The Filipino Express v28 Issue

VOL. 28 w
NO. 33 w
August 15-21, 2014 w
NATIONAL EDITION w
NEW JERSEY w
NEW YORK w
(201) 434-1114 w
$1.00
President favors Charter change,
restraint on Supreme Court
Exchange of Views. Filipino-American Community leaders Loida
Nicolas-Lewis and Rodel Rodis greet Assistant Secretary Alan Bersin
of the United States Department of Homeland Security before the
start of a dialogue on the request of the Philippines to be placed
under Temporary Protected Status at the Romulo Hall of the
Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. (Philippine
Embassy Photo by Elmer G. Cato)
US Department of Homeland Security
tells Filipino-American Community:
By Christian V. Esguerra
MANILA -- President Aquino is now
amenable to amending the Constitution
and extending his term apparently to
check the power of the Supreme Court, a
coequal of the executive branch.
The President said the judiciary
appeared to be using its power to check
u
Page 4
President Aquino: From no
to yes. Inquirer file photo
'We hear you on TPS'
WASHINGTON, D.C., -- The
Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) on Wednesday,
August 13, assured leaders of
the Filipino-American
Community in the United States
that their clamor for the
Philippines to be placed under
Temporary Protected Status
(TPS) is being heard and that
their views will be taken into
consideration when it makes its
final decision.
In a dialogue at the
Philippine Embassy that was
arranged by Ambassador Jose L.
Cuisia, Jr., Homeland Security
Assistant Secretary for
International Affairs Alan
Bersin told Filipino-American
Community leaders the DHS is
still in the process of evaluating
Manila's request to place the
Philippines under TPS in the
wake of the massive devastation
wreaked by Typhoon Haiyan
last year.
“This is a matter that is
under consideration by
Secretary Jeh Johnson. There
are no specific deadlines but
this does require the kind of
outreach, time and
consideration that it is being
given,” Assistant Secretary
Bersin told the Embassy's
Ra d y o Ta m b u l i a f te r t h e
meeting.
“I know my colleagues in the
government understand the
urgency of the situation and the
necessity for due deliberation,”
said Assistant Secretary Bersin,
also the Department's Chief
Diplomatic Officer, when asked
if a decision on the Philippine
request was forthcoming.
“We are delighted and
appreciative that Ambassador
Cuisia convened the FilipinoAmerican Community so that
their views could be well heard
and taken into account ,”
Assistant Secretary Bersin said.
Another DHS official who
attended the meeting, Director
Leon Rodriguez of the US
Citizenship and Immigration
Service, also said the views
u
Page 6
Vicar of Christ
prefers small car
NaFFAA elects new leadership,
with 'Soul'
Newly-elected NaFFAA national officers, from left, JT Mallonga of New York; Emraida
Kiram of Madison, Wisconsin; Mariella Fletcher of Seattle, Washington; and Brendan
Flores of Orlando, Florida. Contributed photo
partners with young Fil-Ams
SEOUL -- Pope Francis' choice of wheels
during his five-day South Korean visit has
SAN DIEGO, California – A New Region 5 chair, as executive director.
surprised many in this painfully selfYork lawyer was elected chairman of “The challenges we confront are
conscious country, where big shots rarely hit
the National Federation of Filipino formidable,” said Mallonga. “That's
the streets in anything but expensive luxury
Homicide victim Jenise Wright went missing on August 2. FBI PHOTO
American Associations (NaFFAA) w h y w e n e e d t o b r i d g e t h e
cars.
along with a new national leadership intergenerational divide, forge
After his arrival on Thursday, the Pope
at
the conclusion of its “empowerment partnerships and strengthen our
left the airport in a compact black Kia that
conference” held here on August 7 to capacity to address and advocate for
many South Koreans would consider too
10.
the issues raised in this conference.”
humble a conveyance for a globally powerful
Voted National Chairman was
He cited some of the challenges
Associated Press
figure.
lawyer J.T. Mallonga, with Emraida facing the community coming from the
In a live television broadcast, the Pope
Kiram of Madison, Wisconsin as vice following issues: immigration reform,
BREMERTON, Washington -- A 17-year-old male
climbed into the backseat of the boxy Kia
chair; Mariella Fletcher of Seattle, Temporary Protected Status for
has been arrested in the death of 6-year-old Jenise
Soul, rolled down the window and waved.
Washington as secretary, and Brendan Filipino nationals, aid to families
Wright, the Kitsap County sheriff announced
Surrounded by a few bigger black sedans,
Flores
of Orlando, Florida as treasurer. affected by Typhoon Haiyan, health
Saturday, August 9.
the Pope's compact car headed toward
They will serve a term of two years.
care and services to the elderly,
Detective Earl Smith announced that the
Seoul.
u
Page 6
Mallonga appointed Giselle a f f o r d a b l e e d u c a t i o n , v o t e r
suspect would be charged with second-degree
u
Page 8
Rushford of Denver, Colorado and
u
Page 14
Arrest made in death
of Fil-Am girl, 6
August 15-21, 2014
Page 2
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Pinoy Businessman to Watch
with a Performance to Match
By Grace G. Baldisseri
New Jersey -- The launching of the
new prepaid card to debut at the 16th
Fiesta in America at Secaucus,
Meadowland, New Jersey on August 16 &
17, 2014, will define a new mobile
payment system for OFWs and Filipino
Americans all over the world. Thanks to a
man with a vision, MANER PUYAWAN,
CEO of PyxPay, who is the brain behind
the Pinoy Wallet Card.
Born to a hardworking father who
worked overseas for nine years, MANER
worked with JS Contractor, the largest
deployer of workers to Ta iwa n
immediately after his graduation from
college. An IT person, he developed a
system for applicants to save time and
money to come to Manila by his creation
of an "on-line application form" - the first
of its kind in the country.
The Pinoy Wallet is applicable to all
Filipino Americans especially OFWs as
this is cost effective and the person has
control over his funds. Maner Puyawan is
a partner of a businessman from the
Bahamas and an American businessman
in New York.
His major goal is to give back to the
buyers and merchants their money's
worth through the Pinoy Wallet.
He believes that if Pinoy Wallet is
successful among Filipino OFW all over
the world, other OFW migrant markets
will emulate.
It is also his wish that like a cellphone,
every OFW will have a PYx Wallet. That it
Maner Puyawan, CEO of PyxPay
Creates a need for a person to have one in
his pocket or her bag. This wallet pay or
settle most utility bills in the U.S. and the
Philippines; send funds to the
Philippines with only $3.95; purchase
using your card in accredited merchants ;
top-up mobile prepaid phones in most
US mobile networks including Smart,
Globe and Suncell in the Philippines;
donate to charity and earn rewards.
For businessmen, low merchant
service fees; accept payment from
Pinoywallet cards; process credit card
and debit card payments. You can easily
view your payment summary through
t h e PA X Te r m i n a l , t h e l a r g e s t
manufacturer of card terminals in Asia.
Maner Puyawan is the businessman to
watch with a performance to match!
August 15-21, 2014
Page 3
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
US backs PH plan for sea
dispute, says Goldberg
By Erika Sauler
Chinese Coast Guard ships. Inquirer file photo
Catapang: 'China getting bolder’
5-6 Chinese coast guard vessels seen
patrolling disputed waters, says AFP Chief
By Nestor Corrales
MANILA -- ”China is getting bolder
and bolder.”
That's how Armed Forces of the
Philippines Chief Lieutenant General
Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. described
C h i n a' s p r e s e n c e a t t h e We s t
Philippines Sea.
Catapang on Thursday said at least
five to six Chinese coast guard vessels
were seen patrolling at the disputed
islands in the West Philippine Sea.
“There are about 5 to 6. They are in
Ayungin shoal and also in Scarborough
shoal,” he told reporters after the
turnover of assault rifles at Camp
Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
Catapang said most of the vessels
were spotted at the Scarborough shoal
or at the Ayungin shoal.
He mentioned that more Chinese
coast guard vessels were seen
patrolling in the disputed areas in the
past.
The military chief said he already
submitted a report to the Department of
Foreign Affairs (DFA) regarding the
incident.
“It is already with the DFA,” he said,
citing the AFP is just the “muscle” of the
government in implementing directives
on what actions to undertake at the
West Philippine Sea.
He said that the Chinese
government were continuing their
reclamation activities in the disputed
islands ignoring the Philippines motion
before the United Nations International
Tribunal on the Laws of the Sea (ITLOS).
The Philippines and China has been
locked up in a long standing maritime
dispute over the West Philippine Sea.
Inquirer.net
MANILA -- The United
States has expressed support
for the Philippines' triple
action plan to resolve
conflicting claims in the South
China Sea, saying that it would
continue pressing for
congruent approaches despite
China's rejection of the two
c o u n t r i e s ' c a l l s to s to p
provocative actions in the
disputed areas.
“We're going to press, as
the Philippines has, for legal,
peaceful and diplomatic
solutions to problems in the
region,” US Ambassador Philip
Goldberg told reporters on
August 12 on the sidelines of
the Asean Youth Dialogues at
the Ateneo de Manila
University in Quezon City.
“Our suggestions are
aimed at reducing tensions and
trying to help the region as it
resolves claims in the area. We
will continue to press that and
urge China and other countries
of the region to refrain from
taking unilateral actions to
assert their claims and to
refrain from any provocative
acts such as the placement of
US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg: Pressing for legal,
peaceful and diplomatic solutions. AFP file photo
an oil rig and preventing
f re e d o m o f n av i g a t i o n ,”
Goldberg said.
Triple action
The Philippines proposed
the triple action plan during
the Asean Ministerial Meeting
in Burma over the weekend. It
c o n s i s t s o f a vo l u n t a r y
cessation to tension-producing
activities in the South China
Sea, the speedy conclusion of
the Code of Conduct, and
settlement of disputes through
international law.
Reduce tensions
US Secretary of State John
Kerry also said during the
Asean meeting that “claimants
need to take steps now to lower
the temperature.”
“As you saw in Burma, the
US and the Philippines are very
much in agreement that we
should look for ways to reduce
tensions, to freeze provocative
activities in the South China
Sea, West Philippine Sea, so
that we are able to better
handle the kinds of situations
u
Page 4
August 15-21, 2014
Page 4
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Leaning towards dictatorship, Filipino burger, sisig win
IBP says of Aquino's plans
over New York foodies
By Tetch Torres-Tupas
M A N I L A - - P re s i d e n t
Benigno Aquino III's recent
pronouncement of wanting to
clip the powers of the Supreme
Court and openness to a term
extension is leaning towards
dictatorship, Integrated Bar of
the Philippines (IBP) President
Vicente Joyas said.
In a phone interview
Thursday, Joyas said Aquino's
pronouncement shows his
little or no regard for the rule of
law.
“This is really dangerous
especially if his main purpose is
to c u r t a i l t h e j u d i c i a r y,
especially the Supreme Court.
It seems that they want a
government that is similar
during the martial law years,”
Joyas said.
The power, which Aquino
apparently wanted to clip, is
Section 1 of Article VIII which
contains definition of judicial
power that had not been found
in previous constitutions.
The provision states that
“Judicial power includes the
duty of courts of justice to
settle actual controversies
involving rights which are
l e g a l ly d e m a n d a b l e a n d
enforceable, and to determine
whether or not there has been a
grave abuse of discretion
President Aquino. AP file photo
amounting to lack or excess of
jurisdiction on the part of any
branch or instrumentality of
the government.”
It allows the Supreme
Court to check grave abuse of
discretion that may be
committed by any branch or
instrumentality of the
government and use it as basis
to nullify governmental acts.
Ironically, Joyas said it was
Aquino's mother, the late
President Corazon Aquino who
moved to put such provision in
the 1987 Constitution as a
protection for the country
against the abusive Executive
branch of government.
“He is contradicting his
own mother,” Joyas said.
Joyas heads the IBP, a
national organization of
NEW YORK, New York -- It's been
up. Talde's saloon Pork Slope (a play
lawyers in the country with
a
savory
run
for
Filipino
chow
in
the
on
Park Slope, a neighborhood in
some 40,000 members.
Big
Apple.
Brooklyn)
specializes in pork dishes.
Joyas said Aquino's move
Filipino eatery Jeepney
At the New York Times, food
was an offshoot of the
Gastropub won the golden
columnist Ligaya Mishan rhapsodizes
unanimous ruling of the
hamburger trophy at the South Street
over the sisig served at Neil Syham
Supreme Court junking the
Seaport 2014 Battle of the Burger on
and Angie Roca's Lumpia Shack
controversial Disbursement
Acceleration Program which
August 7, where throngs of grazers
Snackbar, which has counter-seating
some sectors claimed was used
who paid the $29 fee to eat at the
only: “Ears, jowls, belly. They come
by M a l a c a n a n g to b r i b e
festival voted for their favorites.
brined, blanched, shattered and fried,
lawmakers into voting for the
Meanwhile on July 31, a New York
each tip blackened and alchemized,
impeachment of Chief Justice
Times food critic gushed over the
each pocket of fat approaching
Renato Corona in 2012.
sisig at Lumpia Shack Snackbar in the
liquefaction. A raw yolk idles on top.
The high court last year
West Village.
Stab it and churn,” writes Mishan.
a l s o d e c l a r e d a s
Jeepney Gastropub out-grilled the
“This is sisig, the greatest pork
unconstitutional the Priority
competition with its umami-loaded
hash - arguably greatest pork dish Development Assistance Fund,
Chori Burger, a thick patty slathered
on earth. Say the name with two flicks
commonly known as the “pork
in
Maggi
aioli,
in
banana
ketchup
and
of
the tongue, somewhere between a
barrel.”
topped
with
longganisa,
hence
whisper
and a hiss,” she adds.
He said the President's
“chori” burger (for chorizo). However, with “Ligaya” for a first
reasoning is wrong and too
In the same competition
name, Mishan may be a tad partial to
simplistic, adding that with this
sponsored by Time Out New York, Filt h e m o u t h wa te r i n g F i l i p i n o
development, the public whom
Am Dale Talde's entry was a runnerinvention. Inquirer.net
Aquino called as his “bosses”
would further doubt his ability
to lead the country out of the
many problems currently
besetting it.
Assistance Fund, a pork barrel of
“Just because the Supreme
lawmakers, unconstitutional.
Court declared the DAP as
From page 1
unconstitutional you would do
Using power more
things like that. What comes
The President complained that the
the executive and legislative
into my mind ay lalo lang
judiciary seemed to be using its power to
branches without restraint.
magkakaroon ng doubt ang
check and balance the executive and
“When I took this office, I recall that it
legislative branches “more often.”
mga tao sa kanyang capability
was only for one term of six years,” he
“It's like instead of exercising
to govern the country and
said on Wednesday, August 13 in an
restraint, [the judiciary is using] this
exclusive interview with TV5.
respect the rule of law,” Joyas
power more often,” he said.
“Now, after having said that, of
added.
u
Page 5
“Now, as a result, the balance
course, I have to listen to my bosses [the
between the three branches appears to
people].”
be gone.”
But the President made it clear that
Aquino earlier warned of a “collision”
his statement did not necessarily mean
between the executive and the judiciary
that “I would automatically go after an
following the high court decision
additional term.”
declaring his DAP unconstitutional.
He said listening to his “bosses”
He repeatedly slammed the Supreme
meant asking them how the “reforms” he
Court over the decision and warned that
had started would remain beyond his sixsuch a collision might require the
year term. For Aquino to make another
“intervention” of Congress.
run for the presidency, the term limits set
The Palace has asked the Supreme
by the 1987 Constitution would have to
Court to reverse its 13-0 ruling against
be lifted. He had consistently rejected
the DAP.
moves to amend the Constitution, a
Pending the resolution of the motion
position he now seems to be
for reconsideration, the President, in his
reconsidering.
State of the Nation Address, asked
“Before all of these happened, I admit
Congress to pass a supplemental budget
I had a closed mind. But now I realized
to cover projects previously funded
that there is judicial reach. Congress and
under the DAP.
the executive may act but they can be
He also asked the Senate and the
punished anytime,” he told TV5 legal
House of Representatives to pass a joint
analyst Mel Sta. Maria who asked if he
resolution clarifying and defining
was still not amenable to Charter change.
concepts such as savings and when the
The President was apparently
government could declare them.
referring to the Supreme Court ruling on
Vice President Jejomar Binay earlier
July 1 that the Disbursement
slammed calls for a term extension for
Acceleration Fund (DAP), a Malacañang
Aquino, saying “it was a selfish proposal
stimulus fund derived from government
to begin with, motivated more by
savings, was unconstitutional.
personal rather than national interest.”
Last November, the high court also
Inquirer.net
declared the Priority Development
Aquino open to ...
US backs PH ...
From page 3
that have come up in the past, all
leading to more permanent solutions
following the already in place
Declaration of Conduct and
negotiating the Code of Conduct,”
Goldberg said.
In May, China deployed an oil rig in
waters claimed by Vietnam, triggering
a maritime standoff before the rig was
moved two months later. China also
reportedly has plans to build
lighthouses in some disputed islands.
Congruence of views
“This triple action plan as we
understand it is very close to US views.
Secretary of State John Kerry presented
the US views and they were very close
in terms of trying to freeze provocative
activities to prevent any
miscalculations, to prevent any
confrontations, and to reduce tensions
in the region,” Goldberg said.
“That is very much a congruence of
views,” the ambassador added.
“We want those claims to be
resolved in a way that is consistent with
international law. We will continue to
press our point of view regardless of
(China's) reaction,” he said. Inquirer.net
August 15-21, 2014
Page 5
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Palparan faces more charges of human rights abuses
By Dona Z. Pazzibugan
MANILA -- People were brutally
killed wherever Army Maj. Gen.
Jovito Palparan was assigned, but
no one dared to bring charges
against him for fear of ending up
like his victims, the Philippines' top
human rights advocate said on
Wednesday.
But now that the enforcer of
former President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo's scorched earth
policy against the communist
insurgency has been captured, the
government will support the filing
of new charges against him, said
Loretta Ann Rosales, chair of the
Commission on Human Rights
(CHR).
“Wherever he went - Mindoro,
Palawan, Nueva Ecija - he left a trail
of blood. That's why nobody dared
file charges against him,” Rosales
said in an interview on Inquirer
Radio. “Now, the capture of
Palparan will encourage his victims
to file charges against him with the
help of the CHR.”
Rosales said the CHR would
also bring charges against the
supporters of Palparan, but did not
elaborate.
Palparan, former commander
of the Philippine Army 7th Infantry
Division, went into hiding after he
was ordered arrested in December
2011 by a court in Malolos town,
B u l a c a n p rov i n c e , ove r t h e
disappearance of two University of
the Philippines students in 2006.
Military and National Bureau of
Investigation agents captured him
in his hideout in Sta. Mesa, Manila,
early on Tuesday, August 12, and
the Bulacan Regional Trial Court
ordered Wednesday that he be held
in the provincial jail.
New charges
W i t h “ T h e B u tc h e r,” t h e
moniker given to Palparan by
human rights campaigners, now
behind bars, the rights group
Hustisya (Victims United for
Justice) called on his victims
Wednesday to file charges against
him.
“More cases should be brought
against Palparan for the heinous
crimes he has committed,” Hustisya
secretary general Cristina Guevarra
said in a statement.
Rosales said the CHR would
stand with the families of the
victims in bringing fresh charges
against Palparan.
“Ideally, the families should file
charges and the CHR will assist
them. I am instructing my executive
director to consult our regional
offices and submit the status of
their cases involving Palparan. I will
call a meeting regarding this,”
Rosales said in an interview with
the Inquirer.
Military reforms
She said Palparan's capture
after three years on the lam showed
that “reforms” were taking hold in
the military.
Leaning towards
dictatorship ...
From page 4
Likewise, Joyas stressed that Aquino's
popularity is no longer the same today
compared to when he took over the
presidency in 2010 when he was riding
the wave of popular support generated by
his reform-minded agenda after the many
scandals that wracked the nine-year
presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
He said Malacanang is apparently
living in a make-believe world of its own if
it believed that Aquino still enjoys the
popular support he once had.
“He no longer enjoys the support of
the majority and I hope they will stop
claiming they have the support of the
majority,” he added.
Retired Gen. Jovito Palparan during a press conference. On his right is his counsel
Atty. Narzal Mallares. Tetch Torres-Tupas
“I think we should recognize
and give credit [to the military for]
the improvement, [for] the reforms
[they are undertaking],” Rosales
told Inquirer Radio.
“They used to get away with
murder, literally. For as long as
[Palparan] was at large, the culture
of impunity remained. But when he
was [captured], he had only a few
supporters. That fact shows that his
base has diminished and that the
security sector has improved in
reforms,” she said.
The rights group Karapatan has
accused Palparan of being the
mastermind of the torture and
killing of political activists
wherever he was assigned.
Karapatan claims Palparan
orchestrated the killing of human
rights campaigners Eden
Marcellana and peasant leader
For his part, lawyer Edre Olalia, the
secretary general of the National Union of
People's Lawyer, questioned what voices
Malacañang heard that reportedly
support moves to amend the Charter
considering the plunge in Aquino's
popularity rating.
Olalia said Aquino and his advisers
might be using these “voices” to hide the
fact that he is actually angling for another
term after 2016.
“Especially with a dive in his
popularity, Aquino might be hearing
voices or seeing people when he not too
coyly hinted he is actually drooling for a
second term, thus, delay his
accountability, and pat his own back all
along. These, while gouging the eyes of
Lady Justice and gagging the mouth of the
Supreme Court courtesy of his attack
dogs,” he added. Inquirer.net
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Eddie Gumanoy in Southern
Tagalog; UCCP pastor Edison Lapuz
in Leyte province; lawyer Fedelito
Dacut in Leyte; and Supreme
Bishop Alberto Ramento of the
Iglesia Filipina Independiente.
Marcellana's husband, Orly
Marcellana, joined other human
rights campaigners in a rally in
front of the NBI headquarters in
Manila on Wednesday to demand
justice for the rights workers
allegedly killed by Palparan.
Summary execution
A farmer from Quezon
province, Marcellana said he
believed it was Palparan who killed
his wife because she was a vocal
critic of the former military official.
“Palparan texted her, saying he
would kill her if she ever set foot in
Mindoro,” Marcellana said.
Hustisya said Eden Marcellana
was summarily executed in
Oriental Mindoro in 2003, along
with Gumanoy, head of the
peasants' group Katipunan ng
Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog
Katagalugan.
Aside from her husband,
Marcellana left behind two
daughters aged 16 and 18.
Participants in the rally carried
pictures of Palparan's alleged
victims who were either killed or
missing. Most were members of
militant groups.
“Palparan claims these people
are members of the New People's
Army. How can we verify that now
that they are dead or missing?” said
June Ver Mangao, a spokesperson
for Karapatan.
“Palparan should not be given
any kind of special treatment. If that
happens, you will see more of us
protesting in the streets,” Orly
Marcellana said.
Becoming 'The Butcher'
According to Guevarra,
Palparan first sowed terror in
Southern Tagalog, particularly in
Oriental Mindoro, targeting
members of militant groups.
In that province alone, 39
people fell victims to extrajudicial
killings during the assignment
there of Palparan as top provincial
military official, Guevarra said.
It was for those many killings
that rights campaigners called
u
Page 12
August 15-21, 2014
Page 6
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Exchange of Views. Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr. opens discussions on the Philippine request to be placed under Temporary
Protected Status during a dialogue between leaders of the Filipino-American Community and officials of the Department of
Homeland Security at the Romulo Hall of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. (Philippine Embassy Photo by
Elmer G. Cato)
‘We hear you ...
From page 1
expressed by the Filipino-American
Community leaders would be
helpful in their decision on the
Philippine request for TPS.
Ambassador Cuisia said the
dialogue at the Embassy's Romulo
Hall allowed leaders of the FilipinoAmerican Community and DHS to
have a very useful exchange of views.
“It was reassuring to know that
the US Government will give due
consideration to the views of the
Filipino-American Community
when it makes its decision on our
request for TPS,” Ambassador Cuisia
added.
Leaders of the FilipinoAmerican Community who met
Assistant Secretary Bersin, Director
Rodriguez and the other DHS
officials said they are thankful for
the dialogue.
“We are really very grateful that
they took the time to be with us to
listen to the humanitarian, legal,
economic and geopolitical
arguments for the granting of TPS,”
said Loida Nicolas-Lewis, Chair of
the US Pinoys for Good Government.
“We are hoping that something will
come out of our exchange of views.”
Also present in the dialogue
were officials of the National
Federation of Filipino American
Associations (NAFFAA) led by J.T.
M a l l o n g a ( N e w Yo r k ) , J o h n
Melegrito and Bing Branigin
(Washington, D.C.); and Cornelio
Natividad and Evelyn Natividad
(Illinois); Rodel Rodis, President of
the US Pinoys for Good Government
(San Francisco) and Eric Lachica
( M a r y l a n d ) ; Fa t h e r P a t r i c k
Longalong, Vice President of the
National Association of Filipino
Priests (New York); Grace Valera
Jaramillo and Jessie Gatchalian, CoExecutive Directors of the Migrant
Heritage Commission (Virginia);
and Aquilina Versoza, Executive
Director of the Pilipino Workers
Center of Southern California (Los
Angeles). They all underscored the
urgent need for the granting of the
TPS request.
During the discussions,
Mallonga, the newly elected chair of
NAFFAA, said a TPS designation for
the Philippines would allow the
Haiyan-affected areas to
immediately bounce back from the
devastation.
“ T h e m o re t h a n 2 0 0 , 0 0 0
Filipinos who would benefit from
TPS will help the Philippines go a
long way,” said Mallonga. He cited a
World Bank study that showed that
dollar remittances to countries
earlier placed under TPS
quadrupled and even exceeded the
amount of overseas development
assistance they have been receiving.
In his presentation, Rodis said
approval of the TPS request would
help the Philippines strengthen its
capacity to respond to similar
disasters in the future.
“The Philippines is situated in
the Pacific Rim of Fire and should
expect more Haiyans to come down
its way. It is just a question of which
part of the Philippines will be struck
next and when,” said Rodis.
For her part, Versoza said the
ongoing recovery effort in the
affected areas is putting a strain on
the resources of the Philippines. She
cited data from the US Agency for
International Development that said
that more than 2 million survivors
are still without durable shelter.
“Everyday is a struggle in the
typhoon-devastated areas in the
Philippines. TPS is one way to help
us rebuild and recover,” Versoza said.
(Elmer G. Cato, Minister & Consul for
Press & Information, Embassy of the
Republic of the Philippines).
Pope Francis gets in a car as South Korean President Park Geun-hye, center, smiles
upon his arrival at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, South Korea, Thursday, Aug. 14,
2014. AP photo/Ahn Young-Joon
Vicar of Christ ...
From page 1
Francis' frugality and humble
demeanor have received wide
coverage in South Korea, a fiercely
competitive country that celebrates
ostentatious displays of status and
wealth. This national trait can be
seen in a boom in such industries as
private tutoring and plastic surgery.
Popemobile eschewed
The images of the smiling Pope
in his little car struck a chord online,
with many playing on the car's
name.
One South Korean user tweeted:
“The Pope rode the Soul because he
is full of soul.”
For the man called “The People's
Pope” the choice makes sense. He
has eschewed the bulletproof
Popemobiles that his predecessors
used on foreign trips and urged
priests around the world to travel in
low-key cars.
Inside the Vatican City, the Pope
prefers a blue Ford Focus, or when
he's out in St. Peter's Square, a white
open-topped vehicle that allows him
to literally reach out and touch the
masses.
Funky design
South Korean media widely
reported that the Pope requested the
smallest South Korean car during his
visit. The Soul is Kia's secondsmallest model and reportedly
provides more leg room than other
compact cars.
Though not everyone loves the
Soul's funky design, it appeals to a
niche of young, practical drivers. It
has never, however, been a car of the
rich and powerful.
Already bubbling with
excitement for the first papal visit in
25 years, South Koreans appeared
fascinated by the humble papal car.
“I feel honored that Pope Francis
will not be in a bulletproof vehicle,”
said Shon Cho-eun, a 22-year-old
Christian student. “I hope he arrives
safely and delivers good messages to
us.” Inquirer.net
Our Lady of Guadalupe - Message of Trust and Hope
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live, of the Creator of all things, Lord of Heaven and the earth. I wish that
a temple be erected here quickly, so I may therein exhibit and give all my
love, compassion, help and protection, because I am your merciful mother,
to you and to all ......’
Pilgrimage
Mexico City Cuernavaca Taxco Tlaxcala Ocotlan Puebla
(Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe)
December 8-13, 2014 US$1,499.00
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August 15-21, 2014
Page 7
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
August 15-21, 2014
Page 8
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Congressional Medal campaign
for Filipino World War II vets
gains support
By Nimfa U. Rueda
SAN DIEGO, California -- A
team of American scholars
who are experts in World War
II history have joined a
nationwide campaign to push
the US government to award
the Congressional Gold Medal
to Filipino WWII veterans,
retired US Army Major General
Antonio Taguba announced on
Aug. 10 (Sunday in Manila).
Taguba, who has been
leading the campaign, said the
scholars from the University of
Maryland and Massachusetts
I n s t i t u t e o f Te c h n o l o g y
volunteered to help conduct
solid research documenting
the Filipino veterans' wartime
service.
He said the research would
gather “indisputable,
incontrovertible proof ” to
back the campaign as
supporters would prepare to
seek congressional support
and raise funds for the effort.
The research will involve
the Philippine Scouts, the
Philippine Commonwealth
A r m y, t h e r e c o g n i z e d
guerrillas, the New Philippine
Scouts and the 1st and 2nd
Philippine Regiments that
were organized in California,
according to Taguba, who
spoke at the National
Fe d e ra t i o n o f F i l i p i n o
American Associations
(Naffaa) conference at the
Town and Country Resort and
Convention Center here.
Naffaa is one of the key
organizations behind the
project.
Taguba, one of the highest
ranking Filipino-Americans in
the US Army, also called on the
Fil-Am community to help
spread the word about the
campaign known as the
“Filipino American World War
II Soldiers Recognition
Project.”
There has never been a
formal declaration to
recognize Filipino veterans for
their sacrifice and loyal service
during the global war, Taguba
said.
Other groups have been
recognized with a
Congressional Gold Medal, the
highest civilian award given by
the US Congress. They include
the Japanese American Nisei
soldiers, Navajo Code Talkers,
Montford Marines, Tuskegee
Airmen and Women Air
Service Pilots (WASP).
The Filipino veterans are
equally deserving of this award
because they fought valiantly
under the American flag,
according to Taguba.
About 260,000 Filipinos
fought for the United States
during the war and were
promised equal treatment as
American veterans after the
war.
But in 1946, the US
Congress enacted the
Rescission Act that took away
full recognition of the Filipinos
and stripped them of their
benefits, leaving bitterness in
the former colony and decades
of campaigning to change US
policy.
In 2009, Congress
approved a stimulus package
that included one-time
payments of $15,000 to
Filipino veterans in the United
States and $9,000 to those
living in the Philippines.
H o w e ve r, c o m m u n i t y
advocates said thousands of
veterans had their claims
denied, usually because US
authorities did not accept
records from the Philippines,
w h i c h we re t h e fo r m e r
fighters' sole means to prove
their service.
Some aging veterans also
said it was unrealistic to file
their claims in time for the
deadline.
In addition to the
campaign for the
Congressional Gold Medal
Award, Taguba said they will
also promote national
awareness on the veterans'
wartime service and develop
an educational program to
preserve the legacy of the
Filipino veterans.
He said they have asked the
Smithsonian Institution to
support this program.
Taguba is best known for
carrying out a controversial
military investigation
concluding that Iraqi prisoners
had been victims of abuses by
American soldiers under the
Bush administration.
He now serves as
American Association of
Retired Persons (AARP)
Community Ambassador to
advocate for caregivers and
their families. He is also the cofounder of the Pan Pacific
American Leaders & Mentors
(PPALM) organization to help
mentor young Asian-American
military and civilian leaders.
Inquirer.net
MANILA -- Two United
States senators and four
members of the House
Representatives were in the
Philippines for three days to
reinforce bilateral ties
between the two countries.
Republican Sen. Robert
Corker of Tennesse and
Democrat Sen. Ronald Wyden
of Oregon, and a House
delegation led by Republican
Rodney Frelinghuysen
visited the Philippines from
August 6 to 8.
Other members of the
House were Republican Rep.
K ay G ra n g e r o f Te x a s ,
Republican Rep. Ken Calvert
of South California, and
Democrat Rep. Jim Moran of
Virginia.
The six legislators met
with President Benigno
Aquino III on Aug. 8 at
Malacañang, in the presence
of Acting Secretary of Foreign
Affairs Laura Del Rosario and
other Cabinet officials.
Foreign Affairs Secretary
Albert del Rosario is
currently in Myanmar for the
the 47th ASEAN foreign
ministers' meeting.
“This visit serves to
re i n fo rc e t h e b i l a t e ra l
relations between the
Philippines and the United
States,” the Department of
Foreign Affairs said in a
statement issued on
Saturday.
According to the DFA,
major aspects of PH-US ties
were discussed, including the
recently signed Enhanced
Defense Cooperation
Agreement, and areas of
strategic security
collaboration and economic
partnership.
“ T h e i r v i s i t wa s a n
Co-Chairs of the NaFFAA 2014 Empowerment Conference in San Diego Aurora Cudal (left)
and Leezel Ramos receive a standing ovation at the Gala Ball. Looking on (from left) are
Lourdes “Luly” Esclamado (seated), wife of NaFFAA's founder; NaFFAA Board Member
Rozita Lee, NaFFAA Founder Loida Nicolas Lewis, and NaFFAA National Director Gloria T.
Caoile.
“I see a lot of Filipino cooks but not
very many Filipino American staff doing
From page 1
policy,” he said.
“We're not even represented in the US
mobilization and justice for Filipino World
Congress. We must ensure that we have a
War II veterans.
place at the table so our voices are heard
“We must continue our advocacy role
by Washington's policymakers. NaFFAA
as the voice of the four million Filipinos in
needs to find and field Fil-Ams in the
America,” said Mallonga, who is also the
highest levels of government.”
founder of the Filipino American Legal
Entertainment entrepreneur Billy
Defense& Education Fund (FALDEF).
Dec, newly appointed commissioner to the
He noted how in the last two national
WHIAAPI, also praised “the new
e l e c t i o n s , o n ly 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 F i l i p i n o
movement of young Filipinos who have it
Americans out of the 1.5 million eligible
together, whose talent and intelligence are
voters registered to vote. More than 500
being celebrated.”
delegates and guests attended the
He encouraged delegates to work
opportunity to share
conference held at the Town and Country
together as a community, “share each
i n f o r m a t i o n o n
Resort & Convention Center.
other's' passions and continue to make
developments in the
NaFFAA was founded by newspaper
history. Being the eyes and ears of the
Philippines, discuss matters
publisher Alex Esclamado, along with
President of the United States, let's all
beneficial to the Philippines
businesswoman Loida Nicolas Lewis,
learn to collaborate so we can gain access
now pending with the US
columnist Rodel Rodis and labor leader
to those who make decisions that affect
Congress such as the benefits
Gloria T. Caoile. To honor Esclamado's
our lives.”
for veterans and encourage
legacy, community service awards were
Co-Chairs of the NaFFAA 2014
the visiting members of the
given to four organizations.
Empowerment Conference in San Diego
House of Representatives to
Esclamado's widow Lourdes flew in
Aurora Cudal (left) and Leezel Ramos
join the Philippine-US
from North Carolina to present the awards
receive a standing ovation at the Gala Ball.
Friendship Caucus,” the DFA
to the Council for Filipino American
Looking on (from left) are Lourdes “Luly”
said.
Organizations of Central Florida, West Bay
Esclamado (seated), wife of NaFFAA's
Senator Corker is a
Pilipino Multi-Service Inc., Philippine
founder; Board Member Rozita Lee, Coranking member of the
American Chamber of Commerce of Texas,
Founder Loida Nicolas Lewis, and
Foreign Relations Committee
and Pilipino American Unity for Progress
National Director Gloria T. Caoile.
and an active member of the
Inc. or UNIPRO.
Youth leaders who organized the 2014
Banking, Housing, and Urban
Twenty-six-year-old Jason Tengco, the
Empowerment Conference are introduced
Affairs Committee. His Asian
youngest ever senior advisor to serve in
during the Gala Dinner. Aurora Cudal,
trip also includes stops in
the White House, led off the array of youth
NaFFAA Region 10 Chair, drove home the
Vietnam, Singapore and
speakers.
point about collaboration between “young
Malaysia.
He bemoaned the glaring absence of
folks” and “older professionals,” by
Senator Wyden is a
Filipino Americans in the White House
recounting how planning for this year's
member of the Committee on
and federal agencies and urged NaFFAA
conference came about.
Intelligence, and chair of the
leaders to collaborate with the White
She recalled how more than a year ago
sub-committee on
House Initiative on Asian Americans and
Leezel Ramos, a 26-year-old student
u
Page 14
Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) on the
leader, offered to volunteer in the
u
Page 14
national and regional levels.
US congressional
delegation visits PH
By Niña Calleja
Youth leaders who organized the 2014 Empowerment Conference are introduced during
the Gala Dinner.
NaFFAA elects new ...
August 15-21, 2014
Page 9
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Smooth sailing for first Fil-Am
to command US aircraft carrier
It will be smooth sailing
from here on.
He doesn't think he's any
more special than his fellow
Navy officers but Capt. Ronald
Ravelo made history by
becoming the first FilipinoAmerican to command an
aircraft carrier in the US Navy
after taking command of the
USS Abraham Lincoln on Aug.
7, taking over from his brotherin-law Capt. Karl Thomas.
It may also have been the
first time that a family member
took command from another,
said US Naval Air Force
Atlantic commander Rear
Adm. Troy M. Shoemaker
during the change of command
ceremony at Victory Landing
Pa rk i n N e w p o r t N e ws ,
Virginia. Ravelo's sister is
married to Thomas.
“With the two principals
related by marriage, this is a
first for me and probably our
Navy, which makes today's
ceremony even more special
and allows the families to plan
a twofer, a change of command
and a summer family reunion,”
Shoemaker said in a report
posted on the Stars and Stripes
website. “I can imagine that the
logistics for this ceremony
were a bit like planning a
wedding reception, except that
the proverbial bride and
groom are your husband and
brother, which begs the
question: Who's the groom and
which side of the aisle do you
sit on?” Shoemaker said in jest.
After shaking his brotherin-law's hand, Ravelo took out
his cell phone and took a quick
selfie from behind the podium
with about 500 Lincoln sailors,
friends and family in
attendance, according to the
Stars and Stripes report.
In a release posted on the
official US Navy website,
Ravelo related his father's
ex p e r i e n c e a s a re t i re d
storekeeper who joined the US
Navy: “My father is a retired
chief storekeeper. He left his
family and friends to join the
Navy and settle in America. I
well up with pride for the
Filipino community but this is
not any more special than any
of the other Americans around
us today,” Ravelo said.
Key to success
“I assure you, your legacy
is intact as [we] step up and
continue the fine heritage that
you have set in motion,” Ravelo
said. “The real national
treasure and the key to our
success is the 500 sailors you
see gathered in ranks around
us who represent the 2,500
crew members of Lincoln and
the 3,000 shipbuilders of
Newport News Shipbuilding. I
a m a n d w i l l a lway s b e
committed to giving you the
tools you need to succeed.”
Prior to assuming
command at the helm of the
Lincoln, Ravelo was most
recently commanding officer
of the USS Comstock (LSD 45).
Outgoing commander
Thomas, who hails from
northern Virginia, assumed
command of the Lincoln in
August 2012. His next
assignment will be as
commanding officer of the USS
Carl Vinson (CVN 70).
“This crew will give you
110 percent,” Thomas told
Stars and Stripes of the sailors
of the ship, which is expected
to leave the yard in October.
“They are hungry to return the
Abraham Lincoln to sea and to
her mission.”
Nimitz-class
A Nimitz-class aircraft
carrier, the USS Lincoln is
c u r r e n t ly u n d e r g o i n g a
refueling complex overhaul
(RCOH), a major life-cycle
milestone. It is the fifth ship of
the Nimitz class to undergo a
RCOH.
“Once RCOH is complete,
Lincoln will be one of the most
modern and technologically
advanced Nimitz-class aircraft
carriers in the fleet, and will
continue to be a vital part of
the nation's defense,” the US
Navy website said.
According to his LinkedIn
profile, Ravelo attended the
University of Southern
California from 1983 to 1987
and obtained a degree in
industrial and systems
engineering. He also attended
the University of Redlands
from 1994 to 1995, and
Harvard University Kennedy
School of Government from
2011 to 2012.
Apart from his stint as
commanding officer of the
Comstock, a post he held from
February 2013 to April this
year, he served as chief of the
North American Aerospace
Defense Command Maritime
Division (N J32) from
December 2010 to October
2012 and executive officer of
the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN76) from October 2008 to
November 2010. Inquirer.net
SKIPPER'S SELFIE. Capt. Ronald Ravelo is all smiles in
this selfie, which is posted on Facebook, during the
change of command of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier
USS Abraham Lincoln. He took over from his brotherin-law in a unique turnover at Victory Landing Park in
Newport News, Virginia, on Aug. 7. Behind him are his
crew and guests. PHOTO FROM USS ABRAHAM
LINCOLN FACEBOOK PAGE
Fil Am wins design of Obama Medal
By Joseph G. Lariosa
FIL AM DESIGNS OBAMA MEDAL. When President Obama (top photo) bestows a National
Humanities Medal last Monday, July 28, on Maxine Hong Kingston, the President is bestowing
for the first time a new medal designed by Filipino American Paul C. Balan (photo below left),
who is holding his dinner invitations in the White House in Washington, D. C. to witness the
ceremony in the White House. Photo below right shows another medal design of Balan being
unveiled by Attorney General Eric Holder (from left) and U.S. Marshals Service Director Stacia
Hylton, and United States Mint Deputy Director Richard A. Peterson for the upcoming United
States Marshals Service 225th Anniversary commemorative Coin on Sept. 24, 2014. (JGL
Photo by Joseph G. Lariosa)
ROUND LAKE, Illinois (JGL) -With only $5.00 tucked in his
wallet, Paul Cainto Balan was
reluctant to come to America
because he did not want to leave a
fledging commercial art business in
his boyhood hometown of Paete,
Laguna, about 65 miles (97
kilometers) south of Manila in the
Philippines.
But his wife, Marra (nee: Vitor),
his childhood sweetheart,
prevailed upon him to leave his art
instruments behind to start a new
life, build a family and try his luck in
a distant land. Marra is a native of
Sta. Cruz, Laguna.
Last Monday, July 28, Mr. Balan
lived a dream when President
Obama held a medal -- - the
National Humanities Medal -- he
designed which the President
conferred on ten outstanding
Americans during a ceremony held
in the White House in Washington,
D.C.
“Never in my wildest
imagination that I would be invited
to the White House to witness a
ceremony that would feature my
work. I only have to thank God and
my wife (Marra) for encouraging
me to come to America,” a tearyeyed Balan told a Journal Globalinks
staff composed of this reporter and
Marlon L. Pecson in his Chicago's
outlying north suburb of Round
Lake, Illinois Sunday (Aug. 10).
Balan, 41, a native of Pakil,
Laguna, designed the gold-plated
vgslaw@gmail.com
medal that shows Lady Liberty in a
diadem and flowing dress. The preRaphaelite image has her
surrounded by a sheath of wheat, a
dove and a lamp.
Balan, now a U.S. citizen, won a
$3,000 prize in a design
competition sponsored by the
National Endowment for the
Humanities that attracted 131
entries, including two from Balan.
When Balan won the National
Endowment Humanities design
competition, his wife told him, “See,
I told you never to quit.”
Balan accepted by U.S. Mint as
one of its 19 artists
In 2010, the U.S. Mint accepted
Balan in its Artistic Infusion
u
Page 14
August 15-21, 2014
Page 10
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Change to be proud of
Here's something to be proud of: The controversial
Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport began full
commercial operation early this month after more than 10
years of being tied in tedious investigation and court litigation.
Foreign airlines were more than willing to move to Naia 3
from the aging and congested Terminal 1, which has become a
symbol of the Philippines' utter lack of infrastructure required
to support a rapidly growing economy, leading to its image as
the worst airport in the world.
First to move to the 63.5-hectare Naia 3 was giant American
carrier Delta Air. Four other foreign carriers - KLM Royal Dutch
Airlines, Emirates Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Cathay
Pacific - are also moving there this month and the next. It is
estimated that the transfer of the five airlines alone would
decongest Naia 1 by 3 million passengers a year.
In 2011, Naia 1 topped the list of the “Worst Airports in the
World,” as ranked by The Guide to Sleeping in Airports, an
interactive website that gathers reports from various
reviewers. Naia 1's rating worsened from the website's 2010
rankings that put it as the world's fifth-worst airport and the
worst in the region. The very poor ranking of Naia was based on
reviews of travelers who complained of “safety concerns, lack of
comfortable seating, rude staff, hostile security, poor facilities,
no (or few) services to pass the time, bribery, being kicked out,
and general hassles of being in the airport.”
It was a very long wait for Terminal 3. As Transportation
Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya noted, the country's premier
airport should have been opened more than a decade ago. The
project was awarded 17 years ago, in 1997, and would have
been completed in 2002 had it not been for legal issues. The
contract to build Terminal 3 was awarded to the consortium of
German firm Fraport AG and the local Philippine International
Airport Terminal Co. (Piatco), but it was nullified in 2002 on
allegations of irregularities. The government expropriated
Terminal 3 in 2004. Fraport and Piatco filed suits abroad to
recover their investment in the Terminal 3 project. Piatco filed a
separate case at the Singapore-based International Chamber of
Commerce, which, however, ruled in favor of the Philippine
government in 2011. The local Court of Appeals last year said
the government should pay Piatco $371.43 million following
the expropriation of Naia 3.
The full operation of Naia 3 is not the only good news on the
airport front. The Department of Transportation and
Communications has announced that it expected to complete
the rehabilitation of Naia 1 by January. According to Abaya, the
rehabilitation of the country's main airport, which started last
February, would be finished ahead of the Apec Summit in
Manila in November 2015. The rehabilitation is being handled
by DMCI Holdings.
Built in the 1970s, Terminal 1 serves as the gateway for
foreign commercial carriers and is one of four terminals within
the Naia complex - the country's busiest airport serving more
than 30 million passengers a year.
Looking at the bigger picture, however, the Philippines must
prepare for a surge in passenger traffic at the Naia. The Japan
International Cooperation Agency (Jica) noted in a study that
the Naia complex would no longer accommodate the increasing
When False Citizenship
Claim May Be Excused
Non-citizens must not make
any false U.S. citizenship claims for
any purpose or benefit, whether to
obtain a visa, enter the United
States, find employment, apply for
public benefits, or to register for or
vote in an election. A false U.S.
citizenship claim carries with it
serious consequences which
include deportation and a lifetime
bar to permanent residency in the
U.S.
Before the Illegal Immigration
Reform and Immigrant
Responsibility Act (IIRAIRA) was
enacted in September 30, 1996, a
false claim to citizenship was a
ground for inadmissibility if it was
willful and material.
The false claim must have been
made to a U.S. consular officer or
immigration officer and for the
purpose of obtaining an
immigration benefit.
Misrepresentations made to a
private individual, such as an
employer, were not covered. A
discretionary waiver was available
to the foreign national who was
found to have misrepresented
himself as a U.S. citizen.
Since September 30, 1996,
however, a waiver is no longer
available to foreign nationals who
are found inadmissible for making
false U.S. citizenship claims. Once a
non-citizen found inadmissible on
this ground, he is forever barred
from applying for permanent
residence.
Also, the false claim is no
longer limited to obtaining
immigration benefits. An
individual found to be
misrepresenting himself to be a
U.S. citizen “for any purpose or
benefit” triggers the permanent
bar.
Until recently, there were only
two exceptions to the permanent
bar. First is when the false
citizenship claim was made before
September 30, 1996. Under this
exception, an undocumented
immigrant who upon application
for adjustment of status is found to
have represented to his employer
that he is a U.S. citizen in 1988, for
example, may still apply for a
discretionary waiver.
The second exception applied
to those who made a false claim
under a “reasonable belief” that
they were in fact U.S. citizens.
However, this exception is limited
to individuals who became lawful
permanent residents before age 16
and whose parents were both U.S.
citizens. This exception is also
available in cases of illegal voting,
which can be considered another
u
Page 12
Youngsters' tomorrow
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.
Email: filexpress@aol.com
Phone: 201-434-1114 Fax 201-434-0880
2711 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07306
Filipino Catholic youngsters
will join delegations from 29 other
Asian countries this week when
Pope Francis launches the Sixth
Asian Youth Day ceremonies in
South Korea.
“This will be a dialogue with
Asian youngsters in their own
continent, where some 720 million
of them live,” writes Han HongSoon, South Korea's former
ambassador to the Holy See. The
visit's motto - “Arise and shine” - is
from Isaiah and underscores the
role of the youth in transmitting
their faith.
Francis will beatify, at an Aug.
18 Mass, 124 Korean martyrs from
the Catholic Church's first entry
into this East-Asian nation in the
18th century. Lay people were its
first evangelizers. French
missionaries arrived a century
later. That markedly differs from
the Philippine pattern where
priests landed with Ferdinand
Magellan in 1521 in Cebu.
Over 10,000 Koreans were
martyred for their faith in the local
church's first two centuries. In
1925, Vatican beatified 79 of them,
and another 24 in 1968. John Paul II
enrolled all 103 in the calendar of
saints during his 1984 visit to
Seoul. “Blood of martyrs, seed of
Christians,” Tertulian wrote at
second century's end.
I n S o u t h K o r e a t o d a y,
Buddhists make up 23 percent of
the population. Christians account
for 18 percent, with Catholics
constituting 11 percent. And 46
percent say they have no religion.
N o r t h Ko r e a p e r s e c u t e s
adherents of all faiths. Pyongyang
“continues to severely restrict
religious freedom for its people,”
the State Department said in its
2014 annual report released late
July. “Government bans all religious
activity, except for officially
recognized groups that it tightly
supervises,” says the latest
International Religious Freedom
Report.
So do other countries,
including Myanmar, China and
Saudi Arabia. Francis has other
martyrs on his mind. In Iraq,
100,000 Christians are now
refugees from the new caliphate
decreed by the radical Islamic State
of Iraq and Syria.
The Korean Catholic Bishops'
Conference earlier expressed hope
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Page 12
August 15-21, 2014
Page 11
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Justice and injustice have their own zones
It is a cruel and hideous crime
to capture and enslave an innocent
human for any reason whatsoever.
But to make money and indulge
greed and avarice in forcing the
poor and vulnerable through
intimidation, threats and debt, to
work for little or no payment, is
slavery.
Buying or using products made
with such labour is morally wrong.
The people who recruit the poor,
the hungry and jobless, many of
them children, are the human
traffickers.
There are more than 20 million
people throughout the world who
are captive, victims of traffickers
and slavers according to the United
States of America (US) State
Department 2014 Trafficking in
Persons Report this June. This
shows how widespread the crime
is.
It is not an evil trade confined to
Making
life worth
living
Ellen Tordesillas
Take note that the Social
Weather Stations survey showing a
16- point plunge in net satisfaction
for the Aquino administration was
conducted on June 27 - 30, 2014.
From 45 percent last March,
satisfaction for general
performance of the Aquino
administration dropped to 29
percent in the June survey.
This was before the July 1
Supreme Court unanimous
decision declaring the
D i s b u r s e m e n t A c c e l e ra t i o n
Program or DAP unconstitutional.
This was before Aquino went
ballistic against the Supreme Court
insisting on his own interpretation
of the Constitution deliberately
ignoring that under our system of
government the final arbiter when
the poorest of Asian, South
American and African countries,
but it is common
in developed nations too. In
Europe and the US, millions are
trapped in bonded labour by debt,
threats and intimidation.
They work on farms, in factories
and brothels. Many are trafficked
into European Union countries
from Eastern Europe and are easily
lured with the promises of good,
high paying jobs, but then thrown
into brothels as sex slaves.
T h e h u g e m e g a - b ro t h e l s
c o n v e n i e n t ly s i t u a t e d n e a r
European international airports
have hundreds of young girls
trapped as prostitutes. Prostitution
has been legalised in most
European countries and, while this
protects European Union women
who have freely chosen to be sex
workers from harassment and
abuse and gives them rights, it gives
Opinion
By Fr. Shay Cullen
little or no protection, medical help,
or human rights guarantees to
undocumented migrants.
That's the status of the victims
of human trafficking. Their
passports and identity documents
are taken from them by traffickers,
who can then control, intimidate
and threaten them.
This scenario goes on all over
the world. In The Philippines, it is
much the same. Trafficking in
persons is so rampant; corruption
is widespread so the suspects
seldom get arrested or convicted
due to incompetent or corrupt
prosecutors and judges and police.
While most of the judiciary can
be said to be fairly just and honest,
many prosecute or convict because
of bribery.
Despite the brave face of the
government claiming to have an
increase in its conviction rate, it is
dismal.
That is why The Philippines is
still on the second level of notoriety
on the US Trafficking in Persons
Report.
The sex industry depends on
traffickers to supply young girls, so
there is need for an end to the sex
industry.
Human traffickers are wealthy
and a big source of income for
corrupt officials. They keep on
paying to stay free and operate with
impunity.
The Philippines rates just above
the more notorious modern slavery
nations on the US report.
Local Philippine officials issue
licences and operating permits to
sex bars and girly clubs.
This is where thousands of
young Filipinos, many underage
m i n o r s wh o a re v i c t i m s o f
trafficking and sexual slavery, are
bought and sold. It is the meat
market of minors.
The country is being accused of
condoning such heinous crimes by
its inaction, pitiful arrest record,
almost a non-conviction rate and
corrupt judicial system.
True or not as that may be, I
have experienced apathy-riddled
courts where the only swift decision
is to order coffee and donuts for
morning tea.
What is significant in US policy
u
Page 14
Aquino satisfaction rating plunge: The
calm before the storm
it comes to legal issues is the
Supreme Court.
This is the lowest score given
by the people to the Aquino
administration which rode high
with 64 percent satisfaction rating
on its first year despite its
embarrassing bungling of the Rizal
Park hostage crisis in August 2010.
Even with its maddening
incompetence in the typhoon
Yolanda tragedy in November last
year, the public maintained its kind
regard of President Aquino.
The decline actually started
third quarter of 2013. In the June
2013 SWS survey, the Aquino
administration got its highest
satisfaction rating with 66 percent.
From there, it was downwards with
a ten-point drop three months after
(Sept. 2013- 56 percent). But many
were surprised that it was only a
slight five-point drop ( 51 percent)
in a post- Yolanda survey in
December 2013.
Then came the controversy
over the Priority Development
Assistance Fund or PDAF which
tainted the entire Philippine
political spectrum. Malacañang,
tried though to spin the issue to its
favor with the arrest of opposition
senators Juan Ponce-Enrile,
Jinggoy Estrada, and Bong Revilla.
The In the March 2014 survey ,
Satisfaction rating for the Aquino
administration sank six points
further below the 50 percent mark
which observers said should alarm
Malacañang.
As of last week of June 2014, it's
29 percent.
Presidential Spokesperson
Edwin Lacierda said they are not
bothered by the steep decline
saying it is “not insurmountable”.
In Tagalog, may pag-asa pa.
Thinking of how it would affect the
President's influence in the 2016
elections, Lacierda, who earlier
described Aquino's endorsement
power for 2016 as “lethal”, said it
remains “undiminished.”
Let's see in the next survey.
It is also worth noting that in
the SWS June survey, the President
got a “good” rating in “providing
enough supply of electricity” at 45
percent. I dread how it would be
next summer when the public
would have to suffer eight to ten
hours daily brownouts as warned
by Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla.
savings amounting to P237 billion
used to fund DAP projects and
other projects not included in DAP
including, but not limited to,
Special Allotment Release Orders,
Notice of Cash Allocations, letters
and correspondence between
DBM and government agencies
relating to public funds
withdrawn from and released to a
particular government agency; a
list of projects similar to that of the
Commission on Elections not
included in DAP but which
obtained funding through savings
amounting to P93 billion; a list of
the amounts approved and
released for DAP projects in 2011
(P83.53 billion), 2012 (P58.70
billion) and 2013 (P15.13 billion)
as stated in the DBM's DAP
Frequently Asked Questions
posted on the department's Web
site; and a list of Department of
Health projects and researches
recommended for funding
through DAP, including a copy of
the research paper on stem cell
research submitted to DOH which
was published internationally.
A n d t h o s e a re j u s t t h e
documents that the Senate
initially requested from DBM.
Nearly every day, some new
agency is being exposed as having
received the “discretionary funds”
sourced from DAP.
People may criticize Binay's
fashion sense, but what they
cannot take away is her apparent
commitment to focus on DAP in a
chamber that has been
compromised by its members'
receipt of the funds. I only hope
that even if no other senator starts
taking fashion tips from Binay,
they may seriously reconsider
their position on the controversial
fund.
u
Page 12
Let's not lose focus
The devil, it is said, is in the
details that make up the
humongous whole. This is perhaps
why, at this late date, no details are
being released on the
D i s b u r s e m e n t Ac c e l e ra t i o n
Program - a whopping P237
billion in our misused taxpayers'
money.
It's easy, amid all this talk
about term extensions, coup
attempts and other legal and
illegal means for President
Noynoy Aquino to remain in office
beyond his contracted six years in
office, to forget DAP - the original
sin committed by his
administration.
As the supporters of Aquino
used to say concerning the pork
barrel scandal that led to DAP's
discovery, let's focus here. DAP is
the reason why Aquino and his
Congress minions have once again
revived their mostly one-sided
war against the Supreme Court; it
is the reason why his ratings have
plunged to their lowest since his
election.
Before the veil of secrecy that
c o v e r e d
D A P
w a s
u n c e re m o n i o u s ly re m ove d ,
Aquino could still take the
offensive in the fight against
corruption that was personified
by Janet Lim Napoles. But when
Malacanang's involvement in DAP
was exposed, the administration
suddenly found itself on the ropes
and fending off blows coming from
all directions.
And now, even in its chosen
court of engagement in the Senate,
the palace is being called to
account for DAP. And it is having a
terrible time implementing its
policy of stonewalling on a real
accounting of the billions in
taxpayers' money that practically
disappeared through the
unconstitutional program.
There is hope yet. Senator
Nancy Binay, the only senator who
will not go along with the
conspiracy of silence in her DAPfueled chamber, has asked the
Department of Budget and
Management to submit the
documents she requested during
that farcical hearing that was set
up right before Aquino's State of
the Nation Address.
Binay asked the Senate finance
committee to summon Budget
Secretary Florencio Abad, the
architect of DAP, to the chamber
again to deliver the documents
requested by Senate finance
committee chaired by Senator
Francis Escudero. These include:
A detailed list of sources of
August 15-21, 2014
Page 12
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Palparan ...
April 2003.
From page 5
Church findings
In a post on the website of
the Catholic Bishops' Conference
of the Philippines (CBCP), Fr.
Edwin Gariguez said he
documented the extrajudicial
killings in Mindoro and
submitted his findings to the
military.
“ I c a n m a ke t h e f i l e s
available and I can testify if the
documents can be found to
support the [prosecution in the
cases against] Palparan,” said
Gariguez, executive director the
National Secretariat for Social
Action Justice and Peace (Nassa)
of the CBCP.
Palparan “The Butcher,” she said.
Guevarra identified some of the
victims as couple Expedito and
Manuela Albarillo, the Apolinar
family (Ruben, Rodriga and
Niña), Edilberto “Choy” Napoles,
Marcellana and Gumanoy.
She said Marcellana and
Gumanoy led an 11-member
fact-finding mission to Gloria
town in Occidental Mindoro on
April 21, 2003, to look into
reports of rights violations there.
After the mission,
Marcellana, Gumanoy and three
members of their group were
seized by armed men, Guevarra
said.
Their bodies were found the
next day in a ditch in Bansud
town, Oriental Mindoro, she said.
Palparan was the
commanding officer of the
Philippine Army 204th Brigade
in Mindoro and Romblon
provinces from May 2001 to
Let’s not ...
From page 11
This administration must
be forced to account for DAP, in
court, eventually, and in every
other forum until criminal
charges are filed against
Aquino, Abad and all the rest.
That's the sort of focus we need
right now.
Think of the things the
government could have done
with P237 billion had it not
decided to build up a fund the
legal way and disbursed it in the
same manner. Now think of the
panic that must be gripping
Aquino and his henchmen, now
Terror in Visayas
Leaders of progressive
groups and military officials in
Eastern Visayas, where Palparan
once commanded the Philippine
Army 8th Infantry Division, on
Wednesday welcomed the news
of Palparan's capture.
“The people of Eastern
that they are being asked to
account for all that money.
***
Now, think of that Bureau of
I n te r n a l Reve n u e
memorandum that imposes a
tax of up to 32 percent on the
bonuses of government
workers.
This is the newfangled tax
that Commissioner Kim
Henares dreamed up for the 1.4
million workers in the national
bureaucracy - or around 3
million employees in all, if you
include the workers in local
government units, who will also
get hit by the new tax.
At a time when government
stands accused of wanton
Visayas had experienced state
terrorism at its [worst] during
the reign of Palparan, with
hundreds of killings,” said Dean
Lacandazo, a former member of
End Impunity Alliance for
Eastern Visayas.
Palparan's capture is a first
step in obtaining justice for his
victims in the region, Lacandazo
said.
Capt. Amado Gutierrez,
spokesman for the Philippine
Army 8th Infantry Division, said
Palparan's capture would serve
him better, as he could now
answer the allegations that
rights groups had leveled at him.
36 killings, 712 rights abuses
The rights group KatungodSinirangan Bisayas said there
were 36 extrajudicial killings
and 712 human rights abuses on
Palparan's military watch in
Eastern Visayas.
Palparan has denied all the
accusations against him.
Inquirer.net
misuse of taxpayers' money at a
scale never before seen, the tax
on government workers is truly
oppressive and unjust. No
wonder the state workers'
union Courage has run to the
Supreme Court for relief, to
secure a restraining order
against BIR.
What Henares fails to
appreciate is that if the
bureaucracy rises against the
Aquino administration, any
hope for a legal resolution to the
problems it is faced with will go
out of the window. If this is the
denouement that Aquino seeks,
then so be it.
Youngsters’ ...
From page 10
that Pope Francis' visit to the peninsula
will help relaunch the reconciliation
process between the two Koreas. North
Korea declined an invitation, sent by
church officials in the South, to send
Catholic believers to a reconciliation
Mass to be offered by Francis on Aug. 18.
In a letter, the North's state-run Korean
Catholics Association (KCA) cited
Seoul's refusal to cancel a military drill
with US forces. “Coming to Seoul would
be an agonizing step,” KCA wrote.
If present trends continue, more
than half or 56 percent of the Korean
population could be Catholic adherents
by 2044, a Buddhist research institute
forecasts. By then, “the Catholic Church
could well be the largest religion in
Korea in the near future.”
The world backdrop provides a
needed context. Over the past century,
the Catholic Church has shifted
southwards, notes the New York Times.
In the 1900s, two thirds of Catholics
lived in Europe, symbolized by spires
thrusting skywards from various
religious shrines located in Notre Dame
and Mont Saint-Michel and like places.
Since then, and especially since the
1960s, Catholicism has been moving
south. Latin America's Catholics will
rise to 600 million within two decades.
In Francis, Latin America has its first
pontiff in over a millennia. But the
number of Catholics in Africa have
grown at a rate of 6,700 percent, says
John Allen in his book “The Future
Church.”
“In Western Europe, millions of
Catholics are church members but only
in the technical sense of having been
baptized; they never darken the door of
a church, and don't support official
Church policies on issues of morality or
sexuality,” Philip Jenkins notes in “Gone
South,” an article he wrote for the New
When false ...
From page 10
mode of falsely claiming to be a U.S.
citizen.
The Department of State (DOS) and
Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) clarified as to when an
adjudicating officer should find a
foreign national inadmissible for
making false U.S. citizenship claims.
They explained that a foreign national
may be found inadmissible on this
ground only if the false claim was made
“knowingly.”
Furthermore, the agencies stated
that the foreign national may put up an
affirmative defense that: one, he was
under the age of 18 when he made the
false claim and, two, at that time he
lacked the capacity to understand the
Republic. “By 2050, according to
projections, Africa will have far more
Catholics than Europe with only 15
percent Catholics,” he says.
Jenkins also believes that the
Catholic Church will remain the major
player in the world's spiritual economy
but “The Vatican is now in the wrong
location. It's 2,000 miles too far north of
its emerging homelands.”
Part of Korean Catholic clout is due
to its leadership role in justice, human
rights and other social issues that spun
off from Korea's rapid economic surge.
Under authoritarian regimes
(1960s-1980s), the church stood on the
side of the poor and the oppressed,
promoting their human rights by words
and actions, writes Ambassador Han. It
continues to sustain charitable works
for the needy. Thus, the church in Korea
is recognized for “its prophetic role,
both within and outside the country, as
a champion of human rights, and a
moral reference point in Korea.”
There is another unnoticed
indicator: Since the 1980s the church in
Korea has sent 834 missionaries
abroad. A breakdown tallies 181
priests, 621 sisters and 32 brothers
serving in 78 countries on all
continents, Gerard O'Connell writes in
an article titled “Korea Gets Ready to
Welcome Pope Francis to Asia” in the
Catholic magazine America. “So it has
been transformed from a missionaryreceiving to a missionary-sending
church,” he adds.
Filipinos will see Francis close up
when he visits the Philippines come
January 2015. He asked that meetings
with survivors of Supertyphoon
“Yolanda” in Eastern Visayas and
earthquake-devastated Bohol be given
priority by a local church with emerging
leaders more of his mould.
“Faith is not a light which scatters
all our darkness,” Francis says. “But a
lamp which guides our steps in the
night and suffices for the journey.”
nature and consequences of the false
claim. A foreign national who made the
false claim may avoid the permanent
bar if he can establish these elements
clearly and beyond doubt.
The new guidance is directed
primarily to individuals under 18 who
may have made false claim to U.S.
citizenship before they were old
enough to discern the consequences of
their actions. However, the new policy
d o e s n o t s p e c i f i c a l ly l i m i t i t s
applicability to minors and could even
include adult non-citizens who can
prove that the false claim to U.S.
citizenship was not made “knowingly.”
(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.)
Change to be proud of
From page 10
passenger traffic as early as next year. The study, commissioned by the DOTC,
said that by 2015, Naia would be handling 37.78 million passengers - 16.46
million international passengers and 21.31 million domestic travellers. By
2040, the total passenger traffic at Naia would reach 101.49 million.
In 2012, Naia accommodated 31.88 million passengers, exceeding the
facility's capacity of 30 million passengers a year. The Jica study proposed the
investment of P436 billion to build a new international gateway and related
infrastructure at Sangley Point in Cavite that could accommodate 55 million
passengers a year. The proposed airport is projected to start operation by
2025.
Airports are where tourists get their first impressions of a place they are
visiting. At its low, the Philippines' premier airport was adjudged the worst in
the world. Today, everything changes as tourists - and even our very own
balikbayan - will be welcomed by a modern airport terminal with facilities
comparable to the best in the world. Inquirer.net
August 15-21, 2014
Page 13
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Fil-Canadian youth's English
fluency, hard work not enough
for upward mobility - study
By Harvey I. Barkin
TORONTO, Canada -- While
there is considerable upward
mobility among children of
immigrants in Canada some
groups, including Filipino youth,
are less likely to be among them, a
study reported.
The study, “Understanding
Intergenerational Social Mobility:
Filipino Youth in Canada,” was
published in February this year by
the Institute for Research on Public
Policy (IRPP), an independent,
bilingual Canadian non-profit
organization.
York University Geography
Professor and Center for Asian
Research Director Philip Kelly
wrote: “Canadian research on
intergenerational social mobility
has shown that there is
considerable upward mobility
among children of immigrants.
However, there are some groups
that are exceptions to this overall
pattern. Filipino youth present a
double anomaly: they are less
likely to hold a degree than either
their parents or their peers in
other racialized groups.”
Gathering data from 1980 to
2009, Kelly compared the literacy
rate among the three major
countries that are the sources of
immigrants to Canada, namely,
China, India and the Philippines.
“The percentage of Filipinos
educated to the bachelor's degree
level or above is much higher than
that of any of the comparison
groups. If rates of participation and
unemployment are taken as
indicators of labor market success,
then Filipinos are doing very well,
but there is evidence that their
high levels of human capital are not
being recognized in the (Canadian)
labor market.”
Over educated but underpaid
The percentage of Filipinos
who are in management
occupation is far lower than the
rate of the comparison groups, and
only about a third of the rate found
in the (Canadian) population, the
study found.
Meanwhile, there are very high
levels of concentration among
Filipino men in manufacturing
industries and among Filipino
women in the health care sector.
“Finally, mean employment
income (for those who worked full-
time for the full year) for Filipinos
is well below that of the
comparison groups, especially in
the case of Filipino mean, whose
mean wage is almost CAD20,000
b e l ow t h e ave ra g e fo r t h e
population (despite the fact that
they are almost twice as likely to
hold a university degree.)”
Kelly reported that “just 2.7
percent of Filipino women and 4.6
percent of Filipino men have high
school or other certificates.”
But he found startling
situations for college graduates.
“With 41 percent holding a
bachelor's or higherlevel degree,
non-immigrant Filipino women
exceed the (Canadian)
population's average but fall below
that of most other racialized
groups (with the exception of
Blacks and Latin Americans).
Compared to Chinese and South
Asian women, they are far behind.”
Underachievers
Canadian-born Filipino men
present a somewhat similar
picture, graduating from
university at rates that exceed
Canadian averages,” Kelly said.
“However, they are well behind
280 Luis Munoz Marin Boulevard
Jersey City, NJ 07302
Filipino Canadian youths less likely to be collegedegree holders than their parents or peers in other
ethnic groups
Percentage of Filipinos in management occupations
is far lower than comparison groups
several other groups.”
“It is notable that Filipino men
perform considerably worse than
Filipino women in terms of
university education, and in terms
of failure to attain any certification
at all (including high-school
graduation), but this is a gendered
pattern of uneven achievements
that holds true for all population
groups,” Kelly added.
Kelly found that 37 percent of
Filipino parents are degree
holders, but only 25 percent of
their daughters and 13 percent of
their sons graduate from
university. This contrasts with the
fact that while only 23 percent of
Chinese parents that are degree
holders, 68 percent of their
daughters and 58 percent of their
sons graduate from university.
Kelly is not the first to present
this trend. In 2009, another study
using the 2002 Ethnic Diversity
Survey “found that
intergenerational upward mobility
in terms of rates of university
education, occurred between the
first and second generations in all
immigrant communities except for
the Filipino and black visible
minorities.”
Another study in 2011 using
Ontario census data from 1996 and
2006 showed that Filipinos and
Americans were the only groups in
which second generation youth
“did not tend to surpass their
fathers in terms of educational
attainment (although in both
cases, the fathers were very well
educated.)
English fluency and hard work
Probing deeper for the causes
of these “anomalies,” Kelly found
another one. While it has long been
held that the Filipino's fluency with
English gives him an advantage
over other immigrants, Kelly built a
case against this.
“In the Philippines, English
fluency is often considered a status
symbol. Most parents are
proficient in English, but it is
precisely because of this that some
are self-conscious about any
imperfection in their use of the
language,” Kelly explained.
“This introduces an element of
embarrassment to their
interactions with authority figures
such as teachers, counselors or
principals at formal school events”
u
Page 14
201-333-8060
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
August 15-21, 2014
Page 14
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
NaFFAA ... From page 8
planning. “I asked Leezel if she
wants to help as secretary.” Cudal
said.
“ H e r re s p o n s e wa s a n
emphatic 'No.' She said she wants
to be the chair. After recovering
from initial shock, I realized she
was serious, and that's how our
partnership with the young folks
began.”
Ramos immediately formed a
team of youth organizers who
came up with the theme,
“Breaking the Dawn: Master
Planning the Future,” created a
web site, and mapped out the
logistics, outreach and program
for the conference.
Other national youth leaders
who provided support to the
team included Steven Raga,
founding president of UNIPRO;
Juanito Amor, a community youth
counselor; and young
professionals Cesar Abueg, Karl
Bruno, Julius Alejandro, Jessica
Mercado, Alicia Ricafrente and
Romyn Sabatchi.
“Our intention may have
been to infiltrate and assume
leadership,” explained Ramos.
“But what matters is the impact
of our actions and the
relationships we build. Our
Fil Am wins ...
From page 9
Program as one of 19 artists who
help design coins and
commemorative medals.
For the Mint, he has designed
t wo c o n g re s s i o n a l m e d a l s
honoring Native American "code
talkers" and one side of a coin for
the U.S. Marshals Service's 225th
anniversary.
He receives $2,500 for each
design assignment and another
$5,000 if the Treasury
Department uses his design for a
coin or medal (both sides of the
coin), Mint spokesman Mike
White was quoted by the Chicago
Tribune as explaining.
Although, his work on the side
prompted him to take a sabbatical
from his mailroom work at CDW
at Vernon Hills, Illinois last year,
his 14-year contract offered him
by the U.S. Mint to design coin or
medal was a job offer he could not
refuse. This prompted him to give
up his job from CDW last Monday,
according to Marra, who also
works at CDW as customer
relations service employee.
There were lots of hugging,
kissing and well wishing when he
left his job after 14 years, Paul
said. A co-employee told him his
accomplishments brought honor
to Filipinos to a higher level.
Paul is also thankful and
grateful to his employer whose
v i c e p re s i d e n t , M a x Re e d ,
encouraged him to pursue his
passion. “I heard my CEO shed a
tear when I won the design of the
National Endowment for the
Humanities medal.”
The CDW even nominated
him as one of the 500 Heroes from
Fortune 500 companies, joining
another Filipino, who was
featured for saving two boys from
drowning. The other Filipino
recipient for Fortune 500 heroes
award is Angelo Ramos, a
campaign sales executive of
Monsanto Company in Cauayan
City, Isabela in the Philippines.
The award is given to “Fortune
500 workers who, unknown to
even many of their colleagues,
elders may have been wary at
first , but they were very
supportive all throughout.”
“What's notable about this
year's conference is the way we
have opened up more
opportunities for continued
e n ga g e m e n t b e t we e n o u r
seasoned veterans and the
young folks,” said Greg Cendana,
executive director of the Asian
Pacific American Labor
Alliance.”
Ben de Guzman, an advocate
for LGBT rights, added: “We have
come a long way from 1997
when we couldn't even talk
about gay rights. Today, we have
at least changed the way we hold
conversations about issues that
divide us. We need to learn from
each other and have
conversations with
thoughtfulness and respect.”
Jose Antonio Vargas, the
Pulitzer Prize-winning
journalist who revealed his
status as an undocumented
immigrant, drew a standing
ovation when he shared his
struggles and his efforts to
educate the American public
about the need for
comprehensive immigration
reform.
Before he decided to “come
out,” he sought out NaFFAA's
support and was assured of the
organization's assistance. “I now
look to NaFFAA to do everything
it can to mobilize the Filipino
American community and work
for the passage of immigration
reform,” he said.
Tony Olaes, board chairman
of Gawad Kalinga USA, also
challenged the delegates to be
“proud of your Filipino-ness”
and to celebrate the values of
caring and sharing.
“The youth are now the
messengers of these values, so
we need to make sure they are
connected to the motherland,
because we are one Filipino
rooted in one place, and our
mission is to build and uplift the
Filipino nation wherever we
are,” he said.
Major General Antonio
Taguba (Ret), amplifying the
theme of Filipino pride, spoke
about the community rallying
behind a national campaign to
seek recognition for Filipino
World War II veterans.
“We cannot close this dark
chapter in U.S. history until these
soldiers who fought bravely in
service of America receive the
Gold Medal Award,” he said. “We
need to work together to make
this happen.” Inquirer.net
have performed remarkable acts
of goodness.” Balan grew up in
Paete, which is known for
woodcarvings and artists. His
maternal great-grandfather, Pablo
Bague, was a sculptor. His parents
crafted wood furniture and chess
sets to raise their family of five.
To keep him up with his peers,
he joined art exhibits, some of
them sponsored by the Philippine
Consulate during the Philippine
Independence celebration events
in Chicago, and other arts
competitions. He said in one of
these exhibits, a former artist
from the Philippines approached
him, telling him that when he
came to the U.S., “he threw away
his art media and looked for other
jobs. Now that I saw you succeed, I
will try to buy art supplies and go
back to my painting again.” He said
he was glad he was able to “inspire
another artist to return to an old
love.”
Copied images of stampeta
While growing up, Balan
copied images of his
grandmother's stampeta (prayer
cards) and other images from
encyclopedia. He used ballpoint
pen in his drawings and used
coffee grounds as his watercolor
to paint. He stretched denim into a
wooden frame and rendered it
white with household paint he
bought from Manila.
To support himself, he
painted religious murals and
began designing stained glasses
for churches. He attended
commercial arts classes at the
University of Sto. Tomas for two
years but failed to get a diploma
for lacking subjects in ROTC and
PE.
When he flew to Chicago in
2000, his wife's grandmother gave
him a $5 bill. “That's the only
money I had.” he said.
In Chicago, his wife, Marra,
was the provider for the family for
several months and he felt bad
that he could not be the
breadwinner. This made him
uncomfortable to resume his
painting career since there is no
security of income.
He first worked as a waiter
and found an entry-level job with
his wife's employer, CDW, in 2001.
He became a mailroom employee
at CDW recently.
When he got a regular
paycheck, Paul started buying art
supplies so he could resume
painting and sculpting when he
was off-duty. He started painting
jobs for churches and private
homes, which augmented his
income. When he sculpted the San
Lorenzo Ruiz statute measuring
three feet by two feet in 2009, he
was paid $7,000. When he
sculpted a Cross, five feet by seven
feet, he donated it to a church for
free.
Lupang Hinirang in sketches
One of his prized works that
took him a year to finish was the
depiction of the Philippine
national anthem (Lupang
Hinirang). It was sketched on 10
18-by-24-inch panels.
According to Wikipedia, the
“official town hero of Paete is not a
statesman nor a soldier but a
woodcarver, the master artisan
Mariano Madriñan, whose obra
maestra, the lifelike Mater
Dolorosa, was honored by the
King of Spain with a prestigious
award in Amsterdam in 1882. The
town was proclaimed "the
Carving Capital of the Philippines"
on March 15, 2005 by Philippine
President Arroyo. It is also
believed that the modernyo-yo,
which originated in the
Philippines, was invented in
Paete.”
Since 1996, when the first
National Humanities Medal was
given, 154 individuals have been
honored, inclusive of this year's
awardees. Eleven organizations
also received medals. Previous
medalists include Pulitzer Prize
winners Philip Roth and
Marilynne Robinson, Nobel Prize
winner Toni Morrison, essayist
Joan Didion, novelist John Updike,
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie
Wiesel, sociologist Robert Coles,
poet John Ashbery, filmmaker
Steven Spielberg, and Nobel
laureate Amartya Sen. (Marlon L.
Pecson contributed to this report)
(lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)
Arrest made ...
From page 1
murder, manslaughter and rape.
(Jenise was described as Caucasian,
Native American and Filipino.)
The suspect's name was not
released because he is a minor. Police
said he lives in the mobile home park
the girl lived in.
Police said they don't know if the
suspect knew the girl's family but
since the mobile home park is so small
it is “likely.”
The girl's body was found in the
woods near the park. She was last seen
on Saturday, August 2, but her parents
waited until the night of Sunday,
August 3 to report her missing
because they say they're used to
US congressional ...
From page 8
international trade, customs and
global competitiveness of the finance
committee. His visit to the Philippines
is part of a regional tour that will
include South Korea, Taiwan and
China.
Representative Frelinghuysen, on
the other hand, serves as chairman of
the House defense appropriations
subcommittee.
Aside from being the majority
deputy whip, Representative Granger
serves as the vice chairman of the
powerful defense appropriations
subcommittee and is the top
Republican on the state and foreign
operations appropriations
subcommittee.
Justice and
injustice ... From page 11
Is that anti-trafficking is now being
integrated into the diplomatic and
development work and, more
importantly, the US policy is to insist
on the rule of law in protecting the
victims and bringing the abusers and
exploiters to justice.
From this point, advocates are
u rg i n g t h e U S to d eve l o p a n
immigration rule whereby the US will
be listing the corrupt police,
Fil-Canadian
youth’s ... From page 13
especially if they were white, Kelly
added.
Kelly presented occupational data
suggesting this apprehension about
English may be a factor in Filipino
parents' low level of involvement in
their children's education. In
addition, the shift schedules of nanny
mothers and manufacturing worker
fathers contribute to the poor
educational attainment level, he
wrote.
“The downward mobility and deprofessionalization experienced by
parents upon arrival in Canada has an
impact on parenting style and
a u t h o r i t y,” Ke l ly w ro te . “ O n e
respondent poignantly explained that
his father had been an executive in the
Philippines; security guards saluted
as he arrived at his office each
morning. On arriving in Canada, he
had to take a job cleaning toilets.”
Another respondent who
“pointed out that the Vancouver Sun
had produced a supplement profiling
let t ing her wa lk t hrough t he
neighborhood without supervision.
The state crime lab made positive
confirmation of the suspect through
forensic evidence.
The sheriff's office said Friday
that it was collecting DNA cheek
swabs from dozens of residents who
volunteered them in the mobile home
park.
No exact cause of death was
immediately released.
Several hundred people turned
out Friday night for a vigil to honor
Jenise Wright.
Kitsap County Sheriff Steve Boyer
repeated a promise made earlier in
the day when the little girl was
formally identified. He said while
Jenise is gone, “We can and we will find
justice for her.” Inquirer.net
Representative Calvert continues
to serve on the House appropriations
committee where he is the chairman
of the interior and the environment
subcommittee. A senior member of
the appropriations committee,
Representative Moran serves as the
ranking member on the subcommittee
on the interior and environment on
the defense and legislative branch
subcommittees.
The delegation from the US House
of Representatives will be visiting
neighboring countries afterward.
“The Philippine leg is intended to give
members of the sub-committee a
better appreciation and
understanding of the Philippine-US
relations amidst continuing and
changing realities in the region,” the
DFA said. Inquirer.net
prosecutors and judges and barring
them and their relatives from entering
the country.
John Kerry said, “Wherever rule of
law is weak, where corruption is most
ingrained, and where populations
can't count on the protection of
governments and of law enforcement,
there you find zones of vulnerability to
trafficking.”
However, he concluded by saying,
“But wherever rule of law is strong,
where individuals are willing to speak
out and governments willing to listen,
we find zones of protection against
trafficking.”
the 100 most influential Chinese
Canadians and South Asian Canadians
in British Columbia, but no such
exercise had ever been done for the
Filipino community.”
Since there are few well-known
Filipino successes in Canadian major
business and politics, Kelly wrote,
Filipino youth do not have a role
model.
Most damaging, he observed,
“Many respondents acknowledged
that Filipinos experience racialization
but they seldom saw this in a negative
light. More commonly, they noted that
such racialization consisted of
representing Filipinos as
'hardworking' and 'caring.'”
While such representations are
positive, “they are implicitly limiting
because they connote specific types of
employment and levels of
professional seniority. In particular,
Filipino women in fields other than
caregiving often have to confront the
equation of Filipino-ness with
caregiving. In some cases, this kind of
connotation leads young people to
reject their Filipino identity.”
Inquirer.net
August 15-21, 2014
Page 15
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
August 15-21, 2014
Page 16
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
August 15-21, 2014
Page 17
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Bohol tourism industry rising from the rubble
A pumpboat makes its way
up the Loboc River.
By Marlet D. Salazar
Nine months after a 7.2
magnitude earthquake rocked
Bohol in Central Visayas, the island
province is attempting to put
behind it what its governor
considers to be a “temporary
setback.”
Part of the efforts is the ongoing
tourism rebranding campaign to
lure back tourists to the province.
Governor Edgar Chatto admits
that the province's tourism industry
suffered greatly because of the
earthquake.
He says that tourism is the
lifeblood of most of the towns in the
province, contributing about 20
percent to the local economy.
Chatto says that when tourism
became an industry in the province,
the local government started
collecting “as much as P50 million,
with only P2 million coming from
the public market.” This illustrates
how important tourism is in
generating revenues.
Bohol prides itself with
historical churches and beaches.
The earthquake destroyed many of
the centuries-old churches; some
are beyond repair while others are
closed for rehabilitation with their
completion dates still uncertain.
The United States Agency for
International Development
(USAID) is assisting the province
together with the World Tourism
O r g a n i z a t i o n ( U N W TO ) , t h e
Department of Tourism (DOT), and
the Pacific Asia Travel
Photo by Joseph Agcaoili
Association (PATA) through the
Bohol Tourism Recovery Plan
(BRTP), which is under USAID's
Advancing Philippine
Competitiveness Project (USAIDCOMPETE).
“Bohol has always been one of
the top tourism destinations, and
we in USAID believe that by helping
Bohol's tourism industry recover
from the aftermath of the
earthquake and Typhoon Yolanda,
we help the whole country toward
achieving economic growth,” says
Reed Aeschliman, acting mission
director of USAID, in earlier reports.
BTRP is a product of five months
of assessment and research efforts
conducted by different agencies.
“The recovery efforts of Bohol
definitely have to be aligned with
the vision we have set up before the
earthquake,” Chatto says. “We want
to make sure that it is not derailed
even with the temporary setback.”
Bohol's tourism framework is
called “HEAT IT Bohol,” which
means health, education,
agriculture, tourism, and
information technology.
“Job creation is a thrust, which
can be captured by the three main
engines for growth and livelihood
opportunities,” Chatto says.
He adds that the province wants
to take a more optimistic route.
“As we rebuild the churches and
the watchtowers, we hope to
develop expertise along that line in
the province,” Chatto says. “We want
to attach it with Bohol Island State
University (by offering) degree
courses on preservation.”
The province is now working
with Tesda (Technical Education
and Skills Development Authority)
and Escuella Taller, a school in
Intramuros (Manila) that teaches
conservation and restoration skills
to underprivileged youth, Chatto
says.
It was established through a
grant from the Agencia Espanola de
Cooperacion Internacional Para el
Desarrollo.
The governor, who used to be a
congressman and chair of the House
tourism committee, says that they
want to use the “lull” in tourist
arrivals to strengthen the areas
“where we have gaps.”
“We are now evaluating the
overall strategies of marketing,
product development, pricing,
promotions, strategies, training of
frontline people, capacity
development, and capacity of the
schools, training institutions, and
the quality of graduates,” he says.
The province's tourism council
is also looking at retraining industry
workers, particularly those in the
front lines such as drivers and tour
guides. At present, Bohol's main air
portal is the Tagbilaran airport.
Investors and entrepreneurs in
Bohol are looking forward at the
opening of Panglao airport .
However, construction is yet to start
as the bidding process began only
last month.
Telecommunications company
Philippine Long Distance Telephone
Co. (PLDT) poured in P700 million
to set in place a fiber optic network
in the province. The governor hopes
that this will attract business
processing outsourcing companies
to the province.
Chatto identifies the province's
engines of growth as eco-cultural
tourism, agri-industrial tourism
and information technology. It is
important to note that before the
PLDT investment, Bohol used to lag
behind neighboring provinces in
terms of IT infrastructure.
“Our goal in Bohol is not only to
h e l p t h e B o h o l a n o s , b u t to
contribute to the overall
development of the region and the
province,” Chatto says. Inquirer.net
August 15-21, 2014
Page 18
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Fil-Ams have fun at PH envoys' special tour
New Yorkers
Experience Why
It's More Fun in
the Philippines
NEW YORK, 8 August 2014
Another 'fun' homecoming full of
exciting activities marked this
year's 9th Ambassadors, Consuls
General and Tourism Directors Tour
to the Philippines (ACGTDT).
Despite the threat of Tropical
Depression Inday brewing at the
northeast of the Philippines area of
responsibility, the 9th ACGTDT, held
from July 28 to 31, was generally
blessed with good weather with
only scattered rain showers that did
nothing to dampen the high spirits
of this year's tour participants.
Close to 300 Filipino-Americans
from all over the United States
under the jurisdiction of Foreign
Service Posts in Agana, Honolulu,
Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San
Francisco and Washington D.C.
arrived to a VIP reception on July
28 at the Ninoy Aquino
International Airport. Out of this
number, 28 were from New York
and the US Northeast, including
PIDCI President Fe Martinez, Grand
Marshalls Dr. and Mrs. Emilio
Quinones, and FYLPRO participants
Adette Contreras and Ryan Letada.
New York delegates to the ACGTD
pose with Philippine Ambassador to
the US Jose Luis Cuisia, Consul
General Mario L. De Leon Jr., and
Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno,
after the wreath-laying ceremony in
Rizal Park.
Philippine Department of Tourism photo
The group was accompanied by
Consul General Mario L. De Leon, Jr.
The next three nights and four
days were a whirlwind of activities
for the participants who were
entertained, serenaded, wined,
dined and were accorded with some
of the best receptions organized by
Tourism Promotions Board, DOT's
marketing arm and Rajah Tours
Philippines, the ground handler of
ACGTDT.
Cultural presentations
highlighted the welcome reception
especially arranged for the tour
participants held at the Makati
Shangri-La Hotel. Philippine
Ambassador to the United States
Jose L. Cuisia Jr., who headed
the delegation from Washington
D.C., warmly welcomed the
participants and further
encouraged them to often visit
the Philippines for deeper
appreciation of all things Filipino.
Meanwhile, the fellowship night
hosted by Western Union at Dusit
Thani Hotel on July 29 was marked
by lots of music, entertainment by a
live band, and a lot of dancing
among participants. The allwhite‐dress themed fellowship
night was made more exciting by the
surprise raffle prizes with a lucky
participant winning a round trip
ticket to the United States and the
Philippines.
Those who joined the Studio
To urs of GMA Network and
ABS‐CBN TV had a blast as they met
and had selfies with showbiz
personalities when they attended
GMA's noontime game show “Eat
Bulaga” and ABS-CBN's musical
variety show “It's Showtime.”
The special Makati and Manila
city tours also included visits to
Intramuros, Metropolitan Museum
at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas,
San Agustin Museum, Manila's
Ocean Park, among others.
One of the highlights of this
year's visit was a guided tour to the
Pico de Loro Cove at Hamilo Coast
resort in Nasugbu, Batangas.
Travelling to Nasugbu via the
Cavite Expressway or popularly
known as Cavitex was without
delay courtesy of the PNP
(Philippine National Police)
motorcycle cops who provided
escorts the tour participants.
On hand to welcome and joined
the tour participants throughout
their stay at Pico de Loro were
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Page 19
21st Pistahan brings out the Filipino in San Francisco
By Cesar Antonio Jr. Nucum
SAN FRANCISCO, California -Not letting the unusually overcast
August skies dampen their spirit,
jubilant Filipino Americans dressed
in native costumes marched from the
Civic Center Plaza to Yerba Buena
Gardens in San Francisco to kick off
the 21st Pistahan 2014, which
perennially showcases Filipino
culture, heritage and tradition in a
weekend-long celebration.
Divided into clusters of the three
main islands of Luzon, Visayas and
Mindanao, some 70 contingents
from different organizations, the
biggest in recent years, displayed not
just their colorful attires and
indigenous dances, but also their
wide smiles and enthusiasm as
thousands other kababayan lined up
Market Street to cheer the marchers
on.
Also featured in the parade were
some 10 artistically crafted floats,
notably that from the Department of
Tourism, which trumpeted its now
very familiar slogan, “It's more Fun
in the Philippines,” and the muchawaited float of The Filipino Channel
(TFC), currently celebrating its 20th
anniversary, which featured ABSCBN artists led by “Mr. Pure Energy”
himself, Gary Valenciano and Karylle
who performed on the last day of the
Pistahan.
Filipino American Arts
Exposition (FAAE) President Al
Perez told INQUIRER.net that was
beside himself with excitement on
the number of parade participants as
t h e p h e n o m e n a l c e l e b ra t i o n
unfolded before his eyes.
imagine the Manila mayor singing
that song for the mayor of San
Francisco? That is pretty special,” an
amused Lee recalled.
On stage from left: Hydra Mendoza, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, FAAE Pres. Al Perez, Veronica de la Cruz's mom, TV reporter
Veronica de la Cruz, Jun Del Rosario and Hermana Mayor Olivia de Jesus of TFC and FAAE Vice President Gerard Talampas. Photo
by Jun Nucum
Solid planning
Perez paid tribute to Pistahan's
“ r e a l ly g o o d s o l i d p l a n n i n g
committee composed of very
dedicated, committed volunteers
who put everything that they can
towards the planning to make sure of
its success.”
“On this 21st year of the
Pistahan, we had more exhibitors
from the Motherland, which is very
encouraging because we wanted to
showcase authentic Filipino culture,
Filipino heritage and of course it
comes with products, arts and crafts
materials,” Perez explained. “Since
there is not many of them here in San
Francisco, we have to invite them
from the Philippines and a lot of
them responded to the call of duty.”
The exhibitors, both local and
from the Philippines, filled up the
booths in the heritage, art, first
aid/health, dance, culinary, dance,
martial arts and wine-tasting
pavilions.
In an afternoon program, San
Francisco Mayor Edward Lee led
other city officials and guests in the
observance of Filipino pride, with
messages saluting both the Filipinos
in attendance and the tireless efforts
of the organizers.
The mayor proclaimed the first
day of the festivities as Pistahan
Festival Celebration Day in San
Francisco.
In his brief speech, Mayor Lee
recounted his recent visit to Manila,
which he called “a wonderful trip as
we were treated so well.”
“We had the (Manila Mayor
Joseph Estrada) to hold for us a very
nice dinner where he sang 'I Left My
Heart in San Francisco.' Can you
Grateful mayor
Lee later acknowledged
Pistahan's Viva Visayas theme for
this year to help the people of the
Visayan region, which was
devastated by a series of calamities,
namely, the earthquake in Bohol and
Cebu and the powerful typhoon
Haiyan (Yolanda) that left many dead
victims and homeless survivors.
The festival theme, Hermana
Mayor Olivia de Jesus of ABS-CBN
TFC later pointed out, was also
aimed at honoring the resilience of
the Visayans and their efforts to
serve as catalyst for the rebirth,
renewal and rebuilding of the region
after the devastations.
Lee also did not forget to thank
Filipinos for working with him in
running the affairs of the city,
notably his education adviser Hydra
Mendoza who introduced him
onstage after she urged all Filipinos
to seize the moment “to shine and
show how rich the (Filipino) culture
we have is and to really make sure
that we are the Filipinos here in
Northern California.”
“I am really proud to be in the
Board of Education in San Francisco
because as we all know, education is
a turning point for all of us. And as
the only elected Filipina here in San
Francisco, (let me reiterate that) it is
our responsibility to make sure that
we get our kids well-educated, off to
college and get a job,” Mendoza
asserted.
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Page 19
August 15-21, 2014
Page 19
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Delegates don their Mindanao inspired dresses to the welcome reception held at the Makati
Shangri-La. Philippine Department of Tourism photo
Fil-Ams have fun ...
From page 18
Mayor Charito Apacible of Nasugbu,
Batangas, DOT-Region
4 Director
Rebecca V. Labit and Ms. Emily
Katigbak, Batangas Provincial Tourism
Officer who represented Batangas
Governor Vilma Santos.
At Pico de Loro the participants were
treated to whole day of fun activities that
included a warm VIP welcome with festive
cultural entertainment, VIP dancers,
rondalla music, a sumptuous lunch, and
lots of opportunities for swimming, diving,
snorkeling or simply strolling around the
resort.
Even the send‐off party was done in
style with upbeat music and mob dancing
as participants started to board their buses
for the trip back to Manila. Participants also
joined the traditional wreath-laying
ceremony at the Rizal Monument in Luneta.
Thereafter, they motored to Malacanang
for a tour and a luncheon at the Palace.
Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr., head of
t h e P re s i d e n t i a l C o m m u n i c a t i o n s
Operations Office (PCOO) and
Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary
Albert del Rosario were on hand to
welcome the delegates.
Ambassador Cuisia presented this
year's participants to the 9th ACGTDT and
introduced each delegation from all
Foreign Service Posts. Sec. Coloma gave
the welcome address. Sec. Del Rosario in
his speech positively talked about EDCA,
the strong Philippine-US relationship and
Hawaii's FilCom to honor
community's pillars
HONOLULU, Hawaii -- A gala dinner
tribute to the following luminaries for
timed for Filipino American History
their lifetime achievements:
Month will be hosted by the Filipino
Justice Mario Ramil, former Supreme
Community Center (FilCom Center) on
Court Justice and community advocate
Saturday, October 25, at Sheraton Waikiki
who will be introduced by Governor John
Hotel.
Waihee, who appointed him.
The center's 12th annual “Bayanihan
Maria A. F. Etrata, philanthropist and
Gala Dinner” will benefit its educational,
community servant who will introduced
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Page 22
cultural and social programs as well as
by Mayor Kirk Caldwell.
celebrate over a century of contributions
Justice Simeon Acoba, retiring
of Filipino-Americans to Hawai'i and the
Supreme Court Justice and educator, who
United States. In keeping with the
will be introduced by appointing
bayanihan spirit, the center will pay
Governor Ben Cayetano. Inquirer.net
Got hurt at work?
LISA A. ARKIN, ESQ.
Colorful Department of Tourism float ahead of a costumed marchers. Photo by Mandy Chavez
21st Pistahan ...
From page 18
For his part, barong-clad Board of
Supervisors President David Chiu also
thanked all Filipinos for being part of the
“amazing richness and diversity in San
Francisco and working together with the
Board of supervisors and our mayor.”
“This year, Tagalog is now the third
official language (after Chinese and
Spanish) of our city because of all of you. I
want to thank you for all the work we are
doing together to make sure that our city is
thriving and we are an incredible FilipinoAmerican city here in San Francisco,” Chiu
told the crowd. The certification of Tagalog,
as covered under the City's Language
Access Ordinance, made it mandatory for
city departments that interact with the
public to provide Tagalog-translated
materials and Tagalog interpreters at public
meetings and other services.
Voter registration
Representing Consul-General Henry S.
Bensurto Jr, deputy Consul General Jaime
Ramon Ascalon reminded qualified
overseas Filipino to register in the
consulate's overseas absentee voter's
(OAV) booth to be able to participate in the
coming 2016 national election. Ascalon also
announced that ballots will be mailed to
registered voters so they would not have to
go to the consulate to cast their votes.
In an interview later, Ascalon praised
the volunteers composed mostly of second
and third generation Filipino-Americans
who are working very hard, committed to
promoting their culture, the Filipino pride
and creativity.
“For me Pistahan is a major success not
only as a festival based on the attendance,
but also in mobilizing the young members of
the Filipino-American community in not
only making them aware, but also in being
involved. That alone is a good start for them
in involvement in other future projects,”
Ascalon observed.
Parade marshal, former MSNBC
anchor/host of “Early Today Show” and
current KPIX/KBCW Channel 5 CBS and CW
10 Night Beat anchor Veronica de la Cruz
talked about her childhood being a firstgeneration American growing up in a house
that always smelled of adobo, who did not
really understand then the value of being a
Filipino and a Filipino-American.
“As I grew older, I learned to embrace my
culture and tradition and grow up in the
amazing family,” de la Cruz divulged. “I know
now how lucky I am and how special we all
are. So to the younger generation, make sure
that you hang on to that tradition, and pass
that down to the future generations because
without that, what do we have?” De la Cruz's
mother was 4th of 18 children back in the
Philippines, and she got used to having big
family gatherings. Inquirer.net
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injured workers”
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August 15-21, 2014
Page 20
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Farmers, traders
hit BOC pork scam
By Ronnel W. Domingo
MANILA -- The pork scam
appears to have reached the
Bureau of Customs.
Some 5.6 million kilos of
pork of questionable quality
may have entered the country
without going through food
safety inspections, according to
S a m a h a n g I n d u s t r iya n g
Agrikultura (Sinag).
The umbrella group of
agribusiness operators,
farmers and party-list groups
cited data from the Bureau of
Customs (BOC) showing that
the agency released 121.6
million kilos of imported pork
during the first semester.
But the Bureau of Animal
Industry (BAI) recorded 116
million kilos passing through
quarantine inspection, leaving
5.6 million kilos unaccounted
for, Sinag said.
The figure cited by Sinag
represented 4.6 percent of the
total volume of pork imported
from January to June, according
to Customs Commissioner John
Philip Sevilla.
Vicente Mercado, chair of
the National Federation of Hog
Farmers Inc., said Sinag's
discovery came amid claims by
certain importers that it was all
right to eat expired meat as
long as it had been frozen.
“No country allows the
resale of frozen meat as chilled
and no country should ever
allow thawed frozen meat to be
passed off and sold as fresh
meat,” Mercado said.
Threat to public health
Sinag chair Rosendo So said
eating expired meat posed a
grave threat to public health.
“Besides, the volume that
we discovered represents only
those that were documented,”
So said. “How much more
undocumented meat is
circulating in our markets?”
He said some importers
bought meat stocks that were
near the expiration date not
only because these were
cheaper but also because the
practice would circumvent
regulators' inspections.
China meat scandal
So said this kind of mindset
was alarming, especially in
view of the recent expired meat
scandal in China where a local
company was found to have
b e e n s u p p ly i n g m e a t to
popular fast-food chains like
McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut and
even Starbucks.
“ We' re c a l l i n g o n
(Agriculture) Secretary
Proceso Alcala and Customs
Commissioner John Philip
By Aries Joseph Hegina
Senate of the Philippines received the
Sevilla to immediately
lowest.
investigate this matter,” the
MANILA -- Executives from the
In a similar survey in 2012, the MBC
Sinag chair said.
country's most influential business also judged the BSP as the most efficient
“Why is Customs releasing
group rated the country's central bank government agency.
imported meat without
as the best-performing government
MBC Executive Director Peter
quarantine clearance? Why is
agency.
Perfecto said that BSP received the
there no quarantine officer to
In a survey released on August 11, highest marks because of “its role in
check on the imported meat?”
The
Makati Business Club (MBC) graded helping maintain macroeconomic and
u
Page 22
he said.
the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) as financial stability in the business
the most efficient government agency environment that supports sustained
with a 95.4 net satisfaction rating from growth necessary for inclusive
senior business executives.
development.”
The results of the Second Semester
BSP, Department of Tourism,
2014 MBC Executive Outlook Survey, Philippine Economic Zone Authority,
which was conducted from July 1-25, t h e P h i l i p p i n e A t m o s p h e r i c ,
reflected that the BSP received the Geophysical and Astronomical Services
highest satisfaction rating while the
u
Page 21
Business group: BSP top-performing
gov't agency, Senate the worst
APEC Photo Contest
2014 Now Open
Issued By the APEC Secretariat
APEC's annual Photo
Contest 2014, reflecting how
trade and economic
cooperation affects the lives of
people in the Asia-Pacific,
opened for submissions on
August 6 in Beijing.
Photographers are invited
to submit their interpretations
of APEC's 2014 priorities to
boost free trade and economic
integration; promote
i n n ova t ive d e ve l o p m e n t ,
re fo r m a n d g row t h ; a n d
connect the region through
infrastructure development
and institutional linkages.
“This year, APEC's priorities
are focused on accelerating the
region's integration,” said Mr
Tan Jian, APEC Senior Official
from China. “This includes
strengthening air, land, sea and
digital infrastructure linkages
between economies to make it
easier for people and goods to
travel across the region. We
look forward to the
photographers' interpretation
of our work.”
APEC's 2014 priorities also
promote innovative
development and economic
reform to advance sustainable
growth and ensure the benefits
are widely felt.
“With the changing
patterns of global growth, APEC
in 2014 is also working on
addressing new challenges in
the region including growing
income disparity and the
environmental pressures of
rapid urbanization and
industrialization,” said Dr Alan
Bollard, Executive Director of
the APEC Secretariat. “The
public's photographic
interpretations of these issues
will help underline the
importance of advancing the
region's progress in these
areas.”
The winners of this year's
Photo Contest will be
announced when Senior
Officials from APEC economies
meet on 5-6 November during
the 2014 APEC Economic
Leaders' Week in Beijing.
The APEC Photo Contest is
open to amateur and
professional photographers
from APEC member economies.
Each participant can submit up
to three entries by 19
September.
The winning photographs
will be selected by an
international panel of judges
which includes: Eric Baradat,
Editor in Chief of AFP Photo;
David ST Loh, Editor in Charge
at the Reuters Global Pictures
Desk; Palani Mohan, an awardwinning photographer; Huang
Wen, Director of the New Media
Development Division of the
News & Information Center,
Xinhua News Agency; Tan Jian,
APEC Senior Official from
China; and Dr Alan Bollard,
Executive Director of the APEC
Secretariat.
“Over the last few years, we
have received some excellent
photographs that capture the
positive impact of trade and
economic growth on the lives of
people in the region,” said
Baradat of AFP Photo. “We look
forward to seeing many more
outstanding shots from
amateurs and professionals
alike.”
The winner of the Judges'
Prize will receive SGD 2,000.
The second and third prize
winners will receive SGD 1,500
and SGD 1,000 respectively.
The top ten photographs
will be revealed on 3 October.
The public will subsequently be
able to vote for their favorite
images via APEC's Facebook
page or a link posted on APEC's
Sina Weibo page until 24
October. The photograph that
receives the most votes will win
the SGD 1,000 Popular Choice
Award.
Full submission details, a
downloadable application form
and last year's winners are
available on the APEC Photo
Contest 2014 website. Follow
APEC's Facebook page and Sina
Weibo page for updates on the
contest.
In the Know: The
Makati Business Club
The Makati Business Club (MBC)
is a private nonstock, nonprofit
business organization founded by
Enrique Zobel in 1981 when martial
law in the country was lifted. Its
members include senior business
executives representing the largest
and most dynamic corporations in the
country.
In a speech delivered during
MBC's anniversary dinner in 1997,
Cesar Buenaventura noted that
P r e s i d e n t Fe r d i n a n d M a r c o s
maintained “sweeping decree-making
powers” despite the lifting of martial
law.
“It was against this backdrop that
Enrique Zobel, known to many as “EZ,”
gathered together a few business
friends and associates to a discussion
which would have far-reaching
implications on the Philippine
b u s i n e s s c o m m u n i t y,” s a i d
Buenaventura, who was the first chair
of the MBC board of advisers and a
member of the MBC board from 1981
to 2008.
MBC, housed in the AIM
Conference Center in Makati City,
focuses on issues such as
agribusiness, trade and investment,
banking and finance, energy and
power, and regional development, as
well as governance, politics and media
control. Its main activities include
policy advocacy, information services
and publishing, investment
promotion and corporate citizenship.
According to its website, MBC's
current board include Ramon del
Rosario Jr. (Philippine Investment
Management Inc. president and CEO)
as chair; Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala
II (Ayala Corp. chair and CEO) as vice
chair; Roberto de Ocampo (Philippine
Veterans Bank chair) as vice chair;
Aurelio Montinola III (Bank of the
Philippine Islands director) as
treasurer; and Ricardo Romulo
(Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura
Sayoc & De Los Angeles senior
partner) as corporate secretary.
Other members of the board are
Edgar Chua (country chair, Shell
Companies in the Philippines),
Corazon de la Paz-Bernardo (adviser
to the board, BDO Unibank), Doris
Magsaysay Ho (president and CEO,
Magsaysay Group of Companies),
Cirilo Noel (chair and managing
partner, SGV & Co.), Tony Tan Caktiong
(chair and CEO, Jollibee Foods Corp.)
and Wilfred Steven Uytengsu Jr.
(president and CEO, Alaska Milk
Corp.)
MBC's executive director is Peter
Angelo Perfecto and its deputy
executive director is Isabel Lopa.
Inquirer.net
August 15-21, 2014
Page 21
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Industry notches
32% growth in
auto sales in July
By Bernie Magkilat
Despite the impact of Typhoon
Glenda, motor vehicle sales posted
another record with 20,730 units in
July, reflecting a 32 percent increase
over the same period last year,
largely due to the aggressive product
launches and extensive marketing
support to meet strong customer
demand, according to the joint
report of the Chamber of Automotive
Manufacturers of the Philippines,
Inc. (CAMPI) and the Truck
Manufacturers Association (TMA).
The July sales also brought
CAMPI's total sales for the first seven
months to 129,687 units or a growth
of 26.0 percent versus 102,917 units
in the same period last year.
Compared to the sales of the
previous month of June of 19,502
units, the July performance was
limited to a modest 5 percent
growth.
CA MPI p residen t Rom m el
Gutierrez said the surge in sales in
July is largely due to the continuous
patronage and demand of the market
for passenger cars as well as the
aggressive product launches and
extensive marketing support to meet
the customer demand.
Both passenger car (PC) and
commercial vehicle (CV) categories'
sales further accelerated compared
with July 2013 results.
The passenger car segment's
sales reached 8,339 units, a notable
growth of 64.6 percent year-on-year.
On the other hand, the commercial
vehicle segment achieved 12,391
sales and grew by 16.6 percent or
Business group ...
From page 20
Administration (Pagasa), Securities
and Exchange Commission,
Department of Foreign Affairs,
Department of Health, Office of the
Presidential Adviser on the Peace
Process (OPAPP), Department of
Finance, and the Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA) belong to the roster
of the top 10 best performing
agencies.
MBC recognized the
performance of Pagasa because it has
provided accurate weather forecasts.
The efforts of OPAPP and PSA were
also lauded due to the successful
signing of the Comprehensive
Agreement on the Bangsamoro
Framework and the implementation
of an efficient statistical system in the
country.
Meanwhile, the Senate of the
1,768 units versus July 2013. Within
the CV category, most segments
exceeded the sales of same month
last year. Sales of Asian utility
vehicles recorded 4,071 units or 10.4
percent growth; light commercial
vehicle registered 7,799 sales with
21.0 percent increase; Category 4
and 5 Trucks and Buses recorded
combined growth of 24.2 percent.
On the other hand, only light trucks
registered 326 sales, a 1.5 percent
drop from previous year.
“We are grateful for the market's
c o n t i n u e d p a t ro n a g e o f t h e
automotive industry despite the
recent onslaught of typhoon Glenda
last July causing interruptions in
production and transport of supply.
While we were expecting lower
results due to the mentioned
typhoon, we have still breached the
high sales of last month, even higher
year-on-year. As for the month of
August, we are expecting to have
lower to stable sales attributed to
lower seasonality for the month,”
said Gutierrez.
T h e to p 5 m a j o r p l aye r s
remained unmovable. Toyota Motor
Philippines Corporation captured
45.2 percent share, an increase of
42.9 percent year-on-year. In the 2nd
spot is Mitsubishi Motor Philippines
Corporation with 22.2 percent share.
Ford Motor Philippines is in the 3rd
spot with 8.2 percent share. Isuzu
Philippines Corporation lands at the
4th position with 5.7 percent share
and Honda Cars Philippines Inc.
occupies the 5th spot, closely behind
Isuzu, with 5.5 percent market share.
Manila Bulletin
Philippines was tagged as the “worstperforming agency” having the
lowest satisfaction rating from
business executives of -67.7. The
House of Representatives has the
second-lowest score of -66.1. Both
government bodies are rocked the
pork barrel scam controversy.
Other agencies which belong to
the “worst performing” government
offices include: Department of
Agriculture, Office of the Presidential
Adviser for Rehabilitation and
Recovery, Lower Court System,
Philippine National Police,
Department of Transportation and
Communications, Bureau of
Customs, Department of Energy, and
the Commission on Appointments.
The survey covered 62
government agencies and was
answered by 65 senior business
executives, comprising 8.8 percent of
736 individual MBC members.
Inquirer.net
TO ADVERTISE, PLEASE CALL
201-434-1114
Growth of PH exports stronger than
anywhere else in Asia, stats show
Exports jumped 21.3% in June to $5.4B
Electronics post first monthly expansion in 2014
By Paolo G. Montecillo
MANILA -- Recovering global
demand boosted the country's
exports in June to its fastest rate
so far this year, supported by the
electronics sector, which was in
the black for the first time in
2014.
Growth of Philippine exports
was faster than in any other
major Asian economy in June, a
development that bodes well for
the country's economic
prospects in coming months,
officials reported on Tuesday.
“Export gains are broadbased, as reflected by increased
ove r s e a s d e m a n d fo r o u r
manufactures, mineral products,
total agro-based, and forest
p r o d u c t ,” S o c i o e c o n o m i c
Planning Secretary Arsenio
Balisacan said in a statement.
The Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA) reported that
exports rose by 21.3 percent in
June - so far the best showing for
any month this year. In May,
exports grew by 6.9 percent. The
value of exports shipped reached
$5.4 billion, with close to half
going to major trading partners'
Japan, China, and the United
States.
June's increase meant the
country's exporters
outperformed counterparts in
Viet na m, China , Ma laysia ,
Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia,
Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan,
and Japan. Among the country's
neighbors, Vietnam performed
the best with a growth of 12.7
percent, while Japan was the
worst, with its shipments
contracting 6.5 percent.
“This is the highest level since
the economy started posting a
continuous positive growth in
the same period last year,”
Balisacan said.
S e m i c o n d u c to r s , wh i c h
comprised more than half of the
country's total electronics
exports during the period,
posted its first positive growth
rate in 2014. These chips are
used in computers that are
shipped around the world.
Electronics exports were up by a
tenth, driven by the 14.5-percent
expansion in semiconductors.
Balisacan, who heads the
National Economic Development
A u t h o r i t y,
said the
Semiconductors and Electronics
Industries in the Philippines Inc.
was likely to hike its forecast for
shipments this year. Inquirer.net
Experience best teacher,
says GT Capital's Ty
By Ben O. de Vera
For business tycoon George
S.K. Ty, experience is the best
teacher in a tough school called
life.
Without a college diploma
tucked under his belt, it was, at
first, a challenge for the ChineseFilipino businessman to venture
into banking.
But now, with the success of
Metrobank and other ventures
that marked his professional life,
Ty looks back to acknowledge
that school and life in general are
the primary shapers of one's
destiny.
Fate has been kind to Ty.
Ty might not have finished
the commerce course he took at
the University of Santo Tomas
(UST) as a young man, but the
accomplished businessman
eventually attained a much
higher honor from the university
last Thursday.
Ty, who founded and chairs
the Metrobank Group of
Companies, was conferred the
degree of Doctor of Humanities,
honoris causa, for his “immense
contribution to nation-building
through his equitable and
THE INDUSTRIALIST (left) receives an honorary degree from UST.
sustainable business practices
and leadership in corporate
social responsibility, acting upon
his dream of empowering
Filipinos with better
opportunities.”
The honorary doctorate from
UST stands above other similar
honors he received in the past.
The honorary doctorate
degree “comes from the
University of Santo Tomas, my
school,” Ty says in his acceptance
speech during a simple
ceremony held at UST's College
of Medicine auditorium. “I stand
before you humbled and grateful
for the honor you bestowed upon
me today.”
Hardships
Ty was actually “not a very
good student, in the traditional
sense,” he admits.
“I had to drop out [of UST]
when I was 18 years old, because
I had to help my father put up
Wellington Flour Mills which,
back then, supplied one-fourth
of the total requirements of the
country.”
u
Page 22
August 15-21, 2014
Page 22
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Experience best
teacher ... From page 21
Inquirer file photo
PAL gets go signal to fly to Guam
By Matikas Santos
MANILA -- Philippine
Airlines (PAL) has expanded its
flights from Philippines to
Guam, a United States (US)
territory in the Pacific Ocean,
following the US Federal
Aviation Administration's (FAA)
upgrading to Category 1 of the
Philippines' aviation safety
rating.
“Philippine Consul General
in Guam Marciano De Borja said
that the increased frequency
g ra n t e d t o PA L i s a
manifestation of enhanced
international confidence in the
Fil-Ams have
fun ... From page 19
the two countries' economic
partnership.
As the four-day tour ended,
R a j a h To u r P h i l i p p i n e s ,
ACGTDT tour ground handler,
has arranged optional out-oftown tours for participants who
want to have additional travel
experience in other Philippine
destinations.
A C G T D T, w h i c h w a s
Philippines,” the Department of
Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a
statement Wednesday, August
13.
“PAL and other Philippineflagged carriers were recently
allowed to increase their
f re q u e n c y a n d ro u te s to
destinations in the US after the
FAA upgraded the country's
av i a t i o n sa fe t y ra t i n g to
Category 1 status,” it said. The
daily flights to Guam will begin
on October 26, 2014. There are
more than 13,500 permanent
Filipinos in Guam, they are
largest ethnic group there after
the indigenous Chamorro
group.
The island is a vital military
base for the US Armed Forces
and was once a stopover port for
the Spanish Galleon Trade route
to the Philippines.
“Consul General De Borja
congratulated PAL for this
milestone in its Manila-Guam
route and invited the airline to
become a close partner and help
actively promote the
Philippines through the
economic and cultural
diplomacy projects of the
Philippine Consulate General,”
the statement said. Inquirer.net
launched in 2005 during the
term of then Philippine
Ambassador to the United
States and now Foreign Affairs
Secretary Albert del Rosario, is
now nine years old and has
consistently attracted hundreds
of participants every year.
It is a joint project of all
Philippine Foreign Service
missions in the U.S. located in
Agana, Chicago, Honolulu, Los
A n g e l e s , N e w Yo r k , S a n
Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
The program, which was by
the Department of Tourism
(DOT) as a banner tourism
project in 2011 is aimed to
encourage Filipino-Americans
to visit the Philippines' various
tourist destination and to
develop a deeper appreciation
of the history, heritage and
cultural of our country.
Based on the DOT's most
recent industry performance
report for the first half of 2014,
visitors from the United States
constituted the second biggest
a r r i va l s f o r t h e p e r i o d .
(Philippine Consulate General
New York Press Release)
For someone who has proven
himself across various industries banking, automotive, power
generation, insurance, real estate,
education, health care, as well as hotel
and tourism - Ty says that he “had to
endure many hardships as a young
businessman.”
For one, when he established the
Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. in
1962 at a “young and inexperienced”
age of 30, he “had to go through a lot of
difficulties,” Ty recalls.
It took three years before the then
central bank issued him a license to
operate.
Even though he was not able to
complete his education, Ty still
acknowledges the good things learning
can bring.
“If there is anything I have learned
in life, it is that education is very
important. This is why, despite my own
shortcomings, I made sure that my
children were given the best education
I could afford. And I am happy to see
that their education has not been
wasted,” Ty says.
Beyond the confines of school
campuses, however, lies even greater
lessons to learn, according to Ty.
“I have also learned that education
comes in many forms. If you are lucky
enough to have the time and money, you
can go to a good school like UST and
earn a degree. But you can also learn
from life itself, with experience as your
professor,” Ty explains.
Cruel
For Ty, “experience can be a very
hard, very strict teacher - sometimes
even cruel. But the lessons you will
learn from experience, you will never
forget,” Ty points out.
Ty shares one of the “positive and
good” lessons he learned from life: “If
you go into business, there is nothing
more important than trust. Like all
good things, trust is not given. It must
be earned. You must make sure to
deliver on your promises. You pay your
debts, and you borrow only what you
can pay. You keep your word. You stay
honest, and avoid scandal and shame.
In other words, be a businessman with
honor.”
This trust also has to be
reciprocated, Ty adds.
“Aside from being trustworthy, the
other key to good business is to trust
others. A good businessman will always
Farmers, traders ...
From page 20
Alcala initiating probe
Alcala said he had been informed
of the matter and was initiating an
investigation.
“We will have that checked,” he
said. “I have been vocal about the
importance of food safety and this is
something that we cannot tolerate.”
Sevilla, for his part, said he would
hold bureau personnel accountable if
there were discrepancies in the
importation of pork.
“We will invite Sinag to a
discussion on their findings. We would
like further details and hope that they
can provide specifics, such as which
import entries they are referring to, so
that we can check for discrepancies
and isolate dubious entries.
“We will also touch base with the
Bureau of Animal Industry so that we
can validate the data,” the customs
chief said in a statement.
“If we find discrepancies in some
find good people he can trust.”
As such, Ty says he considers his
tens of thousands of employees in the
Metrobank group as his “friends.”
“They shared my dream…
ultimately of a better society for all
Filipinos,” he says of the Metrobank
group workforce. “I suppose you can
say that I made a deposit in my own
bank - an investment of hope, an
investment withstanding the test of
time, an investment that will never be
withdrawn. That is my legacy to the
nation and to the future, and I am
trusting you all to take good care of it.”
When Ty was conferred the
honorary degree by Asia's oldest
Catholic university, he joined other
luminaries of UST such as former
presidents Manuel L. Quezon, Manuel
A. Roxas and Corazon C. Aquino, as well
as industry stalwarts Don Andres
Soriano Jr., Washington SyCip and
Emilio T. Yap.
Industry stalwart
GT Capital, which serves as the
primary vehicle for the holdings and
management of the Ty family's firms, is
one of the biggest conglomerates in the
country.
Last year, GT Capital posted a
consolidated net income of P8.6 billion
on the back of P105.5 billion in
consolidated revenues across the
banking, property development, auto
manufacturing, power distribution,
and life and non-life insurance
businesses.
At the end of 2013, the
conglomerate has total consolidated
assets worth P192.4 billion. Total
equity stood at P92.6 billion as of last
year. Among the companies under GT
Capital are Metrobank, Federal Land,
Global Business Power, Toyota
Philippines, Axa Philippines and
Charter Ping An Insurance Corp.
The Metrobank group also has
corporate social responsibility (CSR)
arms actively engaged in philanthropic
activities: Metrobank Foundation, GTMetro Foundation Inc. and Toyota
Motor Philippines Foundation Inc. The
group's CSR programs have
contributed a total of P139 million in
grants to hospitals and social services
from 2009 to 2013, as well as infused
donations worth P113.4 million for
relief and rehabilitation efforts in
calamity-hit areas between 2006 and
2013.
The Ty family's net worth in 2013
stood at $2.6 billionthe sixth among the
richest Filipinos in the country,
according to Forbes Magazines.
Inquirer.net
importations of pork meat, we will
hold our people accountable. To date,
65 of our own personnel at the Bureau
of Customs are being held accountable
for allowing the illegal entry of rice,” he
said.
Sevilla thanked Sinag for bringing
the matter to the bureau's attention
and encouraged other stakeholders
and industry associations to do the
same.
All importations into the
Philippines, segregated by month
since January, are published on the
BOC website, www.customs.gov.ph, he
said.
The pork scam that is more
familiar to the public involved the
Priority Development Assistance Fund
(PDAF), a pork barrel that was a source
of kickbacks for lawmakers until the
Supreme Court declared it
unconstitutional last year.
Three senators - Juan Ponce Enrile,
Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla - are
detained on plunder and graft charges
in connection with the P10-billion
PDAF scam. Inquirer.net
August 15-21, 2014
Page 23
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
GMA Network launches 'Sing with
MyJAPS' music video promo
GMA Network is set to bring
excitement to fans of Asia's Pop
Sweetheart Julie Anne San Jose
with the launch of 'Sing with
MyJAPS' music video promo,
which will run until August 22.
Following the successful
release of Julie Anne's second
album, “Deeper,” GMA Network
opens this opportunity to all
Kapuso fans who love her bright
pop and R&B music. This promo
gives them a chance to be featured
in the music video of Julie Anne's
hit carrier single, "Right Where
You Belong" from her latest album,
which will be shown in various
GMA Network programs.
Kapuso fans, music lovers, and
netizens alike are invited to take a
video of themselves or someone
else, singing the chorus of Julie
Anne's “Right Where You Belong”
using a video camera or a smart
phone. The minus one of the said
single's chorus part can be
downloaded from the videosharing website, YouTube, at
http://youtu.be/SIZ81WWyu0I.
The entries must be submitted
i n M P 4 f o r m a t t o
singwithmyjaps@gmanetwork.com
together with the sender's name
and address. It must also have the
hashtag SingWithMyJaps as the
subject of the email.
The final “Right Where You
Belong” music video will be
uploaded on GMA Records'
Yo u T u b e
c h a n n e l
(GMARecordsOfficial) and viewed
nationwide in the Kapuso
Network. Viewers all over the
world may catch it through GMA
Pinoy TV and GMA Life TV.
Mark Bautista: 'A little
pressure' in playing Marcos
By Allan Policarpio
Mark Bautista, one of the lead
actors of the coming West End
staging of the musical “Here Lies
Love,” knows only too well that
portraying a controversial and
polarizing figure like the late
President Ferdinand Marcos is
b o u n d t o g e n e ra t e m i xe d
reactions, especially in social
media.
Mark told a group of
reporters recently, “There's a
little bit of pressure because
some people like Marcos and
others don't. As early as now, I'm
getting comments on Instagram,
asking why I'm doing the role.
They say Marcos was corrupt, a
womanizer, this and that…”
Unfazed
He remains unfazed by
discouraging feedback, saying
that what he is preparing to do is
“for the arts, entertainment.” He
said “Here Lies Love” - which
follows First Lady Imelda Marcos'
“meteoric rise to power, and then
to her descent into infamy” would not be delving too much
into politics.
“Imelda's shoe collection will
not even be tackled,” said Mark,
who tried out for the role during
the Manila auditions in July (he
sang the Tom Jones hit, “Kiss”).
“The play is more about the
couple's personal lives and
colorful love story.”
Created by David Byrne of the
new wave band Talking Heads
and DJ-record producer Norman
“Fatboy Slim” Cook, the musical
received critical acclaim when it
premiered in New York last year.
Only this much was Mark's selfconfidence when he was younger,
he admits. Alanah Torralba
The West End production
runs from Sept. 30 to Jan. 8 at the
Dorfman Theatre, housed in The
Royal National Theatre complex.
Dingdong Dantes proposes to Marian Rivera (MNS photo)
Right time comes for couple
Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera
By Bayani San Diego Jr.
The right time finally came for
GMA 7 actors Dingdong Dantes and
Marian Rivera.
After months of hemming and
hawing, Dantes finally proposed to
longtime girlfriend Rivera in the
latter's dance show “Marian,” aired
live on Saturday (August 9) night
on GMA 7.
The weekly show's episode
was supposed to be a joint birth
anniversary celebration. He turned
34 on Aug. 2; she's turning 30 on
Aug. 12.
Instead of a birthday bash, it
turned into a pre-wedding party with the entire country as
witnesses.
Rivera said yes, of course.
Rams David, Rivera's manager
told the Inquirer: “She is ecstatic . . .
happy. She's on cloud nine and
she's at peace.”
Ru m o r s o f t h e c o u p l e' s
impending nuptials have been
circulating in show biz for the
longest time.
When asked if she and Dantes
would tie the knot in 2014, Rivera
told the Inquirer in an interview
held earlier this year: “As Dong
would say: Not so far, but not so
near. 'Yon na 'yon. That's it. It
sounds confusing, but we
understand each other.”
In a separate interview with
the Inquirer, Dantes said: “When
the time comes, we will let
everyone know about our plans.”
And they did, on live national
television no less.
After the televised proposal,
Dantes and Rivera rushed to have
dinner with their respective
families, Angel Javier, head of GMA
7 Corporate Communications, told
the Inquirer. “They didn't have
time to talk to anyone,” Javier said,
as they were obviously in a hurry to
celebrate with their loved ones.
The proposal came at a time
when there is also talk that Dantes
might run for senator in the next
national elections in 2016.
Asked about the possibility of
Dantes' candidacy, Rivera told the
Inquirer earlier this year: “Bahala
siya sa buhay niya! Ayoko! (It's up
to him. I don't want to get involved
in politics.) Whenever I am asked
to run in my home province of
Cavite, I say no. But I've told Dong
that whatever he decides in life, I
would support him for as long as it
would be good for him and other
people.”
David told the Inquirer that the
couple will hold a press conference
to discuss their plans soon.
Inquirer.net
Eat your hearts out:
Dionisia Pacquiao's
lover is 40 years old
By Aquiles Z. Zonio
when she celebrated her
65th birthday in May.
GEN. SANTOS CITY -“He requested me not to
Music mix
Mommy Dionisia's children, reveal his full name and his
The production features
i n c l u d i n g S a r a n g a n i background,” Mommy D told
dance numbers set to a mixture of
Re p re s e n t a t ive M a n ny r e p o r t e r s h e r e w h e n
disco, rock and electronic music,
Pacquiao, said her p r e s s e d f o r m o r e
and a 360-degree staging. “It's
happiness was their utmost information about about
not your usual two-hour show
concern and they did not Michael.
with an intermission; it runs
object to her having a
Bobby and Ruel
continuously for 90 minutes,”
boyfriend.
Pacquiao said they were not
Mark said. “It has a concert vibe
Just this week, the 65- against their mother's
and involves a lot of dancing, so
year-old Pacquiao matriarch having a boyfriend because
I've been working out.”
publicly admitted she was in all they wanted was for her
Portraying Imelda is Filipinoa romantic relationship with to be happy.
Australian actress Natalie
a 40-year-old man named
But they said they
Mendoza. Dean John-Wilson, a
Michael.
wanted to meet Michael first
British performer of Chinese
She said she and Michael to know more about him.
descent, is cast as Marcos'
met at a birthday party,
Representative
political rival, the late Sen. Ninoy
details of which she did not Pacquiao said he trusted the
Aquino. Other Filipinos in the
reveal.
wisdom of his mother.
cast, according to Mark, are Jim
Mommy
D,
as
she
is
“I believe that she's
Ferrer, Gia Macuja Atchison and
JANUARY-DECEMBER ROMANCE. The family
more
popularly
known,
said
capable
of making the right
Page 24
Aaron Jan Mercado. u
approves of Mommy Dionisia's young lover Michael.
Michael was also her escort
u
Page 24
Screengrab from ABS-CBN'S Bandila
August 15-21, 2014
Page 24
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
PH's A-Team strikes gold
at World Hip Hop Int'l
Ruel, Isidra, Manny and Bobby Pacquiao. AFP file photos
Eat your hearts ...
From page 23
Philippine dance team “A-Team” was named champion on Monday, Aug. 11 at the 2014 Hip Hop International
Megacrew Division held in Las Vegas, Nevada. PHOTO from Hip Hop International Facebook page
By Aries Joseph Hegina
MANILA -- Filipinos bagged
the gold medal in the Mega
Crew division of the 2014
World Hip Hop International
held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Philippines bested
other teams for the first place
finish, such as the ID CO from
New Zealand and Flyographers
Dance Team from Russia who
placed second and third in the
Mega Crew division,
respectively.
The A-Team, which is
composed of 30 members
belonging to different dance
crews in the Philippines, was
founded on October 1, 2011.
The A-Team's road to the
2 0 1 4 Wo r l d H i p H o p
International in Las Vegas
started by being the champion
in the Varsity and Mega Crew
Divisions of the World Hip Hop
International PhilippinesNational Championships last
May.
A-Team's gold medal finish
marked the fourth time that a
team from the Philippines
emerged as champions in the
World Hip Hop International
after the victory of Philippine
All Stars in 2008 and 2009,
C.I.D.G also in 2009 and
Armistice in 2011.
A-Team's first victory in a
dance contest was during the
Slimmers' World Step-Up
Philippines in October 2011
when the group won second
place. Since then, the group
garnered victories in various
dance competitions abroad
such as placing 2nd Place in the
World Supremacy
Battlegrounds Varsity Division
in Sydney, Australia last
December 2012 and the
c h a m p i o n s o f Wo rl d
Supremacy Battlegrounds
Varsity Division done in
Sydney, Australia in December
last year.
Derek Ramsay: Move to
Tv5 was the right thing
While Derek Ramsay's
“Trophy Wife” (Viva Films)
costars Cristine Reyes and
John Estrada got to freely
promote the movie on ABSCBN, the actor couldn't do as
much because of an alleged
ban which, he admitted,
bothered him.
“It saddens me because I
came from ABS-CBN, which
helped me become who I am
today. I made lots of friends
over there,” Derek said during
a recent press con. “They
teamed me up with Judy Ann
Santos [in “Ysabella,” 2007]
when I was just starting.”
Business decision
But the actor said he
realized that the supposed
restriction was “a business
decision and I respect that.”
Derek is currently a TV5
talent and his contract runs
until next year.
In 2012, Anne Curtis
admitted that ABS-CBN had
instructed her to omit Derek's
name when promoting their
movie, “A Secret Affair,” in the
Derek wants to know the root of the conflict. Rodel Rotoni
noontime program “It's
Showtime.” The conflict was
deemed a result of Derek's
unexpected transfer to TV5
that year.
Not ready
Derek said he hoped to
someday sit down with ABSCBN execs to iron things out.
“I'd really like to understand
why there should be such a
problem,” said the 37-year-
old hunk, adding that things
could still change for the
better. “But obviously, they're
not ready.”
Meanwhile, Derek
maintained that he made the
right decision in jumping
ship. “I did what I thought was
best for my career,” he said.
“I'm happy to be with a
network that I can grow with.”
Allan Policarpio. Inquirer.net
decision,” the boxing champ said.
His wife, Sarangani Vice Governor
Jinkee Pacquiao, said that like her
husband, she was happy to know that
Mommy D has found a new love.
“We support her in whatever
decision she would make. We want her
to be happy,” Jinkee said.
But even with the support her
children and in-laws have shown,
Mommy D said she was not remarrying yet. “Don't worry, I'm going to
announce to the whole world once I
decide get married again,” she told
reporters here on Thursday.
Mommy D said Michael had no
Mark Bautista ...
From page 23
“I don't think I was the best out of
those who auditioned for the part,” Mark
said. “I just feel that when something's
for you, you will get it, no matter what.”
Though he has starred in the local
plays “Noli Me Tangere” and “The Full
Monty,” Mark said his West End stint
could be the most physically-demanding
for him yet. “We get only Sundays off; on
Fridays and Saturdays, we do two
shows,” he said. “I'm not so sure I will
have an alternate.”
Off this week
Mark, who finished runner-up to
Sarah Geronimo in the talent search
“Star for a Night” in 2003, is set to fly to
London on Saturday, Aug. 16.
Despite experiencing theater at a
young age, Mark never considered it a
lucrative, or even practical, career path.
His only dream was to become a
successful recording artist. When he was
16, Mark - after interschool auditions made it into a community-based theater
group called Pasundayag Theater
Company in his native Cagayan de Oro.
His first theater job, however, wasn't
onstage - he sold tickets. “I was okay
with that. Soon after, I was asked to sing
'Lupang Hinirang,' and then 'The Lord's
Prayer,'” he told the Inquirer. “I
eventually became a substitute for
actors who were absent. My first acting
stint was for 'Adios Papa.'”
Back then, Mark didn't think he had
the talent for musicals, so this next
chapter in his life is something he has yet
to fully grasp. “I didn't have much
confidence; I didn't trust myself. But
now, finally, things are starting to sink in.
Perhaps our director (in Pasundayag),
Pacquiao siblings OK with
Mommy D having boyfriend
25 years younger
plans of getting married soon either as
he was still planning to work abroad.
“Just in case, it's not a problem to
me. I can handle a long-distance
relationship,” she said in jest.
Mommy D said she wanted to know
Michael more deeply before making
any life-shaping decision.
“I learned from my past
relationships that it's wrong to love
with all our heart. Always leave
something for yourself so that when a
relationship fails, you'll not be totally
devastated,” she said. Inquirer.net
Mozart Pastrano, saw something in me,”
said Mark, who landed his first lead role
in “Kaaway sa Sulod.”
He continued, “Who knew that I'd go
from Cagayan de Oro to the West End? I
never even thought I would do a play in
Manila. God is good.”
London trip
When Mark and fellow singing
contest alums Sarah, Christian Bautista
and Erik Santos heard last year that
Rachelle Ann Go had made it to the cast
of the West End revival of famed the
musical “Miss Saigon,” they all thought of
going to London to watch their good
friend perform.
But they all had very tight schedules
and Mark, for one, was worried about
saving enough money for the trip. But
like Rachelle, Mark is a firm believer in
destiny. Now he is going to London, not
to just merely watch, but to be watched.
A bit disappointed
“I was in Hong Kong when I got the
news - my heart leapt, my knees shook,”
he related.
Asked what message his and
Rachelle's feats send to other local
talents, Mark simply said, “That
anything's possible.”
In fact, he said, he felt a tinge of
regret that he did not try out for “Miss
S a i g o n ,” d e s p i t e c o n s t a n t
encouragement from friends and
colleagues. “I was scared, when I
shouldn't have been,” he admitted.
“When 'Here Lies Love' came along I
didn't think twice.”
These days, Mark's mind is still filled
with what-ifsthe good kind, this time.
“What if I try Broadway after? What if I
try out for a foreign film?” he said,
laughing. Inquirer.net
TO ADVERTISE, PLEASE CALL
201-434-1114
August 15-21, 2014
Page 25
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Mariah set for Manila concert
By Michael Joe T. Delizo
American pop diva Mariah Carey will
return to Manila as part of her “Me. I Am
Mariah” world tour.
According to a post on her official website
(www.mariahcarey.com), it will be held at the
Mall of Asia Arena on Oct. 28. Tickets will be
available starting Aug. 14.
Mariah's Manila concert comes on the heels
of others to be held in Tokyo, Japan (Oct. 4),
Yokohama, Japan (Oct. 6), Chongqing, China
(Oct. 15), and Singapore, Singapore (Oct. 24).
It's the second time Mariah will perform in
Manila, following her “Charmbracelet” world
tour 11 years ago.
Among Mariah's hit songs are
“Heartbreaker,” “Always Be My Baby,” 'Through
The Rain,” “We Belong Together,” and “Hero,”
among so many other.
The tour is namesake of her 14th album
released early this year. Manila Bulletin
Singer Mariah Carey poses at the Los Angeles premiere
of “Hercules” in Hollywood, California July 23, 2014.
(Reuters/Danny Moloshok)
John Legend to give his all in Manila
By Janine Villagracia
Hit Broadway Musical 'Beauty
and the Beast' tickets go on
sale starting August 12
MANILA -- Belle, Beast, Gaston, Mrs.
Potts, Lumiere and other much-loved
Beauty and the Beast characters come
to life on January 11-25, 2015 as
Ovation Productions brings the original
Broadway spectacular to the CCP Main
Theatre stage!
Experience Belle and the Beast's
wonderful and unique love story in this
one of a kind Broadway musical which
turns 20 years old this year! Tickets go
on sale starting Tuesday, August 12.
Beauty and the Beast is the classic
story of Belle, a young woman in a
provincial town, and the Beast, who is
really a young prince trapped in a spell
placed by an enchantress. If the Beast
can learn to love and be loved in return,
the curse will end and he will be
transformed to his former self. But time
is running out. If the Beast does not
learn his lesson soon, he and his
household will be doomed for all
eternity.
The production is directed by Rob
Roth and choreographed by Matt West.
It features costumes designed by Tony
Award winning Ann Hould-Ward,
lighting designed by Natasha Katz,
scenic designed by Stanley A. Meyer,
sound designed by John Petrafesa Jr.,
and music supervision by Michael
Kosarin. There is also music by Alan
Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman, a
book by Linda Woolverton, and
additional songs with music by Menken
and lyrics by Tim Rice.
Daily showtimes except Mondays
are 8PM with matinees at 2PM
Saturdays and Sundays at the Cultural
Center of the Philippines Main Theater,
CCP Complex. Inquirer.net
MANILA -- Are you ready to
give it your all Manila? You
better be because the nine-time
Grammy Award winner himself,
John Legend, is all geared up to
bring an intimate, acousticfilled, and stripped down
concert to his Filipino fans this
coming September 26.
The show dubbed “An
Evening with John Legend, The
All Of Me Tour” will be held at the
Smart Araneta Coliseum, and is
expected to draw fans of the
critically-acclaimed singersongwriter.
Throwback
Born John Roger Stephen,
Legend has shown interest in
music at a tender age. At seven,
he started learning the piano
and eventually when he reached
college - where his versatility in
music was most recognized - he
met professional music artists
who saw the promise in the
young performer in him.
Legend's journey in the
music industry, you can say, was
kicked off by his collaboration
with singer-songwriter and
rapper Lauryn Hill. After playing
the piano for one of her tracks,
Legend later on found himself
playing shows across different
states like Atlanta, New York,
Philadelphia, and Washington
D.C.
He then started recording, as
back-up vocals, for household
names including Alicia Keys,
Black Eyed Peas, Jay-Z, Kanye
West, and Mary J. Blige.
By 2004, he officially
u
Page 26
August 15-21, 2014
Page 26
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
'Alerto,' other shows dispense helpful
tips and cautionary warnings
By Nestor U. Torre
Most TV shows are watched
because they entertain viewers,
but there are others that offer
more than mere diversion,
dispensing helpful tips and
cautionary warnings to protect
us from shady characters'
nefarious schemes and “modus.”
One such show is Arnold Clavio's
“Alerto.”
Last month, it bared the
m o d u s o p e ra n d i o f l o c a l
shoplifting gangs who steal, in
cash or kind, from unsuspecting
shop clerks. CCTV footage is
used to provide examples of
shady behavior and nasty
schemes and ploys to watch out
for and guard against.
Some shoplifters work in
groups with “watchers”
assigned to keep an eye on
security guards or distract
cashiers, even as point men do
the actual filching of cash, cell
phones, goods, etc.
With so many shady
characters out to make a fast
buck by whatever means, we
need more shows like this to
shock us into well-informed
action to defend and protect
ourselves.
Evil ploys
On US TV, even more helpful
reality shows bare how
criminals operate, and show
viewers what they can do to not
end up as victims of their
sometimes brilliantly evil ploys.
CLAVIO. Hosts public service program.
On “Sin City” recently, the
host, a police investigator, went
undercover to penetrate a
smugglers' ring dealing in illicit
perfume deliveries.
It was chilling to see how the
crime rings had set up complex
mechanisms to protect their
shady schemes, which make
hundreds of millions of dollars a
year. Amateurs who try to
penetrate these protective
defense parameters end up
bludgeoned - or worse! So, guys,
don't try this at home!
Even more detailed and eyeopening was a reality show
about a group of former
policemen who specialized in
solving big shops and
supermarkets' huge shoplifting
problems.
The episode we caught used
a lot of CCTV footage to show
how pairs of “friends” would
enter a store, pick clothing items
or accessories to try on, and
leave with their loot cleverly
stashed in various parts of their
bodies, or in big tote bags.
Another telecast showed
how some particularly daring
and “athletic” shoplifters would
“train” for their criminal sorties
by building up their inner thigh
muscles so that they could carry
big TV sets - between their legs!
And another exposé
revealed how a big woman
pretended to be pregnant so she
could smuggle out a big
appliance (in place of her
discarded fake baby) - with cool
aplomb!
But, the best public service
of all was provided by the
program that bared how the
investigators went not just after
shoplifters, but also deceitful
store employees themselves!
When the boss wasn't
looking, for instance, a female
shop clerk went to the store's
small warehouse and took out
some expensive watches in a box
that she then took to the
building's rooftop - and threw
down to an accomplice waiting
below!
The heist was worth
thousands of dollars, but both
the erring shop clerk and her
accomplice were caught redhanded and on CCTV - and the
establishment's stressed and
financially depleted owner
could finally breathe a huge sigh
of relief! Inquirer.net
Sophisticated, sinfully sexy
‘Chicago' is
coming to
Manila
A scene from “Chicago,” the longest-running American musical in Broadway history.
Contributed photo/Concertus Manila
MANILA -- Manila is in for a
sensational 2014 year-end treat as
Broadway's award-winning smash hit
musical “Chicago” hits the country for
the first time in a strictly limited season
beginning December 2 this year, setting
the stage sinfully ablaze in the
country's newest theatrical luxury
hotspot, The Theatre at Solaire.
Dubbed by The Times, UK as “the
sharpest, slickest show on the block,”
the iconic Broadway and West End
blockbuster is presented in Manila by
Visa and Smart Infinity, in cooperation
with Solaire Resort and Casino.
Featuring an all-star American cast
c o m i n g d i re c t ly f ro m t h e U S ,
“Chicago”'s very first Manila season is
all set to ensnare hearts with its
pulsating repertoire and timeless story
of deception and cunning.
Forever changing the landscape of
Broadway and the West End as a
musical of legendary proportions,
“Chicago”'s poignant and powerful
music matches the dazzlingly slick
choreography, all performed against a
sharply sophisticated set. Audience's
imaginations are guaranteed to be
captivated.
“'Chicago' is a very clever,
sophisticated, sexy show,” says
Lunchbox Theatrical Productions CEO
James Cundall “and because of this it
has managed to maintain its longevity
a n d s e n s u a l i t y t h ro u gh o u t i t s
blockbuster productions all over the
world. The proof is the fact that it is
now the #1 longest-running American
musical in Broadway history”.
Set amidst the razzle-dazzle
decadence of the 1920s, “Chicago” is
the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and
nightclub dancer who maliciously
murders her on-the-side lover after he
threatens to walk out on her. Desperate
to avoid conviction, she dupes the
u
Page 27
John Legend ...
into Legend's collection of prestigious
awards and recognitions.
In 2012 he graduated from Howard
University with an Honorary Doctorate
Degree, and just last year, he released
another studio album (his fourth) titled
“Love in the Future”.
From this recent album is the track
“All of Me” which earned Legend his first
number one single in his 10 years of
professional music. The song - which
you can practically hear everywhere you
go in Manila - peaked at #1 on the iTunes
and the Billboard Hot 100.
From page 25
debuted as a solo singer with his very
own album, “Get Lifted”, and two years
later (in 2006), the LP containing a total
of 14 tracks earned him multiple nods
from the Grammys. Not to mention that
in the same year, he was named again by
the Grammys as “Best Male R&B
Performance” for his single “Heaven”, a
track from his second album, the 2006produced “Once Again”.
Legend then continued
collaborating with different names in
the music industry. In 2008, he worked
with Andre 3000 for a track in his album
“Evolver”, and in 2010, he was heard
singing with the Roots for “Wake Up!”
an album which added another Grammy
The night with the Legend
Equipped with his soulful music that
is sure to move listeners - whether they
are into R&B or not - John Legend is
definitely ready to give Manila his all.
But are you? Inquirer.net
TO ADVERTISE, PLEASE CALL
201-434-1114
August 15-21, 2014
Page 27
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Talk of 'world peace' helps Cebuana, Kalinga beauties win Mutya tilt
By Armin P. Adina
MANILA -- It sounded like a
scene from the movie “Miss
Congeniality”.
Two pageant contenders'
responses about “world peace”
helped them win the top prizes at
the 2014 Mutya ng Pilipinas finals
held at the grand ballroom of the
Solaire Resort and Casino in
Parañaque City on Friday, Aug. 8.
Eva Psychee Patalinjug of Cebu
received the Mutya ng PilipinasAsia Pacific International title
while Glennifer Perido of the
Cordilleras took the Mutya ng
Pilipinas-Tourism International
crown.
During the final round of
questions, the Top 10 delegates
answered questions posed by
social media users.
When asked how she would
educate young people about
gender equality, Patalinjug said: “In
a new era today we have our own
opinions, and that must be
respected. Gender equality must be
respected, as well as those people
that need to be educated.”
“We must be upholding and
respecting each other. We have
different kinds of principles and
values in life. We are unique and
beautiful in our own way. That's
why I'm urging every one of you to
respect each other. Let love and
respect reign in our hearts, so that
world peace will be upon us,”
Patalinjug added.
Her answer prompted pageant
host Christian Bautista to say, “This
is the first time in a pageant that I
hosted where I actually heard
world peace.”
His co-host Bela Padilla
exclaimed: “I know. I only see it in
movies!”
But it did not stop there.
When Perido was asked what
Mutya ng Pilipinas 2014 winners. Armin Adina
question she would pose to God if
given the chance to see him, the
Tabuk City native said: “I will ask
Him the thing that I can do for the
Philippines, to help especially
when it comes to world peace. It is
through peace and unity that we
can be as one, peace and unity will
give us a better life.”
Patalinjug's victory further
established the Queen City of the
South as a bastion of beauty.
Cebuana beauties before her
had taken major Mutya titles two
years in a row. Rizzini Alexis Gomez
and Angeli Dione Gomez (not
related) won the Mutya-Tourism
International title in 2012 and
2013, respectively.
The two Gomezes also scored
back-to-back victories in the Miss
Tourism International pageant in
Malaysia.
Also this year, another Cebuana
Kris Tiffany Janson won the firstever Binibining PilipinasIntercontinental title while Jamie
Herrell took the Miss PhilippinesEarth crown.
Sophisticated ...
From page 26
public, the media and her rival cellmate,
Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago's slickest
criminal lawyer to transform her
malicious crime into a barrage of
sensational headlines, the likes of which
might just as easily be ripped from
today's tabloids.
With an irrepressibly thrilling book
by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by
John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb,
“Chicago''s dazzling depiction of the
scandalous decadence of the 1920s is
vividly brought to life in an impeccable
feast for the senses with stage direction
by David Hyslop and choreography by
David Bushman.
Time Magazine calls the show “A
Triumph,” Newsweek raves “Smashing”
and Entertainment Weekly sums it up by
calling it “Broadway's Most Electrifying
Show.”
Produced by Barry and Fran
Weissler, the original New York
Production was directed by Walter
Bobbie and originally choreographed by
Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse.
“Chicago” features set design by John Lee
Beatty, costume design by William Ivey
Long, lighting design by Ken Billington
and sound design by Scott Lehrer. The
production also features orchestrations
by Ralph Burns and supervising music
direction by Rob Fisher.
SMART Infinity offers an exclusive
package featuring 2 complimentary
orchestra VIP tickets, the original cast
Patalinjug, 20, shared her
thoughts about Cebu's recent
emergence in the pageant circuit.
“We are confident and we work
hard in everything that we do,” she
told the Inquirer after her
coronation.
The Cebuana beauty queen
also got a string of special awards.
She earlier received the Best in
Swimsuit award at the Sheridan
Resort in Puerto Princesa City,
which fast-tracked her to the
pageant's Top 10. She was also
proclaimed Mutya ng Solaire,
Mutya Viva Discovery and Mutya
ng Sheridan.
Aside from the newly designed
crown, Patalinjug also took home a
P150,000 cash prize, P100,000
worth of cosmetic services at the
Zen Institute, a shopping spree at
Fisher Mall, a scholarship grant
from the University of Perpetual
Help System, and several flights via
Sky Jet Airlines for one year.
The pageant's organizers did
not disclose which international
competition Patalinjug will be
album official soundtrack, plus a
premium device for both new, and
renewing members. Existing Smart
Infinity members also enjoy priority
booking, plus 10% off on tickets
purchased between August 8 and
September 8, 2014, by calling the
SMART Infinity Worldwide Concierge at
(02) 687-8338.
VISA cardholders will also have
exclusive access to the 1-month priority
booking. Cardholders can purchase their
tickets from August 8 September 8,
2014 with a 10% discount.
Solaire Resort and Casino's new
luxuriously styled 1760-seat Lyric
Theatre with the latest state-of-the-art
technical and stage facilities, plush
fittings, and rich atmosphere will house
world class Broadway shows, as well as
local and international concert artists,
ballet acts, speaker series and more.
CHICAGO, the West End and
Broadway smash hit comes to Manila for
the very first time. Strictly limited
season from 02 to 21 December 2014, at
The Theatre at Solaire. Presented in
Manila by VISA and SMART Infinity, in
cooperation with Solaire Resort and
Casino. Brought to you by Lunchbox
Theatrical Productions, David Atkins
Enterprises, and Concertus Manila.
Media partners Philippine Star,
BusinessWorld, and Philippine Daily
Inquirer. Book your tickets now thru
TicketWorld. Call 891-9999 or visit
w w w. t i c k e t w o r l d . c o m . p h . V i s i t
www.ChicagoTheMusical.com for more
information. Inquirer.net
competing in. She inherited her
title from 2013 Miss
Intercontinental third runner-up
Koreen Medina, who was also
proclaimed Queen of Asia and
O c e a n i a . B u t r iva l p a g e a n t
Binibining Pilipinas now has the
right to send the Philippine
representative to the Germanybased global tilt.
Meanwhile, the 24-year-old
Perido is bound for Malaysia to
attempt a three-year streak for the
Philippines in the Miss Tourism
International contest in December.
Perido's crown also came with
a P120,000 cash prize, P100,000
worth of cosmetic services at the
Zen Institute, and several flights via
Sky Jet Airlines for one year.
She was earlier proclaimed
Best in Long Gown in Nueva Ecija,
which fast-tracked her to the
pageant's Top 10. She was also
proclaimed Mutya ng Zen Institute,
Mutya ng Colour Collection, Mutya
ng Ivana Fragrances, and Mutya ng
Tupperware Brands Philippines.
The special title “Mutya ng
Pilipinas-Overseas Communities”
was awarded to Patrizia Bosco
from the Filipino community of
Milan, Italy.
During the final round, an
interpreter struggled to translate
the question into Italian. Bosco
chose to answer with her limited
English.
When asked if she is in favor of
removing age restrictions for job
applicants to address the
unemployment rate, Bosco said: “I
do not want that someone at any
age will work. Because I think that a
person, to have better future, must
have preparation at school, must
study.”
Spectators rewarded her with
loud cheers.
Bosco was earlier voted by
media men as “Darling of the
Press.” She was also hailed Mutya
ng Lee Cooper Jeans and Mutya ng
Sheridan, and received the “I Am
Confidence” award from
Tupperware Brands Philippines.
Mutya ng Pilipinas actively
engages the overseas Filipino
communities by accepting their
representatives to the pageant
every year. But no overseas-based
delegate has won a major title after
Ashley McGarry's proclamation as
Mutya ng Pilipinas-Asia Pacific
International in 2010.
Mutya ng Pilipinas President
Jacqueline Tan said the pageant
espouses “beauty tourism,” so the
winners are expected to promote
Philippine destinations to local and
international tourists.
The pageant also promotes
Philippine fashion by showcasing
the designs of local couturiers in
the national costume competition.
Designer Renee Salud made the
swimsuits and evening gowns of
the 30 delegates, as well as the
ternos of the Top 10 candidates.
Inquirer.net
Fil-British beauty to represent
UK in Miss Supranational 2014
Zandra Flores. Photo from Miss Supranational Facebook
account.
MANILA -- A Filipino-British
citizen will represent the United
Kingdom in the Miss
Supranational pageant in Poland
this December.
Zandra Flores, 25, was
crowned Miss Supranational UK
last July 30. She is set to represent
UK at the Miss Supranational
2014 International finals, the
official Facebook page of Miss
Supranational posted.
Flores joined Miss Earth
Philippines, Binibining Pilipinas,
Mutya ng Pilipinas, and Miss
Universe Great Britain in the past
but failed to bag any of the titles.
“Thank you to everyone that
has supported me throughout my
journey especially to all my
supporters from my motherland,
Philippines. Maraming salamat
po,” Flores posted on her
Facebook fan page.
Last year, Mutya Datul of the
Philippines bagged the Miss
Supranational crown. This year's
pageant will be held on
December 5 in Poland.
Inquirer.net
August 15-21, 2014
Page 28
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Michael Martinez back in US
to train for skating Grand Prix
By Aries Joseph Hegina
Manny Pacquiao. AP file photo
Pacquiao: Boxing is my top priority
By Aquiles Z. Zonio
GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Eightdivision world champion Manny
Pacquiao, who had earlier signified his
intention to join the Philippine
Basketball Association draft late this
month after being hired as playing coach
by KIA Motors, is assuring his fans that
boxing remains his top priority.
“Basketball is my first love but
boxing is my bread and butter,” Pacquiao
told the Inquirer in a telephone
interview on Monday. “It's a matter of
time management. I've been doing
multi-tasking before and this job as
playing-coach of a basketball team is no
longer new.”
Pacquiao also said his entire
training for his November 23 ring
encounter with American boxer Chris
Algieri will be held here, away from the
distractions of pro basketball.
Boxing Hall of Fame trainer Freddie
Roach has nothing to worry about; he
will get what he wished for.
Roach, who had had voiced concern
about Pacquiao's foray into the world of
basketball, had been pushing for
Pacquiao's training against Algieri be
carried out in GenSan. Roach feared
Pacquiao might get distracted by his
passion for basketball while training for
his next fight.
Pacquiao said his coach and
hardcore fans have nothing to worry
about as his entire training camp will be
in General Santos City.
This is the second time the world
boxing icon would be holding his
training camp in the city.
Fo r h i s f i gh t w i t h B ra n d o n
“Bambam” Rios, the Filipino ring idol
spent his entire training here then flew
to Macau, China, five days before the
scheduled fight.
Pacquiao has his own Wild Card
Gym here where he used to hold his
training and sparring sessions.
He also has a basketball court right
inside his sprawling compound at City
Heights.
Since his return here after his
conquest of American boxer Timothy
Bradley last April 12 in Las Vegas,
Nevada, Pacquiao has been actively
playing different games such as
basketball, volleyball, chess, billiards,
darts and scrabble.
His covered court teems with people
engaged in various sports activities
every time he's around. Inquirer.net
Roderick “Manoy” C.
Bazar winning at
masters' championship
in Dewey Beach,
Delaware. Contributed
photo
Samar native wins Delaware
skimboarding tournament
By Bert Eljera
LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- A self-taught
surfer from a seaside town in Eastern
Samar has captured the masters'
championship of a world-class
skimboarding tournament in Delaware
that drew entries from around the world.
Roderick “Manoy” C. Bazar of Sabang
South, Borongan, Eastern Samar, also
captured the overall runner-up position
of the event held in Dewey Beach in
Delaware, August 9-10.
“This is beyond awesome, a dream
come true,” said the 28-year old Bazar,
who was sponsored by Exile Skimboards.
Skimboarding is a relatively new
sport, a take off from surfing. It is a board
sport in which a smaller and skinnier
surfboard, usually between 61 and 64
inches, is used to glide across the water's
surface. It grew in popularity from the
beaches of California. Skimboarders drop
the board onto the thin wash of previous
waves and use their momentum to skim
out to the breaking ones, which they then
catch back into shore like surfing.
To score points, skimboarders do
tricks like skateboarders. Bazar has been
competing for the past eight years or so. If
he could again secure sponsors, Bazar
wants to compete in the World Skim Tour
in Newport Beach, California, where he
reached the semifinals last year.
In last year's competition “Manoy,”
Bazar's nickname, which means elder
brother in the Waray-Waray dialect drew
support from folks from Borongan living
in Southern California.
He is expected to get that support
again, said Ian Olmedo, his manager.
Inquirer.net
MANILA -- Philippine
Olympian Michael Christian
Martinez is back in the US to
train for the International
Skating Union (IUS) Grand
Prix of Figure Skating which
will be held in Chicago on
October 24 .
Yet, winning the Grand
Prix is not the only concern
Martinez has to face as he
revealed on his social media
accounts that he has stopped
training for months now due
to lack of financial support.
In his official Twitter
account, Martinez tweeted on
August 1 that he is in California
to train for the ISU Grand Prix.
In his official Facebook page,
he called for the immediate
release of pledged funding for
him to continue his training.
Martinez has the
distinction of being the only
Filipino and Southeast Asian
to compete in the Grand Prix.
The ISU Grand Prix is a
series of international senior
f i g u re s ka t i n g c o n te s t s .
Martinez will be competing in
the first event of the 20142015 ISU Grand Prix called the
2014 Hilton Honors Skate
America. Medals will be given
Michael Martinez. Inquirer file photo
to the winners of men's
singles, ladies' singles, pair
skating, and ice dancing.
Also, skaters will
accumulate points in each
event and only the top six of
each event will qualify to the
Grand Prix final to be held in
Barcelona, Spain in December.
Martinez will be
competing against world and
Olympic greats in figure
skating such as Jeremy Abbott
of the United States, Tatsuki
Machida of Japan, Denis Ten of
Kazakhstan, and Artur
Gachinski of Russia.
Martinez currently ranks
27th in the world and made
history during the 2014 Sochi
Winter Olympics when he
became the first Filipino figure
skater who competed in the
Winter Olympics. Inquirer.net
August 15-21, 2014
Page 29
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
Filipinos are no. 1 in social media engagement
The Internet is indispensable
to Filipinos, satisfying their core
human needs of Relationship
(sharing experiences and
emotions), Diversion
(entertainment and relaxation),
Progression (career and financial
status), Recognition (expressing
opinions and earning respect), and
Learning (exploring the world and
keeping updated.)
This was learned by UM, a
division of IPG Mediabrands,
which recently launched Wave 7,
the world's largest and longestrunning survey representing more
than one billion active Internet
users.
“It's no longer enough to
simply track the latest trends,
because much of what you see is
just background noise or, even
worse, a complete distraction.
What we really need is to
understand the motivations
behind these trends because even
the most superficial social
interaction online is driven by a
consumer need,” says Chito Jusi,
head of UM Philippines. He adds,
“By answering these needs, and by
combining technology, social
platforms and media in a more
c o h e s i v e w a y, b r a n d s a n d
publishers of content can put
themselves in an extremely
powerful position.”
KEY WAVE 7 FINDINGS
The study further reveals the
following:
Social is a day-to-day
imperative. With some 11 million
Filipinos living overseas, social
networking has become a way to
connect and communicate with
friends and family. Pinoys now lead
the world in the amount of time
spent socializing online: 53 hours
versus 42 hours on average in a
week.
According to Wave 7, 74
percent stated social media
satisfied the primary need to stay
in touch with friends; meet new
people (70 percent); have fun (65
percent); share new experiences
(63 percent); and keep company
(62 percent).
Mobility is the new norm. Wave
7 has seen a continued growth and
ownership of Internet-connected
mobile devices such as full-sized
tablets, mini tablets, and
smartphones, leading to more
things being done on the go.
Smartphone ownership has almost
doubled rising from 38 percent
during Wave 6 research to 64
percent this year, outpacing global
growth rates.
The rapid growth of mobile is
resulting in an “always on”
mentality, with consumers around
the world being more connected,
more often. As smart technology is
increasing the frequency of social
interactions online, it is making
social interactions quick and easy,
a n d c o n t ex t u a l t o w h a t i s
happening around users right now.
The fragile balance between
privacy and sharing of information.
With device ownership comes a
risk of sharing information.
Privacy continues to remain a
primary concern for Filipinos.
Some 77 percent are hesitant to
share personal data online
compared with 66 percent of users
in the region and 67 percent
globally.
However, it is also interesting
to note that concerns about
sharing data online haven't
changed at all since Wave 6. In fact,
there has been a nine percent uplift
in users joining brand
communities, increasing from 60
percent in Wave 6 to 69 percent
this year.
Some 63 percent of Filipinos
think more positively about brands
with pages on social networks and
a c t ive ly j o i n o n l i n e b ra n d
communities to learn more about
the brand (92 percent); to get news
about products (88 percent); and
to share their appreciation with
others (85 percent).
“Content is now the fast
moving consumer goods and
Filipinos are voracious consumers
of content. Brands and publishers
can seize this opportunity to tell
interesting stories and engage with
them at a deeper, more personal
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 32 Sudoku
Solution to Issue 32 Crossword
level,” says Jusi.
Microblogging. The trend of
microblogging, which has seen a
strong uptick globally (63.7
percent), exhibits a rather slower
adoption by Filipinos, with only 52
percent active in this area,
compared to Indonesians who are
most active in the Southeast Asia
region at 85 percent. However,
compared with Wave 6 (48
percent), the trend of
microblogging has increased in the
Philippines, though it is China
leading the way with 94 percent of
Internet users active on microblog,
Sina Weibo.
Device ownership. Laptop is
still the most versatile device
globally (79.97 percent) and
a c ro ss A PAC re g i o n ( 83. 49
percent), barring Korea where
mobile infrastructure makes
smartphone the most dominant
device owned (84.16 percent) over
laptops (64.77 percent).
Privacy. Internet privacy
continues to make front-page
news. Almost 70 percent of global
consumers registered concern
about the amount of personal data
online. However, over 43 percent
are supportive of brands using
o n l i n e b e h av i o ra l d a t a fo r
marketing if it improves their
online experience.
This value-exchange has
resulted in a 10 percent spike in
consumer membership in brand
communities, proving that a
greater understanding of
consumer needs can lead to a more
strategic approach to engagement.
In Southeast Asia, Filipinos,
despite being the most avid social
networkers, were the most
c o n c e r n e d a b o u t p r i v a c y.
According to Wave 7 data, 77
percent of users expressed they
were concerned about the amount
of personal data online, followed
by the Chinese (71 percent). Least
worried were the Indonesians (57
percent).
Professional social
networking. Professional social
networking has shown the fastest
growth in the past year, both
globally and in the Philippines,
where it increased 17 percent,
rising from 41 percent as seen in
Wave 6 to 58 percent this year.
Wave 7 reveals that this platform
has become the key place to boost
professional profile, as well as
influence opinion and earn
respect.
Filipinos (36 percent),
followed by the Vietnamese (44
percent), see social media as
essential to improving social status
and agree that it helps build career
and financial opportunities. In
comparison, the South Koreans at
22 percent were the least keen in
the APAC region to leverage social
media's career advancement
opportunities. Manila Bulletin
EXPRESS CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1. First Greek letter
6. Mire
10. Notion
14. Christmas song
15. Weightlifters pump
this
16. Young sheep
17. Matchless
19. Hawaiian feast
20. Humiliate
21. Beer
22. Nile bird
23. Rock
25. Inscribed pillar
26. Unwakable state
30. Twerp
32. Forsake
35. Provide commentary
39. Hang around
40. Scanty
41. Physical examination
43. A cowboy movie
44. Spotted cat
46. Feudal worker
47. Thrash
50. Motif
53. Lantern
54. Meadow
55. Arouse
60. Dogfish
61. Illogical
63. Fog
64. Wise men
65. Site
66. Leisure
67. Implored
68. Gladden
1. Corrosive
2. Alley
3. Dainty
4. "Where the heart is"
5. Assumed name
6. Missing In Action
7. Sophisticated
8. An Irish girl
9. Leg joint
10. Unable to read
11. Braised meat stew
12. Electronic letters
13. Bad treatment
DOWN
18. Explosive
24. Possess
25. Fathers
26. Serene
27. Double-reed
woodwind
28. A female
domestic
29. Expect
31. What a person is
called
33. Sticker
34. By mouth
36. How old we are
37. Small slender gull
38. Sea eagle
42. Genuine
43. Suffering
45. Accuse
47. Blaze
48. Female demon
49. Awry
51. Got together
52. Banish
54. Not stiff
56. Not hot
57. Ancient
Peruvian
58. Tight
59. If not
62. Assist
August 15-21, 2014
Page 30
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
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September 30, 2014
September 30, 2014
August 15-21, 2014
Page 31
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
August 15-21, 2014
Page 32
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS