August 16-31, 2014 1

Vol. XXIII, No. 19 Online: www. manilamail.us August 16-31, 2014

Balatbat kid is
dead Page 3
Nuclear carriers
Fil-Am skipper Page 12
Robin Williams
mourned Page 5
Aguirre twins
today Page 13
Wedding bells for
Dingdong-Marian Page 21
Mallonga takes NaFFAA helm, bats for Fil-Am activism
SAN DIEGO, California.
Issues confronting the Filipino
American community continue
to face formidable challenges
that can only be resolved by forg-
ing stronger alliances and a more
vigorous advocacy, including
getting more Fil-Ams to register
and vote in future elections.
The challenges we confront
are formidable, says newly-
elected National Federation of
Filipino American Associations
(NaFFAA) National Chairman
JT Mallonga. Thats why we
need to bridge the intergenera-
tional divide, forge partnerships
and strengthen our capacity to
address and advocate for the
issues raised in this conference.
Fil-Am community leaders
from all over the United States
gathered here last weekend to
choose new leaders as well as
craft a roadmap for engagement
in the months ahead.
In his inaugural speech,
Mallonga cited comprehensive
immigration reform, Deferred
Action for Childhood Arrivals
(DACA) program, the DREAM
Act, aid to families affected by
Typhoon Haiyan, assistance to
Filipino nationals here in the
United States, health care and
US to keep eye on West
Philippine Sea
MANILA. The United States
will closely watch Chinese naval
activities in the West Philippine
Sea to guard against possible
actions that could worsen the
already tense situation there.
A Reuters report quoted a
US ofcial attending meetings in
Sydney, Australia as saying the
US wanted to see de-escalatory
steps from China after a US pro-
posal for a freeze on provocative
acts in the South China Sea got a
cool response from China.
The immediate follow-up
... is to assess the meeting sched-
uled in a few weeks between
ASEAN and China at the work-
ing group and the senior ofcial
level to discuss what equates to
the freeze, the unnamed ofcial
told reporters.
We will also be monitor-
ing the actual situation around
the rocks, reefs, and shoals in the
Special to the Manila Mail
By Jonathan Melegrito
WASHINGTON D.C. Fili-
pino American leaders met with
top ofcials of the Department
of Homeland Security (DHS) on
August 13 to urge an immediate
decision granting full Temporary
Protected Status (TPS) to Filipino
nationals in the United States.
While a decision was not
announced at the meeting, DHS
ofcials led by Asst. Secretary
Alan Bersin assured the leaders
that their thoughts and opin-
ions will be carefully communi-
cated back to DHS Secretary Jeh
Johnson, who will make the nal
decision.
There is a statutory stan-
dard that we must meet before
granting TPS, Bersin stated.
Among them is the impact of
the environmental disaster to
the Philippines capacity to take
back and absorb its citizens.
In response, JT Mallonga,
newly-elected National Chair
of the National Federation of
Filipino American Associa-
tions (NaFFAA), presented the
humanitarian arguments, citing
the 4.3 million who have been
dislocated, and the 1.5 million
who have lost their homes.
The Filipino people
affected by Typhoon Haiyan
continue to suffer infrastructure
problems, he said.
Rodel Rodis of the US
Pinoys for Good Government
(USPGG) cited the economic
Continued on page 19
Continued on page 20
Continued on page 20
Abu Sayyaf chiefs shift
loyalty to ISIS
MANILA. Some leaders of
home-grown Al-qaeda afliates
such as the Abu Sayyaf Group
(ASG) have reportedly shifted
their allegiance to the Islamic
State (ISIS) whose ghters have
swept through large tracts of
Syria and Iraq and is now target
for a bombing campaign by US
jets.
In an article posted on the
news website Rappler, Rommel
Banlaoi, head of the Center for
Intelligence National Security
Studies of the Philippine Insti-
tute of Peace, Violence and
Terrorism Research, revealed
that the ASGs Isnilon Hapilon
recently pledged allegiance to
the ISIS.
He said there are at least
three videos circulating that
show Filipino Muslim militants
pledging allegiance to ISIS.
In a follow-up report also on
Rappler, the head of the Armed
Forces Intelligence Service
(ISAFP) Maj. Gen. Eduardo Ano
Pulitzer-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas rallies Fil-Am support for
immigration reform at NaFFAA conference. Photo by Bing Branigin
Video grab of Abu Sayyaf chieftain Isnilon Hapilon (photo from Rappler.
com)
Continued on page 20
Leon Rodriguez (left), US Customs & Immigration Service Director, and Dept. of Homeland Security Asst. Sec. Alan Berson (2nd from left) engage Fil-Am
leaders in a discussion about TPS. NaFFAA National Chairman JT Mallonga (right) presented humanitarian arguments for why TPS is an urgent issue.
Photo by Jon Melegrito
August 16-31, 2014 22
August 16-31, 2014 3
Balatbat kid dies from tornado injuries
FAIRFAX, Virginia.
Fourteen year old Lhean-
drew Lloyd Balatbat has died
after being comatose for over a
month after a tree fell on his tent
during a tornado that also killed
both his parents.
He died last Aug. 9 at the
Childrens Hospital of the Kings
Daughters in Norfolk, according
to a fundraising page set up to
help the family.
(I)t is with heavy heart that
we inform you the passing of
Lheandrew Lloyd Balatbat, son
of late Lord and Lolibeth Balat-
bat. At a loss for wordsPlease
keep the family in your prayers.
RIP Little man, said a notice on
a the fundraising account set up
by Mohsin Khan who identied
himself in the website as a co-
worker of the boys father Lord
Balatbat.
Lheandrew and his two
younger sisters, Lharieza Anne,
12, and Lheanna Lynn, 7, were
sleeping in a separate tent when
the tornado whipped into the
campground.
The girls were treated of
non-life threatening injuries
and released from the hospital.
They are now staying with their
grandfather in New Jersey.
The remains of his par-
ents Lord Balatbat and Loli-
beth Ortega Balatbat were
returned to New Jersey last July
28.
The family had been visiting
the campground every summer
for the past several years and
this time were celebrating the
mothers birthday.
Balatbat was a manager at
Walgreens on Kennedy Boule-
vard and Seaview Avenue in
Jersey City.
Walgreens spokesman
James W. Graham disclosed that
the company has a benet fund
for employees who have expe-
rienced hardships caused by
long illnesses, accidents, natural
disasters and other situations.
A tax exempt charitable
foundation, the fund each year
helps hundreds of families
experiencing personal tragedies
or moments of extraordinary
need. We made sure the family
of Lord Balatbat and Loli-
beth Ortega is aware of the fund
and we will help them access it if
they are interested in doing so,
Graham said.
Balatbats colleagues at Wal-
greens, led by Mohsin Khan,
have been raising funds through
gofundme.com/c40u9s to
help cover the couples funeral
expenses and the childrens daily
expenses.
All funds raised will be
transferred to a trust fund in the
name of the children that will be
created by their legal guardian,
Khan said in his appeal for help.
The Jersey City Youth Foun-
dation also held a fundraiser
at Zeppelin Hall Restaurant
& Biergarten, attended by Mayor
Steven Fulop.
The group is donating half
of the $10,000 it has raised in the
annual event that buys school
supplies and backpacks for city
children.
Everyone is pulling
together to help in any way we
can, said Fulop at the event
attended by about 200 people.
Lheandrew Lloyd Balatbat
Police cautions balikbayans vs Gagamboys
MANILA. Authorities are
warning visitors arriving or exit-
ing through the Ninoy Aquino
International Airport (NAIA)
to stay alert while traveling the
roads near the countrys premier
airport.
They could be the next
target of men who have been
tagged as the Gagamboys (in
the vernacular, Spider boys).
While going through the
MIA Road in Pasay City, a news
team from ABS-CBN observed
two men clinging to a van that
had its windows down. The
mens hands were inside the
moving vehicle.
August 16-31, 2014 44
PH judge sentences Chinese shers to 12 years
PALAWAN. A Philippine
court declared a dozen Chinese
shermen guilty of illegal shing
in Philippine waters last Aug. 4
and sentenced them to 12 years
in jail plus payment of a hefty
ne.
It was the rst conviction of
Chinese nationals in the Philip-
pines since tension between the
two neighbors ared over rival
claims in the South China Sea.
Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Judge Ambrosio de Luna also
ordered them to pay a $100,000
ne, partly because they were
caught carrying
endangered animals.
Philippine rangers caught
the shermen after their boat
ran aground on Tubbataha Reef
in April 2013. The reef is not
claimed by China but the jail-
ing of the 12 is likely to put more
strain on already tense ties.
Chinese ofcials urged
Manila to guarantee their legiti-
mate rights and interests.
The shermens public
defender said he would appeal
the judges verdict.
They had said they were
on their way from Indonesia to
China when bad weather forced
them to take shelter at the reef,
and they were not aware they
were in Philippine territory.
The captain was sentenced
to prison for 12 years while his
men were sentenced to from six
to 10 years.
The Chinese shermen stand outside court house.
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August 16-31, 2014 5
Pinoys mourn death of comedic genius Robin Williams
SAN FRANCISCO. Fili-
pinos here and back home
mourned the loss of Hollywood
actor Robin Williams, whose
break-out role as the alien Mork
from Ork in the sitcom Mork &
Mindy captivated Philippine
TV audiences and in the movies
with roles in Alladin, Hook, Mrs.
Doubtre and many others.
His death last Aug. 11,
reportedly by suicide, in his
Tiburon, San Francisco home
became a trending topic on social
media half a world away.
Williams Filipino American
daughter Zelda Rae Williams
left a touching message on her
Twitter page. You you alone
will have the stars as no one else
has them...In one of the stars I
shall be living. In one of them I
shall be laughing. And so it will
be as if all the stars were laugh-
ing, when you look at the sky at
night...You only you will
have stars that can laugh.
Below that excerpt from
The Little Prince, Zelda wrote:
I love you. I miss you. Ill try to
keep looking up.
Zelda is Williams daughter
with movie producer and philan-
thropist Marsha Garces whose
father, Leon Pantaleon Garces,
hails from Bohol.
Garces had initially worked
as nanny to the actors son with
his rst marriage. She mar-
ried Williams on April 30, 1989.
They have another child named
Cody Alan Williams. The couple
divorced in 2010.
Popular Manila actress and
TV host Anne Curtis posted
a photo of Williams playing
as Peter Pan on her Instagram
account with the caption all
you have to do is think one
happy thought, and youll y
like me -Peter Pan RIP Robin
Williams. May you continue to
y like angels in heaven or Peter
Pan & Tinkerbell in Neverland.
She echoed the sentiments
of many Filipino fans, adding
He will be remembered for
the laughter and tears he gave
us with each role he portrayed.
Many of my rst childhood
favorites starred this amazing
actor.
Filipino-American actor
Dante Basco who was part of the
cast in Hook paid homage to
Williams.Im just one of many
actors that youve worked with
and you changed our lives and
Im just one of the millions of
people around the world that
will forever miss you, said
Basco in a video blog.
Basco played Ruo of the
Lost Boys in Steven Spielbergs
1991 lm, Hook, with Williams
playing the lead role of Peter
Pan.
Robin Williams anked by his son Cody and estranged Fil-Am wife Marsha
Garces.
Slapping incident stirs talk on treating drug suspects
MANILA. Is it alright to
slap a suspect already in cus-
tody? Thats what Quezon City
Mayor Herbert Bautista did and
apologized for but a fellow city
executive that was nothing to be
sorry about.
Bautista said he slapped
Chinese national Xu Zhen Zhi,
who was arrested for possess-
ing about P15 million ($350,000)
worth of methamphetamine,
known locally as shabu in
sting operation.
He doesnt respect our
laws, Bautista said, Hes a
foreigner breaking the law and
he thinks hes somebody here
in the Philippines. He immedi-
ately apologized but not to the
suspect, he explained, but for
being a poor example to kids in
the city.
But Davao City Mayor
Rodrigo Duterte said Bautista
was too easy on the suspect.
That wasnt enough. He
should have kicked him too,
said the mayor who has the rep-
utation of being the Dirty Harry
of Mindanao.
If he was in Davao City, Id
load him in ship and drop him
in Davao Gulf. The sh there is
starving, Duterte was quoted in
one report.
Unlike many highly urban-
ized Philippine cities, Davao City
enjoys the image of being drug-
free. Human rights groups have
complained thats partly because
suspected drug trafckers never
make it to jail because they end
up dead on the streets, allegedly
at the hands of the mayors death
squad.
The court didnt set any bail
for Xu. He could have faced the
death penalty if this wasnt abol-
ished during the administration
of President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo.
Bautista is now urging Con-
gress to reinstate capital punish-
ment for drug cases.
August 16-31, 2014 66
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Terror leader reported dead,
still alive PH Army
MANILA. The Philippine military
has claried that a notorious Islamic terror
leader believed to have been killed in an
American-aided bombing raid in Mind-
anao two years ago was still alive.
Zulkii bin Abdul Hir, alias Marwan,
a Malaysian bomb maker connected with
the Al-qaeda franchise group Jemaah
Islamiyah (JI) with a $5 million bounty
from the United States has been reported
roaming in the southern Philippines,
senior military ofcials said on Aug. 6.
He is alive and we continue to moni-
tor him, said Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala,
Armed Forces public information chief.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP) announced in February 2012 that
Zulkii was among 15 members of the
Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah groups
killed in an airstrike in Jolo.
Zulkii is regarded as an expert bomb
maker and a senior JI leader who rst went
into hiding in the southern Philippines in
2003. In 2007, the US government offered a
$5 million reward for his capture, making
him one of the United States most-wanted
men.
The JI is a counterpart of the Islamic
State that has wreaked havoc in large
parts of Syria and Iraq. It aims to set up
an Islamic state across Southeast Asia. It
is accused of carrying out many deadly
attacks in the region, including the bomb-
ing of tourist spots on the Indonesian
island of Bali in 2002 that killed 202 people,
among them 88 Australians.
Another top JI member, Singaporean
Mohammad Ali, alias Muawiyah, was also
declared killed in the airstrike, along with
a Filipino leader of the Abu Sayyaf.
Shortly afterwards, Malaysia
expressed doubts about the purported
killings but the Philippines then military
spokesman insisted all three were dead.
However, Zagala insisted that the
Philippine military had never said Zulki-
i had denitely been killed. There were
reports that said he was dead but it was
never validated ... we never conrmed he
was dead, he averred.
Zagala declined to answer further
questions about the case, such as whether
the other two top militants were also alive.
At the time of the airstrike, a rotating
force of about 600 US Special Forces was
stationed in southwestern Mindanao to
help train local troops combat Islamic mil-
itants. The Philippine military said then
that it launched the airstrike with the help
of US intelligence.
Military spokesman shows Marwans picture.
August 16-31, 2014 7
August 16-31, 2014 88
Pinoys skeptical about IDs, wont reveal status
NEW YORK. Although
Mayor Bill de Blasio signed leg-
islation creating municipal iden-
tication cards for half a mil-
lion undocumented immigrants
living in New York City, many
Filipinos have shied away from
getting them.
To obtain a municipal ID
card, applicants will be required
to present their passport, birth
certicate, government benet
card, social security or tax ID
number, which will reveal their
immigration status.
And although the city is
prohibited from retaining the
applicants personal documents
in hard copy or digital format,
the information will be entered
in a government database.
You may have the identi-
cation card, but you may feel
like youre walking around with
a stamp on your forehead that
youre undocumented, said
Linda Oalican, overall coordina-
tor for DAMAYAN, a grassroots
group led by Filipino women
domestic workers.
Before applying for the
card, we highly encourage our
members to think about it, she
explained.
Backed by majority of New
York City council members,
the municipal ID initiative was
passed last June 26 but the IDs
wont be issued until January.
For now, this card will be
valid. After the elections and
another mayor could be elected,
the next administration could
abolish it, added Oalican.
What will happen then to
those who have already submit-
ted their personal information
and divulged their immigration
status?
It will be compulsory for all
government agencies in the ve
boroughs, such as police, public
schools, hospitals and public
libraries, to accept the municipal
card as a valid form of identica-
tion. However, it will only work
within New York City.
It cant be used for travel
outside the city, including for
boarding aircraft.
One undocumented Filipino
in the city said he will feel stupid
to get the ID. Thats like com-
mitting suicide, he averred.
He said he is hoping Presi-
dent Obama would come to the
rescue, adding he will just wait
for bigger and surer immi-
gration legislation before he dis-
closes his immigration status.
But for Juan Carlos Gomez,
an undocumented Latino immi-
grant, the ID card is a benet. I
know what it is to not have an
ID and I know this card will go
a long way to building trust and
condence with immigrant com-
munities and local authorities,
he said.
New York is nalizing ID cards.
August 16-31, 2014 9
August 16-31, 2014 10 10
Comerford whips up culinary diplomacy for Africa leaders
WASHINGTON D.C.
When President Barack Obama
and First Lady Michelle Obama
hosted a dinner for nearly 50
heads of state from Africa leaders
earlier this month, they counted
on White House chef Cristeta
Comerford to whip up her brand
of culinary diplomacy.
Food sends such a wonder-
ful message, Comerford said.
You know we have here
such a thing [called] culinary
diplomacy. Because I really do
believe if you have a wonderful
meal, things and conversations
are so much better, she averred
in a Reuters interview.
Backed by about two dozen
chefs, Comerford prepared a
feast that showcased American
food, including produce from
the White House garden. And
everything was taken under con-
sideration, from DCs muggy
clime that week to each leaders
dietary restrictions or religious
preferences.
A lot of research and hard
work are put into everything,
she explained.
We are incorporating some
of these wonderful vegetables
from the [White House] garden,
and also some of them are
locally-sourced as well. And we
are adding these to salads, she
added.
Every dish was laced with
at least one ingredient coffee,
cinnamon and saffron, among
others that can be traced to
some of the 50 participating
African countries, according to
the Washington Posts Tom Siet-
sema.
Chilled spiced tomato soup
led the meal, he reported, n-
ished with coriander oil and
micro cilantro, accompanied by
socca crisps, based on chickpea
atbread.
The second course, chopped
farmstand vegetable salad,
underscores First Lady Michelle
Obamas commitment to mind-
ful eating. The composition,
using ingredients from the White
House garden, comes with
soured cream dressing and
crispy onions, rich frills no doubt
balanced by a pumpkinseed vin-
aigrette.
Grilled dry-aged beef a-
vored with chermoula (a spicy
marinade used throughout
Northern Africa) and crispy
plantains served as the main
course.
Cappuccino fudge cake and
papaya scented with Madagas-
car vanilla and salted caramel
sauce wrapped up the feast.
The United States-Africa
Leaders Summit was held in the
nations capital Aug. 4-6. The
gathering focused on trade and
investment in Africa and Ameri-
can commitment to the conti-
nents democracy and security.
Fil-Am teen pleads guilty to WTC stunt
NEW YORK. The Filipino-
American teenager who some-
how managed to make to the
top of One World Trade Center
pleaded guilty on Aug. 6 to mis-
demeanor in a deal that will keep
the stunt off his record.
Justin Alexander Casquejo,
16, of Weehawken, N.J., pleaded
as a youthful offender in Mid-
town Criminal Court and will
serve 23 days of community
service, some of which he has
already completed.
He was arrested after his
stunt on March 16, during
which police say he managed
to squeeze through a 1-foot by
1-foot hole in the fence that sur-
rounds the property and made
it past security on his way to the
1,776 foot tall spire.
He allegedly broke into the
building around 4 a.m. with
no identication and appar-
ently dressed like a construction
worker.
The teen was eventually
stopped by another construc-
tion worker who spotted the red
light on his GoPro camera after
spending about two hours at the
top of the building and while he
was trying to leave the premises.
We take security and these
types of infractions extremely
seriously and will prosecute
violators, Port Authority Chief
Joseph Dunne said.
We continue to reassess
our security posture at the site
and are constantly working to
make this site as secure as pos-
sible.
Casquejo was detained by
Port Authority police ofcers
responding to a report of an
unauthorized person on the site.
A camera and cell phone
which he apparently used to
take pictures from the top of the
building was seized from him.
Casquejo released an apol-
ogy on his Twitter feed, saying,
I seriously apologize to anyone
who may have been insulted or
felt disrespected by my actions.
It was not my intention to do so.
He pleaded guilty to mis-
demeanor BASE jumping. BASE
stands for building, antenna,
span (bridge) and earth (cliff).
White House chef Cristeta Comerford.
Justin Alexander Casquejo
PNAMDC sponsors
family picnic, assembly
The Philippine Nurses
Association of Metropoli-
tan Washington D.C. is
sponsoring a family picnic
and general assembly from
11 a.m to 3 p.m. at the
Mrs. Philippines Home for
Senior Citizens in Oxon
Hill, Maryland on Satur-
day, Sept. 6, 2014.
All PNAMDC of-
cers, members, supporters,
friends, volunteers and
their families are invited.
For more information
about this event, contact
Alicia Calayag-DeLeon: ali-
ciacalayag@gmail.com
The PNAMDC will
also host a 3KFamily Fun
Run/Walk at the Tucker
Road Community Center
Park in Fort Washington,
Maryland.
Registration fee is $30
with rst 40 registrants
receiving a Pedometer, free
T-shirt and Finisher Medal.
For more information,
visit facebook and website:
www.pnamdc.org. Contact
persons are Nora Men-
doza norrad79@verizon.
net Carol Robles carolr@
pnamdc.org Lorna Seidel
delegatingnurse@gmail.
com Vivian Sola viv8747@
aol.com.
August 16-31, 2014 11
Fil-Am could lose retirement fund for hiding $21,000 in girdle
DETROIT, Michigan. A
78-year-old Florida resident and
her daughter are in hot water for
failing to disclose about $21,000
they were secretly trying to hand
carry back to the Philippines
aboard an international ight
here.
According to an Aug. 7
ling at the United States Dis-
trict Court, Victoria Faren and
her 48-year-old daughter Cher-
ryn, residents of Clearwater,
Florida, were stopped earlier this
year by Customs ofcials as they
attempted to y from the Detroit
airport to Manila.
Faren allegedly hid more
than $20,000 in her girdle and
another $5,000 in her blouse and
bra. The daughter said she didnt
know her mother was carrying
the cash. Federal investigators
charged that they were trying to
skirt laws requiring disclosure of
large amounts of cash being car-
ried by air passengers.
Faren told investigators she
recently retired and sold her
home of $120,000. She sent some
of that to the Philippines by wire
transfer and intended to hand
carry the rest back home.
She stated that she did not
wire the proceeds to the Phil-
ippines this time because she
thought it was safer to carry the
money, according to the com-
plaint.
Federal law requires travel-
ers to declare if they are carrying
more than $10,000.
She has not been charged
but could lose all of it if Assistant
U.S. Attorney Gjon Juncaj gets
his way and gets a court order
to forfeit Farens entire $40,977
stash in favor of the government.
After agents noted dis-
crepancies between what Faren
declared on a Customs form and
what she told inspectors during
screening, agents searched her
carry-on bag and recovered
more than $12,000, which had
been placed in multiple wallets
and sewn into a pouch.
When asked if she was car-
rying any additional cash, Faren
admitted there was $3,000 inside
her blouse. During further ques-
tioning, she copped to having
$2,000 sewn into a bra strap.
Then, after agents detected a
bulge near her buttocks, Faren
removed another $5,000 from
her girdle.
When investigators found a
second bulge at the front of the
septuagenarians girdle, Faren
began to cry and confessed she
had more cash there.
According to Florida prop-
erty records, Faren sold a Clear-
water home to her son Reshley
and his wife in April 2013. The
sales price was $215,000.
Victoria Faren
Pinoy community focus
on nurses orphaned kids
PHILADELPHIA. The Fili-
pino community in Philadel-
phia has launched a fund rais-
ing campaign to help the family
of 41-year-old Ilonggo nurse
Jennifer Bongco who was found
dead in Winslow Township in
Camden County last July 25.
Her boyfriend, 52-year-
old Kevin Ambrose was later
arrested and charged with
murder.
According to authorities,
Bongcos 5-year-old daughter
witnessed what appeared to be
a deadly confrontation.
She witnessed the killing
of the mother. But when I saw
her at the viewing of the nine
days novena at home, she was
just playing around with the
other kids, said community
leader Hermie Aczon.
Jennifers remains have
been cremated and her elder
19-year-old daughter Jolina is
planning to bring her mothers
ashes home to their family in
the Philippines.
Aczon said Jennifer had
to be cremated because of her
physical condition. Eighty-
four stab wounds on her face
according to the Medico Legal,
thats why during the viewing,
it was a closed casket.
Philippine Nurses Asso-
ciation President Belinda Reyes
said the Filipino community in
Philadelphia was trying to help
out the Bongco siblings. Jenni-
fer Bongco was a single mother
so, at this time, especially the
kids they need nancial help,
Reyes said.
I try to convince every-
body to give their donations
directly to the Jennifer Bongco
Fund.
Without their mother to
pay for their mortgage, the two
girls may soon lose their home.
Aczon said the elder Jolina
may be staying at a friends
or boyfriends place while the
younger Jessica may be staying
with her biological fathers new
family.
Reyes said the Filipino
community promised to help
take care of the girls.
August 16-31, 2014 12 12
Fil-Am is new skipper of US nuclear aircraft carrier
NORFOLK, Va. United
States Navy Capt. Ronald L.
Ravelo became the rst Filipino
American to command an air-
craft carrier, the nuclear-pow-
ered Nimitz-class USS Abraham
Lincoln (CVN 72) during turn-
over rites at Newport News, Va.
shipyard last Aug. 7.
In another rst, Ravelo,
whose father joined the US Navy
when it still had bases in the Phil-
ippines, took over the helm from
his brother in law Capt. Karl O.
Thomas who will be transferring
as skipper of another Nimitz-
class aircraft carrier USS Carl
Vinson (CVN-70).
Thomas is married to Rav-
elos sister, Junifer.
My father is a retired chief
storekeeper, Ravelo said. He
left his family and friends to join
the Navy and settle in America.
I well up with pride for the Fili-
pino community, but this is not
any more special than any of
the other Americans around us
today.
Ravelo hails from San Diego,
Ca. Prior to his new assignment,
he commanded the landing ship
USS Comtock and prior to that
was 2nd in command of another
nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
USS Ronald Reagan.
He is a 1987 graduate of the
University of Southern Califor-
nia, where he earned his Bach-
elor of Science degree in Indus-
trial and Systems Engineering
through the NROTC program.
Upon graduation and com-
missioning he reported to the
Pensacola Naval Air Station
where he eventually earned his
wings as an unrestricted naval
aviator in September 1989.
He served as a Sikorsky
Seahawk pilot aboard the air-
craft carriers USS Ranger (CV 61)
and USS Kitty Hawk (CV 61) and
took part in Operation Desert
Storm, Operation Southern
Watch and Operation Restore
Hope in the Middle East.
As a commander of Heli-
copter Squadron 14, Ravelo
established the rst helicopter
detachment in support of Opera-
tion Enduring Freedom in the
Philippines.
He has a Masters from the
Naval War College as well as
completed advanced studies at
the Kennedy School of Govern-
ment and the Harvard School of
Public Health.
Ravelos personal awards
include the Defense Distin-
guished Service Medal, Merito-
rious Service Medal, Air Medal,
Navy Commendation Medal
and Navy Achievement Medal.
He was awarded the 2007 Com-
mander, Naval Air Forces Navy
and Marine Association Out-
standing Leadership Award for
his tour as Commanding Ofcer
of the Chargers (HS-14).
This may be the rst time
that (one family member) has
taken command from another,
said guest speaker. Ravelos
sister, Junifer, is married to
Thomas.
In his remarks, Rear Adm.
Troy M. Shoemaker, commander,
Naval Air Force Atlantic praised
Thomas for the success of his
command and stated his expec-
tations of the new commanding
ofcer of the USS Lincoln.
Ive had the privilege to
observe (Thomas) bold, decisive
leadership style in the crucible
of a (refueling complex overhaul
(RCOH)), Shoemaker said. He
has consistently provided clear
guidance and direction to the
entire project team, and all are
focused on integrity, account-
ability and safely achieving a
common goal.
During the ceremony,
Thomas gave the credit for his
success to his crew.
This crew has created a cul-
ture of Sailors taking care of Sail-
ors, Thomas said. As a result,
we have enjoyed tremendous
success.
The USS Abraham Lin-
coln is currently in the middle
of a 42-month overhaul, which
includes removing and replac-
ing the ships nuclear fuel, at the
Newport News Shipbuilding, a
division of Huntington Ingalls
Industries.
Capt. Ronald L. Ravelo
Surveys show deepening dissatisfaction with leaders
WASHINGTON D.C. Two
separate surveys released in the
rst week of the month showed a
widespread and deepening dissat-
isfaction with the way the country
is being run by Washington.
Some 71 percent say the coun-
try is on the wrong track, accord-
ing to the most recent Wall Street
Journal/NBC News survey. That
was a jump of 8 points from their
June survey.
In a Washington Post-ABC
News poll, 51 percent of Ameri-
cans said that they disapprove of
the way their own representative
in Congress is handling his or her
job. This was the rst time in 25
years that the number of Ameri-
cans who disapprove of their own
Congress member has risen to
more than 50 percent, according to
the Post.
Despite solid jobs gains and
a pickup in economic growth, a
record-high 76 percent said they
dont feel condent that their chil-
drens lives will better than theirs,
the WSJ/NBC poll result showed.
About 60 percent say the
nation is in a state of decline.
The American public is tell-
ing its elected representatives that
the economic distress that a signi-
cant proportion of them are feeling
is directly their fault, said Demo-
cratic pollster Fred Yang, who con-
ducts the Journal poll with Repub-
lican Bill McInturff.
All told, 79 percent expressed
some level of dissatisfaction with
the United States political system,
while only 19 percent said they are
satised, in the WSJ/NBC poll.
August 16-31, 2014 13
Conjoined twins have separate lives, 10 years later
NEW YORK. Two Filipino
conjoined twins who were sepa-
rated a decade ago at the Monte-
ore Medical Center in the Bronx
are now living vastly different
lives.
Carl and Clarence Aguirre,
now 12, were born joined at
the head. One twin reportedly
plays video games and dances to
Michael Jackson tunes; the other
has problems walking and talk-
ing.
When they were born, the
doctors at home told me, You
have to choose which one is to
live, Arlene Aguirre said. I
said, I cannot choose that. The
doctors here did not ask me to
choose.
Although one the twin is
believed to have permanent
impairment, Arlene said shes
still grateful that both are alive.
The Childrens Hospital at
Monteore Medical Center in
the Bronx agreed to take their
case. If they hadnt come to us
when they did, they would have
just withered away and died,
said Dr. Robert Marion, the boys
pediatrician.
I am extremely proud of
having been a part of this. Im a
little disappointed with some of
the outcome but, clearly, to see
how these kids have survived
and are for the most part thriv-
ing, is really wonderful, Marion
averred.
The boys were separated on
Aug. 4, 2004, in an operation that
climaxed a then-unusual staged
separation that took four sur-
geries over nine months.
When it was over, Dr. David
Staffenberg, the boys plastic sur-
geon, told the mother, Youre
now the mother of two boys.
Arlene has stayed in Amer-
ica and now raises the boys in
Scarsdale. She said she throws
birthday parties twice a year:
April 21, the day they were born,
and on Aug. 4.
PH raises Ebola alert, eyes returning OFWs
MANILA. The Philippines
has stopped sending workers to
Ebola-affected African countries
and have started monitoring the
health of people arriving from
there, a process that health of-
cials say could last a month.
The government has
imposed a ban on travel to
Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone
amid the worlds worst ever out-
break of the tropical virus, while
the Health Department adopted
extra measures starting Aug. 1.
We have to be proac-
tive. We know that the threat is
there, and we do not want any
surprises, DOH spokesman
Lyndon Leesuy said.
Filipinos returning from the
three outbreak countries, as well
as visitors from those nations,
would be screened at Philippine
airports and their health status
monitored daily for a month
after their arrival, he explained.
Leesuy revealed that at
least 20 Filipino workers who
returned from Sierra Leone in
June and July were put under
this regime by health ofcials.
Hospital facilities have been
prepared to admit any who
would develop Ebola symptoms,
it said in a statement, while
stressing the country remained
free of the deadly virus.
The foreign department
said there were 3,491 Filipinos
working in Guinea, Liberia and
Sierra Leone when the travel ban
was imposed on July 4. They are
among an estimated 10 million
Filipinos who work abroad.
Meanwhile, neighboring
Malaysia has expanded its pre-
cautions by monitoring arrivals
from the Philippines because of
its large overseas worker force,
part of which is deployed to
countries where theres a raging
Ebola epidemic.
There is no vaccine for the
highly-contagious disease, and
the current outbreak has claimed
nearly 730 lives and infected
more than 1,300 people since the
beginning of the year.
Ebola causes severe mus-
cular pains, fever, headaches
and, in the worst cases, unstop-
pable bleeding. It has killed
around two-thirds of those it has
infected since its emergence in
1976, although the death rate in
the current outbreak is lower, at
55 percent.
Former conjoined twins Carl and Clarence Aguirre with their mother Arlene.
Infra-red sensors screen arrivals at Manila airport.
August 16-31, 2014 14 14
Teen held for murder of 6-year-old Fil-Am
SEATTLE, Washington. A
17-year-old high school student
is accused of killing 6-year-old
Filipino American Jenise Pau-
lette Wright near her familys
home in rural Kitsap County last
Aug. 2.
Gabriel Zebediah Gaeta,
17, a student at Olympic High
School, was being held on $1 mil-
lion bail pending adult charges
of rst-degree murder with mul-
tiple aggravating circumstances
and rst-degree rape of a child.
He could face life in prison if hes
convicted.
Wrights disappearance riv-
eted the nation and for a time,
cast suspicions on her parents
(they were asked to undergo a lie
detector test).
The girls father James
Wright revealed that he had
taken Gaeta under his wing and
was trying to teach how to be
responsible to his community.
We fed him. He split wood
with me at my house. I was
trying to teach him to be respon-
sible to his community even
when we leave home, we are
responsible as men.
Wright and his wife are now
trying to bring home their two
other children, ages 12 and 8,
who were taken in by child pro-
tective services after Jenise dis-
appeared Aug. 2.
Her body was discovered
on Aug. 7 in almost 4 feet of
muddy water that investigators
described as a bog.
Investigators said in court
documents that Gaeta nodded
yes when they asked him whether he was the only person
involved in Jenises death, which
the state forensics lab had con-
nected to him by DNA on Jen-
ises clothing.
Her family noticed her miss-
ing the morning of Aug. 3 but
didnt become worried and call
for help until that night because
she had left the home on previ-
ous occasions and wandered
around the neighborhood.
Neighbors described Jenise
as outgoing and unafraid to
talk to anyone. The family felt it
was relatively safe because the
mobile home park is fenced. She
was half Native American and
half Filipino.
The search and investiga-
tion involved the FBI, Washing-
ton State Patrol and detectives
from nearby police agencies.
Discovering the Filipino culture in Richmond
By Kimberly Hayes
RICHMOND, Virginia.
Smiling faces, delicious smelling
food, a beautiful sunny day and
tons of dancing are only a few
words to describe the happen-
ings at 9th Annual Filipino festi-
val hosted at Our Ladies of Lord
Church in Richmond, VA.
It doesnt take much to
become part of a Filipino com-
munity, just remember to always
be ready to have fun!
And this years festival was
full of it!
This years festival was also
the rst time Philippine Ambas-
sador Jose. L. Cuisia graced the
festival with his presence. He
traveled from Washington, D.C.
to enjoy the festivities on his rst
visit to Richmond.
Its my rst time here in
Richmond and I couldnt help
admire the beautiful trees, since
you dont get to see many in
Was hington, D.C. I also enjoyed
the warm people, very nice
people who are not only Filipino
Americans but the people who
live here and made me feel at
home, he enthused.
He commended the organiz-
ers for the successful festival.
It was exciting to see tradi-
tional dances performed. One
dance, the tinkling especially
caught my eye. It was mesmer-
izing to watch the skill of the
dancers as they moved with
grace, poise and agility between
the moving bamboo sticks.
Watching is one thing but
actually attempting this dance is
another. As we were invited to
actually try the dance, I stood by
timidly and I observed newcom-
ers scared that there toes would
come off. I gured it wasnt as
easy as it looks and it can work
up appetite.
Speaking of appetites you
should never come to a Filipino
festival if you dont plan to eat!
Whether its a snack dish
like Empandas, Lumpia or
Turon or a main dish like Lechon
or Chicken Adobo served with
rice of course! There are just too
many delicious options for you
not have your hunger satised.
The festival was full of
family fun, good vibes, awesome
eats and warm people all apart
of the Filipino American and
non-Filipino American commu-
nities. No matter what age, style
or taste attended today there was
something inviting in the atmo-
sphere for everyone.
Fifteen-year-old Will Bram-
lett described his experience,
I have been helping with the
Filipino festival for nine years
now and I attend Our Ladies of
Lord Church. I love meeting new
people and learning about the
Filipino culture! Im even learn-
ing Tagalog.
Amb. Cuisia observed the
importance of having the Filipino
festival, It allows us to share the
Filipino community with our
American friends and experi-
ence and give our friends in the
community a better concept of
our Filipino culture. Its a good
way to strengthen the pact we
already have with Americans. I
want Filipinos and Americans
to learn about each others tra-
ditions which will lead to better
relations with both cultures.
If you have never attended
the Filipino Festival in Rich-
mond, mark it on your calendar
for next year. Ill see you there!
ABOUT THE WRITER. Kim-
berly Hayes is an up and coming
writer currently studying at the
University of Virginia (UVA). As a
multi-ethnic student with a passion
for writing from a multi-cultural
perspective she hopes to pursue a
career in journalism.
Six-year-old Jenise Paulette Wright was murdered near her home.
Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr. with Richmond Fil-Am leaders (from left), Rudy Bolipata, Mayette Wilder, Dr. Maria
Cielo Sinsioco, Mrs. Vicky Cuisia, the Ambassador, Eleanor Macalma, Amante JJ Macalma, Sue Berinato and
Rosario Igharas.
Vatican asks Pinoys to help Iraqi Christians
MANILA. The Vaticans
envoy to the Philippines has
asked the government to help
the thousands of Christians per-
secuted and in some cases being
killed in Iraq.
The apostolic nuncio, Arch-
bishop Giuseppe Pinto, made
this request in a letter dated
August 11, that the Catholic
Bishops Conference of the Phil-
ippines (CBCP) .
In the letter publicized by
CBCP president Lingayen-Dagu-
pan Archbishop Socrates Ville-
gas, Pinto noted the declaration
by the Holy See Press Ofce, on
behalf of Pope Francis, on the
dramatic and perilous situation
of defenseless peoples, in par-
ticular, Christian communities,
in northern Iraq.
Pinto wrote, Enclosing a
copy of the English translation of
that Declaration, I am requesting
Your Excellency to take every
action to bring this matter to the
attention of the faithful in the
Philippines, asking their prayers
and solidarity for the suffering
people of Iraq.
In addition, while this
Nunciature will communicate
the contents of the Declaration
to the Government of the Philip-
pines through ofcial channels, I
know Your Excellency will take
steps to interest the civil authori-
ties of this country in the plight
of persecuted Christians, so that
everything possible may be done
on the international plain to help
them, he said.
In the Holy See declaration
attached by Pinto, the Vatican
said Pope Francis is following
reports in Iraq with deep con-
cern.
Thousands of Christians
and other minorities have been
forced from their homes in Iraq
by the Islamic State in Iraq &
Syria (ISIS). Theyve been forced
to convert to Islam or be exe-
cuted.
His Holiness urgently calls
on the international commu-
nity to protect all those affected
or threatened by the violence,
and to guarantee all necessary
assistance especially the most
urgently needed aid to the great
multitude of people who have
been driven from their homes,
whose fate depends entirely on
the solidarity of others, the Vat-
ican added.
Pope Francis
August 16-31, 2014 15
Scholars volunteer for FilVets Gold Medal campaign
SAN DIEGO, California.
American scholars of World War
II history have volunteered to
help convince the United States
government to award the Con-
gressional Gold Medal to Fili-
pino WWII veterans.
Retired US Army Major
General Antonio Taguba
revealed last Aug. 10 that schol-
ars from the University of Mary-
land and Massachusetts Institute
of Technology agreed to help
conduct research documenting
the Filipino veterans wartime
service.
He said the research would
gather indisputable, incon-
trovertible proof to back the
campaign as supporters would
prepare to seek congressional
support and raise funds for the
effort.
The research will involve
the Philippine Scouts, the Phil-
ippine Commonwealth Army,
recognized guerrillas, the New
Philippine Scouts and the 1st and
2nd Philippine Regiments that
were organized in California.
Taguba, one of the high-
est ranking Filipino-Americans
in the US Army, also called on
the Fil-Am community to help
spread the word about the cam-
paign known as the Filipino
American World War II Soldiers
Recognition Project.
Taguba talked about the
campaign at the National Feder-
ation of Filipino American Asso-
ciations (NaFFAA) conference at
the Town and Country Resort
and Convention Center here.
Naffaa is one of the key organi-
zations behind the project.
There has never been a
formal declaration to recognize
Filipino veterans for their sacri-
ce and loyal service during the
global war, Taguba said.
Other groups have been rec-
ognized with a Congressional
Gold Medal, the highest civilian
award given by the US Congress.
They include the Japanese Amer-
ican Nisei soldiers, Navajo Code
Talkers, Montford Marines,
Tuskegee Airmen and Women
Air Service Pilots (WASP).
Retired US Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba with Filipino WW2 veterans.
Cordillera sh can
predict weather?
MANILA. There is a unique
but delectable sh imported to
the highland streams of the Cor-
dillera mountain range that is
said to be just a reliable in pre-
dicting the changing weather as
the most modern devices of the
countrys weather bureau.
The Weather Loach or Dojo
sh can predict impending bad
weather, claimed Westly Rosa-
rio, chief of the Bureau of Fish-
eries and Aquatic Resources
(BFAR) research center based in
Dagupan City, Pangasinan.
They become very agitated
if there is aberration of weather
like typhoons or rains, he said.
He explained they are sensitive
to barometric pressure, which
causes it to become restless
before the onset of inclement
weather.
The Weather Loach (Mis-
gurnus anguillicaudatus) can
also survive long periods in
very shallow water or even out
of water and tend to be active in
the evening due to the cold tem-
perature.
The Dojo is about 13 centi-
meters long and thrives in rivers
and swamps in the Cordilleras.
Its like an eel but its not an
eel.
The Weather Loach was
introduced to the country before
the onset of World War II along
with the so-called Japanese
snails, maybe for food purposes
of Japanese soldiers. But the
Dojo was accepted as a sh spe-
cies in the Cordilleras because it
is cold tolerant, Rosario said.
He also said that in the past,
the Weather Loach was abun-
dant in the Cordilleras and the
Japanese set up buying stations
in Banaue. The sh is very popu-
lar in Japan and Korea where
they can command a price as
high as P6,000 ($143) per kilo.
But Rosario said the sh
population is dwindling because
of the effects of fertilizer and
pesticide in the habitat. That
prompted the BFAR to build a
Dojo hatchery in 2002.
August 16-31, 2014 16 16
News in Pictures
A display of Filipino attire at the Opera
All photos by Angelyn Tugado Marzan
In crisp barong Tagalog, Philippine Ambassador Jose L. Cusia, Jr. with wife Maria Victoria Cuisia, (3rd and 4th from
left, respectively) join Filipino Americans Aug. 8, 2014 at the lobby of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts in Washington, D.C. prior to the opening of the Noli me Tangere oper. With them are, from left, Drs. Abraham
and Cecilia Rasul, Connie Valera, Celia Pangilinan-Donahue, Drs. Vic and Bambi
Lorica, Atty. Nedo Valera, Jess Gatchalian, and Luis Florendo.
US-Philippines Society President Ambassador John F. Maisto (center)is
anked by Filipino American artist Nilo Santiago and Edward A. Seidel,
president of the Mid Atlantic Foundation for Asian Artists, Inc. (MAFFAA)
who presented the opera in the US capital on Aug. 8 & 9, 2014.
Basking in applause and standing standing ovation by their appreciative audience are the cast of the Filipino opera,
Noli Me Tangere, which was shown Aug. 8 & 9, 2014 at the Eisenhower Theater of the John F. Kennedy Center for
the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
Also seen at the Noli opera performance are from left, front, Tessie Alarcon, Nancy Ceniza, Vic dela Pena, Alice
Andam; (standing, are Ador Carreon, Henry Balagtas, Pablito Alarcon, and Nanette Suyat.
Also among those present are, from left, Jose Naldo, PALM President Mitzi Pickard, Jun Pedery, Marissa Usman,
PAFC Chairman Sonny Busa, Emilie Dearing, Henry Balagtas, and Gabriel Riego de Dios.
Also seen at the Kennedy Center are the Manila Mails Dino dela Rosa and
Jojo dela Rosa (1st & 2nd from left) Sonia Miklas and Tess Taylor.
Manning the ticket desk at the Kennedy Center for the Noli performance Aug.
8 are, from left, Nancy Ceniza, Nanette Suyat, Vic dela Pena, Daisy Tucay
and Alice and Precious Andam.
Loida Nicolas Lewis, New York-based Filipino American philanthropist who
was responsible for reviving the opera in the US (holding mike, front), thanks
the performers for their artistry and hard work.
August 16-31, 2014 17
Almost ve hundred delegates from across the United States attended the
four-day 11th National Federation of Filipino American Associations
(NaFFAA) Empowerment Conference that opened in San Diego, California
Aug. 7. Photo shows, from left, Bing Cardenas Branigin, Board of Gover-
nors, JT Mallonga, newly-elected National Chairman, and Rodel Rodis,
Legal Counsel.
DC Capital Area delegates to the NaFFAA Empowerment Conference in San Diego included (from left) White
House Senior Adviser Jason Tengco, Lupe Stoker, Jon Melegrito, Nora Dorsey, AJ Macalma, Bing Branigin, Ben de
Guzman and APALA Exec. Dir. Greg Cendana. Not in the picture representing Region 2 are Kris Valderrama, Eric
Macalma and Gloria Caoile (honorary member). The 4-day confab, which opened Aug. 7, featured a youth leader-
ship institute, workshops, community service awards, and election of national ofcers. (photo by Giselle Rushford)
The NaFFAA Empowerment Conference in San Diego
Aurora Cudal (left) and Leezel Ramos, co-chairs of the successful NaFFAA
2014 empowerment conference in San Diego earl this month get standing
ovation during the gala ball. Looking on are Lourdes Luly Esclamado,
widow of the founder of NaFFAA (seated), Rozita Lee, Loida Nicolas Lewis
and Gloria T. Caoile.
The youth were represented at the 11the National Empowerment Conference of NaFFAA Augst 7-10 at the Town and
Countr Resort and Convention Center in San Diego, California. Photo shows, from left, Jason Tengo, Senior Adivi-
sor, White House AAPI, Ben De Guzman, Co-Director of Programs, NQAPIA, Greg Cendana, Executive Director,
Asian Pacic American Labor Alliance and Institute for Asian Pacic American Leadership and Advancement, Jose
Antonio Vargas, DREAMERS, Tony Olaes, GK-USA, Billy Dec, Commissioner, White House Initiative on APIA, Eric
Macalma, CEO, the Firestarter Group, and Elmer Cato, Philippine Embassy, Washington, DC.and AJ Macalma, The
Firestarter Group. (Photo: Bing Cardenas Branigin)
Board members and executive ofcers of Feed the Hungry, Inc. take time for a group photo after an all-day
retreat in Springeld, VA. to map out the organizations future plans and directions. In photo (standing, from left)
Pablito Alarcon, Larry Pacis, Willy Buhain, Celia Pangilinan Donahue, Vangie Ganuelas (exec. director), Gloria
T. Caoile, Felipe & Perse Solis, Tessie Calderon (seated, from left) Bobby Tamayo, Dennis Ocampo, Mila Nazal,
Lottie Buhain (Board Chair), Ethel Sanidad, Jon Melegrito (facilitator) and Nina Tamayo.
This is an informal group of the delegates prior to the start of the conference.
NaFFAA delegates in formal attire during the ball pose for picture.
August 16-31, 2014 18 18
Only half of undocumented youth tap DACA, lower for Asians
WASHINGTON, D.C. Only
a little more than half of the 1.2
million unauthorized immigrant
youth who qualied for Presi-
dent Obamas Deferred Action
for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
actually applied for relief from
deportation as of July 20, 2014,
according to the think-tank
Migration Policy Institute (MPI).
Now going to its 3rd year
of implementation, the MPI said
more than 2.1 million unauthor-
ized immigrants who came to
the United States as children are
potentially eligible for DACA,
with 1.2 million having imme-
diately met the age, education,
length of residence and other
criteria when the initiative
launched in 2012.
Two other groups could
prospectively gain DACA status:
426,000 youth who appeared
to fulll all but the education
requirements as of the programs
launch, and 473,000 who were
too young to apply but become
eligible once they reach age 15
if they stay in school or obtain a
high school degree or equivalent.
The analysis by MPIs
National Center on Immigrant
Integration Policy is contained
in the report DACA at the Two-
Year Mark: A National and State
Prole of Youth Eligible and
Applying for Deferred Action,
The MPI has also launched
an online data tool with DACA
population estimates for the US.
Using an innovative meth-
odology to analyze US Census
data, the report assesses the size
of immediately and prospec-
tively eligible populations and
offers estimates on educational
attainment, English prociency,
age, gender, labor force par-
ticipation and poverty for the
DACA-eligible population.
This analysis provides a
mixed picture of DACAs rst
two years, said MPI President
Michael Fix. On the one hand,
the sheer volume of applicants
is impressive. On the other, hun-
dreds of thousands of immigrant
youth have not yet gained a
status that can change their lives
in measurable ways, allowing
them improved job prospects,
the ability to apply for drivers
licenses and more.
DACA, which was imple-
mented on August 15, 2012, offers
work authorization as well as a
two-year reprieve from depor-
tation for eligible unauthorized
immigrants who entered the US
before the age of 16; meet length
of residence, education and other
requirements; and were under
the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012.
USCIS data provided to
MPI show that the agency had
accepted 681,189 applications
for processing as of July 20, 2014,
and 587,366 individuals had
been granted deferred action.
And USCIS had accepted nearly
25,000 renewal applications
between June 5, when it posted
the renewal guidelines, and July
20.
Among MPIs other key
ndings:
Eligible youth were most
likely to apply for the program in
Arizona (66 percent), Texas (64
percent), Nevada and Colorado
(61 percent) and North Carolina
(59 percent). They were least
likely to apply in Massachusetts
and New Jersey (37 percent),
Virginia (38 percent), Florida (39
percent) and Maryland (41 per-
cent).
Compared to their share
among the total DACA-eligible
population, Latin American
youth were more likely to apply,
while Asian youth were less
likely to do so.
Mexicans who represent 65
percent of all immediately eli-
gible DACA youth, had a 62 per-
cent application rate as of March
31, ranking behind Hondurans
(68 percent) and ahead of Peru-
vians (61 percent).
By contrast, just 24 percent
of immediately eligible Koreans,
26 percent of Filipinos and 28
percent of Indians had applied
by that date.
Eighty thousand to 90,000
unauthorized youth will age into
DACA eligibility in 2014 and
2015, after which the numbers
will begin to decline until the last
group reaches 15 in 2022.
Older youth were less likely
to apply than their younger
counterparts, with just 33 per-
cent of those ages 25 and over
among the immediately eligible
having applied, compared to 53
percent in the 15-19 age group.
Using a more expansive
denition that takes into account
all potential DACA benecia-
ries over age 15 (those currently
meeting all criteria and those
who appeared to meet all but the
education criteria as of DACAs
launch), MPI estimates that only
41 percent of this population of
1.7 million had applied as of July
20, 2014. Our research makes
clear that there is a substantial
number of youth who are poten-
tially eligible for DACA but have
limited English prociency and
comparatively few years of sec-
ondary education, said Margie
McHugh, Director of MPIs
National Center on Immigrant
Integration Policy.
For many, access to adult
education programs, including
English as a Second Language
and basic skills instruction, is
critical to meeting DACAs edu-
cation requirements.
Immigration rights activists protest in front of White House.
August 16-31, 2014 19
services to the elderly, affordable
education, voter mobilization
and justice for Filipino World
War II veterans, including a
national campaign to secure of-
cial recognition for their sacrice
and service to this country.
We must continue our
advocacy role as the voice of the
4 million Filipinos in America,
said Mallonga, who is also the
President of the Filipino Ameri-
can Legal Defense & Education
Fund (FALDEF).
But we can only be effec-
tive by making FilVote a real-
ity. Mallonga noted that in
the last two national elections,
only 500,000 Filipino Americans
of the 1.5 million eligible voters
registered to vote.
Representing most of the
states in the US, the more than
500 delegates and guests at the
NaFFAAs 11th Empowerment
Conference responded approv-
ingly with cheers and standing
ovations that rocked the citys
Town and Country Resort &
Convention Center for three
days.
The conference culminated
with the delegates, youth lead-
ers, elected ofcials, and guests
joining hands at Saturday nights
gala ball, in a symbolic afrma-
tion of the spirit of unity and
community empowerment that
NaFFAA Founder Alex Escla-
mado fostered.
To honor his legacy, com-
munity service awards were
given to four outstanding orga-
nizations. Lourdes Luly Escla-
mado, widow of NaFFAAs
founding chairman, ew in from
North Carolina to participate in
the awarding ceremonies.
She was assisted by
NaFFAA founders Loida Nico-
las Lewis, Rodel Rodis, Gloria T.
Caoile and Greg Macabenta.
The awardees were Council
for Filipino American Organiza-
tions of Central Florida, West
Bay Pilipino Multi-Service Inc.,
Philippine American Chamber
of Commerce of Texas, Pilipino
American Unity for Progress Inc.
(UNIPRO). The awards were
sponsored by GMA 7.
Twenty-six year old Jason
Tengco, the youngest ever Senior
Advisor to serve in the White
House, led off the array of speak-
ers on Friday. Bemoaning the
glaring absence of Filipino Amer-
icans in the White House and
federal agencies, Tengco urged
NaFFAA leaders to collaborate
with the White House Initiative
on Asian Americans and Pacic
Islanders (WHIAAPI) on the
national and regional levels.
I see a lot of Filipino cooks
but not very many Filipino
American staff doing policy, he
said.
Were not even represented
in the US Congress. We must
ensure that we have a place at
the table so our voices are heard
by Washingtons policy makers.
NaFFAA needs to nd and eld
FilAms in the highest levels of
government.
As a young man who rose to
his White House position shortly
after graduating from college,
Tengco also stressed the impor-
tance of young leaders having
strong mentors. They inspired
me to pursue social justice and
public service, he said.
Its tting therefore that in
this conference, we are breaking
the dawn, standing on the shoul-
ders of our aunts and uncles and
blazing the trail for others as
they did me.
He mentioned public ser-
vants and community leaders
like Maria Haley, Charmaine
Manansala, Irene Bueno, Gloria
Caoile, Tessie Guillermo, Rozita
Lee, Greg Cendana and Hector
Vargas.
Billy Dec, a Filipino Ameri-
can entertainer and entrepreneur
and newly-appointed commis-
sioner to the WHIAAPI, also
praised the new movement
of young Filipinos who have it
together, whose talent and intel-
ligence are being celebrated.
In his keynote address on
Aug. 9, Dec further encouraged
delegates to work together as a
community, share each others
passions and continue to make
history. Being the eyes and ears
of the President of the United
States, lets all learn to collabo-
rate so we can gain access to
those who make decisions that
affect our lives.
The theme of engaging
youth leaders and fostering
shared leadership with their
elders was the focus of plenary
presentations, break-out sessions
and a town hall discussion on
Thursday.
Attended by more than 50
students and leaders from across
the country, the youth leadership
institute featured skills training,
crisis simulations and strategic
planning. A highlight was a dia-
logue between NaFFAA ofcers
(seasoned veterans) and youth
participants at the closing of the
institute.
Aurora Cudal, NaFFAA
Region 10 Chair, drove home
the point about collabora-
tion between young folks
and older professionals, by
recounting how planning for this
years empowerment conference
came about.
She recalled how more
than a year ago Leezel Ramos,
a 26-year-old student leader,
offered to volunteer in the plan-
ning.
I asked Leezel if she wants
to help as secretary? Cudal said.
Her response was an emphatic
No. She said she wants to be
the chair. After recovering from
initial shock, I realized she was
serious, and thats how our part-
nership with the young folks
began.
Ramos immediately formed
a team of youth organizers who
came up with the theme, Break-
ing the Dawn: Master Planning
the Future, created a web site,
and mapped out the logistics,
outreach and program for the
conference.
Other national youth lead-
ers who provided support to
the team include Steven Raga,
founding president of Pilipino
American Unity for Progress,
Inc. (UNIPRO), a New York-
based organization of young
professionals and entrepreneurs.
Also assisting the youth
team was Juanito Amor, a com-
munity youth counselor; Cesar
Abueg, Karl Bruno, Julius Ale-
jandro, Jessica Mercado, Alicia
Ricafrente and Romyn Sabatchi.
Our intention may have
been to inltrate and assume
leadership, explained Ramos.
But what matters is the impact
of our actions and the relation-
ships we build. Our elders may
have been wary at rst but
they were very supportive all
throughout.
Delegates attended several
workshops throughout the con-
ference from skills training
to civic engagement, coalition
building and political empower-
ment.
Whats notable about this
years conference is the way we
have opened up more opportu-
nities for continued engagement
between our seasoned veterans
and the young folks, said Greg
Cendana, executive director
of the Asian Pacic American
Labor Alliance.
Adds Ben de Guzman, an
advocate for LGBT rights: We
have come a long way from
1997 when we couldnt even talk
about gay rights. Today, we have
at least changed the way we hold
conversations about issues that
divide us. We need to learn from
each other and have conversa-
tions with thoughtfulness and
respect.
Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulit-
zer Prize-winning journalist who
revealed and chronicled his life
in America as an undocumented
immigrant, drew a standing ova-
tion when he shared his strug-
gles and his efforts to educate the
American public about the need
for comprehensive immigration
reform. Before he decided to
come out, he sought out NaF-
FAAs support and was assured
of the organizations assistance.
I now look to NaFFAA to
do everything it can to mobilize
the Filipino American commu-
nity and work for the passage of
immigration reform.
Tony Olaes, board chair-
man of Gawad Kalinga USA,
also challenged the delegates
to be proud of your Filipinon-
ess and celebrate our values of
caring and sharing. The youth
are now the messengers of these
values, so we need to make sure
they are connected to the moth-
erland, because we are one Fili-
pino rooted in one place, and
our mission is to build and uplift
the Filipino nation wherever we
are.
Major General Antonio
Taguba (Ret), amplifying the
theme of Filipino pride, spoke
about the community rallying
behind a national campaign to
seek recognition for Filipino
World War II veterans.
We cannot close this dark
chapter in US History until these
soldiers who fought bravely in
service of America receive the
Gold Medal Award, he said.
We need to work together to
make this happen.
Delegates elected a new
national leadership at the con-
clusion of the conference. In
addition to Mallonga, the follow-
ing were elected to NaFFAAs
top positions: Emraida Kiram
of Madison, Wisc. as vice chair;
Mariella Fletcher of Seattle,
Wash. as secretary and Brendan
Flores of Orlando, Fla. as Trea-
surer.
They will serve a term of
two years. Mallonga appointed
Giselle Rushford of Denver
Colorado and Region 5 chair, as
executive director.
The 2010 empowerment
conference will be held in Phila-
delphia, PA.
Mallonga takes NaFFAA... from page 1
August 16-31, 2014 20 20
Govt agents arrest The Butcher
MANILA. Government
forces nally caught up with a
gaunt former Army Maj. Gen.
Jovito Palparan wanted for the
2006 disappearance of two Uni-
versity of the Philippines (UP)
students and extrajudicial kill-
ings thats fueled the culture of
impunity denounced by human
rights groups here and around
the world.
Palparan was arrested at
a residential area in Sta. Mesa,
Manila before dawn of Aug. 12
by a team composed of mem-
bers of the National Bureau of
Investigation-Anti-Organized
Transnational Crimes Divi-
sion (NBI-AOTCD) and Armed
Forces of the Philippines Coun-
ter Intelligence Group and the
Naval Intelligence and Security
Force (NISF).
There should be no special
treatment for the ex-general. We
look forward to a speedy trial
so that justice can nally be ren-
dered in the disappearance of
our colleagues and friends Karen
Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan.
Their families have been ghting
for justice for years now, said
Renato Reyes, secretary gen-
eral of militant umbrella group
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan
(Bayan) in a statement.
Reyes said that apart from
the two UP students, Karapa-
tans Eden Marcellana, Kilu-
sang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas
(KMP) Eddie Gumanoy, Atty.
Juvy Magsino, and teacher
Leima Fortu, were also allegedly
victims of Palparan.
Human rights group
Karapatan said peasant leader
Eddie Gumanoy, Pastor Edison
Lapuz of the United Church of
Christ in the Philippines, Atty.
Fedelito Dacut, Supreme Bishop
Alberto Ramento of the Iglesia
Filipina Independiente, also suf-
fered in the hands of Palparan.
These extrajudicial killings
were the subject of a 2007 US
Senate hearing in Washington
DC and that eventually lead to
pre-conditions being imposed
on the US military aid to the
Philippines. The United Nations
special rapporteur Philip Aston
submitted an extensive report on
human rights abuses in the Phil-
ippines that bewailed govern-
ment inaction against violators.
From 2005 to 2006 alone,
when The Butcher Palparan was
Commanding Ofcer of the 7th
ID (Infantry Division), speci-
cally with the 24th IB (Infantry
Battalion) known as the torture
battalion under him, there were
71 victims of extrajudicial kill-
ings, 14 victims of frustrated kill-
ing, and ve incidents of massa-
cre, Karaptan secretary general
Cristina Palabay said in a state-
ment.
Palparan, 63, was brought to
the NBI headquarters in Manila
where he will be detained until
the courts can get custody. There
was a P2 million reward for his
capture.
Palparan went into hiding
in 2011 after a Bulacan Regional
Trial Court judge issued a war-
rant arrest for him, Lt. Col. Felipe
Anotado Jr., S/Sgt. Edgardo
Osorio and M/Sgt. Rizal Hilario
for the disappearance of UP stu-
dents Karen Empeo and Sher-
lyn Cadapan on June 26, 2006.
Anotado and Osorio surren-
dered, while Hilario remains at
large.
Cadapan, a senior Bachelor
of Sport Science student, and
Empeo, a senior BA Sociology
student, were reportedly forcibly
taken by armed men in Barangay
San Miguel, Hagonoy, Bulacan,
along with Manuel Merino in
2006.
Their abductors were iden-
tied by witnesses as members
of the Philippine Army based in
Barangay Iba, Hagonoy, Bulacan
under the command of then Maj.
Gen. Palparan.
A witness in the case, Ray-
mond Manalo, claimed that he
was abducted by the military
along with his brother in 2006,
and was eventually detained
together with Cadapan, Empeo
and Merino later that year at a
camp in San Miguel Bulacan.
Palparan, dubbed The
Butcher by left-wing and
human rights groups for his
alleged involvement in extra-
judicial killings, is facing two
counts of kidnapping and seri-
ous illegal detention.
Justice Secretary Leila de
Lima said the NBI had been
working on capturing him for
about a year until he was sighted
in Manila on Aug.10.
said hes not bothered because
ISIS will not send ghters here
because they have their own
problems there.
He dismissed the video pur-
portedly showing Hapilon and
other ASG leaders swearing alle-
giance to ISIS as a ploy to raise
funds. The ASG has not been
receiving nancial support for a
long time. Thats why they resort
to kidnapping, Ano surmised.
Banlaoi said intelligence
reports suggest as many as 100
Filipino Muslim ghters are cur-
rently in, or have returned to the
Philippines after ghting for ISIS
in Syria. At least two have died
in combat there, he said, quoting
unnamed sources.
It would not be the rst time
that Filipino Muslim militants
have waged jihad outside the
Philippines. Basilan-born Abdu-
rajak Janjalani had fought against
the Soviet Union in Afghanistan
in the 1980s before returning to
Mindanao, armed with cash and
combat experience, to establish
the Abu Sayyaf in 1991.
Hapilon is one of the major
ASG commanders in Basilan.
According to Banlaoi, sev-
eral leaders connected with
the ASG and the smaller Rajah
Solaiman Islamic Movement
(RSIM) are suspected to have
spearheaded the oaths of alle-
giance to ISIS although he con-
ceded there was not enough evi-
dence to prove that these groups
have become part of ISIS.
Abu Sayyaf command-
ers in neighboring Sulu Island
are not known to have pledged
their allegiance to ISIS. The ASG
reportedly has the bulk of its
forces there.
President Obama gave the
green light last Aug. 8 for US
forces to attack ISIS militants
who threaten American person-
nel in Baghdad and Irbil, the
capital of the autonomous Iraqi
region of Kurdistan as well as
members of the Yazidi religious
minority trapped on a mountain
near the city of Sinjar in northern
Iraq.
There are fears that ISIS
could begin to train the foreign
ghters that have swelled its
ranks to slip back to their respec-
tive home countries and stage
attacks there.
Banlaoi stressed the threat
to Philippine security is becom-
ing more real than imagined.
The Philippine govern-
ment has to implement strong
preventive counter measures
before this threat develops into
a many-headed monster that is
hard to defeat, Banlaoi stressed.
Abu Sayyaf chiefs... from page 1
South China Sea.
Chinas Xinhua state news
agency warned on Aug. 11 that
by stoking the ames, Wash-
ington is further emboldening
countries like the Philippines
and Vietnam to take a hardline
stance against China, raising sus-
picion over the real intention of
the United States and make an
amicable solution more difcult
to reach.
Regional tensions hit a peak
last May when China parked a
giant oil rig in waters claimed by
Vietnam.
The US and Philippine pro-
posals aimed to prevent such
action, as well as building and
land reclamation work on dis-
puted islands being carried out
by China and other claimants.
I think its pretty clear,
Chinas actions speak for them-
selves, US Defense Secretary
Chuck Hagel said at a brieng
in Sydney, adding the US posi-
tion remained that such disputes
should be resolved through
international law.
Hagel and US State Secre-
tary John Kerry were in Australia
for the annual Australia-United
States Ministerial Consultations
(AUSMIN) in Sydney, where
defense and security coopera-
tion is expected to be high on
the agenda along with Iraq and
Ukraine.
The ministers will sign an
agreement reached between
President Barack Obama and
Australian Prime Minister Tony
Abbott on the deployment of
US marines to Australia for joint
exercises and training in areas
such as disaster relief.
It will expand our regional
cooperation here in Asia-Pacic
from engagement with ASEAN
to the trilateral cooperation that
we have been working on with
Japan, Hagel said, adding that
the US was rmly committed to
its rebalance to the region.
We have an interest here,
we will continue to have an inter-
est here, we are a Pacic power.
Some 1,150 Marines are sta-
tioned in under a 2011 agreement
that launched President Barack
Obamas strategic pivot to the
fast-growing Asia region.
The Marine contingent,
primed to respond to regional
conicts and humanitarian
crises, is expected to swell to
2,500 by 2017.
The US and Philippines
signed an Enhanced Defense
Cooperation Agreement last
April that would allow the US
to rotate forces, and preposition
equipment and supplies in the
Philippines.
Obamas pivot has irked
China, which sees it as an attempt
to block its growing diplomatic,
military and political inuence
across the region.
benets. If the 200,000 Filipino
nationals who live in the shad-
ows are given temporary legal
status, they will obtain better
jobs and can remit more money
to their families back home. The
fees alone of TPS applicants will
amount to more than $100,000,
easily offsetting the administra-
tive costs of running this pro-
gram.
Aquilina Versoza, coordi-
nator of the Relief 2 Recovery
Coalition, stressed the urgency
of granting TPS as a crucial
part of long-term recovery and
rebuilding. Another typhoon
has just hit the Philippines, and
more are expected. Everyday is a
struggle and our people are in a
very vulnerable state.
Leon Rodriguez, Director of
U.S. Citizenship and Immigra-
tion Services (CIS), was inter-
ested in knowing the actual
number of people displaced and
still living in shelters, and the
actual number of Filipino nation-
als who are connected to them.
We want a better under-
standing of the over-all situ-
ation, he said. In addition
to Bersin and Rodriguez, CIS
Deputy Director Lori Scialabba
and CIS Chief of Staff Juliet Choi
also participated in the discus-
sion.
Loida Nicolas Lewis, Chair
Emeritus of the National Fed-
eration of Filipino American
Associations (NaFFAA) and
President of US Pinoys for Good
Governance (USPGG), said after
the meeting that DHS took our
arguments seriously and they
seem to understand the urgency
of granting TPS so I remain
hopeful they will come to a deci-
sion soon.
Before the meeting, Lewis
introduced the other leaders
present: Bing Branigin and Jon
Melegrito of NaFFAA; Jesse
Gatchalian and Grace Valera of
the Migrant Heritage Commis-
sion; and Eric Lachica, Evelyn
de Asis and Cornelio Natividad,
Rev. Patrick Henry Longalong of
USPGG.
Also attending the confer-
ence, which was arranged by
Amb. Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. at the
Philippine Embassy, were Phil-
ippine Embassy ofcials includ-
ing Charge dAffairs Ariel
Peneranda, Consul Gen. Arlene
Magno, Consul Gen. Emil Fer-
nandez, Legislative Minister
and Press Info Ofcer Elmer
Cato, Political Minister Patrick
Chuasoto, Labor Attache Angel
Borja, and Economic Minister
Consul Lillibeth Almonte.
US to keep eye... from page 1
Fil-Am leaders press... from page 1
Former army Maj. Gen. Jovito Pal-
paran is blamed for abuses that
spurred Capitol Hill probe.
August 16-31, 2014 21
Actress lands hosting gig for
Fil-Am talk show
LOS ANGELES. Giselle G
Tngi said it was her desire to
tell the story of Filipinos in the
United States that pushed her to
host Kababayan Today, reput-
edly the rst and only talk show
for and about the Filipino Ameri-
can community.
She took over the hosting
chair from Jannelle So-Perkins,
who created and launched
Kababayan Today eight years
ago and recently left the popu-
lar show to pursue other career
goals.
Since graduating from
college almost three years ago,
I have been producing media
content with a bicultural avor.
I grew up in America and the
Philippines. My desire to tell sto-
ries of Filipino-Americans like
myself drove me to apply for this
position, Tongi explained.
The show, renamed Kaba-
bayan Today with G Tngi,
began airing at the start the
month on KSCI-TV LA18 (week-
days) in Los Angeles, KIKU-TV
in Hawaii and worldwide at
www.LA18.tv.
With this new gig, the
actress, writer and producer and
her family moved back to LA
after two and half years in the
Philippines.
Any way you look at it, the
Filipino culture is vibrant and
colorful. I do participate in a lot
of community events because
I believe in the importance of
community and supporting our
own. Filipinos have always been
warm, friendly and hospitable,
she explained.
Manilas prettiest showbiz couple to wed
MANILA. In a much-antic-
ipated union of arguably the
countrys most telegenic couple
today, actor Dingdong Dantes
has proposed to Marian Rivera
live on television and in front of
hundreds of shrieking fans.
Dantes, 34, and his 29-year-
old ance have been together
for the past ve years. They
became reel and real life lovers
on the set of the 2007 soap Mari-
mar on GMA Channel 7.
While the date has yet to
be nalized, theyre planning
to hold their wedding some-
time this year at the Immaculate
Conception Cathedral in Cubao,
Quezon City.
On his knees, Dantes pro-
posed to erstwhile girlfriend
during the latters GMA 7 dance
show, Marian, last Aug. 9.
I wanna spend the rest of
my life with you. You are the
answer to my prayers. I offer
you myself. My love, Marian,
will you be my wife, Dingdong
asked Marian.
She immediately accepted
the marriage proposal in a touch-
ing gesture that left both of them
in tears.
Were still ironing a
couple of things out. When we
announce the date, we want it to
be nal, Dantes said in an inter-
view with the Philippine Daily
Inquirer.
Pointing out that
show biz brought them
together, Dantes said it was only
tting that he made the proposal
on live television. Were still
overwhelmed. It feels good that
I was able to show the world,
especially to our family and
friends, how serious I am about
our relationship, said Dantes.
Its great that we had this
opportunity. We nurtured our
relationship for a long time, he
added affectionately.
Fil-Am group cast in
Pitch Perfect sequel
HOLLYWOOD. The Fili-
pino-American group Filhar-
monic is the latest addition
to the Pitch Perfect franchise
and will feature a head-to-head
with the Bellas in an upcoming
sequel movie.
The Filharmonic -- an a
cappella group that got its start
the reality show The Sing Off
has been cast in the upcoming
sequel to the popular 2012 lm.
We cant say too much
about our roles in the movie,
but we will be one of the groups
competing against the Bellas,
group member Joe Caigoy
revealed to the new site Rap-
pler.
Pitch Perfect was a
musical comedy lm that fea-
tured an ensemble cast includ-
ing Anna Kendrick, Elizabeth
Banks, Skylar Astin, Rebel
Wilson, Anna Camp and many
more. The plot follows a college
womens a capella group, The
Barden Bellas, as they compete
against another a capella group.
The six member Filhar-
monic formed specically to
audition for the NBC music
competition last year.
The group also says their
Filipino roots remain a vital
inuence in their lives and art.
Being an American Fili-
pino Pinoy is a hard identity to
balance out, said singer Niko
Del Rey. We are not only trying
to portray our natural birthright
culture of America but were
also trying to inherit the culture
of our ancestors in a predomi-
nantly American society.
Fan Page
Couturier to stars designs moms
anniversary gown
MANILA. Monique Lhuil-
lier, whos designed wedding
gowns for celebrities like Reese
Witherspoon and Britney Spears,
got her assignment of a lifetime
when she dressed an entirely
different kind of VIP: her own
mother.
The Los Angeles-based
fashion designer ew home with
husband Tom Bugbee the week-
end of August 2 to attend the
50th wedding anniversary of her
parents Michel and Amparito
Lhuillier who renewed their
vows at the Cebu Metropolitan
Cathedral.
Monique, who grew up
in Cebu, owns couture fashion
stores on Melrose Place in Los
Angeles and Manhattans Upper
East Side. She studied at St. The-
resas College and later at the
Chateau Mont-Choisi nishing
school in Switzerland. She even-
tually moved to Los Angeles to
study design at the Fashion Insti-
tute of Design & Merchandising
(FIDM).
Her father is a Vietnam-born
Filipino businessman of mixed
French descent and her mother
was a fashion model of Spanish
descent.
Monique opened her rst
retail store in 2001. But it wasnt
until 2004 when she really broke
through the market after design-
ing wedding dresses for Brit-
ney Spears and Emmy Awards
dresses for Jamie-Lynn DiScala
and Allison Janney, among
others.
Her collections now include
ready-to-wear, evening gowns,
bridal, bridesmaids, linens,
tableware, ne paper, and home
fragrances.
Lhuillier has become espe-
cially known for her celebrity
wedding and red carpet gowns
with a clientele that includes
Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer
Lopez, Taylor Swift and Katy
Perry.
Moniques parents cele-
brated their golden anniversary
with a lavish bash honoring the
couples union. Being a bridal
designer, it was no question
that Monique would design her
mothers gown, which she cre-
ated using lace from the original
wedding dress, taken out of its
box after 48 years.
She spent only one day in
Manila and one day in Hong
Kong to look for retail opportu-
nities.
Moniques visit also became
a business trip, checking out
Manila malls for material to
write about in her fashion blog
for a leading US fashion maga-
zine.
Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes in a soap show scene.
Monique Lhuillier with mother
Amparito.
Giselle G Tngi
The Fil-Am a cappella group Filharmonic.
August 16-31, 2014 22 22
Dear Juan Ponce Enrile
By Sylvia Estrado Claudio
I
hope that after your convic-
tion, all those you intimidated
and harmed before, during,
and after martial law will nd
the courage to tell their stories. I
hope that you live to hear those
stories.
Last year, the 41st the anni-
versary of the declaration of mar-
tial law, I wrote a long post about
you ending with, Old as you are,
you may never be brought to jus-
tice. And I doubt your conscience
bothers you, enamored as you
seem by unearned wealth and
the pomp of your dishonorably
gained positions. But I remem-
ber and will remember, with the
hope that history will, like me,
condemn.
How much has changed in
less than a year.
And now, as you, a 90-year-
old, are conned to a hospital
under arrest, let me charge you
with what has been in my heart
all these years. Because I do
accuse you. And not just with
the plunder charges the govern-
ment has led against you.
I accuse you of torture
and murder. Not just of people
unknown to me, but also of my
friends. I accuse you of having
committed the crime of plunder
long before you stole your PDAF
as a senator.
I do this not out of vindic-
tiveness, but out of a need for
healing that you owe me and all
those who passed through mar-
tial law. I do not do this in anger,
but in order to share with those
who did not go through those
years. They need to understand
why you and those like you
should never ever be allowed to
have power again.
Now is a good time. If we
did not learn our lesson then, it
is time to look back now time
to realize that those who betray
the nation are likely to betray it
again. As you have done after
martial law.
Ah, what catharsis to write
this! What a relief to be able
to call you names. I remember
how you would punish people
who criticized you, Marcos, and
your cabal. This is what you did
to my friend and former Philip-
pine Collegian editor, Abraham
Sarmiento, Jr. You imprisoned
him for writing editorials criti-
cal of martial law. You released
him only after you personally
expressed displeasure over the
editorials. I know because he
told me. He stuck to his prin-
ciples after release. You impris-
oned him again and kept him
in a cell until his health had so
deteriorated he died shortly after
his second release. Even as you
seemed to recover your career, I
often comforted myself with the
thought that at least the sacrices
of those who fought the dictator-
ship allowed me the freedom to
criticize you. That I did not do so
daily was merely because of my
limitations and not out of new-
found respect for you.
Do you think I have forgot-
ten my mothers years of excru-
ciating worry as she watched me
go deeper and deeper into the
anti-dictatorship struggle? Oh,
how her friends would comfort
my mother, Dont worry, Rita.
If she gets caught I will agree to
his advances and spend the night
with him in exchange for your
daughters freedom. Yes, even
then we knew that you were a
predator as well. You were so
lascivious my humble family
knew of two people whom you
had propositioned. You abused
power to the maximum. You
made us see with clarity what
Hannah Arendt calls the banal-
ity of evil.
Detention, torture during
martial law
And I, like many who lived
through those years, knew of
your evil as a daily reality. My
rst job as a young doctor was
with a health and human rights
organization. I worked with
those who had been tortured.
Those days, detention and tor-
ture were almost a sure-re
combination. So I and a couple
of colleagues would make the
rounds of the detention centers
with every new report of an
arrest, hoping that, with a quick
response, people would be tor-
tured less, not killed.
We would present ourselves
at the detention centers to any
ofcer who would see us. (They
never had a real system for us.
That would mean some form of
accountability.) We had to be
brave because we knew at once
this marked us as communist
enemies. But they also had to
have a semblance of regularity.
So our requests would be consid-
ered. If the ofcer was a tough
psychopath, he would just say
no outright. But this would
give us ammunition to go squeal-
ing to international human rights
groups.
So we would often have
to wait for hours for someone
from the Judge Advocate Gen-
erals Ofce (JAGO) to make a
decision. I never met anyone
from JAGO then. I did often get
turned away by that ofce. If
the JAGO turned us away, we
would write you. Very rarely, for
reasons unknown, you or JAGO
would agree to our visit, often
after weeks of delay. We always
thought the delay was to ensure
the torture would continue.
Police escort Sen. Enrile after his
arrest.
Continued on page 23
August 16-31, 2014 23
The CIA spin on Abu Ghraif
By Maj. Gen. Antonio
Taguba (Rtd)
ALEXANDRIA, Va. THE
Senate Intelligence Committee
will soon release key sections of
its report on the Central Intel-
ligence Agencys detention and
interrogation of terrorism sus-
pects after 9/11. In remarks
recently in anticipation of the
reports release, which he has
publicly supported, President
Obama acknowledged thatwe
tortured some folks.
In fact, from leaks to the
press and the statements of those
familiar with the report, we
know the committee has deter-
mined that C.I.A. torture was
more widespread and brutal than
Americans were led to believe.
The committee reportedly has
also found that the C.I.A. misled
Bush administration ofcials and
Congress about the extent and
nature of the torture, and that
torture was ineffective for intel-
ligence gathering.
Even though a bipartisan
majority of the committee voted
to declassify the report, there is
a concerted effort to discredit it
by depicting it as partisan and
unfair. The reports detractors
include the C.I.A. itself: The
agencys rebuttal will be released
alongside the reports key sec-
tions. While the C.I.A. is under
no obligation to stay silent in the
face of criticism, it seems that
between its apparently exces-
sive redactions and its spying on
the committees computers the
agency is determined to resist
oversight.
Yet I know from experi-
ence that oversight will help the
C.I.A. as it helped the United
States military. Ten years ago, I
was directed by Lt. Gen. Ricardo
S. Sanchez, the senior ofcer in
Iraq, to investigate allegations of
detainee abuse at the Abu Ghraib
prison in Baghdad. My reports
ndings, which prompted a
Senate Armed Services Commit-
tee hearing, documented a sys-
temic problem: military person-
nel had perpetrated numerous
incidents of sadistic, blatant, and
wanton criminal abuses.
The ndings, along with
what became infamous images
of abuse, caused a stir and led to
prosecutions. The inquiry shed
light on our countrys trip to the
dark side, in which the United
States government engaged in
an assault on American ideals,
broke the law and in so doing
strengthened our enemies.
What I found in my inves-
tigation offended my sense
of decency as a human being,
and my sense of honor as a sol-
dier. Id learned early about the
necessity of treating prisoners
humanely. My father, Tomas B.
Taguba, a member of the joint
American-Filipino force during
World War II, was captured by
the Japanese and endured the
Bataan Death March.
It was clear to me in 2004 that
the United States military could
not be the institution it needed to
be as long as it engaged in and
tolerated abuse.
But the militarys path to
accountability was a long one,
and its leaders hardly welcomed
oversight. A few months after I
completed the investigation, I
was reassigned to the Ofce of
the Secretary of Defense, where
I could be closely monitored.
Then, in early 2006, I received a
telephone call from Gen. Richard
A. Cody, then the Armys vice
chief of staff, who said, I need
you to retire by January of 2007.
No explanation was given. But
none was needed.
I remain certain that by
investigating inhumane treat-
ment of detainees, I did my
duty as a soldier, and that my
inquiry along with one in 2008
by the Senate Armed Services
Committee made the military a
stronger, more trustworthy insti-
tution. As a result, interrogation
and detention regulations were
reformed and training programs
were revised to comply with the
Geneva Conventions.
(Reprinted from the New York
Times Op-Ed page, Aug. 5)
Marcos, you and your military
believed in torture as an inves-
tigation technique. After the
torture, you would have us wait
a few more days until the physi-
cal evidence of torture had dis-
appeared. If there was enough
international pressure; if you
wanted us off your backs; if our
seeing the detainees would not
cause you any harm, you let us
see them.
But they would tell us their
stories. A detainee was lucky
if all he or she got was getting
beaten within an inch of their
life. (I guess they left that for the
amateurs called fraternity boys.)
Electrocution, water boarding,
rape and other forms of sexual
harassment, sleep deprivation,
hearing your wife being raped,
hearing your comrades being
tortured, being asked to sit on a
block of ice while naked your
minions were so depraved in
what they created.
Six weeks ago, labor leader
Romy Castillo died of lung
cancer. In 1984 your military
electrocuted his testicles, put
a barbecue stick up his penis,
repeatedly submerged his face
in a feces-lled toilet bowl. They
beat him and played Russian
roulette on him. I cannot forget
the day, shortly after his ordeal,
when I visited him in detention.
I will not let you forget his story
nor escape your liability for it.
Your military killed my
childhood friend Lorenzo Lan-
sang when he was only 19 years
old. He was summarily executed
in a eld in Quezon province.
Your hands are smeared in his
blood and I will always point out
how bloody they are.
I blame you and Marcos for
the corruption and brutality of
the military and police today. I
still keep abreast of the torture
situation. And it looks like the
police and military have no idea
how to interrogate and investi-
gate without varying degrees of
torture and intimidation thrown
in. They have become addicted
to it. All those recent reports of
human rights violations by state
authorities? Your face is on the
logo.
And I remember that your
wealth came from the thievery of
the martial law years. It does not
therefore surprise me that you
stole your pork barrel funds.
You nd me too dramatic? I
could ll entire pages with more
stories. And I am not alone. How
lucky that I am much younger
than you. I and my cohort will
live after you and tell our tales.
Karma
Dear Johnny boy, I bet you
miss the days when you could
have imprisoned me for this.
When you could have had your
military rape me as revenge. I, on
the other hand, am so glad you
are under arrest now. Defanged,
at last. Hopefully forever.
Unlike you, however, I
would not wish torture upon
those I truly think are enemies of
the people. In short, I would not
torture you. I would not deny
you seeing your lawyers or doc-
tors or relatives as you did to so
many during martial law.
It is tting though that
you may suffer in detention
more than usual. I do note that
you may be experiencing pain
because you are old and inrm.
I note it.
Your conviction will be so
good for our country. It will
show that such diabolical behav-
ior will not always be rewarded.
That somehow power can end
and then a price will have to be
paid. It may deter future wrong-
doing. It may convince a few
more people not to value the
things you value.
The only thing I am afraid
of is that you are morally incom-
petent. So much of your record
indicates sociopath. I fear that
it does not matter to you what
people think or will remember. It
isnt right that your punishment
will be so short because youre
not likely to live 20 more years.
That was the amount of time you
kept our people subjugated to
martial law. So I can only hope
that you at least care enough so
that the last days of your life can
be lived in regret.
Dear Juan Ponce Enrile... from page 22
Buying Up Ballots
I
f you havent heard of BUB,
you will be seeing a lot of
its effects in the next several
months leading up to the 2016
elections - P20.1 billion worth of
effects.
BUB is supposed to stand
for Bottom Up Budgeting which,
in turn, is supposed to mean
allocating funds according to
the needs of the neediest in the
country, specically at the local
government level.
This is reportedly another
creative concoction of Budget
Secretary Butch Abad, he of the
infamous Disbursement Acceler-
ation Program (DAP), and is said
to be designed to boost the presi-
dential ambitions of Department
of Interior & Local Government
(DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas.
According to a story led by
Chito Lozada of Philippine Daily
Tribune, Roxas is the man princi-
pally and personally doling out
the millions and billions.
Allocating the govern-
ments resources starting from
the bottom and going upwards,
instead of the usual top-to-bot-
tom process (AKA trickle-down
effect) has its merits. As the
much-heralded growth of the
Philippine economy has shown,
there is very little trickling down
to the masses. Thus, creating a
budget that gives priority to their
needs makes sense.
But the best laid plans of
mice and men can often go the
way of the rats. First of all, the
obvious motive behind BUB is
plain self-serving, manipulative,
transactional politics. It is based
on the Golden Rule, namely,
He who has the gold makes the
rules.
One pundit has dened BUB
as Buying Up Ballots.
Yen Makabenta, in a recent
column in Manila Times, pointed
out that DILG is working closely
with the Department of Social
Welfare, with the Conditional
Cash Transfer (CCT) also being
openly used for partisan pur-
poses:
Recipients of CCT largesse
will be given seats at the table,
preparatory to being turned
into a voting bloc in the 2016
elections. Theyre being told
to become active politically to
ensure the continuity of the 4Ps
assistance to them.
Expectedly, Roxas mouths
the most noble rationale for BUB,
citing such awesome-sounding
programs as Grassroots Partici-
patory Budgeting Process, Oplan
Hilamos (Oplan Dignity), Per-
formance Challenge Fund (PCF),
PAMANA funds and Yolanda
assistance.
In one news story, Roxas
explained that the funds are
meant to nance various pov-
erty-alleviation projects identi-
ed and recommended by the
local poverty reduction council
composed of peoples organiza-
tions (POs) and nongovernment
organizations (NGOs).
Yet, in a subsequent para-
graph of the same story, Roxas
reminded the local ofcials that
the rehabilitation fund should be
used only for the repair and con-
struction of public markets, city
or town halls and civic centers
such as gymnasiums.
Civic centers and gymna-
siums are supposed to alleviate
poverty???
Roxas and Abad have also
been obviously selective in allo-
cating funds. In the Tribune
story, Lozada reported that 13
participating agencies are ben-
eted by the BUB. But inexplica-
bly excluded is the Housing and
Urban Development Coordinat-
ing Council (HUDCC) which
happens to be headed by Roxas
potential rival for the presidency,
Vice-President Jejomar Binay.
Isnt housing part of pov-
erty alleviation? Maybe Roxas
should consult Tony Meloto of
Gawad Kalinga. He can learn a
few lessons about genuine, non-
political, non-transactional pov-
erty alleviation that starts with
decent housing.
The dole-outs arent just
patently partisan and self-serv-
ing, they also do not meet urgent
needs for which Roxas, as DILG
chief, is directly accountable.
From April to June, Mar
Roxas doled out P6.634 billion to
over 300 local government units
in Northern Mindanao, Nueva
Ecija, Bicol and Eastern Visayas,
with Bohol receiving an esti-
mated P3.3 billion. The dole-outs
included funds ostensibly for the
repair of some 54 police stations.
And yet, a couple of weeks
ago, in a story in ABS-CBNs TV
Patrol, which has Roxas wife,
Korina Sanchez, as one of the
anchors, it was reported that
prisoners in the Visayas Samar
was specically mentioned
were being ferried to court and
to other penal facilities in public
transportation. Yes, in buses and
jeepneys, along with very vul-
Continued on page 30
August 16-31, 2014 24 24
Who wants to get rid of
President Aquino?
MANILA
A
swirl of activity revolves
around an attempt to
bring down, if not Presi-
dent Aquino himself, at least his
standing with the people.
Some groups want to
diminish Mr. Aquinos rapport
with his bosses, the Filipino
people.
Mainly invisible are the
letter-writers and gossip-mon-
gers who spread stories about
Aquino being barren between
the ears or even mentally befud-
dled. There are also those who
repeatedly say that the President
is lazy and even incompetent.
That he plays computer games
even in times of crisis. (Even if
true, cant the poor guy have
time off from his 24-hour job to
divert his mind and relax from
his ofcial burdens?)
Dont people have a right to
write letters of disapproval of the
President? Of course they do. Its
mind-conditioning spin but its
all part of a democracy.
Who might be behind this
letter-writing campaign? Politi-
cians whove been hurt by the
administrations anti-corruption
drive. Current ofcials or private
personalities whose eyes are set
on the 2016 elections. Former
President Gloria Arroyo per-
haps? Vice President Jojo Binay
maybe?
The noisiest among the
Presidents critics are those who
inhabit the political left. Theyre
the loudest but their numbers are
the smallest. They make up for
their thin ranks by making the
loudest noise. They attract media
attention. As the saying goes, the
squeaky wheel gets the oil.
They shout slogans that pur-
port to be the sentiments of the
masses, but they actually rep-
resent only a small part of the
populace. Even the left-leaning
in academe dont fully share
their rantings. The more sober
among the left dont share the
street militants extreme posi-
tions on issues. And as long as
they brandish red ags and ing
their clenched sts in the air,
the majority of the people will
remain scared of them.
The unpopularity of the
lefts stand on issues mani-
fested itself when a bunch of
partylist legislators walked out
on Mr. Aquinos State of the
Nation (SONA) speech last July
28: hardly anybody noticed the
walkout.
Isnt it a cause for wonder
why the partylist congressmen
and women fought to get elected
and then go outside of Congress
to express their grievances? Why
did they run for ofce if they
prefer to be out in the streets?
Arent they supposed to repre-
sent their constituents inside,
and not out of, Congress?
(Theres a bit of irony in this.
Manila Observers socio-politi-
cal philosophy, being liberal, is
closer to the lefts ideology than
the rights. But extreme posi-
tions, left or right, dont help the
majority of the people. Rather,
they exacerbate social and ideo-
logical tensions and divisions.)
There are also those who
never liked Mr. Aquino for per-
sonal reasons or because they
supported another presidential
candidate in 2010 either as fans or
paid boosters. To this day, these
people havent accepted Aquino
as president, either because they
havent gotten over their chosen
candidates loss or theyve lost a
source of income.
Now comes Sen. Anto-
nio Trillanes, who warns that
a military coup is in the works.
The military establishment has
denied any movements in the
ranks of active or retired per-
sonnel who might be plotting
against the President.
But who knows? Trillanes
has his sources. And its pro
forma for the military to say that
theres no such plot brewing.
Mr. Aquino has been on the
warpath against past ofcials
accused of stealing from the
public treasury. Hes also bound
to be a potent pusher of his
chosen presidential candidate in
2016, unless his detractors suc-
ceed in diluting his endorsing
power. The left, also pro forma,
doesnt approve of the govern-
ment, any government, so they
see their role as constant whiners
about the system (which, admit-
tedly, is broken and needs over-
hauling) .
These forces are out to derail
Aquinos reforms and push their
On Revisiting Filipino Literature
I
ts funny how a cup of coffee
on a Sunday morning can jolt
ones memories of the past.
I was having breakfast with
my wife at one of the neigh-
borhoods cafes, minutes after
hearing Mass, when I noticed
a man, teen-aged looking in his
attire, busily scribbling with his
pen on what looked like a jour-
nal. He was in another world,
transposed in his mind, for the
din inside didnt bother him; the
concentration was intense. His
pose, sitting in a corner of the
caf, his raptness took me back
to my college years.
I was one of the group of
six enrolled at the then Faculty
of Philosophy and Letters at
the University of Santo Tomas
in Manila. After completing
our nal examinations for the
day, the nal day of our junior
status, we decided to go to a
nearby restaurant to celebrate
and talk about what the coming
two remaining semesters, when
we all would be seniors, would
bring. We discussed the future,
our future; we had bonded to be
forward-looking. Selsh in our
ambitions, each one of us wanted
to write the one and only Fili-
pino Novel.
Of course, to write the
Filipino Novel,we all had
agreed-- one should have, meet-
ing a rst stringent requirement,
a journal, not a diary accounting
the deeds of the day but written
observations of how the imme-
diate surrounding looked at the
moment, what our immediate
neighbors felt about it, what
birds and other creatures did
we hear, chirping and growling
sounds and the patters of rains
on the roofs echoing endlessly in
our minds, winds touching our
faces, or perhaps, the smells of
the blooming owers in neigh-
boring gardens. All in all they
were the colors, metaphorically,
which we wanted to write in our
personal journal, blue, green,
yellow, red and even black.
Now with or without our
journals, and in our declining
years, some of us or all of us
in our group of six have given
up hope of ever publishing the
novel we all wanted to write. In
our own private, selsh judg-
ment, each one of us is still wait-
ing to see or read the elusive
prize-winning, nationally-touted
grail, a prose composition that is
distinctly part of the Filipino lit-
erature.
Filipino literature, a body
of writings either in prose or
verse, is a main constituent in
the Philippine culture. The writ-
ings are in a form that invites
national appeal because the
ideas expressed are permanent
and encumbering in scope. The
notion of any aspect of Philip-
pine culture embodied in such
writings expresses a, if not the,
vital element in the Filipino iden-
tity. Certainly, in Philippine liter-
ature, we are what we write.
Any prose writing to be
truly literary must have what
the Greek philosopher Aristo-
tle called mimesis. In one of
his works, Poetics, Aristotle
dened the word as holding a
mirror up to nature. The Eng-
lish translated words imita-
tion, representation, inter-
pretation, a copy, or repro-
duction do not even come close
to what Aristotle had in mind.
To him, we must write what we
see around us, no more, no less, a
projection of oneself seeing, feel-
ing, touching, hearing, and tast-
ing outside of oneself. With
Aristotles denition in mind,
the so-called Filipino Novel
then becomes a continuing pur-
suit.
The group of us in our col-
lege years believed that the
notion of a Filipino Novel is
both fundamental and illusory,
sometimes even slippery. In my
silence, I still feel the same sen-
timent. There are institutional
constraints to overcome. First
and foremost, in what language
should it be written? In Eng-
lish or in Tagalog, the Philip-
pines national language? Con-
sidering the dialects spoken in
many of the more than 7,000
islands comprising the Philip-
pine Archipelago, the question
of a written medium is primal.
Exposure to these dialects was
not lacking in practice. In my
young years, living with my
parents in Manila, a number of
women hired to help my mother
in managing a restaurant would
each get her own weekly copy of
magazine in her own dialect, in
Cebuano, Ilocano, Bicolano and
in Pampangueno.
Jose P. Rizal, of course,
wrote his Noli Me Tangere
and El Filibusterismo in Span-
ish, in a milieu characterizing
an important era in Philippine
history. The question of the posi-
tion of either work in the hierar-
chy of Filipino novels is still to be
determined. Theres no denying
that Rizals portrayal of the pat-
tern of behaviors of the Filipi-
nos which was passed down by
their forefathers was culturally-
perfect, but is Noli or Fili a
Filipino Novel?
The proliferation of maga-
zines in major dialects provided
and is still providing venues for
aspiring novelists. To name a
few of what I skimmed through
in my young years in Manila
were Bulaklak (Flower) and
Liwayway (Dawn) in Tagalog;
Bagong Kusag, Bisaya and
Bitoon in Cebuano; and Ban-
nawag, in Ilocano.
Campus publications by
major universities, which I
perused from time to time,
included the University of the
Philippines Philippine Colle-
gian, Ateneo Universitys The
Guidon, the University of the
Easts Dawn, Siliman Uni-
versitys The Silimanian, the
University of San Tomas Var-
sitarian, and the Far Eastern
Universitys The Advocate.
Literary journal published by
UP was The Literary Appren-
tice; Siliman had its The Sili-
man Review and Sands and
Corals. The UP College of Arts
and Letters published the Dili-
man Review while USTs then
Faculty of Philosophy and Let-
ters issued the monthly Blue
Quill.
Another constraint is the
different cultures in many of
the islands which are perceived
as regional as they affect the
islanders daily behavior. If and
when a particular islands way
of life is portrayed in prose,
no matter how mirror-like, the
resulting craftwork will be far
from being the Filipino Novel;
the focus is isolated and limited.
Another contentious issue is
what the French sociologist Hyp-
polyte Taine called milieu,
loosely translated as the liter-
ary depiction of how society in
general acts and reacts to each
other in a particular period in a
countrys history, past or pres-
ent. In the Philippines, the eras
are easily determined as Pre-
Spanish, Spanish Rule, American
Pacication, Japanese Occupa-
tion, and Self-Rule. With Spains
colonial rule for 333 years, there
are sub-eras of sporadic armed
revolts against oppressive prac-
tices by the friars and Spaniards
in positions of authority which
can also serve as background for
an appealing literary work.
Considering the constraints,
will they be surmounted and
the pursuit end in triumph?
Prodded by the incentives of
the Zobel Prize for Literature,
Palanca Literary Award, and
the Republic Cultural Heritage
Award in Literature and a host
of Filipino writers now gain-
ing international recognition for
their works in English, a novel
truly Filipino in content and
ideas is a coming possibility.
Continued on page 30
August 16-31, 2014 25
Immigration Notes
By J. G. Azarcon, Esq.
Residence
abroad
A
pplicants for natural-
ization are required to
express their intent to
permanently reside in the United
States. Before October 25, 1994,
if a naturalized citizen left the
United States and took up resi-
dence abroad within one year
from obtaining his US citizen-
ship, the law presumes that the
naturalized citizen did not have
the intent to permanently reside
in the US at the time of admis-
sion to US citizenship. This pre-
sumption was a basis for the
revocation of US citizenship on
the ground that the naturaliza-
tion applicant misrepresented or
concealed a material fact at the
time when he applied for natu-
ralization- that he/she really did
not have the intention to reside
in the U.S.
The controlling provision of
the law prior to October 25, 1994
was Section 340(d) of the Immi-
gration Act, which provided as
follows:
Foreign residence. If a
person who shall have been nat-
uralized shall, within one year
after such naturalization, return
to the country of his nativity, or
go to any other foreign country,
and take permanent residence
therein, it shall be considered
prima facie evidence of a lack
of intention on the part of such
person to reside permanently
in the United States at the time
of ling his petition for natu-
ralization, and in the absence of
countervailing evidence, it shall
be sufcient in the proper pro-
VISA PRIORITY DATES FOR THE PHILIPPINES
AUGUST 2014
FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES
First: Unmarried sons/daughters
of US citizens Jun. 01, 2004
Second:
A: Spouses/minor children of
permanent residents: May 01, 2012
B: Unmarried sons/daughters 21 years
of age or older of permanent residents Oct. 08, 2003
Third: Married sons/daughters of citizens Apr. 15, 1993
Fourth: Brothers/sisters of citizens Jan. 22, 1991
EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES
First: Priority workers Current
Second: Professionals holding advanced
degrees or persons of exceptional ability Current
Third: Skilled workers, professionals Jun. 01, 2010
Other Workers Jan. 01, 2010
Fourth:
Certain Religious Workers Current
Fifth: Employment creation/
(Million or half-million dollar investor) Current
21 Tips to maximize sleep
MOST American adults
sleep poorly, according to a
study of the National Sleep Foun-
dation on 1,506 adults which was
reported in Washington by the
Associated Press. The ndings
are obviously applicable to most
of us in general.
Statistics reveal that over
100 million people in the United
States do not regularly get a
good nights sleep, and that
about another 33 million have
occasional sleepless nights. Sleep
is very important for a healthy
body and mind.
Lack of sleep translates to
lesser mental acuity and concen-
tration, poorer health, greater
driving hazards, reduced pro-
ductivity, and diminished sex
drive.
Sleep experts recommend a
minimum of seven to nine hours
of sleep in 24 hours, especially
for young children and teenag-
ers. The survey showed that
adults sleep an average of 6.9
hours a night. The few minutes
to three hours of sleep depriva-
tion is enough to cause problems.
Seventy-ve percent of
adults reported they frequently
have difculty in sleeping, like
problem in initiating sleep,
waking up often during the
night, and/or snoring, waking
up too early, and feeling unre-
freshed and tired. Many also
stated that they ignored the
problem, and some do not even
think they actually have any
sleep decit. Only about 50 per-
cent of those surveyed stated
they were able to sleep well most
of the time. Twenty-ve percent
thought their sleep problem had
adverse effects on their daily
routines.
Richard Gelula, the Chief
Executive Ofcer of the Sleep
Foundation, said theres a link
between sleep and quality of life.
People who sleep well, in gen-
eral, are happier and healthier,
said Gelula. But when sleep is
poor or inadequate, people feel
tired or fatigued, their social
and intimate relationship suffer,
work productivity is negatively
affected, and they make our
roads more dangerous by driv-
ing while sleepy and less alert.
Obviously, the quality of
sleep, besides the number of
hours, is very important. Chris
Drake, senior scientist at the
Henry Ford Sleep Center in
Detroit and co-chair of the 2005
poll task force, stated that some
of the nations sleep habits can be
attributed to an always-on-the-
go society.
The commercial world
of today stretches business to
24 hours a day, with 24-hour
pharmacy, restaurants, casinos,
supermarkets, etc., so people
tend to stay up late, watch late
night shows on television, surf-
ing the web on the internet, etc.
All these reduce peoples time
to sleep. And some people even
need more than nine hours of
sleep to feel refreshed and rested.
This study also showed
(1) Sixty percent of adult stated
they have driven a vehicle
while drowsy from lack of sleep
the past year; and four in 10
reported they have had an acci-
dent or near accident because
of tiredness or falling asleep at
the wheel. (2) Seventy- ve per-
cent claims their partner has a
sleep problem, snoring as the
most common complaint. (3)
Four out of ten of those surveyed
reported lack of sleep adversely
affected their sexual relation-
ship, having lost interest in sex,
having poorer performance or
having sex less often. (4) Seventy
percent claimed that their phy-
sician never asked them about
their sleep.
The recommendations of
the National Sleep Foundation
and experts in the eld are absti-
nence from any stimulant, coffee
and alcohol before bedtime, and
to seek medical help if they think
they are having sleep problem
and/or snoring, or not getting
enough rest at night.
Lack of sleep reduces the
normal recharging time of
our body battery, our energy
source causing a chain of reac-
tions in our physiology and body
chemistry. This low-battery
condition leads to physical and
mental stresses to our system. All
these alter the normal homeosta-
sis (internal balance) within us,
weakening our immune system,
and increasing our risk of devel-
oping metabolic diseases, hyper-
tension (high blood pressure),
stroke and heart attack, among
others, or aggravating existing
illnesses.
The prescription for a
healthy lifestyle, for maximal
maintenance of good health and
disease prevention, besides reg-
ular medical check-up, includes
Continued on page 30
Beyond
Shorelines
MANILA
T
odays chatter on who will
run in the 2016 elections
demonstrates how our line
of sight ends at the seashore. We
rarely look beyond.
To what?
Come August 6, to take
one example, Filipino Catho-
lic youngsters are among those
invited, from 29 other Asian
countries, to next door South
Korea. Pope Francis launches
from Daejon the Sixth Asian
Youth Day ceremonies.
Francis will beatify, at an
August 18 mass, 124 Korean
martyrs from the churchs rst
entry into this East-Asian nation
in the 18th century. It will also
demonstrate what CNN has
aptly called The Francis Effect.
Start asking around -Catho-
lics and atheists alike .Suddenly,
its easy to nd people -- gays to
, divorced couples ---. eager to
share how one man, in just over
a year, has tapped into their pain
and gave hope.
Focus on the numbers and
you miss the story, cautions the
Rev. John Unni, of Boston The
are plenty of ex-Catholics, as in
Latin America. But now many
are now deciding whether to
come to the party.
Since his election as 265th
successor to Peter, in March
2013, Francis has ayed bishops
who spend money like theyre
auditioning for MTV Cribs .
He chastised priests who forget
theyre servants, not princes.
He also assailed the Italian
maa, on its own homeground,
ex-communicating them. Instead,
he visited families of those
assassinated to offer comfort..
He called for a truce in the cul-
ture wars, refused to judge gay
people and reached out to Mus-
lims and those of other creeds..
Francis hugged a man covered
with tumors, washed the feet of
Muslim prisoners and wore a
clown nose -- just for giggles.
Francis formed a group of
cardinals -- including Cardinal
Sean OMalley of Boston -- to
reform the curia, the Vatican
bureaucracy that has a reputa-
tion for more shady deals than
Tammany Hall. He, refused to
live in the Apostolic Palace chos-
ing spartan lodgings at a Vatican
hostel..
Just before taking off for
Korea, he lined up for lunch with
Valtican blue collar workers at
the cafeteria.. He showed up,
got his tray, silverware, stood in
line and we served him, recalls
cafeteria chef Franco Piani. He
then ate with the workers from
the Vaticans pharmacy, chatting
about their families, soccer, the
economy.
The whole time, people were
snapping the inevitable seles
with their cameras, cellphones
and iPads. He wasnt bothered
a bit. After giving the group his
blessing, he left in his assistants
car to his Domus Sancta Martha
residence. We were all caught
off guard, Piani said. :But it
was one of the best things that
could happen...
Francis made the cover of
Time, the New Yorker, Rolling
Stone and The Advocate, a gay
and lesbian magazine He said its
immoral when the media reports
every move of the market but
ignores the death of a homeless
person.
Be open and merciful; he
urged bishops, Forget the robes
and support young people in
making a mess in the streets; to
secure justice for the poorest. Be
a eld hospital for this sin-sick
world.
Pew Research Center poll
says more than 71% say hes a
change for the better. Those
kinds of numbers havent been
Continued on page 30 Continued on page 30
August 16-31, 2014 26 26
PINAPAITAN
(Bitter Spiced Beef Stew)
H
ere is my version of
Pinapaitan, which is one
of the most authentic
Filipino recipes, even before the
Spaniards colonization of the
Philippines. Being married to
a GIK (Genuine Ilocano Kaili),
I have mastered this recipe in
my own contemporary way that
is most tailored to everyones
palate. When I reinvented this
recipe as a main dish, it surpris-
ingly passed my husbands most
discriminating taste. Even all my
guests of all nationalities, always
love it whenever I served it!
If beef tenderloin is not
available, sirloin tip can be sub-
stituted but the stewing time
should be extended by another
8-10 minutes. There should not
be much difference in the end-
result.
Historically, the origi-
nal Pinapaitan is made of goat
innards such as tripe, intestine,
liver, etc., and used its bile to
give that bitter avor. Before
then and up to this time, de-
nitely this dish is being served as
a soup and Ilocanos still cook the
original recipe.
Ingredients:
2 pounds, beef tenderloin,
thinly sliced (1/8 thick by 2
length)
Half cup ginger strips (or
more)
Pinch dried crushed red
pepper
Salt and pepper
3 cups water (or little bit
more)
2 tablespoons chopped
spring onions
5 pieces chopped chili pep-
pers (optional to be served on the
side)
Methods:
In a wok or medium size
stainless steel sauce pan, saut
the ginger until the aroma per-
meates the air (about 2 minutes).
Mix in the beef and crushed
red pepper, season with salt and
pepper and continue sauting for
a couple of minutes. Add water
and stew the beef, uncovered, for
a few minutes until ginger avor
is infused into the meat (about
8-12 minutes).
Serve hot with spring onion.
Editors Note about Master
Chef Evelyn: 100 Most Influential
Filipina Women in the U.S., 2009,
Filipina Womens Network; MHC
Most Outstanding Migrant Award
in Culinary Arts, 2011; PAFC
Dakila Special Achievement Award,
2011; Owner/Chef, Philippine Ori-
ental Market & Deli, Arlington,
Virginia; Founder and President of
CHEW (Cancer Help Eat Well)
Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) public
charity formed to help and cook pro-
bono for Filipino-Americans who
are afflicted with cancer and other
serious illnesses; Culinary writer;
Member, Les Dames dEscoffier
International, Washington DC
Chapter; Member, International
Cake Exploration Society, Member,
Culinary Historians of Washington,
D.C.; Master Chef, French Cuisine
and Patisserie, Le Cordon Bleu,
London.
BETTER LISTEN
E
ricas dishwasher quit
working so she called a
repairman. Since she had
to go to work the next day, she
told the repairman, Ill leave
the key under the mat. Fix the
dishwasher, leave the bill on
the counter, and Ill mail you
a check. Oh, by the way dont
worry about my bulldog, Spike.
He wont bother you. But, what-
ever you do, do not, under any
circumstances, talk to my parrot!
I repeat... do not talk to my
parrot!
When the repairman arrived
at Ericas apartment the follow-
ing day, he discovered the big-
gest, meanest looking bulldog he
has ever seen. But, just as she had
said, the dog just lay there on
the carpet watching the repair-
man go about his work. The
parrot, however, drove him nuts
the whole time with his inces-
sant yelling, cursing and name
calling. Finally the repairman
couldnt contain himself any
longer and yelled, Shut up, you
stupid, ugly bird! To which the
parrot replied, Get him, Spike!
NO EXCUSE
A college teacher reminds
her class of tomorrows nal
exam. Now class, I wont toler-
ate any excuses for you not being
here tomorrow. I might consider
a nuclear attack or a serious per-
sonal injury or illness, or a death
in your immediate family but
thats it, no other excuses what-
soever! A smart-ass guy in the
back of the room raised his hand
and asks, What would you say
if tomorrow I said I was suffer-
ing from complete and utter
sexual exhaustion? The entire
class does its best to stie their
laughter and snickering. When
silence is restored, the teacher
smiles sympathetically at the
student, shakes her head, and
sweetly says, Well, I guess
youd have to write the exam
with your other hand.
HUMAN RACE
A little girl asked her father:
How did the human race
begin?
The father answered: God
made Adam and Eve; they had
children; and so was all mankind
made.
Two days later the girl
asked her mother the same ques-
tion. The mothered answered,
Many years ago there were
monkeys from which the human
race evolved.
The confused girl returned
to her father and said, Dad,
how is it possible that you told
me that the human race was cre-
ated by God, and mom said they
developed from monkeys?
The father answered, Well,
dear, it is very simple. I told you
about my side of the family,
and your mother told you about
hers.
JOB OPENING
A Filipino Applies for a Job
at Walmart. An ofce manager
at Walmart was given the task of
hiring an individual to ll a job
opening. After sorting through a
stack of resumes he found four
people who were equally quali-
ed... An American, a Russian,
an Australian and a Filipino.
He decided to call the four in
and ask them only one question.
Their answer would determine
which of them would get the job.
The day came and as the
four sat around the confer-
ence room table the interviewer
asked... What is the fastest thing
you know of?
Dave, the American replied,
A thought. It just pops into
your head. Theres no warning
that its on the way; its just there.
A thought is the fastest thing I
know of.
Thats very good! replied
the interviewer. And now you
sir? he asked Vladimir, the Rus-
sian.
Hmm.... let me see. A blink!
It comes and goes and you dont
know that it ever happened. A
blink is the fastest thing I know
of.
Excellent! said the inter-
viewer. The blink of an eye,
thats a very popular clich for
speed.
He then turned to George,
the Australian who was contem-
plating his reply. Well, out at
my dads ranch, you step out of
the house and on the wall theres
a light switch. When you ip that
switch, way out across the pas-
ture the light in the barn comes
on. Yep, turning on a light is the
fastest thing I can think of.
The interviewer was very
impressed with the third answer
and thought he had found his
man. Its hard to beat the speed
of light he said. Turning to Eleu-
terio, the Filipino, the fourth and
nal man, the interviewer posed
the same question.
Eleuterio replied, Apter
herring da 3 frevyos ansers serr,
ets obyus to me dat the fastest
thang known is diarrhea.
What!? said the inter-
viewer, stunned by the response.
O I can expleyn serrr .
said Eleuterio . You see serr, da
other day I wasnt peeeling so
good and I run soo fast to the CR.
But, bepor I could Think, Blink,
or Turn on the light, ay tang ina,
I already had a big poo-poo in
my pants.
Eleuterio is now the new
Greeter at Walmart.
YABANG
Boy 1: Lahi namin ang
mahabang buhay. Lolo ko nama-
tay 88 years old na.
Boy 2: Talo kita... ako Lolo
ko namatay 98 years old.
Boy 3: Ala yan! Lolo ko, sa
sobrang tanda... pinatay na lang
namin.
TANGA
Man: Doc, help me. Uminom
po ako ng baygon.
Doc: Bakit, magsusuicide
ka?
Man: Hindi po. Nakalunok
kasi ako ng buhay na ipis.
Doc: Tanga! Dapat kumain
ka na lang ng tsinelas.
DEAR ITAY
Anak: Dear Itay: Padalhan
niyo po ako ng pera kasi ang
mga damit ko pinagkakain ng
mga daga.
Itay: Dear Anak: Wala akong
pera. Kung gusto mo, meron dito
pusa... padala ko sa yo.
August 16-31, 2014 27
Choose Your
Lane
L
eft lane? Right Lane? Or
middle lane? The choice is
yours, its up to you. Luck
is with us if there are three lanes
to choose from. However, heres
the caveat- sometimes there are
only two lanes ahead of us and
woe is me if theres only one- like
it or not, theres only one path-
way to go. With two lanes, the
choice is limited but the latter is
the most challenging. There are
reasons why we would change
lanes on the road. Decisions are
in play when we are faced with
a variety of situations along the
way. It also depends on our own
personal needs and predicament
at the time. Actually, I would
choose the middle lane under
normal condition, meaning I am
well prepared for the day and in
full control in terms of time man-
agement. Being in this frame of
mind, I would be able to handle
and cope with the common
eventualities that could happen
onward. Otherwise, having a
heavy head to start the morning
would not contribute to a pleas-
ant day resulting to a worrisome
evening and if not improved, it
will be another wool gathering
day the next day.
In real life, there are lanes to
choose from. Above is an appro-
priate analogy to exemplify the
point. The right lane might allow
us to reach our destination or
goal the fastest, but might not
be the easiest, rather has hurdles
to deal with along the way. For
people with less than strong
bers in their body, the conse-
quence might be a strenuous and
stressful daily life. This is the fast
and rat-race kind of life which
attracts the younger and just
starting segment of our society.
They are the energetic, idealis-
tic and ambitious young people
with the modern technology
seemingly built in their brains.
The extreme left lane would
present a slower ow of motion
and if carried out complacently,
might result to unproductive
way of life allowing limited
opportunities to come by. On the
other hand, this easy and seem-
ingly no-challenge choice would
give people benecial values
like a more relaxed, tranquil and
simpler daily living. An appro-
priate clich here would be,
Something has to give and this
directs to favoring a less stress-
ful life over a busy and materi-
alistic laden lifestyle and most
likely will lead to a euphoric and
happier daily existence. This is
favored especially by those who
are done with being competitive
in the workforce or probably just
tired with the daily grind and the
rest, most likely have reached the
age of retirement.
The Middle Lane
I say, choosing the middle
lane is often for the segurista
type of person. It is not the same
as the saying, sitting on a fence
because the person has made
the choice with the risks well
reected on and balanced of. In
fact, it is a calculated choice with
proper considerations carefully
taken. It also comes advanta-
geous to those who are not very
certain on making hard deci-
sions, giving time to clear up
doubts in mind. I view it as a
safe lane to use preceding the
right course of action to take.
Electing this lane has nothing to
do with the age level of a person
but rather with his attitude and
state or frame of mind. I can say
I am comfortable taking this lane
and have been riding on it
for so long. I have experienced
the fast lane of life- it was fun,
energetic, full of challenges and
I must say, rewarding, but tiring
at the end. As one matures, ful-
lling the far-reached goals, par-
allel with experiencing the hard
facts of life, realization kicks in.
The life-changing priorities are
now in play. We now want to
live our own life and not the one
that we have considered as we
have to. This act does not nec-
essarily follow the chronological
age of persons- it is a matter of
the state of mind.
Some Words of Wisdom
Whatever pace of life we
choose- fast, slow or in-between,
lets just do the best we can in the
face of challenging situations.
The words of my late father still
ring in my ear, Dont be easily
discouraged and lose heart when
you fall down. Learn why you
fell. You stand up and try to
gure out what went wrong
and then move on. Be proud of
yourself with the fact that youve
given it your best shot. Critics
and negative persons abound
around us. They will try to stand
in your way, even unknow-
ingly cut you off to pieces, but
the important thing is to gather
enough strength and resiliency in
order to cope with these nuances.
The problem is theirs, not yours.
Sure, there are demands and
other obstacles in life, with your
creativity and given talent, you
will survive.
Life is not a bed of roses,
but it is full of wonders. I was
almost always reminded of this
clich since my college days, but
its impact on me became greater
when I got married, elevating
myself to a new status. I have
learned since then that as this is
the reality of life, it is up to us to
make the most of what life has
to offer. We get focused on the
positives even how small they
are and accentuate on things
that are good and pleasant. As
we mature, we begin to view the
changing conditions of our life
meeting it with optimism, look-
ing for the good even when it
is hidden. Hopeless and hostile
thoughts and negative forces are
best avoided. How could I have
understood all these when I was
a neophyte student in a univer-
sity?
Albert Einstein is said to
have asserted, We cannot solve
our problems with the same
thinking we used when we cre-
ated them. He added, Rather
than provide a solution, some
thinking may even perpetu-
ate the problems. So, I shifted
my attention from a busy mind
to my knowing heart.This is a
good lesson that we can ponder
on- A change in attitude can
make the difference.
Your Choice: Right lane,
left lane or middle lane? What,
where and how you are now, it
was your choice!
Give Me Strength to
Be a Nobody
P
angkaraniwan. Ordinary.
Nobody. Cellophane. If
you watched the movie
version of the musical CHI-
CAGO, Amos Hart who was
Roxies faithful and good-
natured but simple husband,
sang Mister Cellophane. Mister
Cellophane shoulda been my
name cause you can look right
through me, walk right by me,
and never know Im there...
I-want-to-be-a-nobody, says
no one ever. We invent and re-
invent ourselves to attract atten-
tion. The advent of the internet
and social media Facebook,
Twitter, blogs have given ordi-
nary people the means for self-
promotion. If you can emote,
you can promote, ika nga.
Facebook lets us pump up
the glamour volume. If you are a
photoshop genius, the enhance-
ments available at your nger-
tips are limitless. You can even
pair with your favorite super
hero or notorious scoundrel.
Pick any handsome man you
want. Whatever or whoever suits
your fancy at the moment. Voila!
Done. Super kilig.
Twitter has opened up a
whole new world. You can have
hundreds of nameless follow-
ers who count on your posts
to carry them through the day.
They re-tweet your twits. Your
army has quadrupled.
I have a Twitter account
but freaked out when I received
notications of unknowns who
started following me. I had this
image of a thousand eyes xed
on my every move. Twit? Who
me? Not again.
Smart phone apps can now
pinpoint your exact location. I
am here! Lets see who shows
up.Where is everybody? Do
you really want everyone to
know where you are? Whatever
happened to guarding your pri-
vate life? I have turned off that
app. I want to enjoy my crispy
pata and lechon kawali and
adobo and kare-kare with a side
order of pancit plus halo-halo
and turon in peace.
Blogs are wonderful. You
can be as outrageous as your
shame threshold can bear. I
started one which I titled Deli-
ciousgoosebumps some years
ago. My enthusiasm peaked on
my 20th entry and quickly plum-
meted after I began churning
regular articles for Manila Mail.
The blog feedback was luke-
warm at best. I was told I wasnt
targeting the right audience. And
for a small fee I can have the site
tweaked for maximum exposure.
More money. Rats. More work.
Double rats.
The Kardashians started the
craze of reality melodramas
that gave rise to real house-
wives with perfect make-up,
who lived in perfect mansions,
and went on perfect vacations.
Was that vile language I heard?
Their wealth is almost
obscene because we never see
them lift a nger to earn their
keep. Their store-bought eye-
lashes utter with tears and
their Botox-enhanced lips pout
to even greater pucker as they
quiver, appalled by insults from
their Barbie friends.
No wonder soap operas are
losing viewership. Notoriety has
found a new genre. Reality
life IS stranger than ction. They
are peopled by real women
with unhealthy egos who attract
erratic and delusional bosom
friends.
I cant even describe how I
feel about the men who agree to
appear in those shows. Most men
I know shiver in disgust at the
thought of baring even an iota of
their soul much less baring their
emotions on national TV.
There was a time when
all we had to do was hitch our
dreams of glamor and excite-
ment to a favorite star. We lived
vicariously through them. Nora
Aunor and Vilma Santos, the
queens of Philippine pop culture
in the 70s gave rise to opposing
groups called Noranians and
Vilmanians. Susan Roces and
Amalia Fuentes preceded them
by a decade. We gave them
imaginary feuds fueled by our
own inadequacies and unreal-
ized dreams. We paired them
with beaus we chose for them
whether they liked/loved them
or not.
Nowadays we are overex-
posed, overdone, and exhausted
from all the mental and emo-
tional acrobatics. We have shed
our clothes of reticence and have
stood naked with our secret
thoughts bared for people to
see. Perhaps we need a collec-
tive batok-sa-ulo (a quick bop on
the head) to regain our sense and
sanity.
But alas, I doubt I can go
back to obscurity. I am human
and my ego demands afrma-
tion. I admit I am weak.
Lord , give me strength to be
a nobody.
August 16-31, 2014 28 28 Editorial
Mellowing of DC Pinoys
S
ome 20 years ago, my Tsismoso
predecessors often expressed frus-
trations over the intrigues, bicker-
ings, backbiting and crab mentality that
divided the Filipino American commu-
nity in the greater Washington D.C. area.
Organizations were rend asunder as
ofcers and members bickered and spread
libelous rumors about each other. There
were frequent complaints of anomalies
in the election of ofcers. Community
organizations names were mostly based
on regions or schools in the Philippines.
There were charges of election or charter
violations that even ended in court. A few
organizations, disgruntled with their of-
cers, organized competing groups.
When some Pinoys opened a suc-
cessful store or restaurant, others did the
same. To draw customers, the newcomers
cut their prices putting the other Pinoy
establishments out of existence. When one
organization held a weekly money-mak-
ing venture by sponsoring a casino night
in Prince Georges county in Maryland,
another group set up their own casino. To
put each other down, they squealed about
the anomalies in its operation. The result
was that the casino nights were banned.
Today, things seem to be different.
There seems to be less competition among
organizations. There are less bickerings,
jealousies, Pinoy crabs, pompous induc-
tion balls, etc. Groups are becoming more
united. Hurray. Less tsismis for Tsismoso.
***
A Tsismoso fan with the initials KHB,
sent in the following Pinoy Humor to the
editorial desk which in turn, passed it on
to me.
- A remorseful Japanese politi-
cian who was accused of corruption has
resigned. When Bong and Jinggoy heard
the news, they said, Buti na lang, hindi
tayo Japanese!
- At a nerds wedding, the couple
didnt say, I do. The couple said, I
ACCEPT THE TERMS AND CONDI-
TIONS.
- BONG: Pare, nahihirapan na ako
dito sa kulungan. Napakadaming daga at
ipis!
JINGGOY: Natural lang yan, Pare.
Naamoy lang nila ang nakain nating
pork!
- Dear Mother Nature,
Please stop sending us destructive
typhoonsWe already have politicians.
Love,
Filipinos
- *Nung 90th B-day ni Enrile....
ERAP: Happy Birthday, Senator!
Aabot ka pa yata ng 100, ah!
ENRILE: Oo nga, salamat! Sana
ikaw rin...
ERAP: Tama na sa akin ang 99.
ENRILE: Bakit ganun? Kaya mo rin
naman ang 100, ah!
ERAP: Eh, paano na ang itatawag ng
mga chicks sa bayag ko....Century Eggs?
-A group of expectant fathers sat ner-
vously in the waiting room.
A nurse beckoned to one of them and
said, Congratulations, you have a son!
Another man dropped his magazine,
jumped up and said, Hey, whats the
idea? I got here two hours before he did!
- *Top 8 Movie Projects Rejected by
Bong Revilla
1. Youve Got Jail
2. Kakabakaba ka Bong
3. Crame and Punishment
4. Meet the Porkers
5. Bukas Luluhod ang mga Talo
6. Eat, Pray, Rob
7. Live Free or Lie Hard
8. Man of Steal
- A wife reads a magazine and asks
her husband, Is it true that Thomas
Edison invented the talking machine?
The man replied, No. The rst talk-
ing machine was created by God when
he created the woman. Edison simply
improved on it with a turn-off switch!
-BOY: Ang ganda nya.
GIRL: Malandi yan.
GIRL: Ang gwapo nya.
BOY: Bakla yan.
- Sa ibang bansa, kapag nadapa.
Hey, Are you okay?
Sa Pilipinas, HA HA HA! Tanga!
Ano, buhay ka pa?!
***
Now that the federal government has
exposed all the records of its citizens, its
time for all of us to ponder on nine things
that remain important to our lives. A Tsis-
moso forwarded these things to think
about seriously:
Number 9. Death is the number 1
killer in the world.
Number 8. Life is sexually transmit-
ted.
Number 7. Good health is merely the
slowest possible rate at which one can die.
Number 6. Men have two emotions:
Hungry and horny--- and they cant tell
them apart. If you see a gleam in his eyes,
make him a sandwich.
NaFFAAs New Challenge
Seventeen years after its founding, the National Federation of
Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) is facing a challenge from
its younger members to revisit the mission and vision of the organiza-
tion and determine if they are still relevant.
At its recently concluded empowerment conference in San Diego,
keynote speakers, workshop participants and delegates, nearly half
of whom are under 40, raised questions about the role of elders and
seasoned veterans in youth leadership development.
In his opening speech, 26-year-old Jason Tengco, the youngest
ever Senior Adviser in the White House, stressed the importance of
young leaders having strong mentors. Recalling his own life-chang-
ing experiences, Tengco thanked his Titas and Titos who inspired
me to pursue social justice and public service.
Billy Dec, newly-appointed Commissioner of the White House
Initiative on Asian American and Pacic Islanders (WHIAAPI),
praised the new movement of young Filipinos who have it together,
whose talent and intelligence are making a difference in advancing
our communitys well-being.
There are 256,256 Filipinos between the ages of 18-22 in the U.S.
today, according to the 2010 Census. For NaFFAA to continue its advo-
cacy role as the voice of the more than 4 million Filipinos in the U.S.,
it needs to collaborate actively with the under-40 generation.
We hope that NaFFAAs 11th empowerment conference will
serve as a vehicle that creates a sustainable inter-generational core
movement of empowerment, said Steven Raga, NaFFAAs youngest
national director. FilAms today prefer collaborative leaders next to
them, rather than obedient followers behind them.
We applaud NaFFAA for opening a much-needed conversation
about disrupting NaFFAAs existing leadership paradigm, and
wish its new leaders well as they rise to the challenge.
The critical issues facing the Filipino American community are
daunting. They require a collaborative partnership among leaders
from both generations. To move forward, they need each others
innovative ideas and insights, creativity and civic-mindedness.

Continued on page 30
August 16-31, 2014 29
Buyers
remorse
T
here are words and
phrases that we utter in
our daily lives with mean-
ings assumed to be understood
but whose origin we are not
really sure.
Give me the whole nine
yards means all of it, everything
from beginning to end, the full
measure. The origin dates back
to World War II pilots of ghter
planes equipped with machine
guns using bullets stringed
together like a belt measuring
nine yards in length.
You do not have to
attend church to be blessed.
Whenever you sneeze within
hearing distance of people, you
can expect to hear Bless you.
Why in the name of heaven
would you give blessing to some-
body broadcasting microbes of
germs?
There are diverging claims to
the origin of this semi-automatic
verbal reaction. One is that in the
6th century when a signicant
number of the world population
was being wiped out by bubonic
plague, Pope Gregory the Great
would bless people who sneeze
hoping that divine intervention
would prevent a symptom from
developing into the deadly dis-
ease. Another purported origin
is a widespread superstition in
the olden times that when you
sneeze, your soul gets expelled
through your nose and getting
Gods blessing prevents the devil
from seizing your soul.
How about buyers
remorse? The meaning is com-
monly understood. It is an emo-
tional response to a purchase
transaction laden with regrets
for a wrong decision. In a recent
CNN survey of voters, if the
presidential election were held
today, Mitt Romney would beat
Barack Obama 53% to 44%. Most
likely majority of the voters
dont like paying more for their
health insurance premium as
a consequence of Obamacare.
They are not impressed with the
seemingly confused and tepid
responses by the White House to
the international crises that are
breaking out from Ukraine to the
Middle East. They are unhappy
with the bureaucratic incompe-
tence in the IRS and the Veterans
Administration. They are frus-
trated with the governments
inability or lack of interest in
protecting the border.
It turns out that Romneys
prognostications during the
presidential debates are becom-
ing true. When he stated that
Russia is Americas geopolitical
foe, Obama was dismissive. Now
Russia has a slice of Ukraine after
annexing Crimea and continues
to threaten invasion. Romney
also warned that Obamas failure
and lack of interest in bargaining
with the Iraqi government to
retain some American military
presence in the country would
threaten U. S. gains earned with
a lot of American blood and
money. Unfortunately, Romney
was right. A new jihadist force is
threatening to turn Iraq and the
Middle East upside down.
Pres. Obama however has
Unintended
consequences
U
naccompanied minors
have been ooding
the southern border of
the United States in increas-
ing numbers since 2012. Its not
only highlighted the injustice
being perpetrated by Congress
by its refusal to x the countrys
broken immigration system but
also the unintended effects of
resorting to short-cuts or even
stop-gap measures.
The Migrant Policy Institute
traced the inux to a conuence
of events. Recent US policies
toward unaccompanied chil-
dren, faltering economies and
rising crime and gang activity
in Central American countries,
the desire for family reunica-
tion and changing operations
of smuggling networks have all
converged, the think-tank ana-
lyzed.
The Obama administra-
tions Deferred Action for Child-
hood Arrivals (DACA) has also
had unintended consequences,
immigration policy and law
experts say.
In 2008 Congress passed a
law that required judges to hold
hearings for youngsters from
countries other than Mexico and
Canada. It was aimed at protect-
ing immigrant children from sex
trafckers but now, the William
Wilberforce Trafcking Victims
Protection Action Act is being
blamed for partly fueling the
surge of child migrants.
In an ideal world, it could
have been a good law. But immi-
gration courts are so backlogged
that it can take years for a childs
hearing date to come around.
As they wait, most stay with
relatives or friends already in the
country and attend school.
One worrisome revelation
from the latest border crisis was
how some of the kids perilous
journey to the US was bankrolled
by parents or relatives already
in the country. Filipinos in the
US petitioning family members
in the Philippines could wait as
much as a quarter of a century to
be re-united. It can take longer
for those from Mexico.
A French national with a
bachelors degree and a US spon-
sor may wait two years to get a
green card but another applicant
from India with the same col-
lege degree and employer spon-
sorship may have to wait for a
decade or more to get that same
green card.
The huge disparity in wait-
ing times can be blamed as much
on the worsening backlog as
archaic immigration rules.
Recent events have demon-
strated the deeply partisan nature
of the immigration debate. On
their best days, lawmakers are
driven by conicting ideologies
that raise serious doubts they
can craft an immigration reform
package that really addresses the
roots of the problem and diffuse
this ticking time bomb.
For some the wait has
become too oppressive that
jumping the lines become too
tempting. This idea of going
back of the line sounds like a rea-
sonable and simple thing to do,
but its complicated by the fact
that there are so many lines and
for some people the line does not
exist, explained MPIs Mad-
eleine Sumption.
Its obviously unfair for
Continued on page 30
We Break the Dawn
F
or some community orga-
nizations, succession
has now become an urgent
issue among the challenges faced
by aging leaders. Theyre wor-
ried about no one taking their
place.
We just cant seem to
attract young people to come on
board, is a common complaint,
more out of dismay and bafe-
ment.
Young people, on the other
hand, are increasingly alienated
from their parents organizations
because their activities dont lend
themselves to youth engage-
ment. Which is not to say theyre
indifferent or disinterested. They
just cant nd a way to plug in.
I sometimes think a youth
coup would actually be better
so long as it is bloodless.
In a heartening way thats
actually what happened in
San Diego, where the NaFFAA
Empowerment Conference
recently concluded its 11th
national meeting. College stu-
dents and young profession-
als in their mid-20s did most of
the event planning and execu-
tion, from creating a conference
theme and building a web site
to tapping funders and mapping
on-site logistics. The adults
were not exactly kicked out, but
it was their old way of doing
things that was put aside. Not
their wisdom and experience but
their insistence on doing it their
way.
In a positive sense, both
elders and young folks saw the
need for each others ideas and
insights, energy, expertise and
experience. What held the part-
nership together was mutual
trust and respect.
The result: one of the most
successful NaFFAA conferences
in the organizations 17-year his-
tory, with signicant participa-
tion by the under-40 generation
(almost half of the attendees).
And, unlike previous confer-
ences, this one didnt lose money.
So howd they pull it off?
It all started more than a
year ago when NaFFAA leaders
in San Diego started preparing
for the 2014 conference. Regional
Chair Aurora Cudal called out
for volunteers, mindful of the
undertakings magnitude.
Soon after, she got a call
from Leezel Ramos, a student
organizer with ties to commu-
nity groups in the area. Manang
Auring, who is 81, thought the
26-year-old Leezel was offering
her services to help with logistics
photocopying, registering del-
egates, elding phone calls, run-
ning errands. Leezels response
took Manang Auring by sur-
prise: Tita, I dont want to push
papers, but write them. I dont
want to be a secretary. I want to
be the chair.
Whoa. Unsure of what to
make of it, Manang Auring
consulted with other NaFFAA
ofcers, including those in the
national. The reaction by most,
according to her, was: We dont
trust them. This is a big confer-
ence involving huge sums of
money and people coming from
all over the country. With so
much at stake, we cant risk it
by turning this over to young
people.
The youths response was
just as emphatic. First, they
didnt want to be called young
people because it connotes inex-
perience and immaturity. Young
professionals, yes! Second,
Leezel and her colleagues
viewed rejection as a challenge.
They became even more deter-
mined to show the elders they
were just as capable. Third, they
validated the elders concerns not
by surrendering their own con-
victions but by changing the way
they hold conversations.
IMPACT NOT INTEN-
TION. We all have good inten-
tions, Leezel said. And we
must respect that. But its the
impact of what we say and do
that matters in the end.
To prove their point, they
wrote a concept paper, pre-
sented model designs for a web
site, and even crafted the theme:
We Break the Dawn: Master
planning the future. The words
raised eyebrows among NaFFAA
leaders who thought the theme
irrelevant since dawn had been
broken way back in 1997. The old
folks missed the point entirely.
Granted, it sounded abstract but
it made sense for an organization
that hasnt progressed much in
nearly two decades.
Driven by the urgency to
move forward, Manang Auring
prevailed on the seasoned vet-
erans and appointed Leezel her
co-chair. Savvy in ways that mat-
tered, Leezel promptly formed a
youth team of 30 volunteers with
expertise in advertising and mar-
keting, business planning, social
media communication, fund
raising, corporate relations and
Continued on page 30 Continued on page 30
Opinion
August 16-31, 2014 30 30
seen since the prime of Pope
John Paul II.
What she likes most about
Francis, though, is the way
hes changed the churchs tone
from Thou Shalt Not to Thou
Shall., Maureen Sterk daughter
noted. This is not a slam on
Benedict or John Paul II, she
adds. Those Popes just spoke a
different language, wrote for a
different crowd.
An accordion player, Duns
cant help describing the differ-
ence between Francis and pre-
vious popes in musical terms.
Hes got his own sense of the
beats of the church. Hes more
merengue than Mozart.
his own way of dealing with
crisis. He is cool, too cool. When
a Malaysian Airline passenger
was shot down possibly by Rus-
sian supported rebels in Ukraine,
Barack was unfazed. Instead of
talking to the public, he attended
a California fundraiser instead.
When hell erupted in Gaza
between Israel and Hamas, he
attended a fundraiser. Even as
the ISIS forces are threatening
the security of American person-
nel in Iraq, he could not resist
cancelling his golf vacation at the
Marthas Vineyards. The optics
disturbs Baracks critics, but it
suits Russias Vladimir Putin just
ne.
Buyers remorse? I told you
so is no consolation.
***
A book by Ronald Kessler is
due to come out and will surely
make a ripple in Vice President
Joe Bidens swimming pool. The
book is based purportedly on
Secret Service agents accounts
about life in the rst and second
family. The book includes a nar-
rative of Bidens alleged habit
of swimming in the nude in his
Delaware home to the chagrin of
female agents. The female agents
can stop the practice by calling
the Daily Inquirer to deploy their
video drones.
***
Golf tidbits: Game 1
Juliets Romeo (RJ) and visiting
Nes T walked away with brag-
ging rights and donations from
Don Alex, Mr. T, King Arthur,
Eveready Freddie and El Salva-
dor. Game 2 King Arthur took
the honors with visiting Nes T
sharing second ddle. Don Alex,
King George, Eveready Freddie,
RJ and Kilabot commiserated
with hamburgers. My godfather
is now stingy. He picked my
pocket.
those whove chosen to keep
within the legal path but Con-
gress failure to act fuels a
growing incentive to choose
the quicker albeit more crooked
road. Its worse than neglecting
border security.
And now President Obama
is getting ready to sign edicts
for more stop-gap measures to
impose his own x to what ails
the nations immigration system.
Now, if only all of us can portend
unintended consequences.
Unintended consequences... from page 29 Buyers remorse... from page 29
programming. After setting up
a conference web-site, the team
was off and running, tapping the
skill sets of their colleagues from
across the country, raising more
than $50,000 and communicating
regularly among themselves for
updates and problem-solving.
NaFFAA leaders were informed
and updated as well.
I was wary in the begin-
ning but I saw how smart and
intelligent they are, recalls
Manang Auring. Thats when I
realized how important trust is.
And respect. I just tell them what
needs to happen and they gure
out how.
When I met Leezel, what
struck me was her modesty and
candor. Almost self-effacing.
There were no airs about her.
Just a young woman who seems
to know all the nuts and bolts
of running a major operation,
with a quiet condence and cool
demeanor. A leadership style
with humility. She is, in other
words, totally professional.
One incident that illustrates
their style of problem solving
happened on the rst day of
the conference. There had been
an exchange of e-mails the day
before among NaFFAA leaders
and ofcers about the scheduling
during Gala Dinner of the Alex
Esclamado Community Service
Awards. The concern: the cer-
emony will be competing with
plates if held while guests are
still eating. One elder railed of his
disappointment, confounding
the young organizers in charge
of the dinner program. Happily,
another elder intervened in time,
meeting face to face with the
organizers (no e-mail) and it was
quickly resolved to everyones
satisfaction. You dont have to
dance around us, said the pro-
gram director. Just come talk to
us.
Take note: there was no
exchange of angry emails that
could have escalated into big
drama. The young profession-
als were truly professional in
the way they handled an adult
temper tantrum.
During a dialogue between
about 50 young folks and a dozen
NaFFAA leaders, the words that
kept resonating were trust and
respect. Dont just pass the baton
but lets hold it together side by
side, step by step. Lets collabo-
rate.
Throughout the 4-day con-
ference, what became evident
was simply a heightened aware-
ness about the need to change
the way we hold conversations
with each other. Rather than
drive us apart, they should keep
us together. Ben de Guzman, a
gay rights advocate, remembers
an ugly incident in 1997 when
youth delegates almost walked
out of NaFFAAs rst empower-
ment conference over a debate
about LGBT rights. This year,
openly gay activists notably
Journalist and immigrant rights
activist Jose Antonio Vargas
and APALA Exec. Director Greg
Cendana are keynote speakers.
And whats most refresh-
ing which could be threaten-
ing to elders is the way the
younger generation is truly bent
on taking over. They want to
inltrate and disrupt NaFFAAs
existing leadership paradigm.
But not in the way youre
thinking. Steven Raga, the
youngest member of the
NaFFAA national board
member, puts it best: The dif-
ference with young FilAms
today seem to be their preference
to develop collaborative leaders
next to them, rather than obedi-
ent followers behind them. Lead-
ership is not a line (which is what
currently happens in NaFFAA).
What should happen is a collab-
orative partnership among lead-
ers moving forward. To ensure
longevity and continuity, we
need to meet in the middle of
our different methodology. We
need to promote a safe space
using professional language and
actions that respect all regardless
of sex, age, immigration status
or generation, socio-economic
class, ethnicity, nationality, geo-
graphic residence, physical and
mental ability, sexual orienta-
tion, gender identity, religion,
and political opinion.
According to the 2010
Census, there are 256,256 Filipi-
nos between the ages of 18-22 in
the US. Steve is asking. What
if we played a role in their
growth?
We break the dawn.
Send your comments to
jdmelegrito@gmail.com
ceeding to authorize the revo-
cation and setting aside of the
order admitting such person to
citizenship and the cancellation
of the certicate of naturaliza-
tion as having been obtained by
concealment of a material fact
or by willful misrepresentation,
and such revocation and setting
aside of the order admitting such
person to citizenship and such
canceling of certicate of natu-
ralization shall be effective as of
the original date of the order and
certicate, respectively. The
law further required the State
Department to furnish the Justice
Department with names of natu-
ralized citizens who have taken
up residence abroad.
On October 25, 1994, Con-
gress passed the Immigration
and Nationality Technical Cor-
rections Act of 1994 which
repealed Section 340(d). In effect,
there is no more presumption of
fraud if the naturalized citizen
leaves the US within one year of
his/her naturalization, and the
State Department will no longer
provide the Justice Department
with names of naturalized citi-
zens who have taken up resi-
dence abroad. The naturalized
citizen therefore will not face
revocation proceeding just by
virtue of his foreign residence.
His US citizenship will not be in
jeopardy, unless the INS comes
up with clear afrmative evi-
dence establishing the misrep-
resentation of the naturalized
citizen of his intention to reside
in the US at the time of his appli-
cation and admission to citizen-
ship. This is highly unlikely.
With respect to naturalized
Filipino World War II veterans,
Congress specically provided
that the presumption of lack of
intent to reside in the US does
not apply to them. Continuing
residence in the Philippines after
their naturalization will not be a
ground for revocation of US citi-
zenship.
nerable civilians.
In that same report, one
batch of prisoners was trans-
ferred from a jail in Samar to the
national penitentiary in Manila,
a trip of several hours, while
terried passengers prayed that
they would reach their destina-
tion unharmed.
The director of the Samar
prison, when asked why he
allowed the risky trip to happen,
reasoned that they had no choice.
They had no vehicles. Can you
believe that? A prison without
vehicles in which to ferry con-
victs?
The BUBs partisan intent
is so obvious, badly hit cities
like my hometown of Tacloban,
dominated by the Romualdezes,
will probably get crumbs, even
if was the most severely devas-
tated by Yolanda.
Buying Up Ballots... from page 23
Residence abroad... from page 25
We Break the Dawn... from page 29
own agenda, whether its to
put the President in a bad light,
to diminish his political clout
needed to install his candidate of
choice, or to topple the govern-
ment whether from the ideologi-
cal left or right.
Its a tough job, the presi-
dency. Its not just having to
monitor 200 TV channels all at
once, its having to survive the
daily onslaught from all direc-
tions.
Mr. Aquino has even
warned in his latest SONA about
the specter of assassination.
Maybe this and Trillanes warn-
ing are connected? Eerily, thats
reminiscent of his father Ninoys
fatalistic statement, as the elder
Aquino mused prophetically on
his way home from exile in 1983:
In an instant, I could be a goner.
Ninoy Aquino was assassinated
after his ight landed in Manila.
Lets hope history doesnt
repeat itself.
Who wants to get rid... from page 24
the following ingredients: Ade-
quate sleep, rest and relaxation,
total abstinence from tobacco,
strict moderation in alcohol
intake; daily exercises (like brisk
walking), low-fat, low-choles-
terol, low-carb, high-ber diet
(vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts,
etc), and, equally important,
having a happy and positive atti-
tude in life.
21 Tips to maximize sleep... from page 25
Beyond Shorelines... from page 25
Number 5- Give a person a
sh and you feed them for a day.
Teach a person to use the
internet and they wont bother
you for weeks, months,--- maybe
years.
Number 4. Health nuts are
going to feel stupid someday,
lying in the hospital--- dying
of nothing.
Number 3. All of us could
take a lesson from the weather.
It pays no attention to criti-
cism.
Number 2. In the 60s,
people took acid to make the
world weird.
Now the worldis weird,
and people take Prozac to make
it normal.
Number 1. Life is like a
jar of jalapeno peppers. What
you do today might burn your
ass tomorrow. And as some-
one recently said to me: Dont
worry about old age; it doesnt
last that long.
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