asian journal august 5, 2011 edition

Lee Birchfi eld Off to Memphis For Elvis Week’s “2011 Ultimate ETA

Contest” .. p. 15

Across Troubled Waters ... p. 11

Remittance glow blinds RP from diaspora of mission-critical workers

(Continued on page 4)

Complicated A� airsHesitant Lovers

by Simeon G. Silverio, Jr. Publisher & Editor in Chief, Asian Journal San Diego

Chapter 24

Phl launches ecotourism tour with a difference

August 21: A Day of Prayer for Peace – Loida Nicolas Lewis

People Power On Anniversary of Ninoy Martyrdom

Loida Nicolas Lewis on Spratly is-sue: “I believe in the power of prayer”

“Another problem, Dad.”Danny’s son JR was at the other end of the line.Danny was in the Philippines showing his Mexican daughter Blanca and her mother Mercedes the country of his birth. Danny’s daughter Carol joined them.“What problem?” Danny asked.“Somebody tracked me down and asked about you.”If anybody would look for him through the internet, it would be through his son JR’s Facebook account. They shared the same name; all one had to do was google it and it would lead him to JR.“Why would he ask about me?”“It’s a girl, Dad. She claims she’s your daughter.”“Again?” Danny asked aloud. “What did I do? Spread my seeds all over the place?”

Isagani de la Paz, OFW Journalism Consortium | MA-NILA – THE sparkle of bil-lions of dollars of money sent by Filipinos temporarily or permanently earning abroad is blinding government and the overseas labor deployment industry, a lawmaker warned recently.

“The immediate windfall from the foreign currency re-mittances of our countrymen overseas makes it so easy to gloss over the reality that the diaspora of our skilled labor exacts a painful toll on the basic industries that should form the building block of a strong Philippine economy,” Congressman Roseller Bari-naga said in a privilege speech recently. Representative Barinaga of Zamboanga del Norte spoke at the Lower House seeking measures to check what he said was the unregulated outfl ow of critical skills and talents affecting the country’s strategic industries: aviation, electronics, ship-ping, steel, petrochemical, and telecommunications.

These are mission-critical personnel, meaning these are professionals whose skills are vital in fl ying and maintain-ing the safety of planes, in keeping the electronics, steel and petrochemical factories humming and in keeping our ships fl oating safely at seas, Barinaga explained.

In his speech titled “The silent crisis: The hemorrhage of mission-critical skills,” the House Labor Committee chair cited the Philippine aviation industry as example of the cri-sis brought by labor outfl ow.

Barinaga cited that while there are only 700 commercial pilots actively employed by the industry, the Philippines continues to allow the exodus of these highly-skilled work-ers, threatening the supply of pilots for domestic needs.

“What is distressing news for us is that the growth in aircraft fl eets is not matched by provisions for training new personnel to man these fl eets of new aircraft,” Barinaga said.

He noted that since avia-tion industries in other coun-

Zena Sultana BabaoMsgr. Gutierrez Ben MaynigoDebt Deal Done Despite Differences & Diffi cult

Decision ... p. 20

August 5 - 11, 2011


(Continued on page 14)(Continued on page 6)


Boracay hailed as one of the Best Islands in the World

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August 5 - 11, 2011

by Loida Nicolas Lewis

I received an e-mail from Rodel Rodis requesting me, as Region Chair of the Na-tional Federation of Filipino American Associations to coordinate the planning of a Day of Prayer for Peace and a Community Forum about the Spratly Islands issue in Region 10, which covers San Diego, Imperial, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

In a fresh but ambiguous take on ecotourism, travellers in the Philippines can visit a remote turtle sanctuary and then ven-ture into the heart of a nearby nuclear power plant.

If tourists feel too weary to make the three-hour bus drive back to Manila after their unique day of sightseeing, they

Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (Photo by Jay Protacio Mendoza c2008)

The sandy shores of Boracay Island in Aklan have once again been recognized internationally, this time when Travel + Leisure Magazine ranked it as the fourth best island in the world in its an-nual “World’s Best Awards.”

In Asia, Boracay is ranked second to Bali in Indonesia.

It was the fi rst time that

Boracay was recognized by the magazine.

The survey was conducted

On Saturday, Sep-tember 3rd the San Diego Padres will once again present their Filipino Night, in honor and recognition of the growing Filipino popu-lation in San Diego. The Padres will be up against the Colorado Rockies, with the game beginning at 5:35pm.

Silk Road Produc-tions, the team behind the Asian Cultural Festival and AMP Mu-sic Festival, as well as chair of the FilAmFest, is producing the Pre-Game Entertainment Show from 3:20pm- 5:20pm at the Park at the

Park, right before the game.

The Padres have cre-ated a special discount code for people inter-ested in attending the Filipino Night, which will enable signifi cant discounts on select seats. The discount code will also reward people with a FREE limited edi-tion Padres/Philippines beanie!

Only people who purchase through the following link and apply the special code will be given the discount and the free gift.

Fil-Am Artists Lead Pre-Game Festivities for 3rd Filipino Night with the San Diego Padres, Sept 3

August 5 - 11, 2011Asian Journal - (619) 474-0588 Visit our website at http://www.asianjournalusa.com

Loida Nicolas Lewis: A Day of Prayer ...

(Continued from page 1)

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by Atty. Aurora Vega-Buzon Esq.

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


Visas Available As Of August 1, 2011

I believe in the power of prayer so I readily accepted the request, designating Ms. Myrna Farinas Reyes to coordinate the event in San Diego County. Plans are un-derway to contact our religious and community leaders so that we can come together on August 21 as a community to pray for peace in the Spratly. The pro-gram will be announced later.

Here is a general letter sent by Loida Lewis and Rodel Rodis, which they requested me to circulate.

Dear friend/kababayan, We are writing to ask you

to pray. We know you do that every day anyway but we ask you to make a special prayer for peace in the Spratlys. We request you to organize a prayer/town hall meeting in your community on Sunday, August 21, 2011 to join more than 100 other com-munities in the U.S. that will be holding a Day of Prayer for Peace in the Spratlys. Please invite your friends, relatives and neighbors - as well as religious leaders, elected officials and community leaders - to join you in praying for a peaceful resolu-tion of the crisis in the Spratlys and in discussing the issues sur-rounding the dispute. Before you agree to our request, you will want to know why your prayers are needed and what they are for.

The Spratly Islands consist of 450 islands, atolls and reefs in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) whose ownership has been contested by six countries. About 8 of these islands are claimed by the Philippines as

August 2,2011 The fiscal year 2011 limit for family-sponsored preference immigrants is 226,000 and 140,000 visas for employment-based preference immigrants. Of the total 366,000 visas available worldwide to all family and employ-ment sponsored immigrants, only 7% or 25,620 visas is allotted as the per country maximum for preference immigrants. The Philippines and Mexico are 2 countries which are oversubscribed – there are more visa beneficiaries than the visas allotted per country. Consequently, there is a further regression for both family-sponsored, and employment-spon-sored immigrants, including nurses.

Immediate relatives of a US citizen - a parent, spouse or child under 21 years – are not subject to these numerical limitations and are immediately entitled to visas. Thus, if you are not the spouse, nor a par-ent, nor a child under 21 years old of a U.S. citizen - you are a “Prefer-ence Immigrant.” Also, if you are being petitioned as an immigrant worker, whether you are a scientist or a mechanic or a caregiver, you are classified as a “Preference Immi-grant”, but 1st and 2nd preference workers always have visas immedi-ately available.

All beneficiaries of approved im-migrant petitions who are “Prefer-ence Immigrants” must wait for their priority dates to get an immigrant visa from the US consulate abroad; or, if already in the US, to file for adjustment or green card with the Immigration Service (USCIS), as-suming they are eligible under some

amnesty law like 245(i), etc. The “priority date” is the date of

filing of the family petition; or the immigrant petition (for 1st prefer-

Family- Spon-sored

All Areas Except Those Listed

CHINA- main-land born INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES

F1 01MAY04 01MAY04 01MAY04 08MAR93 15APR96

F2A 22JUL08 22JUL08 22JUL08 01JUN08 22JUL08

F2B 01JUL03 01JUL03 01JUL03 01OCT92 01DEC00

F3 22AUG01 22AUG01 22AUG01 15NOV92 01APR92

F4 08APR00 08APR00 08APR00 08MAR96 15MAY88

Employment-Sponsored Preference Categories1st: Priority Workers (including spouse and children under 21)2nd: Advanced Degree Professionals or Exceptional Ability Aliens (including spouse and children under 21)3rd: Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers (including nurses, BS degree holders and caregivers and

their respective spouses and children under 21) 4th: Certain Special Immigrants 5th: Employment Creation (investors in a targeted rural or high-unemployment area)

Employment- Based

All Areas Except Those Listed

CHINA- main-land born INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES

1st C C C C C

2nd C 15APR07 15APR07 C C

3rd 01NOV05 08JUL04 01JUN02 01NOV05 01NOV05

Other Workers 01MAY05 22APR03 01JUN02 01MAY05 01MAY05

4th C C C C C

Certain Religious Workers C C C C C

5th Targeted Em-ployment Areas/ Regional Ctrs and Pilot Programs

C C C C C

ence workers, or nurses and physical therapists); or the labor certification application (for all other workers). So if your priority date is before the date listed under your home coun-try, you are immediately entitled to get a visa from your country’s US Embassy; or apply for adjustment/green card, if you are eligible. For employment-sponsored immigrants, “C” stands for current which means visas are immediately available and “U” stands for unavailable.

The Visa Bulletin for August 2011 shows the following dates for the Philippines and other countries:

Family-Sponsored Preference Categories

1st: Unmarried Sons and Daugh-ters of Citizens

2nd: Spouses and Children, and Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents, further classi-fied as Spouses and Children (F2A) and Unmarried Sons and Daughters 21 years of age or older (F2B).

3rd: Married Sons and Daughters of Citizens (including all children under 21 years)

4th: Brothers and Sisters of Adult Citizens (including all children under 21 years)

On the chart below, “C” means current, which means visas are avail-able; “U” means unavailable. Visas are available only for visa applicants whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed.

If you are a 3rd or 4th preference

family-sponsored immigrant or an employment-sponsored immigrant (1st-4th) and you have children who are over 21 years old, consult an at-

torney to find out whether your child is considered “under 21” under the Child Status Protection Act.

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

WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and U.S. Citizenship and Immigra-tion Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas today outlined a series of policy, operational, and outreach efforts to fuel the nation’s economy and stimulate investment by attracting foreign entrepreneurial talent of exceptional ability or who otherwise can create jobs, form startup companies, and invest capital in areas of high unemployment.

“The United States must continue

to attract the best and brightest from around the world to invest their talents, skills, and ideas to grow our economy and create American jobs,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Today’s announcements will help our nation fully realize the potential of existing immigration laws.”

“Current immigration laws support

foreign talent who will invest their capital, create new jobs for Ameri-can workers, and dedicate their

DHS Secretary Na-politano Announc-

es Initiatives To Promote Startup Enterprises And

Spur Job Creation

Asian Journal - (619) 474-0588 Visit our website at http://www.asianjournalusa.comAugust 5 - 11, 2011

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can stay at a guesthouse overlooking pristine South China Sea waters at the atomic site’s private beach.

This tour-with-a-difference is part of the government’s latest effort to make use of the idle Bataan Nuclear Power Plant — one of the country’s most expensive and troublesome burdens.

“This will be the only tourist-friendly nuclear power plant in this part of the world,” Dennis Gana, spokesman for state-owned power firm Napocor that runs the site, said over a lunch of barbecued tuna steaks and chicken at the beach.

“You don’t see a nuclear power plant every day. Especially a nuclear reactor… so I think for most people it would be very thrilling.”

Built nearly three decades ago under the rule of dictator Ferdinand Marcos for about 2.3 billion dollars, the plant has never produced a watt of energy, and continues to cost taxpayers more than 10,000 dollars a day to maintain.

Uranium was actually trucked into the site in 1984 and, for nuclear power advocates, the switch was at that point tantalizingly close to being turned on.

But the plant’s fate was doomed in 1986 as Marcos was overthrown in a revolution, and global fears over atomic energy spiked with the Cher-nobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine.

Critics of the Bataan venture had also insisted the plant was built too close to earthquake fault lines, and that it was madness to entrust such a dangerous venture as nuclear energy to the corrupt Marcos regime.

Nevertheless, despite safety concerns over nuclear energy rising again amid the on-going crisis at Japan’s tsunami-ravaged Fukushima plant, Napocor and some politicians still dream of reviving the Philip-pines’ only atomic power option.

“We are not saying we should go nuclear 100 percent, we are saying we should include nuclear in the power mix,” Gana said.

A bill seeking to get the plant run-ning is before Congress, although even Filipino nuclear advocates


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D. Liporada | Chapter 6 –

“Damn those commu-nists,” Mr. Reyes said as he handed me the Manila Times before classes started that morning. The paper was our only win-dow outside of the semi-nary world. “How could they call themselves Kabataang Makabayan when they are actually communists?”

The havoc wrested by the Patriotic Youth or wrested upon them was splashed on the front face of the newspaper that I had now spread over a desk. As other seminarians hovered about, they buzzed at the screaming headline – Hundreds maimed in Riots. Photos splattered included a truncheon armed police-man bashing an unarmed woman whose skirt’s hem has flipped over her legs. A strewn placard also shouted Down with Imperialism!

My eyes swam over texts – riot, imperialism, fascism, Molotov cocktails, US consular office, Mala-canang Palace…

“Damn those communists,” Mr. kept saying. “They have no idea how the Americans saved us during the war.”

The buzzing inside the library be-came more intense as more seminar-ians entered to hover over the paper. Somehow, this day, Mr. Reyes did not quash the buzzing with a “si-lence” as he always did for, second to the chapel, the library was also an epitome of silence in the seminary.

“Damn those communists.”Red dominated the day as the news

filtered through our subjects that day. In math, one communist country plus one communist country equals two communist countries multiplied by Vietnam equals all of Asian coun-tries will be communist; Current Events, it is really wise to contribute our Philcag forces in Vietnam to help fight the communists; History, they should have listened to Mac-Arthur’s insistence to have used the atomic bomb at China’s Yalu River and there would be no Vietnam thing today; Parlor Games, domino is the name of the game where if we do not quash the Vietcong, all of the Asian countries will be communist.

Serenity from the communist jittery only regrouped at noon when the bell rang for Angelus…The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: And she conceived of the Holy Spirit…Hail Mary, full of grace…Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me accord-ing to Thy word…Hail Mary . . . And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us…Hail Mary . . . Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ…Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resur-rection, through the same Christ Our Lord…Amen.

“Damn those communists,” however, reverberated again during lunch, spicing, with the clanging of forks and spoons, the plates of rice garnished with cabbage soup with meager dices of beef inconspicu-ously swimming in the broth. This did not dissuade me, however, to wonder as I have often wondered why the Flemish table, now, apart from just the apples and juice, were bananas, grapes, mashed potatoes and chicken legs.

At nap time, I continued to read my latest choice book on the lives of saints. St. Francis of Assisi came from a rich family whose father scolded him for giving away the garbs they sell to the poor. He

eventually left his comfortable bed in exchange for sleeping with the poor in the streets and founded his Franciscan order of priests without him becoming a priest himself.

Who said Jesus was a priest? Who said you have to be ordained as a priest to become a priest? Why become a priest when you might be Flemish who have apple, juice, bananas, grapes, mashed potatoes and chicken legs and the seminarians do not?

The sanctity of the silence of the nap was broken by the briiiing…briiing….bring for the afternoon classes to begin…Saturn is the ringed planet…Ego es rex Romano-rum…I am the king of the Romans.

This afternoon’s Religion lesson was interrupted by my question from out of nowhere. “Since God is all knowing, He knows the past, pres-ent, and the future. Yes, father?”

“Yes,” said the Flemish rector.“Knowing the future, He knows

that I am going to heaven or hell no matter how good or bad I perform here on earth, does He not?”

“Yes.” “So, what’s the use of being good

if I am predestined to go to hell and

why would I not enjoy doing evil if I am predestined to go to heaven?”

“Because you are endowed with your own free will to choose the path you will follow.”

“But He should know how I am going to use my own free will, does He not?”

“Yes.” “So, He knows if I am going to use

my own free will that would lead me to heaven or hell of which He knows where I am going.”

“He knows but will not interfere with your free will.”

“He will not interfere but He knows how I am going to use it and where it will lead me.”

“Yes, and that’s the mystery of our Predestination Dogma.”

“Dogma?”“Although we are creatures of

the Heavenly Father, we are not yet perfect. In our imperfections, our knowledge is limited. Our knowledge of God is still beyond our comprehension. As such, we cannot fully understand His ways. Yes, we know that He knows the past, present, and the future in all His omnipotence. Yes, He knows where you are predestined to be going but He keeps that as a mystery

for He has also given you your free will to exercise that will lead you to wherever your mysterious journey will lead you. We cannot understand all these because, as I have said, our comprehension is still limited. All we know is we have to be obedient to dogmas.”

“But is that not unfair for those who exert to be good but are predes-tined to go to hell anyway?”

“Exercise your free will to do good so you could be predestined to go to Heaven.”

“But…”End of discussion. Where were

we?I was no longer listening to the

rector. My mind was occupied. So, those damned communists had the free will to become communists and have chosen to be so but we are not yet certain if they are really predestined to go to hell because our comprehension of the ways of the Lord is still limited? They could still go to heaven? Damn those commu-nists. But who are we to damn them when our comprehension of Him is limited and He knows that those communists will be communists and we do not know if they are predes-tined to go to hell or not? I raised my hand again.

“That is enough from you today,” the Flemish rector said.

That is dogma.My insides protested but did not

find anymore ears to vent to as the bell for the afternoon angelus rang from the chapel. I had to silence myself as our right hands flew to our foreheads, down to our chests, left

shoulders, right shoulders, Amen. The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary…and my soul declared that the discussion about predestina-tion is silenced. After the angelus, I had to fish out my rosary from my pocket as we, saintly, trudged towards the chapel for our prayers

before dinner.I believe…one of those. Our

Father who art in heaven…seven of those. Hail Mary full of grace…fifty three of those…followed by Glory Be’s…six? The mysteries and litanies would follow and mix with our stomachs growling for dinner of maybe invisible meat swim-ming in vegetable broth, again over rice while the Flemish priests will have apple, juice, bananas, grapes, mashed potatoes and chicken legs. If we, seminarians, will be lucky, maybe we could have a banana tonight.

We did have bananas and we chattered about the bananas like monkeys.

Such was our life in the seminary. Monkeys see, monkeys do. We woke up before the sun rays slice through our window panes; drop to our knees pray, pray, pray, wash our faces, be saint like entering the chapel, pray, pray, pray, kneel, sit, stand, Dominus vobiscum, breakfast and so forth till the end of day, lucky if we have ba-nanas. What we cannot do, however, is have what the Flemish priests have on their table and partake of the apples and juice, bananas, grapes, mashed potatoes and chicken legs. Definitely some monkeys were more

equal than others.At least, we were far away from

the communists.The communists are red, they said,

and violets are blue. If it were the song, if violets are blue, then what color should communists really be? Mr. Reyes really ranted on them everyday since that day they were splattered in the newspapers, trun-cheoned by the police. “Damn those communists.”

All throughout my seminary life, I harbored this question, why do they brand the communists red? Why red? And what could be so wrong about the communists when we learned in our Latin classes that communis as an adjective meant common, universal, gener-ally shared? What was wrong with universally sharing? This was also rooted in our Christian his-tory and doctrine. In Acts 4:32, it says “Things were common among them”. Translated in Latin, it says “Erant illis omina communia”. A rule of St. Augustine also says “Call nothing your own, but let everything be yours in common” or “Et non di-catis aliquid proprium sed sint vobis omnia communia”.

Is the bible communist? Are Saint Augustine and all the saints commu-nists? Didn’t Jesus Christ make him-self equal to the apostles by wearing similar sandals as them and eating the same enliven bread and fish with them and very much in communis with them?

I stopped questioning only when I left the seminary. Not that I stopped believing in Christ. I got tired of mini-mini-myna Moe, are we having bananas tonight? And, oh! I was cleaning the rector’s room one day and, under the mattress of his bed, I unearthed a Playboy magazine.

That was it for me. I may have been called among the many but I refused to be chosen.

To be continued…

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

on Twitter

Boracay hailed as one ...

(Continued from page 1)(Continued from page 1)

Phl Launches Eco-Tourism ...

from December 2010 to March 2011. Readers voted and decided through Travel + Leisure maga-zine and the TravelandLeisure.com, the magazine’s official website.

The top choices are featured in the magazine’s August issue.

Islands were evaluated accord-ing to their natural attractions, activities, sights, restaurants and food, visitors and natives, and their value for money, according to the website.

The island wasn’t alone in receiving praises from the travel magazine.

Discovery Shores in Boracay was also included in the list of 10 best hotel spas worldwide and listed the best in Asia. Hotel spas were evaluated according to their ambiance, treatments, service and value.

Meanwhile, TripAdvisor.com, a travel site that collates user-generated content, ranked the island the best beach in Asia and second worldwide in their 2011 “Traveler’s Choice,” which is based on reviews submitted by travelers.

“As long as you visit during dry season, you’ll agree this is one of the best beach destina-tions in the world,” said TripAd-visor.com.

In February this year, Boracay and Cebu were among the top destinations for Chinese tourists, according to the Department of Tourism.

Boracay is a favorite destina-tion of local and international celebrities alike, with “Glee” star Mark Salling as one of the island’s more recent Hollywood visitors. -- (Story courtesy of BEA CUPIN GMA News)


San Diego News

LOS ANGELES, CA – On July 29th, The California Redistricting Commission (CRC) will be voting on their final draft maps of statewide Assembly, Senate, Congressional, and Board of Equalization district lines. Understanding the commu-nity’s need to examine the detailed boundary lines and the underlying data for each proposed district, our free online tool, ReDrawCA.org, has already posted these final proposed lines onto our site.

On ReDrawCA.org, users can:• Create interactive maps of

any district in the state• Search for districts by ZIP

Code or address• See charts of the total

population, Citizen Voting Age Population, Race/Ethnicity, Party Registration, and Gubernatorial Vote in 2010.

• Zoom to the neighborhood level to see where schools and other landmarks are

• Compare with city, county, and the 2001 version of the district lines.

ReDrawCA.org is also offering a free embeddable widget that allows users to type in their address or ZIP code and see both what district they are in now and the proposed new district. The widget is available to be embedded in anyone’s website making it easy to share the proposals with a wide variety of people.

ReDrawCA.org bridges the gap between concerned citizens and de-cision makers by providing an inter-active tool for community groups to engage in the redistricting process. Every 10 years, California redraws the lines of our political landscape through the redistricting process. Altering political boundaries through gerrymandering, packing, and divid-ing neighborhoods can disenfran-chise entire communities and their interests. However, most citizens have little to no knowledge of the

Redistricting Commission To Release Proposed Districts

redistricting process, let alone infor-mation about how they can influence redistricting decisions. ReDrawCA.org allows community groups to en-gage decision makers about the story of their community – its boundaries, its needs, and what makes it unique. This free, online website application will help traditionally excluded com-munities take a seat at the table in California’s redistricting process.

ReDrawCA.org is presented on the statewide Healthy City platform, an information + action resource that unites community voices, rigorous research and innovative technologies to solve the root causes of social in-equity. HealthyCity.org stands at the forefront of bringing high-quality, accessible data and GIS mapping and analysis to communities that typically do not have access to the tools they need to make positive changes in their community.

Both ReDrawCA.org and Healthy City are programs of Advancement Project, a public policy change organization rooted in the civil rights movement. We engineer large-scale systems change to remedy inequal-ity, expand opportunity and open paths to upward mobility. Our goal is that members of all communities have the safety, opportunity and health they need to thrive.

Our signature is reach and impact. With our strong ties to diverse com-munities, unlikely alliances, policy and legal expertise, and creative use of technology, we and our partners have won over $15 billion to extend opportunity. Whether it is to build 150 schools, transform the City of Los Angeles’ approach to its gang epidemic, or revolutionize the use of data in policymaking, Advancement Project evens the odds for communi-ties striving to attain equal footing and equal treatment.

ReDrawCA.org to display the FINAL maps and provide direct access to the data for each district

Details for August 5th through August 9th, 2011

What: Full Closure - North and South Bound lanes from I-8 to A Street will be closed.

Friday, August 5th11:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.Weekend Full Closure - South

Bound lanes from I-8 to A Street will be closed.

Saturday, August 6th Sunday, August 7th

11:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.

Weekday Lane Closure - South bound fast lane/closest to median from Richardson Avenue to I-5 will be closed.

Monday, August 8th and Tues-day, August 9th

8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.

State Route 163 Closure Due to Sewer Pipe Rehabilitation

Full and Partial Closure of State Route 163 through August 9th

Why: The 45-year-old Cabrillo Trunk Sewer that runs through Balboa Park along State Route 163 is in need of rehabilitation after damage caused by age, tree roots and breaks. This project will restore the structural in-tegrity of the pipe, inhibit root infiltration, reduce maintenance costs, and extend the life of the sewer main for another 50 years. To see a map of the project, please visit the project’s Web page. For More Information: http://www.sandiego.gov/engi-neering-cip. Click on “Featured Projects in Construction”

Click on “SR-163 Sewer Pipe-line Rehabilitation”

Email: [email protected]. Call: Public Information Line 619.533.4207

Friday August 19UA Horton Plaza 14 Theatre

(in the Mall) www.amigomovie.com San Diego, CA, 8/5/2011 -- Set in

the early 1900s, acclaimed writer-director John Sayles examines the forgotten history of the Philippine-American War in his new film, AMI-

GO. When Rafael Dacanay’s (Joel Torre) rural village in the Philippines is occupied by American troops hunt-ing for Filipino guerillas, he comes under pressure to collaborate from both the blood-and-guts Colonel Hardacre (Chris Cooper) and the head of the local guerillas, his brother Simón (Ronnie Lazaro). Rafael must carefully make the near-impossible, potentially deadly decisions faced by civilians in an occupied country.

This poorly documented bit of American, as well as Philippine His-tory is turned into an Epic War drama by the highly acclaimed and Acad-emy Award nominated filmmaker John Sayles. John Sayles writer/di-rector of such films as “Lone Star,” “Matewan,” “Passion Fish,” and “Eight Men Out.” Joined by a bril-liant cast that includes such Filipino acting greats as Joel Torre, Bembol Roco, Rio Locsin and Ronnie Laza-ro-- along with veteran American ac-tors like Chris Cooper (Oscar-winner

Philippine American war Film’s Theatrical release in San Diego

for “Adaptation”), Garret Dillahunt, DJ Qualls, and Yul Vasquez (a cur-rent Tony nominee performing on Broadway)

The Nationwide Theatrical release will be on August 19 2011. San Di-ego’s release will be shown at the UA Horton Plaza 14 in the Mall. But, this is no ordinary trip to the theatre.

This film not only caters to the inde-pendent film supporters, or War mov-ie fans, but this is a chance to see a film that covers an issue that is barely taught in history classes. We see nu-merous movies about Wars, but how often do we see movies about a War in the Philippines? A war between the U.S. and the Philippines no less.

Not only an entertaining movie, but an educational one as well, we hope that Parents as well as their children (older than 13), can find this to be a movie they can share. We hope that parents who grew up in the PI, their kids who grew up here, students of Philippine studies, Fil Am studies, young Filipinos discovering their roots, indie film fans, war movie fans, and fans of movies, will find a place in our theatre that weekend. We want to show Hollywood that an indepen-dent film with substance can go head to head with their flashy movies any weekend.

Indy Film AMIGO Explores Philippine History


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DEL MAR, Calif. — This sea-son is one for the books at The Del Mar Racetrack. Last week the track crowned a new Miss Cougar Del Mar and sent one lucky gambler home $1.1 million richer. The flair and fun con-tinues with a Jimmy Eat World concert, a T-shirt giveaway, the second Donuts Day and the third annual Cool As Ever Tech event, all in Del Mar’s third jam-packed week of racing and fun at the seaside oval.

Jimmy Eat World Four O’Clock Friday Concert – Friday, Aug. 12 – After an afternoon of racing, the crowd

Del Mar Gets Social with Third Annual Tech Event

Donuts Day and T-shirt giveaway expected to draw big crowds

will dance and sing along to Jimmy Eat World’s hits like “The Middle” and “Sweetness” as the sun sets over the Pacific Ocean.

Donuts Day – Saturday, Aug. 13 – After its most suc-cessful Donuts Day in history last month, Del Mar will host its second Donuts Day at 8 a.m. Guests will enjoy free donuts, coffee and orange juice while getting a behind-the-scenes look at Thoroughbred racing from track announcer Trevor Denman and one of Del Mar’s top jockeys and trainers.

Cool As Ever Tech – Satur-day, Aug. 13 - Del Mar’s third


Fil-Am Artists Lead Pre-Game

Festivities ...(Continued from page 1)

ASIAN JOURNALThe first Asian-Filipino weekly in Southern California

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

Ashley SilverioAssistant Editor

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

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

Dr. Rizalino “Riz” Oades, (1935-2009)

The Asian Journal is published weekly and distrib-uted in all Asian communties in San Diego County. Publication date is every Friday of the month. Adver-tising deadline is Thursday prior to publication date at 5 p.m. For advertising rates, rate cards, or information, call (619) 474-0588. Subscription by mail is available for $50 per year (56 issues). The Asian Journal is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photo-graphs but welcomes submissions. Entire content is © 2009 copyrighted material by Asian Journal. Materi-als in this publication may not be reproduced without specific permission from the publisher.

Genevieve SilverioManaging Editor

Simeon G. Silverio, Jr.Publisher & Editor

Miles BeauchampAssociate Editor

Santi SilverioAssociate Publisher

At Large...

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

by Miles Beauchamp

Perspectives

by Dr. Ofelia Dirige Founder, President & CEO Kalusugan

Community Services. www.filamwellness.org

Contemporary Asian American Issues

Seventh of a Series on Youth Entertainment


exceptional talent to the growth of our nation’s economy,” said Director Mayorkas. “USCIS is dedicated to ensuring that the potential of our im-migration laws is fully realized, and the initiatives we announce today are an important step forward.”

These actions mark the six-month anniversary of Startup America, a White House-led initiative to reduce barriers and accelerate growth for America’s job-creating entrepre-neurs. They have also been one key focus of the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, which has recommended taking action to help ensure that America can out-innovate and out-compete the world in a global economy.

USCIS has published a Fre-quently Asked Questions (FAQs) document on its website clarifying that entrepreneurs may obtain an employment-based second prefer-ence (EB-2) immigrant visa if they satisfy the existing requirements, and also may qualify for a National Interest Waiver under the EB-2 immigrant visa category if they can demonstrate that their business en-deavors will be in the interest of the United States. USCIS will comple-ment these FAQs with internal training on the unique characteristics of entrepreneurial enterprises and startup companies and incorporate input from the upcoming stakeholder engagements detailed below.

The EB-2 visa classification includes foreign workers with advanced degrees and individuals of exceptional ability in the arts, sciences, or business. Generally, an EB-2 visa petition requires a job offer and a Department of Labor cer-tification. These requirements can be waived under existing law if the petitioner demonstrates that approval of the EB-2 visa petition would be in the national interest of the United States.

In response to stakeholder feed-back, USCIS has also updated exist-ing FAQs to clarify that an H-1B beneficiary who is the sole owner of the petitioning company may establish a valid employer-employee relationship for the purposes of qualifying for an H-1B nonim-migrant visa – which is used by U.S. businesses to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical ex-pertise in specialized fields, such as science, engineering, and computer programming.

The EB-5 immigrant investor pro-gram is also being further enhanced by transforming the intake and review process. In May, USCIS pro-posed fundamental enhancements to streamline the EB-5 process which include: extending the availability of premium processing for certain EB-5 applications and petitions, implementing direct lines of com-munication between the applicants and USCIS, and providing appli-cants with the opportunity for an interview before a USCIS panel of experts to resolve outstanding issues in an application. After reviewing stakeholder feedback on the pro-posal, USCIS is developing a phased plan to roll out these enhancements and is poised to begin implement-ing the first of these enhancements within 30 days.

Created by Congress in 1990, the program stimulates the U.S. econo-my through capital investment and resulting job creation by immigrant investors. As of June 30, 2011, it is estimated that the program has resulted in more than $1.5 billion in capital investments and created at least 34,000 jobs.

USCIS has also announced the expansion of its Premium Processing Service to immigrant petitions for multinational executives and manag-ers (often referred to as “E13”). The Premium Processing Service allows employers to expedite processing of their petitions, absent evidentiary de-ficiencies, fraud or national security concerns.

Finally, USCIS is launching a new

series of engagement opportuni-ties for entrepreneurs and startup companies. These opportunities will focus on soliciting input from

DHS Secretary Na-politano Announc-

es Initiatives ...(Continued from page 2)

Amazon.com makes a lot of money - a huge amount. In fact, they

recently announced second quarter sales are up 51% to $9.91 billion. That’s in one quarter. And that’s great - they do something and they do it remarkably well. That’s one of the keys to success. But ama-

zon.com is more than business - they support many projects, causes, and individuals.

I’m going to be covering a few of the things amazon.com does in the next column or two - you’ll be amazed. I’m going to start with some of the things they do to support the people who write the works you read.

amazon.com

Supporting the Writing Community

A love of reading and an appre-ciation for the people who create great books is part of Amazon.com’s DNA. Amazon.com of-fers grants for nonprofit author and publisher groups that share their obsession with fostering the creation, discussion, and publica-tion of books. Examples of recent awards:

ALLIANCE FOR YOUNG ARTISTS AND WRITERS is a nonprofit organization that identi-fies teenagers with exceptional literary and artistic talent and brings their remarkable work to a national audience through The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. The Alliance works with nearly 100 regional affiliates across the country to promote the creative development of students in grades 7 through 12 by connecting them with opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication, and col-lege and pre-college scholarships. The Scholastic Awards have been credited with identifying the early promise of some of America’s cultural icons including Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Sylvia Plath, Richard Avedon and Robert Redford. To date the Awards have encouraged more than 13 million students, recognized over 9 million young artists and writers, and made available more than $25 million in awards and scholarships.

ARCHIPELAGO is a not-for-

profit literary press committed to bringing vital works of in-ternational fiction and poetry to the American public, with titles translated from more than twenty languages from all corners of the world (Siberia, France, Brazil, Croatia, Korea, Argentina, Poland, Turkey, Lebanon, among other countries). Their books have been praised in The New York Times, L.A. Times, The New York Review of Books, The Nation, Bookforum, and elsewhere.

ARTIST TRUST is dedicated to supporting Washington State authors and other artists by provid-ing direct financial assistance and professional resources. Thousands of accomplished and emerging

artists benefit each year from the organization’s myriad programs, ranging from peer-judged awards to fellowships, residencies, and professional skills training courses. Fellowships in writing and other disciplines recognize creators with unique vision, outstanding talent, and a record of artistic achieve-ment, and require recipients to create and present their work to the community. For a second year, The EDGE program helps create self-sufficient and professionally empowered writers and artists capable of making a business of their craft.

THE ASIAN AMERICAN WRITERS’ WORKSHOP is the most prominent organization in the country dedicated to excep-tional literature by writers of Asian descent. A community of sophisticated readers and writers, the Workshop serves as an advo-cate and support service for Asian American writers and an intellec-tual and cultural center for Asian American ideas. Recently ranked by the United Asian American Organizations as one of the top five Asian American groups in the country, the Workshop believes that Asian American literature is not simply a niche genre, but offers something irreplaceable for all readers, regardless of ethnicity.

THE MISSION OF THE AS-SOCIATION OF WRITERS AND WRITING PROGRAMS is to foster literary talent and achieve-ment, to advance the art of writing as essential to a good education, and to serve the makers, teachers, students, and readers of contem-porary writing. AWP was founded in 1967, and today serves 34,000 writers through its publications, its services for writers, and its annual conference and bookfair. AWP’s Award Series reflects the organiza-tion’s commitment to the develop-ment of new works and emerging literary voices; prizes include a cash award and a publication con-tract for authors of works in four categories. ESSENTIAL ARTS brings artists and audiences to-gether around the themes of food, shelter, and peace with the very real goal of making a difference in our communities. Its first program, Bilocal, is a local arts exchange

between Seattle and New Orleans. Asking “What is community?” the program brings together writers from each city to create new work and share it with the public. Ad-ditionally, visual artists from each city have been paired with writers to create new work inspired by the writing.

LAUNCHED BY THE WE-BLOG THREE PERCENT IN 2007, and sponsored by the University of Rochester and Open Letter Books, the Best Translated Book Awards are awarded annu-ally to the best original works of international fiction and poetry published in the U.S. during the previous year. The only prize of its kind in the United States, the BT-BAs seek to bring attention to the publishers and translators who are working to ensure American access to literary work from around the world.

FOUNDED IN EAST HARLEM IN 1934, the Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education’s mission is to empower youth and their families by creating a culture of learning through high quality so-cial, cultural, and educational op-portunities focused on the themes of explore, achieve and create as guiding principles. From first grade to college, kids grow up with a range of innovative and effective programs in the arts and writing, including internships, theatrical presentations, artists-in-residence and many others. The Center also administers the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for the New York Region, working with thousands of schools throughout New York City to encourage their students to develop their art and writing skills.

CENTER FOR THE ART OF TRANSLATION promotes world literature and translation through publishing, teaching, and public events. With anthologies from more than fifty languages, events throughout the year that connect readers with international authors and translators, and education programs that teach young people to love literature, languages, and translation, the Center opens the door to critical conversations.

To be continued

Largest online retailer is more than just sales

One of my hobbies that I love to do is tar-get shooting. My love of shooting started when I was only 4 years old. My father took both my brother and I to a range in Long Beach, where he introduced me to the first handgun I had ever used which was a Ruger 0.22 caliber pistol. May father instructed me on the proper handling of the weapon, telling me to never point at anything I didn’t intend to shoot along with instruct-ing me with many other safety key points. When my dad let me shoot the Ruger for the first time, I imme-diately was hooked.

Now to this day, I’m a shoot-ing and firearms specialist, I have built my own AR-15 which is the civilian model of the M4 rifle that I use in the army. I also own a Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm, a shooting competition pistol that I hope to one day use in an amateur shooting com-petition. I try to go target shooting at least four times a month, because shooting is a perishable skill. The more you do it, the more proficient you become as a shooter, whether that is in competition or if you are in a combat scenario that I might find myself one day. When I go shooting,

I usually go out and shoot by myself.

When I go out to the range with people, I usually try and take people who never have shot a handgun or rifle before. I do that so they can go through the same fun I experienced when I was a little one shooting for the first time. Everybody I take

always asks me, “When are we going to go shooting again”, showing that they enjoyed themselves when I took them on the range. The range I usually go to is

located here in San Diego on Ruf-fin road near Miramar. It is run by the guidelines of the National Rifle Association to ensure safe and fun firearm usage on the range.

Ever since I was little, shooting has been a part of me, even though

a lot of my parent’s friends tell them shooting is dangerous and kids should not do it. My parents responded saying that with safe guidance, shooting is just like any other sport for a growing child. Unfortunately, my love for shooting somewhat died a little when I began high school. I started participating in different sports in high school such as football, soccer, wrestling and track. With school and all those other sports taking up a majority of my time, shooting was not my prior-ity as it once was in grade school.

My joy for shooting was rekindled during my senior year of college when my friend instructed me to the AR-15 and how easy and cheap it was to build. After assembling my first AR and joining the army during my freshman year of college, shoot-ing was again ingrained just like studying and working out, because as a soldier, shooting is a key war-rior task for every soldier and being proficient at it is key, because one day that skill will either save your

life or the soldier next to you.In terms of me doing something

else besides shooting? I don’t believe one can find a better alter-native to relieve stress, develop

discipline and patience besides other actual sports. Shooting has given me discipline in terms of weapons maintenance and proper weapons safety guidelines, and patience in terms of when to take aim at a target to earn a bulls eye. Also, in terms

of actually entertaining myself, if I can be a professional in USPSA (United States Practical Shooting Competition), that would be a dream fulfilled. Because after getting out of the Army, I can see myself competi-tively going to these competitions and shoot for the thrill of the sport

along with the thrill of being a world champion in either handguns or rifle competition.

Though this is not the typical Filipino American hobby like play-ing video games, gambling or racing cars, shooting keeps me occupied along with honing my skills as a soldier and a citizen who believes in the right to bear arms in the United States.

Jason Palomar is a fourth year student at San Diego State Universi-ty majoring in Criminal Justice. He was also a student of Dr. Dirige in Asian Studies 460, “Contemporary Issues in Filipino American Commu-nities” last spring 2011. He is also in the army who will be sent to train Filipino soldiers in the Mindanao area of the Philippines.

!!RUMMAGE SALE!!

FUND RAISING FOR KALUSUGAN

August 13, Saturday, 8 AM to 2 PM

FilAm Wellness Center 1419 East 8th Street,

National City, CA 91950

Many Items to Choose From!

House wares, kitchen items (stemware, glassware), shoes, clothing (ladies & men’s fash-ion), Electronics (printer, fax

Target ShootingGuest Writer: Jason Palomar

Go to www.padres.com/promo and enter code => PINOYAMP to attend the San Diego Padres Filipino Night at a discount and get the free gift!

Field Box regular price is $45 == with code is $28 Field Reserved regular price is $35 == with code is $22.50 Field Pavil-ion regular price is $24.50 == with code is $17 Upper Reserved regular price is $19.50 == with code is $13

The pre-game entertainment line-up includes: headliner Mi-chael Carreon (a rising youtube singing sensation); PASACAT (San Diego’s Premiere Organi-zation for Philippine Culture, Music, Dance, and Arts); Abalos Pros (a popular comedic troupe reuniting for a rare perfor-mance); Joey Michael Casora (a talented saxophonist); Katriz Trinidad (a 12 year old singer); ROCKY R3Y (hip hop perform-er from the group INTR1KT); Julianne Manalo (American Idol Hollywood Week Contestant and winner of The Outstanding Solo-ist Award at Seattle JazzFest); and the Fil-Am Cultural Dance Group (of North County).

Get your tickets now and celebrate the San Diego Padres Filipino Night with Pinoy Pride!

machine), tapes & DVD, vacuum cleaner and MUCH MORE!!

FREE: Some Books, Handouts, Magazines!

For More Information: Call (619) 477-3392


Reach the lucrative

Asian Pacific Islander Market by advertising

in the Asian Journal!

Call (619) 474-0588

by Atty. Susan V. Perez

Immigration 911

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

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

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

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

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

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

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stakeholders on how USCIS can address the unique circumstances of entrepreneurs, new businesses and startup companies through its policies and regulations in the employment-based arena. For detailed information on USCIS’s public meetings, please visit www.uscis.gov/outreach.

For more information, visit www.uscis.gov.

DHS Secretary Napolitano An-nounces Initia-

tives ...(Continued from page 6)

IMMIGRATION 911 by Atty. Susan V. Perez | SAN DIEGO, 8/5/2011 -- Un-lawful presence in the United States is perhaps the most widely known among the grounds of inadmissibility or denial of visa application. There are no regula-tions interpreting the concept of unlaw-ful presence. All we have are policy statements from the Department of Homeland Security. Generally speaking, a foreign national who is admitted to the United States on a nonimmigrant visa or in parole status until a certain date and who remains in the United States past the expiration date is unlawfully present. The expiration date is indicated on Form I-94. One who enters the United States without inspection is unlawfully present as well.

Is the foreign national considered out of status when the expiration date on Form I-94 has expired, but he has a pend-ing application for extension of stay? Unlawful presence does not accrue dur-ing the gap between the original I-94 and the approval of an application for exten-sion of stay, even if the application was filed after the original I-94 expired. The approval is retroactive to the date of the expiration of the previous status. If the application for extension is ultimately denied, unlawful presence does accrue while the application for extension was pending. Provided, however, that the ap-plication for extension was filed before the I-94 expired and it is not frivolous or unworthy of serious attention.

Can unlawful presence accrue even before the expiration of the I-94? The answer is “Yes”. This happens when the immigration judge or USCIS determines that there was a status violation such as accepting employment while on a visi-tor/tourist visa. The unlawful presence begins to accrue as of the date the order, whether or not the decision is appealed. For F-1 student and J-1 trainee visa hold-ers, who are normally admitted to the United States for duration of status or D/S, violation of their status is the only way they can become unlawfully pres-ent. That is because their I-94 does not indicate the date when their status will expire.

When does unlawful presence cause inadmissibility. The three-year bar states that a noncitizen is inadmissible for three years if he or she was unlawfully present in the United States for a period of more than 180 days but less than 1 year. The 180 days of unlawful presence must be during one continuous period. Therefore, if one is unlawfully present in the United States for 179 days, then left, reentered, and was unlawfully present for another 179 days, he or she would not be inad-missible based on unlawful presence. It is important to know that 180 days is not the same as six months. One needs to be precise in counting the days of unlawful presence in order to avoid being barred from returning to the United States. The 10-year bar states that the noncitizen is inadmissible for ten years if he or she has been unlawfully present for one year or more AND again seeks admission within 10 years of the date of his or her depar-ture or removal from the United States. Like the 3-year-bar, the unlawful pres-ence must have occurred during a single continuous stay in the United States. The permanent 10-year bar applies to a non-

Consequences of Unlawful Presence

citizen who has been unlawfully pres-ent in the United States for an aggregate period of more than one year, and who enters or attempts to re-enter the United States without being inspected or admit-ted. Unlike the 3- and 10-year bars, the period of unlawful presence is the aggre-gate of all periods of unlawful presence. For example, one was unlawfully present in the United States for six months, then left, reentered and was unlawfully pres-ent for another six months, then left and attempted to reenter without inspection. The foreign national is subject to the per-manent 10-year bar.

The good news is the Attorney General may waive inadmissibility due to un-lawful presence. For the 3- or 10-year bars, the Attorney General may waive inadmissibility if the noncitizen is the spouse or son or daughter of a U.S. citi-zen or legal permanent resident and it is established that the refusal of admission to such noncitizen would result in ex-treme hardship to the citizen or legal per-manent resident spouse or parent. The permanent 10-year bar may be waived as well but the noncitizen must wait for 10 years from the date of last departure from the United States before he or she can ap-ply for the waiver. The prior 10 years must be spent outside the United States. They should document their residency outside the United States because this is crucial evidence when they apply for the waiver. The waiver is filed through the I-601 form.

Unlawful presence is to be distin-guished from unlawful status. There are situations in which an alien who is present in an unlawful status neverthe-less does not accrue unlawful presence. USCIS may permit a foreign national who is present in the United States un-lawfully, but who has a pending applica-tion that stops the accrual of unlawful status, to remain in the United States while the application is pending. In this sense, the foreign national’s stay can be “authorized”. However, the fact that the foreign national does not accrue unlaw-ful presence does not mean that his/her presence in the United States is actually lawful. For example, a foreign national was admitted as a nonimmigrant, with Form I-94 that expires on February 1, 2011. On June 1, 2011, he properly files an application for adjustment of status. He does not, however, file any extension for his nonimmigrant stay, which expired on February 1, 2011. The adjustment of status application is still pending on Au-gust 1, 2011. On this date, he becomes subject to removal because he remained in the U.S. after the expiration of his nonimmigrant admission. For purposes of future inadmissibility, however, the pending adjustment application protects him from the accrual of unlawful pres-ence. If no removal proceedings were initiated before the adjustment of status was adjudicated and approved, then well and good. DHS is not likely to initiate removal proceedings against foreign na-tionals with pending adjustment of sta-tus.

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


Bill’s Corner

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

by Bill Labestre, MBA

Del - Chit RiveraProprietor

289 E. Orange & Melrose Chula Vista, CA 91911

(619) 426-7804(Alongside Seafood City Supermarket)

Pary Trays - Fast Food - Food to go - Lechon

AMERASIAN CUISINE

If you received a letter or a no-tice from the IRS or the Franchise Tax Board, don’t panic or get hysterical. Calmly read the letter and try to figure out what it is all about. If you need help, call your tax preparer and send him/her a copy of the correspondence. Even if you believed you are that smart to know what they are asking for, a tax person or a second opinion can still be very helpful. Never ignore that letter since it may cost you more money in the future.

When you paid a tax person to prepare and file your tax returns, he or she should be able to ex-plain what to do next. If there is no one else, call the contact phone number on the letter to seek for some assistance. Be patient and stay courteous during the entire conversation. Remember that these government employees are also humans like you.

There are local tax offices where you can talk face to face with a technician or specialist.

You don’t need to get an appoint-ment but, visit the office early in the morning. It is a first come, first serve basis and again be patient. There is no need to be mad or agitated. Bring a book or magazine to keep you busy while waiting for your turn. Make sure you bring all the necessary paper works, the letter, and copy of tax returns being questioned.

The downtown IRS office is located at 880 Front Street, San Diego, CA 92101. You can park at Horton Plaza parking garage. The Franchise Tax Board has a local office at 7575 Metropolitan Drive Ste 201, San Diego, CA 92108. They have plenty of parking spaces.

Most of these letters or notices from the IRS are just results of their comparison of your filed tax returns and the income informa-tion received from third parties. Maybe you forgot to include a W-2 income or some gambling winnings. It may also be a Form

1099-Misc you forgot to give to your tax preparer. If it involved stocks sold or mutual funds redeemed that were not reported, then your letter may show some very scary tax owed numbers.

The IRS or FTB gives you enough time to respond or argue your case. If more time is needed, call for extension. If your case is beyond arguing, then pay the additional taxes, penalties and interest charged. You can pay it in full, partial or request an install-ment agreement. If you are having a terrible financial crisis at the moment, ask them to put a hold on your case for now.

For those who ignored the pre-vious tax notices, their employers may receive orders to garnish wages. They should call or visit the taxing agencies ASAP. It is a lot easier on you to set up a pay-ment plan than to let them garnish your pay.

They can also put a lien on your properties or your SSN.

In most cases it’s a good idea to consult a tax professional before you respond to a letter or notice. Your interpretation may be different than that of a person doing taxes for a living.

If your letter says that your tax return has been selected for an ex-amination, then you have a bigger problem. It can be an office audit or some IRS agent will visit you or your business. It is always a good idea to respond quickly and hire someone to represent you.

Letters and Notices

By Fr. Shay Cullen ([email protected])

The sale of children and women for sexual abuse is modern day slavery and it still goes on today. The cover-up of this and sex crimes against children is a crime in itself. It is found in Ireland and UK at shockingly high frequency.

The international pedophiles flock to Asia where there is poverty and many children are vulnerable and abused. Many run away from abusive and broken homes and are picked up by pimps and sold to brothels.

Others are sold to recruiters and are offered high paying jobs but end up as domestics and are prostituted.

In the Philippines local politicians issue permits and licenses to the foreign operated clubs and overlook the trafficking and abuse.

President Aquino promised with all his heart to fight the child abuse and trafficking.

Saving children from abuse is now much more frequent but so many are also victims of there own rela-tives especially their own fathers and their live-in partners. More and more people are becoming aware of child abuse and are overcoming their reluctance and fear of reporting

it. Thanks to an Irish Aid project with the PREDA Foundation, dozens of municipalities are ending the secret settlement system whereby a local official negotiates a payment from the pedophile to the parents of a child victim. He takes a percent-age.

Such payments and settlements for silence and subsequent cover-up are criminal of their nature and any silence is a form of consent to the crime. That’s why the revelations in Ireland recently in the Cloyne report are so shocking. The government has protested strongly to the Vatican for allegedly advising or pressuring

Any Cover-Up of Child Abuse Is A Crime

for a cover up to protect the church institution rather than saving the child and bringing the abuser to justice. The failure to report such crimes committed by clergy or any-one against children to the police is indefensible.

It’s high time that Catholics who blindly overlook just criticism of the institutional church realize that they may be victims of centuries of mental conditioning and misguided persuasion that a good catholic is an unquestioning docile follower of the institutional church. That is not what Christian faith is about.

True Christian faith is in Jesus of Nazareth and his gospel of

justice, truth, redemption, equal-ity, unity and love. His kingdom is a spiritual way of life that is based on the great virtues, values and the un-selfish service to others, just in case we have forgotten what to strive for. We ought to be humble washers-of-feet not princes and power players. We Christians, lay people and priests and ministers alike are to be defend-ers of the children’s rights and called to work for justice and truth. We must never shrink away in fear from our duty and our faith.

We have a prophetic calling as Christians and believers in Jesus to speak out as he did without fear or favor to the authorities,

religious or civil. He challenged and chided them, called them to account, to repent and when they refused and continued to play with pomp and power like corrupt despots then he named and shamed them as

whitened sepulchers and a brood of vipers.

Faced with a similar situation in the mission in the Philippines many years ago I decided that it was best to follow Jesus of Nazareth and ful-fill the mission through an indepen-dent organization to protect human rights and abused children, Then the sex industry was more rampant

than it is today. So against much opposition in the church and under a martial law regime where human rights were violated daily, I set up the PREDA Foundation.

The Work of PREDA Foundation is all about winning freedom for the children enslaved in brothels, the kids behind bars for crimes they did not commit or for minor offenses in most cases. We fight for the rights and the freedom of the small chil-dren from 4 years old to 16 from the clutches of their sexual abusers, the pedophiles, even their abusive parents or whoever they are crying to be freed from. We have

a hot line where they can call or text for help. It is given immediately without delay. A rescue team is immediately sent, the child is saved and the abuser is jailed and brought to trial. The

child is safely cared for in a pro-tective home and return to happiness through therapy, education, recovery and eventual reintegration. They can now stand up with dignity and hope in finding justice. END

Contact Fr. Shay Cullen at the Preda Center, Upper Kalaklan, Olongapo City, Philippines.

e-mail: [email protected] Web-site: www.preda.org

PREDA Information OfficePREDA Foundation, Inc.

Every year, Operation Home-front Southern California partners with the community to show their support of our service members and their families. Be-fore the start of the school year, we will bring our Back to School Brigade to over 2,800 military children in Southern California.

On Saturday, August 6, 2010, from 10:00AM - 2:00PM, 500 military children and their families will be receiving back-packs and school supplies at the Kearny Mesa National Guard Armory, located at 7401 Mesa College Dr, San Diego, Califor-nia, 92111. Media is welcome to attend our event. Operation Homefront Southern California staff will be onsite to conduct interviews as early as 8:00am during set up preparations and throughout the event until 2:30pm.

Funding for the program was provided by the following, but not limited to, The County of San Diego by the recommenda-tion of Supervisor Pam Slater-Price, Ford Motor Company, HD Supply and SD Deacon. In kind donations were provided by various community groups such as ABM Engineering Services, Bank of America, Booz Allen Hamilton, DLA Piper, Fix Auto, FOCUS, HD Supply, Health Care, Administrators Association (HCAA), ISEC, Incorporated, Keenan & Assoc, La Jolla Gold-en Triangle Rotary Club, Lowe’s of Mission Valley, Moss Adams, LLP, Pacific Dental Services, San Diego Christian Service-men’s Center, Salient Federal Solutions, SERVPRO of Tustin, US Bank, Walgreens and many other groups and individuals.

Additional event locations are Fort Irwin, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Naval Base Ventura County, Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, China Lake, Lem-oore, Camp Pendleton, MCLB Barstow and MCAGCC Twenty-nine Palms. These events loca-tions are not open to the media.

Operation Home-front Southern

California Kicks Off The School Year For 2,800 Military Kids

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Send your events to [email protected]


Loida Nicolas Lewis: A Day of

Prayer ...(Continued from page 2)

Read previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjo-urnalusa.com

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

Phil - Am Law 101

they are part of the Kalayaan Municipality of Palawan prov-ince within its 200 mile Exclu-sive Economic Zone under the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS). The Recto Bank on Pagasa Island, which is inhabited by Filipinos, is only 80 miles from Palawan.

The territorial dispute over the Spratlys has existed for centuries (China even claims that a Han Dynasty map in 120 A.D. re-ferred to the area as “the Nansha Islands”) but it did not become acute until recently when vast reserves of oil and natural gas were discovered there, estimated to be worth over a trillion US dollars. The Chinese Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources estimates the reserves at 17.7 bil-lion tons or approximately 126 billion barrels.

Despite the fact that it was a signatory to UNCLOS in 2002, China unilaterally abrogated that agreement declaring its owner-ship over all the Spratlys as a non-negotiable “core national interest” similar to its claims to Taiwan and Tibet.

On May 24, 2011, China dis-patched its $900 million deepwa-ter semi-submersible oil drilling platform from Shanghai to the West Philippine Sea to begin drilling for oil in the Spratlys. China estimates that it can ex-tract at least $50 billion worth of oil annually from the area.

If a big part of this wealth goes to the Filipino people, mass pov-erty in the Philippines can likely be eliminated. New industries and enterprises will proliferate from the infusion of so much na-tional capital providing well pay-ing jobs for the Filipino people, eliminating the need for exported labor (OFWs) where millions of our people have to work in lonely far away foreign lands separated from their families, all to remit $18 billion a year.

But China also needs the oil to sustain its massive energy needs and to maintain its economic power. To ensure that it secures all the oil in the Spratlys, China is willing to deploy its naval armada consisting of an aircraft carrier, 21 destroyers, 68 sub-marines, 42 modern frigates and 760 ships to back up its claims.

Pitted against China’s armada is a Philippine Navy woefully

equipped with just one WW II frigate and 32 ships to patrol 36,000 miles of coastline.

But help is on the way in the form of a 378-foot Hamilton-class cutter BRP Gregorio Del Pilar which left California on July 18 bound for the Philippines where it will be dispatched to the Kalayaan Islands to defend Philippine sovereignty.

We met the 95 offi cers and crew of the Del Pilar on July 18, 2011 before they left for the Philippines and we saw how prepared they are to protect the Philippines from any foreign invaders who dare to invade their country. But they could be among the fi rst casualties of any war between China and the Philippines.

On June 27, 2011, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a resolution deploring China’s use of force in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) and reaf-fi rming its strong support for the peaceful resolution of maritime territorial disputes in the area.

On July 8, 2011, hundreds of Filipino Americans staged simul-taneous protest actions in all the Chinese consulates in the U.S. to expose China’s plans to drill for Philippine oil on Philippine soil.

But protest actions alone will not deter China. We will need the help of a higher power to con-vince China to agree to resolve the Spratlys dispute multilateral-ly or through the United Nations.

That’s why we are calling for a National Day of Prayer for Peace in the Spratlys on Sunday August 21 to inform our communities about the developments and issues in the Spratlys. With our numbers, we will then lobby the US Congress to exert pressure on China to resolve this matter peacefully.

August 21 is also the anniver-sary of the assassination of Sen. Benigno Aquino, Jr. and the prayer-forum will provide us an

opportuni-ty to honor him for his patriotism and for his courage to stand up to a bully. His death inspired the People Power revolution that over-threw the dictator Ferdinand Mar-cos. He fought the bully of

that generation. We need to be heroes, prayer warriors for today, because we face another bully, this time from outside the country.

We do not ask you to join the brave men and women on board the BRP Gregorio del Pilar headed for the Spratlys or to follow Ninoy’s sacrifi ce. All we ask of you is to organize a prayer gathering in your community to discuss with your friends and neighbors the gravity and impor-tance of this issue. At the very least, we ask you to request your parish priest or pastor to say a special prayer at mass on August 21 for peace in the Spratlys and to protect the crew of the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar.

If you volunteer to organize a prayer-forum event in your com-munity, we will provide you with the opening and closing prayers to use and online informational materials to download and distribute. Just log on to epeople-power.ph or USP4GG.org, or contact Carissa Villacorta, our national coordinator at [email protected] or (646) 431-3611.

We know that where two or three are gathered, God is there with us. We need your prayers to move mountains – and oil rigs. Please join us in prayer and discussion on August 21.

Our prayers may result in a peaceful settlement of the dis-pute.

MABUHAY ANG PILIPINAS! Most sincerely,

LOIDA NICOLAS LEWIS, Chair

RODEL RODIS, President

[email protected] [email protected]

The biggest news this morning in the Philip-pines is the resigna-

tion of Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri. He won as 12th and last placer in the 2007 elections. The 13th placer was Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, a bar topnotcher and son of former Senator Aq-uilino “Nene” Pimentel, Jr.

The 12th spot was hotly con-tested. Zubiri offi cially won by only 21,519 votes. He performed remarkably well in Mindanao, many times garnering the most number of votes. As to be expected, Koko Pimentel (also from Mindanao) fi led an election protest which has been dragging on for four years now in the Sen-ate Electoral Tribunal. Reports

have it that the SET has so far credited more than 200,000 votes for Pimentel.

Now that Zubiri has resigned, what happens next? Will Pimen-tel be fi nally proclaimed as the duly-elected senator?

First, the issue of acceptance of Zubiri’s resigna-tion. Some say that it has to be ac-cepted fi rst. In fact.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who praised Zubiri for his “moral courage”, was quoted as saying that he would study

the matter, implying that Zubiri remains to be a senator until his resignation is accepted by the Senate. Lawyer Romulo Macalintal was also quoted as citing a legal provision that a resignation would take effect only upon acceptance. Does this mean that if the Senate refuses to accept Zubiri’s resignation, he stays as Senator? That will be quite absurd as it places the decision to terminate the con-tract between the people and the elected offi cial in the hands of a few. Perhaps Enrile was caught by surprise and contemplating on how the resignation would affect the political dynamics in the Senate.

We agree more with the opin-ion of our friend Atty. Abdullah “Dabs” Mamao that there is no need for acceptance because Zu-biri he was not appointed or em-ployed by the Senate, but elected directly by the people. The concept of acceptance of resig-nation seems to apply only to appointees or employees, as it also implies a higher author-ity who must agree to accept the resignation. In any case, the Constitution is silent on

the requirement of acceptance before a senator’s resignation can become fi nal.

Second, Zubiri said that he would instruct his lawyers to withdraw

his counter-protest. But

even if he does not, the SET has no choice but to consider the counter-protest withdrawn because Zubiri would no longer

have the personality or cause of action to pursue it. Remember, the purpose of a counter-protest is to claim votes that were cast but not counted for him. That is already moot because Zubiri does not anymore aim to be a senator. Since there is no more counter-protest, the more than 200,000 votes recounted in favor of Pimentel should be considered fi nal and uncontested, and there should be no more impediment for Pimentel’s proclamation as the duly elected senator in the 2007 election. Again, we have to thank Atty. Mamao for his insights on this issue.

It would have been a different matter had Zubiri resigned with-out an electoral protest pending against him. In that case, the 1987 Constitution provides that a special election may be called to elect another senator to serve the unexpired term. Art. VI, Sec. 9

of the 1987 Constitution reads:“Section 9. In case of vacancy

in the Senate or in the House of Representatives, a special elec-tion may be called to fi ll such va-cancy in the manner prescribed by law, but the Senator or Mem-ber of the House of Representa-tives thus elected shall serve only for the unexpired term.”

As Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said, Zubiri’s resignation was a “pleasant surprise”. How-ever, we hope that it does not put in the back burner other impor-tant developments in the Philip-pines such as the revelations that election fraud goes all the way up to Gloria Macapagal Ar-royo, and her husband’s highly scandalous sale of second hand helicopters to the military.

About Atty. Rogelio Karagdag, Jr.

Atty. Rogelio Karagdag , Jr. is

Migz Quits, Will Koko Sit?

Senator Migz Zubiri salutes Senate before stepping down

licensed to practice law in both California and the Philippines. He practices immigration law in San Diego and has continu-ously been a trial and appellate attorney in the Philippines since 1989. He travels between San Diego and Manila. His offi ce ad-dress is located at 10717 Camino Ruiz, Suite 131, San Diego, CA 92126. He also has an offi ce in the Philippines at 1240 Apacible Street, Paco, Manila, Philippines 1007, with telephone numbers (632)522-1199 and (632)526-0326. Please call (858)348-7475/(858)536-4292 or email him at [email protected]. He speaks Tagalog fl uently. Articles written in this column are not legal advice but are hypotheticals intended as general, non-specifi c legal infor-mation. Readers must seek legal consultation before taking any legal steps.

The 378-foot Hamilton-class cutter BRP Gregorio Del Pilar which left California on July 18 is bound for the Philippines where it will be dispatched to the Ka-layaan Islands to defend Philippine sovereignty. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Pacifi c Fleet on Flickr)


Business News

GMA News and Public Affairs stamped its class anew with fi ve cita-tions — one silver and four bronze awards — in the 32nd Telly Awards in New York City, USA.

Bagging the silver award, the highest honor given by the highly prestigious New York City-based organization, is the GMA News and Public Affairs documentary Planet Philipppines for the Nature/Wildlife category. Hosted by Richard Gutier-rez, Planet Philippines is GMA 7’s biggest and most comprehensive environmental documentary in 2009 that has garnered numerous awards and recognitions including the bronze medal in the 2010 New York Festivals Film and Television Awards.

GMA Network’s fl agship primetime newscast 24 Oras, in turn, received the bronze award in the News or

News Feature category for its comprehensive coverage on the havoc brought by Super Typhoon Juan. 24 Oras anchors and GMA News pillars Mike Enriquez and Mel Tiangco ably steered the news cover-age with the news teams reporting from the provinces beaten by the typhoon.

Late-night newscast Saksi, anchored by GMA News pillars Arnold Clavio and Vicky Morales, also received a bronze award in the same category for its special coverage on the highly con-troversial Vizconde Massacre case.

Reporter’s Notebook’s episode Hul-ing Hantungan won for the Kapuso Network its third bronze award in the News/News Feature category.

Art Angel, on the other hand, received the bronze award in the Chil-dren’s category for its special episode

celebrating the National Children’s Book Day. Art Angel was recently replaced by the new Kapuso children program Sabadabadog.

Founded in 1978, the Telly Award honors the very best local, regional and cable television commercials and programs as well as the fi nest video and fi lm productions and work cre-ated for the Web.

Also recently, at the US Inter-national Film and Video Festival, Imbestigador walked away with the only USIFVF award for a Philippine program this year; the New York Festivals International Television and Film Awards; the Asian TV Awards; and two honors from the George Foster Peabody Award.

GMA Network recognized at 32nd Telly Awards in NY


Retailer Broadens Product As-sortment and Simplifi es Ad Match Guarantee

BENTONVILLE, Ark., July 28, 2011 – Recently, Walmart an-nounced more steps to re-establish its one-stop shopping convenience and deliver low prices every day, on everything. The retailer has reinvig-orated its price leadership promise, bringing back products its customers have asked for and simplifying its ad match policy. These efforts are highlighted in new advertising that launched in April.

“Walmart’s reputation was founded on the principle of provid-ing low prices day-in and day-out on

Walmart Reinforces its Commitment to Deliver Low Prices. Every Day. On Everything.

the broadest assortment of merchan-dise,” said Duncan Mac Naughton, chief merchandising offi cer, Walmart U.S. “Our company is determined to create the best one-stop shopping ex-perience and low prices on the right products backed by a clear, consis-tent ad match policy.”

Walmart has put the customer at the center of everything and has been taking specifi c steps to deliver one-stop shopping to its customers.

Low Prices. Every Day. On Everything.

To reinvigorate the fundamental price promise, Walmart has stepped up its efforts to provide low prices,

DIRECTV beats Cable, DISH and AT&T U-Verse in the 2011 American Customer Satisfaction Index

DIRECTV, the world’s larg-est pay TV provider, continues its winning streak for the 11th consecutive year, by scoring higher in customer satisfaction than all major cable TV compa-nies in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). In ad-dition, DIRECTV has surpassed its competitors, DISH Network and AT&T U-Verse, who both had the biggest declines of four points in the ACSI this year.

In this year’s ACSI survey, DI-RECTV was the only company in the cable and satellite category to improve its position from last year. The company posted an index score of 69, which refl ects customers’ overall satisfaction with its service, compared to the cable and satellite TV industry, which received an average score of 66. Specifi cally, DIRECTV scored 10 points higher than Time Warner, Comcast and Charter Communications, who also posted declines from last

year’s survey. Customers sur-veyed by the ACSI in the fi rst quarter of 2011 were also asked about issues such as customer expectations, perceived quality, and customer loyalty.

DIRECTV also offers the best in Filipino programming with the largest portfolio of Filipino TV channels compared to all other providers. Aside from the favorites TFC, GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life and MYX, DIRECTV offers exclusive channels includ-ing Cinema One Global, ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC), Kapamilya Channel, Gem Net, DZMM and DWRR.

In addition to its diverse Filipino content, DIRECTV also offers access to over 285 channels, including popular channels such as CNN, Discovery Channel, The Travel Channel, The Food Network, Animal Planet, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon.

Aside from the variety of pro-gramming, DIRECTV also provides access to over 170 full-time HD channels, and blockbuster fi lms in 1080p HD quality. DIRECTV is the fi rst TV provider to bring dedicated HD 3D content to its customers

The revolutionary DI-RECTV™ iPad App lets you browse and discover shows, cre-ate lists of your favorite channels and sports, control your TV—all with a tap and without interrupt-ing the show you’re watching on TV.



Spiritual Life

BalintatawRead Virginia Ferrer’s previous articles by visiting our website

at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Virginia H. Ferrer

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

by Msgr. Fernando G. Gutierrez

Lower Your Nets

©2011 Virginia H. Ferrer. All rights reserved.

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

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PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

(To be recited daily during the Novena)

O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven did prom-ise to send the Holy Spirit to fin-ish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only af-ter the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlight-en my mind with the light of Your

divine truth, the Spirit on Coun-sel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gain-ing heaven, the Spirit of Forti-tude that I may bear my cross with You and

that I may overcome with cour-age all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowl-edge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord with the sign of Your true disciples, and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.-- Dr. Naty

Ibinalik ng aso sa Diyos sobrang sampung taonat walang sama ng loob ay tinanggap naman iyonbasta’t gawin mo lamang ang sa iyo ay itinuonat wala na tayong magiging problema kung ganuon.

Noong ikatlong araw, ginawa ng Diyos ang unggoypara daw magpatawa, magpasayang paugoy-ugoywala na daw malulungkot at wala ring magngungoyngoymaligayang lahat, patatawanin ng tuloy-tuloy.

Pasayahi’t aliwin ang mga taong nalulungkotpatawanin mo sila para hindi sila mabugnotwala na siguro ‘kong makikitang nakasimangotat dalawampung taon naman sa iyo’y idudulot.

Habang nagkakamot ng ulo ang unggoy ay nagwikaang dalawampung taon ay napakatagal po yatakaya’t tulad po ng aso sampung taon ay sapat nahayaan po ninyo’t matutupad ang adhika.

Nuong ikaapat na araw ay ginawa ng Diyos ang tao, na sa kanyang sariling anyo ay hinubogikaw ay maglalaro at kakain at matutulogmag-aanak at magsasaya at magpapakabusog.

Joke of the week: In a small Cath-olic school, the first graders were dramatizing the Storm at Sea. One child played Christ seemingly asleep and on a coil of ropes were several Apostles, but most were assigned the roles of thunder and lightning. These last played their parts to perfec-tion. At each outburst the Apostles

huddled together and shivered in fright. Finally, one of them blurted out, “Let’s wake up Jesus.” Another Apostle promptly replied, “No, let’s be scared a little bit more.”

Scripture: First Reading: 1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a. The prophet Elijah feared for his life after he incurred the wrath of King Ahab. He went to Mount Horeb and found refuge inside a cave. But God told him to go outside and wait for his appearance. The prophet thought that God would appear in a mighty wind, but he was disappointed. Then there was fire and earthquake, but God was not present in either one of them. Then in the stillness of a whispering wind, God appeared and spoke to Elijah words of encourage-ment and comfort. Second Reading: Romans 9: 1-5. The author of this letter encourages his readers to live their faith to the full to draw the new chosen people to the new covenant in Christ. Gospel: Matthew 14: 22-33. This passage is reminiscent of the Old Testament’s accounts of God saving his people from their enemies by parting the water (Exodus 14:21; Isaiah 8:8; 43: 16) and walking on the water (Job 9:8; 38:16). The evangelist makes it clear that since God alone can perform those feats, God is again present with us in Jesus to help us across troubled waters of life.

Reflections: Since the begin-

ning of time fear has been with us. Adam and Eve, after violating God’s

commandment, hid from him out of fear. (Genesis 3:10). When the angels announced the birth of the Child Jesus to the shepherds tending their flock by night he told them, “Don’t be afraid.“ (Luke 2: 9-10). Time and time again, before and af-ter his resurrection, Jesus assured his followers not to be afraid (Matthew 17: 7; Mark 13: 7; Luke 24: 37-38). In today’s Gospel Jesus acknowl-edged the fear of the disciples. He reprimanded them not for their fear but for not overcoming it with faith in him.

Fear just like other emotions betrays our humanness that is vulnerable, fragile, and dependent. We cower in fear at the thought of a serious illness for ourselves or our loved ones. We shiver in fear at losing our cherished dreams, such as owning a house and keeping our jobs. Fear is not all that bad. We either defend ourselves or run out of fear when we face a serious threat to our wellbeing. This vulnerability and fragility that are signs that we are fearful and dependent individu-als are precisely the very kernels of our strength if they are embraced and accepted with the presence of Jesus who reaches out to us with his supporting hands.

A few lyrics from Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” are apropos to the presence of fear in our lives: “When tears are in your eyes I will dry them all … and friends just can’t be found … When you’re down and out … when evening falls so hard, I will comfort you … and pain is all around, Like a bridge over troubled waters, I will lay me down.”

Fear is a realization that we cannot walk on the troubled waters by ourselves, we need to hold on to the outstretched hands of Jesus. Fear makes us aware that we are depen-dent creatures, primarily on God and others. Even when we go down under the waters of pain and suffer-ing of all sorts, with faith in God and the help of others, we can walk on the waters, we will overcome.

Fear of the troubled waters is also an opportunity for us to grow in faith. Because Peter did not mas-querade his fear and pretended as if he can do it alone, he had a chance to grow in faith. “You of little faith. Why did you doubt?” Jesus asked

Peter and his companions on the boat. True to their humanness which they embraced with faith in Jesus who can make everyone who trusts in him walk on the water, Peter and the other disciples grew in faith. Had Peter and his companions pretended that they were courageous and not fearful of the troubled waters, they could have missed the great opportu-nity to grow in faith and the occa-sion to recognize the Lord as “truly the Son of God.” St. Paul recognized the grace that flows from his weak-ness when he wrote, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities … for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)

Fear is not the last thing in the world. If it were, then life is futile and hopeless. But when fear is joined with faith it brings out the real truth that it is only in God that we can be courageous and strong, that we can overcome and walk across troubled waters of life. Posi-tively, fear is a good human emo-tion, with God’s grace it is also an excellent means to grow in faith and to draw us closer to God.

Quotation of the week: “Fear imprisons, faith liberates; fear para-lyzes, faith empowers; fear disheart-ens, faith encourages; fear sickens, faith heals; fear makes useless, faith makes serviceable - and most of all, fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life, while faith rejoices in God.” Harry Emmerson Fosdick.

Across Troubled Waters

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The Hour of Great Mercy

At three o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue

of My Passion (Diary, 1320). -- Divine Mercy in My Soul: Diary of Saint Faustina Kowalska

You expired, O Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls and an ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the

whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount

of mercy for us, I trust in You. Amen.

An evil that cannot be stopped by individuals wants to begin to rule in the world and to destroy it, the Virgin Mary cautions in her August 2 message to Med-jugorje visionary Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo. “But, according to God’s will, all together, with my Son, you can change everything and heal the world”, the Virgin’s message also prom-ises.

Mirjana Dragicevic-SoldoUsing words she never used

The Virgin Mary Warns of World-Ruling Evil in Aug. 2, 2011 Message

to Medjugorje visionarybefore the Virgin Mary issued an unusually dire warning but also gave a mighty promise dur-ing her August 2 apparition to

Medjugorje visionary Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo.

The world is threatened by an evil that wants to rule and destroy it, individual people cannot stop it on their own – but by becom-ing a new people with Jesus,

gathering into God’s family and receiving strength from the Father, mankind is capable of changing everything and heal-ing the world, the Virgin Mary also said in a message that could seem imminently prophetic:

“Dear children! Today I call you to be born anew in prayer and through the Holy Spirit, to become a new people with my Son; a people who knows that if they have lost God, they have lost themselves; a people who knows that, with God, despite all sufferings and trials, they are secure and saved. I call you to gather into God’s family and to be strengthened with the Fa-ther’s strength. As individuals, my children, you cannot stop the evil that wants to begin to rule in this world and to destroy it. But, according to God’s will, all together, with my Son, you can change everything and heal the world. I call you to pray with all your heart for your shepherds, because my Son chose them. Thank you.”

The apparition took place at The Blue Cross in Medjugorje. It lasted little more than five minutes from 8.38 am.

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Entertainment


Showbiz Watcher

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

by Ogie Cruz

Aida Santos (left) and birthday celebrant Noemi Mangosing (right)


REDWOOD CITY, CA, July 29, 2011 – What does a simple girl do after being the runaway winner of the wildly popular reality show Pinoy Big Brother: Double Up? Team up with her TV sweetheart and leap from small screen success to the big one.

Starting July 29 in the U.S, the Philippines’ Comedy Princess Melai Cantiveros and her former PBB housemate and real-life love Jason Francisco can be seen dishing their unique brand of humor in the latest offering from ABS-CBN’s Star Cin-ema and Cine Screen: The Adventures of Pureza: Queen of the Riles. The movie will be shown this July and August in San Francisco, Union City, Milpitas, Los Angeles and San Diego, California and in Clifton and Bergen-field, New Jersey.

Pitted against the likes of Harry Pot-ter and the Deathly Hallows 2, Trans-formers: Dark of the Moon and Green Lantern, The Adventures of Pureza: Queen of the Riles didn’t beat them, of course (what did you expect?).

But talk about confidence and charm! It landed on the top 10 box-office drawers in the Philippines during its opening weekend last mid-July.

In The Adventures of Pureza: Queen of the Riles, Melai is Pura Buraot, kindhearted, bubbly lass who is a loving, adoptive sister to her brother, Ulam. They live in the poorest conditions, literally along the riles (railways). Her dream is to put her brother through college so he can have a better life. She takes on odd jobs, jumping from being a vendor of balut (fertilized duck egg) and tahong (mussel) to Ati-Atihan (a tribal dance in Kalibo, Aklan province) performer, and even a nun, among others.

Jason is Ruben Padilla, Pura’s de-pendable friend who is hiding his true feelings for her.

One day, Ulam needed a large sum from Pura supposedly for tuition. Knowing that not any of her odd jobs would enable her to raise that amount, Pura took a different route: when a Brazilian model goes missing, Pura –

with her, uh, exotic looks – steps into her shoes and transforms into a South American model named Pureza May-riles. Suddenly, Pura’s world changes from being surrounded by railways to ramps, savoring sudden fame and

Melai and Jason bring their brand of wacky humor to “The Adventures of Pureza: Queen of the Riles”

Comedic loveteam’s debut film to screen in 7 U.S. cities in July and August

AMP Music Festival brings emerging Asian-American artists to San Diego, concert to

fund music scholarshipsRising artists in Asian-American entertainment coming to San Diego September 17

SAN DIEGO, CA - The AMP Music Festival is an all-day, outdoor music concert on Saturday, September 17, 2011 at the Jacob’s Center in Market Creek Plaza. With two large stages and 5000-person capacity, the venue will feature contemporary Asian and Pacific Islander artists performing 12 - 9 pm, an interactive art exhibition, and provide the best in the Asian-American music scene today.

AMP is the first major Asian-American entertainment event held in San Diego for fans of all music genres, styles and scenes to experi-

ence a sensational collection of live music. The festival promotes independent Asian-American artists and the undiscovered talent in their growing population The event highlights rising local and regional artists in front of diverse audiences, and helps to build a stronger com-munity through the celebration of music, art and cultures.

Fans of pop, R&B, hip-hop, reggae, rock (and everything in-between) will experience a sensa-tional showcase of raw, eclectic talent. Local San Diego sounds


SHOWBIZ WATCHER By Ogie Cruz | San Diego, 8/5/2011 --

Superstar Nora Aunor is finally back in the Philippines after eight years leaving in California USA.Dumating siya last Tuesday 4am (Phil. Time), simpre sinundo siya nina German Moreno at Laguna Gov. ER Ejercito sa NAIA airport.

Dumagsa ang maraming Norani-ans naturang airport, sigawan ang kanyang mga fans pero humingi ng apology si Nora tungkol sa ilang ulit na naudlot ang kanyang pagdat-ing.Gagawa siya ng isang pelikula sa isang mahalagang sa movie na produced by Gov. Ejercito at isang Tv show sa Channel 5.

Pero 3 months lang siya magtata-

gal sa Pilipinas, dahil kailangan niya bumalik sa Amerika para sa isang operasyon.

Isa sa mga hiling ni Nora Aunor kapag umuwi siya ng pilipinas kail-

angan makita niya ang kanyang mga minamahal na mga anak pagdating na pagdating niya sa Shangri-la hotel , na sina Lotlot De Leon, Ian De Leon ,Mayet De Leon, Kenneth and Kiko ang kaso hindi nakarat-ing si Lotlot dahil may taping ito pero nagtxt naman ito na bibiglain na lang siya ni lotlot sa kanilang pagkikita.

Mula sa NAIA airport tumuloy siya sa Edsa Shangri-la Hotel para sa kanyang pa-presscon, siempre unang binitawan na mga salita ni Ate Guy , kung anu daw siya dati noon ay ganon pa rin daw siya at walang nagbago.

Hindi lang niya nai-klaro kung totoo na 1 milyon per taping siya sa TV5, ang mahalaga daw sa kanya ay matapos ang trabaho niya ng mahusay at maganda.

Ready pa rin siya gumawa ng movie with Vilma Santos sabi pa niya sa naturang presscon, bakit daw hindi. Yung ibang reporters ay na-paluha rin nang una nilang makita at makaharap ang superstar.Nagsalita pa nga ang La Aunor ng ganito” Ako pa rin po si Nora Aunor,minsan naglukalukahan pero nagbago na po ako,”.isang paglilinaw ni Ate Guy.

Ayon din sa Superstar ang na-miss niya talaga ang pag-arte sa movie paano ba naman 8 yrs siya nawala sa bansa. Una niyang gagawin ang movie na araw-araw raw ang shoot-ing , at next ang isang mini-series sa channel 5 na every Sunday ipalala-bas na nasabing istasyon.

Tsika pa nga ng isa naming show-biz friend, kinakabahan raw yung

Superstar Nora Aunor Is Back In The Philippines !!!

Suzzette Ranillo and Superstar Nora Aunor at LAX

Claudine Barretto (left) and Angelica Panganiban (right)

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Lawmakers says remittance glow blinds ...(Continued from page 1)

Hesitant LoversIt was only recently that his

long-lost Mexican daughter Blanca found him, also through JR’s Facebook account. Now that he was at peace with her, securing for her American citizenship, and even taking her for a vacation in the Philippines together with her mother, well, it looked like history was threaten-ing to repeat itself.

Before JR could reply, Danny remembered he had another baby girl with a Mexican girlfriend who lived in Orange County. In fact he had visited her with his friend Mandy before leaving for the Philippines.

Danny hung up the phone with-out saying goodbye to JR. He had to sit down to recover from the initial shock of the news. He thought hard. He remembered Juanita, a girl he had met in a nightclub in Tijuana. She was married to a Chinese man then. After a year, Juanita was able to track him down and tell him he had fathered her child. She wanted him to see the baby, which he had refused to believe was his. But his friend Mandy convinced him to go to Juanita’s apartment in Orange County to see the baby girl. Although he denied paternity since the baby had slinky eyes just like Juanita’s Chinese husband, he could not use it as a reason; after all, he too had slinky eyes. By then, the husband had left Juanita, convinced the girl was not his. It was when the girl stopped cry-ing, as soon as she was nestled in Danny’s arms, that he felt a jolt in his blood (lukso ng dugo), which convinced him and Mandy the girl was his.

When Juanita asked for paren-tal support through the Sheriff’s offi ce, Danny accepted the pro-posal of his friends Bobby and

Mandy to represent their hospital equipment business in the Philip-pines. He wanted to escape so the sheriff and Juanita would not be able to track him down and satisfy whatever judgment the court may issue. It was a cold-blooded move. A father avoid-ing responsibility and having no desire to see his daughter grow up. He, in fact, did not want to have anything to do with her, just to be able to save money. He had forgotten about Juanita and the baby girl, never realizing either one of them would bother to look for him, after more than fi fteen years. Now the girl was closing in.

“ARE YOU READY, DAD?” it was his daughter Blanca who entered his hotel room.

They were in the beautiful beach resort of Boracay in Cen-tral Philippines where they were staying for a few days. Danny had brought Blanca, her mother Mercedes, Carol, his other daughter with his wife Mindy all over Manila upon arriving. They had been to Makati, the huge Mall of Asia near Manila Bay, the mountain resort of Ba-guio, Pagsangjan Falls and Villa Escudero near the boundary of Laguna and Quezon provinces. It was a grand vacation, partly fi nanced by the bounty he got from the pension of his two minor children. In addition Mer-cedes insisted in sharing some expenses.

“Let me pay our hotel bills,” Mercedes offered. “You have done enough. Just show us around.”

Initially, Mercedes did not plan to do so. Although she did not insist on asking for a pater-nal support once her daughter tracked Danny down, she felt she and Blanca deserved a free vacation. Mercedes’ rich father

provided them with more than enough money through all the years, thereby enabling Danny to escape fi nancial responsibility.

But Mercedes and her daughter Blanca were having such a good time in the Philippines that she eventually warmed up to Danny. Her resentment broke down; still, she was controlling her emotions, afraid she might again fall in love with her playboy ex-boyfriend and thus complicate matters.

“Yes I am,” Danny answered Blanca’s question. He took his things and joined his companions to a banca tour of the neighbor-ing islands in the resort.

THEIR THREE-WEEK PHIL-IPPINE VACATION ENDED and the four - Danny, Blanca, Mercedes and Carol - returned to the United States. It was an experience everyone enjoyed and could not forget. The beauty of the Philippines utterly fascinated Mercedes and Blanca . They learned a lot about the country and its people.

“Too bad we did not go to a television station to watch a pro-gram live,” Carol told Blanca. “They might have discovered you and ask you to become a movie star.”

Carol was teasing her Mexican step-sister. In the Philippines, mixed bloods like her, who were often beautiful, ended up becom-ing movie stars.

BUT THE CALLS FROM HIS LONG LOST DAUGHTER PERSISTED, forcing Danny to return to the Philippines right away.

“Don’t tell her where I am,” he instructed his son JR.

Back home, Danny cooled his heels. He lived simply: going to his nightclub cum race horse betting station that his partner managed in the evening; placing bets in the racetrack; and staying home with his girlfriend Margie and their baby in the morning. After lunch, he would watch a movie before going to work. The city government passed a law allowing senior citizens free entry to movie theaters. Long lines of senior citizens were common during the day, but the movie owners somehow kept their operation afl oat as some seniors had paying companions with them.

One Sunday morning, Danny was in his living room watch-ing television with his baby in

his arms. He heard a knock at the door. He looked through the peephole and saw his neighbor Braulio, a brawny-looking guy with a face only a mother could love. Braulio was a powerful man in the neighborhood. He was a policeman living with his girlfriend, a beautiful young girl. Behind their backs, the couple was dubbed “the beauty and the beast” for obvious reasons.

Danny was worried. What did Braulio want from him? Was he jealous because he noticed Danny and Braulio’s young wife, Sheila, were often look-ing admiringly at each other? Danny’s magnetic charm with women never fails to work; in due time, he knew Sheila would fall in his trap. But he was hesi-tant to pursue his quest despite Sheila’s obvious attraction to him. She kept dropping hints and he would not bite. Did Braulio learn about these fl irtations? Was he jealous? Was he going to beat Danny up? Danny was hesitant to open the door. - AJ

(To be continued)

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

tries are “[h]eavily subsidized by their respective govern-ments, they can easily offer double or even triple what wage packages are offered by our local employers.”

Barinaga’s warnings come at a time when the global aviation industry is leaping from a slump in travel especially after the United States restricted cross-border and trans-border fl ights. Likewise, the growth of Asian countries like China and devel-oping economies, coupled with the entry of airlines that slashed travel costs by half, boosted the aircraft manufacturing sectors.

Take-off HENCE, Barinaga explained that these develop-ments prompted an increase in recruitment of aviation industry personnel.

Citing the Airbus Global Mar-ket Forecast in 2004, Barinaga says aviation growth until 2023 will need 23,500 pilots per an-num, 6,000 of which will be in Asia-Pacifi c.

The orders include aircraft painters, ticketing and reserva-tion agents, and even airport representatives, he added.

The same study by Airbus pre-dicts that for the period 2004 to 2023, passenger traffi c will grow by fi ve percent every year. This will require a delivery of 16,601 new passenger aircrafts.

A compilation of aircraft orders from aviation trade magazines indicate within the current decade 279 aircraft will be delivered to seven airlines of India; 233 aircraft to 11 airlines of China and 77 aircraft will be delivered to three airlines of the Middle East.

For the Philippines, this meant increasing demand for aviation personnel: “It is evident that for these airlines, the pilots, aircraft mechanics, and other mission-critical personnel of the Philip-pine aviation industry are ripe for the picking.”

Barinaga said that the poach-ing of commercial pilots, aircraft mechanics, and other critical skills in the local aviation in-dustry have increased in the past fi ve years.

“The poaching practices have become a cottage industry all its own with recruitment agen-cies serving the interest of their overseas principals and focus-ing their sights on our technical manpower particularly pilots and mechanics,” Barinaga added.

He cited an agency special-izing on recruiting for MROs in Singapore, another for principals in the Middle East, Taiwan, and Saipan.

“Still, some head hunters have lodged themselves in some plush hotels in Metro Manila and sur-reptitiously entice our mission-critical skilled workers for out-right hiring,” the lawmaker said adding that “[i]f left unchecked, this invasion will cripple not only the aviation industry but also topple the pillars of national economy.”

Flight THE aviation industry

is comprised of two segments. The fi rst is composed of airlines consisting of scheduled and unscheduled carriers, charter and air taxi operators, and the general aviation sector. The second segment is composed of service providers consisting of the maintenance, repair, and overhaul organizations (MROs), ground handling agents, caterers, ticketing and reservations agents, terminal services both for pas-sengers and cargo, and aviation schools, among others.

Philippine-based MROs in-clude Lufthansa Technik Philip-pines, Aviation+, and Miascor, and directly employs 15,000 workers.

Daily, 25,000 passengers and almost 500 tons of cargo traverse the 31 international and 21 do-mestic destinations of Philippine fl ag carriers. The Philippines has a network of four international airports, four alternate inter-national airports, 12 trunk line airports, 36 secondary airports, 29 feeder airports and over 200 airstrips all over the archipelago from Basco, Batanes to Jolo, Sulu.

Barinaga cited that for each full-pledged aircraft mechanic, the training investment would have been at least P2.5 million in the basic training modules that are required and prescribed by authorities over a period of at least fi ve to six years.

For pilots, the training invest-ment is much more since for a First Offi cer, the individual train-ing investment is more than P8 million and at least six to seven years of experience.

Because other countries’ aviation industries need a pre-qualifi ed staff ready to jump-start their expanded fl eets, the recruit-ment policy is to harvest the pick of the local aviation personnel, Barinaga explained. “This deals a heavy blow to our domestic aviation industry,” he added. Cit-ing data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Admin-istration (POEA), Barinaga said that in the past fi ve years, 1,159 aircraft mechanics and techni-cians have left the country.

These are in addition to those who were directly hired by for-eign employers thus evading the POEA count, he added.

Barinaga said an airline execu-tive reported that for the past fi ve years beginning 2000, 28 of their pilots left their employ every year for overseas work.

Stopovers STILL, Barinaga fell short of calling for an immedi-ate ban on overseas deployment of aviation workers and other mission-critical personnel.

However, he asked executives of several government depart-ments and agencies to study the possibility of imposing a tempo-rary suspension or ban on certain critical skills and talents.

“I am referring to the commer-cial pilots, aircraft mechanics, painters, planners, ground and cabin crews for the domestic aviation and airline industry, information technology engi-neers and technicians for the electronics industry, ship en-gineers and technicians for the shipping industry, metallurgical and plant engineers for the steel industry, chemical engineers for the petrochemical industry, radio frequency engineers for the telecommunication industry and other technical and professional staff of other industries.”

Barinaga cited Sections 5 and 31 of the Migrant Workers Act of l995 (Republic Act 8042) that al-lowed for suspension or banning deployment of migrant workers “in pursuit of the national inter-est or when public welfare so requires”.

However, Jong Serreno of the Petrochemical Industry Associa-tion of the Philippines said that it is the aviation industry that is more at risk than the petrochemi-cal sector.

Still, as member of the non-government Fair Trade Alliance (FTA), Serreno said he supports the view there are severe labor shortages in these industries that deserve serious action from government offi cials.

FTA convenor for labor


Complicated A� airs


Complicated Affairs

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

marking the link www.asianjournalusa.com/complicatedaffairs

833,092 read/asianjournal @asianjournal


Lawmakers says remit-tance glow

blinds ...(Continued from page 14)

LIGHT & SHADOWS By Zena Sultana | (San Diego, Aug. 3, 2011) Who will be the “2011 Ultimate El-vis Tribute Artist World Champion” this year? This question is upper-most in the minds of hundreds of Elvis tribute artists, and over 80,000 Elvis fans, who will be converging

in Memphis from all over the world for the Elvis Week (August 8-15, 2011) events in and around Grace-land.

One of the highlights of the Elvis Week is the “Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist” semi-fi nals and fi nals at the world-famous Orpheum Theater. It’s a phenomenal show wherein the Top 10 ETAs compete for the title of “2011 Elvis Tribute Artist World Champion.” The excitement will build throughout the night as the group is narrowed down from 10 to 5, and the excitement culminates when the winner is named.

Aside from the prestigious title of “Ultimate ETA World Champion for 2011”, the winning tribute artist will be awarded the $25,000 cash prize, the opportunity to perform with the “Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Tour” sponsored by the Legends in Concert, and other valuable prizes. This year, twenty-six tribute artists, winners of preliminary competitions worldwide, will vie to be named “the best of the best!”

Lee Birchfi eld of Seattle, Washing-ton, winner of the “2011 Pechanga Ultimate ETA Contest” will be one of the twenty-six. Dubbed “The Return of the King”, the Pechanga contest attracted 21 tribute art-ists from all over the West Coast. They battled it out in three days and four rounds of competitions at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California, last month.

Actually, the fi rst place winner of this year’s Pechanga contest was Travis Allen of Las Vegas, Nevada. But Travis had already won fi rst

place at the Oneida Ultimate ETA Contest, so as second place winner, Lee earned the right to compete in Memphis. Pechanga’s past winners have placed high at the Elvis Week Finals, with Donny Edwards, the 2009 Pechanga champion, placing second overall at Elvis Week that year.

The 21 contestants at Pechanga were judged on the following criteria, same criteria being used in Memphis during Elvis Week: vocals – the ability to match the sound and quality of Elvis’ voice; appearance – the ability to create the look and style that represents Elvis well; stage presence – the ability to recreate the charisma Elvis created when performing on stage; and overall performance – the quality of the overall performance.

“It’s not as simple as it sounds,” Kurt Brown of Brown Productions, LLC, the producer and emcee of the Pechanga contest, said, “There’s a lot of strategy involved as perform-ers try to play to their strength in the quest for the Top Five slots and the title of Pechanga’s Champion.”

There was so much strategy, indeed, as the 21 contestants at Pechanga did not directly get to choose the songs they performed. Who performs what song is deter-mined by lottery, with each perform-er singing one song during the fi rst three rounds, and three songs each for the Top 5 fi nalists during the fi nal round. After the fi ve fi nalists picked up one song each, the order was changed for the second selec-tion, and changed again for the third.

After three rounds of competition during the fi rst two nights, the Top 5 selected were: George Thomas, Lee Birchfi eld, Martin Anthony, Travis Allen and James Kruk. They sang three songs each, “their own mini-tribute to Elvis”, according to emcee and producer Kurt Brown.

Listed here in order of perfor-mance, with the outfi ts they wore, are the Top Five with the songs they performed: George Thomas in gold lame – “Baby, Let’s Play House with Me”, “Blue Hawaii”, and “I Need your Love Tonight”; Lee Birchfi eld in ‘Comeback Special’ black leather – “Guitar Man Medley”, “Trying to Get to You”, and “If I can Dream”; Martin Anthony in ‘50s white jacket and black pants – “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Love Me”, and “Jailhouse Rock”; Travis Allen, also in gold lame – “Trouble”, “One Night with You”, and “Hound Dog”; and James Kruk in a Phoenix jumpsuit – “You Gave Me a Mountain”, “Unchained Melody” and “Suspicious Minds.”

A few moments later, Kurt an-nounced the winners: 1st place – Travis Allen; 2nd place – Lee Birch-

fi eld; 3rd place – George Thomas; 4th place – James Kruk; and 5th place – Martin Anthony.

The judges this year were: John Mueller, world famous Buddy Holly tribute artist, and producer of the Winter Dance Party Tour; Janna Joos, president of the International Celebrity Images Talent Agency, and producer of “The Reel Awards”, the tribute artists’ version of the Grammy’s; and Vick Slick, after-noon radio host on KOLA 99.9 FM.

In an interview with Lee after the contest, he said it is a “dream come true” for him to represent Pechanga at the Elvis Week in Memphis. “It would be an honor to perform for the biggest group of Elvis fans in one venue; and great to be on that stage at the Orpheum Theater with the other winning tribute artists from all over the world.”

Here’s the list of the 24 out of 26 who will compete this com-ing Elvis Week in Memphis: Tim Hendry of Ontario, Canada – Elvis Fantasy Fest; Joe Ramsey of New York – New England Elvis Festival; Travis Allen of Las Vegas, Nevada – Rockin’ ‘E’ Jamboree at Oneida Casino; Ben Portsmouth of Waltham St Lawrence, England – Pocono Mountains Elvis Festival; Daisuke Kiryu of Akita, Japan – 2011 Tribute Artist in Tokyo, Japan; Gordon Hendricks of England – European Elvis Championships; Kevin Mills of Branson, Missouri – Bronson Elvis Festival; Johnny Fortuno of Honolulu, Hawaii – Las Vegas Ulti-mate ETA Contest; Gino Monopoli of Toronto, Canada – Ultimate ETA Contest at Mardi Gras Casino; Jay Zanier of Ontario, Canada – Lake George Elvis Festival; Cody Slaugh-ter of Harrison, Arkansas – Tupelo Elvis Festival; Elias Jamhour of Australia – Wintersun Festival;

David Allen of Dallas, Texas – Be-Bop Back to the 50’s Ultimate ETA Contest; Jake Slater of Bellaire,

Lee Birchfi eld Off to Memphis For Elvis Week’s “2011 Ultimate

ETA Contest”


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AMP Music Festival ...


Light &Shadows

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

by Zena Sultana Babao like funky Jane Lui and pop band The Inheritance appear alongside hip-hop stars Thaikoon from Los Angeles. Other locals include Terry Matsuoka, Lindsey Yung and Misc. Ailments who have played at shows all over San Diego - House of Blues, Offi ce Bar and L’estat’s. Festival goers can follow their fa-vorite artists and sample new ones on the event website. The tentative full line-up is now online and the performance schedule will also be posted online at www.ampmusic-festival.com.

This event also has the largest collective of local support from a diverse group of API community, professional, and social organiza-tions, who all support and believe in this event and its cause – includ-ing the Asian American Journalists Association, the National Asso-ciation of Asian American Profes-sionals, the Vietnamese American Youth Alliance, the Filipino Ameri-can Chamber of Commerce, the Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego, and many more.

Follow @ampmusicfest on Twit-ter for more independent Asian-American music news or on the AMP Music Festival Facebook Page. Tickets are available now and AMP goers can purchase tick-ets at www.ampmusicfestival.com.

Funds raised from the event will support music scholarships and cul-tural programs in schools through the Asian Business Association Community Foundation, a 501(3)c organization committed to com-munity development and economic growth. Members of the public can also donate to the foundation through a discounted purchase of an annual Asian Business Associa-tion membership, a special offer solely for the event. Created and led by Silk Road Productions, the AMP Music Festival will be the launch of the San Diego Asian American Music Festival.

which include: Increasing competitive checks:

Store managers and product buyers are checking the competition more often to help ensure Walmart stores offer lower prices on the right mix of items.

Partnering with suppliers: The retailer is working even more closely with suppliers to lower the cost per item and pass those savings on to customers.

Strongest Ad Match Policy in the Market

The company’s ad match policy is the most competitive in the market, eliminating the need to shop around to save money. To make it easier for customers, Walmart has:

Simplifi ed guidelines: Customers do not have to bring in a competi-tor’s advertisement. If customers fi nd a lower advertised price, we’ll match it at the register.*

Implemented new associate training: Extensive associate train-ing helps to ensure the policy is ex-ecuted consistently across all stores.

Broadening Product AssortmentWalmart has broadened product

assortment by approximately 8,500 items or 11 percent in an average store. These assortment changes have brought back customers’ favorite local food and consumables, among other products.

“We’ve listened to our custom-ers and we’re bringing back the products and brands they want,” Mac Naughton added. “Customers have already seen a wider selection of products on our shelves and we’ll continue to bring back great prod-


Walmart. ... ucts at great prices.”The retailer is adding back prod-

ucts every day. Additions to the dry grocery aisles for products like pasta, beverages and snacks have been in progress and will continue. Additions to fresh grocery and consumables, such as paper towels, toilet paper and laundry detergent, as well as health and wellness products, have also been made. General mer-chandise categories like electronics, sporting goods, apparel, fabrics/crafts and outdoor living will expand later this year.

Customers can easily identify these items with new “It’s Back” fl ags on store shelves.

About Walmart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and mem-bers more than 200 million times per week at 9,000 retail units under 60 different banners in 15 countries. With fi scal year 2011 sales of $419 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philan-thropy and employment opportu-nity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com, on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/Walmart, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com.

*Walmart will match the price of any local competitor’s printed ad for an identical product. Not applicable to Walmart.com. Restrictions apply. See store for details.

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Angelito Mendoza cited that if government fails to take action on the country’s unregulated out-fl ow of critical skills and talents, “[t]hese industries will stop, and with that, foreign multinational companies could easily take over companies and businesses in these vital sectors of our economy.”

“I believe that after three de-cades of deploying Filipino skills overseas, we should set things aright by choosing primordial national interest over the short-term relief the remittances pro-vide,” Barinaga said in Congress early February.

He demands a re-examination of the overseas deployment policy and the imposition of a moratorium, or suspension of overseas deployment of these mission-critical skills.


Now Available:

TAWA’T TULA NG MGA PILING KATATAWANAN

By Joe Cabrera

A Collection of Jokes Written in Pilipino Verse

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Street Poetry

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

by Michael R. Tagudin

©2011 Michael R. Tagudin. All rights reserved. About the Author: Michael R. Tagudin Educated as an engineer in the Philippines, the City of Los Angeles employee hopes his legacy of poems will provoke a dialogue about the human condition. He is donating the proceeds from the book “Crushed Violets” to the “Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST)”, a non-profit that provides public awareness and advocacy efforts against human trafficking in the City of Angels. To learn more, visit www.castla.org. To help, call the CAST 24 hour hotline 888.KEY.2.FRE(EDOM) or 888.539.2373. Contact [email protected] for more information about ordering the book “Crushed Violets.”

Read Romeo Nicolas’s previous poems by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

Mga Tulang Tagalog

by Romeo Nicolas

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Superstar Nora Aunor ...

(Continued from page 13)pilot ng PAL 103 habang sakay nila si Nora Aunor,parang president raw ang nakasakay .Sa isang kilalang subdivision titira si Nora at siem-pre may bagong sasakyan simpre lahat bigay ito ng kapatid Network.Tiyak magge-guest ang Superstar sa “Walang Tulugan” ni Kuya Germs.Balita pa rin namin,ipalalabas sa Pilipinas yung ginawang movie ni Nora sa Amerika “Care Home” kaya abangan ito ng mga Noranians.

Isa pang gustong buhayin ng Superstar habang nasa Pilipinas siya ay ang kanyang Nora Aunor Foundation,para makatulong sa mga tao na nangangailangan ng tulong dahil sa hirap ng buhay.Tatlong buwan lang siya tatagal sa Pilipinas pero mukhang sandamakmak ang kanyang mga projects, magawa kaya lahat ni La Aunor yun.

Basta kami tuwang-tuwa kami sa kanyang pagbabalik kahit sabihin pa na kilala kami sa showbiz landia bilang Vilma Santos Writer, ok lang yun.Alam kasi namin ang feeling na mawala ka sa sariling bansa, at magtiis para lang makamtan ang minimithi dito sa Amerika.

Welcome Back Ms. Nora Aunor !!!TINATALO NI MANNY PAC-

QUIAO SI WILLIE REVILLAME SA RATING !!!Isa sa mga nasagap namin sa aming mga kaibigang re-porters sa Pilipinas, tinatalo diumano ng bagong show ni Pacman sa chan-nel 7 ang show ni Mr. Revillame sa channel 5 sa rating tuwing araw ng sabado.

Yes tuwing araw lang ng Saturday, dahil tuwing Saturday lang naman kasi ang show ni Manny, pero sa ibang araw naman umaariba pa rin ang show ni Willie sa rating.

Mas malaki raw kasi ang pa-premyo ni Pacman compare kay Willie,kaya maraming lumilipat ngayon na mga manonood sa Pam-

bansang Kamao, pero nilinaw niya na wala sa kanila ni Willie yun,still ang pagtulong sa mga tao ang kanilang intensyon.kaya raw huwag na silang intrigahin ng kanyang kai-bigan, mas maganda nga dalawa na silang nagbibigay ligaya sa kanilang kababayan.

Basta kami, walang pipiliin sa kanilang dalawa pareho namin itong panonoorin lagi kaya lang hindi pa ganon kagaling si Pacman mag-host compare kay Willie at marami pa itong dapat pag-aralan.Yan lang ang obserbasyon namin.

CLAUDINE BARRETTO PINARINGGAN SI ANGELICA PANGANIBAN! Sa isang interbyu ni Claudine Barretto ,sinabi diumano ng aktres ang isang bagay na hindi niya makakalimutan ay ang “Nag-mahal ako ng isang kaibigan , pero yung kaibigan ang dahilan pakasira ng pamilya”,maanghang na pahayag ni Claudine.

Hindi naman na-mention ang name ni Angelica sa interbyu na ito pero maraming nagsasabi na ang girlfriend ni Derek Ramsey ang pinatatamaan nito, at least ngayon hindi na sila diretso magpalitan ng maaanghang na salita kagaya noon sa twitter.Kung baga umaray na lang kung sino ang tinatamaan, ewan lang namin kung magre-react si Angelica Panganiban tungkol sa bagay na ito.

Birthday Celebration sa National City! Umaten kami last Saturday sa Birthday Celebration ng isang matagal na sa Business ng insurance dito sa National City, halos hindi na nga niya kailangan pa magpa-ads dahil sa dami ng kanyang clients na ipinakita pa niya sa amin ang mga files, nang minsan pumunta kami sa opisina niya.

Happy Birthday Ms. Noemi Man-gosing, ang sarap ng pagkain at ang daming namamahal sa inyo.Siempre nandun din ang kanyang bestfriend na si Ms. Aida Santos.

fortune. However, trouble begins when she

realizes that the Brazilian model she pretends to be actually has an issue with money launderers: the model took off with their money and jewels. And now, the center of their criminal ire is none other than Pureza May-riles!

Will simple Pura be able to escape safely from the fantasy turned night-mare world that she got herself into? Will she still be able to support her brother? And what about knight in shining armor, Ruben – just what has he been doing?

Melai and Jason ...


Helmed by veteran actor-writer-director Soxy Topacio, Melai and Jason are joined in the film by Bianca Manalo, Martin Del Rosario, Beki-mon, Nico Antonio, Joem Bascon and Ms. Gina Pareño.

“The loveteam of Melai and Jason has gained a global following and their debut foray into film is definitely being awaited by their fans,” said ABS-CBN International Head of The-atricals Kerwin Du. “There is some-thing about Filipinos who cheer in seeing ordinary folks rise from practi-cally rags to riches and this couple is on its way to claiming their place in the entertainment industry. The fact that they are really funny actors help make The Adventures of Pureza: Queen of the Riles a thoroughly good film to watch with family.”

Malabong-malabo na ating matawid ang tuwid na daan,

Na syang plataporma ng ating pangulo, bago sya nahalal.

Kung itatanong nyo, ano bang talaga ang syang kahulugan?

Daan bang MAGUTOM, MAGBULAG-BULAGAN, daang

MAGPAYAMAN?

Inyo ngang pagmasdan itong nagaganap sa sariling bayan,

Mga PILING TAO, NILUKLOK SA PUWESTO ay PAGE-

WANG-GEWANG.

Salitang “AKALA” na tatawid sila sa TUWID NA DAAN,

Ngayo’y nsasangkot sa gawang masama at katiwalian.

Ang ISIP ng tao, mahirap hutukin pagdating sa KUWARTA,

Lalo’t SINANIBAN ng KAPANGYARIHANG nuon ay wala

sya.

Tukso ‘to sa mundo kung kaya’t mahirap na ito’y makita,

Ang Tuwid Na Daan, salitang pangarap kung saan pupunta.

Ang tuwid na daan ay isang pangarap mahirap matupad,

Kahit na mabuti, ito’y sumasama kung ika’y malingat.

‘Di maaaring ISA ang mamuno na gawin ang lahat,

Kung bawat niluklok ay nagpapasarap sa ginto at pilak.

Kung para mabago at maging mabuti ang takbo ng buhay,

Mabuting pinuno na may adhikain, lawak ng PANANAW.

Kanyang tututukan itong PILIPINAS na maging marangal,

“ZERO” sa kurapsyon, DROGA at PATAYAN, ang HIRAP,

tulungan.

Kung magkagayon man, kailangan natin, mahabang panahon.

Mga pagbabago’y prosesong matagal, ‘di ANIM na taon.

Sampung taong sulong sa ikauunlad, tayo ay babangon,

Matatag na bansa, kapitapitagan, TULOY SA PAGSULONG.

Pananaw ni:

Romeo S. Nicolas

Bocaue, Bulacan

Ang Tuwid Na DaanSirens

Poem No. 19

Tears fill my eyes

Upon hearing of sirens

Of distant ships

Into a journey unknown

Like the passing of time

Our memories ..

In the blink of an eye

Like the years gone by

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Tax Scam Targets So. Calif. And Nevada Seniors and Low Income Taxpayers

SAN DIEGO — The Internal Rev-enue Service is warning of a scam seen in Southern California and Nevada that promises a tax refund or rebate based on Social Security benefits.

“We are seeing various scams

that encourage taxpayers to file tax returns for a fee to get a bogus refund, tax credit or rebate.” said IRS spokesman Raphael Tulino. “Promoters of these scams often

prey upon low income individu-als and senior citizens. They build false hopes and charge people good money for bad advice. When the victims discover their claims are rejected and must be repaid to the IRS, their money and the promoters are long gone.”

According to the IRS, flyers and

advertisements for free money from the IRS, suggesting that the taxpayer can file a return and get a refund with little or no documentation,

have been appearing in community churches around the country. These schemes are often spread by word of mouth among unsuspecting and well-intentioned people telling their friends and relatives, especially those who normally do not have a filing requirement.

The IRS says taxpayers should be

wary of any of the following:· Fictitious claims for refunds

or rebates based on excess or with-held Social Security benefits.

· Claims that Treasury Form 1080 can be used to transfer funds from the Social Security Administra-tion to the IRS enabling a payout from the IRS.

· Unfamiliar for-profit tax services teaming up with local churches.

· Home-made flyers and brochures implying credits or re-funds are available without proof of eligibility.

· Offers of free money with no documentation required.

· Promises of refunds for “Low Income – No Documents Tax Returns.”

· Claims for the expired Eco-nomic Recovery Credit Program or Recovery Rebate Credit.

· Advice on using the Earned Income Tax Claims based on exag-gerated reports of self-employment income.

· In some cases non-existent Social Security refunds or rebates have been the bait used by the con artists. In other situations, taxpay-ers deserve the tax credits they are promised but the preparer uses ficti-tious or inflated information on the return which results in a fraudulent return.

Taxpayers with questions about

a tax credit, tax scam or program should visit the IRS website at IRS.gov or call the IRS national toll-free number at 800-829-1040.

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

journalusa.com

Follow @asianjournal on Twitter

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There are 4 questions. Don’t miss too many.

1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?

Stop and think about it and de-cide on your answer before you scroll down.

The correct answer is: Open the refrigerator, put in the gi-raffe, and close the door. This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way.

2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?

Did you say, open the refrigera-tor, put in the elephant, and close the refrigerator?

Wrong Answer.Correct Answer: Open the

refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door. This tests your abil-ity to think through the reper-cussions of your previous actions..

3. The Lion King is hosting an animal con-ference. All the animals attend .... Except one. Which animal does not at-tend?

Four QuestionsCorrect Answer: The Elephant.

The elephant is in the refrigera-tor. You just put him in there. This tests your memory.. Okay, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your true abilities.

4. There is a river you must cross but it is used by

crocodiles, and you do not have a boat. How do you man-age it?

Correct Answer:? You jump into the river and swim across. Have you not been listening? All the crocodiles are attending the Animal Meeting..

This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.

According to Anderson Con-sulting Worldwide, around 90% of the Professionals they tested got all questions wrong, but many preschoolers got sev-eral correct answers. Anderson Consulting says this conclusively proves the theory that most pro-fessionals do not have the brains

of a four-year-old.

Send this out to frus-trate all of your smart

friends.

PS: Just the fact

that I

sent it to you should make you feel good.

and introduce its Whole-Home DVR Service. This service allows customers to record, watch and delete shows from any HD receiver in their home using just a single HD DVR. Customers can receive more information on package selections or learn how to sign up by calling DI-RECTV’s Filipino customer service at 1-800-982-5553.

The DIRECTV International platform has launched over 130 channels that delivers a wide variety of new programming in multiple foreign-languages, including Fili-pino, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese and Korean to emerging ethnic markets through-out the United States.

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(Continued from page 10)by Jose Ma. Montelibano

I received a text message, which I passed on to others, of course, which contained a a hidden message. The nursery rhyme, Humpty Dumpty, was a really popular one for decades although it does appear that technol-ogy and the onslaught of new data has made Humpty Dumpty not as popular anymore. Anyway, the hid-den message is not in the rhyme but in the identity of Humpty Dumpty in the Philippine context today. My take is that the source of the text message was referring to Mike Ar-royo, the First Gentleman of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

In that same text message was a quote from another nursery rhyme, “I went to London to visit the Queen, but London Bridge is falling down.” The reference to me seems quite clear, that London Bridge symbolizes a faltering royalty, and the queen is Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Between Humpty Dumpty and London Bridge, the Philippines remains attached to Western lore and personalities.

I also noticed that the grammar was somewhat flawed, or deliber-ately predictive. As I observe, Mike Arroyo or FG, has not had a great fall, but he could have one soon. The same is true of Gloria; she seems safe but not that safe. Her recent op-eration may prove much safer than the path that is beginning to unfold, the path of truth seeking the light by its own power.

The Truth Commission reflected the gut demand of Filipinos who have been blinded and blighted by the administration of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the role that FG Mike Arroyo played in it. The majority of the Supreme Court found the Executive Order creating the Truth Commission as unconsti-tutional. I disagree, of course. What I found as perverse is that the spirit of the Constitution has been put in a straight jacket that is known as the form of the Constitution, a pitiful example of word over meaning, of procedure over substance. But then, again, I am a mere citizen and the Supreme Court is much more than

that.

However, my sentiment and view are being affirmed while that of the Supreme Court is being defied by recent events and, I predict, by more events to come in the immediate and near future. The truth knocks on the doors of Philippine society, not only in the halls of the Supreme Court. This is rare but not that unknown. When truth coming from the guts of the citizenry insists on revealing it-self, it can remove sitting presidents of the republic despite their control of official power, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. In the two peaceful people-powered revolu-tions of recent history, the truth and the people themselves, the Supreme Court was not the final arbiter but simply forced to swallow the supremacy of citizens in the exercise of direct democracy.

What did the Truth Commission seek to do? It wanted to unearth the crime and treason of an officialdom that abused it power and wielded it to amass wealth and corrupt the na-tional soul along the way. Midway in the rule of Gloria and her FG, I read in the newspapers a report quoting a lawyer who said he believed that half of judges were corrupt, mean-ing they accepted bribes to favor certain litigants. I found shocking what was said, and what it did not say. If there was truth to the claim that half of judges were on the take, I would assume that half of lawyers were bribers, too. Most shameful of all was the relative quiet of the Su-preme Court in the face, not only of that statement, but in the opinion of the public that justice can be bought. It means that there is questionable justice, except to those who have the capacity to pay.

When the Truth Commission was shot down by the Supreme Court, the truth simply pushed legal pro-tocol aside and began to rise to the surface. From Heidi Mendoza and Col. Rabusa, the truth is marching on to 2004 and 2007 poll frauds as reported by players themselves, election officers who participated in subverting the people’s will. We are informed through live televi-sion about a dirty deal about used

helicopters sold as new, and the con-nection of Mike and Mikey Arroyo to the use and, perhaps, ownership of those helicopters. Latest is the resignation of Migz Zubiri from the Senate, an offshoot to all the noise about cheating by the administration in the 2007 elections.

In the whole scheme of things, what are cases of corruption here and there, even as shocking or enter-taining they can be? If there was cor-ruption in the nine and a half years of Gloria and Mike in Malacanang, and people themselves in surveys quarter after quarter, year after year, believed corruption was rampant, the wording of the Truth Commission saying that it intended to examine the Arroyo regime remains valid, justifiable and practical. From expe-rience, the PCGG has several cases unresolved over the hidden wealth of the Marcoses that it never bothered with the term of Diosdado Macapa-gal before the presidency of Marcos. In other words, when corruption is massive, it can take more than a de-cade to resolve all the cases that will be filed against Gloria and Mike and their cronies or fronts. How could the Truth Commission realistically think of investigating the Estrada, Ramos and Cory presidencies?

It is my conviction, grounded on what I know about life and what I see as affirmation from current events and trends, that a people’s need for the truth cannot be denied anymore, that it has reached an in-tensity that it will reveal itself even without formal prodding by courts and despite the Supreme Court’s view of what is unconstitutional. We are on a tipping point in the the Filipino’s evolution, when the elite who have wealth, who have power, who have advantage, will see the ordinary Filipino emerge from the shadows to claim their birthright. And they will succeed because many among the elite are now refined enough to care and even share.

That is why London Bridge is fall-ing down, and why Humpty Dumpty will have a great fall.

-- “There is always a philosophy for

lack of courage.” Albert Camus

GLIMPSES by Jose Ma. Montelibano

Humpty Dumpty Had A Great Fall



by Genevieve Tagudin-Silverio

In Perspective

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

Still of the morning, The sun peeks through the gray clouds, Cool breeze brings me peace

-- Steve Yagyagan, a haiku

Over the weekend through social media a few friends found time to share their thoughts early in the morning. One of them, Steve Yagyagan, composed a haiku about the stillness of the morning during his morning walk, another shared her surprise about waking up to a morning drizzle, and yet another Myrna TF Reyes posted a link to share an inspirational video clip marked expressly for women, that is, women who need to fi nd time for themselves.

In each of their own way, each felt recharged and lifted up by the little surprises and discoveries that we stumble upon when we choose to be still; when we choose to take time to look, see and wonder.

The title, “Just for The Women” caught my attention. Taking the cue from the friend, I took time to see the video.

One may think of a trip to the beauty salon, time at the spa, and a wellness video as the stuff that one may associate with a video dedicated to women and just for women. But it is none of these.

On the contrary, it is precisely this very misconception about what women want that often puts us women at the risk of being underes-timated and undervalued by others and, most surprisingly, by ourselves.

The clip begins with a quote from Mother Teresa which rephrases a simple truth, “To keep a lamp burn-

ing we must keep putting oil in it.” The quote takes its cue from the

Bible in the parable of the virgins awaiting the bridegroom. The lesson teaches us that we must keep an amply supply of oil to keep the lamp burning as we wait for the bride-groom to return because we neither know the day nor the hour.

For most of us in the third millen-nium used to simply getting light by turning on the switch, the meaning is almost archaic. And yet it points to a contradiction in our lives. Even with the fl oodlights of technology ready to beam us to a higher living stan-dard, to make our lives even better than before, we still feel burned out.

We are cut off so to speak from our true selves, vulnerable to the winds of opinion, even as the brutal-ity of the material world erodes the essence of our being. Without the wisdom of who we are, we lose out as we get ahead. In the end, we feel used up, mislead, and robbed of the merits of magnifi cently crafted promises made in glow of an election, a once robust outlook, or even a relationship. Oftentimes these assumptions are swept away as times and circumstances change. It is especially harder on women. As women we are often brutalized by words that come from the least likely of sources and we wonder why. We look for oil to light our lamps from the usual places and we fi nd none.

The fact is, it is not an easy task to keep the proverbial lamp fi lled with oil. The act takes away from the tasks we may be engaged in at the moment. And for a woman, if one has a family, it usually means time taken away from taking care of the

needs of others. The acts are almost always altruistic, taken at the cost of the time we need to regroup and recapture our own perspective.

If you feel that you are one of these women, take time. And as God says -- be still.

And know that there is more to life than cars, gyms, spas, survivor epi-sodes, bridezilla segments, american idol contests, work and more work.

Chill. Better yet be still. My course correction came one

day under quite unusual circum-stances.

My inspiration came one morning as I was kneeling in front of a Di-vine Mercy image at St Joseph’s Ca-thedral downtown. It was Pentecost Sunday, I think, and I was deeply engrossed in prayer. Okay, okay. it was more of a quick note consisting of “I wish I had or... I could use your help with this list, Lord….Amen.” I was actually asking God to help me succeed as an insurance agent. I had a quota to meet and things weren’t going at a pace I wanted.

At the time, the Divine Mercy image was in an alcove, which used to be an old confessional box, on the left side of the St. Joseph’s Cathedral. It was facing the main altar then. From the kneeler one had a view of the church nave and the beautiful stained glass windows. It was soon after the mass was fi nished and I was simply putting in quality time with Divine Mercy before I was to leave. As I waited in silence, it was just then that I heard an in-ner voice ask me, “Why are you promoting insurance? You should be promoting Divine Mercy!” I was startled and looked up, only to fi nd myself gazing directly at the stained glass window of the Annuncia-tion. The Annunciation depicts the dialogue between the Archangel Gabriel greeting the soon-to-be mother of the savior and the Blessed Mother giving her fi at, her absolute yes to God.

I wanted to speak but I had no words. So there I was, absolutely speechless, overwhelmed about what I just heard.

I didn’t have any witty repartee to say as Samuel did like, “Here I am Lord, your servant hears you.” Nor did it ever occur to me to say yes at that moment.

I wasn’t ready. My oil lamp was sputtering. The trouble was I had

low on oil. But the statement did make sense.

I was actually selling life insur-ance to take care of the needs of the people who will survive the insured after death. However, I was not doing anything for the individual I was insuring to prepare him from a spiritual standpoint. The light was going to get snuffed out yet I was not giving the person a way to fi ll their lamp with oil.

And there I was kneeling before the image which is the vessel of his mercy. In it is the vast ocean of graces I would need to fi ll my own lamp with oil and the lamps of oth-ers a million times over.

As I refl ect upon the incident, I see that in the image of Divine Mercy, the Lord is talking about life insur-ance of the everlasting kind. It is the kind of insurance that requires nothing other than an affi rmation of trust. All one have to do is to simply endorse it with the signature “Jesus, I Trust in You”. No questions asked. No fi ne print to read. You’re in! The Lord welcomes us to take as much as we want from His ocean of mercy!

One qualifi es for it with a yes by simply saying, Here I am Lord. By saying yes, we are releasing to the Lord all our past, our present, and our future -- including the baggage we drag around that contains all our treasures, illusions, obsessions, problems, pains, frustrations, is-sues, addictions, anger, and habits --- entrusting our whole being to his mercy.

And yet how do we release our burdens? How do we deal with our brokenness?

The answer is not found in the usual places but in refl ecting upon the image of God, upon his love and forgiveness. Mother Teresa points to a passage in the bible to show us how, by repeating a quote from the Lord, “Learn from me for I am meek and gentle of heart.”

It starts with us. According to Mother Teresa “We need lots of love to forgive. We need lots of humility to forget.”

However, she continues, “Before we forgive somebody, we need to realize that we need forgiveness.”

And it takes humility to respond to mercy. Humility allows us to begin anew. Humility allows us to admit that we need to fi nally unburden

ourselves. That is what it means to say “Jesus I trust in you”.

It is the story captured in this image, the image of Divine Mercy sealed with your signature.

***St Faustina Kowalska, who re-

ceived the revelations about the im-age and devotion to Divine Mercy, wrote a very profound prayer about the mercy of God (Diary 1730). I would like to share it with you:

I fl y to Your mercy, Compassionate God, who alone are good. Although my misery is great, and my offenses are many, I trust in your mercy, because You are the God of mercy; and, from time immemorial, it has never been heard of, nor do heaven or earth remember, that a soul trust-ing in Your mercy has been disap-pointed.

O God of compassion, You alone can justify me, and You will never reject me when I, contrite, approach Your Merciful Heart, where no one has ever been refused, even if he were the greatest sinner.

***

Eventually, the Lord allowed me to meet others who have had similar, and, in fact, more profound expe-riences worth telling about their encounters with Divine Mercy.

In July, I attended a retreat in Malibu, California where I was priv-ileged to meet several of the most inspirational leaders in the Divine Mercy Evangelization Movement.

To my surprise, the majority of the leaders were women!

Among them is Estrelle Mijares. Estrelle came with her wonderful husband, Angel Mijares. The hus-band and wife team, who are the lay leaders of the Divine Mercy Evange-lization Movement (DMEM), were the brains and brawn behind the seminar. The event brought together the best minds and hearts on Divine Mercy. The speakers were at one time or another guests on EWTN and respected for their expertise. These included Father Seraphim Michalenko, MIC, Father Michael E. Gaitley, MIC, and Dr. Robert Stackpole. It was the fi rst ever 7-day Divine Mercy Evangelization Move-ment leadership training workshop in California. The workshops are

usually held in Stockbridge, Mas-sachusetts. But the priests relented and agreed to come to Malibu inspite of the risks travel posed to Fr. Michalenko who is already in his eighties.

It was also in the same retreat where I was blessed to meet Zarina Cruz, who is from St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Carlsbad, California and Paquita Adaza, for the fi rst time. Paquita, who lives in El Salvador, Misamis Oriental, Mindanao, was at the retreat with her sister Vicky Baguio, a resident of Los Angeles. Both are members of the Divine Mercy Foundation of Mindanao. The group is behind the construction of the Divine Mercy Hills Shrine, which they call the “Lord’s work”.

The story of Divine Mercy Hills is documented in a book called “Mys-teries and Miracles of Divine Mercy Hills” published by the Foundation. The pilgrimage site is now known as the Archdiocesan Shrine of The Divine Mercy and is co managed by the Archdiocese, the Marians of the Immaculate Concepcion (MIC) and the Divine Mercy Foundation of Mindanao.

The Asian Journal published an article about The Divine Mercy Hills Shrine in July 22, 2011 edition, page 24.

***

We live in unusual times. But, as St. Paul says in the Bible, “where evil abounds grace abounds even more.” Therefore, we need to begin each day in stillness and pray for discernment so we can also say ‘Here I am Lord.’

I close with the following letter from September 29, 2004, in the book “Jesus Speaks to His Apos-tles”, Volume 10 from the Series, Direction for Our Times as given to Anne, A Lay Apostle (pp 15-16).

September 29, 2004

Jesus

My dear little serving souls, how I love you. You serve so diligently and do not realize at all how grate-ful is your Jesus. My gratitude could fl ow over you in such a way

Taking the Time to Fill Your Lamp with Oil


Health & Wellness

Submit Your Healthy Cooking

Recipes to [email protected]

ScienceDaily (July 12, 2011) — Eating nuts every day could help control Type 2 diabetes and prevent its complications, according to new research from St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto.

In the research, published online by the journal Diabetes Care, a team of researchers led by Dr. David Jenkins (University of Toronto Department of Nutritional Sciences; St. Michael’s Hospital Risk Factor Modifi cation Centre) reports that consuming two ounces of nuts daily as a replacement for carbohydrates proved effective at glycemic and serum lipid control for people with Type 2 diabetes.

“Mixed, unsalted, raw, or dry-roasted nuts have benefi ts for both blood glucose control and blood lipids and may be used as part of a strategy to improve diabetes control without weight gain,” said Dr. Jenkins, who also has appointments with St. Michael’s Division of En-docrinology and Metabolism and the

Eating Nuts Daily Could Help Control Type 2 Diabetes and

Prevent Complications, Study Suggests

U of T’s Department of Medicine. He also serves as Canada Research Chair in Nutrition and Metabolism.

Jenkins and his colleagues provid-ed three different diet supplements to subjects with Type 2 diabetes. One group was given muffi ns, one was provided with a mixture of nuts including raw almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts, cashews, and macadamias, and one group was given a mixture of muf-fi ns and nuts.

Subjects receiving the nut-only supplement reported the greatest im-provement in blood glucose control using the glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) test. The nut diet subjects also experienced a reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (known as LDL, or “bad choles-terol”). The subjects provided the muffi n supplement or mixed muffi n-and-nut supplement experienced no


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By David Sayen If you’ve been turned down

for health insurance because of a pre-existing condition, or offered coverage only at an unaffordable price, you may have another option: California’s Pre-Existing Condition

Health Insurance for People Who Can’t Get It

David Sayen

Insurance Plan.The Pre-Existing Condition Insur-

ance Plan, or PCIP, is available to children and adults who’ve been locked out of the health insurance market because they have cancer, heart disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, asthma, or some other pre-existing medical condition. California’s PCIP opened for business last October.

With PCIP, you’ll be insured for a wide range of benefi ts, including primary and specialty physicians’ services, hospital care, and prescrip-tion drugs.

Like commercial insurance plans, PCIP requires you to pay a monthly premium, a deductible, and some cost-sharing expenses. But you won’t be charged a higher premium because of your medical condition and your eligibility isn’t based on your income.

When you enroll in PCIP you’ll have access to a provider network that includes 67,000 physicians, 5,906 pharmacies and 354 hospitals throughout the state.

A visit to the doctor will cost you $25. PCIP also covers emergency and ambulance services, surgery and anesthesia, organ transplants, x-ray and lab services, pregnancy and maternity care, skilled nursing care, home health services, orthotics and prosthetics, durable medical equip-ment, and inpatient and outpatient mental health, alcohol, and sub-stance abuse care.

PCIP is already changing the lives of Americans who don’t have health coverage and need medical care. James H., who lives in Texas, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2010. Shortly after his diagnosis, James’ insurance company rescinded his insurance coverage, claiming that his cancer was a pre-existing condition. James knew that his lack of cover-age was a death sentence. Fortunate-ly, he was able to join PCIP in Texas and is now receiving the treatment he needs.

To qualify for PCIP, you must have been denied health insurance within the past 12 months. You also have to live in California and be a U.S. citizen or legal resident. In addition,


ScienceDaily (July 21, 2011) — In an article that may bring smiles to the faces of vegetarians who con-sume no dairy products and vegans, who consume no animal-based foods, scientists have identifi ed sea-weed as a rich new potential source of heart-healthy food ingredients. Seaweed and other “macroalgae” could rival milk products as sources of these so-called “bioactive pep-tides,” they conclude in an article in ACS’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Maria Hayes and colleagues Cia-rán Fitzgerald, Eimear Gallagher and Deniz Tasdemir note increased inter-

Seaweed as a Rich New Source of Heart-Healthy Food Ingredients

est in using bioactive peptides, now obtained mainly from milk products, as ingredients in so-called functional foods. Those foods not only provide nutrition, but have a medicine-like effect in treating or preventing certain diseases. Seaweeds are a rich but neglected alternative source, they state, noting that people in East Asian and other cultures have eaten seaweed for centuries: Nori in Japan, dulse in coastal Europe, and limu palahalaha in native Hawaiian cuisine.

Their review of almost 100 scien-tifi c studies concluded that that some seaweed proteins work just like the

bioactive peptides in milk products to reduce blood pressure almost like the popular ACE inhibitor drugs. “The variety of macroalga species and the environments in which they are found and their ease of cultiva-tion make macroalgae a relatively untapped source of new bioactive compounds, and more efforts are needed to fully exploit their potential for use and delivery to consumers in food products,” Hayes and her col-leagues conclude.

Web address: http://www.sci-encedaily.com/releases/2011/07/ 110720142346.htm

If you’re trying to eat healthy, perhaps you have heard to stay away from processed foods. While that’s great advice, it seems many people are confused about what exactly constitutes processed food.

If you can’t identify them, it’s hard to cut processed foods out of your diet. And although most people know processed foods are bad for them, it’s often unclear what makes them so dangerous to a person’s health.

Remember - processed foods are foods that have been altered from their natural state.

Have you ever wondered why a pre-packaged food stays fresh for months, when the same food made from scratch grows moldy in just days? It’s because food manufacturers use man-made ingredients that prolong a prod-uct’s shelf life. Unfortunately, they may have the opposite ef-fect on peoples’ health.

Physician to Patients: Trans Fats Will Kill You

For instance, trans fats are oils

How to Avoid Processed Foods in a

Healthy Diet


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Some vinegars are better-suited for cooking but do poorly as dip-ping sauces or sawsawan. They’re generally made from coconut water (not pure coconut nectar or sap, commonly known as “purong tuba”) or some diluted form, undoubtedly cheap; but, hey, you get what you pay for! Ask yourself this ques-tion- “Can you proudly display your bottle of vinegar when you have guests? Not unless it’s the best there is. Right? Incidentally, these cheap, adulterated and diluted vinegars are good for surface cleaning of glass, too. Seriously though, 100% pure

Coconut Nectar/Sap Vinegar is incomparable. Not just in its raw taste but, surprise! for unsurpassed health reasons, too. …didn’t think this mattered, did you? It should! Anything that you put in your mouth should make a huge difference be-cause it affects your health. So, let’s take a closer look at OK 100% pure Coconut Nectar (or Sap) Vinegar- the “Champagne of Vinegars.”

100% Pure Coconut Nectar or Sap Vinegar:

• healthier than any other type of vinegar

• the only vinegar that sours without introducing any additives like sugar cane,

artifi cial yeast or synthetic acid• has complete 17 amino acids

with alkalizing effects on the body• is richer in nutrients and has

many health benefi ts than other types of vinegar including coco-nut water vinegar and apple cider vinegar

• has naturally occurring organic acids found to provide the body with important minerals like potassium, sodium and magnesium; these and other minerals form compounds in the body that convert acid body fl uid into alkaline.

OK Coconut Sap Vinegar comes in several varieties:

1. OK COCONUT “NECTAR” VINEGAR – 100% natural and made of only pure coconut sap or nectar that is fully-fermented naturally and aged for a specifi ed length of time, delicately harvested and bottled. It has stronger sour-ness and is truly delicious and the overwhelming choice of health- con-scious consumers for cooking and dipping, more than other types of

A Vinegar is a Vinegar is a Vinegar. Right? You are so WRONG!


vinegar that are adulterated or made of synthetic acids. It is also excellent as salad dressing, sauces, condi-ments and many more. OK Coconut Nectar Vinegar is rich in nutrients, complete with 17 amino acids, un-like other types of vinegar. There are no added preservatives, adulterants or coconut water, artifi cial yeast, sugar cane or MSG. (Check the “ingredients” listing of your bottle of vinegar and compare.)

2. OK COCONUT “CIDER” VIN-EGAR – 100% natural and made of only pure and fresh sweet

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infused with hydrogen. They raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol. Dr. Michael Aziz, author of the book, The Perfect 10 Diet, doesn’t mince words when he tells his patients trans fats will kill them.

“Trans fats are really like plastic,” he said, “and when we eat them they incorporate in our cells and the cells cannot com-municate or talk to one another. In turn, hormones are disturbed, weight gain follows but more troubling, the risk for heart disease, cancer, stroke, infertility goes up.”

Trans fats are commonly found in commercially fried food and packaged foods, especially baked goods. But you won’t see the phrase, “trans fat” in the list of ingredients. Instead, look for the word, “hydrogenated.”

And beware of labels claim-ing no trans fats. They’re often still in there, because the Food and Drug Administation allows food with up to a half-gram of trans fat per serving to be labeled “trans fat free.”

The problem is, those servings can be small so we eat many servings, and those half-grams add-up.

When Cooking, Go Back to the Basics

To give you an idea of how bad trans fats can be -- in New York City, it’s against the law to cook with them.

Carey Cannizzaro is the execu-tive chef at the popular Home Restaurant in Greenwich Village.

“You go back to basics,” she said. “That’s how you cook without hydrogenated oils. You go back to basics.”

Cannizzaro says with a little know-how you can prepare any food that tastes better and is bet-ter for you without using trans fats.

“As fats, when we go for sweet we’re using buttermilk,” she


How to Avoid Processed

Foods ...

said. “We’re using butter, and savory we use extra virgin olive oil. We cook with a blend of ex-tra virgin olive oil and vegetable oil, we fry with soy oil.”

Customers dining at the trendy restaurant say they like not hav-ing to worry about what they’re eating.

“It’s a good thing,” diner John-ny Kitchens said. “I don’t see why we need trans fats anyway. We might as well be healthier, you know?”

Chef Cannizzaro points out that the Home Restaurant has never used trans fats, even back when it was legal to do so. She says she has always prided herself on cooking with only natural ingredients.

The problem was, trans fats are cheaper, and restaurants that used them could make more of a profit. Now, however, the play-ing field is level.

The Effects of High Frutose Corn Syrup

Vending machines are often loaded with processed foods. In addition to trans fats, they often contain too much salt, which can cause heart problems and creates a craving for even more salt.

Another addictive ingredient you’ll find in processed foods is high fructose corn syrup, which is linked to obesity and diabetes. Although high fructose corn syrup manufacturers contend it’s nutritionally the same as sugar, others say it’s worse.

Former FDA toxicologist Dr. Dana Flavin says while sugar is burned and turned into energy, high fructose corn syrup turns into fat, causing what’s known as “fatty liver.” She says sugar can make you feel full, but high fructose corn syrup does not trig-ger the body’s satisfaction gauge, so you always desire more.

“So you do eat more,” Flavin explained. “You have a greater appetite because your body’s saying, ‘I haven’t had enough’ and your body’s being fooled.”

High fructose corn syrup is the main ingredient in soft drinks, but is also hidden in foods like bread and pasta sauce.

Dr. Steven Sinatra, author of Metabolic Cardiology, says high fructose corn syrup and its chemical cousins, are directly linked to high blood pressure and heart disease, which unfor-tunately, most doctors treat with medication instead of going to the source.

“He or she may prescribe drugs, when only the best treat-ment is loss of weight,” Sinatra said. “Exercise and restriction of simple carbohydrates, sugars and high fructose corn syrup is at the top of the list.”

Also on the list are other syrups and sweeteners like dextrose, glucose, lactose and maltose.

The Pitfalls of MSG

And speaking of chemical names, here’s another one to

Annual Cool as Ever Tech event will combine the American pas-time of horseracing and the in-novative world of social media. Guests can eat, drink, tweet, and take in the excitement that Del Mar is known for. Expect a real-time Twitter livestream, gadgets, goodies, giveaways and great networking. Tickets are free with online RSVP.

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Racing at Del Mar happens Wednesdays through Sundays, with post time for the first race on most days at 2 p.m. On Fri-days first post is at 4 p.m. There will be a special Monday racing card on Labor Day, September 5. For more information, call 858-755-1141 or visit www.del-marscene.com. You can follow the Del Mar racetrack on Twitter, @DelMarRacing, or become a fan on Facebook at www.face-book.com/DelMarRaces.

Del Mar Gets Social with

Third Annual Tech Event


The Debate and Con-frontation (D.C.) of the Dysfunctional Congress

(D.C.) in the District of Columbia (D.C.) on the Debt Ceiling (D.C.) was Disturbingly Critical (D.C.).

But despite the differences, and with much difficulty deciding, a deal on the debt is finally done.

There is no argument that the debt ceiling should be raised. Failure to raise it would have meant defaulting on our obligations. Default would have led or could still lead to the downgrading of our credit rating. Downgrading would result in higher interest rates. Higher interest rates would mean higher costs to service our debt, which is already 40% of the total budget. This would mean increasing spending, which would result in a higher budget deficit. This runs counter to the very goals of certain groups who want to substan-tially reduce the deficit or to balance the budget.

Not to mention its effects on everyday Americans, be they old, young, poor, middle class, or rich, including increased interest rates on mortgages, car loans, student loans, and definitely credit cards—all of which keep everybody in play even temporarily. Confidence and trust in America’s ability to pay its obliga-tions would mean fewer investments in American projects that produce jobs. Just the fear of defaulting has been taking the stock market down. Can you imagine if it actually hap-pens? Credit Suisse predicts a stock downfall of at least 30%.

Those who are opposed to in-creased taxes would in effect get increased taxes in this situation.

The United States has the largest economy in the world. Most if not all nations of the world are economi-cally interdependent with the United States. A default by the latter there-fore would have a devastating effect internationally as well.

Congress has the Constitutional power to budget or appropriate. Correspondingly, it is empowered to source the funds for financing what it has obligated and what was actually incurred. Funds could come from revenues, such as taxes, or if revenues aren’t enough, could be

Debt Deal Done Despite Differences & Difficult

Decisionborrowed.

But Congress, this time by statute, limited itself to borrowing or incur-ring debts. So if the obligations are much more than the sources (rev-enues and authorized borrowing), the law requires that the limit to incurring debts or borrowing should be raised.

The real issue is the payment of obligations already incurred. Will the U.S. renege on its obligations? The answer is no—hence the debt ceiling deal.

The parties to this deal were the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Boehner, the Senate, led by Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and President Obama.

The deal includes a $2.1 trillion increase in the debt ceiling and 10-year discretionary spending caps generating nearly $1 trillion in defi-cit reduction. A super Congressional committee will come up with a package of $1.5 trillion more in cuts and/or revenue enhancements that’s guaranteed an up or down vote by December. If Congress can’t agree to a package, automatic cuts will com-mence in 2013, split 50/50 between domestic and defense spending (ex-empting entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare).

Good deal? Do the Republicans like it? What about the Democrats? What do the people think of the process, of Congress, of President Obama and the other players?

Let us look at the numbers. They should tell the story.

In the House of Representatives, 174 Republicans and 95 Demo-crats for a total of 269 voted for the deal, while 66 Republicans and 95 Democrats for a total of 161 voted against the deal. It takes 216 voters to pass it.

While Speaker Boehner claims victory and ownership of the deal, he needed at least 42 votes from the Democrats. The Democrats deliv-ered for him while the Conservative Republicans (66 of them) failed him.

In the Senate, 51 Democrats, 22 Republicans, and 1 Independent for a total of 74 voted for the deal, while 6 Democrats, 19 Republicans, and 1 Independent for a total of 26 voted against it. It takes 51 votes to pass it.

While Senate Minority Leader

Mitch McConnell is being given credit for the success of the negotia-tions and the deal by certain political analysts, the numbers tell a different story. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who won in Nevada because of the overwhelming support of the Filipinos, actually delivered the win-ning majority with 51 votes from the Democrats, plus an extra vote from an Independent who usually join their caucus.

None of the Republican votes were needed to pass the deal, which was supposed to have been successfully negotiated by Republican leader McConnell.

Prior to the actual consummation of the deal, what did the people think of Congress? Again, the num-bers tell the story.

According to the poll survey conducted by the Washington Post/Pew Research Center, 77% think that members of Congress in dealing with this issue behaved like spoiled children while only 17% considered them as responsible adults.

As of July 31, 2011, only 2% con-sider them in a positive light, while 72% view them negatively, and 15% have no opinion.

Asked to describe the negotiations with one word, the top ten words were:

Ridiculous 66 Disgust/disgusting/disgusted 42 Stupid/stupidity 36 Frustrating/frustrated 26 Poor/poorly 25 Terrible 25 Disappointing/disappointment/

disappointed 24 Childish 23Joke 22Mess/messy 22

How about the players in the ne-gotiations? What ratings were they getting?

More Less Net Ratingfavorable favorable a. President Barack Obama 18 37 -19b Speaker John Boehner11 34 -23c. Democrats in Congress 13 30 -17d. Republicans in Congress 11 42 -31e. Members of Congress affiliated with the Tea Party movement 11 37 -26

Now that a deal was done and a law was passed, I suspect that the numbers will tell a different story. To be fair, the following were ac-complished for economic good and budget discipline:

Debt ceiling was raised, so all obli-gations, appropriations, and expen-ditures will be paid;

Removes the cloud of uncertainty until 2013. Good for the economy;

Guaranteed deficit reduction of about $1 trillion;

Bipartisan process to cut $1.5 trillion;

If bipartisan process fails, automat-

ic cuts 50/50 coming from domestic and defense respectively; and

Process of coming together and shared sacrifice.

Who can claim credit for these modest, though insufficient accom-plishments? As I said earlier, the numbers should tell the story.

While the Conservative Right forced the debate and, correspond-ingly, the direction toward deficit reduction, they were perceived as holding the economy hostage. The fact that they did not vote for the deal disqualifies them from claiming credit.

The numbers say that the Demo-crats more than the Republicans sup-ported the concluded deal. They can therefore co-claim credit, along with some Republicans in the House, for whatever positive effect the deal would bring.

President Obama just debunked the Republicans’ allegations that he could not be entrusted to reduce the deficit and is otherwise fiscally irresponsible. While he is accused of being too liberal, his participa-tion in negotiating this deal proved

otherwise.

Personally, I would have preferred that he use the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which states, “The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law… shall not be questioned,” Under this, he is empowered to raise the debt limit and pay the public debt.

He would have shown strong and daring leadership in a crisis, cou-pling his rhetoric with action.

My barber, on the other hand, hopes that cuts in defense spending will not result in fewer haircuts from his soldier clients.


The Law That MattersBy A. Erwin Bautista, Esq.

How creditors are prevented from taking back goods sold to your business?

Question: I operate a restaurant and vendors deliver goods to me on credit am I obligated to return the goods or to pay them when I file a Chapter 7 petition since my busi-ness is operating at a loss now for sometime?

Answer: You will not be required to repay your vendors but they may have reclamation rights to the goods they sold you if they file a timely claim subject to the rights of a purchaser in good faith and secured creditor or they may be paid out of your liquidated assets.

What is reclamation and how is it asserted by creditor on debtor?

Reclamation under Section 546 (c) of the Bankruptcy Code means a vendor (creditor) can assert to take back the goods received by debtor within 45 days of the filing of bank-ruptcy.

In order for a vendor to assert its reclamation right the goods must have been sold in the vendor’s ordinary course of business and the debtor must have received the goods while insolvent.

Insolvent means that the entity or debtor‘s debts exceed the value of its assets at a fair valuation. It is essentially a balance sheet test using a market value and not financial reporting standards.

The reclamation demand must be in writing and made within 45 days of the receipt of the goods by the debtor.

If the 45 day period expires after the bankruptcy case is filed, the vendor must make the reclamation demand within 20 days after the bankruptcy filing.

The demand should identify the goods being reclaimed; include a general statement reclaiming all goods received by the debtor from the vendor during the 45 day period, and demand that the goods be segregated. The vendor may also file a notice of reclamation with the bankruptcy court.

Limitation on vendor’s reclama-tion rights.

A vendor will lose its right to reclaim any goods that the customer sells before or after receiving the vendor’s reclamation demand. In other words purchasers in good faith will prevent vendor from get-ting goods back from customers of debtor who purchased goods and paid for it.

A vendor’s reclamation right is further limited by the possibility that the debtor may have granted a bank or other creditor a security interest in the goods, which will be senior to the reclamation right as provided by

Section 546(c).Notwithstanding the above limita-

tions the bankruptcy court may al-low such claim as an administrative expense priority claim if the goods were delivered within 20 days of the petition date under Section 503(b)(9) of the Bankruptcy Code.

Example Situation.

In our example a restaurant owner receives deliveries of vegetables, meat, beer and soda. If the debtor restaurant owner has already served the vegetable and meat then the vendor can no longer get the goods back in reclamation because it was sold to a purchaser in good faith. If the beer and soda was all delivered in a catering provided by the debtor then reclamation will not work again because the goods are already con-sumed and sold before any reclama-tion can be demanded by the vendor.

But if the beer and soda were in a stock room and has not been consumed or sold and a reclamation demand was made then the sodas can be the subject of reclamation. In order for reclamation to work the debtor must be insolvent. So if the debtor can continue to pay the vendor based on their credit arrange-ment and it was sold by vendor in the course of ordinary business then the reclamation will work. Absent any of the elements the reclamation of the vendor will not work.

If the vendor for example do not regularly sells beer and soda but merely accommodated the debtor in a one time arrangement because it is a regular client of vendor in its plumbing business then the vendor cannot assert reclamation right as to the beer and soda because it sold the beer and soda on credit to the debtor not in the course of its ordinary busi-ness but only as an accommodation to the debtor.

What triggers vendors to file reclamation demand?

Vendors usually get a hint that debtor is insolvent if it stop paying its debts, or unable to pay it’s debts as it becomes due, or has debts that is more than the value of it’s assets or business.

So if one of the vendors happens to talk to one of the other vendors who can no longer collect from its deliv-eries then other vendors would be wary to make future deliveries. And that’s probably how vendors sense that their buyers can no longer make payments and probably because they are losing business and is already insolvent.

Should you or anyone you know suffers losses in your business be it a store, a restaurant, bake shop, dry clean or a professional service busi-ness like real estate or cell phone service provider and can no longer maintain your business and credi-

Bankruptcy: Right of Reclamation

The Law that Matters

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

by Atty. A. Erwin Bautista

Lifestyle

Read J’Son’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Joe Son

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you must have been uninsured for at least six months before applying for PCIP.

Your premiums will be based on where you live and the amount you’d pay if you had no pre-existing condition and were able to purchase individual insurance in the open market.

For example, a Central Valley resident aged 50-54 would pay $481 per month for PCIP. A San Fran-cisco Bay Area resident aged 45-49 would pay $377 per month. Some-one 18 years old or younger living in Del Norte, Humboldt, Siskiyou, or Shasta counties would pay $145 monthly.

You’ll pay a 15 percent coinsur-ance for most in-network services after meeting a $1,500 annual medi-cal deductible. PCIP also has a $500 annual deductible for brand-name drugs. There are no out-of-pocket costs for preventive care, includ-ing regular physical exams, cancer screenings, immunizations, and well-child care.

As a PCIP subscriber, you’ll pay no more than $2,500 a year out-of-pocket. When you reach this $2,500 cap, PCIP pays all costs for covered services received within the PCIP network for the remainder of the calendar year (although you have to keep paying your monthly premium to stay enrolled.)

And this is important: PCIP has no cap on annual or lifetime benefits.

The Pre-Existing Condition Insur-ance Plan was created under the Affordable Care Act. It’s a transi-tional program until 2014, when all Americans—regardless of health status—will have access to afford-able health insurance as the nation shifts to a new marketplace.

For more information, visit www.pcip.ca.gov or call 1-877-428-5060 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., or Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

There also are PCIP programs in Arizona, Nevada, and Hawaii. For more information on them, go to www.pcip.gov.

David Sayen is Medicare’s re-gional administrator for California.

significant improvement in gylce-mic control but those receiving the muffin-nut mixture also significantly lowered their serum LDL levels.

“Those receiving the full dose of nuts reduced their HbA1c [the long-term marker of glycemic control] by two-thirds of what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognizes as being clinically meaningful for therapeutic agents. Furthermore, neither in the current study nor in previous reports has nut consump-tion been associated with weight gain. If anything, nuts appear to be well suited as part of weight-reduc-ing diets,” Dr. Jenkins said.

“The study indicates that nuts can provide a specific food option for people with Type 2 diabetes wishing to reduce their carbohydrate intake.”


Eating Nuts Daily ...

Health Insur-ance for Peo-ple Who Can’t

Get It(Continued from page 19)

Most people don’t know that Mag-nesium is also an important natural substance in a human body. In a recent studies, Magnesium is proven to be also important as Calcium and Potasium. Studies indicate that; Magnesium deficiency is linked to a wide range of diseases, depletion of Magnesium increases with age, Magnesium can help relieve diabetes symptoms, and Magnesium has the ability to relax blood vessels.

Most doctors only consider start-ing intravenous fluids on a patient by adding Potasium, with this breaktrough, it is believed that they may add now an equally important electrolyte- Magnesium. Before this study, most doctors are completely unaware of how common Magne-sium deficiency is in seriously ill patients, and even in chronically ill patients. Too many doctors treat Magnesium as if it were a dangerous substance, when in fact complica-tions are quite rare, even in massive doses. Certainly, it is far safer than Potasium.

In the study, it was also learned that Magnesium is critical for the health of not only blood vessels, but also every tissue and organ in the body. Deficiences of this essential element are liked to many mala-dies. These include: Heart disease, strokes, atherosclerosis, abnormal kidney function, muscle weakness,

diabetes, insulin reistance, metabolic syndrome, inflammation, excito-toxicity, cancer, nuerodegenerative diseases, impaired lung function, and immune system disorders. Mag-nesium has also been shown to be a major weapon against depression and even suicide.

Many medical studies suggest that Magnesium deficiency significantly contributes to the aging process itself and to one’s vulnerability to aged-related diseases. Animal stud-

Magnesium: Is Vital For Your Health Just Like Calcium And

Potasium

ies have shown that Magnesium-dificient diets increase the animal’s risk of oxidative stress. They also show that the animals’ tissues are more susceptible to damage by lipid peroxidation, a major process in all human diseases. As we age, Magnesium deficiency increases.

There are many reasons for this: poor Magnesium absorption by the gut, increased urinary loss, reduced uptake by bone, poor movement of Magnesium from bone to replace dietary losses, effects of stress on the adrenal gland, and chronic inflam-mation. In additon, numerous drugs also deplete Magnesium, especially heart and high blood pressure medi-cations, which many elderly people take. Birth control pills deplete Mag-nesium, putting both young women

What can high-magnesium foods do for you?

Relax your nerves and musclesBuild and strengthen bonesKeep your blood circulating smoothlyWhat events can indicate a

need for more high-magnesium foods?

Muscle weakness, tremor, or spasmHeart arrhythmia, irregular

contraction, or increased heart rateSoftening and weakening of boneImbalanced blood sugar levelsHeadachesElevated blood pressure

Excellent sources of magne-sium include Swiss chard and spinach. Avoid overcooking to minimize loss of magnesium.

and their babies at risk.Magnesium is essential to the body

for the following reasons: produc-ing energy, reducing inflammation, regulating blood vessels, prevent-ing blood clots, as an antioxidant, and aids proper immune function. A chronic deficiency in Magnesium is associated with high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks, atherosclero-sis, ischemic heart disease, cardiac arrhythmias, abnormal lipid metabo-lism, excessive platelet aggregation, increased death from heart disease, asthma, chronic fatigue, depression, suicide risk, seizures, coma, sudden cardiac death, and a number of other nueropyschiatric disorders. Quite an impressive list.

Joe [email protected] Diego, CA


Taking the Time to Fill

Your Lamp ...that you would experience it in your humanity. But if that were to happen, the merit from your ser-vice might be decreased. So I keep that to Myself and place it in the most special place in heaven, your place. It will be here waiting for you when you arrive. All of your crosses, each one, obtain merit for you and salvation for others. The more unpleasant the cross, the more merit and salvation ob-tained. You do not see Me, but you believe in Me. I do not speak these words to you, but you know that these are my words. Children, I am working silently in your beau-tiful souls all through each day, all through each night. The gratitude is there in My presence. The grati-tude is there in your peace. The gratitude is there in the quietness of your soul. You are not restless and unhappy like souls wander-ing without Me. You are learning


not to harbor unnecessary fears. If you allow Me, I will eradicate all fear for you. I care for your interests. I care for your families. You are my disciples, my apostles. I cared lovingly for my first twelve and I care just as lovingly for each one of you. Do not think that your Jesus is not grateful, simply because I am quiet. I thank you for the smallest act and the largest crosses. You will have a glorious eternity, little soldiers. Believe this, as it is Truth. -- AJ


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New Image DentistryDr. Rossana T. Alfonso2340 E. 8th StreetNational City, CA 91950Tel. (619) 470-2558 Palaganas, Aleli 1311 E. 8th Street, Suite D National City, CA 91950Tel. (619.474.8441

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DRIVING SCHOOLS Aguilar Driving School 2371 Forest Meadow Court Chula Vista, CA 91915 Tel. (619) 482-1488 Perez, Gerry 6985 Westleigh Place San Diego, CA 92126 Tel. (619) 571-9159

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

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A Vinegar is a Vinegar is ...

ROOM FOR RENTQuiet Neighborhood in National City. No smoking. No drugs. 619.746.3416

A businessman met a beauti-ful girl and agreed to spend the night with her for $500. They did their thing, and, before he left, he told her that he did not have any cash with him, but he would have his secretary write a cheque and mail it to her, calling the payment ‘RENT FOR APARTMENT.’

On the way to the offi ce, he regretted what he had Done, real-izing that the whole event had not been worth the price. So he had his secretary send a cheque for $250 and enclose the following typed note:

‘Dear Madam:

Enclosed fi nd a cheque for $250 for rent of your apartment. I am not sending the amount agreed upon, because when I rented the

place, I was under the impression that:

#1 - it had never been occupied;#2 - there was plenty of heat;

and#3 - it was small enough to

make me feel cozy and at home.

However, I found out that:#1 - it had been previously oc-

cupied,#2 - there wasn’t any heat, and#3 - it was entirely too large.’

Upon receipt of the note, the girl immediately returned the cheque for $250 with the follow-ing note:

‘Dear Sir:

#1 - I cannot understand how you could expect a beautiful apartment to remain unoccupied indefi nitely.

#2 - As for the heat, there is plenty of it, if you know how to turn it on.

#3 - Regarding the space, the apartment is indeed of regular size, but if you don’t have enough furniture to fi ll it, please do not blame the management.

So, Please send the rent in full or we will be forced to contact your present landlady

Apartment for Rent

A businessman met a beauti-


How to Avoid Processed

Foods ...watch out for: monosodium glu-tamate, or MSG for short. Food manufacturers like it because it adds fl avor. But doctors dislike it because it causes high insulin secretion.

“It creates headaches, mi-granes, but it can also lead to weight gain,” Aziz explained.

In addition to avoiding MSG, Dr. Aziz advises against eating ingredients that usually contain MSG like hydrolyzed protein, yeast extract, soy protein isolate, spices, natural fl avorings, citric acid or anything with the word, “hydrolyzed” or “autolyzed.”

“We have to be vigilant about excluding MSG with all its different names from our diet,” Aziz said.

Believe it or not, even white fl our is a processed food. Its soft texture and mild taste is created by removing the most nutritious parts of the wheat berry, the bran and the germ.

The starch leftover is digested

too fast in the body and can lead to weight gain, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. By contrast, whole wheat fl our includes the entire wheat berry, which is digested slowly, making us feel full longer.

Younger Skin Starts From The Inside

Processed foods not only create health risks, they also make us look old. Anti-aging special-ist, Dr. Doris Day, author of the book, Forget the Facelift, and popular Manhattan celebrity doctor, says young-looking skin starts from the inside.

“A healthy diet is critical,” she said. “Some of everything you eat, for better or worse, ends up in your skin. So if you have a lot of soda or chemicals, that’s going to be a stress on your skin. High sugar foods, highly pro-cessed foods, you’ll see it in the skin for sure.”

Although identifying processed foods and removing them from our diet isn’t easy, it may be less troubling than dealing with the health problems they could create.

*Originally published June 16, 2010.

a slight coco-fruity sweetness and medium sourness that is smooth to drink as a dietary food supple-ment, used as salad dressing, sauce, condiment and in other delicious and healthy ways. Coconut Cider Vin-egar has an alkalizing effect on the body much like apple cider vinegar. However, Coconut Cider Vinegar is far richer in nutrients and has 17 amino acids unlike apple cider vinegar. It contains no preservative, adulterants, coconut water, artifi cial yeast, sugar cane or MSG.

3. OK COCONUT “SPICY” VIN-EGAR – 100% natural and made of pure coconut sap or nectar,

mixed with natural spices and ingredients that are rich in nutrients and minerals: ginger, peppermint, hot chili, onion, garlic and sun dried-sea salt. Coconut Spicy Vinegar is naturally-fermented, aged and

delicately harvested and bottled. It is truly delicious, fl avorful, medium-hot and has a stronger sourness that makes it great as a condiment, sauce, dressing or food ingredient. OK Co-conut Nectar Spicy Vinegar is rich in nutrients, complete with 17 amino acids unlike other types of vinegar. It contains no added preservatives, adulterants, coconut water, artifi cial yeast, sugar cane or MSG.

So, there you have it! Proof, that not all vinegars are the same. Some, like pure 100% OK Coconut Nectar vinegars are simply the best. How-ever this does not give you license to gorge on oozing-with-fat pork inihaw because you dip it in OK Coconut Sap Vinegar. Stay, healthy, my friend. Remember- If You’re OK, We’re OK! And if you swing by any Seafood City Supermarket location don’t forget to grab several of these deliciously-healthy OK Co-conut Nectar vinegars. Or log in to www.okusame.com. You and your friends will be glad you did!

Audele Di ka mawari kung ano ka sa mundoHawak ang kapalaran ng mga taoIkaw’y mabait biyaya ang hatid moNguni’t kapag nagngalit nama’y delubyo. Ang hangi’y mabango, hininga ng buhayNatipong bigla, pataas umilanlangSinaklit ng lakas bawa’t madaananMatapos ay walang awang binitiwan. Ang tubig, matamis at pamatid uhawUlang dumilig sa luoy na halamanLumaki, umapaw sa mga lansanganNagmistulang lawa at dagat-dagatan. Apoy na ang ningas kawangki ay gintoAng bawa’t mapadarang ay napapasoUmihip ang hangin na nagpasilakboPumayapa’y tubig galit ay pinugto. Ika-25 ng Hulyo, 2011

Hangin, Tubig At Apoy!


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Full-time position with benefits are available.Please fax your resume to 888-841-1662

or contact Nora at 619-477-7071.

Michigan – Windsor Elvis Festival; Mark Anthony of Australia – Pentic-ton Pacific Northwest Elvis Festival; Ben Klein of Spokane, Washington – Chinook Winds Casino Resort; Mario Kombou of Atlantic City, New Jersey – Atlantic City Ultimate ETA Contest; David Lee of Tampa, Florida – Tampa Elvis Festival; Eddie Miles of Holy Cross, Ken-tucky – Ultimate ETA Contes at Harrahs’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel; Bobby Simkins of Independence, Missouri – Ultimate ETA Contest at Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg; Ted Torres of Orlando, Florida – Silver Slipper Casino Ultimate ETA Contest; Pete Storm of England – Collingwood Elvis Festival; Kraig Parker of Dallas, Texas – DFW Ulti-mate Eta Contest; and Lee Birchfield of Seattle, Washington – Pechanga Ultimate ETA Contest.

The 25th contestant, who has not yet been selected as of this writ-ing, will be the winner of the “Last Chance ETA Contest” at the Mem-phis Hard Rock Café in Memphis. The 26th contestant will be selected by Elvis fans from around the world. The tribute artist who receives the most votes via Twitter will also be given four nights hotel accommoda-tion in Memphis and tickets to select Elvis Week events.

Great news to Elvis Fans!! Some-thing new will shake up Elvis Week in Memphis this year – the “Elvis Presley Live: The King in Concert” Show!

“Elvis Presley Live: The King in Concert” is an exciting multi-media music event that will present a hot studio session band and back up vocalists on stage for a theatrical experience that is larger than life when the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ himself is projected on state-of-the-art screens all over the Orpheum Theater. Hosted by Joe Guercio, Elvis’ musical conductor and close friend for many years, this is a rare opportunity for Elvis fans to experi-ence something completely new and different in the city known around the world as the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll.

This is a virtual Elvis Presley con-cert experience - with Elvis singing lead vocals - presented exactly like one of his classic live performances at the Las Vegas Hilton showroom. All the sound, other than Elvis’ signature vocals, has been pulled out of his best concert performances in the epic film “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is.” All musical accompaniments in this concert are performed live ex-cept for Elvis’ voice. The contempo-rary staging and overall production help create the illusion that Elvis is on stage. Also making a special ap-pearance during this evening are the Elvis’ Imperials, who will be sing-ing a few of Elvis’ favorite gospel numbers

Continuing my interview with Pechanga’s champion Lee Birchfield, Lee credits his dad for his career as Elvis tribute artist. He said that as a kid, his dad always listened to Elvis music – rock n’ roll, country, R&B, gospel, etc. – and he started listening and singing along with the Elvis’ records and 8-track

tapes. When he turned 18, he became a professional tribute artist. He was booked steadily around Palm Springs and California, working anything from weddings, festivals, fairs and casinos.

In December of 2009, when The Parker House Lounge, where Lee was a steady performer for the past three years went under new ownership, Lee began performing anywhere he could get a gig. In April 2010, when the Ultimate ETA contest came close to his home in Seattle, Washington, he joined his first Ultimate contest. He said that although he didn’t place in the Top 5 in that contest, he had a blast! Lee ended up doing five Ultimate con-tests in the United States in places like Wisconsin, Florida and North Carolina.

On his fifth Ultimate contest (Pechanga’s), Lee finally got his wish – he will be competing big time at the Orpheum Theater with the oth-er prelim winners from all over the world! “It’s a great feeling! All the hard work and dedication paid off for me,” Lee said. “It was always my dream since the first Ultimate contest I joined to go to Memphis. Just to sing a song in Elvis’ home-town is an honor in itself.”

At the Pechanga contest, the other 16 tribute artists who competed were: Ace Crye, Chris Luna, James King, Steven Siles, Joe Bullock, Ruben Mejia, Jessie Ortega, Fermie Ramirez, Ken Yuvienco, John Gil-pin, Bill Isca, Ceasar Garcia, Seve Botello, Shawn Martin, Bill Castro and Gary Anderson.

At the final round, the Top 5 was backed up by a live band, the EAS Band itself – the official EPE Ulti-mate Elvis Tribute Artists back-up band. The EAS Band, considered the definitive ETA back-up group (not counting the original Elvis band of course) is composed of: John Crenshaw – band leader and drums; Jason Parks – keyboard; Tom Mad-den – lead guitar; Rick Crenshaw – bass guitar; Al Babyok – piano; Donetta Cranshaw and Cherryl Cranshaw – vocals.

During the 3-day contests and four rounds of competition, the members of the media (including this reporter) were provided with press passes and complimentary seating. My sincere thanks to Robert Bledsoe, the Public Relations Manager of Pechanga, for his wonderful hospitality, and for the VIP seating for me and my photog-rapher!

The Pechanga Resort & Casino, nestled in Temecula’s picturesque Southern California Wine Coun-try, is California’s biggest and best resort & casino. It is even bigger that the MGM of Las Vegas! It of-fers the ultimate destination setting and is the winner of AAA”s Four Diamond Award for several years in a row. The casino has an immense 200,000+ square-foot gaming floor which features more than 3,700 state-of-the-art slot and video ma-chines and 139 gaming tables.

It is the ideal venue for the an-nual Ultimate ETA Contest in the West Coast, being one of Southern

Lee Birchfield ...

California’s premier entertain-ment resorts. The Comedy Club, where the first two days and three rounds of preliminary competitions were held, has a large capacity and premium seating for the hundreds of Elvis fans who came to watch the contestants “shake, rattle and roll.” The magnificent 1,200-permanent-seat Pechanga Showroom puts the audience “up close and personal” for headliner acts, concerts and competi-tions.

Temecula is the perfect central point of Southern California, located about an hour’s drive from down-town San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles. Just 20 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, the area of-fers a Mediterranean climate perfect for vineyards as well as enjoyable outdoor activities. -zs/sultana inter-national

concede there is little chance of it becoming law during President Benigno Aquino’s administration, which runs until 2016.

Gana said promoting the Bataan site for tourists, which began after the Fukushima plant melted down in March, was aimed at raising money to pay for the Philippine site’s main-tenance budget, but also to show it was safe to revive.

“Because of what happened in Fukushima, this facility has been dragged into the nuclear issue. We have to show the difference between this and Fukushima and why what happened there wouldn’t happen here,” he said.

In this light, Napocor is aiming to attract students from around the country and the globe to tour the Bataan plant.

Local authorities in conjunction with Napocor have also recently begun including the plant on a day-tour itinerary of the area that takes in the turtle sanctuary, branding the trip perhaps a little ambitiously “ecot-ourism”.

For an entry ticket into the plant of just 20 pesos (50 cents), tourists get a tour of the enormous concrete structure that sits 18 metres (60 feet) above the ocean on a mountainside.

The first part of the tour involves a power point presentation that explains the safety features of the plant, including its apparent abil-ity to withstand a nine-magnitude earthquake.

Visitors are also assured there is no uranium at the site — the nuclear material was sold in 1997 at a huge loss of 35 million dollars.

One of the most remarkable stops

on the tour is on a steel bridge just a couple of metres (yards) from the reactor, the rods for which are still wrapped in the plastic that they came with when they were installed.

From the reactor, tourists walk along submarine-like passages into the control centre, which similarly has barely been touched since the 1980s.

What was once state-of-the-art equipment — a computer the size of a desk, analogue phones, dot matrix printers — stands as a monument to how quickly technology becomes obsolete.

Gauges showing how much energy the 620-megawatt plant is producing sit, as they always have, on zero.

And while rust has corroded other parts of the plant, Cora Baluyot, a chemical engineer who works per-manently on site and helps to take the tours, said getting it working again was possible.

She pointed to a 2009 study by a South Korean power firm that said the plant could become operational again within four years — although it would cost one billion dollars to upgrade.

After the tour of the plant, visitors can go for a swim or have lunch at the 356-hectare (880-acre) site’s private beach, where hammocks hang under trees and goats roam the hillsides above.

The former environment monitor-ing station on the beach has also been turned into a guesthouse that can hold 45 guests, and the accom-modation is cheap.

One of the smaller rooms, which can house seven people, can be rented for just 2,700 pesos ($65) a night.

In a twist to Napocor’s efforts to attract visitors, anti-nuclear environment group Greenpeace International has embraced the tour packages and similarly labelled them “ecotourism”, but for the opposite reasons.

“Greenpeace supports the decision to finally turn the BNPP into some-thing more practical: a monument to remind people of the inherent dangers of nuclear power,” Manila-based Greenpeace campaigner Francis Dela Cruz said.

Dela Cruz accompanied a group of nature club members, travel blog-gers, photography enthusiasts and adventure race organisers on a tour of the site this month.

And despite the differences over the merits of nuclear power, DeLa Cruz agreed with Napocor’s Gana that visiting the plant was a fascinat-ing experience and it could prove an unlikely tourism hit.

“How many people can put a photo on Facebook of themselves taken from the middle of a control room of a nuclear power plant?” Dela Cruz said. -- (Story courtesy of Agence France-Presse)

Classified Ads

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To:

From: GEN SILVERIO

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

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

lines, it costs

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

Fax #

If approved please sign and fax back to

(619) 474-0373

__________________

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

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

08/05/11

Toni Thompson

5x4x10200

NOTICE TO BIDDERS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of San Diego will receive bids for work at the Purchasing and Con-tracting Department, Contracts Division, 1200 Third Avenue, Suite 200, San Diego, California, where bids are to be submitted prior to time specified. Plans and specifications can be obtained from The City of San Diego’s website: http://www.sandiego.gov/bids-contracts. A pre-bid meeting and/or pre-bid visit to the work site will be held, if indicated, at the time and place specified in the contract documents. Prospective bidders are encouraged to attend these sessions.It is the policy of the City of San Diego to encourage equal opportunity in its construction, consultant, material and supply contracts. Bids/proposals from small businesses, minority-owned, disabled, veteran-owned businesses, women-owned businesses and local firms are strongly encouraged. Contractors are encouraged to subcontract and/or participate in joint ventures with these firms. The City is committed to equal opportunity and will not discriminate with regard to race, religion, color, ancestry, age, gender, disability, medical condition or place of birth and will not do business with any firm that discriminates on any basis.Contractors interested in bidding projects over $50,000 must be pre-qualified. Please contact DAVE STUCKY of the City’s Pre-Qualification Program at (619) 533-3474 or [email protected] to obtain an application.Sign language or oral interpreting services are available at pre-bid meetings and bid openings with a 5 business day notice to the Contracting Division at 236-6000.

1. PIPELINE REHABILITATION M-1 PROJECTBid No. K-12-5303-DBB-C. WBS No. B-10184. MANDATORY Pre-Bid Date: August 22, 2011 @ 10:00 a.m. Pre-Bid Location: Conference Room, 2nd Floor, 1200 Third Avenue, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92101. Bid Opening Date: September 8, 2011 @ 2:00 p.m. Construction Estimate: $3,121,894. License Requirement: A or C-34 or C-42.THE CITY’S SUBCONTRACTING PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SLBE PROGRAMPREVAILING WAGE RATES: STATE, FEDERAL, OR BOTHTHIS IS A CLEAN WATER STATE REVOLVING FUNDS CONTRACT THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA STATE WATER RESOURCE CONTROL BOARD.

Hildred Pepper, Jr.August 4, 2011


tors are hounding and harassing you consult a bankruptcy attorney. Bank-ruptcy might be the legal solution to your financial hardships. It may not be a problem you thought you can-not get out from.

(We invite readers to set up their initial consultation with The Ameri-can Legal Center. Atty. Bautista practices Immigration, Bankruptcy, Personal Injury, Family Law and Income Tax Preparation/Audit Rep-resentation. Atty. Bautista obtained his law degree from Western State University, Fullerton, CA and his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of the Philippines. You can reach him in Los Angeles at (213) 365 7690 at 3435 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 2700, LA, CA 90010 or in San Diego at (619) 474 7755 at 550 E. 8th St., Ste. 11, National City, CA 91950)


Bankruptcy, Rigth of Recla-

mation


Phl Launches Eco-Tourism ...

ROOM FOR RENTQuiet Neighborhood in National City. No smoking. No drugs. 619.746.3416

To:

From: GEN SILVERIO

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

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

lines, it costs

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

Fax #

If approved please sign and fax back to

(619) 474-0373

__________________

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

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

08/05/11

Heather OberlySANDAG

1x4x1040

COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATOR

SANDAG is recruiting for a Community Outreach Coordinator to coordinate the agency’s Limited English Pro-ficiency (LEP) program. This is a limited term position. Call (619) 699-1900 or visit www.sandag.org/jobs for information. Closes: August 26, 2011. EOE.


Travel and Tourism

A t T O R A , you can eat a fresh supply of seafood as much as you want. Seafood is not the only spec ia l t y of TORA: there are more than 25 dif ferent desserts like i c e c r e a m , c a k e a n d fruits.

Apart from the buffet, you can also enjoy a drink at the bar lounge.

Host parties or meetings in event rooms ( can hold 100+ guests).

TORA Seafood Buffet &Sake Lounge

http://torarestaurant.com

Get ready to loosen your belt ...

sashimi, sushi, tempura, sukiyaki, lobster tail ... they're all yours!

Do you remember the seafood buffet, O-Nami? Good news -- O-Nami is back with a new home in Mission Valley Mall and a new name, 虎 -TORA-! TORA -- "Tiger" in Japanese -- is just as bold as its name; the neon green splashed on the buffet's interior gives it a fun and refreshing quirk. The amazing sashimi boat is filled with salmon, tuna, mackerel and more. The salmon roe, shrimp and squid sushi rolls will prove to you that you can eat such varieties of eye-catching dishes only at TORA. The chefs regularly add or change dishes to spice up the menu. For seafood-lovers, lobster, crab and scallop dishes are also recommended. There also hot Korean and Chinese dishes. The appetizers, salads, meat and vegetarian dishes, fruits and various desserts are also drool-worthy! Drinks include sodas, beer, wine and sake. Final good news: so much to eat, but so little to pay. A meal for one person is $24.95 ($26.95/weekends), and lunch on week days is $15.95 ($17.95/weekends). Discounts available for seniors and children. Don't forget to use the 10% off coupon included in this ad when you visit TORA!

Photos by Kevin SprowlsLunch: M-F 11:30a-2:30p, Sat-Sun & Holidays 11:30a-3pDinner: M-Thu 5:30p-9p, F-Sat 5p-10p, Sun & Holidays 5p-9p

Seafood Buffet & Sake Bar Lounge

Seafood lovers come aboard!

10% offNot valid with any other offers. Exp. 10/31/2011

Mission Valley Center, San Diego Location Only.Lunch (Mon-Fri) or Dinner (Mon-Thurs)

Coupon

1640 Camino Del Rio N., #206San Diego, CA 92108☎ 619-295-9774

The history of winemaking in California began with the founding of Mission San Diego de Alcala in 1769. As the mission chain ad-vanced northward from San Diego, vine cuttings were planted at each of the new missions, with some mission sites more successful than others at produc-ing wines. Among the most success-ful of the missions was Mission San Gabriel, just north of present-day Los Angeles, whose wines were gener-ally regarded as the fi nest of all the mission wines. By the early 19th century the California wine industry was concentrated in Southern California, with a number of successful wineries being estab-lished in what is today downtown Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Valley, and other favorable locations, in-cluding, somewhat later, Cucamonga Valley. During much of the 19th century Southern California provid-ed most of the wine produced in the state, eventually being supplanted by Northern California as the wine production center of the state.

In the late 1960’s Southern Cali-fornia grape growing and winemak-ing began a revival in the Temecula Valley with the planting, beginning in 1968, of substantial wine grape acreage. The fi rst wines from the new vineyards were produced

by Brookside Winery in their Cucamonga winery, but in 1974 the found-ing of Callaway Winery marked the beginning of winemaking in the Temecula Valley. Since then numerous additional winer-ies have been

built, some with restaurants and overnight facilities, including luxury resorts.

Temecula Valley is a remarkably beautiful wine region of rolling hills, with high mountains, reaching as high as 11,500 feet, forming the backdrop. Vineyard plantings range from 1500 to 2500 feet above sea level, with daytime temperatures modifi ed by cooling ocean breezes fl owing over the coastal range to the west.The region has proven to

The Temecula Valley, Southern California Wine Country

Region Has More Than 30 Wineries

Temecula, CA: August 19, 2010 -- The Temecula Valley Winegrow-ers Association is gearing up for two spectacular events celebrating the state-wide initiative, California Wine Month, which honors the winegrape growing and winemaking cultures of California throughout the month of September.

SIP your way through Temecula Valley wine country for just $40 - all month long. Ticketholders choose when and which FIVE of our thirty plus member wineries they wish to visit for full tastings at each. The of-fer is valid any day of the week from September 1 through September

September is California Wine Month30, 2010. Winery operational hours vary.

The Temecula Valley Wine & Culinary Show-case, a premiere event being held September 17, 2010, at Monte de Oro Winery, allows guests to taste their way through the wines of the Temecula Valley at a single location. Member winery owners, winemakers and chefs will mingle amongst the guests sampling incred-ible Temecula Valley

wines along with the culinary cre-ations of both winery and local restaurants. The event is sched-uled from 6:30pm - 9:30pm; cost is $65 per person.

Tickets are avail-able online at temecu-lawines.org or by calling 800.801.9463.

The events are open to the public. Guests must be 21 and over to participate; valid ID may be required

be unusually diverse in the grape varieties that thrive and produce exceptional wines here, ranging from cool-climate grapes such as Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Chardonnay, through the moderate-climate Bordeaux varieties, includ-ing Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc, to the warmer-climate Mediterra-nean varieties, including Viognier, Syrah, Grenache, Sangiovese, and

Tempranillo. The wine-tasting experience in

Temecula Valley is a very special, personal one, with wines refl ect-ing the exceptional diversity of our region. Most wineries are small, all are family-owned, and it is one of the few remaining California wine

regions where winery visitors are likely to run into the owner, wine-maker, or other winery principals in the tasting room. While some of the wineries have impressive gift shops, others are focused primarily on their wines, giving visitors a diversity of experiences. All produce exceptional

wines, each in their own style, some focusing on a very limited number of wines, while others offer a wide range of wines. The wineries of Te-mecula are, above all else, friendly and personable.

When: Friday, September 17th, 2010 Time: 6:30-9:30pm

Where: Monte de Oro WineryJoin the winery owners, winemak-

ers and growers of the Temecula Valley as we celebrate California Wine Month, Temecula Style! at the fi rst-ever Temecula Valley Wine and Culinary Showcase. The vineyard surrounded patio of the beautiful Monte de Oro Winery plays host to the premiere event, which allows guests to taste their way through the

Temecula Valley Wine & Culinary Showcasewines of the Temecula Valley at one location!

Member winery owners, winemak-ers and chefs will mingle amongst the guests sampling incredible Temecula Valley wines along with the culinary creations of both winery and local restaurants.

A precursor to the event, the Wine-maker’s Roundtable will be fi lmed and broadcast live from the event between 5:30 and 6:30pm. (Quiet!) guests are invited to watch and

listen as moderator Meredith May from The Tasting Panel magazine interviews new and veteran Temec-ula Valley winemakers in a panel discussion of the area’s past, present and future as Southern California’s premier wine region.

Monte de Oro Winery is located at 35820 Rancho Califor-nia Rd., Temecula, CA 92591

Tel.: 951.491.6551; 951.491-6557 Fax; Web: www.montede-oro.com/