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www.�lipinopress.comNovember 20 - 26, 2010

By Bill RamseyFilipino Press Staff Writer

SAN DIEGO — An expanding Philippine economy and the unraveling of bureaucratic red tape by the Aquino administration have set the stage for increased interest in foreign trade and investment in Philippine business-es, top Philippine business leaders said prior to a forum on the topic on Monday, Nov. 15, at the Doubletree Hotel in Mission Valley.

“Under new leadership, our economy is growing,” said, Robert F. Trota, chairman of the Philippine Franchise Association and president of the famed Max's Restaurant, which recently opened a branch in New Jer-sey. “During the first half (of the year), spend-ing has seen significant growth. Everyone’s trying to fast-track. No one wants to miss the boat. We’re expecting to grow 30 percent in the next two years and we’re excited.”

Trota’s comments and enthusiasm for the new Aquino administration and economic outlook were echoed by the four other Phil-ippine business leaders who headlined the forum here.

Antonio L. Tiu, CEO of AgriNurture, Inc., said that despite the economic slowdown that has crippled global business during the past two years, his business continues to register postive growth.

“We’re a recession-proof industry — ev-erybody has to eat,” said Tiu. “The agri-sec-tor is an exciting, fast-growing industry. Our company has registered double-digit growth year-on-year. We’re bullish. With Aquino putting a priority on agriculture, we expect to grow faster than ever.”

Trota and Tiu joined Fernando P. Cala II of Prople North American (an outsourcing firm), Bibiano S. Fajardo of ATHAG (a tra-ditional health care company) and Aleli V. Pansacola of Daila (a manufacturer of herb-al soap) at the forum, which was designed to educate and recruit investment and trade in Philippine businesess.

Co-organized by the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of San Diego, the Phil-ippine Consulate General of Los Angeles and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center, the event highlighted opportunities for Fili-pino-Americans in San Diego seeking to fran-chise or invest in Philippine-based businesses.

“President Aquino seems serious about cut-ting down on the red tape that had hampered foreign investment,” said Cala of Prople, who said the Philippines is second only to India in outstourcing. “Now is a good time to come in while things are picking up.”

Now is time to invest, business

leaders say

t r a d e & i n v e s t m e n t

Photo: Bill Ramsey/Filipino Press

Business leaders from the Philippines assembled Mon-day, Nov. 15, for a trade and investment forum at the Doubletree Hotel in Mission Valley. From left to right, Robert F. Trota of Max’s Restaurant, Antonio L. Tiu of AgriNurture, Inc., Philippine Trade Representative Archimedes Gomez, Fernando P. Cala II of Prople, Aleli V. Pansacola of Daila Herbal Community Enterprises, Inc., Audie de Castro of the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce San Diego and Bibiano S. Fajardo of the Association of Traditional Health Aid Givers, Inc.

The father met Bacor at the door of his mod-est Mira Mesa home. He began the conversa-tion with cultural pleasantries: From where in the Philippines does her family come from? How long have they been in the United States? What do they do for a living? Do her parents know so and so? Where did she go to school? What was her major? How did she get into so-cial services and working with youth in trou-ble? Does she know so and so? Was she hun-gry? Was she thirsty? He offered her food.

Bacor knew the drill. To work in the Filipino community, you had to go through a cultural “dance” of introductions to find commonalities so there would be a smoother and more trust-ing foundation to begin a relationship. Even though she wasn’t hungry, she knew she had to take the food so she wouldn’t seem ungrate-ful and, not wanting to socialize, to bond. She sat for what she knew would be a long, tedious unrav-eling of the “real” story from the father’s point of view, then the

son. She knew that somewhere in the middle of their story was the beginning of the truth.

The father worked the graveyard shift at Sony. He left his sons in care of a friend, but the friend worked the swing shift and there was a daily gap in time when his sons were left to themselves, usually after school. This is when the elder son and his friends would hang out at

his house, watch TV, listen to music, talk and do their homework. The father seemed to

feel guilty for not having more supervision for his sons. He thought things would

By Alicia DeLeon-Torres • Filipino Press Contributing Writer

Pureza Bacor recalls the Filipino father, a single parent, who called at 4:55 p.m. on a Friday afternoon. He spoke in hushed tones and in near tears.

“Do you speak Tagalog? I can speak in English but what I need to say, I can’t express myself right in English. I need to speak to someone who speaks to Tagalog,” pleaded the father.

Bacor continued the conversation in Tagalog and after almost an hour of listen-ing to his anguish, she promised to meet with him and his eldest son, who had been arrested by San Diego Police gang unit detectives earlier in the week.

Editor’s note: This article was produced as a project for the California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships, a program of USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. This is the first part of a three-part series on gang prevention through par-ent involvement in San Diego’s Filipino-American community.

See gangs on 18

Not mychildGang prevention through parental involvement in San Diego’s Filipino-American community

By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Rep-resentatives is preparing to roll out the red carpet for the return of boxing champion and Saranggani Representative Manny Pacquiao to the chamber on Monday, Nov. 22.

Pacquiao is expected to report to work fol-lowing his victory over Mexican Antonio Mar-garito in Arlington, Texas, that earned him his eighth boxing title.

He is expected to return to the country on Saturday, Nov. 20.

No less than his colleagues are pooling their resources to raise funds for a “hero’s welcome” for Pacquiao, according to An Waray Repre-sentative Florencio “Bem” Noel.

Noel, who also heads the committee on ac-counts, said that each of the 280 House mem-bers have pledged at least P1,000 each for the food, decoration, band and other resources needed for Monday’s festivities.

Pacquiao will be conferred with his second Congressional Medal of Distinction in plena-ry.

“Everyone is participating and everybody is contributing in their own little way to pay tribute to the greatness of Pacquiao,” Noel said.

After the ceremonies at the plenary, festivi-ties will continue with at the rear entrance of the session hall where a band will be set up to provide live music. Pacquiao, who also sings, is expected to belt out few songs.

Noel also said that packed meals courtesy of a Filipino-owned fast food chain will be dis-tributed to the 3,800 House officials and em-ployees.

Members of the media also got an advisory Pacquiao may also hold a news conference in the press center.

On Monday, the House approved 20 reso-lutions commending Pacquiao for his victory and hailing him as one of the world’s great-est boxers.

The resolutions included the one filed by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales and Minority Lead-er Edcel Lagman conferring to him the Con-gressional Medal of Distinction. (Inquirer.net)

Pacquiao returns to

hero’s welcome

neWs FrOm tHe PHiLiPPines

Red carpet to roll out for champion fighter as he

arrives home on Saturday

Super 8Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao defeated Antonio Margarito for the WBC Super Welterweight title by unanimous decision after 12 rounds of boxing at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas on Saturday, Nov. 13. Pacquiao now holds a record eight titles in as many weight divisions — a feat that may not be duplicated in his lifetime. Is it time to quit? Page 6. Fight photos, Pacquiao releases autobiograph, Page 18.

Photo: Chris Farina/Top Rank

2 November 20 -26, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

MANILA, Philippines — Fol-lowing the recent bus strike that left more than 8,000 commuters stranded in Metro Manila, au-thorities are considering a purge of bus franchises to weed out rogue operators.

Metropolitan Manila Develop-ment Authority (MMDA) Chair-man Francis Tolentino said he may seek Congress’ help in can-celing all franchises and having operators apply for new ones.

“Just like in the Commission on Elections, if there are flying voters and double registrants, the book of voters is canceled and a new registration is held. In our case, we can junk the list of franchises and have all oper-ators apply for new franchises.

That way we can start from zero and screen out the rogue and colorum operators,” he said.

MMDA spokeswoman Tina Velasco hinted at a similar pro-posal as she said it would be bet-ter if “we can start from scratch.”

“If we can start from scratch, it would be better,” she said.

But Tolentino said they will need the help of Congress in leg-islating the nullification of the existing franchises.

He added parties concerned may bring it up at a traf-fic management summit that government is organizing for December 3.

Tolentino made the sugges-tion days after bus operators opposing the MMDA’s num-

ber-coding scheme for buses stopped plying Metro Manila’s main thoroughfares.

Initial findings by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board showed 100 of 140 bus operators did not ply their routes in Metro Ma-nila during the recent incident.

Meanwhile, the Land Trans-portation Franchising and Reg-ulatory Board (LTFRB) was ex-pected to deliver show-cause orders to bus firms that did not ply their routes.

Bus firms that will get such orders should explain why they should not be sanctioned for their no-show that caused such an inconvenience to com-muters. (MNS)

MANILA, Philippines—– The people should be given the chance to watch live on TV or hear on radio the on-going tri-al of the accused in the Magu-indanao massacre so that past mistakes will not be repeated, President Benigno Aquino III said recently.

The President effective-ly sided with the media and the families of the 57 massa-cre victims, including at least 30 media workers, in their call for the Supreme Court to re-consider its earlier decision to bar live coverage of the trial.

Aquino said he was add-ing this appeal to his “list” of other appeals to the Supreme Court, with which he had been at odds on a number of issues.

The high court had ruled against live coverage of the Maguindanao massacre trial in keeping with its earlier rul-ing to bar live coverage of the plunder trial of deposed Presi-dent Joseph Estrada.

To expedite the resolution of the case, Judge Jocelyn Solis Reyes ordered that hearings be held twice a week starting next month.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima told reporters that she was in favor of live coverage of the trial “because I really ad-here to transparency.”

But De Lima said certain factors should first be consid-ered. For one, she said, live coverage of the trial might vi-olate the court’s rule prohib-

iting witnesses from hearing the testimony of their fellow witnesses.

“There should be careful evaluation of these matters. We should weigh and balance the people’s right to know and the concern of the victims’ fam-ilies against the downsides,” she said.

According to De Lima, live coverage of the trial may also lead to the grandstanding of members of the defense and prosecution panels.

“We should study these is-sues, but the ultimate judge here is the Supreme Court or some ‘middle ground,’” she said.

The President said live cov-erage of the trial would be “ed-ucational for the people.”

“I think that would be a helpful direction in the sense that if we don’t learn lessons from past [mistakes], then we are condemned to repeat the same,” he said in an interview with reporters at the Palace press room.

Aquino said that with live coverage, the people would “find out what transpired, where the possibility came from to produce such an atroc-ity, and what steps should be done to prevent [such a thing] from happening again.”

The President will convey his appeal to the Supreme Court in a formal letter to Chief Justice Renato Corona, according to his spokesperson, Edwin Lacierda. (inquirer.net)

MANILA, Philippines — Vis-its by foreigners to the Philip-pines rose this year despite trav-el warnings and a bloody hostage fiasco that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead, the immigration bureau recently said.

The number of foreign ar-rivals reached 2.56 million as of November 8, up 17 per-cent from the same period last year, immigration chief Roland Ledesma said in a statement.

"This is a positive sign that despite the negative travel advisories, we are succeeding in our efforts to promote the Philippines as a prime tour-ist destination," he said.

He expressed confidence that tourists would hit at least three million in 2010 as more usual-ly come to the Philippines in the last two months of the year.

The tourism industry had feared the country would be hit hard by a deadly siege in Au-gust when eight Hong Kong tourists were killed by a dis-graced Filipino policeman who took them hostage in Manila.

As a result, the Hong Kong government announced a "black" travel alert while Chi-na issued its own travel warn-ing for the Philippines.

In another setback, sev-eral Western nations includ-ing the United States, Britain and Australia issued adviso-ries this month, warning that an attack may be staged at any time in the Philippines, possi-bly targeting foreigners.

Government statistics show that there were 3.017 million tourist arrivals in 2009, down 3.9 percent from 2008. (MNS)

Foreign visitors flock to RP despite

hostage fiasco

Manila development authority eyes ‘purging’ bus franchises

A Filipino journalist takes part in a recent silent protest next to the accused inside a jail facility in Taguig City where a special court is trying members of the powerful Ampatuan clan for the worst political massacre in the Philippines.

Photo: AFP

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) recently reported a significant decrease of more than a third in crime incidents nationwide dur-ing the first eight months of 2010.

Crime data gathered by the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) based on reports from all the po-lice regional offices showed a 38.33 percent drop in total crime volume during the January to August period this year.

The DIDM registered a to-tal of 205,604 crimes for the eight-month period, compared to 333,416 crime incidents in 2009.

PNP spokesman Senior Supt. Agrimero Cruz Jr. attributed the

lower crime rate to the imposition of stricter security measures as called by the Commission on Elec-tions (Comelec) in connection with the May 10 presidential elections.

“The significant improvement in the overall crime situation is attributed largely to the 150-day election gun ban period that took effect from January to June in con-nection with the May 2010 nation-al and local elections,” said Cruz.

He said that consistent with the decline in total crime volume were the corresponding double-digit decreases in Index Crime, down by 27.98 percent, and Non-Index Crime by 43.87 percent.

Likewise, Cruz said the na-tional crime record posted a 39.1

percent drop in crimes against persons, and 28.37 decrease in crimes against property.

“These statistics show an ever improving trend in the overall peace and order situation,” Cruz said as he doused undue appre-hensions of a perceived crime wave sweeping the country aris-ing from a series of recent high-profile crime incidents.

Notorious members of the “Martilyo Gang” recently pulled off two separate robbery inci-dents against jewelry shops in Binondo, Manila and inside SM City-Bicutan in Paranaque City, carting away undetermined amount of valuables.

“Isolated cases as these inci-dents are, these particular cas-es do not necessarily reflect the prevailing peace and order situa-tion on a national scale,” the PNP spokesman said. (MNS)

PNP reports significant drop in crimes during first 8 months of 2010

Aquino: Massacre trial should be aired live

BSP hikes forecasts for GIR to $58BMANILA, Philippines — The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has revised its forecast for gross international reserves (GIR) to $58 bil-lion next year from a previous projection of only $52 billion, based on a report.

For this year, the BSP is maintaining its $55 billion GIR projection which is good enough to sustain nine months of import cover. The $58 billion 2011 GIR forecast is equivalent to 8.1 months of import cover.

The BSP’s Monetary Board noted the revised GIR projection, which is a result of an expected higher overall balance of payments (BoP) surplus of $8.2 billion for this year and a higher current account surplus of $9.2 billion.

The revised BOP outlook is equivalent to 4.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) while current account excess is five percent of GDP. The previous forecast was $3.7 billion for BOP or 2.1 percent of GDP and $8.3 billion for current account, or 4.7 percent of GDP.

BSP Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guiningundo announced Friday in a presscon that BOP surplus next year will slow down to $1.9 billion or 0.9 percent of GDP, lower than previous forecast of $2 billion.

The report, which was not discussed in the presscon, indicated that the 2010 and 2011 BOP outlook was revised to reflect current domestic and global growth projections and its impact on trade and capital flows.

The higher BoP surplus, said the report, is due to the expected high-er current account surplus and reversal of the capital and financial account from a deficit to a surplus based on the emerging num-bers. The current account surplus is revised higher because of the expected lower deficit in the merchandise trade balance and higher net inflows in the income account.

As of the end of September, the BoP surplus amounted to $6.45 billion and $3.06 billion for the month of September alone following revisions on the treatment of the International Monetary Fund’s allocations of Special Drawing Rights as a long-term liability.

The recalculation of external positions did not only affect BoP but also GIR, external debt and the Philippine international investment position.

For the January-September period, GIR totaled $53.75 while, boosted by the $1.3 billion deposits from the National Government and with the reflection of the SDR allocations worth $1.12 billion as increases to the GIR. (mb.com.ph)

Administration to prioritize toll roads in Metro ManilaMANILA, Philippines — The government wants to start the con-struction of three toll roads within a 200-kilometer radius of Metro Manila by next year under its public-private partnership (PPP) pro-gram, according to a top official.

These toll roads are the P10.5-billion Cavite-Laguna East-West National Road, the P11.5-billion Central Luzon East Expressway and the P21-billion C6 Laguna Lake Road Dike, said Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson.

“We’re looking at these three [expressways] next year once we complete the full feasibility studies,” Singson said on the sidelines of the Manage-ment Association of the Philippines general membership meeting.

Singson was particularly enthusiastic about the C6 road dike.

“It will take out direct discharge from the sewer that feeds into the Laguna Lake so it can be preserved,” he said.

Other toll roads the government is eyeing are the Ninoy Aquino Inter-national Airport Phase 2 connecting the Skyway to Roxas Boulevard, and the C6 Expressway linking Sucat, Paranaque to Quezon City.

The Aquino administration is expected to launch its PPP initiative on November 18 with an initial list of 10 projects up for grabs.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) esti-mated that the government’s PPP initiative would require up to P739.78 billion in investments.

NEDA said the government will roll out next year 10 PPP projects re-quiring P127.8 billion in investments.

For 2012 and beyond, the government identified 73 projects for its PPP portfolio. (manilatimes.net)

Schneider Electric launches energy management productMANILA, Philippines — Schneider Electric, one of the world's leading energy management companies, has launched its EcoStruxure solution ar-chitecture designed to help businesses optimize their energy efficiencies.

”Uncoordinated component-level attempts to solve energy manage-ment issues by different corporate functions without a comprehensive plan can actually inhibit a company’s ability to meet efficiency goals,” Schneider Electric Philippines president Philippe Reveilhac said.

“By providing our customers with clear and comprehensive reference architectures across key environments and applications, we intend to reduce inefficiencies and increase a company’s ability to make invisible energy waste both visible and actionable,” he added.

With EcoStruxure™, Reveilhac said, Schneider Electric is able to leverage its world-class competencies to deliver solutions to its customers at all levels of energy utilization.

He added such solution unites the company's unique expertise in power, data centers, process and machines, building control and physi-cal security which are essential to solve the energy equation.

EcoStruxure™ is also able to connect these five domains of expertise within an open and flexible ecosystem of technology that relies on the use of internet protocols and web services, allowing purpose specific applications to connect whenever needed, at the right level, Reveilhac stressed.

“Schneider Electric’s vision for EcoStruxure™ is simple – develop and de-ploy an integrated architecture that ties together its five key domains of expertise to make energy safe, reliable, efficient, productive and green,” he pointed out.

“What customers need are the connecting solutions that create an intelligent energy management system across all application areas – Schneider Electric is building that architecture,” he added.

With EcoStruxure™, businesses can anticipate better results and im-provements in operations through systematic energy visibility and real time control of any energy usage.

Energy waste in all forms – from electricity and water to me-chanical and human – can be captured and mitigated to achieve improved efficiency.

Reveilhac said the company will be rolling out EcoStruxure™ reference architectures as well as corresponding training throughout 2010. (MNS)

November 20 -26, 2010 3THE FILIPINO PRESS

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4 November 20 -26, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Bren-da Aispuro Hurtado has brought her nine years of real estate ex-perience including certification

as a short sales and real estate a u c t i o n special ist to McMillin Realty. Bi-lingual in E n g l i s h and Span-ish, she has held posi-

tions on both sides of the inter-national border and says this gives her an advantage when working with clients from San Diego's diverse population.

“Understanding firsthand the cultural particularities of a region helps me to better connect with my clients and provide to them the best service possible,” Hurta-do said. “I pledge to each client that I will bring to them hones-ty, integrity, trust and results.” Hurtado was recognized by a pre-vious brokerage with the Honor Society Award for Sales in 2005. In addition to her certifications, she has also furthered her real estate education with coaching from the acclaimed Tom Ferry or-ganization. She also has been in-volved in the Optimist Club and Corpus Christi Church of Bonita.

Hurtado can be reached at (619) 210-5309 or baispurohurta-do@mcmillinrealty.com.

McMillin Realty is a full-ser-vice real estate company serving all of San Diego with a focus in South County.

By Robin Sidel

David Stiles was minutes away from seeing his house sold in a foreclosure auction when he got a surprise phone call from his lawyer.

“I'’ve got good news,” said his lawyer, Pamela Simmons. GMAC Mortgage, which loaned him $333,700, had called off the sale. The reason: The lend-er decided to review its foreclo-sure cases because of mounting industrywide concerns about shoddy procedures used in doc-ument preparation.

Across the U.S., the mort-gage mess is deepening the anxiety and uncertainty swirl-ing around homeowners who are facing foreclosure. Foreclo-sure is already a slow process, but the decision by lenders such as Bank of America Corp. and J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. to halt most or all foreclosure sales and internal scrutiny by other finan-cial institutions likely will keep many troubled borrowers in their homes for weeks or even months longer.

The decision by GMAC, a unit of Ally Financial Inc., means that Stiles and his two teen-age sons can stay in their three-bedroom home, surrounded by

Move by lenders may

benefit homeowners

Short sale specialist

Hurtado joinsMcMillin

See lenders on 5

By Catey Hill

With interest rates near record lows, refinancing has never looked so

tempting — especially for people nearing retirement, who’d love some extra cash to pad their di-minished savings. But for hom-eowners over 50, there’s more to consider than just a lower rate.

Carrying a mortgage into re-tirement has traditionally been considered a bad idea — ideally, you’d be as debt-free as possible when your income stops, finan-cial planners say. But in recent years, more retirees have had mortgage debt. About half of re-tirees said they carried mort-

gage debt in 2009, compared to one in four just two years earli-er, according to the Society of Ac-tuaries. They’re carrying more debt, too. The median level of mortgage debt for those aged 65 to 74 jumped 108 percent from 1992 to 2007, to $69,000.

That trend is unlikely to abate any time soon. With the typical interest rate for a 30-year mortgage hovering be-tween 4 percent and 6 percent, the temptation is obvious: more cash in hand. American home-owners who are eligible to re-finance have in droves. Refi-nancing applications made up about 82 percent of total mort-gage loan applications in Oc-tober, compared to just 55 per-

cent in April, according to the Mortgage Banker’s Association. The payoff is hundreds of dol-lars in “savings” each month. A $200,00 mortgage balance at 6.5 percent refinanced to 4.5 percent could cut monthly pay-ments by $200 or more.

At such low rates, does the old advice — that you should be debt-free in retirement — still hold? Many financial advi-sors say yes. “The number one objective should be to be out of debt when you hit retirement,” said Mark Byelich, president and founder of M.J. Byelich & Associates, a Trevose, Penn.-based wealth management firm. But there are some ex-ceptions to the rule.

If you’re thinking about refi-nancing and you’re nearing re-tirement, some do’s and don’t’s:

Don’t use the extra money to take on more risk

Some people are tempted to refinance even though it extends the term of their loan, so they can put the extra monthly “sav-ings” into another investment like the stock market. Sure, over the long-term, the stock market has historically gen-erated high returns (the aver-age annual gain of the S&P 500 from 1926 to 2010 was 9.8 per-cent), but to get those kinds of returns, investors may need to stay in the market for decades.

Refinancing when you're over 50

See refinancing on 5

Brenda Hurtado

“I’m grateful that I have some extra time

so I can make a decision of what to do.”

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November 20 -26, 2010 5THE FILIPINO PRESS

redwood trees in California’s Santa Cruz Mountains. Still, the foreclosure sale is set to proceed Nov. 18.

“I’m grateful that I have some extra time so I can make a decision of what to do,” said Stiles, 50 years old, who hasn't paid his $2,700-a-month mortgage since Febru-ary. He left his job as a project manager for a construction company because he has Par-kinson’s disease.

A GMAC spokeswoman wouldn’t comment on Stiles's case. She said the lender is conducting additional reviews before proceeding with any foreclosure sales.

So far, there are few signs lenders and servicers will undo substantial numbers of the foreclosure proceedings being reviewed across the U.S. No one has been “evicted out of a home who shouldn't have been,” said James Di-mon, J.P. Morgan Chase’s chairman and chief executive.

Wall Street analysts gen-erally are taking a simi-lar view, saying the halts in foreclosure sales are likely to cause little financial im-pact on banks in the long run. “Sorry, no free houses,” wrote Glenn Schorr, an ana-lyst with Nomura Securities International, in a research report to clients.

Americans for Financial Reform, a group of consum-er, investor and small-busi-ness organizations, recently called for a temporary mora-torium on foreclosures, say-ing there should be a new process ensuring lenders are following the rules.

“It is the lenders’ and ser-vicers' own actions that have now created overwhelming un-certainty in the system,” said a statement from the Wash-ington-based group. (wsj.com)

For example, between 1965 and 1980 the Dow Jones Industrial Average had peaks and valleys but ended at about the same lev-el it began. So if you’re less than 10 years from retirement, don’t use that extra monthly “savings” from a refi for a stock-heavy in-vestment. Instead, work on pay-ing down your mortgage or other loans as quickly as you can. “In-vesting should be secondary to paying off debt,” said Byelich.Think about whether you'll move

If you don’t plan to stay in the house long enough to recoup the closing costs skip a refi, said Nan-cy L. Skeans, a CPA and partner at Schneider Downs Wealth Man-agement Advisors in Pittsburgh. But if you’re planning to move in, say, five years or more, and your finances are stable, refinancing could help you buy that retire-ment home now.

Don’t use the excuse, “I’ll work longer”

A full 75 percent of workers aged 50 and older expect to have jobs when they are retired, ac-cording to a 2010 study by the Families and Work Institute and the Sloan Center on Aging & Work. That might make extend-ing your mortgage loan into re-tirement seem OK. But a job “is not an ace in the hole,” said El-eanor Blayney, a consumer advo-cate for the CFP Board. “People lose their jobs and get sick every day.” That’s even more true these days; the unemployment rate for workers ages 55 and older hit a record high in December 2009

at 7.2 percent and has hov-ered near that level all year. For those 65 and older, the un-employment rate is 7.6 per-cent — nearly double what it was just five years ago. And it currently takes 35.5 weeks.

Do refinance if you need the cash

Savings aren’t earning much interest (one-year CD yields are hovering around a mere 1 percent), 10-year Trea-sury bond yields are still at near-historic lows and unem-ployment remains fairly stag-nant at 9.6 percent. Essen-tial expenses like health care are rising — employers plan to ask employees to contrib-ute 12 percent more to cov-er health insurance costs in 2011 than they did in 2010, according to a study by Hewitt Associates. It all adds up to more people being strapped for cash — and considering a refi that lowers their monthly payments even as it extends the term of their loan.

Do opt for a 15-year term if you can

For starters, a 15-year term leaves more money in your pocket — you'll pay much less in interest over the life of the loan. If you re-finance a mortgage (assume a 5 percent rate) balance of $100,000 for a 30-year term, you will pay more than double what you'd pay had you opt-ed for a 15-year term (about $93,000 in interest vs. about $42,000). Plus, you can get a historically low rate on a 15-year loan now, too. (wsj.com)

refinancingContinued from p age 4

lendersContinued from p age 4

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SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Tammy Lower is the newest edition to McMillin Realty’s growing group of real estate agents. She joins her father, real estate veteran Chris Lewis, as South County’s only father-daughter team.

Before joining McMillin Re-alty, Lower worked as an as-sistant title officer with a pre-vious firm.

Lewis has worked in the real estate business for more than 21 years. With nearly 17 of those years with McMillin, he has sold residential real estate and man-aged a residential real estate of-fice. For seven of those years, he trained and led more than 25 agents to successful careers in the industry. After that, he be-came certified as a Commercial Investment Member (CCIM)

of the Commercial Investment Institute and began to work in commercial leasing and sales.

Lower and her father have a combined real estate experi-ence of more than 30 years in the industry.

“As the only father-daugh-ter team in the South Bay, we are acutely aware of each oth-er’s strengths and weakness-

es,” said Lewis. “We will build off each other’s strengths to bet-ter assist all of our client’s needs more effectively than one per-son. Furthermore, we hold sim-ilar values as far as customer care is concerned so our clients are served twice as well as those with one agent or a team of un-related members.”

Both Lewis and Lower are certified by the National As-sociation of Realtors as short sale and foreclosure resource specialists. They are able to assist clients concerning short sales and the many options available to them.

Lower can be reached at (619) 409-8723 or via email at tlower@mcmillinrealty.com. Visit, lew-islower.mcmillinrealty.com for more on the Lewis Lower team.

Father, daughter team up at McMillin

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6 November 20 -26, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

While I commend Presi-dent Aquino for stand-ing up for the country

in protesting the travel advi-sories issued by seven nations

against the Philippines, I must also agree with the advice of Senators Loren Legarda and Tito Sotto to take seriously the warnings against terror threats.

These seven countries, six of which aired serious concerns about the threat of terror-ist attacks in the Philippines, all have extensive intelligence networks and wouldn’t be issu-ing the advisories if there were no imminent threat to their nationals who are planning on trips to the country.

The six countries that is-sued travel advisories were the United States, Canada, France, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. Japan was the sev-enth country to issue a trav-el advisory to its citizens, but it warned against criminality such as kidnappings and rob-bery, not against terrorists.

It is understandable for Aqui-no to protest the advisories, knowing fully well that such

warnings could scare both tour-ists and investors at a time when the country is attracting these two groups in an effort to revive the ailing Philippine economy.

But Aquino must also un-derstand that it is the duty of these seven countries to pro-tect its people from harm. In-stead of merely protesting, the government should show that it is equally concerned with such reports and that it is mo-bilizing its security agencies to verify the reports.

As has been the case with other incidents in the past few months, the Aquino adminis-tration has shown indecisive-ness in its actions. On Nov. 10, Malacanang announced that the Philippine National Po-lice and the military have been placed on high alert following information that terrorists are planning attacks in Mindanao and possibly in Metro Manila.

The next day, Malacanang said the terror reports upon which the advisories were based were “raw” and uncon-firmed and that the govern-ment is thus protesting the is-suance of the advisories.

How could have the country’s intelligence agencies confirmed

the reports in just one day? The six countries are not say-ing there was definitely a terror threat, but that based on their intelligence reports there is a strong possibility that attacks could be staged in Mindanao and possibly Metro Manila. Based on such reports, it was incum-bent upon these nations to warn their nationals not to travel to the Philippines in the meantime while such threats appear immi-nent. As we always say, better safe than sorry.

In fact, the Philippine mil-itary has confirmed that it has received reports that terrorists, including Jemaah Islamiyah member Umar Patek — who

was believed responsible for the 2002 Bali, Indonesia, bombing that killed more than 200 peo-ple — have entered the country. Scores of foreign tourists were killed in that Bali attack.

Deputy presidential spokes-person Abigail Valte said they have yet to confirm if Patek is indeed in the country but that intelligence operatives are now gathering information about the report. On Nov. 12, ABS-CBN News showed video foot-age of Patek carrying a rifle. The video, which was reported-ly taken in Tawi-Tawi, was pro-vided by think tank Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research.

The Philippines certainly cannot afford another incident similar to the botched hostage-taking at the Luneta in Au-gust, which caused an inter-national embarrassment to the young Aquino administration and drove away tourists, espe-cially those coming from Hong-kong and China.

What if the Aquino adminis-tration continues protesting the travel advisories and, heaven forbid, a terror attack occurred

One of the dominant char-acteristics of man’s su-periority over animals

is his capacity for choice. This statement is true from the dawn of time to the present.

As we go through various changes and evolutions as peo-ple, society and even in our envi-ronment, we are fortunate to be able to make adjustments in the way we do things and achieve the results that we aim for.

As we go through life, we face so many choices — some good, some not so good. If we happen to make good choices, our lives are deemed blesses and fortu-nate. If we make bad choices, we

end up encountering problems or issues that we either face or ignore — or worse, hide from.

Sometimes we are faced with myriad choices leading to confu-sion and, in the process, end up

asking the people around us for their input or opinions. Often, we end up being more confused and misled as information we get is based on rumor or hear-say. We seek out answers from others thinking that because they are older they are natural-ly wiser. Sometimes, that is not the case, as age is not a measure of one’s maturity.

So what choice do we have left but to stop and reflect upon our situation and seek out the assistance of people who have the expertise and training who can provide us an objective view and possible resolutions that would create better choic-es for the life that we live.

In the end, the choices we make — either on our own or those based on the advice of others — are the choices we own. Fortunately, we can learn from our mistakes and correct our course. That’s what makes choosing a win-win proposition.

Please e-mail me at su-sands4@yahoo.com with com-ments and suggestions. And don’t forget to visit us at www.filipinopress.com and our new official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FilipinoPress.

Choices we make

By Benjamin Pimentel

Will he overreach, go too far, try too hard, want too much — and, as a

result, fail?Manny Pacquiao’s victory over

Antonio Margarito proved he can push well beyond the zone most in the boxing world expected him to stay within.

And that’s what makes him special for Filipinos today.

He showed he can push the limits. If the world’s most fa-mous Filipino can break

through massive barriers, why not the rest of the nation?

He’ll surely go down in his-tory among the world’s great-est fighters. Pacquiao doesn’t have anything left to prove in the boxing world. That chapter in his life is coming to an end — or, if he decides not to fight again, is already over after a decisive win capping an impres-sive string of victories.

Sure, a match with Floyd Mayweather may be exciting and surely profitable. But with Floyd’s mindboggling meltdown,

giving him a shot at the Pacman almost seems like rewarding ex-tremely bad behavior.

It’s not worth it. Why pay at-tention to a fighter who, with an astounding display of racist ar-rogance, showed the world that it’s entirely possible for a cham-pion who never lost a fight to end up a loser?

(And the fight commentators’ speculation that maybe Floyd just wants Pacman to take a few more beatings at the hands of bigger fighters to soften him up makes some sense.)

At 31 and with more than 50 fights under his belt, Pacquiao is approaching the age when box-ers must think seriously about hanging up their gloves. But he’s still a young guy and, given the right advice, he can achieve much more beyond the ring.

Beyond boxing, Pacquiao’s greatest appeal is that he comes across as a nice guy, a humble

dude, the everyday Pinoy, the working-class probinsyano with a good heart.

That he achieved internation-al greatness, even without the advantages of the affluent, the powerful, the privileged in the Philippines, is what many Filipi-nos find inspiring.

That he won crown after crown in divisions well above his original weight class, and in gen-erally spectacular style, is what mesmerized the world.

It’s fascinating to learn that Pacquiao, when facing a bigger opponent, sometimes spends the first minutes of the fight actual-ly letting his adversary hit him, just to test how strong he is.

That shows Pacquiao has always been a smart fighter. He’s fast and powerful. But he can also quickly size up an op-ponent’s strengths and weak-nesses just moments into their encounter and make the neces-sary adjustments.

The hope is that Pacquiao will be just as smart in the new are-nas he is wading into as he wraps up his boxing career.

Especially in politics.Pacquiao knows he can’t fight

forever. And he is lucky to have a trainer who knows all about the risks of overextending one’s fighting career.

He will surely get sound ad-vice from Freddy Roach on what to expect from life after the ring,

as Roach explained in a Wall Street Journal piece.

“It is tough to live a life af-ter boxing,” Roach was quot-ed as saying. “It’s very difficult. I suffered that in a much small-er way. I didn’t achieve what he (Pacquiao) did. I’ve seen world champions, like Sugar Ray Leon-ard, people don’t recognize you as much anymore. It’s a little sad and can be tough.”

And that’s why, while many are understandably worried (I’m one of them) about Pacman’s po-litical career, at least he is think-ing ahead. He’s making plans for a future without boxing.

Of course, it’s worrisome that he chose to be part of a world in which you don’t just worry about taking blows to the head and the gut. You also have to worry about getting stabbed in the back. Not just that. It’s also a realm in

C O m m e n ta r y

Misplaced bravado?

The Power of Pacquiao

See abelgas on 7

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See commentary on 7

The hope is that Pacquiao will be just as smart in the new arenas he is wading into as he wraps up his boxing career. Especially politics.

What if the Aquino administration

continues protesting the travel advisories and, heaven forbid,

a terror attack occurred and killed or

injured foreign tourists in the country?

Sometimes we are faced with myriad choices leading to confusion

and, in the process, end up asking the people

around us for their input or opinons.

November 20 -26, 2010 7THE FILIPINO PRESS

and killed or injured foreign tourists in the country?

If the botched hostage cri-sis severely damaged the rep-utation of the fledgling Aquino administration, what more if a Bali-type attack occurred amid the stubborn protests of the travel advisories? The seven countries that issued the ad-visories would say they issued warnings and instead of heed-ing them, the Philippine gov-ernment chose to ignore them.

Can you imagine the harm it would permanently inflict

on the country and the govern-ment? The Aquino government would be severely weakened and its credibility would be se-verely and permanently dam-aged, and the country would become a pariah in the inter-national community. The very sectors that Aquino wishes to protect from the adverse ef-fects of the travel advisories — tourism and business — would suffer the most.

Travel advisories are stan-dard procedures for foreign gov-ernments receiving intelligence information on threats that could harm their nationals. Al-though the Philippines, for some

reason, rarely issues travel advi-sories, it has no reason to be hys-terical about the warnings.

The country stands to suffer much, much more severely if the advisories are correct, after all, and a terror attack kills or injures people, especially tour-ists, than just letting go of the travel advisories, which have been issued against the Philip-pines many times before with no significant consequences.

Aquino’s speech at the APEC summit, in which he criticized the six foreign governments for issuing the travel warnings based on alleged “raw” infor-mation, may be more misplaced

bravado, the same way he vi-ciously attacked the appoint-ment of Supreme Court Jus-tice Renato Corona only to realize that it was futile and arrogantly lambasted the su-preme court for its adverse ruling on midnight appoin-tees. And now he faces an even more hostile tribunal.

Maybe the Aquino admin-istration should start ap-proaching similar incidents more calmly and more diplo-matically. The administration has gone way past the first 100 days and should now be more prepared to govern. (va-labelgas@aol.com)

By Soly Paraiso

It’s Thanksgiving this week once again. Each year at this time we celebrate in

commemoration of that fate-ful day when the pilgrims who came to America to escape re-ligious persecution in Europe declared a Thanksgiving Day in 1623 after their crops were saved by a providential show-er. Since that time, the Amer-ican tradition has been ob-served every fourth Thursday in November.

We Fi l ip ino-Americans have adopted the celebration of Thanksgiving Day since we came here. But what, re-ally, are we thankful for? So many things come to mind. And who should we thank for all the blessings that we en-joy in this life? Of course, we thank the Lord for everything, in as much as He created us in His own image. But as I reflect on this special day, I begin to think also of all the people who we should be grateful for, who we often take for granted, for every little thing that we are enjoying right now.

I thank the farmers who plant the rice and vegetables that we eat every day. I thank the bakers who bake the bread that we serve our fami-ly for breakfast. I thank the fishermen who catch the fish, the butchers who prepare the meats that we cook and put on the table. I thank the drivers of big trucks who deliver the goods to supermarkets where we buy our daily necessities. I thank the doctors who treat us when we are sick. There are so many people that we should

thank, not only on Thanksgiv-ing Day but as often as we have the chance to do so.

Thanksgiving thoughts are the kind of thoughts that we should have all year long. We should take time for kindness to those we hold dear and ex-tend a helping hand to others.

Allow me to repeat here a poem I wrote a few years ago which I think is still relevant on this occasion.

We Thank Thee, LordOn bended knees we thank

Thee, Lord,For all Thy blessings be-

stowed upon us.

The sun, the moon, the stars, the sky.

The air we breathe, the wa-ter we drink,

The lakes, the rivers, the seasTeeming with fish.And on the earth, the creep-

ing things ,The “verdant fields, the am-

ber waves of grain,”Thou created them all for

our satisfaction.The flowers, the trees, the

birds, the bees,The dogs, the cats, the cat-

tle, the sheep,The horses, and all the ani-

mals in the forest,Thou created all these things,And gave Man dominion

over all.What more can we ask of

Thee, Lord?Thou gave us everything we

need To live a life that’s most

complete.Thou gave us families and

friends,The wonders of the world

within our grasp.Thou gave us free will, The power to think and

dream.But above all these, Thou

gave us Love,The greatest gift of which

we thank TheeMost of all.Our hearts are overwhelmed

with gladness,For we are a part of theeAnd Thou are a part of us.We thank thee, Lord.Happy Thanksgiving to all!

This coming Thursday (Nov. 25) most Ameri-cans will sit down to the

incredible excess that we call Thanksgiving dinner. I will be one of them. Mm-mmmm! Smell the turkey cooking? If my pattern continues I will eat too much of the wonderful food prepared by my wife for the entire family. I will prob-ably complain that I ate too much as if that is anyone’s fault other than my own.

I love Thanksgiving! And guess what? The turkey is in the oven, filling the air with fragrance of anticipation, and my heart is glad. The pies are

cooling on the rack, overflow-ing with the fruits of the earth, and my heart is full. Conversa-tion, companionship and con-viviality transform the rooms of this beloved home, and my heart is at peace.

Soon dear ones — family and cherished friends — will gath-er at the table to rejoice in our bounty of blessings, and with us lift up their hearts in thanks-giving. As the table is set, my heart gratefully remembers the legacy of love and tradition rep-resented in the talismans of freshly laundered linens, crys-tal and gleaming china. The silver shines, the candles glow

and flowers delight us with their beauty.

This is great. This is very good, indeed. I say let us all hold fast to this genuine mo-ment for which we all have so much to be thankful.

I’ve got a love affair going with Thanksgiving. It has been going for close to 45 years now; as far back as I can remember … since I came here to Ameri-ca via the United States Navy. Hands down, not counting Christmas, of course — it’s my favorite holiday of all.

Here’s why.First of all, it seems to blend

together all we Americans hold precious and dear — without the sham and plastic mask of commercialism. Shopping cen-ters jump from Halloween to Christmas. It is spooks to Santa … pumpkins to presents … or-ange and black to red and green. It’s doubtful that any of us has ever seen (or will ever see) Pil-grim hype. Just can’t be done. Except for grocery stores, mer-chants are mute when Thanks-giving rolls around.

Second, it highlights the home and family. Thanksgiving is synonymous with stuff that can be found only at home — the warmth of a fire-place, early morning fussing around in the kitchen, kids and grandkids, long distance phone calls, fami-ly reunions, singing around the piano, holding hands and pray-ing before that special meal,

the football games on the tube, friends dropping by, pumpkin pie, homemade rolls and a mil-lion calories.

It is a time of quiet reflec-tion upon the past and an an-nual reminder that God has, again, been so faithful. The solid and simple things of life are brought into clear focus, so much so that everything else fades into insignificance.

I truly believe Thanksgiving is good for our roots — it deep-ens them and strengthens them and thickens them — making our trunks and limbs more se-cure in spite of the threatening gale of our times. The meal, the memories, the music Thanks-giving brings have a way of blocking out the gaunt giant of selfishness and ushering in the sincere spirit of gratitude, love and genuine joy.

Third, it drips with nation-al nostalgia. For me, it is even more so than Fourth of July sentiments. That holiday re-minds us of a battle we won, giving us independence. This one takes us back to a sim-ple slice of life more than 389 years ago when our fore par-ents realized their dependence on each other to survive. With Thanksgiving comes a surge of renewed patriotism, a quiet in-ner peace that whispers, “I am proud to be an American.”

Thanksgiving puts steel into our patriotic veins. It reminds us of our great heritage. It car-

ries us back with numbing sen-timent to that first dreadful winter at Plymouth, where less than half the handful of peo-ple survived. It speaks in clear, crisp tones of forgotten terms, like: integrity … bravery … re-spect … faith … vigilance … dig-nity … honor … freedom … dis-cipline … sacrifice … godliness. Its historic halls echo with the voices of Washington, Frank-lin, Jefferson, Adams, Henry, Lincoln, Lee and Jackson, who challenge us to trim off the fat of indolence, compromise, pas-sivity and the stigma of strife. It gives a depth of relevance and meaning to the nineteenth-century words of Katherine Lee Bates:

“O beautiful for spacious skies,For amber waves of grain,For purple mountain majestiesAbove the fruited plain!O beautiful for patriot dreamThat sees beyond the yearsThane alabaster cities gleamUndimmed by human tears!America! America!God shed His grace on theeAnd crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea!”Sentimentality washes over

me as my wife and I take our walk in the parks and reflect on those brave men and wom-en whose bodies lie beneath white crosses — military vet-

erans like my Dad and first cousin Teddy, who fought and died that we might all live and be free — and as I consid-er those statesmen who ham-mered out our laws on the an-vil of wisdom, compassion and human dignity. It’s people who cared about the future of this great land, not just their own comforts. Visionaries, that’s what they are to me. These are tough-minded, clear-thinking, sacrificial souls who did more than talk about integrity but modeled it themselves.

Fourth (saving the best of it all for last), it turns our heads upward. Just the word “Thanksgiving” prompts the spirit of humility — genuine gratitude to God for His mer-cy, His abundance, His protec-tion, and His smile of favor. On this holiday, as at no other, we count our blessings and we run out of time before we ex-haust the list. And best of all, life simplifies itself.

On Thanksgiving Day, we all come back to the soil and the sun and the rain, which com-bine their efforts to produce the miracle of life, resulting in food for our stomachs and shel-ter for our bodies … direct gifts from our God of grace.

As you can all see, I am a thankful man. Very thankful I had really taken time to reflect on what Thanksgiving is truly all about.

Thanks are to God!

C O m m e n ta r y

A Fil-Am perspective on Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving Day, give thanks

abelgasContinued from p age 6

which you might be led to believe that stabbing people in the back is normal — that it’s just the way things work.

But there are signs, at least, that he understands the risks of misusing power.

“I told the referee, ‘Look at his eyes, look at his cuts,’” Pac-quiao was quoted as saying in an Associated Press report. “I did not want to damage him permanently. That’s not what boxing is about.”

The Wall Street Journal story also referred to another Filipino

champion, Rolando Navarrete, who sadly faced a very sad end-ing to what had been an impres-sive career — mainly because of his own poor choices.

Asked about Navarrete in the story, Pacman underscored the lesson from another cham-pion’s path.

“That’s what I'm explaining to all the boxers — that when they achieve their dreams they have to balance,” he said. "With great power comes responsibility. You can’t have one without the other.”

If only the powerful men and women that he has started hang-ing out with at the Batasan would also see it that way.

commentaryContinued from p age 6

Thanksgiving thoughts are the kind of thoughts that we should have all year long.

We should take time for kindness to those we hold dear and extend a helping hand to others.

By Perry Diaz

Former U.S. President Bill Clin-ton paid President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino III a private courte-sy call when he was in Manila a few days ago. According to Pres-idential Communications Devel-opment and Strategic Planning Secretary, whew, Ricky Caran-dang, P-Noy and Bill hit it off. The following is a transcript of their tête-à-tête:

Bill: How are you, Mr. President?P-Noy: Very well, how are

you Mr. President?Bill: Never been better! Just

call me Bill. Can I call you Noynoy… Peenoy… Penoy…?

P-Noy: P-Noy is just fine, Bill. You look nice in your barong.

Bill: Yeah, I love this bay-rong, Pee-Noy. My good friend Glory gave this to me in one of her junkets to the U.S. How is she, by the way?

P-Noy: Glory? Hmmm… She’s now a congresswoman and doing very well in her new rack-et… I mean, new job. Hehehe…

Bill: Racket? Hahaha… Glo-ry never changed! I bet you she’ll be pigging out on her hu-mongous pork barrel. How much pork are you giving her? P50 million… P60 million?

P-Noy: Well, more than that. She’s getting her regular P70 million pork barrel allocation. But she’s getting an extra P50 million plus P28 million… an-other P25 million from the Road User’s Tax… and… uhh…

Bill: And… what? Don’t tell me she’s getting more than that? That’s a lot of money already.

P-Noy: Well, actually she’s getting another P2.2 billion.

Bill: What? Two-point-two-billion-pesos? Holy shit! That’s a lot of moolah, Pee-Noy! What

did she do to you that you’re giv-ing her that kind of money???

P-Noy: Nothing, really.Bill: Nothing? That’s even

worse, amigo! At least you should get something for it.

P-Noy: Well, actually she’s the one who wants more. Not money, but power. I think she’s plotting to take over the speak-ership of the House.

Bill: Uh, uh, you gotta watch out, pal. I know her like the palm of my hand.

P-Noy: Which hand? Left or right? By the way, how’s Mo…

Bill: Hahaha… You’re naugh-ty. I like your sense of humor, Pee-Noy. But let’s not go there, okay?

P-Noy: Gotcha! Hehehe…Bill: You got me there all

right. Hey, I heard that you’re getting married to your hair stylist? Is that true? It’s about time cuz in another five years you’ll be a senior citizen.

P-Noy: That’s just a rumor. I’m still in the dating mode. He-hehe… I want to make sure that whomever I’ll marry is accept-able to my four sisters.

Bill: That’s not good. Why do you need your sisters’ permis-sion to marry someone?

P-Noy: Well, you see… since my mommy passed away last year, my sisters became my sur-rogate mothers. They even ap-prove whom I appoint to exec-utive positions and I can’t fire anyone unless they sanction it.

Bill: Now that figures why you didn’t let go of your “shoot-ing buddy” for running away from a hostage-taking crisis. Pee-Noy, listen from an old pro like me. Nobody should tell you whom to marry. My advice is: follow your heart and marry the woman you really love.

P-Noy: Well that could be

a problem.Bill: A problem? I don’t un-

derstand. You mean to say that you have a problem falling in love with women? Hmmm…

P-Noy: Oh, no! Not that kind of problem! My problem is that I love all the women I’ve dated. That’s why I’m still a bachelor. I just can’t make up my mind. You see, the next girl seems to be better than the previous one. So when do I settle down?

Bill: Whoa! I like that kind of a problem. Hey, that’s my problem too, amigo! I love them all. Now, we have some-thing in common, lover boy.

P-Noy: But you still married your wife?

Bill: Duh? There’s nothing wrong with marrying one of the women I love.

P-Noy: Well, you convinced me, Bill. I’ll get married on October 11 next year, my parents’ – bless their souls — wedding anniversary.

Bill: Attaboy! I’ll drink to that, my friend. Here’s to the lucky woman. Cheers!

P-Noy: Thanks. But I have a little problem. Maybe you can help me here.

Bill: And what is that?P-Noy: Which one should I marry?Bill: Hmmm… How many

girlfriends do you have?P-Noy: I think I have 18,

maybe more. But I’m only see-ing five right now.

Bill: Man, you’re a lady-killer. You don’t have a “little” problem, pal. You have two big problems! One, you have too many girl-friends; and, two, you can’t make a decision on whom to marry. Sorry, I can’t help you there, ami-go. You gotta make up your mind.

P-Noy: Well…Bill: Hey, I must go, I got a plane

to catch. It was nice talking to you, my friend. If you need to commu-nicate with me in the future, just have Mai Mai tweet me, okay?

Disclaimer: This “transcript” is fictional and does not represent ac-tual events. (PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

C O m m e n ta r y

P-Noy and Bill

8 November 20 -26, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

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By Bill Hendrick

Botox — famous for smooth-ing out wrinkles on the face — has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat chronic migraine head-aches in adults.

The FDA said Botox injections have been shown to be effective in the prevention of migraines, which are debilitating head-aches that cause intense puls-ing or throbbing pain and affect about 12 percent of Americans.

“Chronic migraine is one of the most disabling forms of headache,” Dr. Russell Katz of the FDA, said in a news re-lease. “Patients with chron-ic migraine experience a head-ache more than 14 days of the month. This condition can greatly affect family, work, and social life, so it is important to have a variety of effective treat-ment options available.”

Migraine headaches are some-times called “sick headaches” be-cause they often are accompa-nied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound.

How Botox is used to treat migraines

Botox to treat chronic mi-graines is given at intervals of about 12 weeks as multiple in-jections around the head and neck to try to dull future head-ache symptoms, the FDA said in a statement.

The FDA said it’s important that patients who suffer chronic migraines discuss with their doc-tors whether Botox is appropri-ate for them.

Allergan Inc., the maker of Botox, said in a statement that the FDA’s approval ap-plies to people with chronic mi-graine, which it defines as a “distinct and severe neurolog-ical disorder characterized by patients who have a history of migraine and suffer from head-aches on 15 or more days per month with headaches lasting four hours a day or longer.”

The company said that when treating chronic migraine, quali-fied medical specialists adminis-ter 31 Botox injections into seven specific head and neck sites.

It said that Botox, when in-jected at labeled doses in rec-ommended areas, is expected

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The First 5 Commission of San Di-ego will provide $2.25 million in bridge funding to maintain child care assistance for parents previously on welfare who are now working. The action comes after Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneg-ger vetoed $256 million from the “welfare-to-work” Stage 3 Child Care program.

An estimated 2,829 children are enrolled in the program in San Diego County. More than one thousand are under the age of 5.

The funding will take the form of loans that are to be repaid if the state legislature restores the program’s funding.

CalWORKs is designed to transition people from welfare to work. It provides temporary cash assistance to eligible families with children to move families from dependency to self-suffi-ciency. CalWORKs’ Stage 3 Child Care program provides monthly subsidies to keep children in su-pervised settings while parents are at work or attending school.

“Child care is a critical com-ponent of the county’s welfare-to-work program because it en-sures that parents hold steady employment to ultimately be-come self-sufficient,” said Coun-ty Supervisor Dianne Jacob, chairwoman of the First 5 Com-mission. “The transitional fund-ing means that parents will stay employed and off welfare.”

First 5 San Diego has set aside funds for targeted re-sponse to critical needs emerg-ing from state and local eco-nomic conditions.

“We look very carefully at im-pacts to safety net services that support the 0-5 population in San Diego County,” said Barba-ra Jiménez, executive director of First 5 San Diego, “Access to quality child care is essential, especially for a single parent working toward self-sufficien-cy in providing for their family. Without safe and nurturing care for their children, many parents would have to either give up their jobs or leave their children in less safe, lower quality substi-tute care. The stress of this sit-uation on families and children is tremendous, and First 5 San Diego recognizes the significant impact of these cuts.”

First 5 S.D. approves child care

bridge loans

FDA approves Botox to

treat chronic migraine

headaches

Want to fuel your workout the natural way? Here are a tips and suggestions to help you get the most out of your exercise regimen — the nat-ural way.

Wear clothes that breatheNatural breathable fabrics

such as 100% organic cotton jersey or natural fleece absorb moisture and draw heat away from your skin.

Other options: Bamboo clothing, which is also soft and dries faster. And it's a re-newable resource. Soy fabric is warm, biodegradable, and re-sists bacteria.

Reuse water bottlesHave your fill of water with-

out filling up a landfill. Shop smart: The potentially harm-ful chemical bisphenol A (BPA) can leach into the water from some hard plastic bottles. In-stead, look for plastics marked BPA-free. Reusable stainless steel or aluminum bottles (with BPA-free linings) are good op-tions, too. Or find a water foun-tain. While some bottled water may be safer or cleaner than tap water, much of it is not.

Go to a green gymLook for these green practic-

es at a gym or encourage your gym to try them: restricted towel use, recycling bins, reus-able water bottles for sale, TVs turned off when not in use, and eco-friendly lighting, cleaning, and locker-room products. A growing number of green gyms

also harness the energy peo-ple exert on cardio machines to power equipment.

Recycle old shoesThrough shoe recycling pro-

grams, used athletic and run-ning shoes can live a new life as part of a playground or sports surface. Some charities take shoe donations and give them to the homeless or people in need overseas. Buying shoes made from recycled materials is another green option.

Burn calories, not gasolineBike, ride a scooter, or walk

to work, the store or the gym. In fact, you could skip the gym and bike or walk for your work-out. Riding at a moderate pace for 30 minutes burns about 220 calories. A brisk, 20-minute walk knocks off about 90. Cut-ting car time also reduces pol-lution so you -- and everyone else -- can breathe easier.Skip the energy food and drinks

Sugary energy drinks, gels, bars, and sports candies — you don't need them for your work-out, and often they aren't the healthiest choices. Instead of filling up on processed foods, fuel your workout with snacks like organic dried fruits, nuts,

granola, yogurt, bananas, grapes, and water. Or eat an organic energy bar made with fruit, nuts, fiber, and protein.

Swim in salt waterItchy eyes and dull, brit-

tle hair? Saltwater swim-ming pools, also called saline pools, don't rely as heavily on the harsh chemicals needed in traditional chlorine pools. That can make them easier on the planet and on your eyes, skin, hair, swimsuit, and re-spiratory system.

Get a natural yoga matRubber or organic jute,

hemp, or cotton mats are made from renewable resourc-es. They're also biodegradable and keep you from being nose-to-nose with potentially harm-ful chemicals found in some plastics, called PVCs. Ther-moplastic elastomer (TPE) mats are a PVC-free plastic option and are anti-slip, mois-ture resistant, and durable.

Stay homeDoing yoga, Pilates, or oth-

er exercise at home is conve-nient, inexpensive, and easy on the environment. Be creative about fitting activity into your routine: Try exercising while

watching a favorite TV show, play tag with your children, garden, mow the lawn, or put on some music and dance while you clean house.

Use safer bug spray and sunscreen

Studies have shown lem-on eucalyptus repellent to be as effective as low concentra-tions of DEET in keeping bugs away. Other repellents made from plant-based ingredients, such as soy, appear to be less effective. For sun protection, avoid peak sun hours and wear a hat and long sleeves if possible. Sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are ideal for kids and adults with sensitive skin.

Exercise for a good causeNeed motivation? Sign up

for a charity run or walk that draws attention to an earth-friendly cause. Or volunteer to clean a park or beach, plant trees, or tend to a community garden. National parks offer great active volunteer oppor-tunities such as leading hikes; serving on bike, horseback, or ski patrols; and building or maintaining hiking, walking, or biking trails.

Soothe sore musclesTreat yourself to a massage:

It relaxes muscles, helps your body release natural painkill-ers, and may boost your im-mune system. Other natural remedies include heat, stretch-ing, and rest. (webmd.com)

Natural ways to fuel your workout

See botox on 5

Bike, ride a scooter, or walk to to work, the store or the gym. In fact, you could skip the

gym and bike or walk for your workout.

November 20 -26, 2010 9THE FILIPINO PRESS

to produce results lasting up to three months depending on the individual patient.

Botox studies“Chronic migraine is a de-

bilitating but under-recognized neurological condition,” Dr. Scott Whitcup, Allergan’s chief scientific officer, said in the company’s announcement. “Of-tentimes, chronic migraine pa-tients mistakenly self-diagnose their symptoms as headaches or infrequent migraine and treat them with drugs that pro-vide rapid, but temporary, relief rather than seeking an evalua-

tion, diagnosis and treatment from a qualified headache spe-cialist.”

He said with the FDA’s ap-proval of Botox to prevent mi-graines, there is now a new op-tion “to reduce the days and hours spent in pain as a result of this condition.”

It said the FDA’s approval for use of Botox to fight migraines was based on the results of two studies involving 1,384 adults in North America and Europe.

The studies, published in the March 2010 issue of Cephalal-gia, report that patients treated with Botox experienced a ma-jor decrease in the frequency of headache days, according to the

Allergan statement.Botox side effects

The most common ad-verse reactions reported by patients being treated for chronic migraine have been neck pain and headache, the FDA said.

The FDA also has placed a “boxed warning” on the an-ti-migraine drug, onabotu-linumtoxinA, marketed as Botox and Botox Cosmetic. The warning said the effects of the botulinum toxin may spread from the area of in-jection to other areas of the body, causing symptoms simi-lar to those of botulism. (web-md.com)

botoxContinued from p age 4

10 November 20 -26, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

It is at this time of the year when we pause and count our blessings, ever thank-

ful to God that He has been faithful in providing our needs and in caring for us. It has been a difficult year for most of us. There have been many challenges and disappoint-ments, but still, we wake up in the morning, always thankful of the promise of a new day.

The past weeks have been hectic for me and my hus-band. We’ve been involved in so many things — helping meet the needs of others, shar-ing our time to meet the goals of friends and planning events to help individuals and orga-nizations achieve their own objectives. My husband and I also took time to attend a beautiful garden wedding of a niece in San Francisco, brav-ing the cold at Tilden Park. Ev-erything went well until we came home. The cold and rainy weekend in San Francisco trig-gered an asthmatic attack for me and a bout of coughing for Winlove.We both got sick at

the same time. Winlove landed in the hospital and I landed in bed at home, to rest and recov-er my lost voice.

Despite all this, we are still thankful to God for all the many blessings He showers on us — the love of our chil-dren, who are always there to care for us, the love of friends who take time to express their concern for our well-be-ing, and the love of our church family for their prayers.Our pastor, the Rev. J.T.Kim, im-mediately visited Winlove in the hospital after our church anniversary celebration (which we failed to attend). His vis-

it and prayers meant a lot not only for Winlove but for the whole family. He has shown to us that Jesus cares.

Being at home and away from the cares of the world gave me time to reflect on the things I’ve been doing and how I am spending my time. I opened the Book of Ecclesiastes and the preface says, “As you read this book of wisdom, take time to ponder the “big picture” — the meaning and purpose of life — but don’t forget to make a dai-ly effort to look with wonder at God’s creation and remember that it is “beautiful in its time.”

“Learn from the Teacher about the meaninglessness of acquisition, knowledge and work in and of them-selves — but also learn that your ultimate purpose in ev-erything you do is to know, love and serve God. Even as you acknowledge the ambi-guities of life, remain open to the rich and mysterious ways in which God will reveal its meaning to you.”

On the sidebar of the page is written, “The present moment holds infinite riches beyond your wildest dreams but you will only enjoy them to the ex-tent of your faith and love. The more a soul loves, the more it longs, the more it hopes, the more it finds.” What an in-spiring thought! I would have missed this point if I didn’t stay home and rest.

God, in His infinite wisdom, gives us time to rejuvenate and renew our minds by giving us a reason to stay home and rest. So, if you feel you are under the weather, just rest and give thanks with a grateful heart.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

It hardly seems possible that Thanksgiving is now upon us, and that we’re starting

into that part of the year that the church refers to as Advent — a time of preparation for the coming of the birth of Jesus. Even though the church con-siders this a special holy time, most of us get consumed with all the holiday activities that to us make up the Christmas sea-son — things like shopping, food preparation, gift wrapping, deco-rating the house and more.

This year may be a bit differ-ent from recent Christmases, since the economy has so many people in a funk. According to the news media, most shop-pers are going to spend less this year than in previous years, and many are trying to get more cre-ative about how to make their dollars stretch farther than in the past. My guess is that some of us are in that place.

In many ways, the current conditions in which we find ourselves may be serving a useful purpose, perhaps even a wake-up call — a summons to rethink our priorities, and to get back to the basics, to what’s most important, to what real-ly counts in life. Because of all

that, we are going to be treat-ing this holiday season a little differently, too. Hopefully, we can find a unique spin or slant on the notion of giving that might help us all reconsider what really matters this year.

It seems to me that one of the least costly gifts we can ever give is to thank someone for something. While it may be cost-effective, I can assure you that to the recipient of the “thank you,” the gift is price-less. So, let’s think about what it really means for us to offer that “thank you” to someone.

I don’t know about you, but I am not as good about expressing my thanks as I could be. In fact, I’m afraid that sometimes I’m downright stingy with a word of thanks. I don’t know why exact-ly, but I know that I often use the excuse that I’m busy or that I forgot and now it’s too late. What

I am going to try to do this sea-son is to break that bad habit, and develop a better one — one of being generous in offering my thank-you to others.

Frankly, being able to offer thanks comes from a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation. It has to do with taking the time to drink in the gracious acts of kindness and love that are all around us, to value and hon-or them, and to let our grati-tude spill over in expression of thanks-giving. It also has to do with being grateful for even the annoyances and distractions that sometimes seem to intrude on our lives.

During World War II, Cor-rie Ten Boom and her sister had been harboring Jewish people in their home until the two of them were arrested and sent to a concentration camp. Ten Boom reported that the barracks in which they found themselves was very crowd-ed. To add to that misery, it was infested with fleas. As they turned to their Bibles for com-fort and hope during that bleak time, they came upon a passage that encouraged them to thank God no matter what happens.

Ten Boom’s sister had a sort of revelation, and said to Corrie, “We have to thank God for the fleas!” Corrie was astounded, and responded that there was no way she could thank God for pests like fleas, but her sister in-sisted, and she finally relented.

Every time they prayed or read their Bibles, they were sure to include a prayer of thanks-giving for fleas. In the months that followed, they discovered that the guards were leaving

Give thanks with a grateful heart

AURORA SORIANO-CUDAL

My PersonalTestimony

DANNY HERNAEZ

From Whom All Blessings Flow

Thank-you-giving

Glen Abbey MemorialPark & Mortuary

619-498-4600Nature Garden

Chapel of Roses

It seems to me that one of the least costly gifts we can ever give is to thank someone

for something.

See hernaez on 14

God, in his infinite wisdom, gives us

time to rejuvenate and renew our minds

by giving us a reason to stay home

and rest.

November 20 -26, 2010 11THE FILIPINO PRESS

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12 November 20 -26, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

NOVEMBER 20

BOWL FOR HOPE FUNDRAISERA boy named Gavin Marquez needs help in spreading the word that his parents are trying to raise funds to aid in Gavin's care and hope to find cure for Tay-Sachs Disease (a rare and fatal genetic disorder of the brain and nervous system). To this day, there is no cure for Tay-Sachs. Children and adults who are afflicted with this disease slowly die and can only be made as comfortable as possible. Since this is a rare illness, all treatments are not covered by their medical insurance. Everything is out-of-pocket. Loved ones of these patients are hoping that phase one clinical trials for gene therapy will be reached by 2012.

A Bowl for Hope fundraising even to aid in Marquez's care and join him in his journey to find a cure for Tay-Sachs Disease is schedule for 6-9 p.m., Nov. 20, at 8210 Mira Mesa Blvd. in San Diego. For more information contact Joyce or Michelle at BowlForHope@gmail.com.

NOVEMBER 21

ALTERNATIvE CHRISTMAS MARkETSimple, yet powerful gifts that change the world await shoppers at the Solana Beach Presbyterian Church Alternative Christmas Market. Buy school books for Ethiopia, an acre of rain forest in Peru or help feed homeless families in San Diego. Shoppers can also choose from an exten-sive array of crafts from around the world. Hours are 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 21, at 120 Stevens Ave., Solana Beach. Phone (858) 509-2580) for more information or shop online at www.alternativechristmasmarket.org.

JANUARy 29, 2001

NATIONAL CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNUAL DINNERThe National City Chamber of Commerce will hold IT Annual Dinner on Jan. 29, 2011. This is an annual celebration inaugurates the incoming board of directors. It is also a great opportunity to network with city leaders, business owners and other chamber members. With raffle prizes, live auctions and entertainment, this night is sure to be filled with fun and excitement. We invite you to get involved as a chamber member and participate in our Annual Dinner Planning Committee. Your contri-butions will be recognized at the annual dinner. If you have experience in sponsorship sales, event planning, marketing, fundraising, or have a strong desire to be part of our team, this is the your chance to get involved. The first planning meeting is on Nov. 23 at 7:30 a.m. at the Na-tional City Chamber of Commerce Conference Room (901 National City Blvd.) Please e-mail reynoso@nationalcitychamber.org.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — De-cember is one the most excit-ing months in the Philippines, a predominantly Catholic nation, whose celebration of Christmas brings many Filipino diaspora wonderful memories of home.

Included in the celebrations is the parol, a five-point star-lantern, symbolic of the Star of Bethlehem, which led the Three Kings to the infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph. It is a Filipi-no symbol of their strong faith as Christians and fond memo-ries of the family making a par-ol each Christmas.

“I remember my dad making

our parol every year. It was like our Christmas tree,” said Phil-ippine-American Society and Cultural Arts Troupe (PASCAT) board member Luz Carino.

PASACAT hopes to inspire and encourage families to re-kindle the tradition with par-ol-making workshops and a parol competition to be held at the 13th Annual Philippine Lantern Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 4, at the Joe and Vi Jacobs Cen-ter’s Celebration Hall. The winners will be announced at the end of the festival.

Free workshops will also

be conducted by the House of the Philippines from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 20, at the Hall of Nations in Bal-boa Park and from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 1, at Sky-line Hills Library, 460 South Meadowbrook Drive.

Traditional parols are made of bamboo frames and covered with Japanese rice paper known as “papel de Hapon.” A candle or coconut oil lamp was placed inside the three-dimensional lantern hung in front of homes, which beautifully illuminated villages. To complete the look, tails would be attached to the

lower tips of the five-point star. PASACAT will display a va-

riety of parols, from hand-made parols by Jose Morales Jr. as well as those from the Philip-pines in addition to a number of more contemporary capiz shell parols, some of which will be available for sale.

For more information on the Parol Festival or to register for the Parol Competition, contact PASACAT at (619) 477-3383, e-mail admin@pasacat.org, vis-it the website at www.pasacat.org or search Facebook for “PA-SACAT Philippine Performing Arts Company.”

Parol competition at Philippine Lantern Fest

GET LISTED: To have your event listed in Save the Date, e-mail your information (include date, time, location, cost, and phone/e-mail) to filpress@aol.com. Keep in mind we publish on Saturdays, so ensure your event happens on the day of publication or during the following week.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — This December, Liberty Station will be transformed into a winter wonderland reminiscent of San-ta’s North Pole.

Beginning on Dec. 1, Liber-ty Station will deck its halls in lights, wintergreen boughs and red ribbons in honor of the season. Then on Dec. 11 from noon to 5 p.m., Liberty Station will turn into a festive winter wonderland dubbed Holiday Station.

As Liberty Station’s gift to the families, children and visi-tors of San Diego County, Hol-iday Station will be a one-day, free North Pole-themed festi-val held along the grassy prom-enade in the heart of the com-munity. This free festival will feature live performances on the main stage, roaming carol-

ers, bounce houses, pony and hay rides, a Discover Liberty Station Scavenger Hunt with prizes and many more holiday-themed free activities for all.

There will also be a chance to sled in real snow. Santa Claus will be making an appearance along with other North Pole residents. Free photos of chil-dren with Santa will be provid-ed courtesy of Liberty Station.

The event culminates at 4:45 p.m. with a tree-lighting ceremony with carolers sing-ing holiday favorites while the majestic tree in the South Promenade is lit.

Interested sponsors, perfor-mance groups and exhibitors can contact event producers j. simms agency at (858) 689-9909 for details or e-mail kathy@jsimmsagency.com.

Liberty Station offers free holiday fest

Courtesy photo

The Holiday Station event will culminate with a festive tree-lighting ceremony.

November 20 -26, 2010 13THE FILIPINO PRESS

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“For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.”

— Lily Tomlin

H ello, my pampered friends! Last week, I shared the first half of

my Meditation Station must-haves. These included “feel-good” photos, inspirational literature, soft lighting, your fa-vorite color and a plant or flow-ers. This week, we’ll complete the list, and you’ll have all the tools to create a space that is uniquely yours — a guilt and stress-free zone that you can re-charge your mind and body in.

JournalThough we often worry about

organizing the clutter in our cars, homes and offices as a means of alleviating stress, we forget to de-clutter the most stressful of places — our mind. It’s easy (and dangerous) to live life in a state of auto-pi-lot, where we hustle and bus-tle through our laundry list of activities without paying any mind to our priorities and the limits of our physical, emotional and mental health. Take some time to purge your mind of your

many worries by writing in a journal. There, you needn’t wor-ry about complete sentences or proper grammar. Simply write what comes to mind without self-judgment. Because it takes time to really process emotions before we are able to communi-cate with others, journaling can help flush out our thoughts giv-ing us a chance to re-evaluate what is important, what needs improvement, what is special — and sometimes, what needs to be left behind.

LotionWe work hard. Our hands

and feet tend to be the greatest evidence of that. Working hard and looking good at the same time is truly an art form that

we push through day in and day out. Take some time to massage your hands and feet with quali-ty lotion. Pick a scent that relax-es you. (My favorite is Crabtree & Evelyn’s Lavender.) Focus on massaging the area between your thumb and index finger and the arches of your feet, in particular. By doing so, you’ll re-lieve tension, increase blood cir-culation, and often relieve head-aches. As an added bonus, your cuticles will thank you for the extra moisture, especially dur-ing winter time!

MusicThe ringing of your phones.

The beeping of incoming texts. The requests of coworkers, chil-dren, friends and family —some-

times it can all blend together to form white noise as pleasant as static on the TV. Treat your ears to something you can escape into. There are plenty of soothing sounds available, such as classi-cal tunes mixed in with sounds from nature, like Beethoven and beach waves. Another alterna-tive (my latest personal favor-ite, which proves to be highly ef-fective) is popular music played in classical ways. Artists such as the Vitamin String Quartet take familiar tunes (even Lady Gaga) and give them an extra chic and ultra-relaxing make-over. Luckily, we can pick these up on iTunes! Trust me, “Bad Romance” and “Paparazzi” has never sounded so calming.

GoalsWomen, mothers especial-

ly, are willing to be martyrs to no end. We’ll sacrifice a lot to please others. While admira-ble, we mustn’t be masochistic in our efforts to be everything for everyone. We must remem-ber that our loved ones will un-derstand when we have dreams and priorities of our own. If we don’t attend to these wants and needs, we run the risk of making

those around us feel guilty and making ourselves feel burned out and apathetic.

Whether big or small, ac-knowledge that it really is nev-er too late to pursue your goals. Life may change us and take us on routes and journeys we never anticipated, but things can al-ways come full circle. Once you have established your personal goals, write them down and dis-play them in your meditation station, so you don’t lose sight of them or their significance. When you are ready, develop a plan to pursue and achieve your goals. Let those close to you know you have these goals as well as a plan and that you would appre-ciate their support as you allow your dreams to come to fruition.

StationeryRelationships make the

world go ’round. Friends, fam-ily, romantic partners — they are all deserving of time and en-ergy and, yet, sometimes these are the very connections that suffer because often our energy is solely focused on our careers and other stressors. Healthy re-lationships are some of our most valuable and rewarding invest-

ments. Keep up with correspon-dence with a note or two a week, whether it be a simple thank you note or a letter to someone you miss.

Pamper yourself in your Meditation Station or “Mom Cave” as often as necessary, my friends. You’ll be amazed at how your health and quality of life will improve. As Natalie Goldberg writes in Wild Mind, “Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency.” With some quali-ty time and relaxation, we’ll be able to understand the differ-ence. Enjoy!

Wanna keep in touch and join in on fun weekly chats with oth-er Pampered Pinay fans? Sim-ply check out www.Facebook.com, and search “Francine Mai-gue.” See you online!

Check back every week for ways to pamper yourself and those you love. Why? The an-swer is simple: You deserve it!

Got a business or event I should know about? Wish to agree or disagree with me? Want to send me a love note? (I love those.) E-mail me at the-pamperedpinay@yahoo.com.

Meditation Station, Part Two: The complete cave

Francine Maigue

The PamperedPinay

their barracks relatively free, so much so that it actually became almost of place of refuge from the other atrocities that were occurring around them. Several months later, they learned that the guards seldom entered their barrack because of those pes-ky fleas! What had seemed like such an annoyance and caused so much discomfort actually turned out to be a blessing!

That’s probably one of the toughest things we have to do — to thank God for the fleas in our lives. We all have them, don’t we? We have family members that we are not very fond of, who

tend to interfere and disrupt our lives. There may be a co-worker who is difficult to work with and who seems to make our work day more stressful than neces-sary. We could probably name allkinds of people or things that are the equivalent to fleas in the barracks, but that says to us that we probably need a shift of our thinking.

We need to consider how we can begin to say “thank you” for even the flea-like elements that seem to plague us, and ask God to help us find some good even in the worst of those flea-times. Those are the tough ones, but I bet we can do it, if we just set our minds to it. Maybe that’s one

gift we could give ourselves this holiday season.

Indeed, gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy. Af-ter all, that’s one of the things most of us learned when we were small children; when some-one gave us something, our par-ents would admonish us with, “Now what do you say to Mrs. Jones?” We have been taught to say “thank you” from our very earliest days, and if we’ve lost the ability to do that, we proba-bly need to focus on relearning it and getting it back.

I really don’t want to see it stop with thinking about the per-son and being grateful. I think we need to learn to express our

gratitude better and it’s not all that difficult. It starts with the little things, the common, ordi-nary, everyday experiences, like offering with a wave of the hand when someone is kind enough to let us into the traffic flow. We can say thank you to the per-son who holds the door for us, or the one we’re talking to on the phone. We can begin by express-ing our thanks for the multitude of little things for which we have cause to be grateful. Life offers us countless opportunities to use the words “thank you,” if we’re willing to look around us with more of a sense of appreciation.

I am certain we can all think of at least one person — either

still living or no longer with us — who has made a difference and today is a good time for us to begin to express our grati-tude. You’ll find thank-you notes on your table, and I encourage you, right now, today, to pick up that note and begin to write a note of thanks. Sure, we can do it by e-mail too, but I think there’s something special about taking the time to do a hand-written note, putting a stamp on the envelope, and mailing it as a special Christmas greeting to someone who has been a gift to us, someone who has mentored us, inspired us, and helped us be more than we might otherwise have been.

I would be remiss if I didn’t express my thanks to each one of you. I am grateful to you, that so many of you have given so much to help me continue to minister to the world around us, that so many of you have written notes that you care. I am filled with gratitude for each and every one of you because you are an inspi-ration to me in both the big ways and small. You make my life bet-ter. Thank you.

A sense of gratitude fills and re-energizes our life, and thank-you-giving is the most precious gift we can give.

I hope and pray each of us is ready and willing to say “thank you.”

hernaezContinued from p age 10

November 20 -26, 2010 15THE FILIPINO PRESS

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Western Union Company has announced that consumers can now send money transfers from nearly 70,000 Western Union Agent locations in 27 countries directly to Globe Telecom and Smart Communications mobile subscribers in the Philippines.

In addition, consumers in six countries can visit www.west-ernunion.com to send funds on-line using a credit or debit card directly to Smart Communica-tions or Globe Telecom subscrib-ers’ “mobile wallets,” or accounts tied to their mobile phones.

Globe Telecom currently has 24 million subscribers, of which 1 million are enrolled in its GCASH mobile wallet ser-vice; Smart Communications has more than 45 million, of which more than 8 million are enrolled in Smart Money.

To send a Western Union Mobile Money Transfer to a Globe GCASH or Smart Mon-ey accountholder, consum-ers can simply visit a partici-

pating Western Union Agent location in 27 countries or a Western Union website in Aus-tralia, Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United King-dom or the United States. The transaction is completed just like a traditional money trans-fer, except that the sender pro-vides the receiver’s mobile phone number and the funds are received in the receiver’s “mobile wallet” instead of be-ing paid out in cash.

“The Western Union Mo-bile Money Transfer service is a key part of our multi-chan-nel strategy to offer our con-sumers numerous ways to send and receive money,” said Khalid

Fellahi, Western Union’s head of mobile transaction services. “By continually expanding the number of locations where over-seas Filipino workers can send funds to their loved ones’ mobile phones, we believe we are mak-ing it more convenient for our consumers in the Philippines to receive funds how, where and when they want.”

More than half of the 70,000 send locations are in the United States, and more than 12,000 are in the U.K.

Western Union also offers the Mobile Money Transfer ser-vice in Kenya with Safaricom; in Malaysia with Maxis; and in South Africa with Absa Bank. The company also recently an-nounced an agreement with EnStream in Canada and has agreements with Zain (Air-tel) in Africa and Orascom in the Middle East and with the State Bank of India, the Tuni-sian Post and with the Bank of Commerce & Development (BoCD) in Libya.

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16 November 20 -26, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

IN CONCERTPALA CASINOStephen Bishop, David Pomeranz and Joey AlbertWhen: 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 5Tickets: Tickets start at $48 at the Pala Box Office or Star Tickets. Call 1-877-946-7252 or visit www.palacasino.com.

SYCUAN CASINO Martin NieveraWhen: 7 and 8:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 17Tickets: $35-$45. Call (619) 445-6002 or visit www.sycuan.com.

CLUBSCAFE LA MAZE STEAkHOUSEJulius Obregon and Friends ShowWhen: 7 p.m. SundaysWhere: 1441 Highland Ave., National City, (619) 474-3222

LUCkY STARWednesdays: Filipino Night with Eric de LeonThursdays: Moonlight Serenade Orchestra Big BandFridays: Ballroom dancing/Karoke

Where: 3893 54th St., San Diego, Phone: (619) 229-8228

MCDINI'S DINER & EvENTSFilipino food every Saturday with live Filipino BandsWhere: 105 E. 8th St., National City, Phone: (619) 474-6771

kARAOkEEL JUAN RESTAURANTEric de Leon one-man bandWhen: 6-9 p.m. ThursdaysWhere: 2316 Highland Ave., National City Phone: (619) 477-6262

GAPORESTO & kARAOkEWhen: 7 p.m.-midnight, Tuesdays to SundaysWhere: 933 S. Harbison Ave., National City Phone: (619) 267-3746

SIZZLER JULIUS OBREGON SHOW ROOMWhen: 7 p.m. Fridays and SaturdaysWhere: 1325 E. Plaza Blvd., National City Phone: (619) 477-2590

GET LISTED: To have your concert, club or event listed in What’s Happening, e-mail your information (include date, time, location, cost and phone/e-mail) to filpress@aol.com. Keep in mind we publish on Saturdays, so ensure your event happens on the day of publication or during the following week.

From left, David Pomeranz, Stephen Bishop and Joey Albert at Pala on Dec. 5.

Martin Nievera will perform at Sycuan on Dec. 17.

Jelynn Rodriguez is a Filipino-Amer-ican actress, singer dancer and TV personality. Born and raised in San

Diego, Rodriguez — aka “JRod” — knew she wanted to pursue an entertainment career after singing to a large audience after her very first stage appearance in a local cultural festival at the age of three. Rodriguez was also inspired by her aunt, “Tita Missy” Aguilar, watching her for five years as she played the role of Kim in the first national touring company of the musi-cal “Miss Saigon” in the early 1990s.

Along with discovering her natural abil-ity to sing, Rodriguez learned all types of dance, from tap and ballet, to modern, jazz and Filipino-folk dancing with the Sama-han Filipino American Performing Arts and Education Center during most of her youth and adolescent life.

She then discovered her true passion: Hip-hop. This discovery launched her ev-er-expanding journey through Hollywood. Jelynn auditioned against 300 applicants for one of the 15 slots open to dancers at a Los Angeles talent agency. She left the audition with a contract. She continued to evolve as an artist by recording a vo-cal demo, combining it with a pop-urban-funk-rock sound in 2001, which gained the young artist an invitation to perform be-fore a standing room only audience at the House of Blues in Los Angeles.

Singing and dancing only infused Ro-driguez with the desire to learn more as she moved to Los Angeles. She began to acquire hosting and acting roles that led her to host the Imagen Award-nominated show, “The Drop,” on the cable network SiTV for five seasons.

Rodriguez is now known for hosting on numerous networks, such as the TV Guide Channel, AMC, Altitude TV and most recent-ly on Disney/ABC’s Soapnet.com. She has in-terviewed some of the biggest names in Holly-wood, such as Tyra Banks, Rachel Ray, Ellen Degeneres, Lindsay Lohan, Katy Perry, Jus-tin Long, Mario Lopez, and many more. Ro-driguez has also been featured on shows such as NBC’s “Las Vegas” and “Days of our Lives,” ABC’s “Samantha Who?” and “Caveman,” the FOX sitcom, “Brothers” and has been fea-tured on MTV, VH1 and Nickelodeon. Most recently, she played a lead role in the popular web-based show, “Acts of Love and Sex”.

Rodriguez has also held lead roles in the films “Bar Starz,” “Grizzly Park” and “Men, Interrupted,” along with supporting roles in “Jack Rio” and “How to Make Love to a Woman,” which was released this summer.

She is actively involved with the San Diego Asian Film Foundation and has been among the many Asian-American celebrities invit-ed to attend the annual AZN Asian Excel-lence Awards in Los Angeles.

Even as Rodriguez works hard to repre-sent Filipinos in Hollywood, she still con-tinues to volunteer her time doing chari-ty work to raise money and awareness for the children at the HOPE Worldwide Village in Baseco and Laguna, Philippines, and be-came involved in the 1st Annual GAPP (Gina Alexander Philanthropy Projects) event in 2007 for this cause.

Rodriguez has recently been inspired by the work of Gawad Kalinga and is thrilled about joining forces with them. The multi-

talented young star is especially honored to be part of a movement that will bring a posi-tive change for the Philippines — so much so that she considered quitting her entertain-ment career to devote her time to help these children and families.

Fortunately for Fil-Am entertainment fans, Rodriguez decided to continue on her career path and use any influence she has to help encourage these children and families to have hope and better their lives, as well as inspire people to do more and give back to those in need.

To learn more about Rodriquez — and watch the video from her latest sin-gle, “Switch” — visit her website, www.jrodworld.com.

‘JRod’ aims for the stars

Photo: JRodWorld

San Diego-born Filipino-American Jelynn Rodriguez is an actress, singer and dancer climbing the ranks of the entertainment industry. The Rancho Bernardo High School graduate has just released her second single, "Switch." Watch the video on her website, www.jrodworld.com.

San Diego-born Fil-Am Jelynn Rodriquez soars as

actress, singer, dancer and TV personality on her way to

Hollywood stardom

By Ricardo F. Lo

Filipino-American Lianah Sta. Ana, a grand-prize win-ner at the recent Apollo Ama-teur Night, will grace this year’s 84th annual Macy’s Thanksgiv-ing Day Parade, America’s fa-vorite holiday spectacular known for its colorful giant he-lium balloons and big-name per-formers, on Nov. 25 in New York City and viewed on live televi-sion by over 50 million people across the United States.

Sta. Ana, an 11-year-old student from Laura Donovan School in Freehold Township, N.J. , will join R&B icon Gladys Knight at Apollo’s first ever “Top Hat” float during the Macy’s Pa-rade after Sta. Ana won the Su-per Top Dog grand prize at the Apollo Amateur Night’s “Child Star of Tomorrow” category.

Known as the “Soul of Amer-ican Culture” the Apollo has hosted Amateur Night, its sig-nature talent contest, nearly every Wednesday night since 1934 at its historic theater in Harlem, N.Y. It has launched the singing careers of legendary

artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, James Brown, Smokie Robinson, Luther Van-dross, the Isley Brothers, Mi-chael Jackson, D’Angelo, Lau-ryn Hill, Gladys Knight and even Alicia Keys.

“It was tough considering there were so many talents to compete with, but I had so much fun on and off stage and meet-ing new people,” said Sta. Ana.

Sta. Ana is the first Filipino to win the Super Top Dog prize in the Apollo Amateur Night’s 75 years of existence.

“Now, participating at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is something I never thought I would experience in my life. My sister Maya and I are fans of the parade’s huge balloons,” she said.

In 2008, Charice, Sta. Ana’s role model, graced the same parade with Miley Cyrus, Da-vid Archuleta, Rick Astley and James Taylor, among other per-formers. This year, the line-up of artists includes India.Arie, Big Time Rush, Betty Buck-ley, Ann Hampton Callaway,

the cast of Broadway’s “Amer-ican Idiot,” Elf, Memphis, Mil-lion Dollar Quartet, the Big Apple Circus, the cast and mup-pets of “Sesame Street,” Miran-da Cosgrove, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Gloriana, Michael Grimm, Arlo Guthrie, Keri Hil-son, Eric Hutchinson, Juanes, Victoria Justice, Gladys Knight, Mannheim Steamroller, Miss USA 2010 Rima Fakih, Pow-er Rangers Samurai, Joan and Melissa Rivers, Crystal Shawa-nda and Jessica Simpson.

The event is watched by more than 3.5 million spectators lin-ing up the streets of Manhat-tan from Central Park to Macy’s Herald Square on 34th Street and Sixth Avenue.

“Our jaws literally dropped when Apollo’s executive produc-er informed us that Lianah will be joining Gladys Knight on Apollo’s float at Macy’s Thanks-giving Day parade,” said Sta. Ana’s mother, Nailah. “It was a big surprise and we’re all excit-ed to see Lianah joining these big celebrities.”

Sta. Ana said she will donate part of her $2,000 Apollo prize

cash to her favorite charity in the Philippines.

Sta. Ana was one of the two big winners at this year’s 14th World Championships Of the Performing Arts in Los Angeles.

At that even, Sta. Ana, who was part of Team USA, was named Junior Vocal Champi-on and Over-All Junior Grand Champion Performer of the World, a title won by Team Philippines in 2007, 2008 and 2009. She bested numer-ous contestants from around the globe, including the Phil-ippines. The senior title was bagged by singer Marielle Cor-puz of the Philippines.

Sta. Anahas been won several singing competitions since last year, including the New York Knicks’ Kidz Bop Sports Jamz Talent Search at the Madison Square Garden in March, and the Jersey Shore Idol Contest at age 9, the youngest of the 17 contestants. She also sang the national anthem at a Staten Is-land Yankees game and “Amer-ica the Beautiful” at the U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, N.Y.

A vocal student at the Stat-en Island Conservatory of Mu-sic since she age 5, she also has performed at several Filipino concerts across the U.S., the most recent of which, according to Edmund, was the Septem-ber Queens, N.Y., concert by the Greatest Hitmakers, featuring Rico J. Puno, Rey Valera, Marco Sison and Nonoy Zuñiga.

The girl with a big voice ad-mit she dreams of following in the footsteps of Charice, but said she will be happy just the same whatever God has in store for her.

“Lianah is focused and pos-sesses the determination and drive to go after what she wants,” said mom Nailah. “We are also very proud of her ‘nev-er give up’ spirit, her willing-ness to make mistakes because she knows she must go through them to learn and get better, her courage to try different things and her humility in be-ing able to laugh at herself.”

To learn more about the young singing sensation visit her website at www.lianah.net. (philstar.com)

Young Fil-Am singer to join Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade

Photo: Lianah.net

Lianah Sta. Ana, an 11-year-old singing sensation from New York, will appear in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

November 20 -26, 2010 17THE FILIPINO PRESS

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FM1009042 _FilipinoNews.indd 1 9/27/10 2:49 PM

LOS ANGELES — It’s been a lifetime in the making. But one of the living legends of Pinoy Jazz will make her Hollywood debut during the sixth annual Fil-Am JazzFest, presented by ABS-CBN at the world famous Catalina Bar & Grill Jazz Club. Annie Brazil is set to headline on Friday, Dec. 3.

For more than four decades, Brazil, the mother of Filipino celebrities Richard Merk and Rachel Anne Wolfe, has per-formed with the biggest names in jazz throughout all of Asia. Known for her expert way with a lyric, Brazil is often called “the Billie Holiday of Filipi-no jazz.” She sings the classic tunes — “Lullaby of Birdland,” “All of Me,” “The Nearness of You” — with an unerring sense of swing and musical authen-ticity that listeners describe as “mesmerizing.”

In addition to a lengthy re-sume of awards and honors, Brazil earned the coveted Jazz-Phil-USA Lifetime Achieve-ment Award in 2009.

On Dec. 3 at Catalina’s, Annie Brazil will headline a concert featuring Bo Razon, Johnny Alegre, Abe Lagrimas, and introducing Carlo David and 2010 Talent Search win-ner VJ Rosales.

Jazzipino queen Char-maine Clamor headlines on Saturday, Dec. 4.

“Annie Brazil is one of my he-roes, one of the pioneers of Pi-noy jazz,” Clamor said. “I’m so excited to hear her sing in Hol-lywood — finally!”

Ticketsfor the Fil-Am JazzFest, which range from $30-$50, are now on sale through the JazzPhil-USA website: www.JazzPhil-USA.com.

Fil-Am JazzFest to feature living legend

Photo: http://jazzphil-usa.comFilipino jazz legend Annie Brazil, left, and rising star Jon Irabagon, right, will perform during the Fil-Am JazzFest on Friday, Dec. 3, in Los Angeles.

Reap Real ResultsAdvertise in the Filipino Press, a free weekly publication that

serves the 150,000-plus Filipino-Americans of San Diego County.

Call (619) 477-0940 or check us online filipinopress.com

MANILA, Philippines — Singer Ogie Alcasid and fian-cee Regine Velasquez final-

ly revealed that they will get married on Dec. 22 at Punta Fuego beach resort in Nasug-bu, Batangas.

In an interview during the birthday party of talent man-ager Annabelle Rama, Alcasid said they are really thankful to the management of Punta Fuego for their much-awaited private wedding.

"Yes, it's on December 22 at Punta Fuego. It's a very exclu-sive wedding. It's very hard to get in Punta Fuego but never-theless I thank them for the help and the security," said Al-casid who was beside Velas-quez at the party.

Alcasid said they are still busy doing all the preparations for the wedding.

He said his former wife Mi-chelle van Eimeren, mother of his two daughters, will be do-ing the bouquet and the flowers for the entourage.

"I'm very happy. Saka siya ang may gusto na 'yon ang gawin niya. She wanted to make this special for me kasi sa tingin niya 'yon lang ang pwede niyang magawa for me na sa tingin ko hindi lang 'yon kasi 'yong pagpunta niya dito she will be helping out Ogie also," Velasquez said.

Alcasid said his daughters will be the flower girls at his wedding.

He also bared that he will be going to Australia to visit his kids and to plan things about his wedding. (MNS)

Ogie confirms wedding with fiance Regine on Dec. 22

Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid announced they will get married on Dec. 22.

18 November 20 -26, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

Pacman pounds Margarito for eighth titlePacquiao releases

autobiographyFresh from snaring yet

another world title, boxing icon Manny Pacquiao will open his colorful life further and share his journey from being a poor barrio kid to one of the richest

athletes in the world through his autobiography.

Pacquiao’s book, “Pacman: My Story of Hope, Resilience, and Never-Say-Never Determi-nation,” was released on Nov. 19, less than a week after his 12-round dismantling of Antonio Margarito for the WBC super-wel-terweight crown at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Now available for pre-order online via Amazon.com, the 240-page Pacman book will soon be available in 10 languages, in-cluding the Philippines’ primary language, Filipino. (philstar.com)

Superstar Manny Pacquiao wins a 12-round unani-mous decision over Antonio Margarito Saturday, Nov. 13, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington,Texas.

Photos: Chris Farina/Top Rank

be OK because they were all “good boys,” but he knew some of his sons’ friends may not be so “upstanding.”

One night, a group of boys drove by their house and shot out the living room window, parts of front door, the facade and the garage door. Luckily no one was hit. The group retali-ated. Everyone was arrested — including his son.

The father insisted his son didn’t know what was going to happen. He looked at his eldest, who sat politely and nodded with every point his father made.

Even though that was eight years ago, the case stuck with her. At the time, Bacor was the director of the Asian Pacific Is-lander High Risk Youth Men-torship Program at the Union of Pan Asian Communities. She remembers the elder son final-ly confessing to her, but not his father that he did belong to a Mira Mesa gang. She remem-bers talking to the younger sib-lings about what they thought about gangs. The middle son seemed interested only in vid-eo games and the younger was a “skater boy.”

The older son ensured Bacor that his brothers would not fol-low his path. They weren’t like him. He shared his plans about

joining the Navy upon gradua-tion “in a couple of years.” She remembers thinking “how Fili-pino it was” that amidst crisis, he was still thinking about the future. She remembers speak-ing to the gang detectives and some of his friends to get a larg-er understanding of the situa-tion with this particular young man and his family. They all gave different viewpoints on him and his activities; not one story matched, except that he was a nice guy who was po-lite to his elders and attended school regularly.

Back then, Bacor and two other staff members provided mentorship and gang preven-tion services for much of San

Diego County’s Asian-Ameri-can and Pacific Islander youth who were at high risk of gang involvement and other illicit activities. They were constant-ly busy with referrals from the police department, probation, other social service providers and parents. Bacor, like many other youth service providers were given the same training by “experts” from law enforce-ment and researchers. They all said that Filipino gang mem-bers were different in many ways — they didn’t follow the same rules as gang members of other ethnicities; they came from largely two parent homes; they were mostly from middle-class and upper middle-class

backgrounds; they earned good grades in school; Filipino par-ents were very unaware of signs their sons or daughter might be involved in gangs; and they were going through a phase that they would eventu-ally out grow it.

Today’s growing list of ex-perts train on the same points, emphasizing that Filipino youth would grow out of the gang stage. Unfortunately, they didn’t take into account sib-lings “growing into” the same gang their older brother or sis-ter grew out of.

Bacor is currently program director of the Los Angeles-based STAR Education, an af-ter-school program, but she

still hears about many of her former clients, including the family in Mira Mesa.

“The eldest son did join the Navy,” she said. “When he left, the middle brother took his place in the gang. He was ar-rested for crimes committed. The younger brother then took the middle brother’s place in the same gang.”

Bacor sighed. “The experts need to change

their training and need to fully understand our kids, our fam-ilies and our community,” she said. “Parents need to wake up. The kids need to think through their actions. The situation won’t get any better if things don’t change.”

gangsContinued from p age 1

Old Town San Diego will be the place to celebrate holiday traditions and create new mem-ories all month long.

Bonfire Nights Presented by Fiesta de Reyes,

El Fandango Restaurant and all the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park merchants, bon-fires will light up the winter nights at dusk and free s’mores will be provided. At 7 p.m. on Dec. 11, 18, 28 and 30, El Fan-dango Restaurant will host a free piñata party where children of all ages will get a chance to whack a holiday piñata. All pi-ñata party participants will re-ceive a 15 percent discount at El Fandango. Bonfire Nights will take place from dusk until 8 p.m. on Dec. 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 28, 29 and 30.

Holiday in the ParkOn Saturday, Dec. 11, from 2

p.m. to 8 p.m., all of the muse-ums, stores and restaurants in Old Town San Diego State His-toric Park will be open and rich-ly decorated for the holidays. Guests will enjoy special holiday treats and extended shopping hours until 9 p.m., along with strolling carolers and live music. This event is free.

Las Posadas ProcessionDec. 12 marks the 60th an-

nual Las Posadas event in Old Town. The Las Posadas proces-

sion is a walking reenactment of the biblical story of Mary and Joseph’s search for a birthplace for the Christ child. Everyone is

invited to join the candlelit pro-cession and sing traditional hol-iday songs in both Spanish and English as the players go from inn to inn, asking for symbolic lodging. The procession culmi-nates with a live nativity scene in front of Casa de Estudillo and a free piñata party at El Fan-dango Restaurant.

Before the procession that takes place at 5 p.m., this event will also feature a daytime cele-bration with live music, perfor-mances and activities for chil-dren. A variety of local music and performing arts groups such as Metro Dance and Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church will perform from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, call (619) 297-3100 or visit fiestader-eyes.com.

“It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play”

Cygnet Theatre Compa-ny presents Joe Landry’s “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Ra-dio Play” Nov. 26 through Dec. 31. The famous story of George Bailey and Clarence the An-gel comes to life as a 1940’s live radio play, filled with music, live sound effects and plenty of heart. The performance on Dec.

30 will feature an appearance by Karolyn Grimes, who played Zuzu in the original Frank Cap-ra film of “It's A Wonderful Life.”

The times are as follows: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thurs-days at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; and Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Old Town Theater, 4040 Twiggs St. Tickets range from $24 to $49.

For more information, visit www.cygnettheatre.com or call the box office (619) 337-1525.

Write Out Loud presents “Giving Season”

Write Out Loud presents its fourth annual holiday program for families entitled “Giving Sea-son,” which includes stories by Bret Harte, A.A. Milne, Grace Paley and others that are ap-propriate for all ages. Children 12 and under are $5 and regular tickets are $15, or $13 for seniors and military. Performances are at The Old Town Theatre, 4040 Twiggs St, on Saturday, Dec. 11, at 12:30 p.m. and on Monday, Dec. 13, at 7:00 p.m. Call (619) 297-8953 for more information.

victorian Tea at the Cosmopolitan Hotel

Sarah Robinson, widow of

the late Texas Gov. James Rob-inson, will be pouring tea for her friends at an early San Di-ego 19th century tea party with delicious food and beverag-es and typical Victorian enter-tainment. This immersive the-atre experience will take place in the gorgeously restored 1872 Cosmopolitan Hotel & Restau-rant in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. The perfor-mance takes place on Dec. 10, 11, 17, 18, 28, 29 and 30 at 4 p.m. at the hotel. Adults are $40 per ticket; children 6 to 16 are $18. For reservations, call (619) 297-1874. For more info vis-it www.parks.ca.gov/oldtown-sandiego or www.oldtowncos-mopolitan.com.

Fiesta de Reyes, Old Town San Diego State Park, Write Out Loud, Cygnet Theater and the Old Town State Park Mer-chants Association are sponsor-ing these events.

There is free parking avail-able in the Caltrans parking lot on Taylor Street in Old Town af-ter 5 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends. For more in-formation about any of these events, visit Fiestadereyes.com or call (619) 297-3100.

Old Town rings in holidays with full calendar of events

Photo: Courtesy photo

The 60th annual Las Posadas procession, a walking re-enactment of the bibli-cal story of Mary and Joseph’s search for a birthplace for Christ’s child, takes place in Old Town at 5 p.m. on Dec. 12.

November 20 -26, 2010 19THE FILIPINO PRESS

Rotary Recognition

Rotary Club of San Diego Paradise Valley Past-President and Assistant Governor Josie Perpetua, left, and current president Femie Cupit, right, were presented with a certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for outstanding and invaluable service to the community from Congressman Bob Filner, who was represented by his special assistant, Manny Doria, center. The presentation was part of the recent Thanksgiving Jam Session held at South West Masonic Lodge in National City.

Photo: Courtesy photo

20 November 20 -26, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

November 20 -26, 2010 21THE FILIPINO PRESS

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Make any room the living room. Record up to 4 shows at once from any roomon a single DVR and play them back on any TV.

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“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the seventh and final adventure in the film series, is a much-anticipated motion-picture event that will told in two full-length parts. The first will debut nation-wide in both conventional and IMAX theaters on Nov. 19. The second part and the coveted fi-nal eighth entry in the series will be released in 2-D, 3-D and IMAX on July 15, 2011.

For the past decade, Har-ry Potter and its mesmerizing magic world have become fa-vorites for audiences around the world. Based on J.K. Row-ling’s best-selling books, each one of the Potter films has consistently ranked among the highest in box office sales around the world.

The latest installment in the most successful film fran-chise of all time again reflects the director David Yates’ and screenwriter Steve Kloves’ re-markable imagination and the technology that brings these visions to life.

Breaking the tradition of the film series, filmmakers de-cided to separate “Harry Pot-ter and the Deathly Hallows” into two parts. Daniel Rad-cliffe, the star of the franchise, said it was the dense action of the final novel that decided the two-part strategy.

“I think it’s the only way you can do it, without cutting out a huge portion of the book,” Rad-cliffe said.

For more information, visit www.harrypotter.com.

New Harry Potter film opens nationwide

Photo: www.harrypotter.com

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” opens nationwide on Nov. 19.

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