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A 15-YEAR-OLDmale has been charged in the murder of an 8-year-old girl in Santa Cruz, California. The Asian Journal learned the teen, Adrian Jerry Gonzalez, is Filipino.

Gonzalez faces one count of murder with the special circum-stance that he alleg-edly kidnapped, sexu-ally assaulted, and tied up Madyson “Maddy” Middleton before kill-ing her, according

to Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeffrey Rosell. Gonzalez is also accused of lying in wait.

The teen has also been charged with one count

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

w w w. a s i a n . c o mVolume 14 - No. 32 • 3 Sections – 24 Pages AUGUST 7-13, 2015

DATELINEUSAFROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

MANILA—The Philippines will join the United States in calling for a stop to China’s reclamation activities in the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea during a gathering in Kuala Lumpur of foreign ministers of the Asso-ciation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The 48th foreign ministers’ meeting began with host country Malaysia—through foreign minister Anifah Aman—taking a swipe at Bei-jing’s refusal to raise the maritime issue before the regional bloc.

Singapore’s foreign minister K. Shanmugam also told reporters in Malaysia the maritime is-sue cannot be ignored, adding that Singapore is not happy with an informal code of conduct

signed by ASEAN and China in 2002.“As a means of de-escalating tensions in

the region, the Philippines fully supports and will pro-actively promote the call of the United States on the ‘three halts’—a halt in reclama-tion, halt in construction and a halt in aggres-sive actions that could further heighten ten-sions,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a statement.

Del Rosario said the Philippines would push the US call in the meetings this week, but would not agree to be bound by it unless China and other countries locked in the conflict also do so.

“We have to emphasize, however, that this should not in any way legitimize the status of the features reclaimed by China,” Del Rosario

by KATHLEEN A. MARTINPhilstar.com

Nevada’s lieutenant governor: A supporterof education, a better economy and Filipinos

IT’S been a busy past couple of months for Nevada’s 34th lieu-tenant governor.

Since he was sworn in on Jan. 5, Las Vegas native and Republi-can Mark Hutchison has presided over the consideration of bills as president of the state Senate, engaged in debates, been in-volved in developing bills, reached out to constituents and con-

nected with business owners.But his activity hasn’t stopped there.He has also attended to responsibilities as a

member of Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval’s cabi-net, chairman of the Commission on Tourism, a member of the Board of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, vice chairman of the State Board of Transportation and a member of the Executive Branch Audit Committee.

Despite his busy schedule, public service and a multitude of responsibilities aren’t new

RESIGNED Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II on Wednesday, Aug. 4 pub-licly asked pre-election survey frontrunner Sen. Grace Poe to be his running mate in next year’s elections.

In one live television interview, Roxas said it would be better for the country if he won the presidential race with the first-time sena-tor as his Vice President.

He added that he considers Poe as his best

running mate, pointing to her plus factor to continue the Aquino administration’s daang matuwid (straight path) good governance mantra.

Roxas and Poe earlier vowed to continue the reforms gained under the Aquino admin-istration’s straight-path program.

“We now have a solid foundation. We had a good start and we can now continue mov-

Roxas to Poe: Be my Vice PresidentStill playing coy, Grace willing to meet Roxas

by CATHERINE S. VALENTE, JOEL M. SY EGCO AND JEFFERSON ANTIPORDAManilaTimes.net

MANILA—An international human rights organization on Wednesday, Aug. 5 sent a letter to the new Armed Forces of the Phil-ippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen.

Philippine delegation wins 59 medals at 2015 Special Olympics World Games

AFTER a week of competition against more than 6,000 ath-letes from 165 countries, the 35 athletes representing the Philip-pines claimed 59 medals dur-

by AGNES CONSTANTEAJPress

ing the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles.

From July 26 to Aug. 1, the Philippines competed in seven categories—aquatics, athletics (track and field), badminton,

Int’l group’s letter to AFP chief: Stop rights abuses

by ROSETTE ADELPhilstar.com

Hernando Iriberri urging him to create human rights reforms.

New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) asked the Philippine military to take all necessary action to prevent abuses by its personnel

Fil-Am teen charged with murder in Santa Cruz

Binay hits ‘inept’ gov’tby WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL

ManilaTimes.net

VICE President Jejomar Binay on Monday, Aug. 3, delivered his ver-sion of the “true” State of the Nation Address (SONA), scoring the Aquino administration’s failure to address corruption, ex-treme poverty and social inequality.

During his true SONA held at the Cavite State University in Indang, Cavite, the Vice President said the economic growth presented during President Benigno Aquino 3rd’s SONA last week masked the “painful truth” that only a few benefited from such progress.

He noted that only rich Filipinos and those close to the President such as his friends, class-mates and members of the Liberal Party (LP) gained from the “much-vaunted economic growth.”

august 7-13, 2015 • NORCaL asIaN JOuRNaL http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150A�

From the Front Page

said, referring to massive artifi-cial islands that China started building last year on at least sev-en disputed reefs.

Rosario said the Philippines would like to see the ASEAN making concrete initiatives to expeditiously conclude a legally binding Code of Conduct (COC).

“The COC should be our prior-ity now if it is still to be relevant, practical and usable in the con-text of what is happening on the ground,” Del Rosario said.

“The situation of uncertainty in the South China Sea also be-hooves us to reach a common understanding on the practical meaning of the principles of non-use of force or threat of force and self-restraint in the DOC,” he added.

He said international law and jurisprudence, as well as estab-lished best practices, should guide efforts to address chal-lenges on the ground based on such principles of restraint.

PH, US demand halt...PAGE A1 China’s massive reclamation

activities now cover at least 800 hectares of areas being disputed or are clearly part of the Philip-pines. Facilities, many of which are of military nature, have been built on some of the artificial is-lands.

China’s activities have caused irreversible damage to the re-gion’s marine ecosystem with economic losses estimated at $300 million a year. China’s is-land building activities have also adversely affected the livelihood of millions of people.

“Our northern neighbor has stated that these facilities will also meet its ‘necessary military defense’ so its statements that it has completed the land reclama-tions offer no comfort,” Del Ro-sario said. “In fact, they generate new uncertainties. These activi-ties cannot lawfully change the character, status and maritime entitlements of the affected fea-tures under UNCLOS.” UNCLOS stands for the United Nations

Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The DFA chief also cited pro-vocative moves by the country’s “northern neighbor,” which have threatened freedom of nav-igation and overflight as well as raised the risk of miscalculations or full-blown conflict.

Security issueAlthough the maritime issue is

not officially on the agenda, de-velopments in the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea are a critical aspect of regional security, and it’s only natural that they be raised in the foreign ministers meeting of the ASEAN, US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said earlier.

“It’s not just the US raising this; there are other members who we expect will raise these issues,” he said.

The US and China are not members of ASEAN but have been invited to participate and Toner said it was highly possible Secretary of State John Kerry would meet with his Chinese counterpart in Kuala Lumpur.

“On the competing claims to sovereignty over the land fea-

tures in the South China Sea, it’s our strong opinion that a claim-ant not undertake actions that significantly increase the physical size or functionality of disputed features, or militarize them. We would view that as provocative,” Toner said.

Asked if he was aware the Chi-nese did not want the sea issue to come up at the ASEAN meet-ing, Toner said this was a forum in which critical security issues need to be brought up and dis-cussed, and developments in the South China Sea meet that crite-rion.

“Frankly, that’s why fora such as the ASEAN meeting exists in order to get out—or rather dis-cuss—these issues frankly among nations,” he said.

‘Amicable solution’The position raised by Malay-

sia’s foreign minister reflected an earlier one made by the US and the Philippines rejecting China’s warning against any mention of the thorny territorial rifts in the meetings of foreign ministers from the ASEAN and their Asian and Western counterparts.

“ASEAN can and should play a vital part in effecting an amicable settlement” on the South China Sea, Anifah told fellow foreign ministers in his opening address.

“Above all, we must be seen to address this issue peacefully and cooperatively. We have made a positive start but we need to do more,” he said.

“South China Sea is an issue. We cannot pretend that it’s not an issue,” Singapore’s Shanmu-gam told reporters.

“We have got to move beyond philosophical discussions to actu-ally say what is in the substance of the agreement,” the Singapore official said. (With reports from AP, AFP, Reuters)

PAGE A1

Roxas to Poe...PAGE A1 In another live TV interview, the

Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer openly invited Poe to become his running mate.

“We’re inviting Sen. Grace Poe to join us. Join us in continuing the daang matuwid,” he said in the morning public affairs program Unang Hirit.

Poe said she is open to meet with Roxas.

“I first heard of his invitation to meet through media also this morning. Prior to that we have not spoken about it,” the senator told reporters in a text message.

“I am always open to meet Sec-retary Roxas as a friend. But there is no particular date arranged,” she added

Roxas–the presumptive 2016 standard-bearer of the Liberal Par-ty from Day 1 of the Aquino admin-istration—was formally endorsed last week by President Benigno Aquino III as the ruling party’s top bet while Poe is yet to declare her plans for next year’s elections.

She and fellow independent senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero have been considering running to-gether for higher office.

Poe on Tuesday, Aug. 4 said Escudero will not run against her if she decides to go for the vice presidency.

She said despite pronounce-ments that she is being wooed by the administration to team up with Roxas, she has not been offered the possibility.

Roxas also clarified that he had offered Poe to become his running mate months ago but he said she might have thought that it was not a formal offer because he had not been declared as the LP standard-bearer at the time.

He said he is also open to run-ning with Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto or Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, saying the two could contribute to the continuity of good governance.

“They all have the experience and capability and have shown that they really care for our com-patriots,’’ Roxas explained.

“The best attribute that we see here is they are focused to the bones on their belief in daang ma-tuwid.”

ing forward. If we change direc-tions now, we’ll be back to zero,” Roxas said in Filipino.

Majority of the Filipinos, Binay said, are still “poor, hungry and unemployed” even after five years of the Aquino administration.

“Napakadaling mamulot ng numero, mga numerong sa un-ang tingin ay makislap at kagiliw-giliw,” he added.

Binay, who received thunder-ous applause from the crowd, said while the country’s economic indi-cators have gone up, the numbers “conceal the painful truth” that growth has benefited only a hand-ful.

And while those who are rich and the President’s allies continue to gain from the so-called eco-nomic growth, the Vice President also noted that workers, farmers, poor city dwellers, government employees and millions of Filipi-nos “did not benefit from the de-velopments.”

He said while the country’s for-eign direct investments (FDIs) ex-ceeded P6 billion in 2014, Aquino did not say this is the lowest FDI among countries in Southeast Asia.

Although the 2014 FDIs are re-cord-breaking, they did not result in employment for the majority, the Vice President said.

The labor-intensive sectors like manufacturing and mining got only six percent of the FDIs, Binay said.

And while the Philippines’ up-graded credit ratings helped in attracting foreign investors, they

Binay hits... did not translate into actual invest-ments because of constraints in the Constitution’s economic provi-sions.

Binay had always been vo-cal in saying that he will push for amendment to economic provi-sions of the Constitution if he wins the presidency.

In his address, he said that once these provisions are amended, the primary sectors of the country would be opened to foreign inves-tors, resulting in increased jobs and employment opportunities for Filipinos.

The amended economic provi-sions would also develop public utilities and speed up formation of public-private partnerships, as well as improved services and fa-cilities for the public.

Binay also questioned the fig-ures presented in the President’s SONA, showing a decrease in the number of poor Filipinos.

“Ang hindi sinasabi ng adminis-trasyon, napakababa ng kanilang batayan ng poverty threshold. Para sa kanila, kapag may limampu’t walong piso [P58] ka nang pang-gastos sa isang araw, ay hindi ka na ituturing na ‘mahirap.’”

He cited the latest Social Weath-er Station s(SWS) survey showing that five in 10 Filipinos believe they are poor.

That translates to more than 11 million people, saying that even after five years of the daang matu-wid (right path), they remain stuck in poverty.

Binay further questioned the President’s claim that there are

PAGE A4

(650) 616-4150 • http://www.asianjournal.com NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • AUgUSt 7-13, 2015 A�From the Front Page

PAGE A1 of kidnapping and four other sexu-al assault-related offenses, accord-ing to Rosell. If convicted of the charges, Gonzalez may face life in prison. Because of his age, he is not eligible for the death penalty.

“We have charged this individ-ual as an adult with the crimes for which he is responsible,” he said. “We are going to bring him to jus-tice.”

At his first court appearance on Thursday, July 30, the 15-year-old did not enter a plea. His arraign-ment was postponed until Sept. 21, most likely to give the de-fense more time to build a case, said Santa Cruz District Attorney spokesman Paul Mangasarian.

Gonzalez’s lawyer Larry Biggam told reporters on Thursday, “Our job is to review the evidence, con-duct our own investigation, and make sure that the minor—like every citizen accused—receives a fair trial.”

Maddy was last seen around 5:05pm on Sunday, July 26 rid-ing her white Razor scooter in the Tannery Arts Center on River Street, a public-private nonprofit artists colony in Santa Cruz where both she and Gonzalez lived. Her disappearance prompted a frantic overnight search, and FBI inves-tigators went door-to-door look-ing for clues. The massive search involved volunteers from neigh-bors, to officials, to relatives and friends.

Around 250 people live in the Tannery Arts Center complex, in-cluding about 50 children.

At 7:55pm on Monday, July 27, a little more than 24 hours after she disappeared, a police detec-tive discovered Maddy’s body—4 feet tall, 46 pounds—lying at the bottom of the recycling bin, which had already been searched once by volunteers.

Investigators reportedly saw Gonzalez standing near the bin, causing automatic suspicion. Po-lice believe he was watching them as they searched, and said they have evidence tying him directly to Maddy.

The boy was detained and later arrested on suspicion of homicide, and is being held in a juvenile de-tention facility.

Residents at the eight-acre complex were “stunned” to learn their neighbor was suspected in

Fil-Am teen charged with murder...

to Hutchison. Prior to running for his current role, he served on the Nevada Commission on Ethics for six years (two of which he chaired) and represented District 6 when he was elected to the Nevada State Senate in 2012.

He is also a small business own-er, a senior partner at Hutchison & Steffen, among the largest law-firms in Nevada.

With his resume of experiences and an understanding of various facets that contribute to the Silver State, Hutchison said he felt quali-fied to run for the position he holds today.

On Nov. 4, 2014, he was elected to become Nevada’s lieutenant governor.

Legislative accomplishmentsIn the past six months that

Hutchison has held his current role, he has contributed to the cre-ation of a number of bills. Among these are two he is particularly proud of: Assembly Bill 161, which provides tax abatements for the aviation industry, and Senate Bill 92, which requires underperform-ing teachers to be the first to go when schools need to implement layoffs.

While AB 161 was sponsored and led by Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Hutchi-son said he had crafted a bill simi-lar to the one that passed and that he was fully supportive of it.

Before the measure was ap-proved, Nevada was not competi-tive when it came to tax abate-ments for the aviation industry in multiple areas, including manufac-turing, maintenance and upgrades. As a result, businesses were taking their aircrafts to other states, such as Arizona, California and Wash-ington.

After the bill was passed, the tide changed for the state in this area.

“It was very rewarding for me to see at our last board of economic development ... several aviation companies coming into Nevada for expanding their business in the state based on the passage [of AB 161],” Hutchison told the Asian Journal.

On a related note, the lieutenant governor said he wants to continue focusing on economic develop-ment and job creation in the state, particularly in the aviation and un-manned vehicle industries.

“There’s such promising growth opportunities here in Nevada. Those jobs are good-paying, stable jobs that our citizens could really take advantage of,” he said.

Nevada is one of six sites des-ignated by the Federal Aviation Administration for testing of un-manned vehicles.

“We have tremendous assets in terms of controlled airspace where these vehicles can be controlled and tested ... we have lots of great

Nevada’s lieutenant governor...

bowling, gymnastics, powerlifting and unified football—at facilities at UCLA, the University of South-ern California and the Los Ange-les Convention Center. At the end of the games, the team had won 21 gold, 14 silver and 24 bronze medals.

The fact that the number of Philippine wins exceeded the number of athletes wasn’t a sur-prise for Kaye Samson, assistant head of the delegation.

“Every time we go to the World Games we always win more med-als than the actual persons [on the team]. Always,” she told the Asian Journal.

But the one thing stood out this year stood out this year, Samson said, is that the Philippines took home more gold medals.

“And we’re very happy be-cause those who won gold med-als, some of them are first timers to the World Games,” she said.

At the close of the games, Philippine athletes wore smiles to accompany the medals hanging around their necks, while coaches expressed sat-isfaction with the performance of their teams. Among them was Edvin Cabrera, aquatics head coach and a teacher at SPED Integrated School for Exceptional Children in Iloilo City. The four swimmers on her team won four gold and one bronze.

Athletics coach Christian Doro-in said his team performed “pret-ty well,” receiving a mix of gold, silver and bronze medals.

“We’re just really happy every-one was able to compete and did their best,” he said.

Philippine delegation wins 59 medals...the killing.

“We’re just devastated. These are two of our kids, and one is dead and one has been taken away. And it’s horrible. It’s just horrible,” said resident Yasmina Porter, whose two children, ages 11 and 13, played with both the young victim and the suspect.

“From the community’s stand-point, we mostly feel like these are our babies,” Porter said. “This is the most horrible thing you can imagine.”

Santa Cruz police Chief Kevin Vogel said Gonzalez lured Maddy to his family’s upstairs apartment, where they were alone, and killed her. He then reportedly carried her body downstairs to a garage and hid it in the recycling bin. Police officials believe Maddy willingly went to Gonzalez’s apartment be-cause she knew and trusted him.

“She was 8 years old. She had a reasonable amount of trust in him,” Vogel said. “They were ac-quaintances. I don’t know to what degree they were friends.”

“It is my belief that [Maddy] was killed even before we got the phone call Sunday at about 6pm, when she was first reported miss-ing,” he added.

Gonzalez is being tried as an adult on the counts of murder, kidnapping, and rape. In their decision to determine charges, prosecutors looked at the Filipino teen’s age, his criminal record, the nature of the crime and how the offense was committed, Rosell said.

Rosell declined to say how Maddy was killed, nor whether Gonzalez had a criminal history.

“At this point, there is no plea deal on anything,” the prosecu-tor told reporters, and revealed no known motive for the murder. Authorities have interviewed the boy, but did not disclose any infor-mation.

“People do things for lots of different reasons,” Rosell said. “Sometimes we understand them, sometimes we don’t.”

Gonzalez was described as a well-liked, quiet and polite young man and a “yo-yo expert.” Ac-cording to a former classmate, Gonzalez’s father was absent and his mother is from Romblon, an island in the Luzon region of the Philippines.

“He would say that a smile is

the best disguise, just things that sounded weird, like something’s wrong, but I didn’t know what I could do to help him,” the anony-mous classmate told Balitang America, also noting that Gonzalez was “suicidal” at an early age.

The New York Times reported Gonzalez’ Filipina mother, who has been raising him alone, is a home health care attendant, and she left the apartment building soon after her son was taken in custody, ac-cording to neighbors. Most of her family still lives in the Philippines, several residents said.

Santa Cruz Mayor Don Lane, who ordered flags to be flown at half-staff, said the city’s reaction is “mixed, somber, and wrenching.”

Both Gonzalez and Maddy were well-known at their schools. Mad-dy would have been a fourth grad-er and Gonzalez, a high school sophomore.

Makeshift memorials and hand-written signs appeared on various storefronts around the city, read-ing “We love you Maddy.” A Tan-nery neighborhood memorial for Maddy in the arts center shows a growing number of flowers, art-work, and stuffed animals.

“These children are out like little butterflies,” said Denise Kiser Shaw, another neighbor. “It’s a contained area…you stay here in the courtyard and you ride around and you wait for your friend.”

On Tuesday, July 28, Shaw sat in that same courtyard, working on a doll for Maddy’s mom. The doll had wings and wore a purple dress, just like what Maddy had been wearing, with the words “I can fly home. (Allyson Escobar/AJPress with reports from the Los Angeles Times, Inquirer, CNN, As-sociated Press, KTLA5, Balitang America, The New York Times)

PAGE A1 airports that really lend themselves to the aviation industry and UAV industry in particular,” he said.

Nevada’s last legislative ses-sion, which adjourned on June 1, focused on education, Hutchison said. With that, many education reform bills were passed, includ-ing Hutchison’s Senate Bill 92.

It recognized that in Nevada, as in many other states, minority children have been disproportion-ally educated by underperforming teachers, the lieutenant governor said.

“That’s just not right from a constitutional standpoint. Every student has an equal opportunity to a quality education. It’s not right from a world standpoint in my view and I was going to do some-thing about that,” he said.

SB 92, which went into effect on July 1, requires that layoffs be based on teacher performance rather than seniority. Lower per-forming teachers are placed back into probation and are provided resources and opportunities for professional development and training. Furthermore, it does not allow these teachers to go back to teaching in schools unless princi-pals agree they are ready to do so.

Having attended Rose Warren Elementary School, Garside Ju-nior High, Bonanza High School and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas – all public schools – edu-cation is a topic that hits home for Hutchison.

“I’m truly the product of [the] Nevada education system. It’s been a wonderful asset for me to have and I want to continue to do that for students in the future,” he said.

In addition, all his six children have attended public schools in the state.

A day in Hutchison’s profes-sional shoes

When Nevada’s legislature is in session, the lieutenant governor lives in Carson during the week and returns home on most week-ends.

“[I] eat, and drink and breathe the legislative session as the state’s Senate president. So that’s been a very exciting opportunity for me. I’m very excited to be part of this legislative session, which by all ac-counts, anybody who follows the legislature closely, [it’s] a historic session, so I was very involved in the legislative session from Febru-ary through the first part of June,” he said.

Typically once per day, he pre-sides over the Senate when it is considering bills, and engages in debates.

He also has the opportunity to meet with individuals regarding pending legislation and hear their views on various measures. Among these include his colleagues – both

PAGE A5

PAGE A1 More than medalsWhile the Philippines won a

number of awards, Samson said the athletes’ victories extended beyond the tangible recognition.

“Just by looking at them smil-ing, very happy, you can see those who were quiet before are now becoming outgoing. And they’re saying that, ‘Yeah when we go back, our parents will be proud,’ or, ‘Our classmates won’t bully us anymore,’” Samson said. “So it’s really not just the sports that they won, it’s not the medals, but the experience that helped them grow. In just two weeks, they’ve changed.”

Cabrera specifically pointed out how athletics athlete Aira Aguado transformed into a more social person by the end of the World Games.

“Nag iba talaga. Kasi itong si Aira, parang walang self-confi-dence. Very introverted [siya], hindi nakikipagusap [sa iba]. Ngayon masayahin na siya, nakiki-pagkaibigan (She really changed. Aira seemed like she didn’t have self-confidence. She’s very intro-verted, she didn’t talk to others. Now, she’s happy and goes out to make friends),” Cabrera said.

At the World Games, a medical festival that provides free health exams for the athletes resulted in further wins for the Philippines. For instance, the delegation learned through the festival that rhythmic gymnast Jovelyn Gacay-an—who won five gold medals, one silver and one bronze—was blind in one eye and deaf in one ear. It was also found that the extent of aquatics athlete Ron-nin Talaboc’s hearing impairment was profound.

In less than an hour, Samson said Talaboc was provided hear-ing aids.

“When he tested it, he was so surprised. I saw that big smile on his face when the doctor put the aid on him. It’s things like that you can only see in Special Olym-pics,” she said.

A number of Philippine athletes also received prescription glasses through the Special Olympics.

“Many of [these athletes] can-not communicate verbally. A lot of them cannot express what they feel, so through the specialized program for the athletes, they’re able to detect if they have [any health problems],” Samson said.

The 2015 World Games also marked the first time for most Philippine athletes to attend an in-ternational event, visit the United States and experience air travel.

“It’s very exciting to be able to ride the airplane for the first time, go to America, meet the whole world and then win medals,” Samson said.

What’s in storeThe majority of the Philippine

delegation flew back to the coun-try on Monday, Aug. 3, also taking home valuable lessons that team leaders plan on implementing for upcoming Special Olympics.

In 2017, Austria will host the Special Olympics World Winter Games. However, the Philippines will not be participating as it does not have any winter sports. Look-ing ahead, Samson said the Phil-ippines would like to participate in indoor events, such as floor hock-ey or figure skating. She added that she learned other countries without winters practice skiing in

PAGE A4

august 7-13, 2015 • NORCaL asIaN JOuRNaL http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150A� Dateline USa

and ensure accountability for hu-man rights violators.

It also asked Iriberri to address discredited rights and hold viola-tors to account.

“General Iriberri has the time and the opportunity to make greater respect for human rights a priority of the Philippine armed forces,” said Phelim Kine, the groups’s deputy director for Asia.

The organization noted that Philippine military personnel con-tinue to be implicated in violations of international humanitarian law in armed conflict situations involv-ing the New People’s Army and Moro insurgents.

It said there have been reports of abuses such as arbitrary arrests, tortures, illegal killings of civilians and rebel fighters in custody.

Human Rights Watch said Iri-berri should conduct prompt,

Int’l group’s letter...PAGE A1

Nevada’s lieutenant governor...PAGE A3

Republicans and Democrats – with whom he says he has good friend-ships.

From time to time, Hutchison also participates in commission board meetings.

In the four months of the legis-lative sessions, these activities oc-cupy his time.

The position of lieutenant gov-ernor is considered part-time, and Hutchison remains active outside of the legislature by continuing to practice as a constitutional lawyer.

“Every day I’ve got to prioritize in terms of my responsibilities with my lieutenant governor office. I’ve got responsibilities with my clients and I’ve got to keep a very good calender and record all the events. But I never let my professional ob-ligations interfere at all with my lieutenant governor duties,” he said.

Hutchison also takes time to meet with his constituents to keep them updated on what’s happen-ing within Nevada’s government and with entrepreneurs to discuss business developments, and asks them what the government can do to better serve them. Furthermore, he has given speeches at a number of educational organizations.

On top of his professional obli-gations, Hutchison is a husband,

– both while he campaigned and since he assumed office.

“I’ve spent time in different events, different celebrations, and what I think are just invaluable contributions to the state of Ne-vada are the Filipino community’s involvement in tourism. Tourism is the lifeblood of Nevada and the Filipino community is such an im-portant part of that industry and has done a great job taking care of our visitors and making sure they have a tremendous experience when they come to Las Vegas or Reno or anywhere else in the [state],” he said.

Filipinos, he added, are “inspir-ing” because they do well as en-trepreneurs, which contributes to job creation.

“They are some of the greatest businessmen and businesswomen in the state of Nevada. They pro-vide job opportunities to support their families, to put bread on the table, to send their children to school and colleges,” Hutchison said.

The lieutenant governor said he specifically ensures that he and his staff reach out to the Filipino Ne-vadans.

“I want to know ... what is it that I can do as Lt. Gov in my role as chairman of the Commission of Tourism, [a member of the] Board of Economic Development, within the state senate, what laws can we pass that will really support the

Filipino community [and] what they’re trying to do in all those ar-eas?”

With the growth and contri-butions of Filipinos in Nevada, Hutchison said he wants to con-tinue attending events important to the community.

“Every one of them is my con-stituent and I’m committed to making sure their voice is heard and that we promote their inter-ests as much as we possibly can,” he said.

Looking aheadWith the conclusion of Nevada’s

78th legislative session, Hutchison has been focusing his efforts on other areas where the state can flourish.

One of these is in promoting new economies, such as electric cars – specifically Tesla – and the data storage industry. Switch, a data storage company, announced in January that it would invest $1 billion to expand its business in Northern Nevada.

As chair of the Commission on Tourism, Hutchison is also invest-ing time into Nevada’s lifeblood industry. The commission, for in-stance, recently announced $1.1 million in grants for rural com-munities throughout the state to promote tourism in those areas. Aspects of rural tourism that are promoted include cowboy poetry and the winery industry, which the lieutenant governor noted is devel-

father and grandfather. When time permits, he helps coach the football team at Palo Verde High School, where his youngest child is a member. He and his family are also active in their church.

How does he do it all?“The No. 1 reason I’m able to do

it is because I’ve got a great fam-ily and the greatest most beautiful wife on planet earth who supports me and who is so kind and under-standing of someone who’s got a very busy life like I do,” he said. “And she is the absolute bedrock of our family and without her I couldn’t do any of this.”

In addition, Hutchison credits his colleagues in the legal profes-sional for being understanding of his multiple responsibilities.

Significance of Filipino Neva-dans

In the Silver State, Hutchison notes that the Filipino community is one of the largest segments of the Asian Pacific American com-munity.

“[It’s] a growing, robust, dy-namic, exciting community,” he said.

Hutchison has mingled with the Filipino community at various Asian Pacific American commu-nity events – such as those held by the Asian American Chamber of Commerce and an Asian Pacific American heritage month event

Philippine delegation wins 59 medals...PAGE A3 the sand, something the Philip-pines may be able to do.

Delia Ortega, head of the dele-gation, said the team also learned it needs to discipline the athletes better.

“The most challenging [part this year] was motivating them to be more serious with the games,” she said. “Hindi sila masyadong seryoso kasi marami pa ang bago.

transparent and impartial probe into the abuses and uphold inter-national humanitarian law in con-flict areas.

Military elements are also impli-cated in the harassment of activists, such as red baiting and publicly marking government detractors as state enemies, the group said.

Among the demands of the HRW in the letter is the effective com-mand and control of paramilitary groups, long been allegedly re-sponsible for serious human rights abuses.

The organization said the mili-tary’s human rights office should undergo reforms to make it more responsive as it has not lived up to its mandate and responsibilities.

The human rights group also asked the military to join the new international Safe Schools Decla-ration committed in protecting stu-dents, teachers and schools from armed conflict. This was signed by 47 countries to date.

Bago to the sport, bago to the World Games (They weren’t too serious because many of them are new. New to the sport, new to the World Games).”

Additionally, Ortega and Sam-son want to focus on professional coach training.

“We need high-caliber coaches because Special Olympics is now raising the standards of sports programming because we believe

they can do it. It’s not just for fun. They’re real athletes,” Samson said.

Although the team’s coaches are certified, Samson said there is a difference when a coach is, for instance, from the NBA. The team has approached profession-als, but they have asked for fees that the team cannot afford due to a lack of funding.

“We really need to zoom into

sports-specific training because in the Philippines, we lack coach-es. That’s why we go into multi-sports,” Samson said.

Coaches on the Philippines Special Olympics team donate their time with no pay, and are hoping for future support from corporations and governments.

But even without such aid, Philippine volunteers invest in the World Games for the betterment of the athletes.

“Yung pagsali ko sa Special

Olympics as a volunteer, talag-ang passion ko ito, yung sports for these kids. You know they can’t excel academically, so itong sports [ang] parang mag boo-boost ng ego, ng self-con-fidence [nila] (My participation in Special Olympics as a volun-teer, it’s really my passion, the sports for these kids. You know they can’t excel academically, so these sports are what boost their ego and self-confidence),” Ca-brera said.

Witnessing athletes transfor-mation into improved versions of themselves also makes volunteer-ing time well-spent.

“Our athletes change right be-fore our eyes every day in train-ing, in competition. Just to see them develop in sports, in their other skills, like social skills and cognitive skills, it’s very reward-ing. Nothing will really compare to that experience. No money, no salary will ever compare to that,” Samson said.

oping in Douglas County.The commission is also finaliz-

ing its fall and winter campaign to promote out-of-state tourism. The focus of the campaign is largely on the state’s outdoor offerings, in-cluding skiing in Lake Tahoe and cycling in Nevada.

With his full plate of responsi-bilities, Hutchison remains in the present, focused on his duties as Nevada’s lieutenant governor.

One thing he’s not thinking about is whether he will run for re-elec-tion two years from now.

“Right now, all I’m focused on … [is] being the best elected offi-cial. [With] all these things I’ve got going, I’m handling a lot of balls in the air right now, so I’m really fo-cused on serving as well as I possi-bly can. And then we’ll think about the 2018 election,” he said. (Agnes Constante/AJPress)

fewer overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) now because there are a lot of job opportunities in the country.

Citing data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Adminis-tration (POEA), he said there has been an increase in the number of Filipinos wanting to leave the Philippines to find work in other countries.

From 2,500 average daily de-ployment before Aquino became President, the number rose to

Binay hits ‘inept’ gov’tPAGE A1 6,092 during the first quarter of

this year.Binay also noted the “incom-

petence and insensitivity” of the Aquino administration.

He said the “insensitivity” was seen on how the administration addressed the incidents in Luneta (Rizal Park in Manila), Tacloban City, Zamboanga and Mamasa-pano.

In August 2010, a hostage-tak-ing in Luneta hogged headlines worldwide after a botched rescue attempt that resulted in the death

of the hostage-taker, disgruntled former police officer Rolando Mendoza, and eight Chinese tour-ists.

Binay said that while a compre-hensive rehabilitation and recov-ery plan worth P170 billion was outlined, the money and donations given by other countries appear to have also been swept away by the typhoon.

In Zamboanga, more than 200 were killed and thousands were left homeless but the “greater tragedy” awaited in the evacua-tion centers where women and children were raped and forced into prostitution.

The Vice President then slammed Aquino’s failure to rec-ognize 44 police commandos who died during the Mamasapano clash in January this year.

Binay said three things symbol-ize the administration’s incompe-tence: Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT 3), Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

He slammed the “bad service and poor maintenance” of MRT 3, which is under the Department of Transportation and Commu-nications (DOTC), the secretary of which is said to be running for senator in the 2016 elections.

Turning his attention to BBL, the Vice President blasted the ad-ministration’s view that those who oppose the BBL are automatically against peace.

But Binay said there are condi-tions to a successful and lasting peace agreement: one, the agree-ment must be in accordance with the Constitution; two, different groups, sectors and recognized representatives must be involved; and three, Malacañang should not pressure Congress to pass the BBL into law.

The Vice President said the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and the DAP, both

declared illegal and unconsti-tutional by the Supreme Court, have been revived under different names including insertions, spe-cial purpose funds and Unified Ac-counts Code Structure or UACs.

While Aquino enumerated his accomplishments, Binay also noted that Aquino apparently forgot to mention a number of these achievements were started or were planned by previous ad-ministrations as early as Presi-dent Fidel Ramos’ time and were merely continued or completed by the Aquino administration as required by government rules., Aug. 3.

mately profitable strategy for busi-ness, to balance those profits with a concern for the common good.

In recent years, many other have woken to the same realization, from political leaders, to learned and respected economists, and most recently even Pope Francis, who has offered strong words. In 2013, in his apostolic exhortation “Evan-gelii Gaudium,” he argued that “trickle down” economics wrongly demand “a crude and naïve trust in the goodness of those wielding eco-nomic power.” And as recently as this past July 10, while visiting Bo-livia, he condemned the unbridled greed of naked capitalism: “Once capital becomes an idol and guides people’s decisions, once greed for money presides over the entire so-cio-economic system, it ruins soci-ety, it condemns and enslaves men and women, it destroys the human fraternity, it sets people against one another and, as we can clearly see, it even puts at risk our common home: the planet Earth.”

Capitalism as we know it, wheth-er we like it or not, is becoming so-cially unacceptable.

Do not take it as a damnation of the capitalist society or the capital-ist principle. But merely to say that government must take and must institute and have a mechanism that actively pursue the principle of distribution of wealth. I think even the most recent rock star of the economics fraternity, a gentleman by the name of Piketty, on his large and rather hard-going book on capi-tal, again seems to have confirmed the same observation that growth in value of capital is never matched, if left to its own devices, by the growth in value of each individual in that economy.

By focusing on poverty, we focus on the fundamental strength of this nation, and our greatest resource, our people. It will require govern-ment and business working hand in hand.

But neither business nor the great population of Filipinos can have confidence in a government that does not demonstrate the com-

petence and the ethical commit-ment to good performance. I was disappointed that in the SONA that we heard a couple of days ago, he neglected to mention the Freedom of Information Bill, a freedom of information bill that he actually can take note.

I believe in the FOI, because I believe it is a tool to build trust—something that we have to rebuild in our country as we have been set in a political system and even in a social system where we must take sides against each other. The FOI is a tool that encourages government to carry out its mandates honestly, competently, and with due regard to all stakeholders in critical issues and challenges facing the nation. Government cannot, after all, exhort those it serves to practice discipline and follow the law if it does not set the example by respecting the sep-aration of authority and responsi-bilities of the individual branches of government, or to utilize collabora-tive tools like the Legislative-Execu-tive Development Advisory Council, or LEDAC, or pursue long-overdue peace arrangements with enemies of the state with a sincere objective to improve the lives of all who are affected by any such conflict.

Neither the people nor you, as leaders of our vibrant business sec-tor, can have the confidence and trust in the competence and com-mitment of government as a partner in advancing the nation if doubt is created by perceptions of corrup-tion, of lack of ability, or of favorit-ism towards special interests.

The FOI will help erase those doubts, but it is only part of the an-swer.

If the next administration is to succeed, meritocracy must be the guiding principle. The next leader should surround himself or her-self with the best of the best in the Cabinet. Our country is blessed with such great human talent and we must engage that great human talent in the service of nation-build-ing. Meritocracy must govern all appointments, not only in high-level

AFTER President Noynoy Aquino finally anointed DILG Sec. Mar Roxas to be his successor and the Liberal Party’s standard bearer in the 2016 Philippine Presidential Election—which Mar has accepted in a gathering among friends and supporters at the historic Club Filipino—it is GAME ON in Philippine politics!

Even Vice President Binay is happy he now has a real nemesis in the race to Malacañang, being the first to declare his intent to run for President in 2016.

While kababayans are still eagerly await-ing the decision of Sen. Grace Poe—the frontrunner in the polls—as to whether she will seek higher office by running for Presi-dent or Vice President, other names have been much talked about as better options:

Davao’s Rudy Duterte, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Sen. Bong-bong Marcos, Sen. Ping Lacson, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Sen. Francis Escudero, and Manila Mayor (and deposed) former Pres. Erap Es-trada.

Prior to PNoy’s endorsement of Roxas on July 31, 2015, the Second Quarter 2015 Social Weather Survey revealed that Poe, Binay and Roxas top the people’s “three best leaders to succeed PNoy in 2016.”

According to the SWS report, when re-spondents were asked the question “Who do you think are the good leaders who

should succeed Pres. Aquino as President? [You may give up to three names],” 42 per-cent named Sen. Poe, 34 percent named Vice Pres. Binay, and 21 percent named Sec. Roxas.

With the 55 percent rating of the Aquino Administration in the “Second Quarter 2015 Social Weather Sur-vey: Net satisfaction with National Admin-istration,” could Aquino’s endorsement give Mar Roxas the much needed momen-tum in his bid for the Presidency?

If the online poll on the Filipino Chan-nel’s daily newscast Balitang America is to

be the indicator, Filipinos in America over-whelmingly favor Roxas.

Immediately after PNoy’s endorsement and Mar’s acceptance on July 31, Balitang America asked its viewers and web visi-tors: “If the Philippine Presidential Elec-tions were held today, who would you vote for? Roxas, Binay, or neither?

A big majority of those who voted—85 percent voted for Roxas, 8 percent said neither, while 7 percent voted for Binay.

This result runs parallel to Aquino’s high favorability and satisfaction among Fil-Ams in the “Balitang America” poll after Pres. Aquino delivered his sixth and last SONA.

Balitang America asked its viewers and web visitors: “Do you think Pres. Aquino successfully adressed the Philippines’

pressing problems during his term?” 64 percent of those who voted answered YES.

The Balitang America “ISYU NGAYON” poll is just the first among many polls lead-ing up to May 2016. As new names of candidates are added, political dynamics change, and new developments steal the headlines, this unofficial barometer of the Fil-Am’s political mood and opinion will be interesting to follow!

* * *

According to Binay, this manifested in four loca-tions: Luneta, Tacloban, Zamboanga, and Mamasa-pano, Maguindanao—where many lives were lost. These four events the Vice President was referring to were the Luneta hostage crisis where eight Hong Kong nationals were killed (Aug. 23, 2010), the Zamboanga siege where hundreds died and thousands displaced (Sept. 2013); the devastation caused by super typhoon Haiyan in various provinces in Visayas (Nov. 7, 2013); and the bloody clash between Philip-pine police and Moro forces in Mama-sapano, Maguindanao that left 44 elite policemen and 19 Muslim rebels dead (Jan. 25, 2015).

Binay also mentioned issues such as the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and Disbursement Ac-celeration Program (DAP) as proof that Pres. Benigno Aquino III’s administration failed its people. He also discredited the administration’s ‘daang matuwid’ (straight path) policy, saying that corruption remains rampant in the government. And even after five years of Aquino’s reforms and leadership, Binay said that the majority of the Filipino people remain poor, hungry and unemployed.

While the audience appreciated his candor, it doesn’t change the fact that Binay has been holding the second most powerful seat in the country for five years and has apparently made little impact to address and fix the

country’s deficiencies (he mentioned) either.Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda called

Binay’s counter-SONA as “clearly politics at its ebb” and said that “it is bewildering how the camp of Binay would go to great lengths to fool the people.”

“First, it took them a week to fabricate a speech which could have otherwise been delivered a day after the Sona. It was all a rehash of what could easily be found in the broadsheets. Second, did he have to go to

Cavite State University where it is sev-eral miles away from Coconut Palace to read a bereft speech when he could have shown up at the Senate where it is a hop, skip and a jump from his offi-

cial residence to answer all allegations of corruption?,” Lacierda pointed out.

Lacierda said that the Vice President kept mum “where he could have been part of the solution” and even praised Aquino “in many instances” during his five-year stint in the Cabinet. Binay resigned in June as the chief of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and as the Presidential Adviser on OFW Affairs.

The true state of the nation is apparently subjective. The current social, economic and political situation of the country varies, depending on who you ask. The multitude of ills in the country have yet to be accounted for. It might take more that one presidential term to

OPINION FEATURES

Editorial

Counterattack

GEL SANTOS-RELOS

The Fil-Am Perspective

If the presidential election were held today: Fil-Ams choose between Mar and Binay

IN his version of the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, Aug. 5, Vice President Jejomar Binay told a crowd of about 1,000 at the Cavite State University gymnasium in Indang, Cavite that the current administration is “palpak at manhid” (inept and callous).

solve them all.It is impossible to measure a politician’s perfor-

mance. There are so many factors to identify how for-midable a politician can be, and it is unjust to base the relationship of a leader and his followers on approval ratings alone. What matters more is the successful negotiations and compromises both parties extend to each other.

The Filipinos and the rest of spectators in all these political travails are given a sort-of-Rorschach inkblot test. They should think objectively and look at the facts

instead of having prejudices and biases, and personal hatred cloud judgments. Because in the upcoming elections next year, Filipinos hold the power to lead the Philippines’ steep road to political redemption. It will be up to the voters to delineate expertise, gravitas and decency over popularity and political grandstanding.

As for the aspirants and current leaders, the renewed interest political affairs by Filipinos should inspire and challenge them to do more for the people instead of working double time on increasing popularity and gaining plaudits. (AJPress)

(Speech given on Wednesday July 29 at the Asia CEO Talks forum, Marriot Hotel.)

IN the letter of your chairman, Mr. Richard Mills, I was told that I am given the liberty to speak about whatever topic I feel would be com-pelling.

Well, I thought about that for a while and I think that at this particu-lar point in time nothing proves to be more compelling than indulg-ing in a reflection about the current state of our country. We heard the other day the President’s own ver-sion of the state of our nation in his 6th and final State of the Nation Address, where he brandished to Congress and the people the gains of his “Daang Matuwid” blue print for administration.

Now then comes a rather expe-dient time for post hoc public reac-tions, annotations, comments, from the entire captive audience, Filipino or otherwise, from experts to arm-chair analysts, from cheerleaders and well-wishers down to plain trig-ger-happy bashers.

But rather than engage in a criti-cal discourse and give you a nega-tive-toned counter, or Contra-SONA, allow me to present rather some sort of draft SONA, or administra-tion blue-print, of a make-believe or hypothetical President made at a maiden SONA or at a miting de avance. One that presents another diagnosis of our country, a second opinion if you will, and wherein would contain the plans and pro-grams required to remedy and re-spond to the state of problems in which we found ourselves and the country as that President leads and assumes the highest and most pow-

SENATOR FERDINAND‘BONGBONG’ R. MARCOS JR.

A second opinion on the state of our nationerful office of the land.

And please let me emphasize the words hypothetical, not hopeful, expectant, but less wishful think-ing, lest I be quoted out of context and suddenly be reported, as it has been reported before we come here, to have announced a surprise early presidential bid. But if in case it happens, you will be able to see it nowhere else but here in the Asia CEO Forum, and you’ll be able to say, you heard it here first.

A nation that has become great again

My vision of our country is one that can overcome its economic and social challenges by drawing on our own strengths and drawing on our unity. It is a vision of the Philippines that is prosperous, rich in opportu-nity, and home to happy, morally up-right, and productive citizens whose lives are meaningful because theirs is a just society, because theirs is a nation that has become great again.

Business should take the lead in nation-building and poverty reduc-tion

I will immediately work to re-store in all Filipinos the lost sense of pride in themselves and pride in being citizens of the Republic of the Philippines. We had at some point in our history that pride, that sense of nationhood but we see it to have gone astray and we have lost it.

This administration should gov-ern our country with special atten-tion to the needs of the more than 26% of our population who are the poorest, and the almost 70% who are called “unpoor” but actually mean that they live only precarious-ly above the poverty line.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is where you come in.

I would like to focus on two things that I believe we need to finally ban-ish these discouraging statistics, unavoidable facts which persist despite our best efforts to change them.

First, I believe business should take the lead in nation-building, in

poverty reduction, in developing our shared future. You have demon-strated in your work your ability to do so with your wealth, your skills, and your imagination in raising our economy to a level that has at-tracted positive elements. But it has happened under a system that has distributed the benefits inequitably.

The success of our nation de-pends on national unity, but it is hard for me to imagine how unity can be even be possible when near-ly 97% percent of our people do not feel they are sharing in our so-called “economic miracle.”

And share in it they must. Not simply because for those of us of privilege and wealth, caring for the needs of our communities and our nation is the correct, upright thing to do, but also because it is in our best interests.

It is alarming to note that, despite our economic gains of recent years, at least 3,700 Filipinos leave for jobs abroad every single day. Nearly one in 10 of us are already abroad, meet-ing our families’ basic needs with the earnings from foreign jobs. It is distressing to see the most desper-ate of our people even consigned to the streets, or falling prey to sexual or other forms of exploitation simply because of a lack of opportunities.

These people are our workforce, and our market. They are our great-est resource, a resource that only grows in strength and does not di-minish if it is used for the benefit of all.

Asking business to lead us in na-tion-building is a tall request, and one that government cannot rightly ask if it is not willing to equally share the burden, or take the lead. Which brings me to the second, but no less important point: How can govern-ment help business do business?

It is perhaps understandable if many doubt whether government actually has the ability to do that, because recent problems have re-vealed shortcomings in our efforts to eliminate corruption and improve

performance. The P62.3-billion Conditional Cash Transfer Program, directed at the poorest of our poor Filipino families, has not helped all that it could because of leakages, because of weaknesses in the im-plementation, and because of lack of clarity in principle and in concept as to what the program was meant to achieve.

The modest efforts towards up-grading our armed forces have been hampered by anomalous deals and irregular transactions with suppliers of questionable competence. Every day, hundreds of thousands of com-muters – our workers, our students, our shoppers – face the challenges of using an aging, inadequate com-muter rail service that has become unreliable under the best of circum-stances, and actually dangerous to life and limb at its worst.

Sound fiscal management has provided the Philippines with bil-lions in accumulated savings, yet deploying those carefully-collected resources into infrastructure, im-proving the nation’s defense and law enforcement capabilities, and other basic development has proved more difficult than it should rightly be. And as a result, opportunities to create jobs, to create new areas for business growth, and to expand consumer and investment markets have been lost.

Government as well as business must change. The “trickle-down” concept of economics, pursuit of profit for profit’s sake with the ex-pectation that the benefits will even-tually find their way to the lower levels of our society, is a failure. It is something I sensed a long time ago, while still a student at univer-sity. In a study that we made on the Marshall Plan, which had as its cen-tral principle, a trickle down theory: throw money at the problem, if you had enough money it would trickle down to the poorest and you would have taken care of it. While there, I wrote a paper proposing that it is good economic policy, and ulti-

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business leaders of our country, to take the lead in nation-building for all Filipinos. It is the firm foundation we need to be able to help you in that role, and to create a business environment of more opportuni-ties for investors, an environment in which innovation, competition, and customer choice, value-added, drives our growth, and an envi-ronment in which businesses and consumers alike can be confident in fair, consistent, and uncompro-mised regulation.

So that we can have peace and order reign in our land, we must find ways to end internal conflicts and long-standing rebellions. The next resident must initiate peace negotiations with all who wish to stand against us – the MILF and other Muslim groups, and the New People’s Army and its Communist compatriots. And we will achieve this peace by building self-respect and mutual respect, addressing the root causes of conflict while pro-tecting the rights and opportunities of all Filipinos.

Power and water supply, traffic and transport issues, other chal-lenges

Let us shift now our focus to some of the specific challenges our nation faces.

The Philippines has the dubi-ous distinction of having the most expensive electricity among all the ASEAN nations, the second-highest in all of Asia, next to Japan. Part of this cost can of course be attributed to our heavy reliance on imported fuels, and out-dated, inefficient power generation systems.

Another significant contributor to our very high electrical costs, however, is the unjustifiable per-ception shared by government and

the power sector that all risks and losses can be passed on to the end consumer. Electricity, of course, is not free, nor should it be. It requires resources and effort to produce and to deliver to consumers, and it is altogether appropriate that those consumers pay a price for it that reflects the true costs of produc-tion and distribution, and yes, a fair profit for producers and distributors as a worthwhile reward for their ef-forts.

What is not appropriate is to pass on to consumers costs not directly connected to the production and delivery of the commodity they are purchasing. Costs such as corporate income taxes. Costs such as capital expenditures for the development and roll-out of a prepaid electricity program that already provides elec-tricity distributors with the bonus of guaranteed, up-front income, and further traps poor consumers in a subsistence-level existence. Costs such as “system losses” due to in-efficiency, poor maintenance, or outright thievery. Cost such as the electricity used to power the elec-tric generator’s or distributor’s own facilities.

Costs such as more than P5 bil-lion in excessive generation charg-es levied against electric customers more than a year ago, but thank-fully declared invalid and ordered returned.

Again, addressing these matters cannot be done with a single-di-mensional approach. Any success-ful administration can and will work to develop more sensible rules, and create a regulatory framework that not only encourages and facilitates inputs from all affected stakehold-ers, but relies on them in a way that reflects the democratic nature of

our society. By the same token, we recognize that we must also strive to provide greater opportunity for growth and innovation, by providing a consistent, rule-of-law based busi-ness environment, and by giving our strong support to development of alternative sources of electricity, using resources the Philippines is blessed with, such as geothermal, solar, wind, and biomass and any other emerging technology that we may take advantage of.

Solving our chronic power sup-ply problems not only opens new opportunities in the power sector, it will be a big step towards the cre-ation of the elusive inclusive econo-my, and greatly enhance the Philip-pines’ productivity at all levels.

Other countries have taken a shortcut to lowering power rates by subsidizing electrical costs. I think that is something that we have to look at very closely and possibly is a mistaken approach to the prob-lem, and cannot lead to the same productivity and cost reduction that equitable but strict regulation and an attractive level playing field can provide. There must be no subsi-dies under the next administration – but there will be close monitoring and engagement with the industry.

Although studies vary in their perceptions of the scope and de-gree of the problem, it is a growing shared concern among scientists and policymakers that the entire world is moving quickly towards a water crisis. Over the past couple of months, we have seen a glimpse of what’s to come in California, where vast stretches of the state are unable to obtain fresh water in any form at any cost.

Studies in the Philippines con-firm we are not immune to this risk:

“Peak water,” the point at which our consumption exceeds our resources to replenish supplies, is estimated sometime between 2030 and 2050. Already we feel the effects of an El Niño-triggered drought in some parts of the country, while other places such as Mindanao regularly experience shortages during long dry spells.

Under the next administration, we must not wait like California for the crisis to be upon us before acting to secure our future water needs. We must take steps to encourage more investment in water supply systems, and I believe an area that has great promise in desalinization, a tried and tested technology already be-ing regularly used in different parts of the world.

Desalinization technology is not of course without its challenges; the systems themselves are costly, and consume a great deal of energy. But I believe we must find ways to attract investment in that area, and that by doing so, help the technol-ogy to improve, to become more ef-ficient, and to lower costs. Even if it is costly at first, the alternative—no water at any price—is simply unac-ceptable.

Thanks to the duopoly we have allowed to capture this vital part of our national infrastructure,—tele-communications—we are forced to tolerate service that is consistently rated as some of the worst in the world, and some of the highest-priced. A reliable, competitively-priced telecommunications sys-tem whose performance is on par with our partners and competitors throughout the region is not just a matter of convenience; it is a matter of national security.

Dateline PhiliPPines

appointments, but throughout the entire bureaucracy.

Meritocracy will guide the orga-nization and leadership of even the Armed Forces and Philippine Na-tional Police as well. Our nation’s internal and external security, peace and order in our cities and neighborhoods, is a critical concern for all us, government, business, and private citizens—all the same. Under the next administration, leadership roles in the police and armed forces that will be regarded with the gravity they deserve: As roles with vital responsibilities, re-sponsibilities that can only be met by leaders who have demonstrated integrity, have demonstrated skill, and experience, and who believe, as I do, that inasmuch as promotion to a position of greater authority is an endorsement of one’s abilities and good service, it is also a call to duty and not a reward to be passed frequently from one officer to an-other.

These critical top leadership po-sitions in our Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNP will no longer be subject to the “revolving door policy”, wherein, again, for po-litical considerations just make up a queue and say you will be the head for six months, next, next, next, im-material of what your performance has been or if you have shown any special qualities that put you above the rank and file, that put you above all the other officers who also are vying for the same position.

Our military and police leaders have great responsibilities, and must earn the trust and confidence of their men and women in uniform if they are to lead effectively. And that they cannot do if they cannot be assured of stability and continu-ity in command. Frequent changes in leadership undermine morale, and make instilling discipline from the top, where it should start, dif-ficult if not impossible. The next administration, leaders of the uni-formed services will be chosen ac-cording to demonstrated skill and experience, and will be retained for as long as they can serve, and con-tinue to make a positive difference.

But in order for our leaders in uniform to fulfill the duties we de-mand of them, they must have our support, and be given the tools they need to carry out their tasks. Just as government should strive to help business do business, under the next administration we will do our utmost to pay tribute to our coura-geous and hard-working men and women in uniform in deeds, and not only words.

Modernizing the AFP is an ob-

A second opinion...PAGE A6

PAGE A8

jective that should be pursued with vigor, but with reason. It is unrea-sonable to pursue modernization without having a clear doctrine ad-dressing national defense and re-duction of internal threats. It is un-reasonable to pursue modernization while overlooking the basic needs of servicemen and their families for fair pay, and meaningful benefits deliv-ered efficiently and with a minimum of procedures. It is unreasonable to pursue modernization by seeking bargains on other nations’ obsolete, second-hand equipment and ma-teriel. It is unreasonable to pursue modernization using a complicated, time-consuming procurement pro-cess that is at risk of corruption and abuse.

Modernization of the armed forc-es under any successful administra-tion will build trust and confidence in government and the armed forces alike, because it will be exactly that – modernization. We should seek to equip the armed forces with only the best tools and systems – not others’ hand-me-downs – and to eliminate middlemen and lengthy processes that can be corrupted, we will, we should, wherever possible, pur-sue the needed upgrades through government-to-government deals. Where that is not possible, and with the FOI as the peoples’ assurance that transactions are carried out with integrity, we will seek only the best suppliers with proven track records through transparent, consistent bid-ding processes.

I would like also now to take a few moments to touch upon and focus on the topic of “peace and order.” As I’m sure you are all aware, the threat of crime and a general lack of discipline is harmful to our econ-omy, diverts resources away from productive endeavors, and reduces our quality of life.

A successful administration will have meritocracy that will be ap-plied to our law enforcement and judicial sectors with no less vigor than the rest of the government. Be-cause again, it is as much a matter of trust as it is “getting the job done.” Proper equipment and training, and the fair, firm, and consistent main-tenance of discipline will encourage greater respect for the law, as will improving the efficiency and consis-tency of the judicial system.

By focusing on meritocracy, ef-ficiency, and integrity in govern-ment, in national defense, and in law enforcement, this government will lay the firm foundation needed to “democratize capitalism” and to encourage the sharing of the fruits of our collective effort with all Fili-pinos. It is the firm foundation that we need to be able to ask you, the

tration must ensure that discipline is the rule throughout every rank of law enforcement. When the law enforcers become the law-breakers there is a serious problem in the system.

Of course, government must contribute to the effort, and to that end the next administration should focus on expanding the transporta-tion infrastructure, as well as pro-viding better training and proper equipment to law enforcement and for the orderly conduct of our trans-port system.

We cannot speak about the prob-lems that plague the country with-out talking about port congestion. I am pleased that the amendments to the Cabotage Law have finally been enacted, and I urge the government and Philippine businesses to take full advantage of it. Yes, it does in-crease competitive pressure, but I believe it opens up new opportuni-ties as well.

We have also recently learned that Manila’s port area is vulnerable to strong earthquakes. It makes sense then to encourage traffic to spread to other ports, which is what the next administration must do – for example, Subic and Port Irene for goods bound to or from Central and Northern Luzon, and Batangas for deliveries in Southern Luzon.

Infrastructure building must be a central part of the government’s ef-forts to improve the economy. One of the challenges we must overcome if we are to build a greater nation is to find ways to meet our enormous need for infrastructure of all kinds. We have now a limited number of large companies – highly-qualified and successful companies, to be sure – who build our large-scale infrastructure projects, and while they do good work, it is clear more participation is needed. The next administration must find ways to attract new investors and partners to help build the infrastructure we need. The government has belatedly recognized the lack of infrastructure development and public investment. We had over the past few years been spending at the rate of 2.5 percent of our GDP on infrastructure devel-opment. And because it had been clearly shown that we cannot make the economy expand and grow and create jobs if we do not improve our infrastructure development plan, then there was a policy decision that we would increase the govern-ment expenditure in infrastructure development to 5 percent of GDP. However, government also—fol-lowing the recommendations of the World Bank study where it said 50 percent of the personnel of the De-partment of Public Works needed to be removed—so with an increase of double of our expenditure but with halving of the capacity of the

Department of Public Works, then clearly it cannot work.

And this kind of system where we have the government, where the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing, again brings us to this kind of situation. As I said this is a belated realization but it is a simple problem that does not have a simple solution. It must start from the very beginnings of the creation of policy and carried on through the implementation of that policy.

We must find ways to attract new investments and partners to help build the infrastructure that we need. And that is why I think we have come upon a very impor-tant juncture when we speak about infrastructure development: we are at the moment in my committee in Public Works, we are presently finishing the amendments to the PPP Law. There is great promise if we can actually get the system to implement large national projects on PPP bases, where we can trans-fer the costs of capital to the private sector and even the financial risks to the private sector, whilst giving the private sector to gain profit.

And now, I’ve saved the best part for last, let us talk about tax policy. Undoubtedly, you businessmen, that is your favorite subject.

My administration—should it happen— will push for the adop-tion of the gross income tax policy for businesses. Just as excessive human intervention poses a risk to government procurements, collect-ing tax revenue has become simi-larly compromised. Under that ad-ministration, corporations will pay reasonable, fixed taxes computed on their gross income, with compa-nies fairly categorized according to their type and size.

Practices such as negotiating a bribe to receive a reduced tax as-sessment will immediately become a thing of the past under such as system.

Managing an equitable and effi-cient tax system – or anything else I’ve touched on today – will not be possible without a meritocracy-based, professional civil service and judiciary. A strong and indepen-dent judiciary is a vital necessity, a partner in all our efforts to pro-vide greater opportunities for our people, to maintain our peace and security, encourage discipline, and maintain a productive level playing field for every business and every entrepreneur.

But it is a partner that many would say is missing, and has been for many years now. The next presi-dent, if it is I, will welcome that part-ner back to our nation, by applying the principles of meritocracy to the judiciary. It is a judiciary that is free from the whiff of corruption and totally above reproach, because its

people are employed and rewarded in ways that recognize their compe-tence and good performance, and provided with respectable liveli-hoods for the important work they do on behalf of our nation.

In my remarks today, I have tried to remind us all of our duty to our fellow-man, the vast population of the Philippines who do not share in the benefits we are able to create, yet makes those benefits possible and could increase them almost be-yond measure just if they are given a fair opportunity. I have touched on the gap in trust created between a government that performs poorly and inefficiently and the people it is meant to serve.

I have highlighted areas – areas familiar to every one of us on a personal level, such as utility ser-vices, telecommunications, trans-portation, power-generation – in which our policies have hampered our growth and development. And I have, at least in brief terms, sug-gested ways in which the rule of law can be better enforced and in which taxes can be assessed more equitably and ethically, and more consistently.

The strength of the nation is in its unity, but unity cannot be achieved if the leader of the nation serves both the nation and his party. We must leave politics in its proper place. I take the same view as Presi-dent Manuel L. Quezon when he said: “My loyalty to my party ends where my loyalty to my country be-gins.” This is something that all our leaders should be well reminded of. Therefore, the next president must resign from his party and be a unifying president – after all, we do not elect a “President of the Lib-eral Party,” or a “President of the Nacionalista Party,” but a President of the Republic of the Philippines, whose duty is no less to the citizen who did not vote for him than it is to his most ardent supporter. And in a non-partisan role, one should work with all political parties to strengthen the party system, an area of our democracy that is weak and ineffectual.

Once again the concept of meri-tocracy: I believe that in a meritoc-racy, the rule of law becomes sec-ond nature. In a meritocracy, we can focus on the real answer to that question: What would I do if I were president? Strong nations need strong foundations, and a successful presidency must emphasize service to the vast majority of our people – not in handouts, but in opportu-nities to easily join the meritocracy where we can build together.

Thank you very much and good afternoon. God bless us all. Mabu-hay ang Republika ng Pilipinas. Mabuhay ang Asian CEO Forum. (ManilaTImes.net)

I feel it is more productive to ap-proach problems from as positive a perspective as possible. But that is very difficult when it comes to the problem of telecommunications infrastructure, because consumer anger is so widespread. Frustra-tion with poor telecommunications services cuts across all segments of society– I’m sure there’s at least one or two, or quite probably more, of us in this room who have recently, maybe even today, been annoyed and inconvenienced by a poor sig-nal, or a lack of coverage, a dropped call, missed messaging. It is 2015, ladies and gentlemen, the technol-ogy exists.

Why do we suffer under these conditions?

For reasons that I have never been able to fathom, prepaid load on cellular phones has an expira-tion date. This only happens in the Philippines. You go to Malaysia, no such thing occur. You go to Thai-land, no such thing occur. You go anywhere else where there is a cel-lular phone system, no such thing occur. Is it perhaps because most load is used for text messages, which cost virtually nothing for the telcos to transmit?

A good president must ensure

A second opinion...telecommunications services are improved, and provide value to their users. We should work with the patriotic Agham Group of Sci-entists for the People, whose as-sessment is that the provision of text messaging services should and can be provided for free, at very little if any real cost to the com-panies. We must also direct that a critical review of industry pricing structures and practices be carried out, and abusive or otherwise un-justifiable practices corrected. I will also explore ways in which greater competition in the industry can be encouraged, perhaps through a law similar to the recently-enacted law permitting the entry of foreign banks, or changes to the so-called ‘economic provisions’ of the Con-stitution.

We are all, no doubt, very famil-iar with the ongoing woes of Metro Manila’s light rail transit system—serious safety and reliability issues, poor maintenance, overcrowding, allegations of corruption—and I know that you are all familiar with these so I will not belabor the point.

In fact, we should acknowledge that some small progress is be-ing made. I think more progress is made if one does not wait five

years to begin the work, so the next administration must hit the ground running. We all know how safe and comfortable nearby rail systems such as in Singapore or Hong Kong are compared to our own. The only thing stopping us from having the same system in our country, in our cities, is ourselves.

Traffic congestion goes hand-in-hand with overworked public transit systems, and both present the same problem to all of us: They have a serious negative impact on our pro-ductivity and on the bottom line. I saw recently a calculation, an esti-mate, as to what are the actual peso costs to the very bad traffic situation in Manila and the calculation was at P2.4 billion a day. I think that all of us here who have sat in our cars, frustrated at the lack of progress go-ing from one place to another, will find that that estimate is just about right.

Fixing the trains will take some engineering effort, but traffic congestion can at least be partly solved by enforcing discipline on our roads. Discipline comes from the top, which is why the meritoc-racy-based, non-political standards I mentioned earlier for choosing leaders in the police and military is so important: Corrupt and err-ing lower-level officers cannot be corrected by superiors who are not above reproach. The next adminis-

(650) 616-4150 • http://www.asianjournal.com NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • AUgUSt 7-13, 2015 A�

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FREMONT, CA -- In a General Membership Meeting held Sunday, July 26, 2015, at Lake Eliza-beth Park in Fremont, California, the members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines – California Chapter (IBP-CAL) elected its new set of officers to serve the term of office from 2015 to 2017. This General Membership Meeting coincided with the Annual Summer Picnic of the said organization.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines was es-tablished as the official organization for the legal profession by Philippine Republic Act No. 6397. The law confirmed the constitutional power of the Philippine Supreme Court to adopt rules for the integration of the Philippine Bar. Consequent-ly, Presidential Decree 181 constituted the IBP into a corporate body in 1973.

The IBP Constitution and By-Laws considers the following, “automatically and without excep-tion,” as members of the IBP: 1) All lawyers whose names were in the Roll of Attorneys of the Supreme Court on January 16, 1973. 2) All lawyers whose names were included or are entered therein after the said date. There are currently about forty-thou-sand (40,000) living attorneys who comprise the IBP and they are organized into chapters located in every town and city all over the Philippines and one in the United States. These are the attorneys whose names appear in the Rolls of Attorneys of the Supreme Court. They have qualified for and have passed the Philippine Bar Examination conducted annually, and have taken the attorney’s oath, un-

COMMUNITYJ o u r n a l

Atty. RobeRt ReevesMAy ZhAng & DiZA

& nAncy e. MilleR

Your ImmigrationSolution

COMMITTING a crime can get you into a lot of trouble. But entering a plea in criminal court may get you into even more trouble. If you don’t know the immigration consequences of the plea you enter, your troubles may just be beginning. That great deal that kept you out of jail may also get you deported. That is why the United States Supreme Court has said, in Pa-dilla v. Kentucky, that criminal defense lawyers must either tell their non-citizen clients the im-migration consequences of their proposed agreement or instruct them to seek the advice of an immigration attorney.

Mr. Padilla had lived in the United States as a lawful perma-nent resident for over 40 years. He had served in the military with honor during the Vietnam War. When he learned that he faced deportation after plead-ing guilty to the transportation of a large amount of marijuana, he went back into criminal court to try to withdraw his guilty plea (a process called post-conviction relief). He said that his criminal defense attorney failed to advise him of the immigration conse-quences of the plea. He also said that his defense attorney told him that he “did not have to worry about immigration status since he had been in the country for so long.” In fact, Padilla’s guilty plea made deportation a certain-ty. He said that, if he had known that, he would have taken his case to trial. When the courts in Kentucky denied his request for post-conviction relief, he asked the Supreme Court to review his case. The Court agreed to review the case and decided that crimi-nal defense counsel have an obli-gation to advise their immigrant client that the offense to which he is pleading will result in his removal from this country.

How will your guilty plea affect your ability to stay in the US?

The Court held that the impor-tance of accurate legal advice for noncitizens accused of crimes has never been more important. It recognized that deportation is sometimes the most important part of the penalty that may be imposed on noncitizen defen-dants who plead guilty to specific crimes. For that reason, a defen-dant is entitled to the effective assistance of competent counsel before deciding to enter into a plea agreement.

The test for determining whether representation is com-petent was set forth in a case called Strickland v. Washington. The Strickland test has two parts. The first part examines whether counsel’s representation fell below an objective standard of reasonableness. The second part looks to whether the result would have been different but for the unprofessional error (in other words, was the defendant prejudiced by the incompetent representation). To satisfy this section, a noncitizen will have to convince the court that a de-cision to reject the plea bargain would have been rational under the circumstances.

The Court did not, however, go so far as to require that crim-inal defense attorneys become experts in the area of immigra-tion law. It acknowledged that immigration law is complex and that there will be numerous situ-ations in which the deportation consequences of a particular plea may be unclear or uncer-tain. As Justice Alito said in his concurring decision in Pa-dilla, “nothing is ever simple with immigration law”. Terms such as “conviction”, “moral turpitude”, “single scheme of criminal misconduct” are terms of art and have different mean-ings in immigration law than in state law. Other concepts in the

Immigration & Nationality Act are ambiguous or confusing to attorneys not versed in the in-tricacies of immigration law. Is someone an alien (or are they a citizen without knowing it)? What is the difference between being inadmissible, removable or ineligible for naturalization? Under Padilla, the criminal de-fense attorney does not need to know the answers to these ques-tions. But the alien trying to avoid deportation must.

The question then for the noncitizen accused of a crime is, how can he best protect himself from a “good” plea bargain that results in his deportation? The immigrant quite plainly must consult an immigration attorney experienced and knowledge-able in the immigration conse-quences of criminal offenses and convictions and he must do so before he enters into any plea agreement. Ideally, his criminal defense attorney and his immi-gration attorney should work together to obtain a “deal” that is beneficial from both a crimi-nal defense and an immigration standpoint.

To the alien who says “why should I have two attorneys just to deal with this one criminal problem?” The answer is “be-cause you want to be able to le-gally stay in the United States.”

***Atty. Reeves has represented clients in numerous landmark immigration cases that have set new policies regarding INS action and immigrants’ rights. His offices are located in Pasadena, Irvine, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Makati City. Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com.

***The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case. (Advertising Supplement)

WASHINGTON – The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), as part of the year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary, today released American Experiences versus American Expectations. The re-

EEOC releases report on the American workplace50th anniversary report illustrates progress made by women and minorities, challenges that remain

port illustrates the significant changes to the demographics of the workforce since EEOC opened its doors in 1965 as well as the continuing challenges to equal opportunity in employ-ment.

The new report, an update to EEOC’s groundbreaking 1977 report Black Experiences Versus Black Expectations, examines changes in participation in nine job categories for African-Ameri-

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Newly elected set of officers and members of IBP-CAL for the term 2015 to 2017. Annual Picnic of IBP-CAL held at Lake Elizabeth Park in Fremont, California

IBP – CAL elects new set of officers for the term 2015-2017

The CTVFiles

ATTY. LILLI B. BACULI

Americaalendar of EventsacrossC

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS!PRE-EVENT AND POST-EVENT

GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW.CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES

FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS

Join us for a night of great food, dancing, fellowship, and answering to God’s call of help-ing poor children and victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. This special fundraising dinner dance and silent auction will take place on Saturday, August 8th at Griffith Park Visitor Center Auditorium (4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, CA) from 6 to 10:30pm. For reservations, please call 818-748-7361 or 818-627-3720.

Now on its 17th year, Fiesta in America (FIA) presents trade & cultural show and food festival on Aug. 15 & 16 at Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, NJ. The concert seg-ment features Philippine-based singer-actress Vina Morales and TV personalities Edgar Allan Guzman and Maxene Magalona. On opening day on Saturday, Aug. 15, senior citizens (62 years and above) and children (below 6 years) can enter the expo free of charge between 12noon and 1pm and can take a free health screening inside. Free seminars on various topics are scheduled. General admission: $25; Seniors $18. To sponsor, exhibit, advertise or attend, call 212.682.6610 or email info@fiestainamerica.com.

The Philippine Women’s University Alumni Association of Southern California invites alumni, family and friends to its picnic Sunday, August 16 from 10 am to 5 pm, at Cabrillo Beach (3720 Stephen M. White Dr., San Pedro, CA 90731). Philwomenians continue to give back to their Alma Mater by contributing annually towards the Final Boost Scholarship Pro-gram. To date, PWUAASC has had nine scholars at the PWU, Manila. For directions, call (310)548-2909. Limited street parking is free for early arrivals, and beach parking $9 maximum all day. Varied activities including swimming, fishing, biking, and a play area for kids. Bring your favorite dishes or desserts to add to PWUAASC’S picnic treat. Prizes await game winners. To RSVP, contact Tessie Go-Hoey at (310) 569-1670, Email:tessiegohoey@yahoo.com, or Exal Igidbashian at (562) 447-9783,

Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation of Lucena City, Philippines to be hosted by MSEUF Alumni Association of California. Announcement to all MSEUF (formerly known as Luzonian University Foundation) Alumni of our Grand Reunion to be held on August 20-22, 2015 at the Gold Coast Resort Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada (4000 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas). Tickets are $80.00/person, including Bowling and the reunion Dinner/Dance. For additional information and inquiries, please contact the following: Nonato Palo-mar (818) 209-6881 nonatop@sbcglobal.net; Mercy G. Bruno (310) 686-1421 mercygbruno@gmail.com; Malou Almadrones (213) 531-7824 marylou616@yahoo.com; and Butch Villarama (916) 600-8472 r.villaram@comcast.net.

n Student Association is set to host their annual 30th Northridge Invitational Tourna-ment (NIT), one of the most competitive Filipino American sports tournaments in Southern California from August 21-23 at CSUN campus, with over sixty teams and 700 athletes in attendance. The 3-day summer sports tournament will include basketball, volleyball, softball, football, and bowling. Players include high school varsity, junior college, NCAA & NAIA Divi-sion 1-3, and some professional players. For more information on participating in or sponsor-ing NIT, please visit www.csunfasanit.com. Registration payments are due by Friday, August 14. For any questions, please email us at fasa.nit@gmail.com or call the Tournament Director CJ Berina at (818) 458-7446. You can also follow FASA NIT on Twitter @FASANIT2015.

The Philippine Women’s University Alumni Association of Southern California appeals to alumni, family and friends to help in its humanitarian mission with a casino turn-around fundraiser at Harrah’s on Sunday, August 23. First pick up is at 8 am at 1512 E. Amar Rd., West Covina, CA 91792. Bus departs at 8:15 am; please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to departure. Second pick-up is at 8:45 am at 7511 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park, CA 99621. Bus leaves at 9 am with a return from the casino at 3 pm. Donation is $20, which includes bus ride and continental breakfast, and a chance to help PWUAASC’s projects like the annual distribution of hygienic packages for homeless men at Skid Row; backpacks for children at Harbor UCLA Medical Center; and donation to American Red Cross for survivors and victims of natural disasters. To sign up, please contact Virginia B. Vivas (714) 397-2976; Puring Worrell (310) 999-9574; Vicky Soong (626) 272-0465, Tessie N. Lightholder (909) 465-5919, or email Marigene Strouse GENIE1705@aol.com.

All U.P. Graduates, family and friends are invited to attend The Induction Dinner Dance of the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Los Angeles (UPAAGLA) on August 29, 2015 at 6pm at the Glendale Embassy Suites (800 Central Ave, Glendale, CA 91203). This event shall benefit the Scholarship Fund of UPAAGLA. Tickets are $75 inclusive of dinner. For ticket and sponsorship inquiries, please contact Arnel Joaquin (213) 880-3305 / arnelj@gmail.com, or Dick Cu (562) 547-0560, or visit www.upaagla.org.

Where: Penderbrook Golf Club, 3700 Golf Trail Lane, Fairfax, VA 22033When: September 4, 2015; 8am-2pmPlease contact: Jaena Hermosilla Valles 718-275-1422; jvalles@vallesvendiola.com or

Bobby Tamayo 703-615-9451; rgtamayo@verizon.netVisit www.ncpacafoundation.com for more details.

Where: JW Marriott 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC 20004When: September 4-6, 2015; from 8am-5pmPlease contact: Jaena Hermosilla Valles 718-275-1422; jvalles@vallesvendiola.com or

Bobby Tamayo 703-615-9451; rgtamayo@verizon.netVisit www.ncpacafoundation.com for more details.

The Thomasians USA (Sto. Tomas, Pampanga) will celebrate their 25th Silver Anniver-sary on August 8, 2015 at the Westin Hotel - LAX. The association is headed by Liza Diaz, president. Music will be provided by The Midnight Motion Band. For additional information, please call Linda Simbulan (562) 607-2811 or Dan Sunga at (818) 359-5853.

The Nagcarlan Association of Southern California will celebrate their 49th Anniversary with a fundraising dinner-dance at the Stardancers Dance Studio on Saturday, August 15, 2015. For any questions, please call Roger Flores at (818) 438-8893.

The Filipino Association of Leisure World will hold their dinner-dance at the Leisure World Hall on Saturday, September 5th. Music will be provided by The Midnight Motion Band. For further information, please call Ren Villanueva at (323) 854-6209.

MONETTEADEVA MAGLAYA

ImmigrantLiving: 101 and Beyond

IN 2010, a young boy who climbed Mount Everest gained a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. He was on TV for his 15 minutes of celebrity status. I had to flip the channel.

Abby Sunderland, a California teenager who set out in January 2010 to circumnavigate the world solo and who eventually sent out distress signals that had three countries scrambling to launch rescue missions in the danger-ous South Indian Ocean. She’s alive and well apparently.

Ian Kiernan, an Australian re-cord holder for the same feat says, “I don’t know what she’s doing in the Southern Ocean as a 16-year-old in the middle of winter. It’s foolhardy.” Abby’s brother had achieved the feat a few years ago. And it was enough to make the younger sibling de-cide, hey me too.

Back in April 1996, a 7-year old named Jessica, died together with her father and flight instruc-tor, their plane crashing after take-off in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Jessica was trying to become the youngest person to fly an air-plane across the US.

And who can ever forget the insane inanity of the “balloon boy’s” parents?

Such stunts have been met with criticism, some loud and harsh and some with just a mute shaking of the head. I, for one, am deeply suspicious about the values that generate this kind of vainglorious dreams that badly skews our perceptions of what matters in life.

Hail to the ordinary “There are definitely some enemies in my life I definitely would wish celebrity on ...”

—Gary Coleman, dead at 42,suffered a reversal of fortune,

star of the sitcom, “Diff’rent Strokes”

As others are finding out, ce-lebrity can be a curse. When will this insanity of glory hounds end, both these young ones and their parents? Does the lure of making it on the books, celeb-rity, money and endorsements and feeling superior overtake common sense? Do parents feel the need to bask in the reflected glory of their children’s achieve-ments? Surely there has got to be more to life than satisfying one’s ego. Surely, there are more worthwhile things in the world such self-absorption can be redirected to.

In the interest of providing a view that may knock some sense to some of us with pie-in-the sky longings for recognition and ce-lebrity, here’s an article that at-tempts to provoke thought. This addresses the same tendency that in Greek mythology, had Icarus’ wax wings melting in the heat of the sun as he flew higher, the same thing that doomed the fallen angels and the same thing that may have driven Adam and Eve from Eden. Here it is – an at-tempt to show appreciation for what simply is.

The world we live in is con-ditioned to emulate extremes. We delight in the most beauti-ful, the tallest, the largest, the richest, the brightest, the fast-est and anything else you can think of, as well as pay attention to extremes at the opposite end of the spectrum: the ugliest, the shortest, the smallest, the poor-

est, the darkest, the slowest. You get the idea.

We’re conditioned to pay no mind to the ordinary, the mid-dle ground, the average run-of-the-mill, the shades of gray, the humdrum of everyday life or the predictably dull and boring.

The heroes and heroines made immortal in books and movies were extraordinary characters. We do not particularly care for bland characters who live lives of quiet desperation. We want to live vicariously through the lives of characters who are defiantly shaking their fists at the gods and beating all odds.

We are tempted to look at movie stars, fat cats and other luminaries who dare defy con-ventions basking in the public limelight pursued by TMZ cam-eras as people worthy of awe and respect. And if you let it, a tiny tinge of envy gnaws at our souls when you see their im-ages commanding megabucks. They appear as titans walking among ants.

Granted a select few of them deserve the attention we give them but most can be reduced to fodder for the gristmill of enter-tainment. The truth is, those who deserve our awe and respect are the ones who orbit our daily life. (Continued next week)

* * *

ON November 20, 2014, Pres-ident Obama announced certain Executive Action initiatives, one of which was the expansion of the Deferred Action for Child-hood Arrivals (DACA) program, first introduced in 2012. Under the Executive Action announced by the President, DACA was to be expanded to allow DACA re-cipients to have a three-year in-stead of a two-year work autho-rization document.

In February 16, 2015, the 5th Circuit Court issued an injunc-tion to halt Executive Action ini-tiatives, such as the expansion of DACA. Some 2,100 three-year work authorization documents were issued to DACA recipients after February 16, 2015, which are now being recalled by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Individuals who have received a letter to return their employ-ment authorization documents to USCIS are those that have been identified as those who must re-turn their employment cards to USCIS. USCIS will terminate all such identified erroneous three-year work authorization docu-ments as of July 31, 2015, and failure to return such erroneous three-year work authorization document prior to July 31, 2015 will be deemed as a negative factor in any renewal DACA ap-plications or other discretionary applications in the future.

Two-year DACA work autho-rization still available optionMany young individuals have already taken advantage of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which was first announced on June 15, 2012. While this does not pro-vide a pathway to getting lawful permanent resident status (i.e., a green card) or citizenship, this nevertheless allows young indi-viduals to remain in the US and

Recall of 3-year DACA Work Authorization Cards; criminal bars to DACA application

apply for a work authorization document.

A key element to qualify for deferred action is that an indi-vidual “must not have been con-victed of a felony, a significant misdemeanor, or three or more non-significant misdemeanors, and not pose a threat to public safety or national security.”

What counts as a conviction for a felony? A felony is a fed-eral, state or local offense that carries a potential sentence of more than one year.

What counts as a conviction for a significant misdemeanor? A “significant misdemeanor” is a federal, state, or local crimi-nal offense punishable by im-prisonment of one year or less, but more than five days and is an offense of domestic violence; certain crimes involving a con-trolled substances (distribution or trafficking of controlled sub-stances); burglary; driving un-der the influence of alcohol or drugs; or any other misdemean-or for which the person received a jail sentence of more than 90 days.

What counts as a conviction for multiple misdemeanors? “Multiple misdemeanors” are three or more non-significant misdemeanors not occurring on the same day and not arising from the same act or scheme of misconduct. For this purpose, a misdemeanor is a federal, state, or local criminal offense punish-able by imprisonment of one year or less, but more than five days.

What about Juvenile Delin-quency Adjudications? Juve-nile Delinquency is an act that would have been a crime if it was committed by an adult.

Juvenile delinquency adju-dication varies from state to state. However, under Federal Law, a disposition of juvenile delinquency is defined as a find-

ing made by a juvenile court of a violation of law committed by a person prior to his or her 18th birthday. The Board of Im-migration Appeals has ruled that “to determine whether state ju-venile proceeding results in a criminal conviction or civil de-linquency adjudication, [it] will compare the judgment in ques-tion with adjudications under the Federal Juvenile Delinquen-cy Act (FJDA).”

Each Application is assessed on a case-by-case basis to deter-mine whether, under particular circumstances, a favorable exer-cise of prosecutorial discretion will be granted to an Applicant. Failure to disclose a juvenile ad-judication might be considered fraud and lead to the initiation of removal proceedings. Even if the juvenile case is under seal, there is no guarantee that the incident will not appear on an applicant’s FBI rap sheet, which USCIS will check.

It is important to know your options, and understand the process involving the DACA program. An experienced im-migration law firm or attorney will be able to help you navigate through the DACA application process, including how to han-dle a criminal history or juvenile record.

* * *

cans, Hispanics, Asian-Ameri-cans, American Indians/Alaskan Natives, and women between 1966, the first year for which EEOC collected data, and 2013, the most recent year for which data is available. The report draws on data from EEOC’s EEO-1 survey.

“Despite notable progress in diversity and inclusion in the workplace over the past half cen-tury, this report highlights con-tinued job segregation by race and gender, with women and people of color disproportion-ately occupying lower paying po-sitions,” said EEOC Chair Jenny R. Yang.

Beginning in 1966, all employ-ers with 100 or more employees (lower thresholds apply to federal contractors) have been required by law to file the Employer In-formation Report EEO-1 with the EEOC. In FY 2013, approximate-

ly 70,000 employers filed reports indicating the composition of their workforce by sex, race/eth-nicity, and major job categories. Observations from the American Experiences versus American Expectations report include the following:

• In 1966, African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asian-Americans each made less than 1 percent of senior-level positions. Since then, the participation rates for all three groups have increased by five to seven times.

• The participation rate of women in the Professionals category has skyrocketed from roughly 14 percent in 1966 to more than 53 percent in 2013.

• Women and minorities re-main concentrated, or segregat-ed, in lower paying positions. For example, in 2013:

• Hispanics composed 20.5 percent of Service Workers and 29.2 percent of Laborers, yet

they were only 5.7 percent of Professionals and 7.4 percent of Officials and Managers.

• African-Americans composed 23.3 percent of Service Workers and 18.7 percent of Laborers, yet they were only 7.6 percent of Professionals and 6.8 percent of Officials and Managers.

In conjunction with American Experiences versus American Expectations, EEOC has pro-duced a fact sheet highlighting key data points on each demo-graphic group of workers cov-ered in the report. These fact sheets—which include EEO-1 data, EEOC charge and litigation information, and agency out-reach activities—are available with the report at www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/statistics/reports/.

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further informa-tion about EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov. ■

EEOC releases report on the American…t

(650) 616-4150 • http://www.asianjournal.com NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUST 7-13, 2015 CJ�Community Journal

Atty. MichAelGurfinkel, eSQ

ImmigrationCorner

Dr. VAlerie De leon

Dr. Val’s Dental Views

KEEPING your Social Secu-rity number card in a safe place is vital to protecting you against identity theft. Never keep it in your purse or wallet – this is the most common way people lose their card. No matter how hard you try to keep track of your im-portant documents, sometimes they get lost or even stolen.

Getting a replacement Social Security number card is free, but you will have to provide the proper documents to get a new one. Being prepared will save you time at the Social Security office or card center. If you are replacing your card, you will need original or certified cop-ies of the required documents, which include:

• Proof of citizenship:If you have not already estab-

lished your US citizenship with us, we need to see proof of US citizenship. We can accept only certain documents as proof of US citizenship, like your US birth certificate or US passport.

• Identity:We can accept only certain

documents as proof of identity. An acceptable document must be current (not expired) and show your name, identifying informa-tion (date of birth or age), and preferably, a recent photograph.

Replacing your Social Security card? Know before you go

For example, as proof of identity, we must see your:

• US driver’s license;• State-issued non-driver iden-

tification card; or• US passport.If you do not have one of these

specific documents, or you can-not get a replacement for one of them within ten days, we will ask to see other documents, includ-ing a(n):

• Employee identification card;

• School identification card;• Health insurance card (not

Medicare card); or• US military identification

card.Remember, you are limited

to three replacement cards in a year or ten in your lifetime. Legal name changes and other excep-tions do not count toward these limits. For example, changes in immigration status that require card updates may not count to-ward these limits. Also, you may not be affected by these limits if you can prove you need the card to prevent a significant hard-ship. Legal name changes and other exceptions do not count to-ward these limits. For example, changes in immigration status that require card updates may not count toward these limits.

Also, you may not be affected by these limits if you can prove you need the card to prevent a significant hardship. Legal name changes and other exceptions do not count toward these limits. For example, changes in immi-gration status that require card updates may not count toward these limits. Also, you may not be affected by these limits if you can prove you need the card to prevent a significant hardship.Legal name changes and other exceptions do not count toward these limits. Also, you may not be affected by these limits if you can prove you need the card to pre-vent a significant hardship.

What’s more important than having your card is knowing your Social Security number. This is how we identify you, tally your wages correctly, and how we eventually issue you accurate retirement benefits. You might not even need your card for iden-tification purposes if you know and consistently use your correct number.

For more information about re-placing a lost or stolen Social Se-curity number card, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber. (By Deogracias Santos /Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in the Northern Area)

PAGE CJ t

DO you have a toothache? Wear these fish bones around your neck, repeat a chant, and drop a few pears into the river!

Sounds ridiculous, right? But those are toothache remedies you’d hear during the Middle Ages! You can imagine how frus-trating it must have been for our ancestors with tooth pain—they were willing to try anything for relief! Modern dentistry has swept away many bizarre super-stitions—however, some people still believe dangerous myths about toothaches and how to cure them.

Different “cures” from differ-ent cultures

There are a lot of unusual methods for relieving toothaches we’ve gathered from various cultures (both ancient and mod-ern) around the world. One com-mon belief was that dental pain was caused by a “tooth worm” that had burrowed its way in-side a tooth. To coax the worm out, people would inhale smoke, smear their teeth with honey, and

Crazy things people believe about toothachesswish with all kinds of disgusting rinses. Others include:

• Putting both stockings on one foot.

• Driving a horseshoe nail into your house’s front door lintel.

• Spitting out bread by an ant-hill, and as the ants carry it away the pain will leave.

• Complaining to a pear tree about your toothache.

• Vowing to never comb your hair on a Friday or shave on a Sunday.

Though these may seem absurd, let’s not be too quick to judge—there are still plenty of false be-liefs about toothaches today!

Modern toothache mythsThere are several causes of

dental pain including cavities, gum disease, infection, and chip-ping. These three tips will help debunk some common myths that could stop you from getting the treatment you need:

• Do not put aspirin on your tooth. Aspirin does noth-ing to relieve pain when applied topically, and could result in a nasty acid burn on your cheek and gums.

• A toothache does not mean

you will lose the tooth. There are treatments that can save even badly infected teeth.

• If pain is off-and-on, you still need a checkup. Pain is your body’s way of telling you some-thing is wrong. It shouldn’t be ignored.

Don’t wait to visit us if you have pain

Trust our practice for solu-tions. Nobody should have to live with dental pain. Our practice is focused on the latest treatments to not only relieve toothaches, but to create healthy and resil-ient smiles, so you can get back to living your life. Don’t let one more day of dental discomfort go by without contacting us.

We cherish our relationship with you as our valued patients and friends!

***If you have questions, pls call Dr. Val-

erie de Leon at (650) 697–9000 or visit our website at www.millbraesmiles.com. She is with Millbrae Smile Center located at 15 El Camino Real, Millbrae 94030. She is a member of American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Academy of Laser Dentistry, ADA, CDA and SMCDS. Please call for a free consultation. (Advertising Supplement)

less otherwise disbarred.The IBP-CAL is the only chapter

formed outside of the Philippines that is recognized by the IBP na-tional organization. This chapter was created and recognized in the year 1998 for lawyers residing in the United States of America. The new set of officers elected for 2015

IBP – CAL elects new set of officers…to 2017 are as follows: President: Atty. Rene Santiago; Executive Vice President: Atty. Flomy Diza; Executive Vice President (North-ern CA): Atty. Manny Mallabo; Executive Secretary: Atty. Alberto Montefalcon; Recording Secre-tary: Atty. Louella Sugui-Diza; Treasurer: Atty. Rebecca Torres; Auditor: Atty. Danny Sabado;

Business Manager: Atty. Raffy Cabatic; Press Relations Officers: Atty. Pres Ordinario & Atty. Clar-ence Decano; Board of Directors: Atty. Jeanne Serrano; Atty. Evelyn Alfonso; Atty. Dennis Mesina, Atty. Willy Magsaysay, Atty. Raul Picardo; Atty. Roy Manongsong; and Ex Officio: Atty. Melba Cawit. (Rene Santiago)

CHICAGO, Ill. -- Freshmen students entering college for academic year 2015-2016 at the University of the Philippines Mindanao have an opportunity to apply for any of the 4 full scholar-ship grants being offered in BS Food Technology (2 slots) and School of Agribusiness Econom-ics (2 slots). All 4 scholarships include school fees and monthly allowance for four years for stu-dents who meet the grant terms and requirements. Application documents should be submitted to Liza Fulvadora of the Scholar-ships and Financial Services, Of-fice of Student Affairs, UP Min-danao Administration Building, Mintal, Davao City. For queries, use telefax (082) 293-1353, mo-bile +639-918-4934, and osa.upmindanao@up.edu.ph. Docu-ment submission deadline is Fri-day, August 14, 2015.

The scholarship grant of $30,000 was established by the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Chicago (UPAAGC) from the pro-ceeds of Dr. Raul Sunico piano concert in August 2010 under the initiative of Grace A. Villam-ora, 2010 UPAAGC President, the 2010 UPAAGC Board, and Education Committee. Unprec-edented in scope and donation funding, this UPAAGC grant pro-vides a chance of a lifetime for bright Filipino students to finish college despite family hardships

UP-Mindanao offers four full scholarships for college freshmen

UPAAGC 2015 UP Mindanao Scholars: From left: Abbie Glenn Estribillo, BS Food Technology, cum laude, Chancellor Sylvia B. Concepcion, PhD., Evelyn Kalaw Espina, 2010 UPAAGC Treasurer, and Yunace Autentico Dayaganon, BS Agribusiness Economis, dean’s list.

and displacements in Mindanao. UPAAGC supports the academic excellence and faculty commit-ment at UP Mindanao including its renowned leadership in food technology research and agri-business economics programs in the region.

UPAAGC strives to fulfill its mission to promote and elevate the quality of education at the University. In 2010, UPAAGC also donated $5,000 to UP Los Banos Library, and $6,000 to UP Diliman Institute of Chemistry to help rebuild the labs burned down by accidental fires. To sustain future alumni programs, $12,000 operating funds were left over to the UPAAGC Board for 2011.

In June 2015, UPAAGC’s first batch of scholars finished their 4-year college education with

flying colors: Abbie Glenn Es-tribillo, BS Food Technology, cum laude, and Yunace Auten-tico Dayaganon, BS Agribusi-ness Economics, dean’s list. “The grants provided us with much better future having been the first in our families to fin-ish college. Words cannot ex-press enough our gratitude to UPAAGC. Your generosity is so inspiring and memorable. Sal-amat po,” excerpted from emails of Abbie and Yunace.

Johanna Segala, 2015 UPAAGC President remarked, “Naiiyak naman ako sa sulat ng mga batang ito. Their progress report letters are so touching. Our concerted efforts in Chicago are richly rewarded.” Johanna invites all UP alumni and friends to visit upaagc.org for upcoming events and program. n

ENCORE EPISODE ON ‘CITIZEN PINOY!’ Can “following to join” apply to my kids, so they can come to the US faster? Our adjustment of status was denied. Can my kids now qualify for DACA? Will filing for citizenship affect my husband’s petition of our daughter? These and more will be answered by leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel on an encore episode of the information-packed, award-winning public service program -- “Citizen Pinoy,” this Sunday, August 9 at 6:15pm PST/EST (9:15pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

WHENEVER a person commits fraud in obtaining an immigra-tion benefit (such as entering the US under a different name, us-ing bogus documents, applying for benefits to which they are not entitled, etc.), the person is typi-cally required to file a Form I – 601, waiver of inadmissibility, or fraud waiver. To be eligible to ap-ply for a fraud waiver, the person must demonstrate he or she has a US citizen or green card holder spouse or parent (called “qualify-ing relatives”), and the qualifying relative(s) would suffer “extreme hardship” if the fraud waiver is not granted or approved.

Immigration cases and mem-os describe the various fac-tors which could demonstrate extreme hardship. Among the strongest factors are the men-tal and physical condition of the qualifying relative. The more de-pressed or sickly the qualifying relative is, the stronger the case.

Recently, my office had a very challenging fraud waiver case. Years ago, a Filipina entered the US as a visitor under a different name. She later married a US cit-izen, who wanted to petition her, but because she entered under a different name, she would need to file a fraud waiver. However, the husband was a very wealthy, successful, healthy, emotionally-stable psychologist, and there-fore, most of the traditional hard-ship factors would not apply to

A very difficult fraud waiver victoryhim.

A qualifying relative typically goes to a clinical psychologist for evaluation, to confirm or evaluate their mental condition and ex-treme hardship. In this case, the husband who was a psychologist, diagnosed himself, and conclud-ed he was not suffering from any severe or clinical psychological ailments. He pointed out that he was not going to go to a colleague or competitor seeking evaluation or treatment. Moreover, it would seem ironic that a psychologist, whose job it is to treat people for these conditions, was not able to treat himself? That would be like an immigration lawyer with visa problems: shouldn’t they know how to solve it themselves?

Our office was still able to gather information about his life, background and present circum-stances, and we were able to de-velop a case where there were other aspects and factors in his life, demonstrating his reliance or dependence upon his wife, and he would be affected (or suf-fer from extreme hardship) if the fraud waiver was not granted. He testified that he needed his wife, and would be in bad shape emo-tionally if she were deported. She was his “shoulder to cry and lean on” for support.

At the wife’s adjustment inter-view, while the officer read the husband’s declaration, he still wanted to hear directly from the husband about his various hard-ships. The result: case approved!

I want to be clear that I am not

providing any kind of “guarantee” concerning the success or results of anyone’s case. But my point is that if a person is required to file a Form I– 601, it is still possible that even if they do not meet all the traditional or listed extreme hardship factors, there may be other facts and circumstances that can be developed and pack-aged to make the qualifying rela-tive’s situation appear like a tear – jerking TFC teleseria. And while I’m not saying everyone’s fraud waiver will be approved, if this situation applies to you, you may want to seek the assistance of an attorney, who could thoroughly evaluate your situation (and your qualifying relative’s situation), to see if there is extreme hardship.

* * *Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an

active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.comCall Toll free to schedule a consultation

for anywhere in the US: (866)—GURFINKELFour offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES

· SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

AUGUST 7-13, 2015 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150CJ� PeoPle & events

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO – For nearly a year, the City of South San Francisco has conducted out-reach to residents and businesses, holding eight Town Hall meetings and reaching thousands of residents through a city-wide “Join the Conver-sation” campaign. This community engagement made clear the top priorities for residents of South San Francisco including:

• Public Safety, including neighborhood police patrols, rapid 9-1-1 emergency response times, and crime prevention and gang suppression pro-grams;

• Parks and Recreation and Libraries, includ-ing educational and recreational after-school pro-grams for youth and teens; and safe, accessible programs for seniors and disabled residents; and

• Public Works, including maintaining streets, repairing potholes and addressing over $18 mil-lion in needed street maintenance.

“The support expressed for our police officers during our community outreach was fantastic and it is understandable that maintaining strong pub-lic safety was the number one priority of our resi-dents,” said Police Chief Jeff Azzopardi. “Our of-ficers strive every day to keep South San Francisco safe and to provide rapid 911 response,” added Azzopardi.

“The community has told us they value public safety and on this we all agree,” says City Manager Mike Futrell. “We need to maintain current levels of police protection and gang prevention services in the coming years without worrying about public safety budget cuts.”

Parks and Recreation were also identified as a high priority. With more than 50,000 residents en-joying South San Francisco public parks in the last six months alone, Parks and Recreation Director Sharon Ranals says, “As a community, we must look carefully at improving and increasing our in-vestment in programs.” She adds that maintaining after-school and summer services for youth and teens keeps them safe and engaged.

The community also expressed strong support for the services and programs offered by the Li-brary. “Nearly 35,000 residents have library cards and close to 500,000 visits were made to Main and

Grand Avenue libraries last year,” said Library Director Valerie Sommer, “and we expect usage to continue to grow.” As seen at the public out-reach meetings and events, the South San Fran-cisco community embraces the library as a safe, welcoming and inspiring place for all ages to read, learn, play and get “linked in” to the latest tech-nologies. “We are actively engaged in partnering with our community to plan library programs and services that will facilitate learning and success for generations to come,” adds Sommer.

South San Francisco prides itself on being fiscal-ly prudent and accountable, with balanced budgets while maintaining essential services. “Our budget is balanced and we are able to keep up what we have,” says Futrell. “But to maintain public safety, address $18 million in street maintenance, provide for our children and seniors and meet the chang-ing needs of our residents as expressed through our community outreach, additional revenue is needed.”

Responding to the voiced priorities of the com-munity, the South San Francisco City Council will consider at its regular meeting on July 22, 2015, placing a half-cent sales tax measure on the No-vember 3, 2015, ballot. This will allow residents to decide whether to fund the type of public safety and services identified during Town Hall meetings and other outreach.

If placed on the ballot and if approved by the voters, funds from a half-cent sales tax would be locally controlled and maintained in South San Francisco. City’s sales tax consultants (MuniSer-vices) estimate that between 40-55% of the taxes would be paid either by non-residents shopping in South San Francisco or by South San Francisco businesses, not local residents. It is estimated that this sales tax would generate approximately seven million dollars annually. The proposed sales tax will sunset in 30 years, and the measure contains provisions for citizen oversight of the use of those funds.

In California, sales taxes do not apply to all trans-actions. The half-cent sales tax measure would not apply to the following:

• Unprocessed food, such as groceries from a grocery store or farmers’ market;

• Real estate transactions; • Services, such as: - Barber and hair styling;- Car repairs;- Work by plumbers, electricians or carpenters

in remodels and construction; and o Professional services such as attorney’s services or tax prepar-ers’ services.

If the Council authorizes a half-cent sales tax measure, they will be authorizing a ballot measure for voters’ consideration, and it will be up to the voters ultimately to weigh the relative cost of this tax against the value of the local services the City provides.

Futrell says the local community should be proud to live in a city where residents and leadership value public safety and the well-being of our youth and seniors. He adds, “Now it’s time to work together to achieve a community-based solution.” n

Local community weighs in on city priorities: Police services rank highest

Council to consider a half-cent sales tax measure to maintain and enhance the public’s priorities

THE City of South San Francisco in partner-ship with the American Red Cross will host a Blood Drive on Friday, August 28, 2015, from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Services Building. The dona-tion process takes about an hour from start to finish; this includes checking in, screening, do-nation and time in the canteen.

Visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code: SOUTHSF or call 1-800-RED CROSS.

For more information please contact Rosa Acosta at rosa.acosta@ssf.net or call (650) 829-6648. n

South San Francisco Community Blood Drive on August 28

HAYWARD – The Alameda County Mosquito Abatement Dis-trict has received confirmation from the State of two West Nile virus positive groups of mosqui-toes. Both groups of mosquitoes were collected from the northern part of Fremont on the night of July 22, 2015. In addition, there have been five West Nile virus positive birds found in Fremont this year.

The District has greatly in-creased surveillance and larval control efforts throughout the ar-eas with positive West Nile virus detections. Every effort is being made to locate areas of standing water where mosquitoes may breed including but not limited to catchbasins, stormdrain systems, and swimming pools. Neglected swimming pools continue to be a mosquito breeding issue in Al-ameda County. If you or anyone you know has an unmaintained swimming pool please inform the District so the proper treatment can be made.

“A single neglected swimming pool can produce thousands of mosquitoes capable of spread-ing West Nile virus,” says District Manager Ryan Clausnitzer. “We

Mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus in Alameda County for 2015

First mosquitoes positive for West Nile virus in Alameda County for 2015

can provide free mosquitofish or treatments to prevent mosquito breeding.”

As of July 27th, California has had 247 dead birds, 756 mos-quito samples, 43 sentinel chick-ens, and 1 human test positive for West Nile virus. The human case did result in a fatality and the pos-itive number of both mosquitoes and sentinel chickens is higher than this time last year.

Reduce the risk of contracting mosquito-borne diseases by fol-lowing these guidelines:

• DUMP/DRAIN standing wa-ter on your property because that is where mosquitoes develop.

• DAWN/DUSK is when mos-quito activity peaks, so limit out-door activities during this time.

• DEFEND yourself when mos-quitoes are biting by wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts and apply insect repellent containing EPA-registered active ingredients such as DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, and Oil of lemon eucalyptus.

• DOOR/window screens should be in good repair with no tears or holes.

West Nile virus is transmitted to people and animals through the bite of an infected mosquito.

There is no cure for West Nile virus. Approximately one in five people who are infected with West Nile virus will develop symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, or rash. Less than one percent will develop a serious neurological ill-ness such as encephalitis or men-ingitis. Adults over 50 years old and people with compromised immune systems are at increased risk of serious complications. Anyone who develops symptoms should seek medical care imme-diately.

Horses are very susceptible to West Nile virus and vaccines are available. Horse owners are ad-vised to contact their veterinarians regarding timely vaccinations.

For information about mosqui-toes and West Nile virus visit www.mosquitoes.org. Residents can request mosquitofish for their fish ponds, horse troughs, etc. by con-tacting the District office located in Hayward at 23187 Connecticut St. or by calling (510)783-7744. For information concerning West Nile virus symptoms, prevention or testing please contact the Al-ameda County Public Health De-partment at (510)267-8001. n

AT the Center for Rural Affairs, we’ve heard from farmers across the Midwest and Great Plains about the negative impacts of fed-erally subsidized crop insurance for over a decade. A farm safety net is important to help family farmers mitigate risks, but there are real concerns with the current crop in-surance program. The best way to begin addressing those concerns is through honest assessment of the crop insurance system.

Toward that end, the Cen-ter for Rural Affairs recently re-leased a crop insurance report card, entitled: Promises vs. Per-

Federal crop insurance gets failing gradeformance: A Report Card Evalu-ating Federal Crop Insurance. Most of the grades awarded are not what parents would hope to see on their own child’s school report, and the accompanying Policy Brief offers further analy-sis and recommended reforms to improve the performance of the crop insurance system. In overall performance, crop insurance re-ceived a failing grade (www.cfra.org/crop-insurance-reform).

Subsidizing the nation’s larg-est and wealthiest farms on ev-ery acre, every year, regardless of crop prices, production or

farm profitability, puts America’s natural resources at risk. And, absent reform, crop insurance gives mega-farms an advantage in bidding up land costs, driv-ing their smaller neighbors out of business, and preventing the next generation of farmers from ever getting started.

The impact crop insurance will have on future years of farming practices is significant, making reform of the federally subsidized crop insurance system vitally im-portant to the future of rural and small town America. (John Crab-tree / Center for Rural Affairs)

THE United Pangasinanes of America, Inc. (UPA) will be com-memorating its 50th anniversary with a gala banquet and ball at the Grand Ballroom of the South San Francisco Conference Cen-ter, 255 S. Airport Blvd., South San Francisco at 6pm to 1:30am

United Pangasinanes of America, Inc. 50th Anniversary Golden Jubilee Celebration Banquet & Ball

on August 8, 2015. Music will be provided by a live

band under Maestro Joe Alvarez. Donation is $60 per person. UPA officers in formal attire, guests in semi-formal.

We would like to invite all Pangasinanes, their friends, and

the general public to join. For more information contact UPA President Mario Cendana Pan-oringan at (650) 892-3508, Sec-retary Dr. Charito Roxas-Wui at (650) 296-2326, Executive Chair Zosimo O. De Veas at (510) 799-6179. n

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SF2 cover storyThe Asian Journal SF MAGAZINE - August 7, 2015

One Central is a luxurious 50 and 42-storey twin-tower residential condominium situated in the heart of Makati CBD designed by award-winning interna-tional design firms, The Preben Kent and Gettys Chicago.

Life gets easier with Megaworld International’s exclusive ready-for-occupancy units

Reward yourself with Megaworld International’sHome Club: Your key to a lifestyle of privileges

MEGAWORLD Interna-tional offers exclusive and pre-selected Ready-for-Oc-cupancy (RFO) units to meet your meticulous and sophis-ticated needs. Each unit has the advantage on conve-nience, security and access to endless possibilities of the live-work-play-learn lifestyle. You need not wait for months or years and get to experi-ence the best rewards in an instant.

Owning an RFO unit means instant membership to Megaworld International’s Home Club, your key to a lifestyle of privileges. As a member, you will auto-matically enjoy the following privileges: extensive after-sales services including Leasing and Resale Management, Turnover and Maintenance Services, and Free Interior Design Services. You will also receive free items such as a key kit, a one month’s supply of fine wine, and access to the Mega-world International exclusive client lounge.

Through Megaworld International Home Club, you will experience seamless transactions from the time you plan to buy a ready unit, to designing your living space and turnover, until you plan to re-sell or lease out your condo units.

Worry-free lifestyle privi-lege

Now is high time to take advantage of venturing on RFO units as it gives guar-anteed recurring income because of the solid market for it. Property leased out can really increase your asset and can give rental cash flow to fund your lifestyle and retire-ment. With the Leasing and Resale Management Services, selecting and negotiating bank finance options and re-furbishment of units in prepa-ration for leasing or resale of the property are done on your behalf.

A “hassle-free” turn-over process and mainte-nance

A hassle-free Turnover and Maintenance service awaits you to ensure that everything will be in good condition upon your acceptance of the unit.

To sustain a premium lifestyle experience, you are guaranteed quality control and maintenance of the RFOunits even in your absence. Housekeeping personnel are on standby to regularly check the unit and provide a report to you.

Very Personal. Very You.Personalize your units with

the free Interior Design Servic-es. Based on your personality, lifestyle and mood prefer-

ences, you may conceptualize your unit with the help of a dedicated group of in-house interior designers. You have the option to live in a Modern, Contemporary, Industrial or Modern Zen-inspired home.

Megaworld International is currently selling RFO units in various Megaworld town-ships and prime locations such as Eastwood LeGrand Towers 1 & 2 in Eastwood City; 115 Upper McKinley in McKinley Hill; Sarasota, Pinecrest and Montecito in Newport City; and Greenbelt Madison and One Central in Makati Central Business District.

Megaworld International is the global marketing arm of Megaworld Corporation. It is present in over 40 countries in North America, Asia Pacific, Europe and Middle East and is poised to expand to more ter-ritories, bringing the best real estate choices from the largest developer in the Philippines.

For inquiries, please call,Angelita ContrerasMegaworld InternationalVP-North America 1(818) 913-1188San Francisco Office:433 Airport Blvd. Ste. 328Burlingame, CA. 940101-888-860-8168 Ext. 1internationalluxuryproper-

ties@yahoo.com*Advertising Supplement

THE Filipino American Arts Exposition (FAAE) is proud to bring you this year’s Pistahan Parade and Festival on August 8 and 9, Saturday and Sun-day at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens. Now on its 22nd year, the two-day event is billed as the largest celebra-tion of Filipino-Americans in the United States, expecting to draw over 75,000 people each day.

This year also features the first-ever Pistahan Parade Manny Pacquiao Look-AlikeContest. The winner will be chosen by public vote and will win $100.

According to FAAEPresident, Al Perez, this year’s theme is “Home Away from Home.” The Pistahan holds true to its goal of bringing the Philippines to Filipinos who yearn for the homeland. To do this, FAAE has brought activi-ties, partners and products to its attendees so that they may experience the best of Filipino art, dance, music and food.

Pistahan ParadeThe traditional kick off the

festival weekend starts with the

Pistahan Parade on Saturday, August 8 at 11am (assembly starts at 10am). The parade begins at the San Francisco Civic Center at Grove and Larkin Streets, marches down Market Street and ends at Yerba Buena Gardens on How-ard Street.

People will get the chance to witness a dazzling display of Filipino culture and traditions, represented by floats of partici-pating partners and vendors. Prizes will be awarded to the best contingent, best costume, best choreography and more.

Glorious foodAside from numerous

booths offering a taste of the Philippines via their products, the festival has also been known for its culinary events and activities. This year, people will authentic Filipino cooking at the Ramar Foods Culinary Pavilion at the Terrace Level of Yerba Buena Gardens, sponsored this year by the Fili-pino Food Movement (FFM).

Continuing with popular Pistahan tradition, the pavilion will also be host to renowned food contests—Mama Sita’s

Balut-Eating Contest, the Magnolia Ice Cream Purple Freeze Challenge, and the popular 10th Annual Adobo Cookoff. There will also be a Wine Tasting Pavilion where they can sample the limited edition Pistahan Wine, as well as the the Heavenly Ice Cream Tasting Bee.

Local restaurants will feature their specialty regional cuisine, while cooking dem-onstrations will be held on delectable Visayan dishes by renowned Filipino chefs.

On Sunday, the Culinary Pavilion will be the site for the qualifying round for the Kuli-narya Filipino Culinary Show-down. Cheer on your favorite amateur and professional chefs as they slice and dice their way for the spot to represent San Francisco at the Championship round in November.

Discovering the art, music, dance and more

There will be seven pavil-ions for exploration, discov-ery and learning during the festival. At the Art Pavilion, a Masskara visual art exhibit will showcase an eclectic genre

22nd ANNUAL PISTAHAN PARADE AND FESTIVAL

THE BEST OF FILIPINO ART,DANCE, MUSIC AND FOOD IN

THE HEART OF SAN FRANCISCO

and styles of Filipino artists from the Bay Area, around the country and from the Philip-pines. Another art installation will feature artwork utilizing the iconic balikbayan box as the canvas for art expression.

For kids of all ages, the Creativity Pavilion will give them the chance to get hands-on experience learning Filipino arts and crafts, as well as hear Philippine folktales and folklore.

Festival attendees can catch the rhythm and partake in folk dance and ballroom dance demonstrations at the DancePavilion. There is even a free Zumba workshop! This interac-

tive pavilion will teach tradi-tional folk dances, including the Visayan Curacha dance, for a memorable and immersive cultural experience.

There will also be a Health Pavilion sponsored by Kaiser Permanente where people can learn how to improve their health, get free blood pressure screenings and sample healthy versions of Filipino dishes.

At the Wells Fargo Heritage Pavilion, a mini Filipino mu-seum will be set up to display Philippine antiques, artifacts and material art from local institutions and collectors, often never displayed in public before.

This year’s exhibit, “Farm to Fork: A History of Filipino Farm Labor and Foodies,” will pres-ent the rich history of Filipino farm laborers (like the Sakadas from Visayas) and laborers (such as Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz).

The exhibit will also chronicle the emergence of Filipino cuisine and chefs (from White House Chef Cristeta Comerford, to Top Chef winner Paul Qui, and even Filipino

winemakers and gourmet food truck owners.

World-class performersThe two-day festival boasts

of a wide variety of entertain-ment for the entire family, including folk dance, modern dance, hip hop, R&B, rap, jazz, Broadway, balagtasan (spoken word) and more! People can enjoy world-class performances at the main Pistahan Stage and at the more intimate Bayanihan Stage showcasing Filipino and Fil-Am performers from Manila, Hollywood, Broadway, the Bay Area and all over the US.

This year, The Filipino Channel will be bringing some of their most popular artists on-stage including singer Morisette Amon, actor Matteo Guidicelli, singer/actress Geneva Cruz, musician Matthew John Ignacio, Adobo Nation’s Michi Salta and Barangay USA’s Gelo.

Admission is FREE! For more information about the 22nd Annual Pistahan Parade and Festival log on to www.Pistahan.net.

Follow them on Facebook/Pistahan or Twitter and Insta-gram #PistahanSF.

SF3featuresThe Asian Journal SF MAGAZINE – August 7, 2015

BY MONET LU

SAN FRANCISCO

I AM not really into the affairs of the Philippine govern-ment. And it is not because I do not care, but my limited interest in politics and the redundant political scams in my country have rendered me indifferent. However, my fashion expertise has found a place in some of the events of the government. Where might it be, you ask? Well, it is at the congressional “red carpet” a.k.a the State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Join me as I round up my top 5 Best Dressed Women at the SONA 2015.

5. Senator Grace PoPlacing 5th on my list is

Senator Grace Poe’s terno that was created by Rajo Laurel. The yellow and black beading was just magnificent. As the creator described it, “it was hand-painted with a palay motif.” I tip my hat off to Rajo, because the dress is as “graceful” as the one who wore it.

4. Heart Evangelista-Escu-dero

Heart Evangelista-Escudero is just the pinnacle of fashion highlights at every SONA. I still cannot get over her white cage-sleeved dress last year. And now, she does it again in her Inno Sotto white feathered-sleeved ensemble. Oh, be still, my heart.

3. Congresswoman Lucy Torres-Gomez

Lucy Torres-Gomez stole the show yet again with her breath-taking and immaculate persona. Just looking at her and those intricate lace appliques on her pastel ternos will make any two-hour speech bearable. All hail to its creator, Randy Ortiz.

2. Dawn ZuluetaHow can a dress look less

than stellar when Dawn Zulueta is wearing it? This woman can wear a sack and still manage to look impeccable. And oh, those sleeves! If Heart Evangelista brought a “feather” up her sleeves, Dawn brought a giant ruffled rose. Designer Cary San-

My Top 5 Best Dressed Women at the SONA 2015

tiago indeed knew an elegant white gown would stand out on Dawn Zulueta – and vise versa.

1. Kris AquinoKris managed to shine even

brighter without her usual sunshine-y yellow gown. An

interesting yet great choice for the presidential sister looked who glowing in her powder blue Michael Leyva serpentine Filipiniana. With the right hair-style and the perfect color, Kris

5. Senator Grace Po 4. Heart Evangelista-Escudero 3. Congresswoman Lucy Torres-Gomez

1. Kris Aquino2. Dawn Zulueta

NINE-YEAR-OLD Gabby Gutierrez has more in her plate than just being an ordinary young girl. She is, in fact, playing the lead role in the national tour of the Tony Award-winning Matilda The Musical—the first Filipino to do so.

Besting 500 others for the part, Gabby also shares the role onstage with two other young girls—Mia Sinclair Jenness and Mabel Tyler.

Growing up in Springfield, New Jersey, Gabby’s introduction to music and arts was through the piano, which she played for five years. Her piano teacher discovered her talent singing after having her sing the scales in one practice session.

She then went onstage naturally performing in the national tour of How the Grinch Stole Christmas as Annie Who, and the regional staging of South Pacific as Ngana (Papermill Playhouse).

Based on the beloved novel by Roald Dahlabout, Matilda is a story of an extraordinary 5-year-old girl who dreams of a better life. Armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, Matilda Wormwood dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.

Matilda The Musicalis produced by the Royal

Young Fil-Am headlines‘Matilda The Musical’Nine-year-old Gabby Gutierrez is the first Filipino

to play title role in national tour

Shakespeare Company and The Dodgers under the direction of Tony Award winner Matthew Warchus, joined by Tony Award-winning playwright Dennis Kelly, music and lyrics by Australian comedian, musician and composer Tim Minchin.

Matilda The Musical will play at the San Francisco’s SHN Orpheum Theatre until August 15, 2015. For more information on tickets and schedule, visit www.shnsf.com.

*All images courtesy of www.shnsf.com

Continued on Page SF6

Gabby Gutierrez

Gabby as Matilda

SF6 celebrityworldThe Asian Journal SF MAGAZINE - August 7, 2015

celebrity worldBy Ferdie Villar

Robin Padilla and wifeMariel Rodriguez maybe expecting triplets

WhAt does it take to have your ideal condo in the Philip-pines? If you ask Real Estate Guru Professor Eric M. Soriano III, Program Director for Real Estate of the Ateneo Graduate School of Business, it would have to come down to in-formed decision-making. Know-ing which condos give more value for your money and which developers are credible, are only some of the factors one needs to consider in making the significantly important decision of investing in a condominium. thankfully, professional advice is not hard to come by.

Eric Soriano: Real estate guru

Professor Enrique M. Soria-no III, the foremost authority in the Philippine real estate indus-try, is going to hold a series of

Investing in condos in the Philippinesinvestment talks called “Invest-ing in Condos in the Philip-pines”. Professor Soriano will talk about investment oppor-tunities in the Philippine real estate industry, growth cities, and the future of investment in the Philippines. the Investment talks are scheduled to be held at Embassy Suites, Glendale, CA on August 12, 2015 and Pacific Asian Plaza, Las Vegas, NV on August 15, 2015.

the investment talks will be the best opportunity for anyone who wants the best professional advice for their investment plans. Professor So-riano is a known personality in Philippine real estate, with his 28 years of exemplary market-ing experience making him one of the most often-cited real estate experts by Philippine news agencies. With a portfolio including being the Founder and President of AA Real Estate (Advisory Asia), Senior Advisor for Wong+Bernstein Business Advisory, a Certified Professional Marketer (CPM) and a National Agora Awardee for Excellence in Marketing Education, Professor Soriano’s professional investment advice is highly regarded by prospec-tive investors who are looking to acquire assets in the Philip-pines.

Developing with integritySupporting Professor

Soriano is PhINMA Proper-ties, a respected Philippine Real Estate Developer known

for providing quality-assured, affordable condominiums for 29 years.

As a company committed to integrity, PhINMA Proper-ties actively assists its clients in making informed investment decisions through Financial Awareness programs and Real Estate Investment Presenta-tions. Aside from upholding ethical business practices, the company believes that empow-ering its clients with financial and investment education is the key to making business in-clusive and the means by which it becomes nation-building.

the consistently exemplary quality of PhINMA Properties’ projects have merited recogni-tion from industry profession-als. Its affordable luxury devel-opment ASiA Enclaves Alabang is the winner of the Best Af-fordable Condo Development (Manila) Award from the 2014 Philippines Property Awards and the highly Commended Best Condo Award (Philippines) from the 2014 South East Asia Property Awards.

Recently, PhINMA Proper-ties’ Arezzo Place Davao, its first development in Davao City, was awarded the highly Commended Best Condo Award (Davao) by the 2015 Philippines Property Awards.

the company is the first and only triple-ISO certified developer in the country with certifications in quality, safety and management.

From Page SF3

My top 5 Best Dressed Women...Aquino tops my list.

Honorable MentionsAnd because I just love

the sight of stunningly created gowns, let me commend three of my favorites that made it to my honorable-mention list. One would be Vice Mayor Jinkee Pacquiao in her re-ally cute baby pink and green Francis Libiran gown. then of course, Shalani Soledad-Ro-mulo who stood out among

a sea of nudes and pastels in her emerald Anthony Ramirez Filipiana. Another runaway hit was tootsie Echauz-Angara’s Rajo Laurel creation that is a modern boxy, cropped top paired separately with a full pale dove-gray skirt.

there you have it. My top 5 favorite SONA fashionista and some honorable mentions. If only politics is as beautiful as these lovely ladies, I might be convinced to change careers.

But then again, No thanks.***

Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration. To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com

hEARING news of a cou-ple’s imminent parenthood is always heartwarming, as a child is always a blessing to this world. however, hearing that they may have more than one child in one pregnancy is amazing!

Last August 4, action star Robin Padilla posted on his Instagram account an ultra-sound sent to him by wife, tV host Mariel Rodriguez. In the caption, he quoted her, “Pwede daw maging trip-lets!!! hahahaha triplets or twins daw!!!”

Although this has not been thoroughly confirmed, having triplets is still a possi-bility since one of the babies may be “folding,” which makes it appear that there are babies developing.

Earlier, the couple an-nounced that they were expecting twins when Robin first posted on his Instagram account a photo of an ultra-sound image and captioned it “Maria and Juan de Padilla.”

this is the couple’s sec-ond try to have a baby after Mariel had a miscarriage last March.

We are praying for a continuous safe pregnancy for

the couple!***

the United Pangasin-anes of America, Inc. (UPAI) is inviting everyone to join them in celebrating their 50th anniversary on Saturday, August 8, 2015 at the Grand Ballroom of the South San Francisco Conference Center, 255 S. Airport Blvd.

this golden jubilee celebration’s highlist is its gala banquet and ball, from 6pm to 1:30am. All Pangas-

Action star Robin Padilla recently announced that he and wife, TV host Mariel Rodriguez may be having triplets. This is the second pregnancy for Mariel, who had a miscarriage last March.

All together in photo above are Mrs. Pangasinan winners Gloria Junio, Marita Padilla, Cynthia Almeron, Cely Cayabyab, Cedy Manuel, Leizel Junio, and Lourdes Oronio. Not in photo are Rosanna Rosendo and Fe Baronia.

Ching Evaristo, a successful realtor of Remax Westlake in Daly City, will celebrate her birthday on Sunday, August 16, with a barbecue party to given by her daughter Monique and her husband Laurence Hermano in Dublin.

The United Pangasinanes of America, Inc. (UPAI) roster of presidents are shown in photo together with Miss Pangasinan Raven Mapanao (center). They are Ernesto Abolos, Mario Panoringan, Zosimo Deveas, Chris Torres, Alvin Padilla, Fred Almeron, Franklin Aquino and Alfonso Aningalan.

Shown in photo are United Pangasinanes of America, Inc.’s (UPAI) past first ladies (L-R) Pacita Fermil Aningalan, Loretta de Veas, Caridad Aquino, Cynthia Barbosa Almeron, Marita Padilla, Flory Vallo Abalos and Emma Ferrer Torres.

Ernesto Abalos is the Executive Vice Chairman of the United Pangasinanes of America, Inc. (UPAI) which is celebrating its golden jubiliee on August 8.

Ms. Mabel Scott, a senior citizen, was recently honored by State Commissioner Ray Satorre. In photo (standing, L-R) Apolinario Angeles, Liwanag Tiong, Simon Angeles, State Commissioner Ray Satorre and wife, Rachel Satorre. (seated, L-R) Ms. Mabel Scott, Ms. Mila Angeles.

AJ Perez, son of Antioch community leaders Anthony and Vangie Perez, recently celebrated his 9th birthday with a party held at the Willowhaven Way. Shown in photo together with AJ are his family and friends.

inanes, their friends and the public are cordially invited to come together to renew old friendships, build new ones, share nostalgia of the good old days in the home prov-ince and enjoy a delightful summer evening.

Professor Enrique M. Soriano III, real estate guru

SF7The Asian Journal SF MAGAZINE - August 7, 2015

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