Asian Journal Jul 31 2009

Dingdong’s experience without Marian

(Continued on page 8)

Pho 888 in Chula Vista. I found him to be fascinating to talk to and very knowl-edgeable with extensive experience in healthy food preparation. Chef Jimmy is a graduate of two culinary schools in Saigon, Vietnam, “The Hung’ Fa and Sun-long.” He has 38 years

It was only ten in the evening when they finished their drinks.

It was too early to call it a night.“Let us give our guest from Manila an experience he will not forget,” one of Benny’s friends announced. Eric was worried at first, afraid that they might get into trouble. But the friend wanted them to serenade a girl, a practice still common in the

provinces at that time.

By Simeon G. Silverio, Jr.Publisher & Editor

The San Diego Asian Journal

See page 7

A Philippine TourSerenading a barrio lass in the idyllic

town of Paracale, Camarines Norte

The Filipino tradition of harana (serenade) is depict-ed in this painting featured in a jacket of a recording of love songs.

July 31 - August 6, 2009

Msgr. Gutierrez EntertainmentPersistence in Prayer

Miles BeauchampNews from

Disney


PHILIPPINES NEWS SERVICE -- ADMINISTRA-TION candidates have some catching up to do as they again got low ratings in the latest Social Weather Stations survey.

Sen. Manny Villar topped the survey, with 33 percent of respondents saying he is the best choice for president in 2010. He was followed by

Villar tops Social Weather Station survey

By Faith Bautista, Mabuhay Alliance

Recently, a broad Pan Asian American delegation visited Fed-eral Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanake, FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair, Treasury, the FCC, the Department of Justice and key congressional leaders. This included Senator Harry Reid, Congressman Barney

Mabuhay Alliance’s Faith Bautista: Obama Administration May Be Missing the

Point in Regulating Corporate America

Philippine Scene

Fruit vendor in the Philippines.

AROUND TOWNBy Conrad I. Reloj, Jr.

It’s not too often one gets the opportunity to interview someone in the hospital-ity business from South Vietnam who specializes in Southeast Asian cuisine. His name is Jimmy Nguyen, a veteran chef, and owner of

PHO 888 – Featured Finest Diner in Chula Vista, CA

Chef Jimmy Nguyen

Faith Bautista presenting Mabuhay Alliance’s position on issues.

Frank, and the leadership from Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office and Congressional

Hispanic Caucus Chair Nydia Ve-

Sen. Manny Villar

former President Joseph Es-trada who got 25 percent. Sen. Francis Escudero and Sen. Manuel Roxas ranked 3rd and 4th with 20 percent and 19 percent rating, respectively.

Vice President Noli de Castro, who topped earlier surveys, was fifth, with 19 percent.

“I am really heartened by the support shown by the people in this survey. I thank the people for keeping the faith despite attempts to bring me down with unfounded allegations of wrongdoing,” Villar said.

The Nacionalista Party which Villar heads said lead-ers are strengthening the party and are exploring the possibil-ity of forming coalitions and alliances with other parties.

Meanwhile, Cibac Rep. Joel Villanueva said political and media strategists of the administration party should double their efforts to boost the chances of their potential presidential bets.

Villanueva made the state-ment after the survey showed that administration’s possible bets like Sen. Richard Gor-don, Metro Manila Develop-ment Authority chairman Bayani Fernando and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. only got one percent rating.

“The latest survey of SWS suggests that any Malaca-ñang candidate has no place in the 2010 presidential race. For them to have a minimal chance, they have to work more than 24 hours a day to campaign for their bets,” he said.

PNS -- AFTER a month’s vacation in Europe, Anne Curtis quickly buckled down to work for her new show, “The Wedding,” to start airing on ABS-CBN’s Prime-time Bida this Monday. She plays Candice, a bride torn between two grooms, Derek Ramsay as Warren and Zan-joe Marudo as Marlon. Since the show is called “The Wedding,” which of her past boyfriends would she con-sider the ideal one to walk

Anne wished Sam to be her husband

down the aisle with? “I guess it’s Sam (Milby), because I really entertained thoughts of us facing the altar someday,” she says.

And how was her vaca-tion? “I first went to Spain and met up with my friend Isabelle Daza (Gloria Diaz’s daughter) in Madrid. We went to Majorca, Marbella and Salamanca then traveled to Italy where we met with

(Continued on page 22) Anne Curtis and Sam Milby

Young Filipino - American Chefs on the move:

Early Passion for Fusion Foods My experiences as a

Filipino American are quite different from the kids around me. Yet, I

am sure that there must be some similarities common to all U.S.-

born Filipinos. -- Krizpin Oades

The three chefs featured here are

coming of age. They have one thing in

common: all began cooking at young

Kriz Oades is flanked by two Hawaiian fusion cuisine pioneers: Chefs Alan Wong (left) and Roy Yamaguchi (right).

age with their mom and grandmother; and pursued their early passion for fusion foods and unexpected culinary career. All have also participated in “Kalusugan Taste of Regional Filipino Cuisine” events; and contributed

healthy recipes to its new cookbook, Global Filipino Cuisine. Their profiles are as follows.

By Riz A. OadesSee page 14

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Balik-Tanaw: The Filipino Stars

of Yesteryears

Read Dr. Romy Protacio’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Dr. Romy R. Protacio

Anita now

Anita then

If there is anybody who has fol-lowed Anita Linda’s rise to stardom, it’s me. Anita Linda was born in Pasay City, the daughter of an Amer-ican mining engineer and an Ilocana mother. She was born on November 23, 1924. As a kid, I would see Anita Linda pass by our house on G. Villanueva in Pasay City. When I talked to Anita, she had a vivid recollection of the time she spent in Pasay City. She remembers Delia Razon as a growing kid visiting her aunt on G. Villanueva Street. In school, I was so proud telling my classmates that Anita Linda is my neighbor. As a child, I would watch Anita Linda pass by our house at G. Villanueva in Pasay City. I was already “star struck” even before the term was coined.

My conversations with Anita Linda (born Alice Lake) brought back memories of the past. She started doing movies during World War II. She was cast in her fi rst fi lm by the acclaimed director Lamberto “Bert” Avellana in Tia Juana. The fi lm was completed shortly before the Japanese invasion of the Philip-pines, but released in 1943. When the movie studios were shut down for the duration of the war, Anita Linda spent the war years perform-ing on bodabil at Avenue Theater in Sta. Cruz, Avenida Rizal.

The Beginning of Anita’s Acting Career

Anita appeared as leading lady

in stage plays directed by Lam-berto Avellana. “Sa entablado ako nagumpisa --- sa Avenue Theater, during the Japanese occupation”, Anita recalls. Her career on stage started when one day she went to see a show at the Avenue Theater. On stage at that time was Leopoldo Salcedo, Lopito, Eddie Infante, etc. “I was seated at the orchestra and when the house lights turned on after the play, I was approached by

Anita LindaThe First Maria Clara Best Actress Awardee

the assistant of Avellana during the intermission. He told me, ‘Miss, Miss, pwede ho ba pagkatapos ng show pi-pick-apin ko kayo at pupunta tayo sa likod ng entablado.’ Sumama naman ako kasama ko ang kaibigan kong babae. Leopoldo

Salcedo, Bert and the rest of the cast were there. They asked me if I want to be an actress. I was taken aback!” she recalls.

Anita can’t imagine how a “prob-insyana” like her could stand on stage and talk also like them. “Ay, kako,” she says, “hindi, hindi ako pwedeng magartista” She said no emphatically. . Then they asked Anita, why? She told them she did not know much how to talk Tagalog. “Ang nanay ko Bisaya, nanggaling siya ng America kaya hindi ako masyadong marunong ng Tagalog,” she continues to tell her story, But Bert told her, “hindi bale wala ka namang linya.” And then Bert gave her instructions, “Sa Lunes ng umaga, pumunta ka rito, mag-rerehearse tayo for the next show. Punta ka dito.” It was

Anita’s friend who kept on saying, “Oo, Oo, ‘punta kami.”

But Anita never showed up on the rehearsal. However, because she gave her address before leaving the theater, the Assistant Director went to her house the following day. “Bakit hindi ka sumipot,” asked the Assistant Director, “inantay ka namin.” At that time, Anita’s father was at home. Her father asked who the stranger was and she introduced the Assistant Director to him. She explained that she was being invited to join the movies. Her father replied, “Go ahead Alice, accept the offer. We need the money.” With that blessing from her father, Anita dressed up and went to the studio. “Mula nuon,” Anita said, “eto ako, nagaartista ako.“

Avellana gave her the screen name Anita Linda. In 1946, she was contracted by Premier Pro-ductions where she made about a dozen fi lms. Her initial fi lm with Premier Production was Sekretang Hongkong (1947) which starred Pugo and Togo, Domingo Principe, Rolando Liwanag, Engracio Ibarra and Tony Camonte under the direc-tion of Atty. Ricardo Balatbat. This was followed by Alyas Sakim, with Leopoldo Salcedo as his leading man and co-stars Lilia Dizon, Quiel Segovia, Fernando Royo and Lopito under the direction of Atty. Ricardo Balatbat. Later she made Perpedia with Jose Padilla. She also played opposite famous leading men of the day, like Rogelio de la Rosa, Efren Reyes, Eddie Del Rosario, Reynal-do Dantes, and Fred Montilla.

The Awards

Anita Linda is a multi-awarded actress with various recognitions received from the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) and Gawad Urian. She was famous for her roles in romance movies during her younger years. As she matured, she welcomed more challenging roles even as kontrabidas from time to time, but she gained critical acclaim more for her portrayals in maternal or elderly roles.

Anita Linda was the fi rst to receive the Maria Clara Award in 1952 as Best Actress for her dramatic performance in the movie Sisa (1951). In 1976, she won the Gawad FAMAS Award as Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in the movie Tatlo, Dalawa, Isa (1975) and in 1999 for her performance in the movie Ang Babae sa Bubungang Lata (1998). She also was nominated for FAMAS Best Actress in the movie Naguumpugang Bata (1961) and Best Supporting Actress for her

performance in the movie Bimbo (1969), Mrs. Teresa Abad, Ako Po Si Bing (1976) Mahal Mo, Mahal Ko (1978) and Bakit Bughaw ang Langit (1981). In 1982, Anita Linda was awarded the Lifetime Achieve-ment Award of the Filipino Critics (Gawad Urian ng Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino).

Her fi rst international award was her performance in an indie fi lm, Adela. Cinemanila Southeast Asian Competition describes Anita Lin-da’s performance in Adela as “...a beautiful understated performance rich in emotional nuances, show-

ing a great refl ective understanding of the relationships between the different characters within the fi lm’s microcosm.”

In Adela, Anita Linda played the role of an 80-year old dubber who was celebrating her birthday with the hope that it’s going to be a spe-cial day in her life because she will be visited by her loved ones. Ac-cording to the movie director, Adoli Alix, Jr., the movie is a tribute piece for the screen legend, Anita Linda. Adela garnered several Young Critic Circle awards – the Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Visual Design, Best Editing, and Best Sound and aural Orches-tration. Prior to winning in Adela, Anita Linda won the Best Actress Award given by Gawad Tanglaw for her performance in the movie Plon-ing. She tied Judy Ann Santos for the Best Actress Award.

The Cinemalaya indie Film Boses bagged 6 trophies including Best Picture during the 6th Golden Screen Awards of the Entertainment Press Society, Inc. (ENPRESS) at the Metro Bar in West Avenue, Quezon City. Gloria Romero won the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role –Musical or Com-edy Award for the movie, Fuchsia. Her actor counterpart in the same category was awarded to Eddie Gar-cia. The highlight of the evening’s

ceremony was the Lino Brocka Lifetime Achievement Award that was given to Anita Linda.

Her love life.

Tita Alice, as I fondly call her declined to talk about her love life. She wants her personal affairs to be private. “Naging bahagi na ‘yun ng buhay ko at hindi ko na kailan-gan ipagmalaki pa ang nangyari sa akin. I was already a matured and grown up person when I joined the movie industry. I can do what I want and I don’t have to talk about


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Faith Bautista: Obama Administration May Be Missing the Point in

Regulating Corporate Americalazquez’s office. We delivered a unique message.

Our message is that corporate America must be regulated and scrutinized to ensure that the free-market system survives abuses by predatory or irrespon-sible corporations. That is a message that many other groups have also delivered. But, our message included a more subtle point that many in the Obama administration, in their effort to regulate, have often ignored. Corporate America, far more than government, has the power and sometimes the desire to assist our nation’s 110 million

(Continued from page 1)

L to R - Chito Desuasido, Cong. Barney Frank, Faith Bautista, Ja-son Hobson, Daughlet Ordinario, and Mia Martinez.

L to R - Amado Hernandez, Daughlet Ordinario, Chito Desuasido, Chairman Bernanke, Faith Bau-tista, Mia Martinez, and Marcia Griffin.

L to R - Jason Hobson, Chito Desuasido, Marcia Griffin, Faith Bau-tista, FDIC Chairman Bair, Amado Hernandez, Tony Quintero, John Rivera, Daughlet Ordinario, and Mia Martine.

minorities, including 15 million Asian Americans. And corporate America, with appropriate incen-tives, could make giant steps toward bridging the gap between the wealthy and the underserved from healthcare to banking to broadband access.

For example, at our meetings with the Antitrust Division at the Department of Justice and with the legal advisers at the FCC, we raised the issue of whether com-petition for its own sake is as valuable as promoting the FCC’s

goal of broadband access to all Americans. Or should competi-tion alone be the criteria for use of the Sherman Act’s antitrust provisions. Shouldn’t we, for example, as part of any use of powerful government weapons, compare companies’ corporate responsibility records in serving the Asian American community or minorities and/or underserved communities?

At meetings with the Civil Rights Division at the Depart-ment of Justice and at HUD, we raise similar issues in the context of some companies aggres-sively doing business with small minority-owned businesses and promoting minorities to the high-

est ranks. Shouldn’t this be part of our economic stimulus plan? Aren’t these achievements what caused more than two-thirds of all minority voters to vote for Obama?

At meetings with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Ber-nanke and FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair, we raised similar concerns in the context of $750 billion in TARP funds. All banks are not the same. Some banks, like Goldman Sachs which has received, according to the New

York Times $28 billion in TARP funds, is essentially an all white institution that redlines minority communities, has no supplier di-versity program, and provides an invisible one-tenth of 1% (0.1%) of its net profits for philanthropy to minorities. Why is this bank given preference over financial institutions that are working hard to serve the minority commu-nity?

The trip to Washington DC by leadership from the Korean American, Chinese American,

Japanese American and Fili-pino American communities is just the beginning of concerted efforts to empower minorities, particularly our nation’s 15 mil-lion Asian Americans and two million Asian American-owned businesses. It is also an effort to

encourage the Obama admin-istration to use its prodigious governmen-tal powers to redirect corpo-rate America, a potentially great engine of posi-tive change. Why shouldn’t the Obama adminis-tration encourage corporate respon-sibility and help reduce huge gaps and opportunity through govern-ment incentives?

To maximize our opportunities to influence and

redirect government priorities that benefit minorities, we are developing a national legal team with the expertise to address complex financial and antitrust actions. The team will be headed by former attorneys from mega law firms that have traditionally represented the most powerful special interest, including from Morrison & Foerster LLP and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pitt-man LLP.

A Pan Asian delegation headed by Faith Bautista, President/CEO of Mabuhay Alliance, and by Chito Desuasido, National Chair of NAFAREP (National Alliance of Filipino American Real Estate Professionals) has concluded a successful 3-day mission to Wash-ington, DC July 13 to 16, 2009. The group met with key public officials and obtained support for proposed solutions to the foreclo-sure crisis and minority access to economic opportunities.

Faith Bautista presided over 21 meetings with various top Federal Regulators and key legislators, like FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair, Fed Reserve Chairman Ben Ber-

Mabuhay Alliance Leads First Pan Asian Minority Delegation to DC

nanke, Fed Governor Dan Tarullo, and Chair of the Financial Servic-es Congressional Committee Bar-ney Frank, OTS Acting Director John Bowman, and Comptroller of the Currency Julie Williams.

The group also met with Ne-vada Senators Reid and Ensign, representatives from the offices of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Congress-woman Maxine Waters and Nydia Velasquez. Other government agencies which met with the group were the Department of Justice, The Treasury Department, HUD, Small Business Administration and the FCC.

Minority communities repre-(Continued on page 23)


by Ashley Silverio

On the moveRead Ashley Silverio’s previous articles by visit-

ing our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

Pride Rice auditions

Pride Rice directors Albert Molina, Jordan, Devin, and Michelle Banares, Eric Guillermo

San Diego based dance crew Pride Rice is one of 32 Pinoy hip-

hop teams from the United States and Canada selected to compete in GMA Pinoy TV’s “Pinoy Dance Team Showdown.”

Pride Rice is currently in contention to represent the US West Coast territory. Vot-ing is open to the public and will be conducted online at

Pride Rice

http://www.gmapinoytv.com/pinoydance/ until Sunday, August 2nd. Videos and bios of the dance crews can also be viewed on the site.

The advancing teams from their respective territories (as determined by the online vot-

ing) will move on to compete in the finals held on August 14th in Los Angeles.

Founded by Filipino-American siblings Michelle Banares-Lange, Devin Banares, and Jordan Banares, Pride Rice Dance Crew (PRDC) began in March 2009. Almost immediately, the group took off, performing at the VuQo Launch Party in Hollywood on June 1st.

“Pride Rice Dance Crew, like many other teams, pos-sess an insatiable passion for dance, BUT what sets PRDC, is spelled out in our name. “Pride Rice” is a play on the pronunciation of ‘fried rice’, but also holds a deeper mean-ing about having have pride in your roots. Pride Rice Dance Crew gives many dancers an opportunity to grow in the hip-hop community, but additionally raises awareness of self-identity whether it be

Filipino, Hispanic, Chinese, Caucasian, etc. Remembering your roots and having pride in who you are,” said PRDC Director Devin Banares.

From their highly visible de-but, PRDC went international and made appearances on various TV programs in the Philippines, such as GMA 7 Philippines, GMA Pinoy TV, and ABS-CBN TFC.

The Banares siblings col-laborate to steer the vision of

the group. Devin designed t-shirts, fliers, and man-ages their online site. Artistic Directors Eric Guillermo and Albert Molina help shape the creative vision.

Guillermo admits that the VuQo performance set the bar

high. However, the directors of Pride Rice, including the Banares siblings, Guillermo and Molina, emphasize that their team was about bringing dance back to the basics.

With this goal in mind, Pride Rice held open auditions this week at the Malashock Dance Studio in San Diego. The dancers, ages 9 to 28, were given roughly an hour and a half to learn a routine jointly choreographed by artistic di-rectors Guillermo and Molina.

By the end of tryouts, the dance crew had expanded to twenty-plus performance and foundation team members.

“[Being] a new team is always fun,” said Molina, who has been dancing for four years. “You can come out with your own name.”

In a short time, Pride Rice has already carved out a name in Southern California and abroad.


Our life and times

Read Sim Silverio’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Simeon G. Silverio Jr.

Daet River in Daet, Camarines Norte

Daet Camarines Norte map

Paracale, Camarines Norte map

Pulang Daga Beach in Paracale, Camarines Norte

22nd in a series of articles

By twelve noon, they reached the town of Santo Tomas, Ba-

tangas. It was still a long way to their destination of Naga City in Camarines Sur. They ate lunch at a

A Philippine TourSerenading a barrio lass in the idyllic town of Paracale,

Camarines NorteA few more songs were sang, conversation enlivened the night, and everyone, including the girl’s parents,

enjoyed themselves. It was an experience not to forget. But sadly this occasion is rarely practiced in

these modern times.

nice restaurant that offered delicious native dishes and other goodies like rice cakes typical in the area.

They proceeded on their journey, passing through the remaining towns of Batangas and Quezon provinces, and then the eastern coast of Luzon. It

was fascinating to travel through those towns. Although an avid traveler, Eric mostly travelled to the north and had seldom visited the south.

After a while, they reached Camarines Norte, the north-ernmost province of the Bicol Region. However, instead of passing through the eastern coast and the town of Daet, they took a shortcut that led them straight to Camarines Sur, and its capital, Naga City. The shortcut turned out to be a long, isolated road. The area, he was told later, is infested with communist rebels, who work as farmers during the

day and insurgents during the night.

According to the locals, only one phone company operates in the area. The tower of the phone company’s competitor was blown up by the rebels after the com-petitor refused to pay the “revo-lutionary tax” the insurgents demanded. The sole remaining phone company, it is assumed,

pays the tax, since it continues to operate to this day.

First time

Eric remembers the first time he went to Camarines Norte. A friend of his, Benny Sandoval, invited him to his seaside home-town of Paracale for a short

vacation. The six-hour bus ride took twelve hours because the bus broke down somewhere in Lucena, Quezon, forcing them to wait an additional six hours for spare parts to arrive from Manila. Belying the belief that lighting does not strike twice in one spot, they experienced the same misfortune on their way back home a few days later.

“This is an unusual occur-rence,” Benny assured him. “This doesn’t normally happen.”

By the time they reached Daet, it was already twelve midnight. There were no more jeepneys that would take them to Para-

cale.They knocked at the door of

the house of Benny’s friend and classmate, Teddy Mojica, who gladly invited them to stay for the night. Teddy’s mom gave them a fresh supply of neatly pressed bed sheets to use as they rested their bodies tired from the ordeal.

First jeepney

The next day, they took the first jeepney bound for Paracale. Benny’s mom greeted them with relief. She worried throughout the night because she expected them to arrive early afternoon the previous day.

Benny showed Eric around. They went to Benny’s old elementary school, the house of the mayor, and met some of his childhood friends. In the eve-ning, they strolled on the beach and saw some fishermen and their sons catch crabs in the shal-low parts of the shore aided by the flickering light of gas lamps.

Later that evening, some of Benny’s friends came. Benny bought some newly-caught fish

from a fisherman coming to the shore. He washed the fresh catch in seawater and broiled them in the oven of the only bakery in town, which was owned by his friend’s father. With the freshly-cooked fish and bottles of beer, they partied throughout the night under the moonlight and stars, as the sea lapped the shores while they sat on the beach.

Too early

It was only ten in the evening when they finished their drinks. It was too early to call it a night.

“Let us give our guest from Manila an experience he will not forget,” one of Benny’s friends announced.

Eric was worried at first, afraid that they might get into trouble. But the friend wanted them to serenade a girl, a practice still common in the provinces at that time. They got hold of a guitar, took their places in front of the girl’s house and sang a roman-tic melody. The window of the house opened, and a beautiful barrio lass looked out and smiled at them. After another song, they

were asked to come up the house. Eric was introduced to the girl, who happened to be on vaca-tion from her nursing studies in Manila. A few more songs were sang, conversation enlivened the night, and everyone, includ-ing the girl’s parents, enjoyed themselves. It was an experience not to forget. But sadly this occa-

sion is rarely practiced in these modern times.

Beautiful community

Paracale was a beautiful com-munity. It had been years since the mining operations closed



(619) 702-3051

Around TownRead Conrad Reloj’s previous articles by visiting our website at

www.asianjournalusa.com. Email: [email protected]

by Conrad I. Reloj, Jr.

experience in the hotel industry and worked mostly in the Los Angeles area since migrating to the U.S. In keeping with Jimmy’s heritage, Pho 888’s menu refl ects a predominantly Vietnamese-Chinese infl uences preparing only healthy food devoid of MSG condiments or negligible amount, and incorpo-rating the freshest produce that San Diego County has to offer.

Under new management, the exemplary hospitality provided by Pho 888’s team easily cre-ated a very loyal following that started coming in to visit from all over San Diego County to try their famous hot “Pho’888 Noodle Soup. Within days of reopening under new manage-ment, the low-key but lively

PHO 888 – Featured Finest Diner in Chula Vista, CA


Diners at Pho 888

mood, welcoming staff and good-value prices made it a magnet for casual crowds. For-tunately, Pho 888 Restaurant has

the room to accom-modate them. The main dining room is superbly deco-rated, but despite the lively colored art works, picture décors and marbled tables and dramatic stained-glass light fi xtures, the din-ing room radiates warmth. The sheer number of guests warms the room, behind the glamor-ously designed front entrance.

The multi-page menu lists their favorite Vietnamese Pho Noodle Soup, a concoction of rice noodles, thinly sliced rare steak, brisket, tendon, tripe, and seafood. along with

Com Chien/ assorted fried rice with shrimps, chicken or sea-food; stirred fried with seafood/beef/pork/of veggies; Vermicelli with charbroiled chicken/pork/beef/or shrimp. A selection of spring rolls, Jet Shrimp Rolls, Viet’s Crepe egg rolls or “Khai VI is your appetizer. Most ap-petizers and salads share well. For two, order Vermicelli with choice of Charbroiled Chicken, Beef, Pork, Shrimp topped with chopped peanuts, scallions, lettuce, mint leaf, and specially

made fi sh sauce.“Pho’ 888 Noodle Soup is

simply the best! To the Viet-namese the number 8 is a lucky number, and San Diego should be (three times) lucky to have him in San Diego. Chef Jimmy said, “Delicate and sophisticated preparations are required with Vietnamese style Pho’, not the quick-cooked, fl ashed-in-a pan food …there are more braises and stews, using fresh ingredi-ents and cooked to reach its ulti-mate potential and superb taste”.

A bowl of hot Pho noodles comes complete with assortment of rare steak; fresh bean sprouts and veggies can keep you going. A fi rst time guest commented, “They are very friendly and ef-fi cient here; the food is delicious, served piping hot. There’s just no comparison.” The restaurant is spacious, well lighted and uniquely decorated with a wel-coming fl ower bouquet and fi gu-rines as you enter the front door. They are ready to accommodate groups of all size, with plenty of parking spaces for guests in the

back and the Southern side of the restaurant. The restaurant’s Class “A” Rating refl ects the review-er’s reaction to food, ambiance, service and superb cleanliness of the restaurant, a perfect meet-ing place for family, friends, for business and pleasure.

After you try it here, you’ll realize why Pho 888 became an immediate Chula Vista sensation. Call Tel No.: (619) 585-0886 to reserve a table. The restaurant is serving lunch, dinner and week-end brunch, opens 8:30 A.M. –2:00 P.M. 7-days a week. It is conveniently located in the heart of Chula Vista business district just off Highway 5, H Street and Broadway; strategic location at 635 Broadway Street and quickly accessible from any part of the San Diego County.

PHILIPPINE NEWS SER-VICE -- The daughter-in-law of arrested ranking rebel l eader Jovencio Balweg Sr. surrendered to the Regional Intelligence Division of the Cordillera police last May 26.

Cordillera police director, Chief Supt. Orlando Pestano, reported that Bernadine Daguio alias Chiway, 26 years old and wife of Jovencio Balweg Jr. surrendered to RID head S/Supt. Alexander Pumecha.

Police reported that Daguio has been designated as education offi cer of the education depart-ment of the Kilusang Larangang Gerilya North and her group op-erates in the areas of Lacub and Malibcong in Abra province.

Balweg’s daughter-in-law yieldsThe Cordillera police com-

mand reported that Daguio joined the underground move-ment sometime in March 2004 but decided to lie low in No-vember 2006 when she became pregnant.

The surrender of Daguio came six days after the Philippine Na-tional Police reported the surren-der of his husband, Jovencio Jr., to police Director Eugene Martin in Camp Crame last May 20.

The surrender of Jovencio Jr. came after his father Jovencio Sr. was arrested by composite police teams in Camp 7, Baguio City last May 18. Hours after his arrest, his wife Carmen surren-dered to the police.


The farm

Ms Carol Davidson of Tranquility on Marius Day Spa-Australia tries the skin analysis machine at the Dermlaser and Phototherapy Center of Makati Medical Center

Wellness holidays lure Aussie tourists

Australian tourists who are constantly in search of health and wellness packages seem to have found the perfect destina-tion for their holiday experi-ence — The Philippines.

All About Asia, one of the leading travel wholesalers in Australia, in their firm belief in the country’s potential in attracting the niche market of health and wellness travelers, has established Meditour with the sole purpose of selling health and wellness tours to the Philippines.

Department of Tourism officials said, “The country leads in catering to travelers who look for wellness desti-nations because of our prime ecotourism locations. Nature and wellness go hand-in-hand; with the wealth of natural

Erik Spoelstra, the Filipino-American coach of the Miami Heat is in the Philippines to conduct a series of cage clin-ics for out-of-school youth players, as well as inter-ested professional cagers and coaches in Manila and Zam-boanga.

Spoelstra is joined by for-mer US Women National Bas-ketball Association All Star Sue Wicks and Miami Heat assistant coach David Fizdale.

Aside from imparting their basketball knowledge to the Filipinos, the three will meet with officials of various schools’ athletic associations and professional groups.

Spoelstra was a diligent stu-dent of legendary NBA coach Pat Riley. During his early years with the Heat, he spent most of his time developing the skills and fundamentals of younger players, while also working on game prepara-tion and other details on the team’s game. He was also the head coach of the team in the 2005-2007 NBA Summer League.

But his biggest break came

Miami’s Fil-Am coach in RP for cage clinics

Erik Spoelstra

in April last year when Riley, also the Heat’s general man-ager, elevated him to head coaching position to become the youngest mentor in the NBA among active coaches today. Spoelstra has handled players such as future Hall of Famers Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade, among others.

Wicks played for the New York Liberty in the WNBA from 1997 to 2002 and was one of the league’s best play-ers. She won the Naismith Award as well as the National

Player of the Year awards from the United States Basket-ball Writers Association in 1988.

Fizdale was also a journey-man coach in the NBA. The 34-year-old, former Uni-versity of San Diego guard, spent his years in the pro league as an assistant coach of the Golden State Warriors and the At-lanta Hawks, working on the video room for editing of game tapes.

He was delegated by Spoelstra to help out in the Heat players’ development as well as in scouting and game

preparation.For basketball enthusiasts,

coaches and players, this is a rare opportunity to get point-ers from one of the world’s best bench tacticians today.

resources present in the Phil-ippines, we can continue to nurture travelers who wish to lead a healthy travel lifestyle.”

“We are grateful to All About Asia’s strong confi-dence in the Philippines’ readiness for health tours. With our wealth of eco-friendly desti-nations, com-plemented by the Filipinos’ caring charac-ter, travelers looking for the

perfect wellness getaway are assured to have their expecta-tions met,” the DoT further stressed.

Renowned medispa facili-ties are continuously gain-ing acclaim, among which is The Farm in San Benito, Batangas. All-organic meals coupled with the most effec-tive detoxification programs – all set in a reinvigorating

environment, are suitable for all discriminating wellness travellers.

Trips to the country’s top caliber medical facilities were organized for All About Asia’s retail agents to bet-ter appreciate the country’s medical and wellness tourism products. The agents went for an ocular visit to various health and wellness facili-ties such as Devarana Spa, Dr. Cecile Infantado’s Dental Clinic, Beverly Hills 6750, Dr. Rosero’s Dental Clinic, Makati Medical Center, Zen Institute Medispa, NuU Asia Dental Clinic and Beverly Hills Medical Group Clinic. The Farm

The DoT also said “Our culture is deeply rooted in the Filipino people’s long tradi-

tion of wellness. Hilot has been a traditional way of healing, and other communities also have their own indigenous ways to-wards wellness – and this sets the country apart.”

And with the ongo-ing global challenges, a lot of tourists are now thinking twice about travel. Health matters, however, need utmost attention. And we are seeing

that a growing number of tourists are becoming aware about the world-class health and dental care available in the country, at a more reason-

able price.“We believe that the Philip-

pines has all the ingredients to satisfy the discriminating health and wellness travelers from down under – the fin-est facilities, affordable cost, credible professionals, sup-portive government agencies, and above all – the caring and healing hands of the Filipi-nos,” the DoT noted.


June 23, 2009 – Los Angeles, Calif. – Zenith Films announces the upcoming DVD release of award-winning independent film Float on July 30, 2009. Di-rected by Johnny Asuncion, and starring Lauren Cohan (“Su-pernatural” and Van Wilder 2), Kevin Davitian (Borat), Cristine Rose (“Heroes”), Ashley Peldon (“Connected”), Hrach Titizian (“24”) and Emmy nominated Gregory Itzin (“24”), this capti-vating real-life story take audi-

ences into an ice cream shop where its 55-year-old owner separates from his long-time wife and decides to move in with his two bachelor employees.

Float premiered to great ac-claim at the 2008 Dances With Films festival, winning the prestigious feature film Audi-ence Award. Film Threat raves, “A real slice of life film for you to enjoy!” Added Armenian Weekly’s Andy Turpin, “On the list of Best Indie Comedies your

Zenith Films Announces the DVD release of award-winning

independent film ‘Float’friends have never heard of but need to be shown.” Other ac-colades include winning the Best Screenplay Award at the Arpa International Film Festival and Rising Star Award at the Toronto Armenian Film Festival.

“It’s all about the ice cream” is the motto at Float Ice Cream Par-lor, the centerpiece of this raw Comedy-drama. Business has

been well for obsessive owner Ray (Gregory Itzin), for many years, and success has taken a toll on his relationship with his wife. Sadly Ray’s long-time marriage is over and he’s left to redefine his life while moving in with his two younger employ-ees – Gevorg (Hrach Titizian) and Ramon (Johnny Asuncion). Life is radically changing for the oddly matched trio and together they learn how sometimes in life your friends are your family.

You can purchase a DVD at Amazon.com for $16.99.

PNS -- An expensive ‘toy’ for the champ.

BOXI NG superstar Manny Pacquiao can now add a custom-made motorbike worth P2.5 mil-lion to his collection of luxury

vehicles.The

stun-ning M2 Cyclone 1200c model manu-factured by Buell,

P2.5-M ‘toy’ for Pacmanwas presented to Pacquiao Wednesday night in Eastwood City.

Buell is the sister company of Harley Davidson.

A personal emergency in his native General Santos City forced the world’s pound-for-pound king to miss the affair, although he was represented in the event by lawyer Franklin Gacal.

“Sure, Manny is going to like this toy,” said Gacal when the motorbike was unveiled.

High-ranking executives of

Castrol led by Mars Sota, Paul Salapantan and Cris Gonzales presented motorbike to Gacal.

The bike, built by the Hard-core Brothers Custom team, is designed with images of Pac-quiao’s last two impressive fights against American Oscar De La Hoya and Englishman Ricky Hatton.

Castrol officials said the special motorbike would cost even more should it be auctioned off in the market.

The bike is the latest in Pacqui-ao’s collection of luxury vehicles that also include a Mercedes Benz SL 550 and several SUVs.


Bohol’s Danao Adventure Park is the Philippines’ newest attrac-tion for the global adventurer. Located amidst mountain ranges, wide gorges, and the gushing Wahig River, this eco-tourism destination offers an array of ad-venture facilities and activities.

Adventure park puts Danao on the tourism map

Kayaking

Exploring the caves

For the global adventurer, this is the perfect place to experience River Kayaking, River Trekking, River Tubing, Root Climbing, Wall Climbing, Bouldering, Rappelling, Caving, and the new

cable ride facilities: the Sky Ride, Suis-lide, and the Plunge.

Conceptualized in 2006, the Danao Adventure Park’s major objective is to preserve and enrich the historic and cul-tural assets of Danao with the belief that this can provide live-lihood opportunities for the townspeople.

The Local Govern-ment Unit (LGU) of Danao then took the courage to venture into eco-tourism and also took advan-tage of the tourism boom in the province by capitalizing on the natural beauty of the Kamaria Cave and the Wahig River.

At that time, the Adventure Park only offered river and cav-

ing activities until the organizers realized the strong potential of their vast terrain, wide gorge, and natural bounties that are perfect for extreme adventure activities.

As a result, the “E.A.T. Da-nao” or Eco/Extreme/Educa-

tional Adventure Tour Danao was created, a one stop destina-tion that caters to a tourist’s varying travel penchants like Eco-Adventure Tours, Educational tours, and Extreme Adventure Tours.

This eco-adventure tourism concept was set up to benefit the municipality of Danao

and its people. It is co-managed by the Local Government Unit of Danao, Bohol and different people’s organizations.

So, the next time you travel to Bohol, drop by Danao Adventure

Park, located in the quaint town of Magtangtang, Danao, which is a two hour drive from Tagbiliran City. The long bumpy ride is definitely worth it – an adventure destination in a far-flung town that promises far-fetched experi-ences.

Japanese inves-tors are putting $100 million to develop a “model city” in a 20-hectare land in Matnog, Sorsogon.

The Japanese con-sortium headed by Dr. Hisato Nakamatsu, president of the Chikyusalsei Kikou Ltd. (Earth Rebirth Engineering Ltd.) of Okinawa, Japan, and AIPAC Philippines,

Japanese to build model city in Sorsogon

Matnog Sorsogon

Liga ng Magniniyog, and local government unit (LGU) of Mat-nog want this project to serve as an “Ecological Model City” in the Bicol Region.

The project is expected to boost local tourism and generate employment for the Bicolanos.

Local officials say the model city will have an environment-

friendly solar dryer, salt-making factory, hydrogen-water process-ing plant, hotel resort, Japanese retirees village, hospital and clinic, fish port, agro-tourism and marine park.

The modern city will be com-plemented by an international airport which will be constructed on a 20-hectare land.

The Underground River of Puerto Princesa City is in the final shortlist of 28 in the global search for the New Seven Won-ders of Nature competition.

After competing against 400 nominees in an Internet-based

Palawan River is New 7 Wonders Finalist

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River.

voting process that was started two years ago by a Swiss-based organization with over 1 billion Internet votes cast, the island province’s main tourist draw has hurdled the final selection process that will determine the

official new Seven Wonders of the World.

“This is an extraordinary achievement and the eyes of the planet will be upon the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park and the Philip-

pines for the next two years. We look for-ward to an exciting and record-breaking final race, with the whole world coming together to choose the Official New Seven Wonders of Nature,” Bernard Weber, founder and president of New7Wonders Foundation said.

Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward

Hagedorn vowed to bring the city government’s campaign to solicit votes for the Philippines’ lone entry to the international level, tapping into Filipino com-munities abroad and seeking support from multilateral agen-

cies that have supported the underground river.

“This is the crucial stage of voting and we have made it this far even with very little resources and relying only on friends and visitors who have seen the underground river. Now is the time to rally behind our country’s best bet to be included in the new Seven Wonders of the World,” Hagedorn said in a text message sent to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

A panel of experts chose the 28 finalists from 77 nominees that were selected in the previous stage.

The panel of experts includes:

panel president Prof. Dr. Federico Mayor, Dr. John Francis (United States environ-mentalist, social activist, author, and United Na-tions Goodwill Ambassador to the World’s Grassroots Com-munities), Simon King (Kenya/United Kingdom

documentary filmmaker), Ana Paula Tavares (Brazil/US senior vice president and vice president of development of the Rainfor-est Alliance), Bernard Weber (Canada/Switzerland global voting campaign expert, photog-rapher, filmmaker, and author), Prof. Jan Zima (Czech Republic biodiversity scientist) and Rex Weyler (Canada environmental journalist, activist, and founder of Greenpeace).

The underground river is the main feature of a vast protected area that was declared a World Heritage Site as early as 1995. Located 50 kilometers north of

Puerto Princesa City, it fea-tures a two kilometer navi-gable river underneath a karst (limestone) mountain forma-tion with centuries old stalac-tites and stalagmites.

Organizers said that as one of the 28 finalists, Puerto Princ-esa’s Underground River will be included in an international road show that will seek to draw global attention to the place and encourage people all over the world to vote for their choice.


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Dumlao home soonPHILIPPINES NEWS SER-

VICE -- GLENN Dumlao, one of the former offi cers of the

PHILIPPINES NEWS SER-VICE -- After tackling the prob-lem of the ordinary cellphone users victimized by “vanishing loads,” Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile is now setting his sight on abused or maltreated housemaid s or kasambahay.

In a proposed Senate resolu-tion, Enrile said he was disturbed by media reports about abused housemaids and directed the ap-propriate Senate committee “to conduct an immediate inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the plight of house-helpers or kasambahay who were or are being mal-treated, even tortured, by their employers.”

The purpose of the inquiry, Enrile added, would be to rec-ommend “remedial measures to address the situation, and to fi nd means to prevent and totally eradicate such inhumane treat-ments.”

In his resolution, PSR 1193, Enrile cited news report aired over ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol World last July 10, 2009 which featured two kasambahays who

suffered numerous injuries due to the alleged predilection of their employers to infl ict pain whenever they were caught com-mitting errors in their perfor-mance of household chores.

In the report, two house help-ers, identifi ed only as Jenny, 18 years old, and her 17 years old cousin, Liza, were allegedly treated like punching bags and were forced to drink a glass of urine by their employer.

It was learned that, aside from enduring the horrendous treat-ment given to them for a year, their employer, a certain Joanna Velez of S ampaloc, Manila, never bothered to give them their

Enrile to help housemaids

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile

salaries.Such abuses, Enrile pointed

out in his draft resolution, were a clear violation of the basic hu-man rights.

He noted that there were prob-ably hundreds of similar cases of abuse, and that due to the urgent need to put food on the table of

these victim’s families, they are likely more than willing to suffer in silence.

“These house help-ers endured abuse in the hands of their employer for a year, and as an added insult to the grave injuries they suffered, they were not given compensation for their labors,” Enrile said.

“Clearly, the basic hu-man rights of Jenny and Liza were gravely violated and it was only fortunate that they were res-cued. It is unknown how many other kasambahay like them are suffering similar fate and abuse in silence,” he added.

Article II, Section 11, of the Constitution, Enrile explained, specifi cally declares that it is the policy of the State to value the dignity of every human being and guarantee full respect for hu-man rights. Likewise, he added, Congress was mandated to “give highest priority to the enact-ment of measures that protect and enhance the right of all the people to h uman dignity, reduce

social, economic and political inequalities, and remove cultural inequities by equitably diffusing wealth and political power of the common good.”

“It is high time for the State to know whether occurrences of maltreatment are prevalent to the detriment of these neglected members of society, our kasam-bahay, and to fi nd the most effec-tive measure in order to protect them from abuse and enable them to have dignity of labor, and to fi nd means to prevent and totally eradicate inhumane oc-currences similar to that experi-enced by Jenny and Liza,” Enrile explained.

Earlier this month, the Senate president, taking the cudgels for the ordinary cellphone users took the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) to task for failing to act on the numerous complaints against the so-called “vanishing loads.”

Enrile’s lament prompted a Senate inquiry and resulted in the NTC immediately adopting two new measures designed to protect mobile phone subscrib-ers. The measures included an NTC circular tripling the shelf life of phone cards and an order banning commercial promotions and other “text spam.”

defunct Presidential Organized Crime Task Force tagged in the Salvador “Bubby” Dacer-Em-manuel Corbito double murder case -- will be extradited from the United States by the end of July.

This was revealed by an unimpeachable source from the National Bureau of Investiga-tion. Dumlao is set to fi le his deposition before a US court on July 20, the fi nal stumbling

block to his return. “Dumlao is expected to fi le

his deposition before the US court hearing the extradition of his co-accused former police Sr. Supt. Michael Ray Aquino and he will be ready for re-moval shortly after the fi ling of deposition,” the source said.

The NBI got an assurance from US authorities that Dumlao will be sent back to the country once he fi les his

deposition.“He (Dumalo) will cor-

roborate in its material points (Cesar) Mancao’s testimony,” said the NBI source. “He will do a Mancao.”

Aquino had requested a US court to allow Mancao and Dumlao to appear and testify in his (Aquino) case, resulting in the delay of Mancao’s extradi-tion.


Entertainment

PNS -- DINGDONG Dantes’ experiences as part of the group Abztract Dancers are now put to good use in his new project, a DVD called The Dingdong Dantes Experience.

It contains images, music videos featuring Dingdong, shot by leading music video and commercial directors like Rico Gutierrez, Shoti Benares, Treb Monteros, Adrian Calumpang and Louie Ignacio.

The album cover and jacket is a mini-coffee tablebook/scrapbook with exclusive Dingdong Dantes images.

Also included are behind the scene pictures, taken during the video shoot.

Having had the experience of doing a dance album herself, did Dingdong consult girlfriend Marian Rivera about the songs included in the album? “No, I just told her about the project and she said, it’s great,” he said

Dingdong’s experience without Marian

Dingdong Dantes

during the presscon at Circa in Eastwood.

Meanwhile, the DVD, mar-keted and distributed by Univer-sal Records, will be out in the market very soon.

PNS -- JANICE De Belen’s last film was “Annie B” with Viva five years ago. When she got the offer to do a new movie, “Last Viewing,” she had second thoughts about it. “Wala na akong intention to do a film kasi focused na ko on hosting ‘Sis’ on GMA7 and ‘Spoon’ on Channel 25,” she says. “I’m also wondering kung kaya ko pa ba. But when I read the story, ang ganda. So I asked my kids about it and they said, sige na, do it. Excited sila. So I did it, and when I posted the trailer sa Facebook ko, they also posted it sa mga friends nila and are proud of it.”

In the film produced by Liza Davis of Davis Entertainment and directed by Ronnie Bertubin, Janice plays a supervisor in a crematorium. She’s estranged from her family as her father drove her away from home when she got pregnant out of wedlock. “The film

Janice handled by fan

Janice De Belen

is about the irony of life. It turns out, ako na pinalayas, I’m the one

na nagsustento sa family namin in the province. My father is a drunkard and my brother, Sherwin Ordoñez, is a bum, so sa’kin lang sila umaasa. My child turned out to be autistic and one time we went shopping sa tiyangge, she got lost at di ko na nakita. When I see her again, nakahiga na siya sa table ko for cremation. We shot the film just before Tito Douglas Quijano passed away and it’s weird kasi yung mga ginagawa ko sa movie, nakita kong ginawa sa kanya, pati ‘yung actual last viewing just before the deceased is put inside the oven for cremation.”

Now managed by Popoy Carita-tivo, who’s been her fan since her “Flor de Luna” days, is it true she’s not on speaking terms with ex-hub-by John Estrada? “No, we talk na-man kung meron dapat pag-usapan. Kung wala, di we don’t talk. We’re civil naman to each other.”

How about other exes, Aga Muhlach and Gabby Concepcion? “Okay kami. No problem.”

Will she be willing to work with them? “Oo naman. Si Gabby, I even did a movie with him, ‘Mahalin Mo ang Asawa Ko’, na anak namin si Paolo Contis. Ngayon, si Paolo, siya nang King Cobra na mag-sasamantala sa’kin sa ‘Darna’ at magiging anak namin si Iwa Moto as Valentina.”

How about with John? Will she work with him? “Hindi siguro. You have to have some kind of relation-ship before you can work with a person. Wala kami noon.”

How is she as a mother? “I’m more cool now, hindi na ako hys-terical. Dati, pag sobrang gabi na, tumitili na ako.

AAnong oras na? Matulog na kayo! Now, I teach them how to be responsible. Gusto nyong mapuyat, sige, but you still have to get up early tomorrow morning for school.”

How about eldest son Igiboy? “He’s now on his own. He wants to be independent. Aga knows about it. Hindi naman namin siya puedeng i-baby habambuhay. He has to learn how to stand on his own two feet.”

So how her boyfriend? “Wala akong lovelife ngayon. I just have my dogs. Kundi mo kaya mag-ing happy being alone, then you’ll never be happy kahit may asawa ka o boyfriend ka. I may be alone, but I’m not lonely.”

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Perspectives

ASIAN JOURNALThe first Asian-Filipino weekly in Southern California

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

In Pursuit of Excellence

Ashley SilverioAssistant Editor

Eugenio “Ego” Osin, (1946 - 1994)Joe Cabrera, (1924 - 1996)

Soledad Bautista (1917-2009)

The Asian Journal is published weekly and distributed in all Asian communties in San Diego County. Publication date is every Friday of the month. Advertising deadline is Thursday prior to publication date at 5 p.m. For advertising rates, rate cards, or information, call (619) 474-0588. Subscription by mail is available for $50 per year (56 issues). The Asian Journal is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs but welcomes submissions. Entire content is © 2008 copyrighted material by Asian Journal. Materials in this publication may not be reproduced without specific permission from the publisher.

Genevieve SilverioManaging Editor

Simeon G. Silverio, Jr.Publisher & Editor

Miles BeauchampAssociate Editor

Santi SilverioAssociate Publisher

At Large...

Read Miles Beauchamp’s previous articles by visiting our web-site at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Miles Beauchamp

by Riz A. Oades

Voices & Images

Read Dr. Oades’ s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

One thing about Disney – they do think ahead. For instance, the Hong Kong SAR Government and The Walt Disney Company recently ap-plauded the Legislative Coun-cil’s approval of the financial arrangement relating to the Hong Kong Disneyland expansion plan. Three new themed areas will be added to Hong Kong Disneyland, bringing the total number of attractions, entertain-ment, and interactive experi-ences at the resort to over 100 by 2014 and further establishing

News from DisneyAll sorts of things are happening around the world at Disney

Hong Kong as one of the world’s premier international family tourist destinations.

Financial Secretary, Mr. John C. Tsang commented that, “Hong Kong Disneyland, as an important tourism infrastructure, has brought substantial eco-nomic benefits to Hong Kong. With the proposed expansion and realignment of the finan-cial arrangements, we believe that HKDL would rise up to the keen competition in the region on the tourism front, attracting more family visitors from round

the world. This will generate streams of benefits to our tour-ism and related sectors, further reinforcing the tourism indus-try’s contribution as a major pil-lar of Hong Kong’s economy.” The new offerings, designed to significantly add to the overall Guest experience at HKDL, are expected to open in phases over a five year period. Work is expected to commence later this year, spurring the local Hong Kong economy by creating more than 3,700 jobs in terms of man-years in Hong Kong from 2009 to 2014, including 850 expected within the first year of construction. After the comple-tion of the expansion, the project will continue to serve as a major economic driver with HKDL adding approximately 600 new positions, and bringing the total number of HKDL Cast Members to more than 5,500.

Two of the three new themed areas, “Grizzly Trail” and “Mys-tic Point,” will be exclusive to HKDL for the first five years after their respective openings. The third, “Toy Story Land,” will be exclusive within Asia for the first five years after opening.

Disney’s Friends for Change

The Walt Disney Company announced Disney’s Friends for Change: Project Green, a multi-platform environmental initiative that will help kids help the plan-et. Disney stars Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, the Jonas Broth-ers and Demi Lovato are among the 29 young stars participating in outreach messages to debut on Disney Channel, Disney XD, Radio Disney and Disney.com. The Disney’s Friends for Change: Project Green initia-tive invites young people to join together to help the environment across four key areas: climate, water, waste and habitats. Kids will learn practical ways to preserve the planet, track their collective impact, and have the opportunity to vote on how $1 million in donations from Dis-ney will be divided and invested in various environmental causes over the course of a year. “With Disney’s Friends for Change, we’re empowering

kids to tap into the potential that lies within each and every one of them to make a difference,” said Bob Iger, president, The Walt Disney Company. “Building on our recently announced envi-ronmental goals, this program highlights what is possible as we leverage Disney’s reach to edu-cate and inspire environmental stewardship in others.”

The Disney Channel and Radio Disney will air the first in a year-long series of on-air messages that will feature Disney Channel stars challenging kids to join them in registering and pledging environmental stewardship by making small changes in their daily actions that can posi-tively impact the world around them. “We were inspired by the outpouring of enthusiasm from our family of talent to enact real environmental change by connecting with other kids, fans and friends on an entirely new level,” said Rich Ross, president, Disney Channels Worldwide. “Friends for Change is about the power of friendship – when we all work together, anything is possible.”

The power of a groupIf 500,000 kids participate

in Disney Friends for Change: Project Green events, together they can:

Prevent approximately • 100,000 tons of CO2 per year from polluting the air by adjusting their home thermostats. Save 5 million gallons of • water in a single day by reducing shower times. Prevent 1 million pounds • of waste from entering landfills by bringing trash-free lunches for a week. Create new habitats for • local animals by planting 500,000 trees.

Kids can pledge to join online on the Disney website where they’ll commit to take simple everyday actions, such as turning off the lights and switching to reusable water bottles, and find out more about why these ac-tions matter. Through the online community, kids will be able to invite friends to join, interact with one another and take pride in the results of their efforts as

their collective impact on the planet is tallied and their votes determine the distribution of charitable contributions. Climate, water, waste and habitat will each be highlighted for three months, culminating in quarterly events where on a designated day, kids will be encouraged to act in unison on a single task such as adjusting home thermo-stats or reducing water usage. These events will be tracked online and on air as kids report

back on their actions. Kids will also help determine how Disney will donate $1 million to envi-ronmental organizations over the course of a year to plant trees, preserve the rainforest, help endangered animals and support alternative energy among other causes.

For more information about corporate responsibility at The Walt Disney Company, visit www.Disney.com/CRReport.

The three chefs fea-tured here are com-ing of age. They

have one thing in common: all began cooking at young age with their mom and grandmother; and pursued their early passion for fu-sion foods and unexpected culinary career. All have also participated in “Ka-lusugan Taste of Regional Filipino Cuisine” events; and contributed healthy recipes to its new cook-book, Global Filipino Cuisine. Their profiles are as follows.

Xavier Josef Macawili Men-doza, known to his friends as “Joe”, has been involved with the family’s restaurant business since they moved to the United States in 1995. He and sister, Maria Angelica “Ria” Men-doza helped with the business throughout their high school years. From making daily sales reports to purchasing and inven-tory, their mom Nancy showed them the fundamentals of run-

Young Filipino - American Chefs on the move:

Early Passion for Fusion Foods My experiences as a Filipino American are quite dif-

ferent from the kids around me. Yet, I am sure that there must be some similarities common to all U.S.-born

Filipinos. -- Krizpin

Xavier Josef Macawili Mendoza

ning the business. After graduating from culi-

nary school, Joe started to get involved in the restaurant’s kitchen. He also ventured out to learn the different aspects of cooking and managing the kitchen by joining the Hilton’s culinary team. Now he splits his time between the family busi-ness -- Villa Manila Restaurant in National City and the Hilton La Jolla.

Joe attended Ateneo de Manila University from Prep school

through 1st-year high school. He continued his 2nd semester in 9th grade in Eastlake High in Chula Vista, CA until 1999. Finding his passion in cooking, he attended the California Cu-linary Academy and graduated class of 2004.

Joe’s parents, Roberto and Nancy Mendoza introduced him into the restaurant industry as they owned and managed the original Max’s Restaurant in Scout Tuazon, Quezon City, Philippines.

Since childhood, he and sister Ria tagged along with their par-ents to and from the restaurant, occasionally getting some early hands-on training to help out in big parties or holiday occasions.

On September 10, 1992, trag-edy struck the family as Roberto

Evan Cruz

Mendoza, suffered a massive heart attack, and passed away. Three years later, the family moved to the United States to search for new beginnings.

Evan Cruz, an aspiring young chef, was born in the Philippines in 1978, and raised in San Diego California. At a young age, he learned how to cook from his grandmother; and later discov-ered a talent in the culinary arts one summer working for a Mar-riott facility at the age of 15.

From there he found himself in the midst of the glamorous city lights of Las Vegas. Wanting to educate himself further, Evan enrolled and graduated from the California Culinary Academy. This is where he also met Roy Yamaguchi, the pioneer of Ha-waiian fusion cuisine.

Evan eventually landed a job at Roy’s La Jolla. In 2002 through hard work, high standards and expectations, he was offered an opportunity to replace one of his mentors, David Abella, and became its executive chef. The following year, Roy’s won the “Best ethnic restaurant Award” from the California Restaurant Association/San Diego; and Evan was named as the “Chef Partner of the Year” for Roy’s Restaurants the same year.

Krizpin G. Oades also built his passion for the culinary arts at an early age from his mother and grandmother. He received his BA in Hotel & Restaurant Management from the presti-gious Collin’s School of Hos-pitality, Cal Poly University, Pomona; and his Associates degree from New York’s CIA (Culinary Institute of America).

Kriz grew up in a warm, but very strict household in San Diego. “It was an awakening process,” says Kriz, “difficult and confusing at times, and occasionally amusing. At home I appreciate rice and pancit with fish or lumpia and adobo. And I like to cook fusion foods and eat with my hands.”

“To tease my parents, I would eat my food with my fingers at parties we attended together knowing

Krizpin G. Oades

Kriz Oades flanked by two Hawaiian fusion cuisine pioneers: Chefs Alan Wong (left) and Roy Yamaguchi (right).

that they would feel a bit em-barrassed,” he said. “I consider myself lucky for having supportive parents. My dad, for example, half-heartedly allowed me to take the non-traditional Filipino culinary career.”

At the young age of 8, Kriz worked for his Dad’s flower business where he gained his interest in art. As an inspiring chef, he is fortunate with many invaluable experiences, each building on the foundation on

which he grows today. Kriz has worked at various establishments that included Sea World Food Services, Sheraton Resort of the City of Industry, and Benihana Restaurants. In addition, he con-ducted his externship under the James Beard award winner Chef Alan Wong of Hawaii.

During his culinary studies in New York, Krizpin worked weekends in one of Manhattan’s most distinguished restaurants, Nobu under James Beard Nomi-nee Chef Nobu Matsuhisa.

Working with these prestigious chefs gave him a large interest in the Asian Fusion style of cook-ery. Upon graduation from the CIA, Chef David Abella of Roy’s Restaurants gave him the oppor-tunity to join the Roy’s family in San Diego.

Roy Yamaguchi, one of Kriz’s inspirations, gave him the chance to harmonize his Hawaiian/Asian background with his passion for cooking. He cooked at Roy’s La Jolla for 6 years, where he worked his way up to Sous Chef under the guidance of Chefs David Abella, Evan Cruz, Ron Plata, and Percy Inos.

Aspiring to become a chef partner, Kriz transferred to open Roy’s Anaheim as Sous Chef and as Roy’s Corporate Trainer in 2008, to continue build-ing his culinary and business foundation. He then came back to Roy’s La Jolla after a few months, partly because of an ill-ness in his family.

Testament to his spirit of individuality, he accepts his daily challenges and optimistically looks toward his future. Standing

firmly in his vision of success, he prides himself in sacrifice and moves swiftly towards his endeavors.

With a world of opportunity before them, young chefs Joseph Mendoza, Evan Cruz and Kriz Oades stand poised to rise to distinction in the culinary world. – Riz

(To be Continued featuring Executive Chefs Larry Banares and Joe Orate)

PNS -- ONE of the cutest TV commercials we saw lately was that of Camella Homes featuring an ador-able little girl with the jingle saying “Bulilit, bulilit, sanay sa masikip.” The commercial was such a hit that Camella Homes, owned by Sen. Manny Villar and family, presented their model to the press, four- year-old Cha Cha whose real name is Tricia Louise Canete. Sen. Villar’s only daughter, the pretty Camille for whom Camella Homes was named, is the head of their corporate commu-nications. “We’ve realized na kung hindi si Cha Cha ang talent namin, the response to the commercial will not be as phenomenal,” she says. “It’s the commercial’s director, Erik Matti, who discovered her for the TVC.”

“I was at a coffee shop at ABS and I heard this child talking,” says Erik. “She’s so noisy, bibang-biba, but the way she talks, hindi parang bata kundi pang-matanda. I asked her guardian kung nakagawa na siya ng commercial. Hindi pa raw, but she’s part of the cast of ‘Goin’ Bulilit’ for two months na. So I got her number and when we were casting the Ca-mella commercial, pinatawag ko siya. But in the audition, natakot siyang mag-perform so they got a boy to be the model. Before we started shoot-ing, though, tinawag ko si Cha Cha and coached her and this time, she

Cha Cha idolizes Villarperformed kaya siya na ang kinuha.”

Born on October 6, 2004, she’s the eldest of two kids of Orlan and Ana Canete. Her dad works in Qatar and she’s accompanied in her showbiz commitments by an aunt since her mom takes care of her younger brother. They live in Sanville, Quezon City. Cha Cha has not gone to school yet. She’s now also cast in the movie “And I Love You So” with Bea Alonzo. At her age, she’s serious with her work. Even if she’s playing or eating, when you tell her ‘Work na tayo’, she’ll get up, ready to face the camera. What is her motto in life? “Sipag at tiyaga.” And who is her idol? “Sen. Manny Villar.” Sikat na ba siya? “Opo.”

As a prize for the hit commercial, Cha Cha got a huge doll house pat-terned after their most sellable homes all over the country. “Matagal na kaming hindi nag-TV ads. But now, we want to show our countrymen that we have new Camella Communities in 17 provinces, changing the face of the countryside in Pangasinan, Isabela, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Batangas, Camarines Sur, Iloilo, Negros, Cebu, Leyte, Cagayan de Oro, Davao and Gen San. Our houses are now two floors, dati bungalow lang, and more spacious ranging from 66 to 250 sq.m. We’ve got so much more to offer.”


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Life is getting tougher in Cali-fornia. More Filipinos are losing their jobs and most welfare recipients received lesser ben-efi ts. Even nurses are feeling the pinch when they used to be in high demand. How long can we sustain living on a limited bud-get? We may have to take some drastic change in our lifestyles to make ends meet.

There will be more short sales and foreclosures in the next two years. Homeowners with mostly bad loans are trying for loan modifi cations but so far only a few are able to succeed. Is it worth keeping your primary residence or rental property with its very low fair market value? Have you considered walking away or even fi ling for bank-ruptcy?

If you purchased your home between 2005 and 2007, most likely you have bad loans on overpriced properties. If you purchased in the prior years but refi nanced with cash out or took home equity loans, you may also be in trouble. Your properties are now valued so much less than your total loan balance. How long can you keep up with your monthly payments and survive? Do you really believe that if a lender modifi es your loan, you will be able to keep your house? How about your other liabili-ties like those maxed out credit cards?

Losing your home is not the end of the world. We came to this country without one, remember? Why are you so worried about what other people would say? Are they helping you in making the payments? It is your life and you should make a decision to lessen your daily stress.

The Simple TruthOf course it is tough losing

your home but, blaming other people or yourself why it hap-pened will only add to your mis-ery. We cannot go back in time, so face the consequences. It may be hard to do but try to swallow that pride and wipe those tears. If you lost a substantial amount on down payment for that house, tough but, that’s life. Sometimes we win, other times we lose.

Losing your home through a short sale or foreclosure may create a Cancellation of Debt in-come to you. You should receive Form 1099-A or Form 1099-C or both. Remember to ask your lenders about these forms since they may have sent your copy to your old address. The IRS will always get their copy. If you have more than one loan, the fi rst mortgage will take possession and eventually sell your home at fair market value. The other loans will become unsecured and the lenders may try to use collec-tors before cancelling your debt. You may still receive a Form 1099-C in a year or two after you lost your home or rental prop-erty.

Do not assume you’re okay since the lenders forgive your debt. You may have to include that Cancellation of Debt income on your tax return or even owe capital gain tax for the house that you lost.

Cancellation of Debt occurs when your house was sold for lesser amount than your total loan balance. Report the COD income on your tax return. You may not owe taxes if you qualify for the IRS and FTB exclusions. Visit IRS website @ www.irs.gov and download Publication 4681 for more info and sample cases. Good Luck!!


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This worst economic storm in a generation has made life miser-able for a lot of people. Life and businesses and almost everything else have been adversely af-fected. People are experiencing crisis and a lot of stress. Or so most of us think!

But personal-achievement experts have said that the tough economic times we are experienc-ing now are not necessarily all bad. It all depends on how we look at it. The crisis and extreme stress are also not that bad, in fact, the worst brings the best in people.

According to John F. Kennedy, “The word crisis, when written in Chinese, is composed of two characters: one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.”

It’s how we look at crisis that matters. That being the case, let’s look at crisis the right way – and find the opportunities it offers. With people imbued with optimism, they see op-portunity in every crisis. After all, it has been said that “when one door closes, another door opens.” And “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!” With people who are pessimists, it’s the other way around. Their eyes are closed to any opportunity.

Here is what personal-achieve-ment experts say: If you really think about it, the world has changed, but in many ways for the better. The crisis and accom-panying stress makes us stronger, more resilient and resourceful. It makes us think of the impor-

The Worst Brings the Besttant priorities in our life that we can control. And it also makes us think of changes we need to make in our own selves.

Anthony Robbins, one of the top peak-performance coaches here in America, says in an article in Success magazine, that crises and extreme stress can be useful for growth, learning, and

determining what really matters to most to us.

“Sometimes your worst day can be your best day if it produc-es a change,” Robbins explained. “There is something called post-traumatic growth. You don’t have to have post-traumatic stress. You can have growth come out of extreme stress.”

In a Success article entitled “Wake-up Call” by Sarah Blask-ovich and K. Shelby Skrhjak, it says: “The economy has prompt-ed many people to reappraise their lives, their goals, their pri-orities. Many can take pride in personal victories and comfort in knowing their priorities are in or-der. Others realize their perspec-tives are skewed, and they are making changes. Many say they are more aware of their ability to prosper and create their own wealth, and are actively seeking more friends and spending more

time with family.”Wayne Dyer, author of Excuses

Begone!, agrees that changing your mindset is always possible. “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at actually begin to change. Mental health is about flexibil-ity.”

Dyer said that our focus upon the present is crucial during these tough economic times. “If you can have the relationship in the now, you’ll have a great relationship with life. Most of us have trained our mind to be anything but right here, right now,” he said.

“When you’re on the dance floor, the purpose of the dance isn’t to end up in a dif-ferent place on the dance floor,” he continued. “The purpose is to enjoy every note,” he says. “Find a way to be fulfilled. Life

is about feeling good.” I tend to agree with

Dyer. The past is over, the future is not here yet, and we are not even sure of it. What we see is now, so what matters is now. How do we deal with the here and now is therefore crucial. We either learn to swim or sink with the tide. It’s all up to us!

The article “Wake-up Call” goes on to men-tion that international speaker and life coach

Amanda Gore says hard times show us how wonderful the “little things” in life are. “Hard-ship reminds us to reconnect our heads and our hearts, and our hearts with other people’s hearts,” she said.

That is so beautiful! Con-necting our hearts with other people’s hearts!

“Families thought happiness came from buying stuff – the more we have, the happier we would be,” Gore said. “Now, we have more time together as a family because we can’t afford to have everyone running around doing different things, like eating out or shopping. We can focus on the truly important things in life – like love, connections and contributing.”

Gore is right! Our focus has to shift from the material things that we crave, to the non-materi-

al, but more uplifting things that we can truly enjoy. The shift in our focus will bring us more pleasure and more contentment

Another personal achievement expert mentioned in the article, David Bach, author of the best-selling book Fight for Your Mon-ey: How to Stop Getting Ripped off and Save a Fortune, said: “A recession is a great opportunity to build wealth and create your own economic prosperity plan. What the recession has taught us is that now is the time to get excited because you can use a

recession to your advantage.”Bach, the article continues,

said that tough economic times help strengthen our entrepre-neurial muscle. “Starting your business in a recession is like running against the wind. If you’re training for a marathon by running with the wind, what are you going to do when you have to run against the wind? You have to run against the wind to learn how to run hard, lean and mean.”

A lot of companies have prov-en that they can succeed even in

the worst of times. Syndicated radio host and financial expert Dave Ramsey said: “Sometimes we have to get pushed out of the nest in order to fly. There are a lot of eagles out there that hadn’t spread their wings in a while.”

“During these tough economic times,” Ramsey continued, “these eagles are soaring. Their creative juices are flowing again, they are smiling again, and they are happy again. They are the right kind of people that see this recession as an opportunity to improve.”


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

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

Phil - Am Law 101

One morning last month, we received a telephone call from Alex who asked us if he could avail of our free consultation. Of course, we said, go ahead and tell us how we can help you. He needed help in preparing his Affi davit of Support for his wife and two minor children. In the course of our conversation, he mentioned that he fi led only a single petition for his wife and kids. Sensing that something was wrong, we suggested that he come over to discuss his case more thoroughly.

Alex entered the United States under an F-1 petition (unmar-ried son of a U.S. citizen). He left behind his two kids with their mother. A month later, he returned to the Philippines and married her. He was ready to petition his wife and their two kids, when somebody advised him that it would be faster if he petitioned them after his natu-ralization than when he were still an immigrant. This is not necessarily true. It takes 5 years to apply for naturalization and another six months or so to get it approved. And, somewhere along the line, something might happen that will prevent you from applying for naturalization. On the other hand, the waiting time for an F-2A petition (by an immigrant for his spouse and minor children) is about 4-1/2 years. So, had Alex fi led the F-2A petition immediate after

U.S. Citizen must fi le separate petition for wife and kids

marrying his wife, it would have been a faster route to bring his family here.

Anyway, when Alex got his U.S. citizenship, his wife and kids became his immediate relatives (IRs). As we discussed in last week’s article, IRs are the parents, spouse and minor children of a U.S. citizen. Alex thought that the procedure for an IR petition is the same as that for an F-2A petition where only a single petition is required for the family. So what he did was

to fi le only a single IR peti-tion for his wife and 2 kids.

Somehow, Alex already knew that something was wrong. The no-tice he received from the NVC does not men-tion his kids. Instead, it says

that a separate petition must be fi led for each immediate relative. Although Alex was consulting us only about the affi davit of sup-port, he was already suspicious that he committed a blunder in fi ling the petition.

Alex should have fi led separate petitions for his wife and two kids. However, it is not yet too late for them. He can always fi le new petitions for his kids. It will just be a matter of right tim-ing, to enable his wife and kids to travel to the United States together. Of course, it will cause some delays, but at least the er-ror Alex committed was far from fatal and can be easily remedied.

While we are on the subject, the same rule applies when the petitioner naturalizes. Using the same hypothetical, assume that Alex had gone ahead and cor-rectly fi led a single F-2A petition for his wife and kids in 2007. Early this year, Alex became a U.S. citizen. What happens now?

The F-2A petition automati-cally converts to an IR petition. But since an IR petition covers only one immediate relative, then it will mean that the IR petition will no longer cover the two kids. Only the wife, since she was the principal benefi ciary under the F-2A petition, will remain as benefi ciary under the converted IR petition. The two kids will be dropped from the petition and Alex will have to fi le two separate petitions for them.

Once again, Alex’s case demonstrates the importance of consulting with an experienced immigration attorney. U.S. im-migration laws are complicated and a simple mistake may result to needless delays, if not adverse consequences.

Announcement : Consultation in Manila

We will be in Manila for two weeks in August. If your loved ones are interested in consulting with us there, please tell them to contact our Manila offi ce at 522-1199 or 526-0326 to set an appointment.

Atty. Rogelio Karagdag, Jr. is licensed to practice law in both California and the Philippines. He practices immigration law in San Diego and has continu-ously been a trial and appellate attorney in the Philippines since 1989. His offi ce address is lo-cated at 16486 Bernardo Center Drive, Suite 228, San Diego, CA 92128. He also holds offi ce in National City inside the S&S Travel Agency at 2409 E. Plaza Blvd. Please call (858)348-7475 & (619) 475-3262 for your free consultation. Our email is [email protected]. Articles written in this column are not legal advice but are hy-potheticals intended as general, non-specifi c legal information.

By Alex P. Vidal / PNS SAN DIEGO, California – In-

spired by the life story of Austra-lian naturalist, zoologist, animal and wild life conservationist and television personality, the late Stephen Robert Irwin, known simply as Steve Irwin, Nathaniel Dean Baldevieso Viejon’s in-spirational speech on Irwin won him the 2009 Modern Wood-men’s Speech Contest‘s trophy recently in Aurora, Illinois.

Nate, as he is known to his family and friends, is 11 years old and a 5th grader at Schneider Elementary School in Aurora distric t, a suburban west of Chicago. Nate, who is an animal lover, wrote his contest piece with the guidance of his mother,

11-year-old Fil-Am wins U.S. speech contest

Jenie. He thought that Irwin has touched and impacted his life and that of millions of others all over the world.

Modern Woodmen of America developed this contest in 1948 to offer students an op-portunity to de-velop skills in clear thinking and public speaking. Presently, it is an important event in schools across the United States.

This year’s topic was “A person who has touched many lives”. Modern Woodmen asked all student- speakers to help uncover and tell the story of an individual who embodies the spirit of the tagline

- “Touching Lives. Securing Futures.”

Contestants were judged base on material organization which accounts for theme and subject adherence, structure, content, logic and color; delivery and presentation that include voice, pronunciation, enunciation, gestures and poise. And lastly, overall effectiveness that scores impression and effect.

Nate is a well rounded stu-dent. He is a consistent North American Honor

Roll in Math and Reading at Kumon Development Center,

a member of his school band and a league player at Compton United Soccer Club. He is the eldest son of Jenie Baldevieso

and Victor Viejon of Barotac Viejo and

Santa Barbara, Iloilo, Philippines respectively.


Spiritual Life

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

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BalintatawRead Virginia Ferrer’s previous articles by visiting our website

at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Virginia H. Ferrer

Isa sa ‘king mga hiling ay ang maging matiyagamatutunang ganap ang maghintay ng buong tiyagaalisin ang kapusukan, maging mabuti sa kapwanang makamit ko ng maayos ang tunay na biyaya.

Sa mga suliranin na sa aki’y ibinibigaymalutas ko po sana gamit ang wastong karununganwalang mandadaig at wala namang malalamanganat nang maging patas po mga desisyong ipapataw.

Hiling ko rin po sanay di ako maubusan ng lakasna maaari kong magamit na isang panlunassa mga pagkakataong panghihina’y dinaranasng ang mga kumakapit sa akin ay ‘di bumagsak.

Ang Mga Hiling (2)

Joke of the week: A pious Irishman and his friend, a sin-ner, were traveling to America on an ocean liner. A terrible storm came up and the ship began tossing and rocking mercilessly. Word began to spread to pray including the crew. The sinner stood aside and watched. Things began to look desperate. As the pious one was praying, he looked up and saw his friend had fallen to his knees and was praying as well. He stopped his own praying, nudged his sinner friend, and pleaded, “Shhh … don’t let God know you are here or ‘twill be the end of us all.”

Scripture: First Reading: Exodus16: 2-4, 12-15. Moses frequent exchanges with the Israelites seemed to let go of the fascinating possibility that there is such a thing as a free lunch. Second Reading: Ephe-sians 4: 17, 20-24. By faith n the one sent by God believers no longer rely “in the futil-ity of their minds” but they are renewed in the spirit and have become a new creation. Gospel: John 6: 24-35. The crowd dialogue with Jesus is typically Joannine. The evan-gelist intention is for Jesus to speak emphatically that “he is the bread of life.”

Refl ections: Prayer has always been understood as a dialogue or conversation with God. It is the human response to God revealing himself to mankind. This response takes on a variety of forms – from personal and individual to

Persistence in Prayercommunal and liturgical. Prayer can be said intimately in private or conducted pub-licly and communally through liturgical rites. There are also various types of prayer, such as contrition, supplication, and thanksgiving. Contrition implores God’s mercy and forgiveness, supplication asks God’s help for special need, and thanksgiving is praise of God for his goodness and blessings. Whatever forms and types prayer takes, it manifests man’s faith and trust in God whose providence rules the world. This mentality is more apparent in the Mediterranean world where reliance on a powerful patron who could effectively respond to certain needs that the supplicant by himself alone could not satisfy and meet. Filipinos can re-late well with this mentality, because the “padrino” (patron) system is very strong among them. It is a system that the less infl uential members of the community get what they want from their “padrino” who normally has the power, the wealth, and the right connec-tions with the rich and famous. Rightly used, the “padrino” system offers the haves to help the have-nots. Carried to the extreme, the system becomes a tool for the powerful to take advantage of the powerless. Graft and corruption thrive when the powerful exploit the powerless that are in dire need of basic human necessities, such as employment, medical treatment, food, shelter, and

clothing. In most instances, a poor Filipino will pay any price to be able to get a decent job to support himself and his family. The Filipino saying is so true, “Ang taong nagigipit sa patalim man ay kakapit” (A person in need would even hold on to a sharp blade.)

It sounds phenomenal that in today’s Gospel Jesus wants us to go ahead and nag his Father with our prayers. Nagging, however, is often negatively understood. In today’s Gospel it is presented as persistence. Jesus wants us to knock repeatedly, to seek constantly, and to ask endlessly. Why is that? Because he wants us to establish an intimate personal relationship with his Father who is also our Father. When one reaches this intimacy, then he will be asking only for what God wants to give us: the Holy Spirit. Part of the problems with our prayer is our lack of persistence. We easily get worn out; we right away lose hope and get distracted from our focus. Be persistent. Persevere. Ask con-tinuously day in and day out.

Here are some words of advice from Howard Whitman so that we may remain fi rmly persistent in our prayers. “We don’t get what we want every time we pick up the spiritual phone (in prayer), any more that we get what we want every time we pick up the phone in our offi ce. But if we telephone J.B. and he says he won’t sign the contract, we don’t hurl our offi ce phone out the window. No more should we throw out our spiritual telephone just because we don’t get what we want – or think we want.”

Quotation of the week: “We can do nothing unless divine aid supports us. This divine aid is at hand for all who seek it with truly humble and devout heart. To seek thus is to sigh for divine aid in fervent prayer. Prayer then is the mother and origin of every upward striving of the soul.” St. Bonaventure.

it,” she says. I respected her wish. Although

the website of the Film Academy of the Philippines mentioned that she was married to Fred Cortez, Sr., whose son Fred Cortez, Jr., also entered the showbiz for a time.

And to this day …

At age 84, Anita Linda is still very active in acting. Like Gloria Romero, she is a common choice for grandmother roles in today’s fi lms. One of the newer fi lms that she appeared was You Are The One, starring Toni Gonzaga and Sam Milby. She is currently seen in the ABS-CBN teleserye, Tayong Dalawa playing a support role with other veteran actors Helen Gamboa and Gina Pareno. She plays the role of a Chinese matriarch – a “kontra-bida” role in the life of young star Kim Chiu.

Anita Linda has done more than a hundred movies. In my conversa-tion with her, she does not plan to retire from acting. Acting is in her blood. It is a work that she enjoys doing.

Lately, she was offered to do a movie by the 2009 Cannes Festival Best Director Awardee, Brilliant Mendoza. The fi lm is entitled , Lola, a story about two grandmoth-ers. The storyline revolves around the life of a grandmother whose grandson was killed by the grandson of another grandmother (supposed to be played by one of her contem-poraries). The other grandmother

Anita Linda

role was offered to Mona Lisa, an-other fi ne veteran actress. However, Mona declined of her health condi-tion. As of this writing, the movie producers haven’t chosen another actress to play opposite Anita Linda. The movie is supposed to start shooting on June 18, 2009.

When we ended our conversa-

tion, Tita Alice said, “Kung kailan ako tumanda at saka sunod-sunod ang karangalang aking tinatang-gap. Totoong nakakabusog ng puso ang mga parangal na tinatanggap ko.”” She repeated what she said in an interview with One Philippines, “Kung tatanungin ako kung hindi


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

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

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

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In the summer of 2007, the Filipino American Educa-tors Association of San Diego County (FILAMEDA) launched Philippines 2007: Transcending Educational Borders.

The purpose of the trip is to teach and interact with the students in the Philippines, observe teachers and students in the classrooms, and to dialogue with teachers and administrators regarding classroom practices During the two weeks in the Philippines, we immersed our-selves in the culture and educa-tion system in the Philippines. We also shared with the teach-ers in the Philippines the impor-tance of Filipino language for students in the United States.

FILAMEDA will be having the second Philippines 2009: Transcending Educational Borders on July 26 to August 9, 2009. The participants from San Diego are Severino Reyes (FILAMEDA’s president), Gen-evieve Esmende, Pete Lopez, Joe Nicolas, and Aida Ramirez from San Jose. The schools FILAMEDA will be visiting are Ateneo Grade School, Ateneo de Manila University, Dirita-Baloguen Elementary in Iba, Felipe Estela in Baluganon, Zambales, Daniel Maramba National High School in Santa

Philippines 2007: Transcending Educational Borders Visiting Baguio’s Teachers Camp

Barbara, Pangasinan, Cebu In-ternational School, Santa Rosa Elementary on Olango Island, Amadeo Elementary, Amadeo National High School, Rosa-rio Elementary and Silangan Elementary in Cavite.

Prior to the trip, FILAMEDA shipped 12 balikbayan boxes full of books and school sup-plies to the schools. Individuals, schools, and organizations in the community donated books and money to assist with the shipping of the boxes to the Philippine and the purchasing of school supplies. We truly appreciate everyone’s support. We look forward to sharing our experience when we return from our trip.

By Alex P. Vidal/ PNS SAN DIEGO, California --

Enough is enough.This seems to be the battlecry

of the Department of States of the United States of America as it announced in Washington D.C. today a reward offer of up to $1 million for information lead-ing to the location, arrest and/or conviction of Radullan Sahiron, senior leader of the Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

Many innocent men, women and children have been killed or seriously injured as a result of Sahiron’s actions, announced Ian Kelly, spokesman of the Bureau of Public Affairs in Washington D.C.

Kelly said Sahiron played a

U.S.Gov’t offers $1M reward for arrest of Abu Sayyaf Chief Sahiron

role in the May 2001 Dos Palmas kidnapping of three U.S. citizens and 17 Filipinos from a tourist resort in Palawan, Philippines.

Several of the hostages, in-cluding U.S. citizen Guillermo Sobero, were murdered.

He said Sahiron continues to plot terror schemes that impact many communities in Mindanao. Because of his leadership posi-tion in the Abu Sayyaf Group, whose terrorist attacks have resulted in the deaths of U.S. and Filipino citizens, U.S. authorities consider Sahiron to be a threat to U.S. and Filipino citizens and interests, Kelly added.

He is believed to be hiding in southern Mindanao.

“We encourage anyone with

information on Sahiron’s loca-tion to contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, any U.S. Government offi cial or military commander, or the Rewards for Justice staff via the website (www.rewardsforjustice.net), e-mail ([email protected]) or mail (Rewards for Justice, Washing-ton, DC 20520-0303, USA),” Kelly said in a press statement. “All information will be kept strictly confi dential.”

Since its inception in 1984, the Rewards for Justice Program has paid more than $80 million to more than 50 persons for infor-mation that prevented interna-tional terrorist attacks or helped bring to justice those involved in prior attacks.



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

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Touching words from the mouth of babes. What does Love mean? A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, “What does love mean?” The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think: “My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.”

Clare - age 6 “Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chick-en.”

Elaine-age 5 “Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.”

Chris - age 7 “Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.”

Mary Ann - age 4 “When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.”

Rebecca- age 8 “When someone loves you, the way they say your name is dif-ferent. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.” Billy - age 4 “Love is when a girl puts on per-fume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.” Karl - age 5 “Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.” Chrissy - age 6 “Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.” Terri - age 4

Love“Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.” Danny - age 7 “Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss” Emily - age 8 “Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.” Bobby - age 7 (Wow!) “If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.” Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka’s on this planet) “Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.” Noelle - age 7 “Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.” Tommy - age 6 “During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watch-ing me and saw my daddy wav-ing and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn’t scared anymore.” Cindy - age 8 “I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.” Lauren - age 4 “When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.” (what an image) Karen - age 7 “Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn’t think it’s gross.”

Mark - age 6 “You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.” Jessica - age 8 And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,”Nothing, I just helped him cry.”

down, but the place remained idyllic for its residents and visi-tors to enjoy. Fishermen’s fami-lies lived by the shore. Through-out the day, freshly-caught fish could be bought from fishermen arriving from their sorties in the sea.

The next day, Eric and Benny took a jeepney back to Daet. It was indeed a small world, because the town mayor was also on his way to Daet on official business. He commandeered half of the jeepney to accommodate himself and his bodyguards, although he paid the full fare just like everybody else.

Benny wanted Eric to join their high school reunion to be held in Daet River. It was school vaca-tion for everyone, and most of Benny’s high school chums who studied in Manila were spending their summer in their hometown. Benny went to Daet High School where he became a student lead-er. While there, he wooed and won the heart of the most beauti-ful girl in class. They continued their romantic relationship while both of them were studying in

Serenading a barrio lass in the idyllic town of Paracale, Camarines Norte

Manila, that is, until Benny’s roving eye diverted his attention. He got involved with another girl and it was only a matter of time for the news to reach the ears of his high school girlfriend.

At the picnic, it was obvious that the girl was still mad at Benny as their classmates kept teasing them. Benny managed to thaw the ice and by the end of the day, their romance was rekindled.

But it was not the first and last time that Benny’s affection would be diverted. In the end, however, Eric learned that Benny and his high school girlfriend eventually got married and raised a family in Paracale.

Naga

On the way to Naga that day, Eric wondered what happened to his friend, Benny. It’s been years since they last saw each other, and he wanted to pass by Para-cale to search for him. But since they took the shortcut, Paracale was out of the way. Besides, it was getting late and they had to reach Naga City before nightfall.

Naga was a busy and boom-ing city. The city proper was full of commercial establishments, stores and restaurants. The pub-lic market, which later burned down, was huge. Eric called up his friend Joey and told him that they were already in town. They were told to wait in front of a McDonald’s Restaurant, and in just twenty minutes, Joey arrived with his wife Anita. They had dinner at a restaurant, before pro-ceeding to the farm where they would stay for the night. – AJ

(To be continued)

na ako artista, ang isasagot ko ay ‘artista pa rin’. Dahil wala naman akong ibang alam gawin kundi ang pag-arte, hindi ako mag-re-retire sa pag-arte.”

Francis Cruz, on his online blog on Filipino movie stars, spoke highly of Anita Linda. According to Cruz, “Linda, with a subtle trem-bling of her eyebrows, the sudden flowing of helplessly restrained tears, and couple with the vast experience of portraying a wide array of characters ranging from a mother gone insane with the loss of her kids (in de Leon’s Sisa), to a forgotten movie actress (in O’Hara’s Ang Babae sa Bubungang Lata), has done enough to turn mundane into magical”

For almost six decades now, Anita Linda has been in the hearts of Filipino film enthusiasts. She be-longs to that rare breed of actresses whose beauty and luster have been tempered through time.


Anita Linda


LifestyleRead J’Son’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.

asianjournalusa.com

by J’Son

This message was sent by Jim-mie Sober for publication at Asian Journal thru Lifestyle column not to cause you to cease living, and remain locked up in your home. It is to educate you to be observant, be careful, and do not hesitate to report anything that causes you to be suspicious. Better safe than sorry.

We in America are pretty safe overall, still, in today’s World, we must be more careful than ever before. When it comes to safety and security, we are pretty apathet-ic because of this overall feeling of being safe in America. STILL: something to think about.

Juval Aviv was the Israeli agent upon whom the movie ‘Munich’ was based. He was Golda Meir’s bodyguard -- she appointed him to track down and bring to justice the Palestinian terrorists who took the Israeli athletes hostage and killed them during the Munich Olympic Games. In a lecture in New York City a few weeks ago, he shared

information that EVERY Ameri-can needs to know -- but that our government has not yet shared with us.

He had previously predicted the London subway bombing on the Bill O’Reilly show on Fox News stating publicly that it would hap-pen within a week. At the time, O’Reilly laughed and mocked him saying that in a week he wanted him back on the show. But, unfor-tunately, within a week the terror-ist attack had occurred.

Juval Aviv gave intelligence (via what he had gathered in Israel and the Middle East) to the Bush Ad-ministration about 9/11 a month before it occurred. His report specifically said they would use planes as bombs and target high profile buildings and monuments. Congress has since hired him as a security consultant.

Are we really safe and secure at our airports?

Now for his future predictions. He predicts the next terrorist at-tack on the U.S. will occur within the next few months. Forget hi-jacking airplanes, because he says terrorists will

NEVER try and hijack a plane again as they know the people on-board will never go down quietly again. Aviv believes our airport security is a joke -- that we have been reactionary rather than proac-tive in developing strategies that are truly effective.

For example:

1) Our airport technology is outdated. We look for metal, and the new explosives are made of plastic.

2) He talked about how some idiot tried to light his shoe on fire. Because of that, now everyone has to take off their shoes. A group of idiots tried to bring aboard liquid explosives. Now we can’t bring liquids on board. He says he’s waiting for some suicidal maniac to pour liquid explosive on his underwear; at which point, security will have us all traveling naked! Every strategy we have is reactionary.

3) We only focus on security when people are heading to the gates.

Aviv says that if a terrorist attack

targets airports in the future, they will target busy times on the front end of the airport when/where people are checking in. It would be easy for someone to take two suitcases of explosives, walk up to a busy check-in line, ask a person next to them to watch their bags for a minute while they run to the restroom

or get a drink, and then detonate the bags BEFORE security even gets involved. In Israel, security

checks bags BEFORE people can even ENTER the airport.

Aviv says the next terrorist at-tack here in America is imminent and will involve suicide bombers and non-suicide bombers in places where large groups of people congregate. (i.e., Disneyland, Las Vegas casinos, big cities (New York, San Francisco, Chicago, etc.) and that it will also include shopping malls, subways in rush hour, train stations, etc., as well as rural America this time (Wyoming, Montana, etc.).

The attack will be character-ized by simultaneous detonations around the country (terrorists like big impact), involving at least 5-8 cities, including rural areas. Aviv says terrorists won’t need to use suicide bombers in many of the larger cities, because at places like the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, they can simply valet park a car loaded with explosives and walk away.

Aviv says all of the above is well known in intelligence circles, but that our U.S. government does not want to alarm American citi-zens’ with the facts. The world is quickly going to become ‘a differ-ent place’, and issues like ‘global warming’ and political correctness will become totally irrelevant.

On an encouraging note, he says that Americans don’t have to be concerned about being nuked. Aviv says the terrorists who want to destroy America will not use sophisticated weapons. They like to use suicide as a front-line ap-proach. It’s cheap, it’s easy, it’s

effective; and they have an infi-nite abundance of young militants more than willing to ‘meet their destiny’.

He also says the next level of terrorists, over which America should be most concerned, will not be coming from abroad. But will be, instead, ‘homegrown’ -- hav-ing attended and been educated in our own schools and universities right here in the U. S. He says to look for ‘students’ who frequently travel back and forth to the Middle East ... These young terrorists will be most dangerous because they will know our language an d will fully understand the habits of Americans; but that we Americans won’t know/understand a thing about them.

Aviv says that, as a people, Americans are unaware and un-educated about the terrorist threats we will, inevitably, face. America still has only have a handful of Arabic and

Farsi speaking people in our

intelligence networks, and Aviv says it is critical that we change that fact SOON.

So, what can America do to protect itself? From an intelligence perspective, Aviv

says the U.S. needs to stop relying on satellites and technol-ogy for intelligence. We need to, instead, follow Israel’s, Ireland’s and England’s hands-on examples of human intelligence, both from an infiltration perspective as well as to trust ‘aware’ citizens to help. We need to engage and educate ourselves as citizens; however, our U. S. government continues to treat us, its citizens, ‘like babies’. Our government thinks we ‘can’t handle the truth’ and are con-cerned that we’ll panic if we un-derstand the realities of terrorism. Aviv says this is a deadly mistake. Aviv recently created/executed a security test for our Congress, by placing an empty briefcase in five well-traveled spots in five major cities. The results? Not one person called 911 or sought a policeman to check it out. In fact, in Chicago, someone tried to steal the brief-case!

In comparison, Aviv says that citizens of Israel are so well ‘trained’ that an unattended bag or package would be reported in seconds by citizen(s) who know to publicly shout, ‘Unattended Bag!’ The area would be quickly & calmly cleared by the citizens themselves But, unfortunately, America hasn’t been yet ‘hurt enough’ by terrorism for their gov-ernment to fully understand the need to educate its citizens or for the government to understand that it’s their citizens who are, inevi-tably, the best first-line of defense against terrorism.

Aviv also was concerned about the high number of children here in America who were in preschool and kindergarten after 9/11, who were ‘lost’ without parents being able to pick them up, and about our schools that had no plan in place to best care for the students until parents could get there. (In New York City, this was days, in some cases!)

He stresses the importance of having a plan, that’s agreed upon within your family, to respond to in the event of a terrorist emergency. He urges parents to contact their children’s schools and demand that the schools, too, develop plans of actions, as they do in Israel.

Does your family know what to do if you can’t contact one an-other by phone? Where would you

gather in an emergency? He says we should all have a plan that is easy enough for even our youngest children to remember and follow.

Aviv says that the U. S. gov-

ernment has in force a plan that, in the event of another terrorist attack, will immediately cut-off EVERYONE’s ability to use cell phones, blackberries, etc., as this is the preferred communication source used by terrorists and is often the way that their bombs are detonated.

How will you communicate with your loved ones in the event you cannot speak? You need to have a plan. If you believe what you have just read, then you must feel compelled to send to every con-cerned parent or guardian, grand-parents, uncles,aunts, whatever and whomever. Nothing will hap-pen if you choose not to do so, but in the event it does happen, this particular email will haunt you...”I should have sent this to.... “, but I didn’t believe it and just deleted it as so much exaggerated trash.


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Raymond Gutierrez and Liz Uy (ex of John Lloyd Cruz.) Our group then went to Paris then Prague before returning to Madrid where we attended the Barcelona Music Festival. In Barcelona, I tried bridge jumping which was an exhila-rating experience. Scary but the adrenaline rush you feel is worth it. I really enjoyed my vacation. During the day, pa-high culture kami and we’d see the sights, museums, castles, cathedrals. In the evening, we go to the bars to hang out. It’s an experience I’ll never forget and I’m glad ginawa ko ‘yun.”

After playing fantasy charac-

Anne wished Sam to be her

husband(Continued from page 1)

ters in “Kampanerang Kuba” and “Dyosa” and as the best slut in town in “Maging Sino Ka Man,” how’s it doing a romantic show like “The Wedding”? “I’m so proud of this project as it’s an original concept. Hindi remake ng isang lumang movie or foreign show. It’s a feel-good romantic story and the casting is just perfect, with Michael de Mesa and Eula Valdes as my warring parents. Masaya ito.”

“The Wedding” is the fi rst teleserye of Director Jeffrey Jeturian and it’s his fi rst time to work with Anne, Derek and Zanjoe. “I’m glad na sila ang stars ko sa fi rst teleserye ko as they didn’t give me a headache. Si Anne, kahit inilubog namin sa wet cement, she didn’t com-plain. Masarap silang katra-baho.”

By Alex P. Vidal/ PNS

SAN DIEGO, California -- Experts have denounced the brutal beating by a 15-year-old black student of a 15-year-old Filipino-American student inside Lithia Springs High School in Doug-las County, Georgia which was recorded in a cellular phone video by another student.

The victim, who did not report the incident that happened some-time in December 2008 to authori-ties for fear of reprisal, had been pulled out form the school and brought to the Philippines by his parents.

Sgt. Jesse Hambrick of the Geor-gia Sheriff Offi ce confi rmed three students, including the culprit, have been arrested and are now facing felony charges.

The suspect, who was captured in the video taken from a cellular phone forcefully punching, kick-ing and stompting the head of the victim in the school’s hallway, is now facing two felony charges, said Hambrick who personally condemned the incident.

The video had been downloaded in the internet thus police were able to trace the identities of the suspects and the incident which was discovered only after police

Suspect in Brutal Beating of Fil-Am Teen Arrested

saw it on the internet.Hambrick said the victim, Zach

Cielo, was afraid to report the incident for fear of retaliation and his parents decided to bring him to the Philippines.

Lawyer Nicole Debore said the suspect “could be detained right away like any adult” because of the degree of his offense.

Barbara Coloroso, author of a book “The Bully, the Bullied & the Bystander”, said such violence in schools should not be tolerated because it will affect the culture of a certain institution “no matter how well-meaning are the authori-ties running the school.”

Douglas County Schools System Supt. Don Remillard said they are ready to expel the suspect even as he expressed shock over the incident.

Meanwhile, Channel 2 Action News reporter Justin Farmer met with the victim to talk to him about the incident.

Cielo said he was so worried

about retaliation, he didn’t tell anyone about what happened to him -- including school offi cials or his mother.

“I didn’t know what was going to happen to me,” said Zach Cielo. “(He) could’ve put a clot in my brain...I could’ve died. But I lived through it.”

But Cielo’s mother said she has seen enough.

“I have made (the) fi nal decision that I am taking them out of the school and I’m taking them out of the country,” said Lulu Cielo, Zach’s mother.

Going against her children’s wishes, Lulu Cielo said she has decided to send Zach and his 12-year-old sister to her native Philippines to go to private Catho-lic school.

“She’s doing it for the better of

me and the family,” said Zach Cielo. “I understand where she’s coming from.”

Lithia Springs High School of-fi cials are being supportive of the victim’s family and plans to expel the accused.

The accused is a juvenile and his name will not be released.

“He was one step away from an aggravated battery, which would have been if he had broken his spine, or actually killed him. You saw the kick to the head,” said Chief Deputy Stan Copeland with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Offi ce.

The suspect is in his mother’s custody. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Department said they are hoping prosecutors will come down hard on him to show others beatings won’t be tolerated.


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sented in the delegation were African-American, Hispanic, Korean, Japanese and Chinese. Robert Gnaizda, Esq., Mabuhay consultant and Greenling Institute founder and former counsel, and Marcia Griffin, CEO of Homefree USA, were also present to provide support to the group.

Bautista presented the Tenant-to-Homeowner proposal as an option to addressing the foreclosure prob-lem. The plan has received strong support particularly from FDIC Chair Bair and Congressman Barney Frank, who immediately agreed to write the top 5 major lenders to consider the concept.

Marcia Griffin, CEO of a HUD intermediary overseeing 19 non-profits, discussed why the present government plan has not been working and at her urging, several officials have agreed to look into ways to increase the resources given to HUD-approved non-prof-its like Mabuhay Alliance.

Chito Desuasido reported on what has been really happening “on the ground”. NAFAREP, which Desuasido chairs, has provided the volunteers for several foreclosure prevention clinics or-ganized by Mabuhay Alliance, and hence, has direct-hand information on the magnitude of homeowners’ problems. He also asked that mi-norities be given the opportunity

Mabuhay Alliance Leads First Pan Asian Minority Delegation to DC

(Continued from page 4) to deliver the solutions to their re-spective communities, for cultural and language reasons.

Additional statistics were offered by Daughlet Ordinario, RE Broker from San Diego, and Luis Escoto and Amado Hernandez from the Inland Empire, one of the hardest hit areas in California in terms of foreclosures.

Other important items in the group’s agenda included: Need for more corporate responsibil-ity from banks such as Canadian banks, Consumer Finance Protec-tion Agency and the need for a Filipino American-owned bank. Both the OTS (Office of the Thrift Supervision) and the OCC (Office of the Comptroller of the Cur-rency) have offered immediate support to start the assessment and licensing process of setting up this Filipino-owned bank.

Bautista said, “This successful DC trip is the first to be led by a Filipino grassroots organization and it is a significant step in push-ing forward Mabuhay’s mission of empowering ethnic minor-ity communities.” According to Desuasido, the DC officials were impressed with the conduct and outcomes of the meetings led and organized by Bautista.

Mabuhay Alliance – Press Release – DC mission/chito/rev. 7.19.09

Asian Journal Jul 31 2009

Documents

Transcript of Asian Journal Jul 31 2009