MANILA -- P r e s i d e n t B e n i g n o Aquino III on Monday likened the coming year to the cru-cial last two minutes of a basketball game, and urged the public to stop wasting time and rally behind him so that he could realize his vision for the country in his re-maining three years. The Philippines was entering a “righteous journey” as “a coun-

try with a shared vi-sion,” Mr. Aquino said. “We’ve shown re-markable strengthamid overlapping challenges,”

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang believes that it’s

time to end the use of dangerous firecrackers to welcome the New Year following the Department of Health’s (DOH) announcement that it has recorded higher num-ber of firecracker-related injuries compared to last year. “Its time for a safe alternative to the dangerous celebration of the New Year,” Presidential Com-munications Secretary Sonny Co-loma said. At least 599 injuries were record-ed during the New Year revelry, higher than the 419 in 2013, ac-cording to the DOH Wednesday. Firecracker blast injuries made up 98.3 percent of the injuries at 589, while nine were from stray bullets. Metro Manila had the highest number of injuries with 345 while region IV-A had 50. Minors were among the most common victims of firecrackers with 143 below the age of 10. This was

MANILA --Filipinos ushered in 2014, the

year of the wooden horse, with the usual flair and festivity--hearing mass, feasting on traditional me-dia noche with family and friends and lighting fire-works to mark the beginning of the New Year, even be-fore midnight arrived.As they bid farewell to a bad year, most Filipinos are wel-coming the New Year with hope than with fear, and hopefulness is slightly high-er this year than in 2012, according to a new Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. The 94% of Filipinos hope-ful of the coming year is 2

percentage points higher than last year’s 92%, SWS said in its Fourth Quarter 2013 survey. The SWS also noted this is the second highest level since the all-time high of 95%, which was first achieved in 2002 and again in 2011. The survey on the New Year is part of the polling group’s 4th Quarter 2013 Social Weather Survey, which was held from De-cember 11 to 16, 2013. In Manila, event organizers busied themselves staging concerts, dinners, and open bars to raise everybody’s

VOL. 2 ISSUE 10 JAN 2, 2014- JAN 8, 2014WWW.SF-POST.COM

New Year, New HopeFilipinos bid adieu to

bad year: 94% hopeful of 2014

FREE

(Cont. on Page 11)

GLOBAL CELEBRATION. Fireworks lit the sky over the famed Sydney Harbor in Australia as major cities all over the world welcomed the New Year with magnificent fireworks displays. Story on page 6.

(Cont. on Page 15)

7 killed; 5 injured in Basilan bombing

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Six persons were killed

while five were wounded as unidentified suspects bombed a residential community in Zone 6, Barangay Tumahu-bong, Sumisip, Basilan on Tuesday evening. The incident took place around 10:22 p.m. Initial re-ports said the incident took place at the residence of a mi-litiaman identified as Manuel Cisneros, where a New Year’s Eve party was taking place. The wounded were initially treated at the 64th Infantry Battalion headquarters in Bas-ilan then were airlifted by Air Force choppers around 1 a.m. to a much bigger hospital in the province. Senior Supt. Mario Dapil-loza, Basilan provincial police director, said the grenade ex-plosion took place as several residents of Sitio Pine Tree in Barangay Tumahubong gathered outside the house of Wikwik Haison, driver of the local parish, around 10 p.m. on

Tuesday. Dapilloza identified the ini-tial five dead victims as Rey Limbin, Elbert Gomoba, Kita-rul Kaddik, Leniebel Cisneros and Lourdes Ablong. The ages of the victims were not pro-vided. Police initially believed the bombing was carried out by Abu Sayyaf Group brigands but they are now more inclined to believe the attack was the result of conflict between resi-dent groups. Dapilloza said two angles were being eyed in the explo-sion but he did not elaborate.Gov. Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Mus-lim Mindanao said the inci-dent has nothing to do with terrorism that the Abu Sayyaf has been known for. He said authorities were now more inclined to believe that the dispute among locals – brought about by conflicting land claims – was the likely motive behind

Palace backs total ban on firecrackers

USD to PHP Rate $1.00 = P44.50

as of Jan. 1, 2013(Cont. on Page 15)

SHOWBIZPH beauty is new Miss Tourism International -page 13

WE PROVIDE PRESS COVERAGE FOR ANY

EVENTS OR PROMOTIONS.LeBron James AP Male Athlete of the Year - page 12

SPORTS

Aquino on 2014: Last 2 minutes

President Aquino

(Cont. on Page 15)

See page 12 for details.

PAGE 2Jan. 2, 2014 - Jan. 8, 2014 The San Francisco Post

PAGE 3Jan. 2, 2014 - Jan. 8, 2014The San Francisco Post

What personal properties can I keep if I file bankruptcy

Most personal properties are exempt from be-ing taken by the creditors if you file bankruptcy. This includes retirement accounts and social se-curity income. Question: How much property can I keep if I file bankruptcy?Answer: If you are filing Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you keep everything be-cause you are repaying your debts. This includes your house and vehicle if you can keep up with the payments. In a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, most of your assets may be protected through the California bankruptcy exemptions.

Question: What would happen to my personal property during bankruptcy process?Answer: Most personal property such as cash, bank accounts, furniture, clothes, and retirement plans can be protected by exemptions allowed by each state. Most people that file bankruptcy are allowed to keep most, if not all, of their personal property.

Question: What would happen to my retirement account if I file bankruptcy?Answer: Most legitimate retirement accounts are protected from your credi-tors. Usually, the retirement account must be an IRA or an ERISA qualified retirement plan.

Question: Is my Social Security income protected in bankruptcy?Answer: Income from the Social Security is protected and is not included in the Means Test calculation to qualify for bankruptcy. It will be used, how-ever, to determine your future earnings in Chapter 13 case.

Question: What if I have a property that is above the State exemptions?Answer: If you have non-exempt property and you don’t want to lose it, you may have to give to the Trustee the cash value of that property in a Chapter 7 case. If you file Chapter 13 you can keep it as long as you will pay the credi-tors the proposed monthly payment that is confirmed by the court.

Question: How could I determine which exemptions apply to protect my as-sets?Answer: To determine which exemptions apply to your property it is best to consult a bankruptcy attorney because there are legal complications in-

volved.

Question: Can I give up or surrender my house and car in bankruptcy if I don’t want to keep it?Answer: You can surrender your house and car in either a Chapter 7 bank-ruptcy or Chapter 13 bankruptcy if you can no longer afford to make pay-ments. If you are in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, surrendering your house and car will not automatically lower your Chapter 13 bankruptcy payments. You should contact your attorney to discuss what options are available to you.

Bankruptcy Basics

1. Bankruptcy will actually improve your credit within one year because your unsecured debts are discharged. Although the bankruptcy will be in

your records for 10 years, not filing bankruptcy will make your credit even worse until most your debts are paid.

2. If you are being sued by your creditors, most money judgment can be eliminated in bankruptcy.

3. Collection actions continue and you can be sued if you are in debt settle-ment.

4. Chapter 7 will eliminate all unsecured debts. If you are near retirement age, you must eliminate most of your debts.

5. Bankruptcy will stop foreclosure actions. If your trustee sale date is 10 days before, you can still file for bankruptcy.

6. If your salary is being garnished, you have a court case about debts or you are being harassed by creditors, bankruptcy can stop garnishment,

court cases, harassing creditors and eliminate the debt.

7. Bankruptcy is cheaper, faster and safer than debt settlement which has no guaranteed success.

8. Preserve your health, eliminate stress and live a happy life by eliminating your debts which is the root of all problems.

Note: This is not a legal advice. Our Law Firm has successfully helped clients in fil-ing for bankruptcy for the last 14 years . Crispin Caday Lozano is an active member of the State Bar of California, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the National Association of Consumers Bankruptcy Attorneys.

By: Atty. Crispin C. Lozano

BUSINESS

OPEN LETTER to President Obama and all Concerned citizensRequest to Designate Temporary Protected Status for the Philippines

Several i m -

p o r t a n t tax law p r o v i -sions will have an i m p a c t on indi-v i d u a l s m a k i n g contribu-tions to

charity for 2013. Some of these changes are:- Clothing and household items must be in good used condition or better to be tax-deductible. If a taxpayer claims a deduc-tion of over $500, a qualified appraisal of the items should be attached to the return to avoid meeting this standard. Taxpayers donating these items must obtain a written acknowledgement from the charity of all gifts worth $250 or more that includes a description of the items contributed. Cer-tain household items include furniture, furnishings, electronics and linens.

-For monetary donations, to deduct any charitable contribution of money, regard-less of amount, a tax payer must have a bank record or a written communication from the charity showing the name of the charity, the date and the amount of the contributions. Bank records include can-celed checks, bank or credit union state-ments, and credit card statements. For payroll deductions,, a pay stub, a Form W-2 wage statement or other document furnished by the employer showing the total amount witheld for charity, along with the pledge card showing the name of the charity in order to be deductible. Though nothing changes the long-stand-ing requirement that a taxpayer obtain an acknowledgment of either money or prop-erty for amounts over $250 or more, one statement containing all of the required in-formation may meet both requirements. It would be a prudent move on the taxpayers then to request the charity to send them in summary form all the contributions made during the year.-The deduction for a car, boat or airplane donated to charity is usually limited to the

gross proceeds from its sales. This rule applies if the claimed amount exceeds $500. There are forms or similar state-ment that must be provided to the donor by the receiving organization. Conributions are deductible in the year made. When donations are charged to a credit card before the end of 2013 will count for that year even if the credit bill isn’t paid until 2014. Likewise, checks count for 2013 as long as they are mailed in 2013. Make sure to check that the or-ganization is eligible. Only donations to eligible organizations are tax-deductible. Additionally, churches, synagogues, tem-ples, mosques and government agencies are eligible to receive donations even if these are not listed in the IRS.gov.lists database. When in doubt, it is always good prac-tice to keep records and receipts to back up charitable donations made during the tax year. Al Maglan is a CPA licensed in California and Nevada. You can contact him @ 510 432 7438. You may e-mail tax questions at amaglan@aol.com or tax-saverspro@gmail.com.

NEW GUIDELINES FOR CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS

by: Alvin C. Maglan, CPA

This is an open letter from the Filipino Immigrants Community that desires to have protection from re-moval or deportation from the United States and at the same time be granted work authorization as a result of hardship caused by typhoon Haiyan (YOLANDA).

On November 8, 2013, super-typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) devastated the Central Philippines, dis-placed some 3.9 million people and killed more than 6,000 in the Philippines. The calamity is considered the deadliest Asian disaster since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. A request from the Philippine government has been made to the Secretary of Homeland Security, in con-sultation with the appropriate agencies such as the De-partment of State, which will then decide whether to grant the request. The current TPS designated coun-tries include El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Syria. We believe the Philippines qualifies for TPS desig-

nation considering the great damage suffered by the country from Bohol earthquake and Typhoon Yolan-da, which came a few weeks of each other. It would impose a great burden on the rescue and restoration effort in the Philippines to require the country to re-absorb its nationals from abroad, many of whom may have homes that were destroyed by the Typhoon. TPS exists to provide a safe haven for those who are reluc-tant to return to potentially dangerous situations, and to assist nations that are under extraordinary and tem-porary conditions and facing difficulties in receiving their nationals safely. A grant of TPS would allow Filipinos here in the United States to work and support their families in the Philippines who were impacted by the typhoon. Remittances account for more than 10 percent of the Philippines’ Gross Domestic Product. Now, more than ever, those funds are needed to help support the recov-ery process. Secretary of State John Kerry announced an addi-tional $24.6 million in humanitarian aid designed to

help provide clean water, sanitation supplies and tem-porary shelter. That pledge comes on top of the $62 million the United States has provided in the most ex-tensive cooperation between Washington and Manila. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that the United Nations stands firmly with the Philippines in its efforts to deal with the aftermath of typhoon Yolan-da and the reconstruction efforts. He said that the United Nations and partners have launched a one-year Strategic Response Plan for $791 million. He also called on all donor countries to add to their already generous support to the Philippines when he met with key ambassadors stationed in the Philippines.

These show how extensive and overwhelming the devastation caused by the typhoon was.Based on the foregoing, we respectfully request the designation of Temporary Protected Status for the Philippines. The Filipino Immigrant Community

For 14 years now, progres-sive members of Congress

have tried to pass a Freedom of Information legislation that would ensure transparency and accountability in deals and transactions entered into by our public officials, thus greatly reducing the possibil-ity of corruption. It seems, the traditional politicians in the House of Representatives, are bent on blocking any attempt to pass an FOI law. In the 15th Congress, the Senate passed an FOI Bill, but the Lower House rejected the measure. Just recently, the Senate showed its willingness to pass the bill again, which was intro-duced in August by then newly elected Senator Grace Poe Llamanzares, the surprise top-notcher in the last Senate elec-tions. The Senate committee on public information, headed by Senator Poe, approved the measure in late September, and the Senate started last week floor deliberations on

the bill. There is no doubt that the Senate will pass again the measure sometime in March, as promised by Senate Presi-dent Franklin Drilon, but it remains doubtful that it will pass the House of Represen-tatives next year. Although House Speaker Feliciano Bel-monte has reluctantly told me-dia members that an FOI Bill would be passed by the House before his and President Aqui-no’s terms end in 2016, the ac-tions of both the House com-mittee on public information and Malacanang do not point to a favorable result for the FOI measure. Until now, the House com-mittee on public information, which is ironically headed by a former newspaper reporter, Rep. Ben Evardonne of East-ern Samar, has not deliberated on the measure. Evardonne has offered so many flimsy

reasons to delay committee de-liberations, such as the lack of a meeting room and lack of quo-rum. Following the exposure of mas-sive corruption in the disburse-ment of the Pri-ority Develop-ment Assistance Fund (PDAF) or the pork bar-rel, which in-volved scores of congressmen, it becomes even more remote

that the House would sudden-ly move to pass the bill. The Evardonne committee could continue to delay deliberations on the bill, thus effectively rel-egating it to the dustbin. Even if Evardonne, who used to be an apologist for former President Gloria Macapa-gal Arroyo when he was still governor of Easter Samar and president of the governors’ league, give in to pressures from media and the public, a big majority of Congress have made known their dislike for the measure, which would lim-it their ability to make dubious deals. It remains doubtful if an FOI bill would ever pass the House before 2016. Most of the congressmen want a “right to reply” provi-sions that would compel me-dia establishments to provide space and air time to answer any criticism or negative re-port. This is outrageous since it basically put constraints on media since newspaper space and airtime are precious com-modities that could mean fi-nancial losses. Besides, public officials can always hold press conferences, make statements or asked to be interviewed if they really wanted to reply to allegations published by me-dia. The congressmen also want to include a provision that would exempt their statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) from media ac-cess. They demanded Supreme Court justices to reveal their SALNs during the impeach-ment of Chief Justice Renato Corona and now, they don’t theirs revealed?

Em b o l d -ened by

their success-ful impeach-ment and re-moval from office of Su-preme Court Chief Justice Renato Co-rona, several House mem-bers are eye-ing several justices – as

many as five -- to be impeached. And if they succeed, President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino III would be appointing their re-placements, presumably magistrates who would vote on issues favorable to his ad-ministration. Indeed, by having a Supreme Court ma-jority – if not all – in his “pocket,” P-Noy would be the most powerful president in the history of the Philippines. He already has control of the House of Representa-tives and the victory of his senatorial picks in last May’s midterm elections would give him an unprecedented control of the three branches of government. Congress and the Supreme Court would be nothing more than glorified lackeys who would do P-Noy’s bidding. But not only did he take absolute control of the House and the Senate, he now has usurped the “power of the purse,” which has always been the domain of Congress. And since the Supreme Court ruled that the Priority Development Assistance Pro-gram (PDAF) -- “pork barrel” -- P-Noy has one leverage left that he can use to keep the lawmakers in line; and that is, the Dis-bursement Acceleration Program (DAP). As the name suggests, DAP accelerates the disbursement of funds siphoned off from budget items in a discretionary fash-ion, no questions asked, and no audits per-formed. It provides P-Noy with a power never before held by any president before him. And if he succeeds in removing at least three Supreme Court magistrates, he’d have a majority of the High Court that

would be supportive of him in his attempt to secure the High Court’s imprimatur on DAP. A couple of weeks ago, the House Justice Committee announced that the House of Representatives might soon be investigat-ing lump sum appropriations of the Judi-ciary. Iloilo City Rep. Niel Tupas, who heads the Justice Committee was reported to have said, “I am referring to the JDF, to the special allowances of the judges. I think it should be scrutinized, within the commit-tee.” The Judiciary Development Fund (JDF) is a multibillion-peso lump sum ap-propriation administered by the Supreme Court. But Tupas, who was the lead prosecutor of the impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona, maintained that his committee’s desire to scrutinize the JDF is not retaliatory to the High Court’s rul-ing that PDAF was unconstitutional. He reportedly said that “he would like to re-store balance to the three branches of gov-ernment.” However, Tupas admitted that the High Court’s 14-0 ruling against the PDAF has made Congress more aggressive and would be more involved in the coming year. He likened the ruling to “one branch of the government trampling on the rights and jurisdiction of another branch.” While it is understandable that Con-gress was furious at the Supreme Court because of the PDAF ruling, to investi-gate the JDF would appear retaliatory. But retaliatory or not, many believe that the investigation is a precursor of the filing of impeachment charges against several justices. One lawmaker, Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr., reportedly admitted that the House Judiciary Committee investigation into the High Court’s use of the JDF could be an impeachable offense, especially if it’s found out that there is evidence of graft. With P-Noy’s allies in control of the House, impeachment charges could easily be passed in the same manner that it was done during the impeachment of Corona, which many believe was railroaded. (PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

PERRY SCOPEBy

Perry Diaz

Supreme Court under siege

PAGE 4Jan. 2, 2014 - Jan. 8, 2014 The San Francisco PostOPINION

For 14 years now, progressive mem-

bers of Congress have tried to pass a Free-dom of Information legislation that would ensure transparency and accountability in deals and transactions entered into by our public officials, thus greatly reducing the possibility of corrup-tion. It seems, the tra-ditional politicians in

the House of Representatives, are bent on blocking any attempt to pass an FOI law.

In the 15th Congress, the Senate passed an FOI Bill, but the Lower House rejected the measure.

Just recently, the Senate showed its willingness to pass the bill again, which was introduced in August by then newly elected Senator Grace Poe Llamanzares, the sur-prise topnotcher in the last Senate elections. The Senate committee on public information, headed by Senator Poe, approved the measure in late September, and the Senate started last week floor deliberations on the bill.

There is no doubt that the Senate will pass again the

measure sometime in March, as promised by Senate Pres-ident Franklin Drilon, but it remains doubtful that it will pass the House of Representatives next year. Although House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte has reluctantly told media members that an FOI Bill would be passed by the House before his and President Aquino’s terms end in 2016, the actions of both the House committee on public information and Malacanang do not point to a favorable result for the FOI measure.

Until now, the House committee on public information, which is ironically headed by a former newspaper report-er, Rep. Ben Evardonne of Eastern Samar, has not delib-erated on the measure. Evardonne has offered so many flimsy reasons to delay committee deliberations, such as the lack of a meeting room and lack of quorum.

Following the exposure of massive corruption in the dis-bursement of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or the pork barrel, which involved scores of con-gressmen, it becomes even more remote that the House would suddenly move to pass the bill. The Evardonne committee could continue to delay deliberations on the bill, thus effectively relegating it to the dustbin.

Even if Evardonne, who used to be an apologist for former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo when he was still governor of Easter Samar and president of the gover-nors’ league, give in to pressures from media and the pub-lic, a big majority of Congress have made known their dislike for the measure, which would limit their ability to make dubious deals. It remains doubtful if an FOI bill would ever pass the House before 2016.

Most of the congressmen want a “right to reply” provi-sions that would compel media establishments to provide space and air time to answer any criticism or negative re-port. This is outrageous since it basically put constraints on media since newspaper space and airtime are precious commodities that could mean financial losses. Besides, public officials can always hold press conferences, make statements or asked to be interviewed if they really want-ed to reply to allegations published by media.

The congressmen also want to include a provision that would exempt their statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) from media access. They demanded Su-preme Court justices to reveal their SALNs during the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona and now, they don’t theirs revealed?

President Aquino himself has not shown any interest in certifying the FOI bill as urgent, which could compel the congressmen to act. Despite a promise during the presi-dential campaign to enact an FOI measure and make his government transparent, Aquino has yet to certify the bill as priority legislation.

Aquino only has to prod Congress to pass the bill, as he had aggressively done so in impeaching Corona, to remove doubts on his reform agenda. But will he do it in time for media to scrutinize government transactions during his term? Let’s hope so.

Resiliency and hope

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Foot dragging on the FOI billBy: Atty. Crispin Lozano

PAGE 5Jan. 2, 2014 - Jan. 8, 2014The San Francisco Post WORLD BRIEF

Israel fires rockets at LebanonJERUSALEM -- The Israeli military fired a barrage of shells into southern Lebanon in retaliation after five Katyu-sha-style rockets were launched against the Jewish state on Sunday, officials and reports said. The attacks struck uninhabited areas of both Israel and Lebanon without causing any casualties or damage, officials on both sides said. “About 20 shells from Israeli territory have struck the border region of Arqub after the launch of rockets against Israel this morning,” a Lebanese security offi-cial told AFP. The Israeli shelling came in response to two Katyusha-style rockets fired from Lebanon that struck an open field west of the town of Kyriat Shmona, Israeli mili-tary radio reported. “The Israeli artillery responded to rocket

attacks from Lebanon against Israel that left no victims, targeting the area where these projectiles were fired from,” an Is-raeli army spokesman told AFP. A Lebanese soldier examines one of the shells that were fired by the Israeli army into southern Lebanon on December 29, 2013, without causing any damageIsraeli army spokesman Peter Lerner tweeted later that “5 rockets (were) launched this morning from #Lebanon, (causing) one confirmed explosion in #Israel,” and the military was search-ing for others. Tension has spiked on the border between the two countries since Leb-anese troops gunned down an Israeli soldier driving near the frontier on December 16. Israel’s border with Lebanon has been largely quiet since the 2006 war

with the powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah. The last time a soldier was killed there was in August 2010, when two Lebanese soldiers and a journalist also died. Supporters of the Shiite Hezbollah movement watch its chief Hassan Nas-rallah giving a televised speech on the December 4 murder of a top member of the movement, Hassan Hawlo al-Lakiss, in Beirut, on December 20, 2013 In August, four Israeli soldiers were wounded by an explosion some 400 me-tres (yards) inside Lebanese territory, in a blast claimed by Hezbollah. Last week, Hezbollah said one of its top leaders was killed near Bei-rut and blamed Israel for his mur-der, a charge denied by Israel, which warned against any retaliation.

How is your 2013? Some may have a blast, some may have the worst. For

some, it can a a little bit of good and a lit-tle bit of bad. But just like a video game, we all get to the next level. Next level which is 2014. Before we look forward for the year ahead of us, let us look back and review 2013.After all, my column is dedicated to 2013: Year In Review. …..BOXING. Of course Manny Pacquiao will always be in the equation. After all in this age of Social Media, Congress-man Manny has brought Philippines

to international stage by winning international boxing fights in the united States. Not to be outdone is Nonito Donaire, known as the Filipino Flash also bounced back as another world contender. Worth mentioning are Donnie Ni-etes, Merlito Sabillo and Johnriel Casimero. The last three are all looking to

impress the hearts of the Pinoy fans all over the world. …..BEAUTY PAGEANT. Now, who would dispute this? The Philippines is a place for beauty and brains. After all, one can only win in a beauty pageant if they have the looks and only if they have the brains and answer questions with utmost pressure. For Miss World, we have Megan Young, Megan is an actress, a model, a VJ and a host of course a beauty queen. Then we have Miss Uni-verse third runner up Arielle Arida. She is a fashion model and also a beauty queen. We have Miss International winner Bea Rose Santiago. She is a fashion model from Canada. The we also have Miss Supranational winner Miss Mutya Johanna Datul. The list just goes on and on. ….. POLITICAL TURMOIL. Not to be outdone is intrigue and all sort of things that perk up the political landmark in the Philippines. We, as a country always have. From PDAF of Napoles (which I should say was the biggest), the Mar Roxas blunder in Tacloban coupled with a Korina Sanchez flavor. The Mid-term national elections which was a big stamp of approval for the Liberal Party. There is also the hottest Barangay elections. Plus the official ouster of

the Chief Justice. So on and so forth. Such a colorful year. …..CATASTROPHE. The southern part of the Philippines was also devastated by man made and natural causes of disasters. Both the Visayas and Mind-anao were victims of a massive earthquake that shook and destroyed a lot of edifices mostly historical catholic churches and landmarks. Then they had the man-made disaster perpetrated by the MNLF of the Moro National Liberation Front by the group of Nur Misuari. The biggest of them all is the Typhoon Haiyan or Yolanda. Just today, thousands of unclaimed dead bodies are still being processed and remained unburied. …..BIGGEST ARENA. Looking forward 2014. The Philippine Arena in Ciudad de Victoria in will be inaugurated in time for the Iglesia Ni Cristo centennial celebration. It was recently featured in the Discovery Channel in Southeast Asia and was dubbed as the quakeproof arena and the biggest in the world. WOW! 2014, here we come. For comments please email me at don.orozco@sf-post.com

2013: YEAR IN REVIEW

LET’S HAVE COFFEEBy

Don Augusto Orozco

Immigration fears spark political firestorm in UK

LONDON — They’re portrayed as pickpockets who will steal British jobs. There are predictions they will beg, the unruly young ones will stir up riots, and some will even try to sell babies. For months, Britain’s tabloids have repeatedly warned of the horrors they believe will ensue after Jan. 1, when work restrictions will be lifted across the European Union for mi-grants from Romania and Bulgaria — two of the trading bloc’s newest members. Those changes, the papers claim, will unleash a mass exodus of the poor and unemployed from the two eastern European countries to Britain. “In January, the only thing left will be the goat,” a Daily Mail headline proclaimed, referring to a remote Romanian village where, the paper claimed, everyone was preparing to move to Britain for the higher wages and generous welfare benefits. “We’re importing a crime wave from Romania and Bulgaria,” an-other headline declared, quoting a Conservative lawmaker who told Parliament that most pickpockets on British streets hail from Romania. The alarming stories about a possi-ble Romanian and Bulgarian influx, and a government scramble to tight-en welfare rules, are part of the lat-est chapter in an increasingly bitter debate about Britain’s immigration policies and its uneasy relationship with the EU. Right-wing politicians have won over voters by arguing that foreigners, particularly eastern Euro-peans, are flooding Britain’s job mar-ket with cheap labor and exploiting the country’s benefits system. The upstart UK Independence Party, known as UKIP, has seized on the anti-immigration mood to under-mine support for the Conservative Party led by Prime Minister David Cameron. In response, Cameron has recently stepped up his rhetoric on immigration and rushed to impose

curbs on the ability of new migrants to claim state benefits. He also angered fellow EU leaders when he challenged the established concept that there should be a free movement of workers throughout the economic bloc, arguing that it should be amended to stop mass migrations from poorer to richer member states. “The politicians are doing it for popularity,” said Father Silviu Petre Pufulete, a priest at a Romanian Or-thodox Church in London. “It’s been unfair to the Romanians and it’s just been blown out of all proportion.”How big exactly is the potential problem? Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007 and more than 100,000 migrants from the two countries al-ready work in Britain, albeit under work restrictions that limit their ac-cess to jobs and state benefits like health care. The work restrictions use quotas to limit the number of low-skilled Romanians and Bulgarians who can take jobs in Britain and requires them to obtain a “worker authorization document” before taking a position. Those who work without proper pa-pers, and employers who hire them, face fines and prosecution. Those restrictions — similar to those in place in several other EU countries — will be lifted Jan. 1, giv-ing Romanians and Bulgarians the same rights as other EU nationals to live and seek work freely across Europe. Britain is bound by EU regulations to let the migrants work, and is pow-erless to extend the restrictions. That feeds frustration among those who feel Britain has given too much pow-er to bureaucrats in Brussels. The turbulence comes as Cameron has promised a nationwide referendum on Britain’s continued membership in the EU if his party wins the next general election in 2015.

16 killed in suicide bombing in Russia’s southMOSCOW — A suicide bomber struck a busy railway station in southern Rus-sia on yes-terday, kill-ing at least 15 people and wound-ing scores more, of-ficials said, in a stark reminder of the threat Russia is facing as it prepares to host Febru-ary’s Olym-pics in So-chi. No one im-m e d i a t e l y claimed re-s p o n s i b i l -ity for the bombing in Volgograd, but it came several months after Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov called for new at-tacks against civilian targets in Russia, including the Sochi Games. Suicide bombings have rocked Russia for years, but many have been contained

to the North Caucasus, the center of an in-surgency seeking an Islamist state in the

r e g i o n . Until re-c e n t l y Vo l g o -grad was not a typ-ical tar-get, but the city formerly k n o w n as Stalin-grad has now been s t r u c k t w i c e in two m o n t h s — sug-g e s t i n g militants may be

using the transportation hub as a renewed way of showing their reach outside their restive region. Volgograd, which lies close to volatile Caucasus provinces, is 900 kilometers (550 miles) south of Moscow and about 650 kilometers (400 miles) northeast of

Sochi, a Black Sea resort flanked by the North Caucasus Mountains. The bombing highlights the daunting security challenge Russia will face in fulfilling its pledge to make the Sochi Games the “safest Olympics in history.” The government has deployed tens of thousands of soldiers, police and other security personnel to protect the games. Through the day, officials issued con-flicting statements on casualties. They also said that the suspected bomber was a woman, but then reversed themselves and said the attacker could have been a man. The Interfax news agency quoted unidentified law enforcement agents as saying that footage taken by surveillance cameras indicated that the bomber was a man. It also reported that it was further proven by a torn male finger ringed by a safety pin removed from a hand grenade, which was found on the site of the explo-sion. The bomber detonated explosives in front of a metal detector just beyond the station’s main entrance when a po-lice sergeant became suspicious and rushed forward to check ID, officials said. The officer was killed by the blast, and several other policemen were wounded.

In this photo made by a public camera and made available by the Associated Press Television News the flash of an explosion illuminates the entrance to Volgograd railway station in Volgograd Russia on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2013.

The San Francisco PostNATIONALPAGE 6Jan. 2, 2014 - Jan. 8, 2014

MANILA – Filipinos overseas are known to quickly re-spond to any crisis may it be within the family, the com-munity or the country as a whole. This generosity that they take upon themselves as their duty as Filipinos became more evident when the country, particularly central Philippines, was battered by super ty-phoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan). Donations both in cash and kind were sent through various ways to help their families and kababayans affected by the ca-lamity. However, not all Filipinos who work abroad get to invest for their future return to the country. Many have come home as empty-handed as before they left for work abroad. The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) wants to help Filipinos abroad save up for their future, donate and transact with government agencies while overseas.“Habang nandoon pa po kayo saan mang bayan, ini-en-courage na namin kayo na magtayo ng sariling negosyo ngayon pa lang. Maaring hindi po kayo mismo, o gawin niyo para sa inyong kamag anak,” said Raul Alcantara of the CFO. Alcantara presented last week the BaLink Bayan pro-gram of the CFO, a one stop online Portal for diaspora engagement during the International Migrants Day cel-ebration. The CFO said BaLinkBayan aims to strengthen partner-ships between overseas Filipinos and local communities,

to achieve sustainable and long-term development of ru-ral and urban localities, toward an economically prosper-ous Philippines. The BaLinkBayan portal (http://balinkbayan.gov.ph), gives Filipinos abroad a comprehensive guide for en-gaging in the development of the Philippines through opportunities in investments, philanthropy, technology expertise and skills exchange, and special government services. “Iba’t-ibang serbisyo ng iba’t-ibang government agen-cies at private organizations na nakatugon sa overseas Filipinos para mag invest, mag donate, mag volunteer,” said Alcantara. In the “Invest” page, the portal assists overseas Filipinos to be an entrepreneur. The “Donate” and the “Volunteer” pages encourage them to share their fortune and skills with kababayans in need. The “Online Services” page links to national government agencies, while it pilot tests local government services. He added, “Sa online services po namin may serbisyo ng national government agencies saka local government units kung saan sila ang tutulong doon sa itatayo nyong negosyo o kung gusto nyo man mag volunteer sa iba’t-ibang mission na kailangan ng communities,” Alcantara said. Alcantara encouraged Filipinos and their families to spread the word about he BaLinkBayan portal.

CFO launches one stop portal for Pinoys abroad

PH workers flee Syria, South SudanMANILA – Twenty-seven more Filipino workers in war-torn Syria arrived in Manila on board an Etihad Airways flight on Friday, while the second batch of Filipinos from South Sudan arrived on board a Qatar Airways flight on Saturday. Staff of the Overseas Workers Welfare Ad-ministration helped the Filipinos breeze through Customs and Immigration. The Filipinos in Syria were evacuated by the Philippine Embassy in Damascus to Lebanon, where they were taken care of by the Philip-pine Embassy in Beirut. The returnees included the family of Fely Manalo Majid and her two sons, a Syrian daughter in law and an adopted child of Syrian nationality. Majid said she left her Syrian husband in Syr-ia, where she had gotten married and begun to raise her children 30 years ago while working in that country. She had not visited the Philip-

pines for last 20 years. The other returning Filipino refugees will stay temporarily at the OWWA Halfway House. Meanwhile, the second batch of Filipinos from South Sudan, numbering five, are un-der the employment of the Capital Outsourc-ing group and assigned at the United Nations World Food Program in South Sudan. They were Dominador Gabriel and his cousin Edgardo Gabriel, Jovito Cenipoza, Bernardo Aras and Alfredo Ongoco Jr., all natives of Bi-nangonan, Rizal. The five said they voluntarily agreed to be re-patriated as a result of the civil strife in South Sudan. “The situation [in South Sudan] is very criti-cal because the members of the different tribes are fighting,” Dominador Gabriel said. “Luckily they were good to the Filipinos, and they just advised us to leave so we would not get into trouble.”

Palace backs Petilla stand on rate hike

MANILA - Malacañang is standing by Energy Secre-tary Jericho Petilla, saying it understands his predica-ment on the need for power distributors and generators to appeal the order of the Supreme Court (SC) reining in power rate adjustments. “Secretary Petilla only e x p l a i n e d that having a 60-day TRO (temporary restraining order) will d e f i n i t e l y have impli-cations on the payment of subscrib-ers, and this will be reflect-ed on their electricity bills,” Press Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said over the weekend.Coloma reiterated the na-tional government always bears in mind the welfare of the consuming public, and only wanted rates to be “reasonable and just.”

At the same time, Colo-ma said Petilla still enjoys the trust and confidence of President Aquino, as manifested by his refusal to accept the energy chief’s

resignation in relation to the restoration of power in areas devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda. “Just like what the Presi-dent mentioned earlier, he has full trust in Secretary Petilla. The government’s determination is very clear that we have to protect the welfare of consumers

against any form of oppor-tunism and abuses,” Co-loma said. Petilla received flak for maintaining the planned P4 per kilowatt-hour increase

of Ma-n i l a E l e c -tric Co. (Meral-co) is a b o v e -b o a r d . He said t h e c o u n -t r y ’ s l a r g e s t p o w e r distribu-tor has all the right to a p p e a l the TRO

if it cannot absorb its losses. Militant groups and law-makers assailed Petilla for his statement. “I will respect the TRO. I’m asking them (Meralco and power generators) to absorb the cost but if they cannot, they can appeal it if they want to,” Petilla ex-plained. “I am balanced.”

HOMELAND

Global fireworks party welcomes in 2014NEW YORK -- Times Square erupted in joy and a shower of multi-colored confetti as New York City’s famed glass ball eased down to mark the final seconds ushering in 2014.In the latest scene of global New Year celebra-tions an estimated one million people, braving freezing temperatures and some of them camp-ing out since morning for a good spot at the fes-tivities, joined in a chorus to boom out the final countdown to 2014. None other than United States (US) Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor – a native New Yorker – activated the mechanism that sent the Big Apple’s famed 5,500-kilo multicolor, flashy ball on its way down a pole to signal the end of one year and the start of another. Times Square blazed with neon lights above

the jubilant crowd, many wearing blue top hats advertising a brand of skin cream. Parties in other cities further west were to fol-low. Three astronauts from the International Space Station appeared on a giant screen TV to wish the crowd a happy new year. The crowd withstood the sub-freezing cold thanks in part to lots of live entertainment in-cluding Melissa Etheridge singing a version of the John Lennon song “Imagine.” Elsewhere around the world, fireworks boomed and lit up the skies to welcome the New Year.Some 2.3 million thronged Rio de Janeiro’s Co-pacabana Beach for a raucous celebration. Europe joined in the party

Palace looks into case of 1,400 corpsesMANILA – Malacanang will ask concerned agencies to explain reports that at least 1,400 bodies have yet to be buried in Tacloban, seven weeks after Central and Eastern Visayas were battered by super typhoon Yolanda. Residents have complained that the cadavers, sealed in black body bags, have turned an open field in the village of San Isidro into a “fly factory,” local village chief Eu-tiquio Balunan said. “We will ask our agencies to explain,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma said. “Maybe we also need to verify the report, get to the bot-tom of this, and ask for a wider explanation because there are agencies that are assigned for such things,” added Co-loma when told that residents in Tacloban felt that the people who were supposed to take care of the cadavers went on holiday leave and simply left the bodies to rot. Coloma said the Health and the Interior and Local Gov-ernment departments are the ones responsible for taking care of those killed by the super typhoon. “Maybe it is taking a while to bury all of the deceased because of the sheer number of fatalities,” the Palace of-ficial said. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said super typhoon Yolanda killed 6,155 people

and left 1,785 others missing. The World Health Organization discouraged local gov-ernment officials from holding mass burials for Yolanda victims. According to the WHO Technical Note for Emergen-cies, “burials in common graves and mass cremations are rarely warranted and should be avoided.” WHO said burying the dead while failing to correctly identify the body will result in more psychological trau-ma for the survivors. The group also backed up an earlier statement of the Health Department that corpses do not pose a risk of com-municable disease if they remain unburied. The WHO said cadavers only pose risks if these con-taminate streams, wells, or other water sources. In its latest report, the NDRRMC said at least 3,424,593 families or 16,078,181 people in 12,139 villages in 44 provinces were affected, while 890,895 families or 4,095,280 people were displaced by the super typhoon.Of those displaced, 20,924 families or 101,527 people are still staying in 381 evacuation centers. Damage caused by Yolanda was estimated to P36.662 billion, including P18.336 billion in infrastructure and P18.354 billion in agriculture. The NDRRMC said the number of destroyed houses has reached 1,140,332 including 550,928 destroyed and 589,404 damaged.

1.3 million lose unemployment benefits WASHINGTON — More than 1 million Americans are bracing for a harrowing, post-Christmas jolt as extended federal unemployment benefits come to a sudden halt this weekend, with potentially significant implications for the recovering US economy. A tense political battle likely looms when Congress reconvenes in the new, midterm election year. Nudging Congress along, a vacationing President Barack Obama called two senators proposing an exten-sion to offer his support. From Hawaii, Obama pledged Friday to push Congress to move quickly next year to address the “urgent economic priority,” the White House said. For families dependent on cash assistance, the end of the federal government’s “emergency unemployment compensation” will mean some difficult belt-tightening as enrollees lose their average monthly stipend of $1,166.

Jobless rates could drop, but analysts say the economy may suffer with less money for consumers to spend on everything from clothes to cars. Having let the “emergen-cy” program expire as part of a budget deal, it’s unclear if Congress has the appetite to start it anew. An estimated 1.3 million people will be cut off when the federally funded unemployment pay-ments end yesterday. Some 214,000 Californians will lose their payments, a figure expected to rise to more than a half-million by June, the Labor Department said. In the last 12 months, Californians received $4.5 billion in federal jobless ben-efits, much if plowed back into the local economy. More than 127,000 New Yorkers also will be cut off this weekend. In New Jersey, 11th among states in population, 90,000 people will immediately lose out.

Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla

(Cont. on Page 15)

PAGE 7Jan. 2, 2014 - Jan. 8, 2014MOTORINGThe San Francisco Post

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Raquel Glines with a valued customer, Evelyn Layug

PAGE 8Jan. 2, 2014 - Jan. 8, 2014 The San Francisco Post

PAGE 9Jan. 2, 2014 - Jan. 8, 2014

The San Francisco Post

PAGE 10Jan. 2, 2014 - Jan. 8, 2014

The San Francisco PostIMMIGRATION

Question: Are Temporary Protected Status immigrants who entered the U.S. without

inspection qualified to adjust status?

Answer: Yes. Originally, TPS are subject to unlawful presence bar. With the new de-

velopment in the Matter of Arrabally, the Board of Immigration Appeals ruled that travel using advance parole will be considered as a lawful admission thereby solving the problem of enter-ing without inspection. Since the entry using advance parole is a lawful admission any peti-tion by a U.S. citizen spouse or son or daughter may be used to adjust status. This is also true

if the petitioner is a lawful permanent resident or an employment based petition if the visa is already avail-able under the Visa Bulletin.

Question: Who are qualified to apply for TPS?

Answer: Currently the citizens of the fol-lowing countries are qualified to apply for

TPS: El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, Nicara-gua, Somalia, Sudan and Syria. If you are a na-tional of these countries and have a problem ad-

justing status due to un-lawful entry, you may be qualified to adjust status using ad-vance parole to cure the unlawful en-try.

Question: Do they

need to get a waiver for u n l a w f u l presence?

An s w e r : N o .

Since the entry of a d v a n c e parole is considered a legal entry, a waiver is not necessary. A waiver is re-quired only if there is no lawful entry to the U.S.

Question: A f t e r

r e t u r n i n g to the U.S. on advance parole, what is the im-m i g r a t i o n status of the person in-volved?

An s w e r : He or

she is on a

lawful status as a TPS holder and had entered legally based on advance parole. Thus there is no

penalty required to pay for unlawful presence or waiver to file for.

Question: What is an example of this situa-tion?

Answer: Jose is a citizen of El Salvador. He entered the U.S. on January 1, 1986, with-

out inspection. He is now married to a U.S. citi-zen. His wife filed an I-130 petition for him and was approved. However, he could not adjust status because he entered without inspection. Jose is qualified for TPS and advance parole as citizen of El Salvador. To see his ailing mother he applied and was approved for advance pa-role. He was able to travel to El Salvador and come back to the U.S. His entry to the U.S. using advance parole is a legal entry. He can apply for adjustment of sta-tus without filing for a waiver of unlawful presence.

Question: What is the advantage of Advance Parole against Provisional

Waiver?

Answer: Provisional Waiver requires filing of I-601A waiver for unlawful

presence whereas TPS advance parole ad-justment do not need to file a waiver. A waiver is hard to get because there is a need to prove extreme hardship to the U.S. citizen spouse or parents.

Question: Can advance parole through DACA be used as a basis of adjust-

ment of status if you are married to a U.S. citizen or has son or daughter 21 years or over who are U.S. citizens?

Answer: Based on the decision in Matter of Arrabally, the advance parole cured the

illegal entry and the DACA holder may also use this path to adjust status.

SUCCESS STORIES

1. On November 21, 2013, we received an ap-proval from USCIS for adjustment of status

under SAME SEX MARRIAGE.

2. On November 14, 2013, we received an approval of adjustment of status from Im-

migration Judge for a client who was originally denied adjustment by USCIS.

3. On November 4, 2013, we received an ap-proval of waiver of misrepresentation from

the Immigration Judge for a client who entered the U.S. as single but actually married.

4. On October 24, 2013, we received an ap-proval by an Immigration Judge on the re-

view of I-751 Application to Remove Condi-tion on Residence that was previously denied by USCIS.

5. On October 2, 2013, we received an ap-proval of adjustment of status based on

SAME SEX MARRIAGE.

6. On August 14, 2013, we received a grant of waiver of misrepresentation

from the Los Angeles Immigration Court for an alien who entered the U.S. as single but actually married.

7. On July 11, 2013, we received an ap-proval from the Immigration Court for

a waiver of misrepresentation for a green card holder who entered the U.S. as single but actually married at the time of entry. The grant of waiver stopped his removal and allows him to apply for naturalization.

8. On June 3, 2013, we received an ap-proval from USCIS of a petition that

continued despite the death of the petition-er under Public law 111-83.

9. On May 8, 2013, we received an ap-proval of adjustment of status for a cli-

ent who has a problem with entry docu-ment but has Sec. 245(i) eligibility.

10. On January 25, 2013, we received an approval from the Immigration Court

for an adjustment of status for an alien who originally entered as a Philippine Govern-ment Official under A2 visa.

11. On November 30, 2012, we received an approval from Immigration Court of

waiver for use of different name upon en-try to the U.S. and adjustment of status.

12. On October 25, 2012, we received an approval of green card from the Im-

migration Court based on Cancellation of Removal of a client under the Violence against Women Act. She originally entered under a Fiancée visa but the marriage did not worked and she ended up filing a self petition.

Crispin Caday Lozano is an active member of the State Bar of California, the Ameri-can Immigration Lawyers Association and the National Association of Consumers Bankruptcy Attorneys. He specializes in immigration law and bankruptcy law. He earned his Juris Doctor at Western State University College of Law in Fullerton, California. He is also a Certified Public Accountant, a Real Estate Broker and a Bachelor of Business Administration Cum Laude graduate. He has offices in San Francisco, Hayward, San Jose, and Cer-ritos, California. You can contact him at 1-877-456-9266. Email questions to crispinlozano@gmail.com/. Visit our web-site at www.crispinlozanolaw.com.

TPS Adjustment of Status through Advance ParoleBy: Atty. Crispin C. Lozano

PAGE 11Jan. 2, 2014 - Jan. 8, 2014The San Francisco Post AROUND TOWN

•Minimum of one year experience in Immigration Law or Bankruptcy Law or Personal Injury Law.

• Salary commensurate with experience.

Send resume to:Law Office of Crispin C. Lozano

1290 B Street, Suite 205Hayward, CA 94541

(510) 538-7188 Fax (510) 538-7115crispinlozano@gmail.com

WANTEDPARALEGALS

The Cabe Family recently celebrated 2 birthdays Olive Aquipel ( 2nd from left) and the 18th birth-day of their unica ija Olwen Faye. In photo are the Cabe family with Olgier, Olive, Wayne & the debutante herself Olwen Faye.

SCAN INTERNATIONAL. The Society of Communicators And Networkers are a group of Christian volunteers whose motto is providing communication and disaster preparedness and emergency response for the Glory of God. “Saving lives is our Priority”. The picture was taken at a recent Chapel dedication in Fresno, California by the Iglesia Ni Cristo Executive Minister Brother Edu-ardo V Manalo. On the farthest right of the picture is Alex Velacruz, SCAN President for the District of Northern California after conducting a short meeting of the group.

spirit, and synchronizing their clocks to Philippine Standard Time for the 10-sec-ond countdown to the New Year.In Manila, Mayor Joseph Estrada and Vice Mayor Isko Moreno led Manilenos in wel-coming 2014 at Salubong 2014—Count-down ng Masa in Divisoria, with a fire-works display and a concert.For its New Year’s countdown presenta-tion, giant media network GMA7 with its artists lined up a nationwide televised show by the sea, along SM Mall of Asia’s Seaside Boulevard, lighting up the night with traditional folk dance and a modern fashion show.Top bars and hotels across Manila like Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila’s Le Bar, Republiq Club, Solaire, Vask in Bonifacio Global City, Discovery Suites, The Pen-insula Manila’s Salon de Ning, and Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay each staged their own version of the countdown celebration.In Eastwood Mall’s Open Park, a grand fireworks display lit up the sky at the stroke of midnight punctuated by live per-formances from Up Dharma Down, Bam-boo, South Border, Mitoy Yonting, and American Idol Season 11 Runner-Up Jes-sica Sanchez. Proceeds from the sale of the New Year Countdown merchandise will go

to the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.At the Freedom Park in Davao City, aim-ing for world record, the local government set up a torotot festival on New Year’s Eve, as residents welcomed the New Year with-out lighting fireworks.“Davao City is going one step further this year by welcoming 2014 with party horns (torotot),” the city government said on its social media account. Residents said they would try for a world record “forthe biggest number of people blowing par-ty horns at the same time.”In typhoon-struck Visayas, the New Year was celebrated despite the grim reminders of the tragedy left by Yolanda and the re-cent rains in the past weeks.Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez, his cousin Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Ro-mualdez and the rest of the locals were elated over the fireworks display spon-sored by a multi-awarded pyrotechnics manufacturer Dragon Fireworks, boosting the morale of the residents in welcoming 2014 with renewed hope and optimism.People also trooped into the concert by Rico Blanco, who comes from the Visayas.“I sincerely hope that other civic-minded and sympathetic companies out there will continue to join us in aiding and rebuilding the lives of our constituents in Tacloban

City,” congressman Romualdez said in a statement.“We still have a lot of work to do. But I am confident that Dragon Fireworks has just set a good example for their colleagues in the business community to follow,” Ro-mualdez added.“We hope we can put a smile on the resi-dents’ faces and help reassure them that a bright tomorrow still lies ahead,” Dragon Fireworks Managing Director Joven Ong said.Romualdez, the leader of the independent minority bloc in the House of Representa-tives, expressed his heartfelt appreciation to Dragon Fireworks in behalf of the peo-ple of Tacloban City.

The spokesman for the Palo Archdiocese, Amadeo Alvero, also sent a New Year’s message to the public, bringing good tid-ings to the faithful.“Many people would say that 2013 was the worst year for us here in Tacloban, Leyte, Region 8 and the rest of the country. But for me, the year 2013 was the great oppor-tunity to make 2014 the best year for all of us to renew ourselves before God and the best year to work together for a better Ta-cloban, Leyte, Region 8 and Philippines.”“May the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose Motherhood we celebrate every New Year, accompany us in achieving our hopes and aspirations for our city, province, region, and for the whole of our beloved country.

(Cont. from page 1..NEW YEAR ...)

Alvin Louie with wife Angie Louie and their kids celebrated New Year’s Eve at their japanese res-taurant, Hana Zen in Pier 39 San Francisco.

Erlinda Galeon (second from left) was named Daly City’s Citizen of the Year 2013. With her (from left) are Alicia Laurel, Linda Byers and Marisa Robles.

MIAMI – The only thing that keeps LeBron James up worrying at night is basketball, which simultane-ously makes perfect sense and no sense. On one hand, he’s the game’s best player. On the other, he’s rarely im-pressed with himself.Even after a year like 2013 – when a spectacular wedding, a second NBA championship and a fourth MVP award were among the many highlights enjoyed by the Miami Heat star – he still is, as he puts it, striving for greatness. Or, technically, more greatness, since his enormous list of accomplishments just keeps growing. James was announced Thursday as The Associated Press’ 2013 Male Ath-lete of the Year, becoming the third basketball player to capture the award that has been annually awarded since 1931. James received 31 of 96 votes cast in a poll of news organizations, beat-ing Peyton Manning (20) and Jimmie Johnson (7).

“I’m chasing something and it’s big-ger than me as a basketball player,”

James told the AP. “I believe my call-ing is much higher than being a basket-ball player. I can inspire people. Youth is huge to me. If I can get kids to look at me as a role model, as a leader, a su-perhero ... those things mean so much, and that’s what I think I was built for.

I was put here for this lovely game of basketball, but I don’t think this is the

biggest role that I’m going to have.” Past winners include Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, Mu-hammad Ali, Carl Lewis, Joe Montana, Tiger Woods and Michael Phelps. Serena Wil-liams was the AP Female Ath-lete of the Year, announced Wednesday. James joins Michael Jordan and Larry Bird as NBA play-ers to win the award. “I don’t think I’ve changed much this year,” James said. “I’ve just improved and con-tinued to improve on being more than just as a basketball

player. I’ve matured as a leader, as a father, as a husband, as a friend.” So far in 2013, with a maximum of three games left to play, James has appeared in 98. The Heat have won 78 of them.

PAGE 12Jan. 2, 2014 - Jan. 8, 2014 SPORTS The San Francisco Post

LeBron James AP Male Athlete of the Year

MANILA - A new trend has been set in the country’s tourism industry this year, despite a number of natu-ral calamities that caused tourism authorities to doubt if they could meet the five million foreign tourists ar-rival target for 2013. Generally, this year was a good one for the tourism sector as it was able to hit record highs which have not been a c h i e v e d in the past, said T o u r i s m Secretary R a m o n Jimenez Jr. “The d e f i n i t e h igh l i gh t of the year is the mid-year re-port shows 350,000 to 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 foreign ar-rivals a month is the ‘new normal’ for Philippine tour-ism,” he said. Over the first nine months, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has been registering an increasing number of in-ternational tourists arriving in the country. Tourist arrivals reached 3.5 million from January to September, up 11.4 per-cent from 3.1 million in the same period last year and represents 64 percent of the five-million target for 2013.As monthly foreign arrival

levels have been grow-ing compared to the com-parative months in 2012, Jimenez said he is highly optimistic this trend would be sustained in the coming year. “Even given some set-backs later in the year, this trend augurs well for the growth of tourism in the future,” the DOT chief said.According to Jimenez, set-backs should be treated as

a challenge to continue to strive for a better tourism industry. He believes there are so many things that need to be carried out in this sec-tor and the Filipino people should be one in continu-ing to pursue efforts in pro-moting the Philippines as a prime destination for tour-ists. The DOT chief said there are still a lot of opportuni-ties that await the Philip-pines in terms of tapping new markets. “2014 direction is for us

to increase and secure mo-mentum by opening up new markets such as Eastern and Northern Europe,” he said. His optimism for a better 2014 is anchored on gov-ernment’s continuing thrust to put in more budget for the improvement of tour-ism infrastructure. Under the special con-vergence program with the Department of Public

Works and Highways ( DPWH), the DOT intends to spend some P17 billion in 2014 for t o u r i s m -related in-frastructure p r o j e c t s particularly for tour-ism road projects, up from P12 billion bud-

get this year. Last year, the DOT forged an agreement with DPWH to boost tourism infrastruc-ture in priority tourists destination areas under the Convergence Program for Enhancing Tourism Access.The agreement calls for, among others, the devel-opment of Tourism Road Infrastructure Program (TRIP) criteria led by DOT, and identified Convergence Champions to provide pol-icy guidelines and super-vision in formulating the TRIP.

TRAVELOptimism in tourism: It’s still more fun

in the Philippines

NEW YORK -- Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James and NBA scor-ing leader Kevin Durant are the top ballot choices in fan vot-ing for the 2014 NBA All-Star Game announced on Thursday (Friday in Manila).James, who turns 29 on Mon-day, has the top vote total at 854,105 after guiding the Mi-ami Heat to the NBA title the past two seasons. He is aver-aging 25.2 points a game this season as the Heat are off to a 22-6 start.Durant is second overall and leading the Western Confer-ence at 850,728 votes. He is averaging 28.1 points a game for the Oklahoma City Thun-der, who are level with Port-land and Indiana for the NBA’s best record at 23-5.The 63rd NBA All-Star Game will be played February 16 at New Orleans. Fan voting for the starting lineups ends Janu-ary 20 and the starters for the Eastern and Western Confer-ence will be revealed January 23.James, Indiana’s Paul George with 712,808 votes and New York’s Carmelo Anthony at

580,795 own the Eastern Con-ference forward positions with Indiana’s Roy Hibbert a distant fourth on 304,829 and Miami’s Chris Bosh fifth on 222,861.Miami’s Dwyane Wade leads the East guard voting at 565,455 with Cleveland’s Ky-rie Irving in the other starting spot on 524,000.Chicago’s Derrick Rose, out for the season with a knee injury, was a distant third on 299,950 with Washington’s John Wall fourth on 210,988.In the West frontcourt, Durant was joined in starting spots by Houston’s Dwight Howard on 408,623 and Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers on 399,357.Minnesota’s Kevin Love, the NBA’s top rebounder with 13.9 a game to 13.5 for Howard, was chasing Griffin on 377,941.Kobe Bryant of the Los Ange-les Lakers leads the West back-court with 723,031 and Chris Paul of the Clippers was next on 533,647.Golden State’s Stephen Curry was third on 481,698 with Asian-American star Jer-emy Lin of Houston fourth on 358,725.

LeBron, Durant pace All-Star ballot leaders

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PAGE 13Jan. 2, 2014 - Jan. 8, 2014The San Francisco Post SHOWBIZ

‘10,000 Hours’ tops MMFF 2013 awardsMANILA - “10,000 Hours” topped awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director, in last night’s 2013 Metro Manila Film Festival at the Meralco Theater, Pasig City. Robin Padilla won the Best Actor award while Joyce Bernal was named Best Direc-tor for the movie, abscbnNews.com report-ed . Mari-cel So-riano got the Best A c t r e s s award for her role in “Girl Boy B a k l a Tomboy,” w h i c h b a g g e d the 2nd B e s t P i c t u r e a w a r d and the c i t a t i o n for Most G e n d e r Sensitive Film. Pen Medina was named Best Support-ing Actor for “10,000 Hours” while Aiza Seguerra was Best Supporting Actress for “My Little Bossings.” The Best Child Performer award went to Ryzza Mae Dizon, also for “My Little Bossings.” “10,000 Hours” bagged the FPJ Memo-rial Award for Excellence and the Gat Puno Villegas Cultural Award. Daniel Padilla was Male Star of the Night while Eugene Domingo, Female Star of the Night. The Best Original Story and Best Screen-play went to “10,000 Hours.”

Other winners were Best Float: “Boy Golden;” Youth’s Choice Award, “Pagpag: Siyam na Buhay;” New Wave full-length Best Director, Armando Lao, “Dukit;” New Wave full-length Special Jury Prize, “Mga Anino ng Kahapon;” New Wave full-length Best Picture, “Dukit;” New Wave full-length Best Actress, Agot Isidro, “Mga

A n i n o ng Ka-hapon;” Best S o u n d E n g i -neer ing: “ 1 0 , 0 0 0 H o u r s ; ” B e s t Original T h e m e S o n g : “My Lit-tle Boss-i n g s ; ” B e s t S o u n d E n g i -neer ing: “ 1 0 , 0 0 0 H o u r s ; ”

Best Musical Score: “10,000 Hours;” Best Original Theme Song, “My Little Boss-ings;” Best Visual Effects and Best Produc-tion Design, “10,000 Hours;” Best Edi-tor, Marya Ignacio, “10,000 Hours;” Best Cinematography, “10,000 Hours;” Most Gender-Sensitive Film (New Wave full-length), “Island Dreams” directed by Aloy Adlawan; and Most Gender-Sensitive Film (New Wave student films category), “Hintayin Mo sa Seq. 24” directed by Jez-reel Reyes. Special Recognition Award went to Ron-nie Ricketts, Optical Media Board chair-person,.

Kris Aquino has message for James YapAMID the success of her son’s movie debut with “My Little Bossings,” host Kris Aquino expressed reservations about James “Bimby” Yap, Jr. starring in another film. Speaking with reporters shortly after the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) awards night on Friday, where the comedy flick won 3rd Best Pic-ture, Aquino said that she wants Bimby to finish his studies before venturing into another project. “Wala,” she said, when asked if a new film is lined up for her son. “Si Bimby kasi nag-aaral. Ayaw ko naman masisi later, kasi alam niyo na-man na hindi kami okay nung tatay, baka ma-sabi na napabayaan ang pagaaral. Eh ‘yun naman ang responsibilidad ng nanay.” Aquino and Bimby’s father, basketball star James Yap, were mar-ried in civil rites in July 2005. Their marriage was declared null in February last year, following allegations of infidelity on Yap’s part.Early this year, the former couple figured in a legal feud,

with Aquino alleging Yap of “amorous advances.” The actress sought a protection order against Yap for her and on behalf of their son, but eventually made a compro-mise when it comes to visit-ing Bimby. “Pinangako ko sa kanya (Yap) na kung ano ‘yung pinuhunan at kinita ay sa trust fund ni Bimby ‘yun,” Aquino said, re-ferring to the earnings of her son’s film. A production among her eponymous firm and three other companies, “My Little Bossings” grossed some P50.4 mil-lion on its first day alone.During the interview on Friday, a reporter noted that Yap is set to hold a block screening of the film, which also co-stars Aquino, Vic Sotto, and Ryzza Mae Dizon. “Buti naman na supportive na siya of Bimby,” Aquino said. “He’ll be proud of how well his son performed. Sig-uro naman pag nakita niya, siguro naman matutuwa siya lalo na na makikita mo ‘yung

anak mo na performing well at bumait. So thank you, James. God bless. Peace.”

Kris Aquino, accompanied by son Bimby Yap, Jr. and ‘My Little Bossings’ co-star Ryzza Mae Dizon, accept the award for Best Original Theme Song at the 39th Metro Manila Film Festival awards night held Friday.

Hobbit’ tops US box office for 3rd weekLOS ANGELES—Fantasy blockbuster “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” ruled the North American box office this weekend, holding off a strong festive season challenge from Disney’s animated musical “Frozen,” es-timates showed Sunday. The second part of Oscar-winning director Peter Jack-son’s trilogy of films, based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved classic, earned almost $29.9 million over the weekend, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations. Starring Martin Free-man as Bilbo Baggins and Ian McKel-len as the wizard Gan-dalf, the film has raked in $190.3 mil-lion in the United States and Canada since its re-lease three weeks ago. Moving up one spot to second place with $28.8 million was “Frozen,” a loosely based retelling of Hans Christian An-dersen’s fairytale “The Snow Queen.” The film, the 53rd movie in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, which began with “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in 1937, has taken $248.4 million to date.In third place was “Anchorman 2,” the Will Ferrell com-edy that sees him reprise his role as screwball newsman Ron Burgundy. The sequel took $20.2 million in its sec-ond week of release. Critically acclaimed comedy “American Hustle”—star-ring Christian Bale and Amy Adams as grifters who team up with an FBI agent played by Bradley Cooper to bring down other con artists—remained in fourth place. The movie, which has been nominated for seven Golden Globes and is expected to be in contention at the Oscars, took $19.6 million. In fifth spot was Martin Scorsese’s latest collaboration

with actor Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” earning $18.5 million on its debut weekend. The movie is based on the debauched rise and fall of disgraced Wall Street financier Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio), who conned his way to hundreds of millions in the 1990s while maintaining a notoriously drug-fueled lifestyle. Sixth place was taken by “Saving Mr. Banks,” a drama about Walt Disney’s quest to make a film adaptation of “Mary Poppins, with $14.0 million.

Its stars—Tom Hanks as Dis-ney and Emma Thompson as Poppins’ anti-Hollywood au-thor — have both been nomi-nated for Golden Globes. In seventh place was Ben Stiller’s romantic comedy “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” an updated adap-tation of James Thurber’s fa-mous 1939 short story, about a strait-laced offi-

cer worker who loses himself in heroic daydreams. The film, which stars Stiller in the lead role, took $13.0 mil-lion. In eighth place was the latest installment of the block-buster “Hunger Games” franchise with $10.2 million, taking its overall earnings since its record opening six weeks ago to $391 million in North America alone. The worst fears surrounding Keanu Reeves’ latest movie “47 Ronin” were confirmed, however, as the big-budget samurai epic opened in ninth with a meager $9.9 million. Reports have said the troubled movie—originally due for release in November 2012—may lead to a $175 mil-lion loss for Universal Pictures. In 10th, with $7.4 million, was “A Madea Christmass,” directed by and starring Tyler Perry in his recurring role as Madea, chronicling yet another adventure in the life of the tough, old woman.

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Martin Free-man, left, and John Callen in a scene from “The Hobbit: The Deso-lation of Smaug,” which continued to top the box office, landing at No. 1 over the Christmas holiday for the third weekend in a row.

The cast of “10,000 Hours” led by Robin Padilla during the 2013 Metro Manila Film Festival Parade of Stars.

MANILA, Phil-ippines – Angeli Dione Gomez is the last beauty queen to give honor to the Philippines in 2013. Gomez, who hails from Cebu, brought home the 2013 Miss Tourism Inter-national crown from Putrajaya, Malaysia, as the world celebrated the coming of the new year.It was a back-to-back victory for the Filipinos in the nearly two-decades-old beauty pageant, as Gomez takes over the title

from fellow-Cebuana Rizzini Alexis Gomez.This latest tri-umph caps a fruitful year for the Philippines in major inter-national beauty compet i t ions . Just two weeks ago, Bea Rose Santiago bagged the 2013 Miss I n t e r n a t i o n a l title.Among the other Filipino bets who won the highest hon-ors this year are Megan Young as Miss World and Mutya Johanna Datul as Miss Supranational.

PH beauty is new Miss Tourism International

Angeli Dione Gomez of Philippines poses for pho-tographers following her winning the Miss Tour-ism International 2013 World Final in Putrajaya, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013. AP

PAGE 14Jan. 2, 2014 - Jan. 8, 2014 CLASSIFIED The San Francisco Post

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The morning could find you somewhat worried about finances. Past reck-less spending may be on your mind. Go through your records and look at them objectively. You’ll probably find that things aren’t as bad as they seem.Virgo August 22 - September 21Romance and marriage are always impor-tant to you, and today they’re especially so. You should feel particularly warm, loving, and attractive, and matters of love and part-nership should be especially romantic.

Libra September 22 - October 21Today you feel especially imaginative, and you might want to try writing, painting, or composing. The past is especially appeal-ing, so you may want to stroll through an art gallery or museum or attend a concert.Scorpio October 22 - November 20You’re always intellectually curious, but to-day you might be especially so. Although you’re usually idealistic, today your imagi-nation is in full swing. You might want to try writing or painting.Sagittarius November 21 - December 20Your usually dependable judgment may seem clouded by emotion today. Perhaps you’re unable to decide between different courses of action. Or perhaps you’re feeling distracted and can’t focus on what needs to be done.Capricorn December 21 - January 18Optimism and foresight are important today, as you take charge of your life and seek new opportunities. Conversations lead to ideas for possible personal and career expansion, and you’re likely to send out and receive a number of messages.Aquarius January 19 - February 17New ideas and opportunities for advancing yourself financially may come your way to-day, yet this isn’t the day to act indiscrimi-nately or make any definite changes in your financial structure. Pisces February 18 - March 19Today, you may feel especially sociable. You might want to look up old friends you haven’t seen for a while, perhaps to release past quarrels or hurt feelings. Take care to release them instead of bringing them up again.

Across 7 Compel (6) 8 Desperate situation (6) 10 Inert substance (7) 11 Military blockade (5) 12 Require (4) 13 Secret waychers (5) 17 Knocks over (5) 18 Japanese sport (4) 22 Hand tool (5) 23 Raised upright (7) 24 Excursion (6) 25 Takes in by inhalation (6)

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with a giant salvo in London, after Dubai attempted to break the world record for the biggest-ever fireworks show and Sydney got the ball rolling ahead of Asia with a dazzling display. In London, huge cheers went up as parlia-ment’s clock tower chimed in 2014, as peo-ple packed the banks of the River Thames to watch the pyrotechnics at the London Eye observation wheel.About 50,000 took part in “the world’s first multi-sensory fireworks display”, when peach snow, edible banana confetti and orange-scented bubbles descended on a section of the crowd. In Dubai, the Middle East hub was at-tempting to break the Guinness World Record by setting off more than 400,000 fireworks.The glittering display lasted around six minutes and spanned 100 kilometers of the

coast, focusing on the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower at 830 me-

ters high.People crowded in the streets below took pictures as the thundering display filled the skies. “It’s amazing,” said May Hinnawi, a 35-year-old Syrian. “I will tell my children and grand children I was here to see this event.” Kuwait set the record in 2011 with an hour-long blast of 77,282 fireworks. In Europe, Berliners partied at the Bran-denburg Gate, while hundreds of thousands in Paris thronged the Champs Elysees. “Paris is wonderful tonight,” said Hu Lichu, a Chinese woman in her 60s who came with her husband. Thousands of cheering Spaniards in Ma-drid saw in 2014 by gobbling down 12 grapes – one with each clock chime – in a New Year tradition.

PAGE 15Jan. 2, 2014 - Jan. 8, 2014The San Francisco Post

attributed to the infamous piccolo firecracker.Coloma said that they support DOH secretary Enrique

Ona’s previous statement that the use of firecrackers should be allowed only as an activity managed by re-spective local governments and only in designated areas within their community.

(Cont. from page 1..PALACE BACKS)

(Cont. from page 1..7 KILLED)t h e g r e -n a d e attack.

A few years back, claimants of land inside a vast rub-ber plantation placed under the government’s agrarian reform program had engaged each other in bloody con-frontations.

The conflict had become so alarming that officials called the parties involved into a negotiation while pledging to address the land claims. The bloody confrontations, which also triggered mas-sive dislocations, ceased for quite some time.Hataman said officials were now trying to address the situation to keep it from worsening.

he said in Filipino in a New Year’s message. Aquino once again pointed to the economic growth un-der his administration and attributed this to his “unrelent-ing efforts” against corruption. He noted that the Philippines has moved up in the Trans-parency International Corruption Index from 134th in 2010 to 105th in 2013. He added that the country is about to bring “ultimate justice” to those who abused the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel. “We have also continued in laying the mechanism to ensure that public money will be used for public welfare alone,” Aquino said. Through his administration’s good governance, Aquino said, the country has posted the highest growth in gross domestic product in Southeast Asia. “For the first time, we have achieved investment grade status from three of the top credit ratings agencies in the world. Because of this, we have achieved lower interest rates for the money borrowed and more businessmen are attracted to invest in the country,” he said. He also cited the government’s progress toward signing

a final peace accord with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to end decades of insurrection by Muslim rebels. Aquino also credited the Technical Education and

Skills Development Authority for training more than half a million Filipinos from 2010 to 2013, and said the num-ber of them who were able to land a job rose from only 28.5 percent in 2006 to 64.4 percent in 2012. “Like a basketball game, we know that challenges abound until the last minute while we are nearing the goal,” Aquino said. He appealed to the public, particularly the youth, to con-tinue supporting the government. “We know that there are still many forms of challenges ahead that will test the strength of our country. Let us always prove to them that our ‘Bayanihan’ will prevail.” The Palace on Monday said the country had achieved progress despite several natural and man-made disasters this year. “It has been a year of challenges not only for the ad-ministration but also for the Filipino people—another year where our collective commitment to persevere and to stand shoulder to shoulder enabled us to overcome the trials set before us, thus making the world admire and respect us all the more,” said deputy presidential spokes-person Abigail Valte Saturday on a government radio.

(Cont. from page 1...AQUINO ON 2014)

(Cont. from page 6...GLOBAL FIREWORKS)

PAGE 16Dec. 2, 2013 - Jan. 4, 2014 The San Francisco Post