The Filipino Express v28 Issue 22

VOL. 28 w
NO. 22 w
MAY 30 - JUNE 5, 2014 w
NATIONAL EDITION
NEW JERSEY w
NEW YORK w
(201) 434-1114 w
$1.00
Triumphs of the Filipino: Pride of the Philippines
FESTIVE, STAR-STUDDED PARADE MARKS
116TH PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY
CELEBRATION IN NEW YORK CITY, JUNE 1
By Oliver Oliveros
New York City -- The
Philippine Independence Day
Council Inc. (PIDCI), a nonprofit
organization best known for the
largest Philippine
Independence Day Parade
outside the Philippines, which
is also celebrating its silver
anniversary this year, is all set to
Miss World Megan Young graces 116th Philippine Independence Day
Celebration in New York City. Photo by Rolan Gutierrez
host its annual Philippine
Independence Day Parade,
accompanied by an all-day
street fair and cultural festival,
stretching from 38 th Street
down to 23rd Street and Madison
Avenue, on Sunday, June 1, from
11:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The Black Eyed Peas CoFounder apl.de.ap; multip l a t i n u m a wa r d - w i n n i n g
recording artist David
Pomeranz; boxing and mixed
martial arts superstar Ana
Julaton; First Filipina Miss
World Megan Young; Original
Philippine Music (OPM) icons
Kuh Ledesma, Cecile Azarcon,
Edlyn Peregrina, Lirio Vital, and
Ogie Alcasid; First Filipina
Carnaval Queen in Brazil Bessie
u
Page 9
Filipino resilience to
be showcased at Asia
Europe conference
By Matikas Santos
MANILA -- The resilience
of Filipinos is set to be
showcased to the world as
delegates from Europe and
Asia come to the Philippines
and visit areas devastated by
Super Typhoon Yolanda
(international name Haiyan)
for an international
conference on disaster risk
reduction and management.
“We are the poster child
of resiliency and we have
been cited for our resilience
and other international
conferences have referred to
the Philippines because of
our determination to rise up
a g a i n a n d a g a i n ,”
Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA) Asec. Maria
Zeneida Angara Collinson,
chair of the Asia-Europe
Meeting (ASEM) Manila
conference, said in a press
conference Thursday.
“So far, 140 senior
government officials
involved in disaster risk
reduction and management,
experts, non-government
officials and civil society
leaders, and private sector
u
Page 4
Fallen Filipino UN peacekeeper,
106 others to be honored
By Frances Mangosing
MANILA -- A Filipino
soldier who died last year
while serving as a United
Nations peacekeeper was
among 106 soldiers, police
a n d c iv i l i a n p e r s o n n e l
posthumously honored for
conflict. Among the 56 granite pillars
the International Day of UN
representing the American states and U.S.
Peacekeepers in New York.
territories that sacrificed during the war
Sergeant Benson Angot of
is the Philippines.
the 17th Philippine
“I am glad we who fought, suffered
Contingent to Liberia died of
and survived the terrible invasion of our
malaria on October 22 last
homeland have a prestigious monument
year while on a peacekeeping
in Washington,” said Almeda. He proudly
mission. He was also
wore his American Legion Philippine
previously given a
Post vest and veterans cap. Almeda sat in
posthumous award by the
his aluminum walker as he watched the
Armed Forces of the
ceremony program with about a hundred
Philippines.
aging former warriors, many in wheel
“ L a s t y e a r, 1 0 6
United Nations Filipino peacekeepers.
chairs. They were accompanied by their
Peacekeepers perished
family members.
carrying out their duty under these courageous individuals. said Secretary-General Ban
“The sacrifices of the Filipino People
the UN flag, bringing the total We grieve with their friends Ki-Moon in a statement.
and her soldiers are honored with the
number of lives lost in the and families and we recommit
This is the sixth year the
Philippine Pillar,” Almeda pointed out.
history of peacekeeping to ourselves to ensure that their U N w i l l r e c o g n i z e
More than 60,000 Filipino soldiers and
more than 3,200. We mourn contributions to the cause of peacekeepers known for their
u
Page 12
u
Page 5
the passing of every one of peace will never be forgotten,”
US Filipino Vets Remember American
WWII Fallen in the Philippines
WASHINGTON, DC -- During the
Memorial Day weekend, two elderly
Filipino American veterans honored the
sacrifices of their fallen U.S. military
comrades numbering 400,000 who were
killed in World War II, including 14,000
G.I.s who fought and died in the
Philippines and buried there.
Celestino Almeda, 96, of Maryland
and Jesse Baltazar, 94, of Virginia
attended the 10th anniversary of the
opening and dedication of the National
World War II Memorial in the capital.
The Memorial, a popular tourist
destination in the midst of the Lincoln
Memorial, the Washington Monument,
the U.S. Capitol and the White House, is a
Mecca for the dwindling members of the
“greatest generation.” Sixteen million
Americans served during the global
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 2
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 3
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Pope to visit PH in January 2015
Associated Press
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE -Pope Francis confirmed Monday,
May 26 that he will visit the
Philippines in January next year as
well as Sri Lanka for two days, but
gave no definite dates and details.
Philippine Catholic Church officials
have reportedly invited him to visit
the Philippines, with a trip to
typhoon-devastated Leyte as the
highlight of his visit.
Early this year Palo Archbishop
John Du was quoted by the Philippine
Daily Inquirer as saying that “the
Holy Father might just come,” adding
that there was a plan but that “there
is no calendar yet (for this possible
visit). But we are praying for it.”
Du talked about the Pope's
possible visit during the visit of
Robert Cardinal Sarah to Leyte on
Jan. 28, 2014, during which he
expressed Francis' “oneness and
solidarity” with the people of Leyte
and the rest of the areas hit by Super
Typhoon Yolanda on Nov. 8, 2013.
Cardinal Sarah is the president of
the Vatican's Pontifical Council Cor
Unum responsible for charity and
humanitarian assistance. He said
Mass at the damaged Saint Elizabeth
of Hungary Church in Libertad
village, about four kilometers away
from Palo town proper.
Francis also announced Monday
he would meet soon with a group of
sex abuse victims at the Vatican and
declared “zero tolerance” for any
member of the clergy who would
violate a child.
Francis also revealed that three
bishops are currently under
investigation by the Vatican for
abuse-related reasons, though it
wasn't clear if they were accused of
committing abuse itself or of having
covered it up.
“There are no privileges,” he told
reporters en route back to Rome
from Jerusalem.
The meeting with a half-dozen
victims will mark the first such
encounter for the pope, who has
been criticized by victims for not
expressing personal solidarity with
them when he has reached out to
other people who suffer.
Francis said the meeting and a
Mass at the Vatican hotel where he
lives would take place early next
month. A statement from the office of
Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley, who
is organizing the encounter, said the
date and details hadn't been finalized
but that the meeting was expected to
take place “in the coming months.”
“On this issue we must go
forward, forward. Zero tolerance,”
Francis said, calling abuse of children
an “ugly” crime that betrays God.
The executive director of the
main U.S. victims' group, Survivors
Network of Those Abused by Priests,
or SNAP, dismissed the meeting as
“just utterly, utterly meaningless.”
“The simple truth is this is
another gesture, another public
relations coup, another nice bit of
symbolism that will leave no child
better off and bring no real reform to
a continuing, scandal-ridden church
hierarchy,” said SNAP Executive
Director David Clohessy.
Clohessy said the pope has
shown himself capable of making
real change in other areas such as
church governance and finance but
hasn't done so in dealing with sex
abuse by Catholic clergy.
Francis spoke to reporters for
nearly an hour after his grueling,
three-day trip to Jordan, the West
Bank and Israel, taking all 11
questions posed and responding
with candor and occasional humor.
Visiting PH
He said he would travel to Sri
Lanka for two days and the
Philippines in January 2015. And he
suggested that he might follow in
emeritus Pope Benedict XVI's
footsteps and retire if he no longer
had the strength to do the job.
“We need to look at him as an
institution: he opened a door, the
door of emeritus popes,” Francis said.
“Only God knows if there will be
others, but the door is open.”
If and when the time comes, he
said, “I will do what the Lord tells me
to do, pray and try to find God's will.
But I think that Benedict XVI wasn't a
unique case.”
Francis sought to lower
expectations about his planned
encounter in the Vatican next month
with the Israeli and Palestinian
presidents, which he announced
during the trip. He stressed that they
were coming to pray together, not
enter into peace mediation.
“We are coming just to pray, then
everyone goes home,” he said. “But I
Pope Francis talks with Vatican Spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, right, during
a press conference he held aboard the papal flight on his way back to Rome at the
end of a three day trip to the Middle East, Monday, May 26, 2014. He confirmed a
visit to the Philippines in January 2015. AP/ANDREW MEDICHINI, POOL
think prayer is important, praying
together.”
He said he had originally hoped
to arrange the encounter in
Jerusalem itself, but that the idea was
scrapped because of the enormous
logistical problems that would have
been involved. Preparations are
already under way, he said, noting
that a rabbi and Islamic cleric would
join him in leading the prayers.
Spontaneous gesture
One of the more poignant
moments of Francis' pilgrimage
came Monday when he visited the
Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in
Jerusalem and kissed the hands of
survivors in a show of humility and
respect. Francis said his gesture
came spontaneously.
“The gestures that are the most
authentic you don't think about,”
ahead of time, he said.
Given his respect for Holocaust
survivors, Francis was asked what he
intended to do about the pending
beatification case for Pope Pius XII,
the World War II-era pope accused
by some Jews of not speaking out
enough against the Holocaust. Jewish
groups have asked that the case be
shelved pending the opening of the
archives of his pontificate, or at least
until the generation of Holocaust
survivors has passed.
Francis has bent the Vatican's
saint-making rules for a half-dozen
people so far in his pontificate,
waiving the usual second miracle
requirement for example to canonize
Pope John XXIII last month. Francis,
however, offered no such wiggle
room for Pius.
“There's still no miracle,” he said.
“If there are no miracles, it can't go
forward. It's blocked there.”
Inquirer.net
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 4
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Asia pivot absent from
Obama foreign policy speech
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President
Barack Obama laid out a sweeping
vision for US foreign policy but made
no mention of what has been a
signature tune of his
administration's diplomacy: the
“pivot” to Asia.
The concept of the pivot was that
as America wound down its
involvement in wars in Afghanistan
and Iraq that would free up military
and diplomatic resources to focus on
the Asia-Pacific, after a decade of
relative neglect.
Yet in the president's speech
delivered Wednesday - a day after
Obama outlined plans to get US
forces out of Afghanistan by the end
of 2016 - there was not a single
reference to that shift in regional
focus.
That was partly due to the
purpose of the address. Obama was
pushing back against critics who
contend that his approach to global
problems, such as Ukraine and Syria,
has been too cautious and has
emboldened adversaries.
He offered a broader perspective
on the role that America should play
in international affairs, still leading
on the world stage and eschewing
isolationism, but less ready to
embark on military adventures.
Peter Paul Galvez. Inquirer.net file photo
DND 'wary and
troubled' of Vietnam
ship sinking
By Bong Lozada
MANILA -- Amid the rising tension in the South China Sea after
one Chinese vessel rammed and sunk a Vietnamese ship, the
In this May 22, 2010, file photo, addressing the graduates of the U.S. Military Academy,
Department of National Defense remained “wary” and “troubled”
President Barack Obama outlined a foreign policy vision using diplomacy and a strong
of
the volatile situation in the disputed waters.
military together, in West Point, N.Y. Obama will soon outline a strategy for his final years in
Peter Paul Galvez, Department of National Defense
office that aims to avoid overreach as the second of the two wars he inherited comes to a
spokesman, said that the latest incident between the two
close. The president will make the case for that seemingly more limited approach during a
commencement address Wednesday, May 28, 2014, at the U.S. Military Academy at West
countries is an indication of the “volatility of the situation.”
Point. AP
“This further highlights the need to have efforts to avoid such
incidents and accidents at sea,” Galvez said.
But Obama made clear that the
foreign policy speech he made in
He added that the Philippines and the DND is pursuing the
threat of terrorism that has
Australia in November 2011, where
shared protocols of action and code of conduct in the South China
preoccupied the US since the 9/11
he declared that in the Asia-Pacific in
Sea.
attacks remains an abiding concern.
the 21st century, “the United States
According to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the
He said as the US reduces its Afghan
of America is all in.”
code of conduct in the South China Sea “promotes a peaceful,
presence, it can do more to address
Despite his administration's
friendly and harmonious environment in the South China Sea.”
emerging threats in the Middle East
intent to devote more attention to
Galvez added that the DND would continue to remain vigilant
and North Africa.
Asia, the rebalance, as the pivot is
in the face of the alarming development in the disputed sea.
It's a far cry from the tone
also known, has struggled for air
“We continue to be vigilant and we would continue to monitor
Obama struck in another keynote
u
Page 6
the activities of our fishermen,” Galvez said. Inquirer.net
DFA Asec. Maria Zeneida Angara Collinson, chair of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)
Manila conference, said in a press conference May 29 that the resiliency of Filipino is
known worldwide. Matikas Santos
Filipino resilience
to be showcased ...
From page 1
representatives from 36 of the 51
Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) partner
countries, joined by senior
representatives from 19 regional and
international organizations have
confirmed their participation in the
ASEM Manila conference,” she said.
The conference will be held from
June 4 to June 6 and will start with a
visit to Leyte province where
participants will visit the cities off
Tacloban, Tanauan, and Palo.
They will also lead in the ground
breaking ceremony for the ASEM Elearning center in Bislig Elementary
school which will be a token
contribution of the conference
participants to the youth.
Collinson said that the conference
aims to draw lessons from the
Philippine's experience with Yolanda
and to exchange best practices in
disaster risk reduction and
management among the participants.
They also seek to introduce and
promote innovation, technology,
systems, and services in disaster
prevention, mitigation, response, and
recovery from the private and
scientific community, she said.
“The ASEM Manila conference on
disaster risk reduction and mitigation
translates into action the collective
commitment of ASEM partners or
greater collaboration and
coordination,” Collinson said.
Inquirer.net
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May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 5
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Fil-Am named assistant
administrator of US airports
By Mico Letargo
Pastor Alex Achacoso (left) with Sigma Rho of SoCal and their families.
Fil-Am pastor rebuilds
fire-razed San Diego
church after two years
By Cecile Caguingin Ochoa
SAN DIEGO, California -- Pastor
Alexander Achacoso, a University of
the Philippines alumnus, on
Saturday May 24, led his visiting
college fraternity buddies in
dedicating a commemorative
fountain that caps the rebuilding of
a church razed by fire early one
morning on Christmas two years
ago.
“The fire burned down our
church, but not our faith,” Pastor
Achacoso, who immigrated to Bronx
New York some 36 years ago, told
his friends and their families.
“God is good; He provides at the
right time and proof is how the
community around Old Town, our
friends near and far, gathered their
resources to append insurance
mitigation,” he told his guests from
the UP Sigma Rho of Southern
California Chapter and their
families.
The fire caused damage
estimated at $500,000. The actual
cost to rebuild to date is $900,000.
The old church is situated in a
tourist area visited for its history
Fallen Filipino ...
From page 1
“blue helmets” who lost their lives
“while serving the cause of peace.”
Commemorative activities will
be held at United Nations
Headquarters in New York, as well
as at UN peacekeeping operations
and offices around the world.
Ban Ki-Moon will lead the
wreath-laying ceremony in honor
of the fallen peacekeepers on
Thursday, May 29. He will also
make a speech at which the Dag
Hammarskjöld Medal will be
awarded posthumously to 106
military, police and civilian
personnel who lost their lives
while serving in peacekeeping
operations last year.
“Let us all commit to following
LOS ANGELES, California -- A
Filipino-American was recently
named the new US Federal
Aviation Administration's (FAA)
associate administrator for
airports.
Eduardo Angeles will be
appointed in early July, FAA
Administrator Michael Huerta
announced on Wednesday, May
14, according to a report from
Aviation News Today.
The position was previously
held by Christa Fornarotto, who
vacated the office in January this
year.
Angeles told Asian Journal
that he is “truly honored and
h u m b l e d ” t o b e a n FA A
administrator under President
Barack Obama's administration.
“I am now a fabric of American
history, as a member of the team of
the first African-American US
President,” Angeles said via email
correspondence.
Angeles said that as an
immigrant from the Philippines
raised by a single mom, who
worked as a maid in the Army
Presidio in San Francisco, the
“opportunity to serve this great
nation is an exclamation point on
my already fulfilled American
Dream.”
Angeles also recognized the
importance of his appointment to
Eduardo Angeles. AJPRESS PHOTO
the Filipino community. “I can
only hope that my fellow Filipino
immigrants, who come from a
similar marginalized background,
can find inspiration in my
personal story of success. Kaya
natin lahat!,” Angeles said.
Angeles currently serves as
the senior assistant city attorney
in Los Angeles, where he is
assigned to the LA Department of
Water and Power.
Previously, Angeles was the
general counsel to Los Angeles
World Airports. During his tenure
with the LA World Airports,
Angeles oversaw legal matters for
four major airports in Southern
California: LAX, Ontario, Van Nuys
and Palmdale.
Prior to his stint in Los
Angeles, Angeles worked for the
San Francisco City Attorney's
Office, as an in-house counsel for
the San Francisco International
Airport.
Angeles said that former
colleagues recommended him for
the position to the White House
Personnel Office because of his
previous work with airports in
San Francisco and Los Angeles.
He underwent an extensive
vetting process, which took
months to complete, and which
included interviews with officials
at the highest levels in federal
government.
He was interviewed
personally by Department of
Tra n s p o r t a t i o n S e c re t a r y
A n t h o n y F o x x a n d FA A' s
Administrator Huerta.
As the new associate
administrator for airports,
Angeles said that he will prioritize
safety and security.
“I intend to dedicate my
efforts during my tenure at the
FAA assuring the safety and
security of the traveling public at
airports. I will seek technological
innovations and creative
solutions to address these issues
throughout all the airports to the
entire country,” Angeles said.
Angeles also said that while he
is open to new ideas, he fully
intends to continue to support
effective programs that have
provided positive results for the
FAA. Inquirer.net
and local crafts in a laid-back,
almost pastoral setting. Besides the
sanctuary, several items inside the
church, which was built in the
1970s, were destroyed, including a
carved sculpture called an intaglio
that depicted the Madonna and
child. The work hung in a handmade
wooden frame above the altar, said
Achacoso's wife, Irene.
The Old Town community, a
quaint parcel of the early Spanish
settlement in the area south of Los
Angeles has approximately 1,500
residents. The other church in town
is the Immaculate Conception
Catholic Church that has since
collaborated with some activities
including feeding programs.
Immediately after the fire, the
c h u rc h' s Fa c e b o o k s i te wa s
inundated with supportive
messages. One was from a local
conservationist group, “ The Save
Our Heritage Organization.” It
offered the use of the Old Adobe
Chapel just around the corner from
t h e s i n g l e - s t o r y O l d To w n
C o m m u n i t y C h u rc h .
Achacoso's fraternity donated
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Page 8
the selfless example of our fallen
heroes, as we work together to
help our blue helmets be a force for
peace, a force for change, and a
force for the future,”Ban Ki-Moon
said.
The ceremonies come at a time
when the need for UN
peacekeepers continues to be in
demand. There are nearly 85,000
military personnel, 12,500 police
officers, 17,000 international
civilian and national staff serving
in 16 peacekeeping operations on
four continents.
At present, the Philippines has
deployed 676 military and police
personnel to the United Nations
peacekeeping operations in Cote
d'Ivoire, Haiti, India-Pakistan,
Liberia, and the Middle East.
Inquirer.net
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 6
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Manila traders sued for fake,
low-quality China imports
The owners and brokers of two
trading companies in Manila are facing
smuggling charges in the Department
of Justice (DOJ) for importing nearly
P64 million worth of counterfeit
clothing items and substandard
construction materials, all from China.
In separate cases filed in the DOJ,
the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on
Thursday named the respondents as
Rizaldy Valencia and Mae Espino,
owners of Clurky Trading and Sun Ford
Trading, respectively. Also sued were
Elizar Lopez, broker for the Port Areabased Clurky; and Arnel Asuncion,
broker for Sun Ford which is based in
the Binondo district.
The action brought to 164 the total
number of smuggling cases filed by the
BOC, an agency attached to the
Department of Finance, under the
Aquino administration, the bureau
said. In a statement, the BOC said the
goods imported by Clurky Trading,
estimated to be worth P55 million,
were packed inside three 40-foot
freight containers and declared as
ladies' sandals, bags and swimwear.
But when inspected at the Manila
International Container Port on Jan. 2,
the cargo turned out to be fake Levi's
jeans, Adidas and Aeropostale shirts
and jogging pants, among others.
The firm also failed to declare the
other items in its shipment, such as
mobile phone chargers and other
electronic products.
Meanwhile, the charges against
S u n Fo rd s te m m e d f ro m i t s
importation of 10 containers
containing P8.95 million worth of
wood and steel products on Jan 6.
The products neither went through
mandatory product certification from
the Department of Trade and
I n d u s t r y ' s B u re a u o f P ro d u c t
Standards nor were issued Import
Commodity Clearances, the BOC noted.
The company also attempted to
avoid paying the correct duties and
taxes by misdeclaring its imported
items as clamps, hinges and flexible
tubings.
Customs Commissioner John Philip
Sevilla noted “a very clear intent to
cheat the government given the huge
discrepancies in what Sun Ford
declared and what we found after
examining their shipments. These
smuggled substandard construction
materials flood our market, causing
harm to our local industries and posing
a threat to the safety of our people.”
Both Clurky Trading and Sun Ford
Trading have yet to comment on the
smuggling charges filed against them
by the BOC. Jerry E. Esplanada.
Inquirer.net
Asia pivot ...
allies is in danger comments that
could reassure US treaty allies like
Japan and the Philippines.
Obama also reiterated
Washington's backing for Southeast
Asian nations as they try to negotiate a
code of conduct with China to help
resolve disputes in the South China Sea,
where there are half-dozen claimants.
His comments come as dozens of
Chinese and Vietnamese vessels are
engaged in a standoff around a Chinese
offshore oil rig.
But US support for the code of
conduct since 2010 hasn't helped
much. Negotiations have moved slowly,
and they could become tougher as
disputes multiply and tensions
escalate. Seeking to maintain its
leverage, China remains reluctant to
negotiate with the regional bloc rather
than individual nations.
Obama even conceded Wednesday
that Washington “can't try” to resolve
problems in the South China Sea when
the US Senate has not ratified the UN
Law of the Sea Convention that defines
the rights and responsibilities of
nations in their use of the world's
oceans. Inquirer.net
From page 4
time. The civil war in Syria, the
escalating violence in Iraq, nuclear
negotiations with Iran, the IsraelPalestinians peace process and the
threat of conflict in Ukraine all
compete for Washington's attention.
That's not to say Asia was entirely
neglected in Wednesday's speech,
which was delivered to graduating
officers at the elite US Military
Academy at West Point.
Allies in the region may draw some
comfort from Obama's pointed
references to China's economic rise
and military reach and its conduct in
maritime territorial disputes.
“Regional aggression that goes
unchecked in southern Ukraine, the
South China Sea, or anywhere else in
the world will ultimately impact our
allies, and could draw in our military,”
Obama said.
Despite stressing the importance
of coalition-building before the US
intervenes overseas, the president did
express a willingness to use military
force if necessary if the security of US
House urged to probe
abusive yellow cabs at Naia
By Marc Jayson Cayabyab
MANILA -- The House of
Representatives is urged to
investigate the alleged
overcharging by yellow taxis
at the Ninoy Aquino
International Airport (Naia).
M i n d a n a o
representatives and
brothers Rufus Rodriguez
and Maximo Rodriguez Jr.
filed House Resolution 1028
seeking to invite officials of
the Department of
Transportation and
Communications (DOTC),
the Manila International
Airport Authority (MIAA),
the Land Transportation
Franchising and Regulatory
Board (LTFRB) and other
agencies in a public hearing
about the issue.
They said yellow taxi
drivers dupe passengers by
charging fixed rates without
using their meters.
They added that these
abuses by taxis have put a
dent on the country's
reputation as a tourist
destination.
“There is a need to
address this situation as
Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Inquirer file photo
these unscrupulous taxi
drivers that operate in
international airports can
give the country a bad name
as soon as visitors step into
Philippines,” Rodriguez said.
According to Rodriguez,
ordinary taxis charge a flag
down rate of P40 and P3.50
for every 300 meters, while
metered airport taxis charge
a P70-flag down rate and P4
for every 300 meters.
The lawmakers said
passengers were forced to
take these taxis due to a
ve r b a l p o l i c y a t NA I A
p re ve n t i n g t h e m f ro m
hailing standard metered
cabs at the departure area.
Passengers are even
blocked by airport personnel
from hailing the taxis, they
added.
The legislators cited a
report by a passenger who
was charged with P620 from
the airport to the Mall of Asia
(MOA) after being shown a
laminated piece of paper
listing the rates. Inquirer.net
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 7
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Napoles taken
back to jail
By Julliane Love De Jesus
MANILA -- Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged brains
behind a P10-billion pork barrel scam, was taken back
to her detention bungalow at Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta.
Rosa, Laguna, on Thursday (May 29) night after almost
two months in the Ospital ng Makati (OsMak).
On board a white van with her security escorts, the
detained businesswoman arrived at the highly-secured
Special Action Forces (SAF) police camp in Laguna at
10:20 p.m in less than an hour of travel time.
Wearing a bulletproof vest and a navy blue hoodie,
Napoles was escorted out of the OsMak in a wheelchair
by some policemen around 9:35 p.m.
Among the security escorts were Senior
Superintendent Ronald Santos, deputy regional
director for operations of the Calabarzon police.
Chief Superintendent Jesus Gatchalian, Calabarzon
Police Regional Director, said Napoles was not
accompanied by any of her family's members or her
lawyers, but only by two female security personnel.
Gatchalian said they would implement the same
visiting policies as before.
On regular days, Napoles is allowed to receive
visitors from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday
and from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. during
weekends.
Earlier Thursday, the Makati Regional Trial Court
(RTC) ordered the immediate transfer of Napoles back
to jail after a series of pleas to stay in the hospital.
The detained businesswoman was admitted March
31.
Napoles' transfer to jail was deferred by her
recurring vaginal bleeding after she underwent total
hysterectomy and a bilateral salpingo-ophorectomy to
remove her uterus and both ovaries last April 23.
‎Following a court order, Napoles was discharged at
10:40 p.m. Wednesday. Inquirer.net
Senate copy of Luy digital
files found to have deletions
By TJ Burgonio
MANILA -- As far as the Senate's
copy of Benhur Luy's files is concerned,
it's a mumbo jumbo of the whistleblower's records of transactions with
lawmakers, his music, photos and
downloads, and only he could make
sense of them.
The Senate's copy of Luy's digital
files, which was submitted by the
National Bureau of Investigation to the
chamber on Wednesday, included items
that the pork barrel scam whistleblower or anybody who accessed his
computer deleted before they ended up
in the hands of authorities.
Ronald Aguto, chief of the NBI AntiCybercrime Division, said the agency
could not say who deleted the files.
“We don't know because when the
hard drive was given to us, we just
examined it. During the examination,
the software was able to detect some
deleted files and we were able to
recover it,” he told reporters on
Wednesday, May 28 in the Senate.
Familiar code names
Luy's “deleted files” included
countless entries with such codenames
as “Bigote,” “Dahon,” “Sexy,” “Pogi,”
“Bonget,” “Tanda” and “Bigboy,” who his
boss Janet Lim-Napoles had
purportedly dealt with.
Save for Bigboy, these are familiar
code names that had been tossed
around in the Senate inquiry into the
P10-billion pork barrel scam that has
riveted the country for months since the
scandal broke in mid-2013.
In its February hearing, feisty Sen.
Miriam Defensor-Santiago confronted
witness Ruby Tuason about the code
names “Dahon for Loren Legarda.
Bigote for Vicente Sotto. Bongets for
Sen. [Ferdinand] Marcos.”
Tuason, who confessed to brokering
deals between Napoles and lawmakers,
however, replied that she was only
familiar with “Tanda,” “Sexy” and “Pogi”
because she dealt with them personally.
She was apparently referring to
Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Bong
Revilla.
Most of the senators whose names
are mentioned in the Senate's copy of
Luy's files and Napoles' expanded
affidavit have flatly denied either
knowing or transacting with Napoles.
Examples of deleted entries: “2010
Bigote_NLDC Authority & Endorsement
Request”; “2011_DAHON_50M_LGUs”;
“2011_DAR_Sexy_LGUs”;
“2011_NLDC_BONGET”;
“2011_NLDC_POGI_100M”;
“2011_TANDA_55M_LGUs.”The entries
had dates when they were last accessed,
first created and last written. If you click
on the entries, they're inactive precisely
because their contents had been
deleted.
Downloads from adult site
NBI Director Virgilio Mendez
handed over a CD of Luy's files to Sen.
Teofisto Guingona III, chair of the Senate
blue ribbon committee on Wednesday.
These are the official files, Guingona
said.
The Inquirer ran a series of
investigative stories on Luy's digital
files that were turned over to the
newspaper by his family in April last
year. A copy of the files was submitted
early this year as evidence to the Office
of the Ombudsman, which on April 1
resolved that there was sufficient
evidence to indict Estrada, Enrile and
Revilla, Napoles and several others for
plunder and graft over the scam.
If printed, the files could run up to
31,700 plus pages and could fill a whole
room, Guingona said.
The rest of the deleted entries were
straightforward: They carried the
names Enrile, Marcos, Legarda, Estrada,
Sotto and those of House
representatives, among others.
The deleted files included Luy's own
music, including songs with such titles
“Eli Eli Sabactani (My God, My God, why
have You forsaken me?) and “The Lord
announces good news;” his pictures,
and even downloads apparently from an
adult site. Inquirer.net
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 8
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
US naturalization do it for your family
It's hard to imagine that we as
individuals can do anything
about the broken immigration
system that is tearing many of
our families apart.
But we can. There is one step
that, if taken together, could have
the power to protect our families
and move our communities
forward.
More than 8 million
immigrants in the United States
have green cards and are eligible
to become U.S. citizens. Yet only 8
percent of eligible immigrants
naturalize each year.
Imagine what would happen
if the millions of us who are
eligible to become citizens
actually took that step. We would
be able to vote. But the benefits of
citizenship don't end there.
We would be able keep our
families together. As naturalized
U.S. citizens, we could petition for
our relatives. We would get
automatic citizenship for our
children under 18 who are
Lawful Permanent Residents.
And unlike green card holders
who can still be deported, U.S.
citizens are protected from the
threat of deportation, and so are
our children. We would be able to
travel freely, visit a sick relative
or attend a wedding without
worrying that we might not be
allowed back in the country if we
leave for six months.
We would be able to access
public benefits like Medicare and
Supplemental Security Income. If
we choose to retire abroad, we
would be able to keep our Social
Security retirement income and
of course visit our grandchildren.
We would be able to apply for
government jobs that are only
available to U.S. citizens. And
studies have shown that
immigrants who naturalize also
see an increase in income!
So why aren't more green
card holders applying for
citizenship?
Some may be held back by
financial and language barriers.
But a group of organizations that
form part of the national New
Americans Campaign are
working to reduce these barriers.
For example, it costs $680 to
file for citizenship. But if your
income falls below poverty level,
you can qualify for a fee waiver.
If you don't speak English
well you may think that limits
your chances of becoming a
citizen. But if you have been here
for many years, you can qualify to
take the exam in your native
language. And if you do need to
take the exam in English, many
local organizations provide free
and low-cost English and
citizenship classes.
Becoming a U.S. citizen
doesn't have to mean giving up
citizenship in our home country
the United States allows for dual
citizenship.
Green card holders can get
other questions answered
through CitizenshipWorks, an
online tool to guide users
through the citizenship
application. With so many
immigrants eligible to apply for
citizenship, the biggest challenge
m ay s i m p ly b e a l a c k o f
information.
That's why this year, in cities
across the country, media that
serve immigrant communities
are coming together with the
national organization New
A m e r i c a M e d i a <
newamericamedia.org> to help
inform our audiences about the
importance of citizenship and
some of the free resources
available to help them through
the process.
We are calling on our
audiences to take the important
step of becoming American
citizens - not just for the
individual, but for the good all of
our families and communities.
Inquirer.net
Fil-Am Pastor ... From page 5
funds to build the “Eternal One” fountain, which
welcomes churchgoers. Fernando Sosmena,
archon of the So Cal chapter, led some 20 members
in the dedication ceremony.
Fast-forward to 2014, after two and half years
of fundraising and re-building. Achacoso beamed
as he led friends on a tour of the new sanctuary.
Many of his guests drove more than 150 miles one
way to mark this event.
Achacoso has served at the nondenominational Christian church since 1993. It has
more than 90 family members 60 percent are
Filipino American and the rest are Chinese, Korean,
African American and Hispanic.
Achacoso celebrates Mass every Sunday from
11 a.m. Community leaders also conduct ministries
for children, youth and seniors, which for two years
had to be held at the adjacent school grounds.
Not only did the community restore the
demolished sanctuary, it was also able to add
square footage by including a crying room for
parents with babies and toddlers, as well as an
additional function room. The church now has
3,500 square feet with a new modern kitchen and
dining area, Achacoso explained.
“We're thankful - the rebuilding is a testament
of God's faithfulness,” he said.
With his wife Irene of 36 years, Achacoso
moved to the Bay area in 1983 where religious life
called on him and he entered the seminary. Ten
years after, their journey led them to San Diego
where the predominantly Caucasian church was
closing down. With a family of six children, Alex
and Irene have served the Old Church since 1993.
They now have 12 grandchildren and a growing
community church.
His goal as a pastor is to continue initiating
mission churches where these are needed Chula
Vista, for example; leading more people to “His
Kingdom.”
At Old Town Church, he plans to open a
veterans' facility to address some of the mental
challenges this group faces, a rehabilitative
mission. His mission is to strengthen the veterans'
spiritual side as well as their faith. Inquirer.net
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 9
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Los Angeles Dodgers to host
Filipino Heritage Night in
honor of PH Independence
LOS ANGELES, California -The Los Angeles Dodgers will
host the fifth annual Filipino
Heritage Night in honor of
Philippine Independence Day
(June 12) on Friday, June 13.
The club will take on the
Arizona Diamondbacks at 7:10
p.m., and this event features a
special ticket package that
allows fans to have access to
the Coca-Cola All-You-Can-Eat
Pavilion, which offers
unlimited Dodger dogs, nachos,
popcorn, peanuts, and soft
drinks.
Fans can also stay after the
Festive, starstudded ...
From page 1
Badilla; Grand Marshals Drs.
Emilio and Felicisima Quines;
and nearly 200 Filipino
American-related nonprofit and
for profit organizations will
participate in the day-long
celebration, whose attendance
would likely peak at 100,000
people, made up mostly of
Filipinos and Filipino
Americans who come from the
New York Tri-State area,
Pe n n s y lva n i a , C a l i f o r n i a ,
Canada, and the Philippines.
Leading the parade, along
with the Grand Marshals, are
PIDCI President Fe Martinez;
Philippine Consulate General
New York, led by Consul General
Mario L. De Leon Jr., who also
acts as an honorary adviser to
PIDCI; Philippine Ambassador
to the U.S. Jose Luis Cuisia;
Permanent Representative to
the United Nations Libran
Cabactulan; U.S. District Court
for the Southern District of New
York Judge Lorna Schofield; New
York City Mayor Bill de Blasio,
and New York State Governor
Andrew Cuomo.
Jersey City Council
game for the “Friday Night
Fireworks,” which occurs after
every Friday night home game.
Fans who purchase the
ticket will also receive a one-ofa-kind Filipino Heritage Night
T-shirt voucher and a portion
of the proceeds from this event
will directly support The
American Red Cross in their
Philippine Typhoon Relief
efforts.
Groups of 20 or more
tickets can be purchased by
calling the Dodger Group Sales
department at 323-DODGERS
o r
b y
e m a i l i n g
President Rolando Lavarro and
New York City Health and
Hospitals Corporation (HHC)
President Ram Raju, MD will
also attend.
PIDCI's Goodwill
Ambassadors 2014 Mrs.
Kalayaan (Mrs. Independence)
Josephine Vilar Rafael and 2014
Diwa ng Kalayaan (Spirit of
Independence) Mikaela Alexa
Rada will also ride one of the
many festive floats featured in
the parade, alongside worldrenowned Filipino cultural
festival live acts such as Bacolod
City's Masskara Festival, Cebu
City's Sinulog Festival, and
Kalibo, Aklan's Ati-Atihan
Festival.
Scheduled activities include
the following:
8:30 to 9:00 a.m.: FLAG
CEREMONY AND
INDEPENDENCE DAY MASS at
the Philippine Center, 556 Fifth
Avenue.
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.:
STREET FAIR, 26th Street down
to 24th Street and Madison
Avenue.
11:45 a.m.: PARADE OPENING
CEREMONY, 38th Street and
Madison Avenue
12:00 to 2:00 p.m.:
INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE,
38th Street down to 27th Street
[email protected].
Groups of 20 or more will
also receive special benefits
including a personalized group
message printed on their
tickets and shown on the
message board during the
game. Individual game tickets
can be purchased by visiting
www.dodgers.com/filipino.
For additional information
or for covering the pre-game
activities during this event
contact the Dodgers Public
Relations Department at (323)
224-1301. Inquirer.net
and Madison Avenue.
2:00 to 6:00 p.m.: CULTURAL
FESTIVAL, 23rd Street and
Madison Avenue
For updates, like PIDCI on
Facebook: facebook.com/pidci
or visit pidci.org.
About the Celebration
Theme: Triumphs of the
Filipino: Pride of the
Philippines
Everyone in the world was in
awe of the Filipinos' capacity to
persevere and triumph over
adversity, especially when
Ha iya n , on e of t he m ost
powerful tropical storms in
h i s t o r y, s t r u c k c e n t r a l
Philippines last year, but never
destroyed the unflagging
optimism of the Filipino spirit.
On our 25th year celebrating the
Philippine Independence Day its 116th anniversary - in the
center of the world, no less - we
honor the shining triumphs of
Filipinos across different fields
and industries: from business
and technology to sports; from
world ambassadorship to
e n te r t a i n m e n t ; a n d f ro m
volunteerism to social activism
wearing only national pride in
our hearts.
Filipino event scrapped in
Singapore after drawing abuse
Agence France-Presse
SINGAPORE -- A Philippine
independence day celebration in
Singapore has been cancelled, organizers
said Tuesday, after plans for a public
event generated online abuse and threats
against Filipinos in the city-state.
“In view of all considerations in the
search for equivalent suitable venues,
the PIDC 2014 deemed it is best to cancel
the event,” the Pilipino Independence
Day Council (PIDC) said in a statement
sent to AFP.
The PIDC had initially announced a
June 8 event outside a shopping complex
along the Orchard Road shopping belt. It
invited Singaporeans to join them in
commemorating the 116th anniversary
of the Philippines' declaration of
independence from Spain.
But police suggested alternative
venues, citing “public order and safety
concerns” following threats by an antiimmigration activist to hold a protest at
the venue.
The PIDC said other venues would
not be able to cater to the expected large
crowd and would not be as accessible to
public transport.
Online commentators, mostly on
anonymously-run local websites and
Facebook pages, have heaped racial
abuse on Filipinos particularly the PIDC
over the planned event, saying the choice
of a city center venue was an example of
foreigners overstepping their welcome.
Others called on the organizers to
hold the event within the Philippine
embassy grounds, while a few
commentators threatened physical harm
to participants if the event was held on
Orchard Road.
G i l b e r t G o h , a n e m p l oy m e n t
[email protected]
counsellor critical of the government's
i m m i g ra t i on p oli c y, ha d ea rli e r
threatened to hold a protest on Orchard
Road on the same day as the Filipino
event.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in
April condemned the campaign against
the Filipino event as “thuggish behavior”
and called the anonymous “trolls” a
“disgrace to Singapore”.
In its statement the PIDC said it was
satisfied with other events it had held
this year, including a cultural sharing
session at a primary school, a blood
donation drive and a visit to a home for
the elderly.
It said the events were “in line with
this year's theme of inclusiveness and
reaching out to the local community as
our way of expressing friendship and
partnership between the Philippines and
Singapore”.
Anti-immigrant sentiment is on the
rise in some segments of Singapore's
local population, with many complaining
that foreigners compete with them for
jobs, housing, medical care as well as
space on public transport.
This is despite a per capita income of
$55,183, one of the highest in the world,
and an unemployment rate of just over
two percent.
Singaporeans make up just over 60
percent of the 5.4 million population,
with its low fertility rate forcing the
government to rely heavily on guest
workers.
The Filipino community is estimated
at more than 170,000, many of them
professionals seen by some
Singaporeans as rivals for jobs,
compared to the past when most
F i l i p i n o s wo rke d a s d o m e s t i c s .
Inquirer.net
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 10
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Man that got away
Was it so long ago that we seem to have forgotten the “Hello
Garci” scandal that occurred in 2004? Or have we been so
snowed under by the pork barrel scam that hardly a peep is
heard regarding the man who got away, the man who must feel
like the luckiest in the world?
Virgilio Garcillano was the Commission on Elections official
heard in a taped phone call discussing the outcome of the 2004
presidential vote count with a woman who sounded suspiciously
like Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was then seeking a fresh sixyear term. After the airing of the tape resulted in loud calls by
various quarters for the election to be nullified and for Arroyo to
vacate the post she had apparently stolen through the
machinations of Garcillano and a number of other Comelec and
military officials, Malacañang staged a skit on national TV: A
morose-looking Arroyo admitted it was indeed she who was
caught on tape talking to a Comelec official, in a purported effort
to “protect her votes.” For that, she said in a famously measured
tone, “I am sorry.”
And with that, the nation moved on. Having owned up to what
in other countries and political cultures would qualify as one of
the greatest political crimes - the theft, or at least the tampering,
of the vote - Arroyo brazened out the tsunami of public outrage
and clung to her position even as a whole bloc of her Cabinet
resigned and a seemingly endless series of controversies, from
the national-broadband scandal to the Maguindanao massacre,
buffeted her administration.
Meanwhile, “Garci” himself slipped out of the country,
vanishing for a while and causing reports of sightings in such
John Boehner (R-Ohio) indicated California) introduced the bill and
places as Malaysia, Singapore and London. When he reappeared
last year that immigration reform sought a vote on the measure by
in 2005, he was summoned to a joint congressional hearing that
would be priority legislation for adding it as an amendment to the
2014, he now points out that the 2 0 1 5 N a t i o n a l D e f e n s e
was looking into the allegations of electoral fraud perpetrated by
As the chances of passing an President's implementation of the Authorization Act. However, the
Arroyo and her ruling party.
i m m i g ra t i o n re fo r m b i l l i n A f f o r d a b l e C a r e A c t g i v e s effort was blocked by House
Garcillano denied that he or Arroyo participated in rigging
Congress grow slimmer, President Republicans more reason not to act Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Rthe polls, but admitted he had called her to talk about the election
Obama faces mounting pressure on immigration reform. GOP Virginia).
tally. He also denied fleeing overseas and trying to evade the
from Democrats and immigrant members simply do not trust the
This recent development
inquiry into his conduct. That denial would form the basis for the
right
advocates
to
exercise
his
President
to
carry
out
the
law
as
intensified
the call for executive
charge of perjury with which the Office of the Ombudsman
executive authority.
Congress would pass it.
action on the President. The
indicted him only last March, after it was found that he had
Senator Chuck Schumer (DWhile House Republican President's executive authority
presented spurious documents and lied under oath when he told
New York) said that Congress only leaders seem to have closed its allows him to ease deportations. He
Congress that he didn't leave Philippine soil, when in fact he
has a few weeks until its August doors on the prospect of passing a may, as part of his “prosecutorial
transited through Changi airport en route to London, as attested
recess to act on immigration comprehensive immigration discretion”, prioritize deportation
to by the Singapore foreign ministry. To reflect that fabrication,
reform. Many believe that if reform bill, they also prevented a of aliens who pose a threat to public
Garcillano also apparently presented a counterfeit passport.
immigration reform in Congress is vote on the proposed legislation safety such as gang members and
Perjury and falsification of documents are not light
to happen this year, it has to happen referred to as the ENLIST Act that drug dealers.
infractions, and if Garcillano ends up punished for such crimes,
within that time frame; otherwise, would grant legal status to young
At the same time, he could ease
then some form of justice would have been achieved. But in the
the President will have to take undocumented immigrants who up on the deportation of aliens who
light of the enormously more consequential transgression he
action on his own.
serve in the military. Under the bill, do not have criminal convictions
appears to have committed in 2004, which is the desecration of
Since the Senate passed its the so-called DREAMers would be and who have family members in
comprehensive immigration allowed to join the military and be the U.S. Although they are still
the vote and the thwarting of the people's electoral will in
reform bill in June 2013, House eligible for citizenship after four s u b j e c t t o d e p o r t a t i o n ,
violation of his oath as an independent election official,
Republican leaders refused to take years.
enforcement would not be focused
Garcillano deserves far greater chastisement than the relatively
it up on the floor. Although Speaker
R e p . J e f f D u n h a m ( R - on them.
u
Page 12
small-fry cases he is now up against.
That ideal outcome, however, no longer has any chance of
becoming real. No less than the current chair of the Comelec,
Sixto Brillantes, has announced that Garcillano and others
involved in the “Hello Garci” scandal are off the hook, absolved
now because the five-year prescription period for the filing of
cases had lapsed.
u
Page 12
Call for Executive
Action on Immigration
Alternative scenarios
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Lito A. Gajilan, Jr.
Columnists: Reuben S. Seguritan, Esq.,
Juan L. Mercado, Joseph G. Lariosa
Contributor: Grace G. Baldisseri
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do
not reflect the opinion of the paper nor that of the publisher.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 201-434-1114 Fax 201-434-0880
2711 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07306
Few Filipinos have visited the
Natuna archipelago of Indonesia's
Riau province. It straddles one of
the world's potentially largest gas
fields. And over the last two
months, Indonesia twice accused
Beijing of claiming part of Natuna,
reports the South China Morning
Post (SCMP).
In so doing, China succeeded in
shifting Indonesia, from
moderator between China and
other South China Sea states, to
opponent, notes the SCMP
commentary “Peril of Price and
Prejudice.” It was written by Philip
Bowring, who has covered Asia for
four decades.
The Indonesian shift comes
when other Southeast Asian
countries have had bruising
conflicts with China over its “ninedash line.” Beijing's map claim
“line” sweeps in almost 90 percent
of the seaand barges into exclusive
economic zones (EEZ) of other
countries.
The Scarborough and Half
Moon shoals are within the
Philippine EEZ, Bowring notes. But
China scoffs at that. One reef is 60
miles from Palawan island, 900
from China. “If it belongs to
anyone… it'd be Brunei which
previously controlled southern
Palawan, the Sulu archipelago and
Sabah.”
Indonesian President Susilo
B a m b a n g Yu d h o y o n o a n d
President Aquino approved last
Thursday an agreement that
unsnarled their countries' onceoverlapping EEZs in the Celebes
and Mindanao Seas. “This is a good
example that any border disputes…
can be resolved peacefully, and not
t h r o u g h m i l i t a r y m i g h t ,”
Yudhoyono said.
Indeed, Malaysia and Thailand
managed a compromise over a gas
rich area. Indonesia, Singapore and
Malaysia brought island
ownership issues to the
international court and accepted
the result, the SCMP column
recalls. “China, however, refuses to
compromise or submit to
arbitration. Joint development is
impossible because China makes it
conditional on acceptance of its
sovereignty.”
Beijing anchors its claims on
“ h i s to r y.” T h a t i g n o re s t h e
existence of other peoples and
seafaring and trading going back
2,000 years. Indonesians, for
example, colonized Madagascar
1,000 years before Zheng He.
Southeast Asians absorbed more of
India and the Islamic world than of
China, Bowring notes. u
Page 12
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 11
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Climate change is upon us
The sights, sounds, and smells
that assailed me as I was walking
through the devastated chaos and
destruction of Tacloban City in the
Philippines last year, soon after the
most powerful storm ever to hit
land, made me realize that this was
the future. This utter devastation
wrecked by a vengeful nature on her
tormentors was going to be
repeated across the globe. Climate
change is upon us.
Extreme weather conditions
will be what we can expect in the
future. In the UK last year, massive
unprecedented flooding cut off
towns and villages. The economic
cost was massive. We have to ask
why and what can be done to
prevent such destructive weather
conditions getting worse and less
frequent. The Philippines
experienced 25 typhoons in 2013.
Humans are the custodians of
the creation and guardians of the
planet and yet we have sinned
Making
life worth
living
Ellen Tordesillas
While we continue to be
engrossed with Napolist (she has
submitted an expanded list
naming 120 lawmakers as alleged
beneficiaries of her largesse
including her contributions to
their election campaign), things
are heating up in the South China
Sea between China and Vietnam
that could destabilize Southeast
Asia.
News reports yesterday said a
Chinese boat sank a Vietnamese
fishing vessel 17 nautical miles
from the oil rig of China National
Offshore Oil Corporation near the
China- occupied Paracel islands.
The rig is 240 km (150 miles) off
Vietnam's coast and 330 km (206
miles) from the southern coast of
against it. Now it's time to repent
and make amends, but how?
As I write this, the Balkans are
experiencing the worst flooding in
120 years when records began. Vast
areas of countryside, towns and
villages are inundated and as many
as 300 land slides have destroyed
property and 35 people were killed.
In three days, rain that would
normally fall in three months hit the
region causing destruction, death
and huge commercial loss. In
Afghanistan a few weeks ago, an
entire village with hundreds of
people were buried alive when a
rain saturated hillside came roaring
down to bury and smother them all.
Every news bulletin seems to
carry reports of another huge
ecological disaster, droughts and
wild fires in the United States are
consuming forests and fields, even
more destructive floods are to come
in Europe we are told.
Last week, the United Nations
Opinion
By Fr. Shay Cullen
Inter-County Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) made it's latest
report after seven years of
exhaustive research and number
crunching to inform and convince
us that catastrophic climate change
can be averted and even reversed if
we act now. The report was made by
1,250 eminent scientists and
experts and endorsed by 146
governments.
It's for real, the planet has
warmed up and we humans have
caused it by burning fossil fuels
non-stop for the last 150 years. That
has to stop. We must turn to
alternative sources of energy, the
report strongly advises, or else..
The worst offenders are the oil
and coal-burning industries. Their
power plants, factories, houses and
cars warm the earth by releasing
CO2 gases. The carbon dioxide and
methane gases create a blanket
around the earth causing this
warming. This in turn has melted
huge sections of the polar ice caps
and removed nature's big reflector
of sun light. Antarctica is melting
too. Soon the rise in ocean levels
will be covering low lying islands
and beach fronts.
The permafrost in Siberia and
Canada is melting, releasing even
more deadly methane gas from the
once frozen bogs and releasing it
into the atmosphere. The effect on
fo o d p ro d u c t i o n a n d wa te r
resources will be massive and will
lead to food shortages and the social
impact will be great; migration and
armed conflicts will erupt.
China, one of the worst climate
polluters with its thousands of coal
and oil power plants is in direct
conflict with Vietnam after moving
an oil drilling platform into waters
claimed by Vietnam. Riots, property
destruction and the evacuation of
thousands of Chinese from Vietnam
is the news this week.
The content of the reports of the
IPCC are vehemently denied by
powerful business interests in the
gas, oil and coal industries. These
thermal tycoons want the burning
of fossil fuels to continue but the
time is coming when fossil fuels
have to be abandoned and left in the
ground. Alternative renewable
sources of electric power like solar,
wind and geothermal electric
generation have to power the
future.
Huge investments have to be
u
Page 20
Tension rising as China
sinks Vietnamese boat
China's Hainan island.
According to reports, Hanoi
said the sinking happened after
some 40 Chinese fishing boats had
surrounded the Vietnamese
vessel, and one of them rammed it.
Other Vietnamese fishing boats
rescued the 10 crew members of
the boat.
China's version is the
Vietnamese boat capsized after
“harassing and colliding with” a
Chinese fishing boat.
The boat sinking raises the tension
in the area triggered by the drilling
by CNOOC starting three weeks
ago which Vietnam vehemently
protested saying the area is within
their 200 nautical mile exclusive
economic zone. They sent their
own ships and engaged Chinese
ships in a water cannon fight.
Vietnam said last week there
were 86 Chinese vessels
protecting the oil rig as against
their 50 vessels preventing China
from proceeding their operation
which Beijing said will only be up
to August 15.
Vietnam said China's Paracels
flotilla includes military vessels,
marine police vessels, marine
surveillance ships, naval ships,
fishery administrative boats,
salvage tugs, cargo ships, tankers
and fishing vessels with iron hulls.
Protest rallies against the
Chinese were staged, which in the
beginning were apparently
encouraged by the government.
The rallies, however, turned into
riots which resulted in deaths and
injuries not only to Chinese
businessmen and workers but
also to Taiwanese and Japanese,
who were mistaken as Chinese.
Water cannon fight between China and Vietnam over Chinese oil rig in
Paracels.
China has since evacuated
thousands of its nationals from
Vietnam, whose officials called for
calm and moved to contain the
anti-Chinese rampage.
Tu e s d a y ' s s i n k i n g o f a
Vietnamese fishing boat recalls
the bloody battle for control of the
Parcels that includes 30 islets,
sandbanks and reefs over a
maritime area in the South China
Sea, between China and then
Republic of Vietnam (South
Vietnam) January 19, 1974 which
resulted in the sinking of the
latter's warship and death of 53 of
its soldiers.
Another China-Vietnam battle
happened in South Johnson Reef in
March 1988 which resulted in the
death of 70 Vietnamese and
u
Page 22
Now Abad is at the epicenter of
charges that Napoles was able to
steal not an election but boatloads
of taxpayers' funds through a scam
involving his department, a few
selected agencies and a whole
mess of members of both Houses of
Congress. Abad was even named
by Napoles herself as her mentor in
the scam and his department is in
charge of all the fund releases for
projects whose funding ended up
in Napoles' and the lawmakers'
commodious pockets.
Yet Abad is not moving an inch.
What happened to his sense of
propriety and his easily
scandalized nature in the years
since Hyatt 10?
***
Understand, I am not saying
that Abad is as guilty as Napoles
herself alleges. All I'm saying is, if
Abad could resign from the Cabinet
because he was scandalized by the
“Hello Garci” flap (which I assume
he had no direct knowledge about),
how can he hang on to his post
when he himself is being accused
of aiding and abetting the principal
suspect in the biggest corruption
scandal of all by that person
herself?
This is hypocrisy. And, as
someone once said, “saan siya
kumukuha ng kapal ng mukha?”
Of course, things are a little
different for Abad these days. For
one thing, two of his children are
now employed by the government
in sensitive, finance-related
positions while his wife, who
replaced him in his old Congress
seat representing Batanes, is also
vice-chairman of the powerful
House committee on
appropriations.
If Abad resigns because he is
being linked to the pork barrel
scam, imagine the pressure to do
the same on his wife Henedina
u
Page 12
Hypocrisy happens
There is now a growing
movement calling for the
resignation of Budget Secretary
Florencio Abad, the supposed
mentor of alleged pork barrel scam
mastermind Janet Lim Napoles
and the most prominent Executive
official named in her definitive
“Napolist” affidavit of beneficiaries
and enablers. Abad has not given
any indication that he will quit his
position any time soon, which is
really a mystery to me.
There was a time, after all,
when Abad resigned simply
because he apparently could not
stomach reports that a
government he was serving in was
not as righteous as he was. This
was in 2005, when this same Abad,
then serving as education
secretary in the government of
President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo, joined the so-called “Hyatt
10” in quitting en masse.
Abad joined Corazon “Dinky”
Soliman, secretary of the
Department of Social Welfare and
Development; the late Emilia
Boncodin, secretary of the
Department of Budget and
Management; Cesar Purisima,
secretary of the Department of
Finance; Rene Villa, secretary of
the Department of Agrarian
Reform; Juan Santos, secretary of
the Department of Trade and
Industry; Imelda Nicolas, head of
the National Anti-Poverty
Commission; Guillermo Parayno,
commissioner of the Bureau of
Internal Revenue; Alberto Lina,
commissioner of the Bureau of
Customs; and Teresita Deles,
Presidential Adviser on the Peace
Process, at the Hyatt in Pasay City
in the event that now still bears
that hotel's name.
Many of the members of Hyatt
10 have been recycled into officials
of this self-righteous
administration, which they helped
install after turning their back on
Arroyo.
Abad was obviously not
involved in the “Hello Garci”
scandal, which was precipitated by
alleged telephone calls made by
Arroyo to an election official in
Maguindanao province, whom she
reportedly asked to cheat for her
during the 2004 presidential
elections. Like the other
“Hyatters,” Abad was supposed to
have quit simply because he was
scandalized by reports that the
government he was serving in was
capable of stealing an election.
Abad was morally outraged by
l'affaire Garci and, like his
comrades at the Hyatt, earned high
praise for his very well-developed
sense of propriety.
How times have changed.
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 12
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Alternative ...
From page 10
There is reluctance by China
to treat non-Han neighbors as
people with their own history
and cultures, Bowring writes.
This is of long-standing. “White
skin is more than a fashion
choice. Belief in eugenics and the
need to protect and enhance Han
genetic characteristics was
strong in the republican era. It
has long been rejected in the
West and was condemned under
Mao.”
Under the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the
Sea, rights to waters are derived
from rights to land, the Jakarta
Post reports. Indonesia pressed
Beijing for reassurance and
sought precise coordinates.
None has been given.
Instead, China used force. In
March 2013, Indonesian officials
boarded a Chinese boat illegally
fishing in the Natuna Islands.
Chinese armed vessels
demanded the release of the
fishermen. Outgunned, the
Indonesians complied.
Indonesia has now added a
battalion, plus jets and naval
vessels in the Natuna Islands.
Indonesian Military
commander, Gen. Moeldoko
would funnel more funds for
“maritime security.”
There is a “good scenario”
and a “less benign one” for this
region's future over the next two
decades, Singapore Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at
the Nikkei Conference in Tokyo
Thursday. One would be a region
at peace, with countries working
to secure shared interests. The
other would be a region
splintered by territorial
disputes and protectionism.
These two scenarios will play
out in the context of how the
United States, China and Japan
interact.
Lee's forecast: In 2034, the
United States will remain the
world's preeminent
superpower. Japan will still be
one of the world's largest
economies, with great strengths
in science and technology. The
biggest change will be the
growth of China's power and
influence.
US-China relations are the
m o s t i m p o r t a n t b i l a te ra l
relationship in the world. But it
can easily spiral out of control
should a flash point escalate into
violence. The Korean
peninsula's “status quo will
prevail, with repeated
brinksmanship and tensions,
but hopefully no war….” (Still),
failure to denuclearize poses a
continuing risk.
One scenario is Asia remains
at peace. The US and China
relationship will deepen and
the Japanese economy
rebounds. A stable strategic
environment will foster regional
economic cooperation. Greater
economic interdependence will
raise standards of living for all.
Members of the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations could
“deepen their cooperation and
integration.” It would remain “an
effective neutral platform for
major powers to engage one
another.”
The alternative is a “riven
fractious Asia.” If China's growth
forces “an imbalance in the
region and in the US-China pivot,
Asia may be confronted by
another, less benign scenario”:
one rocked by territorial
disputes and nationalist
populism.
The dangers are implicit in
the “maritime disputes in the
East and South China Seas and
recent anti-China protests in
Vietnam, Asean nations will be
forced to choose sides. And
Southeast Asia could morph into
“a proxy battleground” for
friction between the
superpowers.
“Such a strategic climate
inevitably sets back economic
integration. There are more
trade disputes and currency
wars and tit-for-tat
protectionism. The result is less
shared interest in one another's
success, more frictions and
disputes, and fewer restraints
on countries when things go
wrong. Everyone loses in such a
scenario.”
Lee says the next 20 years is
a “historic opportunity” for Asia.
Today, Filipino and other
nationals of Asean countries can
visit the Natuna archipelago
without getting a visa from
Indonesia. China, in contrast,
would demand one.
E-mail: [email protected]
US Filipino ...
From page 1
guerrillas of U.S. Army Forces in Far
East died resisting the Japanese
invasion and in the liberation
campaign of the archipelago nation.
About a million Filipino civilians
died due to war related causes
including famine and diseases,
according to the State Department.
Almeda retired as a former
instructor and business owner in
Manila.
Almeda is also the spokesman
of the American Coalition for
Hypocrisy ...
From page 11
(from her House committee post,
which identifies projects that the
Executive should fund), daughter
Julia (whose job as Presidential
Management Staff head has
supervision over the presidential
“pork” called the social fund) and
his son Luis Andres (chief of staff of
Hyatter Finance Secretary
Purisima).
And Abad's resignation will
only exert pressure, as well, on his
fellow Hyatt travelers Purisima,
Soliman and Deles, who are still
serving the Aquino government and
who, like Abad during the Garci
controversy, probably had nothing
to do with the current scandal. Will
they quit with Abad and give us
Hyatt 4?
(Will Harvey Keh, the Black and
White Movement and all the other
so-called crusaders for good
Call for ... From page 10
The President may also grant a
certain category of aliens temporary
reprieve from deportation allowing
them to live in the U.S. and apply for
work authorization such as his
Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals (DACA) program.
Many experts agree that the
President has the authority to
expand DACA. The American
Immigration Lawyers Association
(AILA) has even recommended
expanding the deferred action
program to parents, children,
spouses and siblings of U.S. citizens,
lawful permanent residents and
DACA beneficiaries. Republicans, on
the other hand, believe that this
would violate the separation of
powers.
Dan Pfeiffer, White House
adviser, said that the President
Filipino Veterans, a national
advocacy organization based in
Washington. He applauded the
Enhanced Defense Cooperation
Agreement signed in Manila during
President Obama's recent state visit
in light of China's aggressive actions
in the territorial seas of the
Philippines, Vietnam and Japan.
Jesse Baltazar, a decorated
Purple Heart recipient, was
brought to the event by his two
sons, Melchor and Thomas, who
served in the SEALS and US Special
Forces respectively. Baltazar was a
USAFFE Philippine Commonwealth
u
Page 14
government back then, who are so
eerily quiet these days when the
administration they worked so hard
to install is being accused of
corruption, sing praises for any new
Hyatt movement? Will Senate
President Franklin Drilon, the
original Hyatt 10's ex-officio
lawmaker-member who is also
being linked to Napoles, resign again
as Senate head after inviting
President Noynoy Aquino to Iloilo?)
These are all the things that have
to be considered if Abad quits oreven
more unlikelyif he is fired by Aquino.
I'm guessing, though, that neither is
going to happen, unless a true sense
of righteousness motivated the
Hyatt 10 nearly a decade ago, and
not just political opportunism.
See, this is what happens when
an administration that promises
honest and incorruptible
governance has its hand caught in a
pork-larded cookie jar. Hypocrisy
happens at the exact same time.
would “use every ounce of his
authority” where necessary to
advance his agenda on immigration.
Enforcement policies are currently
under review in order to make
enforcement “more humane.”
Although only Congress can
provide legal status for the
undocumented, the President's
authority can grant temporary
reprieve from deportation. If House
Republicans refuse to take up
immigration reform this summer,
the President will have no choice but
to take action.
“If the President doesn't take
action,” says Representative Mike
Honda (D-California), “there would
be political blowback from the
immigrant community.”
(Editor's Note: REUBEN S. SEGURITAN has
been practicing law for over 30 years. For
more information, you may log on to his
website at www.seguritan.com or call
(212) 695-5281.)
Man that got away ... From page 12
Getting caught on tape - the height of incontrovertible evidence in
other climes, one that would have caused the downfall of governments
and sometimes the suicide of humiliated public officials - proved no
match to the industrial-grade sense of impunity and plain, smirking
nonchalance of Arroyo and her phone pal. Why, Garcillano even ran for
representative of the first district of Bukidnon in the 2007 midterm
elections. The political exercise he had dragged through the mud was
forced to accommodate him as a wannabe representative of the
people's will.
Garcillano lost that election. But in a larger sense, he won. He
proved that the Philippines' capacity for the absolute worst that a
government and its officials could do was bottomless. He could waltz
away from raising a middle finger at the voters; he could even mock
them by seeking to become a candidate himself. And his otherworldly
luck hasn't run out: The scandal that bears his name now can't even be
used to go after him. Inquirer.net
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 13
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Remembering History: Connecting the Dots
By Erick San Juan
Recalling the words of the late
Senator Claro M.Recto that “in the
future, Philippines could be a
province of China.” In the '90′s, We
were told by an American lecturer
at the Heritage Foundation in
Washington DC that the future war
in South China Sea could spark
between China and Vietnam and the
Philippine involvement is
inevitable. When my father was still
alive, he told me the time will come
that possibly the Philippines and
many Asian countries will be ruled
by China. Thus dividing the world
into regions namely: Asia is for
China, US controlling north, central
and south America, USSR (now
Ru s s i a ) d o m i n a t i n g E a s te r n
E u ro p e , G e r m a ny m a n a g i n g
w e s t e r n E u r o p e a n d I s ra e l
conquering Africa and the Middle
East to create a Greater Israel in the
process.
This flashback of events is now
getting into a reality. In the Asian
setting, it started with sweet talks
from China's leaders diplomatic
steps in 2013 to reportedly improve
Asean-China relations and bring
back confidence in the region,
charming it's neighbors with
promises of restraint and win-win
cooperation. Foreign minister
Wang Yi in May 2013, had raised
hope in Asean that China was giving
first priority to regional diplomacy
and China viewed Asean as a
valuable strategic partner.
Asean welcomed the visits of
China's President Xi Jinping and
Premier Li Keqiang to South East
Asia in October 2013. Pres. Xi's
historic remarks to the Indonesian
parliament that Asean and China
should build “trust and develop
good neighborliness” and “stick
through thick and thin”.
China also indicated that it's
'Maritime Silk Road for the 21st
Century Initiative' was inspired by
Admiral Zheng He's peaceful
voyages to South East Asia in the
15th century, which was not about
gaining new territories but about
commerce and extending Chinese
civilization. As a result of these
diplomatic statements by Chinese
leaders, Asean was hopeful that
China was changing it's approach to
it's maritime disputes with its
neighbors. Asean leaders were
closer to becoming convinced that
the 'China Dream' could also be
made 'South East Asia's Dream'.
Asean agreed to fully and
effectively implement the AseanChina Declaration on the Conduct of
Parties in the SCS-DOC and actively
proposed confidence building
measures.
The overall situation in the
South China Sea went calmer with
both sides exercising restraint.
(Casting Doubt on
Neighborliness by Nguyen Hung
Son of RSIS-Singapore 5/14/14)
What went wrong? Action
speaks more than words.
China issued the 9 Dash line, the
new Hainan fishing regulations and
introduced an ADIZ(Air Defense
Identification Zone) in the SCS.
It was a complete shock to the
Asean and the international
community when China sent it's
biggest oil rig near Vietnam,
claiming the maritime area as it's
own. China even grabbed few reefs
and shoals also claimed by the
Philippines and installed military
barracks. Nguyen concluded that
China's action was deliberate, wellplanned and coordinated.
The worst, China even
dismissed calls to resolve the
dispute through dialogue and other
peaceful means. Is this the current
version of Sun Tzu's Art of War?
The real agenda was exposed by
Andrew Browne of the Wall Street
Journal (5/21/14) citing CNOOC
(China National Offshore Oil Corp.)
launching it's first deep water
drilling rig in 2012. It's chairman,
Wang Yilin called it “our mobile
national territory and a strategic
weapon”. He claimed that an oil
platform enjoyed sovereign rights
wherever it floated, like an offshore
island. The gigantic $1 billion rig
was designed to roam across the
SCS, which China claims almost in
its entirety.
It got the ire of the Vietnamese
people, who resisted and rammed
the Chinese ships. The fury of the
Vietnamese continued and attacked
the Chinese owned factories on
shore. China evacuated thousands
of its nationals, many injured and
several died.
According to Jane Perlez and
Keith Bradsher of Intl. New York
Times (5/19/14), ” The deployment
of the oil rig is a possible game
changer. Its China's determination
to dominate the South China Sea.
While Holly Morrow, a fellow in the
geopolitics of energy program at
Harvard University who served
during the George W. Bush
administrations National Security
u
Page 14
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 14
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Remembering ... From page 13
Obama warns
against 'aggression'
in South China Sea
WEST POINT -- President Barack Obama warned Wednesday, May 28
that the United States was ready to respond to China's “aggression” toward
its neighbors at sea but said Washington should lead by example by ratifying
a key treaty.
In a wide-ranging speech on foreign policy to US military cadets at West
Point, Obama said that the United States should shun isolationism and that
its military must be prepared for crises.
“Regional aggression that goes unchecked - whether it's southern
Ukraine, or the South China Sea, or anywhere else in the world - will
ultimately impact our allies, and could draw in our military,” Obama said.
But Obama emphasized caution on any decision to use force and said:
“American influence is always stronger when we lead by example.”
“We can't try to resolve the problems in the South China Sea when we
have refused to make sure that the Law of the Sea Convention is ratified by
the United States - despite the fact that our top military leaders say that the
treaty advances our national security,” Obama said, not naming China
directly as he diverted from his prepared text.
“That's not leadership; that's retreat. That's not strength; that's
weakness,” Obama said.
Senators of the rival Republican Party have refused to ratify the treaty,
saying that the UN convention would override US sovereignty.
Tensions have been rising for months between China and its neighbors
at sea, with Vietnam on Tuesday accusing Beijing of ramming and sinking
one of its fishing boats in the South China Sea.
Japan and the Philippines also have tense disputes at sea with China.
Japanese commentators have voiced concern that the US failure to prevent
Russia from annexing Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in March sent the wrong
signal to China.
In another reference to policy toward Asia, Obama again cited the
democratic reforms in Myanmar as a success story.
The administration upon entering office in 2009 opened a dialogue with
the then military-ruled nation earlier known as Burma, whose relations
have improved with the United States have improved dramatically.
“Progress there could be reversed. But if Burma succeeds, we will have
gained a new partner without having fired a shot,” Obama said.
Myanmar has freed political prisoners, eased censorship and welcomed
foreign investors, but human rights groups have voiced alarm over violence
against the mostly Muslim Rohingya minority.
​Standing with the flags: Filipino American WWII veterans
Celestino Almeda and Jesse Baltazar with a U.S. Marine color
guard in front of the Philippine Pillar in the National World War
II Memorial, during 10th anniversary dedication ceremonies in
Washington DC on May 24, 2014. (ACFV photo by Eric Lachica)
US Filipino ... From page 12
Army survivor of the Bataan Death March in 1942. After
the war, he later joined the US Air Force and was the first
Filipino American promoted to the rank of major.
Baltazar was invited to the White House and met
President Obama for the first time during the Veterans
Day breakfast House in November. Amazingly, Baltazar
still works at the State Department. Only a few dozen
Filipino WWII veterans are estimated to be still living in
the East Coast
The prominent guest speakers at the anniversary
were: U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, former
Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, a disabled decorated
WWII veteran, and Ohio Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur
who led legislative campaign that established the
memorial. They also presented wreaths at the wall of
thousands of gold stars representing the 400,000 who
gave their lives.
Council said, “China has been taking incremental
steps, escalating and increasing its presence in SCS.
CNOOC is a business but the program is not only about
energy, its about sovereignty.”
Since two years ago, China was reportedly able to
nudge aside the helpless Philippines from the
disputed reefs without a fight. While many nations
admired the Vietnamese standing up against
perceived Chinese invasion. The world has not
forgotten that the Vietnamese fought the Americans in
the past and won.
Ken Fuller of the Daily Tribune asked a very timely
question”Will Washington Defend the Philippines?
(5/20/14) He said that the US government clarified
almost 40 years ago that it was under NO OBLIGATION
that the US will honor the provisions of the Mutual
Defense Treaty of 1951, nor will spring to the
Philippines defense in the event of a Chinese incursion
into areas of SCS claimed by this country.
On June 9,1975, US Secretary of State Henry
Kissinger even sent a lengthy telegram to the
Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, with a copy to the
US Embassy-Manila stating Washington's legal
interpretation that MDT commitments do not apply in
the event of an attack on Spratlys or on
GOP(Government of the Philippines) forces stationed
there.
The Spratlys were not included in the territory
ceded by Spain to the USA in 1898 and excluded from
the maps accompanying the presentation of MDT.( You
have to read Fuller's article in full and you will surely
get 'goose pimples'.
The worst revelation came from John Mangun, an
American based in the Philippines and columnist at
the Businessmirror(5/22/14). He believed that
Beijing's diabolical plan is not only to take over the
Philippines power grid but….. It's a fact: China is not
going away and relations and actions must be based on
REALITY, NOT FANTASY.
He said that the US government is so out of touch
with what's happening on the ground that US Sec. of
State John F.Kerry might go to Beijing to offer to sell the
Philippines to China using the same 1898 Treaty of
Paris as the legal basis.
“Ano tayo, pambayad utang?” God forbid!
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 15
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 16
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
By Allan Macatuno
SAN ANTONIO, Zambales -- The
eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991
may have greatly altered the vast
landscape of Central Luzon, but the
coastlines of one of its provinces,
Zambales, have become accidental
beneficiaries of this deadly fury
unleashed by nature. The scenic coves
of San Antonio town in Zambales have
survived the catastrophe and are now
drawing its fair share of tourists. Rows
of agoho trees against a backdrop of
crystal blue seas greet solo
wanderers, groups and families who
love to spend a quiet day or two in
nearly deserted beaches, islands and
coves in this town, some 130
kilometers north of Metro Manila.
Often mistaken for pine, the swaying
trees fan the gentle breeze that
welcomes visitors to the cove.
Graceful rows of agoho
Annawangin Cove is among the
four coves of this town and is the most
accessible to the fishing village of
Pundaquit. Javar Jimenez, San
A n t o n i o t o ur i s m o f f i cer, s ai d
Pundaquit served as the jump-off
point to other remote and unspoiled
islands and coves in the town.
Annawangin (also spelled as
Anawangin and Annawangen) got its
name from the Ilokano word nuang, a
wild carabao often found on the
mountain facing the cove. The
shoreline is a combination of volcanic
ash and white sand. Locals believe
that the Mt. Pinatubo eruption played
a role in the surprising presence of
agoho along the town's shores. It is
believed that seeds carried by the
ashfall were dumped on the shores,
growing into graceful rows of pine-like
trees standing like sentinels from a
distance.
It takes a 45-minute boat ride
from Pundaquit to reach Annawangin
Cove. There are no roads that lead to
this slice of paradise. There, tourists
will find a marsh under the agoho
trees and natural springs. Under the
shade, hammocks strung between
the trees serve as relaxing stopovers.
The cove is also ideal for campers
who may want to stay a day or two.
Jimenez said tourists were allowed to
spend nights in the cove. “All they
have to bring are their own tents and
food. They also have to tell the
boatman to fetch them the following
day,” he said.
Talisayen cove
A 30-minute boat ride from
Annawangin is another picturesque
cove called Talisayen. It got its name
from the abundant talisay trees in the
cove. Aside from a viewing deck, nipa
huts and a private rest house, there
are no other structures around.
Nature lovers will enjoy its crystalclear waters, rock formations and a
lush mountain. Backpackers can go on
trekking or hiking expeditions to the
HISTORIC SIGHTSEEING. Capones Island in Zambales province boasts of its famed Spanish lighthouse built during the 1800s. It is also
famous for its amazing rock formation and white sand beach, making it a haven for divers and surfers. San Antonio, Zambales Tourism
Office photo.
mountain. Just like Annawangin, this
cove is ideal for campers as well.
There is no mobile phone
coverage in the cove, making it a
perfect summer getaway for people
who wish to escape the stresses that
go with an urban lifestyle, even for a
few days. On lucky days, visitors can
have the beach all to themselves.
Nagsasa cove
A bigger cove and another perfect
camping site, Nagsasa Cove is a 20minute boat ride from neighboring
Talisayen. Nagsasa got its name from
a plant called sasa that thrives in the
area. This cove is also carpeted with a
mixture of lahar and white sand.
Tourists can also try climbing the
mountain to see the breathtaking
waves of the West Philippine Sea.
A small community of Aetas lives
in the cove and guards the place,
keeping it as pristine as it has been in
the past. There is a horseshoe-shaped
creek that leads to the sea and a
waterfall that cascades clear, cold
waters for a refreshing dip.
Silangen cove
The largest among the coves,
Silangen (or Silanguin) is also the
farthest from Pundaquit. Visitors
reach this cove after a two-hour boat
ride from Pundaquit, or 20 minutes
from nearby Nagsasa.
u
Page 17
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 17
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Discover havens ...
From page 16
This cove is home to Silangen
Mountain, which has inspired poets
and singers to praise its postcardpretty, gray sand beach fringed by
warm and calm waters.
Closer to the Subic Bay Freeport
Zone, Silangen is rustic in most parts
and isolated from the other islands by
a mountain range and vast forests.
Some portions of the beach, however,
are rocky.
This cove is popular among
mountaineers on their way to the
steep sharp boulders and rocks of
Cinco Picos. Beyond the grove of
agoho trees, one can have a good soak
in a waterfall pool or a lake after hours
of sunbathing on the beach.
As tourists slowly discover these
hidden spots, the San Antonio
government is gearing up for the
influx with a community-based
program to preserve the beauty of the
coves. The town's fledgling tourism
industry also provides alternative
livelihood opportunities to locals who
have made the switch from fishermen
to boatmen.
Capones Island
Exploring San Antonio's beauty
does not end with a visit to the four
coves. Jimenez also recommends
dropping by Capones Island where
tourists can marvel at the architecture
of an 18th century lighthouse.
Powered by solar cells, it still guides
vessels navigating the West Philippine
Sea. The island, accessible through a
20-minute boat ride from Pundaquit,
is surrounded by white sand and coral
beaches. Experienced divers can also
enjoy the newly discovered tunnels
near it. Tourists can make this island
their first stop before heading south
to explore the four coves.
While in Capones, one can also
visit neighboring Camara Island. The
two islands, which showcase huge
rock formations, are connected by a
sand bridge.
Surfing spot
For surfing enthusiasts, Crystal
Beach, a 7-hectare beach resort in San
Narciso town, is fast becoming a
favorite surfing spot not only because
of its proximity to Metro Manila but
because of the beauty of its waves
that reach as high as 10 feet, especially
during the surfing season.
Three hours of road travel (134
km) will get you to the beach.
Surfboards are on display at the
entrance of the resort, an invitation
for guests to try riding the waves.
Maybelyn Abuyo, Crystal Beach
marketing administrator, said the
resort had been the prime destination
of surfers and travelers since 1980.
She said the beach got its name from
the glistening surface of sand and sea
seen in bright sunlight or moonlight.
But more than just a beach resort
for surfers, Crystal Beach has also
become a safe campsite for adventure
seekers looking for inexpensive yet
fun ways to spend their summer
vacation.
Getting there
Pundaquit is the gateway to the
four coves. To get there from Metro
Manila, take a three-hour bus ride
from the Victory Liner stations in
Cubao, Caloocan City, Pasay City or
Sampaloc in Manila. Take the Iba or
Sta. Cruz-bound bus and ask to be
dropped off in front of the San
Antonio town hall.
If you prefer to drive, take the
Balintawak exit to the North Luzon
Expressway (NLEx). From NLEx, take
the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway
(SCTEx) exit, then follow the route to
Subic Bay Freeport.
From the Subic free port tollgate,
turn right on Rizal Highway. Then go
straight until you reach the dead end.
Turn left (on the right is the tollgate to
Olongapo City), then turn right on the
first intersection (Canal Street) and
exit through Kalaklan Gate (tollgate to
Zambales). Follow the Zambales
highway until you reach the San
Antonio town hall.
From the town hall, take a tricycle
to Pundaquit where boats wait to ferry
tourists to the coves. Inquirer.net
Annawangin Cove
Talisayen cove
Nagsasa Cove
Silangen Cove
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 18
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
EVA Adds Two Latest-Generation Boeing 777-300ERs
1st with Panasonic's new inflight entertainment system
SEATTLE (May 22, 2014) -- EVA
Air took delivery of its 16th and 17th
Boeing 777-300ER (registration
numbers B-16718 and B-16719) on
May 21, 2014 at the Boeing factory in
Everett, Washington. Boeing and
EVA staged a delivery ceremony led
by EVA Chairman K.W. Chang and
Boeing Marketing, Sales Strategy &
Operations Vice President Ihssane
Mounir. The event showcased the
two new aircraft in front of the
delivery center.
“Our new Boeing 777-300ERs
equip us to initiate significant
changes in the flying experience we
offer. We are going to make flying
more fun and more comfortable for
our passengers than ever,” said EVA
Air Chairman K.W. Chang.
EVA's new Boeing777-300ERs
are the first in the world to be
equipped with Panasonic's latest
generation eX3 inflight
entertainment system and Global
Communication Suite (GCS). With
this system, EVA now offers
passengers SMS roaming service to
send and receive short messages on
their own mobile phones. The airline
also now provides Sky Wi-Fi access.
At an altitude of 20,000 feet or
higher, passengers can send and
re c e ive e - m a i l s , u s e i n s t a n t
messaging APPs and check in on
social media.
EVA upgraded individual seatback entertainment systems with
high-resolution monitors and multito u c h te c h n o l o g y, to o . N o w,
passengers can select and execute
various functions by simply sliding
their fingers across the screens.
In Economy Class and Elite
premium economy, EVA enlarged
monitors from its earlier 9 inches to
11.1. It equipped its Royal Laurel
Class top cabin with 16-inch screens
and AV control handsets that have 4inch LCD panels. Now, passengers in
this cabin can simultaneously play
video games on their handsets and
use the remote controls to execute
functions on the seat-back screens.
EVA configured its newest
Boeing777-300ERs for 333
passengers in three cabins, 39 in
Royal Laurel Class business, 56 in
Elite premium economy and 238 in
Economy. And it has created new
interiors that are elegant and stylish
in addition to being comfortable and
inviting.
EVA designed Elite and Economy
Class cabins with seats that give
passengers more leg-rest room than
similar products and are all
equipped with 110v AC outlets and
USB ports. It added full-grain leather
headrest covers and new mood-light
systems in Royal Laurel and Elite
Classes.
As it places its new 777-300ERs
in service, EVA is also updating Royal
Laurel Class service items. It is
outfitting cabins with new noisecancelling headsets that have better
sound quality and enhanced noisereduction performance. It has begun
serving Fiji Water, a popular
premium bottled product from the
Fiji Islands. And it is stepping up
efforts to make passengers
comfortable and feel at home
onboard its flights by offering
pajamas.
EVA is also introducing two new
colors for its sought-after and
collectible Rimowa overnight kits,
Crystal Green for inbound flights and
Prosecco outbound.
Both aircraft departed Seattle's
Paine Field Airport at 16:00 (4 pm
PDT). The EVA Chairman, an aviator
certified to fly Boeing 777-300ERs
who has earned the rank of airline
captain, piloted the first to take off.
The aircraft will arrive in Taiwan at
Taipei's Taoyuan International
Airport at 19:30 (7:30 pm) local time
on 22 May, 2014.
As it places its new aircraft in
operation, EVA will increase flight
frequency from North America,
starting June 3, 2014. It will deploy
one as BR11 on Los Angeles - Taipei
service, flying Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday and Saturday,
adding three flights/week to the 17
it now operates. It will initiate the
other as BR31 on Monday’s and
Tuesday's New York - Taipei flights,
boosting service on the route from
five times a week to daily. It will also
raise both Toronto and Vancouver
frequency from three flights a week
to four.
When EVA takes delivery of a
third new Boeing777-300ER in June,
it will increase San Francisco
frequency from 12 to 14 trips per
week and add one more flight to the
20 on the Los Angeles route. These
increases on existing routes will
raise EVA's North American services
from 45 flights per week to 55.
Before the first Boeing 777300ER rolled out of the factory, EVA
was working closely with the
manufacturer to design the aircraft.
EVA was a launch customer for the
777-300ER, ordering 15 in 2000
with deliveries starting in 2005. The
airline ordered seven more in 2012
for deliveries starting this year. EVA
will have a total of 22 Boeing 777-
300ERs in its fleet after all the new
aircraft are delivered and company
officials have not ruled out the
possibility of ordering more.
Delivery of these two new
Boeing 777-300ERs brings EVA's
total fleet size to 66 aircraft. By the
end of 2015, the carrier will have five
more of the jets in service. It has also
taken delivery of eight Airbus 321200s and is using them on regional
routes. It will add 16 more A321200s by the end of 2016. After all of
its new aircraft are delivered and
older models are retired, EVA's fleet
will include more than 70 airplanes.
The newest member of Star
Alliance, EVA links an international
network of major destinations
worldwide, including dozens of
cities in China and throughout Asia.
EVA offers more trans-Pacific flights
from North America to Taipei where,
with just one easy stop, it provides
onward connections to more major
business and leisure centers than
any other airline. Business and
leisure travelers can access the
expanded schedules and book the
added flights now through travel
agents and EVA's website at
www.evaair.com.
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 19
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
NAFA'S 26th Founding Anniversary
Seven Fiiipino-American community
leaders were chosen and honored for their
very active participation in our community
with the prestigious Mabuhay Award: Mrs.
Henrietta Abenoja,of Bergenfield; Lavina
Bing Antonio of Jersey City; Mary Ann
Sanagustin of Union Township; Rev. Martha
Baltazar of Bayonne; Rev. Fred Tarectecan of
Bergenfield; Alice Austria Soriano of New
York; and Juline Benemile, CPA of Essex
County, New Jersey. Presentor of plaques
were past Mabuhay Awardees headed by Sir
Lito A. Gajilan, Jr. who also officiated the
Knights of Rizal program. Consul General
Mario del Leon was represented by Vice
Consul Khrys Corpuz.
Crowned Miss NAFA USA was Miss
Chachi dela Vega, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Manuel dela Vega and Helen who founded
NAFA New York. Miss Teen USA was Kyla
Merrow, daughter of Chuci and Debbie and
the Ambassadress was Gloria Santos, the
lovely mother of Dra. Jo Montana,
represented by Dr. Wilbur Montana and JR
Panshi.
The crowning guest was the past Grand
Marshals of the Philippine-American
Friendship Committee, Inc. (PAFCOM) Mr.
Tom and Lida Zabala, Alice Austria Soriano,
Awardee and assisted by Arnie Rosario,
President of Ilokano USA. Mr. Brian
Manongdo and his wife for sash and Mr. and
Mrs. Gabriel, guest of Rev. Martha Baltazar,
Awardee. The Abbba Ministry, one of our
Benefactors/Donors is headed by Rev. Nora
E u s e b i o , R e v. A g u i n a l d o a n d
businesswoman, Jennifer Hsu.
Knights of Rizal officials were among
those participated in the event headed by
five Chapter Commanders; Sir Gali Munar,
Sir Paul Verzosa, Sir Buddy Deuna, and Sir
Romy Abenoja with Sir Rene Ballenas as
emcee. Sir Sonny Austria, former NAFA New
York president Zusan Zamora and former
Treasurer Lani Brizo assisted in the
program.
Atty. Wilfredo Macaraeg, former Mayor
of Tarlac and former prosecutor is the 20122014 NAFA president. He delivered the
welcome address with words of
appreciation from the founder Rev. Dr.
Gaudy J. Soriano.
NAFA founder Rev. Dr. Gaudy Soriano (4th from left) with guests. At left is Miss NAFA
USA Chachi dela Vega.
NaFFAA Partners
Charice, Natori join all-star
with GMA Network lineup for Haiyan Benefit
for Community
Concert in Washington, D.C.
Service Awards
In an effort to recognize the services
rendered by small groups or community
organizations for Filipino-Americans,
the Philippines, and the American
society, the National Federation of
Filipino America n Associations
(NaFFAA) is partnering with GMA
Network to hold the very first Alex
Esclamado Memorial Award for
Community Service.
The Alex Esclamado Memorial
Award for Community Service is
inspired by the life and works of
Philippine News publisher and editor
Alex Esclamado, who was well-known
for being an ardent advocate of the
rights and interests of the Philippines
and Filipinos in America. His significant
contributions paved the way for Filipino
World War II veterans to become US
citizens, allowed Filipino professionals
to hone and practice their craft in the US,
and led to the formation of NaFFAA,
which up to this day is one of the biggest
national organizations of Filipinos in
America.
In this endeavor, GMA Network is
deemed to be the ideal partner as the
Philippine network giant itself has been
efficiently servicing its kababayans
abroad through its international
channels - GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV,
and GMA News TV International. Each
channel is managed by GMA
International, which makes sure that
the network's offerings abroad uphold
Filipino core values and bring Filipinos
closer to home, one show at a time.
Filipino organizations in the US that
are undertaking outstanding nonpartisan, non-political, and nondenominational services to the Filipino
community or to the mainstream
American community are eligible to
receive the Alex Esclamado Memorial
Award for Community Service.
Those who would like to nominate
certain organizations are encouraged to
e-mail the Awards Committee through
M r.
R y a n
Te j e r o
a t
[email protected]. The deadline
for nominations is on June 30, 2014.
The recipients of the Alex
Esclamado Memorial Award for
Community Service will be presented at
t h e 1 1 t h N a F FA A N a t i o n a l
Empowerment Conference to be held at
the Town & Country Resort &
Convention Center, San Diego California.
The event will last from August 7 to 10,
2014.
For more details on events abroad,
visit the GMA International website
www.gmanetwork.com/international,
F a c e b o o k
p a g e s
www.facebook.com/GMAPinoyTV,
www.facebook.com/GMALifeTV, and
www.facebook.com/GMANewsTVInter
national, Twitter pages @GMALifeTV,
@GMA_LifeTV, and @GMANewsTVIntl,
and Instagram page @GMAPinoyTV.
TO ADVERTISE, PLEASE CALL
201-434-1114
WASHINGTON, D.C. --​ Singer Charice
Pempengco and fashion designer Josie
Natori will be joining the all-star line-up in
next month's benefit concert for victims of
Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
After the Storm: A Benefit Concert for
the Philippines will be staged at the
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in
Washington, D.C. on Sunday, 15 June 2014,
according to Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr.
Pempengco, who rose to fame after she
was discovered on YouTube and was
dubbed as "the most talented girl in the
world" by Oprah Winfrey, and Natori, a
multi-awarded designer and founder of
The Natori Company, will be joining other
talents on stage including Grammy Awardwinning singer Apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed
Peas; Hollywood actor Lou Diamond
Phillips; ballet dancer Christine Rocas;
tenor Rodell Rosel; Tony award-winning
Broadway artist Lea Salonga; Glee star
Darren Criss, and renowned violinist
Joshua Bell.
Natori, who will be among the
evening's special presenters, is Founder
and Chief Executive Officer of The Natori
Company, whose fashion empire supplies
lingerie items, ready-to-wear collection,
home, fragrance and eyewear to some of
the country's leading department stores,
including Saks, Nordstrom, Neiman
Marcus, and Bloomingdale's. Natori is also
a known philanthropist, sitting on the
boards of several notable foundations and
a recipient of numerous humanitarian
awards.
The concert was initiated by the
Philippine Embassy in cooperation with
the US-Philippines Society and the
Philippine Humanitarian Coalition and
will be directed by Broadway legend
Baayork Lee; and produced by Emmynominated producer, Robert Pullen.
Ambassador Cuisia encouraged the
public to purchase their tickets to the
concert.
"We are delighted that the concert will
be graced by such big talents. I am
encouraging everyone to buy their tickets
as soon as possible, as the first and second
tier tickets are already sold out,” said
Ambassador Cuisia. “By purchasing a
ticket, you will be helping rebuild the
devastation that occurred in the
Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan."
Ambassador John F. Maisto, President
of the US-Philippines Society, expressed
his gratitude to the sponsors who are
helping make this concert possible.
"I would like to thank our major
sponsors whose generosity has made this
production possible. Among them are
platinum and gold sponsors SM
Investments Corporation, Primescape
Solutions Inc., the Philippine Nurses
Association of America, Ayala Corporation,
and the Manuel Pangilinan Group of
Companies that include Metro Pacific
Investments Corporation, Meralco and
Smart Communications," said Ambassador
Maisto.
The evening will include celebrity
appearances and performances along with
t h e Fa i r fa x Sy m p h o ny O rc h e s t ra
conducted by Luke Frazier and the
Broadway Community Chorus founded by
Baayork Lee. It will also include a series of
video messages of hope from celebrities
and other personalities from around the
world.
Tickets went on-sale on April 4 and
may be purchased online at
www.kennedy-center.org, by visiting the
Kennedy Center Box Office or charge by
phone by calling (202) 467-4600. - Elmer
G. Cato, Minister & Consul for Press &
Information, Embassy of the Republic of
the Philippines
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 20
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
‘It's great to be here in the Philippines’
By Doris C. Dumlao
MANILA -- The Philippines'
successful hosting of the World
Economic Forum (WEF) on East
Asia last week opened the world's
eyes to the country's renaissance
amid challenging global and
regional developments and at the
same time raised hopes that Filipino
creativity and youth dynamism
would be the salvation of a nation
weary of boom-bust cycles.
President Aquino took
advantage of the event to highlight
the country's economic turnaround
anchored on governance reforms as
well as the nation's resilience
following the devastation caused by
Typhoon Yolanda (international
name: Haiyan). Aquino was also a
diplomatic host and avoided talking
about the country's territorial
dispute with China.
Te rritorial disputes were
brought to the fore when Vietnam's
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung one of the heads of state who
attended the WEF summit - gave a
fiery speech against China's
territorial aggression during the
o p e n i n g p l e n a r y. A f t e r t h e
emotional speech, WEF founder and
executive chair Klaus Schwab had to
immediately clarify that the WEF
was a neutral platform and
scholar from New York University
and the chair of WEF's Global
Advisory Council on Southeast Asia.
“Despite the natural disasters, it has
really got it right,” Pang said.
“There's a very strong sense that
the Philippines is on track. It's back
and there's a lot to look forward to. I
think that it has managed to
communicate to the world how the
fundamentals work and how these
fundamental advantages can be
sustained,” he added.
Pang, a Malaysian academic and
management consultant, has spent
a lot of time looking at Southeast
Asian economies as founder and
former head of CIMB Asean
Research Institute Ltd., which was
created by the CIMB group as an
independent research institute to
further the integration agenda of
the Association of Southeast Asian
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III delivers his speech at the opening of the two-day World Economic Forum on Asia in May Nations.
22, 2014, at the financial district of Makati City. The Philippines' successful hosting of the World Economic Forum on East Asia
“It's great to be here in the
last week opened the world's eyes to the country's renaissance amid challenging global and regional developments. AP Philippines at a time when the level
Photo/Bullit Marquez
of self-confidence and hope is so
high. Understandably, this year's
appealed to the parties to discuss governance reforms would be put in Philippines. I myself am a longtime East Asia Summit reflects the same
peaceful solutions.
jeopardy when his term ends in observer of the Philippines and exuberance and high spirits. But of
Instead of discussing China, 2016.
aware of sometimes the weariness course, there's a lot more hard work
Aquino dwelt more on how reforms
and skepticism due to many rounds to be done both on the public and
were bearing fruit and benefiting 'PH has got it right'
the country had gone through of private sectors,” added Malaysian
ordinary Filipinos. He also spoke
“The key takeaway for the what seemed like a revival but were Karim Raslan, chief executive officer
about the momentum being Philippines is a very strong frustrated by politics one thing or of KRA Group, a Southeast Asian
“irreversible,” to allay concerns that articulation of the case for the another,” said John Pang, a visiting
u
Page 22
Local dealer prepares
9 Tata vehicle models
By Bernie Magkilat
PHILIPPINES, ISRAEL AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT. Department of Transportation
and Communications Secretary Joseph Abaya (left) and Israel Ambassador Menashe
Bar-On sign the air services agreement between the two countries at the DOTC on
May 26, 2014
Philippines, Israel sign
air services agreement
The Air Services Agreement
(ASA) between the Philippines and
Israel was signed on Monday, May
26.
Israel is the biggest tourist
destination of Filipinos in the
Eastern Mediterranean Europe.
Because there are no direct flights,
Israelis and Filipinos have often
opted to travel to easier
destinations wherein most of the
connecting flights are situated in.
Today during the Pope's visit to
Israel this agreement was signed in
the Philippines.
This agreement will allow
Filipinos the opportunity to follow
in the footsteps of the Pope and
make the pilgrimage to the Holy
Land an easier one.
The agreement is expected to
encourage both countries to
explore each other's' tourist
destinations as well as provide
more jobs in the economic and
tourism sectors.
It is anticipated that this will
also pave way for more trade
opportunities as well as help the
thousands of Filipinos working in
Israel who wish to come home more
often and visit their families.
Direct flights between Manila
and Tel Aviv may soon be opened by
each country's airlines. Manila
Bulletin
Pilipinas Taj Autogroup Inc., the
exclusive distributor of India's Tata
motor vehicles in the country, has
lined up a total of nine vehicle
models when it opens formally on
June 1 in the local market with
strong emphasis on subcompact
cars and utility vehicles.
Company general manager
Nicky O. Mariano said they have
already brought in some vehicle
models for market testing. These
include two cars the Tata Vista INI
hatchback and the Tata Manza
sedan. It has also brought in utility
vehicle models Ace and Super Act
and pick-up model Xenon. Four car
models including Indigo Indica
maybe brought in by July.
The six investors of Pilipinas Taj,
which include Pioneer Insurance,
Diamond Group and Auto Fir Group,
have invested P100 million initially
as it prepares for the grand debut of
Tata Motors next month.
Already, Pilipinas Taj has
Climate ... From page 11
made in wind and solar power.
Natural gas is a much cleaner
source of energy but with some
limitations, but a better alternative
to coal. The common people and
their governments have to stand up
to the polluters of the planet and
bring closer that day when the
established two showrooms in
Ortigas Extension and Marcos
Highway in Antipolo.
“But we are hoping to have 6 or 7
showrooms within the year mostly
in Metro Manila, Cavite and Davao,”
said Ferdinand Raquelsantos,
president of Auto Fir Group.
The newest kid on the block has
expressed excitement of the local
market noting this is the first time
for the market to see an offering of
passengers that are quite
affordable. For instance, the price
range of its subcompact car diesel
engine Indigo is only from P550,000
to P780,000 pesos and are meant
for taxi fleet while the petrol-fed
Mansa is meant as private vehicles
for P600,000.
Raquelsantos said their entry is
timely since the government has
just implemented a 7-year life for a
taxi fleet. Tata cars are priced lower
than Japanese cars but higher than
the Chinese cars. “After a year, we
hope to attain good numbers,”
Mariano said.
demand for oil and coal will taper
off. In the Philippines, crony
capitalists are manipulating the
national leadership and
“capturing” the regulators to
persuade them to approve more
coal plants.
We all have to be caretakers of
our God-given world, the garden of
Eden is sadly wilting and dying and
we humans will be dying in body
The company has also high
hopes for its Ace and Super Ace
utility vehicle models as this would
replace the reconditioned
multicabs.
Multicab sells between 10,00012,000 units annually and about
15,000 multicabs are on the road
nationwide.
“We will be happy to get 10 to 20
percent of the multicabs market,”
Mariano said. Ace has a price tag of
between P345,000 to P365,000
while the Super Ace at P680,000
with no rear body yet.
“Super Ace and Ace and the
Indigo car will be our halo model
because of their good sales
potentials,” he said.
Indigo is expected to perform
better because it is the only diesel
subcompact car model aside from
Accent of Hyundai, but being sole at
P869,00 a unit.
The subcompact car market is
still the largest growing segment
accounting for 60 percent share.
Manila Bulletin
and spirit with it through disease,
famine, and extreme weather
events. Remember, more than 6000
people were killed by Typhoon
Haiyan last November 8, there will
be many more dying in future
storms and floods of equal
magnitude. We must preserve all
life, especially the life of the planet
itself. [[email protected],
www.preda.org]
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 21
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Ex-finance chief bats for Wells Fargo to lend $100 billion
opening up economy
to small businesses by 2018
By Paolo Montecillo
By Deepak Chitnis
MANILA -- The government should
figure out ways to open up restricted
industries to foreign investors without
changing the Constitution, former
Finance Secretary Jose Isidro “Lito”
Camacho said at the sidelines of the
World Economic Forum (WEF) on East
Asia held in Makati this week.
According to the current vicechairman of Credit Suisse for Asia
Pacific, liberalizing protected industries
such as public utilities would attract
more foreign investments, the key to
creating more jobs in the country.
This was possible, Camacho added,
without having “to change the
(Philippine) Constitution,” which states
that foreigners are not allowed to own
more than 40 percent of companies in
such industries as power distribution,
t r a n s p o r t a t i o n ,
a n d
telecommunications. Foreigners are
also barred from owning any shares in
media companies.
Camacho recalled a move he started,
but “was unable to complete,” when he
was Finance secretary that would allow
foreigners to have long-term leases on
real estate, without them necessarily
owning the property.
NEW YORK, New York -Wells Fargo has officially
launched its newest initiative
geared specifically at budding
entrepreneurs looking to help
their small businesses grow,
entitled Wells Fargo Works for
Small Business.
The initiative was unveiled
this past weekend, at the firstever South Asian Young Women
Entrepreneurs (SAY WE)
conference that took place at
the Condé Nast building in
Times Square on May 17. Wells
Fargo was a key sponsor of the
SAY WE conference, helping to
foster entrepreneurial spirit in
the South Asian community.
“We know that the Asian
small business community is
the first one to achieve
entrepreneurial parity,” said
Nancy Wong, Senior VicePresident of Wells Fargo's
Asian Segment Manager. “We
have seen the momentum grow
in very specific regions,
specifically the tri-state area
[ N e w Yo r k , N e w J e r s e y,
Connecticut] and California.”
Wells Fargo, which has
been the largest small business
lender for the last 11 years, also
announced their goal of lending
$100 billion to small business
by 2018.
Wong said that this is an
aggregate goal for all
businesses, South Asian and
otherwise, but that Wells Fargo
has resources meant
specifically for Asian business
owners.
“We host several financial
seminars and workshops,
Lease-holds
The former Finance official was
referring to the practice of lease-holds,
which is common in markets like Hong
Kong.
Despite Constitutional restrictions
on foreign ownership of crucial
industries, several firms have found
ways around them that regulators have
allowed.
Globe Telecom and the Philippine
Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT),
for instance, issue non-voting preferred
shares to their foreign shareholders.
Globe is partly owned and controlled by
Jose Isidro Camacho. Screengrab from
Wo r l d E c o n o m i c F o r u m w e b s i t e
(weforum.org)
Singapore's SingTel, while PLDT is coowned by Hong Kong's First Pacific Co.
Ltd. which is led by business tycoon
Manuel V. Pangilinan, and Japanese
telecom giant NTT DoCoMo.
In March this year, the House
committee on constitutional
amendments approved a resolution
that seeks to amend economic
provisions in the Constitution.
Authored by Speaker Feliciano
Belmonte, the resolution would add the
phrase “unless otherwise provided by
law” to the Constitution's general
provisions and its articles on the
national economy and patrimony;
education, science, technology, arts,
culture and sports.
The resolution would not however
automatically remove limits on foreign
ownership and participation as
stipulated in the Charter. Congress is
still expected to pass laws to lift the
restrictions, and lawmakers may do this
for constitutional provisions that
prevent foreigners from operating
public utilities and educational
institutions, and from undertaking
activities to develop the country's
natural resources. Inquirer.net
Nancy Wong, Wells Fargo Senior Vice President Asian Segment Manager,
announces a $100 billion lending goal for small businesses by 2018.
PHOTO from newamericamedia.org
a c r o s s t h e We l l s Fa r g o
footprint, that partner
specifically with Asian
chamber associations and
trade associations,” said Wong.
“These solidify our
commitment to providing
resources and guidance to the
Asian small business
community.”
Featuring a congregation of
some of the best and brightest
minds in the tri-state area's
South Asian entrepreneurial
scene, the SAY WE conference is
intended to be the first leg of a
three-part series of
conferences that will continue
in Houston and San Francisco
later this year.
The series is entitled
“Raise, Rise, Rule!” and strives
to help budding South Asian
entrepreneurs, particularly
women, by giving them the
advice and resources they need
to help establish and grow their
small businesses.
S a t u rd ay ' s eve n t wa s
organized by SAY WE founder
Reema Rasool, who described
the experience of being at the
o r g a n i z a t i o n' s i n a u g u ra l
conference as “surreal.”
Rasool explained that she
founded SAY WE as a way of
providing young South Asian
women with the advice and
resources they needed, but
often never have access to, in
order to launch their
entrepreneurial ventures. An
entrepreneur herself, Rasool
said that she wished these
resources were available to her
when she was getting started,
and now wants to make sure
that she can help those who are
now starting to come up after
her. Two panel discussions
were held, one in the morning
u
Page 22
Selling healthy snacks with a social purpose
By Marge C. Enriquez
Like most people living in the
fa s t l a n e , C o ra z o n “ Z o n i t o”
Torrevillas-Tamase was eating
convenience foods with low
nutritional value and high in
additives.
From one medicine a day, she
took eight kinds of pills for diabetes
and hypertension. Yet, she always
ended up in the doctor's office or the
hospital.
Searching for alternative cures,
she read up on moringa olifeira
(malunggay) which is potent with
iron, protein, potassium and betacarotene. Since she couldn't eat
several malunggay bundles per
meal, Tamase then boiled the leaves
and made a brew. After drinking it
twice a day for several months, test
results showed significant
improvement in her blood sugar
levels. Consequently, the doctor
removed all her medications and
said she was doing something right.
Today that brew is one of her
products in her natural food
business, Nature Earth.
“My conviction is to provide real
foods with adequate nutritional
content and promote better eating
habits,” maintains Tamase.
BEST SELLERS. Nutritious munchies are minimally processed and made with
wholesome ingredients. Photo by Nelson Matawaran
ZONITO Tamase founded a business not
just to offer healthy foods but to
promote a healthier lifestyle. Photo by
Nelson Matawaran
Inspired by the cure, Tamase
experimented with malunggay
buns. More than 10 years ago, she
worked as public relations manager
in McDonald's Philippines and
director of the Ronald McDonald's
House of Charities. Using her bonus
money, she commissioned a bakery
to produce malunggay buns for a
nutrition program in E. Rodriguez
public school in Mandaluyong. The
authorities had identified 60
students who were anemic. Only
one out of the 60 refused to eat the
malunggay bun. After 45 days, the
children showed normalized levels
and sell them in school. Recalling
her mother's sugar-coated peanuts
business in Misamis Oriental, she
tweaked the family recipe by adding
malunggay powder for nutrition.
With a capital of P200 for two kilos
of peanuts, she produced enough
200 packs which were sold at P5
each in public schools. Soon she got
bulk orders for 300 to 1,000 packs
for the canteens. In one month,
Tamase earned P80,000.
One teacher, who was lactating,
reported that she gained more
breast milk every time she ate the
malunggay-infused peanuts. One of
of iron while the lone student
remained malnourished.
Tamase points out that bread
with half a teaspoon of moringa
powder, which is the body's
minimum daily requirement,
usually turns green. She warns that
while some bakeries promote
“healthy malunggay breads, “they
are just flecked with malunggay
flakes or given green food coloring.
Leap of faith
Tamase says she's always been
entrepreneurial. Since childhood,
she would produce yema candies
malunggay's benefits is increased
breast production.
In 2011, Tamase and her
husband Franz Josef, took a leap of
faith by starting Nature Earth.
“We couldn't get a loan from the
bank because we had no collateral
or business history. We just got a
loan from those text messages. My
husband and I checked out this
company,” she recalls.
Using their van as a guarantee,
they got a loan of P280,000. To
develop their malunggay
concentrate for the market, Tamase
sought help from the Department of
Science and Technology.
Although DOST recommended
additives for body and flavor to the
tea, Tamase instead discovered an
extract from okra which became a
natural thickener, and added ginger
for flavor. The formula is now
patented.
“I'm pushing for this because
t h e M a l u n g g ay C o n c e n t ra t e
contains phytonutrients. We get our
malunggay from the mountains in
Bacolod. If you get malunggay in
polluted places, it will contain lead
which doesn't get destroyed when
you boil it. The malunggay has to be
free of toxins,” says Tamase.
u
Page 22
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 22
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Selling healthy ...
From page 21
Tamase then improved a
Filipino snack, the fried noodles
called shingaling by infusing
moringa.
Since chips were also a
popular snack food, Franz Josef
suggested making them out of
tuber and cassava and flavored
with cheese and sour cream. It is
now Nature Earth's best seller.
Tamase points out that free
tasting in the stores is the best
marketing. “People won't walk
away with a pack of your products
if they don't know what it's about,”
she says.
Tamase also adopted the
guyabano tea produced by her
aunt, columnist Domini
Torrevillas. At this writing,
Domini's Guyabano Tea is under
application for Food and Drug
Administration approval.
Quality control
Nature Earth products are
distributed in the Panay Booth at
Market! Market!, Greenhills flea
market and the weekend markets
in SM Manila, SM Mall of Asia and
SM Cubao.
SM has maintained the
tradition set by taipan Henry Sy of
prompt payment of suppliers.
“One good thing about SM is that
we get paid the following week. It
takes care of our capital and we
Wells Fargo ...
From page 21
and one during the afternoon
session. The first featured South
Asian American entrepreneurs
Pialy Aditya (co-founder of fashion
site Mintbox), Sindhya V. Kalghatgi
(founder of men's grooming label
Helix), Abbas Hashmi (founder of
Green Card Capital), and Wong,
and centered on what one has to
do to take their business idea from
an intangible wish to a profitable
operation.
The second panel discussion
featured local New York City news
anchor Joya Dass, Bibi Magazine
founder Ayesha Hakki, The Cake
Designer founder Parul Patel, and
social media guru Adam Khan.
They talked about the advantages
and disadvantages of using social
media to promote small
businesses, and how to avoid the
common pitfalls associated with
the still-young but incredibly
powerful online marketing tool.
Keynote addresses were given
have a regular cash flow,” says
Tamase.
To augment the income, she
also marketed her products to
Echo Store, Raffles-Fairmont and
Sugarleaf. One day, she got a call
from the food and beverage
director of Sofitel. The managers
took a taste test of the camotecassava chips and voted that it be
served in the hotel. It was one of
the hotel's ways of helping out
local businesses.
Bernadette Sembrano sells
Nature Earth in Be Good at ABSCBN. Her store sells organic items
and supports small and mediumscale entrepreneurs. The healthbent Faburrito Mexican restaurant
chain also offers the malunggay
chips.
It has taken the couple three
years to be stable in the business.
At the start, they would manually
slice the camote and cassava chips.
When they earned more, they
bought a machine. Today, they
produce 2,500 packs a week.
The Tamases oversee a staff of
21 who are given minimum wage
and benefits, fed and housed in the
factory. Nature Earth's sellers are
g ive n fo o d , t ra n s p o r t a t i o n
allowance and incentives if they
exceed the sales target.
“I grew up in a business
environment. My grandmother
Corazon Torrevillas always took
care of her employees. I do the
same here,” says Tamase.
She adds that she also applies
by Aroon Shivdasani and Faisal
Hoque. Shivdasani is the founder
of the Indo-American Arts Council
and the key organizers of the
annual New York Indian Film
Festival, while Hoque is a writer
and entrepreneur who also gave
out and signed copies of his latest
book, “Everything Connects.”
Hoque spoke at length about
his personal story, coming to the
US from Bangladesh at age 17 and,
eventually, dropping out of college
in Minneapolis to start his career
with Pitney Bowes in Connecticut.
Today, he is the founder of
Shadoka Ventures, and a number
of other companies. Shadoka's
portfolio of companies which
specialize in R&D driven products,
services, and thought leadership a c c e l e ra te s i n d iv i d u a l a n d
organizational sustainable
growth. Hoque warned
prospective business owners that
people should keep in mind the
lows as much as the highs, citing
his own ups and downs, and the
successes and failures he
experienced during his career.
her learnings at McDonald's
Philippines. “McDonald's is
precise in quality control and pays
attention to details. It knows how
to instill discipline in employees.
The company is also generous in
giving back to the community.
When you adapt these corporate
standards, you get to do the
business right.”
Tamase notes the importance
of the endorsement from the Food
and Drug Administration of the
Philippines. “All the hotels and
retail establishments ask for the
certification. When we got out FDA
approval, our business took off. It
takes time to document the
nutritional facts and get results
from the microbiological tests. The
hotels come to the factory site to
accredit you. If you don't meet the
standards but they see your
potential, they help out by
enabling you to attend seminars.”
Ta m a s e h o p e s t h a t t h e
government could provide grants
to small or start-up businesses
since food analysis tests can easily
cost P30,000. “If the government
could help these entrepreneurs,
we wo u l d h ave a t h r iv i n g
economy.”
In all, she credits her faith in
God for Nature Earth's success.
“My formula is to be focused, be
consistent, pray hard and share.”
( Fo r d e t a i l s , v i s i t
natureearthcorp.wix.com.)
Inquirer.net
“There is absolutely no
substitute for passion and
authenticity,” Hoque said in
summation of his remarks, telling
future and current small business
owners that being true to
themselves and passionate about
their ideas are ultimately what will
lead them to success in the long
run.
Wells Fargo's sponsorship of
S AY W E a l l o w e d f o r t h e
c o n f e re n c e t o b e f re e f o r
attendees. Wells Fargo will
continue to be a partner of SAY
WE, as a sign of its increasing
commitment to helping the Asian
and South Asian American
communities across the US.
The SAY WE conference series
will continue in Houston on June
14, and will conclude in San
Francisco on August 9.
This story was produced for
American Bazaar and for New
America Media as part of a Wells
Fargo sponsored project to report
on the state of Asian Pacific
American small business.
Inquirer.net
Tension ... From page 11
control of China. It is also claimed by
the Philippines, which it calls Mabini
Reef.
Last month, the Philippines
protested reclamation and
construction by China of what looks
like an airport in Johnson South/
Mabini Reef. Strangely, Vietnam was
quiet in China's development in the
“It’s great ...
From page 20
p u b l i c a f fa i r s c o n s u l t i n g f i r m
specializing in stakeholder relations,
political risk and business advisory.
Raslan, who was among the
panelists at the session “Philippines:
The Next Asian Miracle,” had the most
memorable line in that session when
he said Aquino had a “charisma deficit”
but noted that he had “delivered”
anyway. For such a leader, Raslan said
one six-year term may not be enough
and urged the current regime to use its
political capital to “change the
rulebook.”
For Pang, the Philippines had done
a “tremendous” job hosting the East
Asia Summit. The welcome reception
hosted by the Ayala group on
Wednesday night, he said, was “by any
standard, quite a show and spirit of
organization.”
Best of Filipino talent
The Ayala group's reception for
WEF delegates at the Ayala Triangle
featured the best of Filipino talent
through traditional dance numbers, a
fashion show and a mini-concert by
Lani Misalucha who wowed the
audience, especially the foreigners
who watched her for the first time. It
also featured Filipino creativity by
featuring furniture pieces proudly
made in the Philippines.
Gary Valenciano and Jed Madela,
on the other hand, top-billed the
cultural show hosted by Aquino at the
Philippine International Convention
Center on Thursday night.
So-Young Kang, founder and chief
executive officer of Singapore-based
transformation design firm Awaken
Group and part of WEF's Young Global
Leader (YGL) community, said she was
“highly impressed” by the quality of
people from the local service industry
as well as the mindset of the young
Filipinos she interacted with at the
forum.
Indeed, what left a lasting
impression on the foreign delegates
who attended the three-day summit
was the people: the high quality of
Filipino talent and the growing mass of
young people who are eager to make a
difference and cement the country's
gains. After the main event in Metro
Manila, the US-educated Kang was
among those who flew to Mactan, Cebu,
to attend the YGL-led side summit
Open Collaboration with East Asia New
Champions 2014 (OCEAN14) at
Movenpick Hotel.
“Overall, if I include WEF and also
OCEAN14, I think my No. 1 takeaway is
that Filipino people are so nice, so
service-oriented,” Kang said.
Guillermo Luz, private sector
cochair of the National
Competitiveness Council, said that
from the start of the conference
planning, the Philippine team felt it
was important to highlight the
creativity of Filipinos.
“The Philippines of course, that's
the storyline - big turnaround since the
new administration. There's no
question in anyone's mind that
governance was a big factor behind it
and they can see the results in terms of
reef which is near islands occupied by
them, the nearest of which is Collins
Reef, just four miles away.
In a tense environment which
South China Sea is described today, the
possibility of miscalculations is high.
The situation is a challenge to the
Association of Southeast Asia Nations.
It concerns one of its members
(Vietnam) and one of its major
dialogue partners (China) and
threatens the stability of the region.
the economy growing at 7 percent, the
improvement in competitiveness
ranking and investment grade,” Luz
said.
'One of the best' WEF summits
But on top of these, Luz said this
summit also showed Filipino
organizational skills in working with
the WEF and likewise manifested
creativity as a people.
Because most of the events during
the three-day East Asia Summit were
within the Makati central business
district, heavy traffic in the metropolis
was not much of an issue, at least for
the participants. To ensure seamless
transfer to the cultural show held at
PICC, there were lanes dedicated to the
shuttles from Makati City.
“They (delegates) were agog over
the music, the passion, the
entertainment part that showed off the
Filipino creativity. Maybe what they
don't know is even the furniture
placement around WEF are Filipinomade including (the creations of)
Kenneth Cobonpue,” Luz said, noting
the furniture pieces that were
strategically placed in the lounge
where bilateral meetings took place.
He added that some foreign
delegates and East Asia Summit
veterans had even said that the
meeting in the Philippines was “one of
the best” WEF East Asia Summits they
had ever attended.
Over 600 top leaders in business,
policymaking, media, academia and
civil society from 30 different
countries gathered in Metro Manila for
three days of discussions on key global,
regional and industry agendas most
relevant to East Asia.
Issues linked to the upcoming
integration of 10 member-states of
Asean into a unified Asean Economic
Community (AEC) by 2015 cornered
much of the discussions inside and
outside the formal sessions alongside
key challenges such as inclusive
growth, infrastructure backlog, skills
gap and food security.
Hope for the country
As the country seeks new legs to
sustain its economic growth,
proponents of the so-called creative
economy championed by British
author and professor John Howkins who first published a book on how to
turn ideas into money in 2001 -hope to
see this segment playing a bigger role
in the Philippine economy.
The creative economy comprises
advertising, architecture, art, crafts,
design, fashion, film, music,
performing arts, publishing, R&D
(research and development), software,
toys and games, TV and radio and video
games where Filipinos naturally excel
in. Filipino youth dynamism also left a
good impression among foreign
delegates.
With a population of some 100
million and average age of 23, the
young were an integral part of the East
Asia conversations and the young
Filipino delegates - especially the
social entrepreneurs and advocates of
different causes - were great
ambassadors for the Philippines.
The author is a member of WEF's Young
Global Leaders Class of 2014). Inquirer.net
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 23
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Emmy Nominated Fil-Am producer of 'The Talk' keeps aiming higher
By Hiyasmin Quijano
LOS ANGELES -- Marc Anthony
Nicolas, a young Filipino American
producer received a Daytime Emmy
nomination for outstanding work
on the CBS show, “The Talk.” He will
host his own show, “On Your Marc,”
soon.
The 41st Annual Daytime Emmy
Awards will be held at the
prestigious Beverly Hilton Hotel in
Beverly Hills, California on Sunday.
Sheryl Underwood, comedian
and co-host of “The Talk” said of
Nicolas, “Marc is fabulous,
innovative, and priceless!”
M e a n w h i l e , C o - E xe c u t ive
Producer Heather Gray described
Nicolas as someone destined for
stardom. “He has always been so
creative, dynamic and driven. He
has a light that always shines and
touches those around him. He is
truly one of a kind and that is meant
in the best way.”
Gray added, “I would tell Marc to
never let the word 'no' stop him, to
always be true to himself and to
continue to be a source of
inspiration, not only for the Filipino
community but to everyone. Marc
dream to make it to the top of the
entertainment industry.
A lot of work goes into the production of a talk show. A producer writes the
script, so the hosts have interesting and effortless stories to tell.
brings excitement to “The Talk” and
I'm thrilled to think of millions now
getting to share in the joy of what is
Marc Anthony Nicolas on his new
show “On Your Marc!”
INQUIRER.net interviewed
Marc Anthony Nicolas after he
received his nomination.
What is your ultimate career
goal?
One of the joys in my life is to
create television shows that are
positive and entertaining to viewers
at home. I am motivated to work
harder to represent our community
on the show and the industry as a
whole, being the only Filipino
producer on “The Talk” with a
What led you to producing?
I was born in the Philippines
and I come from humble
beginnings. Since I was 16 years old,
I have worked at various places such
as a pharmacy, restaurants and
retail stores. But I knew I wanted to
be a producer since I was a kid. I got
a job as a production assistant on a
TV show, worked 12-hour days (six
days a week). Eventually, I paid my
dues and moved up the ladder
quickly to become one of the
youngest producers in mainstream
TV.
Tell us one fact or quirk about
you that no one knows.
I meditate every morning. As
soon as I wake up, I give praise for
another day. I ask for positive
thoughts throughout the day and
aspire to be the best person I can
be…To celebrate every minute and
be grateful for the simple things in
life, celebrating with family and
kababayans.
How did you land this role
with 'The Talk'?
After working on “The Tyra
Banks Show” as a producer, which
ended in New York in 2009, I moved
back to LA to look for work. I applied
for “The Talk” and interviewed with
the executive producer and Sara
Gilbert (creator of “The Talk”) who
played “Darlene” on “Roseanne.” I
got hired as a producer and I've
been working on the show for
seasons.
What is one quality you like
about each cast member?
Sharon Osbourne taught me
that family is very important. Being
married to Ozzy and having children
and grandchildren of her own, she
makes it a priority to be there for
her family no matter how busy she
is.
Julie Chen taught me how to
work hard and find a job that I love.
She is not only the co-host of “The
Talk” but she is the host of “Big
Brother” and she takes pride in both
shows and you can see that reflected
on TV.
Sara Gilbert taught me that
kindness is important, especially in
the industry. To me, being mean,
bitter and possessing a negative
attitude will not get you anywhere
u
Page 24
Film shines spotlight on
undocumented immigrants
By Rica Arevalo
Last May 3, we caught Jose
A n to n i o Va rga s ' b rave
documentary, “Documented,”
about his status as an
undocumented immigrant in New
York. Some theaters are releasing
the film before its CNN cable
broadcast this summer.
We were glad to see the film's
cinematographer and co-producer,
Clarissa delos Reyes, who was our
classmate in NUT's Directing
Workshop more than a decade ago.
Clar also worked on the principal
photography of John Sayle's
“Amigo.”
In shooting a documentary, she
shares: “You'll never know what
you're gonna get, so you always
have to be on your toes. I love
narratives, but I enjoy shooting
docus, where you look for things
that make a scene.”
As a female cinematographer in
New York City, she confesses: “It
isn't easy if you're non-American
and a womanthere has always been
gender bias in this profession. So,
you have to do what you can and
learn to hustle!
“Vargas is a good collaborator.
He always tried to involve me in
creative decisions. He had limited
resources and worked without a
green card, but he made the most of
what he had. It didn't stop him from
dreaming big!”
'TNT' status
“Documented” puts a human
face on thousands of immigrants
who face deportation every day in
the US. Vargas is a Pulitzer prizewinning journalist who, in 2011,
Donita Rose. Inquirer file photo
Happiness is a new TV
show for Donita Rose
By Nestor U. Torre
VARGAS AND DELOS REYES. Chronicle Pulitzer-winning journalist's daunting
predicament. Photo by RICA AREVALO
decided to reveal his “TNT” (tago
ng tago) status in a New York Times
essay, because he could no longer
bear to lie about it! His revelation
pressured the US Congress to take
action on the Dream Act, which
provides conditional permanent
residency to certain immigrants.
One of the film's tender
moments documents Vargas'
relationship with his mother,
Emelie Salinas. They have not seen
each other for 20 years, with Vargas
consciously “avoiding” his mom by
not accepting her Facebook
request.
Among the movie's highlights is
their first Internet video calland it
is heartbreaking!
During the Q&A, the former
Wa s h i n g t o n P o s t r e p o r t e r
confessed, “I don't want to be called
courageous or inspirational,
because I know how America
works. You put people up, then you
knock them down. All I want is to be
a free person who can go wherever
I want to. I want to liberate myself
from this thing I've been enslaved
to!”
In 1993, Vargas was sent by his
mother to the US to live with his
grandparents. At 16, he learned
about his fake papers when he
applied for a driver's license and
was told never to come back.
“Documented's” executive
producers include Napster
cofounder Sean Parker, Scott
Budnick and Janet Yang. Visit
documentedthefilm.com.
Inquirer.net
From time to time, we've
been citing Donita Rose as one of
the TV talents we miss seeing on
the small screen, where her rare
combination of beauty and a
good heart are sorely missed.
Well, we're glad to see that,
after a rather long hiatus, Donita
is back on TV by way of the new
GMA 7 show (11 a.m. weekdays),
“Basta Everybody Happy.”
The 30-minute talkmagazine show is co-hosted by
Alessandra de Rossi, Chef Boy
Logro and Gladys Reyes. Its
upbeat format puts a deft spin
on its post-programming, “The
Ryzza Mae Show,” the pint-sized
host of which is famous for her
own “signature” admonition,
“Bawal ang sad.”
True enough, “Basta
Everybody Happy” does its
darnedest to put a smile and
slap-happy grin on viewers'
faces with its bright mix of
features and guests. On its first
telecast, for instance, the main
guests were the “graduates” of
the very first edition of GMA's
“Starstruck” talent search.
Impressively, most of them were
all present and accounted for,
from top winner Jennylyn
Mercado to Mark Herras,
Yasmien Kurdi, Dion Ignacio etc.
At the moment, Jennylyn,
Mark and Yasmien can still be
seen regularly on the tube, and
Dion and Nadine Samonte are
occasional guest performers on
different shows. And, let's not
forget that Cristine Reyes was a
part of the group before she
moved over to ABS-CBN, where
she's now a certified lead player.
That's a pretty good showing for
successful “graduates” as TV
talent tilts gomost of the others
produce only one or two
graduates who remain visible
stars for at least a couple of
seasons.
Instructive
The “Starstruck” alumni had
a really fun time touching base
with one another, but it was also
instructive to see how the
u
Page 26
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 24
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
BBC World focus on
Philippines ongoing
By Oliver M. Pulumbarit
“BBC World News felt it
was important to focus on the
Philippines six months after
Supertyphoon 'Yolanda,'”
revealed writer-TV host Rajan
Datar via a recent e-mail
interview.
“The typhoon, and the
effect of those dealing with its
consequences were huge
breaking news stories for the
channel and we felt it was
important to share [the
recovery story] with the
world,” Datar told the Inquirer.
The “Philippines Direct”
season currently airs on the
24-hour BBC World News
channel. A series of
documentaries and programs
started airing last May 23 and
continues until May 30.
Datar's “The Travel Show”
visits earthquake- and
typhoon-devastated areas and
will focus on the victims who
survived and coped after the
calamities.
Other programs in the
lineup include “Working Lives:
Cebu” presented by Rico Hizon
and focusing on a diverse set of
disaster-affected people and
their livelihoods; and “Talking
Business: Philippines Direct”
hosted by Linda Yueh and set
at the World Economic Forum
in Manila.
RAJAN Datar in Manila
Excerpts from the
interview:
How would you explain
BBC's decision to focus on the
Philippines?
The reaction to the Bohol
earthquake and Supertyphoon
Yolanda is of interest around
the world, has had a great
impact on the country's
tourism, and reveals
something about the Filipino
c h a r a c t e r. A l s o , t h e
Philippines' economic growth
and how that is filtering down
to everyday society are of huge
interest.
What is “disaster tourism”
and how is it gauged in the
Philippines' calamity-stricken
areas?
Disaster tourism can be
defined as focusing on an
unfortunate event and,
through tourism, helping with
Tougher challenge for Bamboo
By Mary Ann A. Bautista
Bamboo never saw himself working
in the music industry. He explains,
“When I was a kid, I sang and got a little
money out of it - but, it was never my
dream. I was resistant to music.” Music
found him, however - and grew on him.
Now, he's helping people on “The
Voice.” “I am now helping talented
singers get a career in the recording
industry - and one of them is even
recording an international album! They
were brave enough to make me kulit. I
like that kind of 'hunger.' They have the
drive to make things happen.”
The singer believes that being a
coach on “The Voice Kids” is more
challenging: “With adults, you already
have an idea where they're headed as
artists. With kids, it's a gray area. So, I
listen carefully to every contestant, so
that I can justify my critiques on their
performances.
BAMBOO. “It's rare to find an original voice.”
“There are exceptional talents, but
none of them is flawless. The judges
speak more to the parents than to the
young participants. It's more
heartbreaking to turn down children.
“So, when I coach kids, I don't want
them to think that it's the end of the road
if we don't pick them. How do I choose?
That's hard to measure. These days, it's
rare to find an original voice!”
Inquirer.net
the recovery process. In the
case of the Philippines, as with
the 2004 Indian Ocean
tsunami and for countries like
Sri Lanka, the bond with
regular tourists is so strong,
that many people from abroad
want to help. When we filmed
in Bohol, we saw that the
churches affected by the
earthquake relied greatly on
money from tourism to survive
and rebuild.
How is the Philippines
distinct in Asia, from “The
Travel Show's” perspective?
The clearest differences
are the Spanish and American
influences and largely Catholic
faith. Also, while Thailand,
Indonesia and Malaysia sell
themselves as more “exotic,”
Filipinos are more grounded
about who they are and display
The talented cast and crew of “The Talk” on CBS.
u
Page 25
yourself and moving one step closer to
Emmy nominated ...
your dream. There are a handful of
From page 23
producers on “The Talk” and each one of
us possesses a unique creativity. We're
in life. You have to project what you all different producers and we bring so
want in life because what you put out much to the table. That's what makes our
there in the universe will come back ten- show stand out.
fold. If I'm nice to others, others will be
Describe the most important
nice to me.
lesson you have learned so far as a
Sheryl Underwood taught me to find producer?
time to laugh. Working can be stressful,
Quitting is not an option in my
but I manage to find time to have fun at career. If my work is challenging, I know
my job, too. We all have to have laughter it's making me a better and stronger
and enjoy what we have in life.
producer. In order to succeed in my life, I
Aisha Tyler taught me that I could do need to have persistence and dedication.
anything. Besides being the co-host of I say to myself, “You can do it!”
“The Talk,” she's an actress, an author
Do you collaborate with fellow Filand much more. This woman is doing it Am's in the entertainment industry?
all… Kudos to her.”
I genuinely want the best for the FilAs a producer, what do you want Am community and its members. A very
the audience to grasp from “The w e l l k n o w n F i l i p i n o - A m e r i c a n
Talk?”
photographer, Graphics Metropolis,
I want them to laugh, and if viewers needed support for the Palm Springs
do that, I've done my job. I want viewers Photo Festival. I believed in his talent so
at home to be able to escape from their much that I offered to help him in my
everyday problems, sit down, and just own little way. Nothing is more
enjoy “The Talk.” As a producer, my goal satisfying than fulfilling someone's
is to make memorable television. I can dreams. We collaborated and worked on
see myself working on “The Talk” for my personal headshots and photos for
many, many years.
my new talk show on Lifestyle Network
This is not the first Emmy titled “On Your Marc!” Despite my busy
nomination in your career.
schedule, I always find the time to attend
I'm grateful to be nominated for and support Fil-Am events and
another Emmy. It's an honor and a great endeavors.
feeling to be acknowledged, to be in the
How would you encourage fellow
company of other amazing talk show Fil-Ams who are in your industry and
producers. I got a text message from my are also dreaming of an Emmy
co-worker at 6 a.m. the day it was recognition?
announced. “We're nominated for an
Being in the spotlight in the Filipino
Emmy!” I screamed so loud and jumped community has many rewards and I
up and down. I'm looking forward to the stand here as the voice of a person who
Daytime Emmys on June 22, 2014.
never gave up. I'm living proof that
What does it take for a producer anything can happen and that dreams
to make a show like “The Talk” stand can become a reality with hard work and
out?
determination. I'm all about paying it
People always say, “You sacrificed so forward too. I do what I can to help other
much in your life.” It's not so much people's dreams come true too! If I can
sacrificing… It's more believing in do it, you can do it. Inquirer.net
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 25
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
th
4 Silver Awards for GMA International at the 20 Communicator Awards
Proud to be Pinoy PIDC Celebration 2013
Communicator Awards trophy
GMA International, the business
unit that manages the operations and
distribution of GMA Network's
international channels, garnered four
Silver Awards of Distinction at the 20th
Communicator Awards.
The Communicator Awards is the
l e a d i n g i n t e r n a t i o n a l awa rd s
program that recognizes creative
excellence in advertising, corporate
communications, public relations and
identity work in print, video, audio
and interactive formats.
“We are honored to have been
recognized by this prestigious awardgiving body,” says GMA Network Vice
President and Head of International
Operations Joseph T. Francia. “This
distinction validates GMA
International's purpose of bringing
quality programming and services to
Filipinos all over the world.”
Home Away from Home, which
was launched in 2013 on the
Network's flagship international
channel GMA Pinoy TV, won in the
Video (Programs/News
Documentary) category. The show
invites viewers into the homes of
Filipinos overseas who have become
important parts of their communities
and have shown success in their
respective fields.
Likewise, GMA International's
television special titled, Proud to be
Pinoy: Philippine Independence Day
Celebration 2013 was recognized in
the Video (Programs/News
D o c u m e n t a r y ) c a t e g o r y. I n
commemoration of the Philippines'
115 t h Independence Day, event
BBC World ...
From page 24
an incredible resilience in the face of
adversity.
In “The Travel Show,” we visit
Manila, Bohol and Panglao. In Manila,
we challenge the idea that the capital is
not an attractive city to visit. We meet a
dancing cop.
We ride in a “pimped-out” jeepney,
visit Intramuros, and look at the more
interesting contemporary music
scenes in the capital.
On the islands, we look at ongoing
recovery and restoration efforts, go up
to the Chocolate Hills, take a river
cruise, get really close to a tarsier that
sat just behind me in a tree for a full 20
minutes while we filmed…
W h a t m a ke s t h e c o u n t r y ' s
entertainment scene different in the
region?
Island mentality makes a country's
psyche a bit more extroverted,
anarchic, carefree and fun-loving. But
also, I noticed a special obsession with
entertaining others and being
entertained. Everyone seems to have
music in their blood and so many can
turn their hand to dancing, singing or
playing.
What is the most important thing
about creating travelogues?
The most interesting thing is that I
get to dig below what guided books and
newspaper articles tell you about a
“TRAVEL Show” spotted this dancing traffic
marshall in the middle of a busy four-way
junction!).
certain destination - as a result, we are
able to find out what people in the
country are actually talking about, and
we get to explain different cultural
idiosyncracies. These days, it is
important not to underestimate the
experience and knowledge of our
viewers. (For related multimedia
c o n t e n t ,
v i s i t
BBC.com/Philippinesdirect.)
Inquirer.net
TO ADVERTISE, PLEASE CALL
201-434-1114
h i gh li gh t s f ro m t h e d i f fe re n t
Independence Day celebrations
across the United States and Canada
participated in by GMA International
were shown on GMA Pinoy TV.
The GMA News TV International
Info Kit received the Silver Award for
the Print category. Powered by the
Philippines' most trusted news and
public affairs team, GMA News TV
International is the top choice to meet
the Filipinos' demand for complete,
accurate, and credible news from
home. The info kit showcases the
channel's achievements and its multiawarded news personalities and toprated programs.
F u r t h e r m o r e , G M A
International's Middle East MyHD
Campaign clinched another Silver
Award of Distinction for the
Integrated Campaign
(Promotional/Branding) category.
Featuring Kapuso Primetime Queen
M a r i a n R ive ra , t h e c a m p a i g n
highlights the best promo offers for
GMA's international channels through
its new carrier in the Middle East,
MyHD.
Among the notable winners of the
Communicator Awards are some of
the biggest players in the
international television industry such
as Verizon, Comcast Spotlight, Warner
Bros. Digital Media, Hub Television
Network, MacLaren McCann and
Mercedes Benz USA.
The Communicator Awards is
judged and overseen by the Academy
of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA).
The AIVA is an organization of over
600 members who are “leading
professionals from various
disciplines of the visual arts dedicated
to embracing progress and the
evolving nature of traditional and
interactive media.” Its members are
comprised of distinguished
individuals from top media,
advertising and marketing firms,
including Disney, MTV, Yahoo,
rabble+rouser, and Time, Inc.
For more information on GMA
Network and its international
channels, visit the website
www.gmanetwork.com/internationa
l ,
F a c e b o o k
p a g e s
www.facebook.com/GMAPinoyTV,
www.facebook.com/gmalifetv and
www.facebook.com/gmanewsintern
ational, Twitter pages @GMAPinoyTV
and @GMA_LifeTV, and Instagram
page, @GMAPinoyTV.
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 26
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Hillsong United is back!
MANILA -- The band known
for creating waves with their
highly energetic, God-glorifying,
dance-inducing praise and
worship songs, both in
contemporary Christian and
secular music scenes; the band
that has led nations into a spirit
of pure worship for our God at
sold-out concerts around the
world; the band whose songs
always reflect a passionate love
for our Savior - HILLSONG
UNITED is coming back to the
Philippines this 2014!
HILLSONG UNITED is
committed to creating a musical
expression that is almost
uncomfortable in its uniqueness,
with a mission to write songs
that awaken churches and
individuals to the fact that we are
redeemed and called into the
story of God.
With the familiar faces of
worship leaders Joel Houston,
Jad Gillies, JD and Matthew
Crocker, the UNITED team has
become an evolving
c o l l a b o ra t i o n o f p a s t o r s ,
worship leaders, musicians and
songwriters, all bound by the
common goal of giving voice to a
generation who is passionate
about God. Their desire is to
simply serve God and allow Him
to do what only He can do.
“Our prayer is that people
everywhere would catch this
desire and run with it in the same
way! Knowing God is with them,
FILIPINO-JAPANESE sumo wrestler Masunoyama and his Filipino
mother Maria Christine
Filipino-Japanese
sumo wrestler
featured on Rated K
God is in control, and He will
have His way.” Joel Houston
Their songs “Oceans (Where
Feet May Fail)” hit number one
on the American Billboard
Christian songs chart at the end
of 2013, while their 2013 album
Zion shot to number one on the
US Billboard Christian albums
and Australian albums chart.
Inquirer.net
Richard Yap, heartthrob,
is also a philanthropist
By Marinel R. Cruz
“The show is not ending
any time soon,” said “Be
Careful With My Heart” star
Richard Yap.
The actor was defending
ABS-CBN's romantic-comedy
series against online bashers
who insist it has been
stretched for too long.
Directed by Jeffrey Jeturian,
the top-rating drama
premiered in July 2012 and
was supposed to end last
month. According to the
Chinese-Filipino star, it has
been extended indefinitely.
Helping others
“ We c a n' t p l e a s e
everyone, so we're just
ignoring all the negative
comments about the show,”
the actor told the Inquirer.
“The show has helped so
many people - from the cast
and crew to the audience. I
heard about a viewer whom
it helped to recover from an
illness.”
The series also stars Jodi
Sta. Maria as Maya de la Rosa,
who works as a nanny to the
three kids of Yap's character
Richard Yap
Richard Lim. She later
becomes his wife, and
mother of their twins.
Always rushing
“We heard the show could
run until December,” Yap
said. “Work schedules have
b e c o m e m o r e r e l a xe d ,
compared to last year, which
was stressful for all of us. We
were always rushing! Things
improved after the Christmas
break.”
Yap and his wife Melody
hosted a unique Mother's
Day celebration this year. The
couple, who co-owns the
Quezon City branch of
Wangfu Chinese Bistro,
invited 15 other moms winners of the restaurant's
“Ice Katchang Selfie” promo to dine with them.
The actor turned 47 on
May 18. He wished nothing
more for himself, he said,
apart from “continuing to be
blessed, so I can share the
blessings with others.”
He elaborated: “I extend
financial support to a group
of nuns who teach homeless
kids. I contribute to funds for
the construction of several
churches. My family also
helps children afflicted with
c a n c e r. I ' d r a t h e r n o t
publicize these things. I'm
just trying my best to reach
out to as many people as
possible.”
He has the best things in
life, he insisted: “I've always
lived simply. I'm OK as long as
I'm with my family, as long as
we live in a decent home and I
am able to provide for their
needs. Inquirer.net
By Walden Sadiri M. Belen
Filipino-Japanese sumo
wrestler Masunoyama Tomoharu
will surprise his Filipina mother
Maria Christine with a dance of
gratitude via “Happy Surprise,” a
segment of the popular variety
show “Totsugeki! At Home!” that
airs on NHK, Japan's public
broadcaster.
The performance will also be
featured on May 25 on ABS-CBN's
“Rated K.”
The Filipino-Japanese sumo
wrestler is very popular in Japan,
and is especially loved for his smile.
He was born on Nov. 1, 1990 in
Sakae, Chiba, Japan. When his
parents divorced, her mother
brought her to the Philippines
where he finished junior high
school. Because her mother was
working so hard to make both ends
meet, Masunoyama decided to
return to Japan when he was 14 to
resume training as a sumo
wrestler.
M a s u n oya m a j o i n e d t h e
Chiganoura sumo stable and made
his professional debut in 2006. He
went on to endear himself to the
public and the press and is now
Happiness ...
From page 23
batch's less-popular products
“projected” themselves in the
course of the long group feature.
There was palpable regret over
the fact that their career prospects
hadn't panned out as well as
Jennylyn and Mark'sbut also a
proud refusal to call it quits on
their ever-flaming dream of
stardom!
The new show should be
complimented for coming up with
such a unique feature on its first
telecast, and we hope that its
subsequent features will be
similarly eventful.
considered a rising star in the
sport. He is always grateful to his
mother for raising him. He sends
her money, and hopes to one day
buy her a house.
NHK is Japan's sole public
broadcaster. Funded by Japanese
households, it has a reputation for
impartial, high-quality
programming. NHK reaches about
50 million households with four
nationwide TV channels.
In collaborating with ABS-CBN,
NHK said, “We regard 'Happy
Surprise' as the very first success
we achieved on the long track. We
are having collective and intensive
discussions for extending our
c o o p e r a t i o n
further. Just wait until you'll see
our second big surprise.”
Ms. Linggit Tan, ABS-CBN
business unit head, said the
collaboration with NHK will enable
ABS-CBN to expand and penetrate
the Japanese market.”Television is
a global medium and we need to
explore other things we can for TV
and for Filipinos. NHK, as a public
broadcaster, wants to showcase
J a p a n e s e c u l t u re , a n d m o s t
especially, show their appreciation
for Filipinos.”
As far as the hosting goes,
however, some of the show's four
cohosts didn't have much to do on
the first telecast, like Chef Boy and
Donita. We're informed that, in
other telecasts, they'll take case of
the “cooking portion,” since Donita
honed her cooking skills during
her long absence from the small
screen. We hope that their “chefsous chef” combination will be as
droll and entertaining as it bids fair
to be.
Now that Donita is back on TV,
she should lose a few more pounds
to really get back to “fighting” trim.
She's as lovely as ever, so we hope
that, after a few more tweaks in this
direction and that, she'll be back on
TVto stay! Inquirer.net
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 27
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 28
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
NBA player granted Filipino
citizenship, will play for Gilas
By Mark Giongco, Matikas
Santos
Renowned visual artist Joe Datuin explains the meaning of the trophy which he designed for the
19 sporting greats who will be honored on June 12. Also shown are bowling legend Paeng
Nepomuceno, event organizer Chino Trinidad and Grandmaster Eugene Torre. (Tony Pionilla)
Sporting greats to
be feted June 12
By Kristel Satumbaga
The heroes of yesteryears from
Olympic swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso to
current boxing icon Manny Pacquiao
will be feted during an affair on June 12
at the Newport Performing Arts
Theater of Resorts World.
Dubbed Pagpupugay: Gabi ng
Parangal, the gala will serve as a
tribute to the exploits of the
Philippines' brightest sports
immortals stretching back to the last
100 years.
Apart from Pacquiao and
Yldefonso, who won a bronze during
the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics and
whose medal will be on display, others
to be honored include bowling legend
Paeng Nepomuceno (four-time World
Cup champion), chess grandmaster
Eugene Torre (Asia's first GM), and
Hall of Fame boxer Flash Elorde.
A project of broadcaster Chino
Trinidad, the awards night will be
spiced up by an exhibit showing not
only unforgettable photos but pieces
of memorabilia as well from June 1
until the 15th.
“We'll celebrate their greatness
dahil ang DNA ng kagitingan ng mga
Filipino ay di nagbabago,” said
Trinidad, seated beside two of the
greatest Filipino athletes of all-time
Torre and Nepomuceno during the
PSA Forum presented by Accel,
Shakey's, and the Philippine
Amusement and Gaming Corp.
“Advocacy nating mga Pilipino ito.
This is not my event. This is the event
of us Filipinos.”
“We're very thankful for Chino for
coming up with this noble idea,” said
Nepomuceno.
Also taking centerstage include
another Hall of Fame pugilist Pancho
Villa (Francisco Guilledo in real life),
football idol Paulino “El Romperedes”
Alcantara, tracksters Simeo Toribio
and Miguel White, prizefighter
Ceferino “Bolo Punch” Garcia, tennis
great Felecisimo Ampon, hotshot
Carlos Loyzaga, fairway ace Ben Arda,
1964 Tokyo Olympics silver medalist
Anthony Villanueva, bowlers Lita Dela
Rosa, Arianne Cerdena and Olivia
“Bong” Coo, cue master Efren “Bata”
Reyes and 1996 Atlanta Olympics
silver medalist Mansueto “Onyok”
Velasco.
Renowned visual artist Joe Datuin,
who gained fame when his “Dancing
Rings” sculpture won in the
prestigious International Olympic
Committee Sport and Art Contest in
2008 in connection with the Beijing
Olympics, designed the trophies that
will be awarded. Manila Bulletin
Jersey City to Sponsor First Annual Summer
Soccer Cup in honor of 2014 FIFA World Cup
JERSEY CITY Mayor Steven M.
Fulop, members of the Municipal
Council and the Department of
Recreation announce the First Annual
Summer Soccer Cup in honor of the
2014 FIFA World Cup from 10:00 a.m. to
8:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 1, 2014 at the
Caven Point Athletic Facility.
“Jersey City has a huge soccer
community that is continuing to grow
and flourish,” said Mayor Fulop. “This is
a great event because it allows us to
highlight our soccer program by timing
the tournament with an international
soccer sporting competition.”
The First Annual Summer Soccer
Cup will be held in recognition of the
2014 FIFA World Cup and is time with
the kick off games in Brazil, featuring 32
countries competing for the World Cup.
Six Jersey City organizations and
their league teams have collaborated to
celebrate Jersey City's youth soccer
program with friendly competition
games to further solidify soccer's
immensely growing popularity in our
c o m m u n i t y. P a r t i c i p a t i n g
organizations include: Jersey City
Re c re a t i o n , J e r s ey C i t y S o c c e r
Association, Hans Soliz, Hudson United
Futbol Club, Jersey City Hispanic
American Soccer League and Champion
Soccer Academy.
Following the tournament, there
will be a closing ceremony awarding
game medals to all participating teams
to mark the occasion.
The event is FREE and open to the
public. For more information please
contact Ivan F. Freire at 201-855-9762.
- Jennifer Morrill, Press Secretary to
Mayor Steven M. Fulop.
MANILA -- The Senate on
Monday, May 26 approved the
naturalization of American
basketball player Andray
Blatche on third and final
reading.
The Senate Bill No. 2108,
proposed by Senator Juan
Edgardo “Sonny” Angara,
garnered a unanimous vote as
Blatche's Filipino citizenship
now awaits the approval of the
Office of the President for the
chief executive's signature.
“Blatche is possibly the
best center from the NBA that
we can get who is willing to
shun more lucrative offers now
and in the future just to be part
of our national team,” said
Angara in a statement.
The six-foot-11 Blatche
plays a vital role for the
Brooklyn Nets with a career
average of 10.1 points, 5.4
rebounds and almost a block
per game. “This was indeed a
total team effort on the part of
the Senate. Credits are due to
both the majority and minority
blocs for supporting this
measure, which to my mind, is
the Senate's own way of
contributing to the cause of
Andray Blatche. AP file photo
our basketball team,” Angara
said.
G r a n t i n g
t h e
naturalization of Blatche is a
big boost for Gilas Pilipinas,
which is set to compete in the
Fiba World Cup in Spain this
August and the Asian Games in
September.
“Having naturalized
players is the rule in
international competitions
rather than the exception. It's
very accepted. We are just
taking advantage of the rule,”
said Angara, who chairs the
committee on games,
amusement and sports.
Blatche became the latest
foreign basketball player to
earn a Filipino citizenship after
Americans Arthur “Chip”
Engelland, Jeff Moore and
Dennis Still were naturalized
in the 1980s to help the
Philippine men's basketball
team to win the Asian
Basketball Confederation
( n o w F I B A A s i a
Championship) crown in 1985
and Marcus Douthit in 2011.
“We took a leap of faith
when we naturalized Marcus
Douthit, and that leap of faith
paid dividends. We are hoping
this would be a similar case
with Andray Blatche,” Angara
said. Douthit led the Philippine
team to a silver-medal finish in
the 2013 Fiba Asia
Championship that also
booked the squad a trip to the
Basketball World Cup in Spain.
“This is the first time in 40
years that the Philippine team
will play once again in the
world basketball tournament.
We are number 34 in the world
basketball ranking and yet, we
made it to the FIBA World
Championships, which is the
top 24 teams in the world.
Given this rare opportunity, we
should do everything we can to
give our national team the best
representation and the best
chance to win,” Angara added.
Inquirer.net
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 29
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Mangyan entrepreneur creates ecohaven in the mountains
By Amadís Ma. Guerrero
Meet Leo Banaag, 34, single, a
member of the Iraya Mangyan tribe
in Mindoro. He studied in La
Trinidad and holds a bachelor's
degree in agriculture from Benguet
State University.
Upon graduation he worked for
a time as an NGO community
organizer in Puerto Galera, the top
tourist destination in Oriental
Mindoro, and then in San Teodoro,
known for its whitewater rafting
and kayaking, and Baco in Mt.
Halcon, which straddles the
boundaries of Oriental and
Occidental Mindoro.
Leo has been involved in the
processing of the Mangyans'
a n c e s t ra l d o m a i n , a dvo c a c y
networking, and supervising
nonformal education for the
nonliterate members of his tribe.
In 2009 he was invited to go to
Japan by a Japanese NGO, Genesis, to
share his experiences. And that was
when he got the idea of constructing
Da Pirmeda (a Mangyan word
meaning “the first”) an oasis and
ecohaven in Mt. Baclayan, Puerto
Galera. Leo was able to save money
thanks to all his activites, being
unmarried and, according to him,
having no vices (“walang asawa,
walang bisyo”) - to the tune of
P70,000. Add to that the travel
allowance of P43,000 which he was
able to save from his all-expenses
paid Japan sortie.
Dream resort
With this as seed money, he set
to work in 2010 on building his
dream mini resort. “The first step
was to construct the two cold spring
swimming pools with continuous
running water,” says Leo. This was
done bayanihan style, meaning he
called upon the muscle power of his
nephews and other relatives.
Then they built three native
houses, using traditional materials
from the mountains. “I only spent for
the nails,” observes the intrepid
Mangyan.
There was a need for more
sturdy accommodations for some
foreign guests. So a Canadian friend
invested P50,000 here, resulting in
three concrete rooms.
A kind of assembly hall and a
sari-sari (variety) store, which along
with the usual snacks and canned
goods, sells Mangyan fashion
accessories and home decor,
complete the picture. And Leon tells
the children to further hone their
talent in traditional Mangyan
dances to generate income from
visitors.
Refreshing ambience
Da Pirmeda has a truly
refreshing ambience, with a grand
view of Puerto Galera Bay 2,000 feet
below. It is surrounded by greenery
and a thickly-forested area, albeit
second growth, as it used to be a
communal farm. Traditional meals
are sold here at budget prices (P50-
P70, unlimited): root crops like
camote, ube, gabi and native
vegetables, washed down with fresh
coconut juice straight from the trees.
Each hut costs P250 a day and
accommodates two to three
persons. The three rooms are priced
at P450 per, for 24 hours. A two-day
jungle trek, covering an area of 37
kilometers, can be had for P3,800,
while survival skills training will
cost you P500.
The entrance fee to Da Pirmeda
is P250. You can stay four hours,
overnight or several days if you
wish, as long as you pay for each day.
And Leo is even now constructing
jungle trails for senior citizens, at
P250 per trek.
To get to Da Pirmeda, you have to
rough it a bit. The resort is accessible
from the town center by mountain
bike or jeepney, through trails which
are both well-paved as well as dirt
roads, with ravines on the side.
Leo has promoted his place
through Facebook and tourist
friends and Da Pirmeda has
attracted European tourists, mostly
Danes and Britons. But things may
change now, with the LGU-Tourism
I n fo r m a t i o n C e n t e r
(aileenbarangtourismoffice@gmail.
com) promoting the resort, along
with other attractions in Puerto
Galera. The tourism office recently
invited national media persons who
attended the De Galera Festival to
tour Da Pirmeda.
The Mangyan entrepreneur
EXPRESS SUDOKU
HOW TO PLAY: Place a number from 1 to 9 in each empty cell so that each
row, each column and each 3x3 block contains all the numbers from 1 to 9
Solution to Issue 21 Sudoku
Solution to Issue 21 Crossword
expects to recover his investments
in 2-3 years but cannot promise this
because the place makes money
only during the summer months.
Call Leo at 0920-669-2668 or the
Tourism Information Center at 043287-3051 or 0927-901-2318.
Inquirer.net
LEO Banaag. Photo by Amadís Ma. Guerrero
NATIVE huts in a forest ambience.
WELCOME to this jungle resort in Mt. Baclayan.
CONTINUOUS running water.
Photos by Amadís Ma. Guerrero, Contributor
EXPRESS CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1. Metal
6. Hairdo
10. Soft drink
14. Robust
15. Bearing
16. Burden
17. To begin with
19. Notch
20. Ancient ascetic
21. Levy
22. Achy
23. Agile Old World
viverrine
25. Delineated
26. A female domestic
30. Greek god of
darkness
32. Experience
35. A despicable coward
39. Burgled
40. Record player
41. Spiral
1. Sneaker or pump
43. Timidity
2. Sailors
44. A flammable gas
3. Twin sister of Ares
46. Makes lace
4. Border
47. Birch relative
5. Prevaricating
50. Requires
6. Doctor's group
53. Happy cat sound
7. Air cleaner
54. Snagged
8. Connected by kinship
55. Narcotic
9. Chalcedony
60. Dwarf buffalo
61. To a complete degree 10. Coherent
11. Scallion
63. Deliver a tirade
12. Ill-gotten gains
64. Not tame
13. Requested
65. Fruit of the oak tree
18. Born as
66. Tall woody plant
67. Leg joint
68. Verse
DOWN
24. Prefix meaning
"Modern"
25. Vigorously
passionate
26. Pulp
27. Initial wager
28. False god
29. Careful
31. Hit hard
33. Happen again
34. Annoying insect
36. Region
37. A musical pause
38. Sleep in a
convenient place
42. Ointment
ingredient
43. Behold
45. Urticate
47. Not together
48. Pertaining to the
moon
49. Pilotless plane
51. Man's best friend
52. Lance
54. Rubberneck
56. Skin irritation
57. Greeting at sea
58. School session
59. Sea eagle
62. Lyric poem
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 30
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
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May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 31
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
May 30 - June 5, 2014
Page 32
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS