The Filipino Express v28 Issue 42

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VOL. 28 w
NO. 42 w
October 17-23, 2014 w
NATIONAL EDITION w
NEW JERSEY w
NEW YORK w
201-434-1114 w
$1.00
Cry for justice in LA,
rally in New York
By Allan Macatuno
OLONGAPO CITY -- A murder complaint was filed here on
Wednesday, Oct. 15 against an American soldier who was last
seen with Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude before the transgender
Filipino was found dead in a motel last Saturday night (Oct.
11).
The filing of the complaint against Pvt. 1st Class Joseph
Scott Pemberton of the US Marine Corps is expected to speed
up his transfer to the custody of Philippine authorities, as
required under the 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA)
between the governments of the Philippines and the United
States.
Accompanied by three police officers and lawyer Harry
Roque, Marilou Laude, the victim's sister, filed the complaint
in the Olongapo City Prosecutor's Office at 4:50 p.m.
Julita Laude, the victim's mother, said the family would
pursue the case and make sure Pemberton would go to prison
in the Philippines.
Prosecutors now have to decide if there is sufficient
evidence to try Pemberton, a process that can take weeks.
u
Page 6
Protesters rally in front of Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) office. Matikas Santos/Inquirer.net
Murder complaint filed vs US Marine
Beloved New Jersey Lawyer
elected PAFCOM president
'P4B shared by Makati execs'
By Nancy C. Carvajal
At least P4 billion from 10
infrastructure projects that
the Makati City government
JERSEY CITY, Oct. 15 -- As it looks to
awarded to a favored
celebrating its 25th founding anniversary
contractor between 1999 and
in 2015 with grandeur, the Philippine2014 went to city officials and
American Friendship Committee, Inc.
resident auditors as
(PAFCOM) announces with pride the
kickbacks, according to
election of Atty. Victor Sison as its
former Makati Vice Mayor
president for 2015. Atty. Sison expressed
Ernesto Mercado.
his gratitude to those who came in spite
The 10 projects awarded
of the inclement weather.
to Hilmarc's Construction
In his acceptance speech, Atty. Sison,
Corp. cost the taxpayers of
outlined the 4 'clues' or points of his
Makati at least P15 billion,
administration:
said Mercado, a witness in a
1. 2015 as the 25th Anniversary of
Senate blue ribbon
PAFCOM. A Silver Anniversary Gala
subcommittee investigation
event will be held as a token of
of alleged irregularities in the
appreciation and thanksgiving for all
Makati government during
those who helped form and develop
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Page 5
PAFCOM to what it is now.
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Page 9
By Sonny Austria
Newly elected PAFCOM president Atty.
Victor Sison presents the 4 'clues' or points
of his administration in his acceptance
speech. Photo by Gani Puertollano
World vows Ebola action as
second US case stirs fears
Agence France-Presse
WASHINGTON -- World
leaders declared the Ebola
outbreak the worst global
health emergency in years,
as President Barack
Obama vowed a “much
more aggressive” response
to the spreading virus,
which has killed nearly
4,500 people.
US President Barack
Obama on Wednesday, Oct.
15, called on the world to
do more, while insisting his
own country would be
“much more aggressive” in
its response, after a second
Texas hospital worker
tested positive.
The fact that the newly
infected Dallas caregiver
took a domestic flight a day
before she was
quarantined magnified
global fears about air travel
- concerns Obama tried to
tamp down after national
crisis talks.
“We are going to have
to make sure that we do not
lose sight of the
importance of the
international response to
what is taking place in
West Africa,” Obama said
after meeting with his top
advisors.
u
Page 4
October 17-23, 2014
Page 2
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
DENR ends lease agreement with controversial Boracay resort
By Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
ILOILO CITY -- The
Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR) has
terminated a 25-year land use
agreement with a controversial
posh resort in Boracay accused of
illegal construction.
In a three-page order dated
Sept. 12, Environment
Undersecretary for Field
Operations Demetrio Ignacio Jr.
ordered the cancellation of the
Forest Land Use Agreement for
Tourism Purposes (FLAgT)
issued to the Boracay West Cove
resort.
A FLAgT allows the
temporary use, occupation and
development of any forest land
for tourism purposes for a period
of 25 years, renewable for
another 25 years.
The agreement applies to
forest lands for bathing, camp
sites, ecotourism destinations,
hotel sites and other tourism
purposes.
The cancellation was sought
by the Department of Tourism
after the resort allegedly violated
the terms of the FLAgT.
In his order, Ignacio said the
resort's violations included
building permanent structures
in an area measuring 3,159
square meters, which is outside
the 998-sq m area in Barangay
Balabag covered by the lease
agreement.
In August 2011, then DENR
Regional Executive Director
Julian Amador issued a cease and
desist order against the resort
for introducing improvements
outside the FLAgT area and
fa i l i n g to s u b m i t i t s s i te
management plan and annual
report.
But the resort failed to
comply with the order and
continued developing areas
outside the lease agreement
coverage, according to Ignacio in
his order.
“ To e m p h a s i z e , t h e
construction of permanent
structure outside the approved
FLAgT area is considered a grave
violation of the terms and
conditions of the agreement,
tantamount to an intentional
disrespect and disregard for the
authorities,” he said.
Boracay West Cove owner
Crisostomo Aquino has
repeatedly insisted that he did
not violate the FLAgT and
environmental laws. He said the
local government had ignored
his application for permits and
PORTIONS of Boracay West Cove have been demolished for construction in areas outside its lease area. CONTRIBUTED
PHOTO
accused government agencies of
singling out his resort.
The FLAgT was issued to the
resort in 2009 during the term of
then Environment Secretary Lito
Atienza.
Boracay West Cove became
controversial for building
structures on natural rock
formations and operating for
years without business and
building permits.
L a s t ye a r, g ove r n m e n t
agencies and the local
government of Malay, which has
jurisdiction over Boracay,
demolished portions of the
resort considered illegal
structures. Inquirer.net
October 17-23, 2014
Page 3
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
President Benigno S. Aquino III. AP file photo
Aquino conferred highest Indon award
Niña P. Calleja
BALI, Indonesia -- As a testament to the close
friendship between Indonesia and the
Philippines, President Benigno Aquino III on
Friday received the highest award the
Indonesian government can give to those who
have rendered extraordinary service to its
nation.
At the sidelines of the two-day Bali
Democracy Forum here, Indonesian President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono conferred on Mr.
Aquino the “Bintang Republik Indonesia
Adipurna (Star of the Republic of Indonesia).”
“This award I receive today represents the
rich, historical relations between our countries.
On top of that, however, it is also a recognition of
the boundless potential of our partnership, and
of our continuing task of exploring areas of
cooperation and increasing our synergies in
every possible manner, all for the mutual benefit
of our peoples,” Mr. Aquino said in remarks
during the brief conferment ceremony.
The President is the first Filipino to be given
the award. Two FilipinosNarciso Ramos and
Carlos P. Romulo, two former Philippine foreign
secretarieshad received the second highest
award.
In an interview before he flew back to Manila
on Friday, Mr. Aquino said the diplomatic
relations of the Philippines and Indonesia will
not change even with the change of leadership in
this country on Oct. 20 when President-elect
Joko Widodo is sworn in.
“The change of leadership does not
necessarily mean a change of track,” Mr. Aquino
said, noting that the Philippines and Indonesia
share common interests.
Officials who were with Mr. Aquino here said
the President had so far no scheduled meeting
with Widodo.
Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario,
presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, Julia
Abad, head of the Presidential Management
Staff, and Cabinet Secretary Jose Almendras
joined the President in Bali. Inquirer.net
'Govt forces' plotting VP ouster
By Jaime R. Pilapil
Vice President Jejomar Binay on
Tuesday, Oct. 14, reminded his critics that
only crimes he committed during his term
as the country's second-highest official
could be the basis of an impeachment case
against him.
Speaking before more than 1,000
Public Attorney's Office (PAO) lawyers at
the Manila Hotel, Binay vowed to do
everything to “fight the government
forces” that he accused of laying the
ground for the impeachment case.
According to him, the case will be
ready in two to three months.
He said he will fight the impeachment
case supposedly being prepared by the
Department of Justice, adding that there is
selective justice under the Aquino
administration.
Alluding to his possible rivals, who,
according to surveys, stand no chance
against him in the race to the presidency
in 2016, Binay said: “After several weeks
of Senate hearings, they [are] yet to
produce a resolution. This is all part of the
script of 'Anybody but Binay.'”
The Vice President said a resolution
on graft allegations against him is yet to be
submitted by a Senate sub-committee to
the mother blue ribbon committee before
it is tackled at the plenary.
Recalling the struggles he had as a
human-rights lawyer, Binay said he is no
stranger to attempts to threaten or silence
him.
“Hindi ako bagito sa mga pananakot
na may dalang puwersa o iba pang
pamamaraan. Hinarap ko ang bawat
pagsubok noong ako'y bata pa. Hinarap ko
ang panghahamak noong human-rights
lawyer ako, at hindi ako umatras sa
paghihirap na kaalinsabay ng pagsisilbi sa
bayan. Sa 28 taon kong paninilbihan sa
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Page 4
October 17-23, 2014
Page 4
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
World vows
Ebola ... From page 1
Earlier, Obama called his
counterparts from Britain, France,
Germany and Italy to better
coordinate their plan to combat the
outbreak.
“Leaders agreed that this was
the most serious international
public health emergency in recent
years and that the international
community needed to do much
more and faster,” British Prime
Minister David Cameron's office
said.
Obama urged Cameron,
Germany's Chancellor Angela
M e r ke l , Fra n c e' s P re s i d e n t
Francois Hollande and Italian
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to
“make a more significant”
contribution to the fight, the White
House said.
European Union health
ministers are to meet in Brussels on
Thursday, with member states
under pressure to follow
Washington in sending troops to
West Africa to help fight the virus.
The United Nations Security
Council urged the international
community to “accelerate and
dramatically expand” aid to the
West African countries battling the
epidemic.
In a unanimously adopted
statement, the 15-member body
warned that the world's response
“has failed to date to adequately
address the magnitude of the
outbreak and its effects.”
More health checks
France announced that it
would begin carrying out health
checks at airports for travelers
arriving from the West African
nations that have borne the brunt
of the outbreak.
Airports in Britain, Canada and
the United States have already
introduced stepped-up screening
of travelers arriving from West
Africa.
O n T h u r s d ay, a d d i t i o n a l
screening measures are due to
launch in the United States at
Newark's Liberty, Chicago's O'Hare,
Atlanta's Hartsfield, and northern
Virginia's Dulles, the White House
said. Last week, screening started
at New York's JFK International.
The worst Ebola outbreak on
record has so far claimed 4,493
lives, out of 8,997 recorded cases,
according to the World Health
Organization.
The hemorrhagic virus has
ravaged West African countries
Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone
since the start of the year, and the
UN health agency has warned there
could be a steep rise in infections in
coming months.
In Liberia, the country worst hit
by the crisis, hard-pressed doctors
and nurses returned to work after a
two-day strike to demand hazard
pay for dealing with Ebola patients.
The United States pledged $5
million to help pay the workers,
many of whom have caught the
virus from their patients, bringing
its total commitment to the country
to $142 million, Liberian officials
said.
Second US infection
Meanwhile, the US Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) issued an alert for all
passengers who traveled on an
October 13 flight from Cleveland,
Ohio to Texas.
Authorities want to interview
132 people who flew on a plane
with an Ebola-infected nurse - the
second American to be infected
within the United States - who had
not yet become symptomatic.
CDC chief Thomas Frieden said
the case was “very concerning” and
warned that health workers who
have been exposed to Ebola
patients should not use public
transport.
“She was in a group of
i n d iv i d u a l s k n o w n to h ave
exposure to Ebola. She should not
have traveled on a commercial
airline,” he said.
“The investigation is
identifying additional health care
workers who will be very closely
monitored and we are planning for
the possibility of additional cases in
the coming days.”
The woman was isolated at
Texas Health Presbyterian hospital
in Dallas late Tuesday with a fever,
and the crew on the flight said she
had not been symptomatic when
she flew a day earlier.
Ebola is only transmitted by
contact with the bodily fluids of an
infected person who has fever,
diarrhea or vomiting.
Both women infected in Texas
treated a Liberian Ebola patient,
Thomas Eric Duncan, who died in
Dallas on October 8.
As fears grew about the spread
of Ebola, senior US lawmakers
overseeing homeland security on
Wednesday joined calls for
authorities to impose a temporary
ban on travel from West Africa.
'It will get better'
The first US case was
announced Sunday, Oct. 12 - 26year-old nurse Nina Pham, who is
currently in good condition in
hospital. The second woman was
transferred to Emory University in
Atlanta for care.
The CDC is monitoring 75 more
health care workers at Texas Health
Presbyterian Hospital for signs
of Ebola.
“It may get worse before it gets
better, but it will get better,” Dallas
Mayor Mike Rawlings told a press
conference.
Anthony Fauci, head of the
National Institute for Allergy and
Infectious Diseases, nevertheless
‘Gov’t forces ...
From page 3
nagtangkang patahimikin ako. Ginamit
nila ang kanilang kapangyarihan at opisina
para i-harass at pasukuin ako. Ngunit dahil
nasa panig ko ang katotohanan at ang
mamamayan, hindi sila nagtagumpay [I am
not new to grave threats and other forms of
intimidation. I faced such when I was still
very young. I faced those mocking me
when I was a human-rights lawyer, and I
did not retreat from the hardship while
serving the country. In my 28 years of
public service, two administrations tried
to silence me. They used their power and
office to harass me and make me give up.
But because truth and the people were on
my side, they did not succeed],” he pointed
out.
The Vice President helped organize the
Movement of Attorneys for Brotherhood,
Integrity and Nationalism Inc.
“Once again, I am being prosecuted and
persecuted by politicians who seem to be
fueled more by personal ambition than a
search for truth. These actors appear to be
more interested in the fulfillment of a
script rather than [obtaining] true justice
for all men, as protected by the true rule of
law. If this is not an injustice that must be
fought, I do not know what else is. Four
decades ago, I stood alongside men greater
than myself to fight for a cause far more
noble than any of our legal practices.
Today, it seems I am called to once again
defend this cause and I will do so with
every ounce of vigor I have,” Binay said.
He said the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee is no longer following rules in
the conduct of its inquiry into allegations
that the Makati City Hall Building 2 was
overpriced.
called the second infection
“unacceptable.”
A Spanish nurse was said to be
in stable condition, but a Sudanese
doctor who had worked as a UN
volunteer in Liberia died of Ebola in
Germany late Monday.
The World Health Organization
warned that the infection rate
could reach 10,000 a week in a
worst-case scenario by the first
week of December. Inquirer.net
The Vice President called on the public
lawyers to always uphold the rule of law.
“In my years of treasuring the
mandates our people have entrusted to my
care, the rule of law has always been one of
my foremost guiding lights. For the rule of
law, however, high its bar, remains the
ultimate recourse against inconsistency,
unpredictability, lawlessness, dissidence,
disorder and crime, which are what
continue to threaten our aspirations for
economic progress and social
development,” he said.
“As men and women of the law, it is our
duty to safeguard the rule of law by
ensuring that it is law and not expediency
or personal agenda, that governs all men at
all times. Many have risked more than their
reputations to see our institutions freed
from the encumbrances of selfish rule. It is
my honor to stand with you to ensure that
these institutions continue to function
vibrantly and independently,” Binay
added.
Meanwhile, PAO chief Persida Acosta
challenged Binay's critics to file the
appropriate criminal charges against the
Vice President at the Office of the
Ombudsman or at the proper court.
Acosta's call was seconded by humanrights lawyer Harry Roque, who said
senators handling the hearings on the
allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall
Building 2 are wasting government
resources even as they push their own
political agenda.
The Vice President said the hearings
have turned personal because, instead of
fighting corruption, they are zeroing in on
him.
Binay said Senate probers have been
“guiding” their witnesses on what to say
against him. Manila Times
October 17-23, 2014
Page 5
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
P4B shared ...
From page 1
the term of Vice President Jejomar
Binay as city mayor.
“Twenty-eight percent from
every project was shared by the
mayor down to the lowest official in
the web involved in the conspiracy,”
Mercado told the Inquirer in an
interview in his office in Makati.
Mercado said 13 percent of the
28-percent kickback went to Binay
while he was mayor of Makati.
The remaining 15 percent went
to others - the vice mayor, 16
members of the city council, the city
council secretary, members of the
the bids and awards committee
(BAC), the city engineer, members
of the technical working group
(TWG), department heads, two
s e c t o ra l re p re s e n t a t ive s ( a
barangay chair and the
Sangguninang Kabataan chair) and
resident Commission on Audit
(COA) auditors.
Mercado admitted accepting a
share of the kickbacks when he was
a city councilor and then vice
mayor.
Another building contractor,
who agreed to talk to the Inquirer
on condition of anonymity,
confirmed Mercado's allegations,
saying the Vice President's son,
current Makati Mayor Jejomar
Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr., asked for a
“little more.”
“The rate has actually gone up.
It's actually higher now,” the
contractor said.
Junjun Binay served as a
sectoral representative and later as
councilor before he took over the
reins from his father in 2010.
Makati's big-budget
infrastructure projects in the past
decade handled by Hilmarc's were
the following:
The 22-story Makati City Hall
building, worth P6.5 billion.
Phase 2 of the Ospital ng Makati
District 1 (P2 billion).
Phases 1 and 4 of the University
of Makati Nursing School building
(P804 million).
Makati police headquarters
(P183.63 million).
Phase 1 of the swimming pool
in the Makati Garden Park (P31
million).
Phases 1 to 6 of Makati Science
High School (P1.34 billion).
Phases 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Makati
University Administrative and
Auditorium (P332 million).
Makati City Hall Building II, or
parking building (P2.3 billion).
Renovation of treasury building
for Makati police station on F. Zobel
Street, Barangay Poblacion (P4.98
million). University of Makati
school buildings (no available
budget).
Documents obtained by the
Inquirer showed these projects
were implemented during the
administrations of the Vice
President when he was the mayor
(1986-1998; 2001-2010) and his
wife, Elenita Binay, who succeeded
him (1998-2001) and his son (2010
to present), who, Mercado said,
continued the business with
Hilmarc's.
Dividing the pie
Mercado said 6 percent of the
kickback from every project was
divided into 20 slices, which went
to the vice mayor, the 16 members
of the city council, the two sectoral
representatives and the city council
secretary.
Half of the share of the city
council secretary went to a
“commissioner” to the council, he
said.
Mercado said the
“commissioner” kept track of all
infrastructure projects of the city
and received the shares and
allocations for all the members of
the city council.
“The commissioner is someone
who lost an election and had no
current government position, but is
given an office in the City Hall. His
job was to keep track of all the cash
flow of all infrastructure projects
and the share of the kickbacks of
the city council,” Mercado said.
The resident COA auditor and
the technical audit specialists got 3
percent, he said.
“The resident auditor gets 1
percent because she signed the
clearance document, while the
remaining 2 percent is shared by
the COA technical audit specialists,”
he said.
Auditor turns down bribe
But COA resident auditor Celia
Cagaanan turned down the money
offered to her as her share for
signing the clearance for the P2.3billion Makati City Hall Building II,
Mercado said.
The city's BAC and TWG
received 1.5 percent, he said.
Mercado said the payoff for the
BAC and TWG members was paid in
advance to ensure that the favored
contractor got the project.
He said 1 percent went to the
Homicide victim Evelyn Bumatay Castillo. MISSISSAUGA NEWS
Filipina who just moved to Canada
found dead near Toronto
MISSISSAUGA --A Filipina mother
who moved to Canada just two years
ago became the first homicide victim
this year in this suburb in the Greater
Toronto Area.
Evelyn Bumatay Castillo 43, who
lived in Thornhill, reportedly moved
from the Philippines to find work and
send money back home to her family,
which included a son and siblings.
Castillo was found without vital
signs Saturday evening (Oct. 11) after
Mississauga firefighters responded to a
hotel fire at the Quality Inn at 50
Britannia Rd. E. just after 6:30 p.m. The
fire was contained to a room on the
second floor, a firefighter officer told
the Mississauga News.
Castillo, who had worked as a
nanny, was a victim of foul play, based
o n p o s t m o r t e m i nve s t i g a t i o n ,
according to police officers.
Police added that detectives have
seized security footage from the area as
they hunt for Castillo's killer. Police are
looking into whether Castillo was killed
at the hotel. Staff there said she stayed
there often.
According to Castillo's online
profile, she studied at LyceumNorthwestern University in Dagupan,
Philippines. Friends told Mississauga
News that she grew up in La Union,
Philippines.
Investigators are asking with
information to contact police at 905453-2121, ext. 3205. Anonymous
information may also be submitted via
Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS
(8477), or www.peelcrimestoppers.ca,
or by sending a text message to CRIMES
(274637) with the word “PEEL” and
then your tip. Inquirer.net
heads of departments, where the
i n f ra s t r u c t u re p a p e r s we n t
through.
The engineering department,
he said, got 3.5 percent2 percent for
the city engineer and 1.5 percent
for members of the engineering
department.
Documents obtained by the
Inquirer showed that from 2007 to
2013, the members of the BAC
remained the same, even the
observers from the
nongovernment organization and
the private sector, identified in
documents obtained by the
Inquirer as Charito Go of Bayani ng
Bagong Ina and Edwin Nombrado
of the Philippine Institute of Civil
Engineers Makati City chapter.
The BAC chair from 2007 to
2013 was Marjorie de Veyra and the
members were Nelson Morales,
Mario Hechanova, Lorenza Amores,
Pio Kenneth Dasal, Giovanni
Condes, Gerardo K. San Gabriel and
Ulysses Orienza. Manolito Uyaco
was the head of the BAC secretariat.
De Veyra, who served as city
administrator during the past
decade, ran for vice mayor in 2013
but lost to Romeo Peña, who is not
an ally of the Binays.
The TWG was composed of Line
de la Peña, Carmelita Morales,
Febronia Ambrosio, Rodel Nayve
and Vissia Marie Aldon.
Invited as observers during
biddings were resident COA
auditors Gabriel Espina and Danny
Rodriguez (now deceased).
Process violated
Espina is now assigned to the
Pasay City Hall, according to the
COA personnel division.
Nelson Morales, who resigned
in 2012, was shot dead in Albay
province last year.
The documents obtained by the
Inquirer also showed that the
bidding process was violated.
The documents indicated that
the Binays approved and signed all
the documents despite obvious
violations such as lack of important
details like the date of preparation,
source of funds and description of
projects.
Invitation to bid was published
in the Filipino tabloid Balita for just
one day, instead of in a newspaper
of general circulation for 14 days, as
required by the procurement law.
The Inquirer obtained a copy of
a certificate of publication issued
by Balita vice president for
classified advertising Lyne AlanoAbanilla to the city government of
Makati.
Public announcements of
biddings were posted only in the
city public library instead of
conspicuous places such as
elevators and bulletin boards at the
entrance of buildings.
A certificate of posting issued
by Manolito Uyaco, head of the BAC
secretariat , showed that an
invitation to apply for eligibility
and bid was posted “in conspicuous
places, such as the second floor of
the old Makati City Hall public
library and the new city hall
building.”
The suppression of the
invitation was intended to limit the
bidding to Hilmarc's, Mercado said.
“Having no other bids to be read
and clarification to be made, the bid
opening adjourned at 2:35 in the
u
Page 6
October 17-23, 2014
Page 6
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Murder
complaint ...
From page 1
If tried and convicted,
Pemberton could face life in jail.
“I think we have sufficient
evidence to sustain the charge of
murder,” Roque said in an interview
on television.
Pemberton is being held on
board the USS Peleliu at Subic Bay
Freeport, where a number of other
US warships are being held
following the killing of Laude. About
3,000 US Marines and Navy sailors
concluded two weeks of military
exercises with Filipino counterparts
on Friday and were to leave the
Philippines this week.
Dozens of activists in Manila and
Los Angeles, California, on Tuesday
demanded the handover of
Pemberton to Philippine
authorities, saying Laude was the
victim of a “hate crime.”
Laude, 26, was found dead,
apparently strangled and drowned,
beside a toilet bowl in a motel room
in Olongapo City shortly after she
and Pemberton were seen checking
in late last Saturday.
Police said they had identified
Pemberton with the help of a key
witness.
Senate inquiry
Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago
said on Wednesday her committee
on foreign relations would open an
inquiry into the killing of Laude as
she called anew for the abrogation of
t h e V FA , w h o s e p rov i s i o n s ,
according to her, tended to favor
visiting American soldiers.
Santiago said the inquiry would
begin next Wednesday. Police
investigators, motel staff and
relatives of Laude would be invited
to the hearing, she said.
It is clear under the VFA that the
Philippines has jurisdiction over the
case because it happened within its
t e r r i t o r y, a n d t h e c r i m e i s
punishable by Philippine laws,
Santiago said.
“Automatically, jurisdiction
belongs to the Philippines,” she said.
“I will insist that under the terms
of the VFA itself, properly negotiated
between the two parties involved,
automatically we acquire
jurisdiction. If they have him they
should turn him over to the
[National Bureau of Investigation].
And detention should be in our own
[jail],” she added.
The VFA has a provision that the
US military has custody of its
personnel from the commission of
crime till the completion of
proceedings, if it so requests,
Santiago said.
'Full account'
In contrast, if the Philippines
presents its position on custody, the
US government would take this into
“full account,” she said.
Santiago said she did not know
what “full account” meant.
“Our problem is if the US makes
a request to transfer jurisdiction to
the US. Because the VFA language is
very lax. It's supine,” she said.
“Again, here we're always on the
wrong side of the law, and for me this
is an opportunity to [renew] my call:
abrogate the VFA,” Santiago said.
“A s k t h e A m e r i c a n s f o r
renegotiation, and if they refuse give
them notice. All you have to do to
Jeffrey Laude, also known as Jennifer.
FACEBOOK PHOTO
abrogate is give a one-year notice to
the Americans.”
Santiago urged the NBI to
expedite its investigation of Laude's
killing so the government could
acquire custody of Pemberton.
The Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA) said on Wednesday it
had conveyed to the US government
its expectation of “full cooperation”
in the investigation of Laude's
killing.
'Repercussions'
If the US government does not
fully cooperate, “we would expect
repercussions,” said a DFA official,
who requested not to be identified
due to the sensitivity of the issue.
“Repercussions” could mean
public pressure on the government
for the abrogation of the VFA and the
scuttling of the Enhanced Defense
Cooperation Agreement (Edca), the
legality of which has been
challenged in the Supreme Court.
Militants demanded that the
government terminate the VFA if the
United States refuses to hand over
Pemberton to Philippine
authorities.
Joms Salvador, secretary general
of the women's group Gabriela, said
the government should scrap the
VFA, as it did not benefit the country.
Salvador said the killing of
Laude, has been labeled by Gabriela
a “hate crime” and would affect
Edca.The group, however, did not
say how.
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From page 5
afternoon,” the BAC said in the minutes
of a meeting called on
July 28, 2011. Then BAC chair De
Veyra adjourned the meeting after just
20 minutes.
A Hilmarc's employee, identified in
one of the documents obtained by the
Inquirer as Grace Araza, represented
the company in bid conferences.
She was the representative of the
company authorized to receive
payments for the projects from City
Hall, the document showed.
A City Hall source who requested
anonymity said he delivered a total of
P56 million to the house of the Vice
President. The source said he knew
how much he carried because the
amount was written on a piece of paper
attached to the bag.
Bagmen
Mercado said Nelson Morales was
assigned by the Vice President from
2007 to 2012 as the repository of the
kickbacks from contractors, including
Hilmarc's.
“Morales was also the one in charge
of the allocation and the distribution of
shares,” Mercado said.
He said that aside from him,
another official who was a department
head was present whenever Morales
was counting money for the Binays.
“A trusted friend and assistant of
Morales helps prepare the money for
distribution and delivery, including the
money for the Vice President,” Mercado
said.
Mercado said he was a frequent
visitor to Morales' office, which
occupied half of the sixth floor of the
main City Hall building, and he saw the
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan
(Bayan) said the government should
not allow itself to be “pushed
around” by the United States and
instead insist on the turnover of
Pemberton.
“Any refusal by the United States
government to turn over Private
Pemberton to Philippine authorities
should be considered a ground for
terminating the VFA,” said Bayan
secretary general Renato Reyes Jr.
'Isolated case'
But the military said the killing
of Laude was an “isolated case” and
should not affect military
agreements between the
Philippines and the United States.
u
Page 7
bagman receive money, placed either in
bags or in brown envelopes.
“I have personally witnessed
Morales receiving the cash from
contractor's representatives and count
the money,” he said.
Mercado said Morales personally
counted and tied the money in bundles.
“If the amount to be apportioned is
big - more than P50 million - the money
was placed on the long table in his
conference room. If it's only a few
millions and would fit the round table,
they did it (counting and allocation)
there,” Mercado said.
Mercado said Morales replaced
another former ally and trusted friend
of Binay, Nelson Irasga, who resigned
after he and the Vice President had a
falling out when Irasga ran for mayor
but lost to Binay's wife, Elenita Binay, in
1998.
“Like me, Irasga was also promised
by Binay to succeed him, but did not
honor his word and let his wife ran as
mayor against Irasga,” Mercado said.
He said Morales was designated by
Binay to receive all the kickbacks
because he had direct contact with the
contractors in his capacity as Irasga's
deputy.
Deliveries
Deliveries to the house of the Vice
President on Caong Street in Barangay
San Antonio in Makati City was “usually
on Friday,” Mercado said.
He said the duffle bags containing
the money were received by one of the
children of the Vice President.
S o m e b o dy m u s t h ave b e e n
snitching money from the bags because
later, the bags were provided with
locks, Mercado said.
“That was when the Vice President
said that the bags be entrusted to the
u
Page 7
October 17-23, 2014
Page 7
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Murder complaint ...
From page 6
Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, chief of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines Public
Affairs Office, said thousands of US soldiers
took part in joint exercises with Filipino
troops, but only one was involved in Laude's
killing. “Why should we burn down the whole
house [when only one man made a mistake]?”
Cabunoc said.
He said it was not right for the militants to
demand the abrogation of the VFA, as the
agreement was being followed “faithfully” by
both the Philippines and the United States.
Told that this is the second case since the rape
of a Filipino woman in Subic Bay Freeport in
2005, Cabunoc said bad things happen all the
time.
“We cannot be in a perfect story,” he said.
Cry for justice in LA
The call for justice over the killing of
Laude also rose in Los Angeles on Tuesday,
with Filipino-American transgender activists
demanding the turnover of Pemberton to
Philippine authorities.
The activists called for a thorough
investigation of the case and asked the
Philippine government to take immediate
action and press charges against Pemberton.
“We are outraged by the killing of Jennifer
Laude” Jenab-i Pareja, Bayan Queer Caucus
organizer, said in a statement. “We demand to
assert the country's laws and have the
suspect face the Philippine court.”
Rally in New York
Bayan Queer Caucus, Gabriela New York,
BaranGay New York and TransJustice of
Audre Lorde Project have scheduled a rally on
Oct. 19 in front of the Philippine Consulate in
New York to demand justice for Laude.
Among those scheduled to speak at the
planned rally in New York City are
GenderProud founder Geena Rocero, Miss
LGBT Philippines-USA Chelle Lhuillier and Fr.
Noel Bordador, according to the statement.
Inquirer.net
P4B shared ...
From page 6
current mayor, Junjun,” Mercado said.
He said only the Binays knew the
combinations for opening the locks.
In his testimony in the Senate, Mercado
said the snitch was one of Binay's daughters.
Other contractors
Documents obtained by the Inquirer
showed that the city government dealt with
other construction companies but the
juiciest projects were always awarded to
Hilmarc's.
The other companies that were
Olongapo folk remember 'Nicole’
By Allan Macatuno
OLONGAPO CITY -- The
memories of the 2005 rape case
involving a Filipino woman and
an American soldier in the Subic
Bay Freeport are again haunting
this city as the family of
transgender Filipino Jeffrey
“Jennifer” Laude, who was
allegedly killed by another
American soldier, presses the
Philippine government for
justice.
Marieta Balanan, 63, a fish
vendor, said she could not help
remembering what happened to
t h e F i l i p i n o ra p e v i c t i m ,
identified in news reports as
“Nicole,” almost nine years ago
as she hoped that Laude's family
would press the case against the
suspect, identified by the police
as Pvt. 1st Class Joseph Scott
Pemberton of the US Marine
Corps.
“ We s h o u l d n o t l e t
Americans do this to us. The
suspect should be jailed here so
this will not happen again,”
Balanan, who sells fish in front of
the Justice Hall in Olongapo, told
the Inquirer on Tuesday.
Nicole was vacationing at
Subic Bay Freeport on Nov. 1,
2005, and went to a bar where
she met Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith
and a group of American
soldiers.
Nicole alleged that Smith
raped her in a van driven by a
Filipino employed by a
contractor of the US military.
Laude's killer must be held
liable.
“Regardless of the
citizenship of the suspect,
justice must be served. The
criminal must be imprisoned in
the country,” O'Brian said.
B r u c e F l u m m e r, l e g a l
researcher at the Regional Trial
Court Branch 73 in Olongapo,
said what happened to Laude
was similar to the case of Nicole
in many ways.
Nicole and Daniel Smith. Inquirer file photos
VFA question
A 2010 Inquirer report said
the case of Nicole raised issues
on whether Philippine courts
had jurisdiction over the case
and custody of Smith under the
1999 Visiting Forces Agreement
(VFA).
In April 2009, the Court of
Appeals reversed the 2007
decision of the Makati City
Regional Trial Court and
acquitted Smith. A month before
the appellate court handed
down its decision, Nicole
recanted her testimony that she
was raped by Smith.
She left the country for the
United States shortly after the
decision.
Smith was detained at the US
Embassy in Manila for the
duration of the trial and the
review of his case due to a
provision in the VFA that allows
awarded projects between 1990 and 2014
were HIS construction Inc., Jojalie
Construction, ITP construction, R. E. Orlina
Const. Corp., Meca builders, Powerprime
Const. and Realty Corp., Freeport Shipyard
and Eng'g Corp., Skyborne Const. Corp.,
Twin leaf Group Inc., AKH Const. Corp., R.M.
Gomez, E. F Antonio Construction, F.P.G.
Construction Corp., Viray Construction, Ichi
Const., RAR Builders, Power Prime Const.,
MJ Den Construction, R. P. Maliwat, O.M
Aguilar, Roadworks Inc., FNR Construction
Corp., Zali Construction, 3 A's and E
Construction, Tranzonic Construction and
Polangui Construction.
The projects were worth more than P10
billion. Inquirer.net
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the US government to retain
custody of American servicemen
who have pending cases in the
Philippines.
Killer must be punished
Delia Lingat, 43, also a
vendor in this city, said the
suspect in Laude's murder must
be punished at all cost.
Although the behavior of
American soldiers visiting the
Philippines should not be
generalized, still they “must
behave” when they are here,
Lingat said.
“I don't hate the Americans
but they should learn to respect
Filipinos,” she said.
Like Balanan, Lingat hoped
that justice would be served and
that Laude's family would fight
to the end.
Carmen O'Brian, whose
husband is a US serviceman, said
Charges urged
Flummer said the charges
against the four Marines who
were implicated in Nicole's rape
case were first filed in RTC
Branch 73, which is a family
court.
“Somehow we are reliving
the memories of the Nicole rape
case, only this time the victim
has died,” Flummer said, adding
that he wanted Laude's family to
press charges.
Members of the lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender
(LGBT) group Kapederasyon
met with Laude's family on
Wednesday and offered their
help in pursuing the case against
Pemberton.
“Jennifer's death should
make the branches of
government become more open
to cases involving transgender
individuals and other members
o f L G B T, ” t h e g r o u p ' s
spokesperson Allan Toliosa, said
at a press conference.
Inquirer.net
October 17-23, 2014
Page 8
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
DAUIS Church
LOBOC Church
BACLAYON Church
PUNTA Cruz watch tower
PHOTOS BY SHERWIN MARION VARDELEON
Cultural agencies come together for Bohol, Visayas
By Edgar Allan M. Sembrano
Rehabilitation of the heritage
churches and other important
cultural properties damaged by the
Oct. 15, 2013, earthquake has
resulted in a remarkable show of
coordination among the key
cultural agencies of the
government, as well as very close
cooperation between the local and
national governments, the Catholic
Church, and local communities.
The Bohol Heritage Task Force
created immediately after the
earthquake is still on
prerestoration stage as the
detailed engineering studies (DES)
of structures have yet to be
finished.
The task force is composed of
the National Museum (NM),
National Historical Commission of
the Philippines (NHCP), National
Commission for Culture and the
Arts (NCCA), the Catholic Church,
and concerned citizens groups.
In a press conference last
Friday at the NCCA, the heads of
cultural agencies presented
updates on the rehabilitation of
Bohol heritage structures.
Prerestoration work is
important because it will identify
the “strength of the structure's
foundation and kung may tubig pa
sa ilalim o may cavity (if there's still
water or cavities under the
structures),” explains NHCP Chair
Ma. Serena Diokno.
NHCP is assigned to the ancient
churches of Baclayon, Loay, and
Dauis, and all church sites in Cebu,
while NM is tasked with the rest of
Bohol's churches, as well as with
Guiuan Church in Eastern Samar
and Lazi in Siquijor.
The Cebu structures, notably
the Basilica Minore de Santo Nino
de Jesus, were damaged if not
destroyed by the earthquake.
Along with the Guian and Siquijor
churches, they were also severely
damaged by Supertyphoon
“Yolanda” last November.
Aside from cleaning the
structures of debris, bracing and
shoring were done to preserve the
ruins, says Diokno.
Diokno adds that the mayor of
Baclayon constructed an alternate
route so that vehicles would not
have to pass in front of the church
a n d a g g r a va t e i t s d e l i c a t e
condition.
NM assistant director Angel
Bautista, meanwhile, says the
retrieval of movable and
immovable cultural properties and
the cleaning of sites assigned to the
museum were already complete
except for Loon (70 percent of the
work has been finished), Maribojoc
(70 percent) and Loboc (90
percent).
Bautista says NM had also
undertaken geological assessment,
set up a system against the illicit
traffic of cultural properties, and
conducted capability-building
workshops for locals to help in the
recovery of liturgical objects.
He says the Panglao
watchtower is undergoing
restoration while the old Bohol
Provincial capitol building is set to
be reinforced.
An alternate church is also
being built near Loboc Church
while the damaged church is being
restored. The organ was also
dismantled and would be moved to
the alternate church.
Bautista says a satellite branch
of the Escuela Taller in Intramuros
is going to open in Bohol to teach
local the reconstruction of
churches employing traditional
methods.
Three phases
In a separate interview, Fr.
Milan Ted Torralba, executive
secretary of the Catholic Bishops'
Conference of the Philippines
Permanent Committee for the
Cultural Heritage of the Church,
says the Bohol rehabilitation
project is divided into three phases
with an initial government subsidy
of P650 million.
Phase 1 is the prerestoration
stage, which includes
documentation, retrieval and
safekeeping, cleaning, shoring, soil
laboratory tests and detailed
engineering studies.
Phase 2 includes a series of
expert meetings or conferences
and stakeholders' consultations.
Diokno says NHCP would
conduct material characterization
of stones to better understand the
construction materials used in the
ancient structures.
The second phase will set the
standards, methodology and
protocols needed for restoration
and reconstruction. It will have a
master restoration plan as well as
site-specific restoration and
reconstruction plan.
The plans will be discussed in a
consultation meeting with the NM,
NHCP, the dioceses and parishes,
local government units, and other
c o n c e r n e d g ro u p s , s ays Fr.
Torralba, himself a member of the
clergy of the Diocese of Tagbilaran
in Bohol.
The last phase is the actual
restoration or reconstruction
work. Torralba says he expects the
third phase to commence first
quarter of next year.
Experts conference
An experts conference program
is going to be held on Nov. 17-21 to
discuss approaches to be
undertaken in the restoration
process.
The experts meeting is going to
be the start of the second phase of
the rehabilitation program, which
will have an additional budget of P1
billion next year, to be shared
between NHCP and NM.
“The goal is to produce a sound
restoration plan based on scientific
findings and considerate of the
needs of communities and
stakeholders,” says Fr. Harold
Rentoria, OSA, head of the NCCA
Subcommission on Cultural
Heritage.
Forty international observers
will be invited to the experts
meeting. Local experts and
observers will also be present, says
Fr. Rentoria.
“After the expert conference,
we are going to gather all the
results, recommendations by the
experts, then we will be going to
consolidate all the data and
results,” the Augustinian priest
says. “We are going to call for a
meeting to come up with the
Philippine standard for
conservation.”
“So that in the future,” the friar
adds, “kapag may mangyaring
ganito (if another disaster will
happen again), we know what we
are going to do, we know what
methodology, what principles that
we're going to follow in the future.”
Inquirer.net
October 17-23, 2014
Page 9
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Social dancing, lessons via AARP at Fil-Am arts fest in LA
WASHINGTON, DC -- Nearly
25,000 visitors from around the
country attended Southern
California's longest-running
Filipino cultural celebration
October 4-5 at its new venue,Los
Angeles County's Grand Park, as
part of Filipino American History
Month.
“AARP was proud to sponsor
the 23rd Annual Festival of
Philippine Arts & Culture (FPAC),
a celebration of Filipino food,
music, dance, crafts and culture,”
its press statement said.
As the official sponsor of the
FPAC Dance Floor at the Senior
Pavilion, AARP hosted free dance
performances, lessons and social
dancing for festival attendees.
“AARP is pleased to partner
u
Page 12
Beloved New Jersey
lawyer ... From page 1
2. Presence in Jersey City. PAFCOM will
be and shall be a focal point in sending the
message that Fil-Ams are in Jersey City to stay
and that their presence should not be taken
for granted in the course and development of
the city's policies.
3. Continuity. My presidency shall build
on and develop what past PAFCOM over-all
chair-persons have done in the past - to
preserve this continuity, the younger
generation of Fil-Ams shall be encouraged to
take over positions in PAFCOM which is the
vision of Ambassador Mario de Leon of the
Philippine Consulate of NY.
4. Togetherness. All Fil-Ams are in this
project together. There is a need to re-start
and revive our energies for the task ahead.
The vision of a bigger, greater and more
grandiose PAFCOM should not be lost in petty
squabbles, trivial in-fighting, bickering, and
alienations, As I once said, "The art of
bellicosity does not fare well with gods and
goddesses but rather to lowly peons, shady
underlings and lackeys". Everyone is invited
to come back and lend whatever talents and
resources each one has.
Atty. Sison is a Solo Practitioner with
emphasis on Real Estate, Matrimonial and
Family Law, Bankruptcy, Immigration,
Landlord-Tenant cases. His law office is
located at 533 Central Avenue, Jersey City, NJ
07307. He is a member of the New Jersey and
New York Bars. Atty. Sison is married to Irene
Sison and they have one son, Karl Etienne
[email protected]
who got married to Geraldine in 2013.
The other newly elected officers of
PAFCOM are: Ledy Almadin (PresidentElect), Rosalinda Rupel (Secretary), Lumen
Castañeda (Treasurer), Becky Cooney
(Auditor), and Jujo Conol (PRO).
ABOUT PAFCOM
Established in 1990, the PhilippineAmerican Friendship Committee, Inc.
(PAFCOM) is a tax-exempt, non-profit
organization comprised of Filipino-American
community leaders from the tri-state area
(New York, New Jersey and Connecticut).
The aims of the founders of PAFCOM are:
(1) to enhance a better understanding of the
Filipino culture and activities and be of
service to the community and the general
public in order to gain for themselves that
recognition due them as an ethnic group in
the United States of America and (2) to
enhance the integration of Filipinos into
mainstream America by engaging in sociocultural, charitable and educational
undertakings.
PAFCOM's dedication to serve the
community continues to attract a diverse
crowd of spectators and participants to its
festivities each year. The annual parade and
festival, held in the month of June, is an
opportunity to share and showcase
Philippine culture to mainstream America,
through decorated floats, folk dances, arts
and exhibits, assortment of native dishes,
indigenous and modern music, and
performances of Filipino American talents. A
crowd of up to 30,000 people gather and
celebrate the annual Philippine-American
Friendship Day celebration.
October 17-23, 2014
Page 10
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
'Extraordinary' killing
The killing of Jeffrey/Jennifer Laude, the 26-year-old
transgender woman found dead in an Olongapo motel last
weekend, should be condemned in the strongest terms. It has
been described as a hate crime, a death sentence passed on her
for choosing a sexual orientation that strays from the
m a i n s t r e a m . ( We u s e t h e f e m i n i n e p r o n o u n i n
acknowledgement of her choice.)
At a time when even that bastion of conservatism, the
Vatican, is easing up on its once-rigid view of homosexuality, the
fact that such a narrow and violent view on one's preferred
gender identity still flourishes is appalling, and reveals how far
we have to go to protect human rights, including a person's
lifestyle choice.
The circumstances of Laude's life may bother those who look
askance at how her choices had courted risks, but it is the
circumstances of her death that should concern us more. The
suspect has been identified as US Marine Joseph Scott
Pemberton, one of 4,000 US servicemen who had just concluded
two weeks of military exercises with Filipino troops under the
Visiting Forces Agreement. The VFA, which came into effect in
May 1999, allows US troops use of Philippine military facilities
after the eviction of the US bases in 1992. It also governs the
conduct of personnel taking part in military exercises between
the two countries.
The US Pacific commander, Adm. Samuel Locklear III, who
was in Manila for security talks with Philippine defense officials,
said the United States would cooperate fully in the investigation
of the crime. According to Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario,
Locklear has instituted a lockdown and assured him that the USS
Peleliu - where Pemberton is being held in custody - and other US
Navy ships would remain in the country for the investigation.
Despite these encouraging actions, the Laude case raises the
specter of a similar case involving another US serviceman almost
10 years ago. In 2005, Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith was charged with
rape by “Nicole,” who said she was drunk when carted off by
Smith and raped inside a moving van while his soldier-buddies
cheered him on. Smith was arrested and locked up in the Makati
city jail for a few weeks, but he was spirited away by the US
ambassador in the dead of night - apparently with the
knowledge of top Philippine officials and held at the US Embassy
despite being eventually convicted and sentenced by a regional
trial court. He was later released after his accuser recanted her
testimony.
Smith's case underscores the lopsided provisions of the VFA,
in which Art. 5, Par. 6 states that while the Philippines has
jurisdiction over criminal cases involving American servicemen,
the US government maintains custody of them. This was what
happened in the Smith case, and is now happening in the
Pemberton case. VFA Commission Executive Director Eduardo
Oban Jr. has said that while the Philippines would seek custody of
Pemberton, the request could be rejected.
The case involving Laude thus becomes another test for the
Philippines' tattered sovereignty under the VFA, which has been
assailed as hugely disadvantageous to this country. For example,
the third sentence of Art. 5, Par. 6 states that the Philippine
government can present its position to the US government “in
extraordinary cases,” and that the latter can take this into full
account. Foreign Affairs spokesperson Charles Jose said Laude's
Ways to Avoid
Deportation
Hundreds of thousands of
immigrants are deported from the
U.S. each year. For fiscal year 2013,
deportation under the Obama
administration totaled 438,421,
according to the immigration
enforcement statistics recently
released by the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS). The
number is nearly a 5 percent
i n c re a s e f ro m t h e 4 1 8 , 3 9 7
deportations in 2012.
According to the report, the
DHS apprehended 662,483
individuals. 178,371 were
informally returned to their home
country without a removal order.
Aliens who were returned were
t h o s e wh o a p p e a re d to b e
inadmissible or deportable and
were given the option to
voluntarily go back at their
expense. Mexicans ranked first in
the number of returnees, followed
by Canadians and Filipinos.
The report also reveals that
out-of-court removals were at an
all-time high. 363,000 individuals
or 83 percent of all removals were
removed without a court hearing.
193,032 individuals or 44 percent
were expedited removals and
170,247 or 39 percent were
reinstatements of prior removal
orders.
Formal removal or deportation
is a harsh punishment with serious
consequences which include,
among others, being barred from
entering the U.S. for several years.
According to the American
Immigration Council, “these rapid
deportation decisions often fail to
take into account many critical
factors, including whether the
individual is eligible to apply for
lawful status in the United States,
whether he or she has long-
standing ties here, or whether he or
s h e h a s U. S . - c i t i z e n fa m i ly
members.”
A noncitizen placed under
deportation or removal
proceedings may be eligible for
relief from removal. Reliefs include
voluntary departure, asylum,
adjustment of status and
cancellation of removal.
A voluntary departure allows
the individual to return to his home
country at his own expense
without the stigma of formal
removal.
An asylum is granted to an
individual who is unable to return
to his home country because of
past persecution or well-founded
fear of future persecution based
upon his race, religion, nationality,
membership in a particular social
group, or political opinion.
Adjustment of status as a relief
is available to an individual who is
u
Page 12
Line of sight
u
Page 12
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Lito A. Gajilan, Jr.
Columnists: Reuben S. Seguritan, Esq.,
Juan L. Mercado, Joseph G. Lariosa
Correspondent: 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.
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2711 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07306
Most of us are fixated on Vice
President Jejomar Binay's now 15
percent - and still plunging nosedive in poll standing as well as
on that sprawling P1.2-billion
Batangas “hacienda” with an airconditioned piggery, or on the
bogus bakery for Makati senior
citizens' birthday cakes.
Not mine, Binay protests.
Allegations of sleaze, lobbed at him
by Senators Antonio Trillanes IV
and Alan Peter Cayetano, “are
malicious thinly-disguised
politics,” he snaps. “I'm ready to
face any fair and impartial
investigation of all allegations
hurled against me and my family.”
Anywhere? Except before the
Senate blue ribbon committee, he
clarifies.
It takes effort to raise our line
of sight beyond our shorelines.
That holds whether it be Malaysia's
quarrel over “proprietorship” to
the name of Allah, or the Hong
Kong standoff between students
and the embattled “986”that is,
shorthand for chief executive CY
Leung.
“Elected” from a committee of
1,200 controlled by Beijing, “986”
now twists in the wind. He's been
trashed for a $6.5-million secret
dole from an Australian company.
In next-door Malaysia,
opposition legislator Robert Phang
asked Prime Minister Najib Razak
in an open letter: “Why are we
quarreling about God?” We quarrel
about almost everything, including
something so flimsy as the
ownership of the word “Allah.”
Malaysia is beginning to look like a
Taliban state where religious
authorities suppress different or
dissenting religious views.
In Burma (Myanmar), 3,073
prisoners were released just
before the country hosts an
international summit next month.
US President Barack Obama and
the mint-new Indonesian
President Joko Widodo, who
assumes office on Oct. 20, will
attend.
Burma's junta was tarred by its
earlier suppression of Buddhist
monks and citizens calling for the
release of Nobel Laureate Aung San
Suu Kyi. Governance by colonels,
however, ended in 2011. Since
then, Yangon periodically has
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Page 14
October 17-23, 2014
Page 11
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Malala's improbable journey to Nobel Peace Prize
Associated Press
BIRMINGHAM, England -Malala Yousafzai celebrated her
Nobel Peace Prize where she always
wished to be: in school.
The Pakistani girl once shot by
the Taliban for daring to want an
education just like the boys
celebrated being the joint winner of
the peace prize Friday, Oct. 10, with
her classmates at Edgbaston High
School for girls in Birmingham, the
city in central England that she now
calls home.
The teenager had traveled to
Birmingham for medical treatment
after being targeted by the Taliban
for her relentless objections to the
group's regressive interpretation of
Islam that limits girls' access to
education. She was shot while
returning home from school in
Pakistan's scenic Swat Valley two
years ago, almost to the day.
Making
life worth
living
Ellen Tordesillas
While we are riveted to the
splendor of Hacienda Binay's Kew
Gardens and air-conditioned
piggery, let us not forget Philippine
National Police Chief Alan Purisima
and his questionable acts as a
public official.
The public should be more
vigilant of the Purisima case
because no less than President
Aquino is protecting him, vouching
for the Police chief's integrity
despite blatant violation of ethical
standards set for government
officials.
Talking with reporters in
Indonesia, Aquino said, “Natuwa
ako noong sinama niya lahat sa
bahay niya sa Nueva Ecija. Iyon,
gawain ng tao na hindi nagtatago.”
What kind of logic is that?
“This award is for all those
children who are voiceless, whose
voices need to be heard. I speak for
them and I stand up with them. And
I join them in their campaign,” she
said at a news conference Friday at
Birmingham Library. “They have
rights. They have the right to
receive quality education, they have
right not to suffer from child labor,
not to suffer from child trafficking.
They have the right to live a happy
life.”
She said it was an honor for her
to share the prize with Kailash
Satyarthi of India, 60, who has
spent a lifetime working against
child slavery and exploitation. She
also invited the prime ministers of
both India and Pakistan to attend
the Nobel awards ceremony.
Malala's case won worldwide
recognition, and the teen, now 17,
became a symbol for the struggle
for women's rights in Pakistan. In
an indication of her reach, she
spoke before the United Nations
and made the shortlist for Time
magazine's “Person of the Year” for
2012.
But the journey was simply
improbable.
On Oct. 9, 2012, Malala climbed
into the back of a small pick-up
truck used to transport Swat Valley
children home from school. They
laughed and talked as the truck
rumbled over roads lined with pot
holes.
As they approached a narrow
bridge over a garbage-strewn
stream, a masked man with a gun
suddenly stopped the truck.
Another man with a pistol jumped
into the back.
“Who is Malala?” he shouted.
The girls did not answer but
heads automatically swiveled
toward her. The man raised his
pistol. One bullet hit Malala on the
Malala Yousafzai
poses with a
bouquet after
speaking during a
media conference
at the Library of
Birmingham, in
Birmingham,
England, Friday,
Oct. 10, 2014,
after she was
named as winner
of The Nobel
Peace Prize. AP
top of her head. Two other students
were also hit, less seriously.
Malala was transferred to a
military hospital near Islamabad,
the Pakistani capital, as her head
swelled dangerously. Her father,
Ziauddin, was certain that his
daughter would not survive the
night. He sent a message to his
brother-in-law in Swat to prepare a
coffin.
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Page 12
Let's not forget Purisima
Allowing media to see his vacation
villa in a 4.5 hectare property in
Nueva Ecija does not answer the
questions of how he acquired it at a
cheap price and how he was able to
build a nice four-bedroom vacation
house complete with swimming
pool, gazebo and a nipa hut out of
his salary as a police officer.
It is PR.
In the same way, former Vice
Mayor Ernesto Mercado was out of
line when he expressed sympathy
for Purisima during his
presentation of Vice President
Jejomar Binay's alleged 350hectare estate in Rosario, Batangas
at the Senate hearing last week.
“Kawawa naman si PNP Chief
Purisima. Binabanatan ng media,
4.5 hectares lang naman ang
property niya sa Nueva Ecija. Ito
350 hectares,” Mercado said.
Binay's 350-hectare Batangas
estate is mindboggling but
Purisima's 4.5 hectare vacation
place is no less an anomaly if it's
proven to have been acquired
illegally.
Just because one is a smaller
crook does not make him not a
crook. A smaller size or amount is
no certification of honesty.
Aside from his Nueva Ecija
property, Purisima's conduct in the
P25 million renovation of the
White House in Camp Crame, the
PNP chief's official residence, also
raises a lot of questions.
Sources said the White House
was constructed with government
money although there was no
capital outlay for it in the PNP
budget. It was made possible with
the juggling of funds by PNP
officers in charge of the agency's
finances.
When the White House
renovation was being questioned
by media, sources said Purisima
met with his trusted officers and
they agreed that the line they will
give the public was: “No
government money was used.”
If no government money was used,
where did the P25 million for the
renovation come from?
Sources said Purisima's group
had another brainstorming session
and they came up with the bright
idea of asking the PNP chief's
fellow Mason brothers to own up
having made a donation to the PNP
for the renovation of the White
House.
This was not easy because lying
is supposedly anathema to
Freemasonry which includes Truth
as one of its core principles.
One military officer who is also
a Mason said they also saw a
problem justifying a P25 million
donation for the renovation of the
White House when there were
more urgent projects in the PNP
like improvement of the hospital.
The group finally was able to
get three contractors to agree to be
identified as “donors”: Carlos
Gonzales of ULTICON Builders,
Alexander Lopez of Pacific
C o n c r e t e C o r p o ra t i o n , a n d
Christopher Pastrana of CAPP
Industries.
But it was a strange kind of
donation consisting of “building
materials” because the deeds of
donation were signed only last
month when the renovation had
already been completed.
Purisima's tale of the three
donors also defies common sense
because those three companies are
based in different parts of the
c o u n t r y. H o w w e r e t h e y
coordinated as to their
participation in the renovation?
News reports later revealed
that although the donors did not
have projects with the PNP, as
Purisima stressed, two of them
Pacific Concrete Corp. and Ulticon
Builders have contracts with
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Page 12
w i d e s p r e a d t h i e ve r y,
incompetence and just out-andout apathy by those swept to
power on the promise of reform,
the unavoidable result is a
population that will no longer
simply take Aquino's word as
gospel.
***
If Aquino somehow manages to
come up with counter-surveys
showing how he is actually as loved
by his bosses now as he was when
he started out, the people will in all
likelihood ignore these, as well.
Surveys, after all, are only credible
if they faithfully track the public
pulse.
Because Aquino is who he is, he
is unlikely to ever accept that the
people have turned their backs on
him and refuse to listen anymore to
his tired propaganda lines, which
he has proven that he cannot back
up with performance. Until his
final day in office, it's reasonable to
expect Aquino - who has never
admitted any error or misdeed and
who has always blamed everyone
and everything else when things go
wrong - will keep mouthing his
self-serving sound bites.
And even if his bosses decide
that they have had enough of their
big-talking, underperforming
employee and decide to cut short
his employment contract, I doubt if
he will ever accept his walking
papers. If Aquino has proven
anything to us in the time he has
spent in office, it is his unshakeable
belief in what he says, regardless of
how this belief clashes with reality.
Still, it must be truly hard to
digest, for Aquino, that he can no
longer sway public opinion with
his buzzwords, his petty political
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Page 12
Digest this
The bosses keep sending out
memos to their employee, but he
just can't seem to understand what
they're saying. So far, what they've
only done to him is to apparently
mess up his digestive system.
Last week, a top acolyte of
President Noynoy Aquino said the
Chief Executive is “still digesting”
the results of a survey which found
that nearly six out of 10 Filipinos,
or 62 percent, did not agree with
the plan to give him a term
extension. Aquino had presumably
not yet finished digesting that vote
of no-confidence when another
Pulse Asia survey was released this
week, saying that only three out of
10 believed that he had delivered
on his promise to hew to the daang
matuwid of good governance in
more than four years as President.
I guess we should all pity the
President, who must now be
suffering from a terrible case of
indigestion. After all, he has always
said that he will listen to what his
bosses - his quaint, faux-folksy
term for the people - tell him to do.
As Aquino heads inexorably
towards the end of his six-year
term, his once-vaunted popularity
keeps heading south. And it's true
that some of the disaffection may
be explained by the historical
inevitability that besets a oncepopular President, whose high
numbers at the start of his term
should eventually go down.
But only some. The rest of the
fall-off will have to be credited to
the widespread belief that, like any
other politician who raises the
hopes of the citizenry when he
seeks high office, only to grossly
under-deliver, Aquino has failed to
walk his high-minded talk.
There is no question that the
Aquino administration still talks a
good game, due to the
relentlessness of its propaganda
efforts. But the surveys paint a
different picture entirely, one in
which the ordinary Filipino who
bought into Aquino's insistent
declarations that, in the words of
his small-but-stubborn group of
true believers, he is “the best
President we ever had,” has
awakened to the truth.
And from Day One, that truth
states that the Yellow Emperor has
no clothes - to say nothing of a
normally-functioning digestive
tract. As the buzzwords of 2010
like “kung walang corrupt, walang
mahirap,” “kayo ang boss ko” and,
yes, “matuwid na daan” keep losing
their original efficacy in the face of
October 17-23, 2014
Page 12
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Social dancing,
lessons via
AARP ... From page 9
with FilAm Arts, a leading
presenter of traditional and
emerging Filipino American
artists in the country,” said
Daphne Kwok, AARP vice
Digest this
From page 11
vendettas and his illusory
a c h i e ve m e n t s t h a t n e ve r
somehow trickle down to the
m a j o r i t y
o f
h i s
bosses. But that is the price that
Aquino must pay for believing in
his own propaganda and never
really listening to the people
who only want the barest basic
things from their government,
Let’s not ...
From page 11
Department of Public Works and
H i g hway s a n d t h e B a s e s
Conversion and Development
Authority.
Purisima also had another
intriguing revelation when he
appeared at the hearing of
Senate committee on public
order and dangerous drugs
committee chaired by Sen. Grace
Poe. He admitted that he bought
his brand-new Toyota Land
Cruiser “Prado” for P1.5 million
president of Multicultural
Markets and Engagement,
Asian American and Pacific
Islander Audience.
“We are proud to sponsor a
unique event like FPAC where
multigenerational families
have the opportunity to
e x p e r i e n c e a va r i e t y o f
traditional and contemporary
Filipino art and dance,” she
added.
For more information
about how AARP helps Asian
American & Pacific Islander
families get more out of life,
visit www.AARP.org/AAPI,
www.facebook.com/AARPAA
P I C o m m u n i t y
andwww.twitter.com/AARPA
API. Inquirer.net
l i k e b e t t e r, w o r k i n g
infrastructure and less looting of
their ever-escalating taxes.
I can only hope that the
people have learned not to trust
any politician who promises
them heaven on earth, but who
c a n n o t e ve n r u n a s a f e ,
functioning train system or
make sure that floods and
gridlocked traffic do not become
a way of life. If someone seeking
the presidency two years from
now offers to reform, I advise
running for cover.
Of course, there will always
be those who will claim to have
seen through Aquino's
humongous ruse from the getgo. But instead of rejoicing over
their prescience, I hope these
people instead mourn for the
vast majority, who are just now
wising up to the fact that they've
been had.
Now that's really hard to
digest, that we've been played
for fools for so long.
which has a published price of
P4.5 million. He said a car dealer
in Pampanga gave him a huge
discount.
P3 million is no ordinary
discount. It's a huge favor. It's a
gift. Sen. Miriam Santiago went
even further and called it
“bribery.”
Plunder and indirect
bribery charges have been filed
against Purisima.
He is also being investigated
by the Ombudsman for allegedly
approving an irregular courier
service contract with Werfast
Documentary Agency in 2011.
Accepting gifts and
donations is a violation of
Republic Act No. 3019 (AntiGraft and Corrupt Practices Act);
Republic Act No. 6713 (Code of
Conduct and Ethical Standards
for Public Officials and
E m p l oye e s ) ; P re s i d e n t i a l
Decree 46 (Making it Punishable
for Public Officials and
Employees to Receive, and for
Private Persons to Give, Gifts on
Any Occasion, including
Christmas).
Aquino's defense of
Purisima makes a mockery of his
“Tuwid na Daan” mantra.
Malala’s
improbable ...
From page 11
Pakistani doctors removed a bullet that
entered her head and traveled toward
her spine before she was flown to Britain
for more specialized brain trauma care.
She woke up a week later at Queen
Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham,
England.
She says she regained consciousness
with one thought: “Thank God I'm not
dead.”
Malala gradually regained her sight
and her voice. She was reunited with her
parents. Soon there were pictures,
stuffed animals at her side. She sent
messages to well-wishers.
Three months later she walked out
of the hospital, smiling shyly as she
cautiously strode down the corridor.
“She is quite well and happy on
returning home - as we all are,” her
father told The Associated Press at the
time.
Pakistan made Malala's father its
education attache in Birmingham for at
least three years, giving the family
stability and Malala a safe place to go to
school.
She went back to school as soon as
she could, and confessed that math was
her least favorite subject. She kept
campaigning for the rights of children to
go to school - meeting President Barack
Obama, attending rights conferences,
becoming the keynote speaker at
corporate events in London. She began
rubbing elbows with people who had the
power and the money to help her realize
her dreams.
All along, she delighted many by
simply being young, determined and
most of all, herself.
A t a Vo d a f o n e c o n f e r e n c e
Ways to avoid ...
From page 10
the beneficiary of a petition filed by a
family member or an employer and a
visa number is immediately available.
Cancellation of removal as a
discretionary relief may be availed of by
a lawful permanent resident or a nonpermanent resident.
It may be granted to a permanent
resident if he has been residing in the U.S
for at least five (5) years as a permanent
resident, has continuously resided at
least seven (7) years after his lawful
admission and has not been convicted of
an aggravated felony.
celebrating women, she confided that
she didn't have a mobile phone. The
crowd gasped, but chuckled at the
notion of a teenager who admitted she
had no need for a phone.
She co-authored a memoir, “I am
Malala,” which revealed to the world that
she was, in fact, also a regular teenager.
There's a part of her that loves the TV
show “Ugly Betty,” whose main character
works at a fashion magazine. She likes
pop star Justin Bieber, watches the
television cooking show “Master Chef.”
And on Friday, Oct. 10, , the people
who helped her on the journey - and
those just touched by her story along the
way - couldn't help but be swept up by
the magic of it all.
“Malala is an inspiration for the
many women in Afghanistan and
Pakistan who have been fighting for
their rights and struggling against the
misogynous policies of the Taliban and
local warlords,” said David Cortright, coauthor of “Afghan Women Speak” and a
professor at the University of Notre
Dame in Indiana.
Doctors in Birmingham offered
congratulations, noting her focus and
dedication. And the people of the city
that threw its arms out to welcome her
simply nodded their heads. No surprise
at this news. She's liked here, well
known. Malala has embraced the city,
proudly describing herself as a
“Brummie” like other locals.
“Sure, puts a bit of pride into it,” said
John Mullan, 78, a former aluminum
worker and resident of Birmingham,
said Friday after the Nobel Prize news.
“She's just young girl who stood up to
them. Many other people wouldn't have
done that.”
Malala remains determined to
return to Pakistan one day and enter
politics. She will split the peace prize's
$1.1 million cash award with co-winner
Satyarthi. Inquirer.net
This relief may be granted to a
nonpermanent resident if he has been
continuously present in the U.S. for at
least ten (10) years and has been a
person of good moral character and
during that time has not been convicted
of an offense that would make him
removable and must prove that his
removal would result in exceptional and
extremely unusual hardship to his
spouse, parent, or child who is a U.S.
citizen or lawful permanent resident.
(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.)
‘Extraordinary’ killing ... From page 10
case is indeed extraordinary, “considering that a person died.” But he admitted:
“We can try but it's not guaranteed that [the US] would grant our request.”
Another VFA provision puts our notoriously slow justice system on trial:
The last few sentences of Art. 5, Par. 6 states that a verdict must be handed down
within a year of judicial proceedings, or the case will be deemed over. Though
the one-year limit does not include the appeal after the main trial, Oban
acknowledged that “if we don't get a decision within one year, that's the end of
the case.”
The Laude case presents in bold relief the many thorny issues that bedevil
PH-US relations. It also serves as a cautionary tale against similar agreements
between long-time allies but unequal partners, specifically the much-criticized
Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which was signed by the two
parties last April in time for the visit of US President Barack Obama. That
agreement allows, among other things, US troops to have access to and
establish facilities in designated areas in the Philippines.
The killing of Laude raises serious questions about PH-US relations, the
fundamental one being: Should friendship with the world's superpower trump
national interest?
Del Rosario has vowed to seek justice for Laude. She, and her country,
deserve no less. Inquirer.net
October 17-23, 2014
Page 13
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
2 rival nations, 1 message of peace - Nobel
Associated Press
NEW DELHI, India -- One is
Muslim, the other Hindu. One a
Pakistani, the other Indian. One a
school girl just starting out in life, the
other a man with decades of
experience.
Despite their many differences,
17-year-old Malala Yousafzai and
60-year-old Kailash Satyarthi will be
forever linked - co-winners of the
2014 Nobel Peace Prize, honored for
risking their lives for the rights of
children to education and to lives
free of abuse. Their selection was
widely acclaimed, their heroism
undeniable.
But something more was at
work here: In awarding the prize
Friday, the Nobel Committee also
sent a blunt message to the rival
nations of India and Pakistan that if
two of their citizens can work for a
common goal, their governments
too could do better in finding
common ground.
The two nations have almost
defined themselves by their staunch
opposition to one another. They
became enemies almost instantly
upon gaining independence in 1947
from imperial Britain, and have since
fought three full-scale wars over
various issues, including competing
claims to the Himalayan region of
Kashmir that sits between them. Just
this week, their troops have hurled
mortar shells and firing guns at one
another across the Kashmir border,
with civilian casualties in double
digits.
The Nobel Committee's
chairman, Thorbjoern Jagland,
acknowledged his panel gave the
prize to Yousafzai and Satyarthi
partly to nudge the two countries
together, though he cautioned that
the impact of the award should not
be overestimated.
“You can see that there is a lot of
extremism coming from this part of
the world. It is partly coming from
the fact that young people don't have
a future. They don't have education.
They don't have a job,” Jagland told
The Associated Press. “We want to
show that people in all religions can
come together in a common cause.”
The Indian winner immediately
spoke about the potential to bridge
old divides.
About Malala, Satyarthi said: “I
will invite her in a new fight for
peace in our region.” He also said this
year's choice to award one person
from each of the nuclear-armed
neighbors in South Asia made “a
great statement from the Nobel
committee looking at the present
scenarios between India and
Pakistan.”
This would not be the first time
the Peace Prize has apparently
engaged in this kind of political
engineering.
In 2009, the committee awarded
Barack Obama after the U.S.
president visited Middle Eastern
nations estranged during the
previous Bush administration.
Fifteen years earlier, the award went
to the trio of Yitzhak Rabin, Yasser
Arafat and Shimon Peres after an
apparent breakthrough in IsraeliPalestinian peace talks, though it
never led to a deal.
And in 1996, the committee
awarded Timorese Carlos Filipe
Ximenes Belo and José RamosHorta, which many believe was
critical in the peaceful cessation of
East Timor from Indonesia in 2001.
“Often the committee tries to
bring people in conflict together and
see how they can build new bridges,”
said Oslo-based Nobel historian
Oeivind Stenersen.
It “tries to find people seeking
new ways and solutions in difficult
conflicts,” he said. This year's choice
“makes sense because the
committee has been able to combine
a lot of themes, including a
brotherhood between India and
Pakistan. They have done this in a
very clever way.”
But others said it wasn't likely to
work.
“It is tempting to see the Nobel
Peace Prize announcement as a
nuanced message to Pakistan and
India to stop shelling each other
across the border and start
protecting children,” said Londonbased writer and human rights
activist Salil Tripathi. “Whether that
will sway the hardliners on both
sides is of course a different
question.”
Independent Pakistani political
analyst Hasan Askari Rizvi in Lahore
said the nations' animosity was so
deeply rooted that “I don't see any
positive impact of the award on two
societies,” especially while battles
continued along the Kashmiri
border.
Still, the two countries have
much in common and much of what
they have in common is not good.
Both India and Pakistan today
face serious challenges in lifting
their people out of poverty, though
each is beset by its own challenges in
doing so. India, a bubbling
democracy with a fast-growing
economy, has been overwhelmed by
the scale by which it needs to
improve people's lives, with a 1.2
billion population that is still
growing. Pakistan, with a gross
domestic product equal to just a
quarter India's stock exchange daily
trade, is much further behind in
g e n e r a t i n g p o w e r, b u i l d i n g
infrastructure and establishing
security. It is also widely seen as
being controlled by an entrenched
and opaque military establishment
often accused of cozying up to
militant jihadists.
And as was underscored by
Friday's award, child labor and
abuse are widespread, and largely
ignored, in both India and Pakistan.
Satyarthi has been at the
forefront of a global movement to
end child slavery and exploitative
child labor since 1980, and has led
the rescue of tens of thousands of
child slaves and developed a
successful model for their education
and rehabilitation. He has also
survived several attempts on his life.
Malala, who now lives with her
family in the British city of
Birmingham, was shot in the head by
a Taliban gunman in Pakistan for
insisting that girls as well as boys
have the right to an education.
Surviving several operations with
the help of British medical care, she
continued both her activism and her
studies.
“The nature of the work is quiet,
because it doesn't involve any
violence, any strident protests or
noisy demonstrations,” said Ashis
Nandy political psychologist and
social theorist with the Delhi-based
Center for the Study of Developing
Society. “These children don't have
any vote, so it's very difficult to
politicize this issue.”
In its early days, the peace prize
was given for efforts to end or
prevent armed conflicts. Swedish
industrialist Alfred Nobel said it
should go to “the person who shall
have done the most or the best work
for fraternity between nations, for
the abolition or reduction of
standing armies and for the holding
and promotion of peace congresses.”
The committee has interpreted
those instructions differently over
time, widening the concept of peace
work to include efforts to improve
human rights, fight poverty, clean up
the environment and, this year, to
promote children's rights. With the
subtext, as well, of bringing India
and Pakistan a bit closer together.
“The Nobel Committee has
shown a lot of imagination,” Nandy
said. “I hope both sides see this as an
opportunity to open up, though I'm
afraid it will turn into the usual
nationalist clap-trap.” Inquirwer.net
October 17-23, 2014
Page 14
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Multigenerational Filipinos Collaborate
on Forum for Aging and Seniors
New York, NY -- On October 5,
2014, a number of community
organizations collaborated on an
informational Forum on Aging &
Seniors, specifically targeting
Filipino American adults aged 50 and
above. The forum, attended by over
one hundred Filipino seniors and
older adults, was co-hosted by the
Philippine American Group for Aging
Seniors in America (PAGASA),
Filipino American Human Services
Inc. (FAHSI), Pilipino American Unity
for Progress (UniPro), Filipino
A m e r i c a n L e ga l D e fe n s e a n d
Education Fund (FALDEF), and
Region 1 of the National Federation of
Filipino American Associations
(NaFFAA), and sponsored by AARP.
The forum featured a
presentation on statistics related to
the health, wellbeing, and caregiving
practices of Filipino Americans aged
50+ and their families. According to
Dr. Xenia Montenegro, Senior
Research Adviser for AARP, the needs
and wants of older Filipinos for living
a good life include financial security,
good physical, mental, and spiritual
health, and positive familial relations.
Furthermore, the AARP Research
Center found that 23% of Filipinos
50+ live in multigenerational
households, and that Asian
Americans provide caregiving for
their families more than the general
population (42% vs. 22%).
The research presentation was
followed by a multigenerational
panel that discussed a number of
From left, JP R. Petines of Jedi-Philippines Managing Partner and
Gerald T. Concha of Jedi4kids-Philippines Founding Partner
JEDI Philippines wins
JavaOne 2014 Duke's
Choice Award
Attendees at the Forum on Aging and Seniors. Inset photo: (Ret.) Major General
Tony Taguba delivers a message.
topics relevant to Filipino seniors and
retiring adults. Panelists included Mr.
Eric Lachica of the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS),
Mr. Edward Santos of the Filipino
American Dual Citizen Initiative
(FADCI), and Mrs. Juliet "Lola Yette"
Oberlin, otherwise known as the
“Facebook Lola.”
Special guest speakers included
the Philippine Consul General to New
York, Mario de Leon, Jr., the Director
of the AARP NYS Office, Beth Finkel,
and (ret.) Major General Tony Taguba
and Leo Duran, stars of Caregiving:
Dahil Mahal Kita (“Because I Love
You”), an AARP documentary on
caregiving in the Filipino community.
The event also featured a musical
performance by members of PAGASA.
About UniPro
Pilipino American Unity for
Progress, Inc. (UniPro) is a 501(c)3
non-profit organization made up
primarily of Pilipino American
students and young professionals.
Our mission is to facilitate and
encourage cooperation through
coalition development among
various Pilipino organizations,
institutions, and programs. For more
i n f o r m a t i o n ,
v i s i t
www.unipronow.org
Line of sight
From page 10
granted “amnesty” to prisoners
as curtain raisers for diplomatic
conferences.
October's releases were no
different. Most of those who
were freed had been jailed for
minor crimes, the Associated
Press points out. At least eight
were former intelligence
officers arrested 10 years ago as
part of a political purge. Fiftyeight were foreign nationals.
Most international
sanctions against Burma have
been lifted. The International
Monetary Fund estimates
Yangon's economy will grow by
8 percent in the near term. But
Reuters reports that risks to the
economy were growing due to
thin external and fiscal buffers.
The underlying fiscal deficit is
expected to increase to around
5.5 percent of Burma's gross
domestic product by March.
As mayor of Solo City in
Java, Joko Widodo was invited to
a magazine's office for an
interview. “Who are you?” asked
a reporter who found him
sitting alone. The future
president-elect stood up,
bowed politely and offered his
name card. “The image of Joko
as a self-effacing public servant
was born.”
Strengthening Indonesia's
position as the world's major
“maritime axis” is the incoming
president's priority, said
transition team deputy Hasto
Kristiyanto. Despite the time
squeeze, the president-to-be
will attend the 22nd Apec
The Java Education Development Initiative (JEDI) won the
Duke's Choice Award during the 2014 JavaOne Conference in
San Francisco, California on September 28. The award is given
yearly to Java developers whose projects give outstanding
contribution to various technological and social fields. In this
year's JavaOne twelve projects were chosen, giving solutions
to various real-world problems
JEDI is a project of the University of the Philippines Java
Research and Development Center. With its goal to improve
computer science and information technology education,
JEDI developed free courseware for schools. The courseware
is now used by 439 institutions, 3,387 teachers, and 202,511
students in the country. JEDI is also present in other countries
such as Brazil and Vietnam where their materials are also
widely used in IT Education.
The JEDI courseware is open-source and includes a suite
of learning materials such as student's manuals, teaching
slides, sample exam, exercises, and machine problems. Last
year, JEDI launched another project, JEDI4KiDS, a computer
programming and robotics workshop designed for children 814 years old. The success of JEDI4KiDS was also featured
during the JavaOne Conference.
Economic Leaders' Meeting in
Beijing on Nov. 10-11 and the G20 Leaders' Summit in
Brisbane, Australia on Nov. 1516, the Jakarta Post reported.
He will be only 10 days-plus in
office then.
Widodo takes over Merdeka
Palace, bucking efforts by
trashed old guards to strip
Indonesians of their right to
vote directly for their district
leaders or mayors, writes
Elizabeth Pisani. An
epidemiologist, Pisani became a
foreign correspondent. She
authored the book: “Indonesia
Etc.: Exploring the Improbable
Nation.”
Indonesia seethes from a
generational clash - between
those whose mindsets were
cobbled during 32 years of the
Suharto dictatorship and those
who came of age since
authoritarian rule collapsed in
1998. In the old guards' corner
is Prabowo Subianto, who
promised a strong-arm
government. In the reformist
corner is Widodo.
Subianto and supporters
whipped the departing
Parliament into passing a bill
that shunted control over key
offices to the largest coalition in
the chamber of Subianto rather
than to the largest party of
Widodo. They're now
dismantling the direct election
of district heads and of
provincial governors.
Expensive and prone to graft,
they assert.
Indonesia switched to
direct elections in 2005. “Direct
elections did not remove money
from the nomination and voting
process. They did change the
way candidates spent that
money. Instead of concentrating
patronage on party hacks, it
reaches now district heads and
voters.
“ Vo t e r s p rove d
sophisticated enough to make
fine distinctions.” They tolerate
patronage that delivers jobs and
contracts to an officeholder's
supporters, as long as they
result in schools and roads. “But
they do not tolerate out-and-out
theft. Incumbents who don't
spread benefits widely are
regularly tossed out of office.”
By shunting the choice of
district heads back to political
parties, Subianto's coalition
stomped on the chances of such
candidates emerging in the
future. An October newspaper
Kompas poll reported that 82
percent of the respondents, in
12 cities, thought 86 percent of
politicians were corrupt.
“There is an irony here,”
Pisani adds.
“Although Indonesians are
losing democratic rights, it is
happening through entirely
democratic procedures.” But
Widodo is a politician, not a
saint, and Indonesian
politicians have a talent for
unlikely compromise. He could
tempt one or two of those
parties to scurry over to his
side.
“Reverting to direct
elections and keeping the door
to reform open would be the
ultimate revenge for Indonesian
democracy.”
(E-mail: [email protected])
October 17-23, 2014
Page 15
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
October is Filipino American History Month
LA based artist Lynda A. N. Reyes
participates in 3 museum exhibits in
Louisiana, Montana & Pennsylvania
Currently on exhibit until
November 22, 2014 at the
Alexandria Museum of Art in
Louisiana for its 27th September
Competition is Lynda's oil painting
titled "White Walls Revisited". The
painting is a sequel to the "White
Walls" previously exhibited at the
Phoenix Gallery in New York in
2013. New Orleans artist/ juror,
James Michalopoulos chose 50
works representing 2 countries, 15
states, and 26 cities for a show that
highlights contemporary art
practices in 2D and 3D media
created within the past two years
in the US. Lynda's oil painting is the
only representation from
California.
The painting shows the image
of the artist ready to confront the
white walls that surround her. An
image of a man guards the space
but he is represented small. He is
no obstacle to the fulfillment of
Lynda's objective. She is armed
with her mind, hand and a water
bottle. In her statement, she says
that: “My paintings are metaphors.
We see a seemingly abstract space
constrained by walls. Everyday we
could be bound between these
empty white walls. Could this be
imaginary? Those white walls are
not actually enclosing me! They
are not enclosing you either! They
could be our canvas for life! We can
expand on those white walls. I can
create on them. You can create on
them too. Endless possibilities
abound on each white canvas we
inhabit in life. I say to myself and to
you: explore, expand, create. The
artist in us can do it! Erase the
blank.”
Whether in oil or watercolor,
Lynda's paintings continue to
capture the interest of noted jurors
in the US. Her transparent
watercolor painting titled "An
Afternoon Stroll at Venice Beach" is
also currently on exhibit at the
Bigfork Museum of Art and History
in Montana for the 32nd Annual
National Exhibition of the Montana
Watercolor Society until October
31, 2014. The MTWS Watermedia
2014 Exhibit juried by noted
watercolor master, Jean Pederson
features 47 paintings executed in
aqueous media such as watercolor,
acrylic, and gouache. 21 states will
be represented in the show.
“An Afternoon Stroll at Venice
Beach” is a typical California
summer afternoon on the beach
walk. The human figures in motion
during daylight are rendered with
exquisite details and color. Lynda's
paintings are all about people
candidly portrayed using the
brilliant transparency of
watercolor. The painting was
previously exhibited at the
Aqueous 2013 in Kentucky.
From November 8, 2014 to
Fe b r u a r y 8 , 2 0 1 5 , a n o t h e r
watercolor painting titled "Still
Thinking" will be featured at the
State Museum of Pennsylvania for
the 35th International Juried
“An Afternoon at Venice Beach”, a watercolor painting by LA artist Lynda A. N. Reyes
Exhibition of the Pennsylvania
is currently on exhibit at the Bigfork Museum of Art and History in Montana until
Watercolor Society. The painting
October 31, 2014
makes its debut in this
international show.
Juror Sterling Edwards, a
contemporary water media
master, selected 120 works out of
498 entries from Canada, Greece,
Hong Kong, India, Malaysia,
Singapore, Thailand, the United
Kingdom and from 39 states in the
US. This PWS Anniversary exhibit
at the State Museum is by far the
longest exhibition the society has
ever had since its founding 35
years ago.
In “Still Thinking” “….a young
adult learns to meet the rigors of
daily life as he contemplates on the
next step ahead. What is Allen
thinking of as he looks at his own
shadow? Could it be another new
project? Could it be a new
accomplishment for the day?”
Lynda's paintings are highly
representational and yet they
invite the viewers to ponder. The
paintings speak to all who see it.
The artist says, “The subjects of my
paintings 'reach' out of the 2dimensional plane to make an
“White Walls Revisited”, an oil painting by LA artist Lynda A. N. Reyes is currently on
u
Page 18
exhibit at the Alexandria Museum in Louisiana until November 22, 2014
Did you
know?
The iconic photo of the 1930s confronting the Filipino American was the
‘Positively No Filipinos Allowed’. It was taken as “whites only” or no dogs
allowed.
When seen for the first time, it meant absolutely no Filipinos allowed on
glass door. Examining the photograph you will find that the signs are printed on
the fifth steps of the stairs. The deeper meaning that Filipinos are not allowed
upward mobility. You have to look at the second blow up photo.
Article contributed by:
Nestor Palugod Enriquez
Trustee, Filipino American National Historical Society
www.filipinohome.wordpress
Coming to America
Page 16
October 17-23, 2014
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
By Carmela Reyes-Estrope
BULACAN, Philippines -- Beyond the
iconic Barasoain Church in the bustling
Bulacan provincial capital of Malolos are
heritage structures and areas that tourists,
and even residents, could explore to
appreciate the city's important place in
shaping Philippine history.
And the city government has stepped in
to make sure that at least 23 historic
buildings, houses, bridges, roads and
waterways will survive and be remembered
as Malolos continues to modernize.
Mayor Christian Natividad and the
officials of the National Historical
Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)
recently placed commemorative markers on
these structures and historic spots to
remind people that Malolos is among the
important areas that helped birth the
nation.
The markers were placed in preparation
fo r t h e 1 1 6 t h a n n ive r s a r y o f t h e
establishment of the Philippine Republic in
Malolos on Jan. 23, 2015.
A city ordinance protects Malolos'
remaining heritage structures by keeping
these under the care of the government and
ensuring that these would not be
demolished or sold illegally.
The Barasoain Church, the most popular
landmark, hosted the Malolos Congress that
convened in September 1898 to draft a
constitution for the republic. The delegates
ratified the Malolos Constitution in the same
church on Jan. 20, 1899.
Markers
Commemorative markers were placed
on the train station Estacion de Barasoain y
Malolos and the Paseo del Congreso, the
road leading to the Barasoain Church, in
Barangay Catmon, and the Barasoain
Church's convent.
There's more to Malolos
than Barasoain
BARASOAIN Church, Malolos' most famous landmark, witnessed the birth of the Philippine Republic. EV Espiritu
The ancestral house and birthplace of
Jose Cojuangco, the father of former
President Corazon Aquino and grandfather
of President Aquino; the Casa Real; the
house of Don Antonio Bautista in Barangay
San Agustin; and the Tampoy Bridge and
Tampoy River, which used to be the center of
trade in Malolos, were also given markers.
The city is also protecting the
Tanchangco House in Barangay San Vicente;
the Basilica Minore (formerly Malolos
Cathedral), which served as residence of
Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the president of the
First Philippine Republic; and City Hall,
which was the seat of government during
World War II.
Also given markers were the house of
Don Ramon de Leon Tampoy, head of the
revolutionary group Balangay Apuy and a
fiscal and presidente municipal of Malolos
from 1903 to 1905; Secretaria de Guerra
(Bahay ng Ejercito), the house of Judge
Arcadio Ejercito that served as a seat of
government during the revolution; the
Secretaria del Interior building, Comisaria
de Guerra, Gobierno Militar de la Plaza de
u
Page 17
October 17-23, 2014
Page 17
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Secretaria de Fomento was the house of Don Antonio Bautista, an aide of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. Carmela Reyes-Estrope
Relatives of the late Sen. Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo attend the installation of a
commemorative marker on the birthplace of the lawmaker in Bulakan town.
Carmela Reyes-Estrope
There’s more
to Malolos ...
From page 16
Malolos, Casa Tribunal and Bahay
Paaralan ng Kababaihan ng
Malolos, all in Barangay Sto. Niño;
t h e S e c re t a r i a d e Fo m e n to
(Bautista House); the houses of
Alberta Uitangcoy, Dr. Luis Santos
and Guillermo Tolentino; the
Gusaling Gabaldon in Barangay
Sto. Rosario; and the Secretaria del
Exterior site.
According to Jimmy Corpuz,
chair of the Bulacan Heritage
Conservation Society, the local
government's active participation
is important to help stop the selling
of the cultural and heritage
properties in the province, many of
them privately owned but under
the care of descendants of
historical figures.
Alex Balagtas, head of the
NHCP's Bulacan and Zambles
cluster and curator at the Marcelo
H. del Pilar Shrine in Bulakan town,
said many heirs of the historical
figures had been selling their
ancestral property despite their
historical and cultural values.
Inventory
“Sometimes we cannot blame
them, but it is the duty of local
governments to inventory these
structures, monitor their condition
and coordinate with us for their
proper preservation. While the
local government may not have the
funds to shoulder the maintenance
and preservation, they have the
power to help [save] them,”
Balagtas said.
He cited the sale of the
property of Don Lino Reyes, a
wealthy resident, whose house in
Barangay Sto. Niño became the
government's foreign affairs office
in the late 1800s until the early
1900s. The house was demolished
in the mid-2000s but the lot's new
owners have yet to build a
structure on the lot.
“ S o m e p ro p e r t y o w n e r s
demolish these historical houses
and sell the materials so these
could be rebuilt outside of the
province. These ancestral houses
should stay in Bulacan,” Balagtas
said.
Another historical house in
Hagonoy town owned by the family
of Don Francisco Sebastian, a
former town mayor and the
treasurer and secretary of the
Katipunan in Bulacan, is being
offered for sale, he said.
While the NHCP has included
the Sebastian house in its
preservation list, it has yet to place
a marker on the structure because
some family members wanted to
pursue the sale of sections of the
property, Balagtas said.
A fan page in the social
networking site Facebook, called
“Let's Save the House of Don
Francisco Sebastian,” was put up
by local historians, residents and
Sebastian's relatives to call on the
government to help preserve it.
In Bulakan, the NHCP also
placed a marker on the birthplace
of the late Sen. Francisco “Soc”
Rodrigo in Barangay San Jose to
commemorate his 100th birth
anniversary. Balagtas said the new
owner allowed them to put the
marker.
Earlier, lawyer Francisco
Rodrigo Jr., son of the late senator,
said the family was having a hard
time reacquiring the property
because they could not afford the
price given by the new owner.
Inquirer.net
October 17-23, 2014
Page 18
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
PIDCI re-elects Fe Martinez president
NEW YORK CITY -- After
another 12 months of tireless work
and effort on varied organizational
projects and programs, the
Philippine Independence Day
Council, Inc., otherwise known as
PIDCI, re-elected Fe Martinez as
president for an unprecedented
fourth term.
The election was held on
October 4, 2014 at the Philippine
Consulate in this city.
Dr. Prospero A. Lim, MD, Chair
of Committee on Elections,
announced the following official
results of the elections he
supervised and conducted: FE
MARTINEZ President; Board of
Directors: HELEN K. LABARBERA;
ANTERO MARTINEZ; NONOY
RAFAEL; MARYANN SAN AGUSTIN;
MARGIE WISOTSKY AND TAMBI
WYCOCO.
Martinez was unopposed. But,
she and the Board of Directors had
to be elected just the same, through
secret balloting in accordance with
the provisions of PIDCI's
Constitution and By Laws.
In a post-election remarks to
the PIDCI voters, Martinez said,
“On behalf of my team, I would like
to thank all of you for your
continued trust. Rest assured that
like in past years, we would exert
our best efforts to do what we have
to do and wave the flag of our
beloved PIDCI.”
The past months had been
particularly busy for Martinez and
her team.
Winners all !!!
From left: N. Rafael, M. Sanagustin,N. Martinez, Pres. Fe Martinez, H. LaBarbera, M. Wisotsky, T. Wycoco
The annual 3-in-1 celebration
(grand parade, street fair and
cultural festival) of Philippine
Independence last June was a
complete success with close to
100,000 participants and
spectators who trooped to New
York.
Prior to the June 2014 parade,
the Consul General Night was
conducted where the Grand
Marshals (GM), Drs. Emilio and
Fely Quines, were first announced
and introduced to the community.
Then, it was followed by a GM Gala
and Investiture.
In addition, two beauty
pageants were held, namely: Mrs
Kalayaan and Diwa ng Kalayaan.
While the former was a fund-raiser,
the latter was a competition aimed
to tap the beauty and brains of
younger Filipina Americans and
bring them closer to Filipino
Heritage and encourage 2nd
generation Fil-Ams to get involved
in community activities.
The traditional Independence
Ball was successfully held a week
after the parade.
Last November, Megan Young,
2013 Miss World, was introduced
by PIDCI to the Filipino American
community in greater New York
area, which, paved the way for her
to raise funds for the victims of
Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda in the
P h i l i p p i n e s . P I D C I d o n a te d
$20,000 for the Filipino Typhoon
victims through Miss World
Organization.
PIDCI was able to secure $1.5
million worth of medicines from
the Catholic Medical Mission
Board, in coordination with the
Harmony for Peace Foundation
and ABS-CBN Foundation for the
Typhoon Haiyan devastated areas
in the Visayas. They were able to
use a UPS cargo plane for free to
deliver the medicines to the
Philippines.
Additionally through the
assistance of L.I.'s Nassau County
Office of Emergency Management
Commissioner Craig Craft, 528
cases of Meals Ready To Eat (MRE)
were donated to the ABS-CBN
Foundation International's Sagip
Kapamilya in Manila for
distribution to the stricken areas
sponsored by PIDCI.
The organization also donated
$10,000 to build homes in Samar
Province for the Haiyan/Yolanda
victims under the Build a Shelter
Project of the Consul General.
PIDCI also coordinated with
The Filipino Channel (TFC)
Foundation in promoting the
recent Gary Valenciano Concert in
Atlantic City which raised funds
also for the Typhoon victims in the
Philippines.
The Search Begins for the 2015
Philippine Independence Day
Parade Grand Marshal/(s)
NEW YORK – The Philippine
Independence Day Council, Inc.
(PIDCI) is once again looking for
individual(s) who may qualify to
serve as the 2015 Philippine
Independence Day Parade Grand
Marshal/(s) commemorating the
117th Anniversary of the
Declaration of Philippine
Independence in New York.
This year's Grand Marshals
contributed significantly to the
unqualified success of the
Philippine Independence
celebration in the Northeast last
June as evidenced by the wide
coverage PIDCI got from some 30
media organizations.
As in previous years, the
selected Grand Marshal/s will lead
the annual Philippine
Independence Day Parade
presented by PIDCI along Madison
Avenue in Manhattan on Sunday,
June 7th, 2015.
The current Independence Day
Parade Grand Marshals are Dr.
Emilio “Boy” Quines and Dr.
Felicisima “Fely” Quines, both
respected medical practitioners in
Long Island, New York.
We are all witnesses to the fine
representation demonstrated by
the Quines couple. With grace and
elegance, they performed their
task of being the friendly face of
PIDCI throughout the celebration
period of the 116th Philippine
Independence.
Ms. Olivia “Ollie” David,
member of the Board of Directors
2013-2015 of the Philippine
Independence Day Council, Inc.
(PIDCI) has been re-appointed
Chairman of the 2015 Grand
Marshal Search Committee. The
committee is now accepting
nominations from organizations
for candidates that meet the
Selection Criteria for the
Independence Day Parade Grand
Marshal/s.
Please note that all
Nomination Forms must be mailed
only and postmarked no later than
Saturday, November 15, 2014.
Nominations received after this
date will not be considered.
Nomination forms are
available from the Grand Marshal
Search Committee Chairperson
Ms. Ollie David at telephone
number (732) 221-7397 or from
Co-Chair Dr. Felicisima “Fely”
David Quines at (917) 239-0148;
or PIDCI President Fe Martinez at
(973) 222-0085.
“Still Thinking”, a watercolor painting by LA artist Lynda A. N. Reyes will be
The Philippine Independence
exhibited at the State Museum in Pennsylvania from November 8, 2014 to
Day Parade Grand Marshal is the
February 8, 2015
highest honor bestowed by the
Philippine Independence Day
Francisco, Burbank, Sherman
Council annually to an
Oaks, and Glendale) and Brea in
individual/(s) from the FilipinoOrange County, Lynda has also
From page 15
participated in out-of-state
American communities within the
national and international shows
jurisdiction of the Philippine
in Kentucky, Canada, Maryland,
Consulate General in New York, in
initial contact with the viewers.”
Wisconsin, Colorado and New
the North Eastern Seaboard.
The paintings account for but
York. In a span of six years, Lynda
a fraction of Lynda's fascination
As stipulated in the official
ha s t ruly a ccelera ted her
in representing the human figure
nomination form, the Selection
integration into mainstream
in watercolor or oil. As a full-time
Criteria for the Independence Day
American art.
professional artist, Lynda also
Parade Grand Marshal are:
For more information and to
accepts portrait commissions in
a. The nominee must be of
request
for an exhibit catalog,
oil
or
watercolor.
She
has
her
own
Filipino ancestry.
p l e a s e
v i s i t
studio and private gallery in
b. He/she must be a role model
http://www.themuseum.org,
Glendale, California.
in the community.
http://bigforkmuseum.org,
2014 continues to be a good
c. He/she must be a resident of
http://www.montanawatercolor
year for Lynda. She has
any of the states within the
s o c i e t y . o r g /
participated in two exhibits in
jurisdiction of the Philippine
h t t p : / / w w w. p a w c s . c o m ,
Berkeley, California and will have
Consulate General in New York.
http://statemuseumpa.org. The
three out-of-state museum
d. He/she must be willing to
a
rtist can be reached at
exhibits.
In
the
last
two
years,
she
support the projects of PIDCI.
[email protected] and
will have a total of five museum
e. He/she has active
her works can be seen online at
exhibits. In addition to her
involvement in the Filipino and/or
www.Lyndaanreyes.com.
exhibits
since
in
2009
in
mainstream communities, and can
California (Salinas, San
draw public interest to the events
of the PIDCI.
u
Page 19
LA based
artist ...
October 17-23, 2014
Page 19
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
DCG Zaldy Patron honored by UPAA-NY board and UP alumni
at Elsie: From left; Consuelo Almonte, Vice-President; Aleli C. DCG Zaldy Patron with Dr. Menchee Fulgado in front of the
Alvarez, board member; Fely Santiago, MD; and Nanette marker of the spruce tree named UPAAA Tree planted 25 years
ago when UP alumni met at Elsie.
Evangelista. Seated is Dr. Menchee Fulgado, president.
PIDCI 2014 Grand Marshals Felicisima M. David-Quines, MD and Emilio P.
Quines Jr., MD
The search
begins ... From page 18
f. He/she has the financial
resources and/or ability to raise
funds in support of the activities
of PIDCI.
g. If selected, he/she agrees
to promote PIDCI.
h. If selected, he/she agrees
to conform to the rules of PIDCI.
If selected, he/she agrees to
attend meetings of PIDCI where
his/her presence shall be
required at all major events,
including but not limited to “An
Eve n i n g w i t h t h e C o n s u l
General”, the Grand Marshal Gala,
Mrs. Kalayaan Pageant, Diwa ng
Kalayaan Selection and Pageant,
Independence Day Parade/St.
Fair/Cultural Festival, and
Independence Day Ball,
sponsored by PIDCI.
Completed forms are to be sent to:
Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc.
Ms. Ollie David, Chairperson
Grand Marshal Search Committee
c/o 291 Broadway, Suite #1501
New York NY 10007-1858
DCG Zaldy Patron honored by
UPAA-NY on August 31, 2014
New York, October 10, 2014:
The Board of Directors of the
University of the Philippines, New
York Chapter (UPAA-NY) honored
the departing Deputy Consul
General Zaldy Patron at Elsie, the
summer home in the Catskills of the
Board President Dr. Carmencita Q.
Fulgado on August 31, 2014.
At the luncheon in his honor,
DCG Patron was presented with a
plaque in “recognition and
appreciation of his consistent effort
to rally and unite UP alumni in New
York and specifically for his support
of the efforts of the UPAA-NY in
fulfilling its goals”. A signed copy of
the last year's edition of Memories, a
book published by UPAA-NY under
the aegis of Dr. Fulgado, was given to
him as a memento of his stay as DCG
in New York and his association with
UPAA-NY. The UPAA-NY is led by
Carmencita Q. Fulgado, PH.D., with
Consuelo Almonte Schaffer serving
as Vice President.
Twenty-five years ago a group of
about 75 UP alumni trekked to Elsie
for a meeting and in
commemoration of that event
planted a spruce tree and named it
UPAAA Tree, now towering over the
roof top of ELSIE, facing Treasure
Lake. DCG Patron was pleasantly
surprised to see how the tree has
flourished which has served as a
reminder of the UP spirit and
enthusiasm of UP graduates to
support the alumni association for
the benefit of UP in Diliman.
DCG Patron, UP Los Baños
alumnus, is a supporter of
MEMORIES, UPAA- NY 's coffee table
book scholarship fund raising
project with 501C3 to which all are
invited to participate. Just submit
your typed memoir, the picture to be
inserted and draft will be returned
for your approval. Visit
Memoriesbyfulgadophd.blogspot.com.
A Jaycee, A Knight, A Builder and a Friend
George B. Daco+ (1961 - 2014)
L o n g - t i m e N e w Yo rke r
George B. Daco passed away on
September 30 at Westlake
Medical Center in San Pedro,
Laguna due to multiple organ
failure. He was surrounded by
his family.
George had been in declining
health over the past few years.
During his last six months in New
York, he had been shuttling
between various hospitals and
rehab centers in Manhattan and
Queens. Throughout the last
months, a network of friends
provided George with spiritual,
moral, financial and emotional
support by taking turns to be
with him during his medical
confinement for four weeks. He
was finally able to fly home back
to the Philippines in mid-August
2014.
George was born on Dec 11,
1961 to parents Benjamin and
Nora Daco. He went to San
Sebastian College for his
secondary education and then
finished his Architecture degree
from the National University.
George worked for a few years in
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia before
moving New York in 1986. He
settled in Hollis, Queens, his
home for the past 28 years.
George had built and
renovated many homes
throughout the Tri-state, and
trained many immigrant
workers, many of whom have
started their own construction
trades. He co-founded the
Society of Philippine Architects
and Interior Designers (SPAID),
which established professional
networking for FilAms involved
in the design and construction
industry.
It was at this time that George
became involved in many
community organizations
including the JCI Philippine-New
York where he became a member
in 1990 and then served as
president from 1996-1997 and
the Knights of Rizal New York
Chapter where he was Chapter
Commander from 2001 to 2003,
and was a member since 1997.
He was also an active volunteer
in the annual Philippine
Independence Day Celebration.
George is survived by his five
s i b l i n g s : D r. A l b e r t D a c o
(married to Dr. Ellen Daco), Carol
Daco-Sy, Cecille Daco-Albuero
(married to Abet Albuero),
Pastor Franklin Daco, and
Melchor Daco.
He was formerly married to
Cristeta Apelo Daco and they
have an adopted daughter Shane,
who has her own children. All of
them are based in the
Philippines.
George spent the last six
years in the company of his
longtime companion, Adoracion
Aclao, and her family, including
her sister Minda Baez and two
children in Brooklyn. They
became George's constant
caregivers during the past few
years.
An invitation to a Memorial
Mass
In celebration of his life, the
Friends of George, the JCI
Philippine-New York Jaycees
Senate, and the Knights of Rizal
have organized a memorial mass
on Tuesday, October 21 from 7
p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Our Lady of
Peace Church at 237 E 62nd
Street between Second and
Third avenues. The officiating
priest is Monsignor Oscar
Aquino. The public is invited.
2008 photo of George Daco with Adoracion Aclao
George, 2nd from right, pose with the past presidents (from late ‘60s
to 2008) of the Phil-NY Chapter and the NY State Jaycees during the
45th anniversary celebration of the organization in 2008.
October 17-23, 2014
Page 20
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
PH export receipts
up 10.5% in August
By Ben O. de Vera
A man helps his mother in weaving coco coir to
produce a roll of the eco-friendly geonet. Photo by
Chris V. Panganiban
Women use coconut husk fibers to produce a mesh
that can prevent soil erosion. Photo by Chris V.
Panganiban
Agusan women owe their
livelihood to coco coir
By Chris V. Panganiban
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan
del Sur -- The women of
Barangay Ladgadan here now
lead better lives.
Some 50 women from this
remote village are twiners of
coco coir, a rope fiber fashioned
from coconut husks and woven
into geonets or rolls of fiber
mesh nets used in preventing
soil erosion and landslides.
The thriving livelihood was
started by three women. Other
residents who saw it to be a
good source of income later
joined in. With more women
participating, the organizers
decided to turn the barangay
hall into a manufacturing
center. Later, the provincial
office of the Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI)
provided the women a
fabricated bicycle rim twiner to
help them in their twining
activities.
Erlinda Boholts, 55 and a
mother of six, says the coco coir
industry gives her a daily
income of at least P200, more
than enough to augment the
income of her husband, a
village councilman who tends a
half-hectare rice and vegetable
farm.
Boholts says that before,
the women at the village would
spend their days gossiping
around the neighborhood
while some got hooked on
tong-its, a gambling game.
“Life was very hard then.
We just relied on the income we
got from our farms. Most of the
time, crops would be damaged
by heavy flooding that
normally swept the village,”
Boholts says.
Junrey Sagaral, a village
councilman, says other families
earn even more since children
would also help in the twining
chores during weekends. A
family with four twiners in
their backyard may earn an
average of P6,000 every 15
days.
The coco coir, with a length
of 12 meters, is sold at P4.50
apiece to the Kaagap
Development Multipurpose
Cooperative (Kaagapmuco) in
Hubang village, 11 km near the
town center.
Kaagapmuco will then
process the coco coir using a
m a n u a l l o o m . Wo m e n
cooperative members also earn
at least P200 a day.
Loom weaver Narsita
Cemacio says her earnings
helped her in sending a
daughter to the Caraga State
University in Butuan City.
Rionel Anino, a trade and
industry development
specialist of DTI Agusan del Sur,
reveals that their office has
provided Kaagapmuco 10
weaving machines at the height
of the demand for geonets.
Much of that demand came
from the Department of Public
Works and Highways, which
used it for its road construction
projects, as well as mining
firms in the Caraga Region.
The DTI also distributed
some 100 twiners to the
women in Ladgadan village and
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Page 22
New lemon law
put to the test
Japan investors urged to
fill gap in PH infra funding
By Ben O. de Vera
Philippine economic
managers have urged
Japanese investors to pour
money into the country's
infrastructure in order to
sustain the growing
economy.
“The [Philippine]
government is working to
step up investments in
infrastructure to be at par
with other competing
economies and to meet the
country's future growth
r e q u i r e m e n t s ,”
Socioeconomic Planning
Secretary Arsenio M.
Balisacan said during the
Philippine Economic Briefing
in Tokyo on Oct. 8.
T h e
A q u i n o
administration aims to jack
Socioeconomic Planning
Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.
Inquirer file photo
up infrastructure spending to
at least 5 percent of the gross
domestic product (GDP) by
2016, from a mere 2.2percent share in 2012.
In a statement Friday, Oct.
10, the Investor Relations
Office reported that
Philippine officials
The value of Philippine-made goods
shipped abroad rose by a double-digit
pace in August.
According to data released by the
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)
Oct. 10, the country's merchandise
exports grew by 10.5 percent to $5.474
billion last August, from the $4.956
billion recorded in the same month last
year.
On a monthly basis, the value of
exports in August was higher than the
previous month's $5.461 billion.
Although the value of goods
shipped out rose for a third straight
month in August, the country's export
gains in June and July were better at
21.3 percent and 12.4 percent,
respectively.
From January to August, export
sales reached $40.748 billion - 9.2
percent higher than the $37.33 billion
reported in the same eight-month
period of 2013.
The Philippines' export growth in
August was the third fastest in the East
and Southeast Asian regions, after
Vietnam's 12.6-percent expansion and
Indonesia's 10.6 percent, according to
the National Economic and
Development Authority (Neda).
Emmanuel F. Esguerra, Neda
deputy director general and officer-incharge, yesterday said in a statement
that the double-digit climb of
merchandise exports would likely be
sustained in the coming months.
“This expectation is primarily
anchored on increasing global demand
alongside business expansions and new
product launches for garments and
information technology sectors, as well
as improved availability of raw
materials and agricultural products.
Moving forward, export revenue
growth is likely to be driven by the
rebound in the export of electronic
products, machinery and transport and
other electronics,” Esguerra said.
The Neda official noted that
agriculture products, such as coconuts,
manufactured goods, as well as
minerals (copper metal, chromium ore
and iron ore agglomerates, among
others) helped boost the value of
outbound shipments last month,
despite a slowdown in the sales of forest
and petroleum products.
Manufacturing was still the major
contributor to exports growth,
“reflecting the positive developments”
in global demand, Esguerra said.
In August, shipments of
manufactured goods went up by 8.4
percent to $4.4 billion, from last year's
$4.1 billion.
That month, the top merchandise
export was electronics, which grew by a
tenth to $2.3 billion, from $2.1 billion in
t h e s a m e p e r i o d l a s t y e a r.
Semiconductor components and
electronic devices comprise over twofifths of the country's export receipts.
The Neda also pointed out that the
PSA Monthly Integrated Survey of
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Page 22
MANILA -- A test case invoking the
Nolasco brought the car back to the
Philippine Lemon Law, the new legal dealership four times to fix the
protection for Filipino consumers who problem.
purchase new motor vehicles that turn
“On the third instance the A6 3.0
out to be defective, has been filed in the TDI was brought to Audi and/or PGA
Department of Trade and Industry for repairs, complainant Nolasco was
(DTI).
made to believe the computer display
Named respondents in a complaint was replaced,” the complaint said.
encouraged the more than
filed on Sept. 22 by businessman
It said that despite assurances that
400 Japanese businessmen
Ricardo Nolasco Jr. were Mandaluyong “everything has been corrected and the
a n d g ove r n m e n t
City-based Audi Motorcars Inc. as the defect will not be repeated anymore…
representatives at the Tokyo
manufacturer and PGA Cars Inc. as the the said erratic and/or random error
road show to look into the
dealer.
messages started to display again.”
opportunities being
Nolasco, a retired Air Force colonel
“This time, the said messages did
presented by the publicand resident of Muntinlupa City, sought not only cause alarm but actually
private partnership (PPP)
the replacement of the brand-new Audi i m p a i r e d a n d / o r a f f e c t e d t h e
infrastructure projects to be
A6 3.0 TDI he had bought on May 30 due performance of the subject” as “the
rolled out within a year's
to defects that could not be repaired electronic suspension and steering
time, on top of prospects in
despite multiple returns to the wheel… became so hard and very
the capital markets, tourism
dealership.
difficult to handle,” the complaint read.
and power sectors.
A check with the DTI showed that
On Aug. 27, Nolasco sent a demand
The PPP projects are
on Sept. 29, the agency issued a notice letter to Benedicto Coyiuto, the Audi
worth $12.28 billion.
of mediation to the parties in the case.
Philippines head, invoking his rights
To improve the country's
The Philippine Lemon Law, or under the Philippine Lemon Law and
i n f ra s t r u c t u re , 1 6 P P P
Republic Act No. 10642, was signed by the 1992 Consumer Act of the
projects will be rolled out in
President Aquino only on July 15.
Philippines under RA 7394.
the next 12 months. The
In his 11-page complaint, Nolasco,
When Audi and/or PGA did not
projects include the
through his lawyers Teodoro Jumamil heed his demands, he filed the case in
operation and maintenance
and Stanley Gotohio, said the new car the DTI, which under the law has
of the airports in Bacolod
“showed signs of defects as erratic jurisdiction over cases involving
(worth $450.2 million),
and/or random error messages kept disputes covered by the Philippine
u
Page 22
appearing on the dashboard which Lemon Law. Inquirer.net
were very alarming and misleading.”
October 17-23, 2014
Page 21
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
BSP's Ramona Santiago, BPI's Maria Theresa Marcial-Javier recognized
2 Filipinos among most influential
women in Asian asset management
By Doris C. Dumlao
Apart from managing funds that
are too large for most individuals to
earn in a lifetime, Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas Assistant Governor
Ramona “Winnie” Santiago and
Bank of the Philippine Island senior
vice president Maria Theresa
Marcial-Javier have many things in
common. Both are extremely
hardworking women who adhere to
a set of core values that make them
much-lauded guardians of assets
entrusted to their respective
institutions. They play by the rules,
work well with a team and
constantly sharpen the saw to excel
in their profession.
Early this year, the two Filipinos
landed on the list of “Top 25 Most
Influential Women in Asian Asset
Management” issued by Hong
Kong-based financial magazine
AsianInvestor earlier this year.
The list of female movers and
shakers in the region's asset
management industry was the
second of its kind published by
Asian Investor, a news source for
financial service providers in the
Asia Pacific. The publication
received numerous nominations
from around the region and came
up with a short list of 100
candidates.
The selection process was
conducted by Asian Investor's
editorial staff, in consultation with
senior industry practitioners,
focusing on women who were
either managing money or running
asset management businesses.
Santiago heads the BSP's
Treasury department , which
manages the international reserves,
domestic portfolios, conducts open
market operations and engages in
spot foreign peso-dollar trading.
Javier heads BPI's asset
management and trust group and
t h e yo u n g e s t i n t h e s e n i o r
management team of Southeast
Asia's oldest bank.
Don't be greedy
Asked what she thought were
the most important values to keep
in mind in managing the BSP's
assets, Santiago tells the Inquirer:
“I learned several things as a
child which I've found still
applicable to matters of asset
management. First, 'do not be
greedy.' This should keep us
grounded and allow us to maintain
our ethical standards, thereby
preventing us from unnecessary
exposure to risks resulting in very
aggressive positions,” Santiago says.
“Obey the rules” is another
creed that Santiago lives by.
“As stewards of the people's
money, we should play the game
within the rules and with utmost
honesty. In the BSP, it means acting
within certain rules such as our
investment guidelines, the BSP
Charter and the markets'
acceptable ethical practices,” she
says. Santiago also strives to
maintain discipline and patience at
all times.
“In the financial markets, where
certainty is not a commodity, it pays
to discipline ourselves and wait for
the right timing in the pursuit of our
goals. “Finally, do your utmost best,”
says Santiago, who is a certified
public accountant. Apart from
heading the Treasury department
of the BSP, Santiago is also a
member of the BSP's advisory
committee, a high level group that
deliberates monetary policy and
make recommendations to the
Monetary Board.
Adapt to changing markets
For Javier, professionalism,
integrity and excellence are the key
values that keep her at the top of her
game.
“In this business, we have to
ensure the highest level of
RAMONA Santiago
MARIA Theresa Marcial-Javier
professionalism in the delivery of
trust and asset management
solutions, particularly in a market
that continuously evolves.
Structures and processes must be
dynamic in order to adapt to
changing markets,” Javier said.
Trust and asset management
business operates in a highly
regulated environment, which
Javier believes is necessary because
institutions like hers act in a
fiduciary capacity.
“Integrity of the firm and its
employees are very important in
ensuring the trust and confidence of
investors,” she says.
For Javier, it's also important to
keep abreast with a fast-changing
operating environment.
“The speed at which investment
solutions, technology and customer
preferences are evolving requires
constant focus on excellence for
firms who have the strong resolve to
stay ahead,” she says.
“We should always strive to
surpass previous achievements. In
a business where superior
investment performance is
expected despite difficult financial
markets, our investment
professionals must continually be
trained to excel in their craft.”
Daily grind
For Javier, every single day as a
fund manager is different.
“In recent years, I have reu
Page 22
Eight Initial Steps Women Can Take to
Improve Their Relationship with Money
Inquirer file photo
US expands importation
of mangoes from PH
MANILA -- The United States
has expanded the importation of
mangoes from the Philippines
allowing mango farms all over
the country to export to US.
Previously, only mangoes
grown in the province of
Guimaras can be exported to the
US mainland because only these
are recognized as free from
small beetle-like pests known as
weevils.
Mangoes grown from other
parts of the Philippines were
suspected to have weevils and
can be exported only to Guam
and Hawaii.
Now, the US Department of
Agriculture (USDA) has declared
the entire Philippines, except
the province of Palawan, as free
from pests including weevils.
“The decision to expand the
l i s t o f a l l o wa b l e m a n g o producing areas to export to the
US to almost the entire
Philippines can be expected to
result in more investments in
the sector and at the same time
encourage new entrants to allow
domestic production to fully
satisfy demand,” Philippine
Ambassador to the US Jose
Cuisia Jr. said in a statement
Thursday, Oct. 16.
“Other countries could also
refer to this USDA recognition of
the Philippines as weevil-free as
a basis for adjusting their
Do women have different
relationships with money than
men? Very definitely, yes, says
entrepreneur and business coach
Meriflor Toneatto.
“For women, money is an
emotional currency, tied to our
sense of self-worth and
confidence, which can lead us to
financial pitfalls that ultimately
limits what we pursue in life,” says
Toneatto, a certified business and
life coach, and author of “Money,
Manifestation & Miracles: 8
Principles for Transforming
Women's Relationship with
Money.”.
A woman's emotional
relationship with money directly
impacts her overall level of
satisfaction in life or lack of it,
Toneatto says.
“Wealth isn't just about
money; it's about the quality of a
woman's overall life,” she says.
“Greater awareness of how you
feel about your life can yield
helpful insights regarding your
relationship with money, which
can immediately change for the
better.”
There are a number of ways to
start doing that. Toneatto reviews
eight of them:
Give yourself permission.
For better or worse, women tend
to seek support or permission for
significant life decisions. Skip a
step and give yourself permission.
It's important to have an open
mind and heart as you proceed
with financial self-improvement,
which includes being grateful for
who you are right now, warts and
all, for arriving at this moment in
your life.
Be honest. Total honesty is
the best way to get to the root of
yo u r fe e l i n g s , b e l i e fs a n d
attitudes about money. Women
often keep secrets about our true
feelings, especially regarding
money.
Put yourself first. Commit to
taking care of yourself and
putting your needs at the top of
your priority list. Think of it as
“self-full” rather than “selfish.”
When you love yourself, you'll
experience positive changes that
will benefit those around you; you
will operate better. “Self-fullness”
may include scheduling
uninterrupted time alone for
reflection, reading, meditation,
physical training and other ways
to get in touch with your
emotions.
Start a money journal.
Consider keeping a gratitude
journal and, taking it a steep
further, a financial journal. What
you focus on will grow, so focus on
being grateful about money and
you'll start to see positive changes
in your life.
Practice forgiveness. A key
way to move beyond your
emotional obstacles with money
is to let them go and forgive.
Practicing forgiveness is a
powerful way to remove what's
standing between you and having
more money in your life.
Feel prosperous and rich
now. Prosperity and wealth is a
state of mind. It's essential that
you don't feel poor because that
brings your thoughts toward
poverty. Your goal is to take stock
of what you have now, embellish it
with gratitude, and enjoy the
return.
Pay attention to
synchronicities. As you begin to
work on transforming your
relationship with money, pay
attention to what comes back to
you as a result of your intention.
Be aware of coincidences,
synchronicities and
opportunities that come your
way. This may include new clients
at unexpected places, hearing
references to new books or even a
mentor, or the possibility that
you're at the right place at the
right time.
Celebrate the big and small
have fun! We always notice the
big things in life, but we tend to
overlook the little steps we took to
get there. They all count! And,
take heart in your journey an
adventure of self-discovery, love,
courage and possibility. This is at
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October 17-23, 2014
Page 22
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
2 Filipinos ...
From page
framed my focus on areas of
strategic planning for the
business, looking at the
competitive landscape,
understanding the
opportunities and challenges,”
Javier says.
“Of course in managing the
business, I have to monitor the
investment markets. Then there
are client meetings,
management discussions, staff
meetings covering a wide range
of topics from investments,
technology, human resources,
product development,
marketing, operations and
compliance. There are also
p l e n t y o f a d m i n i s t ra t ive
matters to attend to. I'm also
involved in industry
associations where I provide
advice and support on
discussions relating to
regulations and capital market
initiatives.”
Javier previously served as
president of the Trust Officers
Association of the Philippines
(2011) and Fund Managers
Association of the Philippines
(2009-2010), and is still active
in the advisory boards of these
organizations.
Leading a unit with assets
under management equivalent
to the resources of a large
commercial bank, Javier works
hard and plays hard as well. She
is a fitness buff and is a lover of
the great outdoors. Whenever
her tight schedule permits it,
Javier packs up her bags and
goes diving.
An early riser, Santiago is
usually at the BSP every
working day before 8 a.m.
US expands
importation
of ... From page 21
phytosanitary and
importation requirements for
our mangoes,” he said.
Provinces, which produce
mangoes, like Ilocos Norte,
Pangasinan, Isabela, Batangas
and Tarlac in Luzon; Cebu and
Iloilo in the Visayas; and
“Even before I put on my
makeup, I check my mail to
keep track of the overnight
developments in the global
markets and to follow up on
pending tasks. Interacting
with my Treasury team takes
up most of the day. However,
as a member of several
committees in the bank
(advisory, financial stability,
foreign travel committees,
etc.), it is also normal to have
meetings with other
executives in the BSP,” she
says.
Santiago also keeps an
open line of communication
with BSP Governor Amando
Tetangco Jr. to whom she
directly reports.
On a weekly basis, she
reports to the Monetary
Boardthe BSP's highest
policymaking bodyto discuss
financial market
developments. She also
frequents the BSP's dealing
room to oversee trading
operations. She also moves
around the other parts of her
department to ensure that
middle and back office
operations are running
smoothly.
“As a mother, wife and
daughter, I make it a point to
ensure my children, husband
and mother are doing well. At
my age, I still text my mother
to let her know I have reached
the office safely, so she need
not worry. In the office, I try to
find time to attend morning
mass and to hit the BSP gym
before I call it a day,” she says.
Another little known fact
about Santiago is that she is a
cat person.
“Back at home, one of my
best ways to unwind is by
Zamboanga del Norte, North
Cotabato and Davao del Sur in
Mindanao may now export
their mangoes to the US,
Agriculture Attaché Josyline
Javelosa said in the statement.
Mangoes produced in
Palawan are required to
undergo irradiation treatment
when being imported into the
US mainland to get rid of any
pests.
According to the Bureau of
Plant Industry, the major
regular and lucrative markets
hanging out with my pet cats
whom I consider part of the
family,” she says.
Pleasant surprise
For both women, winning
the recognition of Asian
Investor came as a pleasant
surprise. Both share the credit
with their respective teams.
“After I got over my initial
surprise, I felt deeply honored
to know that the
contributions and
accomplishments of the BSP
treasury department, with me
as department head, were
being recognized by no less
than an independent
international publication.
Right away, I shared the honor
with my colleagues, thanking
them because this award was
only possible due to their
commitment to achieve the
BSP's mandate,” Santiago
says.
Javier says that when she
received an e-mail from Asian
Investor sometime in March,
it was a pleasant surprise. She
did not know about the
nomination process.
“Apparently, they did their
own research on the potential
candidates around Asia,” she
says.
“I consider it a great
privilege and honor to be
recognized. And it's not just
for me personally, but for my
firm and the whole BPI asset
management team. It's a
t e s t a m e n t t h a t we c a n
compete in the regional space,
and the business we have built
and grown over the years is
being recognized in the Asian
r e g i o n ,” J a v i e r s a y s .
Inquirer.net
for Philippine mangoes are
Japan and South Korea, which
accounted for 29 percent or
5,363 metric tons of the total
Philippine mango export
volume of 18,440 metric tons
in 2012.
The rest of the country's
fresh mango produce was
exported to Hong Kong, China,
Singapore, New Zealand, the
Middle East and Canada,
among other markets.
Inquirer.net
Eight initial ...
From page 21
the heart of true, lifelong selfimprovement.
“Just like other crucial life factors,
such as health and spiritual well-being, a
healthy financial relationship is a
lifelong commitment, and what I detail
here is just the beginning,” she says.
“Maintaining the right money mindset
will require further guidance for some
women.”
About Meriflor Toneatto
Meriflor Toneatto is the founder and
Japan investors
urged ... From page 20
Davao ($901.6 million), Iloilo
($675.6 million), Panglao in Bohol ($52
million), Puerto Princesa City ($116.2
million), and Laguindingan ($353.8
million), according to PPP Center
Executive Director Cosette V. Canilao.
The Japanese investors were also
urged to study the $3.927-billion south
line of the North-South Commuter
Railway, the $3-billion Mass Transit
System Loop, the $1.115-billion
Regional Prison Facilities, the $464million San Fernando Airport, the
PH export ...
From page 20
Selected Industries (Missi) for the same
month showed higher net sales in terms
of value and volume.
According to Esguerra, the August
Missi report reflected a domestic
manufacturing industry that was
“moving towards more diversification”
amid “continued strong local demand
for manufactured goods and
improvement in export demand.”
A h e a d o f t h e h o l i d ay s , t h e
manufacturing sector is expected to
ramp up production to serve customers
here and abroad, Esguerra added.
As for the agricultural goods, the
robust sales of coconut products - which
Agusan women ...
From page 20
other home-based makers in other
parts of the province.
Anino says only 20 percent of the
raw material can be extracted from a
coconut. The rest are made up of
coconut dust produced during the
milling process. The same dust may also
be used to make organic fertilizers,
which the cooperative plans to produce
sometime soon.
Lolita Dorado, DTI provincial
director, says the cooperative is a
recipient of the agency's Shared Service
Facility (SSF) program which provides
equipment to small and medium
enterprises.
Ramon Barbosa, regional manager
of the Philippine Coconut Authority in
Caraga, says five coir processing
centers, complete with the machinery
needed to support the value-adding
activities for coconut, were established
last year.
The project is funded by a grant
from the Strengthening of AgroIndustrial Sector in Bicol and Caraga
(SAIS-BC)a program jointly
implemented by the Philippine
government through the Department of
Agriculture, and the Spanish
government through the Agencia
CEO of Power With Soul, a company
dedicated to empowering female
entrepreneurs and professionals by
helping them transform their
relationship with money. The author of
“Money, Manifestation & Miracles: 8
Principles for Transforming Women's
Relationship with Money,” Toneatto
holds a bachelor's degree in public
administration and management and
graduate certifications in personal,
professional and financial coaching. A
former corporate executive, she is a
recipient of the Amethyst Award for
Excellence and Outstanding
Achievement from the government of
Ontario, Canada.
$428.9-million Motor Vehicle Inspection
System, the $416-million New
Centennial Water Supply Source project,
the $377.8-million Davao Sasa Port, as
well as the Batangas-Manila Natural Gas
Pipeline, the Light Rail Transit Line 1
Dasmariñas Extension and the Manila
Bay-Pasig River-Laguna Lake Ferry
System projects.
About 17 percent of the country's
32,000-kilometer national road network
also remains unpaved. This is where
Japanese firms may partner with the
Philippine government in the areas of
construction, consultancy as well as
technical support services, Public Works
and Highways Secretary Rogelio L.
Singson noted. Inquirer.net
more than doubled on the back of higher
global prices - bolstered the sector's
receipts last August to $505.2 million 41.0-percent higher than last year's
$358.4 million.
E s g u e r ra s a i d t h e d o m e s t i c
production of coconut-based goods,
which accounted for over half of agrobased shipments, had improved
following a slump in June and July.
Exports of mineral products,
meanwhile, jumped by almost a third
year-on-year in August amid higher
demand from China, Hong Kong and
South Korea, the Neda added.
The Philippines' top export markets
last August were Japan, China, the
United States, the Asean region, and the
European Union. Inquirer.net
Espanola Cooperacion International
para el Desarollo (AECID).
Max Robles, chair of Kaagapmuco,
says there is now a strong demand for
g e o n e t s s i n c e t h e g ove r n m e n t
recommended these to cover sloping
terrain and embankments to prevent
soil erosion and landslides.
Apart from their proven high tensile
strength, the coco coir products are
a b unda nt a nd ecofriendly. The
biodegradable material promotes
vegetation growth as it traps topsoil and
keeps its nutrients intact, Robles
explains.
Even big mining companies in
Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur
use geonets on sloping areas near
communities and highways to prevent
landslides.
Last year, Robles says, they were in a
hurry to produce 1,000 geonets rolls
because of an urgent order from the
DPWH and mining companies. Since
then, he adds, the average demand is
1,000 rolls a month.
Even resorts in Misamis Oriental
and Bohol recently ordered some 500
rolls to be used on the slopes near the
shoreline.
Robles says the cooperative will also
venture into integrated coconut
processing, producing virgin coconut
oil, flour and organic fertilizers.
Inquirer.net
October 17-23, 2014
Page 23
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Papa Piolo's scion and heir
makes his bid for stardom
By Nestor V. Torre
Last Septembver 21 on
“ASAP,” the big deal was the first
public appearance and
performance of “Papa” Piolo
Pascual with his 17-year-old
scion and heir, Iñigo. They did a
duet together, and the good
news is that young Iñigo was
able to adequately keep up with
his dad in terms of singing and
“projection”not an easy thing to
do for a total newcomer!
Of course, Iñigo's genes and
psychic connection with his
father had a lot to do with his
good showing - and also bode
well for his incipient show biz
entry, which will be more
formally highlighted and
affirmed by his introductory
role in the new teen flick
“Relaks, It's Just Pag-ibig.”
Candidly, Papa Piolo has
shared that he really didn't
want his niño bonito to “go
show biz” because he's all too
aware - and thus worries - of the
pitfalls and “monsters” that are
just lying in wait, raring to
swallow up and assault clueless
newcomers on the yellow brick
road to stardom!
But, as Iñigo went from 16
to 17, it became clearer that he
had a real yen and potential for
s te l l a r p e r fo r m a n c e a n d
FATHER AND SON.
Piolo and teener
Iñigo recently
impressed with a
duet in a variety
show.
success. So, “Papa” has finally
taken a deep, paternal breath
and given his all-important
consent for his scion to pursue
and attain his own show biz
dream.
On Iñigo's part, being
P i o l o' s s o n a n d o bv i o u s
successor is both a blessing and
a “curse.” On the plus side, it's
opening many doors and other
newcomers must be green and
even absolutely technicolorlivid with envy! Imagine, he's
still a relatively untested talent
and yet he's being given his first
movie on a silver platter?
More expectations
On the other hand, being
Piolo's heir, a lot is expected of
Iñigo, far more than other raw
starlets; and if he doesn't score
a bull's-eye with his first, few
show biz appearances, many of
the biz's resident haters and
debunkers will loudly bleat,
“We told you so - all he has going
for him is his so-called show biz
Valerie Weigmann. Richard Reyes/Inquirer
Miss World Philippines
2014 hopes to duplicate
Megan Young's feat
u
Page 24
By Armin Adina
K-POP fans brave the storm and shake the Big Dome with cheers and shrieks.
Bad weather can't stop CNBLUE
By Allan Policarpio
“Kumusta? Salamat sa
pagpunta niyo dito kahit na may
bagyo!”
While obviously rehearsed,
those precious few words stammeringly uttered by Kang
Min-hyuk, charismatic
drummer of the Korean poprock band CNBLUE - surely
made the fans forget that they
had to brave the rains, and
possibly flooded roads, caused
by Tropical Storm “Mario” just
to make it to the group's concert
at the Smart Araneta Coliseum
last Sept. 19.
With many people opting to
stay home, the venue,
understandably so, was not
filled to capacity. But it sure did
not sound or feel that way. The
audience shook the Big Dome
with cheers and shrieks as
earsplitting as what one would
expect from an SRO crowd.
And CNBLUE soldiered on
and delivered a set of more than
20 songs.
“Can't Stop” was the title of
the group's concert tour, and it
could not have been more fitting
that night. The group - that also
included Jung Yong-hwa (lead
vocals, rhythm guitar), Lee Jungshin (bass) and Lee Jong-hyun
(lead guitar, vocals) - probably
did not fit the casual listeners'
idea of what a K-Pop boy band
was or how it should look.
No matching outfits
Unlike other groups that
visited the Philippines recently,
CNBLUE wielded instruments
and played them with adequate
skill. The members did not
dance in unison or shuffle in and
out of various formations to
upbeat tunes that married
elements of dance, pop,
electronic and hip-hop music.
Nor were they perfectly coiffed
and dressed in matching outfits.
The boys opened the show their second in Manila - in a nononsense fashion, briskly
tackling one song after another,
as the stage sprang to life with
relentless bursts of
crisscrossing prismatic beams.
The crowd, meanwhile, turned
into a sea of blue lights, with
screaming girl fans hoisting
glow sticks aloft and vigorously
waving them to the beat.
MANILA -- With Megan Young
winning the Philippines' first Miss
World title last year, can this year's
Miss World Philippines Valerie
Weigmann be far behind? She is
looking forward to duplicating
Young's feat, said the GermanFilipino.
She will approach the challenge
w i t h a “ p u s o n g P i n o y,” s a i d
Weigmann, who beat 25 other
aspirants. “I will show them how
amazing Filipinos are, how hardworking we are, that we deserve a
back-to-back (win).”
Weigmann was a host of the
noontime show “Eat…Bulaga!”
“ T h i s i s d e d i c a te d to o u r
indigenous brothers and sisters all
over the Philippines. I want to raise
awareness about them,” she told the
Inquirer after she bagged the top
plum at the 2014 Miss World
u
Page 24
'The Bodyguard' musical
pays loving tribute to
Whitney Houston
By Rito P. Asilo
Truth is, we were ready to see a
kitschy show that predominantly
banked on Whitney Houston's
jukebox staples to buoy up its trite
and overwrought love story. Instead,
we ended up getting swept off our
feet by director Thea Sharrock's
staging innovations and the
musical's fresh take on its side story
about sibling rivalry. What we saw
was a gorgeously realized and
touchingly reverential tribute to one
of the greatest singers of all time.
u
Page 24
Earlier this year, the West End
Driving force
musical we couldn't wait to see was
Jung, the band's front man,
playwright Alexander Dinelaris'
was the group's indefatigable
surprisingly well-received
driving force. A guitar slung over
adaptation of “The Bodyguard” at
his shoulder, he was all over the
the 1,500-seat Adelphi Theater on
stage, running, dancing and
The Strand, starring pop singer
urging the crowd to stand up
Beverley Knight and Tristan
and sing along. And,
Gemmill as superstar Rachel Marron
u n e x p e c t e d ly, J u n g
and Secret Service agent Frank
intermittently unleashed highFarmer, respectively - and it didn't
pitched rock screams. “Are you
disappoint!
ready to be crazy?” he shouted.
u
Page 26
October 17-23, 2014
Page 24
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Miss World ...
From page 23
Philippines pageant Sunday
night (Oct. 12) at the SM Mall of
Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The title came with a P1million prize pot.
The German-Filipino
contender, who bested 25 other
aspirants, automatically
advanced to the contest's Top
13 when she received the Best
in Fashion Runway award,
which was based on her
performance at a special gala
held on Tuesday.
Two other contestants fasttracked to the Top 13Miss
Photogenic Nelda Ibe of Tarlac,
who finished third and was also
proclaimed Miss Organique,
and Miss Sun Cellular Kimberly
Anne Sarreal of Olongapo.
A clear winner from the
start of the show and all
throughout the rest of the
c o n t e s t , t h e 2 4 - ye a r - o l d
Weigmann also received other
special awards, taking the lion's
share with a total of 12 of the 20
citations.
Weigmann was earlier
proclaimed Miss World CamSur
in a preliminary competition
held at the Camsur Watersports
Complex in Camarines Sur.
During the coronation night,
she was also hailed Best in
Swimsuit, Best in Long Gown,
Best in Fashion Runway, Miss
Solaire, Miss Figlia, Jesi Mendez
S a l o n A m b a s s a d o r, M i s s
Reducin, Miss Blue Water Day
Spa, Miss Bench, Miss Olay and
Miss Hana Shampoo.
We i g m a n n f u r t h e r
cemented her lead during the
final round of the competition.
W h e n a ske d why sh e
should be proclaimed Miss
World, Wiegmann said: “I try to
live my life in relation to others,
by putting myself into other
people's shoes. I believe in the
importance of empathy and
compassion. Because I see, if all
of us can come together and
work as one, we can all be
advocates of change. I want to
inspire and encourage
everyone to take up a personal
advocacy, such as my own, by
enabling our indigenous
brothers and sisters from
Tarlac. Because I believe truly,
in giving we can be beautiful.”
All five finalists answered
the same final question.
Joining Weigmann in the
winners' circle were Best in
Sports Lorraine Kendrickson of
Dumaguete who placed second,
Miss Photogenic Nelda Ibe of
Tarlac who finished third,
former Binibining Pilipinas
contestant Nicole Donesa, who
placed fourth, and Yahoo
Philippines Readers' Choice
and Security Bank's Most
Alluring Rachel Peters of
Camarines Sur, who finished
fifth.
Weigmann, who was born
in her father's native Germany
but represented her mother's
province of Albay in the
competition, said she was
looking forward to duplicating
Young's triumph in the Miss
World contest.
Weigmann will also take
with her an expansive
experience in television and
modeling. She first gained
prominence as a housemate in
the second edition of “Pinoy Big
Brother: Teen Edition,” and
briefly hosted the defunct
“Wowowee.”
She also appeared in the TV
fantasy show “Kidlat” with
actor Derek Ramsay and was in
Marlon Rivera's “Ang Huling
Henya” starring Rufa Mae
Quinto.
Her latest TV gig was as host
of the “All for Juan, Juan for All”
segment of the noontime
variety show “Eat…Bulaga!”
Weigmann will fly to
London, England, for the 2014
Miss World pageant, which will
culminate on Dec. 14.
Sweden was the first
country to bag two consecutive
wins in the Miss World contest,
with Kiki Håkansson and MayLouise Flodin taking the crowns
in the first two editions,
respectively.
The United Kingdom also
scored a back-to-back in 1964
and 1965 with Ann Sydney and
Lesley Langley, respectively.
India was the last country to
make two consecutive Miss
World victories, with Yukta
Mookhey in 1999 and Priyanka
Chopra in 2000.
Before Young's coronation
last year, the Philippines bagged
second place honors with
Evangeline Pacual (1973) and
Gwendoline Ruais (2011).
Actress Ruffa Gutierrez placed
third in 1993. Three other
representatives advanced to the
final round, Cecilia Amabuyok
(1968), Maria Rafaela Yunon
(2003) and Karla Bautista
(2004). Inquirer.net
KNIGHT AND GEMMILL. Portray star-crossed lovers in stage adaptation of popular screen
romance.
‘The Bodyguard’
musical ... From page 23
In Mick Jackson's 1992 screen version
of “The Bodyguard,” starring Houston (in
top form as the brilliant but difficult diva),
Kevin Costner didn't sing at all. In the
stage musical, Gemmill didn't do much
singing, either - but, at least he was able to
perform the production's iconic theme
song, “I Will Always Love You” (during a
karaoke date with Rachel), albeit in its
original “countrified” form.
Even with its inventive sets, crowdpleasing ballads (“Run to You,” “I Have
Nothing”) and dazzling production
numbers, the theatergoing experience
would've felt incomplete if Knight didn't
sing the enduring love song as imagined
by Houston - which she did, before she led
the company to its rousing “I Wanna
Dance With Somebody” finale. Resisting
the urge to dance and sing along was an
exercise in futility!
You heard that right: “I Wanna Dance
With Somebody” may not be in the
original soundtrack of “The Bodyguard,”
but the first single from Whitney's second
album (in 1987) is one of the exhilarating
musical treats that makes the stage
production memorably satisfying - as are
Houston's other monster hits, like “How
Will I Know?,” “One Moment In Time,” “So
Emotional,” “All The Man That I Need” and
“I'm Your Baby Tonight.”
The stage version, which commences
its UK tour in February, expanded the role
of Rachel's sister, frustrated singer Nicki,
portrayed by Debbie Kurup, who seized
Papa Piolo’s ...
From page 23
lineage and that's not good enough for a
real, well-deserved, stellar career!”
That's why it was a good thing that
Iñigo passed muster as a tyro performer
last Sept. 21 on “ASAP.” Aside from singing
fairly well, he was able to communicate
an appealing combination of “frisky and
yet shy” traits and attributes that were
just right for a 17-year-old like him.
In other words, he was a natural,
secure enough to just be himself, no need
for the usual starlet's porma, siga and
pushy determination to make a great first
impression that are such a turn-off - on
the spotlight when she sang “Saving All
My Love For You” and “All At Once” with
torchy relish.
We grew up listening to those songs
being rendered as contest pieces, but
Knight, Kurup and company demonstrate
that subtle singing is just as powerful as
“birit” (belting) when it comes from the
heart and soul.
We aren't saying that the musical
doesn't have show-stoppers - after all, it's
inspired by the music and artistry of the
foremost belter of her generation. (With
“Mamma Mia,” you can disregard its
disposably frothy story and just sing along
with Abba's timeless tunes.)
With “The Bodyguard,” you'll have a
hard time “ignoring” the heart-warming
romance that blossoms between the Ice
Queen and her distant protector especially when Frank sees through the
almost impenetrable facade that conceals
the scared woman who wants to protect
her 10-year-old son from the creepy
s t a l ke r w h o ke e p s s e n d i n g h e r
threatening letters!
In her spectacular “Queen of the
Night” opening number, Rachel is
strapped in a harness as she descends on
the lavish stage from the ceiling. But, away
from the glare of the klieg lights, she's just
a scared mother in distress who needs
some breathing space from the pressure
and hazards of superstardom.
It may seem like she has everything
any woman could ask for, but all Rachel
wants is a special guy she can laugh and
dance with - and to grow old with
s o m e b o dy wh o t r u ly l ove s h e r !
Inquirer.net
the big and small screens.
Of course, nobody's perfect, so some
negative traits are likely to reveal
themselves in the coming weeks and
months. But, the key point is, Iñigo lost no
points and in fact gained some in his TV
baptism of fire.
Part of that initial good impression
resulted from Papa Piolo's proud and
beaming paternal presence and support.
So, we're looking forward to Iñigo's first
solo TV performance, to see if he can wing
it alone with similar panache and
success. That should happen real soon, or
else, some people may end up cynically
attributing Iñigo's first, good impression
to beginner's luck! Inquirer.net
The Filipino Express is only $40 (52 copies)
for one year. That’s only 77 cents per copy
and mailed right to your home !
For details, call us at 201-434-1114 or send
an email to [email protected].
October 17-23, 2014
Page 25
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
'Gold' consolidates Lisa
Macuja's achievements
Regine Velasquez and Alden Richards were contest regulars.
Dream chasers
By Bayani San Diego Jr.
The two hosts of GMA 7's latest
talent search “Bet ng Bayan,” singer
Regine Velasquez and actor Alden
Richards, know only too well what's it
like to be a starry-eyed wannabe.
Richards tells the Inquirer: “That
was the reason why the network got
me to host this show. I actually
experienced lining up for hours,
trying my luck in auditions, only to get
rejected.”
Apart from joining reality talent
quests like “StarStruck” and “Pinoy
Big Brother,” he joined male pageants
like Ginoong Sta. Rosa in his home
province of Laguna as a teenager.
He recalls that he had to perform a
tribal dance when he competed in
Ginoong Laguna. “I wasn't that
confident that time.”
Disappointment didn't dissuade
him.
“I took everything positively,” he
says. “Those auditions and contests
helped boost my self-confidence. You
can't win all the time. Experiencing
rejection 10,000 times helps build
character.”
Velasquez, for her part, is a
product of a nationwide singing tilt in
the 1980s, “Ang Bagong Kampeon.”
If she were a neophyte now,
Velasquez still wouldn't think twice
about joining a competition like “Bet
ng Bayan,” even though it's more
difficult to stand out these days
because of the sheer number of
singing discoveries.
“When I hosted the program's
regional showdowns in Naga,
C a m a r i n e s S u r, a n d A n g e l e s ,
Pampanga, I saw several good
singers,” she recalls. “Contests are still
the best way to get discovered,
especially if these shows are backed
by a major studio.”
Whenever she would hear the
contestants in “Bet ng Bayan,” she is
reminded of her own humble
beginnings
She can't help getting nostalgic
because she got to “bond” with her
late father, Mang Gerry, in the
countless amateur singing contests
she had joined in various town fiestas
as a kid. “He accompanied me
everywhere. We went as far as Arayat
Lisa Macuja and Rudy de Dios in Romeo and Juliet
By Marge C. Enriquez
You got to hand it to Lisa
Macuja.
Most dancers at midlife and
beyond reinvent themselves,
explore new styles, redefine the
meaning of dance in their lives
and have choreographies made
on them. But in the past few
years, Macuja has gone the way
of prima ballerinas in the past performing the lead classical
roles until their later years.
“Classical ballet is
undoubtedly the most difficult
form of dance, and I am very
fortunate to still be able to go on
pointe and do this kind of
dancing,” wrote Macuja in the
souvenir program.
The prospect of watching a
50-year-old portraying a 14year-old Juliet or a 16-year-old
Princess Aurora could be
potentially jarring. But during
her birthday concert titled
“Gold” at Aliw Theater, Macuja,
as always, was showered with
shout outs and expressions of
love and admiration from
friends and fans.
The thunderous applause
was well-deserved. “Gold”
consolidated Macuja's
achievements as a strong-willed
dancer and visionary artistic
director of Ballet Manila (BM).
The program started with a
video showing photographs of
Macuja as a tiny tot, closeness
with the family, school days at
the Leningrad Choreographic
Institute and the Kirov, and her
famous roles in the Philippines.
Challenging herself
Before she turned 50,
Macuja challenged herself by
executing the standards that
stringently measured a
ballerina's abilities - “Swan
Lake,” “Don Quixote,” “Giselle,”
“La Bayadere,” “Nutcracker.”
This year, she revived
“Romeo and Juliet,” by Russian
choreographer Sergey Vikulov,
which was premiered by the
company in 1995. The
choreographer chose music by
Peter Tchaikovsky because it
h a d a m o re p e r i o d fe e l ,
compared with the modernist
strains of the well-known score
by Sergei Prokofiev.
I was never a fan of this
version. I found the
choreography a bit
declamatory, echoing the
populist dramatics of the midcentury Soviet period.
Nevertheless, the audience
raved over the Old School
virtuosic partnering and
overhead liftsof which there
was aplenty.
Macuja's dancing was fluid,
a cascade of steps given,
transformed her far-reaching
look and subtle épaulement
(angling of the upper body).
BM principal Rudy de Dios
expressed the youthful
naturalness of Romeo. As
Macuja's long-time trusted
partner, he has been consistent
u
Page 26
Kapuso Royal Couple Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera to headline concert on November 7 at the Global Village
GMA Pinoy TV gives fans the royal
treatment in Kapusong Pinoy sa Dubai
GMA Network's flagship
international channel, GMA Pinoy
TV, in partnership with New
Perspective Media and The Filipino
Times, is primed to give Kapuso
fans in Dubai the royal treatment on
the next leg of their Kapusong Pinoy
concert series featuring the the
soon-to-wed couple Dingdong
Dantes and Marian Rivera.
This November 7, the Kapuso
Primetime King and Queen embark
on a royal trip to Dubai for the grand
concert titled, “Kapusong Pinoy sa
Dubai,” set in the Global Village, the
city's largest multicultural theme
park.
The Global Village, now on its
19th season, is one of the city's
biggest tourist destinations which
attracts tens of thousands of
visitors each year. Composed of
numerous mini country pavilions
and entertainment and retail hubs,
the immense park provides a vast
multicultural experience with over
65 participating countries.
Despite the hectic preparations
for their upcoming wedding this
December, Marian and Dingdong
have set aside some time from their
busy schedules as they gear up to
give their kababayans abroad an
exciting, fun-filled entertainment
extravaganza.
Marian, who is currently doing
the second season of her self-titled
dance program on GMA, is excited
for their upcoming international
event. “Pangalawang beses ko nang
mag-show sa Dubai at excited ako
dahil this time, makakasama ko na
si Dong sa pagpapasaya ng mga
kababayan natin doon,” exclaims
the blooming bride-to-be. “Ito na
siguro ang last time na pupunta ako
sa Dubai bilang Marian Rivera dahil
sa susunod na pagbisita ko, Mrs.
Dantes na ako,” she eagerly adds.
D i n g d o n g , m e a nwh i l e , i s
grateful for another opportunity to
entertain Kapuso fans abroad,
following a successful international
show in Illinois earlier this year for
his recently concluded
groundbreaking primetime series,
Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real. “I am
thankful that GMA Pinoy TV gives us
this chance to give back to our fans,
especially those who live overseas
because it is our way of giving
thanks for their continued support
as well as an opportunity to bring
them closer to home,” explains the
Kapuso leading man. “At siyempre,
this trip is also more meaningful
and exciting dahil kasama ko si
Marian,” he happily adds.
The royally meant-to-be couple
will also be joined by Asia's Pop
Sweetheart Julie Anne San Jose who
is one of GMA Pinoy TV's most
a n t i c i p a te d a r t i s t s i n t h e i r
international shows abroad. Fresh
from her recent performance in
“Kapusong Pinoy sa L.A.” last
September, the Sunday All-Stars
mainstay is set to grace the
international stage once more with
her powerful musical and dance
numbers. Kapuso fans abroad will
also discover that there is more to
life in a special segment by Julie
Anne for GMA Life TV, the
Network's second international
channel. “Masaya ako dahil lagi
akong nasasama sa GMA Pinoy TV
shows abroad. I just got back from
Kapusong Pinoy sa L.A. and now
we're doing another concert in
Dubai,” exclaims the multi-talented
artist. “The fans are so supportive
and it always pushes us to give them
a bigger and better show each time.”
The pre-show starts at 4:30 p.m.
at the Philippine Pavilion, Global
Village while Kapusong Pinoy sa
Dubai starts at 6:00 p.m. at main
stage of the Global Village, Sheikh
Mohamed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai.
Join in the fun and excitement in
Kapusong Pinoy sa Dubai and share
your photos, tweets and status
messages with the hashtag
#KapusongPinoyDubai.
Kapusong Pinoy sa Dubai is
sponsored by Camella, Pag-Ibig
Fu n d , RC B C Te l e m o n e y, E O
Executive Optical, Ritemed, Everest
Aircondition, Cebuana Lhuillier,
Jollibee Padala, The Generics
Pharmacy, BPI and Shakey's.
Learn more about GMA's
international events through
www.gmanetwork.com/internatio
nal, Facebook page,
www.facebook.com/GMAPinoyTV
and follow GMA Pinoy TV on
Tw i t t e r a n d I n s t a g r a m v i a
@gmapinoytv.
October 17-23, 2014
Page 26
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Kapuso Network's My
Husband's Lover nominated
nd
in 42 Int’l Emmy Awards
GMA Network's
groundbreaking program My
Husband's Lover (MHL) is the
only drama series from the
Philippines nominated in the
telenovela category of the 42nd
International Emmy Awards.
MHL will be competing
alongside entries from
Portugal, Brazil, and Canada.
Topbilled by Dennis Trillo,
Tom Rodriguez and Carla
Abellana, MHL defied all
conventions of traditional
drama soaps and definitely
captured local Filipino
audiences.
The series drew viewers to
understand that love is not
defined by sexual preference no matter how different it is
from the love we all know - it
could still be equally pure,
selfless and true.
It's worldwide debut on
GMA Pinoy TV, the Network's
flagship international channel,
in 2013 further bolstered its
p o p u l a r i t y, g a r n e r i n g
international acclaim for the
program. As a testament to the
show's lasting success, the
Dream chasers ...
From page 25
(in Pampanga),” she recounts.
“Contests were my training ground.”
She started joining contests at age 6
and eventually emerged as grand
champion of “Bagong Kampeon” at 13.
She concedes, however, that
newcomers have it easier now, since
they can easily get discovered in videosharing sites like YouTube and social
media sites like Facebook. “They are
luckier in that sense,” she says.
More sympathetic
She explains that she is more
sympathetic and patient because she is
aware that the contestants had to go
through the eye of a needle.
“Good thing I am not a judge
because it would be tough for me to
choose a winner,” she said. “Even the
MHL US Concert Tour became
an international sensation
which attracted thousands of
fans from all over the United
States.
The Emmy recognition
solidifies GMA's commitment
in creating programs, which
are innovative and at par with
international standards.
From the original concept
of Suzette Doctolero and with
the help of creative director Jun
Lana, MHL was under the
direction of Dominic Zapata.
M y H u s b a n d ' s L ove r,
created by the GMA Drama
Group, was supervised by the
Senior Vice President for
Entertainment TV Lilybeth G.
Rasonable; Vice President for
Drama Redgie Acuña Magno,
Assistant Vice President for
D ra m a C h e r y l C h i n g - Sy,
Program Manager Helen Rose
S. Sese with Executive
Producer Carolyn Galve.
‘Gold’
consolidates ...
From page 25
in strength and skill in showing the
ballerina in her full glory. But there
should have been more venom in the
sword fight scenes between Mercutio
and Benvolio, Gerardo Francisco and
Romeo Peralta.
Purity and balance
Meanwhile, excerpts from
“Sleeping Beauty” provided spectacle.
Princess Aurora doesn't do much
jumps compared with Kitri in “Don
Quixote” or spin pirouettes like Odile in
“Swan Lake.” But in her solos, Macuja
provided delicacy, control, balance and
purity of line.
When her four Cavaliers took turns
promenading her around in an attitude
position in the Rose Adagio, the crowd
cheered at Macuja's calm and
controlled balances and her pitched
arabesques with still-high extensions.
In the Wedding Grand Pas Deux,
Macuja displayed the regal poise and
elan of a young princess who had
evolved from a capricious teenager.
Guest artist Mikhail Martynyuk,
principal dancer of the Kremlin Ballet
Theater, danced with elegant clarity. He
delivered aerial turns and suspended
leaps with dazzling smoothness. His
Bad weather can’t
stop ... From page 23
The two Lees, Jong-hyun and Jungshin, were cool and laid-back, while
Kang was not afraid to play it cute while
banging on the skins.
Without fail, young girls broke into
hysterics whenever he was shown on
the three LED screens mounted around
the stage.
The sound, while mostly popsounding, had occasional dashes of
alternative rock, hip-hop and punk:
“Intuition” was fun and zippy, “Love”
had a bit of a retro vibe and “I'm a
Loner,” one of CNBLUE's earlier hit
songs, coasted on its semi-rapped
verses and repeated hooks in English
that had everyone singing along, “Sad,
sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad tonight… /
Oh, no, no, no, no, nobody knows.”
Tagalog spiels
Between songs, a band member
would pause to check on the crowd and
dancers were astig (fierce).”
Dancers and other gifted newbies
(like magicians, acrobats, etc.) also vie
for top prizes in separate categories in
the new show that holds competitions
in different provinces all over the
archipelago.
Richards admires the contestants
in the show. “They are determined to
win.” His advice: “Go for it. Don't give
up.”
He is reminded of his own start in
the biz whenever he hears stories of the
aspirants' struggles, he admits.
“I joined contests to fulfill the
dream of my late mom,” he relates. “I
took part in Linggo ng Wika elocution
competitions in school, too.”
N o w, t h e n e t wo r k s h o we r s
Richards with high-profile projects like
the primetime historical series
“Ilustrado” and Adolfo Alix Jr.'s drama
film “Cain at Abel.” Inquirer.net
landings nailed the floor in flawless
finish. As Macuja's Prince Florimund,
he maneuvered Macuja seamlessly in
the quick dips and swooping fish dive.
Great chemistry
Dawna Mangahas' Lilac Fairy was
fresh and nuanced. She commanded
the stage with her rangy limbs and
breathed soul into the movements.
Mylene Aggabao-Salagdo's Bluebird
solo was exceptionally lucid while her
partner, Elpidio Magat, soared in his
crisp, intricate footwork. Russian guest
ballet mistress Natalia Raldugina drew
out breathtaking synchronicity and
lyricism from the corps de ballet.
Macuja has been lucky to have great
chemistry with her partners. Like a
setting to a diamond, they have this
amazing ability to make her shine.
Performance wise, she has always
been candid that age and injuries have
caught up with her. The surgeries on
the back of her feet may have dulled the
pointe work. Where once her bulletspeed turns were once an amazing blur,
they are now a series of clean
technique.
Then again, even the world's ballet
superstars have their Achilles heel.
In “Gold,” Macuja has proven her
endurance, surpassing the typical
ballerina's lifespan. She isn't afraid to
show that she's still human, and the
accolades she has received are welldeserved. Inquirer.net
express their love for them. “Masaya na
ba kayo?” asked Jung, who, together
with his band mates, actually took the
time to learn full sentences in Tagalog.
“Na-miss ko kayong lahat!”
The repertoire, which took the band
over two hours to perform, also
included such subdued piano-driven
rock ballads as the sultry “These Days”
and the weepy “My Miracle.” Toward
the end of the concert, which was
mounted by All Access Productions, the
group, which was formed back in 2009,
dropped some heavier-sounding
material like “Coffee Shop” and “I'm
Sorry.”
After celebrating Jung-shin's
birthday with a cake and dishing out a
20-minute encore that included “Wake
Up,” “Love Girl” and “Love Light,” the
band took selfies onstage and took their
final bows.
Jung then promised that they would
be back in the future. “This was a good
show with all of you, even if the weather
is bad; I pray for you,” he said. “I'm very,
very mahal kita and very, very salamat
po!” Inquirer.net
October 17-23, 2014
Page 27
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Ballet Philippines' US tour opening stirs Filipino pride
Nimfa U. Rueda
LOS ANGELES -- Ballet
Philippines drew a standing
ovation Saturday night (Oct. 4)
after dazzling spectators with
some of the best works it has
produced for the past 45 years.
Staged at the Pasadena Civic
Auditorium, the show opened
Ballet Philippines' one-month US
tour and heralded the
celebration of Filipino-American
History Month in October.
The all-Filipino troupe
elegant, graceful and captivating
kept the audience enthralled
throughout the performance.
“They turned simple walks
and poses into images of
inspiration,” said artist Vics
Magsaysay. “The show has it all
a t m o s p h e re , ro m a n t i c i s m ,
poetry and the indomitable
Filipino spirit.”
Several of the country's best
choreographers were
represented in the program,
titled “Masterpieces.” Their
works, which differed
significantly in style, showcased
the dance company's dual
mastery of classical and
contemporary dance.
The biggest crowd-pleaser
was the lighthearted “Tambol at
Padyak,” a tap dance in the iconic
bakya (wooden shoes), which
brought the show to a rousing
close.
“The hoots and hollers, and
the standing ovation filled our
cups to overflowing,” said
GodinUs Executive Producer
Becca Godinez, who brought the
show to California. “I felt the
Filipino pride.”
It was a first taste of
homegrown dance artistry for
many in the audience, including
the show's co-producer Ted
Benito.
“As a US-born Filipino, I have
never seen an entire company of
Filipino dancers who perform
ballet, which makes tonight very
special,” said Benito, producer of
PAE Live and executive director
o f A p l . d e . a p Fo u n d a t i o n
International.
Ballet Philippines, the first
professional dance company in
Southeast Asia, has earned
critical acclaim at home and
abroad.
“It has made significant
contributions to Asian arts and
culture in the development of
dance through new works and
Filipino and international
classics,” said former Miss
Universe Margie Moran
Floirendo, the dance company's
president.
Among the spectators who
fervently applauded the troupe
were Filipino-American
celebrities Apl.de.ap, Lou
Diamond Phillips, Nia Peeples
and Sony Pictures Entertainment
Senior Vice President of
Worldwide Publicity Fritz
Friedman.
Ballet Philippines' next stop
is San Jose, California. They will
perform at the California Theater
on Sunday, October 12 at 7:30
p.m. The company will also be at
Portland State University in
Portland, Oregon on Oct. 15;
South Puget Sound Community
College in Olympia, Washington
on Oct. 17; Highline Performing
Arts Center in Burien,
Washington; River Rock Casino
Resort in Richmond, British
Columbia on Oct. 26.
A portion of the proceeds
from the Los Angeles and San
Jose performances will be
donated to the Ballet Philippines
Foundation for its arts education
projects and to the Apl.de.ap
Foundation International for its
humanitarian work with
disenfranchised children and
Typhoon Haiyan survivors in the
Philippines. Inquirer.net
Photos by Vics Magsaysay
Sarah Geronimo is 'Perfectly
Imperfect' in latest album
By Rito P. Asilo
Sid Lucero in “Norte”: Distinctive, hypnotic visual style
6 PH films in Austin
Six local movies will be featured in the Filipino Film Series of the
Austin Film Society. Among the Filipino films in the lineup are Lav Diaz's
“Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan,” Erik Matti's “On the Job,” Alvin
Yapan's “Debosyon,” Hannah Espia's “Transit,” Ron Morales'
“Graceland” and Jason Paul Laxamana's “Magkakabaung (The Coffin
Maker).” The screenings will be held on November 11, 20 and 25, and
December 4, 11 and 18 in Texas, according to Laxamana. Inquirer.net
Allen Dizon in “Magkakabaung (The Coffin Maker)”
'Magkakabaung' in HK film fest
Filipino filmmaker Jason Paul Laxamana's “Magkakabaung (The
Coffin Maker)” is included in the official lineup of the 11th Hong Kong
Asian Film Festival (Oct. 24 to Nov. 14). According to Laxamana,
“Magkakabaung” will be shown at the HK fest on Nov. 12 and 13. The
Kapampangan film top-bills Allen Dizon, Emilio Garcia, Felixia Dizon,
Chanel Latorre and Gladys Reyes. Bayani San Diego Jr. Inquirer.net
Sarah Geronimo's 11th studio
album, the all-original “Perfectly
Imperfect,” is a satisfying blend of
career-reinventing dance tracks
and gorgeously sung ballads,
carefully crafted to please her
followers. You need not be a
Popster to notice how comfortable
the 26-year-old Popstar Princess
has become with her perceived
strengths and limitations as a
performer.
Take “Until Forever” and “In
Your Hands.” Geronimo could have
turned Agat Obar Morallos'
message-driven numbers into
rabble-rousing anthems that
demand listeners' attention, the
way Whitney Houston's “The
Greatest Love of All” and Mariah
Carey's “Vision of Love” did in their
h e y d a y. I n l i e u o f S a r a h' s
surprisingly “birit”-free singing are
complex vocal tweaks and turns
that make the tracks' melodic ebbs
and flows alluringly idiosyncratic.
H e r s a s s y, R ' n ' B - s t y l e
improvisations likewise sound
sensational in Gianina Camille del
Rosario and Julius James “Bojam”
de Belen's “Minamahal,” especially
in the section of the tune where
emotional urgency is heightened.
Kito Romualdez's “This Fight”
recalls the piano-and-strings allure
of David Pomeranz's musical fairy
tales.
Morallos' “Kung Sabagay” is
worth listening to not only due to
Sarah's soulful interpretation, but
also because it draws its distinctly
Pinoy sensibility from the elegiac
GERONIMO. Comfortable with her perceived strengths and limitations.
appeal of its bittersweet lyrics:
“(Ako'y) karamay sa paglalakbay/
'Di kailanman nawalay/ At hawak
ko ang iyong kamay maging
hanggang sa kabilang buhay.”
Geronimo takes a crack at
reinvention by way of Adam
Hurstfield's compositions, which
give the songstress some elbow
room to “experiment” with her
maturing musicality: She needs to
work on the clarity of her
enunciation, however.
Having said that, Hurstfield's
songs alternately showcase Sarah's
hefty low notes and confident high
registers, and channel the thrilling
trills of Christina Aguilera (in
“Perfectly Imperfect”) and the
persuasive electropop sizzle of the
Black Eyed Peas (“Last Night of Our
Lives,” featuring Yehia “Celeb”
Akbar) - and that's no easy feat!
Tunes about loving and losing
are given a “youthening” spin by the
dynamic songwriting duo of Thyro
Alfaro and Yumi Lacsamana: “Dulo”
is about a romance on the verge of
collapse (“Ang dating walang
hanggan, naging hanggang dito na
lang”), while the midtempo carrier
track, “Kilometro,” laments the
difficulty of maintaining a
relationship: “Bakit ba itong agwat
natin pinipilit palawakin?/ Pero
habang merong bumabalakid, ang
pag-ibig lumalalim.” - Hopefully not
a case of art imitating life!
Inquirer.net
October 17-23, 2014
Page 28
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Russian sparring partner calls
Pacquiao 'strong' and ‘tricky',
admires footwork
By Aquiles Z. Zonio
HISTORIC NU WIN. After a 60-year title drought, National University finally gets a feel of what
it's like to be on top of the UAAP world. At left, Cameroonian center Alfred Aroga was named
Finals MVP. August Dela Cruz
NU wins 2nd UAAP
title after 60 years
By Jasmine Payo
MANILA -- National University (NU)
finally shook off the whipping team-tag
that hung around its Bulldogs in decades
past. And this time, they can proudly call
themselves champions.
Completing their long and arduous
climb from league doormat , the
transformed Bulldogs dominated the Far
Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws, 7559, in the Finals decider Wednesday, Oct.
15, to capture the UAAP men's basketball
championship and snap the league's
longest title drought of 60 years.
The No. 4 Bulldogs, who barely made
it to the semifinals, also became the
lowest-seeded team to bag the crown
following huge games from Finals MVP
Alfred Aroga and Gelo Alolino in the
winner-take-all Game 3 that drew a
boisterous record crowd of over 25,000 at
Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“It was really a long journey for us,”
NU coach Eric Altamirano said. “But all
those adversities we had to go through,
they made us stronger.”
Even more incredible, the Bulldogs
pulled off the title romp against the
fancied Tamaraws, the team that boasts
the most number of crowns in the league
with 19. “They just wanted to win, that's
all,” said Hans Sy, the SM Prime Holdings
chair, whose financial support helped
transform the Bulldogs.
Unexpected
While the Bulldogs picked up only
their second title in the league's 77-year
history, this one was truly unexpected.
Five times this season, the Bulldogs
stood at the brink of elimination. And five
times they survived with different game
heroes stepping up.
And in Game 3, it was Aroga who took
charge with a huge double-double of 24
points and 18 rebounds to lead the
Bulldogs' relentless assault in the second
half.
Alolino also dropped eight of his 12
points in the second half, where the
Bulldogs zoomed to double-digit leads as
high as 16 points, 70-54, in the thrilling
match that shattered attendance records
anew with a crowd of 25,138.
“There's a collective spirit among
them that they won't give up,” Altamirano
said. “They refused to lose.”
The Bulldogs showcased it again as
FEU's ace guard Mike Tolomia got off to a
hot start to tow the Tamaraws to an early
11-5 lead.
But NU's big men, led by Aroga,
started asserting themselves inside to
push the Bulldogs ahead, 20-18, by the
end of the first quarter.
From there, the Bulldogs just kept
pounding with Glenn Khobuntin also
chipping in and young gunners Jay
Alejandro and Rev Diputado starring in
key stretches.
“With this team, you never really
know who's going to step up,” Altamirano
said. Stripped of stars this season,
including two-time UAAP Most Valuable
P l aye r R ay Pa r k s , t h e B u l l d o g s
surprisingly became the first fourthranked squad to win the title since the
league adopted the Final Four format in
1994.
The Bulldogs, though, almost didn't
even make it to the Final Four as they had
to go through a playoff match against the
University of the East for the last
semifinal berth.
In the Final Four, the Bulldogs again
fought off elimination twice as they
shockingly eliminated the No. 1 Ateneo
Blue Eagles by overcoming their twice-tobeat semifinal advantage.
When the Tamaraws took Game 1
with a 75-70 decision, the Bulldogs rose
to the occasion anew with a clinical 62-47
Game 2 triumph last week.
“Every knockout game that we played
made us stronger and helped us gain
more confidence,” Altamirano said after
the Bulldogs remarkably survived their
fifth do-or-die match this season with
their Game 3 win.
“All of those games really prepared us
for Game 3. The players felt that they've
been here. It's not new to them,” he added.
Painfully short
The Tamaraws painfully fell short of
making their own history with a 20th
overall crown even if their top duo of
Tolomia (23 points) and Mac Belo (17
points and 13 rebounds) came out
sizzling.
“It was really tough,” said FEU coach
Nash Racela. “Any angle you look at it, we
were overpowered by Aroga. We did not
have a person to match up against him.”
But it wasn't just Aroga who did the
damage as Khobuntin also unloaded 10
markers and Alejandro, who sparked the
Bulldogs' strong second quarter, also
finished with 10.
Diputado, the Bulldogs' rookie guard,
also knocked in five straight points that
helped defuse the Tamaraws' comeback
attempts in the third quarter.
Among those celebrating the
Bulldogs' historic title romp were former
President and NU alumnus Fidel V. Ramos
and Nestor Sapida, the last known
member of the Bulldogs' 1954 champion
team.
“I'm very, very happy,” said the 78year-old Sapida, who at only 5-foot-11,
played center then. “Before the game, at
the dugout, I already told them that we
have this already.” True enough, it seemed
like destiny for the Bulldogs.
“Who would have thought,” said
Altamirano. Inquirer.net
GENERAL SANTOS CITY -The sparring partner of world
eight-division boxing
champion and current World
Boxing Organization title
holder Manny Pacquiao has
said that the Filipino boxing
superstar is not just strong
but is also a tricky fighter.
Stan Martyniouk, a 5'10
Junior Welterweight, bared
that he was baffled by
Pacquiao's blinding speed
during the sparring.
“He's so quick, strong and
tricky. You can hardly read his
punches. No wonder, he's the
best pound-for-pound boxer
in the world,” Martyniouk
told reporters here Monday,
Oct. 13.
The Russian-born boxer
said that another thing he
admired most about
Pacquiao was “his amazing
footwork.”
He claimed that he got
tagged several times during
the sparring but said, “It was
good and I enjoyed it.”
Rep. Manny Pacquiao. AFP file photo
Chief trainer and head
coach Freddie Roach was
satisfied by the performance
of his prized ward against
Martyniouk.
“I'm very happy and
satisfied with his
performance in sparring. He
is strong, moves well and
based on what I saw today, I
can say he knows how to
adjust to the fighting style of
Algieri,” Roach told reporters
here.
Pacquiao and Martyniouk
u
Page 29
October 17-23, 2014
Page 29
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Russian
sparring
partner ...
From page 28
exchanged hard punches for
four rounds.
Pacquiao's next sparring
day will be on Oct. 14 against
amuch bigger and taller Mike
Jones (5'11 ½).
Both Jones and
Martyniouk move and box
inside the ring like American
boxer Chris Algieri,
according to Roach.
The Pacquiao-Algieri
fight will happen on Nov. 23
at the Venetian Hotel Resort
in Macau, China.
Members of the media
were not allowed inside the
Pacman Wild Gard Gym
during the duration of the
sparring session.
According to Roach,
Pacquiao is way ahead of
schedule as far as
preparation for the Algieri
fight is concerned.
Roach credited assistant
coach Robert “Buboy ”
Fernandez for taking charge
of the training three weeks
before his arrival.
The Hall of Fame coach
also praised Pacquiao for
keeping himself in top shape
even during days when he's
not on training.
As an incentive, Roach
said he would allow Pacquiao
to play for a few minutes
during the opening game of
the Philippine Basketball
Association (PBA) on Oct. 19
at the Philippine Arena in
Bocaue, Bulacan.
Pacquiao's team, Kia
Sorentos, is scheduled to face
Blackwater Elite in the
opening game.
Roach said he would be
going with Pacquiao to watch
him play in the PBA.
Pacquiao is again
expected to make history as
the only active professional
boxer to play in a
professional basketball
league.
Ro a c h c l a i m e d t h a t
Pacquiao agreed to refrain
from playing basketball one
month before his scheduled
ring duel with Algieri to avoid
injury.
“He promised me he
would just play once in the
PBA and that happened more
than a week ago during the
exhibition game. This coming
Oct. 19, he told me he would
focus on coaching. Maybe, I
would allow him to play a few
minutes for showing a good
performance during the first
day of sparring,” Roach said.
Inquirer.net
Baltazar Fedalizo BIB #1125
Filipino youths racing and winning
their division in LA Triathlon
Abigail and Baltazar Fedalizo
both San Pedro, California natives
finished second in their age brackets
in the 2014 HERBALIFE Los Angeles
Triathlon, Sunday 21st of September
in the Super Sprint Youth race. Both
raised money for Fight Autism
organization.
Abigail ten years and her
brother Baltazar nine years of age
both attend White Point elementary
school in San Pedro, California. Both
are involved and inspired to
compete in the adult triathlon by
their coach and mentor Deanne
Preyer, head coach at the Zenith
Aquatics Program in Rancho Palos
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 41 Sudoku
Abigail Fedalizo BIB#1123
Solution to Issue 41 Crossword
Verdes. "We try to instill a good
work ethic in our kids and reiterate
the ZAP rallying cry of 'Find a way,' to
win. They are a prime example of the
ability of our coaching staff to instill
a can-do attitude in Abigail and Bali,'
Deanne said.
The Parents of Abigail and
Baltazar are Gertrudes Fedalizo a
registered nurse at United
Healthcare and their father Baltazar
senior retired Naval Officer and
business owner in the biodiesel
industry. "We try to lead by example
with our kids and Baltazar, a senior
triathlete himself at a very young
age, encouraged the kids to swim in
the open water at Cabrillo Beach and
now with them enrolled in the ZAP
activity it only enhanced what they
are already exposed to," Gertrudes
said.
Abigail when asked how she felt
about finishing the Super Sprint part
of the triathlon she said, "I'm glad I
finished and now I'm going to my
friend Dylan's birthday party."
Her brother Bali went on to say,"
my legs hurt going up the hills and
my Dad helped me by jogging next to
me pulling my bike up the hills." The
both of them will continue to
compete in the local triathlons.
EXPRESS CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1. Trolleys
6. Instant
10. Publicize
14. Relating to audible
sound
15. Ends a prayer
16. Reflected sound
17. A cosmic cataclysm
19. Remain
20. Fail to fulfill a
promise
21. Consumed food
22. Story
23. Motionless
25. Stayed
26. Fired a weapon
30. Complex in design
32. A short novel
35. Quandary
39. A European
peninsula
40. Superficiality
41. Agony
43. The dead body of an
animal
44. Deep blue
46. If not
47. Groans
50. Roman cloaks
53. Diva's solo
54. Make a copy of a
recording
55. Still in existence
60. Arm or leg
61. Oval
63. Cain's brother
64. Den
65. Run away to wed
66. Go on horseback
67. Sea eagle
68. Compacted
1. Russian emperor
2. Lasso
3. Nameless
4. Rodents
5. Women of loose
morals
6. Direction
7. African antelope
8. Snuggled
9. Leg joint
10. Plague
11. Group of eight
12. Sedimentary rock
13. Trifled (with)
18. Permit
DOWN
24. Actress Lupino
25. A machine for
baling hay
26. Hissy fit
27. Vagabond
28. Not under
29. Temporary
31. Opera star
33. Property claims
34. Territory
36. Lunch or dinner
37. Untidyness
38. Backside
42. Existing in name
only
43. Sprocket
45. Evil spirit
47. Of the cheekbone
48. Small African
antelope
49. Intended
51. European peak
52. Located
54. Expunge
56. Wicked
57. Computer
symbol
58. Short sleeps
59. Delight
62. Fury
October 17-23, 2014
Page 30
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
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Costume Party 2014
Saturday, October 25
7:00 to 11:00 pm
San Damiano Hall
129 W. 31st St. New York, NY 10001
Come in your costume
with DJ and Light Refreshments
Suggested Donation: $20
For details and tickets, contact:
Carla (718-503-4637) Princess (917-208-5370) Zeny (718-762-0596)
Email: [email protected]
Or at the front desk of the parish office on 31st St. Please look for Jimmy. Thanks!
Reduced
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Call 6098121940
Take the A,C, E, 1, 2, 3, N, Q, R, B, D, F, M, LIRR
34th St. Station/ Penn Station between 6th & 7th Ave.
This fundraising event is for the
Church of St. Francis of Assisi's roof repair
and for the ministry's activities.
*Photo courtesy of laughingshed.blogspot.com
October 17-23, 2014
Page 31
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
October 17-23, 2014
Page 32
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS