June 15, 2013 1

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

FilAm teen dies in mishap P7

BRP Alcaraz sails for PH P8

Obama, Xi summit P9

Salute to Philippines’ 115th anniversary!

By Boots Felixberto & the ‘Mail’ staff

STERLING, VA - This is

the question that lingers in the minds of thousands, includ-ing the Philippine embassy, the “Washington Post” and Filipino American organizations follow-ing the killing of Mylene de Leon Scott,38, a diminutive FilAm woman by 2 Sheriff’s deputies at the Costco store in Sterling, Vir-ginia on May 29.

The answer to this question may come soon.

The case is now in the hands of the Commonwealth of Vir-ginia Attorney Jim Plowman.

When contacted by the

“Manila Mail” on June 11, Liz Mills, director of media relations and communications of the Lou-doun County Sheriff’s Offi ce, said the case of the fatal shooting of Mylene is now being handled by Commonwealth of Virginia Attorney Jim Plowman.

This came as the remains of Costco shooting victim Mylene De Leon-Scott, 38, have been claimed from the Medical Exam-iner’s Offi ce in Manassas, Vir-ginia last week by her uncle and ex-husband.

The Medical Examiner’s

offi ce declined to comment on the results of the autopsy.

The Sheriff’s deputies claimed self-defense after their stun gun reportedly failed and she came after them with a pair of scissors and knife in her hands.

Earlier, Clift Scott, Mylene’s ex-husband who is with the mili-tary, told ABS-CBN News that he and Mylene’s uncle, Virgil Salvador, were talking to funeral homes regarding the funeral ser-

‘Kabang,’ gets hero’s welcome; will be ‘dog envoy to the world’

MANILA- Hero dog “Kabang,” a mixed-breed who lost her snout to save the lives of two girls in Zamboanga city, was mobbed like a rock star upon her return early on June 8 from the United States, where she under-went medical treatment for eight months.

She received a similar “hero’s welcome” June 9 when she returned to her owners in Zambaonga city.

When Kabang and her han-dler, Filipino veterinarian Anton Lim, arrived at around 3:30 a.m. at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 on board

Obama pushes, Senate OKs immig debates

By an overwhelming bipar-tisan vote on June 11, the Senate passed the procedural hurdle to start debates on the compre-hensive immigration bill even as President Obama said “the moment is now” to give 11 mil-lion undocumented immigrants a chance to acquire US citizen-ship.

But Republicans who joined the Democrats served notice however that they will seek to toughen the bill’s border security provisions and impose tougher

Continued on page 22 Continued on page 21

Continued on page 23

Some OFWs are returning home as economy perks up

By Karen Lema

MANILA (Reuters) - Mateo Ragonjan took a leap of faith in August last year.

The executive sous-chef of a seven-star luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi packed his bags to take up a similar job back home in the Philippines.

He is one of a small group of like-minded Filipinos returning to jobs back home, a sign of con-

fi dence in an economy that for decades has seen millions leave in search of better prospects overseas.

(Many Filipino Americans are now acquiring dual citizen-ships in preparation for going home or have already relocated back to the Philippines.)

Ragonjan now helps run a 300-man kitchen that caters to guests and high-rollers fl ock-ing to Manila’s newest and most

luxurious casino resort, one of 400 overseas Filipinos who came home to work at the hotel.

“The Philippines is boom-ing at the moment, so I thought it was the right time to go back,” Ragonjan, 41, said on a break from his 10-hour shift at the Solaire Resort & Casino in Manila Bay, developed at a cost of $1.2 billion.

The Philippines economy is Continued on page 23

Continued on page 22

Mylene De Leon-Scott

Former OFW Rennel Lansang, who works in Casino Solaire, poses with wife and daughter in their house in Metro Manila.

Charice Pempengco “Kabang” poses like a Rock Star as news photographers take his picture upon her arrival in Manila.

Charicesays: Yes I am a

‘lesbian’MANILA -Former “Glee”

actress and international singing sensation Charice Pempengco has come out as gay!

In a candid interview on TV, Charice revealed she is a lesbian and apologized to those who might not understand.

But days later, she said she was overwhelmed by positive response to her coming out.

Charice did not expect the overwhelmingly positive response to her admission that she is a lesbian.

Charice said she felt free after the interview with Boy Abunda on “The Buzz” on TV but was also worried because she had no idea if the public, particu-

June 15, 201322

Pinoy tutor seeks to lead DC unionBy Rodney J. Jaleco

A Filipino special educa-tion teacher at the Jefferson Academy Middle School in DC says the diversity that’s fueled much of the growth in places like the nation’s capital should be refl ected in their workers unions as well.

This is the reason why Mari-sol Angala, a University of the Philippines-trained teacher at Jefferson Middle School for the past decade, has been outspoken and passionate about fi nding better ways to educate America’s school children.

It’s driven her to an unprec-edented campaign for the presi-dency of the 4,000-strong Wash-ington Teachers Union (WTU).

Angala is one of hundreds of Filipino teachers in the vanguard of the foreign recruiting binge

by US public schools who were lured by the promise of better pay and a slice of the “American dream”.

They fi lled an acute teacher shortage especially in tough, troubled inner city schools that struggled to meet standards imposed by the Bush-era No Child Left Behind Act. The Fili-pino mentors can be found vir-tually everywhere in America, from top-tier East Coast acad-emies to sparse Indian reserva-tions in the New Mexico desert.

“Times have changed,” Angala declared, “and public education has evolved.”

She wants to steer WTU towards her vision of the future. “There’s a battle being waged right now,” Angala averred, “it’ss not about unions standing up for teachers; it’s about teach-ers standing up for themselves

through their unions.”“There are so many things

happening right now at the local and national level which lead to frustration, anger and all those are harmful not only to the teachers but also to the children whose lives we continue to infl u-ence daily,” she said, adding that “when I empower, encourage and inspire teachers to do their best for the kids, I am impacting the lives of more than just the students in my classroom.”

Angala is a familiar face in the education protest scene of DC (something she attributes to years at UP where she says she learned stand up for what’s right). She was WTU’s vice

president for special education from 2007-2010, a member of the

Asian & Pacifi c American Labor Alliance (APALA), the Teacher Leaders Network and the Delta Kappa Gamma International Society for Key Women Educa-tors.

She is board certifi ed as an exceptional needs specialist and was named Outstanding Special Education Teacher (2008-2009) by the National Association for Special Education Teachers (NASET). She also has two blogs “Digital Anthology” is the online extension of her classroom and “Teacher Sol” where she tackles education-related issues, includ-ing the plight of Filipino mentors

in Maryland.She says the “prospects are

both exciting and frightening” as she cobbled a multicultural and multi-generational ticket which, she vowed, would bring “real” changes in the WTU. “We have exceptional candidates in our slate (4 of them are also Filipinos), who carry the prom-ise of being real game-changers because of our diversity, prob-lem solving skills and courage to speak on behalf of our teachers and students,” she explained.

They are pressing for an “objective and fair evaluation system and due process aligned with that system.” She sees the inordinate emphasis on high-stakes tests and the lack of sup-port and resources to teachers as the biggest problems bedevil-ing the DC Public School system today.

‘We should now be think-ing how we can change our traditional practices to better refl ect the tasks assigned to our schools, teachers and students,” she said, stressing that “teachers should be treated as partners in reforms.”

Her ‘platform” includes providing more resources to DC public school teachers, lower class sizes especially for schools in poverty-stricken communi-ties, and building respect for teachers.

Filipino teacher Marisol Angala (ledft) poses with fellow teachers and DC delegate Norton in this fi le photo.

June 15, 2013 3

VA, N. Carolina focus of Cuisia’s economic driveWASHINGTON, D.C.—The

Philippines continues to take advantage of its new status as an emerging tiger with by intensify-ing its economic diplomacy blitz in the United States to promote greater trade and investment.

The focus of the latest eco-nomic diplomacy efforts were the states of North Carolina and

Virginia, which were visited by Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia only a few weeks after the successful holding of the 2nd Philippine Investment Roadshow in Cali-fornia, Illinois and Massachu-setts.

“This is a good time to enhance our trade relations, given the renewed optimism and confi dence in the Philip-pines under President Benigno S. Aquino III’s administration,” Cuisia said. “Whether in terms of our macroeconomic indicators

or competitiveness rankings, the Philippine economy is at an all-time high in many respects. The reason is simple: we believe that good governance is good eco-nomics.”

The Ambassador visited North Carolina from 20 to 22 May and Virginia on 16 to 17 May. He was accompanied in

both trips by Commercial Coun-sellor Maria Roseni Alvero and Second Secretary and Consul Lilibeth Almonte-Arbez who along with Second Secretary and Consul Angelito Nayan com-prise the Embassy’s economic team.

In his meetings with offi cials and business leaders in North Carolina and Virginia, Cuisia made sure he was able to put the Philippines on their radar screen, in terms of its strategic location in Southeast Asia, its

proven competitive advantage, the signifi cant talent and skills of the Filipino workforce, as well as priority being given by the government in various sectors such as information technology and business process outsourc-ing, agribusiness, mining, tour-ism, housing, shipbuilding and energy.

“I see tremendous market opportunities for Philippine exports particularly of food, gar-ments and furniture and inter-est in investments in electronics manufacturing and biotechnol-ogy, and clinical research out-sourcing ,” the Ambassador said, as he also fl agged the potentials for public-private partnership in infrastructure development spe-cifi cally in energy and transport sectors.

In North Carolina, Cuisia called on Governor Pat McCrory

and Mayor Nancy McFarlane in the state capital, Raleigh. He also visited the North Caro-lina Biotechnology Center as well as companies in Raleigh and High Point such as Phillips Collection, RF Micro Devices Inc., and Arbovax to encourage

them to expand their operations in the Philippines. Cuisia also met with Councilman David Howard of Charlotte, home to energy and power companies like Duke Energy, which ranks No. 2 in banking and fi nancial services in the United States.

Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. chats with Filipino American workers in a North Carolina company.

June 15, 201344

Obama thanks AAPI for their contribution to USFollowing is the full text

of President Barack Obama’s remarks during reception at the White House to Asian Americian Pacifi c Islanders on May 28.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. Thank you so much. (Applause.) Everybody, please have a seat. Thank you so much. Aloha!

AUDIENCE: Aloha!THE PRESIDENT: Wel-

come to the White House, every-body. And thank you, Joan, for the introduction. And I want to thank everybody who s here -- the incredible warmth of the reception. A sign of the warmth is the lipstick on my collar. (Laughter.) I have to say I think I know the culprit -- where is Jes-sica Sanchez? (Laughter.) Jes-sica -- it wasn t Jessica. It was her aunt. Where is she? (Laugh-ter.) Auntie, right there. Look at this. (Laughter.) Look at this. I just want everybody to witness. (Laughter.) So I do not want to be in trouble with Michelle. (Laughter.) That’s why I’m calling you out right in front of everybody. (Laughter.)

We are here today to honor the incredibly rich heritage and contributions of Asian Ameri-cans and Pacifi c Islanders. And there s no better example of that diversity than the people who are in this room. We’ve got

members of Congress; we’ve got members of my administration; we’ve got lots of special guests and talented performers.

And every day, we re

reminded of the many ways in which Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacifi c Island-ers have all contributed and enriched our nation throughout our history. Obviously for me, I don’t have to look any further than my own family. I’ve got my brother-in-law here, Konrad, who is -- (applause) -- Konrad Ng, who s heading up the Smith-sonian Asian American Center -- it probably has a longer name than that. (Laughter.) My sister,

Maya; their beautiful daughters -- my nieces, Suhaila and Savita.

I can think back on my col-lege years when my roommates were Indian and Pakistanis, which is how I learned how to cook keema and dal. (Laughter and applause.) Very good. And of course, I can dig back into my own memories of growing up in Hawaii and in Indonesia. And so certainly it s been a central part of my life, the entire Asia Pacifi c region.

But it s more than food and family -- because generations of Asian Americans and Pacifi c Islanders helped build this coun-try, and helped to defend this country, and to make America what it is today. It s a history that speaks to the promise of our nation -- one that welcomes the contributions of all people, no matter their color or their beliefs, because we draw from the rich traditions of everybody who calls America home. E pluribus unum -- out of many, one.

And the artists joining us today exemplify that creed. So we ve got performers like Karsh Kale, who fuses the best of East and West, mixing eclectic beats with the sounds of his heritage and creating music that s dis-tinctly his own -- that s a trait, obviously, that s distinctly American. We ve got musi-cians like Paula Fuga and John

Cruz, whose work represents the spirit of my native Hawaii and reminds us that we re all part of the same ohana. We have authors like Amy Tan, who uses her own family s immigra-tion story to trace the stories of others. She makes out of the par-ticular something very universal.

We value these voices because from the very begin-ning, ours has been a nation of immigrants; a nation challenged and shaped and pushed ever forward by diverse perspec-tives and fresh thinking. And in order to keep our edge and stay ahead in the global race, we need to fi gure out a way to fi x our broken immigration system -- to welcome that infusion of new-

ness, while still maintaining the enduring strength of our laws. And the service and the leader-ship of Asian Americans and Pacifi c Islanders have proved that point time and again.

So we take opportunities like today to honor the legacy of those who paved the way, like my friend, the late Senator from Hawaii, Daniel Inouye, the fi rst Japanese American to serve in Congress -- and to cel-ebrate the pioneers of this gen-eration, like Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth, one of the fi rst female veterans elected to Congress. (Applause.) And one of my favorite people right now, Sri Srinivasan, who has just been confi rmed.

President Obama points to lipstick in his collar.

Photo shows at left, Virgie Bugay, the grandmother of singing sensation Jes-sica Sanchez who was the culprit in planting a lipstick on President Obama’s collar which made it to the national news. Others are, from left, Edna P. Pestano, Jessica Sanchez, Editha Sanchez (Jessica’s Mother), Bing Branigin, NaFFAA; and Cristeta P. Comerford, White House executive chef, during the reception for Asian American and Pacifi c Islanders leaders at the White House, May 28.

June 15, 2013 5

Filner lauds Cuisia for inspiring FilAm youthSAN DIEGO, California - “It

is not usual for an ambassador to be involved in this kind of things.” These were the words of San Diego City Mayor Bob Filner, as he lauded the efforts of Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr.’s to inspire the next genera-tion of Filipino Americans and steer their community to greater heights.

Cuisia brought along the 2012 Filipino American Youth Leadership Program (FYLPro) delegates to the San Diego City Hall on 31 May during his cour-tesy call on the former congress-man, who once chaired the Com-

mittee on Veterans Affairs of the United States House of Repre-sentatives.

The Ambassador congratu-lated Filner on his election as mayor of San Diego last Novem-ber. He noted that San Diego, which calls itself “America’s Finest City,” is home to close to 148,000 Filipino Americans and expressed the hope that the com-munity will be properly repre-sented in the city’s affairs.

The FYLPro aims to address such concerns, as exceptional individuals with leadership skills and proven involvement with political, economic and

socio-civic bodies, are being identifi ed to fi ll this gap.

Cuisia met with the young Filipino American leaders and successful entrepreneur Tony Olaes in San Diego to further discuss ways to tap the enthu-siasm and dynamism of second and third generation Filipino Americans, who are increasingly immersing themselves in various advocacies.

Cuisia’s meeting with the delegates provided an opportu-nity for each of them to apprise one another of their respective projects.

Among them is the Teach for

the Philippines (TftP) initiative of Angela Lagdameo and Michael Vea. TftP is the 25th partner of Teach For All, a global network of social enterprises working to expand educational opportunity in their respective nations. Its mission is to close the education gap that exists in the Philippines by recruiting persons that would volunteer two years of their lives to serve in under resourced schools in Metro Manila. From the US, only six out of over 200 applicants hurdled the stringent requirements to qualify as TftP volunteers.

While in San Diego, Ambas-

sador Cuisia also took the time to meet with members of the Filipino American community at the Cultural Arts Center in the suburb of Rancho del Rey.

In the same day, the Phil-ippine American Business and Improvement Development (Philam BID) hosted a dinner for its members and special guests in honor of the Ambassador, who was conferred the Philam BID’s Starblazer Agoncillo “Global Filipino Diplomat” award for his outstanding achieve-ment in the fi eld of diplomacy.

June 15, 201366

June 15, 2013 7

FilAm teen killed in skateboarding accidentARLINGTON,Virginia - An

18-year-old Filipino American kid who was scheduled to grad-uate from Washington Lee High School this week was killed in a skateboard accident at about 12:30 p.m. here June 4, 2013.

Police say Malvar was cling-ing to the side of a pickup truck driven by a schoolmate while skateboarding when he fell and hit his head at the 300 block of South Highland Street in Arling-ton County. He was not wearing a helmet.

Police say Malvar was doing something similar to “-skitch-ing,”- which is riding on a skate-board while holding onto the back of a car. He lost his balance, fell, and hit his head. He died at George Washington Hospital.

Police have not decided whether to charge the driver who reportedly has a bad driv-ing record. His identity was not revealed.

The 18-year-old was in the “-prime of his life,”- his father said, “-eager to go to college at Virginia Commonwealth Uni-versity, eager to start working toward his goal of becoming a nurse.

Washington Lee High

School offi cials lowered the school’s fl ag at half-staff and hundreds attended a prayer service the next day held at St. Thomas More Catholic church

where John was very active and popular.

The school offi cials also allowed John’s father, George Malvar, to receive his son’s diploma during graduation rites last week. His mother died sev-eral years ago. John’s co-gradu-ates also wore a ribbon to honor him.

“-He was a good kid,”- said his father, George Malvar. “-He’s always smiling, and everybody

liked him.”“-John was probably one of the sweetest people I’ve met in my entire life

and I will always remember him,”- one student said.

Malvar fell just outside his peer Brittany’s home on S. High-land Street. “-Someone called me, one of my best friends who’s really good friends with John as well, and said ‘That was John,’ and I instantly burst into tears,”- she says.

Police said the 17-year-old driver of the pickup truck, who attended the same school as

John, may also have run over his friend. When John fell to the ground, he suffered a signifi cant head trauma and left a large pool of blood on the road when para-

medics arrived. Medics performed CPR,

Malvar regained a pulse, and he was rushed to George Washing-ton University in critical condi-tion, police said. He was later pronounced dead.

Guys who have skated with John say skitching is not common in Arlington.

They say it was out of character for their friend, who

planned to go to VCU in the fall for nursing.

“This was pretty uncharac-teristic of him. I’ve told a couple people this didn’t seem like the kind of thing he would do,”- says Brandon Toone, who

had just gone to the prom with John May 31.

Like a lot of Arlington teens, he’s struggling with the fact that the smiling teen he loved so much is gone.

Via Twitter, Washington-Lee Principal Gregg Robertson called Malvar “-an awesome kid’ who was proud of his perfect attendance this year.

Robertson sent the follow-ing email to parents later. “-Dear Washington-Lee Community, regrettably, I must inform you that the injured student I men-tioned in my earlier email has died. This is a diffi cult time for the Washington-Lee staff, stu-dents, and parents. The student involved was an incredible young man who contributed positively in many ways to our school and lives. The upcoming days will be diffi cult ones as we will be missing him and provid-ing support to our Washington-Lee family.”

John MalvarFlag fl ies at half staff at Washington Lee High School in Arlington in memory of John Malvar.

June 15, 201388

‘We will defend our territory,’ Cuisia tells ‘Alcaraz’ crewCHARLESTON, South

Carolina—The Philippines will exert all efforts to ease tensions in the West Philippine Sea but it will also defend its territory if needed, Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr. told the offi cers and crew of the country’s newest warship, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16), on the eve of its depar-ture for Manila.

“As you know, there are some tensions in the West Philip-pine Sea and this may put you in harm’s way but there is no doubt that you will perform your duty of protecting Philippine territory if needed,” the Ambassador said in his remarks during his visit to the ship at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center here on June 9.

“We do not want to see a confrontation and we are hoping that diplomatic efforts would ease these tensions,” Cuisia said. “We are for peace and for the stability of the region but at the same time, we are prepared to defend what is ours.”

The Ambassador told Capt. Ernesto Baldovino and the offi -cers, men and women of the Alcaraz that they are all expected to live up to the reputation of Commodore Ramon Alcaraz, a World War II hero, in whose honor the warship was named.

Alcaraz was credited for

downing three enemy aircraft while commanding the Q112 Abra, a 55-foot offshore patrol boat, during the Japanese inva-sion of the Philippines. Alcaraz was captured and imprisoned by the Japanese but survived the

war and went on to serve in the Navy where he retired as com-modore in 1966. He passed away in 2009.

“Ramon Alcaraz had a very distinguished record in serv-ing our country and our people. You are expected to live up to his reputation,” Cuisia told the 88 offi cers and crew of the 378-foot Alcaraz, the second weather high endurance cutter (WHEC) that the Philippines acquired from the United States last year.

In his remarks, Cuisia also

expressed his appreciation to the United States Government for transferring what was for-merly the USCGC Dallas to the Philippine Navy and to the US Navy and the US Coast Guard for ensuring the vessel’s success-

ful retrofi tting at a cost of $15.6 million.

“We look forward to the Alcaraz joining its sister ship, the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar,” Ambas-sador Cuisia said, referring to the other Hamilton-class cutter that was earlier acquired from the US in 2011. “We look forward to fur-ther upgrading the capabilities of the Philippine Navy.”

Cuisia wished Captain Baldovino and his crew a safe journey to the Philippines and told them the Navy has a special

place in his heart, having served as Naval Reserve Corps Com-mander during his time at De La Salle University in Manila.

He congratulated the offi -cers and crew for their dedication to duty for surviving more than a

year away from their loved ones in the Philippines as a result of the extended refurbishment of the vessel and their training.

During his visit, the Ambas-sador also had the chance to meet with members of the Fili-pino Community who attended a farewell reception on board the Alcaraz. He paid tribute to the community for serving as foster families to the crew thus allow-ing them to easily cope with their extended stay in the US.

“We are grateful to our kaba-

bayans here in South Carolina for opening the doors of their homes to the men and women of the Alcaraz and taking them in as their own,” he said.

The Ambassador was

accompanied during his visit to the Alcaraz by offi cers from the Philippine Embassy in Washing-ton D.C. led by First Secretary and Consul Elmer Cato, Defense and Naval Attache Capt. Elson Aguilar, Air Force Attache Col. Arnel Duco and Veterans Affairs Representative Retired Maj. Gen. Delfi n Lorenzana.

The vessel left at 10 a.m. on June 10 and is expected to arrive in the Philippines in the fi rst week of August.

Amb. Cuisia meets offi cers of the “BRP Alcaraz.” The refurbished warship leaves port for trip to Philippines.

June 15, 2013 9

Obama, Xi discuss issues, territorial claimsPresident Barack Obama

and China’s President Xi Jinping met at Rancho Mirage in Califor-nia June 7-8 to discuss various issues between the two coun-tries, including cyber security, North Korea, US pivot in Asia, and territorial claims in the East and South China seas.

Their wide-ranging discus-sions at their two-day meeting included North Korea’s saber-rattling as well as the US’s increased military presence in the Pacifi c.

China has grown increas-ingly frustrated at North Korea over its nuclear tests and missile launches.

White House national secu-rity adviser Tom Donilon told reporters that Obama and Xi “agreed that North Korea has to denuclearize, that neither coun-try will accept North Korea as a nuclear-armed state and that we would work together to deepen cooperation and dialogue to achieve denuclearization.”

They also discussed the confrontation with Japan over the Senkaku islands in the East China sea. The dispute has esca-lated to the point where China and Japan scramble fi ghter jets and their patrol ships shadow each other.

The United States, a formal

security ally of Japan, says it is neutral about sovereignty over the islets, but opposes the use of force or unilateral efforts to change the status quo.

Observers believe this stance also applies to China’s confron-tation with the Philippines in the Spratlys and Panatag Shoal.

Chinese State Council-lor Yang Jiechi told a separate news conference that Xi had told Obama that China and the United States were “the same in their positions and objectives” on the North Korean nuclear issue.

Analysts cautioned that it remained unclear and prob-ably unlikely that Beijing had changed its fundamental calcu-lus about North Korea, an old

Cold War ally that serves as a buffer between China and demo-cratic South Korea, which hosts 28,000 U.S. troops.

The two leaders wrestled with how to handle China’s rise on the world stage, more than 40 years after President Richard Nixon’s groundbreaking visit to Communist China in 1972 ended decades of estrangement between Washington and Bei-jing.

In talks that may set the stage for U.S.-Chinese rela-tions for years to come, Obama and Xi spent about eight hours together over two days of talks. It included a one-on-one session on June 8 and a stroll outside in the desert heat, and a Friday

night dinner.They had much to discuss,

with tensions rising over U.S. allegations about Chinese hack-ing of industrial secrets, an issue that Donilon said Obama raised directly with his Chinese coun-terpart.

Obama described to Xi the exact kinds of problems the United States was concerned about regarding cyber thievery and said that if they were not addressed, it would become a “very diffi cult problem in the

economic relationship,” said Donilon.

Yang, briefi ng Chinese reporters, said Beijing wanted cooperation rather than fric-tion with the United States over cybersecurity.

Beijing insists it is more a victim than a perpetrator of cyber espionage.

Obama and Xi agreed to cooperate in fi ghting climate change by cutting the use of hydrofl uorocarbons, the White House said.

President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jingpin during summit meet in California.

June 15, 20131010

Pinoy graduates from USMA at top of class

WASHINGTON D.C. - The Philippine Army’s newest lieu-tenant Floren Herrera graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point on Satur-day May 25, 2013.

He is the latest in a long line

of Filipinos who were sent by the Philippine government to West Point to receive the fi nest military education in the world. The academic education is not too bad either. Forbes magazine three years ago rated West Point the number one University in America, ahead of Harvard and all the others. This year it was rated the top engineering school by US News and World Report.

In such a demanding aca-demic and physical environment

Herrera excelled. He graduated in the top fi ve percent academi-cally of his class of over 1200 members. This entitled him to wear stars on his cadet uniform, a singular and distinct honor that only a handful of Filipi-

nos before him attained. The enormity of this accomplish-ment cannot be overstated. He was the smartest of some of the smartest and strongest young men in the country. In recogni-tion of his high standing he was promoted to the rank of cadet captain and put in charge of a regimental honor committee. He was responsible for insuring that the exceedingly high moral and honor standards were followed. The West Point honor system is

strict and unwavering. To be put in charge of it signifi es a special trust and confi dence. To be a foreign cadet with this position is unheard of.

Floren Herrera came from a humble background in Cagayan. His father passed away when he was two years old, thus leaving his mother to raise a four chil-dren with only limited means. Floren is now the primary bread-winner of the family and will work to send his siblings to col-lege.

He will spend the fi rst months on duty at the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio, where he was for a year before entering West Point. He will tutor the cadets there before entering training for eventual deployment as a Philippine Army leader in the fi eld, most probably in Mindanao.

When he returns to the Phil-ippines he will be feted along with this year’s graduated of the United States Military Academy at Annapolis and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. To greet them will be former Philippine President Ramos, a graduate of West Point Class of 1951. Many of the Filipinos who attended the academies in the United States have gone on to serve illustrious careers in either the military, government or pri-vate sector. How could they not? They were considered the best of the best of the Philippines.

Filam captain promoted to US Army commander

H O N O L U L U – F i l i p i n o -American Captain Susan Bar-roga Lindsey has been promoted to company commander of Intel-ligence & Sustainment for the US Army 25th Infantry Division based in Hawaii.

Capt. Lindsey will take on the position in a change of command Ceremony on June 6 at General’s Field, Honolulu, Hawaii.

As company commander, she will perform administrative, accountability and personnel support to division staff respon-sible for equipment account-ability, unit discipline, positive command climate, and training soldiers to meet the needs of any mission.

“I joined the U.S. Army because I wanted to do some-thing more with my life, I wanted to be someone more,” the 30-year-old Lindsey states. “It was no overnight success. I sac-

rifi ced my time with my family and friends. Worked late nights and early mornings and studied

hard. i committed to a greater purpose–serving my country and my fellow Americans.”

Her mother, Connie, came to the U.S. almost 30 years ago. “Growing up, I watched her struggle and work hard as a single mother to give my brother

and me a better life,” Lindsey recalls. “By her example, she taught me never to give up, to strive to be the best I could be. Because of her, I am proud of my heritage, and I am proud to serve the country that made my mother a citizen.”

Lindsey graduated from San Diego State University at 22, with a bachelor’s degree in com-munication and a minor in psy-chology. Lindsey enrolled in the Reserve Offi cer Training Corps in 2006 and served with the 4-16th Civil Affairs (USACAPOC)(A) Army Reserve while continuing her education. She was commis-sioned as an Army Offi cer in 2008 while obtaining a master’s in interdisciplinary studies.

Lindsey was born in Octo-ber 1983 in Mountain View, Calif., and raised in San Jose. She is the daughter of Floyd Dean Lindsey of Buckeye, Ariz. and Concepcion Barroga Lindsey of

Laoag, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. She attended Columbia School in Sunnyvale and Lynbrook High School in Cupertino, Calif.

After completing the Mili-tary Intelligence Offi cer Basic Course at Fort Huachuca, Ari-zona, in 2009, Lindsey was assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas as the Signal Intelligence Platoon Leader for the Military Intelli-gence Company of First Brigade, First Armored Division.

She was deployed in sup-port of Operation Iraqi Free-dom (2009-2010), stationed at FOB Warrior, Kirkuk Province, Iraq. Upon her return, she was assigned as the Assistant Bat-talion S2 for the 4-17th Stryker Infantry Battalion. Lindsey attended the Military Intelli-gence Captains Career Course in 2012 at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.

She was assigned as the Intelligence Operations Offi cer

to the Fifth Battlefi eld Coordina-tion Detachment, (94th Army Air Missile Defense Command), at Joint Pearl Harbor-Hickam Air Force Base.

Lindsey comes from a long line of military service members. Her family’s military history dates back to the American Rev-olutionary War. She is the only female in her family’s history to serve in the U.S. military.

“To command is an honor and a privilege,” she says. I once thought my greatest victory was becoming an offi cer, but I was wrong. My greatest victory is seeing my soldiers inspired and empowered to succeed. The sons and daughters of America are the nation’s greatest asset. It is my duty to protect them. They are the future of this country. And they deserve the best lead-ers to excel in their life. Watching my soldiers inspires me to lead.”

2 Filipinas graduate from US Naval Academy

WSHINGTON D.C. - Two Filipinos, one born in the Phil-ippines and the other in Oak-land, California were among this year’s graduates of the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Mary-

land.Both had the rare honor of

getting their diplomats from President Barack Obama himself.

They are Christine Joy Jiao Layug of Oakland and Chinna Louise Eulogio Salio who was born in the Mountain Province, Philippines. Joining the Navy has become a generational rite for many Filipinos. Joy, for instance, has 10 uncles either actively serv-ing or retired from the US Navy, not counting her father Roy and maternal grandfather (now both retired).

Her family was present during her graduation.

Dslio, the only Filipino to graduate this year, was studying to be a nurse in Baguio city at the Benguet state university before

she joined the Philippine Mili-tary Academy. On her second year, she took the competetive test for the US military service academies and was one of the three who passed. The others

grduated recently from West Point and the US Airforce Acad-emy in Colorado.

She proudly reveals that her younger brother Kendrick, whose passion includes sailing, is now a sophomore in Annap-olis and his twin Kenneth is studying aircraft engineering in Canada.

Salio was commissioned as an Ensign in the Philippine Navy by Capt. Elson Aguilar, the con-current Defense and Naval atta-che’ in Washington DC.

Salio has since returned to Manila where she received a warm welcome from Navy headquarters and her family in Baguio city.

(R. Jaleco)

Floren Herrera, a Filipino who recently graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point, poses with, from left, Senior Supt. Jojo Gentiles, Police Attache’, Consul Emil Fernandez, Thryza Navarrete, Sonny Busa, Herrera, and Mrs. Ceres Busa, at the lobby of the Philippine Embassy last May 29. (MC Cardenas)

FilAm Christine Layug receives diploma from President Obama during graduation rites in Annapolis, Maryland.

Capt. Susan Barroga Lindsey

June 15, 2013 11

HK Sinos boo, hurl bottles at Azkal players MANILA - Philippine offi -

cials last week called as “unfor-tunate” the anti-Filipino out-bursts from the Hong Kong crowd during a friendly match involving the Azkals and said the crowd’s unruly behavior did not refl ect the feelings of the people in Hong Kong.

The Azkals beat Hong Kong, 1-0, on a fi rst-half goal by James Younghusband in the match on June 4 at Hong Kong’s Mong-kok Stadium, where the Philip-pine team was the object of racial abuse.

Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez, spokesman of the Department of Foreign Affairs, said “We are concerned about some unfortunate events that happened during the friendly football match between the Phil-ippine Azkals and the Hong Kong team,” Hernandez said in a press briefi ng.

Hong Kong fans threw water bottles and other debris at the Azkal players and their sup-porters, including women and children, after the match.

Some of the Hong Kong fans also called the Filipinos a “slave nation” and booed when the Philippine national anthem was played.

The Hong Kong Football Association has vowed to “ban supporters of its team found

guilty of racially abusing the Fili-pinos.

Relations between Manila and Hong Kong soured in 2010 after eight Hong Kong tourists were killed in a bus hostage-taking drama at Quirino Grand-stand in Manila. The deaths were blamed on bungled police rescue operations.

Since then, the Philippines has been on Hong Kong’s travel blacklist.

A recent survey by a Hong Kong university has found the Philippines to be the most dis-liked country by residents in the former British colony.

According to the survey, 86 percent of 1,000 respon-

dents reported negative feelings toward the Philippine govern-ment and 30 percent negative feelings toward Filipinos. The study did not explain the reasons for such sentiment.

The Japanese government rated 48 percent on the “dislike” index while 28 percent of those surveyed felt positive toward the Japanese people.

In contrast, Singapore, Canada and Australia were the most liked.

There are more than 170,000 Filipinos based in Hong Kong, according to 2011 fi gures of the Commission on Filipinos Over-seas.

Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. poses with Maj. Gen. Cesar B. Yano, the Philippine defense attaché in the Philippine embassy since 2011. He offi cially ended that stint and retired from mili-tary service – after 34 years, 4 months and 9 days – on his birth-day last May 10. The citation for the Philippine Legion of Honor Award extolled his “eminently meritorious and valuable services” enhancing diplomatic and security relations with the United States as well as Canada.

Photo shows Manila Mail columnist Jocelyn Porteria who fl ew to Hong Kong to watch the game. Here, she poses with her son (to her left) who plays with Azkal. (See her account of the incident on page 25)

June 15, 20131212

Enrile quits, Drilon will be new Senate presidentMANILA - Embattled Senate

President Juan Ponce Enrile has fi nally decided to hand it to his critics by irrevocably resigning from his position at the last day of the Senate session early this month, ahead of the start of the 16th Congress.

Speculations are rife that Sen. Franklin Drilon, an admin-istration ally, would be elected the next Senate President in the next 16th Congress following the 9-3 victory of the Team PNoy administration senatorial slate in the May 2013 mid-term elections over the opposition coalition or the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

In an emotional privilege speech, Enrile made it clear that his resignation is a “matter of personal honor and dignity.”

“As a matter of personal honor and dignity, I hereby irre-vocably resign as Senate Presi-dent,” Enrile said.

“With the constantly shift-

ing political tides, to muster the support of the majority of your colleagues, and to maintain that support long enough to achie e something for the people who

elected us into offi ce, is quite a feat in itself,” he stressed.

“Thus, I owe a deep debt of gratitude to my colleagues who, at the most crucial hour, man-aged to rise above selfi sh interest and ambition to help me steer the Senate through rough waters in the last four and a half years that I served as Senate Presi-dent,” Enrile said.

Enrile blasted some col-leagues allegedly behind a hate campaign against him that eroded public trust in the cham-ber and doomed his son Jack’s senatorial bid.

He singled out Senate minority leader Alan Peter Cay-etano and Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago whom he did not name in his speech as the detractors who succeeded in eroding the

image of the Senate in their struggle to malign him.“Old age may have physi-

cally impaired my vision. But let me assure all of you: I can still see and read clearly the handwriting on the wall. I need not be told by anyone when it is time for me to go,” Enrile stressed.

Drilon has also hinted cer-tainty of this “change” in the Senate leadership, as he con-fi rmed talks between the Nacio-nalista Party and the Liberal Party agreeing to fi eld a single candidate for the senate presi-dency in the next Congress.

Drilon also recently dis-closed Enrile has made the assurance that the UNA coali-tion in the Senate will become a “constructive opposition” in the upcoming Congress.

OAVs need not swearto return home to PH

MANILA - Overseas Absen-tee Voters (OAVs) are no longer required to swear under oath that they would return to the country within three years before they could be allowed to cast bal-lots in Philippine elections, the Commission on Elections has announced.

In a statement, the Come-lec said the legal requirement that overseas Filipinos execute an “affidavit of intent to return” before they are allowed to cast their votes for candidates in the Philippines has been dropped from the overseas absentee voting law.

“The requirement was

regarded by Filipino migrant groups as the biggest stumbling block to registering the broad-est number of qualified Filipino overseas voters,” the Comelec said.

The election body said the requirement was dropped after President Benigno Aquino on May 27 signed Republic Act No. 10590, which amended the absentee voting law.

Data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Adminis-tration showed that the number of Filipino permanent residents abroad had reached 4,056,940 as of 2009.

RA 10590 would utilize the

pre-departure orientation semi-nars to support the overseas voter registration and voting processes.

Under the amended law, overseas voters would be able to cast their votes for all national referendums and plebiscites aside

from the presidential, vice presidential, senatorial and party-list elections.

The law also calls for the creation of an Office for Over-seas Voting under the Comelec whose job it would be specifi-cally to oversee and supervise the effective implementation of the Overseas Voting Act.

Aquino inks tough gun lawMANILA - President

Benigno Aquino III signed late last month the comprehensive law regulating the ownership of firearms and ammunition.

Republic Act 10591 lists down the standards and prereq-uisites for a license to own and possess a firearm, deputy presi-dential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

“The new law also requires gun owners to renew their licenses every two years on or before the date of expiration. If they fail to renew their licenses, the PNP will revoke them and this also entails confiscation of the firearm,” a Presidential Com-munications and Operations Office (PCOO) article quoted Valte as saying.

Under the law, one must be

a Filipino citizen at least 21 years old to apply for a gun license.

An applicant must also have full work occupation or business or has filed an income tax return for the preceding year as proof of income, profession, business or occupation.

“The applicant has not been convicted of any crime involv-ing moral turpitude, has passed the psychiatric test administered by a Philippine National Police-accredited psychologist or psy-chiatrist,” it said.

An applicant must also pass a drug test by an accredited and authorized drug testing labora-tory or clinic.

Other requirements include:- passing the gun safety

seminar administered by the PNP or a registered or autho-

rized gun club;- filing in writing the appli-

cation to possess a registered firearm, indicating the personal circumstances why he or she needs to own a firearm;

- a police clearance to prove the applicant was not convicted or accused in a pending criminal case punishable with a penalty of more than two years; and

- reasonable gun licensing fees.

Those who want to carry a firearm outside their residence or place of business may apply for a Permit To Carry (PTC) if he or she “is under actual threat or is in imminent danger due to the nature of his or her profession, occupation or business.”

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile delivers privilege speech to announce his irrevocable resignation.

Plane overshoots runway, passengers sue airline

DAVAO CITY - Civil Avia-tion investigators are looking into why Cebu Pacific flight 971 skidded off the runway upon landing at Banggoy Int’l Airport

on a rainy evening June 2.No passengers were hurt in

the accident by they are accus-ing the flight crew of not letting them out of the plane through emergency chutes.

Aside from an investigation from the Civil Aviation Author-ity of the Philippines following the erratic landing and ground-ing of its plane, Cebu Pacific may face a new problem: a class suit.

Passengers decided to take legal action against the airline despite the apology of the airline for the mishap.

Passengers met June 4 and decided to go ahead with legal action against the airline.

The class suit comes after Ateneo de Davao University called for a boycott of the airline

due to its crew’s failure to “take care of the passengers” after the emergency landing.

But in an interview on Tues-

day, Cebu Pacific spokesperson Candice Iyog said ‘The pilot and our crew followed procedure and they assessed the situation outside. Nakita naman nila na wala namang imminent danger. Hindi naman nasusunog ‘yung engine natin. Hindi isinagawa yung emergency evacuation dahil hindi naman siya kailan-gan.”

Meanwhile, CAAP is inves-tigating the incident, even as director general William Hotch-kiss III said the plane’s pilot and first officer, along with the cabin crew, will undergo physical checkups.

Hotckiss also said the grounded plane, including the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, will be inspected.

Cebu Pacifi c plane accident caused closure of Davao city International Air-port for two days.

June 15, 2013 13

June 15, 20131414

First Five 2013-2014 Highbridge Scholars namedFive outstanding students,

selected on the basis of their academic achievement, commu-nity service, leadership poten-tial, and demonstrated hardship which included fi nancial need and adverse personal or family circumstances, will receive the fi rst High Bridge Foundation, Inc. scholarships at an awards brunch on Saturday, June 15 at 10:00 in the morning at the Pei-koff Alumni House (“Ole Jim”) at the Gallaudet University Campus in Washington, D.C.

The awards provide $1,000 in scholarship funds for each recipient to help pay for college tuition and expenses. Accord-ing to President Mayumi Escalante, the Foundation received more than 130 applica-tions for these fi ve scholarship awards. The volunteers on the Scholarship Selection Commit-tee have been impressed and overwhelmed by the caliber and volume of applications received during the Foundation’s fi rst year.

Erica Fuentes graduated from Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, MD with a weighted GPA of 4.50, placing her in the top 5 percent of her class. She was named an “AP Scholar with Distinction” by the College Board. All these, while immersing herself in commu-nity service that included tutor-ing and mentoring immigrant students and advocating for the

Maryland Dream Act. Erica’s parents did not attend college, so she deeply appreciates what

a college education would mean to her and her family. She will attend the University of Mary-land at College Park, where she will study international affairs and history.

Arnasha Jones graduated from McKinley Technical High School in Washington, DC, where she was ranked number one among her peers, while tack-ling advanced placement courses in Language Arts, Literature, Calculus, and Engineering. She volunteers for the DC Food Bank and tutors students at McKin-ley High School. Throughout high school, Arnasha worked part-time to help with family expenses. Arnasha will be the fi rst in her family to attend col-lege. She will attend North Car-olina State University and will major in Economics.

Earica Parrish is a graduate from Thurgood Marshall Acad-emy Public Charter High School in Washington, DC, where she earned a 4.25 GPA and the

number one rank in her senior class. She managed two sports teams for her school and was

active in the drama club. Earica is part of The Washington Post’s Press Pass Mentors Program, which pairs professional journal-ists with inner-city high school students to kindle a passion for writing and help them succeed in college. While her mother was unable to help take care of their family, and after her father’s death due to congestive heart failure, Earica kept her family together and made sure that her younger siblings were well cared for. She will attend Syracuse University’s S.I. New-house School of Public Commu-nications to pursue her dream of becoming a newspaper and online journalist.

Mercedes Young is a gradu-ate of McKinley Technology High School in Washington, D.C., where she was a consistent member of the school’s honor roll and National Honor Soci-ety. Her hard work and dedica-tion earned her the coveted posi-tion of captain and lead dancer

of the Lady Gems Dance Team, the dance ensemble for the Eastern High School Marching

Band. She served as a mentor for the DC Campaign Teenage Pregnancy and Prevention Pro-gram and as a youth leader for the Mayor’s Leadership Insti-tute. Mercedes used her life’s adversities as a jumping board for her success. She will attend North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, where she plans to major in engi-neering.

Vong Truong graduated from Northwest High School in Germantown, MD with a cumu-lative weighted GPA of 4.17 and earned distinctions in Physics and Mathematics. He led the school’s team to a fi rst place fi nish during the 20th Annual Central Maryland Physics Olym-pics. Vong has logged more than 200 community service hours volunteering as a tutor at the George B. Thomas Learn-ing Academy and as a teacher at the Hoai Huong Vietnamese School. Vong was raised by a single mother in Vietnam and

was sent to live with relatives in the U.S. in 2010. In that short time, he has successfully and independently navigated his way through American culture and maintained an unshakeable positive outlook in life. Vong will attend The University of Texas at Austin, where he will major in Accounting.

The scholarship program is a project of High Bridge Founda-tion, Inc., a non-profi t organiza-tion established by Ernest and Mencie Hairston last year. Dr. and Mrs. Hairston are life-long supporters of programs that ben-efi t underserved populations of young people especially those with disabilities and life chal-lenges, and who are in need of fi nancial help to pursue higher education.

As recipients of scholar-ships during their student days, Dr. and Mrs. Hairston believe that scholarships are a donor’s fi nancial investment in a stu-dent’s potential to succeed, to give back to the community, and to embody the donor’s core values. It is also an investment in the student’s family and in his or her community. More impor-tantly, scholarships come with a moral mandate, as they impact not only the recipients’ educa-tion, but also the way they con-duct their lives after graduation, and the way they practice their professions.

Centina is 1st Fil-Afro-American Ms Teen PHBy Grace Valera

After 28 years, a Filipino-African-American won for the fi rst time the title of Miss Teen Philippines America. She is Chastity Centina, 18, a 5’6” multi-talented tri-lingual young lady who speaks Tagalog, Visayan and English. She impressed the

Judges with her witty answers during the Interview segment held the day before, captivated everyone with her well poised and graceful cobra-walk at the evening gown portion and made everybody glued to their seats as

she did Beyonce’s “Crazy in love “ dance number as her talent.

The 2012 Miss Teen Phil-ippines-America Iana Kozeslky turned over her crown to Chas-tity Centina.

Except for the question and answer portion, Chastity consis-tently topped the Judges scores making her win the title.

It was also a great emotional

moment for Chastity because that night for the fi rst time she met her Dad, Chris Barnes, who resides in North Carolina.

Having been borne to teen-age parents, her Dad only saw and held her briefl y when she was born. At the age of 3, she was brought home to the Philippines and was taken care of by her

Grandfather Aurelio “Popoy” Centina, who brought her back to the U.S. only last year prior to his demise.

It was such a touching , tearful reunion for Chastity and her Dad, who found her only through facebook! And for Chastity, her every dream was happening right before her eyes that night.

Other candidates were First Runner-up and Miss Teen Philippines-Washington D.C. Hannah Cristine Delgado, 15. Her fellow candidates voted her as Miss Teen Congeniality spe-cial award. Hannah is of Peru-vian-American and Filipino par-entage but she lost her father to lung cancer when she was only

Christian Noel Asinero graduated Summa Cum Laude from George Mason University last May 18. Christian earned a degree in Physical Therapy and is planning for a PhD in the same fi eld. He is the son of Noel and Kaye Asinero of Manassas, Virginia.

Ms Teen Philippines-America Chas-tity Centina poses with her grandma Nancy Dizon Korionoff (right) and aunt Melanie Centina at the Fair-view Marriott on May 26, 2013.

Miss Teen Philippines-America Chastity Centina (center) poses with run-ner-ups.

10 yrs old. Shyanne Carr, also of mixed Filipino African-Ameri-can parents, was given the title Miss Teen Philippines Maharlika for her sweet yet exotic royalty princess like beauty. The tallest of them all, Velarie Velasquez captured the Judges’ attention through her photos and was awarded Miss Teen Philippines Photogenic and the title of Miss Teen Philippines-Visayas. Miss Teen Philippines-Luzon title went to Miss Nina Bonita Lapa. Katherine Barnachea got the title Miss Teen Philippines-Mindanao and garnered two other special awards of Miss Teen Popularity and Miss Teen Charity.

Erika Capinguian is a graduat-ing senior from Albert Einstein High School and the valedic-torian of her class. She lives in Silver Spring, MD. with her parents, Rey and Estrella Cap-inguian.

June 15, 2013 15

If you would like to include your organization’s forthcoming event, please send the information to mpapoose@aol.com

June 15 (Saturday) 6:00pm-12:00pm. Philippine Indepen-dence Gala Ball. JW Marriott Washington, DC. Continues the tradition of celebrating Inde-pendence Day with Philippine Embassy dignitaries, the FilAm community, special guests. $85;

premier seats $110. Contact: Nanette Carreon at NSuyat1681@aol.com.

June 15 (Saturday) 10:00 am-11:00am PNA of Metro DC Memorial Mass. Embassy of the Philippines, Romulo Hall, 1600 Massachusetts Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. for the victims who died in the San Mateo-Hay-ward Bridge Limousine fire in Foster City, California on May 4,

2013. Contact: Leonora Mendoza at 571-723-8273.

June 15 (Saturday) 7:30pm Filipino Mass at St. Bernadette Catholic Church, 7600 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield, VA 22152. Sponsored by Filipino Ministry of St. Bernadette. Con-tact 703-569-1054.

June 15 (Saturday) 7:00am PAMWE-FtH Joint Benefit Golf Tournament.

Algonkian Regional Park Golf Course, 47001 Fairway Drive, Sterling, VA 20165. 7:00am Registration & Continen-tal Breakfast; 8:30am Tee Time or Shotgun. Contact: Pepito Solis 703)979-0838 or.p2solis@gmail.com

June 22 (Saturday) 10:00 am - 2:00 pm FAIA Seminar: IRS Audits of Social Media, Health Care for Small Business, Non-

Profit Compliance and Common Tax Topics, Acacia Federal Savings Bank, 7600 Leesburg Pike, East Bldg. Suite 200, Falls Church, VA 22043. Seminar Fee with lunch: $12. Contact: Edgar Aznar 703-837-3587

June 30 (Sunday) PAFC Philippine Festival’s Commu-nity Picnic and Sports Fest. Fun and food, games for children and sports for grown-ups plus a cultural show and a band marathon pull the community together. Special Feature: Parada ng Lechon, Tucker Road Recre-ational Park, Fort Washington, MD Contact: Mya Talavera at myatalavera@aol.com.

July 20 (Saturday) 7:30pm Filipino Mass at St. Bernadette Catholic Church, 7600 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield, VA 22152. Sponsored by Filipino Ministry of St. Bernadette. Con-tact 703-569-1054..

August 3, 2013 (Saturday) 9:00am to 8:00pm ... Marin-duquenos of the Capital Area, Inc. “MCA, Inc. Annual Family Picnic” at Black Hill Regional Park - Shelter “C”, 20926 Lake Ridge Drive, Boyds, MD 20841. “POT LUCK”, come one - come all - bring “your favorite food” to share. Contact: Xavier Cugie Dela Santa 301-728-1684.

August 3 & 24 (Saturday) 8:00am ANCOP Walk to raise funds and awareness for the poorest of the poor in the Phil-ippines. Online registration via www.ancopwalk.us; walker can pick the walk location to register for $15 which includes a t-shirt to be given at the walk site

Aug 3 Henson Valley Creek Park, Tucker Road,Fort Wash-ington, MD Contact: Cres Reyes

cresreyes.ancop@gmail.comAug 24 Occoquan Regional

Park, Lorton, VA. Contact: Nelle Gavino nellegavino@gmail.com

August 17 (Saturday) 7:30pm Filipino Mass at St. Ber-nadette Catholic Church, 7600 Old Keene Mill Road, Spring-field, VA 22152. Sponsored by Filipino Ministry of St. Berna-dette. Contact 703-569-1054.

October 5 (Saturday) 8 pm-2 am. Ateneo Alumni Asso-ciation of Metro Washington DC “Charity Gala Dinner-Dance and Auction.” Crystal Gateway Mar-riott Grand Ballroom, 1700 Jef-ferson Davis HighwayArlington, VA 22202. Contact: Aimee San Ramon at aimeesr@yahoo.com

October 19 (Saturday) 6pm-12mn Bicol Association of Met-ropolitan Washington DC“30th Sarung Banggi Gala Fundrais-ing.” Bethesda Ballroom, 5521 Landy Lane, Bethesda, Mary-land 20816. Attire Formal. For all the charitable causes including scholarships and the Surgical Mission.$65 pre-paid; $70 at the door.

Nov 9 (Saturday) 6:00-12:00pm Feed the Hungry, Inc. Handog 2013 at Hilton Markham Center, Alexandria, VA. Contact Person: Solita Wakefield (703) 992-4610 or swakefield09@gmail.com

Nov 16 (Saturday) 2pm – 5pm PAFC “Dr. Jose Rizal Youth Awards” Romulo Hall, Philip-pine Embassy, Washington, DC. Contact: Aylene Mafnas 703 868 5660.

Dec 1 (Sunday) PAFC, Phil-ippine Embassy and FOCUS, “Paskong Pinoy.” Pryzbyla Hall, Catholic University of America.

FilAm judge gets awardHARTFORD, Connecticut -

A Filipino American judge here recently received the prestigious Edwin Archer Randolph Diver-sity Award, named after a Yale Law School graduate who in 1880 became Connecticut’s fi rst lawyer of color, by the Law-yers Collaborative for Diversity (LCD).

Judge Nina F. Elgo, a fi rst generation Filipino-American raised in Norwich, Connecticutt, was chosen as the 2013 recipient for her accomplishments and contributions dedicated to the inclusion and advancement of lawyers of colors and/or women lawyers within Connecticut and surrounding legal communities.

Elgo became Connecticut’s fi rst Asian Pacifi c American judge in 2004.

She initially handled crimi-nal cases, though she’s currently assigned to the civil docket in New Haven Superior Court.

She received the award on May 9 at a ceremony held at the Wadsworth Atheneum here.

She joins a very distin-guished list of past recipients

such as U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson, former State Supreme Court Justice Lubbie

Harper Jr., Xerox Corp. general counsel Don Liu, and Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Toni Smith-Rosario.

A graduate of Connecticut College in New London and Georgetown University of Law, Elgo served 14 years working in as an assistant attorney general representing the state in child abuse and neglect cases, and other cases involving children.

Judge Nina F. Elgo

June 15, 20131616 Around DC

Winners in FABA golf tournament

The Filipino American Basketball Association (FABA), held their annual Golf Tournamet at the Virginia Oaks club last June 1. Team Pinoy Hackers won the Team Championship.

Members are Guy Suarez, Jun Suarez and Domeng Alvarado. Photo shows, from left, Merwynn Pagdanganan, Guy Suarez, Jun Suarez, Ken Mendoza, Domeng Alvarado, Bo Asinero, Allan Sunga and Dennis Tabligan.

Among the distaff side are, from left,; Beth Mendoza, Maddie Pagdanganan, Michelle Sunga and Kaye Asinero.

Team Runner up is Team Reyes (QinetiQ) with Roger Reyes, Brett Pfrommer, Brandon S., and Mark Ropper.

Individual Awards: Putting Challenge Winner: Jun Arzadon; Chipping Challenge Winner: Phil Nguyen; Closest to the Pin: Nel Espos and Longest Drive: Jun Suarez

Friends and members of the University of Santo Tomas Alumni Association in America (USTAAA) gather May 19, 2013 at the picturesque Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg, Maryland for USTAAA’s annual picnic. All who graduated or studied at the more than 400-year-old University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines are encouraged to join USTAAA. Please email ustalumniamerica@gmail.com for more information. ( Angelyn Tugado-Marzan)

L to R: Amy Hever, Smithsonian Asian Pacifi c American Center, Bobby Federigan, Gina Inocencio, Smithsonian Asian Pacifi c American Center, and Gloria Federigan, at the VIP reception for Fighting For Democracy, Who Is The “We” in We the People”? Performances was held last June 6, at the National Museum of American History. Photo: Bing Cardenas Branigin

The Mother Butler Guild hosted a luncheon reception at St. Anne’s Church community hall for newly-ordained priest Fr. Dennis Gonzales (center, left), shown with St. Anne pastor Monsignor Godfrey Mosley. Now based in Florida, Fr. Dennis recently celebrated mass at the church in D.C. Some 150 Filipino Americans from D.C., Maryland and Virginia and St. Anne parishioners attended the mass, as well as the reception.

Reading of ‘The Mango Bride’The reading and reception

of “The Mango Drive” with author Marivi Soliven, grand prize winner of the 2011 Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Romulo Hall of the Philippine Embassy on June 27, 2013. The event is free and open to the public, but please RSVP to marivi_blanco@yahoo.com. Marivi Soliven has taught writ-ing workshops at UC San Diego and at the University of the Phil-ippines.

The Migrant Heritage Commis-sion (MHC) actively participated in the 8th Fiesta Asia in Washington D.C. on May 18. Photo shows par-ticipants carrying the MHC banner while marching along a street in Washington DC. Other MHC mem-bers at the parade include Little Mr. and Miss Migrant Heritage prince and princesses, teenage brain-and-beauty queens, the interactive Tinikling dance, delectable food, cooking demonstrations by Mama Sita, an array of Filipino tradi-tional fashion, as well as Atiatihan and Igorot tribal dances. The event was sponsored by the Asia Heritage Foundation.

Franklin Odo, former director of the Smithsonian Asian Center, and Bing Branigin, member Board of Gov-ernor of NaFFAA, at the presenta-tion and reception for the Fighting for Democracy, Who is the “We” In the “We the People “?, held at the national Museum of American His-tory on June 6.

Marivi Soliven

June 15, 2013 17

Katipunan’s 31st Philippine Festival celebrates the integration of Filipino heritage into the American life.

All text/photos by Angelyn Tugado-Marzan

Filipino American Ken Mamaril (2nd from left holding the May 31st issue of the Manila Mail) tour his Howard County Martial Arts Club colleagues (l-r) James Jimmy, Shameel Siddiqui, and Jessie Wexler at the Maryland State Fairgrounds located at 2200 York Road, Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland, site of the 31st Philippine Festival of Katipunan (the Filipino-American Association of Maryland, Inc.) where they relished pancit, puto, kal-dereta & barbecue!

Young Fil-Am ladies and their non-Filipino friends grace-fully perform their stylized modern version of “Subli,” a ritual dance popular in Bauan, Batangas.

The “NEROJOC” Band, composed of the Cornejo cousins ((l-r) Henry, Jonathan, Gerard, Patrick Cornejo-Reinheimer, Michael and Justin) from Gaithersburg and Germantown in Maryland enliven the outdoor crowd with their “progressive, nu-metal rock” music.

Current Katipunan President Luis Florendo (foreground) poses with students belonging to the Filipino Cultural As-sociation at Towson after they wowed the audience with their creative rendition (using con-temporary music) of Philippine folk dances, including Sakut-ing, Subli, Maglalatik, Singkil, La Jota, Pandanggo sa Ilaw, and Bangko. Dancers include (l-r) Lucy Lu, Ellen Mcintire-Severson, Tami Yato, Diana Ly, Vy Vy Vu, Jackie Piarsay, Anica Avancero, Czerina Andaya, Mike Keenan, Dion Tilotta; (back row) Tamar Smith, Kris Jones.

In “barong” attire, former Katipunan presidents Gerry Florendo and his wife Sony Robles Florendo, author of best-selling cookbook “Signature Dishes of the Philippines,” join Katipunan Vice-President Dr. Bing Slodzinski in welcoming guests at the festival which was held indoors for

Past Katipunan president Helen Sadorra (right) welcomes (front, l-r) Mila Inserto, Elvie Milan, Daisy Tucay, RN and (back) Eric Lachica, earnest supporters of the campaign “to convince the U.S. president and Congress to allow Medicare to pay top Philippine hospitals for our seniors’ health care when they visit or reside in the Philippines.” Those wishing to support the said campaign need to go to www.US Medicare PH.org.provinces that express religious fer-

vor, a statue St. Jude (the patron saint of lost causes) is on display at the Katipunan festival, much to the joyful delight of Filipinos & Fil-Ams (l-r) Sonny Domingo, Rey Southernland, Nita Villanueva, Ermi Lacanienta, Polly Puno, Leony Dunne, Cellie Southernland, and Grace Valera.

Amidst resplendent “barong” blouses for sale at the Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC) booth are Jesse Gatchalian (left) and Carl Abella (right) with smiling ladies in gorgeous hats (l-r) Ednora, Cynthia Fer-rel, Carrie Macanas, Annie Di-maano, Marissa Hoes, Marietta Worm, Jeanette Abella.

Much too popular at the festival was the sumptuous Philippine barbecue sold by John and Merly Eda (front, right), owners of North Star Cafe & Grill at 9201 Livingston Road in Fort Washington, Maryland.

Katipunan President Luis Flo-rendo (standing, 3rd from right, in crisp “barong”) poses at the Knights of Columbus Sto. Nino Council 9462 booth with volun-teers from 23 organizations who helped put up the said festival.

Former Katipunan president Gerry Florendo, with a glass of refreshing “halo-halo” toasts to the success of the Philippine Festival of the 44-year-old Katipunan Filipino-American Association of Maryland, one of the oldest Filipino American organizations in the metro Washington, DC area. Florendo believes Katipunan is now infused with the able leadership

(left) and Florendo) and well, his son, Luis, who told the Manila Mail that “young Filipino Americans who search for their roots are capable of integrating their Filipino heritage in their present American life.”

June 15, 20131818

June 15, 2013 19

June 15, 20132020

Pinoys around world mark 115th Independence anniversaryFilipinos around the world

marked the 115th anniversary of Philippine Independence as proclaimed by Gen. Emilio Agu-inaldo in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898 with parades, cultural shows, fl ag displays, gala balls and other forms of celebration..

In the Philippines, Presi-dent Benigno S. Aquino III led the nation with a fl ag -raising ceremony at Liwasang Bonifacio in front of the Philippine Offi ce building in Manila.

Not many Filipinos know that June 12 was the day when Filipino Revolutionary Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and his group proclaimed the independence of the Philippines after he defeated, with the help of the US, the Spanish forces that occupied the country for almost 400 years.

That independence, how-ever, was short-lived because the United States took over control of the Philippines after the Span-iards ceded the country to the US under the Treaty of Paris for $20 million.

Since then, the American occupation made July 4 the date for the celebration of indepen-dence. The date was observed

even after the United States for-mally restored Philippine inde-pendence in 1946 after its libera-tion from Japanese occupation.

After the formal turnover, the Philippines continued to cel-ebrate July 4th as independence day. But in 1964, President Dios-dado Macapagal, the father of former President Gloria Maca-pagal Arroyo, changed the date to June 12 in a moment of pique with the US. His successor, Pres-ident Ferdinand Marcos, how-

ever eased the abrupt change by declaring July 4th Philippine American Friendship Day.

Aquino called on Filipinos to display the Philippine fl ag at their respective home, offi ces, schools, public buildings and plazas, as well as embassies and consulates overseas begin-ning May 28, in celebration of National Flag Day, until June 12.

In Washington D.C., Ambas-sador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. hosted a reception at the Hay Adams hotel while the Philippine Amer-ican Foundation for Charities (PAFC) and Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC) staged their respective balls in local hotels on June 15 and June 22, respectively.

A large celebration of Fili-pino independence was held in New York on June 2. This will be followed by celebrations at New Jersey, Union Square in San Francisco California on June 15, in Chicago and other cities.

The DC celebration actually started late in May following the opening the 12th annual Brown Strokes on a White Canvas art exhibition at the Romulo Center of the Philippine embassy.

The vitality, diversity of Brown Strokes It was Brown Strokes on a

White Canvasâ ™ (BSWC) elev-enth year of exhibition. Began in 2002, the BSWC program of the Philippine American Foundation for Charities (PAFC), has seen emerging artists bloom, estab-lished artists grow and exceed their potential.

This year’s crop of artists provided their current explo-rations -- showing the vitality and diversity of their pieces. Thirty-four artists easeled their work at the Philippine Embas-sy’s Romulo Hall with close to 100 guests. Of the 8 artists that exhibited in 2002, 7 artists were represented this year, lending some historical perspective to the show.

Consul General Ariel Penaranda addressed the audi-ence on opening day late last month by telling them to take note that this exhibit was in cel-ebration of Asian Pacifi c Ameri-can month that ended May 31 as well as a commemoration of the 115th anniversary of Philip-pine Independence. He thanked PAFC for sponsoring the exhibit

in partnership with the Philip-pine Embassy. David Valder-rama was special guest and thanked Julian Oteyza, curator of the show for bringing the art-ists together in one exhibit and having the community enjoy the works of art.

Participating Artists were: Pacita Abad, Ken Abrams, Adam Williams, Cynthia Ange-les, Avelina Bustamante, Nina Case, Dulce Dee, Andrea Doug-las, Gel Jamilang , Cecile Kirk-

patrick , Josie Lim Cruz, Orlando Lagman, Pacifi co Lopez, Joey Manalapaz, Ronna Manansala, Gloria Federigan,Jon Melegrito, Christine Oteyza, Julian Oteyza, Kevin Owens, Michelle Martin, Linda Pirrone, Amy Quinto, the late Frank Redondo, Miriam Riedmiller, Grabriel Riego de Dios, Virgilio Rollamas, Nilo Santiago, Alice Santos, Marvin Santos, Gabriel Stopak, Mya Talavera ,Toni Tiu,and Michael Young. (M. Owens)

Judge David Valderrama and Gaby Riego de Dios stop to ponder over Jon Melegrito’s painting of a mermaid and a fi sh.

Manila Mail columnist Jonathan Melegrito shows one of his paintings.

The artists in Brown Strokes pose together at the opening of the exhibit at the Romulo Hall of the Philippine embassy.

Filipino waves fl ag in front of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo’s house in Kawit, Cavite.

The ‘ati-atihans’ march in New York during the June 2 Independence Day parade.

Group forms the Philippine fl ag in the New York parade.

June 15, 2013 21

larly her fans, would accept her sexual preference.

In a message to fans on You-Tube, she thanked those who support her. “I just wanna say thank you personally to all my fans, to all the people who are still supporting me, who are still there for me,” she said. “And honestly I am very, very happy. I can’t even explain how happy I am right now hearing all the positive things.”

The 21-year-old, who was previously called “The Most Talented Girl in the World” by Oprah Winfrey, rose to fame as a YouTube sensation. She joined the cast of “Glee” as Sunshine Corazon during the show’s

second season.Charice was at a loss for

words when majority of the mes-sages that she got on the micro-blogging site Twitter were posi-tive.

Charice said she is extremely happy to have earned the respect of a lot of people because of her courageous move to come out.

Among the local celebrities who lauded Charice for coming out were Tony Award winner Lea Salonga, award-winning TV producer Michael Carandang, Pulitzer-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas and well-known international blogger Perez Hilton.

Charice said she felt that she could be gay since of age of fi ve. When she turned 18, she said she was already sure about her sexual preference and told her mother about this.

While her mother said “okay lang,” her reaction were like a rollercoaster because she was not used to it. Charice said she expects that it will be years before her mother will fully learn to accept er.

Apart from telling her mom, Charice shared that cutting her hair was one of the fi rst steps she took toward freedom.

According to Charice, she was also touched when interna-tional composer David Foster did not turn his back on her when she told him about her sexual orientation. He even said “we are proud of you.”

Charice said she will always have respect for Foster, who is also her godparent.

The interview by The Buzz:“This is a diffi cult question

to ask,” begins host Boy Abunda via a Huffi ngton Post translation of the interview. “I don’t know how to phrase this. Only because I believe you don’t owe anybody an explanation. I believe that talent has nothing to do with sexual orientation and gender identity. But it needs to be asked, so I’m going to ask it. Put simply, Charice, are you a lesbian?”

“I have a chance to do all of this internationally,” she responded. “[...] But I chose this place because I have a deep sense of gratitude to the Filipinos. Because I felt that I wanted it to be them, for them to learn what I am and who I am. Yes, I am a [lesbian].

The pop star goes on to say “utang na loob,” an expression that can be interpreted as an apology.

“Yes I’m a lesbian,” Charice added.

“I don’t see a problem with that, because for me there isn’t a problem. Now, I would like to ask for forgiveness from the people that don’t understand.”

The revelation comes after much speculation surrounding the singer’s sexuality.

Charice says: Yes... from page 1

June 15, 20132222

Philippine Airlines fl ight PR-105 from San Francisco, California, members of the media treated her as a returning rock star.

They fl ocked to “Kabang” as soon as she was cleared by quarantine personnel and let out of her cage at the arrival sec-tion. The dog appeared initially startled by the pop and fl ash of cameras but became friendly and playful as Lim and the reporters soothed her.

Many passengers and air-port employees who were in the area cheered and applauded while others were teary-eyed as Kabang passed by them. They also took snapshots of the dog using their cell phone and table cameras.

Some even posed with the dog for a souvenir shot.

“She’s as normal as she can be. She doesn’t need any special medication. So aside from the aesthetic, she’s normal,” Lim said when asked how Kabang was faring, even with her snout and upper jaw missing.

The dog was present at a press conference held by local members of Team Kabang, com-posed of the Animal Welfare Coalition and other groups that helped raise funds for the dog’s operations, later in the morning.

Kabang later returned to her owners in Zamboanga City the

next day. But the problem is how her owners, the Rudy Bungals, can provide for her upkeep.

Lim thanked donors from 45 countries who helped fund Kabang’s treatment at the Uni-versity of California (UC), Davis, with $27,000 in donations raised in the Philippines and abroad.

“What we want is to make her an ambassador of dog good will, and to promote responsible pet ownership,” said Lim.

“It is very fulfi lling that at least our hope in humanity is restored,” he said, adding that Kabang has become a symbol of “unconditional love” shown by a human being toward his or her pet.

Although Kabang will be spending time with her owners, Lim said the dog, as soon as she is settled down, would embark on a mission.

“She’s a hero not just in the Philippines but all over the world. So what we’re planning is to make her an ambassador of ‘dog-will’ and promote responsi-ble pet ownership,” Lim added.

Kabang’s snout and upper jaw were sheared off in Decem-ber 2011 when she jumped into the path of a motorcycle, stop-ping it from running over Bun-gals daughter and niece in Zam-boanga city.

She was later fl own to Wil-liam R. Pritchard Veterinary

Medical Teaching Hospital in UC-Davis to undergo surgery to close her wound.

UC-Davis veterinary profes-sor Frank Verstraete said doctors at the hospital performed sur-gery to heal her wounds but they could not reconstruct Kabang’s jaw or snout.

Doctors had to fi rst treat her for other ailments, including a tumor and heartworm, to ensure her wounds would heal. They took skin from her cheeks, neck and forehead to cover up sen-sitive areas that were exposed on her face during surgery in March, Verstraete said.

Kabang won widespread sympathy because of her injuries from what has been described as a heroic act. A nurse from Buf-

falo, New York, spearheaded a fund-raising campaign to bring Kabang to the US because Philip-pine veterinaries could not treat her.

True to her celebrity status, Kabang also had sponsors and is expected to do endorsements.

According to the Facebook page “Care for Kabang,” the UC-Davis medical team sent Kabang home with a year’s supply of heartworm, fl ea and tick preven-tion medicine courtesy of Pfi zer. Pet food manufacturer Pedigree will also give a lifetime supply of food to Kabang. The Philippine Airlines Foundation also shoul-dered the dog’s plane fare.

Other companies in the US that helped Kabang were Hertz Rental Car, Hallmark Inn of Davis and O’Brien Animal

Transportation.The Facebook announce-

ment clarifi ed that Kabang will remain with her owner and that the dog has not been adopted by Lim.

“[Lim] will be there for her and Rudy for the rest of her life. For those of you not in the Phil-ippines, understand that Kabang is a major celebrity there and she will, undoubtedly, go on a VIP tour of the country to support education on proper animal care and animal rights.

The problem is that Kabang is coming home to a broken family.

Rodolfo “Rudy” Bunggal, now lives alone after his wife Christina left him because of his heavy drinking. “I am rent-ing a small room for P700 (about $19) a month because she could no longer take Rudy’s behavior every time he’s drunk,” she said.

Christina lives with her daughter Dina, 12, and three other relatives. She also takes care of Kabang’s offspring, JR. Rudy Bunggal has found work as a construction worker but is dealing with what his neighbors and his wife said is a drinking problem. He worries about being recognized by Kabang.

‘It’s good to be working than staying in the street, wait-ing for someone’s motorcycle wheel to get busted,’ the former vulcanizing shop worker told GMA-TV news.

terms on those seeking to gain legal status.

In his remarks at the White House on the same day, Obama pressed Congress to pass the reform bill. He said, “Yes, they broke the rules; they didn’t wait their turn. They shouldn’t be let off easy. They shouldn’t be allowed to game the system. But at the same time, the vast major-ity of these individuals aren’t

looking for any trouble. They’re just looking to provide for their families, contribute to their communities. “

Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., delivered his speech backing the consideration of the bill in Spanish, saying this was the language of some 40 mil-lion Americans who have a lot at stake in the outcome of this debate.

The vote now opens the way for the Senate to introduce amendments. The debates are expected to consume more than three weeks.

In the House, meanwhile, Speaker John Boehner said he hoped companion legislation could clear committees in the House by the end of the month.WASHINGTON D.C. – The Senate opened deliberations on its own version of the compre-hensive immigration reform bill on June 7 that does not include the sibling and adult children

unity provisions.Attempts to restore that

provision in the Border Secu-rity, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act during the committee hearings have failed.

This prompted several Asian American and Pacifi c Islander (AAPI) families from 20 states to hold a new demon-stration on the East Lawn of the Capitol calling on Congress to pass immigration reform legisla-tion that is as inclusive of many families as possible.

Meanwhile, the House Gang of Eight on June 5 approved their own version of the immigration reform bill. They capped four years of on-again, off-again talks by reaching a tentative biparti-san agreement on a comprehen-sive deal.

Democratic and Republican members of the group emerged from an evening meeting, saying that they had found “a way for-ward,” but that no details would be released until they have had time to put their agreement in legislative language and go over it, line by line.

There are also reports that another House committee voted to exclude the “Dreamers” from the bill. The Dreamers are those undocumented children of immigrants who grew up in the US.

Senate leaders expect the bill to be passed by the Senate by next month.

The AAPI families’ demands included the preservation of the sibling and adult children visa categories, a clear and affordable path to citizenship for undocu-mented immigrants, and putting an end to harsh enforcement pol-icies that tear families apart.

Some Filipino Americans participated in the demonstra-tion.

Joining AAPI immigrant families were Reps. Judy Chu (CA) Jan Schakowsky (IL), natives from Hawaii and Alaska who announced their “First Americans for New Americans” campaign for comprehensive

immigration reform, Eliseo Medina, Secretary-Treasurer of Service Employees International Union and Wade Henderson, President and CEO of The Lead-ership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Impacted com-munity members shared their experiences highlighting why immigration reform must pass this year.

Randy Kim traveled to Washington DC on a bus from Chicago, IL. His family came to the U.S. as refugees from the Vietnam War and the Cambo-dian genocide in the early 1980s. He spoke to the crowd about the story of his father and the strength his siblings gave each other during wartime and when

they resettled in the U.S.“When the Cambodian

Killing Field era began, my dad and uncle escaped to Thailand and migrated to the U.S.,” said Randy. “They eventually spon-sored my Uncle Sean and with their help he was able to settle and become a hardworking citi-zen. However, when Uncle Sean tried to sponsor their remain-ing siblings, they never made it. This was after 20 years of wasted money, endless run around and no answer.” On earlier legisla-tive visits, Randy told legisla-tors that siblings are an integral part of the American family and when families stay together, everyone prospers.

Anthony Ng, an undocu-mented immigrant youth leader from Southern California, has been an active leader and advo-cate. He came to the U.S. with his parents from the Philippines. In 2011, he graduated from the Uni-versity of California-Irvine, and now hopes to earn a joint degree in Law and a master’s in Urban Planning.

“It was in the 10th grade when I found out about my undocumented status. I didn’t know what it meant and what to feel at the moment,” Anthony said. “My parents worked long tireless hours to prove that they made the right choice for our family to move to the U.S. I never doubted their decision. I am proud of them.”

‘Kabang,’ gets hero’s... from page 1

AsianAms pressing for... from page 1

Mrs. Bungal holds daughter of Kabang as she waits for arrival of her ‘hero dog.’

Mr. Bungal worries Kabang will not recognize him.

L to R: Paulo Pontemayor, Civil relations, External Affairs, APIA Health Forum, Jian Zapata, Congressional Staff, Ben de Guzman, Executive Direc-tor, LGBT, and Naoi Tacuyan Underwood, Asian American Justice Center, Reuniting Families Campaign, at the CIR-Family reunifi cation rally orga-nized by the Asian American and Pacifi c Islander at the South Lawn, Capi-tol, June 5. Photo: Bing Cardenas Branigin

June 15, 2013 23

leaving behind its reputation as a regional laggard. Last week, it reported annual GDP growth of 7.8 percent in the fi rst three months of the year, outstripping China to make it Asia’s fastest-growing economy.

Earlier this year, the gov-ernment secured an investment grade credit rating, reducing its borrowing costs, while the stock market has reached a series of record highs this year.

Returnees like Ragonjan are just a trickle compared to those still leaving the country, but the hope is that the more the coun-try can draw the diaspora back to the Philippines the more that the entrepreneurial spirit that prompted them to leave in the fi rst place can add fuel to the economy.

Nearly two million Filipinos left last year to take on jobs such as seafarers, maids, laborers, hotel staff, and medical workers, forming one of the world’s larg-est diasporas of nearly 10 million migrants, about a tenth of the population.

The returnees are limited for now to a few sectors, includ-ing entertainment, tourism and information technology, but some hope that it marks the start of a stronger fl ow.

“I am seeing the trend hap-pening,” said venture capital-ist Francisco Sandejas, who as head of the Brain Gain Network, an online platform connecting professional Filipinos overseas to develop business ideas in the Philippines, has been campaign-ing for more job creation at home for two decades.

“I am just seeing that now it is much easier to convince people to come home, it was never easy and it is still not easy... people are

very optimistic about the next three years,” he added, referring to the remainder of President Benigno Aquino’s six-year term.

Still, Aquino faces an uphill task to overturn criticism he is presiding over a jobless eco-nomic boom.

The economy is unable to create enough jobs for around a million new job seekers each year. A quarter of the labor force is unemployed or underem-ployed and the government is struggling to reduce poverty.

TRICKLE DOWN?Solaire is the fi rst of four

new casino-resorts to open in Entertainment City, a 10-hectare development near Manila Bay that is at the forefront of the gov-ernment’s push to boost tourism and investment.

Ragonjan said part of his decision to return to the Philip-pines was because there seemed to be more opportunity than in the past. He says his base salary in Manila is higher than it was in Abu Dhabi, but in returning home he has also given up some fi nancial grants that went with his job in the Gulf.

“If the Philippines continues to grow like this, it can help a lot of Filipinos here. It is good to be back,” he said.

The Philippines’ call centre industry, the world’s biggest, continues to grow strongly and the country is also home to small but expanding software and information-technology fi rms. The country’s business process outsourcing industry is expected to employ 1.3 million people by 2016, up from 640,000 in 2011.

Earl Valencia, a former busi-ness incubation manager at Cisco Systems in California, came

home with his family two years ago to help co-found a business incubator and accelerator com-pany in Manila to support start-ups and tech entrepreneurs.

“There were a lot of things to anchor me in the United States, but there were also a lot of eco-nomic attractions in this part of the world,” said the 30-year old.

To turn the trickle of return-ees into a fl ood, offi cials acknowl-edge the economic boom needs to be more broad-based.

Some skeptics say the boom is mostly benefi tting the coun-try’s

entrenched elite, with little trickling down to alleviate a poverty rate that has remained stubbornly high near 30 percent, far from the 17 percent Aquino hopes to achieve by the time is he due to leave offi ce in 2016.

Per capita GDP was 6.1 per-cent greater in the fi rst quarter than a year earlier, the highest in at least two years. But offi cial unemployment remained stub-bornly high at 7.1 percent as of January, the highest in Southeast Asia.

“Growth is not result-ing in the creation of more jobs because the growing sectors are not really labor intensive,” said former budget secretary Benja-min Diokno.

“We really need to revive manufacturing. We can do more.”

In one promising sign, manufacturing grew in the fi rst quarter by 9.7 percent over a year earlier despite sluggish export demand. Capital forma-tion, a measure of investment, jumped 48 percent as the pri-vate sector expanded capacity to meet domestic demand, which is partly fuelled by funds sent home by overseas Filipinos.

DAUNTING

While Aquino has had suc-cess in plugging holes in the national budget and imposing revenue reforms, his govern-ment still faces a daunting task to fi x infrastructure bottlenecks and investment constraints that hinder broader-based growth.

Economic Planning Secre-tary Arsenio Balisacan acknowl-edged that while real GDP per person has risen 11 percent over the last two years, the gains have not been evenly spread.

“Inclusive growth is not about averages, but about the lower part of the income distri-bution,” Balisacan told reporters after the GDP data.

He said the solution is to link the poor to growth sectors in the economy, such as manufac-turing and agriculture.

In the latest World Com-petitiveness Report by the Swiss-based Institute for Management Development, the Philippines moved up fi ve places to 43 out of 60 economies, overtaking Indo-nesia and India.

While it showed improve-

ments in economic performance, and government and business effi ciency measures, the gains were not accompanied by job generation. It was down seven places in employment, one notch down in overall productivity and two rungs down in labor productivity.

Still, in Manila’s bustling new casino, freshly returned workers, or overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as they are known, believe the time is ripe for the decades-long exodus to reverse.

“I believe it is really time for our country, our economy to get a slice of the cake that com-panies abroad are enjoying at the expense of our hard working OFWs,” said Rosario Chavez, a gaming manager at Solaire, who spent three decades abroad.

“I really hope that our gov-ernment will open more oppor-tunities here, more reasons for our OFWs to come home.”

(Editing by Rosemarie Fran-cisco, Stuart Grudgings and Neil Fullick)

vice and burial but no dates have not been established at this time.

Both Clift and Mylene’s uncle also declined ABS CBN’s request for an interview, saying they would rather not speak while investigations on the Costco shooting are ongoing.

There are reports they are contemplating on fi ling a wrong-ful death suit against of deputies and the county.

Pilippine Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. and local and national Filipino American organizations have joined in demanding a thorough investi-gation of the case. The Washing-ton Post editorial called it “an unexplained death”.

Joining the ambassador in calling for a probe of what they termed as the use of “excessive force” were the National Federa-tion of Filipino American Asso-ciations (NaFFAA), the Migrant Heritage Commission, and others.

The Washington Post pub-lished an editorial on June 1st, asking the crucial question of “was her death necessary?”

NaFFAA said Mylene was suffering from depression after her divorce from Scott, who is with the US military, and that their two children, girls aged 12 and 8, have been in the custody of Scott’s family.

Mylene worked for the Club Demonstration Services that pro-vided services to Costco. The store is located in the busy inter-section of Cascades Parkway and Route 7. She was said to be work-ing towards the end of her shift when she was said to be saying “crazy things” and seemed to be concerned with the number of servings of pizza in a box.

Renee Haber, a manager at Costco, said that as Scott moved away from her serving sta-tion, she grabbed a knife from another station and was making strange movements. Haber said

that Mylene was frightening her supervisors and workers called the police.

The fi rst deputy arrived just after 3 p.m and encountered Scott near the back of the store, armed with a knife and a pair of scissors. One of the deputies tried to subdue the woman with a taser but it did not work. They claimed Ms. Scott kept advanc-ing on them and ignored orders to drop the weapons.

The other deputy fi red and killed her, according to Loudoun County Sheriff Michael Chap-man.

Mylene was barely over fi ve feet tall and not much more than 100 pounds. The usual question that ran into people’s minds who read and heard the story was that how could two Sher-iff’s deputies not able to simply disarm her. Why did the taser not work? Why did they have to fi re multiple shots during the confrontation?

Sheriff Michael Chapman said that based on preliminary

information, the two deputies acted according to justifi ed self-defense procedure when Mylene came at them with the knife.

Chapman said the two dep-uties had several years of experi-ence on the job and were up to date on their training and tech-niques. The two deputies are currently on paid administrative leave pending the investigation’s outcome.

The Washington Post edito-rial described Chapman’s state-ment as “premature.” It said there is no shortage of witnesses of the incident and footage from the store’s internal security video may have also recorded the inci-dent.

The embassy press state-ment said it “shares the con-cerns expressed by Ms. Scott’s family in the Philippines and the members of the Filipino-American Community that law enforcement offi cials may have responded with disproportion-ate force. We request authorities to conduct a thorough, impartial

and expeditious investigation of

the incident.”

NaFFaa National Chairman

Eduardo Navarra has expressed

solidarity with Ambassador

Cuisia ‘in caling for a thorough,

impartial and expeditious inves-

tigation of the incident.” NaFFaa

has also mentioned that it is with

deep sorrow that they learned

Ms. Scott was suffering from

depression resulting from her

divorce and the loss of custody

of her two children.

Migrant Heritage Commis-

sion co-executive director and

human rights lawyer, Arnedo

Valera said that the killing of Ms.

Scott appears to be unreasonable.

Some OFWs are... from page 1

Did Mylene deserve... from page 1

Former overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Alvin Gendran, who now works with Microsoft Philippines, poses with his family at their condominium com-pound near Manila’s Makati fi nancial district May 18, 2013.

June 15, 20132424

Lloyd, Locsin win best actor, actress awards

ABS-CBN’s Star Cinema “The Mistress” won big at the 31st Film Academy of the Philip-pines Luna Awards on June 1.

Three acting awards--best actor, best supporting actor and best supporting actress--were won by “The Mistress” cast.

Kapamilya star Angel Locsin won best actress for another Star Cinema fi lm, “One More Try.”

Other winners: Best Supporting Actor: Ron-

aldo Valdez (The Mistress) Best Supporting Actress: Hilda Koro-nel (The Mistress) Best Director: Olive Lamasan (The Mistress) Best Picture: El Presidente Best Screenplay: Vanessa Valdez (The Mistress) Best Cinematography: Carlo Mendoza (El Presidente)

Best Production Design:

Danny Red and Joel Bilbao (El Presidente) Best Editing: Marya Ignacio (The Mistress) Best

Musical Score: Jessi Lasaten: (El Presidente) Best Sound: Albert Idioma (El Presidente) Special Awards:

Fernando Poe Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award: Eddie Garcia Manuel de Leon Award

for exemplary achievement: Peque Gallaga Lamberto Avel-lana Memorial Award: Marilou Diaz Abaya.

Vice apologizes to top TV journalist

The Philippines’ top come-dian, Vice Ganda, has apolo-gized to Jessica Soho, vice presi-dent of GMA-TV news program, for jokingly saying in his May

17 concert that Soho was “gang-raped.” She said that if she were a bold star in a movie, she had to be gang-raped to gain fame.

The remark created a stir among women’s groups, includ-ing the Philippine Commission on Women which said “rape jokes hurt women who are suf-fering or may have suffered from the trauma of rape. It is no laugh-ing matter.

Ganda has apologized to

Soho and Soho said she hopes his apology was sincere.

“As I’ve said, this is not about me, but about the issue of rape not being an appropriate

subject matter for comedy. Rape transcends age, economic class, gender and even one’s weight,” Soho who is heavy-se, said in a statement.

According to the National Statistics Offi ce, nearly one out of 10 women aged 15-49 has experienced sexual violence. But the PCW noted that “many rape cases go unreported because victims are shamed and rape is trivialized.”

Montes says Coco is closest to her heart

Actress Julia Montes admits that Coco Martin, her leading man in the defunct top-rating soap “Walang Hanggan,” is still the man closest to her heart.

“Ang super close ko talaga at nakaka-jive ko talaga since before ay si Coco, dahil pareho kaming laki sa lola,” Montes explained. “At in a way kasi off-cam medyo mature ako, so siguro ‘yung mga mature na bagay na itinuturo niya sa akin, nagdiya-jive kami.”

“Mas natuto ako sa kanya, siya rin natuto siya sa teenage experiences ko,” she said in an interview during the launch of her newest endorsement, Fresh-look contact lenses, on Thursday.

Martin, who previously admitted his admiration for Montes, was the actress’ escort during her debut celebration. He earlier said he plans to court Montes after her 18th birthday.

But the young actress denied that Martin is currently wooing her. “Hindi naman ako ang nililigawan niya, si lola (Flory Hautea) pa rin. So until now, si lola pa rin. Kung okay na ba kay lola? Hindi ko pa natatanong si lola about doon,” she said.

“Ayoko mag-assume. Pero ‘yun nga, ‘yun pa rin naman siya. Nakaka-tense mga tanong niyo,” she told entertainment reporters. “Kung sino ang nagpapakilig sa akin? Basta happy ako ngayon.”

Montes went on to say

that what is important is that she and Martin are still close to each other even after “Walang Hanggan” and their movie, “A Moment In Time.”

“Close pa rin kami, may communication pa rin kami. Pero dahil sobrang busy namin -- bida siya sa ‘Juan dela Cruz,’ ang taas-taas ng rating.

‘Yung bonding like before na halos every day kami mag-kasama dahil sa mga schedule, hindi na tulad dati. Pero okay kami, super close pa rin naman,” she said.

“Ang okay kasi kay Coco, hindi siya nagbago,” she added. “Like may mga advice pa rin siyang ibinibigay para sa upcom-ing show ko. Hindi siya ‘yung porket nakatrabaho ko before, after noon, wala na. Kung ano siya noon, ganoon pa rin until now.”

Currently, Montes is busy with her upcoming soap “Muling Buksan Ang Puso” with Enrique Gil and former suitor Enchong Dee.

Daring roles in sexy thriller ‘Palitan’Two rising stars Mara Lopez

and Alex Medina take on their biggest and most daring roles in the sexy thriller “Palitan” directed by Ato Bautista.

In the fi lm, Alex and Mara play married couple Nestor and Luisa. At the behest of his boss Ramiro (played by Mon Con-fi ado) who owns an electronics shop, Nestor agrees to secretly shoot footage of Luisa taking a bath in order to repay an enor-mous loan, leading to more com-plications not just for Nestor but also for Luisa. “Luisa is my com-plete opposite,” she explains.

Moreover, the daughter of beauty queen-turned-actress Maria Isabel Lopez had to ask her father (a Japanese) for permis-

sion before accepting the project.

Mara says, “I understood my

father’s apprehension. The role required me to do torrid kissing and even some pumping scenes. As a dad, he just didn’t want his daughter to be too exposed.”

The challenge on the part of Alex was performing at par with his

co-stars and living up to the reputation established by his famous father, character actor Pen Medina. Alex admits, “It was tough working on this fi lm. I felt pressured most of the time because I had to measure up to Mon Confi ado’s energy and focus. The character demanded so much from me.” In the end, Alex did not let the pressure get to him and followed director Ato’s instructions.”

Piolo explains ‘kissing’ scenePiolo Pascual, 35, explains

a video showing him kissing Maja Salvador, 24, inside a car that went viral. Weeks after a photo of him and Maja Salvador apparently kissing circulated online, Piolo explained the scene. According to the description of the video, the photos were taken on November 24 at McKinley Hills in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig.

“I was coming out of a run sa Sunlife last week tapos nag-’Star Magic Gives Back’ concert kami,” Pascual was quoted as saying by entertainment news site Push.com.ph. “I was driv-ing out of McKinley, nakita ko siya (Salvador), nagpaalam ako. Then she suddenly rode in my car tapos ‘yun, may pumicture na we were going to kiss, tapos ‘yun na,” the actor added.

Although the photo may

suggest a romantic relationship between the two, Pascual clari-fi ed that he is only friends with Salvador. Referring tothe actress’ former boyfriend, Pascual said, “I am friends with Matteo (Guid-icelli) as well, and Maja is a nice

girl as well, busy sa trabaho ‘yun.”

The “Apoy sa Dagat” star also laughed off jokes from their friends linking them as a couple. “Lokohan lang iyon, wala ‘yun,” he said.

John Lloyd Cruz and Angel Locsin

Coco Martin and Julia Montes

Alex Medina and Mara Lopez

Piolo Pascual tries to explain viral photo of him in torrid kissing scene with Maja Salvador inside car.

Vice Ganda

Entertainment

June 15, 2013 25

On Our Own Coded Words(Following is a speech locked

in my mental drawer which I, in my dream, intend to open only if and when an audience of compatriots harks for a delivery; the wait for a preferred venue is longer than any imagined nights)

(Introduction…) Let me run by you several

names which I am sure are new to your ears, by their tones and accents: Portenos, Gatos, Barce-loneses, Chillangos, Tapatios, Zapallos, Chapines, Guanacos, Nicos, and Ticos. These are affec-tionate names Spanish speakers in Latin and Central Americas call themselves. These names all connote endearments and bonds. Portenos in cities in Argentina; Gatos in Madrid, Spain; Barce-loneses in Barcelona and other nearby cities in Spain; Chilangos in Mexico City, and other cities in Mexico; Tapatios in Guada-lajara, Mexico; Zapallos in Lima in Peru; Chapines in Guatemala; Guanacos in El Salvador; Nicos in Nicaragua; and Ticos in Costa Rica.

To this I may add, quote Pinoy unquote. On paper, I write this appellation not in Italics but in quotation marks. This fi ve-letter word is com-monly used to describe those born and coming from the Phil-ippines, including their descen-dants here in the United States and elsewhere in the globe. The reach is endemic and sadly, the description, more often than not, betrays unwanted ignorance of Philippine history and culture. People born and reared in the Philippines are Filipinos, calling them as such is a part of a pat-tern of learned behavior handed down from parents to their chil-dren, including, possibly, a long line of descendants. A systematic transfer dating back to a period even before the arrival of Magel-lan and his ship in 1521. They, we, are not Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Arabs, or Indonesians; even in any hyphenated cir-cumstances, we, they, are not Guamanian-Filipinos, Vietnam-ese-Filipinos, nor Taiwanese-Fil-ipinos. We are simply, properly, historically, and culturally, Fili-pinos, with a capital F.

Filipinos, as an appellation, should carry with it a certain degree of formality and respect. It must be used in international and offi cial correspondence, in policy declarations of national

and local governments, in reports and messages from social and cultural associations or groups; and in headlines and stories car-ried by various media whose readerships, listeners, or view-ers are outside the geographical and cultural limits of the Philip-pines. Filipinos is a proper, not a common, noun. Period.

“Pinoy,” on the other hand, is a term of endearment, a word that speaks of emotions, of an intimacy that can only occur between and among individu-als whose feelings are tied to the privacy of their discretions. It is a word not unlike any word spoken by husbands and wives in the privacy of their bedrooms. In tones and accents, it must denote a trace of personal own-ership. It is a code and must be used with extreme discretion.

My wife and I and family members are fortunate to have at our disposal a facility to travel abroad. Whenever we are in Rome, Madrid, Venice, Amsterdam, or any other cities in Europe, even in Sydney, Mel-bourne, Tokyo, Beijing, Bangkok, Seoul, or Hong Kong, we use “Pinoy?” as an interrogatory to preface our conversations with or inquiries from anyone whose facial features resemble our own Asiatic makeup. And sure enough, when the recognition clicks, the familiarity follows smoothly. The word is a code, a currency tucked away in our wallets given or disposed occa-sionally only to those we trust and in commerce.

Coded or not, “Pinoy” is a far cry from the proper appella-tion, Filipinos. They come from a country that has been assured and accorded respectable mem-bership in a community of nations. The international rec-ognition has been granted with seals of approval because of the country’s history and culture dating back to a period, hun-dreds of years, preceding the arrival of Magellan and his ship in 1521. My belief in this was strengthened by an incident that occurred when I was working part-time for an airline company at the Washington Dulles Inter-national Airport, after retiring as a managing editor of a unit at a company that publishes informa-tion services for lawyers, com-pany executives, and other pro-fessionals. I was then in charge

Lest We Forget…By Jocelyn P. Porteria

This was the controver-sial banner unfurled during the AZKALS supposedly a “friendly” game against Hong Kong held in Mong Kok sta-dium in Kowloon. The banner stated Lest We Forget Manila 23/08/2010 referring to the bloody hostage on a Tourist Bus with Chinese passengers. There also a replica of the Japanese Imperial fl ag with the banner. The picture appears on the inside pages of Hong Kong Eng-lish daily The Standard.

I promised myself to try my best to go wherever AZKALS play and fortunately I was able to make it just before the game on June 4. It was exciting to watch people rushed inside the stadium and there were lots of Filipinos of course. The place speaks for itself. I had goose bumps when I entered the stadium and see Philippine fl ags of different sizes all over being waved. I was lucky to get a small one that I proudly waved the whole time. I captured the scenes on my video and camera shots. Tears are being held when the “Lupang Hinirang” was being played; but wait, did I hear boooos at the sta-dium? Yes it is and of course not from Filipinos. On the other side where I was seating just like the offi cial cheering squad of Hong Kong team called “The Power of Hong Kong” turned their backs while our National Anthem is playing. Do they really mean it or they were just so excited with the game to even notice that our National Anthem was playing? Although I know the answers,

I was in denial thinking how rude was that and I’ve never seen anything like that even in Europe where Soccer is their way of life. Anyway, I was so excited myself so I just shrugged it off. Just imagine how crazy we were cheering and scream-ing after James Younghusband’s goal!! With that loud cheer and our fl ags waiving all over, we were not outnumbered consid-ering we are in Hong Kong. So proud of Filipinos everywhere in the world where we always support our people. I can’t explain the feeling but it was ecstatic!! Our adrenalin were so high and so scared, our hearts stopped each time Hong Kong Team almost made the goals but thanks to Neil Etheridge who stood like a Great Wall of China blocking all the goals no matter how diffi cult the angles were. After the game, Filipino fans run towards the bottom of the stadium to congratulate the team. The team was about to do the traditional waving and shak-ing their hands with picture tak-ings and autographs as a token of appreciation coming to the game and supporting them. But they were stopped by Chinese securities because water bottles were being thrown to the Phil-ippine Team with nasty words and gestures, fi ngers fl icking, the crowd became unruly so they were immediately escorted to their locker room. I sat next to the exit and while the AZKALS players were getting in, some Chinese supporters quickly rushed to that area and scream-ing and gesturing to the players. Filipino supporters were scream-ing in protest as well. Now, I

confi rmed of what’s going on in my head. It is really what I was thinking but I can’t believe it. I’ve never seen anything like that before. Azkals manager Dan Palami rued the Hong Kong fans’ behavior, saying it could refl ect on the country’s football governing body. “It’s unfortu-nate that the HKFA, who really treated the Azkals well, could be dragged down by the actions of unruly and hostile fans,” Palami posted on his Twitter account late Wednesday. “The Azkals are used to playing in a hos-tile environment, but we were unprepared to deal with (what happened),” he added. In an editorial, the South China Morn-ing Post denounced the behav-ior of a number of Hong Kong fans and called for punishment. “Filipinos have every right to be outraged. They had gone to the stadium to cheer on their team, not endure taunts and ridicule. Their national anthem was dis-respected when it was played, they were insulted by being called derogatory names and plastic bottles were among items thrown at them. The barrage of discrimination worsened after the Philippines won the game 1-0,” the editorial read.

As of this writing, the DFA is now involved and the incident is under investigation. The Phil-ippine Football Federation will report the incident to the Asian Football Confederation as unac-ceptable and unnecessary. The victory is a history as Philippines never won against Hong Kong since 1958. Yes AZKALS, let’s change the banner to “Lest we forget AZKALS 06/05/2013”

of making sure that customs and immigration documents of arriving passengers from abroad who are seeking entrance to the United States are properly fi lled out. I was then talking to a Spanish-speaking group whose knowledge of American English was close to nil. To communi-cate with assured results, I used what I had learned from a three-semester course I had taken to meet a requirement for gradua-tion from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. While talk-ing with this group of arriving passengers, I noticed from the corner of my eyes that a distin-guished-looking passenger had been observing me from a short distance, trying to know and dis-tinguish my physical and facial makeup, trying to peg me among the familiar faces he had met, I guessed, in his many travels. He then, in measured steps and in his bespoke suit, approached me and in his precise Madrileno accent, but apologetic in tone, asked, Por que sabe usted hablar espanol? I answered, Soy de Filipinas, Senor! In a surprised

recognition, he then said, Si, si, Filipino! Claro que si! Filipino! This was then when my total being was defi ned by someone who was outside the geographi-cal limits but familiar with Phil-ippine history and her culture. I could have died of shame if he had called me “pinoy.”

At the present, “pinoy” is a currency held in common by users of facebook, itube, ilinked, tumblr, twitter, and other social websites. As I have said, it is a coded word and must be used only when talking with some-one whose familiarity with our person, history or culture matches, if not exceeds, our own stature. Because it is used, with widespread indiscretion, it is sometimes hurled as a pejorative. Unwittingly, it is used by persons whose knowledge of its origin is purely apocryphal, gleaned from unsolicited entries in Wikipedia and Google. These users deny, and at times, overlook a fact that a coded word is used, spoken, or written with connecting words or phrases of endearment, with infl ection of affection, or some-

times, surreptitiously with hint of intrigue. They ignore phrases replete with historical origins, such as Taga-Ilog, referring to those living at the edge of a big body of waters in the middle years of 14th century and who were speaking a commonality of language later evolving into Tagalog, the national language; Sanglis, members of a commu-nity of Fukien-speaking Chinese traders living before the arrival of the Europeans in areas close to the boundaries of the pres-ent Cavite; Illustrados, the edu-cated class of people during the Spanish colonial period; Insur-rectos or Katipuneros, the rebels against the Spanish Rule of the Philippines which lasted for 333 years; or Pensionados, Philip-pine government scholars sent in the early 1900s to the United States to study and master much-needed knowledge of arts and sciences to be later disseminated to local students.

The vogue in using coded words, perhaps, started with the unraveling of an organized

Continued on page 31

June 15, 20132626

PHAD THAIGreetings from Rosario,

Cavite, Philippines! We’re just back from Bangkok, Thailand, fresh from the intensive school-ing from Royal Thai Elephant School. I am proud to present to you my fi rst Royal Phad Thai. Enjoy the authenticity of this recipe.

4 oz. dried Thai noodles2 cloves garlic2 pieces shallots6 pieces extra large shrimps

(shelled and deveined)2 tablespoons small diced

tofu2 tablespoons fi nely

chopped turnips (store-bought) 1 egg (scrambled) 1 tablespoon dried shrimp

powder2 tablespoons ground

roasted peanuts 3 stems spring onion (cut

into 1 inch long)1/2 cup bean sprouts

Seasoning1 or 2 tablespoons sugar2 tablespoons fi sh sauce1 tablespoon rice vinegar1 tablespoon tamarind juice2 pinches chili powder

Garnish1 lime, halvescilantro leaves

Methods:Soak the noodles in cold

water for 20 minutes.Using a wok on low heat,

stir fry shallot and garlic until aroma permeates. Add shrimps and stir fry until half cooked. Mix in the tofu and sweet turnips and then add the egg.

Add noodles; stir fry until soft and translucent. Season with sugar, fi sh sauce, rice vin-egar and tamarind juice. Stir gently until well mixed.

Add dried shrimp powder, peanuts, and chili powder and stir well. Add the bean sprouts and spring onion at the last 2 minutes of cooking. Turn off heat immediately and transfer to a serving platter.

Garnish before serving.Editor’s Note: Master Chef

Evelyn: 100 Most Infl uential Fili-pina Women in the U.S., 2009, Fili-pina Women’s Network; MHC Most Outstanding Migrant Award in Culinary Arts, 2011; PAFC Dakila Special Achievement Award, 2011; Owner/Chef, Philippine Oriental Market & Deli, Arlington, Virginia; Founder and President of CHEW (Cancer Help – Eat Well) Founda-tion, a 501 (c) (3) public charity formed to help and cook pro-bono for Filipino-Americans who are affl icted

with cancer and other serious ill-nesses; Culinary writer; Member, Les Dames d’Escoffi er International, Washington DC Chapter; Member, International Cake Exploration Society, Member: Culinary Histo-rians of Washington, D.C.; Master Chef, French Cuisine and Patisserie, Le Cordon Bleu, London.

HUSBANDOne day the housework-

challenged husband decided to wash his sweat- shirt. Seconds after he stepped into the laun-dry room, he shouted to his wife, “What setting do I use on the washing machine?”

“It depends,” the wife replied. “What does it say on your shirt?”

He yelled back, “University of Oklahoma.”

And they say blondes are dumb...

THE DIFFERENCEWhat is the difference

between girls/women aged: 8, 18, 28, 38, 48, 58, 68, and 78?

At 8 -- You take her to bed and tell her a story.

At 18 -- You tell her a story and take her to bed.

At 28 -- You don’t need to tell her a story to take her to bed.

At 38 -- She tells you a story and takes you to bed.

At 48 -- She tells you a story to avoid going to bed.

At 58 -- You stay in bed to avoid her story.

At 68 -- If you take her to bed, that’ll be a story!

At 78 -- What story? What bed? Who the hell are you?

THE HAPPIESTA couple is lying in bed. The

man says, “I am going to make you the happiest woman in the

world.”The woman replies, “I’ll

miss you when you’re gone...”

THE WISHA man and his wife, now

in their 60’s, were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. On their special day a good fairy came to them and said that because they had been so good, each one of them could have one wish. The wife wished for a trip around the world with her husband. Whoosh! Immediately she had airline/cruise tickets in her hands. The man wished for a female companion 30 years younger... Whoosh...immedi-ately he turned ninety!

WIFE’S PRAYERDear Lord... I pray for

Wisdom to understand my hus-band; for Love to forgive him; And for Patience for his terrible moods. Because, Lord, if I pray for Strength, I’ll beat him to death for sure. Amen.

THE WAY IT WASA couple were in bed after

celebrating their Golden Wed-ding Anniversary. The wife said, “Darling, embrace me the way you used to when we fi rst got married.” He did. “Now kiss me the way you used to..... Now darling bite me the way you used to.....” At this point

the husband got out of bed and the wife asked, “Where are you going, dear?” “To get my teeth,” the husband replied.

PINOY NGA“Isang araw, pagod na

pagod si Isme sa kanyang tra-baho. Nagpunta siya sa shop para magpahinga. Binuksan ang ref, “Langya someone stole my Coke…” sabi niya. So inutu-san niya ang isa niyang tauhan. “May nagnakaw ng Coke ko... pakikuha mo na lang ako ng instant tea sa mess hall.”

“Yes boss,” sagot ng tauhan.Hintay siya nang hintay sa

tauhan dahil ang tagal bumalik ito - so nanood muna siya ng tv. Nang bumalik ang tauhan, reklamo ng reklamo ito at sabi - “Bossing, ang bigat-bigat naman itong ‘istante!”

ASTRONOTNag uusap ang tatlong

astronaut.American: Yeah, we are the

fi rst people who landed on the moon.

Russian: You must know we are the fi rst people who landed on Mars.

Filipino: Ah! Those are nothing compared to us Filipi-nos...

Russian: What do you mean?

Filipino: Biro mo, we are

the fi rst people who land on the sun...

American: You must be joking... the sun is so damn hot!

Filipino: What you think, we are stupid? We land there at night.

MAGPADAGDAGMagkasintahan nag-uusap.Lani: Ok lang ba kung mag-

padagdag ako ng boobs, hon?Joey: Ok lang naman sa akin

yun.Lani: Talaga, hindi ka

magagalit?Joey: Hindi... bakit naman

ako magagalit - pero teka lang, hindi ba masagwa kung tatlo ang boobs mo?

LOGICNag-aral si Alfonso ng Phi-

losophy at ang subject ay tung-kol sa logic. Tinanong niya sa titser kung ano ang Logic.

Titser: Ganito yun... may aquarium ka ba sa bahay?

Ponso: Meron po.

Titser: Kung ganun, mahilig sa tubig.

Ponso: OpoTitser: Kung mahilig ka

sa tubig, eh di mahilig ka ring lumangoy.

Ponso: Siyempre po.Titser: Kung mahilig kang

lumangoy, eh di mahilig ka sa beach.

Ponso: Opo.Titser: Kung mahilig kang

lumangoy at magpunta sa beach ay mahilig ka rin sa mga chicks at nangangahulugang machong-macho ka. Tama ba ako?

Ponso: Opo, sir. Ngayon po, naintindihan ko na po ang Logic.

Nang umuwi si Alfonso, tinanong siya ng kaibigan kung ano ang napag-aralan, at siyem-pre ang sagot niya ay Logic.

Isme: Ano ang logic?Ponso: Ganito yun... may

aquarium ka ba sa bahay?Isme: Wala.Ponso: Eh di bakla ka. Yan

ang Logic.

June 15, 2013 27

Celebrate Fathers

Fathers are normally less expressive but truth is they also look forward to

being treated like on “top of the world” on Father’s day. Though they don’t say it, it is also their silent wish that their children give them extra attention on their day like how their mates were treated on Mother’s Day. Some appear to just shrug their shoulders, but some are also sen-sitive. Unlike moms, we know that being served breakfast on bed is not something that would really appeal to them. In my observation, big breakfast served on the breakfast table would be their preference. For those whose palates have not forgot-ten the taste of Filipino breakfast would be happy with the “tapsi-log” kind with the choice of tapa or fried bangus, sinangag at itlog – scrambled, poached or over easy. Tomatoes with itlog na maalat, cut-up fruits and hot chocolate or coffee would perfectly com-plete their expectations. Without doubt, this would really satisfy the tummy of the hungry Papa, Daddy, Pop or Tatay. For others who are already accustomed to western breakfast fares would be contented with pancakes or toasts, eggs, bacon or sausage, hash browns or grits, orange juice and coffee - ala Interna-tional Pancake House menu. In this endeavor, mothers are very much needed for guidance, gro-cery purchases and all the preps.

On June 16, we honor and celebrate them. We should try to give them equal attention like we did to honor mothers in May. I heard from a couple of Dads in the past that their day was not celebrated as lively as their wives. In this case, we moms should give some hint-hints to our children to show and make their dads feel the needed self esteem. Of course they know that they are loved and respected as much as moms. Ay naku, ang amor propio is in play!

In the Philippines back then, we did not really have these Mother’s Day and Father’s Day schedules in the calendar. But I recall my children young as they were, on one occasion had made an announcement. It was kind of a big deal to them. They gave us titles but so as not to hurt our feelings, the titles were of equal importance. With pride and honor they bestowed upon

us: Daddy the “King of the Car” and Mommy “the Queen of the House.” In their innocent minds, kings and queens were the high-est titles given to royalties in the children’s books they got hold of and since my husband drove our family car often, it became his dominion and since I moved a lot in the house, then it was my territory. How thoughtful, sensi-tive and creative they were! My husband whispered to me “ang liit naman ng palasyo ko, gumu-gulong pa.”I retorted quietly, “pasalamat ka hindi ka King of the Road.” We both warmly hugged and thanked them for these “honors.”Now adults, they have not forgotten these gestures of love and affection for us. Like-wise, my husband and I are con-stantly reminded of the impor-tance and respect these little chil-dren gave us from then on.

What Gifts to Give?For some, choosing the

perfect gift for fathers can be a nerve-wracking exercise. Dads with sophisticated palates might enjoy relaxing in his den, with family or equally sophisticated friends with a glass of wine- fi ne diamond cut glasses fi lled with vintage wines are a great gift for the important Padre de Familia with connoisseur taste. This suggestion is not for everyone, though.

Actually, the kind of gifts to give your Tatay* depends on what type of a guy he is or what he likes to receive. Is he still in the offi ce workforce, a fashionista ala GQ, with a hobby, handy-man or retired already? Dads are already tired of getting ties, so when purchasing the gift, remember to tailor your choice to what he would really appreciate. If he is still working in the offi ce shirts or pants would be nice but if a GQ kind of a guy, then be sure to get him the classy type of whatever you will purchase, meaning a little expensive items. In the latter case, the giver must be a higher bracket earner and a savvy dresser himself or herself. The handyman type must be easier to get gifts for and easier

on your pocketbook, too. Shop-ping at Home Depot or Lowes would be good with their sale items. It would be easy to spot the items that he needed for home repairs or projects like electric saw, grass trimmer, water hose or garden tool set. But of course the tractor grass mower would be expensive and most probably not within the budget. If he likes fi shing as a hobby, then new set of fi shing rods, big cooler or fi sh-ing wear would be appropriate. If your Papa is already retired, sets of pajamas or dinner certifi -cates for two would be appropri-ate. Mama will be happy with the 2nd choice. For some Dads, they will truly appreciate money gifts of whatever amount.

*Tatay is the Tagalog name for Daddy, Papa, Pops, or Papy. I am reminded of our friends, Jun and Alma Conty who are called Tatay and Nanay by their U.S. born children. The couple trained their kids early on to call them this way. I fi nd it amusing to hear these English speaking children with no trace of Filipino dialect accent when addressing their parents with pure Tagalog terminology. I honestly admire the parents for preserving this piece of Filipino heritage in their family but I wonder if their chil-dren will in turn pass it on to their own children and down the line to the succeeding gen-erations. It will be interesting to see the effect of this small change in the Conty family in American culture in the near future- wish-ful thinking.

Enjoy Your Dads! In reality, we fi nd ourselves

in different and various family situations. Many of us are blessed and lucky to have fathers in our life, but some, unfortunately, are not in normal situations for numerous and various reasons– circumstantial or otherwise. Unfortunately, I do not have a Daddy to celebrate his day any-more. He passed away on New Year’s Day a couple of decades ago. In a way I still honor and remember him by saying silent prayers.

English Spoken Here

The inquiry was spoken slowly, deliberately. “Do…you…speak…and…

write…English?” Yes, I said, insulted by the question. “Well…enough?” She persisted. YES, I replied more forcefully. Her eyes expressed doubt. I saw her mouth move but I blocked out the rest of her questions. I con-centrated on the uneven slabs of stones that lined the fl oor of the quaint restaurant.

She continued to talk. My teeth hurt. It was an effort to unclench my jaw. I gazed at the old style windows and counted the panes. How dare her. I ignored the knot in my stomach. I counted two dozen panes before I felt a pat on my shoulder. The lecture was over. She gave me a perfunctory nod and walked away. “You and I will revisit this humiliation,” I promised myself as I stared at her retreating back.

1990 was a time of restless-ness for me. My children were in school during the day. The fre-netic pace of the early morning and late afternoon activities bor-dered midday boredom. I longed for adult activity, for adult con-versation.

I followed my husband’s career but his medical practice had long taken off and my role as his Girl Friday was greatly diminished. I became a stay-at-home mom, not out of any momentous epiphany, but out of necessity.

Dominion Valley Garden Club (DVGC), my ersatz sorority as my younger daughter called it, recruited me that year. Mem-bership was by invitation only and I was fl attered to be asked. A few years after I joined I was given the responsibility of put-ting together the club yearbook. By fi lling it with my original poems and illustrations, I devel-oped what was a dry informa-tional resource brochure into an interesting competitive yearbook which won a national award. That honor placed DVGC at par with the rest of the stars of the National Garden Clubs, Inc.

Soon after that I was asked to be the club secretary. The beautifully (and expensively) wrapped dozen peach roses I received from the chairwoman responsible for putting together the next year’s slate of offi cers underscored her desperation. No one was willing to accept the job. I was hesitant to take on that

role because by then I had grown weary of juggling different hats. My wifely, motherly, and club-ly duties intersected often and with exhausting consequences for me. I was constantly diffusing sev-eral crises at once.

I was properly vetted and was deemed more than capable. I speak and write English, and am not a native born American. My journey from a prickly insecure girl who was mired in academic sinkhole to a confi dent woman took decades, but I detested this woman’s assumption. Her role was not to question my compe-tence. She was there to swear in the incoming offi cers. No one else suffered through this humil-iating lecture.

I lost face. “Nawalan ng hiya, ng amor propio.” So I plot-ted my revenge. But I must have done something good in my past life. Angels knew the negativity in revenge would destroy me, so they plotted my redemption with Karma, the best way they knew how.

DVGC decided to join the poetry contest created by the national organization. Wild-fl owers, long regarded as weeds occupied the lowest rung in the garden totem pole. But that year they became the national pet project. Each local club submit-ted entries to their state. The state picked one winning verse that will be included in the anthol-ogy, ‘The Wildfl ower’. Our state chose mine.

The Wildfl owerI will survive the scorching sunlong droughts can’t take away the funof giving you my blooms until the summer is goneI will survive with least bit of farethe least bit of food the earth will spare for my needs are meagerI will survive with the least bit of careI will survive your lack of praiseyour lack of attention, your lack of passionfor my worth was never mea-sured by your newfound admiration.

At the appreciation lun-cheon, a woman followed me to the powder room. It was HER, my bête noir, the ‘lecture’ lady from the restaurant. She had a

big smile. Surely not for me, but I’m the only person there. I tried throwing her my thoughts just in case she was a mind reader. “Don’t ruin it. I can speak Eng-lish, I tell you. Go away!” But she approached with purposeful strides.

“Myrna Lopez?” She asked. “Congratulations! We chose

your poem to represent us!” She beamed. “I was one of the judges.” Without missing a beat she continued. “Do you know why? Because it was passion-ate!” She exclaimed and raised a fi st for emphasis.

Without waiting for my response she turned to retrace her steps back to the dining hall.

I was left to stare at her retreat-ing back once again. I wanted to throw something at her. I made a witchy face and yelled my frus-tration instead and started to laugh. What a self-centered clue-less person, but the challenge she lobbed at me, albeit uninten-tional, unleashed my passion to write. Lucky me.

June 15, 20132828

$30 per absentee vote?This is not Tsismis. This is a serious

email send by a Tsismoso dual citizen to yours truly. He is obviously not happy about the low absentee voter turnout in the United States and Sen. Franklin Dril-on’s reaction to it:

“Incoming Senate President Frank-lin Drilon wants the Commission on Elections and the Department of Foreign Affairs to explain the low turnout in the May 13, 2013 mid-term elections. He says Congress allocated more than P100 mil-lion to these two offi ces to oversee the absentee voting worldwide. But as it turned out, only 113,209 out of 737,759 registered voters actually voted. And in the US, only 14,098 cast their votes out of 93,229 registered voters.

Drilon added: ‘With only 113,209 overseas Filipinos voting. The cost of each absentee vote is nowP1,310 (about $30) per vote. This is outrageous. I wonder how the Comelec and the DFA can justify these numbers.’

“Later, among the excuses given by the Comelec group in charge of absentee voting was that it was lack of interest because it was only a mid-term election and that many voters may have moved to new addresses. Philippine Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. also made a face-saving argument that ‘it was a marked improve-ment of 282 percent compared to 3,602 who voted in 2007 mid-term election.’ Medyo bitin yata iyan, pareng Tsismoso.

“I suggest that the ambassador or the DFA write a letter to Drilon saying that almost 1,000 envelops sent by the Come-lec for the jurisdiction under the embassy in Washington DC alone were undeliv-ered because of wrong addresses or were not mailed in by the voters because of con-fusing instructions on how to vote! Many voters did not have enough information about the candidates. Some had to ask friends whom to vote for.

DFA should also suggest that in the 2016 election, the embassies and consul-ates abroad be given the money and the power to handle the ballots. If American diplomats can handle absentee votes, why not the Filipinos. They are more intelligent than the Comelec offi cers and envelop mailers who don’t know where Virginia is.

“OAVs in the United States should launch a campaign to correct this anom-aly. Reforms are needed, ASAP.”

I second the emotion.

***

Who put the lipsticks mark on Presi-dent Obama’s shirt? Bing Branigin says it’s Jessica’s grandma who positioned her-self near the door that Obama entered and asked for permission to kiss him. Because the President is tall and grandma is short, she could only reach up to the collar of the President. Security was lax. Why did they not intervene or ask what lipstick grandma was using.

***June being a month for weddings,

here’s how a lovelorn records her feelings for a man in taglish (Tagalog-English).

We’ ve been friends for a long time ago. We come from the same alma mother. Actually, our paths crossed one time on another....

But it’s only now that I gave him a second look. I realized that beauty is in the eyes. The pulp-bits of my heart went fast, really fast. Cute pala siya. And then, he came over with me.

He said, “I hope you don’t mine. Can I get your number?”

Nag-worry ako. What if he doesn’t give it back? He explained naman na it’s so we could keep intact daw. Sabi ko, con-nect me if I’m wrong but are you asking me ouch? Nabigla siya. Sagot niya, The! Aba!

Parang siya pa ang galit! Persona ingrata!!! Ang kapal niya!

I cried buckles of tears.Na-guilty yata siya. Sabi niya, isipin

mo na lang na this is a blessing in the sky. Irregardless daw of his feelings, we’ll go ouch na rin. Now, we’re so in love. Mute and epidemic na ang past. Thanks God we swallowed our fried. Kasi, I’m 33 na and I’m running our time. After 2 weeks, he plopped the question. “Will you marriage me?” I’m in a state of shocked. Kasi man-takin mo, when it rains, it’s four! This is true good to be true.

So siyempre, I said yes. Love is a many splendor.

Pero nung inaayos ko na ang aming kasal, everything swell to pieces.

Nag-di-dinner kami noon nang biglang sa harap ng aming table, may babaeng humirit ng, “Well, well, well. Look do we have here.” What the fuss! The nerd ng babaeng yon! She said they were still on. So I told her, whatever is that, cut me some slacks! I didn’t want this to get our hand kaya I had to sip it in the bud. She accused me of steeling her boyfriend.

EditorialWas her death necessary?

On May 29, inside a Costco store in Sterling, Va., Mylene De Leon Scott was fatally shot by a Loudoun County sheriff’s deputy who claimed that the Filipina worker came at him and another deputy with a knife. The offi cer said he had no choice but to shoot Mylene out of self defense.

Mhai, as her friends and family from the Philippines called her, was a contract worker at Costco who served pizza samples to customers. According to news accounts, Costco called police because Mhai was behaving erratically. Although one offi cer tried to subdue her with a Taser gun, the other offi cer immediately fi red a volley of bullets at Mhai when the Taser apparently failed.

The Washington Post has questioned whether Mhai’s death was necessary and called for an investigation of the fatal shooting. “Failing to do so will only invite further questions and suspicions about the prudence of the deputies’ actions and the circumstances of Ms. Scott’s death,” the Post said.

We agree. We also support Mhai’s family who believe that exces-sive force was used against their 38-year-old daughter and mother of two young children.

Filipino American community leaders and the Philippine Ambas-sador Jose L. Cuisa Jr. have called for an “independent and expedi-tious” investigation of the fatal killing. We also call for increased training of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s deputies on the proper use of force in dealing with people with mental disorders.

Mhai’s reported divorce and the loss of custody of her kids may have trigged what psychologists call “psychotic episodes,” result-ing in her apparent non-compliance to the offi cers’ orders. It is common, psychologists point out, that when extreme circumstances occur, family members especially in the Filipino community would not have even known that a person is experiencing mental illness or depression.

Filipino American leaders must do more community education to promote mental health treatment. Because of stigma and “hiya” (shame), many Filipinos refuse to seek treatment, or may ignore signs that their family members may be ill. What happened to Mylene and many others who struggle with mental disorders is a wake up call to make sure people are able to cope with their emotions and problems in healthy ways. (Jon Melegrito)

Manila Times

June 15, 2013 29

Life or death

A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine witnessed a shooting incident inside

the Costco warehouse store in Sterling, Virginia. He saw part of the confrontation between two police offi cers and a young woman who was later identifi ed as a Filipino American. It was no contest. The woman was killed.

According to reported eye-witness accounts, the woman’s work was to give out pizza samples to Costco customers inside the store premises. Some-body called the police when the woman allegedly was noticed acting out of the ordinary, mum-bling incomprehensibly and appearing upset or angry while brandishing a knife and a pair of scissors.

Enter a pair of sheriff depu-ties from Loudoun County and the confrontation begins. My friend saw the offi cers point their guns to a direction partly cov-ered by merchandise shelf and saying – ”Drop it, drop it.” Then he heard gunshots. Then he saw a woman slumped on the fl oor now within his full view.

My friend’s blood pressure went up the roof but quickly sta-bilized upon fi nding his darling wife safe after ducking behind shelves of cheese together with a lady friend. According to his

wife, a well-meaning Ameri-can customer pushed her head down because it was bobbing up and down as she tried to peek and see what was going on, not exactly a textbook technique to seek cover from fl ying bullets.

While my friend appreci-ated the presence of law enforce-ment offi cers in a situation where there was an apparent threat to public safety, he felt sorry for the fallen woman. He said- “In my younger years, I could have easily taken that woman down with a baseball bat. She didn’t have to die. The two police offi -cers could probably disarm the woman by bumping her with shopping carts..” He thinks that two burly offi cers both six foot-ers could certainly overpower the confused woman without deadly force.

Reports say that the sheriff fi rst used a Taser gun but that it didn’t work. If it weren’t a trag-edy, you could say that it was a

comedy of errors that one of the offi cers wounded his partner in the leg. I talked to a retired police offi cer who spent twelve years on the beat in the District of Columbia and after listening to my account of the incident, he says- “It shows lack of proper training.”

The woman did not hurt anybody. She did not run amuck. Did she move in a menacing manner to threaten the offi cers? If the offi cers felt threatened, was it justifi ed to shoot-to-kill instead of shoot to disable? One bullet to the pelvic area would likely stop the woman in her tracks. And if the offi cers are not good enough to hit below the abdomen in a close encounter, they don’t deserve their badge.

The gory slaughter of an off-duty military man in the streets of London in broad daylight at the hands of two political or reli-

Courage essential to independence

Is a modus vivendi possible for the Philippine’s territorial claims in Sabah and the West

Philippine Sea? As the Philippines celebrates

her 115th year as a sovereign and free republic, that sounded like a relevant question to ask as we lis-tened to two experts discuss the dimensions of the country’s mar-itime claims in the South China Sea and locally-based physician Abraham Rasul, a member of the Sulu royal family talk about the Philippine claim on Sabah.

Lawyer Henry Bensurto Jr.’s unsurpassed mastery of mari-time laws especially where it affects the country’s territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea is the reason why we still don’t have a consul-general in Wash-ington DC. He was slated to succeed Ding Nolasco but Padre Faura just can’t seem to fi nd a suitable replacement for him.

The Department of Foreign Affairs even created an offi ce just for him – Bensurto is Secre-tary General of the Commission on Maritime and Ocean Affairs and reports directly to Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario.

He delivered to a roomful of Fil-Am community leaders a thorough and insightful brief-ing on the theoretical and prac-tical foundations of the Philip-pine claim on the various land features in the West Philippine

Sea. And as he fi elded questions at the 2nd Talakayan sa Philip-pine Embassy last week (June 6), he was obviously a master of the subject – a little too much, we thought.

I have to confess I got lost a couple of minutes into his brief-ing. If it demonstrated anything at all – it was how complicated the issue was, notwithstanding China’s comical argument for claiming nearly all of the South China Sea on the basis of folk-loric and ancient maps.

The basis of China’s claim is absurd and incredulous – but that is irrelevant because they have a powerful navy that’s able to bully competing claimants – which offered a good segue to Dela Salle University Professor Renato de Castro, fresh from the 3rd annual Center for Strate-gic International Studies (CSIS) South China Sea conference here in DC.

He delved on developments in Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal, about a hundred miles west off the Zambales coastline. While Bensurto discussed the legal and diplomatic rudiments of the Philippines pursuing arbitration proceedings against China, De Castro zeroed in on the “real-politik” that China employs against the Philippines and other claimant nations. The contrast is nowhere more evident – the Philippines relying on interna-tional convention and univer-sally accepted norms of conduct, and China on naked, unabashed force and intimidation. Which will prevail?

As we write this column, preparations are underway to give a rousing send-off for the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, the 2nd Hamilton-class cutter turned over by the US Coast Guard to

Opinion

Continued on page 31

Mylene

Was it too late to save Mylene De Leon Scott the day she showed

up for work at a Costco store in Sterling, giving pizza samples to customers who were totally oblivious to what was going on in her mind?

Anything could have hap-pened.

But did she have to die?While shoppers went about

their merry ways fi lling carts with stuff and wares and cheer-fully chatting away, Mylene was speaking to no one but herself. Her husband just divorced her. She had lost custody of her two children, eight and 12 years old. Except for an uncle who lives in the area, the rest of her family are back home in the Philippines, totally oblivious to what was going on in her mind.

A sister said she was just talking to her on the phone an hour before and thought she sounded fi ne. Her family didn’t have a clue to the rage that was killing her inside. Until they were notifi ed that she had just died.

But Mylene was very much alive when the cops came hours earlier. It must have been a slow day. Witnesses saw eight offi cers rush inside the store. Two armed deputies approached Mylene, their weapons loaded, ready to fi re. They barked orders for Mylene to “drop it,” referring to a knife in her hand, a knife she was using to cut pizza samples to hand out to customers. But Mylene didn’t respond. Fearing perhaps for her life. Maybe she just wasn’t in her right mind.

One deputy shot her fi rst with a Taser. When that didn’t work, the other offi cer fi red, almost immediately, hitting Mylene with a volley of live bullets. Not one but fi ve bul-lets. Within seconds, Mylene lay bleeding, killed by a Sheriff’s deputy who was totally oblivi-ous to what was going on in her mind.

What made him think the tiny woman – “barely fi ve feet tall and not much more than 100 pounds” – who was cut-ting pizza pieces with a knife could possibly harm him that he had to resort to lethal force and claim self defense? One customer even said Mylene was “nice and polite.” She may have even smiled.

Was it too late to save Mylene by the time she showed up for work at a Costco store in Sterling? She could have called in sick. But she needed to work, to buy food and pay rent. And to send money home. She had to work so she can pay a good lawyer and win back her kids. They meant the whole world to her. Without them, everything else didn’t matter.

Yes, all the whole world talked about was the knife in her hand and how menacing that made her look.

But no one knew the rage inside her head the day she showed up for work that fateful afternoon on the twenty-ninth of May. Only Mylene knew how painful and cruel it was, the rejection and the loss. And she told no one. It was her cross to bear alone. To even breathe a word to anyone was unthink-able. To suffer in silence was her only option.

All of these are conjectures, of course. Because we really don’t know what was inside her head the day she showed up for work at a Costco store in Ster-ling. All we know was the knife in her hand that prompted one armed deputy to fi re his gun.

And now she’s gone. From her kids and family. From her tiny room in her silent world where she spoke to no one but herself. And whatever it was that was in her head, we’ll never know because she’s dead.

I imagine Mylene restlessly stirring the night before in her bed, wrestling with her demons and the darkness in her troubled soul. What she needed most was light, not heat. But that’s what she got instead: heat packed in a holster, burning holes in her fragile body. In a fog, she needed more than anything else a guid-ing hand to a healing place.

How many other Mylenes are out there, we wonder, pre-tending everything is fi ne, smil-ing even, yet grasping at straws and struggling to cope? While everything else around them buzzes with the normal rituals and rhythms of shopping and surviving, the Mylenes of this world seethe inside, tortured and tormented, screams muted, silenced by the shame of know-ing that something’s horribly wrong and they couldn’t make

Continued on page 31Continued on page 31

June 15, 20133030

PH beats all Asian economiesMANILA

The good news here is that the Philippine economy grew by 7.8 percent in the

fi rst quarter of 2013, besting all other Asian nations, including sizzling-hot China. It’s also the highest growth rate in President Benigno Aquino III’s tenure.

Manufacturing and the con-struction sector led the way in the unprecedented growth. Gov-ernment and consumer spending also helped.

Behind the Philippines were China, which grew by 7,7 percent, Indonesia 6 percent, Thailand 5.3 percent, and Viet-nam 4.9 percent.

Mr. Aquino has been on a roll lately. In the May 13 elec-tions, nine of his candidates for senator won, trumping the opposition, which only won three senate seats. Although the results in the local contests (for congressmen, governor, mayor and town/city councils) were mixed for the President, winning the senate was crucial for him because the positive outcome will help him control the national agenda for the next three years until he steps down in 2016.

Naturally, the President and his team were elated by the election outcome, which blunted the high popularity of the vice president, Jojo Binay, who has announced that he will run for president in 2016. Binay, a long-time ally of the President’s mother, the late former President Cory Aquino, has placed himself with political opponents of Mr. Aquino.

In a disingenuous fashion, Binay has been talking from both sides of his mouth, in one breath saying he’s not in opposition against Aquino, but in another campaigned for candidates who have been critical of the President. Obviously, Binay is walking a tightrope because the President is very popular (Binay gets slightly higher popularity poll numbers than Aquino) and he doesn’t want to alienate the President’s political base.

But, because he’s also pop-ular, Binay has peeked into the horizon and it looks bright, his prospects of winning the presi-dency are good, and

he’s playing his cards rather carefully.

In this sense, Binay is savvy.

He’s been a political operator since the mid-1980s when the battle to topple then dictator Ferdinand Marcos came to full throttle. Binay was one of the young upstarts who gravitated toward Cory Aquino, who was seen then as the only national fi gure who could rally the people against Marcos (which she did, becoming president in 1986). Being politicaly astute, Binay is nursing his current popularity and hopes to ride the tide toward a presidential victory in 2016.

Mr. Aquino (PNoy to the media, Noynoy to his family) will not be anointing Binay as his presidential bet in 2016. His anointed will be former senator and currently interior secretary Mar Roxas, who gave way so Aquino could run for president in 2010.

But 2016 is an eternity away. What happens between now and then will have a tremendous impact on who between Roxas and Binay will become president. The current orthodoxy says that Binay has front-runner status. But that’s just it: front-runner, not a cinch.

The recent good news (which also includes improved marks from global economic rating agencies) gives Aquino a fi rmer handle on things. The challenge to him and his admin-istration is how to keep coming up with positive results, enough for the people to appreciate and to give their blessings when the time comes to vote for Aquino’s successor in 2016.

Part of the challenge is how to silence the usual critics who always see the glass as half-empty instead of half-full. As is their usual wont, the naysayers here threw cold water on the Aquino administration’s party mood over the 7.8 percent fi rst-quarter economic growth. But the growth hasn’t reached the poor, they snorted.

Of course, they’re right, the economic growth hasn’t fully benefi ted everyone in the coun-try, for that takes time. And they’re right to point that out. But their way of challenging the Aquino administration is too negative. Why not congratu-late the administration for its feat and then challenge it to do better, instead of dismissing the

Beyond the Deadwood

The secret is “busting out all over”, as a 1956 Broadway tune puts it. The Vatican

isn’t talking. Neither is the Cath-olic Bishops Conference of the Philippines .

Pope Francis will fl y here early January 2016. He’ll attend the 51st International Eucharis-tic Congress in Cebu City. Pope Paul VI came in November 1970 --- and a Bolivian psycho tried to stab him. Pope John Paul II vis-ited in 1981 and 1985.

Could the Philippine meet-ing be moved up from May 2016, dates set in Dublin, asked Archbishop Piero Marini. He heads the pontifi cal committee on International Eucharistic Con-gresses. The Pope traditionally attends World Youth Day, just after May, The CBCP thus reset the Congress to January 25 to 31, 2016.. That comes after Cebu marks the annual Santo Nino festival.

“The Philippines may be on Pope Francis’ travel itinerary in 2016,” said Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, who heads CBCP. “We told ( Rome ) that January was fi ne. Our suggestion was to

make the Pope’s visit to the Phil-ippines a priority,” .

Barely two months into offi ce, “Francis already has changed the tone of the papacy” , New York Times notes. The shift does not stem from con-crete changes or setting an ambi-tious policy agenda. Rather, they fl ow from “Francis’ emphasis on attention to the poor. ( His ) style is more akin to that of a parish priest, albeit one with one billion parishioners”

He still refuses to live in papal apartments. “There’s enough room there for 300 people,” he said. He lodges in the spartan Casa Santa Marta residence inside the Vatican. There, he eats dinner in the com-pany of lower-ranking priests and visitors.

Simplicity cuts thru institu-tional deadwood. That didn’t start after Francis election. He put aside the ermine cape and

red shoes handcrafted by the papal cobbler. “Wear them if you want, Monsignor,” he said. “But the carnival is over.”

In Buenos Aires , then Car-dinal Borgolio turned over his sprawling residence for nuns to use as a hospice. Instead, he lived in a two door apartment and took the bus to work. “Are a few simple gestures such a big deal?”,

Francis reaches people whether discussing his grand-mother to his decision to become a priest, Reuters reports. “While praying before going to bed, I doze off from fatigue . but ( God ) understands.”

“If we step outside of our-selves, we will fi nd poverty,” Do more. “Seek out those on the fringes of society who need help the most,” he said Today, the news is scandals, but the many children who don’t have food --- that’s not news.

Immigration NotesBy J.G. Azarcon, Esq.

Hope for the undocu-

mented

Although there appears to be a consensus to do something about reform-

ing the current immigration system, including addressing the undeniable presence of millions of aliens without lawful status, it is premature for those who could benefi t from a new law to celebrate. The bipartisan work product of the so-called Gang of Eight Republican and Democrat senators is now going through a gauntlet of proposed amend-ments. It is still uncertain what will come out of the congressio-nal debates.

What’s in it for the undocu-mented aliens?

The proposed bill creates a new category for certain aliens who are currently unlawfully present and who entered the U.S. before December 31, 2011, to adjust status to that of Registered Provisional Immigrant (RPI). Dependent spouses and chil-dren of RPIs may apply if they are physically present in the U.S. on the date RPI status is granted and on or before December 30, 2012.

The initial duration of the RPI status is for six years unless

revoked and may be extended for additional six years if the alien satisfi es any applicable federal tax liability and demon-strates regular employment and is not likely to become a public charge and generates income not less than 100% of the poverty level. Exempted from the income requirement are aliens under 21 years of age at the time of the fi rst extension, those over sixty on the date of fi ling, RPI depen-dents and those with disability.

RPIs are authorized to work

in the U.S may travel and return without a visa provided that the trip is not more than 180 days.

Who are eligible to apply?The alien must be physi-

cally present in the US on the date the application is submitted and must be physically present on or before December 31, 2011 and maintain continuous physi-cal presence from December 31, 2011 until RPI status is granted.

There are bars to eligibil-

VISA PRIORITY DATES FOR THE PHILIPPINESMAY 2013

• FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES First: Unmarried sons/daughters of US citizens Jan. 01, 2000Second:A: Spouses/minor children of permanent residents: Jun. 08, 2011B: Unmarried sons/daughters 21 years of age or older of permanent residents Nov. 01, 2002Third: Married sons/daughters of citizens Nov. 15, 1992Fourth: Brothers/sisters of citizens Nov. 08, 1989

• EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCESFirst: Priority workers CurrentSecond: Professionals holding advanced degrees or persons of exceptional ability CurrentThird: Skilled workers, professionals Sep. 22, 2006Other Workers Sep. 22, 2006Fourth: CurrentCertain Religious Workers CurrentFifth: Employment creation/ (Million or half-million dollar investor) Current

Continued on page 31

Continued on page 31

June 15, 2013 31

it right. Until they snap. Like the

grandma who killed her grand daughter. Like the teacher who hang herself. Like the teenage son who put a bullet through his head. And now this, a 38-year-old mother they fondly called Mhai, who brought two beauti-ful daughters out of her womb, nurtured them for as long as she could.

Was it too late to save Mylene the day she showed up for work, handing out pizza samples and talking to herself?

Maybe if she was assured she could hug her kids again, she’d be in a different place, where there’s forgiveness, compassion and grace.

The English poet, John Donne, wrote that no one is an island, that each person’s death diminishes us, for we are all part of humanity. “Therefore,” the poem goes, “send not to know for whom the bell tolls.

It tolls for thee.”Send your comments to

jdmelegrito@gmail.com

Mylene... from page 29

gious fanatics more than a month ago is an excellent demonstra-tion of skillful police action. The responding police offi cers were confronted on the scene of the crime by two men brandishing butcher knives and a gun while standing by close to a dismem-bered body. The police offi cers shot the suspects who survived and were both taken alive.

The public must feel con-fi dent that in times of peril, agents of the government would respond promptly to ensure their safety. But for the public to feel that they have a friend inside that police uniform, the police should rid its ranks of trig-ger happy gunslingers who do not have the good sense and the good shot to preserve life.

the Philippines, as it leaves South Carolina for the long voyage to Manila via the Panama Canal.

Her sister ship, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, now the Phil-ippine Navy fl agship, sparked the Scarborough Shoal last year when it tried to arrest Chinese fi shermen caught in fl agrante harvesting protected marine spe-cies. Within hours, the solitary Del Pilar was surrounded by sev-eral Chinese civilian maritime enforcement ships. The Philip-pines was compelled to send a smaller Coast Guard vessel to keep the confrontation “civil-ian” but this too was pulled out after a supposed agreement for both sides to withdraw its ships. China reneged on the deal and has since barred Filipino fi sher-men from the shoal.

There are unconfi rmed reports China was building a per-manent structure similar to what it did in Mischief Reef, hundreds of miles to the south near the Palawan coastline. One offi cial

told us the Philippines could not verify the report because China has imposed a 15-kilometer-radius “virtual fence” that pre-vents Philippine ships or planes from going to the area.

Well, the Philippine Navy can if they wanted to but that would risk a dangerous confron-tation and after the deadly fl are-up with Taiwan, Malacanang obviously has no appetite for picking another fi ght. It has instead asked Filipino fi shermen to avoid Scarborough Shoal until the government can resolve the impasse although it offered no timetable or alternative for Fili-pino fi shermen who’re report-edly losing half a million pesos a month in lost income.

Dr. Rasul, on the other hand, provided an interesting and sometimes amusing per-sonal account of how the Philip-pine claim to Sabah came about. A preoccupation with pearls, a misunderstanding about how one word should be translated

(from Arabic to English script) and repeated blunders have left the heirs of the Sulu sultanate impoverished today.

The share of territory is linked to a formula that estab-lished how much each branch of the royal family should get from the 5,000 ringgit (about P77,000) paid annually under the terms of the 1878 “lease” or “cede” (that is the dispute with translation) with the defunct British North Borneo Company. The branch now led by the ailing Jamalul Kiram III has one of the minor shares.

Dr. Rasul stressed that the history of Muslim Mindanao is an integral part of the Filipino heritage (although he contends that the Sultanate erred in sur-rendering its claim to the Philip-pine government).

A total of 68 people – most of them Filipino followers of Jam-alul III were killed in the 3-week standoff in Lahad Datu, Sabah. It was a tragic misadventure that got little or no sympathy from the leadership in Manila.

Courage essential... from page 29

Life or death... from page 29

ity. Felony conviction and three or more misdemeanors, foreign offenses that would render the person inadmissible or deport-able if committed in the U.S., terrorism and unlawful voting will disqualify the alien. Aliens with three or four misdemeanors can apply for waiver based on humanitarian ground to ensure family unity or if it is in the public interest.

To obtain RPI status, the alien must fi le an application within one year from the date of the publication of the fi nal rule in the Federal Register, satisfy all tax liabilities and pay a fi ling fee and penalty of $1,000.00.

Can RPIs become perma-nent residents?

Adjustment to lawful per-manent residence status for RPIs is not automatic. They can only apply for green card status after the Secretary of State certifi es that immigrant visas have become available for all approved peti-tions that were fi led before the date of enactment of the reform law. In other words, they cannot jump ahead of the line. They still have to meet certain require-ments, including paying all tax liability, continuous employ-ment, knowledge of English and civics, proof of selective service registration and meeting cer-tain criteria in the merit-based system for immigrant visas.

Hope for the... from page 30

and highly-fi nanced group of manufacturers and peddlers of illicit drugs in the Greater Met-ropolitan Manila area. The ille-gal group was discovered by the police reporter Rod Reyes of the then Manila Times when Reyes had broken the coded word, chokaran, which when the syl-lables are transposed, spelled karancho. The word referred to those individuals working inside and for the “ranch.” The expose gained national recognition and fame. What followed thereafter

was a spillover of college stu-dent gangs, exclusive clubs, the use of aliases, and associations of students whose purpose was outside the exemplary goals of sanctioned university and col-lege fraternities and sororities.

The word “pinoy” is a lazy man’s play on the word, Filipino. Even if it is taken as an idiom, it does not have any core. It has no linguistic value because it does not refl ect any point of contact with any period in the history of the Philippines. The arrival

of the American educators and teachers aboard the USS Thomas in the early 1900s was part of a US policy to educate the Fili-pinos on the western values and ways of thinking. Long before their arrival, the country had already an existing body of literature, both oral and written. Accomplished writers in Span-ish and few dialects and artists in different media were already recognized. The imposition of the “Thomasites” into the Filipi-nos’ cultural life did not include creative writings. And this in the long run, propelled writers, legit

and would-bes, to explore the unlimited boundaries of Eng-lish usage. Headline writers and copy editors of national and local newspapers in the Philippines are the known culprits in this cultural travesty. First, they used “RP” to mean the Republic of the Philippines, then they switched to “PH” or “Ph,” and later on to “Php” which also means the des-ignation of the country’s money currency. The word “pinoy” was reluctantly incorporated into the bodies of news stories about 15 years ago. Constant usage through the years has legiti-mized its use in by writers and editors in headlines, sub-head-lines, even in what they term “the hammer.” Now, they are even using “PNoy.” And we all know who that is.

The richness of a nation’s culture and the quality of life lived by her citizens and descen-dants are shaped by the use of a

language that has close relations with the country’s history. We all want to be known and rec-ognized as Filipinos or Filipino-descendants whenever we travel outside the island conclaves, and we all want to receive effective responses to our offi cial corre-spondence, messages not written in codes but in the use of words acceptable as duly representa-tives of our personal goals and aims.

Of course, “pinoy” is an affectation…between and among friends, relatives, compatri-ots, and those who we call “the natives.” But “pinoy”is claimed by some to have had its historical and cultural connections. Really? “Pinoy”… use it or lose it!

(NOTE: This column made its last appearance in October 1999. The long hibernation in the dark cave is over, waking up to face the warmth of the sun)

On Our Own Coded... from page 25

growth as not reaching all? It’s still growth, after all.

Politicians and their opera-tives who have an agenda that is in

confl ict with Mr. Aquino’s (like a Binay presidency in 2016) have been working to under-mine Aquino’s performance and popularity. That is evident in, for example, letters to newspa-per editors that always present a dim view of the President’s actions. But they remain a small minority, as shown by surveys that show Aquino as still very popular.

Expect the demolition work of those opposed to him to esca-late in the near future and espe-cially in the two years preceding the 2016 presidential election.

Meantime, Aquino has got his work cut out for him: how to consolidate his successes so far and continue to build on them.

It’s important to clarify that the 7.8 percent growth is only for the fi rst quarter of 2013. So many things could happen between now and year-end to demolish such gain.The Philippines is a

regular destination for climatic disturbances and other natural calamities such as typhoons and fl ooding that wreak havoc on infrastructure, crops and private property. Such destruction, in turn, has a tremendous impact on the overall economy.

So, the phenomenal growth in one quarter could be wiped out if disasters come and visit the country and sow mas-sive destruction.

Overall, the Philippine economy is expected to grow this year by six to seven per-cent, which would still be a great accomplishment.

But poverty is still wide-spread, and the government will have to stimulate further invest-ments into the economy, more government and private-sector spending in infrastructure, more money-churning activity like tourism, increased productivity in manufacturing, higher agri-cultural output (which has been very low in recent years), as well as more consumer spend-ing (which, ironically, has been relatively robust despite a high

jobless rate).So, it’s worth remember-

ing that there’s still two-and-one-third quarters on the 2013 calendar and the government must ensure that all cylinders are working to enable the coun-try to fi nish the year with a high annual growth rate. It’s in Mr. Aquino’s interest to keep whip-ping up his men and women in the Cabinet in order to maintain high productivity.

Aquino is not yet on a legacy mode -- meaning, work-ing on earning a good place for himself in history. That will come in the homestretch of his term. What he needs to do at this time is to ensure positive economic growth, no major scan-dals, better handling of emer-gencies (like the unfortunate mishandling of a hostage-taking of Hongkong tourists in his fi rst year in offi ce), and the percep-tion that every one of his people, including him, is hard at work to improve the lives of the people. The people expect him to be suc-cessful in at least the last of the preceding enumeration.

PH beats all Asian... from page 30

June 15, 20133232