August 16-31, 2014 1

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

Balatbat kid is dead Page 3

Nuclear carrier’s Fil-Am skipper Page 12

Robin Williams mourned Page 5

Aguirre twins today Page 13

Wedding bells for Dingdong-Marian Page 21

Mallonga takes NaFFAA helm, bats for Fil-Am activism SAN DIEGO, California.

Issues confronting the Filipino American community continue to face “formidable” challenges that can only be resolved by forg-ing stronger alliances and a more vigorous advocacy, including getting more Fil-Ams to register and vote in future elections.

“The challenges we confront are formidable,” says newly-elected National Federation of

Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) National Chairman JT Mallonga. “That’s why we need to bridge the intergenera-tional divide, forge partnerships and strengthen our capacity to address and advocate for the issues raised in this conference.”

Fil-Am community leaders from all over the United States gathered here last weekend to choose new leaders as well as

craft a roadmap for engagement in the months ahead.

In his inaugural speech, Mallonga cited comprehensive immigration reform, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the DREAM Act, aid to families affected by Typhoon Haiyan, assistance to Filipino nationals here in the United States, health care and

US to keep eye on West Philippine Sea

MANILA. The United States will closely watch Chinese naval activities in the West Philippine Sea to guard against possible actions that could worsen the already tense situation there.

A Reuters report quoted a US offi cial attending meetings in Sydney, Australia as saying the US wanted to see “de-escalatory steps” from China after a US pro-posal for a freeze on provocative acts in the South China Sea got a cool response from China.

“The immediate follow-up ... is to assess the meeting sched-uled in a few weeks between ASEAN and China at the work-ing group and the senior offi cial level to discuss what equates to the freeze,” the unnamed offi cial told reporters.

“We will also be monitor-ing the actual situation around the rocks, reefs, and shoals in the

Special to the Manila Mail

By Jonathan Melegrito

WASHINGTON D.C. Fili-pino American leaders met with top offi cials of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on August 13 to urge an immediate decision granting full Temporary

Protected Status (TPS) to Filipino nationals in the United States.

While a decision was not announced at the meeting, DHS offi cials led by Asst. Secretary Alan Bersin assured the leaders that their “thoughts and opin-ions will be carefully communi-cated back” to DHS Secretary Jeh

Johnson, who will make the fi nal decision.

“There is a statutory stan-dard that we must meet before granting TPS,” Bersin stated. “Among them is the impact of the environmental disaster to the Philippines’ capacity to take back and absorb its citizens.”

In response, JT Mallonga, newly-elected National Chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Associa-tions (NaFFAA), presented the humanitarian arguments, citing the 4.3 million who have been dislocated, and the 1.5 million who have lost their homes.

“The Filipino people affected by Typhoon Haiyan continue to suffer infrastructure problems,” he said.

Rodel Rodis of the US Pinoys for Good Government (USPGG) cited the economic

Continued on page 19

Continued on page 20Continued on page 20

Abu Sayyaf chiefs shift loyalty to ISIS

MANILA. Some leaders of home-grown Al-qaeda affi liates such as the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) have reportedly shifted their allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) whose fi ghters have swept through large tracts of Syria and Iraq and is now target for a bombing campaign by US jets.

In an article posted on the news website Rappler, Rommel

Banlaoi, head of the Center for Intelligence National Security Studies of the Philippine Insti-tute of Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research, revealed that the ASG’s Isnilon Hapilon recently pledged allegiance to the ISIS.

He said there are at least three videos circulating that show Filipino Muslim militants pledging allegiance to ISIS.

In a follow-up report also on Rappler, the head of the Armed Forces Intelligence Service

(ISAFP) Maj. Gen. Eduardo Ano

Pulitzer-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas rallies Fil-Am support for immigration reform at NaFFAA conference. Photo by Bing Branigin

Video grab of Abu Sayyaf chieftain Isnilon Hapilon (photo from Rappler.com)

Continued on page 20

Leon Rodriguez (left), US Customs & Immigration Service Director, and Dept. of Homeland Security Asst. Sec. Alan Berson (2nd from left) engage Fil-Am leaders in a discussion about TPS. NaFFAA National Chairman JT Mallonga (right) presented humanitarian arguments for why TPS is an urgent issue. Photo by Jon Melegrito

August 16-31, 201422

August 16-31, 2014 3

Balatbat kid dies from tornado injuriesFAIRFAX, Virginia.

Fourteen year old Lhean-drew Lloyd Balatbat has died after being comatose for over a month after a tree fell on his tent during a tornado that also killed both his parents.

He died last Aug. 9 at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, according to a fundraising page set up to help the family.

“(I)t is with heavy heart that we inform you the passing of Lheandrew Lloyd Balatbat, son of late Lord and Lolibeth Balat-bat. At a loss for words…Please keep the family in your prayers. RIP Little man,” said a notice on a the fundraising account set up by Mohsin Khan who identifi ed himself in the website as a co-worker of the boy’s father Lord Balatbat.

Lheandrew and his two younger sisters, Lharieza Anne, 12, and Lheanna Lynn, 7, were sleeping in a separate tent when the tornado whipped into the campground.

The girls were treated of non-life threatening injuries

and released from the hospital. They are now staying with their grandfather in New Jersey.

The remains of his par-ents Lord Balatbat and Loli-

beth Ortega Balatbat were returned to New Jersey last July 28.

The family had been visiting the campground every summer for the past several years and this time were celebrating the mother’s birthday.

Balatbat was a manager at

Walgreens on Kennedy Boule-vard and Seaview Avenue in Jersey City.

Walgreens spokesman James W. Graham disclosed that the company has a benefi t fund for employees who have expe-rienced hardships caused by long illnesses, accidents, natural disasters and other situations.

“A tax exempt charitable foundation, the fund each year helps hundreds of families experiencing personal tragedies or moments of extraordinary need. We made sure the family of Lord Balatbat and Loli-beth Ortega is aware of the fund and we will help them access it if they are interested in doing so,” Graham said.

Balatbat’s colleagues at Wal-greens, led by Mohsin Khan, have been raising funds through gofundme.com/c40u9s to help cover the couple’s funeral expenses and the children’s daily expenses.

“All funds raised will be transferred to a trust fund in the name of the children that will be created by their legal guardian,”

Khan said in his appeal for help.The Jersey City Youth Foun-

dation also held a fundraiser at Zeppelin Hall Restaurant & Biergarten, attended by Mayor Steven Fulop.

The group is donating half of the $10,000 it has raised in the

annual event that buys school supplies and backpacks for city children.

“Everyone is pulling together to help in any way we can,” said Fulop at the event attended by about 200 people.

Lheandrew Lloyd Balatbat

Police cautions ‘balikbayans’ vs ‘Gagamboys’MANILA. Authorities are

warning visitors arriving or exit-ing through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to stay alert while traveling the roads near the country’s premier

airport.They could be the next

target of men who have been tagged as the “Gagamboys” (in the vernacular, “Spider boys”).

While going through the

MIA Road in Pasay City, a news team from ABS-CBN observed two men clinging to a van that had its windows down. The men’s hands were inside the moving vehicle.

August 16-31, 201444

PH judge sentences Chinese fi shers to 12 yearsPALAWAN. A Philippine

court declared a dozen Chinese

fi shermen guilty of illegal fi shing

in Philippine waters last Aug. 4

and sentenced them to 12 years

in jail plus payment of a hefty

fi ne.

It was the fi rst conviction of

Chinese nationals in the Philip-

pines since tension between the

two neighbors fl ared over rival

claims in the South China Sea.

Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Judge Ambrosio de Luna also

ordered them to pay a $100,000

fi ne, partly because they were

caught carrying

endangered animals.

Philippine rangers caught

the fi shermen after their boat

ran aground on Tubbataha Reef

in April 2013. The reef is not

claimed by China but the jail-

ing of the 12 is likely to put more

strain on already tense ties.

Chinese offi cials urged

Manila to “guarantee their legiti-

mate rights and interests”.

The fi shermen’s public

defender said he would appeal

the judge’s verdict.

They had said they were

on their way from Indonesia to

China when bad weather forced

them to take shelter at the reef,

and they were not aware they

were in Philippine territory.

The captain was sentenced

to prison for 12 years while his

men were sentenced to from six

to 10 years.

The Chinese fi shermen stand outside court house.

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Pinoys mourn death of comedic genius Robin WilliamsSAN FRANCISCO. Fili-

pinos here and back home mourned the loss of Hollywood actor Robin Williams, whose break-out role as the alien Mork from Ork in the sitcom “Mork & Mindy” captivated Philippine TV audiences and in the movies with roles in Alladin, Hook, Mrs. Doubtfi re and many others.

His death last Aug. 11, reportedly by suicide, in his Tiburon, San Francisco home became a trending topic on social media half a world away.

Williams’ Filipino American daughter Zelda Rae Williams left a touching message on her Twitter page. “You — you alone will have the stars as no one else has them...In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will

be as if all the stars were laugh-ing, when you look at the sky at night...You — only you — will have stars that can laugh.”

Below that excerpt from

“The Little Prince”, Zelda wrote: “I love you. I miss you. I’ll try to keep looking up”.

Zelda is Williams’ daughter with movie producer and philan-

thropist Marsha Garces whose father, Leon Pantaleon Garces, hails from Bohol.

Garces had initially worked as nanny to the actor’s son with his fi rst marriage. She mar-ried Williams on April 30, 1989. They have another child named Cody Alan Williams. The couple divorced in 2010.

Popular Manila actress and TV host Anne Curtis posted a photo of Williams playing as Peter Pan on her Instagram account with the caption “”all you have to do is think one happy thought, and you’ll fl y like me” -Peter Pan RIP Robin Williams. May you continue to fl y like angels in heaven or Peter Pan & Tinkerbell in Neverland”.

She echoed the sentiments of many Filipino fans, adding

“He will be remembered for the laughter and tears he gave us with each role he portrayed. Many of my fi rst childhood favorites starred this amazing actor. ”

Filipino-American actor Dante Basco who was part of the cast in “Hook” paid homage to Williams.“I’m just one of many actors that you’ve worked with and you changed our lives and I’m just one of the millions of people around the world that will forever miss you,” said Basco in a video blog.

Basco played Rufi o of the Lost Boys in Steven Spielberg’s 1991 fi lm, Hook, with Williams playing the lead role of Peter Pan.

Robin Williams fl anked by his son Cody and estranged Fil-Am wife Marsha Garces.

Slapping incident stirs talk on treating drug suspectsMANILA. Is it alright to

slap a suspect already in cus-tody? That’s what Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista did and apologized for but a fellow city executive that was nothing to be sorry about.

Bautista said he slapped Chinese national Xu Zhen Zhi, who was arrested for possess-ing about P15 million ($350,000)

worth of methamphetamine, known locally as “shabu” in sting operation.

“He doesn’t respect our laws,” Bautista said, “He’s a foreigner breaking the law and he thinks he’s somebody here in the Philippines.” He immedi-ately apologized but not to the suspect, he explained, but for being a poor example to kids in

the city. But Davao City Mayor

Rodrigo Duterte said Bautista was too easy on the suspect.

“That wasn’t enough. He should have kicked him too,” said the mayor who has the rep-utation of being the “Dirty Harry of Mindanao”.

“If he was in Davao City, I’d load him in ship and drop him

in Davao Gulf. The fi sh there is starving,” Duterte was quoted in one report.

Unlike many highly urban-ized Philippine cities, Davao City enjoys the image of being drug-free. Human rights groups have complained that’s partly because suspected drug traffi ckers never make it to jail because they end up dead on the streets, allegedly

at the hands of the mayor’s death squad.

The court didn’t set any bail for Xu. He could have faced the death penalty if this wasn’t abol-ished during the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Bautista is now urging Con-gress to reinstate capital punish-ment for drug cases.

August 16-31, 201466

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Terror leader reported dead, still alive – PH Army

MANILA. The Philippine military has clarifi ed that a notorious Islamic terror leader believed to have been killed in an American-aided bombing raid in Mind-anao two years ago was still alive.

Zulkifl i bin Abdul Hir, alias Marwan, a Malaysian bomb maker connected with

the Al-qaeda franchise group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) with a $5 million bounty from the United States has been reported roaming in the southern Philippines, senior military offi cials said on Aug. 6.

“He is alive and we continue to moni-tor him,” said Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala, Armed Forces public information chief.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced in February 2012 that Zulkifl i was among 15 members of the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah groups killed in an airstrike in Jolo.

Zulkifl i is regarded as an expert bomb maker and a senior JI leader who fi rst went into hiding in the southern Philippines in

2003. In 2007, the US government offered a $5 million reward for his capture, making him one of the United States’ most-wanted men.

The JI is a counterpart of the Islamic State that has wreaked havoc in large parts of Syria and Iraq. It aims to set up an Islamic state across Southeast Asia. It is accused of carrying out many deadly attacks in the region, including the bomb-ing of tourist spots on the Indonesian island of Bali in 2002 that killed 202 people, among them 88 Australians.

Another top JI member, Singaporean Mohammad Ali, alias Muawiyah, was also declared killed in the airstrike, along with a Filipino leader of the Abu Sayyaf.

Shortly afterwards, Malaysia expressed doubts about the purported killings but the Philippines’ then military spokesman insisted all three were dead.

However, Zagala insisted that the Philippine military had never said Zulki-fl i had defi nitely been killed. “There were reports that said he was dead but it was never validated ... we never confi rmed he was dead,” he averred.

Zagala declined to answer further questions about the case, such as whether the other two top militants were also alive.

At the time of the airstrike, a rotating force of about 600 US Special Forces was stationed in southwestern Mindanao to help train local troops combat Islamic mil-itants. The Philippine military said then that it launched the airstrike with the help of US intelligence.

Military spokesman shows Marwan’s picture.

August 16-31, 2014 7

August 16-31, 201488

Pinoys skeptical about IDs, won’t reveal statusNEW YORK. Although

Mayor Bill de Blasio signed leg-islation creating municipal iden-tifi cation cards for half a mil-lion undocumented immigrants living in New York City, many Filipinos have shied away from getting them.

To obtain a municipal ID card, applicants will be required to present their passport, birth certifi cate, government benefi t card, social security or tax ID number, which will reveal their

immigration status.And although the city is

prohibited from retaining the applicants’ personal documents in hard copy or digital format, the information will be entered in a government database.

“You may have the identi-fi cation card, but you may feel like you’re walking around with a stamp on your forehead that you’re undocumented,” said Linda Oalican, overall coordina-tor for DAMAYAN, a grassroots

group led by Filipino women

domestic workers.

“Before applying for the

card, we highly encourage our

members to think about it,” she explained.

Backed by majority of New York City council members, the municipal ID initiative was passed last June 26 but the IDs won’t be issued until January.

“For now, this card will be valid. After the elections and another mayor could be elected, the next administration could abolish it,” added Oalican.

“What will happen then to those who have already submit-

ted their personal information and divulged their immigration status?”

It will be compulsory for all government agencies in the fi ve boroughs, such as police, public schools, hospitals and public libraries, to accept the municipal card as a valid form of identifi ca-tion. However, it will only work within New York City.

It can’t be used for travel outside the city, including for boarding aircraft.

One undocumented Filipino in the city said he will feel stupid to get the ID. “That’s like com-mitting suicide,” he averred.

He said he is hoping Presi-dent Obama would come to the rescue, adding he will just wait for “bigger” and “surer” immi-gration legislation before he dis-closes his immigration status.

But for Juan Carlos Gomez, an undocumented Latino immi-grant, the ID card is a benefi t. “I know what it is to not have an ID and I know this card will go a long way to building trust and confi dence with immigrant com-munities and local authorities,” he said.

New York is fi nalizing ID cards.

August 16-31, 2014 9

August 16-31, 20141010

Comerford whips up ‘culinary diplomacy’ for Africa leadersWASHINGTON D.C.

When President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a dinner for nearly 50 heads of state from Africa leaders earlier this month, they counted on White House chef Cristeta Comerford to whip up her brand of “culinary diplomacy”.

“Food sends such a wonder-ful message,” Comerford said.

“You know we have here such a thing [called] culinary diplomacy. Because I really do believe if you have a wonderful meal, things and conversations are so much better,” she averred in a Reuters interview.

Backed by about two dozen chefs, Comerford prepared a feast that showcased American food, including produce from

the White House garden. And everything was taken under con-sideration, from DC’s muggy clime that week to each leader’s dietary restrictions or religious preferences.

“A lot of research and hard

work are put into everything,’’ she explained.

“We are incorporating some of these wonderful vegetables from the [White House] garden, and also some of them are locally-sourced as well. And we

are adding these to salads,” she added.

Every dish was laced with at least one ingredient — coffee, cinnamon and saffron, among others — that can be traced to some of the 50 participating African countries, according to the Washington Post’s Tom Siet-sema.

Chilled spiced tomato soup led the meal, he reported, fi n-ished with coriander oil and micro cilantro, accompanied by socca crisps, based on chickpea fl atbread.

The second course, chopped “farmstand” vegetable salad, underscores First Lady Michelle Obama’s commitment to mind-ful eating. The composition, using ingredients from the White

House garden, comes with “soured” cream dressing and crispy onions, rich frills no doubt balanced by a pumpkinseed vin-aigrette.

Grilled dry-aged beef fl a-vored with chermoula (a spicy marinade used throughout Northern Africa) and crispy plantains served as the main course.

Cappuccino fudge cake and papaya scented with Madagas-car vanilla and salted caramel sauce wrapped up the feast.

The United States-Africa Leaders Summit was held in the nation’s capital Aug. 4-6. The gathering focused on trade and investment in Africa and Ameri-can commitment to the conti-nent’s democracy and security.

Fil-Am teen pleads guilty to WTC stuntNEW YORK. The Filipino-

American teenager who some-how managed to make to the top of One World Trade Center pleaded guilty on Aug. 6 to mis-demeanor in a deal that will keep the stunt off his record.

Justin Alexander Casquejo, 16, of Weehawken, N.J., pleaded as a youthful offender in Mid-town Criminal Court and will serve 23 days of community service, some of which he has already completed.

He was arrested after his stunt on March 16, during which police say he managed to squeeze through a 1-foot by 1-foot hole in the fence that sur-rounds the property and made it past security on his way to the

1,776 foot tall spire.He allegedly broke into the

building around 4 a.m. with no identifi cation and appar-ently dressed like a construction worker.

The teen was eventually stopped by another construc-tion worker who spotted the red light on his GoPro camera after spending about two hours at the top of the building and while he was trying to leave the premises.

“We take security and these types of infractions extremely seriously and will prosecute violators,” Port Authority Chief Joseph Dunne said.

“We continue to reassess our security posture at the site and are constantly working to

make this site as secure as pos-sible.”

Casquejo was detained by Port Authority police offi cers responding to a report of an unauthorized person on the site.

A camera and cell phone which he apparently used to take pictures from the top of the building was seized from him.

Casquejo released an apol-ogy on his Twitter feed, saying, “I seriously apologize to anyone who may have been insulted or felt disrespected by my actions. It was not my intention to do so.”

He pleaded guilty to mis-demeanor BASE jumping. BASE stands for building, antenna, span (bridge) and earth (cliff).

White House chef Cristeta Comerford.

Justin Alexander Casquejo

PNAMDC sponsors family picnic, assembly

The Philippine Nurses

Association of Metropoli-

tan Washington D.C. is

sponsoring a family picnic

and general assembly from

11 a.m to 3 p.m. at the

Mrs. Philippines Home for

Senior Citizens in Oxon

Hill, Maryland on Satur-

day, Sept. 6, 2014.

All PNAMDC offi -

cers, members, supporters,

friends, volunteers and

their families are invited.

For more information

about this event, contact

Alicia Calayag-DeLeon: ali-

ciacalayag@gmail.com

The PNAMDC will

also host a 3KFamily Fun

Run/Walk at the Tucker

Road Community Center

Park in Fort Washington,

Maryland.

Registration fee is $30

with fi rst 40 registrants

receiving a Pedometer, free

T-shirt and Finisher Medal.

For more information,

visit facebook and website:

www.pnamdc.org. Contact

persons are Nora Men-

doza norrad79@verizon.

net Carol Robles carolr@

pnamdc.org Lorna Seidel

delegatingnurse@gmail.

com Vivian Sola viv8747@

aol.com.

August 16-31, 2014 11

Fil-Am could lose ‘retirement fund’ for hiding $21,000 in girdleDETROIT, Michigan. A

78-year-old Florida resident and her daughter are in hot water for failing to disclose about $21,000 they were secretly trying to hand carry back to the Philippines aboard an international fl ight here.

According to an Aug. 7 fi ling at the United States Dis-trict Court, Victoria Faren and her 48-year-old daughter Cher-ryn, residents of Clearwater, Florida, were stopped earlier this year by Customs offi cials as they attempted to fl y from the Detroit airport to Manila.

Faren allegedly hid more than $20,000 in her girdle and another $5,000 in her blouse and bra. The daughter said she didn’t know her mother was carrying the cash. Federal investigators charged that they were trying to skirt laws requiring disclosure of large amounts of cash being car-ried by air passengers.

Faren told investigators she recently retired and sold her home of $120,000. She sent some of that to the Philippines by wire transfer and intended to hand carry the rest back home.

“She stated that she did not wire the proceeds to the Phil-ippines this time because she thought it was safer to carry the money,” according to the com-plaint.

Federal law requires travel-ers to declare if they are carrying more than $10,000.

She has not been charged but could lose all of it if Assistant U.S. Attorney Gjon Juncaj gets

his way and gets a court order to forfeit Faren’s entire $40,977 stash in favor of the government.

After agents noted dis-crepancies between what Faren declared on a Customs form and what she told inspectors during screening, agents searched her carry-on bag and recovered more than $12,000, which had been placed in multiple wallets and sewn into a pouch.

When asked if she was car-rying any additional cash, Faren admitted there was $3,000 inside her blouse. During further ques-tioning, she copped to having $2,000 sewn into a bra strap. Then, after agents detected a bulge near her buttocks, Faren removed another $5,000 from her girdle.

When investigators found a second bulge at the front of the septuagenarian’s girdle, Faren “began to cry” and confessed she had more cash there.

According to Florida prop-erty records, Faren sold a Clear-water home to her son Reshley and his wife in April 2013. The sales price was $215,000.

Victoria Faren

Pinoy community focus on nurse’s orphaned kids

PHILADELPHIA. The Fili-pino community in Philadel-phia has launched a fund rais-ing campaign to help the family of 41-year-old Ilonggo nurse Jennifer Bongco who was found dead in Winslow Township in Camden County last July 25.

Her boyfriend, 52-year-old Kevin Ambrose was later arrested and charged with murder.

According to authorities, Bongco’s 5-year-old daughter witnessed what appeared to be a deadly confrontation.

“She witnessed the killing of the mother. But when I saw her at the viewing of the nine days novena at home, she was just playing around with the other kids,” said community leader Hermie Aczon.

Jennifer’s remains have been cremated and her elder 19-year-old daughter Jolina is planning to bring her mother’s ashes home to their family in the Philippines.

Aczon said Jennifer had to be cremated because of her

physical condition. “Eighty-four stab wounds on her face according to the Medico Legal, that’s why during the viewing, it was a closed casket.”

Philippine Nurses Asso-ciation President Belinda Reyes said the Filipino community in Philadelphia was trying to help out the Bongco siblings. “Jenni-fer Bongco was a single mother so, at this time, especially the kids they need fi nancial help,” Reyes said.

“I try to convince every-body to give their donations directly to the Jennifer Bongco Fund.”

Without their mother to pay for their mortgage, the two girls may soon lose their home.

Aczon said the elder Jolina may be staying at a friend’s or boyfriend’s place while the younger Jessica may be staying with her biological father’s new family.

Reyes said the Filipino community promised to help take care of the girls.

August 16-31, 20141212

Fil-Am is new skipper of US nuclear aircraft carrier NORFOLK, Va. United

States Navy Capt. Ronald L. Ravelo became the fi rst Filipino American to command an air-craft carrier, the nuclear-pow-ered Nimitz-class USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) during turn-over rites at Newport News, Va. shipyard last Aug. 7.

In another fi rst, Ravelo, whose father joined the US Navy when it still had bases in the Phil-ippines, took over the helm from his brother in law Capt. Karl O. Thomas who will be transferring as skipper of another Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70).

Thomas is married to Rav-elo’s sister, Junifer.

“My father is a retired chief storekeeper,” Ravelo said. “He left his family and friends to join the Navy and settle in America. I well up with pride for the Fili-pino community, but this is not any more special than any of

the other Americans around us today.”

Ravelo hails from San Diego, Ca. Prior to his new assignment, he commanded the landing ship USS Comtock and prior to that was 2nd in command of another nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.

He is a 1987 graduate of the University of Southern Califor-nia, where he earned his Bach-

elor of Science degree in Indus-trial and Systems Engineering through the NROTC program.

Upon graduation and com-missioning he reported to the Pensacola Naval Air Station where he eventually earned his wings as an unrestricted naval aviator in September 1989.

He served as a Sikorsky Seahawk pilot aboard the air-craft carriers USS Ranger (CV 61) and USS Kitty Hawk (CV 61) and took part in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Southern Watch and Operation Restore Hope in the Middle East.

As a commander of Heli-copter Squadron 14, Ravelo established the fi rst helicopter detachment in support of Opera-tion Enduring Freedom in the Philippines.

He has a Masters from the Naval War College as well as completed advanced studies at the Kennedy School of Govern-

ment and the Harvard School of Public Health.

Ravelo’s personal awards include the Defense Distin-guished Service Medal, Merito-rious Service Medal, Air Medal, Navy Commendation Medal and Navy Achievement Medal. He was awarded the 2007 Com-mander, Naval Air Forces Navy and Marine Association Out-standing Leadership Award for his tour as Commanding Offi cer of the “Chargers” (HS-14).

“This may be the fi rst time that (one family member) has taken command from another,” said guest speaker. Ravelo’s sister, Junifer, is married to Thomas.

In his remarks, Rear Adm. Troy M. Shoemaker, commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic praised Thomas for the success of his command and stated his expec-tations of the new commanding offi cer of the USS Lincoln.

“I’ve had the privilege to observe (Thomas’) bold, decisive leadership style in the crucible of a (refueling complex overhaul (RCOH)),” Shoemaker said. “He has consistently provided clear guidance and direction to the entire project team, and all are focused on integrity, account-ability and safely achieving a common goal.”

During the ceremony, Thomas gave the credit for his success to his crew.

“This crew has created a cul-ture of Sailors taking care of Sail-ors,” Thomas said. “As a result, we have enjoyed tremendous success.”

The USS Abraham Lin-coln is currently in the middle of a 42-month overhaul, which includes removing and replac-ing the ship’s nuclear fuel, at the Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries.

Capt. Ronald L. Ravelo

Surveys show deepening dissatisfaction with leadersWASHINGTON D.C. Two

separate surveys released in the fi rst week of the month showed a widespread and deepening dissat-isfaction with the way the country is being run by Washington.

Some 71 percent say the coun-try is on the wrong track, accord-ing to the most recent Wall Street

Journal/NBC News survey. That was a jump of 8 points from their June survey.

In a Washington Post-ABC News poll, 51 percent of Ameri-cans said that they disapprove of the way their own representative in Congress is “handling his or her job.” This was the fi rst time in 25

years that the number of Ameri-cans who disapprove of their own Congress member has risen to more than 50 percent, according to the Post.

Despite solid jobs gains and a pickup in economic growth, a record-high 76 percent said they don’t feel confi dent that their chil-

dren’s lives will better than theirs, the WSJ/NBC poll result showed.

About 60 percent say the nation is in a state of decline.

“The American public is tell-ing its elected representatives that the economic distress that a signifi -cant proportion of them are feeling is directly their fault,” said Demo-

cratic pollster Fred Yang, who con-ducts the Journal poll with Repub-lican Bill McInturff.

All told, 79 percent expressed some level of dissatisfaction with the United States political system, while only 19 percent said they are satisfi ed, in the WSJ/NBC poll.

August 16-31, 2014 13

Conjoined twins have separate lives, 10 years laterNEW YORK. Two Filipino

conjoined twins who were sepa-rated a decade ago at the Monte-fi ore Medical Center in the Bronx are now living vastly different lives.

Carl and Clarence Aguirre, now 12, were born joined at

the head. One twin reportedly plays video games and dances to Michael Jackson tunes; the other has problems walking and talk-ing.

“When they were born, the doctors at home told me, ‘You have to choose which one is to live,’” Arlene Aguirre said. “I said, ‘I cannot choose that.’ The doctors here did not ask me to choose.”

Although one the twin is believed to have permanent impairment, Arlene said she’s

still grateful that both are alive.The Children’s Hospital at

Montefi ore Medical Center in the Bronx agreed to take their case. “If they hadn’t come to us when they did, they would have just withered away and died,” said Dr. Robert Marion, the boys’

pediatrician.“I am extremely proud of

having been a part of this. I’m a little disappointed with some of the outcome but, clearly, to see how these kids have survived and are for the most part thriv-ing, is really wonderful,” Marion averred.

The boys were separated on Aug. 4, 2004, in an operation that climaxed a then-unusual “staged separation” that took four sur-geries over nine months.

When it was over, Dr. David

Staffenberg, the boys’ plastic sur-

geon, told the mother, “You’re

now the mother of two boys.”

Arlene has stayed in Amer-

ica and now raises the boys in

Scarsdale. She said she throws

birthday parties twice a year:

April 21, the day they were born,

and on Aug. 4.

PH raises Ebola alert, eyes returning OFWsMANILA. The Philippines

has stopped sending workers to Ebola-affected African countries and have started monitoring the health of people arriving from there, a process that health offi -cials say could last a month.

The government has imposed a ban on travel to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone amid the world’s worst ever out-break of the tropical virus, while the Health Department adopted extra measures starting Aug. 1.

“We have to be proac-tive. We know that the threat is there, and we do not want any surprises,” DOH spokesman Lyndon Leesuy said.

Filipinos returning from the three outbreak countries, as well as visitors from those nations, would be screened at Philippine airports and their health status monitored daily for a month after their arrival, he explained.

Leesuy revealed that at least 20 Filipino workers who returned from Sierra Leone in June and July were put under this regime by health offi cials.

Hospital facilities have been prepared to admit any who would develop Ebola symptoms, it said in a statement, while stressing the country remained

free of the deadly virus.The foreign department

said there were 3,491 Filipinos working in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone when the travel ban was imposed on July 4. They are among an estimated 10 million Filipinos who work abroad.

Meanwhile, neighboring Malaysia has expanded its pre-cautions by monitoring arrivals from the Philippines because of its large overseas worker force,

part of which is deployed to countries where there’s a raging Ebola epidemic.

There is no vaccine for the highly-contagious disease, and

the current outbreak has claimed nearly 730 lives and infected more than 1,300 people since the beginning of the year.

Ebola causes severe mus-cular pains, fever, headaches and, in the worst cases, unstop-pable bleeding. It has killed around two-thirds of those it has infected since its emergence in 1976, although the death rate in the current outbreak is lower, at 55 percent.

Former conjoined twins Carl and Clarence Aguirre with their mother Arlene.Infra-red sensors screen arrivals at Manila airport.

August 16-31, 20141414

Teen held for murder of 6-year-old Fil-AmSEATTLE, Washington. A

17-year-old high school student is accused of killing 6-year-old Filipino American Jenise Pau-lette Wright near her family’s home in rural Kitsap County last Aug. 2.

Gabriel Zebediah Gaeta, 17, a student at Olympic High School, was being held on $1 mil-lion bail pending adult charges of fi rst-degree murder with mul-tiple aggravating circumstances and fi rst-degree rape of a child. He could face life in prison if he’s convicted.

Wright’s disappearance riv-eted the nation and for a time, cast suspicions on her parents (they were asked to undergo a lie detector test).

The girl’s father James

Wright revealed that he had taken Gaeta under his wing and was trying to teach how to be “responsible to his community.”

“We fed him. He split wood with me at my house. I was trying to teach him to be respon-sible to his community — even when we leave home, we are responsible as men.”

Wright and his wife are now trying to bring home their two other children, ages 12 and 8, who were taken in by child pro-tective services after Jenise dis-appeared Aug. 2.

Her body was discovered on Aug. 7 in almost 4 feet of muddy water that investigators described as a “bog.”

Investigators said in court documents that Gaeta “nodded

yes” when they asked him whether he was the only person involved in Jenise’s death, which the state forensics lab had con-nected to him by DNA on Jen-ise’s clothing.

Her family noticed her miss-ing the morning of Aug. 3 but didn’t become worried and call for help until that night because she had left the home on previ-ous occasions and wandered around the neighborhood.

Neighbors described Jenise as outgoing and unafraid to talk to anyone. The family felt it was relatively safe because the mobile home park is fenced. She was half Native American and half Filipino.

The search and investiga-tion involved the FBI, Washing-ton State Patrol and detectives from nearby police agencies.

Discovering the Filipino culture in RichmondBy Kimberly Hayes

RICHMOND, Virginia. Smiling faces, delicious smelling food, a beautiful sunny day and tons of dancing are only a few words to describe the happen-ings at 9th Annual Filipino festi-val hosted at Our Ladies of Lord Church in Richmond, VA.

It doesn’t take much to become part of a Filipino com-munity, just remember to always be ready to have fun!

And this year’s festival was full of it!

This year’s festival was also the fi rst time Philippine Ambas-sador Jose. L. Cuisia graced the festival with his presence. He traveled from Washington, D.C. to enjoy the festivities on his fi rst visit to Richmond.

“It’s my fi rst time here in Richmond and I couldn’t help admire the beautiful trees, since you don’t get to see many in Was hington, D.C. I also enjoyed the warm people, very nice people who are not only Filipino Americans but the people who live here and made me feel at home,” he enthused.

He commended the organiz-ers for the successful festival.

It was exciting to see tradi-tional dances performed. One dance, the tinkling especially caught my eye. It was mesmer-izing to watch the skill of the dancers as they moved with grace, poise and agility between the moving bamboo sticks.

Watching is one thing but actually attempting this dance is another. As we were invited to actually try the dance, I stood by

timidly and I observed newcom-ers scared that there toes would come off. I fi gured it wasn’t as easy as it looks and it can work up appetite.

Speaking of appetites you should never come to a Filipino festival if you don’t plan to eat!

Whether it’s a snack dish like Empandas, Lumpia or Turon or a main dish like Lechon or Chicken Adobo served with

rice of course! There are just too many delicious options for you not have your hunger satisfi ed.

The festival was full of family fun, good vibes, awesome eats and warm people all apart of the Filipino American and non-Filipino American commu-nities. No matter what age, style or taste attended today there was something inviting in the atmo-sphere for everyone.

Fifteen-year-old Will Bram-lett described his experience, “I have been helping with the Filipino festival for nine years now and I attend Our Ladies of Lord Church. I love meeting new people and learning about the Filipino culture! I’m even learn-ing Tagalog.”

Amb. Cuisia observed the importance of having the Filipino festival, “It allows us to share the Filipino community with our American friends and experi-ence and give our friends in the community a better concept of our Filipino culture. It’s a good way to strengthen the pact we already have with Americans. I want Filipinos and Americans to learn about each other’s tra-ditions which will lead to better relations with both cultures.”

If you have never attended the Filipino Festival in Rich-mond, mark it on your calendar for next year. I’ll see you there!

ABOUT THE WRITER. Kim-berly Hayes is an up and coming writer currently studying at the University of Virginia (UVA). As a multi-ethnic student with a passion for writing from a multi-cultural perspective she hopes to pursue a career in journalism.

Six-year-old Jenise Paulette Wright was murdered near her home.

Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr. with Richmond Fil-Am leaders (from left), Rudy Bolipata, Mayette Wilder, Dr. Maria Cielo Sinsioco, Mrs. Vicky Cuisia, the Ambassador, Eleanor Macalma, Amante “JJ” Macalma, Sue Berinato and Rosario Igharas.

Vatican asks Pinoys to help Iraqi ChristiansMANILA. The Vatican’s

envoy to the Philippines has asked the government to help the thousands of Christians per-secuted and in some cases being killed in Iraq.

The apostolic nuncio, Arch-bishop Giuseppe Pinto, made this request in a letter dated August 11, that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Phil-ippines (CBCP) .

In the letter publicized by CBCP president Lingayen-Dagu-pan Archbishop Socrates Ville-gas, Pinto noted the declaration

by the Holy See Press Offi ce, on behalf of Pope Francis, on “the dramatic and perilous situation of defenseless peoples, in par-ticular, Christian communities, in northern Iraq.”

Pinto wrote, “Enclosing a copy of the English translation of that Declaration, I am requesting Your Excellency to take every action to bring this matter to the attention of the faithful in the Philippines, asking their prayers and solidarity for the suffering people of Iraq.”

“In addition, while this

Nunciature will communicate

the contents of the Declaration

to the Government of the Philip-

pines through offi cial channels, I

know Your Excellency will take

steps to interest the civil authori-ties of this country in the plight of persecuted Christians, so that everything possible may be done on the international plain to help them,” he said.

In the Holy See declaration attached by Pinto, the Vatican said Pope Francis is following reports in Iraq “with deep con-cern.”

Thousands of Christians and other minorities have been forced from their homes in Iraq by the Islamic State in Iraq & Syria (ISIS). They’ve been forced

to convert to Islam or be exe-cuted.

“His Holiness urgently calls on the international commu-nity to protect all those affected or threatened by the violence, and to guarantee all necessary assistance – especially the most urgently needed aid – to the great multitude of people who have been driven from their homes, whose fate depends entirely on the solidarity of others,” the Vat-ican added.

Pope Francis

August 16-31, 2014 15

Scholars volunteer for FilVets Gold Medal campaignSAN DIEGO, California.

American scholars of World War II history have volunteered to help convince the United States government to award the Con-gressional Gold Medal to Fili-pino WWII veterans.

Retired US Army Major General Antonio Taguba revealed last Aug. 10 that schol-ars from the University of Mary-land and Massachusetts Institute of Technology agreed to help conduct research documenting the Filipino veterans’ wartime service.

He said the research would gather “indisputable, incon-trovertible proof” to back the campaign as supporters would prepare to seek congressional

support and raise funds for the effort.

The research will involve the Philippine Scouts, the Phil-

ippine Commonwealth Army, recognized guerrillas, the New Philippine Scouts and the 1st and 2nd Philippine Regiments that

were organized in California.Taguba, one of the high-

est ranking Filipino-Americans in the US Army, also called on the Fil-Am community to help spread the word about the cam-paign known as the “Filipino American World War II Soldiers Recognition Project.”

Taguba talked about the campaign at the National Feder-ation of Filipino American Asso-ciations (NaFFAA) conference at the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center here. Naffaa is one of the key organi-

zations behind the project.There has never been a

formal declaration to recognize Filipino veterans for their sacri-fi ce and loyal service during the global war, Taguba said.

Other groups have been rec-ognized with a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award given by the US Congress. They include the Japanese Amer-ican Nisei soldiers, Navajo Code Talkers, Montford Marines, Tuskegee Airmen and Women Air Service Pilots (WASP).

Retired US Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba with Filipino WW2 veterans.

Cordillera fi sh can predict weather?

MANILA. There is a unique but delectable fi sh imported to the highland streams of the Cor-dillera mountain range that is said to be just a reliable in pre-dicting the changing weather as the most modern devices of the country’s weather bureau.

The Weather Loach or Dojo fi sh can predict impending bad weather, claimed Westly Rosa-rio, chief of the Bureau of Fish-eries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) research center based in Dagupan City, Pangasinan.

“They become very agitated if there is aberration of weather like typhoons or rains,” he said. He explained they are sensitive to barometric pressure, which causes it to become restless before the onset of inclement weather.

The Weather Loach (Mis-gurnus anguillicaudatus) can also survive long periods in very shallow water or even out of water and tend to be active in the evening due to the cold tem-perature.

The Dojo is about 13 centi-meters long and thrives in rivers and swamps in the Cordilleras. “It’s like an eel but it’s not an eel.”

The Weather Loach was introduced to the country before the onset of World War II “along with the so-called Japanese snails, maybe for food purposes of Japanese soldiers. But the Dojo was accepted as a fi sh spe-cies in the Cordilleras because it is cold tolerant,” Rosario said.

He also said that in the past, the Weather Loach was abun-dant in the Cordilleras and the Japanese set up buying stations in Banaue. The fi sh is very popu-lar in Japan and Korea where they can command a price as high as P6,000 ($143) per kilo.

But Rosario said the fi sh population is dwindling because of the effects of fertilizer and pesticide in the habitat. That prompted the BFAR to build a Dojo hatchery in 2002.

August 16-31, 20141616 News in Pictures

A display of Filipino attire at the OperaAll photos by Angelyn Tugado Marzan

In crisp barong Tagalog, Philippine Ambassador Jose L. Cusia, Jr. with wife Maria Victoria Cuisia, (3rd and 4th from left, respectively) join Filipino Americans Aug. 8, 2014 at the lobby of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. prior to the opening of the Noli me Tangere oper. With them are, from left, Drs. Abraham and Cecilia Rasul, Connie Valera, Celia Pangilinan-Donahue, Drs. Vic and BambiLorica, Atty. Nedo Valera, Jess Gatchalian, and Luis Florendo.

US-Philippines Society President Ambassador John F. Maisto (center)is fl anked by Filipino American artist Nilo Santiago and Edward A. Seidel, president of the Mid Atlantic Foundation for Asian Artists, Inc. (MAFFAA) who presented the opera in the US capital on Aug. 8 & 9, 2014.

Basking in applause and standing standing ovation by their appreciative audience are the cast of the Filipino opera, Noli Me Tangere, which was shown Aug. 8 & 9, 2014 at the Eisenhower Theater of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Also seen at the Noli opera performance are from left, front, Tessie Alarcon, Nancy Ceniza, Vic dela Pena, Alice Andam; (standing, are Ador Carreon, Henry Balagtas, Pablito Alarcon, and Nanette Suyat.

Also among those present are, from left, Jose Naldo, PALM President Mitzi Pickard, Jun Pedery, Marissa Usman, PAFC Chairman Sonny Busa, Emilie Dearing, Henry Balagtas, and Gabriel Riego de Dios.

Also seen at the Kennedy Center are the Manila Mail’s Dino dela Rosa and Jojo dela Rosa (1st & 2nd from left) Sonia Miklas and Tess Taylor.

Manning the ticket desk at the Kennedy Center for the Noli performance Aug. 8 are, from left, Nancy Ceniza, Nanette Suyat, Vic dela Pena, Daisy Tucay and Alice and Precious Andam.

Loida Nicolas Lewis, New York-based Filipino American philanthropist who was responsible for reviving the opera in the US (holding mike, front), thanks the performers for their artistry and hard work.

August 16-31, 2014 17

Almost fi ve hundred delegates from across the United States attended the four-day 11th National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) Empowerment Conference that opened in San Diego, California Aug. 7. Photo shows, from left, Bing Cardenas Branigin, Board of Gover-nors, JT Mallonga, newly-elected National Chairman, and Rodel Rodis, Legal Counsel.

DC Capital Area delegates to the NaFFAA Empowerment Conference in San Diego included (from left) White House Senior Adviser Jason Tengco, Lupe Stoker, Jon Melegrito, Nora Dorsey, AJ Macalma, Bing Branigin, Ben de Guzman and APALA Exec. Dir. Greg Cendana. Not in the picture representing Region 2 are Kris Valderrama, Eric Macalma and Gloria Caoile (honorary member). The 4-day confab, which opened Aug. 7, featured a youth leader-ship institute, workshops, community service awards, and election of national offi cers. (photo by Giselle Rushford)

The NaFFAA Empowerment Conference in San Diego

Aurora Cudal (left) and Leezel Ramos, co-chairs of the successful NaFFAA 2014 empowerment conference in San Diego earl this month get standing ovation during the gala ball. Looking on are Lourdes “Luly” Esclamado, widow of the founder of NaFFAA (seated), Rozita Lee, Loida Nicolas Lewis and Gloria T. Caoile.

The youth were represented at the 11the National Empowerment Conference of NaFFAA Augst 7-10 at the Town and Countr Resort and Convention Center in San Diego, California. Photo shows, from left, Jason Tengo, Senior Adivi-sor, White House AAPI, Ben De Guzman, Co-Director of Programs, NQAPIA, Greg Cendana, Executive Director, Asian Pacifi c American Labor Alliance and Institute for Asian Pacifi c American Leadership and Advancement, Jose Antonio Vargas, DREAMERS, Tony Olaes, GK-USA, Billy Dec, Commissioner, White House Initiative on APIA, Eric Macalma, CEO, the Firestarter Group, and Elmer Cato, Philippine Embassy, Washington, DC.and AJ Macalma, The Firestarter Group. (Photo: Bing Cardenas Branigin)

Board members and executive offi cers of Feed the Hungry, Inc. take time for a group photo after an all-day retreat in Springfi eld, VA. to map out the organization’s future plans and directions. In photo (standing, from left) Pablito Alarcon, Larry Pacis, Willy Buhain, Celia Pangilinan Donahue, Vangie Ganuelas (exec. director), Gloria T. Caoile, Felipe & Perse Solis, Tessie Calderon (seated, from left) Bobby Tamayo, Dennis Ocampo, Mila Nazal, Lottie Buhain (Board Chair), Ethel Sanidad, Jon Melegrito (facilitator) and Nina Tamayo.This is an informal group of the delegates prior to the start of the conference.

NaFFAA delegates in formal attire during the ball pose for picture.

August 16-31, 20141818

Only half of undocumented youth tap DACA, lower for AsiansWASHINGTON, D.C. Only

a little more than half of the 1.2 million unauthorized immigrant youth who qualifi ed for Presi-dent Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) actually applied for relief from deportation as of July 20, 2014, according to the think-tank Migration Policy Institute (MPI).

Now going to its 3rd year of implementation, the MPI said more than 2.1 million unauthor-ized immigrants who came to the United States as children are potentially eligible for DACA, with 1.2 million having imme-diately met the age, education, length of residence and other criteria when the initiative launched in 2012.

Two other groups could prospectively gain DACA status: 426,000 youth who appeared to fulfi ll all but the education requirements as of the program’s launch, and 473,000 who were too young to apply but become eligible once they reach age 15 if they stay in school or obtain a high school degree or equivalent.

The analysis by MPI’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy is contained in the report “DACA at the Two-Year Mark: A National and State Profi le of Youth Eligible and Applying for Deferred Action”,

The MPI has also launched

an online data tool with DACA population estimates for the US.

Using an innovative meth-odology to analyze US Census data, the report assesses the size of immediately and prospec-tively eligible populations and offers estimates on educational attainment, English profi ciency, age, gender, labor force par-ticipation and poverty for the DACA-eligible population.

“This analysis provides a mixed picture of DACA’s fi rst two years,” said MPI President Michael Fix. “On the one hand, the sheer volume of applicants is impressive. On the other, hun-dreds of thousands of immigrant youth have not yet gained a status that can change their lives in measurable ways, allowing them improved job prospects, the ability to apply for driver’s licenses and more.”

DACA, which was imple-mented on August 15, 2012, offers work authorization as well as a two-year reprieve from depor-tation for eligible unauthorized immigrants who entered the US before the age of 16; meet length of residence, education and other requirements; and were under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012.

USCIS data provided to MPI show that the agency had accepted 681,189 applications for processing as of July 20, 2014,

and 587,366 individuals had been granted deferred action. And USCIS had accepted nearly 25,000 renewal applications between June 5, when it posted the renewal guidelines, and July 20.

Among MPI’s other key fi ndings:

Eligible youth were most likely to apply for the program in Arizona (66 percent), Texas (64 percent), Nevada and Colorado (61 percent) and North Carolina (59 percent). They were least likely to apply in Massachusetts and New Jersey (37 percent), Virginia (38 percent), Florida (39 percent) and Maryland (41 per-

cent).Compared to their share

among the total DACA-eligible population, Latin American youth were more likely to apply, while Asian youth were less likely to do so.

Mexicans who represent 65 percent of all immediately eli-gible DACA youth, had a 62 per-cent application rate as of March 31, ranking behind Hondurans (68 percent) and ahead of Peru-vians (61 percent).

By contrast, just 24 percent of immediately eligible Koreans, 26 percent of Filipinos and 28 percent of Indians had applied by that date.

Eighty thousand to 90,000 unauthorized youth will age into DACA eligibility in 2014 and 2015, after which the numbers will begin to decline until the last group reaches 15 in 2022.

Older youth were less likely to apply than their younger counterparts, with just 33 per-cent of those ages 25 and over among the immediately eligible having applied, compared to 53 percent in the 15-19 age group.

Using a more expansive defi nition that takes into account all potential DACA benefi cia-ries over age 15 (those currently meeting all criteria and those who appeared to meet all but the education criteria as of DACA’s launch), MPI estimates that only 41 percent of this population of 1.7 million had applied as of July 20, 2014. “Our research makes clear that there is a substantial number of youth who are poten-tially eligible for DACA but have limited English profi ciency and comparatively few years of sec-ondary education,” said Margie McHugh, Director of MPI’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy.

“For many, access to adult education programs, including English as a Second Language and basic skills instruction, is critical to meeting DACA’s edu-cation requirements.”

Immigration rights activists protest in front of White House.

August 16-31, 2014 19

services to the elderly, affordable education, voter mobilization and justice for Filipino World War II veterans, including a national campaign to secure offi -cial recognition for their sacrifi ce and service to this country.

“We must continue our advocacy role as the voice of the 4 million Filipinos in America,” said Mallonga, who is also the President of the Filipino Ameri-can Legal Defense & Education Fund (FALDEF).

But we can only be effec-tive by making FilVote a real-ity. “ Mallonga noted that in the last two national elections, only 500,000 Filipino Americans of the 1.5 million eligible voters registered to vote.

Representing most of the states in the US, the more than 500 delegates and guests at the NaFFAA’s 11th Empowerment Conference responded approv-ingly with cheers and standing ovations that rocked the city’s Town and Country Resort & Convention Center for three days.

The conference culminated with the delegates, youth lead-ers, elected offi cials, and guests joining hands at Saturday night’s gala ball, in a symbolic affi rma-tion of the spirit of unity and community empowerment that NaFFAA Founder Alex Escla-mado fostered.

To honor his legacy, com-munity service awards were given to four outstanding orga-nizations. Lourdes “Luly” Escla-mado, widow of NaFFAA’s founding chairman, fl ew in from North Carolina to participate in the awarding ceremonies.

She was assisted by NaFFAA founders Loida Nico-las Lewis, Rodel Rodis, Gloria T. Caoile and Greg Macabenta.

The awardees were Council for Filipino American Organiza-tions of Central Florida, West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service Inc., Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Texas, Pilipino

American Unity for Progress Inc. (UNIPRO). The awards were sponsored by GMA 7.

Twenty-six year old Jason Tengco, the youngest ever Senior Advisor to serve in the White House, led off the array of speak-ers on Friday. Bemoaning the glaring absence of Filipino Amer-icans in the White House and federal agencies, Tengco urged NaFFAA leaders to collaborate with the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacifi c Islanders (WHIAAPI) on the national and regional levels.

“I see a lot of Filipino cooks but not very many Filipino American staff doing policy,” he said.

“We’re not even represented in the US Congress. We must ensure that we have a place at the table so our voices are heard by Washington’s policy makers. NaFFAA needs to fi nd and fi eld FilAms in the highest levels of government.”

As a young man who rose to his White House position shortly after graduating from college, Tengco also stressed the impor-tance of young leaders having strong mentors. “They inspired me to pursue social justice and public service,” he said.

“It’s fi tting therefore that in this conference, we are breaking the dawn, standing on the shoul-ders of our aunts and uncles and blazing the trail for others as they did me.”

He mentioned public ser-vants and community leaders like Maria Haley, Charmaine Manansala, Irene Bueno, Gloria Caoile, Tessie Guillermo, Rozita Lee, Greg Cendana and Hector Vargas.

Billy Dec, a Filipino Ameri-can entertainer and entrepreneur and newly-appointed commis-sioner to the WHIAAPI, also praised “the new movement of young Filipinos who have it together, whose talent and intel-ligence are being celebrated.”

In his keynote address on

Aug. 9, Dec further encouraged delegates to work together as a community, “share each other’s passions and continue to make history. Being the eyes and ears of the President of the United States, let’s all learn to collabo-rate so we can gain access to those who make decisions that affect our lives.”

The theme of engaging youth leaders and fostering shared leadership with their elders was the focus of plenary presentations, break-out sessions and a town hall discussion on Thursday.

Attended by more than 50 students and leaders from across the country, the youth leadership institute featured skills training, crisis simulations and strategic planning. A highlight was a dia-logue between NaFFAA offi cers (“seasoned veterans”) and youth participants at the closing of the institute.

Aurora Cudal, NaFFAA Region 10 Chair, drove home the point about collabora-tion between “young folks” and “older professionals,” by recounting how planning for this year’s empowerment conference came about.

She recalled how more than a year ago Leezel Ramos, a 26-year-old student leader, offered to volunteer in the plan-ning.

“I asked Leezel if she wants to help as secretary?” Cudal said. “Her response was an emphatic ‘No.’ She said she wants to be the chair. After recovering from initial shock, I realized she was serious, and that’s how our part-nership with the young folks began.”

Ramos immediately formed a team of youth organizers who came up with the theme, “Break-ing the Dawn: Master Planning the Future,” created a web site, and mapped out the logistics, outreach and program for the conference.

Other national youth lead-ers who provided support to the team include Steven Raga, founding president of Pilipino

American Unity for Progress, Inc. (UNIPRO), a New York-based organization of young professionals and entrepreneurs.

Also assisting the youth team was Juanito Amor, a com-munity youth counselor; Cesar Abueg, Karl Bruno, Julius Ale-jandro, Jessica Mercado, Alicia Ricafrente and Romyn Sabatchi.

“Our intention may have been to infi ltrate and assume leadership,” explained Ramos. “But what matters is the impact of our actions and the relation-ships we build. Our elders may have been wary at fi rst but they were very supportive all throughout.”

Delegates attended several workshops throughout the con-ference – from skills training to civic engagement, coalition building and political empower-ment.

“What’s notable about this year’s conference is the way we have opened up more opportu-nities for continued engagement between our seasoned veterans and the young folks,” said Greg Cendana, executive director of the Asian Pacifi c American Labor Alliance.”

Adds Ben de Guzman, an advocate for LGBT rights: “We have come a long way from 1997 when we couldn’t even talk about gay rights. Today, we have at least changed the way we hold conversations about issues that divide us. We need to learn from each other and have conversa-tions with thoughtfulness and respect.”

Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulit-zer Prize-winning journalist who revealed and chronicled his life in America as an undocumented immigrant, drew a standing ova-tion when he shared his strug-gles and his efforts to educate the American public about the need for comprehensive immigration reform. Before he decided to “come out,” he sought out NaF-FAA’s support and was assured of the organization’s assistance.

“I now look to NaFFAA to do everything it can to mobilize the Filipino American commu-

nity and work for the passage of immigration reform.”

Tony Olaes, board chair-man of Gawad Kalinga USA, also challenged the delegates to be “proud of your Filipinon-ess” and celebrate our values of caring and sharing. “The youth are now the messengers of these values, so we need to make sure they are connected to the moth-erland, because we are one Fili-pino rooted in one place, and our mission is to build and uplift the Filipino nation wherever we are.”

Major General Antonio Taguba (Ret), amplifying the theme of Filipino pride, spoke about the community rallying behind a national campaign to seek recognition for Filipino World War II veterans.

“We cannot close this dark chapter in US History until these soldiers who fought bravely in service of America receive the Gold Medal Award,” he said. “We need to work together to make this happen.”

Delegates elected a new national leadership at the con-clusion of the conference. In addition to Mallonga, the follow-ing were elected to NaFFAA’s top positions: Emraida Kiram of Madison, Wisc. as vice chair; Mariella Fletcher of Seattle, Wash. as secretary and Brendan Flores of Orlando, Fla. as Trea-surer.

They will serve a term of two years. Mallonga appointed Giselle Rushford of Denver Colorado and Region 5 chair, as executive director.

The 2010 empowerment conference will be held in Phila-delphia, PA.

Mallonga takes NaFFAA... from page 1

August 16-31, 20142020

Gov’t agents arrest ‘The Butcher’MANILA. Government

forces fi nally caught up with a gaunt former Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan wanted for the 2006 disappearance of two Uni-versity of the Philippines (UP) students and extrajudicial kill-ings that’s fueled the culture of impunity denounced by human rights groups here and around the world.

Palparan was arrested at a residential area in Sta. Mesa, Manila before dawn of Aug. 12 by a team composed of mem-bers of the National Bureau of Investigation-Anti-Organized Transnational Crimes Divi-sion (NBI-AOTCD) and Armed Forces of the Philippines Coun-ter Intelligence Group and the Naval Intelligence and Security Force (NISF).

‘’There should be no special treatment for the ex-general. We look forward to a speedy trial so that justice can fi nally be ren-dered in the disappearance of our colleagues and friends Karen

Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan. Their families have been fi ghting for justice for years now,’’ said Renato Reyes, secretary gen-

eral of militant umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) in a statement.

Reyes said that apart from the two UP students, Karapa-tan’s Eden Marcellana, Kilu-sang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas’ (KMP) Eddie Gumanoy, Atty. Juvy Magsino, and teacher Leima Fortu, were also allegedly

victims of Palparan.Human rights group

Karapatan said peasant leader Eddie Gumanoy, Pastor Edison Lapuz of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, Atty. Fedelito Dacut, Supreme Bishop Alberto Ramento of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, also suf-fered in the hands of Palparan.

These extrajudicial killings were the subject of a 2007 US Senate hearing in Washington DC and that eventually lead to pre-conditions being imposed on the US military aid to the Philippines. The United Nations special rapporteur Philip Aston submitted an extensive report on human rights abuses in the Phil-ippines that bewailed govern-ment inaction against violators.

‘’From 2005 to 2006 alone, when The Butcher Palparan was Commanding Offi cer of the 7th ID (Infantry Division), specifi -cally with the 24th IB (Infantry Battalion) known as the torture battalion under him, there were

71 victims of extrajudicial kill-ings, 14 victims of frustrated kill-ing, and fi ve incidents of massa-cre,’’ Karaptan secretary general Cristina Palabay said in a state-ment.

Palparan, 63, was brought to the NBI headquarters in Manila where he will be detained until the courts can get custody. There was a P2 million reward for his capture.

Palparan went into hiding in 2011 after a Bulacan Regional Trial Court judge issued a war-rant arrest for him, Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado Jr., S/Sgt. Edgardo Osorio and M/Sgt. Rizal Hilario for the disappearance of UP stu-dents Karen Empeño and Sher-lyn Cadapan on June 26, 2006.

Anotado and Osorio surren-dered, while Hilario remains at large.

Cadapan, a senior Bachelor of Sport Science student, and Empeño, a senior BA Sociology student, were reportedly forcibly taken by armed men in Barangay

San Miguel, Hagonoy, Bulacan, along with Manuel Merino in 2006.

Their abductors were iden-tifi ed by witnesses as members of the Philippine Army based in Barangay Iba, Hagonoy, Bulacan under the command of then Maj. Gen. Palparan.

A witness in the case, Ray-mond Manalo, claimed that he was abducted by the military along with his brother in 2006, and was eventually detained together with Cadapan, Empeño and Merino later that year at a camp in San Miguel Bulacan.

Palparan, dubbed ‘’The Butcher’’ by left-wing and human rights groups for his alleged involvement in extra-judicial killings, is facing two counts of kidnapping and seri-ous illegal detention.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the NBI had been working on capturing him for about a year until he was sighted in Manila on Aug.10.

said he’s not “bothered because ISIS will not send fi ghters here because they have their own problems there”.

He dismissed the video pur-portedly showing Hapilon and other ASG leaders swearing alle-giance to ISIS as a ploy to raise funds. “The ASG has not been receiving fi nancial support for a long time. That’s why they resort to kidnapping,” Ano surmised.

Banlaoi said intelligence reports suggest as many as 100

Filipino Muslim fi ghters are cur-rently in, or have returned to the Philippines after fi ghting for ISIS in Syria. At least two have died in combat there, he said, quoting unnamed sources.

It would not be the fi rst time that Filipino Muslim militants have waged “jihad” outside the Philippines. Basilan-born Abdu-rajak Janjalani had fought against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s before returning to Mindanao, armed with cash and

combat experience, to establish the Abu Sayyaf in 1991.

Hapilon is one of the major ASG commanders in Basilan.

According to Banlaoi, sev-eral leaders connected with the ASG and the smaller Rajah Solaiman Islamic Movement (RSIM) are suspected to have spearheaded the oaths of alle-giance to ISIS although he con-ceded there was not enough evi-dence to prove that these groups have become part of ISIS.

Abu Sayyaf command-ers in neighboring Sulu Island

are not known to have pledged their allegiance to ISIS. The ASG reportedly has the bulk of its forces there.

President Obama gave the green light last Aug. 8 for US forces to attack ISIS militants who threaten American person-nel in Baghdad and Irbil, the capital of the autonomous Iraqi region of Kurdistan as well as members of the Yazidi religious minority trapped on a mountain near the city of Sinjar in northern Iraq.

There are fears that ISIS

could begin to train the foreign fi ghters that have swelled its ranks to slip back to their respec-tive home countries and stage attacks there.

Banlaoi stressed the threat to Philippine security “is becom-ing more real than imagined.”

“The Philippine govern-ment has to implement strong preventive counter measures before this threat develops into a many-headed monster that is hard to defeat,” Banlaoi stressed.

Abu Sayyaf chiefs... from page 1

South China Sea.”China’s Xinhua state news

agency warned on Aug. 11 that “by stoking the fl ames, Wash-ington is further emboldening countries like the Philippines and Vietnam to take a hardline stance against China, raising sus-picion over the real intention of the United States and make an amicable solution more diffi cult to reach.”

Regional tensions hit a peak last May when China parked a giant oil rig in waters claimed by Vietnam.

The US and Philippine pro-posals aimed to prevent such action, as well as building and land reclamation work on dis-puted islands being carried out by China and other claimants.

“I think it’s pretty clear, China’s actions speak for them-selves,” US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said at a briefi ng in Sydney, adding the US posi-tion remained that such disputes should be resolved through international law.

Hagel and US State Secre-tary John Kerry were in Australia

for the annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) in Sydney, where defense and security coopera-tion is expected to be high on the agenda along with Iraq and Ukraine.

The ministers will sign an agreement reached between President Barack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on the deployment of US marines to Australia for joint exercises and training in areas such as disaster relief.

“It will expand our regional cooperation here in Asia-Pacifi c from engagement with ASEAN

to the trilateral cooperation that we have been working on with Japan,” Hagel said, adding that the US was fi rmly committed to its rebalance to the region.

“We have an interest here, we will continue to have an inter-est here, we are a Pacifi c power.”

Some 1,150 Marines are sta-tioned in under a 2011 agreement that launched President Barack Obama’s strategic “pivot” to the fast-growing Asia region.

The Marine contingent, primed to respond to regional confl icts and humanitarian crises, is expected to swell to 2,500 by 2017.

The US and Philippines

signed an Enhanced Defense

Cooperation Agreement last

April that would allow the US

to rotate forces, and preposition

equipment and supplies in the

Philippines.

Obama’s pivot has irked

China, which sees it as an attempt

to block its growing diplomatic,

military and political infl uence

across the region.

benefi ts. “If the 200,000 Filipino nationals who live in the shad-ows are given temporary legal status, they will obtain better jobs and can remit more money to their families back home. The fees alone of TPS applicants will amount to more than $100,000, easily offsetting the administra-tive costs of running this pro-gram.”

Aquilina Versoza, coordi-nator of the Relief 2 Recovery Coalition, stressed the urgency

of granting TPS as a crucial part of long-term recovery and rebuilding. “Another typhoon has just hit the Philippines, and more are expected. Everyday is a struggle and our people are in a very vulnerable state.”

Leon Rodriguez, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigra-tion Services (CIS), was inter-ested in knowing the actual number of people displaced and still living in shelters, and the actual number of Filipino nation-

als who are connected to them. “We want a better under-

standing of the over-all situ-ation,” he said. In addition to Bersin and Rodriguez, CIS Deputy Director Lori Scialabba and CIS Chief of Staff Juliet Choi also participated in the discus-sion.

Loida Nicolas Lewis, Chair Emeritus of the National Fed-eration of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) and President of US Pinoys for Good Governance (USPGG), said after the meeting that DHS “took our

arguments seriously and they seem to understand the urgency of granting TPS so I remain hopeful they will come to a deci-sion soon.”

Before the meeting, Lewis introduced the other leaders present: Bing Branigin and Jon Melegrito of NaFFAA; Jesse Gatchalian and Grace Valera of the Migrant Heritage Commis-sion; and Eric Lachica, Evelyn de Asis and Cornelio Natividad, Rev. Patrick Henry Longalong of USPGG.

Also attending the confer-

ence, which was arranged by

Amb. Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. at the

Philippine Embassy, were Phil-

ippine Embassy offi cials includ-

ing Charge d’Affairs Ariel

Peneranda, Consul Gen. Arlene

Magno, Consul Gen. Emil Fer-

nandez, Legislative Minister

and Press Info Offi cer Elmer

Cato, Political Minister Patrick

Chuasoto, Labor Attache Angel

Borja, and Economic Minister

Consul Lillibeth Almonte.

US to keep eye... from page 1

Fil-Am leaders press... from page 1

Former army Maj. Gen. Jovito Pal-paran is blamed for abuses that spurred Capitol Hill probe.

August 16-31, 2014 21

Actress lands hosting gig for Fil-Am talk show

LOS ANGELES. Giselle “G” Töngi said it was her desire to tell the story of Filipinos in the United States that pushed her to host “Kababayan Today”, reput-edly the fi rst and only talk show for and about the Filipino Ameri-can community.

She took over the hosting chair from Jannelle So-Perkins, who created and launched “Kababayan Today” eight years ago and recently left the popu-lar show to pursue other career goals.

“Since graduating from college almost three years ago, I have been producing media content with a bicultural fl avor. I grew up in America and the Philippines. My desire to tell sto-

ries of Filipino-Americans like

myself drove me to apply for this

position,” Tongi explained.

The show, renamed “Kaba-

bayan Today with G Töngi,” began airing at the start the month on KSCI-TV LA18 (week-days) in Los Angeles, KIKU-TV in Hawaii and worldwide at www.LA18.tv.

With this new gig, the actress, writer and producer and her family moved back to LA after two and half years in the Philippines.

“Any way you look at it, the Filipino culture is vibrant and colorful. I do participate in a lot of community events because I believe in the importance of community and supporting our own. Filipinos have always been warm, friendly and hospitable,” she explained.

Manila’s prettiest showbiz couple to wedMANILA. In a much-antic-

ipated union of arguably the country’s most telegenic couple today, actor Dingdong Dantes has proposed to Marian Rivera live on television and in front of hundreds of shrieking fans.

Dantes, 34, and his 29-year-old fi ancée have been together for the past fi ve years. They became reel and real life lovers on the set of the 2007 soap “Mari-mar” on GMA Channel 7.

While the date has yet to be fi nalized, they’re planning to hold their wedding some-time this year at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Cubao,

Quezon City. On his knees, Dantes pro-

posed to erstwhile girlfriend during the latter’s GMA 7 dance show, “Marian,” last Aug. 9.

“I wanna spend the rest of my life with you. You are the answer to my prayers. I offer you myself. My love, Marian, will you be my wife,” Dingdong asked Marian.

She immediately accepted the marriage proposal in a touch-ing gesture that left both of them in tears.

“We’re still ironing a couple of things out. When we announce the date, we want it to

be fi nal,” Dantes said in an inter-view with the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Pointing out that show biz brought them together, Dantes said it was only fi tting that he made the proposal on live television. “We’re still overwhelmed. It feels good that I was able to show the world, especially to our family and friends, how serious I am about our relationship,” said Dantes.

“It’s great that we had this opportunity. We nurtured our relationship for a long time,” he added affectionately.

Fil-Am group cast in ‘Pitch Perfect’ sequel

HOLLYWOOD. The Fili-pino-American group “Filhar-monic” is the latest addition to the ‘Pitch Perfect’ franchise and will feature a head-to-head with the Bellas in an upcoming sequel movie.

The Filharmonic -- an a cappella group that got its start the reality show “The Sing Off” has been cast in the upcoming

sequel to the popular 2012 fi lm.“We can’t say too much

about our roles in the movie, but we will be one of the groups competing against the Bellas,” group member Joe Caigoy revealed to the new site Rap-pler.

“Pitch Perfect” was a musical comedy fi lm that fea-tured an ensemble cast includ-ing Anna Kendrick, Elizabeth

Banks, Skylar Astin, Rebel

Wilson, Anna Camp and many

more. The plot follows a college

women’s a capella group, The

Barden Bellas, as they compete

against another a capella group.

The six member “Filhar-

monic” formed specifi cally to

audition for the NBC music

competition last year.

The group also says their

Filipino roots remain a vital

infl uence in their lives and art.

“Being an American Fili-

pino Pinoy is a hard identity to

balance out,” said singer Niko

Del Rey. “We are not only trying

to portray our natural birthright

culture of America but we’re

also trying to inherit the culture

of our ancestors in a predomi-

nantly American society.”

Fan Page

Couturier to stars designs mom’s anniversary gown

MANILA. Monique Lhuil-lier, who’s designed wedding gowns for celebrities like Reese Witherspoon and Britney Spears, got her assignment of a lifetime when she dressed an entirely different kind of VIP: her own mother.

The Los Angeles-based fashion designer fl ew home with husband Tom Bugbee the week-end of August 2 to attend the 50th wedding anniversary of her parents Michel and Amparito Lhuillier who renewed their vows at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

Monique, who grew up in Cebu, owns couture fashion stores on Melrose Place in Los Angeles and Manhattan’s Upper East Side. She studied at St. The-resa’s College and later at the Chateau Mont-Choisi fi nishing school in Switzerland. She even-tually moved to Los Angeles to study design at the Fashion Insti-tute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM).

Her father is a Vietnam-born

Filipino businessman of mixed French descent and her mother was a fashion model of Spanish descent.

Monique opened her fi rst retail store in 2001. But it wasn’t until 2004 when she really broke through the market after design-ing wedding dresses for Brit-ney Spears and Emmy Awards dresses for Jamie-Lynn DiScala and Allison Janney, among others.

Her collections now include ready-to-wear, evening gowns,

bridal, bridesmaids, linens, tableware, fi ne paper, and home fragrances.

Lhuillier has become espe-cially known for her celebrity wedding and red carpet gowns with a clientele that includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez, Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.

Monique’s parents cele-brated their golden anniversary with a lavish bash honoring the couple’s union. Being a bridal designer, it was no question that Monique would design her mother’s gown, which she cre-ated using lace from the original wedding dress, taken out of its box after 48 years.

She spent only one day in Manila and one day in Hong Kong to look for retail opportu-nities.

Monique’s visit also became a business trip, checking out Manila malls for material to write about in her fashion blog for a leading US fashion maga-zine.

Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes in a soap show scene.

Monique Lhuillier with mother Amparito.

Giselle “G” Töngi

The Fil-Am a cappella group “Filharmonic”.

August 16-31, 20142222

Dear Juan Ponce EnrileBy Sylvia Estrado Claudio

I hope that after your convic-tion, all those you intimidated and harmed before, during,

and after martial law will fi nd the courage to tell their stories. I hope that you live to hear those stories.

Last year, the 41st the anni-versary of the declaration of mar-tial law, I wrote a long post about you ending with, Old as you are, you may never be brought to jus-tice. And I doubt your conscience bothers you, enamored as you seem by unearned wealth and the pomp of your dishonorably gained positions. But I remem-ber and will remember, with the hope that history will, like me, condemn.

How much has changed in less than a year.

And now, as you, a 90-year-old, are confi ned to a hospital under arrest, let me charge you with what has been in my heart

all these years. Because I do accuse you. And not just with the plunder charges the govern-ment has fi led against you.

I accuse you of torture and murder. Not just of people unknown to me, but also of my friends. I accuse you of having committed the crime of plunder long before you stole your PDAF as a senator.

I do this not out of vindic-tiveness, but out of a need for healing that you owe me and all those who passed through mar-tial law. I do not do this in anger, but in order to share with those who did not go through those years. They need to understand why you and those like you should never ever be allowed to have power again.

Now is a good time. If we did not learn our lesson then, it is time to look back now – time to realize that those who betray the nation are likely to betray it again. As you have done after martial law.

Ah, what catharsis to write this! What a relief to be able to call you names. I remember how you would punish people who criticized you, Marcos, and your cabal. This is what you did to my friend and former Philip-pine Collegian editor, Abraham Sarmiento, Jr. You imprisoned him for writing editorials criti-cal of martial law. You released him only after you personally

expressed displeasure over the editorials. I know because he told me. He stuck to his prin-ciples after release. You impris-oned him again and kept him in a cell until his health had so deteriorated he died shortly after his second release. Even as you seemed to recover your career, I often comforted myself with the thought that at least the sacrifi ces of those who fought the dictator-ship allowed me the freedom to criticize you. That I did not do so daily was merely because of my limitations and not out of new-found respect for you.

Do you think I have forgot-ten my mother’s years of excru-ciating worry as she watched me go deeper and deeper into the anti-dictatorship struggle? Oh, how her friends would comfort my mother, “Don’t worry, Rita. If she gets caught I will agree to his advances and spend the night with him in exchange for your daughter’s freedom.” Yes, even then we knew that you were a predator as well. You were so lascivious my humble family knew of two people whom you had propositioned. You abused power to the maximum. You made us see with clarity what Hannah Arendt calls “the banal-ity of evil.”

Detention, torture during martial law

And I, like many who lived through those years, knew of

your evil as a daily reality. My fi rst job as a young doctor was with a health and human rights organization. I worked with those who had been tortured. Those days, detention and tor-ture were almost a sure-fi re combination. So I and a couple of colleagues would make the rounds of the detention centers with every new report of an arrest, hoping that, with a quick response, people would be tor-tured less, not killed.

We would present ourselves at the detention centers to any

offi cer who would see us. (They never had a real system for us. That would mean some form of accountability.) We had to be brave because we knew at once this marked us as communist enemies. But they also had to have a semblance of regularity. So our requests would be consid-ered. If the offi cer was a tough psychopath, he would just say “no” outright. But this would give us ammunition to go squeal-ing to international human rights groups.

So we would often have to wait for hours for someone from the Judge Advocate Gen-eral’s Offi ce (JAGO) to make a decision. I never met anyone from JAGO then. I did often get turned away by that offi ce. If the JAGO turned us away, we would write you. Very rarely, for reasons unknown, you or JAGO would agree to our visit, often after weeks of delay. We always thought the delay was to ensure the torture would continue.

Police escort Sen. Enrile after his arrest.

Continued on page 23

August 16-31, 2014 23

The CIA spin on Abu GhraifBy Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (Rtd)

ALEXANDRIA, Va. THE Senate Intelligence Committee will soon release key sections of its report on the Central Intel-ligence Agency’s detention and interrogation of terrorism sus-pects after 9/11. In remarks recently in anticipation of the report’s release, which he has publicly supported, President Obama acknowledged that’we tortured some folks.”

In fact, from leaks to the press and the statements of those familiar with the report, we know the committee has deter-mined that C.I.A. torture was more widespread and brutal than Americans were led to believe. The committee reportedly has also found that the C.I.A. misled Bush administration offi cials and Congress about the extent and nature of the torture, and that torture was ineffective for intel-ligence gathering.

Even though a bipartisan majority of the committee voted to declassify the report, there is a concerted effort to discredit it by depicting it as partisan and unfair. The report’s detractors include the C.I.A. itself: The agency’s rebuttal will be released alongside the report’s key sec-tions. While the C.I.A. is under

no obligation to stay silent in the face of criticism, it seems that between its apparently exces-sive redactions and its spying on the committee’s computers the agency is determined to resist oversight.

Yet I know from experi-ence that oversight will help the C.I.A. “as it helped the United States military. Ten years ago, I was directed by Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, the senior offi cer in Iraq, to investigate allegations of detainee abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad. My report’s fi ndings, which prompted a Senate Armed Services Commit-tee hearing, documented a sys-temic problem: military person-nel had perpetrated “numerous incidents of sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses.”

The fi ndings, along with what became infamous images of abuse, caused a stir and led to prosecutions. The inquiry shed light on our country’s trip to the dark side, in which the United States government engaged in an assault on American ideals, broke the law and in so doing strengthened our enemies.

What I found in my inves-tigation offended my sense of decency as a human being, and my sense of honor as a sol-dier. I’d learned early about the necessity of treating prisoners humanely. My father, Tomas B.

Taguba, a member of the joint American-Filipino force during World War II, was captured by the Japanese and endured the Bataan Death March.

It was clear to me in 2004 that the United States military could not be the institution it needed to be as long as it engaged in and tolerated abuse.

But the military’s path to accountability was a long one, and its leaders hardly welcomed oversight. A few months after I completed the investigation, I was reassigned to the Offi ce of the Secretary of Defense, where I could be closely monitored. Then, in early 2006, I received a telephone call from Gen. Richard A. Cody, then the Army’s vice chief of staff, who said, “I need you to retire by January of 2007.” No explanation was given. But none was needed.

I remain certain that by investigating inhumane treat-ment of detainees, I did my duty as a soldier, and that my inquiry “along with one in 2008 by the Senate Armed Services Committee made the military a stronger, more trustworthy insti-tution. As a result, interrogation and detention regulations were reformed and training programs were revised to comply with the Geneva Conventions.

(Reprinted from the New York Times Op-Ed page, Aug. 5)

Marcos, you and your military believed in torture as an inves-tigation technique. After the torture, you would have us wait a few more days until the physi-cal evidence of torture had dis-appeared. If there was enough international pressure; if you wanted us off your backs; if our seeing the detainees would not cause you any harm, you let us see them.

But they would tell us their stories. A detainee was lucky if all he or she got was getting beaten within an inch of their life. (I guess they left that for the amateurs called fraternity boys.) Electrocution, water boarding, rape and other forms of sexual harassment, sleep deprivation, hearing your wife being raped, hearing your comrades being tortured, being asked to sit on a block of ice while naked – your minions were so depraved in what they created.

Six weeks ago, labor leader Romy Castillo died of lung cancer. In 1984 your military electrocuted his testicles, put a barbecue stick up his penis, repeatedly submerged his face in a feces-fi lled toilet bowl. They beat him and played Russian roulette on him. I cannot forget the day, shortly after his ordeal, when I visited him in detention. I will not let you forget his story nor escape your liability for it.

Your military killed my childhood friend Lorenzo Lan-sang when he was only 19 years old. He was summarily executed in a fi eld in Quezon province. Your hands are smeared in his blood and I will always point out how bloody they are.

I blame you and Marcos for the corruption and brutality of the military and police today. I still keep abreast of the torture situation. And it looks like the police and military have no idea how to interrogate and investi-gate without varying degrees of torture and intimidation thrown in. They have become addicted to it. All those recent reports of human rights violations by state authorities? Your face is on the logo.

And I remember that your wealth came from the thievery of the martial law years. It does not therefore surprise me that you stole your pork barrel funds.

You fi nd me too dramatic? I could fi ll entire pages with more stories. And I am not alone. How lucky that I am much younger than you. I and my cohort will live after you and tell our tales.

KarmaDear Johnny boy, I bet you

miss the days when you could have imprisoned me for this. When you could have had your military rape me as revenge. I, on the other hand, am so glad you

are under arrest now. Defanged, at last. Hopefully forever.

Unlike you, however, I would not wish torture upon those I truly think are enemies of the people. In short, I would not torture you. I would not deny you seeing your lawyers or doc-tors or relatives as you did to so many during martial law.

It is fi tting though that you may suffer in detention more than usual. I do note that you may be experiencing pain because you are old and infi rm. I note it.

Your conviction will be so good for our country. It will show that such diabolical behav-ior will not always be rewarded. That somehow power can end and then a price will have to be paid. It may deter future wrong-doing. It may convince a few more people not to value the things you value.

The only thing I am afraid of is that you are morally incom-petent. So much of your record indicates “sociopath.” I fear that it does not matter to you what people think or will remember. It isn’t right that your punishment will be so short because you’re not likely to live 20 more years. That was the amount of time you kept our people subjugated to martial law. So I can only hope that you at least care enough so that the last days of your life can be lived in regret.

Dear Juan Ponce Enrile... from page 22

Buying Up Ballots

If you haven’t heard of BUB, you will be seeing a lot of its effects in the next several

months leading up to the 2016 elections - P20.1 billion worth of effects.

BUB is supposed to stand for Bottom Up Budgeting which, in turn, is supposed to mean allocating funds according to the needs of the neediest in the country, specifi cally at the local government level.

This is reportedly another creative concoction of Budget Secretary Butch Abad, he of the infamous Disbursement Acceler-ation Program (DAP), and is said to be designed to boost the presi-dential ambitions of Department of Interior & Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas. According to a story fi led by Chito Lozada of Philippine Daily Tribune, Roxas is the man princi-pally and personally doling out the millions and billions.

Allocating the govern-ment’s resources starting from the bottom and going upwards, instead of the usual top-to-bot-tom process (AKA trickle-down effect) has its merits. As the much-heralded growth of the Philippine economy has shown, there is very little trickling down to the masses. Thus, creating a budget that gives priority to their needs makes sense.

But the best laid plans of mice and men can often go the way of the rats. First of all, the obvious motive behind BUB is plain self-serving, manipulative, transactional politics. It is based on the “Golden Rule,” namely, “He who has the gold makes the rules.”

One pundit has defi ned BUB as “Buying Up Ballots.”

Yen Makabenta, in a recent column in Manila Times, pointed out that DILG is working closely with the Department of Social Welfare, with the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) also being openly used for partisan pur-poses:

“Recipients of CCT largesse will be given seats at the table, preparatory to being turned into a voting bloc in the 2016 elections. They’re being told to become active politically to ensure the continuity of the 4Ps assistance to them.”

Expectedly, Roxas mouths the most noble rationale for BUB, citing such awesome-sounding programs as Grassroots Partici-patory Budgeting Process, Oplan

Hilamos (Oplan Dignity), Per-formance Challenge Fund (PCF), PAMANA funds and Yolanda assistance.

In one news story, Roxas explained that “the funds are meant to fi nance various pov-erty-alleviation projects identi-fi ed and recommended by the local poverty reduction council composed of people’s organiza-tions (POs) and nongovernment organizations (NGOs).”

Yet, in a subsequent para-graph of the same story, Roxas “reminded the local offi cials that the rehabilitation fund should be used only for the repair and con-struction of public markets, city or town halls and civic centers such as gymnasiums.”

Civic centers and gymna-siums are supposed to alleviate poverty???

Roxas and Abad have also been obviously selective in allo-cating funds. In the Tribune story, Lozada reported that 13 participating agencies are ben-efi ted by the BUB. But inexplica-bly excluded is the Housing and Urban Development Coordinat-ing Council (HUDCC) which happens to be headed by Roxas’ potential rival for the presidency, Vice-President Jejomar Binay.

Isn’t housing part of pov-erty alleviation? Maybe Roxas should consult Tony Meloto of Gawad Kalinga. He can learn a few lessons about genuine, non-political, non-transactional pov-erty alleviation that starts with decent housing.

The dole-outs aren’t just patently partisan and self-serv-ing, they also do not meet urgent needs for which Roxas, as DILG chief, is directly accountable.

From April to June, Mar Roxas doled out P6.634 billion to over 300 local government units in Northern Mindanao, Nueva Ecija, Bicol and Eastern Visayas, with Bohol receiving an esti-mated P3.3 billion. The dole-outs included funds ostensibly for the repair of some 54 police stations.

And yet, a couple of weeks ago, in a story in ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol, which has Roxas’ wife, Korina Sanchez, as one of the anchors, it was reported that prisoners in the Visayas – Samar was specifi cally mentioned – were being ferried to court and to other penal facilities in public transportation. Yes, in buses and jeepneys, along with very vul-

Continued on page 30

August 16-31, 20142424

Who wants to get rid of President Aquino?

MANILA

A swirl of activity revolves around an attempt to bring down, if not Presi-

dent Aquino himself, at least his standing with the people.

Some groups want to diminish Mr. Aquino’s rapport with his “bosses,” the Filipino people.

Mainly invisible are the letter-writers and gossip-mon-gers who spread stories about Aquino being barren between the ears or even mentally befud-dled. There are also those who repeatedly say that the President is lazy and even incompetent. That he plays computer games even in times of crisis. (Even if true, can’t the poor guy have time off from his 24-hour job to divert his mind and relax from his offi cial burdens?)

Don’t people have a right to write letters of disapproval of the President? Of course they do. It’s mind-conditioning spin but it’s all part of a democracy.

Who might be behind this letter-writing campaign? Politi-cians who’ve been hurt by the administration’s anti-corruption drive. Current offi cials or private personalities whose eyes are set on the 2016 elections. Former President Gloria Arroyo per-haps? Vice President Jojo Binay maybe?

The noisiest among the President’s critics are those who inhabit the political left. They’re the loudest but their numbers are the smallest. They make up for their thin ranks by making the loudest noise. They attract media attention. As the saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the oil.

They shout slogans that pur-port to be the sentiments of the masses, but they actually rep-resent only a small part of the populace. Even the left-leaning in academe don’t fully share their rantings. The more sober among the left don’t share the street militants’ extreme posi-tions on issues. And as long as they brandish red fl ags and fl ing their clenched fi sts in the air, the majority of the people will remain scared of them.

The unpopularity of the left’s stand on issues mani-fested itself when a bunch of

partylist legislators walked out on Mr. Aquino’s State of the Nation (SONA) speech last July 28: hardly anybody noticed the walkout.

Isn’t it a cause for wonder why the partylist congressmen and women fought to get elected and then go outside of Congress to express their grievances? Why did they run for offi ce if they prefer to be out in the streets? Aren’t they supposed to repre-sent their constituents inside, and not out of, Congress?

(There’s a bit of irony in this. Manila Observer’s socio-politi-cal philosophy, being liberal, is closer to the left’s ideology than the right’s. But extreme posi-tions, left or right, don’t help the majority of the people. Rather, they exacerbate social and ideo-logical tensions and divisions.)

There are also those who never liked Mr. Aquino for per-sonal reasons or because they supported another presidential candidate in 2010 either as fans or paid boosters. To this day, these people haven’t accepted Aquino as president, either because they haven’t gotten over their chosen candidate’s loss or they’ve lost a source of income.

Now comes Sen. Anto-nio Trillanes, who warns that a military coup is in the works. The military establishment has denied any movements in the ranks of active or retired per-sonnel who might be plotting against the President.

But who knows? Trillanes has his sources. And it’s pro forma for the military to say that there’s no such plot brewing.

Mr. Aquino has been on the warpath against past offi cials accused of stealing from the public treasury. He’s also bound to be a potent pusher of his chosen presidential candidate in 2016, unless his detractors suc-ceed in diluting his endorsing power. The left, also pro forma, doesn’t approve of the govern-ment, any government, so they see their role as constant whiners about the system (which, admit-tedly, is broken and needs over-hauling) .

These forces are out to derail Aquino’s reforms and push their

On Revisiting ‘Filipino’ Literature

It’s funny how a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning can jolt one’s memories of the past.

I was having breakfast with my wife at one of the neigh-borhood’s cafes, minutes after hearing Mass, when I noticed a man, teen-aged looking in his attire, busily scribbling with his pen on what looked like a jour-nal. He was in another world, transposed in his mind, for the din inside didn’t bother him; the concentration was intense. His pose, sitting in a corner of the café, his raptness took me back to my college years.

I was one of the group of six enrolled at the then Faculty of Philosophy and Letters at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. After completing our fi nal examinations for the day, the fi nal day of our junior status, we decided to go to a nearby restaurant to celebrate and talk about what the coming two remaining semesters, when we all would be seniors, would bring. We discussed the future, our future; we had bonded to be forward-looking. Selfi sh in our ambitions, each one of us wanted to write the one and only “Fili-pino Novel.”

Of course, to write the “Filipino Novel,”—we all had agreed-- one should have, meet-ing a fi rst stringent requirement, a journal, not a diary accounting the deeds of the day but written observations of how the imme-diate surrounding looked at the moment, what our immediate neighbors felt about it, what birds and other creatures did we hear, chirping and growling sounds and the patters of rains on the roofs echoing endlessly in our minds, winds touching our faces, or perhaps, the smells of the blooming fl owers in neigh-boring gardens. All in all they were the colors, metaphorically, which we wanted to write in our personal journal, blue, green, yellow, red and even black.

Now with or without our journals, and in our declining years, some of us or all of us in our group of six have given up hope of ever publishing the novel we all wanted to write. In our own private, selfi sh judg-ment, each one of us is still wait-ing to see or read the elusive prize-winning, nationally-touted grail, a prose composition that is distinctly part of the Filipino lit-erature.

Filipino literature, a body of writings either in prose or verse, is a main constituent in the Philippine culture. The writ-ings are in a form that invites national appeal because the ideas expressed are permanent and encumbering in scope. The notion of any aspect of Philip-pine culture embodied in such writings expresses a, if not “the,” vital element in the Filipino iden-

tity. Certainly, in Philippine liter-ature, we are what we write.

Any prose writing to be truly literary must have what the Greek philosopher Aristo-tle called “mimesis.” In one of his works, “Poetics,” Aristotle defi ned the word as “holding a mirror up to nature.” The Eng-lish translated words “imita-tion,” “representation,” “inter-pretation,” “a copy,” or “repro-duction” do not even come close to what Aristotle had in mind. To him, we must write what we see around us, no more, no less, a projection of oneself seeing, feel-ing, touching, hearing, and tast-ing “outside of oneself.” With Aristotle’s defi nition in mind, the so-called “Filipino Novel” then becomes a continuing pur-suit.

The group of us in our col-lege years believed that the notion of a “Filipino Novel” is both fundamental and illusory, sometimes even slippery. In my silence, I still feel the same sen-timent. There are institutional constraints to overcome. First and foremost, in what language should it be written? In Eng-lish or in Tagalog, the Philip-pine’s national language? Con-sidering the dialects spoken in many of the more than 7,000 islands comprising the Philip-pine Archipelago, the question of a written medium is primal. Exposure to these dialects was not lacking in practice. In my young years, living with my parents in Manila, a number of women hired to help my mother in managing a restaurant would each get her own weekly copy of magazine in her own dialect, in Cebuano, Ilocano, Bicolano and in Pampangueno.

Jose P. Rizal, of course, wrote his “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo” in Span-ish, in a “milieu” characterizing an important era in Philippine history. The question of the posi-tion of either work in the hierar-chy of Filipino novels is still to be determined. There’s no denying that Rizal’s portrayal of the pat-tern of behaviors of the Filipi-nos which was passed down by their forefathers was culturally-perfect, but is “Noli” or “Fili” a “Filipino Novel”?

The proliferation of maga-zines in major dialects provided and is still providing venues for aspiring novelists. To name a few of what I skimmed through in my young years in Manila

were “Bulaklak” (Flower) and “Liwayway” (Dawn) in Tagalog; “Bagong Kusag,” “Bisaya” and “Bitoon” in Cebuano; and “Ban-nawag,” in Ilocano.

Campus publications by major universities, which I perused from time to time, included the University of the Philippines’ “Philippine Colle-gian,” Ateneo University’s “The Guidon,” the University of the East’s “Dawn,” Siliman Uni-versity’s “The Silimanian,” the University of San Tomas’ “Var-sitarian,” and the Far Eastern University’s “The Advocate.” Literary journal published by UP was “The Literary Appren-tice”; Siliman had its “The Sili-man Review” and “Sands and Corals.” The UP College of Arts and Letters published the “Dili-man Review” while UST’s then Faculty of Philosophy and Let-ters issued the monthly “Blue Quill.”

Another constraint is the different cultures in many of the islands which are perceived as “regional” as they affect the islanders’ daily behavior. If and when a particular island’s way of life is portrayed in prose, no matter how mirror-like, the resulting craftwork will be far from being the “Filipino Novel”; the focus is isolated and limited.

Another contentious issue is what the French sociologist Hyp-polyte Taine called “milieu,” loosely translated as the liter-ary depiction of how society in general acts and reacts to each other in a particular period in a country’s history, past or pres-ent. In the Philippines, the eras are easily determined as Pre-Spanish, Spanish Rule, American Pacifi cation, Japanese Occupa-tion, and Self-Rule. With Spain’s colonial rule for 333 years, there are sub-eras of sporadic armed revolts against oppressive prac-tices by the friars and Spaniards in positions of authority which can also serve as background for an appealing literary work.

Considering the constraints, will they be surmounted and the pursuit end in triumph? Prodded by the incentives of the Zobel Prize for Literature, Palanca Literary Award, and the Republic Cultural Heritage Award in Literature and a host of Filipino writers now gain-ing international recognition for their works in English, a novel truly “Filipino” in content and ideas is a coming possibility. Continued on page 30

August 16-31, 2014 25Immigration NotesBy J. G. Azarcon, Esq.

Residence abroad

Applicants for natural-ization are required to express their intent to

permanently reside in the United States. Before October 25, 1994, if a naturalized citizen left the United States and took up resi-dence abroad within one year from obtaining his US citizen-ship, the law presumes that the naturalized citizen did not have the intent to permanently reside in the US at the time of admis-sion to US citizenship. This pre-sumption was a basis for the revocation of US citizenship on the ground that the naturaliza-tion applicant misrepresented or concealed a material fact at the time when he applied for natu-ralization- that he/she really did not have the intention to reside in the U.S.

The controlling provision of the law prior to October 25, 1994 was Section 340(d) of the Immi-gration Act, which provided as follows:

“Foreign residence. If a person who shall have been nat-

uralized shall, within one year after such naturalization, return to the country of his nativity, or go to any other foreign country, and take permanent residence therein, it shall be considered prima facie evidence of a lack of intention on the part of such

person to reside permanently in the United States at the time of fi ling his petition for natu-ralization, and in the absence of countervailing evidence, it shall be suffi cient in the proper pro-

VISA PRIORITY DATES FOR THE PHILIPPINESAUGUST 2014

• FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES First: Unmarried sons/daughters of US citizens Jun. 01, 2004Second:A: Spouses/minor children of permanent residents: May 01, 2012B: Unmarried sons/daughters 21 years of age or older of permanent residents Oct. 08, 2003Third: Married sons/daughters of citizens Apr. 15, 1993Fourth: Brothers/sisters of citizens Jan. 22, 1991

• EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCESFirst: Priority workers CurrentSecond: Professionals holding advanced degrees or persons of exceptional ability CurrentThird: Skilled workers, professionals Jun. 01, 2010Other Workers Jan. 01, 2010Fourth: Certain Religious Workers CurrentFifth: Employment creation/ (Million or half-million dollar investor) Current

21 Tips to maximize sleep“MOST American adults

sleep poorly,” according to a study of the National Sleep Foun-dation on 1,506 adults which was reported in Washington by the Associated Press. The fi ndings are obviously applicable to most of us in general.

Statistics reveal that over 100 million people in the United States do not regularly get a good night’s sleep, and that about another 33 million have occasional sleepless nights. Sleep is very important for a healthy body and mind.

Lack of sleep translates to lesser mental acuity and concen-tration, poorer health, greater driving hazards, reduced pro-ductivity, and diminished sex drive.

Sleep experts recommend a minimum of seven to nine hours of sleep in 24 hours, especially for young children and teenag-ers. The survey showed that adults sleep an average of 6.9 hours a night. The few minutes to three hours of sleep depriva-tion is enough to cause problems.

Seventy-fi ve percent of adults reported they frequently have diffi culty in sleeping, like problem in initiating sleep, waking up often during the night, and/or snoring, waking up too early, and feeling unre-freshed and tired. Many also stated that they ignored the problem, and some do not even think they actually have any sleep defi cit. Only about 50 per-cent of those surveyed stated they were able to sleep well most of the time. Twenty-fi ve percent thought their sleep problem had adverse effects on their daily routines.

Richard Gelula, the Chief Executive Offi cer of the Sleep Foundation, said there’s a link between sleep and quality of life. “People who sleep well, in gen-eral, are happier and healthier,” said Gelula. “But when sleep is poor or inadequate, people feel tired or fatigued, their social and intimate relationship suffer, work productivity is negatively affected, and they make our roads more dangerous by driv-ing while sleepy and less alert.”

Obviously, the quality of sleep, besides the number of hours, is very important. Chris Drake, senior scientist at the Henry Ford Sleep Center in Detroit and co-chair of the 2005

poll task force, stated that some of the nation’s sleep habits can be attributed to an “always-on-the-go society.”

The commercial world of today stretches business to 24 hours a day, with 24-hour pharmacy, restaurants, casinos, supermarkets, etc., so people tend to stay up late, watch late night shows on television, surf-ing the web on the internet, etc. All these reduce people’s time to sleep. And some people even need more than nine hours of sleep to feel refreshed and rested.

This study also showed (1) Sixty percent of adult stated they have driven a vehicle while drowsy from lack of sleep the past year; and four in 10 reported they have had an acci-dent or near accident because of tiredness or falling asleep at the wheel. (2) Seventy- fi ve per-cent claims their partner has a sleep problem, snoring as the most common complaint. (3) Four out of ten of those surveyed reported lack of sleep adversely affected their sexual relation-ship, having lost interest in sex, having poorer performance or having sex less often. (4) Seventy percent claimed that their phy-sician never asked them about their sleep.

The recommendations of the National Sleep Foundation and experts in the fi eld are absti-nence from any stimulant, coffee and alcohol before bedtime, and to seek medical help if they think they are having sleep problem and/or snoring, or not getting enough rest at night.

Lack of sleep reduces the normal â œrecharging time of our body battery, our energy source causing a chain of reac-tions in our physiology and body chemistry. This “low-battery” condition leads to physical and mental stresses to our system. All these alter the normal homeosta-sis (internal balance) within us, weakening our immune system, and increasing our risk of devel-oping metabolic diseases, hyper-tension (high blood pressure), stroke and heart attack, among others, or aggravating existing illnesses.

The prescription for a healthy lifestyle, for maximal maintenance of good health and disease prevention, besides reg-ular medical check-up, includes

Continued on page 30

Beyond ShorelinesMANILA

Today’s chatter on who will run in the 2016 elections demonstrates how our line

of sight ends at the seashore. We rarely look beyond.

To what?Come August 6, to take

one example, Filipino Catho-lic youngsters are among those invited, from 29 other Asian countries, to next door South Korea. Pope Francis launches from Daejon the Sixth Asian Youth Day ceremonies.

Francis will beatify, at an August 18 mass, 124 Korean martyrs from the church’s fi rst entry into this East-Asian nation in the 18th century. It will also demonstrate what CNN has aptly called “The Francis Effect.”

Start asking around -Catho-lics and atheists alike .Suddenly, it’s easy to fi nd people -- gays to , divorced couples ---. eager to share how one man, in just over a year, has tapped into their pain and gave hope.

Focus on the numbers and you miss the story, cautions the Rev. John Unni, of Boston The are plenty of ex-Catholics, as in Latin America. “But now many are now deciding whether to come to the party.”

Since his election as 265th successor to Peter, in March 2013, Francis has fl ayed bishops who spend money “like they’re auditioning for MTV Cribs” .

He chastised priests who forget they’re servants, not princes.

He also assailed the Italian mafi a, on it’s own homeground, ex-communicating them. Instead, he visited families of those assassinated to offer comfort.. He called for a truce in the cul-ture wars, refused to judge gay people and reached out to Mus-lims and those of other creeds.. Francis hugged a man covered with tumors, washed the feet of Muslim prisoners and wore a clown nose -- just for giggles.

Francis formed a group of cardinals -- including Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston -- to reform the curia, the Vatican bureaucracy that has a reputa-tion for more shady deals than Tammany Hall. He, refused to live in the Apostolic Palace chos-ing spartan lodgings at a Vatican hostel..

Just before taking off for Korea, he lined up for lunch with Valtican blue collar workers at the cafeteria.. ”He showed up, got his tray, silverware, stood in line and we served him,“ recalls cafeteria chef Franco Piani. He then ate with the workers from the Vatican’s pharmacy, chatting

about their families, soccer, the economy.

The whole time, people were snapping the inevitable selfi es with their cameras, cellphones and iPads. He wasn’t bothered a bit. After giving the group his blessing, he left in his assistant’s car to his Domus Sancta Martha residence. “We were all caught off guard,” Piani said. :”But it was one of the best things that could happen...”

Francis made the cover of Time, the New Yorker, Rolling Stone and The Advocate, a gay and lesbian magazine He said it’s immoral when the media reports every move of the market but ignores the death of a homeless person.

Be open and merciful; he urged bishops, Forget the robes and support young people in making a mess in the streets; to secure justice for the poorest. Be a fi eld hospital for this sin-sick world.

Pew Research Center poll says more than 71% say he’s a change for the better. “Those kinds of numbers haven’t been

Continued on page 30Continued on page 30

August 16-31, 20142626

PINAPAITAN(Bitter Spiced Beef Stew)

Here is my version of Pinapaitan, which is one of the most authentic

Filipino recipes, even before the Spaniards’ colonization of the Philippines. Being married to a GIK (Genuine Ilocano Kaili), I have mastered this recipe in my own contemporary way that is most tailored to everyone’s palate. When I reinvented this recipe as a main dish, it surpris-ingly passed my husband’s most discriminating taste. Even all my guests of all nationalities, always love it whenever I served it!

If beef tenderloin is not available, sirloin tip can be sub-stituted but the stewing time should be extended by another 8-10 minutes. There should not be much difference in the end-result.

Historically, the origi-nal Pinapaitan is made of goat innards such as tripe, intestine, liver, etc., and used its bile to give that bitter fl avor. Before then and up to this time, defi -nitely this dish is being served as a soup and Ilocanos still cook the original recipe.

Ingredients:2 pounds, beef tenderloin,

thinly sliced (1/8” thick by 2”

length)

Half cup ginger strips (or

more)

Pinch dried crushed red pepper

Salt and pepper3 cups water (or little bit

more)2 tablespoons chopped

spring onions5 pieces chopped chili pep-

pers (optional to be served on the side)

Methods:In a wok or medium size

stainless steel sauce pan, sauté the ginger until the aroma per-meates the air (about 2 minutes).

Mix in the beef and crushed red pepper, season with salt and pepper and continue sautéing for a couple of minutes. Add water and stew the beef, uncovered, for a few minutes until ginger fl avor is infused into the meat (about 8-12 minutes).

Serve hot with spring onion.

Editor’s Note about Master Chef Evelyn: 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S., 2009, Filipina Women’s Network; MHC Most Outstanding Migrant Award in Culinary Arts, 2011; PAFC Dakila Special Achievement Award, 2011; Owner/Chef, Philippine Ori-ental Market & Deli, Arlington, Virginia; Founder and President of CHEW (Cancer Help – Eat Well) Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) public charity formed to help and cook pro-bono for Filipino-Americans who are afflicted with cancer and other serious illnesses; Culinary writer; Member, Les Dames d’Escoffier International, Washington DC Chapter; Member, International Cake Exploration Society, Member, Culinary Historians of Washington, D.C.; Master Chef, French Cuisine and Patisserie, Le Cordon Bleu, London.

BETTER LISTEN

Erica’s dishwasher quit working so she called a repairman. Since she had

to go to work the next day, she told the repairman, “I’ll leave the key under the mat. Fix the dishwasher, leave the bill on the counter, and I’ll mail you a check. Oh, by the way don’t worry about my bulldog, Spike. He won’t bother you. But, what-ever you do, do not, under any circumstances, talk to my parrot! I repeat... do not talk to my parrot!”

When the repairman arrived at Erica’s apartment the follow-ing day, he discovered the big-gest, meanest looking bulldog he has ever seen. But, just as she had said, the dog just lay there on the carpet watching the repair-man go about his work. The parrot, however, drove him nuts the whole time with his inces-sant yelling, cursing and name calling. Finally the repairman couldn’t contain himself any longer and yelled, “Shut up, you stupid, ugly bird!” To which the parrot replied, “Get him, Spike!”

NO EXCUSEA college teacher reminds

her class of tomorrow’s fi nal exam. “Now class, I won’t toler-ate any excuses for you not being here tomorrow. I might consider a nuclear attack or a serious per-sonal injury or illness, or a death

in your immediate family but that’s it, no other excuses what-soever!” A smart-ass guy in the back of the room raised his hand and asks, “What would you say if tomorrow I said I was suffer-ing from complete and utter sexual exhaustion?” The entire class does its best to stifl e their laughter and snickering. When silence is restored, the teacher smiles sympathetically at the student, shakes her head, and sweetly says, “Well, I guess you’d have to write the exam with your other hand.

HUMAN RACEA little girl asked her father:

“How did the human race begin?”

The father answered: “God made Adam and Eve; they had children; and so was all mankind made.”

Two days later the girl asked her mother the same ques-tion. The mothered answered, “Many years ago there were monkeys from which the human race evolved.”

The confused girl returned to her father and said, “Dad, how is it possible that you told me that the human race was cre-ated by God, and mom said they developed from monkeys?”

The father answered, “Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family,

and your mother told you about hers.”

JOB OPENINGA Filipino Applies for a Job

at Walmart. An offi ce manager at Walmart was given the task of hiring an individual to fi ll a job opening. After sorting through a stack of resumes he found four people who were equally quali-fi ed... An American, a Russian, an Australian and a Filipino. He decided to call the four in and ask them only one question. Their answer would determine which of them would get the job.

The day came and as the four sat around the confer-ence room table the interviewer asked... “What is the fastest thing you know of?”

Dave, the American replied, “ A thought”. It just pops into your head. There’s no warning that it’s on the way; it’s just there. A thought is the fastest thing I know of.

“That’s very good!” replied the interviewer. “And now you sir?” he asked Vladimir, the Rus-sian.

“Hmm.... let me see. A blink! It comes and goes and you don’t know that it ever happened. A blink is the fastest thing I know of.

“Excellent!” said the inter-viewer. “The blink of an eye, that’s a very popular cliché for

speed.”He then turned to George,

the Australian who was contem-plating his reply. “Well, out at my dad’s ranch, you step out of the house and on the wall there’s a light switch. When you fl ip that switch, way out across the pas-ture the light in the barn comes on. Yep, turning on a light is the fastest thing I can think of.”

The interviewer was very impressed with the third answer and thought he had found his man. “It’s hard to beat the speed of light” he said. Turning to Eleu-terio, the Filipino, the fourth and fi nal man, the interviewer posed the same question.

Eleuterio replied, “Apter herring da 3 frevyos ansers serr, et’s obyus to me dat the fastest thang known is diarrhea.”

“What!?” said the inter-viewer, stunned by the response.

“O I can expleyn serrr .” said Eleuterio . “You see serr, da other day I wasn’t peeeling so good and I run soo fast to the CR. But, bepor I could Think, Blink, or Turn on the light, ay ‘tang ina,

I already had a big poo-poo in my pants.”

Eleuterio is now the new “Greeter” at Walmart.

YABANGBoy 1: Lahi namin ang

mahabang buhay. Lolo ko nama-tay 88 years old na.

Boy 2: Talo kita... ako Lolo ko namatay 98 years old.

Boy 3: Ala yan! Lolo ko, sa sobrang tanda... pinatay na lang namin.

TANGAMan: Doc, help me. Uminom

po ako ng baygon.Doc: Bakit, magsusuicide

ka?Man: Hindi po. Nakalunok

kasi ako ng buhay na ipis.Doc: Tanga! Dapat kumain

ka na lang ng tsinelas.DEAR ITAYAnak: Dear Itay: Padalhan

niyo po ako ng pera kasi ang mga damit ko pinagkakain ng mga daga.

Itay: Dear Anak: Wala akong pera. Kung gusto mo, meron dito pusa... padala ko sa ‘yo.

August 16-31, 2014 27

Choose Your Lane

Left lane? Right Lane? Or middle lane? The choice is yours, it’s up to you. Luck

is with us if there are three lanes to choose from. However, here’s the caveat- sometimes there are only two lanes ahead of us and woe is me if there’s only one- like it or not, there’s only one path-way to go. With two lanes, the choice is limited but the latter is the most challenging. There are reasons why we would change lanes on the road. Decisions are in play when we are faced with a variety of situations along the way. It also depends on our own personal needs and predicament at the time. Actually, I would choose the middle lane under normal condition, meaning I am well prepared for the day and in full control in terms of time man-agement. Being in this frame of mind, I would be able to handle and cope with the common eventualities that could happen onward. Otherwise, having a heavy head to start the morning would not contribute to a pleas-ant day resulting to a worrisome evening and if not improved, it will be another wool gathering day the next day.

In real life, there are lanes to choose from. Above is an appro-priate analogy to exemplify the point. The right lane might allow us to reach our destination or goal the fastest, but might not be the easiest, rather has hurdles to deal with along the way. For people with less than strong fi bers in their body, the conse-quence might be a strenuous and stressful daily life. This is the fast and rat-race kind of life which attracts the younger and just starting segment of our society. They are the energetic, idealis-tic and ambitious young people with the modern technology seemingly built in their brains.

The extreme left lane would present a slower fl ow of motion and if carried out complacently, might result to unproductive way of life allowing limited opportunities to come by. On the other hand, this easy and seem-ingly no-challenge choice would give people benefi cial values like a more relaxed, tranquil and simpler daily living. An appro-priate cliché here would be, “Something has to give” and this directs to favoring a less stress-

ful life over a busy and materi-alistic laden lifestyle and most likely will lead to a euphoric and happier daily existence. This is favored especially by those who are done with being competitive in the workforce or probably just tired with the daily grind and the rest, most likely have reached the age of retirement.

The Middle LaneI say, choosing the middle

lane is often for the “segurista” type of person. It is not the same as the saying, “sitting on a fence” because the person has made the choice with the risks well refl ected on and balanced of. In fact, it is a calculated choice with proper considerations carefully taken. It also comes advanta-geous to those who are not very certain on making hard deci-sions, giving time to clear up doubts in mind. I view it as a safe lane to use preceding the right course of action to take. Electing this lane has nothing to do with the age level of a person but rather with his attitude and state or frame of mind. I can say I am comfortable taking this lane and have been “riding” on it for so long. I have experienced the fast lane of life- it was fun, energetic, full of challenges and I must say, rewarding, but tiring at the end. As one matures, ful-fi lling the far-reached goals, par-allel with experiencing the hard facts of life, realization kicks in. The life-changing priorities are now in play. We now want to live our own life and not the one that we have considered as “we have to.” This act does not nec-essarily follow the chronological age of persons- it is a matter of the state of mind.

Some Words of Wisdom Whatever pace of life we

choose- fast, slow or in-between, let’s just do the best we can in the face of challenging situations. The words of my late father still ring in my ear, “Don’t be easily discouraged and lose heart when you fall down. Learn why you

fell. You stand up and try to fi gure out what went wrong and then move on. Be proud of yourself with the fact that you’ve given it your best shot.” Critics and negative persons abound around us. They will try to stand in your way, even unknow-ingly cut you off to pieces, but the important thing is to gather enough strength and resiliency in order to cope with these nuances. The problem is theirs, not yours. Sure, there are demands and other obstacles in life, with your creativity and given talent, you will survive.

Life is not a bed of roses, but it is full of wonders. I was almost always reminded of this cliché since my college days, but its impact on me became greater when I got married, elevating myself to a new status. I have learned since then that as this is the reality of life, it is up to us to make the most of what life has to offer. We get focused on the positives even how small they are and accentuate on things that are good and pleasant. As we mature, we begin to view the changing conditions of our life meeting it with optimism, look-ing for the good even when it is hidden. Hopeless and hostile thoughts and negative forces are best avoided. How could I have understood all these when I was a neophyte student in a univer-sity?

Albert Einstein is said to have asserted, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we cre-ated them.” He added, “Rather than provide a solution, some thinking may even perpetu-ate the problems. So, I shifted my attention from a busy mind to my knowing heart.”This is a good lesson that we can ponder on- “A change in attitude can make the difference.”

Your Choice: Right lane, left lane or middle lane? What, where and how you are now, it was your choice!

Give Me Strength to Be a Nobody

Pangkaraniwan. Ordinary. Nobody. Cellophane. If you watched the movie

version of the musical CHI-CAGO, Amos Hart who was Roxie’s faithful and good-natured but simple husband, sang Mister Cellophane. “Mister Cellophane shoulda been my name ‘cause you can look right through me, walk right by me, and never know I’m there...”

I-want-to-be-a-nobody, says no one ever. We invent and re-invent ourselves to attract atten-tion. The advent of the internet and social media – Facebook, Twitter, blogs – have given ordi-nary people the means for self- promotion. If you can emote, you can promote, ika nga.

Facebook lets us pump up the glamour volume. If you are a photoshop genius, the enhance-ments available at your fi nger-tips are limitless. You can even pair with your favorite super hero or notorious scoundrel. Pick any handsome man you want. Whatever or whoever suits your fancy at the moment. Voila! Done. Super kilig.

Twitter has opened up a whole new world. You can have hundreds of nameless “follow-ers” who count on your posts to carry them through the day. They re-tweet your twits. Your army has quadrupled.

I have a Twitter account but freaked out when I received notifi cations of unknowns who started following me. I had this image of a thousand eyes fi xed on my every move. Twit? Who me? Not again.

Smart phone apps can now pinpoint your exact location. “I am here! Let’s see who shows up….Where is everybody?” Do you really want everyone to know where you are? Whatever happened to guarding your pri-vate life? I have turned off that app. I want to enjoy my crispy pata and lechon kawali and adobo and kare-kare with a side order of pancit plus halo-halo and turon in peace.

Blogs are wonderful. You can be as outrageous as your shame threshold can bear. I started one which I titled “Deli-ciousgoosebumps” some years ago. My enthusiasm peaked on my 20th entry and quickly plum-

meted after I began churning regular articles for Manila Mail. The blog feedback was luke-warm at best. I was told I wasn’t targeting the right audience. And for a small fee I can have the site tweaked for maximum exposure. More money. Rats. More work. Double rats.

The Kardashians started the craze of “reality” melodramas that gave rise to “real” house-wives with perfect make-up, who lived in perfect mansions, and went on perfect vacations. Was that vile language I heard?

Their wealth is almost obscene because we never see them lift a fi nger to earn their keep. Their store-bought eye-lashes fl utter with tears and their Botox-enhanced lips pout to even greater pucker as they quiver, appalled by insults from their Barbie friends.

No wonder soap operas are losing viewership. Notoriety has found a new genre. “Reality” life IS stranger than fi ction. They are peopled by “real” women with unhealthy egos who attract erratic and delusional bosom friends.

I can’t even describe how I feel about the men who agree to appear in those shows. Most men I know shiver in disgust at the thought of baring even an iota of their soul much less baring their emotions on national TV.

There was a time when all we had to do was hitch our dreams of glamor and excite-ment to a favorite star. We lived vicariously through them. Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos, the queens of Philippine pop culture in the 70s gave rise to opposing groups called Noranians and Vilmanians. Susan Roces and Amalia Fuentes preceded them by a decade. We gave them imaginary feuds fueled by our own inadequacies and unreal-ized dreams. We paired them with beaus we chose for them whether they liked/loved them or not.

Nowadays we are overex-posed, overdone, and exhausted from all the mental and emo-tional acrobatics. We have shed our clothes of reticence and have stood naked with our secret thoughts bared for people to see. Perhaps we need a collec-

tive batok-sa-ulo (a quick bop on the head) to regain our sense and sanity.

But alas, I doubt I can go back to obscurity. I am human and my ego demands affi rma-

tion. I admit I am weak. Lord , give me strength to be

a nobody.

August 16-31, 20142828 Editorial

Mellowing of DC Pinoys

Some 20 years ago, my Tsismoso predecessors often expressed frus-trations over the intrigues, bicker-

ings, backbiting and crab mentality that divided the Filipino American commu-nity in the greater Washington D.C. area.

Organizations were rend asunder as offi cers and members bickered and spread libelous rumors about each other. There were frequent complaints of anomalies in the election of offi cers. Community organizations’ names were mostly based on regions or schools in the Philippines. There were charges of election or charter violations that even ended in court. A few organizations, disgruntled with their offi -cers, organized competing groups.

When some Pinoys opened a suc-cessful store or restaurant, others did the same. To draw customers, the newcomers cut their prices putting the other Pinoy establishments out of existence. When one organization held a weekly money-mak-ing venture by sponsoring a casino night in Prince George’s county in Maryland, another group set up their own casino. To put each other down, they squealed about the anomalies in its operation. The result was that the casino nights were banned.

Today, things seem to be different. There seems to be less competition among organizations. There are less bickerings, jealousies, Pinoy ‘crabs,’ pompous induc-tion balls, etc. Groups are becoming more united. Hurray. Less tsismis for Tsismoso.

***A Tsismoso fan with the initials KHB,

sent in the following Pinoy Humor to the editorial desk which in turn, passed it on to me.

- A remorseful Japanese politi-cian who was accused of corruption has resigned. When Bong and Jinggoy heard the news, they said, “Buti na lang, hindi tayo Japanese!”

- At a nerd’s wedding, the couple didn’t say, “I do.” The couple said, “I ACCEPT THE TERMS AND CONDI-TIONS.”

- BONG: “Pare, nahihirapan na ako dito sa kulungan. Napakadaming daga at ipis!”

JINGGOY: “Natural lang yan, Pare. Naamoy lang nila ang nakain nating pork!”

- Dear Mother Nature,Please stop sending us destructive

typhoons¦We already have politicians.Love,Filipinos

- *Nung 90th B-day ni Enrile....ERAP: “Happy Birthday, Senator!

Aabot ka pa yata ng 100, ah!”ENRILE: “Oo nga, salamat! Sana

ikaw rin...”ERAP: “Tama na sa akin ang 99.”ENRILE: “Bakit ganun? Kaya mo rin

naman ang 100, ah!”ERAP: “Eh, paano na ang itatawag ng

mga chicks sa bayag ko....Century Eggs?”-A group of expectant fathers sat ner-

vously in the waiting room.A nurse beckoned to one of them and

said, “Congratulations, you have a son!”Another man dropped his magazine,

jumped up and said, “Hey, what’s the idea? I got here two hours before he did!”

- *Top 8 Movie Projects Rejected by Bong Revilla

1. You’ve Got Jail2. Kakabakaba ka Bong3. Crame and Punishment4. Meet the Porkers5. Bukas Luluhod ang mga Talo6. Eat, Pray, Rob7. Live Free or Lie Hard8. Man of Steal- A wife reads a magazine and asks

her husband, “Is it true that Thomas Edison invented the talking machine?”

The man replied, “No. The fi rst talk-ing machine was created by God when he created the woman. Edison simply improved on it with a turn-off switch!

-BOY: “Ang ganda nya.”GIRL: “Malandi yan.”GIRL: “Ang gwapo nya.”BOY: “Bakla yan.” - Sa ibang bansa, kapag nadapa.

“Hey, Are you okay?”Sa Pilipinas, “HA HA HA! Tanga!

Ano, buhay ka pa?!”

***Now that the federal government has

exposed all the records of its citizens, it’s time for all of us to ponder on nine things that remain important to our lives. A Tsis-moso forwarded these things to think about seriously:

Number 9. Death is the number 1 killer in the world.

Number 8. Life is sexually transmit-ted.

Number 7. Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

Number 6. Men have two emotions: Hungry and horny--- and they can’t tell them apart. If you see a gleam in his eyes, make him a sandwich.

NaFFAA’s New ChallengeSeventeen years after its founding, the National Federation of

Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) is facing a challenge from its younger members to revisit the mission and vision of the organiza-tion and determine if they are still relevant.

At its recently concluded empowerment conference in San Diego, keynote speakers, workshop participants and delegates, nearly half of whom are under 40, raised questions about the role of elders and “seasoned veterans” in youth leadership development.

In his opening speech, 26-year-old Jason Tengco, the youngest ever Senior Adviser in the White House, stressed the importance of young leaders having strong mentors. Recalling his own “life-chang-ing experiences,” Tengco thanked his Titas and Titos who “inspired me to pursue social justice and public service.”

Billy Dec, newly-appointed Commissioner of the White House Initiative on Asian American and Pacifi c Islanders (WHIAAPI), praised “the new movement of young Filipinos who have it together, whose talent and intelligence are making a difference in advancing our community’s well-being.”

There are 256,256 Filipinos between the ages of 18-22 in the U.S. today, according to the 2010 Census. For NaFFAA to continue its advo-cacy role as the voice of the more than 4 million Filipinos in the U.S., it needs to collaborate actively with the under-40 generation.

“We hope that NaFFAA’s 11th empowerment conference will serve as a vehicle that creates a sustainable inter-generational core movement of empowerment,” said Steven Raga, NaFFAA’s youngest national director. “FilAms today prefer collaborative leaders next to them, rather than obedient followers behind them.”

We applaud NaFFAA for opening a much-needed conversation about “disrupting NaFFAA’s existing leadership paradigm,” and wish its new leaders well as they rise to the challenge.

The critical issues facing the Filipino American community are daunting. They require a collaborative partnership among leaders from both generations. To move forward, they need each other’s innovative ideas and insights, creativity and civic-mindedness.

Continued on page 30

August 16-31, 2014 29

Buyer’s remorse

There are words and phrases that we utter in our daily lives with mean-

ings assumed to be understood but whose origin we are not really sure.

Give me the “whole nine yards” means all of it, everything from beginning to end, the full measure. The origin dates back to World War II pilots of fi ghter planes equipped with machine guns using bullets stringed together like a belt measuring nine yards in length.

You do not have to attend church to be blessed. Whenever you sneeze within hearing distance of people, you can expect to hear “Bless you”. Why in the name of heaven would you give blessing to some-body broadcasting microbes of germs?

There are diverging claims to the origin of this semi-automatic verbal reaction. One is that in the 6th century when a signifi cant number of the world population was being wiped out by bubonic plague, Pope Gregory the Great would bless people who sneeze hoping that divine intervention would prevent a symptom from developing into the deadly dis-

ease. Another purported origin is a widespread superstition in the olden times that when you sneeze, your soul gets expelled through your nose and getting God’s blessing prevents the devil from seizing your soul.

How about buyer’s remorse? The meaning is com-monly understood. It is an emo-tional response to a purchase transaction laden with regrets for a wrong decision. In a recent CNN survey of voters, if the presidential election were held today, Mitt Romney would beat Barack Obama 53% to 44%. Most likely majority of the voters don’t like paying more for their health insurance premium as a consequence of Obamacare. They are not impressed with the seemingly confused and tepid responses by the White House to the international crises that are breaking out from Ukraine to the Middle East. They are unhappy with the bureaucratic incompe-

tence in the IRS and the Veterans Administration. They are frus-trated with the government’s inability or lack of interest in protecting the border.

It turns out that Romney’s prognostications during the presidential debates are becom-ing true. When he stated that Russia is America’s geopolitical foe, Obama was dismissive. Now Russia has a slice of Ukraine after annexing Crimea and continues to threaten invasion. Romney also warned that Obama’s failure and lack of interest in bargaining with the Iraqi government to retain some American military presence in the country would threaten U. S. gains earned with a lot of American blood and money. Unfortunately, Romney was right. A new jihadist force is threatening to turn Iraq and the Middle East upside down.

Pres. Obama however has

Unintended consequences

Unaccompanied minors have been fl ooding the southern border of

the United States in increas-ing numbers since 2012. It’s not only highlighted the injustice being perpetrated by Congress by its refusal to fi x the country’s broken immigration system but also the unintended effects of resorting to short-cuts or even stop-gap measures.

The Migrant Policy Institute traced the infl ux to a confl uence of events. “Recent US policies toward unaccompanied chil-dren, faltering economies and rising crime and gang activity in Central American countries, the desire for family reunifi ca-tion and changing operations of smuggling networks have all converged,” the think-tank ana-lyzed.

The Obama administra-tion’s Deferred Action for Child-hood Arrivals (DACA) has also had unintended consequences, immigration policy and law experts say.

In 2008 Congress passed a law that required judges to hold hearings for youngsters from countries other than Mexico and Canada. It was aimed at protect-ing immigrant children from sex traffi ckers but now, the William Wilberforce Traffi cking Victims

Protection Action Act is being blamed for partly fueling the surge of child migrants.

In an ideal world, it could have been a good law. But immi-gration courts are so backlogged that it can take years for a child’s hearing date to come around. As they wait, most stay with relatives or friends already in the country and attend school.

One worrisome revelation from the latest border crisis was how some of the kids’ perilous journey to the US was bankrolled by parents or relatives already in the country. Filipinos in the US petitioning family members in the Philippines could wait as much as a quarter of a century to be re-united. It can take longer for those from Mexico.

A French national with a bachelor’s degree and a US spon-sor may wait two years to get a green card but another applicant from India with the same col-lege degree and employer spon-sorship may have to wait for a

decade or more to get that same green card.

The huge disparity in wait-ing times can be blamed as much on the worsening backlog as archaic immigration rules.

Recent events have demon-strated the deeply partisan nature of the immigration debate. On their best days, lawmakers are driven by confl icting ideologies that raise serious doubts they can craft an immigration reform package that really addresses the roots of the problem and diffuse this ticking time bomb.

For some the wait has become too oppressive that jumping the line’s become too tempting. “This idea of going back of the line sounds like a rea-sonable and simple thing to do, but it’s complicated by the fact that there are so many lines and for some people the line does not exist,” explained MPI’s Mad-eleine Sumption.

It’s obviously unfair for

Continued on page 30

‘We Break the Dawn’

For some community orga-nizations, “succession” has now become an urgent

issue among the challenges faced by “aging” leaders. They’re wor-ried about no one taking their place.

“We just can’t seem to attract young people to come on board,” is a common complaint, more out of dismay and baffl e-ment.

Young people, on the other hand, are increasingly alienated from their parents’ organizations because their activities don’t lend themselves to youth engage-ment. Which is not to say they’re indifferent or disinterested. They just can’t fi nd a way to plug in.

I sometimes think a “youth coup” would actually be better so long as it is “bloodless.”

In a heartening way that’s actually what happened in San Diego, where the NaFFAA Empowerment Conference recently concluded its 11th national meeting. College stu-dents and young profession-als in their mid-20s did most of the event planning and execu-tion, from creating a conference theme and building a web site to tapping funders and mapping on-site logistics. The “adults” were not exactly kicked out, but it was their “old way” of doing things that was put aside. Not their wisdom and experience but their insistence on doing it their way.

In a positive sense, both elders and young folks saw the need for each other’s ideas and insights, energy, expertise and experience. What held the part-nership together was mutual trust and respect.

The result: one of the most successful NaFFAA conferences in the organizations 17-year his-tory, with signifi cant participa-tion by the under-40 generation (almost half of the attendees). And, unlike previous confer-ences, this one didn’t lose money.

So how’d they pull it off?It all started more than a

year ago when NaFFAA leaders in San Diego started preparing for the 2014 conference. Regional Chair Aurora Cudal called out for volunteers, mindful of the undertaking’s magnitude.

Soon after, she got a call from Leezel Ramos, a student organizer with ties to commu-nity groups in the area. Manang Auring, who is 81, thought the 26-year-old Leezel was offering

her services to help with logistics – photocopying, registering del-egates, fi elding phone calls, run-ning errands. Leezel’s response took Manang Auring by sur-prise: “Tita, I don’t want to push papers, but write them. I don’t want to be a secretary. I want to be the chair.”

Whoa. Unsure of what to make of it, Manang Auring consulted with other NaFFAA offi cers, including those in the national. The reaction by most, according to her, was: “We don’t trust them. This is a big confer-ence involving huge sums of money and people coming from all over the country. With so much at stake, we can’t risk it by turning this over to young people.”

The youth’s response was just as emphatic. First, they didn’t want to be called “young people” because it connotes inex-perience and immaturity. Young professionals, yes! Second, Leezel and her colleagues viewed rejection as a challenge. They became even more deter-mined to show the elders they were just as capable. Third, they validated the elders concerns not by surrendering their own con-victions but by changing the way they hold conversations.

IMPACT NOT INTEN-TION. “We all have good inten-tions,” Leezel said. “And we must respect that. But it’s the impact of what we say and do that matters in the end.”

To prove their point, they wrote a concept paper, pre-sented model designs for a web site, and even crafted the theme: “We Break the Dawn: Master planning the future.” The words raised eyebrows among NaFFAA leaders who thought the theme irrelevant since dawn had been broken way back in 1997. The old folks missed the point entirely. Granted, it sounded abstract but it made sense for an organization that hasn’t progressed much in nearly two decades.

Driven by the urgency to move forward, Manang Auring prevailed on the “seasoned vet-erans” and appointed Leezel her co-chair. Savvy in ways that mat-tered, Leezel promptly formed a youth team of 30 volunteers with expertise in advertising and mar-keting, business planning, social media communication, fund raising, corporate relations and

Continued on page 30Continued on page 30

Opinion

August 16-31, 20143030

seen since the prime of Pope John Paul II.”

What she likes most about Francis, though, is the way he’s changed the church’s tone from Thou Shalt Not to Thou

Shall., Maureen Sterk daughter noted. “This is not a slam on Benedict or John Paul II,” she adds. Those Popes just spoke a different language, wrote for a different crowd.

An accordion player, Duns can’t help describing the differ-ence between Francis and pre-vious popes in musical terms. “He’s got his own sense of the beats of the church. He’s more merengue than Mozart.

his own way of dealing with crisis. He is cool, too cool. When a Malaysian Airline passenger was shot down possibly by Rus-sian supported rebels in Ukraine, Barack was unfazed. Instead of talking to the public, he attended a California fundraiser instead. When hell erupted in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, he attended a fundraiser. Even as the ISIS forces are threatening the security of American person-nel in Iraq, he could not resist cancelling his golf vacation at the Martha’s Vineyards. The optics disturbs Barack’s critics, but it suits Russia’s Vladimir Putin just fi ne.

Buyer’s remorse? I told you so is no consolation.

***A book by Ronald Kessler is

due to come out and will surely make a ripple in Vice President Joe Biden’s swimming pool. The

book is based purportedly on Secret Service agents’ accounts about life in the fi rst and second family. The book includes a nar-rative of Biden’s alleged habit of swimming in the nude in his Delaware home to the chagrin of female agents. The female agents can stop the practice by calling the Daily Inquirer to deploy their video drones.

***Golf tidbits: Game 1 –

Juliet’s Romeo (RJ) and visiting Nes T walked away with brag-ging rights and donations from Don Alex, Mr. T, King Arthur, Eveready Freddie and El Salva-dor. Game 2 – King Arthur took the honors with visiting Nes T sharing second fi ddle. Don Alex, King George, Eveready Freddie, RJ and Kilabot commiserated with hamburgers. My godfather is now stingy. He picked my pocket.

those who’ve chosen to keep within the legal path but Con-gress’ failure to act fuels a growing incentive to choose

the quicker albeit more crooked road. It’s worse than neglecting border security.

And now President Obama

is getting ready to sign edicts for more stop-gap measures to impose his own fi x to what ails the nation’s immigration system. Now, if only all of us can portend unintended consequences.

Unintended consequences... from page 29 Buyer’s remorse... from page 29

programming. After setting up a conference web-site, the team was off and running, tapping the skill sets of their colleagues from across the country, raising more than $50,000 and communicating regularly among themselves for updates and problem-solving. NaFFAA leaders were informed and updated as well.

“I was wary in the begin-ning but I saw how smart and intelligent they are,” recalls Manang Auring. “That’s when I realized how important trust is. And respect. I just tell them what needs to happen and they fi gure out how.”

When I met Leezel, what struck me was her modesty and candor. Almost self-effacing. There were no airs about her. Just a young woman who seems to know all the nuts and bolts of running a major operation, with a quiet confi dence and cool demeanor. A leadership style with humility. She is, in other words, totally professional.

One incident that illustrates their style of problem solving happened on the fi rst day of the conference. There had been an exchange of e-mails the day before among NaFFAA leaders and offi cers about the scheduling during Gala Dinner of the Alex Esclamado Community Service Awards. The concern: the cer-emony will be competing with plates if held while guests are still eating. One elder railed of his “disappointment,” confounding

the young organizers in charge of the dinner program. Happily, another elder intervened in time, meeting face to face with the organizers (no e-mail) and it was quickly resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. “You don’t have to dance around us,” said the pro-gram director. “Just come talk to us.”

Take note: there was no exchange of angry emails that could have escalated into big drama. The young profession-als were truly professional in the way they handled an adult “temper tantrum.”

During a dialogue between about 50 young folks and a dozen NaFFAA leaders, the words that kept resonating were trust and respect. Don’t just pass the baton but let’s hold it together side by side, step by step. Let’s collabo-rate.

Throughout the 4-day con-ference, what became evident was simply a heightened aware-ness about the need to change the way we hold conversations with each other. Rather than drive us apart, they should keep us together. Ben de Guzman, a gay rights advocate, remembers an ugly incident in 1997 when youth delegates almost walked out of NaFFAA’s fi rst empower-ment conference over a debate about LGBT rights. This year, openly gay activists – notably Journalist and immigrant rights activist Jose Antonio Vargas and APALA Exec. Director Greg

Cendana – are keynote speakers.And what’s most refresh-

ing – which could be threaten-ing to elders – is the way the younger generation is truly bent on “taking over.” They want to “infi ltrate and disrupt NaFFAA’s existing leadership paradigm.”

But not in the way you’re thinking. Steven Raga, the youngest member of the NaFFAA national board member, puts it best: “The dif-ference with young FilAms today seem to be their preference to develop collaborative leaders next to them, rather than obedi-ent followers behind them. Lead-ership is not a line (which is what currently happens in NaFFAA). What should happen is a collab-orative partnership among lead-ers moving forward. To ensure longevity and continuity, we need to meet in the middle of our different methodology. We need to promote a safe space using professional language and actions that respect all regardless of sex, age, immigration status or generation, socio-economic class, ethnicity, nationality, geo-graphic residence, physical and mental ability, sexual orienta-tion, gender identity, religion, and political opinion.”

According to the 2010 Census, there are 256,256 Filipi-nos between the ages of 18-22 in the US. Steve is asking. “What if we played a role in their growth?”

We break the dawn.Send your comments to

jdmelegrito@gmail.com

ceeding to authorize the revo-cation and setting aside of the order admitting such person to citizenship and the cancellation of the certifi cate of naturaliza-tion as having been obtained by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation, and such revocation and setting aside of the order admitting such person to citizenship and such canceling of certifi cate of natu-ralization shall be effective as of the original date of the order and certifi cate, respectively.” The law further required the State Department to furnish the Justice Department with names of natu-ralized citizens who have taken up residence abroad.

On October 25, 1994, Con-gress passed the Immigration and Nationality Technical Cor-rections Act of 1994 which repealed Section 340(d). In effect, there is no more presumption of fraud if the naturalized citizen leaves the US within one year of his/her naturalization, and the State Department will no longer

provide the Justice Department with names of naturalized citi-zens who have taken up resi-dence abroad. The naturalized citizen therefore will not face revocation proceeding just by virtue of his foreign residence. His US citizenship will not be in jeopardy, unless the INS comes up with clear affi rmative evi-dence establishing the misrep-resentation of the naturalized citizen of his intention to reside in the US at the time of his appli-cation and admission to citizen-ship. This is highly unlikely.

With respect to naturalized Filipino World War II veterans, Congress specifi cally provided that the presumption of lack of intent to reside in the US does not apply to them. Continuing residence in the Philippines after their naturalization will not be a ground for revocation of US citi-zenship.

nerable civilians.In that same report, one

batch of prisoners was trans-ferred from a jail in Samar to the national penitentiary in Manila, a trip of several hours, while terrifi ed passengers prayed that they would reach their destina-tion unharmed.

The director of the Samar prison, when asked why he allowed the risky trip to happen,

reasoned that they had no choice. They had no vehicles. Can you believe that? A prison without vehicles in which to ferry con-victs?

The BUB’s partisan intent is so obvious, badly hit cities like my hometown of Tacloban, dominated by the Romualdezes, will probably get crumbs, even if was the most severely devas-tated by Yolanda.

Buying Up Ballots... from page 23

Residence abroad... from page 25

‘We Break the Dawn’... from page 29

own agenda, whether it’s to put the President in a bad light, to diminish his political clout needed to install his candidate of choice, or to topple the govern-ment whether from the ideologi-cal left or right.

It’s a tough job, the presi-

dency. It’s not just having to monitor 200 TV channels all at once, it’s having to survive the daily onslaught from all direc-tions.

Mr. Aquino has even warned in his latest SONA about the specter of assassination.

Maybe this and Trillanes’ warn-ing are connected? Eerily, that’s reminiscent of his father Ninoy’s fatalistic statement, as the elder Aquino mused prophetically on his way home from exile in 1983: “In an instant, I could be a goner.” Ninoy Aquino was assassinated after his fl ight landed in Manila.

Let’s hope history doesn’t repeat itself.

Who wants to get rid... from page 24

the following ingredients: Ade-quate sleep, rest and relaxation, total abstinence from tobacco, strict moderation in alcohol intake; daily exercises (like brisk walking), low-fat, low-choles-

terol, low-carb, high-fi ber diet

(vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts,

etc), and, equally important,

having a happy and positive atti-

tude in life.

21 Tips to maximize sleep... from page 25

Beyond Shorelines... from page 25

Number 5- Give a person a fi sh and you feed them for a day.

Teach a person to use the internet and they won’t bother you for weeks, months,--- maybe years.

Number 4. Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday,

lying in the hospital--- dying

of nothing.Number 3. All of us could

take a lesson from the weather.It pays no attention to criti-

cism.Number 2. In the 60’s,

people took acid to make the world weird.

Now the worldis weird,

and people take Prozac to make

it normal.

Number 1. Life is like a

jar of jalapeno peppers. What

you do today might burn your

ass tomorrow. And as some-

one recently said to me: “Don’t

worry about old age; it doesn’t

last that long.”

Washington Tsismis... from page 28

August 16-31, 2014 31

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