will be our halo model because of their good sales potentials,” he said.

Indigo is expected to perform better because it is the only diesel subcompact car model aside from Accent of Hyundai, but being sole at P869,00 a unit.

The subcompact car market is still the largest growing segment accounting for 60 percent share.

Manila Bulletin

and spirit with it through disease, famine, and extreme weather events. Remember, more than 6000 people were killed by Typhoon Haiyan last November 8, there will be many more dying in future storms and floods of equal magnitude. We must preserve all life, especially the life of the planet itself. [Shaycullen@preda.org, www.preda.org]

May 30 - June 5, 2014

Page 21

THE FILIPINO EXPRESS

Ex-finance chief bats for Wells Fargo to lend $100 billion opening up economy to small businesses by 2018

By Paolo Montecillo

By Deepak Chitnis

MANILA -- The government should figure out ways to open up restricted industries to foreign investors without changing the Constitution, former Finance Secretary Jose Isidro “Lito” Camacho said at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia held in Makati this week.

According to the current vicechairman of Credit Suisse for Asia Pacific, liberalizing protected industries such as public utilities would attract more foreign investments, the key to creating more jobs in the country.

This was possible, Camacho added, without having “to change the (Philippine) Constitution,” which states that foreigners are not allowed to own more than 40 percent of companies in such industries as power distribution, t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , a n d telecommunications. Foreigners are also barred from owning any shares in media companies.

Camacho recalled a move he started, but “was unable to complete,” when he was Finance secretary that would allow foreigners to have long-term leases on real estate, without them necessarily owning the property.

NEW YORK, New York -Wells Fargo has officially launched its newest initiative geared specifically at budding entrepreneurs looking to help their small businesses grow, entitled Wells Fargo Works for Small Business.

The initiative was unveiled this past weekend, at the firstever South Asian Young Women Entrepreneurs (SAY WE) conference that took place at the Condé Nast building in Times Square on May 17. Wells Fargo was a key sponsor of the SAY WE conference, helping to foster entrepreneurial spirit in the South Asian community.

“We know that the Asian small business community is the first one to achieve entrepreneurial parity,” said Nancy Wong, Senior VicePresident of Wells Fargo's Asian Segment Manager. “We have seen the momentum grow in very specific regions, specifically the tri-state area [ N e w Yo r k , N e w J e r s e y, Connecticut] and California.”

Wells Fargo, which has been the largest small business lender for the last 11 years, also announced their goal of lending $100 billion to small business by 2018.

Wong said that this is an aggregate goal for all businesses, South Asian and otherwise, but that Wells Fargo has resources meant specifically for Asian business owners.

“We host several financial seminars and workshops,

Lease-holds The former Finance official was referring to the practice of lease-holds, which is common in markets like Hong Kong.

Despite Constitutional restrictions on foreign ownership of crucial industries, several firms have found ways around them that regulators have allowed.

Globe Telecom and the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), for instance, issue non-voting preferred shares to their foreign shareholders.

Globe is partly owned and controlled by

Jose Isidro Camacho. Screengrab from Wo r l d E c o n o m i c F o r u m w e b s i t e (weforum.org)

Singapore's SingTel, while PLDT is coowned by Hong Kong's First Pacific Co. Ltd. which is led by business tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan, and Japanese telecom giant NTT DoCoMo. In March this year, the House committee on constitutional amendments approved a resolution that seeks to amend economic provisions in the Constitution.

Authored by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, the resolution would add the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” to the Constitution's general provisions and its articles on the national economy and patrimony; education, science, technology, arts, culture and sports.

The resolution would not however automatically remove limits on foreign ownership and participation as stipulated in the Charter. Congress is still expected to pass laws to lift the restrictions, and lawmakers may do this for constitutional provisions that prevent foreigners from operating public utilities and educational institutions, and from undertaking activities to develop the country's natural resources. Inquirer.net

Nancy Wong, Wells Fargo Senior Vice President Asian Segment Manager, announces a $100 billion lending goal for small businesses by 2018.

PHOTO from newamericamedia.org

a c r o s s t h e We l l s Fa r g o footprint, that partner specifically with Asian chamber associations and trade associations,” said Wong.

“These solidify our commitment to providing resources and guidance to the Asian small business community.”

Featuring a congregation of some of the best and brightest minds in the tri-state area's South Asian entrepreneurial scene, the SAY WE conference is intended to be the first leg of a three-part series of conferences that will continue in Houston and San Francisco later this year.

The series is entitled “Raise, Rise, Rule!” and strives to help budding South Asian entrepreneurs, particularly women, by giving them the advice and resources they need

to help establish and grow their small businesses.

S a t u rd ay ' s eve n t wa s organized by SAY WE founder Reema Rasool, who described the experience of being at the o r g a n i z a t i o n' s i n a u g u ra l conference as “surreal.”

Rasool explained that she founded SAY WE as a way of providing young South Asian women with the advice and resources they needed, but often never have access to, in order to launch their entrepreneurial ventures. An entrepreneur herself, Rasool said that she wished these resources were available to her when she was getting started, and now wants to make sure that she can help those who are now starting to come up after her. Two panel discussions were held, one in the morning u Page 22

Selling healthy snacks with a social purpose

By Marge C. Enriquez Like most people living in the fa s t l a n e , C o ra z o n “ Z o n i t o” Torrevillas-Tamase was eating convenience foods with low nutritional value and high in additives.

From one medicine a day, she took eight kinds of pills for diabetes and hypertension. Yet, she always ended up in the doctor's office or the hospital.

Searching for alternative cures, she read up on moringa olifeira (malunggay) which is potent with iron, protein, potassium and betacarotene. Since she couldn't eat several malunggay bundles per meal, Tamase then boiled the leaves and made a brew. After drinking it twice a day for several months, test results showed significant improvement in her blood sugar levels. Consequently, the doctor removed all her medications and said she was doing something right.

Today that brew is one of her products in her natural food business, Nature Earth.

“My conviction is to provide real foods with adequate nutritional content and promote better eating habits,” maintains Tamase.

BEST SELLERS. Nutritious munchies are minimally processed and made with wholesome ingredients. Photo by Nelson Matawaran

ZONITO Tamase founded a business not just to offer healthy foods but to promote a healthier lifestyle. Photo by Nelson Matawaran

Inspired by the cure, Tamase experimented with malunggay buns. More than 10 years ago, she worked as public relations manager in McDonald's Philippines and director of the Ronald McDonald's House of Charities. Using her bonus money, she commissioned a bakery to produce malunggay buns for a nutrition program in E. Rodriguez public school in Mandaluyong. The authorities had identified 60 students who were anemic. Only one out of the 60 refused to eat the malunggay bun. After 45 days, the children showed normalized levels

and sell them in school. Recalling her mother's sugar-coated peanuts business in Misamis Oriental, she tweaked the family recipe by adding malunggay powder for nutrition.

With a capital of P200 for two kilos of peanuts, she produced enough 200 packs which were sold at P5 each in public schools. Soon she got bulk orders for 300 to 1,000 packs for the canteens. In one month, Tamase earned P80,000.

One teacher, who was lactating, reported that she gained more breast milk every time she ate the malunggay-infused peanuts. One of

of iron while the lone student remained malnourished.

Tamase points out that bread with half a teaspoon of moringa powder, which is the body's minimum daily requirement, usually turns green. She warns that while some bakeries promote “healthy malunggay breads, “they are just flecked with malunggay flakes or given green food coloring.

Leap of faith Tamase says she's always been entrepreneurial. Since childhood, she would produce yema candies

malunggay's benefits is increased breast production.

In 2011, Tamase and her husband Franz Josef, took a leap of faith by starting Nature Earth.

“We couldn't get a loan from the bank because we had no collateral or business history. We just got a loan from those text messages. My husband and I checked out this company,” she recalls.

Using their van as a guarantee, they got a loan of P280,000. To develop their malunggay concentrate for the market, Tamase sought help from the Department of Science and Technology.

Although DOST recommended additives for body and flavor to the tea, Tamase instead discovered an extract from okra which became a natural thickener, and added ginger for flavor. The formula is now patented.

“I'm pushing for this because t h e M a l u n g g ay C o n c e n t ra t e contains phytonutrients. We get our malunggay from the mountains in Bacolod. If you get malunggay in polluted places, it will contain lead which doesn't get destroyed when you boil it. The malunggay has to be free of toxins,” says Tamase. u Page 22

May 30 - June 5, 2014

Page 22

THE FILIPINO EXPRESS

Selling healthy ...

From page 21 Tamase then improved a Filipino snack, the fried noodles called shingaling by infusing moringa.

Since chips were also a popular snack food, Franz Josef suggested making them out of tuber and cassava and flavored with cheese and sour cream. It is now Nature Earth's best seller.

Tamase points out that free tasting in the stores is the best marketing. “People won't walk away with a pack of your products if they don't know what it's about,” she says.

Tamase also adopted the guyabano tea produced by her aunt, columnist Domini Torrevillas. At this writing, Domini's Guyabano Tea is under application for Food and Drug Administration approval.

Quality control Nature Earth products are distributed in the Panay Booth at Market! Market!, Greenhills flea market and the weekend markets in SM Manila, SM Mall of Asia and SM Cubao.

SM has maintained the tradition set by taipan Henry Sy of prompt payment of suppliers.

“One good thing about SM is that we get paid the following week. It takes care of our capital and we

Wells Fargo ...

From page 21 and one during the afternoon session. The first featured South Asian American entrepreneurs Pialy Aditya (co-founder of fashion site Mintbox), Sindhya V. Kalghatgi (founder of men's grooming label Helix), Abbas Hashmi (founder of Green Card Capital), and Wong, and centered on what one has to do to take their business idea from an intangible wish to a profitable operation.

The second panel discussion featured local New York City news anchor Joya Dass, Bibi Magazine founder Ayesha Hakki, The Cake Designer founder Parul Patel, and social media guru Adam Khan.

They talked about the advantages and disadvantages of using social media to promote small businesses, and how to avoid the common pitfalls associated with the still-young but incredibly powerful online marketing tool.

Keynote addresses were given

have a regular cash flow,” says Tamase.

To augment the income, she also marketed her products to Echo Store, Raffles-Fairmont and Sugarleaf. One day, she got a call from the food and beverage director of Sofitel. The managers took a taste test of the camotecassava chips and voted that it be served in the hotel. It was one of the hotel's ways of helping out local businesses.

Bernadette Sembrano sells Nature Earth in Be Good at ABSCBN. Her store sells organic items and supports small and mediumscale entrepreneurs. The healthbent Faburrito Mexican restaurant chain also offers the malunggay chips.

It has taken the couple three years to be stable in the business.

At the start, they would manually slice the camote and cassava chips.

When they earned more, they bought a machine. Today, they produce 2,500 packs a week.

The Tamases oversee a staff of 21 who are given minimum wage and benefits, fed and housed in the factory. Nature Earth's sellers are g ive n fo o d , t ra n s p o r t a t i o n allowance and incentives if they exceed the sales target.

“I grew up in a business environment. My grandmother Corazon Torrevillas always took care of her employees. I do the same here,” says Tamase.

She adds that she also applies

by Aroon Shivdasani and Faisal Hoque. Shivdasani is the founder of the Indo-American Arts Council and the key organizers of the annual New York Indian Film Festival, while Hoque is a writer and entrepreneur who also gave out and signed copies of his latest book, “Everything Connects.”

Hoque spoke at length about his personal story, coming to the US from Bangladesh at age 17 and, eventually, dropping out of college in Minneapolis to start his career with Pitney Bowes in Connecticut.

Today, he is the founder of Shadoka Ventures, and a number of other companies. Shadoka's portfolio of companies which specialize in R&D driven products, services, and thought leadership a c c e l e ra te s i n d iv i d u a l a n d organizational sustainable growth. Hoque warned prospective business owners that people should keep in mind the lows as much as the highs, citing his own ups and downs, and the successes and failures he experienced during his career.

her learnings at McDonald's Philippines. “McDonald's is precise in quality control and pays attention to details. It knows how to instill discipline in employees.

The company is also generous in giving back to the community.

When you adapt these corporate standards, you get to do the business right.”

Tamase notes the importance of the endorsement from the Food and Drug Administration of the Philippines. “All the hotels and retail establishments ask for the certification. When we got out FDA approval, our business took off. It takes time to document the nutritional facts and get results from the microbiological tests. The hotels come to the factory site to accredit you. If you don't meet the standards but they see your potential, they help out by enabling you to attend seminars.”

Ta m a s e h o p e s t h a t t h e government could provide grants to small or start-up businesses since food analysis tests can easily cost P30,000. “If the government could help these entrepreneurs, we wo u l d h ave a t h r iv i n g economy.”

In all, she credits her faith in God for Nature Earth's success.

“My formula is to be focused, be consistent, pray hard and share.” ( Fo r d e t a i l s , v i s i t natureearthcorp.wix.com.)

Inquirer.net

“There is absolutely no substitute for passion and authenticity,” Hoque said in summation of his remarks, telling future and current small business owners that being true to themselves and passionate about their ideas are ultimately what will lead them to success in the long run.

Wells Fargo's sponsorship of S AY W E a l l o w e d f o r t h e c o n f e re n c e t o b e f re e f o r attendees. Wells Fargo will continue to be a partner of SAY WE, as a sign of its increasing commitment to helping the Asian and South Asian American communities across the US. The SAY WE conference series will continue in Houston on June 14, and will conclude in San Francisco on August 9.

This story was produced for American Bazaar and for New America Media as part of a Wells Fargo sponsored project to report on the state of Asian Pacific American small business.

Inquirer.net

Tension ... From page 11 control of China. It is also claimed by the Philippines, which it calls Mabini Reef.

Last month, the Philippines protested reclamation and construction by China of what looks like an airport in Johnson South/ Mabini Reef. Strangely, Vietnam was quiet in China's development in the

“It’s great ...

From page 20 p u b l i c a f fa i r s c o n s u l t i n g f i r m specializing in stakeholder relations, political risk and business advisory.

Raslan, who was among the panelists at the session “Philippines: The Next Asian Miracle,” had the most memorable line in that session when he said Aquino had a “charisma deficit” but noted that he had “delivered” anyway. For such a leader, Raslan said one six-year term may not be enough and urged the current regime to use its political capital to “change the rulebook.”

For Pang, the Philippines had done a “tremendous” job hosting the East Asia Summit. The welcome reception hosted by the Ayala group on Wednesday night, he said, was “by any standard, quite a show and spirit of organization.”

Best of Filipino talent The Ayala group's reception for WEF delegates at the Ayala Triangle featured the best of Filipino talent through traditional dance numbers, a fashion show and a mini-concert by Lani Misalucha who wowed the audience, especially the foreigners who watched her for the first time. It also featured Filipino creativity by featuring furniture pieces proudly made in the Philippines.

Gary Valenciano and Jed Madela, on the other hand, top-billed the cultural show hosted by Aquino at the Philippine International Convention Center on Thursday night.

So-Young Kang, founder and chief executive officer of Singapore-based transformation design firm Awaken Group and part of WEF's Young Global Leader (YGL) community, said she was “highly impressed” by the quality of people from the local service industry as well as the mindset of the young Filipinos she interacted with at the forum.

Indeed, what left a lasting impression on the foreign delegates who attended the three-day summit was the people: the high quality of Filipino talent and the growing mass of young people who are eager to make a difference and cement the country's gains. After the main event in Metro Manila, the US-educated Kang was among those who flew to Mactan, Cebu, to attend the YGL-led side summit Open Collaboration with East Asia New Champions 2014 (OCEAN14) at Movenpick Hotel.

“Overall, if I include WEF and also OCEAN14, I think my No. 1 takeaway is that Filipino people are so nice, so service-oriented,” Kang said.

Guillermo Luz, private sector cochair of the National Competitiveness Council, said that from the start of the conference planning, the Philippine team felt it was important to highlight the creativity of Filipinos.

“The Philippines of course, that's the storyline - big turnaround since the new administration. There's no question in anyone's mind that governance was a big factor behind it and they can see the results in terms of

reef which is near islands occupied by them, the nearest of which is Collins Reef, just four miles away.

In a tense environment which South China Sea is described today, the possibility of miscalculations is high.

The situation is a challenge to the Association of Southeast Asia Nations.

It concerns one of its members (Vietnam) and one of its major dialogue partners (China) and threatens the stability of the region.

the economy growing at 7 percent, the improvement in competitiveness ranking and investment grade,” Luz said.

'One of the best' WEF summits But on top of these, Luz said this summit also showed Filipino organizational skills in working with the WEF and likewise manifested creativity as a people.

Because most of the events during the three-day East Asia Summit were within the Makati central business district, heavy traffic in the metropolis was not much of an issue, at least for the participants. To ensure seamless transfer to the cultural show held at PICC, there were lanes dedicated to the shuttles from Makati City.

“They (delegates) were agog over the music, the passion, the entertainment part that showed off the Filipino creativity. Maybe what they don't know is even the furniture placement around WEF are Filipinomade including (the creations of) Kenneth Cobonpue,” Luz said, noting the furniture pieces that were strategically placed in the lounge where bilateral meetings took place.

He added that some foreign delegates and East Asia Summit veterans had even said that the meeting in the Philippines was “one of the best” WEF East Asia Summits they had ever attended.

Over 600 top leaders in business, policymaking, media, academia and civil society from 30 different countries gathered in Metro Manila for three days of discussions on key global, regional and industry agendas most relevant to East Asia.

Issues linked to the upcoming integration of 10 member-states of Asean into a unified Asean Economic Community (AEC) by 2015 cornered much of the discussions inside and outside the formal sessions alongside key challenges such as inclusive growth, infrastructure backlog, skills gap and food security.

Hope for the country As the country seeks new legs to sustain its economic growth, proponents of the so-called creative economy championed by British author and professor John Howkins who first published a book on how to turn ideas into money in 2001 -hope to see this segment playing a bigger role in the Philippine economy.

The creative economy comprises advertising, architecture, art, crafts, design, fashion, film, music, performing arts, publishing, R&D (research and development), software, toys and games, TV and radio and video games where Filipinos naturally excel in. Filipino youth dynamism also left a good impression among foreign delegates.

With a population of some 100 million and average age of 23, the young were an integral part of the East Asia conversations and the young Filipino delegates - especially the social entrepreneurs and advocates of different causes - were great ambassadors for the Philippines.

The author is a member of WEF's Young Global Leaders Class of 2014). Inquirer.net

May 30 - June 5, 2014

Page 23

THE FILIPINO EXPRESS

Emmy Nominated Fil-Am producer of 'The Talk' keeps aiming higher

By Hiyasmin Quijano LOS ANGELES -- Marc Anthony Nicolas, a young Filipino American producer received a Daytime Emmy nomination for outstanding work on the CBS show, “The Talk.” He will host his own show, “On Your Marc,” soon.

The 41st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be held at the prestigious Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday.

Sheryl Underwood, comedian and co-host of “The Talk” said of Nicolas, “Marc is fabulous, innovative, and priceless!”

M e a n w h i l e , C o - E xe c u t ive Producer Heather Gray described Nicolas as someone destined for stardom. “He has always been so creative, dynamic and driven. He has a light that always shines and touches those around him. He is truly one of a kind and that is meant in the best way.”

Gray added, “I would tell Marc to never let the word 'no' stop him, to always be true to himself and to continue to be a source of inspiration, not only for the Filipino community but to everyone. Marc

dream to make it to the top of the entertainment industry.

A lot of work goes into the production of a talk show. A producer writes the script, so the hosts have interesting and effortless stories to tell. brings excitement to “The Talk” and I'm thrilled to think of millions now getting to share in the joy of what is Marc Anthony Nicolas on his new show “On Your Marc!”

INQUIRER.net interviewed Marc Anthony Nicolas after he received his nomination.

What is your ultimate career

goal?

One of the joys in my life is to create television shows that are positive and entertaining to viewers at home. I am motivated to work harder to represent our community on the show and the industry as a whole, being the only Filipino producer on “The Talk” with a

What led you to producing?

I was born in the Philippines and I come from humble beginnings. Since I was 16 years old, I have worked at various places such as a pharmacy, restaurants and retail stores. But I knew I wanted to be a producer since I was a kid. I got a job as a production assistant on a TV show, worked 12-hour days (six days a week). Eventually, I paid my dues and moved up the ladder quickly to become one of the youngest producers in mainstream TV. Tell us one fact or quirk about you that no one knows.

I meditate every morning. As soon as I wake up, I give praise for another day. I ask for positive thoughts throughout the day and aspire to be the best person I can be…To celebrate every minute and be grateful for the simple things in life, celebrating with family and kababayans.

How did you land this role with 'The Talk'?

After working on “The Tyra

Banks Show” as a producer, which ended in New York in 2009, I moved back to LA to look for work. I applied for “The Talk” and interviewed with the executive producer and Sara Gilbert (creator of “The Talk”) who played “Darlene” on “Roseanne.” I got hired as a producer and I've been working on the show for seasons.

What is one quality you like about each cast member?

Sharon Osbourne taught me that family is very important. Being married to Ozzy and having children and grandchildren of her own, she makes it a priority to be there for her family no matter how busy she is.

Julie Chen taught me how to work hard and find a job that I love.

She is not only the co-host of “The Talk” but she is the host of “Big Brother” and she takes pride in both shows and you can see that reflected on TV. Sara Gilbert taught me that kindness is important, especially in the industry. To me, being mean, bitter and possessing a negative attitude will not get you anywhere u Page 24

Film shines spotlight on undocumented immigrants

By Rica Arevalo Last May 3, we caught Jose A n to n i o Va rga s ' b rave documentary, “Documented,” about his status as an undocumented immigrant in New York. Some theaters are releasing the film before its CNN cable broadcast this summer.

We were glad to see the film's cinematographer and co-producer, Clarissa delos Reyes, who was our classmate in NUT's Directing Workshop more than a decade ago.

Clar also worked on the principal photography of John Sayle's “Amigo.”

In shooting a documentary, she shares: “You'll never know what you're gonna get, so you always have to be on your toes. I love narratives, but I enjoy shooting docus, where you look for things that make a scene.”

As a female cinematographer in New York City, she confesses: “It isn't easy if you're non-American and a womanthere has always been gender bias in this profession. So, you have to do what you can and learn to hustle!

“Vargas is a good collaborator.

He always tried to involve me in creative decisions. He had limited resources and worked without a green card, but he made the most of what he had. It didn't stop him from dreaming big!”

'TNT' status “Documented” puts a human face on thousands of immigrants who face deportation every day in the US. Vargas is a Pulitzer prizewinning journalist who, in 2011,

Donita Rose. Inquirer file photo

Happiness is a new TV show for Donita Rose

By Nestor U. Torre

VARGAS AND DELOS REYES. Chronicle Pulitzer-winning journalist's daunting predicament. Photo by RICA AREVALO decided to reveal his “TNT” (tago ng tago) status in a New York Times essay, because he could no longer bear to lie about it! His revelation pressured the US Congress to take action on the Dream Act, which provides conditional permanent residency to certain immigrants.

One of the film's tender moments documents Vargas' relationship with his mother, Emelie Salinas. They have not seen each other for 20 years, with Vargas consciously “avoiding” his mom by not accepting her Facebook request.

Among the movie's highlights is their first Internet video calland it is heartbreaking!

During the Q&A, the former Wa s h i n g t o n P o s t r e p o r t e r

confessed, “I don't want to be called courageous or inspirational, because I know how America works. You put people up, then you knock them down. All I want is to be a free person who can go wherever I want to. I want to liberate myself from this thing I've been enslaved to!”

In 1993, Vargas was sent by his mother to the US to live with his grandparents. At 16, he learned about his fake papers when he applied for a driver's license and was told never to come back.

“Documented's” executive producers include Napster cofounder Sean Parker, Scott Budnick and Janet Yang. Visit documentedthefilm.com.

Inquirer.net

From time to time, we've been citing Donita Rose as one of the TV talents we miss seeing on the small screen, where her rare combination of beauty and a good heart are sorely missed.

Well, we're glad to see that, after a rather long hiatus, Donita is back on TV by way of the new GMA 7 show (11 a.m. weekdays), “Basta Everybody Happy.”

The 30-minute talkmagazine show is co-hosted by Alessandra de Rossi, Chef Boy Logro and Gladys Reyes. Its upbeat format puts a deft spin on its post-programming, “The Ryzza Mae Show,” the pint-sized host of which is famous for her own “signature” admonition, “Bawal ang sad.”

True enough, “Basta Everybody Happy” does its darnedest to put a smile and slap-happy grin on viewers' faces with its bright mix of features and guests. On its first telecast, for instance, the main guests were the “graduates” of

the very first edition of GMA's “Starstruck” talent search.

Impressively, most of them were all present and accounted for, from top winner Jennylyn Mercado to Mark Herras, Yasmien Kurdi, Dion Ignacio etc.

At the moment, Jennylyn, Mark and Yasmien can still be seen regularly on the tube, and Dion and Nadine Samonte are occasional guest performers on different shows. And, let's not forget that Cristine Reyes was a part of the group before she moved over to ABS-CBN, where she's now a certified lead player.

That's a pretty good showing for successful “graduates” as TV talent tilts gomost of the others produce only one or two graduates who remain visible stars for at least a couple of seasons.

Instructive The “Starstruck” alumni had a really fun time touching base with one another, but it was also instructive to see how the u Page 26

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BBC World focus on Philippines ongoing

By Oliver M. Pulumbarit “BBC World News felt it was important to focus on the Philippines six months after Supertyphoon 'Yolanda,'” revealed writer-TV host Rajan Datar via a recent e-mail interview.

“The typhoon, and the effect of those dealing with its consequences were huge breaking news stories for the channel and we felt it was important to share [the recovery story] with the world,” Datar told the Inquirer.

The “Philippines Direct” season currently airs on the 24-hour BBC World News channel. A series of documentaries and programs started airing last May 23 and continues until May 30.

Datar's “The Travel Show” visits earthquake- and typhoon-devastated areas and will focus on the victims who survived and coped after the calamities.

Other programs in the lineup include “Working Lives: Cebu” presented by Rico Hizon and focusing on a diverse set of disaster-affected people and their livelihoods; and “Talking Business: Philippines Direct” hosted by Linda Yueh and set at the World Economic Forum in Manila.

RAJAN Datar in Manila Excerpts from the interview: How would you explain BBC's decision to focus on the Philippines?

The reaction to the Bohol earthquake and Supertyphoon Yolanda is of interest around the world, has had a great impact on the country's tourism, and reveals something about the Filipino c h a r a c t e r. A l s o , t h e Philippines' economic growth and how that is filtering down to everyday society are of huge interest.

What is “disaster tourism” and how is it gauged in the Philippines' calamity-stricken areas?

Disaster tourism can be defined as focusing on an unfortunate event and, through tourism, helping with

Tougher challenge for Bamboo

By Mary Ann A. Bautista Bamboo never saw himself working in the music industry. He explains, “When I was a kid, I sang and got a little money out of it - but, it was never my dream. I was resistant to music.” Music found him, however - and grew on him.

Now, he's helping people on “The Voice.” “I am now helping talented singers get a career in the recording industry - and one of them is even recording an international album! They were brave enough to make me kulit. I like that kind of 'hunger.' They have the drive to make things happen.”

The singer believes that being a coach on “The Voice Kids” is more challenging: “With adults, you already have an idea where they're headed as artists. With kids, it's a gray area. So, I listen carefully to every contestant, so that I can justify my critiques on their performances.

BAMBOO. “It's rare to find an original voice.”

“There are exceptional talents, but none of them is flawless. The judges speak more to the parents than to the young participants. It's more heartbreaking to turn down children.

“So, when I coach kids, I don't want them to think that it's the end of the road if we don't pick them. How do I choose?

That's hard to measure. These days, it's rare to find an original voice!”

Inquirer.net

the recovery process. In the case of the Philippines, as with the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and for countries like Sri Lanka, the bond with regular tourists is so strong, that many people from abroad want to help. When we filmed in Bohol, we saw that the churches affected by the earthquake relied greatly on money from tourism to survive and rebuild.

How is the Philippines distinct in Asia, from “The Travel Show's” perspective?

The clearest differences are the Spanish and American influences and largely Catholic faith. Also, while Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia sell themselves as more “exotic,” Filipinos are more grounded about who they are and display The talented cast and crew of “The Talk” on CBS. u Page 25 yourself and moving one step closer to Emmy nominated ... your dream. There are a handful of From page 23 producers on “The Talk” and each one of us possesses a unique creativity. We're in life. You have to project what you all different producers and we bring so want in life because what you put out much to the table. That's what makes our there in the universe will come back ten- show stand out. fold. If I'm nice to others, others will be Describe the most important nice to me. lesson you have learned so far as a Sheryl Underwood taught me to find producer? time to laugh. Working can be stressful, Quitting is not an option in my but I manage to find time to have fun at career. If my work is challenging, I know my job, too. We all have to have laughter it's making me a better and stronger and enjoy what we have in life. producer. In order to succeed in my life, I Aisha Tyler taught me that I could do need to have persistence and dedication. anything. Besides being the co-host of I say to myself, “You can do it!”

“The Talk,” she's an actress, an author Do you collaborate with fellow Filand much more. This woman is doing it Am's in the entertainment industry? all… Kudos to her.”

I genuinely want the best for the FilAs a producer, what do you want Am community and its members. A very the audience to grasp from “The w e l l k n o w n F i l i p i n o - A m e r i c a n Talk?” photographer, Graphics Metropolis, I want them to laugh, and if viewers needed support for the Palm Springs do that, I've done my job. I want viewers Photo Festival. I believed in his talent so at home to be able to escape from their much that I offered to help him in my everyday problems, sit down, and just own little way. Nothing is more enjoy “The Talk.” As a producer, my goal satisfying than fulfilling someone's is to make memorable television. I can dreams. We collaborated and worked on see myself working on “The Talk” for my personal headshots and photos for many, many years. my new talk show on Lifestyle Network This is not the first Emmy titled “On Your Marc!” Despite my busy nomination in your career. schedule, I always find the time to attend I'm grateful to be nominated for and support Fil-Am events and another Emmy. It's an honor and a great endeavors. feeling to be acknowledged, to be in the How would you encourage fellow company of other amazing talk show Fil-Ams who are in your industry and producers. I got a text message from my are also dreaming of an Emmy co-worker at 6 a.m. the day it was recognition? announced. “We're nominated for an Being in the spotlight in the Filipino Emmy!” I screamed so loud and jumped community has many rewards and I up and down. I'm looking forward to the stand here as the voice of a person who Daytime Emmys on June 22, 2014. never gave up. I'm living proof that What does it take for a producer anything can happen and that dreams to make a show like “The Talk” stand can become a reality with hard work and out? determination. I'm all about paying it People always say, “You sacrificed so forward too. I do what I can to help other much in your life.” It's not so much people's dreams come true too! If I can sacrificing… It's more believing in do it, you can do it. Inquirer.net

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THE FILIPINO EXPRESS

th

4 Silver Awards for GMA International at the 20 Communicator Awards

Proud to be Pinoy PIDC Celebration 2013

Communicator Awards trophy

GMA International, the business unit that manages the operations and distribution of GMA Network's international channels, garnered four Silver Awards of Distinction at the 20th Communicator Awards.

The Communicator Awards is the l e a d i n g i n t e r n a t i o n a l awa rd s program that recognizes creative excellence in advertising, corporate communications, public relations and identity work in print, video, audio and interactive formats.

“We are honored to have been recognized by this prestigious awardgiving body,” says GMA Network Vice President and Head of International Operations Joseph T. Francia. “This distinction validates GMA

International's purpose of bringing quality programming and services to Filipinos all over the world.”

Home Away from Home, which was launched in 2013 on the Network's flagship international channel GMA Pinoy TV, won in the Video (Programs/News Documentary) category. The show invites viewers into the homes of Filipinos overseas who have become important parts of their communities and have shown success in their respective fields.

Likewise, GMA International's television special titled, Proud to be Pinoy: Philippine Independence Day Celebration 2013 was recognized in the Video (Programs/News D o c u m e n t a r y ) c a t e g o r y. I n commemoration of the Philippines' 115 t h Independence Day, event

BBC World ...

From page 24 an incredible resilience in the face of adversity.

In “The Travel Show,” we visit Manila, Bohol and Panglao. In Manila, we challenge the idea that the capital is not an attractive city to visit. We meet a dancing cop.

We ride in a “pimped-out” jeepney, visit Intramuros, and look at the more interesting contemporary music scenes in the capital.

On the islands, we look at ongoing recovery and restoration efforts, go up to the Chocolate Hills, take a river cruise, get really close to a tarsier that sat just behind me in a tree for a full 20 minutes while we filmed…

W h a t m a ke s t h e c o u n t r y ' s entertainment scene different in the region?

Island mentality makes a country's psyche a bit more extroverted, anarchic, carefree and fun-loving. But also, I noticed a special obsession with entertaining others and being entertained. Everyone seems to have music in their blood and so many can turn their hand to dancing, singing or playing.

What is the most important thing about creating travelogues?

The most interesting thing is that I get to dig below what guided books and newspaper articles tell you about a

“TRAVEL Show” spotted this dancing traffic marshall in the middle of a busy four-way junction!).

certain destination - as a result, we are able to find out what people in the country are actually talking about, and we get to explain different cultural idiosyncracies. These days, it is important not to underestimate the experience and knowledge of our viewers. (For related multimedia c o n t e n t , v i s i t BBC.com/Philippinesdirect.)

Inquirer.net

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201-434-1114

h i gh li gh t s f ro m t h e d i f fe re n t Independence Day celebrations across the United States and Canada participated in by GMA International were shown on GMA Pinoy TV. The GMA News TV International Info Kit received the Silver Award for the Print category. Powered by the Philippines' most trusted news and public affairs team, GMA News TV International is the top choice to meet the Filipinos' demand for complete, accurate, and credible news from home. The info kit showcases the channel's achievements and its multiawarded news personalities and toprated programs.

F u r t h e r m o r e , G M A International's Middle East MyHD Campaign clinched another Silver Award of Distinction for the Integrated Campaign

(Promotional/Branding) category.

Featuring Kapuso Primetime Queen M a r i a n R ive ra , t h e c a m p a i g n highlights the best promo offers for GMA's international channels through its new carrier in the Middle East, MyHD. Among the notable winners of the Communicator Awards are some of the biggest players in the international television industry such as Verizon, Comcast Spotlight, Warner Bros. Digital Media, Hub Television Network, MacLaren McCann and Mercedes Benz USA. The Communicator Awards is judged and overseen by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA).

The AIVA is an organization of over 600 members who are “leading professionals from various disciplines of the visual arts dedicated to embracing progress and the evolving nature of traditional and interactive media.” Its members are comprised of distinguished individuals from top media, advertising and marketing firms, including Disney, MTV, Yahoo, rabble+rouser, and Time, Inc. For more information on GMA Network and its international channels, visit the website www.gmanetwork.com/internationa l , F a c e b o o k p a g e s www.facebook.com/GMAPinoyTV, www.facebook.com/gmalifetv and www.facebook.com/gmanewsintern ational, Twitter pages @GMAPinoyTV and @GMA_LifeTV, and Instagram page, @GMAPinoyTV.

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Hillsong United is back!

MANILA -- The band known for creating waves with their highly energetic, God-glorifying, dance-inducing praise and worship songs, both in contemporary Christian and secular music scenes; the band that has led nations into a spirit of pure worship for our God at sold-out concerts around the world; the band whose songs always reflect a passionate love for our Savior - HILLSONG UNITED is coming back to the Philippines this 2014!

HILLSONG UNITED is committed to creating a musical expression that is almost uncomfortable in its uniqueness, with a mission to write songs that awaken churches and individuals to the fact that we are redeemed and called into the story of God. With the familiar faces of worship leaders Joel Houston, Jad Gillies, JD and Matthew Crocker, the UNITED team has become an evolving c o l l a b o ra t i o n o f p a s t o r s , worship leaders, musicians and songwriters, all bound by the common goal of giving voice to a generation who is passionate about God. Their desire is to simply serve God and allow Him to do what only He can do.

“Our prayer is that people everywhere would catch this desire and run with it in the same way! Knowing God is with them,

FILIPINO-JAPANESE sumo wrestler Masunoyama and his Filipino mother Maria Christine

Filipino-Japanese sumo wrestler featured on Rated K God is in control, and He will have His way.” Joel Houston Their songs “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)” hit number one on the American Billboard Christian songs chart at the end

of 2013, while their 2013 album Zion shot to number one on the US Billboard Christian albums and Australian albums chart.

Inquirer.net

Richard Yap, heartthrob, is also a philanthropist

By Marinel R. Cruz “The show is not ending any time soon,” said “Be Careful With My Heart” star Richard Yap. The actor was defending ABS-CBN's romantic-comedy series against online bashers who insist it has been stretched for too long.

Directed by Jeffrey Jeturian, the top-rating drama premiered in July 2012 and was supposed to end last month. According to the Chinese-Filipino star, it has been extended indefinitely.

Helping others “ We c a n' t p l e a s e everyone, so we're just ignoring all the negative comments about the show,” the actor told the Inquirer.

“The show has helped so many people - from the cast and crew to the audience. I heard about a viewer whom it helped to recover from an illness.”

The series also stars Jodi Sta. Maria as Maya de la Rosa, who works as a nanny to the three kids of Yap's character

Richard Yap

Richard Lim. She later becomes his wife, and mother of their twins.

Always rushing “We heard the show could run until December,” Yap said. “Work schedules have b e c o m e m o r e r e l a xe d , compared to last year, which was stressful for all of us. We were always rushing! Things improved after the Christmas break.”

Yap and his wife Melody hosted a unique Mother's Day celebration this year. The couple, who co-owns the Quezon City branch of Wangfu Chinese Bistro, invited 15 other moms winners of the restaurant's “Ice Katchang Selfie” promo to dine with them.

The actor turned 47 on May 18. He wished nothing more for himself, he said, apart from “continuing to be blessed, so I can share the blessings with others.”

He elaborated: “I extend financial support to a group of nuns who teach homeless kids. I contribute to funds for the construction of several churches. My family also helps children afflicted with c a n c e r. I ' d r a t h e r n o t publicize these things. I'm just trying my best to reach out to as many people as possible.”

He has the best things in life, he insisted: “I've always lived simply. I'm OK as long as I'm with my family, as long as we live in a decent home and I am able to provide for their needs. Inquirer.net

By Walden Sadiri M. Belen Filipino-Japanese sumo wrestler Masunoyama Tomoharu will surprise his Filipina mother Maria Christine with a dance of gratitude via “Happy Surprise,” a segment of the popular variety show “Totsugeki! At Home!” that airs on NHK, Japan's public broadcaster.

The performance will also be featured on May 25 on ABS-CBN's “Rated K.” The Filipino-Japanese sumo wrestler is very popular in Japan, and is especially loved for his smile.

He was born on Nov. 1, 1990 in Sakae, Chiba, Japan. When his parents divorced, her mother brought her to the Philippines where he finished junior high school. Because her mother was working so hard to make both ends meet, Masunoyama decided to return to Japan when he was 14 to resume training as a sumo wrestler.

M a s u n oya m a j o i n e d t h e Chiganoura sumo stable and made his professional debut in 2006. He went on to endear himself to the public and the press and is now

Happiness ...

From page 23 batch's less-popular products “projected” themselves in the course of the long group feature.

There was palpable regret over the fact that their career prospects hadn't panned out as well as Jennylyn and Mark'sbut also a proud refusal to call it quits on their ever-flaming dream of stardom!

The new show should be complimented for coming up with such a unique feature on its first telecast, and we hope that its subsequent features will be similarly eventful.

considered a rising star in the sport. He is always grateful to his mother for raising him. He sends her money, and hopes to one day buy her a house.

NHK is Japan's sole public broadcaster. Funded by Japanese households, it has a reputation for impartial, high-quality programming. NHK reaches about 50 million households with four nationwide TV channels.

In collaborating with ABS-CBN, NHK said, “We regard 'Happy Surprise' as the very first success we achieved on the long track. We are having collective and intensive discussions for extending our c o o p e r a t i o n further. Just wait until you'll see our second big surprise.”

Ms. Linggit Tan, ABS-CBN business unit head, said the collaboration with NHK will enable ABS-CBN to expand and penetrate the Japanese market.”Television is a global medium and we need to explore other things we can for TV and for Filipinos. NHK, as a public broadcaster, wants to showcase J a p a n e s e c u l t u re , a n d m o s t especially, show their appreciation for Filipinos.”

As far as the hosting goes, however, some of the show's four cohosts didn't have much to do on the first telecast, like Chef Boy and Donita. We're informed that, in other telecasts, they'll take case of the “cooking portion,” since Donita honed her cooking skills during her long absence from the small screen. We hope that their “chefsous chef” combination will be as droll and entertaining as it bids fair to be.

Now that Donita is back on TV, she should lose a few more pounds to really get back to “fighting” trim.

She's as lovely as ever, so we hope that, after a few more tweaks in this direction and that, she'll be back on TVto stay! Inquirer.net

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NBA player granted Filipino citizenship, will play for Gilas

By Mark Giongco, Matikas Santos

Renowned visual artist Joe Datuin explains the meaning of the trophy which he designed for the 19 sporting greats who will be honored on June 12. Also shown are bowling legend Paeng Nepomuceno, event organizer Chino Trinidad and Grandmaster Eugene Torre. (Tony Pionilla)

Sporting greats to be feted June 12

By Kristel Satumbaga The heroes of yesteryears from Olympic swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso to current boxing icon Manny Pacquiao will be feted during an affair on June 12 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater of Resorts World.

Dubbed Pagpupugay: Gabi ng Parangal, the gala will serve as a tribute to the exploits of the Philippines' brightest sports immortals stretching back to the last 100 years.

Apart from Pacquiao and Yldefonso, who won a bronze during the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics and whose medal will be on display, others to be honored include bowling legend Paeng Nepomuceno (four-time World Cup champion), chess grandmaster Eugene Torre (Asia's first GM), and Hall of Fame boxer Flash Elorde.

A project of broadcaster Chino Trinidad, the awards night will be spiced up by an exhibit showing not only unforgettable photos but pieces of memorabilia as well from June 1 until the 15th.

“We'll celebrate their greatness dahil ang DNA ng kagitingan ng mga Filipino ay di nagbabago,” said Trinidad, seated beside two of the greatest Filipino athletes of all-time

Torre and Nepomuceno during the PSA Forum presented by Accel, Shakey's, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

“Advocacy nating mga Pilipino ito.

This is not my event. This is the event of us Filipinos.”

“We're very thankful for Chino for coming up with this noble idea,” said Nepomuceno.

Also taking centerstage include another Hall of Fame pugilist Pancho Villa (Francisco Guilledo in real life), football idol Paulino “El Romperedes” Alcantara, tracksters Simeo Toribio and Miguel White, prizefighter Ceferino “Bolo Punch” Garcia, tennis great Felecisimo Ampon, hotshot Carlos Loyzaga, fairway ace Ben Arda, 1964 Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Anthony Villanueva, bowlers Lita Dela Rosa, Arianne Cerdena and Olivia “Bong” Coo, cue master Efren “Bata” Reyes and 1996 Atlanta Olympics silver medalist Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco.

Renowned visual artist Joe Datuin, who gained fame when his “Dancing Rings” sculpture won in the prestigious International Olympic Committee Sport and Art Contest in 2008 in connection with the Beijing Olympics, designed the trophies that will be awarded. Manila Bulletin

Jersey City to Sponsor First Annual Summer Soccer Cup in honor of 2014 FIFA World Cup JERSEY CITY Mayor Steven M. Fulop, members of the Municipal Council and the Department of Recreation announce the First Annual Summer Soccer Cup in honor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 1, 2014 at the Caven Point Athletic Facility.

“Jersey City has a huge soccer community that is continuing to grow and flourish,” said Mayor Fulop. “This is a great event because it allows us to highlight our soccer program by timing the tournament with an international soccer sporting competition.”

The First Annual Summer Soccer Cup will be held in recognition of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and is time with the kick off games in Brazil, featuring 32 countries competing for the World Cup. Six Jersey City organizations and

their league teams have collaborated to celebrate Jersey City's youth soccer program with friendly competition games to further solidify soccer's immensely growing popularity in our c o m m u n i t y. P a r t i c i p a t i n g organizations include: Jersey City Re c re a t i o n , J e r s ey C i t y S o c c e r Association, Hans Soliz, Hudson United Futbol Club, Jersey City Hispanic American Soccer League and Champion Soccer Academy.

Following the tournament, there will be a closing ceremony awarding game medals to all participating teams to mark the occasion.

The event is FREE and open to the public. For more information please contact Ivan F. Freire at 201-855-9762.

- Jennifer Morrill, Press Secretary to Mayor Steven M. Fulop.

MANILA -- The Senate on Monday, May 26 approved the naturalization of American basketball player Andray Blatche on third and final reading.

The Senate Bill No. 2108, proposed by Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, garnered a unanimous vote as Blatche's Filipino citizenship now awaits the approval of the Office of the President for the chief executive's signature.

“Blatche is possibly the best center from the NBA that we can get who is willing to shun more lucrative offers now and in the future just to be part of our national team,” said Angara in a statement.

The six-foot-11 Blatche plays a vital role for the Brooklyn Nets with a career average of 10.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and almost a block per game. “This was indeed a total team effort on the part of the Senate. Credits are due to both the majority and minority blocs for supporting this measure, which to my mind, is the Senate's own way of contributing to the cause of

Andray Blatche. AP file photo our basketball team,” Angara said.

G r a n t i n g t h e naturalization of Blatche is a big boost for Gilas Pilipinas, which is set to compete in the Fiba World Cup in Spain this August and the Asian Games in September.

“Having naturalized players is the rule in international competitions rather than the exception. It's very accepted. We are just taking advantage of the rule,” said Angara, who chairs the committee on games, amusement and sports.

Blatche became the latest foreign basketball player to earn a Filipino citizenship after

Americans Arthur “Chip” Engelland, Jeff Moore and Dennis Still were naturalized in the 1980s to help the Philippine men's basketball team to win the Asian Basketball Confederation ( n o w F I B A A s i a Championship) crown in 1985 and Marcus Douthit in 2011.

“We took a leap of faith when we naturalized Marcus Douthit, and that leap of faith paid dividends. We are hoping this would be a similar case with Andray Blatche,” Angara said. Douthit led the Philippine team to a silver-medal finish in the 2013 Fiba Asia Championship that also booked the squad a trip to the Basketball World Cup in Spain.

“This is the first time in 40 years that the Philippine team will play once again in the world basketball tournament.

We are number 34 in the world basketball ranking and yet, we made it to the FIBA World Championships, which is the top 24 teams in the world.

Given this rare opportunity, we should do everything we can to give our national team the best representation and the best chance to win,” Angara added.

Inquirer.net

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Mangyan entrepreneur creates ecohaven in the mountains

By Amadís Ma. Guerrero Meet Leo Banaag, 34, single, a member of the Iraya Mangyan tribe in Mindoro. He studied in La Trinidad and holds a bachelor's degree in agriculture from Benguet State University.

Upon graduation he worked for a time as an NGO community organizer in Puerto Galera, the top tourist destination in Oriental Mindoro, and then in San Teodoro, known for its whitewater rafting and kayaking, and Baco in Mt. Halcon, which straddles the boundaries of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro.

Leo has been involved in the processing of the Mangyans' a n c e s t ra l d o m a i n , a dvo c a c y networking, and supervising nonformal education for the nonliterate members of his tribe.

In 2009 he was invited to go to Japan by a Japanese NGO, Genesis, to share his experiences. And that was when he got the idea of constructing Da Pirmeda (a Mangyan word meaning “the first”) an oasis and ecohaven in Mt. Baclayan, Puerto Galera. Leo was able to save money thanks to all his activites, being unmarried and, according to him, having no vices (“walang asawa, walang bisyo”) - to the tune of P70,000. Add to that the travel allowance of P43,000 which he was able to save from his all-expenses paid Japan sortie.

Dream resort With this as seed money, he set to work in 2010 on building his dream mini resort. “The first step was to construct the two cold spring swimming pools with continuous running water,” says Leo. This was done bayanihan style, meaning he called upon the muscle power of his nephews and other relatives.

Then they built three native houses, using traditional materials from the mountains. “I only spent for the nails,” observes the intrepid Mangyan.

There was a need for more sturdy accommodations for some foreign guests. So a Canadian friend invested P50,000 here, resulting in three concrete rooms.

A kind of assembly hall and a sari-sari (variety) store, which along with the usual snacks and canned goods, sells Mangyan fashion accessories and home decor, complete the picture. And Leon tells the children to further hone their talent in traditional Mangyan dances to generate income from visitors.

Refreshing ambience Da Pirmeda has a truly refreshing ambience, with a grand view of Puerto Galera Bay 2,000 feet below. It is surrounded by greenery and a thickly-forested area, albeit second growth, as it used to be a communal farm. Traditional meals are sold here at budget prices (P50-

P70, unlimited): root crops like camote, ube, gabi and native vegetables, washed down with fresh coconut juice straight from the trees.

Each hut costs P250 a day and accommodates two to three persons. The three rooms are priced at P450 per, for 24 hours. A two-day jungle trek, covering an area of 37 kilometers, can be had for P3,800, while survival skills training will cost you P500.

The entrance fee to Da Pirmeda is P250. You can stay four hours, overnight or several days if you wish, as long as you pay for each day.

And Leo is even now constructing jungle trails for senior citizens, at P250 per trek.

To get to Da Pirmeda, you have to rough it a bit. The resort is accessible from the town center by mountain bike or jeepney, through trails which are both well-paved as well as dirt roads, with ravines on the side.

Leo has promoted his place through Facebook and tourist friends and Da Pirmeda has attracted European tourists, mostly Danes and Britons. But things may change now, with the LGU-Tourism I n fo r m a t i o n C e n t e r (aileenbarangtourismoffice@gmail. com) promoting the resort, along with other attractions in Puerto Galera. The tourism office recently invited national media persons who attended the De Galera Festival to tour Da Pirmeda.

The Mangyan entrepreneur

EXPRESS SUDOKU HOW TO PLAY: Place a number from 1 to 9 in each empty cell so that each row, each column and each 3x3 block contains all the numbers from 1 to 9

Solution to Issue 21 Sudoku

Solution to Issue 21 Crossword

expects to recover his investments in 2-3 years but cannot promise this because the place makes money only during the summer months.

Call Leo at 0920-669-2668 or the Tourism Information Center at 043287-3051 or 0927-901-2318.

Inquirer.net

LEO Banaag. Photo by Amadís Ma. Guerrero

NATIVE huts in a forest ambience.

WELCOME to this jungle resort in Mt. Baclayan.

CONTINUOUS running water.

Photos by Amadís Ma. Guerrero, Contributor

EXPRESS CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Metal 6. Hairdo 10. Soft drink 14. Robust 15. Bearing 16. Burden 17. To begin with 19. Notch 20. Ancient ascetic 21. Levy 22. Achy 23. Agile Old World viverrine 25. Delineated 26. A female domestic 30. Greek god of darkness 32. Experience 35. A despicable coward 39. Burgled 40. Record player 41. Spiral 1. Sneaker or pump 43. Timidity 2. Sailors 44. A flammable gas 3. Twin sister of Ares 46. Makes lace 4. Border 47. Birch relative 5. Prevaricating 50. Requires 6. Doctor's group 53. Happy cat sound 7. Air cleaner 54. Snagged 8. Connected by kinship 55. Narcotic 9. Chalcedony 60. Dwarf buffalo 61. To a complete degree 10. Coherent 11. Scallion 63. Deliver a tirade 12. Ill-gotten gains 64. Not tame 13. Requested 65. Fruit of the oak tree 18. Born as 66. Tall woody plant 67. Leg joint 68. Verse

DOWN 24. Prefix meaning "Modern" 25. Vigorously passionate 26. Pulp 27. Initial wager 28. False god 29. Careful 31. Hit hard 33. Happen again 34. Annoying insect 36. Region 37. A musical pause 38. Sleep in a convenient place 42. Ointment ingredient

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May 30 - June 5, 2014

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