The Filipino Express v28 Issue 02

Transcription

VOL. 28 w
NO. 02 w
NATIONAL EDITION w
NEW JERSEY w
NEW YORK w
JANUARY 10 - 16, 2014 w
(201) 434-1114 w
$1.00
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Barefoot devotees clamber over one another to touch the Black Nazarene during the ebony-hued wooden statue's slow procession from Manila's main park to a historic church in
Manila on January 9, 2014. Millions of barefoot devotees packed the streets of Manila for one of the world's biggest Catholic parades, honoring a statue of Jesus Christ they believe has
miraculous powers. AFP
35% bunkhouse kickbacks probed
Scary Low-Pressure Area
Lacson: Politician
eyed in new scam
By Christian V. Esguerra
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)
weather forecaster Joey Figuracion points at the satellite image of the low-pressure area
(LPA) located 1,400 kilometers east of Mindanao yesterday. If it intensifies into a typhoon
and enters the country, it will be named 'Agaton' as the country's first storm this year. Local
disaster officials in Albay are preparing for what they fear a 'Yolanda'-like super-typhoon.
(Jacqueline Hernandez) Manila Bulletin
Fil-Am appointed Utah
attorney general
Rehabilitation chief Panfilo Lacson (inset) has begun investigating reports of a
possible “collusion” between contractors and “at least one politician” to pocket
kickbacks of 30 to 35 percent in the construction of bunkhouses (shown in photo)
for victims of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” in Leyte and Samar. Photo of Lacson from
Inquirer file/AP photo/Achmad Ibrahim
Rehabilitation chief Panfilo
Lacson has begun investigating
reports of a possible “collusion”
between contractors and “at
least one politician” to pocket
kickbacks of 30 to 35 percent in
the construction of bunkhouses
for victims of Supertyphoon
“Yolanda” in Leyte and Samar.
Lacson, a former senator and
Philippine National Police chief,
has tapped the PNP Criminal
Investigation and Detection
Group to help gather evidence in
the investigation he “quietly”
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Four to receive
Carlos P. Romulo
Award on Jan. 14
MANILA -- “In my blood runs the immortal seed
… that flowered down the centuries in deeds of
Loida Nicolas Lewis (contributed photo) and CHEd
courage and defiance,” thus reads what may be then
WASHINGTON, DC -- Filipino-American
chairperson Patricia Licuanan (Photo from ched.gov.ph)
United Nations General Assembly President Carlos
Sean Reyes has been sworn in as state
P. Romulo's most celebrated speech, “I am a
attorney general of Utah, becoming the first
Filipino.”
Asian-American to hold a statewide post in
And on his 115th birthday, a nongovernment
that state.
organization will bestow an award that
Reyes, 42, is the son of immigrants with
“remembers his legacy” to Filipinos who have
Filipino and Spanish roots. Married with six
proven that the same blood still flows.
children, he was raised in Southern
The United Nations Association of the
California and received his law degree from
Philippines (Unap) on Jan. 14 will accord the
UC Berkeley in 1997.
General Carlos P. Romulo (CPR) Award for
At his swearing in, Reyes vowed “to
International Achievements to four persons who
restore public trust” in an office devastated
“have put the Philippines on the world map.”
by scandal, and “create a culture change”
Manny Pacquiao (Inquirer file photo) and Foreign Secretary
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Sean Reyes
Albert del Rosario (AFP file photo)
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 2
THE FILIPINO EXPRESS
9 senators
realign P1.8
Billion pork
By TJ Burgonio, Gil C.
Cabacungan
(From left to right) A. CAYETANO, P. CAYETANO, EJERCITO, ESTRADA, LAPID, RECTO, REVILLA, SANTIAGO, TRILLANES. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
Nine senators who had their
pork barrel totaling P1.8 billion
realigned to projects and the
calamity fund in the 2014
national budget were well within
their rights to do so, Sen. Francis
Escudero said on Wednesday.
For instance, Escudero said,
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada was doing
his job when he introduced an
amendment to allot his P200
million in Priority Development
Assistance Fund (PDAF)
allocation to three local
government units [including
Manila where his father is the
mayor].
This came ahead of the
implementation of the P2.265trillion national budget, and
hence, did not violate the
Supreme Court decision striking
d o w n t h e 2 0 1 3 P DA F a s
unconstitutional, according to
the chair of the finance
committee.
Even so, the final decision to
release or not to release the fund
allotted to the three local
government units (LGUs) lay
with the executive department,
he said.
“In accordance with the
powers of Congress, all of us can
introduce an amendment. That's
our legislative power. If the
President submits the budget, we
can't skirt our duty to amend it.
What are we, a rubber stamp?”
Escudero said by phone,
chuckling.
As the pork barrel scandal
roiled Congress, 15 senators
opted to have each of their P200million annual PDAF allocation
deleted from the 2014 budget, as
did Vice President Jejomar Binay.
That was P3.2 billion less
than the House of
R e p r e s e n t a t ive s - a p p r o ve d
P2.268-trillion budget. In the
end, both chambers approved a
P2.265-trillion budget that
President Aquino signed into law
before Christmas.
The other nine senators
decided to realign their
respective allocations.
Cayetano et al.
Escudero said Senators Alan
Peter and Pia Cayetano, Ralph
Recto, Miriam Defensor-Santiago
and Joseph Victor Ejercito
manifested to have their PDAF
allocation realigned to the
calamity fund.
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The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has been losing more than P5 billion a year
due to the undervaluation of imported plastic manufacturing materials by
a group led by “Ma'am T,” one of the big-time players in the Department of
Finance-attached agency. Inquirer photo
Customs losing P5-B a
year to 'Ma'am T' et al.
By Jerry E. Esplanada
MANILA -- The Bureau of
Customs (BOC) has been losing
more than P5 billion a year due to
the undervaluation of imported
plastic manufacturing materials
by a group led by “Ma'am T,” one of
the big-time players in the
Department of Finance-attached
agency.
This was revealed to the
Inquirer on Wednesday by a newly
appointed BOC official who said
that at the bureau “Ma'am T is also
known as Ma'am Tina,” which is
short for “a certain Tina Yu.”
“Many customs old-timers
know who she is. Her influence, as
well as her generosity, are
common knowledge at the
bureau,” the official noted.
The source confirmed this
paper's earlier report that underthe-table deals between corrupt
examiners, appraisers and other
frontline bureau personnel and
players like Ma'am T were among
the main causes of the BOC's
failure to meet its revenue
collection targets.
“ B e c a u s e o f h e r, t h e
importation of plastic resin
products, mainly by front business
firms or consignees being used by
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January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 3
Bunkhouses built by
government violate
building code
By Bong Lozada
MANILA -- Architect Jun
Palafox, who has worked in
various rebuilding and
rehabilitation programs in
different countries, said that the
bunkhouses built by the
g ove r n m e n t a s te m p o ra r y
shelters for people rendered
homeless by Yolanda were
substandard and undersized.
In an interview with Inquirer
Radio 990AM, the urban planner
also said that the construction
and design of the temporary
shelters were “inhumane.”
“I can confirm they
(bunkhouses) were substandard
and undersized,” said Palafox.
International standards, he
said, require bunkhouses to be at
least 20 square meters and
should have two bedrooms.
“Daughters should not be
sleeping with their fathers or
brothers, it's a basic human
requirement,” he explained.
“What I saw there was so
inhumane.”
Palafox, who has worked with
38 other countries in rebuilding
disaster-stricken areas,
compared the bunkhouses that
they built in Sri Lanka and
Malaysia to the ones being built in
Leyte.
“I'm reminded of the saying,
`We build monuments for the
dead but we can't even provide
decent housing for the living','' he
said by phone when interviewed
by the Inquirer.
He added that the
bunkhouses in Leyte have
violated various laws in terms of
building construction, saying that
the spaces for the families are
cramped and the materials used
were fire hazards.
“ Va r i o u s i n t e r n a t i o n a l
organizations confirmed that
they (bunkhouses) are cramped
and are fire hazards; there is no
privacy; it violates the building
code… I would not put my family
there,” Palafox said. “How can you
put a family of five into a six to
nine square-meter room while
the materials used were onefourth plywood.”
Palafox also said that the
roofing, which were made with
“dos aguas” galvanized iron
sheets (two slopes) were the
CLASSES RESUME. Rex Tismo, 5, is all smiles as classes in kindergarten and other levels resume at Manlurip Elementary
School in Tacloban City, two months after Supertyphoon “Yolanda” destroyed schools and houses, and killed thousands on
Nov. 8, 2013. Only about one out of three students enrolled at the school before the typhoon returned for the resumption of
classes. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
Happy, sad as classes
reopen in Tacloban
By Joey Gabieta
again, but she also felt sad 2013, came back for the
because only 32 of her original resumption of classes that
TACLOBAN CITY -- The 67 students showed up.
started with the singing of the
resumption of classes on
“I just hope and pray that national anthem and ended with
M o n d a y, J a n . 6 i n a r e a s they just left the city and nothing short physical exercises.
devastated by Supertyphoon bad happened to them,” she said.
“Yolanda” was a bittersweet
So far, four students of Tent
experience for Grade 2 teacher Manlurip Elementary School
The Grades 5 and 6 students
Arlene Restor of Manlurip have been confirmed dead.
stayed at the 60-square-meter
Elementary School here.
Only 36 percent (137) of the tent donated by the United
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Restor was happy to return 383 pupils enrolled at the N a t i o n s C h i l d r e n' s F u n d
to school and see her students elementary school before Nov. 8,
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January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 4
Customs losing
P5-B ... From page 2
her group, has become centralized.
That is why importers of these
products deal only with her,” said the
source.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
'Buddy R' tagged
in rice import scam
DAVAO CITY -- Amid reports
about a David Tan being behind
massive rice smuggling in the
country and the search for who he
really is, a militant organization
that had been alleging
widespread corruption in rice
importation by the government
said a bagman is operating in the
agriculture department
delivering rice import contracts
to private traders and hundreds
of millions of pesos in kickbacks
to officials.
The bagman, according to
lawyer Argee Guevarra, president
of the group Sanlakas, is “Buddy
R.” Guevarra issued the statement
amid the controversy over a
David Tan allegedly controlling
the smuggling of rice into the
country, including in this port
where two shipments of rice are
currently on hold on suspicion of
smuggling.
Kickbacks from imports
According to the Sanlakas
statement, Buddy R “manages
kickbacks” generated from the
importation by the National Food
Authority (NFA) of rice. The NFA
imports rice as buffer stock after
reports showed that the
government is not likely to be
able to meet its rice production
targets this year.
Buddy R, according to the
Sanlakas statement, is a trader
that corners contracts from the
agriculture department to import
rice and delivers commissions to
officials involved in the rice
importation deals.
“Besides being involved in the
illicit rice scheme, he is engaged
in buying NFA properties at a very
cheap price and selling or leasing
the same at a higher cost,” said
G u e va r ra i n t h e S a n l a k a s
statement. Inquirer.net
BIR needs 6,000 lawyers, CPAs to boost drive
By Jun Ramirez
MANILA -- The Bureau of
Internal Revenue is hiring an
additional 6,000 lawyers and
certified public accountants to
boost its tax collection campaign
and hit this year's estimated P1.3
trillion target for the year.
This was disclosed yesterday
by BIR Commissioner Kim S.
Jacinto Henares as the
Department of Budget and
Management approved the
bureau's rationalization plan.
Henares said graduates of
commerce courses with at least
18 units in accounting may also
apply as collection officers to be
assigned in the provinces.
The recruitment program
will increase the personnel
complement of the bureau from
12,000 to 18,000.
Under the plan, the BIR will
detail one collection officer per
town or municipality to
maximize the collection of taxes
in the countryside.
Many taxpayers in the
provinces escaped payment of
correct taxes, or pay no taxes at
all because of the shortage of
collection officers.
Presently, three or four
adjoining towns are covered by
only one collection agent.
Likewise, financial
statements of many taxpayers in
Metro Manila and other urban
centers are not thoroughly
assessed because of lack of
manpower, thus the hiring of
additional lawyers and CPAs.
Records showed that the
bureau has only about 3,500
personnel directly into the the
tax collection job, a small
number compared to other
South East Asian Countries
which have thrice or four times
more.
BIR insiders cited Vietnam
which has more than 44,000 tax
examiners despite the fact that
its economy is smaller compared
to the Philippines and its major
industries under government
control. Manila Bulletin
www.realestateattorneynj.com
Influence imports
Like other players, Ma'am T can
influence the volume of imports
handled by the bureau, “either by
withholding or bringing in more
shipments to help the customs meet its
monthly collection targets.”
That is, if the mutually agreed on
“tara,” or dirty money, to facilitate the
release of the imports is met between
them and their contacts at the agency,
the official said.
But a second source, a former
9 Senators ...
From page 2
Escudero said Senators Ramon
Revilla Jr., Lito Lapid and Antonio
Trillanes IV decided to allot their
PDAF to schools, hospitals and public
works projects, while Estrada opted to
have his allocated to the LGUs.
Breakdown
Based on data culled by the
Inquirer from the 2014 General
Appropriations Act, four senators
allocated the funds to the following:
EstradaManila, P100 million;
Caloocan City, P50 million where
Mayor Oscar Malapitan is a political
ally; and Lla-lo, Cagayan province, P50
million, where an airport is being built
to serve the Cagayan Special Economic
Zone.
LapidDepartment of Public Works
and Highways (DPWH), P193 million;
Department of Health (DOH), P5
million; and Department of Social
Welfare and Development, P2 million.
RevillaDPWH, P84.5 million; DOH,
P75 million; and University of the
Philippines, P35 million.
TrillanesDOH-Office of the
S e c r e t a r y, P 1 0 2 . 4 5 m i l l i o n ;
Commission on Higher Education,
P36.2 million; Philippine Army,
P27.95 million; Philippine Navy, P22
million; Philippine National Police,
P7.4 million; and Technical Education
and Skills Development Authority, P4
million.
Trillanes justification
Sought for comment, Trillanes
said he decided to realign his
allocation to fund the scholarship
programs of state universities and
colleges, and support charity patients
in public hospitals and the
construction of barracks for soldiers
affected by the abolition.
“Deleting it from the national
budget will not allow me to do this
unless I will realign funds from the
budget of other government agencies,”
he said in a text message Wednesday
night.
In a text message, Budget
Secretary Florencio Abad said the
amount that Estrada realigned was
approved by the Senate and adopted
b y t h e b i c a m e ra l c o n f e r e n c e
committee.
“ T h ey we re i n t ro d u c e d a s
amendments to the budget. As such,
they will require a special budget
request for their release,” said Abad.
While Abad could not verify the
other realignments made by Lapid,
Revilla and Trillanes, he said these
would also be subject to the same
treatment as Estrada's realignments.
customs official, said that like other
players, Ma'am T had “on many
occasions fallen prey to the so-called
'alert me, release me' scheme”
practiced by some corrupt bureau
personnel.
Under the scheme, players are
allowed to bring in undervalued
imports. Upon their filing, however, of
import entries and payment of duties
based on the undervalued
declarations, alert orders are issued
against the goods. An assessment of
the shipment's supposed real value is
then made and the player makes
additional payments to facilitate the
lifting of the order and the release of
the shipment.”
“The additional payments, of
course, are shared among all those
involved in the scheme, and not the
bureau,” said the official. Inquirer.net
“We still have to find out where
said PDAF allocations were realigned.
And if indeed they were realigned,
they are also subject to special budget
request,” the budget secretary said.
In the House, Bayan Muna Rep.
Neri Colmenares said he was
surprised about Abad's claim that the
realignments would still need
clearance from the Department of
Budget and Management.
Lump-sum items
“The Supreme Court was not clear
on whether lawmakers could realign
the funds or not because it is clear that
Congress has the power of the purse
and has the prerogative where
government money should be spent.
What it was clear on was that lumpsum items should be discontinued and
that everything in the budget should
be itemized,” Colmenares said in a
phone interview
He said the House practically
realigned P930 billion worth of items
in the 2014 budget, including the pork
barrel, because it wanted to ensure
that all expenses were itemized and
not carried as lump sums.
“So why does the President have to
give his clearance before releasing the
funds realigned by the senators? This
is still patronage politics, the PDAF
was just converted into presidential
pork,” he said.
Approved in caucus
Early on, all the senators agreed in
a caucus “to respect what each senator
wanted to do with the original PDAF
allocation,” Escudero said by way of
explaining the different modes taken
by the senators in disposing of their
pork barrel.
“The decision was not to put it to a
vote, and to just let the senators
decide, and be responsible for it,” he
said.
The manifestations of the nine
senators were carried out as
amendments since the Senate did not
follow the original House budget
measure that realigned P25.2 billion
in congressional PDAF, including the
Senate's portion, to five departments,
Escudero said.
Not an insertion
“I will contest the use of the word
'insertion,'” he said. “We've been very
transparent with everything.”
Escudero said Estrada's
identification of the LGUs did not
violate the Supreme Court ruling that
d e c l a re d u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l a l l
provisions of the law that allowed
legislators “to wield any form of postenactment authority” in the
implementation of the budget.
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January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 5
Metro Manila 'lechon'
sellers face BIR roasting
By Michelle V. Remo
To be sure, lechon sellers raked in
huge profits during the last holiday
season. They can cut the celebration,
because the taxman is planning a roast
and may send for them to serve as the pig.
Unknown to them, the Bureau of
Internal Revenue (BIR) has been watching
the industry and found it crispy enough to
be served up at an investigation for tax
evasion and under declaration of income.
In its latest “Tax Watch” ad, the BIR
says it has found that a third of the most
popular lechon sellers are not paying
taxes, while the rest are declaring “very
low” income.
For instance, the BIR says in its taxpayment performance of lechon sellers
for 2012, Mila's Lechon reported an
income tax payable for the year of only
P5,099. “Mila's Lechon had P5,099 income
tax due, which is less than the price of its
18-kilo lechon,” the BIR says.
Sellers Three Little Pigs and Rico's
Lechon declared that they had no income
tax liability for 2012, the BIR says.
Out of the 17 most popular lechon
sellers in the country, six did not file
income tax returns for 2012, it says.
The BIR named the six as Sabroso
Lechon, Elars Lechon, Hecky's Lechon,
Jiro's Lechon, Cris Native Lechon and
Aling Loring's Lechon.
Top roasters
The BIR lists 17 most popular lechon
sellers, based on the published choices of
online magazines Interaksyon,
Choosephilippines.com and Spot.ph.
9 Senators ...
From page 4
“His identification of the LGUs
does not violate the Supreme Court
decision.
That's part of our function in
Congress. It's well within our right to
review and approve the budget. This
is preenactment intervention,” he
said.
“With the 2014 budget, there
was no post-enactment
intervention,” he added, referring to
old practices by lawmakers in
identifying projects and
beneficiaries of pork barrel while the
budget was being implemented.
Escudero said Estrada had “no
say” at all in the implementation of
the assistance to LGUs.
“It's completely in the hands of
the executive department, including
the decision to release or not to
release the fund, or to ask for a
program of work. Completely,
Jinggoy has no say in that,” he said.
DAR advanced
P300M to Napoles
By Nancy C. Carvajal
Besides Mila's Lechon, Three Little
Pigs, Rico's Lechon and the six that did not
file income tax returns, the other sellers in
the top 17 are CnT Lechon (which
declared the highest tax due of P465,270),
Ulcing's Lechon (P123,255), Ping-Ping's
Lechon (P93,456), Charlie's Pritchon
(P67,282), Lydia's Lechon (P47,017),
Zubuchon (P32,697), Jun & Jun's Lechon
(P17,259) and General's Lechon (P5,594).
They can start worrying, although the
BIR earlier said the weekly “Tax Watch”
was not making a conclusion that the
businesses mentioned in it were tax
evaders.
But tax officials involved in the BIR
drive against tax evasion said those
businesses were among the
establishments that the taxman had
started to monitor closely.
Should the investigation show that
those businesses are violating tax laws,
they would face charges, the officials said.
Inquirer.net
Special provision
Assistance to LGUs used to be a
lump-sum item in the national
budget, Escudero said.
In the 2014 budget, the Senate
introduced a special provision
specifying amounts for specific LGUs
and requesting the Department of
Budget and Management to provide
data in cases where the recipient
LGUs were not identified.
As far as he could recall, the
budget allotted for assistance to
LGUs in 2014 was roughly P300
million, including the P200 million
from Estrada's PDAF.
As for the rest of the nine
senators, the projects funded out of
their allocations were itemized in
the 2014 budget, the senator said.
All the projects of the nine
senators will be posted on the Senate
website. “Because of the
controversies involving Senator
Estrada, that's why it's raising some
alarm bells. But what happened in
the past has not been proven yet,” he
said. Inquirer.net
Janet Lim-Napoles received
an advance of P300 million
from a P900-million request by
the Department of Agrarian
Reform (DAR) for assistance to
victims of tropical storms in
2009, according to official
documents supporting a
plunder complaint in the Office
of the Ombudsman.
The documents were filed
by the Department of Justice
and the National Bureau of
Investigation in the case
stemming from the alleged
misuse of the multibillion-peso
Malampaya Fund representing
the government share of
proceeds from oil and gas
production off Palawan
province.
According to the
documents, the Department of
Budget and Management
(DBM) issued a notice of cash
allocation (NCA) on Dec. 21,
2009, covering the request for
the P900 million from the
Malampaya Fund for assistance
to agrarian reform
beneficiaries affected by
Tropical Storms “Ondoy” and
“Pepeng.”
Former Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman. JESS YUSON
But the papers said that
Agrarian Reform Secretary
Nasser Pangandaman had
earlier authorized the release
of P300 million from Land
Bank of the Philippines to 12
nongovernment organizations
(NGOs) controlled by Napoles
even before the NCA was
issued. Normally, the issuance
of the NCA triggers the release
by the DBM of the fund
requested.
According to the complaint,
the P900 million ended up in
ghost projects and kickbacks.
Charged in the Malampaya
Fund plunder case filed last
October were former President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,
Executive Secretary Eduardo
Ermita, Pangandaman and his
undersecretary Narciso Nieto,
Budget Secretary and now
Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando
Andaya Jr., his undersecretary
Mario Relampagos, and 19
others.
Also charged in the case
was Napoles, the detained
businesswoman who earlier
was implicated in a P10-billion
scam involving the alleged
misuse of the Priority
Development Assistance Fund
(PDAF) meant to ease poverty
in the countryside.
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January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 6
35% bunkhouse
kickbacks ...
From page 1
initiated last Dec. 13 during his first
visit in the affected areas.
“ T h e r e a f t e r, I r e c e i v e d
information and allegations of
possible anomalies and kickbacks
involving at least one politician in
the area colluding with
contractors,” he told the Inquirer in
a text message. “They talked of 30
to 35 percent commissions.”
Lacson declined to elaborate on
the politician, insisting he wanted
“to be color blind all the way until
I'm done with my rehabilitation
job.”
He said charges would be filed
in the Office of the Ombudsman
“once we gather sufficient evidence
to warrant a formal investigation.”
“We offer no second chance
[for] people who cannot
distinguish anymore between
ordinary and extraordinary
c o r r u p t i o n ,” L a c s o n a d d e d .
“There's a word to describe that
kind of a person - amoral.”
Issue of overpricing
Public Works Secretary Rogelio
Singson on Monday promised to
resign if the bunkhouses were
found overpriced. He was reacting
to an Inquirer report based on
interviews with local officials and
government engineers.
“It is not overpriced. If it's
overpriced, I will submit the
following day my resignation to
President Aquino,” declared
Bunkhouses ...
From page 3
same materials that were blown away
during the onslaught of “Yolanda.”
The architect said the builders
should have opted for four slopes.
They used the same materials
that were blown away in the storm,
and they just repeated what was
there in the first place,” Palafox said.
“You don't have to be an engineer or
an architect to see it, it is a no brainer,
maybe a first year Architecture
s t u d e n t c a n t e l l yo u t h i s i s
substandard,” he said.
An international shelter group
reported that the bunkhouses being
developed by the Department of
Public Works and Highways did not
comply with internationally
recognized standards and best
practices.
The Camp Coordination and
Camp Management had raised
concerns, including cramped spaces,
lack of ventilation, risk of fires, and
safety and security of the occupants.
DAR advanced ...
From page 5
Signatures of 97 city and
municipal mayors for supposed
projects to be funded from the
Malampaya Fund were all fake,
according to the documents.
“The DAR issued 32 checks
between Nov. 26 and Dec. 3, 2009,
with a total amount of P300 million to
Napoles' NGOs even before the DBM
could actually release the money to
the agency,” according to one
document.
Pangandaman, in a letter to
Andaya dated Dec. 17, 2009,
requested that the DBM issue an NCA
for P900 million “for payment of
current due and demandable
Singson, who joined the regular
Malacañang press briefing to
address the allegation.
He expressed doubt about the
report that Lacson said he had
received of alleged kickbacks of 30
to 35 percent, noting that many of
the contractors got on board as
“part of their humanitarian efforts.”
“I don't know where that came
from,” he said in Filipino, referring
to the report on the purported
commission.
Singson noted that contractors
had removed their “overhead and
profit margins,” which were about
“13 to 15 percent” of the project
cost.
“Where will the contractor get
the 30 to 35 percent that he will
distribute? He is already helping,
and he will still be bitten? If I were
the contractor, why will I go there?”
Singson said.
Still, Singson said he spoke with
Lacson Monday morning and
promised to address “specific”
concerns raised by the
rehabilitation chief.
He said Lacson had told him that
the report on the alleged kickback
came from a “particular
municipality in Samar.” “There is
politics involved, that much I can tell
you,” Singson said. “I suspect there's
politics involved in Eastern Samar.”
Substandard materials
A 15-page report of an
international shelter group, the
Camp Coordination and Camp
Management (CCCM), said the
bunkhouses did not meet
international standards. The CCCM
operates in countries torn by civil
Sen. Loren Legarda weighed in on
the matter and said that if the
government aimed for a resilient
recovery, the structural integrity of
homes, buildings and other
structures “should not be
compromised.''
“We need to rebuild communities
with the confidence that we are not
rebuilding the risks again. We need to
ensure that construction of homes,
even the temporary shelters, will be
on safer ground following sound
construction standards,'' said
Legarda, chair of the climate change
committee.
After all, Yolanda has become the
n e w b e n c h m a r k fo r d i s a s t e r
prevention, and the country should
raise the standard for building
structures, she said.
On top of concerns on the
substandard bunkhouses, Lacson
said he has begun investigating the
possible collusion between
contractors and a local politician to
profit from the construction of
bunkhouses. Inquirer.net
obligations.” He said the total amount
for the projects covered by amount
had been fully spent by the time.
The documents also showed that
Andaya granted Pangandaman's
request despite the objection by Nora
C. Oliveros, then DBM director,
b e c a u s e t h e a g ra r i a n re fo r m
secretary's request did not have
documentary support.
In the NBI complaint, Arroyo was
implicated for intentional or gross
negligence in the use of and access to
an essentially presidential
discretionary fund, making possible
the plunder of the fund.
Former employees of Napoles,
led by Benhur Luy, in their sworn
statements said Pangandaman
received a P75-million kickback from
the transactions. Inquirer.net
Bunkhouses are under construction in Barangay Caibaan, Tacloban City, for survivors of
Supertyphoon “Yolanda.” NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
conflicts and natural disasters.
Lacson said he had secured
“documents pertaining to the
programs of work, bills of materials
and specifications as well as the
CCCM observations and
recommendations.”He said he was
still awaiting documents from the
Department of Public Works and
Highways (DPWH) for comparison.
Singson said he had been told by
Lacson about complaints of
“substandard” materials allegedly
being used for the bunkhouses.
He sought to distinguish
between “overpriced” construction
and that which did not follow
“specifications” set by the DPWH.
“Overpriced means that there
are specifications detailed, given by
DPWH and the unit prices of these
bunkhouses are above what
normally would be in the market
placeI can tell you there's no
overpricing here,” Singson said.
“ S e c o n d , t h e re m i gh t b e
possibilities that some of the
contractors may have not followed
the specifications and therefore we
refer to them as underspecs,” he
added. “If contractors did not follow
specifications that we gave them,
they will not be paid unless they
correct or rectify to meet our
standards,” he warned. “In some
instances, I imagine, rather than
retrofitting, because most of them
have already mobilized, they will
probably just donate some of these
units rather than spend more.”
Construction suspended
Singson said the DPWH had
completed 126 of the target 222
bunkhouses. But he said
construction was suspended to
allow the government to address
concerns raised by international
agencies and adjust specifications
to meet international standards.
The original bunkhouse design was
supposed to include 24 units for as
many families with three to four
members each. Each unit had an
area of 8.64 square meters (sqm).
The new bunkhouses would now
have only 12 families each, meaning
they would enjoy a bigger unit of
17.28 sqm. “The comments coming
from international agencies are that
the one-room unit is too tight so we
have made adjustments,” Singson
said. “That is already acceptable
[under] international standards.”
But the adjustments would mean
that the construction period would
be extended by one to two months
for all 222 bunkhouses, he said.
Many experts
“There are many experts
coming from abroad saying [their]
own piecesome of them about
water, sanitation … All experts are
on ground,” he said.
“I have met at least 10 from
different UN [United Nations]
organizations giving their
suggestions and so we're adapting.
We' v e b e e n c o n s t r u c t i n g
bunkhouses long before they
arrived,” he said. Considering the
extent of the devastation wrought
by Yolanda (international name:
Haiyan), Singson admitted the
government's shelter program
could not be completed in two
years.
“Nobody claimed that it can be
finished in two years. I'm not
claiming I can finish the shelter
program in two years. We are telling
you it cannot be done in two years
with this scale of the devastation
there,” he said. Inquirer.net
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 7
2 young Fil-Ams raise over $100k for 'Yolanda'-ravaged town
By Rose Paquette
BERKELEY, California -- What
started out as a hobby turned into
a fulfilling dream for a 10-yearold Filipino-American student
who, with the help of her 13-yearold sister, raised $102,160 to help
survivors of Supertyphoon
“Yolanda” (international name:
Haiyan) in the Philippines.
After raising $2,160 from
selling colorful hand-made
bracelets in December, fifthgrader Malaya David received
$100,000 from an anonymous
donorall to rebuild a school in
Tanauan, in the province of Leyte,
one of the towns ravaged by
Yolanda.
The relief money Malaya
raised may have been the highest
so far coming from the Fil-Am
community in California.
She was ecstatic after raising
her first thousand. “I'm so
excited!! I made a goal to raise
$1,000 by the end of December
and we did it in just four days!
This is just our first-round goal…
I am not done!” Malaya posted on
h e r
w e b s i t e
http://haiyanbracelets.wordpre
ss.com/ .
“Maraming, maraming
salamat!!!!! Thank you everyone
for your support, your inspiring
comments, your donations.
Thank you to my family, thank
you to all our friends. Your
support has inspired me to keep
going, the children in the
Philippines need our support to
rebuild school destroyed by
Haiyan,” her post said.
Happy, sad ...
From page 3
(Unicef), while those in Grades 1, 2, 3
and 4 occupied the school buildings,
which were covered with tarpaulin for
a temporary roof.
Yolanda (international name:
Haiyan) blew off the roofs and
destroyed the windows of all of the six
buildings of Manlurip Elementary
School, which United Nations
Secretary Ban Ki-moon visited last
Dec. 21.
“We don't expect all students to
come to school today, as we were
informed that many of them left the
city. Some went to Samar, to Cebu, to
Manila. Only around 50 percent of
them returned to school,” said school
principal Elenita Montalban.
Schoolbag from UN
Walter Cahindo, 10, and a Grade 3
student, said he was happy to return
to school. His schoolbag was full of
supplies given by Ban during his visit.
“I am looking forward to meeting
my classmates again,” Cahindo said
with a shy smile. “I'm now ready for
classes.”
Malaya David making bracelets for “Yolanda” fund-raising. PHOTO FROM WEBSITE
How it began
Amihan David, mother of
Malaya who spearheaded the
bracelet campaign, told
INQUIRER.net: “The whole idea
was cultivated during the
weekend of Thanksgiving last
year.”
Malaya and her sister, 13year-old Tala, were watching a
video in YouTube, of how
balloons were made. The two had
been making bracelets as a
hobby, inspired by the message of
the song “We Are the World.”
Making colorful, braided
bracelets has been a craze among
the young who give them away as
gifts to friends and loved ones.
David encouraged her
daughters to make and sell the
“Haiyan bracelets” for $10 each.
The bracelets come in small,
medium and large sizes. Malaya
drafted a list of friends and family
members to tell them of their
idea.
Malaya and Tala started
making bracelets and selling
them during their free time. They
drew help from about 200
people, including cousins, friends
and various families. They sent
them e-mails and got lots of
responses. They also set up a
website to support the campaign.
The bracelets went viral
among other young people who
heard about itfrom her school in
Berkeley, California, to Long
Beach in Los Angeles and as far as
Maryland and Seattle,
Washington. Her website reports,
for example, that “Rose and Lily”
of Land Oaks, Florida, have
started making bracelets
inspired by Malaya.
Malaya and Tala's experience
In her young mind, Malaya felt
sorry for the school kids in Leyte,
“She said I have a school (to go
to), why can't everybody have
one?” her mother recalls. “So,
raising money to benefit her
countrymen inspired her to help
the schoolchildren to further
their education.”
Malaya, her sister and cousins
went to the San Francisco Parol
Festival in Yerba Buena, and
despite the cold weather,
approached complete strangers
to sell the Haiyan bracelets.
“We brought all our Haiyan
bracelets and sold them to as
many people as possible,” Tala
says. “After about one hour in the
freezing weather, we sold about
$ 1 2 0 w o r t h o f b ra c e l e t s ,
including donations. This was the
first time we talked to people
face-to-face about our project in
public, we passed out beautiful
flyers made by my godmother
Jamie to help spread the word.”
By the end of December,
Malaya and Tala were able to
raise $2,160 from selling the
bracelets. Then a donor gave
$100,000 after receiving an email sent by Malaya to a family
friend. The donor declined to be
named.
“They're still gathering some
donations,” their mother added.
Malaya wants to keep raising
more money for schools. Her goal
is to raise $3,000 by June 2014.
Two schools in Tanauan
With advice from their
grandfather, Amado David, and
mom, Amihan, the children were
eyeing building not only one
school in Tanauan, but possibly
another one. “We might even hit
two schools and not just rebuild
but we're looking into
sustainability and wages of
workers,” Amihan said.
“Tanauan, like Tacloban, is
also a devastated town and we
feel some connection here in the
Philippines,” David stressed,
“Tacloban has got a lot of
attention already.”
Tanauan is one of the oldest
towns in the province of Leyte,
dating back to the year 1710. It is
a second-class municipality with
a population of 50,119. It is
bounded on the north by the
u
Page 9
Officials led by a Department of
Education (DepEd) director, Luisa
Bautista-Yu, visited Dulag Central
School in Dulag town, San Roque
Elementary School in Tanauan town
and Kapangian Central School in
Tacloban City, all in Leyte province.
Mercy Sarmiento, officer of the
DepEd office in Eastern Visayas, said
the three schools registered around
70-percent attendance.
The students were happy and
excited, and did not appear to have
suffered trauma due to the typhoon,
Sarmiento said in a phone interview.
The three schools visited by Yu
have about 500 students each, she
said.
S a r m i e n to s a i d t h e D e p Ed
regional office had initially monitored
about 100 students killed during the
typhoon.
At San Roque Elementary School,
for instance, nine students were
confirmed dead.
Fate of many unknown
Principal Maria Evelyn Encina said
the fate of many others and their
families remained unknown. “They
could be in evacuation centers or
u
Page 9
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201-434-1114
Only $30 for 25 words (deadline is Wednesday noon)
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 8
Fil-Am labor, gay activist elected to
head Asian Pacific-American coalition
By Mico Letargo
LOS ANGELES -- Labor activist
Gregory Cendana was elected
chairperson of the executive
committee of the National Council
of Asian Pacific Americans
(NCAPA), a coalition of 31 national
organizations.
The coalition's executive
committee will spearhead its
efforts in achieving greater policy
presence and impact for AsianAmerican, Native Hawaiian and
Pacific Hawaiian communities.
Cendana is the executive
director of the Asian Pacific
American Labor Alliance (APALA).
He is the first Filipino and the first
openly gay NCAPA chairperson.
Cendana and his fellow
executive committee members
were elected to their respective
positions at the NCAPA's annual
retreat early this December. They
will serve two-year terms and are
expected to lead the coalition in
advancing Asian and Pacific
Islander interests in America.
“I [am] truly humbled to be
elected as the next NCAPA chair,”
Cendana told Asian Journal via email correspondence. “We, as a
council, are in a unique political
moment and are poised to make
some major advancements for our
community. With new resources,
we have been building our
capacity over the last couple of
years and are ready to take it to the
next level,” he said.
Aside from Cendana, the
executive committee includes
Labor activist Gregory Cendana
Asian Americans Advancing
Justice Executive Director Mee
Moua (vice chair of programs),
Japanese American Citizens
League executive director Priscilla
Ouchida (vice chair of
membership), National Asian
Pacific American Women's Forum
executive director Miriam Yeung
(vice chair of communications and
development), Sikh American
Legal Defense and Education Fund
executive director Jasjit Singh
(secretary), and National Coalition
for Asian Pacific American
Community Development
executive director Lisa Hasegawa
(treasurer).
Cendana, who has been part of
at least one NCAPA Advisory
Board, is expected to be fully
engaged and participate in all
NCAPA events, campaigns and
conferences as the coalition's
voice and leader. He is also
expected to ensure that NCAPA is
moving along with its strategic
plan for the year and that they are
able to identify strategic
opportunities for NCAPA with
various stakeholders.
According to Cendana, his
election to chairmanship means
“there will be an additional
platform to help connect the
history, struggle and experience of
the Filipino community with
others in the AANHPI community.”
Aside from the Filipino
agenda, Cendana would also like to
advocate for such critical issues as
the comprehensive immigration
reform, federal recognition of
Native Hawaiians, increase in the
minimum wage, and passage of the
Employee Non Discrimination Act.
A s t h e N C A PA i s a
membership-based coalition of
more than 30 national
organizations, Cendana
encourages Filipinos to engage in
one of the member groups, like
A PA L A a n d t h e N a t i o n a l
Federation of Filipino American
Associations. A full list of these
groups can be found on
NCAPAonline.org.
Cendana's message to the
Filipino community in America is
simple: “We must unite to show
our collective power to ensure our
voices are heard.”
“Let us take the spirit of
bayanihan to build broad
coalitions and advance a social and
economic justice agenda. For the
Filipino LGBT [lesbians, gays,
bisexual, and transgendered]
community, the message wouldn't
be too different, but I'd add
'Mabuhayyy!' [sic] Kaya natin! Yes,
we can!” he added. Inquirer.net
Four to receive ...
From page 1
Boxer and Saranggani Rep. Manny
Pacquiao, Commission on Higher
Education (CHEd) Chair Patricia
Licuanan, Filipino-born American
businesswoman Loida Nicolas Lewis
and Foreign Secretary Albert del
Rosario will be conferred the award
by President Benigno Aquino III in
rites at Malacañang.
Redemption victory
Pacquiao, known as the
“Pambansang Kamao,” redeemed
himself in the boxing ring after a
victory against American Brandon
Rios in November.
Licuanan is an academician and
leading women's rights advocate in
the Asia Pacific region. Lewis, on the
other hand, is known to have taken
over her American husband's
multinational company after his
death. Now chair and CEO of TLC
Beatrice LLC, a family investment
firm, she also leads a foundation
named after her husband and is a
known figure in the US AsianAmerican community.
Del Rosario leads the Department
of Foreign Affairs, which is hounded
by issues on overseas Filipino
workers in the Middle East and a
territorial row with China, among
other things.
Fil-Am
appointed ...
From page 1
through internal, external and
policy changes.”
Utah Governor Gary Herbert,
who appointed Reyes to the post
after his predecessor resigned,
said, “Reyes' rise opens a new
chapter for the state and the
attorney general's office, which
persevere in the face of adversity.
He has the right background and,
most importantly, he has the right
demeanor to take on what I
consider a new beginning for the
attorney general's office.”
Ed Navarra, national
chairman of National Federation
of Filipino American Associations
(NaFFAA) congratulated Reyes.
“As Filipino-Americans, we
are elated that one of our own has
gained the distinction and honor
of serving as Utah's top law
enforcement officer,” Navarra
said.
“We wish him well as he
undertakes a challenging
responsibility, one that requires
leadership and legal skills, high
professional standards and
strong commitment to public
service.” Before taking over as
Long deliberation
In a statement to the Inquirer,
Unap said the search committee
“deliberated for so long” to come up
with the names.
It added that the awardees “have
made Filipinos proud in their diverse
achievements personally and
professionally,” and, like CPR,
“contributed to world peace and
development.”
The selection of the awardees
was approved on Dec. 15, coinciding
with the death anniversary of the
Filipino icon, who has a Nobel Peace
Prize nomination on his list of
achievements.
The event is “well guided and
supported” by Beth Day Romulo,
CPR's widow who will grace the
event.
Past awardees
Past awardees include Lea
Salonga, former Sen. Leticia Ramos
Shahani and former President Fidel
V. Ramos; the late Senators Jose W.
Diokno and Lorenzo Tañada, and the
late Chief Justice Claudio Teehankee.
Unap, founded in 1947, is an
organization that helps the country
meet the ideals of the UN and “has
b e e n o rga n i z i n g e d u c a t i o n a l
activities with regard to UN days and
observances, and environmental
protection projects.” Inquirer.net
attorney general, Reyes served as
general counsel for a Utah media
and technology company, eTAGz.
He also served as a small claims
judge, a partner with venture
capital firm Accelerate Ventures,
and a member of the boards of
many non-profit institutions,
including one conducting
education against fraud. He was
also involved with a National
Commission established by
former President George W. Bush
to advise him on HispanicAmerican issues.
Apart from his professional
duties, Reyes devotes his time to
community outreach programs.
In 2008, Reyes was the first
person to be awarded the title
“Outstanding Young Lawyer of
the Year” by the American Bar
Association.
Reyes ran for Attorney
General of Utah in 2012 against
John Swallow. He lost the primary
election with a margin of 69 to 32
percent. Swallow resigned last
December.
T h e G O P S t a te C e n t ra l
Committee then selected Reyes
as one of three candidates on Dec.
14. Reyes, who will serve out the
remaining two years of Swallow's
term, will have to run for election
i n N o v e m b e r t h i s y e a r.
Inquirer.net
TO ADVERTISE, PLEASE CALL
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January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 9
2 young Fil-Ams ...
From page 7
municipality of Palo, on the south by
the municipality of Tolosa, on the west
by the municipalities of Dagami and
Tabon-Tabon, and on the east by San
Pedro Bay.
“Tanauan Mayor Pel Tecson said it
will cost around P1.8 million to build
the destroyed school,” Amihan David
said, “and because there is enough
money, it is possible to build one more.”
The mayor has expressed
appreciation for the David children's
efforts when the news reached his
office. Two days ago, Mayor Tecson
apparently sent a word through the
Davids' contacts in Tanauan, giving
public recognition to Malaya and Tala
and the David family for all their efforts
in raising funds to build new schools.
The David family is looking into the
tentative rebuilding time frame to
commence in March of 2014. Amihan
Happy, sad ...
From page 7
could have been taken in by their
relatives in the mass evacuation that
followed,” Encina said. “But we can't
know for sure. We just want to let them
know wherever they are that we are
here waiting for them.”
She lamented that only about 50
percent of the school's nearly 1,000
pupils were back.
Mothers
In the makeshift tents, mothers
refused to leave despite appeals from
teachers to let the children slowly
resume their daily routine.
What passes for a community
learning center now are desks under a
white tent donated by relief
organizations.
It sits about 50 meters from the
sea, in an area that the government has
officially dubbed a “permanent danger
zone,” Encina said.
“We need a more permanent
structure for the longer term but in the
meantime, this will suffice,” Encina
said.
Yolanda cut a vast swath of
destruction with its powerful winds
that topped 315 kilometers an hour. It
also triggered storm surges, which
swamped large areas, leaving nearly
8,000 dead or missing and nearly
30,000 others injured. It also displaced
4 million people, 1.7 million of them
children, according to Unicef.
Makeup classes
Gorgonio Diaz, city schools
David stressed that accounting for the
money and how it is spent is very
important.
The bulk of the donation was
p a i re d w i t h Fe e d t h e H u n g r y
(Foundation), Philippine Chapter,
because they covered a wide amount of
the projects and they have engineers,
she explained.
Amihan reported that Feed the
Hungry is placing a button on Malaya's
website (Haiyanbracelets.wordpress)
for people to make tax-deductible
donations. “Large donations given
under 501C (non-profit status) can get
tax breaks, and my father and I are the
authorized signatories for the
account,” she said.
“It's going to take years to build
t h e re ( Ta n a u a n ) , we wa n t t o
encourage people to make T-shirts or
any other hobbies as we call everyone
to action,” David said, “Get involved
with what you like. You could massproduce those bracelets, create a circle
of friends for fundraising.” Inquirer.net
division superintendent for Tacloban
City, said officials were still studying
the possibility of conducting makeup
classes or extending school days.
Sarmiento said officials did not
expect actual classes to start
immediately, as they were still
accounting for the students and even
the teachers.
Unicef, along with other groups, is
leading a campaign to help some
550,000 children, teachers and daycare workers return to schools.
“Unicef's objective is to ensure that
children affected by Typhoon Yolanda
return to quality learning as soon as
possible,” said the group's officer in
charge in the Philippines, Angela
Kearney.
'Safe spaces'
By reestablishing a daily routine,
Unicef said it hoped to transform
schools into “safe spaces” that provide
some sense of normalcy.
It said that with children back in
school, parents would also have more
time to rebuild their ruined homes.
But with memories of the surging,
towering waves still fresh, mother of
six Milet Labrado, 42, was not taking
any chances.
“The school is just too near the sea
and we survived by clinging to each
other,” she said, while anxiously
watching her youngest, a 6-year-old
boy, mingle with his classmates.
“I still see my neighbors being
taken away by the waves in my dreams
every day,” Labrado said.
“I am not yet prepared to leave my
boy and entrust him to anyone,” she
added. Inquirer.net
Jersey City Department of Health and
Human Services Announces Sponsorship
of the Federal Child Care Food Program
JERSEY CITY -- The City of
Jersey City's Department of
Health and Human Services
sponsorship of the Child Care
Food Program.
This program is designed to
provide meals to children in
after school enrichment
p ro g ra m s s u c h a s p u b l i c
schools, childcare centers,
recreation programs, etc. Meals
are available at no separate
charge to children between the
ages of 6 years -18 years and are
enrolled in the Child and Adult
Care Food Program and are
served without regard to race,
religion, color, national origin,
age, sex, or disability.
The Child and Adult Care
Food Program is operated in
accordance with USDA policy,
which does not permit
discrimination on the basis of
race, color, national origin, age,
sex, or disability in the meal
service, admissions policy or
use any Adult Food Program
facility.
The City of Jersey City and
USDA are equal opportunity
providers and employers. The
Child and Adult Care Food
Program is operated in
accordance with the City of
Jersey City and USDA policy,
which does not permit
discrimination on the basis of
race, creed, color, national
origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital
status, affectional or sexual
orientation, disability or any
other basis prohibited by the
State of New Jersey and/or
federal non discrimination laws
in the meal service, admissions
policy or use any Adult Food
Program facility. To file a
complaint of discrimination, you
may contact the City of Jersey's
O f f i c e
o f
E q u a l
Opportunity/Affirmative Action
at 280 Grove St. Room 103,
Jersey City, New Jersey at (201)
547-5093 or at ext. 4533 or you
may write to the USDA, Director,
Office of Civil Rights, 1400
Independence Avenue, S.W.,
Washington D.C. 20250-9410,
or call, toll free, (866) 632 9992
(Voice), (800) 877 8339 (TDD) ,
or (866) 377-8642 (Relay Voice
Users).
For more information please
contact 201-547-4836 or visit
www.jerseycitynj.gov. - Jennifer
Morrill, Press Secretary to
Mayor Steven M. Fulop
Women Connecting Women
By Grace G. Baldisseri
The Church of St. Francis of Assisi, 135 W
31st Street, New York, NY 10001.
Travelguideline.net photo
New York City -- A group of women with diverse
cultures and different background met at St. Claire's
Room of St. Francis of Assisi Church at 31st St.
between 6th & 7th Avenue, New York, NY last
Wednesday, January 8, 2014 with Fr. Julian Jagudilla
OFM, our group adviser.
Among the ladies who came despite the frigid and
chilly wind were: Donna Samuel, Rosa Charles, Kathy
Gunn, Dorothy Berman, Alexandra Barrau and Grace
Baldisseri.
During the meeting, it was agreed that the group
will be called "Women Connecting Women" as there
are a lot of issues that only women can talk about and
resolve among themselves.
Considering the realities of life in New York City,
women have issues more than men in their social and
economic conditions.
More than these issues are the emotional and
domestic problems that come with daily living in this
city that never sleeps. After all the traffic, the noise
and the high prices everywhere, who could really
sleep?
It is commendable to have one big hearted priest
in the person of Fr. Julian Jagudilla OFM, who offers
the venue of St. Francis of Assisi Church's Conference
Room to bring together women of all colors for a Tea
Party on February 12, 2014. The purpose is to have a
place for women to connect with other women in
New York City.
Editorial & opinion
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 10
Substandard
The real issue in the case of the controversial temporary
bunkhouses being built as transitional shelter for survivors of
Supertyphoon “Yolanda” in several towns in Leyte and Eastern
Samar is their alleged substandard quality.
Internationally famous Filipino architect Felino Palafox Jr.
described the bunkhouses under construction that he had
inspected on Dec. 13 as “a fire hazard. There's no privacy. The
materials are so flimsy.” More to the point, each bunkhouse was
designed to fit 24 rooms in all, each 8.64 square meters in size.
He added an unfortunate, melodramatic touch: “Would you
want your family to live here?” Of course, the answer is No. But
the point was unfortunate, because in fact the real question
facing those Yolanda survivors whose houses were completely
destroyed, or who have no means to repair houses that were
partially damaged, is: Would you want your family to live here,
or in the tents hurriedly set up in the wake of the storm?
The bunkhouses are temporary housing, and by necessity's
cruel logic must follow “lower” standards. But even by those
standards, the bunkhouses seem to have come up short.
Arjun Jain of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees told
the Inquirer on Tuesday that “as far as the bunkhouses are
concerned, we have received all assurances from the
government that international specifications will be met,
especially through the redesign of some of the bunkhouses.”
That last clause signifies, not only that an agreement has
been reached to redesign some of the bunkhouses, but also that
a redesign was necessary. But what are the international
standards that must be met, when it comes to temporary or
transitional shelter? The answer is: It depends on which set of
standards a humanitarian organization subscribes to.
The closest to a benchmark we have is the set of
specifications, now twice revised, outlined in the so-called
Sphere Humanitarian Project. Sphere is a coalition of diverse
humanitarian organizations and networks (which includes the
biggest of them all, the International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies) which codified guidelines for
effective and accountable humanitarian assistance into the
Sphere Handbook, “Humanitarian Charter and Minimum
Standards in Humanitarian Response.” This handbook, in the
words of the Sphere website, “is one of the most widely known
and internationally recognized sets of common principles and
universal minimum standards in life-saving areas of
humanitarian response.”
One of the four life-saving areas is “shelter, settlement and
nonfood items.” Under Minimum Standard No. 3, in Guidance
Note No. 2, we read:
“In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, particularly in
extreme climatic conditions where shelter materials are not
readily available, a covered area of less than 3.5m2 per person
may be appropriate to save life and to provide adequate shortterm shelter. In such instances, the covered area should reach
3.5m2 per person as soon as possible to minimise adverse
impact on the health and well-being of the people
accommodated. If 3.5m2 per person cannot be achieved, or is in
excess of the typical space used by the affected or neighbouring
population, the impact on dignity, health and privacy of a
reduced covered area should be considered. Any decision to
Employment Authorization
for Abuse Victims
Under the Violence against
Women Act (VAWA), battered
spouses, children and parents of
U.S. citizens and permanent
residents may file an immigrant
visa petition for themselves. The
law allows them to self-petition for
immigration benefits in order to
seek safety and independence from
the abuse.
According to the draft policy
memorandum released by the
USCIS approved VAWA selfpetitioners are eligible for
employment authorization based
on the approval of the petition
alone.
Under the policy memo, to get
an employment authorization
document (EAD) a petitioner with
an approved I-360 and who is
residing in the United States must
file Form I-765 along with the filing
fee and required photos with the
Vermont Service Center.
Previously, they could obtain
employment authorization only
after being granted deferred
action. Deferred action status
means that an alien is a low priority
for immigration enforcement or
deportation and provides legal
basis for employment
authorization. When granted, the
status is valid for 15 months,
renewable in 12-month
increments.
VAWA self-petitioners who are
spouses, children or parents of the
U.S. citizen abuser are also eligible
for employment authorization
without need of deferred action
and even before approval of the I360 self-petition, because they can
file the I-485 adjustment
application concurrently with the
I-360 as immediate relatives.
The policy memo however
does not change the policy when it
comes to the principal
beneficiary's derivative children,
who must still rely on a grant of
deferred action in order to be
eligible for an EAD.
Under the new policy memo,
battered spouses of A
(ambassador), E(iii) (Australian
specialty occupation worker), G
(foreign government or
international organization
representative) and H (alien
specialty occupation workers)
nonimmigrants are also eligible for
employment authorization.
To be eligible for an EAD, the
applicant must be the spouse who
accompanied or followed to join a
principal alien in the
nonimmigrant category and he
u
Page 12
Old issues, new
eruption
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
“Mad is he?” King George II
once snarled about one of his aides.
“Then, I hope he'll bite some of my
generals.” It would also be daft if
any official here tried to confiscate
Korans from Filipino Muslims.
Both law and practice buttress
liberty of faith.
The exact opposite unreels in
Malaysia. The Islamic Religious
Department (Jais) confiscated 300
bibles in Selangor State. In late
2009, it impounded 15,100 bibles
printed in Indonesiawhere eight
out of 10 are Muslims.
Why? “Because they used
'Allah' referring to God,” BBC
reported. Two Bible Society
officials were briefly detained. “We
were investigated for breaking a
state law banning non-Muslims
from using the word Allah,” said the
chair.
This is a new eruption of an old
storm. At its vortex is Catholic
weekly Herald editor Fr. Lawrence
Andrew. He said Christians in
Malaysia and other parts of the
world used
“Allah” in their prayer. The
Federal Constitution did not ban
such practice. Indeed, Bahasaspeaking Christians used “Allah”
long before the formation of
Malaysia in 1965. Kuala Lumpur
then splintered from Singapore,
over political and religious issues.
Jais insists the Selangor Non-
Islamic Religions Enactment of
1988 prohibits non-Muslims from
using 35 Arabic words. These
include: “Allah,” “nabi” (prophet),
“injil” (gospel) and “Insha'Allah”
(God willing). The gag applies to
Sikh, Hindu and atheist.
Article 11(3) of the The Federal
Constitution does not permit an
enforcement agency of one religion
to have jurisdiction or purview
over religions, the Malaysian Bar
said Saturday. “Appalling,” snapped
Jagir Singh of the Council of
Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism,
Sikhism and Taoism. Sabah and
Sarawak churches, where
Christians constitute a majority,
protested.
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Page 12
Page 11
January 10 - 16, 2014
Manny could be Cinderalla with unhappy ending?
CHICAGO (FAXX/jGLi) -- If
Manny Pacquiao will not play his
cards well, he might end up as a
modern-day Cinderella. But minus
his slippers and his golden
carriage!
In my phone interview
Thursday (Jan. 2) with Manny
Pacquiao's Top Rank promoter Bob
Arum, Mr. Arum said he filed
withholding taxes for Manny at
30% rate with the United States
Internal Revenue Service (U.S.
I.R.S.). Mr. Arum asked me to
confirm the regularity of his filing
withholding taxes with some tax
authorities.
A friend of mine from the City of
Angels (Los Angeles), California,
A n g e l
Y.
D a y a n
(http://www.taxwork.com/), a
Filipino American Certified Public
Accountant, told me Mr. Arum
underpaid the withholding taxes of
Manny by 9.6%, an information
confirmed to me by another CPA,
Making
life worth
living
Ellen Tordesillas
At the Christmas Party of Metro
Pacific Investment Corporation last
month at J.W. Marriott Hotel in
Hongkong, the company's
chairman, Manuel V. Pangilinan
(MVP) made special mention of
Foreign Secretary Albert del
Rosario saying, “he will soon be
rejoining us in the private sector.”
MVP's remark intrigued other
guests who asked each other, “Why,
is he resigning?”
(Del Rosario's statement on this
article released in Malacañang: “In
my talks with my trusted friend
Manny Pangilinan, in December, he
is fully supportive of my decision to
continue in public service for as long
as the President wishes for me to do
so.”)
J a m e s
M a e r t i n
(www.jamesdance.com), back
East.
Mr. Maertin said, “Yes, a
nonresident alien has to pay tax on
U.S. earnings. These would be
considered effectively connected
with a U.S. trade or business, so
subject to the regular tax brackets.
If the taxpayer's earnings are in
excess of the highest bracket, then
he will pay that rate only on the
amount in excess of that bracket's
threshold. The earnings below that
will be taxed at each of the lower
rates.
Also, the personal
exemption and any itemized
deductions will first be deducted to
come to taxable income.”
Mr. Dayan also told me that if
Mr. Arum remitted 30% to the IRS,
Manny would have to pay the 9.6%
difference when he pays his income
tax to the IRS at the end of the year.
If we are to believe some reports
that Manny has an estimated $85
JGL
Eye
By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA
(© 2014 Fil Am Extra Exchange)
Million net worth, then, what is
9.6%, which is only $8.1-M?
Mr. Arum insists that as a
resident alien, Manny is not obliged
to pay income tax as a Green Card
holder (Permanent Resident)
because he has not reached the
threshold of his stay in the US to be
penalized as “Green Card” taxpayer.
“We are very careful on that,”
Mr. Arum told me, adding that he
did not allow Manny to train in the
U.S. anymore because if he
overstays in the U.S., the U.S. is
going “to tax Manny's worldwide
income.”
Tricky 183-day rule
I found out that an obscure
regulation called “Treasury
Regulations Under Code Sec.
7701(b) Definition of Resident
Alien” enforced by the U.S.
Treasury Department has been in
the books in the 80's. It says if a
resident alien stays in the U.S. for
183 days (six months and one day)
or more in three years, he will be
paying taxes as if he were a Green
Card holder or a U.S. Citizen.
This regulation says, under the
Substantial Presence Test, if Manny
doesn't want to pay his income tax
as a Green Card holder, “each day of
presence in the current year is
counted as a full day. Each day of
presence in the first preceding year
is counted as one-third of a day and
each day of presence in the second
preceding year is counted as onesixth of a day. … (A)ny fractional
days resulting from the above
calculations will not be rounded to
the nearest whole number.”
Bottom line: An individual, like
Manny, is not a “Green Card”
taxpayer if he is “not physically
present for more than 30 days
during the current year, (and) the
substantial presence test will not
be applied for that year even if the
three-year total is 183 or more
d ay s . Fo r p u r p o s e s o f t h e
substantial presence test, it is
irrelevant that an individual was
not present for more than 30 days
in the first or second year
preceding the current year.”
Mr. Arum is right this is so
convoluted. I suggest Manny look
for a very good CPA!
Just like Cinderella, who lost
her glass slipper and her golden
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Page 14
MVP's intriguing Christmas Party remark about
Secretary del Rosario
Actually, del Rosario had
resigned twice in his almost three
years as foreign secretary. (He
served as ambassador to the
United States during the time of
Gloria Arroyo.) The first was in
June 2012 after the standoff with
China at Scarborough Shoal (also
known as Bajo de Masinloc or
Panatag shoal) which brought into
the picture, much to the
resentment of del Rosario, Sen.
Antonio Trillanes IV.
Sources close to Malacañang
said President Aquino's reaction
was,he was not acting on any
cabinet resignations before the
May 2013 elections.
Del Rosario again offered to
resign after he was told by another
cabinet official that the President
was displeased with his statement
of concern over how Malaysia was
maltreating Filipinos during the
Lahad Datu, Sabah incident
February last year when the
followers of the late Sultan Jamalul
Kiram III took a stand in the coastal
village in Sabah asserting the claim
to the territory.
Aquino was more concerned
about not displeasing Malaysia,
which is brokering the peace talks
with the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front, than protecting the human
rights of Filipinos in Sabah, which
the Philippines is also claiming to
be part of its territory.
It's not known whether the
Malacañang official relayed Del
Rosario's second offer to resign to
the President.
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Page 12
A happy President Aquino and Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario
Most promising
A friend has suggested that
Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho
Petilla (the new “best friend
forever” of the power companies)
should sue Public Works Secretary
Rogelio Singson for copyright
infringement. Singson has
declared that he would submit a
resignation letter to President
Noynoy Aquino if it's proven that
the bunkhouses that his
department built for the victims of
Typhoon Yolanda are overpriced.
Assuming that any overpricing
is conclusively proven, Singson
still has the legendary trust and
confidence of Aquino to fall back
on, so that he gets to remain in his
post. Except that the gimmick has
already been used by Petilla, when
he announced that he was also
quitting (which Aquino wouldn't
allow, naturally) because he had
failed to restore power in Leyte
and Samar.
Meanwhile, reports of
overpricing have gotten the
attention of “rehab czar” Panfilo
Lacson, who, as an ex-cop may
have finally found something that
he can sink his teeth into hey, an
investigation! in his new job. Let's
hope Lacson also gets around
soon to burying the 1,400 rotting
corpses in Tacloban City, as well,
even if he was never an
undertaker.
***
President Noynoy Aquino's
declaration that his
administration has entered its
“last two minutes” seems to have a
strange effect on his
transportation secretary, Joseph
Emilio Abaya. Abaya, the “most
promising” member of Aquino's
Cabinet, seems to have taken the
presidential announcement as a
cue to unveil even more
spectacular projects that he will
never get around to completing,
even if he stays 100 years in his
position.
The latest daydream to come
out of Abaya's fevered imagination
is a 900-kilometer Integrated
L u z o n R a i lway c o n n e c t i n g
Cagayan in the north and the Bicol
Region in the south. This, from the
head of a department that couldn't
even manufacture license plates
for newly-purchased cars or even
print enough sticker tags for older
vehicles a colossal failure that no
government in the past was able to
come even close to achieving.
Abaya said feasibility studies
for his Luzon-wide rail system and
a 90-km “airport commuter
railway” may be completed early
this year. “If we get [the National
Economic and Development
Authority's] clearance on both the
integrated Luzon railway and the
commuter railway, we can bid that
out early this year,” Abaya said.
But Abaya showed that he is
still somehow in touch with reality
when he admitted that both rail
projects could take five to six years
to complete. “Hopefully the people
who would replace us will find this
a viable project,” Abaya admitted.
The last “viable project” that I
heard Abaya expound on was a
subway system for Metro Manila.
And after that, I never heard
anything about this grandiose
(and incredibly stupid) plan from
Abaya ever again.
Meanwhile, Abaya and his
department still had not bid out
the proposed Mactan-Cebu
international airport terminal,
supposedly one of the most
important projects in the menu of
the flagship public-private
partnerships scheme of this
administration. DOTC has not
even purchased a single coach for
any of the three existing and
unbelievably crowded light rail
transit systems in Metro Manila or
approved a unified ticketing
scheme for them.
No one is debating the need for
the transportation infrastructure
that Abaya keeps promising. After
all, a study conducted by the Japan
International Cooperation Agency
said the government needs at least
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Page 14
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 12
HCCC CBI and Hudson County Office of Minority and Women Business Enterprise
Launch Innovative Program in six key management/organizational areas
Free Business Management
Program for Entrepreneurs
January 9, 2014, Jersey City, NJ -- The Hudson
County Community College Center for Business &
Industry (CBI), in partnership with the Hudson
County Office of Minority and Women Business
Enterprise, is offering a free program for Hudson
County Small Business owners. The program,
“Hudson County Business Management Training,” has
been designed specifically for business owners who
have no formal business education, and is intended to
provide an understanding of the importance of
management in today's business environment, to
enhance interpersonal skills, and to support
collaborative learning and teamwork.
The 39-hour program is being offered Tuesdays
and Thursdays evenings, January 7 through February
18.
CBI Executive Director Ana Chapman-McCausland
said that the sessions will include lectures and the
sharing of knowledge and experiences that will assist
participants in attaining proficiency in planning
projects, meeting deadlines, leading successful teams,
and developing/strengthening organizational goals.
Six primary, functional business areas will be
explored: General Management, Project Management,
MVP’s ...
From page 11
Foreign Affairs is not one of
Aquino's strong points. Thus, it is
important that his foreign secretary
is competent. He did not have that in
the first year of his administration
because his sisters, especially Pinky
Abellada, insisted on retaining Gloria
Arroyo's foreign secretary, Alberto
Romulo, citing family friendship.
The sisters' insistence of Romulo
compelled the President to take back
his offer (which was accepted) to be
foreign secretary to former Trade
Secretary Juan B. Santos, who settled
for the chairmanship of the Social
Security System.
Provided with a golden
parachute as MPIC board advisor,
Romulo was finally let go in February
2011. Administratively, Del Rosario
is doing well in the DFA. He is
Leadership Skills, Team Building, Supervision Skills,
and Workplace Diversity. Participants will work in
teams to put into practice what they have learned, and
they will create action plans to address real-time
workplace concerns based upon the knowledge they
have acquired in the sessions.
While there is no charge to the business
participants, registration is a must and may be
secured by contacting the Hudson County Office of
Minority and Women Business Enterprise Director Dr.
Frances O. Thompson at 201-395-6267 or online at
www.hudsoncountynjevents.org .
credited for strengthening the career
system especially in ambassadorial
postings.
The problem with Del Rosario is
his blatantly pro-US and anti-China
stand. His strategy of “shaming”
China in regional and international
arena (calling China “duplicitous”)
thinking that it would pressure the
economic giant into withdrawing
from disputed territories has not
been effective and has in fact
adversely affected the country's
trade, tourism, and labor.
A q u i n o h a s re a l i z e d t h a t
relations with China can't move
forward with Del Rosario as foreign
secretary. This must have been
discussed among his closest advisers
because immediately after the May
elections last year, Budget Secretary
Butch Abad asked Santos if he would
be willing to transfer to the DFA.
Santos said, “No.”
Sources said the President is
eyeing a career foreign affairs officer
to be at the helm of the DFA.
But even with these exploratory
behind-the-scenes moves, as long as
D e l Ro s a r i o wa n t s t o b e i n
government,he will stay in the DFA.
Aquino does not fire officials. A
Malacañang source said it has
something to do with the traumatic
experience of his mother with the
suicide of her then Finance Secretary
Jaime Ongpin amid cabinet
d i s a g r e e m e n t s .
Don't expect any changes in the
cabinet despite the involvement of
some of them in the Jenny Napoles
pork barrel scam.
After the devastation of Yolanda
and his satisfaction rating still
“good”, why would Aquino rock the
boat with cabinet changes? In fact he
said he will be pressuring them less
this year and give them “ a little more
breathing room” for fear that they
would suffer from burnout.
Expect more of the same.
Old issues ...
From page 10
Critics “accuse government of
tacitly condoning bible seizures
to deflect anger against Prime
Minister Najib Razak's
government,” BBC reported.
“Poor Malay Muslims are angry
over subsidy cuts likely to force
up electricity, petrol and sugar
prices.”
Najib's coalition barely
squeaked through last May's
elections. “It was the coalition's
worst result in more than half a
century in power. The United
Malays National Organization
u n d e r p i n s N a j i b' s b r i t t l e
coalition.
Has “religious intolerance
gone intolerable” in Malaysia?
Not on paper. “Islam is the
religion of the federation, but
other religions may be practiced
in peace,” Malaysia's constitution
says. Kuala Lumpur signed on to
the UN Declaration of Human
Rights. Article 18 undergirds the
“freedom of an individual or
community, in public or private,
to manifest belief in teaching,
practice, worship and
observance.”
Malaysia has one of the
world's strictest forms of media
Employment
authorization ...
From page 10
must be maintaining status as a
nonimmigrant. The applicant or
the applicant's child must have
been battered or has been the
subject of extreme cruelty
perpetrated by the principal alien
spouse.
The battered spouse of the
nonimmigrant must file Form I765 along with the new
supplemental Form I-765V with
the Vermont Service Center, along
with evidence of the qualifying
nonimmigrant status of both the
applicant and the abusive spouse;
evidence of spousal relationship;
and evidence of abuse such as
police reports, court records,
medical records, reports from
censorship. That is the reality.
G ove r n m e n t , fo r exa m p l e ,
censored BBC's and Al Jazeera's
reports on rallies. Nearly a
hundred moves have been
banned in the past decade.
All newspapers need an
official yearly permit to print. The
licensing system allows
padlocking at will and pressures
publishers to toe the line. The
Star and Sin Chew Jit Poh, and two
weeklies, The Sunday Star and
Watan, were closed down for
several months. The Star was the
primary English newspaper that
provided news in the opposition's
p o i n t o f v i e w. T h i s w a s
considered “treason.”
A July 2013 report to the
Malaysian Parliament tallied
6,640 websites blocked since
2008. Excuse: “The websites
insulted Islam, the royalty,
contained pornography or
malicious content, or infringed
copyrights.”
In one year alone, 56 books
were banned by the Internal
Security Ministry. That included a
Bahasa translation of Charles
Darwin's “On the Origin of
Species.” Works by Czech author
Milan Kundera, Salman Rushdie,
even Khalil Gibran, have been
proscribed.
social service agencies, and a
protective order, if any.
If the applicant is unable to
provide documentary evidence of
the nonimmigrant spouse's
status, he must provide some
identifying evidence such as
name, place of birth, country of
birth, date of birth, date of entry
into the U.S., I-94 number, name
of employer, etc.
If the application is approved,
the EAD will be valid for a period
of time equal to the remainder of
the applicant's current period of
authorized stay or duration of
status, if applicable.
( Ed i t o r ' s N o te : R E U B E N 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.)
Substandard
From page 10
provide less than 3.5m2 per person should be
highlighted, along with actions to mitigate
adverse effects on the affected population.
Temporary or transitional shelter solutions may
be required to provide adequate shelter for an
extended duration, through different seasonal
climates and potentially for several years.
Response plans agreed with local authorities or
others should ensure that temporary or
transitional shelters are not allowed to become
default permanent housing.”
This Note tells us several things: The
minimum covered area is 3.5 square meters per
person, or 17.5 sq m for the typical Filipino family
of five. Adjustments can be made, but emphasis
must be given to dignity, health and privacy.
Temporary shelter may be needed “potentially
for several years.” Adverse decisions must be
“highlighted.” By these and other such minimum
requirements, the bunkhouses as inspected last
December must be considered substandard.
On Tuesday, Public Works Secretary Rogelio
Singson said the 90-plus bunkhouses still under
construction would be redesigned, to provide
only 12 rooms. That's a good start; it would
double the size of each room to almost the
minimum that the Sphere Project recommends.
Inquirer.net
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 13
The Gratitude and “Giving Back” Continues
By Bill Applegate
The Vietnamese-American
community was one of the first to
immediately mobilize and respond
to aid the Filipino people affected by
Typhoon Haiyan. Contributions sent
to the US-Philippines Society from
Vietnamese-Americans all over the
United States have reached nearly
$300,000. Donations have been sent
to partner organizations to assist in
relief and recovery efforts.
Why this generosity? Bill
Applegate talks about the inherent
trait of Philippine hospitality and
Vietnamese gratitude for assistance
rendered by Filipinos during their
time of need a generation ago.
Two Cultures, One Heart.
December 2013
Bill Applegate, Friends of the
Philippines Council , San
Francisco, CA
Genuine hospitality is a natural
and instinctive trait of the Philippine
people. Genuine gratitude is a
gracious and timeless virtue
amongst the Vietnamese, especially
those who have come to the U.S. The
recent generous donation of
$400,000 by the Vietnamese
community in southern California
for the Philippine victims of typhoon
Haiyan is very much in character.
Other Vietnamese communities in
the U.S. are raising funds as this is
written. In addition to donations
from California, the US-Philippines
Society has received contributions
and pledges from VietnameseAmerican groups in the Washington,
D.C. area, New England, and
Louisiana totaling nearly $300,000,
funds that are flowing to typhoon
victims and their families.
The two cultures are of one
heart, born out of hospitality shown
to refugees fleeing persecution
years ago, and reflected in their
immediate donation response to
their first host country in time of
need. Vietnamese are not the only
people “giving back.” A KoreanAmerican foundation formed to aid
children raised $40,000 for typhoon
relief. In presenting their
contribution, the group recalled
Philippine support during the
Korean War.
The Philippines and Indochinese
refugees
In the final days before the fall of
Saigon in April 1975, some 140,000
Vietnamese who were closely
associated with the former South
Vietnamese government were
evacuated by air and sea from the
country and eventually resettled in
the United States. Some of these first
evacuees arrived by plane in transit
to the U.S. via Clark Airbase, a major
U.S airbase in the Philippines. Some
30,000 arrived in Subic Bay on a
number of Vietnamese Navy vessels
that managed to escape.
Shortly after the fall of Vietnam
to communism in 1975, the
Philippines graciously welcomed
and accommodated over 300,000
Indochinese refugees over a 20 year
period.
Many of the refugees were
Vietnamese “boat people” who
attempted a treacherous South
China Sea escape in search of
freedom after the fall of South
Vietnam in 1975. Once past the
dragnet of communist guards and
patrols, the fleeing refugees risked
drowning or dying from thirst,
hunger, and harsh elements.
Terrifying pirate attacks were also a
danger for those desperate and
courageous enough to make the
perilous sea journey. Some 200,000
Vietnamese “boat people” were
presumed to have been lost at sea,
while over 796,000 made landfall in
South East Asia and several other
countries. The 51,000 boat people
who made it to the Philippines were
lucky indeed. Most nations were
initially less friendly, sometimes
hostile.
By 1979 the UNHCR and the US
Department of State negotiated and
organized a unique network of first
asylum cooperation with ASEAN
countries, plus Hong Kong, Japan,
and Korea, for a more humanitarian
response to the Indochinese refugee
crisis. Bolstered by incentives
encouraging rescue-at-sea, orderly
departure, and limiting the push
factor from Vietnam, this
unprecedented initiative saved
many lives and enabled the eventual
resettlement of over 2 million
Indochinese land and boat refugees
to the U.S. and other countries.
Part of this agreement also
included the establishment of major
refugee processing centers in
Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and
the Philippines. Philippine Foreign
Secretary Carlos P. Romulo lead the
way with an initial generous offer of
safe-haven for Indochinese refugees
in his country.
The Philippines and WW II / post
WW II refugees
The Philippines has a history,
almost a tradition, of being a refugee
safe-haven for people fleeing
tyranny, having welcomed grateful
refugee groups from Germany and
Russia years before the Indochinese
refugee influx:
During WWII the Philippine
government under President
Manuel Quezon literally came to the
rescue of some 1200 Jews who fled
Nazi Germany and gave them asylum
and a new home in the Philippines. A
recently released movie “Rescue in
the Philippines: Refuge From the
Holocaust” is a major tribute and
testament of gratitude to the
Philippines for its heroic and
generous action.
After WWII, in 1949 the
Philippines gave refuge on Tubabao
Island near Guiuan town, Eastern
Samar to some 6000 White Russians
fleeing the communist revolution in
China. Unfortunately, Guiuan was
totally devastated by typhoon
Haiyan last November. In October of
2011 a 72-year old Russian folk
singer living in the United States,
Nikolai Massenkoff returned to
Guiuan, to show gratitude for
allowing him and the other Russians
to stay there. He flew in from San
Francisco to give a “Thank You,
Philippines” concert.
Philippine hospitality first
asylum two stories
An especially poignant story of
genuine Philippine hospitality
comes to memory. After a several
harrowing weeks at sea, a badly
battered boat with a couple dozen
nearly lifeless Vietnamese refugees
on board had drifted into Philippine
waters near a coastal resort area in
Batangas a few hours' drive from
Manila. The unseaworthy craft's
occupants were suffering badly from
thirst, hunger, and exposure to the
harsh tropical sun. They were
rescued by local fishermen and were
subsequently brought by authorities
to a refugee transit center in
Manila… all except for one very
young infant who was so
dehydrated, malnourished and
weak that even the half day trip to
Manila was not advised.
During the later part of the sea
crossing the child's mother had kept
her child barley alive by mixing her
own meager supply of breast milk
with sea water. A local Filipino
fishing family took the child in, and
one of the women lovingly wet
nursed the listless child back to full
health. After a few months a fully
recovered and healthy child was
returned to its grateful parents. This
touching incident is reminiscent of
“gota de leche” (a drop of milk), a
natural community response during
u
Page 14
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 14
The gratitude ...
Manny could be ...
From page 13
From page 11
WWII when Philippine wet nurses
lovingly kept many orphaned
infants alive.
Compassion was also evident
on a Philippine beach farther South
when even battle tested Philippine
Marines assisting with the beaching
of a refugee boat were moved to
tears as a frail old man stumbled
ashore and kissed the sand crying”
tu do”! Freedom!
carriage at the stroke of 12
midnight, Manny might also lose a
fortune if he lets Uncle Sam turn
itself into his wicked sister!
The nasty thing about this
regulation is that if Manny did not
breach the 183-day threshhold, he
could still be penalized if he was
not truthful in filling up Form TDF
90-22.1 (Report of Foreign Bank
and Financial Accounts or FBAR).
He could be fined not more than
$500,000 and imprisoned for not
more than five years “for failure to
report or for false or fraudulent
report.”
There is even mentioned of a
“civil penalty not to exceed
$10,000 per violation” and up to “a
civil monetary penalty equal to the
greater of $100,000 or 50 percent
of the balance in the account at the
time of the violation.”
Fortunately for Manny, I
stumbled on a little-known
“Income Tax Convention between
the Philippines and the U.S.” that
capped the remittance of a Filipino
resident alien in the U.S. at 30%,
just like what Mr. Arum ordered!
Philippine hospitality The
Philippine Refugee Processing
Center, Morong, Bataan (19801995)
With major contributions from
the United Nations and the U.S.
Refugee Program, the Philippines
built a well planned and well
administered center, a small city
almost, on the Bataan peninsula,
large enough to hold 18,000
refugees. From its opening in
January 1980 until the early 1990′s,
some 292,000 Indochinese
refugees benefited from language
instruction, cultural orientation
and other skills programs in
preparation for resettlement
primarily in the U.S., plus Canada,
Norway, Denmark, Australia, and
France. The large Filipino presence
at the center included
administrators, social workers, and
close to a thousand teachers. The
teachers were well known and
appreciated for their disciplined,
yet friendly and caring manner.
Countless letters from resettled
refugees to teachers and social
workers in the Philippines, and
even long term friendships, attest to
their immense gratitude for the for
the compassion and concern shown
them by Filipinos and others.
The Bataan PRPC included
many NGO administered programs,
such as: English as a Second
Language and Cultural Orientation
(ESL-CO) run by The International
Catholic Migration Commission
(ICMC); other ICMC run programs
included The Joint Voluntary
Agency pre-resettlement and
family reunification program ; and
the coordination of critical dental
care provided by 70 dentist
volunteers from numerous
countries under the auspices of
Rotary International , with fully
equipped dental facilities provided
through the Brother's Brother
Foundation out of Philadelphia.
World relief Services ran a similar
ESL program for children. Day care/
child care was provided by Caritas.
Planning for the PRPC involved
representatives from the U.S.
government, The United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees,
Most promising
From page 11
200 kilometers of railroad and
over 100,000 kilometers of roads
just to ease traffic congestion in
Metro Manila alone.
But the combined efforts of
Abaya, the Department of Public
Works and Highways and the PPP
Center (the government agency
which is always looking for ways
and failing to pass on the
responsibility of building public
infrastructure to the private
sector), have resulted in no
significant projects getting done in
the past three and a half years of
Aquino. Even the only PPP project
that got off the drawing board
Nhan Vo, Chairman, International Central Committee of Vietnamese Scouting
(ICCVS), in Tacloban on January 4, 2014. He is one of many who mobilized the
Vietnamese-American Community to help Philippine typhoon victims.
t h e P h i l i p p i n e g ove r n m e n t ,
religious groups, and NGO's. The
Philippine planners were especially
sensitive in their efforts to make
sure the Bataan center design and
operation was as hospitable and
culturally appropriate as possible
for the 6 months average stay of
refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia
and Laos.
experience for Boy Scouts from six
countries.San Francisco Bay Area
2013 the gratitude and “giving
back” continues
Fast forward, 30 plus years
later to the SF Bay Area which has
one of the largest Vietnamese
populations in the U.S. Here I
regularly encounter resettled
refugees who passed through the
Bataan center, some as teenagers
and young children, who are now
business owners and professionals.
We often develop an immediate
bond, and many willingly share
special memories, thankful for their
time in the Philippines.
Vietnamese run restaurants
and small businesses abound, plus
community centers, and
Vietnamese Catholic churches and
Buddhist temples. At St Patrick's
Seminary and University in Menlo
Park, Filipino and Vietnamese
seminarians have a large presence.
Last year the Vietnamese
Community of Northern California
organized an impressive “Thank
You America” event, and is now
planning a Vietnam memorial to
honor both U.S. and Vietnamese
veterans.
The gratitude and “giving back”
continues.
Bataan and freedom a bonding
experience
The Bataan PRPC was located
not far from the infamous WW II
Bataan Death March route where
thousands of Philippine POW's and
hundreds of American POW's
perished on a brutal forced march
by the Japanese Imperial Army in
1942. The annual commemorative
retracing of the Bataan Death
March route organized by
Philippine, American and
Australian Boy Scouts also included
Boy Scouts from the Bataan refugee
center in the late 1980′s. One
particular year, Vietnamese,
Laotian and Cambodian Boy Scouts
joined in on the hot and tiring 70
mile trek which took place in
increments over a number of weeks
leading up to April 9, Bataan Day.
The refugee Boy Scouts had no
hiking boots or special gear, but
were in great spirits all the way
wearing simple flip-flop sandals
and carrying plastic water bottles,
proudly wearing their Bataan Day
commemorative t-shirts. At the
conclusion of the trek, beneath the
towering 300 foot Mount Samat
Cross at the Bataan Memorial, U.S.
Ambassador to the Philippines
Nicholas Platt awarded each of the
100 Boy Scouts with a special
Bataan freedom medal. Philippine
WW II Death March survivors were
also there. The Bataan freedom
medal had a unique meaning for
each group of recipients, perhaps
most especially for the young
refugees who had recently made
arduous and dangerous escapes
from war-torn homelands. It was
great and meaningful bonding
About the Author
Bill Applegate is a graduate of the U.S.
Naval Academy and a three tour
Vietnam veteran. He also spent
twelve years managing refugee
programs with the International
Catholic Migration Commission in the
Philippines. Related op-ed pieces he
wrote for The Wall Street Journal,
include “Manila's Refuge Makes It
Pearl of the Orient.” (July 13, 1988).
He is a founding director of the
Friends of the Philippines Council, a
San Francisco based organization set
up earlier this year that promotes
awareness, appreciation, and
support of the Philippines among
business, academia, diplomatic, and
civic groups in the Bay Area. He can be
reached at wgapple@aol.com.
during this administration the
piddling three-kilometer
Daanghari extension is still years
away from being finished.
If a vote is ever held to elect the
Aquino administration official who
best personifies the growing belief
that this government is all
promises and no action, I would not
hesitate for one second: Abaya is
the perfect poster boy of the daang
matuwid that never got built.
As this administration
shambles toward its final days, the
propaganda is still as strident. But
it keeps losing its already tenuous
connection to reality because of
people like Abaya, who love to talk
a good game but who are never
called out when they fail to deliver
on their press releases.
Now that we're in the last two
minutes, my prediction that Aquino
himself will not be able to point to
anything significant that he's done
when he steps down from office
sounds more and more like a fait
accompli. And it's people like Abaya
who are to blame, not just their boss
a President who has perfected the
art of doing nothing and yet who
keeps getting sick from
overworking.
This is why firing Abaya will not
solve anything, even he does
nothing except talk of the fantastic
things he will get done. Abaya is just
implementing Aquino's most
important policy, like a good
Cabinet secretary,
PH-US Income Convention caps
income tax at 30% US, 35% in
PH
This was signed in 1976
between Philippine Finance
Secretary Cesar Virata and U.S.
Treasury Secretary William E.
Simon that reduced the statutory
rates of 30 percent of withholding
tax in the U.S. by a Filipino resident
alien and 35 percent in the
Philippines by a Green Card Holder
or U.S. Citizen in the Philippines.
This also allowed a Filipino
resident alien to be present in the
U.S. for less 90 days in a year to be
exempted from tax payment for
"personal services" when
remuneration exceeds $10,000.
This convention also allows
the Philippines to collect “1% to
3%” worldwide income tax of
Filipino resident alien” in the U.S.
despite relief "from double
Old issues ...
From page 10
Until recently, the Internet,
however remained unfettered. Not
anymore. In August 2012, or
specifically on Aug. 14, 2012,
Malaysia Internet Blackout Day
occurred. This series of
coordinated protests was directed
against a proposed amendment to
Malaysia's draconian Evidence
Act.
The amendment of Section
114A “makes individuals and
those who administer, operate or
provide spaces for online
community forums, blogging, and
hosting services, liable for content
published through its services.”
This presumption of guilt goes
against a fundamental principle of
justice: innocent until proven
guilty. It would hold publishers of
websites accountable for seditious
or defamatory postings even if
they are not the actual authors.
The 17th UN Commission on
Human Rights in Geneva grilled
Malaysia in its “Universal Periodic
Review,” the second for Malaysia
since 2009. Austria and others
prodded Kuala Lumpur to allow
the freedom to practice, even
change, religions.
taxation” that the convention was
trying to accomplish.
In other words, based on this
convention, in his campaigns in the
U.S. since 2006 when Manny
fought Erik Morales and earned his
first $2-M up to 2010 when he
earned $25-M against Antonio
Margarito and another $25-M
against Juan Manuel Marquez in
2012, the Philippine government
stands to collect “1% to 3%” from
those Manny's fights in the U.S.
Will the U.S. Waive its “39.6%”
highest income tax rate for Manny
to reconcile with the convention's
30% cap? This remains to be seen.
I found out, however, the U.S.
has been notorious for breaking
some treaties and this PhilippineUS Convention, one of the 37
similar treaties that the
Philippines signed with other
countries, including China, may
not be an exception. Hello? Did I
mention China? Yes, Macau is in
China, the last battleground of
Manny! Perhaps, the BIR should
review this treaty if the
Philippines can ask Manny, Mr.
Arum, Freddie Roach, etc. to pay
income taxes from that fight. If not,
it can ask the Philippine
government to re-do terms of this
treaty and other treaties with
other countries to keep it in line
with its treaty with the U.S.!
In Medellín v. Texas, 552 U.S.
491 (2008), the United States
Supreme Court held that even if an
international treaty may
constitute an international
commitment, it is not a binding
domestic law unless Congress has
enacted statutes implementing it
or unless the treaty itself is "selfexecuting." Also, the Court held
that decisions of the International
Court of Justice are not binding
domestic law and that, without
authority from theUnited States
Congress or the Constitution, the
President of the United States
lacks the power to enforce
international treaties or decisions
of the International Court of
Justice.
My unsolicited advice to
Manny: “Just tell the truth!”
Keep your pledge to abolish
the 1948 Sedition Act and the
Printing Presses and Publications
Act of 1984, the United States
urged Prime Minister Razak. These
laws leash media through permits.
“The fear is Muslims will start
practicing Christianity if both
groups refer to God by the same
name,” Waleed Aly wrote. Do
Malaysian Muslims need a form of
protect ion from t heir ow n
ignorance?
“Young, educated, urban
Malays in particular, are deserting
this brand of politics in droves.
They're becoming increasingly
skeptical of their own privileged
status. Upwardly mobile, they are
unlikely to be swayed by a Meccaoriented compass.”
Not the “old guard Malays.
They confront the fact that the
privileged position they've held for
the first 50 years of Malaysian
independence won't hold for the
next 50. Now they're lashing out,
as if trying to resist the death
throes of their own supremacy.”
Did Waleed Aly write that in
Malaysia? Of course, that would
never see print there. But the
Syd n ey M o r n i n g H e ra l d i n
Australia published it.
(E-mail: juan_mercado77@yahoo.com)
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 15
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 16
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 17
EXPRESSWEEK
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 18
Fil-Ams brave arctic cold to meet new NY mayor
By Elton Lugay
NEW YORK -- Newly sworn in
Mayor Bill de Blasio opened his
official residence at Gracie
Mansion to thousands of city
residents, including a dozen
Filipino-Americans, who braved
the frigid arctic weather on
Sunday, Jan. 5.
The 6'5” former Public
Advocate towered over the FilAms, bending his neck as he
beamed with them for
photographs. He wore a black suit
with a yellow tie.
“He is so tall,” said beauty
pageant director Erno
Hormillosa. “They must have
gotten rid of the old bed and
brought in something more to his
size.”
Sally Nunez, president of RN
Express staffing agency for
nurses and healthcare workers,
said, “Meeting him was surreal. It
went so fast I didn't realize it was
already over until I got out of the
receiving room.”
Erno and Sally were among
the Fil-Ams who came to Gracie
Mansion in early morning and
lined up in the icy weather
condition so they could get in by
10 a.m. The opportunity to meet
The Filipino delegation at Gracie Mansion with the author (extreme right). CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
the mayor was the “first event of
its kind in recent memory,” said
the press release.
A line snaked around the Carl
Schurz Park where the historic
federal-style residence sits,
surrounded by A vast garden of
camellias, dogwood bushes and
other greenery.
No one seemed to mind the
bone-chilling temperature.
People were patient, upbeat and
chatting with each other, sharing
expectations and thoughts of
what to tell De Blasio during their
split-second time with him.
The guests came dressed in
their warmest, some carrying
umbrellas. Hot cider, coffee, and
cocoa were made available to the
guests, and heated tents
welcomed the elderly who
needed a respite from the cold
weather. There was no sighting of
Filipino Dentist Offers A
Day of FREE Dental Care
Navarro memoir to launch at Manhattan's
Philippine Center on Thursday, January 16
N E W YO R K C I T Y - - T h e
international launch of Nelson A.
Navarro's memoir, “The HalfRemembered Past' will be held at
The Philippine Center, 556 Fifth
Avenue, New York City on Thursday,
January 16, 2014 at 7:00pm.
S p o n s o r e d b y N e w Yo r k
business leader Loida NicolasLewis and the Alpha Phi Beta
Fraternity Alumni Association of the
East Coast USA, the affair is expected
to draw prominent FilipinoAmerican personalities and friends
of the Philippines from all over the
United States.
Published by Alphan
Publishers, Inc of Makati, the
memoir was given a “soft
launch” in ceremonies headed
by National Artist for Literature
F. Sionil Jose, who wrote the
book's introduction, on
November 29, 2013 at the
newly-opened Raffles-Fairmont
Hotel in Makati. Exclusively
distributed by ABS-CBN
Publishing it is available at
National Bookstores, Fully
Booked and Powerbooks in the
Philippines and online
internationally at Amazon
Kindle and the ABS-CBN
Newsstand.
Manila-based journalist,
biographer and TV talk show
host, Navarro lived in New York
for 17 years as a political exile
from the Marcos regime. He cofounded the anti-martial law
Ningas magazine with Ms. Lewis
and served as its editor-in-chief.
He returned to Manila after the
1986 fall of Marcos and resumed
his career in journalism.
With 11 biographies or
books to his credit, Navarro
counts as one of the Philippines
best-known and most prolific
writers. Among his recent
publications are acclaimed
biographies of Vice President
Emmanuel Pelaez, and
journalism legend Maximo
Soliven. He edited the bestselling and very controversial
2012 memoir of Juan Ponce
Enrile. Due for release is
“Maverick; The Rise of Jejomar
De Blasio's family including first
lady Chirlane McCray, daughter
Chiara and son Dante. The press
was supposed to be escorted in
batches. I made a request to
remain with the Filipino
delegation so I could take their
photos. The mayor's team
granted my request.
When our turn came, one by
one we shook the mayor's hand.
No conversation was exchanged.
All guests just smiled nicely with
the mayor for the cameras. For
some reason I missed his
predecessor, Mike Bloomberg.
The Sunday open house
concluded a week of inaugural
events. The mayor's office said it
reflected an “unprecedented level
of access and transparency” that
would become the hallmark of De
Blasio's leadership.
“I'm thrilled to welcome New
Yorkers from across the city into
the People's House,” said the
109th mayor of New York. “It's
been a pleasure sharing the
inauguration with residents from
all five boroughs, and I can't think
of a better way to end the week
than by spending it with New
Yorkers.”
Attendees were greeted by
musical entertainment provided
by Make Music New York and the
NYCHA Youth Chorus. Musicians
from Make Music New York
included Grammy-nominated
opera singer Christopher Dylan
Herbert, jazz musician Jonathan
Batiste, electric guitarists led by
Patrick Grant. Bronx's BombaYo
a n d B ro o k ly n' s E l P u e n te
provided traditional Afro-Puerto
Rican Bomba music. Inquirer.net
Nelson A. Navarro
C. Binay,” on the nation's Vice
President who is the frontrunner in
the upcoming 2016 presidential
elections.
“The Half-Remembered Past”
consists of autobiographical essays
on the author's growing-up years in
Mindanao, his tumultuous years in
the University of the Philippines
Diliman during the Golden Sixties as
editor-in-chief of the Philippine
Collegian, his high-profile role in the
First Quarter Storm of 1970 which
led to subversion charges and
extended U.S. exile as well as postEDSA coverage of Philippine and
international affairs as a Manila
columnist and TV commentator. He
was particularly active during the
Cory Aquino, Fidel Ramos and
Joseph Estrada years, covering state
visits, serving in public affairs panels
and political analyst for CNN, BBC,
and NBC News.
Born in Manila and raised in
Malaybalay, Bukidnon, he is an
alumnus of UP Diliman (B.S. in
Business Administration) and New
York's Columbia University (M.A. in
International Affairs). He was a
reporter for the Trenton Times, New
Jersey's leading newspaper, and
covered the international social
development programs of the United
Methodist Church in the USA during
his exile years.
Tappan, NY -- Dr. Mariliza Lacap, her
husband Dr. Darren Tong and their
dental team will provide a day of free
preventive and emergency dental care
for underprivileged children ages 16 and
younger as part of the National
Children's Dental Health Month. This
will be their eighth year in providing this
most needed service. Last year they
provided more than $35,000 worth of
dentistry to adults and children in the
Bergen County area. True to their image,
Washington Dental Associates and
Smile More Dentistry has been known
by the Filipino community as the Dental
Office with a Heart.
The program, called “Give Kids A
Smile”, will be held on February 7
(Friday) 9:30 am - 4:30 pm at their 2nd
location Smile More Dentistry at 140
Oak Tree Road, Tappan, NY. Our office is
u
Page 19
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 19
Black Nazarene devotees pray not
for wealth but for 'Yolanda' victims
By Kristine Angeli Sabillo
FIERCE DEVOTION. Procession marshals (zoomed-in, lower left of composite photo), known as
'hijos' who protect the image of the Black Nazarene, fight for order amid the weight of millions of
devotees surging all in the direction of the float carrying the highly-revered image of Jesus Christ
during the 'traslacion,' its travel from Quirino Grandstand back to Quiapo Church in Manila,
yesterday. (Rolan Garcia)
Millions join Black
Nazarene procession
By Nestor Corrales
MANILA -- Around 12 million
devotees are in attendance to the
day-long procession of the Black
Nazarene, the Metro Manila
Development Authority (MMDA)
said late Thursday, Jan. 9.
MMDA said around 90,000
devotees are still joining the ongoing
procession, which is about to reach
the Quiapo Church before midnight.
In Plaza Miranda in Quiapo,
200,000 devotees are crowding the
area in anticipation for the arrival of
the Black Nazarene, according to the
National Capital Region Police
Office. Inquirer.net
MANILA -- Romano Almariego admits he does
not have much in life. But when the Black Nazarene
reaches Quiapo Church later, he will pray not for
wealth but for the well-being of his family and the
victims of Supertyphoon “Yolanda.”
“Yung nangyari (noong) 2013, (yung) Yolanda,
hindi na data mangyari iyon,” he told INQUIRER 13
hours after the Black Nazarene left Quirino
Grandstand. Almariego, 31, sells vegetables beside
Quiapo Church.
“Kasi batang Quiapo kami (We're Quiapo
boys),” he said, explaining how he became a Black
Nazarene devotee. He pointed to the other vendors
who were all wearing “Nazareno” shirts. Almariego
said he first started his “panata” when he was 13
years old. “Para sa akin, mas maganda na iyon
kaysa magbisyo (For me, it's better than getting
into vices),” he said.
The vegetable vendor said he has always been
praying for his family to remain together and to
have good health. He said they are also praying for
the rest of the Filipinos, especially after the
devastation of “Yolanda” that left at least 6,000
people dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.
“Importante wala nang kalamidad (What's
important is there shouldn't be any more
calamity),” he said.
Rebeccah Dela Peña, a volunteer collector at
the Quiapo Church, said they have noticed more
people were going to mass after the “Yolanda”
struck Eastern Visayas and nearby provinces last
November 8.
In fact, it seems that for the past months our
second collection allotted for donations to
“Yolanda” victims has surpassed the amount of
money given during the first collection, she said.
“Kaya sinisipagan namin yung second
collection,” she said, hoping that they could at least
contribute to the rehabilitation efforts in typhoonhit areas. For Almariego, his contribution lies in his
devotion for the Black Nazarene. Every year, he and
his companions greet the life-sized sculpture of
Jesus Christ on its way back to Quiapo Church.
As part of tradition, they struggle to bear the
ropes pulling the Black Nazarene's carroza
(carriage) over the right and then the left shoulder
until they have done this thirteen times.
Afterwards, they attempt to climb the carroza and
touch the relic.
But not before they help the women in their
group. “Sa ibang tao naghihimala pero sa
atin…darating sa atin yun (For other people it
performs miracle…for us it will arrive soon),” he
said with certainty.
“Basta tuloy-tuloy lang, wag tayong
magmadali. Kasi darating sa atin yung ginhawa.
Hindi lang sa isang tao kundi sa buong Pilipinas
(What's important is we continue [to believe], no
need to hurry. The good things will come, not only
for one person but all over the Philippines),” he
said.
After the procession, Almariego will return to
his stall, hoping to earn at least P1,000 to pay his
dues and to feed his family. Inquirer.net
Volunteer Performers and Supporters
Present
Please join San Francisco First Lady Anita Lee,
District Attorney George Gascon, Fabiola Kramsky
and Bay Area Women’s Groups at a
Fundraising Gathering in Solidarity
with Filipina Women and Girls
" THANK YOU, AMERICA " CONCERT
For
TYPHOON YOLANDA VICTIMS
IN THE PHILIPPINES
Thru
American Red Cross
Please join San Francisco First Lady Anita Lee,
District Attorney George Gascon, Fabiola Kramsky and Bay Area
Women’s Groups at a Fundraising Gathering in Solidarity
with Filipina Women and Girls
January 25, 2014 at 4 pm
(snow date - February 1,2014)
Our Lady of Consolation School Gym
1799 Hamburg Turnpike, Wayne,NJ 07470
Featuring:
Gloria Frances School of Performing Arts
Thursday, January 23, 2013 l
5:30 - 7:30 PM
CREDO l
360 Pine Street l
San Francisco
GNGR Band
RSVP at http://WomenForTacloban.eventbrite.com
Filipino dentist offers ... From page 18
one of the few offices in the Bergen County and Rockland area
participating in this program. Last year more than 48,000
dental team members nationwide participated in “Give kids a
Smile”. It's heartbreaking to see a child's smile destroyed by
severe tooth decay. Imagine not being able to eat, sleep or
pay attention in school because you have a mouthful of
toothaches. It's tragic. Nearly 1 in 4 children, aged 2 to 11
years old have untreated cavities in their baby teeth,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). While poor diet and oral hygiene certainly play a role,
cavities are actually caused by a disease called caries, which is
five times more common than asthma.
“Giving back to the community that has supported our
office is very important to us. We are hoping to help children
whose parents cannot afford to provide dental health care to
their children. Sometimes people need a helping hand....this
is our way of showing we care. All team members and Doctors
from this office volunteer their services and time on this
special day. We are an office who believes in providing
dentistry from the heart” said Dr. Lacap. “This program will
touch the lives of so many of New Jersey's children who need
oral healthcare and instruction. I am proud to be a part of it.
Our focus this year is giving back more to our surrounding
community.” said Dr. Darren Tong, a Columbia University
Alumnus who has been practicing dentistry for over 20 years
with his wife, Dr. Mariliza Lacap.
Qualified children whose parents are out of a job,
struggling financially or just need a helping hand should call
and make an appointment. The office plans to see at least 60
children. “These appointments fill up quickly. We usually
have to turn people away,” says Larni, the front office
manager. The children will receive a comprehensive dental
exam, any emergency treatment, oral healthcare instruction,
fluoride treatment and free dental hygiene material including
toothbrush, toothpaste and floss.
If your children or any children you know qualifies for
this program, please call their office at (845) 359-1763 and
mention the “Give Kids a Smile” progam. They are also looking
for more dentists, dental assistants or hygienists to volunteer
their time on this special day of giving, please give them a call
or visit their website at TappanDentist.com and click on
“Giving back to the Community”
Lakeland Youth Symphony Strings of Lakeland Youth Symphony Orchestra
(LYSO) conducted by Debra Seftel
The Students of Shahla Nikfal
Ammie Dumalagan - member of Our Lady of Consolation choir
Jade He - from the Rhino Theatre's "Les Miserables"
Nicole Pinuela - a vocalist from Mary Help of Christians Academy
Joshua Stokem - member of the Lakeland Chorale and Our Lady of Consolation
Youth Group
Agustin Zamora - a hip hop performer,parishioner at Our Lady of Consolation
Church
and many more...
Tickets are $10 each. Please make checks payable to: "American Red Cross" include "Typhoon
Appeal" on memo. For tickets please contact one of the performer /groups above or Annie Lopez at
(862)377-1464 or email lopez157@optonline.net.; gfdance@aol.com;
janehe@optonline.net;nikfal@gmail.com;agustin_zamora62@yahoo.com;cnaval125@yahoo.com
; joshstokem@gmail.com
*This concert will donate 100% of sales to support American Red Cross Typhoon Appeal to help people affected by
the Pacific Typhoon,which includes relief efforts in the Philippines. On those rare occasions when donations exceed
American Red Cross expenses for a specific disaster, contribution are used to prepare for and serve the victims of
other disasters. The American Red Cross name and emblem are used with its permission ,which in no way
constitutes an endorsement ,express or implied,of any product,service, company,opinion or political position.The
American Red Cross logo is a registered trademark owned by the American Red Cross. For more information,please
visit www.redcross.org.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 20
The world braces for Toyota invests P500
Million
in
PH
plant
retirement crisis
Japanese automotive giant to increase local content of Vios
Associated Press
By Amy R. Remo
A global retirement crisis is
bearing down on workers of all
ages. It will play out for decades,
and its consequences will be farreaching.
Many people will be forced to
work well past the traditional
retirement age of 65. Living
standards will fall and poverty
rates will rise for the elderly in
wealthy countries that built safety
nets for seniors after World War II.
In developing countries, people's
rising expectations will be
frustrated if governments can't
afford retirement system to
replace the tradition of children
caring for aging parents.
The problems are emerging as
the generation born after World
War II moves into retirement.
“The first wave of underprepared workers is going to try to
go into retirement and will find
they can't afford to do so,” says
Norman Dreger, a retirement
specialist with the consulting firm
Mercer in Frankfurt, Germany.
The crisis is a convergence of
three factors: a) Countries are
slashing retirement benefits and
raising the age to start collecting
them. These countries are awash
in debt since the recession hit. And
they face a demographics disaster
as retirees live longer and falling
birth rates mean there will be
fewer workers to support them; b)
Companies have eliminated
traditional pension plans that
Toyota Motor Philippines Co. is
set to invest nearly P500 million
this year to raise the production
output of its facility in Sta. Rosa,
Laguna, and further increase the
local content of the Vios, which is
being produced here.
This planned investment is way
above the P40-million capital
outlay initially planned for this year
by TMP, company president
Michinobu Sugata said in an
interview.“This year, TMP will have
to increase the production capacity
of its Santa Rosa Plant by installing
two additional painting robots to
catch up with the market
expansion. TMP will aim at the
production volume of nearly
40,000 [units] as compared to
35,481 units last year,” Sugata told
the Inquirer.
“On top of that, in the middle of
this year, we will localize 15 more
stamping parts for the new Vios at
the press shop of our Santa Rosa
Plant. The total investment amount
will be nearly P500 million,” he
added.
TMP is bullish on its prospects
for 2014 given the company's
robust sales performance last year.
This was despite challenges
such as the devastation wrought by
natural calamities, as this affected
not only the vehicle sales of TMP,
In this Sept. 9, 2013 photo, Dong Linhua, 59, works at his workshop in
Shanghai. “I heard that the authorities might postpone the age of the
retirement, but I sure hope not, since I've already worked for almost 42 years,”
says Dong. AP/Eugene Hoshiko
guaranteed employees a
monthly check in retirement; and
c) Individuals spent freely and
failed to save before the recession
and saw much of their wealth
disappear once it hit.
Mikio Fukushima, who is 52
and lives in Tokyo, worries that he
might need to move somewhere
cheaper, maybe Malaysia, after age
70 to get by comfortably on
income from his investments and a
public pension of just $10,000 a
year.
People like Fukushima stand in
contrast to many who are already
retired. Many workers were
recipients of generous corporate
pensions and government benefits
that had yet to be cut.
Under siege
Germany established the
world's first widely available state
pension system in 1889. The
United States introduced Social
Security in 1935. In the
prosperous years after World War
II, governments expanded
pensions. Companies began to
offer pensions that paid
employees a guaranteed amount
each month in retirement socalled defined-benefit pensions.
The average age at which men
could retire with full government
pension benefits fell from 64.3
years in 1949 to 62.4 years in 1999
in the relatively wealthy countries
that belong to the Organization for
BACOLOD CITY -- The first
English-Ilonggo storybook
application to teach a child
Ilonggo, the language of
O c c i d e n t a l N e g re n s e s , wa s
released worldwide on the iTunes
app store on December 19.
The app for iPads was created
by brothers Robin and Jay Abello
of Negros Occidental. Robin, 43, is
a software expert based in the
state of Maryland, USA, while Jay,
42, is a filmmaker based in the
Philippines.
The “Esturya for Kids” app that
makes learning fun for 6- to 8year-old children features the
story of “Cowboy Inting and the
Carabao Butud,” written by
Negrense actor and writer Dwight
Gaston, Robin said in an e-mail
interview.
“The idea of the app came
about last June when I was
thinking of writing an app for our
kids,” said Robin, who has three
children aged 4 to 10 years, who
live in the United States.
BROTHERS Robin (left) and Jay
Abello, the inventors of Esturya for
Kids app (below).
“I thought, why not write a
language app that can help our
kids learn Ilonggo. So I discussed it
with Jay and he loved the idea and
we collaborated on it,” he said.
Aussie telco cited for
PH outsourcing jobs
u
Page 21
The Esturya for Kids
app on iTunes store
By Carla P. Gomez
but that of the whole industry as
well.
According to Sugata, TMP even
managed to surpass its sales target
in 2013.
“[The company has]
successfully finished [2013] with
its record sales, more than our
target of 75,000 units. The official
number will follow soon. This can
be attributed to stable supply and
the introduction of new models
such as new Vios, which will
definitely be the best-selling
vehicle in the Philippines,” he said.
For 2014, TMP wants to
challenge its set target sales of
90,000 units through the
introduction of new models.
The company's sales projection
took into account the forecast
increase in the sales of the
Philippine automotive industry.
Based on the official market
forecast of the Chamber of
Automotive Manufacturers of the
Philippines, vehicle sales by its
member firms are expected to
increase by 10 percent to 231,000
units this year, due largely to the
“expected stable GDP (gross
domestic product) growth and the
[increased] confidence in
consumer spending.”
Campi's target sales for 2013
stood at 210,000 units. The final
tally is expected to be released
within the week. Inquirer.net
Jay, who travels between
Bacolod and Manila, brought in
everyone to the creative side from Dwight Gaston, who did the
story and the illustrations, to many
other members of his team from
Seventh Films, which did the
editing and voice and sound
recordings, Robin explained.
Robin said the team from his
firm called Akubo did the software
and the graphic design for the app.
“The app is designed to work
on an iPad. We are releasing it in
Ilonggo and we hope to add
Tagalog and Cebuano translations
early next year. And we're looking
into adding other stories,
hopefully by other Negrense
writers as well,” Robin said.
“As you're reading the story in
English, some words change to
Ilonggo as you move up levels and,
on level 4, the entire story is in
Ilonggo. You can touch the Ilonggo
word and hear its translation in
English,” he added.
Robin said the website for the
Esturya for Kids app is
www.esturya.com. Inquirer.net
Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo
has cited an Australian
telecommunications and
information-technology (IT)
company for stepping up the
recruitment of college-educated
Filipinos for its Philippine contact
center operations.
“We welcome TPG Telecom
Limited's decision to increase
hiring of contact center staff. This
will help provide additional gainful
employment opportunities to our
college graduates who are still
without work,” said Romulo,
chairman of the House committee
on higher and technical education.
T P G Te l e c o m' s i n - h o u s e
outsourcing subsidiary in the
Philippines, Orchid Cybertech
Services Inc., is enlisting more
contact center personnel for sales,
customer service and technical
support.
Orchid Cybertech runs a
contact center in Ortigas Center,
Pasig that already has more than
1,000 employees.
“Since Australia and the
Philippines are in the same time
zone, the contact center employees
here work by day and sleep at
night. This is what is different
about contact center services for
an Australian firm dealing with
consumers based in Australia,”
Romulo said.
At present, the bulk of contact
center services that have been
outsourced to Philippines cater to
US corporations handling
American consumers. Thus, the
contact centers run mostly at night
in the Philippines, when it is
daytime in America.
Romulo earlier said he is
counting on the business process
outsourcing (BPO) industry to
produce roughly 124,000 new fulltime jobs in 2014.
A previous survey by Pulse
Asia Research Inc. showed that
“creating more jobs” is one of the
top five urgent concerns of
Filipinos, along with fighting
official corruption, controlling
inflation, improving the pay of
workers, and reducing poverty.
R o m u l o' s c o n g r e s s i o n a l
district of Pasig is home to 16
Philippine Economic Zone
Authority-registered IT parks that
host a growing number of BPO
firms.
Romulo is also author of the
Data Privacy Act, which has helped
to attract global corporations to
either establish new in-house
outsourcing units here in Manila,
or to convey their non-core,
business support activities to
independent BPO firms operating
here.
The law mandates all entities,
including BPO firms, to safeguard
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 21
Cebu Pacific acquires Funds to improve
Tigerair Philippines business climate
By Miguel R. Camus
MANILA -- Cebu Air Inc., the
operator of the country's biggest
budget airline Cebu Pacific, has
sealed a strategic alliance with
Singaporean low-cost carrier Tiger
Airways Holdings in a deal it claims
would create the biggest network
of flights to the region, according to
a disclosure submitted to the
P h i l i p p i n e S t o c k E xc h a n g e
Wednesday.
The transaction, which
includes Cebu Pacific's acquisition
of 100 percent of Tigerair
Philippines for $15 million, further
cements Cebu Pacific's leading
position in the domestic market,
the disclosure said.
It also gives Cebu Pacific, a unit
of the Gokongwei clan's JG Summit
Holdings, access to valuable slots in
Manila's congested international
airport, one of two hubs where
Tigerair Philippines operates.
The deal is still subject to
re g u l a to r y a p p rova l , wh i c h
includes the Civil Aeronautics
Board and the Securities and
Exchange Commission.
In its PSE filing, Cebu Pacific
said the alliance with Tiger
Airways will jointly operate
common routes to and from
Singapore and the Philippines.
Both airlines are likewise going to
brand themselves as partner of the
other airline.
Tigerair Philippines will
The world
braces ...
From page 20
E c o n o m i c C o o p e ra t i o n a n d
Development.
As the 2000s dawned,
governments - and companies looked at actuarial tables and birth
rates and realized they couldn't
a f fo rd t h e p e n s i o n s t h ey ' d
promised.
T h e ave ra g e m a n i n 3 0
countries the OECD surveyed will
live 19 years after retirement.
That's up from 13 years in 1958.
The OECD says the average
retirement age would have to reach
66 or 67, from 63 now, to “maintain
control of the cost of pensions”
from longer lifespans.
Compounding the problem is
that birth rates are falling just as
the bulge of people born in
developed countries after World
War II retires.
Populations are aging rapidly
as a result. The higher the
percentage of older people, the
harder it is for a country to finance
its pension system because
relatively fewer younger workers
are paying taxes.
In response, governments are
raising retirement ages and
slashing benefits. In 30 high- and
middle-income OECD countries,
the average age at which men can
collect full retirement benefits will
rise to 64.6 in 2050, from 62.9 in
2010; for women, it will rise from
61.8 to 64.4.
In the wealthy countries it
studied, the OECD found that the
in Philippines up
A Cebu Pacific plane on the tarmac of the Puerto Princesa int’l airport
initially continue to retain the
Tigeriar brand, Cebu Pacific said,
while their websites will be used as
sales and distribution platforms to
market all their routes. The
carriers also expect to collaborate
on other common destinations in
Asia.
“This strategic alliance will
allow both Cebu Pacific and
Tigerair to leverage on our
extensive networks spanning from
North Asia, ASEAN, Australia, India,
all the way to the Middle East. Our
customers can expect an even
wider range of travel options, and
seamless travel connections while
enjoying our trademark low fares,”
Cebu Pacific CEO and president
Lance Gokongwei said in the
statement.
“Tigerair and Cebu Pacific
share a vision for both airlines to
join forces and compete more
effectively in the regional market.
Through this strategic alliance, we
aim to establish a win-win
partnership to forge a more
competitive Tigerair,” added Group
CEO of Tigerair Koay Peng Yen.
The deal will expand Cebu
Pacific's market share of about 50.8
percent of domestic flights during
the January to September period
last year data from the CAB
showed. Tigerair Philippines
cornered 4.7 percent during the
period.
Tigerair Philippines currently
operates an average of 102 flights
per week with five aircraft to 12
do m e st i c a n d i n te rn a t i o n a l
destinations. Cebu Pacific, with 48
planes, operates 2,200 flights per
week to 24 international and 33
domestic destinations.
Inquirer.net
pension reforms of the 2000s will
cut retirement benefits by an
average 20 percent.
T h e fa te o f g ove rn m e n t
pensions is important because
they are the cornerstone of
retirement income. Across the 34country OECD, governments
provide 59 percent of retiree
income, on average.
Traditionally, Chinese and
Koreans could expect their grown
children to care for them as they
aged. But newly prosperous young
people increasingly want to live on
their own.
China pays generous pensions
to civil servants and urban
workers. They can retire early with
full benefits at 60 for men and 50
or 55 for women.
But the elderly are rapidly
becoming a bigger share of China's
population because of a policy
begun in 1979 and only recently
relaxed that limited couples to one
child.
Financial crisis makes things
worse
The outlook worsened once
the global banking system went
into a panic in 2008 and tipped the
world into the worst recession
since the 1930s.
Government budget deficits
swelled in Europe and the United
States. Tax revenue shrank, and
governments pumped money into
rescuing their banks and financing
unemployment benefits. All that
escalated pressure on
governments to reduce spending
on pensions.
The Great Recession threw
tens of millions out of work
worldwide. For others, pay
stagnated, making it harder to save.
Because government retirement
benefits are based on lifetime
earnings, they'll now be lower.
The National Institute on
Retirement Security estimates that
Americans are at least $6.8 trillion
short of what they need to have
saved for a comfortable retirement.
For those 55 to 64, the shortfall
comes to $113,000 per household.
The Asia challenge
In Asia, workers are facing a
different retirement worry, a
byproduct of their astonishing
economic growth.
End of traditional pensions
Corporations are cutting
pension costs by eliminating
traditional defined-benefit plans.
They've moved instead to so-called
defined-contribution plans that
shift responsibility for saving to
employees.
But people don't always enroll.
They don't contribute enough.
They dip into the accounts when
they need money.
Several countries are trying to
coax workers to save more.
Australia passed a law in 1993
that makes retirement savings
mandatory. Employers must
contribute the equivalent of 9.25
percent of workers' wages to such
retirement accounts.
In 2006, the United States
encouraged companies to require
employees to opt out instead of
choosing to opt in. That means
workers start saving for retirement
automatically if they make no
decision. Inquirer.net
The British government
plans to fund in 2014 projects
that will help promote
transparency and efficiency
in business registration in the
Philippines, as well as
increase the government's
capacity to regulate noncompetitive business
practices.
In a posting on its website,
the British Embassy in
Manila said it was seeking
project proposals that can
qualify under the South East
Asia Prosperity Fund.
The Philippines is among
t h e c o u n t r i e s t h a t a re
benefiting from the South
East Asia Prosperity Fund,
the UK Foreign and
Commonwealth Office's
(FCO) technical cooperation
program aimed at creating
the conditions for global
growth among countries in
Southeast Asia.
The program has so far
supported over 90 policy
projects, valued at £3.4
million, which were
implemented in the
Philippines, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Burma, Singapore,
Thailand and Vietnam.
Based on the Prosperity
Fund Strategy and Guidance
for the Philippines 20142015, among the projects
that may qualify include
those that deepen private
sector involvement in the
economy; encourage closer
global and regional economic
integration on a
nondiscriminatory basis;
break down barriers to cross
border trade and
investments; and those that
push for transparency and a
rules-based economic
system in Southeast Asia.
The target is for the
projects to begin by May
2014 and completed by
March 2015. Inquirer.net
DESTROYED houses brought by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” in Tolosa, Leyte
Give investors a
break - lawmaker
MANILA -- A lawmaker on
Saturday said the government
should entice the private sector to
invest in infrastructure and
programs that promote resiliency by
giving them incentives for
undertaking such measures.
Western Samar Rep. Mel Senen
Sarmiento, a member of the
Parliamentarians Advisory Group of
the United Nations Office for
Disaster Risk Reduction, said it
would be better to focus on
programs that would prevent
calamities from becoming fullblown disasters, and the
government must not be alone in the
endeavor and should get businesses
and individuals to invest in them as
well. Sarmiento also supported
plans for a Calamity Resiliency Fund
that would be used to strengthen
vulnerable infrastructure and
communities to help them
withstand calamities.
The government could provide
incentives such as tax breaks or
preferential loan rates to businesses
investing in buildings that could
withstand the onslaught of nature,
for instance, Sarmiento said.
While the country's finance
managers may balk at the loss of
revenue from such a plan, he said
that in the long run, the government
would spend less to rebuild
damaged infrastructure, and there
would also be less damage to the
economy.
He noted that in some countries,
the banks offered preferential
interest rates to developers who
u n d e r t a ke d i s a s t e r - r e s i l i e n t
projects. Inquirer.net
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 22
Man of still, steal or steel?
By Efren Ll. Cruz
Question: The US markets
started 2014 on a negative note.
While doomsayers are not that
plentiful, nobody is overly bullish
about the prospects of the New
Year, not like with the start of 2013.
Some, from analysts to fortune
tellers, are even raising caution. Do
you think the prospects for
investing in the Philippines will not
be good for 2014? Posted on PFA's
“ask a friend, ask Efren” service at
www.personalfinance.ph
Answer: Nobody or nothing is
exempted from risks, and that
includes investing in the
Philippines in whatever year.
Risk is inextricably woven into
investing. Volatility in asset prices
is not the new normal. It has always
been part of what is normal.
It is in what people do with that
risk and price volatility that makes
them great investors. Put another
way, without risk, there would be
no great investors to speak of.
The question is, what do you
intend to do in the face of all the
risks?
Well, you could cower in fear
and just place your money in “safe”
instruments or by being a man of
still. But do remember that the
cardinal rule in investing is never
broken: high risk, high (potential)
return; low risk, low (potential)
return.
Investing in low risk
instruments may seem easy.
H o w e ve r, i f t h e i r
corresponding returns are below
the inflation rate and/or are not
aligned with what you need to earn
to achieve your financial goals then
you are just setting yourself up for
disappointment.
I am heartened, however, by
developments in the Philippines in
the last decade. There is an
increasing number of Filipinos,
both here and abroad, who are now
more open to taking on risks to
grow their wealth better.
This is evidenced by the
growing number of people,
especially from the younger
generation, who are talking about
personal finance in Yahoo groups
and Facebook groups.
Many newspapers and
magazines now have a section on
personal finance. There is now a
proliferation of seminars and
trainings on personal financial
planning and offered to both
professionals and the average Juan.
There is even a growing
number of couples who consult us
now on how to fund their married
life from the wedding and raising a
family down to retirement
You can also face the risks by
cheating your way to growing your
wealth or by being a man of “steal.”
Examples of taking shortcuts to
growing wealth are going after the
one time/big time gains
(remember the cardinal rule in
investing), doing the opposite of
being a man of still by falling prey
to pyramiding and Ponzi scams,
and borrowing heavily to invest
and (much worse) to acquire nonearning assets.
On the matter of borrowing
heavily, we stress at our EnRich™
training the importance of human
capital or the financial worth of a
person's remaining productive
years. Human capital can amount
to millions. Unfortunately, many
fail to see the value of their human
capital and instead mortgage their
future to the hilt.
The best option is to be a man of
steel. Everyone, without exception,
has the capacity to be a great
investor. Ride the risk. The sooner
you do it the better. But don't do it
blindly. Here are some ways to
properly ride the risk:
1.) Protect your downside by
getting life insurance first. Nothing
is guaranteed in investing. Life
insurance is there to ensure that
you will leave something to your
family should you be called from
this life early at a time when you
are still building up to your target
wealth.
2.) Invest only in what you
need. The only way you will know
what you need to earn is by
quantifying your goals. You can
then compare your goals with what
you currently have and what you
can prospectively add to determine
what amount of investment return
you will need. Know also that each
level of return comes with a
corresponding level of risk. If you
are not comfortable with the level
of risk then you should rethink
your goals.
3.) Apply A.S.K., the 2,000 yearold formula for growing wealth. “A”
stands for asking for divine
guidance. “S” stands for seeking
through in-depth study. And “K”
stands for knocking or committing
to action.
4.) Diversify your investments.
Spread your money over different
a s s e t c l a s s e s , g e o g ra p h i c a l
locations, currencies, industries,
sectors and even time frames. Peso
cost averaging or investing fixed
peso amounts periodically is a way
of diversifying your investment
over different time frames.
5.) Have a portfolio dashboard.
Monitor your investment
performance in terms of return
and risk vis-à-vis your goals
p e r i o d i c a l ly. M a ny p ro d u c t
providers report their
performance in print media, SMS,
the Internet and e-mail. Some have
gone as far as incorporating
personal finance tools.
So what do I think about the
prospects of investing in the
Philippines in 2014? Investing in
the Philippines is always good no
matter the year, if you are a man of
steel.
If you want to learn more about
being a man of steel, please visit
www.personalfinance.ph. You will
find a lot of free useful resources
there.
(Efren Ll. Cruz is a registered financial
planner of RFP Philippines, personal
finance coach, seasoned investment
adviser and best selling author.
Inquirer.net
The program is hosted by
renowned immigration
attorney Lourdes Tancinco
and TV director and actor
Eric Quizon
GMA Pinoy TV wins
MAM Award for Best
Television Journalism
GMA Pinoy TV's Pusong Pinoy
sa Amerika garnered the Best
Television Journalism Award for
the TV (Regular) category at the
2013 Migration Advocacy and
Media (MAM) Awards.
Pusong Pinoy sa Amerika (Into
the Hearts of Filipinos in America)
is a Filipino language talk show
that aims to enlighten viewers on
the complexities of immigration.
Now on its 10th season, Pusong
Pinoy sa Amerika goes beyond
navigating the ins and outs of
immigration laws and policies by
tackling a broader scope of issues
that are relevant to Filipino
immigrants in America. The
program is hosted by renowned
immigration attorney Lourdes
Tancinco and TV director and actor
Eric Quizon.
T h e M A M Awa rd s
acknowledges media outlets,
institutions and practitioners in
the fields of print, radio, movie and
television, advertising and the
internet who have “raised public
awareness on issues on Filipino
migration, advocated the cause of
Filipinos overseas and promoted a
positive image of Filipinos
overseas, and migration and
development.”
It was conceived in 2011 to
coincide with the celebration of
the Month of Overseas Filipinos
and International Migrants Day in
the Philippines in December every
year.
The MAM Award is the third
honor bestowed on the program
after winning a Bronze Telly in the
Information category for Film and
Video in the 34th Annual Telly
Awards, and receiving the 2013
News America Media (NAM)
Ethnic Media Award in the
Broadcast category for
Outstanding Reporting on Civil
Liberties Issues in Ethnic
Communities earlier this year.
“ We a r e p r o u d o f t h e
achievements that Pusong Pinoy
Abroad has attained this past year,”
expresses GMA Network VP and
Head of International Operations
Joseph T. Francia. “These awards
validate the thrust of this program,
which is to help our kababayans
abroad in understanding
immigration and other relevant
issues.”
The awarding ceremony took
place on December 18, 2013 at the
SSS Auditorium, SSS Building,
Diliman, Quezon City.
GMA Pinoy TV is the flagship
international channel of GMA
Network, Inc.
For more details and program
information, visit the GMA
International website
www.gmanetwork.com/internati
onal, Facebook pages
www.facebook.com/GMAPinoyTV
www.facebook.com/gmalifetv,
www.facebook.com/gmanewsinte
rnational, and Twitter pages
@ G M A P i n o y T V a n d
@GMA_LifeTV. (30)
Aussie telco
cited ... From page 20
TPG Telecom is the fourthlargest Internet service provider
and the biggest mobile virtual
network operator (MVNO) in
Australia. An MVNO is a wireless
communications services provider
that does not own the wireless
network infrastructure over which
the MVNO provides services to its
customers. An MVNO enters into a
commercial agreement with an
actual mobile network operator to
obtain bulk access to network
services at wholesale rates, and
then provides retail services and
sets prices independently.
At the close of 2013, TPG
Telecom reported nearly 1.4
million high-speed Internet,
landline and mobile phone
subscribers. TPG Telecom's shares
of stock are publicly traded on the
Australian Securities Exchange
(ASX).
the confidentiality of personal
information collected from clients
and stored in IT systems, in
accordance with rigorous
international privacy standards.
The Philippines' highly laborintensive, BPO and IT-enabled
services industry includes contact
center services; back offices;
medical, legal and other data
transcription; animation; software
development; engineering design;
and digital content.
The IT and Business Processing
Association of the Philippines sees
the industry yielding up to $27
billion in annual revenues and
directly employing some 1.3
million Filipinos by 2016.
ENTERTAINMENT
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 23
Marian Rivera ready for
'Carmela,' focused on
Adopt-A-Banca project
By Walden Sadiri M. Belen
Actress Marian Rivera is ready to
take on her latest teleserye character
while also focused on her Adopt-ABanca project for the fishermen victims
of super typhoon Yolanda in Cebu.
Marian said GMA Network made a
survey on who and how many were
truly in need of fishing boats in the
coastal areas.
“Para maiwasan na makaisip pa
silang gumawa ng masama just to
survive, we will try to raise funds for
1000 bancas for the affected registered
residents ng Cebu. Each Banca will cost
P35,000, and they will be made in Cebu
by the residents themselves. So kahit
hindi ka pa recipient ng banca, puede
ka na kumita!”
Marian is excited over the project.
“Matagal-tagal din na trabaho ito kasi
1000 na bancas ang gagawin. Nakita
kasi namin na after the relief-giving
stage, mayroon pang malaking
pangangailangan ang mga tao doon.
Kailangan nila ng hanapbuhay na alam
nila at yun ay ang pangingisda.”
As for the teleserye “Carmela,”
which us about a May-December love
affair, Marian will be paired for the first
time with Alden Richards, who's being
primed as the new Kapuso Network's
Dramatic Actor and GMA Artist
Center's Prime Leading Man.
“Carmela” is directed by Dominic
Zapata, who said that with Marian and
Alden in the lead roles, “viewers will
see something fresh and interesting…”
Asked if in real life she could fall for
Patti Austin with Martin Nievera, Roni Tapia-Merk and Beth Pastrano and other Filipino friends
At her Solaire concert, Patti Austin
commends resiliency of Filipinos
By Crispina Martinez - Belen
Marian Rivera
a younger man, Marian said, “Depende,
kasi may mga bata naman na mature na
sa pakikipagrelasyon at mayroon din
namang mga matandang immature sa
relationship…”
“Carmela” is an original concept
with Marian giving her inputs into the
project. Asked what she can say about a
May-December love affair, her answer
was “Walang masama. As long as
nagkakasundo sila.”
Carmela is a very beautiful woman
who has gone through a lot in life.
When she falls in love with a man who
despises her mother, she will be forced
to choose between the man she loves
and her mother who sacrificed her life
to save her. “Carmela” is set to start
airing end of January. Manila Bulletin
There are always angels
among celebrities especially
among international
entertainers, and we would like
to mention in particular Ms.
Patti Austin, our very own Lea
Salonga, Martin Nievera, and of
course Richard Merk.
The “Brand New Day”
benefit concert, headlined by
Ms. Patti Austin, was held at the
Grand Ballroom of Solaire
Resort & Casino, with the
proceeds intended for the
survivors of super-typhoon
“Yolanda,” through Habitat for
Humanity Philippines (HFHP).
“When I saw on CNN the
images of destruction wrought
by 'Yolanda' in Tacloban City, I
was shocked and stunned,” Ms.
Austin said when she started
the concert. “I must be able to
do something to contribute for
the rehabilitation of the
survivors, though how small
that contribution might be.
What matters most is that I
must give.”
So, she flew in to the
Philippines upon the invitation
of Ms. Roni Tapia-Merk who
organized a concert for her,
with her singing talent as her
biggest contribution, and
people who were similarly
touched by the unprecedented
destruction in Tacloban City
trooped to the concert to
contribute.
It was a successful concert,
and we understand that Ms.
Austin will also design the
furniture to be used in the
houses which will be
constructed by HFHP in
Tacloban City. Ms. Austin also
staged another concert on New
Year's Eve at Fairmont Raffles
Hotel in Makati, also for the
survivors of typhoon “Yolanda.”
Ms. Austin also
commended the resiliency of
the Filipino, saying that the
victims, even long before they
received any assistance from
the government, were already
bouncing back.
“The victims of the
superstorm 'Katrina' in New
Orleans were resilient, but I
found that the victims of
'Yolanda' are even more
resilient,” she stressed.
“The Filipinos are the
winners, but let us not have
that kind of competition
anymore.” Manila Bulletin
'Clarity' singer delivers one
best-night ever concert 'The Voice' Alumnus Donates
Russian-German disc jockey (DJ)
and electronic music producer Zedd
gave Filipino fans a best-night ever
concert experience recently.
Presented by Globe Telecom,
hardcore music fans and party
afficionados filled the SMX
Convention Center to the brim last
month in celebration of the return of
the “Clarity” and “Stay the Night”
hitmaker to Philippine shores.
New Globe subscribers who
availed of the Blackberry Z10 and
BlackBerry Q10 mySuperPlan
promo bundles were granted free
VIP tickets to see the much-awaited
“Moment of Clarity World Tour” in
Manila, alongside exclusive perks
and privileges in Hyve, one of the
metro's newest party destinations.
Prior to his concert, Zedd
announced on Twitter that concert
proceeds were to be donated for the
rehabilitation efforts in Visayas after
the onslaught of typhoon Yolanda.
His management also reserved free
tickets to the first 500 individuals
who brought canned goods and inkind donations. “Charity is clarity,”
he tweets.
With opening act 19-year old
French DJ Madeon pumping up the
Toys To 'Yolanda' Survivors
By Crispina Martinez - Belen
DJ Zedd
party and Zedd gripping the crowd
to stay the night with his vertiginous
crescendos and heart-stopping
drops, celebrities, VIPs, and partygoers alike agree that it was truly the
best night ever. Manila Bulletin
Darryl Shy, one of the
finalists on the recently
concluded “The Voice of the
Philippines,” his wife Ann
Angala (a talent manager) and
their children donated recently
to the toy drive of the Full
Gospel Business Men's
Fellowship International
(FGBMFI) Philippines and
SEAOIL Foundation.
FGBMFI, a worldwide body
of businessmen and
professionals who ministers to
the spiritual needs of its
m e m b e r s ,
i s
a n
interdenominational group
with no political affiliation.
With chapters in key areas of
the Philippines, FGBMFI,
although primarily spiritual in
orientation, responds to
emergencies and its members
get involved in relief and
rehabilitation support. It was
one of the first to respond
when Baguio was hit by a
strong earthquake in 1991.
FGBMFI gave initial
Photo shows Darryl Shy (center, seated), his wife Ann and their children,
members of the FGBMFI and their spouses. Darryl is the first and only alumnus
of the first-ever 'The Voice of the Philippines,' to join the roster of recording
artists of Star Records
assistance to survivors of
super-typhoon “Yolanda” by
distributing badly needed food
to the devastated towns of
Basey and Marabut in Samar.
Now that the rehabilitation
phase has begun, the Christian
fellowship has opted to focus
on children in the affected
areas who have been
traumatized by the experience
the death, the destruction,
especially those who've lost
loved ones and properties, not
to mention the disappearance
of entire communities. It
launched a used toy donation
campaign to bring Christmas
cheer to children who survived
the super-typhoon.
The FGBMFI team will also
do stress debriefing and
counseling early this year in
Northern Cebu, Samar, Leyte
and Panay, and will bring the
toy donations with them.
Manila Bulletin
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 24
Kris Aquino stays Kapamilya
By Pau Aguilera
Kris Aquino has renewed her
contract with ABS-CBN.
Kris took to her official
Instagram account
@krisaquino214 on Monday
night to announce her latest
career move, finally dousing
rumors of a network transfer.
In her latest post on the
photo-sharing site, where she
posted the ABS-CBN logo, she
related that her manager, Deo
Endrinal “continued talks w/ our
ABS bosses during the Christmas
break & it is w/ much joy that I
share w/ you that we have
RENEWED my ABSCBN
contract.”
Kris pointed out that she has
been with the network for “18
years & like any other family
we've had our ups & downs and
sometimes unavoidable
“tampuhan”- but we remain
FAMILY…”
The 42-year-old actress-TV
host and one of the country's top
endorsers thanked her “ABS CBN
bosses, Sir Gabby (Lopez III),
Ma'am Charo (Santos), and tita
Cory (Vidanes) for the trust,
value & importance they have
given me.”
“What I have become as a
host, entertainer & producer
came about because in 1996
FMG who was then president of
ABS CBN told me, 'Come back
home,'” Kris added.
She also acknowledged
Kris is currently in London with her sons Bimby and Josh
Vidanes “for being an inspiring
boss who has not only my
respect, but my love”; Endrinal
“for the patience to work out all
the details & have a deal where
we are all winners”; her close
friend Boy Abunda “for his
unwavering faith”; and her “Kris
TV” family “because I couldn't
imagine a show of mine w/o you
because we've learned to love
each other unconditionally.”
But most importantly, Kris
expressed her utmost gratitude
to “all the KAPAMILYA viewers,
thank you for watching me,
enjoying me & making me part of
your daily viewing. Because of
your support I get to continue a
job I love & I am also able to
provide well for Kuya & Bimb…
From my heart, MARAMING
S A L A M AT K A PA M I LYA ! ! ! ”
The Queen of All Media also
clarified that she has “never met
w/ any GMA officials but I am
grateful to them for the generous
coverage they gave 'My Little
Bossings,' primarily because of
their longstanding partnership
w/ Vic Sotto & the 'Eat Bulaga'
family,” although she admitted
having “met w/ MVP (Manny
Pangilinan) in October & again
Dec 23” last year. Manila Bulletin
Vice Ganda and Kris Aquino are good friends
Vice Ganda refutes
tension with Kris
By Marjorie S. Duran
V i c e G a n d a c l a i m s to b e
unaffected over the deemed contest
between him and Kris Aquino as
their respective films race to emerge
as top box-office draw in the 2013
Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).
“Walang ganun… sobrang close
nga namin ni Kris,” he said on “Buzz
ng Bayan.”
The “It's Showtime” host plays
lead in “Girl Boy Bakla Tomboy”
while Kris co-produced and stars in
“My Little Bossings.”
Vice counts Kris among his
closest friends in show business and
that “may relasyon kami ni Kris na
maayos, na maganda.”
He fondly recalled their
exchange at the MMFF Awards night,
during which, prior to the awarding
of the top plums, Kris playfully told
Vice, “Beh, talo ka ni Robin, siya ang
mag-be-Best Actor …feeling ko (siya
ang mananalo).”
Referring to the incident, Vice said,
“Kami ba, kung hindi ba kami ganun
ka-close, (ay) mag-ga-ganunan
kami?”
Learnings
Vice has learned so much from
his struggles in 2013.
Without going into details, the
box-office star said that “tuwing
nagkakamali ako, ang pinakamahusay at pinaka-madaling paraan
l a n g e h t a n g g a p i n m o' y u n g
pagkakamali mo at humingi ka ng
paumanhin sa tao kung kanino ka
man nagkamali, kinakailangan man
o hindi…
“…Kasi 'yung pagkakamali ko,
hindi ko naman nagawa 'yung mga
pagkakamali na 'yun ng first time,
nagawa ko na rin dati at lahat naman
tayo nakagawa na ng pagkakamali na
nauulit pa rin natin.”
He turns to God during his low
points. “(Kapag nasasaktan) ako
iiyak ko 'yan kasi hindi talaga ako
nagtatanim ng sama ng loob o ng
lungkot, (pero) 'pag hindi ko na
talaga kaya, i-si-simba ko 'yun,” he
shared.
Vice added that “iyak and samba”
is the same advice he gave his best
friend, Anne Curtis, when she
encountered challenges.
u
Page 26
Andi hurt over Mayor
Erap's statement
Andi maintains she and Jake are not a
couple (Courtesy of Andy's Instagram
account)
By Michael Joe T. Delizo
Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap”
Estrada has opted to keep his
opinions to himself regarding his
son Jake Estrada's affairs.
Asked if he accepts Andi as Jake's
lady love, the veteran politician
curtly said, “No comment.”
Andi, who is romantically linked
to the Estrada scion currently
pursuing his college degree in
London, expressed hurt over the
recent statement.
“Masakit kasi nakakapanliit siya
tsaka parang medyo judgmental po
'yung dating,” Andi said of Erap on
“Buzz Ng Bayan.”
“ Wa l a n a m a n p o a ko n g
magagawa eh. Kailangan ko pong
respetuhin kung ano po 'yung
sinasabi nila kasi sila po 'yung
magulang ni Jake,” she added. The
“Galema” star acknowledged, “They
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Page 27
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 25
The Red Hot Chili Peppers
will rock Clark music fest
By Joseph R. Atilano
This July 31, 1964 file photo shows The Everly Brothers, Don and Phil, performing on stage.
Everly, who with his brother Don formed an influential harmony duo that touched the hearts
and sparked the imaginations of rock 'n' roll singers for decades, including the Beatles and Bob
Dylan, died Friday, Jan. 3, 2014. He was 74. Everly died of chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease at a Burbank hospital, said his son Jason Everly. (AP Photo, File)
Phil Everly, half
of pioneer rock
duo, dies at 74
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES -- Phil Everly, who
with his brother Don formed an
influential harmony duo that touched
the hearts and sparked the
imaginations of rock 'n' roll singers
for decades, including the Beatles and
Bob Dylan, died Friday. He was 74.
Everly died of chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease at a Burbank
hospital, said his son Jason Everly.
Phil and Don Everly helped draw
the blueprint of rock 'n' roll in the late
1950s and 1960s with a high
harmony that captured the yearning
and angst of a nation of teenage baby
boomers looking for a way to express
themselves beyond the simple
platitudes of the pop music of the day.
The Beatles, early in their career,
once referred to themselves as “the
English Everly Brothers.” And Bob
Dylan once said, “We owe these guys
everything. They started it all.”
The Everlys' hit records included
the then-titillating “Wake Up Little
Susie” and the universally
identifiable “Bye Bye Love,” each
featuring their twined voices with
lyrics that mirrored the fatalism of
country music and a rocking
backbeat that more upbeat pop.
These sounds and ideas would be
warped by their devotees into a new
kind of music that would ricochet
around the world.
In all, their career spanned five
decades, although they performed
separately from 1973 to 1983. In
their heyday between 1957 and
1962, they had 19 top 40 hits.
The two broke up amid
quarrelling in 1973 after 16 years of
hits, then reunited in 1983, “sealing it
with a hug,” Phil Everly said.
Although their number of hit
records declined in the late 1980s,
they made successful concert tours in
this country and Europe.
They were inducted into the Rock
'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, the same
year they had a hit pop-country
record, “Born Yesterday.”
Don Everly was born in 1937 in
Brownie, Kentucky, to Ike and
Margaret Everly, who were folk and
country music singers. Phil Everly
was born to the couple on Jan. 19,
Filipina immigrant worker Rose
“Osang” Fostanes continues to stun
audiences abroad as she moves closer
to becoming the first “X Factor Israel.”
The 47-year-old caregiver from
Taguig City secured her spot in the next
round, the Top 5, after getting the nod
of judges and voters.
Fostanes pulled off a superb
r e n d i t i o n o f Q u e e n' s p o p u l a r
“Bohemian Rhapsody,” for which
judges Rami Fortis, Shiri Maimon and
Ivri Lider gave a standing ovation while
the audience chanted her name.
Judges agreed that the
performance was “wonderful” and
“amazing.” “I know how good you are as
are a big deal!
They brought the Funk, the
thumping bass, the infectious
energy, and their signature style
If there is one foreign band that I know of that is in almost everyone's
wish list to see perform here in the Philippines, the Red Hot Chili Peppers
would be high up there.
to their music. They are one of
the easiest bands to identify
bands at first glance. There is no
other band currently active that
is completely like them in many
aspects such that when you say
this band's name, you really
can't think of any other band.
h ave b e e n m a k i n g m u s i c
together for more than three
decades already.
While each fan of the band
has his own distinct and fond
memories as to when they first
got introduced to their music, I
think it would not be hard to
remember the first few songs he
had first heard of the Red Hot
Chili Peppers.
As for me, it was their song
“Under The Bridge” that I knew
it was their music I was listening
to. It was through local radio
stations that not only played but
also promoted a wide variety of
Rock music back in the 90′s that
young listeners were afforded
the chance to get acquainted
with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Their songs like: “Under The
Bridge”, “Give It Away”, “Higher
Ground”, “Californication”,
“Around the World”, “By The
Way” and “Dani California” just
to name some of their songs
come right off the top of my head
as I type this.
They just have so many
quality hits to choose from and
this fact is a plus factor for the
fans since you wouldn't really be
sure what songs could be
included in their set list when
they hit the stage with what
undoubtedly will be the most
awaited performance in the
7107 International Music
Festival.
Aside from their popular
hits which a good bulk of them
are now classics, it is the
individual personalities that the
original members of the Red Hot
Chili Peppers that really
captures the imagination of
music aficionados to this day.
u
Page 26
Fil-Jap model-actress stars
in 'Rurouni Kenshin' sequels
u
Page 27
Pinay 'X Factor
Israel' contender
now in the Top 5
This will happen in the 7107
International Music Festival on
Feb. 22-23 at Global Gateway
Logistics City in Clark,
Pampanga.
From purely a fan's
perspective, this is big, big news.
The significance of their coming
will be a dream come true for
their followers.
For those who aren't fully
aware of who exactly are the Red
Hot Chili Peppers, you just need
to know two immediate things
about them. They are members
of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
and they are one of the most
influential American Rock bands
ever in the history of popular
music.
This legendary band was
one of the main reasons why the
music scene of the 90′s was so
cool in the first place.
I still remember that as a
young teenager I would watch
bootleg VHS copies of their
concerts with some of my
cousins at home.
Anyone in his right mind
can't ignore the many valuable
contributions the Red Hot Chili
Peppers have made to the music
industry. They have become one
of the most respected and
beloved bands in Rock
communities around the world
and there isn't really a band like
them in the way they perform,
and in how they are ranked
among the all-time greats in the
annals of Rock and Roll.
a singer and as a person. I want
everyone to know that,” said Maimon of
her menteee.
The Filipina breadwinner
dedicates her fight to her family. “All my
life, nobody take care of me… I'm a
person who likes to take care of
everybody. I don't care of myself. All my
life, I want to support them (my family).
Even the last penny that I have, I have to
give it to my family,” Fostanes said.
The foreign contender was joined
in the Top 5 by Uri Shakib, Inbal Bibi,
Eden Ben Zaken and the Fushion group.
Fostanes, who celebrated her
birthday recently, appeals to her
kababayans to continue voting for her.
Manila Bulletin
By Pau Aguilera
Coinciding with the
announcement of the live-action
“Rurouni Kenshin” two-part
sequel is the introduction of FilJap model-actress Maryjun
Takahashi, who will portray
character Yumi Komagata in the
film's forthcoming installments.
This casting news was
reported by an unofficial
Facebook fan page dedicated to
the Japanese manga series,
which cited an entry in the
official website of Warner Bros.
Japan.
“Rurouni Kenshin: The Great
Kyoto Fire” is scheduled to
premiere in Japan on Aug. 1this
year, to be followed shortly by
“Rurouni Kenshin: The End of a
Legend” on Sept. 13.
In “Rurouni Kenshin,” also
known as “Samurai X,” Komagata
is depicted as the ardent lover
and supporter of assassin
Shishio Makoto (to be played by
Tatsuya Fujiwara) the primary
Maryjun Takahashi
as Yumi Komagata
(Photo by Warner
Bros. Japan)
antagonist of the series' Kyoto
arc
and his intent of
overthrowing the Meiji
government . A burnt and
bandaged Makoto, along with
members of his elite attack force
Juppongatana, was recently
shown in a teaser a production
still for the upcoming sequels on
the official website of the liveaction film.
Takahashi, who was born to a
Japanese father and a Filipino
mother, entered the world of
modeling in 2003, after winning
the Yokohama Shonan Audition
beauty contest, which was
shortly followed by her contractsigning with Japanese fashion
magazine CanCam. The 26-yearold has also appeared in several
music and variety shows, and TV
commercials for various fashion
brands.
In 2012, Takahashi played a
F i l i p i n a c h a ra c t e r i n t h e
Japanese TV drama “Jun to Ai.”
Manila Bulletin
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 26
Boots Anson-Roa in love again
Veteran actress Boots AnsonRoa was in the news recently
having found love again after she
was left a widow when her
husband Pete Roa died several
years ago.
The actress who is also the
executive director of Mowelfund,
and her beau, Atty. Francisco
“King” E. Rodrigo, former consul
g e n e ra l o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e
Consulate in New York, USA,
announced recently in a press
conference their engagement and
impending marriage in June
2014. It was a brief but intense
courtship, they revealed.
The announcement of their
love affair has made them more
open now with their relationship.
Their friends and family (both
have grandchildren all of whom
they intend to enjoy as they
progress in their relationship)
agree that the couple deserve
each other. Boots' resume is
definitely very impressive,
enough to intimidate any man,
but King said “I'm not intimidated
by her, I'm attracted to her!”
King's academic background
is impressive. He took up
Bachelor of Laws at the Ateneo de
Manila University, was admitted
to the Philippine bar in 1965, and
also to the New York Bar in 1980.
In 1982, he became Staff Attorney
at the Housing Litigation Bureau
of the City of New York. In 19861988, he became Consul General
Boots Anson-Roa
of the Philippine Consulate in
New York.
He later became partner in
some law offices, specializing in
litigation, property development,
m e rg e r s a n d a c q u i s i t i o n s ,
administrative law, family law
and special projects.
As for Boots (full name: Maria
Elisa “Boots” Anson-Roa), her
credentials are truly
“ i n t i m i d a t i n g .” At 6 8 , s h e
continues to shine in her career
and as a wholesome personality
who is respected and emulated by
her countless fans. Beautiful and
talented, she has maximized her
potentials in education, media
and public service.
A product of the University of
the Philippines Speech and
D ra m a D e p a r t m e n t , B o o t s
pursued various courses in
developmental programs,
journalism, public and media
relations, and film and television
locally and in the US, the
netherlands, France and Italy.
When her husband died in
2007, Boots established PRIME
(Pete Roa Integrated Media
Endeavors) Foundation, Inc. with
continuing broadcast education,
rehabilitation of Mowelfund
stroke patients and the
propagation of devotion to St. Pio
as its main thrust.
Most notable in Boots'
resume is her employment as
Press Attaché/Cultural
Officer/Special Assistant to the
Ambassador at the Philippine
Embassy in Washington DC in the
80s. Her job entailed liaison and
coordination with US and
international media agencies, the
Filipino-Ametican community in
the entire United States,
International Cultural Agencies
and US Congressional offices.
A s e d u c a t o r, s h e w a s
lecturer/trainor in Philippine
Language, Culture and History at
the Georgetown University's
Center for Immigration Studies,
presently, Ms. Boots teaches Mass
Communications at the Ateneo de
Manila University, the University
of the Philippines, and the Manila
Times School of Journalism. She
also heads the Performing Arts
Division of the Asian Academy of
Television Arts. Manila Bulletin
Charice Pempengco (right)
with her mom Raquel
(Photo from Instagram)
Mom 'understands'
Charice's decision,
still wants her home
“Mayroon kaming konting hindi
pagkakaintindihan hanggang
Charice Pempengco's mother ngayon,” Raquel said of her mom,
has moved on from her daughter claiming that “kapag hindi ko
leaving home last year to be with her naibibigay 'yung gusto niya…
partner whom the former doesn't sisiraan niya ako.”
approve of.
While Raquel and Charice did not
“Kung talagang mahal niyo 'yung see each other over the holidays,
isang tao, matututo kang magbigay they did communicate via email.
kahit masaktan ka,”said Raquel on Charice is welcome to home, the
the matter via “Buzz Ng Bayan,” mom added.
Sunday.
“Wala akong kailangang ibigay
She claims to understand her na patawad kay Charice kasi hindi
daughter's choice to be happy and siya nagkamali sa akin, ipinaglaban
live with her “pangalawang pamilya.” niya lang 'yung naramdaman niya.
The mother reiterated that she's
“Naiintindihan ko…as long as
always accepted Charice's sexual maligaya siya, naiintindihan ko kung
orientation and had even supported hindi siya uuwi sa akin.”
her previous homosexual
Raquel appeals to Charice's
relationships.
partner, Alyssa Quijano, to heal the
Raquel dismissed Charice's family.
rumored suicide attempt supposedly
“Kung mahal niya si Charice,
due to financial difficulty, which bubuuin niya ang pamilyang winasak
Charice's grandmother talked about niya,” Raquel said. Manila Bulletin
in an interview on “Showbiz Police.”
The Red Hot ...
From page 25
Their bassist dubbed as “Flea” is
like a ball of energy on stage. He is as
charismatic as they come and he has
inspired countless others to imitate
his stylenamely, in how he handles
his bass guitar onstage.
Even his hairstyle was his own
signature look. And “Flea” was also
infamously known to perform
totally nude on occasion in concerts,
with just his bass guitar on hand.
Definitely, “Flea” was and will
always be one of the most “colorful”
musicians ever!
Their lead vocalist Anthony
Kiedis, who has been the voice of the
band for more than three decades,
already has become the cornerstone
to the band's long, long, enduring
existence in the music scene.
Vice Ganda ...
From page 24
Top supporter
Vice is still in a romantic
relationship with someone he did
not name.
“Masaya (ako),” was all he said.
He wants to keep their
relationship private for the sake of
his partner's family.
“Ang dami naman ng alegasyon,
ang daming lumalabas na pangalan
pero wala akong ki-nonfirm, bayaan
mo na silang mag-isip, bayaan mo na
silang magbato ng pangalan pero
wala akong kino-confirm,” he said.
Vice added that “ang gulo na naman
Anthony Kiedis is also
responsible for composing some of
the band's biggest hits. To me, “Flea”
and Anthony are the two most
important, and take note, active
original members of the RHCP.
From their days as an
underground band in the 80′s, to
them being one of the hottest acts in
the 90′s, to now RHCP being the cool
respected elder statesmen of Rock
in the 2000′s, their existence to this
day is nothing short of a miracle.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers is one
of the greatest bands ever!
No decade, no era, and not even
Father Time, could stop this band
from continuing to make music
together. When I think of it… it is
amazing that in the year 2014, we
will finally have the RHCP perform
here in the Philippines.
As the old saying goes, better
late than never. Inquirer.net
ng buhay ko, natatakot ako na
magugulo siya at 'yung buhay ng
pamilya niya.”
He finds their situation
challenging and “sobrang hirap.” In
fact, they don't go out, he said, not
even in a group.
Vice's partner never fails to
make the comedian feel
appreciated. Vice read the text
message sent by his partner over the
New Year celebration: “Kahit wala
na akong buhok, kahit hindi na ako
nakakatakbo, ako pa rin ang
magiging number one supporter mo
na tahimik lang
“Hindi ko kailangang sabihin sa
buong mundo, ang importante (ay)
nasabi ko sayo.” Manila Bulletin
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 27
Metro Film Fest awards Ate Vi to Toni: 'Bakit mo
selections explained binasted ang anak ko?’
By NR Ramos
Metropolitan Manila Development
Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis
Tolentino has explained the selection
process of nominees and winners at
the recently concluded 39th Metro
Manila Film Festival (MMFF) awards,
this, amid continued criticisms.
The MMDA chief explained that
entries to the festival are not assured of
n o m i n a t i o n i n a n y c a t e g o r y,
maintaining that certain “criteria”
have to be met to earn consideration.
“'Yun po 'yung (isa sa) mga binago
natin nung tayo'y unang nanungkulan
diyan. Dati rati kasi, pagka top-grosser
ka na, Best Picture ka eh. Inalis po natin
'yun para mapagbigyan po 'yung
aspekto ng merit, 'yung quality, 'yung
value ng isang pelikula,” Tolentino said
as quoted in an ABS-CBNnews.com
report.
Tolentino clarified that he and the
rest of the festival executive committee
had nothing to do with the selection
process of the festival winners; that a
b o a rd o f j u ro r s
re s p e c t a b l e
individuals competent enough to judge
the films, the chairman noted is
responsible for scoring each film based
on merits.
The board includes directors
Emmanuel Borlaza and Laurice
Guillen, veteran cinematographer
Romeo Vitug, National Commission for
Culture And The Arts (NCCA)
chairman Felipe de Leon Jr., film editor
Edgardo “Boy” Vinarao, Cinema
Eva l u a t i o n B o a rd ( CE B ) c h a i r
Christine Dayrit, Colegio de San Juan
de Letran College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences Dean Rowena Capulong-
Reyes, Ateneo de Manila University
vice-president for Alumni Affairs Fr.
Tito Caluag, parish priest Fr. Jacinto
Padua of the Sto. Niño de Tondo, Miss
Universe 3rd runner-up Ariella Arida,
Theaters Association representative
Maan Lopez, housewife Romilda
Amago, student Lorna Luna, teacher
Rex Ado and driver Larry Anido, all of
whom underwent training on film
appreciation.
To f u r t h e r u n d e r s c o re t h e
credibility of the process, Tolentino
added that nobody among them knew
the results of the judging even as the
jurors themselves were not privy to the
scores each gave to the participating
films.
“Secluded po sila (judges) sa isang
lugar. Nag-uusap sila (at) nagbebrainstorm sila before they jot down
'yung score. Then, kapag nakuha na po
'yung score, hindi alam ng ibang judges
'yung score ng katabi niya,” Tolentino
said.
He cleared that an independent
auditing firm validated the results
prior to sealing it in an envelope that
was opened during the awards night
itself.
“So wala pong nakaalam in
advance, wala pong may alam (ng
results). Ang may alam lang po 'yung
auditing firm.”
Tolentino's explanation came after
producers of entry “Kimmy Dora: Ang
Kiyemeng Prequel” made public their
disappointment over the deemed snub
of their film during the 39th MMFF
awards night. There are also those who
criticize the Best Actress win of
Maricel Soriano for her role in “Girl,
Boy, Bakla, Tomboy.” Manila Bulletin
Phil Everly ...
From page 25
1939, in Chicago where the Everlys
moved to from Brownie when Ike
grew tired of working in the coal
mines.
The brothers began singing
country music in 1945 on their
family's radio show in Shenandoah,
Iowa.
Their career breakthrough came
when they moved to Nashville in the
mid-1950s and signed a recording
contract with New York-based
Cadence Records.
Their breakup came dramatically
during a concert at Knott's Berry
Farm in California. Phil Everly threw
his guitar down and walked off,
prompting Don Everly to tell the
crowd, “The Everly Brothers died 10
years ago.”
During their breakup, they
pursued solo singing careers with
little fanfare. Phil also appeared in the
Clint Eastwood movie “Every Which
Way but Loose.” Don made a couple of
records with friends in Nashville,
performed in local nightclubs and
played guitar and sang background
Andi hurt ... From page 24
know what's best for their son. Sila
ang nagpalaki so dapat naman po sila
ang masusunod.”
The 23-year-old single mom also
said, “But at the same time, nandito po
ako para naman ipakita na hindi ako
dapat i-dislike for their son kasi una
sa lahat, totoo naman po 'yung
nararamdaman ko para sa kanya.
Pangalawa, hindi naman po akong
masamang tao.”
By Pau Aguilera
Toni Gonzaga was caught off
guard by Gov. Vilma Santos query
on the former's almost-romantic
involvement with Luis Manzano
in the past.
Toni was filling in for Luis as
guest host on “Minute To Win It”
with the actor-TV host stepping
in at the game show's 60-minute
circle as a contestant during its
New Year episode when Gov. Vi
put her on the hot seat.
The 60-year-old multiawarded actress was wishing her
son luck in a surprise phone
interview, when she suddenly
turned to Toni and blurted, “Bakit
mo binasted ang anak ko?,”
eliciting cheers from the studio
audience.
Without missing a beat,
Vilma continued, “Toni, are you
listening? Alam mo nung
nililigawan ka ni Lucky, tapos
binasted mo siya, alam mo bang
masyadong naapektuhan ang
anak ko?”
Toni, who was seemingly at a
loss for words, answered, “Naku!
Pasensya na po kayo, hindi ko
sinasadya! Bata pa po ako noon!”
vocals on recording sessions.
Don Everly said in a 1986
Associated Press interview that the
two were successful because “we
never followed trends. We did what
we liked and followed our instincts.
Rock 'n' roll did survive, and we were
right about that. Country did survive,
and we were right about that. You can
mix the two but people said we
couldn't.” In 1988, the brothers began
hosting an annual homecoming
benefit concert in Central City,
Kentucky, to raise money for the area.
Inquirer.net
Despite being vocal about her
feelings, Andi maintains that her
relationship with Jake has no label.
“I really care for him a lot but he's
not based here. Ayaw po naming ipilit
ang mga bagay na hindi naman po
puwede. I've always been honest
about my feelings for him naman,” she
stressed. In a separate press
interview, Erap advised his son to
“concentrate” on his studies first,
following rumors that the erstwhile
couple has rekindled their disrupted
romance. Manila Bulletin
Gov. Vi playfully pressed, “Eh,
papaano ngayon, mature ka na?”
The veteran actress touted
Star for All Seasons eventually
p o i n t e d o u t t h a t To n i i s
“unfortunately taken,” by her
longtime boyfriend, filmmaker
Paul Soriano.
Luis, in a 2012 interview,
admitted that he courted the 29year-old actress-TV host during
their “Crazy For You” days, his
first acting stint with Toni in
2006, before teaming up in
several Kapamilya projects as cohosts and co-actors (“This Guy's
In Love With You Mare”). In the
special episode of “Minute To
Win It” aired Friday, Luis went on
to win P500,000 for the benefit of
the typhoon “Yolanda” survivors.
Manila Bulletin
Key MMFF questions
posed and answered
By Nestor U. Torre
Guitarist Phil Everly. AFP PHOTO/VALERIE
MACON
Luis Manzano and Toni Gonzaga
Every MMFF entry poses a
key question in viewers' minds:
Fo r i n s t a n c e , t h e m a j o r
consideration in Vice Ganda's
starrer, “Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy,”
is how well he's able to rise up to
the huge challenge he's set for
himself to depict all four
“genders.”
In “Boy Golden,” will director
Chito Roño come up with a period
action-drama that is not just full
of grand, diverting conceits, as
most Jeorge Estregan starrers
are, but is also a good, integral
production?
And, in “My Little Bossings,”
will tyro movie child actors,
Ryzza Mae Dizon and Bimby
Aquino, pass muster as the local
screen's newest juvenile leads?
L e t ' s a n s we r t h a t l a s t
question first: In Marlon Rivera's
comedy-drama, Ryzza connects
with moviegoers due to her masa
looks and appeal, but her
character is developed only in
erratic snippets, one joke or sight
gag at a time, so the result isn't a
totalized performance.
We'll have to wait for another,
more focused screen portrayal to
see if the gung-ho girl has it in her
to measure up to the fuller and
richer portrayals that Snooky
Serna or Aiza Sequerra turned in
as child stars.
As for Bimby, his tyro
p e r fo r m a n c e i s eve n l e s s
winning, because he doesn't
appear to be all that enthusiastic
about being a screen actor. He's
game enough and dutifully does
what he's told, but his heart and
zest don't seem to be in it. He
could learn to enjoy himself more
in follow-up films, so here's
hoping.
Spicy humor
Having said which, we should
note that the lightbulb idea of
“pitting” “poor” Ryzza and “rich”
Bimby “against” each other is an
inspired brainstorm that results
in scenes strong on point of
comedic conflict, the stuff of
which potentially spicy humor is
made.
Unfortunately, their lack of
buildup and climax frustrates the
attainment of those comedic
peaks, and the kiddie characters
stop squabbling and become
friends much too easily for
comfort and delight.
The fact that “My Little
Bossings” is doing so well at the
tills indicates that at least one
follow-up costarrer for Bimby
and Ryzza may be in the cards.
Should that encore engagement
materialize, we hope that it
focuses more fully on their
characters' relationship, and
keeps adult characters from
upstaging them.
If the kids' participation is the
main reason why their first film is
a runaway hit, they should hold
stage center in their followup
costarrer, to show what they can
really do.
It's also instructive to note
that the most exceptional
portrayal in “My Little Bossings”
DIZON AND YAP. The lightbulb idea of
pitting “poor” Ryzza and “rich” Bimby
“against” each other is an inspired
brainstorm.
is turned in by former child star
Aiza Sequerra, as Ryzza and Vic
Sotto's initially mysterious
relative. It isn't clear until the
movie's final third section exactly
how they're related, and once it's
revealed, viewers finally
understand why she's been so
glum and conflicted all the while.
To her credit, Aiza manages
the surprising shift without
turning it into an over-the-top,
heavingly “emotional fireworks”
d i s p l a y, a n d h e r a r t i s t i c
discretion makes her portrayal
truly exceptional.
Aiza is also able to do both
comedic and dramatic scenes in
equally convincing interplay,
which is no mean feat on the local
movie screen. Clearly, she's
learned her thespic lessons well.
Which is why we pray that
Ryzza, this TV season's new star,
will follow her fine example and
u l t i m a te ly a l s o b e c o m e a
creditable and versatile seriocomic talent whose performing
career will productively and
profitably extend into adulthood!
Inquirer.net
SPORTS
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 28
Fil-Japanese
wrestler
It's all about money for
in Manila this month
Manny now - Koncz
By Nick Giongco
Manny Pacquiao has already
been briefed about the pros and cons
of fighting Tim Bradley or Ruslan
Provodnikov and the Filipino star's
adviser yesterday said his boss is
weighing all the options to maximize
their earning potential.
“It's all about the money now,”
said Koncz from Los Angeles a day
after conferring with Top Rank chief
Bob Arum as they finalize the details
of Pacquiao's ring return possibly at
the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Arum has booked an April 12
date for Pacquiao, who Koncz said
“got back in the driver's seat after his
impressive performance in Macau”
against Brandon Rios last year.
Koncz said “we are exploring all
options” and Pacquiao is expected to
regain his former stature as a
drawing power in the US when he
headlines another HBO pay-perview presentation.
Bradley is seriously being
considered as he and Pacquiao have
an unfinished business following the
American's controversial split
decision win in June 2012.
A rematch with Bradley has the
makings of a PPV success as
Pacquiao is a certified hit, while
Bradley has started to gain inroads
following his slambang bouts with
Provodnikov and Juan Manuel
Marquez.
Provodnikov also entered the
scene as the Russian banger is a
certified crowd-pleaser but since he
is also being trained by Freddie
Roach and the fact that he is an
untested commodity in pay-perview, Bradley has the edge in landing
the Pacquiao lottery.
Still, Koncz said Pacquiao will
carefully study the proposals that
have been laid out before making a
decision.
Marquez was ruled out as a
possibility as the Mexican maestro
has publicly declared that a mouthwatering fifth fight with Pacquiao
doesn't motivate him anymore even
if he is offered a hefty purse.
Koncz said he expects Pacquiao
to earn a paycheck that he used to
make before his unfortunate run-in
with Marquez in late-2012.
“Had Manny lost against Rios, it
would have been a different story but
Manny put on a very good
performance against Rios so he's
back,” added Koncz. Manila Bulletin
UK bet Sukie Robertson (third from left) celebrates with the top finishers in
the Freestyle: Tricks and Kite Stunts category of the first ICTSI Philippine
Kiteboarding Tour in Boracay
Local bet, Swede Ace
top Kiteboarding
Louie Fernando and Swede ace
Atte Kappel lorded it over the elite
field in the Twin Tip Racing: Circuit
Race to lead the winners in the first
ICTSI Philippine Kiteboarding Tour in
Bulabog Beach, Boracay, Aklan last
Sunday.
Fernando, a Cabrinha team rider,
bested an international field of 84
k i t e b o a rd e r s f ro m Au s t ra l i a ,
Switzerland, Estonia, Sweden, Russia,
United Kingdom, Ukraine, Germany
and Norway and Manila, Boracay,
Palawan, Davao, Puerto Galera and
Caliraya to rule the Twin Tip Course
Race.
Kappel, on the other hand, topped
the Masters class of the Twin Tip
Course Race while German Kathrin
Borgwardt dominated the women's
side of the three-day event sponsored
by International Container Terminal
Services, Inc.
Ukrainian champion Andrey
Salnik bucked the wind and ruled the
Freestyle: Tricks and Kite Stunts
category with his high-wire acts while
stunning UK bet Sukie Robertson
emerged as the top lady freestyler in
the event which served as the kickoff
leg of the four-stage circuit organized
by the Philippine Kiteboarding
Association headed by president Jay
Ortiz.
Russian Sergey Belmesou also
wowed the crowd and earned the nod
of the judges with the best hangtime
act of more than six seconds in the 18
knots windy condition as he topped
the highlight Cabrinha Hangtime
Challenge in the event staged to
showcase Filipino kiteboarders'
talent and skills.
B o ra c ay - b a s e d h a l f - I t a l i a n
Stefano Ganugi, meanwhile, upstaged
a field of 14 aged 16-and-below to
reign in the special kids category of
the event backed by Boracay
Greenyard, the official distributor of
Cabrinha equipment, Stoked, Dakine,
Aloha Boardsports, and supported by
Tanduay Ice, Colt 45 and Summit
Water.
Island major sponsors were Aqua
Boracay, Blue Marlin Boracay, Kasbah
Boracay, and Freestyle Academy
Wrestling fans in the country
can look forward to the first ever
wrestling tournament on Jan. 25 at
the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig
City. Making the sport event even
more exciting is that one of the
participants is Filipino-Japanese
professional wrestler Syuri Kondo
a.k.a. KG (for Karate Girl).
In a recent visit to the country,
Syuri expressed determination to
change the landscape of the local
combat sport arena by introducing
professional wrestling in the
country. Wrestling is a popular
combat sport in the US and Japan
where she was born and raised,
and it also has immense following
in the Philippines. Syuri knows the
sport is not played professionally
here, a fact that prompted her to
come over.
Interestingly, Syuri has had
stints in modeling for fashion
magazines and also played bit roles
in movies after graduating from
high school. Later, in between
championship fights in wrestling
and kickboxing, she dabbled in
music, working with the female
singing group Apple Tale on a
collaboration titled ” Apple Tale
With Syuri.” Their debut album
titled “Chouzetsu Otome: Musha
Shugyou Hen” was released on Jan.
12.
But fate had something else for
Syuri. She could sing and act but it
was her skills in karate that was
noticed by a talent scout during an
entertainment audition that she
joined in Tokyo when she was 19
(Syuri is now 24 years old). She
passed the auditions conducted by
a big talent agency but she was
convinced instead to try her luck in
combat sports, particularly
wrestling.
A professional wrestler for
several years now, Syuri is also a
shoot boxer and kick boxer. As kick
boxer, she has had seven fights and
seven wins so far. She fights once
every three months. As a wrestler,
Syuri has a fight every week and is
also seen on Sports TV Japan
regularly. She currently plays for
the Wrestling New Classic (WNC)
Promotion where she is in her
second reign as WNC Women's
Champion.
In 2009, Syuri joined a new
promotion called Smash using the
one-word ring name Syuri. She lost
in her first three fights with Smash
but on her fourth, she won over a
formidable opponent named Kana
in the main event Smash.4. That
ended her losing streak. It was also
the biggest win in her career as a
professional wrestler.
In 2012, after retiring the
Smash Diva Championship, Syuri
joined WNC. On Nov. 18, WNC and
Reina Women's World
Championship announced that
Syuri had signed a dual contract
with the two promotions, making
Syuri Kondo a.k.a. KG
her the first female wrestler to
hold such a contract and
distinction.
Ankei Tamashiro, president of
RWWC, said that they intend to put
up a training center for
professional wrestling in the
Philippines. And this project will
kick off with the first ever
wrestling tournament in the
country at the Ynares Sports
Arena.
Incidentally, when Syuri and
the RWWC group came over in
November, they also turned over a
donation she solicited from
colleagues in Japan for the
survivors of super typhoon
Yolanda.
The donation was
coursed through the Rotary Club
Southern Pampanga District 3790.
Manila Bulletin
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 29
Fearless forecast in 2014
By Grace G. Baldisseri
Jersey City, NJ -- This year, it is
knowing what is in store for 2014
that matters to many Filipinos all
over the world. With the tragedy
brought about by last year's killer
quake in Bohol and Cebu and the
millions affected by super
typhoon Haiyan, I am one in
hoping for the best to come.
I do not believe in card reading
especially those who charge
money to tell you something you
already know and scare you of
horrible things that will happen in
the future. It is partly because of
my Christian orientation that
stops me in believing predictions
for only God knows what is to
come.
Then I read of Feng Shui, a
Chinese philosophical system of
harmonizing the human existence
with the surrounding
environment. I searched the web
for an expert and boom! I found
one in Jersey City, not far from
where I live. I called up to set an
appointment for a possible
interview with this Feng Shui
Master.
On the day of the interview, I
had prepared a lot of questions on
my index cards but I discarded
them as I was there to know what
this coming year is all about; how
would it affect our environment,
our health and the economy.
Ms. Patricia Chee studied Feng
Shui in China. She has been
practicing Feng Shui for almost
two decades and last year, she was
able to predict the huge
devastation that occurred in the
Philippines. I conveyed to her my
interest to share whatever she is
going to tell me about her
predictions for this year. She
agreed and here is an account of
my interview with her:
The Filipino Express: Ms.
Chee, it is my privilege to meet you
and to find out what is in store for
2014.
PatriciaChee: The Year 2014
is the year of the Wood Horse or
Fire Horse in the Hsia calendar.
This year represents two
elements with wood sitting on top
fire. According to the cycle of birth
and destruction which governs
the inter-relationship between
the elements, wood produces fire
and so they are on the productive
cycle and have supportive
relationship. In 2014, the nature
of the elements is not that peaceful
.Yang wood symbolizes a tree
which is stubborn that sticks to
principles and hard to
compromise. The Horse is a very
powerful element of fire energy
that will trigger big explosions,
gun fire and war.
TFE: Does it mean to say that
there will be chaos this year?
PC: Oh yes, with such elements
we cannot expect 2014 to be
peaceful. The stubborn yang wood
shows a n u n comp romisin g
attitude and makes it hard to
reach an agreement between
conflicting interest. There will be
more international conflicts and
struggles leading to fierce fighting
and battles.
In the month of June in the
Western calendar which is peak
summer, the fire energy is very
p owe r f u l . We s e e t h e f i re
flickering, emotional and
unstable, which will bring about
explosions and fire disasters. With
fire burning wood from the
underneath, the wood will be very
dry and unhealthy as wood
symbolizes trees and the
environment. The Wood Horse
Ye a r w i l l b r i n g s e r i o u s
environmental disaster, such as
forest fire, serious air and sea
pollution and oil leakages.
Strong fire also attacks metal
which affects the breathing organ,
lung and skin. Horse Year also
creates bad air in the atmosphere
and this will result to virus
infection and epidemic spreading.
In 2014 the flying star #4 is in the
center and it is the Rooster. It will
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 01 Sudoku
Solution to Issue 01 Crossword
Ms. Patricia Chee in her store at Hudson Mall in Jersey City. Photo by Enrico David
not be surprising if there will be
another scare of chicken flu.
The Horse is also Peach
Blossom or flower of romance.
This is more beneficial to the
entertainment and glamour
industries such as beauty,
advertising and media. The
negative aspect of peach blossom
will be sensational sex scandal.
The yang wood sitting on a Horse
is also a star called "Red Charm"
which describes a woman of
stunning beauty
that easily
attracts men.
TFE: Can you tell us something
about the economy this year?
PC: For the world economy,
the fire element is often the
driving force behind the stock
market. As such, Fire Year often
generates optimism and drive up
the stock market. The Year 2014
will show substantial
improvement in the economic
atmosphere and the stock market
will continue to be very active
p a rt icu la rly in sp rin g a n d
summer.
TFE: Thank you so much for
sharing our readers a glimpse of
2014. If they want to know more
about Feng Shui, how do they
contact you?
PC: For those who want to see
me, please call 201-332-3688 or
come visit us at Good Fortune
Store at Hudson Mall. Route 440,
Jersey City, New Jersey.
And as we shook hands, I
began to understand there is a
reason why this article has to be
written and why it has to be
shared.
EXPRESS CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1. Work hard
6. Sweet gritty-textured
fruit
10. Matured
14. Excuse
15. Backside
16. Barbershop emblem
17. Stinky
19. Damson
20. Not awake
21. Explosive
22. Start over
23. Sedate
25. Seminal fluid
26. Spar
30. Picturesque
32. Let loose
35. Emit
39. Dishevel
40. Scanty
41. Shreds
43. A cowboy movie
44. Ring around the
nipple
46. Feudal worker
47. Decree
50. Stratum
53. Connects two points
54. Carpet
55. Die
60. Savvy about
61. Detestable
63. South American
country
64. Blackthorn
65. Negatively charged
particle
66. God of love
67. Confined
68. Enumerates
DOWN
1. Tibetan monk
18. Choose
2. "Oh my!"
24. Residue from a
3. Tab
fire
4. Double-reed woodwind 25. Factions
5. Carnival attractions
26. Mongrel
6. Average
27. Dwarf buffalo
7. Arousing
28. A promiscuous
8. Apart
woman
9. A musical pause
29. Possessing a hard
10. Be grateful for
shell
11. Automaton
31. What a person is
12. Avoid
called
13. An evil
33. Watchful
supernatural being
34. Arid
36. How old we are
37. Small slender
gull
38. Sea eagle
42. Dissolvable
43. Direction
45. A body of water
47. Run away to wed
48. Restaurant
49. Foreword
51. Upon (prefix)
52. Kidney-related
54. Coarse file
56. Hindu princess
57. Nile bird
58. Notch
59. Female chickens
62. Got together
ACTION CLASSIFIED
Rentals
CNC operators for busy
stone fabricator.
Experience helpful but
we'll train right person
with some CAD skills.
Work Permit a must.
Call 201-527-6199 Rich
CONSTRUCTION
Helpers and Foreman.
Experience helpful.
Good pay, FULL TIME.
Work Permit a must.
Ridgefield Park, NJ
07660.
Call 201-527-6199 Rich
Cleaning
Person
Wanted for
Motel in
Southampton,
New York
Full Time
Must speak
English
Start
March 15
Please send
resume/references to:
TO ADVERTISE,
PLEASE CALL
201-434-1114
Page 30
u
Help Wanted u
Jobs u
Personal u
Services
20 Companies Hiring In January
JOBS
AVAILABLE
GRANITE, MARBLE
fabrication workers,
polishing, installations.
Insurance, good pay.
FULL TIME only. Work
Permit a must.
Call 201-527-6199 Rich
January 10 - 16, 2014
These employers are staffing up now. Posted by Patch Staff, January 08, 2014
Written by Debra Auerbach, AOL Jobs
As 2014 starts, people everywhere are vowing to go to the gym more often, eat healthier and save more money. New Year's resolutions such as these can be easy to make, but
they're not always so easy to keep. If your resolution this year is to get a new job, you hopefully will be able to see this one through, if you take a look at the following 20
companies that are hiring this month. Start your New Year off right by applying to one of these great companies that are hiring across different industries, levels and job
functions:

1. Advanced Resources
Industry: Office/clerical, finance/accounting, technical, health care and human resources
Sample job titles: Senior accountant, tax manager, receptionist, Web developer, human resources manager. Location: Greater Chicago area
2. Advanced Tech Support
Industry: IT, call center, sales
Sample job titles: Sales executive - inside sales - inbound sales (call center/IT sales), inside sales representative (IT sales call center). Location: Boca Raton, Fla.
3. Aerotek
Industry: Recruiting and staffing services
Sample job titles: Software engineer, medical coder, welder, industrial engineer, project manager, clinical research associate, chemist, architect. Location: Nationwide
4. Atria Senior Living Inc.
Industry: Health care
Sample job titles: Resident care director, sales director, executive director, activities director, licensed practical nurse. Location: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado,
Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia
5. Children of America
Industry: Child care
Sample job titles: Pre-kindergarten teacher, infant teacher, bus driver, lead teacher, assistant teacher, substitute teacher. Location: Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey,
Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, Wisconsin, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina
6. Edge Systems
Industry: Medical equipment
Sample job titles: Sales representative, regional trainer, administrative assistant.
Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Illinois, Arizona, Colorado
Location: Georgia, California, New Jersey, Virginia, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
7. EVO Payments International
Industry: Sales and IT
Sample job titles: Sales representative, technical support operations supervisor, business system analyst, director of treasury, financial analyst, great plain/business
intelligence, staff tax accountant. Location: Moorestown, N.J.; Melville, N.Y.; Denver; Phoenix; San Antonio, Texas; Boston; Columbus, Ohio; Jacksonville, Fla.
8. Home Instead Senior Care
Industry: Home health care
Sample job titles: Caregiver, home health aide, certified nursing assistant.
Location: Nationwide
9. Insight Global Inc.
Industry: Information technology
Sample job titles: Entry-level recruiter, Java developer, cable tech Wi-Fi installer, software engineer, helpdesk. Location: Atlanta; Dallas; Chicago; Los Angeles; San
Francisco; Charlotte, N.C.; Seattle
10. Kavaliro
Industry: IT staffing
Sample job titles: Software developer, project manager, project coordinator. Location: Orlando and Tampa, Fla.; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Charlotte, N.C.
11. Langan Engineering & Environmental Services
Industry: Engineering and environmental consulting
Sample job titles: Geotechnical engineer, environmental engineer, civil engineer, environmental compliance manager, GIS programmer, network engineer, survey
technician, laser scanning technician, accounting compliance manager, senior accountant, marketing coordinator. Location: New Jersey, New York, Connecticut,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida, North Dakota, California
12. Mattress Firm
Industry: Retail
Sample job titles: Sales manager, sales manager in training, sales associate, warehouse manager. Location: Nationwide
13. Real Estate Mortgage Network Inc.
Industry: Mortgage
Sample job titles: Mortgage loan officer, branch manager, area manager. Location: Nationwide
14. Related Management
Industry: Real estate
Sample job titles: Regional manager, property manager, concierge, maintenance technician, maintenance superintendent, leasing consultant, administrative assistant,
multi-site property manager, accounts receivable associate, administrative manager. Location: New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Connecticut, California, Texas, New
Jersey, California, North Carolina, Colorado, Virginia
15. Roche Bros. Supermarkets
Industry: Food industry
Sample job titles: Assistant kitchen manager, assistant meat manager, meat cutter, cook, line cook. Location: Boston and surrounding areas
16. South Bay Mental Health
Industry: Mental health
Sample job titles: Early childhood educator, speech and language pathologist, mental health clinician/clinical social worker, occupational therapist, social worker.
Location: Brockton, Worcester, Lynn, Boston, Plymouth, Dorchester, Lowell and Swansea, Mass.; Hartford, Conn.
17. The Community Builders
Industry: Nonprofit/housing
Sample job titles: Property manager, maintenance technician, development project manager. Location: Boston; Chicago; Cincinnati; Worcester, New Bedford and
Holliston, Mass.; Tory and New York City, N.Y.; Coatesville, Pa.; Washington, D.C.
18. ULINE
Industry: Shipping and packaging - office supplies - equipment, packaging, retail
Sample job titles: Customer service, distribution manager, director of talent acquisition, inside sales, IT, marketing, recruiter, supply chain, warehouse.
Location: Nationwide
19. Ultimate Staffing (part of Roth Staffing Companies)
Industry: Staffing for administrative, customer service, call center and human resources
Sample job titles: Administrative assistant, customer service representative, call center representative, human resources representative. Location: Nationwide
20. Virtustream
Industry: Cloud technology
Sample job titles: Storage engineer, .Net engineer, software sales. Location: Bethesda, Md.; Atlanta; Vienna, Va.; Dallas, Texas; Tampa, Miami and Jacksonville, Fla.;
Chicago; Denver; Phoenix; Las Vegas
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 31
January 10 - 16, 2014
Page 32