Asian Journal Dec 4 2009

(Continued on page 7)

By Bill Labestre, MBABill’s Corner

For the first time my wife and I took a flight from Los Angeles to Cebu instead of Manila. Although we arrived about midnight, I did not mind since we have been to this city many times before. There are no hassles and no Customs officer or Airport employees hitting you for money or that year-round Christmas gift. After going through Passport Control, we picked up our luggage and took a metered taxi to our hotel.

We stayed in Cebu City for a few nights before flying to Puerto Princesa, Palawan. It was late after-noon when we landed at the small airport and took a short shuttle ride to Fleuris hotel downtown. It was our

31st in Puerto Princesa

Bill and Wilma Labestre

first time in this island so we were excited to check it out. We had a nice seafood dinner at Kinabuch Bar and Grill.

Very early morning on the next day, I wore my walk-ing outfit and surveyed the city on foot. The main street is a couple of blocks from our hotel and going to one direction I could reach the airport and on the opposite direction is the wharf. Except for the street sweepers, trash collectors and a few vehicles, the streets were empty. It’s a small town.

It was our 31st wedding anniversary and we decided not to go on tour that day. Coming back from my walk, I stopped by at the front desk and requested the clerk to order a special bouquet of 31 red roses for my wife deliv-ered to our hotel room. There

Days before Christmas, Eric, his mom, and other siblings who also attended the same

school, would go to the Catho-lic Trade Center beside the

church to buy Christmas Cards. A mini-postal system would

operate in their school during that time. One could send a

Christmas card to a classmate in the school by affixing a

Christmas stamp and drop-ping it in an in-house mailbox

beside the school’s store. A student would sort them out and deliver them to the ad-

dresses. It was fun to receive those Christmas cards.

By Simeon G. Silverio, Jr.Publisher & Editor

Asian Journal San DiegoThe Original and First Asian

Journal in America

See page 3

A Philippine Christmas

The Christmas Card Postal Service

Parols for sale at a sidewalk vendor in Manila, Philippines

December 4 - 10, 2009

Zena Sultana Babao At the movies...Pearl Harbor Day A Day that will Live in Infamy

Msgr. GutierrezThe sound of silence

in a noisy world

Philippine Scene

Sea Knights - Bohol fishermen on their way to all-night fishing. Photo by Ferdinand Edralin.

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son in full swing, chances are you’re stuck balancing your time and money be-tween cooking recipes good enough to make your moth-er-in-law swoon with envy and searching for the perfect presents that will make you your little nieces’ new favor-ite uncle.

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1) If you’re new to cooking, start simple. “Ra-tatouille is a great first dish because it’s all vegetables. Once you get that down, you can move on to chicken and pasta dishes,” says Chef

Chef Kay Gadi-Carreon makes holiday cooking easier for you

From Good News Philippines By Paul Darwynn Garilao

During the last few days of online voting, Maria spends at least four hours a day in front of her computer to campaign for CNN Hero Efren Peñaflor-ida. After a tiring day at work as a nurse in a California hos-pital, Maria devotes her time in ensuring Efren’s victory. No one can disturb Maria for this worthwhile campaign. An ex-perienced researcher, she calls her fellow Pinoys and blasts e-mails to Filipino-American organizations to encourage them to vote for Efren.

Pinoys online deliver victory for Pinoy CNN Hero

Efren Peñaflorida

On the other part of the planet is Dale, a college student from Manila. Aside from playing the online game Farmville, she chatted with her Facebook friends and continued to encourage view-ers to login to cnn.com/heroes and vote for Efren. “Most of my spare time, I campaign for Kuya Efren. That’s the best way I can contribute for him to win,” said Dale who shares the same advocacy with the 28-year old educator from Cavite.

Maria and Dale are only two of the thousands of Pinoys who campaigned and voted for the CNN Hero of the Year. For seven weeks, the Filipino online commu-nity – wherever they were in the world – did a good job in delivering hundreds of thou-sands of votes. Out of the 2.75 million votes, a significant portion of the votes cast were for Efren.

Online all the time

Filipinos have dominated the online community ever since the advent of social


R: Chef Kay Gadi-Carreon at Kitchen Art Studio (KAS) in Sorrento Valley. L: The entrance of KAS.

Gadi-Carreon. As we learned from the namesake Pixar flick from a few years back, you don’t need to go complex to impress.

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3) Shop at Asian markets like Ranch 99 and Seafood City. “The seafood and pro-duce are top quality and low price at Asian markets,” says the chef. You don’t need to sacrifice your wallet for your stomach to get quality ingre-dients. Just know what’s out there!

4) If buying in bulk, freeze unused portions for later use.

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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

Liberty Ilagan comes from a family who are well known in the entertainment industry. She is a member of the Ilagan family like her famous father, movie director Gerry de Leon, and her cousins’ movie stars Robert Arevalo, and Jay Ilagan. Her father is from Polo, Bulacan. Her mother is Patricia Dick, an American who embraced Samar as her home-town.

Liberty was born on July 6, 1943. She is called “Libay” by her friends and family. She celebrated her birthday this year, July 6, 2009, at the house of Pilita Corrales. Pilita has con-verted her house into a restaurant where people can enjoy good food, music, sing-alongs and a night of fellowship with friends. Among her birthday guests that I remember Liberty mentioned to me were Delia Razon, Caridad Sanchez, Susan Roces, Ronaldo Valdez (husband of Liberty’s sister and father of Janno Gibbs), Imelda Ilanan, and Pempe Ro-

Liberty Ilagan: The Santacruzan Sagala

Liberty Ilagan

drigo. It was a fun night and the party ended at around 2:30 a.m.

Liberty’s entire family started in the theater business. In the early years of Philippine cinema, American production companies produced movies but the talents they employed were mostly Filipinos. It was only in 1917 that the fi rst Filipino company

was founded by Jose Ne-pomuceno and his brother Jesus. The fi lm outfi t was called Malayan movies.

The company’s fi rst mov-ie was “Dalagang Bukid,” a zarzuela written by Hermo-genes Ilagan which starred Atang de la Rama and Mar-celino Ilagan. The movie was shown at the Empire Theater in 1919. The silent fi lm was dubbed by the ac-tors reciting the dialogues and singing onstage in sync with the images on screen.

Hermogenes Ilagan became known as the “Father of Zarzuela.” He is Liberty’s grandfather who has carved his name in the history of Filipino fi lm. To

honor his contributions to the Philippine movies, a theater at the Universi-ty of the Philippines was named after him.

Liberty spent her high school days at the Arel-lano University. She was a pre-law student but she decided not to pursue her dream to be a lawyer. Her attention was “sidetracked” to movie making.

Her Movie Career

Liberty started her ca-reer in the movies when she was only 4 years old. As a child star, she appeared in “So Long”, “America”, “Hindi Kita Malim-ot”, and “Selosa.” It’s no wonder that Liberty would take a liking to the glitter of showbiz as it was part of their everyday family life. She never felt uncomfortable lounging around movie sets at an early age, as her Auntie Laling (sister of her dad, Gerry de Leon) who was very fond of her would take her to shootings.

When she was 6 years old, her father made her stop doing movies so she can concentrate on studying. But as I’ve often said about how most stars got their breaks back then, one day, she just happened to be at the right place the right time. She was once invited to grace a Santacru-zan at the Manila Hotel when she was 14 years old. The late Dr. Jose Perez of Sampaguita Pic-tures happened to be at the event as well, and seeing how grown up she has become, asked her to come by the studio to take a screen test. Her father objected, however, her persistence paid off. “Pero matigas ang ulo ko,” Liberty said. She told her father, “Dad, you are a doctor by profes-sion, but you are not practicing medicine; instead you are doing movies. Bakit gusto mong pigilin ang pag-aartista ko?” Liberty continues with her story. “So walang nagawa ang tatay ko. Pinayagan niya ko.”

Her father allowed her to do movies but under the condi-tion that she will be chaperoned by her Auntie Laling. “Yun, I became an actress with a 6-year contract with Sampaguita Pic-tures. Duon ako nagumpisa.” Liberty was introduced in the fi lm, “Lover Boy” starring Susan

Roces, Romeo Vasquez and Jose Mari.

True to her commitment to chaperon Liberty, her aunt went with her everywhere. While shooting a movie, her aunt would patiently wait for her - “nag-gagantsilyo”, while Liberty was doing her scenes. When Liberty began going out on dates, she would even accompany her. She recalls how badly she felt when her Auntie Laling did not allow her to go out on a date with the French Actor, Alain Delon, when he came to Manila to promote his fi lm, “Forever My Love”.

She was often seen in the same movies as fellow young stars, Susan Roces, Amalia Fu-entes, Daisy Romualdez and their contemporaries. She appeared in “Kaming mga Talyada” with Juancho Gutierrez, Jose Mari, the late Tony Marzan, Boy Alano, Charlie Davao, the late Rod Na-varro as the “talladas.” Also ap-pearing in the same movie were Barbara Perez, Daisy Romualdez, Naty Santiago, Juvy Cachola and Nory Dalisay. Another fi lm she did for Sampaguita was “Tinda-han ni Aling Epang” where she co-starred with Jose Mari and Matimtiman Cruz.

Liberty tried her hand in pro-ducing, with the movie, “Brown-out”. She also wrote the script for and appeared in the movie entitled “I Miss you So”. In 1971, she made her last picture, “Paligayahin Mo Ako”, with Amado Cortez.

She also did a TV show, “The Tancho Tick Show” but she barely remembers how she

survived the show because it required her to sing and she was not that good in singing. From time to time she would do a guest appearance on TV shows like “Balintataw.” She did not stay long doing TV shows because she was given dramatic roles where she appeared as “mahirap, pulubi or bulag.” “Ang gusto kong role yung comedy, yung masaya” she says.

Her Love Life

She was married to Rod Ong-pauco, but the marriage ended in divorce several years later. I sensed that she did not want to talk about that time in her life, so I asked her about her children instead.

“Love,” her eldest daughter is a food connoisseur who studied cake baking and decorating in Chicago. She has her own line of food stuff under the label “Love” such as bottled spreads, sauces, dips, low fat garlic and pesto cheese, as well as spicy sun dried tomatoes, tinapa, longganisa with vinegar and sardines.

“Happy,” her second daughter is very much involved in running different types of restaurants. She owns World Topps, Bento Box chain restaurants and Pinoy Fiesta and Lechon Express at the old Baywalk.

“Soeng,” her youngest daugh-ter, recently got married. Of all the children, Soeng carries the most of her father’s Chinese features, that’s why she named her Soeng, meaning Mountain Flower. She is the one who man-ages her mother’s restaurants; one of which is Barrio Fiesta along Makati Avenue.

When Liberty attended my birthday party at the Century Park Hotel in 2006, her escort was Carlos Lardizabal, her second husband who is a real estate law-yer from Los Angeles, California.

To this day

Liberty now lives a happy and quiet life. Since her marriage to Carlos Lardizabal, she stopped being active in the entertainment industry. Although Liberty did not fi nish her pre-law, she is a graduate of Philippine Institute of Interior Design. She personally did the interiors of her restaurant, the Barrio Fiesta in Makati. She

developed the interior of the restaurant to look like a typical barrio atmosphere --- complete with facsimiles of roosters and other rustic decors in order to complement the native food the restaurant serves. When you dine at the Barrio Fiesta, you get the feeling that you are in the Philip-pines.

Liberty now devotes her time doing interior designs. “I am very fond of decorating,” she says. “Nag-iinterior ako na siya namang pinagaralan ko. Now I am busy in Marinduque. We are going to put up a resort hotel where I’m personally doing the interior design”.

She is fi lled with pride when-ever she talks about her children, who are the loves of her life.

I look forward to meeting Liberty at my party on October 3, 2009 at the Traders Hotel on Roxas Boulevard. She hopes to be back from her trip to Japan in time for my party.

Some of the movies she made were:

Kilabot sa Makiling (1950)Batas ng Alipin (1955)Ipinagbili Kami ng Aming

Tatay (1959)Tatlong Patak ng Luha (1960)Laura” (1960)Kuwintas ng Alaala (1960)Kaming Makasalanan (1960)Dobol Trobol” (1960)Isinakdal ko ang Aking Ama

(1960)Estela Mondragon (1960)Joey, Eddie, Lito (1961)Ito ba ang Aking Ina (1961)Dalawang Kalbaryo ni Dr.

Mendez (1961)Kaming mga Talyada” (1962)Diegong Tabak” (1962)Apat ang Anak ni David (1963)King and Queen for a Day

(1963)Ang Class Reunion (1963)Walang Takot sa Patalim (1964)Mga Espada ng Rubitanya

(1965)Birhen sa Lupa (1965)Master Fighter (1967)Digmaan sa Karate (1967)Bertong Karate (1967)Simula ng Walang Hanggan

(1968)Brainwash (1968)Ang Dayuhan (1968)Alipin ng Busabos (1968)Brownout (1969)Tatlong Patak ng Dugo ni Adan

(1980).

Asian Journal - (619) 474-0588 Visit our website at http://www.asianjournalusa.comDecember 4 - 10, 2009


A Philippine Christmas

The Christmas Card Postal ServiceFirst in a series of Christmas articles

It was December 1996. Eric woke up early to pick up his family who were ar-

riving from the United States.Although they were sched-

uled to travel together for the Christmas vacation, he had to go to the Philippines ahead of them to attend the funeral services of his father who sud-denly died that day of Decem-ber 11, 1996.

The plane’s arrival was sched-uled for ten in the morning. He and his brother Willie left home in the family van at eight, allowing two hours for the 20-mile trip to the airport due to the notorious Metro Manila traffi c.

Unlike in other airports, he could not pick up incoming passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport by merely parking in front of the exit gates. He had to park his car in the designated parking lot, and look from the inside of a fence for his passengers who are sup-posed to be standing up in the pick up shed across the street.

From the plane, the incoming passengers had to pass through the customs and immigration inspectors and carry their bag-gage to the waiting terminal about a quarter mile away out-side the building. The waiting shed had letters above them. A passenger to be picked up is supposed to stand under the fi rst letter of his last name.

Once he is seen by the people who are supposed to pick him up, they would get to their car and drive in front of him. No

one is allowed to stay in the waiting shed unless he is an incoming passenger. This is to assure order in the airport considering that due to the close family ties of the Filipi-nos, they often send off or pick up the plane passengers with a whole bunch of relatives if not friends in tow.

Tired

Eric’s wife and three chil-dren looked so tired. It was a long 18-hour-trip from the United States made somewhat comfortable by the fact that the Philippine Airlines fl ights, unlike before, no longer had scheduled one-hour stopovers either in Hawaii, Tokyo or other Asian cities.

“How was your trip?” Eric asked as he hugged his young-

due to the thousands of pedes-trians crowding them. After surviving the almost one-hour Quiapo nightmare, they had to pass by Tayuman to pick up her sister-in-law together with the food they prepared for the party at Eric’s mother’s house to commemorate the end of the nine-day novena for his father’s death.

Their van literally inched its way along the crowded Car-riedo Street, with its sidewalk and street vendors and pedes-trians almost pressed against each other shoulder to shoul-der. It took the van fi fteen minutes just to pass through the fi ve-block stretch of Car-riedo. It turned right on Rizal Avenue and this time, it had to squeeze through the bumper to bumper jeepney traffi c, an

est daughter. It was the second trip to the Philippines for his kids, the fi rst one when they had their Christmas vacation there two years ago.

“Fine,” said the eleven-year-old. She didn’t seem to be as excited as the fi rst time she came to visit, seeing lots of brown faces in one city for the fi rst time in her life.

They booked a room in the Admiral Hotel, a four-star hotel along Roxas Blvd in Manila. Its lobby was lavishly decorat-ed with Christmas ornaments, complete with a tall, beautiful

Christmas tree at the center. After taking showers and dress-ing up, they rode the van again on the way to the home of Eric’s mother. But the six-mile trip, normally a 15-minute drive in California, with its wide streets and free-ways, took Eric and his family three hours to travel.

First they had to stop by Quiapo to pick up her sister, not an easy task considering that it was the peak of the Christmas shop-ping season and the district’s side streets were hardly passable

Philippine Stories

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

by Simeon G. Silverio Jr.


by Genevieve Tagudin-Silverio

In Perspective

Read Genevieve Tagudin-Silverio’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

Together Again

(Continued from page 3)experience Manilans had to live with everyday, but certainly a novel thrill for Eric’s visiting daughters. Passing under the railways of the light train sys-tem supported by huge concrete columns along Rizal Avenue, Eric did not fail to notice the diminished luster of what was once one of the country’s pre-mier streets.

They had left Quiapo a good forty-fi ve minutes ago, but Eric and his family had only trav-eled a mile due to the pedestri-an congested streets and heavy vehicular traffi c on Carriedo and Rizal Avenue.

Espiritu Santo Parish At the corner of Tayuman

Street, Eric saw the Espiritu Santo Parish church where he had his fi rst communion when he was ten years old, some forty years ago. He attended an elementary school nearby where his mother taught third grade.

The former majesty of the Espiritu Santo Parish was gone that afternoon of December 1996. Its open courtyard was

A Philippine Christmas Vacation in 1996

The Christmas Card Postal Service

already occupied by a tall school building, a concession to the increase in population and lack of space in that part of the city.

Days before Christmas, Eric, his mom, and other siblings who also attended the same school, would go to the Catho-lic Trade Center beside the church to buy Christmas Cards. A mini-postal system would operate in their school during that time. One could send a Christmas card to a classmate in the school by affi xing a Christmas stamp and dropping it in an in-house mailbox be-side the school’s store. A stu-dent would sort them out and deliver them to the addresses. It was fun to receive those Christmas cards. Eric would buy a bundle and mail one each to all of his classmates, friends and foes alike. He

would also receive them by the bundle, as the recipients of his cards would be forced to reply in kind. One unpopular class-mate, however, hardly received any cards. It soon took a toll on him, as everyone would joy-ously receive some except him. One day, however, many were surprised when he received ten cards all at once. It did not escape anybody’s attention because once the cards were delivered, the teacher would read them off aloud and person-ally give them to the addressee. From then on, the unpopular classmate started receiving more cards than anybody else. Fed up with being alone, the unpopular classmate, whom Eric befriended later, started mailing cards to himself! - AJ

(To be continued)

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It is surprising how small the world has become with the in-ternet and IP telephones. Out of the blue, an aunt four years older than me called me three weeks ago to say that she found me on the web via the Asian Journal website. We had not seen or spoken to each other for over thirty years. The problem was I did not a video phone. She did.

It was the biggest technology surprise of my life to know that with a few clicks of a mouse, she found me separated as we are by several time zones and thou-sands of miles of ocean. Thanks to Google we were reunited in an improbable scene that was a fl ashback, before cyberspace was even a word, to the 70’s and of the balladeer Victor Wood blast-ing out the words of the jukebox song, Together Again, from a hundred jeepney speakers.

Where in the world

Year after year, updates about her life from relatives we visited were like the weather report, terse and predictable and re-minded one of offi cial state-ments about a royal personage from the Buckingham Palace. In fact, on these visits we never talked about the weather. We did however ask about Elma like one would ask about Carmen San Di-ego and where in the world she is now. The answer was always memorable for what it lacked.

One year it is: “Elma is in the Middle East.”

The year after: “Elma is well and is in Bahrain.”

Two years later: “She works in a duty free shop.”

So it is reasonable to assume that I would have been rightfully stupefi ed as I was indeed by the

marvel of technology and the sudden connection to the cheer-ful voice of the one and only Elma A. Flores.

My multi-lingual buddy “Manang Elma” is prized for her English speaking skills as an OFW in the Middle East. When I was in college, she already had a comfy job in the duty free shop of Manila International Airport and had become fl uent in Japa-nese. In contrast, I was a strug-gling student caught between a choice of leaving for the States to follow my mother or fi nishing up a degree at the state univer-sity.

New title

Manang Elma had not changed.

She was up to her antics de-claring that she now had a new title. It was elma.universe as ms.universe, I assume, had been taken. It was her new name on an email account. It was a relief to know that I did not have to call her by the ceremonious title of Manang following the rules of engagement of the Ilocos region about proper social etiquette. Ms. Universe would do.

Manang, the title of respect is reserved for an older female sibling in contrast to the title of “Tita” which is the more def-erential title for a woman who, as a rule of thumb, is older than oneself by one generation. Titles like Tita and Manang means you are tight with whomever you are being deferential to and, in the moot sense, politically correct. Although it may feel awkward, it serves a purpose. For one it saves oneself from remembering people’s real names in extended family gatherings and Filipino

parties. That is unless the person has a real title like doctor or maestra or engineer, and hail from the Ilocos region. Then you have to go with the fl ow of the nuances of status and address the person by their professional designation.

Long silence

We picked up where we left off. The two of us were again carrying on a conversation that was somehow interrupted in mid-sentence by the long lull of separation although it was now several decades later.

The questions had built up in-side and answerable by a series of yes’s or no’s.

Yes, I own the paper. But, no, not that paper.

And you? Married?The upside is that she is still

single and available. The down-side is she is all the way in Dokha, Bahrain. She was also ahead of the economic bubble and living in a country proud of the success of the crown jewel of Dubai.

“Do you speak Arabic fl u-ently?” I asked, intrigued by the incredulous but plausible idea that she can speak a dominant language in the continent.

“I don’t need to. I work in a duty-free shop.” she replied laughing while she toyed with my disbelief and pondered her predicament.

This was to be the beginning of many conversations, interludes that would require a jack of some sort which I did not have. “You would have to get magic jack to call me. Otherwise it will be expensive for you!” she teased.

“Are you on Facebook?” I asked.

“You have to look for me on Facebook!” she hinted.

I should have known. It was a clue. She looked younger than I had remembered her to be, a thin, dark beauty with red lips and sculpted features that seemed to have improved over time.

With the yeses and no’s out of the way, we were down to urgent business.

A nephew was stranded in Louisiana with his family tricked

by an illegal recruiter who prom-ised him a job as a teacher but was now nowhere to be found. He was stranded with his family and mother in New Orleans after the job in Baton Rouge vapor-ized.

It was close to the midnight hour in Bahrain and a bright Saturday morning in San Diego when the conversation ended on a sliver of hope. From two con-tinents, we were once again con-nected although poignantly, our memories of the moment forged in the crucible of human traffi ck-ing and the exploitation of one of our own. The news had become personal once more.

Unfortunately, the New Or-leans number was already dis-connected when I called.


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We hear stories about agents of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducting dawn raids on private residences and business estab-lishments looking for criminal aliens and visa violators. Many individuals who happen to be in that area and are not even the target of these raids have been included in these immigration sweeps. These sweeps have resulted in the arrest and deten-tion of non-citizens of the United States.

Pertinent US laws provide that on a warrant issued by the

Please release me... Bond determination

Attorney General through ICE, a non-citizen may be taken into custody and detained pending a decision on whether the non-citizen is to be removed from the United States.

Detention of non-citizens by ICE has become the country’s fastest growing form of incar-ceration of individuals. The Associated Press has reported that nationwide, deportations jumped to more than 387,000 in the same period – an increase of 65 percent over the previous year.

Once the non-citizen is taken

into custody and detained, ICE will begin processing the non-citizen for removal. ICE shall issue a Notice to Appear which is a document informing the non-citizen of the immigration charges against him and that he needs to appear before an im-migration judge for a removal hearing.

The person detained may be released from ICE cus-tody after posting the requisite bond. However, not all persons detained can be released from ICE custody. Some individu-als will be subject to mandatory detention and therefore cannot be released on bond or recogni-zance.

The local district offi ce where the individual is detained makes the initial custody and bond determination. If the non-citizen shows that he or she is not a danger to the community or a fl ight risk, the district offi ce may set bond at the minimum which is $1,500. There are instances where the district offi ce can

release the person at his own recognizance.

If the local offi ce does not make a bond determination and the person detained is not released, the non-citizen may request for a bond determination before the Immigration Court to obtain his release.

The non-citizen may also re-quest for a bond re-determination before the Immigration Court to ease the conditions of the release or to lower the bond set by the local offi ce.

There are two ways for friends

and family members of the person detained to post bond. They may either pay the full amount in the form of a money order or cashier’s check directly to the Depart-ment of Homeland Security or go through an authorized bond or surety company. These companies usually require a fee of 10% of the bond amount which is non refundable and a home with suffi cient equity.

The bond is set to guar-antee the appearance of the

non-citizen in all hearings before the immigration court. If the in-dividual fails to appear, the bond will be forfeited.

As an alternative to detention or the release of an individual on bond, the non-citizen may be subjected to ICE’s Intensive Su-pervision Appearance Program or ISAP. Under this program, ICE monitors participating individuals using the following methods: telephone reporting, ra-dio frequency, global positioning system (GPS), and unannounced

home visits. Requesting for bond deter-

mination is only but the begin-ning of the individual’s removal process. It is important that the individual in proceedings know his rights and the reliefs that may be available to him in order to fi ght his removal.

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. The CTV attorneys will be hold-ing regular free legal clinics at the Max’s Restaurant in Vallejo, California. 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]


by Dr. Ofelia Dirige Co-Founder and Exec. Director, Kalusugan Wellness Center

Contemporary Asian American Issues

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

Interracial marriages are when two people of differing racial groups marry, creating multira-cial children. Though prejudice still exists in large and small ways, people of different races are getting married in increas-ing numbers. In 1960, mixed race marriages totaled about 150,000; in 1995, the number was 1.4 million; and in 2003 it was more than 2 million. The 2000 census also showed that 7 million individuals identified themselves as belonging to two ethnicities (mestizos).

Filipino American men and women have high rates of ex-ogamy or marriage to someone outside of their own race or ethnic group—it exceeds 50%. In all Asian American groups except Asian Indians, women have a much higher rate of ex-ogamy than men. Those involved in exogamous marriage typically interracially marry whites more than any other racial group……Timothy Fong.

The next four series of articles

Author Miguel Mejares, a mestizo

Being a Multi-Racial Childby Miguel Mejares

“I have learned to love being a hybrid of two different ethnicities and cultures.

It truly helps me to have the best of both worlds. I have come to realize

that being part Filipino allows me many opportunities to eat great Filipino food.

Being part white has given me physical gifts more than anything.

I am taller than the average Filipino.”

are views of biracial/multiracial children about themselves.

I consist of two ethnicities. I am part Filipino and part White. My father is full Filipino while my mother is half Filipino and half White. My Father was born and raised in Manila, Philip-pines. My mother was born in America, but was raised in the

Philippines. So even though my mother looks white, she is culturally rooted in the Filipino heritage. My mother can also speak Tagalog fluently. So even though I am part white, I was raised in a traditional Filipino household.

Being both Filipino and White has only benefited me. I truly have the best of both worlds. I love having deep Filipino values of family and religion while also being part of another ethnicity. Being part White has benefited me physically through sports, but culturally I am more attuned to my Filipino heritage. The only 100% white member of my family I was close to was my grandfather who passed a way few years ago. The rest of my Mom’s side of the family is also mixed.

All my cousins on my Mom’s side are either a mix of Filipino-Mexican or Filipino White. I love being in a multi-racial family because it sets you apart from everyone else. Being multi-racial makes me feel unique.

My relationship with my Mother and Father is very tightly knit. I am very close to both of them. My relationship with them is best termed a hybrid relation-ship of Filipino and American values. What I mean by this is that my parents still hold many of their Filipino values when raising me, but they are also very Americanized. So I feel that the way they raised me was not fully Filipino. For example most Filipino parents tend to choose what careers their child pursues. My parents on the other hand let me have free reign on what profession I choose to pursue. My relationship with my other relatives is similar to what most other Filipino kids experience with the exception of my mes-tizo uncles, aunts, and cousins. My relationship with most of my full Filipino relatives is very traditional. The elders are deeply respected and family is of the utmost priority. With my mestizo relatives it is a little different.

My relationship with them is much more Americanized.

The only real difficulty of be-ing multi-racial for me is dealing with the outside world. Being physically made up of two dif-ferent ethnicities can sometimes confuse other people of what ethnicity you are. Many outsid-ers think I am of Latino origin because of my mestizo looks and my name being Miguel Mejares. Having a Spanish first and last name adds on to the confusion. I’ve been called so many different ethnicities from Mexican to Samoan. Sometimes it can be a bit daunting correct-ing people all the time, but it’s also a good thing because it not only makes me unique on the inside but unique physically as well. During high school one of my football coaches thought I was Hispanic for over 2 years. It was not until a newspaper interviewed me did he find out. I was sitting in the office of my football coach while I was being interviewed by a reporter.

One of the questions this re-porter asked me was, “How does it feel to be raised in a Hispanic-American community?” I stared at my football coach and said “Well, I’m Filipino”. The look of shock and awe quickly con-sumed his face. The only real difficulty of being multi-racial is having to continuously explain your ethnicity. But the benefits far exceed the disadvantages.

Ever since I was young I have always come to think of myself as part Filipino and part White. Never one or the other. I have definitely accepted this as reality. I have learned to love being a “hybrid” of two different ethnici-ties and cultures. I have come to realize that being part Filipino allows me many opportunities to eat great Filipino food. It has also allowed me to be very close to my family. Being part white has given me physical gifts more than anything. I am taller than the average Filipino. It has granted me a little bit more athleticism than the average

Filipino which has allowed me to compete in sports at a higher level. Being part white has oc-casionally allowed me to escape being stereotyped as “Asian”. The fact of the matter is that I love being multi-racial and I wouldn’t change who I am or where I come from for anything.

I think the best advice I can give someone about being multi-racial is to just embrace it. If you detest it you will only make things worse for yourself.

There are many more upsides to being multi-racial than there are downsides. Embracing who you are and where you come from will only makes things easier for a multi-racial person. In the end being multi-racial truly gives you the best of both worlds.

Miguel is a junior student majoring in Marketing at SDSU. He is a student in Dr. Dirige’s class, “Contemporary Issues in Filipino American Community this fall 2009.

Perspectives

ASIAN JOURNALThe first Asian-Filipino weekly in Southern California

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

Ashley SilverioAssistant Editor

In Pursuit of ExcellenceEugenio “Ego” Osin, (1946 - 1994)

Joe Cabrera, (1924 - 1996)Soledad Bautista (1917-2009)

Dr. Rizalino “Riz” Oades (1935-2009)

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 © 2009 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

In December, the world will be introduced to CityCenter. An extraordinary urban resort destina-tion brought to life by eight world-renowned architects, CityCenter will debut a new era of resort experiences with an ambition to refine and redefine Las Vegas.

Conceived to bring a true center to The Strip, CityCenter will be much more than a col-lection of resorts and residences; it’s a community – a welcoming environment for people to gather, relax and enjoy. Great pedestrian

A whole new Las VegasVEGAS’ CITYCENTER OPENS DOORS TO

WORLD’S MOST SPECTACULAR OFFERINGS IN ONE SINGULAR SETTING

corridors, dynamic public spaces, authentic richness and diversity of experiences will evoke the energy of the world’s most excit-ing places. CityCenter’s public Fine Art Collection will enliven the street and engage passersby. As if in a strolling gallery, guests will happen upon works by world-renowned artists such as Maya Lin or Nancy Rubins as they wander through CityCenter’s walkways, hotels and residences.

A true community also has regard for its surroundings. Upon

opening, CityCenter will be one of the largest sustainable develop-ments in existence, bringing a new level of environmental conscious-ness to the world-famous Strip. The U.S. Green Building Council already has awarded Gold LEED certification to ARIA Resort & Casino’s hotel tower, conven-tion center and theater; as well as Vdara Hotel & Spa. Crystals also has received LEED® Gold certification, making it the world’s largest retail district to receive this level of recognition. CityCenter’s remaining venues are poised to receive a combination of Gold and Silver LEED ratings.

“CityCenter bridges the vital-ity of Las Vegas with the experi-ences travelers seek when they visit great cities around the world, whether London, Hong Kong or San Francisco – spectacular archi-tecture, culturally significant art, great public spaces, sophisticated hotels, unique restaurants and incredible amenities,” said Bobby Baldwin, president and CEO, CityCenter. “It is an evolutionary destination that aims to transform Las Vegas as a new symbol at its core, like the Guggenheim in Bil-bao, the Pompidou in Paris or the SONY Center in Berlin.”

A new kind of building Affirming its commitment to

bring a new level of environmen-tal consciousness to the Las Vegas Strip, CityCenter has earned its fifth and sixth LEED®† Gold rat-ings from the U.S. Green Building Council with the certification of Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas and Veer Towers. The accomplishment completes the certification process for all CityCenter components opening this December, and marks the highest LEED achievement by any hotel, retail district or residential development in Las Vegas. The 18-million-square-foot metropolis is one of the world’s largest sustainable communities.

“From its inception to design, development and construction, we had one single goal in mind for CityCenter: create a destination that is not only built in an envi-ronmentally sustainable manner, but also operates every day with an equal commitment to conserv-ing natural resources,” said Bobby Baldwin, president and CEO, CityCenter. “As we approach CityCenter’s opening next month, now with six LEED Gold recogni-tions, we’re very close to sharing

with the world a remarkable dem-onstration that a community can be both beautiful and sustainable.”

Due to its size and purchasing power, CityCenter is driving green economies of scale in multiple industry segments, paving the way for other entities to build and operate sustainably. The Forest Stewardship Council-US (FSC-US®) recently honored CityCenter as the best commercial project of 2009 in the fifth annual Designing & Building with FSC Awards.

CityCenter’s dedication to the use of sustainably harvested FSC-certified wood products is unprec-edented in scale and resulted in a significant market transformation, including multiple wood suppliers receiving their FSC chain of cus-tody certification to supply wood to the development. CityCenter has moved beyond existing green practices to empower industry-wide innovations. Sustainable highlights:

• First energy-generation on The Strip through its 8.5 megawatt natural-gas co-generation plant, providing efficient electricity on site, reducing emissions and using “waste heat” to provide domestic hot water

• World’s first fleet of stretch limos powered by clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG)

• Water conservation technol-ogy and programs that will save between 30% and 43% of water within the buildings and 60% in outdoor landscaping, for an over-all savings of approximately 50 million gallons annually

• Energy-efficiency initiatives providing a savings equivalent to powering 8,800 households annu-ally

• Development of slot machine bases that serve as floor air-con-ditioning units, efficiently cooling guests from the ground up, rather than wasting energy on empty space by cooling from the ceiling

• Creation of a large-scale recycling operation that enabled the recycling or reuse of more than 260,000 tons of construc-tion waste, more than 80% of the imploded Boardwalk Hotel

• Collaborating with the nation’s foremost sustainability and LEED consultants, CityCenter has intro-duced more than 10,000 construc-tion trade and craftsmen to green building techniques that can be implemented at future develop-ments

Mabuhay Alliance jointly with the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Chicago (PACCGC) and the Federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce (PACC) will be holding a unique national conference in Chi-cago designed specifically for future business opportunities for the Phil-ippine and other Asian American communities. The conference will begin at 1:30 p.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. and will be held at the Wynd-ham O’Hare Hotel at 6810 North Mannheim Road, Rosemont, Illinois 60018. Admission to this portion of the conference will be free. There will also be a gala dinner at 6:30 p.m. at a cost of $65.00.

The conference is entitled, “Asian American Small Business Opportu-nities in the Age of a New Financial and Internet Paradigm”. A number of financial institutions and Federal banking regulators will be partici-pating. Sandra Thompson of the FDIC has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for the dinner gala and is expected to also participate during the afternoon panel on busi-ness opportunities similar partici-pation is confirmed by the Federal Reserve and the Office of Thrift Supervision. It is also expected that a number of major financial institutions both national and local will be participating, as well as a number of corporations leading the internet revolution, such as AT&T and Verizon. Please confirm with Cindy Flores for your admission to the afternoon panel and seminar. Attendance is limited to 500. Please confirm for dinner which is limited to 300.

Background: The Filipino Ameri-

Filipino American Business Opportunities, a Conference on the

Opportunities in a New Financial and Internet Era: December 5th at Wyndham

O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont, Illinoiscan business community receives less than one dollar per fifty thou-sand dollars in federal contracts and generally less than one dollar per every fifty thousand expended by Fortune 500 corporations. Mabuhay Alliance has led the effort in Cali-fornia to help increase this amount by at least ten times. For example, many companies doing business in California that have been the subject of Mabuhay’s efforts to provide 5-10% of their contracts to Asian Americans.

With rare exceptions, Filipino Americans are not at the most senior management levels at Fortune 500 companies. And of the more than 6,000 members of the board at Fortune 500 corporatoions only an invisible two are Filipino American. Mabuhay Alliance is attempting to change this nationally, and will have a special focus on Illinois based corporations

Studies have demonstrated that Filipino Americans have received less than one dollar for every one thousand dollars in philanthropy by foundations and many corporations. But some corporations, such as Verizon and AT&T provide a large percentage of their philanthropy to Filipino American nonprofits.

Mabuhay is attempting in its efforts with the Federal Commu-nications Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust and civil rights divisions, the FTC and the FDIC (which regulates over 6,000 banks) to require diversity in business opportunities, and philan-thropy. This model has been suc-cessfully implemented in California by Mabuhay Alliance.

SAN DIEGO, California (No-vember 30, 2009) – Filipino American Community Empower-ment (FACE) will hold its final General Assembly for 2009, while inducting its newly elected Offi-cers and Board Members for 2010. The Town and Country Hotel in Mission Valley will be the venue on Wednesday, 09 December 2009 at 5:30 pm. All interested indi-viduals, FACE members or not, are cordially invited to attend. Details and registration may be accessed at the FACE website, on the Calendar page for 09 December 2009.

http://filamvote.org/calendar/A noticeable air of anticipation

permeates the event, as a reinvigo-rated FACE has nearly doubled its active membership over the past 60 days. Local political figures have certainly taken notice, with several San Diego area notables already in-dicating plans to attend, including:

Assemblymember Marty Block Assemblymember Lori SaldanaDistrict Attorney Bonnie Du-

manisSupervisor Ron RobertsSan Diego City Attorney Jan

GoldsmithChula Vista Mayor Cheryl CoxEight other public officials will

send representatives in their stead, but the list is certainly not final. Perhaps a growing number of elected officials are finally realizing

General Assembly and Holiday Celebration Will Be a FACE Milestone

“Newly Elected FACE Leadership”Top Row, L-R: Rosanna Salcedo, VP Ways & Means; Katrina Benfer, VP

Membership; Nedy Lao, Treasurer; Yolly Zamora, Secretary; Mitz Lee, President. Bottom Row, L-R: Vince Bumanglag, VP Search & Selection; Julio DeGuzman, VP Voter Registration & Education; Alden Salcedo, VP Media & Communications; Laurence Lazaga, Auditor.

the huge potential of the Filipino American community as a viable voting block, and FACE will be in the forefront to make this come to fruition.

Under the leadership of FACE President, Mitz Lee, the orga-nization has already moved to a mainstream, politically centered organization that has mass appeal among the vast majority of Filipino Americans. With a new team of highly dedicated, diverse Offi-cers and Board Members, FACE is poised to emerge as a positive political influence in San Diego County.

FACE is currently registered in the State of CA as a non-profit Political Action Committee. It was founded in 2005 to empower the Filipino American community by creating positive change through the political process. Activities include voter registration, voter education and increasing voter turnout; political advocacy and political endorsements; legisla-tive advocacy and holding public officials accountable to the voters; and working with other community organizations to increase voter involvement in politics. For mem-bership information, please contact Ms. Katrina Benfer, VP of Mem-bership, at [email protected] or visit the FACE website at http://www.filamvote.org/


“Island Hoppers” Puerto Princesa, Palawan

is no SM City in town but my wife found a few places to shop for fresh water cultured pearls that day. We had a nice dinner at the Hotel’s restau-rant.

It was a love at fi rst sight with Puerto Princesa for me. She is a busy small city with a countryside look. The locals are friendly and there is abun-dance of everything. I did not see any bum or homeless peo-ple loitering around. There is eco-awareness among locals and tourists. The mayor is pro active and the people are very proud of their place. I felt safe in this clean and green city.

We joined an Underground River tour and the 2-hour road trip to Sabang was almost fi ne except for a short section of unpaved gravel road. The beach was really nice and the quiet resort town is pretty. After a good lunch, we took a pump boat ride close to the cave entrance. We transferred to a canoe with a Boatman

31st in Puerto Princesagiving us a 45 minute tour inside a dark cave under a limestone mountain with a river fl owing to the ocean. It would have been an awesome sightseeing trip if there was suffi cient lighting provided. The tour guide’s facts and fi g-ures and witty Filipino jokes made it more interesting.

I had more fun on the is-land hopping tour. We were in a group with Bert and Vicky from Las Vegas, Paul and his Mom from Long Beach and Ben and Ferly from France. We had a blast swimming, and snorkeling above the colorful live corals with plenty of sea life. The guides were great too.

I’m so proud of the locals in Puerto Princesa. They proved to us that there is still hope for Filipinos to become disciplined and maintain an eco-friendly place. Their self-awareness is obvious and a boost in tourism can pro-vide the residents with decent income and livelihood.

(Continued from page 1)

Bill’s Corner

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

by Bill Labestre, MBA

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Light &Shadows

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

by Zena Sultana Babao

The surprise was complete. At 7:53 AM on Sunday, De-

cember 7, 1941, the fi rst wave of Japanese fi ghter planes attacked the U. S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It targeted airfi elds and battleships. The second wave at 8:55 AM target-ed ships and shipyard facilities. An hour later, it was all over.

At 1:00 PM, the carriers that launched the planes were head-ing back home to Japan.

Behind them they left chaos: 2,403 American service-men and civilians dead, 1,178 wounded, 188 planes destroyed, 8 battleships sunk, damaged or destroyed, and the American Pacifi c Fleet in ruins.

It was a day that will live in infamy!

The battleships moored along “Battleship Row” were the pri-mary targets of the fi rst wave of attack. Three prime targets, the U.S. Pacifi c Fleet aircraft car-riers Lexington, Enterprise and Saratoga, were luckily not in the harbor and thus escaped damage.

Ten minutes after the begin-ning of the attack, a 1,760-pound aerial bomb penetrated the for-ward magazine of the battleship USS Arizona causing catastroph-ic explosions. Within minutes,

Pearl Harbor Day A Day that will Live in Infamy

she sunk to the bottom of the sea, taking 1,300 lives with her.

Now the USS Arizona is a museum and serves as both a tomb for most of the crew, and a memorial to the events of that day. One of those who raised the most money for the construc-tion of the memorial was the late Elvis Presley. The observation structure spans the ship’s hulk. The fi rst thing that you see inside is the ship’s bell; in the middle are viewing ports; while at the far end is a marble wall inset with the names of the deceased crew members in bronze letters.

News of the “sneak attack” was broadcasted to the American public via radio bulletins, and many popular Sunday afternoon entertainment programs were interrupted. The news sent shockwaves across the nation, resulting in a tremendous infl ux

of young volunteers into the U.S. Armed Forces.

The Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor was one of the great de-fi ning moments in American his-tory. A single carefully-planned and well-executed stroke re-moved the U.S. Navy’s capacity to stop the Japanese Empire’s southward expansion. America, unprepared and considerably

weakened, was abruptly brought into the Second World War as a full combatant.

Imperial Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, who conceived, designed and promoted the Pearl Harbor attack, cautioned against it. But he was overruled by his superiors. Upon completion of the attack, he was quoted as saying, “We have awakened a sleeping giant and have instilled in him a terrible resolve.”

Ten hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, another attack of more devastating consequence for America occurred in the Philippines, 4,500 miles to the west of Hawaii. At 12:35 PM, one hundred ninety-six Japanese navy fi ghter planes crippled the largest force of American B-17 four-engine bombers and decimated their protective P-40 interceptors located in the Clark

and Iba (Zambales) Naval Air Bases.

This sudden blow allowed the Japanese to rule the skies over the Philippines, removing the only effective barrier that stood between them and their conquest of Southeast Asia. Aside from the Philippines, the Japanese forces also attacked the U.S. military bases in Malaya, Hong-kong, Guam, and the Wake and Midway Islands.

The attack by the Japanese against the United States military installations in 1941 has been called “one of the blackest days in American military history.”

In his speech before the U.S. Congress the day after the attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan. He said in part: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and delib-erately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

As Commander-in-Chief of the

Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense, that always will our nation remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treach-ery shall never again endanger us. Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confi dence in our armed forces, with the determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph. So help us God.”

From the following account of Pearl Harbor Day as published in the pages of the Encyclopedia Britannica, we learn a little more of the background info that led to the attack:

The surprise attack on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu Island, Hawaii, by the Japanese, precipitated the entry

of the United States into World War II. The attack climaxed a decade of worsening relations between the United States and an increasingly expansionist and militaristic Japan.

Japan’s invasion of China in 1937 and its subsequent alliance

with the Axis powers (Germany and Italy) in 1940 prompted the United States to respond by freezing Japanese assets in the United States and declaring an embargo on petroleum shipments and other vital war materials to Japan.

Though Japan continued to negotiate with the United States up to the day of the Pearl Harbor attack, the government of Prime Minister Tojo Hideki decided on war. Admiral Yamamoto, the commander in chief of Japan’s Combined Fleet, had planned the attack against the U.S. Pacifi c Fleet with great care.

Once the U.S. fl eet was out of action, the way for the un-hindered Japanese conquest of all of Southeast Asia, the

Indonesian Archipelago, and the South Pacifi c, would be open. On November 23, 1941, a Japanese fl eet under Vice Adm. Nagumo Chuichi and including six aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 3 cruisers, and 11 destroyers, sailed to a point some 275 miles north of Hawaii. From there, a total of about 360 planes were launched.



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

Like every decent soul in this planet, we condemn the mas-sacre of the helpless victims in Maguindanao. Our collective conscience as a human race was horrified by who the victims were – women, lawyers, and members of the media. Within and outside the Muslim tradi-tion, women are considered as a fragile class, while lawyers and members of the media are respected owing to the dignity of their profession. The two lady lawyers – Cynthia Orquendo and Concepcion Brizuela -- exhib-ited the courage that is expected of every respectable member of the bar. They certainly knew that they were facing great risks when they joined the convoy, but they went on to do their bounden

Murder most foulduty, armed only with their faith in God and in the majesty of the law. Unfortunately, the killers know nothing about civility, or ethics, or even the basest of man’s attributes.

Some of the killers have been caught and charged, but this is not the end of it. The cases will take several years, and the public must remain focused to make sure that justice is carried out to the very end. People are bound to be confused by technical lan-guage and if this happens, they may lose interest. Don’t we Fili-pinos have a reputation for being too forgetful and too forgiving?

So, today, in our modest ef-fort to help sustain the public’s interest in the Maguindanao massacre, we will try to explain

certain technical terms that we will likely read about the case. For instance, we read yesterday that Andal Ampatuan, Jr. was charged with 25 counts of murder. But what is murder?

The generic term used for the killing of a person is “homicide”. Homicide becomes murder when it is committed in a certain way, such as with evident pre-meditation, or with cruelty, or by taking advantage of supe-rior strength. In the case of the Maguindanao massacre, we learn that the killing was premeditated or planned because the back-hoe was in the area days before to dig graves for the victims. Also, the masterminds could not have amassed a hundred armed men if the massacre was not planned. To be sure, it was not a chance encounter. It is also obvious that the killers inflicted cruelty as the victims died from horrible wounds. It was worse than a massacre; it was carnage. Finally, the killers had superior-ity in numbers and weaponry against the helpless, unarmed victims. Because of all these, the prosecutors will not find it hard to establish that the crime com-mitted was murder.

But why is it important to clas-sify the crime as murder, and not simple homicide? For a couple of very important reasons. First, murder is a non-bailable offense, which means that the accused will remain in jail until the case is finished and if they prove their innocence. If the charge is homicide, the accused can post bail and be free while the case is being heard, and scare away the witnesses and perhaps even escape to Timbuktu. Secondly, simple homicide is punishable by reclusion temporal which is 12 years, 1 day to 20 years. With good conduct allowance, the convicted killer will be out in a few years. If it is murder, the penalty can be up to life impris-onment, the maximum penalty imposable since the death pen-alty has been abolished. In any case, with at least 25 counts, it is highly doubtful if the convicts will ever see the outside of their cell be it homicide or murder.

Once the case starts, expect Mr.

Ampatuan et al. to file a petition for bail, where they will tell the court that the evidence against them is not strong enough. If the court grants the petition, they can be freed on bail while their case is being heard. But chances are, their petition will be denied be-cause of strong evidence against them as indicated in the newspa-per reports. Latest accounts say that investigators were able to match the spent shells with the armalite rifles.

Usually, the criminal case is

tried in the place where the crime was committed, but at times the Supreme Court allows the case to be heard elsewhere. This is what we call “change of venue”. One famous case that was heard in another place was the rape case filed by Nicole against four U.S. military person-nel. The alleged rape took place in Subic, Olongapo, but the case was heard in

Makati. There is more reason to try the

case away from Maguindanao. Already, the local trial judges have all taken their leaves of absence because of the death threats they received. Such must be the fear in their hearts that not one courageous judge could be found in the entire province. Imagine, if the honor-able magistrates got scared, how much more the witnesses? In this regard, the complainants, their witnesses, and the brave govern-

ment prosecutors need our untir-ing support.

Our deepest condolences to the families of the Maguindanao massacre victims. May their souls find peace, and may justice not elude them, their families and the Filipino nation.

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. He travels between San Diego and Manila. His office address is located at 16486 Ber-nardo Center Drive, Suite 228, San Diego, CA 92128. He also has an office in the Philippines at 1240 Apacible Street, Paco, Manila, Philippines 1007, with telephone numbers (632)522-1199 and (632)526-0326. Please call (858)348-7475 or email him at [email protected] for your free consultation. He speaks Tagalog fluently.


(Continued from page 1)“For instance, if you have left-over strawberries, cut off the stems so they stay fresh and put them in the freezer. Later, you can use them to make a fresh smoothie or dessert,” the chef says. So if you’re into buying large quantities from places like Costco, be sure maximize the mileage of your ingredients and they’ll serve you even past the holiday season, in addition to saving you money.

5) Too many recipes to handle alone? Bring your fam-ily into the kitchen! “Cooking promotes family time,” says Chef Gadi-Carreon.” It’s one of the only activities that all family members can partici-pate in together.” The holidays bring families together unlike any time of year and your family’s holiday spirit can get a huge boost from only a few hours in the kitchen together.

5) Feel free to experiment. “Cooking arts are very sub-jective because you can add your own personal touch to everything you make.” Don’t be afraid to add a little more something to a classic recipe; the results may surprise you!

6) Lastly, give the gift of cooking to your children! The chef works with many chil-dren as the owner of Kitchen Art Studio and also teams up with her little chef daughter KC to create some wonderful family recipes. She feels that cooking is not just a hobby, but a life skill. “ If you teach your children to work with clay,” she says,” they even-tually will leave whatever created lying around and it will get rusty. But with cook-ing, they can take the skills with them for the rest of their lives.”

Chef Kay Gadi-Carreon makes holiday cooking

easier for you


$50

The Silver Gate Three Stars Masonic Lodge No.296 F & A.M first established in 1889 at the North Park area of San Diego, California was the site of last week’s initiation. The Masonic fraternity was formed to teach morality, good citizenship, and patriotism for its members. They are active in the commu-nity whose general membership provided relief to their distressed brothers and their family. They also provide strong support to the local public schools, the state and the nation in general. There are 16 Masonic Lodges in San Diego County but other active Masonic members reside in other counties throughout the State of California. They came from all walks of secular and profes-sional endeavors. The Officers for the Year 2009 are: Master Romy Quinto, Sr. Warden Arnel Paynita, Jr. Warden George Melious, Treasurer Robert Bayle, Secretary Mario Rante, Assistant Secretary J. Lanuzga, Chaplain B. Evangelista, Sr. Deacon Art Cortez, Organist Gil De Leon, Tyler Rodolfo Tintiangco,

Ted Delgado’s Initiation at the Silver Gate Three Stars

Masonic Lodge No. 296Bro. Ted Delgado delivering

his address in front of the congregation.

Pictured from the left: Fred Marty (Senior Steward), Bro. Castillo, Romy Quinto (Worshipful Master), Bro. Ted Delgado, George Melious (Junior Warden), and Ben Hur Evangelista (Chaplain)


Around TownRead Conrad Reloj’s previous articles by visiting our website at

www.asianjournalusa.com. Email: [email protected]

by Conrad I. Reloj, Jr.

Inspector 912th MD Angel Magdaluyo, and Officer Coach Joe Dana MP.

Membership

“The basic requirement for Membership is open for men, 21 years of age or older, who meet

the qualifications and standards of character and reputation, who are of good moral character, and who believe in the existence of a supreme being.” It is the Free-masonry’s custom not to solicit new members, but anyone inter-ested to join is free on their own volition to approach any Masons to ask for information about the fraternity, and express their inter-est or to join the fraternity.

History

Freemasonry is a way of life. According to history, “Freema-sonry is the oldest and largest

worldwide fraternity dedicated to the Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of A Supreme Being. It provides men from every walk of life the chance to congregate and enjoy friendly companionship. In the spirit of comradeship and brotherly love and guided by strict moral principles it encourages goodwill toward all mankind. Freema-sonry is of a personal nature in its private ceremonies. Its ritual dramatizes a philosophy of life based on morality. It promotes self improvement. The tools of operative masons are used to symbolize and teach the basic principles of brotherly love, charity, and truth which Masons are encouraged to practice in their daily lives. Charity is a tangible way in which Masons help those whose circumstances in life fairly warrant it. A man who wants to join a lodge must be recommended for by two members of that lodge. He must

understand that his character will be investigated. After approval by the members of that lodge, he will be accepted as an applicant for membership in Freemasonry. The doors of Freemasonry are open to men who seek harmony with their fellow man, feel the need for self-improvement and wish to participate in making this world a better place to live. Any man who becomes a Mason is taught a pattern for living – reverence, morality, kindness, honesty, dependability and com-passion. He must be prepared to honor his country, uphold its laws and respect those in au-thority. He must be prepared to maintain honorable relations with

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Street Poetry

Read about Michael’s upcoming book of poems by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Michael R. Tagudin

Poem No. 7My mindSo deepSo clearLike waters undisturbed by rushing rivers of timeA dragon sleeps beneath the lakeOnly to be awakenedBy being awareTo the heart beat.....To the rhythmic heart beat of life..

©2009 Michael R. Tagudin, “Riding the Dragon”

About the Author: Michael R. TagudinEducated as an engineer in the Philippines, the City of Los Angeles employee hopes his legacy of poems will provoke a dialogue about the human condition. He is donating the proceeds from the book to anti-human trafficking efforts in the City of Angels. Contact [email protected] for more information.


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By Jenny HarperMix it up with Jenny

It’s true — the kitchen is the heart of the home. Ever notice how people always gather there? Whether baking treats, making dinner or spending time with family and friends, the kitchen is my favorite place to be. Since my day job is Consumer Test Kitchen Project Manager for the Nestlé Test Kitchens, you can bet I love to stir things up. This column lets me pass along to you some of my best recipes, tips and baking secrets.

(Family Features) Admit it – a

lot of you are already thinking about holiday shopping. I know I am! This year I think I’ll spend a little less time in the stores and a little more time in the kitchen, baking up some sweet holiday gifts.

Sweet Holiday Gifts

Jenny Harper

I’ve picked some recipes that make large amounts, so I’ll have plenty to give away. Holiday Peppermint Bark couldn’t be easier to make – it only has two ingredients. The pretty red and white candies will look very festive in a holiday tin lined with red or green tissue paper or in a glass jar with a holiday ribbon tied around it.

I love making this fudge, too.

It can be made with semi-sweet chocolate, milk chocolate or butterscotch morsels. I like to make a batch of each, then mix and match the fl avors in a goodie bag or holiday box. For an extra special presentation, put each piece in a little paper candy cup with holiday designs on it.

These tasty treats can be fun for the whole family to make together. Attach a recipe card to each gift – that way your friends will know how to bake up some holiday cheer, too.

For more sweet gift giving ideas, visit www.VeryBestBak-ing.com.

Holiday Peppermint Bark (Makes 1 pound of candy)

2 cups (12-ounce package) Nestlé Toll House Premier White Morsels

24 hard peppermint candies, unwrapped

LINE baking sheet with wax paper.

MICROWAVE morsels in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; STIR. Morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted.

PLACE peppermint candies in heavy-duty plastic bag. Crush

Holiday Peppermint Bark

candies using rolling pin or other heavy object. While hold-ing strainer over melted morsels,

pour crushed candy into strainer. Shake to release all small candy pieces; reserve larger candy pieces. Stir morsel-peppermint mixture.

SPREAD mixture to desired thickness on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with reserved candy pieces; press in lightly.

Let stand for about 1 hour or un-til fi rm. Break into pieces. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Toll House Famous Fudge (Makes 24 servings, 2 pieces

per serving)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar2/3 cup (5 fl uid-ounce can)

Nestlé Carnation Evaporated Milk

2 tablespoons butter or marga-

Toll House Famous Fudge

rine1/4 teaspoon salt2 cups miniature

marshmallows¡º1 1/2 cups (9 ounce) Nestlé

Toll House Semi-Sweet Choco-late Morsels

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

LINE 8-inch-square baking pan with foil.

COMBINE sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat

STIR in marshmallows, mor-sels, nuts and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted. Pour into prepared baking pan; refrigerate for 2 hours or until fi rm. Lift from pan; remove foil. Cut into 48 pieces.

For Milk Chocolate Fudge:SUBSTITUTE 1 3/4 cups (11.5-ounce package) Nestlé Toll

House Milk Chocolate Morsels for Semi-Sweet Morsels.

For Butterscotch Fudge:SUBSTITUTE 1 2/3 cups (11-ounce package) Nestlé Toll House Butterscotch Flavored Morsels for Semi-Sweet Mor-sels.

Jenny Harper is Consumer Test Kitchen Project Manager for the Nestlé Test Kitchens and Very-BestBaking.com.

Photos courtesy of Nestlé

ALPINE ---- The popular 14th Annual Alpine Village Christ-mas Parade of Lights & Snow Festival has fun for everyone on Dec. 11!

Anyone can be in the glowing parade, presented by the Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce. The Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, the Alpine Creek Town Center and the San Diego Gas & Electric Co. are sponsoring this year’s big event.

The only parade requirement is that fl oats, trucks, motorcy-cles, bicycles, pets or other entries must be decorated with holiday lights. There are no entry fees.

The friendly march down Alpine Boulevard starts at 6:30 p.m. at Victoria Drive. The parade ends at the free Snow Festival at the Alpine Creek Town Center.

Plenty of snow for playful fun, the lighting of the big Com-

Alpine Christmas parade, snow festival nears

munity Christmas Tree and a sing-along highlight the festival until 9 p.m.

Call the Chamber at (619) 445-2722 for more information and

parade entry forms.

Title: 14th Annual Alpine Village Christmas Parade of Lights & Snow Festival

Date: Friday, Dec. 11, 2009Time: 6:30-9 p.m.Location: Alpine Boulevard

and Alpine Creek Town Cen-ter, Alpine

Price: FreeEvent Description: Santa

Claus will lead the glowing 14th Annual Alpine Village Christ-mas Parade of Lights to the free Snow Festival on Dec. 12 in Al-pine. The popular Snow Festival

at the Alpine Creek Town Center features snow for playful fun, the lighting of the Community Christmas Tree and a holiday sing-along.

Phone: (619) 445-2722Link: www.alpinechamber.

com

Win Your Share of $40,000 Cash a Day!

Every Friday, Saturday & Sunday in December!

$7.96 PRIME RIB BUFFETwith your V Club card!

December 1 – 31

Visit any V Club booth for official rules. Viejas reserves all rights. Please play responsibly. For help with problem gambling, call 1-800-426-2537. ©2009 Viejas Casino, Alpine CA.

J U S T O F F I - 8 AT W I L L O W S R O A D 6 1 9 - 4 4 5 - 5 4 0 0 • V I E J A S . C O M


EntertainmentMovies to Watch

(Following are movies now showing or soon to be shown in San Diego.)

by Simeon G. Silverio Jr.

3446508/22/09

IW GROUP

01 100 240 Con JC F-E

X CS3 CS4 CS3

Serious Moonlight - In this love/hate comedy, things don’t go exactly as planned for high-powered Manhattan lawyer Louise (Meg Ryan) after she arrives at her country home for a romantic weekend getaway. First, her hus-band of 13 years, Ian (Timothy Hutton), tells her that he’s leaving her for a younger woman (Kristen Bell). Then, one thing leads to another, and pretty soon Ian finds himself held captive by an oddly cool Louise who explains that she won’t release him until he professes his love for her and commits to working on their marriage. And that’s when things really start to go wrong. The unexpected arrival of an opportunistic young gardener (Justin Long) and Ian’s impatient mistress only serve to complicate the crisis even further, while somehow forcing Louise and Ian to reckon with their past and realisti-cally deal with their future. Written by Adrienne Shelly (writer/director of Waitress) and directed by Cheryl Hines (Larry David’s wife on “Curb Your Enthusiasm”). www.seriousmoonlightfilm.com

This film is Rated r by the MPAA. Running time 95 minutes.

Exclusive Engagement Opens Friday, December 11thLandmark’s Hillcrest Cinemas

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The Beaches of Agnes - The magnificent new film from Agnès Varda (Cleo From 5 to 7, Vagabond, The Gleaners and I) is a kind of cinematic autobiography—an innovative and whimsical journey through an ex-traordinary artistic life. Weaving together footage of her vast body of work, old photographs and present-day sequences with intimate anec-dotal voice-overs, Varda looks back on her childhood, her work as a pho-tographer and installation artist, her marriage to late filmmaker Jacques Demy, and the birth of the French New Wave. Varda is an avid collector of people and places, sensual experiences and intellectual preoccupa-tions, personal commitments and political principles. She is a mother and wife, a feminist, nature-lover and urban-dwelling artist. Above all, she is a woman in love with cinema whose new movie perfectly expresses her sentiment, “While I live, I remember.” Featuring Jean-Luc Godard, Catherine Deneuve, Chris Marker (who only appears in his cat persona), Alain Resnais, Harrison Ford, Jane Birkin, Michel Piccoli, Gérard De-pardieu and Jim Morrison. (Partially subtitled) www.cinemaguild.com/beachesofagnes/

This film is Not Rated by the MPAA. Running time 110 minutes.Landmark’s Ken Cinema

4061 Adams Avenue – (619) 819-0236

Bake a Difference this Holiday Season


(Family Features) As you look to spread some spirit this holiday season, look no further than your oven door. Baking and giving treats is a great gift idea that shows you care. But what if these goodies did more than just satisfied the sweet tooth of fam-ily and friends?

This year, consider turning your holiday cookie exchange or annual neighborhood party into a charitable bake sale. Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is a non-profit organization committed to fund-ing pediatric cancer research by raising money through local bake sales. It was started by a mom of a little boy with cancer who decided to hold a bake sale to raise money for research. With the help of volunteers, she

Rashomon - Brimming with ac-tion while incisively examining the nature of truth, Rashomon is perhaps the finest film ever made about the philosophy of justice. Through an ingenious use of camera and flash-backs, director/co-writer Akira Ku-rosawa (The Seven Samurai, Ran) reveals the complexities of human nature as four people recount differ-ent versions of the same story: the murder of a man (Masayuki Mori) and the rape of his wife (Machiko Kyo). The great Toshiro Mifune gives a commanding performance as

a bandit in an eloquent masterwork that revolutionized film language and introduced Japanese cinema to the world. The basis for this stun-ning new restoration was a 35mm print created in 1962 from the origi-

nal camera negative. Scanned at 4K resolution, that 47-year-old print has been meticulously cleaned both digi-tally and by hand, complete with a new, seamless soundtrack. Winner of the Golden Lion at the 1951 Venice Film Festival. (Fully subtitled) www.janusfilms.com/rashomon/

This film is Not Rated by the MPAA. Running time

88 minutes.Exclusive Engagement Opens

Friday, December 18thLandmark’s Ken Cinema

4061 Adams Avenue – (619) 819-0236

Oh my God? - Frustrated with religious turmoil, fanaticism and fundamen-talism, filmmaker Peter Rodger set out on a global quest to understand why the concept of God has become politicized. In his stunningly beautiful docu-mentary film, Rabbis, Christian Fundamentalists, Catholic Priests, Buddhist Llamas, Hindu Swamis, Zen Masters, Muslim radicals, Shamans and ordinary people across the globe share their unique perspectives and understanding of God, along with several celebrities including Hugh Jackman, Seal, Ringo Starr, Sir Bob Geldof, Princess Michael of Kent, David Copperfield and Jack Thompson. The film is set amongst beautiful backdrops around the world, filmed in 23 countries over three years. From the 9th ward of New Orleans to the Guatemalan Jungle, to the Himalayan region of Ladahk, Rodger searches for the common thread in our diverse humanity and reveals that which often divides us can also unite us. The film features inviting faces and personalities that are a touching reminder of the melting pot that we call humanity and the mystery that we have given many names. www.omgmovie.com

This film is Not Rated by the MPAA. Running time 98 minutes.Exclusive Engagement Opens Friday, November 27th

Landmark’s Ken Cinema4061 Adams Avenue – (619) 819-0236

Collapse - “ A m e r i c a n s generally like to hear good news…But is anyone pre-pared for the worst? Michael Ruppert, a former Los Angeles police officer turned inde-pendent reporter, predicted the current financial crisis in his self-published newsletter From the Wilderness at a time when most Wall Street and Wash-ington analysts were still in denial. Chris Smith has always had a feeling for outsiders in films like American Movie and American Job. In Collapse, Smith stylistically departs from his past films by interviewing Ruppert in a format that recalls the work of Errol Morris and Spalding Gray. Sitting in a room that looks like a bunker, Ruppert recounts his career as a radical thinker and spells out the crises he sees ahead…He is especially passionate over the issue of “peak oil,” the concern raised by scientists since the 1970s that the world will eventually run out of fossil fuel. While other experts debate this issue in measured tones, Ruppert doesn’t hold back at sounding an alarm. He portrays a future that resembles apocalyptic science fiction. Listening to his rapid flow of opinions, the viewer is likely to question some of the rhetoric as paranoid or deluded; and to sway back and forth on what to make of the extremism. Smith lets viewers form their own judgments.”—Thom Powers, Toronto International Film Festival www.collapsemovie.com/COLLAPSEMOVIE/

This film is Not Rated by the MPAA. Running time 82 minutes.Exclusive Engagement Opens Friday, December 11th

Landmark’s Ken Cinema4061 Adams Avenue – (619) 819-0236


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The recent California wildfires are vivid reminders that wildfire season is in full swing. From June through October and even into November, wildfires are likely to be active in many parts of the country, especially Cali-fornia, where there are more than 20 military bases.

Extremely dry conditions and unusually turbulent weather may combine to create a higher-than-normal concentration of wildfires this year. While the biggest im-pact is predicted for the western United States, researchers also point out that other parts of the country — including parts of Florida, Georgia, Texas — may see heavy wildfire impacts. With multiple military installations in those areas it makes sense for those in uniform to be prepared.

Roughly 140,000 wildfires burn a total of almost 14.5 million acres on average in the United States each year, according to the Institute for Building & Home Safety. Since 1990, more than 900 families a year lose their homes and belongings to wild-fires.

The Good News about Wild-fires

When considering all the natu-ral perils that threaten our homes, whether you live on base or off — dangers such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and other disasters — the one against which we can most effectively protect our homes and our fami-lies is wildfire. That’s because fire requires oxygen, heat and fuel to exist, and by removing fuels on and around our homes, we can reduce fire intensity or eliminate it completely.

One-third of homes in the United States are located in what fire officials call the Wildland Urban Interface, or the area where structures and other hu-man development meet or inter-mingle with wildland fuels. This is especially true in and around California military installations (see map).

Wildfire Season Has Arrived: Are You Ready?

Since severe weather condi-tions can carry wildfire embers for miles, even homes well away from the wildlands are at risk. Post-wildfire investigations demonstrate that what determines your risk from a wildfire ignition is not necessarily where your home is located, but how flam-mable the roof and landscape vegetation is to these “showers” of embers.

Steps to Prepare for Wildfire Season

Remove the fuels from your roof and create a zone around your house of landscaping and plants that will resist ignition. Ensure you have designated areas that are well protected for flam-mable and hazardous materials. This will slow wildfire behavior and increase the chances that your home will survive even an intense wildfire.

Reduce the chance of embers igniting your roof by:

Building or reroofing using ma-terials that are resistant to ember ignition

Removing dry/dead leaves, pine needles and other materials, which embers can ignite, from your roof

Eliminate fuels within 30 feet of your home to keep flames from reaching it.

Plant, water and maintain shrubs, plants and grasses that resist ignition

Remove flammable patio cush-ions, coco fiber mats/planters, landscape mulches, etc. from near your home

Separate clumps of flammable shrubs and trees

Trim and remove lower branch-es of pine trees and resinous (juniper, arborvitae, etc.) shrubs

Manage the vegetation and fuels from 30-100 feet from you home.

Store firewood and other flam-mables 30 feet or more from your home

Separate flammable clumps of trees (30 feet separation) and shrubs to prevent flames from igniting adjacent plants

Timing is also important. Chances are you won’t have

time to complete these important tasks when a fire is approaching so getting them done before fire season is crucial.

When a Wildfire Threatens

Today’s wildfires move rapidly, giving firefighters and homeown-ers little time to act. For your family’s safety, it’s important to be prepared and act immediately:

Become familiar with your installation or community disaster preparedness plans and have your own family emergency plan. Identify escape routes and designate how your family will reconnect if you are separated.

If you are home when a fire approaches, gather your family, medicines, pets and valuables and leave immediately.

Review Insurance Coverage

Review your homeowner’s insurance policy periodically to make sure you have sufficient coverage to rebuild your home after a wildfire or other catas-trophes. Report any property

damage to your insurance agent immediately after a natural disas-ter and make temporary repairs to prevent further damage.

Taking these simple steps will not only ensure your peace of mind but also help increase your home’s potential for surviving a wildfire and eliminate many of the risks associated with being in a prominent wildfire area.


Spiritual Life

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

by Msgr. Fernando G. Gutierrez

Lower Your Nets


BalintatawRead Virginia Ferrer’s previous articles by visiting our website

at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Virginia H. Ferrer

Sa Gitna ng Malakas na Ulan (2)

At nang makarating sa adres na kanyang isinulatpagkabayad ay bumaba at saka nagpasalamatat ‘sang iskinitang madilim siya niyang tinahakbigla na lamang nawala daig pa kamo ang kidlat.

Makaraan ang isang linggo ay mayroong kumatoksa bahay ng tsuper ng taksi na mandin ay natakotnagulat ng ‘sang malaking telebisyo’y ipinasoksa maliit niyang bahay ng mga taong naghakot.

Kalakip nito’y isang munting papel na kulay rosasmula sa babaeng kanyang inihatid sa Balagtaskanyang kinuha ito at medyo ngatog pang binuklatat saka niya binasa ang mensahe ng malakas.

Joke of the Week: This fellow died and went to hell, where the receptionist asked him “Where do you want to go?” “Do I have a choice?” asked the sinner with surprise. “Oh, yes,” she explained. “See all those closed doors? Listen at each door and pick the room you want,” she added. At the first door he heard horrible screams of pain. At the second, third, and fourth, the same – blood curdling screams. Finally at the fifth door, he heard nothing but a soft murmuring. “I’ll take this one,” he said quickly. He stepped inside, to find himself in a pool of filthy sewage, with people standing on tiptoe, their mouths just barely above the slimy surface. With clenched teeth and scarcely open mouths they were all murmur-ing, “Don’t make waves! Don’t make waves!”

Scriptures: First Reading: Ba-ruch 5: 1-9. The prophet Baruch writes to keep the hope of the exiles alive during the Babylo-nian captivity (587-537 B.C.) The people had been unfaithful to God, but their guilt had been expiated. To accentuate this hope, Baruch, like the prophet who wrote the Second Isaiah, used the image of a highway construction across the desert that will transport the exiles back to their land. Second Reading: Philippians 1: 4-6, 8-11. The deliverance of the people from their sins is God’s redemptive work, but they have to prepare for his coming with love and righteousness. Gospel: Luke 3: 1-6. It was neither to the political powers: Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, and the tetrarchs, Herod and Philip, nor to the religious leaders: Annas and Caiaphas that the word came. Instead, God’s word was announced to John in the desert.

Reflections: The image of the desert reflects a wilderness, an isolated and barren

place, where there is little vegetation and sparse water supply. It is a place of im-mense hardships, where death, starvation, and thirst await the wayward travelers. Just imag-ine how many undocumented aliens in their desire to get to the United States had perished in the desert. Biblically, the desert is the habitat of fugitives like David, who fled from the wrath of Saul; it is also a place where demons (Matthew 4:3) and wild animals wander (Isaiah 34:14). Jeremiah 4:26 wrote that God’s anger transformed the beautiful garden in to the foreboding bar-ren desert.

But the desert is not always a symbol of deaths, hardships, temptations, and famine. The desert is also a place of peace, quiet, and solitude that could lead a person to an intimate communion with God. Thomas Merton wrote in The Wisdom of the Desert “man had to swim for his life … These men who believed that to let oneself drift along, passively accepting the tenets and values of what they knew as society, was purely and simply a disaster.”

During this pre-Christmas season, we become busier more than ever before. We have so many things to do: decorate our homes with Christmas trim-mings, set up a Christmas tree, shop for gifts for our loved ones and friends, finish our projects and plans before the year-end, and prepare for travels to be with our families for the holidays. All of our waking hours, our weeks

Advent: Second Sunday

The sound of silence in a noisy world

and days are filled with so many appointments and engagements. There is not a dull moment for us.

Henri Nouwen wrote, “Secular-ity is a way of being dependent on the responses of our milieu.” It means that my identity is defined by my

world or that my sense of self and self-worth

depends on what I do and what others think of me. When an individual does not measure up to what others expect of him/her, frustration could set in and lead to anger with others and self. This false self-identity that is the product of my world could lead to a disaster for self as well as for others. How many fami-lies have broken up because of unmet expectations and dreams from spouses and children? How many individuals are so depressed because they have so many unfulfilled goals and desires? Thomas Merton advice for those who are caught up in this kind of situation is to swim to safety and away from the sinking ship. That safe harbor is the desert.

The word of God came to John the Baptist in the desert. It is place where John, freed from the frantic pace of the busy political and religious world and away from the distractions of worldly cares, attentively absorbed God’s word. Transformed and moved by the divine word, the Bap-

tist cried out in the desert a message of forgiveness and

repentance. During this season of Advent, let us find our own desert, a place where we can run away from the busy-ness of daily living and where we can hear God’s word and commune with

him.

Quotation of the Week: “The world is dark, and hu-

man agony is excruciating, butthe prophet casts a light by

which the heart is led, into the thinking of the Lord’s mind.” Abraham Joshua Heschel.

Bake a Difference this Holiday Season

made 96,000 cookies and raised more than $400,000. Since then, hundreds of bake sales have taken place across the country.

You can transform your annual holiday baking activities into a Cookies for Kids’ Cancer bake sale and raise funds by doing what you do best – baking!

One of the best ways to get people craving your cookies and begging for your brownies is to make your charitable bake sale truly your own and stay organized along the way. Here are some ideas to help make it a sweet suc-cess:

Pick a good location - look at your community calendar for high-traffic opportunities.

Tie your bake sale into an annual holiday party, cookie exchange or event

Recruit family, friends and neighbors to help bake and share in the fun.

Involve the community by spreading the word at local com-munity meetings, schools and gatherings.

Publicize your bake sale in your local newspaper and distribute fly-ers around town.

Plan the bake sale menu, keep-ing it simple with holiday-themed bake goods.

Make a list of items needed, from tables and tablecloths to posters and platters.

Start baking and freezing good-ies weeks out, and store them in Glad Press’n Seal Freezer wrap to keep them organized and freezer-safe.

Identify the contents on each batch, noting any ingredients that may cause food allergies, such as nuts. Consider making some baked goods without nuts.

Store your freshly baked cookies in containers, such as GladWare containers to keep them orga-nized, fresh and travel-ready

Wrap packaged cookies with colorful decorations, like rib-bons, holiday-themed wrapping or cards.

Share your sweets with a smile!The age-old custom of holiday

baking, the fun of a bake sale and the spirit of giving to oth-ers will make this holiday season even more special. To double the sweetness, be sure to register your holiday bake sale online and Glad will match all the money raised by the charity in November and December, up to $100,000.

To register and access delicious cookie recipes, more bake sale tips and more information on Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, visit GladtoGive.com

Courtesy of Family Features


To:

From: Eugene De Leon

Herewith is proof of your classified ad for publication in the Asian Journal. Please proofread i t and fax back the correction if any or call us for your approval. The ad is tentatively scheduled to be published in the

issue of the Asian Journal if we receive your approval on time. At $4 per line

lines, it costs

$______.00 to be paid upon your receipt of the invoice and tear sheet. Thank you.

Fax #

If approved please sign and fax back to

(619) 474-0373

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Asian JournalFirst Asian Weekly Newspaper in Southern California & San Diego’s Most Widely Circulated Asian-Filipino Newspaper

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11/20/09

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Notification of Request for Proposals““TransNet Wetland Mitigation Solutions Project” #5001163

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is seeking sealed proposals from qualified firms, agen-cies and/or individuals to partner with SANDAG and Caltrans in jointly developing wetland mitigation solutions for various transportation projects throughout the San Diego region. These potential partnerships are intended to secure wetland mitigation sites, for various transportation projects, in an effort to increase the quality and amount of wetlands as well as the creation of wetland mitigation banks in the San Diego region.

A non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting, to discuss this project, is scheduled from 10 a.m. on Wednesday, January 6, 2010, at SANDAG, 401 B Street, Wells Fargo Building, Suite 800, San Diego, CA, 92101-423.

Sealed proposal responses must be addressed to and received no later than 1 p.m., local time, on Thursday, February 4, 2010, at the office of: SANDAG, 401 B Street, Suite 800, San Diego, CA 92101-4321, Attention: Ralph Tharp, Contract Administrator.

A copy of the Request for Proposal (RFP) solicitation has been posted on SANDAG’s Web site at www.sandag.org/contracts. Please contact Ralph Tharp, Contract Administrator, at SANDAG, 401 B Street, Suite 800, San Diego, CA 92101-4321, (619) 699-6982, or via e-mail at [email protected], if you have any questions.

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To:

From: Eugene De Leon

Herewith is proof of your classified ad for publication in the Asian Journal. Please proofread i t and fax back the correction if any or call us for your approval. The ad is tentatively scheduled to be published in the

issue of the Asian Journal if we receive your approval on time. At $4 per line

lines, it costs

$______.00 to be paid upon your receipt of the invoice and tear sheet. Thank you.

Fax #

If approved please sign and fax back to

(619) 474-0373

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Asian JournalFirst Asian Weekly Newspaper in Southern California & San Diego’s Most Widely Circulated Asian-Filipino Newspaper

550 East 8th Street, Suite 6, National City CA 91950 • Tel. (619) 474-0588 • Fax (619) 474-0373

12/04/09

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Notice of Ordinance Amendment

On November 20, 2009, the SANDAG Board of Directors, acting as the San Diego County Regional Transportation Commission, amended Ordinance CO-04-01, entitled San Diego Transportation Improvement Program Ordinance and Expenditure Plan (TransNet Extension Ordinance), in the form of Ordinance CO-10-02. CO-10-02 amends Ordinance CO 04-01) by revising Section 10 of the attachment entitled “TRANSNET EXTENSION ENVIRON-MENTAL MITIGATION PROGRAM (EMP) PRINCIPLES” to extend the timeframe necessary to allow a ballot measure to be considered by the voters to no later than eight years after passage of the TransNet Extension to meet the long-term requirements for implementing habitat conservation plans in the San Diego region. Ordinance CO-10-02 supersedes Ordinance CO-08-01. A complete copy of the amendment is available from the SANDAG Clerk of the Board at 401 B Street, Suite 800, San Diego, CA 92101. Voting results from November 20, 2009 are: Ayes: Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Coronado, Del Mar, El Cajon, Encinitas, Escondido, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, National City, Oceanside, Poway, San Diego (City), San Marcos, Santee, Solana Beach, Vista; Noes: None; Absent: County of San Diego.

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Ted Delgado’s Initiation at the Silver Gate Three Stars Masonic Lodge No. 296

(Continued from page 11)others and be willing to share in Masonic activities.”

I covered for the Asian Jour-nal the celebration of Mr. Ted Delgado’s initiation to Master Mason last Wednesday, but unfortunately due to a brown-out in the North Park area of San Diego, the final portion of the celebration was continued on Friday, November 20, 2009.

I was ushered in to the Cer-emonial room where I took the group pictures of the newly initi-ated candidates and the current officials of the lodge. When I first entered the lodge I was sur-prise at the number and variety of material objects employed in the initiation. The regulation form of the room in which the lodge of Masons assembles for its peculiar work, is that of an oblong rectangular solid, whose longest dimensions are, at least theoretically, east and west. In the center of this rectangular floor in the east, south and west sides of the room are elevated platforms, the one in the east being the highest of the three. Attached to it and connected by doors are two ante-rooms, one of which is the preparation room, in which the candidate is prepared for his ordeal of initiation. Sev-eral objects in the lodge room supplied for the ceremonies are: the square, the compass and the holy book, and others. I was told that all these things have specific meanings and are employed in an orderly manner for each sepa-rate degree and initiation...

It was exacted 10:00 p.m. when dinner was served at the recep-tion room of the lodge and then, the celebration followed. The Brothers and guests from neigh-boring lodges in the San Diego area were properly recognized. They welcomed the newly accepted Master Mason Ted Delgado to the fraternity, by each giving words of wisdom, advice and encouragements. After being introduced by George Melious, Ted Delgado made his response to his Mason Brothers, and guests. He admitted that he felt a bit intimidated speaking in front of his Worshipful Masters, Past Masters, Brother Masons and guests. He said, “… Maybe it’s natural for me to feel that way, being among a group of people I came to admire and respect, who put forth their time and energy to help me make it through the ordeal, and the solemnity of it all; the preparation, the initiation and the (unplanned) brown-out. But tonight I’m quite prepared for any eventualities; even if I have to read my prepared speech with my portable flashlight. As you know, ‘Speeches are like ba-bies, easy to conceive but hard to deliver,’ but lucky for me, I only have to wait two days before I deliver mine, (my speech), and not nine months hence.”

“…About the solemn rituals of last Wednesday and tonight’s concluding celebration, I can only describe it as a wonderful experience and opportunity a

man could ever have. There’s a lot of energy here freely given in the planning, the teaching, the volunteerism and the dedication of my brothers to make sure that this special event truly becomes a complete success. I owe a lot of gratitude to Brother Fred Mar-ty for interest, devotion, inspira-tion and guidance for without his assistance this evening would not have been possible. Tonight you have all taught me impor-tant lessons in humility, patience and perseverance. My Broth-ers, thank you for welcoming me to the fold with open arms. and thank you for the wisdom of your advices. I can now see the guiding lights ahead with much clarity and purpose that I never thought possible before. And fi-nally, my brothers, quoting from Longfellow’s Psalm of Life: ‘Let us then be up and doing, with a heart for any fate, still


Ayaw Lumabas Sa OspitalItong si Simplicio, na-ospital itoMay apat na buan ding, napatigil ditoKanyang karamdamang, problem sa apdoAng tanging dahilan, ayon kay Simplicio

Ngunit isang araw, dumalaw si MarioAng bunsong kapaid, nitong si SimplicioMagaling na pala, itong si Kuya koEh malapit ka nang, lumabas siguro

Malamang hindi pa, ang sagot sa kanyaBaka nga umabot, mga walong buan paKausap ko si Doc, bakit ganon kuyaAnd sabi nya sa ‘kin, sobra’ng galing ka na

Sa papasok and nurse, naubod ng gandaNamataan agad, nitong Mario bagaAlam nya yata ang, “weakness” ng kuya nyaEh walong taon man, ospital na muna.

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ni Joe Cabrera

Three men died on Christmas Eve and were met by Saint Peter at the pearly gates.

“In honor of this holy season,” Saint Peter said, “you must each possess something that sym-bolizes Christmas to get into heaven.”

The first man fumbled through his pockets and pulled out a lighter.

He flicked it on.It represents a candle, he said.You may pass through the

pearly gates Saint Peter said.The second man reached into

his pocket and pulled out a set of

And So The Holiday Season Begins....

keys. He shook them and said, “They’re bells.”

Saint Peter said you may pass through the pearly gates.

The third man started searching desperately through his pockets and finally pulled out a pair of women’s panties.

St. Peter looked at the man with a raised eyebrow and asked, “And just what do those symbol-ize?”

The man replied, “These are Carol’s.”

And So The Holiday Season Begins....

The first Japanese dive bomber appeared over Pearl Harbor at 7:55 AM (local time). It was fol-lowed by a first wave of nearly 200 aircraft, including torpedo planes, bombers, and fighters. The reconnaissance at Pearl Har-bor had been lax; a U.S. army private who noticed a large flight of planes on his radar screen was told to ignore them, since a flight of B-57s from the United States was expected at that time.

The anchored ships in the harbor made perfect targets for the Japanese bombers, and since it was Sunday morning (a time chosen by the Japanese for maximum surprise) they were not fully manned. The U.S. Navy usually observes Holiday

Pearl Harbor Day A Day that will Live in Infamy

routine on a Sunday, so most of the sailors and Marines were still asleep. Only those who were on duty were up and about.

The Japanese torpedo planes, especially, hit the U.S. battle-ships with deadly effect. The Arizona, California, and West Virginia were sunk, and the Oklahoma capsized. A second wave of planes swept over Pearl Harbor about 45 minutes later, inflicting heavy damage of the battleships Maryland, Nevada, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania (which was in dry dock). Ten other ships were sunk or severely damaged, and more than 140 aircraft were destroyed.

The rest, as the say, is history.

Pinoys online deliver victory for

Pinoy CNN Heromedia platforms. According to a 2008 study by Universal McCa-nn, 83 percent of Filipinos sur-veyed are members of a social network, making the Philippines the social networking capital of the world. David Jones, vice president for global marketing of Friendster shared, “the biggest percentage of Friendster users is from the country, clocking 39 percent of the site’s traffic.”

As majority of cyberspace users moved to Facebook so did the Filipino online users. Janette Toral of Digital Filipino said, “Checking out Philippine-based Facebook users, yields around 611,000 to 612,000 logon every-day since March 1.” No doubt, Facebook served as a good site to campaign for Efren as many online users linked videos about Efren to their personal accounts.

With the strong and dynamic presence of Filipinos in the cyberspace, they can rally the government and private sectors to share relief goods to the vic-tims of Ondoy typhoon, as well as generate thousands of votes to win a Pinoy contender in a global tilt.

Two years ago, Marco Anto-nio Torres sought votes to be an Olympic torchbearer for the Bei-jing Olympics 2008. A growing Filipino online movement actu-alized his dream as he emerged as the second most popular expat to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime chance. According to Chinadaily website, Marco Torres garnered 13,342 votes, second to American Jenny Bo-wen with 14,188 votes.

The recent victory of Efren is another living testimony and a good case study about online campaigning.


(619) 702-3051

By Fr. Shay

The great challenge for child care workers worldwide is to get the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child respected and implemented especially by law enforcement and jail manage-ment officers. It is the 20th anni-versary of the convention that is now the basis of all child protec-tion law for all nations, but many ignore it in practice. Twenty years ago, dedicated people were determined to enshrine the rights of the child in a United Nations Convention that would guide all nations. I was a delegate in Hel-sinki during the conference to finalize the NGO draft proposal of the Convention. A year later, it was passed and soon the Philip-pines had a new child protection law based on it and that is a great help in my apostolic work visit-ing jails and brothels and rescu-ing abused children and bringing their abusers to justice.

I visited the Philippine youth detention center (CRADLE) at

The Day I rescued JoshBicutan under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology last week. I had a court order to take the custody of a minor and bring him to the “Preda New Dawn” recovery and education center. I asked if they had a copy of the Convention of the Rights of the Child and they seemed not to have heard of it.

Sad to say I found the need of much improvement. The jail is small with overcrowded cells, the youth detainees are held behind bars without much recreation, sports or sunlight. During my visit, it was only at lunch time they were allowed out of the cells to eat a light meal with a single piece of chicken (or pork), the size of golfball, a cup of rice and a small banana. The officers on duty were watching television instead of caring for the needs of the inmates. None of the youth had been convicted of a crime they were awaiting the stuck up wheels of justice to start turning.

The rescued youth, (call him Josh, not his real name), had

serious case of scabies, an infectious skin disease. I was informed that one officer was transferred after sexually abusing a female teenager detainee. The few girl detainees have no secure room and wander the open spaces in the corridors and some have been sexually molested by the male detainees in the toilets. They should be removed from that facility.

The guards and female warden gamely poised for a photograph and when they realized I was taking video, the lady warden got angry and confronted my female staff and detained us and called senior officers. When eventu-ally we were released and left with Josh, he told us how he was beaten up by one of the guards. A report will be filed with the

Commission on Human Rights.There is an urgent need for the

implementation of a more intel-ligent and educated non-punitive approach to assist children in conflict with the law. Giving them respect, counseling, help and skilled training while their court case is pending, is the way to restore their self-esteem, dignity and turn them from doing down the path of crime. Josh was held in that prison for one year having been accused of stealing an item worth USD$27 or about twenty Euro.

Saving abused children is another important way to imple-ment the Convention. One day I was mistaken for a tourist while I was walking along the street in Olongapo City in the Philip-

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

journalusa.com

There was once a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

“Well,” she said, “I think I’ll braid my hair today,” so she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw she had only two hairs on her head.

“HMM,” she said, “I think I’ll part my hair down the middle today,” and she did and she had a grand day.

The next morning she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw she had only one hair left on her head.

“Well,” she said, “Today I’m going to wear my hair in a pony tail.” So she did and it was a

The Attitude of Three Hairsfun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mir-ror and noticed that there wasn’t a single hair on her head.

“YEAH!” she exclaimed, “I don’t have to fix my hair today!”

Remember you may not be able to control what someone says or does or some of the situ-ations that life throws you, but you can sure control the way you react.

~Author Unknown~

pines. It was then a big town that lived off the nearby US Naval Base on Subic Bay and sex bars were everywhere, pimps touted young women openly on the street. One pimp came up to me and to my horror offered me two small children about 12 years old. He told me I could do any-thing I liked to them. He laughed when I said I was going to call the police, and he was gone before I could do anything to get help to save the children. The child sex industry is condoned and tolerated to this day and that must change. I was determined from then on to change the terri-ble situation of enslaved children in the power of sex abusers. We must never condone cover-up or tolerate abuse.

The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) reports eight additional people have died and tested positive for H1N1. This does not mean H1N1 has been determined to be the cause of death, which is established by the attending physi-cian or the Medical Examiner.

The deceased are:· A 44-year-old-male with under-

lying medical conditions· A 35-year-old female with un-

derlying medical conditions· A 41-year-old female with un-

derlying medical conditions· A 42-year-old female with no

underlying medical conditions· A 47-year-old male with under-

lying medical conditions· A 67-year-old male non-

resident with underlying medical conditions

· A 46-year-old male non-resident with underlying medical conditions

· A 48-year-old female non-resident with underlying medical conditions

The total number of people who have tested positive for H1N1 and died locally is 45. Thirty-eight individuals were San Diego County residents while the others

H1N1 Influenza weekly updateseven were non-residents visiting our community at the time of their death. San Diego County has had 659 hospitalized cases of H1N1 to date.

Children 6 months through 9 years old (until they turn 10 years old) need to receive two doses of H1N1 vaccine. Infants younger than 6 months of age are too young to get the 2009 H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines. The CDC recommends that the two doses of 2009 H1N1 vaccine be separated by 3 to 4 weeks.

The second dose of H1N1 vac-cine will be given to children when there is additional H1N1 vaccine supply in the community. Parents should call their chil-dren’s regular medical provider to schedule an appointment for the second dose. If their children’s medical provider does not have H1N1 vaccine (or has not ordered H1N1 vaccine), the second dose may be obtained from a County clinic when additional H1N1 vaccine arrives in the community. It is OK if the second dose of the H1N1 vaccine is given more than 3 to 4 weeks after the first dose – 3 weeks is the shortest recom-mended time in between the two H1N1 vaccines. While children 6 months through 9 years of age may have some protection against H1N1 infections after the first dose, the most effective protection will come from getting two doses.

Please visit www.sdcounty.ca.gov or call 2-1-1 for additional information on H1N1 influenza or vaccine availability at County vaccination facilities.


Custom window treatments such as blinds, shades and draperies can add a whole new feel to a room while controlling light and adding privacy. They are an easy way to change the look of a room, however with the vast choices available it can be tricky choosing just the right coverings for your window and room.

What’s Your Type?

Fixing up your windows with the perfect match

There’s a window cov-ering for every person-ality. Styles can range from formal to funky and can coordinate or il-luminate a room’s good looks.

Choosing your perfect window “match” is about more than colors and textures, so while one of the key consider-ations is that the treat-ment fi ts your style, also make sure to consider the functional benefi ts that these products can add to your home. A few important questions to consider; Do you need to fi lter light, or let more light in? Will fl owing fabrics or solid lines best complement your look? Is safety a consid-eration for your small children or pets? If so, you may prefer a cord-less style that operates with a spring system rather than strings.

Get your matchmaking started by understanding the “personality traits” of these popular options:

Cellular (or honey-comb) shades get their name from unique air-trapping “cells” that expand and contract like an accordion when open and closed. When open, the accordion-like cells create an air barrier between the shade and the window, providing a cushion of insulation. “Cellular shades can signifi cantly reduce energy loss,” said Bryan Nicklas, Director of Custom Marketing for Levolor, “providing a fashionable way to save on energy bills and maintain comfortable indoor temperatures in any season.”

Several cellular shade fabric options are avail-able, in many colors and with varying degrees of privacy.

—Sheer fabrics softly fi lter light and allow vision from inside and outside.

—Woven fabric cellu-lar shades provide more privacy than sheers. Slight details and shapes

Join us on Saturday December 5th for the second annual Inter-national Holiday Bazaar, featur-ing more than 15 refugee-owned businesses selling cultural arts, crafts, and food. The Bazaar will be at the City Heights Farmers’ Market, and provides an excel-lent opportunity to purchase a meaningful holiday gift for a loved one. The International

International Holiday Bazaar Dec. 5th in City Heights

Rescue Committee will offer free gift wrapping with any pur-chase, kids’ activities, and live dance and musical performanc-es. Kids’ activities include a craft station, a jumpy house, and raffl e prizes. For pictures from last year’s event, directions, or to get more information, please visit our website: www.sdholi-daybazaar.com.

Balboa Park December

Nights Dec 4- 5San Diego’s favorite kick-off

to the holiday season, will take place for the 32nd consecutive year on Friday, December 4, 5:00-10:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 5, noon-10:00 p.m. In the spirit of the holidays, par-ticipating Balboa Park museums open their doors free of charge from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. both evenings. The largest free com-munity festival in San Diego, December Nights is expected to attract more than 300,000 visi-tors over two days.

Entertainment and holiday cheer are all part of this classic San Diego celebration-including food from around the globe at the International Christmas Festival at the House of Pacifi c Relations Cottages; unique gift shopping at the museum stores and with the artisans of Span-ish Village; international choirs, musical and dance presenta-tions from the San Diego Junior Theatre, San Diego Civic Youth Ballet and others.

47th Chula Vista Starlight ParadeThe 47th Annual Starlight

Parade presented by the Third Avenue Village Association will take place Saturday, December 5, 2009, at 6 pm, on Third Avenue between H and E Streets. This year’s Parade will be themed “Holidays Around the World”.

This annual event is the largest nighttime parade in the South County, with over 5000 partici-pants each year.

Special features will include carolers, delightfully decorated fl oats, local school marching bands, and, of course, Santa Claus! Other events on Saturday, December 5, will include: the Children’s Holiday Festival in Memorial Park from 1:00 to 5:00 pm and the Mayor’s Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony in Memorial Park at 5:00 pm. Also, enjoy the sounds of the strolling holiday carolers before the parade kicks off.

The Holiday Season in San Diego

Christmas Past. The Del Cerro Christian Church’s Children’s Choir at the Organ Pavilian is a favorite in Balboa Park’s December Nights (2008).

are visible through these fabrics.—To really control light, such as

in a bedroom, look for a blockout shade. “The Levolor Evening Star Blockout shades can control up to 99 percent of light,” said Nicklas. “They also provide excellent insu-lation.”

Wood and faux wood blinds are known for the warmth, beauty and stylish looks they bring to both the inside and outside of a home.

Asian Journal Dec 4 2009

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Transcript of Asian Journal Dec 4 2009