Valley NewsPagyaman ni PNoy ng 40 million pesos, kinastigo ni Bishop Cruz.

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Page 5VOLUME 2 NUMBER 5 JANUARY 2012

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page 10

Meg Yarcia, p7

Musing

Impeachment trial as comedy, p4

California organization presents 14-millionth reused book to President Aquino

The Economy 2011, p11

8 Things to Love About Davao City

Sexiest Woman 2012: Iza Calzado

Turn To PAgE 11…

Sarah Geronimo:Coming to terms with her first heart break.

By all accounts, 2011 was a challenging one for Sarah

Geronimo. She figured in probably the first major controversy that rocked

the Twitterland, tried to come to terms with

her first heartbreak, and was paired in

two movies with a new leading man who comes from a more established (and for a time unbreakable)

loveteam.But a lot of things

would show that she emerged triumphant

from it all, ready for her fresh start, so to

speak, on 2012: the blockbuster mov-

ies with Kimer-ald's Gerald

Ander-

Turn To PAgE 21…

By Meg Yarcia

Sarah geronimo's Fresh Startson, the successful concert with Martin Nievera at the Big Dome, all the magazine covers, and nu-merous accolades, most notably, Female Recording Artist of the Year, from both the PMPC Star Awards (beating her idol, Regine Velasquez) and Box Office Enter-

tainment Awards.Success borne of hard work

Born on July 25, 1988 and therefore a "Dragon", Sarah may just find 2012 her lucky year, if we ask the astrologers. However, that might be ignoring all the hard work that is the true foundation of Sarah's success.

Indeed, that would be forget-ting that Sarah began "working" as early as when she was two, for a mall show. She would also be part of the children's TV

show Pen-Pen de Sarapen, and perform at schools, hotel loung-

es, shopping malls, and even for Pope John Paul II in 1995. Behind her would be her very support-ive parents, Delfin Geronimo, a retired Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) em-ployee, and Divina Geronimo, who used to run a beauty parlor.

Of course, her big break was when she was hailed as the Star for a Night in 2002. At 14, she bagged a ₱1 million cash prize and a Viva management contract under Vic Del Rosario.

The star risesStar for a Night was hosted by

Regine, while the country's Mega-star Sharon Cuneta was one of the judges. And a clear testament to her eventual rise to stardom was how Sharon would now request her to be part of her shows, and how "Ate Regine" would be part

Indeed, that would be forgetting that Sarah began "working" as early as when she was two, for a mall show. She would also be part of the children's TV show Pen-Pen de Sarapen, and perform at schools, hotel lounges, shopping malls, and even for Pope John Paul II in 1995.

TRIVIA: 2012 Year of the Dragon. According to the Chinese Zo-

diac, the Year of 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, which begins on Janu-ary 23, 2012 and ends on February 9, 2013. The Dragon is the fifth sign of the Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 Animal signs. The Dragon is a creature of myth and legend. In an-cient China, the celestial Dragon rep-

resents an emperor and power.

Inside Info

Sid Balatan, p5

page 8

WelcomeThank You

free

INSIDEWhat’s

The Other Side

Arturo P. garcia, 5

Joe Arciaga, p6

Business Notes

Books for the Barrios Inc., a California-based, not-for-

profit, public-benefit corpora-tion, presented to President Benigno S. Aquino III Friday in Malacanang the fourteen-mil-lionth children’s book shared by California’s youth to Filipino children.

According to the corpora-tion, Friday’s event is a “pure gesture of solidarity between our peoples, as we work togeth-er to promote peace and protect the environment through lit-eracy opportunity for all.”

Books for the Barrios, founded in 1990, intends to provide environmental pro-tection through books-reuse

service to the state and the general public for educational purposes.

This is accomplished by engaging California school-children in a comprehensive global green action program that becomes the model in the country.

California youth rescued from destruction over 5,000 tons of high-quality learning materials gathered from their homes and schools. These books were given to the chil-dren of developing nations.

January 2012http://kapitbahaynews-sfv.com2

Baldoz says 296 Filipino crew of sunken Italian cruise ship safe

An uneventful feast of Sto. niño in Tondo, except for

pickpocketsLabor and Employment Secre-tary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz announced that all the 296 Filipi-no crew members of the ill-fated Italian luxury liner Costa Con-cordia, which ran aground Friday off the vicinity of Giglio Island in Italy will be repatriated to-day, 18 January.

"The seafarer crew of Costa Concordia have all been evacuated from the island and are now in the town of Grosetto in Tus-cany Province. They are accommodated in three hotels," Baldoz said after receiving an update from Philip-pine Overseas Labor Officer An-nabelle Oliveros.

Baldoz added: "The Philippine Embassy in Rome has provided the Filipino crew with travel doc-uments, as all their personal doc-uments have been left onboard and are beyond recovery."

Baldoz explained that the em-ployer of the Filipino seafarers have provided the seafarers repa-triation assistance, including cash advances for their travel back to the Philippines.

As to their benefits, Baldoz said the seafarer's employment contract provides for full payment

of salaries and other benefits.

"Under the seafarers' contract, employment is deemed terminat-ed in case of ship wreck, as in this case, or where voyage has been discontinued for various reasons,

and it provides that in such a case, the seafarer is entitled to payment of wages until his arrival in Ma-nila; earned leave pay; one month termination pay and repatriation expenses," said Baldoz.

"Other compensation includes payment for loss of personal be-longings in the amount provided in the contract, including pay-ment of Injury/sick wages if any seafarer suffers injury as a result of the incident," she further add-ed.

Labor and Employment Secre-tary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz yesterday announced that all the 296 Filipino crew members of the

ill-fated Italian luxury liner Costa Concordia, which ran aground Friday off the vicinity of Giglio Island in Italy are all safe.

“All of them are safe” said Bal-doz, “except for three crew mem-bers who were injured and are

in the hospital. An official roll call and accounting are being undertaken by the Philippine Embassy.”

Our POLO in Rome is closely working with the Philippine Embassy to en-sure that the Filipino sea-farers are being well-cared for,” she added.

The 296 Filipino seafarers are part of the 1,000 crew members of the Costa Concordia.

Baldoz had immediately di-rected POEA Administrator Leo Hans Cacdac to coordinate with Magsaysay Maritime Corpora-tion and CTI Ocean Crew, the manning agencies of the Filipino seafarers in Manila, to ensure that they are provided utmost assis-tance, and to assure their families of their safe condition.

Magsaysay Maritime Corpo-ration deployed 291 while CT Ocean Crew deployed five of the 296 Filipino seafarers to the hap-less luxury liner.

Who says the Corona im-peachment trial would

be boring with all the legal gobbledygook, a classic quote by then Sen. Rodolfo Biazon during the Estrada impeach-ment trial in 2000, that we ex-pect would dominate the trial?

It was the second day and the prosecution was expected to start the presentation of evidence. It was Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr (Cavite, 2nd dist) who was the lead prosecu-tor and he started with saying that itwas in the public interest that they start with Article 2 of the Impeachment complaint which was “culpable violation of the Constitution and/or be-trayed the public trust when

he failed disclose to the public his statement of assets, liabilities, and networth statement of as-sets, liabilities, and net worth as required unders Sec. 17, Art. XI of the 1987 Constitution.”

The defense, as expected, op-posed the re-arranging of the or-der of presentation of evidence. Barzaga said the prosecution was not ready with the evidence for Article 1 which was “betrayal of the public trust through his track record marked by partiality and subservience in cases involving the Arroyo administration from the time of his appointment as supreme court justice which con-tinued to his dubious appoint-ment as a midnight chief justice and up to the present. “

Impeachment trial as comedyIn the course of the exchanges

among the prosecution, defense and the presiding judge, Barzaga said that he was just submitting computer-generated documents from the Register of Deeds.

Computer-generated? Bar-zaga started arguing for the genu-ineness of computer-generated documents.Enrile asked if he was going to present anybody to authenticate the documents. Bar-zaga said he had none and that’s why, he said, “We are willing to postpone the hearing for today. “

“ Yun lang pala ang gusto mo, magpa-postpone,” Enrile re-marked.

Lead defense lawyer Serafin Cuevas, former Supreme Court justice, was caught by TV cameras suppressing a chuckle.

Enrile warned Barzaga that he won’t admit as evidence docu-ments without someone testifying as to its authenticity.

Barzaga said, “Thank you, your Honor, for that ruling.”

“Not a ruling.That’s a warn-ing,” Enrile clarified.

There were suppressed chuck-ling from the gallery.

There was also a lot of chuck-ling on Twitter. Atty. Marvin Ac-eron, tweeted“ Cong Barzaga, upo ka na Pards.”

Professional Heckler:”Kasi na-man, inubos n’yo ang ebidensya sa media. Wala tuloy ma-present sa Senado.”

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, chair of the Senate Impeachment Trial

Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas, lead prosecutor

Chief Justice Renato Corona

Every third Sunday of January, Tondo, one of Manila’s most

densely populated districts, cel-ebrates the Feast of the Sto. Niño (Holy Child in Spanish). The Sto. Niño is one of the oldest religious relics brought by Fernando Ma-gellan to the archipelago in 1521.

Barely a week after the Feast of the Black Nazarene, thousands of devotees flocked to the Sto. Niño de Tondo Parish, bearing images of the Child Jesus to have them blessed.

Manila Archbishop Luis An-

tonio Tagle officiated the early morning mass held at 6 a.m., which was followed by hourly masses held to accommodate the huge number of devotees. A grand procession then ensued, with devotees swaying, images of the Holy Child in their arms, to the drumbeats of native Ati-ati-han dancers smothered in black soot around Tondo district.

The event went peacefully with no untoward incident, apart from several people who reported losing valuables to pickpockets.

Text, photos and video by Vincent Go / VERA Files

Ellen Tordesillas

Vencer Crisostomo said, “Ka-hapon teledrama, ngayon comedy pala itong impeachment.”

Mike Cohen shared a joke passed around online: ” Bakit napagalitan yung ibang prosecu-tors ng mga asawa nila pag-uwi kanina? —- kasi mas inuna yung number 2 sa number 1! ”

Oh well, not bad. The prose-cution, even if they admitted yes-terday was a disaster, said those are just birth pains. Rep. Miro Quimbo of the prosecution team,

insisted that computer-generated copies are genuine. They prom-ised that they will have their wit-nesses today.

At the start of the trial, the senators denied a motion seeking to compel the Corona family to testify the chief justice.

Citing Article 3, Section 17 of the Constitution, the senators acting as jurors, ruled that Co-rona, his wife Cristina and their children cannot testify against themselves.

We feel uneasy about the lack of preparedness by the prosecution when the House of Representatives impeached Co-rona with unbelievable speed last month. Does it mean that there was no evidence at that time and they are only building up the evi-dence now?

That’s not comedy anymore. That’s scary.

uS adds Php84 million for Sendong

victims

The United States Govern-ment, through the U.S.

Agency for International Devel-opment (USAID), is providing an additional $1.9 million (PhP83.9 million) as part of its humanitar-ian assistance to those affected by the recent floods caused by Trop-

ical Storm Sendong.This additional amount in-

creases the U.S. Government as-sistance for immediate emergen-cy relief to $2.8 million (PhP123.6 million).

Ambassador Harry K. Thom-as, Jr. said “USAID’s assistance

will be used to support continu-ing relief operations as well as early recovery and rehabilitation efforts to help disaster victims get back on their feet and reclaim their lives.”

This contribution will be used for emergency procure-

ment of classroom furniture and equipment, reference materials, education supplies, and student kits. It will also fund the repair of damaged schools and small-scale infrastructure projects to help re-start economic activity in the af-fected barangays.

3January 2012http://kapitbahaynews-sfv.com

Inspiring statements for Pinoys amid the Sendong disaster

“Alam po nating darating si Sendong...at gumawa po tayo ng paraan para iwasan ang ganoon kalaking pinsala. Sa kabila po ng mga paghahandang ito, bakit pa po natin ngayon kinaka-harap ang ganitong trahedya? Bakit po may nakatira pa rin sa mga pook na ito?” -Presi-dent Benigno S. Aquino III’s statement on the aftermath of tropical storm ‘Sendong’ de-livered in City Central School in Cagayan de Oro last De-cember 20, 2011.

“By plugging more resources into the Calamity Fund, we can guarantee full support of on-going relief and rehabilitation activities in Sendong-affected areas...” -Budget and Manage-ment Secretary Florencio B.

Abad in a statement on the aug-mentation of the P1.7 billion calamity fund by another P1 bil-lion sourced from government savings.

"We had to impose automatic price controls in these areas until the situation normalizes. Also, by the declaration of state of calam-ity, our government lending and financial institutions can already grant no-interest loans to the most

The mothers of the two miss-ing University of the Philip-

pines (UP) students called on the public to participate in the people’s manhunt against retired Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr.

Palparan, then commander of the 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, was implicated in the abduction of Karen Empe-ño and Sherlyn Cadapan on June 26, 2006 in Hagonoy, Bulacan. On Monday, the Bulacan Regional Trial Court Branch 14 issued a warrant of arrest against Palparan and three other military men. This came days after the Depart-

ment of Justice (DOJ) issued a resolution finding probable cause in charges of kidnapping filed by the mothers of the victims.

Palparan and one of his men, Master Sergeant Rizal Hilario, re-main at large. Two of the accused, Col. Felipe Anotado and Staff Ser-geant Edgar Osorio have surren-dered to the authorities.

“We call on the Filipino people to help us prosecute Palparan for the crimes he did to our children and to other victims of enforced disappearances,” Mrs. Concep-

Mothers of the disappeared call for people’s manhunt vs Palparan

US President Barack Obama

affected sections of our popu-lation." - Deputy Spokesper-son Abigail Valte on the price freeze to be implemented in the areas affected by tropical storm ‘Sendong.’

“The ‘Bayanihan’ spirit of the Philippines always comes to the fore at times like this, and with-out the efforts of all those who are supporting and helping the affected victims, whether from the civil or uniformed services, or as ordinary citizens, the losses would have been even greater.” -European Union Ambassador Guy Ledoux on the enduring Filipino spirit brought about by ‘Sendong.’

"In the spirit of our long history of friendship and coop-eration with the Philippines, the United States stands ready to assist the Philippine people and government should humanitar-ian assistance and recovery ef-forts be needed."-US President Obama’s mes-sage of condolences for the numerous victims of tropical storm ‘Sendong.’

“While he no longer has men under his command, and while he can no longer behave with impunity, it is incumbent upon Mr. Palparan to submit to the authorities and face the charges in court. We would hope that he will face the music and face the charges. Surrender now." -Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.

cion Empeño, mother of Karen, said in a press conference this morning.

Mrs. Concepcion Empeño (left) and Mrs. Erlinda Cadapan, mothers of the missing UP stu-dents, call on the public to help them bring Gen. Jovito Palparan to justice.(Photo by Ronalyn V. Olea / bulatlat.com)

Mrs. Erlinda Cadapan, mother of Sherlyn, issued the same ap-peal. “To all our compatriots, to all citizens, we now know who the human rights violators are. We ask your help, if civilian arrest is not possible, please report to the

authorities the where-abouts of Palparan,” Mrs. Cadapan said.

Four days after the DOJ resolution, Palparan tried leaving the country for Singapore but was prevented by immigra-tion officials.

Also speaking at the press conference, Mrs.

Edita Burgos, mother of another missing activist Jonas Burgos and chairwoman of Desaparecidos, hailed the person who called the attention of immigration officials to prevent Palparan from leaving.

“This is a good example of how we could win, if only we help one another. Let us get involved. Let us help. We have to do what is right…,” Mrs. Burgos, also con-vener of End Impunity Alliance, said. “If we do nothing, we side with evil. We will sin by omission. We cannot do this alone. We need more help and prayers.”

Mrs. Concepcion Empe-ño (left) and Mrs. Erlinda Cadapan

Aquino hopes to perform better in 2012; for govt to weather global economic crisis

President Benigno Aquino III said he hopes that the coun-

try emerges successful in miti-gating the effects of the global economic slowdown as the Phil-ippines enters a new year. Asked by reporters Thursday about his expectations and wish for the New Year, he said: “Number one, we’re hoping that we will be able to weather the current economic storm; that we will do a lot better than what we did this year.

“Tapos na yung learning curve, nailagay na natin ang maraming systems in place that should correct the issue with regards to making sure that cor-ruption is being combated and more resolutions on faster re-forms in the judiciary. A lot of our problems had to deal with various courts this past year.”

President Aquino was in Ninoy Aquino International Air-port Thursday afternoon to per-sonally greet returning overseas Filipino workers during the an-nual “Presidential Salubong.”

The chief executive also said he might not have a vacation this weekend due to heavy rains in the Bicol Region and Southern Tagalog which may result to di-sasters. He said he will closely monitor the bad weather condi-tion to avert catastrophe.

According to the President he has received a weather report saying the cold front is bringing heavy rains in four provinces in the Bicol Region---Camarines

Sur, Camarines Norte, Catan-duanes and Albay and this must be watched. Similar condition is also reported in Quezon province, he said.

As he closely watches these areas, he said he is also continu-ously monitoring relief operations and the rehabilitation of Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City, which were devastated by flashfloods last weekend. The government is also looking closely at Negros Oriental and Isabela, he said.

“Bottom line, unless sure tayo na hindi magkakaroon ng pinsala mukhang on hold muna yung va-cation, better luck next year na lang siguro,” he said.

Aquino greets nation Merry Christmas;

appeals for help for typhoon victims

President Benigno S. Aquino III extended his Christmas mes-sage to the Filipino nation asking

the people to help their fellow-men in need particularly those devastated by Typhoon Send-ong in Mindanao.

The President reminded Filipinos that Christmas is in-tended for all people noting that there are those who don’t have much in life especially those af-fected by the recent calamity.

“Kamakailan lamang, sinalanta ng Bagyong Sendong ang malaking bahagi ng Vi-sayas at Mindanao. Sa halip na magdiwang sa harap ng saga-nang Noche Buena, daan-daang pamilya ang nagsisiksikan pa rin sa mga evacuation center at idaraos ang pasko na kipkip ang madilim na ala-ala ng tra-hedya,” the President said in his Christmas message.

“Ipadama natin sa kanilang hindi sila nag-iisa; tanglawan

natin sila ng malasakit at pag-mamahal, iparamdam nating kabilang sila sa mas malaking pamilya. Ang tanging hiling ko po sa bawat isa sa inyo: huwag tayong mag-atubiling magba-hagi ng ating mga biyaya, huwag tayong magdalawang-isip na maghandog ng mabuting gawa,” he added.

While Filipinos feast on good food and spend time with their families, President Aquino said it is important to remember that the true meaning of Christmas is being humble and man for oth-ers. The spirit of Christmas is seen when the messiah was born in the simplest condition.

At the same time, the Presi-dent thanked all the Filipinos for having confidence in his gov-ernment saying: “Taus-puso po akong nagpapasalamat sa sam-bayanang Pilipino--sa inyong kumpiyansa at tiwala sa pagsu-sumikap nating mahandugan ng mas matiwasay na pamumuhay ang ating mga kababayan.”

On Thursday, the President said he might cancel his pri-vate vacation plans this Christ-mas because of the bad weather that affects the Bicol region and Southern Tagalog region. He said he would be watching closely the conditions in those areas to avert catastrophe.

P-Noy converses with his Official Family during the Cabinet Meeting at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room, Malacañan Palace.

Guy Ledoux

Senator Joker Arroyo said on Tuesday that the impeachment

trial on Supreme Court Chief Jus-tice Renato Corona is expected to be finished in one month now that Corona has sought “outright dismissal” of the eight articles of impeachment complaint against him.

”With that, the Senate should be able to make a ruling, whether it is conviction or acquittal, and finish the trial in one month,” Ar-royo said in a press statement.

Arroyo said the celebrated impeachment trial of former US President Clinton before the US Senate lasted for only 33 days since it started on January 7, 1999 and was decided (by acquittal) on February 12, 1999.

”The Clinton trial, where the US Senators did not wear togas, was not covered entirely by na-tional TV. The US Senate decided on what could be televised and what would not be televised,” Ar-royo said.

In the upcoming impeach-ment trial of Corona, four televi-sion stations namely: ABS-CBN Channel 2, GMA Channel 7, TV 5 and Solar Sports have been given permission to have “live cover-age”.

The lawmaker stressed that the Senate and government have other important things to attend to “rather than get fixated on the trial’s entertainment value.”(PNA)

Sen. Arroyo expects impeachment trial to finish in one month

January 2012http://kapitbahaynews-sfv.com4 News

Pinoys overseas remember ‘Sendong’ victims amid Christmas rush

Even as families have been busy with Christmas prep-

arations and the get-togethers on Christmas Day itself, the many who perished in the flooding in northern Mindan-ao – as well as the families they left behind — are not being forgotten by fellow Filipinos, even those living overseas.

“We’re including those af-fected [by typhoon Sendong] in our nightly Rosaries,” said homeschooling mother Stef Patag, who has been living in the United States with her family for 25 years and whose children lost no time in of-fering to shell out their own money to donate to the victims once they learned about the tragedy.

The mother believes that her children are old enough to handle such news as the Cagay-an de Oro and Iligan incidents that claimed at least a thousand lives.

“I don’t really shield my kids anymore because they’re old enough. The 2-year-old – I did cover his eyes while we were watching the video a pro-lifer made, and some of the photos because he might find it dis-turbing,” Patag explained.

She said that except for her 10-year-old who first learned about the news from her, the others in the brood found out about the floods, that killed and displaced thousands of Filipinos, from friends, listening to the ra-dio, and Pinoy Facebook friends from all over the world.

“When they hear news on the Philippines they’re all eager to talk about it so I didn’t even have to broach the subject. I did show them pictures to demonstrate the extent of the damage and what people are going through. The three oldest kids have [been to

the Philippines] so they have an idea of some of the harsher liv-ing conditions. ‘Yung 10-year-old ko ang medyo sheltered pa,” Patag said.

“They were eager to help,” the homeschooling mom add-ed. “When I said I was sending a donation, I didn’t have to ask anymore — they started telling me how much they were willing to donate. We sent ours through Catholic Relief Services since this is the trusted charity here in terms of commitment to Catholic ideals, plus trustwor-thiness, like saan talaga pumu-punta ang pera.”

Legarda Calls for Cooperation between gov't and oFWs in Syria for

Safe repatriation and Swift Aid to returning Filipinos

Senator Loren Legarda today called on the government to

ensure the safe repatriation of all Filipinos in Syria as she asked Fil-ipinos in that country to cooper-ate withofficials.

The Chair of theSenate Com-mittee on Foreign Relations made the statement after the Depart-ment of Foreign Affairs (DFA) raised the crisis alert level in Syria to level 4.

"While the DFA and the Phil-ippine Embassy in Damascus have already laid out their plans for there patriation and other necessary assistance to Filipinos in Syria, the bigger challenge rests on convincing our countrymen to take advantage of the govern-ment's offer to repatriate them," Legarda stressed. In issuing this appeal, Legarda recalled the ear-lier offers of repatriation issued by the Philippine government.

Since August of this year, the government has offered repatria-tion assistance to Filipinos in Syr-ia but as of December 16, only 383 of the estimated 17,000 Filipinos have agreed to be repatriated.

"The decision by an over-whelming majority to risk their lives, not withstanding the clear and present danger to their safety stresses the need for government

to create jobs in our country that can feed families and educate children," Legarda said.

"I also appeal to our fellow Filipinos in Syria to heed the gov-ernment's call for mandatory re-patriation" she added. In issuing this statement, she also called on the DFA to determine how gov-ernment may effectively cover undocumented Filipinos under its crisis management and secu-rity arrangements.

"As early as August of this year, the DFA has offered volun-tary repatriation. What happened between August and now needs tobe assessed to ensure that offers for repatriation translate to great-er security and safety to our mi-grant Filipinos," Legarda added.

The Senator said that in times of crisis, open communication lines and cooperation between the people in the government are crucial.

"Apart from informing Fili-pinos in Syria of the repatriation plans and procedure, they must also be informed of the options they have in the country when they get back."

Funds from the OWWA must be used for these programs," Le-garda concluded.

Blessed Pedro Calungsod, six others to be declared ‘Saints’

The Vatican yester-day announced that

Blessed Pedro Calungsod and six others will soon be proclaimed saints.

A Vatican news release (http://www.news.va/en/news/decrees-of-the-con-gregation-for-the-causes-of...), said “Pope Benedict VXI received in audience, Cardinal Angelo Amato, SBD, prefect of the Con-gregation for the Causes of Saints, and authorized the promulgation of decrees (for sainthood)”.

However, no definite date yet has been set for the canonization rites.

The Vatican listed Calungsod as a Filipino lay catechist and martyr (1654-1672) among the blessed and venerable from whose intercessions miracles were attrib-uted.

According to GMANews, the authorized miracle of Blessed Pedro Calungsod reportedly happened in 2003 at a hospi-tal in Cebu City when a woman who was clinically pronounced

dead for two hours was allegedly brought back to life through the intercession of Calungsod.

The six other candidates for canonization includes: Blessed Giovanni Battista Piamarta, Ital-ian priest and founder of the Con-gregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth and of the Congregation

of the Humble Sister Servants of the Lord (1841-1913); Blessed Jacques Berthieu, French martyr and priest of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) (1838-1896); Blessed Ma-ria del Carmen (born Ma-ria Salles y Barangueras), Spanish foundress of the Conceptionist Missionary Sisters of Teaching (1848-1911); Blessed Maria Anna Cope, nee Barbara, German religious of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Syracuse USA (1838-1918); Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, American laywoman (1656-1680), and Blessed Anna Schaffer, German laywoman (1882-1925).

Calungsod, together with companion Blessed Diego San Vitores, were killed while doing missionary work in

Guam in 1672. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2000.

After his canonization, Calungsod will be the second Filipino Catholic saint after Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, who was elevated to sainthood in 1987. (Jandel Po-sion)

Advocates mark environmentalist'

'martyrdom' anniversary

Advocates mark environmentalist'

'martyrdom' anniversary

Shangrila Hotel bans shark fin sale

Advocates for a cleaner en-vironment and the preser-

vation of pristine surroundings in Palawan gathered in Aborlan town to mark the first anni-versary of Dr. Gerry Ortega’s “martyrdom.”

This was how Puerto Princ-esa Bishop Pedro Arigo de-scribed the occasion that at-tended by closest relatives and associates of the late veterinar-ian-turned-broadcast journal-ist-crusader.

“We offered the Mass not for Gerry because he is apparently at peace with the Lord but for ourselves for us to continue the advocacy left by the late Doc Gerry fighting corruption and advocating for the protection of the environment, especially here in Palawan,” Arigo said.

He added Gerry would have died in vain if we will not con-tinue his advocacies.

“The Mass was a celebration of Dr. Gerry’s life, having led a very meaningful, beautiful and fruitful life just like what Jesus did in service of the truth and in the service of others, fighting against corruption for people to have a better quality of life in Palawan,” he further said.

Arigo, however, expressed sadness that a year after the murder, investigators are still working on the case that

shocked the country and the international environmental ad-vocates.

“After one year the investi-gation is still in its preliminary stage with the first preliminary investigation was dismissed by a panel of prosecutors from the Department of Justice,” he said.

The Ortega family filed for a motion for reconsideration, which was once again dismissed.

Arigo acknowledged Justice Secretary Leila De Lima’s timely intervention by ordering a rein-vestigation of the case.

He underscored the need to protect the country’s “last fron-tier” which is being threatened as the “lost frontier” due to four mining operations in the prov-ince.

Mining operations by City Nickel have been reported in

Narra and Espanola. There is also another one in Rio Tuba by the Rio Tuba Nickel Mining and one more in Berong.

“What is more threatening is the application of Lucio Tan’s MacroAsia in Brooke’s point which is a very beautiful farm-ing town,” Arigo said.

He said the “fight” is still go-ing on between the people and the mining company.

A small gathering was held at the crime scene at 3 pm today.(CBCP News)

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pang-ilinan, Chairman of the Senate

Committee on Agriculture and Food, lauds the move by hospital-ity giant Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts for adopting a "Sustain-able Seafood Policy."

In a press release dated Janu-

ary 17, Shangri-la Hotels and Re-sorts announced its "commitment to cease serving shark fin in all of its operated restaurants as well as accepting new orders for shark fin products in banqueting with immediate effect... At the same time, Shangri-La announced that

it will phase out Bluefin tuna and Chilean sea bass in all its operated restaurants within the year. In De-cember 2010 the company initi-ated the process with the removal of shark fin products from its res-taurant menus. The new policy is a continuation of Shangri-La's journey towards environmental support."

5January 2012http://kapitbahaynews-sfv.com News

The Other Side

Arturo P. garciaPolitical Analyst

The GMA-7 edged ABS-CBN in its “ service to the Filipi-

nos” by its latest and just ended epic series Amaya.

The morals of the story reso-nates in the burning issues of the day when the Filipino are glued to their TV sets on the real tele-novela series called ‘CJ on Trial.”

Thus the first lesson to be learned in Amaya is account-ability and good governance. The series did not only showed that early Filipinos, especially the pre-Hispanic times Filipinos have their own culture, system of gov-ernance and accountability but also the personal and struggles for freedom and responsibility.

Amaya and Bagani and other main characters like the Babaylan Asinas showed responsibility and accountability by doing what is right. That is to be loyal to their responsibility and taking their re-sponsibility to the heart. Even to the point of taking personal sacri-fices or even giving up their lives.

The series also was careful in making a point that even love has to take the sidelines to give way to fulfill greater duties like the duty of Amaya as a head of the Lumad tribe while Bagani has to take his role as the Rajah of the big tribe.

The series also highlighter the struggle between the Church and the state( in the tribal Babaylanes and the Rajah/datus), the decep-tion of rulers who wanted to per-petuate themselves in power and the struggle between the ruling classes, the early nobility and the slaves.

Not only that the villain played by the versatile Gina Alajar in the person of Lamitan maybe person-ifying the former President GMA who did horrendous damage to her tribe and other tribes by usurping the rulers of the tribes, but highlighted their insatiable greed and lack of accountability.

Like Lamitan who usurped the power from another usurper the Rajah Angaway, the grandson of Babaylan Uray Hilway, GMA usurped the presidency from Erap Estrada. But she does it dif-ferently. She supported the im-peachment and became president via EDSA People's Power 2.

Like Lamitan, GMA also quelled every attempt to remove her from presidency especially EDSA 3 and every coup attempt against her. Thus Amaya is a case

The epic SerieS “AmAyA”: The morAlS And leSSonS

40 million peSoS Add up To pnoy weAlTh in 2012

of art imitating life. The series also showed the

eternal greed for power. It took the forms between the coup and counter coups between rulers ( tribal heads and their chieftains), between the tribal the Babaylanes and tribal medicine men and be-tween the slaves.

Its true darling, class struggle was present even during the pre-Spanish time when tribes and clans were developing in the Phil-ippines.

I personally appreciate the research and the efforts of the production staff. It really showed that we can all be proud of our early pre-Spanish culture It only shows, if we really will have ef-forts to draw more on our culture and past we can do more good and better productions.

We can show the world that we are not poor copycats but we can do originals stories from our rich cultural treasures.

We have a lot of heroes and heroines like Gabriela Silang, Ba-baylan Ines Carinugan, Magat-Salamat, Banna of Kalinga, Palaris, Tamblot, Magalat and others who were never written about nor been shown on films and telenovelas.

While other writers use to re-cycle old comic characters both fantasies or fiction, why can’t we do films on our lesser known and forgotten living heroes?

We really appreciate the ef-forts of the cast and the writers to retell the stories in simple and old Pilipino and Bisayan dialects. I personally appreciate the sweet sound of our native language to the core. It is a refreshing air from too much Taglish that predomi-nates the boob tube.

We loved the actions in the sword fights and battle scenes making the art of Arnis and the

Chinese Wushu more popular. No wonder the land of Arnis and Kali is really the Bisayan Islands where the first colonial explorer who circumnavigated the globe was killed in 1521 in the small island of Mactan.

Like the Harry Potter films, if we remove the magical compo-nents, it will be just a film about high school adventures of youth in far-away England. If we re-move the fantasies based on early Filipino folklores like that of the Bisayan Bakunawa in the TV se-ries, Amaya, it will be just a story about tribal wars, love and tribal politics during the early Pre-His-panic times.

Amaya has a happy ending. That matters because in its happy ending, the series also pointed out the real reservoir of the stead-fastness and the honorable way is how our people cherish indepen-dence and individual freedom as personified by the main charac-ters.

“Hanggang Kamatayan” ( Till Death) is always the battle cry of a brave people longing to be free and sovereign like the tribes of Amaya, the presentFilipino na-tion and people.

Ang KAhulugAn ng pASKo nA AyAw TAnggApin ng ibA

Kaligtasan ng Sanlibutan. Ito ang kahulugan ng Pasko

batay sa kaalaman ng nakakara-mi sa atin. Ito ang buod ng New Testament o Bagong Tipan ng Bibliya.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Ngunit ang Pasko ay may kakambal na mensaheng ayaw tanggapin ng iba.

Kaligtasan ng mahihirap ang pangunahing dahilan ng pag-silang ni Jesus. Kung gagamitin natin ang political buzzword sa kalukuyan, mas malapit sa puso ni Jesus ang 99% na mahihirap kaysa sa mayayaman at maka-pangyarihang 1% ng Sanlibutan.

Paano natin mapapatunayan na ang bias ni Jesus ay para sa mga 99% na naghihirap?

Una, si Jesus ay ipinanganak sa isang sabsaban, sa isang kural ng mga hayup.

Si Jesus ay hindi ipinanganak sa isang palasyo o sa isang ma-mahaling ospital, tulad Mt. Sinai Medical Center.

Hindi rin Hari at Reyna ang mga magulang ni Jesus, kung hindi isang pangkaraniwang karpintero at ordinaryong may-nahay.

Ang kumot niya na nagbigay ng init laban sa malamig na gabi sa Betlehem ay dayami at hindi isang fur-coated blanket na gawa ng Calvin Klein.

Alalaumbaga, noong siya ay ideklarang King of Kings,

maraming humagalpak ng tawa.Paano nga ba magiging Hari

ng mga Hari ang isang taong walang maipakitang materyal na yaman, kahit man lang bahay na naka-mortgage. Patpating donkey ang kanyang sasakyan at hindi larwahe o Mercedez Benz.

Pangalawang pagpapatunay na ipinanganak si Jesus para sa mahihirap ay ang pangyayaring nauna ang mga yagit na pastul ng tupa na makadalaw, makita at magsamba sa paanan ng Anak ng Diyos.

Pangatlo, lahat ng labing-dalawang disipulo ni Jesus, maliban kay Pablo, ay galing sa mahirap na sektor o sa 99%.

Panghuli, maraming binitawang salita si Jesus na pa-bor sa mahihirap. Isa na dito ang Matthew 19:21 na nagsasabing: "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

Kung nabubuhay si Jesus ngayon, malamang kasama siya sa Occupy Seattle.

Sid Balatansid@kalatas.com

Inside Info

remembering Tandang Sora: Ageless Courage

Melchora Aquino de Ra-mos, or simply Tandang

Sora to Filipinos, is the epitome of ageless courage, nationalism and determination, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. stressed at the ceremony held at the Quezon City Hall commemo-rating the bicentennial of the great Filipina hero. Belmonte stressed that heroism is not the monopoly of the young and strong but every Filipino, like social workers and ordinary

folks who choose to serve public good. He is shown with Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista and Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte lead-

ing the 200th anniversary of the leading heroine of the Phil-ippine revolution against the Spaniards.

President Benigno Aquino III should explain the sudden

increase of his wealth, from P15 million in 2009 to nearly P55 mil-lion in 2012, a Catholic Church official said.

Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz said that the Chief Execu-tive should divulge the source of his abrupt growth in wealth con-tained in a report by the Philip-pine Center for Investigative Jour-nalism (PCIJ).

He said that while Aquino has compelled other government offi-cials to be transparent with their assets, the President avoided do-ing the same.

“Dapat lang na ipaliwanag niya... Gusto niya na maging very transparent ang iba pero siya ayaw niya,” Cruz told Church-run Radyo Veritas Tuesday.

“At isa pa ang Freedom of in-formation bill ay ayaw niya. Di niya priority. Kung talaga siya ay pro-transparency e bakit di niya

'to ipasa. Hindi masyadong ma-linaw ang kanyang katayuan,” he said.

According to the PCIJ report, Aquino’s wealth had grown nearly three times or recorded a P40 mil-lion increase within a year after the May 2010 elections.

But Cruz said the public must not be surprised with the growth of Aquino’s wealth which might be derived from his share of the income of the Hacienda Luisita, a 4,915 hectares of sugar plantation owned by Aquino’s family.

“Kung sakali man yun ay kini-ta niya mula sa Hacienda Luisita, nauunawaan ko. Pagkat ang HLI, kaya yan ay protektadong-protek-tado at huwag mong gagalawin kundi tatamaan ka,” he added.

“Kung yan ay galing sa mga kinita ng Hacienda Luisita na kanyang kaparte bilang kaisa sa mga Cojuangco, nauunawaan ko.” Cruz said. “Pero kung galling yan sa iba, ibang usapan na yan.”

Pres. PNoy

AMAYA: Sid Lucero and Marian Rivera

January 2012http://kapitbahaynews-sfv.com6 Opinion

Pedro Holgado III Publisher

Sid C. BalatanExecutive Editor

Kapitbahay Valley news is a subscriber of KAPITBAHAY editorial services, including the logo,

layout design and concept. All rights reserved 2011 KAPITBAHAY

Frederick E. Dabunews Editor

Contact InfoSan Fernando, CA 91340 Phone: (213) 399-5042Email: kapitbahay.pinoy@gmail.com

Manila BureauUnit 2113 BLCPag-asa, Quezon City, Philippines 1105Phone: (+632) 985-2214

Joe ArciagaBusiness Consultant

KapitbahayLayout Design

Joram DugayContributing Photogpher

E D I T O R I A LSalungguhit / Bulatlat

This year, Americans shall decide whether President Obama is fit to continue on for a

second term. As everyone knows, it is a decision that impacts not just people in the U.S., but in much of the rest of the world.

In the Philippines, 2012 might be seen as a referendum year for President Aquino as well: at the moment, he is at a critical juncture of his presidency, having gone after former President Arroyo and Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, and how this drama unfolds this year (and how the public receives it) may ultimately define his legacy.

In many respects, these two are similar: each came into office carrying a message of hope and change, following unpopular administrations. Each is now embroiled in his own set of trying circumstances: Obama with the U.S. economy, Aquino with talks of a 'constitutional crisis' and rising poverty and hunger in his country.

While Aquino seems safely ensconced in his position (for now), various concerned sectors have sounded the alarm. "Our nation is in an explosive situation," said Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, reading from a statement prepared by representatives of the Church, civil society, and marginalized sectors in a Manila summit last December. "Poverty is mounting, streets all over the country are teeming with beggars and dislo-cated indigenous peoples.

"We, therefore, call on the President to refocus the whole governance system in support of the aspirations of the poor."

This 2012, one nation shall decide wheth-er their President is worth reelecting, another whether theirs is still worth supporting.

As we await these moments, however, we might also enjoy the Olympics (happening in London July 27 to August 12); the 60th anniver-sary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II (February 6); and two solar eclipses (May 20 and November 13). We might even celebrate Christmas again, if the world doesn’t end in December 21.

If we make it safely, however, we will have seen how the big decisions were made, and, hopefully, have been the better for it. We all have an extra day to think (2012 is a leap year). In the mean-time, let us enjoy the coming of a new year, and here's to one where we make good decisions, big or small.

big deciSionS lie AheAd AS we welcome The new yeAr

Margaret P. YarciaFeatures Editor

chriSTmAS iS over!Faith in Context

Pastor Eric Terradoroeterr@sbcglobal.net

Christmas is over and we are back to our usual routines

(I hope the spirit of Christmas remains). I wonder if the shep-herds who decided to go and see and experience the birth of Christ returned to their jobs and routines after the great event. These shepherds were on the bot-tom rung of the Jewish society. They probably worked for the owner of the sheep. They were probably day (and night) labor-ers who only got paid for the hours they worked. To go and experience the birth of Christ, they either had to bring their flocks with them to see the baby Jesus or leave them in some-one else’s care. Either way, the sheep, and the shepherds, would have been put at risk. If a sheep was killed or injured, the shep-herd might have had to pay for the animal. If the owner found out that the sheep had been left

with someone else, the shepherd might have been fired. In any case, the shepherds were always in a very vulnerable state. Their jobs were insecure, the pay was low, and there probably weren’t any benefits.

This story of the shepherds reminds me of the vulnerable

members of our society who be-long to the grey economy. The grey economy refers to workers who are paid under the table, without paying income taxes or contributing to such public services as Social Security and Medicare. I believe that many such workers are willing to con-tribute but cannot because of their immigration status.

It is heartrending because we are often so concerned with our spiritual lives that we forget to care for and support these mod-ern shepherds. I know a person who would like to be part of the church but can't attend any of the worship services and fellow-ship with the members because his work does not allow him. Forced to choose between nur-turing his spiritual life and the survival of him and his family here in the Philippines, he has

Boy VillasantaShowbiz Editor

Joe Arciaga

Business NotesAs we start a new year, most people will resolve

to focus on bettering them-selves in all aspects of liv-ing- losing weight and taking better care of themselves, firm-ing up finances, even improv-ing work, as far as efficiency and productivity goes. It is a widely- accepted concept in our community that Pinoys are good workers. In my many travels to different cities in the US and Canada, while on cruise ships, and during a re-cent trip to the UK, I have had the pleasure of encountering many of our worker Kababay-ans; whether it’s Denver, Chi-cago or Portland, or Houston, Vancouver or London, when this writer introduces him-self as a Filipino, he is obliged with a warm hello, a vigor-ous handshake and radiant smile- except in LA, where the opposite reaction is not un-common. (Familiarity breeds contempt?) After the custom-ary “Saan ka sa atin?” (Where do you hail from in our coun-try?) and the sometimes- vain search for a common friend, associate or relative, more of-ten than not the conversation turns to work- what do you do,

The pinoy worK eThic iS Alive And well… excepT in Some pArTS of lA

how long have you been doing it, etc. If the encounter is prolonged (and as a self- professed student of the human condition, this writer often prolongs the encoun-ter intentionally), one gets a good synopsis of the person’s work his-tory and the hardships he or she has encountered along the way. This writer’s recent experience in London humanizes one trajectory of the Filipino diaspora and illus-trates the tenacity, industry and self- sacrifice of Pinoy workers all across the world; in LA however, that very Pinoy work ethic seems to be on the wane, in some re-spects, as we shall discuss later…

Jun S., 56 years old, is a Night Supervisor for the concierge de-

partment at a very nice London hotel near the Tower Bridge. He has worked there for the past 25 years. He also works as a driver for a well-to-do Brit-ish family. In his spare time he works his own business doing home repairs and construction, renovations and room addi-tions. He flies home to the Phil-ippines once a year where he has several properties. When asked why he works so hard, he replies “hindi puwedeng tata-mad- tamad dito” (One cannot afford to be lazy here). He fur-ther explains that he has a large family to support and that he enjoys being able to spend at least 2- 3 weeks in the home-land every year “just to party.” He introduced this writer to other Pinoys working in the hotel, stating “lahat dito double job, walang ginawa kundi mag-trabaho.” (everyone here has at least 2 jobs, work is all we do) Another worker, William, has been in London for 30 years and agrees with Jun about the Pinoy work ethic. “Maganda ang trabaho ng Pinoy,” (Filipi-nos do good work) he quips.

Contrast the above scenario with this one: Manuelito A., 34

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joe.filamchamber.sfv@gmail.com

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7January 2012http://kapitbahaynews-sfv.com Opinion

Tax Work

Angel Y. DayanEA, CPA, ABA, ATA

Be careful. The regulations governing tax practice be-

fore the Internal Revenue Service has been revised. The changes took effect August 2, 2011. Prin-cipally, it has created a new cat-egory of entry-level practitioner and strict penalties: Registered Tax Return Preparer (RTRP). It was a dynamic change since it has leveled the serious responsibility in tax practice. All tax practitio-ners now are held similarly held and equally responsible to strict penalties for actions committed “willfully, recklessly, intention-ally, incompetently, disreputably, unreasonably or non-authori-tatively, frivolously, illegally” to reduce taxes unlawfully, or to flatly cheat on tax returns, and/or avoid/ evade paying taxes. We have tried to put together all these “tax buzzwords” for you we found scattered throughout the written regulations, except for the word “cheating” that is missing with the way it was written. It was politi-cally written not to use this blunt word to Americans. The penal-ties are high, i.e., $1,000 dollars per offense, or up to $5,000 per offense, plus 20% to 30% more (or 75% for fraud) without count-ing added interest. It could mean the loss of a significant profit to a lowly-struggling tax preparer during tax season. There are ap-proximately 1.2 million “alter ego

tax preparers” doing tax returns for over 3 decades without any IRS license. About 745,000 peo-ple have already expressed inter-est to be licensed. They have never passed any IRS administered ex-amination before nor have their personal backgrounds ever been checked. A large number of them also are felons or are “enterpris-ing” prisoners in jail with access to computers doing tax returns for good profit. The change in the regulations make sense; it is one way we can hope that could help close the over $450 billion dol-lars of tax gap (uncollected taxes) that is still increasing. The puni-tive penalties incidentally do not only apply to tax preparers but also to the taxpayers. The regu-lations made sure the American taxpayers are also held equally re-

sponsible. Therefore, it is possible for both the tax preparer and the taxpayer together to be penalized at the same time. We have already witnessed some taxpayers and a tax preparer having been penal-ized. They have both solicited our help on appeal to abate or remove the penalties.

It is also when someone was “taking a tax return position” (not cheating) that the question of penalty could be avoided. The phrase “taking a return position” is broad and is not defined in the Internal Revenue Code (use the AICPA standards) but the IRS has legal authority to impose penalty under the statutes. In order to avoid the penalty for “taking a po-sition” on the tax return, taxpay-ers may disclose concisely their “position” to the IRS, subject to the risk of an audit. There must be a “reasonable basis” so as not to disclose that you will need help with. But one way to manage the audit risks is not to disclose any position and hope the IRS au-dit statute expires. It is a “damn when you do and damn when you don’t” decision the government (bait and switch policy) left us to make. It has a similar penalty policy for big businesses (pub-lic companies) that is even more complex-punitive.

But the penalty assess-

new STricT TAxpAyer And TAx prepArer penAlTieS

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Musings

Meg Yarciamegyarcia@yahoo.com

The yeAr ThAT wAS

This year has a most unfor-tunate holiday season; with

Christmas and the New Year fall-ing on a Sunday, working people do not exactly find a long break from the daily grind. Nonetheless, I am thankful for many things this year, and as I am sure millions of other Filipinos are.

In the realm of Philippine pol-itics, I believe key events should forever be remembered in history as the way to move forward.

First off, April saw the resig-nation of Ombudsman Mercedi-tas Gutierrez, who is accused of complicity in investigating the corrupt acts of Gloria Arroyo and her cohorts, from the ZTE broad-band scandal, the fertilizer fund scam to the abhorrent display of extravagance in her trips abroad.

Second is the highly publi-cized arrest of GMA, who is now at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center after attempting several times to go abroad for "medical treatment." Thankfully, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima was will-ful enough to prevent the former leader, resulting in a standoff at the NAIA, even after the Supreme Court has allowed the travel.

Then (and quite suspiciously), the SC ordered the distribution of Hacienda Luisita, the property of the Cojuangco family which is also the site of a gruesome mas-sacre of protesting farm-workers in 2007.

And again, in an interesting turn of events, DOJ Chief Justice Renato Corona now faces the same storm as GMA these days, after having been impeached by the Lower House with 188 votes. He vowed to stay put, with the same fierce stance of Merci at

first. But his fate now lies on the Senators which are not likely to take his side.

Finally, the so-called “Butcher” retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan has been issued an arrest warrant for the abduction of University of the Philippines students, Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan in 2006. Palparan is also tagged re-sponsible for numerous human rights during the Arroyo regime.

So why do I celebrate for these events? The circumstances are not exactly perfect; some of the sanc-tions are meted out amid political bickering between the executive and legislative, and the judiciary branch. But if only to send the message that evil will not go un-punished, then I welcome the de-velopment.

When I grow old and the chil-dren of my children read up on Philippine history, I’d like them to know that if you lie, you steal and you kill people who are pay-ing you to lead the country, you cannot go unpunished. Not even when you suddenly appear too vulnerable with braces strapped on your neck, and especially if

Turn To PAgE 12…

Turning Point

noel Bartolomenrbarto@gmail.com

Most Filipinos are opti-mistic in life despite the

global economic crisis, we are still glad to celebrate Christmas and welcome the New Year with our families and loved ones.

The latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conduct-ed in the Philippines showed that more Filipinos expect their lives to improve in the next 12 months.

The survey that was con-ducted from Sept. 4 to 7, found 39 percent of respondents who expect their quality of life to improve (“optimists”) in the next 12 months, while nine percent expect it to get worse (“pessimists”), for a net score

pinoyS STill See A brighTer new yeAr

of 30.The latest figure was higher

than the 36 and 35 percent op-timism recorded in June and March, respectively.

Those who expect life to wors-

en (“pessimists”) remained at October’s nine percent level, but a decline from 11 percent in the March survey.

Similarly, net optimism over the economy’s prospects in the next 12 months rose further into the “very high” territory at +22 in the September survey from +14 in June and from a mere “high” +4 last March.

Meanwhile, those who think the economy will grow have in-creased to 35 percent from 29 percent in June.

Those who expect the econ-omy to worsen dropped to 14 percent in September from 16 percent in June and 24 percent in March.. Happy New Year!

To The 99 percenT

Last month, I dreamt of a New Year when every child

in the country happily clutched one of their favorite toys as they rushed to greet their elders the season’s best cheers.

On that day, every couple, every family had a decent room or shelter for themselves that they could finally call their own. There was enough food on the table to nourish the household. Each member of the family had a set of new clothes to wear. No worn-out shoes, ragged cloth-ing, nor dirty linen could be seen anywhere. Adults worried not about how to earn their liv-ing since they looked forward to productive and rewarding jobs after the holidays. The young ones thought nothing about la-bor nor school for they all were certain of getting educated in modern schools. The elderly, ill and differently-abled were not troubled by accessibility to health care. Every citizen of that blissful country were contented. They enjoyed the special day with their loved ones.

In that dream, people were free to be alive, to think, to care, to find their true poten-tials, to share and to contribute to social advancement. They

all had access to resources for their nourishment, well-being, education, security… There was no greed nor hunger, while so-ciety’s wealth, being harnessed for more abundance, was gener-ously distributed.

The prevailing order and already balanced ecosystem seemed sustainable for thou-sands of years more.

I woke up awed but not sur-prised of what I recalled from that dream. Days later, as I did my errands, I took long walks from one big mall to nearby department stores. I window-shopped in malls along the highways of Edsa, from Que-

Constant Change

Fred Dabufred.dabu@gmail.com

My mom’s side of the fam-ily (which is my Filipino

half) has been celebrating our Christmas traditions that were established even before I can recall. Since I’ve never been to the Philippines, or celebrated Christmas with any other Fili-pino families, I cannot identify which of our family traditions coincide with the Filipino Christmas traditions in the Philippines. I can however, say what went on in our house when we hosted Christmas Eve this year.

The craziness began on the morning of the 24th. We have the tradition of having

fil-AmS xmAS

my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins come over to open presents on Christmas Eve. The preparation for the “noche buena” feast consisted of me baking ba-

nana bread, pumpkin bread, chocolate chip cookies, and cranberry scones all day until my arms hurt and all the while listening to Michael Buble’s new Christmas album one-too-many times.

While I was busy in the kitchen, my mom and step-dad were running around trying to find last minute prizes for games for tonight’s festivities (yes, we bribe our family to play games for prizes), and by 6 p.m., a parade of my fami-lies arrived with foods such as: arroz caldo, pancit, lechon, lumpia, gulay, rice cakes, bib-

Journey

Kayla Jefferieskjrandom5555@yahoo.com

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January 2012http://kapitbahaynews-sfv.com8 Lifestyle-Travel

8 Things to Love About Davao CityCondominiums and towers are

sprouting like mushrooms in Davao City, says our host. For the past two years, even professionals from as far as Manila and Cebu are moving there with their fami-lies to establish careers.

And from her stories and my stay, I can cite 10 reasons why it is the place to be.

1. Mayor Sara Duterte. Her father's daughter, Mayor Sara implements city policies with the same iron fist, to which we can at-tribute many good results: drivers follow traffic regulations consci-entiously. Taxi drivers are much more considerate, follow what is on the meter and do not haggle for additional P50. In fact, one even handed a six-peso change for a P60 payment. That would never be heard of Manila cab drivers.

Of course, the Mayor gained notoriety (or better, fame) in her own right, for her courageous but very public punch which landed on the face of the sheriff. She has since been hailed as a champion of the poor in the city, teaching the likes of Quezon City's Herbert Bautista and Manila's Alfredo Lim how to uphold the rights of your constituents, be they squatters.

I myself saw a barangay cov-ered court becoming the tempo-rary shelter of a group of migrant Lumads who came to the city to seek "pamasko." The Mayor as-signs social workers to attend to their needs, and shells out funds for the food of the families.

2. Good city policies. Elimi-

nating the bureaucratic traps, the city makes it easy for residents to apply for business licenses, medi-cal insurance, hospital support and funeral assistance. During any kind of emergency, one can dial 911, which has been institu-tionalized for attending to crimes, medical emergencies or fire. And unlike in movies, the ambulance really arrive promptly, and calls coursed through the number are said to also automatically entail monetary support from the gov-ernment.

3. The Weather. Because of its location, Davao City is typhoon-free. The weather is balmy all year round: rainfall, temperature, hu-midity, and air pressure are uni-formly distributed (the tempera-ture is always between 20 to 32 degrees Celsius). Because of this, the city's lands are very conducive to agricultural production.

4. Fruits. Related to number 3, tropical fruits, especially durian and pomelo are cheap and easy to find in Davao City's markets, es-pecially in Bangkerohan. One can

also buy trays and trays of mango-steen, mangoes and bananas that are export-quality.

5. Cheap food. Food is cheap in Davao City. At P100, I had a su-perb meal with rice, seafood and vegetables and mango shake at an inn. And at less than a thousand, four people can eat platters of very fresh grilled malasugui, tuna sashimi, seaweed (lato), clams and soup in a cottage by a beachside restaurant. There are also plenty of ihaw-ihaw and eat-all-you-can places around the city. One I per-sonally visited is the never-empty Glamour Restaurant, whose spe-cialty is crab dishes, although they also offer traditional Filipino dishes such as kilawin, kare-kare and sweet delicacies - think leche flan and bibingka.

6. Tourist spots. There are atleast 10 museums and memo-rial sites in Davao City, many of them dedicated to events dur-ing the Second World War. The most popular ones are Museo Dabawenyo at Pichon-Claveria streets,Davao Historical Society Museum Davao Historical Soci-ety Museum in Magsaysay Park, and the Japanese Tunnel and Peace Memorial Shrine in Matina and Mintal, respectively.

Tourists can also commune with nature at the Eden Nature Park, and the Philippine Eagle Center, and the Crocodile Farm, or with their God at the different shrines. Davao City's residents can troop to a number of church-es, mosques, or the Buddhist or

Taoist temples.7. Good schools. Finally, to

those who plan to raise a family, Davao City is the hub of educa-tion in Mindanao. It even has a 98.05% literacy rate, and with over 350 elementary schools, that is not surprising. Among the top academic institutions in the area are University of the Philippines Mindanao, Ateneo de Davao Uni-versity, University of Mindanao, University of the Immaculate Conception, Philippine Women's College of Davao and University of Southeastern Philippines.

8. Urban-Rural lifestyle. Rid-ing a jeepney or a cab, one can feel like he is in the city one moment, then in the province the next. Such is the experience seeing many trees, but feeling the solid pavement underneath, or many fastfood chains and traffic lights, but also fruit stands everywhere, or seeing many vehicles plying the highway, but feeling the fresh air nonetheless.

Truly, there is every reason for someone to realize that Davao might just be the place to be.

Davao Mayor Sara Duterte

Durian: smell like hell, taste like heaven

2012: Pnoy's Make or Break YearA Philippine president's term is six years, and ev-

erything that he or she does during that duration is un-doubtedly important. Yet, there come certain junctures which prove to be decisive as to how the public shall perceive their presidency from that point for-ward – and how they will be re-membered after.

For Estrada, it came in 2001 at the height of his impeach-ment hearing – and the Senate's refusal to open the infamous 'second envelope' sparked off massive protests which ended his short-lived presidency. Ar-royo, on the other hand, sur-vived her biggest crisis in 2006, after she admitted talking to a Comelec official during the 2004 elections. The protests were ultimately unable to dis-lodge her – though almost ev-eryone at the time felt that they will – but she was never able to shake off the allegations of elec-tion-rigging and corruption, and they might be catching up to her now.

For President Aquino, 2012 might be such a year. Recent events have put Aquino in a situation where his actions this year – especially in the first few months – shall reveal the true colors of his presidency, and, perhaps, define what is to be his legacy.

Prosecuting GMAAquino's administration –

thanks in no small part to the

courage of Jus-tice Sec. Leila de Lima – has s u c c e s s f u l l y placed former President Ar-royo under ar-rest, which is a good start. The forces, how-ever, who have hounded Ar-royo since her presidency and continue to call for justice, remain vigilant.

Not too long ago, government prosecutors had likewise put a former president under deten-tion, and managed all the way to get him convicted of plunder. In a matter of weeks, however, then-President Arroyo gave Estrada a full pardon, perhaps fearful of the backlash from his still-con-siderable following.

While Arroyo and Estrada are hardly equal in popularity – as Senator Ping Lacson remarked when Arroyo, in her ubiquitous neck brace, was repeatedly get-ting stopped at the airport, "Ang nakakaawa kay GMA, walang naaawa sa kanya" (What's pitiful about GMA is that no one pities her) – there is no reason to be assured – yet – that Arroyo will get convicted and jailed. After all, there is no precedent: no Presi-dent, or any sort of high official, in the Philippines has ever been convicted of a crime committed

in office and served out the sen-tence.

Furthermore, the electoral sabotage case is just the tip of the unpleasant iceberg. Arroyo needs to be pursued as well for the vari-ous cases of corruption linked to her presidency, and, perhaps more importantly, her appall-ing human rights record – more than 1,000 extrajudicial killings and 200 enforced disappearances were committed under her watch, most of which point a finger to the military.

Even as the wheels of jus-tice turn slowly, especially in the Philippines, Aquino might need to grease them some more for this one – and this year shall see whether he will.

Showdown with the SCAquino's allies in Congress

have impeached Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Renato Corona and the Senate hearing is expect-ed to start early this year.

Corona is an Arroyo 'mid-

night appointee' and his decisions upon cases involving the former President all but show why. He has taken on a fighting stance, and the SC employees have even gone out of their way to put on a distasteful show of partisanship.

Inquirer columnist Benjamin Pimentel, however, presents an interesting take on Aquino's clash with the Chief Justice, in a piece entitled "Aquino: Bold reformer or vindictive hacendero?"

As everyone knows, the SC had just finally ruled that Hacien-da Luisita be redistributed to ten-ant-farmers, a landmark decision after decades of peasant struggle for the land. Pimentel notes that Aquino could have "pounced" on this opportunity to present him-self as an "enlightened" President, "willing to take on his own fam-ily’s interests and those of his class for the sake of the nation."

However, Aquino's reaction was "subdued", he writes. "It's a safe bet that he really wanted his family to hang on to the haci-enda… [That's] why the fact that the offensive against Corona… understandably has sparked spec-ulation that this battle is really about Noynoy trying to find a way to protect his family."

For his part, Pimentel still hopes for the "other ending", one in which Aquino "succeeds in fighting for meaningful changes in the Supreme Court… while bravely [and] decisively affirming

and defending the hard-earned victory of the Hacienda Luisita farmers."

Rising discontentWhile Aquino makes ad-

vances politically – at least for now – his economic record leaves much to be desired, and, much as Aquino remains to be a popular President, 2012 might be the year when the people's patience finally wear thin if current trends are unabated.

Aquino maintains a solid +56 net satisfaction rating, ac-cording to the Social Weather Stations (SWS), but signs of ris-ing discontent are undeniable. In spite of the administration's much-ballyhooed conditional cash transfer program, poverty and hunger have risen since Aquino took office, according to data from the same survey institution.

Activists have even tried to launch an 'Occupy Mendiola' protest, going by the name of the Wall Street movement that has sparked similar protests around the world, but were violently dis-persed by police. (Mendiola is the street leading to Malacañang Palace, the official presidential residence.)

Aquino has obviously been kept afloat by popular moves go-ing after Arroyo and her hench-men, and he is not wrong to do so. 2012, however, shall reveal how far he is willing to go down that road, and, especially in Co-rona's case, whether an ulterior motive is simply driving him there. If he falters, the growls of empty stomachs might finally replace the general applause, and Aquino might end up remem-bered for the wrong reasons.

9January 2012http://kapitbahaynews-sfv.com

Wo r l d Yo u t h

Day 2013 is still a year away, but young people all over the world are now preparing for the Church youth event set to hap-pen in Rio de Janiero in Brazil, ac-cording to reports from World Youth Day 2013 Rio.

O r g a n i z -ers emphasized that the meeting of young people from all over the world on July 23 until July 28 in 2013 will mark the Church for the experience of unity and brotherly love among the youth.

“In our website, www.rio2013.com, as you may have noticed, it has got a ‘new face’. We want you closer and closer as a funda-mental element to build the next WYD,” they said.

Here in the Philippines, young Pinoys are also preparing for the upcoming WYD even if it is still a year early.

Whilssy Candelaria, youth leader of Malolos diocese said that she is already getting ready financially while JC Perez, a Je-suit aspirant said he is not just preparing financially but spiritu-ally as well.

Young people worldwide preparing for WYD 2013 rio

uS returns ill-gotten wealth of former AFP comptroller

gen. Carlos F. garcia

Both Candelaria and Perez were delegates during the WYD 2011 in Madrid.

Meanwhile, Roy Villafania, a youth from Novaliches diocese said that he plans to join WYD 2013 Rio as a volunteer.

“My preparations as of now are prayers and discernment, sav-ing budget for the trip and study-ing the Brazilian Portuguese and its culture,” he added.

The organizers are encourag-ing young people who frequently visit the website to leave opinions and testimonies.

“Enjoy and spread the spirit of WYD, no longer as a distant event but as something that belongs to the daily life of each one of us, from now on,” they said.

“It’s time to let yourselves be moved and get ready to join us in this great and wonderful ad-

S w e e t H a m R e c i p e f o R N o c H e B u e N a

Processed Ham these days are very expensive but you

can surely prepare your very own Sweet Ham for Noche Bue-na. Here is a Sweet Ham recipe that has been tested many times in our kitchen. Though it is not free of preservatives, it uses very small doses of salitre. It tastes really good with the Pineapple Sauce, recipe is shown below the Sweet Ham preparation.

Ingredients3 kilos (pigue or hita) pig’s

leg without the bones; select one with the skin and fat intact

9 Tbsps sugar8 tbsps salt1-1/2 tsps msg or vetsin (op-

tional)2 tsps prague powder (in-

stead of saltpeter or salitre) – In Manila, you can probably buy salitre at Chocolate Lover, a supplier of baking and cooking supplies

Procedure:1. Mix all dry ingredients in

a bowl.2. Rub these seasonings

well into the meat. Set aside the seasoned meat in a glass bowl. Cover and refrigerate for one day.

3. Tie the ham tightly into a ball with string (I use cotton crochet string). Remove/Drain

the meat juices that were left in the glass bowl and set aside for injecting.

4. Using a huge syringe (you can buy the largest syringe at Mercury drugstore for less than 20 pesos), inject the flavored meat juice all around the ham in small doses.

5. Set the ham aside in the glass bowl (covered) inside the refrigerator. Repeat the injecting process every day until no juices remain.

6. Keep the ham inside a plastic bag in the freezer for a month or more.

To cook the ham:1. Add enough pineapple juice to cover the ham

at about 3/4₱s level (not quite to the top of the ham).2. Add the following:Brown sugar, just enough to sweeten the pineap-

ple juice mixtureBay leavesCrushed garlic3. Cook the mixture in a heavy, teflon-type pot

over a low fire until the meat becomes tender. Watch out that the meat doesn’t get burned. You can pre-vent over-browning by turning the meat from time to time.

4. Cool the meat and slice into pieces. CourTESY oF PInoYFooDBLog.CoM

Here is the recipe for the day from pinoyfoodblog.com. I

am also requesting a huge favor. If you think I should win as “The One” in Globe’s Tatt Awards, then please vote online for me and con-sider Blog Watch (as The Advo-cate)…via this link http://tattoo.globe.com.ph/tattawards/vote.Thinking of yummy desserts for Christmas day? I usually bake Apple Pie served with vanilla ice cream but I will make this Lemon Pie that Chef Christine ‘Kittin’ Zenarosa from the Cookbook Kitchen shared in a cook-ing demo at Maya Kitchen. Graham Pie Crust: (Do ahead )

6 tablespoons salted butter1 ½ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs¼ cup sugarLemon curd:3 lemons (finely grated rind & lem-

on juice)4 eggs1 cup caster sugar1/2 butter, choppedProcedure:1. Make Pie Crust: Mix all ingre-

dients together and press firmly with hand or spoon onto an 8 or 9-inch

round pie pan. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

2. Make lemon curd: Finely grate rind of 1 lemon. Juice all lemons. Whisk eggs and sugar together in a heatproof bowl until well combined. Add lemon rind and 2/3 cup lemon juice, whisking constantly until well combined. Place bowl over a sauce-pan of simmering water (do not allow base to touch water). Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 30 to 35 minutes or until thick and custard-like. Do not allow to boil. Remove from heat and whisk in butter.

3. Pour lemon curd into chilled pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Baking for the holidays: lemon Pie- Pinoy food,

filiPino Cooking

venture. Take this dream from God’s heart and turn it into reality of fruits for the Church and the world,” they added.

WYD 2011 pilgrims helped boost tourism, organizers say

Organizers of the World Youth Day 2011 held in Madrid report-ed that the international celebra-tion helped boost their tourism industry.

“It is a widely known fact that World Youth Day (WYD) unites millions of young people from around the world on a pilgrimage to come into greater communion with the Church and meet the Pope.

Yet beyond the experience of this remarkable meeting and the spiritual growth of pilgrims, WYD also benefits the host city and country,” organizers acted.(Jandel Posion)

During a ceremony at the of-fice of the Ombudsman to-

day, U.S. Ambassador Harry K. Thomas, Jr. presented Ombuds-man Conchita Carpio-Morales with a check in the amount of US $100,000 payable to the Republic of the Philippines. This consti-tutes the return of money by the United States government consid-ered as “ill-gotten” gains acquired by former AFP Comptroller Gen-eral Carlos F. Garcia.

Following the ceremony, Am-bassador Thomas made the fol-lowing statement:

“I am very pleased to present Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales with this check today, as a symbol of the continuing commitment of the United States to support President Aquino’s anti-corruption programs, and to ensure that stolen assets are

returned to their rightful owners, in this case, the Government and people of the Philippines.”

In November 2003 two of former AFP Comptroller Gen-eral Garcia’s sons attempted to smuggle $100,000 in cash into the U.S. at San Francisco. The money was seized by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and later forfeited to the U.S. when the Garcia men plead-ed guilty to attempted smuggling and were sentenced. In 2010 the Office of the Ombudsman re-quested that the $100,000 be re-turned to the Philippines under the US-Philippine Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty. The money is being returned to the Philippines as part of the U.S. Government policy of returning the proceeds of corruption to its rightful owner.

US Ambassador Harry K. Thomas HJr.

January 2012http://kapitbahaynews-sfv.com10 Showbiz

Pinoybiz

Boy Villasanta

Si Sharon Cuneta at ang iba pang pagbabago ng mga artista sa 2012

Sisiguruhin ni Sharon Cuneta na pag-iibayuhin niya ang

kanyang paglabas sa TV5 bilang host dahil nakataya ang kanyang pangalan dito at napakalaki ng ibinayad sa kanya ni Manny V. Pangilinan.

Para sa lahat ng Sharonians at mga nagmamahal sa kanya ang gagawin ng Megastar sa Channel 5 at patutunayan niyang siya pa rin ang reyna ng telebisyon.

Puspusan ang walang kama-tayang pagpapapayat ni Sharon.

*****Magiging mabait na sa mga

kasambahay si Maricel Soriano dahil ito ang kanyang isinumpa sa lahat mula nang idemanda siya ng kanyang mga naging katulong.

Aminado si Maricel na may mga nagagawa siyang mali pero handa niyang pagbayaran at ba-guhin.

*****Mga anak naman ang pagtu-

tuunan ni Snooky Serna ng kan-

yang atensyon bukod sa pag-arte sa harap ng kamera.

*****At magpapataba na si Kim

Chiu nang dahil kay Xian Lim at ang binata naman ay lalo pang maging mapagmahal sa nilalang.

*****Maghahanap naman si Gerald

Anderson ng babaing tunay at wa-gas na para sa kanya samantalang maligayang-maligaya sina Ding-

dong Dantes at Marian Rivera sa paglulunsad ng bago nilang dula sa TV na “My Beloved” at mula rito’y pag-iibayuhin pa ng mag-kasintahan ang kanilang matamis na pagmamahalan.

*****Babalik lang sandali si Nora

Aunor sa Amerika pero babalik din agad sa Pilipinas para harapin ang kanyang mga kompromiso sa bansa at sa TV5 kabilang ang “El Presidente The General Emilio Aguinaldo Story” nila ni ER Ejer-cito.

*****Wala na nga halos tulog si

Vilma Santos dahil pagkabalik na pagkabalik niya sa Pilipinas mula US ay nag-shooting agad siya ng kanyang bagong pelikula para sa Star Cinema kasama si Maria Isa-bel Lopez na maligayang-maliga-ya naman para sa kanyang anak na si Mara Yokohama na natira sa “Survivor Philippines” ng GMA Network.

*****Malapit nang manganak si

Kristine Hermosa at mahilig na mahilig siya sa tsokolate kaya na-

man kahit na gabing-gabi, pag nagpapahanap siya ng Hershey’s kay Oyo Boy Sotto, kahit na an-tok na antok, gagawa at gagawa ng paraan ang mister pero itinu-wid ni Oyo Boy na hindi dumaan sa paglilihi at pagtutulog ang kanyang misis kundi naghahanap lang ng matatamis.

*****Pangmamamayan din naman

ang iniisip ni Eugene Domingo sa kanyang buhay dahil laking-UP at laking Behn Cervantes siya kaya kahit popular na popular siya, pangmasa pa rin ang kan-yang kinikilingan.

At hahabol sa ganitong bisyon si Ai Ai de las Alas samantalang lalo pang isinusubsob ni Lorna Tolentino ang kanyang ulo sa trabaho dahil sinasalakay pa rin siya ng kalungkutan at pighati sa pagpanaw ni Rudy Fernandez ka-hit ilang taon na ang nakakaraan.

*****Parang walang narinig o naki-

ta si Piolo Pascual na malisyosong balita laban sa kanya kaya ano pa nga ba ang kanyang drama, “move on” at lalo pang makip-

agkaibigan kay Mark Bautista na nauugnay sa kanya.Samantala, paglilingkod sa sangkatauhan sa pamamagitan ng pagiging am-bassadress ng United Nations ang aatupagin muna ni KC Concep-cion tulad rin ng payo ng kanyang amang si Gabby Concepcion kaya wala munang pa-ibig sa yugtong ito ng kanyang buhay.

***** Heto at sinisingil na sina Rhian Ramos at Mo Twister kaugnay sa paghahalikan nila nang walang patumangga halos gabi-gabi sa Makati Sports Center sa Makati City.

Kitang-kita ng mga nagbo-ballroom dancing sa lugar na ‘yon ang torrid kissing scene nina Rhian at Mo, Mohan Gumatay sa tunay na buhay.

Sharon Cuneta

Special Report

Mga maiinit na isyu sa showbiz; humahabol bago matapos ang 2011

Pangako ni John Lloyd Cruz na lalo pa niyang mamahalin si Shaina Magdayao

at ang pagmamahalan nina Zanjoe Marudo at Bea Alonzo ay ipinapanalangin ng mga Marudo sa Calauag, Quezon na human-tong na sa kasalan.

*****Pero sususugin at hahantingin pa rin ni

Rhian Ramos ang kanyang dating syotang si Mo Twister nang ibulgar ng binatang ama na nagpalaglag siya sa Singapore kaya tahimik at payapa muna ang buhay ng dal-aga kung bakit itinigil muna ng GMA Net-work ang kanilang tambalan ni Dingdong.

*****Naghahanda na si Pilar Pilapil sa pro-

mosyon ng kanyang “Leona Calderon” ng kotrobersyal na direktor na si Jowee Mo-rel dahil internasyunal ang planong pag-bebenta ng produksyon sa OFW film ng beteranang aktres.

*****Trabaho naman sa pelikula at telebi-

syon ang gusto ng beteranang prodyuser at aktres na si Laila Dee dahil libangan ang numero niyang kailangan sa gitna ng pana-nagumpay niya sa negosyo.

*****Lalo pang mag-aapoy ang nasyunal-

ismo sa puso at isip ni Angel Locsin sa pag-tataguyod ng aktibismo at pagbabago sa li-punang Filipino tulad ng pakikisangkot ni Leah Navarro sa pagpatay sa korupsyon sa

Iza Calzado: Voted as one of the 10 Hottest Female Bodies in Showbiz

by Entertainment Lifestyle

gMA network delivers

breakthrough ratings in 2011

bansang ito.*****

Preparado na ang 2009 Palm d’Or Best Director sa Cannes International Film Festival na si Brillante Mendoza para mai-tanghal na ang kanyang “Prey” sa alinmang mga sinehan o international film festival dahil naiinip na ang publiko na mapanood ang kanyang obra.

*****Kung may Isabelle Huppert, ang

pinakamahusay na aktres sa France si Bril-lante sa “Prey” ay may Virginia McKeena, ang pinakamahusay na aktres sa United Kingdom naman si Morel para sa “Leona Calderon.”

*****Kumakaway ang kasikatan kay Chanel

Latorre sa 2012 at lalo pang mamamay-agpag ang karera sa showbiz ni Mercedes Cabral.

*****Napanuto na ni Ria Garcia ang kanyang

inang si Puloy Cadayona na pag-aartista talaga ang buhay niya kaya naman isinusu-ko nang lahat ng magulang ang kanyang karapatang hadlangan ang pangarap ng anak tulad na rin ng patuloy na suporta ng kanilang mga paryentes kina Louise de los Reyes at Katryn Bernardo.

*****Pati nga sina Paulo Avelino, Hero Mag-

alona at Michael Tan ay nagpupursigi pang

lalo para maabot ang rurok ng tagumpay.Ilan lang sila sa mga bituing nanganga-

rap pang makamtan ang mga nakalaan sa

kanilang sa Year of the Dragon sa bisa ng kanilang kapalaran at kakayahan.

After flooding our television screens

with her undeniable presence, this woman on a mission didn't stop there. She has blessed us with her talent and sexy good looks in movies like Working Girls and the Hollywood-produced Echo, an adaptation of director Yam Lla-ranaz's Sigaw. Unlike her movie roles that frighten and cause a few tears, Iza's body calls for well, some cheers, especially since she weighed al-most 200 pounds as a teen. This former crash-dieter turned to running, aerobics, the Kettlebell workout, and eating healthy to shed the weight. Her flawless skin earned her the opportunity to be Myra-E's latest en-dorser and April 2011 Women's Health cover girl. (www.spot.ph)

In the year ended, GMA Net-work, Inc. (GMA) – Philip-

pine’s Number 1 broadcasting company – altered television channel ranking as it overtook ABS-CBN in nationwide total day household audience share, plac-ing the latter only to second rank

– according to broadcast indus-try’s more trusted ratings service provider, Nielsen TV Audience Measurement.

Based on full 2011 nationwide data of Nielsen (December 25 to 31 based on overnight ratings), GMA posted a 34.2 percent total

day average television household audience share, outscoring ABS-CBN’s 31.1 percent and TV5’s 15.6 percent by substantial gaps.

GMA noticeably increased its total day household audience share record in 2011 versus 2010 by 3.2 points. In contrast, ABS-

CBN’s record suffered a signifi-cant drop of 8.6 points during the same period.

In effect, GMA gained almost 1.5 million viewers from all over the country in 2011 relative to 2010, while ABS-CBN lost more than 500,000 viewers,

11January 2012http://kapitbahaynews-sfv.com Showbiz

Karylle

Karylle was born on March 22, 1981 in Manila to Zsa Zsa Padilla,

a singer-actress and Dr. Modesto Tat-longhari, a dentist. She has two sisters from her mother's side. She completed her elementary and secondary educa-tion, notably in O.B. Montessori Center - Greenhills during grade school (where she was class valedictorian) and Poveda, where she finished high school with a Service Medal for extra-curricular and volunteer works, before embarking on a showbiz career. While she was prepar-ing for her debut album, Karylle had started rehearsals for her first stage mu-sical Little Mermaid where she played Princess Sapphire.

She released her first album Time to Shine from Universal Records in which she has a duet with international pop star Gil Ofarim. With her first album she won awards from different award giving bodies.

Her second album showcased her songwriting skill which was released

on 2005 entitled You Make Me Sing. She wrote the songs “Coz, I Love You” and “Hiling”.[1] Also included in the album is the theme song, "Mahiwagang Puso", for her hit fantaserye Encantadia, in which she starred as Sang'gre Alena.

Three years later, she released her third album Time for Letting Go under a new recording company Polyeast Re-cords. With this album, Karylle's gifts as a distinctive powerhouse vocalist is showcased in the single, "I'll Never get Her latest album 'Roadtrip' was released in 2011, in which she ventured out of her comfort zone

After being busy in the concert scene for a while, she returned on the small screen as she was introduced as the new character in the daily afternoon drama Magkano Ang Iyong Dangal?. After months of absence in the local scene the talented singer-actress is back co-hosting ABS-CBN's Sunday variety show ASAP Rocks and Showtime and her Asian TV show.

. . .FroM PAgE 1 / SArAH gEronIMo

Sarah Geronimo with John Lloyd Cruz

of the audience in Sarah's sold-out concerts (In Record Breaker, Regine would even be placing on Sarah her pearl necklace, an act that also ap-pears to be one of "passing the crown" to the next prin-cess).

Of course, her winning song, Celine Dion's "To Love You More", has since become a staple in Filipino videoke sessions and singing com-petitions in the provinces as well as in the metro. Before there was Charice Pempeng-co, every little girl in talent competitions would gush and point to Sarah as the performer they want to be when they grow up.

From then on, Sarah be-came a successful recording artist (with albums turning as many as three times plati-num) and performer. She is cited as the first Filipino artist to have a concert DVD go platinum, and is presently the only one with a platinum record for 4 concert DVDs. As for TV, she became a well-loved mainstay in the Sunday variety show ASAP, and starred in the series re-make of the iconic movies Bituing Walang Ningning and Pangarap na Bituin.

The next Sharon Cuneta?

She played the roles of the Megastar, which spoke a lot about what the indus-

try saw in her. And she proved no less. The singer also dominated the television and cinema industry, going as far as topbilling the then highest grossing Filipino movie of all time, You Changed My Life.

It helps a lot that Sharon has openly showed her love for Sarah, standing by her especially after Cristine Reyes's (apparently misinformed) outburst on Twitter. The lat-ter two have since patched up, with Sarah making the move towards reconciliation.

As for performing onstage, Sarah has also matured: She can belt out the ballads, but has also mastered fast dance-songs and even rapping (her cover of Nicki Minaj's Superbass is very popular on Youtube). And in a way that Sharon did not experi-ence during her time, Sarah had easy ac-cess to multitudes of supporters here and abroad, and is known to draw crowds to shows in the provinces, and in the United States, Canada, Dubai, Taiwan and Japan.

IconAside from (and perhaps more than)

her talent however, what let Sarah stand out from today's crop of artists was her unique and consistent packaging as a conservative young Filipina. Her managers and her par-ents were careful to make sure that Sarah

never appears to seductive in her attires, music repertoire and endorsements.

That includes not saying a word, except in an interview with Yes! Magazine which was decidedly non-confrontational, about the Cristine-Rayver issue. That also means never agreeing to grace the cover of any men's magazine, the go-to move of young stars who want a restart for languishing showbiz careers. She has yet to have her first reall kiss onscreen, even after being the love interest of three of the top leading men in the country: John LLoyd Cruz, Gerald Anderson, Jericho Rosales. And yes, she was not allowed to entertain suitors until very recently.

Not that she felt constrained in the set-up. In interviews, Sarah herself expresses how much she values the traditional up-bringing, and says she dislikes going to clubs or bars, drinking and smoking, and dressing in skimpy clothes. To the aspiring matinee idols, avoiding a 'sexy packaging' and controversies might as well be career suicide; the fear being to become boring. But as Sarah's story shows, this need not always be the case.

Towards longevityShe may be a mystery to starmakers

whose ingredient included talent + a dose of intrigues. But Sarah's success has a solid base: Talent, versatility, consistency that is not be confused with predictability, a clean image, and yearning for growth (she still takes voice and dancing lessons to hone her craft).

Yes, beyond the Philippine entertain-ment world's glitz and glamour and scan-dals, Sarah Geronimo has what it truly takes to remain a big star.

Poster Girl of the Month:

What's up for the 2012 BENCH Models? BENCH, one of the country's top clothing company, is a trendsetter in fashion design. Its presentation of high-profile models is one of the most anticipated event every year. For a

sample, we chose Karylle BENCH poster to be our Poster Girl of the Month.

Mga hula sa loob at labas ng showbiz sa taong 2012

Heto na ang sikat na mang-huhula sa loob at labas ng

showbiz na si Madam Suzette Arandela taglay ang kanyang mga prediksyon tungkol sa

showbiz sa taong 2012.

Ayon kay Madam Suzette, marami pang paglalakbay na gagawin sa iba’t ibang bansa si Sarah Geronimo at magiging mas makulay ang buhay-pag-ibig ni Melai Can-tiveros kasama ang pagtatayo ng

negosyo sa Year of the Dragon.Iibig naman ani Arandela

si Eugene Domingo sa taong ito sa isang lalaking hindi taga-

Angel Locsin: mananalo ng prestigious award

showbiz at pinag-iingat naman ng manghuhula si Vice Ganda na paghandaan ang pagsapit ng isang malaking kontrobersiya sa kanyang buhay.

Pinag-iingat din ng lady psy-chic si Marian Rivera sa mga salitang binibitiwan nito dahil maaaring makasakit siya ng dam-damin ng kapwa, isang bagay na hindi magandang senyal sa isang babaing bituin.

Magbi-Best Actress si Gretch-en Barretto sa isang teleserye sa-mantalang iibig na muli si Kris Aquino sa taong ito at mas mala-mang kaysa hindi, sabi ni Mad-am, magpapakasal na sina Heart Evangelista at Daniel Matsunaga.

Happing-happy naman si Jen-nylyn Mercado sa piling ni Luis Manzano at babagal ang kanyang karera sa showbiz nang dahil sa pag-ibig pero nasa kanyang panig ang kaligayahan.

Mananalo si Angel Locsin ng isang prestihiyosong parangal ngayong taong ito samantalang lilipat sa ibang istasyon ng telebi-syon si Bea Alonzo at mananalo rin ng award si John Lloyd Cruz at iibig din nang panibago si KC Concepcion pagkatapos ni Piolo Pascual.

Ibayong-dagat ang pagkakaa-balahan ni Piolo at magiging hit ang kanyang mga pelikula sa Pili-pinas samantalang magiging kon-

trobersyal ang lovelife ni Coco Martin.

May iskandalo namang mang-yayari kay Maja Salvador kaya pinag-iingat din siya ni Madam Suzette.

Maaaring magbuntis, pan-anaw ni Arandela, si Judy Ann Santos sa Taon ng Dragon at ma-giging maproblema ang buhay-pag-ibig ni Carla Abellana at hin-di matitinag si Willie Revillame kahit na binabato na naman siya ng mga intriga.

Artista man o hindi, puwe-deng makipag-ugnayan kay Mad-am Suzette Arandela sa kanyang email na madamsuzette2001@yahoo.com. (BV)

January 2012http://kapitbahaynews-sfv.com12

. . .FroM PAgE 7 / AngEL DAYAnments need to pass the “burden of proof ” tests. The IRS bears the burden of proof on the issue of whether the tax preparer will-fully attempted to understate the liability for tax (under IRC-7427). “The preparer bears the burden of proof on such other issues as whether (1) the preparer reckless-ly or intentionally disregarded a rule or regulation (2) or has taken a position contrary to a regulation in a good faith challenge to the validity of the regulation” (Under Reg $1.6694-3). It is another fight we all have now.

This tax season, if you are “taking a position” on your tax return, (cheating included) be

aware of the new rules in the new regulations that would affect you and your tax return preparer. The IRS has lost a lot of money from mistakes and we should under-stand why it is getting stricter. The IRS needs all the money it could get in its budget crunch. Cheating on tax returns of course deserves enhanced penalties. Fi-nally, in the new regulation we may be your new tax preparer now so take note. After all, your Tax Preparer may no longer be li-censed this tax season.

They may still need to take the IRS RTRP exams. If you have any question or tax concern, you can call us. Every Day is

Earth Day

…FroM PAgE 7 / MEg YArCIA

you appear too excited to es-cape.

That says the same for your accomplices. When you abet murder or do nothing in the face of wrongdoings while the rest of the country suffers, his-tory will be your judge, and it can be a cruel one.

Some may explain it in terms of karma, but I’d like the next generation to simply real-ize that, sans the metaphysical injunctions, one’s decisions in life will have consequences, and if one is morally unfit to make good decisions, then he should expect suffering – if not in the

…FroM PAgE 6 / JoE ArCIAgAyears old, is a Licensed Vocational Nurse living in Panorama City. He has been collecting unemploy-ment benefits for almost a year, saying “hindi muna ako babalik sa trabaho, ganun din eh, ‘papasarap muna ‘ko” (I’m not going back to work yet; it’s all the same, I’m go-ing to enjoy myself first). He joins other Kababayans, all men, at a local donut shop every morning, shooting the breeze: talking about girls back home, the current Mega Millions Lotto jackpot prize, and the latest status of Piolo’s & KC’s relationship. While some are re-tired, some are “BSNs” (“Buhay Sa Nurse” or guys dependent on their nurse wives) who are effec-tively chauffeurs for their kids and spouses who have double, some-times triple jobs. Upon inquiry, some had health problems, but most blamed the current status of the economy for their difficulties (although most of them acknowl-edged that they had been out of work even before the economy went bad). One donut shop regu-lar even ventured to say that there were “no jobs for men nowadays.” He apparently wasn’t kidding.

It is worth noting that in this writer’s experience, the major-ity of Filipino workers he has en-countered in the Southland have personified that vaunted Pinoy work ethic, including most of the staff he has supervised through the years, in different settings. This is why it is particularly in-triguing that this phenomenon of the “BSNs” and recently-un-employed-and-not-seeking-work exists in our community. Perhaps it is not as prevalent as it seems to be; in the absence of specific figures, at the very least it is an important issue which begs to be addressed, probably best left to NPOs, social scientists and gov-ernmental bean counters. Still on the topic of avoiding purposeful work, though, there are some in our community who ride on their (self- elevated) former positions in the old country (former law-yers, politicians, and the like) to wrangle odd jobs and do “market-ing” or some other brokering of services on behalf of real profes-sionals in the field, at times prey-ing on their fellow Pinoys who’ve either just arrived here or are gull-ible enough to be swayed by these self-professed “big shots,” and “movers & shakers.” Some even have the temerity to actually run for public office; but then that’s a whole ‘nother story (and a rogu-ish digression on the part of this writer, lol). Seriously speaking, it is deplorable that there are those in our community who devise ways to take advantage of their fellow Pinoys, and it is up to the real community leaders and the true community advocates, to out and expose these shysters and hooligans; the Pinoy Worker and our community deserves better.

On a related vein, there is a clear and present danger (ok, a little too dramatic here), for the children of Pinoy immigrants in being born in their adopted

country- whether here in the US, the UK, Canada or elsewhere- to yield to the lifestyle and world views of the mainstream in their new homeland. Already this writ-er has observed situations and heard lamentations from hard-working Pinoy parents about kids who were sent to the best schools and obtained degrees, only to not pursue work or to pursue some-times destructive habits, rebelling against their parents’ desire for them to land a decent job (or con-duct a proper business) to provide for themselves; imagine that. It is sometimes the fault of Pinoy par-ents who more than suggest, but rather, push kids into professions they actually do not have a profi-ciency or proclivity for- not every Juan can be a doctor or engineer, not every Maria would like to be a nurse or teacher (Alright, let’s not even get started on gender issues, OK?) Like it or not, some Pinoy parents will have to join the 21st century and think outside the box, and consider jobs, fields or businesses which their progeny might actually enjoy and succeed in; this writer is convinced that if the parents had provided them the necessary guidance, nurturing and yes, discipline in their young-er years, these kids would eventu-ally replicate themselves into the hardworking, diligent workers or business owners their parents have been all their lives.

Now basking in the California sunshine, this writer’s thoughts drift back to cold, wet, yet en-dearing London and his pleasant conversations with Jun, William, and the rest of the Pinoy hotel employees who exemplify all that is admirable about the Filipino Worker- and then some. After the hotel’s New Year’s Eve party, as their work slowed down, they in-vited this writer to an impromptu “afterparty” at the area behind the concierge desk, where they served sisig, sliced cucumbers and as-sorted “pulutan,” accompanied by Jameson’s Irish Whiskey. Mind you, this writer had only met the workers a couple of nights before; talk about our famous Pinoy hos-pitality! As everyone raised their glasses and toasted to a more prosperous 2012, there was a feel-ing of camaraderie, “barkadahan” and Pinoy pride that was palpable in the air. Yep, Pinoys work hard; we have fun even harder, and do what we have to do to get the job done. That’s the Pinoy Worker for you. A Happy & Prosperous 2012 to All!

Joe Arciaga is a Co- Founder and the Executive Director of the Fil- Am Chamber of Com-merce, LA. Joe also serves on the FilamARTS Board and the LA Ka-layaan Executive Council. A grad-uate of USC and the LAC/UCLA Institute for Community Leader-ship, He is a Workers Compensa-tion RN Case Manager, as well as a licensed Insurance Agent with Farmers Insurance. Joe is a pro-fessional MC with more than 26 years emceeing events such as the City of LA Lotus Festival and the Festival of Phil. Arts & Culture.

…FroM PAgE 7 / KAYLA

ingka, and brownies. It was all good until my aunt realized we were missing the rice. Yes, rice! How can that be? Well, my mom who is a diabetes nurse prac-titioner decided to cut out rice from our menu tonight. Imag-ine the protest from the rest of the family. “Rice is poison!” she said but she had no choice but to give in provided they all go on a diet on the 1st of the New Year.

My little cousins ran all over the house screaming and “sword fighting” with neon glow sticks. They were already hyper even before eating sweets. My at-tempt to get them to calm down with a board game was unsuc-cessful, as the pieces of the game ended up being used as effec-tive objects to be catapulted. My mom finally got their attention with some Christmas Trivia then they performed their best Christmas songs, as the adults stood in adoration.

Leading the games for adults was challenging because it was nearly impossible to get my whole family to be quiet for more than a minute. Getting them to follow the rules of the Apples to Apples game was even more impossible as they all insisted that they have the best card. The BINGO game is a yearly hit and people won prizes such as Star-bucks and Subway giftcards.

We started opening pres-ents by 10 p.m. We figured it would take us 2 hours to open a mountain of presents in the liv-ing room. Kids started playing with their toys. The pillow pet was popular this year, it seems. Everyone pretty much got what they wished for. The eating re-sumed for a short while and then the kids went to bed with smiles on their faces. The adults looked exhausted but happy. Another year, another tradition, well done.

. . .FroM PAgE 7 / FrED DABu . . .FroM PAgE 15 / TrIVIAzon City, Mandaluyong, Makati

and then to downtown Manila. At every mall “sale” and the pre-Christmas rush, shoppers curi-ously looked at clothes, acces-sories, food, wares, appliances, toys and their price tags, bargain-hunting for what could meet their needs. Inside the big malls and at the thousands of stores in Quiapo, Avenida, Binondo and Divisoria, one could find almost every necessity and nice things for sale. Inside government (rent-ed or controlled) warehouses, as t.v. news revealed, one could find countless container vans filled with confiscated items that could instead be donated to the victims of recent storms and flooding, and to those who neither have property nor daily bread.

The sight of mountains of rice in warehouses; truckloads of fruits, vegetables, fish and meat in

marketplaces; hundreds of empty buildings, condominiums and big houses; and endless hectares of idle land all make me won-der why there’s so much hunger, anguish and powerlessness in people struggling to survive a hand-to-mouth existence, even if they were literally sitting beside the necessities and nice things for sale here and elsewhere.

Commodities are in oversup-ply but most people could not purchase everything that they re-ally need.

The 99 percent of our popu-lation is highly segmented and seems skeptical about any mean-ingful, qualitative change. I won-der when will the “Occupy Wall Street” protests, after spreading to parts of USA and Europe, reach Asia and the Philippines, if only to provoke us to re-think our sit-uation.

…FroM PAgE 6 / PASTor ErIC TErrADo

to choose the latter. I know a caregiver who brings the person he cares for to church, but some members of that church snub him because of the kind of work he does. I am so glad that the people of the church I belong do not discriminate against people and welcome everyone regard-less of their status or work.

If you only knew the sacrific-es and difficulties these modern shepherds are going through, you would appreciate what they are doing. Yes, Christmas is over but let’s keep the spirit of Christmas alive in our relation-ships with other people. Be sen-sitive and appreciate the kind of work they are doing. Pray that our policy makers will pass laws that will help these modern day shepherds, and pray that our spirituality will become more socially engaged. let their be peace on earth!

brick and mortar prison, then in the prison of his conscience (which, by the way, would have tangible counterparts in the hu-man brain).

Indeed, isn’t life is much more worth living with purity in one’s heart?

Happy new year everyone!

However, Chavez said his organization wasn't ready to go on a strike. It took several discussions and a lot of faith, but finally the Filipinos and Mexicans joined as one on September 16, to picket the Delano growers. On March 17, 1966 we set out on a march from Delano to Sacramento that initially only had 70 farm workers and volunteers. But by April 11, as we climbed the steps of the state Capitol, there were 10,000 supporters who had joined us in the cause.

A few months later our union, AWOC, and the NFWA joined as a single union. Out of this union the United Farm Workers was born. It was a very exciting time as we knew the potential when we joined together not as competitors but as true brothers joined in a very legitimate cause. (Unit-ed Farm Workers)

Cesar Chavez

13January 2012http://kapitbahaynews-sfv.com Etc.

C R O S S W O R D

S U D O K U

SAgOT SA pAhINA 15

SAgOT SA pAhINA 15

1 Tambang5 Tamasa11 Paghalik sa kamay12 Kulay ng kabayo13 Luto ang kanin14 Puluhan ng baril15 Dala18 Pamamaga18 Asam19 Bulungan21 Paalam sa Hawaii23 Pasasa25 Boss27 Mr. Geronimo28 Kapayatan30 Inasar32 Leteng33 Rosemarie ____34 Pananong pamilang35 Idalangin36 Gapi

1 Hanging malamig2 Asar3 Mr. Linda4 Ms. Gonzaga5 Tunog ng sampal6 Uri ng isda7 Sagasa8 Uri ng kahoy9 Demonyo10 Usal16 Madaldal20 Numbers: daglat21 Patas22 Sangkap sa tosilog23 Bantay24 Pulbos sa panaderya25 Mosyon sa korte26 Aklat dasalan27 Pagtitika29 Tiyane31 Saline: daglat

KOMIKS

The wrath of typhoon Sendong, experienced by the residents of Cagayan De Oro City and Iligan City, is not new in the Philippine setting. In 1991, a flash flood in Ormoc City killed seven thousand persons.

Ever since, thousands perished due to different flash floods triggered by super typhoons. Just five years ago, a mud slide buried thousands of victims in the provinces of Aurora, Nueva Ecija and Quezon. And who can forget the worst flooding that happened in Metro Manila in 2009 brough by typhoon Ondoy. The denomi-nator of the above calamaities is the vanishing forests all over the Philippines.

Sid Balatan

Photo Info

pinoy JoKeSHow would you know

you're at a Filipino party in America? Simple!

; You're an hour late and there's still nobody there!

; There's enough food to feed the entire batallion or in-fantry.

; You can't even get through the door because there's a pile of 50 shoes block-ing the way.

; You hear guests singing "Peelings" or "My Way" on ka-raoke.

; You are greeted and hug by a Tita Baby and/or a Tito Boy.

; There's a goat or kamb-ing 'papait' being warmed up and the men are already in their watering hole starting the 'kilawen' and 'sisig' pulutan with their favorite Blue Label or Hennesy XO drinks. Very cold San Mig Light or white wine is also served for those suffering from gout.

; There's a crazy fat wom-an with a camera going around the room snapping away and yelling, "Uy peeeek-chuuur for sobenir!"

; You enter a family party

and you "Mano" to half the old crowd and when you leave you have to say goodbye to EVERY-ONE that's related to you as a sign of respect.

; You end up saying hello and goodbye for a total of 30-40 minutes.

; You will also hear an old male's out-of-tune voice on the karaoke trying hard to imitate Frank Sinatra or Elvis Presley's voice.

; Uncles and Aunties are now doing the line dance - 'Elec-tric Slide', 'todo- todo', etc., and do other ballroom dancing feats as if they are still in their teenage years.

; Among the younger guests, there's at least one or more with the name: JP, JJ, JT,TJ, DJ, AJ, RJ, LJ, Lingling, Ningning, Bingbing,Tingting, Dingding, Wengweng, Bongbong, Dong-dong, etc.

; All the old aunties and guests are already wrapping up food to take home while more guests are still coming.

Typhoon Sendong: nATure'S wrATh upon uS

; You have the Pacquiao fight on the illegal cable boxes on the 70" LCD in the movie room, the 10 yr-old 50" CRT in the living room, the 15 yr-old 30" tube in the breakfast nook, the 20 yr-old 15" tube in the kitchen, the 30 yr-old 13" tube in the garage and the little portable by the BBQ grill or ga-zebo because TVs are NEVER retired in a Filipino house-hold, they merely get demoted or moved to whichever room doesn't have a TV yet(hahaha), then it ends up in the balik-bayan box to be sent to a rela-tive back home, and it ends up being the main TV at the house living room again.

; Relatives/friends will ask you where you work and if it's a retail job or if you work at an amusement park, they'll ask if you can get them a discount or special coupon.

; The lumpia is gone in 5 minutes and they are frying up another batch while the large Litson didn't last 15 minutes.

; PROUD OF BEING A FILIPINO? WE ARE THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD!

PABABAPAHALANG

Hango sa mga Websites

Typhoon Ondoy

January 2012http://kapitbahaynews-sfv.com14 The SF Valley News

FilamArTS Elects new officers for 2012

Araw-araw nagiging kapamilya ng marami ang Farmers® Agent.

I will keep you informed about special discounts* and our latest and innovative product options so that you can select the coverage you want to protect your property and loved ones.

*Discounts may not apply in all states. Contact your Farmers Agent to find discounts available in your area. The policy (and prospectus, if applicable) is available in English only, and will control in the event of a dispute.

• Special Multi-Line Discounts• Loss Control Services Program (for small business)

With 80 years of expertise, we’re one of the largest, most respected insurance providers. So speak to a Farmers Agent today and you’ll see why our customers think of us as family!

• Y.E.S. Teen Driving Safety Program• FREE Child ID Program

Joe Arciaga RN BSN PHN818-457-8408jarciaga@farmersagent.com25061 AVENUE STANFORD STE 120VALENCIA, CA 91355-4547License #0H59639

Filipino Ministry Wilshire

United Methodist ChurchWorship Service Schedule

Sundays, 2 - 3 PM4350 Wilshire Blvd.

los Angeles, CA 90005-1085 For more inFo, pleAse CAll:

213-308-5613rev. eriC TerrAdo

*****************************

Free Hot Lunch

every WednesdAy, 12 p.m. To 1 p.m.everyone is WelCome.

venUe: FirsT UniTed meThodisT ChUrCh oF sAn FernAndo

1525 glenoAks Blvd., sAn FernAndo.

The Board of the Associa-tion for the Advancement of

Philippine Arts & Culture, also known as FilamARTS, recently conducted a retreat to plan and discuss short- and long- term goals and objectives in congru-ence with the Mission of the or-ganization, which is to advance the understanding of the arts and diverse cultural heritage of Filipi-nos in the US through presenta-tion, arts services and education.

The retreat was ably facilitated by Vanessa Vela- Lovelace, the newly- elected Board Chair. The group also elected Kat Carrido as

the new board secretary. Other members of the Executive Com-mittee include Gerald Gubatan, vice chair and Cas Tolentino, trea-surer. The group underwent vari-ous exercises including Visioning and Asset mapping, and engaged in efficient and very productive discussions regarding current programs and future projects.

With programs such as Esku-wela Kultura, Pinoy Artists Net-work (PAN), Buy Pinoy and FPAC (The Annual Festival of Philip-pine Arts & Culture), FilamARTS is a major proponent in Southern California for Pinoy Arts & Cul-

ture. FPAC recently celebrated 20 years of gathering the local Filipi-no American community in cele-brating and promoting Philippine arts through a series of multidis-ciplinary events in Los Angeles, which included art exhibits, liter-ary readings, performances and film screenings.

The festivity culminated in a long- anticipated 2- day festival weekend. FPAC 20 featured Lea Salonga, Joe Bataan and Roshon Fegan, as well as many other tal-ented Fil- Am artists and groups.

For more info please visit: http://filamarts.org/

FilamARTS Board of Directors (photo: Terra Verde Photography)Left to Right: Joe Arciaga, Director; Melany De La Cruz- Viesca, past Board Chair; Gerald Gubatan, Vice Chair; Kat Carrido, Secretary; Vanessa Vela- Lovelace, Board Chair; Jilly Canizares, Executive Director; Aris Tagle, Director; Alfie N., Director. Not in picture: Cas Tolentino, Treasurer

neighborhood

David Hernandezdrhassoc@earthlink.net

Coming together to restore the community will take a dedi-

cation to service; A dedication which will be vital to place the good of the community before self interest.

With the demise of the Com-munity Redevelopment Agency (CRA), the future plans to breathe new life into the commercial and mixed use areas of the San Fer-nando Valley are coming to an end.

The challenge is one not seen in California in recent memory. A Legislature controlled by Demo-crats and a Democratic Governor are forcing the local governments to disband the local CRA’s and

dedicATion needed To reSTore communiTy

are taking as much of the funding away from them as possible.

What is the logic or motive behind this battle? To fully un-derstand, one must understand how the CRA operates. Blight is an official label assigned to a sec-tion of the community which has deteriorated to a state of disrepair that it has become a determent to the individuals who live, shop or work in and around it.

Once the area is designated as Blighted, the tax base is frozen at the “Blighted” level. The taxes, usually at a very depressed level continue to go the local govern-ment to fund services such as Fire and Police, etc… A certain

amount goes to the State for Edu-cation.

The CRA then assumes full control over the area. It will accept bids from developers who for the most part have been doing busi-ness with the CRA, to improve the area and build it back up to a productive state. In order to fund the improvements, the CRA, un-like the City, can sell Bonds on the Bond Market to raise the money for construction. They do not have to get the vote of the people to do so. The money is also used to purchase property in the area and which will be included in the improvement zone.

Once the property is im-proved, the additional Tax Rev-enue goes to the CRA, not to the City or State. The money is used to pay the Bond Debt and to fund more improvements.

Some Community Redevelop-ment Zones have been in opera-tion for decades, with the Taxes from the Improvements still go-ing to the CRA and not to help fund Fire, Police and Education.

With the Financial Crisis fac-ing California as well as the City, elected officials are at odds over the Tax Revenue generated by the CRA Projects. The State Legis-lature has passed legislation dis-banding the CRA and ordering

the funds transferred to the State. This was challenged in court by the Cities such as Los Angeles and it was held that since the Legisla-ture authorized the formation of the CRA’s, they had the authority to disband it. This was up held by the California Supreme Court and the winding down process is underway.

Where does this leave the Community? With many of the properties falling into the hands of the banks, it is an opportunity for the leaders in the communities to act. How that will be accom-plished is still a work in progress, but one thing is certain, it will no longer be business as usual in Los Angeles.

15January 2012http://kapitbahaynews-sfv.com

Turn To PAgE 12...

The SF Valley News

Dimple's 1st Birthday

Filipino Generals in the US military

Fergie Marie, our beautiful January 2012 K-Girl hails from Panorama City! She was born in Glendale, CA and currently

attends San Francisco State University, majoring in Business Ac-counting & Marketing. When asked what her favorite foods were, she replied, “Everything!” For her musical choices, this lovely lass likes Hip Hop, R&B, Hawaiian Reggae & Oldies. She loves Dis-ney movies and photoshoots. Fergie is exuberant and loves the Southern California sunshine, something she misses when she’s up in the Bay area. She further elaborates… “I love sports: vol-leyball, basketball, track, soccer. I love drawing and painting…. I love cooking and designing clothes. I also like ballroom dancing. In my free time I enjoy going to the beach… and sleeping!” Life goals? “I've always wanted to model because I'm so tall, haha. But my life goal is to just be successsful and take care of my family and friends. Also, I would love to travel the world!” (Photo by Terra Verde Photography)

Fergie Marie Sabado

K-Artists

PALAISIPAn

MgA SAgOT

SuDoKu

TrIVIA: What happened when Mexicans and Filipinos joined together

TAXWORK.COM “TAX-MANAGED ® SERVICES AND BEYOND” CASEWORK REPRESENTATION TAX PROBLEMS RESOLUTION

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(213)-365-1040 ANGEL Y. DAYAN, E.A.

Three Filipino-Americans had the distinction of becom-

ing U.S. Army generals. They are Maj. Gen. Edward Soriano, Brig. Gen. Archine Laano, and Brig. Gen. Antonio Taguba. Soriano is the only Filipino to have at-tained the rank of major general in the U.S. Armed Forces. He was born in Pangasinan and migrated to the U.S. with his family at an early age. In 2001, he was the di-rector of operations, readiness and mobilization at the office of America's Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans. Laano, on the other hand, is a physician by profession and a 1963 gradu-ate of the University of the Philip-pines College of Medicine. Presi-dent Ronald Reagan appointed him brigadier general in 1988. He also served as the president of the Philippine Medical Association of America and as such, repre-sented the group in several medi-cal missions in the Philippines.

Taguba is the third Filipino American general in the U.S. Armed Forces. He was born in Sampaloc, Manila and moved to Hawaii at age 11. He holds three master's degrees.

TV show to watch in 2012

We are your 5 senses to test taste

Food away from home

Live Yelper among Pinoys

KAPITBAHAY News is in need of Account ExEcutivEs. We offer one of the highest commission in the industry. Please call 818-457-8408 or 213-399-5042.

My name is Andy Imutan and I am one of the origi-

nal Filipino workers who went

on strike in 1965. I am now only one of two living Filipino work-ers from that era as most of my brothers have passed away. The one thing that does remain is their legacy and their fight for a just cause.The whole movement began in Coachella that same summer [of 1965]. That's when a group of Filipino workers went on strike demanding that their wages be increased from $1.10 an hour as well as better living conditions. Finally, after 10 days of picketing we finally accomplished what we had set out to do-we increased our wages by 30¡Ë an hour. The victory was more grandiose, not so much for the wage increase but for its significance at defeating the growers. We knew then that we could accomplish a lot more.

As I look back, I don't think we could have accomplished such victory in Coachella had it not been for the leadership of our brothers Ben Gines, Pete Manuel and Larry Itliong, who were all in-strumental in that victory.

After a successful first strike we did it again, this time in Del-ano where wages were also start-ing out at $1.10 an hour. How-ever, the struggle became a lot harder when Mexican workers started crossing our picketlines.

There was no unity between the Mexicans and the Filipinos. The growers were very successful in dividing us and creating conflict between the two races. Although we tried to discourage and reason with the Mexicans that this was just hurting everyone, we weren't able to convince them.

So Larry Itliong and I decided to take action by seeing Cesar Chavez, the leader of the National Farm Workers Association. We met to come up with a plan that would be beneficial for everyone, including the Mexican workers. Andy Imutan is one of the original

strikers from the 1965 walkouts who started it all. He was a leader of AWOC and later a vice president of the United Farm Workers, formed by the merger of the largely Fili-pino AWOC and the mostly Latino NFWA. Imutan was also in charge of the Baltimore and New York boycotts, and was UFW director in Stockton and Delano.

BOLD Screen Printing9743 Lurline Ave.Chatsworth, CA 91311

Office: (818) 886-1327 We respond to emails at all times.Email: info@BoldSP.comwww.boldscreenprinting.com

Hours of OperationMonday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm

BoLD Printing: The place to go for your T-Shirt designs & productions

Pinoy Enterpreneurs in San Fernando Valley

BOLD Printing pro-duction system is highly computerized and automated

From computer graphic to the cotton fabric

George Teopaco:CEO and Owner

"Freedom Lies in Being Bold"

ABA showcases success More San Fernando Valley news and photos on pages 14 & 15

Nick and VinCommissionersABA Sports League

ABA ALL-STAR TEAMCopper Elite Conference

ABA ALL-STAR TEAMBronze Elite Conference

Coach Eric Lopez is giving instructions to the ABA All-Star Team.

Vince MallariRegular Season M.V.P.Copper Elite Conference

Mission san Fernando rey de españa

Mission San Fernan-do, Rey de Espana

was the 17th of Califor-nia's 21 Missions and has been restored to become one of the best historical and picturesque tourist attractions in the valley while also serving as an active Catholic church.

The mission was founded in 1797 by Fa-ther Lasuen to close the gap between San Bue-naventura and San Ga-briel. At its peak, it was a vibrant hub of the region until all the missions were shut down by the Mexican government in the 1830s. After decades of vandalism, misuse, and decay the Mission was restored and rebuilt after a generous cam-paign in 1916.

A $4 self-guided tour takes you through 12 stops, gardens, or build-ings. It starts with a mu-seum filled with pictures

and artifacts of the mis-sion. The largest adobe structure in California is the Convento completed in 1822. This very long two-story building has 21 arches and 4-foot adobe walls. The interior has been restored with several rooms displaying the way it looked when in use. At the far end of the Convento is the Madonna Room with hundreds of depictions and statues of the Blessed Mother.

The Old Mission Church is the 4th church constructed on the site and is an exact replica of the

one completed in 1806 including very thick walls and furnishings used in the 3rd church. Next to the church is the Cem-etery. It was a place were thousands of neophytes and setters were buried, but most surprising of all is the small garden dedi-cated to the final resting place of legendary come-dian Bob Hope.

Our visit to Mission San Fernando was a relax-ing, educational, and in-spirational way to spend an afternoon. I recom-mend it without hesita-tion.

Must-see Places to visit in San Fernado Valley

Courtesy of Michael S. YELP Account

Ginno SolimanRegular Season M.V.P.Bronze Elite Conference

printing design for sometime now, and starting year 2000, we started full production, meaning, from garphic design to mass pro-duction," George explained as he outlined the trajectory of positive growth of BOLD Printing within the past two years.

George, not without a doubt one of the most successful young enterpreneur in San Fernando Valley, added: "Due to our online presence, orders come not only

here in Los Angeles but also from other states,a s far as Illinois and Texas. Our website has 30,000 hits per month."

Bold Screen Printing is a pro-fessional medium to high produc-ing screen printing shop with over 15 years of combined industry experience. Its 3,000 sq. ft ware-house facility is equipped with top of the line M & R Automatic ma-chines to keep quality consistent and professional on every job.

George Teopaco, owner and CEO of BOLD Printing, is

Kapitbahay's enterpreneur of the month. BOLD Printing is engage in T-Shirt design and production.

"We help people produce t-shirts with graphic designs. If you have a clothing line or you are a company, we put your logo or de-signs on t-shirts."

According to George, his com-pany has the cutting-edge advan-tage from the competituion.

"What differentiate us from the competition is the quality of design. Not everybody does what we do. Others can only do simple designs, but we can print compli-cated designs, like printing pho-tos on the t-shirts," George said

"We have had been in t-shirt

The San Fernanso Valley News January 2012