Asian Journal April 15-21, 2011 issue

San Diego Asian Film Fest Spring Showcase April 15-22 .. p 24

Palm Sunday: Torn Between Two Lovers .. p 11

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(Continued on page 15)

OFWs need bridges for life like the Overseas Filipino Council Intl


6 young Filipinos despite tragedy persevere in hope


Harana Revival: Love Songs and Lost Traditions

Our Filipino Heritage

(Continued on page 18)(Continued on page 18)

Is Marcos a hero?

Tata Mara traces the history of harana, the age-old Filipino art of courtship set to music, and discovers why it is worth reviving.

By Tata Mara, www.CebuSmile.com

The custom of a gentleman serenading a woman is common in many cultures. The image of the drunken lover crooning “O sole mio!” at the top of

his lungs out-side his be-loved’s window is a familiar one.

For us, the harana or serenade is a tradi-tional Filipino form of courtship that demon-strates our romantic, spiritual soul, the poetry of our language, a deep respect for its wom-en, and a belief that love can strengthen both the family and the community at large.

Many assume that the harana was first introduced to the country by Spanish colonizers. But Felipe de Leon, Jr, Professor of Art Studies at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, points out that the custom existed in pre-colonial times. “The roots of the harana run very deep in our culture. The form of this ritual has evolved with the arrival of outside infl uences, but one of its constant components is that it is a nocturnal event.” At twilight, people settled into the cool and quiet of the evening, and the harana’s melodious strains fl oated on the breeze.

De Leon creates a vivid image of a pre-colonial Philippines where music and courtship were inti-mately intertwined. In the mountainous Cordillera region of the north, hara-na took place in public. A man expressed himself in a secret language that his intended would instinc-tively understand. She in turn responded to his coded advances, weaving a hidden dialogue privy only to them. A mouth harp made of bamboo or the tongali (nose fl ute) would be the instrument upon which he played

Koko Pimentel, the pre-sumed winner for the 12th senatorial slot in the 2007 elections following the com-pletion of the first half of the protest case he filed against Migz Zubiri, stressed recently the indispensable need of bridges for overseas Filipinos in order for them to be given the attention and protection they deserve from the govern-ment.

This was stressed by Koko in his inspirational address last April 3 at Klub Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City, during the installation of the first set of officers of the Philippine chapter of Overseas Filipino Council International (OFCI), a group incorporated in the USA for the purpose of serving as the “Torchbearer, Bridge Builder and Pledge Keeper” for all socially-con-scious Filipinos around the globe.

OFCI is small but its goals are profound: it aims to work in so many areas to help the Filipinos and their country.

Among the beneficiaries of OFCI are the overseas Filipinos, contract workers or otherwise, who are heroes for contributing at least $14 bil-lion to the country’s economy every year in the form of remittances.

One of OFCI’s goals is to build a bridge for all Filipi-nos to cross over from their problems.

Koko cited the problem of Filipinos caught after serv-ing as drug mules, three of them were executed recently in China and other Filipinos sentenced to die in many jails abroad and acknowledged others facing cases virtually without help.

Koko also mentioned Fili-pinos sleeping under a bridge in Saudi Arabia because they cannot go home for lack of funds for their return trip.

He admitted that problems like these often occur beyond the control and knowledge of the government, but NGOs are more often already there start-ing the help before the author-ities can know and come.

As such, Koko counted on the indispensability for NGOs like OFCI to serve as bridges to bring to the fore the con-cerns and issues common to all overseas Filipinos.

A scene from HARANA, a documentary film directed by Benito A scene from HARANA, a documentary film directed by Benito Bautista.Bautista. The Harana documentary film explores this custom and its The Harana documentary film explores this custom and its music through the eyes of classical guitarist Florante Aguilar. Born music through the eyes of classical guitarist Florante Aguilar. Born and raised in the Philippines, as a young boy in the province of Cavand raised in the Philippines, as a young boy in the province of Cav--ite, Florante heard music and mythical stories spoken by his elders. ite, Florante heard music and mythical stories spoken by his elders. Now living in the US and championing Filipino music - Florante Now living in the US and championing Filipino music - Florante travels back to the home country to search for and rediscover the last travels back to the home country to search for and rediscover the last surviving practitioners of a long lost art - before its complete demise. surviving practitioners of a long lost art - before its complete demise. --- Source: www.haranathedocumentary.com--- Source: www.haranathedocumentary.com (Continued on page 19)

April 15 - 21, 2011

CommunityMsgr. Gutierrez Balik TanawArmida Siguion-Reyna,

Reyna ng Kundiman .. P 21

The philandering greedy Marcos a bayani?

Abril Bulanhigan

Celebs Stephanie Reese, Taboo of Black Eyed Peas to Grace GK Hope Ball in Las Vegas, April 30

By Ted Laguatan, Esq., INQUIRER.net | 4/15/2011 INQUIRER.net | 4/15/2011 INQUIRER.net-- The Marcos family and their supporters (ex-cronies, mercenaries, etc.) are mov-ing heaven and earth to have Marcos interred at the Lib-ingan ng mga Bayani. With tons of money, influential loyalists, mercenary journal-ists and other resources at their disposal—they may well succeed. They hope to end the stigma against the Marcoses if they do. They recently got some military officials to install Marcos in the AFP Hall of Heroes

Libingan ng mga Bayani literally means “Cemetery for Heroes”. Essentially, in theory, it is reserved for

Reprinted from Smile, inflight magazine of Cebu Pacific Airways -- What would you do if your life was struck by tragedy? Meet six young people who suf-fered major life setbacks and yet continue to persevere in hope.

Abril Bulanhigan, 17 student

Abril is an Aeta boy from Zam-bales. His family used to live at the foot of Mount Pinatubo until it erupted in 1991. Like many Aeta families forced to flee from their homes, the Bulanhigans came face-to-face with dire and extreme poverty. At the tender

age of nine, Abril had to work to earn money for school. Many times he lost his drive and felt

Join Gawad Kalinga USA (GK USA) on Saturday, April 30th, to celebrate the completion of GK USA’s 1st Hope Village which is being constructed in Bagong Sil-ang, Metro-Manila, Philip-pines.

To be held at the Monte Carlo Hotel in Las Vegas,

NV, the Hope Ball will be a gathering of GK supporters, “kababayan,” or families and friends, from all over includ-ing celebrity advocates such as Taboo from The Black Eyed Peas, Sony/Epic record-ing artist Jasmine Villegas, and Miss Saigon’s, Stephanie

Page 2 April 15-21, 2011Asian Journal - (619) 474-0588 Visit our website at http://www.asianjournalusa.com

(Continued from page 1)

those whom the nation hon-ors for their service to the country.

In Congress, Marcos crony Congressman Salvador Escu-dero, leads this campaign. The father of Senator Chiz Escudero has already gotten 204 members of Congress to sign the petition to have Marcos interred as a hero.

Money talks—especially in the Philippine socio-political cultural setting. This distortion of getting a brutal greedy dictator buried as a hero will happen unless the people speak out and shout: “No way.”

Ferdinand Marcos became a dictator based on a lie. He claimed the communists tried to assassinate his then Defense Secretary Ponce Enrile—and as such declared martial law. Enrile

later confessed after Marcos fell, that this assassination story was concocted. The dictator killed, imprisoned and tortured political enemies. He engaged in all kinds of graft and corruption as well as stole directly from the Philippine treasury enabling him to amass billions—impoverishing and starving Filipinos.

Marcos brought out the worst in the Filipino. Many cooperated with his evil ways. He could not have thrived for so long without the obvious or tacit assistance of many.

The corrupt practices he in-stitutionalized today continues to plague the Filipino people. Corrupt politicians from the low-est to the highest utilize Marcos’ corruption technology of “steal and hide”. Steal money through government procurements and other sophisticated methods—then hide the booty using cronies as fronts, depositing money overseas, investing in other countries and converting into corporate assets.

Imitated by succeeding govern-ment officials, Marcos’ “massive stealing without going to jail”

example have resulted in the country being arguably the most corrupt in Asia.

The economy is generally kept afloat by the millions in foreign currency sent by hundreds of thousands of heroic hardworking overseas workers who undergo tremendous sufferings due to family separations, loneliness and culture shock.

As a result of its widespread reputation for corruption, mas-sive poverty and government in-efficiency, the country is referred to by its neighbors interchange-ably as “the basket case of Asia” or “the sick man of Asia”.

Marcos’ dark legacy should cause Filipinos to shudder in shame if despite the inumerable sufferings he has imposed on our people, his fabulously wealthy family and a small group of influential loyalists and merce-naries are able to impose their will on us and have him buried as a hero.

On July 4, 2004, investigative reporter Frank Walker of the Sun-Herald, an Australian news-

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

Unlawful Presence and the 3/10 Year Bars


WASHINGTON, 4/7/2011 –– Hiding income in offshore accounts, identity theft, return preparer fraud, and filing false or misleading tax forms top the annual list of “dirty dozen” tax scams in 2011, the Internal Rev-enue Service announced today.

“The Dirty Dozen repre-sents the worst of the worst tax scams,” IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman said. “Don’t fall prey to these tax scams. They may look tempting, but these fraudulent deals end up hurting people who participate in them.”

The IRS works with the Justice Department to pursue and shut down perpetrators of these and other illegal scams. Promoters frequently end up facing heavy fines and imprisonment. Mean-

Don’t Fall Prey to the 2011 Dirty Dozen Tax Scams

while, taxpayers who wittingly or unwittingly get involved with these schemes must repay all taxes due plus interest and penal-ties.

Following is the Dirty Dozen for 2011:

Hiding Income OffshoreThe IRS aggressively pursues

taxpayers involved in abusive offshore transactions as well as the promoters, professionals and others who facilitate or enable these schemes. Taxpayers have tried to avoid or evade U.S. income tax by hiding income in offshore banks, brokerage accounts or through the use of nominee entities. Taxpayers also evade taxes by using offshore debit cards, credit cards, wire transfers, foreign trusts, em-

ployee-leasing schemes, private annuities or insurance plans.

In early February, the IRS announced a special voluntary disclosure initiative designed to bring offshore money back into the U.S. tax system and help people with undisclosed income from hidden offshore accounts get current with their taxes. The new voluntary disclosure initia-tive will be available through Aug. 31, 2011. The IRS decision to open a second special disclo-sure initiative follows continu-ing interest from taxpayers with foreign accounts. In response to numerous requests, information about this initiative is available on IRS.gov in eight different languages, including: Chinese, Farsi, German, Hindi, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnam-ese.

Identity Theft and Phishing


| SAN DIEGO | SAN FRAN-CISCO | MANILA, 4/15/2011 --

Regina from the Philippines and Sergio from Panama are both spouses of U.S. citizens with approved spouse petitions. Both have immigration histo-ries - Regina came as a tourist in 2008 and overstayed for 10 months before going home in 2009; Sergio crossed the border in 2003 and worked in the U.S. for 4 years before finally going home in 2007. Both have been interviewed by the US embassies in their respective countries and have been denied immigrant vi-sas as bothhave been, in the past, unlawfully present in the U.S..

Unlawful presence (ULP) is defined as (i) presence in the U.S. after the expiration of the period of stay authorized by the Secretary of Homeland Security (POSA), or any presence (ii) without being admitted or (iii) paroled. A person who crosses the border without inspection, like Sergio – commonly known as “EWI” - is unlawfully pres-ent from the date of arrival. A person “paroled” into the U.S. (a permanent resident return-ing from a trip abroad but who may be subject to inadmissibility and/or deportability because of crimes, or some defect in his per-manent resident status; or some other non-immigrant who is only allowed to enter the U.S.) is not “admitted” in an authorized stay

- and once the period of parole expires, will start to accumulate unlawful presence (ULP). Also, a conditional permanent resident who fails to file a petition to remove conditions accrues ULP from the day after his conditional status expires, unless a late peti-tion is subsequently accepted and approved. Any person coming into the U.S. as a non-immigrant (tourists, persons with H-1B working visas, investors, L intra-company executives or manag-ers, K1 fiancé/es, etc.) is given an I-94 which contains the period of authorized stay (POSA). A non-immigrant will accumulate ULP on the day after the I-94 expires. If an extension of stay or application for an immigration benefit is filed within the POSA, ULP will accrue the day after USCIS denies the extension or benefit.

ULP becomes important when people like Regina and Sergio seek any immigration benefit in the future. Regina is subject to the 3-year bar and will only get her immigrant visa in 2012 - 3 years after she left the U.S.. Ser-gio is subject to the 10-year bar and will not get his immigrant visa until 2017, 10 years after he left the U.S..

Regina is inadmissible (not entitled to a visa or entry into the U.S.) because she is an “alien who was unlawfully present in the U.S. for a period of more than

180 days but less than 1 year. . . and who again seeks admission within 3 years of the date of such alien’s departure or removal.” Her ULP was more than 180 days but less than 1 year.

Victor’s ULP is more than 1 year and is inadmissible as he was “unlawfully present in the U.S. for one year or more, and who again seeks admission with-in 10 years of the date of such alien’s departure or removal.”

The 3/10 year bars apply only if the alien departs the U.S. – thus, the bars are triggered only if the person has over 180 days of ULP and then departs the U.S.. If Regina remained in the U.S. and filed for adjustment applica-tion because of her marriage to a U.S. citizen, there is no 3-year bar as she did not depart the U.S.. However, in the case of Victor, if he remained in the U.S. and filed for adjustment because of marriage, he is still ineligible to get a green card as aside from his ULP, he is also an EWI – he entered without inspection.

Regina and Victor’s spouses should consult an immigration attorney to find out if available waivers to waive the 3/10 year bars and shorten their wait to get their immigrant visas.

About Atty. Vega BuzonAtty. Aurora Vega-Buzon is a

partner in Chua Tinsay & Vega, A Professional Legal Corpora-tion (CTV) - a full service law firm with offices in San Francis-co, San Diego and Philippines. The information presented in this article is for general information only and is not, nor intended to be, formal legal advice nor the formation of an attorney-client relationship. Call or e-mail CTV for an in-person or phone consultation to discuss your particular situation and/or how their services may be retained at (415) 495-8088; (619) 955-6277; [email protected]

The philandering greedy Marcos, a

bayani?

Page 3Asian Journal - (619) 474-0588 Visit our website at http://www.asianjournalusa.comApril 15-21, 2011

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Contemporary Asian American Issues

Ever hear of “The Four Agree-ments”? Don

Miguel Ruiz wrote them as a set of instructions

Four Agreements

for life. And if you look at them fairly carefully, you’ll see that they do indeed make an excellent code for living a civilized

life, in a civilized world.

With nearly seven billion people on earth all trying to live, to love, to prosper, to be happy in this increasingly more difficult world, the agreements provide a good way to live with each other, next to each other, and for each other while not forgetting our own essential selves.

Let’s face it; life can be dif-ficult a great deal of the time. There are problems at home, at work, with family, with friends, with bosses, with employees, with, well, almost everyone at some time or another. The thing is, we can’t let that get the better of us. We can’t let the difficul-ties overcome us and make it so hard that getting out of bed presents a problem.

Unfortunately, coping with it all presents its own set of problems. How do we cope with problems, with issues, with everyone we meet?

Psychologists, family thera-pists, psychiatrists, and others (all the way to Oprah and Dr. Phil) have all been working with

these problems for years. And we’ve learned a lot. Don Miguel Ruiz weighed in on this with his book The Four Agreements. Looking at the agreements ini-tially, it might seem that they are a bit simplistic, a bit unreal, and a bit hard for many people. Well yes and no. They are that and so much more.

Don Miguel Ruiz

So who is Don Miguel Ruiz? He “is a Mexican author, sha-man, and teacher. He went to medical school and was a surgeon until a near-death experience impelled him to seek answers in ancestral traditions of the Toltec in which his mother was a curandera (healer), and his grandfather a nagual (shaman) who, after death, continued to teach Ruiz in his dreams.

His most famous and influen-tial work, The Four Agreements, was published in 1997 and has sold around 4 million copies. It was featured on the Oprah television show, and advocates personal freedom from agree-

ments and beliefs that we have made with ourselves and others that are creating limitation and unhappiness in our lives. Ulti-mately, it is about finding one’s own integrity, self-love, and peace within this reality.”

Ruiz states that “the word is not just a sound or written sym-bol. The word is a force; it is the power you have to communicate, to think, and thereby to create the events in your life.” So here are his words.

The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz’s code for life

Agreement 1

“Be impeccable with your word - Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about oth-ers. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

Agreement 2

Don’t take anything personally - Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and ac-tions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

Agreement 3

Don’t make assumptions - Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

Agreement 4

Always do your best - Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.”

What are words?What to sayHow to say itWho to say it toWhen to say it

So here’s a question – just who do you make these agreements with? You make them with yourself. You make agreements with yourself to be impeccable with your word, to not take anything personally, to not make assumptions, and to always do your best.

When you stop to think about it, those four agreements are things that we’ve been taught our entire lives. From day one we’re taught to speak the truth, to not take everything personally, to not assume things and to always do our best. What Ruiz has done is to codify and set down in simple, stark language things we already should have been practicing.

Ruiz said it beautifully, said it with universal implications, said it in ways that help get through our own barriers, and said it in language that is memorable.

And so we’re back to those pesky words. Words that hurt, heal, ring for generations and are lost in the winds of change. But some words last, some words transcend generations. Words from Confucius, Martin Luther King,, Omar Khayyam, Sylvia Plath, Gao Xingjian, Amy Tan, and the list goes on for thousands of names from around the planet. So what are words? They are tools with which to write. And the “purpose of writing is ex-traordinarily simple: it’s to make thoughts visible.”

Quotes from Wikipedia and “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz (Copyright © 2005 Don Miguel Ruiz & Don Jose Luis Ruiz)

ASIAN JOURNALThe first Asian-Filipino weekly in Southern CaliforniaAn 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 ev-ery 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 sub-missions. 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...

Miles is Assistant to the Dean and Assistant Professor in the Shirley Hufstedler School of Education at Alliant International University where he teaches new media and diverse writing courses. He has been with the Asian Journal since the 1990’s.

by Miles Beauchamp

Perspectives

8th of a Series on Bi- or Multicultural Children

“I am not satisfied with being a cultural alienist. I was whitewashed because I know very little about the Filipino culture, the history of its people, cur-rent events, and the coun-try. After meeting other Filipino-American peers and learning about the culture it brings me to a better understanding and more complete feeling of who I am as a person. I grew up only knowing one side of who I am and not fully understanding the other. Having these dual connections in both the American and Filipino cultures, I feel that I am becoming more bicultural and I am able to blend the two cultures.”

Darder’s sphere of bicultural-ism is a grid that was created to show immigrant parents and their children the four responses that they encounter when trying to acculturate into the dominant American culture. These immi-grants have a dominant Ameri-

can culture and their Filipino subordinate culture showing either domination or resistance with these two cultures. Fur-thermore, these immigrants fall into one of four groups: cultural alienation, cultural negotiation, cultural dualism, and cultural separatism.

Cultural alienist is described as an immigrant who is mov-ing away from the tensions and conflicts that are brought up

A Cultural AlienistGuest Writer : Brian Myers

as being a Filipino, and often leaving this person to be called “whitewashed or coconuts”. Cultural separatist is an immi-grant who moves away from the problems and concerns of being an American, so these individu-als are often called “FOB’s” or “fresh off the boat”. A cultural dualist acknowledges both cul-tures, but still avoids and denies the tensions and contradictions that further result in conflicts; moreover, these individuals will join Filipino groups to show their acknowledgment of their dual cultures. Cultural negotiator is an individual who are contend-

ing with their cultural differences and conflicts of being both Fili-pino and American, and further strive for bicultural affirmation.

After reviewing Darder’s sphere and learning about the four groups of biculturalism, I place myself into the cultural alienation group. This group stands out to me because I have been called “whitewashed” many times by other Filipinos. I was

“whitewashed” because I was always being corrected when pronouncing words in Tagalog, not knowing about foods, and not having the same interests as other Filipino-American youths, such as, street racing and hip-hop. Furthermore, I know very little about the Filipino culture, the history of its people, current events, and the country. I further believe that I belong to this group because I surround myself completely in the domination side of the sphere to the domi-nant American culture. I am half German and half Filipino and live in an area of San Diego that has little to no population or community of Filipino, so I liter-ally do feel alienated from other Filipino people.

In my entire life I feel that I have been a part of this quadrant of Darder’s sphere. My mother was from the Philippines and immigrated here to the United States after meeting my father, while he was in the Navy. I feel that my mother had to give up a lot of her culture when marry-ing my father because he is of German descent, and she had to assimilate to American lifestyle. With my mother assimilating to American lifestyle I feel this had a direct impact on my loss of Filipino culture; moreover, I feel that because my father is German he had a further impact on my loss of Filipino culture because of his strong desire for me to be a “full American”.

The little Ilocano I was taught as a kid, my father made me forget as I got older because he felt it was not important since we were in America. Growing up in my area of San Diego I had no other Filipino friends and the schools I attended had no Fili-pino programs or classes being taught. The few family friends that my mother introduced me to through her Santo Nino prayer

groups I was taught to call “Auntie” and “Uncle”; however, this trait did not carry with me outside of people my mother introduced me to.

My mother is Roman Catholic and my father is Protestant, so religion was not something put into my life growing up and had little exposure to Filipinos and religion. My grandparents on my mother’s side did live with us for a while, but I never called them “lolo” or “lola”; moreover, the language barrier between us had kept me from ever getting to know them well. All I ever knew about my grandfather was that he served under General MacArthur in WWII and that he lied about his age, so he could enlist. My entire life I was alien-ated from anything that had to do with “being a Filipino” and this kept me in the dominant Ameri-can culture.

I am not satisfied with being a cultural alienist and I feel I am moving into another direction towards the cultural dualist and negotiation group of the sphere. After high school I started meet-ing other Filipino-Americans who further introduced me into the cultures. Although it is not directly the Filipino culture that I am getting exposed to, yet I feel I am learning something just by being around other Filipino-Americans. Throughout the past couple years I have attended FilAm events, with my son, in Paradise Hills and Balboa Park to try and learn something about my Filipino culture, and to expose my son early while growing up. I have met new groups of people and friends that are Filipino-Americans and have been exposed to youth issues among them, such as: street rac-ing, gangs, young people having children, and drug usage.

Recently, I have started watch-

ing TFC with my mother from time to time to watch the game shows, see the news, and mov-ies that are being shown in Filipino communities, and even though I do not fully understand the language I still want to be exposed to the culture. Another example of trying to change my Darder’s sphere group, is that I have just transferred to San Diego State University and one of the first classes I have taken is Asian Studies 460: Contempo-rary Issues in Filipino-American Communities to try and learn something more about myself and my Filipino culture. I would also like to take Tagalog classes so I can understand and finally speak it so I can really feel com-fortable stepping in and out of both cultures.

After meeting other Filipino-American peers and learning about the culture it brings me to a better understanding and more complete feeling of who I am as a person. I grew up only know-ing one side of who I am and not fully understanding the other. Having these dual connections in both the American and Filipino cultures I feel that I am becom-ing more bicultural and I am able to blend within the two; how-ever, I feel that I am still strongly tied as a cultural alienist and will never fully get away from that group.

About the Author

Brian Myers is a junior major-ing in Chemistry at San Diego State University. He is also a student of Dr. Ofelia Dirige in Asian Studies 460, “Contempo-rary Issues in Filipino American Communities” at SDSU.

=======


Brian Myers with parents

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San Diego News

Beginning April 15 at 9 p.m., there will be no Trolley service be-tween the Palomar Street and 24th Street Trolley stations. Southbound Trolley service will terminate at the 24th Street Trolley Station and resume at the Palomar Street Trol-ley Station. All stations will reopen for the start of service on Monday, April 18.

Two bus services will be avail-able for riders:

Trolley Shuttles will serve the Palomar Street, H Street, E Street and 24th Street Trol-ley stations. This shuttle will run in both directions.

Trolley Express will operate non-stop between the 24th Street and San Ysidro Trolley stations in both directions.

The bus services run every 8-15 minutes during normal Trolley ser-vice hours. Regular Trolley service will resume in time for the start of service on Monday. Trolley service may resume earlier if construction is finished. Listen for train an-nouncements on Sunday evenings.

Blue Line Closed from Palomar Street to 24th Street this Weekend

Final weekend of Express bus service from San Ysidro to 24th Street. This will be the last weekend

of Express bus service from 24th Street Trolley Station to the San Ysidro Transit Center. Next week-end, April 22-25, the Express bus service will run between E Street and the 12th & Imperial Transit Center.

Trolley tickets, day passes, or monthly passes are required to board the Trolley Shuttle and Trol-ley Express bus services. No tick-ets are sold on board these buses.

When complete, the Blue Line will be transformed with new sta-tion platforms, passenger shelters, new low-floor trolleys, next arrival information and more.

The construction schedule for the next three weekends is:

April 15-17: Blue Line closed be-tween Palomar St. and 24th Street.

April 22-24: Blue Line closed be-tween E Street and 12th & Imperial

April 29 – May 1: Blue Line closed between E Street and 12th & Imperial

MTS encourages riders to expect delays and give themselves extra

time when traveling. Riders can find out more in-

formation online at www.sdmts.com/TrolleyRenewal.asp or by calling the bilingual hotline at 619.557.4533. During weekend closures, station ambassadors will be at the closed stations to direct and help riders.

MTS encourages riders to expect delays and give themselves extra time when traveling.

By Regina Garcia | SAN DIEGO, CA , 4/8/2011 - On March 26th approxi-mately over

20,000 San Diego youngsters all had one thing in common? The children and the parents were having fun at the largest cel-ebration science festival on the west coast. It was held at the Petco Park, 100 Park Boulevard in downtown. The National Science Foundation sponsored the event.

The grand finale event was a spectacular way of learning a com-

San Diego Fil-Am Kids Explore Science Expobination of many elements of sci-ence, technology, engineering and mathematics at Petco Park. This event started from March 19th up to the 26th in locations such as Balboa Park; San Diego State University; University of Califor-nia, San Diego; K-12 schools and many others.

One mestiza child with multiple descents of Latina, Chinese, Ger-man and Filipina American was the nine-year-old Angie Garcia enthusiastically said, “I enjoyed seeing volcanoes erupt and watch all manner of materials burst into flames. It even disappeared with a flash.”

The expo day of the San Diego Science Festival not only had the kinds of fantastic displays that got “oohs” and “aahs” from the kids and adults alike but it topped it off with over a hundred hands-on ex-hibits to dip and dabble and learn at will for all that were interested in science.

Promising young scientists were able to create their very own non-Newtonian fluids. The attendees even had the opportunity to feel the hearts of different animals, hold snakes, lizards and giant cockroaches. They also built

ePassport Processing Extended to

10 Weeks

Los Angeles, 8 April 2011 – In view of the prolonged technical problems being encountered in the processing of and the surge in demand for the ePassport, the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles regrets to inform the public that the waiting time is further extended to ten (10) weeks and that the following Consular Outreach Programs are temporarily postponed:

1. National City, California on 30 April-1 May 2011;

2. Phoenix, Arizona on 21-22 May 2011; and,

3. Las Vegas, Nevada on 28-30 May 2011

Passport applicants are advised to plan their travel accordingly.

Applicants, who wish to renew their valid passports, may opt to have their passports extended for another two years.

Those without immediate travel plans are requested to defer their ePassport applications until the situation normalizes or

We apologize for the inconve-nience caused by the delays, es-pecially to our overseas Filipino workers, but we would like to assure the public that we are ex-erting our best efforts to resolve the issues as soon as possible.

The Consulate wishes to appeal for patience and understanding on this matter.

An open house wil be held to gather public input on the de-sign for the new Horton Plaza on Thursday, April 21, 2011.

Centre City Develop-ment Corporation (CCDC) is expanding and reactivat-ing Horton Plaza, a histori-cally significant regional asset located adjacent to the West-field Horton Plaza Shopping Center.

CCDC is partnering with the Walker Macy design team to develop a space that will strengthen the fabric of the com-munity by creating a gathering place for San Diego County residents and visitors alike.

The new Horton Plaza will be ap-proximately the size of an entire city block and will host more than 200 civic

events and community celebra-tions each year.

The public is welcome anytime between 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm to learn about the design pro-cess for the new Horton Plaza, explore other successful public squares, and discuss their vision of the new Horton Plaza.

How Do You Picture the New Horton Plaza?

Presentations by the design team will begin from 5:45 pm and end at 7:00 pm.

The open house will be held at the former Robinsons-May building via the entrance on

the corner of Fourth Avenue and Broadway in the West-field Horton Plaza Shopping Center, 97 Horton Plaza, San Diego, CA 92101

The project is a result of a partnership between CCDC, working on behalf of the City of San Diego’s Redevelop-ment Agency, and Westfield Horton Plaza. The new Horton

Plaza is part of the adopted 2006 Downtown Community Plan, which guides the develop-ment of urban parks and open spaces and historical resources in the downtown area.

Please note that the CCDC will not be discussing business and/or contracting opportunities in this meeting.

Temporary Postponement of Consular Outreach Programs

April 15 - 17



by Atty. Susan V. Perez

Immigration 911

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

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

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

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

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

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

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SAN DIEGO, 4/15/2011 -- William Shakespeare once said “The courses of true love never did run smooth”. In marriage adjustment cases, couples could face difficulties and potential de-nials despite true love. There are numerous factors that can make it hard to prove that the marriage was bona fide or true. A couple may be forced to live separately due to employment or economic reasons. While separate cohabi-tation cannot be the sole basis for denial, it can be relevant in determining the true nature of the marriage. When the parties have a big difference in age, they are more likely to be bombarded with questions by the adjudicat-ing officer.

In marriage cases, before the US Citizenship and Immigra-tion Services (USCIS) grants the foreign national a permanent green card, the couple is given an interview. When it’s time for this interview, it is necessary for the lawyers to prepare their clients especially in difficult marriage cases such as big age difference, couple living separately, etc. Good documentation is key to a successful interview. Documents have to be checked for consisten-cy and authenticity. It is a good practice to have a mock inter-view with the parties separately. After completing the separate interview, the lawyer should go over the discrepancies with the parties and try to find out why their answers are inconsistent. Inconsistencies on answers made by the parties are often the basis for denial. It is the attorney’s duty to make sure that the parties are able to communicate well in English and understand the lan-guage. If they don’t, the lawyer should arrange for an interpreter. While lawyers are allowed to be present during the interview, they should not be utilized as the in-terpreter. The role of the lawyer is to ensure that the clients’ legal rights are protected.

In cases involving suspected

Adjustment Of Status Based On Marriage

sham marriage, the parties are interviewed separately and usu-ally videotaped. The questions are very personal such as health of the other spouse, hobbies, friends, scars, birth marks, sleep-ing habits, banking habits, eating habits, and other day-to-day ac-tivities. The adjudicator will test how well the parties know each other and why they got married in the first place. The adjudicator should not be concerned about the viability of the marriage. The adjudicator is not supposed to ask inappropriate questions and the attorney can object to these questions.

What happens when the inter-view goes wrong? Several things can happen. First, the adjudica-tor can declare the interview as concluded and send the parties notice of intent to deny the ad-justment application. Parties will be given the chance to respond to the notice and explain incon-sistencies in their answers. The case can also be referred to the Fraud Detection and National Security Unit who will conduct an extensive investigation.

A finding of marriage fraud bars the approval of subsequent immigrant visa petition. For example, if after the adjust-ment application is denied based on marriage fraud, the foreign national gets divorced and remar-ried another U.S. citizen. Even if the second marriage is bona fide or true, the foreign national would generally be ineligible to get a green card based on that second marriage.

The foreign national will also be ineligible to get an immi-grant visa based on employ-ment. Worse, he or she can be deported. Because of the harsh consequence of a marriage fraud

finding, it is imperative that the foreign national contest the finding and win the case on appeal.

We welcome your feedback. If you have any immigration questions, please feel wel-come to email me at [email protected] or call 619 819 -8648 to arrange for a telephone consultation.

Reese to name a few. As well as renowned guests including, CNN Hero of the Year Efren Penaflorida, GK Founder Antonio Meloto, and Vice President of the Philippines Jejomar Binay, and more!

On April 30th, partners and beneficiaries will connect LIVE via Skype at the ball. It’s not too late to be a part of this momentous event! Be the bearer of hope. Make a difference that lasts a lifetime. Be part of a living legacy. Then, come celebrate the vic-tory with us in Las Vegas!.

Follow @gkusaorg on Twitter. Ticket Sales: Aileen - (619) 921-9355; Myrna - (619) 885-3081; Tina - (858) 480-5770

Hope is Rising as the Hope Ball draws near…

(Posted in GK USA on March 31, 2011 by mvil-lanueva) The site in Bagong Silang recommended to be the GK USA Hope Village, is a resettlement project of the National Housing Authority (NHA). In 1997, 245 families were relocated to the area and were given temporary hous-ing, however, the project to build the permanent dwelling never materialized. At present time, NHA has approached Gawad Kalinga to build the permanent home structures.

GK Hope Ball in Las Vegas,

April 30

Of the 150 homes GK USA will build in the Hope Village, 8 homes have been complet-ed, 52 have been funded with more on the way through this historic endeavor.

Witness the completion of the homes and meet the families who have been helped via Skype at the The Philippine Hope Ball on April 30th!



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by Jerry Salcedo

Identity theft occurs when someone uses an unsuspecting individual’s name, Social Secu-rity number, credit card number or other personal information without permission to commit fraud or other crimes. For ex-ample, a criminal can use some-one else’s information to run up bills on that person’s credit card, empty that person’s bank account or take out a loan in that person’s name. And when it comes to taxes, a criminal with someone else’s personal information can file a fraudulent tax return and collect a refund.

Phishing is one tactic used by scam artists to trick unsuspecting victims into revealing personal or financial information online. Phishing involves the use of phony e-mail or websites -- even

social media. A scammer may pose as an institution such as the IRS. IRS impersonation schemes flourish during tax season. Spyware, which can be loaded onto an unsuspecting taxpayer’s computer by opening an e-mail attachment or clicking on a link, is another tool identity thieves use to steal personal information.

Identity theft is a major prob-lem that affects many people each year. That’s why it’s impor-tant that taxpayers protect their personal information. Anyone who believes his or her personal information has been stolen and used for tax purposes should immediately contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 1-800-908-4490. More information on identity theft and taxes is available on the IRS website.

A suspicious e-mail or an “IRS” Web address that does not

begin with http://www.irs.gov should be forwarded to the IRS at [email protected].

Return Preparer FraudWhile most return preparers are

professionals who provide hon-est and excellent service to their clients, some make basic errors or engage in fraud and other il-legal activities.

Dishonest return preparers can cause big trouble for taxpayers who fall victim to their ploys. These fraudsters derive ben-efit by skimming a portion of their clients’ refunds, charging inflated fees for return prepara-tion services and attracting new clients by making false promises. Taxpayers should choose care-fully when hiring a tax pre-parer. Federal courts have issued hundreds of injunctions ordering individuals to cease preparing returns, and the Department of Justice has pending complaints against dozens of others.

To increase confidence in the tax system and improve compli-ance with the tax law, the IRS is implementing a number of

requirements for paid tax pre-parers, including registration with the IRS and a preparer tax identification number (PTIN), as well as competency tests and ongoing continuing professional education.

The new regulations require paid tax preparers (including attorneys, CPAs, and enrolled agents) to apply for a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) before preparing any federal tax returns in 2011.

Higher standards for the tax preparer community will result in greater compliance with tax laws, increase confidence in the tax system and ultimately lead to a better experience for taxpayers.

San Bernardino Preparer Sentenced to Serve 5 ½ Years in Federal Prison – Robert Dean Larsen, a tax return preparer who operated a return preparation business in Apple Valley, was sentenced on February 7, 2011 to spend 66 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges that he conspired to defraud the United States and that he aided and assisted in the preparation of false tax returns.

Larsen, who operated Larsen’s Tax Pros at various locations in San Bernardino County and operated Laza’s Tax Service in Apple Valley, admitted in his plea agreement that, from 2002 to 2006, tax return preparers at

his businesses filed at least 1,162 tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service that were false claiming refunds totaling over $3.6 million.

Filing False or Misleading Forms

IRS personnel are seeing various instances in which scam artists file false or misleading returns to claim refunds to which they are not entitled. In one vari-ation of this scheme, a taxpayer seeks a refund by fabricating an information return and falsely claiming the corresponding amount as withholding. Phony information returns, such as a Form 1099 Original Issue Dis-count (OID), which claims false withholding credits, are usually used to legitimize erroneous refund claims. One version of the scheme is based on the bogus theory that the federal govern-ment maintains secret accounts for its citizens and that taxpayers can gain access to funds in those accounts by issuing 1099-OID forms to their creditors, includ-ing the IRS.

The IRS continues to see in-stances in which people file false or fraudulent tax returns to try to obtain improper tax refunds. The IRS takes refund fraud seriously, has programs to aggressively combat it and stops the vast ma-jority of incorrect refunds.

Because scammers often use

information from family or friends in filing false or fraudu-lent returns, beware of requests for such data. Don’t fall prey to people who encourage you to claim deductions or credits you are not entitled to or willingly allow others to use your infor-mation to file false returns. If you are a party to such schemes, you could be liable for financial penalties or even face criminal prosecution.

Frivolous ArgumentsPromoters of frivolous schemes

encourage people to make unrea-sonable and outlandish claims to avoid paying the taxes they owe. The IRS has a list of frivolous legal positions that taxpayers should avoid. These arguments are false and have been thrown out of court. While taxpayers have the right to contest their tax liabilities in court, no one has the right to disobey the law or IRS guidance.

Nontaxable Social Security Benefits with Exaggerated Withholding Credit

The IRS has identified returns where taxpayers report nontax-able Social Security Benefits with excessive withholding. This tactic results in no income reported to the IRS on the tax re-turn. Often both the withholding amount and the reported income



SAN DIEGO, 4/15/2011 -- LIMRA International, a global as-sociation that provides research to almost 850 insurance and financial services companies, revealed the following statistics in its 2005 Life Insurance Ownership Study: 24 million U.S. households (22%) have no life insurance protec-tion. Among households that have individual life insurance, almost half only carry coverage on some household members. Almost one-third of adults have no life insurance protection-a statistic that hasn’t changed in two decades. These are astounding statistics in light of the study’s additional, seemingly contrary findings: approximately three-fourths of Americans agree life insurance is the best way to protect against the premature death of a primary wage earner; and further, life insurance rated higher than all other assets or income Americans expect to use to pay bills and maintain their lifestyle if a primary wage earner dies.

IF THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF OWNING LIFE INSURANCE, why do so many hesitate to obtain coverage? The

Alarming Number of Households Overlook

Life Insurancereasons have much to do with the industry’s perception in recent years. As more and more Ameri-cans look to the stock market to build their fortune, insurance carri-ers have jumped on the bandwag-on, touting the investment aspect of life insurance. Unfortunately, this type of comparison has only served to highlight life insurance as a lesser-quality investment. Another reason for life insurance’s poor public image is the volume of publicity given to lawsuits against some heavy industry hitters in the recent past. Such stories exacer-bated the mistrust Americans feel toward large corporations and have made them wary of falling victim to hurtful corporate ethics.

Finally, with the advent of the two-paycheck household, Ameri-cans are less dependent on a single primary wage earner than in the past. They believe that if one spouse dies, the surviving spouse will have enough money, between salary and other financial assets, to sustain the family’s previous lifestyle.

DESPITE THESE REASONS, life insurance may not be the old-fashioned safety net of bygone times many Americans assume

it to be. Death benefits can pro-vide for a number of unforeseen consequences that stem from a spouse’s death, such as having the funds to continue mortgage payments or college tuition bills. At first, it may seem like a better idea to invest in the stock mar-ket rather than pay life insurance premiums, but equity investments should never be viewed as a direct substitute for life insurance. Equi-ties fluctuate, and a strong bear market can quickly erode any gains seen when the bulls were riding high. And it isn’t only the market that’s precarious; sadly, life can be unpredictable, too: a person may not die at the time when a portfolio contains adequate assets to support the family. Life insurance offers a predictable death benefit amount regardless of current market condi-tions. Please do not wait until it’s too late to consult an Insurance Agent. Feel free to contact me for a free consultative review of your insurance needs at 877-260-7104.

ADDITIONALLY, EVEN IF YOUR FAMILY’S STOCK PORT-FOLIO IS BURGEONING, that abundance is likely to be taxed when assets are liquidated. The death benefit on a life insurance policy is passed income tax-free to the beneficiary, and with some sound financial planning, this money may well be passed along free of estate taxes too.

In short, the value of a life insur-ance death benefit shouldn’t be overlooked when planning for your family’s welfare after you’re gone. In fact, life insurance may be the most vital source of cash support for your family while they’re cop-ing with your loss. This support may ultimately mean the differ-ence between continuing a life that’s more familiar, rather than surrendering much of what they’re accustomed to.


NOTES: v1

CLIENT: SPSR

PUB: Asian Journal

TRIM: 13” x 10.5” BLEED: 0” VERSION: 1 COLOR: 4-color

JOB #: 11-SPSR-0184

PUB DATE: March 2011

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Today’s Lifestyle

A father’s quest for the per-fect study environment lead to founding a company dedicated to home furnishings that change color on-the-fly and grow with a child’s needs – all while provid-ing ergonomic health benefits

It began as a quest – not a holy one but rather a scholastic one. Roger Lin was concerned for his daughter’s educational well-being. Recognizing that chil-dren (including his own) were spending less time outdoors and more time inside – whether it be studying, playing video games, watching reality TV or social-izing on Facebook or one of the dozens of other cyber hotspots du jour – Roger was concerned that this shift in the way children

For one dad, health and education did not take a back seat when it

came to his child’s scholastic needs

Roger Lin talks about ergonomics and pos-ture on KTLA 5. Better Furniture May Help Kids Get Better Grades, Dave Malkoff Re-ports

spend their days might be im-pacting their physical health and, by extension, their educational

growth. With the fierce competi-tion today’s youth are faced with, children today are under greater pressure than ever before to do whatever it takes to succeed. To make sure that his own daugh-ter had the optimal home setup to encourage a healthful study environment (especially since she’ll be spending over 10,000 hours of study between now and

when she, hopefully, goes off to college), Roger began re-searching furniture and chair systems that would offer the latest innovations in ergonomics and isometrics.

After an exhaus-tive, and fruitless, search in the US, he expanded his search to Europe. Eventu-ally his perseverance paid off when he came across research papers from leading experts on ergonom-

ics expounding the virtues of a unique line of furniture from moll Funktionsmöbel GmbH, a German craftsman company with a reputation for quality dating back to 1925. After much dialogue, he was sold – so much so that he decided to found a company in the US called Posture in Style <http://www.pos-

tureinstyle.com/> which would be dedicated to bringing this innovative line to America – not just for his daughter, but for all families who share his concern for their children’s health and scholastic well-being.

Left : Asian Journal columnist Rudy D. Liporada wants to learn how to use the nunchucks (chaco) which Bruce Lee learned from a Filipino, Dan Inosanto. Right: Denden Dominguez who enrolled primar-ily for self defense trains under Joe Cardenas, a septeguenarian, who is still as agile as a teenager.

Martial Arts Expert Joe Cardenas shows how its done

Arnis provides not only a way to protect oneself but also a holistic exercise regimen guaran-teed to improve cardio-vascular conditioning for enhanced blood circulation to include supplying

blood to the brain. Such exercises also prevent

hardening of arteries and make them pliable to ward off strokes. Moreover, it helps in muscle ton-ing to enhance physical condi-

tioning - lowering of cholesterol and increased metabolism.

For more health benefit infor-mation on Arnis, one can call Joe Cardenas at 619-339-1418.

TODAY’S LIFESTYLE By Ardee Lee, Asian Journal | SAN DIEGO, 4/15/2011 -- From the time Asian Journal published articles on Joe Cardenas, ad-herents to his anti-aging regi-men has trickled into his newly established Arnis-Martial Arts Academy. It is expected that he would have more students in the nearest future. Known to have contributed to the evolution of Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kun Do, Carde-nas is now a septuagenarian but is as agile as a teenager when it comes to executing his Arnis, Sikaran (kickboxing), Muay Thai

Arnis, an Anti-Aging Alternative

and other martial arts techniques.His philosophy is simple. “Eat

right, exercise right, rest right and you do not need a fountain

of youth to stay and feel young.”While he could go on and on

talking about eating right and resting right, he is always ready to show you exercise regimens that would not only tone your body but let every sinew within you maximize the distribution of the proper nutrients that you ingest for proper nourishment.

On his exercise modules, mar-

tial art techniques come to the fore. “You are not only exercis-ing but also acquiring the social skills of defending yourself, developing self confidence and character.”

Among all his skills, his fa-vorite and forte is on the Arnis or Kali sticks. Also called Mano


Arnis in Pop Culture and Dance. Pinoy Arnis legend Dan Inosanto is credited with teaching Martial Arts and movie star Bruce Lee arnis de mano, a Filipino martial art form reflected in a folk dance called moro-moro.

Arnis-Kali-Escrima Sticks are mostly used for sparring



By Charlie Lagasca (The Phil-ippine Star) | BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. neither confirmed nor denied reports about his sup-posed Australian half-sister who was said to have been dropped from an Australian home make-over show for being the daughter of the late strongman.

“We have been hearing those rumors for more than 20 years now,” was all the senator, son and namesake of the late Presi-dent Marcos, could say about his supposed half-sister, Analisa Josefa Hegyesi, a 40-year-old interior designer.

The young Marcos was in this Ilocano-dominated landlocked province Friday as keynote speaker in the 20th commence-ment exercises of the Program-ming Language Technique

Bongbong mum on Australian half-sister

College Inc.Hegyesi’s mother, former

Playboy model Evelin Hegyesi, reportedly had an affair with the former strongman in the 1970s when she was 19 years old.

The young Hegyesi carried the second name Josefa, which is the first name of Marcos’ mother.

Last month, Hegyesi, who re-ports said was born in 1971, told the Australian media that she had been removed from the reality show “The Renovators” after she revealed being Marcos’ daugh-ter following months of rigid auditions. The show’s producers denied this.

In an earlier report, Bombo Radyo Laoag City quoted Sen. Marcos’ eldest sister, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, as saying that rumors have been circulating for years about their father’s other children.

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

$50

CALEXICO, CA- U.S. Cus-toms and Border Protection officers at the Calexico down-town port of entry seized close to $400,000 dollars in concealed U.S. currency and $761,000 worth of narcotics during out-bound and inbound port opera-tions.

The three unrelated incidents took place over the weekend where CBP officers prevented 79 pounds of narcotics from entering the U.S. and intercepted $398,269 dollars in concealed currency from leaving the U.S.

The first incident occurred at about 6:00 a.m. on Friday, April 8th, when a 28-year-old male Mexican citizen driving a black 1991 Mazda Miata was escorted for further examination after a canine alerted to vehicle as the driver waited for inspection.

An intensive inspection of the vehicle led officers to the discov-ery of 21 wrapped packages of cocaine hidden inside a specially built compartment behind the back rest of the rear seats. The weight of the cocaine was 54 pounds with a street value of ap-proximately $486,000.

The driver, a resident of Mexicali, Baja California, was arrested for the alleged narcotic smuggling attempt and turned over to the custody of U.S. Im-migration and Customs Enforce-

CBP Officers at Calexico Port Seize U.S. Currency and $761,000 worth of

Narcotics over the Weekendment (ICE) agents for further processing.

The second incident occurred on the same day at about 9:15 p.m. when officers with the port’s Anti-Terrorism Contra-band Enforcement Team (A-TCET) conducting outbound operations targeted a 30-year-old male U.S. citizen driving a white 1999 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck for an intensive inspection.

The intensive examination that

included a detector dog and the x-ray imaging system led officers to the discovery of 16 wrapped bundles of undeclared currency hidden inside the truck’s spare tire. A total of $395,780 in U.S. currency was retrieved from the spare tire with an additional $2,489 in U.S. currency that was on the driver’s person.

CBP officers arrested the driver and turned him over to the custody of ICE agents for further investigation.

The third incident occurred at about 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 10, when a canine team was screening vehicles and the canine alerted to a black 2001 Honda Accord as it waited in line for inspection. Both the driver, a 25-year-old female U.S. citizen, and vehicle were escorted for further examination.

An intensive inspection on the vehicle led officers to the dis-

covery of 24 wrapped packages of methamphetamine concealed inside a non-factory compart-ment underneath the rear seats. The weight of the narcotic was 25 pounds with a street value of approximately $275,000.

CBP officers placed the driver, a resident of Los Angeles, California, under arrest for the alleged importation of narcotics into the U.S.

In all three incidents, the drivers were transported to the Imperial County Jail where they currently await arraignment.

CBP seized the narcotics, cur-rency and vehicles.

It is a federal offense not to declare currency or monetary instruments totaling more than $10,000 to a CBP officer upon entry or exit from the U.S. or to conceal it with intent to evade reporting requirements. Failure to declare may result in seizure of the currency and/or arrest. –CBP–

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation’s bor-ders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and ter-riost weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

SAVE THE DATE!!!!!!!!!!!!

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A Cultural Alienist

Hello Attorney,

I have a father in law who is 55 years old and he is also a Philippine lawyer. He has been a permanent resident of the United States for 4 years. We, in the family, tried to convince him to apply for American citizenship but he is afraid that he might be disbarred as lawyer in the Philippines. We also told him that he can be a dual citizen but he is still hesitant. He loves be-ing a Filipino, and he also loves to become an American citizen. Above all, he wants to continue his practice as a lawyer in the Philippines someday.

My question is this, under the present law, can my father-in-law avail of dual citizenship (as an American and a Filipino) without losing his right to prac-tice law in the Philippines?

Thank you.

Donita

Dear Donita,

Thank you for your email. Your question is something close to my heart because like your father-in-law, I also love prac-ticing law in the Philippines. It is really gratifying to serve our kababayans. Nothing compares to the satisfaction of seeing their happy faces.

Let us discuss the requirements for a dual citizen to be allowed to resume his or her profession in the Philippines. Hopefully, this will help your father-in-law decide on whether he will push through with his citizenship (and later, dual citizenship) applica-tion.

Republic Act No. 9225, other-wise known as the “Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003” says that a dual citizen is fully restored of all his civil and political rights, including the right to resume the practice

Dual Citizens May Continue Practice Of Profession

of one’s profession. Section 5 of RA 9225 says that “Those intending to practice their pro-fession in the Philippines shall apply with the proper authority for a license or permit to engage in such practice.”

In the case of your father-in-law, he may resume his law practice in the Philippines, but he must first be re-admitted by the Philippine Supreme Court. He loses his standing as a lawyer once he becomes a foreigner be-cause the practice of a profession in the Philippines is reserved only for Filipinos. Reassuming Filipino citizenship as a dual citizen does not by itself brings back his right to practice law. The Supreme Court will consider the merits of each petition based on the attorney’s record. The application will be in the form of a formal petition filed in the Supreme Court.

Aside from getting readmission from the Supreme Court, your father-in-law will be required to be updated in his manda-tory continuing legal education (MCLE) in the Philippines. Cur-rent Supreme Court rules allow only MCLE-compliant attorneys to sign pleadings in court and to practice law. Filipino attorneys must complete thirty six MCLE units every three years. How-ever, for good cause, a member may request for exemption or extension with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. Actually, attending the MCLE seminars is quite difficult for US-based attorneys because personal pres-ence is required. Once in a while, MCLE providers in the Philip-pines come to the United States to offer the seminar but the fees are understandably substantial and the venue quite far so many US-based attorneys like me prefer to just take the seminars in the Philippines.

This is not to discourage your

father-in-law. I am quite sure that if he possesses a good track record with no disqualifications, and considering the length of time he has been an attorney, the Philippine Supreme Court will not find it difficult to grant his petition.

Please extend my warmest pro-fessional compliments to your father-in-law.

Sincerely,

Atty. Karagdag

About Atty. Karagdag, Jr.

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 ad-dress is located at 10717 Camino Ruiz, Suite 131, San Diego, CA 92126. 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/(858)536-4292 or email him at [email protected]. He speaks Tagalog fluently. Articles written in this column are not legal advice but are hypotheticals intended as general, non-specific legal infor-mation. Readers must seek legal consultation before taking any legal steps.


Complicated Affairs

by Simeon G. Silverio Jr.Read the series Complicated Affairs by Sim Silverio by book-

marking the link www.asianjournalusa.com/complicatedaffairs

Chapter 13

Ever since his friend Joey planted the idea of visiting

the seedy bars of Plar-idel in his mind, Monte could not concentrate on his golf game, the very reason he had gone to the Philippines in the first place. The lure of sleep-ing with young girls, as Joey was doing, was a nagging and bothersome temptation he simply could not dismiss.

On the third day, when he learned Joey and his friends were planning to spend the night in Tagaytay, he saw a chance to visit the bars without any of his friends knowing. He did not want Joey to be aware of his plan in order to limit the possibility of the information reaching his wife in New York, where Joey and his family also lived.

From his Makati Hotel, he took the LRT train to Grace Park and boarded a jeepney bound for Baliwag, Bulacan. He got off in Plaridel, asking a tricycle driver to take him to the section of the town where the bars were located. It was still early, about seven o’clock in the evening. There were few customers in the first bar he entered. Immediately, a bevy of young girls, all dressed in skimpy clothes with plunging necklines, approached him. He was overwhelmed, for everyone wanted to drink with him. Loud music played in the air. With the dim light, he could hardly visualize the girls, except for the

Their Only ChanceCOMPLICATED AFFAIRS

flashing reflections of the light on their faces, arms and legs. He sat on a chair beside one table; three of the more attractive girls managed to grab the vacant seats around it, the others leaving frus-trated. Monte let the three stay.

He could hardly hear what the girls were saying as the music drowned out their voices. A wait-er approached him and asked for his order. He got a beer while the three had their ladies drinks. Two of them sat closer to him, caress-ing his arms. He could smell the cheap perfume from their body.

“What’s your name?” one of them asked.

He hesitated at first, eventually giving the name of his friend Danny. He wanted to hide his identity, afraid his dalliance might reach his wife.

Half-naked young girls took turns dancing to the loud music on the stage. It was a far cry from the time when Monte was a young man. Back then, such immoral displays were unimagi-nable. After several drinks, one of the girls whispered to Monte’s ear.

“Why don’t you get a VIP room, so we can have privacy?”

“Why?” he asked.“So you can do anything you

want.”Monte agreed as he was both-

ered by the loud music. It would mean an extra 1,000 peso charge. Inside the room, he could still see the dancing girls through a one-way mirror. People outside could not see them. At last, with the noise subsiding, Monte could engage in a conversation with the girls.

“You know Danny, you are different from our other custom-ers,” one of the girls told him.

“Why?” Monte asked.“You can do as you please to

us; no one will bother you. We can even go all the way for a

fee.”Monte understood what she

meant.“How much?” he asked out of

curiosity.“A thousand pesos (about

$20),” the girl replied. The two others beside her were smiling. “For the three of us, we can give you a discount. We will just share two thousand among us.”

But Monte was not interested. For some reason, he was not attracted to them, although they were pretty and sexy enough. Being almost the same age as his four sons, they were just too young for him. Though he did not have a daughter, the idea of being with them made him felt guilty, for they were like daugh-ters to him.

“That’s alright,” Monte told the girls. “I will give you a thousand pesos each anyway.”

The girls were impressed.“So why did you come here?”

one of them asked.“I was just curious,” he replied.“Are you sure?” Flor, one of

the girls, was persistent. “Are we not pretty enough for you?”

“You are,” he replied. “But I look at you as I would my daughters.”

“Do you have any?”“No, but I have four boys,

all your age. And if I did have daughters, they would be just like you.”

“Can we order more drinks?” one of them asked.

“You have had five already,” Monte said. “How much more can you take?”

Finally, the girls confessed they earned a commission for every drink they consumed. The commissions plus the fees from customers who “go all the way” would be their take for the night.

“Don’t drink anymore,” Monte told them. “I will just give you the cost of ten drinks for the night. You won’t have to share it with the club so you can earn more.”

The girls were pleased. “You are God-sent,” they said.Monte spent the rest of the

evening talking to the girls. He discovered each had her own sad story to tell. They all came from poor families and were forced to take the job to survive.

“Why don’t you get a decent job?” he asked them. “It is im-moral to sell your body. “

“We tried, but none are avail-able,” Lisa said.

“Maybe you are choosy.”“No, I am not. I have been

looking for a job for years, but this is all I could find.”

Monte believed her. The Phil-ippines is such a poor country that millions of people are out of work. The politicians are helping themselves with the country’s coffers at the expense of the people whom they are supposed

to serve. This has been going on since the Filipinos gained their independence from the Americans. When they gov-erned themselves, graft and corruption in the government had been the standard prac-tice. The politicians no longer care for the poor as they take advantage of their positions to enrich themselves.

“We had no chance at all to find any jobs available out there,” Chiqui agreed. “We will be the last to be hired for whatever few jobs available as we are not educated. The three of us did not even go to high school.”

“Being a sales associate in a department store does not

require a high school education,” Monte said.

“Do you know how much those salesgirls make?” asked Lisa. “They are lucky to be paid 200 pesos a day. How does one survive on that?”

“Here, if we are lucky, we can have one ‘all the way’ customer and make more than a thousand pesos.”

“But you are ruining your future.”

“What future?”Flor told Monte she did not

plan on being a guest relations officer, the name of the girls’ positions at the club; at one time, they were called hostesses, but that term had not been used for at least a decade. She came from

a very poor family in Samar, a typhoon-wrecked province in the south. Her farmer father could hardly make a living as typhoons often devastated their crops. When she was old enough, a recruiter enticed her to work as a maid in Manila just like her cousins before. But instead of being a domestic help, the re-cruiter tricked her, selling her to an owner of a brothel who forced her to work as a prostitute. She was able to escape after several years, but realized the only job she could get was the one of which she had just escaped.

The two other girls, Lisa and Chiqui, were so poor they had to take the job to survive. Lisa was even sending her younger sister to school.

“Inuuna ko muna ang pambaon ng kapatid ko araw araw. Hope-fully, mas maganda ang magig-ing buhay niya kaysa akin (I first set aside the school allowance of my sister every day. Hopefully, she’ll have a better life than me).”

“Okay lang (It’s okay),” Chiqui told Monte when asked about her having sex with different men every day. “Just like any dirty job, sanayan lang (it’s a matter of getting used to it).”

“Pero kasalanan sa Diyos iyang ginagawa ninyo (But what you are doing is a sin against God),” Monte told the girls.

“It is a choice between being a sinner or dead,” Lisa sadly concluded.

Monte looked at the girls who were old enough to be his daughters. He just could not imagine how hurt he would be if his daughters were like them. He could feel the hurt feelings of their own fathers knowing that customers, old enough to be their fathers, preyed on them each night. Ironically, these “dirty old men” were their only means to make a living, eat and survive each day. – AJ

(To be continued)

(Editor’s Note: To read the pre-vious and weekly installments of this series, visit www.asianjour-nalusa.com. Once there, click the “Editorials” heading, then click “Complicated Affairs by Simeon G. Silverio, Jr.” title to see the list of all previous chapters of the series. Click the title of the chapter you want to read and the article will appear.)

Mission San Diego de Alcalá 2011 Lent & Easter

ScheduleCalifornia’s First Mission10818 San Diego Mission

Road, San Diego, CA 92108

LENTEN RECONCILIATION – MISSION CHURCH

Monday, April 18th - 7:30 p.m. - Parish Reconciliation Service

Priests will be available for indi-vidual confessions.

Saturday, April 16th - 3:00 p.m.Wednesday, April 20th - 4:00

p.m.BLESSING OF PALMSPalms will be distributed at all

Masses:Saturday, April 16th - 5:30 p.m.

MassSunday, April 17th - 7:00 a.m.,

8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m. St. FrancisChapel (SFC), 10:00 a.m., 11:00

a.m. English,11:00 a.m. (SFC-Spanish), 12:00

noon and 5:30 p.m.CONCERT OF LENTEN MU-

SIC AND READINGSPalm Sunday, April 17th - 3:00

p.m. in the Mission ChurchHOLY WEEK - THE SACRED

TRIDUUMHOLY THURSDAY – April 21st7:30 p.m. - St. Francis Chapel -

Mass of the Lord’s SupperEucharistic Adoration in La Cap-

illa until 10:00 p.m.GOOD FRIDAY – April 22nd12:00 Noon - St. Francis Chapel

- Celebration of the Lord’sPassion with Holy Communion2:00 p.m. - Mission Church -

Stations of the Cross7:30 p.m. - Mission Church -

Celebration of the Lord’s Passionwith Holy CommunionHOLY SATURDAY – April 23rd8:00 p.m. - Easter Vigil - First

Mass of Easter - St. Francis Cha-pel

Mission Choir (Initiation of the Elect and Candidates)

EASTER SUNDAY – April 24th7:00 a.m. St. Francis Chapel8:00 a.m. St. Francis Chapel9:00 a.m. St. Francis Chapel -

Folk Group9:00 a.m. Mission Church10:00 a.m. St. Francis Chapel11:00 a.m. (Spanish) St. Francis

Chapel11:00 a.m. Mission Church12:00 Noon Mission Church -

Mission Choir12:00 Noon St. Francis Chapel5:30 p.m. Mission Church

paper - revealed in an article that the dictator had an affair with an obscure Australian playboy model named Evelyn Hegyesi, who somehow had become a multimillionaire, lived in a plush Sydney waterfront mansion and owned several investment companies.

Hegyesi’s daughter with Mar-cos is named after his mother: Analisa Josefa. Documents ob-tained by Sun-Herald reveal that on October 14, 1970, the 23 year old Hegyesi then three months pregnant with Analisa, formed a company named Austraphil Pty Ltd. In February, 1971, Aus-traphil bought a five bedroom mansion in Sydney’s most ex-pensive area: Wyuna Road, Point Piper, paying mostly in cash and a small loan.

Real estate papers showed that Austraphil took a loan of $250,000 ($2.5 million in to-day’s money) from Finanz AG of Zurich. Finanz was a subsidiary of the Swiss SKA Bank, now called Credit Suisse. This is the main bank used by Marcos to stash his swag.

Hegyesi paid off the loan in 1976 transferring the property in her own name and sold the mansion for 6.2 million dollars in 1999. She has lived quietly in Sydney’s ritziest area for almost forty years.

Sun-Herald’s investigation of the Marcos-Hegyesi affair led to other revelations. It turned out that Marcos had many secret accounts at SKA including so called “foundations” dubbed Azio, Charis, Avertina, Vibor and

Valamo aside from others. Swiss court investigations reveal that the Marcos millions came from illegal sources.

Among other irregularities, court papers indicated that Marcos siphoned directly from Japanese reparation funds $23 million (worth 275 million dollars in today’s money) and placed it in his Charis founda-tion. These funds belonged to the Filipino people and was vital at that time to the country’s eco-nomic development.

Of note is that on November 12, 1971 - Marcos signed a document making Austraphil the sole beneficiary of his Anzio Foundation. Analisa was then 3 months old.

THIS GREEDY PHILAN-DERING CRUEL MAN WAS NICE TO HIS MANY MIS-TRESSES BUT NOT TO THE FILIPINO PEOPLE to whom he left a legacy of much misery, suf-fering and bad governance. Now his family and a small group of powerful robber barons want to pull wool over the people’s eyes and make him out to be a hero.

Mercenary Filipino journalists play a major role in good versus evil conflicts in Philippine soci-ety - attacking or defending an issue - depending on “envelope-mental concerns”.

Thus, some argue that Marcos may have been brutal, corrupt and greedy - but nevertheless was a World War II hero and as such should still be buried at the cemetery for heroes. Others argue that PNoy should be large hearted enough and be a states-man and show forgiveness and compassion to a war hero. He would be a fool and not a states-man if he did.

They further cite the recent example of General Angelo

Reyes. Reyes served in many government positions including as Chief of Staff and Defense Secretary. When it was revealed in a Congressional investiga-tion that he accepted payola, in shame he committed suicide. President PNoy nevertheless allowed his burial at Libingan ng mga Bayani based on his past government services.

PNoy played politician here giving the impression of being a kind person sympathetic to the family of Reyes . Moreover, it had yet to be established by corroborative evidence if the wit-ness against Reyes told the truth - even if he appeared credible. The burial was excusable.

Was Marcos the multiple-medaled war hero his propa-ganda machine claimed he was? This claim was debunked by various researchers including the late Col. Bonnie Gillego who scanned military records in Washington DC and elsewhere. Gillego discovered that Marcos’

claim as the greatest resistance fighter in WW II and war medals were blatantly false.

Gillego’s book: “The Fake Medals of Marcos” not only exposed the deception foisted by the dictator on the Filipino people but also revealed that he was a Japanese collaborator and therefore a traitor. Gillego based his findings on American mili-tary records.

THE WORLD WOULD BE SHOCKED IF MARCOS IS NOW DECLARED A HERO. It’s like former Nazis using their amassed wealth and influence succeeding in getting Adolfo Hitler declared as a hero.

If PNoy gives in to pressure and allow Marcos’ hero burial at Libingan, it will be an offi-cial act formally declaring that Filipinos are the biggest fools on earth. It will also be an unofficial act declaring that PNoy has no balls who does not really un-derstand true moral leadership.

By so doing, he also desecrates the memory of his genuine hero father who was ordered killed by the Marcoses. Marcos was an absolute dictator and no one would have dared put the hit on Ninoy Aquino without an okay from Malacanang.

Does this mean Marcos should not be forgiven for his transgres-sions?

The Almighty tells us to forgive and we should. But He never told us that aside from forgiving, we should also honor murderers, torturers and thieves as heroes. This would be a ter-rible example for future genera-tions of Filipinos.

Note: The California State Bar honors Atty. Laguatan as one

of only 29 US lawyers officially certified as Expert Specialist in Immigration Law for more than 20 years. He also handles acci-dent injuries and wrongful death cases. For communication: (San Francisco area) - 455 Hickey Ste. 516, Daly City, Ca 94015 Tel 650 991-1154 Fax 650 991-1186 email [email protected]


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The philandering greedy Marcos, a

bayani?


Spiritual Life

BalintatawRead Virginia Ferrer’s previous articles by visiting our website

at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Virginia H. FerrerRead Monsignor’s previous articles by visiting

our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Msgr. Fernando G. Gutierrez

Lower Your Nets

©2010 Virginia H. Ferrer. All rights reserved.

About the Author: Virginia H. Ferrer is a Filipino Language Teacher at Otay Ranch High School in Chula Vista.

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*Former San Diego Regional Coordinator for U.S. Immigra-tion Amnesty for Catholic Community Services, Catholic Diocese of San Diego

*Legal Advisor, Los Chabacanos of Cavite CityAssociation, Inc., San Diego, California

*Juris Doctor law degree, University of San Diego (1985),Diploma; Oxford Institute on International and Comparative Law (USD), Oxford, England (1984);Bachelor Degree, University of Southern California (1983);Montgomery High School, San Diego (1979)

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Para Sa Iyo (2 )Torn Between Two

Lovers Joke of the week: This Asian

lady is having an affair with this man. She hears her husband, coming home and says, “Hurry, quick hide in the bag.” The husband comes and sees his wife very nervous. He looks around the room and sees something moving in the bag. “What’s in the bag?” His wife won’t answer. He goes over to the bag and says, “What’s in the bag?” The man inside says, “Rice!”

Scripture: First Reading: Isaiah 50: 45-7. Today’s pas-sage is the Third Song of Second Isaiah. The people are tired of hearing from the prophet his promise about the end of exile. They don’t see an end to their hardships in foreign land. They wonder whether he is for real. The prophet, unhampered by the people’s lack of complete trust in God, knows that he will be vindicated in the end. Second Reading: Philippians 2: 6-11.

Christ willingly surrendered his exalted status with his Father and in doing so assumed the form of a servant to the point of dying with sinful mankind. His solidarity with humanity is so humble, scandalous, and shame-ful. “His death,” according to Reginald H. Fuller, is not just the ordinary dying of a person, a biological event.” Jesus’ death is not against God but for God and he endured the bitterest consequences of sin. Only in his solidarity with us does Jesus liberate us from sin and death, in their theological sense.

Gospel: Matthew 26: 14-27:66. “The drama of the tragedy has been heightened by contrasting one character with another,” said Raymond Brown. There is Pilate, afraid of losing his popular-ity with the people, released a criminal, and condemned an innocent man. On the one hand,

a crowd welcomed Jesus with shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes as the King of Israel.” At another time, there are shouts of “Cru-cify him.” In the procession the people praised Jesus, in the pas-sion they insulted him. He was welcomed into the city as King and Messiah; later on he was crucified as a criminal outside

the city.Reflections: Today’s readings

are stark pictures of opposing themes: allegiance and betrayal, Hosanna and Crucifixion, abase-ment and exaltation. The First Reading presents God’s servant who undergoes calumnies and spitting, but one who remains faithful to God. St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians pays homage and adoration to Christ whom God has exalted after being disgraced and put to death. The Gospel is a par excellence example of these conflicting scenarios: St. Matthew’s Passion narrative highlights the royalty of Christ that was emphatically manifested in humiliating death of a criminal on the cross!

We are fickle-minded people. We never remain constant. We swing from one allegiance to another. Our attitude conveys what the Greek Heraclitus once

said, “You cannot step into the same river twice.” We are always in constant pace, in motion, even with our feelings, fidelity, and our love. In this situation, who would ever believe whether we are for real or not? What guar-antee is there that our love and faithfulness will change with the wind?

It is this fickleness and lack of steady allegiance to the extent that he is rejected that hurts Jesus most, because he knows that when we refuse his offer of peace and forgiveness, we in effect turn down his Father’s enduring and everlastings love. Take the scenario from today’s Passion narrative. At his entrance to the Walled City Jesus was greeted with shouts of, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” Later on, he would be mocked by the Roman soldiers and bystanders. Fickleness and unsteady alle-giance!

Remember what and how we felt when we were rejected? Normally, the rejected person would feel abandon-ment, anger, and revenge. God does not feel that way when we reject his love. God instead relent-lessly seeks and pursues es-pecially those who reject and

abandon him.

As human beings we react differently to rejection and abandonment: we retaliate by distancing ourselves with our hurt feeling. This phenomenon creates further division between the one rejected and the rejecter. Jesus came not just to redeem us from sin but also from its conse-quences: brokenness, division, anger, violence, and revenge. His offer of peace and reconciliation is meant to bring us healing, for-giveness, and salvation that have been the topics of the previous Sundays of Lent. Let us not keep Christ on the Cross crucified for-ever by our lack of forgiveness and refusal to be released from sin and its consequences. Don’t be fickle-minded with Jesus. Don’t let our hearts be torn be-tween two lovers: between Jesus and sin. Let our hearts be for the Risen and Glorified Lord only!

Palm/Passion Sunday:

THE FEAST OF THE DIVINE MERCY IS ON MAY 1, THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER. The novena starts on Good Friday. Please check with your parish about the activities in celebration of this important feast day.

Quotation of the week: “How marvelous is this King who renounces all the signs of power, the instruments of dominion, force and arrogance, and wishes to reign only with the power of truth and love, with the power of interior conviction and sheer abandonment.” -- Pope John Paul II.

Jesus, I Trust in You. The Divine Mercy Novena starts on Good Friday 4/22 and ends 4/30

Ang karpinterong si Karyo kahit mabigat sa loobsa hiling ng amo walang nagawa kundi sumunodinumpisahan na’ng bahay para nga agad mataposat nang s’ya din naman ay makapagpahinga ng lubos.

‘Di tulad ng dati niyang masayang pagtratrabahomagaang ang katawan, masigla at maasikasomga materyales ngayon binalewala ng todomatapos lang agad ang bahay ang siyang nasa ulo.

At nang matapos gawain ni Karyo ang huling bahay agad ininspeksyon naman nitong among mapagbigaysusi ng bahay iniabot kay Karyong mga kamay“narito ang regalo kong bahay, sa iyong paglisan.”

‘Di makapaniwala si Karyo sa kanyang narinigna para sa kanya pala yaring bahay na tinipidkung alam lamang niya sana’y mahuhusay na gamitang kanyang nilagay sa bahay na tinapos ng pilit.

Tunay nga na tayo ang siyang may gawa sa ‘ting buhayang panghihinayang sa bandang huli mararamdamanat maibabalik pa kaya ang mga nakaraansana kay Karyo’y puwede pa n’yang ulitin ang bahay.

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Prices effective date of publication, subject to prior sale and availability. Equal Opportunity builder. Watt Communities at Amber Woods LLC reserves the right to change availability and/or conditions of all products, options, upgrades or other services. ©2011 Watt Communities. DRE#01864558

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PNS -- HINDI matanggap ng fans nina Toni Gonzaga at John Lloyd Cruz ang pagkakaloob ng Box Office King and Queen title kina Ai Ai delas Alas at Vic Sotto ng Guillermo Mendoza Memo-rial Scholarship Foundation.

Katwiran nila, mas kumita raw ang pelikula nina Toni at Loydie na My Amnesia Girl kumpara sa movie nina Ai Ai at Vic. Pero may pag-asa pa ang fans nina Toni at John Lloyd dahil hindi pa raw confirmed na sina Ai Ai at Vic nga ang tatanghaling Box Office King & Queen.

Nagtataka raw ang organizer ng nasabing foundation sa pagla-bas ng naturang balita dahil hindi pa raw sila nag-kakaroon ng botohan at deliberation na mang-yayari pa lang daw pagkatapos ng Holy Week.

Ayon sa isa sa organi-zers ng GMMSF, clueless sila sa source ng impormas-yon na sina Ai Ai, Bong Re-villa at Vic ang win-

Fans of John Lloyd, Toni can’t accept Ai Ai, Vic as Box Office Queen, King

ners.Samantala, nang maka-rating

kay Ai Ai na hindi pa raw siya ang kumpirmadong tatanghaling Box Office Queen, dedma lang siya.

“Ako talaga ang Box Office Queen, kahit hindi pa sila nag-kakaroon ng deliberation dahil talagang malaki ang kinita ng (P185M) ng Ang Tanging Ina,” say ni Ai Ai.

Hindi ito ang unang pag-kakat-aon na nasangkot sa Box Of-fice King & Queen controversy sina Ai Ai at Vic dahil last year, kinuwestisyon din ang desisyon ng GMMSF na ipagkaloob kina Sarah Geronimo at John Lloyd Cruz ang Box Office King & Queen titles.

Nalutas lang ang isyu da-hil gumawa ng bagong title ang GMMSF para kina Ai Ai at Vic, ang Comedy Box Office Queen at Comedy Box Office King respectively.

PNS -- WALA po akong gay benefactor,” ito ang mariing pahayag ni James Blanco, isa sa mga artista ng “Mga Nagbabagang Bulaklak” ng TV5.

Matagal nang natsitsismis ang actor na diumano, may isang mabait na bading na nag-aalaga sa kanya. Pero ayon sa kanya nang makausap namin sa Teatrino nang i-launch ang naturang teleserye, nawala siya sa showbiz dahil nag-asawa siya’t nagkaroon sila ng negosyo.

“Nagtayo po kami ng parlor,” ani James. “Dati po, may kaunting lending kami, pero ang hirap po maningil. Kaya ngayon, lumalaki na po ang dalawang anak namin ng misis ko, kaya gusto ko pong mag-artista uli at mag-concentrate dito.”

Ano naman ang nabago sa kanya ngayon na may asawa na siya?

“Hindi na po mainitin ang ulo ko ngayon,” aniya.

Mabuti naman. Dahil kung mainitin pa ang ulo niya, baka hindi niya nagustuhan ang tanong namin tungkol sa gay benefactor.

Actor denies having gay benefactor

PNS -- Many years ago ay nag-kasama na pala sina Richard Gomez at Valerie Concepcion sa isang teleserye sa GMA-7.

Take note, mag-ama ang role nila

Richard, Val play lovers in soapthat time dahil sobrang bata pa ni Val noon.

Ngayon, sa muli nilang pagsasa-ma, how times have changed talaga dahil lovers na ang role nila sa Mga Nagbabagang Bulaklak at may bed scenes pa sila.

“Ito ’yung bago pa siya nabun-tis. I remember, sinabi ko kay Val-erie noon, nu’ng ginagawa namin ang soap, sabi ko, ‘Val, alam mo ikaw, sumisikat ka, maganda ka, pero baka one day, biglang mabola ka, huwag kang mabubuntis kasi sayang.’

“Naku, after ng show namin, true

enough, nabuntis siya,” natatawang pagre-recall ni Goma.

“But it’s a good thing, si Valerie, nakabawi siya. I think, she’s a big-ger star now than she was before,” say pa ni Goma.

So, ano ang feeling na dati, anak niya, ngayon ay lumalaban na sa kanya ng halikan?

“Mismo,” sambit naman ni Goma.

Ano ang reaction niya sa sinabi ni Valerie na ang lambot ng lips niya?

“Eh, malambot din naman ’yung sa kanya,” sagot ng aktor.

Kinantiyawan si Goma sa sagot

PNS -- CARLA Humphries is glad she got Annabelle Rama as her manager who then transferred her to TV5 where she’s now doing a very demanding role in “Mga Nagbabagang Bulaklak”. “As Ivy, parang poison ivy ako in the life of Valerie Concepcion, the reigning dance queen in our network,” she says. “I pretend to be her fan but my real goal is agawin ang trono niya kaya nagprisinta akong back up dancer niya. Pa-sweet ako rito, pero sobrang ambisyosa na I’ll do anything to achieve my dream, in-cluding sleeping with our director, Richard Gomez. Abangan nyo ang mga tarayan namin dito ni Valerie on and off the dance floor. We

Ambitious Carlaeven try to sabotage each other’s numbers, complete with sabunutan and sampalan.”

She’s reunited with Victor Basa in the show. They were linked when they did ‘About Ur Love’ in ABS. “But never naging kami. Ang naging boyfriend ko roon was John James Uy. But I went to Thailand to study jewelry design for one year and when I returned here, we’ve drifted apart na. Right now, I’m loveless.”

TV5 is really very aggressive in pushing their new shows. The presscon for “Mga Nagbabagang Bulaklak” was held awards night-

style at Teatrino Greenhills and they even held a contest for the best dressed male and female reporter, won by Jun Lalin and Mercy Lejarde. They won P5,000 each but Jun said he spent P25,000 for his outfit designed by Avel Bacudio. Before the usual Q&A, some of the cast members gave a rousing production dance number since the show is about dancing. “Talagang pinagbubuhusan namin ng pawis ang dance numbers namin sa show,” says Carla. “TV5 provided us with good choreogra-phers to make sure all the produc-tion numbers are good.”

John Lloyd CruzToni Gonzaga

James Blanco

Carla Humphries

Valerie Concepcion

niya at ano raw ’yung malambot na ’yon kaya nilinaw niya na lips ni Val ’yon.

“Naku, magpahinga na nga tayo at baka kung ano pa ang masabi ko,” natatawang sambit ni Goma.

San Diego Residents: Mail this coupon to Asian Journal 550 E. 8th St., #6, National City CA 91950 for a chance to win a raffle for a 3-Month, FREE Unlimited International Calling Plan to the Philippines and the US from VONAGE. (Limit 1 entry per name)NAME: __________________________________ADDRESS: _______________________________EMAIL: _________________________________PHONE 1:_________________________________PHONE 2: ________________________________I understand that the VONAGE set-up requires a phone & an internet connection. __ YES, I have an internet connection. __ NO, I do not have a connection.

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Entertainment


Life is a matter of choices! Think about it … our life today is what our choices have made it, but with new and better choices, we can change direction any time. Knowing that we could do that offers tremendous hope, regardless of cir-cumstances, for a better tomorrow.

When things are down, the

only way from plummeting even deeper downwards is to stay positive, creative, and make good choices. Everyone got hit with the worst economic down-turn since the Great Depression.

Stocks plummeted. Real estate took a nosedive, jobs were lost and millions were unemployed. The prolonged market and unem-ployment resulted in foreclosures and bankruptcies. Poor and middle-income families tumbled down the economic ladder.

This economic collapse, crash, financial crisis or whatever name you call it, resulted in a lot of changed lives. Some changes were for the worst, some for the better. Some people who have experienced the devastating ef-fects of this recession were able to turn their lives around.

We are all familiar with stories of the negative effects in the lifestyle of millions due to the recession. But the stories I like best are those that are positive and uplifting in nature.

Several stories about continued optimism in the face of recession are in this month’s issue of the Reader’s Digest. This magazine is one that I read cover to cover because of its true-to-life stories featuring ordinary people like you and me.

The RD magazine is chockfull of ideas and information about

Changed Liveshome, family, food, money, health, technology, and other varied subjects. It also features

humorous and fun vignettes about work and life. My fa-vorites! The first ones I look at every time this magazine arrives in the mail.

The stories about continued optimism is about several fami-lies who came up with ideas on how best to cope up with the recession. For example, when some families lost their homes, they decided to move in with relatives. This “doubling-up-solution” to homelessness kept families out of poverty and out of the streets.

People who decided to move in or move back with family members said that they became more connected with each other and they were able to cut their expenditures in half. The new living arrangements proved to be challenging to some, but loved by most because it enabled them to save for the future.

Families who were lucky to still be in their homes decided to spend less by becoming better consumers. They have learned to stretch the dollar by doing things themselves “old-school style” like growing their own food and canning and preserv-ing them. Some have learned how to knit, quilt and make their own soap. Those who didn’t know what to do relied on social

networking or the Internet for how-to instructions.

Gustavo Arellano, who writes the “Ask a Mexican!” column for the Orange County Weekly, and whose short article also appeared in the RD magazine, said that this “new way of life” has been an old way of life for immigrants in this country. He wrote that immigrants are still butchering their own pig, doing gardening, preserving their own food, and trading their produce.

“Self-sustainment is what made this country great,” Arel-lano pointed out.

Because of the recession, an increasing number of people

have become more cautious and are post-poning life’s big decisions like marriage, divorce, hav-ing kids and moving to new homes. Their spend-ing became less impulsive as they are making pur-

chasing decisions more carefully. Some have even decided to cut

up their credit cards in favor of the debit variety or cash. They don’t have any problem say-ing “I can’t afford it!” Saying so, they said, is not a matter of weakness, but strength.

I believe that the road to pros-perity may still be a long way off. Until the economy is out of the woods, it is better to keep abreast with the right ideas and right choices, just like what these families did. We are all in these together, whatever our choice may be. Thank you, Reader’s Digest!

I found a beautiful poem en-titled “Choices” from the Weight Watchers website, and I’m shar-ing it with you. It applies not only to watching weight but cop-ing with life’s difficulties. Thank you, Weight Watchers!

ChoicesSome people sit – some people try;Some people laugh – some people cry; Some people will – some people won’t; Some people do – some people don’t.Some people believe and

develop a plan; Some people doubt – never think that they can; Some people face hurdles and give it their best; Some people back down when faced with a test.Some people complain of their miserable lot; Some people are thankful for all that they’ve got; And when it’s all over — when it comes to an end — Some people lose out and some people win.We all have a choice — we all have a say; We are spectators in life or we get in and play; Whichever we choose — how we handle life’s game; The choices are ours — no one else is to blame.

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are incorrect. Taxpayers should avoid making these mistakes. Filings of this type of return may result in a $5,000 penalty.

Abuse of Charitable Organi-zations and Deductions

The IRS continues to observe the misuse of tax-exempt or-ganizations. Abuse includes arrangements to improperly shield income or assets from taxation and attempts by donors to maintain control over donated assets or income from donated property. The IRS also continues to investigate various schemes involving the donation of non-cash assets including situations where several organizations claim the full value for both the receipt and distribution of the same non-cash contribution. Often these donations are highly overvalued or the organization receiving the donation promises that the donor can repurchase the items later at a price set by the donor. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 imposed increased penalties for inaccurate apprais-als and set new definitions of qualified appraisals and qualified appraisers for taxpayers claiming charitable contributions.

Abusive Retirement PlansThe IRS continues to find

abuses in retirement plan ar-rangements, including Roth Indi-vidual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs). The IRS is looking for transactions that taxpayers use to avoid the limits on contributions to IRAs, as well as transactions that are not properly reported as early distributions. Taxpayers should be wary of advisers who encourage them to shift ap-preciated assets at less than fair market value into IRAs or com-panies owned by their IRAs to circumvent annual contribution limits. Other variations have in-cluded the use of limited liability companies to engage in activity that is considered prohibited.

Disguised Corporate Owner-ship

Corporations and other enti-ties are formed and operated in certain states for the purpose of disguising the ownership of the business or financial activity by means such as improperly using a third party to request an em-ployer identification number.

Such entities can be used to facilitate underreporting of in-come, fictitious deductions, non-filing of tax returns, participating in listed transactions, money laundering, financial crimes and even terrorist financing. The IRS is working with state authorities to identify these entities and to bring the owners of these entities into compliance with the law.

Zero WagesFiling a phony wage-or-

income-related informational return to replace a legitimate

information return has been used as an illegal method to lower the amount of taxes owed. Typically, a Form 4852 (Substitute Form W-2) or a “corrected” Form 1099 is used as a way to improperly reduce taxable income to zero. The taxpayer may also submit a statement rebutting wages and taxes reported by a payer to the IRS.

Sometimes, fraudsters even include an explanation on their Form 4852 that cites statutory language on the definition of wages or may include some reference to a paying company that refuses to issue a corrected Form W-2 for fear of IRS retalia-tion. Taxpayers should resist any temptation to participate in any of the variations of this scheme. Filings of this type of return may result in a $5,000 penalty.

Misuse of TrustsFor years, unscrupulous pro-

moters have urged taxpayers to transfer assets into trusts. While there are many legitimate, valid uses of trusts in tax and estate planning, some highly question-able transactions promise reduc-tion of income subject to tax, deductions for personal expenses and reduced estate or gift taxes. Such trusts rarely deliver the tax benefits promised and are used primarily as a means to avoid income tax liability and hide assets from creditors, including the IRS.

IRS personnel have recently seen an increase in the improper use of private annuity trusts and foreign trusts to shift income and deduct personal expenses. As with other arrangements, taxpay-ers should seek the advice of a trusted professional before enter-ing a trust arrangement.

Fuel Tax Credit ScamsThe IRS receives claims for the

fuel tax credit that are excessive. Some taxpayers, such as farm-ers who use fuel for off-highway

business purposes, may be eli-gible for the fuel tax credit. But other individuals are claiming the tax credit for nontaxable uses of fuel when their occupations or income levels make the claim unreasonable. Fraud involving the fuel tax credit is considered a frivolous tax claim and can result in a penalty of $5,000.

How to Report Suspected Tax Fraud Activity

Suspected tax fraud can be reported to the IRS using Form 3949-A, Information Referral. The completed form or a letter detailing the alleged fraudulent activity should be addressed to the Internal Revenue Service, Fresno, CA 93888. The mailing should include specific informa-tion about who is being reported, the activity being reported, how the activity became known, when the alleged violation took place, the amount of money involved and any other informa-tion that might be helpful in an investigation. The identity of the person filing the report can be kept confidential.

Whistleblowers also may provide allegations of fraud to the IRS and may be eligible for a reward by filing Form 211, Ap-plication for Award for Original Information, and following the procedures outlined in Notice 2008-4, Claims Submitted to the IRS Whistleblower Office under Section 7623.



6 young Filipinos despite tragedy persevere in hope


like quitting, but his mother always pushed him to continue. She believed that education would give her kids opportuni-ties she and her husband never had.

Today, through Project Mala-sakit, Abril receives a monthly allowance. He no longer has to work in order to attend school as a fourth year highschool student. A scholarship has given him a bit of room to breathe, and in place of the lazy attitude he used to have towards school, he now has focused determination and an understanding of the value of an education.

His dream “I want to go to college and study Mass Commu-nications. I believe it will open up my world.” Although he loves the mountains, Abril yearns to know what else is out there.

His favorite shoes His Con-verse sneakers. The shoes he

used to wear were riddled with holes, and he waited almost a year for this pair, when his parents finally had extra money. Wearing them, he feels “world class.”

Christelle Arroyo, 19 student

In 2006 Christelle’s sister, Mi-chelle, was diagnosed with acute Biphenotypic leukemia. To help pay for her sister’s medical ex-penses, Christelle and her other sister Rochelle were forced to drop out of school. Another trag-edy struck the family when far away, pirates in Somalia took her seaman father for three months, plunging them deeper into tur-moil. Still, the girl with a black belt in taekwondo and a talent for painting did not give up. With the help of Project Mala-sakit, Christelle is now enrolled as a second year BS HRM major at Fatima University, Antipolo. “I love to study and to be honest, I nearly lost all hope that I would ever step foot inside a college,” she says. “Now I have regained my hopes and plans.”

Her dreams “To finish my stud-ies through the help of the foun-dation, to become a successful chef, to manage my own restau-rant and help others in return for all the wonderful blessings God has given me and my family.”

Her favorite shoes “A pair of simple flats. I am now comfort-able with the life I’m living. Like my shoes, I am practical, happy and contented.”

Jamir Pangilinan, 5 scholar

Jamir is a playful and inquisi-tive young boy. But because his mother had no job, she didn’t know how she would be able to provide him with an education.

Thanks to the Mano Amiga Academy, who took on the five-year- old as one of its scholars, his life has changed. It is some-thing Jamir is fully aware of even at a very tender age. “In the school, they teach me to become smart — especially in reading,”

he explains. “They also teach me how to be good and to do the right thing.” Today the mischie-vous boy who used to get into fights and pester his mother tries his best to help his family and peers. Since the foundation has also found a job for his mother, they have money to eat daily meals.

Jamir loves that his family is now happy and that he enjoys so many fascinating experi-ences. He is most inspired when he learns new things on field trips and on Saturdays when the foundation’s volunteers hold activities and help out at their community center.

His dream “I want to become a policeman because they are kind and they help other people.”

His favorite shoes “My rubber shoes. I play football in them, and wear them during our field trips. Once we went to Enchant-ed Kingdom and to the zoo. I’ve been to so many places in my shoes!”

Angge Octavio, 18 marketing specialist

Angge was an honor student from first grade to first year high school. But then she tried smok-ing and drinking, cut class and failed her subjects. Her unem-ployed father spent her mother’s earnings on alcohol. Money was scarce, and so was food. When her younger brother was injured, the family became desperate for money. So Angge started work-ing at a nightclub. She was only 15.

“You’re forced to go with men even if you don’t want, and they often insult and degrade you,” she says. The International Justice Mission rescued Angge from the sex trade. She was housed in Marillac Hills, a haven for abused women and girls, and started working in production for Messy Bessy, a company that de-velops all-natural cleaning items. She is now a star student at Proj-ect HOUSE School. “If only I applied myself sooner. But then, my past is what led me here. And I’m so overwhelmed and proud because I never expected I could be like this.”(Continued on page 17)

As I write this article, I am also do-ing several tax returns. Some call it multi-tasking. I describe it as plain taxing. Somebody has to do it in our family. For years I have been tackling tax issues, targeting deductions, tag-ging tax tips, creating tables and most recently putting them all in my Tablet. That’s talking about technology! This one I did not have to “take it from my barber”.

Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) just came up with his proposed Bud-get Plan in his capacity as Chairman of the U.S. House Budget Committee. Since the U.S. Constitution requires that all appropriation measures ema-nate from the House and given the corresponding mandate that Repub-licans got in the last elections, they must now have to come up with a budget plan. I assume that such a plan is both Ryan’s and the Republicans’.

The debate has been framed: “Prop-osition: Resolved: That the Ryan Bud-get Plan should be passed into law.”

The positive side claims that it is “brave, radical, and smart.” It is sup-posed to be smart because it proposes the “kinds of cuts necessary to bring federal expenditures in line with tax revenues”. It is alleged to be radical because it “goes where Ronald Rea-gan and Newt Gingrich never did by terminating the entitlement status of Medicare and Medicaid.” It is also being proclaimed as “the boldest tax reform proposal since the 1980s, pro-posing to lower top individual and corporate rates to 25 percent and end deductions.”

The main goal of the Ryan plan is to reduce the budget deficit and even-tually to eliminate the $14 Trillion debt. There is no question as to this

Tackling the Deficit and Joining the Tax Debate

goal. The issue is more on how to reach it. Ryan is supposed to be dar-ing and bold by targeting the poor, the disabled and the elderly. Cutting the programs that benefit them would, ac-cording to him, bring America to the “Path to Prosperity”.

Whose prosperity? The only ones guaranteed with more money in their pockets are the wealthiest Americans. Not only was it cowardly not to ask the rich Americans to share more of the burden at this point in his-tory, Ryan even proposes to reduce their taxes. In fact, he wants to make permanent the Bush tax cuts which largely contributed to the deficit in the first place. He also included in his plan new tax cuts for the rich. That’s taking things which the poor, the el-derly and disabled currently have and “bravely” giving it to the rich – the exact opposite of Robin Hood. It is brutal and ruthless. It is easy to go af-ter the weak and the defenseless. Ask-ing the rich to go back to what they were already doing before should not be hard either.

Balancing the budget should always be our economic goal. To do it, you have to deal with both the revenue side and the expense side. While one may want to touch entitlements, it is not necessary to make it worse by making our society’s titled elite feel-ing “entitled” to an additional reduc-tion of taxes.

Aside from letting the tax cuts for those earning more than $250K ex-pire, a genuine tax reform has now become necessary. Ryan wants to reduce the number of individual tax brackets which is currently 6 and to lower the top rate for individuals and corporations from 35% to 25% but re-move deductions and credits. Obama

wants also to eliminate many of the deductions taken advantage of by the top 2%.

Without reducing the tax rate, re-moving or reducing deductions and credits and simplifying the tax return might be an acceptable path. Some-thing like the 1040EZ might be a good model. A predetermined stan-dard deduction or the mortgage in-terest deduction for one family home whichever is higher, subtracted from the adjustable gross income would equal the taxable income.

Based on my computation using 2009 figures for 138 million returns published at the IRS website, in-come tax revenues would more than double. For corporations, removing the tax loopholes and certain deduct-ible corporate expenses as proposed by the Fiscal Commission headed by former Senator Alan Simpson would also increase revenues.

Extending the retirement age is also an acceptable proposal in order to in-crease revenue base. After all, the life expectancy for Americans is now a lot higher than when the retirement age was originally set. Just do not think of reducing the pension of the retired. They have earned it as a vested right that cannot be waived.

Defense spending should definitely be cut. A substantial portion of the budget is spent on defense. Avoiding future wars and disengaging from the current ones would surely bring the necessary consequence of reduced defense costs. Hence, a decreased deficit.

Propositions are usually debated on the basis of benefits, necessity, and practicability. While the Ryan plan aims to benefit future genera-tions eventually and speculatively, it benefits more the wealthy Americans who actually need the least immedi-ately. It seeks to reduce the deficit at the back of the poor, the disabled and the elderly.

While it is necessary to eventually payoff the country’s debt, it is as man-datory to convert certain spending into equity by looking at education, innovation and infrastructure devel-opment as investments for the future. Current interest rates are low but the return on investment on science, tech-nology, innovation and infrastructure when securitized as assets are expo-nentially high.

Ryan and the Republicans control

and represent only 1/3 of the legis-lative process. The Democrats con-trol the Senate. Given the fact that it would take at least 2/3 votes to over-ride any veto by the President, it is next to impossible to pass the Ryan plan into law. Ryan knows it and the Republicans know it.

Besides, current quantitative analy-sis now shows that the assumptions and projections made in the Ryan plan are faulty, disputable and virtually im-possible. Examples are the projection of an unemployment rate of 6.4 per-cent rate in 2012 and 2.8 percent in 2021. Even the Heritage Foundation which was the original source has al-ready modified the projections.

On the basis of practicability, the Ryan plan as proposed would not be-come law.

My involvement in politics started in the struggle between Democratic Capitalism and Communist Social-ism. While the difference has focused on who controls the means of pro-



Showbiz Watcher

Read Ogie Cruz’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Ogie Cruz

Jan Jan, 6 years old



(619) 702-3051

The Nobu Hotel, Restau-rant And Lounge At Cae-sars Palace Is A Strategic Expansion Designed To Be The Most Exquisite Boutique Hotel Experi-ence In Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, March 23,

2011 – Caesars Palace Las Vegas and Nobu Hospitality announced that they have signed a non-binding letter of intent to develop the world’s first Nobu Hotel, an innovative concept that will integrate an exclusive hotel tower with the first Nobu restau-rant and lounge on the Las Vegas Strip.

The planned development

would further the tradition of world-class accommodations and service that is synonymous with the resort’s luxury brand. In announcing this tactical rela-tionship, Nobu Hospitality has reinforced its focused growth strategy, expanding through the complete hospitality spectrum.

“We will bring the DNA of the

Nobu brand to life in this ven-ture through the vision of Nobu Matsuhisa with his fellow long time partners and friends Robert De Niro and Meir Teper,” said Trevor Horwell, Chief Execu-tive of Nobu Hospitality. “With a renowned location in Caesar-sPalace, the luxury Nobu Hotel Las Vegas will be a destination for style-makers and trendsetters, offering an immersive, fun and social experience”

Under the plan, the interior of

the Centurion Tower at Caesars Palace will undergo a multi-mil-lion dollar renovation to create the Nobu Hotel within the resort. The 180-room Nobu Hotel will feature 16 suites and a penthouse with a stylish interior design that showcases natural materi-als, fused with Nobu’s signature Japanese elegance. Nobu Hotel guests will enjoy private check-in and the unique benefit of room service from Nobu’s acclaimed culinary team.

The centerpiece of the renova-

tion is the Nobu Restaurant and Lounge. Classically trained in Tokyo, world renowned chef Nobu Matsuhisahas leveraged

Caesars Palace And Nobu Hospitality Plan to Open In Las Vegas The First-Ever Nobu-Branded

Hotel, Restaurant And Lounge Concepthis life abroad in South America and around the world to cre-ate a culinary and hospitality brand with universal appeal. The restaurant and lounge will span 9,500 square-feet at the base of the Nobu tower, near the existing Appian Way at Caesars Palace.

“Caesars Palace has a long his-

tory of reinvention, continuously elevating our guest’s expectation of luxury and service,” said Gary Selesner, president of Caesars Palace. “Nobu’s distinctive brand will bring a new dimen-sion to Caesars Palace and will be designed to attract first-time visitors. The re-branded hotel tower, restaurant and lounge will offer an experience unlike anything in Las Vegas, pairing exclusive accommodations with a resort famed for world-class entertainment, shopping and leisure experiences.”

The completion of this transac-

tion is subject to a number of conditions, including, without limitation, the negotiation of definitive documentation and the approval of this transaction by the board of directors of Caesars Entertainment Corporation and the shareholders of Nobu Hospi-tality.

Caesars PalaceCaesars Palace is the world’s

best known resort-casino, cel-ebrating the grandeur that was Rome, in an 85-acre destination location that sets the standard for entertainment, dining and luxury. Reigning at the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, Caesars Palace ranks among the world’s top luxury resorts known for its originality and beauty. The resort features 3,300 hotel guest rooms and suites, 23 diverse restaurants and cafes, five-acre Garden of the Gods pools and gardens, 50,000 square foot Qua Baths & Spa and 300,000 square feet of premium meeting and convention space. The 4,300-seat Colosseum sits just steps from celebrity chef restaurants and the acclaimed Forum Shops at Caesars. The resort spotlights world class entertainers such as Celine Dion who will return to the resort on March 15, 2011. Find Caesars Palace onFacebook at http://www.facebook.com/cae-sarspalacelv and follow http://www.twitter.com/caesarspalace (@caesarspalace).

Nobu Hospitality, LLC.Nobu is one of the premier

luxury lifestyle brands in the

SHOWBIZ WATCHER By Ogie Cruz | SAN DIEGO, 4/15/2011 -- NABIGLA ANG MGA PINOY SA AMERIKA, lalo na sa San Diego California sa mga naglalabasan na balita sa kanil-ang idol na si Willie Revillame, specifically sa aming column dito sa Asian Journal.

Eto’y yung mga senior citi-zens na talaga namang idol si Mr. Wowowee, dumating pa sa punto na kailangan pa nilang ipatanggal ang kanilang TFC nang mawala sa ere ang naturang show na “Wowowee” at lumipat sa PinoyTv ng GMA dahil sa sama ng loob nila.

Alam nyo ba kapag may okasyon pa sila sa kanilang se-nior citizen affair, nagsasayawan sila ng “Giling-giling”, pero hindi sila masyadong kakapa-nood ng bagong show ni Willie sa channel 5 dahil sa internet lang ito napapanood.Ang inaa-bangan nila ay ang Tv5Interna-tional dito sa amerika, na talaga raw tutulong sila para i-promote ang naturang station sa lugar nila para mapanood si Willie Revil-lame.

Sinabi rin namin kung anu ang tunay na nangyari kung bakit nalagay sa malaking kontrob-ersyal ang nasabing Tv host, na pati ang ABS-CBN at GMA7 binabalita ang tungkol sa issue na kahit hindi nila talent ang naturang host.Ang tanong nga ng mga lola bakit yung sumasayaw na mga bata na gumagaya kay Michael Jackson na para hina-hawakan yung sa parte na ari ay hindi napapansin sa Tv, at bakit sa show lang Willie ito napa-pansin.

Ang latest nga pati ang Secre-tary Leila De Lima of Depart-ment of Justice ay handang imbestigahan nasabing pangya-yari na pagsasayaw ni Jan-Jan sa show ni Willie Revillame, pero hanggat maaari ayaw pa niyang magsalita para hindi ma—pre-judging ang naturang insidente.

Mga Pinoy Sa Amerika Nalulungkot Sa Nangyayari Kay Willie !!

Pero nag-aantay sila ng mga complains sa isang grupo o indi-vidual para umusad ang nasabing imbestigasyon.Samantalang tu-loy pa rin ang imbestigasyon ng DSWD pati ang Commission on Human Rights na sa pamumuno ni Etta Rosalas ay sinabing ma-giging patas ang kanila imbesti-gasyon sa nasabing insidente.

Naghain naman ng dimanda ang mga Magulang ni Jan-jan dahil sa paninira nila kay Jan-jan kahit hindi pa nila ito nakakau-sap. Si Jan-jan yung sumayaw sa na macho dancing ang dating, ay inapi raw ni Dra. Lourdes Carandang (isang child Psychol-ogist) dahil kung anu-anu raw ang sinabi nito sa bata, kesyo na child abuse daw ito na itinatang-gi naman nina Jojo at Dian Suan (Magulang ni Jan-jan).

Pati sa twitter ni Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, binantaan ng si Willie na sue me too.Sina Lea Salonga ,Jim Paredes,Aiza Seguerra,Leah Navarro, Mylene Dizon at Tuesday Vargas ang mga binantaan ni Mr. Revillame na ididimanda nito dahil sa mga Tweet nito na may child abuse na nangyari sa naturang show.

Nayabanggan naman si Sen. Pangilinan sa mga banta ni Wil-lie sa mga showbiz personali-ties na ito kaya na tweet siya ng ganito …..”Willy R threaten 2 sue those who critized him on twitter.This arrogant , unrepen-tant & inconigible Tv host has gone 2 far & should go.Sue me too,” tweet ni Sen. Pangilinan.

Maraming personalidad na ang nadadamay sa naturang issue, siguro hindi na tayo magugulat kung sa senado ipapatawag si Willie,Jan-jan,ang mga magu-lang nito at Tv management.

Nadawit na rin si Cristy Fermin sa issue, dahil sa mga youtube na kumakalat na sinabi diumano ni Cristy na isang malaking

karangalan na mabastos ni Wil-lie Revillame.Itinanggi naman ng nasabing host ng “juicy” na sinabi niya ang mga ito.

At ang kutob ni Ate Cristy, si Aiza Seguerra ang nagpapakalat nito sa youtube at twitter.Nag-salita si Ate Cristy kay Aiza ng ganito,”Imbes na computer ang inaatupag mo, at mag-apload ng video bakit hindi ka na lang gumawa ng kanta,”.Inaantay na lang namin kung anu naman ang sagot ng singer tungkol sa bagay na ito.

Samantalang ang Pres. Pinoy ay nagsalita na rin, hindi raw siya nanonood ng “Willing-Wil-lie”, never daw silang nanonood ito sabi pa ng Malacanang.

Pati sa international news ,nailabas na rin ang tungkol sa child abuse incident sa show ni Willie mas lalo na rin dito sa Amerika pero maraming hindi naniniwala.Sabi nga ng ilang ka-babayan natin dito sa California , marami raw ang nakikisawsaw at hanggang saan daw ito maka-karating.

SINGSING NI MOMMY DIO-NISIA NAWAWALA ! Worth 1 million pesos na singsing ni Mommy Dionisia ang nawawala habang naglalakad siya sa Jensa.Hinayang na hinayang si Mom-my D dahil bigay pa diumano ito ni Jinky Pacquioa, inilipat lang daw niya sa kabilang kamay ang singsing kaso sa dami ng nagpapa-picture sa kanya hindi na niya namalayan na nahulog na ito sa kanya.

Ang mahal pa naman daw ng singsing na ito, at memorable pa ito sa kanya kaya hinayang na hinayang siya.

TUESDAY VARGAS ITINANGGI NA TINIRA NIYA SI WILLIE! Peke raw yung twit-ter na nagsasalita na tinitira niya si Willie Revillame, hindi raw siya yun.Imposible na tirahin niya si Willie dahil kapit kamay daw siya sa lahat ng talents ng channel 5.

Tuesday_v ang kanyang tunay na account sa Twitter,never daw niya na-mention ang name ni Willie kaya nagtaka raw siya nung napanood niya si Willie na kasama siya mga ididimanda nito.

PATI SA FACEBOOK NA-SASALI KAMI SA ISSUE ! Nag-private message si Tita Swarding sa akin, may nag-mensahe raw sa kanya na huwag daw siyang magtitiwala sa amin dahil maka –Cristy Fermin kami at maka-Willie.

Nakakabigla ang mga pang-yayari pati friendship na bawat isa napagdududahan dahil lang



6 young Filipinos...

sa issue na ito about Willie’s scandal.Siempre naayos din namin at ipinaliwanag namin ang aming panig sa private message na ‘yun.

Sa facebook din kasi,lumabas doon yung video interview ni Cristy Fermin sa mga magulang ni Jan-jan na nai-share din namin kaya nagpagkakamalan kaming kumakampi, sa tama lang kami kumakampi at kung anu ang opinion namin dito.

Paki sa amin ng showbiz reporter na si Jun Cortez, sa April 14 OPM benefit show s for OFW@ The Araneta Coli-seum Topbilled by the biggest name in the local industry, starring Lea Salonga, Gary Valenciano,Cristian Bautista,Jed Madela, Aiza Seguerra,Ogie Al-casid, Regine Velasquez,Dindong Dantes,Michael V, Jaya,and Jessa Zargoza sa Pilipinas poi to gagawin, hindi po ito sa Amer-ika.

Mga Pinoy sa Amerika

Nalulungkot ...(Continued from page 16)

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Ni Romeo Nicolas

Mga Tulang Tagalog

Street Poetry

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

by Michael R. Tagudin

©2010 Michael R. Tagudin. All rights reserved. About the Author: Michael R. Tagudin Educated 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 “Crushed Violets” to the “Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST)”, a non-profit that provides public awareness and advocacy efforts against human trafficking in the City of Angels. To learn more, visit www.castla.org. To help, call the CAST 24 hour hotline 888.KEY.2.FRE(EDOM) or 888.539.2373. Contact [email protected] for more information about ordering the book “Crushed Violets.”

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Her dreams “I want to finish high school and take up Mass Communications in college. I want to make sure my siblings graduate, and to repair our home.”

Her favorite shoes “I love my high heels. They make me feel proud and positive — not like before when I felt so down because of all that happened in my life.”

Mhay Santiago, 20 HR supervisor

When Mhay was 15, circum-stances led her to enter the sex trade. Thankfully she was res-cued by the International Justice Mission and, just like Angge, was housed for some time in Marillac Hills. While there, she finished fourth year high school.

Getting married also pushed Mhay to leave the sex trade, but the young couple faced many hardships. She and her husband could not find employment. They would fight all the time about money and how they were going to feed and raise their two young children. Often, they were forced to beg their neighbors for food for their family.

Things changed when she was hired by Project HOUSE, and its arm, Messy Bessy, where she worked in production and then moved on to human resources. Aside from skills development and training, the foundation pro-vides her with tools for holistic improvement. They even granted her a loan that paid for a small home for her family. Mhay is truly grateful to the foundation that has given her a chance at a better life.

Her dreams “I want to make the most of my opportunities so I can hone my skills and earn well. I would like to pay off my loan and buy the land my home is on so that I can pass it on to my children.”

Her favorite shoes “I only have one pair of shoes because shoes are expensive. I bought this pair with money I earned from doing my job. That’s why I treasure and take care of it.”

Symone Estabillo, 18 student

Symone lives in a garbage dumpsite in Payatas, which is practically like the legendary Smokey Mountain dump in Tondo. But this has not stopped him from dreaming. As a Project Malasakit scholar, he is currently enrolled in a Computer Science vocational course.

Symone considers this a huge leap forward for his family: His parents are both scavengers and Symone and his siblings used to eat pagpag — leftover food

Napapanahon na, na ating tanggapin ang Bayaning Buhay,‘Di tulad ng ibang namayapang lahat, ala-ala na lang.Halos araw-araw, nasa pahayagan at nanawagan, Na sila’y ilikas sa SAMA ng bansang nagsispagaway.

Ang OFW, mula pa kay OPLE na taga Bulacan,Sila’y nagsumikap sa mga gawain na may kahirapan,Upang matulungan ang mga magulang, anak na naiwan,Sakripisyo sila, kahit maltratuhin, tinitiis na lang.

Kay dami ng PINOY na OFW sa balat ng lupa,Laking naitulong sa EKONOMIYA nitong ating bansa.Mga REMITTANCES ang tanging PAGASA, mula sa simula.Kung kaya ang PINAS, lumakas, tumatag, ‘di man SUM-AGANA.

Tandang-tanda ko pa ang mga hinaing ng mga kabayan,Kapag minaltrato nitong mga amo, hindi matulungan.Mga Embahada’y sadyang nagkukulang, walang kaalaman,Sa bagong KULTURA na kinakaharap, nagtao-tauhan.

Ngayong nakamit na, itong pagbabago’t mga kaalaman,Saka libong PINOY, biglang nanganganib, sa gulo’y mapatay.Ang SUWELDONG PADALA, ngayon ay nahinto sa isang dahilan,SIGALOT SA MUNDO kaya napilitang umuwi ng bayan.

Ang OFW, ating masasabing BUHAY NA BAYANI,Tinaya ang buhay, dahil sa pamilyang nais na bumuti.Tumulong sa bayan ng upang tumaas itong ECONOMY,Ngayo’y balik-bayang ‘di kayang tulungan sa sumobrang dami.

Gising ka na P NOY at iyong limiin ang dapat na gawin,Dumaraming lalo ang mga kabayan na hindi kakain.Halaga ng lahat, nagsisitaas na, kay bilis sa tulin,Na parang karera ng mga kabayong panay ang HALINGHING.

Hirit ni:Romeo S. Nicolas3/26/2011

Bayaning BuhayUnknown

Tears fill my eyes

Upon hearing of sirens

Of distant ships

Into a journey unknown

Like the passing of time

Our memories ..

In a blink of an eye

Like the years gone by

Largo (literally extended hands), Arnis is a fighting technique with the use of sticks indigenous from the Philippines. “Exercising with the sticks not only give you the knowledge of fighting with them but the twirling, striking, and parrying strengthen not only your arms and biceps but extend to your back and abdominal muscles – gradually developing and toning the muscles without the injurious tensions acquired from other regimens. They also provide the healthy cardiovascu-lar pumping effect that improves blood circulation for the proper nourishment and oxygenation of the vital organs of the body. The stick movements also provide the basics for the other techniques like the hands, stance, and feet striking blows.”

Cardenas wealth of knowledge which keeps him young expands over seventy years for he had been with martial arts since his toddler days. Without cinematic drama, listening to him and following his instructions would be like learning from a Shaolin monk without the silky robe trimmings.

Cardenas has just opened his Arnis Academy at 220 W. 25th Street, Ste C in National City. One can contact him at 619-339-1418.

Arnis...

For tickets, call 619.746.3416



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

journalusa.com

As the Bamboos Sway

Read Rudy Liporada’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Rudy D. Liporada

You’ll feel much better after this....If you ever feel a little bit stupid,

just dig this up and read it again; you’ll begin to think you’re a ge-nius...

(On September 17, 1994, Ala-bama’s Heather Whitestone was selected as Miss America 1995.)

Question: If you could live forever, would you and why?

Answer: “I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever,” --Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest.

***“Whenever I watch TV and see

those poor starving kids all over the world, I can’t help but cry. I mean I’d love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff.” --Mariah Carey

***“Smoking kills. If you’re killed,

you’ve lost a very important part of your life,” -- Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokes-person for federal anti-smoking campaign

***“I’ve never had major knee sur-

gery on any other part of my body,” --Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky basketball forward.

***“Outside of the killings, Wash-

ington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country,” --Mayor Marion Barry, Washington, DC

***“That lowdown scoundrel deserves

to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I’m just the one to do it,” --A congressional candidate in Texas

***“Half this game is ninety percent

mental.” --Philadelphia Phillies manager, Danny Ozark

***“It isn’t pollution that’s harming

the environment. It’s the impurities in our air and water that are doing it..” --Al Gore, Vice President

***“I love California . I practically

grew up in Phoenix.” -- Dan Quayle***

“We’ve got to pause and ask our-selves: How much clean air do we need?” --Lee Iacocca

***“The word “genius” isn’t applica-

ble in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.” --Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback & sports analyst.

***“We don’t necessarily discrimi-

nate. We simply exclude certain types of people.” -- Colonel Gerald Wellman, ROTC Instructor.

***“Your food stamps will be stopped

effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances.”

--Department of Social Services, Greenville , South Carolina

***“Traditionally, most of Australia

‘s imports come from overseas.” --Keppel Enderbery

***“If somebody has a bad heart, they

can plug this jack in at night as they go to bed and it will monitor their heart throughout the night. And the next morning, when they wake up dead, there’ll be a record.”

--Mark S. Fowler, FCC Chairman

Infamous Quotes

become millionaires if they rely only on their wages. Only those who dare to invest in businesses have the chance of breaking through to poten-tially become millionaires.

Fact two: At the average age of 65, a worker retires broke, is dead, or is earning a pension with which he could not survive on for the remaining days of his life. If ever he survives on his pension, it would be barely – no luxuries, no amenities. Another job is needed. If he does have amenities, often times, one is too old, frail and fragile to really enjoy them.

Fact three: While a worker claims to eke a life for his family, there will be more “we cannot afford that” when members of his family clamor for anything. The family must con-fine themselves within the income parameter being eked.

Fact four: A worker, though he professes to love his family, devotes more his time, his demeanor, and everything else for the boss. In the case of a woman, she lives home in curlers to be pretty for her boss and comes home with her stinky stock-ings for her husband. After an eight hour work, she would squeeze time for marketing and other errands. She would then be cranky at the kids and develop a headache as an excuse not to fulfill her function as a mother and a wife. With the ongoing econo-my, with wages not able to keep up with the soaring prices of commodi-ties and services, the tensions within the family become more alarming and divorce rates have increase.

Fact five: Since the boss pays the wages, he dictates the life and circumstances of the worker. He dictates what time the worker must

set his alarm clock, what clothes he should wear and could wear, when the worker could be with his family. In this sense, the worker is the boss’s slave just to use the word lightly

In this sense, the worker must liberate himself and achieve freedom by firing his boss.

How? Simple. If a boss makes profit, so must the worker.

Consider this. With a $50.00 that one must have earned from a boss in a day minus taxes and saved for a vanishing retirement, we assume that one could buy both body and laundry soap, make-up accessories, bottled water, vitamins, and others from a brand-named grocery store.

Fact, whatever the price of those commodities are, they would include the rent of the store; city services of the store; the wages of the cashier, cleaners, baggers, stockers, and other employees of the store. Thus, if the manufacturing cost of a bottled water, say, is just $0.15, with all the overheads, one pays $1.50 for it. Such formula applies for all the other household items. On top of the overhead, the store must make a profit.

And you only get the goods. Noth-ing comes back to you. And if you bring a friend to that store, the store would not give you an iota of com-mission.

What if, the WWDB asks, you have your own store? What if you spend the same $50.00 (not as an additional expense) for BETTER QUALITY items – both body and laundry soap, make-up accessories, bottled water, vitamins, and BUY THEM from YOURSELF?

You not only get better quality products, you also make a profit because IT IS YOUR STORE.

Now, what if you invite your friends and relatives to buy from your store? You are not only helping them get better products, you also make a profit off them.

Furthermore, what if you help them put up their own stores so they could buy from themselves? You not only help them get better products, but help them make profits. And since, they sort of got the franchise from you, you also make a modest fee.

What if your franchises mush-room?

Those who have been with

WWDB for 10, 15, 20, or more years and who have made sure that their franchises grew have become mil-lionaires. I retired from my State job and I am not a millionaire. I know countless others who have retired after serving more than 20 years and they are not millionaires.

For those on the know, you might say that this sounds like AMWAY.

Yes, it is AMWAY and it is the product distribution hub of WWDB.

Unlike, however, the AMWAY of old, the reinvigorated AMWAY is now over 50 years in business in over 80 countries. While others have tried to replicate its programs, they have come and gone. Moreover, AMWAY has evolved from paper and pencil ordering of just soap and has gone digitally global with an assortment of products beyond soap. It has a line of beauty accessories, health regimens, automotive gas sav-ing formula, etc.

Moreover, enterprises like Best Buy, Sears, Home Depot, AVIS Rent-a-Car, and 50 other refutable brands and chains have sought to tie in their products and services with AMWAY for affiliate marketing.

Do I believe in AMWAY?Let us put it this way. I have an en-

gineer and a bio-chemist son. I also have a son with the Seabees. They are happily married but I do not see them becoming millionaires in their sphere of jobs. I was a professional and did not turn out to be a mil-lionaire because I was a worker. My parents never became millionaires because they were workers.

My daughter, by all appearances, is so into AMWAY. From a modest, $50.00 income after her first month with AMWAY, she is now in her $1,000.00 bar after eight months. By all present indications, at nineteen, she is not stopping to have her enter-prise mushroom. With it, if formulas presented are correct, she would be earning more exponentially in the near future and could realize her dream of being a millionaire.

And I am not going to stop her. I also doubt is she will let me.

If she does stop, she would have enjoyed the journey and learn more about the pitfalls of life. If she does turn into a millionaire long before I turn feeble, I would be satisfied with her promise to place me in a classy

love songs.

Down south, there was a dif-ferent version, involving the kulintang — a set of five to eight gongs laid on a stand. For the Yakan tribe of Basilan, a man had to be a virtuoso on the kulin-tang to impress the object of his affection. After his performance, the woman would play gongs in a technically demanding way as a response. If she could best him, he had to turn away. Thus if a young woman did not fancy her potential lover, she could beat him at his own game and send him packing.

In Maguindanao, a kutyapi, or two-string lute shaped like a crocodile was often played. But the harana here was not a competition but the means by which a man sent love notes to his lady, before the members of the community were allowed to egg the man on, or tease. Court-ship involved not just the two individuals, but their families, and the greater community.

While the woman always had the fi nal say, the family and vil-lage members were allowed (and expected) to approve or disap-prove, support or dissent. In fact, a woman valued these opinions, knowing if hers were so aligned, it would result in greater stability.

The structure of harana evolved over time to the one we already know. At sunset, a man and his buddies arrive at the woman’s home to serenade her beneath her window. He does this several evenings before asking to be al-lowed inside. Originally, songs fl owed extemporaneously, a feat that seems impossible for suitors these days. Once the man was granted entry, a member of the woman’s family would meet him at the door. The relative would engage the suit-or in poetic debate. His character, intentions, and background would come under scrutiny, and he would

Harana Revival: Love Songs and Lost Traditions(Continued from page 1)

have to argue his worthiness.If he was allowed to move on,

the man faced the woman’s parents by the balcony, and there would ensue another round of extempora-neous poetic debate. If he met their standards, he would be ushered in. The woman would then engage him in another bout before offering him a seat. Thus, a man’s poetic prowess helped ensure his success as only the most gifted would pass these tests. Of course, the hope would be that the beloved was al-ready interested enough to let him off easy. Likewise, if the man had the family’s approval, they might allow him to slip through without too much diffi culty.

This basic harana dynamic re-mained intact for generations, even as it evolved. During the Spanish era, the guitar was introduced, replacing many traditional instru-ments. With colonization also came the canta, or pre-composed song, which replaced the extempo-raneous serenades and the prac-tice of “speaking” through one’s instrument. While the canta caused deviation in the beautiful tradition, it did give birth to some of the most moving and memorable com-positions in our musical history such as Natutulog Ka Na Ba Sinta? (Are You Asleep, My Love?), Kay Lungkot Nitong Hating Gabi (How Sad Is This Night), O Ilaw (Oh Light) and Umaga Na Pala (Morn-ing Has Arrived).

Says Florante Aguilar, master guitarist and champion of harana music in the US, “In musical terms, the rhythm is habanera which is in 2/4 time.” Says de Leon, “This rhythm is the danza. And if you listen closely, you will notice that the danza was greatly infl uenced by the beat of the Ar-gentine Tango.”

“The harana was always a social event. Serenading in rural Phil-ippines was less about a man’s declaration of love and more about the desire to introduce himself to a woman in a gentlemanly fashion, “ says Aguilar. “The most common instance that set a harana in motion

was the arrival of a woman from a big city (like Manila) who came to the province for a vacation. Like Pavlovian dogs, men were condi-tioned to organize and bring out their guitars upon getting a glimpse of a beautiful new arrival.”

Many feel that it was during the period between the 1800s to just before the start of the 1900s — before electricity became com-monplace and when Filipino values were upheld — that the harana and traditional courtship and etiquette were at their peak in mainstream Philippine society. A man had to earn the approval of a woman and her family, and was luckier if he had the support of the community. Visits would take place on a sofa specially designed to seat three: man, woman and her chaperone. Invitations to social gatherings such as parties were individually handwritten with personal messag-es, and when a harana took place, it was the highlight of everyone’s evening.

Perhaps the two most infl uential factors that began to shift the foun-dation of the harana culture during this era — as well as the Filipino’s concept of relationships — were progress and the introduction of the Western notion of romantic love.

On a practical level, commerce and commercialization led to development and distractions that replaced the graceful pace of Old Philippine life. Relationships and marriage became less about the strengthening of communal ties and more about family success, not to mention notions of romance and passion.

“Romantic love,” de Leon ex-pounds, “is largely based on yearn-ing. Its passion is fueled by the fact that your beloved is elusive to you. Just like Romeo and Juliet or Jack and Rose in the Titanic, love is at its most intense when it is in danger of being unrequited.”

And when your beloved is already yours? He says, “The mystery disappears. Married life is all about obligation, and purely

romantic love usually spans only three years. Unless the initial fi re was able to develop and deepen into something more, the rela-tionship between two individuals begins to wane.” According to the Western take on love, most of the romance happens before the union is sealed. In Old Philippine life, an initial attraction is solidifi ed when a marriage has the encouragement of not just two families, but the entire township. And from here, love and romance are cultivated through the years. At this point in history, relationships were still backed up by the couple’s families, but the entire support system of the community had begun to fade away. And the traditional Filipino sentiments that espoused the ha-rana began to lose their foothold in the people’s hearts.

By the time the Americans took over in 1898, commerce was in full swing. American music was on a totally separate tangent from that of the harana and thus, it barely infl uenced it. Instead, the tradition sur-vived only in pockets of the more remote provinces (where it was practiced up until the 1970s). A big byword of the era was “freedom” and this translated in many ways and in all life’s aspects.

“Freedom of movement meant that parents had less infl uence over their children and a man with intentions could meet the apple of his eye with far less obstacles to contend with. The Americans also standardized the education system which meant that everyone had access to schools and learning, and this gave young men and women more everyday opportunities to mingle.”

The American view of romance focused on just two individuals eroded the tradition. What’s more, American English, largely prosaic and utilitarian, changed the way people thought about love. Life moved faster; “courtship” hap-pened more quickly. Who needed the harana when a young man could easily ask a woman out on a date?

Does the lost art of the harana still hold a place in the Filipino’s life in 2011? Says award-winning fi lm director Benito Bautista, who is working on a documentary called Harana, “I think it is still there in spirit if not in practice in some provinces. There are still haranistas in remote rural areas; they rekindle the harana by singing old love songs. The serenade as such has vanished.” He adds that, “the future generations will have nothing to be proud of if we don’t record, express, preserve and promote our cultural heritage. They will be inclined to value and know more about other cultural traditions than

their own.” In essence, reviving the harana will bring us back in touch with our lost selves.

“Filipinos are a spiritual people.We still believe that love is for-

ever,” Bautista explains, “and we do what it takes to grow roots and build stability in our relationships.” We need to reconnect with the soul of our people in order to fl ourish — instead of cloaking ourselves with foreign practices that often run against our nature. “We don’t need to eradicate technology,” de Leon says, “but we need to work with it. We need to regain our po-etic tradition — as this will stir our hearts, and make us more caring.”

We should remember that we are


AS THE BAMBOOS SWAY By Rudy D. Liporada | SAN DIEGO, 4/15/2011 -- Last weekend, I and my wife accompanied our nineteen year old daughter to a leadership seminar in Las Vegas. The program was un-der the auspices of the World Wide Dream Builders (WWDB).

I went home believing that JOB stands for Journey of the Broke and there should be an alternative.

If I understood the lectures pep-pered with testimonies of professed millionaires via WWDB, the mes-sage is: Jobs stink and workers of all the world should unite and join WWDB. You have nothing to lose but your chains.

This sounds Marxist but far from it. WWDB did not exactly praise Socialism to achieve Communism. It promoted Free Enterprise and called on all Americans and work-ers of the world to practice their democratic rights to set up their own entrepreneurial enterprise and liberate themselves from the yoke of their capitalist bosses by being capitalists. Although not really. These capitalists would be capitalists without workers but interdependent with other capitalists. It sounded, to me, that everyone is being goaded to become members of a WWDB cooperative. Cooperatives, as far as I know, are subsets of Socialism.

The theories of economies and social orders I learned became jumbled and I had a crosswire frying my brains from trying to reconcile the seeming contradicting edicts of WWDB. Nonetheless, the facts the organization presented are, to me, true.

Fact one: Workers in the USA or anywhere in the world would never

Workers of all the World Unite and Become Capitalists

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“I am encouraging OFCI to build a bridge that will link the overseas Filipinos, OFWs or otherwise, to the government that is in a better position to help,” stressed Koko, promising to bring OFCI’s concerns closer to the heart of Vice-President Jejomar Binay, who is now serving as the czar on OFWs matters under the administration of President Benigno Simeon “PNoy” C. Aquino III.

Installed as officers of the Philippine chapter of OFCI are: Lyndale Marietta Cataluña Caus-ing of Koronadal City, president; Andrew Rimando of La Union, vice-president; Lilia Pelayo of Laguna, Treasurer; Marge Ab-erasturi of Batangas, Secretary; Myra Tambor of Samar, Audi-tor; and Berteni “Toto” Cata-luña Causing of Manila, press relations officer. The officers of OFCI are: Anita S. Schon, president and chairperson of the Board of Governors; Roberto Pagarigan, vice-president and vice-chair of the Board of Gov-ernors; Sonny Feliciano, secre-tary and member of the Board of Governors; Carlos Caraman-zana, treasurer & member of the Board of Governors; Lourdes Ceballos, public relations of-ficer & member of the Board of Governors; Ernesto Delfin, auditor & member of the Board of Governors; Nelson Paguyo, ex–officio member of the Board of Governors.

OFWs need bridges ...


fully and brilliantly alive when we are true to ourselves. We Filipinos have love songs playing in our hearts. Do we need the harana when all a guy needs these days to hook up with a girl is a text mes-sage? Of course we do.

SOME USEFUL WEBSITES

To learn more about Benito Bautista’s film, Harana and how you can support it, go to www.haranathemovie.com

To experience the melodies of traditional harana songs as revived by Florante Aguilar, go to www.florante.org.

Story courtesy of Smile, the inflight magazine published by Ink Publishing for Cebu Pacific Air-ways. www.cebusmile.com, www.ink-live.com/emagazines/smile

Harana ..(Continued from page 18)


Housing & Real Estate

Community talks and media campaign will focus on discrimination against persons of foreign descent

WASHINGTON – The U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it will launch an effort to better address national origin based housing discrimination dur-ing Fair Housing Month in April. HUD will initiate a national media campaign and a series of commu-nity discussions on topics ranging from rental practices to mortgage lending. HUD’s first Immigrant Housing Conference, which will educate the public and housing providers about their fair housing rights and responsibilities, will be conducted in Omaha, Nebraska, April 14.

“The new Census data demon-strate that newcomers are settling not only in traditional gateway states. They reside in communi-ties across the Midwest and South. Through this education campaign, HUD will work with communities to prevent housing discrimination and promote immigrant integra-tion into the broader society,“ said John Trasvina, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in rental, sales or home lending transactions based on a person’s national origin. This includes discrimination based on a person’s ancestry, country of birth outside the United States, and the language they speak. National origin discrimination often in-volves immigrants or non-English speaking individuals, but can also involve native-born U. S. citizens based on their family ancestry. This type of discrimination may also occur in conjunction with the other protections of the Fair

HUD to address “National Origin” housing discrim-ination during National Fair Housing Month

Housing Act against race, color, religion, gender, disability, and family status discrimination.

One part of HUD’s “Live Free” national media campaign is an advertisement featuring a young Asian woman looking into the horizon, with the caption reading: “Unique Identity. Equal Rights. Housing Discrimination is Against the Law.”

HUD also recently awarded nearly $41 million to 108 fair housing organizations and non-profit agencies across the country to educate the public and combat housing and lending discrimina-tion. Many of the groups will use the grants to address discrimina-tion against immigrants, Latinos, non-native English speakers and minority communities. See this selected list of grantees and their work.

Some examples of how the grants will be used to combat national origin discrimination include:

Ø The Fair Housing Council of Riverside County, California, will test for discrimination in the sale and rental of housing units in the area of national origin;

Ø The Equal Rights Center in Washington, DC, will investigate 240 new complaints of housing discrimination alleging violation of federal fair housing laws with an emphasis on national origin;

Ø The Idaho Legal Aid Ser-vices will broadcast public service announcements in Spanish about FHA lending information; and

Ø Prairie State Legal Services in Rockford, Illinois, will focus on educational outreach to Spanish-speaking residents, a group recog-nized statewide as at-risk.

HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive com-munities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to

strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable com-munities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is avail-able on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.

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duction, for me the battle has always been which system benefits humanity the most.

I chose the side of Democratic Capitalism because I thought it would guarantee individual human rights, democratize wealth and capital, and most especially, it would create a “human and just society – based on human dignity, built on justice and dedicated to progress – where every man may develop and fulfill himself according to his ability and in the ser-vice of his fellow men.” (CSM Mani-festo)

As a young boy I learned of what the late Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay said, “Those who have less in life must have more in law.”

As a young adult, I heard the Pope assert, “preferential option for the poor”.

All my life, I was taught, “To whom much is given, much is required.” This should apply to taxation for the benefit of current and future genera-tions.

America is great because of its com-passion and caring for its citizens. Will it continue to be so?

Tackling the Deficit ..


LifestyleRead J’Son’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.

asianjournalusa.com

by Joe Son

From Antique to America:Memoirs of a Filipino American Doctor

Lions Club President

PVLC has been a breeding ground of creative projects and has persistently maintained the annual launching of its medical missions. The immense magni-tude of the mission’s positive impact on the health of the people of the countries visited will surely be long remembered.

One of its most desired goals, however, is to adopt a clinic or a hospital in our homeland, the Philippines. I have a dream, and it seems that I was able to get the members more excited about dreams for the future than the his-tory of our past accomplishments. It is incumbent upon the new leadership to remain strong and unwaveringly dedicated to carry on the banner devoted to “We Serve”. The honor that everyone deserved reminds me of a saying by Mark Twain: ‘It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.’”

The following were my com-mentaries on being elected as the PVLC president:

“It was in the millennium year, 2000, that I was elected president of Paradise Valley Lions Club. I said, as your president for the incoming fiscal year, I would need your support more than ever before, on the projects we have in progress. For a small organi-zation like ours, the success of our undertakings relies heavily on the continued support of the members. We must be aware that we need each other; we must be aware of our mutual commit-ment of “we serve imperative” of Lionism. The virtues of mutual sharing and tolerance will assure us an open communication and reconciliation and will remove distrust and confrontations among us. As immigrants to this coun-try, we must improve our image in our respective communities, promote our heritage, and estab-lish our identity and our place in American Society. What we think, what we do, and what we portray in this club is concerns every-one. During this recent medical mission, you have shown great concern for the disadvantaged, the poor people of our country. That was a noble act.

My foremost objective is to increase our membership with carefully selected and qualified men and women. You will notice that there are thirty awardees and plaques given away this evening. Many more were awarded in the Philippines including last year’s inaugural celebration. This is indeed a difficult act to follow. That shows there were just as many club members doing their job well. So, to follow this act, I appeal for your involvement and support in my administration; let me remind you that if no one tries to help, no matter how simple the job is, it becomes a lonely task. What I need for this administra-tion is a Bayanihan- a samahan, (the spirit of working together) as true Filipinos that we are. We must remember that communities, towns, and nations are the result of combined efforts and skills of people with hope and vision. We must share the sum total of our many gifts and talents, our ex-pertise and our spirit of unity, to build a solid and stronger PLVC.”

“I believe the first test of a truly great man is humility.” -- JOHN RUSKIN

For a number of years before my retirement, I joined groups of medical missionaries to the Philippines. From 1987 (after the People Power Revolution) to 2002, I participated once a year to help the poor people in our country who needed medical care. I became a charter member and board member of Paradise Valley Lions Club (PVLC) of San Diego when it was founded in 1993. I deeply believe in the Lions Club Organization and its strong mis-sionary work.

The late Dr. Eduardo Manaig, a friend, colleague, and prominent medical practitioner in National City, California, was the founder and first president of PVLC, Dist. 4-L6. I was the vice president in 1989 and became the 8th presi-dent in 2000. I was re-elected to serve until 2002. The PVLC’s achievements in those eight years included medical services to poverty areas in Africa, India, Vietnam and the Philippines.

From the very start, the Lions Code of Ethics and Lions Inter-national Objectives were well known to every charter member. The medical mission was the vanguard humanitarian endeavor of the club. It showed no limits in their dedication, kindness, sympathy, charity, and genuine love for the poor people in the Spirit of Lionism. Our mission was to collaborate with individu-als and organizations to improve our community and to help those we were serving.

Generally speaking, there are many members in the entire universe that make a difference in the lives of thousands of people every day. Without the help of these members, the suffering we see today would be tenfold. The Medical Mission of the Paradise Valley Lions Club truly is one of the most important and life-changing deeds performed by Lions anywhere across the world. Congratulations to the PVLC for turning suffering into happiness for so many people To borrow the words from Lions International: “Whenever a Lions club gets to-gether, problems get smaller. And communities get better. That’s because we help where help is needed – in our own communi-ties and around the world – with unmatched integrity and energy.” The Paradise Valley Lions Club of San Diego won the coveted LIONS CLUB OF THE YEAR award for Lion year 1999-2000 in District 4-L6, which covers San Diego County and Imperial County in Southern California.

In 1995 when the PVLC was barely a year old, the members decided to put their caring into action and travel to the Philip-pines on a medical mission. In several areas, they attended to hundreds of people who were sick and without funds for treatment. The mission went so well that the members decided to do it again the following year.

This time, they agreed to expand their mission of mercy to include more people in need in other poor countries. At the urging of one of the members, who was born in In-dia and grew up in Nairobi, they decided to have a medical mission to Kenya and India.

The Lions Club spent a year raising fund, collecting medical equipment and supplies for the 1995 mission to the Philippines. It also took almost a year to work out the logistics of making the mission feasible. For a trip that would include three countries, PVLC remained undaunted although it realized that it would need more effort to put it all together.

To raise funds for a successful mission, PVLC sponsored bowl-

ing tournaments and raffles, sent out mailings for donations, and asked for support from friends, relatives and supporters. Finally, $50,000 was raised, which was deemed enough to cover the expenses for the trip. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in used medi-cal equipments and eyeglasses were also collected.

The team of twenty volunteers included seven physicians, two registered nurses, one pharmacist, two emergency medical techni-cians, two medical assistants, five staff support members and one surgical technician. I did not join this mission. I was chairman of the logistic committee.

In Kenya, the group conducted medical camps in several orphan-ages. Nearly 300 children were treated and given gifts of toys and clothing. Many of the youngsters were disabled and had not had any medical attention for more than three years.

In India, the volunteers saw over 600 people including children from nearby orphanages at one medical camp. Another camp rendered medical treatment to more than 1,000 people and gave eyeglasses, medicine, and dona-tions of clothing and toys.

When PVLC reached the Philip-pines, they conducted camps in Pampanga, Zambales, Valensuela and Calamba. Lions joined the medical and dental unit of the Philippine Army in San Antonio, Zambales to see nearly 350 medi-cal and 150 dental patients. They performed fourteen surgeries at a nearby hospital. In addition to surgical patients, Lions tended to 705 medical and 225 dental patients.

I have written a number of articles covering the different places of our medical missions. Looking back at my accomplish-ments thus far, I receive intense pleasure from knowing that I have touched many lives. It goes as far back to 1973 when I acted for the establishment of the Operation Samahan Health Clinic up to the present medical missions that are geared to help the poor people in need of medical care.

In one of my columns in the Filipino Press newspaper in May 1999, I discussed why the Para-dise Valley Lions Club has reason to celebrate:

“We are back from a medical mission. A seemingly impossible task became a towering statement of humanitarian achievement in the highest order of excellence.

After a momentous medical mission of the Paradise Valley Lions Club in Vietnam and the Philippines, a recognition night was accorded to the participants held at the Le Pavilion, Town and Country Hotel on May 29, 1999. I was a vice president and one of the recipients of the mission-ary award. Indeed, it has been a privilege and honor to be a part of the leadership of PVLC since its inception in 1993. Together with our motivated members, we nurtured this organization to what it is today--a mature, valuable and successful organization to be reckoned with in this com-munity. In those formative years, it was not easy. Like any other young organizations, hurdles were encountered. Our club starred a meteoric rise with achievements in humanitarian endeavors due to our dedication to serve the less fortunate, the magnanimous and unselfish desire of the members to extend a helping hand, not to mention time and money, in the spirit of Lionism. This has been a feat no one can ever imagine to follow, and we are all profoundly proud of it.

Sad to say that most child abuse, are victim’s of its own members of the family circle, could be parents, close relatives, family friends or caretakers. Most cases are sexual abuse or child neglect but this also includes physical, emotional and psychological in nature.

According to statistics 90% of confirmed physical abuse and neglect cases are caused by caretakers of children, while surprisingly males and females perpetrate abuse against their own children at he same rates. Significantly, abused childrens though are more likely abused by male parent-substitute or other non-parental perpetrators for about 80-90% and about 15% by females.

Lately in the Philippines, it is the talk of the town, talk show host Willie Revillame is in big trouble for alleged child abuse. Some TV viewers and consumers, and other groups like MTCRB, CHR, CBCP and some womens groups brandl it child abuse, but his camp and TV 5 maintained there was nothing indecent on the show and his supporters claimed that was only pure entertainment. To date, child abuse in any manner is rampant and openly practiced. House legislators and juridical practitioners should take seriously this incedent and developed solid implementation of existing laws and outright definition of punishment, includ-ing new programs designed to

Overview of child abuse prevention and punishment

prevent reoccurences of child abuse patterned in the U.S.

Many factors contribute and make abuse likely to occur. Pres-sures on the family, alcohol and drug abuse, and social isolation can lead to parental stress and increase the chances that a parent

will strike out at their child. If an adult expects too much of a child. especially if a child has learning or behaviour problem including mental illness, the child is more likely to be abused or neglected. Sometimes it hap-pens when the adult was abused as a child or has psychological or medical problems, chances are this adult is prone to child abuse or neglect.

It is a parent ‘s prime respon-sibility than anybody else like teachers and the government in preventing child abuse. Parent education and support should be given emphasis starting in homes and from schools other locations, in providing parents with tools to more effectively raise their children through proper educa-tion and service coordination including in-home services. Par-

ent aides are needed to go into homes and provide education and support, role modeling, house-hold management, referrals, and service coordination should be available to problematic parents identified by social workers funded by the government.

The best way of preventing reoccurrences of an abused child is to determine if it is reasonable to reunite the family. The agency giving protective custody of the abused child should be respon-sible to the health and safety and should also be primarily concerned in planning for their future in making decisions for reunification. The agency should abide courts order that deter-mines whether reunification is appropriate including the parent abandoning the child, sexually molesting or exploiting the child, severely abused the child physi-

cally, and assaulted the child causing serious physical injury.

In multidisciplinary investiga-tion, teamwork in investigating reports of serious abuse or ne-glect could lead to better pros-ecution of child abusers. Pros-ecutors and police should work together with health and mental health professionals on child abuse cases for fast and effective verdict. Revelations about sexual abuses by religious predators, sport coaches and classroom edu-cators, including sexual abusers in the internet to lure an under age child led legislators to enact new laws on sexual abuse crimes and the statute of limitations for prosecuting and suing abusers.

Joe [email protected] Diego, CA



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

journalusa.com

Today is Beautiful(Continued from page 19)

LOS ANGELES, 4/15/2011 – The Pilipino American Shippers Association on Thursday advised customers of a possible increase in balikbayan box rates follow-ing an advisory from the Trans-pacific Stabilization Agreement

Balikbayan box price rise certain as carriers push for higher rates(TSA), the powerful grouping of shipping companies plying the Pacific Ocean, that rising demand and costs have made the need for increasing shipping rates “even more critical.”

The TSA said that while new vessels are expected within the year to augment the exist-ing fleets, continuously rising demand arising from the eco-nomic recovery, the low supply of containers, delay in deliveries

of new vessels, and the expected third quarter peak season would offset the rise in supply.

“Reinvesting in carrier service networks to meet demand growth and serve customers’ special-

ized needs, the Agreement said, makes its recommended pro-gram of adjustments to rates and charges all the more critical,” TSA said in a press statement.

The TSA is a grouping of all the major shipping companies plying the intra-Asian route. The members include APL Ltd., China Shipping Container Lines, CMA-CGM, COSCO Container Lines, Ltd., Evergreen Line, Hanjin Shipping Co., Ltd.,Hapag-Lloyd AG, Hyun-dai Merchant Marine Co., Ltd., Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (K Line), Maersk Line, Mediter-ranean Shipping Co., Nippon Yusen Kaisha (N.Y.K. Line), Orient Overseas Container Line, Inc., Yangming Marine Transport Corp., and Zim Integrated Ship-ping Services.

“These shipping lines have been asking for higher rates in addition to two previous in-creases imposed last year,” said Manny Paez, president of PASA, a grouping of cargo companies serving balikbayan box custom-ers in the United States.

He said TSA’s recent statement is a clear indication that another rate increase would be forthcom-ing.

“Once the TSA increases its rates as expected, balikbayan box forwarders may have to fol-low suit and raise their own rates to make up for the added costs,” Paez said. “While we will do our best to minimize any increase in our rates, we do hope that the public would bear with us.”

Last year, TSA members hiked

their rates first by $150 per container, then by another $300, for a total of $450 increase. The TSA has been reportedly pres-suring shippers to accept an additional increase of $800 per 40-foot container.

Such an increase, Paez said, would be a devastating blow to balikbayan box forwarders un-less they increase their own rates per box corresponding to the TSA raise.

Paez further stressed out that since ocean shipping cost merely represents one facet of the total picture, it is equally important to point out the other cost factors that are draining the bloodline and cash flow of the freight forwarders. The increase in fuel prices in the USA and more so in the Philippines leads to higher operating & forwarding costs.

The weak dollar vs Peso ex-change aggravates the situa-tion. More dollars are needed to fund the same amount in Pesos. Prices were pegged while the exchange rates were in the mid Php50’s and have not corrected to reflect the current rate. The increase in domestic inter-island rates in the double digits thus making delivery cost in the Phil-ippines more costly.

“Balikbayan box rate increases may be inevitable under the foregoing circumstances, and to-day’s price correction will be the first within a span of almost 10 years or more. We hope that the consumers would understand. In return, we pledge improved and committed service,” Paez said.

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 at Rockrose,” says Lora Her-amb, vice president of sales and marketing for Brookfield Homes. “There’s nothing else like it in Carlsbad.”

Priced from the high $500,000s, Rockrose homes range from 2,116 to 3,875 square feet with three to four bedrooms. Currently, Rockrose buyers are eligible for up to $38,000 in combined Spring Sale price reductions, upgrades and incen-tives, and a low tax rate of 1.21 percent. For more information about current incentives, visit http://bit.ly/BrookfieldSale.

Recipient of the 2011 Envi-ronmental Spirit Award from the Carlsbad Chamber of Com-merce, Brookfield’s Rockrose community features homes that exceed California’s energy standards by at least 35 percent. These measures provide hom-eowners with savings of more than $1,000 per year on electric-ity costs, according to Energy Efficiency in New Construction: Bill Analysis released by San Diego Gas & Electric.

Recognized as the most ener-gy-efficient new homes in San Diego County, Rockrose was praised in 2010 by California Governor Arnold Schwarzeneg-ger for “…set[ting] a new standard in creating sustainable communities.”

For more information about Rockrose, please visit the sales office at 3538 Glen Ave. in Carlsbad or call 888-284-8861.

Brookfield Homes builds new homes in San Diego and River-side counties. Brookfield cur-rently is building in the master-planned communities of The Foothills in Carlsbad, Winding-walk in Chula Vista, Stonebridge Estates east of Scripps Ranch in San Diego, and Old Creek Ranch new homes in San Marcos. The company also has signifi-cant land holdings in Riverside County. For more information about Brookfield communities and to learn about the company’s signature construction differenc-es, visit www.brookfieldsd.com.

Brookfield’s Rockrose...

As my mind travels back to the times worth remembering in the world of Philippine entertainment, I know I could not possibly miss writ-ing about one particular lady who has taken it as her mission to bring a weekly taste of Filipino culture to the many homes of Filipino families. I am talking about the “Reyna ng Kundiman”, Armida Siguion-Reyna who has earned this title because of her TV program, “Aawitan Kita”. The program brought to the hearts of many Filipinos not only nostalgia for the well-loved kundimans, but also an appreciation of the talent of Fili-pino composers and musicians. It was in the 70s that the show started and today, it is considered as the longest-running show in the history of Philippine television. Because of this TV program, Armida earned the title she richly deserves, “Reyna ng Kundiman.”

Armida Siguion-Reyna, better known as Tita Midz in the showbiz circle, was born on November 19, 1930. Being the proud lady that she is, she does not bother keeping her age a secret. There should be no shame in saying one’s age, especial-ly if you have lived your life to the fullest, colored with many achieve-ments in the field you have chosen. Armida is the daughter of Alfon-so Ponce Enrile, a Spanish mestizo

Armida Siguion-Reyna, Reyna ng Kundiman

lawyer and politician, and mother, Purita Liwanag. Her early years of education were spent at the Far Eastern University (FEU). She later on went to the Philippine Women’s University for her University degree.

Tita Midz belongs to a rare breed of artists gifted with immense talents in the visual arts - she acts, she pro-duces TV shows, movies and stage plays. She spent most of her life un-der the limelight as an extraordinary actress and has tried working behind the camera as a producer.

Her Movie Career

Armida started her movie career at the age of 8 when she appeared as an extra in the movie “Yaman ng Ma-hirap” (1938) with the child star Tita Duran, under the direction of her aunt, Carmen Concha. As she was growing up, she would stop at the

Star Theatre to gawk at the movie stills of Rudy Concepcion, Rosario Moreno and Corazon Noble. That was the beginning of her dream to be part of the Philippine entertainment industry. She developed her passion for the Filipino songs from the film musicals of the late 30s.

As was expected from most fathers during her time, Armida’s father, Alfonso was a strict disciplinarian. Tita Midz was not allowed to appear on stage or in the movies. When her father learned that she took screen tests with Polaris Films and was of-fered the chance to be the young lead star of Fernando Poe Sr.’s movie outfit, she was sent away to study at the Academy of St. Joseph in Long Island, New York. It was in this school where Tita Midz graduated high school in 1948. However, the yearning to be an actress has always been in Tita Midz’ young soul, such that even without the knowledge of her father and the school adminis-trators, she auditioned for a role in the new Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, “The King and I”. She sang the Deanna Durbin song, “The Italian Street Song.” Unfortunately, she was not given the chance to play the role, because the nuns of Saint Joseph told her father about her au-dition. Her father then immediately ordered her to come home.

Unaware of the fate that awaits her back in the Philippines, she met a young lawyer in her father’s office, Leonardo Siguion-Reyna, whom she fell in love with. They fell in love and officially tied the knot in 1951. Their marriage was blessed with three children: Leonardo, Jr. Monique, and Carlos. Her marriage to Leonardo put a temporary halt in her artistic career, but in a few years, she heeded the call and once again entered the entertainment world. This time around, she did so with the full and loving support of her husband whom she considers her companion, confidante and “foun-tain of all graces.” In an interview with the PEP (??), she reveals the secret of her 58 years of unbreakable union. She candidly said, “Just say yes all the time.”

Armida won several awards that laud her unique acting prowess, and all these awards are products of her rare talent and her devotion to her art. Aside from her inborn talent in acting, she continued to hone her craft by attending four Eric Mor-ris workshops in Manila and in the United States. She also attended acting laboratories conducted by Gina Alajar, Michael de Mesa and Maryo de los Reyes. One write up about her described how she would tackle each role given to her. Armida “explores a given material

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said:

“I am blind, please help.” There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He

took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat.

He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words.

He put the sign back so that

everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy.

That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were.

The boy recognized his foot-steps and asked, “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning?

What did you write?” The man said, “I only wrote the

truth. I said what you said but in a different way.”

I wrote: “Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it.”

Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind.

The second sign told people that they were so lucky that they were not blind.

Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effec-tive?

Moral of the Story:

Be thankful for what you have.. Be creative.. Be innovative..

Think differently and posi-tively. When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you

Have 1000 reasons to smile.

Face your past without regret.Handle your present with confi-

dence. Prepare for the future without fear.

Keep the faith and drop the fear.

The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling…

And even more beautiful, is knowing that you are the reason behind it!!!

If you appreciate this mes-sage, please share. You may touch someone’s heart today and forever.

Enjoy your week with a heart of gratitude...

“Faith is not about everything

turning out OK; Faith is about being OK no matter how things turn out.”

Armida Siguion Reyna will be performing at Pala, May 27,2011



(619) 474-0588

Business DirectoryATTORNEYS

Abano, Ashley Law Offices of Ashley Abano 225 Broadway, 21st Floor San Diego, CA, 92101Tel. (619) 702-3051 Alejo, E.B. 240 Woodlawn Ave., Suite 14 Chula Vista, CA 91910 Tel. (619) 203-5782 American Legal Center Atty Erwin Bautista 550 East 8th Street, Suite 11 National City, CA 91950 Tel. 619) 474 7755

Carrasquillo, Lorna M. MarquezFree ConsultationTel. (877) 639-4529 Chua, Tinsay, Vega Law Atty. Aurora Vega 1901 First Avenue, Suite 142 San Diego, CA Tel. (619) 955-6277 Cooke, Kenneth c/o Maria Cielito Bejarin 240 Woodlawn Avenue #15 Chula Vista, CA 91910 Tel (619) 696-7196 Karagdag, Atty. Rogelio

10717 Camino Ruiz # 131 San Diego, CA 92126 Tel. (858) 348-7475 Perez, Atty. Susan 625 Broadway, Suite 1015 San Diego, CA 92101 Tel (619) 819-8648

BAKERIES

Bread Deluxe1420 E. Plaza Blvd. S-01National City, CA 91950Tel. (619) 474-2624 CAREGIVERS

Home Care Assistance 162 S. Rancho Santa Fe Rd. B-10 Encinitas, CA 92029 Tel. (760)635-3646

Horizons ADHC 1415 East 8th Street Suite 5 National City, CA 941950

Tel. (619) 474-1822 CARGO FORWARDERS

Manila Forwarder 3104 East Plaza Blvd. National City, CA 91950 Tel. (619) 434-7191 Pentagon Cargo 3200 Highland Avenue #2-B National City, CA 91950 Tel (619) 474-0767

Willex USA Cargo, Inc. Main Street, No. 14 Chula Vista, CA 91911Tel. (619)866.6151 CASINOS Barona Casino1932 Wildcat Canyon Rd,

Lakeside, CA(888) 722-7662 Sycuan Casino 5469 Casino Way, El Cajon, CA 92019

DENTISTS

Badillo, Dr. Florabel F. Oliver10717 Camino Ruiz, # 122 San Diego, CA 92126 Tel. (858) 566-6099

Chan, Andrew 925 East Pennsylvania Ave. # D

Escondido, CA 92025 Tel. (858) 527-0365 Lazaga, Dr, Myrna 914 East 8th Street, #208 National City, CA 91950 Tel (619) 477-0570

Largoza, Dr. Nita1040 Tierra Del ReyChula Vista, CA 91910Tel. (619) 482-1992

New Image DentistryDr. Rossana T. Alfonso2340 E. 8th StreetNational City, CA 91950Tel. (619) 470-2558 Palaganas, Aleli 1311 E. 8th Street, Suite D

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DRIVING SCHOOLS

Aguilar Driving School 2371 Forest Meadow Court

Chula Vista, CA 91915 Tel. (619) 482-1488 Perez, Gerry 6985 Westleigh Place San Diego, CA 92126 Tel. (619) 571-9159

COMMUNITIES, NEW HOMES

Sentinels Del Sur by Davidson Communities

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Canyon Woods TagaytayCondos, Tagaytay,

Philippines Tel. (619) 746-3416 Presidio at Britanny BayCondos, Lakefront @ Laguna Bay

Sucat, Metro ManilaTel. (619) 746-3416 SM Properties Condo units @ SM Malls in the Philippines Tel. (619) 746-3416 INSURANCE

Jerry Salcedo AgencyNationwide Insurance 162 S. Rancho Sante Fe,Ste E100

Encinitas, CA 92024Te. (877) 260-7104

Annual Tierrasanta Fair Kicks off Full Day of Family FunSan Diego; April 11, 2011—The

Tierrasanta Junior Women’s Club and the Tierrasanta Community Council are pleased to present the TierraFest Art & Craft Fair on Saturday, May 21 from 9am – 4pm. The fair will be held in the Tierrasanta Town Center shopping complex (Albertson’s) at 10633 Tierrasanta Blvd. The event is free and open to the public.

The TierraFest Art & Craft Fair will include paintings, fine art

photography, artisan jewelry and handmade folk craft.

The public is invited to meet the talented local artists and learn how the art was created while browsing the beautiful, handcraft-ed items. As a special highlight for youngsters, during the art & craft show children are encour-aged to seek out the face painter for free face painting.

The TierraFest Art & Craft Fair will kick off a full day of family-

friendly events. Tierrasanta’s annual Patriot’s Day Parade will start at 10am and progress along Tierrasanta Blvd. in front of the art & craft fair.

The Barbeque Dinner will take place from 4pm – 9pm at the Tier-rasanta Recreation Center, 11220 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. There will be plenty of games and activities for the kids at the Rec. Ctr. during the BBQ. At dusk, a huge fire-works display will blast off from

the Rec. Ctr. as well. Everyone is invited to come and enjoy a day full of fun!

The combined events of Tier-raFest are sponsored by Tier-rasanta non-profit organizations: the Tierrasanta Junior Women’s Club; Kiwanis Club; and Commu-nity Council. Proceeds from the TierraFest events are returned to the community through charitable donations to local organizations.

Learn about the importance of the local and State redistricting process and how it will affect the API and your community in San Diego.

The Rice Club Luncheon will take place on April 26th, 2011 at Jasmine Seafood Restaurant in Kearny Mesa. The event is sponsored by the Asian Business Association and will feature Gil Ontai,California State Redis-tricting Commissioner, Midori Wong, Chief of Staff, 2010 San Diego Redistricting Commission and Vince Hall, Former San Di-ego Redistricting Commissioner.

The event is scheduled from 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Cost: $25 for ABA Members, $35 Non-Members, $40 At the Door

Gil Ontai, Midori Wong at April 26th

ABA Rice Club Luncheon

The Museum of Making Music (MOMM) is hosting to events on April 16 and 17. These are:

April 16: “In the Panyard” Film & Performance with Keli Ross-M’au

This Saturday, April 16 at 7 PM the Museum hosts a screening of “In the Panyard,” produced by Keli Ross-Ma’u, followed by a special steel pan performance.

“In the Panyard” is a documen-tary about Ross-Ma’u’s musical journey as he studies and per-forms with the Pamberi Steel Or-chestra in Trinidad, the birthplace of the steel pan.

This documentary gives an insider’s experience of playing the steel pan in Trinidad, and discovers the community bond that is created through music in the Panyard. After the film, Ross-Ma’u will perform original music focused on the sound of the steel drum in different genres, from classical to Latin jazz and more.

This event is presented in part-nership with sdIRL Connections, a local social networking group.

Tickets are $18 general, $15 Museum members and can be purchased by calling 760-438-5996. This event is expected to sell out and advanced purchase is highly recommended.

Sunday, April 17: Summer Music Camp Preview Session

You’re invited to a first time preview session to this year’s Summer Music Camp! Students and parents of all ages are invited to this interactive drumming workshop in preparation for the

Museum of Making Music Holds Summer

Music Camp Preview on

4/17 Sunday

summer camp. Participants will get an energized sample of camp activities and get to meet camp instructor, Ed Roscetti.

This preview class is FREE and there is no commitment to enroll in the camp. Instruments will be provided and all levels of experience are welcome. Come and check out what the Summer Music Camp is all about!

For more information, please call 760-438-5996, ext. 212.

The Museum of Making Music is located at 5790 Armada Drive

Carlsbad, CA 92008The Museum is open Tues-

day- Sunday, 10AM - 5PM. Admission is $7; $5 for students, seniors & military. Children age 5 and under receive free admission! Call Toll Free: (877) 551-9976

from a real place of personal tension, fear, inhibitions and confronting what’s been blocked by memory.” In an interview, Tita Midz said, “When something in my character connects to a real-life experience in the past, I also discuss this with my director, how to enlarge or control it. Odd, but true. No matter the many times I’ve fought with directors as producer, as an actress I am actually putty in my director’s hand.”

She was once dubbed as the “Dragon Lady of Philippine Cin-ema.” Like her contemporaries in the industry, she evolved into one

Armida Siguion-Reyna, Reyna ng Kundiman

Come See the

PREMIER SHOWING OF

“Aawitan Kita Sa America” Friday, May 27, 2011

8:00 p.m. at the Infinity (formerly Grand Ballroom)

Pala Casino Spa Resort 1154 Highway 76, Pala, California 92059

Ticket prices are $38 and $58, For ticket reservations and sponsoring information, you may call (619) 746-3416.

“Aawitan Kita Sa America” is a contemporary Filipino zarzuela in three acts, set in a typical Filipino community written by Bibeth Orteza

and directed by Carlos Siguion-Reyna.

The cast includes Bayang Barrios, Miguel Castro, Bo Cerrudo, Rachel Gerodias, Paul Montesa,

Richard Reynoso, Cris Villongco, and Lirio Vital, with the special participation of Timmy Pavino

and the Payo Dancers.

The kundimans that will be performed by these artists will not only make the Filipino audience here in the U.S.

nostalgic for their homeland, but will also make them feel a sense of pride for home-grown talents.

of the most loved iconic stars of the Philippine movie industry.

Among the movies she made with outstanding performances were “Lakambini at Supremo” (1975), “Dung-aw” (1975), “Sa Pagitan ng Dalawang Langit” (1977), “Bilang-gong Birhen” (1977), “Kakabakaba Ka Ba?” (1980), “Basag ang Pula” (1982), “Paradise Inn” (1984), “Ang Totoong Buhay ni Pacita M.” (1991), Paradise Inn” (1984). Dur-ing the Bacolod Film Festival in 1975, Tita Midz was awarded Best Supporting Actress for her perfor-mance in the movie “Sa Pagitan ng Dalawang Langit.” Nicanor G. Tiongson of Manunuri ng Pelikulang

Pilipino (MPP) described Tita Midz as “succeeding in creating credible and sympathetic characters, whether they are oppressive Doñas or dirt poor peasants, revolutionary fire-

brands or comic Chinese matriarchs, repressed unhappy wives or mali-cious village gossips.”

The Theater

Tita Midz was destined to be an actress. For one, her mother owns the company, the Philippine Theatre for the Performing Arts (PTPA), which produced operas like La Traviata, Lucia de Lammermoor, Pagliacci and Rigoletto, so the en-tertainment world was not a totally unfamiliar ground for her. She sang lead female roles in these operas together with well known opera stal-warts like Aurelio Estanislao, Don David, her sister, Irma Potenciano, Gammi Viray, Robert Natividad and Fides Cuyugan-Asencio.

She appeared in several stage productions like “Merry Widow,” and “Mga Ibong Mandaragit.” In “Mga Ibong Mandaragit”, a Filipino adaptation by Oscar Miranda of

Lilian Hellman’s “The Little Foxes”, she played the role of Birdie. She also performed in the zarzuela, “Ang Mestiza.”

The Producer

It was in 1970 when Tita Midz established her first production company which was called Aawitan Kita Productions. Although she produced several television shows, it was the show, “Aawitan Kita” that she became more associated with. The program was unique in that it focused on Filipino “kundimans” and “balitaws”. These songs have been interwoven in the cultural fabric of the Filipinos and Tita Midz



earthquake proof structures, cre-ated a model rocket and controled robots exploring a maze.

The expo made many young minds think for that day espe-cially a six-year-old child, Natalie Ong-Garcia was inquisitive and said, “What do you need to grow algae?” Then her 4th grade sister who speaks like a rocket scientist said, “ Sunlight, water and carbon-dioxide.”

The creativity kicked-in and in-spiration by the Sapphire booth got children to finger paint with algae, and afterwards they learned how algae can be turned into jet fuel or gasoline.

The day was full of questions and innovative answers. One parent said, “The best part of this full day event is that the kids were able to participate in real experiments and discover the wonders of science. It also gave hands-on opportunity for many excited volunteers. It was an enlightening experience for myself and for everyone who attended.”

The expo reflected the cool ideas for kids to learn and how it may have a huge impact on the future. For more information on the upcoming science festival, check out the website at http://www.sdsciencefestival.com.


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world. With operations spanning 5 continents, the Nobu brand thrives in many global capitals as a focal destination. The natu-ral growth of the Nobu luxury brand built on service, image and hospitality offers the complete spectrum of hotel and residences management for unique and selected projects.

This release includes “forward-looking statements” intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these state-ments by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements contain words such as “may,” “will,” “project,” “might,” “ex-pect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “would,” “estimate,” “plan,” “continue” or “pursue,” or the negative or other variations thereof or compa-rable terminology. In particular, they in-clude statements relating to, among other things, future actions, new projects, strat-egies, future performance, the outcomes of contingencies. These forward-looking statements are based on current expecta-tions and projections about future events.

Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve risks and uncertainties that cannot be pre-dicted or quantified and, consequently, the actual performance and actions of Cae-sars Palace and Caesars Entertainment Corporation and its subsidiaries may dif-fer materially from those expressed or im-plied by such forward-looking statements.

Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following factors: whether, and on what terms, we reach de-finitive agreements with Nobu, if the effects of local and national economic, credit and capital market conditions on the economy in general, and on the gaming and hotel industries in particular affect the project; construction factors related to the project, including delays, increased costs of labor and materials, availability of labor and materials, zoning issues, and building per-mit issues; the ability to timely and cost-effectively integrate the project into our operations at Caesars Palace; changes in laws, including

Caesars Palace and Nobu Hospitality

Plan to Open In Las Vegas...

San Diego Fil-Am Kids Explore...

CITY OF SAN DIEGO

Public Utilities DepartmentREQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

FORAs-Needed Comprehensive Groundwater Services, FY 2012-16 (H115467)

The City of San Diego (City) is requesting proposals from highly qualified groundwater firms for consultant services for As-Needed Comprehensive Groundwater Services, FY 2012-16 (H115467).

It is the policy of the City to provide equal opportunity in its groundwater professional services contracts. To-ward this end, proposals from small local businesses, disadvantaged businesses and disabled veteran, women and minority owned businesses are strongly encouraged. Prime consultants are encouraged to provide subcon-sultant opportunities or joint venture with these firms. The City endeavors to do business with firms sharing the City’s commitment to equal opportunity and will not do business with any firm that discriminates on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, medical condition or place of birth.

This project has a voluntary Small Local Business Enterprises (SLBE) / Emerging Local Business Enterprises (ELBE) Participation Level (SLBE/ELBE) goal of 20%. SLBE/ELBE goals are achieved by contracting with SLBE and ELBE firms as defined in the following website, http://www.sandiego.gov/eoc/boc/slbe.shtml. At-tainment of the SLBE/ELBE goal is strongly encouraged, but strictly voluntary.

The City of San Diego will ensure that full access to programs, services, meetings and activities comply with Section 504, Title V, of the Rehabilitation Act and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 1990, Public Law 101-336.

In-depth knowledge and a strong understanding of the local environment, and a local presence for interfac-ing with the City’s project management staff are essential to the successful completion of this project. The proposal must address the consultant’s knowledge and understanding of: the City and other local agencies’ regulations and policies; local environment; and local building codes and other criteria. The proposal must also address how the consultant plans to interface with the City’s project management staff and the consultant’s workforce in San Diego County.

All proposals submitted must be in full accord with the Request for Proposal (RFP) which can be obtained by requesting the RFP via email from John Mendivil, Consultant Services Coordinator, at: [email protected] of San Diego, Purchasing & Contracting Department1200 Third Avenue, Suite 200San Diego, CA 92101.

When requesting the RFP, please refer to the specific project title and number, As-Needed Comprehensive Groundwater Services, FY 2012-16 (H115467). For questions about RFP procedures please call John Mendivil at (619) 235-5855.

A pre-proposal meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 26, 2011, 9:00:00 AM, at Bridgepoint Building, Wada - Large Conference Room 8A, 600 B Street, San Diego, CA 92101. It is strongly recommended that all inter-ested parties attend. For more information, assistance, to request an agenda in alternative format, or to request a sign language or oral interpreter for the meeting, please contact George Adrian, at 619-533-4680 at least five working days prior to the meeting to ensure availability.

Proposals are due no later than 5:00 p.m., Friday, May 20, 2011, at the location stated in the RFP. This RFP does not commit the City to award a contract or to defray any costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal pursuant to this RFP. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received as a result of this RFP. The City also reserves the right to revise this RFP, including but not limited to the pre-proposal meeting date and the proposal due date. If the City revises the RFP, all RFP holders of record will be notified in writing by the City.

SUMMARY SCOPE OF SERVICESThe City of San Diego Public Utilities Department is proposing to acquire services to accomplish State man-dated groundwater monitoring work in addition to other related groundwater management and planning tasks. The consultant will be responsible for work in several groundwater basins including but not limited to prepara-tion, implementation, and management of groundwater management plans; review, preparation, and implemen-tation of groundwater elevation monitoring plans; preparation, implementation of nutrient/salinity management plans; project management, construction of groundwater monitoring wells and production wells; preparation, implementation of special plans such as groundwater recharge, recovery, seawater intrusion monitoring and control, and subsidence monitoring and management. In addition, services to support all groundwater work in-cluding designs, specifications, and construction of wells and other groundwater related construction. Finally, collaboration with unique experts on special studies as needed for each basin. The remainder of the Scope of Services is contained in the Request for Proposal for As-Needed Comprehensive Groundwater Services, FY 2012-16 (H115467), as Exhibit A to the Draft Agreement.

hospice on top of a hill overlooking the ocean with a regiment of private nurses taking care of me as we wit-ness the beauty of sunsets everyday till I could not watch them anymore.


Workers of the World...

IMMEDIATE HIRING!!!WANTED LIVE-IN

CAREGIVERSBoard and Care for the Elderly.

WILL TRAIN.NORTH COUNTY AREA

Call (858) 837-0213

increased tax rates, smoking bans, regu-lations, third-party relations and approv-als related to the project and Caesars Pal-ace; and our ability to recoup costs of the capital investment of this project through higher revenues

Any forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and, as such, speak only as of the date made. Cae-sars disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date stated, or if no date is stated, as of the date of this press release.

Link to multi-media news release: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/cae-sars/48993/ Room for Rent

Private Parking. Quiet Area.

Call 619.746.3416Armida Siguion-Reyna, Reyna ng Kundiman

was committed to bring these songs back to life and to be remembered by the new generation of Filipinos. Through the years, the program has garnered numerous awards from PATAS, CMMA, CCP AND Star.

Tita Midz also ventured in doing movies. She produced and played the role of Gregoria de Jesus in the movie “Lakambini at Supremo” under the direction of Lupita Concio. This was followed by her role as Gabriela Silang in the movie “Dung-aw” under the direction of the late Lino Brocka. Both movies were done in 1975 that led to the 1977 birth of a new movie produc-tion, Perafilms (an acronym of the investors: Ponce-Enrile, Reyna, and Angara). Under Perafilms, she pro-duced the movie, “Laruang Apoy.” And “Mga Bilanggong Birhen.” When Perafilms closed shop, Tita Midz line produced about seven films from 1979 to 1983. Among the films she line produced, were “Salome” and “Pag-ibig na Wa-lang Dangal” financed by Bancom Audiovision, another by Entertain-ment Philippines’ “Gwendolyn” and one by Roger Corman’s “Wheels of Fire.” She co-produced with Viva Films the movie “Misis Mo, Misis Ko.” Finally, Tita Midz’ family decided to establish the family-based Reynafilms with Tita Midz as the producer.

The initial production of Reyna-films’ “Hihintayin Kita sa Langit,” a Filipino adaptation of Emily Bron-te’s “Wuthering Heights” as adapted to film by Lawrence Olivier, won a combined total of 18 wards from the Urian, FAMAS and FAP. On its second venture, the movie “Ikaw Pa Lamang Ang Minahal,” a Filipino adaptation of William Wyler’s “The Heiress” which in turn was an adap-tation of Henry James’ “Washington Square” capped a total 27 awards from the Urian, FAMAS, FAP and YCC. This was followed by nine more films produced by Reynafilms. Viewers may wonder what could be the secret of Reynafilms’ success. In an interview, Tita Midz said, “I go by the material that moves me, that arouses me, that screams for me to get involved. I like themes that do

not age, issues that continue to stand even years after the production. I watch our movies on television to-day and there’s something new that I see in each re-showing, nuances that are highlighted by present day controversies.”

Tita Midz’ hard work paid off. Almost all the films she produced have become critical successes. Most of the films she produced were shown in international festivals and some have garnered honors for her production and the country. For instance, “Inagaw” won Best Picture in the 1996 Nortel Palm Springs International Film Festival as well as Best Picture in the 1996 FAMAS awards. “Ang Lalaki sa Buhay ni Selya” won the Special Jury prize in the Teddy Awards of the 1998 Berlin International Film Festival, the Best Asian Film award at the 1999 Newport Beach International Festival, and the Special Jury prize in the 1998 Turin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival. Reyna-films reaped awards after awards and they are too numerous to mention.

Like the movie studios that were big stalwarts in the industry several decades back - Sampaguita Studio, LVN, and Premier Productions, Reynafilms eventually succumbed to the high cost of producing quality films. Reynafilms faced two major problems: taxation and censorship. However, Tita Midz is a survi-vor and a fighter. She has shown leadership when she assumed the chairperson position of the Movie and Television and Classification Board (MTRCB). She was behind the creation of the International Film Festival Committee (IFFCOM) in the Film Development Board of the Philippines whose vision is to encourage and support the participa-tion of outstanding Filipino films in international film festivals and competition.

Today

Armida Seguion-Reyna has al-ready retired from her acting career. She devotes her time to produc-ing and hosting the “Aawitan Kita sa Makati”, a presentation at the Makati City Hall for Senior Citizens.

She has expressed regret over the dismal conditions of the once vibrant

movie industry. In an interview, Tita Midz said, “The industry is dying, if not dead.” She continues, “The industry that’s out there now is not the economic force it used to be.”

Tita Midz will always be remem-bered for the crusade she made to improve the quality of the Philip-pine movie industry. In the same way that she handled her past roles in the movies with passion, she used this same passion to improve the standards of the film industry and encourage movie makers to do quality films. I share the thoughts of Tiongson when he said, “Ar-mida with bravura took on a host of major problems in the film industry to make good films, and for that the Filipino cinema will forever be grateful”.

Aawitan Kita sa AmericaThe Filipino community of Seattle

should be grateful to be selected as one of the states in the United States for the showing of “Aawitan Kita Sa America”, a contemporary Filipino zarzuela in three acts, set in a typi-cal Filipino community written by Bibeth Orteza and directed by Carlos Siguion-Reyna. The cast includes Bayang Barrios, Miguel Castro, Bo Cerrudo, Rachel Gerodias, Paul Montesa, Richard Reynoso, Cris Villongco, and Lirio Vital, with the special participation of Timmy Pavino and the Payo Dancers. The kundimans that will be performed by these artists will not only make the Filipino audience here in the U.S. nostalgic for their homeland, but will also make them feel a sense of pride for home-grown talents.

THE PREMIER SHOWING OF “AAWITAN KITA SA AMERICA” will be on Friday,, May 27, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. at the Infinity (formerly Grand Ballroom) of the Pala Casino Spa Resort on 1154 Hiway 76, Pala, California 92059.. Ticket prices are $38 and $58, For ticket reservations and sponsoring information, you may call (213) 880-6631, (626) 374-4906.or email [email protected].

“Aawitan Kita sa America” will be staged in Seattle, Washington on May 21, 2011 at the Kane Hall of the University of Washington. .For contact information, call PAVISON at (206) 498-0572.


www.asianculturalfestivalsd.com

Performers include:Samahan, Masazumi Kai, Naruwan Taiko, Choreo Cookies, Lindsey Yung, Indonesian Arts Center, Ke Polani Ohana, Pakaraguian Kulintang Ensemble, and more!

Community

San Diego Asian Film Foundation invites the public to enjoy a selec-tion of films during its spring show-case at the UltraStar Mission Valley Cinemas at Hazard Center located at 7510 Hazard Center Drive, San Diego, California 92108 from April 15 to April 22, 2011.

Tickets are available online at sdaf.org or at the ticket counter.

The short listed films are:

BoyNew Zealand, 87 minutesDirector: Taika WaititiFriday, April 22, 7:00pm &

9:30pm A charming, funny, coming-of-

age story set in 1984 when Michael Jackson is king - even in Waihau Bay, New Zealand. Boy is an 11-year-old who lives on a farm with his gran, a goat, and a younger brotherwho thinks he has magic powers. Shortly after Gran leaves for a week, Boy’s father appears out of the blue. Having fantasized a heroic version of his father during his absence, Boy comes face-to-face with the real version - an incompetent hoodlum who has returned to find a bag of money he buried years before. Official Selec-tion, 2010 Sundance Film Festival

Getting HomeChina, 110 minutesDirector: Yang ZhangSunday, April 17, 3:00pmA story of determination and

friendship, a farmer journeys to Shenzhen to become a migrant worker - but his hometown drink-ing buddy dies in an accident with the dying wish to be buried in his hometown. Disguising the dead body as a drunkard, the farmer em-barks on a comical and adventurous journey across China to, literally, get his friend back “home.”

Hansel and GretelSouth Korea, 117 minutes

San Diego Asian Film Fest Spring Showcase April 15-22

Director: Pil-sung YimTuesday, April 19, 8:15pm Korean filmmaker Pil-sung

Yim’s creepy interpretation of the Brothers Grimm fairytale classic begins with a father-to-be awaken-ing after a car crash on a remote stretch of road in a densely wooded forest. A ruby-lipped young girl shepherds him to the safety of her family cottage - a magical “home of happy children” where she and her siblings do as they please. With spectacular attention to detail, get ready for a visual feast!

The House of SuhUSA, 95 minutesDirector: Iris Shim2010 SDAFF Grand Jury Win-

nerSunday, April 17, 5:30pmNarrated by the murderer him-

self, this documentary examines the complex dynamics of the Suh family - a typical Korean American suburban family in Chicago that tragically collapses after the shock-ing crime committed by the loyal, respectful and studious “good son.”

Little Big SoldierChina/Hong Kong, 96 minutesDirector: Sheng DingFriday, April 15, 7:00pm &

9:30pm | Saturday, April 16, 5:00pm

In this sly, satirical epic, Jackie Chan plays the Old Soldier, a conscripted farmer who has lived through countless battles with one unbeatable technique: the fighting starts and he falls down and plays dead. The other survivor is the grievously wounded Wei General played by mega pop star Lee-hom Wang, a proud warrior whose only dream is death in battle. The Old Soldier attempts to turn in the General for a reward, but only if they can journey hundreds of miles through a no man’s land full of barbarians.

The Man from Nowhere

South Korea, 119 minutesDirector: Lee Jeong-beomWatch trailerSunday, April 17, 7:45pm Monday, April 18, 7:30pm

Taesik, a former special agent, becomes a loner after losing his wife in an accident and lives a

bitter life running a pawnshop. One of his few friends and customers is Somi, a little girl next door. As the two bond and become more attached, Somi is kidnapped by a gang, and Taesik’s myste-rious past is revealed as he tries to save her. Official Selection, 2010 Hawaii International Film Festival

One VoiceUSA, 84 minutesDirector: Lisette Marie

Flanary2010 SDAFF Audience

Award WinnerSaturday, April 16,

3:00pmMonday, April 18,

5:30pmWith breathtaking per-

formances, this documentary shares the personal stories of Hawaiian contemporary youth as they explore their own heritage at Kamehameha High School on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Through an annual inter-class choral competition in Hawaiian song, each student from incredibly diverse backgrounds unites in one voice in celebration of their common culture.

Patisserie Coin De RueJapan, 115 minutesDirector: Yoshihiro FukagawaWednesday, April 20, 7:00pm Thursday, April 21, 5:00pmAn unlikely friendship grows

between a legendary patissier who suddenly disappeared from the world of sweets and the daughter of a Kagoshima bakery owner when they begin working at the same pastry shop in Tokyo. 2011 Official Selection Santa Barbara Interna-tional Film Festival

PoetrySouth Korea, 139 minutesDirector: Lee Chang-dongThursday, April 21, 7:45pm

A sixty-something woman, faced with a crippling medical diagnosis and the discovery of a heinous family crime, finds strength and purpose when she enrolls in a poetry class. Lee Chang-dong’s follow-up to his acclaimed Secret Sunshine is a masterful study of the subtle empowerment - and moral compass - of an elderly woman. Best Screenplay, 2010 Cannes Film Festival

Saigon ElectricVietnam, 106 minutesDirector: Stephane GaugerSaturday, April 16, 7:30pm +

Q&A w/ director Stephane Gauger & Saturday, April 16, 9:40pm

A traditional ribbon dancer from the countryside arrives to the big city of Saigon in hopes of being admitted to the national dance academy. After she fails her audi-tions, she befriends a rebellious hip-hop dancer from a local crew called “Saigon Fresh,” in training to compete internationally in South Korea.

A Tale of Mari & 3 PuppiesJapan, 124 minutesDirector: Inomata RyuichiSunday, April 17, 1:00pm Special fundraiser for Japan.

Based on a true story of a girl separated from her dogs after the devastating 2004 earthquake in Japan, Mari and her pups represent hope and inspiration in the wake of disaster. All box office pro-ceeds will be do-nated to disaster relief.

Schedule

General admission presale tickets

are now available online at sdaff.org. Please note this schedule is subject to change without notice.

Friday, April 157:00pm Little Big Soldier 9:30pm Little Big Soldier Saturday, April 163:00pm One Voice 5:00pm Little Big Soldier7:30pm Saigon Electric + Q&A

w/ director Stephane Gauger9:40pm Saigon ElectricSunday, April 171:00pm A Tale of Mari & 3 Pup-

pies 3:00pm Getting Home5:30pm The House of Suh7:45pm The Man from NowhereMonday, April 185:30pm One Voice7:30pm The Man from NowhereTuesday, April 198:15pm Hansel and GretelWednesday, April 207:00pm Patisserie Coin De Rue 9:30pm TBAThursday, April 215:00pm Patisserie Coin De Rue 7:45pm PoetryFriday, April 225:00pm TBA7:00pm Boy9:30pm Boy

Tickets

In order to keep track of the limited number of seats, we cannot offer All Access Passes for the Spring Showcase. Attendees must purchase and present one ticket for each screening.

We expect most shows to sell out, so we strongly encourage you to purchase tickets in advance to guar-antee a seat to your film of choice.

$10 general (box office and online)

$8 seniors and students (box of-fice only)

$7 SDAFF members (current status only)

Additional fees may apply to advance online sales.

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