The Filipino Express v28 Issue 17

Transcription

VOL. 28 w
NO. 17 w
APR 25 - MAY 1, 2014 w
NATIONAL EDITION
NEW JERSEY w
NEW YORK w
(201) 434-1114 w
$1.00
Career diplomat is new
PH consul general in
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Los Angeles u
Believe it or not:
Filipinos love US
more than Yanks
By Matikas Santos
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Members of the Pilipino Educators Network, which is lobbying legislators to grant relief to Filipino teachers in Maryland who are
facing loss of jobs and work permits. Contributed photo
PH seeks 'clearer
assurance' from US
Filipinos rank first in a global survey on the image of
the United States, beating even the Americans when it
comes to a favorable view of the United States.
According to the 2013 Global Attitudes Project of
Pew Research Center in Washington, 85 percent of the
Filipinos polled said they had a favorable view of the
United States. Following the Filipinos are the Israelis
and the Ghanaians, both scoring 83 percent, and the
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Page 6
Americans, who scored 81 percent.
Santiago accuses Lacson of
fronting for Enrile, Reyes
By Norman Bordadora
By Christian V. Esguerra
MANILA -- With the United States assuring Japan and other Asian
allies of support in their territorial disputes with China, Manila will seek a
“clearer understanding” of its “strategic partnership” with Washington
amid Beijing's increasing assertiveness in the West Philippine Sea when
US President Barack Obama visits the country next week.
Noting that Washington is the “only defense treaty ally of the
Philippines,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. on
Wednesday said the alliance “has been a cornerstone of peace and
stability in the region.” But questions remain as to how the United States
will defend the Philippines against China's aggressive moves in the West
Philippine Sea, the parts of the South China Sea within Manila's exclusive
economic zone (EEZ).“From the Philippine perspective, we would like to
be able to arrive at a clearer understanding with the US on important
aspects of the strategic partnership in those three areas,” Coloma told
reporters, referring to political and security cooperation, trade and
cultural ties.
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Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago on
Thursday accused former Sen. Panfilo
Lacson of being part of a “trinity of unholy
conspirators” that was sowing
disinformation in the pork barrel scam.
In a commencement speech at Lyceum
University in Laguna province, Santiago
said Lacson's storythat he received a copy of
an unsigned draft affidavit from alleged
pork barrel scam mastermind Janet LimNapoleswas part of “a vast, costly and
sinister disinformation operation.”
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Page 4
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago and former Senator Panfilo Lacson. Inquirer file photo
PH, HK end bitter
row; sanctions lifted
By Philip C. Tubeza
HONG KONG -- After nearly
seven months of negotiations,
the Philippines and Hong Kong
o n We d n e s d ay, A p r i l 2 3
announced a “win-win”
solution to provide closure to
the 2010 Manila hostage
tragedy that claimed the lives of
eight people and injured seven
others from this Chinese special
administrative region.
Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene
Almendras said both sides
reached an agreement after the
families of the victims agreed to
the Philippine government's
expression of “sorrowful regret
and profound sympathy, and
most sincere condolences”
through letters issued by
Philippine National Police
Director General Alan Purisima.
Malacañang had refused to
apologize for the hostagetaking at Luneta Park, saying it
would open the government to
legal liabilities.
Almendras said the primary
Fil-Am elected
mayor of
Bellflower,
California
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Page 6
concern of the Philippine and
Hong Kong governments was to
Bellflower Mayor Sonny Santa Ines. Contributed photo
provide for the needs of the
victims and their families.
“This resolution is because
[President Benigno Aquino III
and Hong Kong Chief Executive
Leung Chun-ying] both agreed
we were going to find a win-win
solution, a complete solution.
The primary, most important
thing in this initiative is not
politics, not national interests
but the families,” Almendras
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Page 6
Tim Tebow. AP FILE PHOTO
said.
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Page 5
Tim Tebow's
charity hospital
in Davao seen to
open in 7 months
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 2
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Japan presents $57-B 'dream plan' to solve Metro congestion
By Jerry E. Esplanada
MANILA -- Noting that Metro
Manila's traffic, infrastructure and
housing problems can no longer be
solved by the National Capital
Region alone, the Japan
International Cooperation Agency
(JICA) has come up with a “Dream
Plan” for what it calls a “Greater
Capital Region,” composed of the
NCR and neighboring Central
Luzon and Southern Tagalog.
In a JICA study titled “Roadmap
for Transport Infrastructure
Development for Metro Manila and
its Surrounding Areas,” a copy of
which was obtained by the
Philippine Daily Inquirer, the
technical arm of the Japanese
government's official development
aid program said “Regions III and
IV-A must work out effective ways
to maximize the positive aspects of
their proximity to the buzzling
capital region and at the same time
contribute to mitigating the
problems of the metropolis.”
The study, conducted from
March to December 2013,
recommended public and private
sector investments of up to $57.3
billion through 2030 to realize the
overall impact encapsuled in five
“NOs”“No traffic congestion, no
excessive transport cost burden for
low income groups, no households
living in high hazard risk areas, no
barriers for seamless mobility of
people, and no air pollution” in the
Mega Manila area.
The dream plan's vision is
“growth with GPS,” short for “Gate
to a wellspring of hope, Place for
livable communities and Space for
dynamic business centers.”
The JICA proposed the
following short-term projects
aimed at solving Metro Manila's
worsening traffic problems, hazard
risks and growth management:
1)
Urban roads:
Rehabilitation of major roads like
the 23-kilometer Epifanio de los
Santos Avenue, or Edsa, the
country's busiest thoroughfare;
develop secondary roads; and
completion of the so-called
“missing links,” which refer to
flyovers, interchanges and bridges.
2) Expressways: Complete the
North Luzon Expressway and
South Luzon Expressway
connection, including their access
to the country's major ports; build
the C-6 Extension, Laguna
lakeshore dike road and the Ninoy
Aquino International Airport
expressway; and finalize an overall
metropolitan expressway network
plan.
3) Urban railways: Finish
committed urban rail projects and
their connectivity; build the NorthSouth Commuter Rail, which aims
to connect Malolos, Bulacan in
Central Luzon and Calamba,
Laguna, in Southern Tagalog.
4)
Ro a d - b a s e d p u b l i c
transport: Modernize bus and
jeepney operations and facilities, as
well as improve and expand
sidewalks and pedestrians.
5) Traffic management:
Strengthen traffic enforcement
capacities; introduce systematic
road safety interventions; and
conduct comprehensive traffic
management studies.
6) Gateway airports and
ports: Conduct studies on the
development of a new
international airport that will
replace the aging Ninoy Aquino
International Airport, which can be
closed and converted to a business
district, and options like putting up
a new facility in Sangley, Cavite
City; development of the Clark
International airport in Pampanga
into a secondary gateway airport;
redevelopment of Manila's Port
Area, but a cap should be placed on
the expansion of Manila ports; and
facilitate the diversion of Manila
port operations to Batangas City
a n d t h e S u b i c Fre e p o r t i n
Zambales.
According to JICA, “transport
can be a catalyst to integrate cities,
growth centers, gateways, urban
and rural areas, facilitate local
e c o n o m i c d eve l o p m e n t a n d
promote environmental protection
sustainability, as well as facilitate
the planned and guided growth and
expansion of Metro
Manila.”
For short-term programs, it
said these were “doable or with a
high possibility of being
completed” during the period 2014
to 2016.
In its proposed action plan, the
agency also called for the clearing
of backlogs in unimplemented
government infrastructure
projects; close monitoring of the
delivery capacity of transport
agencies; improving management
control of unsolicited proposals for
road and railway projects to ensure
network integrity; creating clear
policy frameworks for
privatization of railway lines to
avoid direct state involvement in
ra i l o p e ra t i o n s ; h a r n e s s i n g
resources of local government
units in the construction of
secondary roads; and outsourcing
project studies to support current
institutional weaknesses.”
The JICA study noted that about
500,000 people live in “high hazard
risk areas” in Metro Manila and 1.4
million people in similar areas in
Central Luzon and Southern
Tagalog.
On the other hand, about
700,000 people reside in
“moderate hazard risk areas” in the
NCR and P1.8 million people in
similar communities in Regions III
and IV-A.
The agency also reported a
“backlog of 800,000 housing units
in Metro Manila,” and pointed out
the “need to resettle 300,000
additional households,” including
squatter families.
It proposed that squatter
families living in high risk areas and
those in need of affordable housing
be accommodated in “planned new
urban areas with good accessibility
and living environment” in the
provinces of Bulacan, Cavite and
Laguna.
“Opportunities exist for largescale new towns development” in
Regions III and IV-A for both public
and private properties in these
areas.
The JICA stressed the need to
“strengthen development control
and guidance to the private sector
to maximize benefits to both public
and private sectors.”
Other key government
interventions include “an
integrated transport mobility,
disaster preparedness and
resilience, good environment and
high-quality public space,
affordable housing policy and
delivery program, and land use
management and development
control.”
In its study, the JICA study said
it consulted several Philippine
government agencies, including
the National Economic and
D e v e l o p m e n t A u t h o r i t y,
Department of Public Works and
Highways, Department of
Transportation and
Communications, and the Metro
Manila Development Authority, as
well as some private sector
stakeholders. Inquirer.net
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 3
Save the queen? Aide takes fall for Enrile, Gigi Reyes
By Gil C. Cabacungan
Jose Antonio Evangelista is
taking the fall for his boss, Sen. Juan
Ponce Enrile, and the senator's
former chief of staff, Jessica Lucila
“Gigi” Reyes, who could go to jail for
plunder in the P10-billion pork
barrel case set to be filed by the Office
of the Ombudsman in the
Sandiganbayan.
Evangelista has filed a partial
motion for reconsideration, prepared
by lawyers Edwardson L. Ong and
Mercedes Isabel Mayoralgo of Ponce
Enrile Reyes & Manalastas Law
Offices. Evangelista took full
responsibility for processing the
disbursement of Enrile's Priority
Development Assistance Fund
(PDAF) as his deputy chief of staff
while claiming the evidence against
him was spurious.
He blamed implementing
agencies for the diversion of PDAF
allocations to bogus nongovernment
organizations (NGOs).
Evangelista's statement was in
sync with Reyes, who told the Office
of the Ombudsman that processing
Enrile's pork funds was not part of
her job item.
The Ombudsman has found
probable cause to charge Evangelista
with graft and corruption (a bailable
offense) for participating in a
conspiracy to divert Enrile's PDAF to
businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles'
fake NGOs. Enrile and Reyes were
charged with plunder (a nonbailable
offense) along with Senators Jinggoy
Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr.,
Napoles and others.
But Levito Baligod, counsel for
the whistle-blowers in the pork scam,
said Evangelista's legal gambit would
not hold water.
Weak legal strategy
“Attorney Gigi exculpated JPE and
pointed to Attorney Evangelista as
the one responsible for the senator's
PDAF. The latter's defense is 'forgery'
of the PDAF documents.
“Clearly, Evangelista is being
made the fall guy,” said Baligod in a
text message.
Baligod said this legal strategy
was inherently weak because the
Enrile camp “failed to present the
'authentic' PDAF documents which
they presumably have, if indeed there
are. Otherwise, how were JPE's PDAF
allocations implemented? This
proves their complicity and assent to
the forgeries.”
He wondered why Evangelista
was not surprised by the volume of
documents bearing the latter's and
Reyes' signatures presented to them
for confirmation by the Commission
on Audit (COA) if, in fact, no
document of such nature was ever
issued by Enrile's office.
Baligod is the lawyer of pork
scam whistle-blowers Merlina Suñas,
Nova Kay Macalintal, Lily Abundo
and Adelina Lingo. Based on his
motion, Evangelista claimed that the
testimonies of whistle-blowers were
hearsay, inadmissible as evidence
and could not be used as basis of any
criminal charges.
'Fabricated' documents
He claimed that the documents
Gigi Reyes and Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile. Inquirer file photo
the whistle-blowers submitted were
inadmissible as they admitted that
these were fabricated and forged by
the whistle-blowers themselves.
Evangelista added that there was
no evidence of his personal or
deliberate participation in the
scheme.
His lawyers, Ong and Mayoralgo,
argued that since whistle-blower
B e n h u r L uy a dm i t te d to t h e
Ombudsman that he had prepared,
signed and notarized the PDAF
documents and liquidation reports,
“it stands to reason that Evangelista
precisely had no hand in the
preparation and signing of the
documents.”
Presumed regular
Evangelista's lawyers chided the
Ombudsman's “incongruous twist
ofreasoning” when it argued that
s i n c e P DA F d o c u m e n t s we re
notarized, these were presumed
regular.
Blame gov't execs
The lawyers blamed executives
of government agencies for the
diversion of Enrile's PDAF funds.
They cited provisions in the
General Appropriations Act of 2009,
2010 and 2011 that expressly
mandated the implementing
agencies to ensure that the NGOs they
dealt with were legitimate and
capable of implementing the
projects.
“If there was no public bidding
conducted, this should be ascribed to
lapses committed by the
implementing agencies and not by
legislators or their staff members,
including Evangelista,” Ong and
Mayoralgo said.
COA circular
The two lawyers noted that even
COA Chair Grace Pulido Tan had told
senators at a budget hearing that an
implementing agency was
responsible for the deployment of
pork funds under COA Circular No.
2007-001.
“All that the office of a legislator
may do is identify, endorse or
recommend particular projects. It is
absurd to hold Evangelista
responsible for its (PDAF) misuse. If
something went wrong in the process
of implementation or if the projects
were actually not implemented or in
case of ghost projects, and the funds
merely diverted, only the
implementing agencies, together
with the NGOs should be responsible.
If there was any such 'conspiracy,' the
implementing agencies and the NGOs
were the parties to that conspiracy,”
the lawyers said.
“The truth is no one forced the
various employees of the
implementing agencies to perpetrate
the anomalies they committed. These
employees cannot therefore cry foul
when caught red-handed, and pass
the blame on someone else.”
Evangelista's lawyers claimed
that the accounting records kept by
Luy, Napoles' former trusted aide,
were hearsay as these had no other
supporting document.
Invented records
“To give credence to the so-called
'accounting records' and classify
them as 'evidence' would be
tantamount to believing anything
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April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 4
Santiago
accuses ...
From page 1
She said the campaign was
meant to compel the Office of the
O m b u d s m a n to g ra n t t h e
motions for reconsideration of
Senators Juan Ponce Enrile,
Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon
Revilla Jr. who had been found
liable for plunder in connection
with siphoning off Priority
Development Assistance Fund
(PDAF) allocations into ghost
projects.
Santiago described Lacson as
Enrile's “attack dog” in a
“massive psywar operation”
mounted by the former Senate
president and his former chief of
staff, Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes.
“Enrile, 90, is facing
suspension from office as
senator, and imprisonment in a
detention cell while facing trial.
He is desperate to prevent the
Ombudsman from filing the case
against him in court,” Santiago
said.
Santiago said “this trinity of
unholy conspirators include
Lacson and Reyes, because both
were granted safe haven in
Cagayan, his hometown, by
Enrile.”
“Where is Reyes? Nobody
knows. Why would Lacson come
forward with a spurious
document, one month after he
claims that it was handed to
him?” Santiago said.
Santiago said that Lacson's
claims are “so full of holes that
it's like a sieve.”
“This is a diversionary tactic,
very similar to the so-called
Zamboanga uprising. Both are
bankrolled heavily, because they
are intended to forcibly turn
public attention away from the
criminal culpability of those
charged with plunder. For the
respondents, this is a desperate
m a ke - o r - b re a k s i t u a t i o n ,”
Santiago said.
Santiago called on the public
to have “enlightened skepticism.”
She said Napoles was now
claiming that she had
transactions with many other
public officials, “none of whom
were named by the whistleblowers who testified at the
Senate hearing.”
“Napoles could be damaged
goods. How come that her former
employees have documented
dealings with named public
officials, but they never
mentioned other public officials
whom Napoles is now scheduled
to reveal?” Santiago said.
Re a c h e d fo r c o m m e n t ,
Lacson said in a text message,
“Her allegation was negated by
the Napoles camp even before
she opened her mouth.” Lacson
said the Napoles family had
confirmed what he had told
reporters on Wednesday.
Also yesterday, Manila
Archbishop Luis Antonio
Cardinal Tagle urged Napoles:
“Tell the truth and return what is
not yours. It's that easy.”
“Whether state witness or
not, tell the truth. Is it necessary
to be a state witness for one to
tell the truth?” Tagle said in an
interview with reporters on
Thursday. But apart from
disclosing everything she knew
about the corruption scandal and
confirming the involvement of
some government officials, Tagle
said Napoles should also return
all the public funds she
supposedly pocketed.
“Justice demands that ,
doesn't it? Let's not make it any
more complicated than it already
is,” he said. Inquirer.net
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Fil-Am youth conferences
unite under one theme
NEW YORK, NY -- Delegates from
across the United States for the first
time will attend Filipino American
leadership conferences that are under
one, unified theme “Your Move.”
Pilipino American Unity for
Progress, Inc. (UniPro), Fil-Am Young
Leaders Program (FYLPro), and
Empowering Pilipino Youth through
Collaboration (EPYC) agreed on the
theme with hopes that the initiative
would jump-start a movement of
cohesion between all Fil-Am leadership
conferences across the country.
After collaborating with other
organizers across the country, members
of the Pilipino American Unity for
Progress, Inc. developed a concept to
challenge delegates to leave their mark.
“We wanted to show that unity can
be accomplished and all it took was to
reach out and talk to each other,”
President of UniPro Rachelle Ocampo
said.
The first of three conferences will
be the Fil-Am Young Leaders Summit on
Saturday, May 3 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at
the Filipino Community Center in
Waipahu, Hawaii. The Summit's
keynote speaker will be Tony Olaes,
President and CEO of ODM Enterprise
as well as Chairman of U.S. Gawad
Kalinga.
The summit wants to bring
Philippine Ambassador to the United
States Jose L. Cuisia's Fil-Am Young
Leaders Program participants from all
over the country “to empower, inspire
and discuss solutions on how to
a d v a n c e F i l - A m i n t e r e s t s .”
www.fylsummit.com
The movement will continue to New
York City with the Annual UniPro
Summit: The Multinational Forum for
Pilipino Young Adults, Students and
Youth at Fashion Institute of Technology
on Saturday, May 31. UniPro wants to
challenge the delegates to find
themselves in their community and
a d d re s s i t s n e e d s by a l i g n i n g
themselves with organizations.
Through panel discussions, guest
speakers will share how they found
their place in the community, what they
have accomplished, what issues they
are tackling, what still needs to be
accomplished and how the delegates
can contribute. www.unipronow.org
The third conference under the
same theme “Your Move” is the youth oriented component of The National
Federation of Filipino American
A s s o c i a t i o n' s ( N a F FA A ) a n n u a l
empowerment conference called
Empowering Pilipino Youth through
Collaboration (EPYC) in San Diego,
California from August 7 to August 10.
The leadership development
institute aims to facilitate collaboration
between regional Filipino American
student organizations across North
America, for networking and sharing of
best practices in student organizing. It
envisions an international community
of Filipino American student leaders
that consistently communicate, learn
from each other and exchange ideas to
improve their reach and impact on
Filipino American youth.
Www.empowerment.naffaa10.org
“The usual talk about collaboration
among Filipino organizations across the
nation is old news, but this milestone is
significant. We encourage organizers
with similar interests to contact us,”
said UniPro's Ocampo. Inquirer.net
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 5
PH, HK ... From page 1
He said President Aquino's “first
marching orders” were to provide for
the needs of the victims and their
families after Leung gave a detailed
description of their plight during the
two leaders' meeting in Bali,
Indonesia, last year.
Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada
tried to settle the row with Hong
Kong by apologizing to the victims'
relatives on behalf of his city.
Almendras said he met with the
former President late last year and
told him and his team to stop their
initiative to give way to direct talks
between Malacañang and Hong Kong.
He thanked Estrada and his team,
however, for launching the initiative.
Almendras said that he, together
with Philippine officials, including
Estrada, had a “solemn” meeting with
the victims or their families
Wednesday afternoon before the deal
was announced to the public.
“I am grateful to the people of
Hong Kong, most especially to the
family members and the victims who
have made themselves open and have
now spoken out in favor of the final
resolution of this situation,”
Almendras said in a press conference
at the Philippine Consulate General.
Time to heal ties
“From hereon, we believe it is
time to heal the relationship. We can
only look forward to enhancing the
bilateral and people-to-people
friendship between the Philippines
and Hong Kong,” he added.
In a separate press briefing at
government headquarters, Leung
announced the lifting of sanctions
against the Philippines and the
“black” travel advisory that warned
Hong Kong residents against
traveling to the Philippines.
“The resolution of the incident
enables the normalization of the
bilateral relations between Hong
Kong and the Philippines. I therefore
announce that the sanction against
the Philippines is lifted immediately.
The 14-day visa-free arrangement
applicable to holders of diplomatic or
official passports of the Republic of
the Philippines for visiting Hong
Kong is reinstated,” Leung said.
“At the same time, since the
Philippine government has
implemented a range of measures to
guarantee tourist safety, I announce
that the Black Outbound Travel Alert
against the Philippines is lifted with
effect from today. The Outbound
Travel Alert that applies to the
Philippines will revert to Amber, as
was the case before the hostagetaking incident,” he said.
“It has been over three years
since the Manila hostage-taking
incident. Yet, the sufferings of the
victims and their families remain
close to our hearts. With the final
resolution of the incident, I sincerely
hope that the deceased may rest in
peace, and the injured and their
families can move on with courage
and strength,” Leung added.
Almendras said the letter from
Purisima explained the
circumstances [during the hostagetaking] that made the police
determine a certain course of action
that eventually failed.
“The third paragraph explained
that because of that, it acknowledged
the fact that their actions were not
ready for the eventual results,” he
said. “The most important is the
families have found this acceptable.
They have accepted that point. The
letter was not an instant letter. That
letter took many, many months to
formulate,” Almendras said.
Asked if he used the word
“apology” during the meeting,
Save the Queen? ...
From page 3
creatively invented by anyone who
could play around with a spreadsheet on
his computer,” the lawyers said.
Evangelista said it was up to the
whistle-blowers to prove that their
documents were authentic.
He also found it “utterly incredulous
and downright preposterous” for the
Ombudsman to conclude that the
signatures were signed by one and the
same person “after prima facie
comparison with the naked eye of the
panel of investigators.”
Handwriting expert
He said spotting forgeries was not a
skill that could be learned overnight.
“Surely, the panel of investigators
cannot be more knowledgeable than a
handwriting expert at least in the
particular field of handwriting analysis,”
said Evangelista who, like Reyes, tapped
a retired National Bureau of
Investigation handwriting expert to
testify that their signatures were forged.
Just like Reyes, Evangelista also
clarified his office's previous letter to
Almendras said: “I am not sure if I
used it or Mayor Estrada used it. We
did not read a statement. It was an
interaction between the family
members.”
Marginally acceptable
A statement released by Hong
Kong on Wednesday said the issue of
an apology had been settled by the
Philippine government expressing
“its most sorrowful regret and
profound sympathy.” But the
statement did not specifically
mention a formal apology from the
Philippine government.
Tse Chi-kin, whose brother, tour
guide Masa Tse, was killed, said the
phrase “sorrowful regret” was
“marginally acceptable.”
“It's still an apology,” Estrada told
reporters. “We feel sorry for what
happened.” Almendras said he also
explained to the victims why the
demand for an official apology from
Mr. Aquino could not be met.
“In my meeting with the families
this afternoon, I explained to them
that what they originally wanted was
not possible and they understood the
complexity. There's a technical
complexity to that,” Almendras said.
“I would rather not say [we]
refused [to use the word 'apology']
but we have found a better way [of]
saying something [that] is more
acceptable in the realm of
international diplomatic issues,” he
added.
More compensation
The Philippines had already
provided undisclosed financial
compensation to victims and their
relatives, with the money donated by
private individuals.
The Hong Kong statement said
more financial compensation would
be given, although there were no
details.
COA c o n f i r m i n g t h a t t h e P DA F
documents were genuine.
In a December 2013 affidavit
submitted to the Ombudsman,
Evangelista said: “I thought that these
documents were all regular and were the
usual documents that were presented to
me. So, I told the COA that I signed all
those documents. This became the basis
of Senator Enrile writing the COA on
March 21, 2012, confirming the
signatures appearing on the documents.
In other words, I myself was fooled by
these forgeries. I simply did not
anticipate that even my signature would
be forged.”
Upon double-checking signatures
after news on the pork barrel scam broke
out, Evangelista claimed to have
discovered that his signatures in several
memorandum of agreements and all of
the implementing documents had been
faked.
“I therefore had to send the COA
another letter explaining that I
erroneously verified my signatures the
first time. The sheer volume of
documents I had to verify was daunting,
so I did not spend more than one minute
examining each signature,” said
Evangelista. Inquirer.net
Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada speaks during a news conference in Hong Kong
Wednesday, April 23. Hong Kong and the Philippines reached a compromise over Hong
Kong's demands for an apology for the families of eight tourists killed in a bungled
response to a 2010 Manila hostage-taking that soured relations. AP
“An additional token of solidarity
will be given to the victims or their
families as a most sincere gesture of
compassion of the people of the
Philippines,” the statement said
without disclosing the amount
families and victims will receive.
The Philippine government will
offer HK$1.5 million ($193,482) for
each of the deceased and HK$3
m i lli o n fo r t h e i n j u re d i n a
compensation package that would
total HK$20 million, Cable TV News
reported.
The Philippine government also
said it had taken measures to “hold to
account those responsible,” adding
that it was ensuring such an incident
will not occur in the future, according
to the statement.
When asked if former Manila
Mayor Alfredo Lim, on whose watch
the hostage-taking happened, would
also be held to account, Almendras
said: “He lost the election [in 2013].
He's no longer there.”
Mr. Aquino satisfied
In Manila, Communications
Secretary Herminio Coloma said Mr.
Aquino “expressed satisfaction that
closure and a mutually satisfactory
conclusion have been reached.”
Coloma thanked Estrada for his
initiative that contributed to the
national government's efforts “to
reach this desired outcome.”
In a statement posted on Twitter
by his spokesperson, Estrada said
“Hong Kong has lifted the travel ban,
and relations between Hong Kong
and Manila are now back to normal.”
“It was a very fruitful meeting
with [the] Chief Executive of Hong
Kong. I was with Secretary Almedras
and [former Finance Secretary Jose]
Pardo.
I personally apologized and
showed [a] resolution of [the] City
Council. They accepted it,” Estrada
said.
He and his delegation, including
several Manila councilors, also met
with the families of the victims who
accepted the apology.
“Victims' families will also come
to Manila on July 14 to remember and
pray for the victims,” the statement
added. Inquirer.net
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 6
Tim Tebow's charity hospital in Fil-Am elected mayor of
Davao seen to open in 7 months Bellflower, California
By Ayan Mellejor
DAVAO CITY -- A state-ofthe-art $3.5-million charity
hospital for physically disabled
children, which is being funded
in part by Philippine-born
American football superstar
Tim Tebow, is now near
completion and is expected to
operate before the year ends.
The 17-bed capacity Tebow
Cure Hospital in Barangay
(village) Lanang here is now 97
percent complete, according to
Leron Lehman, the hospital's
executive director.
Lehman said workers have
been rushing to put finishing
touches on the facility such as
the installation of tiles and
pipes, even as hospital officials
have been completing the
requirements for final
licensing from the Department
of Health (DoH).
He told reporters here on
We d n e s d ay t h a t t h e
recruitment of about 45 to 50
staff, including expatriates that
would handle surgical jobs, has
been ongoing.
The hospital was designed
to have a 30-bed capacity but
initially, only 17 beds would be
commissioned.
Lehman said the facility
would accept children with
such conditions as clubfoot,
bowed legs, cleft lip/palate,
untreated burns, or
hydrocephalus and other
physical birth defects.
“We are six or seven
months away to the opening,”
he said.
The project, which features
a six-story building, started in
June 2012 and is 70 percent
funded by Tebow's foundation.
The former New York Jets
quarterback, who also
occasionally plays for the
Greater Boston-based New
England Patriots, has decided
to build the hospital here, in
partnership with the
Pennsylvania-based Cure
International.
“There are a lot of disabled
children here in Mindanao and
there are a bunch of reasons
why their families do not seek
medical help…they are poor
and cannot afford surgery or
transportation. But, you know
healing changes everything,”
he said.
Tebow is the son of an
American missionary-couple,
which spent years in the
Philippines to spread the
Gospel. He was in fact born in
Makati.
The hospital, Cure's first in
Southeast Asia, will have an
operating suite and
sterilization facilities; private
clinics and outpatient area
including laboratory, radiology
Believe it or not ...
From page 1
Among those who had had
unfavorable views of America who scored
the highest are the Jordanians, 85 percent;
the Egyptians, 81 percent; the
Palestinians, 79 percent; and the
Pakistanis, 72 percent.
Only 13 percent of the Filipinos said
they had unfavorable views of the United
States.
T h e G l o b a l At t i t u d e s P ro j e c t
“conducts public opinion surveys around
the world on a broad array of subjects
ranging from people's assessments of
their own lives to their views about the
current state of the world and important
issues of the day,” Pew Research said on its
website.
The 2013 survey, posted online at
www.pewglobal.org/database/indicator
/1/, was conducted in 39 countries and
interviewed 37,653 respondents.
Nonpartisan
On its website, Pew Research Center
describes itself as a “nonpartisan fact tank
that informs the public about the issues,
attitudes and trends shaping America and
the world.”
Pew says it does not take policy
positions. The center also says the Global
Attitudes Project team “regularly consults
with survey and policy experts, academic
regional and economic experts, activists
and policymakers” whose expertise gave
“tremendous guidance” in shaping the
surveys.
60 countries covered
Since 2002, the Pew Global Attitudes
Project has surveyed more than 325,000
people in 60 countries.
Other facets of the US image also
polled in the study included opinion
regarding confidence in the US president,
the spreading of American ideas and
customs, American democracy, business,
and physical therapy, charity
beds and private or semip r iva t e ro o m s , T i m my ' s
playroom, charity clinic,
Spiritual ministry and training
activities, according to
Lehman.
While the hospital would
b e 1 0 0 p e rc e n t c h a r i t y,
Lehman said the hospital
would provide good
opportunities for private
practice later.
“But we do not intend for
low cost private practice
provider. Private practice
should not overshadow our
charity work,” he said, noting
that one of the 24 orthopedic
surgeons in Davao City with a
30-year practice has already
offered 'charity time' in the
hospital.
Lehman said Tim Tebow
and Cure International have
chosen Davao as location for
this hospital because needed
drugs and other supplies could
be easily secured; the city has
trained staff; and they could
fulfill their mission here
despite some challenges.
Lehman also highlighted
the commitment of Mayor
Rodrigo Duterte in terms of
facilitating the needs of the
project. The hospital's annual
budget could reach to half
million dollars, said Lehman.
Inquirer.net
music, movies, television, technological
advances, drone strikes and the US
president's international policies.
Also covered were the world
economy, the European Union and China's
image. The survey also showed 85 percent
of Filipinos thought the United States gave
their country's interests a “great deal” or
“fair amount” of consideration.
Here, the Kenyans scored 79 percent,
placing second, followed by the South
Africans (73 percent), and the Americans
(70 percent).
Leading superpower
On the question, “Will China
eventually replace the US as the world's
leading superpower?” the Filipinos also
ranked first, with 74 percent, answering
that China will never outrank the United
States.
The Japanese placed second, scoring
72 percent and the Egyptians came in a
distant third with 56 percent.
The Philippines and Japan are locked
in territorial disputes with China in the
East and South China Seas.
Among the people who believed China
would eventually replace the United
States as the world's leading superpower,
the Chinese scored the highest, 58
percent.The Spaniards and the British
tied for second place with 55 percent,
followed by the Canadians and the
Australians, also tied at 52 percent.
Influential partner
Ninety percent of the Filipinos
thought the United States greatly
influenced their country's affairs,
followed by the Kenyans (85 percent), the
Brazilians (83 percent), and the South
Africans (77 percent).
But the Filipinos ranked only fourth in
considering the United States a partner of
the Philippines, scoring 81 percent.
The Israelis were the top scorers
there, with 90 percent, followed by the
Salvadorans (88 percent) and the
Senegalese (84 percent). Inquirer.net
By Mico Letargo
issues by encouraging them to attend
council and commission meetings,
LOS ANGELES, California -- Another participate in the Neighborhood Watch
Filipino has been elected to a key city council program, volunteer in any of the various
position in Southern California.
service clubs, attend civic events, and keep
Sonny R. Santa Ines, 60, was recently informed of what is going on in the City,”
elected by his fellow members in the Santa Ines said. Santa Ines is married to
Bellflower City Council to become the city's Irma, his wife for 33 years. They have two
next chief executive. Bellflower is a quaint children, Mark and Ellen.
suburban city in Los Angeles County.
Santa Ines graduated magna cum laude
Santa Ines was elected to the city council from the Philippine School of Business
in March 2011, and his term as a council Administration (PSBA) with a degree in BS
member will expire on March 2015.
Business Administration, major in
Santa Ines' election as Bellflower mayor Accounting.
follows the election of another Fil-Am to the
He went on to obtain his Certificate in
Sierra Madre City Council Rachelle Pastor Early Childhood Education from the
Arizmendi.
University of California Los Angeles (UCLA),
“I entered public service to give back to and his MBA from California State University
my community where my family and I have Long Beach (CSULB). Before his retirement,
lived for over twenty years. I felt very Santa Ines served as Chief Financial and
strongly that I can use my talent and Administrative Officer of the Weingart
enthusiasm to help improve the City,” Santa C e n t e r A s s o c i a t i o n - a n o n p r o f i t
Ines told Asian Journal via email organization, which provides services to the
correspondence. According to Santa Ines, homeless of Skid Row in Los Angeles. Santa
his priorities include maintaining and Ines is also an active member of the St.
improving Bellflower's good public safety Bernard Parish in Bellflower, as well as the
record, promote economic development in Knights of Columbus organization, where he
the city's economic corridors, and improve serves as California State Advocate.
the quality of life of the city's residents.
Santa Ines acknowledged that
Prior to being part of the city council, Bellflower has been facing economic
Santa Ines was appointed to the Bellflower problems for some years now, as businesses
Planning Commission, the Bellflower Town started moving out of the city. However, he
C e n te r D e s i g n Rev i e w C o m m i t te e , pointed out that the city has implemented
Bellflower Unified School District Citizens' programs in the last few years to attract new
Task Force, and the Bellflower High School businesses.
Site Council. There are not so many Filipinos
“I appreciate our residents for believing
in Bellflower, Santa Ines said. In fact, Asians in and staying with us. New businesses have
account for less than 12 percent of the city's come to the city, especially to our downtown
population. Nevertheless, Santa Ines intends [area]. You can now see that the economic
to get Filipinos, as well other Asians, vitality has started [to recover] and there are
involved in the city's issues.
more to come,” Santa Ines said. Inquirer.net
“I plan to get them engaged in civic
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 7
150 Filipino teachers in Maryland to lose jobs, visas
By Jun Medina
SAN FRANCISCO, California -An estimated 150 foreign teachers,
composed mostly of Filipinos, have
been notified by the Maryland's
Prince George's Country school
system that it has no plans to
sponsor temporary work visas or
permanent residency at the end of
the current school term.
The decision, contained in
letters sent to the affected teachers,
means that they may have to leave
when their visas expire around
August.
The move comes on the heels of
a dispute between the Prince
George's school system and the U.S.
Department of Labor over county
violations of labor laws.
In 2011, the Labor Department
fined the school system $1.7 million
and forced it to pay $4.2 million in
back wages to 1,044 foreign
teachers because the teachers paid
fees that they shouldn't have.
The foreign teachers were
among more than 1,000 highly
qualified teachers recruited mostly
from the Philippines since 2004 to
meet the shortage of teachers in
math, science and for students with
special needs.
Community leader Bing
Branigin of the National Federation
of Filipino American Associations
said the majority of the more than
100 Filipino teachers want to
continue working in U.S. and are
exhausting all means to be able to
stay legally and find new work.
“Many of the teachers have
brought their families with them,
some have bought houses and
almost all have grown roots in their
respective communities,” Branigin
said by phone. “So, for most of them,
going back to the Philippines seems
to be the last option.
There are few, Branigin said,
who have decided to pack up and go
home because of stressful teaching
conditions in their schools.
On the whole, Branigin said the
school officials' decision not to
renew contracts or to sponsor
permanent residency did not come
as a complete surprise, adding that
some teachers have already found
future employers in other states like
the Carolinas and West Virginia.
Millete Panga of the Pilipino
Educators Network (PEN) said in a
previous FilAm Star interview that
most of the teachers who came with
the early batches have become
permanent residents, allowing
them to freely explore options in
other schools even after their
contracts have expired.
Panga, who became a
permanent resident in 2009, said
others who came in later years were
the ones who now face the prospect
of not only losing their jobs but also
their U.S. immigration status.
She and other teachers
belonging to various groups,
including the PEN, have lobbied U.S.
officials to grant relief to their fellow
teachers who may soon be out of
work.
Filipino American lawyer
Arnedo Valera of the Migrant
Heritage Commission (MHC) said
the Filipino teachers have a few
options to enable them to stay in the
U.S. legally and without losing their
status.
“Their first option is to
immediately start looking for other
schools that would be willing to
sponsor them under the H1B
program, and this is something that
some of the affected teachers have
successfully done,” Valera said in an
interview.
Valera said some Filipino
teachers have found new jobs in
other states like Arizona,
Mississippi and even in some
schools in Indian reservations
These teachers are highly
qualified and most of them have
masters or doctoral degrees in their
respective fields, Valera noted,
adding that it's a matter of them
finding new opportunities
elsewhere.
Valera also said the adversely
affected teacher could also request
for deferred immigration action,
especially for those who may have
been impacted by the recent super
typhoon Haiyan that devastated the
Central Philippines.
He added the US Citizenship and
Immigration Services issued last
N o v. 2 3 i m m i g r a t i o n r e l i e f
measures intended to help Filipino
nationals in the United States who
have been severely affected by the
storm that killed more than 6,200
and displaced more than four
million and hampered the lives of 16
million other people.
In extreme cases, Valera said
those who may have been
Consul General Leo M. Herrera-Lim. Contributed photo
Career diplomat is new PH
consul general in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES, California -- The
Philippine Consulate General
announced that Hon. Leo M.
Herrera-Lim, a career diplomat, is
the new Philippine Consul General
in Los Angeles.
The consulate in Los Angeles
has jurisdiction over Southern
California, Southern Nevada,
Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
Consul General Herrera-Lim
arrived on April 17, 2014 after
serving as the Consul General at the
Philippine Consulate General in
Chicago.
TO ADVERTISE, PLEASE CALL
201-434-1114
v i c t i m i z e d by u n s c r u p u l o u s
manpower recruiters, like being
charged exorbitant fees in exchange
for their jobs, may try to apply for Tvisas under America's labor
trafficking laws.
Valera, one of the executive
directors of the Arlington, Virginiabased MHC, observed that the U.S.
Labor Department in 2011 ordered
the Prince George's County public
school system to pay the teachers
$4.2 million in back wages for
having been required to pay for
their own visa fees in violation of
laws governing the H1B program.
“We have learned that in some
cases the teachers were made to
borrow money at usurious interest
rates from loan companies affiliated
with their Philippine recruiters to
be able to pay unauthorized
recruitment fees,” Valera said.
Consul Elmer Cato, spokesman
of the Philippine embassy in
Washington DC, said they have
reached out to the teachers,
assuring them embassy's readiness
to help the distressed in whatever
ways possible.
Cato said that the closely-knit
Filipino American community has
been extending moral and other
support, finding schools in and outof-state that would be willing to hire
teachers facing dislocation.
As first reported by the
Washington Post, school officials
made it clear they had no plan to
sponsor any teachers at least before
the end of summer, and that they
will only do so if it's absolutely
necessary. Max Pugh, a schools
spokesman, told the Post that to fill
next year's staffing needs, officials
will “move forward cautiously to
ensure that all selection and hiring
requirements and regulations
established by the Department of
Labor and United States Citizenship
and Immigration Service are met.”
“ T h e D iv i s i o n o f H u m a n
Resources will advertise, recruit
and fully exhaust all domestic
applicant pools to demonstrate a
true staffing shortage before the
administration will consider
sponsorship for temporary work
visas. . . and permanent residency,”
Pugh was quoted by the Post as
saying.
“Therefore, it is anticipated that
no action will be taken related to
sponsorship prior to August 2014.”
Prince George's and other
school districts have for years hired
foreign teachers for hard-to-fill
positions in math, special education
and science. The county's decision
not to renew visas for those
positions could mark a significant
change in its hiring policy.
The federal government also
barred county schools from issuing
visas in 2012, letting them keep
teachers who had visas but
preventing them from hiring new
ones or extending others'
agreements. According to the Post,
Labor Department had given the
county the go-signal to hire foreign
teachers and issue visas. But it
appears that the school system was
not going to participate in a move to
avoid the problems it ran into
before. Inquirer.net
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 8
The Kalahi Folkloric Ensemble captures best booth in Las Vegas Pinoy Pride fest. Facebook photo by Kalahi
Folkloric Ensemble
Westbay Multi-Services' Rudy Asercion (left) and Inquirer.net marketing VP Esther Chavez (right) hands
Vargas the Philippine American Press Club Torch Bearer Award in Journalism after the showing. Photo by
Joaquin Jay Gonzalez III
Vargas documentary
previews in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO, California -- Pulitzer
Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio
Vargas' film Documented screened at
Golden Gate University April 19 to an
audience of nearly 200. (See trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7F8
uw9hw_A )
The showing was hosted by the online
magazine PositivelyFilipino.com as its first
public event, according to publisher Mona
Lisa Yuchengco.
Former TV newsreporter now San Jose
State University journalism professor Lloyd
LaCuesta held a conversation with Vargas
after the showing. Vargas fielded questions
from the audience afterward.
The documentary written, produced
and directed by Vargas' chronicles his
experience as an undocumented immigrant
who becomes a crusader for immigration
reform.
Va r g a s p u b l i c l y r e v e a l e d h i s
immigration status in a June 2011 New York
Times Magazine piece. His “coming out” also
landed him on the cover of TIME.
The film climaxes in Vargas' poignant
Skyped reunion with his mother, whom he
had not seen for 14 years.
Documented will be released in select
New York and Los Angeles theaters before
its television broadcast on CNN, which
bought its national distribution rights.
The film's executive producers include
Napster co-founder Sean Parker, The
Hangover's Scott Budnick and The Joy Luck
Club's Janet Yang. Inquirer.net
Las Vegas 'Pinoy Pride'
fest hails Filipino heritage
By Bert Eljera
LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- The colorful booth
of Kalahi Folkloric Ensemble, which featured
authentic Filipino costumes and musical
instrument, captured the best booth overall
in the three-day Pinoy Pride fest that ended
Sunday. April 13 in downtown Las Vegas.
A traditional Santa Cruzan staged by the
ensemble also provided the climax of the
annual event that showcases Philippine
culture and tradition in a city with an evergrowing Filipino-American population.
“It was great,” said Jackie Celeste, who
took her two daughters to watch the cultural
shows and sample the abundant Filipino
food. “At least, they discover their culture
and found an an appreciation of where the
came from.”
The three-day affair that began Friday at
the Main Street Casino parking lot drew
hundreds of Filipino-Americans, even
though a picket by casino worker workers,
including some Filipinos, was held nearby.
The picketers distributed leaflets
explaining the reasons for their mass action.
Local 226, the culinary workers union, voted
to strike but no date has yet been set.
Those who performed were Elmer
Abapo, Left Arm Scar, Timeline, Hope's Edge,
FishBol, Silver Plate, Theory and Blackcouch.
Special guest was San Diego native Jossa
in the show dubbed Flip Rock.
Performers from Manila took the
spotlight on Sunday. Actors Enrique Gil,
Enchong Dee and Gerald Anderson, who call
themselves Bida Boys, performed along with
a local dance group, Last Minute Crew.
Inquirer.net
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 9
US Pinoys for Good Governance
Leaders Thank and Follow-up
with US Senators on their appeal
to the Obama Administration for
Temporary Protected Status
(TPS) for Thousands of Filipino
Nationals in the United States
Senator Heller (left) is thanked by Loida Nicolas Lewis
Nevada US Senator Dean Heller (2nd from Left) pose with the leaders of the advocacy group, U.S. Pinoys for Good
Governance (USPGG) led by philanthropist Loida Nicolas Lewis national chair (4th from Left). Heller was thanked for joining
18 senators led by Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, in appealing to the Obama's Administration to grant humanitarian
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of Filipinos in the U.S. From deportations, in the aftermath of the Haiyan
(Yolanda) typhoon disaster. Lewis was accompanied by local leaders, Eric Lachica, Priscilla Tacujan and Mitzi Pickard in
Washington DC to follow up the senators request which has been referred to the Department of Homeland Security for final
approval. They also visited the senate offices of Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) and Charles Schumer (NY), on April 11, 2014.
th
NYDailyNews.com
NEW YORK -- The New York Daily
News and City University of New York
(CUNY) today announced the dates
for the 12th Annual Citizenship NOW!
hotline. The hotline provides free and
confidential citizenship and
immigration information to
thousands of callers. This year's
hotline is particularly timely, as
i m m i g ra n t s e a g e r ly wa i t f o r
immigration reform. To date, nearly
1 2 4 , 0 0 0 c a l l e r s h ave s o u g h t
information from the hotline as they
travel the complex road to
citizenship. We expect this year's
call-in to be one of the busiest ever.
Citizenship NOW!, the largest
program of its kind in the nation, was
co-launched by the Daily News and
CUNY in April 2004 to address the
lack of access to free and confidential
immigration information for the
people who need it most.
This year's weeklong hotline will
operate from Monday, April 28
through Friday, May 2, between 9am
and 7pm, with more than 400 trained
volunteers available by telephone
over the course of the week. Calls will
be answered in English and Spanish,
as well as numerous other languages,
including; Mandarin, Cantonese,
Russian, Korean, Italian, Haitian
Creole, Bengali, Polish, French,
Yiddish, and Arabic.
WXTV Univision 41, our Spanishlanguage media partner, will provide
extensive outreach to the Hispanic
community. WXTV has been a
partner of the program since its
inception. WABC-TV will once again
serve as our English language media
12 Annual Citizenship Now! Immigration Hotline
partner. Both stations' coverage will
i n c l u d e l ive - c ove ra g e , o n - a i r
promotional announcements, and
special news segments.
This year's generous sponsors
include: Stella and Charles Guttman
Community College, Gristedes, Cisco,
Presidio, Mayor's Office of Immigrant
Affairs, CUNY School of Law, John Jay
College of Criminal Justice,
International Rescue Committee, the
Legal Aid Society, New York State
Office for New Americans (ONA), the
American Immigration Lawyers
Association (AILA) and the National
Association of Latino Elected and
Appointed Officials (NALEO).
The Citizenship NOW! hotline is
led by attorney Allan Wernick who is
also a professor of Law at Baruch
College and writes the twice-weekly
“Immigration” column for the Daily
News. Additionally, Wernick writes
the nationally syndicated column,
“Immigration and Citizenship” and is
the director of the CUNY Citizenship
Now! project. "With immigration
reform stalled in Congress, the Daily
News/CUNY Citizenship NOW! call-in
is of special importance this year,"
Professor Wernick said. "Volunteers
will provide callers with information
on how immigrants can qualify for
legal status and U.S. citizenship under
existing laws. Immigrants can't wait
for Congress, they need help now,"
said Professor Wernick. "Information
is power. Our aim at the Citizenship
N O W ! c a l l - i n i s t o e m p o we r
immigrant New Yorkers.”
On Monday, April 28, the call-in
numbers for the Citizenship NOW!
Immigration hotline will be available
in the New York Daily News, at
w w w. nyd a i ly n e ws . c o m ,
www.cuny.edu/citizenshipnow/callin and on WXTV Univision 41.
TTY/TTD is also available.
Free and
Confidential
April 28 to May 2
About the Partners
The City University of New York:
The City University of New York is
The nation's leading urban public
university. Founded in New York City
in 1847, the University is comprised
of 24 institutions: 11 senior colleges,
seven community colleges, the
William E. Macaulay Honors College
at CUNY, the CUNY Graduate School
and University Center, the CUNY
Graduate School of Journalism, the
CUNY School of Law, the CUNY School
of Professional Studies and the CUNY
School of Public Health at Hunter
College. The University serves more
than 269,000 degree credit students
and 218,083 adult, continuing and
professional education students.
College Now, the University's
academic enrichment program, is
offered at CUNY campuses and more
than 300 high schools throughout the
five boroughs of New York City. The
University offers online
baccalaureate degrees through the
School of Professional Studies and an
individualized baccalaureate through
the CUNY Baccalaureate Degree.
Nearly 3 million unique visitors and
10 million page views are served each
month via www.cuny.edu, the
University's website.
Daily News:
The Daily News is the largest and
most widely read newspaper in the
New York City metropolitan area and
the largest tabloid website in New
York. Founded in 1919, the Daily
News has won 10 Pulitzer Prize
Awards for excellence in journalism.
The Daily News is the sixth-largest
daily and the ninth-largest Sunday
newspaper circulated in the United
States and features the second largest
multi-platform audience of any
metropolitan newspaper in the
country. NYDailyNews.com is the
fifth-largest newspaper website in
the United States. New York's
Hometown Newspaper is also
available as a tablet app and on
Blackberry, iPhone and Android
mobile devices.
About the Media Partners
Univision Communications Inc.:
Univision Communications Inc.
(UCI) is the leading media company
serving Hispanic America. The
Company, a leading content creator in
the U.S., includes Univision Network,
one of the top five networks in the U.S.
regardless of language and the mostwatched Spanish-language broadcast
television network in the country
reaching approximately 96% of U.S.
Hispanic television households;
UniMás, a leading Spanish-language
broadcast television network
reaching approximately 89% of U.S.
Hispanic television households;
Univision Cable Networks, including
Galavisión, the country's leading
Spanish-language cable network, as
well as Univision tlnovelas, a 24-hour
cable network dedicated to novelas,
Univision Deportes Network, a 24hour cable network dedicated to
sports, ForoTV, a 24-hour Spanishlanguage cable network dedicated to
news, and an additional suite of six
cable offerings - De Película, De
Película Clásico, Bandamax,
[email protected]
Ritmoson, Telehit and Distrito
Comedia; Univision Television Group,
which owns and/or operates 62
television stations in major U.S.
Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico
Univision Radio, the leading Hispanic
radio group which owns and/or
operates 69 radio stations in 16 of the
top 25 U.S. Hispanic markets and
Puerto Rico, as well as Uforia, the
leading Hispanic digital music
service; UVideos, the first bilingual
digital video network serving
Hispanic America; an Interactive
network of online and mobile apps
and products including
Univision.com, which continues to be
the No. 1 most-visited Spanishlanguage website among U.S. online
Hispanics, and Univision Partner
Group, a specialized advertising and
publisher network. UCI's assets also
include a minority stake in El Rey
Network, a new 24-hour Englishlanguage network founded by
maverick filmmaker Robert
Rodriguez, and a joint venture with
Disney/ABC Television Network for
Fusion, a news, pop culture and satire
TV and digital network.
Headquartered in New York City, UCI
has television network operations in
Miami and television and radio
stations and sales offices in major
cities throughout the United States.
For more information, please visit
Univision.net.
WABC-TV:
Channel 7 is the ABC owned
television station in New York City,
serving more than 7.3 million
television households in 29 counties
covering New York, New Jersey,
Connecticut and Pennsylvania. It is
New York's #1 station and the most
watched local television station in the
United States.
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 10
Talking to Janet
There is no question that controversial businesswoman
Janet Lim-Napoles should “tell all”that is, testify to everything
she knows about the pork barrel scam she is alleged to have
masterminded. But should Justice Secretary Leila de Lima
broadcast details of her ongoing negotiation with Napoles to the
entire world? The prudent thing to do, for legal purposes and for
political reasons, would have been to issue a simple statement,
that they were in talks, and then to leave it at that.
That Napoles wanted to make what we can call a hospitalbed confession is certainly a startling development. When she
visited the Inquirer offices last August, she was both candid with
some details and reticent, even secretive, about others. When
she appeared before the Senate blue ribbon committee last
November, she had become less open and more tight-lipped.
Napoles, we wrote in this space, “had the chance, if not
exactly to tell the truth as many agitated citizens would define it,
then at least to offer an alternative narrative, a story that would
express her version of events. Unfortunately, she declined to
seize the opportunity. Indeed, she declined to say anything
substantive.”
But according to her counsel and to De Lima, fear of death
has now prompted Napoles to disclose what we can at this point
only guess are self-incriminating revelations: She has received
death threats, and at the same time (when she first spoke with
De Lima, it was shortly before undergoing surgery), she told De
Lima she was afraid something would go wrong with the
medical procedure. Telling all was a form of insurance.
“She realized that the more she remains silent and does not
say anything, the more she is at risk,” De Lima told reporters. But
the justice secretary did not draw the other possible conclusion:
that unburdening her conscience before surgery was a kind of
insurance for Napoles, too.
The reality, however, is that the meeting between Napoles
and De Lima earlier this week, between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m., at the
Ospital ng Makati, as witnessed by Napoles' counsel and
documented by De Lima's staff from the Department of Justice
and the National Bureau of Investigation, was only the first of
many. Others will necessarily follow. As De Lima herself
explained it: “There will be further sessions with her for follow
up, additional and clarificatory questions because there are
simply too many details.” In other words, it is too soon for the
DOJ to reach any conclusions about the real value of Napoles'
latest statements.
“As to whether or not it's really a tell-all, or more importantly,
whether or not what she would be telling is the whole truth, that
remains to be seen. That is exactly part of our evaluation or
assessment,” De Lima said. So why disclose details from the
ongoing talks with Napoles? De Lima should have waited for the
necessary evaluation or assessment to be completed, before
providing specifics.
We realize that De Lima must have been deeply aware of the
political and public-opinion consequences of keeping quiet
altogether; the number of people who knew of her nocturnal
visit to Napoles' hospital room was almost a guarantee that
word about the meeting would spread. But there is a real
difference between issuing a simple factual statement
acknowledging the meeting, and hosting a news conference to
telegraph the next moves in what is a complicated legal
EB-3 Cut-Off Date for PH
Advances in May
The May 2014 Visa Bulletin
shows that the Philippine
employment-based third
preference (EB-3) cut-off date will
jump by nineteen weeks from June
15, 2007 to November 1, 2007, and
India by two weeks to October 1,
2003. The third preference cut-off
date for all other countries will
remain at October 1, 2012.
The employment-based
second preference (EB-2) will
remain current for all countries
except China and India. China's
second preference cut-off date will
move by five weeks to April 15,
2009 while India's cut-off date will
remain at November 15, 2004. All
the other employment preferences
will remain current for all
countries.
The family-based preferences
(F-1 to F-4) will move slowly. The
worldwide preference cut-off
dates are as follows: F-1 March 8,
2007; F-2A September 8, 2013; F2B February 1, 2007; F-3
September 1, 2003 and F-4
D e c e m b e r 8 , 2 0 0 1 .
The Philippines cut-off dates are:
F-1 February 1, 2002; F-2A
September 8, 2013; F-2B June 22,
2003; F-3 March 1, 1993 and F-4
November 1, 1990.
The Immigration and
Nationality Act (INA) sets the
number of immigrant visas that
may be issued under certain
preference categories. The cut-off
dates in the Visa Bulletin are
established to ensure that that the
immigrant visas issued each year
do not go beyond the limit
established in the INA.
If an applicant's priority date is
before the cut-off date stated in the
monthly visa bulletin, a visa
number is immediately available. If
the priority date comes on or after
the cut-off date, the applicant
needs to wait until the priority date
becomes current.
Because of the long wait
period, beneficiaries of
employment-based preference
petitions, such as foreign nurses
s p o n s o re d u n d e r t h e E B - 3
category whose priority dates are
before November 1, 2007 may be
required to update their
documents such as their visa
screen certificate and professional
license, among others.
Also, the USCIS has recently
been requesting adjustment
applicants to submit a new Form I693 (Report of Medical
Examination and Vaccination
Record). Since about 2004, the
USCIS has extended the validity of
the civil surgeon's endorsement on
Form I-693 until the adjudication
of the adjustment status
u
Page 12
'Blind spot’
u
Page 12
into accessible lowlands. And
surface assessment last February.
media focused on photoCoral reefs are nature's fish
opportunity capitals.
nurseries. Yolanda's “intensive
Post-Yolanda rehabilitation
wave action” inflicted extensive
ranges from rebuilding schools to
damage“especially (on) branching
boosting mangrove programs to
corals and other fragile forms.”
replanting, with fast-growing
Even before Yolanda, only 4
“For the more adventurous,
hybrids, the 15 million coconut
percent of Philippine reefs were in
island hopping can be arranged…
trees flattened by Yolanda. These
“pristine condition,” thanks to
to the neighboring Hilantagaan
are visible. That's not the case with
dynamite fishing and other abuse.
Island” off Bantayan in northern
resources below the sea's surface.
Haiti, Vanuatu, Tanzania, Fiji and
Cebu, the travel blurb offered.
And seas make up 96 percent of the
Indonesia are in the same fix.
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Lito A. Gajilan, Jr.
Hilantagaan and two
earth's water.
“Corals may be able to recover
neighboring isletsOcoy and
Fish density losses from
in five to 10 years, if left alone,”
Columnists: Reuben S. Seguritan, Esq.,
Sillonoffer far more. They're the
Yolanda bolted to almost 90
Alcala added in his copresentation
Juan L. Mercado, Joseph G. Lariosa
site of the first scientific effort to
percent, marine biologist and
with Abner Bucol. “But if these
Contributor: Grace G. Baldisseri
gauge the damage inflicted by
Ramon Magsaysay awardee Angel
areas are disturbed by fishing
Supertyphoon “Yo landa” on
Alcala told an Eduardo Aboitiz
activities, they can't.”
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do
not reflect the opinion of the paper nor that of the publisher.
rehabilitation efforts' “blind
Development Studies Center
Even within marine
spot”below the surface of the seas.
forum. There was a 60-percent
sanctuaries, where fishing is
Fish and reefs clone what the
drop in biomass, the former
banned, there was a 22- to 60Email: [email protected]
U N Fo o d a n d A g r i c u l t u re
Silliman University president
percent slump in fish biomass or
Phone: 201-434-1114 Fax 201-434-0880
Organization earlier called the
added. This new report is anchored
total volume. A catch of four small
other “overlooked crisis.” Stormto a 2012 study conducted before
fishes after three hours of fishing,
2711 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07306
battered highlands were barely
the storm. Alcala and team
using a gill net, in Hilantagaan islet
u
Page 12
glimpsed by agencies funneling aid
returned for a below-the-sea
is a stark example.
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 11
Making
life worth
living
Ellen Tordesillas
This is going to be fascinating.
Atty. Gigi Reyes, former chief of
staff of Sen. Juan Ponce-Enrile who
is included among those accused
of plunder in connection with the
misuse of Priority Development
Assistance Fund, came back last
Saturday.
Reyes left last August when her
name came up as one of those who
were dealing directly with pork
barrel operator Janet Napoles . She
was reported to have gone to
Macau, then to other countries.
In the resolution approved last
April 1, the Ombudsman said they
found probable cause for Enrile
,Reyes, Napoles, Ruby Tuason,
Ronald John Lim, and Raymond de
The return of Gigi Reyes
Asis to have committed plunder.
Plunder is punishable by
l i fe t i m e i m p r i s o n m e n t a n d
forfeiture of ill-gotten wealth in
favor of government.
The Ombudsman also found cause
to indict Reyes together with
Enrile and others for 15 counts of
violation of Republic Act 3019
(Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices
Act).
Corrupt practices under R.A.
3019 is punishable by
imprisonment of not less than six
years and one month to 15 years,
perpetual disqualification from
public office and forfeiture in favor
of government of ill-gotten wealth.
Reyes was quoted to have said
upon her arrival, “I'm ready to face
the charges. I've always faced it.”
Disclosure: In the course of my
work as journalist, I have dealt
with Reyes a number of times. She
was the one who facilitated by
interview with Enrile for a
magazine in 2006.
On a personal matter, she had
favorably acted on my request for
help for a journalist friend whose
husband was confined at the
Philippine General Hospital. She
facilitated the allotment of Enrile's
PDAF for the cost of the treatment
of my friend's husband at the PGH.
In January 2013, at the height
of the controversy of Enrile's
selective giving of bonuses to
senators (Enrile was then the
Senate President), Reyes called me
up to explain their side. The four
who were not given the P1.6
million each bonus were Senators
A n to n i o Tr i l l a n e s I V, A l a n
Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, and
Miriam Santiago.
My last talk with Reyes was
during a birthday party of a
common friend. She said that she
wanted to resign as JPE's chief of
staff but the senator would not
accept it.
The next thing I heard of her,
she had left the country.
Now that she is back,
everybody's question is, “Will she
turn state witness?”
Santiago, who considers Enrile
a nemesis, urged Reyes to turn
state witness. “She will be
acquitted of a crime and at the
same time clear her reputation,
“she said adding that if JPE's
former chief of staff did that,
“Enrile's goose is cooked.”
While Reyes was away, she
came out with an emotional
statement bemoaning the media
attacks on her. But, she said, “The
worst blow has just been dealt
upon me by no less than the camp
of senator Juan Ponce Enrile- the
man I served with full dedication,
honesty and loyalty for 25 years.”
She said a certain Atty. Enrique
dela Cruz has been telling people
that she acted without the
approval of Enrile on the PDAF
transactions.
She said she could not believe
it because “The last time I spoke to
the Senator from abroad, he
maintained that he will stand by
the authority he issued to me and
that all that I did was faithful and
pursuant to his instructions. He
even told me to be strong; that we
will fight together to prove the
accusations against us are false
and fabricated.”
Reyes said she earned the ire of
some people “by and large because
and in defense of Senator Juan
Ponce Enrile.”
“If indeed these statements are
sanctioned by or coming from my
former boss, then nothing can be
worse than this kind of travesty
and betrayal, “she said.
A number of people were
skeptical about the “falling out” of
Enrile and Reyes. It could all be a
legal strategy, some say.
Abangan.
Should Pacquiao run for president?
Not too long ago, former
President Bill Clinton appeared on
the American late night talk show
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” and told
Jimmy Kimmel in front of millions
of viewers that he thought Manny
“Pacman” Pacquiao would make a
good public servant. Clinton said
that Pacquiao should consider
running for president… soon. “He's
already in the Philippine
parliament (House of
Representatives) and I hope he
goes right on up the ladder,” he said.
“I think he's a great guy and he's a
great role model for the country.
He's very smart and honest, and so
he's thinking about the rest of his
life.”
Coming from one of the most
beloved presidents of the greatest
nation on earth, Clinton's implied
endorsement of Pacquiao for
president says a lot about Pacquiao
himself, which makes one wonder:
What makes “Pacman” tick?
Knowing how Philippine politics
work, the answer to this question is
as complex - and complicated - as
the process of electing presidents
in a country where loyalty to a
candidate for public office far
outweighs allegiance to a political
party. It is for this reason that
turncoatism “balimbing” is
prevalent during election times.
Just before the second
Pacquiao-Bradley fight last April
12, Pacquiao appeared for the
eighth time on the Jimmy Kimmel
S h o w. W h e n K i m m e l a s ke d
Pacquiao about Clinton's
suggestion for him to run for
president, Pacquiao said that he's
“not yet thinking about running for
higher position.” He said that right
now his main focus is his role as a
congressman. Perhaps he should
have added, “and winning
championship fights, too.”
But he's beginning to age,
which is anathema to a boxer. It is
apparent that he was losing his
feared knockout punch. His recent
Opinion
By Perry Diaz
bout with Timothy Bradley showed
that he was also losing his
legendary speed. In the last eight
fights since his TKO victory over
Miguel Cotto in 2009, Pacquiao
won only one knockout, five
unanimous decisions, one majority
decision, and one split decision.
And without his “killer punch” and
stunning speed, Pacquiao is
nearing the time when he'd have to
call it quits… while he's still ahead.
“Dirty tricks”
But what would Pacquiao do
after retiring at 35? Since he is
already holding an elective office
representing the province of
Sarangani in Mindanao, he's
already knee-deep in the murky
waters of politics. He'd find out
sooner or later that politics is no
different from boxing; the objective
is to knock your opponent out
before he knocks you down. And to
knock an opponent out, sometimes
it requires the use of “dirty tricks,”
like head-butting and below-thebelt punches.
In politics there is a lot of “dirty
tricks.” Election cheating has been
around since the Philippines
gained independence from Uncle
Sam in 1946. In the 1950's, the term
“flying voter” became the
buzzword. A “flying voter” is a
person who has the ability to “fly”
like a bird from one precinct to
another to vote for the same
candidate; thus, giving that
candidate a numerical edge over
his opponent. Mathematically,
whoever has the most “flying
voters” would have a better chance
of winning. But the most effective
way to win an election is the use of
the three G's guns, goons, and gold.
Today, the most common way to
cheat is dagdag-bawas, which is to
subtract votes from your
opponent's total and add it to
yours. This is accomplished with
the complicity of corrupt
Commission on Elections
(Comelec) officials. And with the
implementation of the
controversial Smartmatic PCOS
automated election system,
election cheating has become
virtually untraceable. As someone
once said, “In Philippine elections,
there are no losers, only the
winners and those who were
cheated.”
Presidentiable
Re c e n t ly, V i c e P re s i d e n t
Jejomar Binay, the presumed
opposition presidential candidate,
u
Page 13
that Napoles has evidence that
would incriminate not just senators
and congressmen who benefited
from her daring and long-running
kickback scheme, but also her
enablers in the Executive, who can
be found in the Department of
Budget and Management, in the key
agencies used to funnel the funds
through questionable projects and
all the way to the smoke-filled Office
of the President.
Napoles' lawyer has explained
that even before his client went
before the Senate to basically say
nothing at all, she had already been
seeking an audience with De Lima. I
can believe that, if only because the
strategy of President Noynoy
Aquino and his advisers early on
was to keep Napoles on ice as a
guest of the government in Fort Sto.
Domingo, until it is made clear to
her that she should come to terms
with her jailers or face retribution
from her former co-conspirators in
Congress on the outside.
De Lima, the totally subservient
justice chief, would never have met
with Napoles without Aquino's goahead. It is also telling that, right
after De Lima met with Napoles, she
proceeded straightaway to a
debriefing session with the
President himself.
Some news outlets, meanwhile,
have let it be known that Napoles'
de facto confession will name not
just the usual suspects, but nearly
all of the Senate and a bunch of
congressmen, besides. Since they
cannot seem to quote directly from
the affidavit, I am forced to assume
that this is a red herring - much like
those thoroughly laughable reports
that Napoles is seeking to turn
state's witness in a crime where she
is supposedly the most guilty.
I'm not saying that there won't
be any news names named, even
from among Malacañang's allies
u
Page 12
Jenny sings oldies
Mar “Boy Mura” Roxas has been
suspended for two months by the
Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club
after he threw a fit and cussed out
club employees early this month.
Roxas' suspension, recommended
by the club's membership
committee headed by Federico
“Butch” Campos and approved by
the Wack-Wack board of directors,
will be officially announced after
the visit to Manila next week of US
President Barack Obama, so as not
to embarrass President Noynoy
Aquino's favorite Cabinet member
and trouble-maker, I mean troubleshooter.
The suspension got the nod of
the ruling five-man majority in the
board headed by club president
Philip Ella Juico, who is known to be
a staunch supporter of Aquino.
Three of the other four members of
the nine-man board, who belong to
the minority, abstained, while one
was absent during the voting.
***
Will Ma'am Jenny sing a new
song? Can a canary be anything but
yellow?
The most sought-after
document these days is the affidavit
prepared by alleged pork barrel
scam mastermind Janet Lim
Napoles, submitted to Justice
Secretary Leila de Lima after a long
meeting Monday night between the
two women. But I wonder if
Napoles' statement is not merely
the sanitized version of the entire
c o n t r o v e r s y, h e w i n g t o
Malacañang's script of who should
be held responsible for looting
public funds intended for
lawmakers' projects and who
should be exonerated.
It is significant that Napoles and
De Lima met only now, many moons
after the pork barrel story broke.
Apparently, it took that long for the
script to be prepared and to jog
Napoles' famously failing memory,
which went on full display during
the Senate investigation of the
matter.
I doubt very much if Napoles
truly told all in her deposition.
Given her blanket denials and
professions of not knowing
anything previously, the fact that
she has suddenly remembered
anything smacks of a modus vivendi
with the people who have her in
their custody, not some latter-day
epiphany in the manner of Paul on
his way to Damascus.
I've long insisted that Napoles
may be at the mercy of the Aquino
administration, which has kept her
in detention since last year, but that
she is not without means of her own
to bring down key figures in
government, not just Congress. My
own informants have maintained
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 12
Singapore PM denounces
comments against Pinoys
By Ron B. Lopez
Singaporean Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong denounced the
acrimonious comments made by
some Singaporeans online to
protest the planned Philippine
Independence Day celebration in
the Lion City on June 8.
Calling the remarks made over
The Real Singapore, an online
p l a t fo r m fo r S i n g a p o re a n s '
uncensored opinions, as “a disgrace
to Singapore,” Lee called on
Singaporeans to treat Filipinos in
Singapore “the way we ourselves
‘Blind spot’
From page 10
Reefs must be allowed to recover.
That would require banning the
current widespread use of three-ply
nets which trap even juvenile fish.
Catching parrot fish and surgeon fish
should be a no-no. These feed on
fleshy algae that help coral reefs.
Spillover of fish larvae was not
determined, Alcala and team
reported. “But it will practically be
n i l .” T h a t wo u l d s p i ra l i n t o
unsustainable levels, in the near
future, for coral reef fish. There's an
implicit question in this pioneering
analysis: Did Yolanda inflict similar
damage as it tore through Quezon,
Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Occidental,
Eastern Samar and Leyte?
Protracted recovery of wrecked
corals and reefs poses a devil-ordeep blue sea quandary for Yolanda
survivors, Cebu Daily News reported.
Many depend mainly on fishing for
today's meal.
The Alcala study led the Ramon
Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (Rafi) to
freeze its plan to donate bancas in
Bantayan. Rafi became leery after
groups rushed banca donations in
Eastern Visayas. That led to severe
overfishing, executive director
Evelyn Nacario reported. We'll take a
second look before plunging into an
Jenny sings ...
From page 10
who have fallen out of favor and
may just be thrown to the
wolves, to keep the natives from
getting restless. I am saying that
if you're expecting a new, operalength production, you're in for a
terrible disappointment; Jenny
will sing only old songs, from one
songwriter.
After Napoles' testimony is
“vetted” enough (the word
Aquino was supposed to have
used in his own meeting with De
Lima), the alleged mastermind
will presumably be allowed to
sing like a canary. But because
canaries are yellow, Ma'am Jenny
will probably be warbling in tune
with the palace choir whose
hymnal contains just one
songand it's not “Estudyante
Blues.”
The lyrics of that song are
simple: Protect DBM, protect the
agencies whose projects were
funded on paper by pork funds
and, most importantly, protect
Aquino and his palace minions
who are all neck-deep in the
Napoles operation.
So if I were you, I wouldn't get
all excited about Napoles'
affidavit. It's already been vetted
by Malacañang and De Lima; it
might as well have been written
in the purple prose of Napoles'
one-time chauffeur, Edwin
Lacierda.
Napoles may tell all,
eventually. But not while she's in
jailand definitely not while this
administration is in power.
expect to be treated overseas.”
In a statement posted Friday on
his official Facebook account, Lee
continued by saying, “Many
Singaporeans live overseas, and are
warmly welcomed in their adopted
homes.” Lee signed his personal
post with his initials “LHL.”
“I was appalled to read about
those who harassed the organizers
of the Philippine Independence
Day celebrations, and spammed
their Facebook page. They are a
disgrace to Singapore,” Lee said.
The brouhaha online stemmed
from an earlier plan of the Pilipino
Independence Day Council
Singapore (PIDCS) to hold a
Philippine Independence Day
event on June 8 in Orchard Road, a
shopping district frequented by the
Filipino community in Singapore.
Those who protested generally
maintain that the Philippine
independence event is
unacceptable as it undermines the
“significance of Singapore's own
independence as a sovereign state
by insinuating that Singapore and
the Philippines are both under
inter-dependent national system,”
u
Page 14
“intervention that'd cause more
harm.” Aid is needed in terms of
nonmarine fish food for coastal
fishermen. More basic is how to shift
fisherfolk to alternative livelihoods.
Most of the areas are municipal
waters. So, the main responsibility
mostly falls on local government
units where the mindsets of many
officials are mired in pork barrel
casts.
Are fish losing their survival
instincts, asks a James Cook
University of Australia study. In
Papua New Guinea, fish which
normally shy away from the smell of
predators are now attracted to it.
“That's incredible,” says professor
Philip Munday. “They also swim
further from shelter” as the world's
oceans become more acidic because
of climate change.
“Fish appeared to have failed to
adapt to high levels of carbon
dioxide…. They didn't seem to
adjust,” says the study published last
week in the journal Nature Climate
Change.
The Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) released end
of March its second report. The
previous study said that the world's
surface temperatures were “flatlining”; but it cautioned climate
scientists to regard this as “a pause in
an upward trend.” The second report
asks: How do weather alterations
disrupt ecosystems and livelihoods?
“Profoundly, is the headline answer,”
The Economist reports. Climate
change is having an impactfrom the
equator to the poles. The subtler
story is how to factor in adjustments
to health systems, rural development
and how to craft new policies.
Rising levels of warming seas
could shove average sea level to go up
20 inches by the end of the century.
That would affect people living in
coastal cities. They would number
345 million by 2050, according to the
report.
In the oceans, both animals and
plants are now migrating from the
tropics to temperate latitudes in
search of cooler waters, adds the
IPCC report. Laymen know benthic
algae as seaweeds. They anchor
marine food chains. Seaweeds are
now shifting their ranges poleward
at 10 kilometers a decade. Planktons
are moving by 400 kilometers in the
same span.
That will alter radically fish
yields by 2055. In temperate
latitudes they could be 30 to 70
percent higher than in 2005. Tropical
yields could slump by 40 to 60
percent.
Meet the “new normal”: A world
where relationships to seas and earth
are still evolving into a world we now
can only dimly glimpse.
E-mail: [email protected]
EB-3 cut-off
date ... From page 10
application but effective June 1,
Forms I-693 which are more
than one year old will no longer
be valid.
Beneficiaries of
employment-based and familybased preferences who have
priority dates earlier than the
aforementioned cut-off dates
and who are outside the United
States will have to apply for an
immigrant visa at a consular post
abroad. Those who are currently
living in the U.S. may apply for
adjustment of status.
Those with pending
adjustment of status application
will be allowed to remain and
work in the U.S. while their
adjustment application is being
adjudicated. Beneficiaries of
employment-based preference
petition whose adjustment of
status has been pending for 180
days or longer may transfer to
another employer pursuant to
the portability rule subject to
certain eligibility requirements.
The portability rule under
the American Competitiveness
in the Twenty-First Century Act
of October 2000 (AC21) allows
an adjustment applicant to
change employers if the new job
is in the same or similar
occupational classification, the
Form I-140 has been approved
or is approvable when
concurrently filed with the
adjustment application and the
I-485 application has been
pending for 180 or more.
The 180-day period starts
from the date the I-485
application was received by the
USICS as indicated in the USCIS
receipt notice. If the adjustment
applicant meets all the
requirements, he may change
employers under AC21. It is
however advisable for the
adjustment applicant to notify
the USCIS after he starts his new
employment in order to avoid
Requests for Evidence or Notice
of Intent to Deny from the USCIS.
(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.)
Talking to Janet
From page 10
maneuver involving at least three sitting
and still very influential senators.
That there may be more senators, both
incumbent or retired, involved in the pork
barrel scam should not come as a surprise;
but what did the DOJ gain from allowing
the new Napoles affidavit, now circulating
among a select few, to fuel rumors about
this or that lawmaker? Aside from playing
into the public-relations strategy of the
three senators implicated in the scam and
charged with plunder, the rumors have
made the justice department's job even
harder.
We believe that, should Napoles truly
tell all about the pork barrel scam
(mindful that implicating herself is the
true measure of her testimony), clarity
will be the primary gift. Her testimony will
allow all of us to understand why, and how,
the scam came to be. But De Lima's
premature disclosure threatens to add
more confusion to the mix. Inquirer.net
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 13
China and rivals sign pact
to ease maritime tensions
By AFP
China, the United States, Japan
and more than a dozen other AsiaPacific countries have signed a
naval agreement aimed at ensuring
miscommunication between ships
at sea does not escalate into
conflict.
The Code for Unplanned
Encounters at Sea, which was
agreed Tuesday, April 22 in the
eastern port city of Qingdao, would
reduce the potential for “situations
to arise that could lead to conflict in
busy sea lanes”, the state-run China
Daily said.
China is embroiled in a series of
territorial disputes with neighbors
in the South and East China Seas
which have frequently led to
military jets being scrambled but
not open conflict.
Beijing also feels threatened by
an increase in US naval power in
the region.
In December, a US-guided
missile warship, the Cowpens, had
to make a sharp turn to avoid
colliding with a Chinese naval ship
that cut in front of it, according to
the Pentagon.
Gary Li, an analyst with the
consultancy IHS, described the
agreement as “the ideal thing for
China to grab hold of the rules of
the road.”
“It is not some kind of
comprehensive 'covers all' code of
conduct. It is a mechanism towards
de-escalation,” he told AFP.
“If anything happens again
during one of these confrontations,
or they run into the US Navy, which
they undoubtedly will do more
frequently in the next few decades
as China builds up more blue water
capability.
“So I see it coming into play
more crucially in these moments,
so you will not have a repeat of the
US Cowpens, for example.”
The agreement would allow
redress for China if it was blamed
for an encounter, Li said, adding
that China would also benefit from
the agreement being “flexible”,
given that it is not legally binding.
The agreement was passed at
t h e We s t e r n P a c i f i c N a v a l
Symposium, a meeting held every
two years of more than 20
countries including the US as well
as Japan and the Philippines, which
are locked in bitter disputes with
China over contested territory.
The US is focusing greater
attention on Asia and has boosted
its military presence in the region,
a move that has alarmed China and
emboldened its rivals.
China meanwhile has rapidly
modernised its military. Its first
aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, went
into service 18 months ago, and its
forces outnumber its main rival
Japan in virtually every area, the
International Institute for Strategic
Studies said in a February report.
Manila Bulletin
PH case vs China a model for
international sea disputes
By Tarra Quismundo
The Philippines' case against
China in the United Nations
arbitral tribunal would be the
country's contribution to
international maritime
jurisprudence, setting an example
of legal remedies that smaller
nations could seek instead of
submitting to lopsided
negotiations with bigger
countries, according to the
Philippine ambassador to the
United States.
Speaking at a gathering of
businessmen in Makati City on
Friday, Ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr.
asserted the Philippines' right to
seek international arbitration in
the face of Chinese incursions into
the West Philippine Sea, the part
of the South China Sea within the
country's exclusive economic
zone.
“This arbitration case would
be a model or an example for
other smaller states in a similar
situation to consider the dispute
settlement mechanism under the
Unclos (United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea)
as a way of resolving disputes in a
peaceful manner,” Cuisia said.
First of its kind
“The arbitration case itself is
Manny Pacquiao and Bill Clinton
Should Pacquiao ...
From page 11
handpicked Pacquiao to be one of the 12
senatorial candidates under his banner in
the 2016 elections. With Pacquiao's high
popularity ratings, he will win hands down.
Only a wholesale and massive dagdagbawas cheating could bring him down.
And once he's elected to the Senate,
Pacquiao would instantly rise up to the
status of a “presidentiable,” which would
position him for a presidential run in the
2022 presidential election. If elected,
Pacquiao at 44 would be the youngest
Philippine president since Gen. Emilio
Aguinaldo.
The question is: Is Pacquiao qualified
to be president? Constitutionally, he is
qualified. But does he have what it takes to
lead a country that is immersed in
corruption?
One can argue that he is honest and
incorruptible. But we have heard that line
spoken before for no other than the current
president, Benigno S. Aquino III. There is
no question that Aquino is “honest and
incorruptible.” But that didn't stop some
people around him from robbing the
government, including some lawmakers
who have been accused of stealing billions
from their pork barrel allocations.
What the country really needs is
someone who has balls to go after corrupt
officials regardless of political affiliation,
friends and foes alike. Some say that we
need a Filipino Lee Kuan Yew. But some say
that is not good enough, which makes one
wonder: who then could lead a nation that
some say is ungovernable?
Given the situation that the country is
in, should Pacquiao run for president in
2022? He might have cojones like the
pugilist that he is, but would he be a great
leader with a grand plan on how to govern
and lead his people to the land of milk and
honey? Or is he just after wealth and glory,
like the breed of greedy politicians that we
have today?
A greedy politician thinks of how to
make more money while a great leader
thinks of how he should be remembered by
his people. Which one would he be?
([email protected])
This undated handout photo taken by the Philippine Navy and released April 11, 2012,
by the Department of Foreign Affairs shows Chinese surveillance ships off Panatag
(Scarborough) Shoal. Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista on
Monday, Feb. 24, 2014, accused China's Coast Guard of firing water cannon at Filipino
fishermen last month to drive them away from Panatag Shoal in the West Philippine
Sea. AFP FILE PHOTO
the Philippines' contribution to
further strengthening Unclos… As
the Philippine arbitration case
against China is the first of its
kind, the proceedings and its
subsequent outcome would serve
to enrich international legal
maritime jurisprudence,
especially over disputes
concerning the interpretation and
application of Unclos,” he said.
Invoking the convention, the
Philippine government sought
arbitration in January 2013 to
nullify China's claim over almost
90 percent of the South China Sea,
and to halt Chinese incursions
into the country's economic
exclusion zone.
Setting precedent
The Philippines filed on
March 30 its 4,000-page
memorial, a pleading that details
the merits of its case against
China, angering China, which
issued strongly worded
statements condemning the
action.
China has refused to take part
in the proceedings.
Cuisia made an indirect
response to this in his remarks,
saying: “It is my view that by
taking the legal route, the
Philippines is setting an
international precedent whereby
states have other viable options to
u
Page 14
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 14
Singapore PM ...
PH seeks ‘clearer
assurance’ ... From page 1
'Priority concerns'
“We can be sure that President Aquino will
take up with President Obama what he considers
to be the primary or priority concerns of the
government,” Coloma said.
Mr. Aquino and Obama will meet for wideranging discussions when the American leader
arrives next Monday for an overnight visit in
Manila.
Obama arrived in Tokyo on Wednesday, April
23, beginning a four-nation Asia-Pacific tour that
will also take in South Korea and Malaysia.
Speaking to Japan's Yomiuri newspaper ahead
of the tour, Obama said the United States
welcomed “the continuing rise of a China that is
stable, prosperous and peaceful and plays a
responsible role in global affairs.”
Not at expense of allies
But Obama made it clear that the US
engagement with China “does not and will not
come at the expense of Japan or any other ally.”
Obama also spoke about China's aggressive
actions in the Japan-administered Senkaku
Islands in the East China Sea, becoming the first
sitting US president to explicitly affirm that hostile
action against the island group would invite a US
reaction.
Asked by reporters whether the Philippines
would ask for the same assurance against China's
bullying in the West Philippine Sea, Coloma said,
“Well, that is precisely the purpose of the dialogue
that will take place [between Obama and Mr.
Aquino],” he replied.
Changing realities
Asked what particular aspect of defense
cooperation the Philippines would want the
United States to clarify, Coloma replied: “There are
evolving and changing realities in global and
regional security, and it is apparent that the
situation in the South China Sea is part of that
From page 12
US President Barack Obama (right) and President
Aquino. MALACAÑANG FILE PHOTO
evolving situation. And this has been addressed
directly by the US and the Philippines in the last
few months.”
Coloma said Washington's statements of
support for the Philippines “have been
encouraging and tend to affirm the cooperation
and the partnership of both countries.”
“The actions that they have taken are aligned
with the pronouncements that they have made,”
he added.
Coloma spoke about a “wide-ranging security
partnership” between the Philippines and the
United States that includes joint military exercises
and humanitarian assistance and disaster
response.
Defense capabilities
The partnership also covers “defense and
security assistance that supports Philippine
efforts toward achieving enhanced defense
capabilities,” Coloma said.
Obama's visit, he said, is expected to “lead to a
clearer understanding on both sides, on what we
may term as a shared vision for the 21st century.”
Coloma said Obama's visit would be the “peak
of a series of recent high-level exchanges” between
the Philippines and the United States, noting that
US Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of
Defense Chuck Hagel have also visited the country.
Inquirer.net
as one recent post stated. The
protesters say while they respect
the Filipinos' need to celebrate an
important national event, it would
be proper for them to hold it inside
the compound of the Philippine
Embassy in Singapore.
PIDCS' Facebook page was also
in the receiving end of scathing
comments, prompting it to delete its
post on the controversial event and
also change the looks and words of
its event poster. The Singapore
Strait Times reported that the
PIDCS office also received
anonymous phone calls demanding
for the cancellation of the Philippine
event.
Disturbed by the biting
reactions from anonymous
Singaporeans, Lee appealed to them
to show that Singaporeans “are
generous of spirit and welcome
visitors into our midst, even as we
manage the foreign population
here. Otherwise, we will lower our
standing in the eyes of the world,
and have every reason to be
ashamed of ourselves.”
PIDCS has not issued any
statement whether it will continue
or cancel the event.
But despite the Singapore
chief 's statement, Singaporeans
remain polarized over the issue
with some insisting that the
Philippine event is out of place and
blames Lee for taking the side of
Filipinos, while others see it as a
non-issue blown out of proportion.
Manila Bulletin
PH case vs China ...
From page 13
resolving maritime cases other than in
an asymmetrical negotiation, where the
big and militarily strong nation would
dominate the smaller nation at the
negotiating table.”
He said the legal action was a winwin solution to the dispute, serving to set
straight China's maritime entitlements,
clarify the Philippines' rights to fishing,
resources and law enforcement in the
West Philippine Sea, and, for the
international community, “assure peace,
security, stability and freedom of
navigation in the South China Sea.”
To the last drop of blood
Meanwhile, Vice President Jejomar
Binay said the Philippines would pursue
peaceful means to resolve the dispute
but that it would defend its territories “to
the last [drop of] blood.”
“Up to the last [drop of] blood. I think
that must be our position. That we are
ready to die up to the last blood,” Binay
said on Thursday in a statement released
after meeting the nine Marines who had
just returned from a five-month
extended watch on Ayungin Shoal, the
boundary of the Philippines' territory in
the Spratly archipelago.
“But as much as possible, we will
always resort to peaceful means,” he said.
Binay, a Marine reservist, met with
six of the nine Marines who ended their
tour of duty on the grounded BRP Sierra
Madre on March 29.
The Philippines resupplied and
rotated the garrison despite harassment
by C h i n e s e C o a s t G u a rd s h i p s .
Inquirer.net
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 15
Mother and Educator Impacts Hundreds, Returns from Global Outreach Trip to the Philippines
Local teacher triumphs over struggles, transforms students' lives
Tthrough UC Irvine Extension Gate Program
Local teacher Ding-ay Tadena
first enlisted in the UC Irvine
Extension GATE (Gifted and Talented
Education) Specialized Studies
program to help find solutions for her
son. Born with Noonan's Syndrome,
he would complete his homework,
but fail to turn it in. She watched his
interest in school diminish each day,
as he finished sixth grade with two
failing grades. However, on Tadena's
first day of class at UC Irvine
Extension, she found answers to her
pressing questions. She learned new
educational strategies and was given
opportunities to create her own
usable lessons - which would
tremendously benefit her struggling
son and many others who cross her
path.
While Tadena's initial interest in
the UCI Extension GATE program was
personal, she also applied it to her
professional career - teaching Honors
Geometry and Algebra I to students at
Hawthorne High School. Although
her students are not GATE students
and Hawthorne High School has been
on the “Program for Improvement”
for the last six years, she applied the
strategies and inspirations gleaned
from the program to her
academically disadvantaged and
troubled students. Tadena has been
able to exercise the knowledge in
differentiation and integrate her
Geometry and Algebra lessons in
different disciplines, including: Arts,
Engineering, Criminology, TV Ads,
Acting, Dance, Games, Computer
Games, Legos, and more.
She is also doing team teaching
with a special education teacher
where 30 percent of their students
have disabilities, who are fully
mainstreamed and not identified by
their disabilities - very few high
schools are in this format. She is
applying the same GATE strategies to
teach these students and Common
Core State Standards are fully
implemented with it.
As for Tadena's son, thanks to his
mother's loving efforts and strategic
assistance, he earned a spot on his
school's honor roll last year. Today,
Tadena is proud, happy mom and
thriving, fulfilled teacher.
Educator Uses GATE Strategies to
Help Her Son, Local Students and
International Teachers and
Students Results:
Through Tadena's strategies, her
students became highly engaged and
very few ditched classes. All of their
Benchmark exams scored far better
than most classes in her school. She
currently has the least number of
failing students (less than 10%)
compared with her records over the
last year. Overall, she noticed an
extremely significant change in the
way her students learned Geometry
and Algebra achieved a lasting,
positive impact on their learning
abilities, based on their grades and
test scores. Tadena has shared her
successes with the administrators
and received the go-ahead to pioneer
her own research study using her
classes.
INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH:
Recently Tadena traveled to the
Philippines and piloted the GATE
strategies she learned, in one district
and in a private university. She
trained six teachers aspiring to come
to the U.S., sharing the knowledge
and skills she developed through the
UCI Extension GATE program.
Tadena also reached out to the
ATI (an Indigenous Minority of
Boracay Islands) and has expressed
to their leaders her intention to help
educate not only the children, but the
adults as well for them to combat
ignorance and poverty. Videos and
photos are readily available from
Tadena's trip.
ABOUT UC IRVINE EXTENSION
GATE PROGRAM:
Known for its exceptional GATE
p ro g ra m m i n g , t h e U C I r v i n e
Extension Gifted and Talented
Education Specialized Studies
program provides options with
focused professional development
sessions, individual courses and
entire certificate programs aligned
with the California Association for
the Gifted (CAG), the National
Association for Gifted Children
(NAGC) and state standards for
excellence. At UC Irvine Extension,
t h i s
p r o g r a m
a l s o
Fil-Am ESOL Instructor - Outstanding
Teacher of America 2014
Nestor Villamil Tebio, an ESOL
Instructor of the NYC Adult Literacy
Initiative at Catholic Charities
Neighborhood Services-North Community
Center, was honored by the United
Federation of Fil-Am Educators (UNIFFIED)
as one of the Ten Outstanding Teachers of
America 2014 in a ceremony held at the
Norman Thomas Auditorium last April 12,
2014. The award bestows honor to the
teaching profession for Fil-Am teachers
working in America who in one way or
another have been receiving accolades from
the administration, parents, students, and
social service agencies all over the country
through their competence, dedication in
their work, and for shaping the minds of
their students to be future leaders of the
community and society as well.
Nestor comes from the city of “gentle
people”, the city of Dumaguete and
sometimes called the City by the Bay because
of Silliman University. He completed his
Bachelor's Degree at Silliman University and
his Master in Business Management at the
University of the Philippines. His teaching
career started way back in Dumaguete City
where he taught Management and
Economics subjects to undergraduate
students at Silliman University. It was that
experience in the classroom that he realized
that teaching coupled with dedication,
commitment and compassion is a noble and
very fulfilling profession. Since then,
teaching has been a big part of his
professional life.
He started his English language career in
the Philippines at the International Catholic
Migration Commission under the UNHCR
Program. At the beginning, he was hired as
an ESL instructor and later got promoted to
an ESL/ Work Orientation Supervisor. He is
very much grateful to all his trainers who
were mostly from the School of International
Training who gave him the foundation of the
very challenging world of ESL. The training,
the experience, and the exposure at the
UNHCR prepared him for a better and more
rewarding task of assisting and servicing the
needs of his students.
After a couple of years in New York City,
he decided to equip himself with the
necessary tools and took up specialized
training and acquired the Paralegal Training
Certificate from the Center of Immigrant
Rights. He also enrolled in life skills training
at Columbia University. Armed with these, he
started a lifetime career in human services
and adult education here in New York City
serving refugees and immigrants from the
different corners of the world and from all
provides K-12 teachers with the
latest strategies for curricular
differentiation and helps them gain
the ability to provide instruction that
is balanced between theory and
application.
NYPD is the premier law enforcement agency in the
country with over 300 specialized units. If there’s a
job skill that you specialize in, we could match it.
walks of life. His background in management
and teaching were put to use when he
started integrating them in his adult
business English curriculum.
Learning is fun when he sees his
students constantly seeking what is beyond
the language and exploring real life
situations. He likes to be a part of them when
they start building a better to-morrow,
achieving their American dreams, living a
more meaningful life, and becoming
productive members of our society. Nestor is
currently working as a Program Manager,
staff developer, and as an ESL instructor at
Catholic Charities and HANAC ( Hellenic
American Neighborhood Action
Committee). With all these skills tempered
with love and devotion, wrapped into one, he
feels he is in a better position and confident
to share this expertise to all his immigrant
students and staff as well. His students have
been his inspiration when he goes to work
every day and they are the sunshine of his life
in this part of the universe.
Prior to this award, he was also a
recipient of The New York Times 2009 ESOL
Teacher of the Year Program. He was
recognized as a dedicated instructor who
consistently goes above and be-yond the call
of duty to help individuals develop the skills
needed to create successful new lives in the
United States. In 2010, he also received the
2010 Literacy Recognition Award from the
Literacy Assistance Center recognizing his
outstanding contribution to his students, the
program, and to the New York City business
and literacy community.
Learning is fun when he sees his
students constantly seeking what is beyond
the language and exploring real life
situations. He likes to be a part of them when
they start building a better tomorrow,
u
Page 22
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 16
By Shiena M. Barrameda
There's a way to tame the rowdy rodeo experience that
Masbate is known for: Just add crystalline water, hectares of
coral reefs and an islet paradise.
A 15-minute boat ride from the city provides a welcome
break from Masbate's cowboy country image of man versus
cattle on a dusty rodeo arena, as tourists have discovered at
Buntod Reef Marine Sanctuary.
The reef sanctuary is a refreshing surprise of 234.54 hectares
of coral reefs on a shallow shoal of crystal-clear waters
surrounding a small island of powdery white sand and a
mangrove forest.
Buntod was declared a protected area by the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in 2001 after an
assessment conducted by the office revealed the presence
of the helmet shell (Cassinae), locally known as budyong, a
u
Page 17
CRYSTAL WATERS OF MASBATE. An outrigger glides on the clear waters just off a sandbar in Masbate City. Mark Alvic Esplana
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 17
‘Wild West’ Masbate’s .... From page 16
threatened species of shellfish seldom seen alive in Philippine
waters. Aside from the helmet shell, live giant clams (Tridacna
gigas) are also abundant in Buntod's reefs, which are teeming
with tropical marine life and clusters of soft and hard corals.
Ecotours
The little-known marine haven is under the joint protection
and maintenance of the city government and resident
fishermen and their families collectively known as Samahan
ng Mangingisda ng Puro-Sinalikway (Samapusi) from the two
sitios of Barangay Nursery, according to Chandyllane Cantre,
an assistant for the city's ecotourism enterprise development
arm. The enterprise is part of Masbate City's Environment and
Natural Resources Office (Cenro) Integrated Coastal
Resources Management Project (ICRMP).
Samapusi is a group of fishermen who used to engage in blast
fishing, according to ex-Mayor Socrates Tuason.
Tuason helped organize the group into a nongovernment
organization in 2008. “They are now guardians of the marine
sanctuary,” the former mayor said.
During the peak season, between March and June, some 200
visitors a day come to the Buntod Reef Marine Sanctuary, said
Samapusi president Romeo Soria Jr.
The group offers ecotours that start from the Barangay
Nursery public port at Rendezvous Hotel and Resort. From
the main port, guests are ferried to a wooden cabana
attached to Buntod's miniport on the white-sand islet, just a
few strides from a 2-ha mangrove forest maintained by
Samapusi.
Juvenile fish, including flying fish, swim in schools around the
legs of visitors who venture into the water. Seashells of
different varieties can be found on the sandbar, brought in by
gentle waves from Mobo Bay and Masbate Pass-Ticao Pass
Corridor.
Guests can go snorkeling and scuba diving, or rent boats and
kayaks in the 183-ha buffer zone of the coral reef, with at least
one member of Samapusi acting as a tour/reef guide. The
guides are fishermen trained to protect and maintain the
sanctuary.
The 51.54-ha core zone of the marine sanctuary also allows
snorkeling, boating and diving, although boats are not
SHADE OF MANGROVE 'PARASOL'. Boys enjoy the shade of a mangrove species in the coastal waters of Puro-Sinalikway in Barangay
Nursery in Masbate City. Mangroves serve as storm protection to coastal communities and as nurseries to many marine species. Mark
Alvic Esplana
allowed to drop anchor to avoid damaging the corals and the
marine ecosystem.
As part of the tour package, snorkeling and scuba diving
equipment are available for rent from Samapusi.
Floating cottages can also be rented for guests who wish to
have their lunch in the middle of the bay while viewing the
coral reefs and underwater marine life.
Also a favorite among bird-watchers is Pawa Mangrove
Ecosystem and Wildlife Park adjacent to Buntod, which is
under the care of Samapusi and the women of Barangays
Pawa and Usad.
Bamboo boardwalk
The area is famous for its 1.3-kilometer wooden bridge that
connects Barangay Pawa and Sitio Daang Lungsod in
Barangay Usad, the longest bamboo boardwalk in Bicol.
Both the sanctuary and Pawa Mangrove Ecosystem and
Wildlife Park were included in the ICRMP by the DENR in
August 2008 in an effort to “enhance coastal resources and
uplift the socioeconomic conditions of the fisherfolk, farmers
and stakeholders,” Cantre explained.
Residents living around the reef sanctuary and the mangrove
park have been tasked to protect and rehabilitate the marine
ecosystem they used to abuse, as well as conduct mangrove
reforestation in Buntod and Pawa.
Cantre said the DENR contributed P380,000 to the ICRMP
Ecotourism Enterprise and another P1-million grant for the
biodiversity conservation efforts of Samapusi.
The DENR and the city government also provided the
residents-turned-ecoprotectors with facilities like patrol
boats, binoculars and solar panels to help them in their duty
as guardians of the marine sanctuary against illegal
fishermen.
For more details, visit www.ecotourismphilippines.com.
Inquirer.net
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 18
Build A Shelter Project thanks its donors
NEW YORK, 15 April 2014 They
came, they heard and they supported.
More than eighty (80) donors and
supporters of the Build A Shelter
Project (BASP) gathered together for
an Appreciation Night on 8 April
2014 at the Philippine Center in New
York where Consul General Mario L.
De Leon, Jr. briefed them about the
status of the shelter project for the
survivors of super typhoon Haiyan.
Consul General De Leon said that
he was making a progress report on
the BASP as he gave details on the
amount of BASP donations and the
current state of the shelter projects
on the ground. He emphasized that he
wanted BASP to be very transparent.
He recalled that the BASP was
launched on 26 November 2013, a
little more than two weeks after
Haiyan hit Central Philippines, to
focus on the permanent shelter need
of the millions of the typhoon victims
when most donors at that time were
giving relief assistance.
BASP, which works with a
Convenors Group composed of
community leaders and the
Philippine Jesuit Foundation (PJF) of
New York, has the four towns of
Hernani, Giporlos and Quinapondan
in Eastern Samar and Tanauan in
Leyte all widely devastated by
Haiyan - as its beneficiaries.
Consul General De Leon reported
that Gawad Kalinga or GK (as BASP
partner) and the Simbahang Lingkod
ng Bayan (counterpart of PJF in
Manila) had signed on 7 February
2014 the Memorandum of
Agreement (MOA) for the
construction of the first BASP village
of 36 houses in Hernani and the
actual construction of the houses was
expected to start in April. He
personally witnessed the signing of
the MOA in Manila and also visited the
proposed site of the BASP village in
Hernani.
BASP Village 2 will be built in
Giporlos once the deed of donation
for the one-hectare land donated by
Mr. Alex Go has been completed. In
Tanauan, BASP is coordinating with
the National Housing Authority and
the local government unit to identify
the site for its third village.
According to Consul General De
L e o n a n d M s . N i m fa T i n a n a ,
volunteer finance officer of BASP, the
total BASP donations had reached
US$276,177 as of 8 April. Out this
amount, US$108,601 was already
remitted to GK for the construction of
the village in Hernani. The remaining
amount will be used for the
construction of two villages in
Giporlos (22 houses) and Tanauan
(22 houses). BASP is raising more
funds for a fourth village (22 houses)
in Quinapondan at an estimated cost
of $70,000. BASP still has a US$
80,032 funding gap to complete the
four BASP villages.
Mr. Sonny Ramirez, Executive
Director of GK-Northeast USA,
commended BASP and SLB for
immediately working out the MOA
with GK.
The major BASP partners and
donors who came to the event and
spoke about their contributions to
the project were: K-Media Korea
Disaster Fund, 1004 Foundation of
Korea Daily, Taiwan Center, Vorhees
Foundation, Pilipino American
Association of New England, Pilipino
American Association of Connecticut,
UN Philippine Cultural Society,
Philippine-New Yo rk Jaycees,
Yonkers Millennium Lions Club, Inc.,
and Handang Tumulong Foundation.
The Appreciation Night was also
highlighted by the spontaneous
donations and pledges of more
support from various groups and
individuals. Those who either
donated additional funds for the
BASP or committed to do so included
the following: Philippine Pediatric
Association of America, New York
Department of Sanitation, GKNortheast USA, Yonkers Millennium
Lions Club, Inc., Sophia Kai New York,
Handang Tumulong Foundation, Inc.,
Philippine-New York Jaycees, Drs.
Emilio and Fely Quines, Ms. Patricia
B e r b e r a b e a n d D r. L e s t r i n o
Bacquiran. Also launched at the event
was the BASP website,
www.Buildashelter.org, where the
public can get information about the
project.
Consul General Mario De Leon, Jr. and Deputy Consul General Zaldy Patron together with
the donors and supporters of the Build A Shelter Project at the end of the Appreciation
Night on 8 April 2014 at the Philippine Center in New York.
Officers of the Philippine-New York Jaycees handing to Consul General De Leon a
symbolic check for the BASP during the Appreciation Night.
Filipino American singers
Suzanne Sabangan and Jared Martin
also came to the Appreciation Night
to regale the audience with their solo
and duet performances. Jared sang
“Thank You for Your Love,” composed
for him by Dennis Garcia of Hotdogs
band in Manila, to thank the donors of
Haiyan survivors.
In describing the Appreciation
Night, Consul General De Leon said, “I
am overwhelmed by the support
given by our community in the US
Northeast for the BASP and I thank
them profusely. After seeing for
myself the unfortunate conditions of
the Haiyan survivors in Hernani and
Giporlos, I am sure that these BASP
houses will matter to them a lot as
they try to rebuild their lives and
communities.”
BAS P i s c a l l i n g fo r m o re
donations. Donors may send checks
payable to the Philippine Jesuit
Foundation (with Build A Shelter
Project in the memo line) and mail
them to the Philippine Consulate
General (Attention: Cultural Section),
556 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10036.
For queries, please call (212)-7641330 ext. 4008.
Sounds of Manila Launches First-Ever Tribute Album
to Cecile Azarcon at Their Concert Sunday, April 27
New York, April 22, 2014 -- Cecile
Azarcon, esteemed Original
Philippine Music (OPM) composerlyricist, and premier local band
Sounds of Manila (SOM), together
with renowned musical directorarranger Lorrie Ilustre, are set to fill
up the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at
Symphony Space (2537 Broadway
and 95th Street) via their concert
titled “An Evening of Original
Philippine Music with Cecile Azarcon
and Sounds of Manila” on Sunday,
April 27, at 7 p.m.
The concert, which is Azarcon's
first official performance in New
York, serves as a launch pad for SOM's
debut album, “Sounds of Manila Sings
Cecile Azarcon,” which scores
another first as the only tribute
album to the legendary songwriter,
whose timeless love songs “Ikaw Ang
Lahat Sa Akin,” “Even If,” “How Did
You Know,” “I Think I'm In Love,” and
many more, have inspired and
treasured by generations of Filipinos
and Filipino Americans for nearly
four decades.
The momentous tribute album,
available at the concert venue and in
digital stores soon, contains three
new songs and reimagined timeless
classics written by Azarcon and
arranged by Illustre. The album is
produced by Azarcon, Illustre, and
Ronnie Sabangan, SOM's bassist and
bandleader. Besides Mr. Sabangan,
the other band members are Suzanne
Lansangan-Sabangan (vocalist), who
is married to Mr. Sabangan, Hermie
Angeles (vocalist), Bobby de Leon
(keyboardist), Aaron Garcia
(guitarist), and JR Gendrano
(drummer).
SOM's debut album tracks are as
follows: “All My Tomorrow,” a new
Corporation (ALC), THE FILIPINO
EXPRESS, Mortgage Unlimited,
Directv, X-clusive Marketing, The
Filipino Reporter, The FilAm.net, and
Pinoy Radio.
About Cecile Azarcon
Cecile Azarcon is a popular
Filipino composer and singer, whose
songs have been recorded by Filipino
mainstream recording artists Gary
Valenciano, Kuh Ledesma, Martin
Nievera, and Basil Valdez, among
others. She lives in Vallejo, California.
Cecile Azarcon, esteemed Original
Philippine Music (OPM) composer-lyricist
duet ; “Help Me Forget,” rearranged as
a duet, originally sung solo by Kuh
Ledesma; “I Think I'm In Love,”
rearranged as a male solo cover,
originally sung by Kuh Ledesma;
“Once It's In Your Heart,” a new song,
also recently recorded by Kuh
Ledesma's daughter Isabella in the
Philippines; “Special Memory,”
performed by Angeles, originally
sung by female recording artist Iwi
Laurel; “How Did You Know,”
rearranged as a duet, originally sung
by Chiqui Pineda; “Ikaw Ang Lahat Sa
Akin,” rearranged as a duet, originally
sung solo by Martin Nievera; “Even
If,” rearranged as an upbeat track,
originally sung by Jam Morales; “One
More Try,” performed by Angeles,
originally sung solo by Kuh Ledesma,
and recently used as the theme song
for the soap opera “My Husband's
Lover”; and “'Di Na Maghahanap
Kailanpaman,” a new inspirational
song, also recently recorded by
Azarcon's nephew Timmy Pavino for
Star Records in the Philippines.
SOM, a band that produces an
authentic '80s, '90s Manila sound, is
Premier local band Sounds of Manila
entering its sixth year in the business.
Its debut album, which took nearly
three years to finish, is a huge
milestone for these part-time band
musicians, whose day jobs are either
teaching at schools or performing
dental work, or managing
telecommunication projects.
“It took us three years to plan,
record, and mix the album because
we all have day jobs and we had to
raise funds,” says Mr. Sabangan. “We
laid down the vocal tracks for four
days in California with the direct
supervision of Ms. Azarcon and Mr.
Illustre; but after that we were only
able to finish one song every six
months.” “Nevertheless, it's been
overwhelming and humbling to have
worked with Ms. Azarcon and Mr.
Illustre. It's an experience that we
can't put words on it,” Angeles adds,
“Both are very down to earth and
helpful.”
“So we hope to see you all on
Sunday to pay tribute to a legendary
composer. For 35 years, pinasaya
tayo ng music ni Ms. Azarcon. Sa
maraming aspects ng buhay natin -
Malungkot man or Masaya - kasama
natin ang mga kanta n'ya. The time is
ripe to personally thank Ms. Azarcon
for all her contributions to OPM,” says
Ms. Sabangan. For Sunday's concert
at Symphony Space, together with
Illustre as musical director, Azarcon
will perform live. SOM will also
premiere its renditions of “All My
Tomorrow,” “Ikaw Ang Lahat Sa Akin,”
“Even If,” “One More Try,” and “How
Did You Know.”
“A n Eve n i n g o f O r i g i n a l
Philippine Music with Cecile Azarcon
and Sounds of Manila,” is produced by
Synergy Production & Marketing Inc.
Featured guest artists are Arnel
Arcedo, Tony Gado, Jared Martin,
Tiffany Viray, and Carlo Tampac of
Chapter 2 band.
For tickets ($60-VIP, $45Orchestra, and $35-Balcony), visit
www.symphonyspace.org/event/83
06/Music/an-evening-of-philippinemusic or call Symphony Space box
office at 212-864-5400 from Tuesday
to Sunday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Sponsors include GMA Pinoy TV,
G M A L i f e T V, A n t h i l l a L a n d
About Lorrie Ilustre
Lorrie Ilustre is a renowned
musical director and arranger who
helped create the original sound of
Filipino vocal groups The Apo Hiking
Society, VST and Company, and
Hagibis in the '70s.
About Sounds of Manila
Honorably tagged as
“Ambassadors of Philippine Music,”
Sounds of Manila (SOM) has been the
recipient of several awards for
preserving and promoting Original
Philippine Music (OPM) in the United
States. These awards include the Pan
American Concerned Citizens Action
League (PACCAL) Award, the
Outstanding Filipino Americans in
New York (TOFA-NY) Award, and the
National Federation of Filipino
American Associations' (NaFFAA)
Outstanding Filipino American
Achiever's Award.
SOM's music ranges from the
classic '60s and '70s to the most
revered songs of the '80s and '90s; its
repertoire is a blend of popular
music, light rock, light jazz, R&B, and
most especially OPM.
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 19
7 New York Fest Medals for GMA Network
GMA Network once again
brought honor to the country by
clinching seven world medals at
the recently concluded 2014 New
York Festivals International TV &
Film Awards.
Among the Filipino awardees,
the Kapuso Network went home
with the most number of awards eleven in total, including four
finalist certificates - and sent the
biggest contingent to the
recognition ceremonies held last
April 8 at the 2014 NAB Show in
Las Vegas.
Weekday news magazine
program Tunay na Buhay led GMA
Network's esteemed list of winners
with its Gold World Medal in the
Community Portraits category. The
winning entry “Mga Sanggol at
Langaw” episode featured the subhuman conditions in the slums of
Tondo, Manila where majority of
the residents barely make a living
out of scavenging among
mountains of trash.
Meanwhile, its high regard for
culture and history made the
children's show Tropang Potchi a
big winner in the Children/Youth
Program category, bringing home a
Silver World Medal for the episode
“Talaandig Tribe,” which brought
forth to public consciousness the
customs and traditions of the
Talaandig Tribe of Bukidnon.
GMA News TV's Reel Time
triumphed with its documentary
titled “Silang Wala sa Mapa,” a story
on how the B'laan indigenous
people of Mindanao survived
generations without modern
medicine, giving the program a
S i lve r Wo r l d M e d a l i n t h e
Community Service Program
category. Also a Peabody awardee,
Reel Time has been a constant
contender in the New York
From left: Reel Time's Silang Wala sa Mapa Executive Producer: Jayson Bernard B. Santos, Brigada's Sipa
ng Pag-asa Reporter: Steve F. Dailisan, Brigada's Gintong Krudo Reporter: Micaela P. Papa, Brigada's
Program Manager: Lee Joseph M. Castel, Tunay na Buhay's Program Manager: Lloyd V. Navera, News TV
QRT Anchor: Rodrigo "Jiggy" D. Manicad, Jr., Front Row's Lusong Dunong Executive Producer: Joseph
Conrad P. Rubio, Front Row's Lusong Dunong Segment Producer: Nica Cellini Catanes, Senior AVP for
Public Affairs: Leogarda S. Matias, AVP for Public Affairs: Neil B. Gumban
Festivals, winning a Silver World
Medal for its “Salat” episode in
2013 and receiving Finalist
Certificates for its “Lusong” and
“Tira” episodes in 2012.
News magazine program
Brigada, in turn, took home the
S i lve r Wo r l d M e d a l i n t h e
Community Portraits category for
its “Gintong Krudo at Sipa ng Pagasa” stories. Reporter Micaela Papa
showed the story of impoverished
children who swim through the
filthy waters of the Navotas Fish
Port to collect and sell spilled
petroleum oil in “Gintong Krudo”;
while Steve Dailisan's “Sipa ng Pagasa” told of an inspiring report on
the lives of young garbage
collectors in Payatas who dream to
rise from poverty through football.
News TV Quick Response Team
won the Bronze World Medal in the
Best Coverage of Breaking News
category for its live on-the-ground
reportage, led by anchor Jiggy
Manicad, of the Zamboanga siege.
Front Row, likewise, was
presented the Bronze World Medal
in the Community Portraits
category for the episode “Lusong
Dunong,” a story on the pupils and
teachers of San Esteban
Elementary School in Pampanga
who hold classes in flooded rooms.
GMA News' advocacy
campaign for a well-informed 2013
elections dubbed “Dapat Tama,”
meanwhile, was given the Bronze
World Medal in the Music Video
Category.
GMA News pillar Jessica Soho,
widely regarded as the country's
most awarded broadcast news
ALI to launch P48.5B worth of
residential projects in Arca South
By James Loyola
Real estate giant Ayala
Land Inc. (ALI) is planning
to launch a total of P48.5
billion worth of residential
projects in Arca South, the
former Food Terminal
property.
In a press briefing, ALI
vice president and Ayala
Land Premier head Jose
Juan Z. Jugo said this will
include Ayala Land
Premier's five high-end
residential buildings worth
P37.5 billion, aimed at the
overseas market.
The project will be
called Arbor Lanes and will
be developed on a 3.4
hectare portion of Arca
South.
Jugo said ALP will be
marketing Arbor Lanes in
the region starting with
Singapore by next month.
The project is envisioned to
provide residents with
intimate garden living in a
m a s t e r p l a n n e d
development.
“It will be a campus like
development. To mitigate
the space challenges, we
deliberately put in greens,”
said Jugo adding that “we
made the harder decision to
provide common areas
which we will fill with trees
where people can
converge.”
ALP will soon launch its
first building which will
have 208 units. About 60
percent of the units will be
o n e b e d ro o m p a d s , a
quarter will be twobedroom units and
remaining will be threebedroom units.
The first building will be
1 3 s to reys h i g h w i t h
roughly 17 units per floor.
The units will have 60
square meters up to 190
square meters priced at
P170,000 per sqm with VAT,
slightly lower than in
Bonifacio Global City, Jugo
said.
Aside from its luxury
ALP brand, ALI will also be
launching projects under its
middle-income and
affordable brands Alveo and
Avida. ALI vice president for
strategic landbank Meean
Dy said the P80 billion Arca
South will have a total of
3.645 residential units of
which ALP will account for
1,134 units, Alveo with 902
units, and Avida with 1,600
units.
Alveo's 902 units will
have a sales value of P9.2
billion and the investment
cost will amount to P6
billion. On the other hand,
Avida's 1,600 units will
have a sales value of P5
billion.
“We expect 60,000
residents and 400,000
office workers will find
home here,” Dy said adding
that the residential and
office buildings will be
complemented by hotels
and retail areas with
360,000 sqm gross leasing
space,” Dy said. Some 40
percent of the total area will
be dedicated to open space.
Manila Bulletin
From left: Senior AVP for Entertainment Gigi SantiagoLara, Ms Elvira Go of Columbia International Food
Products, Inc (makers of Potchi candy) and Louie
Ignacio, director of Tropang Potchi
journalist, received the Finalist
Certificate for the Best News
Reporter/Correspondent category
for her “Photographs of Typhoon
Pablo” special report aired in
Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, which
captured the pain and suffering in
the wake of Typhoon Pablo.
Also awarded the Finalist
Certificate were I-Witness' “Ganito
Ta y o N o o n g M a r t i a l L a w ”
documentary in the History &
Society category; GMA News &
Public Affairs' election project
Camera Juan in the Social Issues
category; and GMA Program
Support Department's advocacy
campaign Diploma in the
Station/Image Promotion
category.
Now on its 57th year of
honoring programming in all
lengths and forms and naming
them as the world's best in TV and
films, the New York Festivals
s e l e c t e d t h e w i n n e r s f ro m
thousands of entries received from
over 50 countries.
These prize-winning Kapuso
programs can be seen on its
flagship international channel,
GMA Pinoy TV, its lifestyle channel,
GMA Life TV, and international
news channel, GMA News TV
International.
To subscribe, visit the GMA
International website
www.gmanetwork.com/internatio
nal, Facebook pages
www.facebook.com/ GMAPinoyTV,
www.facebook.com/gmalifetv,
www.facebook.com/gmanewsinte
rnational, and Twitter pages
@GMAPinoyTV and @GMA_LifeTV.
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 20
PAL's new jets cut fleet age to US commerce secretary
3.5 years; 2014 outlook strong spells out economic
MANILA -- Flag carrier
Philippine Airlines (PAL) will own
one of Asia's youngest fleet at 3.5
years with the completion of a
modernization program that
involves, among others, the
replacement of 20 aging aircraft
with modern, fuel-efficient planes
that are seen to reduce costs amid
expected productivity gains.
The retirement of PAL's old fleet
is part of a turnaround strategy
aimed at transforming the flag
carrier into Asia's airline of choice
through a simple game-changing
program of fleet modernization,
network expansion and service
innovation, a statement issued by
PAL on Tuesday, April 22 said.
PAL reported comprehensive
loss amounting to $229.7M for the
first nine months of 2013 following
a one-off expense of $261M
covering the retirement of its aging
jets.
With the significant one-off
expense out of its way, PAL is
confident it will end 2014 healthier
with a more efficient fleet planning
program from the deployment of its
various new aircraft, an expanded
network and further upgrading of
service standards on the ground
and in the air.
facet of 'pivot to Asia'
Inquirer file photo
“2013 was a clean-up year for
PAL as we go through the costly yet
necessary fleet renewal process but
we are on track with our goals and
we remain committed to improving
your airline's financial and
operational performance,” PAL
president and COO Ramon S. Ang
said.
He added that with the lifting of
the country's category 2 status, PAL
can now deploy its new planes to
the US and explore vast
opportunities, including network
expansion and partnership with
other airlines, in one of the
Philippines' largest passenger
markets.
With the upgrade, PAL expects
to generate substantial annual
savings from lower maintenance
and fuel costs, among others.
More than 70 years after PAL
first took to the sky, the story of PAL
continues to unfold and evolve
under a new management that has
a track record for successfully
growing businesses virtually every
growth sector of the Philippines.
Inquirer.net
Philippines, France push
aerospace supply chain
By Bernie Magkilat
The Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI) is working with the
French aerospace industry to
improve the domestic industry's
capabilities as a supplier in the
global aerospace supply chain.
DTI Secretary Gregory L.
Domingo said his agency is working
with GIFAS (Groupement des
industries françaises
aéronautiques et spatiales) to push
domestic industries beyond
promoting and marketing design
driven products and organic food
products. Domingo said this in a
keynote speech he delivered a
month ago before the visiting
French delegation organized by the
Mouvement des entreprises de
France (MEDEF), or the Movement
of the Enterprises of France.
Domingo added that the
Philippines is well credentialed as
leading companies like SDV,
L u f t h a n s a Te c h n i k , M O O G
Technologies, and BE Aerospace
have already given the country a
foothold in the global aerospace
supply chain.
“We strongly encourage French
investment , technology, and
training in this sector, particularly
in the field of aircraft maintenance,
repair and overhaul, and logistics areas where we believe we have the
potential to further create and
develop a competitive advantage,”
Domingo said.
WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S.
Secretary of Commerce Penny
Pritzker April 17 laid out the
commercial-economic angle of the
Obama Administration's
“rebalance”better known as “pivot”
to the Asia-Pacific region.
The White House sees, the AsiaPacific as a region of “tremendous
opportunity” for United States
businesses and workers.
From Pritzker's viewpoint, the
region is home to an emerging
middle class that is eager for
American products and services,
having nearly 60 percent of global
GDP, the world's fastest growing
economies and half of the world's
population.
Secretary Pritzker emphasized
the United States' long-term
commitment to strengthening well
established trading partnerships,
and supporting emerging Asian
e c o n o m i e s a s t h e y d e ve l o p
infrastructure and enter the global
trading.
The US commitment includes
building and strengthening regional
mechanisms like the Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP), the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
and the Association for Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC).
Pritzker also announced her
third trip to the region since taking
office nearly 10 months ago. She will
travel to Vietnam, thePhilippines
and Burma in conjunction with a
delegation of U.S. CEOs and the U.S.ASEAN Business Council in early
June, underscoring U.S. government
support for high-level private sector
engagement in the Asia-Pacific
region.
Pritzker also stated that the
Department of Commerce will
expand its overseas resources to
US Commerce Sec. Penny Pritzker
help U.S. businesses navigate
additional global markets and sell
their goods and services to
customers all over the world.
The Department's International
Trade Administration will add a
total of 68 new positions and open
offices in five new countries,
including its first in Burma.
The expansion is largely focused
on fast-growing markets in Asia and
sub-Saharan Africa. Pritzker
a n n o u n c e d t h a t I TA' s U . S .
Commercial Service will be adding
offices in Burma and Wuhan, China.
Additional staff will be added at 10
other Asian posts.
The U.S. Commercial Service will
more than double its presence in
Africa, opening offices in Angola,
Ta n z a n i a , E t h i o p i a a n d
Mozambique, and expanding offices
in Kenya, Ghana, Morocco and Libya.
Europe, the Middle East and the
Western Hemisphere will also see
growth in staff numbers.
ITA, working with the U.S. State
Department, will begin
implementing its expansion in the
coming months. Inquirer.net
Steven Raga - A Leader Who
Serves the Asians First
By Grace G. Baldisseri
DTI WELCOMES FRENCH BUSINESS DELEGATION. During the recent PhilippinesFrance Conference in Makati City, Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Gregory L.
Domingo (third from left), together with Undersecretary Ponciano C. Manalo, Jr.
(third from right), expressed gratitude to the French business delegation led by
Mouvement des Entreprises de France (MEDEF) International Business Delegation
President Philippe Matiere (left) for their time and effort to come to the
Philippines to further economic ties. Joining them are (from left): Ambassador of
France to the Philippines Gilles Garachon, Philippines-France Business Council
President Anton Huang, and Conseillers du Commerce Extérieur de la France
(CCEF) President Philippe Gauthier. Domingo said that beyond promoting and
marketing design driven products and organic food products, the DTI looks
forward to establishing stronger ties with leading French industries.
The visit reciprocates that of
Domingo's, together with his Trade
and Investment Promotion Group,
and Department of Finance (DOF)
Secretary Cesar V. Purisima, last
September in France, where they
had a chance to discuss with
MEDEF on the Philippine growth
story and its various business
opportunities.
Domingo also noted that DTI
and its investment promotion
I had the pleasure of meeting
Steven Raga a few years ago. A
modern leader, he inspires me
with his ability to create tangible
results in everything he does. He
is intelligent, charming and fun to
talk to. He gives his whole heart
a n d
s o u l
when he works on a project. Most
of all, he is a leader who serves the
Asians first!
Steven is a National Urban
Fellow at the AARP National
Headquarters working on
Multicultural Engagements for
the Asian American & Pacific
Islander national audience.
Through AARP, more than $ 1M
was donated to charity
organizations working on
disaster efforts in the Philippines
during the aftermath of Typhoon
Haiyan.
He is currently a trustee for
Pilipino American Unity for
Progress (UniPro) where he was
Steven Raga
the founding President and the
first Executive Director from 2009
to 2011. A member of the national
board of governors of the National
Federation of Filipino
Associations in America
(NaFFAA), Steven is the upcoming
NY State Chair.
Raga was a recipient of the
Most Outstanding Graduate
Student Award from Cornell
University, and was a delegate to
the Fil Am Youth Leadership
u
Page 22
agencies welcome French
investments in all sectors of the
Philippine economy, particularly in
the sectors specified in our 2013
Investment Priorities Plan.
“I am especially heartened to
note that based on the composition
of the MEDEF mission, there
appears to be a strong French
interest in energy and
infrastructure investments. These
u
Page 22
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 21
VP Binay wants creation
of housing department
By JC Bello Ruiz
Vice President Jejomar C. Binay on
Monday, April 21 pushed for the
creation of a Department of Housing
and Urban Development (DHUD) to
address the urgent need to create
sustainable and climate-resilient
communities amid the manifestation
of the effects of climate change.
Binay, chairman of the Housing
and Urban Development Coordinating
Council (HUDCC), said the government
needs a housing department that goes
beyond coordinating policies and
programs on housing and urban
development, to better deal with the
realities of climate change.
“The realities of climate change
have become all too apparent with the
devastation caused by super typhoon
Yolanda. And as the urban population
grows and the effects of climate change
worsen, the need to create sustainable
and climate-resilient communities has
become increasingly urgent and vital,”
Binay said in his message for the
commemoration of “Earth Day” this
Tuesday (April 22).
“This year's theme, 'Green Cities,'
underscores the process of
urbanization as one of the fastest
growing phenomena in the world
today and one of the most serious
challenges confronting governments,”
he added.
“We hope soon enough to be able
to put in place a department that will
go beyond coordinating policies and
programs on housing and urban
development. The creation of a DHUD
is necessary in order to adequately and
competently address our current and
future challenges,” he said.
Binay has long been calling for
Congress to pass the said bill creating
the DHUD which he said would be
President Benigno S. Aquino III's
“legacy to the Filipino people.” Manila
Bulletin
Collections of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in March rose by nearly a tenth from a year ago but still fell
short of the government's goal despite aggressive campaigns against tax evaders. Inquirer photo
BIR continues to miss
collection target
Year-on-year, revenues in March rose 9.82% to P82.18B
By Paolo G. Montecillo
Ford Philippines
delivers strong Q1
performance
MANILA -- Ford Philippines
rounded up the first quarter of the
year with record breaking
performance for the month of March,
with retail sales soaring 34 percent
year-over-year to1,339 units. Sales in
March helped the first quarter
increase 38 percent from the same
quarter last year to 3,692 units.
Ford's record March performance
was led by strong demand for the allnew Ranger, Everest , all-new
Explorer, and Fiesta nameplates.
“We continued to build on our
momentum since the start of the year,
allowing us to make further progress
on our One Ford plan in the
Philippines,” said Kay Hart, managing
director, Ford Philippines. “With our
expanding line-up of global Ford
vehicles in our showrooms, we are
reaching out to more customers,
which in turn is helping to widen our
brand appeal in the market.”
Leading the way was the all-new
Ranger, which has been Ford's bestselling nameplate in the Philippines
for fourteen consecutive months.
March sales of the Ranger jumped 91
percent year-over-year to 564 units.
“The strong demand for the allnew Ranger continues to rise, which
proves how much our customers
admire the award-winning pick-up
truck's class-defining features and
remarkable performance. We're fully
committed to respond to this demand
by fulfilling all customer deliveries as
quickly as possible,” said Hart.
Fo r d ' s p o p u l a r S U Vs a l s o
contributed to record-breaking sales
in March. The Ford Explorer delivered
sales that soared more than six-fold
from the same time last year to 119
units, while the popular Ford Everest
family SUV recorded deliveries of 319
units in March, up 14% from a year
ago.
The segment-leading new Ford
Fiesta had retail sales increase 45
percent to 247 units in March, driven
by healthy demand for its 1.0L
EcoBoost variant . Ford's
revolutionary EcoBoost engine
technology helps the downsized 1.0L
engine deliver the power and
performance of a traditional 1.6L
engine with fuel economy gains of up
to 20 percent.
Following the launch of the allnew Ford EcoSport in the country on
January 30, Ford Philippines started
fulfilling customer deliveries on April
3.
“We share in the excitement of our
customers with the deliveries of the
all-new EcoSport. This fun-to-drive
urban SUV will be the perfect
companion of Filipinos as they go
around the city and nearby provinces
this summer break,” said Hart.
Ford also reaffirmed its plans to
further expand its nationwide dealer
network to 37 locations this year to
help support the company's
continued growth and provide a
world-class customer and ownership
experience. Inquirer.net
Collections of the Bureau of
Internal Revenue (BIR) in March
rose by nearly a tenth from a year
ago but still fell short of the
government goal despite
aggressive campaigns against tax
evaders.
Government documents
released on April 15 showed that
BIR collections rose by 9.82
percent to P82.18 billion in
March from the same period in
2013. However, this was lower
than the target of P90.5 billion
for the month.
The year-on-year growth in
collections in March was better
than the 5.18-percent increase
recorded in February. Data
released earlier this week
showed the country's budget
shortfall in the first two months
of the year rose 40 percent to
P43.9 billion as the government
increased spending for
reconstruction efforts in Visayas.
This month's collection
target has been set at P176.51
billion, higher than last April's
collection goal of P142.7 billion.
Collections in April are expected
to be the highest for any month
this year because of the April 15
deadline for many tax payments.
In a bid to boost collections,
t h e g ove r n m e n t l a u n c h e d
several public information
campaigns to encourage small
businesses and self-employed
individuals to declare their
proper income and pay the
corresponding taxes.
Among these were the
Department of Finance's “Tax
Wa t c h ” s h a m e c a m p a i g n
launched last July. This involves
the weekly publication of lists of
i n d iv i d u a l a n d c o r p o ra t e
taxpayers in various industries.
Tax Watch's goal is to show
the public who among selfemployed individuals and
companies pay taxes
disproportionately smaller than
the size of their wealth.
For March 2014, collections
from BIR operations amounted
to P78.91 billion, P6.95 billion or
9.66-percent more than
collections made in March 2013.
C o l l e c t i o n s f ro m n o n - B I R
operations amounted to P3.27
billion, P400.85 million or 13.98percent up year-on-year.
The BIR said collections of
regional offices totaled P31.79
billion, or P2.9 billion or 10.03
percent more than the
collections made in March 2013,
continuing with the previous
year's trend of double-digit
growth registered by the
regional offices.
Collections of the Large
Ta x p a y e r S e r v i c e ( LT S )
amounted to P47.12 billion,
P4.05 billion or 9.41-percent
more than collections made in
March of last year. Inquirer.net
Toyota sells 2.58 million
vehicles, outselling GM
Associated Press
TOKYO -- Toyota kept its
position at the top in global
vehicle sales for the first
quarter of this year, outpacing
rivals General Motors and
Volkswagen.
Toyota Motor Corp. said
Wednesday that it sold a record
2.583 million vehicles in the
January-March period, putting
the Japanese automaker ahead
of Detroit-based GM at 2.42
million and Volkswagen of
Germany at 2.4 million.
Toyota's first quarter sales
rose by more than 6 percent
from the same period the
previous year. GM's sales grew 2
percent, while Volkswagen's
added nearly 6 percent.
In this Aug. 2, 2013 file
photo, the emblem of a
Toyota car shines at Toyota
Motor Corp.'s showroom
Toyota Mega Web in Tokyo.
Toyota is recalling 6.39
million vehicles globally for a
variety of problems
spanning nearly 30 models
in Japan, the US, Europe and
other places. No injuries or
crashes have been reported
related to the recalls
announced Wednesday,
April 9, 2014. AP
Toyota finished first last
year with a record 9.98 million
vehicles in sales, remaining the
top-selling automaker for a
second year in a row. General
Motors Co. finished second and
VW third.
Toyota is targeting sales of
more than 10 million vehicles
this year. No automaker has sold
that many in a year. Toyota
officials say being No. 1 is not
that important, and they want
u
Page 22
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 22
MAAP, US University sign accord
on dev't of maritime students
The Maritime Academy of
Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) and
the American University of
S ove re i g n N a t i o n s ( AU S N )
entered into a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) for a joint
undertaking in developing
students who will soon be on
board international vessels,
through a comprehensive and
total development with values
and ability to work and learn,
develop communications skills,
sensitive to ethics and social
i n v o lv e m e n t , f l e x i b l e a n d
appreciative of various cultures.
MAAP President Vice Admiral
Eduardo Ma. R. Santos AFP (ret.)
and AUSN Provost Dr. Darryl R.J.
Macer, who also the founder and
d i re c t o r o f E u b i o s E t h i c s
Institute,signed the accord.
Santos and Macer expressed
mutual support for the
undertaking aimed at enhancing
education of marine
transportation and marine
engineering students of MAAP,
reputed to be the leading
maritime institution in the
Philippines and Asia-Pacific.
Admiral Santos expressed
support to AUSN for faculty and
staff exchange program, as well as
for joint academic and research
collaboration for the mutual
benefits and interests of all
concerned.
Santos, former chief of the
Phlippine Navy and AFP Vice
Chief of Staff, is a regular invitee
on various topics on human
security, piracy and armed
Fil-Am ESOL ....
From page 15
achieving their American dreams,
living a more meaningful life, and
becoming productive members of
society.
He is currently working as a
Program Manager, staff developer,
and an ESOL instructor at Catholic
Charities Family Services and
H A NAC ( H e l l e n i c A m e r i c a n
Neighborhood Action Committee).
MARITIME ACADEMIC COOPERATION AGREEMENT. Maritime Academy of Asia and
the Pacific (MAAP) President Vice Admiral Eduardo Ma. R. Santos (right) AFP (ret.)
and American University of Sovereign Nations (AUSN) Provost Dr. Darryl R.J. Macer
(left), who is also Founder and Director of Eubios Ethics Institute, sign a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop marine transportation and
marine engineering students' work values, communication skills, and cultures
appreciation in preparation for their boarding in international vessels. The signing
was held on April 8, 2014 at MAAP Manila satellite office, AMOSUP-PTGWO-ITF
Complex, Intramuros, Manila.
robbery against ships, disaster
preparedness, ethical values,
Leadership and management. He
is a staunch advocate of
community extension and
research programs.
MAAP is run by AMOSUPPTGWO-ITF chaired by Dr. Conrad
F. Oca, MD, son of the late
maritime visionary master
mariner Capt. Gregorio S. Oca who
founded AMOSUP more than 53
years ago, and led in establishing
MAAP 16 years ago to produce
world-class and competitive
marine officers-deck and engine.
AMOSUP currently continues to
reign as the world's largest union
of mariners. Dr. Oca at the helm of
AMOSUP, banners a policy giving
maximized benefits and priority
to both the seafarer-members
and their 'families'.
Witnessing the signing rites
were Eubios Ethics Institute
General Manager Ananya
Triptipthumrongchok and MAAP
External Relations Director
Angelica M. Baylon, among
others. Manila Bulletin
With all his skills tempered with
love and devotion, wrapped into
one, he feels he is in a better
position and confident to share his
expertise to all his immigrant
students and staff as well. His
students have been his inspiration
when he goes to work every day
and they are the sunshine of his life
in this part of the universe.
Prior to this award, he was also
a recipient of the New York Times
2009 ESOL Teacher of the Year
Program. He was recognized as a
dedicated instructor who
consistently goes above and
beyond the call of duty to help
individuals develop the skills
needed to create successful new
lives in the United States. In 2010,
he also received the 2010 Literacy
Recognition Award from the
Literacy Assistance Center
recognizing his outstanding
contribution to his students, the
program, and to the New York City
business and Adult Literacy
community.
Toyota sells ...
From page 21
to be No. 1 in customer satisfaction.
But competition is intense among
all the world's automakers, and
clinching the top-selling automaker
crown is not taken lightly.
By region, Toyota's first quarter
sales grew in Japan as consumers
rushed to buy ahead of a rise in the
sales tax, which kicked in April 1. Its
sales also grew in the rest of Asia, the
Middle East, South America and Africa,
according to Toyota.
General Motors had been the No. 1
selling automaker for more than seven
decades before losing the title to
Toyota in 2008. GM retook the sales
crown in 2011, when Toyota's
production was hurt by the quake and
tsunami in northeastern Japan. But the
maker of the Prius hybrid, Camry sedan
and Lexus luxury model made a
comeback in 2012, and kept that lead in
2013. GM's image has taken a hit after a
February recall of 2.6 million vehicles
Steven Raga ...
From page 20
Program (FYLPro) in 2012. He founded
the Fil Am Civic Engagement (FACE),
w h i c h
f o c u s e s
to increase dual citizenship among the
young Fil Ams to make them vote for
the next Philippine elections.
Steven was a Research Fellow at
Cornell Law School for the Clarke
Initiative for Law and Development in
the Middle East and North Africa. He
also served as Legal Research Assistant
at the Avon Global Center for Women
and Justic until 2010.
As an advocate for abused women
and girls, he worked on the Convention
for the Elimination of all forms of
Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW)'s national implementation in
E g y p t w i t h t h e N e w Wo m a n
Foundation in Cairo. This is a boost to
the V-Day.org which aims to stop
violence against women and girls.
His initiation in politics started
when he he held simultaneous summer
i n t e r n s h i p s a t t h e C e n t e r fo r
International Law in Makati, and the
National Union of People's Lawyers in
Quezon City.
From 2006 to 2008, he was
A s s o c i a te C o o rd i n a to r fo r t h e
Philippine Studies Program, a joint
project of the Philippine Forum and the
UP College of Arts & Letters. During
that period, he was also an East Coast
PH, France ...
From page 20
areas are critical to our quest for
continued economic growth and
development and your interest in them
is indeed very welcome,” Domingo said.
Domingo further said that the
Philippines looks to France as a
strategic European market that can
showcase its best products to the
world.
“After an extended leave, the
Department of Trade and Industry reestablished the Philippine country
brand in the global marketplace for
design driven products at the Maison et
Objet in Villepinte last September,”
Domingo said.
Domingo added that the success of
that endeavor has encouraged us to
once again put together a Philippine
exhibition at the next Maison et Objet
trade fair.
“The Philippines also views France
as a potential major European market
for our organic food products,
especially for our delectable fruits and
for defective ignition switches, a defect
the company tied to 13 deaths.
GM and the US government are
investigating why it took the company
more than a decade to recall the cars
after engineers first learned of the
switch problems.
Toyota also underwent a massive
recall debacle in the US, announcing
recall after recall starting in 2009. It
paid a $1.2 billion earlier this year to
settle a US Justice Department
investigation into charges of covering
up problems that caused unintended
acceleration in some cars.
From 2010 through 2012, Toyota
paid fines totaling more than $66
million for delays in reporting safety
problems. Toyota agreed last year to
pay more than $1 billion to owners of
its cars who claimed to have suffered
economic losses because of the recalls.
The company still faces wrongful death
and injury lawsuits.
Volkswagen is growing so quickly
in China and other relatively new
markets it is close on the heels of its
two longtime rivals. Inquirer.net
Co-Director & Advisor for the Sandiwa
National Fil Am Youth Alliance and
Youth Director for the National Alliance
for Filipino Concerns
(NAFCON). Steven was a Consular
Intern at the Philippine Consulate
General-NY in 2004, responsible on
possible investments leading up to the
Asian Business Investment Summit. He
was also a Program Intern for the
Filipino American Human Services Inc
(FAHSI) working for the Youth
Empowerment Summer.
As a student, he was the copresident of the Society for Asian
American Graduate Affairs (SAAGA);
Campaigns Advisor for Asian Pacific
Americans for Action (APAA), Cornell
University; National Chair for Filipino
Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue,
Inc (FIND). He was President of the
Philippine United Student
Organization (PUSO) and Senior
Advisor to the Asian Student Alliance
(ASA), both at Stony Brook University.
Born in New York and a Filipino
with all his heart, mind and soul, Steven
Raga holds a Graduate diploma in
International Human Rights Law from
the American University in Cairo; a
Masters inPublic Policy and Bachelor of
Arts in Political Science from Stony
Brook University; a Professional
Certificate in Global Affairs from New
York University and a Philippine
Studies Program Certificate from the
University of the Philippines, Diliman,
Quezon City, Philippines.
seafood,” Domingo said. In this regard,
DTI is organizing Philippine
participation in the world's premiere
global marketplace for food
innovations and trends, the biennial
Sial show that will be held in Paris, this
October 2014.
“To a lot of French businessmen,
the Philippines occurs more now as
what it is. That is to say a powerful
country, very important economic
power, which is important to all of us,”
M E D E F i n te r n a t i o n a l b u s i n e s s
delegation president Philippe Matiere
said during the same conference.
Matiere added that most of the
companies that compose the business
delegation are involved in
t ra n s p o r t a t i o n , i n f ra s t r u c t u re ,
tourism, aviation, and energy.
“For us, having a future in the
Philippines is also a milestone of our
future in Southeast Asian countries,”
Matiere said.
Matiere also expressed delight in
coming to the Philippines, having
exchanges with their counterparts, and
meeting high-ranking government
officials. Manila Bulletin
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 23
Malaya Watson Screengrab from American Idol's YouTube account.
Kris Aquino and Miley Cyrus. Screengrab and AFP file photo
With new haircut, Kris Aquino
says Bimby calls her Miley Cyrus
By Totel V. de Jesus
MANILA -- Appearing on the
post-Lenten week episode of
her late-night talk show with
Boy Abunda, the “Queen of All
Media” Kris Aquino on Monday
surprised everyone with her
short hairstyle.
“Bimby calls me Miley
Cyrus,” Aquino told Abunda.
Bimby is her son with exhusband, cager James Yap.
Aquino's new hairdo has
bangs, which stylists use to
make a person look younger.
Abunda asked her if she's
going through tough times, like
a romantic break-up, noting it's
common reaction for people to
have a major haircut in such
dire situation.
Aquino answered in the
negative and flashed a wideeyed smile. Some netizens were
happy and compared her to
Anne Hathaway.
Anchors of a rival station
gave mixed reactions. In their
morning news magazine show
on Tuesday, Martin Andanar of
TV5 asked co-anchor Lourd de
Veyra if Aquino looked like her
mother, the late President
Corazon Aquino.
De Veyra took a second look
at her photo and said she
reminded him of Cynthia Luster
(real name Yukari Oshima), a
famous Japanese movie star and
martial arts expert in the 1980s
to 1990s who also acted in
action films in the Philippines.
Recently, Aquino has been
linked to Quezon City Mayor
Herbert Bautista, a famous
comedian in those decades.
Inquirer.net
GMA News wins a Peabody
for its Yolanda coverage
GMA News earned its
fourth George Foster Peabody
Award for the Network and the
country for its special coverage
on the assault and aftermath of
super typhoon Yolanda.
The GMA News coverage of
t y p h o o n Yo l a n d a w a s
broadcast overseas via GMA
Network's flagship
international channel, GMA
Pinoy TV and the international
news channel, GMA News TV
International.
GMA news teams were
reporting from all over the
Visayas region on the 8th of
November 2013, when the
super typhoon, and the
powerful storm surge that
followed, took the lives of
thousands in just a few
minutes. In the aftermath,
families were in search of the
missing and surrounded by the
dead. There was no food or
water and no communication
with the outside world. News
teams were documenting the
victims of the disaster even as
they faced the same conditions.
“Facing logistical
challenges and sharing in the
national shock in the face of
what may have been the most
powerful typhoon in history,
GMA news teams provided
desperately needed spot news
coverage and information,
gaining strength and
perspective as they worked,
and followed up with solid
reporting on the aftermath,
heroic acts and relief efforts,”
cited the Peabody Awards
Board.
GMA News won the
Peabody for its overall Typhoon
Yolanda coverage which was
composed of entries from the
newscasts 24 Oras, 24 Oras
Weekend, Saksi, State of the
Nation and the public affairs
magazine show Kapuso Mo,
Fil-Am booted from 'Idol':
I will be big one day
Aspiring Filipino-American singer
Malaya Watson got the boot from
“American Idol Season XIII” the week
that she performed Chaka Khan's
“Through the Fire.”
Malaya earlier made a splash on
the reality singing tilt, but landed in the
bottom three a little too frequently in
the recent weeks.
Do you feel like you grew - to a
certain measure - in the competition,
as a person and as a performer?
In both performing and singing, I
think I improved. Honestly, a lot of
people think that. I'm really shy, but
now I really want to just talk to
everybody.
Your dad is a professional guitar
player. How much did he influence
you?
If he weren't doing music, I
probably wouldn't have done music,
either, because I never would have
been around it as much as I have. I was
always around music, all the time.
What three things make you
unique, in your opinion?
I play the sousaphone. I'm not
afraid to be myself. And I can sing.
What are some struggles that you
had to face as a contestant on
“American Idol”?
Probably managing time for school
and working on my music, and trying
to balance my time evenly.
All the judges stood up and
applauded when you bid goodbye to
the show. Were there any final words of
encouragement?
Yes. They told me I'd be going far in
a couple of years, and that they would
probably see my name on [marquees]
all over. And Harry Connick Jr. told me
to just keep working on my music
because I'll be a big star one day,
sometime soon.
What did you miss most from home
during your time in Hollywood?
Seeing my friends. So I'm having
this big old get-together at my house
tomorrow.
u
Page 24
Maja admits swallowing pride
in reconciling with Kim Chiu
MANILA -- Maja Salvador
apparently was the first to swallow her
pride to end her rift with Kim Chiu, as
she admitted that she made the move
to make peace with Kim.
“Hindi naman kailangang magtaas
ng pride,” Maja said in the television
report on Tuesday, April 22. (There is
no need to show your pride.)
The former best friends became
estranged middle of 2013 when news
broke out that Kim's ex-boyfriend
Gerald Anderson and Maja were
dating. The two have since admitted
their relationship.
News of their reconciliation was
announced early April by radio hostshowbiz columnist Ogie Diaz via a post
on his Twitter account when he
attended a thanksgiving party at a
high-end bar in Taguig City where the
two actresses attended. Pressed to
explain more, Maja only said one really
Jessica Soho. It is a precious
win that the network shares
with the Yolanda survivors who
continue to struggle to rebuild
their communities.
The George Foster Peabody
Awards, the broadcast and
electronic media equivalent of
the Pulitzer Prize, aims to
recognize the stories that
matter. Winning requires a
unanimous vote from the 16
Maja Salvador. Inquirer file photo
member board. Besides GMA
News, this year's list of winners
has to swallow her pride to end the
include the series Breaking
fight. “Dapat iisa talaga sa inyo,” Maja
Bad, House of Cards, Orange is
said. Inquirer.net
the New Black, three HBO
documentaries, twelve
programs by the broadcaster
PBS and a personal award for
journalist Tom Brokaw.
GMA Network was first
recognized by the Peabody
Awards in 1999 for the IWitness documentaries
“Kidneys for Sale” and "Kamao"
u
Page 24
TO ADVERTISE, PLEASE CALL
201-434-1114
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 24
Some of the 12 finalists of Philpop 2014
Philpop reveals top
12 songs for 2014
By Crispina Martinez - Belen
Philpop, the country's
premiere songwriting
competition, has challenged
budding, occasional and
professional composers for
years, amassing nearly 9,000
entries from Filipinos here and
abroad since it started. Today, it
is regarded as the breeding
ground for brilliant songwriters.
Last year, the competition
produced 12 diverse and
exceptional compositions from
both amateur and professional
ranks, featuring different genres
and styles. These top 12 songs
have accumulated around 43
million hits on YouTube. The
winning song, “Dati,” written by
T h y r o A l f a r o a n d Yu m i
Lacsamana, performed by Sam
Concepcion, Tippy dos Santos
and Quest, got over 23 million
hits
a testament to its
overwhelming achievement.
This year, an impressive
group of adjudicators from the
music industry were on hand to
examine the thousands of
entries in four very taxing
stages, until the top 12 was
determined.
Philpop is proud to reveal its
top 12 songs for this year, which
will be included in the Philpop
2014 album produced and
d i s t r i b u t e d b y U n ive r s a l
Records to be made available on
Spinnr.
The Philpop 2014 Top 12
songs are: “NGSB (No Girlfriend
Since Break)” by Davey Langit;
“The Only One” by Venelyn San
Pedro; “Awit Mo'y Nandito Pa” by
Ronaldo Sorioso; “Torpe Song”
by Daryl Ong; “Babalikan Mo Rin
Ako” by Soc Villanueva; “Song On
A Broken String” by Jude
Gitamondoc and Therese Marie
Villarante; “Salbabida” by Jungee
Marcelo; “Dear Heart” by Mike
Villegas; “Hangout Lang” by
Allan Feliciano and Isaac Joseph
Garcia; “Qrush On You” by
QYork's James Palma aka Flava
Matikz and Cedric Bonjoc aka
Knowa Lazarus; “Kung Akin Ang
Langit” by Cecilia Bocobo and
Isaac Joseph Garcia; and “Langit
Umaawit” by Ronaldo Sorioso.
One among them will
emerge as the P1 million grand
prize winner and this will be
determined on July 26 at the
Meralco Theater.
The foundation's Executive
Director Maestro Ryan
Cayabyab, as with Board of
Directors Noel Cabangon and
Ogie Alcasid, are quite proud of
this year's crop of finalists. The
next step for the finalists is the
production of the songs with
some of the country's top
performers with the help of
producer Ito Rapadas. They will
also promote their songs
extensively before finals night.
Philpop is presented by
Smart, Spinnr and PLDT Telpad,
co-presented by Maynilad, and
Meralco. It is also supported by
NLEX, Sun Cellular, TV5, First
Pacific Leadership Academy,
Metro Pacific Investments Corp.,
Philex, Sony, the Universal
Records, Pinas FM, RX93.1, and
MYX.. Manila Bulletin
YUKI FURUKAWA and Miki Honoka on 'Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo'; Kim Soo Hyun
and Jeon Ji Hyun on 'My Love From The Star'
GMA Network airs
hit Asianovelas
By Crispina Martinez - Belen
GMA Network on April 20 started
airing phenomenal hit Asianovelas “My
Love from the Star” and “Mischievous
Kiss: Love in Tokyo” for the first time on
Philippine television starting today.
True to its promise of providing
superior entertainment for its viewers,
the Kapuso Network brings two wellloved Asianovela series in Korea and
Japan to Filipino homes, which will
surely capture the hearts and touch the
lives of the Filipino viewers.
Following the success of the
popular Koreanovela series “Endless
Love” and “Full House,” GMA Network
airs South Korea's No. 1 romantic
comedy sci-fi series in the first quarter
of this year, “My Love from the Star.” It
showcases an extraordinary love story
about two people coming from
different worlds, and how love literally
and figuratively defies time and space.
Matteo (Kim Soo Hyun) is a coldhearted alien accidentally left behind
by his companions on earth some 400
years ago. Three months before he gets
back to the star where he lives, he will
meet Steffi (Jeon Ji Hyun), a selfcentered but loveable actress who
GMA News ... From page 23
by Jessica Soho and Jay Taruc's child
labor story on “Brigada Siete.” Kara
David's I-Witness episode "Ambulansya
de Paa" was awarded in 2010 followed by
Reel Time's "Salat" in 2013.
GMA is the only news and public
affairs organization in the country to
have received this prestigious award for
excellence in broadcast journalism. The
Fil-Am ... From page 23
Do you have any advice for other
teens who are planning to audition next
year and/or pursue a music career?
I would say, just focus on school
[meanwhile], and just follow what your
heart wants you to do. Because if I didn't
do this, I probably wouldn't be here. I was
really hesitant at first. But, if you really
want to do something, do it while you
have the chance. Because there's going to
be that one important time when you're
going to want to do something, and if you
don't do it, you'll regret it.
When it comes to dating, what
qualities do you look for in someone? Is it
important that they play music?
Anyone I date [has] to play football.
They have to be taller than me in heels.
And they can't be stupid, because you
know what it's like, the myth, all football
players are dumb. They have to be loyal
makes him wish he is an ordinary man.
Meanwhile, “Mischievous Kiss:
Love in Tokyo” is a Japanese adaptation
of the popular love story based on a
manga that even has live-action
versions in Taiwan and Korea and was
also produced as an anime.
Its story revolves around the lives
of Kasey (Miki Honoka), a not-so-smart
girl who secretly likes campus
heartthrob Niccolo (Yuki Furukawa).
When she finally finds the courage to
confess her feelings for him, she will be
rejected. Caloy (Yuki Yamada), Kasey's
good friend, protects her from Niccolo
because he is in love with her.
The lives of Kasey and Niccolo will
start to change when they find out that
their fathers are best friends. Fate will
bring them together when Kasey's
family moves in to Niccolo's house after
a meteorite destroyed their home.
When Kasey decides to finally forget
her one-sided love for him and just
move on, Niccolo will kiss her and dare
her if she can still forget him after that.
Catch the back-to-back pilot
episodes of “Mischievous Kiss: Love in
Tokyo” and “My Love from the Star” this
Monday after GMA-7's “The Borrowed
Wife.” Manila Bulletin
73rd Annual Peabody Awards ceremony
will be held on May 19 at the WaldorfAstoria in New York City.
For more news on the Kapuso
Network's programs visit the website
www.gmanetwork.com/international,
Facebook pages www.facebook.com/
G M A P i n o y T V ,
www.facebook.com/gmalifetv, and www.
Facebook.com/ gmanewsinternational,
and Twitter pages @GMAPinoyTV and
@GMA_LifeTV.
and honest, too… and oh, yes, they have to
be busy, because my schedule's always
busy.
Looking back now, what was your
favorite performance in the show and
why?
Honestly, I have no favorites. I think
back and I see that they're all amazing
because I took the time to just put myself
into the song and just do my thing.
Did you ever, at any point, entertain
the idea of trying something a little
younger or more current?
[I thought of it]… I do like John
Legend, of course he's amazing. I like
Michael Buble, Bruno Mars and Pharrell. I
like a lot of male singers, though I don't
know why. I like Tamar Braxton, she's
good, too.
If you could choose anybody, who
would you love to sing with at some point?
Probably… Fantasia! Oh my gosh. If I
could sing with Fantasia, that would just
be amazing. Inquirer.net
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 25
Fil-Am filmmaker to direct
Bo Derek and James Wood
By Walden Sadiri M. Belen
A Filipino-American filmmaker
is now working on a film that will
star Bo Derek and James Wood,
among others.
In a recent e-mail exchange, Ace
C r u z , w h o h a s m a d e s e ve n
Hollywood films under his own
Spirit Films, said they are currently
in pre-production for the film,
which they plan to shoot in
Cambodia.
He recently went to Angkor Wat
(he described it as a spiritual and
beautiful place) hunting ideal
filming locations.
The movie will be produced by
billionaire-philantrophist Yank
Barry.
Ace has directed several
documentaries for Yank's Global
Village Champion Foundation, the
f i r s t o f wh i c h i nvo lve d t h e
relocation of goods for the typhoon
“Yolanda” victims in Tacloban. He
also made another docu for them in
Myanmar (formerly Burma).
These were all done in
December 2013.
“To date, Barry has donated two
million meals to the Philippines,
distributed through
Congresswoman Lucy TorresGomez, actor Cesar Montano and a
convent in Naga City,” he said.
Yanks donating food to various
needy countries puts him in
Why 'Noah' can't dock his
ark at Philippine theaters
By Marinel R. Cruz
It could take more than 40
days and 40 nights for the
multimillion dollar Hollywood
movie “Noah” to dock its ark in
Philippine theaters.
The Darren Aronofsky film,
about the biblical character
Noah's mission to save the whole
of creation from a great flood, was
originally set for local release
April 2.
However, the Russell Crowestarrer became the first casualty
in a courtroom battle between its
producer United International
Pictures (UIP) and local film Jennifer Connelly (left) and Russell Crowe in the Darren Aronofsky film “Noah”
distributor Solar Entertainment
Corporation.
distributor starting February that UIP's appointment of
2014. In its complaint, Solar Columbia Pictures, “a 100Bad faith
maintained that its 2012 film percent foreign-owned mass
The Makati City Regional Trial distribution agreement with UIP media company operating in the
C o u r t h a s p r o h i b i t e d t h e was still in effect and that “UIP's Philippines, is in violation of the
Ace Cruz
distribution of UIP films in the a r b i t r a r y a n d u n i l a t e r a l Foreign Investment Acts of 1991
contention for the Nobel Peace
country after the US firm termination of said agreement (RA No. 7042 as amended by RA
Prize.
allegedly violated its agreement was done in bad faith.” It added No. 8179) that prohibits foreignA c e s a i d , “ ' Yu n g m g a
with Solar, its local partner. Last that the move would “cause owned companies from engaging
contenders, may mga quota sila
month, Solar filed a civil suit revenue losses to Solar and in mass media in the country.”
kung ilan ang kailangan nila
seeking an injunction and subject it to third-party claims by
In a memorandum, a copy of
mapakain. One billion dapat and
damages from UIP and competing business suppliers and partners which was obtained by the
Barry plans to donate one million
film distribution outfit Columbia for contracts it entered in UIP's Inquirer, Solar advised its
meals to the Philippines.”
Pictures Industries Inc. This was behalf.”
partners and suppliers of the
Yank's experience in donating to
in relation to the alleged decision
“ongoing injunction case” and
the Philippines took a turn for the
of UIP to appoint Columbia Prohibited
informed them that a 20-day
u
Page 26
Pictures as its Philippine film
Solar likewise pointed out
u
Page 26
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 26
Angel calls birthday
boy Luis 'amazing’
By Jecelyn V. Macahindog
Angel Locsin is extra sweet
to boyfriend Luis Manzano with
the latter commemorating his
33rd birthday last April 21.
The actress posted a photo
of the celebration via Instagram
with the caption, “Happy
birthday to the most amazing
man ever!! I love you soo much!!
@luckymanzano.”
Luis shared a picture of
himself as a baby on the same
site, saying, “I have been
fortunate enough to be given 32
years to live, during those 32
years, i hope i got to make you
guys laugh, smile or made life a
bit easier for you guys.”
He added, “Today, i start my
33rd, praying for an even better
year with everything in my life
already falling into place. cheers
to another year of making you
guys laugh and smile! Thanks for
all the greetings and love
everyone! .”
Only last week, Luis helped
Angel's family surprise the
actress with an early birthday
party.
Angel, who will turn 29 on
April 23, shared images of her
birthday gathering on social
media, with one captioned as:
“ aw w. . S u r p r i s e b i r t h d ay
parteey pala namin ngayon!
Il Divo and Lea Salonga take a bow (Janet Nepales)
Angel Locsin and Luis Manzano (Instagram)
thanks naman sa ate ko &
friends! di ko talaga na halata
kasi ang aga ha! Wala na daw
time to celebrate sa balur, Haha!
Kakunchaba nyo pa si
@luckymanzano ha! Ganda ng
set up! Thank you!”
Chevy up for grabs
The vintage muscle car that
Angel Locsin donated to help aid
the survivors of super-typhoon
“Yolanda” is now open for online
bidding.
The actress authorized
Sagip Kapamilya Foundation to
auction the 1970 Chevrolet
Chevelle, which is her dream car.
The organization's program
head Jun Dungo told ABS-CBN
News that Angel donated her
car“for the love of our
kababayans and kapamilyas.”
“Angel really loved this
muscle car. She had acquired it
from San Francisco, California
and she had it shipped here. She
saw the victims of typhoon
'Yolanda,'” he said.
“The Legal Wife” star's
Chevy has a 454 CID V8 bigblock engine mated to a fourspeed automatic transmission.
Dungo said that the auction,
which will run from April 21 to
April 30, is expected to fetch a
bid of at least P3-million.
“Ang maganda kasi rito,
nakapag-donate ka na,
nakatulong ka na, at the same
time, meron kang isang
magandang muscle car,” he
related. Manila Bulletin
Lea Salonga shines
at Il Divo concert
By Janet Nepales
LOS ANGELES -- Lea Salonga
looked younger and fitter, and
sounded much better when she
performed recently with Il Divo at the
Dolby Theater in Los Angeles during
the latter's “A Musical Affair” concert.
The award-winning performer,
now 43 and a wife and mother, looked
radiant. She sang some popular
Broadway tunes, including “A Whole
New World,” “Defying Gravity,” “I
Dreamed A Dream” and “On My Own.”
It brought tears to our eyes; and
Lea received a well-deserved standing
ovation from the audience.
Her duets with the four members
of Il Divo were also showstoppers.
The members of the group include
classically trained Swiss tenor and
pianist Urs Bühler, 42, American tenor
Why ‘Noah’ ...
From page 25
temporary restraining order (TRO) was
issued against UIP and Columbia
Pictures in March by Makati RTC
presiding judge Edgardo M. Caldona.
Put on hold
According to the memo signed by
Solar legal counsel Valerie Domantay,
the TRO prohibited UIP and Columbia
from committing the following acts,
which could violate the existing
agreement between Solar and UIP:
“Entering into a film distribution
Fil-Am filmmaker
to direct ... From page 25
better after he met Cesar Montano,
Ace shared. “Together with boxer
Evander Hollyfield, he also visited
Manny Pacquiao in Gensan. Manny,
together with Richard, Lucy and Cesar,
joined Muhammad Ali and other
famous personalities as ambassadors of
Global Village Champion Foundation.”
Ace's background
Growing up in California, Ace said
he wanted to become a filmmaker since
he was 13.
His first effort was a martial arts
short featuring himself imitating his
idol Bruce Lee.
He was acting on stage when talent
manager/entertainment columnist
Alfie Lorenzo spotted him and
suggested he go to Manila to try and
carve a local showbiz career, which he
and electronic drummer David Miller,
41, Spanish baritone Carlos Marín, 45,
and French pop singer and guitarist
Sébastien Izambard, 41.
In a separate interview with the Il
Divo members, Carlos said, “The
reason we invited Lea Salonga because
we are doing Broadway musical songs
and she is very popular in the musical
theater community. We have been
following her career since 'Miss
Saigon' and we are impressed…
Personally, I am a fan of her and so I
can't believe that I am performing with
her along with my colleagues.”
Sébastien mentioned that they are
planning to take Lea around the world
with them. “We are all having fun
during this tour,” he said.
The group has already performed
in Manila twice eight years ago and
last year.
agreement with any entity in the
Philippines; and engaging in mass media
activities, specifically distributing,
marketing, promoting and showing of
UIP films in the country.”
The memo also stressed the “status
of [Solar] as the exclusive local
distributor of UIP films.”
“The TRO expired on March 27 and
has temporarily put on hold release
plans of films by UIP and Paramount
Pictures in the Philippines,” explained a
Solar insider. Paramount Pictures, one of
UIP's parent companies, is the global
distributor of “Noah.”
Columbia representatives declined
to comment on the matter. Inquirer.net
did. He signed up with Viva Films and
made several movies with the film
company. But when nothing really good
happened, he went back to California
where he started his filmmaking career.
Ace obtained his BFA acting degree
from the University of Southern
California, where he also took a threeyear filmmaking course.
He formed Spirit Films in 1996.
Some of the films he did include “The
Circuit” and “Psychotic” in 2002; “Fate”
and “Urban Task Force” in 2003;
“Outrage: Born in Terror,” “Desert of
Death” and “Gangstaz” in 2009.
Last year, Ace also started filming a
movie in Boracay titled “Sketch,” but
due to some unforeseen circumstances,
it has been temporarily shelved .
“But I'll continue filming 'Sketch'
when the problems connected to it are
solved,” he said. “I don't want to do it
cheaply. I want it to be good enough for
the international market.” Manila
Bulletin
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 27
The places kissed by stars
By Rowena Tan
Taking some time off for
some much-needed R&R during
Holy week are several of our
favorite celebs, some of whom
readily shared images of their
escapades on Instagram:
Japan
Kapuso actor Dingdong
Dantes had a short but sweet
vacation with reel-and-real life
sweetheart Marian Rivera in the
Land Of The Rising Sun.
Dingdong posted a photo of them
together at the entrance of a
ramen house. He captioned it,
“When in doubt…pig out!” The
couple also visited Omotesando
Hills, where Marian posed for a
picture.
Dingdong's caption read,
“This woman never fails to
effortlessly complement lenses,
even when on vacation.”
Kapamilya star Iza Calzado
and boyfriend Ben Wintle were
also in Japan. Among the places
they visited were the Tsukiji
market, the Fushimi Inari Shrine
and the Kinkakuji temple.
Iza expressed elation posting
selfies with Ben. Her post read,
“Some annoying tourists went
crazy with their selfie pod today!
good to see you finally
appreciating photos
@benmwintle.”
Myanmar
“Dyesebel” star Anne Curtis
and boyfriend Erwan Heussaff
visited Myanmar with Erwan's
sister Solenn, and the latter's
boyfriend Nico Bolzico.
In a 15-second video posted
on Instagram, Erwan dared Anne
to eat a cricket. The 29-year-old
was initially hesitant but she
eventually relented, taking a bite
off the insect before spitting it
out immediately.
Anne also posted a photo
collage of herself with Bolzico in
Bagan, captioning it, “Got to visit
the great Dhamma-yan-gyi
Pahto which you can see behind
Nico and I and North Guni
Temple which is one of the very
few where you are allowed to
climb up to the very top. You get a
majestic view of all the other
Pagodas and Temples.”
In another photo, Anne was
seen posing with local kids.
“Going matchy with some local
Burmese children with
traditional Thanaka on our faces.
The young lady who painted it on
us said it helps cool the skin and
is a protective shield against the
sun. Apparently it is made from
tree bark,” the post read.
San Francisco
Beauty queen Bianca Manalo
and boyfriend Ryan Ordonez
were in San Francisco to
celebrate their anniversary.
They enjoyed sightseeing in
Emerald Bay, Domaine Chandon,
Castello Di Amorosa, Napa
Valley, The Embarcadero and the
Palace of Fine Arts. The couple
also queued up with other
tourists at the Fisherman's
Wharf to have the “obligatory
tourist photo.”
Paris
Lovi Poe and Rocco Nacino
enjoyed Paris together over the
Holy week. Rocco posted a photo
of them together in front of the
Eiffel Tower with the caption,
“Romantic dinner, picture taking
and cruise at the seine river with
@lovi_poe. We fell in love with
Paris. excited to visit the
Louvre!” Another photo shows
him and Lovi in the Love Lock
Bridge, a known destination for
lovers who seal locks over the
bridge - throwing the keys into
the river to signify their
unending love.
Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera
Bianca Manalo and boyfriend Ryan
Rocco Nacino and Lovi Poe
Karen Davila (middle) and Vice Ganda (right)
Boracay
Still very much the place to
be for beach lovers, Boracay once
again saw a great deal of
celebrities this year. Among
those spotted at the tourist hot
spot was news anchor Karen
Davila and comedian Vice Ganda.
Also seen in Boracay was
Kim Atienza and his family.
Manila Bulletin
Lea Salonga ...
How Zsa Zsa met Conrad Onglao
From page 26
As for Lea, she enjoys every minute
of her tour and concert with “the boys.”
She admitted, though, that she was not a
big fan of Il Divo before “and I told them
about this already.”
She confessed, “I didn't buy every
single album of Il Divo even though I
knew I was going to be a part of the show.
But I bought the very latest one because I
needed to study the music.”
Lea continued, “But it has been
incredibly fun and discovering their
music and discovering each of them as
individuals with this tour. They are all
very different.”
Lea described them as such: “Carlos
is incredibly outgoing and wears his
heart on his sleeve. He is incredibly
likable and very charming. He is all about
the women. He is funny with a huge, huge
heart. He sings with passion and
commitment. And it shows during his
performances.
“David, we are buddies in this tour.
We get a long really, really well. We have
lots of mutual friends in the musical
theater world. The funny thing is, his
wife, (singer) Sarah Joy (Kabanuck),
worked with Gerard (Salonga, her
brother) in Hong Kong a few years ago.
“I saw David in 'La Bohème' when I
was on Broadway and he was so
wonderful, so incredible. He is also
kenkoy. He is very funny… probably the
funniest member…
“Sébastien trying to read him is a
little difficult. But he is very sweet, very
lovely, and very committed to his family.
He talks about his children a lot. He talks
about his wife and what she does. He is
very proud of his home in California.
“ U rs l ove s h e av y m e t a l a n d
motorcycles. One day he came to work
fully decked in a Harley Davidson jacket,
t-shirt, and belt. He is so smart that if I
challenge him in a Scrabble match, he
Anne Curtis, Erwann Heussaff, Solenn Heussaff, Nico Bolzico Iza Calzado and Ben Wintle
Lea Salonga (Elgeen Nepales)
will win. He knows six languages. He
seems to come off as aloof to others but
with me, he has been very lovely.”
Asked how she juggles motherhood
and her career, Lea admitted, “It is not
the easiest thing but we have excellent
help at home. Nicole (her seven-year-old
daughter) goes to school the whole day.
She has a life of her own. It was most
difficult when she was tiny. Now, she is
also on tour with me.”
As for her wish to the new cast of
“Miss Saigon,” Lea exclaimed, “I am so
excited for all of them. For Jon Jon
Briones, I am excited because he was in
the original cast 25 years ago. Now he
gets to be a lead this company. I am
excited for Eva Noblezada because her
aunt (Annette Calud) was in the original
company. I think she just turned 18. This
will make her dreams come true.
“As for Rachelle Ann Go, I am so glad
that I tweeted her that she had to do it. I
will take full credit for that. I am just so
happy for her. The stage is just the
perfect medium for her. She glows when
she is performing in a musical. I am glad
she gets to experience this for a whole
year in London, which is one of the
world's theater capitals.” Manila Bulletin
MANILA -- It was Sharon
Cuneta who played cupid for
veteran singer Zsa Zsa Padilla
a n d re n o w n e d a rc h i t e c t
Conrad Onglao.
In a newspaper article, the
two shared how Cuneta, whose
house Onglao is building,
played a key role in setting
them up for a date.
More than a month ago,
Onglao said he was asked by
the veteran actress if she could
set him up with her friend, who
she did not identify at first.
Cuneta asked the same
thing to Padilla, who also
agreed saying she's already
tired of mourning. Padilla's
long-time partner, Philippine
Comedy King Dolphy, died
almost two years ago.
The two then met up for an
early dinner in Makati one
Sunday, which lasted for three
hours. The article said the two
couldn't recall much of what
they talked about.
Despite this, Padilla and
Onglao's “blind date” was
followed by two other
meetings within the same
week. “He's good to me. He
treats me well,” said Padilla.
Onglao, for his part, said he
admires Padilla's simplicity.
“She's funny, witty, simple
and so grounded. What I love
about her is her simplicity and
she's never full of herself; it's
never it's-about-me. A sense of
selflessness. And we share
values when it comes to family,
career,” he said.
Zsa Zsa
Padilla
Before their first date,
Padilla and Onglao admitted
they did not know anything
about each other and even had
to Google each other before
their first meeting.
Prior to Padilla, Onglao was
married to interior designer
Ivy Almario, with whom he has
two sons. They were divorced
in the United States and
obtained a legal separation,
and church annulment here in
the Philippines. Asked to
describe their relationship,
Onglao said, “The nice thing
about getting older is you trust
your gut feel.”
Padilla, for her part, said,
“The past is past, I am in my
present, but that's been part of
my life.”
The two have been seeing
each other for over a month
and 15 days now.
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 28
Manny Pacquiao. AP file photo
Tough cast of possible
Manny Pacquiao foes
Tale of the Tape infographic by MMASomnia.com
By Roy Luarca
Julaton's MMA debut
on May 2 vs. Saber
MANILA -- Apart from
Mexican nemesis Juan Manuel
Marquez, there are other marquee
boxers who could have a shot at
Manny Pacquiao in November.
Heading the list are Shawn
Porter and Ruslan Provodnikov,
two former sparring partners of
Pacquiao who have become world
champion themselves, hardhitting Britons Amir Khan and
Kell Brooks and former world
titleholder Adrien Broner.
Without a doubt, the cast of
would-be challengers looks
attractive enough for pay-perview coverage.
The unbeaten Porter, who
By Solmadrid Vasquez
SAN BRUNO, California -- Ana
“The Hurricane” Julaton's mixed
martial arts debut is on May 2 at “One
FC: Rise Of Heroes.” It will be
broadcast live from Manila.
The pugilist will take on Aya
Saeid Saber of Egypt in a showdown
between two top fighters.
The upcoming bout with Saber is
highly anticipated by Julaton's
countrymen and women, as this will
be her first fight in the Philippines.
When asked about the upcoming
bout Julaton replied, “Aya Saber is an
experienced MMA warrior and
champion in kickboxing, and what
gives me strength through my ups
and downs are the hearts of my
kababayan all over.”
As reported by INQUIRER.net,
“The Hurricane” began her martial
arts training at a young age, studying
both Bok Fu and Taekwondo.
She was eventually introduced to
boxing by her current trainer and
manager Angelo Reyes. The initial
encounter led her to testing the water
in boxing, and she hasn't looked back
since.
Julaton in 2007 took her boxing
career to the pro level. Less than two
years later, on Sept. 12,2009, she
captured the WBO super
bantamweight title by defeating
Kelsey “The Road Warrior” Jeffries.
With a boxing career spanning 18
bouts, Julaton has improved with
each fight. She earned the nickname
“The Hurricane” because of her
relentless offense.
Julaton continually gains new
fans, thanks to her exciting fighting
style. She enters her MMA debut with
a boxing record of 13 4 -1.
Looking at the Tale of the Tape
infographic by MMASomnia.com, it is
clear the upcoming fight is well
matched. Similar to Julaton, Saber's
career began before her entry into
the MMA world.
Saied is an Egyptian kickboxing
champion who dominated the
Middle East Circuit with her
explosive kicks. After winning the
championship belt she turned her
eyes to MMA with a focus on ruling
over her division.
Saber has stated, “I am excited
and honored to be the first female
mixed martial artist from Egypt to
compete in ONE FC. I can't wait to get
into the cage and beat Ana and make
my fight team and family proud.
Unlike Ana, I am not new to MMA. Be
careful Ana, you are entering my
world. I'm coming!”
The Egyptian enters the
upcoming bout with a MMA record of
2 3 0.
Solmadrid Vasquez is the
proprietor of MMA Somnia in San
Bruno, California. Inquirer.net
Pacquiao shorts in Bradley fight
sold for P1.7M in LA auction
By Celest R. Flores
MANILA -- The shorts Filipino
boxing champion Manny Pacquiao
wore in his victory over Timothy
Bradley last weekend sold for
$40,000 or at least P1, 750,000 in an
auction in Los Angeles, a report said.
Entertainment site TMZ reported
that Pacquiao's donation of his bloodstained fight night trunks were
purchased by a “private bidder” at the
auction in Victorino Noval in Beverly
Hills. Aside from the shorts, Pacquiao
also donated his gloves and other
boxing memorabilia with the
proceeds going to the victims of the
destructive typhoon “Yolanda.”
Pacquiao sustained a gash above
his left eye, which needed 32 stitches,
that left him bloodied towards the
end of his 12-round rematch against
the American Bradley. He reclaimed
the WBO welterweight title via
unanimous decision.
The 35-year old boxer, who
according to the same report treated
the auction attendees with a
rendition of “Still” by Hillsong United,
arrived in the country on Good Friday
and flew straight to General Santos
City. Inquirer.net
helped Pacquiao sharpen up for
Miguel Cotto in 2009, knocked out
Paulie Malignaggi Saturday night
in Washington, DC, to retain his
International Boxing Federation
welterweight crown.
The rugged Provodnikov, who
provided Pacquiao with tough
workouts in his first fight against
Timothy Bradley in 2012, now
reigns as the World Boxing
Organization light welterweight
champion.
The 27-year-old Brooks (32-0
with 22 KOs) is ranked No. 1
welterweight in Britain and No. 5
in the world.
Khan, whose main drawback
is a glassy chin, is familiar with
Pacquiao's style having sparred
with the Filipino ring icon at Wild
Card Gym in Hollywood. Marquez,
though, is still the most attractive
bet following the sixth-round
knockout he dealt Pacquiao on
Dec. 8, 2012 in Las Vegas.
Marquez, who initially balked
at fighting Pacquiao for the fifth
time, needs to beat Mike Alvarado
on May 17 to get the nod of
promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank
as Pacquiao's next opponent.
Both Marquez and Alvarado
are with Top Rank and so is
Provodnikov, giving them the
edge in the Pacquiao derby.
Brooks is with Golden Boy
Promotions while Khan has
signed up with Al Haymon.
Inquirer.net
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 29
Mommy Dionisia Pacquiao's greatest hits
By Bong Lozada
MANILA -- From her Hermes
bag, to her dance shows, to her
movies, to her rendition of Wrecking
Ball, and to her most recent voodoo
spells, Mommy Dionisia Pacquiao,
or Mommy D as she is fondly called,
has cemented herself as a
worldwide figure just like her son.
Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao's
mother has been on every
conceivable medium of public
consciousness after she was
accused of putting Timothy “Desert
Storm” Bradley under her spell, but
it's not the first time that Mommy D
was in the public's mindset.
Just as her son had his
trademark haymakers and
knockout punches, Mommy D also
had her best hits.
In no particular order, here are
M o m my D' s m o s t n o to r i o u s
moments as the “Pacmom.”
Mommy D vs Miriam
Her son may be one of the best
boxers in history but it doesn't mean
that the Pacmom won't rush to her
son's defense when someone steps
on him.
When the Philippine Senate's
most animated figure, Senator
Miriam Defensor-Santiago, gave
some legislative pointers to
Pacquiao regarding the thenReproductive Health bill, Mommy D
had her counter ready.
“Huwag ang anak ko ang
pakialaman niyo, [ang pakialaman
niyo] 'yung malaswa, 'yung,
malaswa!” Mommy D responded.
(Don't you meddle with my son,
instead pry on those who are lewd,
the lewd!)
Yes, she dropped the “M-bomb”
twice, probably her own version of a
1-2 punch combo.
Santiago, on the other hand,
managed to get back up and decided
to let bygones be bygones.
“Pugilistic excellence is not one
of my ambitions, I have no desire to
spar with Pacman,” Santiago said on
May 25, 2011 after Mommy D's
outrage. “I feel affection for him and
Aling Dionisia, because we are all
Visayans.”
Mommy D immediately sang the
chorus to the delight of Vice Ganda,
the audience, and everyone glued to
the show.
Mommy Dionisia Pacquiao. Inquirer file photo/Jeoffrey Maitem
Mommy D vs BIR
Protective as she is, Mommy D
would not let anyone accuse her son
as a thief.
When Bureau of Internal
Revenue hunted the Pacman for his
allegedly unpaid taxes after his title
fights, Mommy D was once again on
the rescue.
“Why are you focusing all your
efforts on my son?” Mommy D
snarled at it on November 27, 2013.
“Why don't they turn their efforts on
those corrupt politicians?”
Pacquiao, the BIR claims,
escaped paying taxes amounting to
P2.2 billion from his fights in the
United States.
“Their office, be it at the highest
floors, will be put down when God
casts His anger upon them.”
Mommy D vs Pastors
Hell hath no fury like a woman
scorned, and Mommy D was the
epitome of this saying as she
chastised her son's newfound
friends, the “Protestant pastors.”
Just like Pacquiao's Coach
Freddie Roach begging the pastors
to leave the eight-division World
champion prior his fights, Mommy D
took a rather different approach the
blame game.
Mommy D believed that her son
had lost via knockout against Juan
Manuel Marquez because of the
pastors, who aren't actually
Protestant but Mommy D believed
so, as they had allegedly lingered
with the Pacquiao entourage and
changed the boxer's mindset and
faith.
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 16 Sudoku
Solution to Issue 16 Crossword
“That's what he (Pacquiao) gets
for changing his religion,” Mommy D
said on December 9, 2012. “They
always pray, with Manny losing
sleep.”
“I hope he listens to me when he
returns, and be a Catholic again.'
Wrecking Ball
No amount of ballroom dancing
could surpass the power of Mommy
D and her Wrecking Ball, or, as
Netizens would have it, “Riking
Bull.”
In an episode of ABS-CBN's
Gandang Gabi Vice, Mommy D
belted out her own rendition of
Miley Cyrus' single and, in the
process, set Twitter on fire.
Needing no formal introduction,
and apparently the first verse,
Hex, hug, and kiss
She may be a protective mother,
but she also knows how to console
her son's beaten opponents.
But before she gave some
motherly advice to Bradley on
Sunday, Mommy D was caught on
camera as if she was hexing Bradley.
She, however, downplayed it the
moment reporters got hold of her.
Mommy D, who once again set
Twitter ablaze, was in the audience
for the first time. She said she was
actually praying when the camera
panned on her.
“I prayed that He helps Manny
not to be knocked out by Bradley,”
Mommy D said.
And it was not just ordinary
citizens who took notice of Mommy
D. British journalist and TV host
Piers Morgan expressed his love for
the Pacmom on Twitter.
“ L o v e M a n n y P a c q u i a o' s
mother,” Morgan said.
After the fight, Mommy D
immediately climbed the ring to
congratulate his son and console the
defeated Bradley.
Mommy D reportedly told
Bradley that “you win some, you lose
some” and hugged the Desert Storm.
Bradley, gracious in defeat, told
Mommy D, “I believe you, Momma, I
believe you,” and gave the thumbs
up to Pacquiao. Inquirer.net
EXPRESS CROSSWORD
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 30
Rentals
FULL TIME
STUDENT
RECRUITER
WANTED
Looking for a full
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Interested
candidate can fax
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u
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A valid driver's license is
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Please provide a
résumé that outlines
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dementia, qualifications
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Salary commensurate
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Please call
(917) 207-6144
BABY
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Infant care
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life.
One free question by
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Also palm and card
reading.
Address:
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Staten Island, NY
10302
Telephone:
718-720-1865
The Filipino Express is only
$48 a year for 52 issues
LIVE-IN
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WANTED
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nanny for 3
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April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 31
April 25 - May 1, 2014
Page 32

The Filipino Express v28 Issue 17

Transcription

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