Asian Journal Jan 30 2009

(Continued on page 11)

Integrating Cultural Roots




Sidewalk vendors on Carriedo Street in Quiapo. Photo by John Brian Silverio.

The afternoons he spent in

1962 with Ted-dy and Chico may be his

closest venture into the realm of the under-world. These

memories became part of his formative

years that have enabled him to see how things

are done by force, if not

illegally.

Quiapo MemoriesInto the realm of the underworld

By Simeon G. Silverio, Jr.Publisher & Editor

The San Diego Asian Journal See page 5

HINDSIGHT By Josefina T. Lichauco

Philstar

I dreamed recently that I was again in the Century Club in New York wear-ing an unusual white dinner jacket, fancy frills in front, with large silver buttons. Who would walk in but Washington SyCip wear-ing the same fancy jacket! I fingered it — it was fine alpaca wool like mine except that it seemed too tight for him while mine was a bit too large.

The next morning, I called him up, told him about my dream. We had lunch in his Makati office; among other things, he said his first lunch at the Century Club was with David Rockefeller.

Washington, or Wash to most of us who know him, is the visionary tyro who set up SGV — the outstanding conglomerate with a global reach. SGV stands for SyCip and his two partners, Gorres

A conversation with Washington SyCip

Washington SyCip

and Velayo.Fictionists like me are not

known for their astuteness in matters economic. But the little I know of econom-ics I got from the experts. As a neophyte journalist in the old Manila Times in the early Fifties, my first tutors on banking were no less than the first governor of the Central Bank, Miguel

By Ronilo Ladrido Pamonag Philstar

ILOILO CITY – Players from Barotac Nuevo town have broken the world record for marathon soccer by play-ing for over 35 hours.

Organizers and officials of the World Football Marathon

Ilonggos break soccer marathon

record

By William Alzona

OFW Journalism Consortium

THERE wasn’t a “Keep silent” sign inside the in-terview room, but you could hear a pin drop inside the Belgian Embassy in Makati City.

Filipino Migration in Europe

Schengen Diaries

Everyone lining up for a Schengen visa could hear a whisper, even of those get-ting interviewed.

It was my sixth time in the Embassy and things were as they were since the first time I set foot inside—the colorful lives stayed colorful.

There was this elderly woman who said she wanted

to visit her sister in the Netherlands. When the con-sul asked her why she went to the Belgian embassy and not to the Dutch embassy, she replied that she was already denied on suspicion that she was not returning. Still, the poker-faced consul, a Filipina, advised her to

Children wearing bright yellow silk tunics and pants presented their elders with a gift and received a lucky red envelope containing money in return.

January 30 - February 02, 2009

Msgr. Gutierrez EntertainmentWhy Michael is quitting showbiz

The Filipino World of Spirits

Riz A. Oades

Saving the Butaka-Municipal workers in Ilagan, Isabela restore the town’s five-year-old giant butaka (armchair), touted as the world’s biggest at 11.6 feet high, 20.8 feet long and 9.8 feet wide. Charlie Lagasca

By Katherine AdranedaPhilstar

The National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) warned yesterday that the number of poor Filipinos might increase in the coming months after the labor department reported that up to 300,000 workers might lose their jobs in the next six months due to the global financial crisis.

NAPC Secretary Domingo Panganiban said “it is cer-tain” that the poverty level in the country will increase in the face of massive layoffs, especially in export-oriented companies.

The commission urged lo-cal government units (LGUs) and non-government organi-zations (NGOs) to participate in the nationwide effort to boost livelihood and employ-ment opportunities for poor

Anti-poverty chief sees more Pinoys going poor

By Ashley SilverioAssistant EditorThe San Diego Asian Journal

With the Lunar New Year, it’s the beginning that counts. The multi-day fes-tival, which fell this year on January 26th-29th, can set the tone for the rest of the year, be it good or bad. Observed in both Vietnamese and Chi-nese cultures, the holiday is a time to gather together with family and look opti-mistically toward the future.

The many customs as-sociated with the Lunar New Year requires some maneuvering. Rose Hina-

Lunar New Year observed in Hong Kong Boutique in National City

By Ashley SilverioAssistant EditorThe San Diego Asian Journal

The Kaibigang Pilipino’s 18th annual High School Conference on January 24th drew more than 560 student participants from San Diego and Temecula county high schools. Held at UCSD’s Price Center, the event pro-duced a record turnout this year as attendance numbers jumped from previous years’ averages by over 250 at-tendees. Kaibigang Pilipino, a UCSD-sponsored student associated that serves the Filipino community, orga-nized the event.

Student participants,

Kaibigang Pilipino’s 18th annual High School Conference

Filipino student group’s confab at UCSD draws record turn out


Students socializing outside of the Price Center at UCSD(Continued on page 4)

Page 2 January 30 - February 5, 2009Asian Journal - (619) 474-0588 Visit our website at http://www.asianjournalusa.com

Father Francisco Truong Buu Diego, a martyred priest from Vietnam, has been gaining a lot of devotees because of the miracles attributed to him. Many people claim that their petitions have been granted when they prayed for him to intercede in their behalf in seeking God’s favors. These devotees are now telling people about Father Francisco’s miracles and martyr-dom. They hope that more miracles by him may occur that would result to his eventual sainthood. If you want to seek God’s favor, please pray the following. If your favor has been granted, please let us know. Thank you.

PrayerDear Lord, Dear FatherYou are the greatest saint within.

The all-powerful savior. Please hear my prayers and help me overcome the hardships that I now endure.

(Please say hardships or peti-tions)

Thank you, Lord.

Biography of Father Francisco Truong Buu Diep

Father Francisco Truong Buu Diep was born on January 1, 1897 and was baptized on February 2, 1897 at Con-Phuoc Parish, An Gi-ang Province in Vietnam. In 1904, when he was seven years old, his mother passed away. He followed his father to Bactantang, Cambodia. In 1909, he entered Cu Lao Gieng Seminary then the Phnompen Seminary in Cambodia. In 1924, he was ordained into priesthood in Phonmpen, Cambodia. From 1924 to 1927, he was a reverend of Ho-Tru Parish, a Vietnamese mission in Kandal, Cambodia. He taught at the seminary in Cu-Lao-Gieng from 1927 to 1929. In March 1930, he became the pastor of Sac-Tay- Par-ish. Father Diep helped establish other parishes including Ba-Doc, Cam-Do, An-Hai, Chi-Chi, Khuc Treo, Ding-Go and Rach-Ran.

Between 1945 and 1946, the war years, havoc and disarray forced people to evacuate to safer areas. Father Diep’s superior had ordered him to evacuate and only return when thing settled. But he refused and said: “I will live with the flock and if necessary will die with them. I shall not abandon them.”

On March 12, 1946, he was cap-tured along with 70 parishioners of Tac-Say and imprisoned. He fought and died in place for the people that were imprisoned together with him.

He was buried in a catacomb of the Khuc-Treo Church. In 1969, his remains were moved to the Tao-Sau Church. He served 16 yeas as pastor.

“A good Shepherd sacrificed his life for the flock,” Father Francisco Truong Buu Diep had indeed fol-lowed the word of the Lord, He had offered his life to God and sacrificed for his flock.

When his tormentors were about to kill all of them, he offered his life and asked his captors to let his flock go. He was beheaded and his body was thrown away in an undis-closed area.

Some of the miracles people be-lieve he had performed are:

1) He was believed to have led people to the discovery of his body.

2) When people did not have the construction materials to build a proper shrine for him, constructions materials were delivered, allegedly ordered and paid for a person bear-ing Father Francisco’s image.

Thousands of people troop to his shrine on March 12 to pray for and ask him to intercede in their behalf in seeking God’s favors.

If you want more information or help spread the word on Father Francisco, please call Rose Hina-hon of Hongkong Boutique beside Seafood City in National City at telephone number (619) 336-2456.

Send your petitions to God through Father Francisco Truong Buu Diep

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*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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hon, born in Vietnam and mar-ried to Filipino Ben Hinahon, celebrates the Lunar New Year (Tet Nguyen Dan in Vietnam-ese) with her large family. This year, over thirty guests came to the Hinahon’s store, Hong Kong Boutique in National City, for a special celebration to learn about beautified Vietnamese priest

Lunar New Year observed in Hong Kong Boutique in National City

(Continued from page 1)

Father Francisco and to possibly get a hint of their fortune.

Following morning prayers led by Father Dennis Macalintal from St. Mary’s Parish in Na-tional City, the guests ate Filipi-no food and heard from a retired nurse who claimed to have her physical ailments cured after she offered prayers to Father Fran-cisco.

The guests lingered after the ceremony to consult Rose about their luck for the new year, ac-

cording to the lunar calendar. One-by-one, guests stood before an altar in the back room and shared their wishes and troubles with Rose.

Then, Rose would tap the side of a glass bowl with a wooden baton, emitting a low sound that reverberated throughout the room. Next, Rose handed the guest a bamboo canister filled with one-hundred and two long,

thin sticks, each marked with a number in red. She instructed the visitor to shake the con-tainer while holding it at a slight upward angle until a single stick fell to the floor. The number on the stick was recorded along with the individual’s name.

The numbers indicated one of the three levels of luck: Truong truong (high luck), Trang Binh (middle luck), and Ha ha (low luck). Rose explained that even

these levels of fortune flucturated throughout the year. As a result, even those individuals having a ‘lucky’ year had to watch their actions.

Rose offered to walk me through examples of the intri-cate lunar calendar. Besides the twelve popular animal zodiac symbols of the calendar, the cycle also takes into account the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. The lunar calendar assigns zodiac symbols to months, weeks, and

hours, with the interpretations varying when paired with the elements or one’s zodiac sign.

January 28th is the day of the rooster and according to the lunar cycle, it is a good day to marry, open a business, or sign a contract. However, it is not advisable to visit friends or till the earth on this day.

The Chinese and Vietnamese calendars vary slightly, but only rarely does the Lunar New Year fall on different days. Some zodiac symbols from the two

systems also bear subtle differ-ences.

Rose saw dozens of visitors over the Lunar New Year, some coming from as far as Fresno. As each guest departed, they re-ceived a parting gift in commem-oration of the New Year. Some took blessed oil from Father Francisco’s church in Vietnam.

Children wearing bright yel-low silk tunics and pants played in the store, among tables and desks stocked with goods. They were the grandchildren and

godchildren of the family, paying a visit to their elders as tradition dictated. The children presented their elders with a gift and they received a lucky red envelope containing money in return.

Although the Lunar New Year celebrations are drawing to a close, the Hinahons will con-tinue to offer their assistance to anyone wishing to learn about Father Francisco or the lunar calendar. Individuals may not be able to change their luck, but the Hinahons hope they can bet-ter understand it. Rose and Ben Hinahon can be reached at their store, Hong Kong Boutique with Business Tel. No. (619) 336-2456 or Cellphone No. (619) 565-7828.

and middle-class Filipino workers who will be affected by the crisis.

“It is certain that the poverty level will further increase because more people will lose their jobs,” Panganiban said at the Forum on Hunger Mitigation, Population Management and Poverty Reduc-tion held at the UP Institute of Small Scale Industries in Diliman, Quezon City.

He said President Arroyo last month directed them to assemble the framework for a Comprehen-

Anti-poverty chief sees

more Pinoys going poor


sive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP) to provide jobs and equip the people to survive the crisis.

Panganiban said the program is designed to achieve two crucial objectives that include building the capabilities of Filipino work-ers and giving them the skills they need to compete in tougher job markets.

Panganiban explained that the initiative was created particularly for the so-called priority prov-inces.

He also said that the program would involve creation of jobs through the construction of roads, maintenance of irrigation facili-ties, establishment of competitive agricultural enterprises, and ex-pansion of micro-finance services for poor people nationwide.

Panganiban said the govern-ment allocated P18 billion for the emergency employment program, to be taken from the savings of government agencies last year.

He said that although the program has no time frame and is expected to carry on until the global financial crisis is over, the government initially aims to assist more than 200,000 Filipinos.

Panganiban said CLEEP has already identified 81,216 job op-portunities in the priority prov-

inces and has provided jobs to 63,672 workers.

Priority 1 provinces are: Na-tional Capital Region, Agusan del Sur, Camarines Norte, Lanao del Norte, Maguindanao, Masbate, Mountain Province, Sarangani, Surigao del Norte, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibu-gay.

Priority 2 provinces are: Abra, Antique, Biliran, Bukidnon, Camarines Sur, Davao Oriental, Lanao del Sur, Kalinga, Marin-duque, Misamis Occidental, Negros Oriental, Occidental Min-doro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Romblon, Samar, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao del Sur, and Tawi-Tawi.

Priority 3 provinces are: Agusan del Norte, Aklan, Albay, Apayao, Basilan, Bohol, Camiguin, Capiz, Catanduanes, Cotabato, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Eastern Samar, Ifugao, Iloilo, Leyte, La Union, Negros Occidental, North-ern Samar, Quezon, Sorsogon, Southern Leyte, South Cotabato, and Zamboanga del Sur.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said some 15,000 workers have already been laid off while 19,000 others had their workdays cut to four days or less in the past two months.

Page 3Asian Journal - (619) 474-0588 Visit our website at http://www.asianjournalusa.comJanuary 30 - February 5, 2009

Former President Joseph Estrada welcomes former Ilocos Sur governor Luis ‘Chavit’ Singson, who paid his last respects to Estrada’s mother, Mary Ejercito, at the Pinaglabanan Church in San Juan . Estrada and Singson were close friends who became estranged when Singson turned state witness in Estrada’s plunder trial. PhilStar photo by BOY SANTOS

By Doreen G. Yu Philstar

BOHOL is emerging as one of the country’s top tourist destina-tions. And with good reason.

Bohol was believed to have been settled in the 1200s by Lutaos of northern Mindanao, who built a community of stilts between main-land Bohol and Panglao island. The settlement was subsequently abandoned because of raids by Portuguese marauders.

Fast forward to 1565, when Miguel Lopez de Legazpi came from Mexico – in the name of Spain – with four ships and about 400 men. With the help of his Malay pilot, Legazpi met with two local kings, Datu Sikatuna of Bool and Datu Sigala of Loboc. He assured them that he was not Portuguese, and that he came in peace. Whatever he said and however he said it, Legazpi con-vinced the kings of his peaceful intentions, and confirmed this with the famous blood compact – first with Sikatuna on March 16 – or 25, there is some confusion – 1565, and three days later with Sigala. There is also some issue on the site of the compact; there is

B is for...Bohol

monument along the coastal high-way, but some locals told us the ritual actually took place on board Legazpi’s ship.

At any rate, Boholanos com-memorate the event with the Sandugo Festival, held in June and not March, for practical reasons – there are more visitors, especially balikbayans, in June, since it is summer in the Western hemi-sphere, and it is, after all, a big tourist draw.

Also a big tourist draw are the enigmatic Chocolate Hills – 1,268 of them, uniform in shape and size, now in the running as one

of the New Seven Wonders of the natural World (you can still vote online until Dec. 31 at www.new-7wonders.com). Geologists have not quite figured out how these hills – green in the rainy season, brown or chocolate in the dry – came to be, but locals will gladly oblige with the legend (two giants fighting threw stones at each other) or the romance (a giant fell in love with a mortal maiden, who died, and the hills are his tears).

The hills are outcroppings of limestone, since about half of the province is covered with it and other non-metallic minerals like silica and clay. It is an industry that the provincial government is encouraging investments in.

Agriculture is another major invetsment area, since 60 per-cent (or 256,000 hectares) of the province’s total land area is arable. Major crops are rice, coconut, corn, mango and the signature local product, ube kinampay, a purple yam.

Brandied about very liberally these days – sometimes inappro-priately – eco-tourism truly can apply to Bohol, to include also cultural and heritage tourism.

BEA JR. first came to Bohol in 2002, after moving back to Manila from Spain following the death of her husband in a plane acci-dent. She was working with the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, and visited the ancestral houses of Baclayon, the province’s oldest town located next to the capital Tagbilaran.

“I was amazed at how well the houses were kept. But as I inter-acted with the people of Baclayon and I saw their way of life, their arts and crafts, I realized that not only the ancestral houses of Baclayon were intact – it was the entire culture,” she says.

“And then I learned that there was a plan to demolish those houses to give way to the widen-ing of a highway,” she continues. “I learned that the highway was being widened to encourage tour-ism in the province. But I thought that demolishing the houses was like getting rid of important tourist attractions. So I started talking to the residents and to the provincial government, convincing them not to demolish the ancestral houses. Talking to them worked; so the houses stayed, and a highway was built in a different location.”

Thus began an amazing partner-ship. Bea Jr., together with Joel

Uichico and the Ayala Foundation, has embarked on community de-velopment projects in two towns – Baclayon the mainland, and Dauis on Panglao island.

The conversion of some of Baclayon’s ancestral homes into transient homestays, cafes and bed-and-breakfasts for tourists has further enabled the community to preserve their heritage struc-tures and simultaneously generate income from tourism.

Furthermore, the introduction of diving and adventure tours as an alternative to unsustainable fishing has benefitted not only local fish-ermen but also the environment. The boats of Pamilacan island’s fisherfolk have been converted

into tour and diving boats, boost-ing tourism and providing alterna-tive livelihood to the community.

The fishermen have also been trained as guides – and spotters, some of the best – for dolphin and whale watching tours. Mi-crofinance loans are available to convert fishing boats to tour and diving boats. A multi-purpose cooperative in Pamilacan provides assistance to micro-entrepreneurs to go into tourism-related ventures like catering and massage services, and souvenir making.

The municipality of Dauis in Panglao island boasts of histori-cal sites and white sand beaches. The colonial church of Dauis was the center of Marian pilgrim-

ages in Bohol and now doubles as tourist center with a heritage themed banquet hall, a museum, a modern heritage-inspired cafe, and a souvenir shop that proudly showcases the crafts and artistry of the locals of Dauis and neigh-boring towns. The municipality’s jewelry tradition is being revived. Exquisite tamborins, peinetas and other jewelry based on traditional designs show fine craftsmanship and detailing.

“The province has everything,” Bea Jr. enthuses. “Natural beauty, rich culture, and a resilient and joyful people. There is so much to be proud of in the Boholano culture and way of life, which also



by Ashley Silverio

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

ing our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

High School students hear about college life from their (word in tagalog that means mentor/elder)

many wearing t-shirts that showed their school and Pinay spirit, learned tips about ap-plying for college and secur-ing financial aid from UCSD representatives and students. However, the day was also an opportunity to share talents and

Filipino student group’s confab at UCSD draws record turn out

Kaibigang Pilipino’s 18th annual High School Conference


meet new friends, said students. Spirit rallies, a talent show, and an evening dance enhanced socialization and community building.

Nicole Aguas, who has attended the conference for a number of years, came with thirty-five of her classmates from the San Diego School of the Creative and Perform-ing Arts. “[KP High School Conference] gives our club, the Pan Asian Pacific Islander Association, a reason to unite and see that other students are

inspired to uphold our culture and to just learn about going to college too,” she said.

Youth ownership was a prominent factor throughout the day. The theme of the con-ference, ‘Do you dare?’, was “a challenge for the students to shape their future” said event

co-coordinator Christine Casa-clang.

Approximately sixty group facilitators and twenty stu-dent volunteers, the majority second- and third-generation Filipino-American, participated in the event and shared their first-hand accounts of college life.

Event co-coordinators Maria Mina and Christine Casaclang credit the high turnout to the use of social media like mys-pace and school visits by KP volunteers. Attendance was

higher than expected, as many individuals who RSVP’d also brought friends. However, organizers welcomed all.

“‘Do you have to be Fili-pino to come here?’ That’s the question we often get…[but] the idea is about promoting ac-cess for everyone,” emphasized Mina.

Student participants had their choice of workshops for two afternoon sessions. In ad-ditional to perennial favorites like hip-hop and Filipino dance, this year’s workshops covered more progressive themes than past years and included topics such as sexual violence, LGBT issues, and race relations, said workshop organizer and 3rd-year UCSD student Jun Alino.

Although KP representatives worked with local high schools to promote the event, the plan-ning and logistics were left to students. Student participants arranged their own transporta-tion for the day-long event, which began at 8 am and ended at midnight.

However, the early hours on a Saturday did not dampen enthusiasm. A group of stu-dents from Temecula arrived before 6 am. “I came here with my friends to represent 951… and get the spirit award” said Matt from Temecula, wearing the county’s emblematic black t-shirt with bold blue and white print.

Event organizers and volun-teers hoped that students would feel empowered by the confer-ence.

“I think UCSD kind of has this reputation of kind of be-ing an ivory tower, something that’s inaccessible to the mem-bers of the community. It’s a problem when the demographic of the college doesn’t reflect the community as a whole,” said Alino, an Ethnic Studies and Political Science double major. “These students should see that this college isn’t just available to certain people, it’s available to anyone.”

SAN DIEGO, Monday, January 12, 2009 – San Diego State Uni-versity is launching a first-of-its-kind online professional graduate program - tailored for veterans and active duty military and preparing them for high-paying, high-demand jobs in science and technology. The program is a partnership with Cali-fornia State University San Marcos, military education experts from Southern California, and industry leaders in the region.

“Our military and veterans have the background and skills that make them ideal candidates for these jobs but lack the opportunity for profes-sional training that connects them directly with employers and focuses on the skills needed in high growth science and technology fields,” said Stanley Maloy, dean of SDSU’s College of Sciences.

“These are rigorous, high-quality academic programs that will provide great opportunities in areas of the economy that draw on the expertise these men and women who have served our country typically develop through their jobs in the nation’s technically advanced military ser-vice.”

The professional science master’s and certificate programs will draw on this technical expertise and will be offered online, allowing flex-ibility for veterans and active duty military stationed around the world to participate. The programs, which will initially focus on two areas: regulatory affairs in the life sciences and computational and computer sciences, are designed to lead to jobs in biotechnology, medical devices and diagnostics, pharmaceu-ticals, computer sciences, informa-tion technologies, and many other science and technology sector jobs.

“The majority of education programs for our veterans focus on bachelor’s degree work. This pro-gram is unique because it provides great opportunities for those who’ve already completed their under-graduate work and who have the background and experience to help meet the region’s ongoing need for professionals skilled in science and technology,” said Joe Shapiro, dean of SDSU’s College of Extended Studies, through which the courses will be offered.

Veterans and military can utilize their veteran’s benefits, tuition assis-tance and other sources of financial aid for both the master’s and certifi-cate programs.

The programs are delivered in col-

SDSU Launches Education Program for Military and Veterans to Prepare for Jobs in High Growth Fields

laboration with corporate partners who offer internships for individuals who continue from Certificates into Master’s degree programs. The PSM initiative is an important component of “Troops to College,” a statewide initiative among the Governor’s Office, the United States military, the California State University system, University of California and community colleges to enhance op-portunities for active-duty military and veterans to attend college in California.

This program is distinct in its emphasis on opportunities for these individuals to rapidly transition to careers in leading fields where the nation will need large numbers of skilled professionals over the next

two decades. More information about the program is available at www.neverstoplearning.net/military.

SDSU’s College of Extended Studies reaches out to the greater San Diego community through a wide variety of lifelong learning classes, seminars, and certificate programs. Career advancement courses are offered in many areas of management, leadership, and quality improvement while self-enrichment courses range from astronomy to web design. Additionally, the College offers over 35 certificate programs, online courses, and many other learning opportunities. To reg-ister or for more information, call (619) 265-SDSU (7378) or log on to www.neverstoplearning.net


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Vendors in Quiapo Underpass. Photo by John Brian Silverio.

Seventh in a series of articles

He was off from school by three in the afternoon. As

usual, fourteen-year-old Eric would spend the rest of the day hanging out with friends in his neighborhood in Quiapo District in down-town Manila, not doing his homework at the library.

Sometimes he would watch movies. There were no television sets then, and people only lis-tened to the radio in the evenings. There were no video games to entertain a curious boy like him. He would work for an hour in his father’s printing press located on the first floor of their apartment doing bindery work like sort-ing receipts or stapling booklets. Once he had earned his movie money, he would go to the nearby Society Theater on Echague Street or the Boulevard or Times Theater on Quezon Boulevard. For less than a peso, he could watch a double feature of second-run movies. For only twenty-five centavos, he could see two second-run Tagalog movies at the Illusion Theater, a block away. One peso and twenty centavos was the price of a movie ticket for a first-class premiere showing of one movie.

Other times, after class, he would read comic books at a nearby high school. From his house on Platerias Street, Eric would turn left on Car-riedo Street, pass through Plaza Miranda and cross Quezon Blvd. through the newly-built under-pass to R. Hidalgo Street where a high school was located. Across the school was a comic book rental place. He would rent Pili-pino comic books and spend the rest of the afternoon in the world of comic characters like Kulafu, the jungle boy; D.I. Trece, the private detective; Bondying, the adult baby boy; and Silveria, the talking horse. Some of the comic books were old, published even before he was born.

“We ordered them from faraway Santa Rosa, Laguna,” he heard the owner boasted to a customer.

At that time in 1962, Santa Rosa was in the boondocks. One had to take a Laguna Transit Bus and travel the narrow highway road towards the south, to reach the place in a two or three hour ride. Some people from Santa Rosa would work and stay in the Manila on weekdays and go home to their families on week-ends. Today, Santa Rosa, with its new housing developments, is part of the metropolis. Residents who work in Manila commute everyday thanks to the South Express Way and other roads.

Four boys

Eric was walking home along R. Hildalgo Street after spending two hours reading comics when four boys, two years older than him and much bigger, approached him.

“Give us your money,” they demanded.

He wanted to refuse, but he was afraid they would beat him up if he did not give in to their de-mand. He handed them his wallet.

“Let us take his watch also,” the smallest of the four suggested.

Eric came home without his money and his watch.

Two days later, his playmate Teddy wanted to read comic books on R. Hildalgo Street with him.

“I wouldn’t go there anymore,” Eric told Teddy.

“Why”He told him about the four boys

who mugged him.“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Teddy asked him. “Let me take

Into the realm of the underworld

Chico would park his shiny, fiery red jeep on Plat-erias, near Carriedo. He often wore loud, long sleeves shirts, with his thickly pomaded mane of black hair

combed backward, and his pointed, shiny black shoes. He gleamed in black from his head to his feet.

care of this.”Teddy lived on P. Paterno

Street. He was a year older, much bigger and slow-witted. When he was in kindergarten, a classmate dared him to cut the classmate’s finger with scissors. Teddy did and his classmate’s finger bled profusely. Lucky for the class-mate, the scissors were small, the less sharp type used by children to cut out paper. Otherwise, the classmates would have lost his finger at an early age. With that initial “claim to infamy”, Teddy always tried to further boost his “legendary reputation” among his peers. He, however, did not fail Eric when he handed him his stolen watch and money two days later.

“How did you get these back?” Eric said, surprised.

“Chico made some calls,” Teddy replied.

A toughie

Chico was a toughie that hung around the corner of Platerias and Carriedo Streets, watching over the sidewalk vendors. Selling wares along Carriedo Street was prohibited by a city ordinance because the activity clogged the sidewalks and made it difficult for pedestrians to pass through. But just like the prostitution den that operated across Eric’s house, the authorities tolerated it, presumably because the city officials and police were on the take. Occasionally, raids would be conducted for show. When policemen tried to apprehend them, the sidewalk vendors would run away to the side streets and sometimes put their wares easily under the parked cars. The practice must have been a rule in the game, because the apprehend-ing policemen would ignore the wares under the vehicles. If the police were able to grab a vendor by the collar, they would just take him to the precinct. After a few hours, the apprehended vendor

would be back in business. For residents like Eric, it was a cheap entertainment and a welcome break to the humdrum of every-day life.

Chico would park his shiny, fiery red jeep on Platerias, near Carriedo. He often wore loud, long sleeves shirts, with his thickly pomaded mane of black hair combed backward, and his pointed, shiny black shoes. He gleamed in black from his head to his feet. Occasionally, a vendor would approach him and give him money, which he would sur-reptiously put in his back pocket. He would call Teddy who would be playing with Eric on the street, and give him money to buy him a pack of cigarettes. Teddy loved to do errands for him because he was always told to “keep the change”.

Still, Eric would not go back to the comic book rental place. It took him another week to muster enough courage to do so, but not after he had seen all the movies shown in the nearby second-run theaters, and there was noth-ing else to do. Upon reaching

R. Hidalgo Street, he saw the four boys that mugged him. This time, however, they seemed to back off, staying away as far as they could. They crossed to the opposite side of the street, as if clearing the path before him on his way to the comic rental place. After reading a bunch of comics, he stood up and proceeded to pay the owner, who refused to accept his money, telling him that it was on the house. Eric did not ask why, and proceeded to enjoy the sudden privilege from then on.

One time, a pretty teenager was manning the place. Eric could hardly concentrate on the comic book, as he kept glancing at the girl, admiring her beautiful face.

When he stood up to leave, the girl called him and demanded his payment. At that time, the owner arrived and stopped him from paying.

“He’s Chico’s ward,” he told the girl. “He gets to read for free.”

The girl, who seemed to be oblivious to Eric at first, seemed to notice him now. She gave Eric a sweet smile and admir-ing glance on his way out. Eric looked forward to seeing the girl in the days ahead, but he never saw her again.

Burlesque show

“Let’s watch a burlesque show,”


QuiapoMemories

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

by Simeon G. Silverio Jr.


Perspectives

ASIAN JOURNALThe first Asian-Filipino weekly in Southern California

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

In Pursuit of Excellence

Ashley SilverioAssistant Editor

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

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

Genevieve SilverioManaging Editor

Simeon G. Silverio, Jr.Publisher & Editor

Miles BeauchampAssociate Editor

Santi SilverioAssociate Publisher

At Large...

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

by Miles Beauchamp

by Riz A. Oades

Voices & Images

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

The Fish PeddlerLeft with only a modest sturdy cottage by the seaWith four school-aged children to feedThe widow could not find an office jobShe was not qualifiedShe vowed her children will not be in the same straitsPeddling the morning catch of the fishermenWith a strong faith her Maker will not let her downScrimping , saving, frugally livingOn simple healthy mealsShe was able to make her eldest, a doctor of medicineWho willingly took over the educational needs of his siblingsThe next, to the next untilAll have finished courses of their choiceIt’s a beautiful trait of parentsTo help offsprings get a better lifeIn spite of hardships and sacrifices With the cooperation of the childrenSurviving together through thick or thinStrengthens the bond through lifeAging parents are not sent to nursing homes To pine for loved onesThis beautiful culture of the East is worth preserving.

©2008 copyright by Soledad O. Bautista. All rights reserved.

Sol Poetry

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

by Soledad O. Bautista

What were you thinking about late last night? You know the time,

it’s that gray area after we get in bed, turn out the lights and start to drift off but before we actu-ally go to sleep. People view the night in so many different ways. For some, the night holds nothing but terror. For others, it is their favorite time. A vast amount of songs, poems, sto-ries, plays, and films take place at night or are about night. Or indeed are written at night. The

Late night worriesOh, the wanderings the mind can do after midnight

and the world is in a recession

night inspires creativity, terror, passion, love and warmth. It’s also that time when so many of us, out of a job, are looking at the future with fear.

We still have vestiges of the awe surrounding night. For eons we viewed the night with fear, with superstition, with dread, with hope. There were no security lights, no alarms, and no police cars cruising the neighborhood. Yet hope also existed, because for all the fear that came with night there was still hope that you would wake up – and do so healthy and strong.

How do you view the night? Personally, I rather enjoy the night. Long after the sun has gone down, after the birds have quit singing, the phones stopped ringing, and most of the cars are parked in their garages, I’m still awake. Whether writing, working on-line, reading or, yes, even watching television, I’m still awake with the night.

One of the many good things about the time after midnight

My best thinking comes late at night. After the house is quiet and my son and daughter are tucked in bed, after the dog is quietly snor-ing at the side of my chair, after Michelle has long since gone to bed, and after the crickets have called it a night and are giving their legs a rest, I’m still awake.

What am I doing still awake? I’m thinking. After all, there are so many great things to think about. And yes, there are also other less great things to think about as well, things like when to get a haircut, what color the next car should be, and whether pepperoni or Cana-dian bacon is the best topping for a pizza. But beyond that, there are a few really wonderful things to ponder. For instance, the other night I got to thinking about the first thing that led to the first higher-level thought. Okay, maybe that’s not so wonderful, but I thought it was very profound at the time. And it was in-teresting, at least to me at 3:30 am.

Scientists who think about these kinds of things (and writers awake late at night) have often thought that fear was what led to speech and higher thought. For example, one might want, or in fact desperately need, to shout, “Run for your life, dinosaur stampede!” If you can’t put that kind of thought together you can’t say it.

Or perhaps the first thought was something along the lines of, “I’m hungry, and Fred (not his real name) over there has a dinosaur leg with a lot of meat on it. If I take it away I’ll get the meat. But then he’ll probably kill me. Maybe it’s better to just politely ask for some.” And from that we might have the first rational thought.

My own thoughts on the first thought

Personally, I think that one of the first thoughts, if not the very first, was nothing more than figuring out how to tie a knot. I can hear you thinking, “A knot? Are you crazy? Why a knot?” Well, I’m glad you

thought that because I, for once at least, have an answer.

To start with, let’s explore some of the other various possibilities of that “first thought”:

1. Hunger: Starfish get hungry too. Are they thinking? Not as far as anyone knows.

2. Cold: as in “Hey, I’m cold.” Now this one is possible, because after this thought one might look for a warm place. But rats do this too. Now some people might argue that rats in fact do think – at least enough to work their way out of a maze. But hunger (see above) is enough of a motivator for that as well.

3. Heat: as in “Whew!” But all animals seek shade, no higher thought required.

4. Fear: as in “Help, a tiger is after me! A saber-toothed tiger!” Now this one, like the stampeding dinosaur we discussed earlier, is a definite possibility. Fear is one of the great motivators of all time. And I would probably vote for this one were it not for the fact that other animals get afraid and warn each other of impending problems as well. Like parakeets. Enough said.

So that leads us back to the mundane. And what could be more mundane than tying a knot? Just look at what early humans would have used knots for:

* Tying clothes together to make them warmer

* Making pouches to carry water and food

* Making bows and arrows to hunt and defend themselves

* Aiding in delivery of the young and fixing wounds

* Tying up bad guys so they can’t escape

* Tethering the family mast-odon

* Having something to complain about after marriage was invented (hello – haven’t you heard of tying the knot?).

There you go, as silly and mun-dane as it sounds, perhaps nothing more serious, intellectual or intellect developing than tying a knot was responsible for putting humans on the path to higher thought.

More than a few billion people worldwide of various faiths will dispute this, of course. And I don’t necessarily believe it either. But it was something to think about one quiet night instead of all the places my mind kept wandering: the reces-sion, job loss, housing foreclosures, bank interest rates and all the other economic miseries the world is saddled with right now.

For the first 13 years of my life, I grew up in Canada. I lived in an

ethnically diverse neighbor-hood, and because of this nobody was discriminated against. They consisted of Italians, Portuguese, Irish, and Canadians, and Filipi-nos – i.e., members of my family, the only ones in the area.

It did not bother me nor did I care that I was the only one of my race in my school because children do not see color. Our only concerns were the types of games we would play and where we would engage in these activi-ties

However, as I got older I real-ized that I did not know anything about my culture. There was a time when another student asked me what nationality I was. Because of the curious nature of the child, they asked me to explain what or how it was to be Filipino.

I could not really respond. As I look back now, I realize that my cultural background was inte-grated in my everyday life.

One aspect that I found to be

Thanksgiving in America – Pinoy Style, painted and donated to Kalusugan FilAm Wellness Center by Evelyn Rosella.

Circle of Friends

Integrating Cultural RootsBy Arnold Gonzales*

Food plays a major role in bringing people together in any culture. It is through the different dishes that one can experience a taste of the native land. At many occasions you would see the large roasted pig, called lechon.

important to my culture was the importance of family. During holidays and birthdays our fam-ily would come to gather to cel-ebrate. The large reunion would include people from different generations.

It was due to the older gen-eration that I first learned the traditional dress. Our grandfa-thers would wear the barongs and from time to time our grandmothers would wear native dresses.

Every so often, my parents would get me to wear a barong,

but I never figured out why. They probably tried to instill a sense of Filipino pride in me.

Food plays a major role in bringing people together in any culture. It is through the different dishes that one can experience a taste of the native land. At many occasions you would have the traditional course, but at parties you would often see the large roasted pig, called lechon.

Food also manifests a sense of tradition. For example, at all birthday someone will cook pancit, which to a Filipino is symbolic for long life.

English is the primary lan-guage in Canada. Our secondary language is French. All our time was spent learning these two lan-guages. My parents would try to teach me Tagalog but not enough time was spent for me to remem-

ber it. They did their best, but at that time they too were trying to become proficient in English.

From time to time I could understand Tagalog, but there is no way that I could speak it. It is my loss and the loss of my future generation that I did not learn to speak the native tongue. Now I know it’s a must that everyone learns to retain aspects of their parents’ language and culture.

The closest glimpse that I would get of the Philippines is when relatives would return from the homeland. They would

always bring home the big boxes with a variety of goods. The boxes would include different types of slippers, decorations, clothing, and, of course, food. Most of the time, the food was wrapped in banana leaves.

The most important cultural trait is the respect for elders. This is found in many Asian cultures and I just realized how important this was.

As I would go to different houses to visit my friends, I would often see their grandpar-ents living with them. I never no-ticed them; it seemed as if they have faded into the background. They were always there minding their own business.

I asked a friend why his parents didn’t just put them in a retire-ment home. He explained to me how horrible retirement homes were, describing it sort of like a high-class jail for old people. He pointed out his parents’ perspec-tive to me on why they live there.

His grandparents raised, fed, sheltered and educated his mom for about 25 years. There is no way to repay them except to return the courtesy and doing it out of love.

Looking at modern day society, especially the American culture, people tend to send their parents to retirement homes. They may do this so they do not have to bother with them and someone else will watch their every move.

At times the grandparents will sit days on end waiting for a phone call or a visitor. I now understand why many of my friends have their grandparents living with them.

As a second-generation living in America, I see much of my cultural roots are lost. This is the case for many young adults in today’s society. I notice that many of the traditions are slowly degenerating.

We do not find the time to spend on learning our language or learning about our ancestors. Most of us do not really know how to cook our own food; thus,

our children will be at a greater disadvantage.

However, there are clubs and organizations that help edu-cate us in our cultural heritage. They bring people together and entertain them with the native dances as well as feeding them. We should all do more to retain our heritage. – Arnold Gonzales, 2/17/98.

___________ *The writer submitted this

piece to my SDSU history class as a mini paper on February 17, l998. – Riz

By the Way….

Remember Jerry Brown?When he became governor,

Jerry Brown fulfilled his promise to the Filipino-American com-munity, especially its dentists, nurses and physicians.

Governor Brown moved for the removal of a state requirement that mandated that all foreign medical practitioners go back first to the medical school before they could take the board exam for nurses, dentists and physi-cians, respectively. Governor

Brown made it possible for foreign (medical-, dental-or nursing-school) graduates to immediately take the board exam and if they passed, then they would be licensed automatically in California. Other states copied this practice.

Irritation, Aggravation and

FrustrationA boy asks his father to explain

the differences among irritation, aggravation, and frustration.

Dad picks up the phone and dials a number at random.

When the phone is answered he asks, “Can I speak to Roger, please?” “No! There’s no one called Roger here.”

The person hangs up.“That’s irritation,” says Dad. Two Dog Owners

Two women that are dog own-ers are arguing about which dog is smarter....

First Woman : “My dog is so smart, every morning he waits for the paper boy to come around and then he takes the newspaper and brings it to me.

Second Woman : “I know...” First Woman : “How?” Second Woman : “My dog told

me.”A Filipino in the Navy

Juan Cruz joined the Navy and soon after had to attend a Cousin’s wedding on a Sunday afternoon. He asked an officer for a pass and was told he had to be back by 7 p.m. Sunday.

“You don’t understand, sir,” my friend said. “I’m in the wedding ceremony with a recep-tion.”

“No, you don’t understand,” the officer replied. “You’re in the Navy.”

NATIONAL CITY, CA. COPAO – San Diego and Westfield Plaza Bonita entered into an agreement to hold Philippine Faire 2009 featuring the 111th Celebration of Philip-pine Independence with the theme Embracing Diversity, Unity and Change! on Saturday, June 6, 2009 from 9am – 5:00pm at the grounds of the Westfield Plaza Bonita Mall in National City.

Preparations are in full gear for a bigger and fun for all festival. Phil-ippine Faire 2009 Over-all Chair-man Benjie Podschun and Co-Chair AP/Chief Cesar Solis jumpstarted all sub-committees of the project to meet and start with the implementa-tion of the strategic plan in helping to deliver a successful event on June 6th.

The Coronation Gala for the Philippine Faire 2009 Queens has also been set to Saturday, May 23rd at the Town & Country Hotel in San Diego. Sub-Committee Chairman Alice Podschun, a PF Queen herself and President of the City of San Diego Filipino American Employees Association, with the help of all past Philippine Faire Queens are busy with the forthcoming canvassing of this popularity contest. Interested candidates are encouraged to please

PHILIPPINE FAIRE 2009 to be held at the Westfield Plaza Bonita in

National City on June 6thcontact (619) 477-4090 and become one of the Philippine Faire Queens. (Little Miss Philippine Faire – 3-12 years old ; Miss Teen Philippine Faire – 13-16 years old ; Miss Phil-ippine Faire – 17-25 years old ; Mrs. Philippine Faire – married women) Hurry! call now to register, it’ll be a rewarding experience of your life!

“We look forward to showcasing once again the history, arts and cul-ture of the Philippines to the com-munity of San Diego County, we are proud to share these to the younger generation for a better understand-ing of our heritage”, said COPAO President Merly Ferrer.

Philippine Faire 2009 is one of the programs and projects of COPAO – San Diego in fulfilling its mission to promote quality of life. For more information about the event and for sponsorship opportunities, please call COPAO Executive Director Ditas Yamane @ (619) 474-2500 or COPAO Secretariat @ (619) 477-4090.

COPAO is a nonprofit 501c(3) organization - a collaborative of organizations united by a common concern for the economic, social and political empowerment of its members through developmental programs and projects.


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by Bill Labestre, MBA (Tax Practitioner)Tel: (619) 475-1931

Sub-agents and co-loaders are welcome - We accept credit cards. Subject to Terms & ConditionsPrices are subject to change withoout notice * Subject to peace & order in some parts of the Philippines.

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Days are really going fast as we get older. The children have grown up and the long awaited retirement day is getting closer. Maybe it’s time to take care of ourselves and time to have some fun for the rest of our lives. We just can’t work hard forever and expect to live lon-ger. We need to enjoy life while still healthy.

I believe that all Filipino par-ents should get serious in sav-ing money for their old age. We have done more than enough for our Filipino-American chil-dren. These kids are born here, grew up here and we tried our best to get them the best educa-tion we could afford. Did you really expect them to take good care of you on your older days? Once they live on their own, most of these kids can’t even call or visit their parents on a regular basis. Surely, they can remember their parents when they are in trouble, have major financial problems or when they needed a free babysitter. Lucky are the parents of some children who still remember their Fili-pino heritage, custom and their close family ties.

At least for most Filipinos, there is an option to retire here in the U.S. or in the Philip-pines. Whatever you plan to do, don’t wait for the last minute. It is scary to imagine being dumped and abandoned in a Nursing Home once you’re old and helpless. Most of our children are not like us who feel responsible for our parents. They became too Westernized in a materialistic society that worshipped money. Some can hardly wait to get their inheri-tance from their parents. Figure that out.

Married with ChildrenIf you ask Filipino parents

why they work so hard, most of them will tell you that it’s for their children. Is it really, and why? Maybe it’s because of our upbringing and past history. Did you ever ask your children what they expected from you? May-be they just want you to spend quality time with them instead of the high quality goods you bought for them. Some of these children don’t even feel grateful to their parents. They think that it is their parent’s obligation to provide for everything they wanted. Are they spoiled rotten or it wasn’t your fault that they grow up that way?

Most of our children will be smarter than us but, they could never be like us. It’s a fact we just have to accept. We can give them unconditional love but never to expect too much from them. We don’t want to become most of our older parents who considered us their investments. That’s why we have Social Se-curity, 401k or IRA for our old age. We don’t want to burden our children financially later on.

Married couple should enjoy each other as they grow older. You have done enough for your parents and did your best for your children. You can not be responsible for everybody or solve everybody’s problems. You have your own life to live.

It is sad to see older couples getting divorced after years of marriage but, it happens. Can we just fall out of love so sud-denly? Nobody is perfect so couples need to adjust as years go by. If plants needs watering to grow, our love for each other has to be rekindled all the time to keep the fire lit forever Until Death Do Us Part.


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Oklahoma City, OK - January 15, 2009 - The KISS Institute for Practi-cal Robotics announces the 8th Annual Southern California Botball Educational Robotics Competition, sponsored by the San Diego Science Alliance. The Botball Educational Robotics Program engages middle and high school aged students in a team-oriented robotics competition based on the science, tech-nology, engineering, and math (STEM) educational principals.

Botball teams from all over Southern California and Arizona will be compet-ing on Saturday, March 14, 2009 at the Sports Center Gym in San Diego. The regional tournament is free and open to the public. Seeding begins at 10 a.m. and double elimination rounds will begin at approximately 2 p.m.

Botball teams consist of 5-20 middle and high school students, who learn how to design, create and program two autonomous (no remote control) robots to complete this year’s game challenge based on the theme of “Alternative Energy”.

“This year’s theme encourages stu-dents to research, understand and gener-ate solutions to a worldwide challenge,” said Steve Goodgame, KISS Institute for Practical Robotics’ Executive Director. “To be successful, teams must generate hydroelectric power, install wind turbines, reduce their carbon debt by matching fossil fuels with sustain-able green fuels and recycle any unused materials in 90 seconds with two

Botball Robotics Competition brings Alternative Energy resources to Southern California

Botball Educational Robotics Program teaches Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math through Robotics

autonomous robots.”Team leaders and student partici-

pants will begin their 2009 season at the Botball Educator’s Professional Development Workshop on January 16-17, 2009 at Cuyamaca College. During this two-day professional development workshop, teams will receive their reus-able robotics kit. Each kit will be used for competition and can be integrated into the classroom. This ensures that schools will be able to continue to grow their science, math and technology cur-ricula through robotics after the Botball season is over.

KISS Institute for Practical Robotics, an Oklahoma based non-profit organiza-tion, will present 14 Botball Workshops and Tournaments this year - 12 in the United States and 2 based internation-ally. All teams who participate in their regional workshop and tournament are eligible to participate in the Interna-tional Botball Tournament taking place this summer in Leesburg, VA, during the Global Conference on Educational Robotics on July 1-5, 2009.

Over 6,000 students participate in Botball every year and more than 50,000 have competed over the course of 11 years. In 2008, teams from 22 states and six countries will participate in Botball.

For more information about Botball in Southern California, go to: www.botball.org/socalifornia or contact: [email protected].

TAKIN’ CARE OF BUSINESS By Babe Romualdez Updated

With the global financial crisis continuing to pose bleak prospects for many countries, Fitch Ratings’ stable outlook for the country’s economy should give Filipinos some glimmer of hope. Even the World Bank, in its report released in November, said the Philippines has greater chances to weather uncer-tainties brought by the slowdown, citing fiscal reforms and strict mea-sures undertaken by the government over the past few years.

One of the sectors that stands poised to benefit from the global credit crunch is real estate, with foreign property investors starting to turn away from Europe and looking at other markets like Asia, showing particular interest in countries such

Real estate still the safest investment

as the Philippines. Global property consultants aver that real estate continues to be the best and safest investment especially during times of crisis since over time, these will appreciate in value.

Add to this the fact that the in-dustry is fundamentally sound, with safety nets and conservative lending policies that have limited their exposure to high-risk ventures. Un-like in the US, Philippine property developers usually break ground for a project only when about 60 percent of the units have been pre-sold to avoid the problem of unsold units. Property consultants have disclosed that a lot of foreigners from the UK and the Middle East are showing interest in buying second homes, particularly buy-to-let condo hotel units that offer better returns ranging from eight to 14 percent since inves-

tors can derive income by having the unit rented out.

Luxury housing also continues to be a robust market, with demand for high-end properties in Metro Manila and nearby areas still strong. One of these high-end projects is Dubai-based Kingdom Hotel Investments’ Raffles Residences. Located in Makati, the project posted a record-high one day sales of over $45 million in July despite the fact that it was still in its pre-construction phase at the time.

While the US financial mess has been in large part driven by the collapse in the housing market, Filipinos will always consider own-ing a house their priority in life. Perhaps this is why developers are gung-ho about middle and lower-end projects that target the OFW market. One of them is AboitizLand which is expanding its project in Talisay City and has started construction for a condominium building in Cebu City. Another is the SM Group with its Sea Residences condo project targeting a younger crowd and small families in the middle-income seg-ment.

Most developers offer homes for as low as P1 million and up to P2.5 million for condo units and townhouses, with the government’s Pag-IBIG fund providing financing for up to 90 percent of the contract

price. Payment schemes are spread over a number of years, with month-ly amortizations that go for as low as P8,000. Many of these developments are located in Antipolo, Cainta, La-guna, Cavite and other areas that are relatively near Metro Manila.

Many Filipinos may not be able to buy “tierra firma” in prime areas like Makati, but owning property like a mid-range condo unit neverthe-less gives them that same sense of security. After all, property is still property, and there’s nothing as reas-suring as knowing you will always have a roof over your head. Having their own home is also a tangible proof of the progress they have made in life, and serves as a shining testament to all the hard work and sacrifices they endured working in a foreign country.

If one will remember, the real estate industry went into a slump due to the Asian financial crisis, but went on to recover, getting a big lift from the business process outsourc-ing industry that spurred renovation activities for old buildings and drove demand for the construction of new buildings. Then as now, a lot of ana-lysts agree that the real estate sector will weather this current financial storm and will prove to be the safest investment after all.

Dear Editor:

I continue to enjoy your articles, now received primarily on-line; although I do miss the Philstar reprints when you have enough locally written stories to fill up space; I did enjoy Cito Beltran’s “Ilokano”; while Ilocano was my language during my summer of training under U. of Hawaii 40 years ago; the Iloca-no’s were always the subject of jokes by the non-Ilocano’s with whom I was close for the next 20 years.

I am enjoying your current Quiapo series ( I do not know if enjoying is the right term since it involves the tragic lifes of your childhood neighbors). What ever happened to Bong’s daughter, or is that a future story? Ashley’s stories are appearing more to be those of a profesional journalist. I also enjoyed Conrad Reloj Jr’s story about his mother; you might ask him to expand it a little regarding his mother and re-print for mother’s day edi-tion. Lastly Riz Oades’ articles. As I have written ealier, I enjoy his original articles, rather than reading his prior students term papers. Especially good was his “THE WORLD OF DR. JOSE RIZAL, INDIO, MESTIZO AND FILIPINO.”; although I be-lieve some of my children’s ancestors might take issue with how he classified them. I commend him for his current issue of trying to unite the local Filipinos into a voting block; while he will find some who will give strong support toward this endeavor; I do not believe this to be a major issue for the majority of middle age-class Filipino-American’s; other issues take a much higher priority. Have a good week, Richard Jensen


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

Phil - Am Law 101

OHANA… I cannot forget this word. The first time I heard it was in Lilo and Stitch which I saw with my wife and son. It was very timely. We were just waiting for the U.S. Embassy to call us for the interview. I was reluctant to leave. I had a good law practice in Manila. My son just got admitted in the honor’s section of the Ateneo, but we were sure he would get a better educa-tion in the U.S. My wife enjoyed taking care of the family, but she had to be with our son. I would stay, they would go.

Then we heard Lilo : “Ohana means family, family means nobody gets left behind. Or forgotten.”

That’s it. Either we all stay or we all go.

But not all families are as lucky. Many of them do not have the choice that we had the luxury of having. Some fam-ily members get left behind by force; usually the innocent children whose only fault is being born too early into this world. Much too prematurely, they get separated from their parents and siblings. I am often told this sad story, and each time it pains me to hear it from my misty-eyed clients.

The culprit of course is the long waiting time for immigrant petitions, especially for family petitions where the backlog is from 5 years (for spouses and minor children of immigrant) to as much as 23 years (for siblings). As we very well know, once a child turns 21, he is dropped from the petition as a derivative beneficiary of his parents.

The familiar way to deal with this situation is for the parents to file an F-2B petition for their aged-out child (used here as a generic term for a son or daughter) the moment they get their green card. But this will mean many more years of waiting. Chances are, the child will get married in the meantime, which will mean the revocation of the petition (immigrants cannot petition for their married children).

Hypothetical Case

Let us present a hypothetical case. Assume that an F-3 petition (for married son or daughter of U.S. citizens) was filed by your U.S. citizen grandfather for

A G E D - O U T C H I L D R E N (Child Status Protection Act)

your father and received by the USCIS (formerly called the INS) on December 1, 1989. In this petition, your father is the primary beneficiary while you and your mother are the derivative beneficia-ries. You remain a derivative beneficiary as long as you are below 21 years of age.

Around January 2003, your father received a letter from the NVC saying that his visa was already available. But when you looked at the letter, it only mentioned your father and your mother. Your name was not there. Of course, you were not at all surprised.

You were born on November 1, 1981 and were already over 21. Your parents were forced to migrate to the U.S. without you. The moment your father got his green card, he filed an F-2B peti-tion for you (as an over-aged child of an immigrant).

You have been waiting for 6 years now. It will take another 6 years for your visa to come. According to the February 2009 Visa Bulletin, immigrant visas are available for F-2B petitions filed on Oc-tober 15, 1997, which translates to over 11 years of backlog. Meanwhile, you have remained single because marriage would revoke your F-2B petition.

The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA)

There is one glimmer of hope, fortunately. In 2002, the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) became law. The CSPA is only a short law, but it deals with several complicated situations. In your hypothetical case, the relief may come from either of two ways.

First is that the CSPA may be able to “freeze” your age at below 21.

Second is that the CSPA may allow you to use the December 1, 1989 prior-ity date of the F-3 petition filed by your grandfather.

In either case, you may be able to join your parents immediately.

Freezing the Child’s Age

Let’s discuss how CSPA can freeze your age at below 21. There are 2 condi-tions required here. Your CSPA age

must be below 21 at the time your visa became available. In addition, you must have sought to acquire immigrant status within one year from that date.

The CSPA Age

The visa became available on Decem-ber 1, 2002. This is because the visa bulletin for December 2002 said that immigrant visas are available for F-3 petitions with priority date of Decem-ber 1, 1989. Therefore, to satisfy the first condition, your CSPA age must be below 21 as of December 1, 2002.

How do you determine the CSPA age? In our example, you were born on November 1, 1981. You are already 21 years, 1 month old on December 1, 2002. Chronologically, you have aged-out. But when you checked the files, you discovered that it took the INS 3 months to approve your grandfather’s F-3 peti-tion. It was filed on December 1, 1989, but was approved by the INS on March 1, 1990. The 3 months will be deducted from your age, so your CSPA age will be 20 years and 10 months only. You have not aged out under the CSPA.

One-Year Deadline

The second condition is that you must have sought to acquire an immigrant status within one year from visa avail-ability. This condition is difficult to sat-isfy because either there was no CSPA yet (prior to 2002) or very few people (including immigration attorneys) un-derstood the intricacies of the CSPA. In your case, you were not yet aware of the CSPA which took effect only on August 6, 2002. As a result, you did nothing be-cause you were not aware that you could have frozen your age at below 21.

But do not despair. Recently, the USCIS issued a Memo which seems to do away with the one-year requirement for those whose visas became available on or after August 7, 2001. Under this revised memo, aged-out children whose immigrant visas became available on or after August 7, 2001 may still have their age frozen under the CSPA even if they fail seek to acquire immigrant status within one year.

Since your visa became available on December 1, 2002, you are covered by this recent memo, and exempt from the one-year deadline. This means that you can still ask the USCIS to immediately issue you an immigrant visa so you can join your parents in the U.S.

Using the Original Priority Date

But what if, after making all these computations, your age is still over 21? Again, do not despair. The CSPA also says that “If the age of an alien is determined under paragraph (1) to be 21 years of age or older for the purposes of subsections (a)(4) and (d), the alien’s petition shall automatically be converted to the appropriate category and the alien shall retain the original priority date issued upon receipt of the original

petition.’’In the above example, let us assume

that you there was no delay in the approval of your grandfather’s F-3 peti-tion. So, there is nothing to deduct from your age. You would still be 21 years and 1 month old on December 1, 2002.

Here’s the good news, and it is divided into 3 parts. The first part is that your grandfather’s petition shall be automati-cally converted, which should mean that you do not have to do anything. The conversion of the petition happens by operation of law.

The second part is that the automatic conversion shall be to the appropriate category. What does this mean? This should mean that since you have over-aged, you will fall under the 2B catego-ry (unmarried over-aged child) of your father. Remember what we said earlier? Without the CSPA, your father would be filing a new 2B petition for you? In fact he did, right? Now, under the CSPA, your father need not file the new petition. Instead, the original petition of your grandfather, insofar as it concerns you, will be automatically converted into a 2B petition with your father as the petitioner (This is rather obvious, because your grandfather cannot be your petitioner. There is no category for

grandchildren under the law). The third and best part is that you

“shall retain the original priority date issued upon receipt of the original peti-tion”. This is your father’s priority date under your grandfather’s F-3 petition. This is the date when the INS received the petition, which is December 1, 1989. This will also be your priority date in the new 2B petition. This is even much earlier than the priority date being processed right now for F-2B peti-tions (which is October 15, 1997). This means that an immigrant visa is already available for you. You will be able to follow your parents to the United States. Ohana! The family stays together.

The CSPA is a very complicated law. Until now, the USCIS seems to be ambivalent as to the exact interpretation of its varied provisions. There have been several conflicting memos from the US-CIS since 2002. Even lawyers devote a lot of time studying CSPA cases. While we have done our best to explain the CSPA, each case is different. You should consult an attorney well-versed in CSPA to help you understand your case and hopefully successfully pursue it before the USCIS.

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I will be in Manila the whole month of March. If your loved ones are interested in consulting with me there, they can contact our Manila office at 522-1199 or 526-0326 to schedule an appointment. I will be offering free consultation. Taga-log po ang usapan kaya hindi sila dapat mag-alangan. Meanwhile, our National City office inside the S&S Travel will continue entertaining your inquiries at (619)475-3262. Salamat po !

Atty. Rogelio Karagdag, Jr. is licensed to practice law in both California and the Philippines. He practices immigra-tion law in San Diego and has continu-ously been a trial and appellate attorney in the Philippines since 1989. He travels between San Diego and Manila. His office address is located at 16486 Bernardo Center Drive, Suite 228, San Diego, CA 92128. He also holds office in National City inside the S&S Travel Agency at 2409 E. Plaza Blvd. Please call (858)348-7475 & (619) 475-3262 for your free consultation. We also encourage readers to write us ques-tions about both U.S. immigration and Philippine laws to be future topics in this column. Our email is [email protected].


E-mails from the desert

Read Ed Gamboa’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com and http://emailsfromthedesert.blogspot.com

by Dr. Ed Gamboa

BalintatawRead Virginia Ferrer’s previous articles by visiting our website

at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Virginia H. Ferrer

Ther e is something to be said about getting up early in the morning – before the sun rises – saying your prayers (Vigils, as the monks and hermits do), then sipping a warm cup of herbal tea, or hot coffee, as the case may be.

The sun hesitates to rise above the horizon, your clock slows gently down, and life takes a calm and tranquil turn. Somehow, it isn’t night or day, nothingness or being…just you, immersed in the wonder of God’s immeasur-able creation.

The children are not off to school yet, or, if they are in college, they are in never-never land; your spouse may still be dreaming dreams; the world, in any event, has not yet decided to stir from its slumber.

Merchants have not opened their shops nor have businesses started counting their monies. In your side of the globe, the politicians have yet to grab their microphones and no one has fired a gun; peace, for the moment, reigns supreme.

The hustle and bustle of city traffic have not mercilessly encroached into your day. You have not stepped on the unend-ing treadmill of life’s familiar rat race.

Your troubles are nowhere in sight. Your obligations are some-where in the distance.20Your list of things to do is not within reach. There is a stream of happi-ness in your soul and a sparkle of gladness in your spirit.

You’ve had a good night’s rest and the physical world has chosen not to bombard your senses, yet. In the back of your mind, you know this nirvana will not last forever. You pick up the morning papers, or worse, turn on your TV, and you know that magical moment will vanish into thin air!

A Cup of Tea, Before SunriseThere is in our inner core an

attraction to this treasured mo-ment. Harried office staffers may not realize it, but I assume that is why they pass by Starbucks for a cup of latte or cappuccino on their way to work. Others forego the coffee and pass by church for traditional early=2 0morning Mass. While still others simply kiss their slumbering wife and children goodbye before heading out of the house before dawn.

The mystics recognize this as the deepest tranquil point and central stillness of our being, where we are linked in commu-nion with the One who created us.

When you were a child, you would not sit quietly, sip a cup of=2 0tea and contemplate like this. You would rub your eyes, bolt out of bed and, without car-ing to wash your face or brush your teeth, confront the world headlong like an energizer bunny.

I do recall, on lazy Saturday mornings, when school was closed (thanks God), my little brothers and sisters would sit in the patio or the outside staircase or on the steps leading to the dirty kitchen adjacent to the house, and spend a half hour or so just star-ing at the yard. We would watch a frog leap from the wet grass and busy flies buzzing from the fence to the clothesline. Or we would simply observe ants lining up in procession up the post.

Every so often, our father would ask if we wanted to go with him to pick up something. All excited, we would file, in our pajamas, into the old Studebaker, and fight for the window seats. Papa would drive to a tiny spot, just outside the city, where an old, old lady would be cooking puto maya. She would wrap the steamed sticky sweet rice in ba-nana leaves and, with a toothless smile, proudly hand her home made delicacies to us in a brown paper bag. For a few pesos or centavos more, Papa would buy a potful of sikwate (native hot chocolate) with it.

Sometimes, we would stop by the bakery for a bagful of hot pan de sal. When we arrived home with our prized goodies, Mama would be waiting for us at the breakfast table, where she had set a plateful of sliced ripe mangoes from Guadalupe. Wow, that was heaven on earth!

Kung MinsanKung minsan ang isang ngiti mula sa ‘yong mga labisapat na para ang lungkot ko ay agad nang mapawipagod nitong katawan sa maghapon na aking gawi mag-usap lang tayo wala na akong pang mahihingi.

Kung minsan ang iyong tapik sa aking mga balikatano mang lalim ng iniisip napapawi agadat kung ang aking mga kamay ay iyong hawak-hawaksapat nang malaman ko, ako sa iyo’y nararapat.

Kung paminsan-minsan naman na ako ay mapalayosadyang ganito ang buhay pagsubok ay dumadayotaimtim na dasal lamang ang aking maipapayopara sa ‘sang magandang buhay na nais kong itayo.


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Community

(WFM) will meet today to final-ize the documentation of the match, including the continuous video cover-age of all the games, in order for the event to be certified by the Guinness World Records (GWR), Duffie Bota-vara, secretary general of the Iloilo Football Association, told The STAR.

“We are preparing the documenta-tion and the records of the game for our efforts to be recognized,” he said, adding that for now, the record is unofficial.

Organizer Elmer Bedia, a former national player and Philippine’s Mr. Football in 1986, explained that a GWR certification in favor of the WFM is required to break the record set in Australia.

The soccer teams of Barotac Nuevo Comprehensive National High School (BNCNHS) and the Iloilo State College of Fisheries (ISCOF) played against each other for 35 hours and 20 minutes at the town’s

Ilonggos break soccer marathon record


public plaza.The match began around 8:40 a.m.

Friday and ended at around 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

A total of 19 games were played, each lasting for 45 minutes.

ISCOF prevailed over BNCNHS, 136-133, in what Botavara called “a tight match.”

“It wasn’t a giveaway match. Both teams played tight defense, the rea-son for the low score, unlike that in Australia,” he said, comparing their match to the one in Armidale, Austra-lia, where Joeys Football Club won with about a hundred point-advantage over its opponent in a game that lasted for 32 hours and 50 minutes.

Of the 19 games played, ISCOF and BNCNHS each won eight matches, and tied in three.

“Although the players were already tired, they could have played one more game, had it not been for the coaches who decided to end the game,” Botavara said.

In fact, he added, the last game was very physical, with one player shov-ing his opponent at one point.

NATIONAL CITY, CA: After three brainstorming sessions, the participants to a coalition-building process, finally voted to call the new group Filipino Voters Coalition (FVC). They unanimously adopted the mission statement – “to develop a non-partisan, community-based organization dedicated to mobilize and solidify Filipinos for civic and political engagements.”

The group also approved the coalition’s objectives as originally formulated by Dr. Riz A. Oades, an SDSU Emeritus history professor and the proponent of the Filipino Voters Coalition.

“We have to develop a database of registered voters and network,” Oades said. “Among other things, we have to identify Filipino Ameri-cans who can energize and moti-vate the community into political action.”

A lengthy discussion on whether the organization would be a non-profit 501 © (3) or a political action committee ensued. The “Yes” vote went to building a strong political action committee. It is envisioned that representatives from the County’s political action committees and civic-spirited individuals would join the movement.

“Coalition partners retain their distinct identities and often special sets of interests,” Fred Gallardo noted. A FVC that will provide a voice for everyone is absolutely the way to go. Its unified voice may be found around five areas of work that encourages voter registration, monitoring the polls, and advocating for voter rights.

Elected as officers in an interim capacity are: Dr. Riz A. Oades, Chairperson, Ben Macayan, Co-Chairperson, Pete Corpuz, Secretary and Ralph Dimarucut, Treasurer. Present at the meeting were Ditas Yamane, Mitz Lee, Bill Flores, Xena Sultana Babao, Jim Perman, Ben Macayan, Lawrence Lazaga, Villy Simbulan, Romy Marquez, Joseph Roley Arzaga, Joe Son,

Filipino Voters Coalition Organized to Boost Voter Registration,

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Spiritual Life

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

by Msgr. Fernando G. Gutierrez

Lower Your Nets

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

journalusa.com

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audi-ence, raised a glass of water and asked, ‘How heavy is this glass of water ?

Answers called out ranged from 8oz. To 20oz.

The lecturer replied, ‘The absolute weight doesn’t mat-ter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. ‘If I hold it for a

How heavy is a glass of waterminute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance.’

‘In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes. ‘

He continued, ‘And that’s the way it is with stress manage-ment. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on. ‘

‘As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. ‘

‘So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work/life down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.’

‘Whatever burdens you’re car-rying now, let them down for a moment if you can. Relax; pick them up later after you’ve rested. Life is short. Enjoy! ‘

And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

1 * Accept that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue.

2 * Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

3* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

4 * Drive carefully. It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.

5* If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

6 * If you lend someone $20

and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

7 * It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

8 * Never buy a car you can’t push.

9* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.

10* Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.

11* Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

12 * The second mouse gets the cheese.

13 * When everything’s com-ing your way, you’re in the wrong lane.

14* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

15* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

16 * Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once

17 * We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

18* A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today .

Joke of the week: Scientists and Language Arts experts are working on a new “Translator Box.” There’ll be a mike n one side and a speaker n the other along with an assortment for selector buttons. The buttons provide a means for selecting the particular language the operator wishes translate from English. Touch a button, speak into the mike and in a matter of seconds the tapes, translators, computers go into action and a voice with all the proper inflections comes out of the speaker. In one of the ear-lier experiments of the develop-ment, one of the scientists spoke into the mike thus: “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,” and the speaker said in flawless French, “The whiskey is good, but the meat is tough.”

Scriptures: First Reading:

The Filipinos World of SpiritsDeuteronomy 18: 15-20. Fearful of coming face-to-face with God, the Israelites ask for a prophet to tell them what God wants. Moses predicts a prophet who will be succeeding him and will preach with divine authority as he does. Later on this prophet was es-chatogically interpreted and he is expected to come before the end of time. Second Reading: 1 Cor-inthians 7: 32-35. Paul highly values celibacy for both women and men. At the same time, he regards marriage as a perfect state also for all. The two states –celibate and married – differ in many ways because both respond to God in their own devout ways. Gospel: Mark 1: 21-28. Know-ing Jesus as the son of a carpen-ter from Nazareth, people were wondering by whose authority he teaches in the synagogue. At

that moment while Jesus was preaching a man possessed by an unclean spirit showed up. Jesus shows that he is in full control of the unclean spirit. The people now realized that Jesus has an extraordinary power over unclean spirits and that he teaches differ-ently from the scribes, but they still wonder whether his author-ity is from God or from some unknown sources.Reflections: The ancients of the

Mediterranean world believed that spirits though less power-ful than God are more powerful than human beings. These spirits are nuisance to daily life because they could control human behav-ior and cause physical harm and injury. Though most Western-ers have control over their lives and thus are no firm believers in spirits and ghosts, this fact, however, is not true for so many Filipinos. For example, a vast number of Filipinos believe in the existence of “duwende” (goblin), “diwata” (fairy), “mangkukulam” (witch), “manananggal” (lycan-thrope), “kapre” (tree-residing giant), (ghoul), “tikbalang” (demon-horse). Filipinos would understand better the situation of the man possessed by an unclean spirit in today’s Gospel.

This Filipino belief in evil spirits and many objects, such as rocks and mountains that are inhabited by such spirits, must have been influenced by the ancient Filipinos animistic philosophy. Even now certain re-gions of the Philippines consider natural phenomena as inhabited by particular gods. For example, “Maria Makiling,” is the fairy at Mt. Makiling; “ApoTudo,” the Lord Rain, “Apo Pagay” the Lord Palay (rice plant) are manifesta-tions of divine power.

The unclean spirit’s interrup-tion of Jesus’ preaching was a welcome distraction, because it shows that Jesus was not cowed by it and that he has authority to expel it out of the possessed man. Today’s Gospel is also a testi-mony that the authority of Jesus comes not from other sources but from God alone. The Filipinos belief in mythological spirits could be a serious distraction from a sincere living of the Chris-tian faith. For Christian Filipino, belief in mythological “spirits,”

could be a sign of weak faith – a split-level Christianity. Split-level Christianity occurs when one professes belief in one God and at the same time expresses the same trust in malevolent mythological gods or creatures that can influ-ence man’s behavior and destiny. This ambivalence accounts for some Filipinos half-hearted prac-tice of faith and lack of complete commitment to fulfill religious obligations throughout the year. This ambivalence is evident not only in the spiritual but also in the social and political aspect of the Filipinos life. Lawmakers are also the lawbreakers, morality does not play an important part in decision-making, if at stake are one’s self-vested interests.

Quotation of the week: “It is the authority, the specific power of which man must discover in his heart, through which he must be revealed to himself in the dimen-sions of his conscience and in the perspective of eternal life. Then the whole power of baptism will be revealed in him, he will know that he is ‘plunged’ in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, he will find himself again completely in the eternal Word, in infinite love.” John Paul 11

“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed.

Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it

is accepted as being self-evident.”

- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)


EntertainmentMovies to Watch

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

by Simeon G. Silverio Jr.

Che - Director Steven Soderbergh’s two-part epic about the life of Ernesto “Che” Guevara stars Benicio Del Toro (Best Actor, 2008 Cannes Film Festival) in a tour de force performance as the legendary revolutionary. Part Two shows Che at the height of his fame and power. Then he disap-pears, re-emerging incognito in Bolivia, where he organizes a small group of Cuban comrades and Bolivian recruits to start the great Latin American Revolution. The story of the Bolivian campaign is a tale of tenacity, sacri-fice, idealism, and of guerrilla warfare that ultimately fails, bringing Che to his death. Through this story, we come to understand how Che remains a symbol of idealism and heroism that lives in the hearts of people around the world. (Partially subtitled) www.ifcfilms.com/viewFilm.htm?filmId36

This film is Not Rated by the MPAA. Running time 132 minutes.Our Press Screening Will Take Place

Exclusive Engagement Opens Friday, February 06thLandmark’s Hillcrest Cinemas

3965 Fifth Avenue, Suite 200 – (619) 819-0236

Beauty in trouble - The Robert Graves poem of the same name inspired director Jan Hrebejk and writer Petr Jarchovský (collaborators on Di-vided We Fall and Up and Down) to tell the romantic story of Marcela (the radiant Ana Geislerová), a young woman with two children who is caught in multiple dilemmas. Her husband Jarda (Roman Luknár), a me-chanic, is a great lover but a poor provider. The recent flood of Prague has forced them to live above the garage and Jarda to chop up stolen cars. Fed up, Marcela moves back to her mother, but is harassed by her stepfather. Jarda is arrested, and at the police station Marcela meets the handsome older man whose car he stole, a Czech émigré (Josef Abrhám) who is soon romancing her and inviting her to his Tuscan villa. But Jarda still loves her and tries to win her back. Dramatic and sexy, with fascinating characters and unexpected plot turns. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival and three Czech Lion Awards (for Actor, Actress and Supporting Actress). (Fully subtitled) www.menemshafilms.com/beauty-in-trouble.html

This film is Not Rated by the MPAA. Running time 110 minutes. Exclusive Engagement Opens Friday, January 16th

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

By Bibsy M. Carballo

There were mixed reactions to the news that Michael de Mesa, undoubtedly one of the country’s best actors, was bent on leav-ing the country to pursue a new life in the US. Some said he was crazy and acting on impulse. Most were sad that he was giving up the battle, and that the country would once again be one less brilliant artist among its inhabit-ants.

Michael’s decision was nothing new. A good many artists in the performing field especially have taken their families, uprooted themselves and now live abroad. Jim Paredes, Joey Albert, Dessa, Mon David, Lani Misalucha, Arnel Pineda. But somehow, no one expected Michael to be one of them. Perhaps because his personality was that of one who was easy going, who rolled with the punches, who had no plan for his life and simply took what was there for the moment.

That’s it, agrees Michael. But now, apparently everything has changed. The Mike we knew for many decades when he was just beginning, during the years we managed him, through the drug experimentation years, the tumul-tuous marriage with Gina Alajar, to today’s father, and a new part-ner in life, has indeed changed. And as he talks of himself today, we feel that the change has been for the better.

As the son of Eddie Mesa and Rosemarie Gil, brother to Mark Gil and Cherie Gil, and later husband to Gina, Mike has not known any other life than show business. From childhood, he grew up among co-actors and di-rectors of his parents, and didn’t really think there would be any other life for him and his siblings

Why Michael is quitting showbiz

Michael de Mesa

than show business. This is either good or bad, depending on one’s appraisal of the situation. Good, because obviously the genes and the environment have conspired to make these siblings among the country’s best actors. Bad, because in a way, they never had the option to be anything else.

And Michael was good, often brilliant as many will agree. Whether on the big screen in Unfaithful Wife, Dubai, Paradise Inn, the indie Big Time, the ac-tion picture Ikasa Mo Ipuputok ko, Hihintayin Kita sa Langit, Ano ang Kulay ng Mukha ng Diyos. Or on the legitimate stage as in Rent, and the most recent Hairspray.

As Michael opens up his heart to us, we see that for the first time, there are many other firsts which are all good. The decision to leave was nothing sudden and unplanned. It had been in the air for at least a year now until the need to renew the greencard by the end of February this year has forced Michael’s hand at it. Apparently, when in California July of 2008 to renew his green-card then, Mike met up with the Lynch family who owned the

ambulance service company he performed for at their 20th anni-versary celebration in 2006. Even as far back as then, they immedi-ately saw the potential of having a celebrity in the company that deals with hospitals, nurses, doc-tors many of whom are Filipi-nos. Michael was offered to do marketing, which he tried out for two months last July.

“I enjoyed it. For the first time I was doing something regular, a 9 to 5 job with a regular income and I really liked it,” he says. He adds that he would be earning annually only a little bit more than what he earns from show business in a year, but it would be regular, and stable, and less frustrating.

Possibly, the key word to com-parisons between the old world Michael was leaving and the new world is the word “frustrating.” While he admits that he has been reared in the completely unstruc-tured world of Philippine enter-tainment, the frustration was just getting worse and worse.

Ostensibly, in early 2008 Michael started working on two projects for ABS-CBN — The Nurse with Judy Ann Santos, and The Wedding with Anne Curtis and Zanjoe Marudo, with Eula Valdes who plays his wife. Tap-ing has been stop-and-go, mostly for reasons of scheduling and now that Michael has announced that he has to leave February this year he has been written off The Nurse while The Wedding has yet to resume taping.

“While waiting for those two shows, I couldn’t do anything. I lost three shows in GMA because ABS didn’t wanna let me go. Kaya medyo masama ang loob ko. That’s also one of the reasons why I decided to leave,” he con-cedes pointing out to frustration as one of the biggest factors.

Michael continues, “I also want to test myself, challenge myself as a person how far and how much I can gain, not as an actor but me as a person doing something else. I’ve never done anything else but show busi-ness. It’s something now com-pletely different and exciting. I am excited. It’s only now in my

life that I have a five-year plan. I’ve never had a five-year plan. (You’ve never had a plan, we in-terrupt, hahaha!!) Ya, you know me. I used to live from day to day. Bahala na tomorrow. Bahala na what‘s in store for the future? Pero ngayon, I have a five-year plan. “

“I’m not saying that Michael de Mesa is dead. But he is not my priority now. My priority is Michael Eigenmann. So kung baga, there is now an awakening in my life, like am I really who I am? I’m taking the reins. I also have plans of coming back in 2010 to do two plays. I’m ready for a new phase in my life, a new chapter. “

Michael is also beginning to talk of marriage with Julie, his partner for the past eight years, longer than his seven-year mar-riage to Gina. It was when he and Gina separated that he met Julie, then a dancer with the Hot Legs. A lot of people still think Julie was the cause of the separation which Michael refutes. Once they marry, it will be a second marriage for both, their first having been annulled. Julie has a 15-year-old daughter who is an American citizen having been born in the States.

He describes his relationship with Julie as quiet and peaceful. He calls her his Superwoman since apart from dancing, she writes, designs and sells clothes on-line, does interior design and makeup, cooks, gardens, does carpentry. They set up a pet accessories shop at Tiendesitas which Julie now runs on-line. She will be shuttling between Manila and California until they have more definite plans.

Skeptics are prone to view Michael’s pronouncements with a let’s-wait-and-see attitude. They don’t think he will leave his comfort zone for long. This is also the reason some tag him as crazy. “Mas sira ulo nila na naghihintay sa wala. Ako, I’m doing something with my life. Kung baga I’ve reached a point in my life na sa sobrang frustra-tion ko, ayokong umasa.”


Light &Shadows

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

by Zena Sultana Babao

During these difficult and trying times, we will be devastated

if we lose the valuables and hard-earned cash we have in our homes. But it is precisely during these hard times when our homes become the prime target of burglars. What can we do about it?

A few days ago, Bottom Line Personal sent me a promo brochure (Winter 2009 Spe-cial Edition) and wanted me to subscribe. In it is an article entitled “Top Mistakes that Make Homeowners Prime Target for Burglars.” I didn’t subscribe, however, the article was worth reading, and I am sharing the information with you.

Most of us consider our home

Top Mistakes that Make Homeowners a Prime

Target for Burglarsour haven, the place we go to feel safe. Every year over two million homes were violated by burglars – that’s a burglary every 15 seconds! Many times, the victims are careful people who think they’re doing the right things. But in reality, they’re making crucial mistakes that make them targets.

To get the real scoop on how to protect your home, a reformed burglar is giving suggestions to homeowners. This former bur-glar stole over $70 million worth of jewelry during his career, and spent 11 years in prison for doing so. According to him, the following are the common mis-takes people make so often …

Leaving the burglar alarm off when you run out of the house for a few minutes

Nearly all the houses he robbed had expensive alarm systems

– and more than half the time, the alarms weren’t turned on! Sophisticated burglars watch neighborhoods and learn when residents go to work or run er-rands, and how long they are likely to be away. They are ready to move the minute you leave. So do yourself a favor and set the alarm, even if you’re running out for 15 minutes.

The best alarms offer multiple layers of protection – motion sensors, light sensors, etc. You might also want to get a zone alarm system that has room-by-room controls. Burglars often break into people’s bedrooms while they are having dinner. With a zone alarm, you can leave the bedroom alarm on while you’re spending time in another room.

Posting detailed alarm signs

When you post a sign that iden-tifies the alarm company, you have just given the burglar the information he needs to disable the alarm. All the burglar has to do is buy a diagram of how that particular system is wired.

Buy a generic sign from a home-supply store that simply says, “This house is protected by an alarm system.” As long as it doesn’t give specific informa-tion, it can be a good deterrent.

Hiding valuables in the bed-room

It’s the first place burglars look into. Burglars usually spend 15 minutes or less in each house

that they rob. They spend most of their time in the bedroom, checking the usual hiding places – the underwear drawer … under the mattress … high closet shelves, etc.

Keep money or jewelry you rarely wear in a safe-deposit box. Hide other valuables in places where burglars don’t think to look – in the garage, for exam-ple, or above removable ceil-ing tiles. Or hide valuables in the freezer or in fake soup cans made for this purpose.

Don’t hide all your valuables in one place. A burglar is less likely to get everything if you put items in different places.

Getting a big dog

A 100-pound Rottweiler or German shepherd might look scary, but burglars know bet-ter. Most big breeds, unless they are trained guard dogs, aren’t barkers. What you want are “yappers,” small dogs that make a lot of noise. Breeds such as Chihuahuas are better deterrents than large dogs.

Hiding windows with land-scaping

Tall bushes and shrubs allow burglars to jimmy windows with-out being seen. Keep all bushes trimmed to below window level. Also, don’t count on thorny plants to prevent entry. Profes-sional thieves routinely wear gloves and two layers of cloth-ing – and carry cutting tools to remove any thorny obstacles that may get in the way.

Leaving the lights on

A light that stays on all the time is no more of a deterrent than a dark house. In fact, it helps burglars see much better once they are inside. Use timers that turn the lights on and off in different parts of the house at different intervals. Electronics and home-improvement stores sell motion detectors that turn on lights or appliances if some-one enters the house. They cost about $20 each.

Having newspaper and mail delivery stopped when you go

away

You may trust your mail and newspaper carriers, but the fact is that you don’t know who else is getting the information. Burglars used to get tips all the time about homeowners go-ing on vacation. So keep your plans quiet. Have a neighbor or close friend pick up your paper or mail. Ask them to drop by at different times of the day. The more activity the burglars see, the less likely they are to target your house.

Let me add some “do’s” to the reformed burglar’s advice: Keep doors and windows securely locked; lock the door to your garage; keep the exterior of your home well-lit; never leave clues that you are away; never leave a message on your voicemail saying that you are away; keep the shrubbery trimmed away from entrances and walkways; organize a neighborhood watch; live a frugal lifestyle so as not to attract burglars; and keep your homeowners or renters insurance up to date.


Health

Mobile phones - may well cause heart problems and kidney stones, according to latest medical research

If the threat of possible brain tu-mours and premature aging weren’t scary enough, a new study on the effects of mobile phone use on human health claims that overexposure to mobiles can cause red blood cells to leak haemoglobin which may lead to kidney stones and even heart disease.

The scientists that conducted the study exposed samples of blood to varying de-grees of microwave radiation for ten to 60 hours.

The study, car-ried out at the Eu-ropean Research Institute for Elec-tronic Components in Bucharest, concluded that even at lower levels than those emit-

Mobile phones damage heart and kidneys

Says medical study, Powerwatch calls for further research

ted by mobile phones, the cells leaked haemoglobin.

Powerwatch voices con-cern

Professor Edward Tuddenham, a haemotologist at the Imperial College

Medical School in Hammersmith Hos-

pital, warned that “the accumulation of haemo-

globin in the body could result in heart disease or

kidney stones.”“We are still very much

investigating the biologi-cal consequences of mobile

phones. But there certainly seems to be enough laboratory

studies now saying there are ef-fects, to be very concerned,” said

a spokesman for Cambridge-based consumer group Powerwatch.

By Adam Hartley

KCS together with the Philip-pine Nurses Association of San Diego (PNASD) and American Cancer Society will sponsor a free workshop on an update of Prostate Cancer, Saturday, February 7, 2009 from 8:30 AM to 12 noon at the FilAm Wellness Center located in 1419 East 8th Street, National City, CA. Mr. Marlon Saria, MSN, RN, AONCS, and a PhD Candi-date, UCLS will be the main guest speaker.

The workshop will include an overview of prostate cancer, statis-tics, risk factors, prevention and de-tection. Two community leaders, Joe Son of Ceboley and Dione Maceda will be giving testimonials on how they coped with prostate cancer.

“Let’s talk about Prostate Cancer” workshop at Kalusugan Community Services, Saturday, February 7, 2009.

Demy Din, Program Manager, American Cancer Society, will talk about the prevention and treatment programs of the organization.

This event is free and open to the public. Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. There will be raffles, free blood pressure screening, and plenty of handouts.

Prostate cancer is the leading cause of death in Asian Americans in San Diego County. The pros-tate gland is located in front of the rectum, behind the penis, and under the bladder. It contains gland cells that produce seminal fluid, which protects and nourishes sperm cells or semen. All men are at risk for prostate cancer and the chances of getting it increases with age. With

annual screening, prostate can be detected before it spreads to other areas of the body. The five-year survival rate, which is found before it spreads beyond the prostate is nearly 100%.

For more information call (619)477-3392 or email [email protected].

Kalusugan Community Services/FilAm Wellness Center

1419 E. 8th StreetNational City, CA 91950www.WebKalusugan.org

Good Samaritan Hospital ortho-pedic surgeon Jonathan Saluta, M.D. became the first Filipino-American orthopedic surgeon to use the MAKOplasty®. It is an innovative surgical solution for patients who suffer from early to mid-stage osteoarthritic knee disease using the Tactile Guidance System™(TGS™). The TGS™ is

First Filipino-American Orthopedic Surgeon to Use Image-Guided Robotic-

Arm to Treat Patients with Osteoarthritis

Jonathan Saluta, M.D.

a surgeon-interactive robotic arm system with patient specific 3-D visualization technology that allows the surgeon to pre-operatively map out the area of the patient’s knee to be resurfaced and ideal placement for the implant. During the proce-dure, only the diseased portion of the bone is removed, leaving the healthy bone and tissue untouched.

The implant is then optimally posi-tioned in the knee joint with great precision to allow the knee to move smoothly and naturally and improve quality of life.

Son to both engineer parents from La Union, Philippines, Dr. Saluta specializes in hip and knee replace-ment, foot and ankle surgery and general orthopedics. He earned his medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and he completed orthopedic residency training at the Medical College of Virginia. Dr. Saluta also completed

a fellowship in foot and ankle sur-gery at Duke University. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society and the Piedmont Orthopaedic Society.


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

journalusa.com

JOCHI’S FAST FOOD, INC.

1340 3RD Ave. Suite B Chula Vista, CA 91911(Inside Seafood City Supermarket)

Del & Chit Rivera(Proprietors)

(619) 426-7804

Pinakamasarap na Lechon and Filipino cuisine

Teddy, proposed to Eric one day.“How?” he asked his playmate.

“We’re just minors.”“Let me take care of it,” Teddy,

donning his tough guy persona, assured him.

The theater “Inday” was show-ing a striptease show in their neighborhood. But teenage boys like them could only look at the photos of the beautiful girls wear-ing bikinis displayed in the lobby. Only adults were allowed to see the show.

Teddy and Eric walked towards Carriedo Street, turned right and left on P. Gomez Street.

“But this is the back of the the-ater,” Eric told Teddy.

“Yep,” Teddy said. “We’ll enter through the back door.”

They waited for ten minutes when two of Teddy’s other friends came and waited with them. After a while, they saw Chico coming towards them.

“Bakit kasama iyan (How come he is with you)?” Chico pointed at Eric.

“He will watch the show with us,” Teddy said.

“No, he can’t,” Chico said. “Nakakahiya sa tatay niyan. Baka pagalitan ako (It’s a shame to his father. He might scold me).”

Teddy could not help Eric.“Sorry,” he told his friend.Eric was not disappointed how-

ever. He felt proud that his father had commanded much respect from a tough guy like Chico.

Eric proceeded to the nearby Clover Theater and watched a wholesome stage show, featur-ing the comic talents of Aruray, Chuchi, Doro de los Ojos and Tommy Angeles and the beauti-ful voices of the singers, Letty Liboon; the blind singer Norma Lapuz; and the “Perry Como of the Philippines”, Diomedes Maturan.

Reputation

Years passed and Chico’s reputation outgrew Quiapo. At one time, he was mentioned as one of the suspects in a bomb-

ing incident, one of the most sensational crimes of the de-cade. One Christmas morning, a photo showing the dead bodies of a notorious gangster and his henchmen was shown on the front pages of the newspapers. Their suspected killer was Chico. The former small-time tough guy from Quiapo, however, seemed untouchable. He was said to be a boyhood friend of one of the high officials in the city.

One morning, a photo published in the afternoon paper caught Er-ic’s eye. It was that of Chico. Ac-cording to the news, he was shot dead by a rival hoodlum. He was killed in retaliation for the murder of the other notorious gangster on Christmas Day. While his boy-hood friend, the high city official was able to shield Chico from the long arm of the law, the lawless bullets in the underworld took him out for good.

Eric continued to use the watch that Chico had retrieved for him until the day it stopped. The afternoons he spent in 1962 with Teddy and Chico may be his closest venture into the realm of the underworld. These memories became part of his formative years that have enabled him to see how things are done by force, if not illegally. Chico might have lived a normal life and get older to see his grandchildren grow. But he chose a different path, and paid the price. Eric hopes that his childhood friend, Teddy, made it through -- the right way.- AJ

Into the realm of the underworld


A cab driver picks up a nun. She gets into the cab, and the cab driver won’t stop staring at her.

She asks him why he is star-ing.

He replies: “I have a question to ask you, but I don’t want to offend you”.

She answers, “My son, you cannot offend me. When you’re as old as I am and have been a nun as long as I have, you get a chance to see and hear just about everything. I’m sure that there’s nothing you could say or ask that I would find offensive.”

“Well, I’ve always had a fan-tasy to have a nun kiss me.”

“Well, let’s see what we can do about that. But first, you have to be single and you must be Catholic” says the nun.

The cab driver is very excited and says, “Yes, I’m single and Catholic!”

“OK” the nun says. “Pull off to the side of the road, “maybe we will see what we can do.”

The nun plants a whopper of a kiss on the cabbie! But when they get back on the road, the cab driver starts crying.

Cab Driver“My dear child,” said the

nun, why are you crying?”“Forgive me, but I’ve sinned.

I lied. I must confess, I’m mar-ried and I’m Jewish.”

The nun says, “That’s OK, my name is Kevin and I’m going to a Halloween party.”

***The teenager lost a contact

lens while playing basketball in his driveway. After a fruitless search, he went inside and told his mother the lens was nowhere to be found.

Undaunted, she went outside, and in a few minutes, she re-turned with the lens in her hand. “How did you manage to find it, Mom?” the teenager asked. “We weren’t looking for the same thing,” she replied. “You were looking for a small piece of plastic. I was looking for $150.”

A man and a woman were asleep like two innocent babies. Suddenly, at 3 o’clock in the morning, a loud noise came from outside. The woman, sort of

bewildered, jumped up from the bed and yelled at the man ‘Holy Shit! That must be my husband!’ So the guy jumped out of the bed, scared and naked, and jumped out the window like a crazy man. He smashed on the ground, ran through a thorn bush and then ran as fast as he could to his car.

A few minutes later he returned and went up to the bedroom and screamed at the woman, ‘I AM your husband!’ The woman yelled back, ‘Yeah? Then why were you running?’ And the fight started.

***After retiring, Sam went to

the Social Security office to apply for Social Security. The woman behind the counter asked for his driver’s license to verify his age. He realized he left his wallet at home.

The woman said, ‘Unbutton your shirt.’

So he revealed his chest’s curly silver hair.

She said, ‘That silver hair on your chest is proof enough for me’ and she processed his Social Security application.

He excitedly told his wife when he got home about his experience at the Social Security office.

She said, ‘You should have dropped your pants. You might have gotten disability, too.’


Jesse G. Quinsaat, Esq.Broker

Gold Coast Homes and Loans144 West D. St., Ste. AEncinitas, CA. 92024

PH: 760/436-8007FAX:760/436-8817

“Jesse G. Quinsaat, Attorney at Law”

Over 30 years of service to the Filipino Community

Former Chapter Chairperson, American Immigration

Lawyers Association, San Diego

Former President, Filipino American Lawyer’s Assocation

Licensed Real Estate Broker

Handling most legal matters including:

Immigration• Bankruptcy• Criminal• Personal Injury• Civil • Real Estate• Loan Modifi cation and • Foreclosure Avoidance

Jesse G. Quinsaat, Esq.

PHONE: (858) 755-9400FAX: (858) 755-4308

Cuaderno, and his close friend, Al-bino SyCip, who founded the Bank of China. The newly minted Central Bank then was in that battered shell of a building in Intramuros and the Bank of China was in Dasmariñas behind the Escolta. I was writing on banking and both lectured lengthily to me.

Albino SyCip was, of course, the father of Wash and two other broth-ers, David and Alexander, whom I also knew. When David held offi ce in UN Avenue, he used to drop by my shop at Padre Faura or have lunch with me at the Chinese restau-rant near his offi ce. He, too, briefed me not just on current economic affairs but also on the fast-moving developments in China.

As for Wash, since the early Six-ties I had desultory encounters with him at socials, in airport lounges when our connections crossed. He was born in Manila in 1921 and went to the public schools like his brothers, to Mapa High, and to the University of Santo Tomas where he obtained his commerce degree, summa cum laude. Then off to Columbia in New York for his master’s. World War II caught him there and like the many young Filipinos in the States at the time, he joined the United States Army and served in Burma and India — for which reason he holds an American passport.

At this juncture, here is a bit of political history: as often confi rmed by nostalgic senior citizens like me, the Philippines in those days was the most progressive country, next to Japan, in the whole of Asia.

What many Filipinos, particu-larly the intellectuals and those in the media did not realize, is that in this period, the communists skill-fully co-opted the “nationalist” movement and made their ideology synonymous with nationalism. They badmouthed those who opposed them as American “CIA agents,” clerico-fascists or whatever label fi t-ted their pejorative vocabulary.

This so-called “nationalist” sentiment was directed against the Americans and their most vulner-able and identifi able presence, the Parity Act of 1946 and the American military bases.

I myself opposed Parity in 1946 and onwards and swallowed that anti-US bases line because, as I saw it then, they perpetuated the teacher-pupil relationship which was detri-mental to our interests.

It was only afterwards, upon closer scrutiny of the American



presence in Asia and particularly in Japan, that I realized they were not a hindrance to our development.

The Japanese took advantage of the American bases for which they paid — they did not have to build an expensive defense capability; the American umbrella comforted them. They directed their tremen-dous energies towards rebuilding their war-torn economy and, most of all, fi lling up the insatiable needs of the huge American market, which, any way one looks at it, is the best market in the world. We had our foot in the door of that market, but we didn’t take advantage of it.

It was against the turmoil of this political background that Wash per-severed with SGV. He realized what entrepreneurs with their myopic mindset did not see — the oppor-tunities for expansion by brilliant Filipinos — not just the overseas workers and nurses and caregivers. Harnessing the best Filipino profes-sionals he could get his hands on, SGV went regional, then global, and is today the much-respected institu-tion not just in Asia but all over the globe.

I understood fully what Wash did, for it was also at the same time that I worked abroad, fi rst with Asia Magazine in Hong Kong where he had some investments, and then in Sri Lanka, after which I set up my own regional publication, Solidar-ity, with writer-contributors from all over in the hope that this tiny nation would prosper, its existence recognized.

SGV is a business enterprise; Solidaridad was cultural. Wash suc-ceeded; I failed. I salute him for his foresight, industry, perseverance and often-unappreciated contribution to Filipinas.

In the recent past, Wash has strongly voiced his concern about corrupt governance, our need to change, to adopt a strong govern-ment, even a dictatorship. I’ve suggested a nationalist revolution. I suppose this is why I had that dream about us wearing the same jacket.

There has never been a shortage of brilliant Filipinos who can, through sheer industry and talent, build enterprises that can successfully compete globally, which bear in them the genius of native creativity and capacity for innovation — buzz-words which are bandied about so often they have lost their intrinsic glitter. But these very words, which we can append only to people like Washington SyCip, are as meaning-ful as ever in spite of the pervasive cynicism and rapacity that demean them.

The brain drain in this country is not so much in the bright people who immigrate or who fi nd fulfi ll-ment abroad. It is those who are

here, in our very midst, to whom government leaders are deaf, their voices lost in the thickets of indif-ference. As we in Southeast Asia say, “Sayang!”

For so many years, during this Christmas season, Wash sent his multitude of friends exquisite gifts — ceramic vases, hardwood containers and boxes, coconut shell trays embossed with silver — all designed and crafted by Filipino artisans. So unique are they, they do not appear as yet even in the ritziest Manila souvenir shops.

Says our Ambassador Delia Al-bert, who is now in Berlin: “Wash’s powerful international contacts are very useful to us.” Indeed, he is the complete global accountant who, as he says, “keeps only one book.” SGV is rooted in “Manila and it is also in this — Asia’s ugliest burg — where Washington SyCip lives.

Here now are his answers to my questions:

F. SIONIL JOSE: Jean Kirkpat-rick, former American Secretary of State, said the United States could work with non-communist dictators. Not with communists. Do you make the same distinction?

WASHINGTON SYCIP: The key is economic freedom. China today has one political party — the Communist Party — but a lot of economic freedom exists in China today. The fi rst two years of martial law under Marcos were all right. Remember in 1973 — the fi rst year of the Marcos dictatorship — the growth rate was more than nine percent. Then the cronies came — and that spelled the end of economic development.

I think it was the infl uence of the English socialists that crippled India in the Thirties and onwards. Nehru — most of the leaders of the former English colonialists were left — they were under the infl uence of the English socialists, the graduates of the London School of Econom-ics. Ideology crippled them. It was not till that kind of infl uence was removed that India also moved. In China, it was Deng Xiaoping. Su-harto siphoned a lot of his wealth to Singapore. The Asian Development Bank feels that Southeast Asia’s elites contributed to the fi nancial crisis that struck the region in 1997. My old friend Mochtar Lubis was very angry at the huge exit of funds, particularly from the Chinese Indonesians and the corrupt Suharto government, to Singapore.

The economic woes in the United States now are similar to the prob-lem in Southeast Asia 10 years ago. Over-expansion. The elites are responsible for much of that. A lot of money for Asian stock markets comes from the west. Hedge funds


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submit the necessary documents.Some embassy officials are not that

kind.Overseas Filipino workers and

seafarers get scolded for not submit-ting the proper documents from other government agencies, such as certifi-cates from the Department of Foreign Affairs.


Schengen Diaries(Continued from page 1)

Another time, a consul was inter-viewing a man and their conversation went like this:

“Where did you meet your boy-friend,” the Filipino female consul asked.

“Through the Internet,” the man replied.

“For how long?”“About two years now.”The consul then instructed him to

get his partner’s proof of residency in Belgium from their local town before he’d be given a Schengen visa.

Later, the consul would tell me the man was just one of the many Filipinos applying for a visa to meet someone in Belgium who they met through the Internet.

They readily admit they have online partners from a relatively rich European nation of about four million people.

I dubbed this the “love route.”

***

MY plan was simple: extend my trip

in Europe for a day or two longer and get more stories about Filipinos living abroad. To do that, without incurring additional cost of living in a hotel in an expensive city like Brussels, someone, preferably a Filipino, should take me in.

I realized that my plan would never happen since I had yet to receive con-firmation of the place I would stay in and I was set to leave the next day.

There shouldn’t have been any prob-lem if I were to extend my days after the official event I was attending. The thing was, I was extending my stay days before the actual event I would be attending.

I checked the Internet for a cheap hotel in Brussels. No cigar; all were fully booked as it was summer and the peak of tourism in Belgium.

I called my former boss who flies frequently to Europe to ask for advice. Foiled again; she was out of the country.

I left Manila with no clear sight of where I would be staying for the first two days of my arrival.

While in the plane, I crafted the possibility of getting to meet fellow Filipino travelers who could guide me through the city and adopt me for a night or two.

I read somewhere that if you think of a scenario for the nth time, it would happen.

I also planned on sleeping in the airport or in a park.

I played and replayed these sce-narios in my whole twelve-hour trip because I believed in what I had read and, really, to make myself sleep.

I don’t usually rely on alcohol to tide me over slumberland.

I read somewhere I’m not the only one who can’t sleep while flying through several time zones.

I believe in what I read.When not one of the scenarios I

played and replayed in my mind hap-pened, I begun to have doubts over believing what I read.

I did not meet any Filipino during my Manila-Amsterdam KLM flight.

Don’t get me wrong, there were so many Filipino from Manila, but when I arrived in Amsterdam International Airport, one of the biggest in the world and Europe’s main hub, Filipinos eas-ily disappeared.

One by one, I saw them turn to the left, right, or straight up, and then –poof!- they were gone.

When I looked around, I was the only Filipino or Filipino-looking per-son standing outside the immigration counter.

***

I ARRIVED Friday early evening in Amsterdam. I still needed to wait for my flight to Brussels for about three to four hours.

By the time I reached the Belgian capital, it was already dark.

During summer, the sun sets late in Europe, which means that if it’s already dark, it’s just hours near midnight.

Unlike Amsterdam, the airport in Brussels was desolate. Everything was automated; doors, elevators, escala-tors, walkways would move when these sense movement. Some call this fuzzy logic. I call it cool.

I also call it being consciously alone in a foreign land since at that time, I still have to meet a Filipino.

Armed with written instructions sent by email by the event organizer, I hunted for a place to rest.

The print-out said I have to take a bus from the airport to reach the city where I should take the “Metro.”

I got out the airport, patted the back pack to check if it was still behind me, and closed my fist on the handles of a gym bag.

I took a deep breath, and my chances as well; it was already eleven in the evening.

Taxi drivers called out, tempting me not to go to the bus station. My fidelity to the instructions paid off: I caught the last bus.

But I left my luck. When I reached Shumann, no one was stirring, not even a mouse. Oh, except for speeding cars.

I thought my luck returned when I saw a woman and asked for directions going to the “Metro.”

She waved her hands palms toward me to say she couldn’t understand me and pointed me elsewhere.

With my bags, which were already getting heavier, I just walked on the streets, passing by buildings empty of human activity.

Police cars occasionally passed me by. Here and there were drunks, who I stayed away from. The weather was getting colder.

I walked up to hotels, but they asked for about 300 to 500 euros a night.

I only had about 300 US dollars and some 60 euros for a five-day stay. I knew what I had was not enough.

***

FINALLY, I saw a park. But my plan of sleeping there fizzled out after I saw police cars parked on my choice al fresco cot.

While I was losing the concept of time, I found myself dead tired and sleepless in Shumann.

I think it was dawn already when I decided to risk my allowance and take a taxi to bring me to the hotel where I should be staying during the confer-ence days.

Since the taxi driver did not speak English and I do not speak French, he took me to the wrong place. The wrong turn shaved off 19 euros from my budget.

My luck appeared to have returned when the hotel accepted me even if

I did not have a credit card to show. Still, it was 89 euros a night, without breakfast, but enough to keep me thinking through the night of my strat-egies for the next days.

I read somewhere that if you play and replay scenarios in your mind, these would happen. This made me fall sleep for about seven hours.

I decided not to waste time since I should check out by 5pm and look for a cheaper hotel.

The concierge gave me a map and pointed out possible places where I could stay.

I scoured half of Brussels.I walked and walked. I ate Snickers

and drank bottled water and carefully remembered the turns I took.

After hours of walking and turning here and there, I found a familiar hos-tel I had seen while checking online. Fortunately, the hostel was different from the movie. Unfortunately, the place was fully booked.

The concierge pointed out the pos-sible places where I could stay.

I walked and walked. I ate Snickers and drank bottled water and carefully remembered the turns I took.

After hours of walking and turning here and there, my luck returned; a hostel had an available room, which I would have to share with six other guys, for about 19 euros a night, with breakfast. But, I had to wait until 3pm for the room to be vacated.

I immediately took the sharing room, went back to the expensive hotel to get a few things and checked in half of my luggage to the porter.

I returned to the hostel. I ate Snick-ers and biscuits and drank bottled water for dinner and slept throughout the night.

The next days I discovered that it was a good decision to leave the park as a bedroom; it was behind European Union’s seat of government.

***

WHILE waiting for my flight that would take me home to Manila, I noticed a familiar-looking face among the crowd inside the Hong Kong Inter-national Airport.

Though worn-out since I did not sleep during my 10-hour flight from Belgium, my reporter instincts told me I have to amble over to this fellow

Filipino, even for a simple chat.That face happened to belong to Ar-

senio Lingad of the overseas shipping office of Philippine regulator Maritime Industry Authority. He had been in one of the meetings of the International Maritime Organisation in London.

Our chat, of course, revolved on his meetings and some other inconsequen-tial stuff that we reporters would like to pry. But what interested me was his experience on getting his visa from the British Embassy.



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are often like prostitutes — they come in and out when the price is right. With one billion, two bil-lion dollars, one can control the economy of a small economy. China and India do not allow hedge funds to come in. Germany and France are regulating hedge funds. Chile lets hedge funds come in but they must stay there for two years or more — they cannot be taken out without penalties.

What are the qualities of Malay-sia’s Mahathir that you appreciate? Many Malaysians say he played favorites, that his government was also corrupt and that he abused power.

In Malaysia, there is no public bidding for large contracts. Sure, but look at their highways, their in-frastructures. The United Malay Or-ganization UMNO is quite effi cient and does expect political contribu-tion. There was unity in Malaysia. Our country has never been united. Why is Malaysia so far ahead of us? When people are poor and sell their votes, democracy works only for the upper classes. If there is no strong middle class, you cannot have a functioning democracy. That is what Mahathir developed in Malaysia.

How did you come to this conclu-sion, that an authoritarian leader is our need? Desperation?

Not only is government slow — it lacks expertise. We need techno-crats. The Central Bank should have broader powers to cover other economic areas. For instance, Con-gress must act quickly on economic matters. Give the Central Bank and NEDA more authority. We are com-peting with Thailand on tuna. So when Thailand, like the US, agrees to lower tariff rates, this affects our tuna industry. Do you know that there is a Thai effort to build Thai restaurants all over the world to promote tourism? Smuggling is killing our industries — why can’t it be stopped?

If you are now for dictatorship or a strong government, who do you see as the possible dictator of this country? What would be his qualifi -cations?

For this country to develop, it must have peace and order. The New People’s Army has its roots in poverty. Again, we need political and business leadership with hon-esty, integrity, and competence.

What role do you now see for the military?

It should devote all its energies toward the restoration of peace and order — this is the main function of the military leadership. There will be no quick change if there is no integrity.

The Marcos rise to power in 1965 signaled our decay. Even with this in mind, do you still think that a dictatorship will work?

Any dictatorship without eco-nomic freedom is bound to fail. Again, China. After World War II, Mao wanted ties with either the US or Soviet Russia. The United State chose to side with Chiang Kai-shek; primarily because his wife, Madame Chiang, spoke English, was edu-cated in the US and was a Christian. Mao was an economic failure with no economic freedom.

What is wrong with our business-men? What is right with them?

They are not aggressive enough. They are too inward looking. They should expand abroad. All they talk about is politics. Businessmen cannot talk with government. There is much to be done by government. Power rates, tariffs. And the corrup-tion. Just try applying for a license to start a business. You will encoun-ter all sorts of diffi culties. Lagay, for one.

How do you entice businessmen to bring their money back?

Provide political stability, show that this country is a place for investment and all that money sent abroad will come back.

How has religion affected our development? The churches in the




Schengen Diaries(Continued from page 18)

“It was a looooonngggg process,” Lingad said.

He said the British embassy asked a lot of clearances from the various government agencies.

First, he secured documentary work from both the Department of Trans-portation and Communications, his agency’s mother unit, and Department of

Foreign Affairs, since he was repre-senting the Philippines, and of course from Marina itself. That alone took months to prepare, Lingad said.

He also needed at least a full week for his application to be approved and a physical appearance at the embassy for the interview.

Lingad said working with British embassy rules is much trickier as the UK employs a third party company to deal with visa issues in the Philip-pines.

“No one, not even the consul, will give you an assurance of when your visa will come out and make sure that your documents are complete when you submit them,” he said.

I remembered my wife’s and my own experience of getting a European visa.

Before my European trip in June, I also had a chance to go to Sweden, a Schengen-member country some six years ago. Back then, I did not even have to appear before the Swedish embassy.

My wife even had it easier. Her sponsor merely called the French em-bassy and she was given a visa.

Today is far different.***

GETTING a visa Belgium embassy in Manila, for instance, entails a dozen requirements for tourist and even more for contract workers.

They also have gone beyond the “show money” requirement since there are already fi nancial institutions like credit cooperatives that lend money just to be shown to embassy offi cials.

The Belgians are now requiring a booked ticket and hotel accommoda-tion for those traveling as a tourist or for other business purposes.

I needed at least 30 days and about half a dozen trips to the embassy be-fore I got a visa, which I only received days before my trip.

But compared with the UK, Schengen countries in Europe, such as Belgium, are easier to deal with as they employ a single procedure and documentary process.

Belgium, for instance, even allows the applicant to complete his require-ments fi rst before processing the papers so as long as it is still within the allotted time frame.

Still, they are making life diffi cult to get a visa of any type, may it be tourist or a contract worker, or even a visa for the wife of a European citizen.

When I returned to work, I asked Sabin Aboitiz of the famous clan based in Cebu on why they have not ventured so much into service for the international market, like a salvage fi rm for a sunken sea vessel. His answer was simple: visa restrictions on Filipinos.

Aboitiz, in one of his rare conversa-tions with Manila-based reporters, said Americans or Europeans or others from the West belong to the privileged citizens who can go to any country they please without visa restrictions.

For Filipinos, however, many coun-tries impose entry limitations.

Aboitiz told us their family shelved their plans to go international just because of this simple reason.

***

WHEN I arrived in Manila, I called my former boss and told her the story of why I was trying to reach her.

“That was also what happened to me. So I just slept in the airport,” she said.

“Where did you get that idea?” I asked.

She said she read it somewhere and she believes in what she reads.

Reprinted with permission of the OFW Journalism Consortium

wealthy countries are empty. Islam is on the rise as a radical alternative.

Forty years ago, people were say-ing we are a Catholic country and we will be leaders in Asia. This is a disadvantage, not an advantage, when the population and poverty problems are being considered.

You have seen much of Asia decolonized. How do you compare American colonialism with the vari-eties of European colonialism? With Japanese colonialism?

The United States provided us with good education, which we failed to take advantage of and develop. But this educational system has been damaged. We should have produced more technical people. Japanese education emphasizes en-gineering. In my time, graduates of Mapa High School could compete with the graduates of Ateneo and La Salle. Now the public schools are inferior and it is the elite schools that are providing better educa-tion. This imbalance works for the rich, not the poor. The science high schools provide the solution but there are not enough of them.

Is there a Filipino mind? A Japa-nese mind? A Filipino banker told me way back there is a fatal fl aw in the Filipino character.

That is not true. People follow examples. Lee Kuan Yew set one. His father worked in a jewelry store. His wife practiced law. They played no favorites. Hong Kong was quite corrupt until the Anti Corruption Unit was set up. The head of the Stock Exchange was jailed.

James Fallows postulated that it is our “damaged culture” that is hindering our development. This damaged culture is due to colonial-ism and that we are incapable of responding to it.

Always, it is the political and busi-ness leadership, credible leadership. If you have good leaders, people will follow. Look at the Pinoys in the United States. How come they do well in other countries?

Are Filipino values strong enough to assure us in the future? You have traveled widely, studied history. What do you think the Philippines will be 50 years hence? Are you pessimistic about the future? Of the region? Of China’s role not just in the region but the world?

We have to modify Western de-mocracy. Even the US is fi nding that unregulated fi nancial institutions have caused the present problems. We cannot always have political freedom as we have it now when poverty is the main economic prob-lem. We have to come to our senses. I am an optimist when it comes to our people. Our growth will be slow but in the long term, I am optimis-tic. As for China, that country will have a dominant role not just in the region, but in the world. We have to have a better outlook on Asia. China offers us possibilities; it could invest more in the Philippines if there is more transparency here, and less government intervention.

And now, the diffi cult questions that all of us are asking. How hard hit are we by the fi nancial crisis that is sweeping the world? What can we do? What are the prospects for 2009 and beyond?

The impact on the Philippines is mild, unlike in the industrialized countries. But already, its effects are already here in the layoffs of workers, the reduction in exports. There is much that both labor and management can do. The fi nancial diffi culties will heighten in the next eight months or so and the eco-nomic hardships will be with us for two years or even more. The great danger will be if there will be a very sharp rise in unemployment. We have to tighten our belts and work even harder.

includes dance, food, handicrafts and rituals. I admire the fact that tradition is an important compo-nent of the Boholano identity. In Bohol, you don’t need to look far to see beauty. There is an abun-dance of beauty not only in the en-vironment but also in the people.”

BACLAYON became a parish in 1717, and the church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Concepcion was built in 1721 by the Jesuits, the second oldest stone church in the country (the oldest is San Agustin in Intramuros, built in 1571). The pipe organ was in-stalled in 1824, and together with other instruments acquired by the church, established the tradition of liturgical music that was high-lighted by the Misa Baclayanon in 1827.

Though there are no records of who built the organ, it is believed that Fr. Diego Cera, who built the famed Las Piñas Bamboo Organ, had a part in the construction of the Baclayon organ, since he was “prior vocal” to the parish since 1821.

The organ was subsequently for-gotten and fell into disrepair. For-tunately, on a visit to Bohol early this year, Bea Jr.‘s sister Patsy and her husband Alonso Halffter saw the sad state of the organ, and Alonso pledged to restore it. So it was dismantled and its parts sent to Las Piñas to be worked on by Diego Cera Organ builders led by Cealwyn Tagle.

After months of careful work,

B is for...Bohol(Continued from page 3)

the Baclayon pipe organ once again made music last Dec. 6, played by distinguished conductor and composer Maestro Cristobal Halffter and his wife, acclaimed pianist Maria Manuela Caro.

It was a red letter day for the town of Baclayon and its lovely people – and all of Bohol. Crowds fi lled the church, the churchyard and the surrounding areas, where the concert was shown on video walls set up outside the church.

For Maestro and Señora Halffter, the journey from Spain was a long and tiring one, and the steps up to the organ loft a perilous climb.

But the elderly couple, with their generosity of spirit and immense love of music, fi lled the church – indeed, all of Bohol – with the wonderful sounds of music.

Certainly, Maestro Halffter has played on instruments of far better tonal quality, but as he said, “It is important for me to be here.”

It is important too for the people of Baclayon and of Bohol, proud of their heritage, proud to share it with visitors from near and far. And we can only add. Bravo

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To:

From: Eugene De Leon

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

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

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The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is soliciting proposals from qualified firms for profes-sional services to conduct a San Diego County Western Burrowing Owls Survey.

A copy of the RFP (No. 5001123) can be accessed from the SANDAG Web site at www.sandag.org/contracts or by contacting:

Janet YehSANDAG

401 B Street, Suite 800San Diego, CA 92101

(619) [email protected]

Proposals are due by 4 p.m. on Monday, February 23, 2009.

To:

From: Eugene De Leon

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

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

lines, it costs

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

Fax #

If approved please sign and fax back to

(619) 474-0373

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• A professional with demonstrated experience of ten years or more in the management of large-scale construc-tion projects.

ITOC aids in the implementation of the $14 billion TransNet program, the San Diego region’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements. The TransNet program is administered by SANDAG.

As outlined in the TransNet Ordinance and Expenditure Plan, ITOC provides an increased level of accountability for expenditures. ITOC members are unpaid, but certain expenses are reimbursed. Due to their public service status, ITOC members must meet strict conflict of interest standards. ITOC functions in an independent, open, and transparent manner to ensure that all voter mandates are carried out; and develops positive, constructive rec-ommendations for improvements and enhancements to the financial integrity and performance of the TransNet program. ITOC membership is open to individuals from throughout the region who possess a set of appropriate professional skills and experience.

More detailed information regarding the ITOC and its responsibilities can be found at www.sandag.org/itoc. Individuals interested in applying for this ITOC position should contact the SANDAG Public Information Office for an application at [email protected] or (619) 699-1950, or go to www.sandag.org/notices. Applications must be postmarked no later than Monday, February 23, 2009.

Davis & Adams Construction is calling for DVBE and SBE subcontractor bids for the Del Mar Fairgrounds & Horsepark Lighting Retrofi t Project. The work involves replacement

of approximately 4,400 conventional light fi xtures with energy conservation fi xtures at

Del Mar Fairgrounds, Ca 92014. Bid Deadline 02/05/09, 10:00

AM. Contact Max Laur, Project Manager, at 858-268-9831.


F&L BERNABECORPORATION

TOLL FREE 877-532-2677

Taguig Mayor Sigfrido Tiñga pilot-tests an electric tricycle at The Fort yesterday.

At least 10 prototype electric tricycles or “E-3” started plying the streets of The Fort last Tuesday.

Taguig Mayor Sigfrido Tiñga, who led the inauguration, said the e-vehicles are the perfect alternative to fuel-consuming tricycles because

Taguig Mayor Sigfrido Tiñga pilot-tests an electric tricycle at The Fort .

Photo provided by the Department of Tourism shows a boat carrying tourists at Palawan’s underground river. The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has made it to the second round of voting for the New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign.

10 e-trikes start rolling at The Fort

they do not have gas emissions, are noise-free, and health and environ-ment -friendly.

“The city government of Taguig aims to promote changes in our community by turning it into a better place for the benefit of our constituents,” Tiñga said.

Electric Vehicle Solutions Presi-dent and CEO Sean Gerard Villoria, said the electric vehicle has an en-gine capable of running at the speed of 40-to-60 kilometer per hour, and is powered by five rechargeable batteries.

“More importantly, they are cost effective, because recharging the batteries will only cost P40.00

which is good enough for the whole day, unlike fueling engines that can consume up to P500 a day,” he said.

The 10 e-trikes are now operating in Fort Bonifacio and offering free rides to the public until Jan. 6, 2009 as part of the city government’s “Pamaskong Libreng Sakay Para sa Lahat.”

Tiñga said that, by next year, more

E-3s will be ply strategic routes in The Fort and all over the city.

He said there are plans to subsi-dize and purchase these vehicles to replace the old tricycles. The city government has yet to determine and fix the routes and fare.

The project will be initiated in Barangay Ususan.

Local officials expressed belief that introducing E-3s in key areas of the city will help promote the local government’s target of inviting more foreign entrepreneurs to invest in the city. – Rhodina Villanueva

REDWOOD CITY, Ca –- (January 26, 2009) – MYX®, the only music and lifestyle channel that embraces the entire Asian American community through music, culture and entertainment, has been added recently to the second phase of RCN’s Global Passport, an ex-citing digital tier of international programming.

MYX® is a na-tionally distributed television channel focusing on the influ-ential Asian American youth community and a broader audience hungry for music fashion. The channel fills a giant void in televi-sion and addresses a cultural reality that Americans listen to more than just pop, hip-hop, and rock music produced in the U.S. MYX® fuses mainstream hits, the biggest jams from Asia and a healthy dose of

RCN includes MYX® in international programming line-upLone music and lifestyle channel for Asian Americans can now be seen in Boston, Chicago, Washington DC,

Philadelphia and New York

independent music.In addition, the channel offers

fresh and innovative shows like Built from Skratch which

uncovers the subcultures inside the hip-hop

lifestyle, Myxology which features live performances of independent art-ists, Music Bang which showcas-es non-stop mu-sic videos from

Asia, Slanted Comedy which

features stand up routines from the

hottest Asian comics on the scene, and The Nutshack,

the first Filipino American animated series for adults.

With the RCN launch, MYX® continues to expand its reach in the U.S., bringing the channel to audi-ences in Boston, Chicago, Washing-ton DC, New York and Philadelphia.

“MYX® will continue to ex-pand through key markets to target

and serve the distinct entertain-ment needs of the Asian Ameri-can youth,” said Enrique Olives, director of business development for ABS-CBN Global, an affiliate of ABS-CBN Broadcasting which is the largest media company in the Philippines.

“It is our ongoing commitment to provide the most innovative pro-gramming from around the world to our customers. MYX® fits this Global Passport vision of unique, exceptional and exciting content for RCN’s Asian American customers,” said RCN President & CEO Peter Aquino.

RCN is a leading provider of all-digital television, high-capacity data, and voice services to residen-tial, business customers and service providers.

To start enjoying the programs on MYX® on RCN, call 1.800.RING.RCN (1-800-746-4726) or visit www.rcn.com. Viewers may also visit http://myx.tv for more informa-tion on MYX®.

###

ABOUT MYX®With its U.S. headquarters in Red-

wood City, California, MYX® was developed by ABS-CBN Global, an

affiliate of ABS-CBN Broadcasting which is the largest media company

in the Philippines and among the largest in Asia. MYX® is the only

music and lifestyle channel dedi-cated to the Asian American com-munity, utilizing music, culture and entertainment. MYX® can be seen on DIRECTV 2067, Comcast ON DEMAND, Cox Digital Basic Cable and RCN. For more information, visit http://myx.tv.

ABOUT RCN

RCN Corporation, http://www.rcn.com, is a facilities-based, competi-tive broadband telecommunications services provider delivering video, high-speed data and voice services to residential and small-medium

business customers under the brand names of RCN and RCN Business Services, respectively. In addition, through the RCN Metro Opti-cal Networks business unit, RCN delivers fiber-based high-capacity data transport services to large commercial customers, primar-ily large enterprises and carriers, targeting the metropolitan central business districts in the company’s geographic markets. RCN’s primary service areas include Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley (PA), New York City, Boston and Chicago. (RCNI-G)



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Asian Journal Jan 30 2009

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