1

May 16-31, 2015

Vol. XXIV, No. 13

Online: www. manilamail.us

May 16-31, 2015

PH offers 8 military bases for US forces rotations

MANILA. Powerless to
stop China from gobbling up
more of the countrys waters,
the Philippines has reportedly
offered American forces the use
of at least eight military bases in
the Philippines, including two
facing the South China Sea.
The Enhanced Defense
Cooperation
Agreement
(EDCA), signed during President
Obamas visit to Manila last year,
will allow the US to use eight
bases for troop rotations, Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP)

chief Gen. Gregorio Catapang

was quoted by ABS-CBN News.
Two of these bases are
located near disputed islands
in the hotly contested South
China Sea: Antonio Bautista Air
Base and Naval Station Carlito
Cunanan in Palawan.
The Stars and Stripes newspaper named the other bases
Catapang said were being considered: Fort Magsaysay, Crow
Valley, Basa Air Base and Naval
Station San Miguel (Central
Luzon); and the Benito Ebuen

President Aquino, accompanied by Consul General Generoso Calonge,

gets rousing welcome from Fil-Am community in Chicago (Photo courtesy
of RTVM)

P-Noy firms up Canada

ties, visits Chicago
OTTAWA.
President
Benigno Aquino III traveled to
the United States and Canada
earlier this month in what
appeared to be an early victory
lap one year before Filipinos
choose his successor.
He stopped by Chicago on
his way to a three-day state (May
7-9) visit to Canada. There he
told the Filipino American community that the Philippines has
been transformed from an economic laggard to the Darling of
Asia.
Our guiding principle:
Good governance equals good
economics, equals good quality
inclusive growth. So in terms of
the economy, let us forget the
[Philippines old] label as the
Sick Man of Asia. We are now
regarded by other countries as
the Darling of Asia, he said.

Canadas

Prime

Minister

Continued on page 21

Air Base and Naval Base Rafael

Ramos (Cebu). Plans are in place
to increase the number of rotational US ships, Marines and
aircraft in Subic Bay, the paper
added.
The planned naval base is
expected to be the home of new
warships that would arrive starting next year from defense contractors abroad.
Aside from the guided missile boat Pohang Class corvette

Continued on page 21

WASHINGTON
D.C.
Fil-Am lawyers coming to the aid
of Filipino teacher Erwin Magnaye said they will make sure he
gets ample representation and
due process in the courts amid
what appears to be as a rush to
judgement over the sex abuse
allegations of a nine-year-old
school kid in Landover, Md.
Authorities said the victims mother reported to police
that Magnaye kissed her son
in a classroom and had also
touched him inappropriately
a number of times in September
last year. But the mother of the

The US Navys littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) conducts a
routine patrol in international waters near the Spratly Islands in the South
China Sea last May 11, shadowed (background) by the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army-Navys guided-missile frigate Yancheng (FFG 546) as shown
from this US Pacific Command photo.

Erwin Magnaye
alleged victim did not contact
authorities until last February.
Prince Georges County
police then placed Magnaye

under police and he was subsequently arrested last May 5.

Lawyer Arnedo Valera,
executive-director of the Virginia-based Migrant Heritage
Commission (MHC), said they
are extending pro bono legal
assistance to Magnaye. The
group had also previously taken
the cudgels for Filipino teachers
in Prince Georges County, Md.
Magnaye, a native of Batangas province in the Philippines,
taught at the William Paca Elementary School in Landover,

Continued on page 21

Record haul for Mayweather, Pacquiao

FAIRFAX, Va. The pay TV
figures bear testament to the
enormity of the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather fight
in Las Vegas last May 2: a record
4.4 million buys that promises
to give the two protagonists the
biggest payday yet in professional sports.
The fight that Mayweather
won on points has been shadowed by controversy revelations that Pacquiao stepped atop
the ring with an injured shoulder and that Mayweather was
apparently aware of it. But in

the latest twist, columnist Jeff

Powell wrote on Britains Daily
Mail that a detailed analysis of
the fight showed the results were
not as one-side as the judges
score would suggest.
HBO
and
Showtime
announced last May 12 the record
$400 million haul from pay-perview. That easily shattered the
previous record of 2.48 million
PPV buys set by Mayweather
and Oscar dela Joya in 2007
and exceeded initial estimates
of between 3 to 4 million buys.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. outpoints Manny Pacquiao in May 2 fight

Vicky Cuisia turns

heads Page 10

Binay accounts frozen

Page 19

Continued on page 21

Jenner models PH
wear Page 23

May 16-31, 2015

May 16-31, 2015

Pilots defy China warning as PH worries grow

MANILA. The Philippines
has protested what it described
were escalating Chinese efforts
to drive off Filipino ships and
planes from the vicinity of
Pagasa (Thitu) Island, part of the
disputed Spratly Islands, in dangerous confrontations.
Philippine
Navy
Rear
Admiral Alexander Lopez said
seven Filipino patrol planes on
separate flights between Pagasa
Island and the Chinese-held
Subi Reef had been warned to
stay away in radio messages
from Chinese forces on Subi.

In another show of defiance,

the Philippines flew in a planeload of journalists on Pagasa
Island, generating a quick rebuke
from China.
Despite the war of words,
Defense
Secretary
Voltaire
Gazmin said he does not believe
China would go to war with the
Philippines over the intensifying territorial spat in the South
China Sea.
These developments are
disturbing to say the least, and
alarming to say the most, he
told a recent

AFP chief Gen. Gregorio Catapang meets schoolchildren

in Pagasa Island
The warnings were reportedly
ignored by the Filipino pilots.
We are navigating in international airspace and conducting
normal patrols. Fear will bring
you no good... The risk is always
there, but thats what were being
paid for, Lopez said.

Senate
hearing. We have a
problem but we
havent given
up our claim
to Pagasa. That
remains ours.
I dont think

China is ready to go to war over

small islands, he declared in an
Agence France Presse interview.
Pagasa Island is 280 miles
from Manila and the biggest
island occupied by the Philippines in the Spratly Islands. The
island is called Zhongye Dao by
the Chinese and Taiwanese and
Dao Thi Tu by the Vietnamese
who also claim the island.
The Spratlys are considered
a potential Asian flashpoint, and
claimant nations have expressed
alarm as China has reclaimed

vast tracts of seven features of

the Spratly group that it occupies, including Subi.
China has built fortifications, runways and docks on the
reclaimed land which military
officials in the Philippines say
leave places lack Pagasa Island

vulnerable. Lopez said these

new facilities would potentially
give China air and naval bases
in the disputed region and house
thousands of personnel.
The reclamation could also
jeopardize the security of Second
Thomas Shoal off Palawan.

May 16-31, 2015

PH eyes ban on
matchmaking sites
MANILA. Philippine lawmakers have approved a measure
aimed at protecting Filipino men
and women against unlawful
matchmaking, also known as the
Anti-Mail Order Spouse bill.
The House of Representatives passed the proposed law on
2nd reading last May 12, finally
addressing the problem of gullible
Filipinos being drawn to abusive
relationships, often by foreigners
and through the internet, with the
promise of living overseas.
It shall prevent the exploitation of Filipino and protect them
from unlawful practices, businesses and schemes which offer
Filipinos for marriage to unscrupulous foreign nationals and expose
them to abuse, exploitation, prostitution and violent situations,
explained bill co-author Bulacan
Rep. Linabelle Ruth Villarica.
The bill would outlaw any
business, including matchmaking
websites that offer membership,
Congress wants to ban matchmaking sites that spawn
whether for free or with a fee and
the countrys problems with mail order brides
have for their purpose the matching of Filipinos for marriage or common advertisements, whether in print or
law partnership to foreign nationals on a online, of matchmaking enterprises. Viomail-order basis, personal introduction or lators can be punished with 15 years in jail
or up to P5 million ($116,000) in fines or
emails or websites.
If passed into law, it will ban all both.

May 16-31, 2015

White House hosts AAPI Summit

WASHINGTON D.C. The
White House held an unprecedented and historic summit
on Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders (AAPI) concerns last
May 12.
The summit coincides with
the observance of the AAPI
Heritage Month, a yearly event
started in 1977 and held each
May largely through the initiative of Hawaii senators Daniel
Inouye and Masayuki Matsunaga, to focus attention on the
nations Asian American and
Pacific Islander communities.
The White House summit
provided the bridge for AAPI
representatives to meet with

Asian American and Pacific Islander delegates on Capitol Hill last year
ranking federal officials to cel-

years.

ebrate recent achievements and

Through times of hard-

lay out priorities for the next two

ship and in the face of enduring

prejudice, these women and men

have persisted and forged ahead
to help strengthen our Union,
President Obama said in a statement.
The month of May, the President added, came rushing in this
year with news from around the
world. A deadly earthquake devastated Nepal; protests occurred
in Baltimore after Freddie Grays
death: individuals put themselves forward as US presidential candidates; and a royal birth
took place in England.
These big stories led many
of us to forget that May is the
Asian American and Pacific
Islanders
(AAPI)
Heritage

Month, he noted.
White House summit organizers said it was unprecedented
and historic. In a forthcoming
book, author Grace Ji-Sun Kim
wrote that this years observance should also be occasion to
look deeper into racism towards
Asian American Pacific Islanders, especially against women.
Today, AAPIs encounter
racism, prejudice, and stereotyping in all aspects of life. The color
of a persons skin still determines
ones place and role in society as
well as the expectations others
have of the person, she wrote.

Asian American voters to double by 2040

WASHINGTON D.C. The
number of Asian American
voters would more than double
by 2040, bolstering the view
they will become an increasingly
potent force in American politics, a recent study by the UCLA
Study for the Center for Inequality and the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional
Studies (APAICS) showed.
In 2040, nearly one in 10
Americans will be Asian Ameri-

can. During the same period, the

number of Asian American registered voters will increase from
5.9 million to 12.2 million, said
Paul Ong, Director of the UCLA
Center on the Study of Inequality.
The study indicated that
the Asian American electorate
would more than double, and
grow by 107 percent by 2040.
Thats faster than the expected
growth of the Asian American

population during the same

period which is expected to
increase by 74 percent.
The study comes 50 years
after the passage of the Immigration & Nationality Act of 1965
and the Voting Rights Act of
1965.
Elena Ong, the reports coauthor, said the Asian American
electorate will be different by
that time. She called it multigenerational
transformation

where 47 percent of Asian American voters will be younger and

US born.
These trends have notable
implications for Asian American political empowerment. . . .
[and] significant meaning for the
very nature of American politics,
said Franklin Gilliam Jr, Dean of
UCLA Luskin School of Public
Affairs.
The possibility of [interethnic] coalition politics is highly

dependent on the issues at play,

Gilliam added, especially the
articulation of an Asian American political agenda.
This report, which is the first
of a series of publications on the
future of AAPIs, presents projections of the Asian American
population to 2040, with a focus
on the electorate.

May 16-31, 2015

11-M Pinoys count themselves poor survey

MANILA. Less Filipinos
counted themselves poor
in the first quarter of the year,
according to the latest Social
Weather Stations (SWS).
Fifty-one percent of Filipino
families (equivalent to about 11.4
million people) rated themselves
as poor during the first three
months of the year, a slight drop
from the 52 percent registered in

the previous quarter, and 2014s

average of 54 percent.
When grouped according to
location, the Visayas and Mindanao regions saw self-rated poverty rates at 70 percent and 60
percent, respectively.
The National Capital Region
(NCR) and the rest of
Luzon were much better
off at 31 percent and 44

Survey showed Visayas and Mindanao more food poor

percent, respectively.
The
survey
conducted
March 20-23, also found that
about 8 million Filipinos believe
they eat poorly (food-poor).
The SWS said the food-based
poverty metric fell to record lows
in NCR and the rest of Luzon,

registering respective figures at

15 percent and 20 percent. Such
was not the case for Visayas and
Mindanao, with significantly
higher rates at 45 percent and 52
percent.
The SWS also determined
the self-rated poverty threshold

at P15,000 ($348) in Luzon and

NCR, and P10,000 ($294) for
the Visayas and Mindanao (in
December 2014 for instance, the
survey found that Metro Manila
residents considered P20,000 as
poverty threshold).

May 16-31, 2015

May 16-31, 2015

Pakistan honors Filipino envoy killed in crash

MANILA. Pakistan gave
its highest civilian awards to
Ambassadors Domingo Lucenario Jr. of the Philippines and

Leif Larsen of Norway as well

as the wives of two other envoys
killed in a helicopter crash in that
countrys remote Gilgit-Baltistan

File photo of Ambassador Domingo Lucenario Jr.

region last May 8.

In recognition of their
services, for their contribution
towards forging closer bilateral
relations, I am recommending
to the President to bestow our
civil gallantry award, Sitara-ePakistan, on Ambassador Larsen
of Norway, Ambassador Lucenario of the Philippines, Madam
Habibah binti Mahmud of
Malaysia and Madam Heri Listyawati of Indonesia, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced in
a televised speech.
They died along with the
helicopters two pilots and a
crew
member
while landing
in Naltar valley.
The
helicopter was one of
three carrying a

delegation of ambassadors on a
three-day trip to Gilgit-Baltistan,
where they were set to inspect
projects and meet with Prime
Minister Sharif.
The military and Pakistans
foreign office said the crash was
due to a technical fault while
landing. It was Pakistans worst
air crash since 2012, when a
Boeing 737 passenger plane went
down in Islamabad, killing 130
people.
In 1988, a plane crash killed
Pakistans then military-ruler
General Zia-ul-Haq as well as
the US ambassador at the time,

Arnold Raphel.
A lawyer by profession,
Lucenario served the country
in various capacities, including
assignments in Germany, Hong
Kong, Australia, and as former
Philippine ambassador to Kenya.
He was the Philippine permanent representative to the UN
Environment Program and the
UN Human Settlements Program
(UN Habitat). He also served as
deputy chief of presidential protocol under the Ramos administration aside from various positions in the home office.

May 16-31, 2015

10

May 16-31, 2015

Washington Diplomat notes

PH envoys wife role
By Jennie L. Ilustre
WASHINGTON D.C. Top
monthly publication The Washington Diplomat ran a front-page
article on Mrs. Victoria Vicky
Cuisia in its May issue, noting her
role in non-profits and recently
promoting a cultural show on
June 11 to benefit women in fiber
production micro-enterprises in
the Philippine province of Aklan.
The womens livelihood was
affected when Typhoon Haiyan
struck the Philippines in 2013.
Pia MANTRA was founded in
1997 by 14 manufacturers who
worked for the crafts standardization.
From
rebuilding
after
Typhoon Hiaan, to nurturing young leaders, to giving
the public a rare glimpse of
gold treasures, Maria Victoria Vicky Cuisia, wife of Philippine Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia,
works non-stop for her fellow
Filipinos, the article began.
Among
other
things,
Wifes Non-profit Work Helps
Fellow Filipinos by the publication (www.washdiplomat.com)
reported Mrs. Cuisia works primarily with three groups, including the ASEAN Womens Circle,
composed of diplomats wives.

She spearheaded the Filipino Youth Leadership Program.

Under FYI.Pro, young Filipino
Americans visit the Philippines
and meet with key government

form the coalition and help in

post-Haiyan rebuilding efforts.
Gala Evening Celebrating Philippine Design, Textiles
and Fashion, will showcase the

Mrs. Victoria Vicky Cuisia with the Ambassador.

and business leaders with the
goal of developing projects.
Mrs. Cuisia also supports the post-Haiyan Philippine Humanitarian Coalition,
including the Bohol Restoration
Groups work on ruined historic
sites. In November 2013, Ambassador to the US Jose L. Cuisia
tapped some 3,000 community
organizations nationwide to

works of Patis Tesoro, the Grand

Dame of Philippine Fashion on
June 11, as part of the Embassys
Philippine Independence Anniversary activities. Event sponsor
is US-Philippines Society, with
the cooperation of the Philippine
embassy.
Venue for the fashion show
is the Ronald Reagan Building
and International Trade Center

Manilas Cardinal Tagle

groomed to lead Caritas
WASHINGTON D.C. Pope
Francis cautioned the Catholic
charity umbrella organization
Caritas Internationalis against
falling prey to the deceit of
believing that well-organized
centralization is the right road
to take.
Caritas Internationalis is a
confederation of 164 Catholic
charities all over the world. The
five-day gathering focused on
growing inequalities as well as
the impact of climate change.
Taking note of Caritass efforts
against hunger, the Pope said
that the planet has enough
food for all, but it seems that
there is a lack of willingness to
share it with everyone.
Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez
Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa is
the current president of Caritas;
Michel Roy, who was formerly
head of Secours Catholique,
Caritas French branch is secretary-general.
Roy is the sole candidate for
the post of secretary-general on
this years ballot for new leadership. He has held the position
since 2011, and is certain to be
confirmed.
Cardinal Rodriguez will

step down as president, having

served two mandates, from
2007-2011, and 2011-2015. It is
expected that Cardinal Antonio
Tagle, Archbishop of Manila,
will be selected as the new president, according to the Catholic
News Agency.
This prediction was echoed
by another Catholic news website: Several members of the
organization have told Crux
that Tagle, who hosted a recordbreaking visit to the Philippines
by Pope Francis earlier in the
year, is the strongest candidate
coming into the general assembly.

in this nations capital.

Also featured is an exhibit
of signature pieces from furni-

ture designer Kenneth Cobonpue, called the rattan virtuoso

by Time magazine.

Cardinal Antonio Tagle

May 16-31, 2015

11

12

May 16-31, 2015

13

May 16-31, 2015

Family mounts campaign to free Seattle man in Manila jail

SEATTLE. The family of a
man languishing in a Muntinlupa jail the last four years facing
trial for rape is mounting a campaign to free him with the help of
a Los Angeles-based crisis management group.
Scott McMahon, 44, a former
heavy-metal
guitarist-turnedconstruction
worker
from
Renton, Washington who moved
to the Philippines in 2003, insists
he did not rape the 48-year-old
alleged victim, identified in the
complaint as a tabloid journalist.
Its just a complete frameup. I havent done anything
wrong, he declared.
Prosecutors
have
pursued the case largely based on
the womans claims that her
estranged husband, a Belgian
national, and McMahon sexually assaulted her. The woman
reportedly filed the complaint
six months after the alleged rape,
and only after McMahon accused
her of child abuse.
This is the second time a Filipino woman has accused McMahon of rape. In 2008, prosecutors
dropped charges against him
after a different woman withdrew her complaint, swearing in
an affidavit her rape claims were
not true. McMahons supporters say that case, like the current
one, involved someone trying to
extort McMahon.

McMahons mother Shelley Campanella and sister Jennifer Smith signaled theyve had
enough. Were stuck relying
on a legal system thats clearly
broken and corrupt, Campanella said.

izens, remains in jail, repeatedly

denied bail.
Michael Semanchik, an
attorney with the California
Innocence Project (CIP) who
attended some of McMahons
bail hearings, said the case

Seattle man Scott McMahon with Filipino fianc and children

Theyve sought the help
of David House Agency, which
specializes in helping Americans
imprisoned abroad on dubious
accusations.
Its factually impossible
for Scott to have committed this
crime the way the prosecution
says it happened, said the agencys director Eric Volz, who was
once vindicated from a wrongful
murder conviction in Nicaragua.
McMahon, whose fianc
and two children are Filipino cit-

against McMahon is so flimsy

it wouldnt have warranted an
arrest in America.
If the authorities in the
Philippines would have done
even a shred of an investigation,
they wouldve quickly realized
that Scott couldnt have done
this, he said.
Last October, McMahons
legal team sent a brief to the US
State Department detailing due
process violations and other
case flaws. A State Department

spokesman acknowledged the

hons case, but declined to com-

department is aware of McMa-

ment about it.

Fil-Am doctors, nurses

aid Nepal quake victims
SAN FRANCISCO. Filipino
American doctors and medical workers have deployed to
Nepal where a pair of powerful
earthquakes have left at least
8,000 dead, scores missing and
severely damaged the governments ability to respond to the
emergency needs of countless of
its citizens.
Two weeks after the first
powerful tremor, another 7.3
magnitude quake struck the
country last May 11, deepening
the crisis and added hazards for
the international relief efforts
underway.
The whole building was
shaking really hard and then
there was this loud noise. When
I go to the streets, I saw everybody, a lot of people running in
all directions crying and yelling and people just lying on the
ground, said Fil-Am Dr. Herminigildo Valle.
As Dr. Valle visits the
remote regions of Nepal to offer
medical support, he said the
devastation is simply staggering. I havent seen this much

death and destruction. You see

people living in tarpaulin tents
from 90 year olds to 3 year olds
with cast on the leg. The worst
thing is the smell. I could still
smell the dead in the area, he
said on a report by ABS-CBNs
Balitang America.
Valle, Chief-of-Staff at the
Seton Medical Center in Daly
City, has been updating Fil-Am
viewers via Skype from Kathmandu about the effects of the
earthquake in Nepal.
When I got out the street
I saw everybody running in
all directions, crying and yelling. I have not seen this much
destruction, this much devastation, this much suffering of
people, he said.
Officials fear the death
toll may rise even further with
reports of people buried under
the rubble near the Himalayas.
More
Filipino-American
nurses under the California
Nurses Association will be
deployed in the coming days
to help in the medical efforts,
according to ABS-CBN News.

14

May 16-31, 2015

PH Sin Tax expands health care to millions more

MANILA. So-called sin
taxes levied on cigarettes and
alcoholic products are working,
ranking administration officials
said, two years after Congress
approved it.
The tax has raised more than
$1.2 billion in its first year alone,
expanding the governments
health care footprint by an additional 14 million families. Four
years ago, only 74 percent of Filipinos were covered by the Philippines national health insurance
program or PhilHealth; today 82
percent or about 100 million Filipinos are covered.
Health is the right of all
people. Were confronting vices
like smoking and drinking and
turning them into good, says
Finance Undersecretary Jeremias
N. Paul, Jr. The sin taxes are not
only a win for health care; theyre
a win for the poor in our country
who would not be able to afford
health care otherwise.
Revenues from the sin tax
are earmarked for specific programs. Currently, 15 percent is
allocated towards programs to
help tobacco farmers and workers find livelihood alternatives.
The remaining 85 percent goes
to fund universal health care,

upgrade medical facilities, and

train doctors and nurses.
Philippine health statistic
show an average of 240 Filipinos
die daily from smoking related

funded by the sin taxes.

The resources generated
from the sin tax will be instrumental in delivering high impact
breakthrough plans, both in

Taxes on cigarettes and alcoholic drinks boost public health funds

diseases. Stopping people from
taking up smoking and encouraging smokers to quit saves lives
and saves money that can be
spent tackling other health challenges, said Dr Julie Lyn Hall,
WHO Representative in the Philippines
The
Philippine
health
department is set to implement
additional health programs

terms of health facility enhancement and provision of health

professionals towards Universal
Health Care, Health Secretary
Janette Loreto-Garin explained.
These high impact breakthroughs will reduce maternal,
infant and child mortality, HIV
incidence, and strengthen our
service delivery network, she
added.

Rebels kill top bomb-maker

to salvage peace deal
Usman was the 2nd target
MANILA. A top terror suspect who escaped a bloody clash of a botched raid by police Spein Maguindanao that killed 44 cial Action Force (SAF) commanpolice commandos and imper- dos last Jan. 26 that took such as
iled a peace agreement with the heavy toll that it drained public
Moro Islamic Liberation Front support for passage of a Basic
(MILF) was shot dead last May Bangsamoro Law (BBL) in Con6, allegedly by his former com- gress.
rades.
Basit Usman, a notorious
bomb-maker and former guerilla
commander with a $1 million
prize from the United States, was
killed after an alleged clash with
the MILF.
Military spokesman Brig. Abdul Basit Usman
Gen Joselito Kakilala said the
The clash did result in the
MILF killed Usman after he
death
of Malaysian terror suspect
strayed into their MaguinZulkifl
i bin Hir alias Marwan,
danao camp. However, Armed
who
was
wanted for his role in
Forces chief Gen. Pio Catapang
announced earlier that Usman terror attacks, including the Bali
was killed in a shootout with his bombing in Indonesia.
Kakilala
said
Usman
own men after infighting among
resisted
when
the
guerrillas
his bodyguards over the US
accosted him, triggering a shootreward.
After receiving the detailed out. We reiterate our message
verbal report from our field of appreciation he said, thankunits, we have confirmed that ing the rebels for showing sinthe (Moro Islamic Liberation cerity in collaborating with the
Front) had indeed carried out the government in efforts against
neutralization of Basit Usman, lawlessness and terrorism in the
south.
Kakilala clarified.

15

May 16-31, 2015

If you would like to include

your organizations events, please
send the event information to Maurese Oteyza Owens at mpapoose@
aol.com.
MAY 16 (Saturday) 3:00
pm. Book Launch. Whats So
Blessed About Being Poor? by
Coralis Salvador (co-author).
This is an inspiring exploration
of how happiness and holiness

can exist in the midst of poverty

and illness. After a successful
and luxurious life in the U.S., and
when her children grew up and
lead successful lives of their own,
the author travelled to Africa
where she lost herself but
found God while working with
AIDS orphans and epileptics in
Kenya. Sweet City Desserts,131A Maple Avenue, Vienna, VA

22180, Light merienda will be

served., Books are available on
a first-come, first-serve basis at
$20.00/copy. Contact: Mitzi Pickard at mitzip888@gmail.com.
MAY 16 (Saturday) (7.30
pm)
Filiipino Community
of
St.
Bernadette
Catholic Church Monthly Filipino
Mass. St. Bernadette Catholic
Church, 7600 Old Keene Mill
Road, Springfield, VA 22152, 703451-8576. Contact: Tess Saldana
at 703) 569-1054
MAY
20
(Wednesday)
6:30pm 8.30 pm. Philippine
American Foundation for Charities, Inc. Planning Meeting for
Philippine Festival. Lincolnia
Community Center, 4710 North
Chambliss Street, Alexandria,
VA 22312. Planning for Brown
Strokes on a White Canvas, Philippine Independence Day Gala

Ball, and Annual Community

Picnic & SportsFest. Light dinner
served; everyone is welcome.
Contact Mya Grossman at mylenegrossman@gmail.com.
MAY 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm
midnight). St. Paul College and
University Alumni in partnership with All Nippon Airways
presents A Night to Remember. Sheraton Pentagon City,
900 South Orme Street, Arlington, VA 22204. Fundraiser to
assist ailing and aging nuns of St.
Paul Vigil House in Taytay, Rizal,
Philippines. Contact Clarissa
Valdez at amokoinva@comcast.
net or visit Web site at http://
www.paulinianglobal.org/.
MAY 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm
1:00 am. Philippine Nurses
Association of Metropolitan DC,
Inc. Induction Ball. Hilton
Mark Center, 5000 Seminary

Road, Alexandria, VA 22311.

Regular seating $75 pre-paid;
$85 at door. Premium seating is
available. Contact Alice Andam
at presandam@aol.com.
MAY 24 (Sunday) 10:00
am 7:00 pm). Mayon Global
Foundation
PICNIC
GetTogether, to thank supporters
for their continued support and
friendship. Shelter H Cabin
John Regional Park, 7400 Tuckerman Lane, Bethesda MD 201817.
RSVP to Danny Orino 202-5504491
MAY 28 (Thursday) 6:30
pm 8:30 pm. Philippine American Foundation for Charities
Brown Strokes on a White
Canvas
Opening
Reception.
Philippine
Embassy
Romulo Hall, 1600 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20036. Exhibit runs from May
27 June 3; established artists
and newcomers are welcome. If
youd like to participate in the
exhibition or attend the opening
reception, contact Julian Oteyza
(Curator) at julianoteyza@gmail.
com.
JUN 6 (Saturday) 6:00 pm
12:00mn. Philippine American
Foundation for Charities Philippine Independence Day Gala
Ball. JW Marriott Washington,
DC, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue
Northwest, Washington, DC
20004. Formal dinner-dance to
commemorate the 117th anniversary of Philippine independence
from Spain. Includes silent auction and cultural performance.
Contact Beth Wong (Chair)
at bethawong@aol.com.
JUN 13 (Saturday) 8:00 am
5:00 pm) Legion of Mary Fairfax
Comitium Teenage Enrichment
for the Apostles of Mary,Holy
Mass: Our Greatest Treasure.
4407 Aldie Road, Catharpin,
VA 20143. Daylong retreat filled
with prayers, skits, fun games,
and other exciting activities.
Bring bag lunch, water and
rosary. $35 per child or $70. Per
family (2 or more kids). Contact:
Seggy Agosta 703-392-6420.
JUN 20 (Saturday) (7.30
pm)
Filiipino Community
of
St.
Bernadette
Catholic Church Monthly Filipino
Mass. St. Bernadette Catholic
Church, 7600 Old Keene Mill
Road, Springfield, VA 22152, 703451-8576. Contact: Tess Saldana
at 703) 569-1054
Saturday, June 27 (starts at
10:00 a.m.) 18th Annual National
Filipino Pilgrimage to Our Lady
of Peace & Good Voyage, Birhen
ng Antipolo. Main celebrant
is His Excellency Jose Fuerte
Advincula, D.D., Archbishop of
Capiz 10:00 a.m.: Novena; 11:00
a.m.: Sacrament of Reconciliation at the Memorial Hall; 12:00
p.m.: Rosary prayers, Serenata
and Image Procession; 2:00 p.m.:
Eucharistic Celebration. Basilica of the National Shrine of
the Immaculate Conception, 400
Michigan Ave NE, Washington,
DC 20017 Washington, D.C.

16

Around DC in Pictures

Media colleagues of Philippine Embassy Minister Elmer Cato (4th from

right) honored the departing diplomat with a despedida at the National
Press Club, hosted by Maria San Jose (left) of the Diplomatic Courier, a
global affairs magazine. Cato is headed to Iraq and take charge of the Philippine consulate in Baghdad. Among those doing the roast and toast are
Bill Branigin of the Washington Post, Lito Katigbak of the Philippine Star,
Maricar Hampton of FilAm Metro, freelance journalist Boots Felixberto,
Eric Macalma of Firestarter group, Jon Melegrito of the Inquirer and Bing
Branigin of Manila Mail. Welcomed at the party is Darell Ann Artates, who
replaces Cato as head of the Embassys Public Diplomacy. (Photo by Jon
Melegrito)

May 16-31, 2015

From left, Manila Mail editor Bing Cardenas Banigin, a member of the Scholarship Committee in University of
Maryland-College Parks Asian American Studies Program (AAST); KAYAs Emil Trinidad; Joel Vasquez of UMCPFCA; Mencie Hairston, Scholarship Committee and AAST Adviser; AAST Professor Gem Dauz; and retired US Army
Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba, a member of the Scholarship Committee, at the 15th year anniversary of AAST program.
The University of Marylands AAST provides students with the opportunity to critically study the experiences of Asian
Americans. Through an interdisciplinary approach, students examine the histories, communities and cultures of Asian
Americans as both a distinctive from and connected to the broader themes of diversity, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual
orientation and migration in the
Americas. AAST offers a 15-credit
minor program for students who
wish to develop a specialization in
Asian American Studies along with
their degree pursuits.

Cho and Louie Ortega (front, 4th

from right), with daughters Marilyn,
Marilou, Edrie and their kitchen
staff, host the official launching
last month of Lumpia Pancit Atbps
second location in Wheaton Plaza
for friends and community supporters who feasted on the restaurants
culinary delights. (Photo by Jon
Melegrito)

The Natacha Koval Memorial Fund for Development & Public Health was
launched in Washington D.C. last May 4. Photo shows, from left, Philippine
Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr., President and CEO Andy Koval, and Dr.
Ayoub, President of Muslim Relief International. The Natacha Koval Memorial Fund aims to provide treatment for children suffering pediatric cancer
and focused treatment for women with or at risk of breast cancer in poor,
marginalized communities. The foundation included the Philippines as one
of their priority countries. (Photo by Bing Cardenas Branigin)

News in Pictures

May 16-31, 2015

17

Thousands visit PH Embassys open house

Photos & text by Bing Cardenas Branigin
The Philippine Embassy
opened its doors last May 2 for
the 2nd staging of Washington
D.C.s Passport DC program, a
month-long event highlighting
International Cultural Awareness Month in the nations capital.
Some 70 embassies and over
40 cultural institutions joined this
years Passport DC, and organizers say they expected 280,000
people to experience the popular
embassy open houses, street festivals, exhibits and workshops.
Nearly 7,400 people visited
the Philippine Embassys Barrio

Fiesta open house, exceeding last

years traffic.
The exhibits included an
authentic bahay kubo, the traditional bamboo and thatched
roof home that can still be found
in the Philippine countryside.
The Filipino American community supported the event by
providing food. They included
the Philippine American Foundation for Charities (PAFC),
Philippine American Chamber
of Commerce (PACC), De Ausen
Reality, PAMWE, 2As Marketing
and the Ilokano Society Associations, among others.

Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia

Jr. was on hand to welcome
visitors. Assisting him were
Deputy Chief of Mission Patrick
Chuasoto, Minister Elmer Cato,
Consul General Emil Fernandez,
Consul Arlene Magno, Trade
Counselor Nini Alvero, and the
rest of the Embassy staff and
their families.
Members of the Philippine
Nurses Association of Metropolitan D.C. were on hand to provide
first aid to anyone in need.
There was non-stop cultural
and musical entertainment provided by the different groups,

among them, The Mabuhay Inc.,

Northern Virginia Rondalla,
Tanghalang Pilipino, Migrant
Heritage Commission Fil AmEnsemble, BIMAK-Kultura Pilipino from Richmond, Ultimate
Eskrima, Wandering Lies Band,
Manila Mail columnist Eric
Macalma, GMU-FCA, Georgetown University Club Filipino
and American University.
Fil-Am community leaders Ador Carreon, Sonny Busa,
Mitzi Pickard, Maurese Owens,
David Pagsibigan, among others,
helped welcome guests.
Visitors were feted to

mouth-watering Filipino dishes

that included Lechon, Pansit,
lumpia, turon and chicharon.
The Bahay Kubo and Prince
Masipag (the life-size paper
mache mascot carabao, the Philippine beast of burden) were
the most popular backdrop for
picture-taking. Other favorites
were ati atihan mascaras and the
bicycle bamboo.
The countrys flag carrier
Philippine Air Lines, which
recently resumed direct ManilaNew York flights earlier this
year, raffled out two round-trip
tickets to the Philippines.

Amb. Cuisia (far right), thanks the Philippine Nurses Associations of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. for setting up a First Aid station.

Members of the Kultura Pilipino from Richmond, Va. performing an updated version of Maglalatik folk dance.

Amb. Cuisia welcomes 2nd and 3rd generations of Filipino Americans at the
annual Passport DC event.

Manila Mail columnist and Fil-Am entrepreneur Eric Macalma performs at

Philippine Embassy Barrio Fiesta.

Members of the Fil-Am group Wandering Lies Rock and Acoustics Band posed for a picture with Amb. Cuisia.

18

May 16-31, 2015

Philippine Festival to celebrate partnerships across generations

WASHINGTON
D.C.
On June 6, as Saturday evening
falls across the city, Filipinos and
Filipino Americans, their guests
and their friends, will walk into
the ballroom of the JW Marriott
Hotel in Washington DC for the
2015 Philippine Independence
Day Gala Ball.
They will dine and dance,
watch cultural performances,
meet new friends and old
acquaintances and bid for items
in a silent auction.
They will also honor Maj.
Gen. Antonio Taguba (ret), who
is the invited keynote speaker.
Taguba is a professional soldier
who has taken on a new mission
in his post Army life as community ambassador of AARP (formerly the American Association
of Retired Persons). He travels
around the country speaking
to Asian American communities about healthy living, fitness
and retirement planning. The
second American citizen of Philippine birth to be promoted to
general officer rank in the U.S.
Army, Taguba is currently lead-

ing a nationwide effort to secure

the Congressional Gold Medal
award for Filipino World War II
veterans.
Hosting the evening pro-

been an excellent example to

young Asian American women
aspiring for public office. Beyers
professional success as a small
business attorney has been a

the way of ideas and energy that

promote the objectives of PAFC.
He adds: PAFCs charitable
goals can go further together and
they will. The focus on together-

Maryland State Del. Kris Valderrama

gram as co-emcees are Maryland
Delegate Kris Valderrama, now
on her third term in the state legislature; and Filipino American
lawyer and businessman Brandon Flores Beyer. Both in their
early 40s and 30s respectively,
Valderrama and Beyer are inspiring models for a community that
values new ideas, high energy
and experience. Valderramas
rise to political prominence has

Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (Ret.)

Lawyer Brandon Beyer

source of pride as well.

The theme of the Philippine
Festival this year is Across Generations: Rising Together-- Alone
we can go faster, but together we
can go further. As explained by
Sony Busa, Board chairman of the
Philippine American Foundation
for Charities (PAFC), sponsor of
the gala and other festival events,
The multi-generational FilAm
community has much to offer in

ness is not new. Nor is the idea

of bringing the younger set as an
equal and valued partner. However, this year has seen an active
and enthusiastic focus on youth
initiatives, and we expect to see
more in the months ahead.
Noting that the Festival each
year raises thousands of dollars
for charities both here and in
the Philippines, PAFC President
Mya Grossman said: The chari-

ties that are the beneficiaries of

PAFCs fundraising efforts are
those that raise the standard of
living for impoverished families,
provide tuition assistance for
needy students, and raise awareness of Filipino culture. They are
also designed to educate and
promote programs that extol the
virtues of what it means to be a
Filipino and Filipino American.
Kicking off this years festival events are an art exhibit,
Brown Strokes on a White
Canvas, on May 28; and the
Family Picnic and Sportsfest on
June 28. The opening reception
for the art show will be held in
the evening at the Philippine
Embassy. The picnic and sports
events will take place at the
Tucker Road Recreational Park
in Ft. Washington, Maryland.
Tickets for the gala ball are
$85 per person ($95 after May
31), with premier seating set
at $125. For more information
please contact Beth Wong, chairman of the Gala Ball at bethawong@yahoo.com or 301-3951039

Remitly teaches Pinoys how to send money online

SEATTLE. Remitly, Inc one
of the fastest growing companies in the remittance space - is
offering free lessons for Filipinos who are more accustomed
to offline money transfer to
begin using their computers and
mobile phones to send money.
All one needs to do is dial
1888Remitly, no purchase is
required.
Its a question of access,
says Remitlys Marketing Manager Stefan Suarez, a Filipino
residing in the US. For thousands of people, the technological advancements that are supposed to make life easier are
intimidating, scary, and seemingly out-of-reach.
We want to change that by

walking you through your first

online transaction, step-by-step.
Its simply paturo. One
Christmas, I gave my mom
an iPhone. I saw how happy
she was but at the same time I
could sense that she was a little
bit afraid. I told her that part of
my gift was that I was going to
patiently teach her how to use
it. I believe she appreciated the
lessons more than the phone.
Today, shes comfortable using
Whatsapp and FaceTime which
enable her to see her grandkids
even if we are far away. Thats
the same thing we want to do
here at Remitly, but for money
transfer.
Remitly tells us that they
have customers that are 60 years

or older using their service every

day. Online money transfer
shouldnt just be for young, techsavvy kids, Suarez continues,
Everyone, including lolo and
lola should find it easy to send
money home. The team here is
working tirelessly to make that
happen. Our customer service
is dedicated to teach you how
to use it, just like your young
nephew or niece might have once
taught you how to use email or
Facebook or surf the web.
Because of this dedication
towards access and ease of use,
in 2014 Remitlys customer base
grew 400% year-over-year and
customers are sending over $100
million dollars a year using
Remitly. Along with being

easy to use, Remitly is also the

most affordable remittance service.
The World Bank has Remitly
listed as the lowest cost way to
send money to multiple delivery
options.
Sometimes people need
motivation to try or learn something new, said Suarez. For a
limited time we will also give
new customers a $30 gift card if
they complete their first transaction of $100 or more. Its our way
of rewarding you for making
the right choice and embracing a faster, easier way to send
money.
Remitly is a mobile payments service that enables consumers to conveniently make

person-to-person international
money transfers from the United
States. Its digital service uses the
latest technology to eliminate the
forms, codes, agents, extra time
and fees typical of the traditional
money transfer process.
Remitly is authorized to
operate in 45 states and sends
millions of dollars to thousands
of people each week. Remitly
is backed by industry-leading
investors, including DFJ, DN
Capital, Trilogy Partnership, and
QED Investors. Remitly is headquartered in Seattle, WA with
additional offices in the Philippines.

19

May 16-31, 2015

Court freezes 242 Binay & friends bank accounts

MANILA. The Court of
Appeals has frozen the bank
accounts of Vice Pres. Jejomar
Binay, his wife Elenita and son,
Makati Mayor Junjun Binay
for six months after granting
the request of the countrys
anti-money laundering council
(AMLC).
The 38-page court order
covers 242 bank accounts, investments and insurance policies.
The freeze order extends
to at least a dozen other people,
including former Makati officials
and Binay business associates,
including assets of Greenergy
Holdings Inc., Sunchamp Real
Estate Development Corp., and
Earthright Holdings are included
in the court order.
The court said it agreed

with the AMLC that there was

enough evidence to suspect the
bank accounts, investments, and
insurance policies were related
to unlawful activities.
The AMLC noted that the
Binays statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs)
did not reflect their bank
accounts and other transactions.
The SALNs of VP Binay
and his wife Elenita, Mayor
Junjun Binay, Eduviges Baloloy
and Ernesto Mercado show
their respective net worth from
2007-2013 to be disproportionate to the values, frequency and
complexity of their banking and
other transactions, the freeze
order said.
The AMLCs probe arose
out of the Senate hearings on

the supposed overpriced Makati

City Hall Building 2.
The Vice Presidents spokesman said his political opponents

Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay

were using the AMLC report for
political gains.
This is all about the 2016
presidential election. This is all
about unleashing the agencies
of government to harass and
malign the Vice President in the

PH ranks poorly in moms wellness

MANILA. Poverty, difficulty in getting health services
and spiraling cost of health care

survival rates in Metro Manila,

the group noted.
Their annual global moth-

Young Filipina mothers at a govt hospital

have made it difficult for Filipino
mothers, according to the latest
State of the Worlds Mothers
report.
The Philippines ranked
105th out of 179 countries surveyed. And thats despite a 50
percent improvement in child

ers index report reveals child

survival rates among the urban
poor in Metro Manila improved
in the last 20 years, compared
to other developing countries.
Between 1993 and 2008, the child
mortality rate went down from
81 to 38 deaths per 1,000 deaths.

However, the global study

cited the National Statistics
Office (NSO) data which suggest that one in five infants who
died in 2010 were in the National
Capital Region (NCR).
A separate study showed
that the NCR failed to meet the
national targets for maternal
mortality and contraceptive use.
Breastfeeding in Metro Manila
remains low, with only 24 percent of young children exclusively breastfed for the first six
months of their lives. Within this
period, the poorest urban children went from being four times
as likely to die to being twice as
likely to die, compared to their
wealthy peers.
Cities need to keep up with
the breakneck growth as thousands of mothers and children
in cities still have limited access
to essential health services, food
and clean water they need to survive and stay healthy, said Ned
Olney, country director of Save
the Children.

American travel blogger draws

Sorsogons ire
MANILA. An American
travel blogger learned the hard
way that in at least one Philippine province, rubbing civil
servants the wrong way could
bring a lot of grief.
Nathan Allen, who owns
the blog I Dreamed of This
traveled last month to the province of Sorsogon, on the tip of
the Bicol region, where he wrote
disappointed in Donsol, referring to the popular eco-tourism
town thats often the launching
pad for a cruise to watch or even
swim with migrating whales.
Part of the article, published on April 14, read: Is the
Department of Tourism just
hiring members of their families who need jobs? I hope not...

these people need to ACTUALLY be qualified!

Allens statements did not
sit well with local officials and
the tourism department. They
also denied receiving prior
notice from him before his visit.
But he said on his Facebook
post that upon arriving in Sorsogon, he thought it would be
a good idea to inform the tourism officer of Donsol that he
was in the area. He also claimed
that he even left very detailed
information about why he was
there and who he was.
To be clear that Im not just
a hobby blogger, I mentioned
that I had just come from Albay,
where I was a guest of Governor
Salceda, Allen said.

He apologized, apparently surprised by the furor he

caused.
Franco Ravanilla, a board
member of the Donsol tourism
office, filed a resolution, later
approved by the provincial
council, declaring Allen as persona non grata. He said Allens
post may affect the towns tourism industry which provides
jobs and income to small business owners.
The American blogger
urged the Sorsogon officials to
research more about him, saying
the resolution takes away the
hard work he does promoting
the beauty of both Bicol and the
Philippines in general.

hope, however dim, that the

LPs presumptive candidate will
benefit from the demolition campaign, Binay spokesman Joey
Salgado said.
The AMLC is composed of
the Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as chairman, the
Commissioner of the Insurance
Commission and the Chairman
of the Securities and Exchange
Commission as members.
The court order comes just
days after fresh allegations of
corruption against the Vice President, this time from a lawyer
who alleged that the city-run
University of Makati College of
Nursing building was reportedly overpriced by P579 million
(about $13 million).
Lawyer Renato Bondal said
that the buildings construction
was tainted with red flags,
copying the term used by former
Commission on Audit Chairperson Grace Pulido-Tan, who pre-

viously testified on the controversial Makati City Hall Parking

Building II.
The nursing building was
constructed in 2007, when Binay
was still Makati mayor.
Bondal said the public bidding was done hastily. In the
span of just seven days from
the bidding date, this was completed. It was so fast. Its like the
Makati parking building where
[the Ombudsmam] proved that
there was a notice of publication but the newspapers gave a
publishers affidavit that no such
bidding invitations were actually published, he told a Senate
panel investigating the Binays.
Senators asked the Commission on Audit (COA) to look into
the allegations. Binay has faced
a slew of corruption charges in
a Senate probe that has lasted
eight months, the longest in the
history of the blue ribbon committee.

PH is 3rd deadliest for

journalists in world
MANILA. The Philippines
emerged as the 3rd deadliest
country for journalists, after
strife-torn Iraq and Syria, but of
the 77 journalists killed in the
country since 1992 nearly all

other civilians. Over a hundred

suspects, including members of
the powerful Ampatuan clan,
are being tried for the murders
but watchdog groups complain
about the slow pace.

Journalists protest killing of colleagues

were targeted because of critical
reporting against politicians.
This revelation emerged in a
recent UNESCO report to mark
World Press Freedom Day last
May 4.
It was little surprise that
war-torn countries in the Middle
East topped the list but the Philippines stood out because all but
two of the 77 reporters included
in the report were killed for criticizing the countrys powerful
politicians.
Philippines isnt a war
zone. But the body count rivals
that some of the most dangerous
countries, for reason of internal
conflict, Phelim Kine, deputy
Asia director at Human Rights
Watch (HRW) was quoted in a
CNN report.
The 2009 Maguindanao
Massacre still counts as the
single deadliest day when 32
journalists were killed in the
semi-autonomous Muslim Mindanao region, along with 25

Journalist
investigations
touch on the interests of powerful individuals who are backed
with armed forces, and journalists can suffer for their investigations, said Kine.
The Committee to Protect
Journalists (CPJ) pointed out
there are no convictions in almost
90 percent of the murder cases,
and that the culture of impunity
remains the greatest threat to
press freedom in the Philippines.
Since President Benigno
Aquino took office in 2010 partly
behind on a vow to stop extrajudicial killings, 26 journalists have
been killed and suspects have
been arrested in only six of those
cases, the HRW report said.
I cannot deny the fact that
there is still that perception or
belief that there is the culture of
impunity. But that is something
that this administration is trying
to end -- the culture of impunity, Justice Secretary Leila de
Lima was quoted by CNN.

20

May 16-31, 2015

Our Fighting Pride

By Stephen Sonon
In the aftermath of Manny
Pacquiaos loss to Floyd Mayweather, those who have supported
Ang
Panbangsang
Kamao (translated as the
nations fist) know that Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao shows
three things in all his fights: his
love for God, his country, and his
supporters.
Those who truly followed
Ninong Mannys career
through the wins and the losses
could only appreciate the joy he
has provided by bringing families and friends closer through
excitement and anxiety, all leading to the appreciation of the
Sweet Science.
Growing up as a FilipinoAmerican, witnessing a fellow
countryman become a leading
face for Nike, being able to wear
his name proudly for almost a
decade has been an unimagina-

Manny Pacquiao slugs it out with archrival Floyd Mayweather Jr.

ble dream-come-true.
Who knew that a simple
nobody, inheriting the poverties
of a farm in General Santos, later
to run away and slip through the
cracks in the concretes of Manila,
would bring so much joy to a
country polluted with problems?
As a Filipino, Christmas doesnt

only occur in December, but

every time Idol steps in a ring.
Personally, I think Pacquiaos legacy isnt written in
the records of boxings history
books, or engraved in the titles
he conquered in the past two
decades. But, it is embedded in
the hearts of everyone who came

Filipino Restaurant Week runs in New York

NEW YORK CITY. Filipino
cuisine is coming, and nowhere
is it more evident than in the Big
Apple where Filipino American
restaurateurs and the Philippine
Consulate are joining hands to
launch the 1st ever Filipino Restaurant Week on May 11-23.
This is a coming out event
for the Filipino community to
mainstream US society, Philip-

pine Consul General Mario De

Leon said in an ABS-CBN News
interview. This will give the
Filipino community here pride
in our cuisine.
Inspired by the popular New
York Restaurant Week, more
than a dozen Filipino restaurants
will be serving three-course prefixed lunch and dinner for just
$25 for lunch or $35 dinner.

Staten
Islands
Fil-Am
Kusina owner Manny Imperial
said, Im really happy that we
are actually having a Filipino
Restaurant Week. So the curiosity a lot of people have, always
wanting to try something new, is
what I hope most people would
discover.

together to witness a mans hard

work, perseverance, faith, and
indescribable humility come to
life not with what he could do
with two hands but what he
does for everyone else.
As the inevitable conclusion of Manny Pacquiaos career
looms closer, there are things I
will surely miss.
Yes, I will miss the prefight
festivities. Yes, I will miss the
kare-kare, dinuguan, lumpia,
and pancit which all appear on
the dinner table and on the floor
before and after the fight. Yes,
I will miss that one overconfident uncle who claims to know
more about boxing than Freddie
Roach, yet miraculously never
having entered a boxing ring.
And yes, I will miss that one aunt
who watches the entire fight
with her eyes peeking through
her hands, and screaming at any

ounce of action she sees.

All of that aside what I
will miss the most is the entire
Filipino community, no, family,
coming together for Manny.
When
the
Philippines
quiets down to a halt, to watch
him fight, its children in foster
countries share that silence in
screams, cheers, and awe just
to watch Manny lace his gloves,
and momentarily filling the void
of being away from home.
Finally, for those who
wonder, whats next? Idol once
said in response to his conversation with God in a dream, I will
do my best, and God will do the
rest. If given the opportunity to
meet my, and many others Idol,
I would want him to know, Idol,
you have given us your best.
Now, its time for us to return
our thanks.

Paulinian Global Reunion set

WASHINGTON
D.C.
Alumnae of St. Paul College in
the Philippines are hosting a
2nd Paulinian Global Reunion
in the nations capital on May
23 at the Sheraton Pentagon
City Hotel.
The event aims to reprise
the maiden global reunion in
Washington D.C. last 2012.

Dubbed A Night to Remember, the party promises to rock

from 6:00 to midnight and features a live band. Deejz Alfaro
is the official DJ for the evening.
There will also be a raffle
drawing. Proceeds will benefit
the retired Catholic Sisters of
the Vigil House in Taytay, Rizal.

21

May 16-31, 2015

PH offers 8 military... from page 1

that South Korea is giving to the
Philippine Navy (PN) for free,
the government is also expecting
delivery of two brand new frigates from the South Korean government and two strategic sealift
vessels (SSV) and other vessels it
procured from Indonesia.
Pentagon officials have
opted to take a more low profile
stance. We have seen the reports
of Gen. Catapangs comments
and would refer you to him for
clarification, said Marine Lt.
Col. Jeff Pool, a Defense Department spokesman.

Given the ongoing Philippine Supreme Court review of

the EDCAs constitutionality,
the DoD and DND have agreed
to delay implementation of the
agreement. There has been informal, working-level discussion
of potential locations, but no
final decisions have been made
nor are there any plans to begin
implementing the EDCA until
the Supreme Court completes its
review.
The AFP feels acutely the
urgency of beefing up the countrys external defense in the face

P-Noy firms up... from page 1

ties between the two nations. It
was the first visit by a Filipino
president since 1997. In addition to the Canadian capital, the
president also visited Toronto,
Winnipeg and Vancouver which
both had a sizeable, vibrant Filipino immigrant communities.
Canada sees increased
engagement with the Asia-Pacific
region, and with the Philippines,
as a priority for Canadas economic growth, Harper said in a
statement.
The
Prime
Minister
announced Canadian support
to a number of initiatives aimed
at improving maritime security, countering terrorism in the
Asia-Pacific region, and supporting the Presidents Bangsamoro
Peace Process.
The two countries launched
exploratory discussions towards

a free trade agreement and

agreed to work towards upgrading the existing Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection
Agreement.
They also welcomed the
signing of an important framework on mutual accountability
for development cooperation
that outlines the commitments
of both governments to work
together toward reducing poverty in the Philippines.
The President later met with
top business leaders here in a
roundtable forum organized by
the Asia Pacific Foundation of
Canada (APFC) on May 8.
Communications Secretary
Herminio Coloma said President
Aquino addressed questions and
concerns from business executives of companies such as life
insurance, bank, entertainment,

Bail pressed for Pinoy... from page 1

Md. Hes been teaching in Maryland since 2005.
The
39-year-old
math
teacher is one of hundreds of
Filipino teachers hired by Marylands Prince Georges County
public school system to fill a critical shortage of teachers. But in
2011, the US Labor Department
determined it violated visa rules
and ordered the school system
to pay back $4.2 million in back
wages to more than a thousand
foreign teachers.

The MHC will work with

Maryland lawyers to guarantee
due process and afford him the
opportunity to defend himself in
the courts, Valera said in a statement.
Hes been suspended from
teaching since Feb. 12. Some concerned Fil-Ams were surprised
by how authorities in Prince
Georges County are portraying
Magnaye as if he was already
guilty of the accusations.
Valera revealed that Mag-

Record haul for ... from page 1

sales, sports bars broadcast
rights, sponsorships, etc.) added
about another hundred million
dollars to the coffers, according
to HBO and Showtime.
Of that $500-plus million in
revenue, more than $350 million
will go to Mayweather and Pacquiao about $210 million and
$143 million, respectively.
The more intently the
tapes of the fight are scrutinised
the greater the head-scratching
about the unanimous decision in
favour of Mayweather, he wrote
on dailymail.co.uk.
He said leading commentators from the Boxing News 24
website re-visited video of the

fight, at actual speed, in slow

mention and finally looking at it
frame by frame, and concluded
the decision could have also
gone Pacquiaos way.
I thought I won the fight.
He didnt do anything. He was
moving around on the outside,
so its not easy to throw a lot
of punches. I could handle his
power. I have fought bigger than
him and not had a problem,
Pacquiao said after the fight.
Powell said the commentators concluded that many rounds
were exceptionally difficult if not
too close to call and Pacquiaos
claim that he had won the fight
was reasonable, and not outra-

of almost daily progress reports

on Chinas reclamation and construction activities in the South
China Sea, including the Spratly
Islands, parts of which is occupied by the Philippines.
The Philippine Navy is
developing the Ulugan Bay
Naval Base that would be home
to its Naval Forces West (Navforwest) and transform the nearby
Oyster Bay into a modern naval
facility.
Ulungan Bay is directly
facing the Spratlys where tension
has been mounting due to what
many view as Chinas creeping
invasion of the South China Sea.

The government has allotted P500 million to develop the

Ulugan Bay, including P313 million to improve the pier, harbor
and support facilities at Oyster
Bay.
In 2013, China set a 200-mile
maritime exclusive economic
zone to regulate foreign military
activities, and an Air Defense
Identification
Zone
(ADIZ)
designed to control airspace
above the East China Sea. The
US responded by sending strategic bombers through the disputed zone in an act of strategic
defiance.
In addition to a turf war

with the Philippines over Scarborough Shoal and the Second

Thomas Shoal, China has longstanding turmoil with Taiwan
and has recently clashed with
Vietnamese ships and had close
calls with Japanese aircraft over
the Senkaku Islands.
The EDCA would allow US
troops to build facilities, store
gear, and conduct joint training
exercises with the Philippine
military. Critics in the Philippines say such a move would
diminish the countrys sovereignty, and have voiced concern
about everything from pollution
to prostitution.

and telecommunications.
He said President Aquino
vowed to continue focusing on
investments in people and hoped
that the next administration will
continue initiatives such as the
K to 12, intensified technicalvocational skill training, and job
matching, and social protection
programs such as conditional
cash transfer, universal health
care and socialized housing.
Donald Guloien, Manulife
Financial CEO, expressed the
upbeat confidence of Canadian
business in the Philippine economy, Coloma revealed.
The President said the
improved Philippine economy
brought down the national
unemployment rate to its lowest
in October 2014. In terms of
investments, Aquino said foreign investments shot up to $6.2
billion in 2014 from $1.07 billion

in 2010 a 479 percent increase.

He also cited bigger funds
allocated to agencies involved
in the delivery of social services such as the Department
of Health, Department of Education, and the Department of
Social Welfare and Development.
Aquino said greater transparency in government transactions saved the Department of
Public Works and Highways P39
billion, and raised the ranking of
the Philippines to 85th place
from 130th place in 2010 in the
Transparency International Corruption Index.
The Philippines chairs this
year the annual APEC process
and will play host to the APEC
summit in Manila in November.
Canada, also an APEC
member, has been working hard
to re-establish its credibility as
a worthwhile interlocutor for

APEC, and in particular ASEAN

(Association of South-East Asian
Nations) countries. The ASEAN
response has been correct but
cautious, waiting for Canada to
demonstrate convincingly that
it is prepared to sustain its newfound interest in Asia.
In 2012 the Philippines was
the second largest source of new
permanent residents in Canada
(after China), with almost 33,000
successful applicants.
In addition, Canada has
been an important destination
for temporary labor from the
Philippines (although changes to
the Temporary Foreign Worker
Program may affect this flow).
Filipinos in Canada sent home
estimated $2 billion in 2013.

naye approached the MHC three

months ago to express concern
that authorities were getting
only hearing one side, to his detriment.
Magnaye has been locked
up since hes arrest so Valera
said they are filing a motion for
the grant of bail at the Circuit
Court of Prince Georges County
in Upper Malboro, Md. The Filipino mentor will be represented
in that deliberation by lawyer
Stephen Cully.
Valera stressed their biggest
concern was for the truth to come

out. Well ensure that his constitutional rights are protected.

Now is the time for the
community to rally around our
kababayan, he averred, citing
lessons learned from the case
of another Filipino overseas
worker, Mary Jane Veloso who
narrowly escaped the firing
squad in Indonesia.
That case sparked protests
worldwide and spurred impassioned pleas from President
Aquino to his Indonesian counterpart critics say the government response came too late

because Veloso needed it for her

geous as a ringside, post-fight

interviewer implied.
The group suggested the
next time people watch a boxing
match on TV they should mute
down the commentaries.
Some have raised a bizarre
conspiracy theory that alleges
Pacquiao actually deserved to
win because of confusion over
how judges record their scores.
These rumors started to swirl
after the scorecards of judges
Glenn Feldman, Burt Clements,
and Dave Moretti were released
online.
Each of the judges marked
that the fighter in the red corner
was the victor. But in the MGM
ring Mayweather was actually
in the blue corner, while Pac-

quiao was in the red. However,

they also clearly indicated at the
bottom of the score cards that
Mayweather got the most points.
Analysts say the unprecedented earnings and controversy surrounding the fight will
heighten the pressure for a rematch even if the purse is just
half of what the two fighters are
getting today.
And the hype for a re-match
may be starting already. Mayweathers politeness leading up
the fight is slowly crumbling. I
dont even want to say anything
bad about Manny, Mayweather
said in an interview with Showtime Sports. But hes leaving me
no choice.
He was fast. His left hand

was fast, his right was fast, and

he was throwing them both fast
and strong, Mayweather said
when asked if he observed any
problem with Pacquiaos shoulder during the fight.
Mayweather
said
Pacquiao was only making excuses.
Theres a difference between a
great fighter, and TBE (The Best
Ever), and I proved that Im the
best, he declared. Mayweather
maintained his unbeaten streak
to 48 wins.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao has
other things to worry aside from
Mayweathers mouth. He has
been threatened with a classaction lawsuit for failing to disclose his injury before consum-

legal defense during the trial

stage.
The

Manila-based

news

website Rappler quoted Prince

Georges County public school
officials as saying have not
received any other complaints
against Magnaye, although the
police are actively seeking other
possible victims.
Magnayes first scheduled
court appearance will be in June.

Continued on page 22

22

May 16-31, 2015

Pacquiao, Poe hounded with questions on 2016 run

MANILA. Filipino boxing
icon and Sarangani Congressman Manny Pacquiao returned
to the Philippines last May 12
amid speculation about his
retirement and a possible run for
the presidency thats exactly a
year away.
Meanwhile,
another
rumored presidential aspirant,
Senator Grace Poe is reportedly
being targeted for a legal offensive that would question her
citizenship her father Fernando
Poe Jr.s (FPJ) mother is American, although she was born an
orphan, found abandoned outside Iloilo Citys Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral in 1968, according
to her biodata.
The news website Rappler.
com claimed that Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay and Interior Secretary
Mar Roxas are separately preparing cases to claim Poe is not
a natural-born Filipino, a Consti-

tutional requirement for anyone

aspiring to the Philippine president.
In the latest Pulse Asia

percent.
Roxas is reportedly exploring the possibility of asking the
neophyte senator to be his run-

Rep. Manny Pacquiao

Sen. Grace Poe

survey last March, Poe ranked

2nd in the respondents choice
for president, with a net rating
of 14 percent, next to Binays 29
percent; Roxas was 7th with four

ning mate in May 2016; while

Binay is said to be courting Pacquiao to be his vice presidential
candidate.
Then Pres. Gloria Macapa-

gal Arroyo also questioned FPJs

citizenship when he decided to
run against her in 2004. According to complainants, FPJ was an
illegitimate child (he was born
before his parents were married),
and therefore took the citizenship of his American mother.
The Supreme Court ruled
in FPJs favor, saying that when
his father acknowledged paternity, Fernando Poe automatically
assumed the citizenship of his
father, a Filipino.
Sen. Poe has so far steered
away from laying down her
plans for 2016.
Pacquiao, who said he
believes he beat archrival Floyd
Mayweather Jr. last May 2, is
equally non-committal.
Thats not on my mind, he
told journalists upon his return
to Manila. You see, Gods plan
is higher than our plans. His
thoughts are higher than our

thoughts. We cant say, he said.

Pacquiao said his focus now
is on his constituents. Its just
2015. We will just continue serving the people. My focus is on
my constituents in Sarangani,
he added.
He also said he has not yet
decided whether he will seek a
higher position in the 2016 elections. Top Rank boss Bob Arum
earlier said that Pacquiao plans
to run for senator in 2016 and
then President in a future election.
There is wide speculation
about both Poe and Pacquiaos
possible foray into presidential
politics because the two mostrecognized contenders appear to
be in peril Binay because of the
steady stream of corruption allegations and Roxas because of his
consistently dismal showing in
opinion polls.

US to deploy ships, planes closer to China-held isles

WASHINGTON D.C. The
Pentagon is reportedly looking
at deploying US military aircraft and ships to assert freedom
of navigation around rapidly
growing Chinese-made artificial
islands in the contested South
China Sea.
US Defense Secretary Ash
Carter requested options that
include sending aircraft and
ships within 12 nautical miles
(22 km) of reefs that China has
been building up in the Spratly
island chain, a Reuters report
indicated.
We are considering how to
demonstrate freedom of navigation in an area that is critical
to world trade, the US official

said, speaking on condition of

anonymity in the Reuters report,
adding that any options would
need White House approval.
Carters request was first
reported by the Wall Street Journal, which said one option was
to fly Navy surveillance aircraft
over the islands.
It quoted US officials as
saying there was now growing
momentum within the Pentagon
and the White House for taking
concrete steps in order to send
Beijing a signal that the recent
build up in the Spratlys had
gone too far and needed to stop.
US State Secretary John
Kerry was scheduled to visit
Beijing May16-17 and its likely

Reconnaissance photo shows extent of Chinas reclamation activities

the situation in the South China
Sea will be a topic of discussion.
Part of his visit will focus on

preparations for the annual USChina Strategic and Economic

Dialogue scheduled to be held

in Washington in late June.

Freedom of navigation certainly does not mean that foreign
military ships and aircraft can
enter another countrys territorial waters or airspace at will,
said Chinas Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Hua Chunying.
The Philippines has been
pressing the US for more action
in the South China Sea. We are
taking the position that we must
do something quickly lest the
massive reclamation results in
the de facto control by China of
the South China Sea, said Foreign Affairs Sec. Albert del Rosario in Washington D.C.

Fil-Ams more prone to diabetes, hypertension

SAN FRANCISCO. Filipinos in the United States have a
higher rate of diabetes compared
to other groups.
Seven out of 10 Fil-Ams in
California today are overweight
or obese that contributes to the
higher than average diabetes
rate. A 2012 Northern California
study of over one million adults
observed a diabetes rate in Filipinos of 16.1 percent, much higher
than rates observed in other
Asian ethnic groups, African

Americans or Latinos, all often

thought to be at highest risk.
These were just some of
the findings unveiled at the 1st
Annual National Filipino Health
Equity Symposium on chronic
diseases held at the Philippine
Center here last month.
Diet-related chronic conditions such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes are disproportionately found among
Filipinos in the US. Diabetes
risk, for example, is up to four

Record haul for ... from page 21

close his injury before consumers purchased tickets and payper-view telecasts for his fight
against Mayweather.
The first lawsuit was filed in
Nevada on May 5 and two more
were filed in Calfornia, and one
each in Texas and Illinois.
One of the California lawsuits was filed on behalf of Paul

Mahoney, who paid $99.95 for

the pay-per-view telecast. It
claims that Pacquiaos failure
to disclose his shoulder injury
turned the Fight of the Century
into the Sleight Of The Century.
The lawsuit filed in Illinois
on behalf of four of the states
residents not only names Pac-

times higher than among nonHispanic whites.

Our goal is to raise awareness of the chronic disease
burden of the Fil-Am community, said Dr. Aimee Afable of
the State University of New York
(SUNY) Downstate School of
Public Health.
New York and San Francisco-based clinical practitioners
and experts met with Consulate
officials and community leaders to begin a national dialogue

on the chronic illnesses facing

Filipinos and to help curb these
maladies.
The symposium was organized by the National Federation
of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) with the Philippine Consul General of San Francisco Henry Bensuito Jr., represented by Deputy Consul Jaime
Ramon Ascalon.
Rudy Asercion NaFFAA
Pacific Region chair, said his
group focuses on the youth to

help reverse the trends. We

quiao, his manager Michael

Koncz and his promotional company Top Rank, but also names
Floyd Mayweather, Mayweather
Productions, fight producers
HBO and Showtime and payper-view providers AT&T, Comcast and DirecTV.
Our state has a law that
prohibits concealing or misrepresenting material information
with consumers and, within

the context of boxing, Manny

Pacquiaos shoulder injury is a
material fact, said Bob Duncan,
one of the lawyers for the Illinois
plaintiffs.
In another twist to the Fight
of the Century saga, Mayweather was sued by his former
girlfriend for defamation. A law
suit filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court the same day as Pacquiaos in Nevada, Josie Harris

said
Mayweather
defamed
her by describing her unfairly as
a drug abuser during an interview with Yahoos Katie Couric
in April.
Harris claims she has suffered humiliation and emotional
and physical distress as a result
of Mayweathers statements, and
is seeking more than $20 million
in damages.

need to start the conversation

regarding lifestyle changes, or
our kids will have a shorter life
span than us.
He added that NaFFAA will
continue its education campaign
in 13 other strategic locations in
the US with large concentrations
of Filipinos, such as Los Angeles,
San Diego, New York and Washington DC.

Fan Page 23

May 16-31, 2015

Filipino artist Hadrian Mendoza in DC ceramic exhibit

D.C.

entitled Earth Fire Stone at the

artist

37-year old Zenith Art Gallery on

Hadrian Mendoza, 41, a potter

Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Wash,

with an exemplary expression-

DC, from April 28 until August

ist style, opens a one-man show

23, 2015. It showcases Mendozas

WASHINGTON
Virginia-based

Filipino

Kendall Jenner is new

face of PH apparel brand
MANILA. Top Philippine
apparel brand Penshoppe has
snagged a prime endorser in
American model and TV per-

Kendall Jenner
sonality Kendall Jenner.
Hi, Im Kendall and Im
excited to announce that I am
the newest face of Penshoppe.
Jenner confirmed via a YouTube
video that she is the newest
endorser of Filipino clothing
store Penshoppe.

Penshoppe also confirmed

the news on its official Twitter
account last May 6when it welcomed Jenner to
the Penshoppe
team.
The 19-yearold half-sister of
Kim Kardashian
and daughter of
Bruce and Kris
Jenner isnt a
newbie on the
runway.
S h e s
had
modeling stints with
fashion
giants
Marc
Jacobs,
Karl Lagerfeld,
Chanel,
Vera
Wang, and Alexander Wang.
She
has
also graced the
covers of numerous
fashion
magazines.
Penshoppe is known for
bringing in top foreign personalities as their ambassadors, including the One Direction, The Vampire Diaries Ian
Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev,
and most recently, young supermodel Cara Delevigne.

Travel website lists Filipinas

as among sexiest in world
MANILA. Filipinas are
among the sexiest nationalities in
the world, according to a survey
conducted by a dating website.
MissTravel.com,
which
describes itself as the only
dating website for travelers,
recently released the results of
its 2015 Sexiest Nationalities
survey.
Filipinas ranked 8th in the
survey, which was based on
the dating preferences of nearly
45,000 American men.
It cited former Pussycat
Dolls lead singer Nicole Scherzinger, whose father is Filipino,
and Filipino-American actress
Vanessa Hudgens of High
School Musical fame.
Meanwhile,
a
separate
survey showed the Philippines
rose several notches as a tourist
destination. The poll, the Travel
& Tourism Competitiveness
Report, is produced by the World
Economic Forum.

They looked at 141 countries and assessed them against

90 indicators which revolved
around enabling environment,
policy, infrastructure and natural
and cultural resources, among
others.
The Philippines landed in
the 74th spot, an improvement
from 82nd place last year.
MissTravel.com also asked
66,309 American women about
the nationalities they think are
sexy, and Irish people (Jamie
Dornan, Colin Farrell) dominated the list.
The rest of the Top 10 include
Australian (Chris and Liam
Hemsworth), Pakistani (Zayn
Malik), American (Michael B
Jordan, Justin Timberlake), English (Charlie Hunnam, David
Beckham),
Scottish
(Calvin
Harris), Italian (Joe Manganiello), Nigerian (Tinie Tempah),
Danish (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau)
and Spanish (Gerard Pique).

art works done with Philippine

images, and their shifting transformations since he came back to
the United States with his wife
and two children in late 2009.
Mendoza is known for
his strikingly poetic functional
pieces and expressive sculptural

ceramic art scene during a visit

to the Philippines in 1997.
Looking for roots to anchor
his exploration in ceramics in his
original homeland at the time,
Mendoza also mastered the art
and science of clay, glaze, and
firing techniques with mentors,

Hadrian Mendoza
art works done in the past 20
years. With an eye for ever morphing shapes and a peripatetic
hunger for experimentation with
earth, wind, and fire in his kiln,
his creative partners, Mendoza
has produced surprising creations and post-modern expressions with the ancient medium,
raising the bar each time to more
challenging levels that puts
viewers in other artistic media in
awe.
When he finished business management at the University of Mary Washington in
1996, including art studies at the
Corcoran School of the Arts and
Design that began in 1996, Mendoza decided to be a full-time
potter after he saw a very active

Fil-American Jon Lorenzo Pettyjohn and his wife, Filipina ace

potter Tessy San Juan, at the couples thriving school of pottery.
In 1999, the student partnered
with his masters and established
the Pettyjohn-Mendoza School
of Pottery in Makati City, a
landmark institution for serious
Filipino potters, which unfortunately folded up in 2005. Mendoza spent 12 years honing his
expertise in pottery in the Philippines, from 1997 to 2009.
While in Manila, the multiawarded Mendoza also organized the first networking of
Southeast Asian potters after he
received the Network Program
Grant of the Toyota Foundation
in 2007, which led to a first group

show of 38 Southeast Asian

(ASEAN) potters at the Ayala
Museum, Makati City, Philippines in 2009.
When he relocated to Virginia, he organized a second
group show of ASEAN potters
was held at FLICAM Museums
in Fuping, China in 2012, after he
received the FuLe International
Ceramic Arts Museum Grant
which included a one-month art
residency for him and 22 other
ASEAN potters in Fuping. Mendoza also organized the third
Southeast Asian Ceramics Festival and Exhibition of 13 ASEAN
potters at The Workhouse Arts
Center in Lorton, Virginia in
October 2014, after receiving the
Humanities Fellowship Grant
from the New York-based Asian
Cultural Council. He has been
a resident-artist of Virginias
Workhouse since March 2010.
Philippine-born Mendoza
and his two other siblings grew
up in Virginia in 1980, after their
mother migrated from the Philippines in 1979. Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia and
his wife Maria Victoria are special guests at the opening night
of Mendozas show at Zenith.
Exhibits additional information: Opening Reception:
Thursday, May 7th, 5 - 8 pm
Information:
Margery Goldberg, 202-783-2963; margery@
zenithgallery.com.
Gallery
hours Monday Friday 8 am 7pm (Weekends and evenings
enter on 12th St. NW DC 20004;
knock and the guard will let you
in 24/7)

Fil-Am internet comedian named

YouTube Star of the Year
SAN FRANCISCO. The
American comedy duo Smosh
was named YouTube Star of the
Year in the 7th Annual Shorty
Awards last April 20.
Smosh is a web-based
comedy duo consisting of Ian
Andrew Hecox and Anthony
Padilla, who is Filipino American. Padilla created Smosh in
2002, posting flash animations
on Newgrounds. He was later
joined by Hecox and they began
posting videos on YouTube.
The Shorty Awards recognizes the best content producers
on social media platforms such
as Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr,
YouTube, Instagram, Vine, and
others.
Smosh has been posting
comedy videos since 2005 and
has since generated 4.3 billion
video views. It has more than 24

Smosh stars Ian Hecox and Fil-Am Anthony Padilla

million subscribers on their two
YouTube channels combined.
According to their website,
the winners of the Shorty Awards
are selected by members of the
Real-Time Academy of Short
Form Arts & Sciences, comprised
of luminaries from advertising,

media, entertainment and the

Internet.
Lionsgate announced last
September that they are making
a full-length movie to be entitled Smosh: The Movie thats
reportedly scheduled for release
this summer.

24

May 16-31, 2015

On What the Galleon Trade Bequeathed

MANILA.
est one forgets, the Galleon Trade, the regular
exchange of goods and
other commodities by seas
between Manila and Acapulco,
Mexico (then, New Spain) from
1565 to 1815, was a major world
event chronicling what historians would later aver as the
enterprise that brought glamor
and romance to the history of
the seas, supplanted the original desire by a world power for
exploration, conquest, and settlement of colonies, and which
provided the central theme to
what the Philippines, as a nation,
has become since the first day a
Spanish galleon left the port of
Manila.
It is no wonder then, that
whenever my wife and I are in
Makati, a bustling city in the
Metropolitan Manila, even for a
brief visit, we suffer the pain of
going back in time when Manila
itself was the port of entry and
exit for the worlds largest merchant ships carrying merchandise and luxury products for
two hundred and fifty years.
Going through the arcades of
the big shopping malls in Makati
are consumer and luxury items
prominently on display for the
taking. Looking at them, my wife
and I would sometimes think,
that whatever mode of transportation carried these items to the
shopping malls the end of the
Galleon Trade really never took
place.
There was really no trade
between Manila and Acapulco.
Except for a few agricultural
produce, no significant items
made and bundled in Manila, in
terms of profitable value, were
ever shipped to Acapulco. The
port of Manila, in the long history of the Galleon Trade, served
only as conduit for products
coming from the Orient which
on closer inspection would just
be mostly those coming from
China. Nowadays, the proliferation of brands that are Made in
China, available in any marketing outlets in the Philippines and
in Asia, would be taken as a continuation of Chinas forays into
profitable global marketing from
the days of the galleons.
Because of her natural harbors and a bay giving easy access
to the Pacific Ocean, the then
Spanish advisors to King Philip
V ascribed to Manila as the mistress of so many seas and capital of so many archipelagoes,
a center of a web of commerce.
Merchandise shipped to Acapulco usually carried goods from
India, Southeast Asia, China, and
Japan. The voyage eastward took
seven months from Manila, usually in July, and three months
westward from Acapulco leaving in January of the following year. The voyage, one way,
stretched to 9,000 nautical miles,

L
The saga of Mary Jane
Veloso
MANILA.
f youre a Filipino, you
couldnt help but feel the ache
in your heart over the story of
Mary Jane Veloso. Heres another
story of one of us, a victim of circumstances in a cruel world that
preys on the naive and vulnerable.
Luckily, she got a reprieve
from execution.
On the days before Mary
Janes announced execution in
Indonesia for drug trafficking,
every time she was on the news,
it was hard to look at her face,
the one they put on the posters
to dramatize her plight. They
chose the right photograph of
her, looking out into nothingness, haggard yet stoic.
Whose fault is it that every
now and then we as a people
find ourselves tearing our hair
and gnashing our teeth over sad
news about fellow Filipinos falling into heart-rending situations
abroad?
Is it our governments fault
that its unable to create enough
jobs so that we wouldnt have to
leave our shores to earn a living
elsewhere?
Is it the fault of the private
sector thats unable to grow the
economy enough so that all Filipinos can have a job?
Is it the fault of our educational system thats unable
to produce graduates who can
compete for higher-level jobs
instead of the typical vacancies
abroad that put our countrymen
and women in exploitative situations that endanger their lives in
the process?
Is it the fault of our countrymen and women who venture
out into what is an unknown
world to them and put themselves in harms way? Is it their
fault that they go to unsafe
places even when our government warns them not to go? Is
it their fault that they take their
chances as illegal residents in foreign countries?
The answer is probably all
of the above.
I dont know if Mary Jane
Veloso is indeed innocent of the
charge of drug trafficking as her
family claims. But, as in the aftermath of the Mamasapano incident in Mindanao last January 25
involving the death of elite police

forces and Muslim fighters and

civilians, we have a tendency to
whip ourselves up into a frenzy
to find someone to blame.
We go on an orgy of fingerpointing and blame-assigning
as we spray accusations around
and hope to find someone we
can pin the blame on.
Often all we have are suspicions, rumors or intrigue as
bases for our finger-pointing.
That cant be right. That cant
be fair. What we need are facts
before assigning blame.
After Mary Janes reprieve,
the ensuing credit-grabbing was
laughable, affirming the adage
that success has many fathers but
failure is an orphan. There are
none more delusional than the
self-righteous as they claimed
credit for saving Mary Jane.
The fact is that governments
are often loath to deal with militants and prefer to deal with
their bilateral counterparts. Governments often see activists as
a necessary inconvenience and
thus treat them with grudging
tolerance.
So who is to blame for Mary
Janes misfortune? Some point
to Philippine consular officials
for not helping her enough. The
government has explained that
theyve been pleading with the
Indonesian government virtually from the beginning. The professional cynics and disbelievers
of course arent convinced.
Some point to Indonesias
stern policy on drug trafficking.
Some accuse Mary Janes alleged
recruiter. Some even point to
President Aquino for not saving
her.
I need someone to explain
to me how Aquino is a human
trafficker, as alleged by the
noisemakers. Filipinos have
been venturing abroad to find
jobs since the time of Ferdinand
Marcos.
We seem to always need
someone to blame.
But we have to be careful
not to accuse people who may be
innocent just to be able to point
our fingers at someone. Before
we send Mary Janes recruiter
to jail, lets please make sure
she is indeed guilty. We cannot
be a mob out to lynch someone,

Continued on page 30

considered at that time the longest feat of navigation. The sea

routes, to and from, were perilous, to say the least. The captain
and crews of each ship had to
contend not only with the vagaries of the weather, the onslaught
of unexpected ocean waves,
but also with pirates who were
always on the prowl. Shipwrecks
and loss of galleons by unaccounted means caused considerable dooms to those who had
invested their wealth in a voyage
they earlier judged as a profitable venture. Historians would
later record a number of those
would-be profiteers plying the
streets of Manila for alms.
It was easy then to succumb
to the temptation of a lucrative
enterprise. Galleons were built,
owned, and operated by the
Spanish Government. Spaniards
living in Manila, who were lucky
enough to hold boletas, or
assigned spaces in the hull, filled
these spaces with merchandise to
be sold once the ship made it to
Acapulco. These spaces would be
filled the same way once the ship
would have departed for Manila.
Freighting of sought-after goods
generated profits. Merchants
with the necessary means, along
with the members of the religious
orders in the Philippines, did not
spare any moment to be the willing participants.
Items shipped to Acapulco,
to name a few, were pearls, diamonds, and topazes; amber,
wheat flour, knives, saltpeter, and
cabinet works; clove, cinnamon,
pepper, sago flour, camphor, and
precious gems; musk, civet, ivory,
tin, ruby, and sapphire; and white
silk cloth, silk stockings, forged
ironworks, Ming and Ching porcelain wares, jade statutes, and
paneled screens. Manila port
would have received gold and
silver ingots from the mines of
Peru and Mexico. Goods from
Asia, almost always, excited the
Europeans. Their palate heretofore would savor spices and
herbs. The dark side of these
exchanges, however, was the
neglect paid to producing marketable Philippine sugar, hemp,
and cloths. Local mines capable
of excavating gold and iron ores
were also not considered. Easy
returns was the prevailing rule.
Historians attributed the
end of the Galleon Trade to the
invasion of Spain by Napoleon
and the start of the Mexicans
agitation for freedom from the

colonizing control of the Spanish Crown in 1810. Competition

from the enterprising British and
Dutch ship owners and rampart
corruption among those operating the routes contributed to
the loss of interest in trade using
Spanish galleons. The last galleon from Manila to dock at Acapulco, in a twist irony, was the
Magallanes in 1810 and had to
spend four years stranded in her
location because of the Mexican
Revolution. A decree by the Spanish Cortes in 1813 formally ended
the Galleon Trade, a law that took
effect two years after.
The effects and cultural
influences wrought upon the
lives of the Filipinos never ended.
Up to this day, devotees pray to
the images of the Black Nazarene
of Quiapo and the Virgin of Antipolo which were carved in Mexico
and transported to Manila via the
Galleon Trade. Every Spanish
galleon leaving the port of Manila
carried the image of the Blessed
Virgin, known then as the Nuestra Senora de Buen Viaje (Virgin
of the Good Voyage). The Barong
Tagalog, the stage play known as
Moro-Moro came from Mexico,
along with horses, cattles, various fruits and vegetables such as
chico, avocado, papaya, tomato,
squash, lima beans, peanut, yam,
and cassava, to name a few. The
Mexicans were introduced to the
Philippine-grown mango, tamarind, and rice. Cultural exchanges
did not only concentrate on what
passes through the mouths.
Words of Mexican origin became
intertwined with the daily use of
Filipino grammar, such as banqueta, tamales, zacate, chocolate,
tocayo, and many others.
The history of the Philippines, from the arrival of Magellan in 1521 to the end of the
Spanish colonization in 1898,
precipitating the arrival of the
Americans, revolves around the
theme of social, economic, and
cultural exposures. The Filipinos religious beliefs, their vocal
expressions of their thoughts,
mental choices for a governing
body mindful of their wants and
dreams, the education they desire
to be competitive in many aspects
of livelihood, and how to commune with their peers and neighbors were all made possible by
human exposures. How blessed
are they to have survived in the
Age of Exploration, the Galleon
Trade, and the Battle of Manila
Bay.

25

May 16-31, 2015

Immigration Notes
By: J. G. Azarcon, Esq.

Parole in
place

T
Unsung Heroes

ts going to be a bright and

sunshiny day with the sun
flying high in all her beauty
as the flowers stretch out in full
bloom, and all I can do is echo
singing Jimmy Cliffs lyrics on
this particular day. What a perfect
day indeed to match the promise
of May as we ease into the rest
of month after a flurry of news
from the aftermath of everyones
favorite Fil Am Boxer and hero
Manny Pacquiao. Despite the
outcome of the match and all the
news following the Fight of the
Century, its time to refocus and
take in the Spring weather and
breathe in some fresh air to take
a moment to think about the real
unsung heroes of today.
Eleanor Alejandro Macalma
is my unsung hero and not just
on of this day but every day
because she has been stepping
into the ring daily always boxing
and fighting for my corner. In
my almost 30 years of living, I
still remember the struggle it
was for my parents moving us
here to the States, in particular for my Mother as she made
the ultimate sacrifice by laying
down her life and career for three
little brown cubs as she and my
Father stepped into a new chapter coming to America.
My mother who is a full
bread Ilocano, having grown up
from Alicia, Isabela left everything in the Philippines from
her comfortable life to close
family and even laid down her
career as a doctor in the Philippines. She did not have to but
she did. I am sure it is a similar
story from many other Fil Am
mothers making their sacrifice
for their family, but for me it is a
memory I will always cherish as
everyone has their own story to
tell. I say this with a heavy heart,
because Eleanor is soft spoken
and almost timid especially
when it comes to telling her own
story, but when you hear her
speak one can always tell every

word comes from a genuine and

authentic person reflecting how
she can easily take any rooms
attention.
She is also one to stay strong
to her faith, which in our culture
paints the picture of a pious subservient wife to her husband,
but she remained strong supporting her husband all these
years, by being anything but
weak and instead by leading
by her word she led by action.
The best example of this is that
she focused on being a mother
over her career which helped
my father shift over from being
a stay at home dad to starting his
own business. She did not have
to but she did. Another example
is how instead of catching up on
rest, she would take us to church
every Sunday even when my
father could not be there despite
being tired working many sleepless nights for the graveyard
shift as a sleep lab tech keeping
true to her faith in raising her
boys uprightly. Again she did
not have to but she did.
Growing up as a Fil Am, it
is not hard to notice our strong
pride in our country in celebrating our achievements and our
heroes, but on this particular
Mothers day things are a bit
different. I am almost a month
and half reaching the big 3-0
and all I can think about is how I
would not be here without Eleanor. Often times she not only
pushed me but also guided me
through the peaks and valleys of
this thing we call life, especially
on gloomy days. She is the light
that pointed the way for me, and
all I can do is sing the lyrics I can
see clearly now the rain is gone.
I can see all obstacles in my way.
Gone are the dark clouds that
had me blind. Its gonna be a
bright (bright), bright (bright)
sunshiny day. Thanks Mom
to you and all the mothers out
there, the true unsung heroes.

he USCIS on November
15, 2013 issued a Policy
Memorandum clarifying
the treatment of alien relatives of
United States military personnel.
Spouses, parents and children of active duty service
members, including veterans
and reservists, who are present in the United States without
valid immigration status will
be granted parole status. This
temporary status will shield
qualified aliens from deportation. Unless the alien has been
convicted of serious crimes, it is
likely that parole will be granted.
It is given on yearly increments.
Under current law, aliens
who enter the country without
inspection ordinarily would
not qualify for adjustment of
status unless granted parole. For
instance, the spouse of an active
duty soldier who crossed the
border into the US would not be
able to adjust to permanent resident without exiting the country to apply for an immigrant
visa. The problem however is
that once the alien exits the US,
he/she may have to wait for
an indefinite time before being
granted an immigrant visa to
return. This can be avoided if the
alien obtains a stateside waiver

VISA PRIORITY DATES FOR THE PHILIPPINES

MAY 2015
FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES
First: Unmarried sons/daughters
of US citizens
Feb. 01, 2005
Second:
A: Spouses/minor children of
permanent residents:
Sep. 01, 2013
B: Unmarried sons/daughters 21 years
of age or older of permanent residents April 22, 2004
Third: Married sons/daughters of citizens Aug. 15, 1993
Fourth: Brothers/sisters of citizens
Oct. 22, 1991
EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES
First: Priority workers
Current
Second: Professionals holding advanced
degrees or persons of exceptional ability
Current
Third: Skilled workers, professionals
Jul. 01, 2007
Other Workers
Jul. 01, 2007
Fourth:
Certain Religious Workers
Current
Fifth: Employment creation/
(Million or half-million dollar investor)
Current
of inadmisibility before departure.
Whether or not the alien will
qualify for adjustment of status
in the US without exiting the
country would depend upon the
status of the US military member.
Only immediate relatives of U.S.
citizens will qualify for adjustment of status and these are
spouses, parents and children
under 21years. Parole does not
erase other grounds of inadmissibility like failure to maintain
continuous lawful status since
entry into the US, unless the

alien is an immediate relative of

a US citizen or falls under other
exemptions designated by law.
If the US military member
is only a green card holder, the
better way to proceed would be
to wait until the military member,
reservist or veteran obtains US
citizenship before applying
for adjustment of status. In the
meantime, the relatives of US
military personnel do not have
to worry about being removed
from the US.
(Questions
may
be
addressed to 703 893 0760)

Rate Drop Brings Refinance Opportunity

ccording to Freddie Macs

latest weekly mortgage
survey, rates on home
loans hit their lowest levels of
the year in the past week. This is
good news for potential homebuyers as it has lowered the cost
of owning a home. It is also good
news for those who are considering refinancing their home loan
as well.
Those who are considering
refinancing can take advantage
of lower rates to lower their
monthly housing payments. In
addition, there are several other
benefits that someone who is
contemplating refinancing might
consider:
Building
equity
more
quickly. Rates on 15-year loans
are significantly lower than
30-year alternatives right now
and this financial move will help
save a homeowner tens of thousands of dollars in interest costs.
Lowering consumer debt
payments. Using equity to take
cash out to pay off consumer
debts can have a significant effect

upon a homeowners monthly

payments and might allow them
to pay off their home loan more
quickly as well.
Eliminate mortgage insurance payments. Rising home
values may make it possible for
a homeowner to eliminate costly
mortgage insurance payments or
consolidate a second mortgage
into their home loan with a lower
overall payment.
Move to Safety. Lower
rates will enable homeowners
to move from their adjustable
rate loans to the safety of a fixed
rate. Others may opt to move to

longer-term adjustables such as

those fixed for up to ten years.
Whatever the reason for the
refinance, it is not known how
long rates will stay this low.
Therefore, acting quickly makes
sense.
Ramon M Llamas, NMLS#:
483757, has been in the lending
business for more than 20 years. He
has helped thousands of homeowners saved money in their mortgage
needs, purchase or refinance. Any
mortgage question or free personal
mortgage analysis, please email him
at homemortgage101@yahoo.com or
call his cellphone at 703.980.3984.

26

May 16-31, 2015

STUFFED EGGPLANT
(Vegetarian)
I cooked this recipe during
a cooking demo Faith and Food
Philippines 2015 at the Trinity House in Leesburg, Virginia
on May 9. Eggplant is a spongy,
mild-tasting vegetable thats
meaty yet low in calories. Its
never eaten raw, but it can be
baked, grilled, or sauted. Compared to the familiar American
eggplant, Filipino or Chinese
eggplants have thinner skins, a
more delicate flavor, and not as
many of the seeds that tend to
make eggplants bitter. The best
eggplants are firm and shiny
eggplants with unbroken skin.
Male eggplants tend to have
fewer seeds, and are therefore
less bitter than female eggplants.
To sex an eggplant, look at the

indentation at bottom. If its

deep and shaped like a dash,
its a female. If its shallow and
round, its a male. Smaller eggplants also tend to be less bitter.
Freshness is important, so dont
store them for very long.
Substitutes: Japanese eggplant (This is similar, but it tends
to be a bit more bitter than the
Chinese eggplant.)

Ingredients:
2 small size eggplants (the
long kind)
1 cup chopped yellow
onions
1/2 cup diced, mushrooms,
finely chopped
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup diced potato
1/4 cup frozen green peas

1/4 cup chopped red bell

pepper
5 to 6 large eggs, salted (1/4
teaspoon), slightly beaten
salt and pepper

Methods:
To cook the stuffing: Sweat
the onions in vegetable oil and
add mushrooms, carrots and
potato, and saut the vegetables
until half-cooked. Add green
peas and red bell pepper and
continue cooking for another
two minutes and season with
salt and pepper. Set the stuffing
aside until cool and remove any
excess juice.
To prepare the eggplant:
Steam the eggplants until tender.
(If using a microwave oven, cook
for 6 to 8 minutes for 2 eggplants

after making 1 or 2 incisions in

each.) Let cool. Then make a slit
along the length of the eggplant,
opening into a butterfly; flatten
and season with salt and pepper.
To cook and serve the
stuffed eggplant: Fold the eggs
into the stuffing and beat gently
to blend the mixture. Then heat
enough vegetable oil in a nonstick frying pan. Scoop the eggvegetable mixture into the pan,
roughly forming into the shape
of the eggplant. Lay the eggplant on top of the egg mixture
then scoop again just enough
egg-vegetable mixture to cover
the eggplant. Cook the bottom
side until golden brown (3-5
minutes). Turn over the eggplant with a fish turner and cook
the other side until light golden
or firm to the touch. Follow the
same methods to cook the other
eggplant.
Rest the eggplants on a serving platter for a few minutes
before slicing them cut diago-

nally into serving pieces. Can

be served with or without sweet
chili sauce or ketchup.
Master Chef Evelyn S.
Bunoan --100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S.,
2009, Filipina Womens Network;
MHC Most Outstanding Migrant
Award in Culinary Arts, 2011;
PAFC Dakila Special Achievement
Award, 2011; Owner/Master Chef,
Philippine Oriental Market & Deli,
Arlington, Virginia; Founder and
President of CHEW (Cancer Help
Eat Well) Foundation, a 501 (c) (3)
public charity formed to help and
cook pro-bono for Filipino-Americans who are afflicted with cancer
and other serious illnesses; Culinary writer; Member, Les Dames
dEscoffier International, Washington DC Chapter; Member, International Cake Exploration Society,
Member, Culinary Historians of
Washington, D.C.; Master Chef,
French Cuisine and Patisserie, Le
Cordon Bleu, London.

hours, because before I know it

the clock says 5:30. I jumped up,
threw my clothes on, ran to the
car, and here I am. There - you
wanted the truth....you got it.
Wife: Bullshit... Tang na.... Nag
36 holes ka, gago.

tayo.
Ambo: (Inakyat ang puno
ng istar apol.) Oo pare, hinog na
hinog na.
Kokoy: O sige. Bumaba ka
na at susungkitin natin.

A MAN AND A WOMAN

woman and a man are

involved in a car accident on a snowy, cold
Monday morning; its a bad
one. Both of their cars are totally
demolished, but amazingly neither of them is hurt. God works
in mysterious ways. After they
crawl out of their cars, the man
is yelling about women drivers.
The woman says, So, youre a
man. Thats interesting. Im a
woman. Wow, just look at our
cars! Theres nothing left, but
were unhurt. This must be a
sign from God that we should
be friends and live in peace
for the rest of our days. Flattered, the man replies, Oh yes,
I agree completely, this must be
a sign from God! But youre still
at fault...women should not be
allowed to drive. The woman
continues, And look at this,
heres another miracle. My car
is completely demolished but
this bottle of wine didnt break.
Surely God wants us to drink
this wine and celebrate our good
fortune. She hands the bottle
to the man. The man nods his
head in agreement, opens it and
drinks half the bottle and then
hands it back to the woman. The
woman takes the bottle, puts the
cap back on and hands it back to
the man. The man asks, Arent
you having any? The woman
replies, No. I think Ill just wait
for the police.

Moral of the story: Women

are clever, dont ever mess with
them.

BEAUTIFUL
A man was just waking up
from anesthesia after surgery,
and his wife was sitting by his
side. His eyes fluttered open and
he said, Youre beautiful. Then
he fell asleep again. His wife had
never heard him say that before,
so she stayed by his side. A few
minutes later his eyes fluttered
open and he said, Youre cute.
The wife was disappointed
because instead of beautiful,
it was now cute. She asked,
What happened to beautiful?
The man replied, The drugs are
starting to wear off.

ACTS 2:38
An elderly woman had just
returned to her home from an
evening of Church services when
she was startled by an intruder.
She caught the man in the
act of robbing her home of its
valuables and yelled, Stop! Acts
2:38! (Repent and be baptized,
in the name of Jesus Christ so
that your sins may be forgiven.)
The burglar stopped in his
tracks. The woman calmly called
the police and explained what
she had done.
As the officer cuffed the man
to take him in, he asked the burglar, Why did you just stand
there? All the old lady did was

yell a scripture to you.

Scripture? replied the burglar. She said she had an ax and
two 38s!

GOOD REASON
Wife: Where the heck have
you been? You said youd be home
by noon after your golf game!
Husband:
Im
so
sorry
Honey... but you probably
dont want to hear the reason.
Wife: I want the truth,
and
I
want
it
NOW!
Husband: Fine. We finished in
under 4 hours, quick beer in the
clubhouse, I hopped in the car,
and would have been here at 12
on the dot. On the way home, I
spotted a girl half our age struggling with a flat tire. I changed it
in a jiffy, and next shes offering
me money. Of course I refuse it.
Then she tells me she was headed
to the bar at the Sheraton and
begs me to stop so she can buy
me a beer. Shes such a sweetie, I
said yes. Before you know it - one
beer turned to three or four, and
I guess we were looking pretty
good to each other. Then she tells
me she has a room at the Sheraton less than 50 steps from our
table. She suggested we get some
privacy while pulling me by the
hand. Now Im in her room....
clothes are flying... the talking
stopped, and we proceeded to
have sex in every way imaginable. It must have gone on for

SINO BA TALAGA?
Mister: Honey, ang feeling
ko hindi mo na ako mahal.
Misis: Bakit mo naman
nasabi yan?
Mister: Kasi kung ako ang
kumakain ng marami, galit na
galit ka. Pero pag yung alaga
mong baboy ang maraming
nakain, tuwang-tuwa ka. Sino ba
talaga ang mahal mo sa amin?

DEDICATED
Isang araw, nag-uwi si
Bruno ng trabaho.
Bruno: Pasensiya ka na
mahal, rush lang ito, eh.
Misis: Ano ka ba naman
Bruno. ikaw lang ang embalsamador na nagdadala ng trabaho
sa bahay!

HINOG NA
Kokoy: Pare, mukhang
hinog na yung kaimito, o. Akyatin mo nga para makasiguro

SAKSI
Pulis: Sinong nakasaksi sa
aksidente?
Tomas: Ako po, sir.
Pulis: Naplakahan mo ba
yung sasakyan?
Tomas: 4 po sir.
Pulis: Anong 4? May
kasunod pa ba?
Tomas: For Registration
po sir.

SA OSPITAL
Nars: Doktor, bakit niyo
tinanggihan yung pasyente
kanina?
Doktor: Saan?... Dun sa
Delivery Room?
Nars: Hindi, yung nasa
Receiving Room.
Doktor: Ahhh, yung bakla.
Nars: Opo, Baka sabihin
may discrimination tayo, porke
bakla siya.
Doktor: Nakuuu!... ano
naman ang ra-raspahin ko sa
kanya, no?

27

May 16-31, 2015

Youve Got Choices

L
What a Tale My Abs
Would Tell

f you could read my sixpack. So said my abs

as I tried to imagine the
tautness it spoke of. I stifled my
laugh so as not to offend it. You
are not above fibbing, are you? I
said silently.
It continued with its soliloquy. Then you would realize
how comical you look in all your
contortions. Why are you torturing me? Havent I served you
well by keeping your stomach in
place? And when I stretched to
accommodate your three pregnancies, did you think to thank
me for my heroics then?
Well abs that was the problem. I hardly thought of you at
all. You did extremely well. I
admit that. But now the day of
reckoning has arrived.
There is this woman who
tells me how much chubbier
I look every time we meet.
Hmmm, you gained weight.
Then she touches my waist as
she gives me a perfunctory hug.
Did she think I would not notice
that extra pat? Bully for you!
I placed my hand on my
mid-section and gave my abs a
silent salute. Hush, I said. I
am doing this for you as well. I
will show you off soon. I promised as I looked up to the heavens. H-E-L-P-M-E. I implored
as I mimed the words. I hoped
the health fitness goddess heard
my plea.
Weight gain. Weight loss.
More than aging, this cycle
attracts the most comments and
elicits the most angst. Even men
and women agree. The battle
of the sexes is forgotten, albeit
temporarily, and their energy is
turned towards and against their
combined battle of the bulge.
Heft is more obvious and impossible to disguise. Wrinkles have
make-up to turn to for help in
concealment.
There are times when sleep
eludes me. On those nights I surf
the channels hoping to come
upon a movie that is light enough
for me to enjoy while waiting for
slumber. But the overnight TVland is populated by infomercials about diet supplements and
the newest exercise inventions.
Their claims promise improvements heretofore impossible to
achieve.

I can understand the frustration that drives the dejected into

believing the promises. I have
almost given in to the temptation
as well. But Mitch has been vocal
with his skepticism towards the
supplements. He convinced me
that most if not all can be harmful
instead of beneficial. They usually include stimulants and thyroid gland altering ingredients.
Plus they are excreted through
the kidneys and absorbed by the
liver. Two organs that require
optimum functioning conditions
to maintain our health.
There is only one way for
success in weight loss. Taking in
less calories. Mitch says. And
quick fixes are impossible to
maintain. Eating less will reduce
your weight. Exercise will tone
up your body.
My balae, my oldest daughters father-in-law, weighed in
with his thoughts as well. Eat
20% less. Then work out 20%
more.
What now?
I researched materials on
healthy living and successful
dieting. I also read the exercise
magazines that line the supermarket shelves. I realized that
loading up on vegetables and
fruits, eating less rice and breads,
combined with an exercise regimen I enjoy will give me the
results I desire.
Well la-di-dah, aint that the
prevailing truth from decades
ago you ask? Indeed yes. But
unless one has reached her own
aha moment, that a-one will not
accept or be persuaded to take a
change in lifestyle. Period.
I saw an ad about diabetes.
It is Fit2Me by a leading drug
company. It is a website that
lets you design a plan that fits
your needs. The woman featured there had had enough of
listening to trends and to wellmeaning friends who had given
her advice. She put together a
plan that she would most likely
follow through. She chose from a
menu of food, mobility, and support system that best suited her.
Choices. That is the key. We
have to make the choices. To lose
weight. To improve our health.
To live a long life.
I follow a regimen that
works for me. I eat a full break-

ife is all about choices. One

thing good is that weve
got the power to make
choices. Yes, in fact, our life is
the manifestation of the choices
we make each moment and each
day. What we have become and
where we are now is the result
of the choices weve made in
the past. I had a wonderful
chat with my adult son a year
back when we were discussing
about the children of a relative
who allowed past shortcomings
that happened in their family to
govern their present life, holding
them back from doing positive
changes in their life. I heard Rick
say that people should not forever blame others on the unfortunate things that happened to
them in the past.
He said that responsible
people should move on with life
and be energized to do things
to make things right and not
allowing previous misfortunes
to dictate who they will become,
forever dwelling on past negative forces to the point of being
doomed to failure in life. We
agreed on the suggestion that it
is not too late for them to wake
up and choose the appropriate
pathway towards independent
and self-sufficient life. But I also
reminded him that there might
be some other factors that could
have set in to make them unable
to make choices in order to move
on to normal life. Under normal
condition, there should be no
excuses for making choices,
choices that will make us happy,
successful and have satisfying
life. However, the choices that
we should make are choices that
will urge us to keep on walking until we get to the center,
focused and not swayed by distractions along the way.
That particular conversation with my son made me more
proud of him with the mature
convictions that he expressed to
me, his mother. I thought that
this was a good topic to take on
and having learned a lot of lessons in life, when I have something particularly challenging
to deal with, I still try to remind
myself of the seemingly basic
but important considerations to
remember. Making choices are
constant and is never ending.
To start with, Ive got this
moment. I can choose to be
happy or unhappy. I can choose
what I think, what I say, and how
I feel. I can choose to be hopeful
or hopeless, to respond angrily

fast and a queenly lunch. But I

abstain from eating dinner. I also
bought a weighted hula hoop
from a local Target.
Eschewing
dinner
was
murder in the beginning. It
pained me to prepare food for
Mitch and even more agonizing
to watch him eat while I made
do with my nutribullet brew.

or cheerfully, to be bored or interested. Furthermore, Ive got this

day. No matter what the weather
is like, I can choose what kind of
day it will be- beautiful or nasty
or somewhere in between. I can
choose what I will do and what
I wont- to give up or give in
or go on. I have a choice to do
something, or nothing, to start
now or later (but caution, You
may delay, but time will not
by Benjamin Franklin) and I can
choose my attitude to face the
challenges.
To add, Ive got my life. If
Im not happy, satisfied, encouraged, and hopeful, I have no one
to blame but me. Yes, I believe
that when I use this awesome
gift to my best advantage, I face
situation in daily life better. Por
ejemplo, I am aware that we
cant always control the people,
events, or circumstances that
surround us, but I can control
the way I choose to react to
them. Definitely, we cannot control the world around us, but I
can choose to be joyful and see
beauty both inside and out.

Endless Choices That

We Make
Yes, these big and small
choices in life are endless. There
many in your life that you could
cite. Id like to cite some of them.
Practical or common examples
are our choice of majors to take
in college, the choice of careers
and our choice of our wife or
husband. These areas really need
serious considerations as our
future lie on them. However, our
parents are generally and greatly
involved in the process of the
first two on the list, but the third
one is personal and needs more
time to arrive at a decision. But
all the three examples require
making the right choice. An erroneous choice would have a long
and disastrous outcome.
Sometimes life just throws
us a curve, and were often taken
by surprise that we feel helpless.
When the unexpected happens,
its good to remember that we
But success is its own best motivator. Once the pounds slowly
went their merry way, I followed
through with this routine.
I added 5-lb weights and the
weighted hula hoop to my daily
program. I had to give up on the
weights because I developed
painful shoulders. The hula hoop
earned some skepticism and

dont have to accept defeat or

bow to circumstances. It helps to
keep us reminded of Faith and
Hope that give us strength and
inspiration to move on. If we
choose to believe in them, they
can help us face adversity head
on and rise triumphantly above
it. Concentrating on the positives
and combining faith with generous portions of patience and
determination is a good indicator of an awesome choice.
I believe that attitude is the
key to success or failure in almost
any of lifes endeavors. Our attitude- our perspective, outlook,
how we feel about ourselves and
how we feel about other people.
They determine our priorities,
actions and values. Our attitude
determines how we interact with
other people and how we interact with ourselves. This change
in attitude is a sound choice to be
considered.
Little annoyances, irritations and petty vexations that
cross your path in daily life are
not worthwhile to take up and
brood over them. As we value
our health of body and peace of
mind, just simply let them go!
This is a good choice to make. In
the same light, youll be pleasantly surprised at how delightful the big things will turn out
to be if you find delight in the
little things. It is a good choice to
count all of the things your that
money cant buy. It is an inspiration and a blessing.

Life is All about Choices

Yes, we can choose to see
beyond our misfortunes and
have success in life. We can strive
to have healthy and supportive
relationships. We can decide to
train our thoughts to seek out
the good, have confidence in
ourselves, and find something to
be grateful for. And I repeat we
have the power and the choice to
be what we want to be and where
we want to be, but it needs a lot
of strength, courage, determination, patience and perseverance
to attain what we want in life.
laughs. But like the trite anchorman claimed, I stand by it.
I have since lost the pounds
gained from my latest vacation
to the Philippines. Friends and
family have noticed the change.
So I am standing by this plan.
The fitness goddess heard me
after all.

28 Editorial

May 16-31, 2015

The price and struggles of liberty

Congress chose May to celebrate Asian American and Pacific
Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the significant
contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific
Islanders to the nation.
May is also the month America celebrates Memorial Day, an
observance that traces its roots to the commemoration of Union and
Confederate soldiers killed in the US Civil War. Over the years, its
become occasion to remember and thank all who have died serving
this great nation.
Memorial Day is always a humbling reminder of the price paid
for freedom and democracy, or simply being able to enjoy the American way of life.
The significance of Memorial Day is felt strongly in the burgeoning Asian American communities where many have first-hand
knowledge of the tyranny, persecution or oppressive poverty that
have forced them to make dangerous journeys across oceans and valleys, lured by the promise of liberty and hope.
Memorial Day is also occasion for the AAPI community to honor
its heroes. Filipinos, for instance, have been fighting side by side with
Americans since the early 18th century when General Andrew Jackson noted the contribution of Filipino troops in the Battle of New
Orleans in 1815. We remember Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii who
earned the Medal of Honor fighting with the US Armys 442nd Go
for Broke Regiment. We honor the courage of Maj. Gen. Antonio
Taguba who spoke out against torture at the expense of his career.
AAPI combat veterans are also represented in the US Congress:
Iraq War veteran Rep. Tammy Duckworth (8th District IL) National
Guardsman Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (2nd District HI) and Vietnam War
veteran Rep. Eni Faleomavaega of American Samoa.
But May is also a time to reflect on the trials and tribulations the
AAPI community has overcome and the many challenges still faced,
including barriers to equal access to education, employment and
health care, as well as ongoing struggles with discrimination.
We also have hundreds, if not thousands of aging veterans,
manongs who are still waiting their full measure of recognition
from the US government for service rendered, sacrifices offered
during World War II.

Pacquiao: Global boxing

icon or a fraud?
By Rev. Atty. Arnedo S. Valera
The drama continues. The vilification process of one of the most inspiring
boxers that the world has ever produced is
a mystery to me. It originates from several
fronts. I just dont know who the moving
force is and where its coming from. Suddenly the so called fight of the century
is now being dubbed as the fraud of the
century.
I do not want to dampen the zeal of
enthusiasm of those filing lawsuits (class
action suits or individuals) against Pacquiao and his team. Short of being frivolous, these lawsuits defy legal common
sense.
Instead of hailing Pacquiao as a true
warrior who gave his best -- I still think he
won the fight with a close margin despite
being a one armed fighter -- he is now
being persecuted because of an inadvertent or innocuous error by his adviser
Michael Koncz.
Koncz took full responsibility of the
mistake of checking No on the prefight medical questionnaire issued by
the Nevada State Athletic Commission
(NSAC) on the question about whether
the boxer had suffered any shoulder injuries. Yet, on the next question, he enumerated all the medicines and pain killer
tablets, all of them legal, that Pacquiao
is taking -- which is consistent with the
shoulder injury.
Likewise, the Pacquiao team informed
the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency of the injury
and the medicines that he will be taking.
The NSAC was informed several days
before the bout and Pacquiao relied on the
consent given by NSAC allowing him to
take those medicines, only to withhold it
in the last minute, including preventing
him to bring inside and to take his usual
vitamins. Again, these are all legal.
Pacquiao was given clearance by
the doctors to fight and in fact the NSAC
examined him before he fought. Despite
his shoulder predicament, Pacquiao
was oozing with confidence that he can
still vanquish the undefeated Mayweather
solely by his left arm.
Of course, his team continued to rely
on NSAC that they will allow him to take
the medicines to ease and numb the pain
on his shoulders. For a genuine warrior

like Pacquiao, these pain medicines were

enough to equalize whatever anticipated
advantage Mayweather will have.
Anyway, the Pacquiao team was so
confident that NSAC will not withhold
these medicines, which were all legal
and allowable medicines. For whatever
reason(s), NSAC changed their mind.
Obviously, looking at this unfortunate incident from a normal lens, neither was there a malicious intent nor a
material misrepresentation on the part of
the Pacquiao team to hide this injury.
Pacquiao was raring to go and fight,
and despite this shoulder injury, he knew
he can defeat Mayweather, even with one
hand. Arrogance? No. That is what you
call valor, being strong willed and having
a strong faith in God. Because in the end
Pacquiao knows he is a believer of collective prayers of his family, the entire nation
and millions of his fans around the globe.
Thats what makes him a beloved boxing
hero, true universal boxing Icon, loved by
all not only because of his extra-ordinary
boxing skills, but because he is an inspiration to all of us. Indeed, God made
him from nothing into something as he
proudly proclaimed during the final press
conference.
Many, including some of my friends
who are professed atheists, ridicule this
type of human colloquy where skills, talents are combined with having possessed
of strong faith in God. As a believer, I
always say that win or lose, Pacquiao is a
victor in the eyes of God.
Pacquiao still thinks he won against
Mayweather. And I believed him because
every time I watch the replay in slow
motion (six times now), I asked the proverbial question: How the hell did the
judges give points to a fighter who does
not want to engage and keeps running
away?
And where are the points that should
have been awarded to a fighter because of
his aggressiveness? Although missing a
lot of punches, Pacquiao hit more than his
opponent hit him as he continued chasing
Mayweather until the last round.
Mayweather ran away with a unanimous decision, by running away. As Pacquiao said, Mayweather did not do anything. That is why boxing legend Evander

Continued on page 30

Opinion 29

May 16-31, 2015

Barking at
the wrong
dog

T
Remembering
Gerry Jumat

heres a native American

saying, uttered on the day
of battle by a holy man of
the Lakota people: Its a good
day to die.
As explained by Tim Giago,
native American author of Children Left Behind, it means we
are ready in our mind, heart and
spirit to become one with the
Eternal Spirit of the Creator, to
enter the never-ending and timeless River of Spirit to float forever.
Interpreted as living your
life fully so that if you die today

incense and sprinkling of holy

water may be different from the
rituals of the Lakotas, which
include dancing to the beating
of drums (timed to the beating
of their hearts). But they all share
one thing in common: Burials,
like births, are celebrations of
life.
On this Friday morning the
eighth of May, we have come to
say our final prayers for Gerry
Jumat beloved husband of the
now departed Teresa Boots
Ayson Jumat, loving father
of Lara and Wally and doting

he nation breathed a sigh

of relief after the Indonesian government postponed the execution by firing
squad of a Filipina convicted of
a drug offense. Mary Jane Veloso
was caught carrying a suitcase
full of prohibited drugs at an
Indonesian airport.
Mary Jane explained that
she was requested to carry the
suitcase to Indonesia without
knowing its contents. The Indonesian court obviously ignored
her excuse as she was meted the
capital punishment.
The Philippine government,
charged with the obligation to
represent the interests of its citizens abroad exercised its diplomatic muscle appealing to the
Indonesian president on humanitarian grounds to spare the life
of Mary Jane. When the alleged
recruiter of Mary Jane was taken
into custody, President Aquino
pleaded further to postpone the
execution as the testimony of

Mary Jane may be necessary in

the investigation to determine if
there are third parties who may
be criminally responsible for
taking advantage of a Filipina
desperate to find work abroad.
Hours before the fatal shot
could be fired, the Indonesian
government announced that it
has acceded to the request of
President Aquino to postpone
the execution pending investigation of the alleged recruited
in the custody of the Philippine
government.
Notwithstanding its noble
efforts begging for mercy and
even getting a little measure
of success, the family of Mary
Jane only has contempt for Pres.
Aquino and the Philippine diplomats in Indonesia. Mary Janes
mother even credits the reprieve

to the efforts of Mary Janes supporters who were making a lot of

noise in the streets.
Mary Janes family is barking at the wrong dog. An exasperated Pres. Aquino rightly
explains that the government
did not create the problem. It
was Mary Janes voluntary
action that drove her into her
present predicament. It is not the
obligation of the Philippine government to bail out every Filipino citizen accused of a crime
abroad. Its obligation is to see
to it that every Filipino citizen
accused of a crime in foreign soil
is accorded is/her rights and due
process according to the laws of
the host country. As I see it, the
Philippine government has done

ness with the other TPP nations.

Since the TPP strives for a
level playing field, one major
obstacle for the Philippines is the
constitutional restriction on foreign ownership in key economic
sectors. The US has been nudging the Aquino administration to
start working on amending the
Constitution but has largely met
hesitation, if not outright resistance.
President Aquino told President Obama in Manila last year
that the Philippines was studying
its options for joining. Ambassador Philip Goldberg said the US
was ready to help the Philippines
but offered little details on how
they would go about doing that,
especially when the leader of
that country apparently cant or
wont decide.
Trade Secretary Gregory
Domingo was quoted in Tokyo
as saying the Philippines will no
longer take part in the current
round of negotiations for the
TPP. There is not enough time
[for the Philippines] to join,
Domingo was quoted by Nikkei.
Domingo said they are convinced the TPP would benefit the
participating countries are strug-

gling to bridge differences over

intellectual property safeguards,
farm tariffs and other issues.
President Aquino, who
steps down in June next year,
faces opposition from a broad
front. The timing for constitutional changes is just plain lousy;
it would instantly raise suspicions he and his political allies
are out to scrap term limits. Businesses would balk at the prospect of cheaper goods flooding
the local market; militant groups
would be marching in the streets
all in the middle of a political
campaign.
President Obama is in the
same boat. He is finds himself
trying to lasso fellow Democrats,
many of whom vowed to fight
the measure on Capitol Hill. Hes
been forced to push back against
Sen. Elizabeth Warrens sharpening attacks against the trade deal.
The lack of information
about US commitments under
the TPP is central to the opposition. President Obama is seeking fast-track authority that
would allow him to negotiate
trade deals and then go to Con-

Continued on page 30

Life outside
TPP

T
Gerry Jumat (Photo courtesy of Lara So)

Giving comfort to ten-year-old

Jamie is Elvi Bangit, cousin of Boots
and Gerry, and now Meema to
their grandchildren. (Photo by Jon
Melegrito)
you will have no regrets, these
words epitomize the philosophy
of the Lakotas: Our lives are a
circle just as the stars; the moon
and the sun are circles. We are
born, we live and we die.
These thoughts are flowing
in my head as I sit quietly among
a hundred mourners inside Our
Lady of Hope Catholic Church
in Sterling, Virgina for the Mass
of Christian Burial. Its rites of

grandfather of Jada and Jamie.

To the Filipino community, Gerry
was simply Gerry humble and
unassuming, never seeking the
limelight nor center stage, and
yet just as proud of his family
and just as fiery in his passion for
the cause.
ANTI-MARCOS
DAYS:
Back in the 70s and 80s, Gerry
and Boots were among the pillars
of the Movement for Free Philippines, an organization led by Sen.
Raul Manglapus. Along with
other anti-martial law groups
fighting to restore democracy in
the Philippines, MFP provided
the Jumats, student activists in
their college days, a way to serve
the cause of freedom and justice.
Never confined by organizational loyalties, Boots and
Gerry also worked closely with
the Anti-Martial Law Alliance
(AMLA)
then considered
the left wing of the opposition. Thats how I got to know
the Jumats. During joint rallies
and demonstrations in front of

Continued on page 30

he Aquino administrations apparent indecision

on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) could prove costly
for the Philippines, as the White
House presses its case for congressional approval on Capitol
Hill.
The TPP is an exclusive
trade and investment club
composed of Australia, Brunei,
Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia,
Mexico, New Zealand, Peru,
Singapore, the United States
and Vietnam. Of the dozen or so
countries interested in joining,
only Seoul appears to have progressed enough to get a formal
invitation. Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, India
and even China, among others,
have all floated the idea of joining TPP.
TPP aims to remove tariffs
among participating countries,
which currently accounts for 15
percent of the total world trade.
The dollar value of that trade is
mind boggling.
A Business Roundtable
report showed Virginia, for
instance, exported about $5.4
billion-worth of goods and $2.5
billion more of services to participating economies in 2012.
Maryland, on the other hand,
exported $2.9 billion of products
and $1.7 billion-worth of services
during the same period.
The US and Japan are the
Philippines top two trading
partners, and significant busi-

Continued on page 30

30

May 16-31, 2015

Remembering Gerry Jumat... from page 29

the White House, we took our
children with us: our daughter
Desiree, 8, and their kids Lara,
5, and Wally, 4. They grew up
together during the Martial Law
years, learning to chant Down
with Marcos, and Tama Na,
Sobra Na! (Enough Already).
The Aquino assassination in
1983 spurred more united action
among the various opposition
groups. Finding creative ways
to reach out to a community still
largely silent, the Jumats collaborated with other like-minded
spirits to form Teatro Pilipino.
Among them: Armin Alforque,
Gabby Lopez, Elvi and Rey
Bangit, Erlinda Inejosa, Victor
Maliwanag, Cesar Ortanez,
Yvonne Reyes, Ning Sola, Tito
Visaya, me and my wife Elvie.
We staged plays and conducted
prayer vigils with elements of
guerilla theatre.
After the EDSA Revolution in 1986, the Jumats continued their activism by fully
focusing on arts and culture as
a vehicle for insurrection. We
formed Tanghalang Pilipino,
expanding the group to include
other families, notably Lem and
Becky Ramos and Al and Prunie
Esguerra. These families formed
the nucleus of a communitybased theatre group. Among
our more memorable productions was Bayan Ko, Bumangon
Ka at the Kennedy Center and
Hanap Mula. All our teenaged children learned to sing
in Pilipino and perform traditional and contemporary dances
during many days of rehearsals.
They bonded as friends over the
years.

By then, most everyone

in the community knew Boots
Jumat as the vocal leader of the
band, taking over the microphone and rubbing elbows with
the prominent and the powerful.
But it was Gerry working hard
behind the scenes, cheering on
the sidelines, driving the car and
buying pizza, running errands
who relished his role, always
ready with words of encouragement. Always with a smile.
Your dad was a very real
presence for me during our
Tanghalang days, recalls my
daughter Desiree in a Facebook
message to Lara. His gentleness
will not be soon forgotten.
OF MEMORIES & MEMORIALS. Elsewhere in the nations
capital on this Friday the eighth
of May, crowds gather near the
Washington Monument to watch
World War II planes fly over
the city. The occasion to commemorate the 70th anniversary
of the end of the war in Europe
is marked with strains of bagpipes and the sounds of big-band
music. The keynote speaker said
the story of your generation
will never be forgotten. We will
continue to tell it to children
blessedly untouched by war. So
that they understand the price of
freedom.
Gerry Jumat may not be
among the celebrated heroes
of World War II but this ordinary man did something just
as extraordinary for the cause
of freedom. Gerry grew up a
Muslim in Western Mindanao,
went to school in war-torn Jolo,
and later converted to Catholicism. During the dark days of the

Life outside TPP... from page 29

gress for up-or-down votes but
not amendments. He says the
US needs to complete the TPP
to stave off China from setting
trade, labor and environmental standards in the Asia Pacific
region.
Administration aides say
they cant make the details public
because the negotiations are still
going on with multiple countries

at once; if for example, Vietnam

knew what the American bottom
line was with Japan, that might
drive them to change their own
terms.
The President is actually
counting on Republicans to push
the TPP through Congress.
The economic cost for the
Philippines being left behind
remains unclear. The countrys

Pacquiao: Global boxing... from page 28

Holyfield cannot believe that
the fight is being awarded to the
fighter who has mastered the
artful way of running away from
a fight.
I cannot even think whether
Lao Tzus Art of War can apply.
Because when you attack and
then retreat and then attack
again, the intention is to win
battle and ultimately the war.
Mayweather won some battle
rounds, but did not win the war
because his strategy against Pacquiao is to run and run. Are the
judges scorecards doubtful? I
say yes. Because I still sincerely
believe that Pacquiao won by

very narrow margin despite his

handicap.
Mayweather now openly
admits he had prior knowledge
of Pacquiaos shoulder injury as
he knew everything that happened in Pacquiaos camp. And
Pacquiao knew that Mayweather
knows. That was the reason
why every time Mayweather
clinched, he pulled Pacquiaos
right hand and shoulder several
times. (Watch the tape in slow
motion).
Pacquiao deserves a profound admiration not only as
boxer but as a human being. He
is neither a villain nor a fraud.

Marcos Dictatorship, opponents

and dissidents were hunted
down by the military. Many died
or simply disappeared. Among
Marcos political enemies was
Manglapus. Before the martial
law regime could stop him, he
escaped to the United States.
Manglapus could not have
founded the MFP and led it more
effectively and efficiently had his
family not escaped from Marcos
hold, recalls lawyer and MFP
leader Ben Maynigo of Mclean,
Va., son-in-law of Manglapus.
Gerry helped design an escape
and exit route [from Zamboanga]
for freedom fighters during critical times in our history. He led
our respective families together
in our escape to freedom.
There are no planes flying
over Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church on this sunny Friday
morning. To faithful believers,
there are only angels eavesdropping as we sing the Prayer of
St. Francis along with the choir.
There is only rejoicing in heaven
as the saints prepare to welcome
Gerry home.
In his homily, Fr. William
Saunders asked: What would
be said about me when I pass
on? He said Gerry was a faithful parishioner, one who helped
build the church from the very
beginning, who ministered to the
sick, who knew what it was to
mourn, to be meek and merciful.
He was a servant of God.
When my time comes, I
would want nothing better than
to pass away peacefully in my
sleep, as Gerry did, with the
words of the Lakotas in my heart:
Today is a good day to die!
Send your comments to
jdmelegrito@gmail.com
export sector will likely take the
biggest hit, but the damage will
only spread.
It might inadvertently leave
the Philippines more vulnerable
to China. For all their territorial
feuding in the South China Sea,
economic ties are strengthening.
The Philippines is participating
in negotiations on the Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership, Chinas alternative to
the TPP, which members aim to
wrap up this year.
He is an excellent role model in
the sports world.
I have waited for five
years for this fight. Yes, it was a
boring and uneventful fight
because of Mayweathers own
making. On the judges scorecards, Mayweather may have
won this fight, but the entire universe knows who the real victor
is. Do I want a rematch? NO. Let
Mayweather retire ingloriously
and be remembered as the true
villain of boxing. And let the
legend of Pacquiao live on, for
indeed his story from nothing
to something will always be
legendary.

Barking at the wrong... from page 29

what could be done under the
circumstances.
This is not the first time
when a Filipino drug mule
faced capital punishment on foreign soil. Filipinos should have
been already forewarned that
there are serious consequences
being caught red handed transporting prohibited drugs. If you
agree to carry a suitcase without
knowing its contents, you voluntarily assume all attendant risks
and consequences. Dont mess
up and expect the Philippine
government to deliver salvation.
For now, lets just pray that the
reprieve becomes permanent.
***
Five days after Manny Pacquiao lost to Floyd Mayweather
in what was billed as the biggest
fight of the of our era, a Filipino
client saw me at the office and
the first thing he blurted out
before I could shake his hand
was- Attorney, talo tayo. He was
still hurting over deflated expectations. Pinoys the world over
never considered a loss and reality was worse than a nightmare.
When Pacquiao lost to
Manuel Marquez and Michael
Bradley, he took defeat gra-

ciously and offered no excuses.

He said that he did his best
and that the Lord makes things
happen for a reason. He was a
wounded warrior who took his
lumps with dignity. His humility along with his stinging fists
has earned him admiration and
love from sports fans all over the
world.
This must be a new Manny
Pacquiao. After the referees
awarded Mayweather with a
unanimous decision, Pacquiao
said- he thought he won the
fight. No matter how much I
wanted him to win and deflate
Mayweathers big head, I
couldnt even convince myself
after the middle rounds that Pacquiao could eke out a victory. He
sounded like a sore loser after
the fight and I felt sorry that
he diminished himself by not
accepting an obvious defeat.
Pacquiao has brought glory
to a nation hungry for a hero.
Filipinos love him for elevating
their pride to euphoric heights.
He does not need to make
excuses to appease his fans. To
Pinoys, he will always be a hero.

The saga of Mary Jane... from page 24

anyone. We cannot right a wrong
with another wrong.
I dont know if Mary Jane is
guilty or not. I dont know whose
fault it is that she got ensnared in
the web of the evil crime of drug
trafficking.
But we shouldnt rush to
judgment and blame someone
for her predicament. Until were
sure were blaming someone
whos really guilty.
PS. When Mary Janes
family got back to the Philippines from Indonesia to visit her

before she was to be executed,

her mother unleashed a vitriolic statement against President
Benigno Aquino III, claiming
that he didnt really help save
Mary Jane from execution. This
was a very unfortunate claim,
as Indonesia itself announced
that Mary Jane was spared death
because Aquino had interceded
with Indonesian President Joko
Widodo. It was an ungrateful
statement from the Veloso matriarch that has left a bad taste in
the mouth.

Utah Fil-Am AG wins

awards, testifies in Congress
WASHINGTON D.C. Utahs
first 1st elected Filipino American Attorney General recently
earned best elected official
honors even as he briefed Capitol Hill lawmakers on a 2013
sting operation that dismantled
a human trafficking syndicate in
the state.
Reyes won Utahs 2015 Best
of State Award for Best Elected
Official thanks to his work as
the states highest-ranking law
enforcement officer.
In addition to Best Elected
Official, Reyes and his office
were also awarded with four
other titles, including Best State
Agency. The Attorney Generals
office was mired in controversy
in that led to his predecessor
stepping down (he was subsequently arrested on corruption
charges) and a revamp of the
agency.

Utah Atty. Gen. Sean Reyes

The
multiple
awards
showed that public trust has
returned to the office, he noted.
Reyes was also invited by
the US House of Representatives
subcommittee on Africa, Global
Health, Global Human Rights,
and International Organizations
to testify last May 14 about an
undercover anti-human trafficking operation he was involved in
October 2013.

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May 16-31, 2015