Alamat ng Bawang
nang magdadalaga na siya. Makinis ang kutis at
Mapag-aruga at mapagmahal na ina si Uganda.
Hinahangaan siya ng lahat sa pagsisikap na mapalaking
mabait ang kaisa-isang anak na si Kulala.
Ulila na sa ama si Kulala. Bata pa siya nang
matuklaw ng ahas sa bundok ang kaniyang ama. Para
kay Kulala, hindi buo ang pamilya nila kung patay na ang
isa sa mga magulang niya.
Noong una ay hirap din si Uganda. Ina lang sana
ang papel na ginagampanan niya. Nang mamatay ang
asawa, siya na ang ina, siya pa rin ang naging ama. Pero
kahit nag-iisa na siya ay hindi na niya inisip mag-asawa.
Pinagsikapan niyang palakihin sa mabuting asal si
Kulala. Sa sobrang mahirap na dinadanas, may
ambisyon ding gustong maipakamit si Uganda sa anak.
Nais niyang makapag-asawa ito ng mayaman upang
malayo sa karalitaang kanilang naranasan.
Sa pakiwari ni Uganda, marapat lamang na
bumuti ang buhay ni Kulala.
May kasabihang ang kagandahan at kabaitan ay
maaaring maging kasangkapan upang makapamili ng
kakasamahin sa buhay. Kung maganda ang isang dalaga,
maaaring makapag-asawa siya ng binatang may sapat na
karangalan at sapat ding kayamanan. Ito ang naging
pamantayan ni Uganda para sa anak.
Ang kagandahan ni Kulala ay lalong napag-usapan
balingkinitan ang katawan niya. May mabibilog at
nangungusap na mga mata siya. Ang mga labi niya, kahit
di kulayan ay sariwang rosas ang katulad. Ang tinig niya
ay may lambing na dala lalo’t kapag siya ay nagtatampo
na.
Sapagkat marunong makipagkapwa tao kaya siya
ay kaibigan ng bata at matanda. Mahirap at mayaman ay
pantay lang sa kanya. Mabuti mang tao o masama ay
pinakikiharapan niya. Wala siyang pinipili. Para sa
kanya, ang pagpapakatao ay isang mabuting pag-uugali at
sapagkat tayong lahat ay galling sa isang tipak na lupa,
mauuwi rin daw tayo sa pinanggalingang lupa ni Bathala.
Hanga si Uganda sa paniniwalang ito ni Kulala.
Pero kahit lahat ay pinakikiharapan ng anak,
nangangarap pa rin ang ina na sana ay mayaman at
makapangyarihang binata ang mapangasawa ng kanilang
magandang dalaga.
May sariling puso at isip si Kulala. Totoong
maraming naghahain ng pag-ibig sa kanya pero wala pa
siyang napipili kahit isa. Upang matawag ang pansin ni
Kulala, lahat na manliligaw niya ay nagpapakiramdaman
at nagpapayabangan mapaniwala lamang ang dalaga sa
inihahain nilang pagmamahal. Sa kasamaang palad,
palaging sinasamang palad ang lahat ng mangingibig na
nagpapasikatan.
 Naririyan si Hashim na buong giting na
nagmamalaking kukunin niya sa ilalim ng karagatan ang
pinakamalaking perlas na iaalay niya sa paanan ng
minamahal. Madaling araw pa lamang ay mayabang na
itong lumusong sa tubig at sumisid na parang barakuda
sa kailaliman. Pero sinamang palad siyang mabagok ang
ulo sa nakausling bato sa ilalim ng dagat na ikinamatay
niya kaagad.
Nanginig sa takot ang buong katawan ni Kulala
nang dalhin sa tahanan nila ang lumaylay na katawan ng
mangingibig.
Nasundan ito ng abenturerong si Perot na sa
pagnanais na mabigyan ng tuwa si Kulala ay mayabang
na lumusong sa ilug-ilugan na kinaroroonan ng
pinakamababangis na buwayang kinatatakutan ng mga
kalalakihan. Nawakwak nga niya ang tiyan ng
pinakadiyus-diyosan ng mga buwaya subalit nahagip ang
dibdib niya ng matatalim na mga ngipin ng damulag.
Pinapanghina siya sa sobrang umagos sa hapong
katawan. Una siyang nalagutan ng hininga bago tuluyan
namatay ang diyablo.
Napaurong si Kulala sa takot nang dalhin sa
kanilang bahay ang bangkay ng nagmamahal na
mangingibig. Namatay ang binata sa pagnanais na
mapasagot ang kagandahang pinag-aagawan ng
kabinataan.
Naisip ni Uganda na panahon na upang siya na ina
ni Kulala ay siyang pumili ng mapapangasawa ng anak
niya.
Sa mga anak ng datu, dalawa ang masusugid na
mangingibig ni Kulala. Naririyan si Anturo na anak ni
Datu Basti at narirryan si Madur na anak ni Datu Tawilis.
Sapagkat kayamanan ang tanging pamantayan ni
Uganda, binuo niya sa sariling matira sa matibay ang
dapat na paglalabanan ng dalawa. Minsang magkasabay
sa panliligaw ang dalawa ay nagparinggitan sila sa isa’t-
isa. Nagkapikunan at nagkainisan hanggang sa
nagbunutan ng sandata. Sapagkat kapwa gusto nilang
makamit ang kagandahang pinag-aawayan, ang
pakikipaglaban ay nagwagi sa pakikipagkaibigan na
nauwi sa dalawang kaluluwang naging bangkay.
Humahagulgol si Kulala sa sinapit ng dalawang
mangingibig. Punung-puno ng kalungkutan ang
katauhan niya. Lalong nangamba ang dalaga nang
sunud-sunod pang naglaban ang marami pang
mangingibig na handang mag-alay ng buhay
mapagwagian lamang ang kaniyang pagmamahal. Sa
dami ng dugong dumanak ay lito ang isip na tinalunton
ni Kulala ang daan patungo sa ituktok na bundok.
“Bathala ng Kabundukan!” nakalahad ang mga
kamay ni Kulala, “Kunin na po Ninyo ako sa daigdig na
kinaroroonan ko! Hirap na po ang kalooban kong
maging instrumento upang pag-awayan ng mga
mangingibig ko. Marami na pong dugong dumanak sa
mga sakim na pagnanasang maangkin ako ng mga
pagmamahal na lubhang makasarili at materyoso. Kunin
na po ninyo ako. Maawa na po kayo!” pagmamakaawa ng
lumuluhang dalaga na hindi nakadama na pag-ibig na
nakauunawa at sagrado.
Ilang sandali lamang ay dumilim ang kalangitan at
bumuhos ang malakas na ulan. Nagsalubungan ang
matatalim na kidlat at dagundong ng kulog sa
kabundukan. Ang hapong katawan ni Kulala ay bangkay
na napalugmok sa ituktok ng bundok. Nang sumikat ang
araw ay natagpuan ng mga tao si Kulala na bagamat
walang buhay ay may ngiti ang mga labi sa katuwaan.
Niyapos ni Uganda ang bangkay ng anak. Alam
niyan ginusto ni Kulalang lisanin ang daigdig.
Maligaya si Kulala sa kinaroroonan ni Bathala. Sa
tuktok ng bundok ipinalibing ni Uganda ang bangkay ng
anak.
Lagi niya itong dinadalaw hanggang sa isang araw
ay may halamang tumubo dito. Inaalagaan niya ang
halaman. Nang magbunga ay napansin niyang kahawig
ito ng mapuputing ngipin ni Kulala. Tumingala sa langit
si Uganda at malinaw na narinig ang tinig ni Bathala.
“Nasa kaharian Ko na si Kulala at masayang-
masaya. Ang halamang iyan ay nagpapaalala sa iyo sa
mapuputing ngipin ng anak mo. Alagaan mo at ipakilala
sa mga tao.”
Kumuha ng mga bunga ng halaman si Uganda at
ipinatanim sa mga kapitbahay niya. Magmula noon ang
mapuputing ngipin ni Kulala ay nakilala bilang rekado sa
mga lutuing bahay na tinatawag ngayon bilang Bawang.
 The Child Status Protection Act
The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) was signed into law
on August 6, 2002. CSPA was enacted to address the problem
of minor children losing their eligibility for immigration benefits
because they had aged-out or turned 21 years old as a result
of processing delays on the part of the U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services or the Department of State. It was not
intended to benefit an applicant who aged-out due to the
unavailability of a visa number.
The eligibility of an applicant for benefits under the aging-out
provisions of the CSPA may be determined only at the time a
visa application is adjudicated by a consular officer.
Individuals who believe that they qualify for visa issuance
under the Act may request a visa interview appointment at the
Embassy to submit a visa application. These applicants are
required to complete a Form DS-230 (Part 1 and 2), present a
valid passport, birth certificate and Notice of Approval of
petition, and pay the application fee.
The following information is provided to assist individuals who
wish to pursue an immigrant visa application based on the
aging-out provisions of the CSPA. While every effort was made
to provide accurate information herein, a consular officer can
only make a final determination of an individual’s CSPA
eligibility upon review of an actual visa application.
CHILD STATUS PROTECTION ACT (CSPA)
DETERMINATION COMPUTATION
What immigrant visa category was the applicant
petitioned under?
 If under the Immediate Relative (IR2)
category
Was the applicant under 21 years of age when IR2 petition was
filed?
If the answer is yes, then the applicant may be eligible for
CSPA age-out protection.
 If under an employment-based or family
preference category(F1, F2A, F2B, F3, F4, FX,
E1, E2, E3, E4, EW)
The following three steps may determine CSPA eligibility for
derivative beneficiaries of Employment-based and Family
Preference petitions.
STEP ONE: Does the CSPA apply to the case?
 Was the derivative applicant under 21 years of age
when petition was filed?
If the answer is yes proceed to Step 2; if not, CSPA would not
apply to the case and the remaining steps are not applicable.
STEP TWO: If the CSPA applies in Step 1, calculate the
alien’s age with the following data:
(A) the date a visa number became available for the applicant’s
use,
(B) the applicant’s date of birth,
(C) the date the visa petition was approved by the U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services, and
(D) the date the visa petition was filed or the priority date.
Enter the data in the table below to calculate the applicant’s For a derivative applicant whose principal applicant
CSPA age. adjusted status as a Legal Permanent Resident in
the USA:
Table for CSPA Age Computation
Age of applicant when a visa number became available o When did the visa number become available?
A. VISA NUMBER _______
AVAILABILITY B. BIRTH DATE   o When did the principal applicant file Form I-
(DD-MM-YYYY) LESS  (DD-MM-YYYY) = 0 824 or when did the derivative applicant
Time the case was pending with the U.S. Citizenship apply for following-to-join processing?
Immigration Services   LESS _______
C. VISA PETITION D. VISA PETITION
APPROVAL DATE FILING DATE   If the answer to the second question is within a year
(DD-MM-YYYY)  LESS  (DD-MM-YYYY) = 0 of visa number availability, then the applicant may
CSPA Age   be eligible for CSPA protection.
0 - 0 = 0.00
 
If the result of the computation is below 21 years, proceed to
Step 3. If the applicant’s computed CSPA age is over 21, the
applicant would not qualify for age-out protection under the GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Act, and Step 3 would not be applicable.
Adjustment of Status – An alien in the United States with a
non-immigrant visa may adjust status to become a Legal
STEP THREE: If the applicant’s computed age in Step 2 is Permanent Resident by filing a Form I-864.
less than 21 years old, did the applicant pursue an
immigrant visa within one year of visa availability? Applying for a Visa - for CSPA purposes, applying for a visa
generally means that the applicant submitted the completed
For a derivative applicant whose principal applicant DS-230 (Part I). For derivative children applying under
obtained an immigrant visa: following-to-join status, applying for a visa means that the
principal applicant had filed a form I-824 for the derivative
child.
o When did the visa number become available?
________
o When did the derivative applicant submit Approval Date - The date when the petition was approved by
the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS,
completed Form DS230? ________
formerly INS, BCIS).

If the answer to the second question is within a year

Derivative – For CSPA purposes, a derivative is a minor child
of visa number availability, then the applicant may
of a principal applicant who has an approved employment-
be eligible for CSPA protection.
based or family-preference visa petition.
Employment-based Visa Category - Visa cases under these
categories are processed based on an approved Form I-140
visa petition.
Family Preference Categories – Visa cases under these
categories are processed based on an approved Form I-130
visa petition.
Filing Date or Priority Date - The date the petition was
received by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS, formerly INS, BCIS).
U.S. immigration law requires that visa applications be strictly
processed according to priority date because of the limited
number of visas available worldwide. This means the Embassy
will not process visa applications with priority dates that are
not current. If your case is current for processing, you may
proceed to St. Luke’s Medical Center Extension Clinic to pick up
your appointment letter.
If you believe ageing out will affect your case, you may contact
the Embassy by fax at (632) 301-2591 or by mail at:

Following-to-Join - Derivative beneficiaries who are traveling From within the Philippines: Operations Unit , Immigrant Visa
to follow the principal applicant who is already in the United Branch, United States Embassy, 1201 Roxas Blvd., Ermita,
States. Metro Manila 1000.

IR2 (Immediate Relative) – A minor child of a petitioner From outside the Philippines: Operations Unit , Immigrant Visa
who is an American citizen.
Branch, PSC 500, Box 26, FPO AP, 96515-1000 USA.

Principal Applicant - The primary beneficiary of an approved

Employment-based or Family-Preference visa petition.

Visa Number Availability – For CSPA purposes, this is either

the date on which the applicant’s priority date became current
for processing, or when the visa petition was approved,
whichever came later. For an archive of visa bulletins, click
here

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Q. Can my child, who is nearing 21 years old, be issued a

visa before he turns 21?
If visa numbers are available for you (or your visa case
becomes current for processing) and your child is “aging out”
(or turning 21), we are prepared to expedite the processing of
the application. However, it is still the applicant’s responsibility
to complete the application requirements in a timely manner.
 Registering Derivatives
Following-to-join family members whose Principal
Applicant has not been issued a visa
If you would like to register a new derivative or update the
information on an existing derivative, please contact the U.S.
Embassy in Manila by fax at (632) 301-2591. You may also
mail the following information to us:
Note: The National Visa Center (NVC) in Portsmouth, New
Hampshire forwards immigrant visa cases to the U.S. Embassy
in Manila only when interview slots are available. The NVC, not
the Embassy, schedules immigrant visa interviews. For K visa
applications, the NVC forwards the petitions to Manila only
after completing preliminary processing on those cases. If you
would like to check on the status of your case, NVC can be
reached at (603) 334-0700.

By Mail:
From within the Philippines: Operations Unit, Immigrant
Visa Branch, United States Embassy, 1201 Roxas Blvd.,
Ermita, Metro Manila 1000
From outside the Philippines: Operations Unit, Immigrant
Visa Branch, PSC 500, Box 26, FPO AP, 96515-1000 USA
Those applying K-1, K-2, K-3 and K-4 visas who have been
notified by the Embassy to prepare for their interview can call
1-909-101-7878 (from within the Philippines) or 1-888-877-
9888 (from within the United States) to schedule an interview
appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Manila.

 DO NOT send registered mail.

 DO NOT address correspondence to a person by
name. Employees are transferred on a regular basis,
so any mail addressed to an individual may be
forwarded to that person and not to the section
where your concern would be addressed.
 If you have an e-mail address, please include it in
your letter.

Required documents:

 A clear copy of your marriage contract (for spouse, if

any) and the birth certificates of your spouse (if any)
and children on certified National Statistics Office
(NSO) security paper.
 Once registered by the US Embassy, applicants can
call 1-909-101-7878 (from within the Philippines) or
1-888-877-9888 (from within the United States) to
schedule an interview appointment at the U.S.
Embassy in Manila.