MARCH 28, 2009 � HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE � 1

HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE94-356 WAIPAHU DEPOT RD., 2ND FLR.WAIPAHU, HI 96797

PRESORTED STANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

HONOLULU, HIPERMIT NO. 9661

MAINLAND NEWS

NEW YORK TIMES

AWARDS FIL-AM

TEACHERS

IMMIGRATION GUIDE

FIANCEE VS. WIFE,WHICH IS BETTER?

HAWAII-FILIPINO NEWS

FILIPINO FILM

FESTIVAL AT

UH-MANOA

Photography by TIM LLENA

♦ WEEKLY ♦ MARCH 28, 2009 ♦

2 � HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE �MARCH 28, 2009

Publisher & Executive Editor

Charlie Y. Sonido, M.D.

Publisher & Managing Editor

Chona A. Montesines-Sonido

Associate Editors

Dennis Galolo

Edwin Quinabo

Creative DesignerJunggoi Peralta

Design Consultant

Randall Shiroma

PhotographerTim Llena

Administrative AssistantShalimar Pagulayan

Columnists

Carlota Ader

Michelle Alarcon, Esq.

Carlo Cadiz, M.D.

Sen. Will Espero

Grace F. Fong, Ed.D

Mayor Mufi Hannemann

Governor Linda Lingle

Ruth Elynia Mabanglo, Ph.D.

Rosemarie Mendoza

J.P. Orias

Pacita Saludes

Charlie Sonido, M.D.

Emmanuel S. Tipon, Esq.

Felino S. Tubera

Sylvia Yuen, Ph.D.

Contributing Writers

Calvin Alonzo, O.D.

Rowena Ballesteros

Clement Bautista

Linda Dela Cruz

Constante A. Domingo

Danny De Gracia

Amelia Jacang, M.D.

Caroline Julian

Albert Lanier

Ashley Monfort

Paul Melvin Palalay, M.D.

Reuben S. Seguritan, Esq.

Glenn Wakai

Philippine CorrespondentGuil Franco

Big Island DistributorElmer Acasio

Ditas Udani

Maui DistributorCecile Piros

Molokai DistributorMaria Watanabe

Advertising/Marketing Director

Chona A. Montesines-Sonido

Account ExecutivesCarlota Ader

J.P. Orias

The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle is published

weekly by The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle Inc.

It is mailed directly to subscribers and dis-

tributed at various outlets around Oahu and

the neighbor islands. Editorial and advertis-

ing deadlines are three weeks prior to pub-

lication date. Subscriptions are available at

$75 per year for Oahu and the neighbor is-

lands, continental U.S. $80, foreign country

$90. Copyright 2006. The Hawaii Filipino

Chronicle Inc. is located at 94-356 Waipahu

Depot, Waipahu, HI 96797. Telephone

(808) 678-8930 Facsimile (808) 678-1829.

E-mail filipinochronicle@gmail.com. Web-

site: www.thefilipinochronicle.com. Opinions

expressed by the columnists and contribu-

tors do not necessarily reflect those of the

Hawaii Filipino Chronicle management. Re-

production of the contents in whole or in part

is prohibited without written permission from

the management. All rights reserved.

Printed in the U.S.A.

EDITORIAL FROM THE PUBLISHER

y a vote of 18-6, state senators rejected a moveto recall the controversial gay marriage billfrom committee for a full vote on the Senatefloor. The bill would have given homosexualcouples the same rights, benefits and protec-tions under state law as married couples.

However, the Senate’s decision was more a vote to notoverstep the boundaries of Senate protocol. Had the votebeen a simple up or down on the controversial measure, theresult would have been much, much closer. Ultimately, theSenate made the right choice on two fronts. First, approv-ing the bill for a full floor vote would have set a dangerousprecedent for future controversial bills that were given hear-ings but ultimately ended up stalled in committee. Theprocess in the Senate ensures fair and orderly proceedingsand prevents chaos from ensuing.

Secondly, the bill would have violated freedom of reli-gion—a basic right that this very country was foundedupon. How so? Because gay marriage would be deemed acivil right. Currently, it is unconstitutional for clergy to re-fuse to wed couples based on race. However, under this bill,which grants civil rights to gay couples, clergy would beforced to marry them if requested to do so. Churches andprivate Christian schools would be forced to hire openlygay faculty and staff or face civil rights lawsuits.

While the Senate’s decision effectively kills the billfor this legislative session, proponents of the bill will beback next year. There are no easy answers to this highlycontentious issue, but for the time being, the majority hasspoken.

Hawaii State Senate MadeWise Choice

B

LETTERS

elcome to another edition ofthe Hawaii Filipino Chronicle!If you’re a parent, your chil-dren are probably on SpringBreak. For the rest of us,Spring Break means….lesstraffic! Much to everyone’s re-

lief, the morning and afternoon commutes arenoticeably lighter and will be for the nexttwo weeks, now that most public and private schools are not insession.

For the past month, many eyes have been riveted on the StateLegislature, as senators wrangled over the highly-controversialsame sex marriage bill. Just last week, the Senate voted 18-6 toreject the bill. The six senators who voted in favor of pulling thestalled bill out of committee for a full Senate vote were RosalynBaker, Suzanne Chun-Oakland, Carol Fukunaga, Gary Hooser,Les Ihara and Michelle Kidani. It remains to be seen what thefall-out will be for most of these six senators, particularlyHooser, who led the efforts to recall the bill and will be runningfor Lieutenant Governor in 2010. With the contentious issue set-tled for the time being, lawmakers can now focus on the state’seconomy as well as other pressing matters.

As many of you already know, 2009 marks the 100th An-niversary of the arrival of the first Visayan immigrants to Hawaii.Many Visayan community groups are celebrating with variousactivities statewide for the entire year—much like the FilipinoCentennial in 2006. In conjunction with the Visayan Centennial,our cover story for this issue is on the Magpiong and Yorongfamilies—two of the first Visayan families who traveled toHawaii from the Philippines as plantation workers. Contribut-ing writer Rowena Ballesteros interviewed the descendants ofthese two families, who spoke about adjusting to life in Hawaiiand their early struggles.

We have other stories in this issue that are bound to inter-est you, including a proposal by Councilmember DonovanDela Cruz for online voting in the next election (see page 3), arobotics competition featuring local and international teams(page 6), a special patriotic dinner honoring Fil-Am veterans(page 8) and several others.

In closing, we hope some of you were able to see the rockband Journey in concert. The band is still popular among the30- and 40-something age group. But thanks to new lead singerArnel Pineda, the band has gained legions of admiring Fil-ipinos, who have taken great pride in their countryman’s suc-cess. Many who attended the concerts came away impressedwith Pineda’s vocals and say he is the real deal.

As always, thank you for supporting the Hawaii FilipinoChronicle! Until next time…

Aloha, Mabuhay and rock on!

n July 20, 1909, the SS Korea steamed intoHawaiian waters, carrying another boatload oflaborers from the Philippines to work on the sug-arcane plantations. What made this voyage dif-ferent from the others was that the ship carriedmembers of the Magpiong and Yorong fami-

lies—the first Visayans to Hawaii. Visayans comprise between 10-15 percent of Hawaii’s

Filipino population. Nevertheless, they have over the yearsmade their mark in Hawaii’s rich history, particularly in pol-itics with former Gov. Ben Cayetano, entertainment with TVpersonality Emme Tomimbang and actress Tia Carrere andsports with former boxing champ Ben Villaflor—to name afew.

In light of the Visayan Centennial, we commend theCongress of Visayan Organizations (COVO), the umbrellagroup for 20 Visayan organizations, for their efforts to workclosely with the United Filipino Council of Hawaii (UFCH)during the Filipino Centennial in 2006. The rift that splitapart the community during the 1980s is well-documented,but fortunately, time has slowly healed wounds.

As an ethnic group, we need to remain united. Filipinosgroups—Visayan, Tagalog and Ilocano—need to put asidetheir differences and instead work together on issues facingthe Filipino community in Hawaii. Much more can be doneif we coordinate activities, pool resources, discuss commonconcerns, and present a single united voice.

Celebrating the VisayanCentury

Trouble Brewing For Philippine Collection at

UH Library?

The backbone to Asian Studies teaching and research at UH-Manoa includes Hamilton Library’s locally and internationally-val-ued Asia Collection. The Philippines collection is part of thisresource. UH administrators should be the first to demonstrate itsappreciation of this asset.

Yet, a current authoritative proposal to disperse the responsi-bilities of professional librarians on the Asia Collection staff (in-cluding the Philippines specialist) threatens to undermine the valueof this asset for teaching and research across the Manoa campus.

Why would UH administrators hesitate to be the first to pro-mote the value of the Asia Collection in Hamilton Library?

Vincent K. Pollard, Ph.D.Honolulu

OW

MARCH 28, 2009 � HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE � 3

he big attentiongiven to civilunions and thestate budgetovershadows themany other mat-

ters that are moving forward atthe State Capitol. As Chair ofthe Public Safety and MilitaryAffairs Committee, I have over-seen several worthwhile Senateinitiatives that have crossedover to the House for their con-sideration.

SB619 would restore vot-ing rights to convicted persons.

While the original versionwould give all felons the rightto vote, the Judiciary Commit-tee amended the bill to restorevoting rights only to those in-mates whose sentences weretwo years or less. Maine andVermont allow inmate voting,and based on their experience,it is likely that if this bill be-came law, the majority of in-

mates would not vote if giventhe opportunity, similar to therate of voting in the generalpopulation.

For the inmates who chooseto vote, however, I see this astheir chance to begin their tran-sition to re-entering society oneday. Inmates cannot help theirchildren, parents, spouses, orfriends due to their loss of free-dom and punishment behindbars, but absentee voting cangive them one way to feel thatthey are contributing. There isno additional cost and no harmto the state or our residents.With over 96% of inmates ex-pected to be released one dayand the majority of inmatesserving 10 years or less, helpingto rehabilitate prisoners is im-portant for our society since theoffenders one day be released towalking on our streets, live inour neighborhoods, and workamongst us.

SB1148 mandates writtenre-entry plans for all felons sothat inmates will understand

LEGISLATIVE CONNECTION

Public Safety Measures Alive at the Legislature

what programs they must com-plete or services they must uti-lize to rehabilitate or betterthemselves. This would includebut not be limited to drug treat-ment, anger management, edu-cation, vocational training, andthe like. Locking up prisonersand forgetting about them untilthey are released only leavesthem very likely to commitmore crimes after they get out.Re-entry plans are valuabletools for the Department ofPublic Safety and will benefitus all.

A non-paid re-entry com-mission would also be createdin SB1148 to monitor and re-view the re-entry programs andservices of our state. With ourlimited resources, it is impor-tant to establish performanceindicators and make certain theprograms we fund are working.Programs and services thatdon't meet expectations shouldbe eliminated or refined.

SB 546 establishes a GPSelectronic monitoring pilot pro-

ness to proceed, and requiresthe Department of Health toprovide a victim with notice ofan offender's unauthorized ab-sences.

Finally, the issue of gunownership: SB 358 would pro-hibit the state from taking gunsaway from owners who are law-fully permitted to own or carry agun during a natural disaster oremergency. If you recall Hurri-cane Katrina, authorities wantedto confiscate all firearms for thesake of safety and security in theface of the lawlessness andchaos that were rampant in someareas soon after this natural dis-aster. This measure would makecertain that law-abiding citizenswith permits would be able toprotect their loved ones, prop-erty, and neighborhoods in theevent of a catastrophic event inHawaii.

All of these bills havecrossed over to the House fortheir consideration.

SENATOR ESPERO is Chair of theSenate Committee on Public Safetyand Military Affairs. He is also amember of the Committees on Com-merce and Consumer Protection;Health; and Transportation, Inter-national and IntergovernmentalAffairs. He can be reached byphone at 586-6360, fax at 586-6361, or e-mail at senespero@capitol.hawaii.gov.

gram as an alternative to incar-ceration. I believe an offendershould spend time in prison be-cause being in prison shows aperson what it means to losetheir freedom and be locked upand away from loved ones andfriends. However, many prisonstaff agree with me that possi-bly 10% to 20% of inmates –roughly 600 to 1200 -- do notneed to be imprisoned. At thecurrent imprisonment cost ofover $50,000 per offender peryear, the State would save mil-lions if technology and commu-nity-based monitoring andservices were implemented forthis select, small proportion ofnon-violent offenders.

For victims' rights, I intro-duced SB230, aimed at thoseoffenders who have mentalhealth issues. The bill amendsthe crime victims' bill of rightsto include notice or waiver ofnotice as to an offender's unfit-ness to stand trial, transfer to thestate hospital or other psychi-atric facility, or regaining fit-

TBy Senator Will Espero

OPINION

s o n o fHawai‘i, BarackObama, won thepresidential raceon November 4,2008. Given thisfact, it was hard

to believe that voter turnout onOahu, was 65.9 percent, lowerthan the 2004 presidential elec-tion when President George W.Bush was re-elected. How canthat be?

In 2008, voter registrationin Hawaii shattered the previousrecord; a Hawaii born candidatewas running for the presidency,the rail issue was to be decidedand there was a hotly contestedmayoral race. All signs pointedto a huge turnout, but Hawaiiranked the lowest among all 50states.

Maybe, we thought thepresidential election was in thebag. Maybe, we think our votesdo not matter. Maybe, we justenjoyed the holiday. Whateverthe reason, the reality is that weall need to vote to ensure the in-tegrity of the democratic

process. The only way to do thisis by public participation.

I have introduced Resolu-tion 09-47 which requests theCity Clerk’s office to exploreimplementing online voting forupcoming elections. This wouldmake voting more convenientfor those who cannot make it tothe polls. It would also save tax-payers a substantial amount ofmoney since we would needfewer paper ballots and fewerpolling stations. Voting wouldnot be exclusively online. Itwould not be fair to those whodo not own a computer or haveaccess to the internet. This pro-gram will be used to supple-

ment, not replace, current vot-ing procedures.

I am very concerned withsecurity and ensuring that everyvote is genuine. I feel that sincemany institutions, such asbanks, credit cards and broker-ages are able to offer onlineservices, we can develop a sys-tem secure enough to put anydoubts to rest.

From 2000 to 2008, NorthAmerica alone has seen internetusage jump 130.9 percent, ac-cording to Internet World Stats,an online website that tracks in-ternet use worldwide. We areseeing a tremendous opportu-nity to tap a resource that would

Could Online Voting Increase Voter Turn Out?allow for better representationwhen Election Day comesaround.

Giving the voting publicmore options will, hopefully, in-crease the turnout. Many peoplefeel their vote does not matter

or they have lost enough faith ingovernment to not care aboutthese elections. However, vot-ing is the foundation of whatdefines America. It is how wecontinue to ensure that Americastays a democracy.A

By Donovan Dela CruzCouncil Member

4 � HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE �MARCH 28, 2009

COVER STORY

Visayans (also spelled Bisayans) are an ethno-linguistic groupin the Philippine islands that reside in the Visayas region in thePhilippines, namely Cebu, Leyte, Biliran, Samar, Bohol, Ne-gros, Guimaras, Romblon, Panay and Siquijor. Records showthey have even migrated to the Luzon and Mindanao areas.

was among Hawaii’s firstVisayans. Her grandfather Vi-cente Magpiong and hermother were the first amongtheir family to reach Hawaiiansoil.

Vicente Magpiong was arecruiter, she says, who trav-eled back and forth from thePhilippines to the U.S. to bringin more sakadas. He wasknown not only for being oneof the first Visayans in Hawaii,but for bringing a very impor-tant necessity—the malunggayor maronggay plant which isalso known as the horse radishtree. Malunggay is a commonplant found in most Filipinofamilies’ backyard. It is grownnot only in the Philippines butalso in Thailand and through-out much of the Far East.

It was in 1955 whenNancy Magpiong, who was 19at the time, boarded the S.S.Korea along with her uncleLiberato Magpiong and hiswife.

“At first I felt lonesomebecause I was away from myfamily,” she says. She wasamong the last of her family toarrive to Hawaii but was reas-sured after being reunited withrelatives already in Hawaii.Magpiong then petitioned hertwo younger brothers.

Even though she left thePhilippines for Hawaii, onething she did not leave behindwere memories of her child-hood. Growing up in the midstof WWII, she can still clearlyremember many disturbing im-ages.

“I hope that no one everexperiences the trials andtribulations that I’ve beenthrough,” she says. “TheJapanese bombed Pearl Harborin 1941 and then invaded thePhilippines. They completelytook over the place and wereso powerful.”

She says that the Filipinopeople were practically brain-washed from everything they

V

A Closer Lookat HawaiiÊs EarlyVisayan PioneersBy Rowena Ballesteros

The first sakadas, or Fil-ipino contract plantation work-ers, were brought to the U.S. in1906 by the Hawaii SugarPlanters Association (HSPA).The first group included 15Ilokanos, who were followedby 150 more the followingyear. The first group ofsakadas were sent to theKahuku plantation while oth-ers were sent to Waialua, Ewaand Waipahu which are all onOahu and some were even sentto the neighbor islands Kauaiand the Big Island.

In 1909, the first Visayansleft the Philippines and werebrought to Hawaii due to alabor shortage that was trig-gered by striking Japaneseworkers. Among the recruitswere members of the Yorongand Magpiong families whosedescendants still reside in theislands today.

The Magpiong FamilyNancy Magpiong’s family

knew to learn Japanese cus-toms and styles.

“The Japanese took overthe school system and only thefortunate kids were able to at-tend class,” Magpiong says.She, her sister and severalfriends were among the fewwho were educated by theJapanese. They learned how toread and write in katakana aswell as speak a little Japanese.

Meanwhile, the killingsworsened as the days passed.

“After they killed you,they would chop up yourbones and disperse themthroughout the land,” she says.

Her sister saved both theirlives because she persuadedthe Japanese that she workedfor them.

“My sister was able tocommunicate with the Japan-ese in their dialect which Iknow saved us from beingchopped bones,” she says.

Now, Magpiong hasplaced those memories to theback of her mind and has pros-pered in her new life inHawaii. The retired dietaryservice worker is married toGurney Ward and has threeadult children—52 year-old-Roy (San Diego), 51-year-oldDan (Oahu) and 42-year-oldMargaret Ann (Washington).

The Yorong FamilyIt was a different perspec-

tive for the other Visayan fam-ily that arrived to the states,the Yorong family.

The Yorong family arrivedto the islands because of JoseD. Yorong who had applied asa rice farmer in the U.S. Hisapplication was deferred be-cause too many single Filipinoworkers were returning to thePhilippines. However, his ap-plication was deferred becausetoo many single Filipino work-ers were returning home to thePhilippines. As such, recruitersbegan hiring only marriedworkers. Fortunately, a femalefriend informed Jose of thechange and told him that if hewould bring her to Hawaii, shewould marry him. Jose agreedand the couple was married onthe boat by the captain.

“Like everyone else, myfamily came to the U.S. for abetter life,” says JulianYorong, Jose’s son Julian.Coming to the U.S. from thePhilippines meant tremendouschanges for he and his siblingsPetronilo (now deceased),Pedro (deceased), Josephina(deceased), Lorenzo (LasVegas), Stanley (Big Island)and Marcelino.

Julian Yorong remembersgrowing up in Hawaii duringWorld War II and one dayhearing the loud sound of abullet at his family home inAiea.

“It was scary because atone point, my sister could havebeen hit,” Julian says. “Lifewas very difficult back then.”

A retired marine machin-ery mechanic, Julian told sto-

Jose Yorong and wife during their 50th Wedding Anniversary celebrationJose Yorong is one of the pioneering Visayans in Hawaii

MARCH 28, 2009 � HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE � 5

COVER STORY

Julian says. They would usethe hard paper material as theirtoilet tissue paper.

“Back in the days, therewas a great abundance of foodthat we caught,” addedMarcelino. Behind their homein Aiea, in a river which passesby what now stands as CutterFord and the Waimalu Shop-ping Plaza, they caught crab,shrimp and fish.

“After catching the crabs,I remember going toWaimanalo and selling themfor a dollar each,” Julian says.

Marcelino, 77, resides inAiea. He joined the Air Forceafter high school and workedfor the Department of Defenseat Hickam Air Force Base. Heretired after 35 years.

Marcelino is married toJulia Yorong, 80, a retiredHawaiian Airlines worker. To-gether they have three adultchildren—53-year-old Brend-lynn (Big Island), 52-year-oldAnita (Oahu) and 50-year-oldMarcel (Oahu.)

Julian along with his latewife Patricia Caparida have 7children: Patrick (deceased),Roxane (deceased), Julianne,Julian Jr., Darryl, Arleta andJonie. Nowa-days the re-tired HawaiiKai residentspends most ofhis time as amusician per-forming at var-ious Filipino

events or special occasions.The Julians were also a

recipient of the first Lapu-Lapu Award as one of the pio-neering families of Visayanancestry to Hawaii. The awardrecognizes and honors Fil-ipinos of Visayan ancestrywho have distinguished them-

ries while growing up with hissiblings in Hawaii.

“My brother Lorenzo wasthe favorite in the family,” saidJulian. When Lorenzo askedfor a bike, he would receive itwithout his parents’ hesitation.But if Julian asked for a bike,he was told to work hard andsave up money, which ulti-mately ended up being takenaway from him.

Julian and Marcelino, theonly two brothers still inHawaii, also recall their hard-ships growing up. During theDepression Era, they wouldtravel to far places to gatherwood, water, bread and othernecessities.

“I also remember when wewould go to the local grocerystores and take the scraps offruit wrappers they threw out,”

selves in their fields of en-deavor or who have con-tributed to the growth andsuccess of Visayan organiza-tions in Hawaii. As recipientsof this distinguished award,they serve as role models andinspirational examples for thenext generation.

Julian (standing) and Marcelino Yorong

Shown here is Nancy Magpiong, the granddaughter of Vicente Magpiong,who was one of the first family members to reach Hawaii.

Photography by TIM LLENA

6 � HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE �MARCH 28, 2009

HAWAII-FILIPINO NEWS

Dr. Victor Paz from theUniversity of the Philip-pines-Diliman will de-

liver a lecture entitled “Historyand the History of Archaeologyin the Philippines” on April 3,2009 at the University ofHawaii-Manoa.

Paz is the director of UP-Dil-iman’s Archaeological StudiesProgram. He received his Ph.D.in archaeology from CambridgeUniversity in the UK. His lecturewill present a period of archaeol-ogy within the framework ofPhilippine history to better un-derstand the study of earlyhuman life in the Philippines.

Visiting Professor to Lecture at UH

Jeffrey Higa, Executive Di-rector for Hawaii’s Planta-tion Village, recently

announced the 2009 Board ofDirectors for the Friends ofWaipahu Cultural Garden Parkdba Hawaii’s Plantation Village(HPV).

Members of the Board ofDirectors Executive Committeeinclude: Faith Evans (presi-dent); Deanna Espinas (1st vicepresident); Loretta Pang (2ndVP); Richard Oshiro (3rd VP);Robert Castro (secretary);Glenn Ifuku (treasurer); andRichard Hirata (past-president).

The Board of Directors in-

clude: Jason Chang, ShirleyColon, Tricia Evans, PamFunai, Toni Lee, Domingo LosBanos, Melvin Makii, DaveMueller, Steven Pang, AmySakuma, Shari Tamashiro, Jef-frey Ventura, Yoshiko Ya-mauchi and Stephen Yuen.

HPV has experienced achallenging 2009, along withthe rest of Hawaii’s tourism in-dustry. A decrease in the num-ber of Japanese visitors hasresulted in staff reductions. De-spite its struggles, the village re-mains open for self-guided anddocent-led tours.

Evans and the board will be

brainstorming ways to increasemembership and encourage vis-its from military and kamaainafamilies to offset some of theloss in revenue.

Hawaii’s Plantation Villageopened its doors in 1992 with amission to ensure that the sacri-fices and contributions ofHawaii’s sugar plantation work-ers are preserved and acknowl-edged as the cornerstone ofHawaii’s successful multi-eth-nic society.

Tours can be arranged bycalling 677-0110 or going on-line at: www.hawaiiplanta-tionvillage.org.

Hawaii’s Plantation VillagesNames 2009 Board of Directors

The lecture begins at 12noon in Moore Hall Room 319.It is part of the Spring 2009Philippine Studies ColloquiumSeries and co-sponsored by theUH Center For Philippine Stud-ies and the UH Center ForSoutheast Asian Studies.

The University of Hawaii-Manoa’s Filipino &Philippine Literature

Program will host the LinoBrocka Film Festival on April20-22, 2009 at Spalding Audi-torium.

Lino Brocka (1939-1991)is a critically acclaimed directorbest known for films like Tubogsa Ginto, Tinimbang Ka NgunitKulang, Maynila, sa Mga Kukong Liwanag, Orapronobis, andJaguar. In 1985, he received theRamon Magsaysay Award forJournalism, Literature and Cre-ative Communication Arts, the

highest award of its kind inAsia. In 1997, he was posthu-mously named National Artistfor Film by Philippine PresidentFidel V. Ramos. His filmJaguar was nominated for thePalme d’Or at the 1984 CannesFilm Festival.

The film festival aims toreintroduce Brocka as a Filipinoartist and his vision of Philippinesociety to a new generation ofstudents and to the community.It will highlight Brocka’s contri-butions and artistry as a directorin portraying various aspects ofthe Filipino experience.

Public Invited to Film Festival at UH-ManoaAs part of the festival, Dr.

Nerissa S. Balce-Cortes, Assis-tant Professor of Asian Ameri-can Literature from StateUniversity of New York atStony Brook, will deliver a lec-ture entitled “The Artist in aTime of Dictatorship: LinoBrocka and His Films” on April21, 12 noon-1:15 pm at MSB114.

The following films will beshown: Maynila sa mga Kuko ngLiwanag (Manila: In the Clawsof Light) and Insiang on April20; Ina, Kapatid, Anak (Mother,Sister, Daughter) and Tinimbangka Ngunit Kulang (Weighed but

Found Wanting) on April 21; andCain at Abel and Tatlo, Dalawa,Isa (Three, Two, One) on April22. Film showings are at 3 p.m.and 6 p.m.

April 20

3 pm Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag

5 pm Reception6 pm Insiang

April 21

12 nn Lecture by Dr. NerissaBalce

3 pm Ina, Kapatid, Anak6 pm Tinimbang Ka Ngunit

KulangApril 22

3 pm Cain at Abel6 pm Tatlo, Dalawa, Isa

For inquiries, please con-tact Dr. Elynia Mabanglo at ma-banglo@hawaii.edu or at956-5978.

Direk Lino Brocka

Ateam from PhilippineScience High Schoolwas among 34 teams

from Hawaii, the mainland andMexico that competed in theFIRST (For Inspiration &Recognition of Science andTechnology) in Hawaii Re-gional Robotics Competition,held at the University ofHawaii-Manoa Stan SheriffCenter from March 26-28,2009.

The Philippines team,which was the sole entry fromthe Association of SoutheastAsian Nations (ASEAN),dubbed their robot “LarryLabuyo” which has a specialmeaning for members.

“We picked the Filipinoword ‘Lagablab’ which means‘flame’ and ‘Labuyo,’ whichrefers to a wild native rooster,”says Ester Ogena, director ofthe Philippines Science Educa-

tion Institute. “It not only iden-tifies us as Filipinos but givesimpact to the name and purposeof our participation.”

Larry Labuyo stands 4-feettall and looks more like ahousehold appliance on wheels.It is equipped with keen eye-sight to “see” its environmentand opponents, along with ad-vanced software that allows it tomove autonomously.

The teams engaged in agame called Lunacy, which

simulates conditions on themoon. Their robots used a spe-cial wheel capable of rollingover a nearly frictionless mate-rial called regolith. The objec-tive of the game is to place asmany moon rocks into their op-ponents’ trailer within an twominute time frame.

Officials from the Philip-pine Consulate General saidthat the performance of TeamPhilippines was on par withteams from the internationalcommunity. The winner was be-stowed the Chairman’sAward—the highest honorgiven in the regional and finalcompetitions—and will com-pete in the FIRST Champi-onship April 15-18 in Atlanta.

FIRST is a U.S.-based or-ganization founded by inventorDean Kamen in 1989 aimed atinspiring young people’s inter-est in science and technology.

Team Philippines Competesin Hawaii Robotics Contest

Larry Labuyo

San FranciscoBay Area mancalled saying thathe has been read-ing my immigra-tion columns andfound them funny

and interesting. He asked if itwas better to go home andmarry his girl friend and thenpetition for her as a wife or pe-tition for her as a fiancée.

I thought you were readingmy columns, I told him. Didyou not read that is better to pe-tition for a fiancée than to peti-tion for a wife? Yes, but Iwanted to hear it directly fromyou, he replied.

Advantages of Petitioning forFiancee1. It is faster because it is a

nonimmigrant visa. Thebackground check is not asextensive as it is for a wife.

2. There is less documentationrequired. The parties do nothave to submit joint docu-ments to show that there isa bona fide marriage, suchas joint income tax returns,joint bank accounts, jointmortgage documents, jointrental agreements, etc.

3. The parties do not have toestablish that the relation-ship was consummated. If

MARCH 28, 2009 � HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE � 7

By Atty. Emmanuel Samonte Tipon

IMMIGRATION GUIDE

A

Fiancee vs. Wife, Which Is Better?you do not know what "con-summation" is, like manyFilipinos, it is the first act ofsexual intercourse after themarriage ceremony.

4. The parties do not have toestablish that they cohab-ited for any length of timebefore the visa interview.

5. When the fiancée arrives inthe U.S., the petitioner doesnot have to marry her imme-diately. He has 90 days tomake up his mind. Thus hehas 89 days to what one wagdescribed as "test drive" her.During their 89 days of co-habitation, the parties canreally learn much about eachother, and find out their likesand dislikes. There are anumber of instances wherethe petitioner found that thefiancée failed the "testdrive" and sent her back toher home country.

6. If the consul refuses toissue a fiancée visa, the pe-titioner can marry the fi-ancée. Of course, there isno guarantee that the consulwill issue a visa to the wifewho was previously denieda fiancée visa. The partiesmust overcome the groundsfor the fiancée visa denial.

Advantages of Petitioning forWife1. The wife does not have to

apply for adjustment of sta-tus.

2. The wife can work immedi-ately upon arrival. To this ar-gument, I say: Sinverguenza. Shame on you.

Did you petition for a wifeso you can have somebodywork for you? Do you ex-pect your wife to work 8hours a day, travel 2 hours aday in heavy traffic fromyour home to her job andback, cook breakfast beforeleaving for work, cook din-ner upon arriving fromwork, wash the dishes, andengage in passionate lovemaking before going tosleep?

If that was your only mo-tive, then your marriage is notbona fide in the same mannerthat the marriage is not bonafide if the woman married yousolely for immigration pur-poses. As posited by the U.S.Supreme Court, “The commonunderstanding of a marriage . . .is that the two parties have un-

dertaken to establish a life to-gether and assume certain du-ties and obligations.” Lutwak v.United States, 344 U.S. 604, 73S Ct. 481, 97 L Ed. 593 (1953).

It is inhuman to impose aheavier burden on your wifeand make her fulfill duties andobligations that you yourself areunwilling or incapable of ful-filling.

You should be able to sup-port your wife without makingher go to work. That is why theimmigration law requires you tosubmit an affidavit of supportwhereby you agree to supportyour wife. If you do not evenearn enough to file an affidavitof support and need a co-spon-sor to file a joint affidavit ofsupport, you should be ashamedof yourself. You should noteven think of marrying.

Making your wife work canbe perilous to your marriage, es-pecially if your wife is attrac-tive. An 80 something Ilocanomarried a 40 something very at-tractive Ilocana. When they vis-ited the office after the womanarrived, I asked the womanwhere she planned to work. Shereplied that she would only beworking at home. When I askedwhy, the husband replied: Ayoung man might see her. I donot want to be "torotot" (Ilo-

cano for "cuckolded").A young couple was apply-

ing for adjustment of status. Theyoung man expressed concernthat his beautiful mestiza wifemight not be present at the in-terview. Why? I asked. "She isdating her boss at the restau-rant," he tearfully replied. Headmitted that he and his wifehad not had sex for some time,but before she went to work,they had lots of sex.

(ATTY. TIPON has won all deporta-tion cases he handled and obtainedapproval of all visa petitions he filed.He is from Laoag City. He has a Mas-ter of Laws degree from Yale LawSchool and a Bachelor of Laws degreefrom the University of the Philippines.He served as an Immigration Officer.He is co-author of “Immigration LawService,” an 8-volume practice andprocedure guide for immigration offi-cers and lawyers. He specializes inimmigration and criminal defense. Of-fice at 905 Umi St. corner N. King,Suite 201, Honolulu, HI 96819. Tel.(808) 847 1601. Fax (808) 847 1624.E-Mail: filamlaw@yahoo.com. Web-si te: www.ImmigrationService-sUSA.com. Listen to the mostinteresting and humorous radio pro-gram on Hawaii radio KNDI 1270every Friday 7:30-8:00 AM. This arti-cle is a general overview of the subjectmatter discussed and is not intended aslegal advice for any specific person orsituation Neither the writer nor pub-lisher warrant the completeness or ac-curacy of the information providedherein at the time of publication.)

8 � HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE �MARCH 28, 2009

HAWAII-FILIPINO NEWS

The Consul General of thePhilippines in Honoluluis inviting the public to

attend the Araw ng Kagitingan(Day of Valor) ceremony tohonor the bravery and sacrificesof Fil-Am veterans. The event isscheduled for April 6, 2009 at 4

pm at the National MemorialCemetery of the Pacific.

Special guest will be GilbertC. Teodoro, Jr., the Philippines’Secretary of National Defense.

The Day of Valor is a na-tional holiday in the Philippineswhich commemorates the fall ofBataan during World War II andthe tens of thousands of Filipino

Consulate to Hold Day of ValorCeremony and American prisoners-of-war

who died during the infamousDeath March. Many were exe-cuted by their Japanese captorsor left to die.

Please RSVP before April2 by contacting the Consulateat 595-6316 ext. 223 or 242 orv i a e m a i l a t : H o n -olulupc@hawaii.rr.com.

Students from WaipahuIntermediate wereamong those who at-

tended the Hawaii SkillsUSAAnnual Conference & Compe-tition, which was held at Shera-ton Waikiki from March 12-13,2009.

Waipahu Intermediatefielded five teams in the two-day event. One team entered theGeneral Technology competi-tion, two teams entered the Ca-reer Technology Challenge, andfor the first time ever, two teamsentered the Video ProductionCompetition.

Kriztel Agpoon and Shar-maine Tiburcio comprised teamfour, while Jenalyn Ramos part-nered with Marianne Joy Leanofor team five. Both teams werethe only middle schoolers in thevideo production competition.Their task was to create a 60-

second video that would informand persuade students andadults to join a Career Technol-ogy Student Organization(CTSO). Teams were given sixhours to film, edit and transfertheir finished video to a laptopcomputer that was connected toa projector where it could beshown to the judges.

The teams from WaipahuIntermediate overcame severalchallenges during the competi-tion and presented their respec-tive videos to the panel ofjudges. Their scores were basedon presentation, video quality,editing and other criteria. Thefollowing day at the awardsbanquet, Ramos and Leanowere announced as first placewinners in the video productioncompetition. Tiburcio and Kriz-tel Agpoon placed fourth.

“We were very surprised

and honored to be Waipahu In-termediate’s first ever team towin this competition,” Ramossays. “We were blessed to havesomething like this happen. Ourteamwork, hard work, trainingand perseverance paid off.”

Two weeks later, advisorRenee Blue informed Ramosand Leano that they had quali-fied for the SkillsUSA NationalCompetition in Kansas Cityfrom June 19-27, 2009. Theirentry marks the first time thatmiddle school students fromHawaii will be competing in thenational event.

“We are glad and proud tohave the opportunity to repre-sent Waipahu IntermediateSchool, Waipahu as a commu-nity and the State of theHawaii,” Ramos says.

The students thanked advi-sor Ms. Blue, Edgar Ugale,

Sparky Rodriguez, Zoe Tanakaand Chasity ‘Aloha’ Davis forhelping them to prepare for thecompetition.

“Without their motivationalwords, love, and support, wewouldn’t have come this far,”Ramos says.

The school is asking thecommunity’s assistance in de-fraying travel costs for the com-petition. If you would like tohelp, please contact advisor

R e n e e B l u e a t :Renee_Blue/WAIPAI/HIDOE@notes.k12.hi.us.

SkillsUSA is a nationalnonprofit organization servingteachers and high school andcollege students who arepreparing for careers in trade,technical and skilled service oc-cupations, including health oc-cupations. It has 13,000 schoolchapters in 54 state and territo-rial associations.

Waipahu Intermediate Students toCompete in National Conference

(Left to Right): Waipahu Intermediate students Sharmaine Tiburcio, Kriz-tel Agpoon, Jenalyn Ramos and Marianne Joy Leano competed in theHawaii SkillsUSA video production competition. Ramos and Leano willrepresent Hawaii in the SkillsUSA National Competition in Kansas City.

The Hawaii Foodbank willsalute Hawaii’s WorldWar II Filipino-Ameri-

can veterans at the 14th AnnualPatriots Celebration. The eventis scheduled for July 2, 2009 at6 pm at the Hilton Hawaiian Vil-lage Coral Ballroom.

Veteran groups to be hon-ored include the 1st and 2nd Fil-ipino Infantry Regiments,Philippine Scouts, Guerillas andPOWs.

Funds raised by the gala din-ner will benefit Hawaii Food-bank’s programs that feed thestate’s hungry. Guests are en-couraged to wear red, white andblue to demonstrate their patri-otic spirit.

Table prices (all tables seat10) are the following: • $10,000 per Medal of Honor

table

• $5,000 per Silver Star table• $2,500 per Bronze Star table

Individual seats are $200per person. Sponsorship of hon-orees is also available. To in-quire about sponsorships oradvance reservations, contactTiffany at (808) 836-3600 ext.244; events@hawaiifood-bank.org; or visit www.hawai-ifoodbank.org.

Annual Patriots Celebration to HonorFil-Am Vets

Federal Grant to Help State DOETrack Student Performance

State educators will re-ceive a federal grant to-taling over $927,000 to

develop a statewide data systemto track the individual perform-ances of students over time withthe goal of improving theirachievements in the classroom.

The grant will enable thestate Department of Education’sOffice of Information andTelecommunications Servicesto produce detailed data andanalyses for decision-makingand to meet requirements of the“No Child Left Behind Act of2001.” The grant will fund de-velopment of the system soft-ware, provide necessarytechnology, address needs instaff resources and deploy train-ing and support for users of thedata system.

“The ultimate goal of thisgrant is to improve the aca-demic achievement of our stu-dents,” says U.S. Rep. Neil

Abercrombie. “The grant willenable state educators to im-prove their ability to captureand analyze test scores andother data over time and to trackstudent performance from yearto year.”

The State DOE currentlyuses cross-sectional data, whichprovides snapshots of data atone point in time, to make crit-ical decisions. However, a na-tional movement in education is

relying more heavily on themeasurement of educationalachievement through the use oflongitudinal data, which ana-lyzes data over periods of time.

Proposed reforms to the NoChild Left Behind Act also callfor a greater emphasis on longi-tudinal data to show that studentachievement is progressing overtime, instead of meeting setbenchmarks.

MARCH 28, 2009 � HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE � 9

SOCIETY PAGE

▲ The recent PMAH Inaugural Ball guests representingthe community-Contractor Lito ALcantra and other guests

▲ Pharmaceutical representatives CraigSunada, Ken Thomas and Georgina flankedby Wayne Oshiro and Dr. Cora Hobbs-Oshiro

▲ Dr. Cielo Guillermo,main entertainer of thePMAH Inaugural Ball

▲ Punahou High School Chess Team placed 2nd in the recentHawaii State Interscholastic Chess Championships held lastMarch 14 at the Windward Community College. Shown here(l to r) are Max Tave, John Henry Iucker, Charles Dean Sonido,(President of Punahou Chess Club), Michael and Mark Flores

▲ Gentlemen wearing "Barong" - SatoruIzutsu, PhD., Bishop Larry Silva, andJerris Hedges, MD, UH-JABSOM Dean

▲ Councilman Dr. Duke Bainumdropped by to greet PMAH presi-dent Dr. Celia Ona

▲ Drs. Dan and May Ablan, Dory Villafuerte, Drs. Avery Go,Arnold Villafuerte and Renato de los Santos

▲ Happy 30th birthday for Glory Jane Ader(center) for Keck College of Medicine,University of Southern California (USC)(joined here by her classmates)

▲Rico and Erlinda Ferrer spendingquality time together in Waikiki

▲ Congratulations to Sandra Sagisi-Moser (seated far right)newly appointed to the Mayor's Administration staff

▲ Dr. Wendell Foo, JP Orias, Mrs. SusanFoo and Dr. Fernando V. Ona at thePMAH inauguration

▲ La Salle Filipiniana Dance Co.performed at the Hawaii ConventionCenter during the Honolulu Festivalrecently

10 � HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE �MARCH 28, 2009

PHILIPPINE NEWS

MANILA, Philippines - Nearly 90million jobs are needed to ab-sorb the new entrants in the

labor market and cut short the ongoingglobal financial and job crisis, the Interna-tional Labor Organization (ILO) reportedyesterday.

In a report titled the “Financial andEconomic Crisis: A Decent Work Re-sponse,” the ILO said close to 90 millionnew jobs are needed up to 2010 to avoid aprolonged jobs gap.

ILO Director-General Juan Somaviasaid governments also need to implement a“global jobs pact” to prevent the severe jobcrisis that could lead to a massive increasein unemployment and poverty.

“If stimulus efforts are delayed, thejobs crisis will be prolonged and employ-ment may only start to recover by 2011,”Somavia said.

In earlier financial crises, Somavia saidthe labor market recovered only 4 to 5years after the economic recovery.

At this time, Somavia said, the inter-national coordination to tackle the crisis isweak.

A study by the ILO among 32 membercountries showed that stimulus plans stand

on average at 1.7 percent.The International Monetary Fund

(IMF) earlier called for stimulus plans inthe order of 2 percent of GDP (gross do-mestic product) in response to the crisis.

The ILO survey also found that thestimulus packages lean heavily toward fi-nancial bailouts and tax cuts instead of jobcreation and social protection and notedthat on average, fiscal stimulus packagesfor the real economy are five times smallerthan financial bailout packages.

“Only half of the countries examinedhave announced labor market initiativesand among those, the resources allocated tothese measures are relatively limited,” saidRaymond Torres, Director of the ILO’s In-stitute of Labor Studies.

The report also said that infrastructureprograms do not adequately take into ac-count the need to reinforce the existing ca-pacity of businesses and skills supply – sothat part of the infrastructure spendingmay result in higher prices, rather thanhigher production and jobs; some tax cutswill end in higher savings rather thanhigher demand, output and jobs; and littleis done to help youth and other vulnerablegroups. (www.philstar.com)

International Labor Organization:90 Million New Jobs needed

CAMP CASTAÑEDA, Silang,Cavite, Philippines – “Publicservice knows no gender,” this

year’s topnotcher at the Philippine Na-tional Police Academy (PNPA) said inher valedictory speech.

Inspector Roan Marie Bascugingraduated valedictorian of the 304-strong, male-dominated class of PNPA-Kaisang Bisig and will join thePhilippine National Police (PNP), whichis also a male-dominated organization.

“All men and women in service tothe people are driven by the same pas-sion to lead by serving others. Givingourselves in our profession knows nobounds. Whatever bureau we may be in,we are bound by the same oath.”

Bascugin also thanked President Ar-royo, who was the guest of honor andspeaker at the graduation ceremony here,“for being a good model and inspira-tion.”

“You are the epitome of a strong-willed woman in the service of the peo-ple. The traits you have manifested inleading the nation inspired me to aim forgreater heights,” said Bascugin.

The valedictorian, one of the 266PNPA graduates to join the PNP, said“achieving this coveted plum proves thatthrough hard work and perseverance,women are also capable of doing andachieving things that men have done be-fore.”

Addressing the President, Bascuginsaid, “I also understand that what you

want is to have good, efficient and ef-fective leaders and I am proud to saythat in front of you are 304 adept andvirtuous leaders. With more training andschooling, we shall work our way up to-wards the realization of our shared vi-sion – peace.”

In an earlier interview, Bascugin,daughter of Superintendent RusticoBascugin, currently assigned to the Po-lice Community Relations Group atCamp Crame, said she would be as-signed to Central Luzon Police RegionalOffice (Region 3).

Meanwhile, Interior and Local Gov-ernment Secretary Ronaldo Puno saidthe DILG and the PNP have been tryingto discipline members of the policeforce. (www.philstar.com)

PNPA Topnotcher: Public ServiceKnows No Gender

Class valedictorian Roan Marie Bascuginstands at attention during the 30th com-

mencement exercises at the Philippine Na-tional Police Academy in Silang, Cavite

yesterday. Manny Marcelo

MARCH 28, 2009 � HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE � 11

PHILIPPINE NEWS

MANILA, Philippines— Former secretaryFlorante Soriquez

and 16 other officials of the De-partment of Public Works andHighways (DPWH) are facingcharges of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Actand other offenses after the Of-fice of the Ombudsman founddocumentary evidence linkingthem to alleged anomalous bid-dings for World Bank-fundedroad projects.

Assistant OmbudsmanMark Jalandoni told The STARthe anti-graft agency and the Na-tional Bureau of Investigation(NBI) will jointly probe allegedcollusion between private con-tractors and government officialsin the supposed anomaly.

The investigation of theirField Investigation Office (FIO)covers only the first phase of thefact-finding process since theOffice of the Ombudsman doesnot have jurisdiction over privatecontractors, he added.

Jalandoni said First Gentle-man Jose Miguel Arroyo wasimplicated in the alleged bid-rig-ging in a World Bank reportbased on alleged interviews withunnamed witnesses.

Mr. Arroyo can only beprobed based on the testimoniesof private contractors in the Sen-ate hearings since the witnesseswere never named, and the re-port was confidential, he added.

Jalandoni said their FIOtried to make use of the copies ofthe testimonies sent to them bythe Senate by asking the WorldBank to authenticate them.

However, the World Bankrefused their request, he added.

The joint probe with theNBI will have to again call onthe witnesses and have them tes-tify on Mr. Arroyo’s supposedinvolvement in the anomaly, aswell as other government offi-cials mentioned in the Senatehearings, he said.

Jalandoni said Soriquez,now a DPWH undersecretary,leads the list of officials who arebeing charged for grave miscon-duct, dishonesty, conduct preju-dicial to the interest of theservice, and neglect of dutybased on provisions of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Actand the Code of Conduct andEthical Standards for Govern-ment Officials and Employeesbefore the Office of the Om-budsman’s Preliminary Investi-gation and AdministrativeAdjudication and MonitoringOffice.

Soriquez, as acting DPWHsecretary when the biddingswere held, should have rejectedall bids that went beyond the ap-proved budget for the contract,he added.

The strongest evidenceagainst the respondents are doc-umented bidding records thatshow supposed irregularities oranomalies in the process, hesaid.

Jalandoni said the WorldBank rejected all three winningbidders due to findings that thedetailed analysis of the originalbids themselves reveal clear pat-terns of collusions among thebidders, and that in all three oc-casions, the lowest bids aresome 15 percent higher than theestimate cost, which is indica-

DPWH Executives in World BankMess Face Raps - Ombudsman By Michael Punongbayan/Thursday, March 26, 2009

tive of alleged bid-rigging.Graft investigators found

sufficient documentary evidenceto show that a violation of theProcurement Law has been com-mitted, he added.

All 17 DPWH officials arebeing charged for approving bidsthat went beyond the approvedbudget of the $150-million Na-tional Road Improvement andManagement Project-Phase 1,Jalandoni said.

Charged with Soriquez wereUndersecretary Manuel Bonoanas chairman of the Bids andAwards Committee (BAC) forVisayas and Mindanao projects;BAC Assistant SecretariesBashir D. Rasuman, SalvadorPleyto, Juanito Abergas as BACmembers; Mocamad M. Raki-inSr., as Vice Chairman for theMindanao area; and Rafel C.Yabut as Vice Chairman for Op-erations for Area III.

The anti-graft agency’s in-vestigators also found sufficientgrounds to charge BAC mem-bers Emerson L. Benitez, who isalso a Project Manager III andhead of the BAC-TechnicalWorking Group; Baliame P. Ma-mainte, project director of the In-ternational Bank forReconstruction and Develop-ment-Project Management Of-fice (IBRD-PMO); Lope S.Adriano, the project director ofthe IBRB-PMO; lawyer Joel IJacob, officer-in-charge (OIC) ofthe legal service; Camilo G.Foronda, OIC of the Comptrol-lership and Financial Manage-ment Services; Director WalterR. Ocampo of the Bureau ofConstruction; and Florencio I.Aricheta, a representative of theNational Constructors Associa-

tion of the Philippines and thePhilippine Construction Associ-ation.

Part of the World Bank-funded project covers the reha-bilitation of theMarihatag-Barobo/Tagbina-Hinatuan section of the Suri-gao-Davao Coastal RoadContract Package, according toJalandoni.

A bidding was held on Nov.20, 2002 wherein the BAC rec-ommended the awarding of theproject to China Geo Engineer-ing Corporation which had a bidthat was 15.59 percent higherthan the approved budget forthe contract (ABC) worthP967,012,362.15.

The second part of theNRIMP-1 covers the rehabilita-tion of the Kabankalan-Basay/San Enrique-VallehermosoRoad Hinobaan-Basay/LaCastellana-Canlaon SectionContract Package or CW-RU-1.6, which was later split intotwo projects as CW-RU-1.6Aand CW-RU-1.6B.

For CW-RU-1.6A, a bid-ding was held on Aug. 8, 2006wherein the BAC recom-mended that the project beawarded to the China Road andBridge Corporation which hada bid that was 13.38 percenthigher than the ABC ofP682,396,537.65, according tograft investigators.

For CW-RU-1.6B, a bid-ding was also held wherein theBAC recommended that theproject be awarded to ChinaWuyi Co. Ltd., which again hada bid that was 16.85 percenthigher than the ABC worthP640,574,987.79.

Ombudsman MerceditasGutierrez was not present dur-ing yesterday’s presentation ofthe initial findings on the WorldBank case as she was allegedlyout attending to other matters.(www.philstar.com)

MANILA, Philippines— Forty years run-ning and the commu-

nist New People’s Army (NPA)remains the country’s biggestsecurity threat, Army chief Lt.Gen. Victor Ibrado said.

“But we are confident thatwe are slowly able to reduce thestrength of the firearms andmembership (of the NPA) andwe are optimistic that we canreally bring them down to an in-significant level by the end of2010,” he said.

Ibrado stressed the militarywould meet its target to down-grade the NPA to an inconse-quential level by the 2010deadline set by President Arroyo.

The Armed Forces of thePhilippines (AFP) earlier an-nounced that military operationsagainst the NPA during the pastyear had produced significant re-sults in downgrading the rebelgroup’s firepower and influence.

“Most significant is the re-

duction of the number of guer-rilla fronts because at the startof the year they have 87,” AFPspokesman Lt. Col. ErnestoTorres said.

At the end of 2008, Torressaid the NPA was left with 62guerrilla fronts.

“So we can say now that weare hitting the communist ter-rorist movement simultaneouslyin their political and militarycomponents,” Torres said.

He said that for the pastyear, the military reduced theNPA’s manpower strength bynine percent from 5,760 to5,239 at the end of last year.(www.philstar.com)

NPA Still RP's Biggest Threat- Army Chief By James Mananghaya / Thursday, March 26, 2009

Assistant OmbudsmanMark Jalandoni

12 � HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE �MARCH 28, 2009

PHILIPPINE NEWS

MANILA, Philippines— Anti-narcoticsagents of the

Philippine Drug EnforcementAgency (PDEA) and operativesof the National Capital RegionPolice Office (NCRPO) raidedanother house in Makati CityTuesday night where chemicalsused in making shabu wereagain found.

A Chinese national who isallegedly a top illegal drugmaker for a criminal gang hasbeen arrested, the country’s anti-drug chief said Tuesday.

Police arrested Cai Xihe onFriday in a clandestine metham-phetamine laboratory in Caintatown east of Manila, said Dion-isio Santiago, head of the Philip-pine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Santiago said Cai wasamong seven Chinese drug mak-ers who have been arrested in

separate raids in Manila, subur-ban Quezon City and Caintasince last week. Police disman-tled four clandestine drug labo-ratories and seized at least $4.2million worth of methampheta-mine hydrochloride, popularlyknown as shabu, he said.

He said Cai was a memberof a Chinese triad, a mafia-likecriminal gang. “We have dealtanother crippling blow to the op-erations of drug-trafficking syn-dicates operating in the countrywith the arrest of Cai Xihe, aChinese triad master chemist,”Santiago said. He said Cai iswanted by the China NationalNarcotics Control Commission,which has demanded his depor-tation.

“They are afraid of beingdeported because they face the

death penalty in China,” he saidof the Chinese traffickers. ThePhilippines has abolished thedeath penalty.

The country’s illegal drugstrade is worth an estimated $6.3billion to $8.4 billion yearly,Santiago said earlier this year.

Last month, a US State De-partment report said the Philip-pines continues to face an“immense” drug problem de-spite efforts to disrupt majortrafficking syndicates and dis-mantle clandestine labs.

Corruption among law en-forcers and officials and vaststretches of unpatrolled coastlinemake the country an attractivenarcotics source and transship-ment point.

As of press time, other de-tails of the operation remained

Chinese Chemist's Safehouse Raided in Makati By Michael Punongbayan/Thursday, March 26, 2009

sketchy in light of PDEA’s claimthat it was not the lead operatingunit that conducted the raid.

The Chinese national is saidto be holding a ranking positionin the triad as based on a tattooon his right hand’s middle fingerand how he is also wanted by theChina National Narcotics Con-trol Commission. – With AP(www.philstar.com)

Chief PDEA Dionisio Santiago

MANILA, Philippines- Interior and LocalGovernment Secre-

tary Ronaldo Puno defendedyesterday a move by thePhilippine National Police(PNP) to investigate the groupof former President JosephEstrada and Makati Mayor Je-jomar Binay for parading in aWorld War II jeep mountedwith a 50-caliber machine gunreplica last March 4.

He said not everybodyknows that the machine gunwas a toy, and the sight of italarmed some people.

“It was somebody’s idea ofa bad joke. Putting that gunthere should not be done,”Puno said.

PNP chief Director Gen-eral Jesus Verzosa said thePNP is investigating the possi-bility of filing gun-toting

charges against Estrada.Verzosa said the gun,

which Binay claimed to be areplica, has been impoundedby the Central Visayas PoliceOffice in Cebu for further in-vestigation.

Puno said the main issue isif the gun is “a functioning 50-caliber machine gun, we haveto… confiscate it.”

“But if it is not, they shouldhave painted it to make it clearthat it is just a toy. The pointthere is it is not something wecan trivialize,” he said.

Binay asked why the PNP

had to form a task force just toinvestigate him and Estrada forgun-toting when the jeep hadalways been parked in front ofthe Carmen, Cebu police sta-tion.

San Juan Mayor JVEjercito said the PNP is perse-cuting his father. “The Arroyo(administration) is acting like acriminal syndicate using thePNP and the (military) as itshitmen,” he said.

Ejercito said Estrada re-mains a strong contender for theopposition in the 2010 presi-dential polls. (www.philstar.com)

Puno Defends PNP Probe of Estrada,Binay By Cecile Suerte Felipe/ Friday, March 27, 2009

Hatton Scoffs at Pacman's Money Shot By Abac Cordero/Friday, March 27, 2009

MANILA, Philippines- Ricky Hatton, stillheavy at 154 pounds

with just over 30 days beforethe fight, laughed off claimsmade by Manny Pacquiao’strainer, Freddie Roach, that theBritish champ has a weak chin.

“Keep talking,” said Hattonbefore bursting into laughter, asreported by ABS-CBN whichhas a man, bureau chief DannyBuenafe, in London trying toget and deliver the latest fromthe Hatton camp.

A few days ago, Roach saidPacquiao would go for the Hat-ton’s chin and hope to put theirMay 2 showdown in Las Vegasto an early end.

“We’re going for his chin.That’s the money shot,” saidRoach.

But Hatton doesn’t thinkit’s going to happen.

“I’m a lot better. I’m takingshots moving the head, jabbing.I think the tape they’ve beenwatching, they’ve been watch-ing the old Ricky Hatton. Sothey have to work,” said Hatton.

The 30-year-old British isthe reigning IBO light-welter-weight champion, and Pacquiaowill try to take it away fromhim, and emerge as one of thevery few fighters to win five ti-tles in different weight classes.

Hatton’s trainer, FloydMayweather Sr., has some wordwar going on against Roach.He’s went at it, when Hattonopened the doors to his Man-chester training camp to themedia Wednesday.

“I think that Ricky has bet-ter skills. Ricky will be backingthe Pacman up against the ropesor in the corner, he’ll (Pac-quiao) be having a lot of prob-lems right there,” he said.(www.philstar.com)

MARCH 28, 2009 � HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE � 13

main in the U.S. pending the ad-judication of the H-1B petitionand change of status request.

The documents must be ac-companied by proper filing feesincluding the base fee of$320.00, ACWIA fee of $750 or$1,500 (as applicable), fraud feeof $500.00 and optional pre-mium processing fee of $1,000.The USCIS prefers separatechecks. Incorrect fees may re-sult in denial of the petition.

A request for premium pro-cessing will not increase an ap-plicant’s chance to be includedin the quota. But it will makethe notification of his/her selec-tion faster.

REUBEN S. SEGURITAN has beenpracticing law for over 30 years. Forfurther information, you may call himat (212) 695 5281 or log on to his web-site at www.seguritan.com

lthough the U.S.economic down-turn and the new H-1B restrictionsimposed on recipi-ents of economic

stimulus funds would probablylead to less H-1B petitions thisyear, employers should play itsafe by filing on April 1.

In the past years, the annualH-1B quota was reached on thefirst day of filing. If this hap-pens again, all properly filed pe-titions will be subjected to arandom selection “lottery”.

To petition an H-1B worker,

ing. The employment start dateon the I-129 form petition for H-1B will however be October 1,2009, which is six months fromApril 1. The expiration date foremployment indicated on boththe LCA and the I-129 shouldjibe and not be more than three(3) years from the start date in-dicated on the LCA.

The documentation for thepetition must show that thealien-worker is qualified for thespecialty occupation and the par-ticular job offered by showingthat he/she has earned the appro-priate academic degree in thefield of work or a combination ofeducation and experience equiv-alent to that degree.

If the degree has not yetbeen conferred but the benefici-ary can show that he/she hascompleted all the requirements

By Reuben S. Seguritan

A

H-1B Filing Remindersa labor condition application(LCA) from the U.S. Depart-ment of Labor must be obtainedfirst.

The LCA certifies that theemployer will pay the prospec-tive employee the actual wagegiven to similarly employed in-dividuals or the prevailing age,whichever is higher; that theworking conditions of similarlyemployed U.S. workers will notbe adversely affected; and thatthere is no strike or lock-out atthe worksite or the occupationfor which the foreign worker issought to be hired. There are ad-ditional attestations required bythe stimulus bill.

If the employer has to filethe LCA before April 1, he/shehas to make sure that the em-ployment start date on the LCAwill be six months from its fil-

and thus “earned” the degree, astatement or documentation bythe authorized school official/smay be presented. Only author-ized school officials qualified togive this information may pro-vide this statement.

An employer cannot filemultiple petitions for the sameH-1B worker. This will result inthe denial and forfeiture of thefiling fees. However, relatedemployers (principal and sub-sidiary or affiliate) may file dif-ferent petitions for the sameworker for different positions aslong as the petitions are based ona legitimate business need, andthey can prove that the worker isqualified for these positions.

F-1 students whose statuswill expire before October 1,which is the start of the 2010 fis-cal year, will be allowed to re-

LEGAL NOTES

MAINLAND NEWS

Two Filipino-Americanteachers were recentlyhonored as the New

York Times 2009 English forSpeakers of Other Languages(ESOL) Teacher of the YearAwardees.

The two are Rosemarie E.Parreno, an ESL continuing ed-ucation teacher at Hostos Com-munity College, and NestorVillamil Tebio, an instructor andprogram manager at CatholicCharities of Brooklyn andQueens.

Now in its third year, theESOL Awards Program recog-nizes instructors who have con-

sistently gone above and beyondthe call of duty to help studentslearn English and to develop theskills needed to succeed in theirnew lives in the U.S.

Parreno arrived in the U.S.in 1986 as an exchange teacherscholar at Northern Illinois Uni-versity. She was an ESLteacher/supervisor for five yearsat the International Catholic Mi-gration Commission, a U.S.-funded organization for refugeesbound for America. She startedteaching ESOL from her love ofculture and languages.

In New York City, she hasspent the past 22 years teaching

ESL courses in various adult ed-ucation programs. Overall, Par-reno’s teaching career hasspanned 40 years. While she hasreceived seven previous awardsfor excellence in teaching, theNew York Times award is themost prestigious.

Tebio started his English-language career in the Philip-pines at the InternationalCatholic Migration Commis-sion. He earned his Master’s de-gree in management at theUniversity of the Philippines. Healso took life skills training at

New York Times Awards Fil-Am Teachers

Pacquiao Named 2008Fighter of the Year

The awards keep piling upfor Manny Pacquiao.Last week, he was named

the 2008 Fighter of the Year bythe Boxing Writers Associationof America (BWAA).

The BWAA has been be-stowing honors upon the sport’sbest athletes, trainers and otherparticipants since the 1930s. Pac-quiao last won the award in2006. His cornerman, FreddieRoach, was voted trainer of theyear—the third time he has wonthe award.

The southpaw from Gen-eral Santos City is consideredby many as the best fighterpound-for-pound in the world.Pacquiao won three times in

three different weight classes in2008. He began in March bywinning his rematch againstJuan Manuel Marquez. Pacqi-uao moved up to lightweight inJune and stopped championDavid Diaz in nine rounds.Then Pacquiao moved up towelterweright to thoroughly de-feat Oscar De La Hoya in De-cember.

Pacquiao will be honoredalong with other recipients at the84th Boxing Writers Associationof America’s annual awards din-ner, scheduled for June 12, 2009.

Next up for Pacquiao is aMay 2, 2009 bout against Britishfighter Ricky Hatton. (Good NewsPilipinas)

Columbia University and parale-gal training at the Center for Im-migrant Rights. The courses paidoff when he started integratingthem into his ESL curriculum.

His says that his students atthe Catholic Charities of Brook-lyn and Queens are his “inspira-tion and sunshine of my life inthis part of the world.” (GoodNews Pilipinas)

14 � HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE �MARCH 28, 2009

PHILIPPINE LANGUAGE

ni Pacita Saludes

DAYASADAS

GLOBAL NEWS

Filipino seamen are world-class and over 70 percentof Japanese maritime op-

erations are now manned by Fil-ipinos, according to an executiveof a world leading company thatmanufactures and distributesconstruction and mining equip-ment, utilities and industrial ma-chineries.

“Japanese maritime ship-ping operations now rely on Fil-ipino sailors for about 70 percentof their crewmembers,” saysToshitaka Hagiwara, senior ad-visor of Komatsu Ltd., whospoke at the recent 28th jointmeeting of the Japan-Philippines

Economic Cooperation Com-mittee (JPECC).

Komatsu, Ltd. has donebusiness in the Philippines forseveral decades.

Hagiwara says nearly allmajor Japanese shipping compa-nies have opened maritime crewtraining facilities in the Philip-pines in hopes of hiring highlyqualified Filipino sailors. As ev-idence of Japan’s trust and con-fidence in Filipino seamen,many have been promoted to of-ficers, chief engineers and othermanagement level positions.

Filipino seamen comprise amajor segment of the overseas

Filipino workers (OFWs) sectorand have consistently been amajor source of dollar remit-tances that have for yearsboosted the Philippines econ-omy.

According to DorisMagsaysay-Ho, president andchief executive officer ofMagsaysay Maritime Corpora-tion, there are over 28,000 Fil-ipinos currently working onJapanese ships who remittedover more than 3 billion dollarslast year.

Over 200,000 Filipinos cur-rently live in Japan, which haswidely opened its doors to Fil-ipino nurses and caregivers.(Good News Pilipinas)

Filipino Seamen Boost Japan’sMaritime Industry

inawen a selebraranti Gumil Hawaii tianibersariona. Pe-brero 28, 2009 tikultural festibal timaikatallopulo ketwalo a

panagtawenmo GH. Sabali awagas. Sabali a disso ti PagodaHotel International Ballroom tinangiyawatan ni Mrs. PerlitaTapec Sadorra ti koronana aMrs. GH 2008 a kaduana daRita Sagucio, Remy Baclig kenVangie Somera iti reyna 2009 niMrs Gloria Raquedan, reyna ti2009 Mrs. GH a kaduana daMelita Basconcillo, Mrs. Daniwken Mrs. Emma dela Cruz, Mrs.Nobela.

Ni Cirvilina Longboy pres-idente ti OFCC ti kadua ni Per-lita a nangisaad ti korona ni MrsGH 2009. Da Lynn Gutierrezken Consul Paul Cortez tinangisaad ti korona ni MelitaBasconcillo. Napusek ti Inter-national Ballroom. Nabuya ditati nadumaduma a salsala ma-nipud kadagiti sumasala tikomonidad. Kasta met dagitikumakanta a nangiparang tiKultura ni Ilokano.

Addan nasurok a tallogasutti babbalasang ken nataengan tinangtultulong ken nangpan-gayed ti biag ti GH manipud idinaorganisar idi Enero 1971.Isuda ti nangted tulong a nangi-

tungpal ti gandatna nga agilibrokadagiti gapuanan dagiti man-nurat. Mataginayon ti tradisionken kultura babaen kadagitiDrama a maisurat ken maiyaktoiti entablado babaen ti kabaelandagiti tignay dagiti dramatista.Tallo pulo ken liman a drama tinaipabuyan ti Gumil Hawaii anakaray-awan dagiti nagbuya.

Ni Dr. Ariel Agcaoili tinangisurat ti drama a naipabuyaidtoy a panag-anibersario ti GH.Napauluan ti RUK-AT ken isumet laeng iti director. Nagake-man dagiti uma-akto ti GH.

Makapnek ti rikna tipanagkanta da Lydia Abaho kenJulie Dosco. Naganaygay kennaurnos ti panagsasaruno ti pro-grama babaen ti natarabit anangiwanwan (Master of Cere-monies) ni Mr. Julius Soria.

Naiyawat met ti plake amanayon a pammadayaw itinangirugi kadagiti amin nga ar-aramiden ti Gumil Hawaii (or-ganizer idi Enero 16, 1971).Inrugi ni Pacita CabuleraSaludes maysa kadagiti organ-isasion ti Gumil Filipinas idi1968 isiay Baguio City anagsapataanda nga immuna ngaopisyales ti Gumil a nagsapataisiay Malacanang.

Naggappu ti pammadayawiti GH babaen ken PresidenteBrigido Daproza ken Dr. ArielAgcaoili iti UH. Inyawat da Dr.Belinda Aquino, Cirvilina Long-boy ken Lilia Santiago.

Indatag met ti advisor PacitaCabulera Saludes dagiti gapua-nan ti GH iti panagpaayna a kas

Pangulo iti GH tallopulo ketlima a tawen (35 years). Libro anaglaon iti napaspasamak itiummona a dekada, maikadua adekada, maikatlo a dekada kenti libro a naglaon dagiti sinu-ratna ti Author a naipabuyan tiGH a pinauluan ti author ti“Gapu ta patpatgenka”. In-yaawatna kenni Consul PaulCortez para iti Libraria ti Philip-

pine Consulate iti Honolulu.Impanamnama ti organizer

nga ad-adu pay a bunga (dagitilibro ti aramiden dagiti Gumil-ians iti Hawaii).

Kalikagum ti organizer tiad-adu pay a bunga nga intalnagdagiti Mannurat ti GH ken kastamet ti Annak Ti Kailokuan ItiAmerika nga ibagbagnosna.Masapul a makita ken ipakita ti

Tallopuolo ket Walon Ti Tawenmo Iha!Adda met laengen Naaramidan?

agdama ken masakbayan. Ga-puanan ti pluma ti rumbeng ngaipakita dagiti sumusurat ta isu tinakaisangratanna.

Urayen dagiti sumarsarunoa maipadamag a maibunga ti GHbabaen ti lunggalong dagitisumaruno ken agdama a man-gur-urnos ti Gumil Hawaii.“Kunaen a ti lua ti pluma timakaigawid kadagiti aramid kenpampanunut dagiti mannurat amataginayon para iti masak-bayan”.

Gumil Hawaii natangig kennaragsak ta adu ti nariingna arikna, pampanunot ken kabaelantapno surotenda ti tugot nababaen kadagiti iyusuatda a kassarignit ti nasneban nga isip akayatna na met nga ipakita anamnamsek dagiti busel a mang-dayas ti law-ang dagiti “ku-mukur-it” (mannurat). Ipakitadagiti maaramidan. Dagita titawid a maibati para masakbayan.

Good Luck Gumilians! Ma-nipud iti Dumadayasadas.

TAw-awaten ni Mrs. Pacita Saludes ti plake a pammadayaw ti panangor-ganisarna ti Gumil Hawaii a maselselebraran ken maitultuloy agingga ita38 a napalabas a tawen. Manipud kada Dr. Belinda Aquino, CirvilinaLongboy ken Presidente ti Gumil Hawaii

at 375 0828 for more details

FILIPINO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF HAWAIIINSTALLATION BANQUET/ SATURDAYJuly 11, 2009 ● 6 pm. ● HiltonHawaiian Village ● Call RoseMendoza at 371-3902 or Ben-nett Evangelista at 398-5988

BATAAN CATALINA 79TH AN-NIVERSARY CELEBRATION/SAT-URDAYJuly 25, 2009 ● For more in-formation, send email at jun-colme@yahoo.com

VISAYAN CENTENNIALEVENTS

VISAYAN CENTENNIAL FIESTAMay 2009 ● Lanai

VISAYAN CENTENNIAL TOURMay 15 - June 3, 2009 ●(Iloilo, Cebu and Davao)Philippines

VISAYAN CENTENNIAL AWARDSGALA / SUNDAYJuly 19, 2009 ● 6 pm. ● HaleKoa Hotel, Waikiki

COVO STATEWIDE CONVENTIONAND CENTENNIAL GALAAugust 2009 ● Kona Big Island

For more information, sendemail at juncolme@yahoo.com

MARCH 28, 2009 � HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE � 15

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

CLASSIFIED ADSMOBILE DJ, BAND, PHOTOGRAPHER ANDVIDEO KARAOKE, HULA, SOUNDS AVAILABLE call 808-382-9495

VARIOUS OFFICE SPACES FOR RENTLocated in Waipahu. Call 678-8930 for details.

I NEED HELPElder care/domestic, in exchange for room in myEwa home.Must be reliable /female. Please contact Lynn at 271-0885

WANTED YARDMANLooking for a yardman to work at my Nuuanuhome. Exchange for a free room including utili-ties. Call 531-7377

DISHWASHER/PREP COOK POSITION,Monday-Saturday *am -3pm. Duties: Wash dishes, cook rice, cut meat, cutvegetablesStarting $7.00 cash paid weekly. Call Lendy at 845-4564

NON-MEDICAL CAREGIVERS WANTED In-house training program for non-certifiedcandidates. CNA & HHA welcomed.Part time and full time positions available.Contact: Lynn at Aloha Home Care ServicesPhone: 271-0885

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS WANTEDExperience preferred, Please submit writingsamples or published works and resume tohfci@hawaii.rr.com

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

UH ILOKANO LANGUAGE ANDLITERATURE PROGRAM AND THETIMPUYOG STUDENT ORGANIZA-TIONÊS ILOCANO DRAMA ANDSONG / SATURDAYApril 11, 2009 ● 9:30am -1:30pm ● UHM Art Auditorium● Free admission. Call Dr. Au-relio Agcaoili at 956-8405 orJulius Soria at 956-2226

1ST ANNUAL FILIPINO FILMFESTIVALApril 10-18, 2009 ● DorisDuke Theatre ● For more in-formation, contact 532-8700 orgo online at www.honolulua-cademy.org

PAMPANGA CIRCLE OF HAWAIIEASTER POTLUCK / SUNDAYApril 12, 2009 ● Doris DukeTheatre ● 11 am to 4 pm ● A-Frame Cavana Marina, PearlHarbor ● For informationplease call 683-3131

OAHU FILIPINO COMMUNITYCOUNCIL (OFCC) GOLF TOURNA-MENT / SATURDAYApril 15, 2009 ● Kapolei GolfCourse ● Contact Lina Long-boy at 375 0828 for more in-formation

DIVINE WORD COLLEGE OFLAOAG ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OFHAWAI'I (DWCLCAAH), 1ST INTÊL GRAND REUNION May 2, 2009 ● Hilton HawaiianVillage Waikiki, Honolulu,Hawaii ● For more informationcall Jesse Pascual at 225-3388or Fe Velasco at 2227436;Amado Yoro 699-9814

TIMPUYOG AND ILOKANO BASCHOLARSHIP BANQUET /FRIDAYMay 8, 2009 ● Hale Koa Hotel,Waikiki Ballroom ● For tickectsand more information, call Dr.Aurelio Agcaoili at 956-8405 orJulius Soria at 956-2226

FILIPINO FIESTA, PARADE ANDSANTACRUZAN / SATURDAYMay 9, 2009 ● All day startingat 8 am. ● For inquiries, call Fil-Com Center at 680-0451

ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY PROJECT /SATURDAYJune 13, 2009 ● 9:30 am -1:30 pm ● Likelike Highway &Kalihi Street ● Contact LinaLongboy at 375 0828

GOLDEN JUBILEE MISS OAHUFILIPINA PAGEANT / SATURDAYJune 13, 2009 ● PacificBeach Hotel ● Contact LinaLongboy at 375 0828

OFCC GOLDEN PRESIDENT'SBALL/ FRIDAYJune 26, 2009 ● Hilton Hawai-ina Village Hotel, Tapa Ball-room ● Contact Lina Longboyat 375 0828

OAHU FILIPINO COMMUNITYCOUNCIL (OFCC) ANNUALCONVENTION/ SATURDAYJune 27, 2009 ● Hilton HawaiianVillage ● Contact Lina Longboy

FEBRUARY TO AUGUST—Overseas Absentee VotingRegistration for Filipino citi-zens who wish to vote in thepresidential elections in May2010. Registrants may cometo the Consulate in personwith their Philippine pass-ports to accomplish the appli-

sulate grounds — “Araw ngKalayaan” (IndependenceDay) and another activity at6:30 pm.

JULY 10-14TH — Ambassa-dors and Consul GeneralsTour to the Philippines, a spe-cial package tour for the public.

cation form.

APRIL 6TH, 4pm, at the Na-tional Memorial Cemetery ofthe Pacific, Punchbowl —“Araw ng Kagitingan” (Day ofValor)

JUNE 12, 8:30am, at the con-

SIGNIFICANT DATES IN 2009 WHEN THE PHILIPPINE CONSULATE

GENERAL IN HONOLULU WILL HOLD COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS OR

ACTIVITIES. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL EMILY AT 595-6316 EXT 242

REAL ESTATE

CARS FOR SALE

E-MAIL YOUR NEWS RELEASES,ORGANIZATION NEWS AND

COMMUNITY EVENTS TOf i l ipinochronicle@gmail .com.

16 � HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE �MARCH 28, 2009