June 15, 2013 1

Vol. XXII, No. 15 Online: www. manilamail.us June 15, 2013

FilAm teen dies in
mishap P7
BRP Alcaraz sails
for PH P8
Obama, Xi
summit P9
Salute to Philippines
115th anniversary!
By Boots Felixberto
& the Mail staff
STERLING, VA - This is
the question that lingers in the
minds of thousands, includ-
ing the Philippine embassy, the
Washington Post and Filipino
American organizations follow-
ing the killing of Mylene de Leon
Scott,38, a diminutive FilAm
woman by 2 Sheriffs deputies at
the Costco store in Sterling, Vir-
ginia on May 29.
The answer to this question
may come soon.
The case is now in the hands
of the Commonwealth of Vir-
ginia Attorney Jim Plowman.
When contacted by the
Manila Mail on June 11, Liz
Mills, director of media relations
and communications of the Lou-
doun County Sheriffs Ofce,
said the case of the fatal shooting
of Mylene is now being handled
by Commonwealth of Virginia
Attorney Jim Plowman.
This came as the remains of
Costco shooting victim Mylene
De Leon-Scott, 38, have been
claimed from the Medical Exam-
iners Ofce in Manassas, Vir-
ginia last week by her uncle and
ex-husband.
The Medical Examiners
ofce declined to comment on
the results of the autopsy.
The Sheriffs deputies
claimed self-defense after their
stun gun reportedly failed and
she came after them with a
pair of scissors and knife in her
hands.
Earlier, Clift Scott, Mylenes
ex-husband who is with the mili-
tary, told ABS-CBN News that
he and Mylenes uncle, Virgil
Salvador, were talking to funeral
homes regarding the funeral ser-
Kabang, gets heros welcome;
will be dog envoy to the world
MANILA- Hero dog
Kabang, a mixed-breed who
lost her snout to save the lives of
two girls in Zamboanga city, was
mobbed like a rock star upon her
return early on June 8 from the
United States, where she under-
went medical treatment for eight
months.
She received a similar
heros welcome June 9 when
she returned to her owners in
Zambaonga city.
When Kabang and her han-
dler, Filipino veterinarian Anton
Lim, arrived at around 3:30 a.m.
at Ninoy Aquino International
Airport Terminal 2 on board
Obama pushes,
Senate OKs
immig debates
By an overwhelming bipar-
tisan vote on June 11, the Senate
passed the procedural hurdle
to start debates on the compre-
hensive immigration bill even
as President Obama said the
moment is now to give 11 mil-
lion undocumented immigrants
a chance to acquire US citizen-
ship.
But Republicans who joined
the Democrats served notice
however that they will seek to
toughen the bills border security
provisions and impose tougher
Continued on page 22 Continued on page 21
Continued on page 23
Some OFWs are returning
home as economy perks up
By Karen Lema
MANILA (Reuters) - Mateo
Ragonjan took a leap of faith in
August last year.
The executive sous-chef of
a seven-star luxury hotel in Abu
Dhabi packed his bags to take up
a similar job back home in the
Philippines.
He is one of a small group of
like-minded Filipinos returning
to jobs back home, a sign of con-
dence in an economy that for
decades has seen millions leave
in search of better prospects
overseas.
(Many Filipino Americans
are now acquiring dual citizen-
ships in preparation for going
home or have already relocated
back to the Philippines.)
Ragonjan now helps run a
300-man kitchen that caters to
guests and high-rollers ock-
ing to Manilas newest and most
luxurious casino resort, one of
400 overseas Filipinos who came
home to work at the hotel.
The Philippines is boom-
ing at the moment, so I thought
it was the right time to go
back, Ragonjan, 41, said on a
break from his 10-hour shift at
the Solaire Resort & Casino in
Manila Bay, developed at a cost
of $1.2 billion.
The Philippines economy is
Continued on page 23
Continued on page 22
Mylene De Leon-Scott
Former OFW Rennel Lansang, who works in Casino Solaire, poses with wife
and daughter in their house in Metro Manila.
Charice Pempengco
Kabang poses like a Rock Star as news photographers take his picture
upon her arrival in Manila.
Charice
says: Yes
I am a
lesbian
MANILA -Former Glee
actress and international singing
sensation Charice Pempengco
has come out as gay!
In a candid interview on TV,
Charice revealed she is a lesbian
and apologized to those who
might not understand.
But days later, she said she
was overwhelmed by positive
response to her coming out.
Charice did not expect
the overwhelmingly positive
response to her admission that
she is a lesbian.
Charice said she felt free
after the interview with Boy
Abunda on The Buzz on TV
but was also worried because she
had no idea if the public, particu-
June 15, 2013 22
Pinoy tutor seeks to lead DC union
By Rodney J. Jaleco
A Filipino special educa-
tion teacher at the Jefferson
Academy Middle School in DC
says the diversity thats fueled
much of the growth in places like
the nations capital should be
reected in their workers unions
as well.
This is the reason why Mari-
sol Angala, a University of the
Philippines-trained teacher at
Jefferson Middle School for the
past decade, has been outspoken
and passionate about nding
better ways to educate Americas
school children.
Its driven her to an unprec-
edented campaign for the presi-
dency of the 4,000-strong Wash-
ington Teachers Union (WTU).
Angala is one of hundreds of
Filipino teachers in the vanguard
of the foreign recruiting binge
by US public schools who were
lured by the promise of better
pay and a slice of the American
dream.
They lled an acute teacher
shortage especially in tough,
troubled inner city schools that
struggled to meet standards
imposed by the Bush-era No
Child Left Behind Act. The Fili-
pino mentors can be found vir-
tually everywhere in America,
from top-tier East Coast acad-
emies to sparse Indian reserva-
tions in the New Mexico desert.
Times have changed,
Angala declared, and public
education has evolved.
She wants to steer WTU
towards her vision of the future.
Theres a battle being waged
right now, Angala averred,
itss not about unions standing
up for teachers; its about teach-
ers standing up for themselves
through their unions.
There are so many things
happening right now at the
local and national level which
lead to frustration, anger and all
those are harmful not only to the
teachers but also to the children
whose lives we continue to inu-
ence daily, she said, adding that
when I empower, encourage
and inspire teachers to do their
best for the kids, I am impacting
the lives of more than just the
students in my classroom.
Angala is a familiar face in
the education protest scene of
DC (something she attributes
to years at UP where she says
she learned stand up for whats
right). She was WTUs vice
president for special education
from 2007-2010, a member of the
Asian & Pacic American Labor
Alliance (APALA), the Teacher
Leaders Network and the Delta
Kappa Gamma International
Society for Key Women Educa-
tors.
She is board certied as an
exceptional needs specialist and
was named Outstanding Special
Education Teacher (2008-2009)
by the National Association
for Special Education Teachers
(NASET). She also has two blogs
Digital Anthology is the online
extension of her classroom and
Teacher Sol where she tackles
education-related issues, includ-
ing the plight of Filipino mentors
in Maryland.
She says the prospects are
both exciting and frightening
as she cobbled a multicultural
and multi-generational ticket
which, she vowed, would bring
real changes in the WTU. We
have exceptional candidates
in our slate (4 of them are also
Filipinos), who carry the prom-
ise of being real game-changers
because of our diversity, prob-
lem solving skills and courage to
speak on behalf of our teachers
and students, she explained.
They are pressing for an
objective and fair evaluation
system and due process aligned
with that system. She sees the
inordinate emphasis on high-
stakes tests and the lack of sup-
port and resources to teachers
as the biggest problems bedevil-
ing the DC Public School system
today.
We should now be think-
ing how we can change our
traditional practices to better
reect the tasks assigned to our
schools, teachers and students,
she said, stressing that teachers
should be treated as partners in
reforms.
Her platform includes
providing more resources to DC
public school teachers, lower
class sizes especially for schools
in poverty-stricken communi-
ties, and building respect for
teachers.
Filipino teacher Marisol Angala (ledft) poses with fellow teachers and DC
delegate Norton in this le photo.
June 15, 2013 3
VA, N. Carolina focus of Cuisias economic drive
WASHINGTON, D.C.The
Philippines continues to take
advantage of its new status as an
emerging tiger with by intensify-
ing its economic diplomacy blitz
in the United States to promote
greater trade and investment.
The focus of the latest eco-
nomic diplomacy efforts were
the states of North Carolina and
Virginia, which were visited by
Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia only
a few weeks after the successful
holding of the 2nd Philippine
Investment Roadshow in Cali-
fornia, Illinois and Massachu-
setts.
This is a good time to
enhance our trade relations,
given the renewed optimism
and condence in the Philip-
pines under President Benigno
S. Aquino IIIs administration,
Cuisia said. Whether in terms
of our macroeconomic indicators
or competitiveness rankings, the
Philippine economy is at an all-
time high in many respects. The
reason is simple: we believe that
good governance is good eco-
nomics.
The Ambassador visited
North Carolina from 20 to 22
May and Virginia on 16 to 17
May. He was accompanied in
both trips by Commercial Coun-
sellor Maria Roseni Alvero and
Second Secretary and Consul
Lilibeth Almonte-Arbez who
along with Second Secretary and
Consul Angelito Nayan com-
prise the Embassys economic
team.
In his meetings with ofcials
and business leaders in North
Carolina and Virginia, Cuisia
made sure he was able to put
the Philippines on their radar
screen, in terms of its strategic
location in Southeast Asia, its
proven competitive advantage,
the signicant talent and skills
of the Filipino workforce, as well
as priority being given by the
government in various sectors
such as information technology
and business process outsourc-
ing, agribusiness, mining, tour-
ism, housing, shipbuilding and
energy.
I see tremendous market
opportunities for Philippine
exports particularly of food, gar-
ments and furniture and inter-
est in investments in electronics
manufacturing and biotechnol-
ogy, and clinical research out-
sourcing , the Ambassador said,
as he also agged the potentials
for public-private partnership in
infrastructure development spe-
cically in energy and transport
sectors.
In North Carolina, Cuisia
called on Governor Pat McCrory
and Mayor Nancy McFarlane
in the state capital, Raleigh. He
also visited the North Caro-
lina Biotechnology Center as
well as companies in Raleigh
and High Point such as Phillips
Collection, RF Micro Devices
Inc., and Arbovax to encourage
them to expand their operations
in the Philippines. Cuisia also
met with Councilman David
Howard of Charlotte, home to
energy and power companies
like Duke Energy, which ranks
No. 2 in banking and nancial
services in the United States.
Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. chats with Filipino American workers in a North Carolina company.
June 15, 2013 44
Obama thanks AAPI for their contribution to US
Following is the full text
of President Barack Obamas
remarks during reception at the
White House to Asian Americian
Pacic Islanders on May 28.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank
you, everybody. Thank you so
much. (Applause.) Everybody,
please have a seat. Thank you so
much. Aloha!
AUDIENCE: Aloha!
THE PRESIDENT: Wel-
come to the White House, every-
body. And thank you, Joan, for
the introduction. And I want
to thank everybody who s here
-- the incredible warmth of the
reception. A sign of the warmth
is the lipstick on my collar.
(Laughter.) I have to say I think
I know the culprit -- where is Jes-
sica Sanchez? (Laughter.) Jes-
sica -- it wasn t Jessica. It was
her aunt. Where is she? (Laugh-
ter.) Auntie, right there. Look at
this. (Laughter.) Look at this. I
just want everybody to witness.
(Laughter.) So I do not want
to be in trouble with Michelle.
(Laughter.) Thats why Im
calling you out right in front of
everybody. (Laughter.)
We are here today to honor
the incredibly rich heritage and
contributions of Asian Ameri-
cans and Pacic Islanders. And
there s no better example of that
diversity than the people who
are in this room. Weve got
members of Congress; weve got
members of my administration;
weve got lots of special guests
and talented performers.
And every day, we re
reminded of the many ways in
which Asian Americans, Native
Hawaiians, Pacic Island-
ers have all contributed and
enriched our nation throughout
our history. Obviously for me,
I dont have to look any further
than my own family. Ive got
my brother-in-law here, Konrad,
who is -- (applause) -- Konrad
Ng, who s heading up the Smith-
sonian Asian American Center
-- it probably has a longer name
than that. (Laughter.) My sister,
Maya; their beautiful daughters
-- my nieces, Suhaila and Savita.
I can think back on my col-
lege years when my roommates
were Indian and Pakistanis,
which is how I learned how to
cook keema and dal. (Laughter
and applause.) Very good. And
of course, I can dig back into my
own memories of growing up in
Hawaii and in Indonesia. And
so certainly it s been a central
part of my life, the entire Asia
Pacic region.
But it s more than food and
family -- because generations
of Asian Americans and Pacic
Islanders helped build this coun-
try, and helped to defend this
country, and to make America
what it is today. It s a history
that speaks to the promise of our
nation -- one that welcomes the
contributions of all people, no
matter their color or their beliefs,
because we draw from the rich
traditions of everybody who
calls America home. E pluribus
unum -- out of many, one.
And the artists joining us
today exemplify that creed. So
we ve got performers like Karsh
Kale, who fuses the best of East
and West, mixing eclectic beats
with the sounds of his heritage
and creating music that s dis-
tinctly his own -- that s a trait,
obviously, that s distinctly
American. We ve got musi-
cians like Paula Fuga and John
Cruz, whose work represents
the spirit of my native Hawaii
and reminds us that we re all
part of the same ohana. We
have authors like Amy Tan, who
uses her own family s immigra-
tion story to trace the stories of
others. She makes out of the par-
ticular something very universal.
We value these voices
because from the very begin-
ning, ours has been a nation of
immigrants; a nation challenged
and shaped and pushed ever
forward by diverse perspec-
tives and fresh thinking. And in
order to keep our edge and stay
ahead in the global race, we need
to gure out a way to x our
broken immigration system -- to
welcome that infusion of new-
ness, while still maintaining the
enduring strength of our laws.
And the service and the leader-
ship of Asian Americans and
Pacic Islanders have proved
that point time and again.
So we take opportunities
like today to honor the legacy
of those who paved the way,
like my friend, the late Senator
from Hawaii, Daniel Inouye,
the rst Japanese American to
serve in Congress -- and to cel-
ebrate the pioneers of this gen-
eration, like Congresswoman
Tammy Duckworth, one of the
rst female veterans elected to
Congress. (Applause.) And one
of my favorite people right now,
Sri Srinivasan, who has just been
conrmed.
President Obama points to lipstick
in his collar.
Photo shows at left, Virgie Bugay, the grandmother of singing sensation Jes-
sica Sanchez who was the culprit in planting a lipstick on President Obamas
collar which made it to the national news. Others are, from left, Edna P.
Pestano, Jessica Sanchez, Editha Sanchez (Jessicas Mother), Bing Branigin,
NaFFAA; and Cristeta P. Comerford, White House executive chef, during
the reception for Asian American and Pacic Islanders leaders at the White
House, May 28.
June 15, 2013 5
Filner lauds Cuisia for inspiring FilAm youth
SAN DIEGO, California - It
is not usual for an ambassador
to be involved in this kind of
things. These were the words
of San Diego City Mayor Bob
Filner, as he lauded the efforts
of Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia
Jr.s to inspire the next genera-
tion of Filipino Americans and
steer their community to greater
heights.
Cuisia brought along the
2012 Filipino American Youth
Leadership Program (FYLPro)
delegates to the San Diego City
Hall on 31 May during his cour-
tesy call on the former congress-
man, who once chaired the Com-
mittee on Veterans Affairs of the
United States House of Repre-
sentatives.
The Ambassador congratu-
lated Filner on his election as
mayor of San Diego last Novem-
ber. He noted that San Diego,
which calls itself Americas
Finest City, is home to close to
148,000 Filipino Americans and
expressed the hope that the com-
munity will be properly repre-
sented in the citys affairs.
The FYLPro aims to address
such concerns, as exceptional
individuals with leadership
skills and proven involvement
with political, economic and
socio-civic bodies, are being
identied to ll this gap.
Cuisia met with the young
Filipino American leaders and
successful entrepreneur Tony
Olaes in San Diego to further
discuss ways to tap the enthu-
siasm and dynamism of second
and third generation Filipino
Americans, who are increasingly
immersing themselves in various
advocacies.
Cuisias meeting with the
delegates provided an opportu-
nity for each of them to apprise
one another of their respective
projects.
Among them is the Teach for
the Philippines (TftP) initiative of
Angela Lagdameo and Michael
Vea. TftP is the 25th partner of
Teach For All, a global network
of social enterprises working to
expand educational opportunity
in their respective nations. Its
mission is to close the education
gap that exists in the Philippines
by recruiting persons that would
volunteer two years of their
lives to serve in under resourced
schools in Metro Manila. From
the US, only six out of over 200
applicants hurdled the stringent
requirements to qualify as TftP
volunteers.
While in San Diego, Ambas-
sador Cuisia also took the time
to meet with members of the
Filipino American community
at the Cultural Arts Center in the
suburb of Rancho del Rey.
In the same day, the Phil-
ippine American Business and
Improvement Development
(Philam BID) hosted a dinner for
its members and special guests in
honor of the Ambassador, who
was conferred the Philam BIDs
Starblazer Agoncillo Global
Filipino Diplomat award
for his outstanding achieve-
ment in the eld of diplomacy.
June 15, 2013 66
June 15, 2013 7
FilAm teen killed in skateboarding accident
ARLINGTON,Virginia - An
18-year-old Filipino American
kid who was scheduled to grad-
uate from Washington Lee High
School this week was killed in
a skateboard accident at about
12:30 p.m. here June 4, 2013.
Police say Malvar was cling-
ing to the side of a pickup truck
driven by a schoolmate while
skateboarding when he fell and
hit his head at the 300 block of
South Highland Street in Arling-
ton County. He was not wearing
a helmet.
Police say Malvar was doing
something similar to -skitch-
ing,- which is riding on a skate-
board while holding onto the
back of a car. He lost his balance,
fell, and hit his head. He died
at George Washington Hospital.
Police have not decided
whether to charge the driver
who reportedly has a bad driv-
ing record. His identity was not
revealed.
The 18-year-old was in the
-prime of his life,- his father
said, -eager to go to college at
Virginia Commonwealth Uni-
versity, eager to start working
toward his goal of becoming a
nurse.
Washington Lee High
School ofcials lowered the
schools ag at half-staff and
hundreds attended a prayer
service the next day held at St.
Thomas More Catholic church
where John was very active and
popular.
The school ofcials also
allowed Johns father, George
Malvar, to receive his sons
diploma during graduation rites
last week. His mother died sev-
eral years ago. Johns co-gradu-
ates also wore a ribbon to honor
him.
-He was a good kid,- said
his father, George Malvar. -Hes
always smiling, and everybody
liked him.-John was probably
one of the sweetest people Ive
met in my entire life
and I will always remember
him,- one student said.
Malvar fell just outside his
peer Brittanys home on S. High-
land Street. -Someone called
me, one of my best friends whos
really good friends with John as
well, and said That was John,
and I instantly burst into tears,-
she says.
Police said the 17-year-old
driver of the pickup truck, who
attended the same school as
John, may also have run over
his friend. When John fell to the
ground, he suffered a signicant
head trauma and left a large pool
of blood on the road when para-
medics arrived.
Medics performed CPR,
Malvar regained a pulse, and he
was rushed to George Washing-
ton University in critical condi-
tion, police said. He was later
pronounced dead.
Guys who have skated with
John say skitching is not common
in Arlington.
They say it was out of
character for their friend, who
planned to go to VCU in the fall
for nursing.
This was pretty uncharac-
teristic of him. Ive told a couple
people this didnt seem like the
kind of thing he would do,-
says Brandon Toone, who
had just gone to the prom
with John May 31.
Like a lot of Arlington teens,
hes struggling with the fact that
the smiling teen he loved so
much is gone.
Via Twitter, Washington-
Lee Principal Gregg Robertson
called Malvar -an awesome kid
who was proud of his perfect
attendance this year.
Robertson sent the follow-
ing email to parents later. -Dear
Washington-Lee Community,
regrettably, I must inform you
that the injured student I men-
tioned in my earlier email has
died. This is a difcult time for
the Washington-Lee staff, stu-
dents, and parents. The student
involved was an incredible
young man who contributed
positively in many ways to our
school and lives. The upcoming
days will be difcult ones as we
will be missing him and provid-
ing support to our Washington-
Lee family.
John Malvar
Flag ies at half staff at Washington Lee High School in Arlington in memory
of John Malvar.
June 15, 2013 88
We will defend our territory, Cuisia tells Alcaraz crew
CHARLESTON, South
CarolinaThe Philippines will
exert all efforts to ease tensions
in the West Philippine Sea but
it will also defend its territory
if needed, Ambassador Jose L.
Cuisia Jr. told the ofcers and
crew of the countrys newest
warship, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz
(PF-16), on the eve of its depar-
ture for Manila.
As you know, there are
some tensions in the West Philip-
pine Sea and this may put you in
harms way but there is no doubt
that you will perform your duty
of protecting Philippine territory
if needed, the Ambassador said
in his remarks during his visit
to the ship at the Federal Law
Enforcement Training Center
here on June 9.
We do not want to see a
confrontation and we are hoping
that diplomatic efforts would
ease these tensions, Cuisia said.
We are for peace and for the
stability of the region but at the
same time, we are prepared to
defend what is ours.
The Ambassador told Capt.
Ernesto Baldovino and the of-
cers, men and women of the
Alcaraz that they are all expected
to live up to the reputation of
Commodore Ramon Alcaraz,
a World War II hero, in whose
honor the warship was named.
Alcaraz was credited for
downing three enemy aircraft
while commanding the Q112
Abra, a 55-foot offshore patrol
boat, during the Japanese inva-
sion of the Philippines. Alcaraz
was captured and imprisoned
by the Japanese but survived the
war and went on to serve in the
Navy where he retired as com-
modore in 1966. He passed away
in 2009.
Ramon Alcaraz had a very
distinguished record in serv-
ing our country and our people.
You are expected to live up to his
reputation, Cuisia told the 88
ofcers and crew of the 378-foot
Alcaraz, the second weather high
endurance cutter (WHEC) that
the Philippines acquired from
the United States last year.
In his remarks, Cuisia also
expressed his appreciation to
the United States Government
for transferring what was for-
merly the USCGC Dallas to the
Philippine Navy and to the US
Navy and the US Coast Guard
for ensuring the vessels success-
ful retrotting at a cost of $15.6
million.
We look forward to the
Alcaraz joining its sister ship, the
BRP Gregorio Del Pilar, Ambas-
sador Cuisia said, referring to the
other Hamilton-class cutter that
was earlier acquired from the US
in 2011. We look forward to fur-
ther upgrading the capabilities
of the Philippine Navy.
Cuisia wished Captain
Baldovino and his crew a safe
journey to the Philippines and
told them the Navy has a special
place in his heart, having served
as Naval Reserve Corps Com-
mander during his time at De La
Salle University in Manila.
He congratulated the of-
cers and crew for their dedication
to duty for surviving more than a
year away from their loved ones
in the Philippines as a result of
the extended refurbishment of
the vessel and their training.
During his visit, the Ambas-
sador also had the chance to
meet with members of the Fili-
pino Community who attended
a farewell reception on board the
Alcaraz. He paid tribute to the
community for serving as foster
families to the crew thus allow-
ing them to easily cope with their
extended stay in the US.
We are grateful to our kaba-
bayans here in South Carolina
for opening the doors of their
homes to the men and women of
the Alcaraz and taking them in as
their own, he said.
The Ambassador was
accompanied during his visit to
the Alcaraz by ofcers from the
Philippine Embassy in Washing-
ton D.C. led by First Secretary
and Consul Elmer Cato, Defense
and Naval Attache Capt. Elson
Aguilar, Air Force Attache Col.
Arnel Duco and Veterans Affairs
Representative Retired Maj. Gen.
Deln Lorenzana.
The vessel left at 10 a.m. on
June 10 and is expected to arrive
in the Philippines in the rst
week of August.
Amb. Cuisia meets ofcers of the BRP Alcaraz. The refurbished warship leaves port for trip to Philippines.
June 15, 2013 9
Obama, Xi discuss issues, territorial claims
President Barack Obama
and Chinas President Xi Jinping
met at Rancho Mirage in Califor-
nia June 7-8 to discuss various
issues between the two coun-
tries, including cyber security,
North Korea, US pivot in Asia,
and territorial claims in the East
and South China seas.
Their wide-ranging discus-
sions at their two-day meeting
included North Koreas saber-
rattling as well as the USs
increased military presence in
the Pacic.
China has grown increas-
ingly frustrated at North Korea
over its nuclear tests and missile
launches.
White House national secu-
rity adviser Tom Donilon told
reporters that Obama and Xi
agreed that North Korea has to
denuclearize, that neither coun-
try will accept North Korea as a
nuclear-armed state and that we
would work together to deepen
cooperation and dialogue to
achieve denuclearization.
They also discussed the
confrontation with Japan over
the Senkaku islands in the East
China sea. The dispute has esca-
lated to the point where China
and Japan scramble ghter jets
and their patrol ships shadow
each other.
The United States, a formal
security ally of Japan, says it is
neutral about sovereignty over
the islets, but opposes the use
of force or unilateral efforts to
change the status quo.
Observers believe this stance
also applies to Chinas confron-
tation with the Philippines in the
Spratlys and Panatag Shoal.
Chinese State Council-
lor Yang Jiechi told a separate
news conference that Xi had
told Obama that China and the
United States were the same in
their positions and objectives on
the North Korean nuclear issue.
Analysts cautioned that
it remained unclear and prob-
ably unlikely that Beijing had
changed its fundamental calcu-
lus about North Korea, an old
Cold War ally that serves as a
buffer between China and demo-
cratic South Korea, which hosts
28,000 U.S. troops.
The two leaders wrestled
with how to handle Chinas rise
on the world stage, more than
40 years after President Richard
Nixons groundbreaking visit
to Communist China in 1972
ended decades of estrangement
between Washington and Bei-
jing.
In talks that may set the
stage for U.S.-Chinese rela-
tions for years to come, Obama
and Xi spent about eight hours
together over two days of talks.
It included a one-on-one session
on June 8 and a stroll outside
in the desert heat, and a Friday
night dinner.
They had much to discuss,
with tensions rising over U.S.
allegations about Chinese hack-
ing of industrial secrets, an issue
that Donilon said Obama raised
directly with his Chinese coun-
terpart.
Obama described to Xi the
exact kinds of problems the
United States was concerned
about regarding cyber thievery
and said that if they were not
addressed, it would become a
very difcult problem in the
economic relationship, said
Donilon.
Yang, brieng Chinese
reporters, said Beijing wanted
cooperation rather than fric-
tion with the United States over
cybersecurity.
Beijing insists it is more
a victim than a perpetrator of
cyber espionage.
Obama and Xi agreed to
cooperate in ghting climate
change by cutting the use of
hydrouorocarbons, the White
House said.
President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jingpin during summit meet in
California.
June 15, 2013 10 10
Pinoy graduates from USMA
at top of class
WASHINGTON D.C. - The
Philippine Armys newest lieu-
tenant Floren Herrera graduated
from the United States Military
Academy at West Point on Satur-
day May 25, 2013.
He is the latest in a long line
of Filipinos who were sent by
the Philippine government to
West Point to receive the nest
military education in the world.
The academic education is not
too bad either. Forbes magazine
three years ago rated West Point
the number one University in
America, ahead of Harvard and
all the others. This year it was
rated the top engineering school
by US News and World Report.
In such a demanding aca-
demic and physical environment
Herrera excelled. He graduated
in the top ve percent academi-
cally of his class of over 1200
members. This entitled him to
wear stars on his cadet uniform,
a singular and distinct honor
that only a handful of Filipi-
nos before him attained. The
enormity of this accomplish-
ment cannot be overstated. He
was the smartest of some of the
smartest and strongest young
men in the country. In recogni-
tion of his high standing he was
promoted to the rank of cadet
captain and put in charge of a
regimental honor committee. He
was responsible for insuring that
the exceedingly high moral and
honor standards were followed.
The West Point honor system is
strict and unwavering. To be put
in charge of it signies a special
trust and condence. To be a
foreign cadet with this position
is unheard of.
Floren Herrera came from a
humble background in Cagayan.
His father passed away when he
was two years old, thus leaving
his mother to raise a four chil-
dren with only limited means.
Floren is now the primary bread-
winner of the family and will
work to send his siblings to col-
lege.
He will spend the rst
months on duty at the Philippine
Military Academy in Baguio,
where he was for a year before
entering West Point. He will
tutor the cadets there before
entering training for eventual
deployment as a Philippine
Army leader in the eld, most
probably in Mindanao.
When he returns to the Phil-
ippines he will be feted along
with this years graduated of the
United States Military Academy
at Annapolis and the Air Force
Academy in Colorado Springs.
To greet them will be former
Philippine President Ramos, a
graduate of West Point Class of
1951. Many of the Filipinos who
attended the academies in the
United States have gone on to
serve illustrious careers in either
the military, government or pri-
vate sector. How could they not?
They were considered the best of
the best of the Philippines.
Filam captain promoted to
US Army commander
HONOLULUFi l i pi no-
American Captain Susan Bar-
roga Lindsey has been promoted
to company commander of Intel-
ligence & Sustainment for the
US Army 25th Infantry Division
based in Hawaii.
Capt. Lindsey will take
on the position in a change of
command Ceremony on June
6 at Generals Field, Honolulu,
Hawaii.
As company commander,
she will perform administrative,
accountability and personnel
support to division staff respon-
sible for equipment account-
ability, unit discipline, positive
command climate, and training
soldiers to meet the needs of any
mission.
I joined the U.S. Army
because I wanted to do some-
thing more with my life, I
wanted to be someone more, the
30-year-old Lindsey states. It
was no overnight success. I sac-
riced my time with my family
and friends. Worked late nights
and early mornings and studied
hard. i committed to a greater
purposeserving my country
and my fellow Americans.
Her mother, Connie, came
to the U.S. almost 30 years ago.
Growing up, I watched her
struggle and work hard as a
single mother to give my brother
and me a better life, Lindsey
recalls. By her example, she
taught me never to give up, to
strive to be the best I could be.
Because of her, I am proud of
my heritage, and I am proud to
serve the country that made my
mother a citizen.
Lindsey graduated from
San Diego State University at 22,
with a bachelors degree in com-
munication and a minor in psy-
chology. Lindsey enrolled in the
Reserve Ofcer Training Corps in
2006 and served with the 4-16th
Civil Affairs (USACAPOC)(A)
Army Reserve while continuing
her education. She was commis-
sioned as an Army Ofcer in
2008 while obtaining a masters
in interdisciplinary studies.
Lindsey was born in Octo-
ber 1983 in Mountain View,
Calif., and raised in San Jose. She
is the daughter of Floyd Dean
Lindsey of Buckeye, Ariz. and
Concepcion Barroga Lindsey of
Laoag, Ilocos Norte, Philippines.
She attended Columbia School in
Sunnyvale and Lynbrook High
School in Cupertino, Calif.
After completing the Mili-
tary Intelligence Ofcer Basic
Course at Fort Huachuca, Ari-
zona, in 2009, Lindsey was
assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas as
the Signal Intelligence Platoon
Leader for the Military Intelli-
gence Company of First Brigade,
First Armored Division.
She was deployed in sup-
port of Operation Iraqi Free-
dom (2009-2010), stationed at
FOB Warrior, Kirkuk Province,
Iraq. Upon her return, she was
assigned as the Assistant Bat-
talion S2 for the 4-17th Stryker
Infantry Battalion. Lindsey
attended the Military Intelli-
gence Captains Career Course in
2012 at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.
She was assigned as the
Intelligence Operations Ofcer
to the Fifth Battleeld Coordina-
tion Detachment, (94th Army Air
Missile Defense Command), at
Joint Pearl Harbor-Hickam Air
Force Base.
Lindsey comes from a long
line of military service members.
Her familys military history
dates back to the American Rev-
olutionary War. She is the only
female in her familys history to
serve in the U.S. military.
To command is an honor
and a privilege, she says. I once
thought my greatest victory was
becoming an ofcer, but I was
wrong. My greatest victory is
seeing my soldiers inspired and
empowered to succeed. The sons
and daughters of America are
the nations greatest asset. It is
my duty to protect them. They
are the future of this country.
And they deserve the best lead-
ers to excel in their life. Watching
my soldiers inspires me to lead.
2 Filipinas graduate from
US Naval Academy
WSHINGTON D.C. - Two
Filipinos, one born in the Phil-
ippines and the other in Oak-
land, California were among this
years graduates of the US Naval
Academy in Annapolis, Mary-
land.
Both had the rare honor of
getting their diplomats from
President Barack Obama himself.
They are Christine Joy Jiao
Layug of Oakland and Chinna
Louise Eulogio Salio who was
born in the Mountain Province,
Philippines. Joining the Navy has
become a generational rite for
many Filipinos. Joy, for instance,
has 10 uncles either actively serv-
ing or retired from the US Navy,
not counting her father Roy and
maternal grandfather (now both
retired).
Her family was present
during her graduation.
Dslio, the only Filipino to
graduate this year, was studying
to be a nurse in Baguio city at the
Benguet state university before
she joined the Philippine Mili-
tary Academy. On her second
year, she took the competetive
test for the US military service
academies and was one of the
three who passed. The others
grduated recently from West
Point and the US Airforce Acad-
emy in Colorado.
She proudly reveals that
her younger brother Kendrick,
whose passion includes sailing,
is now a sophomore in Annap-
olis and his twin Kenneth is
studying aircraft engineering in
Canada.
Salio was commissioned as
an Ensign in the Philippine Navy
by Capt. Elson Aguilar, the con-
current Defense and Naval atta-
che in Washington DC.
Salio has since returned
to Manila where she received
a warm welcome from Navy
headquarters and her family in
Baguio city.
(R. Jaleco)
Floren Herrera, a Filipino who recently graduated from the US Military
Academy at West Point, poses with, from left, Senior Supt. Jojo Gentiles,
Police Attache, Consul Emil Fernandez, Thryza Navarrete, Sonny Busa,
Herrera, and Mrs. Ceres Busa, at the lobby of the Philippine Embassy last
May 29. (MC Cardenas)
FilAm Christine Layug receives diploma from President Obama during
graduation rites in Annapolis, Maryland.
Capt. Susan Barroga Lindsey
June 15, 2013 11
HK Sinos boo, hurl bottles at Azkal players
MANILA - Philippine of-
cials last week called as unfor-
tunate the anti-Filipino out-
bursts from the Hong Kong
crowd during a friendly match
involving the Azkals and said
the crowds unruly behavior
did not reect the feelings of the
people in Hong Kong.
The Azkals beat Hong Kong,
1-0, on a rst-half goal by James
Younghusband in the match on
June 4 at Hong Kongs Mong-
kok Stadium, where the Philip-
pine team was the object of racial
abuse.
Assistant Secretary Raul
Hernandez, spokesman of the
Department of Foreign Affairs,
said We are concerned about
some unfortunate events that
happened during the friendly
football match between the Phil-
ippine Azkals and the Hong
Kong team, Hernandez said in
a press brieng.
Hong Kong fans threw
water bottles and other debris at
the Azkal players and their sup-
porters, including women and
children, after the match.
Some of the Hong Kong fans
also called the Filipinos a slave
nation and booed when the
Philippine national anthem was
played.
The Hong Kong Football
Association has vowed to ban
supporters of its team found
guilty of racially abusing the Fili-
pinos.
Relations between Manila
and Hong Kong soured in 2010
after eight Hong Kong tourists
were killed in a bus hostage-
taking drama at Quirino Grand-
stand in Manila. The deaths were
blamed on bungled police rescue
operations.
Since then, the Philippines
has been on Hong Kongs travel
blacklist.
A recent survey by a Hong
Kong university has found the
Philippines to be the most dis-
liked country by residents in the
former British colony.
According to the survey,
86 percent of 1,000 respon-
dents reported negative feelings
toward the Philippine govern-
ment and 30 percent negative
feelings toward Filipinos. The
study did not explain the reasons
for such sentiment.
The Japanese government
rated 48 percent on the dislike
index while 28 percent of those
surveyed felt positive toward the
Japanese people.
In contrast, Singapore,
Canada and Australia were the
most liked.
There are more than 170,000
Filipinos based in Hong Kong,
according to 2011 gures of the
Commission on Filipinos Over-
seas.
Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. poses with Maj. Gen. Cesar B.
Yano, the Philippine defense attach in the Philippine embassy
since 2011. He ofcially ended that stint and retired from mili-
tary service after 34 years, 4 months and 9 days on his birth-
day last May 10. The citation for the Philippine Legion of Honor
Award extolled his eminently meritorious and valuable services
enhancing diplomatic and security relations with the United States
as well as Canada.
Photo shows Manila Mail columnist Jocelyn Porteria who ew to Hong
Kong to watch the game. Here, she poses with her son (to her left) who plays
with Azkal. (See her account of the incident on page 25)
June 15, 2013 12 12
Enrile quits, Drilon will be new Senate president
MANILA - Embattled Senate
President Juan Ponce Enrile has
nally decided to hand it to his
critics by irrevocably resigning
from his position at the last day
of the Senate session early this
month, ahead of the start of the
16th Congress.
Speculations are rife that
Sen. Franklin Drilon, an admin-
istration ally, would be elected
the next Senate President in the
next 16th Congress following
the 9-3 victory of the Team PNoy
administration senatorial slate in
the May 2013 mid-term elections
over the opposition coalition or
the United Nationalist Alliance
(UNA).
In an emotional privilege
speech, Enrile made it clear that
his resignation is a matter of
personal honor and dignity.
As a matter of personal
honor and dignity, I hereby irre-
vocably resign as Senate Presi-
dent, Enrile said.
With the constantly shift-
ing political tides, to muster the
support of the majority of your
colleagues, and to maintain that
support long enough to achie e
something for the people who
elected us into ofce, is quite a
feat in itself, he stressed.
Thus, I owe a deep debt of
gratitude to my colleagues who,
at the most crucial hour, man-
aged to rise above selsh interest
and ambition to help me steer
the Senate through rough waters
in the last four and a half years
that I served as Senate Presi-
dent, Enrile said.
Enrile blasted some col-
leagues allegedly behind a hate
campaign against him that
eroded public trust in the cham-
ber and doomed his son Jacks
senatorial bid.
He singled out Senate
minority leader Alan Peter Cay-
etano and Sen. Miriam Defensor-
Santiago whom he did not name
in his speech as the detractors
who succeeded in eroding the
image of the Senate in their
struggle to malign him.
Old age may have physi-
cally impaired my vision. But let
me assure all of you: I can still see
and read clearly the handwriting
on the wall. I need not be told by
anyone when it is time for me to
go, Enrile stressed.
Drilon has also hinted cer-
tainty of this change in the
Senate leadership, as he con-
rmed talks between the Nacio-
nalista Party and the Liberal
Party agreeing to eld a single
candidate for the senate presi-
dency in the next Congress.
Drilon also recently dis-
closed Enrile has made the
assurance that the UNA coali-
tion in the Senate will become a
constructive opposition in the
upcoming Congress.
OAVs need not swear
to return home to PH
MANILA - Overseas Absen-
tee Voters (OAVs) are no longer
required to swear under oath
that they would return to the
country within three years before
they could be allowed to cast bal-
lots in Philippine elections, the
Commission on Elections has
announced.
In a statement, the Come-
lec said the legal requirement
that overseas Filipinos execute
an affidavit of intent to return
before they are allowed to cast
their votes for candidates in the
Philippines has been dropped
from the overseas absentee
voting law.
The requirement was
regarded by Filipino migrant
groups as the biggest stumbling
block to registering the broad-
est number of qualified Filipino
overseas voters, the Comelec
said.
The election body said the
requirement was dropped after
President Benigno Aquino on
May 27 signed Republic Act
No. 10590, which amended the
absentee voting law.
Data from the Philippine
Overseas Employment Adminis-
tration showed that the number
of Filipino permanent residents
abroad had reached 4,056,940 as
of 2009.
RA 10590 would utilize the
pre-departure orientation semi-
nars to support the overseas
voter registration and voting
processes.
Under the amended law,
overseas voters would be able
to cast their votes for all national
referendums and plebiscites
aside
from the presidential, vice
presidential, senatorial and
party-list elections.
The law also calls for the
creation of an Office for Over-
seas Voting under the Comelec
whose job it would be specifi-
cally to oversee and supervise
the effective implementation of
the Overseas Voting Act.
Aquino inks tough gun law
MANILA - President
Benigno Aquino III signed late
last month the comprehensive
law regulating the ownership of
firearms and ammunition.
Republic Act 10591 lists
down the standards and prereq-
uisites for a license to own and
possess a firearm, deputy presi-
dential spokesperson Abigail
Valte said.
The new law also requires
gun owners to renew their
licenses every two years on or
before the date of expiration. If
they fail to renew their licenses,
the PNP will revoke them and
this also entails confiscation of
the firearm, a Presidential Com-
munications and Operations
Office (PCOO) article quoted
Valte as saying.
Under the law, one must be
a Filipino citizen at least 21 years
old to apply for a gun license.
An applicant must also have
full work occupation or business
or has filed an income tax return
for the preceding year as proof of
income, profession, business or
occupation.
The applicant has not been
convicted of any crime involv-
ing moral turpitude, has passed
the psychiatric test administered
by a Philippine National Police-
accredited psychologist or psy-
chiatrist, it said.
An applicant must also pass
a drug test by an accredited and
authorized drug testing labora-
tory or clinic.
Other requirements include:
- passing the gun safety
seminar administered by the
PNP or a registered or autho-
rized gun club;
- filing in writing the appli-
cation to possess a registered
firearm, indicating the personal
circumstances why he or she
needs to own a firearm;
- a police clearance to prove
the applicant was not convicted
or accused in a pending criminal
case punishable with a penalty of
more than two years; and
- reasonable gun licensing
fees.
Those who want to carry a
firearm outside their residence
or place of business may apply
for a Permit To Carry (PTC) if he
or she is under actual threat or
is in imminent danger due to the
nature of his or her profession,
occupation or business.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile delivers privilege speech to announce
his irrevocable resignation.
Plane overshoots runway,
passengers sue airline
DAVAO CITY - Civil Avia-
tion investigators are looking
into why Cebu Pacific flight 971
skidded off the runway upon
landing at Banggoy Intl Airport
on a rainy evening June 2.
No passengers were hurt in
the accident by they are accus-
ing the flight crew of not letting
them out of the plane through
emergency chutes.
Aside from an investigation
from the Civil Aviation Author-
ity of the Philippines following
the erratic landing and ground-
ing of its plane, Cebu Pacific may
face a new problem: a class suit.
Passengers decided to take
legal action against the airline
despite the apology of the airline
for the mishap.
Passengers met June 4 and
decided to go ahead with legal
action against the airline.
The class suit comes after
Ateneo de Davao University
called for a boycott of the airline
due to its crews failure to take
care of the passengers after the
emergency landing.
But in an interview on Tues-
day, Cebu Pacific spokesperson
Candice Iyog said The pilot and
our crew followed procedure
and they assessed the situation
outside. Nakita naman nila na
wala namang imminent danger.
Hindi naman nasusunog yung
engine natin. Hindi isinagawa
yung emergency evacuation
dahil hindi naman siya kailan-
gan.
Meanwhile, CAAP is inves-
tigating the incident, even as
director general William Hotch-
kiss III said the planes pilot and
first officer, along with the cabin
crew, will undergo physical
checkups.
Hotckiss also said the
grounded plane, including the
flight data and cockpit voice
recorders, will be inspected.
Cebu Pacic plane accident caused closure of Davao city International Air-
port for two days.
June 15, 2013 13
June 15, 2013 14 14
First Five 2013-2014 Highbridge Scholars named
Five outstanding students,
selected on the basis of their
academic achievement, commu-
nity service, leadership poten-
tial, and demonstrated hardship
which included nancial need
and adverse personal or family
circumstances, will receive the
rst High Bridge Foundation,
Inc. scholarships at an awards
brunch on Saturday, June 15 at
10:00 in the morning at the Pei-
koff Alumni House (Ole Jim)
at the Gallaudet University
Campus in Washington, D.C.
The awards provide $1,000
in scholarship funds for each
recipient to help pay for college
tuition and expenses. Accord-
ing to President Mayumi
Escalante, the Foundation
received more than 130 applica-
tions for these ve scholarship
awards. The volunteers on the
Scholarship Selection Commit-
tee have been impressed and
overwhelmed by the caliber and
volume of applications received
during the Foundations rst
year.
Erica Fuentes graduated
from Albert Einstein High
School in Kensington, MD with
a weighted GPA of 4.50, placing
her in the top 5 percent of her
class. She was named an AP
Scholar with Distinction by the
College Board. All these, while
immersing herself in commu-
nity service that included tutor-
ing and mentoring immigrant
students and advocating for the
Maryland Dream Act. Ericas
parents did not attend college,
so she deeply appreciates what
a college education would mean
to her and her family. She will
attend the University of Mary-
land at College Park, where she
will study international affairs
and history.
Arnasha Jones graduated
from McKinley Technical High
School in Washington, DC,
where she was ranked number
one among her peers, while tack-
ling advanced placement courses
in Language Arts, Literature,
Calculus, and Engineering. She
volunteers for the DC Food Bank
and tutors students at McKin-
ley High School. Throughout
high school, Arnasha worked
part-time to help with family
expenses. Arnasha will be the
rst in her family to attend col-
lege. She will attend North Car-
olina State University and will
major in Economics.
Earica Parrish is a graduate
from Thurgood Marshall Acad-
emy Public Charter High School
in Washington, DC, where she
earned a 4.25 GPA and the
number one rank in her senior
class. She managed two sports
teams for her school and was
active in the drama club. Earica
is part of The Washington Posts
Press Pass Mentors Program,
which pairs professional journal-
ists with inner-city high school
students to kindle a passion for
writing and help them succeed
in college. While her mother
was unable to help take care
of their family, and after her
fathers death due to congestive
heart failure, Earica kept her
family together and made sure
that her younger siblings were
well cared for. She will attend
Syracuse Universitys S.I. New-
house School of Public Commu-
nications to pursue her dream
of becoming a newspaper and
online journalist.
Mercedes Young is a gradu-
ate of McKinley Technology
High School in Washington,
D.C., where she was a consistent
member of the schools honor
roll and National Honor Soci-
ety. Her hard work and dedica-
tion earned her the coveted posi-
tion of captain and lead dancer
of the Lady Gems Dance Team,
the dance ensemble for the
Eastern High School Marching
Band. She served as a mentor
for the DC Campaign Teenage
Pregnancy and Prevention Pro-
gram and as a youth leader for
the Mayors Leadership Insti-
tute. Mercedes used her lifes
adversities as a jumping board
for her success. She will attend
North Carolina Agricultural
and Technical State University,
where she plans to major in engi-
neering.
Vong Truong graduated
from Northwest High School in
Germantown, MD with a cumu-
lative weighted GPA of 4.17 and
earned distinctions in Physics
and Mathematics. He led the
schools team to a rst place
nish during the 20
th
Annual
Central Maryland Physics Olym-
pics. Vong has logged more
than 200 community service
hours volunteering as a tutor at
the George B. Thomas Learn-
ing Academy and as a teacher
at the Hoai Huong Vietnamese
School. Vong was raised by a
single mother in Vietnam and
was sent to live with relatives
in the U.S. in 2010. In that short
time, he has successfully and
independently navigated his
way through American culture
and maintained an unshakeable
positive outlook in life. Vong
will attend The University of
Texas at Austin, where he will
major in Accounting.
The scholarship program is
a project of High Bridge Founda-
tion, Inc., a non-prot organiza-
tion established by Ernest and
Mencie Hairston last year. Dr.
and Mrs. Hairston are life-long
supporters of programs that ben-
et underserved populations of
young people especially those
with disabilities and life chal-
lenges, and who are in need of
nancial help to pursue higher
education.
As recipients of scholar-
ships during their student days,
Dr. and Mrs. Hairston believe
that scholarships are a donors
nancial investment in a stu-
dents potential to succeed, to
give back to the community,
and to embody the donors core
values. It is also an investment
in the students family and in his
or her community. More impor-
tantly, scholarships come with a
moral mandate, as they impact
not only the recipients educa-
tion, but also the way they con-
duct their lives after graduation,
and the way they practice their
professions.
Centina is 1st Fil-Afro-American Ms Teen PH
By Grace Valera
After 28 years, a Filipino-
African-American won for the
rst time the title of Miss Teen
Philippines America. She is
Chastity Centina, 18, a 56 multi-
talented tri-lingual young lady
who speaks Tagalog, Visayan
and English. She impressed the
Judges with her witty answers
during the Interview segment
held the day before, captivated
everyone with her well poised
and graceful cobra-walk at the
evening gown portion and made
everybody glued to their seats as
she did Beyonces Crazy in love
dance number as her talent.
The 2012 Miss Teen Phil-
ippines-America Iana Kozeslky
turned over her crown to Chas-
tity Centina.
Except for the question and
answer portion, Chastity consis-
tently topped the Judges scores
making her win the title.
It was also a great emotional
moment for Chastity because
that night for the rst time she
met her Dad, Chris Barnes, who
resides in North Carolina.
Having been borne to teen-
age parents, her Dad only saw
and held her briey when she
was born. At the age of 3, she was
brought home to the Philippines
and was taken care of by her
Grandfather Aurelio Popoy
Centina, who brought her back
to the U.S. only last year prior to
his demise.
It was such a touching ,
tearful reunion for Chastity and
her Dad, who found her only
through facebook! And for
Chastity, her every dream was
happening right before her eyes
that night.
Other candidates were
First Runner-up and Miss Teen
Philippines-Washington D.C.
Hannah Cristine Delgado, 15.
Her fellow candidates voted her
as Miss Teen Congeniality spe-
cial award. Hannah is of Peru-
vian-American and Filipino par-
entage but she lost her father to
lung cancer when she was only
Christian Noel Asinero graduated Summa Cum Laude from George Mason
University last May 18. Christian earned a degree in Physical Therapy and
is planning for a PhD in the same eld. He is the son of Noel and Kaye
Asinero of Manassas, Virginia.
Ms Teen Philippines-America Chas-
tity Centina poses with her grandma
Nancy Dizon Korionoff (right) and
aunt Melanie Centina at the Fair-
view Marriott on May 26, 2013.
Miss Teen Philippines-America Chastity Centina (center) poses with run-
ner-ups.
10 yrs old. Shyanne Carr, also of
mixed Filipino African-Ameri-
can parents, was given the title
Miss Teen Philippines Maharlika
for her sweet yet exotic royalty
princess like beauty. The tallest
of them all, Velarie Velasquez
captured the Judges attention
through her photos and was
awarded Miss Teen Philippines
Photogenic and the title of Miss
Teen Philippines-Visayas. Miss
Teen Philippines-Luzon title
went to Miss Nina Bonita Lapa.
Katherine Barnachea got the title
Miss Teen Philippines-Mindanao
and garnered two other special
awards of Miss Teen Popularity
and Miss Teen Charity.
Erika Capinguian is a graduat-
ing senior from Albert Einstein
High School and the valedic-
torian of her class. She lives
in Silver Spring, MD. with her
parents, Rey and Estrella Cap-
inguian.
June 15, 2013 15
If you would like to include
your organizations forthcoming
event, please send the information to
mpapoose@aol.com
June 15 (Saturday) 6:00pm-
12:00pm. Philippine Indepen-
dence Gala Ball. JW Marriott
Washington, DC. Continues the
tradition of celebrating Inde-
pendence Day with Philippine
Embassy dignitaries, the FilAm
community, special guests. $85;
premier seats $110. Contact:
Nanette Carreon at NSuyat1681@
aol.com.
June 15 (Saturday) 10:00
am-11:00am PNA of Metro DC
Memorial Mass. Embassy of the
Philippines, Romulo Hall, 1600
Massachusetts Avenue N.W.,
Washington, D.C. for the victims
who died in the San Mateo-Hay-
ward Bridge Limousine fire in
Foster City, California on May 4,
2013. Contact: Leonora Mendoza
at 571-723-8273.
June 15 (Saturday) 7:30pm
Filipino Mass at St. Bernadette
Catholic Church, 7600 Old
Keene Mill Road, Springfield,
VA 22152. Sponsored by Filipino
Ministry of St. Bernadette. Con-
tact 703-569-1054.
June 15 (Saturday) 7:00am
PAMWE-FtH Joint Benefit Golf
Tournament.
Algonkian Regional Park
Golf Course, 47001 Fairway
Drive, Sterling, VA 20165.
7:00am Registration & Continen-
tal Breakfast; 8:30am Tee Time
or Shotgun. Contact: Pepito Solis
703)979-0838 or.p2solis@gmail.
com
June 22 (Saturday) 10:00
am - 2:00 pm FAIA Seminar: IRS
Audits of Social Media, Health
Care for Small Business, Non-
Profit Compliance and Common
Tax Topics, Acacia Federal
Savings Bank, 7600 Leesburg
Pike, East Bldg. Suite 200, Falls
Church, VA 22043. Seminar Fee
with lunch: $12. Contact: Edgar
Aznar 703-837-3587
June 30 (Sunday) PAFC
Philippine Festivals Commu-
nity Picnic and Sports Fest. Fun
and food, games for children
and sports for grown-ups plus
a cultural show and a band
marathon pull the community
together. Special Feature: Parada
ng Lechon, Tucker Road Recre-
ational Park, Fort Washington,
MD Contact: Mya Talavera at
myatalavera@aol.com.
July 20 (Saturday) 7:30pm
Filipino Mass at St. Bernadette
Catholic Church, 7600 Old
Keene Mill Road, Springfield,
VA 22152. Sponsored by Filipino
Ministry of St. Bernadette. Con-
tact 703-569-1054..
August 3, 2013 (Saturday)
9:00am to 8:00pm ... Marin-
duquenos of the Capital Area,
Inc. MCA, Inc. Annual Family
Picnic at Black Hill Regional
Park - Shelter C, 20926 Lake
Ridge Drive, Boyds, MD 20841.
POT LUCK, come one - come
all - bring your favorite food
to share. Contact: Xavier Cugie
Dela Santa 301-728-1684.
August 3 & 24 (Saturday)
8:00am ANCOP Walk to raise
funds and awareness for the
poorest of the poor in the Phil-
ippines. Online registration via
www.ancopwalk.us; walker can
pick the walk location to register
for $15 which includes a t-shirt to
be given at the walk site
Aug 3 Henson Valley Creek
Park, Tucker Road,Fort Wash-
ington, MD Contact: Cres Reyes
cresreyes.ancop@gmail.com
Aug 24 Occoquan Regional
Park, Lorton, VA. Contact: Nelle
Gavino nellegavino@gmail.com
August 17 (Saturday)
7:30pm Filipino Mass at St. Ber-
nadette Catholic Church, 7600
Old Keene Mill Road, Spring-
field, VA 22152. Sponsored by
Filipino Ministry of St. Berna-
dette. Contact 703-569-1054.
October 5 (Saturday) 8
pm-2 am. Ateneo Alumni Asso-
ciation of Metro Washington DC
Charity Gala Dinner-Dance and
Auction. Crystal Gateway Mar-
riott Grand Ballroom, 1700 Jef-
ferson Davis HighwayArlington,
VA 22202. Contact: Aimee San
Ramon at aimeesr@yahoo.com
October 19 (Saturday) 6pm-
12mn Bicol Association of Met-
ropolitan Washington DC30th
Sarung Banggi Gala Fundrais-
ing. Bethesda Ballroom, 5521
Landy Lane, Bethesda, Mary-
land 20816. Attire Formal. For all
the charitable causes including
scholarships and the Surgical
Mission.$65 pre-paid; $70 at the
door.
Nov 9 (Saturday) 6:00-
12:00pm Feed the Hungry, Inc.
Handog 2013 at Hilton Markham
Center, Alexandria, VA. Contact
Person: Solita Wakefield (703)
992-4610 or swakefield09@gmail.
com
Nov 16 (Saturday) 2pm
5pm PAFC Dr. Jose Rizal Youth
Awards Romulo Hall, Philip-
pine Embassy, Washington, DC.
Contact: Aylene Mafnas 703 868
5660.
Dec 1 (Sunday) PAFC, Phil-
ippine Embassy and FOCUS,
Paskong Pinoy. Pryzbyla Hall,
Catholic University of America.
FilAm judge gets award
HARTFORD, Connecticut -
A Filipino American judge here
recently received the prestigious
Edwin Archer Randolph Diver-
sity Award, named after a Yale
Law School graduate who in
1880 became Connecticuts rst
lawyer of color, by the Law-
yers Collaborative for Diversity
(LCD).
Judge Nina F. Elgo, a rst
generation Filipino-American
raised in Norwich, Connecticutt,
was chosen as the 2013 recipient
for her accomplishments and
contributions dedicated to the
inclusion and advancement of
lawyers of colors and/or women
lawyers within Connecticut and
surrounding legal communities.
Elgo became Connecticuts
rst Asian Pacic American
judge in 2004.
She initially handled crimi-
nal cases, though shes currently
assigned to the civil docket in
New Haven Superior Court.
She received the award on
May 9 at a ceremony held at the
Wadsworth Atheneum here.
She joins a very distin-
guished list of past recipients
such as U.S. District Judge Alvin
W. Thompson, former State
Supreme Court Justice Lubbie
Harper Jr., Xerox Corp. general
counsel Don Liu, and Senior
Assistant States Attorney Toni
Smith-Rosario.
A graduate of Connecticut
College in New London and
Georgetown University of Law,
Elgo served 14 years working in
as an assistant attorney general
representing the state in child
abuse and neglect cases, and
other cases involving children.
Judge Nina F. Elgo
June 15, 2013 16 16 Around DC
Winners in FABA golf
tournament
The Filipino American Basketball Association (FABA), held their
annual Golf Tournamet at the Virginia Oaks club last June 1. Team
Pinoy Hackers won the Team Championship.
Members are Guy Suarez, Jun Suarez and Domeng Alvarado.
Photo shows, from left, Merwynn Pagdanganan, Guy Suarez, Jun
Suarez, Ken Mendoza, Domeng Alvarado, Bo Asinero, Allan Sunga
and Dennis Tabligan.
Among the distaff side are, from left,; Beth Mendoza, Maddie
Pagdanganan, Michelle Sunga and Kaye Asinero.
Team Runner up is Team Reyes (QinetiQ) with Roger Reyes,
Brett Pfrommer, Brandon S., and Mark Ropper.
Individual Awards: Putting Challenge Winner: Jun Arzadon;
Chipping Challenge Winner: Phil Nguyen; Closest to the Pin: Nel
Espos and Longest Drive: Jun Suarez
Friends and members of the University of Santo Tomas Alumni Association in America (USTAAA) gather May 19,
2013 at the picturesque Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg, Maryland for USTAAAs annual picnic. All who graduated
or studied at the more than 400-year-old University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines are encouraged to join
USTAAA. Please email ustalumniamerica@gmail.com for more information. ( Angelyn Tugado-Marzan)
L to R: Amy Hever, Smithsonian Asian Pacic American Center, Bobby Federigan, Gina Inocencio, Smithsonian
Asian Pacic American Center, and Gloria Federigan, at the VIP reception for Fighting For Democracy, Who Is The
We in We the People? Performances was held last June 6, at the National Museum of American History. Photo:
Bing Cardenas Branigin
The Mother Butler Guild hosted a luncheon reception at St. Annes Church community hall for newly-ordained priest
Fr. Dennis Gonzales (center, left), shown with St. Anne pastor Monsignor Godfrey Mosley. Now based in Florida,
Fr. Dennis recently celebrated mass at the church in D.C. Some 150 Filipino Americans from D.C., Maryland and
Virginia and St. Anne parishioners attended the mass, as well as the reception.
Reading of The Mango Bride
The reading and reception
of The Mango Drive with
author Marivi Soliven, grand
prize winner of the 2011 Carlos
Palanca Memorial Awards for
Literature will be held at 6:30
p.m. at the Romulo Hall of the
Philippine Embassy on June 27,
2013. The event is free and open
to the public, but please RSVP
to marivi_blanco@yahoo.com.
Marivi Soliven has taught writ-
ing workshops at UC San Diego
and at the University of the Phil-
ippines.
The Migrant Heritage Commis-
sion (MHC) actively participated
in the 8th Fiesta Asia in Washington
D.C. on May 18. Photo shows par-
ticipants carrying the MHC banner
while marching along a street in
Washington DC. Other MHC mem-
bers at the parade include Little Mr.
and Miss Migrant Heritage prince
and princesses, teenage brain-
and-beauty queens, the interactive
Tinikling dance, delectable food,
cooking demonstrations by Mama
Sita, an array of Filipino tradi-
tional fashion, as well as Atiatihan
and Igorot tribal dances. The event
was sponsored by the Asia Heritage
Foundation.
Franklin Odo, former director of the
Smithsonian Asian Center, and Bing
Branigin, member Board of Gov-
ernor of NaFFAA, at the presenta-
tion and reception for the Fighting
for Democracy, Who is the We In
the We the People ?, held at the
national Museum of American His-
tory on June 6.
Marivi Soliven
June 15, 2013 17
Katipunans 31st Philippine Festival celebrates the
integration of Filipino heritage into the American life.
All text/photos by Angelyn Tugado-Marzan
Filipino American Ken Mamaril (2nd from left holding the May 31st issue of the Manila
Mail) tour his Howard County Martial Arts Club colleagues (l-r) James Jimmy, Shameel
Siddiqui, and Jessie Wexler at the Maryland State Fairgrounds located at 2200 York Road,
Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland, site of the 31st Philippine Festival of Katipunan (the
Filipino-American Association of Maryland, Inc.) where they relished pancit, puto, kal-
dereta & barbecue!
Young Fil-Am ladies and their
non-Filipino friends grace-
fully perform their stylized
modern version of Subli, a
ritual dance popular in Bauan,
Batangas.
The NEROJOC Band, composed
of the Cornejo cousins ((l-r) Henry,
Jonathan, Gerard, Patrick Cornejo-
Reinheimer, Michael and Justin) from
Gaithersburg and Germantown in
Maryland enliven the outdoor crowd
with their progressive, nu-metal
rock music.
Current Katipunan President
Luis Florendo (foreground)
poses with students belonging
to the Filipino Cultural As-
sociation at Towson after they
wowed the audience with their
creative rendition (using con-
temporary music) of Philippine
folk dances, including Sakut-
ing, Subli, Maglalatik, Singkil,
La Jota, Pandanggo sa Ilaw,
and Bangko. Dancers include
(l-r) Lucy Lu, Ellen Mcintire-
Severson, Tami Yato, Diana Ly,
Vy Vy Vu, Jackie Piarsay, Anica
Avancero, Czerina Andaya,
Mike Keenan, Dion Tilotta;
(back row) Tamar Smith, Kris
Jones.
In barong attire, former Katipunan
presidents Gerry Florendo and his
wife Sony Robles Florendo, author
of best-selling cookbook Signature
Dishes of the Philippines, join
Katipunan Vice-President Dr. Bing
Slodzinski in welcoming guests at the
festival which was held indoors for
the very hrst time.
Past Katipunan president
Helen Sadorra (right) welcomes
(front, l-r) Mila Inserto, Elvie
Milan, Daisy Tucay, RN and
(back) Eric Lachica, earnest
supporters of the campaign to
convince the U.S. president and
Congress to allow Medicare
to pay top Philippine hospitals
for our seniors health care
when they visit or reside in the
Philippines. Those wishing
to support the said campaign
need to go to www.US Medicare
PH.org.
Reective of festivals in Philippine
provinces that express religious fer-
vor, a statue St. Jude (the patron saint
of lost causes) is on display at the
Katipunan festival, much to the joyful
delight of Filipinos & Fil-Ams (l-r)
Sonny Domingo, Rey Southernland,
Nita Villanueva, Ermi Lacanienta,
Polly Puno, Leony Dunne, Cellie
Southernland, and Grace Valera.
Amidst resplendent barong
blouses for sale at the Migrant
Heritage Commission (MHC)
booth are Jesse Gatchalian
(left) and Carl Abella (right)
with smiling ladies in gorgeous
hats (l-r) Ednora, Cynthia Fer-
rel, Carrie Macanas, Annie Di-
maano, Marissa Hoes, Marietta
Worm, Jeanette Abella.
Much too popular at the festival
was the sumptuous Philippine
barbecue sold by John and
Merly Eda (front, right), owners
of North Star Cafe & Grill at
9201 Livingston Road in Fort
Washington, Maryland.
Katipunan President Luis Flo-
rendo (standing, 3rd from right,
in crisp barong) poses at the
Knights of Columbus Sto. Nino
Council 9462 booth with volun-
teers from 23 organizations who
helped put up the said festival.
Former Katipunan president Gerry Florendo, with a glass of refreshing halo-halo toasts
to the success of the Philippine Festival of the 44-year-old Katipunan Filipino-American
Association of Maryland, one of the oldest Filipino American organizations in the metro
Washington, DC area. Florendo believes Katipunan is now infused with the able leadership
of 'young blooa,` incluaing those of Joe Aaia, Katipunans PRO (ankea by Mark Aaia
(left) and Florendo) and well, his son, Luis, who told the Manila Mail that young Filipino
Americans who search for their roots are capable of integrating their Filipino heritage in
their present American life.
June 15, 2013 18 18
June 15, 2013 19
June 15, 2013 20 20
Pinoys around world mark 115th Independence anniversary
Filipinos around the world
marked the 115th anniversary
of Philippine Independence as
proclaimed by Gen. Emilio Agu-
inaldo in Kawit, Cavite on June
12, 1898 with parades, cultural
shows, ag displays, gala balls
and other forms of celebration..
In the Philippines, Presi-
dent Benigno S. Aquino III led
the nation with a ag -raising
ceremony at Liwasang Bonifacio
in front of the Philippine Ofce
building in Manila.
Not many Filipinos know
that June 12 was the day when
Filipino Revolutionary Gen.
Emilio Aguinaldo and his group
proclaimed the independence of
the Philippines after he defeated,
with the help of the US, the
Spanish forces that occupied the
country for almost 400 years.
That independence, how-
ever, was short-lived because the
United States took over control
of the Philippines after the Span-
iards ceded the country to the US
under the Treaty of Paris for $20
million.
Since then, the American
occupation made July 4 the date
for the celebration of indepen-
dence. The date was observed
even after the United States for-
mally restored Philippine inde-
pendence in 1946 after its libera-
tion from Japanese occupation.
After the formal turnover,
the Philippines continued to cel-
ebrate July 4th as independence
day. But in 1964, President Dios-
dado Macapagal, the father of
former President Gloria Maca-
pagal Arroyo, changed the date
to June 12 in a moment of pique
with the US. His successor, Pres-
ident Ferdinand Marcos, how-
ever eased the abrupt change
by declaring July 4th Philippine
American Friendship Day.
Aquino called on Filipinos
to display the Philippine ag at
their respective home, ofces,
schools, public buildings and
plazas, as well as embassies
and consulates overseas begin-
ning May 28, in celebration of
National Flag Day, until June 12.
In Washington D.C., Ambas-
sador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. hosted
a reception at the Hay Adams
hotel while the Philippine Amer-
ican Foundation for Charities
(PAFC) and Migrant Heritage
Commission (MHC) staged their
respective balls in local hotels on
June 15 and June 22, respectively.
A large celebration of Fili-
pino independence was held in
New York on June 2. This will
be followed by celebrations at
New Jersey, Union Square in San
Francisco California on June 15,
in Chicago and other cities.
The DC celebration actually
started late in May following the
opening the 12th annual Brown
Strokes on a White Canvas art
exhibition at the Romulo Center
of the Philippine embassy.
The vitality, diversity of Brown Strokes
It was Brown Strokes on a
White Canvas (BSWC) elev-
enth year of exhibition. Began in
2002, the BSWC program of the
Philippine American Foundation
for Charities (PAFC), has seen
emerging artists bloom, estab-
lished artists grow and exceed
their potential.
This years crop of artists
provided their current explo-
rations -- showing the vitality
and diversity of their pieces.
Thirty-four artists easeled their
work at the Philippine Embas-
sys Romulo Hall with close to
100 guests. Of the 8 artists that
exhibited in 2002, 7 artists were
represented this year, lending
some historical perspective to
the show.
Consul General Ariel
Penaranda addressed the audi-
ence on opening day late last
month by telling them to take
note that this exhibit was in cel-
ebration of Asian Pacic Ameri-
can month that ended May 31
as well as a commemoration of
the 115th anniversary of Philip-
pine Independence. He thanked
PAFC for sponsoring the exhibit
in partnership with the Philip-
pine Embassy. David Valder-
rama was special guest and
thanked Julian Oteyza, curator
of the show for bringing the art-
ists together in one exhibit and
having the community enjoy the
works of art.
Participating Artists were:
Pacita Abad, Ken Abrams,
Adam Williams, Cynthia Ange-
les, Avelina Bustamante, Nina
Case, Dulce Dee, Andrea Doug-
las, Gel Jamilang , Cecile Kirk-
patrick , Josie Lim Cruz, Orlando
Lagman, Pacico Lopez, Joey
Manalapaz, Ronna Manansala,
Gloria Federigan,Jon Melegrito,
Christine Oteyza, Julian Oteyza,
Kevin Owens, Michelle Martin,
Linda Pirrone, Amy Quinto, the
late Frank Redondo, Miriam
Riedmiller, Grabriel Riego de
Dios, Virgilio Rollamas, Nilo
Santiago, Alice Santos, Marvin
Santos, Gabriel Stopak, Mya
Talavera ,Toni Tiu,and Michael
Young. (M. Owens)
Judge David Valderrama and Gaby Riego de Dios stop to ponder over Jon
Melegritos painting of a mermaid and a sh.
Manila Mail columnist Jonathan Melegrito shows one of his paintings.
The artists in Brown Strokes pose together at the opening of the exhibit at the
Romulo Hall of the Philippine embassy.
Filipino waves ag in front of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldos house in Kawit,
Cavite.
The ati-atihans march in New York during the June 2 Independence Day
parade.
Group forms the Philippine ag in
the New York parade.
June 15, 2013 21
larly her fans, would accept her
sexual preference.
In a message to fans on You-
Tube, she thanked those who
support her. I just wanna say
thank you personally to all my
fans, to all the people who are
still supporting me, who are still
there for me, she said. And
honestly I am very, very happy.
I cant even explain how happy
I am right now hearing all the
positive things.
The 21-year-old, who was
previously called The Most
Talented Girl in the World by
Oprah Winfrey, rose to fame as
a YouTube sensation. She joined
the cast of Glee as Sunshine
Corazon during the shows
second season.
Charice was at a loss for
words when majority of the mes-
sages that she got on the micro-
blogging site Twitter were posi-
tive.
Charice said she is extremely
happy to have earned the respect
of a lot of people because of her
courageous move to come out.
Among the local celebrities
who lauded Charice for coming
out were Tony Award winner
Lea Salonga, award-winning TV
producer Michael Carandang,
Pulitzer-winning journalist Jose
Antonio Vargas and well-known
international blogger Perez
Hilton.
Charice said she felt that she
could be gay since of age of ve.
When she turned 18, she said
she was already sure about her
sexual preference and told her
mother about this.
While her mother said
okay lang, her reaction were
like a rollercoaster because she
was not used to it. Charice said
she expects that it will be years
before her mother will fully learn
to accept er.
Apart from telling her mom,
Charice shared that cutting her
hair was one of the rst steps she
took toward freedom.
According to Charice, she
was also touched when interna-
tional composer David Foster
did not turn his back on her
when she told him about her
sexual orientation. He even said
we are proud of you.
Charice said she will always
have respect for Foster, who is
also her godparent.
The interview by The Buzz:
This is a difcult question
to ask, begins host Boy Abunda
via a Hufngton Post translation
of the interview. I dont know
how to phrase this. Only because
I believe you dont owe anybody
an explanation. I believe that
talent has nothing to do with
sexual orientation and gender
identity. But it needs to be asked,
so Im going to ask it. Put simply,
Charice, are you a lesbian?
I have a chance to do all
of this internationally, she
responded. [...] But I chose this
place because I have a deep sense
of gratitude to the Filipinos.
Because I felt that I wanted it to
be them, for them to learn what
I am and who I am. Yes, I am a
[lesbian].
The pop star goes on to say
utang na loob, an expression
that can be interpreted as an
apology.
Yes Im a lesbian, Charice
added.
I dont see a problem with
that, because for me there isnt
a problem. Now, I would like
to ask for forgiveness from the
people that dont understand.
The revelation comes after
much speculation surrounding
the singers sexuality.
Charice says: Yes... from page 1
June 15, 2013 22 22
Philippine Airlines ight PR-105
from San Francisco, California,
members of the media treated
her as a returning rock star.
They ocked to Kabang
as soon as she was cleared by
quarantine personnel and let
out of her cage at the arrival sec-
tion. The dog appeared initially
startled by the pop and ash of
cameras but became friendly and
playful as Lim and the reporters
soothed her.
Many passengers and air-
port employees who were in
the area cheered and applauded
while others were teary-eyed as
Kabang passed by them. They
also took snapshots of the dog
using their cell phone and table
cameras.
Some even posed with the
dog for a souvenir shot.
Shes as normal as she can
be. She doesnt need any special
medication. So aside from the
aesthetic, shes normal, Lim
said when asked how Kabang
was faring, even with her snout
and upper jaw missing.
The dog was present at a
press conference held by local
members of Team Kabang, com-
posed of the Animal Welfare
Coalition and other groups that
helped raise funds for the dogs
operations, later in the morning.
Kabang later returned to her
owners in Zamboanga City the
next day. But the problem is how
her owners, the Rudy Bungals,
can provide for her upkeep.
Lim thanked donors from
45 countries who helped fund
Kabangs treatment at the Uni-
versity of California (UC), Davis,
with $27,000 in donations raised
in the Philippines and abroad.
What we want is to make
her an ambassador of dog good
will, and to promote responsible
pet ownership, said Lim.
It is very fullling that at
least our hope in humanity is
restored, he said, adding that
Kabang has become a symbol of
unconditional love shown by a
human being toward his or her
pet.
Although Kabang will be
spending time with her owners,
Lim said the dog, as soon as she
is settled down, would embark
on a mission.
Shes a hero not just in
the Philippines but all over the
world. So what were planning
is to make her an ambassador of
dog-will and promote responsi-
ble pet ownership, Lim added.
Kabangs snout and upper
jaw were sheared off in Decem-
ber 2011 when she jumped into
the path of a motorcycle, stop-
ping it from running over Bun-
gals daughter and niece in Zam-
boanga city.
She was later own to Wil-
liam R. Pritchard Veterinary
Medical Teaching Hospital in
UC-Davis to undergo surgery to
close her wound.
UC-Davis veterinary profes-
sor Frank Verstraete said doctors
at the hospital performed sur-
gery to heal her wounds but they
could not reconstruct Kabangs
jaw or snout.
Doctors had to rst treat her
for other ailments, including a
tumor and heartworm, to ensure
her wounds would heal. They
took skin from her cheeks, neck
and forehead to cover up sen-
sitive areas that were exposed
on her face during surgery in
March, Verstraete said.
Kabang won widespread
sympathy because of her injuries
from what has been described as
a heroic act. A nurse from Buf-
falo, New York, spearheaded a
fund-raising campaign to bring
Kabang to the US because Philip-
pine veterinaries could not treat
her.
True to her celebrity status,
Kabang also had sponsors and is
expected to do endorsements.
According to the Facebook
page Care for Kabang, the UC-
Davis medical team sent Kabang
home with a years supply of
heartworm, ea and tick preven-
tion medicine courtesy of Pzer.
Pet food manufacturer Pedigree
will also give a lifetime supply of
food to Kabang. The Philippine
Airlines Foundation also shoul-
dered the dogs plane fare.
Other companies in the
US that helped Kabang were
Hertz Rental Car, Hallmark Inn
of Davis and OBrien Animal
Transportation.
The Facebook announce-
ment claried that Kabang will
remain with her owner and that
the dog has not been adopted by
Lim.
[Lim] will be there for her
and Rudy for the rest of her life.
For those of you not in the Phil-
ippines, understand that Kabang
is a major celebrity there and she
will, undoubtedly, go on a VIP
tour of the country to support
education on proper animal care
and animal rights.
The problem is that Kabang
is coming home to a broken
family.
Rodolfo Rudy Bunggal,
now lives alone after his wife
Christina left him because of
his heavy drinking. I am rent-
ing a small room for P700 (about
$19) a month because she could
no longer take Rudys behavior
every time hes drunk, she said.
Christina lives with her
daughter Dina, 12, and three
other relatives. She also takes
care of Kabangs offspring, JR.
Rudy Bunggal has found work
as a construction worker but is
dealing with what his neighbors
and his wife said is a drinking
problem. He worries about being
recognized by Kabang.
Its good to be working
than staying in the street, wait-
ing for someones motorcycle
wheel to get busted, the former
vulcanizing shop worker told
GMA-TV news.
terms on those seeking to gain
legal status.
In his remarks at the White
House on the same day, Obama
pressed Congress to pass the
reform bill. He said, Yes, they
broke the rules; they didnt wait
their turn. They shouldnt be
let off easy. They shouldnt be
allowed to game the system. But
at the same time, the vast major-
ity of these individuals arent
looking for any trouble.
Theyre just looking to provide
for their families, contribute to
their communities.
Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine,
D-Va., delivered his speech
backing the consideration of the
bill in Spanish, saying this was
the language of some 40 mil-
lion Americans who have a lot
at stake in the outcome of this
debate.
The vote now opens the
way for the Senate to introduce
amendments. The debates are
expected to consume more than
three weeks.
In the House, meanwhile,
Speaker John Boehner said he
hoped companion legislation
could clear committees in the
House by the end of the month.
WASHINGTON D.C. The
Senate opened deliberations on
its own version of the compre-
hensive immigration reform bill
on June 7 that does not include
the sibling and adult children
unity provisions.
Attempts to restore that
provision in the Border Secu-
rity, Economic Opportunity and
Immigration Modernization Act
during the committee hearings
have failed.
This prompted several
Asian American and Pacic
Islander (AAPI) families from
20 states to hold a new demon-
stration on the East Lawn of the
Capitol calling on Congress to
pass immigration reform legisla-
tion that is as inclusive of many
families as possible.
Meanwhile, the House Gang
of Eight on June 5 approved their
own version of the immigration
reform bill. They capped four
years of on-again, off-again talks
by reaching a tentative biparti-
san agreement on a comprehen-
sive deal.
Democratic and Republican
members of the group emerged
from an evening meeting, saying
that they had found a way for-
ward, but that no details would
be released until they have had
time to put their agreement in
legislative language and go over
it, line by line.
There are also reports that
another House committee voted
to exclude the Dreamers from
the bill. The Dreamers are those
undocumented children of
immigrants who grew up in the
US.
Senate leaders expect the
bill to be passed by the Senate by
next month.
The AAPI families demands
included the preservation of the
sibling and adult children visa
categories, a clear and affordable
path to citizenship for undocu-
mented immigrants, and putting
an end to harsh enforcement pol-
icies that tear families apart.
Some Filipino Americans
participated in the demonstra-
tion.
Joining AAPI immigrant
families were Reps. Judy Chu
(CA) Jan Schakowsky (IL),
natives from Hawaii and Alaska
who announced their First
Americans for New Americans
campaign for comprehensive
immigration reform, Eliseo
Medina, Secretary-Treasurer of
Service Employees International
Union and Wade Henderson,
President and CEO of The Lead-
ership Conference on Civil and
Human Rights. Impacted com-
munity members shared their
experiences highlighting why
immigration reform must pass
this year.
Randy Kim traveled to
Washington DC on a bus from
Chicago, IL. His family came
to the U.S. as refugees from the
Vietnam War and the Cambo-
dian genocide in the early 1980s.
He spoke to the crowd about
the story of his father and the
strength his siblings gave each
other during wartime and when
they resettled in the U.S.
When the Cambodian
Killing Field era began, my dad
and uncle escaped to Thailand
and migrated to the U.S., said
Randy. They eventually spon-
sored my Uncle Sean and with
their help he was able to settle
and become a hardworking citi-
zen. However, when Uncle Sean
tried to sponsor their remain-
ing siblings, they never made it.
This was after 20 years of wasted
money, endless run around and
no answer. On earlier legisla-
tive visits, Randy told legisla-
tors that siblings are an integral
part of the American family and
when families stay together,
everyone prospers.
Anthony Ng, an undocu-
mented immigrant youth leader
from Southern California, has
been an active leader and advo-
cate. He came to the U.S. with his
parents from the Philippines. In
2011, he graduated from the Uni-
versity of California-Irvine, and
now hopes to earn a joint degree
in Law and a masters in Urban
Planning.
It was in the 10th grade
when I found out about my
undocumented status. I didnt
know what it meant and what
to feel at the moment, Anthony
said. My parents worked long
tireless hours to prove that they
made the right choice for our
family to move to the U.S. I
never doubted their decision. I
am proud of them.
Kabang, gets heros... from page 1
AsianAms pressing for... from page 1
Mrs. Bungal holds daughter of
Kabang as she waits for arrival of
her hero dog.
Mr. Bungal worries Kabang will not
recognize him.
L to R: Paulo Pontemayor, Civil relations, External Affairs, APIA Health
Forum, Jian Zapata, Congressional Staff, Ben de Guzman, Executive Direc-
tor, LGBT, and Naoi Tacuyan Underwood, Asian American Justice Center,
Reuniting Families Campaign, at the CIR-Family reunication rally orga-
nized by the Asian American and Pacic Islander at the South Lawn, Capi-
tol, June 5. Photo: Bing Cardenas Branigin
June 15, 2013 23
leaving behind its reputation as
a regional laggard. Last week,
it reported annual GDP growth
of 7.8 percent in the rst three
months of the year, outstripping
China to make it Asias fastest-
growing economy.
Earlier this year, the gov-
ernment secured an investment
grade credit rating, reducing its
borrowing costs, while the stock
market has reached a series of
record highs this year.
Returnees like Ragonjan are
just a trickle compared to those
still leaving the country, but the
hope is that the more the coun-
try can draw the diaspora back
to the Philippines the more that
the entrepreneurial spirit that
prompted them to leave in the
rst place can add fuel to the
economy.
Nearly two million Filipinos
left last year to take on jobs such
as seafarers, maids, laborers,
hotel staff, and medical workers,
forming one of the worlds larg-
est diasporas of nearly 10 million
migrants, about a tenth of the
population.
The returnees are limited
for now to a few sectors, includ-
ing entertainment, tourism and
information technology, but
some hope that it marks the start
of a stronger ow.
I am seeing the trend hap-
pening, said venture capital-
ist Francisco Sandejas, who as
head of the Brain Gain Network,
an online platform connecting
professional Filipinos overseas
to develop business ideas in the
Philippines, has been campaign-
ing for more job creation at home
for two decades.
I am just seeing that now it
is much easier to convince people
to come home, it was never easy
and it is still not easy... people are
very optimistic about the next
three years, he added, referring
to the remainder of President
Benigno Aquinos six-year term.
Still, Aquino faces an uphill
task to overturn criticism he is
presiding over a jobless eco-
nomic boom.
The economy is unable to
create enough jobs for around
a million new job seekers each
year. A quarter of the labor force
is unemployed or underem-
ployed and the government is
struggling to reduce poverty.
TRICKLE DOWN?
Solaire is the rst of four
new casino-resorts to open in
Entertainment City, a 10-hectare
development near Manila Bay
that is at the forefront of the gov-
ernments push to boost tourism
and investment.
Ragonjan said part of his
decision to return to the Philip-
pines was because there seemed
to be more opportunity than in
the past. He says his base salary
in Manila is higher than it was
in Abu Dhabi, but in returning
home he has also given up some
nancial grants that went with
his job in the Gulf.
If the Philippines continues
to grow like this, it can help a lot
of Filipinos here. It is good to be
back, he said.
The Philippines call centre
industry, the worlds biggest,
continues to grow strongly and
the country is also home to small
but expanding software and
information-technology rms.
The countrys business process
outsourcing industry is expected
to employ 1.3 million people by
2016, up from 640,000 in 2011.
Earl Valencia, a former busi-
ness incubation manager at Cisco
Systems in California, came
home with his family two years
ago to help co-found a business
incubator and accelerator com-
pany in Manila to support start-
ups and tech entrepreneurs.
There were a lot of things to
anchor me in the United States,
but there were also a lot of eco-
nomic attractions in this part of
the world, said the 30-year old.
To turn the trickle of return-
ees into a ood, ofcials acknowl-
edge the economic boom needs
to be more broad-based.
Some skeptics say the boom
is mostly benetting the coun-
trys
entrenched elite, with little
trickling down to alleviate a
poverty rate that has remained
stubbornly high near 30 percent,
far from the 17 percent Aquino
hopes to achieve by the time is
he due to leave ofce in 2016.
Per capita GDP was 6.1 per-
cent greater in the rst quarter
than a year earlier, the highest
in at least two years. But ofcial
unemployment remained stub-
bornly high at 7.1 percent as of
January, the highest in Southeast
Asia.
Growth is not result-
ing in the creation of more jobs
because the growing sectors are
not really labor intensive, said
former budget secretary Benja-
min Diokno.
We really need to revive
manufacturing. We can do
more.
In one promising sign,
manufacturing grew in the rst
quarter by 9.7 percent over a
year earlier despite sluggish
export demand. Capital forma-
tion, a measure of investment,
jumped 48 percent as the pri-
vate sector expanded capacity to
meet domestic demand, which
is partly fuelled by funds sent
home by overseas Filipinos.
DAUNTING
While Aquino has had suc-
cess in plugging holes in the
national budget and imposing
revenue reforms, his govern-
ment still faces a daunting task
to x infrastructure bottlenecks
and investment constraints that
hinder broader-based growth.
Economic Planning Secre-
tary Arsenio Balisacan acknowl-
edged that while real GDP per
person has risen 11 percent over
the last two years, the gains have
not been evenly spread.
Inclusive growth is not
about averages, but about the
lower part of the income distri-
bution, Balisacan told reporters
after the GDP data.
He said the solution is to
link the poor to growth sectors in
the economy, such as manufac-
turing and agriculture.
In the latest World Com-
petitiveness Report by the Swiss-
based Institute for Management
Development, the Philippines
moved up ve places to 43 out of
60 economies, overtaking Indo-
nesia and India.
While it showed improve-
ments in economic performance,
and government and business
efciency measures, the gains
were not accompanied by job
generation. It was down seven
places in employment, one notch
down in overall productivity
and two rungs down in labor
productivity.
Still, in Manilas bustling
new casino, freshly returned
workers, or overseas Filipino
workers (OFWs) as they are
known, believe the time is ripe
for the decades-long exodus to
reverse.
I believe it is really time
for our country, our economy to
get a slice of the cake that com-
panies abroad are enjoying at
the expense of our hard working
OFWs, said Rosario Chavez, a
gaming manager at Solaire, who
spent three decades abroad.
I really hope that our gov-
ernment will open more oppor-
tunities here, more reasons for
our OFWs to come home.
(Editing by Rosemarie Fran-
cisco, Stuart Grudgings and Neil
Fullick)
vice and burial but no dates have
not been established at this time.
Both Clift and Mylenes
uncle also declined ABS CBNs
request for an interview, saying
they would rather not speak
while investigations on the
Costco shooting are ongoing.
There are reports they are
contemplating on ling a wrong-
ful death suit against of deputies
and the county.
Pilippine Ambassador
Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. and local and
national Filipino American
organizations have joined in
demanding a thorough investi-
gation of the case. The Washing-
ton Post editorial called it an
unexplained death.
Joining the ambassador in
calling for a probe of what they
termed as the use of excessive
force were the National Federa-
tion of Filipino American Asso-
ciations (NaFFAA), the Migrant
Heritage Commission, and
others.
The Washington Post pub-
lished an editorial on June 1st,
asking the crucial question of
was her death necessary?
NaFFAA said Mylene was
suffering from depression after
her divorce from Scott, who is
with the US military, and that
their two children, girls aged 12
and 8, have been in the custody
of Scotts family.
Mylene worked for the Club
Demonstration Services that pro-
vided services to Costco. The
store is located in the busy inter-
section of Cascades Parkway and
Route 7. She was said to be work-
ing towards the end of her shift
when she was said to be saying
crazy things and seemed to be
concerned with the number of
servings of pizza in a box.
Renee Haber, a manager at
Costco, said that as Scott moved
away from her serving sta-
tion, she grabbed a knife from
another station and was making
strange movements. Haber said
that Mylene was frightening her
supervisors and workers called
the police.
The rst deputy arrived
just after 3 p.m and encountered
Scott near the back of the store,
armed with a knife and a pair
of scissors. One of the deputies
tried to subdue the woman with
a taser but it did not work. They
claimed Ms. Scott kept advanc-
ing on them and ignored orders
to drop the weapons.
The other deputy red and
killed her, according to Loudoun
County Sheriff Michael Chap-
man.
Mylene was barely over ve
feet tall and not much more than
100 pounds. The usual question
that ran into peoples minds
who read and heard the story
was that how could two Sher-
iffs deputies not able to simply
disarm her. Why did the taser
not work? Why did they have
to re multiple shots during the
confrontation?
Sheriff Michael Chapman
said that based on preliminary
information, the two deputies
acted according to justied self-
defense procedure when Mylene
came at them with the knife.
Chapman said the two dep-
uties had several years of experi-
ence on the job and were up to
date on their training and tech-
niques. The two deputies are
currently on paid administrative
leave pending the investigations
outcome.
The Washington Post edito-
rial described Chapmans state-
ment as premature. It said
there is no shortage of witnesses
of the incident and footage from
the stores internal security video
may have also recorded the inci-
dent.
The embassy press state-
ment said it shares the con-
cerns expressed by Ms. Scotts
family in the Philippines and
the members of the Filipino-
American Community that law
enforcement ofcials may have
responded with disproportion-
ate force. We request authorities
to conduct a thorough, impartial
and expeditious investigation of
the incident.
NaFFaa National Chairman
Eduardo Navarra has expressed
solidarity with Ambassador
Cuisia in caling for a thorough,
impartial and expeditious inves-
tigation of the incident. NaFFaa
has also mentioned that it is with
deep sorrow that they learned
Ms. Scott was suffering from
depression resulting from her
divorce and the loss of custody
of her two children.
Migrant Heritage Commis-
sion co-executive director and
human rights lawyer, Arnedo
Valera said that the killing of Ms.
Scott appears to be unreasonable.
Some OFWs are... from page 1
Did Mylene deserve... from page 1
Former overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Alvin Gendran, who now works
with Microsoft Philippines, poses with his family at their condominium com-
pound near Manilas Makati nancial district May 18, 2013.
June 15, 2013 24 24
Lloyd, Locsin win best actor,
actress awards
ABS-CBNs Star Cinema
The Mistress won big at the
31st Film Academy of the Philip-
pines Luna Awards on June 1.
Three acting awards--best
actor, best supporting actor and
best supporting actress--were
won by The Mistress cast.
Kapamilya star Angel
Locsin won best actress for
another Star Cinema lm, One
More Try.
Other winners:
Best Supporting Actor: Ron-
aldo Valdez (The Mistress) Best
Supporting Actress: Hilda Koro-
nel (The Mistress) Best Director:
Olive Lamasan (The Mistress)
Best Picture: El Presidente Best
Screenplay: Vanessa Valdez (The
Mistress) Best Cinematography:
Carlo Mendoza (El Presidente)
Best Production Design:
Danny Red and Joel Bilbao (El
Presidente) Best Editing: Marya
Ignacio (The Mistress) Best
Musical Score: Jessi Lasaten: (El
Presidente) Best Sound: Albert
Idioma (El Presidente) Special
Awards:
Fernando Poe Jr. Lifetime
Achievement Award: Eddie
Garcia Manuel de Leon Award
for exemplary achievement:
Peque Gallaga Lamberto Avel-
lana Memorial Award: Marilou
Diaz Abaya.
Vice apologizes to
top TV journalist
The Philippines top come-
dian, Vice Ganda, has apolo-
gized to Jessica Soho, vice presi-
dent of GMA-TV news program,
for jokingly saying in his May
17 concert that Soho was gang-
raped. She said that if she were
a bold star in a movie, she had to
be gang-raped to gain fame.
The remark created a stir
among womens groups, includ-
ing the Philippine Commission
on Women which said rape
jokes hurt women who are suf-
fering or may have suffered from
the trauma of rape. It is no laugh-
ing matter.
Ganda has apologized to
Soho and Soho said she hopes
his apology was sincere.
As Ive said, this is not
about me, but about the issue of
rape not being an appropriate
subject matter for comedy. Rape
transcends age, economic class,
gender and even ones weight,
Soho who is heavy-se, said in a
statement.
According to the National
Statistics Ofce, nearly one out
of 10 women aged 15-49 has
experienced sexual violence. But
the PCW noted that many rape
cases go unreported because
victims are shamed and rape is
trivialized.
Montes says Coco is
closest to her heart
Actress Julia Montes admits
that Coco Martin, her leading
man in the defunct top-rating
soap Walang Hanggan, is still
the man closest to her heart.
Ang super close ko talaga
at nakaka-jive ko talaga since
before ay si Coco, dahil pareho
kaming laki sa lola, Montes
explained. At in a way kasi
off-cam medyo mature ako, so
siguro yung mga mature na
bagay na itinuturo niya sa akin,
nagdiya-jive kami.
Mas natuto ako sa kanya,
siya rin natuto siya sa teenage
experiences ko, she said in an
interview during the launch of
her newest endorsement, Fresh-
look contact lenses, on Thursday.
Martin, who previously
admitted his admiration for
Montes, was the actress escort
during her debut celebration.
He earlier said he plans to court
Montes after her 18th birthday.
But the young actress denied
that Martin is currently wooing
her. Hindi naman ako ang
nililigawan niya, si lola (Flory
Hautea) pa rin. So until now, si
lola pa rin. Kung okay na ba kay
lola? Hindi ko pa natatanong si
lola about doon, she said.
Ayoko mag-assume. Pero
yun nga, yun pa rin naman siya.
Nakaka-tense mga tanong niyo,
she told entertainment reporters.
Kung sino ang nagpapakilig sa
akin? Basta happy ako ngayon.
Montes went on to say
that what is important is that
she and Martin are still close to
each other even after Walang
Hanggan and their movie, A
Moment In Time.
Close pa rin kami, may
communication pa rin kami.
Pero dahil sobrang busy namin
-- bida siya sa Juan dela Cruz,
ang taas-taas ng rating.
Yung bonding like before
na halos every day kami mag-
kasama dahil sa mga schedule,
hindi na tulad dati. Pero okay
kami, super close pa rin naman,
she said.
Ang okay kasi kay Coco,
hindi siya nagbago, she added.
Like may mga advice pa rin
siyang ibinibigay para sa upcom-
ing show ko. Hindi siya yung
porket nakatrabaho ko before,
after noon, wala na. Kung ano
siya noon, ganoon pa rin until
now.
Currently, Montes is busy
with her upcoming soap Muling
Buksan Ang Puso with Enrique
Gil and former suitor Enchong
Dee.
Daring roles in sexy thriller Palitan
Two rising stars Mara Lopez
and Alex Medina take on their
biggest and most daring roles
in the sexy thriller Palitan
directed by Ato Bautista.
In the lm, Alex and Mara
play married couple Nestor and
Luisa. At the behest of his boss
Ramiro (played by Mon Con-
ado) who owns an electronics
shop, Nestor agrees to secretly
shoot footage of Luisa taking a
bath in order to repay an enor-
mous loan, leading to more com-
plications not just for Nestor but
also for Luisa. Luisa is my com-
plete opposite, she explains.
Moreover, the daughter of
beauty queen-turned-actress
Maria Isabel Lopez had to ask her
father (a Japanese) for permis-
sion before accepting the project.
Mara says, I understood my
fathers apprehension. The role
required me to do torrid kissing
and even some pumping scenes.
As a dad, he just didnt want his
daughter to be too exposed.
The challenge on the part of
Alex was performing at par with
his
co-stars and living up to the
reputation established by his
famous father, character actor
Pen Medina. Alex admits, It
was tough working on this lm.
I felt pressured most of the time
because I had to measure up
to Mon Conados energy and
focus. The character demanded
so much from me. In the end,
Alex did not let the pressure get
to him and followed director
Atos instructions.
Piolo explains kissing scene
Piolo Pascual, 35, explains
a video showing him kissing
Maja Salvador, 24, inside a car
that went viral. Weeks after a
photo of him and Maja Salvador
apparently kissing circulated
online, Piolo explained the scene.
According to the description of
the video, the photos were taken
on November 24 at McKinley
Hills in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig.
I was coming out of a run
sa Sunlife last week tapos nag-
Star Magic Gives Back concert
kami, Pascual was quoted as
saying by entertainment news
site Push.com.ph. I was driv-
ing out of McKinley, nakita ko
siya (Salvador), nagpaalam ako.
Then she suddenly rode in my
car tapos yun, may pumicture
na we were going to kiss, tapos
yun na, the actor added.
Although the photo may
suggest a romantic relationship
between the two, Pascual clari-
ed that he is only friends with
Salvador. Referring tothe actress
former boyfriend, Pascual said,
I am friends with Matteo (Guid-
icelli) as well, and Maja is a nice
girl as well, busy sa trabaho
yun.
The Apoy sa Dagat star
also laughed off jokes from their
friends linking them as a couple.
Lokohan lang iyon, wala yun,
he said.
John Lloyd Cruz and Angel Locsin
Coco Martin and Julia Montes
Alex Medina and Mara Lopez
Piolo Pascual tries to explain viral photo of him in torrid kissing scene with
Maja Salvador inside car.
Vice Ganda
Entertainment
June 15, 2013 25
On Our Own Coded Words
(Following is a speech locked
in my mental drawer which I, in my
dream, intend to open only if and
when an audience of compatriots
harks for a delivery; the wait for a
preferred venue is longer than any
imagined nights)
(Introduction)
Let me run by you several
names which I am sure are new
to your ears, by their tones and
accents: Portenos, Gatos, Barce-
loneses, Chillangos, Tapatios,
Zapallos, Chapines, Guanacos,
Nicos, and Ticos. These are affec-
tionate names Spanish speakers
in Latin and Central Americas
call themselves. These names all
connote endearments and bonds.
Portenos in cities in Argentina;
Gatos in Madrid, Spain; Barce-
loneses in Barcelona and other
nearby cities in Spain; Chilangos
in Mexico City, and other cities
in Mexico; Tapatios in Guada-
lajara, Mexico; Zapallos in Lima
in Peru; Chapines in Guatemala;
Guanacos in El Salvador; Nicos
in Nicaragua; and Ticos in Costa
Rica.
To this I may add, quote
Pinoy unquote. On paper, I
write this appellation not in
Italics but in quotation marks.
This ve-letter word is com-
monly used to describe those
born and coming from the Phil-
ippines, including their descen-
dants here in the United States
and elsewhere in the globe. The
reach is endemic and sadly, the
description, more often than not,
betrays unwanted ignorance of
Philippine history and culture.
People born and reared in the
Philippines are Filipinos, calling
them as such is a part of a pat-
tern of learned behavior handed
down from parents to their chil-
dren, including, possibly, a long
line of descendants. A systematic
transfer dating back to a period
even before the arrival of Magel-
lan and his ship in 1521. They,
we, are not Chinese, Japanese,
Koreans, Arabs, or Indonesians;
even in any hyphenated cir-
cumstances, we, they, are not
Guamanian-Filipinos, Vietnam-
ese-Filipinos, nor Taiwanese-Fil-
ipinos. We are simply, properly,
historically, and culturally, Fili-
pinos, with a capital F.
Filipinos, as an appellation,
should carry with it a certain
degree of formality and respect.
It must be used in international
and ofcial correspondence, in
policy declarations of national
and local governments, in reports
and messages from social and
cultural associations or groups;
and in headlines and stories car-
ried by various media whose
readerships, listeners, or view-
ers are outside the geographical
and cultural limits of the Philip-
pines. Filipinos is a proper, not a
common, noun. Period.
Pinoy, on the other hand,
is a term of endearment, a word
that speaks of emotions, of an
intimacy that can only occur
between and among individu-
als whose feelings are tied to the
privacy of their discretions. It
is a word not unlike any word
spoken by husbands and wives
in the privacy of their bedrooms.
In tones and accents, it must
denote a trace of personal own-
ership. It is a code and must be
used with extreme discretion.
My wife and I and family
members are fortunate to
have at our disposal a facility
to travel abroad. Whenever we
are in Rome, Madrid, Venice,
Amsterdam, or any other cities
in Europe, even in Sydney, Mel-
bourne, Tokyo, Beijing, Bangkok,
Seoul, or Hong Kong, we use
Pinoy? as an interrogatory to
preface our conversations with
or inquiries from anyone whose
facial features resemble our
own Asiatic makeup. And sure
enough, when the recognition
clicks, the familiarity follows
smoothly. The word is a code,
a currency tucked away in our
wallets given or disposed occa-
sionally only to those we trust
and in commerce.
Coded or not, Pinoy is a
far cry from the proper appella-
tion, Filipinos. They come from
a country that has been assured
and accorded respectable mem-
bership in a community of
nations. The international rec-
ognition has been granted with
seals of approval because of the
countrys history and culture
dating back to a period, hun-
dreds of years, preceding the
arrival of Magellan and his ship
in 1521. My belief in this was
strengthened by an incident that
occurred when I was working
part-time for an airline company
at the Washington Dulles Inter-
national Airport, after retiring as
a managing editor of a unit at a
company that publishes informa-
tion services for lawyers, com-
pany executives, and other pro-
fessionals. I was then in charge
Lest We Forget
By Jocelyn P. Porteria
This was the controver-
sial banner unfurled during
the AZKALS supposedly a
friendly game against Hong
Kong held in Mong Kok sta-
dium in Kowloon. The banner
stated Lest We Forget Manila
23/08/2010 referring to the
bloody hostage on a Tourist Bus
with Chinese passengers. There
also a replica of the Japanese
Imperial ag with the banner.
The picture appears on the
inside pages of Hong Kong Eng-
lish daily The Standard.
I promised myself to try my
best to go wherever AZKALS
play and fortunately I was able
to make it just before the game on
June 4. It was exciting to watch
people rushed inside the stadium
and there were lots of Filipinos
of course. The place speaks for
itself. I had goose bumps when
I entered the stadium and see
Philippine ags of different sizes
all over being waved. I was
lucky to get a small one that I
proudly waved the whole time. I
captured the scenes on my video
and camera shots. Tears are
being held when the Lupang
Hinirang was being played; but
wait, did I hear boooos at the sta-
dium? Yes it is and of course not
from Filipinos. On the other side
where I was seating just like the
ofcial cheering squad of Hong
Kong team called The Power of
Hong Kong turned their backs
while our National Anthem is
playing. Do they really mean it
or they were just so excited with
the game to even notice that our
National Anthem was playing?
Although I know the answers,
I was in denial thinking how
rude was that and Ive never
seen anything like that even in
Europe where Soccer is their
way of life. Anyway, I was so
excited myself so I just shrugged
it off. Just imagine how crazy
we were cheering and scream-
ing after James Younghusbands
goal!! With that loud cheer and
our ags waiving all over, we
were not outnumbered consid-
ering we are in Hong Kong. So
proud of Filipinos everywhere
in the world where we always
support our people. I cant
explain the feeling but it was
ecstatic!! Our adrenalin were so
high and so scared, our hearts
stopped each time Hong Kong
Team almost made the goals
but thanks to Neil Etheridge
who stood like a Great Wall of
China blocking all the goals no
matter how difcult the angles
were. After the game, Filipino
fans run towards the bottom of
the stadium to congratulate the
team. The team was about to do
the traditional waving and shak-
ing their hands with picture tak-
ings and autographs as a token
of appreciation coming to the
game and supporting them. But
they were stopped by Chinese
securities because water bottles
were being thrown to the Phil-
ippine Team with nasty words
and gestures, ngers icking, the
crowd became unruly so they
were immediately escorted to
their locker room. I sat next to
the exit and while the AZKALS
players were getting in, some
Chinese supporters quickly
rushed to that area and scream-
ing and gesturing to the players.
Filipino supporters were scream-
ing in protest as well. Now, I
conrmed of whats going on
in my head. It is really what I
was thinking but I cant believe
it. Ive never seen anything like
that before. Azkals manager
Dan Palami rued the Hong Kong
fans behavior, saying it could
reect on the countrys football
governing body. Its unfortu-
nate that the HKFA, who really
treated the Azkals well, could be
dragged down by the actions of
unruly and hostile fans, Palami
posted on his Twitter account
late Wednesday. The Azkals
are used to playing in a hos-
tile environment, but we were
unprepared to deal with (what
happened), he added. In an
editorial, the South China Morn-
ing Post denounced the behav-
ior of a number of Hong Kong
fans and called for punishment.
Filipinos have every right to be
outraged. They had gone to the
stadium to cheer on their team,
not endure taunts and ridicule.
Their national anthem was dis-
respected when it was played,
they were insulted by being
called derogatory names and
plastic bottles were among items
thrown at them. The barrage of
discrimination worsened after
the Philippines won the game
1-0, the editorial read.
As of this writing, the DFA
is now involved and the incident
is under investigation. The Phil-
ippine Football Federation will
report the incident to the Asian
Football Confederation as unac-
ceptable and unnecessary. The
victory is a history as Philippines
never won against Hong Kong
since 1958. Yes AZKALS, lets
change the banner to Lest we
forget AZKALS 06/05/2013
of making sure that customs
and immigration documents of
arriving passengers from abroad
who are seeking entrance to
the United States are properly
lled out. I was then talking to a
Spanish-speaking group whose
knowledge of American English
was close to nil. To communi-
cate with assured results, I used
what I had learned from a three-
semester course I had taken to
meet a requirement for gradua-
tion from the University of Santo
Tomas in Manila. While talk-
ing with this group of arriving
passengers, I noticed from the
corner of my eyes that a distin-
guished-looking passenger had
been observing me from a short
distance, trying to know and dis-
tinguish my physical and facial
makeup, trying to peg me among
the familiar faces he had met,
I guessed, in his many travels.
He then, in measured steps and
in his bespoke suit, approached
me and in his precise Madrileno
accent, but apologetic in tone,
asked, Por que sabe usted hablar
espanol? I answered, Soy de
Filipinas, Senor! In a surprised
recognition, he then said, Si, si,
Filipino! Claro que si! Filipino!
This was then when my total
being was dened by someone
who was outside the geographi-
cal limits but familiar with Phil-
ippine history and her culture. I
could have died of shame if he
had called me pinoy.
At the present, pinoy is
a currency held in common by
users of facebook, itube, ilinked,
tumblr, twitter, and other social
websites. As I have said, it is a
coded word and must be used
only when talking with some-
one whose familiarity with
our person, history or culture
matches, if not exceeds, our own
stature. Because it is used, with
widespread indiscretion, it is
sometimes hurled as a pejorative.
Unwittingly, it is used by persons
whose knowledge of its origin is
purely apocryphal, gleaned from
unsolicited entries in Wikipedia
and Google. These users deny,
and at times, overlook a fact that
a coded word is used, spoken, or
written with connecting words
or phrases of endearment, with
inection of affection, or some-
times, surreptitiously with hint
of intrigue. They ignore phrases
replete with historical origins,
such as Taga-Ilog, referring to
those living at the edge of a big
body of waters in the middle
years of 14th century and who
were speaking a commonality
of language later evolving into
Tagalog, the national language;
Sanglis, members of a commu-
nity of Fukien-speaking Chinese
traders living before the arrival
of the Europeans in areas close
to the boundaries of the pres-
ent Cavite; Illustrados, the edu-
cated class of people during the
Spanish colonial period; Insur-
rectos or Katipuneros, the rebels
against the Spanish Rule of the
Philippines which lasted for 333
years; or Pensionados, Philip-
pine government scholars sent
in the early 1900s to the United
States to study and master much-
needed knowledge of arts and
sciences to be later disseminated
to local students.
The vogue in using coded
words, perhaps, started with
the unraveling of an organized
Continued on page 31
June 15, 2013 26 26
PHAD THAI
Greetings from Rosario,
Cavite, Philippines! Were just
back from Bangkok, Thailand,
fresh from the intensive school-
ing from Royal Thai Elephant
School. I am proud to present
to you my rst Royal Phad Thai.
Enjoy the authenticity of this
recipe.
4 oz. dried Thai noodles
2 cloves garlic
2 pieces shallots
6 pieces extra large shrimps
(shelled and deveined)
2 tablespoons small diced
tofu
2 tablespoons nely
chopped turnips (store-bought)
1 egg (scrambled)
1 tablespoon dried shrimp
powder
2 tablespoons ground
roasted peanuts
3 stems spring onion (cut
into 1 inch long)
1/2 cup bean sprouts
Seasoning
1 or 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sh sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon tamarind juice
2 pinches chili powder
Garnish
1 lime, halves
cilantro leaves
Methods:
Soak the noodles in cold
water for 20 minutes.
Using a wok on low heat,
stir fry shallot and garlic until
aroma permeates. Add shrimps
and stir fry until half cooked.
Mix in the tofu and sweet turnips
and then add the egg.
Add noodles; stir fry until
soft and translucent. Season
with sugar, sh sauce, rice vin-
egar and tamarind juice. Stir
gently until well mixed.
Add dried shrimp powder,
peanuts, and chili powder and
stir well. Add the bean sprouts
and spring onion at the last 2
minutes of cooking. Turn off
heat immediately and transfer to
a serving platter.
Garnish before serving.
Editors Note: Master Chef
Evelyn: 100 Most Inuential Fili-
pina Women in the U.S., 2009, Fili-
pina Womens Network; MHC Most
Outstanding Migrant Award in
Culinary Arts, 2011; PAFC Dakila
Special Achievement Award, 2011;
Owner/Chef, Philippine Oriental
Market & Deli, Arlington, Virginia;
Founder and President of CHEW
(Cancer Help Eat Well) Founda-
tion, a 501 (c) (3) public charity
formed to help and cook pro-bono for
Filipino-Americans who are aficted
with cancer and other serious ill-
nesses; Culinary writer; Member,
Les Dames dEscofer International,
Washington DC Chapter; Member,
International Cake Exploration
Society, Member: Culinary Histo-
rians of Washington, D.C.; Master
Chef, French Cuisine and Patisserie,
Le Cordon Bleu, London.
HUSBAND
One day the housework-
challenged husband decided to
wash his sweat- shirt. Seconds
after he stepped into the laun-
dry room, he shouted to his wife,
What setting do I use on the
washing machine?
It depends, the wife
replied. What does it say on
your shirt?
He yelled back, University
of Oklahoma.
And they say blondes are
dumb...
THE DIFFERENCE
What is the difference
between girls/women aged: 8,
18, 28, 38, 48, 58, 68, and 78?
At 8 -- You take her to bed
and tell her a story.
At 18 -- You tell her a story
and take her to bed.
At 28 -- You dont need to
tell her a story to take her to bed.
At 38 -- She tells you a story
and takes you to bed.
At 48 -- She tells you a story
to avoid going to bed.
At 58 -- You stay in bed to
avoid her story.
At 68 -- If you take her to
bed, thatll be a story!
At 78 -- What story? What
bed? Who the hell are you?
THE HAPPIEST
A couple is lying in bed. The
man says, I am going to make
you the happiest woman in the
world.
The woman replies, Ill
miss you when youre gone...
THE WISH
A man and his wife, now
in their 60s, were celebrating
their 40th wedding anniversary.
On their special day a good
fairy came to them and said that
because they had been so good,
each one of them could have
one wish. The wife wished for a
trip around the world with her
husband. Whoosh! Immediately
she had airline/cruise tickets in
her hands. The man wished for
a female companion 30 years
younger... Whoosh...immedi-
ately he turned ninety!
WIFES PRAYER
Dear Lord... I pray for
Wisdom to understand my hus-
band; for Love to forgive him;
And for Patience for his terrible
moods. Because, Lord, if I pray
for Strength, Ill beat him to
death for sure. Amen.
THE WAY IT WAS
A couple were in bed after
celebrating their Golden Wed-
ding Anniversary. The wife
said, Darling, embrace me the
way you used to when we rst
got married. He did. Now
kiss me the way you used to.....
Now darling bite me the way
you used to..... At this point
the husband got out of bed and
the wife asked, Where are you
going, dear? To get my teeth,
the husband replied.
PINOY NGA
Isang araw, pagod na
pagod si Isme sa kanyang tra-
baho. Nagpunta siya sa shop
para magpahinga. Binuksan ang
ref, Langya someone stole my
Coke sabi niya. So inutu-
san niya ang isa niyang tauhan.
May nagnakaw ng Coke ko...
pakikuha mo na lang ako ng
instant tea sa mess hall.
Yes boss, sagot ng tauhan.
Hintay siya nang hintay sa
tauhan dahil ang tagal bumalik
ito - so nanood muna siya ng
tv. Nang bumalik ang tauhan,
reklamo ng reklamo ito at sabi -
Bossing, ang bigat-bigat naman
itong istante!
ASTRONOT
Nag uusap ang tatlong
astronaut.
American: Yeah, we are the
rst people who landed on the
moon.
Russian: You must know we
are the rst people who landed
on Mars.
Filipino: Ah! Those are
nothing compared to us Filipi-
nos...
Russian: What do you
mean?
Filipino: Biro mo, we are
the rst people who land on the
sun...
American: You must be
joking... the sun is so damn hot!
Filipino: What you think,
we are stupid? We land there at
night.
MAGPADAGDAG
Magkasintahan nag-uusap.
Lani: Ok lang ba kung mag-
padagdag ako ng boobs, hon?
Joey: Ok lang naman sa akin
yun.
Lani: Talaga, hindi ka
magagalit?
Joey: Hindi... bakit naman
ako magagalit - pero teka lang,
hindi ba masagwa kung tatlo ang
boobs mo?
LOGIC
Nag-aral si Alfonso ng Phi-
losophy at ang subject ay tung-
kol sa logic. Tinanong niya sa
titser kung ano ang Logic.
Titser: Ganito yun... may
aquarium ka ba sa bahay?
Ponso: Meron po.
Titser: Kung ganun, mahilig
sa tubig.
Ponso: Opo
Titser: Kung mahilig ka
sa tubig, eh di mahilig ka ring
lumangoy.
Ponso: Siyempre po.
Titser: Kung mahilig kang
lumangoy, eh di mahilig ka sa
beach.
Ponso: Opo.
Titser: Kung mahilig kang
lumangoy at magpunta sa beach
ay mahilig ka rin sa mga chicks
at nangangahulugang machong-
macho ka. Tama ba ako?
Ponso: Opo, sir. Ngayon po,
naintindihan ko na po ang Logic.
Nang umuwi si Alfonso,
tinanong siya ng kaibigan kung
ano ang napag-aralan, at siyem-
pre ang sagot niya ay Logic.
Isme: Ano ang logic?
Ponso: Ganito yun... may
aquarium ka ba sa bahay?
Isme: Wala.
Ponso: Eh di bakla ka. Yan
ang Logic.
June 15, 2013 27
Celebrate
Fathers
F
athers are normally less
expressive but truth is
they also look forward to
being treated like on top of the
world on Fathers day. Though
they dont say it, it is also their
silent wish that their children
give them extra attention on
their day like how their mates
were treated on Mothers Day.
Some appear to just shrug their
shoulders, but some are also sen-
sitive. Unlike moms, we know
that being served breakfast on
bed is not something that would
really appeal to them. In my
observation, big breakfast served
on the breakfast table would
be their preference. For those
whose palates have not forgot-
ten the taste of Filipino breakfast
would be happy with the tapsi-
log kind with the choice of tapa
or fried bangus, sinangag at itlog
scrambled, poached or over easy.
Tomatoes with itlog na maalat,
cut-up fruits and hot chocolate
or coffee would perfectly com-
plete their expectations. Without
doubt, this would really satisfy
the tummy of the hungry Papa,
Daddy, Pop or Tatay. For others
who are already accustomed to
western breakfast fares would
be contented with pancakes or
toasts, eggs, bacon or sausage,
hash browns or grits, orange
juice and coffee - ala Interna-
tional Pancake House menu. In
this endeavor, mothers are very
much needed for guidance, gro-
cery purchases and all the preps.
On June 16, we honor and
celebrate them. We should try
to give them equal attention like
we did to honor mothers in May.
I heard from a couple of Dads
in the past that their day was
not celebrated as lively as their
wives. In this case, we moms
should give some hint-hints to
our children to show and make
their dads feel the needed self
esteem. Of course they know
that they are loved and respected
as much as moms. Ay naku, ang
amor propio is in play!
In the Philippines back then,
we did not really have these
Mothers Day and Fathers Day
schedules in the calendar. But
I recall my children young as
they were, on one occasion had
made an announcement. It was
kind of a big deal to them. They
gave us titles but so as not to
hurt our feelings, the titles were
of equal importance. With pride
and honor they bestowed upon
us: Daddy the King of the Car
and Mommy the Queen of the
House. In their innocent minds,
kings and queens were the high-
est titles given to royalties in the
childrens books they got hold
of and since my husband drove
our family car often, it became
his dominion and since I moved
a lot in the house, then it was my
territory. How thoughtful, sensi-
tive and creative they were! My
husband whispered to me ang
liit naman ng palasyo ko, gumu-
gulong pa.I retorted quietly,
pasalamat ka hindi ka King of the
Road. We both warmly hugged
and thanked them for these
honors.Now adults, they have
not forgotten these gestures of
love and affection for us. Like-
wise, my husband and I are con-
stantly reminded of the impor-
tance and respect these little chil-
dren gave us from then on.
What Gifts to Give?
For some, choosing the
perfect gift for fathers can be a
nerve-wracking exercise. Dads
with sophisticated palates might
enjoy relaxing in his den, with
family or equally sophisticated
friends with a glass of wine- ne
diamond cut glasses lled with
vintage wines are a great gift for
the important Padre de Familia
with connoisseur taste. This
suggestion is not for everyone,
though.
Actually, the kind of gifts
to give your Tatay* depends on
what type of a guy he is or what
he likes to receive. Is he still in
the ofce workforce, a fashionista
ala GQ, with a hobby, handy-
man or retired already? Dads
are already tired of getting ties,
so when purchasing the gift,
remember to tailor your choice to
what he would really appreciate.
If he is still working in the ofce
shirts or pants would be nice but
if a GQ kind of a guy, then be
sure to get him the classy type
of whatever you will purchase,
meaning a little expensive items.
In the latter case, the giver must
be a higher bracket earner and a
savvy dresser himself or herself.
The handyman type must be
easier to get gifts for and easier
on your pocketbook, too. Shop-
ping at Home Depot or Lowes
would be good with their sale
items. It would be easy to spot the
items that he needed for home
repairs or projects like electric
saw, grass trimmer, water hose
or garden tool set. But of course
the tractor grass mower would
be expensive and most probably
not within the budget. If he likes
shing as a hobby, then new set
of shing rods, big cooler or sh-
ing wear would be appropriate.
If your Papa is already retired,
sets of pajamas or dinner certi-
cates for two would be appropri-
ate. Mama will be happy with
the 2
nd
choice. For some Dads,
they will truly appreciate money
gifts of whatever amount.
*Tatay is the Tagalog name
for Daddy, Papa, Pops, or Papy.
I am reminded of our friends,
Jun and Alma Conty who are
called Tatay and Nanay by their
U.S. born children. The couple
trained their kids early on to call
them this way. I nd it amusing
to hear these English speaking
children with no trace of Filipino
dialect accent when addressing
their parents with pure Tagalog
terminology. I honestly admire
the parents for preserving this
piece of Filipino heritage in their
family but I wonder if their chil-
dren will in turn pass it on to
their own children and down
the line to the succeeding gen-
erations. It will be interesting to
see the effect of this small change
in the Conty family in American
culture in the near future- wish-
ful thinking.
Enjoy Your Dads!
In reality, we nd ourselves
in different and various family
situations. Many of us are blessed
and lucky to have fathers in our
life, but some, unfortunately,
are not in normal situations for
numerous and various reasons
circumstantial or otherwise.
Unfortunately, I do not have a
Daddy to celebrate his day any-
more. He passed away on New
Years Day a couple of decades
ago. In a way I still honor and
remember him by saying silent
prayers.
English Spoken Here
T
he inquiry was spoken
slowly, deliberately.
Doyouspeakand
writeEnglish? Yes, I said,
insulted by the question. Well
enough? She persisted. YES,
I replied more forcefully. Her
eyes expressed doubt. I saw her
mouth move but I blocked out
the rest of her questions. I con-
centrated on the uneven slabs of
stones that lined the oor of the
quaint restaurant.
She continued to talk. My
teeth hurt. It was an effort to
unclench my jaw. I gazed at the
old style windows and counted
the panes. How dare her. I
ignored the knot in my stomach. I
counted two dozen panes before
I felt a pat on my shoulder. The
lecture was over. She gave me
a perfunctory nod and walked
away. You and I will revisit this
humiliation, I promised myself
as I stared at her retreating back.
1990 was a time of restless-
ness for me. My children were in
school during the day. The fre-
netic pace of the early morning
and late afternoon activities bor-
dered midday boredom. I longed
for adult activity, for adult con-
versation.
I followed my husbands
career but his medical practice
had long taken off and my role
as his Girl Friday was greatly
diminished. I became a stay-
at-home mom, not out of any
momentous epiphany, but out of
necessity.
Dominion Valley Garden
Club (DVGC), my ersatz sorority
as my younger daughter called
it, recruited me that year. Mem-
bership was by invitation only
and I was attered to be asked.
A few years after I joined I was
given the responsibility of put-
ting together the club yearbook.
By lling it with my original
poems and illustrations, I devel-
oped what was a dry informa-
tional resource brochure into an
interesting competitive yearbook
which won a national award.
That honor placed DVGC at par
with the rest of the stars of the
National Garden Clubs, Inc.
Soon after that I was asked
to be the club secretary. The
beautifully (and expensively)
wrapped dozen peach roses I
received from the chairwoman
responsible for putting together
the next years slate of ofcers
underscored her desperation.
No one was willing to accept the
job. I was hesitant to take on that
role because by then I had grown
weary of juggling different hats.
My wifely, motherly, and club-ly
duties intersected often and with
exhausting consequences for me.
I was constantly diffusing sev-
eral crises at once.
I was properly vetted and
was deemed more than capable. I
speak and write English, and am
not a native born American. My
journey from a prickly insecure
girl who was mired in academic
sinkhole to a condent woman
took decades, but I detested this
womans assumption. Her role
was not to question my compe-
tence. She was there to swear in
the incoming ofcers. No one
else suffered through this humil-
iating lecture.
I lost face. Nawalan ng
hiya, ng amor propio. So I plot-
ted my revenge. But I must have
done something good in my past
life. Angels knew the negativity
in revenge would destroy me,
so they plotted my redemption
with Karma, the best way they
knew how.
DVGC decided to join the
poetry contest created by the
national organization. Wild-
owers, long regarded as weeds
occupied the lowest rung in the
garden totem pole. But that year
they became the national pet
project. Each local club submit-
ted entries to their state. The state
picked one winning verse that
will be included in the anthol-
ogy, The Wildower. Our state
chose mine.
The Wildower
I will survive the scorching sun
long droughts cant take away
the fun
of giving you my blooms
until the summer is gone
I will survive with least bit of
fare
the least bit of food the earth will
spare
for my needs are meager
I will survive with the least bit of
care
I will survive your lack of praise
your lack of attention, your lack
of passion
for my worth was never mea-
sured
by your newfound admiration.
At the appreciation lun-
cheon, a woman followed me to
the powder room. It was HER,
my bte noir, the lecture lady
from the restaurant. She had a
big smile. Surely not for me, but
Im the only person there. I tried
throwing her my thoughts just
in case she was a mind reader.
Dont ruin it. I can speak Eng-
lish, I tell you. Go away! But
she approached with purposeful
strides.
Myrna Lopez? She asked.
Congratulations! We chose
your poem to represent us!
She beamed. I was one of the
judges. Without missing a beat
she continued. Do you know
why? Because it was passion-
ate! She exclaimed and raised a
st for emphasis.
Without waiting for my
response she turned to retrace
her steps back to the dining hall.
I was left to stare at her retreat-
ing back once again. I wanted to
throw something at her. I made a
witchy face and yelled my frus-
tration instead and started to
laugh. What a self-centered clue-
less person, but the challenge
she lobbed at me, albeit uninten-
tional, unleashed my passion to
write. Lucky me.
June 15, 2013 28 28
$30 per absentee vote?
This is not Tsismis. This is a serious
email send by a Tsismoso dual citizen to
yours truly. He is obviously not happy
about the low absentee voter turnout in
the United States and Sen. Franklin Dril-
ons reaction to it:
Incoming Senate President Frank-
lin Drilon wants the Commission on
Elections and the Department of Foreign
Affairs to explain the low turnout in the
May 13, 2013 mid-term elections. He says
Congress allocated more than P100 mil-
lion to these two ofces to oversee the
absentee voting worldwide. But as it
turned out, only 113,209 out of 737,759
registered voters actually voted. And in
the US, only 14,098 cast their votes out of
93,229 registered voters.
Drilon added: With only 113,209
overseas Filipinos voting. The cost of each
absentee vote is nowP1,310 (about $30)
per vote. This is outrageous. I wonder
how the Comelec and the DFA can justify
these numbers.
Later, among the excuses given by
the Comelec group in charge of absentee
voting was that it was lack of interest
because it was only a mid-term election
and that many voters may have moved to
new addresses. Philippine Ambassador
Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. also made a face-saving
argument that it was a marked improve-
ment of 282 percent compared to 3,602
who voted in 2007 mid-term election.
Medyo bitin yata iyan, pareng Tsismoso.
I suggest that the ambassador or the
DFA write a letter to Drilon saying that
almost 1,000 envelops sent by the Come-
lec for the jurisdiction under the embassy
in Washington DC alone were undeliv-
ered because of wrong addresses or were
not mailed in by the voters because of con-
fusing instructions on how to vote! Many
voters did not have enough information
about the candidates. Some had to ask
friends whom to vote for.
DFA should also suggest that in the
2016 election, the embassies and consul-
ates abroad be given the money and the
power to handle the ballots. If American
diplomats can handle absentee votes,
why not the Filipinos. They are more
intelligent than the Comelec ofcers and
envelop mailers who dont know where
Virginia is.
OAVs in the United States should
launch a campaign to correct this anom-
aly. Reforms are needed, ASAP.
I second the emotion.
***
Who put the lipsticks mark on Presi-
dent Obamas shirt? Bing Branigin says
its Jessicas grandma who positioned her-
self near the door that Obama entered and
asked for permission to kiss him. Because
the President is tall and grandma is short,
she could only reach up to the collar of
the President. Security was lax. Why did
they not intervene or ask what lipstick
grandma was using.
***
June being a month for weddings,
heres how a lovelorn records her feelings
for a man in taglish (Tagalog-English).
We ve been friends for a long time
ago. We come from the same alma
mother. Actually, our paths crossed one
time on another....
But its only now that I gave him a
second look. I realized that beauty is in the
eyes. The pulp-bits of my heart went fast,
really fast. Cute pala siya. And then, he
came over with me.
He said, I hope you dont mine. Can
I get your number?
Nag-worry ako. What if he doesnt
give it back? He explained naman na its
so we could keep intact daw. Sabi ko, con-
nect me if Im wrong but are you asking
me ouch? Nabigla siya. Sagot niya, The!
Aba!
Parang siya pa ang galit! Persona
ingrata!!! Ang kapal niya!
I cried buckles of tears.
Na-guilty yata siya. Sabi niya, isipin
mo na lang na this is a blessing in the sky.
Irregardless daw of his feelings, well go
ouch na rin. Now, were so in love. Mute
and epidemic na ang past. Thanks God we
swallowed our fried. Kasi, Im 33 na and
Im running our time. After 2 weeks, he
plopped the question. Will you marriage
me? Im in a state of shocked. Kasi man-
takin mo, when it rains, its four! This is
true good to be true.
So siyempre, I said yes. Love is a
many splendor.
Pero nung inaayos ko na ang aming
kasal, everything swell to pieces.
Nag-di-dinner kami noon nang
biglang sa harap ng aming table, may
babaeng humirit ng, Well, well, well.
Look do we have here. What the fuss!
The nerd ng babaeng yon! She said they
were still on. So I told her, whatever is
that, cut me some slacks! I didnt want
this to get our hand kaya I had to sip it
in the bud. She accused me of steeling her
boyfriend.
Editorial
Was her death necessary?
On May 29, inside a Costco store in Sterling, Va., Mylene De
Leon Scott was fatally shot by a Loudoun County sheriffs deputy
who claimed that the Filipina worker came at him and another deputy
with a knife. The ofcer said he had no choice but to shoot Mylene
out of self defense.
Mhai, as her friends and family from the Philippines called
her, was a contract worker at Costco who served pizza samples to
customers. According to news accounts, Costco called police because
Mhai was behaving erratically. Although one ofcer tried to subdue
her with a Taser gun, the other ofcer immediately red a volley of
bullets at Mhai when the Taser apparently failed.
The Washington Post has questioned whether Mhais death
was necessary and called for an investigation of the fatal shooting.
Failing to do so will only invite further questions and suspicions
about the prudence of the deputies actions and the circumstances of
Ms. Scotts death, the Post said.
We agree. We also support Mhais family who believe that exces-
sive force was used against their 38-year-old daughter and mother of
two young children.
Filipino American community leaders and the Philippine Ambas-
sador Jose L. Cuisa Jr. have called for an independent and expedi-
tious investigation of the fatal killing. We also call for increased
training of the Loudoun County Sheriffs deputies on the proper use
of force in dealing with people with mental disorders.
Mhais reported divorce and the loss of custody of her kids may
have trigged what psychologists call psychotic episodes, result-
ing in her apparent non-compliance to the ofcers orders. It is
common, psychologists point out, that when extreme circumstances
occur, family members especially in the Filipino community would
not have even known that a person is experiencing mental illness or
depression.
Filipino American leaders must do more community education
to promote mental health treatment. Because of stigma and hiya
(shame), many Filipinos refuse to seek treatment, or may ignore signs
that their family members may be ill. What happened to Mylene and
many others who struggle with mental disorders is a wake up call to
make sure people are able to cope with their emotions and problems
in healthy ways. (Jon Melegrito)
Manila Times
June 15, 2013 29
Life or death
A
couple of weeks ago, a
friend of mine witnessed
a shooting incident inside
the Costco warehouse store in
Sterling, Virginia. He saw part
of the confrontation between
two police ofcers and a young
woman who was later identied
as a Filipino American. It was no
contest. The woman was killed.
According to reported eye-
witness accounts, the womans
work was to give out pizza
samples to Costco customers
inside the store premises. Some-
body called the police when the
woman allegedly was noticed
acting out of the ordinary, mum-
bling incomprehensibly and
appearing upset or angry while
brandishing a knife and a pair of
scissors.
Enter a pair of sheriff depu-
ties from Loudoun County and
the confrontation begins. My
friend saw the ofcers point their
guns to a direction partly cov-
ered by merchandise shelf and
saying Drop it, drop it. Then
he heard gunshots. Then he saw
a woman slumped on the oor
now within his full view.
My friends blood pressure
went up the roof but quickly sta-
bilized upon nding his darling
wife safe after ducking behind
shelves of cheese together with
a lady friend. According to his
wife, a well-meaning Ameri-
can customer pushed her head
down because it was bobbing up
and down as she tried to peek
and see what was going on, not
exactly a textbook technique to
seek cover from ying bullets.
While my friend appreci-
ated the presence of law enforce-
ment ofcers in a situation where
there was an apparent threat to
public safety, he felt sorry for
the fallen woman. He said- In
my younger years, I could have
easily taken that woman down
with a baseball bat. She didnt
have to die. The two police of-
cers could probably disarm the
woman by bumping her with
shopping carts.. He thinks that
two burly ofcers both six foot-
ers could certainly overpower
the confused woman without
deadly force.
Reports say that the sheriff
rst used a Taser gun but that it
didnt work. If it werent a trag-
edy, you could say that it was a
comedy of errors that one of the
ofcers wounded his partner
in the leg. I talked to a retired
police ofcer who spent twelve
years on the beat in the District
of Columbia and after listening
to my account of the incident,
he says- It shows lack of proper
training.
The woman did not hurt
anybody. She did not run amuck.
Did she move in a menacing
manner to threaten the ofcers?
If the ofcers felt threatened, was
it justied to shoot-to-kill instead
of shoot to disable? One bullet to
the pelvic area would likely stop
the woman in her tracks. And if
the ofcers are not good enough
to hit below the abdomen in
a close encounter, they dont
deserve their badge.
The gory slaughter of an off-
duty military man in the streets
of London in broad daylight at
the hands of two political or reli-
Courage essential to independence
I
s a modus vivendi possible
for the Philippines territorial
claims in Sabah and the West
Philippine Sea?
As the Philippines celebrates
her 115th year as a sovereign and
free republic, that sounded like a
relevant question to ask as we lis-
tened to two experts discuss the
dimensions of the countrys mar-
itime claims in the South China
Sea and locally-based physician
Abraham Rasul, a member of the
Sulu royal family talk about the
Philippine claim on Sabah.
Lawyer Henry Bensurto Jr.s
unsurpassed mastery of mari-
time laws especially where it
affects the countrys territorial
claims in the West Philippine Sea
is the reason why we still dont
have a consul-general in Wash-
ington DC. He was slated to
succeed Ding Nolasco but Padre
Faura just cant seem to nd a
suitable replacement for him.
The Department of Foreign
Affairs even created an ofce
just for him Bensurto is Secre-
tary General of the Commission
on Maritime and Ocean Affairs
and reports directly to Foreign
Affairs Secretary Albert del
Rosario.
He delivered to a roomful
of Fil-Am community leaders a
thorough and insightful brief-
ing on the theoretical and prac-
tical foundations of the Philip-
pine claim on the various land
features in the West Philippine
Sea. And as he elded questions
at the 2nd Talakayan sa Philip-
pine Embassy last week (June
6), he was obviously a master of
the subject a little too much, we
thought.
I have to confess I got lost a
couple of minutes into his brief-
ing. If it demonstrated anything
at all it was how complicated
the issue was, notwithstanding
Chinas comical argument for
claiming nearly all of the South
China Sea on the basis of folk-
loric and ancient maps.
The basis of Chinas claim
is absurd and incredulous but
that is irrelevant because they
have a powerful navy thats able
to bully competing claimants
which offered a good segue to
Dela Salle University Professor
Renato de Castro, fresh from
the 3rd annual Center for Strate-
gic International Studies (CSIS)
South China Sea conference here
in DC.
He delved on developments
in Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal,
about a hundred miles west off
the Zambales coastline. While
Bensurto discussed the legal
and diplomatic rudiments of the
Philippines pursuing arbitration
proceedings against China, De
Castro zeroed in on the real-
politik that China employs
against the Philippines and other
claimant nations. The contrast
is nowhere more evident the
Philippines relying on interna-
tional convention and univer-
sally accepted norms of conduct,
and China on naked, unabashed
force and intimidation. Which
will prevail?
As we write this column,
preparations are underway to
give a rousing send-off for the
BRP Ramon Alcaraz, the 2nd
Hamilton-class cutter turned
over by the US Coast Guard to
Opinion
Continued on page 31
Mylene
W
as it too late to save
Mylene De Leon Scott
the day she showed
up for work at a Costco store in
Sterling, giving pizza samples
to customers who were totally
oblivious to what was going on
in her mind?
Anything could have hap-
pened.
But did she have to die?
While shoppers went about
their merry ways lling carts
with stuff and wares and cheer-
fully chatting away, Mylene was
speaking to no one but herself.
Her husband just divorced her.
She had lost custody of her two
children, eight and 12 years old.
Except for an uncle who lives in
the area, the rest of her family
are back home in the Philippines,
totally oblivious to what was
going on in her mind.
A sister said she was just
talking to her on the phone an
hour before and thought she
sounded ne. Her family didnt
have a clue to the rage that was
killing her inside. Until they
were notied that she had just
died.
But Mylene was very much
alive when the cops came hours
earlier. It must have been a slow
day. Witnesses saw eight ofcers
rush inside the store. Two armed
deputies approached Mylene,
their weapons loaded, ready
to re. They barked orders for
Mylene to drop it, referring to
a knife in her hand, a knife she
was using to cut pizza samples
to hand out to customers. But
Mylene didnt respond. Fearing
perhaps for her life. Maybe she
just wasnt in her right mind.
One deputy shot her rst
with a Taser. When that didnt
work, the other ofcer red,
almost immediately, hitting
Mylene with a volley of live
bullets. Not one but ve bul-
lets. Within seconds, Mylene lay
bleeding, killed by a Sheriffs
deputy who was totally oblivi-
ous to what was going on in her
mind.
What made him think the
tiny woman barely ve feet
tall and not much more than
100 pounds who was cut-
ting pizza pieces with a knife
could possibly harm him that he
had to resort to lethal force and
claim self defense? One customer
even said Mylene was nice
and polite. She may have even
smiled.
Was it too late to save
Mylene by the time she showed
up for work at a Costco store in
Sterling? She could have called
in sick. But she needed to work,
to buy food and pay rent. And
to send money home. She had
to work so she can pay a good
lawyer and win back her kids.
They meant the whole world to
her. Without them, everything
else didnt matter.
Yes, all the whole world
talked about was the knife in her
hand and how menacing that
made her look.
But no one knew the rage
inside her head the day she
showed up for work that fateful
afternoon on the twenty-ninth
of May. Only Mylene knew how
painful and cruel it was, the
rejection and the loss. And she
told no one. It was her cross to
bear alone. To even breathe a
word to anyone was unthink-
able. To suffer in silence was her
only option.
All of these are conjectures,
of course. Because we really
dont know what was inside her
head the day she showed up for
work at a Costco store in Ster-
ling. All we know was the knife
in her hand that prompted one
armed deputy to re his gun.
And now shes gone. From
her kids and family. From her
tiny room in her silent world
where she spoke to no one but
herself. And whatever it was
that was in her head, well never
know because shes dead.
I imagine Mylene restlessly
stirring the night before in her
bed, wrestling with her demons
and the darkness in her troubled
soul. What she needed most was
light, not heat. But thats what
she got instead: heat packed in
a holster, burning holes in her
fragile body. In a fog, she needed
more than anything else a guid-
ing hand to a healing place.
How many other Mylenes
are out there, we wonder, pre-
tending everything is ne, smil-
ing even, yet grasping at straws
and struggling to cope? While
everything else around them
buzzes with the normal rituals
and rhythms of shopping and
surviving, the Mylenes of this
world seethe inside, tortured
and tormented, screams muted,
silenced by the shame of know-
ing that somethings horribly
wrong and they couldnt make
Continued on page 31
Continued on page 31
June 15, 2013 30 30
PH beats all Asian economies
MANILA
T
he good news here is that
the Philippine economy
grew by 7.8 percent in the
rst quarter of 2013, besting all
other Asian nations, including
sizzling-hot China. Its also the
highest growth rate in President
Benigno Aquino IIIs tenure.
Manufacturing and the con-
struction sector led the way in
the unprecedented growth. Gov-
ernment and consumer spending
also helped.
Behind the Philippines
were China, which grew by 7,7
percent, Indonesia 6 percent,
Thailand 5.3 percent, and Viet-
nam 4.9 percent.
Mr. Aquino has been on
a roll lately. In the May 13 elec-
tions, nine of his candidates
for senator won, trumping the
opposition, which only won
three senate seats. Although the
results in the local contests (for
congressmen, governor, mayor
and town/city councils) were
mixed for the President, winning
the senate was crucial for him
because the positive outcome
will help him control the national
agenda for the next three years
until he steps down in 2016.
Naturally, the President
and his team were elated by the
election outcome, which blunted
the high popularity of the vice
president, Jojo Binay, who has
announced that he will run
for president in 2016. Binay, a
long-time ally of the Presidents
mother, the late former President
Cory Aquino, has placed himself
with political opponents of Mr.
Aquino.
In a disingenuous fashion,
Binay has been talking from both
sides of his mouth, in one breath
saying hes not in opposition
against Aquino, but in another
campaigned for candidates
who have been critical of the
President. Obviously, Binay is
walking a tightrope because the
President is very popular (Binay
gets slightly higher popularity
poll numbers than Aquino) and
he doesnt want to alienate the
Presidents political base.
But, because hes also pop-
ular, Binay has peeked into the
horizon and it looks bright, his
prospects of winning the presi-
dency are good, and
hes playing his cards rather
carefully.
In this sense, Binay is savvy.
Hes been a political operator
since the mid-1980s when the
battle to topple then dictator
Ferdinand Marcos came to full
throttle. Binay was one of the
young upstarts who gravitated
toward Cory Aquino, who was
seen then as the only national
gure who could rally the people
against Marcos (which she did,
becoming president in 1986).
Being politicaly astute, Binay is
nursing his current popularity
and hopes to ride the tide toward
a presidential victory in 2016.
Mr. Aquino (PNoy to the
media, Noynoy to his family)
will not be anointing Binay as
his presidential bet in 2016. His
anointed will be former senator
and currently interior secretary
Mar Roxas, who gave way so
Aquino could run for president
in 2010.
But 2016 is an eternity away.
What happens between now and
then will have a tremendous
impact on who between Roxas
and Binay will become president.
The current orthodoxy says that
Binay has front-runner status.
But thats just it: front-runner,
not a cinch.
The recent good news
(which also includes improved
marks from global economic
rating agencies) gives Aquino
a rmer handle on things. The
challenge to him and his admin-
istration is how to keep coming
up with positive results, enough
for the people to appreciate and
to give their blessings when the
time comes to vote for Aquinos
successor in 2016.
Part of the challenge is how
to silence the usual critics who
always see the glass as half-
empty instead of half-full. As is
their usual wont, the naysayers
here threw cold water on the
Aquino administrations party
mood over the 7.8 percent rst-
quarter economic growth. But
the growth hasnt reached the
poor, they snorted.
Of course, theyre right, the
economic growth hasnt fully
beneted everyone in the coun-
try, for that takes time. And
theyre right to point that out.
But their way of challenging the
Aquino administration is too
negative. Why not congratu-
late the administration for its
feat and then challenge it to do
better, instead of dismissing the
Beyond the
Deadwood
T
he secret is busting out all
over, as a 1956 Broadway
tune puts it. The Vatican
isnt talking. Neither is the Cath-
olic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines .
Pope Francis will y here
early January 2016. Hell attend
the 51
st
International Eucharis-
tic Congress in Cebu City. Pope
Paul VI came in November 1970
--- and a Bolivian psycho tried to
stab him. Pope John Paul II vis-
ited in 1981 and 1985.
Could the Philippine meet-
ing be moved up from May
2016, dates set in Dublin, asked
Archbishop Piero Marini. He
heads the pontical committee
on International Eucharistic Con-
gresses. The Pope traditionally
attends World Youth Day, just
after May, The CBCP thus reset
the Congress to January 25 to
31, 2016.. That comes after Cebu
marks the annual Santo Nino
festival.
The Philippines may be
on Pope Francis travel itinerary
in 2016, said Cebu Archbishop
Jose Palma, who heads CBCP.
We told ( Rome ) that January
was ne. Our suggestion was to
make the Popes visit to the Phil-
ippines a priority, .
Barely two months into
ofce, Francis already has
changed the tone of the papacy
, New York Times notes. The
shift does not stem from con-
crete changes or setting an ambi-
tious policy agenda. Rather, they
ow from Francis emphasis on
attention to the poor. ( His ) style
is more akin to that of a parish
priest, albeit one with one billion
parishioners
He still refuses to live in
papal apartments. Theres
enough room there for 300
people, he said. He lodges in
the spartan Casa Santa Marta
residence inside the Vatican.
There, he eats dinner in the com-
pany of lower-ranking priests
and visitors.
Simplicity cuts thru institu-
tional deadwood. That didnt
start after Francis election. He
put aside the ermine cape and
red shoes handcrafted by the
papal cobbler. Wear them if you
want, Monsignor, he said. But
the carnival is over.
In Buenos Aires , then Car-
dinal Borgolio turned over his
sprawling residence for nuns
to use as a hospice. Instead, he
lived in a two door apartment
and took the bus to work. Are
a few simple gestures such a big
deal?,
Francis reaches people
whether discussing his grand-
mother to his decision to become
a priest, Reuters reports. While
praying before going to bed, I
doze off from fatigue . but ( God
) understands.
If we step outside of our-
selves, we will nd poverty,
Do more. Seek out those on the
fringes of society who need help
the most, he said Today, the
news is scandals, but the many
children who dont have food ---
thats not news.
Immigration Notes
By J.G. Azarcon, Esq.
Hope for
the undocu-
mented
A
lthough there appears
to be a consensus to do
something about reform-
ing the current immigration
system, including addressing the
undeniable presence of millions
of aliens without lawful status,
it is premature for those who
could benet from a new law to
celebrate. The bipartisan work
product of the so-called Gang of
Eight Republican and Democrat
senators is now going through
a gauntlet of proposed amend-
ments. It is still uncertain what
will come out of the congressio-
nal debates.
Whats in it for the undocu-
mented aliens?
The proposed bill creates a
new category for certain aliens
who are currently unlawfully
present and who entered the
U.S. before December 31, 2011, to
adjust status to that of Registered
Provisional Immigrant (RPI).
Dependent spouses and chil-
dren of RPIs may apply if they
are physically present in the U.S.
on the date RPI status is granted
and on or before December 30,
2012.
The initial duration of the
RPI status is for six years unless
revoked and may be extended
for additional six years if the
alien satises any applicable
federal tax liability and demon-
strates regular employment and
is not likely to become a public
charge and generates income not
less than 100% of the poverty
level. Exempted from the income
requirement are aliens under 21
years of age at the time of the
rst extension, those over sixty
on the date of ling, RPI depen-
dents and those with disability.
RPIs are authorized to work
in the U.S may travel and return
without a visa provided that the
trip is not more than 180 days.
Who are eligible to apply?
The alien must be physi-
cally present in the US on the
date the application is submitted
and must be physically present
on or before December 31, 2011
and maintain continuous physi-
cal presence from December 31,
2011 until RPI status is granted.
There are bars to eligibil-
VISA PRIORITY DATES FOR THE PHILIPPINES
MAY 2013
FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES
First: Unmarried sons/daughters
of US citizens Jan. 01, 2000
Second:
A: Spouses/minor children of
permanent residents: Jun. 08, 2011
B: Unmarried sons/daughters 21 years
of age or older of permanent residents Nov. 01, 2002
Third: Married sons/daughters of citizens Nov. 15, 1992
Fourth: Brothers/sisters of citizens Nov. 08, 1989
EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES
First: Priority workers Current
Second: Professionals holding advanced
degrees or persons of exceptional ability Current
Third: Skilled workers, professionals Sep. 22, 2006
Other Workers Sep. 22, 2006
Fourth: Current
Certain Religious Workers Current
Fifth: Employment creation/
(Million or half-million dollar investor) Current
Continued on page 31
Continued on page 31
June 15, 2013 31
it right.
Until they snap. Like the
grandma who killed her grand
daughter. Like the teacher who
hang herself. Like the teenage
son who put a bullet through his
head. And now this, a 38-year-
old mother they fondly called
Mhai, who brought two beauti-
ful daughters out of her womb,
nurtured them for as long as she
could.
Was it too late to save
Mylene the day she showed up
for work, handing out pizza
samples and talking to herself?
Maybe if she was assured she
could hug her kids again, shed
be in a different place, where
theres forgiveness, compassion
and grace.
The English poet, John
Donne, wrote that no one is an
island, that each persons death
diminishes us, for we are all part
of humanity. Therefore, the
poem goes, send not to know
for whom the bell tolls.
It tolls for thee.
Send your comments to
jdmelegrito@gmail.com
Mylene... from page 29
gious fanatics more than a month
ago is an excellent demonstra-
tion of skillful police action. The
responding police ofcers were
confronted on the scene of the
crime by two men brandishing
butcher knives and a gun while
standing by close to a dismem-
bered body. The police ofcers
shot the suspects who survived
and were both taken alive.
The public must feel con-
dent that in times of peril,
agents of the government would
respond promptly to ensure
their safety. But for the public
to feel that they have a friend
inside that police uniform, the
police should rid its ranks of trig-
ger happy gunslingers who do
not have the good sense and the
good shot to preserve life.
the Philippines, as it leaves South
Carolina for the long voyage to
Manila via the Panama Canal.
Her sister ship, the BRP
Gregorio del Pilar, now the Phil-
ippine Navy agship, sparked
the Scarborough Shoal last year
when it tried to arrest Chinese
shermen caught in agrante
harvesting protected marine spe-
cies. Within hours, the solitary
Del Pilar was surrounded by sev-
eral Chinese civilian maritime
enforcement ships. The Philip-
pines was compelled to send a
smaller Coast Guard vessel to
keep the confrontation civil-
ian but this too was pulled out
after a supposed agreement for
both sides to withdraw its ships.
China reneged on the deal and
has since barred Filipino sher-
men from the shoal.
There are unconrmed
reports China was building a per-
manent structure similar to what
it did in Mischief Reef, hundreds
of miles to the south near the
Palawan coastline. One ofcial
told us the Philippines could not
verify the report because China
has imposed a 15-kilometer-
radius virtual fence that pre-
vents Philippine ships or planes
from going to the area.
Well, the Philippine Navy
can if they wanted to but that
would risk a dangerous confron-
tation and after the deadly are-
up with Taiwan, Malacanang
obviously has no appetite for
picking another ght. It has
instead asked Filipino shermen
to avoid Scarborough Shoal until
the government can resolve the
impasse although it offered no
timetable or alternative for Fili-
pino shermen whore report-
edly losing half a million pesos a
month in lost income.
Dr. Rasul, on the other
hand, provided an interesting
and sometimes amusing per-
sonal account of how the Philip-
pine claim to Sabah came about.
A preoccupation with pearls, a
misunderstanding about how
one word should be translated
(from Arabic to English script)
and repeated blunders have left
the heirs of the Sulu sultanate
impoverished today.
The share of territory is
linked to a formula that estab-
lished how much each branch of
the royal family should get from
the 5,000 ringgit (about P77,000)
paid annually under the terms of
the 1878 lease or cede (that
is the dispute with translation)
with the defunct British North
Borneo Company. The branch
now led by the ailing Jamalul
Kiram III has one of the minor
shares.
Dr. Rasul stressed that the
history of Muslim Mindanao is
an integral part of the Filipino
heritage (although he contends
that the Sultanate erred in sur-
rendering its claim to the Philip-
pine government).
A total of 68 people most of
them Filipino followers of Jam-
alul III were killed in the 3-week
standoff in Lahad Datu, Sabah. It
was a tragic misadventure that
got little or no sympathy from
the leadership in Manila.
Courage essential... from page 29
Life or death... from page 29
ity. Felony conviction and three
or more misdemeanors, foreign
offenses that would render the
person inadmissible or deport-
able if committed in the U.S.,
terrorism and unlawful voting
will disqualify the alien. Aliens
with three or four misdemeanors
can apply for waiver based on
humanitarian ground to ensure
family unity or if it is in the
public interest.
To obtain RPI status, the
alien must le an application
within one year from the date of
the publication of the nal rule
in the Federal Register, satisfy all
tax liabilities and pay a ling fee
and penalty of $1,000.00.
Can RPIs become perma-
nent residents?
Adjustment to lawful per-
manent residence status for RPIs
is not automatic. They can only
apply for green card status after
the Secretary of State certies that
immigrant visas have become
available for all approved peti-
tions that were led before the
date of enactment of the reform
law. In other words, they cannot
jump ahead of the line. They still
have to meet certain require-
ments, including paying all tax
liability, continuous employ-
ment, knowledge of English and
civics, proof of selective service
registration and meeting cer-
tain criteria in the merit-based
system for immigrant visas.
Hope for the... from page 30
and highly-nanced group of
manufacturers and peddlers of
illicit drugs in the Greater Met-
ropolitan Manila area. The ille-
gal group was discovered by the
police reporter Rod Reyes of the
then Manila Times when Reyes
had broken the coded word,
chokaran, which when the syl-
lables are transposed, spelled
karancho. The word referred to
those individuals working inside
and for the ranch. The expose
gained national recognition and
fame. What followed thereafter
was a spillover of college stu-
dent gangs, exclusive clubs, the
use of aliases, and associations
of students whose purpose was
outside the exemplary goals of
sanctioned university and col-
lege fraternities and sororities.
The word pinoy is a lazy
mans play on the word, Filipino.
Even if it is taken as an idiom, it
does not have any core. It has no
linguistic value because it does
not reect any point of contact
with any period in the history
of the Philippines. The arrival
of the American educators and
teachers aboard the USS Thomas
in the early 1900s was part of a
US policy to educate the Fili-
pinos on the western values
and ways of thinking. Long
before their arrival, the country
had already an existing body of
literature, both oral and written.
Accomplished writers in Span-
ish and few dialects and artists
in different media were already
recognized. The imposition of
the Thomasites into the Filipi-
nos cultural life did not include
creative writings. And this in the
long run, propelled writers, legit
and would-bes, to explore the
unlimited boundaries of Eng-
lish usage. Headline writers and
copy editors of national and local
newspapers in the Philippines
are the known culprits in this
cultural travesty. First, they used
RP to mean the Republic of the
Philippines, then they switched
to PH or Ph, and later on to
Php which also means the des-
ignation of the countrys money
currency. The word pinoy was
reluctantly incorporated into
the bodies of news stories about
15 years ago. Constant usage
through the years has legiti-
mized its use in by writers and
editors in headlines, sub-head-
lines, even in what they term
the hammer. Now, they are
even using PNoy. And we all
know who that is.
The richness of a nations
culture and the quality of life
lived by her citizens and descen-
dants are shaped by the use of a
language that has close relations
with the countrys history. We
all want to be known and rec-
ognized as Filipinos or Filipino-
descendants whenever we travel
outside the island conclaves, and
we all want to receive effective
responses to our ofcial corre-
spondence, messages not written
in codes but in the use of words
acceptable as duly representa-
tives of our personal goals and
aims.
Of course, pinoy is an
affectationbetween and among
friends, relatives, compatri-
ots, and those who we call the
natives. But pinoyis claimed
by some to have had its historical
and cultural connections. Really?
Pinoy use it or lose it!
(NOTE: This column made its
last appearance in October 1999.
The long hibernation in the dark
cave is over, waking up to face the
warmth of the sun)
On Our Own Coded... from page 25
growth as not reaching all? Its
still growth, after all.
Politicians and their opera-
tives who have an agenda that
is in
conict with Mr. Aquinos
(like a Binay presidency in 2016)
have been working to under-
mine Aquinos performance and
popularity. That is evident in,
for example, letters to newspa-
per editors that always present
a dim view of the Presidents
actions. But they remain a small
minority, as shown by surveys
that show Aquino as still very
popular.
Expect the demolition work
of those opposed to him to esca-
late in the near future and espe-
cially in the two years preceding
the 2016 presidential election.
Meantime, Aquino has got
his work cut out for him: how to
consolidate his successes so far
and continue to build on them.
Its important to clarify that
the 7.8 percent growth is only for
the rst quarter of 2013. So many
things could happen between
now and year-end to demolish
such gain.The Philippines is a
regular destination for climatic
disturbances and other natural
calamities such as typhoons and
ooding that wreak havoc on
infrastructure, crops and private
property. Such destruction, in
turn, has a tremendous impact
on the overall economy.
So, the phenomenal
growth in one quarter could be
wiped out if disasters come and
visit the country and sow mas-
sive destruction.
Overall, the Philippine
economy is expected to grow
this year by six to seven per-
cent, which would still be a great
accomplishment.
But poverty is still wide-
spread, and the government will
have to stimulate further invest-
ments into the economy, more
government and private-sector
spending in infrastructure, more
money-churning activity like
tourism, increased productivity
in manufacturing, higher agri-
cultural output (which has been
very low in recent years), as
well as more consumer spend-
ing (which, ironically, has been
relatively robust despite a high
jobless rate).
So, its worth remember-
ing that theres still two-and-
one-third quarters on the 2013
calendar and the government
must ensure that all cylinders
are working to enable the coun-
try to nish the year with a high
annual growth rate. Its in Mr.
Aquinos interest to keep whip-
ping up his men and women in
the Cabinet in order to maintain
high productivity.
Aquino is not yet on a
legacy mode -- meaning, work-
ing on earning a good place for
himself in history. That will
come in the homestretch of his
term. What he needs to do at
this time is to ensure positive
economic growth, no major scan-
dals, better handling of emer-
gencies (like the unfortunate
mishandling of a hostage-taking
of Hongkong tourists in his rst
year in ofce), and the percep-
tion that every one of his people,
including him, is hard at work to
improve the lives of the people.
The people expect him to be suc-
cessful in at least the last of the
preceding enumeration.
PH beats all Asian... from page 30
June 15, 2013 32 32