Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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DoH Secretary Enrique Ona dialogues with FilAm doctors, leaders. At right is Dr. J. Montero.
WASHINGTON D.C. - The US Senate last week opened hearings on the immigration reform bill that will, among others, allow unlimited number of immigrant visas per year for spouses, children and parents of US citizens and permanent legal residents but will eliminate their brothers and sisters. This was the analysis of the DC-based Capitol Immigration Law Group of The Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 crafted by the socalled Gang of Eight and released on April 17. Already, some Republican senators have raised the issue of laxed border security and linked
Sen. Patrick Leahy (2nd from left) presides at hearing with, from left, Sens. Chuck Grassley, Diane Feinstein and Chuch Schumer. Meanwhile, FilAm activthe Boston Marathon bombings to foreigners who were granted green cards or citizenship without proper background checks. ists and labor groups have announced plans to continue the
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LOS ANGELES - Out of an estimated 1.2 million un documented Asians in the United States, about half are Filipinos, accrding to a report in the Asian Journal. Earlier estimates put the number at about 300,000. Citing some Asian and Filipino-American immigrant groups, the Asian Journal said the undocumented Filipinos will be most affected, if certain family-based immigrant visas will be limited or even removed from any proposed reform legislation. The Asian Journal said a Filipino Migrant Centers immigration forum was conducted on April 3 at the First Lutheran Church in Long Beach, California, to address some of the Filipinos immigration concerns. The forum answered several questions about immigration raised by members of the Filipino community in the United States in line with the countrys upcoming comprehensive immigration reform bill. Panelists Betty Hung of the Asian Pacic American Legal Center and policy consultant Cynthia Buiza elded questions that Filipinos raised about immigration concerns, especially those pertaining to undocumented immigrants. There are a lot of undocumented Filipinos in our community- adults and youths. Its important for them and the immigrant community to understand what is going on so they can make the right decision when this legislation comes out, the Asian Journal quoted Buiza as saying.
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chosen delegates will take part in an immersive program in the Philippines from 7 to 9 July and will likewise participate in the 8th Ambassadors, Consuls General and Tourism Directors Tour (ACGTDT) from 9 to 11 July. Consul Fernandez said the special FYLPro program will afford them the opportunity to meet and dialogue with the highest ofcials and policymakers in the Philippines, leaders of industry, legislators, media, artists and cultural experts, entrepreneurs both traditional and social, as well as innovators in different elds. According to Consul Fernandez, applicants should be no younger than 18 years old or no older than 40 years old by July 1. They should be ready to travel by this date (i.e. have a valid passport for international travel). The chosen participants are expected to commit time, skills, and resources to engage with the Philippine Foreign Service posts in the United States in ways which would advance the causes and interest of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans. The application form for the search may be accessed at the following link, http://www.philippineembassy-usa.org/uploads/ pdfs/embassy/2013/20130315-FYLPro.docx, or interested parties may contact the Philippine Foreign Service post in the US, which has jurisdiction over their place of residence. The deadline for submission of applications is 30 April 2013. The names of the chosen delegates will be announced on the website of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., www.philippineembassy-usa.org, on 15 May 2013
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MIAMI - Four Filipinos coming back to their Miami Beach hotel after watching a basketball game in Fort Lauderdale were killed on the evening of April 2 when a SUV Suburban being chased by police slammed their vehicle head-on along Interstate 95. All four victims were of Filipino descent. One was an ofcer of the U.S. Navy while two were representatives of Ayala-owned Alveo Land Company. The four died instantly when the SUV made a wrong way turn toward I-95 and collided with their Kia minivan which was going south. The Kia burst into ames, killing all four passengers and driver. The Florida Highway Patrol identied the victims as Dennis Ryan Rinon Ortiz, 33, of Daly City, California; Albertson Anthony Almase, 31, and his sister, Kristina, 26, both of Fort Lauderdale; and Lily Marie Azarcon, 26, of the Philippines. Willie Dummel, 26, identied by police as the driver of the wrong way vehicle, was taken to the Memorial Regional Hospital for treatment of broken legs. He was later found to be an ex-con who was carrying a false identity card. Opa-locka ofcers said Cpl. Sergio Perez, quit pursuing when the SUV enter the was ung out of the SUV, and that the gun had been recovered near the crash scene.
The victims: Kristina Almase, Lily M. Azarcon, Dennis Ortiz and A. Almase. property representatives from a group of ve who were sent a few months ago by Ayala Land to sell condominium properties to the Filipino American market. Almase was a petty ofcer 2nd class in the U.S. Navy. He had served in San Diego and was about to begin his next assignment in Virginia. Kristina, on the other hand, reportedly just got married in December and moved to Fort Lauderdale, from Cebu City, Philippines in March. Meanwhile, a close associate of the victims who refused to be named told the media that the Almases were a friend of Azar-
Willie Dumerel, driver, suffered foot injuries. representative, the rest of them refused to join Ortiz and Azarcon to watch the basketball in Fort Lauderdale. They were trying to convince us to go (with them) but we preferred to stay in the hotel (located in James Avenue, Miami Beach). Ortizs sister, Rochel, apparently ew from the Bahamas to Miami the next day to arrange for the transfer of the victims remains to San Francisco.
The burnt wreck of the Kia SUV. interstate going the wrong way, according to news reports. The city claimed that a gun Ortiz, a graduate of the Ateneo School of Business, was the International Sales Director
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deadline. But Los Angeles resident Mae Espiritu is not waiting until the last minute. She lled out and mailed her ballot on Sunday. I feel that its my responsibility as an overseas Filipino to help make sure that only the best candidates get elected, said Espiritu, 22. Im doing this not just for myself but for my fellow Filipinos back home. Rey Ganon, who has dual citizenship, said he has already received his ballot from the Comelec, but was not yet ready to vote on Sunday. Ive already picked my rst six senators, but Im still doing more research to help me pick the other six, he said. Barber-De la Vega, who noted that the number of registered voters nearly doubled for this election, expressed hope the number of actual voters would similarly increase. She reminded voters that those who failed to cast their votes in two previous elections can reactivate their registrations by showing up at the consulate ofce within the voting period. The Comelec reversed its earlier ruling deactivating some 237,000 OAVs for failing to vote in the last two elections. The list of overseas voters who failed to vote in two consecutive elections can be found in the Comelec and Department of Foreign Affairs websites. The list is also posted at the consulate. Out of the more than 700,000 registered OAVs, 125,604 are in the Americas, according to the Comelec. Polling precincts in Philippine embassies and consulate ofces serving large numbers of absentee voters have been equipped with precinct countoptical scan (PCOS) machines.
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UNION CITY, California The New Haven Unied school board has approved the renaming of a school here to honor two FilAm leaders who helped Cesar Chavez organize the farm labor movement in the 60s. Slated to become the nations rst school named in honor of FilAm labor leaders Larry Itliong and Philip Vera-Cruz is the Alvarado Middle School. But the name change will only take effect in September, 2015. The renaming process, deemed murky and rushed even by supporters, has left the school community divided. The school board voted 3-2 on April 16 to rename to Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle School because it seemed a good t for Union City, where one of every ve residents and one of every three students is of Filipino heritage. But Lance Nishihira, a Union City parent who opposed the name change, said the school board did not follow its established policy, which says a renaming should occur only after a thorough study. And by disregarding a signicant part
The proposed Vera-Cruz-Iliong Middle School Philip Vera-Cruz of the citys opinion, Nishihira said the board opened community wounds that wont be easy to heal. The damage has already been done, and we have learned that we now need to keep an eye on this school board, he said. School board member Michael Ritchie, who voted against the name change, said the acrimonious situation could have been avoided if school board President Linda Canlas had communicated better with the schools parents and neighbors. Im particularly disappointed in our board president that she didnt try to nd a way to help mend the community rather than create this problem that we now have, said Ritchie, whose proposal to name other buildings after the labor leaders was rejected by board members. Canlas started the process in January, when a committee was tasked with providing renaming options for Alvarado Middle School. The school was targeted because Juan Bautista Alvarado -- a 19th-century Mexican governor -- is well-represented in Union City, where a neighborhood, an elementary school, two streets and a park already carry his name. The Filipino-American community -- thwarted in past efforts to honor Itliong and Vera Cruz -- jumped on the issue, holding rallies and packing school board meetings to show visible support. The citys Filipino-American community has pledged to raise money to pay all of the renamings fees. Originally estimated to cost $10,000, school district ofcials now say the tab will be about $15,000, and an additional $25,000 in school uniforms and other inventory will have to be replaced.
Larry Itliong Kari McVeigh, New Havens superintendent of schools, said the price has grown because the school has more signage and inventory to replace than previously estimated. McVeigh said she has faith that any community divisions can be healed.
Sharon Stone star equated being Filipino with being stupid, and ordered her not to speak in front of her children so they would not talk like you. Stone also banned Elemen from reading the Bible in the actresss home, even though the live-in nanny looked after the actresss three children and frequently traveled with them. Elemen, who was hired in October 2006 and was promoted to head live-in nanny two years later, was dismissed in February 2011, after Stone learned she was paid overtime when traveling with the children and on holidays. In 2011, the actress was ordered to pay $232,000 in compensation to a worker who injured his knee after slipping and falling in her backyard in 2006.
Guillermo Rigondeaux connects a left on Nonito Donaires chin. eye, Donaire said its time to rest. He fought four times last year and won them all, and was named the 2012 Fighter of the Year. He hasnt lost in 30 ghts in the last 12 years, in the process winning world titles in the lightyweight, yweight, bantamweight and super-bantamweight divisions. But it all came to a screeching halt last Sunday at the Radio City in New York. Rachel is scheduled to give birth to their rst child, a boy, in July. As they await his arrival, Donaire said he will go under the knife for an injured right shoulder. Then he plans to return to action by October -- as a featherweight. In a message to his fans, Donaire said: I know they (fans) are sad and I apologize for not getting the win. But Ill be back and Ill be better, he promised.
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Text and photo By Maurese O. Owens
bers during the solemn Lighting Ceremony which was of the oath-taking. Ms Mendoza, treasurer. Febes Galves anTeresia Delima, serve as auditor and asst. auditor, respectively.
The Philippine Nurses Association of Metropolitan DC, Inc. (PNAMDC) held its induction of ofcers for year 201315 last April 6 at The Hilton, in Springeld, Virginia. PNA National President Victoria B. Navarro administered the oath of ofce to the new ofcers, led by Leonora Mendoza as president, with Lorna Imperial Seidel as president-elect. Photo above shows the new ofcers and board mem-
the incoming president, is to the right of the podium, Philippine Consul Elmer Cato who presented a special message and Buen Abo who sang an inspirational song. Other ofcers sworn in were Vivian Sola, recording secretary; Emilie Dearing, asst. recording secretary; Prima Colburn, corresponding secretary and Achilles Amados, asst. corresponding secretary; Carol Robles, treasurer and Mila Caria, asst.
Public Relations Ofcers are Elsa Aquino, Alicia de Leon, Trinidad Padama, Rosabella dela Pena, Lourdes Careaga, Zeny Amado and Joy Arellano. The new Board of Directors are Alice Andam, Diana Comiso, Emma dela Rosa, Marissa Usman, Resurreccion Jao and Teresita Samoy. PNA Accomplishments. The auspicious affair was a testimony to the vitality of the association whose success reects the leadership of 9 presidents in its
ANA Passenger Sales Supervisor Odette Martinez, a Filipino American, celebrated her 22 years with the award-winning airline last January. ANA VP and GM Yoshiharu Naoki (standing) with Maintenance manager Atsushi Chiba modeling as a passenger in the business cabin seat which reclines to 180 degrees to turn it into a fully at bed. into a fully-at bed, more arm room, wider aisle space and leadership that set the bar for the entire global airline industry. available three to four times a week (otherwise operated by the conventional Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.) Ana First Square offers the
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the Bahamian capital of Nassau this month to convey the request. Ofcials from the Bahamian side who met with the Filipino team included Bahamas foreign affairs and labor ministers and the chief of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, said the Embassy in a statement. During the meeting, Bahamian ofcials recognized the Filipino communitys contribution to the islands, the Embassy said. Filipinos in the Bahamas are mostly employed as domestic helpers, medical workers, cooks
Philippine Consul General Ariel R. Penaranda, Labor Attche Luzviminda Padilla and the consular staff undertook an outreach mission to the Bahamas April 5. They paid courtesy calls on top local ofcials, met with Honorary Consul Gonzalo Bolisay and tended to the needs of Filipinos residing there. Photo shows Consul Penaranda and Bolisay posing with Filipinos in the Bahamas who renewed their passprots and sought other consular services. But (Philippine Embassy Photo by Lyra Ocampo) and hotel employees. The Philippine side meanwhile aired its concern about the new labor policy. The Embassy said the ofcials voiced their concern over the reported plan of Bahamas authorities to suspend the issuance of work permits to foreign workers as this would impact negatively on Filipino workers there. Bahamian ofcials then explained that the new policy aimed to give jobs to unemployed locals.
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By Rodney J. Jaleco
Thousands of Filipino doctors, engineers, teachers and other successful professionals and entrepreneurs in the US and around the world are prepared to share their talents, skills and experiences to the country of their birth! But the Philippines does not seem to be ready to accept them, according to Dr. Johnny Montero. Instead of welcoming their paybacks, the government has imposed a lot of impediments along the way. Now, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas which is aware of the problem is launching a three-year Balinkbayan project to build a one-stop portal so that it will be easier for doctors and other professionals to share their expertise. CFO chair Imelda Nicolas, who is very much aware of the problem experienced by FilAm doctors is set to tap the talent pool of overseas Filipinos most of whom have acquired skills and experiences abroad, according to Dr. Johnny Montero. The launching of the project is expected to be held in June to coincide with Philippine independence day. For instance, Dr. Domingo Alvear, founder of the World Surgical Foundation in Pennsylvania, lamented that we seem more wlecome in other countries than our motherland. Our generation is very loyal to the Philippines and we will continue to help regardless of how we are perceived. Our life span is short and if the Philippines do not recognize and use our talents, they lose, he added. Chicago-based Dr. Cesar Co for his part told Bong in Virginia blog: We are all getting older. Most of us are developing agerelated issues. The Government of our Mother Country has failed to tap an enormous work force of retired Filipino doctors, nurses and health care providers worldwide. First generation immigrants (like many FilAm doctors and nurses) are more likely than those farther removed to be actively engaged with their countries of origin; many have close family members there, own property, and follow social and political events closely, explained Susanna Groves, an associate policy analyst of the DC-based Migrant Policy Institute (MPI). Dr. Alvear, whose recent assistance to the Culion, Palawan hospital was featured in the Manila Mail April 15, 2013, said hes been doing medical missions in the Philippines for the past 5 years and feels hes only got 2 more years left for the rigors of frequent travel and volunteer work. Many of us only ask for acceptance by our colleagues back home. We are not competitors. Our desire is to serve, stressed Dr. Co. He said many volunteers are brought to tears seeing the enormity of the needs and the lack of equipment and resources to meet them.
Dr. Johnny Montero Dr. Conrad Zapanta, an otolaryngologist from Harrisonburg, Va. said hes been joining medical missions in Ifugao since 1989.We are not supported by any organization and we pay our own way, he revealed, although I retired last year, I will continue to organize and lead surgical medical missions to the Philippines, the land of my birth. The ultimate solution, Dr. Jimmy Montero of Virginia Beach surmised, is a government initiative to create a subCabinet level agency to act as a clearing house/sounding board, whose only job description is to facilitate the process of expatriates giving back to their mother-
President Benigno S. Aquino III long-term consequences still unknown.Aquino landed in the category of Leaders together with such leaders like US President Barrack Obama. launched the roadshow in Los Angeles because of its role as the Philippines primary gateway for US trade since 1992. She said Los Angeles also handles 25 percent of total US trade with the Philippines, which is also its 16th largest trading partner.
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one-day celebration of faith and heritage, said Fred Semendy, executive chairman of the event co-sponsor Asian Pacic Catholic Network (APC-Network) of the mid-Atlantic Region. It is open to everyone. The Shrine is located at 400 Michigan Avenue Northeast, Washington, D.C. 20017. Participating communities include Bengali, Burmese, Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Lebanese, Indonesian, Indian (Latin, Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara rites), Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Montagnard, Pakistani, Samoan, Sri Lankan, Tongan, Thai and Vietnamese American Catholics. The celebration will begin at 1 p.m. with a procession with many of the Marian images venerated throughout Asia and the Pacic. It is followed by a call to prayer and the Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The recitation of the rosary will follow at 2 p.m., with each mystery lead by a different Asian community. A multilingual mass at 2:30 p.m., with Bishop Barry C. Knestout, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, as celebrant, will cap the event. Last year, the event drew over 800 participants, including several who came with their families. As in the past, the pilgrimage is sponsored by the APCNetwork), in collaboration with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Secretariat on Cultural Diversity. Sr. Anna Nguyen is the USCCB Assistant Director of Asian Pacic Island Affairs.
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Angelica Boots Felixberto and divorce, and pretty much characteristic of a midlife crisis, I yearned to go back to my rst love of writing. From living over a decade in Boston, Massachusetts, I nally decided to move to the Washington DC area. With family support, I am nally able to trek back to the journey I wanted to go to in the rst place. Every turn, every chapter in my life, happened for a reason, making me a more sensitive writer, and hopefully a better person.
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tion Romulo Hall, Philippine Embassy. Contact: Julian Oteyza at julianoteyza@gmail.com or 703.969.5469 May 30 (Wednesday) 6:308:30pm. PAFC Planning Meeting for Philippine Festival and Asian Festival. 12700 Fair Lakes Circle, Suite 120, Fairfax, VA 22033 Contact: Aylene Mafnas 703 868 5660 June 2 (Sunday) Maryland Philippine Festival. Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, MD. Call for performers and vendor. Interested parties may contact Luis Florendo at l_florendo@yahoo.com June 6 and 13 (Thursdays) 6:30-8:30pm. PAFC Planning Meeting for Philippine Festival and Asian Festival. June 6 at Philippine Multi-Cultural Center, Oxon Hill, MD June 13 at 12700 Fair Lakes Circle, Suite 120, Fairfax, VA 22033 Contact: Aylene Mafnas 703 868 5660 June 15 (Saturday) 6:00pm12:00pm. Philippine Independence Gala Ball. JW Marriott Washington, DC. Continues the tradition of celebrating Independence Day with Philippine Embassy dignitaries, the FilAm community, special guests. $85; premier seats $110. Contact: Nanette Carreon at NSuyat1681@ aol.com. 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. Contact 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 & Continental Breakfast; 8:30am Tee Time or Shotgun. Contact: Pepito Solis 703)979-0838 or.p2solis@gmail.com June 30 (Sunday) PAFC Philippine Festivals Community Picnic and Sports Fest. Fun and food, games for children and sports for grownups plus a cultural show and a band marathon pull the community together. Special Feature: Parada ng Lechon, Tucker Road Recreational 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. Contact 703-569-1054. July 27-28 (Sat-Sun) Asian Festival with Philippine Village at Fairfax Government Center. Cultural performances and food from different Asian countries; product and service booths, childrens area and more. Contact: Bing Branigin at mcbranigin@aol.com.
If you would like to include your organizations event in this calendar, kindly send your information to Maurese Oteyza Owens at mpapoose@aol.com. May 2 (Thurs), 6:30-8:30pm. PAFC Planning Meeting for Philippine Festival and Asian Festival. 12700 Fair Lakes Circle, Suite 120, Fairfax, VA 22033 Contact:
Aylene Mafnas 703 868 5660 May 4 (Saturday) OLGC Atlantic City Bus Trip. Pickup/Drop-off Point: Navy Federal Credit Union at 820 Follin Lane SE, Vienna, VA 22180. Destination is Atlantic . Club Casino Hotel (was Hilton Hotel/ Casino). $45. For more information. Contact: Chiqui 571-499-
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Gel Santos Relos tie, Evening gown or Filipiniana Barong Tagalog. Donations to MHC are tax deductible. For R.S.V.P. 202-631-8856 / 703-2731196/ 703-675-6334/ 202-2470117 migrantheritage@gmail. com www.migrantheritage. org. Please make checks payable to MHC. Balance should all be mailed to 3930 Walnut St. , Suite 200, Fairfax, VA 22030. Dona-
Jose Antonio Vargas having someone with the prominence of Mr. Vargas come and speak to Filipinos will indeed make the evening special and a night to remember. Mr. Vargas has an impressive rsum. One need not look farther than his Pulitzer Prize he garnered as a journalist with the Washington Post. He is articulate, intelligent and passionate. Most of all he engenders those values that all Filipinos appreciate--loyalty, familial piety, hard work and dedication. Regardless of where you stand on the issue of immigration reform-there are many good arguments either way-- it will be worthwhile to hear a distinguished son of the Philippines speak with passion and conviction. The nal event will be the Community Picnic and Sports Fest on Sunday, June 30. Fun and food, games for children and sports for everyone plus a cultural show and a band marathon pull the community together. A special feature will be the Parada ng Lechon, a colorful parade of decorated lechons that will vie for prizes. The picnic will be held at Tucker Road Recreational Park, Fort Washington, MD.
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Front row, Chef Evelyn Bunoan with Madame Hoang Minh Ha, president, AWC, and wife of the Vietnam Ambassador to the US. Also in photo are: Gouri Mirpuri of Singapore, Datin Mahani Abu Zar of Brunei Darussalam, Madame Ghanista of Thailand, Rohhayazam Kamaruzaman of Malaysia, Khin Win Yee, of Myanmar, and representatives from the embassies of Cambodia, Philippines, and Indonesia. (Photo: Bing Cardenas Branigin) The ASEAN Womens Club (AWC) of Washington, D.C. held their annual get-together with a Culinary Exhibition last April 16. It was hosted by Executive Chef Evelyn Bunoan at her residence in Fairfax, Virginia. Over 60 members attended the get-together. AWC is made up of members of Asian embassies here and is aimed at raising awareness of the culture and the arts in their respective countries. AWC also contributes to local charity organization such as the Salvation Army. Each participating Asian countries held a food demonstrations on how to prepare the food, and also recipes and where to buy them. A buffet lunch was prepared by each country participating and enjoyed by all the guests.
The 2013 Cherry Blossom Princesses visited the Philippine Embassy early this month as part of their weeklong education and cultural exchange program, which provides an opportunity for young women from across the United States and around the world to come together and network. The Princesses participate in educational, leadership, and cultural activities as they serve their nation and respective state, territory or embassy, by introducing the princesses to many government, cultural, military, business leaders and female role models in Washington, D.C. More than 3,000 have participated in the program since 1948.. The Philippines is represented this year by Samantha Salazar Domigpe, a nursing student at George Mason University and 2010 Mutya Philippines-USA Migrant Heritage. (Philippine Embassy Photo by Christine Rubio)
Xavier Cugie dela Santa celebrated his 60th birthday recently with wife Terry (right) and a host of family, co-workers and friends from the community, including Mitzi Pickard, Froilan Tiglao, Grace Villanueva, Maurese and Kevin Owens, Thelma Estrella,Elvie Melegrito and Ernie Cordero. They feasted and danced all night to the music of Julian Oteyza and Tutubi. (Photo by Jon Melegrito)
On Sunday, April 14, 2013, The Filipino Cultural Association of George Mason University presented their annual Philippine Culture Night at the Avery Hall. Theme of this year;s presentation was Filipino courtship (Hating Gabi).
The story followed the cultural education of Tony, a Filipino-American trying to win the heart of his close friend, Marie. Learning the ways of his ancestors, Tony faces the inner struggles brought upon by maturity, commitment, and tradition. Photo shows the cast and
members that worked behind the scenes for GMU FCAs Philippine Culture Night, In the front are the three writers and directors of the show (from left to right) Andrew Flores, Bernard Madayag, and Keisha Padello. (Photo credit: NamPhuong Thai)
Outgoing Philippine Defense Attache to Washington, D.C, Cesar B. Yano, (6th from left), was feted with a going away party last April 23, at the residence of Bill and Bing Branigin in Reston, VA. Among those toasting to the General are Tito Alpapara, Mitzi Pickard, Mel Reyes, Henry Balagtas, Col. Arnel Duco, Air Force Attache; Capt. Alison Aguilar, Naval Attache; Al Santoli, Elvi and Jon Melegrito, Mya Talavera, Mimi and Lito Katigbak, and other guests. (Bing Cardenas Branigin)
The UPAA-DCMDVA, led by its president Dr. Albert Coo, Board Chairman Atty. Ramon A. P. Paterno, and Secretary Alma S. Conty hosted a despedida dinner for Team Philippines/UP Diliman Law Team, on April 7, 2013, at the Vinh Kee Restaurant in Falls Church, Va. Team Philippines are shown, seated from left: Senior Coach Atty. Harry Roque, Margie Lim (Team Captain), Crisela Bernardino, Peterson Poon, Gil Anthony Aquino, Ana Rodriguez, Arienne Ferrer, and Coach Atty. Maricel Seno. The Team reached the Advance Round, after a 3-1 winning record in the mandatory Preliminary Round. Out of the more than 600 teams from 80 countries that competed in the 2013 Phillip Jessup Moot Court Competition in International Law, 118 teams--- all winners in their national and regional rounds--- competed in the international rounds in Washington, D.C. from April 1-6, 2013. Team Philippines lost to Jamaica in the Run-Off Rounds, unable to reach the Octanals Round. For the right to represent the Philippines, the UP Law Team won over Ateneo Law School and 7 other law schools. Standing L-R: 2 children and wife of Coach Roque, Fred Vinuya, Dr. Alberto Coo, Spunky Policarpio, Liza Virata-Theimer, Alma S. Conty, , Bobby Manasan, Attys. Olma Inocentes, Jun-Jun Villareal, Miriam Riedmiller, and Ramon A. P. Paterno. The UPAA-DCMDVA also hosted a welcome dinner for the team on April 2, 2013 at the Hokkaido Restaurant, Falls Church, Va. (Caption and photo by Atty. Ramon A. P. Paterno).
Kabang gets ready to go home to Zamboanga. a speeding motorcycle, losing her snout and upper jaw in the process. After beating cancer last year, she is now on the road to full recovery and would soon be sent home from the University of California-Davis (UC-Davis) where she had undergone maxillofacial surgery on March 27. During the ve-hour surgery undertaken by UC-Davis doctors Boaz Arzi, Frank Verstraete, Bill Culp and Amy Fulton, Kabangs wound from the loss of her upper snout was closed with skin aps pulled from the top and sides of her head. The UCDavis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) said Culp also reconstructed (Kabangs) nasal openings and inserted stents in those passages to allow for two permanent new nostrils to form.
Alma Quintans-Kern Speaker John Boehner migrant workers made by fellow Republican Representative Don Young, calling the comments offensive and beneath the dignity of the ofce. Young referred to migrant workers as wetbacks in a radio interview aired in his home state of Alaska earlier, but issued an apology late in the day after criticism. The term is considered a slur against illegal immigrants who crossed into the United States from Mexico. My father had a ranch. We used to hire 50-60 wetbacks ... to pick tomatoes ... it takes two people to pick the same tomatoes now. It is all done by machine, Young said in the interview. The lawmaker was speaking about the economy and technology. He later said he did not realize the Kern never thought that one day she would speak in the provincial capitol that her grandfather built almost a century ago. But on April 5, she addressed a big crowd led by the provinces ofcials as guest of honor during the 433rd Agew na Pangasinan (Pangasinan Day) commemorative program in the capital Lingayen. It was the best experience of my life, said Kern, granddaughter of former Governors Daniel Maramba, who served from 1916 to 1922, and Pedro Quintans, who served for three months in 1928. Maramba built the capitol from 1916 to 1917. I want you all to know that I come before you today as a true-blooded Pangasinense. Just like my grandfathers, I love Pangasinan and Im a proud daughter of Panga-
Marving Gapultos includes nearly 100 recipes of Filipino dishes including adobo, sisig and sinigang. The book, entitled The Adobo Road Cookbook: A Filipino Food JourneyFrom Food Blog, to Food Truck, and Beyond, <http://burntlumpiablog.com/> is written by Marvin Gapultos, who writes the blog Burnt Lumpia and owned The Manila Machine, which was considered Southern Californias rst-ever gourmet Filipino
Loida Nicolas Lewis is anked by M. Dapdap and Bayani Mendoza de Leon. stories about growing up with a legendary father whose original music compositions celebrated the deepest meanings of signicant events and symbols in Philippine history. He stated that his late fathers afnity with Philippine folk culture was the foundation of a passionate Filipino nationalism, which he articulated through music. After dessert, the guests retired to the living room. Michael Dadap, music director of the Noli staging and Bayanis childhood friend, entertained the guests by performing his own guitar arrangements of two kundiman songs written by Felipe de Leon. Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College. Whats at stake goes far beyond ensuring the success of this stage production. What ultimately matters, the dinner guests agreed, is the sustainability of Philippine arts and culture in an increasingly global landscape: Can we promote and sustain the arts and culture we have created? How do we U.S. Filipinos and Filipino Americans build, cultivate and engage passionate communities that will rally for arts and culture over materialism for the perpetuation of Philippine art forms and musical literature that transcend language barriers?
Irene Bueno addressing the audience at the Romulo Hall of the Philippine embassy. nate the F4 sibling category everywhere) in ghting for petitions for brothers and sisters. family reunication. S. 744, the 844-page sweepIt is still a proposed legislation, Congress has not yet ing reform bill, was led last passed it, she stressed, refer- April 17 by a bipartisan group of ring to the comprehensive immi- eight senators, the Gang of Eight. gration reform bill. Mark-up It puts priority on merit-based petitions over the current familyin committees will take place based visas. in May, amendments can still Another Washington be introduced. Voting is not insider, who declined to be expected till June. named, noted the elimination of Ms. Bueno is co-founder the sibling category was a necesand partner at Nueva Vista con- sary compromise to get the bill sulting rm. A veteran of legisla- passed. The bill faces a tough tive and policy battles, she was a hurdle because it addresses both former aide to Sen. Alan Crans- legal and illegal immigration. ton and former special assistant There are 11 million undocuto the President for domestic mented those who entered the policy under the Clinton admin- country without proper docuistration. ments, and those who have overFormer APIAVote Chair stayed their visas.
20
Ruth Guingona on candidates for the May 13 local elections. They should secure permission and coordinate with our local forces when entering our area, and they should also not have armed escorts, he added. Madlos said Saturdays ambush was unfortunate, but stressed that Guingona, a member of President Benigno Aquinos ruling party, had been previously warned that entering
Mona Dotcom, wife of Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom, listens as he launches the new le sharing site Mega in Auckland January 20, 2013. (Photo by Nigel Marple, Reuters) Mona is also active on Instagram, where she posts photos of
The Manila Mail published on page 1 (April 15, 2013) the picture taken by volunteer National Editor Bing C. Branigin of a group carrying the Philippine and US ags during the immigration rally on Capitol Hill early this month. The editor picked the picture out of several photos that Ms Branigin forwarded to the desk. Because of the policy of making captions in the front page as brief as possible, the editor failed to give credit to the group that carried the ags. That group was the Migrant Heritage Commission. Atty. Arnedo Valera, coexecutive director of MHC, sent an email to the editor-inchief calling his attention to the omission. He said the picture was taken from our group, the Migrant Heritage Commission, which carried the placards Comprehensive Immigration Reform Now and Now and Legalization and Full Rights for All Immigrants, as well
as the Philippine and US ags. The placards in your banner headline photos are some of our calls for a Comprehensive Immigration Reform. As part of media SOP, we deserve and would like to be acknowledged in the photo caption, at least, and be quoted in the story because we were the group who went to the rally and which Ms. Branigin had taken some pictures of. In fact, MHC was the biggest contingent of the Fil-Am community in the April 10 rally in solidarity with other immigrant groups, the biggest of which was the Latino contingent. In response, the editor-inchief said: Due to deadline constraints, we have failed to contact Ms Branigin for more information about the picture. We apologize to Atty. Valera and the Migrant Heritage Commission for the unintended omission.
21
Gregorio del Pilar will be tted with similar new cannons. A complement of 88 Filipino ofcers and crew under the command of Capt. Ernesto Baldovino have been living aboard the Alcaraz while it has been undergoing repairs to familiarize themselves with all the technical, mechanical and computerized aspects of the ship. They will be joined by a six-member technical working group including training evaluation experts scheduled to arrive from Manila in May to give the vessel and crew the nal go ahead to cross the Pacic to its new home in the Philippines. Alano told the Manila Mail in an interview that the prestige of the Philippine Navy was on the rise because of the acquisition of new repower and the due recognition it was receiving from the government and the public. Moral was high, more PMA graduates were opting for naval careers and the service was attracting more interest from recruits with technical and computer skills, he said. The Philippines last year expressed an interest in acquiring a third Hamilton class ship but is not now actively pursuing it. Alano said given the current exigencies to create a credible maritime defense force interest has shifted to purchasing new vessels and helicopters to extend the range of the these vessels. He said the Philippines was looking at proposals from several countries for two new 2000ton frigates with full surface and anti-air and anti-submarine capabilities. It was also interested in acquiring strategic sea-lift vessels to give the navy the capability to transport heavy cargo and large numbers of troops.
Navy chief Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano May 2012 and should have been operating in Philippine waters by now. But unexpected technical problems and upgrades on the ship have caused some delays and Alano said he expected the Alcaraz to set sail for the Philippines around the third week of June. He said Alcaraz has been tted with two new secondary guns -- fully automated Mk 38 25mm bushmaster cannons -and a modern radar system. The
22
US Senate debates... from page 1
rally in Congress to denounce the elimination of brothers and sisters from the bill and other issues. Analyzing the bill, CILG said 18 months after the enactment of the law, immigrant visas for foreign brothers and sisters of US citizens, and married children over 30 yers of age will be eliminated. But on this date, deriative beneciaries (spouses and children) will be exempt from the annual visa numerical limits thus removing the backlog of approved applications. The bill creates a path to citizenship to the 11 million or so people who are currently in the U.S. without authorization. The bill creates a Registered Provisional Immigrant (RPI) status. To obtain an RPI status, a foreign national must have been in the US as of December 31, 2011 with continuous physical presence in the US, must pay a $500 penalty (except Dream Act youth), pay taxes and application fees (to be determined). Ineligibility grounds include: conviction for aggravated felony; conviction of felony; conviction of three or more misdemeanors; conviction of an offense under foreign law; unlawfully voting; and otherwise inadmissible due to health, security or moral grounds. Immigrants who are granted RPI status and their spouses/ children will obtain work and travel authorization. The RPI status will be for a 10-year term, with the possibility of extension. After an immigrant has been in RPI status for 10 years they can adjust to a permanent status under the merit-based system (described above) and assuming all existing immigrant visa backlogs have been cleared and after paying a $1,000 ne (and only after the borders have been secured, see below). CILG has emphasized that the bill is just a legislative proposal and not yet a law. The bill will substantially revise the current family- and employment-based immigrant visa (green card) system. It will aim to eliminate the current backlog in most of the immigrant visa categories and then, in ve years, introduce a merit-based immigrant visa. Out of the four family-based preference categories (which have annual limit of 480,000), two will be eliminated and the eligibility for the rest will be revised. Under the bill, there will be two family-based categories and they will cover unmarried adult children; married adult children who le before age 31, and unmarried adult children of lawful permanent residents. The V visa will be expanded to allow individuals with approved family petition to reside in the US and other family members to visit the US for up to 60 days per year. The bill removes immigrant visas for siblings of U.S. citizens (in 18 months after the bill is enacted) and amends the denition of immediate relative to include a child or spouse of an alien admitted for lawful permanent residence. Also, the existing category for married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens is amended to include only sons and daughters who are under 31 years of age. The bill will exempt the annual numerical limitations on the following categories: derivative beneciaries (spouses/ children) of employment-based immigrants; aliens of extraordinary ability, outstanding professors/researchers; multinational executives and managers; Ph.D. degree holders in any eld; and certain physicians. Currently, all of these categories are counted under the annual numerical limits and, as a result, are slowing down the approval of the immigrant visas for everyone else. Backlogs will also be removed for the employment visa program because they will also be exempt from the annual visa numerical limits. Also, exempt will be extraordinary ability, outstanding professors/ researchers, multinational executives/managers, Ph.D. holders and certain physicians. Startup visas (green card) will be created for entrepreneurs who seek to emigrate to the U.S. to start their own company. After ve years, a new merit-based visa (green card) will be created and would allocate green cards based on points awarded on the basis of education, employment, length of residence in the US and other factors. A quota of 120,000 visas will be available per year, with annual adjustments. The existing H-IB visa cap will double to 110,000 with the possibility of raising the cap up to 180,000 per year. However, it species increases in minimum salaries and fees to be paid by employers. Employers are limited on how many H-IB they can have. The minimum H-1B salary will increase and the fees paid by H-1B employers will be increased. Employers will see limits on how many H-1B workers they can have. The bill also provides for a Guest Worker Program. Establishes a new visa program for 20,000 foreigners in low-skilled jobs starting in 2015. The number of visas increases to 75,000 in 2019. A new federal agency will analyze employment cent of the U.S. population, more than 17 million people and those numbers are growing. Their ancestral roots represent more than 50 percent of the world, extending from East Asia to Southeast Asia, and from South Asia to the Pacic Islands and Polynesia. The exhibition will next open at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles in September, before continuing on a 13-city national tour. With this exhibition, the Smithsonian celebrates Asian Pacic American history across a multitude of diverse cultures and explores how Asian Pacic Americans have shaped and been shaped by the course of the nations history. I Want the Wide American Earth tells the rich and complex stories of the very rst Asian immigrants, including their participation in key moments in American history: Asian immigrants panned
23
So, if the elections were held today, the following senatorial bets will make it to the winners circle: Loren Legarda, Chiz Escudero, Alan Cayetano, Nancy Binay, Cynthia Villar, Grace Poe, Koko Pimentel, Sonny Trillanes, Bam Aquino, JV Ejercito, Sonny Angara, and Gringo Honasan. Will the Observer vote for these people? First of all, I dont vote for the full slate of candidates. I usually dont vote for the sure winners because they dont need my vote anymore (this category includes Legara, Escudero and Cayetano who will be sure winners). And, because I usually like only a small number of the candidates. So, who will I vote for? While Im not telling people who to vote for, I will tell who I will vote for and why. As I said, I will not vote for the sure winners anymore. I will vote for: Ramon Magsaysay Jr., not only because hes the son of a pro-poor former president, but also because hes squeaky-clean, without any scandal attached to his name. Jamby Madrigal who, even though she comes from one the wealthiest families in the country, is propoor. Both Magsaysay and Madrigal are former senators. And, if Im still in the mood on election day, I will vote for
Volunteer Filipino American nurses with wheelchairs at route of Boston marathon. 44; and Noel Colina, 53, all from California; Richelle Embree, 37, Massachusetts; Arland Macasieb, 37, New Jersey; Ricardo Mansueta, 32, Ontario; Rolan Ocampo, 53, New York; Jose Martin Paiso, 50, Virginia; and Angielyn San Juan, 25, Illinois. Sobrepena is not in the list. A U.S. citizen, she may have not registered as a U.S. runner. Ocampo wrote on his FB wall: prayers for all of the survivors of the explosion. one of the two victims who died in the explosion. May their souls rest in peace. But three people of Filipino descent were within a few feet of each other and the two explosions that killed three people and injured 176 others at Copley Square. They were within earshot of the deafening sound of the explosions. And they all saw the smoke that engulfed the area like a war zone. Maria Eden Gianan, a medical volunteer at the marathon, is the president of the Philippine Nursing Association of New England; Hanah Natalio-Fadrigalan, 25, is a production assistant at NBC Universal and freelance photographer; and Jessica Bolandrina, 21, is a journalism student at Northeastern University and one of the ofcial marathon photographers. They were already in their posts when the bombings happened. Each of them had a riveting story to tell, but they were one in saying they were caught by surprise, shock, sadness and anger over the incident on Patriots Day. The Philippine Embassy and Consulates General in New York, Chicago, Francisco, Los
24 Entertainment
Mayor Alfredo Lim inaugurates the Dolphy monument. The Hello Dolly Cast. Irene Molloy for a crotchety half-a-millionaire Horace Vandelgelder. But when Dolly falls for Horace, she hatches a clever plan to marry him. And also nding suitable mates for Irene and her niece and two eligible bachelors. Though this Tony Awardwinnning musical has been staged countless times, it remains a well-loved one. And Director Eric Schaeffer, who is back at Fords brings his own fresh interpretation to it. Nancy Opel is brilliant as Dolly Levi. She gives a rousing delivery of the Act 1 showstopper Before The Parade Passes By. Carol Channing is best remembered as the original Dolly but it seems that Opel has made this role her own. In Act 2, she is in one particularly hilarious scene at the Harmonia Gardens. When she is pretending to eat dinner and act nonchalant while the rest of the characters argue around her. Awardwinning actor Edward Gero is equally brilliant as Horace Vandergelder. Gregory Maheu as the earnest Cornelius Hackl, mesmerizes when he belts out two of the evenings showstoppers, Put On Your Sunay Clothes and It Only Takes A Moment. Tracy Lynn Olivera is wonderful as Irene Molloy, she gives a powerful delivery of Ribbons On My Back Kudos to Adam Koch for his elegant Victorian-era sets, Wade Labiossonieres sumptuous 18th century costumes, Award-winning choreographer Karma Camp for her agile choreography. There is so much joy in this revival in one of the greatest musicals of all time. Go see Hello, Dolly! and I guarantee that you will have an unforgettable evening at the theater! HELLO DOLLY- Directed by Eric Schaeffer Till May 18 Fords Theatre-511 10th St. NW Washington, D.C. Tickets: $10 to $61 comedian - who also shouldered the expenses for the construction of the said monument. Dolphys family, including his children Dolphy, Jr., Eric, Epy, Nicole, and Vandolph, graced the unveiling, News To Go reported. Movie and Television Review and Classication Board (MTRCB) chairman Eugenio Toto Villareal was also present, laying a wreath upon the statue. In his speech at the event, portions of which were quoted on MTRCBs Twitter account, Villareal related the wisdom he got from Dolphys work, such as John en Marsha, saying, I learned the beauty of the adversarial process... the discovery of thanked via Twitter the city government of Manila and Mayor Lim for honoring her long-time partner. She, however, failed to attend the ceremony. In her tweet to Manila Bulletins Art Samaniego, the singer-actress said, Unveiling of statue? Blood works this morning and now at therapy and back at hospital for more tests today. Part 3 of check up. The approximately 300-kilo statue by sculptor Jonas Roces is a seven-feet bronze hot cast antique, and shows a standing, smiling Dolphy as he points his right forenger upward. Museo Pambata, meanwhile, happens to be one of the beneciaries of Dolphys RVQ Foundation.
HELLO, DOLLY!
Hello, Dolly! was last staged in the DC area many years ago and it is back in a latest revival at the historic Fords Theater. Originally staged in 1964 on Broadway, it won eight Tony Awards. Top notch performances, agile choreography and a timelessscore by Jerry Herman are one of the highlights of this superlative production. Based on the Thornton Wilder play The Matchmaker, Hello, Dolly! is about an enterprising matchmaker Dolly Levi who arranges for her friend,
Allan Pineda or apl.de.ap and KC Concepcion guess, sorry to hear what happened with your relationship. But enjoy yourself and, you know, its time to be single and have a good time and hang out with apl. Pineda added that if Concepcion would have time, he would gladly take her out to lunch or dinner again. Earlier, it was reported that Pineda gave Concepcion a bracelet and a bouquet of owers. These gifts came when Concepcion was in a relationship with actor Piolo Pascual.
25
I
Rocky Going to Boston
he other day, I watched TV coverage of the teenager pulled out of a boat by the police in Boston, after evading them all day. Young Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his older brother had detonated bombs that caused death and destruction in the Boston Marathon. In the meantime, my teenage son Rocky had been accepted in the prestigious music school ---the Berkelee School of Music located in that strip of Boston affected by the bombings. A feeling of sadness came over me, not only for the deaths and injuries, but also for this Dzhokhar a college teenager in a Boston area school who had everything going for him--- a naturalized citizen from Russia, living what seemed to be a regular teenage life, and standing at the brink of his American dream. In athere-but-for-the-graceof-God moment , I thought of my son, who just a few weeks before, appeared at the Kennedy Center and won ve thousand dollars in the annual Washington Post DC Cap performing arts tournament. Six thousand local kids had competed and ten made it to the nals at the Kennedy Center In the audience that night was former U.S. Consul Sonny Busa. Here is his depiction of what transpired.
ten performers, an unenviable position considering that these were the best of best of D.C. The ten were culled from over 6,000 performers. All were winners in their own right, but that evening they were competing to see who really was the best the rst among equals. This was not your garden variety community talent show. The powerhouse judges were the rst clue that this was something special. One judge was the famous soulful songbird Patti Labelle. She has been a major music force for several decades and is still beautiful and sounding beautiful. Another judge was Amber
Riley who plays Mercedes Jones on the musical comedy Glee. Next to her was American Idol winner Jordin Sparks. And beside her was Denyce Graves, one of Americas most accomplished operatic singers. With judges like these the performers were in for a special evening of high powered scrutiny and professional critique. Rockys performance followed some of the nest singing, dancing, and instrumental performances by D.C. youth or any youth for that matter that had ever been seen at the Kennedy center. As Rocky took the stage he knew he had tough acts to follow. But with a professional and artistic grace that belied his
m still jetlagged as of this writing after almost a month stay in the Philippines. I apologize for not writing about Real Estate for the past two issues as my travel journal is full and did not t in one issue. I promise next issue will be back to normal; I know my avid readers understand since I get good feedback from my last piece. They were also excited to go back home. My son sent me a write up by a certain blogger named Jaywalker entitled I hate Filipino Culture and he was smart putting some sort of a disclosure like this Now before you post hate comments, let me rst say that Im no elitist. Im not even rich in the rst place so I have no right to be elitist. Im not one of those snobs who wouldnt recognize the country of their origin either. Read the entry in its entirety before commenting. My son thinks I will be interested because I keep on telling him that I love the Philippines and it bothers me when some balikbayans go home and complain about the heat, the trafc, the people, and the culture and seemed like they were not born and grew up here. I always say, then dont go if you feel that Philippines is a worst place to be. The write up was a detailed satire on how ironic the Filipino culture is. I give credit to the writer because I agree on most items he brought up. Here is the link if you want to read the full blog. It is very informative and worth reading http:// internetjaywalking.blogspot. com/2007/07/i-hate-lipino-culture.html I checked in at Marriott in Resorts World for my rst week of stay in Manila before I go home to Cavite. I was fascinated by the whole area and its really world class. I feel like Im in small Vegas and got disoriented
most of the times. Performers at the casino are foreigners, shops are franchised by famous brands, restaurants are locally owned but menus are comparables here in the US. They are pricey of course but the good thing is; we have it and it is very good in the Philippine economy. The scary part is, can we keep up to the world class standards. Let me give you an example; when I checked in, I was given instructions as to the bar items once consumed, Wi-Fi usage and so on. I was escorted to my room to give me instructions on their AC controls and the elegant bathroom operations. The staffs were impressive and very attentive. Wow!! World class and Im so proud. When I checked out, I was charged extra couple of thousand pesos for my phone usage which I used phone cards to call my clients in the US. I was so surprised but was still nice to the receptionist. She keeps on saying Im sorry and nothing more. I asked for a Manager because I feel bad that a ve-star hotel like this cannot come up to the world class standards. I love our country so much and I cannot stand looking at these young employees so scared and so helpless. As I expected, the Manager did not come out and I was told he or she was on the phone talking with a client. I said I will wait; until another employee came out and said Manager is still busy. I dont have so much time so I talked to the employee. First, I was not happy that the manjudges it was almost a foregone conclusion that an intrumentalist was at a disadvantage. But music competitions are subjective. Everyone was a winner. Congrats to the Garcia family, who were all there to see Rocky. Rocky has been accepted to the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston and will report next year. He will only get better and no doubt become famous. We are all in for a treat! ---------On Monday, Rocky joined the two other winners in local Channel 7s Good Morning
ager cannot talk to me and I will provide them best feedback and suggestions they could get. They missed that opportunity. Their clients came from different parts of the world and most likely are businessmen. They will call back home and they will use the phone. Why not disclose the phone usage fees just like how they disclose the bar consumption. This will prevent a lot of aggravation. Their grade to me was 100% until the phone usage fees, no manager is available and their staff does not know how to handle the situation. When I was new in the USA, all I know is yes although I mean no. Thats how we are and how we were brought up. Sad to say, that will not get us anywhere. I always believe when you presented a problem, you have to suggest a solution. When you say sorry, be ready to offer something to compensate for the mistake being committed. These are just simple customer service rules but looks like our people are not equipped with that. This will give them condence, empowerment, being rm and assertive so they will come up with the standards. I am not just referring to the hotel staff but this is what I observed and I feel bad because we have so much to offer but not enough training. I should say Philippines is at its prime right now regardless. The booming economy, the real estate market and I know we will get there very soon, the World Class standards. Washington. There were times when peer pressure swayed Rocky one way or another in the past, as it had to me when I was growing up. I pray that justice nds its place in the Dzhokhar case. I will always be there for Rocky. But as a criminal defense attorney, if defending the young surviving Dzhokhar, I would explore the role that brotherly inuence exerted on him; and I would make an issue of whether it was his older brother with the detonating nger. rgarcialaw@gmail.com
17 years, he simply wowed the crowd with his jazz rendition on the saxophone of Loving You ,the song popularized by Minnie Ripperton. He held the audience in thrall. Even the relatives of the other performers could not contain their enthusiasm as the hall rocked and swayed to the music of this young star. When the last notes sounded the crowd knew that they were witness to history. Rocky took third place and was the only instrumentalist in the top three. The winner was a singer and second was a dancer. Given the composition of the
by Sonny Busa
A star was born on March 26, 2013, at the Eisenhower Theatre of the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington D.C. The event was the performances of the top ten nalists from the DC-Capital Stars Talent Competition among D.C.s Public and Public Charter High Schools. The star was none other than Rocky Garcia, the son of everyones favorite attorney Rodney Garcia. He was the last of the
26
TURON
(Fried Banana Rolls)
This recipe was demonstrated at home to the ASEAN Womens Council guests on April 16. They raved about the sweet and unique taste of this simple recipe. This dainty creation of mine a few years back is totally different from the bulky turon we are used to having. If followed to the letter, this delectable golden brown favorite will tickle your palate. It is best to use the Philippine banana called saba for that authentic taste. Ripe plantains is a good substitute.
Ingredients:
5 ripe cooking bananas (saba), peeled and cut into quarters, lengthwise (available from any Asian store) 10 thin egg roll pastry wrappers (lumpia wrapper) available from any Asian store 5 pieces of ripe or sweet jackfruit (available in canned or bottled), sliced into thin strips
Sugar for sprinkling the bananas and jackfruit Vegetable oil for deep-frying 1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup water and cooked in the microwave for a few seconds until it becomes a paste.
Methods:
In a platter, lay the banana and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Do the same with the jackfruit.
Place the banana strips alongside each other in the middle, leaving at about an inch on both ends of the wrapper. Then put 2 or 3 slices of jackfruit on top or beside the banana. Next, glue the rounded edge with the paste without folding the 2 sides, then roll and seal. Repeat the procedure with the remaining ingredients. Heat the oil in a deep fryer or non-stick sauce pan. Before frying the turon, you may or may not sprinkle or roll them slightly in sugar, depending upon your option. Initially, the heat should be on high. After dropping in the turon, check and regulate the heat to medium while in the process of frying. Wait until golden brown, then remove from the deep fryer and transfer to a colander lined with parchment paper. Make sure to lay them in an upright position to drain out the excess oil. Let cool for a few minutes in room temperature
before transferring to a serving platter. Best if served while freshly cooked. Editors Note: Master Chef Evelyn: 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S., 2009, Filipina 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) Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) public charity formed to help and cook pro-bono for Filipino-Americans who are afflicted with cancer and other serious illnesses; Culinary writer; Member, Les Dames dEscoffier International, Washington DC Chapter; Member, International Cake Exploration Society, Member: Culinary Historians of Washington, D.C.; Master Chef, French Cuisine and Patisserie, Le Cordon Bleu, London.
GRAY HAIR
A senior citizen decided to visit the Social Security ofce to sign up for his benets. Upon his arrival, the clerk asked for proof of his age. When he reached for his wallet the embarrassed man realized he had left it home. After explaining his problem to the clerk, she replied, Dont worry, just open your shirt, and if your chest hair is gray you will qualify. The senior citizen opened up his shirt and was soon signed up for his benets. Upon arriving home, he related the story to his wife. She looked at him, smiled and said, Too bad you didnt drop your pants. You would have qualied for disability too! So when I left for the ofce. I was feeling pretty low and despondent. As I walked into my ofce, my secretary Janet said, Good morning, Boss. Happy Birthday. And I felt a little better that someone had remembered. I worked until noon, then Janet knocked on my door and said You know, its such a beautiful day outside, and its your birthday, lets go to lunch, just you and me. I said, By George, thats the greatest thing Ive heard all day. Lets go! We went to lunch. We didnt go where we normally go, instead we went out to a private little place. We had two martinis and enjoyed lunch tremendously. On the way back to the ofce, she said, You know, its such a beautiful day. We dont need to go back to the ofce, do we? I said, No, I guess not. She said, Lets go to my apartment. After arriving at her apartment she said, Boss, if you dont mind, I think Ill go into the bedroom and slip into something more comfortable. Sure! I excitedly replied. She went into the bedroom and, in about six minutes, she came out carrying a huge birthday cake followed by my wife, my children, and dozens of our friends, all singing Happy Birthday. And I just sat there on the couch ..... naked!
TELEPHONE CALL
A teenage girl had been talking on the phone for about half an hour, and then she hung up. Wow! said her father, That was short. You usually talk for at least two hours. What happened? Wrong number, replied the girl. Parrot: Psst! Baho! Baho! Baho! Kulas: Pag sinabi mo pa uli sa akin yan, papatayin kita! The next day... Parrot: Psst! Psst! Kulas: O, bakit?! Parrot: Alam mo na yun! Sinabi ko na kahapon. ka! Darating ka rito, ni ha ni ho, wala kang sinabi. Aatupagin mo agad yang lecheng TV na yan! Hindi mo man lang ako kumustahin, halikan, o tapunan ng kahit kaunting paglambing man lang pagkatapos para kang kung sinong may daig pang utusan. Hindi mo ba alam na pagod na pagod din ako sa kaaasikaso sa mga gawaing bahay? Buwisit na buhay ito, oo!!! Napabuntong-hininga na lamang si Kaloy, at sabi: Ayan na, nag-umpisa na ngang magalit!
LINDOL
Lumindol ng malakas noon... Nagkagulo ang lahat at nag-panic! Sumigaw ang isang lalaki...Katapusan na! Katapusan na! Sumagot naman si Joe...Tanga! Akinse pa lang ngayon... wala pang sahod, gago!
I FIRED MY SECRETARY
So I red my secretary today...because as a man, I can get to feeling a little sorry for myself and because yesterday was my 40th birthday and I wasnt feeling too good that morning. I went to breakfast knowing my wife would be pleasant and say, Happy Birthday!, and probably have a present for me. As it turned out, she didnt even say good morning, let alone any Happy Birthday greeting. I thought, well, thats wives for you, the children will remember. The children came in to breakfast and didnt say a word.
BAGO MAG-UMPISA
Galing trabaho si Kaloy, umupo sa paboritong upuan, pinaandar ang TV, at sabi sa asawa, Ne, dali abutan mo ako ng beer bago mag-umpisa. Medyo naguluhan si misis, pero nag-abot pa rin siya ng beer. Nang maubos, sabi ni Kaloy: Ne, dali, bigyan mo ulit ako ng isa pang beer. Mag-uumpisa na. Medyo galit na si misis, pero nagtimpi pa rin at inabot ang serbesa. Nang maubos ulit, sabi ni Kaloy: Dali, isa pa nga bago mag-umpisa. Sumigaw na si misis. Ayoko na!! Tamad kang hayop
MAHUSAY
Ama: Kumusta ang pagaaral mo? Anak: Nag-lesson at nagtest po kami tungkol sa tamang pag-aalaga ng mga manok at iba pang mga hayop. Ama: Ano, madali ba? Anak: Chicken na chicken po Tay! Ama: Anong grade mo? Anak: Itlog po.
HINOLDAP SI LOLA
Lola: Wala akong pera! Holdaper: Alam ko kung nasaan nakatago pera mo (sabay ipinasok ang kamay sa bra ni lola). Lola: Ituloy mo pa, iho. Me cheke pa sa may banding ibaba!
SUTIL NA PARROT
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Poetry and Pleasure
n his foreword for the book, Poetry for Pleasure, Webster Schott wrote: The way to read a poem is with an open mind, not an open dictionary. How open a mind did you mean Mr. Schott? When I was still at OLRA, a Maryknoll run school in Lipa, Batangas, our high school English class tried to tackle BEOWULF. Miss Reyes, our English Lit teacher, was a dainty woman who was all of 410 if that. But she was bullish and insisted that her class of twelve-year-olds be able to paraphrase the epic poem written in olde English. I looked at the rst stanza and started to giggle. Yeah right, try paraphrasing that! Miss Reyes was not amused. She turned her head slowly towards me. The room became silent. Several eyes darted between me and the imperious woman who stood in front of the class. She was visibly annoyed. With arched eyebrows she ordered me to stand up and remain standing until I translated the assigned verse of the day. Google was far into the future so I was really and truly on my own. Illustrations were scattered generously throughout the lengthy poem. It stood to reason the drawings followed and depicted close to the narration of the stanzas. I looked at the strange words and conjured up images of the hero Beowulf and the monster Grendel. I dont remember what I said but I made up a story and started to speak. Miss Reyes paced the length of the classroom and chewed on the pencil she carried in her hand. I dont know if she believed what I was saying or was just bent on
torturing me. She left me guessing and grasping for the slightest connection. Several times she seemed to be on the verge of saying something but changed her mind and kept her peace. I continued my made up stories stanza after stanza until she ordered me to stop. I was swept away by my own nonsense and was surprised to nd out I had interpreted three. I heard relieved sighs from my classmates. Miss Reyes had her sacricial lamb so they could relax. I sat down as she began her lecture. I neither heard her words nor cared. I was numb from my mental and emotional exertion. Below are few lines of the poem in old and modern versions. Lets see how you do. Have fun.
Old English:
a ws on burgum Beowulf Scyldinga, leof leodcyning, longe rage folcum gefrge (fder ellor hwearf, aldor of earde), ot him eft onwoc heah Healfdene; heold enden lifde, gamol ond gureouw, glde Scyldingas. m feower bearn for gerimed
Modern version:
Now Beowulf bode in the burg of the Scyldings, leader beloved, and long he ruled in fame with all folk, since his father had gone away from the world, till awoke an heir, haughty Healfdene, who held through life, sage and sturdy, the Scyldings glad.
ell, spring has nally sprung! Old winter was tough, overstayed and did not leave us for quite some time. Remember the snow in April? Consequently, spring was late, left us waiting for it to arrive longer than expected. Even the cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. were adamant to appear. The avid camera bugs and the local, out-of-state and foreign spectators were getting disappointed, impatient and intolerant. But what can they do? These imposing and showy owers, having minds of their own and attitude, cannot be dictated and hurried up. They will show their splendor and grandeur at their own term. Of course, Mother Nature if not confused, could also be hard-headed. When I woke up one morning, I saw the buds that were sleeping the previous night were suddenly in bloom, seemed to be greeting me with Good morning, were here! Oh, their colorful petals were so vivid and bright as if telling me Like the promise of spring, things will be alright. Thank goodness, springs voice was nally heard! I shall now feel and see the message of spring. I believe I already have recovered from the miseries of having pollen allergies I endured for more than twentysome years. I cited this in my last article, putting the blame on the pollens as the culprit of my seasonal miseries. Now that I can fully enjoy the beauty of spring, I regretted the blame for the simple reason that if plants and trees did not pollinate and propagate how can we appreciate their beauty and be inspired with their meaningful representation of life? Mea culpa for this bungled idea! *****
Family Celebrations:
As our children matured, they found ways to do things among others, to celebrate family occasions coming up with ideas delineating from what were normally or usually done in the past like having home parties with lots of invited guests; home parties for families only; big celebrations in restaurants or just small family dinners at restaurants. It started fall of last year when my son, Rick, the oldest of our four children, had planned with my two daughters in the area (the third one lives in St. Petersburg in Florida) on celebrating their dads birthday with an Apple Picking Picnic in Markham, Virginia. My husband and one of my daughters will have a joint celebration since their birthdays
were just a week apart. We were to bring sandwiches, chicken macaroni or potato salad, chips and dips, fruits, desserts and drinks. My husband was extra happy with my suggestion that I will also bring adobo and rice with tomatoes and itlog na maalat. The dish did not complement the picnic items but I did not hear any negative comments at all. It turned out that everyone was happy with the adobo. Ubos lahat! We all stayed overnight at my married daughters home. My chef daughter, who was the other celebrant, had offered to bake the apple pies with the fresh fruits that we just picked. We had a Filipino mocha cake and had a pancit dish to wish for the celebrants long life. With much enjoyment, the simple but creative celebration was a success. Unfortunately, we missed my youngest daughter who lives in St. Petersburg, Florida. Then, the next birthday celebration, my birthday, was in Emmitsburg, Maryland where we visited the famous home to the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton, Grotto of Lourdes, Mount St. Marys University and the National Fire Academy. We also saw the Historic Battle Fields of Gettysburg, PA which was only fteen minutes away from the Shrine in MD. Our lunch was at the Carriage House Restaurant, an elegant rustic restaurant listed on Emmitsburgs National register of Historic Places. The succeeding trip was at the Harpers Ferry, another historical place in Virginia, just about one hour and a half car drive from Washington, D.C. The place had seen and experienced the battle between the Union and the Confederates during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. The imposing St. Peters Catholic Church could be seen at all angles of this historical place. The walk steps, trails, old stores and restored ofces kept our energy challenged. We dined at a Thai restaurant in a nearby city and did not expect a highend restaurant in a rustic place. With no occasion to celebrate, Rick had made the arrangements for this trip.
glimpse of nature along the parkway, which offered famously scenic views of mountains and valleys, as well as the most aweinspiring and incredible sight of the sun, peeping through, between the cleavage-like effect of two neighboring mountains. My son had his camera busy clicking and I so with mine. Oh, I had a blast taking shots of the three-dimension beauty of nature as I looked through the lens - the nearby trees, the mountain views and the horizon with the blazing sun in the background against the vivid hues of the blue sky. I intend to make some picture cards out of these photos or I could frame them to be hung in my computer room. By noon time, traversing between the designated overlooks along the parkway, we had lunch at the only restaurant atop the mountain. I was reminded of the scenic views of the Taal volcano in Tagaytay City back home. Beautiful! Next week, we shall celebrate Ricks birthday and his pick was the Luray Caverns. Weve been there ages ago, but we are excited to re-visit this magical world that lies beneath, soon.
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Al Gores wolf?
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Boston and Beyond
hortly after the suspect in the Boston bombings was captured, Katrina Dizon posted this on Facebook: As much as I am happy and relieved for the people of Boston, that bombing suspect #2 has been caught, seeing media coverage of drunk college kids partying in the streets screaming USA! does not sit well with me. After 4 deaths and hundreds of injuries, I think its time for a moment of quiet celebration and reection, not a frat party. More than 40 people clicked Like, indicating agreement with the comment. But one friend had a different view: I get what youre saying but I think people should get to cope with tragedy in whatever way gets them
Katrina Dizon at her swearing in last year. through the day. Particularly if it renews the spirit of a city that has been shell-shocked and lockeddown the past week. Since it was pretty spontaneous Im not sure how many people were actually drunk (similar to the insta-rallies in NY/DC post-Bin Laden killing) and from accounts I hear residents of all ages were out on the streets and supportive. I dunno maybe having been a Bostonian I see nothing that honors the true spirit of this hurt city more then a spontaneous rally coming together showing love for one another, pride for the city and appreciation for law enforcement. He makes a good point as well. Katrina, a 29-year-old Silver Spring resident who just turned US citizen a few months ago, explained to me later that while people have the right to express joy and gratitude in whatever way they want, I just felt that that kind of reaction was a bit insensitive (and slightly
arrogant) given how so many of the victims still continued to suffer. When Katrina posted something similar after al Qaeda leader bin Laden was killed, someone accused her of disrespecting our troops. It made her wonder sometimes if this puts my loyalty and patriotism into question, especially since I am a new citizen. One wonders too, in light of the ongoing debate on immigration reform, if part of the nations resistance to legalizing the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants many of whom are Hispanics is their perceived unwillingness to assimilate and become loyal and patriotic Americans. Happily, the election results of 2012 conrm a growing acceptance by the American public that those in the shadows deserve full political rights as US citizens, instead of being threatened deportation. Not too long ago, Chinese migrant workers in the US were feared as the yellow peril, Filipino farm workers as criminals and Japanese Americans as potential traitors. Hopefully, we are in a better place today where, as Carlos Bulosan puts it, we can embrace everyone regardless of race, religion or national origin as belonging to the wide American earth. But I digress. Like Katrina and many others to be sure, I had the same reaction when media accounts celebrated the resilience of the people of Boston, thankful that things are back to normal again, that life can move on. No question, because of an inhumane act, lives were lost and many more are broken. Life will never be the same again for families who now have to deal with recovery and healing. Yes, they will survive these tragic losses of life and limb and we can only hope and pray that they will prevail and be whole again. But Katrinas point about the drunken revelry and the pumping of sts and high-ves gives us pause. Fact is, without diminishing the horrendous dimensions of the Boston bombings on the dead and injured, what happened on that Monday afternoon is a daily reality in the lives of thousands of others in other parts of the world. Normal
lobal warming skeptics have been dismissed by environmental activists on the left as at earthers, never mind if their ranks include astronauts, Nobel Prize winner in physics and past directors of NASAs climate agency. But as the dire prognostications of the climate change advocates have failed to materialize there are responsible thinkers in the media who are reconsidering their acceptance or even endorsement of the theory that global warming is largely caused by the byproduct of human activitycarbon dioxide emissions. The Economist, one of the most respected and widely circulated international newsmagazine is taking a second look of its past global warming assessment. It points out that air temperatures at the earths surface have been at over the past 15 years while greenhouse gas emissions have continued to soar. This is conrmed by James Hansen, the head of NASAs Goddard Institute for Space Studies saying that the ve-year mean global temperature has been at for a decade. There is clearly a mismatch between rising green-
house gas emissions and not rising temperatures. Global warming advocates rely on the assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicting a rise of as high as 7 degrees centigrade in atmospheric temperature if the greenhouse emissions continue unabated. A rise of at least 3 degrees centigrade is extremely damaging according to IPCC, bringing more drought, extinction of many species, biodiversity damage in coral reefs, cyclones and rise in sea level. The Economist however found other studies that project a far lower temperature rise of approximately 1.9 centigrade. It refers to the ndings of the Research Council of Norway compiled by the team of Terje Bernstein of the University of Oslo, the work of Julia Hargreaves of the Research Institute for Global Change in Yokohama and independent scientist Nic
Lewis. Their calculations indicate that chances of climate sensitivity above 4.5C become vanishingly small. Other scientic sources considered by the Economist include Reto Knutti of the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science in Zurich, Piers Foster of the University of Leeds and Jonathan Gregory of the University of Reading, Natalia Andromova and Michael Schlesinger of the University of Illinois, and Magne Aldrin of the Norwegian Computing Center. Skepticism has also crept into London Telegraphs environmental journalist Geoffrey Lean who now asserts that climate change might not be as catastrophic as the gloomiest predictions suggest and also recognizing that warming now expected could be less than the 2C danger level.
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y now, Jollibees mounting a PR blitz after its halohalo and Spam-laden pan de sal were featured in Anthony Bourdains maiden episode of Parts Unknown on CNN. But here in DC, Ive often wondered why Filipino cuisine a diverse blend of Chinese, Spanish and American inuences is slower rising through Americas culinary consciousness than, say, the Thais or Vietnamese. Ive long been a fan of Bourdains No Reservations (Travel Channel) where he once traveled to the Philippines to feature the lechon. It was a culinary and cultural adventure show where he would try out exotic dishes like sheep testicles in Morocco or the beating heart of a freshly slaughtered cobra in Vietnam. According to Bourdain, the most disgusting thing he ever ate was a Chicken McNugget. It makes no goddamn sense at all, he said of the halohalo, I love it! It seems appropriate that Jollibee would gure in the middle of that episode. The fast-food chain, which started as an ice cream parlor in Cubao in 1975, became a symbol of Filipino
competitive excellence when it consistently beat back American fast-food icon McDonalds in a tit-for-tat battle for the Philippine market that saw the lead changing hands several times especially in the late 1980s. They now have 26 branches here in the US, part of a chain of nearly 800 stores in China, Vietnam, Brunei and the Middle East. In the Philippines, small towns working to win ofcial recognition as a city or municipality usually show off their Jollibee branch as proof of their claim. Here, they signal the size and strength of the local Fil-Am communities (the nearest branches to DC are in Virginia Beach, Va. and New Jersey). Some Filipino dishes like the adobo or pancit have gained a small following in the Metro DC region, mainly because of exposure in Fil-Am events or gatherings. But for the most part, their primary clientele is still the Filipino community.
Sure, dried Philippine mangoes are now available in Costco or you can actually order Tito Als chicharon on Amazon.com. The man behind those tasty Tito Al products retired Philippine Constabulary Maj. Arsenio Alpapara believes its all a matter of good marketing and hawking quality products. He is convinced that Filipino food and cuisine have a market in America and cites his experience with SkyFlakes a popular soda cracker made in Marikina hes having difculty keeping up with the orders because of the way theyve been ying off the shelves. Americans have discovered it because its tastier than the other soda crackers here, he explained. The lack of good Filipino restaurants has often been cited as part of the reason why Filipino cuisine hasnt really taken off. Theyre more likely to open
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Racism at Play?
By Emil Guillermo
Immigration Notes
By J.G. Azarcon, Esq.
VISA PRIORITY DATES FOR THE PHILIPPINES APRIL 2013 FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES First: Unmarried sons/daughters of US citizens Feb. 15, 1999 Second: A: Spouses/minor children of permanent residents: Dec. 15, 2010 B: Unmarried sons/daughters 21 years of age or older of permanent residents Jul. 15, 2002 Third: Married sons/daughters of citizens Oct. 01, 1992 Fourth: Brothers/sisters of citizens Aug. 15, 1989 EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES First: Priority workers Current Second: Professionals holding advanced degrees or persons of exceptional ability Current Third: Skilled workers, professionals Sep. 08, 2006 Other Workers Sep. 08, 2006 Fourth: Current Certain Religious Workers Current Fifth: Employment creation/ (Million or half-million dollar investor) Current
for additional six years if the alien satises any applicable federal tax liability and demonstrates 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 dependents 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 physically 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 physical presence from December 31, 2011 until RPI status is granted. There are bars to eligibility. Felony conviction and three
s a minor barrier breaker myself, I honor Jackie Robinson. Today is the 66th anniversary of the breakthrough in our nation pastime. I didnt play shortstop for the Brooklyn Dodgers. My barrier was in broadcast journalism. In 1989, I was the host of NPRs All Things Considered for two years. I was the rst AsianAmerican male andrst-FilipinoAmerican to host a national news program. Since then, let me know if youve seen or heard all the Asian-American males in similar roles. In that sense, as important as a breakthrough can be, sustaining the momentum is equally as important. Thats called progress, and its harder to come by than you think. Just look at baseball today. Nearly three generations after Robinson, the number of Black players in the major leagues is just around 8.5 percent. By MLBs own estimate, thats half of what it was from the mid-70s through the mid-90s. According to the Player Diversity Report (released on 11/13/12), the diversity of the player prole on 40-man Major League rosters was 62 percent Caucasian, 28 percent Hispanic, 8 percent African-American, 1 percent Asian and 0.2 percent American Indian. Compare that to the overall U.S. 2011 Census Data: 63 percent White non-Hispanics; 16.7 percent Hispanic; 13.1 percent African-American; 5 percent Asian-American; 1.2 percent American Indian. Frankly, the Asian numbers in the big leagues are misleading. Most of the Asians are really Asian from Japan or Korea, and not Asian-American like, say, the Giants Tim Lincecum from the state of Washington. Just the same, the numbers, in particular the Black-player numbers, are giving Major League Baseball a diversity attack. Last week, it announced a diversity committee, which is the surest sign of institutional guilt.
Immigration reform
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At least a committee can issue a report when nothing substantial gets done. Still, maybe the situation is not as bad as some think. Diversity, as it turns out, complicates the issue. There are a lot of Blacks in the game, if you count Black Hispanics in the major leagues. In the old days, Puerto Ricans, Venezuelans, Dominicans and Cubans were included in the number of Blacks that brought that number to nearly 20 percent or more at times. The new numbers leave them out, and count only African-Americans ,the descendants of the Henry Aarons, not the Roberto Clementes. In fact, if you count the Latino and Afro-Latino players, there are more players of color than ever before. The reasons U.S. Blacks arent becoming baseball players is still an issue, but it may be due to other issues. A lack of elds in urban environments certainly contributes. In their place are the concrete playgrounds where basketball reigns. There is no lack of African-Americans in the NBA. But its also tough to impose quota -like standards for any sport when it comes to athletes on the eld. Diversity works well for evaluating front ofce personnel. But as for players who play the game, shouldnt it be less about race, and more about sheer talent? Sports, after all, is the ultimate meritocracy. Robinson was an important marker because talented Black athletes were shut out of the game and relegated to the separate but equal Negro Leagues. Now talented Black athletes have real choices. As I mentioned, there may still be racism at play. Im just not sure at this point in history if the lack of African-Americans in Major League Baseball is due to the same kind of racism Robinson faced.
he Gang of Eight composed of four Republican and four Democrat senators introduced into the Senate on April 16 their proposed Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act. Its too early to get excited. But considering that it is a product of legislators from the opposite sides of the political divide, there appears to be a consensus to do something about reforming the current system, including addressing the undeniable presence of millions of aliens without lawful status. Whats in it for the undocumented 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 children 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
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Sound Chamber
MANILA s the May 13 elections campaign careens into home stretch, many candidates get strident. There are 18,053 posts up for grabs --almost quadruple the number of ofce seekers. Candidates of outstanding or dubious --- credentials seek 12 Senate seats and 233 slots in the Lower House. Elective posts in 80 provinces, 143 cities plus 1,491 towns, are to be lled. Add 58 Party List representatives. Wait. The Supreme Court just granted 54 petitions for inclusion, led by party-list groups blackballed earrlier by the Commission on Elections. And Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao elects a governor, vice governor and 24 regional assemblymen. Overseas foreign workers, started casting ballots April 13. Comelec says 975,263 Pinoys abroad are eligible to vote, This time around, 60 percent of OFW electors -- around 585,000 -- may vote,. . Is there basis for that optimism?. In the 2004 overseas voting, 65 out of every 100 qualied
voters turned up, Rappler recalls. .That slumped to 16 percent in 2007, then to 25 percent in 2010. Candidates meanwhile zigzag from one rally to another. Their pitch for votes range from the thoughtful to the silly. One more chance pleads Joseph Estrada convicted for corruption. Ernesto Maceda shasays on stage to disprove he is not decrepit. Keep the focus on issues that matter, be they the Sabah controversy or a strained school system, Dick Gordon urges These voices clash and. Poll zarzuelas are part of the cost in rebooting the Marcos dictatorships unanimity of the graveyard elections..x Journalists are padlocked, by their craft, into this sound chamber, Louis Lyons would drill into editors at Harvard University s Nieman sabbaticals.
A babel of voices batters them They range weak whimpers to imperious tones, shrill screams to fading tones. Swirling beneath the obvious, fester survive-or-perish issues. Often, these lethal threats are overlooked. Learn to listen, Lyons would say. Extract what is true and relevant from this chaos. At the same time, think for yourself. Thats the only way you can serve those you write for or broadcast to. There is no substitute for water . A Filipino has 4,476 liters of this internal renewable resources. A Malaysian has 21,259 liters. The wealthy have better access than the poor to water asserts Asian Water Development Outlook 2013. Most striking is inequality in access to sanitation, this Asian Development Bank study adds.
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City which he promised would be offering Filipino-inspired fare (prepared by chefs brought over from the Philippines), expanding on the premise of Sweet City. Whether puritanical or fusion, Filipino cuisine obviously has a rich potential in our region, one of the most culturally diverse but also gastronomically challenging in America. And as reactions to Bourdains show over the weekend demonstrate, a source of pride for Filipinos everywhere. Lacson does. What he does in the Senate: Secretly my staff is busier than I am. Unfortunately I was told by the older dogs in the senate to nod whenever they stare at me. ...then formulated questions from my staff will be read by yours truly so that I will appear a truly honorable senator. Im still trying to arrange meetings with my staff so that they can read the passage before me. Lito referring to a colleague: I have sleepless nights thinking about that but I guess you cant teach a new trick to an old dog but not to a bitch. On education: If you think being educated is good, try being an uneducated lthy rich . On speaking English: Actually I do understand English. What I dont understand are the statisticd & the medical terms being presented. during the mothers pregnancy and the childs rst two years of life Chronic hunger reduces one out of three into a puny underweight. They dont starve to death. But debilitating and preventable diseases like TB, anemia, diarrhea take their toll. A Nutrition National Survey found that progress inched forward by only ve percent At this rate, it will take maybe half a century before we can eradicate the problem of malnutrition. But kids cant wait. Their name is today. These are preventable deaths . Yet, there is no outcry, Why? Because death stalks kids in city hovels or farm shacks. Their burial shrouds are usually out of sight. As a result, their cofns blend into the woodwork. So the massacre persists. Striking a child in anger may be pardoned, George Bernard Shaw once said. But a blow, against a child in cold blood, as in continued tolerance of malnutrition, is an obscenity. Thats an apt handle for our candidates myopia. ( Email: juan_mercado77@ yahoo.com )
ment, knowledge of English and civics, proof of selective service registration and meeting certain criteria in the merit-based system for immigrant visas.
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