Asian Journal January 20-26, 2012 edition

God Moves in Myste-rious Ways .. p. 19

The Priest: Spiritual and Human .. p. 11

World Bank seeks refund of $199,900 from Supreme Court

New York BPO fi rm opens second site in the Philippines

Torpor Of Imperative Change - Unity Of Filipino Americans - New Year Resolution

‘Hapinoy’ Social Entrepreneurship Movement In The Philippines

FROM THE STANDS by Domini M. Torrevillas, The Philippine Star, 1/19/2012 -- Social entrepreneur Paulo Benigno “Bam’’ Aquino, a nephew and look-alike of the late Ninoy Aquino, has been invited to speak at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The meeting will be held in Davos, Switzerland from Jan. 25 to 29 and Bam is scheduled to speak Jan. 26, during the Forum’s session on “Learning From The Frontier.”

The title of the session is sug- gestive of in-novative ideas and concepts adapted by social entrepreneurs and advocates of micro business to promote and advance transformational changes in the social and economic areas of the communities where they operate.

Bam is president of Micro Ventures,

FROM THE STANDS by Domini M. Torrevillas, The Philippine Star, 1/19/2012

Inc. (MVI) and, with his friend Mark Ruiz, is co-founder of the Hapinoy Community Store Program that has gained local and international recogni-tion for its micro entrepreneurship ad-vocacy. The program has been training sari-sari store owners, mostly moth-ers, on how to ensure the effi ciency, sustainability and profi tability of their small businesses.

By: CESAR D. CANDARI, MD, FCAP EMERITUS Henderson, NV.

A New Year may be a sig-nifi cant event for many. The ending of 2011 and the begin-ning of 2012 is hard for many of us to sum up. As Filipino Americans, we must start the year with a bang, resolutions of sort, make some changes in our lives, lose weight, stop smoking, no gambling, and drive away evil spirits in preparation for the upcoming year.

Good News Pilipinas, 1/15/2012 -- New York-based business process outsourcing (BPO) fi rm EXL is grow-ing its local workforce before the end

of 2012 as it takes advantage of the large supply of talent the Philippines has to offer.

The company is opening its sec-ond site in the country at the SM Mall of Asia’s Two E-Com Center in Pasay City Wednesday, in a ceremony that is expected to be attended by President Aquino.

The new facility will initially have 500 seats, which will bring the company’s total capacity to 2,000 seats. The company also has the option to double the size of its new facility if need arises.

The opening of the facility comes just

Zena BabaoMsgr. Gutierrez Ben Maynigo‘Miracles’ in the Sin City (Part 3) .. p. 14

January 20-26, 2012

(Continued on page 23)

A big bang for Bam Aquino / Felicidad Sy center for kids

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By Artemio Dumlao, Philippine Star -- An HSBC survey, reported on Forbes Magazine reveals the Philippines is Asia’s friendliest

country and ranked 8th best in the world in the list of the “World’s Friendliest Countries” in the “Ex-pat Explorer Survey 2011.”

The survey by the global bank-

ing giant showed that hospitality is the greatest asset of the Philippines in the tourism industry.

The survey conducted in 100 countries worldwide between May and July 2011 rates countries based on the preference of expatri-ates to make them “their second home.”

The 15 friendliest countries in the world, starting from the highest rated, are New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, Canada, United States, Turkey, United Kingdom, Philippines, Spain, Malaysia, Brazil, Italy, Mexico, Singapore, and France.

Expatriates perceive the Philip-

pines as a country that “is friendly on wallets,” with 47 percent of the respondents reporting “an increase in access to luxuries” such as do-mestic staff, swimming pools, and owning properties.

In the survey, the Philippines trails behind United Kingdom where expatriates fi nd integration into the community to be relatively easy, though expressing concerns on the high cost of living.

The Philippines ranks ahead of Spain where expatriates “fi t in well,” many of them reporting to have integrated well into their commu-nity, enjoyed the local culture, made

By Christine O. Aven-daño, Ronnel W. Domingo, Philippine Daily Inquirer | MANILA, 1/19/2012 -- The World Bank says it wants a re-fund by the end of this month of a portion of its $21.9-million (P953.3 million) loan to the Supreme Court, after a review uncovered the misuse of funds meant to support judicial reforms.

A bank memorandum sub-mitted to Philippine offi cials last month said its review late last year found that the checks and balance mechanisms un-der the Judicial Reform Sup-port Project (JRSP) had been diminished since mid-2010.

A copy of the bank’s re-port, released on Wednesday by the Department of Finance (DOF), showed that it sought a refund of $199,900 in “in-eligible expenditures” to the Washington-based lender by Jan. 31, 2012.

The bank described the JRSP as a “high risk” project and said its fi nancial state-ments “can no longer be relied upon.”

Demanding that heads should roll for the “scandal-ous” and “shocking” World Bank fi ndings, Malacañang on Wednesday called on the Offi ce of the Ombudsman to wade in and see if the report could be the basis of a graft complaint against concerned offi cials of the Supreme Court.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda also seized the occasion to unleash an-other tirade against embattled Chief Justice Renato Corona in connection with the JRSP.

‘Personal piggy bank’“The Chief Justice used

judicial reform funds as a personal piggy bank to fund travel, gifts, dining and recre-ation. The Court administrator (Midas Marquez, who) reports directly to the Chief Justice, violated basic government rules by being the proponent, approver and head of bidding for his own proposed expens-es and acquisitions,” Lacierda said in a statement.

MANILA, Philippines - Members of militant party-list group Bayan Muna hold placards during a rally outside the Senate Building in Pasay City, south of Manila, on 16 January 2012, as the impeach-ment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona begins today, the fi rst in Philippine history. The group calls for the conviction of Chief Justice Renato Corona and Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Ar-royo. Corona is facing charges of graft and corruption and culpable of public trust. (Marlo Cueto/NPPA Images)


The Filipino Diaspora must proceed to an impera-tive change – UNITY. “Unity gives fi rmness and solidity to the humblest men” a quota-tion from Laberius. Filipinos living in the United States today seem to be blessed and contented people. We have achieved success and affl u-ence. Almost everyone has a good paying job, a fi ne home, a car or two in the garage and

Page 2 January 20-26, 2012Asian Journal - (619) 474-0588 Visit our website at http://www.asianjournalusa.com

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Philippines, Asia’s friendliest and 8th in

worlddays after US President Obama’s allies on Capitol Hill fi led a bill to discourage the outsourcing of work to countries like India and the Philippines.

EXL transformation services head Rembert de Villa said that while the mea-sure should be a cause for concern for the Philippines, the country’s BPO industry was also no stranger to such calls.

“Mr. Obama is up for reelection. But in our experience, this is very typical in a political environment,” De Villa said.

Incidentally, he said EXL’s most recent expansion would help support one of the Obama administration’s key projects: universal healthcare.

The new site would serve as an “international care center” from where the company will offer “healthcare advocacy” work for its newest client: a US-based health insurance fi rm that De Villa declined to identify.

He said the new healthcare laws in US were forcing insurance companies to keep their costs down to be able to take in more customers without increasing premiums.

In the meantime, he said the company was also considering putting up another facility either in Cebu or Davao.

“We are also looking at other cities in the Philippines, but there’s a large supply of talent in Cebu and Davao,” he said.

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New York BPO(Continued from page 1)

Treaty Nationals

friends, learned and used the lan-guage, and have experienced a better work-life balance than in their home countries (which included the UK, US, France, and the Netherlands.)

HSBC surveyed 3,385 expatri-ates in 100 countries but only 31 were ranked for the survey. This is because countries with fewer than 30 respondents were deemed statisti-cally insignifi cant.

Bermuda, which ranked highly last year, was not included in the list this year because it had too few respon-dents. Countries were rated in four categories:ability to befriend locals, success in learning the local language, capacity for integrating themselves into the community, and ease in which they fi t into the new culture.

These factors, according to New York-based coach for expatriates Heather Markel, are “among the big-gest challenges when relocating.”

On top of the survey is New Zealand, Australia and South Africa where it is “easiest to befriend locals, learn local language, integrate into the community and fi t into the new culture.”

New Zealand scored highly in all four categories. Seventy-fi ve percent of the respondents reported that they integrated well into the local commu-nity. In this criteria, Australia scored 77 percent while South Africa scored 79 percent.

New Zealand natives “seem like happy people, and that translates into friendly, helpful and kind people,” American expatriate Kim Brinster was quoted in the survey.

Brinster, who owned a bookstore in New York City, relocated to Waiheke Island, off Auckland to be with her New Zealander partner.

She also admires the Zealanders’ “pitch-in-and-help mentality” as well as the navigable government and health care systems.

The United Arab Emirates was rated as the least friendly country for expa-triates, while countries that are most challenging for expats were Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Russia and India.

India was ranked in the last place for the second year in a row. Survey respondent Pia Mollback-Verbic, originally from Denmark, was quoted as saying that India “is simply a mine-fi eld of relentless mental, emotional and practical daily challenges for most non-Indians.” --

(Story courtesy of Artemio Dumlao of the Philippine Star)

By Aurora Vega-Buzon

Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Cana-dian and Mexican citizens (known as “Treaty Nationals” or “TNs”) can come to the United States temporarily, not to exceed one (1) year at a time, under a “TN Status” non-immigrant visa, to work/engage in activities at a professional level. TN Status can be extended for as long as there is an offer of employment from any United States employer. Also, TN status generally covers a broader range of job categories, including nurses, medical/allied professionals, scien-tists, architects, engineers, computer systems analysts, accountants, graphic designers, veterinarians and the like.

TN Status is similar to an H-1B visa (non-immigrant working visa for pro-fessionals in a specialty occupation) except that (i) there is no statutory limitation on a TN status, unlike the H-1B (which is normally, 6 years); and (ii) TNs cannot have dual intent unlike H-1Bs, and are subject to INA § 214(b) and must prove their intent not to immigrate.

Section 214(b) is part of the Im-migration and Nationality Act (INA). It states:

Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the consular offi cer, at the time of application for admis-sion, that he is entitled to a nonimmi-grant status...

To qualify for a temporary, non-im-migrant visa (like a visitor/tourist or student visa), an applicant must meet the requirements of Section 101(a)(15)(B) or (F) of the INA – and that is, that applicant possesses a residence

abroad that s/he has no intention of abandoning. Thus, a non-immigrant visa applicant has the burden of proof to show that s/he has strong family, professional and economic ties abroad that would compel him/her to leave the United States at the end of his/her temporary stay.

INA § 214(b) is fully applicable to a Canadian or Mexican under a TN Status such that a person admitted under a TN Status cannot form an intent to immigrate. For example, a Canadian engineer was admitted on a TN Status. After a few months, his employer fi les for an immigrant worker (I-140) petition, and it was approved. Meanwhile, the Canadian TN returns to Canada to attend his sister’s wedding and upon returning to the United States after 4 days, was denied by the border inspector upon learning that he has an approved im-migrant worker (I-140) petition. The Canadian TN was denied admission at the border on the ground that he no longer has a nonimmigrant intent.

While the fi ling or approval of an immigrant petition may raise concerns whether a TN alien continues to pos-sess non-immigrant intent, that fact may not be, in and of itself, a reason to deny an application for admission, readmission, or extension of stay if the alien’s intent is to remain in the United States temporarily. However, TN aliens should be aware that the fi ling or approval of an immigrant petition, is a factor that will be taken into consideration along with other relevant factors, every time that a TN nonimmigrant alien applies for admis-sion, readmission or a new extension of stay.

According to NAFTA, “temporary

entry” means an entry into the United States without the intent to establish permanent residence. The circum-stances surrounding an application should reasonably and convincingly indicate that TN alien’s temporary work assignment in the United States will end predictably and that the TN alien will depart upon completion of the assignment. Nevertheless, an intent to immigrate in the future which is in no way connected to the proposed immediate trip need not in itself result in a fi nding that the immediate trip is not temporary. An extended stay, even in terms of years, may be temporary, as long as there is no immediate intent to immigrate.

TN aliens wishing to immigrate should consult with an immigration attorney to consider alternative strate-gies.

Atty. Aurora Vega-Buzon is a part-ner in Chua Tinsay & Vega, A Profes-sional Legal Corporation (CTV) - a full service law fi rm with offi ces in San Francisco, San Diego and Philip-pines. The information presented in this article is for general information only and is not, nor intended to be, formal legal advice nor the formation of an attorney-client relationship. Call or e-mail CTV for an in-person or phone consultation to discuss your particular situation and/or how their services may be retained at (415) 495-8088; (619) 955-6277; [email protected] Follow @asianjournal

on Twitter

Page 3Asian Journal - (619) 474-0588 Visit our website at http://www.asianjournalusa.comJanuary 20-26, 2012

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Wells Fargo Home Preservation Workshop Jan 25, Convention Center

Fraudulent Activity Reported in Other Service Territories

SAN DIEGO, January 13, 2012 – San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is alerting custom-ers to be aware of an ongoing wire fraud that could potentially reach SDG&E customers. The fraudulent activity has been reported on the East Coast and at this time there are no indications that SDG&E customers have targeted.

Utilities on the East Coast have reported that individuals misrepresenting themselves as utility employees are calling customers and threatening to turn off electric and gas service if payment is not made to them that day. Utility customers, primarily in Hispanic neighborhoods, have been told that payment must be made by purchas-ing a pre-pay credit card, and are directed to another phone number where information is then obtained from the card and the cash value is removed from the card or the permanent card is registered in another name and redirected.

Although there have not yet been reports of this fraudulent activity on the West Coast, SDG&E wants to alert individuals and businesses of this fraud in an effort to prevent them from be-coming potential victims. The company assures customers that SDG&E does not proactively contact them and ask for credit card information over the phone.

SDG&E customers should not provide any fi nancial information by phone unless they have initiated the conversation. SDG&E provides past due notices in writing before service is shut-off for non-payment. Additionally, all SDG&E employees on company business are required to carry a photo ID badge. If customers receive a phone call that makes them feel uncomfortable, and they know they have an outstanding balance that needs to be resolved, they should hang up and call SDG&E directly at 1-800-411-7343.

SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to 3.5 million consumers through 1.4 million electric meters and more than 850,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The utility’s area spans 4,100 square miles. SDG&E is committed to creating ways to help our customers save energy and money every day. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego.

SDG&E Warns Customers

About Potential Payment Scam

Registration Open for Home Affordable Modifi cation

ProgramWells Fargo is hosting its very

fi rst FREE home preservation workshop in San Diego at the San Diego Convention Center – Hall E on Wednesday, January 25 to meet one-on-one with local homeowners facing fi nancial challenges to discuss work out options.

Key San Diego County Facts about Wells Fargo Home Preser-vation workshop

Wells Fargo invited 9,000 fi nan-cially distressed homeowners from throughout San Diego County to attend the event.

75 home preservation specialists will be on site including bilingual representatives.

In San Diego for every customer

that has gone into foreclosure, we have helped or are helping 3 or more through alternative options, includ-ing modifi cations.

We have been successful in encouraging 80% of our customers who are 60 days or more delinquent to work with us. When they do, 3 out of 4 who demonstrate an ability to make mortgage payments end up avoiding foreclosure. For those who choose to manage the challenges on their own, only 1 of every 4 avoids foreclosure.

95% of Wells Fargo Home Mort-gage customers are current or have missed only one payment in San Diego.

We strive to help customers achieve and sustain homeownership. When customers encounter fi nancial diffi culties, we work hard to keep them in their homes and view fore-closure as a measure of last resort.

Over the past year, Wells Fargo has hosted three Home Preservation Workshops; in Ontario, Irvine and Pasadena. Wells Fargo home pres-ervation specialists met one-on-one with more than 2,600 homeowners facing mortgage payment chal-lenges.

Wells Fargo to Help San Diego Homeowners at Free Workshop for Customers Facing Mortgage Payment Challenges

Thousands invited to free work-shop at San Diego Convention Center

What: Wells Fargo invites thou-sands of San Diego County home-owners to a free workshop for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Wells Fargo Financial, Wachovia Mortgage and Wells Fargo Home Equity customers facing fi nancial hardships. Bilingual representatives will be available to assist borrowers during the event. Many will receive modifi cations on the spot.

San Diego Convention Center – Hall E, 111 West Harbor Drive

San Diego, CA 92101Wednesday, January 25, from 9

a.m. to 7 p.m.; Free ParkingWells Fargo will host a second

Southern California workshop for Inland Empire homeowners on February 14 and 15 at the Ontario Convention Center.

Register at 1-800-405-8067 or online at www.wfhmevents.com/leadingthewayhome by Monday, January 23.

WHO/WHAT: Everyone’s favorite toys are back in town with Disney On Ice presents Disney-Pixar’s Toy Story 3 and their mission is making sure “no book is left behind”, so they are making one last call-to-action to the San Diego and South Bay communi-ties to support the Civic Center and South Chula Vista Branch Libraries in Chula Vista and READ/San Diego (housed at the Valencia Park/Malcolm X Branch Library) and City Heights/Weingart Branch Library in San Di-ego, by donating children’s books.

Buzz, Woody and the participat-ing libraries from Chula Vista and San Diego invite you to donate new or gently used children’s books (in English or Spanish) at any of the four locations until Friday, January 20. In appreciation for the book donations, donors will receive a family discount coupon for tickets at only $10* to Disney On Ice presents Disney-Pix-ar’s Toy Story 3 playing at the Valley View Casino Center (formerly San Diego Sports Arena) January 25 - 29, 2012, and a Toy Story 3 book mark*.

*Available while supplies last. Poverty has a profound impact on

literacy development and a good book can be a good friend, that’s why Dis-ney On Ice and Feld Entertainment supports literacy in an effort to help provide the skills required for learn-ing how to read. The Chula Vista and San Diego libraries are in great need of children’s books. Excitement about reading books can be contagious, so please donate your new or gently used children’s books to the participating library near you!

WHERE: Four drop off locations:Chula Vista Public Libraries: Civic Center Branch Library, 365 F

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389 Orange Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91911

San Diego Public Libraries:City Heights/Weingart Branch

Library, 3795 Fairmount Ave., San Diego, CA 92105

READ/San Diego-Valencia Park/Malcolm X Branch Library, 5148 Market Street, San Diego, CA 92114

WHEN: Donations accepted through Friday, January 20

About the ShowInspired by the #1 animated movie

of all time, Toy Story 3, and memora-ble moments from Toy Story and Toy Story 2, everyone’s favorite charac-ters are hitting the ice in the sensa-tional live production, Disney On Ice presents Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 3, coming to Phoenix at the US Airways Center for nine performances, from January 18 - 22, 2012.

About San Diego Public LibraryThe San Diego Public Library

serves a population of more than 1.3 million people. Its mission is to inspire lifelong learning through con-nections to knowledge and each other. The San Diego Public Library is a

Last Week To Donate Children’s Books To Benefi t Four Chula Vista & San Diego

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pating libraries through Friday, January 20**vital link that connects this diverse community to a vast array of free edu-cational and cultural resources that enrich the lives of visitors and resi-dents alike. Learn about other events at the San Diego Public Library’s Central Library and 35 branches, fi nd links to numerous additional resources, or search for materials in the Library’s online catalog at www.sandiegolibrary.org.

About Chula Vista Public LibraryThe Chula Vista Public Library,

located in Chula Vista, California, is comprised of dynamic state-of-the-art libraries delivering information, books in English and Spanish, videos and CDs, and community program-ming to the City’s residents nearly every day of the year. All Chula Vista Libraries provide access to reference sources and updated information on library events, furthering our com-mitment to provide users with the latest information through innovative technology. The South Chula Vista Branch Library (166,000 volumes) and the Civic Center Branch Library (236,000 volumes) offer full library service in English and Spanish. More information at www.chulavistalibrary.com

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33001_N1120344.indd 1 12/22/11 4:33 PM


MVI also provides loans for the sari-sari store owners through its fi nancing arm, the Center for Agricul-ture and Rural Development (CARD). We are told that CARD has already extended loans to some 1.3 million borrowers so far and that, of this number, a near-perfect 99.7 percent have repaid their loans.

“There’s no greater proof than this, that the poor and the ordinary folks highly value their credibility and are truly credit-worthy,” says Bam.

The Hapinoy Community Store Pro-gram is now undertaking a nationwide expansion drive in cooperation with local government units, NGOs and other social entrepreneur groups. The Department of Social Welfare and De-velopment (DSWD) and the Depart-ment of Labor and Employment have expressed interest in the program and are now in talks with the Hapinoy people for possible partnerships.

“We now have a membership of more than 8,000 sari-sari store owners and these are being serviced by the more than 150 Hapinoy Community Stores that MVI has set up throughout the country. The expansion drive is aimed at attaining our goal of estab-lishing a network of 100,000 small retail outlets nationwide,” Bam said.

Bam and Mark had been awarded the Forum’s Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship as Asia Social Entrepreneurs of the Year for 2011. In Davos, Bam will join a panel of experts from the business sec-tor, the academe and the health care industry who will share their experi-ences in innovative social transforma-tion.

Being a model undertaking in social entrepreneurship, it seems obvi-ous that the Hapinoy Community Store Program fi ts quite well into the WEF’s theme of “The Great Transfor-mation: Shaping New Models” for its 2012 Annual Meeting.

The World Economic Forum is a yearly gathering of leading think-ers that, for the past 40 years, “has provided an unrivalled platform for leaders from all walks of life to shape the global agenda at the start of the year.”

The Forum is attended by the top personalities in the political, social and economic arenas of the world. They include chief executives of the Forum’s 1,000 partner and member companies, heads of international organizations, pioneers in technol-ogy, political leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) nations and other relevant countries, representatives from key stakeholder groups, social entrepre-neurs, young global leaders, experts representing the WEF’s Global Agenda Council and media, spiritual and cultural leaders.

Another indication of just how pres-tigious the World Economic Forum is that attendance to its annual meetings is strictly by invitation only.

There are actually two Filipinos invited to the Davos conference. The other one is Tony Meloto of Gawad Kalinga, an organization that has won global acclaim for its unique approach of building homes for the poor, where the intended benefi ciaries and unpaid volunteers work together to build the homes.

* * * Year 2011 ended with SM Founda-

tion inaugurating the 68th Felicidad T. Sy Wellness Center in Tarlac. Felicidad T. Sy Wellness Centers are sprouting nationwide as centers for the elderly which SM builds for use of senior citizens, centers for children, and hospices for the terminally ill. These facilities are found in Pampan-ga, Iloilo Lucena, Quezon City and Davao City.

Adding to its cap is SM Founda-tion’s recently opened Pediatric Hospice and Palliative Center in a special wing of the Lung Center of the Philippines.

The facility,, built through the initia-tive of SM Foundation, Lung Center of the Philippines and Philippine Can-cer society, was inaugurated Novem-ber 29 last year. It is the fi rst and only government pediatric hospice and palliative care center in the country.

Located at the Lung Center of the Philippines, the center aims to improve the quality of life of child patients and their families facing problems associated with life-threat-ening illnesses through the prevention


‘Hapinoy’ Social Enterpreneurship

by Vic Anton, guest writer

ASIAN460

I don’t gamble. I just feel there are better ways for me to spend my time.

Gambling would distract me from the most important things in my life. I’d rather do something else like play sports or hang out with my friends and family. Also, the economy is tough right now and it’s hard to fi nd a good job. With my job as a nurs-ing assistant, I know the hard work it takes to earn money and I don’t want to risk it at the casino.

My family does not have a history of gambling. My parents discourage me and my brother from gambling. They point out the problems that some of my aunties and uncles have due to gambling and constantly show us how they don’t need to gamble to have a good time. I see them downstairs in the living room just watching movies together and they’re happy.

I don’t see many benefi ts from gambling. I see mainly the hurt that gambling can cause to a person and their family. People who are addicted to gambling often neglect their families. They don’t spend enough time with them because they’re always at the casino. While

they’re at the casino, they lose track of time, staying longer than they ini-tially want to. One night can easily carry on until well past dawn of the next morning.

I notice that people who are ad-dicted to gambling use the excuse that gambling is the only way they relieve stress. Truth is that they may be afraid to face the real world and gambling is their way of getting away from the troubles and hard-ships that they’re going through. However, choosing to gamble to forget about their worries may cause even more worries in their life.

Gamblers more often than not run into fi nancial problems. Filipinos especially burden themselves with fi nancial issues because of the high lifestyle that most Filipinos try to live despite their low income. I know some of my aunties and uncles have trouble paying their bills be-cause a lot of their money is lost to gambling. Some of them even had to borrow money from my parents. Until this day they haven’t paid my parents back.

I feel that gambling is a big prob-lem in our community. Families are being hurt and torn apart because of

gambling. It hurts me even more because gambling has affected some of my closest friends. I hate seeing and hearing what they have to go through.

Gambling is everywhere. We are constantly being bombarded by casino advertisements on billboards and on television commercials. Casinos often advertise their buffets and use that to draw people to their casino because once the people are inside, even if it’s just for the buffet, they will also most likely play.

There’s also that thrill that comes with gambling. People keep playing

because they know that they have a chance of winning and hitting the jackpot. However, they could be winning at one moment, but then begin to lose the next. When they’re losing, they want to keep playing until they win their money back which sometimes isn’t the case and they leave the casino with a big defi cit.

I feel gambling contin-ues to be a problem because it isn’t being addressed. Sometimes gam-bling problems are even turned into jokes and people just laugh it off, never really thinking about how seri-ous their addiction may be. Families and friends also may be afraid to tell their loved one that they might have a gambling problem.

On Gambling

To help stop this gambling problem from perpetuating, I will continue to fi ll my life with healthy activities because I feel that people will take notice. They will see how beautiful my life is without gam-bling. This will hopefully open their eyes to their problem and seek help if needed. If I am invited to go to the casino, I would say no and sug-gest another activity such as going to the park or watching a movie. By setting a good example, we can help our friends and families from the problems of gambling and create a stronger Filipino-American com-munity.

Vic Anton, SDSU student

ASIAN JOURNALThe fi rst Asian-Filipino weekly in Southern California

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

Ashley SilverioAssistant Editor

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

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

Dr. Rizalino “Riz” Oades, (1935-2009)

The Asian Journal is published weekly and distrib-uted in all Asian communties in San Diego County. Publication date is every Friday of the month. Adver-tising 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 photo-graphs but welcomes submissions. Entire content is © 2012 copyrighted material by Asian Journal. Materi-als in this publication may not be reproduced without specifi c permission from the publisher.

Genevieve SilverioManaging Editor

Simeon G. Silverio, Jr.Publisher & Editor

Miles BeauchampAssociate Editor

Santi SilverioAssociate Publisher

At Large...

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

by Miles Beauchamp

by Dr. Ofelia Dirige Founder, President & CEO Kalusugan

Community Services. www.fi lamwellness.org

Contemporary Asian American Issues


‘Hapinoy’ Social gambling. It hurts me even more because gambling has affected some of my closest friends. I hate seeing

PerspectivesCandari: Impera-

tive Change(Continued from page 1)


It’s a garage! They’re not sup-posed to be clean

How clean is your garage? That’s assuming you have a garage, of course. If you’re lucky – or smart – you might not have one and in that case you can simply read this and make fun of your family and friends who do have one of the hated things.

Here’s another question: how clean is a garage supposed to be? Sure, we see photos of spotless, near-empty garages

Workin’ in the garagein Architectural Digest but just how close to reality is that for most of us?

The average garage for the average family (whatever your defi nition of average may be) probably has at least some of these items:

Gardening toolsOld paint (a few cans still good but most

dried up long ago)RopeSnow toys left over from a weekend in the

snow 12 years agoTools (how many depend on how handy

the user pictures him or herself); many get unused

RagsJumper cables (you never know)OilA few old car partsA bicycle or twoCases of water, soda and/or beer

Nope, there’s more

Beyond those things, a good number of garages have:

SkisSkateboardsBarbecue equipmentHibachisMore toolsMore paintSomething fl ammableDusty boxes of tax, income and expense

recordsBoxes of other papers too important to

throw away but forgotten about years ago anyway

New(er) beach umbrellaOld(er) beach umbrellaSand toysEquipment from basketball, softball,

baseball, tennis, soccer, golf, bowling, or any other sport someone at sometime in the fam-ily indulged in

And even more

And fi nally, I imagine that at least a few garages have:

A partially dismantled carA partially dismantled off road vehicleA partially dismantled boatA jet ski or two or three (any one of which

may also be dismantled)A hang gliderAn old trophy or two from childhoodItems tossed out when you redecorated but

liked too much to throw away (even though you admitted that it might just be time to let the disco ball go)

Now for my big mess

My suppository – sorry, I meant reposi-tory - of the rarely used, often unneeded, and generally forgotten items include:

Some of the above plusDog leashesOld fi sh aquariumOld fi sh aquarium equipment including

heater, pump, gravel, plastic plants, stones, miniature skin diver to aerate the tank, and more – so much more

Old plastic kid’s poolToys for the old plastic kid’s poolEquipment for the new plastic kids poolTwenty feet of fl oor to ceiling shelving

to hold even more stuff such as the 30 year old reel-to-reel tape recorder someone gave me that needs to be repaired so when I get it repaired I can use to listen to old tapes of me when I was on radio (on the very remote chance I still even have the things)

Boxes of old (as opposed to at least some-what newer) books although I have tossed some of those away. After all, why keep a history book that stops before the entire western hemisphere was discovered?

Three tons of dust Finally in most garages there might,

might, be room for a car or two. But have you noticed how often people let a car that cost them tens of thousands of dollars set out in the sun and rain while they put the stuff worth a whole lot less inside? It doesn’t make sense of course, but hey, we’re people – we don’t have to make sense.

Stop looking and start cleaning

Back to the point of all this: I’ve been thinking about cleaning the garage but you can’t just rush into it. Certain steps and methods are required:

The means to a clean

See a need (1-2 months) Recognize the need (2-3 weeks) Accept that the need must be satisfi ed (10

days) Begin planning stages (1 month) Start plans (1 month) Arrange necessary tools and or equipment

- including but not limited to garbage bags (1 week)

Get motivated (2-3 days) Get motivated (2-3 days) Really get motivated (4 days) Start work (uh oh, rain - see Weather

Channel) Start work (whoops soccer game - check

schedule) Start work

So you can see that should I start immedi-ately, there’s no way to fi nish before summer – even using best case scenario numbers (and we know that never happens). So like I said, I’m going to putter (it’s a thing dads do) just as soon as I head to the garage and fi nd a soda and/or beer. It’s not too early to start is it?

.

a little saving for the rainy day.

Because of our diverse back-grounds, we Filipinos in America have successfully established societies of social, cultural, scien-tifi c, professional and humanitarian organizations scattered throughout every nook and cranny of this coun-try. These are accomplished, fi rst because of our common roots, the Filipino blood fl owing vibrantly in our veins and secondly, because of our ability to attain some measures of success and prestige in this land of freedom and opportunity. Despite the many years of living in this country, so far away from the Philip-pines, we are and always will be Filipinos. We love our mother coun-try. We want peace and we value the return of democracy. We are indeed united in this belief. That is the reason why we say there is only one Filipino. Yet our unity, harmony, and progress in this country remain to be an elusive dream. How often do we see rifts in our leadership developing to a point of internecine confronta-tion between leaders. It is happen-ing within our midst. It has been proven time and time again that the multitude that does not condescend itself to unity only reaps conclu-sion, while the unity that does not

bother to depend on the multitude tends to invite tyranny. Certainly, one of the ringing challenges that the modern-day society faces is to foster harmony among its members; without it, it would be impossible to achieve anything for the common good. Disunity or factionalism in a community could dissipate avail-able energies and resources that could otherwise be applied to the tasks of uplifting the socioeconomic conditions of the people. For the sig-nifi cant time I spent with civic and social organizations in San Diego and Filipino doctors in America, I had entertained the impression that among the Filipinos living in North America, only a few still possess the credibility, spirit and the will for unity. The dream still remained elusive. We witness Inaugural Ball and Recognition Night in Fil-Am organizations with the theme, “Unity-Pagkakaisa” which means “Unity-Oneness”. Philippine Faire had its theme, “Ginintuang Layunin- Pagkakaisa,” which means, The Golden Principle is Unity. These are common charm that existed in com-munities for almost twenty years and has not stopped dreaming for unity. It had been an uphill battle on rough and stormy seas for Filipinos in this country in their dream for unity. This subject was talked about in Filipino American communities all over the United States. It was in their agenda for more than a quarter of a cen-tury, particularly for the “Third and Fourth Wave” Filipino immigrants. This theme appeared in editorials and writings in various publications and was discussed in speeches and in conversations, all expressing their wishes and aspirations for unity. When talking of unity, harmony and solidarity, we expressed them in hyperbolic terms especially around election time in our respective associations. Often we delivered the subject in masterly oratory and erudition to the point that it sounded like a dream that seemed real in our minds, yet at the same time are so far away and illusory like a mirage on a hot desert. No matter how we sweeten the language, the dreams really never change year after year.


by Atty. Susan V. Perez

Immigration 911

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nagsasalita ng Tagalog asin Bicol.

By Appointment only from 9:00 to 5:30, Monday thru Friday.

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

Atty. Susan V. Perez

Visit our website: www.law-usimmigration.com

"Se Habla Espanol"

Tuloy PoKayo

Tel: (619) 477-5643 • Suite # 5

V i e t n a m e s eNoodle House

Permanent Make-up and Skin Care

TESS R. REYESREALTOR

(619) 477-4173 • FAX: (619) 477-4819CELL: (619) 252-8377

MEDICAL CENTEREDNA M. BAY, R.P.T.(619) 474-3294 • Suite 14

Nesty and Elvie Arbulante(619) 477-1666 • Fax (619) 477-1690Specializing in Women’s Clothing and Gift Items

SUITE 10

ELVIE’SBOUTIQUE

Bernardita N. Lizan, D.M.D.

550 E. 8th St., Ste. #12National City, CA 91950

Tel. (619) 477-7570

San Diego

Asian JournalLJ Printing

(619) 474-0588 - Asian Journal(619) 474-1878 LJ Printing

Fax: (619) 474-0373Suite # 6

Quality Custom Framing

Manny I. MiclatOwner

(619) 477-2010Suite # 7

NOBLE PREMIUMS, INC.GENERAL SUPPLIES/INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS

“Excellence through Quality and Service”Phone: (619) 477-4387

550 E. 8th Street, Suite #1

(619) 336-1880 Of fice(619) 575-2598 Home(619) 336-1891 Fa x

600 E. 8th St., Suite #1

ED PASIMIORealtor - Broker

ROSE PASIMIORealtor - Owner

OLD SCHOOLHOUSE SQUARE

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“Your Little Manila Shopping Center”

550 East 8th Street Suite 3

AMY’SHAIR SALON

550 East 8th St. #16 (619) 477-1795

MabuhayTailoring & Cleaners

DYNAMICProperties & Investments

(619) 336-0761 • Ste. 15FULL SERVICE SALON • OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

Hair design • ColoringNail service • Perms

General Dentistry

Law Offices ofA. Erwin Bautista

Attorney at Law

550 E. 8th St. #11National City, CA 91950

(619) 474-7755 • Fax (619) 474-0051

24 HOUR REMITTANCETel: (619) 336-1112

Hours: 9-6 M to F • 9-1 Sat.

LUCKYMONEY

Specializing in: Military Uniforms,Embroidery Name Plates and Patches

and Mounting Medals

– Produce, Seafood, Meat –Open 7 Days a Week • 8:30 am - 7:30 pm

(619) 477-7954

WORLD-CLASS REALTY, INC.Ellen Nobles-Sexsion

Tel: (619) 336-4885

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ACCEPTING RESERVATIONS FORBANQUETS UP TO 100 PERSONS, CALL (619) 477-8512

• C L O S E D O N M O N D AY S •

Fried Chicken and Filipino Cuisine None Can Compare.

Comevisit us!

Tuesdays & WednesdaysBUY ONE & GET ONE

50% OFF ONFRIED CHICKEN

from 11:00am to 2:00pm ONLY**Some Restrictions apply. Void on holidays and special days like Valentines Day, Christmas Day, Father’s Day etc.

MELINDA S. CASASOwner

(619)474-9640 • 550 E. 8th St. #17

MSC Physician Billing Services, Inc.

500-600 E. 8th St. National City, CA 91950 (7-Blocks East of I-5)

(619) 474-2300

MANANSALAINSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES

• BOOKKEEPING • TAX PREPARATION •• NOTARY PUBLIC •

LOURDES B. MANANSALAAGENT/ BROKER/REALTOR

TEL: (619) 477-9709RES: (619) 428-4191

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(619) 477-8613

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Pan-de-sal Bakery& Barbeque

Coming soon!Expansion &Frozen Yogurt

Coming soon!Expansion &Frozen Yogurt

600 E. 8th St., Suite # 3

Of fice: (619) 477-0940Fa x: (619) 477-1024email: [email protected]

Your Key to the Filipino Community

NEW!

Aliens with legal permanent resident (LPR) status are commonly known as green card holders. For many, acquir-ing this status is a significant event con-sidering the long and oftentimes com-plicated immigration process. Retaining this status is not quite simple. Most LPRs have lost the status for breaking laws while others for traveling abroad for extended period. This article will discuss the consequences of traveling abroad for LPRs or green card holders and how to avoid losing such status.

Under our immigration laws, an alien who was previously issued a green card can be refused entry to the United States if he or she fails to present proof of his or her LPR status. A returning LPR (other than certain conditional perma-nent residents and U.S. government employees) shall present a valid, unex-pired immigrant visa; a valid, unexpired Form I-551, Alien Registration Receipt Card (if seeking readmission after a temporary absence of less than one year, except for certain crewmen of U.S.-reg-istry vessels); a valid, unexpired Form I-327, Permit to Reenter the United States (a “reentry permit”); or a valid, unexpired Form I-571, Refugee Travel Document, endorsed to show LPR sta-tus. The required entry document may be waived if there is good cause.

Returning LPRs are required to be inspected by immigration officers and may be challenged by an immigration officer at the port of entry on any of the following grounds:

has abandoned or relinquished his or her LPR status;

has been absent from the United States for a continuous period in excess of 180 days;

has engaged in illegal activity after having departed the United States;

has departed from the United States while under legal process seeking his or her removal from the United States;

has committed certain criminal of-fenses and has not been granted relief from those offenses; or

enters or attempts to enter without inspection by an immigration officer.

A returning LPR returning from an absence of less than a year who presents his or her Alien Registration Receipt Card at the port of entry is not as-sured that he or she will be readmitted to the United States. While an Alien Registration Receipt Card satisfies the requirement of presenting a valid entry document, its presentation is not evidence that the LPR is “returning from a temporary visit abroad.” For this reason, it is possible that a return-ing resident might be denied entry if deemed to have abandoned his or her LPR status. To show that at the time of departure, no abandonment of LPR status was intended, it is best to apply for a reentry permit.

The LPR must file the application for reentry while the LPR is in the United States. It usually takes three months to process a reentry permit application. The LPR can travel while the applica-tion is pending, but he or she should at least wait for his or her biometrics appointment. Departure after the ap-plication is filed and before a decision is made do not affect the application. A reentry permit may be sent to the U.S. embassy or an overseas office of the

INS, provided such request is indicated in the reentry permit application. The reentry permit is usually issued for two years. However, if the LPR has been absent from the United States for more than four of the five years preceding the application, the reentry permit may be issued with one year validity only. As long as there is genuine reason for the application, there should be no reason for USCIS to deny the reentry permit. One good reason is to finish school in the home country.

A reentry permit cannot be extended, but the LPR can apply for a new one. The LPR has to return to the United States to make the new application be-cause an applicant for a reentry permit must be physically present in the United States. Until the application is filed with USCIS, the LPR must not leave the country. It is safe for the applicant to wait for USCIS to accept the application and fee before leaving the United States. The applicant can either wait for the re-ceipt notice from USCIS or check with the bank if the check for the filing fee has been cashed. An applicant for a new reentry permit must surrender his or her expired or unexpired reentry permit.

When a returning LPR has a reentry permit, he or she has well established that the visit abroad is “temporary”. However, it does not establish that he or she has no intention of abandon-ing the LPR status. Regulations on the inspection of returning resident aliens provide that an immigrant alien may present a reentry permit in lieu of an immigrant visa only if he or she is “returning to an unrelinquished lawful permanent residence in the United States.” Regulations on the effect of reentry permits clarify that an LPR with a valid reentry permit “shall not be deemed to have abandoned status based solely on the duration of an absence or absences while the permit is valid.” However, it is possible that an LPR with a reentry permit may be deemed to have abandoned his or her lawful permanent residence based on facts other that the length of his or her absence or absences, or based on the length of his or her ab-sences in combination with other facts. For example, an LPR who continues to practice his or her profession in his or her home country and shows no inten-tion of terminating that practice could be questioned upon his or her return to the United States despite the fact that he or she is in possession of an unexpired reentry permit.

The Board of Immigration Appeals provided guidance in determining whether an LPR is deemed to have abandoned his or her status as such. The following factors are considered relevant: the location of the alien’s family ties, property holdings, and job; whether the alien is returning to the United States as a place of employment or business or as an actual home; the alien’s purpose in departing from the United States; whether the visit abroad can be expected to terminate within a relatively short period of time; and whether the termination date of the visit abroad can be fixed by some early event. Another significant factor in determining an LPR’s intention to retain his or her status is the U.S. income tax

filing status (resident or nonresident) claimed during the alien’s absence, or the alien’s failure to file a U.S. income tax return for periods in which the alien was abroad. Indicating the status as non-resident, claiming nonresident tax treaty benefits or failing to file a U.S. tax return is inconsistent with an intention to maintain lawful permanent resident status. A final consideration with respect to retention of residence is the LPR’s pattern of travel. Where the LPR spends significant amounts of time in his or her home country over the course of several years, returning only after a brief annual visits on round-trip tickets both originating and terminating in the home country, even possession of residential property in the U.S., payment of U.S. taxes and U.S. family ties may NOT be sufficient to overcome a finding of abandonment of LPR status.

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

How To Preserve Your Legal Permanent Resident Status


Follow Asian Journal on Twitter @asianjournal

Building on the success in redis-tricting at the State level, the Coun-cil of Philippine American Organiza-tions (COPAO) and the Southwest Center of Asian Pacifi c American Law (SCAPAL) are spearheading a project called Civic Education and Policy Advocacy Network (CEPA NET) for the Asian Pacifi c Islander (API) community in San Diego County.

Vision Statement:CEPA Net – a community in unity

to strengthen nonpartisan civic edu-cation and policy advocacy and to increase leadership in public service in the API community.

Mission Statement:CEPA NET is a nonpartisan

network of API individuals and or-ganizations as well as supporters and allies of the API community who promote nonpartisan civic education and policy advocacy to empower the API community.

CEPA NET respects the diverse cultural, ethnic, language and geographic differences within and among the API community to ex-press their differences and needs and encourages each group to identify common issues which will unite the API community.

Mission Statement for Filipino American Community:

Filipinos represent the largest group of Asians in San Diego Coun-ty. There is a need for the Filipino community to develop a leadership

COPAO and SCAPAL Brainchild: The Civic Education and Advocacy Network (CEPA Net)


CommunitySouthwest Center For Asian Pacifi c

American Law (SCAPAL), a nonprofi t law center, together with the Council of Philippine American Organizations

(COPAO) have formed a new proj-ect called Civic Education and Policy

Advocacy Network (CEPA Net) to organize, educate, and mobilize the

community on nonpartisan civic engagement, nonpartisan policy advo-cacy, and nonpartisan leader develop-ment in public service.

SCAPAL will be presenting a free, nonpartisan civic education workshop

on Saturday, January 28, 2012, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon at COPAO’s offi ces, 832 “E” Avenue, National City. The theme is “No Vote No Voice” which emphasizes the fact that Filipino Americans who choose not to vote denies them of having a say in our democracy and, in particular, how to improve the Fil Am community. Some of the topics to be discussed are data relating to Fil Am voting and strategies to increase voter registration and voter turnout in San Diego County.

New citizens and those citizens 18

years and older who are not registered to vote would benefi t from the infor-mation to be presented at this work-shop. Fil Am community leaders and activists are encouraged to attend and participate in discussions on nonparti-san strategies to strengthen the politi-

Free Civic Education Workshop – No Vote No Voice – Sat., January 28thcal voice of the Fil Am community.

Please RSVP by email to [email protected] or [email protected] or by calling (619) 477-4090 no later than January 26th since seating is limited.

role in civic and nonpartisan public policy issues in San Diego County.

Therefore, CEPA NET will work with the Filipino American com-munity:

• To increase civic and political participation of Filipino Americans

• To identify nonpartisan policy issues important to the community

• To educate and promote lead-ership skills for civic and public engagement

• To identify common issues to collaborate with other API commu-nity members

• To foster collaboration with non API allies and supporters

Goal for the Filipino American Community:

To develop a network of Filipino American individuals and organiza-tions collaborating as a nonpartisan united front to empower the Filipino

American community in San Di-ego County through civic education and policy advocacy and leadership in public service.

Objectives for the Filipino Ameri-can Community:

• Conduct workshops:� On civic education including

redistricting and the new political districts, Voting Rights Act, voter registration, get-out-the vote,

Filipino language voting materials, bilingual poll workers, analyze data on Filipino Americans and elections.

Chula Vista Friends of Odawara

The Arts and Culture of Japan came alive dur-ing the Chula Vista Friends of Odawara Open House at the Bonita Cultural Museum. Professor Emetritus Terry Thomas, president of the Chula Vista Odawara Sister Cities Association, and the offi cers and members of the civic group hosted an open house last Saturday, January 14, 2012 which featured otedama lessons (beanbag jugglimg) by Aiko Hillman, a kimekomi Japanese doll ex-hibit by Chieko Campbell, and a Sooran Bushi dance (fi sherman dance) by students from Morse High School) as taught by Toshiko Hasegawa. For more information, contact Terry Thomas at 619.427.3181 or Ron Muraoka at 619.933.6400



San Diego News

New Course Route Offers Runners Vista Views of Park Animals, Raises Funds for

Tiger ExhibitOne of the wildest half marathons

on the racing circuit will be held at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park on May 6, 2012. Returning for its sec-ond year, the Safari Park Half Mara-thon offers runners the chance to race through the scenic San Pasqual Valley, past vineyards, golf courses and orange groves, and ending in the heart of the Safari Park surrounded by giraffes, cheetahs, rhinos and fl amingos.

The competitive half marathon starts at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 6, in the parking lot of the Westfi eld North County Mall, just off of the I-15. Awards will be given to the top three overall half-marathon fi nishers and the top three fi nishers in each division. All marathon participants will receive a fi nisher medal and discounts to local attractions such as LEGOLAND and Old Town Trolley Tours.

The 13.1-mile course is limited to 3,500 runners and has a time limit

San Diego Zoo Safari Park Hosts Second Half Marathonof three hours. Runners can get a refund on their registration by rais-ing $300 dollars in pledges for the tiger habitat.

Each half marathon registration includes admission to the Park on the day of the race, a high- quality technical T-shirt and a virtual goodie bag; spectators can enter the Safari Park on race day for the discounted rate of $20 (valid on race day only).

All funds raised from the race will go toward building a new tiger habitat at the Safari Park. Last year’s race raised $150,000 for the new exhibit and this year the Park has set a goal to raise $200,000 for tigers. The design for the new tiger habitat includes places for the cats to climb and swim and an area for guests to watch keepers working with the tigers. The exhibit will also explain how tigers have become endangered and what humans can do to help their survival.

On race day, shuttles will transport spectators to the Safari Park between 6 and 6:20 a.m. for special activi-ties while they wait for friends and family running the race to enter Park grounds. All roads to the Safari Park will be closed to traffi c starting at

6 a.m. and will reopen at 8:30 a.m. Shuttles that will return runners and spectators from the Safari Park to Westfi eld mall will run throughout the day until 6 p.m.

Secure, online registration for the half marathon and the post-run breakfast is available at http://www.sandiegozoo/halfmarathon or a registration form can be mailed by calling 619-557-3915.

The 1,800-acre San Diego Zoo Safari Park (historically referred to as Wild Animal Park) is operated by the not-for-profi t San Diego Zoo and includes a 900-acre native species reserve. The organization focuses on conservation and research work around the globe, educates millions of individuals a year about wildlife and maintains accredited horticul-tural, animal, library and photo col-lections. The Zoo also manages the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Re-search. The important conservation and science work of these entities is supported in part by The Founda-tion of the Zoological Society of San Diego.

One in fi ve local residents can-not read at the third-grade level, lacking the literacy skills needed to sign a form or fi ll out a bank deposit slip. San Diego County Library is doing its part to build better lives for the residents of San Diego County through the LEARN (Libraries Em-power All to Read Now) program. The LEARN adult literacy program is hosting a free training for poten-tial English language literacy tutors on January 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the El Cajon Library, 201 E Douglas Ave.

By becoming a LEARN tutor, anyone over the age of 18 with a high school diploma or equiva-lent can change lives and improve local literacy rates. Registration for the tutor training is recom-

Become A Literacy Tutor At The El Cajon Librarymended by calling 888-466-0668 but walk-ins are welcome. A six-month commitment is required, but tutoring times and locations are fl exible. A video featuring this program can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/countysandiego#p/search/22/5WXPvJmOrVk.

“From reading the instructions on a medicine bottle to reading a story to a curious child, words touch lives in countless ways,” said LEARN staff member Kevin Vigil. “We have 130 learners waiting to be matched with a tutor and start on their path to literacy.”

For more information about the LEARN program, call 888-466-0668 or visit www.sdcl.org.

Offered in Imperial Beach and Spring Valley

WHAT: Money Management Inter-national (MMI) offers free fi rst-time homebuyer workshops to residents in and around the Imperial Beach and Spring Valley communities.

To help homebuyers through one of the largest and most complicated fi nancial commitments most will ever make, the fi nancial educators at MMI will provide consumers with information on obtaining a mortgage, shopping for a home, the

Free First-Time Homebuyer Workshops


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Ontario, Calif., Jan. 16, 2012 – Thom-son Reuters, the world’s leading source of information, today recognized Prime Healthcare Services as one of the 15 Top Health Systems in the nation based on quality of care, effi ciency and patient satisfaction. This is the second time in four years that Prime Healthcare has earned the national distinction. Prime Healthcare was recognized as a Top 10 Health System in 2009 by Thomson Reuters in its fi rst-ever landmark study of health systems based on quality and effi ciency. Prime Healthcare is the only health system to receive this coveted recognition on the West Coast.

According to Thomson Reuters, compared to its peers, Prime Healthcare saved more lives, caused fewer patient complications, made fewer medical er-rors, followed recommended standards of care more closely, released patients half a day sooner on average and scored better on patient satisfaction surveys.

“This prestigious recognition speaks volumes of Prime Healthcare’s com-mitment to its core values of quality and cost-effectiveness of health care delivery, bending the cost curve in these times of rapidly evolving healthcare reform across the nation,” said Prem Reddy, MD, FACC, FCCP, Founder and Chairman of Prime Healthcare Services.

Among 321 health systems, 2,194 hospitals and over 8 million patient discharges included in the study, Prime Healthcare was among those that had a 24.4 percent lower mortality than was expected, 14.5 percent fewer medi-cal complications, 31.7 percent fewer adverse patient safety incidents, the lowest readmission rates and higher percentage of patients who reported having a better overall hospital experi-ence than comparable hospitals. Prime Healthcare ranked higher than the other 21 health systems in California and the more than 30 other health systems on the West Coast.

“Selection for the 15 Top Health Systems award is based solely on unbiased statistical results,” said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president of performance improvement at Thomson Reuters. “Because we rely on objective measurement derived from public data

and peer-reviewed methods, health sys-tems may not apply or pay for consider-ation in this study.”

Prime Healthcare’s hospitals were recognized numerous times in the past by various renowned national benchmarking organizations for their quality and effi ciency of patient care. The independent Thomson Reuters 15 Top Health Systems recognition is the only study of its kind that aggregates individual hospital performance into system-level data across the nation.

“We congratulate the physicians, nurses and all the staff for putting Prime Healthcare on the top of the chart,” said Lex Reddy, President and Chief Execu-tive Offi cer, Prime Healthcare Services. “They have put the West Coast on the national map of quality patient care.”

The published study that is based on Medicare data of 2009, 2010 and 2011 takes into consideration 12 patient care metrics. Prime Healthcare was the largest system with thirteen hospitals compared to the peer group of two to fi ve hospitals in the study, which un-derscores its system-wide implementa-tion and adherence to the best-practice guidelines of quality patient care.

“Upon further analysis of the Thom-son Reuters research data, I am proud to note that Prime Healthcare excelled even this elite group in the key patient care measures of mortality, patient safe-ty, medical complications and CORE measures,” said Suzanne Richards, RN, Vice President of Clinical Operations, Prime Healthcare Services, who is also a statistician.

Prime Healthcare hospitals that were included in this study were Centinela Regional Medical Center, Chino Valley Medical Center, Desert Valley Hospital, Encino Hospital Medical Center, Gar-den Grove Medical Center, Huntington Beach Hospital, La Palma Intercom-munity Hospital, Montclair Hospital Medical Center, Paradise Valley Hos-pital, San Dimas Community Hospital, Shasta Regional Medical Center, Sher-man Oaks Hospital and West Anaheim Medical Center.

Prime Healthcare Recognized as Top 15 Health System in the Nation

SAN DIEGO – Students are fi lm-ing, drawing and designing their way to enter three contests now underway that focus on using water wisely and creating a more sus-tainable community. The contests attracting these artistic talents are the City of San Diego Public Utilities Department’s Water Conservation Poster Contest and Film Contest, and UCSD’s Hydration Station De-sign Competition contest.

The contests are designed to engage students at different stages in their education, from elementary to college, in wise water use, including conservation and various ways to reuse water, such as recycling and water purifi cation. Through art, these students help San Diegans make wise water use an ethic that inspires long-term change in behaviors. There are no entry fees required to enter any of these contests.

Poster ContestOpen to all 1st through 6th graders

in the City of San Diego, Imperial Beach and Coronado, the contest encourages entrants to create a poster focusing on the San Diegans Waste No Water theme. In each grade level, three winners citywide will be selected, and there will be one winner overall in a new recycled water category. These winning student artists will receive a U.S. Savings Bond and a Certifi cate of Excellence. Winning posters will be on display in the lobby of the City Administration Building, the San Diego Watercolor Society’s Gallery, and the San Diego County Fair’s “Kids Best Art Exhibit.” Winning posters will also be featured on the City’s website and in the 2012 Water Conservation Calendar, which is circulated throughout the city during the year. The deadline to submit a poster is March 30, 2012.

Film ContestOpen to 11th and 12th graders and

City’s Youth Con-tests Encourage Long-Term “Wise Water-Use” Ethic


Bill’s Corner

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

by Bill Labestre, MBA

college students throughout the City of San Diego, Imperial Beach and Coronado, this contest challenges entrants to create a 30-second film that focuses on the San Diegans Waste No Water theme, which encourages wise water use, con-servation and water reuse, and also includes one of these messages:

a) Create a sustainable world by “wasting no water.”

b) Plant native or California-Friendly® plants.

c) Show how water conservation is important to San Diego’s economy.

The panel of judges is comprised of television and film industry professionals, including Beth Ac-comando of KPBS, Cathy Anderson, former long-time CEO of the San Diego Film Commission, Rick Bol-linger of CityTV, Lisa Franek of the San Diego Latino Film Festival and Larry Zeigler of BestFest America Film Festival. The finalists’ films and the winning film will be an-nounced and shown at a “Red Carpet Premiere” at Reuben H. Fleet Sci-ence Center’s IMAX Dome and also featured on the City of San Diego’s website and Facebook page. For the grand prize, the winning film will be shown in select movie theaters this summer. Deadline for entries is April 6, 2012.

Hydration Station Design Com-petition

The City of San Diego has devel-oped a regional partnership with colleges and universities to promote conservation and environmental sus-tainability, one of which includes the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). The City of San Diego is supporting UCSD’s Hydration Station Design Competition hosted by their Engineers for a Sustain-able World organization. Open to children ages 10 -15 who attend a San Diego County Middle School, this contest challenges students to create an attractive and eye-catching design that will be incorporated

into hydration stations that will be installed on the UCSD campus. Hydration stations, similar to water fountains, are designed to fill upright reusable water containers, such as a thermos or jug. By seeing and using these stations, people can spread the message of conserving water and also reduce plastic bottle waste. There will be six winning designs, which will be implemented around the stations and include a plaque with your name on it. Entries must be postmarked by January 20, 2012.

Additional Contest InformationFor more information about the

Annual Poster and Film Contests, as well as entry forms, visit www.wastenowater.org. Please feel free to call the poster and film contest coordinator, Rebekah Hook, at (619) 232-2112 ext. 104.

For more information on the hy-dration station contest, send emails to [email protected]. Or go to this link: http://www.sandiego.gov/water/pdf/conservation/pophydra-tion.pdf

The City of San Diego’s Water Conservation Program reduces water demand through promoting or pro-viding incentives for the installation of hardware that provides permanent water savings, and by providing services and information to help San Diegans make better decisions about water use. For more infor-mation about Water Conservation, visit www.wastenowater.org or call (619) 515-3500. Complementary programs that support wise water use through water reuse include the City’s Recycled Water Program and the Water Purification Demonstra-tion Project. For more information on those programs, contact (619) 533-7572 or visit www.sandiego.gov/water/recycled or www.purewa-tersd.org.

The Good Balita, 11/7/2011 -- An 11-year-old Filipino boy defeated 191 students from all over the world to emerge as the individual champi-on in the four-day World Mathemat-ics Team Championship (WMTC), which concluded here Sunday.

The individual feat of Farrel Eldrian Wu, a Grade 6 pupil of the MGC New Life Christian Academy in Taguig City, was the “icing on the cake” for the Philippines as its pri-mary school team wound up second place over all in the contests held from November 2-6.

Wu bested competitors from dif-ferent countries, including the US and China, to win the gold medal in the primary division individual contest held at the Jiuhua Resort and Convention Center, here.

“I dedicate this award to the glory of God and to the Philippines,” Wu said after the awarding ceremony presided over by Quan Lam from the University of California-Berkeley and Zhou Guozhen, co-chairmen of the WMTC executive committee.

The 47-member Philippine delega-tion broke into loud applause and cheers as the names of the Filipino students were announced as winners.

Besides Wu, two other primary school pupils won gold in the

Pinoy Grade 6 student rules world Math com-

petition in China

Farrel Eldrian Wu


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Asian Journal San Diego

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

Phil - Am Law 101

Sooner or later we have to retire from our selected jobs or careers. The big question is, can you afford to do so? Have you saved enough money during your working years to maintain your lifestyle? Are you willing to downgrade? What would you do with your free time? Where do you plan to spend your golden years?

Yes, there are too many questions to answer and various scenarios to figure out. How about your health and that of your spouse? Are you still excited to come to work and not stressed out? Maybe your cur-rent financial status is a mess which will prevent you from retiring as planned.

Well, one thing about being old is that you realized what mistakes you’ve done in the past. There are just too many what ifs. Some events that happened were never planned. Other times, you failed to follow your plan or you never listened to your gut instinct. Do you have time to fix them or recover what you lost?

We can only wish we knew then what we know now. Somebody could have guided us or we should have listened carefully when we were young. A few of us did the right thing and fortunate to avoid major disasters in life. They stuck to their plans and could retire comfort-ably on time.

By the time we are 60 years old, we should be debt free. Your home mortgage should be paid for before you retire. If you are still in good health, you could wait for the right age to claim social security benefits. You don’t even have to withdraw money from your retirement funds in lump sum.

At least Filipino immigrants have one more option. We can spend our retirement years in the Philippines and go back to where we came from. Do you really believe it can work for you after residing in the U.S. for many years? What about your kids and grandchildren? Have you considered your age and physical or medical condition? How about your relatives, your friends and new neighbors? Do you believe they will leave you alone to enjoy you retire-ment years?

You may consider a trial retire-ment in a place of your dream for a whole year. You can just rent a house so if you don’t like it, you can pack your bags and leave.

There are people who have enjoyed their retirement years in the Philippines. Everybody is different, so you can always try and check it for yourself.

Life can be funny and crazy sometimes. When we were young, we could hardly wait to come to America and fulfill our dreams. As we get older, we are eager to come back to the native land. Now, we re-alized that the fresh air, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables and fresh seafood are not bad after all. Maybe, it was the simple life that we really missed.

My wife and I plan to spend some of our retirement years in the Philippines too. Most likely it will be in a place not far from a large air-port, a decent medical facility, large shopping malls (for the wife) and with plenty of expats to socialize with. We will keep San Diego as our home base and other Asian countries our travel destinations. Oh yes!!! OLD is GOOD so try to stay healthy my friends.

Retirement Dream

City’s Youth Con-tests Encourage Long-Term “Wise Water-Use” Ethic


We received a frantic telephone call from a client. Let’s call

him Oscar. His aunt called that she had just received the interview notice from the U.S. Embassy, ten days after the date set for the interview. They had been waiting for the interview since last month and were naturally both frustrated and worried that they had missed it.

We understand Oscar’s agita-tion. He has been waiting for his four children to reunite with him in America. He is worried about their condition because their mother, his ex-wife, had abandoned them. The kids are in the care of his aunt who,

despite her willingness to care for them, is already old and sickly. The sooner the kids go to America, the sooner they will be much safer.

Actually, it was Betsy, whom Oscar eventually met and married, who petitioned for the kids as her stepchildren. We did not encounter much problem getting the petitions

approved because the USCIS had previously already determined that Oscar and Betsy’s marriage is bona fide. That determination was done when Oscar adjusted his status and was granted a green card based on his marriage to Betsy. After satisfy-ing the other strict requirements of the USCIS and the National Visa Center, all the petitions were ap-proved and processed, and it is only the embassy interview that is left to be done.

Although the interview notice usually gets delivered ahead of time, it sometimes happens that it arrives late. The normal procedure is for the National Visa Center to send an email to the petitioner, attaching the interview notice and instructions. It is followed by a hard copy sent to the beneficiary in the Philippines. Often, the email is sent, but the pe-titioner fails to read it, and then the hard copy arrives late to the benefi-ciary because, unfortunately, we do not have an efficient postal service in the Philippines.

Anyway, it should not be a big problem. All the beneficiary needs to do is to call the U.S. Embassy call center number (982-5555) and re-quest for another interview date. The next date could be several weeks yet, owing to the large number of cases. Besides, the children have to undergo a medical examination at the St. Luke’s clinic (usually two weeks before the interview date), so the scheduler has to also take this into consideration.

Atty. Rogelio Karagdag , Jr. is licensed to practice law in both Cal-ifornia and the Philippines. He prac-tices immigration law in San Diego and has continuously been a trial and appellate attorney in the Philip-pines since 1989. He travels between San Diego and Manila. His office address is located at 10717 Camino Ruiz, Suite 131, San Diego, CA 92126. He also has an office in the Philippines at 1240 Apacible Street, Paco, Manila, Philippines 1007, with telephone numbers (632)522-1199 and (632)526-0326. Please call (858)348-7475/(858)536-4292 or email him at [email protected]. He speaks Tagalog fluently. Articles written in this column are not legal advice but are hypotheticals intended as general, non-specific legal information. Readers must seek legal consultation before taking any legal steps.

Relatives Received Notice After Interview Date


Spiritual Life

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

by Msgr. Fernando G. Gutierrez

Lower Your Nets Balintataw

Read Virginia Ferrer’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Virginia H. Ferrer

©2012 Virginia H. Ferrer. All rights reserved.

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

Joke of the week: A priest was quite depressed when he went to a psychiatrist, who, after some ques-tions, told him, “Father, you need a complete change of scenery. How about dressing in some old clothes, going down to Bill’s Tavern, and having a drink or two?” The padre took his advice. As he sat at table a sexy waitress dressed in a stunning outfi t came up to him and asked, “What can I give you, Father?” Sur-prised, the priest asked, “How did you know I am a priest?” “Father, don’t you recognize me?” declared the waitress. “I’m Sister Susanna, I teach in your school. I go to the same psychiatrist.”

Scriptures: First reading: Jonah 3: 1-5, 10. Unlike Moses who objected to God’s fi ve calls before he posi-tively responded, Jonah answered the call far more readily. Accord-ing to archaeologists, Nineveh, the ancient city on the left bank of the Tigris River, across from the modern Mosul, had been the site where they found historical treasures: sculptures from the palaces of Sennacherib, Esarhadon, and Asurbanipal and its extensive library. This story has no moderation. For example, Nineveh was enormously a large city, but it would take for someone at least three days to go through it; and but Jonah had gone out only a single day, and the people repented. The story’s lack of moderation seems to convey the urgency of conversion and God’s subsequent compassion. Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 7: 29-31. Paul’s thinking infl uenced

his teaching: time is short and that Christians have already lived a heav-enly existence and should not waste their energies in worldly affairs. In heaven there is no need for marriage. Because of this some Corinthians in their extremist views even consid-ered marriage as sinful. Paul argued that marriage cannot be avoided just because one is a Christian. Gospel: Mark 1: 14-20. Jesus’ words are so effective that they produced what they signifi ed. When He said to the brothers, Simon and Andrew, James and John, “Come and follow me,” they immediately left their work to follow Him. For Mark, journey with Jesus is like the swing of a pendu-lum, from life-giving exhilaration to confusion, from overwhelming power to powerlessness.

Refl ections: Though Mark left out lots of details in narrating the call of Jesus to the brothers, Simon and Andrew, as well as to James and John, yet their prompt response to the call exhibits the urgency of the mission. The mission of proclaiming God’s kingdom cannot wait. Anyone who is called should waste no time and give no excuses. There is no

turning back and no wavering. The mission takes priority over anything else, including love of family and valued profession.

I HAVE TURNED 73 YEARS OLD THIS JANUARY. Praise God! I am grateful for the blessing of a long life. But I am more blessed a hundredfold for the gift of the priesthood. I was ordained at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines on December 17, 1966. I celebrated my 45th year as priest last Decem-ber and God willing I am looking forward for more years as worker in His vineyard.

Responding as priest to the call of Jesus to follow Him is not easy. The apostles and early disciples of Jesus did not also fi nd the journey with Him all rosy and sweet. There were times when they questioned Him about his decision to go to Jerusa-lem in spite of the threat to His life. Not all of them stayed with Jesus during His dark nights and trials before Pontius Pilate; they could not watch with Him even for one hour during his agonizing moments at the Garden of Olives, and when He was dying only one apostle stood beneath the Cross. But even though those men did show their true form as weak and vulnerable human be-ings, yet they remained steadfast in their love for Him. And the Good Lord who knows the deep recesses of man’s heart fully understands and patiently supports those apostles and disciples with His love and bound-less grace. God’s transforming grace coupled with the love of the apostles to follow Jesus at all cost made pos-sible for them to respond persever-ingly to the call, “Come and follow me.”

My journey as a priest is not easy too. The initial call to enter the seminary was not that exalted – to proclaim the Gospel. My motive to study in the seminary was more mundane – a chance to have an education at the metropolis. But of course, just as the apostles and the disciples’ initial motive to follow Je-sus had been purifi ed and cleansed, so was mine. There were times when I thought of giving up the call and

leaving the seminary. If the Lord had been patient with His disciples, He has been and still is more than patient with me. As always the Lord is persistent and He wins all the times. Even now, after 45 years in the priesthood, my response needs purifi cation so that the Lord, the Pot-ter, could continue molding me, the clay, according to His desire.

The Cross is not just made up of vertical, but also of horizontal beam, so the response to the Lord’s call (vertical) is not possible without the prayers and love of family, friends, and community (horizontal). Both – the Lord’s call and the prayers and support of others - are indispens-able elements of a fruitful ministry and mission. The key aspect of this call is that it starts with the Lord, keeps going through the Lord, and goes back to the Lord, because He is and must always be the raison d’être of one’s vocation. The Lord is the Alpha and Omega, the origin and summit of one’s mission. It is said that the Missionary Sisters of Charity (members of the congrega-tion founded by Blessed Teresa of Calcutta) start their daily apostolate with a visit to the Blessed Sacrament and end it with Eucharistic adora-tion. Though the prayers of family and community are essential for the priest to ministry in persona Christi (in the person of Christ), they are meant to support that mission and not to replace it. At the same time, the Lord’s call is joined with the prayers and support of family and friends.

Dear readers of this column: please join me in thanking the Lord for the gift of the priesthood and for good health:

Dear God,

You whose fullness fi lls my chaliceWith every blessing and graceI give You thanks for every giftThe bitter and the sweetI praise You for the empty streetAnd for the lonely alleysFor all the benefi ts You have

bestowedAnd all Your gifts deniedI thank You for my smiles and

tears

And for the ups and downs of lifeI praise You for the future gloryAnd for the present trials, I thank You for the wings of loveWhich give me with cross to bearAnd for the dark clouds which

drove Me to hide in Your embraceI bless you for the glad increaseAnd for the sad decrease

The Priest: Spiritual and Human

And for Your serene, this settled peace

Which I fully embrace. Amen.

*** Quotation of the week: “The

furnace of purifi cation for the priest in active ministry is charity for other men.” Thomas Merton.

Ilang buwan na lamang at si Manuel ay tapos nasa kanyang pag-aaral at sa kursong kinukuhasubalit laging dala siya ng kanyang mga paasa tindahan ng kotse tuwing papauwi na siya.

Sa tuwing daraan sa malaking tindahan ng kotsehalos ay 'di kumukurap sa sasakyang minimithiito ang kanyang nanaising sa ama'y ipabilikung siya ay makatapos at balaking magsarili.

At natitiyak naman n'ya na kaya ito ng amaat sigurado siyang ibibigay ito sa kanyawala na rin siyang anupamang hihilinging ibamaliban sa kinasasabikang kotseng kulay pula.

At nang sumapit na ang araw na pinakahihintaysa isipa'y naglalaro kotseng kinasasabikanng umagang siya'y ipinatawag sa kasambahayng amang sabik din naman sa tinamong tagumpay.

Walang pagsidlan ng saya, ama'y hinagkan ang anakat buong pagmamalaking sa anak kanyang binigkasna 'di siya nagkamali sa mga ipinamalasngayon tapos na ito, siya ay nagpapasalamat.

Bayad Na (1)



EntertainmentShowbiz Watcher

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

by Ogie Cruz

IW Group80518

80518_L1012.19.11

Newsprint85

RG

Piolo Pascual and Cario Agassi

By Ogie Cruz

Lantarang hinamon ni Cristy Fermin si Rico J. Puno na magpa-drugtest silang dalawa dahil sa pang-aaway nito sa kanya ng na-turang singer/Tv host .

Nagsimula ang lahat ng tungkol sa balitang matatanggal na raw at bilang na ang araw ng ‘Happy Yipee Yehey’ sa kapamilya network, na isinulat naman ni Dolly Anne Carvajal sa isang Newspaper.

Pero ang balitang ‘yun ay hindi nagkatotoo, at sabi pa nga ni Rico

huwag raw pangunahan ang ka-nilang istasyon kung anuman ang disisyon ng channel 2 sa nasabing show at bakit pilit binabangga sila sa ‘Showtime ‘ ni Vice Ganda,

pinag-aaway in other word.

Sabi nga ni Ms.Fermin, kesyo sa awayin raw siya ng naturang singer, hinamon na lang niya itong magpa-drugtest silang dalawa.Bilang kaibigan ni Willie Revillame si Ate Cristy, ipinagta-

tanggol lang niya ito kay Rico dahil sa paninira nito sa nasabing host ng ‘Will Time Bigtime’.Kung anu-anu

raw ang paninira na ginagawa ni Mr. Puno kay Willie , kesyo wala na-man daw itong boses nagpupumilit maging singer, hindi magaling na Tv host at karamihan ng joke nito ay ginaya lang daw sa kanya.

Samantalang nung wala pa ito sa ‘Happy Yepee…’ lagi raw ang singer sa dressing room ni Willie at channel 2 naman ang binabana-tan nito.Ngayon nandyan na raw si Rico sa nasabing show puro pa-ninira naman ang ginagawa nito kay Willie,samantalang si Mr. Wowowee wala namang masamang sinasabi sa kanya, pagtatanggol pa ni Cristy Fermin.

Kesyo atupagin raw ng singer ang paninira ng talikuran sa natur-ang Tv host(Willie) at pang-aaway

sa kanya,bakit hindi na lang daw pansinin ni Rico ang anak niya sa isang singer, na isa ng dalagita sa ngayon.Kahit pasko raw last year, ni hindi man lang daw tinawagan ito ni Rico to think na wala naman daw ibinibigay na financial support ito magmula pa noon kahit tawag sa anak sa telepono hindi man lang nagawa ito ni Rico , bulaslas pa ni Ms. Cristy Fermin.Kungbaga pina-babayaan raw ni Rico ang kanyang anak sa isang singer na sumikat noon.

“Kesyo awayin mo ako, hamunin

na lang kitang magpa-drugtest tay-ong dalawa, hindi ako naniniwala na gumagamit ka nito pero hina-hamon kita magpa-drugtest,tayong dalawa,”pagwawakas pa ni Cristy Fermin.

Tanggapin kaya ni Rico ang hamon na ito ni Cristy Fermin?

GRETCHEN AT DAWN NAIS PAGSAMAHIN SA ISANG TELESERYE NG DOS !!!Kung na-tatandaan nyo nagkaroon ng intriga noon between Gretchen at Dawn, maraming pinakawalang salita si Ms. Berretto laban kay Dawn pero tahimik lang si Ms. Zulueta at ayaw pumatol.

Ngayon na pareho na sila nasa kapamilya network,si Dawn para sa

‘Walang Hanggan’ at si Gretchen naman ay sa ‘Alta’ bakit daw hindi pagsamahin ang dalawa para sa isang teleserye.Tutal daw nagsalita na si Dawn na open ito para maki-pagbati kay sa kapatid ni Clau-dine Barretto at willing naman ito makasama sa isang teleserye basta kailangan magkabati muna sila ni Gretchen bago ang pagsasama nilang dalawa.

Nagkita na pala ang dalawa sa isang showbiz event pero hindi sila nagkaroon ng chance na magkausap, hindi naman daw sila nag-isnaban

Cristy, Hinamon Si Rico Para Magpa-drugtest !!!

kungdi busy sila sa kanya-kanya nilang kausap at kasama.

Marami nga nagsasabi na na-pakaganda pa rin ni Dawn at natural daw talaga ang beauty nito, hindi retokada.Ang tanong ngayon payag ba naman si Gretchen na makipag-bati kay Dawn o gumawa ng isang teleserye sa dating nakaintrigahan niya noon?

Maganda yan kung magkakasama ang dalawa sa isang teleserye,tiyak aabangan ‘yan ng maraming manonood pero may tanong kami sa inyo.Sino sa palagay nyo ang mas maganda sa picture nilang dalawa si Gretchen Barretto at Dawn Zulueta? Pwes, ibubulong na lang namin sa inyo.

PIOLO PASCUAL TANGGAPIN PA KAYA NG MANONOOD? Ang dami ngayong projects si Piolo Pascual sa channel 2 at full support talaga ang ABS-CBN sa mga bago niyang gagawin ipalalabas na pro-grama at pati movie na gagawin. Sa internet kasi nandun pa rin at hang-gang ngayon pinaglalaruan pa rin ang Piolo. Kaya ang tanong ngayon, makabawi pa kaya ang aktor dahil sa intrigang break-up issue niya with Kc Concepcion o tanggapin pa kaya ng manonood si Piolo Pascual?Hindi kaya nasira ang imahen nito at nawalan ng gana ang mga nagpa-pantasya sa kanyang mala-Adonis na pangangatawan, nagtatanong lang kami?

MARAMING SALAMAT PO SA TIWALA SA ASIAN JOURNAL !!!Maraming salamat po sa tiwala sa Asian Journal ng mga advertisers namin.Nangunguna na po rito, na more than 6 months na nasa amin ang ad ng” Ida’s Hair & Nails” na matatagpuan sa 3100 E. 8th St. National City , siempre sa pan-gunguna ni Ms. Ida at naghahanda muli sila sa mga susunod na araw ng bagong ads nila para sa Asian Journal.Maraming salamat po Ms. Ida, at aabangan namin ang inyong pagbabalik sa aming newspaper.

Maraming salamat din sa tiwala ng “Amy & Rizza’s Salon Spa n Sk-inCare” na matatagpuan malapit sa aming office ng Asian Journal,550 E. 8th St. National City.Kahit bagong pasok palang ang ads sa amin, sana’y magtagal kayo sa amin.

Invited nga kami ni Ms.Amy para sa binyag ng kanyang apo sa Janu-ary 22, basta more power sa inyong salon spa & skin care business.

Ikatlo si Ms. Nena na first time naming nakilala na , nag-promise nga siya sa amin sa mga susunod na buwan , tiyak na daw ang paglagay niya ng ad sa aming Asian Journal ng kanya ring salon business,ofcourse sa National City ang place niya.

Maraming salamat po sa tiwala.

Gretchen Barreto and Dawn Zulueta Ms. Ida, Ms. Amy and Ms. Nena


FREE TAX EVENTSaturday, Februrary 4, 201210:00am - 3:00PM at the Oceans-

ide Civic Center LibraryGet the help you need and fi le your

state and federal taxes for FREE!Bilingual volunteers will be on site

to help you fi le.You quailify to fi le your Federal

and State returns for FREE if ONE of the following applies to you for tax year 2011:

* You made $31,000 or less* You made $57,000 or less and

are active military* You qualify for Earned Income

Tax Credit (EITC)

-- Karla Macias [email protected]

Free Tax Preparation Assistance at Oceans-

ide Civic Center 2/4

Fantasy Land, a novel

by Simeon G. Silverio Jr.Read the series by Sim Silverio on www.asianjournalusa.

com

Fantasy Land, Chapter 20

A Compromise on CorruptionFANTASY LAND | Chapter 19, A Game of Chicken -- By Simeon G.

Silverio, Jr., Publisher & Editor, Asian Journal San Diego, The Original and First Asian Journal in America

Letters to the EditorRead previous articles by visiting our website at www.asian-

journalusa.com

Phil-Am Law 101 by Atty. Rogelio Karagdag, Jr. Mauricio • [email protected] 08 • Hi my name is mauricio and my visa expired last year and i'm

currently living in the US. Me and my girlfriend got married last week and i honestly don't have and idea how to get my conditional green card?? What is the procedure i have to follow?? Which form do i need fi rst?? Please help me with these. And really short of money so it's diffi cult for me to get a lawyer

CONDITIONAL GREEN CARD

LIGHT & SHADOWS By Zena Sultana BabaoEdgardo C. Babao • [email protected] 10 • You wrote: "Again He spoke and man and woman were formed, think-

ing, speaking and loving – words of personal and creative glory. Eternal, infi nite, unlimited – He was, is, and always will be the Maker and Lord of all that exists." In addition Zena: When God created man, He did not only "speak" the words but also did the actual job of forming man out of the dust of the ground. In Gen. 2:7, "The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul". I thought you'd like to add this information to what you already have. Thanks for the article.

He, Jesus Christ, is the Word

Immigration 911 by Atty. Susan V. Perezyer nub • [email protected] 16 • i married last 2003 and we broke up last oct 2008 and found out

she is now having 2 kids with the other guy whom she lives with now. c an i fi le for presumption of death for me to remarry?

LEGAL PRESUMPTION OF DEATH: WHEN A DEAD SPOUSE RESURRECTS

Our Life & Times by Simeon G. Silverio, Jr. arnel o bagatila • [email protected] 13 • ounlad ba tayo kung masusunod ng lahat na pilipino ang 12 na

bagay na nasa libro nyo ?

Alex Lacson’s Treatise on “12 Little Things Global Filipi-nos Can Do to Help Our Philippines”

First Among Peers: The Offi cial Biography of Marcial S. Valenzuela by Arturo G. Valenzuela

Alejandro San Pedro • [email protected] 14 • What a colorful life! Can you share with us the photographs he

took by posting them?

Tatay Marcial Took Historic Pictures That Spoke a Thou-sand Words

AS THE BAMBOOS SWAY by Rudy D. Liporadachris mateo • [email protected] 16 • LOL.

It’s More Funny in the Philippines

Gary Shapiro, Chairman of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) aptly

described it “the glorious apex of innovation.”

Yes, the 2012 International Consum-er Electronics Show (CES) indeed, “is more than a business event. It is source for inspiration, hope, optimism that innovation will improve the hu-man condition,” Shapiro continued.

Seated at the front row as a cre-dentialed member of the Press, I was lucky to watch and listen to the head of the association who has led, year after year, the effective and effi cient management of a show that became “the cause of innovation”.

It is a cause closely linked to the health and growth of the global economy that has been pummeled by crisis after crisis, both natural and manmade.

It is innovation that promoted and accelerated the cause of democracy in many countries such as those in the Middle East and Africa where dictators reigned for decades. It is innovation that saved lives in times of natural disasters such as the tsunamis, earthquakes, typhoons and the like.

Innovation creates jobs, adds earn-ings, informs and educates people, en-tertains and makes them healthier and allows them to enjoy the conveniences brought about by new electronic products.

At the show, I met a lot of bloggers, electronics engineers, and IT Profes-sionals; buyers and resellers; software, Apps and content developers; and of course, small and big companies unveiling and exhibiting their new gadgets, mobile apps and other inven-tions.

The International CES has always been a showcase of Android-based and Windows-based products and technologies as supported by Intel, Qualcomm, NVDIA; Manufacturers and Original Equipment Manufactur-ers (OEMs) such as Samsung, HTC, Motorola, Fugitsu and Nokia; net-works such as AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile for the United States, and those of other countries.

Apple will have its MACWORLD/IWORLD in San Francisco next week. I am attending it also as a credentialed member of the Press. I intend to write about the products to be launched and exhibited there.

Smartphones and Tablets continue to be the dominant interests of the consumers. I noticed that the new smartphones were somehow designed and engineered to competitively replicate the design, functionality and utility of the MAC iPhones, the latest being the iPhone 4s.

The new smartphones exhibited at the CES were actually quite as attrac-tive, useful and as ‘cool’ as evaluated by some geeks. Examples: Motorola’s Droid Razr-Maxx; Windows Phone HTC Radar; Windows Phone Nokia’s Lumia 800; Lenovo’s Android phone; Samsung’s Galaxy; Casio’s GZ One Ravine; and Casio’s Go Com-mando. Windows 8 phones Nokia Lumia 900 and HTC versions were announced but would not be available until next month.

The above-mentioned smartphones proved to have sleeker designs, to be more durable, 3D capable and for some, capable of operating even underwater.

I have an iPhone and an Android phone. I do not have a Windows phone yet. I am waiting for the Win-dows 8 model.

The Tablets displayed had a likewise similar goal – to compete against the very popular iPad. I visited the booths displaying the different tablets manu-factured by different companies.

As to design, none of them could compete with the iPad. But, as to functionality, there are some things in the new Tablets that trump the iPad.

Last year as in previous years, I went around the booths exhibiting smartphones and Tablets including Google’s Android, asking the ques-tion, “does your device have an offl ine search engine a la Google Desktop or the Windows search function?”

The reason why this issue is impor-tant to me is because of my interest in the creation of electronic libraries. When my company was licensed to manufacture and exclusively distribute

in the Philippines Franklin’s eBook-Man that later became Amazon’s Kin-dle, we also got involved in creating contents which we termed “Library in Your Pocket”. One important feature was not just to store eBooks and/or eLibraries including audio and video fi les in large volumes in pocketable or portable devices but, more impor-tantly, to be able to search and retrieve speedily any of the contents offl ine. It is your personal or professional private and secure library accessible and available only to you and in your device without having to go to the Internet or the Cloud.

The answer in previous years was a resounding NO. Even Google’s An-droid did not have the feature. Neither did the Windows Mobile phones. In a meeting that included MAC experts, enthusiasts and “geniuses”, the latter’s answer to the same question was NO. I was not really surprised because I use and could not leave home without my iPad. I was just wondering if they knew of any application that could do it. Still negative.

This year, it is different. The Win-dows 7 and, of course, the Windows 8 Tablets tell me a great story. The powerful Windows 7/8 embedded in Windows Tablets would allow the downloading of ALL Windows ap-plications so useful to the Enterprise, the Professional and to every Tom, Ben, Juan and Maria. Obviously, this includes the Google Desktop offl ine search engine added to built-in Win-dows offl ine search function and Bing.

Ironically, Google’s Android Tablet still does not allow the downloading of the Google Desktop search engine.

Another functionality of the Win-dows 7/8 Tablets which trumps the iPad is the expansion of memory size by connecting USB and SD cards as well as external hard drives. Windows is able to index all of them and, there-fore, allows the user to search what-ever contents he stored for retrieval.

Do you know what this means? When we convert text fi les or docu-ments into the eBook format, we are able to put about 1000 pages per megabyte (MB) or 1 million pages per gigabyte (GB). Suppose we have 1 terabyte (TB) or more storage/memory capacity? Compute!

We can virtually install the entire National Library of the Philippines, the University of the Philippines Library, San Beda’s and all those of other universities combined given the expanded memory size in a Windows Tablet. Access and search any of them anywhere, anytime! Isn’t that a little “miracle”?

At the show were devices capable of interconnecting and interfacing that affect all facets of life. I will describe them in my next article. Because all these devices are digital, their con-tents, be they documents, voice/audio, video and other formats are now made accessible to you anywhere, anytime, openly, privately, securely, online or offl ine.

As I described in my previous column, if you want to install contents or institute changes to such contents, you can either TYPE it, MOUSE it, TOUCH it, SAY it, and get this, GES-TURE or SIGNAL it.

How? You have to wait for my next article or, like any other Digital Native or Immigrant, just Google or Bing it!

“Miracles” In the Sin City (Part III)

Trust is the basis of life. Without trust, no human being can live. Trapeze artists offer a beautiful image of this. Flyers have to trust their catchers. They can do the most spectacular doubles, triples, or quadruples, but what fi nally makes their performance spectacular are the catchers who are there for them at the right time in the right place.

Much of our lives is fl ying. It is wonderful to fl y in the air free as a bird, but when God isn’t there to catch us, all our fl ying comes to nothing. Let’s trust in the Great Catcher.

Text excerpts taken from Bread for the Journey, by Henri J.M. Nouwen, ©1997 HarperSanFrancisco. All Scripture from The Jerusalem Bible ©1966, 1967, and 1968 Darton, Longman & Todd and Doubleday & Co. Inc.

Daily Meditation: Trusting the Catcher

Sign the Petition to Place the CASE Act in the November Ballot

Chapter 20

In the game of chicken, President Lino Majeras blinked. It was simply

impractical to be idealistic and prosecute his allies, which his chief prosecutor Pablo Nolasco doggedly wanted.“I cannot fulfi ll our mission of eradi-cating corruption, for I will surely be impeached. I will lose my power to reform our government,” he told Nolasco.

“But what about our election promise to eliminate graft? Pag wa-lang kurap, walang mahirap (If there are no corrupt offi cials, there are no poor), remember?” the idealistic subordinate asked.

“All we can do is partially fulfi ll it,” the president answered. “But to completely eliminate corruption without the support of our allies, especially since we would be pros-ecuting them, is not realistic. Maybe sometime, somehow, somebody will pick up the cudgels and completely clean up the government. But it will not be me, not in this democratic form of government, not when I need the support of the other elected offi cials.”

“Then why don’t we select people without skeletons in the closet and elect them to Congress?”

“I don’t know if we can do that. We still do not have the complete support of the people. We must fi rst prove ourselves. In the meantime, let us do it one at a time. We will prosecute those who are not our sup-porters and have sinned. Let us just pray that God will eventually show us the way of completely eliminat-ing graft.”

With those fi nal words, Nolasco understood he could do noting but accede. He completely agreed with the logic of Majeras’ rationale. He himself believed that completely eliminating corruption without the support of Majeras’ allies would be impossible, if not suicidal.

One by one, Majeras’ administra-tion prosecuted the corrupt offi cials, none of whom were supporters. They were very successful at fi rst

with putting away the guilty ones, for Nolasco gathered suffi cient evi-dence to prove their guilt. They were also able to partially recover the hidden loot these elected criminals had tucked away abroad as a result of the new money laundering treaties Majeras had entered into with many

countries.But the critics and the opposition

noticed the selective prosecution. “Why only his enemies?” they

asked. “Why not also his support-ers?”

Majeras could not offer a convinc-ing answer. All he could do was stay quiet and let the nagging question be aired repeatedly. Even his supporters in the press started echoing the same refrain. All Majeras’ people could do was parrot the offi cial and accept-able party line: “We will prosecute the guilty parties, no matter what their party affi liations are. Let the chips fall in their place.”

As time passed, the promise was never fulfi lled. Only the non-allies were continued to be prosecuted and convicted. Some started to doubt the sincerity of Majeras’ anti-corruption campaign, though they could not deny the fact that the continued conviction of the non-allies was doing the country a lot of good. A lot of stolen loot was returned to the coffers of the government. Because of the threat of prosecution, the government offi cials, including those allied with Majeras, stopped committing graft themselves. It was like a sword of Damocles hanging

over their head. Whereas stealing from the coffers of the government was once normal, if not acceptable, offi cials found it impossible to do so now. Every government transaction was being scrutinized. Even the pur-chases of minor offi ce supplies like paper clips were looked into to see if overpricing was involved. Govern-ment positions were becoming unap-pealing to corrupt politicians. It was hard work with low pay, and with the threat of prosecution for any corrupt practices, these jobs were no longer lucrative. How could they recover the millions of pesos they spent in their campaign, they asked themselves. In the end, only the good and idealistic people would run for public offi ce, the ones who really wanted to reform the government and were not after money or power. Slowly, everyone could see the light.

As expected, the prosecuted cried foul. But what could they do? The evidence was strong against them. They could not explain away their guilt by saying that others, like Majeras’ supporters, were doing the same. They were responsible for their own sins. Their cases had nothing to do with the sins of others. Majeras stood pat with his decision and turned a deaf ear to criticisms. His allies realized the presidential predicament and knew they could not be protected for long; thus, they started to keep their noses clean.

PHILANTROPIST MAX DULL-ESCO and his Hollywood actress wife Jennifer continued to pursue their charities. They had made a single town a shining example of what could be. They built modern school buildings and health centers, playgrounds and gyms that housed basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, and track and fi eld ovals for baseball and soccer games. They provided employment opportunities to the poor with free medical clinics. They had all the money needed to fi nance those projects, as the liveli-hood opportunities they provided generated revenues and profi ts, which offset their expenses. But the Dullesco couple wanted more. They knew they could not do this forever. Although they had a lot of resources, they might run out if they wanted to implement their projects in the entire country. They wanted a

change of attitude among the people of Fantasyland. They wanted to help their friend Lino Majeras eliminate graft and corruption for good. They wanted to use the government’s resources to do so. And the only way for them to do so was for Max Dullesco to run for public offi ce and be in charge of the dispensation of government resources. – AJ

(To be continued)

(Editor’s Note: To read the previ-ous and weekly installments of this series, visit www.asianjournalusa.com. Once there, click the “Editori-als” heading, then click “Fantasy Land by Simeon G. Silverio, Jr.” title to see the list of all previous chapters of the series. Click the title of the chapter you want to read and the article will appear.)


Health and WellnessThe benefi ts of alcohol are all

about moderation. Low to moderate drinking – especially of red wine – appears to reduce all causes of mortality, while too much drinking causes multiple organ damage.

"Reports on the benefi ts of red wine are almost two centuries old," said Lindsay Brown, associate professor in the School of Biomedi-cal Sciences at The Uni-versity of Queensland and correspond-ing author for the study. "The media developed the more recent story of the French paradox in the early 1990s. Howev-er, studies on the actions of resvera-trol, one of the active non-alcoholic ingredients, were uncommon until research around 1997 showed pre-vention of cancers. This led to a dramatic interest in this compound."

Red wine contains a complex mixture of bioactive compounds, including fl avonols, monomeric and polymeric fl avan-3-ols, highly colored anthocyanins, as well as phenolic acids and the stilbene polyphenol, resveratrol. Brown said that some of these compounds, par-ticularly resveratrol, appear to have health benefi ts.

"The breadth of benefi ts is remark-able – cancer prevention, protection of the heart and brain from damage, reducing age-related diseases such as infl ammation, reversing diabetes

and obesity, and many more," said Brown. "It has long been a ques-tion as to how such a simple compound

could have these effects but now the puzzle is becom-ing clearer with the discov-

ery of the pathways, espe-cially the sirtuins, a family of enzymes that regulate

the production of cellular components by the nucleus. 'Is

resveratrol the only compound with these properties?' This would seem unlikely, with similar effects reported for other components of wine

and for other natural products such as curcumin. However, we know much more about resveratrol relative to these other compounds."

Stephen Taylor, professor of pharmacology at the University of Queensland, agreed that resveratrol is the "compound du jour."

"I think that red wine has both some mystique and some historical symbolism in the west," said Tay-lor, "and of course, some various pleasures attached to its ingestion, all of which give it a psychologi-cal advantage edge, food-wise. Not many of us can or will eat a couple of cups of blueberries a day for years

on end, but if we could do a popu-lation study for a decade or so on such a group, you might actually see similar results."

Key points of the review include:Resveratrol exhibits therapeutic

potential for cancer chemopreven-tion as well as cardioprotection.

"It sounds contradictory that a single compound can benefi t the heart by preventing damage to cells, yet prevent cancer by causing cell death, said Brown. "The most likely explanation for this, still to be rigor-ously proved in many organs, is that low concentrations activate survival mechanisms of cells while high con-centrations turn on the in-built death signals in these cells."

Resveratrol may aid in the preven-tion of age-related disorders, such as neurodegenerative diseases, infl am-mation, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

"The simplest explanation is that resveratrol turns on the cell's own survival pathways, preventing dam-age to individual cells," said Brown. "Further mechanisms help, including removing very reactive oxidants in the body and improving blood sup-ply to cells."

Low doses of resveratrol improve cell survival as a mechanism of cardio- and neuro-protection, while high doses increase cell death.

"The key difference is probably the result of activation of the sirtuins in the nucleus," said Brown. "Low activation reverses age-associated changes, while high activation increases the process of apoptosis or programmed cell death to remove cellular debris. Similar changes are seen with low-dose versus high-dose resveratrol: low-dose resveratrol produces cellular protection and reduces damage, while high-dose resveratrol prevents cancers."

In summary, noted Brown, cur-rent scientifi c research is starting to explain reports from the last 200 years that drinking red wine improves health. "It is a cliché that 'nature is a treasure trove of com-

The Secrets of Resveratrol's Health Benefi ts

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Grapes provide more antioxidant protection for the eyes and may help prevent the onset of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a new study has found.

The study compared the impact of an antioxidant-rich diet on vision us-ing mice prone to developing retinal damage in old age in much the same way as humans do. Mice either received a grape-enriched diet, a diet with added lutein, or a normal diet.

The researchers found that grapes proved to offer dra-matic protection – the grape-enriched diet pro-tected against oxidative damage of the retina and prevented blindness in those mice consuming grapes. While lutein was also effective, grapes were found to offer signifi cantly more protection.

“The protective effect of the grapes in this study was remark-able, offering a benefi t for vision at old age even if grapes were con-sumed only at young age,” Silvia

Grapes may help stave off age-related visual degeneration

Buckwheat tea, also known as soba tea, has been used for a very long time in several different cultures. If you are looking for a new addition to your tea shelf, or simply wishing to learn about some of buckwheat’s

incredible health benefi ts, then read this article

to learn about

one of the latest trends in tea drinking and healthy living.

What Does This Tea Taste Like?

Although to many it sounds like an unappetizing drink, buckwheat tea is a favorite among a rapidly growing number of people. Many people claim it tastes rich and beefy, like coffee but without the bitterness. Other people liken it to a nutty-fl avored tea. In truth, it has many different fl avor notes, rather like a wine, and you may end up focusing on other fl avors than other people.

Regardless of what fl avor you par-ticularly pick up on, almost everyone agrees that the scent of the tea is quite strong, but ultimately pleasing.

What are Some of the Health Benefi ts?

Although many people fi nd the taste quite good, the real reason most people are trying buckwheat tea is be-cause of its excellent health benefi ts. These benefi ts have been known for many years in certain cultures, but they are just recently coming into the mainstream for the everyday person to enjoy.

For starters, buckwheat contains several vitamins and minerals such as B1 and B2. It also contains a biofl a-vonoid called rutin that encompasses the benefi ts of both green tea and red wine as well. Essentially what rutin does is strengthen capillaries as well as helps to fi ght off free radicals. This means that it helps people suffering from high blood pressure, arterio-sclerosis, and can even help prevent a very large amount of different types of cancer.

On top of rutin, buckwheat also contains a compound called choline. Choline is one of the members of the vitamin B complex. This one in par-ticular plays an integral role in proper metabolizing, and it also decreases cholesterol and lowers blood pressure.

The good news does not stop there. Buckwheat, particularly drink-ing buckwheat tea, helps the body prevent the accumulation of body fat. It also enables your body to produce healthier and more regular bowel movements. To top it all off buckwheat and its tea variant fi t into a low-calorie and well-balanced diet. Even the strictest regimens can easily include this tea; it will not throw off dietary restrictions.

Tea Availability

Until this tea fully hits mainstream commercialism, it will continue to be diffi cult to obtain. While some specialty health food and organic stores will carry buckwheat tea, many people do not have access to them. Therefore you may wish to purchase the tea online.

Prices are going to vary, and you need to be smart about your purchases to ensure that you are getting the best value for your money. Many online stores charge around $5 for an ounce and a half. This is going to sound like a considerable amount of money to many people, but in reality it’s a pretty good deal.

Despite the small package size, one and a half ounces is actually pretty good. You see, just one small tea-spoon (sometimes less) of buckwheat tea actually brews 5-6 cups. That’s a lot of bang for your buck, and people that frequently purchase loose leaf tea like this will be able to attest to it as well.

If you prefer bagged tea, you are going to have to do some additional shopping and browsing, as most com-panies sell it loose. If you are con-cerned about messiness and fl oating clumps in your tea, don’t let it stop you. Buckwheat tea settles quickly when introduced to hot water, making it possible to brew inside a cup with no baggie at all. -- http://m.healthand-nutritiontips.net/buckwheat_tea/buck-wheat_tea.html

All About Buckwheat Tea

Medical News Today | 1/13/2012 -- Ac-cording to a study published in the Brit-ish Journal of Cancer, individuals who consume too much processed or red meat may have an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

Researchers discovered that compared to individuals who ate no meat, for every 50 grams of processed meat consumed each day - equivalent to two rashers (streaks) of bacon or a sausage - the risk of pancreatic cancer increased by 19%.

The team found that red or processed meat increased the risk for men, although evidence was inconclusive for women. Men who consumed 120 grams of red/processed meat per day had a 29% increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer than those who ate no meat. This may be because women in the study consumed less red meat than men.

Even though a 19% increase seems high, it is an increase on top of a comparatively small chance of developing the disease. The lifetime risk of developing pancreatic cancer in the UK for women is 1 in 79 and 1 in 77 for men, compared to smoking which increases the risk by 74%. In 2008 in the UK, approximately 8,000 individuals were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer - 3% of all cancer cases - and approxi-mately 7,780 individuals died from the

Processed Meat Consumption Linked To Higher Risk Of Pancreatic Cancer

disease. The team examined results from 11

studies involving more than 6,000 indi-viduals with pancreatic cancer.

Associate Professor Susanna Larsson, study author based at the Karolinska In-stitutet in Stockholm, Sweden, explained:

"Pancreatic cancer has poor survival rates. So as well as diagnosing it early, it's important to understand what can increase the risk of this disease.

If diet does affect pancreatic cancer then this could infl uence public health campaigns to help reduce the number of

cases of this disease developing in the fi rst place."

Sara Hiom, director of information at

Cancer Research UK, explained:

"The jury is still out as to whether meat is a defi nite risk fac-tor for pancreatic cancer and more large studies are needed to confi rm

this. But this new analysis suggests pro-cessed meat may be playing a role.

We do know that, among lifestyle factors, smoking signifi cantly ramps up the risk of pancreatic cancer. Stopping smoking is the best way to reduce your chances of developing many types of cancer and other diseases as well." -- http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/240319.php

Finnemann, the principal investiga-tor from Fordham University in New York, said.

Finnemann noted that results from her study suggest that age-related vision loss is a result of cumulative, oxidative damage over time.

“A lifelong diet enriched in natural antioxidants, such as those in grapes,

appears to be directly benefi cial for RPE and retinal health

and function,” she said.

Age-relat-ed macular degen-eration is a progressive eye condi-

tion, leading to the deterioration of the centre of the retina, called the macula. It is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly. Aging of the retina is associated with increased levels of oxidative damage, and oxidative stress is thought to play a pivotal role in the development of AMD.

This study showed that add-ing grapes to the diet prevented blindness in mice by signifi cantly decreasing the build-up of lipofuscin and preventing the oxidative damage to the RPE, thus ensuring optimal functioning of this critical part of the retina.

“Preserving eye health is a key concern as we age and this study shows that grapes may play a critical role in achieving this,” Kathleen Nave, president of the California

Table Grape Commission, said.“This is good news for consum-

ers of all ages who enjoy grapes, and adds to the growing body of evidence that grapes offer an array of health benefi ts,” Nave added.

The study has been published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine.

Posted by mayank at 1:06 AM http://mytechnologyworld9.blog-spot.com/2012/01/grapes-may-help-stave-off-age-related.html


appraisal and inspection process, mortgage closing procedures and life as a homeowner. Completion of the course may qualify homebuyers for federal, state, or private mortgage assistance programs. A certificate of completion will be provided at the end of the course, which may help buyers obtain better mortgage rates. These workshops are for adults only; children will not be able to attend.

WHO: First-time homebuyers – or homebuyers without an open mortgage – wanting to gain a better understanding of the home-buying process, and receive information about available grant programs and local incentives, are encouraged to register for one of the free first-time homebuyer workshops outlined below.

WHEN/WHERE: Saturday, January 21, 2012, from

9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Imperial Beach County of San Diego Branch Library, 810 Imperial Beach Boulevard, Imperial Beach, CA 91932

Saturday, January 28, 2012, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Spring Valley County of San Diego Branch Library, 836 Kempton St., Spring Valley, CA 91977

To register for one of the upcom-ing workshops, visit CreditEduca-tion.org or contact Manny Aguilar at [email protected] or 619.672.5872.

About Money Management International

Money Management International (MMI) is a nonprofit, full-service credit-counseling agency, provid-ing confidential financial guid-ance, financial education, counseling and debt management assistance to consumers since 1958. MMI’s counselors are both HUD certified to deliver housing counseling services, including delinquency mortgage counseling, and approved by the EOUST to deliver bankruptcy coun-seling and education. Counseling is available by appointment in branch offices and 24/7 by telephone and Internet. Services are available in English or Spanish. To learn more, call 800.432.7310 or visit Money-Management.org.

and relief of suffering by means of early identification, accurate assess-ment, and treatment of pain. The center hopes to collaborate and work with other agencies to improve qual-ity of life by advancing hospice and palliative care program, education and research.

The center will be co-managed by the Philippine Cancer Society, through executive director, Dr. Rachel Rosario. SM Foundation will under-take regular maintenance of the facil-ity and update equipment. It will also be enroll led in the Gamot Para sa Kapwa program of SM, and Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko.

Dr. Sergio Andres, head of the hospice and palliative care cen-ter, said medical practitioners, like himself, take care of child patients with advanced and incurable diseases, but the family is greatly involved in the care caring of patients. Which is why the center offers psychosocial sessions to teach families how to cope with the sadness and pain of “ter-mination of life on earth.”

The center is colorfully painted with murals, has a fully equipped play-room with a TV set, DVDs, books, and offers activities for children while waiting for their chemo-therapy or other pain-management sessions, hospital rooms for palliative sessions, a doctors’ room, a nurse station and receiving room for parents or family members.

Connie Angeles, SM Foundation

Street Poetry

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

by Michael R. Tagudin

©2012 Michael R. Tagudin. All rights reserved. About the Author: Michael R. Tagudin Educated as an engineer in the Philippines, the City of Los Angeles employee hopes his legacy of poems will provoke a dialogue about the human condition. He is donating the proceeds from the book “Crushed Violets” to the “Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST)”, a non-profit that provides public awareness and advocacy efforts against human trafficking in the City of Angels. To learn more, visit www.castla.org. To help, call the CAST 24 hour hotline 888.KEY.2.FRE(EDOM) or 888.539.2373. Contact [email protected] for more information about ordering the book “Crushed Violets.”

Mga Tula ng BayanRead previous articles by visiting our website at www.asian-

journalusa.com

ni Audele

Sasakyan – Panghimpapawid, Panlupa at Pantubig


Just a Toy

It is estimated that California is amongst the top 3 states in the nation for human trafficking. By its very nature, human trafficking, in all of its forms, is largely hidden from view. This is due in part to the large im-migrant communities, within California, which provide for good conceal-ment of a trafficking operation - in many cases, these persons can be hidden in plain sight. Many of these communities are not trusting of law enforcement and tend to maintain cultural norms – some which dictate maintaining silence in the face of illegal enterprise.

The state’s extensive international border, its major harbors and air-ports, its powerful economy and accelerating population, its large immi-grant population and its industries make it a prime target for traffickers. Apart from the harm that this crime causes its victims, the infrastructure that is necessary to support this heinous crime can serve the needs of ter-rorist wishing to smuggle themselves and/or dangerous weapons into the country.

If you would like to help, please call:Trafficking in Persons Information and Referral Hotline (US HHS) 1-888-373-7888Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation Task Force Hotline (US DOJ) 1-888-428-7581Source: California Office of Emergency Services (OES)


1.Tutubi, tutubing nasa himpapawidAalialigid sa may Ilog PasigDadapo ka ba sa matarik na atip O sa gitna niyong harding anong rikit? Ay dambuhala ka palang lumulutangNamamayagpag doon sa kalawakan!Si Raven II na kakambal ay nasaanNa hinango sa pangalan mong Raven I? Pakpak mong nasa tuktok, umiikotMalayo pa ay dagundong na ang tunogKung lumapag alikabok’y sumasabogAng lulan mo ay mag-asawang kurakot. At nagsawa ang timawang mag-asawaNagpasiyang kayo’y kapwa idispatsaPinalabas na di gamit at bago paPinagtubuan ng malaking halaga. 2.Ay uwang na kaiba, malaki’t putiKung rumagasa ay walang pasintabiNakakita’y malikmatang nagkamaliSUV palang nakasakay ay pari. Bale-wala kung umahon doon sa bundokAt kahit saang liblib ay nakaabotUpang ang relief goods ay maipamudmodSa mga mahihirap at kinakapos. ‘Yan ang dahilan kung bakit kailanganNg magara at mamahaling sasakyanSweepstakes Office ang napagtuunang hinganDahil sa huwad na pangulo’y nabigyan. Sasakyang panlupang pinag-uusapanObispo ay nagkaroon kahit bawalNakasilip ang babaeng KapampanganNakasilo sa bitag n’yang nakaumang. 3.Ay pawikang lumulutang, lumalangoySa dagat-dagatang may gawa’y si OndoyKalakhang Maynila, baha ang lumamonNabuksan ang isip ng lunod na Pinoy. Napagwaring rubber boat ay mahalagaSa panahon ng bagyong nananalasaAng taas ng tubig, apaw sa kalsadaRubber boat ang s’yang natatanging pansalba. At sa pagbili nga nitong gomang bangkaNa ang motor nito’y hindi naaakmaPresyo’y mataas sa tunay na halagaNabundat na naman ang kanilang bulsa. Di na yata titigil sa kasakimanLahat ng bagay pinagkakakitaanIsang halimbawa ay mga sasakyanNapapalooban ng katiwalian. Ika-15 ng Hulyo, 2011

ROOM FOR RENT. Quiet Neighborhood in National City. No smoking. No drugs. 619.746.3416

First-Time Homebuyer


Optimism and hope are radically

different attitudes. Optimism is the expectation that things-the weather, human relationships, the economy, the political situation, and so on-will get better. Hope is the trust that God will fulfill God’s promises to us in a way that leads us to true freedom. The optimist speaks about concrete changes in the future. The person of hope lives in the moment with the knowledge and trust that all of life is in good hands.

All the great spiritual leaders

in history were people of hope. Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Mary, Jesus, Rumi, Gandhi, and Dorothy Day all lived with a promise in their hearts that guided them toward the future without the need to know exactly what it would look like. Let’s live with hope.

Text excerpts taken from Bread for the Journey, by Henri J.M. Nouwen, ©1997 HarperSanFrancisco. All Scripture from The Jerusalem Bible ©1966, 1967, and 1968 Darton, Longman & Todd and Doubleday & Co. Inc.

Daily Meditation: Living with Hope

Senator says UC/CSU deci-sions are appalling, Trustees

are out of touch SACRAMENTO – Last year, both

the University of California and the California State University hiked executives’ pay while raising student fees. Today, Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) will introduce legislation to prohibit pay raises for top university administrators during bad budget years or when student fees are increased.

Yee’s bill will also prohibit incom-

ing executives from earning more than 105 percent of their prede-cessors’ pay. UC and CSU have historically given new administrators more than double digit pay hikes. In May 2009, the UC Board of Regents approved a $400,000 salary for UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi, which equated to a 27 percent hike from her predecessor.

Later that year, then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Los An-geles) vetoed Yee’s previous attempt to stop executive pay hikes despite overwhelming bipartisan support in the Legislature.

“The exorbitant executive pay practices of the CSU Trustees and UC Regents are appalling and rein-forces the perception that they are completely out of touch,” said Yee. “UC and CSU are public institu-tions designed to serve California’s students and not to be a cash cow for executives.”

“I am looking forward to passing this bill and Governor Brown sign-ing it into law.”

Last year, when the CSU Board of Trustees raised fall tuition by 12 percent, they also awarded the new president of San Diego State a $400,000 salary – $100,000 more than his predecessor.

In July 2011, the UC Board of Regents raised tuition by 9.6 percent (on top of an 8 percent increase already approved for the fall semes-ter), while also giving the head of the UC San Francisco Medical Cen-ter a nearly $200,000 raise, bringing his yearly base salary to $935,000, as well as a retention bonus of $1 million over four years.

Yee’s legislation would prohibit such pay increases for top admin-istrators at CSU – including the chancellor and campus presidents – within two years of a tuition hike or within two years of the university not receiving an increase in their budget allocation. The bill will also stipulate that incoming executives can only receive five percent more than their predecessor. While the bill mandates the changes at CSU, due to UC’s constitutional autonomy, the Legislature can only recommend that the Board of Regents adopt the policy stipulated in the bill.

Yee, who voted against the state budget cuts to education, has long

Yee Introduces Bill to Stop Higher Ed Executive Pay Hikes

fought the executive compensation decisions by UC and CSU. In 2007, Yee passed SB 190 to ensure com-pensation decisions were made dur-ing a public session of the Regents and Trustees. Prior to the law, UC and CSU often made such decisions behind closed doors without public input.

“Time and time again, rather than protecting the needs of students and California families, the Regents and Trustees line the pockets of their top executives,” said Yee. “While these public administrators are mak-ing more than the President of the United States, many Californians are struggling. We deserve better.”

‘Hapinoy’(Continued from page 6)


Poem No. 43

The world is just a toyFor the gods to play!Playing with our lives!Playing with our minds!It 's a prime time reality showFor the immortals to amuse themselves!But there is freedom to break through!The real freedom our spirit is longing!My sword in hand!The sword of truthWould slash away at heavens' canopy!Unmasking your face!Revealing the real here and now!So you can be aware of what realityTruly is the Truth!Always here!Always now!Forever and ever!Like a long lost childOur Father welcomes us!

©2009 Michael R. Tagudin


Los Angeles, 13 January 2012 – A team from the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles will conduct a Consular Outreach Program in National City, California on 4 – 5 February 2012:

Location :Council of the Philippine American

Organizations of San Diego County, Inc. (COPAO) Center

832 “E” Avenue, National City, CA 91950

Service Hours :9:00 am – 5:00 pm The consular outreach program is

being undertaken in cooperation with the Council of the Philippine American Organizations of San Diego County, Inc. (COPAO).

The following consular services will

be rendered: · Applications for Electronic

Passport (ePassport), to be returned to the applicant by mail.

· Applications for the retention and re-acquisition of Philippine citizen-ship pursuant to Republic Act 9225 or Dual Citizenship Law. Oath-taking will be scheduled on the same day for quali-fied applicants.

· Applications for Report of Mar-riage & Birth will be accepted but these will be processed in Los Angeles and returned to the applicant by mail.

· Application for Overseas Absen-tee Voting (OAV)

STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT ONLY (by following the applicable scheduling steps below) AND WITH COMPLETED DOCUMENTS ONLY. NO WALK-IN APPLICANTS WILL BE ENTERTAINED.

Appointment Scheduling Steps for ePassport Applicants

Visit the Philippine Consulate website (www.philippineconsulatela.org) and download and accomplish the ePassport application form; and, no later than 1 February 2012 or until we receive 260 applications, whichever comes first, send an advance copy of the completed ePassport application form and data page (bearing the name and photo) of the expired or expiring passport to the Consulate by fax (213) 639-0990. Thumbprints (if needed) and signature must be affixed and all pertinent data on the application form must be com-pleted. INCOMPLETE FORMS WILL NOT BE PROCESSED.

Note: 1. Personal appearance is required

in all cases (including applicants who are 65 years old and above and minors who are below 18 years old).

2. Do not bring passport pictures. Passport pictures are to be taken by the Consulate.

3. The applicant must wear decent attire (no sleeveless and/or collarless attire) and without eyeglasses/colored contact lenses.

4. No facial piercings allowed. Appointment Scheduling Steps for

Dual Citizenship Applicants Visit the Philippine Consulate website

(www.philippineconsulatela.org) and print the Dual Citizenship Application form; Complete the Dual Citizenship Application form; and, no later than 1 February 2012, send an advance copy of the completed Dual Citizenship application form and supporting docu-ments to the Consulate by fax (213) 639-0990. Other than the thumbprint and photo which will be done on site, all pertinent data on the application form must be completed. Otherwise,

Consular Outreach In National City, CA on February 4-5, 2012

incomplete forms will not be processed. Note:1. Oath-Taking will be scheduled

on the same day for qualified appli-cants.

2. Applicants should take their oath as Dual Citizens in DECENT ATTIRE. The Consulate shall refuse oath-taking to applicants wearing inap-propriate outfit such as:

· Sleeveless shirts· Skimpy clothes· Shorts· Sandos· Slippers Appointment Scheduling Steps for

Report of Marriage (ROM) & Birth (ROB)

Visit the Philippine Consulate website

(www.philippineconsulatela.org) and print the ROM or ROB form; Complete the ROM or ROB form; and, no later than 1 February 2012, send an advance copy (one set only) of the completed form and supporting documents to the Consulate by fax (213) 639-0990. In-complete forms will not be processed.

Information FOR ALL APPLI-

CANTS The Consulate regularly updates the

appointment schedule posted on the website upon receipt of completed ap-plications.

The final list of all applicants with confirmed appointment schedule will be posted at the Consulate’s website (www.philippineconsulatela.org) by 2 February 2012.

All applicants are required to PER-SONALLY APPEAR during their ap-pointment time for data verification, fin-ger printing and photo/signature capture and must bring all original documents.

All applicants are advised to transact their business directly with Consulate officials and not through travel agen-cies.

Fees Fees must be paid in person at the

scheduled appointment. The Consul-ate will only accept payments in cash, postal money order or cashier’s check. Personal checks will not be accepted.

Payments should be paid directly to the collecting officer/cashier of the Consulate during the outreach program and inside the venue only. Please be informed that the Consulate has not authorized other people or entities to collect fees for all consular services rendered.

ePassport :$60 processing fee + $6 for passports

to be returned to the applicant by mail Dual Citizenship :$50 processing fee Civil Registry :$25 processing fee + $6 for docu-

ments to be returned to the applicant by mail

Contact Information For information on consular matters,

interested parties may contact Consul Ruel U. Gunabe at (213) 639-0980 or (213) 637-3020

Are you missing a print edition of the Asian Journal?

Read the digital edition onwww.asianjournalusa.com/digital

889,145 reads on scribd.com/asianjournal

Lifestyle

Read Joe Son’s past articles on www.asianjournalusa.com

by Joe Son

Vangie’s Hairstyles3114 E Plaza Blvd., National City CA 91950Call for Appointment: 619.471.5261

Call Asian Journal at 619.474.0588 for great ad rates! Ask for Ogie Cruz

Read Romeo Nicolas’s previous poems by vis-iting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

Mga Tulang Tagalog

by Romeo Nicolas

AFP Modernization

Nagigising na ang Pinas, muli ngayong nangangarap,Bagong gamit ng AFP “be modernized” at syang dapat.Tapusin ang mga taong ginawa lang ay MANGURAP,Ngayon nama’y paunlarin, SANDATAHANG PILIPINAS.

Nadama na ni PANGULO kung ano ang kailangan,Matapos ang pagdiriwang sa bayaning ating mahal.Kasaysayan nitong buhay nitong si Gat Jose Rizal,Labis-labis na naantig ang lahat ng mamamayan.

Bayan muna, oo tama, ang syang dapat pagukulan,Nang lahat ng pangaraping lampasan ang kahirapan.Ito’y hindi makakaya, magagawang magtagumpay,Kung nagsanib ang “Corruption”, kahalo ng KAHINAAN.

Lupaypay na itong Pinas, KAGITINGA’Y nawawala,Dating DIWANG PILIPINO, tila LUSAW at mahina.Bilang isang halimbawa, AbuSayyap sating bansa,‘Di na yata malilipol, ‘di na kaya na mapuksa.

Sinundan pa ng sigalot sa isla ng ating bansa,Spratly Island naging tampok, awayan ng mga PUSA.‘Tagal itong nanahimik, wala namang nabahala,Ang kaibigan nating CHINA, tila biglang magwawala.Paano nga ba tayo ngayong sa gamit ay sadyang kulang?Barko nating malaki raw, barkong bago mag-VIETNAM WAR.Kaya hindi magtatakang ibang bansa’y sundutin lang,‘Pagkat kitang-kita naman itong ating KAHINAAN.

SASAKYANG PANGHIMPAPAWID o “Fighter Jet” nitong bansa,Katumbas lang ay “Trainer Jet”, sa bilis ay bale wala.Sa PANAHONG MAKABAGO, dapat tayong mabahala,Ang “Peace Through Strength” ang syang dapat at ‘di puro ang salita.

“Helicopter” galing US, matanda at lumang-luma,Digmaan pa ‘to sa Vietnam ng ‘yan ang syang sumagupa.Sana man lang ay “Apache”, medyo OK at hahanga,Gamit ang “2 Phalanx Weapon” panlaban sa masasama. (Close In

Weapon System)

Saludo ‘ko kay Pangulo, ituloy ay binabalak,Palakasin ang AFP, alisin ang mga KURAP.Darating ang mga araw, tayo’y muli na sisikat,Magtatanggol sating bansa’t walang bansang mangangahas.

Katha ni:Romeo S. NicolasBocaue, Bulacan6/15/2011

Missing a print edition of the Asian Journal?

Read the digital edition at www.asianjournalusa.com/digital

Most people, do believe that as-trology and numerology has a great influence in our daily lives. Accord-ing to a reliable source, that here in the US, big time politicians, busi-nessmen, Hollywood celebrities, rich and famous always use psychics and the likes to predict the future before they decide to do on something else, specially on big projects or any undertak-ings. Fore-most is Ma-

ria Du-vall, a re-

nowned international phsy-chic with accurate predictions in-cluding helping authorities to find missing persons.

We Fil-Ams are following closely the Oriental/Chinese zodiac signs, though our old folks who were be-ing colonized by both the west and the east, also taught us to observe the horoscope which is a famous prac-tice in the west, in which Aquarius are the zodiac sign for those born in January 20 to February 18. Which predicts that in lovelife- those born on this sign has an abundance of op-portunities and choices, which may lead to confusion, in money mat-ters- knowledge will lead to greater wealth, and on health- discipline and strength of character will equal to good health.

Most people as the calendar year ends, tend to do some beliefs and rituals handed down to us from our forefathers to keep out all the bad lucks to the outgoing year and wel-come the new year for a new years resolution, most popularly are like: drink less alcohol, eat healthy food, get a better education, get a better job, get fit, lose weight, manage debt, manage stress, quit smoking, save money, avoid unnecessary long trips, and volunteer to help others. Many more could be in the

list but some are only doing this so-called “New Year’s Resolution” for maybe a month or two, then the rest will be gone with the wind.

What we are keeping tab is the famous Water Dragon as the 2012 enters, hoping this year will bring us the best after having a lot of devastations in the Philippines and

around the world brought by various natural

catastroph-ic calami-

ties. Feng

Shui masters and experts

say that this year is the

best compared to other Dragon element.

Other years might seem to drag on, but to Year of the Dragon has potential to breathe life-dragon fire, to be magical, even mythical. Keep one eye on the calendar and the other on the stars.

There are five elements of the Dragon Year. Metal Dragon- 1940-2000, Wood Dragon- 1904-1964, Fire Dragon- 1916-1976, Earth Dragon- 1928-1988, and the Water Dragon- 1952-2012. Experts say that of all the animal signs, the Dragon is the best, though we never saw a real dragon, unlike the other animal signs. Other Dragon years were already experienced during the past years, while the Water Dragon has yet to come and believed to give us the best.

Water calms the Dragon’s fire. Water dragons are able to see things from other points of view. They don’t have the need to always be right. Their decisions if well-researched are usually better since they allow other’s to become in-volved. However, experts also say, though the year of the Water Dragon’s predictions are the best to come, we have to bear in mind that nothing can stop a large volume of water.

Will Zodiac Signs Affect Your Lifestyle?



Seminars held in Rome, Ireland, London; book translated into Chinese

by Bob UnruhAlfred Kinsey’s belief in child sexu-

ality, with all of its impacts on children and society, now circles the globe, but a campaign to reveal the truth about his efforts to legitimize pedophilia is following right behind.

Judith Reisman, a visiting professor of law at Liberty University, popular lecturer and former consultant to four U.S. Department of Justice adminis-trations, recently concluded a trip in which she delivered seminars on the fallacies of Kinsey’s arguments in Rome, Ireland and London.

One of her books exposing the agenda of Kinsey’s lifelong campaign recently has been translated into Chinese.

“The Kinsey Institute is very active in the sexology field, holding confer-ences in every major nation in the world. They’ve been training the sexologists, sex educators in every country,” Reisman told WND.

“There’s not a single country that educates the public about sex where the institutional position, [the teach-ers], have not been trained in the Kinsey model,” she said.

Her books, including “Kinsey: Crimes and Consequences” and “Sexual Sabotage,” show that Kinsey’s research was based on “illegal sexual experimentation on several hundred young children.”

His research results came not from a scientific cross-section of American, but from “hundreds of sex offenders, prostitutes, prison inmates and exhi-bitionists,” she documents. Kinsey, Reisman explained, used these people to represent the sexual activities and behaviors of the “Greatest Genera-tion.”

The”K Bomb,” as she calls it — the “studies,” claims and “research” launched from the institute’s head-quarters behind the gothic limestone Indiana University façade — have been used to “subvert” the nation’s traditional morality.

The impact has been seen world-wide.

“People in other countries are con-tacting me, asking me to please come and deliver the truth,” she told WND.

Kinsey’s extreme view of sexuality is typified by a statement posted on the website of the North American Man-Boy Love Association, which advo-cates sex between adults and children.

The statement, from Kinsey’s book “Sexual Behavior in the Human Female,” defends adult-child sex and accuses those who object to it of being responsible for “serious effects” suf-fered by children.

“When children are constantly warned by parents and teachers against contacts with adults, and when they receive no explanation of the exact na-ture of the contacts, they are ready to become hysterical as soon as any older person approaches, or stops and speaks to them in the street, or fondles them, or proposes to do something for them, even though the adult may have had no sexual objective in mind. Some of the more experienced students of juvenile problems have come to believe that the emotional reactions of the parents, police officers, and other adults who discover that the child has had such a contact, may disturb the child more seriously than the sexual contacts themselves. The current hysteria over sex offenders may very well have serious effects on the ability of many of these children to work out sexual adjustments some years later.”

The acceptance of Kinsey’s research of rapists, pedophiles and others has helped foster widespread sexual experimentation and an anything-goes atmosphere.

It has resulted in a “gutting” of the nation’s tough laws that previously had kept pornography and predators at bay, she explains.

Reisman says that although Kinsey’s beliefs are taught at every level of education – from elementary school to college – and quoted in textbooks as undisputed truth, his research was “grotesquely fraudulent.”

Among her charges is that Kinsey’s data came from sources who would stimulate young children, as young as two months, “orally and manually for up to 24 hours at a time.”

Reisman has lectured at Princeton, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Pepperdine, Johns Hopkins, the FBI, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the University of Jerusalem, University of Haifa and Tel Aviv University. She has been cited by the London Times, Time, News-week, the New York Times and the Washington Post. She has appeared on “Entertainment Tonight,” “Larry King Live,” “Donahue,” the”Today” show and “Crossfire.”

Exposing Kinsey: Sex Atrocities Goes Global

She’s been listed in “The World’s Who’s Who of Women.”

On her recent trip to Rome, she presented her research to the Alli-ance of the Holy Family International, including Cardinal Raymond Burke, Cardinal Ricardo Vidal and other lead-ers of the organization.

A Vatican organizer of the events called Reisman’s work critical to the ministry of the Catholic Church.

Reisman also delivered presentations in Ireland, where she trained nurses and doctors about the true methodol-ogy of Kinsey.

“The most fascinating informa-tion [developed], for me, during the discussions, when it slowly emerged that abortion, allegedly illegal, was being carried out, apparently selec-tively, among the Philippine popula-tion. The number of allegedly ‘dead’ babies identified by … doctors actually shocked these nurses,” she reported.

“When I left, the Philippine attend-ees were planning to begin investigat-ing whether indeed they were being targeted for selective abortions and, if so, when this process began.”

In London, her focus was on creating

safe schools, and she reported how sex “education” often is used for sex “indoctrination.”

“Following the meeting, Jonathan Evans, MP for Cardiff North, and Andrea Leadsom, MP for South Northamptonshire, joined parents in delivering to the department of education a 47,000-signature petition … calling for sex DVDs to be banned from U.K. primary schools.”

Reisman further told WND that following the translation of Kinsey’s work into Chinese, some 500,000 cop-ies of his advocacy for pedophilia have been sold.

As a result, two credentialed Chinese professors translated her book “Kin-sey: Crimes and Consequences’ into Chinese, she said.

Meanwhile, her work in the U.S. continues. Last year she was at a sym-posium for “minor-attracted people” that was sponsored by the group B4U-ACT, which disseminated “accurate information” to argue that pedophilia is just another sexual orientation.

“If a foreign country came in and did this to our nation, the nation would be outraged,” Reisman told WND about the B4U-Act event, also attended by J. Matt Barber, vice president of Liberty Counsel Action.

The speakers urged the removal of pedophilia from the American Psychiatric Association’s list of mental defects in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Reisman explained the same strategy was used by homosexual activists in the 1970s when same-sex attractions were removed from the APA’s list of disorders. Eventually, the legalization of “gay marriage,” the mandatory ho-mosexuality lessons in public schools

and the brand new policy of allowing open homosexuality in the U.S. mili-tary resulted.

The recent event wasn’t a meeting of minor unknowns.

“Dr. John Sadler (University of Texas) argued that diagnostic criteria for mental disorders should not be based on concepts of vice since such concepts are subject to shifting social attitudes and doing so diverts mental-health professions from their role as healers,” the B4U-ACT organization said in a report about its symposium in Baltimore.

Another celebrity was Fred Berlin of Johns Hopkins who argued in favor of “acceptance of and compassion for people who are attracted to minors,” the report continued.

The report pointedly referred to “minor-attracted people” in reference to pedophiles and explained that the concerns can be resolved with “ac-curate information.” Richard Kramer, who represented B4U-ACT at the event, contended listing pedophilia as a disorder stigmatizes the “victims” of the lifestyle choice.

According to Barber, conference

speakers said the APA’s Diagnostic Manual should “focus on the needs” of the pedophile and should have “a minimal focus on social control” rather than on the “need to protect children.”

Barber, an ardent advocate for Ju-deo-Christian values and the tradition-al family, told WND the symposium was “the North American Man-Boy Love Association all dolled up and dressed in the credible language of the elitist Ph.Ds.”

“This is a bunch of morally relative, highly educated people in the mental health community who are trying to achieve the ultimate in tolerance,” Bar-ber said. “These are the people who are the disciples of Alfred Kinsey.”

Further, a campaign last year was launched in the U.K. to allow convict-ed pedophiles to adopt children, since depriving them of that privilege could “breach their human rights.”

“There is no reason why all sex offenders should not be considered as potentially suitable to adopt or foster children, or work with them,” said an advocate.

Reisman also cited the decision last week by Greece to expand a list of disability categories approved by the government to include pedophiles and exhibitionists.

The Greek government said the list also includes pyromaniacs, compulsive gamblers, fetishists and sadomasoch-ists.

WND Managing Editor David Kupe-lian, shortly after publication of “The Marketing of Evil” in 2005, predicted publicly that the next “liberation movement” to assault America would be “the mainstreaming of adult-child sex.”

Judith Reisman (Photo credit: Sherrie Buzby)


Now he has noted, “The same god-less logic that leads to normalization of homosexual marriage will lead also to the de-stigmatization and decrimi-nalization of pedophilia. Remember, consensuality has replaced morality in today’s legal system, so a young person ‘consent’ to have sex will ulti-mately trump the old-fashioned desire to protect the innocent. Also, since adult-child sex is a ‘cultural prefer-ence’ in certain non-Western countries,

child-molestation lobbyists are now making the argument that criminal-izing adult-child sex amounts to condemning another culture. So that’s where multiculturalism has brought us.”

About Bob Unruh Bob Unruh joined WND in 2006

after spending nearly three decades writing on a wide range of issues for several Upper Midwest newspapers and the Associated Press. Sports,

tornadoes, homicidal survivalists, and legislative battles all fell within his bailiwick. His scenic photography has been used commercially, and he some-times plays in a church worship band.

Get and read “Sexual Sabotage” or “Kinsey: Crimes & Consequences” Also available is “The Kinsey Syndrome” Link: http://www.wnd.com/2012/01/exposing-kinsey-sex-atrocities-goes-global/print/

SEXUAL SABOTAGE by Dr. Judith Reisman (E-BOOK) - WND Digital Edition - Choice of .mobi or .epub formats. Unveiling the dangerous and treacherous acts of Kinsey and Co., Dr. Reisman unveils critical new insights as to where and how our country went wrong and how we can and must uncoil the perversion

reclaiming a character for this coun-try and ourselves. Dis-

count Price: $7.99

In Perspectiveby Genevieve Tagudin-SilverioRead Genevieve Tagudin-Silverio’s previous

articles by visiting our website at www.asianjour-nalusa.com

Beginning this month, Asian Jour-nal will be running a series of stories from the book “Miracles of Divine Mercy,” a compilation of the testimo-nies of ordinary folk as reported by Mercy Lotilla-Asencio, a laywoman from Cebu, Philippines, who in 2008 when she was 73 years old, wrote in the preface:

“God is working in the world today. He is even availing us a blessing out of our past mistakes. All we need to do is to ask for His Mercy. He will forgive us.”

Mercy, the person, is quick to state that the language she uses is simple.

“I asked the Lord why He made me unsophisticated in my words or a writer with the language of simple words. His answer seemingly, I discern was, “You will write for those who have not finished college, the simple but the wise.” Therefore, the stories are easy to understand.”

Mercy continues:These miracles are from many

places where the Divine Mercy has spread. They are mostly from General Santos City, Davao, Basilan, Cama-rines Norte, North and South

Cotabato, Manila, Sultan Kudarat, Dumaguete, Leyte, Antique and Mindoro. Some stories are from

foreign lands like Sri Lanka, England and USA. I was a witness to some of these stories.”

According to Stanley Villavicencio, the traveling ambassador of Divine Mercy from Cebu, his story is also published in one of the editions.

****

Meanwhile Zarina Cruz writes that Stanley Villavicencio will be in town come February.

She would like to hear from groups, homes and parishes that would like to host Stanley for a talk and allow him to share his testimony with a group. Needless to say, the ministry is open to all and anyone who has yet to hear his amazing testimony wherever they may be.

Here is the email Zarina Cruz sent out to her contact list this week:

“Hi sisters and Apostles of the Divine Mercy, Jesus Christ------

Brother Stanley is schedule to come visit us again Feb 16 - 20, 2012. He is giving us the first stop of his long tour of the USA again to spread the Divine Mercy mes-sage and Devotion. He just left the

More Personal Stories and Upcom-ing Visit of Stanley Villavicencio

Philippines yesterday for Macau then Honkong for souls saving mission for 3 weeks. We are so blessed he al-locates a time for us and our commu-nity despite his very hectic schedule

“In this period extremely per-ilous to His creation, He who is love is moving mankind to extend His assistance. He has appointed a layman, a former pilot, Stan-ley Villavicencio of Mambaling, Cebu, Philippines to be a Promot-er of His Divine Mercy. Stanley who was clinically dead in March 3, 1993, was told by Jesus to go back to life in the world, giving him a mission to spread out to the world His Divine Mercy message through St. Faustina. Thus, Stan-ley now is giving a witness of his Encounter with Christ in Para-dise and he emphasizes the Devo-tion to Jesus, the Divine Mercy. Stanley Villavicencio’s experi-ences with the Lord are bringing more people back to Him in re-pentance. The Lord is tremen-dously using him to promote His Divine Mercy message.” -- Mercy Asencio

Stanley Villavicencio

Stanley (R) with MMIC priests in 2000


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Light &Shadows

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

by Zena Sultana Babao

By Zena Sultana Babao

King David, in a prayer of praise, sang, “In time of trouble He will shelter me; He will keep me safe in His temple and make me secure on a high rock.” – Psalms 27:5. The king also said, “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” – Psalms 27:1.

Poems and stories abound about our Lord God’s mysterious ways of helping people.

There’s a beautiful poem I have read and memorized when I was still in high school penned by William Cowper (pronounced as Cooper) in 1776. Cowper is an 18th century British poet and hymnist credited by some as the fore-father of English Romantic poetry and said to have inspired the works of William Word-sworth and others.

I have loved the poem ever since because of its abiding faith in our everlasting God, and I recite it in times of my deep need. Entitled “Light Shining out of Darkness” the fi rst two stanzas say:

“God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform;

He plants his footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines Of never failing skill,

He treasures up his bright de-signs, And works his sovereign will.”

None can illustrate God’s mysteri-ous ways of helping people better than a story entitled “The Gold and Ivory Tablecloth” written by Howard C. Schade, published in the Reader’s Digest sometime in 1955. This story was re-written and re-titled as “Miracle on Christmas Eve” by Pas-tor Rob Reid, and made its rounds

in the Internet almost three decades later. What you will read below is the pastor’s shorter version.

* * *

It was Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews,

plastering walls, painting, and on December 18 were ahead of sched-ule and just about fi nished. The following day there was a terrible tempest - a driving rain storm that hit the area and lasted for two days.

On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.

The pastor cleaned up the mess on the fl oor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a fl ea-market-type sale for charity, so he stopped in. One of the items was a magnifi cently cro-cheted gold and ivory lace tablecloth with exquisite work, fi ne colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center.

It was just the right size to cover the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.

By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and

paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder and hangers to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful the tablecloth looked as it covered up the entire problem area.

Then he noticed the woman walk-ing down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. “Pastor,” she asked, “where did you get that tablecloth?”

The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials EBG were crocheted into it. They were! These were the initials of the woman, and she had this tablecloth made in Brus-sels before the war.

The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told her how he had just gotten the tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. He was captured, sent to prison, and never saw each other or their home again.

The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth, but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home. That was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.

What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return.

One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood, continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn’t leaving. The man asked him where he got the table-cloth on the wall because it was identical to the one that his wife had

years ago when they lived in Austria before the war. He wondered how could there be two tablecloths that are so much alike.

He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to fl ee for her safety, how he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in prison. He never saw his wife or his home again.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island, to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier.

He helped the man climb the three fl ights of stairs to the woman’s apartment, knocked on the door, and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

* * *Indeed, the Lord moves in mysteri-

ous ways, as “Light Shining Out of the Darkness” says.

Here are the last four stanzas of Cowper’s poem:

“Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take, The clouds ye so much dread are big with mercy, and shall break In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust him for his grace; Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast, Un-folding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the fl ower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err, And scan his work in vain;

God Moves in Mysterious Ways

“It still was a good day, be-cause before the game I got to spend time with Zack McLeod and make him smile...” -Tim

Tebowby Aimee Herd

Heading into Saturday, the media-driven hype surrounding Denver Broncos starting quarterback Tim Tebow had reached an all-time cre-scendo involving various forms of the web, print and TV.

So when the win-or-go-home play-off match fi nally took place Saturday night—a heady beatdown by the New England Patriots that culminated in a fairly humiliating loss for Denver—the disappointment (seemingly even by those who expected them to lose) mixed with “I-told-you-so” comments was palpable.

There are plenty of blogs proliferat-ing the internet that have analyzed ev-ery physical, football-related aspect of that playoff game this past weekend; to the point where one more is quite unnecessary.

What I wanted to know about is character.

Much had been said about Tim Tebow’s exemplary attributes prior to Saturday’s loss. And, knowing that true character is forged and displayed in adversity much more than in times of victory and success, I wondered what the reaction from Tim would be after such a defeat. Would he still give God the glory?

From what I can tell after scouring the internet, this young man—though quite obviously discomfi ted—seemed to remain solid in fi ber and faith.

“They had a great scheme,” said Tebow about the Patriots in the after-game press conference. “They came out and they played well and they ex-ecuted well. You’ve got to give them a lot of credit. I just want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and thank my teammates for the effort they put forth not only tonight but the entire season. I also want to thank the Broncos fans for all their support this season and it defi nitely meant a lot.”

When asked about all the media hype, Tim talked about the value he placed on the camaraderie of his fellow players, “I haven’t worried too much about [the media],” he told reporters. “I think the cool part is the relationship with my teammates. The run was a lot of fun. A lot of ups and downs but we really try to block ev-erything in the outside off and just en-joy the relationships with teammates and coaches, and work and try to get better, and I feel like we did that all year. We just didn’t put forth a good enough performance tonight. You’ve got to give them a lot of credit, that’s a really good team.”

Then Tim was asked about how the loss affected him. He talked about Zack McLeod the 20-year-old Cam-bridge native who suffered a traumat-ic brain injury playing football, whom Tim spent time with before the game. “It still was a good day,” explained Tebow, “because before the game I got to spend time with Zack McLeod and make him smile. Overall when you get to do that it’s still a positive day and a good day. Sometimes it’s just hard to see but it depends what lens you’re looking through. I choose to look through those lenses and I got to make a kid’s day and anytime you do that it’s more important than win-ning a game, so I’m proud of that.”

In sports or business or whatever it is we work at and try to accomplish on a daily basis... When all is said and done, and we stand before the Lord someday, it will not be the yards passing or rushing, or the money we’ve brought in for our company, or how many albums we’ve sold that the King of the Universe will ask about.

It will be the love we’ve shown to another individual; did we touch someone else’s life for Him—that

matters.As journalist, Vaden Chandler

pointed out in a recent article, “It’s important to remember that, at the end of the day, although millions of dollars and many jobs are at stake, the game of NFL football is still just that, a game.

It’s not a matter of life and death, and I for one am thankful that the Broncos have a QB at the helm that besides being a fi erce competitor, also understands that concept and will use his position to help others.

It reminds [me] of one other popular and well-known Orator, who admon-ished His hearers this way: ‘For what does it profi t a man if he gains the whole world, yet loses his own soul?’ (Mark 8:36)”

It’s evident to me that even at Tim Tebow’s young age, he has these priorities straight.

And, perhaps more so because of this loss to the Patriots; his commit-ment to the Lord of life, and to touch-ing another individual with the love of God, will shine even brighter.

About the Author:Aimee Heard is a Wife and Mother

/ Editor of Breaking Christian News / Program Dir. of ElijahStreams.com / Freelance Writer / Midday DJ on HOPE1079 FM -- Link: http://twocentsworth-aimee.blogspot.com/2012/01/in-defeat-glory-to-god-shines-brighter.html

In Defeat, Glory to God Shines Brighter in Tebow

Grand Place Flower Carpet in Brussels, Belgium

God is his own interpreter, And he will make it plain.”

XXX

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit, Thou make me see everything and showed me the way to reach my ideal. You, who gave me the divine gift to forgive and forget the wrong that is done to me and who are in all instances of my life with me, I, in this short dialogue, want to thank You for everything and confi rm once more that I never want to be separated from You no matter how great the material desire may be. I want to be with You and my loved ones in Your perpetual glory. Amen.

Person must pray this 3 consecutive days without stat-ing one’s wish will be granted no matter how diffi cult it may be. Promise to publish this as soon as your favor has been granted.

CTG

Novena to St. Jude

O Holy St Jude! Apostle and Martyr, great

in virtue and rich in miracles, near kinsman of Jesus Christ, and faithful intercessor for all who invoke your special patronage in times of need; to you I have recourse from the depth of my heart, and humbly beg you, to whom God has given special great power, to come to my assistance; help me now in my urgent need and grant my earnest petition.

I promise to make your name known and cause you to be invoked.

(Say 3 Our Father’s, 3 Hail Mary’s, and 3 Glory Be’s for nine consecutive days; publica-tion must be promised)

St. Jude pray for us all who invoke your aid.

This novena has never been known to fail.

CTG

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin(never known to fail)

Oh most beautiful fl ower of Mt. Carmel, fruit wine splen-derous of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh Star of the Sea. Help me and show me herein you are my Mother. Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succour me in my necessity.(make request) There is none that can withstand your power. Oh show me here you are my Mother. Oh Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee (3 times).

Say this prayer for 3 con-secutive days and after that the request will be granted and the prayer must be published.

CTG


San Diego County District At-torney Bonnie M. Dumanis today joined other law enforcement leaders to honor victims of violent crime. Dumanis joined San Diego Sheriff Bill Gore and San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne at an an-nual luncheon honoring heroes who performed brave acts that assisted fellow citizens or law enforcement. Sandy Gonzalez, 18, of Spring Val-ley, was honored by the DA during the 21st Annual Salute to Local Heroes Luncheon for her bravery during an attack one night last April.

“Sandy epitomizes the courage of so many victims who fight back in the face of violent crime,” DA Dumanis said. “She put up a brave fight the night she was attacked,

and later in court in spite of her timid personality. It’s not easy for victims to face defendants in court, but Sandy helped our office convict the defendant and sent him to state prison.”

After exiting a bus one evening in April, a man who noticed Sandy was confused about the direction she was headed took advantage of her vulnerability. He groped her, pushed her into a group of trees, and began hacking at her with a knife. Sandy fought him the man off and eventu-ally ran to safety with the help of a Good Samaritan.

Six other heroes were honored by during the luncheon, which is spon-sored by the San Diego Rotary Club.

DA Honors Victim of Violent Crime at Annual Rotary Heroes Luncheon

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by Rudy D. Liporada

Pusoy, A Russian Poker -- Chapter 25continuation

The Lieutenant

Read it all the way through! It's a good laugh! AND really quite true!!

A good laugh for people in the over 50 group !!!

When I bought my Blackberry, I thought about the 30-year business I ran with1800 employees, all without a cell phone that plays music, takes videos, pictures and communicates with Facebook and Twitter. I signed up under duress for Twitter and Facebook, so my seven kids, their spouses, 13 grand kids and 2 great grand kids could communicate with me in the modern way. I figured I could handle something as simple as Twitter with only 140 characters of space.

That was before one of my grand-kids hooked me up for Tweeter, Tweetree, Twhirl, Twitterfon, Tweetie and Twittererific Tweetdeck, Twitpix and something that sends every message to my cell phone and every other program within the texting world.

My phone was beeping every three minutes with the details of every-thing except the bowel movements of the entire next generation. I am not ready to live like this. I keep my cell phone in the garage in my golf bag.

The kids bought me a GPS for my last birthday because they say I get lost every now and then going over to the grocery store or library. I keep that in a box under my tool bench with the Blue tooth [it's red] phone I am supposed to use when I drive. I wore it once and was standing in line at Barnes and Noble talking to my wife and everyone in the nearest 50 yards was glaring at me. I had to take my hearing aid out to use it, and I got a little loud.

I mean the GPS looked pretty smart on my dash board, but the lady inside that gadget was the most annoying, rudest person I had

run into in a long time. Every 10 minutes, she would sarcastically say, "Re-calc-u-lating." You would think that she could be nicer. It was like she could barely tolerate me. She would let go with a deep sigh and then tell me to make a U-turn at the next light. Then if I made a right turn instead... well, it was not a good relationship.

When I get really lost now, I call my wife and tell her the name of the cross streets and while she is starting to develop the same tone as Gypsy, the GPS lady, at least she loves me.

To be perfectly frank, I am still trying to learn how to use the cord-less phones in our house. We have had them for 4 years, but I still haven't figured out how I can lose three phones all at once and have to run around digging under chair cushions and checking bathrooms and the dirty laundry baskets when the phone rings.

The world is just getting too com-plex for me. They even mess me up every time I go to the grocery store. You would think they could settle on something themselves but this sud-den "Paper or Plastic?" every time I check out just knocks me for a loop. I bought some of those cloth reus-able bags to avoid looking confused, but I never remember to take them in with me.

Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, "Paper or Plastic?" I just say, "Doesn't matter to me. I am bi-sacksual." Then it's their turn to stare at me with a blank look. I was recently asked if I tweet. I answered, No, but I do toot a lot."

P.S. I know some of you are not over 50. I sent it to you to allow you to forward it to those who are.

We senior citizens don't need any more gadgets. The TV remote and the garage door remote are about all we can handle.

Should I Really Join Facebook?

SAN DIEGO (January 18, 2012) – With more than 150,000 homeless veterans in the U.S., many whose remains are unclaimed at their death risk burial in paupers’ graves. Through the Dignity Memorial® Homeless Veterans Burial Program, two San Diego veterans won’t be among them.

Robert James Ball and Gary Paul Oloskey are veterans of the U.S. Navy. Ball and Oloskey will receive services conducted with military honors at 12:30 p.m., Saturday, January 28, at the Veterans Museum and Memorial Center at Balboa Park, 2115 Park Boulevard in San Diego.

Ball, 83, and Oloskey, 68, are veterans with no home, no money and no legal next-of-kin to make their funeral arrangements. That’s when Glen Abbey Mortuary, a proud Dignity Memorial® provider in Bonita, stepped in to see to it that Ball and Oloskey receive a burial befitting veterans of our nation’s armed services.

“The Dignity Memorial Home-less Veterans Burial Program is a cooperative effort designed to ensure that veterans who are homeless, indigent and have no family receive the honors in death that their service in life merited,” said Charles Bailey, chairperson of the Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Burial Program in San Diego. “We’re honored to be able to give Mr. Ball and Mr. Olo-skey the dignified military service they deserve.”

Currently available in 35 metro-politan areas across the country, the Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Burial Program has pro-vided burial services for more than 900 homeless veterans since the program’s inception in St. Louis in

Two San Diego Homeless Veterans to Receive Military Funeral

2000.The Dignity Memorial Home-

less Veterans Burial Program is a cooperative effort among Dignity Memorial funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and local medical examiners, coroners, veter-ans advocates and veterans organiza-tions. Through the program, Dignity Memorial funeral and cemetery providers provide preparation of the body, transportation, clothing, casket and coordination of the funeral service. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provides the open-ing and closing of the gravesite, a grave liner, a headstone or marker, a graveside ceremony and burial in a National Cemetery.

The Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Burial Program is one of many efforts of the Dignity Memo-rial network to honor and support our nation’s veterans and active mili-tary. Other initiatives and programs include the Veterans Planning Guide, the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall, educational veterans seminars and special pricing for members of veter-ans service organizations.

Glen Abbey Mortuary is a proud Dignity Memorial provider in Bo-nita. The Dignity Memorial network of more than 1,800 funeral, crema-tion and cemetery service providers is North America’s most trusted resource for funeral and memorial-ization services. Dignity Memorial providers offer an unmatched com-bination of products and locations serving families with care, integrity, respect and service excellence. For more information, visit www.Glen-AbbeySanDiego.com.

Pusoy (A Russian Poker)By Rudy D. Liporada

Chapter 25 – Continued…

I would later on know that soldiers swooped at the last underground houses of comrades I had reorganized. Fortu-nately, the kasamas had, some escap-ing by narrow minutes, left before the soldiers came. In their heightened sense of security, when they had not heard anything about me within a week, they suspected that something went amiss and assumed the worst especially when they learned that the sympathizer’s house I had been was tagged hot. They assumed that I got caught and not able to withstand the tortures but held on long enough before my spirit broke.

The torturers did not kill me because, they assumed that I, being a Romualdez, could be related to the First Lady Imelda Marcos and did not want to earn her ire if that be the truth. No matter how distant, they assumed right. An aunt connected with the Judge Advocate also pleaded for me. Nonetheless, I still had to stay in a rehabilitation center for two years. From time to time, an uncle, who was a coronel, would have me called, asking about a situation or about a captured comrade. ‘I don’t know anything about that or I don’t know him,’ I would invariably say.

When released, I had two boys, the younger one being a prison conjugal visit baby; I had a nurse wife who taught nurses; I had no house of my own, and I had no job.

Squeezing my family in the Samson’s house, I sold insurance policies, encyclo-pedia, chocolate drinks, and anything that could produce milk for my kids.

Every weekend, I also had to report to the PC provincial commander who kept asking, “Have they contacted you yet?”

“No, they have not.”“Well, let me know as soon as they do.

I am sure they would want to feel your pulse by now.”

“Sure, lieutenant, sir.”One day, a kasama did come, riding a

motorcycle. He told me that the regional committee would like to meet with me. He asked permission from Cynthia, telling her that we would just talk for old time’s sake. Her eyes questioned me where I would stand. I held her hands and kissed her on the forehead before I

placed on the helmet with a dark visor, the kasama had handed me.

With a roar, the motorcycle jerked on the road with me at the back of the kasama but only for a while. At an isolated corner, we stopped and he gave me a bandana to blindfold myself, after which, I smacked back the helmet on and pulled the visor down. Proceeding, after a few more roars and tight twists, turns, and jolts, I lost bearings on where we were and where we were going.

The smiles of Gimo, Jenny, and a son of chief Lab-ok greeted me when I pulled off the bandana. In that ornate room, somewhere in the city, our hugging seemed endless.

“We just came from a national assess-ment,” Gimo said after a while.

“We really miss and need you,” Jenny said with a smile reminiscent of Room 10 at 4:30.

“We will, of course, understand wher-ever you will stand,” Gimo said.

Without mincing words, I told them that I was still a Marxist. As such, analyzing my concrete condition at that time, “I will be more of a liability to the movement than an asset if I go in now.”

I broke down when tortured because of thinking about Cynthia who was pregnant. Though thankful that no blood of comrades poured in my moment of weakness, I don’t know if I could with-stand another episode, especially now that I have already two sons and with Cynthia on for the third.

Jenny smiled. “Who said something about going inside?”

“Now, that you have a legal personality again, you could contribute on the sur-face,” said Gimo. “We need information, we need medicines, we need resources, we need to penetrate private and govern-ment agencies, we need to control vital sectors.”

They reminded me that a revolution is like a play where everyone emote a part. Not everyone could be a hero, not every-one has to be on center stage at a given time, not everyone could be at the same scene at the same time. Actors enter and exit as the story goes. Others also man the lights, raise the curtains, direct the music, and move the props.

Before we parted, I asked Jenny, “Any news on Simon?”

“He is still in prison,” she said. “He should be out soon.”

DA Bonnie Dumanis and Sandy Gonzalez

“So, have they come yet?” asked the Provincial Commander Lieutenant that weekend.

“I don’t think, they will ever will.”“Why so?”“Don’t you think that they would be

thinking that I should be thinking of my family first before everything else?”

Somehow, the military did not think so and tried to feel my pulse some other ways.

Two burly men paid me a visit one day, telling me that kasamas inside want me back into the mountains right away. I laughed to myself for this fakery. It was only a month ago when I had the meeting with the real kasamas. Besides, aside from their not knowing the move-ment’s protocols, the men did not bother to remove their shoes when they entered the house. In a very apologetic manner, however, I told them that I did not want to be in the movement anymore because I had already secured freedom from prison and want to go back to school so I could earn more for my family.

Another attempt to see if I still had ‘connections’ involved one dropping the name of a medic kasama asking if I had a source for acupunctures. The pretender’s problem was I knew that the medic had died in battle over six months ago.

Another came late one evening saying

they had a mission in the City with a partisan group and asked if he could stay the night. He acted like a kasama know-ing to remove his shoes before entering the house. When I, however, asked what he wanted for breakfast, he answered “anything will do.” Wrong answer to a password developed with partisans I had dealings with.

To be continued…

(Publisher’s Note: Pusoy is Rudy D. Li-porada’s second novel and third book be-ing serialized in Asian Journal. One can get a copy of the book through Amazon.com – A Russian Poker - or by calling the author at 858-722-1465.)

New Charges Result from Victim’s Death on Christmas Eve

San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie M. Dumanis announced today that involuntary manslaughter charges have been filed against the owners of two pit bulls that mauled an elderly woman. On June 18, 2011, the dogs attacked 75-year-old Emako Mendoza while she was in her back yard. Men-doza died as a result of her injuries on Christmas Eve.

The new charges were filed in San Di-ego County Superior Court this morning. Alba Cornelio, 39, and Carla Cornelio, 19 who are mother and daughter, were arraigned on charges of involuntary manslaughter and death from mischie-vous animal. Both pleaded not guilty.

The pair had previously been ar-raigned on multiple other criminal charges including serious bodily injury from mischievous animal -- a felony; failure to provide public protection from dogs; owning or having custody of a dangerous animal/dog causing Injury; and failure to restrain a dog, all three misdemeanors.

The women now face four years and eight months in prison if convicted of all of the charges. Bail remains set by the court at $350,000 for each defendant. A status and readiness conference is set for February 29th at 8:30 a.m. in Depart-ment 21. A preliminary hearing date is set for April 17th.

During the June 2011 attack, the dogs entered the victim’s yard through a hole in the fence. The dogs had previously es-caped and attacked a man and his puppy.

###

DA Files Manslaughter Charges Against Own-

ers of Pit Bulls That Mauled Neighbor


FilipinianaKung manunumbalik sa alaa-

la ang mga pangyayaring naganap noong sumisiklab

ang Vietnam War, mapagkukuro na yaon ay isang digmaang walang katuturan. Biyak ang bansang Viet-nam noon. Ang Norte ay Komunista samantalang ang Timog ay isang Demokrasya.

Dahil sa pangangamba, ang Estados Unidos ay nasangkot sa hidwaan ng Norte at ng Timog. Naniwala ang mga mga may kapangyarihan sa Washington na kung babagsak ang Timog-Vietnam sa kamay ng mga Komunista ay isa-isa at sunud-sunod na babagsak rin ang mga karatig na bansa gaya ng Cambo-dia, Laos, Thailand at iba pa, kawangis ng mga natutumbang tisa ng domino. Ipinadala ng Estados Unidos ang kanyang sandatahang-lakas sa Vietnam upang tulungan ang sandatahang-lakas ng Timog-Vietnam sa pagtatanggol sa Demokrasya, sa paghaharang sa pag-usad ng mga Vietcong (sandatahang-lakas ng Norte) patungo sa Timog. Sa gayong kaparaanan, ang maliit na sigalot sa pagitan ng dalawang panig ng Vietnam, dahilan sa pangamba, ang maliit na mitsa, ay sumabog at ku-malat, naging pinakamalaking digmaan sa mundo pagkatapos ng World War II. Nasangkot ang maraming bansa, pati na ang Pilipinas, sapagka’t ang mga ito’y kumampi sa Estados Unidos at nagpadala ng “contingent forces” upang tumulong sa “pakikipaglaban sa Komunismo”.

Naging mabangis at malupit ang dig-maang tinuran. Hindi magapi ng Esta-dos Unidos ang mga Vietcong. Mainit, maalinsangan at magubat ang larangan; hindi sanay ang mga kawal ng Estados Unidos sa ganoong kalagayan. Bihasa sa “jungle warfare” ang mga Vietcong at armado sila ng mga sandatang mala-lakas galing sa Komunistang Rusya. Maraming sundalo ng Estados Unidos ang nangamatay, nangapinsala at nan-gasira ang ulo dahilan sa tindi ng hirap.

Kung naging mabangis at malupit ang mga Vietcong ay ganoon din ang mga sundalo ng Estados Unidos. Maraming nayon ang sinilab nila at pinatay nila ang maraming mga walang kamuwang-muwang na mga bata, ba-bae, at matanda na hindi naman kasali sa labanan. Sa huli ay gumamit pa ang Estados Unidos ng “napalm bomb” at “agent orange” na kasing-bagsik ng “atomic bomb” ang hagupit na noong World War II ay ibinagsak sa Hiro-shima at Nagasaki.

Nagimbal ang mundo. Naantig ang damdamin ng mga mamamayan. Sigaw ng mga kontra sa Vietnam War:

“Walang katuturan, walang katuwiran ang digmaan!”

“Estados Unidos, huwag maki-alam sa Vietnam!”

“Itigil ang pagpatay ng mga bata!”Sa Estados Unidos ay kumalat ang

mga protesta. Sa Kent State University ay napatay ng mga pulis ang anim na estudyante na nagpo-protesta laban sa pakikialam sa Vietnam. May mga dat-ing sundalo na sila mismo ay di sang-

Ang Digmaan Ay Walang KatuwiranIsang Kuwento ni Percival Campoamor Cruz

ayon sa gera. Bina-gabag sila ng kanilang mga konsensiya sa dami ng mga walang malay na bata at “ci-vilians” na kanilang napatay sa labanan sa Vietnam. Ang mga “Vietnam veterans” na ito’y sumanib sa mga protesta. Sa harap ng mga “TV news cameras” ay itinapon nila ang kanilang mga medalya na nakamit sa pakikidigma, bilang simbolo ng kanilang galit at pagkawala ng galang sa gobyerno-militar ng Estados Unidos.

Sa maraming larawan ng digmaang ito na nakita ng buong mundo sa pahayagan at sa TV, pinaka-tanyag at pinaka-nangungusap ang retrato ng isang batang babae na ang damit ay halos nahubad na sanhi ng init na galing sa “napalm bomb”. Tumatakbo siya sa isang lansangan, kasunod ang isang tila nakababatang kapatid na lalaki. Sa kanilang mga mukha ay makikita ang sindak, ang hapdi, ang nabibinbing kamatayan.

Si Robert Thompson ay lumaban sa Vietnam. Magdadalawampung-taong gulang siya nang mapa-destino sa nasa-bing gera sa Vietnam.

Minsang ang kanyang tropa ay nag-mamanman sa kabukiran ay napalapit sila sa isang pangkat ng mga magsasa-ka na nagtatanim ng palay. Sa kanilang kasuotan ay matitiyak na ang mga nasa pitak ng palayan ay mga magsasaka nga, mga babae’t lalaki, na ang mga ulo ay natatakpan pa ng tila salakot – sombrerong yari sa buli at kawayan. Nang ang mga sundalo ay nakarating na sa may harapan ng mga taong nagta-tanim, ang mga magsasaka ay naglabas ng mga sandata at pinaputukan ng AK-47 at hinagisan ng granada ang mga sundalo. Sila pala’y mga Vietcong! Nakipagpalitan ng putok si Thompson at ang kanyang pinamumunuang tropa. Nang tumigil ang putukan at pinadpad na ng hangin ang usok ay tumambad sa paningin ni Thompson ang sabog-sabog na katawan ng mga Vietcong; at ang kanyang mga kasamahang sundalo . . . sila ri’y nagkaluray-luray sa tama ng bala. Siya lamang at ang isang kasa-mahan ang natira. Dumating ang Huey helicopter ng Estados Unidos at inilikas ang dalawang nakaligtas sa kamatayan. Dahilan sa kanyang kabayanihan at pagkakasalanta sa gera ay nakatanggap si Thompson ng karangalang Purple Heart Medal.

Mahigit pitong-pung taong gulang na si Thompson. Nang iwan niya ang buhay-militar ay nagpundar siya ng

isang negosyo na sa tagal ng panahon ay lumaki naman at naging matagump-ay.

Kamakailan lamang ay nakaramdam si Thompson ng pananakit sa dibdib at tila nahihirapan siyang huminga. Nag-patingin sa doktor si Thompson at ang kinalabasan ng pagsusuri – may kanser siya sa baga.

Hindi nagsisigarilyo si Thompson. Hindi rin nagsisigarilyo ang kanyang asawa. “Saan kaya nanggaling ang kanser?” tanong niya sa sarili.

Dahilan sa epekto ng lason na dala ng “agent orange”, di mabilang ang kaso ng kanser, pagkabulag, pagkapilay at marami pang ibang kapansanan ang naitala na dumapo sa mga mamama-yang Vietnamese. Lumipas na ang mga dekada ay nagpatuloy pa ang masa-mang epekto ng nasabing lason sa mga tao; maraming bata ang isinilang na bulag, o di makalakad, o may kapan-sanan o ang mga paa o ang mga braso ay hindi nabuo. Matindi ang epekto ng “agent orange”.

Nakalanghap din ang mga sund-along-Estados Unidos, katulad ni Thompson, ng amoy, usok at init ng “agent orange”. Malamang na ang kan-yang kanser ay dulot ng pagkakabilad sa “agent orange”.

May mga sundalo ng Estados Unidos na nahuli at ikinulong ng mga Viet-cong. Ipiniit sila na tila mga daga sa loob ng madidilim na lungga. Marumi at mainit ang mga lungga. Di sila pina-payagang magsalita, mag-usap. Ang marami ay inilalagay sa mga “torture chambers” at doon ay pinarurusahan sila. Halimbawa ng parusa ay ang paglalagay sa preso sa isang masikip na silid na nakasindi ang ilaw maghapon at magdamag. Nakatali sa isang silya ang preso at sa kanyang ulo ay paisa-isang pumapatak ang tulo ng tubig. Mahihibang ang sino mang ilalagay sa ganyang katayuan. Walang pag-asang ang taong nasa ganyang kalagayan

ay makapagpapahinga o di kaya’y makatutulog.

Sa dakong wakas ng Vietnam War ay halos kalahating-milyong sundalo ng Estados Unidos ang napadala sa bansang nasabi. Mahigit isang milyon ang Amerikanong namatay. Mahigit dalawang milyon naman ang Vietnam-ese na nasawi.

Libo ang taga-Timog-Vietnam na inilikas ng Estados Unidos patungo sa Pilipinas muna, at pagkatapos, ay sa Estados Unidos, bago bumagsak ang Saigon, ang sentro ng Timog-Vietnam. Isa sa mga mapalad na nilalang na nailigtas ay si Linh Ahn Duong: Walong-taong batang babae na ang buong pamilya ay nasawi sa gera. May mag-asawang taga-Estados Unidos na umampon kay Linh at siya ay nakapag-aral at nagkaroon ng magandang kinabukasan.

Maganda at matalino si Linh. Makinis ang kanyang balat at maba-bakas sa kanyang mukha ang gandang magkahalong Vietnamese at French (ang Vietnam ay pinamahayan ng mga Pranses nang mahigit sa isang daang taon; kung kaya’t nagkaroon ng dugong Pranses ang marami sa kanila).

Naging tigib ng trahedya ang kabataan ni Linh; salamat na lamang at ang masasamang pangyayari, lalo na kung nangyayari sa edad ng kamus-musan, ay nabubura sa alaala.

Naging doktor si Linh, sa awa ng Diyos at sa tangkilik ng mga hiram na magulang. At siya’y naging hindi lamang isang doktor, kundi isang pambihirang doktor. Siya’y “surgeon” na nakatuklas ng paraan kung papaano mahihiwa at lubusang maaalis ang kanser sa katawan. May natuklasan siyang “kulay” na kapagka itinurok sa kanser ay “umiilaw” ito at sa gayon ay nalalaman ng “surgeon” kung alin ang ba-hagi ng “organ” o “tissue” ang titistisin. Matagumpay

na naaalis ang kanser, buo at walang naiiwan, at ang pasyente ay nabubuhay at naililigtas sa nasabing nakamamatay na sakit.

Nagsanga ang landas nina Thomp-son at Linh. Nagkadaupang-palad ang bayani ng Vietnam at ang biktima ng Vietnam. Ang Imperyalista at ang Ko-munista. Ang pasyente at ang doktor. Ang nasa bingit ng kamatayan at ang tagapagligtas.

Inoperahan si Thompson at, gaya ng inaasahan, matagumpay ang operasyon at nalinis at natistis ang lahat ng kanser.

Isang linggo ang lumipas at maaari nang makalabas ng ospital si Thomp-son. Nang lumipas na ang mga epekto ng gamot at luminaw na ang kanyang pag-iisip ay naunawaan niya na sila pala ng doktor ay kapuwa may naka-lipas sa Vietnam. Nagkaroon siya ng pananabik na makausap ang doktor.

“Dr. Linh”, at ipinakita ni Thompson sa doktor ang kanyang Purple Heart Medal, “heto ang katibayan na dahil sa aking maliit na pagsasakit ay nagwagi ang Demokrasya sa Vietnam.”

“Mr. Thompson”, sagot ng magan-dang doktor, “walang nagwawagi sa ano mang digmaan.”

“Nguni’t ikaw ay isang halimbawa. Nailigtas ka sa Komunismo at naging doktor,” paliwanag ni Thompson.

“Ang kabayaran, Mr. Thompson? Il-ang milyong buhay ang nasawi, kasama na ang buhay ng aking mga magulang at kapatid? Ilang bayan, ilang nayon ang nalimas? Ilang daang taon umatras ang kaunlaran sa Vietnam, dahilan sa gera? May nagwagi ba? Umurong ang Estados Unidos sa Vietnam at ang mga Vietnamese ay ipinagpatuloy ang buhay na kanilang nalalaman. Ang Estados Unidos ay Estados Unidos pa rin. Ang Vietnam ay Vietnam pa rin. Nagpahirap lamang tayo sa isa’t isa sa sampung mahahabang taon ng labanan, dala ng pakikialam sa buhay ng may buhay,” walang kagatol-gatol na winika ni Dr. Linh.

Idinagdag pa ng doktor: “Mr. Thomp-son, tingnan mo ang retratong ito.”

At tumambad sa mata ng dating sun-dalo ang retrato ng isang batang babae na ang damit ay halos nahubad na sanhi ng init na galing sa “napalm bomb”. Tumatakbo siya sa isang lansangan, kasunod ang isang tila nakababatang kapatid na lalaki. Sa kanilang mga mukha ay makikita ang sindak, ang hapdi, ang nabibinbing kamatayan.

“Ang sabi ng mga ‘adopted parents’ ko, ako raw ang batang-babae na nasa retrato.” Maikling pahayag ng doktor.

Matagal na tiningnan ni Thompson ang retrato. Sinalat-salat ang kinis ng ibabaw nito at tila natutuyo ang kanyang lalamunan. Dahan-dahang nangingilid ang luha sa kanyang mga mata. Tumayo si Thompson mula sa pagkakahiga sa kama ng maysakit at lumakad patungo sa bintana. Binuksan niya ang bintanang-salamin at nilang-hap nang malalim ang sariwang hangin na sumalubong sa kanyang mukha. Kipkip sa kanang kamay ang Purple Heart Medal, biglang inihagis niya ang karangalan sa kalawakan sa labas ng bintana.

Bumaling sa doktor at sa tinig na nabibyak dahilan sa mabigat na dam-damin ay sinabi niya, “Ikaw na naging biktima ng aking “kabayanihan” ang nagligtas sa aking buhay. Ang sa akala ay inililigtas ko ay siyang naging taga-pagligtas. Ang naging ulila, sa halip na gumanti, ay tinulungan ang kaaway. Tama ka, Dr. Linh. Ang digmaan ay walang katuwiran.”

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pounds,' but studies with resveratrol show that this is correct! We need to understand better the vast array of compounds that exist in nature, and determine their potential benefi ts to health."

"There is one particular point that deserves fl eshing out," added Taylor. "Resveratrol is largely inactivated by the gut or liver before it reaches the blood stream, where it exerts its effects – whatever they may be – good, bad, or indifferent. Thus, most of the reseveratrol in imbibed red wine does not reach the circula-tion. Interestingly, absorption via the mucous membanes in the mouth can result in up to around 100 times the blood levels, if done slowly rather than simply gulping it down. Of course, we don't know if these things matter yet, but issues like this are real and generally ignored by all."

Posted by pooja at 1:12 AM http://refreshingnews9.blogspot.com/2012/01/secrets-of-resveratrols-health-benefi ts.html

We dream of national unifi cation or greater political clout of harmony among ourselves, of more concerted humanitarian work here and abroad in helping to rebuild the Philippines, and of pooled fi nancial resources to build a Filipino Cultural Center in our respective communities…the list goes on. There is that torpor for improvement in Filipino harmony, cohesiveness and camaraderie. While Filipino Americans have made strides numerically, their sense of community and larger identity remain elusive. An elusive dream is a goal or vision we would like to achieve or fulfi ll but always remain just out of our grasp no matter how much we struggle to reach it. Although there are clear signs that as a group, we Filipinos in America are slowly beginning to coalesce, many still remain rooted in ethnic identities. The obstacles to draw-ing them together are geographical, dialect differences, and customs, plus continuous political rivalries. It has frustrated the efforts of some Fil-Am leaders, who don’t benefi t from the sense of solidarity often found in African-American and Latino communities. Asian Ameri-cans, especially Filipinos, are more divided than blacks and Hispanics at the polls and often struggle at being recognized nationally. But many leaders insist that unity is the only way Filipino Americans will get their concerns met. Filipinos living in the United States today seem to be blessed and contented people. We have achieved success and affl uence. We have the drive, talent, fortitude and fi ber to turn this dream into reality. Almost everyone has a good paying job, a fi ne home, a car or two

in the garage and a little savings for the rainy day. Today, we Filipino Americans are beginning to yield considerable infl uence. As we work toward our common goal of progress and advancement in the community, our unity and numbers should lead us to greater political and economic power. While the city government is now reaching out to minority groups for participation and representa-tion and while we are given these opportunities, we must not “miss the boat.” Our image in America must be solid, based on our unity. This is the time to speak as one. I believe it is important to understand that basically we are an ethnic minority. We must, therefore, use our skills, experience and expertise to promote our heritage, improve our image in the community and our place in American Society. We must establish a political clout whether we like it or not. Politics play a major role in American way of life. The appoint-ment of Filipinos in city positions are events that should stir us and be utilized as “Pinoy” arousal to rally on, to get involved, to be active in our community organizations, in politics and in mainstream America. It is about time we relearn the true meaning of Bayanihan. We must forge a structure under which we unite. We can no longer practice luxury of infl uence. As fl exible and resourceful people that we are, we should never give up this struggle for unity. Despite our interpersonal problems, I do believe our people reside in our pride, love passion and compassion for one another. These are the bonds that hold us together, our strength of purpose and love of family. There is a subtlety in the ways we do, not evident to other foreigners. We are the ultimate and supreme arbiters of our fate. As a people, we are endowed with the freedom to rise above ourselves. Filipinos are passionate people and history has shown that they have the

capacity to channel their emotional and physical energy toward defi ned objectives. On the surface, we are carefree people, seemingly disinter-ested even in our destiny. To take this façade as a substance of a Fili-pino is to misread them completely. I know we are seriously committed about our unity, our future and our freedom. I also believe that to be a Filipino is to be free. Together, we can rip the veil of darkness that has plagued us through the ages. I partake of the serene confi dence that we shall be able to do so. And this reality, I know shall long endure with the passing of time. The burden of unifying the Filipinos, at least here in this country is ours to bear. As the saying goes, “The destiny rests on what we do today and plan for tomorrow.” Filipino Americans, how do we get there? To you and your love ones, have a joyous and wonderful New Year ! -- AJ

individual contest. They are Clyde Wesley Ang of Chiang Kai-Shek College and Miguel Lorenzo Ildesa of the PAREF Westbridge School in Iloilo City.

Winning individual silver medals are Andrea Jaba of the Saint Jude Catholic School and Sedrick Scott Keh of Xavier School in the primary division, and Ma. Czarina Angela Lao of Saint Jude Catholic School and Raenelle Ean Ngo of Chiang Kai-Shek College won in the middle school division.

The Philippines Team 1 was de-

clared second over all in the primary division team contest. Its members are Wu, Ang, Ildesa, Jaba, Keh, and John Aries Ceazar Hingan of San Beda College-Alabang in Muntin-lupa City.

“I never imagined that we would ever beat China and the US in this kind of competition. I’m very proud that our students rose to the challenge and gave an oustanding performance in the contest,” said delegation head Rechilda Villame, executive vice president of the Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philip-pines, who were with the students in China with Eugenia Guerra, Nikolai Christian Vasquez and Phoebe Guerra.

Besides Hingan, other individual bronze medalists are: Jan Joshua Cruz of Pasig Catholic College; Christian Philip Gelera , UP Inte-grated School, Matthew Angelo Isidro, Mikaela Uy, and Austin Chua of Saint Jude Catholic School, Sha-quille Wyan Que of Grace Chris-tian College; twin brothers Mark Christopher and Matthew Johann Uy, Aaron Dy and Aldrich Aldwin Mayoralgo, of Xavier School, Karli Ang, Philippine Institute of Quezon City, Michael Brodeth and Marc Patrick Celon. Philippine Science High School-Main, Camille Dee, Immaculate Conception Academy, Brendon Go, British School of Manila, and Daniel Young, Jubilee Christian Academy.

Chinese and American contest or-ganizers lauded the Philippine team in the contest and were very curious as to how the MTG, headed by Dr. Simon Chua and Mrs. Villame, trains students for competitions abroad.

A total of 65 teams joined the contest. They include teams from the United States, host China, the Philip-pines, South Korea, Malaysia, Indo-nesia, and Macau. -- (Story courtesy of Manila Bulletin’s JONATHAN M. HICAP)

Pinoy Grade 6 student rules world Math com-

petition in China

Candari, Imperative Change


Reservatrol


“The souls that say this chaplet will be embraced by My mercy during their lifetime and especially at the hour of their death (754).” -- Words of Jesus in the Diary of St. Faustinaespecially at the hour of their death (754).” -- Words of Jesus in the Diary of St. Faustina

CHAPLET OF THE DIVINE MERCYUsing the rosary beads, recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one I Believe in God.

On the Our Father beads say this prayer, which was given by Our Lord to St. Faustina (1905-1938).

Eternal Father, I o�er You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

On the Hail Mary beads say:

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

In conclusion say three times:

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

The Hour of Great Mercy

At three o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion,

particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great

mercy. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in

virtue of My Passion (Diary, 1320). -- Divine Mercy in My Soul: Diary of Saint Faustina

Kowalska

You expired, O Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls and an ocean of mercy

opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable

Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the

Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You. Amen.

Free Divine Mercy Posters for Families (9”x15”) while supplies last. Call 619.851.9547

Miracles of The Divine Mercy: My Life Testimony

MIRACLES OF THE DIVINE MERCY by Mercy Lotilla-Asencio

MY LIFE TESTIMONYOn my retirement, at age 73, I

wrote my life testimony in my lap-top for my children. I realized that there are miracles in them.

St. Paul tells us, “Do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, but bear your share of hard-ship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.” (2 Timothy 1: 8) Here are some that I wrote in my diary:

HOW WISE IS GOD!“God took my father before war

began!”History would tell that after my

Italian-American grandfather, Anto-nio was released by the US army in

Samar, he married my grand-mother, Preciosa Malig-on in Cebu. Preciosa died at childbirth of hemor-rhage. So my mother, Angelina was taken care of by her aunt who loved her.

When she was about 5, her aunt would no longer give her to Lolo Antonio, so he kidnapped her and

brought her to Iloilo by boat. They hid from the bolo-bearing Malig-on folks.

In Iloilo, Mama Angelina was taken cared of and loved by the Immaculate Conception nuns. Lolo Antonio married and adopted a boy.

After he was a widow for the sec-ond time, and a diabetic, he moved to my parents’ home in Sibalom,

Antique several years before World War II came. My mother, An-gelina, Antonio’s real daughter, who was a very prayerful Catholic, took good care of him. Being an expert cook, she would serve him the best food that he liked very much.

My old Lolo Antonio, with a booming voice bought her a nice piano out of his American pension; so that Mama Angelina was the fi rst in the town of Sibalom, Antique to have a piano. My mother loves to play and sing.

Maybe, her Italian blood was reigning in her. She even taught piano to my brothers, Tony and Tom, and my elder sister, Grace. The mo-ment I was big enough, I was also taught to play the piano once week by Tio Moring, who came from the next town, San Jose, 10 kilometers away.

World War II was looming in 1941. I, who was a child, then, could understand the worried people’s face.

One lunch in 1941, my mother gave soup to my grandfather, Anto-nio. He coughed and coughed, trig-gering his heart attack! That made my mother cry a lot!

I heard my mother as she shared (prophecy?) to her friends at his wake, “How wise is God! He took my father before war began! Indeed, we cannot question His ways!”

His coffi n covered with the Ameri-can fl ag was buried like any soldier, bugle taps fi rst, followed with a 21- gun salute. The bugle taps brought tears to our eyes!

Two months after, December 7, 1941, the Japanese soldiers bombed Pearl Harbor where the Americans

concentrated their artillery in Asia was bombed by the Japanese sol-diers. And World War II began!

THE SWOLLEN RIVER THAT SAVED US

I was 6-year-old when World War II broke out (1942-1945). Running away from the Japanese Kimpitai (soldiers) was our fare.

When someone shouted “Hapon!” in our hiding place (The Japanese

soldiers were coming!), we got our ready balutans (baggages), and we moved quickly to a farther moun-tainous place to hide.

It happened one day!Our tired mother would not budge

a bit. As we watched her, she got her Bible saying, “In case the Japanese soldiers would kill me, I will prepare for death.” So instead of running, we all sat down with her as she led the prayer for protection and trust.

The Swollen RiverAfter the massacre in a guerilla-

supporting-with-food community, we were informed by someone that the Japanese soldiers who intended next to go to our barrio could not cross the swollen river because it rained very hard that day. Instead of going to our evacuation place, they decided to go home to town. The Lord heard our prayers! That saved us!

THE MERCY MARTIN GAVE, HE LATER RECEIVED

There was even a time; my fair-skinned mother and pretty elder sister, Grace, together with my two elder brothers Tony and Tom were caught by the Japanese soldiers in one of our houses where we evacuat-ed our luggages. Tony and Tom were about to jump out of the window, but my mother not to do so prevailed them upon. Had they jumped, they could have been shot because when they threw out their clothing (similar clothes worn by Filipino gueril-las) they landed into the Japanese soldiers’ hands! They sniffed them and concluded they were devoid of soldiers’ armory smell.

Everyone in the house was made to line up. My mother and siblings who were suspected of being Ameri-cans (Japan’s bitter enemy that time) were praying. Mama’s prayer of the heart touched the Jap’s Filipino guide, Martin who was my father’s mayoralty election rival. (Both of them lost).

Martin told the Jap soldiers that Mama and my siblings were harm-less Filipinos and were friends of the Japs who were preparing to go back to town. Hence, those luggages were placed there.

The Japs poked their bayonets at our pieces of luggages to fi nd hiding guerillas. By God’s grace, The Japs did not open them for they contained my American grandfather’s papers, war medals during the American war in Cuba, and the American fl ag, which draped his coffi n just before war. Had they done so, grave would have been the consequence.

When my mother and siblings came home to our evacuation place, they told everything, and we prayed for thanksgiving.

A Sequel to that happeningThat Japanese tour guide, Martin

was arrested by the guerillas later, and was about to be hanged! He asked that my father, Vincente be called before the hanging.

My father came and told the guerillas that Martin protected my mother and my siblings from the Japs. So mercy Martin gave, mercy he received! He was released!

ready balutans (baggages), and we moved quickly to a farther moun-tainous place to hide.

It happened one day!Our tired mother would not budge

a bit. As we watched her, she got her Bible saying, “In case the Japanese soldiers would kill me, I will prepare for death.” So instead of running, we all sat down with her as she led the prayer for protection and trust.

1st of Series by Mercy Lotilla-Asencio

THE SWOLLEN RIVERAfter the massacre in a guerilla-

supporting-with-food community, we were informed by someone that the Japanese soldiers who intended next to go to our barrio could not cross the swollen river because it rained very hard that day. Instead of going to our evacuation place, they decided to go home to town. The Lord heard our prayers! That saved us!

A YOUNG MAN’S DEAR POS-SESSION

Johnny told me this while he was courting me in 1956.

After Johnny graduated from Ca-batuan High School, Iloilo, his father could not send him to college, so he sold his dear possession – his violin. Then he told his father, “Tatay, I will be back here in Cabatuan, Iloilo after I fi nish my Law studies.” And off with his friend, he left for Manila. In Sampaloc, Manila, he worked during the day and studied at night for 8 years in UST. When he took the bar, Johnny said to me that he had no Law books to review. He reviewed until the bell rang at 10:00 PM in the UST Library.

After he passed the bar, he went home to Cabatuan and handed his diploma to his father. Johnny told him, “Tatay, I’m now a lawyer. With the Lord’s help I passed the bar.” The whole Asencio clan celebrated this big event in Johnny’s life.

During the party for him, the old man who bought his violin then, presented his violin to him as a gift telling him, “During the fl ood, this violin was lost but I found it hanging on a tree.” Johnny’s eyes were moist with tears for his dear violin had come back to him!

ELECTONE ORGAN DELIVERY BY SOMEONE

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

journalusa.com

Misis : Darling, ano ang tawag sa isang asawa na sexy, maganda, hindi selosa, mapagmahal, masipag, mapagkalinga, masarap magluto?

Mister: Guni-guni!

*** TANONG: Paano mo sasabihin

sa isang babae na mataba siya nang hindi siya mababastos?

SAGOT: "Uhm, excuse me, miss...Mang Tomas ba ang lotion mo?" < oink! >

***

Guni-GuniAanhin ko ang napakalaking ba-

hay, mamahaling sasakyan, milyun-milyong kayamanan, at masasarap na pagkain kung ang kapit-bahay ko ang may-ari ng mga iyun?!

*** Nanay: Ano 'tong malaking zero sa

test paper mo? Anak : Hindi po 'yan zero, 'Nay.

Naubusan lang ng star ang teacher ko kaya binigyan niya ako ng moon! Moon lang 'yan, 'Nay, promise!

For almost a month already, we had no sales in our music store, and on February 1979, we had no more cash left; still we had suppli-ers to pay. Worse of all, I saw my rival organ seller (I was a franchise dealer of Yamaha Electone Organs) Bantigue delivered a Kawai Elec-tone Organ to my prospect-customer. I felt so upset and so disturbed.

I went to my offi ce, sat there, took a Bible, and prayed, “Lord, what I saw did not give me peace. The feel-ing of envy and jealousy is not what You desire. Speak to me, Lord.”

After I opened the Bible at ran-dom, I was struck with the message. And as I meditated on those words, God spoke through my mouth, “Why envy? Why not come to Me and ask?” I was really surprised! But that had a calming effect. So I prayed for our diffi culties and asked for help.

To my amazement, we sold four pianos and one organ that week. Ju-liet called up that I must deliver the organ to her home already. In a little while, Mr. & Mrs. Yap visited our store and paid one Yamaha piano.

Indeed, we only have to ask Him! How foolish of us to limit God’s generosity, when in fact, He is per-fect love!

(to be continued)





CEPA Net

executive director for health and medical programs, said the govern-ment-attached hospice is the fi rst in the country.

Dr. Anjanette Reyes-De Leon, who heads the pediatric center of the Lung Center, said cancer is a formidable contributor to childhood morality here and abroad. In the Philippines the annual incidence of cancer for children aged 0-14 is 100 per million population — the second highest in the Asian region after Japan.

Former Senator Orly Mercado, now with Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko, was guest speaker during the hospice-palliative center’s simple turn-over ceremo-nies. He said children, being resilient, “teach us how to face incurable ill-nesses — tinuturuan tayo kung papa-no harapin ang sakit. Hospice care is giving care to those who need care.” -- My e-mail: dominimt20002yahoo.com

Missing a print edition of the Asian Journal? Read the digital edition at www.asianjournalusa.com/digital

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More Personal Stories; Stanley


and the great demand for his talk and testimony.

Please let me know if you are interested in booking him anywhere in San Diego for more people to hear Jesus message through him and the Divine Mercy devotion, how it can save souls.

Let us pray for him, for guid-ance and protection, wisdom and strength to pursue HIS mission and fufi ll GOD’s will. It is a tremendous sacrifi ce to give your family life and leave everything and everyone you love to do this mission for the LORD, faithfully serving HIM with love and joy and dtermination to reach out to as many people in all corners of the world. This ailing world really needs Jesus’ Love and Mercy.

May the JOY, PEACE, LOVE and MERCY of Christ be wtih you all and your loved ones.”

God bless,

Zarina Cruz

Please email [email protected] to ar-range to have Bro. Stanley visit your homes, workplace, parishes and listen to his testimony.

****We begin the Miracles of Divine

Mercy series with the Life Testimony of Mercy Lotilla-Asencio

Please turn to page 22 for the story.

BUSINESS MANAGER/ FT/ San Diego, 92108

Plan, direct, coordinate fi nancial activities of company.

Mail resume to: Affi liated Research Institute

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� To obtain input from the Fili-pino American community on policy issues which the community may want political candidates and

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skills for the public sector including running for political offi ce, apply-ing for internships and chief of staff positions with elected offi cials, qualifying to be a redistricting com-missioner.

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For information on CEPA Net upcoming workshops and meet-ings, contact: Edward B. Aparis [email protected] or Pam Hooper [email protected] or SCAPAL [email protected]

“We have always been confi dent that as long as the rules are applied and transparency observed, then wrongdoing will be revealed. Ac-countability is catching up with the Chief Justice and his subordinates who have given the Supreme Court a bad name, and who have shown themselves blind to the cause of reform,” he added.

“This is a loan and, therefore, this JRSP grant will be paid for by Filipino taxpayers and will have to be audited by the Commission of Audit. If there are any appearances of graft and corruption, certainly the Ombudsman should take a look

into this World Bank aide memoire,” Lacierda later said in a briefi ng.

“(The report) practically says there has been a breakdown of fi nancial controls and, in fact, it’s a diplomat-ic way of saying you mismanaged the funds,” Lacierda said.

He also pointed out that “16 of the 70 ineligible transactions” were attributed in the report to Court Ad-ministrator Marquez and his offi ce.

6 main fi ndingsThe Palace also prepared a media

briefer on the WB report, which summed up the fi ndings and drew at-tention to what it called the project’s “downward trajectory” starting in mid-2010 under Corona’s watch. The JRSP was approved in August 2003.

The briefer also highlighted the report’s six main fi ndings on the implementation of the JRSP: unreli-

able fi nancial statements, unsatis-factory management style, the use of World Bank funds for ineligible transactions, self-serving internal audit, lack of segregation of duties and procurement irregularities.

At the DOF, the agency called on the Supreme Court to punish those responsible for the misuse of funds. “The WB mission’s report points to serious defi ciencies in the imple-mentation of the project and we request the leadership of the (high court) to swiftly respond to these observations,” it added.

Finance offi cials, including Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, were among those provided with “carbon copies” of the WB report, which was dated Dec. 28, 2011, and addressed to Associate Justice Teresita L. de Castro.

The World Bank earlier acknowl-edged the document’s existence but had not released it to the public.

Misuse of autonomy“Fiscal autonomy is a privilege

granted to an institution to preserve its independence,” the DOF said. “It cannot be used, however, to shirk from public accountability and hide the truth from the sovereign people, which we all serve.”

Last year, Corona invoked the high court’s fi scal autonomy when he alleged that Malacañang, through the budget department, tried to slash the allocations that the judiciary had proposed for the 2012 national budget.

But it later turned out that the al-locations in question had been left intact as the budget bill made its way through Congress.

“We are all stewards of the people’s money, for the sake of truth and accountability, the leadership of the (Supreme Court) must … explain to the public how they have used the funds which they have held in trust for the Filipino people,” the DOF said.

The WB’s observations, the de-partment stressed, “point to systemic problems in the SC’s fi nances.” -- With a report from AP

To:

From: GEN SILVERIO

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

__________________

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

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

AJ-CA_01.20.2012

Toni Thompson

5x4x10

200

NOTICE TO BIDDERS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of San Diego will receive bids for work at the Purchasing and Con-tracting Department, Contracts Division, 1200 Third Avenue, Suite 200, San Diego, California, where bids are to be submitted prior to time specified. Plans and specifications can be obtained from The City of San Diego’s website: http://www.sandiego.gov/bids-contracts. A pre-bid meeting and/or pre-bid visit to the work site will be held, if indicated, at the time and place specified in the contract documents. Prospective bidders are encouraged to attend these sessions.It is the policy of the City of San Diego to encourage equal opportunity in its construction, consultant, material and supply contracts. Bids/proposals from small businesses, minority-owned, disabled, veteran-owned businesses, women-owned businesses and local firms are strongly encouraged. Contractors are encouraged to subcontract and/or participate in joint ventures with these firms. The City is committed to equal opportunity and will not discriminate with regard to race, religion, color, ancestry, age, gender, disability, medical condition or place of birth and will not do business with any firm that discriminates on any basis.Contractors interested in bidding projects over $50,000 must be pre-qualified. Please contact DAVE STUCKY of the City’s Pre-Qualification Program at (619) 533-3474 or [email protected] to obtain an application.Sign language or oral interpreting services are available at pre-bid meetings and bid openings with a 5 business day notice to the Contracting Division at 236-6000.

1. PIPELINE REHABILITATION Q-1Bid No. K-5518-DBB-3-C-A. WBS No. B-11074. MANDATORY Pre-Bid Date: February 1, 2012 @ 10:00 a.m. Pre-Bid Location: Conference Room, 2nd Floor, 1200 Third Avenue, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92101. Bid Opening Date: February 22, 2012 @ 2:00 p.m. Construction Estimate: $5,767,500. License Requirement: A or C-34 or C-42.PREVAILING WAGE RATES: STATE, FEDERAL.FEDERAL EQUAL OPPORTUNITY CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS.APPRENTICE REQUIREMENTS.THIS IS A CLEAN WATER STATE REVOLVING FUNDS CONTRACT THROUGH CALIFORNIA STATE WATER RESOURCE CONTROL BOARD.

Al RechanyJanuary 19, 2012

DATE OF PUBLICATION: JANUARY 20, 2012

COST: $200.00

REF: PIPELINE REHAB Q-1


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WASHINGTON, 12/22/11 – The Trans-portation Security Administration (TSA) announced the launch of TSA Cares today, a new helpline number designed to assist travelers with disabilities and medical conditions, prior to getting to the airport. Travelers may call TSA Cares toll free at 1-855-787-2227 prior to traveling with

questions about screening policies, pro-cedures and what to expect at the security checkpoint.

“TSA Cares provides passengers with disabilities and medical needs another resource to use before they fl y, so they know what to expect when going through the screening process,” said TSA Adminis-

trator John Pistole. “This additional level of personal communication helps ensure that even those who do not travel often are aware of our screening policies before they arrive at the airport.”

Since its inception, TSA has provided information to all travelers through its TSA Contact Center and Customer Service Managers in airports nationwide. TSA Cares will serve as an additional, dedicated resource for passengers with dis-abilities, medical conditions or other circumstances or their loved ones who want to prepare for the screen-ing process prior to fl ying.

When a passenger with a disability or medical condition calls TSA Cares, a rep-resentative will provide assistance, either with information about screening that is relevant to the passenger’s specifi c dis-ability or medical condition, or the passen-ger may be referred to disability experts

at TSA. TSA recommends that passengers call approximately 72 hours ahead of travel so that TSA Cares has the opportu-nity to coordinate checkpoint support with a TSA Customer Service Manager located at the airport when necessary.

Every person and item must be screened before entering the secure area of an air-port and the manner in which the screen-

TSA Announces Launch of TSA Cares Toll Free Helpline for Travelers with Disabilities and Medical Needsing is conducted will depend on the passenger’s abilities and any specifi c equipment brought to the security check-point.

TSA strives to provide the highest level of security while ensuring that all passengers are treated with dignity and respect. The agency works regularly with a broad coali-tion of disability and medical condition advocacy groups to help understand their needs and adapt screening proce-dures accordingly. TSA holds

quarterly meetings with this coalition to inform them about current training and screening procedures used in airports. TSA recently hosted a teleconference with members of these groups to announce the long-standing plans to implement TSA Cares for travelers and inform them of the upcoming launch.

All travelers may ask to speak to a TSA supervisor if questions about screening procedures arise while at the security checkpoint.

The hours of operation for the TSA Cares helpline are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. EST, excluding federal holidays. After hours, travelers can fi nd information about traveling with disabili-ties and medical needs on TSA’s website. To learn more click here (http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/disabilityandmedi-calneeds/tsa_cares.shtm).

All travelers can contact TSA using Talk To TSA, (https://apps.tsa.dhs.gov/talktot-sa/) a web-based tool that allows passen-gers to reach out to an airport Customer Service Manager directly, and the TSA Contact Center, 1-866-289-9673 and [email protected], where travelers can ask questions, provide suggestions and fi le complaints. -- Link: http://www.tsa.gov/press/releases/2011/1222.shtm

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