Bay Area Fil-Am seeks organ donor to survive

By HARVEY I. BARKIN
SAN JOSE (Bay Area, Calif.) -Who will do good to the do-gooder? For Ryan Manansala, he hopes it would be a stranger doing for him an act of random kindness. Last January, Ryan was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). When he was healthy, Manansalas smile would have been earnest.

July 20 - 26, 2012 Vol. V Issue 185

www.filamstar.net

Code of Conduct in W. Philippine Sea pushed

MANILA -- Indonesias top diplomat has embarked on an emergency swing through Southeast Asia to try to end disagreements over territorial rifts in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa is pushing for a new pact aimed at avoiding future confrontations in the disputed region. Natalegawa met Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario in Manila on Wednesday and would fly to other Southeast Asian countries to try to ease the discord and avoid further damage to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Asean foreign ministers failed to publicly issue a concluding joint statement after their annual summit in Phnom Penh last week when host Cambodia rejected a proposal by the Philippines and Vietnam to mention their separate territorial disputes with China in the statement. Host Cambodia rejected any reference to the South China Sea in the planned joint conference declaration, causing the cancelation of a joint statement and drawing criticism that the bloc was divided and under Chinas influence. Natalegawa earlier called the Phnom Penh deadlock perplexing and very, very disappointing. The Indonesian top diplomat said the inability by Asean to reach a common position on a Code of Conduct is potentially disruptive, adding that he

Now its almost ghastly as he explains, Some of my white blood cells are overpowering my platelets, red blood cells and other white blood cells. Its his bone marrow producing the ornery white blood cells. Ryan needs a bone marrow transplant to live. And he needs a donor soon. He struck out with his dad, mom, brother, sister and cousin. The HLA typing must have at least a nine out of 10 match. Hes talking about Human Leukocyte Antigens, the same kind of blood testing for paternity. The test also screens out possibility of rejection in organ transplantation.

Ryan is not in the national registry. There are only 30 per cent Asian Americans in the national registry. You only have a 30 per cent chance to survive if youre Filipino. Although the registry is updated every week, it could take a few months just for the processing. Born and raised in San Francisco to a Hawaiian native (of Filipino descent), former U.S. military man

(Photo: Quan D. Nguyen) Richard Manansala and Susan of Rizal province in the Philippines, Ryan tries not to sound bitter as he confronts his mortality. Twenty-seven years old, going 28 in November, he majored in Psychology and graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2010.

Fil-Ams set August 21 as Global Day of Prayer

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SAN FRANCISCO The Northern California chapter of US Pinoys for Good Governance is spearheading the grand plan of holding a Global Day of Prayer for Peace in the Scarborough Shoal on Tuesday, August 21 -- the 29th anniversary of the assasination of Ninoy Aquino. This is also the first anniversary of the chapter hosting the Day of Prayer for Peace in the Spratlys which was held in 175 global sites last year. A target goal of 300 sites has been set for this year. Last year, 100 sites was the target, but this was exceeded by 75. This year, Filipino communities throughout the world are asked to organize an event in their community to discuss the issues surrounding Chinas ambitions in the West Philippine Sea, with a particular focus on Chinas immediate intent to occupy the Scarborough Shoal. The community event can take place in a church, a home, a campus, a consulate hall, a restaurant or anywhere else where Filipinos and their non-Filipino friends and allies can get together. USPFGG has established nine regional chapters. It will task the regional coordinators in each of the regions to initiate and coordinate the activities in their area. Several people in the same city can organize separate events. But the coordinator should confirm each event so it can be publicized and posted in the website - uspgg.org - so that others can attend the events in their localities. Below are the regional chapters and the coordinators for each of the USP4GG Regional Chapters: Region 1 - Northeast Region [New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts], Coordinators - Loida Lewis, Joe Ramos, Ernie Gange, Frank Celoza , Angie Cruz; Region 2 - Capital Region [Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia], Coordinators - Jun Rasul, Celia Donahue, Eric Lachica, Bambi Lorica, Mitzi Picard; Region 3 - Southern Region [Florida, Georgia, Louisiana], Coordinators (to be named by Jun Rasul); Region 4 - Midwest Region [Illinois, Michigan, Ohia, Iowa, Wisconsin], Coordinators - Bart & Yoly Tubalinal, Marlon Pecson; Region 5 - Southwest Region [Texas, Arkansas, New Mexico, Arizona], Coordinators- Gus and Ethel Mercado; Region 6 - Pacific Northwest [Washington, Oregon], Coordinator - Jet Pizaro; Region 7 - Northern California , Coordinators - Rodel Rodis, Charito Benipayo; Region 8 - Southern California, Coordinators - Rocio Nuyda, Dabs Mamao; Region 9 - Pacific Islands Region [Hawaii, Guam, Northern Marianas], Coordinator - Celia Lamkin

Top Scene

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NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen (R) watches as PBA legend Kenneth Duremdes goes in for a layup during the All-Star Basketball Challenge at the Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday, July 18. Also appearing is Pippens Chicago Bulls teammate Horace Grant and PBA great Marlou Aquino (Voltaire Domingo/NPPA Images)

Congressman pushes for Calif. Assembly FilAm bets

Pinay golfing bet misses cut

By SARAH JANE VON WETTBERG

Solemn funeral for Dolphy

MANILA -- The Philippines top film and television actors and leading politicians joined hundreds of relatives and friends of the countrys most popular comedian as his body was laid to rest Sunday. Dolphy, born Rodolfo Vera Quizon, was widely

(Benhur Arcayan/NPPA Images)

The Gateway to the Peninsula provided an unwelcoming entrance for the Princess from the Philippines. In her first visit to the Bay Area, at this weeks U.S. Girls Junior Championships, Filipina golfer Princess Mary Superal experienced the not-so-summer-like weather conditions of Daly City. The 15-year-old from Metro Manila, who also calls San Diego her home, said that her hands felt numb for parts of a blistery Monday afternoon. True to form, the Lake Merced Golf Club challenged the 156 girl golfers (ages 11-17) with damp grounds beneath a heavy coastal air. As a result, Superal was out of her element and shot a first round score of twelve-over-par 84. Even with gloves on, and hand warmers at her disposal, Superal could not grip the golf club with confidence.

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(L-R) Congressman Pete Stark, Alameda Vice Mayor Rob Bonta, St. Annes Fr. Geoffrey Baraan, Dr. Jennifer Ong, and Sansu Ramsey pino-American voters to get a chance By HARVEY I. BARKIN to elect the first Filipino-Americans to the California state assembly seat. UNION CITY November 2012 is reckoning date not just for Obama and Romney. It is also D-Day for FiliTo PAGE A7

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FilAm Star

July 20 - 26, 2012

Philippine Frontline Scenes by NPPA Images

U.S. Pacific Command Commander Navy Admiral Samuel Locklear III pays President Benigno Aquino a courtesy call at Malacaan Palace on Monday, July 16. Admiral Locklears visit reaffirms the strength of the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. Locklear is a 1977 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, a 1992 graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and a holder of a masters degree in Public Administration from George Washington University. He was accompanied to Malacaan by the U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, Harry Thomas, Jr., and Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario. (Photo: Benhur Arcayan/MPB/ NPPA Images)

President Benigno S. Aquino III presses the button to symbolically launch the Angat Water Utilization and Aqueduct Improvement Project (AWUAIP) Phase 2 at the Stilling Basin Area, La Mesa Portal, Lagro, Quezon City on Tuesday, July 17. The project involves the construction of a new 9.9-km aqueduct (Aqueduct No. 6) and the rehabilitation of the deteriorated section of Aqueduct No. 5. Once commissioned, the project will allow more efficient conveyance of raw water from Angat Dam to the La Mesa Dam and Balara water treatment plants. It is a critical component of Metropolitan Waterworks & Sewerage Systems (MWSS) Water Security Legacy Program (WSLP) that aims to ensure adequate and uninterrupted water supply for Mega Metro Manila. In photo are presidential adviser for Environmental Protection and Laguna Lake Development Authority general manager Nereus Acosta, MWSS administrator Gerardo Esquivel, Manila Water chair Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson, MWSS chair Ramon Alikpala and Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista. (Photo: Ryan Lim/ MPB/NPPA Images)

Actor/TV host/comedian/politician Roderick Paulate answers questions fielded by media after filing a counter affidavit at the Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon City on Monday, July 16. The Ombudsman ordered a six-month preventive suspension against Paulate, a Quezon City councilor, for allegedly hiring ghost employees (Photo: Mike Alquinto/NPPA Images)

It was a busy day for President Benigno Aquino on Wednesday, July 18, as he received Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird, (photo above), and New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully (right photo) in separate courtesy calls at Malacaan Palace. The Philippines and Canada have nurtured friendly relations sustained by trade and investments, rising tourism arrivals, labor migration and continuing cultural exchanges and people-to-people ties. Since 2010, the Philippines have been Canadas largest source of immigrants and temporary workers. The Philippines and New Zealand, on the other hand, enjoy close friendship, increasing partnership and broadening cooperation in the political, economic, security and socio-cultural areas, both at the bilateral, regional and international levels which have all become stronger the last 46 years. (Photos: Robert Vias/MPB/ NPPA Images, Lauro Montellano, Jr./MPB/NPPA Images)

Government workers finalize seating arrangement in the plenary hall of the House of Representatives in Quezon City, in preparation for the upcoming third State-of-the-Nation address of President Benigno Aquino on Monday, July 23 (Photo: Mike Alquinto/NPPA Images)

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FilAm Star

July 20 - 26, 2012

Opinion
Excerpts
(On the floor of the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, D-CA, this week again called on Congress to hold a hearing of the widespread sex abuse scandal at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX where 12 training instructors are under investigation for sexual misconduct with recruits. Below are excerpts from her speech) I rise again today to talk about Military Sexual Trauma. Its a cancer, its ubiquitous, its unabated and regrettably unaddressed. Here we are again with yet another scandal. At this very moment military training instructor Luis Walker stands before a court-martial for raping -- Luis Walker stands before a court martial for raping. Walkers job is to train freshly minted Air Force recruits, many in their teens. In all there are 28 charges against him and 10 victims. Walker is a sexual predator. On Tuesday, a victim testified that right after graduating from boot camp, Walker approached her while she sat outside on a bench waiting for a bus that would take her to technical training school. Walker came up and ordered her to get some bleach from a supply room. And then he followed her. Once inside, he closed the door and took off his training instructor hat. On Wednesday another victim testified that while on laundry detail one day, Walker showed up and told her to follow him to get some towels but to wait five minutes so the surveillance cameras would not capture them going up together. Once inside the dorm, he pulled her into a flight office, kissed her, and told her to perform oral sex on him. Walkers defense attorneys argue because the women never fully resisted, the sex was consensual. Defense also argues that because the women never came forward to report the incident, they must not have felt victimized. If this happens in any high school in this country, if a prized English teacher, band instructor, had sex with his students we would be outraged and demand action. That teacher would be fired. Yet at Lackland where some of the recruits are just 18 or 19 years old, we rationalize the behavior of the perpetrator and blame the victim. Apparently we have a different definition of zero tolerance for sex offenders in the military world than we do for them in the civilian world. What does zero tolerance mean in the military? Is that just a catch phrase? Walker is not the only predator charged, seven additional training instructors have been charged with sexual misconduct with trainees. Congress needs to investigate and hold an independent hearing on the widespread sex abuse at the Air Force Base. In the last three years since Luis Walker started working at Lackland, roughly 21,000 female Airmen have cycled through the base. Have they been interviewed by investigators to determine if they, too, had been raped? How widespread is this epidemic? At Lackland out of the 31 identified victims, only one has reported the crime. Why are victims scared to come forward? Internal investigations will not get to the bottom of this. Congress needs to act. I called for a hearing in June and received no response. Last week I was joined by a bipartisan group of 77 members of Congress calling for a hearing. We have received no response. Im sick of waiting for action. The 19,000 members of our military who are raped each and every year deserve better than catch phrases. They deserve justice.
Cong. Jackie Speier

The Capitol Perspective

Protecting online users
SEN. LELAND YEE

Last week, the Assembly Higher Education Committee approved part of a package of bills that will prohibit colleges and employers from formally requesting or demanding students, employees, or job applicants provide their social media usernames and passwords. SB 1349, which I authored and introduced earlier this year, was unanimously approved to prohibit the practice at Californias public and private colleges and universities. AB 1844, authored by Assemblywoman Nora Campos, which includes the provisions dealing with businesses, was also heard in the Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee. The legislators are also co-authoring each others bills. The bills come after a growing number of businesses, public agencies, and colleges around the country are asking job seekers, workers, and students for their Facebook and Twitter account information. I am pleased by the overwhelming vote to end this unacceptable invasion of personal privacy. The practice of employers or colleges demanding social media passwords is entirely unnecessary and completely unrelated to someones performance or abilities. In addition to the privacy of students and workers, accessing social media accounts may also invade the privacy of family members and friends who thought they only were

sharing information with their own social media network. These social media outlets are often for the purpose of individuals to share private information including age, marital status, religion, sexual orientation and personal photos with their closest friends and family. This information is illegal for employers and colleges to use in making employment and admission decisions and has absolutely no bearing on a persons ability to do their job or be successful in the classroom. SB 1349 is a significant step towards securing Californians constitutional right to privacy, both online and offline, in the workplace and in school, said Jon Fox, Consumer Advocate for CALPIRG. If employers are permitted to access the private information of job applicants, unscrupulous hiring managers will be given greater leeway to circumvent anti-discrimination laws, said Joe Ridout of Consumer Action. Rather than formally requesting passwords and usernames, some employers have demanded applicants and employees to sit down with managers to review their social media content or fully print out their social media pages. SB 1349 will also prohibit this practice. The legislation would also prohibit employers and colleges from demanding personal email addresses and login information of employees, applicants, and students. Both bills will be considered by the Assembly when the Legislature reconvenes in August.

PH Political Scene
Cha-cha regurgitated
The opinions expressed by our writers and contributors do not in any way reflect the opinion of the management of FilAm Star, Inc.

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It was no coincidence that calls to amend the economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution regurgitated amidst the recent announcement that Ford is pulling out its assembly plant in the Philippines. This was followed by notices as well of the closure of the local branches of five global banks American Express Bank, First International Bank, Union Bank of California NA, Fortis Bank and Societe General. The doomsayers were quick to take the departures as an indictment of the countrys poor business and investment climate. And so this breathed new life into the on-and-off political action called Cha-cha or Charter change. This time, there is a note of greater urgency in the proposal. In the legislature, the powerful and original Cha-cha pair of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. is putting more zip into the move. More of their fellow lawmakers are picking up the beat as Cha-cha snowballs into what looks like a bipartisan preoccupation. Sen. Joker Arroyo, who never cared much about President Benigno Aquino III, says the time is ripe to review the 1987 Constitution because it has become outmoded. Although President Aquino has from the start showed disdain at the Cha-cha idea, his chief henchman Sen. Franklin Drilon is now all for it. As vice chairman of the ruling Liberal Party, Drilon vows to take steps to make Cha-cha one of their key planks. Counting himself in is Sen. Edgardo Angara who is batting for a constituent assembly as the less costly Cha-cha mode. Angara pushes for constitutional amendments that would give way to economic politics. The sad thing is the pullout of Ford and the five foreign banks is not really worth the kind of attention and concern that it draws. We have it on good authority that Ford failed in the Philippines because of an ill-taken business model, not as an adverse influence of the countrys investment climate. According to one sober analysis, Ford presumably put up an assembly plant here in 1999 because it found the business climate favorable. But its main business of assembling high-end cars in the Philippines for export to moderately wealthy countries in the Southeast Asian region was doomed from the start. It was only a matter of time before it would pack up and leave. The host countrys Constitution and its economic provisions had nothing to do with it. The same observation applies to the closure of AmEx Bank, et al. whose chief activity here is the lending of foreign exchange. Their Philippine branches were shuttered as consequence of the financial problems that confront their head offices in the U.S. and Europe. Heres the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas report: The closure of these offices in the Philippines is a case of deleveraging that is happening now in the West. Because of the financial problems of the parent firms, they decided to sell some assets. The fact is the units here of the five foreign banks so named were ex-

tremely profitable, says BSP Deputy Governor Nestor Espinella Jr. No wonder President Aquino has remained impervious to Cha-cha calls which could only delay economic progress. Never mind if the noise is coming from his allies. *** Questions are starting to be asked on whether administration allies in dutch with the anti-graft law is being given a rough ride at the Sandiganbayan while those attached politically to former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo are handled with kid gloves. We might note that all the current Sandiganbayan justices are GMA appointees. No opportunity has yet arisen for President Aquino to name a single Sandiganbayan justice. The disturbing questions came up in connection with the anti-graft cases that are faced separately by former Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca and former Mayor Pedro Cuerpo of Rodriquez, Rizal. Padaca is the 2008 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for government service whos a co-convenor of the Kaya Natin movement for good governance that steadfastly supports President Aquino. She is mentioned as a dark horse in the list-up of the administration bets for the 2013 senatorial elections. Cuerpo is a fellow Capampangan and staunch supporter of GMA transplanted in Rizal province. These political affiliations may have a bearing on why a Sandiganbayan packed with GMA appointees had Padaca arrested as soon as the Ombudsman released the appropriate order. The case was deemed bailable. It is apropos of what she says are trumped-up charges that she favored a certain non-governmental organization in the awarding of a grant for the propagation of a hybrid rice variety. It was suspiciously filed by the moneyed politician that she embarrassingly trounced in 2007. In the Cuerpo case, there has been no arrest long after the Ombudsman recommended his arrest without bail. Cuerpo was caught red-handed for illegal logging and had admitted the charges too. *** Vice President Jejomar Binay wished he was clothed with the authority to put police and immigration officials on carpet for the apparent ease by which Globe Asiatique owner Delfin Lee may have slipped out of the country to evade arrest for syndicated estafa. An arrest warrant was issued for Lee and his cohorts by the San Fernando (Pampanga) RTC on May 22 yet but the man accomplished what his patron GMA failed to do because of a timely TRO. Such escape, says Binay, leads to loss of the peoples trust in government. He has some suggestions to the proper authorities: cancel Lees passport and have him extradited back to the country. Globe Asiatic allegedly used ghost borrowers and fake documents to obtain over P6.5 billion in loans from the Home Development Mutual Fund for its Xevera housing project in Pampanga. (Send comments or suggestions to daniel_llanto@yahoo.com)

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Opinion
As I See It
Change matters
ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO
When President Barack Obama ran for president in 2008, his campaign byword was change. For four years, he tried to institute some changes, but somehow, the wheel of change was not turning as fast as expected. Up to now, on his re-election bid this coming November 6, 2012, he is riding on the hope that the people will again give him their mandate, so he can continue to pursue the changes he initiated and envisioned. A parallel situation is happening in the Philippines today. President Benigno Pnoy Aquino Jr. promised to rid government of corruption and other anomalous activities in government. Unlike Obama, however, he has more power in his hands and Congress seems to be on his side in pursuing his campaign for change. The U.S. Supreme Court came out with a milestone decision upholding the Health Care Reform Bill of the president, informally known as the Obamacare. Former President George W. Bush, a Republican, appointed Chief Justice John Roberts. Obama, a Democrat, benefited from such decision although people say he has no hand or influence in the Supreme Courts decision. On the other hand, an impeachment court composed of senator-judges removed Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona from office. Unlike Obamas case, however, Aquino allegedly influenced the decision. Corona was an appointee of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, now a Pampanga congressman, who happens to be a political enemy of President Aquino. Speaking of change, I noticed many changes in the Philippines during my two-week vacation lately. After a 15-year absence from the country, everything has changed. In fact, I became a total stranger in my own place. While the economy was reported to be not that progressive, I noticed a lot of development: the presence of high-rise buildings, both in rural and urban areas; first-class shopping malls; expensive condominiums; and numerous housing units. One negative change, to my mind however, although technically a positive one is the proliferation of vehicles, public and private, thats clogging the streets and creating heavy traffic. The presence of numerous motorcycles even compounded the traffic problem, with daring motorcyclists appearing left and right like sparrow units. My wife Delia calls them tutubi (dragonflies) buzzing and filling every space in the street wherever they come from. Honestly, I wont be able to drive in Metro Manila. An offshoot of this problem is frequent vehicular accidents. On our way from Ninoy Aquino International Airport to our village in Cainta Green Park, I witnessed three minor accidents. It took a fellow homeowner Nelly Tadena, who volunteered to pick us up in the airport, two and a half hours taking the highway/side streets/shortcuts avoiding traffic until we reached our destination. Traffic is so heavy already even as early as 8:30 a.m. Nelly was one with my brother-in-law Roger Ventura who was with her in saying that it is just an ordinary situation as he regularly ply his Adventure taking passengers from Cubao to SSS Village, Marikina and back to Cubao. Sanayan lang yantapangan ng loob kung hindi, hindi ka makakatawid, he said. One interesting fact is the presence of two city halls in Urdaneta City in the province of Pangasinan, my hometown. In our visit, I was told by former supervisor, now retired, Aida Estioko-Juan, that both Mayor Amadeo Perez (son of former mayor Amadeo Amadito Perez) and Vice Mayor Onofre Bong Gorospe have schedules and hold their offices in the old and the new city halls. City employees extending services to their constituents also staff both city halls. While not that fast like in Urdaneta City, Altavas, Aklan in the Visayas, my wifes birthplace, was also progressing. Mayor Demy Refol was so busy attending to his constituents in his office when we visited him, together with the towns municipal treasurer Jocelyn Bautista. I witnessed completed roads, ongoing community projects, feeder roads in the barangay level up the Ligaya Ventura-Doroteos place in Talon and that of Barangay Captain Jose JuniorVentura of Cabugao. Public service seems to be a major improvement in government offices today. I observed this when I went to the Pag-ibig Housing Authority, Cubao Branch in Quezon City, when I verifed my account and inquired for a possible housing improvement loan. The security guards were very courteous and very approachable directing every customer to windows they need to go. Of course, they issued the numbers that made public service so orderly. Line was observed as numbers are followed accordingly. Pag-ibig employees Noreen Esguerra and Joanna Marie B. Beltran deserve commendation. Noreen, more especially, went out of her way to help me when I explained to her that I need to go back to the U.S. the following day and I need to finish the transaction that day. She shuttled from one window to the other getting clearances, approvals, and other services to complete my paper works. That very day, except for a barangay clearance I have to submit to her the following day, I was able to file my claim and complete my transaction. Thank you Noreen for sticking your neck oujt for a total stranger and thank you Joanna for assisting Noreen. Both of you deserve the highest accolade. This is the change we need to see in public service. You have shown that a positive change is possible when people are responsible and professional in dealing with their customers/clients. This is the highest example of customer service, not only in government, but also in the private sector.

Telltale Signs
Pushing the Shoal to the brink
RODEL E. RODIS
Occupying the full top of the front page of the June 19 Philippine Daily Inquirer issue was a color photo of a Chinese soldier raising the five star red flag of China on top of the Scarborough Shoal while another soldier holds a surveying rod. The news article that accompanied the photo (China ships stay in Panatag Shoal) reported that Beijing had not expressed any intention of withdrawing its service ships from Scarborough Shoal. This was Chinas rebuff to the announcement of Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III the day before that he had ordered the two Philippine Navy vessels stationed in the Shoal - in a standoff with Chinese paramilitary vessels since April 10 - to return to port consistent with our agreement with the Chinese government on the withdrawal of all vessels from the shoals lagoon to defuse tensions in the area. It appears that after the Philippine ships left the Shoal, Chinas ships remained and even occupied the Shoal as the Inquirer front page photo appeared to confirm. Once again, the Philippines had been snookered by China as previously occurred in 1994 when Philippine Navy ships left the Panganiban Reef - otherwise known as Mischief Reef - because of a typhoon, only to return to find Chinas Navy occupying the reef - located only 87 miles from Palawan and almost 600 miles from China. China has since constructed a concrete fortress on Mischief Reef. The stark front page photo of Chinese soldiers waving Chinas flag on the Shoal prompted an emergency national telephone conference call on Monday June 18 by members of the US Pinoys for Good Governance (USP4GG) to discuss the implications of this new escalation of the conflict. What the group - which sponsored the May 11 global protests against Chinas intrusion in the Scarborough Shoal - feared had apparently materialized - China had occupied the Shoal. While members were deliberating the course of action to take in light of this grave development, frantic calls were made to Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) officials to verify whether China had actually seized control of the Shoal. But no verification was obtained before the conference call meeting ended so another conference call was set for the next night to confirm Chinese occupation of the Shoal. The next day, Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin warned that if China did not withdraw its ships from the Shoal, then he would order the return to the Shoal of Philippine Navy ships. This raised the spectre of the 1988 incident when Vietnam Navy sailors sought to restore the flag of Vietnam on Johnson Reef in the Paracel Islands off Vietnam. When the Chinese flag was removed, the Chinese Navy fired on the unarmed Vietnamese sailors on the shoal and mowed down all 77 of them. Video footage of the massacre was filmed by the Chinese Navy and aired in China to show the resolve of the mighty Chinese Peoples Liberation Navy. Could this bloody Vietnam scenario be repeated in the Scarborough Shoal? Not according to Max Boot. In his June 24, 2012 article which appeared in the Wall Street Journal (China Starts to Claim the Seas), Boot asserts that in fact China is the classic bully with a glass jaw. Boot cites the example of the tiny Pacific Island of Palau with a population of just 20,000. In late March, at virtually the same time that the Scarborough Shoal standoff was beginning, Boot writes, a Chinese fishing vessel illegally entered Palaus waters. When the poachers ignored repeated demands that they leave an area designated as a shark sanctuary, police from Palaus Fish and Wildlife Division opened fire, trying to sink the offending vessel. The result: one fisherman dead and 25 captured. A couple of weeks later, under the terms of a deal with China, the poachers were fined $1,000 each and flown back home. The Chinese must have been furious, but their diplomat on the scene had nothing to say except it is a good outcome. As speculation mounted about whether China would react as it did in Vietnam in 1988 or as it did in Palau in April of 2012, news came from DFA officials that the photo used on the front page of the Inquirer was taken 10 years ago and was posted on the China Embassy website. China has not physically occupied the Shoal and planted its flag there, at least not yet. On June 22, members of the US Pinoys for Good Governance joined members of the US Vietnamese community in mounting a demonstration in front of the United Nations building in New York to protest Chinas creeping invasion of their countries. Leaders of the two communities announced that they were jointly launching a nationwide boycott of China-made products. According to Eric Lachica of USP4GG, if even one million of us, out of the four million Filipinos in the US, stop buying Chinese products or goods, we will create a huge financial penalty on China. While an economic boycott of China primarily directed at Walmart stores was being launched in the US, thePhilippine Daily Inquirer reported on June 25 that a Chinese vessel last week rammed a Philippine fishing boat north of the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), killing a Filipino fisherman and leaving four others missing. The article reported that the ramming of the Philippine boat causing the death of 32-year old Bolinao fisherman Christopher Carbonel may have been the first casualty in the dispute between China and the Philippines over Scarborough Shoal. Two days earlier, the state-owned China News Agency (CNA) reported on Saturday that a Chinese official had ordered navy ships to target Filipino vessels that hang around Scarborough Shoal and dont leave. The Inquirer further reported: The order of Rear Adm. Yin Zhuo, director of the Peoples Liberation Army Navys (PLAN) Information Expert Committee, came as an answer to President Benigno Aquinos statement on Wednesday that he would order Philippine vessels back to the shoal if air surveillance found China still had vessels there. The CNA reported Admiral Yin as saying Chinese naval troops should board and search Philippine government ships and private fishing vessels. In doing so, Yin said, Chinese troops must try to maintain restraint, not force, not hurt people when going after Philippine ships found in waters near Scarborough Shoal. But he affirmed to Communist Party Peoples Daily that Chinas Navy would not hesitate to use deadly force against its enemies. The following day, the Philippine Coast Guard announced that a Hong Kong-registered commercial ship, the Peach Mountain, was most likely the vessel that rammed a Philippine fishing boat in the West Philippine Sea on June 20, killing a Filipino fisherman and leaving four others missing. But whether it was an official government ship or a commercial vessel, the question remains: was the ramming of the Philippine fishing boat an accident? Not according to Ted Laguatan. The collision was not accidental, he wrote.. It is a big wide ocean out there and for small boats, its practically impossible to have collisions. Also, if it was accidental, the Chinese would have attempted to save the Filipino fisherman. This was intentional to provoke the Philippines and see what kind of capability and resolve the Philippines has in holding on to its territories and see also how America will react. Malacanang and DFA will naturally say it was accidental because of the implications involved if they tell the people its intentional. It means a direct confrontation with China which of course will blatantly just confirm our military weakness and incapability to defend, Ted wrote. At this point, China is not yet ready to give Admiral Yin the order he craves to use deadly force against the Philippines. There is too much uncertainty about what the US response will be to such an attack. China is likely to announce that it is pulling its paramilitary vessels away from the lagoon while still remaining in the vicinity of the Shoal to protect the fishing vessels there. It will also do without openly admitting that it is part of the agreement negotiated with the Philippines that Sec. Del Rosario had previously announced. In its May 28, 2012 editorial, theNation magazine sounded this ominous warning: If the current tension continues in South China Sea, especially between the Philippines and China, it could lead to an all-out war. This is not an alarmists warning but a real concern. With poisonous rhetoric and growing tension, there is a possibility that conflicting parties would cross the line. This could be a result of miscalculation. The temperatures in the Shoal are rising and a serious miscalculation may easily push it to a boiling point.

Fast Food for Thought

Our OFWs, our heroes
RUDY VIERNES
Its sad to say that the Philippine government cannot provide employment to its teeming employable citizens. This is the reason so many Filipinos go abroad where employment abounds. Thus the template OFW was coined for Overseas Filipino Worker, which used to be OCW for Overseas Contract Worker. The template and has become commonplace and its here to stay ingrained in the national psyche. Time was when one was tagged as OCW the term had a rather abject, sad-sack connotation. No longer because our government has dubbed them heroes. Our OFWs are called heroes by a grateful government because their dollar earnings, a record high of close to $20 billion in 2011, roughly 10% of GNP, have saved the country from economic collapse. They dont mind the loneliness and deprivation as long as they can achieve their dream of putting body and soul together, sending their kids to school, enjoying little luxuries, if not sudden opulence, especially professionals who are mega-buck earners. In our recent visit to the Philippines we traveled north of the country. We were amazed how the provincial landscape had morphed into a once languorous landform of nipa huts into gleaming homes with TV antennae soaring into the sky, while in their garage are parked trappings of affluence, like a late model car, a passenger jeep with a sign Katas ng Qatar or From Saudi With Love. That scenery was absolutely amazing, vibrant, albeit startling metamorphosis. Another OFW vignette. My late wife and I were in the shopping mall one December day. We were behind a young family with two carts loaded with goodies and the queues were unusually long I figured to my wife it may take about 10 minutes to check those goodies in the counter so why dont we transfer? Besides our small basket was totally paled by the two cartfuls in front of us pushed by a shopper who ostensibly was on vacation from Dubai , said so by his T-shirt. Thanks to our heroes in the construction sites in the Middle East, factory workers in South Korea and Taiwan, the healthcare professionals in hospitals in the US and Canada, the IT engineers in Silicon Valley, the nannies, tutors and chambermaids of rich families in Europe, Singapore and Hongkong, the waiters and entertainers in cruise ships, the mariners plying the high seas. Their dollar remittances have become a major factor that propped-up the Central Bank reserves that prevent it short of insolvency. There are estimated 11 million OFWs worldwide and the exodus goes on with tens of thousands leaving the country every year. This includes an increasing number of skilled professionals and workers taking on unskilled jobs resulting in brain drain. This is particularly true in healthcare and education. There are medical practitioners in the Philippines , especially those working in government hospitals in the provinces who undergo retraining to become RNs whose services abroad are very much in demand. Filipinos in America today find it easy to integrate themselves in mainstream American society because of their high education and speaking skills with a majority belonging to the middle or upper middle class. Filipino-Americans have the second highest median household income of $65000 exceeding that of the US general population. Asian Indians are a bit ahead at $68000. Filipinos constitute the second largest immigrant group in the US and they live a life as sophisticated as educated Americans. However, in other countries where Filipinos abound like those in he Middle East , there are serious issues they have to contend with. OFWs both blue collar and white collar face problems of illegal recruitment, maltreatment, exploitation, long hours of work, limited food, or quartered in he doghouse. They suffer these indignities just so they can earn a mighty greenback to send home. These issues have become major concerns of our attaches in these countries. In some cases their paychecks are withheld and passports confiscated for flimsy reasons. Some domestic helpers, educated as they are as teachers, are physically or sexually abused and maltreated. There are sad stories of Filipino entertainers in counties like Japan who become sex slaves. They go abroad for a promise of domestic work or social services only to be deceived into sex work. OFWs need to be remembered more as people with feelings and not just providers. They need appreciation and assurances of love and should be sent letters bearing tonics of good news that can uplift and revitalize them in their lonely and stressful environs. What is devastating to the OFW, after long spell of non-communication, is when he/she receives a letter with a list of things that need money for-a roof that licks, a drainage that clogs, a tuition to be paid, or someone is sick. Or when things become dysfunctional, like failure in school, a daughter running away, a son dropping out of school and into drugs. Or worse when the kitty set aside for a rainy day is gambled or spent on trivial things. And the most devastating of all when a loved one is rumored to have a paramour. This could shatter an OFWs life, an emotional battle he has to endure for years that may lead to serious consequences. Its a case of out of sight (touch) out of love. It could be a situation in reverse. But by and large our OFWs have become movers of our countrys economy and have been honored by a government that sets aside a day in December to welcome our Balikbayans at the airport in a perfunctory ceremony, have photo-ops and published in the papers with the caption OUR HEROES. And our reluctant heroes are grateful for the attention and recognition, if only as an annual parody.

(Send comments to Rodel50@gmail.com or mail them to the Law Offices of Rodel Rodis at 2429 Ocean Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127 or call 415.334.7800)

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July 20 - 26, 2012

Business & Technology

U.S. drought worst in 25 years, food prices to rise

WASHINGTON -- A drought scouring the farming heartlands of the United States is the worst for 25 years and could drive up food prices, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday. The United States is the worlds biggest producer of corn and soybeans, and the warning came as some farmers warned they may be forced to harvest crops early to sell the stalks off cheaply as animal feed. I get on my knees every day and Im saying an extra prayer now. If I had a rain prayer or a rain dance I could do, I would do it, Vilsack told reporters after briefing President Barack Obama on the crisis. Vilsack revealed that 78 percent of U.S. corn and 11 percent of soybean crops had been hit, and compared the situation to a 1988 drought that cut production by 20 percent and cost the economy tens of billions of dollars. This will result in significant increases in prices for corn. Weve seen a 38 percent increase since June 1 in the price of a bushel of corn -- its now $7.88. A bushel of beans has risen 24 percent, he said. Vilsack said the intensity of the drought was not as great as in 1988 but 61 percent of the country is affected, a much larger area than 25 years ago. Part of the problem were facing is that weather conditions were so good at the beginning of the season that farmers got in the field early, he warned. As a result, this drought comes at a very difficult and painful time in terms of their ability to have their crops have good yields. The secretary said the government had increased the number of territories desiguncertainty about all of this, he said. Technology has allowed us to have more drought-resistant crops. The spotty nature of drought, the spotty nature of rains can sometimes result in better yields than anticipated. Were just going to have to see.

nated as drought disaster zones, bringing the total to 1,297 counties in 29 states, where farmers will be eligible for assistance. Vilsack said Obama had ordered that the interest rates on emergency loans for farmers be reduced and that emergency areas be opened up for livestock grazing and hay production as feed costs rise. But he said consumer food prices should not rise immediately, since the costs from the farm door are a small proportion of a final supermarket bill, and in any case it will take a while for the crisis to reach store shelves. There is some degree of

The U.S. Federal Reserves latest report on economic conditions, the Beige Book, released Wednesday recorded wide variations in drought conditions, but noted a drop in the amount of corn being turned into biofuels. The World Bank has said it is watching how the drought impacts global food supplies, after sharp surges in food prices in 2008 and 2010 dealt harsh blows to poor, food-importing nations. While its too early to be overly concerned, the Bank is monitoring the situation closely for potential impacts on our clients, said Marc Sadler, team

leader for the World Banks Agricultural Finance and Risk Management Unit. Global stocks in most of the tradable grains are lower now than they have been historically... we dont have as much in the larder as we used to. Since June, temperatures have topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) for several days in a row in many parts of the central United States. Mark Svoboda of the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Nebraska said the drought was as tough as the worst in the 1930s and 1950s. The timing has been particularly devastating, coming just at the peak of the growing season with the epicenter the central US farm belt east of the Rocky Mountains all the way to the Atlantic coast. Farmers are now looking at cutting their losses by chopping down fields of half-mature, earless corn to feed the stalks to cattle. The jury is still a little bit out on it. We are in that process right now, making that decision, said Steve Foglesong, who raises cattle and corn in Illinois. From the road the corn looks green, but there are no ears on it. Foglesong said the next two weeks will be crucial, but weather forecasters were not encouraging. Its just been bone dry, said AccuWeather meteorologist Carl Erickson. Unfortunately across the central plains, the Mississippi valley, it looks like the overall pattern will remain in place for the rest of the month and into August. Once you get into a pattern like this, it almost feeds on itself. (AFP)

BizTech Roundup
(Courtesy of AFP, Inquirer.net, TheManilaTimes. net, FilAmNation.com)

S.F. sours on Apple computers

SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco city officials said that they have soured on Apple computers due to the Macintosh makers decision to bail out of a program to promote making electronics earth friendly. The California company behind coveted iPads, iPhones, iPods and Macbook computers in June abandoned the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool global registry for greener electronics and did not respond to requests for comment about the move. The city of San Francisco for several years has had a rule in place that requires laptops, computers or monitors bought by departments to meet top EPEAT standards. Apples name was off the EPEAT member list and it has removed the registrys symbol from packaging. Apples decision to have its products removed from the EPEAT registry will make it difficult for city employees to procure Apple laptops, monitors and (desktop computers) in the future, said city chief information officer Jon Walton.

2011 sales of ebook up

WASHINGTON -- Sales of ebooks more than doubled in 2011 to bring in some $2.07 billion for the U.S. publishing industry, a survey showed Wednesday. The data from the Association of American Publishers and the Book Industry Study Group said ebooks grew from $869 million in 2010. Last year, ebooks accounted for some six percent of overall publishing revenues. The number of ebooks also doubled to 388 million, and represented 15.5 percent of total books sold in the trade sector, meaning fiction and non-fiction for adults and children. Still, ebooks have not overtaken the traditional hardcover or paperback, which represented the bulk of publishers net revenue at $11.1 billion for 2011.

FBI, Facebook warned on facial recognition

WASHINGTON -- A U.S Senate hearing Wednesday highlighted concern over the growing use of facial recognition technologies, both for law enforcement use and in big social networks like Facebook. Senator Al Franken, who chaired the judiciary subcommittee hearing, said the expansion of such biometric technologies poses concern over privacy and civil liberties. Franken said that in law enforcement, the use of facial recognition will catch criminals, but could come at a high cost to our civil liberties if police use the systems to target innocent civilians or political rallies. He also expressed concern that facial recognition used by Facebook to tag or identify members could be abused by divulging information that its members do not want made public.

PH govt to coordinate exploration activities

MANILA -- The Department of Energy is mandating firms looking for oil and gas near the West Philippine Sea to coordinate with the government prior to conducting any activity within the disputed waters. At the sidelines of a geothermal seminar hosted by the New Zealand Embassy Wednesday, Energy Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras said the directive was meant to ensure that the agencies securing Philippine waters would be able to identify locally deployed vessels and ensure the safety and security of the countrys oil and gas exploration activities. What weve actually requested from those who are [conducting exploration activities] in the West Philippine Seanot just the Service Contract 72 consortium, but all the other oil and gas exploration companies thereis for better coordination with us, Almendras explained. The affected firms are to make their respective disclosures 90 days prior to drilling and exploration activities. The government is studying whether or not it should issue a circular, order or any supplemental policy for the directive. We want to make sure that all parties who are supposed to be in charge know what exactly is being undertaken in the West Philippine Sea. We want our service contractors to be able to perform their work obligations and commitments, Layug said. It is really an offshoot of our efforts to reinvigorate petroleum exploration in the Philippines. We will have a dialogue with the service contractors [today] to assess how to operationalize the prior notice/ approval requirement. When Executive Order 60 was issued, what we aspired for is a more coordinated government action in relation to activities of petroleum service contractors, he further explained.

Microsoft to release Windows 8, Oct. 26

EO 60, which was issued in September 2011, amended EO 254 and reorganized and renamed the Philippine Gas Project Task Force to the Philippine Upstream Petroleum Task Force. Both Almendras and Layug said the bidding for the three oil and gas areas in Northwest Palawan would push through on July 31. At least three consortia are expected to vie for the blocks, which are believed to be the most prolific among the 15 areas being offered by the government under the Philippine Energy Contracting Round 4. Companies affected by the directive are those working within the Recto Bank like Forum Energy Plc, which is majority-owned by Manuel Pangilinan-led Philex Mining Corp., as well as those within Northwest Palawan, namely BHP Billiton, Nido Petroleum and Otto Energy. Energy Undersecretary Jose M. Layug pointed out that such a mandate already existed, except that it would now be implemented more stringently following increasing tensions at the West Philippine Sea between the Philippines and China. (inquirer.net)

SAN FRANCISCO -- Microsoft on Wednesday announced that its next-generation operating system tailored for a world shifting from personal computers to smartphones and tablets will be available on October 26. Windows unit boss Steven Sinofsky revealed the Windows 8 debut date at a sales meeting, Microsoft communications manager Brandon LeBlanc said in a blog post. Windows 8 will be available in 109 languages across 231 markets worldwide, according to LeBlanc. Microsoft has promised to make the new operating system available in August for computer, tablet or smartphone makers to build into hardware. It is simply the biggest deal for this company in at least 17 years, Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer said last week, referring to the time since the launch of the game-changing Windows 95 operating system. Microsoft reported that it has sold more than 630 million licenses of Windows 7, and that the software powers the majority of business desktop computers.

Record tourists to France in 2011

The Gaming Scene

YouTube lets people blur faces in videos

MANILA -- Philippine property firm Empire East on Tuesday confirmed it would invest more than $1 billion in a joint venture with Japanese gambling tycoon Kazuo Okada. Empire East said in a disclosure to the stock exchange that it would develop at least 25 upscale residential towers in Entertainment City, a gambling and resort complex on Manila Bay. The firm, owned by Filipino real estate tycoon Andrew Tan, would invest Php 45 billion ($1.07 billion) and have a majority stake in the project, it said. Its partners in the joint venture are the Okada Group, Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment, and Eagle 1 Landholdings. Philippine authorities are looking to turn Manila into the worlds number-two gaming destination ahead of Singapore and Las Vegas, and behind only Macau. Empire East, primarily known for middle-income housing, did not say how much Okadas group would be investing in the project, and Empire East spokesmen could not be contacted for comment. Gaming regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. has previously granted an Okada-backed group a licence to build a casino at Entertainment City. Similar licences were granted to Malaysias Genting Group, Bloomberry Resorts Corp. and a local firm that has teamed up with Australian billionaire James Packer and Macau gambling tycoon Lawrence Ho. (AFP)

PH firm in $1.07-B venture with Okada

PARIS -- A record number of foreign tourists visited France last year, with 81.4 million people travelling to the country and a surge in visitors from China, official figures showed Wednesday. The figure beat the previous record of 77.6 million visitors in 2010 and was a 4.8 percent annual increase despite concerns over the global economy, Frances DGCIS international competitiveness agency said in its annual report. Visitors from emerging nations including China, Brazil and Russia were driving growth, seeing a 17 percent increase in 2011. The number of Chinese visitors alone was up 23.9 percent, the report said, though

they still represented only 1.1 million visitors. After three years of falling amid U.S. economic concerns, the number of American visitors rebounded last year with a 14 percent increase to 3.3 million, it said. European tourists made up the bulk of visitors last year, with 67.8 million, accounting for 83.3 percent, the report said. The number of European visitors was up 3.1 percent. Overall, tourists also stayed 10.7 percent longer in France last year and spent 8.4 percent more, for a total of 33.4 billion euros ($41 billion). France is the worlds most popular tourist destination and tourism plays a key role in its economy.

SAN FRANCISCO -- YouTube on Wednesday began letting people blur faces in videos they upload to the website, which has become a major platform for sharing clips of dramatic news events. Today were launching face blurring -- a new tool that allows you to obscure faces within videos with the click of a button, said Amanda Conway, policy associate at the Google-owned videosharing service. As citizens continue to play a critical role in supplying news and human rights footage from around the world, YouTube is committed to creating even better tools to help them. Video editing options at YouTube were expanded to include a Blur All Faces button. People will get previews of videos with the blurred effects prior to deciding whether to publish them at YouTube. A Pew Research Center report this week indicated that news is rapidly becoming important as YouTube grows far beyond its roots as a stage for amateur videos ranging from silly backyard stunts to children and pets.

Microsoft breaks from NBC to launch own news portal

SAN FRANCISCO -- Software giant Microsoft has parted company with NBC News, pulling out of their joint venture MSNBC to launch its own online news service, the two companies announced Sunday. Moving on allows us to go out and innovate, Bob Visse, general manager of MSN.com, said, confirming that MSN.com had begun hiring for a new news operation -- as yet unnamed -- that will launch later this year.

July 20 - 26, 2012

BAY AREA FIL-AM.... from A1
For five years, he was a volunteer big brother for children at risk at Eastfield Ming Quong even as he was on the job at Aspiranet Fost-Adopt Service. A desire to do counseling and give back to the community made him focus on children who needed help mostly in east side of San Jose. Little did he know that it would soon be his turn to expect kindness from strangers. Because of my DNA, the ideal donor will mostly likely be Filipino. But it could be anybody, reasonably healthy, 18 to 61 years old. Take a chance, get a quick tongue swab (for DNA testing) and you may be the one to save my life. Ryan worked with children who were at risk in any of several ways: autistic, bi-polar, afflicted with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), problem school or abused. He would commit a year at Eastfield to see the child at risk at least once a week for two hours. Expenses to Great America, the movies, snacks would be out of his own pocket. At Aspiranet, where he works, you have to stick to their plan for 10 hours a week for two days or three hours for three days, he says. This is the young man who worked with a 10-year-old kids when he was 15, until the problem child was ready for life. He taught another teenager how not to say rude things and get a date. Today, the 10-year olds parents contribute to Ryans efforts to find a life-saving donor. Today, Ryan is asking back for the goodness he gave. Im not a religious person. For three months at the hospital, I was not allowed to go out nor eat fresh food and fruit because of bacteria. Alone, he rode the roller coaster ride of emotions first dipping into faithlessness, slowly rising from some desperate hope, and then doing it all over again. An uncle died painfully from pancreatic cancer last year. Then his family had to get over the passing of both his grandparents from his mothers side. His girlfriend of three months had to move back to Michigan. It put a strain on their relationship when he was diagnosed. But she visited recently. Last month he dreamt he was walking by a lake when a woman beckoned to him. Turning around, he realized that it was his grandma and her embrace felt so real when he awoke. A couple of hours later, his oncologist called to say his cancer was in remission. But the reality of AML is that it doesnt let you out of its grasp that easy. The first three rounds of chemotherapy didnt do anything. The next time, it did. But maybe the next time after that, the cancer may win. The treachery of the disease is you may get remissions but it can come back tomorrow or a year or in ten years and you wont know. Support groups for Ryan have gone through almost five campaign drives to find the ideal donor and swabbed about 300 candidates. Nowadays, he spends the day like he never did. He writes in journals and he writes songs. All his family members are listed in the registry as donors. Even with the thought that it will be for somebody else, not Ryan. If hes given another lease on life, Ryan will do everything all over again, he says, but this time, he will work with cancer victims and survivors. If you think you are in a position to help Ryan Manansala, go to www.aadp.org.

FilAm Star
CONGRESSMAN PUSHES.... from A1 Ground zero is Alameda County where, for the first time, NaFFAA Region 8 put together a U.S. Congressman with state assembly candidates Rob Bonta and Jennifer Ong, community leaders, and advocates. Analysts have long pointed out how the Filipino swing vote can affect political development in California, if not the nation. But sadly, registration apathy and partisan bickering have rendered impotent what could be a powerful vote. But NaFFAA R8 Santa Clara County chair Ben Menor led the effort for a new level of commitment to get the Filipino-American voice heard and the Filipino-American people represented in Isang Diwa Community Forum/The Filipino Community Greets and Meets Congressman Pete Stark. Recently, community leaders and advocates came together at the Tribu Grill branch in this city to support the election to the state assembly of Alameda Vice Mayor Rob Bonta and Alameda optometrist Jennifer Ong. Not present at the occasion was Lathrop Vice Mayor Chris Mateo, who likewise won the last primary and is in the running for the assembly in November. Guest and keynote speaker was U.S. Congressman Fortney Hillman Pete Stark (D-CA). In the U.S. Congress since 1973, Stark is a member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, specifically the Health subcommittee. The subcommittees scope includes taxes, Medicare, public assistance, Social Security, and trade. Stark has a long list of accomplishments. Aside from his work in health reform and COBRA, Stark also worked on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to create jobs. He also opposed the so called free trade and worked on currency legislation with China and trade agreements with Korea and Colombia. Stark has also worked on making Wall Street legislation better and closed tax loopholes. His involvements in child protection, education for the disabled, helping home buyers, opposing the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, protecting the environment and even the DREAM Act are well known. The longest serving California congressman s tenure isnt because of his diplomacy. Some have perceived his comments to be race-based or sexist and his remarks have often been picked up and repeated by media. He may be deemed irascible at times but his voice is loud and clear. The kind of influence some Filipino-American leaders and advocates think they need to arouse the FilAm voters. The Democrat has been re-elected more than 15 times and his district has changed from the 8th to the 9th and the 13th. Currently, the 13th district includes Union City, Newark, Alameda, Fremont, Hayward, San Leandro , San Lorenzo, and parts of Pleasanton and Oakland. Although some analysts say Stark may have lost some of his liberal voters due to the shifting of district lines, one thing is certain. All these cities have significant Filipino constituents and potential voters that Isang Diwa is trying to reach. Menor called it civic engagement and community forum because we learn from each other in discussions . Also at the occasion were Union City council member Jim Navarro, San Leandro School Board trustee Hermie Almonte and St. Anne Catholic Church pastor Fr. Geoffrey Baraan. Also making an appearance was Sansu Ramsey, daughter of Philippine comedienne Elizabeth Ramsey. Sansu Ramsey is NaFFAA Vice chair for Alameda County. Curiously, former Department of Commerce Deputy Director Ro Khanna introduced Congressman Stark. Earlier this year, intellectual property lawyer Khanna could have run against Pete Stark. At 35, the young lawyer can challenge the 20-term winner Stark. Khannas strong and fabled supporters include Symantec CEO John Thompson, capitalist Vinod Khosla, California Governor Jerry Brown, House minority leader Nancy Pelosi and former Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta. But Stark has announced his intention to run once more and Khanna promised to support Stark this year. Come 2014, it might be a different story. HK OFWs.... from A12

A7
The Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship (LSE) Training Program, is a joint initiative of the Migration and Development Consortium (MDC), Ateneo School of Government (ASoG), Overseas Filipinos Society for the Promotion of Economic Security (OFSPES), Social Enterprise Development Partnership Incorporated (SEDPI) and several government institutions such as the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO). The LSE program covers 12 sessions over a six-month period, from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm every other Sunday. It is composed of three modules, namely financial literacy, leadership and social entrepreneurship. Ateneo alumnus Consul Val Roque commended the program during the course orientation held at the conference room in the Consulate recently. At last a worthwhile program emerged, he said, noting that the modules include debt management. He said debt trap is one of the most common dilemmas among the OFWs especially the new comers. Also, he said that the Consulate has been acting as mediators whenever problems arise in an organization regarding money swindling or mismanagement of fund. Dr. Cristina Liamson of OFSPES said, The course will be difficult and it needs commitment. She urged enrollees to make sure that they attend classes as no remedial sessions will be conducted. Meanwhile, two Filipino domestic workers were allowed by the citys highest court to pursue their bid for permanent residency rights in the former British colony. Chief Judge Andrew Cheung, sitting with Judges Robert Tang and Frank Stock, allowed the appeals in the landmark case of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs). Evangeline Vallejos, who came to Hong Kong to work as a domestic helper in 1986, was the first to challenge the exclusion of FDHs to apply for right of abode. She won her case at the Court of First Instance in September last year. Daniel Domingo also won his petition for residency right at the Court of First Instance last November. The court earlier heard that Domingo was able to rent his own place; was absent in Hong Kong for only seven days during his 16 years of employment; and is raising three children in the former British colony. Two of his three Hong Kong-born children have already been granted right of abode. However, their victories were short lived as the Court of Appeal reversed its decision last March. Solicitor Peter Barnes welcomed yesterdays court decision, saying they would continue to fight for the cases of Vallejos and Domingo in a bid to end the discrimination against FDHs. The court considers it obviously to be a matter of great importance and of course it is. We have to prepare and fight hard, and hope for the best, Barnes told reporters outside the court. We obviously feel that the Court of Appeal got it wrong. But there shouldnt really be discrimination or distinction between one large segment of the community and the rest of the community, he added. While no date has been set for the hearing at the Court of Final Appeal, Barnes said four local judges and one judge from overseas would hear the case. Dolores Balladares, chair of the United Filipinos in Hong Kong, also welcomed the court decision. This will bring back hope for Evangeline and Daniel to fight for their case to the Court of Final Appeal. We hope that when the cases reach the Court of Final Appeal, the decision will favor Evangeline and Daniel, which will let them live here in Hong Kong permanently, Balladares said.

CODE OF CONDUCT.... from A1

remains optimistic that Asean would come up with a consensus on the issue. On Tuesday, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told a forum in Jakarta that Asean and China need a code of conduct for the South China Sea to avoid conflict and bolster stability in the region. The top-level forum was attended by former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, former East Timor President Jose Ramos Horta and Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, Yudhoyono stressed that the 10-member regional grouping needed to help the claimants resolve their disputes and prevent confrontation that would disrupt regional peace and stability. A meaningful and practicable code of conduct in the South China Sea is central to improving confidence building. It will help enhance predictability and bolster regional stability in a region that desperately needs it, Yudhoyono was quoted by the Jakarta Globe. Yudhoyono conceded that there would be no quick fixes in resolution of the competing claims but cautioned that tensions must not be allowed to escalate. It is safe to assume, given the extreme complexity of the overlapping claims, that we will not see a diplomatic resolution of the South China Sea disputes in the short term, perhaps even in the medium term, he said. Short of a comprehensive resolution, the claimants must do their best to manage and contain the disputes to make sure they do not escalate or worse lead to the outbreak of military clashes. It is not the first time Yudhoyono has expressed exasperation over the issue. Things do not necessarily have to be this slow, he told Asean foreign ministers meeting in Bali in July last year for the 44th Asean Foreign Ministers meeting. We need to send a strong signal to the world that the future of the South China Sea is a predictable, manageable and optimistic one. The South China Sea, which is believed to be rich in oil and mineral resources, is being claimed in whole are in part by China, Taiwan, and Asean members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The disputed waters encompass strategic waterways where the bulk of global maritime trade traverses.

SOLEMN FUNERAL.... from A1

regarded as the nations King of Comedy, whose almost sevendecade-long career brought cheer to the Philippines during its most turbulent and darkest moments. Dolphys remains were encased in a glass-topped golden metal casket that he himself bought in the 1970s at slightly over $40,000. Many in the star-studded crowd openly wept as the casket shimmered in the afternoon sun while pall bearers carried it a short distance from inside a chapel to the grounds of a heavily-secured exclusive cemetery in Manila. Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim snapped a salute in front of Dolphys casket, while Dolphys partner of 23 years, Zsa Zsa Padilla, tightly clung to it before it was shut and placed inside a black stoned crypt. The ceremony was closed to Dolphys millions of grieving fans, many of whom travelled from different parts of the country to pay their respects to the comedian, officials said. Private television stations however beamed the funeral live to homes Sunday afternoon. Thank you for joining us in taking Dolphy to his final resting place, an emotional Padilla told the crowd. I love you my lovey. Until we meet again. Many of the countrys top actors who had worked with Dolphy were in the crowd and they openly wept despite exhortations by the priest that the late comedian wanted everyone to smile in his funeral. Dolphy was widely known for his colourful comedic roles, from a cross-dressing homosexual to a poor jack of all trades. He died of pulmonary disorder last week aged 83. In the 1970s he played the poor husband to a rich wife, who poked fun at his loud-mouthed mother-in-law, giving comedic relief during Ferdinand Marcos brutal 20-year martial law regime that left thousands dead and missing. It was a slapstick brand of comedy that steered clear of politics or criticism of Marcos. President Benigno Aquino, who visited Dolphys wake last week, paid the highest tribute to the comedian, calling him a force that embodied the best of Filipino traits. Through his art, he widened our outlook, he gave us the power to find and cherish happiness in our daily lives, Aquino had said.

PINAY GOLFING.... from A1

Left with no touch, her usually solid short game came apart at the seams, presenting her with no other option but to scramble around the difficult track trying to save par, or even grind out bogey. Tuesday morning, however, was another story. The winds remained, but the skies opened up - as did the game of Superal on the 6,291-yard Par-72 layout. Princess Mary found the fairways with more ease, which provided her with some semblance of consistency. But ultimately it was her clutch putting that made the difference in an eight-stroke turnaround. Unfortunately, the improvement in her score to a four-overpar 76 (for a stroke play total of 160) was not enough to advance Superal into the match play segment of the tournament that culminates on Saturday with a 36-hole final. Superals coach Nestor Mendoza, of the ICSTI national banner, said that Princess Mary can make all of the shots when necessary but continues to learn when it comes to performing well on such demanding and lengthier than usual tracks, such as Lake Merced. Local Pinoy Macky Sarmiento, a caddie at Lake Merced on a weekly basis, manned the bag for Superal and was impressed with what he saw from the young talent. The difference today is that she played earlier, and the winds were not as bad, Mackey said to FilAm Star following Tuesdays round. Driving-wise she was much more accurate today. The prodigy from Dasmarinas, Cavite made a statement in March when she bagged the Montecillo Junior Golf Club Championship and followed it up a few months later with her suddendeath victory in the 2012 Southern Ladies Championship at the Cebu Country Club.

Golfer Princess Mary Superal poses for FilAm Star after second round action from the U.S. Girls Junior Championship at Daly Citys Lake Merced Golf Club. The elite tournament featuring seven of the worlds top 50 players runs through Saturday afternoon (Photo by Sarah Jane Von Wettberg)

Superals father is a teaching professional who lives and works in Manila, while her mother works as a nurse in the San Diego area, where Princess Mary aspires to be during her college days, preferably at Southern California Pepperdine University. First though, the upbeat youngster must juggle her academic commitment to Saint Francis de Assisi College, where she attends as a homeschooled high school student, and balance the rigors of the junior circuit as an ICTSI team member. The International Container Terminal Services Inc is a national transportation enterprise listed on the Philippines Stock Exchange (PSE). The company, run by Filipino businessman Enrique K. Razon Jr., sponsors a 17-stage golf tour in the Philippines, and backs a program that develops the countrys best and brightest golfers. Also affiliated with the program is Pinoy standout Juvic Pagunsan. The Order of Merit Champion on the Asian Tour is competing in this weeks 141st British Open at the Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Course in England. Joining Superal as a Filipina entrant into the tournament was another PH bet Felicia Paulina Medalla. Medalla, a 16-year old from Mandaluyong City (site of Wack Wack) who now lives in Sausalito, is a veteran junior player. According to the USGA website, Medalla goes by the nickname Soul Golfer as a nod to inspirational surfer Bethany Hamilton. For the two rounds, Medalla shot a composite total of 161, which landed her one behind Superal, and two off the cut line. The enclave of Daly City houses an estimated 33,000 Filipino Americans, roughly one third of the citys population, and is home to former professional golfer Dorothy Delasin, the last local product, and only Filipina, to win the USGA Girls Junior Championship. Filipinos will have to wait another year to see who can match the accomplishment of Delasin, but as for the future of girls golf, in the Philippines, and here in the states, the sky is the limit.

A8

FilAm Star

July 20 - 26, 2012

Congress pushes Charter change

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile is ready to engage President Benigno Aquino in a drinking spree if only to convince the Chief Executive that the time for Charter change has come. Enrile is evasive about details of economic provisions needing improvement or clarification that he and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. want to discuss with the President. Its up to me, Enrile repeatedly told reporters asking about the provisions at the Kapihan sa Senado forum on Thursday. However, the two leaders of Congress are apparently gearing for a bloody battle once Mr. Aquino is done with his State of the Nation Address on Monday. I do not pretend I can convince (him), Enrile said about meeting the President to discuss Charter change and its urgency. I will have a smoke with him. If need be, I will also have a drink with him, he added. The President is known as a heavy smoker but does not drink, unlike his two predecessors, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Joseph Estrada. Enrile dismissed speculations that the President would be hesitant to give his nod to Charter change since it is one of the concrete legacies left by his mother, the late President Corazon Aquino. I dont pretend to read the minds of anyone. I present my case, I argue my case and I will try to make the other side understand and accept my case, said Enrile, who earned accolades for his role as presiding officer in the impeachment trial of ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona. 60-40 ratio There is, however, one particular provision that Enrile has trained his guns on: The 60-40 ratio that limits foreign ownership of certain businesses like public utilities. He said the plan was not to alter the ratio or control of assets in the Philippines. It is wrong to interpret that we will change the 60-40 (ratio). We are supporting the 60-40 rule but do not put it in the Constitution Let it be delegated to Congress so it can have flexibility to maintain or relax (the ratio) if there is a need for it, Enrile said. Article XII of the Constitution provides that Congress shall, upon recommendation of the economic and planning agency, when the national interest dictates, reserve to citizens of the Philippines or to corporations or associations at least sixty per centum of whose capital is owned by such citizens, or such higher percentage as Congress may prescribe, certain areas of investments. It says Congress shall enact measures that will encourage the formation and operation of enterprises whose capital is wholly owned by Filipinos. In the grant of rights, privileges and concessions covering the national economy and patrimony, the State shall give preference to qualified Filipinos, it says. The State, meanwhile, shall regulate and exercise authority over foreign investments within its national jurisdiction and in accordance with its national goals and priorities, the Constitution says. Opposition to Charter change Enrile said Congress would provide solutions to address issues where the 60-40 ratio is apparently an impediment. In certain areas of the economy, Congress would relax it. Congress in its wisdom may do so without abandoning the protection of Filipino interests. Its up to Congress to address it. Theres no danger there, he said. The Senate President lamented that some sectors were opposing the idea of Charter change even before the issue was properly studied. (The Charter change we plan) will not take long. If we really face this issue and grab it by the horns, it does not require too much time and blah-blah-blah, he told reporters. Enrile explained that those opposing Charter change were still in the dark over how Congress leaders would do it. Modified assembly He said the plan was to constitute Congress into a modified constituent assembly where the two chambers would separately debate and vote on proposed amendments in the form of resolutions. The Senate President said a constituent assembly involved less public funds because the current membership of the Senate and the House of Representatives would comprise it. By contrast, a constitutional commission, similar to that formed in the 1970s, would require an election of delegates, Enrile said. It was Senator Franklin Drilon who raised the possibility of convening Congress into a bicameral constituent assembly to effect Charter changes. Senator Miriam DefensorSantiago, chairperson of the committee on constitutional amendments, was among the first to raise a howl over the proposal. Lobby groups Santiago was at it again on Thursday, warning that transforming Congress into a constituent assembly would raise suspicion among the people that legislators might be serving certain agenda under pressure from vested interests and other lobby groups. Certain politicians boast that even if the nation calls for a constitutional convention with elected delegates, the local politicians would be able to control who the delegates will be. That is hubris, unjustifiable pride of authority, Santiago said in a speech delivered at an event of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines Thursday morning. Limited to economy Enrile was quick to assuage Santiagos fears, saying he and Belmonte had agreed that they would not accommodate resolutions that have nothing to do with the economy. (Charter change) resolutions that will be filed in the House are supposed to be limited to (economic provisions). If someone attempts to sneak in something else, that resolution will not be passed. The same principle applies in the Senate, he said. Charter change critics are worried specifically about attempts to do away with the political provision that imposes term limits on all elected officials. The political (aspect of the Constitution) is OK, although I would agree with suggestions of a federalized government. Just so we can see which parts of the Philippines would develop first, Enrile said. Meeting at Enrile home Enrile said Belmonte even brought along House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II to his residence last week when they talked about approaching the President about Charter change. The Senate leader said the Speaker promised he would reach out to the President and find out if (Mr. Aquino) would be receptive and available for discussion of our proposal to reexamine the economic provisions of the Constitution. Enrile said he and Belmonte had not set a specific time frame for the plan to discuss Charter change in Malacaang. But the Speaker said he would advise me when the President has already set up a schedule to talk to us, he added. Enrile expressed confidence that fellow senators who are equally patriotic as anyone else want our countrymen to have a better life, for the country to progress and to provide jobs for jobless people. (inquirer.net)

PH News

President Benigno Aquino personally extends his condolences to Zsa Zsa Padilla and to the Quizon family on the passing away of the Philippine Comedy King Rodolfo Dolphy Vera Quizon, Sr., at the Heritage Memorial Park, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on Thursday, July 12. Mang Dolphy succumbed to multiple organ failure secondary to complications brought on by severe pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and acute renal failure. In November 2010, the president conferred the Grand Collar of the Order of the Golden Heart on Dolphy, in recognition of the actors contributions to the countrys entertainment industry of his charitable works such as providing scholarships to deserving children of migrant workers. (Photo: Benhur Arcayan/ MPB/NPPA Images)

Bulacan eyed as next hub for business outsourcing

MALOLOS CITY: The Bulacan Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Council was recently urged to intensify the promotion of business process outsourcing (BPO) in the province. Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado of Bulacan said that this can be done by working hand-in-hand with the Philippine National Police, Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other information technology (IT) stakeholders in creating a better landscape for businesses and investments in the province. Promoting BPO in Bulacan was discussed by the governor with Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Undersecretary Fortunato de la Pea and former Commission on Information and Communications Technology Commissioner Monchito Ibrahim. Bulacans potentials for hosting BPO firms was cited and it was also mentioned that it was included as one of the Top Ten Next Wave Cities for the third time by the Business Processing Association of the Philippines, DOST-Information and Communications Technology Office and Department of Trade and Industry. Alvarado noted that, As trendsetter, lets fix the wrong perception of investors that only Metro Manila or Clark is the best location for BPO. Bulacan has a pool of talent, which in fact, majority of call center agents and BPO employees working in Metro Manila are coming from the province. He added that, Investors from South Korea are now investing in Bulacan and we are expecting more to come once the phase three of the by-pass road from Balagtas to Bustos and San Rafael is completed. By this, travel time from Manila going north of Bulacan will be lessened because motorists will no longer pass the highly-commercialized Cagayan Valley Road where traffic congestion commonly takes place. Members of the ICT [Information and Communications Technology] Council also presented their plan to launch the The Next IT-BPO Explosion Destination: Bulacan AVP Competition and their proposal of the establishment of a three- story Information Technology building. (TheManilaTimes.net)

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July 20 - 26, 2012

FilAm Star

A9

The Philippine Consulate General including its attached agencies, Department of Tourism, Department of Trade and Industry, Philippine National Police, and Philippine Center Management Board, in partnership with the Filipino American Arts Exposition, invites contestants to the 2012 Kulinarya Showdown. Chefs, cooks, students and culinary enthusiasts can join this challenging Philippine Culinary Showdown. This contest is divided into two divisions: Professional and Amateur Divisions, and is open to residents of the United States who are at least 18 years of age. The qualifying round for Kulinarya 2012 will be held August 12, from 11 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the City View Room of the Metreon Center in San Francisco during the Pistahan

2012 Kulinarya semis set

Word-for-Word
Once again, the CSU trustees have failed our students and California families. Sadly, the trustees are completely fixated on giving pay hikes to those who least need the money. Regardless of the source of funding, giving such exorbitant raises to new executives makes absolutely no sense. Using foundation dollars to line the pockets of top administrators will create a pay to play culture on our campuses and will take much-needed funds away from the classroom. The trustees continued tone-deaf response to Californias fiscal woes only leaves students in the cold and puts our future economy at risk.

PCGSF partners with Jollibee US, Dutch probe needles in Delta Air sandwiches for overseas absentee voting
Scenes from Kulinarya 2011

Parade and Festival. Winners of the qualifying round -- three each in the Amateur and Professional Divisions -- will then compete in the final round in December 2012. A distinguished panel of judges will be selecting the top three competitors in each division based on the following criteria: taste, creativity, and presentation. The grand winner of each category in the final round will receive a round trip ticket to the Philippines and a tour of Philippine culinary destinations, gift certificates and other fabulous prizes. For more information on the contest, please send an email to pdotsf@ aol.com or call Debbie Gallano or Gabby Agcaoili at (415) 956-4060, or log on to www.itsmorefuninthephilippines.us.com. Deadline for submission of entry forms is on August 6, 2012.

-- State Senator Leland Yee, on the approval by the California State University Board of Trustees to give yet another round of pay raises for a few of their top administrators

THE HAGUE Authorities were investigating Tuesday how sewing needles ended up in turkey sandwiches on four Delta Air Lines flights, prompting one unsuspecting passenger to be placed on anti-HIV drugs. Both Dutch police and the American FBI launched probes after six needles were discovered in six different sandwiches on four separate US-bound flights departing from Amsterdams Schiphol airport on Sunday. We are carrying out an investigation in collaboration with the American authorities, airport police spokesman Robert van Kapel told AFP. The aim is to determine how the needles found their way into these sandwiches. Delta Air Lines told AFP that two needles had been found in sandwiches on one flight from Amsterdam to Minneapolis, another two in sandwiches on a flight to Seattle, and one each on two separate flights to Atlanta. Business elite passenger James Tonges told ABC News he has been placed on the anti-HIV drug Truvada as a precaution after biting into his sandwich on board the flight to Minneapolis. It was on the second bite into the sandwich, it actually poked the top of my mouth. It was about one inch long, straight needle, Tonges said. Since it punctured the top

of my mouth, I had to be put on medication, and were waiting to see if theres any type of substance on the needle. Theyre doing their examination right now. Delta Air Lines and the sandwich maker at Schiphol airport, Gate Gourmet, said they were working with the authori-

operating with local and federal authorities who are investigating the incident, the airline said in a statement. Delta has taken immediate action with our in-flight caterer at Amsterdam to ensure the safety and quality of the food we provide onboard our aircraft. Delta underscored that it

sees such incidents, said it had notified all American air carriers with flights from Schiphol to ensure awareness. TSA continues to closely monitor the review of the incidents as well as the security protocols being conducted by the air carrier and the airport authority, it said in a statement. Delta said it stopped serving the sandwiches as soon as it was aware of the needle scare and started serving pizza instead. (AFP)

The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco recently partnered with Jollibee to promote Overseas Absentee Voter registration. On August 25, registration will be held at Jollibee at 6955 Mission Street, Daly City 94014. As part of Jollibees gratitude to Kababayans who exercised their civic duties, every successful registrant on that date will get a free burger! Filipino citizens or dual citizens, of at least 18 years of age, are encouraged to register as overseas absentee voters so that they may also exercise their constitutionally protected right of suffrage. To register, bring a copy of the latest Philippine Passport for Filipino citizens, or Oath of Allegiance or Identification Certificate for dual citizens. Consul General Marciano A. Paynor, Jr. thanked Jollibee for this joint activity. It is important that we remind Kababayans at every opportunity to take part in shaping the future of our country. Registering for OAV will give them the capability to exercise their right to vote and help chart the political future of the Philippines, Consul General Paynor remarked.

Lawsuit challenges California foie gras ban

LOS ANGELES - Days after a foie gras ban came into force in California, a Los Angeles restaurant group and others have filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the bill outlawing the controversial gastronomic delicacy. Hots Restaurant Group, Canadas Association des Eleveurs de Canards et dOies du Quebec and New York-based producer Hudson Valley Foie Gras claim the ban is unconstitutional, vague and interferes with federal commerce laws. California lawmakers agreed the ban in 2004, but gave the western US states only foie gras producer seven and a half years to comply before it came into effect on July 1 this year. Restaurants serving the gourmet item -- made from force-feeding ducks or geese -- can be fined up to $1,000. But the legal challenge claims the 2004 law is unclear in defining what constitutes force-feeding, said attorney Michael Tenenbaum, who filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles this week. The Bird Feeding Law does not provide any intelligible measure -- such as weight, volume, or caloric value -- by which those involved in the feeding of the ducks ... may determine at what point

ties to probe the scandal, which caused no serious injuries but sparked alarm amongst airline travelers. We take this matter very seriously, said Gate Gourmet. We are treating this as a criminal act. Needles were found on aircraft bound for Atlanta, Seattle and Minneapolis from Amsterdams Schiphol Airport, Delta spokeswoman Kristin Baur told AFP. Delta is taking this matter extremely seriously and is co-

requires all its in-flight caterers to adhere to strict safety rules. The safety and security of our passengers and crew is Deltas number one priority, it said. Speaking from Atlanta, Georgia, where Delta is headquartered, FBI Special Agent Stephen Emmett said a criminal investigation into the matter has been launched. He declined to provide more details. The Transportation Security Administration, the US government agency that over-

a duck has been fed more food than the statute allows, says the lawsuit, cited by the Los Angeles Times. Tenenbaum said he is seeking a preliminary injunction to halt the law until the lawsuit -- which cites California governor Jerry Brown and Attorney General Kamala Harris -- goes to trial. In the run-up to the July 1 ban, some of the Golden States top chefs including Thomas Keller, the only US chef with two three Michelin-starred restaurants, redoubled efforts to persuade lawmakers to overturn the ban. Calling themselves the Coalition for Humane and Ethical Farming Standards (CHEFS), they have staged a series of foie gras-rich evenings to raise money for the cause. But John Burton, the former California legislator who drafted the law, dismissed their calls, likening the tradition of foie gras to waterboarding and female genital mutilation. Id like to sit all 100 of them down and have duck and goose fat -- better yet, dry oatmeal -shoved down their throats over and over and over again, he told the San Francisco Chronicle in April. (AFP)

A10

FilAm Star

July 20 - 26, 2012

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July 20 - 26, 2012

FilAm Star

A11

U.S./World News This Week in History Pregnant new CEO for Yahoo!
(Research by Jun Marcelo, Union City, California)
July 20 1921 - Congresswoman Alice Mary Robertson becomes first woman to preside over the U.S. House of Representatives 1926 - A convention of the Methodist Church votes to allow women to become priests July 21 1925 - In Dayton, Tennessee, the so-called Monkey Trial ends with John Thomas Scopes being convicted of teaching evolution in violation of Tennessee law; Scopes was ordered to pay a fine of $100, the minimum the law allowed 1960 - In Sri Lanka (then Ceylon), Sirima Bandaranaike is worlds first woman prime minister July 22 1916 - In San Francisco, a bomb, hidden in a suitcase, at a Preparedness Day parade on Market Street kills 10 people and wounds 40; the parade was organized by the citys Chamber of Commerce in support of Americas possible entrance into World War I; San Francisco was suffering through severe labor strife at the time, and many suspected that the anti-war labor radicals were responsible for the terrorist attack July 23 1952 - In Egypt, the Society of Free Officers seizes control of the government in a military coup detat staged by Colonel Gamal Abdal Nassers Free Officers; King Farouk, whose rule had been criticized for its corruption and failures in the first Arab-Israeli war, was forced to abdicate and relinquish power to General Muhammad Naguib, the figurehead leader of the coup July 24 1911 - American archaeologist Hiram Bingham gets his first look at Machu Picchu, an ancient Inca settlement in Peru that is now one of the worlds top tourist destinations; Machu Picchu is believed to have been a summer retreat for Inca leaders, whose civilization was virtually wiped out by Spanish invaders in the 16th century July 25 2000 - An Air France Concorde jet crashes upon takeoff in Paris, killing everyone on board as well as 4 people on the ground; the Concorde, the worlds fastest commercial jet, had enjoyed an exemplary safety record up to that point, with no crashes in the planes 31-year history July 26 1775 - The U.S. postal system is established by the Second Continental Congress, with Benjamin Franklin as its first postmaster general WASHINGTON -- No sooner was Marissa Mayer named chief executive of Yahoo! than she announced shes pregnant. In doing so, she ramped up a lively ongoing debate in the United States about working moms. Mayer, 37, a Silicon Valley high-flyer who quit the top ranks of Google to take the helm of its struggling rival, took to Twitter to say shes expecting a new baby boy in October with partner Zack Bogue, a venture capitalist. I like to stay in the rhythm of things, she later told Fortune magazine. My maternity leave will be a few weeks long, and Ill work through it, she added, as if to reassure Yahoo! shareholders that motherhood wont get in the way as she settles into her new corner office. Ensuing cheers in cyberspace drowned out the fact that Yahoo! -- which Tuesday reported a four percent drop in quarterly profits to $226.6 million -- is struggling in the dog-eat-dog world of Internet technology. Lets hope she inspires corps (corporations) to create better options for all working moms, tweeted actress Mia Farrow, a mother of 13 biological and adopted children who famously carried Satans child in Rosemarys Baby. I applaud @marissamayer. Bravo! & congrats re baby, best news of all. Shell inspire countless women in tech & beyond, echoed Princeton University professor and mother-of-two Anne-Marie Slaughter, also on Twitter. Slaughter, who quit a highpowered State Department job to spend more time with her family, stirred up a furor this summer with an essay in The Atlantic with kids. That honor went to Carol Bartz, a mother of three who was sacked in September last year after failing to turn the flagging company around. Just 19 companies on the Fortune 500 roster of top U.S. corporations are run by women -- a new record, the magazine

stirs debate on working moms

weeks of unpaid maternity leave -- and thats only if theyre in a workplace with more than 50 employees, and theyve been on the job for at least a year. Indeed, the United States remains the only Western country without paid maternity leave. Moreover, the past 10 years has seen a 35 percent increase in the number of complaints to the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission arising from discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, Sarah Crawford, director of workplace fairness at the National Partnership for Women and Families, told AFP. We hope that Yahoo!, with (Mayer) at the helm, will be a pacesetter for family friendly policies, she said. Maria Bailey, founder of Bluesuitmom.com, a website for working mothers, said Mayer should have no problem juggling the work-life balance so long as she commits some serious quality time to her child. I would say, as someone who is a former corporate mom as well, that you can do it all ... but its extremely important to be present with your children, when you are with your children, she told AFP. You have to put boundaries around your time, said Bailey, who regretted that American society still looks at mothers in the boardroom -- and not just pregnant ones -- as something of a novelty. (AFP)

magazine asking if it was truly possible for working mothers to have it all. But Diana Limongi, a young mother in New York who blogs about motherhood issues under the name LadydeeLG (ladydeelg. tumblr.com), had more sobering words to offer Meyer, based on experience. To claim that she will be in the rhythm of her work ... is not acknowledging a reality we have to accept and come to terms with: babies need care, moms need time to heal and to be with their babies and that is OK, she wrote. Mayer is Yahoo!s fifth boss in the past year, but not the first

said. Many of those women are mothers, but its unheard of for a new CEO to get hired on threshold of giving birth. Out of the 34 million mothers in the United States with children under 18, nearly half -- 47 percent -- work full-time or part-time, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Few can dream of the perks -- like nannies, day care or the nifty Yahoo!-branded layette set she got Tuesday from her new colleagues -- that Mayer will be able to afford on her expected multi-million-dollar salary. By U.S. federal law, American women are entitled to 12

Salty Scoop

Trivia

(Research by Jun Marcelo)

Salt is composed of two poisons : sodium and chlorine. Adding a little salt to a grapefruit reduces the acidity and makes the grapefruit taste sweeter. The City of Salt is an underground city in Wieliczka, Poland, carved completely out of solid salt. Beneath Wieliczka is one of the worlds largest salt mines, which until recently, had been producing salt since Medieval times. The mines span seven levels, the deepest of which is 1,000 ft below the surface. They also contain about 75 miles of passageways and chambers, plus 16 lakes. In the U.S., only 6% of the salt used is for food; another 17% is used for de-icing streets and highways in the winter months. In the early 19th century, salt was 4 times more expensive than beef on the frontier. During the Roman Empire, Roman soldiers were issued salt, or, alternatively, a sum of money to buy salt, a salarium, from which the word salary is derived.

New construction of homes in the United States rose sharply in June from May to the strongest pace in almost four years, official data showed Wednesday. Housing starts leaped 6.9 percent last month, rebounding from a 4.8 percent decline in May, the Commerce Department reported. New construction stood at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 760,000, the highest level since October 2008, when the economy was deep in recession. The US housing market is moving in the right direction, said Ryan Sweet at Moodys Analytics. The upbeat numbers followed a series of better data on the distressed housing market, which is showing signs of stabilization six years after a price bubble collapsed. Junes rebound in housing starts beat expectations of a 743,000 reading. The increase was led by a 12.8 percent rise in construction of multi-unit buildings, a sector that can be volatile month-over-month. Starts of single-family homes, the majority of the market, rose for the fourth straight month, by 4.7 percent. Year-over-year, housing starts jumped 23.6 percent in June, after a 29 percent gain in May. Building permits, a forwardlooking indicator, fell 3.7 percent in June from May, when they surged 8.4 percent to their highest level in almost four years. The permits stood at a

U.S. home building surges in June

755,000 rate in June, 10,000 below the average analyst forecast. The decline was due to permits for multi-unit buildings, which dropped 18.5 percent. Permits for single-family homes rose for a third straight month but at a much slower pace of 0.6 percent. Compared with June 2011, building permits were up 19.3 percent. (AFP)

Fed: Modest growth, better housing sector

WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve sees only modest growth in the US economy, with the long-depressed housing market as one of the few bright spots on the horizon, a report showed Wednesday. Overall economic activity continued to expand at a modest to moderate pace in June and early July, according to the Feds Beige Book report, which will frame the central banks policy meeting later this month. With employment levels improving at only a tepid pace, manufacturing expanding slowly and retail sales increasing slightly, there is little to no cheer in the regular report. But one bright spot was the housing market, which was at the epicenter of the financial crisis that plunged the worlds largest economy into recession. After years that have seen low numbers of home sales, despite low borrowing rates and low prices, the Fed reported the first signs that the market may have hit bottom. Housing market reports were largely positive, the Fed noted. Sales and construction levels increased and home inventories declined. The central bank pointed out that demand for loans, particularly those related to real estate, grew modestly in most (Fed) districts. Earlier Wednesday, official data showed that construction of homes in the United States rose sharply in June from May to the strongest pace in almost four years. But the broader picture is far from rosy. Many investors are looking for the Fed to step in and announce further stimulus at its July 31-August 1 meeting. They worry that the U.S. economy has reached stall speed, while Europes economic crisis, Chinas slowdown and US politicians inability to tackle the countrys debt could prompt a fresh recession. Since the last Beige Book report in early June, economic activity has softened, said Paul Edelstein of IHS Global Insight. As a result, the Fed is likely to ease again later this year. In two days of congressional testimony this week, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke pointed to a gloomy outlook for the US economy, warning further drops in unemployment would likely prove frustratingly slow. With unemployment stuck above eight percent -- where it has been for more than three years -- Bernanke expressed the Feds willingness to act if necessary, but gave no hints about concrete action. But since the 2008 economic crisis, the Fed has deployed an arsenal of measures to get the worlds largest economy back on track, but has been left with just a few, unorthodox weapons. At its most recent meeting in June, the Federal Reserves policy committee agreed to extend a bond-buying program to boost the recovery, while several participants pressed for new tools to be weighed.

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FilAm Star

July 20 - 26, 2012

Filipinos Around the World

Obama nominee, NYU dean, autism advocate among this years TOFA-NY nominees
By CRISTINA DC PASTOR
The Outstanding Filipino Americans in New York has opened the Facebook voting for this years search for exemplary Filipinos. Among the notables in the list are Lorna Schofield, President Obamas nominee for the position of federal district court judge for the Southern District of New York; NYU Dean for Science Michael Purugganan; and Cheryl Ocampo, mother of a special-needs child and founder of the Queens County Parents Autism Coalition. The winners will be known after October 5, and an awarding ceremony will be held at Carnegie Hall on Oct 27 with Consul General Mario de Leon Jr. and philanthropist Loida Nicolas Lewis as guest speakers. Pulitzer Award-winning journalist and immigration activist Jose Antonio Vargas and Philippine TV personality Gel Santos Relos will emcee the event. The nominees are: FOR ARTS AND CULTURE Kilusan Bautista: activist and artist known for his spoken word performance; Miguel Braganza: dancer and artistic director. Cynthia Guerrero de Leon: pianist and piano teacher at the not-for-profit Childrens Orchestra Society; Sarah Gambito and Joseph Legaspi: co-founders of Kundiman, which promotes poetry by Asian American writers; Ernie Pena: Lifestyle and documentary photographer; Lolita Valderrama Savage: artist who has done solo shows internationally; Eduardo Sicangco: stage and costume designer for Broadway and Hollywood Roberto Villanueva: classical arts dancer and founder of BalaSole Dance Company. FOR BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP Gerry Austria of American Pinoy Food Mart: Founder and proprietor of Asian grocery stores in New Jersey; Gloria Cabrera of Gloria Cabrera Salon: Founder and owner of 30-year-old spa salon on Times Square, previously on Fifth Avenue; Oscar Fernando of Oscar Printing: founder and proprietor of long-time printing press serving Jersey City community; Lito Gajilan of RTA Travel: Community leader and president of family-owned travel agency in New Jersey; Edwin Josue of Halstead Realty: Real estate broker Nicole Ponseca of Maharlika Filipino Moderno: first pop-up Filipino restaurant in New York, now with three locations. FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE AND ADVOCACY Marilyn Abalos: East Coast coordinator for Phildevs Tri-State team; Dr. Gino Ang: Connecticut anesthesiologist who conducts medical missions overseas; Christina Baal: Social worker, immigration advocate and union organizer; Handang Tumulong Foundation: nonprofit that organizes fundraisers for Philippine victims of typhoons and other natural disasters; Yves Nibungco of Anakbayan NY/NJ: chairperson of progressive group serving mostly new immigrant youths; Steven Raga: community organizer of multiple young professionals, student and youth organizations Atty. Jesus Martin Reyes: immigration lawyer. FOR EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY Ernabel Demillo: head of the journalism minor at St. Peters College; Agnes Magtoto: Adjunct Professor teaching Elementary Filipino I & II, a language and culture course at NYU; Joel Natividad: software developer who won apps competition in New York for the application NYCFacets Michael Purugganan: plant biologist and dean for science at NYU. FOR ENTERTAINMENT Kirby Asunto: young singer, a protg talent of Manny Pacquiao; Gigi Dement, Stephen Dypiangco, Stefanie Walmsley: Filmmakers and producers of God of Love which won the Oscars for best live action short film in 2011; Anna Maria Perez de Tagle: Broadway star of Godspell; Ali Ewoldt: Broadway actress who has performed in Les Miserables and West Side Story; Victor Lirio: actor, director and artistic director of the independent Diverse City Theatre Nina Mojares: young actress, singer and dancer. FOR FASHION AND STYLE Danelle Izza Dungca: fashion designer and creative director of ONE 10 Collection. Erno Hormillosa: beauty pageant director and choreographer. Mary and Michelle Mangiliman of Dalaga NYC: Boutique owners with two shops in New York; Victor Palmos: makeup artist and fashion stylist Bobby Yalong: Filipiniana and couture designer. NOMINEES FOR FOOD AND RESTAURANTS Mario and Susan Albenio of Tito Rads, a restaurant in Queens. Elma Santander of Philippine Bread House, a bakery that has endured in Jersey City for more than three decades. Anthony and Lisa Siopongo of Casa Manila. Margarette Villanueva: caterer and restaurant owner.

The FilAm in New York Tri-State

Autism awareness advocate Cheryl Ocampo with her daughter

FOR HEALTH CARE Dr. Alice Almendral: family physician, geriatrician and cosmetic doctor; Drs. Rod and Elma Castillo: pediatrician couple from New Jersey, supporters of Santacruzan religious tradition; Dr. Prospero Lim: Psychiatrist, he set up the psychiatric unit of Bailey Seton Hospital in Staten Island; Dr. Gracelyn Santos-Mroczek: dentist from Staten Island; Marcelina Pena: vice president of Eihab Human Services, a nonprofit that provides services for people with developmental and behavioral disabilities Jona Jane Tajonera: health care consultant. FOR LGBT ADVOCACY Cecilio Asuncion: Filmmaker behind the documentary Whats the T about the lives of five transgender women; Boots Babushka: makeup artist; Dia Dipasupil: photojournalist who created the social media site TransNewsDaily for transgender awareness; Rich Kiamco: Comedian at Pacific Punchlines Comedy Tour; Manila Luzon: Drag queen and runner-up in Ru Paul Drag Race Felix Manuel: Nurse and chronicler of beauty pageants. FOR MEDIA AND PUBLISHING Darren Demeterio: talent producer for ESPN Sports, previously for David Letterman Show; Randy Gener: George Jean Nathan Awardwinning editor of the American Theatre magazine, artist and critic; Nina Pineda: WABC-TV reporter and consumer correspondent. Ryan Songalia: boxing reporter for RingTV. FOR PUBLIC SERVICE AND POLITICS Mayor Guillermo Udarbe: doctor and Mayor of Ridgway, PA Atty. Lorna Schofield: counsel at Debevoise & Plimpton and President Obamas nominee for N.Y. district court judge. FOR YOUTH AND SPORTS Advancement for Rural Kids, Inc: nonprofit that raises funds to improve the health and provide education for school-age children in the Philippines; Filipino Adoptees Network: resource and support network for adoptees -from the Philippines and their American families; Queens County Parents Autism Coalition: support group for families caring for special needs children Tim David: skating champion, 2005 and 2007 U.S. Adult National Gold medalist. Oh wow! Salamat po so nomination kung saan man siya galing. It already feels amazing to be part of the list, writes nominee Yves Nibungco on his Facebook wall. Susan Gador offered her sincere gratitude that her organization, the Philippine Nurses Association of New York, is among the Heritage Awardees. The Heritage Award goes to individuals and organizations that have brought service and joy to the community over the years through their time, talent and professional commitment. This years recipients are: Association of Fil-Am Teachers of America NY-NJ; Ma-Yi Theatre Company; Philippine American Chamber of Commerce; and the San Lorenzo Ruiz Choir. They are all winners in their own right, said TOFA-NY President Elton Lugay. Facebook makes the search transparent. TOFA Producer Grace Hufano-Labaguis said TOFAs objective is to recognize the outstanding FilAms in the Tri-State area. Anyone may send in nominations after which the TOFA board diligently reviews each nominees qualification. Anyone can check and review the final nominees qualification online. Their (nominees) background, achievements, contributions in the community can easily be accessed and the board can always answer inquiries from those who have questions about a particular candidate, she explained. It is about time we recognize achieving Filipino Americans in our Tri-State, said TOFA Producer Rolan Gutierrez. It is about time for our community to be proud of our contributions to this country.

LOIDA NICOLAS-LEWIS
Loida Nicolas-Lewis, the New York-based topnotch businesswoman who also serves as national chair of the US Pinoys for Good Governance (USP4GG) and not exiled human rights activist Chen Guancheng is Chinas newest Public Enemy No. 1. After Lewis held a press conference in Manila on July 14 to announce the worldwide campaign to Boycott Made in China Products, Chinas governmentcontrolled media fired back with a newscast calling on the Chinese people to boycott a chain of convenience stores in China believed to be owned by Lewis. According to the English language translation of the nationwide newscast, Chinese are not happy with one particular Filipino. The mastermind behind calling on Filipinos throughout the world to carry out large-scale anti-China demonstrations was revealed to be Filipino-American Loida Nicolas-Lewis, Chairman and CEO of TLC Beatrice (China), Limited, a Cayman company that operates retail convenience stores in four Chinese cities: Xiamen,

Chinas Public Enemy No. 1

Chengdu, Suzhou and Guangzhou. Chinese netizens were shocked by this news and urged a boycott on her businesses in China. Unfortunately for Lewis former Chinese business partners who bought out Lewis ownership interest in the Beatrice stores at a substantial discount - several years ago, the China authorities are boycotting a wholly-owned Chinese business. In her July 14 press conference in Manila, Lewis explained that her groups call for the global boycott of all kinds of Chinamade products was a way of matching Chinas diplomatic and military arrogance in claiming ownership of the Scarborough Shoal and the Kalayaan Group of Islands in the West Philippine Sea. The Boycott Made in China Goods campaign will not be limited to Filipinos. This campaign will be carried out globally to encourage all the people of the world to join, Lewis said. Ted Laguatan, USP4GG spokesman, said in the same press conference that he expects the campaign to go viral. We hope to achieve the level of response and outrage that was generated when the Americans found out that the US Olympic teams uniforms for the London 2012 Olympics were made in China, Laguatan said. At the press conference, Lewis also announced that her US Pinoys group will initiate the Global Day of Prayer for Peace in the Scarborough Shoal on August 21, the 29th anniversary of the martyrdom of Ninoy Aquino. On August 21, 2011, USP4GG sponsored a Day of Prayer for Peace in the Spratlys which was held in 175 cities throughout North America. This year the global target is 300 cities, said Charito Benipayo, coordinator of the 2011 Northern California prayer campaign that was held in 20 cities in Northern California. Information about the August 21 Global Day of Prayer can be obtained from uspgg.org. Faith and prayer are the best ammunition we Filipinos have against China, Lewis declared.

HK OFWs mourn loss of Dolphy

By MARICAR CP HAMPTON

Over the years, Hong Kong has been a popular destination for Filipino workers in search of greener pastures. But contrary to common belief, domestic work is not the only job being offered up to Pinoys abroad. According to official records, there are around 140,000 Filipino migrant workers in Hong Kong. Although domestic helpers vastly outnumber other professions, there are a number of Filipino professionals there employed as architects and civil

engineers that work on some of the more prominent buildings and construction projects in Hong Kong. Some are information technology professionals, and some are in professional services like accounting, law, finance and hotel and restaurant industries. Situated on Chinas south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, Hong Kong is known for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbor. With a population of seven million people, this country is one of the most densely populated areas in the world--consisting of 95% ethnic Chinese and 5% from other groups. While many OFWs deployed around the world may feel removed from their homeland, those in Hong Kong immediately felt the stinging pain that came with news of Comedy King Rodolfo Dolphy Vera Quizon passing. Enrique Domiguez, a senior electrical engineer at a local firm in Hong Kong, said the news about the death of one of icons of the Philippine movie industry spread like wildfire.

young dancer and errand boy there, struggling like the masses of Filipinos who later adored him. In an interview with GMA News in 2009, Dolphy recalled how, at just over 20 years old, he worked as a dancer in Hong Kong in the late 1940s. When not on stage or the dance floor, he was also an errand boy. In a concert in Hong Kong in 2009, Dolphy introduced himself as an OFW and told the audience Alamnyoba 1950 pa lang, nagtatrabahonakodito. Dolphy encouraged OFWs to protect their hardearned money. Dapatingatannyo, kung nagsusugal, huwagkayongmagsusugal. Yan angunang-unangiwasan yang sugal... Daiglahatngsugal, Dolphy said. Dolphy was born in Tondo, Manila on July 25, 1928. He appeared in over 200 movies. Dolphy was rushed to the intensive care unit on June 9, after complaining of difficulty in breathing. He also suffered from pneumonia and kidney ailments. He died two weeks ago at the Makati Medical Center at the age of 83 due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Sonny Suarez, a community leader, said the Comedy Kings movies touched the life of the common man. Away from their jobs, Filipinos enjoy life by frequently visiting the World Wide House Arcade in

The FilAm is an online magazine about Filipino Americans in the New York Tri State. It was founded in March by journalist Cristina DC Pastor. For more engaging, cutting-edge articles, visit Thefilam.net or send an email to ThefilamNY@gmail.com.

In Hong Kong, we knew about his death as soon as it took place, Dominguez said. Dolphy was proud to have been one of the first OFW in Hong Kong 60 years ago having been a

central Hong Kong. This venue is popular among Pinoys mainly because many of the shops are run by Filipinos. The wide assortment of typically small shops caters to their needs, selling telecommunications and banking services, not to mention food and magazines. Most Filipinos in Hong Kong are Christians with a majority being Roman Catholic and a sizeable number who congregate in Protestant and nondenominational churches. Many spend at least a part of their Sunday mornings attending Mass and various church services. Numerous Catholic parishes in Hong Kong offer Masses in Tagalog or English geared towards the Filipinos. According to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong), there is an estimated 120,000 Filipino Catholics who make up a large part of the non-local parish membership. Last week, Ateneo de Manila University began conducting a number of degree courses for overseas Filipinos in Hong Kong.

To PAGE A7

July 20 - 26, 2012

FilAm Star

Titans Amano preparing for positional battle

Sometimes the wisest decidifference is former Pro Bowler Quarterback Matt Hasselback sions are not the most popular. Steve Hutchinson, who will take is assured the starting position Such is the case with Tennesover the left guard position. to begin the regular season. But see Titans offensive lineman Amano, a late-round draft if the veteran proves to be vulEugene Amano, who enters pick in 2004 out of Southeast nerable, or ineffective, expect next weeks training camp in Missouri State University, has second year signal caller Jake Nashville as the starting center. broken down cultural barriers Locker to get the nod. As Amano prepares for the as the first Filipino player from Injuries, most notably to upcoming 2012-13 season, his the Philippines in NFL history, his upper back and neck, have ninth in the league, many of the but has struggled of late when taken its toll from the past few teams faithful believe his startit comes to breaking down decampaigns on the 6-foot-3, 310ing status is marked pound Amano, who in pencil and no sure this season will earn bet. In fact, after a reported amount of checking the reactions $3.18 million for his from Titans fans in the services. According blogosphere world, to the Pro Football one might assume that Focus rating system, Amano is hands-down there were only three the weak link on the centers in the league unit, and the predomilast year - out of a total nant reason for the of 35 - that performed teams anemic running worse than Amanao. game from the past With so much two seasons. to prove, expect the Forget the fact mammoth Pinoy to that there are four othproduce. In fact, dont er players performing be surprised to see an alongside him. Most inspired Amano - just of those posting on the like he was after a visit SB nation blog Music last month to the naCity Miracle, from last tions capital. month, believe that It was there where an 8-8 team stuck in Amano had the opporthe back of the pack tunity to sit and meet in rushing offense with Philippines presiowes it to its fans to dent Benigno Aquino replace Amano with a III, as reported by Jim younger, stronger and Wyatt in The Tennesmore agile blocker. sean. Aquino, who was The thought in DC for a meeting process is that when with President Barak you have a stallion Obama, took the Tennessee Titans center Eugene Amano like running back Chris (Photo courtesy of Tennessee Titans) time to chat with the Johnson, you need to Philippine native about take advantage of his talents no fenders at the point of attack. numerous things, among them matter what the sacrifice. As for the units pass the sport of football. During the offseason, Tiprotection, the Titans offensive Amano and his wife tans head coach Mike Munchak line continues to be near the top Frances Santos were invited to and offensive line coach Bruce of the heap. Now armed with a attend the luncheon event by Matthews allegedly threw a line stronger receiving corps, bolthe leagues office and ended out to a number of undrafted stered by a healthy Kenny Britt, up sitting at the head table with free agents in hopes of landing a offensive coordinator Chris Aquino and Secretary of State possible replacement. The list of Palmer should be looking to Hillary Clinton. candidates includes Matthews throw the ball more than ever. Once I learned about it, son, Kevin, who should compete Rookie pass-catcher Kendall you dont say no to something for the spot along with backup Wright has the potential to be like that, Amano said in the center Fernando Velasco. an instant playmaker, and Nate article, dated June 12. It was a One addition to the line Washington will provide a deep very big honor to be included. that should make an overall threat. Injuries withstanding, (NvW)

Gameplan

Sports

A13

NBA legend Jason Williams gets ready for one of his signature crossover moves during the All Star Basketball Challenge held at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, south of Manila, on 18 July 2012. (Voltaire Domingo/NPPA Images)

Pippen, NBA legends give PH a treat in exhibition game vs PBA greats

MANILA - Jason Williams threw the ball off the backboard to set up a trailing Scottie Pippen for the two-handed dunk. That Williams to Pippen alley-oop never happened in an actual NBA game but Manila got to witness it Wednesday night in the PLDT Allstar Basketball Challenge at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Pippen, a six-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls, along with former NBA stars Williams, Dennis Rodman, Mitch Richmond, Cliff Robinson and Horace Grant wowed the sizeable crowd of different generations as their team beat a squad of PBA greats, 112-93. We just want to thank you guys for coming out and supporting us, addressed the six-footseven Pippen to the cheering fans during a timeout in the waning seconds of the game. The two-time Olympic gold medalist tallied 20 points including dunks and three-pointers that somehow gave the Filipinos a glimpse of how he was during his heyday. The crowd-favorite Rodman gamely interacted with the fans. He grabbed teammate Chris Campbell and put him at courtside after Campbell botched a wide-open dunk to the delight of the crowd. Mitch Richmond, the sharpshooting swingman, also joined the fans at courtside after misfiring on an open trey. But perhaps it was Williams who was the star of stars with his crowd-pleasing style of play. Williams, who won a title with the Miami Heat in 2006, hasnt lost a step as he drew oohs and aahs with his ball handling and fancy passing. The six-foot-one playmaker showcased his basketball trickery- one of which was bouncing the ball between former Ginebra guard Bal Davids legsas David tried to steal the leather. Williams led the US team with 26 points, majority of which came from beyond-the-arc. Kenneth Duremdes kept the PBA legends within striking distance at least until the first part of the fourth quarter before the NBA legends decided to finally put the game out of reach. Duremdes actually came away with gamehigh honors in points with 29. A fan even said of the 38-year-old Duremdes: He is still in good shape. Pang-PBA pa. Before the start of the fourth quarter, former Alaska star Jojo Lastimosa had his shoe signed by Williams. The rest of his teammates, Bong Hawkins, playing-coach Jerry Codinera, Marlou Aquino, Noli Locsin, Nelson Asaytono and EJ Feihl also had either their jerseys or game-worn kicks signed by their NBA idols during the television timeout called with only 16 seconds left. (inquirer.net)

Rising from the canvas

In a perfect world, the East Oakland Boxing Association would be celebrating its 25th anniversary fundraiser event with nothing but unassailable pride. Instead, its loyal membersmost of them between ages 5 and 20approach the July 21 18-bout amateur show with the added fear that one of the few safe havens in their embattled neighborhood could close its doors by the end of the year. We have 130 kids in here right now for the summer program, head coach Jamal ValdezAllen said. If we had to shut down because of a lack of funding, where would they go? Further compounding matters is the disturbing trend of burglaries that temporarily floored the non-profit. In a development that shocks the conscience, the Oakland Tribune reported that thieves have broken into the EOBA SmartMoves building and pilfered it clean four times in four weeks, with the last incident taking place just a week ago. Its been a challenge, physical education coordinator Dan Robinson said. We dont have a lot here, so when someone starts taking what little we have away, it can slow things down. We had to close for a day, but with the little bit of replacement equipment we have, the energy level is back and the kids are in good spirits. The laundry list of stolen items includes boxing equipment, 10 laptops, a TV, internet hardware, gardening tools, art supplies, and even stainless steel bottles with the EOBA logo on them. So far, the police havent found any leads, but if you hear anything, let us know, EOBA executive director Sarah Chavez said. I think its definitely unconscionable what these thieves are doing. I understand that the economys bad and people have to do what they need to survive, but why would you steal from an organization that is providing free services to the kids and the community in general? Idle hands that arent slugging away at a heavy bag can be put to detrimental use in the inner-city streets of East Oakland, especially after school when parents are still at work. Since the late Stanley Garcia founded EOBA in 1987, the organization has given impressionable youth a vital outlet from the daily hazards of drug abuse, gang activity, and even the rising epidemic of juvenile prostitution. Weve learned that the highest crime rate during the school year is between 3 and 6 oclock, Chavez said. Were keeping kids off the street. Were giving them something to do. Were giving them a healthy snack. Were making sure they get their homework done. If were not here, where are they? While mastering the sweet science means absorbing the intangible life lessons of dedication, discipline, and respect, EOBAs SmartMoves program offers much more than boxing instruction for young amateur fighters like Marco Simon, the reigning Northern California novice lightweight champion. A kid like Marco doesnt just build their basic physical skills like their technique, balance, footwork, or strategy. Its about learning integrity, Valdez-Allen added. Its about building their confidence, and those type of things carry over into what they do outside the ring. Also, its not just boxing you can learn here. Theres a lot to do. Over the years, SmartMoves has empowered local adolescents and teens by providing academic tutoring, job skills, and even backyard gardening tutorials that extol the nutritional benefits of growing organic produce. EOBA also works with food banks to deliver 200 monthly care packages to needy families free of charge, which makes the recent news harder to stomach for Chavez. The people who are stealing from us need to take responsibility, she said. Theyre choosing consciously to violate a place that is one, supposed to be a safe place for our neighborhood, and two, supposed to give free services to the whole community. When you burglarize this place, youre stealing from our kids. In fact, no less than 30,000 boys and girls have spent their formative afterschool days in the former auto body shop on 98th Avenue, with several successful alumni serving as living reminders of EOBAs indispensible place in the community. They come back all the time to work here in the summer, said Chavez, herself an East Oakland product who graduated from Castlemont High and Cal State East Bay. We have one former boxer, Veronica, who is currently at Cal State Long Beach, and another alum, Jamal, who now goes to Langston University [in Oklahoma]. Its powerful when the kids see them return because they have all kinds of questions about college, because they can see and learn firsthand what it takes to get there. They have to be pretty determined, and definitely resilient. Resiliency has been a recurring theme at EOBA. Untimely deaths have afflicted the organization in recent years. The losses of head trainer Paul Wright (2008), intern Phillip Wright to a tragic shooting (no relation, 2009), Garcia (2010), and board president Frank Rose (2011) have further depleted the staffone so thin that Chavez is the only remaining full-time employee.

A lot of our staff is made up of students who usually spend 10 hours a week here, she said. They are so dedicated to the kids, and theyre here because they love this place, especially because you wont get rich working here. Without their hard work, I dont know how we would have survived this long. EOBAs employees have become adept at scouring for new sources of assistance. When the coffers were close to bare in January and February, the Philanthropic Venture Foundation approved the staffs grant application to fund the summer program, which began on June 25. Not unlike most boxing narratives, the EOBA may seem to be on its last legs, but it refuses to stay down for the count. Less than a month ago, the organization held an event at Yoshis Jazz Club in Jack London Square that raised $6,000. Following the string of burglaries, a few donors have come forward in an attempt to replace what has been stolen. After the first burglary, the kids were mad, so our response was to be show them that you need to stay positive, Chavez said. Sure enough, some people stepped forward and helped us. A woman drove all the way from Fremont and dropped off 25 pairs of boxing gloves. Bay Alarm came through and donated surveillance equipment and an alarm system. Chavez received another helping hand from a familiar face. Another person whos helped us when we were really down and out is [Oakland] Councilman Larry Reid, whos been a huge mentor of mine since I was in high school, she said. Earlier in the year, he personally made phone calls to raise funds for us. Also, after this last breakin, hes agreed to cover six months of monitoring fees for the new Bay Alarm system. Nonetheless, the recent influx of money and equipment hardly constitutes enough support that would allow one to relax. According to Chavez, an estimated $350,000 is necessary just to keep EOBA afloat each year. As a result, the upcoming show will be another crucial moment for the future of East Oaklands children, as Chavez and her team continue to walk the budgetary tightrope to keep this bastion of community service standing. With everything thats gone on, getting our story out to the media has helped a little with fundraising, she said. To be honest, there isnt as much money out there like before, but were still going to keep fighting for our kids every day because we believe in them. Theyre our most precious resource. Article courtesy of CSNBayArea.com Boxing Insider Ryan Maquiana

PH fields 11member London Olympic team

By JUN MEDINA
The Philippines is fielding its leanest Olympic contingent composed of 11 athletes with hopes of finally striking gold in the 30th Summer Olympics that gets underway in London on July 27. The Philippines is sending its best amateur athletes to compete against more than 10,500 of the world bests. Two competitors each are seeing action in swimming, archery and track and field; and one each in boxing, judo, cycling, weightlifting and shooting. Pinoy athletes have won a total of nine Olympic medals -- two silvers and seven bronze -- five of them (including the two silvers) from boxing. Two bronze medals each came from swimming and track and field. Apart from the distinct honor of bringing honors to the country, anyone who wins a medal will get cash incentives from the government. A gold medal translates into a P5 million bonanza, P2.5 million for a silver and P1 million for a bronze. Archers Rachel Cabral and Mark Javier, both veterans of the Beijing Olympics, earned their berths by qualifying during the World Archery Championships in Ogden Utah. The 27-year-old Cabral of Tuguegarao, Cagayan placed sixth in her group in Ogden. Javier, 31, and a native of Dumaguete City is a veteran of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a veteran campaigner in the Asian Games and the Southeast Asian Games. Eighteen-year-old swimmer Jesse King Lacuna of Bulacan, winner of six golds in the 2nd Philippine National Games, is entered in the 200-meter freestyle. The second swimming entry, Jasmine Alkhaldi, 19, was a winner of three gold medals in the 2011 Southeast Asian Age Group Championships. She also won two bronze in the 2010 Singapore National Age Group Championships. Competing in track and field events are veteran runner long-distance Rene Herrera and long jump standout Marestella Torres who are competing in their last Olympics. Herrera, 33, and a five-time SEA Games champion in the 5000-m run, is hoping to make an impression in his favorite event. Light flyweight boxer Mark Anthony Barriga, the one Filipino boxer to qualify for the London Games, hopes to follow in the footsteps of Olympians Mansueto Onyok Velasco and Anthony Villanueva, the only silver medal winners for the Philippines.

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FilAm Star

July 20 - 26, 2012

July 20 - 26, 2012 Vol. V Issue 185

B1
aking a comeback this year in an arena full of sexy, sultry female celebrities is Ehra Madrigal, sister of actress Michelle Madrigal. After losing more than 30 pounds and gaining her confidence back, Ehra joined her sister in a daring dance production during the FHM 100 Sexiest Women 2012 Victory Party held at the World Trade Center last July 12. Ehra, who took a showbiz hiatus for about four months, has never been this ready to flaunt her assets. Now tipping the scale at 125 pounds, the young charmer and a seasoned face in the world of sexiness in the country, told the entertainment press that this time around, it pays to have a well-toned and healthy body. Following the Cohen Diet and a little bit of exercise, the 27year old lass is now more motivated to work, knowing there have been plenty of young and fresh talents entering showbiz lately. Since the Madrigal sisters have been known in the business as sexy

Ehra Madrigal

Xian Lim celebrating his birthday with special kids in a party thrown by the celebritys McDonalds family in Quezon City on July 10 (Photos: George Calvelo/NPPA Images)

Xian Lim turns 23

By TESSA MAURICIOARRIOLA Entertainment Editor The Manila Times
He may be in the thick of a new controversy, but Xian Lim was still very happy on his birthday. The handsome Filipino-Chinese actor said so at an early celebration with the entertainment press a couple of days before he turned 23 on July 12. Its been such a wonderful year, he began. Im so grateful for the many blessings that have come my way. Indeed, Xians showbiz career has taken the fast lane since he started out as a Star Magic talent for ABS-CBN in 2008. After a string of TV guestings, he suddenly shot to stardom in the last year when he was cast as primetime princess Kim Chius leading man in the highlysuccessful teleserye, My Binondo Girl. Yung wishes, lahat natupadna sana mabigyan ako ng break; na sana matanggap ako ng mga tao, he shared. From the fans na todo suporta, to the endorsement deals na sinusuportahan din nila, talagang sobrang thankful ako. Xian took the right attitude when he added that the positive developments in his career far outweigh the negative chatter around him. Nonetheless, he took time to clarify a talk shows allegation over the weekend that he snubbed fellow ABS-CBN talent Vice Ganda at a recent gathering for a network executives birthday.

actresses and models, Ehra knew by heart she had to keep up with maintaining the figure she had when she first appeared on print, television and the big screen. Appearing as a regular cast member of GMA 7s My Daddy Dearest (with Ogie Alcasid), Ehra also announced that she is all the more ready to do daring scenes. As long as there is no frontal nudity, Ehra is willing to bare it. Ehra, we sure love the new look! anice De Belen, after Budoy, is now back with a film in Star Cinema -- The Healing. With Vilma Santos, Janice co-stars on a supporting role together also with Kim Chui. The suspense-thriller film marks the anniversary of another year for Star Cinema.

To PAGE B2
and say. Sana nalang mas kilalanin nila ako, was how he eventually put the controversy to rest. As he begins a brand new year, Xians goal is to better himself as an actor. By August, he will be seen in the Star Cinema movie The Reunion, together with Enchong Dee, Enrique Gil, Kean Cipriano and Megan Young; while a prime time series titled Ina, Kapatid, Anak is also on the offing. In the meantime, Xians fans can watch him polish his hosting skills on the kiddie talent show Promil PreSchool I-Shine Talent Camp

Janice De Belen

What followed was a string of major endorsement deals with almost every product under the suna telecoms company, a luxury watch, clothing, footwear, shampoo, lotion, vitamins, fragrances, and even a powdered detergent. In fact, his pre-birthday bash with the press was generously sponsored by McDonalds at their ABS-CBN branch, since Xian is currently the global brands ambassador in the Philippines.

Wala po siya [Vice Ganda] doon nung time na nandoon ako, he stressed. He also said he was practically in and out of the party since he was rushing to catch a flight to Singapore. Xian further addressed the issue that he was just using Vice Ganda to further his popularityin the same way that he is endlessly accused of riding on Kim Chius celebrityby saying that he has no control over what others would like to believe

on Saturday mornings, along with Dimples Romana and Matteo Gudicelli. Despite what his detractors may say, Xian Lim comes across as a very decent, hardworking and humble person. He has no airs even if he is already a celebrity in his own right. Perhaps these are the very reasons why he continues to be blessed, and why he is definitely someone to watch out for in the years to come.

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Vilma Santos talks about 50 years in showbiz, her first horror flick, Kim Chiu, and Twitter
Just like one veteran entertainment columnist said, its really a different atmosphere every time the event involves Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos. It was evident that the Star for all Seasons missed mingling with the entertainment media as she gamely answered all sorts of questions duringand even afterthe press conference for her upcoming movie The Healing. Held at the Dolphy Theater of ABS-CBN, Gov. Vi did not show any weariness despite coming all the way from Batangas through the lengthy Q&A that lasted for over an hour. Gov. Vi began by joking about her 50th or golden anniversary in showbiz, saying there has been a mistake in computing the number of years shes been in the business, but said she was very proud to have lasted for five decades. I started this since I was nine and after 50 years, eto pa rin po ako sa inyong harapan. Its definitely an achievement para makaabot ka ng 50 years in this industryyun ho ang pinakabayad sa mga kontribusyong nagawa ko naman sa pelikulang Pilipino. And to celebrate this rare feat Gov. Vi decided to take on a different movie genre than the heavy dramas shes done in the past. The Healing will be her first foray into the suspense-horror genre, and the actress-politician admits she couldnt be more excited about doing the film. Ako po ang matagal nang humiling kay Direk Chito Roo na gawan po ako ng horror movie, she recalled. Siguro pagkatapos pa lang ng Feng Shui [2004], nilambing ko na si Direk Chito. Gov. Vi said since she rarely does movies, she wanted to take on a different role that would challenge her. Kasi po, ang feeling ko naman ay parang yung role ko, parang pare-pareho na rin. So naghahanap ako ng may konting challengesomething new. Bihira naman akong gumawa ng pelikula. The last was In My Life [2009] and before that was Dekada 70 [2002] which were both dramas kaya ko sinubukan ang horror movie. Gov. Vi confessed, however, that once they began shooting, she realized that doing horror was not as easy as she had thought. Ang hirap pala ng horror! she exclaimed. Sabi ko nung sinu-shoot ko to, Direk, puwede ba i-drama na natin? Kasi alam nyo naman kung gaano kametikuloso si Direk. He wont settle for yung ordinaryong gulat na pag ginulat ka, di ba, yung parang, Huh! ayaw niya. Despite being a multi-awarded actress, Gov. Vi revealed there were moments that Direk Chito scolded her. Bakit ka naninigas? sabi ni Direk sa akin. Lagi akong pinapagalitan dun sa mga horror scenes! Hinahagis-hagis ako rito, para nga akong si Vilma Santos nong araw na tumatakbo, hagis dito, hagis doon. Nakikipag-away ka. Alam nyo dahil dun sa pagtapontapon sa aking ganyan, nahilo po ako! she recounted laughing. Hirap ako pero kayang-kaya ko pa, she quickly added with pride. Despite all the hard work, Gov. Vi said she enjoyed doing the movie. Na-enjoy ko kasi siguro sa dami na rin ng pelikulang ginawa ko, naghahanap naman ako ng pelikulang makaka-challenge at makaka-inspire sa akin to work. Eto ang nagawa sa akin ng The Healing. Talagang dumarating kami on time, masaya kami sa set. Kaya yung target shooting days to finish the movie na 35 days, we were able to finish it in 37 days! Stellar cast The Healing reunites Vilma Santos and Direk Chito Rono for the fourth time. Their first team up was for the movie Ikaw Lang in 1993; followed by Bata, Bata Paano Ka Ginawa? in 1999; and the last was Dekada 70. Direk Chito said it took quite a while before he decided on the script for Gov. Vi, and promised that The Healing will introduce a new brand of Pinoy horror in Philippine cinema. The movie revolves around the Filipino tradition of going to faith healers for guidance and treatment of ailments. Gov. Vi said everyone knows how good Direk Chito is when it comes to the suspense-horror genre, but on a personal note, she praised the director for being one of the kindest friends one can have. Talagang game, kasi jologs din. Puwede mong biruin, you can about talk anything and everything. Pero pagdating kasi sa set, walang sinu-sino sa kanya. Since he is the captain, alam niya yung ginagawa niya, wala kang choice but to follow. Ayaw niya yung pag nandun na, nilalaro pa. Ako nga nasigawan na rin niyan, e. Pero after that, friends uli kayo, puwede nyong gawin lahat, she revealed. Aside from Gov. Vi, the cast is comprised of some of the most talented actors in local cinema such as Janice de Belen, Mark Gil, Daria Ramirez, Carmi Martin, Pokwang, Ces Quesada, Joel Torre and Kim Chiu who was the Star for All Seasons personal choice for the role. Sina Malou (Santos, managing director of Star Cinema), tinatanong sino ang gusto mong makasama na magagaling na mga bago nating mga superstars. And naglagay ng mga pangalan don and I chose Kim. Kasi ang kaibahan nito kay Kim, wala ito sa usual thing na ginagawa niya na love team-love teamiba ang character niya rito. And I think interesting para rin sa aming dalawa. She chose Kim after seeing the young actress during a TV special she did before. Isa dun sa parang nag-guest na mga newcomers ay si Kim sa parang workshop. Si Kim, played the role of Dolzura [Cortez], yung eksena ko sa Dolzura: Sino ka, Diyos ka ba? And since then, hindi nawawala sa isip ko yon. Gov. Vi praised Kim for being a good actress and for her professionalism. Napapanood ko siya and shes good, tapos nakita ko pa sa shooting, shes very professional. So, kaya kong sabihin na hindi ako nagkamali. Na talagang malaking bagay sa akin at masaya

FilAm Star

July 20 - 26, 2012

ako that I chose Kim for the movie. Janice and Pokwang then shared their happy moments on the set saying they bonded and formed a very beautiful friendship while working together. Janice said instead of staying in their respective dressing rooms, they always gathered at Gov. Vis room sharing stories and enjoying girl talk. Habang magkakasama kami sa set, since were all women, naguusap kami about lifelalo na sa amin na may naging eksperiyensiya sa buhay, sa lovelife, sa mga anak namin, Gov. Vi shared. It is also because of these bonding moments that the seasoned actress was able to learn some high-tech stuff and became familiar with social networking site Twitter. Gov. Vi, related, Alam ko na ang nangyayari, nagbabasa ako ng Twitterevery day and before I sleep and when I wake up. Marunong na ako! teasing the reporters who began asking for her Twitter name. Hindi ko sasabihin kung sino ako! she added laughing. Dito lang sa pelikulang ito nakabili ako ng iPad 3, ng iPhonemalay kong gamitin yan! Dati basta meron akong cell phone na BlackBerry, OK na, pero dito literally tinuruan nila ako. Pagkaturo sa akin, Bili ka, bili ka, dali, dali! Dala ko na sa set at tinuturuan ako. At ngayon, nagbabasa na po ako ng Twitter, she said cheerfully. Gov. Vi said she doesnt plan on making her account public, admitting that she can be quite pikon and would rather avoid bashers. Huwag na, kasi po baka pag may nagtira-tirang ganyan, pikon din po kasi ako, e! Para umiwas na, huwag na. Forever an actress While Gov. Vi has already made a name for herself in the political arena, Direk Chito shared that the governor still felt sad during their last shooting day. Sabi niya sa akin, Nalulungkot ako, hindi na ako artista ulit. The governor interjected, Kasi ho mami-miss ko kayo, sa totoo lang. Kasi siyempre since In My Life, three years na naman bago ko ito nagawa. Kahit sabihin nyo pong public servant ako ngayon, nasa dugo ko talaga yung pagiging artista. Kasi iba yung enjoyment ko pag nagsu-shooting ako. Parang alam kong dito ako nabuhay, dito ako nag-umpisa. So yung inspirasyon non talaga nasa dugo ko. Gov. Vi even wants to try doing an indie film; she has a lot of offers but she simply cant find the time to do so. Kahit sabihin mong 10 days lang daw, e, kung ganoon nga, medyo mas nagiging metikuloso akong pumili. Kasi looking forward ako, so much as possible, kung makakagawa ako ng isa, yung pinakagusto ko na. Among those rumored to be wooing Gov. Vi to do an indie movie are acclaimed directors Adolf Alix at Brillante Mendoza. The Healing opens in cinemas nationwide on July 25. For updates visit www.StarCinema. com.ph or like the movies official Facebook page at www.facebook. com/TheHealingFilm.

Quezon City officials lead the press conference for the QC Film Festival held at Annabels on Tomas Morato Avenue in Quezon City, Tuesday, July 17 (Photo: George Calvelo/NPPA Images)

QC film Festival
MANILA -- In keeping with its mandate of supporting and enriching the local film industry, the Quezon City Film Development Commission (QCFDC), headed by Mayor Herbert Bautista and co-headed by Vice Mayor Ma. Josefina Belmonte, will launch QCinema: 1st Quezon City Film Festival. The festival is a flagship project of the QCFDC which develops and promotes the art and craft of filmmaking among QC citizens. The commission will award grants to three selected independent film projects at P800,000 each. There must be at least one bona fide resident of

Mayor Herbert Bautista

Vice Mayor Ma. Josefina G. Belmonte-Alimurung

QC among the projects major proponents to join the competition. Submission of entries is open until July 31. Interested parties may obtain the contest mechanics, application form and other pertinent documents from the QCFDC Facebook page or call 444-7272 loc. 8208 and look for Giana Barata for details. Fully accomplished forms together with the film script must be sent in both soft and hard copies to qcinema.filmfest@gmail.com and to the Office of the Vice Mayor, second floor Legislative Wing Building, Quezon City Hall.

Pinoy Big Brother, Teen Edition 4 winners Roy, Karen, Myrtle, Jai, and Joj at a press conference held at Restaurant 9501, ABS-CBN Complex in Quezon City (Photo: Niko Cruz/NPPA Images)

Lawmakers to give Congressional Medal of Distinction to Dolphy

MANILA - Following Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.s recent statement that lawmakers will look into awarding the Congressional Medal of Distinction to the late Rodolfo Dolphy Vera Quizon Sr., two lawmakers passed a resolution to confer the said award. Pangasinan Representative Gina De Venecia and Bagong Henerasyon Representative Bernadette Herrera-Dy filed House Resolution 2581 which seeks to give Dolphy the highest award the House of Representatives can bestow to an exemplary individual. Boxing champion and Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao was given the Congressional Medal of Distinction back in 2010 for defeating Mexican boxer Antonio Margarito and earning his eighth world title. Both lawmakers agreed that the King of Comedy deserved the award for his outstanding accomplishments as a stage, television and movie actor over a span of seven decades. Tito Dolphy was worthy of that honor, in recognition not only of his performance as an actor but more so for his role in making the Filipino people laugh amidst crisis and poverty, a feat not every actor is able to achieve while maintaining humility and kindness, said De Venecia, the daughter of Sampaguita Pictures owner Dr. Jose DocPerez. Sampaguita was Dolphys home studio for ten years and it was Perez who gave him his screen name. Herrera-Dy believes that the resolution will receive much support from their fellow lawmakers, not only because of Dolphys work in championing the plight of the common man through John En Marsha but also because of his efforts to eradicate gender bias by portraying homosexuals in his movies. Recently members of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) group Ladlad said that they joined the nation in mourning Dolphys demise as the late comedian, through his films, gave the public a peek into the lives of homosexuals in the country. It was in the midst of the Japanese occupation that Dolphy started his career on stage, performing as a chorus dancer at age thirteen at the Avenue Theater, the Lyric Theater and the Orient Theater. He became a household name when it comes to comedy, capping his movie career in 2010 with Father Jejemon and Rosario. His television series John En Marsha in 1971 and Home Along Da Riles in 1992 are also considered as the two longest-running TV shows in the country. (inquirer.net)

GUESS WHAT... from B1

Janice shared with the entertainment press that she could no longer remember the last time she worked with Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos. But one thing is sure: she would not forget how it is to work with film director Chito Roo. Roo directs The Healing, suspense being his known forte. When it is your first time to work with Direk Chito, it is but natural to feel scared and all. He might go scream at you, but the secret to a harmonious working relationship with him is to listen to him at all times. As long as you listen to what he wants, Janice explained, then you know what to expect from someone like him. This film serves as Janices comeback vehicle to the silver screen as well, which is why fans should not miss this for the world. After all, Janice is famous for screaming roles, just like this one she is playing. lways imitated, but never duplicated. This famous line serves Eat Bulaga well, being the countrys longest-running noontime show ever aired. After being on TV entertaining homes for about 33 good long years, what else could they wish for? Television networks have attempted to beat the shows ratings, but not a single show has succeeded. But the most unique of all attempts is by Indonesia, which is coming up with its own version of Eat Bulaga. Eat Bulaga! Indonesia of the Indonesian TV network Surya Citra Televisi (SCTV) airs every 4 in the afternoon. Like the Philippine version, they also have games and segments which are hits for the Filipino household such as Bulagaan (Bolagaan), Karaoke Games, Juan For All All For Juan (Satu Untuk Semua, Semua Untuk Satu), the all-time favorite Pambansang Laro ng Bayan na Pinoy Henyo (Indonesia Pintar). It is funny because if we have Bossing Vic Sotto here, they also have a version of him - Boss Uya Kuya. And lastly, they have their version of Dabarkads the Bulagang. Congratulations to Eat Bulaga! This is indeed another milestone.

July 20 - 26, 2012

FilAm Star
any doubt, Kimmy Dora & The Temple of Kiyeme will give these to our audience in large doses, said Jun Del Rosario, TFC Head of Cable & satellite Distribution and North America Marketing Strategist. We want to make sure that moviegoers here enjoy the breadth of the Filipino movie experience in U.S. theatres, so we will continue to offer quality films with diverse themes for the family. Catch Kimmy Dora & The Temple of Kiyeme in the following cities from July 13-19, 2012: HAWAII Pearlridge West Theatre 98 - 1005 Moanalua Road Aiea, HI 96701 SEATTLE Parkway Plaza Stadium 12 5910 South 180th Street Tukwila, WA 98188 UNION CITY Century 25 32100 Union Landing Union City, CA 94587 MILPITAS Century Great Mall 1010 Great Mall Drive Milpitas, CA 95035 SACRAMENTO Century Laguna 16 9349 Big Horn Blvd. Elk Grove, CA 95758 SAN BRUNO Century at Tanforan 1188 El Camino Real San Bruno, CA 94066

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KIMMY DORA & THE TEMPLE OF KIYEME

REDWOOD CITY (Bay Area, Calif.) -- When what seemed like an obscure little comedy film starring an erstwhile perennial supporting actress made a killing in the box office back in 2009, grossing P80 million in six weeks, the film industry of the Philippines hailed the arrival of new comedy royalty in the person of Eugene Domingo. The film was Kimmy Dora: Kambal Sa Kiyeme, which told the story of twins, one smart and domineering (Kimmy), the other slow and pure-hearted (Dora), both played by Domingo in a comic tour de force performance. The latter appeared to be the favored one of their beloved rich father, Luisito Go Dong Hae (Ariel Ureta) and his handsome senior manager, Johnson (Dingdong Dantes), which led to jealousy and a comedy of errors that resulted from an unintended kidnapping plot. It had a happy ending, though, with the sisters realizing their love for each other and Kimmy finding a man for herself in six-packed farmer Barry (Zanjoe Marudo). The film was acclaimed for the incredible energy and commitment of the cast led by Domingo in making the zaniest characters believable and relatable. And then, of course, all of them were game to make serious fun of themselves, including Domingo as Kimmy, standing before a sexy but disinterested

Megaton of laughs and scares

Dantes as Johnson in a swimming pool, delivering a hilarious, naughty spin on the famous quote from the movie, Notting Hill: Im just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her. A classic comic screen moment. But this should be surpassed by the much-talked about, borderline scandalous, absolutely hilarious kissing scene in the sequel between the characters of Kimmy and true love Barry. Riding on the success of the original Kimmy Dora, the tandem of director Joyce Bernal and writer Chris Martinez created a sequel with new twists and turns. Titled, Kimmy Dora & The Temple of Kiyeme, Bernal and Martinez collided humor with horror in a plot that takes the sisters to a discovery of an old family secret and a trip to South Korea to confront a vengeful spirit and reawaken the three men in the sisters lives who all have mysteriously fallen to sleep. Be ready for unexpected characters and a thrilling ride watching the sequel! The new concept apparently worked: Kimmy Dora & The Temple of Kiyeme became only the second Filipino film in 2012 so far to surpass P100 million in the box office, reaching almost P117 million in three weeks, placing second only to The Amazing Spider-Man in the Philippines. Summer in the U.S. is still fun and fantasy and without

CERRITOS Cerritos Stadium Cinema 12761 Towne Center Drive, Cerritos, CA 90701 ORANGE Orange Stadium Promenade 1701 W. Katella Avenue Orange, CA 92868 SAN DIEGO UA Horton Plaza 475 Horton Plaza San Diego, CA 92101 LAS VEGAS Regal Village Square Stadium 9400 W Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89117

REDWOOD CITY (Bay Area, Calif.) -- Myx TV, the premier Asian American entertainment network in the United States, proudly announces the return of classic anime series, Voltron, on the network. The network proudly announces the premiere of Season 3 Vehicle Force starting July 23rd. Myx TV is the home of the original classic Voltron series which first aired on the channel in April of 2011. The famed anime cartoon that first made waves on television screens in the 1980s features a team of five pilots, known as the Voltron Force, whose

Voltron is back

individual lion robots together form a giant super robot that defends the galaxy from evil. A classic favorite, the series is now only available on Myx TV, nationwide. Were delighted with our partnership with World Events Productions to bring the complete Voltron series to Myx TV says Joy Bovatsek, Head of Programming for Myx TV. Myx TV is proud to be the only television network today airing the classic Voltron series for all of the loyal die-hard fans. Catch the series on weekdays on Myx TV at 8/7pm Central.

American Idol Season 7 grand winner David Cook answers questions from media during the press conference held Thursday, July 12, at the Edsa Shangri- la Hotel in Mandaluyong City (Photo: Mike Alquinto/NPPA Images)

B4

The Invisible War: a documentary

1 hr 33 mins
WHY WE CHOSE IT Weve never reviewed a documentary. This doc, almost sure to be an Oscar contender, reveals an important issue that we as Americans should know more about. And its director, Kirby Dick, previously made the outstanding guerrilla documentary THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED (2006), about the sham behind how modern films are given ratings. ONE SENTENCE PLOT Countless thousands of women, and even more men, are being violently raped in the military in record numbers, and the military has aggressively and systematically covered it up while punishing the victims who have the courage to report it. HOLLYWOOD PITCH LINE -- Uncle Sam Wants You to be his silent sex slave. CAST Mary Kay Hertog, Helen Benedict, Susan Burke, Kori Cioca, Susan Davis, Elle Helmer; Director: Kirby Dick. WARNINGS - Rated: NR Not Rated Discussions of sexual assault, strong language. GREGs TAKE You are a motivated 22-year-old American female. You want to serve your country by joining the military. You pass all the training. You become an officer, commissioned by Congress. You are deployed to your base. You are awarded commendations and promotions. You feel gratified that you made the right decision to join the military. You cherish the commitment to duty, to honor, the camaraderie, the mutual trust, the sense of family where everyone watches out for their buddy. Then you are ordered to attend mandatory off-duty drinking sessions with the men in your unit. Then you are violently raped, often by your ranking superior. If you report it, your commanders tell you it didnt happen; that it was your fault. Then they cover it up, and THEN they charge YOU with multiple violations including lying, public drunkenness, and adultery, even though you are unmarried, and your attacker is married. You leave or are forced out of the military with higher rates of PTSD than combat survivors, and with medical claims for physical and psychological injuries, which take years for the government to eventually refuse to pay for your treatment. Your attacker is never charged nor punished. This is the revelation of THE INVISIBLE WAR, which is causing buzz throughout America, both inside and outside the military. It shows us that not only are sexual assaults in the military common, but that the U.S. military bureaucracy systematically discourages victims from reporting sex crimes against other military members, and even punishes the victims if they persist in reporting sex crimes. The story is told mostly by the victims themselves, whose ranks include an alarming number of officers, who you might think would mostly be immune

By CHRIS HERREN & GREG ABREU

scar-winning actress Halle Berry was taken to hospital after suffering a minor head injury while shooting a fight scene in her latest film, her spokeswoman said Wednesday. Berry hit her head on concrete after a nasty fall Tuesday and then began to vomit -- a sign of concussion -triggering alarm from aides who advised her to go to hospital, the celebrity news website TMZ reported. Halle Berry suffered a minor head injury while shooting a fight sequence on the set of her film, The Hive, the stars spokeswoman said. She was taken to the hospital as a precaution, but she checked out healthy and was released. Shell continue production as planned, the spokeswoman, Meredith OSullivan, told AFP. TMZ reported that the incident occurred late Tuesday, and that Berry was taken to Los Angeles Cedars Sinai hospital. Known for the X-Men movies and her role as Jinx in the James Bond flick Die Another Day (2002) with Pierce

FilAm Star
The seriousness of his illness did not become public until after his discharge from hospital. Its like I just dodged a bullet, he told the broadcaster, adding that he had a five-week gap in his memory from the illness and had to learn to walk again during his recovery. He has since rescheduled his tour, and has invited 1,000 staff from the Vienna hospital to one of the shows. His new single, White Light, is about the near-death experience. (AFP) S screen actor Sylvester Stallone said Monday there was no greater pain than losing a child, and called for an end to speculation about the death of his eldest son Sage last week. The Rambo and Rocky star urged the media and others to respect the memory of his 36year-old son, as it emerged that the young actor was actively planning his own wedding in Las Vegas when he died. When a parent loses a child there is no greater pain. Therefore I am imploring peo-

July 20 - 26, 2012

able reporting surrounding the death of my son Sage. Sage Moonblood Stallone was found dead at his Hollywood home on Friday. An autopsy was carried out on Sunday, but the LA County Coroners Office said toxicology reports would take some 10 weeks. Some prescription pill bottles were taken from the apartment but authorities have said little about the cause of the death. There was no sign of foul play or trauma, nor a suicide note, said Ed Winter of the coroners office. His father was in San Diego at the annual Comic Con festival to promote his latest movie Expendables 2 when he was told about his sons death. Sage Stallones attorney George Braunstein said he had never seen Stallone take drugs or drink alcohol. Never, no, not from the day I met him, Braunstein told E! news. I never knew him to drink alcohol. I never saw him take drugs. I never knew of anything like that at all. The last conversation I had with him, he was telling me about, he was getting married, and he was planning a kind of an exciting costume wedding in Las Vegas, he said. The young actor appeared in the 1990 film Rocky V as Rocky Balboa Jr, the son of his fathers title character. The pair also appeared together in the 1996 movie Daylight. He is credited with 13 bigscreen roles as an actor, while he was a producer on three films, including the 2006 short Vic which he also wrote and directed. Braunstein said the family was waiting to hear the cause of death while planning a funeral. Im going to wait to see what the coroner says... I think it was either natural causes or a terrible accident. I dont think it had anything to do with drugs,

George Michael opened his eyes, doctors asked him if he knew who he was -- to which he replied, King of the world? in the distinctive West Country burr. The doctors were worried that I had this condition where some people wake up speaking French or some language they learned at school, he said. Foreign Accent Syndrome is a rare medical condition in which people emerge from a neurological injury speaking in an entirely different accent. In some cases, they speak fluently in a language they barely know. Theres nothing wrong with a West Country accent, said the former star of the 1980s pop duo Wham!, but its a bit weird when youre from north London. My sisters, who were obviously so relieved that Id actually woken up, were just laughing away at this stand up comedy. Michael was forced to cut short his Symphonica tour last November after he was rushed to a hospital in the Austrian

from such problems. The narrative is interwoven with poignant interjections of alarming statistics and commentary by victims lawyers, military commanders, and government bureaucrats. But some of the most heartwrenching testimonials come from the husbands and fathers of the victims, military veterans themselves, who try to express their rage and sense of helplessness in trying to help their wives and daughters endure their traumas and legacies of profound betrayal by a system they trusted and believed in. Wise viewers will keep a watchful eye out when seeing such emotionally charged docs, because people on a crusade, however just, are strongly tempted to exaggerate when on camera. INVISIBLE WARs viewers also risk the danger of developing emotional numbness during the course of the film, as the steady parade of atrocities relentlessly marches through your brain. CUT TO THE CHASE Rarely have I seen a documentary that evoked so much anger, outrage and tears. If you see only one documentary this year, make sure its this one. WORTH SPENDING THEATER BUX? WORTH IT. FILMAPINOS FILMTIPS In Memory of ERNEST BORGNINE: January 24, 1917 - July 8, 2012 (age 95) Born Ermes Borgnino from Italian immigrant parents; won Best Actor Oscar on his first nomination for MARTY (1955), playing a lonely ugly- duckling workingclass New York bachelor in a poignant, touching low-budget portrayal which swept the 1956 Oscars; barrel-chested, raspy-voiced bear of a man best known alternately as both a sadistic bully and violent tough guy as in 8-time Oscar winning FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953), EMPEROR OF THE NORTH (1973) and THE WILD BUNCH (1969) as well as sarcastic straight man in the highly popular television comedy MCHALES NAVY (1962-66), and the sidekick in the Emmywinning AIRWOLF (1984-86). Borgnine worked until his death, best known the last 13 years as the voice of Mermaid Man in SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS. As 18th century French writer Bernard De Fontenelle almost said, the greatest obstacle to enjoying movies is to expect too much. So go watch something good, then meet us back here next week.

Halle Berry

Sage Stallone

Brosnan, Berry won her Oscar for best actress in 2002 for her role in Monsters Ball. The 45-year-old actress is engaged to French actor Olivier Martinez, who confirmed their wedding plans in March. Berry has been married twice before and has a young daughter with Canadian model Gabriel Aubrey. (AFP) ritish singer George Michael has revealed that he woke from his three-week coma talking in the broad West Country accent spoken in western England. London-born Michael, who almost died of pneumonia at the end of last year, said he was unable to revert to his usual accent for two days after gaining consciousness and his family feared he would be stuck with the new one forever. I swear this is true, the 49-year-old told Londons LBC radio station on Tuesday. I came out of my coma talking in this West Country accent. Michael said that as he

he wasnt that kind of guy, he said. He wasnt anyone trying to take his life, he added. (AFP) S folk rock legend Bob Dylan is releasing the 35th studio album in his 50-year recording career on September 11, Columbia Records announced Tuesday.

Sylvester Stallone capital Vienna with a severe bout of pneumonia. Arriving back in London last December, the Careless Whisper singer admitted it had been touch and go at times during the month he spent in hospital recovering from the lung infection. Speaking to BBC radio on Tuesday, he said Austrian doctors had downplayed his condition to avoid a death watch kind of thing. ple to respect my talented sons memory and feel compassion for his loving mother Sasha, he said in a statement. This agonizing loss will be felt for the rest of our lives, he said, adding: Sage was our first child and the center of our universe and I am humbly begging for all to have my sons memory in full left in peace. Stallone said he issued the new statement in reference to the speculation and question-

In a statement, the label said Tempest -- produced by Jack Frost, an alias that Dylan has used in the past -- will feature 10 new and original Bob Dylan songs. Its release coincides with the 50th anniversary of Dylans eponymous debut album, also on Columbia Records, which featured a number of American folk standards as well as two original compositions. Dylan, 71, has released four studio albums since 1997, most recently Together Through Life in 2009. He is currently on tour in France. Earlier this year, the singer received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor, at the White House. (AFP)

(Chris and Greg area couple of regular Filipino-American guys who love and study movies. Chris is the Gen Xer who has dabbled in acting and screenwriting, and has a Ph.D in Psychology. Greg is the baby boomer 20 years senior to Chris, has dabbled in screenwriting and freelance journalism, and has three degrees. Chris and Greg are friends and co-workers dedicated to their day jobs working for Uncle Sam.)

To advertise with FilAm Star, call:

FilAm Star, Inc., 1028 Mission St. San Francisco, CA 94103 Tel. (415) 593-5955 Fax (415) 593-5944 www.filamstar.net

LOS ANGELES - The Church of Scientology has remained tightlipped about Tom Cruises shock divorce, grappling with a PR blow which has revived questions about the controversial celebrity-friendly religion. The Church has made barely a single comment since Katie Holmes dropped her June 28 bombshell on the Hollywood A-lister, probably the most high-profile member of the nearly six-decade old organization. Cruises representatives have been more forthcoming -- and lashed out this week at the tabloid National Enquirer over a story describing the Mission Impossible actor as a monster. But the publicity blitz around the story has also shed an unfavorable light on the Church, which has long battled with a controversial image, fueled by criticism including from former members. Its a terrible public relations situation for the Church, said Karen Pressley, former commanding officer of the Scientology Celebrity Centre -- the very name of which raises eyebrows to LA newcomers -- based in Hollywood. This is now his third marriage as Scientologist and my observation is, what does it says about Tom Cruises ability to succeed in relationships? she asked rhetorically, in an interview with AFP. She added: He goes to the media and speaks to people like (talk show hosts) Oprah (Winfrey) and Matt Lauer and say We are the only ones that can help when people has troubles, we have the answers of everything. And what does it say about his ability to apply Scientology to relationships? To marriage and to raising a family? said Pressley, who has lived in Atlanta since escaping in 1997 after 16 years in the Church. Cruise is probably the biggest Scientologist celebrity, but not the only one: John Travolta is also a member, as are the musician Beck and actresses Juliette Lewis and Mimi Rogers -- Cruises first wife. The star was reportedly taken totally by surprise when Holmes announced she was filing for divorce to end their five-year marriage, which began in fairytale fashion after he proposed under the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Speculation immediately focused on reports that the actress was concerned that Cruise wanted to draw their 6-year-old daughter Suri further into the Church. In a rare comment on the story a lawyer for the Scientologists, Gary Soter, denied reports that the Church had organized for Holmes to be

Scientology reels from Cruise divorce PR blow

tailed with her daughter in New York. There is no truth whatsoever to the TMZ.com report (or any other report) that the Church of Scientology has sent anyone to follow or surveil Katie Holmes, he said in an emailed statement. Church spokespeople have not responded to repeated requests for comment on the divorce, and Soter justified that policy in a new email Friday -- and blasted ex-Scientologists including Pressley for criticising the organization. The Church is not giving any interviews or making any statements about the divorce, as it would be inappropriate to do so, he said. The Church declines to respond to the self-promoting opinions of this anti-Scientologist who has no personal knowledge of the facts and who is seeking to exploit a private family matter, he added. While the church has remained low-key, Cruises lawyers have threatened to sue the National Enquirer over a story which ran under the front-page headline Inside Toms House of Horrors. Mr. Cruise is certainly not a monster. He is a caring father, a hardworking actor and, above all, an honest, decent man, wrote Cruise lawyer Bert Fields, in a letter cited by the Hollywood Reporter. The actor, filming in Iceland when the story broke, has kept a low profile since, reportedly returning to Los Angeles to celebrate his 50th birthday this week, while Holmes, 33, has already launched a new life in New York. The ex-couples lawyers meanwhile managed to negotiate a divorce settlement in less than two weeks -- a stunningly short time frame which, observers say, partly reflects a desire to minimize bad publicity for the Church. But that hasnt stopped a stream of ex Church members from coming forward to denounce it -- including Jenna Miscavige, embarrassingly a niece of the Churchs chief David Miscavige, who took over after founder L Ron Hubbard died in 1986. Miscavige, who left the Church in 2005, published a statement online supporting Holmes. As a mother myself, I offer my support to Katie and wish for her all the strength she will need to do what is best for her and her daughter, she wrote on a website for ex scientologists, www.exscientologykids.com. My experience in growing up in Scientology is that it is both mentally and at times physically abusive ... I was allowed to see my parents only once a week at best -- sometimes not for years. (AFP)

July 20 - 26, 2012

Earnest Snoops
By ERNEST GONZAGA
Hear ye! Hear ye! Most little girls want to be princesses and a princess. Princess parties continue to be a much loved theme for little girls aged 2 to 15. Even some 16-year-old Sweet 16 parties would have an enchanted princess theme. The upscale Greenmeadows clubhouse in Quezon City was transformed into a lovely fun castle and the red carpet was rolled to welcome the royal guests of birthday girl, Julienne Ejercito, who turned 8 years old recently. Julienne was treated with a princess-themed fete by her parents, former Philippine President Joseph Estrada and former model Joy Melendres. Julienne looked so radiant in her pink dress with a tiara crown on her head. Juliennes good-looking big brother Joma Ejercito, who graduated recently from high school at the Brent International School-Manila, likewise gave a hand in entertaining her guests. Seen at the party were businessman William Gatchalian with wife Dee, Binan, Laguna Mayor Len Alonte-Naguiat, Solar Sports & Entertainments Wilson Tieng, singer Viktoria, mega PR Bernard Cloma, lovely Linda Ley, among the few.

Julienne Ejercitos princess bash, Californian Blooms inauguration

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Led Sobrepena, Hon. Malacchias Soco, Apple Chiu, Dr Edna Soco, Miguel Mendoza, Dr Rosary May Canay Diaz, Virgilio Gutierrez and Edwin Gahddih Birthday girl Julienne with mom Joy Melendres

Julienne Ejercito, Joy Melendres and Linda Ley

Mayor Len Alonte Naguiat, Wilsonn Tieng and Bernard Cloma Miguel Mendoza, Led Sobrepena, Virgilio Gutierrez and Apple Chiu

Birthday girl Julienne with guests Joma Ejercito, Joy Melendres, former President Joseph Estrad and singer Viktoria

Joma Ejercito and former President Joseph Estrada

Birthday girl Princess Julienne Ejercito

Fina Lim and Amelia Ting

Juliennes kiddie guests were entertained and amazed by a magician and party favors that elevated the level of fantasy. The clubhouse was fully decorated inside and out that ensured that the enchantment went well from beginning to end. Each of her royal guests was presented with a Princess Goodie Bag which contained many souvenir items. The birthday party is not complete without a cake, ice cream and even a slice of pizza or two. Juliennes vibrant three-layered cake came with animal motif. Princess parties only come once in a lifetime, and little princess Julienne and her kiddie guests will surely remember forever. In Cebu City, Californian Bloom Aesthetic Institute and Medical Spa a clinical and cosmetic dermatology and surgical center -- recently inaugurated its first franchise clinic in Mandaue City. Californian Bloom is owned by Dr. Rosary May Canay-Diaz, the clinics medical director, and her husband Jorge David Diaz, overall operations and marketing manager. The franchise clinic is owned by businessman Virgilio Gutierrez. Californian Bloom offers a wide variety of medical and surgical services to promote health and wellbeing of a person in

William Gatchalian, Dee Gatchalian and Joy Melendres

Magician at Juliennes party

Dr & Mrs Louie Orosa and kids Wilson Tieng, Joma Ejerctio and Mia Florencio

Julienne and the magician

Former President Joseph Estrada, Joy Melendres, Joma Ejercito and Julienne Ejerctio

Sunny Vergara, Abeth Yu, former President Joseph Estrada and Ruby Chua Julienne Ejercito with Godmother Dee Gatchalian Dr. Rosary May Canay-Diaz and Jorge David Diaz

Jeremy Ewan Lara, Rainy Khanchandani, Joy Melendres, Bernard Cloma and Eric Cham

Jhing Lim, Fina Lim, Joy Melendres and Amelia Ting

Julienne with some of her guests

order to reflect their inner beauty. It is a fusion of medical ingenuity and a holistic approach thru induction of dermatologic, slimming and medical spa services. Clients are seen as patients, whose health is the primary concern of the institution. Patients are perceived and treated as a whole, not only focusing on the physical aspect but as well as the general wellbeing of the person. Relaxing spa services are provided, which are supervised personally by medical and aesthetic dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons. These provide calm and restful hours from a very busy life. Californian Blooms dermatological services include Radio Frequency Body Slimming, Medical Facial, 4 in 1 Body Sculpting Slimming Technique, Skin Feeling & Micro Feeling, Botox Treatment, Ultralipo Lazer Slimming Machine, Lazer, and Gold Mask, among others. The grand inauguration were witnessed by Cebu District Chief Officer Malacchias Soco, Dr. Edna Soco, Edward Gahddih, singer/actor Led Sobrepena, singer/actress and clinic endorser Apple Chiu, singer and ex-Philippine Dream Academy housemate Miguel Mendoza, to name a few. (Photos by John Gregory. For comments and suggestions email earnestsnoops@ gmail.com)

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Interment of Comedy King Dolphy

15 July 2012 Heritage Park Taguig City
(Photos: Mike Alquinto, George Calvelo/NPPA Images)

July 20 - 26, 2012

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Living

Operation Smile unveils 30th anniversary medical mission

(Courtesy of The Sunday Times Magazine of The Manila Times, 15 July 2012)
MANILA -- Ten international missions. Nine sites. Three weeks. Thirty countries. One thousand volunteers. This is Operation Smiles upcoming 30th anniversary by the numbers. Operation Smile, an international childrens medical charity that traces its roots to the Philippines, unveiled its series of activities to mark the charitys 30th anniversary dubbed as The Journey Home. The press launch was graced by Smile Ambassadors, Binibining Pilipinas-Universe 2011, and Ms. Universe 3rd runner-up Shamcey Supsup and Binibining Pilipinas-Universe 2012 Janine Marie Tugonon. A smile is something we usually take for granted but a smile can mean a great deal to some, Supsup said, referring to Operation Smile patients afflicted with cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities. In a video message, Operation Smile founders Bill and Kathy Magee expressed their gratitude to Filipinos for their hospitality and support, as the couple recalled the beginnings of the organization when they visited the Philippines for a one-time medical mission in Naga City in 1982. Around 300 families, hoping to avail of free surgery for their children, trooped to the medical miswhose child was unfortunately not accommodated, who brought a bunch of bananas which she insisted for the Magee couple to take to show her gratitude for the help given to has grown, conducting surgical missions in over 60 countries with a global network of more than 5,000 volunteers from 80 countries. It has provided over two million comprehensive health care evaluations and over 200,000 free surgeries for children and young adults born with clefts, of which more than 24,000 are Filipinos. Its both our responsibility and delight to come together and thank the Filipinos for inspiring the birth of Operation Smile, said Dr. Magee, cofounder and executive chairman of Operation Smile, Inc., the mother organization headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, USA. The launch took an even more touching turn when former beneficiary and now Operation Smile Ambassador Chadleen Lacdo-o recalled her ordeal as a young child with cleft palate teased by her peers, and her dream of being normal-looking. Today, Chadleen is living her dream moving the audience to tears when she serenaded them with her songs and reached out to five-year-old Angel, a young Operation Smile patient. Operation Smiles The Journey Home is a series of medical missions that seeks to change a childs life by conducting free surgery to repair cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities.

Physical inactivity kills 5 million a year: report

PARIS -- A third of the worlds adults are physically inactive, and the couch potato lifestyle kills about five million people every year, experts said in the medical journal The Lancet on Wednesday. Roughly three of every 10 individuals aged 15 years or older -- about 1.5 billion people -- do not reach present physical activity recommendations, they said in a report that described the problem as a pandemic. The picture for adolescents is even more worrying, with four out of five 13- to 15-year-olds not moving enough, it said. Physical inactivity was described for the study as failing to do 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five times a week, 20 minutes of vigorous activity three times a week, or a combination of the two. Inactivity increases with age, is higher in women than in men, and more prevalent in high-income countries, the researchers found. A second study, comparing physical activity levels with population statistics on diseases like diabetes, heart problems and cancer, said lack of exercise claimed more than 5.3 million of the 57 million deaths worldwide in 2008. It said inactivity was a risk factor comparable to smoking or obesity. Lack of exercise causes an estimated six percent of coronary heart disease cases, seven percent of type 2 diabetes (the most common form) and 10 percent of breast and colon cancers, it said. Reducing inactivity by 10 percent could eliminate more than half a million deaths every year, the report said, adding that the estimates were conservative. The human body needs exercise to help the bones, muscles, heart and other organs function optimally, but populations are walking, running and cycling less and less as they spend more time in cars and in front of computers, the investigators said. The Lancet series called for global efforts to promote physical exercise by improving pedestrian and cyclist safety on city roads, for example, more physical education at school or promoting access to free public exercise spaces. (AFP)

Ms. Universe 2011 3rd runner-up Shamcey Supsup shows her support for Operation Smile as she presents patient and beneficiary Angel together with OSP chairman Joaquin Quintos
sion site. The Magees and their team however were only able to accommodate 40 children that day. In all likelihood, the mission would have ended that daywere it not for a woman, the other children. That simple gesture tugged at the couples hearts, inspiring them to mobilize support for another medical mission the next year. And the rest, as they say, is history. Today, Operation Smile

Star Cooking
lb cups tsp pc pc pcs cup tin/560 ml. Catfish Water Salt Fish Sauce (patis) Ginger (thumb-size), sliced Onion (small), sliced Jalapeno peppers Vinegar Coconut milk

w/ Fil-Ams

Adobadong Pantat (Catfish)

1 4 1/2 1 1 2 1/2 1

GENEVA -- The UN agency tasked with fighting AIDS on Tuesday welcomed the decision by the United States to allow the use of an HIV prevention pill for the first time. The pill will be used to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV for people who do not have HIV, but who are at high risk of being exposed to the virus, UNAIDS said in a statement from its (By NSG, San Leandro, CA) Geneva headquarters. Since 2004, the combination of drugs contained in the pill -- emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil

UNAIDS welcomes U.S. okay of drug to stop HIV

fumarate -- has been used to help those with HIV, but not to protect against infection, the agency said. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the pill -- known as Truvada -- on Monday based on results from clinical trials which found that a daily oral dose of tenofovir, or emtricitabine/ tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, carried significant preventative benefits, UNAIDS said. HIV prevention of this kind is called pre-exposure prophy-

laxis, or PrEP, which the FDA approved as part of a wider HIV prevention strategy that includes condom use and other

safer sex practices, risk reduction counseling and control of other sexually transmitted infections. (AFP)

Anting-anting and a warriors spirituality

(Courtesy of Joseph Bautista/Eskabo Daan)
Religion has had a profound impact on Filipino Martial Arts. To the Filipino warrior of yore, religion was a way to accept the possibility of death at any given moment. More specifically, the use of anting-anting made the idea more bearable. Anting-anting (Pilipino for amulet) is defined as an object of supernatural powers and a part of the old practice of arnisescrima (Mallari 2009). The possession of anting-anting was said to give the warrior who carriedit special powers, such as invulnerability and healing abilities. The belief behind the anting-anting is a combination of animism and Catholicism (Mallari 2009). Early arnisadores were able to combine the two religions as many of the indigenous holy days coincided with Catholic holy days. Although the Catholic Church in the Philippines does not acknowledge anting-anting, its presence is seen throughout FMA. Testament to this is the naming of techniques and arnis systems after deities such as the arnis strike Tagang San Miguel, named after Archangel Michael. Even the term Bahala na -roughly translated, come what may/ -- can be traced to the etymology of the word Bathala, the name of the supreme deity of the ancient Filipinos. Bahala na came from Bathala na, which means Let God (Mallari 2011). The phrase implies that the warrior invoking the phrase is entrusting fate to God. Those with anting-anting believe their powers are strongest during Good Fridays and thus many tests are performed that day. However, not every anting-anting is the same as many differ in form, name, and power. Although the most common anting-anting is the physical amulet, it also takes the form of oracion (prayer). Possession of anting-anting is given through lineage or in FMA, many of the amulets promised protection from attacks. A common oracion called the kabal or kunat oracion is supposed to give the beneficiary resistance to lacerations. Another type, called tagaliwas (diverter) is said to make bullets miss from close range. However, mere possession of anting-anting does not mean its power can be harnesses limitlessly. It is believed that an amulet could be a negative force if misused. Furthermore, how one acquired an anting-anting, as well as ones spiritual connection, determine whether or not one is worthy of possessing it and using its power. For instance on May 21, 1967 in Manila, activist Valetin Delos Santos used antinganting to protect members of his organization. They faced the army of then president Ferdinand Marcos demanding reforms, and armed with bolos entrusted their lives to the power of anting-anting. The society was slaughtered on site. Although today, emphasis is put more on tactics and techniques, spirituality is still part of the FMA culture and is observed by many around the world. For those who believe in anting-anting, they are convinced that faith and prayer would allow them tocall upon the amulets powers when necessary. It is believed that without faith, the anting-anting is merely an object or a senseless incantation. ( References -- Perry Gil S. Mallari: The Influence of Religion on Filipino Martial Arts, April 7, 2011; Perry Gil S. Mallari: Anting-Anting and the Filipino Martial Arts, August 7, 2009; Perry Gil S. Mallari: The Magic of the Tagabulag, November 1, 2011; Photo courtesy of ReflectionofAsia.com)

Boil water in a saucepan. Add catfish, salt, fish sauce, ginger, onion and peppers. Over medium heat, cook for about 10 minutes. Pour vinegar and coconut milk. Leave saucepan uncovered until mixture starts to boil; do not stir mixture until it starts to boil. Continue cooking until sauce is thick. Serve hot with white rice.

Oyster Omelette
3 1 5 1 8 cloves pc pcs bottle pcs Garlic, minced Onion (small), chopped Mustard leaves, sliced into thin strips Oysters, rinsed and drained well, and chopped Eggs, beaten Cooking oil Salt to taste

Heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a skillet. Saute onion and garlic. Stir in the mustard leaves and cook until tender. Add the chopped oysters and heat through. Set aside. Heat a skillet with 3 tablespoons cooking oil and pour in eggs seasoned with salt. When eggs begin to set, tilt the skillet slightly from side to side to cook the eggs evenly. Spoon the oyster filling onto the eggs. Fold over the eggs to enclose the filling. Remove from pan and transfer to a serving platter.

(For comments and suggestions, email filamstar@yahoo.com.)

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