Asian Journal Aug 21 2009

Judy Ann passes TESDA exam

President Arroyo signs CARP extension law

Philippine ingenuity at its best: Eco-friendly jeepney made of nipa and sawali materials. See page 20.

August 21 - 27, 2009

Msgr. Gutierrez EntertainmentLooking for a “God”

according to our standards

Miles Beauchamp

PHILIPPINES NEWS SERVICE -- President Macapagal-Arroyo signed in Plaridel, Bulacan the exten-sion of the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrar-ian Reform Program for another five years.

It was common for Lolo Ambo’s chil-dren and grandchildren to visit,

stay and sometimes play in his house or front yard. Whenev-er they gathered in his house, they would help prepare the betel nut concoction that he liked to chew. First, the betel nut husk was removed. Then, the

nut was cut into pieces with specialize scissors and placed in a stone mortar. A white paste

made of lime was then spread on a betel leaf and placed in the mortar. The concoction was pounded into pieces with the use of a stone pestle. The grandfather would chew it and eventually spit it

out, covering his mouth with red dye afterwards. The mix is taken by old folks as a mild stimulant, similar to drinking coffee.

By Simeon G. Silverio, Jr.Publisher & Editor

Asian Journal San DiegoThe original and first Asian Journal in America

See page 10

PHILIPPINE STORIES:

Betel Nuts

President Macapagal-Arroyo

The signing ceremony was held at Don Ceasario San Diego Gym with the President being joined by the proponents of the measure and Agrarian Reform Secre-tary Nasser Pangandaman.

The CARP extension measure allocates P100 bil-lion for land ac quisition and distribution, support servic-es, agrarian justice delivery and other funding require-ments for five years.

The measure covers all public and private agricul-tural lands as provided in Proclamation 131 and Exec-utive Order No. 229. Under the bill, prioritization of coverage is “not necessary” and the modes of acquisition will be limited to voluntary offer to sell and compulsory acquisition after June 30, 2009.

After signing, Mrs. Ar-royo launched CARP proj-ects in Region 3. These in-clude infrastructure support, bridge construction in agrar-ian reform communities and CARP-covered areas and low cost and short-gestating projects to ensure higher productivity and improved income of agrarian reform beneficiaries.

Souvenirs in Baguio City

Philippine Scene

“Mom and Dad, please let me grow up!”

Who Owns the Problem?

My parents were probably brought up to protect their children and keep the family together, but they need to realize they are not in the

Philippines anymore. They ought to know that life is different in America. People here are

more independent.

By Myrene MonzonSee page 6

Ditas Katague, 2010 Census Director for Califor-nia at the California Complete Count Convening Conference at the Jacobs Center, San Diego.

2010 Census Count Critical to California Residents -- Ditas Katague,

2010 Census Director for CaliforniaSan Diego County shares a reputation, with Los Angeles

County in the lead, as the two toughest counties to count in California and among the toughest in the nation as a whole ac-

cording to the U.S. Census Bureau.

By Genevieve SilverioManaging Editor

Asian Journal San DiegoThe original and first Asian Journal in America

See page 3

PNS -- CESAR Montano celebrated his birthday last Aug. 1 with a special pre-sentation in “The Singing Bee” where the guests were his family members, former classmates, friends and co-stars in the movies and TV shows he did. His birthday episodes rated very high. He then flew to Bohol to be with his future constituents. “It’s my most memorable birth-day ever,” he says.

This Saturday, his special

Cesar’s most memorable birthday

Cesar Montano(Continued on page 13)

The Summer of Our Discontent

August 21 - 27, 2009Asian Journal - (619) 474-0588 Visit our website at http://www.asianjournalusa.com

By Ray R. Ramirez

“Rock Povera” fashion show will hit the stage at 10:30 PM on Friday, August 21, 2009 at Cinespace Lounge, 6356 Hol-lywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA

Pinay Coed’s Handmade Creations in Hollywood Fashion Show

daughter of Ric and Bernie Santos from Carmel Valley in San Diego, is only 20 and a Junior at CSU Long Beach; she sees her line as, “A fi gment of my fantasy; they come as a pleasant surprise in a world of utter seriousness and I want

Eleonore G. Santos of Garden Party Clothing and with her models at a recent show (Elle second from right).

people to get the same sense”. Her design ideas are derived from vaudeville performance costumes with a hint of vintage appeal, incorporating dainty and detailed trinkets. “I love the clothes they are feminine with-out being girlie and defi antly one of a kind” - Ryan Starr, celebrity guest model.Starr and 15 other models will

(Continued on page 5)90028 (323) 817-3456. The show, sponsored by LWP Limou-sine, takes the feel of rock and combines it with the vision of art in fashion. It will showcase delicate hand-made designs by Eleonore Santos of Garden Party, while clashing it with a rock fl avor. “Elle”,

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by Ashley Silverio

On the moveRead Ashley Silverio’s previous articles by visit-

ing our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

An international team of students, includling recent San Diego State University graduates Zaneta Owens and Jason Olaviar, won the 2009 Global Enterprise Experience Competition held at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand.

For their winning business plan, the team proposes us-ing developed technology that converts discarded rice husks into energy on Philippine farm-lands.

Owens and Olaviar’s team beat out numerous international groups, including those with members from Ivy League schools. The SDSU undergrad-uates took part in the compe-tition as part of Dr. Martina Musteen’s International Entre-preneurship course at SDSU.

“Getting the research done, getting the idea, [and] having something feasible and realistic really helped us in this compe-tition,” Owens said.

Following current trends of green technology, this year’s Global Enterprise Experience Competition focused on social-ly and environmentally sustain-able projects. One of Owens and Olaviar’s team members from Ateneo University of Manila proposed the concept of using rice husking technology, which has been successfully implemented in rural India, in his native homeland.

Working with students from the Philippines, Columbia,

Students win international competition with plan to convert rice husks into

energy in Philippines

and New Zealand, Owens and Olaviar were faced with some challenges.

“Time zones were a big is-sue,” admitted Owens, “[but] our team was very communica-tive.”

Working within a time limit of 21 days, the team commu-nicated over email and posted ideas on interactive fi le shar-ing websites. The students convened virtually, with some students waking up at pre-dawn hours to participate in discus-sions.

The team soon learned how to take advantage of their diver-sity.

“[Dividing up the jobs] was like a democracy,” said Olaviar, “We kind of threw [the jobs] out there based on our knowl-edge of what our strengths were.”

With their success at the

competition, some of the team members are looking into the possibility of implementing the project in the Philippines, although no specifi c details have been confi rmed. “Based on our research, everything is feasible, so… [why not] take advantage of this opportunity?” said Olaviar.

Owens and Olaviar are al-ready putting their bachelor’s degrees in management to work. They founded a corpo-ration that provides fi nancial coaching to high school and college students. With the tight economic climate, Owens fi nds the message “very impactful.”

Growing up, Owens admits that she exhibited a strong entrepre-neurial spirit. She and her family moved around the globe with her father, a U.S. Marine. Owens lived in both the Philippines and Japan before mov-ing to San Diego and graduating from Poway High School. She is actively involved in community

service, working with Com-munity Housing Works and the service fraternity Delta Sigma Pi.

Olaviar, whose mother is from La Union and whose father is from Quezon City in the Philippines, is equally passionate about the environ-ment as he is entrepreneurship. A graduate of Eastlake High School, he hopes to integrate both of these interests into a future career.

He advises others who are thinking about studying busi-ness to follow their own path.

“Make sure that it’s some-thing that [you] want to do, be-cause a lot of times people do things because it sounds right,” he says. “Find out what really drives you to your purpose as a human being.”

“Nothing happens over-night,” Owens added.

Zaneta Owens and Jason Olaviar

Asian Journal - (619) 474-0588 Visit our website at http://www.asianjournalusa.comAugust 21 - 27, 2009

09-GMC-003DAMA_Filipino

D_6.43x21_4C_NewspaperAsian Journal SD

Prepared by interTrend Communications, Inc.

(Continued on page 4)

Genevieve Tagudin-Silverio, Asian Journal SAN DIEGO | NATIONAL CITY, 08/19/09 -- San Diego County shares a repu-tation, with Los Angeles County in the lead, as the two toughest counties to count in California and among the toughest in the nation as a whole according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Standing in the balance for the 2010 Census are a number of federally funded programs from health care to education that serve the growing but invisible population of immigrants and minority communities that have been shut out due to barriers -- cultural and lingustic -- that often isolate them from the mainstream.

If left ignored the undercount would lead to increasing budget shortfalls that would only serve


2010 Census Director for California

Full Filipino Count Committtee. Rita Buencamino Andrews (left), 2010 U.S. Census Partnership Specialist, joined Filipino Americans during the 2010 Census Complete Count Convening at the Jacobs Center in San Diego, CA.

by G. Tagudin - Silverio

In Perspective

Read Genny Silverio’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

Full Filipino Count Committee prepares in earnest for grassroots campaign

to exacerbate the current and future economic crisis in Califor-nia. If done correctly, the census count would open up funding for critical public services that would serve to resuscitate and sustain California from the bot-tom up. The census numbers determine the infusion of public funds for the services many now take for granted from job-gen-erating road and transportation improvements to investments in community colleges and elemen-tary schools for the youth that would keep California competi-tive in the global marketplace.

Over the ten-year period since the last census, California is esti-mated to have lost $2B in federal funds and one congressional seat because of the undercount. And this is all because an estimated 800,000 persons did not partici-

pate in the census.The clock is once again tick-

ing. The 2010 Census deadline is April 1, 2010, which is less than eight months away.

The economic outlook in Cali-fornia may very well be deter-mined by the effort.

It is for this reason that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed a director to assist in the outreach. For this unusual honor, he chose a woman to get the 2010 Census in California done right.

Yesterday, August 18, the gov-ernor’s choice, Ditas Katague, Director of the 2010 U.S. Census for the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, came to Villa Manila in National City to reach out to a grassroots gathering of Filipino American community leaders and the local ethnic media to get the word out.

Katague has built a solid repu-tation for getting results. And it is what matters. Referring to Katague, panelist Cheryl Alethia Phelps, a director of the San Di-ego Foundation Bay Vista Fund was to quick to say that “she earned it (the position)” during the California Complete Count Workshop at the Jacobs Center on Wednesday, August 19.

Katague was the chief operat-ing officer for the U.S. Decennial Census 2000, where she was responsible for the day-to-day operation for the $24.7 milllion grassroots outreach campaign. The 70 percent return rate was an improvement over the national average of 59 percent.

This time around, however, nothing less than a full count would do. It was the consensus, as the evening gathering went, among the peers of many un-dercounted Filipinos who were about to wage the “Full Filipino Count” blitz.

Surprise

Katague also had a surprise in store for many who came to share a meal of fried chicken and pancit with a serving of hand-churned ice cream for dessert at Villa Manila on Tuesday.

Katague is very much a Fili-pino American.

The news was one in a list of firsts for the 2010 Census:

The 2010 Census gathering at Villa Manila brought together a


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After

After

cross-section of the local lead-ership in the fi rst full Filipino Count Committee.

The 2010 Census intake form has also been pared down. It now only requires respondents to answer ten questions on a single page which is tabulated in strict confi dentiality.

The 2010 Census is also taking the campaign to social media networks, which were non-exis-tent ten years ago, and to schools where they hope to integrate it as a project. It could be as simple as a lesson in fi lling out the census form. Once overlooked, it is the youth who serve to bridge the cultural and linguistic gap in immigrant households.

The 2010 Census is planning around the “hardest to count areas” by identifying “trusted messengers” in the local com-munities to get individuals to participate in the census. The effort involves a broad-based coalition of faith-based orga-nizations, non-profi ts, schools, public health clinics, case work-ers, community groups, and the ethnic media.

Homelessness a challengeAccording to Nampet Michels-

en, these “trusted voices” are important to newly arrived im-migrants who have been uproot-ed from their culture. A census outreach specialist in Southeast Asian communities, she con-siders homelessness in a tough employment market as an added challenge for census takers.

“These are people who have to move from one room to another for survival jobs,” she added.

Unlike mainstream groups who can seek services in shelters, marginalized, non-ESL speakers in these communities often end up renting out “rotational” beds on a daily basis in cities where they happen to fi nd work, she explained.

She hopes one day to see a group tell these stories of surviv-al in a short fi lm documentary.

Filipino count and represen-tation

About 26 percent of residents in California are foreign-born


2010 Census Director for California(Continued from page 3) according to Katague. Fifty per-

cent of Asians in California are of Filipino ethnicity. However, there is little representation of Filipino Americans in the politi-cal mainstream.

“Why don’t we have a state or congressional representative? It is a challenge all of you should think about,” observed Katague.

The undercount might even cost California a representative vote in Congress if the problem persists she warned.

No Single ApproachHowever, what works for one

group may not work for another. For the Thai community, their

King carries a lot of clout. For this reason, Michelsen, who is Thai, is working with the Thai Embassy to encourage a full count of their fellow expatriates. The Nigerian community, on the other hand, thinks that it is bad luck to count children according to Walter Lam, CEO/President of the Alliance for African Assis-tance. It is one of the questions asked of the head of household.

Strictly Confi dentialThe 2010 Census is a tool for

planning. “California residents should know that the informa-tion they provide is held in the strictest confi dence and protected by Title 13 as it has been for the last 72 years,” according to Michelsen.

The punishment for violators is stiff. Census takers can be fi ned $250,000 and jailed for up to fi ve years under the law.

Full Filipino CountIn attendance for the “Full

Filipino Count” meeting at Villa Manila were Fred Gallardo, Julio de Guzman, Myke Santos, Nedy Lao, Rita Buencamino Andres, Myrna T.F. Reyes, Aurora Cudal, Fe Seligman, Glenn Barroga, Ralph Dimarucot (for Assem-blymember Mary Salas), Joyce Temporal (for Assemblymem-ber Marty Block), Genevieve Silverio, and Ditas Yamane. Jo Son of the Asian Journal was in attendance but left early. Nampet Michelsen and Ditas Katague of the 2010 US Census were the guests of honor. -- AJ San Diego G. Silverio, Ashley Silverio

The Filipino American Arts and Culture Festival will be host-ing an End of Summer Bash at Canes Bar and Grill on Thurs-day September 3, 2009. Being billed as “Flash in Fashion” the event will showcase local artists artwork and Fall clothing lines from various clothing companies and local boutiques. Musical performances by Marlon Dane, Lady Gemini, One Son, Vox Merger, and a surprise special guest performance. The Doors open at 8:00 pm. Pre-sale tickets are available at Kalusugan Com-munity Services for $8. Door price will be $10. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.fi lamfest.com. Patrons bringing a new, unopened school supply such as a backpack, fold-er, pens, markers, pencils, etc. on the day of the event can get in at the pre-sale price of $8. School supplies will go to the Filipino American Educators Association of San Diego. This event is for ages 21 and up.

As the Summer winds down the city of San Diego and the FilAmFest is looking towards the community to help in as many ways as they can. On Saturday September 5, 2009 the FilAmFest invites the commu-nity to help Clean up the Park at Potomac Park on Paradise Valley Road. Please arrive at the Park next to the Skate Park with gloves and proper clothing at 8am. Lunch will be=0 Apro-vided. This is a great opportu-nity for students and clubs and organizations to receive commu-nity service hours and meet the organizers of the FilAmFest and get involved with the FilAmFest volunteer program early. More information provided on the FilAmFest website. Direct any questions to fi [email protected] with the subject “Commu-nity Clean Up Volunteer”.

If you are unable to partici-pate in the Community Clean up and still want to help out.

FilAmFest Gearing Up for the End of Summer and the Start of a New School Year by Offering

$500 scholarship for students seeking higher education

The FilAmFest has opened a new program for individuals or groups and organizations to make tax deductible donations. The program, Friends of FilAm-Fest or Aming Mga Kaibigan, accepts donations from $5.00 to $1000.00 or more. Interested parties or individuals can make an online donation through our website, www.fi lamfest.com or contact the staff directly through the Kalusugan Community Services offi ce at 619-477-3392. Donations can be made anony-mously.

The FilAmFest is offering $500.00 scholarships to stu-dents that are enrolled or will be enrolling in a university, college, or trade/vocational school for the Fall Semester 2009. Students must fi ll out and submit an ap-plication and provide transcripts, letters of recommendation. Win-ners will be notifi ed and recog-nized at the FilAmFest on Octo-ber 3, 2009. < /span>In addition to the scholarship the FilAmFest will be having its second annual Best at the Fest dance competi-tion. Details included on the website.

The FilAmFest will be on Saturday October 3, 2009 from 11:00am to 6:00pm. This is a free event to the public held on Paradise Valley road between Gilmartin Ave and Woodman street. Patrons can enjoy a day of cultural festivities as well as obtain information regarding health, education, and local is-sues. The FilAmFest is celebrat-ing its 5th year and attracts over 10,000 people. All are invited to attend the FilAmFest and the FilAmFest pre-events. If you would like to volunteer or be part of the FilAmFest, more informa-tion and applications for ven-dors, sponsors, advertisements, performers, and volunteers are provided on our website at www.fi lamfest.com. All application deadlines have been extended beyond the original dates.

PHILIPPINE NEWS SERVICE -- PRESIDENT Macapagal-Arroyo has appointed her former military intel-ligence chief Victor Corpus to a new post in government.

Executive Secretary Ermita, who announced Corpus’s appointment, said the latter is now special representa-tive and head of the Offi ce of Veteran Affairs. Corpus’s new assignment will mean that he will be based in Wash-ington.

Corpus, a retired general who joined the communist rebels during the mar-tial law years also held positions as chief of civil military relations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and anti-illegal logging chief under the Arroyo administration.

Victor Corpus get new post in US

Ermita said the President also named Emmanuel Angeles as perma-nent chairman of the Commission on Higher Education; Nona Ricafort as commissioner, also of CHED; Julie Rendoque, commissioner representing the employers sector, four division of the National Labor Relations Com-mission; and Jose Javier as president and chief executive offi cer of Inter-continental Broadcasting Corporation.

The President also appointed Em-manuel de Castro as assistant general manager for operations of the Metro Manila Development Authority; Myr-na Agno, Assistant Solicitor General; and Albert Balingit, member, board of trustees of the Manila Waterworks and Sewerage System.


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by Atty. Dennis ChuaLegal Buzz

Read Atty. Dennis Chua’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

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Pinay Coed’s Handmade Creations in Hollywood Fashion Show

house’s Bohemian Shindig, which is a regular event of three rooms with art and music.Producer of the show and a mod-el herself, Teresa Nunez (Email [email protected]) wants to keep the artistry in fashion alive. “The idea for the theme of the show comes from the late 60’s art movement Arte Povera and mixing it with a rock edge, hence the name ‘Rock Povera’. Combined with Eleonore’s delicate designs it should be exciting!”- Teresa NunezPurchase Garden Party items at GardenPartyClothing.etsy.com.

An individual who has will-fully lied in his visa application will be considered to have com-mitted fraud or willful misrep-resentation. Individuals who have committed fraud or willful misrepresentation before an immigration offi cer or consular offi cer will have to suffer severe consequences as a result of their actions. This includes a lifetime ban for them to enter the United States unless they are eligible to fi le for a waiver to erase their past misdeeds.

A waiver for fraud or willful misrepresentation can only be fi led if the applicant for a visa

Honesty is the Best Policyhas a US citizen or legal perma-nent resident spouse or parent. He must also show that the quali-fying relative will suffer extreme hardship if he is not allowed to enter the United States.

Here are some illustrative cases of fraud and willful misrepresen-tation applications.

Jose fi led an immigrant peti-tion for his parents, Jose Sr. and Gilda. When the petitions were approved, Gilda decided not to immigrate to the United States. Jose Sr. came up with a brilliant idea to have his sister Norma take Gilda’s place instead. Dur-ing the interview they submitted

documents to make it appear that Norma was Gilda. When Norma went for her medical, it was discovered by the doctor that Norma has not given birth and this was noted in her application. During the visa interview, Jose Sr. insisted Norma was indeed Gilda, his wife. The consular offi ce denied both immigrant visa applications of Jose Sr. and Gilda upon verifying the real identity of Norma. Jose Sr’s application was also denied because of the misrepresenta-tion he committed by insisting that Norma was his wife, Gilda. Jose Sr. was not allowed to fi le for a waiver because he is not eligible to fi le one.

Jemima was petitioned by her US citizen father as a single adult child. Jemima had a boyfriend named Raul. And out of their relationship they had a child. Despite the constant reminders of her father not to get married, Jemima got married to Raul before a Judge in her hometown without her father’s knowledge. When her visa became current, Jemima went ahead with her visa application and indicated in her application that she was still single. Since she had a child, the Embassy conducted an investigation on Jemima’s marital status and discovered that she was in fact married. The consular offi cer denied her application because she was already married. After several years, Jemima re-applied for an immigrant visa this time as the benefi ciary of a married US citizen child. Her immigrant visa was not issued by the consular offi cer and she was asked to fi le for a waiver because of her past misrepresen-tation as to her marital status.

In both cases, had the appli-cants timely retracted their fraud or willful misrepresentation before the consular offi cer, they would not have been subjected to the harsh consequence of a lifetime ban to enter the United States. How timely the retrac-tion is would depend on the circumstances of each particular case.

To avoid the harsh effects of fraud and willful misrepresenta-tion, honesty is indeed the best policy in fi ling your visa appli-

cations before the US Embassy or the US Citizenship and Im-migration Services.

Atty. Dennis E. Chua is a partner in The Law Firm of Chua Tinsay and Vega (CTV) - a full service law fi rm with offi ces in San Francisco, San Diego and Manila. The information presented in this article is for general information only and is not, nor intended to be, formal legal advice nor the formation of an attorney-client relationship. Call or e-mail CTV for an in-person or phone consultation to discuss your particular situation and/or how their services may be retained at (415) 495-8088; (619) 955-6277; [email protected].

(Continued from page 2)


Perspectives

ASIAN JOURNALThe first Asian-Filipino weekly in Southern California

An award-winning newspaper, it is San Diego’s most widely circulated Asian-Filipino newpaper!

In Pursuit of Excellence

Ashley SilverioAssistant Editor

Eugenio “Ego” Osin, (1946 - 1994)Joe Cabrera, (1924 - 1996)

Soledad Bautista (1917-2009)

The Asian Journal is published weekly and distributed in all Asian communties in San Diego County. Publication date is every Friday of the month. Advertising deadline is Thursday prior to publication date at 5 p.m. For advertising rates, rate cards, or information, call (619) 474-0588. Subscription by mail is available for $50 per year (56 issues). The Asian Journal is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs but welcomes submissions. Entire content is © 2008 copyrighted material by Asian Journal. Materials in this publication may not be reproduced without specific permission from the publisher.

Genevieve SilverioManaging Editor

Simeon G. Silverio, Jr.Publisher & Editor

Miles BeauchampAssociate Editor

Santi SilverioAssociate Publisher

At Large...

Read Miles Beauchamp’s previous articles by visiting our web-site at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Miles Beauchamp

by Riz A. Oades

Voices & Images

Read Dr. Oades’ s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

Summer 2009 – the summer of warm weather, days at the

beach, rocking in a ham-mock, walks on the shore of a nearby lake, evening dances and ice cream cones. It’s a time of love, convertible tops, drives with friends up the coast for a fire in a ring on the sand and s’mores. It’s a time of lemonade, home made ice cream, Slurpees, and danc-

The Summer of Our DiscontentThe days are changing and Fall is coming full speed

ing ‘till midnight on the beach at Daytona.

Summer is Key West in the morning, Waikiki at sunset, rowing the Colorado River and hiking the Blue Ridge Moun-tains. Summer is a day in Julian, sleeping under the stars in a quiet forest in the San Ber-nardino Mountains and roasting corn in a pit. Summer is mi-mosas and shaved ice, bathing suits, hiking boots, sun screen, and back packs. Summer is a backyard barbecue, a picnic, a spontaneous get together with

old friends. But summer is more than

dreamy visions. During this summer of Over-the-Line week-ends, trips across the Golden Gate and looking for space at Ocean Beach, 6,480 plants and animals went extinct according to Science Daily. While 15 mil-lion moms and dads, sisters and brothers visited Disney World, one billion, 400 million moms and dads, sisters and brothers had no access to safe drinking water. Close to 300,000 would die from malaria and 750,000 would die from water-related deaths. For some, summer 2009 will be the high-point of their lives, for others it will be a warm, fuzzy glow when recalled 60 years later. For many it will be the last summer they expe-rience. For others it will be a summer of captivity, degradation and hunger.

Summer is a time of growth – for wild animals and for crops. But global warming and severe shortages of water in many areas are making that growth ever-more tenuous. Rain forests shrink from our need for bare land; slash and burn land clear-ing gives open land but takes away oxygen, possible medi-cines, and the habitat of so many creatures.

Labor Day is drawing closer and we’ve begun to notice that summer is slowly coming to an end. With the start of school so drifts off another summer like so much smoke on a breezy day. But while our social clocks may say an end to summer, our physical clock – the one that has governed us for millennia – doesn’t say that at all. Our inter-nal seasonal clock says, “Okay, change is afoot, but summer is not over yet for me.”

Perhaps we should pay closer attention to our inner self that is screaming for attention. Perhaps we should go out and flip some proverbial coins. Do just one more thing. I want to do just one more thing this summer that doesn’t require writing a check, scanning a credit card, entering a code word. Of course money is important but time is so much more important; your hands are more important; your mind is

more important; your words are more important. Your presence is so much more important.

Here’s a thought: after the beach, after Disneyland, af-ter Sea World, after the zoo, after vacation why not spend whatever time is left involving yourself in someone else’s life. This doesn’t mean you have to barge into your neighbor’s house and tell them how to live their life. No, no, no. I’m talking about involvement in a good way. It means that you look at your near neighborhood and far neighborhood and decide to do something. Simply decide to do something. In your near neigh-borhood you could look around and see if an elderly person is struggling with a lawn mower. If so, mow their grass. Is a family member wondering how to get somewhere? Drive them. Some-one out of a job? Buy a week’s groceries for them.

In most people’s near neigh-borhoods, the things that are most needed are companionship (is someone living alone? Do they get many visitors? Why don’t you visit?), or chores done around a home. Do someone’s chores. Find something in your neighborhood you can do and just do it. Clean out a gutter, take someone a pie (or better yet, dinner). I had a friend who used to send pizzas to people he didn’t really know in his neigh-borhood. All he knew was they were struggling. So a couple of times a month he has pizzas delivered to them. They never knew who did it and he never really discussed it either. All he ever said about it was, “They were hungry.” And that was his way of helping.

As for your far neighborhood, well that stretches as far out as you want it to or can push it. This may take a bit more re-search on your part. But what-ever you do, there are so many things that don’t require dona-tions or money of any kind. You can donate time, energy, and tal-ent. You can help Amnesty Inter-national with a check or with cir-culating petitions. You can help Red Cross / Red Crescent with money or with doing any of the hundreds of jobs they need help

with. Hospitals need help and so do libraries. In fact, helping out at a library is good because then you can use the information there to find contact information on social action groups and com-mittees in the town or area.

The point is, your summer doesn’t have to end on a low note but a high one. Your sum-mer can end not in discontent but rather end leaving you so con-tented you’re like Grandpa after eating one of those lunches. You groan, you stretch, you massage your belly, you look around and you smile. We have within us the ability to create our own summer smiles and help create smiles for some-one else. We have the ability to turn a summer of discontent into one of contentment. Into one of contented bliss that has nothing to do with cruise line midnight buffets, inclusive packages at Disneyworld, choosing seats on Delta Airlines or frantically try-ing to see whatever it is you can see in the short time you have.

Find your contentment wherev-er you are and whatever you’re doing. And remember that’s it’s only from discontent that any-thing ever gets accomplished. When we’re contented we’re not very motivated to do anything. It was discontent that drove Thomas Edison, Mother Theresa, and Martin Luther King. Revel in your discontent, be glad for it and then do something with it.

Summer 2009 draws to a close and Fall and Winter are ap-proaching. When you look back on this summer what will you remember? The good (there was some) or the bad (and yep, there was some). You can’t pick your memories but you can choose how you respond to them and what you ultimately do with them. What will you do with yours? Fall leaves will need to be raked soon; there are summer things to store and plans to be made. You do, after all, have the holidays coming up shortly to deal with.

By Cari Vinarao Ramos

PVIMM PROParadise Valley International

Medical Mission (PVIMM) will never forget the memorable happening at the posh residence of Dr. Benjamin Camacho in Bonita, California during his Summer Annual Thanksgiving. It was the wakening, the new be-ginning, of an energized medical mission since the passing away of PVIMM Founder and Direc-

PVIMM members… join Dr. Camacho’s summer

annual party!

Dr. Ben Camacho, Cari V. Ramos, Romy Casas and Sonny Ramos were caught on camera with happy faces during the annual summer get-together at the Camacho’s residence.

PVIMM Members: L-R Dr. Ben Camacho, Joe Son, Lucy and Joe Marasigan, Mayor Ron Morrison (Nat’l Ciy), and Cornelio Evangelista

tor, Dr. Eduardo Manaig, last March 21, 2008. Dr. Manaig left a legacy of a medical mission initiated by his strong desire to pay back his blessings to his impoverished Kababayan’s in the remoter areas

in the Philippines. Deep in his heart was to help and improve the health conditions of most of his poor countrymen left out by the government officials for whatever reasons.

Dr. Benjamin Camacho’s inter-est in medical mission is consid-ered by most PVIMM members as a God sent crusader who may strongly carry the sword of PVIMM for an inevitable suc-cess. PVIMM ardent members

are shaping this good doctor to be the next medical director. Dr. Camacho already committed to be the principal sponsor of the next year’s PVIMM medical


My parents were probably brought up to protect their

children and keep the fam-ily together, but they need to realize they are not in the Philip pines anymore. They ought to know that life is different in America. People here are more inde-pendent.

“Mom, I’m going out,” I yelled to her before I went out to the door.

“Saan kapupunta?” she asked.“I’m going over to Christine’s

apartment,” I responded eagerly so I could leave.

“She’s not the one that got pregnant, is she?” my dad asked. Oh great! My dad got into the picture. He was always hesitant about letting my sister and I go to other peo ple’s houses. He says he knows what goes on where there are no parents around to supervise.

“No dad, that’s Sonya,” I replied. “Gees, I have one friend who accidentally got pregnant and he always brings it up.”

“Who will be there?” mom inquired with a look on her face that meant she proba bly won’t let me go. “God! I was think-ing would this questioning ever end.”

Re-enactment of arguing parent and daughter.

Who Owns the Problem?

“Mom and Dad, please let me grow up!”

By Myrene Monzon “A lot of people....We’re just gonna hang out,” quickly replied.

“Which people?” my dad queried, thinking he knew all my friends.

“Come on dad, you know the same people I always hang out with: Berna, Nick, Maria and her boyfriend Max, Christine and her boyfriend, and Sonya,” I an-swered in an annoyed tone.

“Anong oras kang uuwi?” my mom questioned me again. At the rate my parents bombarded me questions after questions, I won’t be able to leave our house, espe-cially with my dad butting in.

“Mom, I’ll be back later tonight!” I yelled back at them while still trying to remain calm.

“Mamayang gabi,” I told here.“No, no, you come back in

here! “she exclaimed with great authority.

At this point, I knew I had no chance of going out, because my dad had brought up the pregnant friend, notwithstanding the fact that my Mom has the last word about everything. Both my par-ents do not approve of pregnancy outside of marriage.

Privacy Every time 1 wanted to go

out, it’s the same old story. My parents would bom bard me with such questions as: ‘Where are you going? Who will be there? What time will you be home?”

It’s like they got to know all my friends before they could let me go out. I could not leave my home without everyone in the family knowing where I’m going or what I’ll be doing.

Sometimes, I think they never heard of the word “privacy” before. They need to know every detail of my life. And it’s totally ridiculous.

I’m 22 years old and my sister is 18. Although, we are young, mature women that know what is right from what is wrong, our parents still treat us like we’re 8 years old. I know they mean well in protecting us from ter-rible things that can happen to young women at this day and age. But I strongly feel that they have to respect our needs too.

The odd thing about my par-ents is: they realize I’m respon-sible enough to go to college and hold down a job. But, in their judgment, I can’t go over to a friend’s house and hang out.

My parents think all we, mean-ing young adults, want to do is have sex, drink, and party. That’s not who I am. Once in awhile, I’ll go to a party and have a few drinks, but I’ll never overdo it because I’ve been drunk before. Being drunk is not a fun ex-perience, and I’ve learned my lesson.

About sex, I would not go out

and have sex with just any guy. It will have to be with some-one special, a person who I wanted to share it with.

My parents think that I have been so sheltered; and never seen a male body before or witnessed any type of sexual acts. Come on, these are the

l990’s. Sex is everywhere.

Free Choice

My parents need to know the people I choose to be my friends are not “bad.” I tell my parents my friends are just like me, many of them have aspirations and dreams they want to follow. They also want to finish school, get their degrees, and make something of their lives.

If I can help it, I do not associ-ate with peers who run around their parents’ backs and disobey them, or the ones that do drugs.

I do not intend to sound as I am a perfect child, who never does anything wrong or goes be-hind my parents back. For I have done plenty of things my parents disapprove of and are probably are unaware.

My parents must know that I do not let my friends influence my decisions. I do what I want to and no one can change such choice.

Granted that I might have cho-sen a wrong decision that might have led me to some trouble. To me, this is okay. I need to learn on my own. If they unneces-sarily protect me from every horrible thing that can happen in the “real world,” how can I deal with the problems when I become independent of them?

I must experience life the way it is, so when I make a mistake, I need not rely on mom and dad to give me all the answers. Instead, I can learn from my mistake and, hope fully, never have to repeat it.

Let me learn I give my parents lots of credit

for the way they brought up my sister and me. I know it is dif-ficult to raise kids with the right morals and attitudes these days. But they should not really worry or give it a second thought, be-cause in opinion they did a great job in nurturing and raising us.

My parents were probably

raised in a social environment that closely supervises children and keeps the family together. But since they are no longer in the Philippines, they must realize that life in the U.S. is a lot differ-ent. Young people in this country are taught and trained to be more independent and to do things pretty much on their own.

Mom and dad should not be as protective anymore, because I am already “grown up woman.” They should, instead, give me the trust and respect I rightfully deserve. They should let me learn, on my own, the meaning of a maturing adult who will try to make the best out of what life has to offer.


Bill’s Corner

Read Bill Labestre’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

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Currently, it is not unusual to find Filipinos in many countries around the world. They left the native land in search of better work and better pay. It’s a great sacrifice for the hope of a better future. Given a choice, most would rather stay close to their love ones but, there’s not enough decent paying job at home.

Filipinos can easily adjust to their new surroundings. They are not afraid to work hard, try new things, eat foreign food or learn a new language.

They can easily follow the rules and laws of their new place but, given enough time they will figure out something that only a Filipino mind can.

During the early days of my Navy career, I’ve encountered Filipinos in various foreign countries. I was impressed on how they adjusted, survived and took advantage of any situa-tion. In 1979 I met a Filipino man in a bar at a tiny island of La Reunion in Indian Ocean. At a Mombasa, Kenya club, I was surprised when an African woman talked to us in Tagalog. She was taught by her Filipino seaman boyfriend. In Ceylon, Sri Lanka, there was a Filipino res-taurant and a cargo ship manned by all-Filipino crew. Hongkong has only about 25,000 Filipino domestic helpers back then.

It is amazing how Filipinos manage to tackle jobs even in difficult places. Enduring the hardship and loneliness, they found time to socialize with oth-er Filipinos and even organized support groups. In Singapore, a local cab driver told my wife and me how they envy Filipinos for their happy attitude and sense of freedom.

Only a FilipinoWhen there’s just a small

number of Filipinos in a foreign place, we become a tight group. Once the number got bigger like in San Diego county, we’re back to being tribal. Religion and dia-lect became a factor. It is tough to unite as one. It seemed like everybody wants to be the presi-dent of his/her group. As always, we are experts in pot lucks, big parties, dinner dances and beauty contests. A few have honest in-tention of community service but the majority doesn’t really care. They would rather watch on the sidelines and provide criticism. As an ethnic group, we may have the number but, we still have no strength.

We are lucky in San Diego to have easy access to Oriental Supermarkets, bake shops and Filipino restaurants. Money remittance places are plenty and box cargo shippers are killing each other’s business by lower-ing their fees. Only a Filipino customer would waive his loy-alty for a $5 discount. There is abundance of Filipino dentists, Immigration lawyers, Real Estate Professionals and other small business owners.

When it comes to benefits from the government, Filipinos will find a way to maximize their take. Some U.S. military veter-ans will do anything to increase the tax free disability benefits and even proud of it.

We should be grateful to live in this country. Even if you’re not a U.S. citizen yet, you should be thankful for your blessing. If you don’t like it here, you can pack your bags and go. What have you done for this country that made you believe that you deserve for entitlements to some benefits?


3 to 8 years old - Paramihan ng toys

9 to 18 years old - Pataasan ng grades.

19 to 25 - Padamihan ng siyota.26 to 35 - Pagandahan ng asawa.36 to 45 - Palakihan ng income.46 to 55 - Padamihan ng kabit.56 and after - Padamihan ng sakit.

Matrona: Sa palagay mo Love, ilan taon na ako?

Lover: Kung titignan sa buhok 18.. Kung nakatalikod 21.

Kung titignan sa kutis 25. Bali 64 ang total.

Theme song of married couples.....1 to 10 years - Araw-araw gabi-

gabi

Pinoy life cycle....11 to 25 years - Saan ka man

naroon26 to 49 years - Gaano kadalas

ang Minsan50 years and up - Maalaala mo

kaya

Ano sa Tagalog ang asawa? (‘May bahay’)

Ano naman ang kabit? (‘May condo’)

BARTENDER: Sir, napansin ko bawat inom ninyo tumitingin kayo sa bulsa ninyo.

MAN: Ahh, ito? Picture ng Misis ko ito.... pag maganda na siya sa tingin ko, uuwi na ako.

Laughing MatterRead previous articles by visiting our website at www.asian-

journalusa.com

Plano, TX – August 18, 2009 -- Eds and co-eds at any age sit taller in their seats, from the first day of school ‘til the last, as JCPenney solves dorm décor and fashion equations this season. The fashion names you look for, the colors you crave, what the magazines feature for the fall, JCPenney presents them all. And, whether creating a room makeover at home, headed to campus housing or becoming a first-time apartment-dweller, students will find all the solutions to create a fun living-space that expresses their independence and personality.

Karolyn Wangstad, Vice Presi-dent and Director of Trend for

Class Acts Head Back to School in JCPenney Style

Students ace this years’ act of style ... with quality and value, too!

JCPenney shares fashion tips and dorm style essentials for an A+ in style and savings:

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• The boyfriend is back and in style – especially when it comes to menswear inspired fashions for her. Boyfriend tunics from JCPen-ney look great when worn over leggings or skinny denim, $20.

• JCPenney scarves make a statement and add a finishing pop to ensembles, $9.99.

• He looks put together but still cool in a vest and t-shirt combo from Decree, $25 each.

• Little girls can look all grown up in graffiti print hood-ies while boys keep it casual in Arizona fleece hoodies, $24.99.

• Vintage T’s are a hot item for grade school boys and girls headed back to school this fall, $15.99-$17.99.

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By Steven ErteltLifeNews.com

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A leading pro-life congressman and the nation’s Catholic bishops are asking House Democratic leaders to allow a vote on an amendment that would cut the taxpayer-funding of abortions found in one of the three House health care bills that will be voted on after the Congressional recess.

As LifeNews.com reported today, House Democrats appear unlikely to allow a vote on an amendment from pro-life Reps. Bart Stupak, a Michi-gan Democrat, and Rep. Joe Pitts, a Pennsylvania Republican, to remove abortion funding from HR 3200.

At the end of a letter Cardinal Justin Rigali, the head of the pro-life office of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, sent to members of the House, he urges allowing a vote on the amendment.

He explained that, under the bill, “federal taxpayer funds will subsidize the operating budget and provider networks that expand access to abor-tions.”

“Government will force low-income Americans to subsidize abortions for others (and abortion coverage for themselves) even if they find abortion morally abhorrent,” Cardinal Rigali explained.

“I urge you to help ensure that any legislation that comes up for a vote

Catholic Bishops, Congressman: Allow Vote to Cut Abortion Funding From Bill

in the full House does not include these unacceptable features. Please support amendments to correct them, and oppose any rule for consideration of H.R. 3200 that would block such amendments,” the Catholic leader continued.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue says any refusal to allow a vote on the amendment could sink the health care restructuring bill entirely.

He says President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress are “apparently willing to sink health care reform before ever excluding abortion from the final bill.”

Donohue pointed to the new White House “Reality Check” site and noted that it does not include any rebuttal information to the fact that abor-tion funding is included in the house health care bill.

“There’s a reason for that—every time an amendment has been intro-duced to formally exclude abortion, it has been defeated,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rep. Mike Pence, an In-diana Republican who is the leader of the conservative caucus in the House, is asking for the vote to be allowed.

“Stupak has called for that amend-ment, but the House leadership may be uncomfortable permitting a vote on it,” the Indianapolis Star reported after interviewing Pence. “It’s hard for pro-choice advocates, or those in the middle, to understand, but pro-lifers are convinced that babies are being killed in the womb. They don’t want to pay for it with tax money.”


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mission n his hometown at Lab-rador, Pangasinan on February 21, 2010.

During his Annual Get-Together party last Saturday at his residence, he introduced PVIMM members to his associ-ates and friends and some San Diego socialites, city offi cials and dignitaries including the Mayor, Vice Mayor and Council-man of National City. Everyone seemed to have fun at the get-together. Entertainers were also provided to make the event like a fi esta atmosphere. Mrs. Asia USA, fi rst runner-up, actress/singer Genesis Welcher (aka) Pa-tricia Javier, graced the occasion to the delight of all attendees rendering her beautiful songs.PVIMM, is a registered non-

PVIMM members… join Dr. Camacho’s

summer annual party!(Continued from page 6)

profi t organization specializing in medical missions around the world such as Africa, India and Vietnam, but for the past seven years, has focused a labor of love in the Philippines. A collaboration between the U.S. team, with local volunteers and friends who share the same ambitions, to provide a dynamic combination of free medical, surgical and dental care that reaches remote areas all across the Philippines.

You might ask, why do we care about HEALTH? The physi-cal condition of the poor is often overlooked. This is the vision PVIMM is committed to bring to the countryside in realizing that physical health is fundamental to every family back home. Good health is absolutely essential for a happy family to be able to work and make a living. Our less fortunate “Kababayans” with sickness can not live to their full potential or even work continuously. Those with fam-

ily members who are sick can’t even afford to buy OTC medi-cines and may resort to herbal treatment or “Hilot’s.” The well being of every person should not be taken for granted.

It has been said by detractors that medical missions are mere “Band-Aid” missions - meaning that it is just a temporary solu-tion to a permanent problem. In some cases, maybe yes, but what about surgically remov-ing cataracts and giving back sight, extracting rotten tooth that plague a person with continuous pain, distributing antibiotics to relieve and prevent infection, supplying people with pain and fever reducers that they could never acquire, on their own for themselves and/or their children is an act no one can merely label as inadequate. Fact is, some patients in remote areas only see a doctor on medical missions, maybe once in his life, which may not only lift his pain away but maybe his spirit, too

Read previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjo-urnalusa.com

by Atty. Rogelio Karagdag, Jr.Member, State Bar of California & Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Phil - Am Law 101

As we wrap up our Manila visit, we wish to share with you some of the more interesting cases we handled during our trip, to at least give you some idea on how these matters are currently being treated now in the Philip-pines.

We have just concluded an adoption hearing in the Regional Trial Court of Makati City. Our Manila offi ce had sched-uled the hearings to coincide with our trip. The client, a dear friend from the University of the Philippines, had specifi cally requested us to personally attend to the hearings. My friend and his wife wanted to legally adopt a child who has been with them since he was a baby. The boy is 9 years old, so we had to rush the hearings a little bit. The rules say that if the child to be adopted is 10 years or older, he must give his consent to the adoption. The boy is not yet aware that his parents are not his biological parents, and they feel that he is not yet ready to know the truth. The Court respected the couple’s decision and did not require the child to be present or to be in-formed about the adoption. One substantial change in procedure is that the social worker who does the case study now comes from the RTC itself. In the past, social workers all come from the Department of Social Wel-fare in San Rafael, Manila. This new set-up tends to expedite the adoption cases as it ensures that the social worker is always ready to comply with the court’s direc-tives and available to testify. We are confi dent that the adop-tion will be granted as even the prosecutor, who represents the government, joined us in asking

Legal Tidbits from Manilathe court to grant the petition.

When we arrived in our offi ce, we got a call from another cli-ent. She and her children have just been to their fi ancée visa interview at the U.S. Embassy. Her “husband” was petitioned as single, so they did not get married. When he became a U.S. citizen, he decided to fi le a fi an-cée petition for her. Under the rules, their children do not have to be petitioned, as they will get a free ride under the fi ancée visa. The petition was approved by the USCIS and they were scheduled for interview by the U.S. Em-bassy in Manila. One problem we anticipated was the fi nan-cial capacity of the petitioner to support his fi ancée and their children. His income tax return indicates an income way below the poverty guideline level. In his desire to be with his family, he frequently stays in Manila, and has failed to get a steady job in the U.S. In fact, he presently lives in Manila with them. We prepared the Form I-134 for her to bring to the interview. True enough, the interview focused on the petitioner’s meager income. The consul was concerned that they will not be able to afford living in the U.S. But when the consul learned that she was a nurse, and when she assured the consul that she really intends to work to help her husband, the consul became convinced that they will not become a public charge. Visas were issued to her and the children, and we had a nice dimsum dinner with them that night.

Last week, we received an Order from the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board. The HLURB is the government

agency empowered to look into complaints against subdivision and condominium developers. Our client purchased a lot in a posh subdivision. After some-time, he noticed that he was paying more than the agreed monthly installments. When he looked closer at the billing statement, he learned that the developer had been charging him with “CB penalties”. He questioned the charges, but the developer simply told him that the CB penalties were being charged to all lot buyers. Out of principle, he stopped his monthly payments. The developer can-celled his contract, so he went to the HLURB to complain. In his prayer, the client asked that the developer be made to account for and pay back all the CB penal-ties it had imposed on him and on all the other lot buyers. The HLURB granted his complaint. According to the HLURB, the developer cannot impose any charges unless they are stipulated in the contract. The decision was affi rmed by the Court of Appeals and the case is now with the sheriff for implementation.

We wish to thank our readers for referring their relatives and friends to us for consultation during our visit to the Philip-pines. Our interaction with them has provided us with a renewed understanding of our kababayans’ situation in the Philippines, thus enabling us to provide a more effi cient and per-sonalized service to them and to the rest of our Filipino clientele.

Atty. Rogelio Karagdag, Jr. is licensed to practice law in both California and the Philippines. He practices immigration law in San Diego and has continu-ously been a trial and appellate attorney in the Philippines since 1989. His offi ce address is lo-cated at 16486 Bernardo Center Drive, Suite 228, San Diego, CA 92128. He also holds offi ce in National City inside the S&S Travel Agency at 2409 E. Plaza Blvd. Please call (858)348-7475 & (619) 475-3262 for your free consultation. Our email is [email protected]. Articles written in this column are not legal advice but are hy-potheticals intended as general, non-specifi c legal information.


PhilippineStories

Read Sim Silverio’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Simeon G. Silverio Jr.

“Huwag kay-ong main-gay at baka

mapansin tayo ng lolo (Don’t be noisy. Grandpa might notice us),” Borobot told his cousins Rey and Pabling.

It was 1955 and they were all eight years old. They were climbing the tamarind tree in front of their grandparent’s house on Pepin Street, Sampaloc, Manila.

Borobot was about to grab a bunch of the fruit when a stone

Betel Nuts

Betel Nuts

Knott’s Soak City swim team

Nolan, 9, (left) and Gary, 7, (right) of Northern California enjoy a visit to Knott’s Soak City Water Park with their mom, Cathy Thom-as, during their short summer vacation. The brothers also snorkeled in La Jolla Cove.

Their grandfather, Lolo Ambo, had warned all his grandchildren who lived with their families across

the street, not to climb the tamarind tree. But the kids were like Adam and Eve, disobeying God’s order and

desiring the forbidden fruit. To boys like them, the transgression was an adventure.

fl ew by his hand. It was their grandfather, Lolo (Grandpa) Ambo, shooting them with his sling shot. He scampered down as he warned his cousins.

“Dali, tinitirador tayo (Hurry, he’s hitting us with a sling shot).”

Pabling, who was climbing be-low him, fell to the ground. Rey, in his haste, stepped on Boro-bot’s head. As soon as his feet hit the ground, Borobot ran away as fast as he could. Rey was behind him while Pabling, who was chubby and heavy, managed to stagger up and followed them.

“Aray (Ouch)!” wailed Pabling. A stone from the sling shot hit his buttock. He was cry-ing as he crossed the street and went inside their house.

Their grandfather, Lolo Ambo, had warned all his grandchildren who lived with their families across the street, not to climb the tamarind tree. But the kids were like Adam and Eve, disobey-ing God’s order and desiring the forbidden fruit. To boys like them, the transgression was an adventure.

Pabling was still rubbing his buttocks as the three of them ate the tamarind from their pockets. They were not all sweet. Some were “malasebo”, or halfway ripe.

Lolo Ambo was a grumpy old man. He was born and raised in Malolos, Bulacan, while his wife, Lola (Grandma) Abe, was from the nearby town of Plar-idel. The two raised their family fi rst in San Miguel, Manila, then along the shores of Paranaque and fi nally in Pepin, Sampaloc, Manila. The clan lived in a clus-ter of houses on one part of the street.

Lolo Ambo was a driver at the Metropolitan Waterworks Sys-tem in the 1940s until he retired. Since his children and their fami-lies lived just across the street, his house was like an extended household. It was common for his children to visit him and his grandchildren to stay and some-times play in his house or front yard. Whenever they gathered in his house, they would help prepare the betel nut concoction that he liked to chew.

First, the betel nut husk was removed. Then, the nut was cut into pieces with specialize scis-sors and placed in a stone mortar. A white paste made of lime was then spread on a betel leaf and placed in the mortar. The con-

coction was pounded into pieces with the use of a stone pestle. The grandfather would chew it and eventually spit it out, cover-ing his mouth with red dye after-wards. The mix is taken by old folks as a mild stimulant, similar to drinking coffee. In the jungles of New Guinea, it was reported on National Geographic TV that sometimes, it had the same effect of drugs in making people feel “high”.

Pabling, Lolo Ambo’s grand-child who was named after him, however was still bitter because of the tamarind tree incident

when he came to his grandfa-ther’s house. Mischievously, he volunteered to prepare the betel not concoction. But, when

everyone was not looking except for Borobot, he put a hot native pepper called “siling labuyo” in the mix.

Borobot tried to stop him, but it was too late.

“Mahuhuli ka niyan (You’ll be caught),” Borobot warned Pabling.

But his cousin was more clever than he seemed. Pabling wrapped his mix in a piece of paper, and waited for the right time to put it with the concoc-

tions that the others had prepared.

The next day, their grandfa-ther picked up the mix, put it in his mouth and wailed in disgust. It was so hot that it burned his tongue. No matter how much water he consumed, the burning sensation remained. By that time, Pabling was safely ensconced in their house, way beyond suspicion. Their grand-father had many suspects. He had shot not only one but many of his grandchildren as they tried to climb the tamarind tree. He could not fi gure out who the culprit was.

Pabling got away scot free. He was smirking, boasting to Boro-bot at every opportunity. How-ever, Pabling’s elder brother, Pichie, overheard them talking about it. Pichie threatened his younger brother and told him that he would report Pabling to their grandfather. But he never did.

Their grandfather never found out who the culprit was. He passed away two years later in 1957. In 1981, Pichie at the age of thirty-two was shot to death by an unknown assailant. His murder remained unsolved. Five years later, at age of thirty-fi ve, Pabling succumbed to a long illness. For the past thirty years since then, the case of the siling labuyo in their grandfather’s betel nut concoction had become a well-kept secret known only to a single soul. But not anymore. - AJ

By Dave Ryan A. Buaron

Sagada, formerly called Ganduyan, is a quaint and quiet town of Mountain Province tucked away in the stunning mountains of Northern Luzon – 12 hours drive north of Manila, 5-6 hours north of Baguio City and about 2 hours further from the provincial capital, Bontoc. Sagada was what Baguio City was 50-100 years ago, and unlike the latter, has a more laidback, quieter, and slower pace of lifestyle with the culture which is steeped in metaphor relatively intact among its Kankanaey populace. The thrilling (and to some, very intimidating) drive to Sagada, which can be accessed either via Banawe in Ifugao or Baguio in Benguet is char-acterized by precision driving through a narrow highway that snakes through the mountains of the region with drops to at least two kilometers deep down into the

Magical and Hypnotic Sagada

Bombod - Ok Falls

Kiltepan and the Rock ValleySagada Igorot House

ravines, rice terraces and lush pine jungles of the Cordilleras.

Sagada was a foreign backpackers’ secret, until fairly recently when more and more Filipinos started taking notice of this beautiful mountain town- a thousand times better than what Baguio had to offer. Baguio has become an entire city of tourist traps, with unregulated housing construction-effectively replacing pine trees on its once beautiful mountains into a jungle of drab looking houses and a choking air pollution that rivals that of Manila. Sagada has none of that. The air was crisp and clean, and the construction was manageable – only Sagada locals are allowed to purchase land in Sagada. Sagada is known mostly for its natural attractions- and for a little town, there is plenty to do for the intrepid adventurer.

Sagada Rice Terraces

The interconnecting caves of Sumaguing and the ancient burial place in Lumiang near smaller yet graceful rice terraces are usually on top of everyone’s list. One can do easier (I am using easy in a very relative sense of the word) spelunking at Sumaguing which offers steep descents and rewards the spelunker with quirky stalactites and stalagmites formations such as the King’s Curtain, the Disappearing Turtle, The Crocodile, The Chocolate Cake, The King, The Queen, The Prince and the Princess (the last four are playful descriptions of the formations that look a lot like, gasp, human genitalia). Doing just Sumaguing will take at least 4 hours while doing a cave connection with Lumiang will take about 7 hours depending on how fast your tour group progresses through all the rappelling and crawling through tight and narrow spaces. Wear proper shoes as it can be very slippery inside the caves (or according to some- go barefoot – you will be amazed and how much grip the human feet can handle). Bring a torch, a change of clothes and a zip lock for your camera. Guides are required and the best ones come from SAGGAS or the Sagada Genu-ine Guides Association Look for Oscar Magwilang or Gareth Likigan or Carlin, very friendly and they basically know Sagada like the back of their hands – and offering knowledgeable cultural facts and



Work Visas/Green Cards thru Employment• Family Visas• Student, Trainee, Tourist, Investors, Visas • Reinstatement of Petition • Deportation Defense• International Adoption• Appeals, Motions to Reopen/Reconsider• Battered/Abused Spouse• I-601 Waivers (Hardship)• Consular Support in Manila• Experienced Criminal Defense Attorneys are also avail• able in our office.

IMMIGRATION (619) 819-8648Speak directly with an Attorney for FREE

The Law Offi ces of SUSAN V. PEREZ offer the following services:

We also handle ALL PHILIPPINE cases and have an offi ce in Manila to service your needs there.

*Susan Perez is a licensed attorney both in the State of California and the Philippines. She has eighteen (18) years of combined experience in both jurisdictions in the areas of Immigration, Family, Appellate, Juvenile Dependency, Civil, Criminal, Labor, Contracts, Tax, and Business Law. She is also admitted to practice before the Ninth Circuit of the Court of Appeals, and the District Courts of Southern California and Central District of California. She is a Certifi ed Public Accountant and pursuing Master’s of Law at the University of San Diego.

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San Diego Office: Manila Office:625 Broadway, Suite 1015 Suite 2502-A East TowerSan Diego CA 92101 Philippine Stock Exchange CentreTel. No. (619) 819-8648 Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig CityFax No. (619) 923-9555 Tel. Nos.: (632) 687-2565 / 687-9851 Email: [email protected] Fax No.: (632) 687-2565

Atty. Susan V. Perez

Visit our website: www.law-usimmigration.com

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by Atty. Susan V. Perez

Legal BriefRead Atty. Susan Perez’s previous articles by

visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

Food for thoughtRead previous articles by visiting our website at www.asian-

journalusa.com

Charlotte, North Carolina. A lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars, then insured them against, among other things, fi re.Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars and without yet having made even his fi rst premium payment on the policy the law-yer fi led a claim against the insurance company.In his claim, the lawyer stated the cigars were lost “in a series of small fi res.”The insurance company refused

Best Lawyer Story of the Year, Decade, and Probably the Century

to pay, citing the obvious rea-son, that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion.The lawyer sued.. And WON!(Stay with me.)Delivering the ruling, the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The judge stated nev-ertheless, that the lawyer held a policy from the company, which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable and also guaran-teed that it would insure them against fi re,without defi ning what is considered to be unac-

ceptable fi re and was obligated to pay the claim.Rather than endure lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the ruling and paid $15,000 to the lawyer for his loss of the cigars lost in the “fi res”.Now for the best part.After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of ARSON!!!With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previ-ous case being used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and was sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24,000 fi ne.This is a true story and was the First Place winner in the recent Criminal Lawyers Award Con-test.Only in America!NO WONDER THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES THINK AMERI-CANS ARE NUTS !!!!!

Very few of us know that the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security may allow a foreign national to be admitted to the United States on a tempo-rary basis for urgent humanitar-ian reasons or signifi cant public benefi t. This is granted on a case to case basis and is entirely discretionary on the part of the Immigration Offi cer. Humani-tarian parole is also an extraordi-nary measure to bring an other- wise

inad-mis-sible for-eign

nation-al into the United States for a very com- pelling emergency reason. Humanitarian reasons could include caring for an im-mediate relative who is very ill and there are no other relatives in the United States who are willing and able to care for him or her. The individual who is paroled into the United States is called a “parolee”.

The humanitarian parole can only be requested for persons who are outside the United States. However, anyone can fi le the application for humani-tarian parole. He doesn’t have to be a relative. The validity of the period for the humanitarian parole should coincide with the duration of the emergency or humanitarian situation. There is a maximum time limit of one year, but this can be extended indefi nitely while in the United States. Applications for hu-

Humanitarian Parole or Visa manitarian parole are generally adjudicated within 60 to 90 days. A denial of the application is not appealable. If there are new facts that have arisen since the fi ling of the application that was denied, the remedy is to fi le a new application. An affi davit of support is required to ensure that the parolee will not become a public charge. Further, the ap-plication should be very specifi c and supported by affi davits and

documents. Parolees admitted for humani-

tarian or emergency reasons are not eligible to apply for employ-ment authorization. They are also not eligible to apply for green cards as parolees. They can apply for green cards under another immigration provision such as employment. They can be adjusted to permanent resident status and fi le an im-migration petition on behalf of a relative abroad. They are also eligible to apply for citizenship after fi ve years from the date they entered the United States as a parolee provided they have already adjusted to permanent resident status.

We welcome your feedback. If you have any immigration ques-tions, please feel welcome to email me at [email protected] or call 619 819 -8648 to arrange for a telephone consulta-tion.


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Shirley in Pitong Gatang

Balik-Tanaw: The Filipino Stars

of Yesteryears

Read Dr. Romy Protacio’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Dr. Romy R. Protacio

Shirley Gorospe’s very fi rst time to step on Philippine grounds was in 1956 when she won the title, “Miss Philippines- California” and she was given an all expense paid trip to the Philippines as her major prize. Although she has Filipino blood in her, she had never visited the country prior to that time. She was born in Hawaii and lived most of her life in Los Angeles, California. Her father, George Endoso, is from Taal, Batangas and her mother, Florence James is of Portuguese descent. She got her last name from her stepfather, Mario Gorospe who was from Santa Catalina, Ilocos Sur. Ma-rio’s brother, Otilio is the father of Lito Gorospe, the former emcee of “Night Owl Dance Party” on Channel 11 during the sixties and seventies.

She was only 17 years old when she fi rst visited the country. She could have gone to college after her graduation from high school at the Our Lady of Loreto in Los

Shirley Gorospe, “Miss Philippines of USA”

Shirley Gorospe

Photo shows Carlos Salazar; Tony Anson ( a brother of Oscar Moreno); Pempe Rodrigo, daughter of Senator Soc Rodrigo; Shirley Gorospe; Zeny Zabala; Marita Zobel; and the author, Dr. Romy Protacio.

Angeles, but it seemed destiny had better plans for her. Winning the beauty contest title changed the whole course of her life.

I remember reading in the newspaper that the moment Shirley landed at the airport from the United States wearing a wide-brimmed hat, she instantly won the hearts of the Filipinos who greeted her at the airport. It wasn’t long after that she met Zaldy Zshornack, a popular movie idol at that time. They met in one of Zaldy’s basketball games in Malacanang and again at Ate-neo. Zaldy’s debonair looks and charm immediately appealed to the beauty queen and soon, an on and off screen romance started between the two.

The rest was history, so to speak. It was love at fi rst sight for the couple, and a love that will last for more than 4 decades.

I had two unforgettable meet-ings with Shirley, one in the late 60’s when Steve Parker and wife

Shirley McClain came to the Philippines to recruit entertainers for a show at Las Vegas, Nevada. Shirley was one of the lead stars of that show and I was just starting as a dancer with the UE Dance Troupe. Together with some of my co-dancers we tried out for the show. Most of my friends joined the Steve Parker show and eventu-ally migrated to the US. I had no plans to leave the country yet during those days and so I decided to stay and keep my work with the University of the East.

In 2005, I had the chance to meet Shirley again at Boots Anson-Roa’s birthday bash. I failed to recognize her right away as it has been forty years since I last saw her. I just realized it was the Shirley Gorospe I was talking to when she mentioned that the passing away of Zaldy Zshornack, her husband left a void in her life. Though the years had changed her, she still looked fi t and slim, thanks to the many rounds of golf she

enjoys playing.

Her Movie Career

With her popularity as a balik-bayan beauty queen, it did not take long for the movie producers to spot her as a possible showbiz ma-terial. Couple that with her being linked to one of the most debonair and eligible showbiz bachelors of the time, Zaldy Zshornack, her entry into showbiz was a sure success. Zaldy invited her to watch him shoot his fi lm “Lo’ Waist Gang”. That was where she was introduced to Cirio Santiago, the big boss of Premier Produc-tions. Cirio asked her if she would consider acting, and she accepted, with the condition that her fi rst movie be fi lmed in the US.

Her fi rst movie, “Sweethearts” (1957) was shot partly in the US and partly in the Philippines. It was an immediate box offi ce hit, which starred her opposite her real life sweetheart, Zaldy. More Shirley-Zaldy fl icks followed such as “Shirley, My Darling”, “You’re My Everything” and “Obra Mae-stra”.

Within two years after their meeting, the couple’s romance blossomed and ended up in a civil wedding on January 29, 1958. No less than Ronnie Poe, Jr. was the witness in their wedding, as Ronnie was Zaldy’s fi lm buddy, having done several fi lms together, one of which was the popular “Lo’ Waist Gang”.

She did not quit doing movies after she got married. Up until the 60s and the 70s, she continued to pair up with Zaldy in movies such as “Pitong Gatang” (1959) together with Fernando Poe, Jr., and Leonor Vergara, “Ang Kan-yang Kamahalan” (1959) with Ronald Remy, and Lily Marquez., “Hongkong Honeymoon” (1960) with Chiquito, Carol Varga, and Celia Rodriguez, “Basta Pinoy” (1960) with Efren Reyes, Lani Oteyza, and Eddie Mesa, “7 Gabi sa Hongkong” (1966) with Gloria Romero, Juancho Gutierrez and Tito Galla, and “P.S. I Love you” (1967) with Bobby Gonzales, and Vilma Valera. She also appeared with the late Pancho Magalona in the movie, “Be My Love”.

Her last movie was an action fi lm entitled “Honey & West” with the late Bernard Belleza. That movie showed a different side of Shirley who mostly did romance and musical fi lms in the past.

Her Love Life

Her romance with Zaldy was an open book to the public because of their popularity as a showbiz couple. Like all showbiz mar-riages, their relationship was often bumpy, and they faced many challenges as a couple on and off screen. When it was too much for Shirley to bear Zaldy’s woman-izing, she fi led for divorce after being married to Zaldy for fi ve years and she went back to the United States.

When Zaldy realized his short-comings, he pursued Shirley again, asking to be given another chance. He went to the US and tore up the divorce papers. That melted Shirley’s heart and like a story in the movies, they fulfi lled the vows they made when they got married that they will be together “in sickness or in health, till death do us part.” They reunited and lived together for the next forty years of their lives.

After living in the US for twenty years, they came back to the Philippines for good in the early 90’s and stayed at a house Shirley built at Ayala, Alabang. They were blessed with two children: Garizaldy, based in Chicago, who followed his parents’ footsteps and became an entertainer and Geno, married with three children.

In November 2002, Zaldy died of cardiac arrest at the Asian Hos-pital as a result of his long battle with diabetes. To many of Zaldy’s admirers, his death saw the pass-ing away not only of a matinee idol, but also of one of the most versatile actors ever produced in Philippine cinema.

The death of Zaldy left a void in Shirley’s heart. She had not only lost her husband, but her best friend and companion when Zaldy passed away. His pass-ing on abruptly ended a long and happy marriage. Although she fi lls her days with the company of her family and friends and her love for a game of golf, she still plans to move back to the US as soon as she sells their house in Paranaque.

Today

Shirley was in Valley Village, California when I conducted my interview with her. She has been there for two years now, keep-ing her only sister Pearl, whose husband passed away recently,

company. She has no plans of going back to the entertainment industry, she says. She enjoys a quiet life going back and forth to the Philippines. She was glad to talk to me and reminisce the past.

I mentioned to her that the one time Miss Philippines Myrna Panlilio, recently passed away. She was shocked and saddened by the news because Myrna was her room mate in Tagaytay when they had a retreat a few years back. She remembers Myrna as very vibrant and full of fun.

We have common friends like Manny de Leon, a former UE dancer, who became her close friend, and also Fely Antonio, my co-teacher in UE who also joined the Steve Parker show.

Although my interview was in English, I asked if she speaks Ta-galog and her response, “I do but with a ‘twang,’ the ‘twang’ that they all like,” and she laughed.

I was glad to talk to her and reminisce the past. Although I still sensed her grief, I know that her spirit is lifted up every time she is given the chance to remember her glory days in the silver screen, and her lasting love affair with the man of her life, Zaldy.

Some of the movies she made were:Nueva Vizcaya (1973)Batingaw (1972)Hindi na Sisikat ang Araw (1972)The Singing Filipina (1971) Impasse (1969/I) .... Sherry Honey and West (1968) .P.S. I Love You (1967) 7 gabi sa Hong Kong (1966)Fil-American Girl (1963) Espionage: Far East (1961)Basta Pinoy (1960) Hongkong Honeymoon (1960) Outside the Kulambo (1960)Pitong Gatang (1959) Ang kanyang kamahalan (1959) Shirley, My Darling (1958)Obra Maestra (1958)You’re My Everything (1958) Sweethearts (1957)


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Entertainment

Busy Manilyn

Manilyn Reyes

PNS -- MANILYN Reynes is very busy these days. She’s in the cast of two movies. She plays Judy Ann Santos’ blonde production assistant in “Oh My Girl” and is also in “Love on Line” with Vic Sotto. She also has two TV shows being shown, “SRO Presents the Eva Castillo Story” where she plays the title role and the daily early evening soap, “All My Life,” where she plays Kris Bernal’s aunt who knows the family secret that Kris as Romina

Judy Ann passes

TESDA exam

Judy Ann Santos

PNS -- JUDY Ann Santos - Agoncillo is among the new, proud holders of a TESDA Na-tional Certificate Level II after passing the rigid Commercial Cooking assessment adminis-tered by TESDA assessors last month.

TESDA Director General Augusto ‘Boboy’ Syjuco, in simple rites, welcomed the 14 who passed the exam with flying colors. They are all graduates of the certificate program in cook-ing and baking at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies (CACS).

Syjuco extols the new TESDA passers for their hard work that is worthy of emulation especially by young Filipinos.

‘’Welcome to the world of manual labor,’’ Syjuco says. ‘’You are setting a good example to many Filipinos who dream of holding key positions in the world of culinary arts whether here or abroad, by retooling and acquiring new knowledge and

PHILIPPINE NEWS SER-VICE -- CONTROVERSIAL Wowowee’s tv host Willie Revillame of ABS-CBN net-work snubbed anew yesterday the hearing by the Movie and Televi sion Review and Clas-sification Board (MTRCB) in connection with the controversy over his rather arrogant remarks in demanding for the removal of the video footages of the late President Cory Aquino funeral cortege last Aug. 3 placed as an inset in his noontime show.

Sources disclosed that Revil-lame only sent the network lawyers to the board to represent him on the said case.

The Aquino clan already ac-cepted the apology of Revillame who later filed indefinite leave with the network resulting from the said controversy involving the footages of the transfer of Mrs. Aquino’s remains from the La Salle, Greenhills to the Manila Cathedral in Manila last Aug. 3.

MTRCB chairperson Marissa P. Laguardia noted that Revil-lame’s “insensitivity on the matter is violative not only of the ethical standard of the Broadcast Code of the Philippines but also

Revillame snubs MTRCB hearing anew

of Section 3 c of Presidential Decree, 1986 as being objection-able for being contrary to good customs.”

Revillame also was no show last Tuesday, Aug. 11, in connec-tion with the summons on him in connection with a separate ad-ministrative case against him and the Wowowee producers also pending with the board involv-ing a complaint of one Arlene De Guzman Ronquillo.

Wille Revillame

is not the real daughter of Amelia (Gelli de Belen) and Romano (Zoren Legaspi), but just an “ampon.” Manilyn has her own love interest in the show, Romnick Sarmenta, who plays her old flame, Efren. The secret between Amelia and Gary (Jay Mana-lo) is now known to Romano, but he refuses to listen to any explanation from Gary. It turns out that Gary is the real father of their son who drowned, Luke. Marita (Lani Mercado), Gary’s wife, learns about this and is also furi-ous. Meantime, Jules (Aljur Abrenica) gets more jealous with Perry (Paolo Avelino), the underwear model who stars in thefashion show pro-duced by Romina.

skills.’’Judy Ann, who gave the re-

sponse on behalf of the other passers, says she is proud to have earned the TESDA certificate because it

proves that she can do something else besides acting.

‘’This is a big thing for me because it means I am capable of doing something else other than acting. And it is not publicity or PR, but this is me and this is what I want to do. Second, this is huge for me because I never got to finish college but with this, I was able to continue learning and exploring more opportuni-ties,’’ explains the newly-married actress.

Judy Ann describes how intensive the TESDA skills as-

sessment was, which required them to prepare 11 dishes – from appetizer to dessert – in nine hours. An oral exam on the intri-cacies of cooking, food prepara-tion and safety was also given.

Also among the 14 CACS graduates who passed earned

guests in “Singing Bee” are luscious ABS nymphets Prin-cess Ryan, Nina Dolina and Empress Schuck; contravidas like Tirso Cruz III, Dimples Romana and Justin Cuyugan; sing-along singer-emcees K Brosas, Vice Ganda and Anton Diva; teen stars Aldred Gatchalian, Bettina Carlos and John James Uy; plus Pinoy Fear Factor’s Manuel Chua, PBB’s Diane Monsanto and comedian Cacai.

Cesar’s most memorable

birthday(Continued from page 1)

TESDA accreditation are Judy Ann’s brother Jeffrey Santos and model/ entrepreneur China Cojuangco.


Light &Shadows

Read Zena Babao’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Zena Sultana Babao

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Post Offi ce

Writing is one of my passions. It’s also my job – but whether I get paid for it or not, I love to do it! There are so many rewards that writing brings, and one of the rewards that I got was the recent one called “Master of the Pen” from the FMA Digest, one of the on-line magazines I write for.

In a comment I posted on Facebook, I said: “Got a “Master of the Pen” Award last Satur-day (August 8, 2009) from the FMA Digest, an online interna-tional martial arts magazine that features articles about Filipino martial arts and martial artists. The award was presented to me by Steven Dowd, FMA pub-lisher, during the Long Beach Internationals at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California.”

My post generated lots of comments from friends and family, and among them are the following:

“Great! It’s about time after all the FMA articles you have written since the 1970’s for all the major martial arts magazines, i.e., Inside Kung-Fu, Black Belt and so on. This is awesome.” – Dan Medina

“You make me proud, Zena … thank you for the wonder-ful things that you do!” – Betty Burgos Bael

“It’s one of a kind award.

Master of the Pen AwardEveryone knows that the pen is mightier than the sword. Con-gratulations!” – Narrie Babao

“Congratulations on the award, Zena! Your essays never cease to amaze the readers of the Asian Journal. Please write about this in a future column.” – Sim and Gen Silverio

I really ap-preciated the comments, and the award, so I decided that maybe I should write about it, especially because Sim and Gen asked me to. When the FMA Digest’s “2009 Special Recogni-tion Edition” came out this week, I said to myself, “Okay, I’ll do it!”

The award, in the form of a plaque and a certifi cate, says: “In recognition of your devo-tion, commitment and support to expand the knowledge of others, and for your selfl ess dedication, integrity and spirit of greatness, and because you have exemplifi ed the highest type of commitment to the preserva-

tion of Filipino Martial Arts culture, science and heritage, the FMA Digest has the honor and privilege of recognizing you as Master of the Pen.”

Wow! It feels good to be ap-preciated!

Four writers received the “Master of the Pen” awards: Emmanuel ES Querubin and Peachie Baron-Saguin from the Philippines; Edessa Ramos from Switzerland; and Zena Sultana Babao from the United States. Other award recipients were the following martial artists: Grand-master Bobby Taboada, Man of the Year; Gigie Alunday, Woman of the Year; Sam Buot, Sr. and Grandmaster Max M. Pallen, Nobility and

Knowledge; and Master Mark Lawrence, FMA Competitor.

The School of Arnis Profes-sionals was chosen as School of the Year, and the Modern Arnis Remy P. Presas International Or-ganization and the Modern Arnis Mano-Mano Filipino Martial Arts were chosen as Organiza-tions of the Year.

An article was written about each of the awardees, and mine

said in part: “Zena Sultana Babao is asser-

tive, outspoken and dynamic. An award-winning writer and speaker, she is not afraid to write or talk about controversial issues others would not dare touch. Though she takes no fl ak from anyone, she is compassionate and caring, and has championed the cause of the poor and the downtrodden.

At an early age, Zena had a voracious passion for read-ing – from fi ction to biography, poetry to literature, and books on mathematics. Her favorite subjects during her high school and college years were Math,

Trigonometry, Calculus, Po-litical Science, English and Literature. Her early dream was to become an engineer, but she was sidetracked when she was hired as a reporter while still in high school.

A mem-ber of the highly exclu-

sive Nu Kappa Beta Honor Sorority in

college, she graduated with top honors. Zena also has an MBA degree, major in marketing from San Diego’s National University, where she again graduated with top honors.

In the Philippines, while go-ing to school she was a reporter with the Naga Times, one of the local papers in Naga City; a correspondent with the Philip-pine New Service, later renamed Philippine News Agency; and a talk show host of the politi-cal commentary program “The Four Invisibles” at Radio Station DZDR.

After graduation from college, she became a high school teacher at her alma mater, the Univer-sity of Nueva Caceres, teaching

Political Science, English and Literature. Even with a teaching job, she continued her involve-ment with the media.

She was a member of both the National Press Club of the Philippines and the Bicol Asso-ciation of Broadcasters. Because of her contribution to broadcast-ing and journalism, she received the prestigious “Distinguished Service Award in the Field of Mass Media.”

Her anti-martial law activism and hard-hitting, no-nonsense brand of journalism and broad-casting did not sit well with the national government of the Philippines at that time, so she had to leave her home country for America, the land of the free, where she continued her writing and speaking career.

Arriving in America as a tourist, Zena landed fi rst in San Francisco, moved to San Diego, became an immigrant a few months later and an American citizen after fi ve years. Upon arrival in San Diego, she became the Editor of the San Diego Edition of the Philippine News, as well as a columnist for a few other Filipino-American and Asian newspapers, among them Asian Journal and Filipino Press.

Later on, she started writing for national and international newspapers, magazines and web-sites in the United States, Canada and the Philippines. Aside from her weekly column in the Asian Journal USA, she writes feature articles for Lady Luck Music, an online magazine based in Mon-treal, Quebec, Canada that fea-tures Elvis Tribute Artists from around the world, and also for the Elvis International Magazine in Thousand Oaks, California.

She also writes a column for the Asian News in Little Rock, Arkansas, and for this online magazine, the FMA Digest. Zena has also written articles with the Inside Kung-Fu, Black Belt, and other martial arts magazine here in the United States. She still writes articles once in a while for the Manila Times and Sun Star Manila, in the Philippines.

In the fi eld of public speaking

here in America, Zena is a mem-ber of Toastmasters Interna-tional, the foremost organization in the world that trains people in both public speaking and leadership. Around three years ago, she received the much-sought-for title of Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM), the highest rank awarded to members. As a speaker, she received over a hundred plaques, trophies and certifi cates for winning various speech contests.

One of her favorite quotes is: “I shall pass this way but once. Anything good that I can do for my fellowmen, let me do it now. For I shall not pass this way again!” “Congratulations on the

award, Zena! Your essays never cease to amaze the readers of the Asian Journal.

comments, and

maybe I should

because Sim and Gen asked me to. When the FMA Digest’s “2009 Special Recogni-tion Edition” came out this week, I said to myself, “Okay, I’ll

Grandmaster Max M. Pallen, Nobility and

Knowledge; and Master Mark Lawrence, FMA Competitor.

Trigonometry, Calculus, Po-litical Science, English and Literature. Her early dream was to become an engineer, but she was sidetracked when she was hired as a reporter while still in high school.

A mem-ber of the highly exclu-

sive Nu Kappa Beta Honor Sorority in

college, she graduated with top honors. Zena also has an MBA degree, major in marketing from

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Novena to Saint Jude

Oh Holy St. Jude, Apostle and Martyr, great in virtue, rich in miracles, near Kingsman of Jesus Christ and faithful intercessor of all who invoke your special patronage in time of need. To you I have recoursed from the depth of my heart and humbly beg, to whom God has given special great power, to come to my assistance in my present, in return I promised to make your name known and cause to be invoke. ( Say 3 Our Fathers, 3 Hail Marys and 3 Glorys for nine consecutive days, publication must be promised.) St. Jude, pray for us all who invoke your aid. (This novena has never been known to fail.

Prayer to Blessed Virgin

(Never known to fail)

Oh, most beautiful fl ower of Mt. Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven. Bless Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh Star of the Sea, help me and show me here you are my Mother. Oh Star of the Sea, help me and show me here you are my Mother. Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humble beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in my necessity(make request). There are none that can withstand your power. O Mary, conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to thee (three times). Say this prayer for three consecutive days & then you must publish & it will be granted to you.

PersonalPrayer to the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit thou make me see everything and show me the way to reach my ideal. You who give me the divine gift to forgive and forget the wrong that is done to me and who are in all instances of my life with me. I, in this short dialogue, want to thank you for everything and confi rm once more that I never want to be separated from you no matter how great the material desires may be. I want to be with you and my love ones in your perpetual glory, Amen. A Person must pray this 3 con-secutive days without stating one’s wish will be granted no matter how difficult may be. Promise to publish this soon as your favor has been granted.

Andy & Elizabeth Cruz Manansala & Family

Our Mother ofPerpetual Help



Mother of Perpetual Help, Woman of Eternal Hope, your wordless gaze tells me so much about you. Your knowing eyes look upon me with tender love. While your left hand supports the Child Jesus, your right hand is ready to receive me. Just as Jesus feels the beating of your heart, so you encourage me to draw close to you and to lead a light of hope and holiness. Just as His sandal will tall on the ground, throught your intercession may God help me as I stumble and fall. Never let me be parted from you and your Son, Jesus.Lady of love, you invite me to place my hand where Jesus’ fi n-gers touch yours - near a heart of endless hope - so (that I may be united with you in prayer here on earth and joined forever with you in heaven.



SUMMER SPECIAL

The Law that Matters

Read Atty Bautista’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Atty. A. Erwin Bautista

How long must alien remain outside U.S. after incurring un-lawful presence?

Question 1: I have been out of status for more than 1 year how long before I can return to the U.S. if I leave now?

Question 2: I had been unlaw-fully present in the U.S. because I returned without inspection after I had been deported, how long am I supposed to stay out-side the U.S. before I can return?

Answer: On both situations there is a 10 year bar. However if both reenters illegally or with-out inspection within 10 years of leaving or being deported from the U.S. then they cannot adjust status but will have to reapply for admission outside of the U.S. in order to immigrate.

What is unlawful presence?

According to Section 212 (a)(9)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) B Aliens

Immigration: Unlawful Presence

unlawfully present.- (i) in general.- Any alien (other

than an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence) who -

(I) was unlawfully present in the U.S. for a period of more than 180 days but less than 1 year, voluntary departed the U.S. (whether or not pursuant to section 244(e)) prior to the com-mencement of proceedings un-der section 235(b)(1) or section 240, and again seeks admission within 3 years of the date of the aliens departure or removal, or

(II) has been unlawfully pres-ent in the U.S. for one year or more, and who again seeks admission within 10 years of the date of such alien’s departure or removal from the U.S. is inad-missible.

In the case of question 1 the alien remained in the U.S. for one year or more beyond the al-lowed stay after being admitted for example as a tourist, which is Section 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(II) above, then left the U.S. Once

the alien leaves the U.S. that is when the 10 year bar will kick in or start. If the alien did not leave the U.S. there is no 3 or even 10 year bar.

If after leaving the U.S. the alien then marries a United States Citizen (USC) and is now being petitioned by the USC spouse, that alien will be eligible to apply for a waiver of the 10 year bar if the alien’s spouse will suffer extreme and unusual hardship in order that the alien’s immigration will be granted. If the alien already spent 10 years outside the U.S. before any im-migrant petition becomes current then no waiver is required.

Note that only the spouse or son or daughter of a USC or Le-gal Permanent Resident (LPR) is eligible to apply for the waiver. A fiancé/e or the parent of a USC or LPR is not eligible to apply for the waiver.

So another example of ques-tion 1 who can apply for the extreme hardship waiver is if a parent petitions a son or daughter and the petition now becomes current and it is still within the 10 year bar period, an extreme hardship waiver needs to be filed for the immigration to be grant-ed. Again if it’s more than 10 years no need to file a waiver.

What is the difference be-tween the Unlawful Presence of Sec. 212(a)(9)(B) to Sec. 212(a)(9)(C)?

The difference is that in the Section C unlawful presence the alien reentered the U.S. without inspection after incurring 1 year of unlawful presence or after being deported or removed. In the Section B unlawful presence the alien who overstayed over 6 months or 1 year left the U.S. but did not return illegally.

In the Section C, the alien must spend 10 years outside of the U.S. before s/he can file an application to reapply for admission waiver and obtain an approval from the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Se-curity (DHS), before the alien’s immigration can be granted under the Section C unlawful presence.

Section 212(a)(9)(C)(i) of the INA reads as:

(C) Aliens unlawfully pres-ent after previous immigration violations.-

(i) In General Any alien who (I) has been

unlawfully present in the United States for an aggregate period of more than 1 year, or (II) has been ordered removed under section 235(b)(1), section 240, or any other provision of law, and who enters or attempts to enter without being admitted is inadmissible.

This bar to admission is called the permanent bar and it is triggered once the alien enters without inspection. This means that the alien cannot adjust his/her status in the U.S. and cannot return to the U.S. on any type of visa without first reapplying for admission while outside the U.S. after 10 years from removal or departure.

Under this inadmissibility bar the 1 year unlawful presence need not be continuous but can be aggregate periods of unlawful presence from April 1, 1997 in order to be the basis for perma-nent bar.

How is the permanent bar waived?

How can a permanent bar be waived if it is permanent? It is only a permanent bar if the alien entered without inspection and is unlawfully present in the U.S. after previous immigration violations and wishes to adjust to LPR status in the U.S.

If the alien is processing at the consulate outside of the United States, the alien needs to waive the inadmissibility for the unlawful presence after previous immigration violation by filing an Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the United States after Deporta-tion or Removal or Form I-212 with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and only after spending 10 years outside the U.S. as provided in the follow-ing provision of the INA.

Section 212(a)(9)(C)(ii) Exception.- Clause (i) shall not apply to an alien seeking admis-sion more than 10 years after the date of the alien’s last departure from the United States if, prior

to the alien’s reembarkation at a place outside the United States or attempt to be readmitted from a foreign contiguous territory, the Secretary of Homeland Secu-rity has consented to the alien’s reapplying for admission.

As a summary, (under Section B) a waiver for extreme hardship is only necessary if the intended immigration is within the 10 year period. Only a spouse or son or daughter of an LPR or a USC is eligible for the waiver. No waiver is required if 10 years had past while outside the U.S. or if the alien did not leave the U.S.

Under Section C, the alien must spend 10 years outside the U.S. before s/he can reapply for admission into the U.S. and such waiver needs to be approved by DHS before immigration can be granted.

Should you or anyone you know find yourself in similar situations, it’s better to consult an attorney to plan the best op-tion to get a green card.

[We invite readers to call Atty. A.Erwin Bautista to set up your initial consultation. Atty. Bautista obtained his law degree from Western State University College of Law, Fullerton, CA and his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of the Phil-ippines. Atty. Bautista practices Immigration, Bankruptcy, Fam-ily, and Personal Injury Law and Income Tax Preparation/Audit Representation. Call his office at (619) 474 7755 in San Diego located at 550 E. 8th St., #11, National City, CA 91950 and at (213) 365 7690 in Los Angeles located at 3435 Wilshire Bl., Ste. 2700, Los Angeles, CA 90010.]


Spiritual Life

Read Monsignor’s previous articles by visit-ing our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Msgr. Fernando G. Gutierrez

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Ang Pinakamatamis (2)Matamis pakinggan ang mga musika ng pag-ibigpara sa magsing-irog na nagmamahalan ng labissa araw-araw nilang pagkikita at pagniniigwala nang hihigit pa sa suyuan nilang matamis.

Masdan ang mga batang walang pagod sa paglalarotakbo dito, takbo doon tila hindi nahahapohindi ba’t matamis din ang nararamdaman ng pusonitong kanilang ina sa masasaya nilang bunso.

Subalit ang tunay na pinakamatamis sa lahathindi ang mga ngiti o ang araw na sumisikatat ‘di rin ang suyuan o ang mabangong halimuyakkundi ang pag-ibig sa atin niyang nasa itaas.

Joke of the Week: A doc-tor was making his rounds in a mental hospital and stopped in a room with two patients. He asked the fellow near the door: “What is your name?” “Je-sus Christ,” replied the fellow briskly. “Who said you are Jesus Christ?” demanded the doctor. “God,” replied the patient. From the patient in the other bed came the shouted denial: “I did not.”

Scriptures: First Reading: Joshua 24: 1-2, 15-17, 18. Today’s passage from the last chapter of the Book of Joshua has a historical implication. First, Joshua gathers the people on a mountain at Shechem where Moses, whom Joshua replaced as God’s representative, had also called the people together. It was also the place where Abraham had built an altar for the Lord and the same location where Jacob had bought a land. Second, Joshua challenges the Israelites who are blest with freedom from slavery and abundance of life to denounce the gods of their neighbors and profess their faith in the God of Abraham, Moses, Isaac, and Jacob. Second Read-ing: Ephesians 5: 21-32. Regi-nald Fuller writes in his com-mentary on today’s passage that verse 21 is the beginning of a

Looking for a “God” according to our standards

household code or Haustafe. The household codes, whose primary principle is subjection, lay down the guidelines that govern the relationships within Hebrew families and the duties of wives, husbands, parents, offspring, masters, and slaves. Adapted from the Stoics, these codes have been taken over by the early Chris-tians from Hellenistic Judaism. In this passage, the household code puts its emphasis no longer on the duty of the wife to the husband but on the love of the husband for his wife. Why? Because that love between hus-band and wife mirrors the unity between Christ and his Church. Just as Christ treats with love the Church that is his body, so the husband must likewise treat his wife with love. Gospel: John 6: 60-69. The Gospel makes a clear contrast between the fl esh

that is within the realm of what is physical, and the Spirit that gives life. Just as Joshua con-fronted the Israelites to make a choice between Yahweh and the false gods, so Jesus challenges his followers to both believe and follow him or reject his teach-ings and turn their back on him. To turn away from him means death, to believe in him and fol-low him means life, because as Peter declares, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Refl ections: Guiding the Israelites to reaffi rm their faith and trust in Yahweh, Joshua recalled the many ways that God had blessed his people. He had delivered them from their enemies who had enslaved them

for years. He had fed and protected them throughout their wander-ing years in the desert. He had paved the ways and helped them reach the land that is fl owing with milk and honey. Thousand years later, each of us is reminded to renew our faith

in God individually, personally, uniquely, and continually.

At every step of life we come upon diverse situations and dilemma that confront us to make a diffi cult choice and deci-sion. Today, we are confronted to make a choice between our allegiance to the true God and our adherence to the false gods. Unlike the ancient Israelites, our enemies are not the pagan armies with their gods. Today, our enemies are our gods and ourselves. We turn ourselves in

opposition to the Spirit when we give in to the call of the fl esh that offers temporary pleasure and solution. We have our own gods of money and pleasure when we want the true “God” to conform according to our standards.

Robert Lipsyte (USA Today, August 5, 2006) makes an interesting observation regard-ing how some of us look at our heroes, real hero such as Christ, or fi ctional ones with the likes of Superman and Batman. He said that since it is diffi cult for us to imitate these heroes or to reach their exalted state, we pull them down to our earthly level and characterize them with our own shortcomings and weaknesses. So Batman suffers from long-repressed childhood fears, Super-man goes through angsty human feeling, and Christ is married (as erroneously claimed by the fi c-tional novel, The Da Vinci Code). But these are not the true heroes we adore. When we make them conform to our liking, we destroy their authenticity as true heroes. These are the gods of our own making and choosing, because it is very diffi cult and demanding for many of us to imitate them. Thus it is becoming more diffi -cult to worship and obey the true God. Lipsyte concludes, “We can’t be like them, so we make them more like us.” We have to go back to the basics. Let go, let God. Let us be like God, not God

like us. “As children bring their

broken toys with tears for us to mend, I brought my broken dreams to God, because he was my friend. But then, instead of leaving him at peace to work alone, I hung around, and tried to help with ways that were my own. At last, I snatched them

back and cried, ‘How can you be so slow?’ ‘My child,’ he said, ‘what could I do? You never did let go.’”

Quotation of the Week: “Are you looking for God, seeking God with a view to your person-al good, your personal profi t? Then in truth you are not seeking God.”- Meister Eckhart.

BalintatawRead Virginia Ferrer’s previous articles by visiting our website

at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Virginia H. Ferrer

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PHILIPPINE NEWS SER-VICE -- The Optical Media Board has seized almost P1 billion worth of equipment and materials used in pirating copies of movies, music and computer software.

Among the biggest haul in the board’s fi ght against piracy are two lines of DVD and CD rep-licating machines, worth about P140 million. These were seized during a raid last March 31 in Angeles City, Pampanga, board chairman Edu Manzano said.

The board, in cooperation with the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group, seized another line of replicating machine in a raid at San Francisco del Monte i n Quezon City.

The disappearance of the P60- million replicating machine last June 16 sparked a word war between the board and the anti-smuggling group, each one

Posted on July 9th, 2009 under Beauty of the Philippines

“Survivor-Israel,” one of the most popular reality TV programs is set to feature key destinations in the Philippines when the new series is aired in October.

Like the French and the Bul-garians before them, Israelis have shot their own version of the popular reality TV show “Survivor” on the Caramoan peninsula in Camarines Sur, opening this tropical Eden to a

PHILIPPINES NEWS SER-VICE -- 20 President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s eight-day working visit to the United States that brought her to Washington has elicited praises, accolades as well as the “re-spect” of U.S. President Barack Obama and other world leaders.

“As you can see from this trip, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has command of the facts and commands the re-spect of other world leaders -- from Speaker Nancy Pelosi to President Obama. They have been outspoken in their praise for her commitment, ability and leadership,” Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said in a media briefi ng at the Beacon Hotel.

Remonde described the Chief Executive as a leader who can hold her own with any leader anywhere in the world, adding that this ability gives her the clout, credibility and strength to protect and advance the interest

Case of missing machine mars piracy board’s feat

tossing the blame at the other for the loss.

But the biggest haul so far was the seizure of 12 lines of replicat-ing machines, in an operation the board conducted with the Bureau of Customs last May. The ma-chines, worth P200 million, are capable of producing a combined output of 120,000 pirated discs.

The total value of equipment and machines the board seized for the fi rst six months of the year reached P944,369,875.

Executive director Rosendo Meneses said that except for the “lost” replicating machine, all other evidence the board seized were intact and accounted for, and have been presented either to the Justice Department or the courts as evidence.

Manzano said the May 21 op-eration produced the biggest haul of such equipment used in pirat-ing movie, software and music.

“Had the 12 lines of replicating machines fell into the hands of the pirates, the piracy situation could have turned a lot worse because their combined produc-tion could eclipse even the total output of all the legal CD and DVD producers in the country,” Manzano told Standard Today.

There were only 11 lines of DVD and CD replicating ma-chines licensed in the country to make legal reproduction of movies, music and software in digital discs.

Meneses said the board has fi led charges=2 0of violation of the Optical Media Law against Info Bright Technologies before the Justice Department.

“We are still awaiting the results of the preliminary in-vestigation,” Meneses said. He added the Customs has also fi led separate charges for violation of the Tariff and Customs Code against the respondent fi rm.

According to OMB records, the May shipment of replicating machines was intended for Info Bright Technologies located at Clark Philippine Economic Zone in Pampanga and sent by Info Bright Technologies (HK) Co. Ltd.

In an e-mail to Manzano, his counterpart in Australia, Neil Gane (director of operations of Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft) linked Info Bright (HK) to a group involved in the largest copyright infring-ing case in Hong Kong.

Trip elicits praises,

accolades

of the Philippines. According to the press sec-

retary, President Macapagal-Arroyo’s trip (to Washington, USA) is about upholding the deepest obligation of a Presi-dent -- namely, to ensure the peace, order and security of our nation and meeting with President Obama and American leaders helps keep the Philip-pines strong.

“There is no price that can put on the safety and security of our=2 0nation and the value of establishing personal rapport through personal diplomacy as President Arroyo gained in her meetings with President Obama is priceless,” he declared.

Whether in public and behind the scenes, Remonde noted that the President has been operat-ing the levers of power with

U.S. policy makers to assure our national defense, advance our economic prosperity and promote the importance of the Philippines.

“The presidency is ultimately about leadership. Our President has been strong, assertive and straightforward in expressing her opinions and advancing the needs of the Philippines while in Washington,” he stressed.

Remonde pointed out that while too many Philippine politicians act as “if we truly are merely an island nation, isolated, detached and unaware of the world around us, Presi-dent Arroyo has a different vision.”

“She understands that no per-son or any nation is an island. We are all connected and must be. This is a global world and she has the global vision to connect our nation and lift up our people,” he said.

TV reality show Survivor

Israel features RP



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August 15, 2009, Healthy Eating Campaign (HEC) program, popularly known as, “Taste of Regional Filipino Cuisine Extravaganza III, is now recorded in the history books of Kalusugan Commu-nity Services (KCS) as the top grosser of all the other com-munity programs spearheaded and undertaken by this orga-nization in terms of an all-out support by all sectors of the community from South Bay and up North.

Dr. Ofelia Dirige, KCS Executive Director, Boodgie Arce, HEC Extravaganza III, Chairperson, Dennis-Michael Broussard, Event Coordina-tor, HEC Advisory Committee Members; (most specially the dynamic Advocates who had direct contacts with the own-

Kalusugan: A million thanks San Diegans!!!

ers and employees of super-markets, restaurants, groceries and bakeries), extend a deep appreciation and sincere thank to all sponsors and donors, the Chefs, the volunteers and all San Diegans who supported the tremendous success of the recent event.

HEC Extravaganza III was held last Saturday at Jacobs Center in Euclid Avenue, San Diego. Registration started at 9:00 am, Emcee Rudy Lipo-rada and Co-Emcee Wailing Oades-Rubic managed to make the event lively and en-tertaining from start to finish, first calling Dr. Riz Oades, President, KCS to welcome guests and attendees, fol-lowed by the keynote speaker, Mayor Ron Morrison of National City then alternating

with Ms. Nita Barrion’s Band and Samahan Dance Troupe entertainment numbers with several invited guests, while following closely what the program suggests.

Highlighting the event was the cooking demonstrations of Chef Joe Orate, Rudy and Au Liporada of Salad Master and several unidentified Chef’s until the food tasting portion of the prepared special cuisine by regional representation was opened to the attendees at lunch time. Dr. Riz Oades, was quoted saying, “We have healthy foods today, you may eat as much as you can and not to worry your diets.”

The affair was attended by mostly Filipino Americans and mixed ethnic origin including Caucasians repre-senting the youth, middle-age and seniors. Most San Diego community leaders from busi-ness, socio-civic, political and religious sectors were noted. Census 2010 established a registration table represented by two Partnership Assistants Lourdes Tenchavez and Rosa-linda Bellaga, were also noted busy recruiting businessmen and non-profit organizations to become Census 2010 part-ners including CEBOLEY, USA.

larger global audience and tour-ism market.

“For Israelis, it’s a view they won’t see anywhere else,” said Guy Hameiri, CEO of the pro-duction outfit Reif Hameiri.

“We were overwhelmed when we saw the location, and I’m sure it will be very tempting for our audience to go see it them-selves,” Hameiri said.

Show producer Gregory Beker-man observed that “the Philip-pines has a certain kind of green that I haven’t seen anywhere [else].”

He said he would return to the Philippines in September to scout for another site for future “Survivor” seasons.

“It’s paradise” captured through 22 cameras and some 3,000 hours of raw footage, Bekerman said.

The challenge now is to squeeze those amazing shots into 40 hour-long episodes.

A popular TV reality game show produced in many coun-tries, “Survivor” isolates its

contestants in the wilderness to compete for cash and prizes. They are divided into tribes and they vote off other contestants until only one is left.

The Department of Tourism said the reality TV show picked

TV reality show Survivor

Israel features RP

the Philippines as the “featured” country for its Asian episode and this is expected to promote the Philippines to the growing 7.28 million population in Israel.

(Continued from page 18)


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Making powertrains more effi cient is only one part of reducing the environmen-tal impact of vehicles. The energy required to mine

Philippine ingenuity at its best: Jeepney made of nipa and sawali materials

and process raw materials into the components that comprise a vehicle and then transport it to the end cus-tomer can often amount to a signifi cant fraction of the total energy used to operate the vehicle. In the town of Tabontabon in the Philip-pines , they have started building new taxis based on renewable materials. The

bodywork is made entirely from bamboo. Since bam-boo is a grass, it can be har-vested and it grows back. It’s also extremely strong

and lightweight. Of course, this vehicle still won’t come close to meeting the crash test standards in North America or Europe but for a low cost, low speed vehicle in a rural area it’s a great alternative. Even the fuel is renewable as the engines in these vehicles are fueled by biodiesel produced from coconut oil.

historical briefi ngs about a specifi c area or activity. For the adventurous, whether you are doing the cave connection or the easy spelunking – is best enjoyed if you are staying in Sagada for at least four days.

Bomod-Ok Falls

Another famous feature of Sagada is its graceful rice terraces that hug its mountains, and although not as extensive as the ones in Banawe, the undulating rice swaying in the wind like green waves in a terraced sea is enough to hypnotize you and lull you to calmness while on an at least hour trek to the towering Bomod-ok Falls (photo right) (also known as Big Falls- Bokong Falls are the Small Falls) which are located a few kilometers away from the town centre. One can walk through the rice terraces and pass through a village fi lled with more traditional Igorot houses. Here, you would encounter very friendly kids who would pester you (in a good, charming way) to have their photos taken – however, like everywhere in Sa-gada – one must request permission from the locals if you want to take a photograph of them (some decline for supersti-tious reasons). Don’t just go snapping photographs– remember you are a guest, be gracious and be polite enough and you will fi nd out how amazing these locals are. Check with the Tourism Center at the Municipal Hall before going as sometimes access is restricted during traditional planting or harvesting rituals. Sagada is also known for its spectacular sunrise viewing at Kiltepan, although during fi ck-

Magical and Hypnotic Sagada(Continued from page 10)

Sagada Rice Terracesle weather, it would be too cloudy for you to see one, so do not hold your breath. Sunrise viewing at Kiltepan is about 15-20 minutes away from Sagada town, and a better view however was about an hour away- which means that you have to wake up extra early for this event – which is not good if you just had a cave connection the previous day. You’d be exhausted and groggy. Going up to Sagada though, we had the chance to catch an awe-inspiring sunrise in Atok, Benguet- imagine foam-ing white clouds cascading on top of a massive pine-forested mountain range and a thick bed of clouds below and as the sun peeks, it literally lit up the clouds in hues of reds, oranges, blues, and purples giving a spectacular illusion of mountaintops raging with angry fi re. While Kiltepan was known for sunrises, the placid Lake Danum is known for sunsets and the bonfi res that are held afterwards.

Kiltepan and the Rock Valley

For most people, Sagada is known for its traditional way of burying the dead – either by stacking the coffi ns at the

opening of a cave like in Lumiang, or by hanging them precipitously from cliffs. While this is not as widely practiced as it was before because of the strong Episco-palian presence in the town (making it the only predominantly Protestant town in the Philippines), the hanging coffi ns, some of which are over 500 years old, can still be seen from the other side of the Echo Valley (named as such, well because, if you scream loud enough- the sound echoes off) just a few hundred meters away from the Cemetery and the vibrant St. Mary the Virgin Church (which was totally destroyed by American warplanes during the last World War). The hike to the viewing site can be terrifying to people (like me) who have a fear of high places- basically you will be walking on a dirt path probably just over a foot wide, strewn with slippery pine needles and a portion of which, pine logs basically connect the treacherous path that sharply falls a few hundred feet below to the val-ley. There are no railings, and extra care is needed. According to a local, an Italian fell to his death on the same path fairly recently and a few others met the same fate. For your own safety, avoid going to the viewing site especially if when it is raining; and also avoid stepping close to the edge as loose soil can give way. The cemetery, meanwhile, is an interesting sight to behold, especially during the All Souls’ Day (Day of the Dead). Instead the lighting of candles like in most places in the Philippines, the hill on which the lo-cal cemetery is located suddenly glows as locals light little bonfi res near the graves of their love ones whom they believe would come and visit them during this time of the year.

Asian Journal Aug 21 2009

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