MANILA, Mar 2 (Mabuhay) – The Philippine National Police has formed a team to investigate the shooting incident involving Cavite Vice Governor Jolo Revilla to determine whether there was foul play involved.

“Kahapon ng gabi ay bumuo na tayo ng composite team to in-vestigate the incident para mala-man natin kung purely accidental ba ito or there was a foul-play in-volved,” National Capital Region Police Offi ce (NCRPO) director Chief Supt. Carmelo Valmoria said.

Valmoria said the team will be headed by Southern Police Dis-trict (SPD) director Chief Supt. Henry Rañola.

Valmoria said Rañola and the members of the team were al-ready instructed to coordinate with the Revilla family regarding the investigation.

Valmoria said he also gave

other specifi c instructions to the team regarding the things to look into in the conduct of investiga-tion but refused to elaborate.

“Basta nabigyan na natin sila ng specifi c tasks. May mga bagay silang dapat alamin, pero huwag na muna natin pag-usapan sa ngayon because it might affect the investigation,” Valmoria said.

On Saturday afternoon, Revilla was rushed to the Asian Hospital in Muntinlupa City after he sus-tained a gunshot wound on his chest.

The Revilla family earlier said Jolo sustained the gunshot wound after he accidentally pulled the trigger of his gun while cleaning it inside their family home in Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa City.

Valmoria, however, said that despite the statement of the Re-villa family, an investigation on the incident is still necessary.

See SHOOTING INCIDENT, page 2

Vol.4. No. 23 LOS ANGELES Wednesday - Tuesday, March 4 -10, 2015

Jackie F. denies drug use in front

of kids

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MANILA, Mar 2 (Mabuhay) – The chairman of the Senate ways and means committee said a bill seeking to give Manny Pacquiao tax exemption on his earnings as a boxing champion is a good mea-sure that would recognize his con-tributions to the country.

In a statement, Senator Juan Edgardo Angara said he will con-sider the bill expected to be fi led by Senator Aquilino Pimentel III.

Pimentel said he will fi le a bill granting a special tax exemption

for Pacquiao in connection with his earnings in his bout with American boxer Floyd Mayweath-er on May 2.

“We will consider it once fi led and can conduct a hearing. Lahat ng tax exemption pinagaaralan dapat nang mabuti dahil pribile-hiyo ‘yan at may mawawalang panggastos ang gobyerno kaya’t pinagaaralan muna lahat bago ibigay,” said Angara.

He said, however, “Maganda ang nilalayon ng panukala ni

Sen. Koko na kilalanin man lang ng gobyerno ang karangalan at katanyagan na ibinigay ni Manny sa bansa natin sa mga nakalipas na taon. Palagay ko kulang tayo sa pagkilala sa kaniyang kontri-busyon.”

Pacquiao has a pending tax case before the Court of Tax Ap-peals.

The Bureau of Internal Rev-enue has accused the boxing champ of misdeclaring his income from his bouts abroad. (MNS)

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III said he will fi le a bill granting a special tax exemption for Pacquiao in connection with his earnings in his bout with American boxer Floyd Mayweather on May 2.

A little boy is carried on a spine board by the standby medical personnel to be brought temporarily to a medical station during the 2015 Panagbenga Festival Grand Float Parade on Sunday (March 1, 2015) along Session Road in Baguio City. (MNS photo)

MANILA, Feb 28 (Mabuhay) – A lawmaker has fi led a measure seeking to institutionalize a na-tional mother and child health program to protect Filipino moth-ers and children from malnutri-tion.

Rep. Rogelio J. Espina (Lone District, Biliran) pushed for the immediate passage of House Bill 5431, saying it is imperative to provide prenatal and postnatal maternity care service to a preg-nant woman in order to protect her health as well as ensure the nutritional diet of her newborn child to eradicate malnutrition.

Espina said in order to have a future generation of youth who are physically and mentally healthy, it is recommended that a maternal and child health care program is established in every

local government unit (LGU).“During pregnancy, undernu-

trition can have a devastating effect on the growth and develop-ment of a child. Babies who are malnourished in the womb have a higher risk of dying in infancy and are more likely to have lifelong cognitive and physical defects and chronic health problems,” Espina said.

Espina said children under the age of two will have a weak im-mune system and more suscepti-ble to dying from common illness-es such as pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria.

The 2013 national nutrition survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute Department of Science and Tech-nology (FNRI-DOST) showed a

Los Angeles, United States | | Tuesday 3/3/2015 – US investiga-tors launched dawn raids Tuesday on dozens of Los Angeles loca-tions suspected of offering “maternity tourism” services for mostly Chinese mothers wanting to give birth in the United States.

The raids targeted apartment complexes in the Irvine, Rancho Cucamonga, Rowland Heights and Walnut districts outside LA where the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency says foreign clients are housed.

The businesses, which advertised online, had names including “You Win USA Vacation Resort” and “USA Happy Baby Inc.”

“Such businesses provide travel and lodging services to pregnant foreign nationals interested in coming to the United States to give birth so their offspring will be American citizens,” ICE spokeswom-an Virginia Kice said.

When babies born in the US reach adulthood they can apply for visas for family members living abroad, ICE noted.

Kice said the raids, in three dozen locations overall, aimed to gather “further evidence related to a variety of possible criminal violations, including visa and tax fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy.”

According to ICE, the maternity tourism businesses cater mostly to Chinese women who pay $15,000-$50,000 for the services, which can include getting social security numbers and US passports for

MANILA, Mar 2 (Mabuhay) – Detained Senator Jinggoy Es-trada on Monday appealed to the Sandiganbayan to allow his fellow detainee Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. to visit Revilla’s son Jolo, who is confi ned at a hos-pital after sustaining a gunshot wound to the upper chest.

“We are deeply saddened by what happened to the son of Senator Revilla, si [Cavite] Vice Governor Jolo. I hope Sandigan-bayan First Division will grant the request of Sen. Revilla to visit his son, kahit mamaya,” Estrada said.

MANILA, Mar 2 (Mabuhay) – Bleeding has not stopped from the lung of actor-turned-politician Jolo Revilla who “accidentally” shot himself on Saturday but his condition has stabled, his family disclosed Monday.

The “doctor is monitoring out-put of blood, which looks like it is decreasing,” said lawyer Ray-mond Fortun, spokesperson of the Revilla family.

The son of detained-Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Cavite Representative Lani Mer-cado-Revilla remained in the in-tensive care unit at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Muntinlupa City.

“Vice-Gov Jolo Revilla’s condi-tion is stable. He had fever this 5 a.m which indicative of some infection,” Fortun said in a state-

By Joshua TreadwellNORFOLK, Va. – A 2011 West

Torrance High School graduate and Torrance, Calif., native is serving on one of the world’s larg-est warships, the U.S. Navy air-craft carrier USS George H.W. Bush.

Fireman Alexa Vega is an elec-trician’s mate aboard the Norfolk-based ship, a Nimitz-class nucle-ar-powered aircraft carrier and one of only ten operational air-craft carriers in the Navy today.

Named in honor of former Pres-ident George H.W. Bush, the car-rier is longer than 3 football fi elds, at nearly 1,100 feet long. The ship is 252 feet wide and weighs more than 100,000 tons. Two nu-clear reactors can push the ship through the water at more than 35 mph.

As a sailor with numerous re-sponsibilities, Vega said she is

learning about herself as a leader, sailor and a person.

She added that it is an excit-ing time to be in the Navy, and serving aboard a ship is some-thing she never expected to be doing just a few years ago.“It’s surreal, I never thought I would be doing this,” said Vega. “The Navy and the ship have giv-en me the tools to get my job done”

Vega also said that, “I work on the lights on the fl ight deck so that the aircraft at night can see,” Vega explained. “It takes a team to get the job done.”Sailors’ jobs are highly varied aboard USS George H.W. Bush.

Approximately 3,200 men and women make up the ship’s com-pany, which keeps all parts of the aircraft carrier running smoothly — this includes everything from washing dishes and preparing

PNP forms team to investigate Jolo Revilla shooting incident

Fireman Alexa Vega is an electrician’s mate aboard the Norfolk-based ship.

Bill to exempt Pacquiao from taxes mulled

Jinggoy appeals to Sandiganbayan: Let Bong see his son

Bill to institutionalize a Mother and Child Health Care Program

Feds launch dawn raids on Chinese ‘maternity tourism’ homes in Los Angeles

Jolo Revilla’s lung still bleeding, but condition ‘stable’ – family

Torrance, Calif. native serves aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush

See HEALTH CARE, page 2 See JINGGOY APPEALS, page 2

See JOLO REVILLA, page 2See MATERNITY HOMES, page 2

See TORRANCE NATIVE, page 2

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, March 4 -10, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST2

SHOOTING INCIDENTFrom page 1

HEALTH CAREFrom page 1

MATERNITY HOMESFrom page 1

JINGGOY APPEALSFrom page 1

JOLO REVILLAFrom page 1

TORRANCE NATIVEFrom page 1

“It’s part of the standard operating proce-dure of the PNP to investigate any medico-legal incident. Basta may taong nalagay sa kapahamakan ang buhay whether due to a self-infl icted act or due to an act of another individual, ay iniimbestigahan natin yan, irregardless kung ordinaryong tao o maka-pangyarihang tao ang involved,” Valmoria said. Valmoria said he also tasked the group to coordinate with the Asian Hospital to get the necessary medical reports that would be vital in the investigation.

He, however, refused to confi rm if the gun involved in the incident is already un-der the possession of the team for examina-tion.

“Let’s just wait for the result of the inves-tigation,” Valmoria said.

He said there is no deadline given to the team for the conduct of the investigation.

Earlier in the day, Jolo’s father, detained Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., asked the Sandiganbayan to allow him to visit his son in the hospital.

The elder Revilla is currently detained at the PNP Custodial Center over graft and plunder charges in connection with the P10-B alleged pork barrel scam.

Also on Monday, the spokesperson of the Revilla family said Jolo is now in stable con-dition and could be transferred to a regular room within the day.

“Vice Gov. Jolo Revilla’s condition is sta-ble. However, he had fever this 5 a.m. which [is an] indicative of some infection in his body,” lawyer Raymond Fortun said.

“The family is still hoping to transfer him to a regular room this afternoon. Doctor is monitoring output of blood, which looks like it’s decreasing,” Fortun added. (MNS)

signifi cant increase in cases of child malnu-trition.

While mortality rate for children under fi ve years old has declined slightly in recent years from 54 deaths per 1,000 births in 1988-1992 to 48 deaths in 1993-1997, infant mortality rates have remained unchanged at about 35 death per 1,000 births, said Es-pina, chairman of the House Committee on Population and Family Relations.

According to Espina, from 2012, the FNRI reported that 25% or one in every four preg-nant women is undernourished. They are at risk to deliver low birth weight babies and other negative pregnancy outcomes such as still births, miscarriages and abortions. The nutrition status of lactating mothers is 11.9% or one in every ten lactating mothers is underweight.

Espina said the Philippine Statistics Au-thority (PSA) noted that because two-thirds of all births are delivered at home, only 56% of mothers receive assistance from health professionals during the delivery of their children. “The Philippines has a high mor-tality rate of approximately 200 deaths per 100,000 live births. According to the 2000 State of Philippine Population Report, ten Filipino women die every 24 hours from causes related to pregnancy complications and childbirth. One of the reasons is the ir-regular or lack of pre-natal check-ups,” Es-pina said.

Espina said even the World Health Or-ganization (WHO) of the United Nations

strongly recommends proper health care on the fi rst 1,000 days of a child. From the start of pregnancy until the second year of the child is the most crucial stage of the child’s brain formation.

“The right nutrition during these 1,000 days has a profound impact on the ability of the child to grow, learn and lead a long-term healthy and stable life,” Espina stressed.

The measure mandates the Department of Health (DOH), in coordination with the Department of Interior and Local Govern-ment (DILG) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), shall develop a comprehensive health care pro-gram for pregnant and lactating women as well as the health and nutrition of their newborn children from day 1 to 1,000 days.

As defi ned under the bill, the “1,000 days” start from day one of pregnancy up to the age of two years of the child.

Under the bill, the maternal and child health care services which may be provided to eligible individuals during 1,000-day pe-riod include the instruction and counseling regarding future health care for the mother and child, nutrition counseling and counsel-ing and education concerning all aspects of prenatal care, childbirth and motherhood.

The bill also provides milk-feeding pro-gram for pregnant and nursing mothers, in-cluding breastfeeding for newborn children, treating malnourished children with special and therapeutic foods and general family development.(MNS)

their offspring.Kice added that investigators alleged

that “the operators of the maternity tour-ism businesses coached clients to misrep-resent the purpose of their visit in order to obtain tourist visas to enter the US.”

“Business operators also instructed cli-ents to wear loose clothing on their inbound fl ights and not carry baby paraphernalia in their luggage to avoid arousing suspicion when being inspected” by US customs offi -

cers.The fees paid cover lodging, transporta-

tion, and food, but do not include medical care.

The women appear to pay cash for pre-natal visits and the actual delivery.

The more expensive maternity tour-ism packages included recreational activi-ties such as visits to Disneyland, shopping malls, “even an outing to a fi ring range,” it noted.

The two senators are currently detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Cra-me in connection with the alleged pork bar-rel scam. In a chance interview with report-ers following his bail hearing, Estrada said it was he who informed Revilla of the inci-dent regarding Jolo Revilla.

“Actually, ako yung nagsabi. Of course, nagulat. He didn’t expect na gagawa ng ga-nun ‘yung kaniyang anak,” he said.

Earlier reports said the gunshot wound the younger Revilla sustained was self -in-fl icted and that he has been troubled since his father’s detention. However, the Revil-la family clarifi ed that Jolo’s gun went off

when he was cleaning it.Still, Estrada said Revilla should be al-

lowed by the court to visit his son, who is confi ned at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center where he underwent a surgery and is now in stable condition.

“Nagmamakaawa ako, I’m appealing to the Sandiganbayn to allow him to visit his son. Araw-araw, lagi namumugto ang mga mata niya, he’s really worried about his son. Ako, tatay din ako, naiintindihan ko ‘yun. I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Revilla’s lawyers fi led a motion asking the court to allow him three hours to visit his son at the hospital. (MNS)

ment released Monday morning.Revilla underwent a two-and-a-half

hour operation on Sunday afternoon where a tube was inserted in his body to drain blood from his lungs.

After the operation, he was sent back to the Asian Hospital ICU.

In a post on her Facebook account, Re-villa’s mother asked for continued prayers for the recovery of her son.

“Lord please stop the bleeding in Jolo’s

Lungs. You are ultimate healer,” she said on Monday.

Revilla was brought to the hospital Sat-urday when a Glock hand gun he was re-portedly cleaning “accidentally” went off, hitting him on the upper right portion of his chest.

While the family is claiming that the incident was accidental, a composite team was formed by the police to probe Revilla’s case.(MNS)

meals to handling weaponry and maintain-ing the nuclear reactors. Another 2,500 or so form the air wing, the people who actu-ally fl y and maintain the aircraft.

“I never cease to be impressed with the type and quality of work that goes on aboard this ship each day,” said Capt. An-drew J. Loiselle, the carrier’s commanding offi cer.

The USS George H.W. Bush team is fi lled with highly qualifi ed young adults – in many cases, 19 and 20 years old – and they’re out here running a complex propul-sion system safely, serving as air traffi c controllers, operating sophisticated elec-tronics, launching and recovering aircraft when we’re underway, and keeping this fl oating city alive and functioning.

Loiselle said, “I can’t express how proud I am to be a part of this team. They per-formed at the highest level, day in and day out during our recent 9-month combat de-ployment and are continuing to do so here at home.”

Their professionalism, dedi-cation and commitment to ex-cellence are second to none.”

USS George H.W. Bush, like each of the Navy’s aircraft carriers, is designed for a 50-year service life.

When the air wing is embarked, the ship carries more than 70 attack jets, helicop-ters and other aircraft, all of which take off from and land aboard the carrier at sea. Powerful catapults slingshot the aircraft off the bow of the ship.

The planes land aboard the carrier by snagging a steel cable with an arresting hook that protrudes from the rear of the aircraft.

All of this makes the George H.W. Bush a self-contained mobile airport and strike platform, and often the fi rst response to a global crisis because of a carrier’s ability to operate freely in international waters any-where on the world’s oceans.

As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Vega and other USS George H.W. Bush sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes. “I like that I’m a part of the ship’s crew because they ship itself has such a big purpose out there, protecting America,” said Vega.

By Giles HewittSeoul, South Korea | AFP | Monday

3/2/2015 – North Korea fi red two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea and vowed “merciless” retaliation Monday as the US and South Korea kicked off joint military drills denounced by Pyongyang as recklessly confrontational.

The annual exercises always trigger a surge in military tensions and warlike rhetoric on the divided peninsula, and analysts saw the North’s missile tests as a prelude to a concerted campaign of sabre-rattling.

“If there is a particularly sharp escala-tion, we could see the North orchestrating some kind of clash on the maritime bor-der,” said Jeung Young-Tae, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unifi ca-

tion in Seoul.The missile launches came with a stern

warning from the nuclear-armed (North) Korean People’s Army (KPA) that this year’s military drills would bring the pen-insula “towards the brink of war”.

The South’s defense ministry said the Scud missiles were fi red from the western port city of Nampo and fell into the sea off the east coast – a distance of nearly 500 kilometers (310 miles).

UN resolutions ban any ballistic missile test by North Korea, and Seoul defence ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok said Pyongyang appeared intent on triggering a “security crisis”.

“We will respond sternly and strongly to any provocation,” Kim said.

Japan said it had issued a strong protest

to the North given the danger such missile launches posed to aviation and shipping, while China urged the two Koreas to exer-cise restraint.

Missile tests have long been a preferred North Korean method of expressing anger and displeasure with what it views as con-frontational behavior by the South and its allies.

‘Brink of war’“The situation on the Korean peninsula

is again inching close to the brink of a war,” a spokesman for the KPA General Staff was quoted as saying Monday by the North’s of-fi cial KCNA news agency.

“The only means to cope with the ag-gression and war by the US imperialists and their followers is neither dialogue nor peace. They should be dealt with only by merciless strikes.”

North Korea has threatened attacks, in-cluding nuclear strikes, on the US before, although it has never demonstrated a mis-sile capability that would encompass the US mainland.

The largest element of the two South Korea-US drills that began Monday is Foal Eagle, an eight-week exercise involving air, ground and naval fi eld training, with around 200,000 Korean and 3,700 US troops.

The other is a week-long, largely comput-er-simulated joint drill called Key Resolve.

Seoul and Washington insist the exer-cises are defense-based in nature, but they are regularly condemned by Pyongyang as provocative rehearsals for invasion.

In a statement later Monday the North Korean Foreign Ministry labeled the start

of the drills an act of “intolerable aggres-sion” and said the North was ready to wage “any form of war” that the US chooses.

Test moratorium offerNorth Korea has carried out three nucle-

ar tests – in 2006, 2009 and 2013.In January the North offered a mora-

torium on further tests if this year’s joint drills were cancelled—a proposal rejected by Washington as an “implicit threat” to carry out a fourth atomic detonation.

Analyst Jeung said Pyongyang was un-likely to conduct a fourth test just to protest against the exercises.

“Nuclear tests carry more signifi cance than that,” he said, noting that the North’s testing schedule was mainly driven by tech-nical development.

“On the other hand, there is the chance of a mid- or long-range missile test,” Jeung told AFP.

“I would say that a demonstration that it could deliver a nuclear warhead would be more threatening to the world than an ac-tual nuclear test,” he added.

A new research report by US experts published last week estimated that North Korea could be on track to have an arsenal of 100 nuclear weapons by 2020.

In a further sign of rising tensions, the North Korean state-run website Uriminzo-kkiri warned Monday of a fi erce response to any attempt by South Korean activists to fl oat anti-Pyongyang leafl ets across the border by balloon.

“The response might not just be a few shots of gunfi re but cannons or missiles,” the website said.

N. Korea fi res missiles in anger at South-US military drillsLOS ANGELES

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OPINIONMANILA, Feb 25 (Mabuhay) -- President Benigno Aquino III on

Wednesday said he would not let those against the peace process suc-ceed, a month after the deadly Mamasapano incident put peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in peril.

“Kung magpapatalo sa mga kontra-kapayapaan, parang hinayaan na rin natin ang kaguluhan sa Mindanao... Hindi ko ito papayagan,” Aquino said during the 29th EDSA People Power commemoration.

The President also appealed for calm amid public outrage following the Mamasapano incident, which left 44 elite policemen dead.

“Sa harap ng video na nagpapakita ng karahasan, sa kabila ng galit sa ating puso, mas makapangyarihan pa rin ang pagtitiwala, mala-sakit, pag-ibig at kapayapaan,” Aquino said.

Aside from the 44 commandos, 18 MILF members and three civil-ians were also killed in the Mamasapano clash.

Congress suspended deliberations on the proposed Bangsamoro Ba-sic Law after the misencounter in Mamasapano but Aquino meeting with House leaders on Monday supposedly placed the passage of the bill back on track at least as far as the House of Representatives is concerned.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. the chairman of the House ad hoc committee on the BBL, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, said the draft could be tackled in the plenary by May 4.

The creation of a new Bangsamoro political entity through the BBL is the centerpiece of the peace agreement the government signed with the MILF in March 2014.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle also called on Filipinos to shun war and take the path to peace on Wednesday during the com-memoration of the 29th EDSA People Power Anniversary.

“The path of peace is to fi nd a neighbor, a brother and a sister. When I don’t see anyone as an enemy, I don’t have to fi ght,” Tagle said during a Holy Mass to mark the EDSA People Power Anniversary.

The EDSA People Power commemoration came a month after the Mamasapano incident.

The Roman Catholic Church offi cial said the People Power Revolu-tion showed the world the “Filipino’s deep capacity to see a brother, a sister in an enemy.”

Aquino and Cabinet offi cials were present during the Holy Mass. (MNS)

MANILA, Feb 28 (Mabuhay) – The Sandigan-bayan will have the fi nal say on whether Senate mi-nority leader Juan Ponce Enrile should be allowed house arrest, Malacañang said Saturday.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said President Benigno Aquino III has not discussed the subject for now.

“It would be eventually the court that would de-cide should the side of Sen. Enrile move to have him placed under house arrest,” she said on government-run dzRB radio.

Enrile has been confi ned at the Makati Medical

Center since Thursday, after suffering from pneu-monia. His visitors have been limited to relatives and doctors.

Some lawmakers, including Enrile’s Senate fel-low minority members Vicente Sotto III and Jose Victor Ejercito, had proposed house arrest for him, citing humanitarian considerations.

The 91-year-old senator had been detained at the Philippine National Police General Hospital in Camp Crame since last year on graft and plunder charges stemming from the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam. (MNS)

MANILA, Mar 3 (Mabuhay) – People who at-tempted to commit suicide by shooting themselves usually use accidental fi ring of the weapon as excuse to cover up their act, Dr. Raquel Fortun said Tues-day, citing her experiences as a forensic pathologist.

“From my experience, ‘yang ganyang senaryo ang madalas na ginagamit na excuse para sabihin na ang isang tao [ay] ‘di nagpakamatay,” Fortun said, in response to question on whether it is common for gun owners to accidentally shoot themselves while cleaning their guns.

“I have encountered that a lot na sasabihin hindi siya nagbaril sa sarili, ang nangyari, it was an ac-cidental fi re kasi naglilinis lang siya ng baril,” she added.

The question was in relation to the claim of the family of Cavite Vice Governor Jolo Revilla that he accidentally shot himself on his right upper chest while he was cleaning his .40-caliber Glock pistol on Saturday morning inside their home in Ayala Ala-bang in Muntinlupa City.

Though now in a stable condition, Revilla, son of detained Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., remains at the intensive care unit of the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Muntinlupa City following the in-cident.

Fortun said that though it is hard to conclude right now on what really transpired during the inci-dent, there were safety procedures that should have been observed by Revilla.

“Common sense will tell you, and I’m sure the PNP (Philippine National Police) will agree kasi nagbibigay sila ng mga gun safety seminar... na kapag naglilinis ka ng baril or kapag naghahawak ka ng baril, you have to make sure kung loaded ba ito o hindi. Kung naglilinis ka, dapat wala yang bala. Tanggal dapat ang magazine,” Fortun said.

“Ilang beses mo dapat bubuksan just to make sure na walang naka-load na bala, pwede mo pa ngang i-test fi re sa ere just to make sure na wala... Kasi kung marunong ka talagang maglinis ng baril, why would you do it with a loaded gun?” she added.

Fortun, however, was quick to stress that such an act alone should not be used as basis in concluding that Revilla deliberately shot himself.

She pointed out that the location of Revilla’s en-try wound, which is just above his right nipple, is a common area where a person can accidentally shoot himself.

“Ang chest ay tinatawag na anatomically acces-sible. Pwede mong mabaril ang sarili mo sa chest. Ang most common [part of the body] kung sadya, is actually sa area ng heart. As described, nasa kanan, nasa taas daw ng right breast [ang shot ni Revilla], ‘di yan typical na site kung sadya,” Fortun said.

Holistic probeShe, however, reiterated that the incident must

be investigated hollistically and not just on a single aspect.

Fortun said among the most important factors that the investigators must look into is the nature of the gunshot wound, especially the entrance wound or the part of the victim’s body where the bullet en-tered.

“Maraming answer na mabibigay ang examina-tion ng sugat mismo, lalo na ‘yung entrance wound. For one thing, maari niyang ma-determine kung gaano kalayo , at least mae-estimate mo ‘yung layo ng nguso ng baril sa balat,” Fortun said.

Fortun explained that in cases of accidental fi re, there is usually a distance between the tip of the gun and the part of the victim’s body.

“Kung accidental fi re ‘yan, hindi ‘yan nakatutok. Malamang ‘yan may distansya... dito makikita mo [sa wound] ‘yung tinatawag na stiffl ing or tatooing,” she said.

Distance between gun, skinOn the contrary, Fortun explained that when the

shot was made deliberately, the tip of the gun usu-ally touched the part of the body.

“Kung nakatutok yan, it signifi es intent or ibig sabihin talagang sadya, and nakakakita [sa gunshot wound] ‘yung itim-itim, kasama ‘yun ng pagsabog ng pulbura or minsan yung pattern ng nguso ng baril, nandun din sa balat [ng biktima],” Fortun said.

Fortun said investigators must also examine in-termediary objects such as the victim’s clothes as it can also help determine the distance of the gun from the body when the shot was fi red.

Other factors that investigators must also look into, according to Fortun, are the scene of the inci-dent and the testimonies of the victim’s family mem-bers and other people who may have observations about the behavior of the victim.

Fortun said it is also very important for the inves-tigators to examine the gun involved in the incident.

“Dapat tinitignan mo din yung scene, anong klaseng baril, anong klaseng bala, ano ang sinasabi ng mga tao,” she said.

She, however, admitted that a caliber 40 Glock pistol, the type of gun involved in Revilla’s shooting incident, usually have advanced safety features.

“On the top of my head, that is a pistol and ang mga pistol, in modern times, is talaga namang much improved at may mga safety features,” Fortun said.

“So dapat ma-examine talaga yung baril sa nang-yaring insidente, like, may magazine bang nakak-abit, ilang bala nandun, ilang basyo ang nakitang tumalsik sa scene. So, madaming factors na dapat tiningnan,” she added. (MNS)

Aquino: I won’t let those against peace succeed

Senator Chiz Escudero said the present form and shape of the pro-posed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) may seal the peace deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) but this would not necessarily translate to peace in the entire Mindanao region.

Escudero, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, said the government should take a hard and close look into the leadership com-position of the MILF who sits in the negotiating table for the BBL fol-lowing the bloodbath in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last January 25.

“The BBL will be hard pressed to get the Senate and Congress’ nod after this fatal incident which gave away the leadership or lack thereof of the MILF over the area,” the senator said.

Putting a timeframe to pass the proposed legislation is unlikely at this point after many questions cropped up as a result of bloody clashes between the elite Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police and the MILF, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and private armed groups operating in Mamasapano.

“Are we talking to the right people for dealing with the entire com-munity of the BBL area and its residents?” Escudero said. “I once said that I have doubts if the MILF can truly represent the BBL area and its residents, including the indigenous peoples, the Christians and oth-er groups also endemic to the area.”

He added: “Now more than ever we should press for the scrutiny of the MILF’s capability to supervise and control their ranks after the Mamasapano massacre. Do they have infl uence over the entire MILF, the BIFF and other private armed groups?”

According to Escudero, if the BBL is passed, the MILF will be given at least P75 billion aside from the annual Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) and the Bottom-up budget (BuB).

“Sa totoo lang, ang galing ng panig at panel ng MILF. Nakuha nila lahat ng pwede at gusto nilang makuha sa BBL at sa mga kasunduan. Ang tanong ko: Anong mapapala ng pamahalaan at ng nakararaming Pilipino?” the senator asked.

The fund is even larger than the P70 billion budget of the PNP and is close to the P90 billion allocation for the Armed Forces of the Philip-pines (AFP). According to Escudero, if taxes and other fees and charges will be added, the MILF will have a spending package bigger than that of the country’s military.

Escudero explained that the Mamasapano clash, which resulted in the deaths of 44 SAF troopers, served as an eye-opener for lawmakers to further scrutinize the provisions of the BBL.

“I believe we should be grateful to the SAF 44 who gave up their lives for the country and pave the way for us to look into the details of the peace process because if this incident did not happen, the BBL could have been passed effortlessly and we will be bombarded with this problem one day,” Escudero said.

He cited a provision in the BBL that the Shari’a High Court’s deci-sion is fi nal and executory, which the senator said is totally in violation of the Constitution which provides that the country’s Supreme Court (SC) has the fi nal say and has the sole right to review all cases.

Escudero also scored a provision that says that the Judicial Bar Council created under the BBL has the authority to discipline a Shari’a judge. “The rule of judicial procedure solely lies within the power of SC, as provided by the Constitution. Not even Congress can pass a law to interfere with the Constitution.”

Chiz: We want peace ]for Mindanao not just with MILF

Palace: Let court decide on house arrest for Enrile

Sino technicians will be sent back due to ‘security concerns’: Philippine offi cials

Manila, Philippines | AFP | Wednesday 2/25/2015 – The Philippines said Wednesday it would end Chi-nese technical involvement in running the country’s power grid, partly due to national security concerns.

All 16 Chinese technicians currently working for the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines will be sent home by July, Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla told AFP.

The State Grid Corporation of China has a 40-per-cent stake in the Philippine fi rm, which operates and maintains the nation’s power grid, but Petilla said the government wanted only Filipinos to run it.

Asked if security issues were behind the decision to send the Chinese home, Petilla said via text mes-sage that “it certainly is a concern of NSA,” referring to the government’s National Security Advisor.

He said the Department of Energy also believed that Filipinos now had the skills to do the work be-ing done by the Chinese, which complicates their visa status.

“Hence, to harmonize those concerns, it was agreed last year that the management and techni-

cal operation will be run by an all-Filipino team by July,” Petilla said.

However, Petilla said the Chinese company would retain its stake in the National Grid Corp. This means that two Chinese will remain as board mem-bers representing their company.

Political relations between the Philippines and China have steadily worsened in recent years over their rival claims to parts of the South China Sea, which is believed to contain vast gas and oil depos-its.

The Philippines has charged China with fortify-ing islets in the disputed area to possibly turn them into armed outposts, while accusing it of bullying diplomatic tactics.

It has also infuriated Beijing by asking a Unit-ed Nations tribunal to rule the Chinese maritime claims are invalid. China has refused to recognize the legal proceedings.

Over the weekend, prominent Philippine politi-cian Senator Miriam Santiago expressed concern over foreign involvement in the National Grid Corp.

Without specifi cally naming the Chinese com-pany, Santiago said the electric power industry had been “infected by a national security virus.”

Philippines to send home Chinese energy experts

Indonesian maid vows to fi ght on after Hong Kong court victory

Gun-cleaning a common excuse to commit suicide – Dr. Fortun

By Laura ManneringHong Kong, China | AFP | Sunday 3/1/2015 – As

she walks through Hong Kong’s Victoria Park on a busy Sunday afternoon, Erwiana Sulistyaningsih is stopped every few steps for photos and hugs.

Most of her fans are Indonesian domestic work-ers enjoying their weekly day off, gathering as they always do for food, dancing and a chat, but there are Hong Kong families too.

This is the former maid’s fi nal day in Hong Kong after winning her case against the abusive employer who beat, starved and kept her prisoner.

On Friday, Law Wan-tung, 44, was sentenced to six years in prison on 18 charges including griev-ous bodily harm, assault, criminal intimidation and failure to pay wages in a case that made headlines around the world.

It has turned the 24-year-old Indonesian into a hero for many of her peers, and though her case shone a spotlight on the abuse often suffered behind closed doors, she isn’t fi nished yet. “I still want to help my fellow migrant workers who are abused and neglected by my own government,” she told AFP.

“If there’s an opportunity, I would like to create a foundation to help with these issues and to educate

the Indonesian community so that they can under-stand our basic problems outside the country and back in Indonesia.”

Softly-spoken and slight, with newly bobbed hair and huddled in a quilted orange jacket, she is scep-tical that Indonesia will take meaningful action to protect migrant workers, arguing that the problem is so multi-layered and deep-rooted there is no quick fi x.

From a poor farming family in east Java, Sulisty-aningsih’s parents could not afford to send her or her brother to university.

After graduating from high school she worked as a waitress but was determined to save up for college and to help support her family fi nancially, so moved to Hong Kong to join its army of domestic workers in 2013. The city is home to nearly 300,000 maids, mainly from Indonesia and the Philippines.

Sulistyaningsih says her story highlights Indone-sia’s endemic problems – a lack of job opportunities and an unaffordable further education system.

“The government should provide accessible edu-cation especially for poor people,” she says, as well as helping to create “decent jobs for decent pay, not just profi t for investors.”

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, March 4 -10, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST4

WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director León Rodríguez announced today that, effective May 26, 2015, the Department of Homeland Se-curity (DHS) is extending eligibil-ity for employment authorization to certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants who are seeking employment-based lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. DHS amended the regulations to allow these H-4 dependent spouses to accept employment in the United States.

Finalizing the H-4 employment eligibility was an important element of the immigration executive ac-tions President Obama announced in November 2014. Extending eligi-bility for employment authorization to certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants is one of sev-eral initiatives underway to mod-ernize, improve and clarify visa programs to grow the U.S. economy and create jobs.

“Allowing the spouses of these visa holders to legally work in the United States makes perfect sense,” Rodríguez said. “It helps U.S. busi-nesses keep their highly skilled workers by increasing the chances these workers will choose to stay in this country during the transition from temporary workers to per-manent residents. It also provides more economic stability and better quality of life for the affected fami-lies.”

Eligible individuals include cer-tain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants who:

Are the principal benefi ciaries of an approved Form I-140, Immi-grant Petition for Alien Worker; or

Have been granted H-1B status under sections 106(a) and (b) of the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-fi rst Century Act of 2000 as amended by the 21st Century De-partment of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act. The Act permits H-1B nonimmigrants seeking law-ful permanent residence to work and remain in the United States beyond the six-year limit on their H-1B status.

DHS expects this change will reduce the economic burdens and personal stresses H-1B nonimmi-grants and their families may ex-perience during the transition from nonimmigrant to lawful permanent resident status, and facilitate their integration into American society. As such, the change should reduce certain disincentives that currently lead H-1B nonimmigrants to aban-don efforts to remain in the United States while seeking lawful perma-nent residence, which will minimize disruptions to U.S. businesses em-ploying them.

The change should also support the U.S. economy because the con-tributions H-1B nonimmigrants make to entrepreneurship and sci-ence help promote economic growth and job creation.

The rule also will bring U.S. im-migration policies more in line with those laws of other countries that compete to attract similar highly skilled workers.

Under the rule, eligible H-4 de-

pendent spouses must fi le Form I-765, Application for Employ-ment Authorization, with sup-porting evidence and the re-quired $380 fee in order to obtain employment authorization and receive a Form I-766, Employ-ment Authorization Document (EAD). USCIS will begin ac-cepting applications on May 26, 2015. Once USCIS approves the Form I-765 and the H-4 depen-dent spouse receives an EAD, he

or she may begin working in the United States.

USCIS estimates the number of individuals eligible to apply for employment authorization under this rule could be as high as 179,600 in the fi rst year and 55,000 annually in subsequent years.

USCIS reminds those poten-tially eligible that this rule is not considered effective until May 26, 2015. Individuals should not

submit an application to USCIS before the effective date, and should avoid anyone who offers to assist in submitting an appli-cation to USCIS before the effec-tive date.

For more information on US-CIS and its programs or about this rule and fi ling procedures, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Facebook (/uscis), Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis) and the USCIS blog The Beacon.

LADWP customers urged to con-serve more as drought persists

LOS ANGELES – The Los An-geles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) today released its water conservation numbers for January 2015 showing a 22% reduction since January 2007 – the year that the city’s water conservation ordinance was im-plemented, and a 15.8% reduc-tion in water use since just last year. However, LA’s January 2015 conservation numbers did not hit the mark when compared to the State Water Resources Control Board’s 2013 baseline year, and the State is expected to credit the City with only 1.1% conservation when the state-wide numbers are published this week.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Gar-cetti said, “We are on track for a fourth dry year in this drought with the warmest winter for the last 120 years. This has direct and serious impacts to our water supply and the Eastern Sierra snowpack. I’m asking Angelenos to heed our call to reduce their water use by 20% by reducing sprinkler use, checking for leaks, and removing your grass. Now is the time to do what we can to cut back even more and prevent a severe water shortage when summer comes around.”

“We spoke last week with many of the state’s major water agencies, and we are all facing the same dilemma in our Janu-ary reporting – extremely low precipitation coupled with high-er-than-normal temperatures,” said Marty Adams, LADWP’s Se-nior Assistant General Manager for the Water System. “The good news is that we are still saving lots of water, but the numbers show that we are still too quick to return to old watering habits as soon as the weather gets nice.

With the wet weather we have had, there is absolutely no rea-son for anyone to turn their auto-matic sprinklers back on. Don’t be a watering robot! If we don’t save water now and encourage our plants to develop stronger root systems, both our water supply and our landscapes will be at risk this summer.”

This month, LADWP’s snow surveys were dismal showing snowpack water content only at 18 percent of normal this time of year. Similarly, the State’s Department of Water Resources announced that their surveys in the Sierras were only 25% of nor-mal to date statewide.

In response to the statewide drought and the third driest year on record, Mayor Garcetti directed Angelenos to conserve more water in November 2014. He also mandated the reduction of purchased water by 50% by 2024, and required the imple-mentation of a strategy to ensure a more sustainable local water supply.

LADWP also reports that since 2007, its annual per capita water use has been reduced by

16%. The Department attributes this to its customers’ response to an aggressive push for water conservation rebates including water effi cient toilets, weather-based irrigation controllers, and turf rebates now at $3.75 a square foot for residential cus-tomers. The water conservation ordinance, which was never lift-ed since 2007, has also restricted outdoor watering to three days a week, and prevented other wasteful uses like hosing down driveways and sprinkler runoff.

For more information about LADWP’s water conservation programs, visit www.ladwp.com/waterconservation.

Culver City – Members of the California State Board of Equalization (BOE) today voted to lower the excise tax rate for gasoline by 6 cents for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015-16 dur-ing their February meeting in Culver City.

Since 2010, the “fuel tax swap” law has required the Board to adjust this tax rate by March 1st of each year. With today’s action, the ex-cise tax rate on gasoline will be reduced from 36 to 30 cents per gallon from July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016. The current excise tax rate of 36 cents per gallon will remain in effect throughJune 30, 2015 at

which time the change will take effect.

Drivers pay two types of state taxes on gasoline—sales tax and a per gallon excise tax. Before the “fuel tax swap” took effect, drivers paid the full sales tax rate (then 8.25 percent), and an excise tax of $0.18 per gallon.

The excise tax on gasoline pays for public road improve-ments and mass transit. In FY 2013-14, the BOE collect-ed nearly $5.8 billion for the Motor Vehicle Fuel Account in the Transportation Tax Fund. The sales tax on gasoline pri-marily funds local government programs.

Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Monday 3/2/2015 – Los Angeles police fatally shot a man on Sunday in an incident that was caught on video and circulated widely online, with the department saying offi cers resorted to deadly force after the man had reached for one of their guns.

The graphic footage, which appeared on Facebook, shows a violent altercation between a man and several offi cers in LA’s “Skid Row,” an area near downtown where many home-less people live.

The video appears to show the man fl ailing at offi cers as they try to subdue him.

A voice yelling “Drop the gun!” can be heard before sev-eral shots ring out and sever-al onlookers cry out in alarm.

The Los Angeles Police De-partment said three police of-fi cers – a sergeant and two of-fi cers – fi red at the man after he reached for an offi cer’s fi re-arm during the altercation.

Police had been called to the scene over a reported rob-bery and were attempting to detain the suspect, who en-gaged in a fi ght, Commander Andrew Smith, LAPD spokes-man, told AFP.

During the struggle, police also used a Taser, he said.

Victim may have been homeless

The man, whom US media initially reported to be liv-ing in one of the area’s many tents, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics,

Smith said, adding that he could not confi rm whether the individual was homeless.

Certain H1-B dependent spouses now allowed to work

L.A.’s January water use continues to decline

Life and Leisure Newsfor Filipino-Americans

www.usasianpost.com

BOE lowers gasoline excise tax rate by 6 cents

Video shows Los Angeles police fatally shooting man

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, March 4 -10, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 5

Weekend Balita Photo Editor Benny Uy has auctioned off one of his best works to raise funds for a scholarship program for the children of slain jour-nalists in the Philippines.

“I’m very thankful to those support-ing my efforts,” said Uy, who has used his wide community network and strong presence in social media to solicit bids for his photo, titled “Downtown LA at 6:22 a.m.” “This is the least I can do to help the families of media colleagues who died in the line of duty.”

The Philippines has the third highest number of journalists killed worldwide every year, according to the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists.

Uy is part of “Light and Shadow: A Photography Exhibit,” which will be on display at the La Habra Art Gallery until April 18.

Balita Photo Editor Auctions Off Best Work for a Cause

“The bidders include the Who’s Who in the Fil-Am community in LA,” said Uy, who will turn over theBalita Photo Editor Auctions Off Best Work for a Cause photo to the highest bidder at the exhibit’s closing reception on April 19.

The highest bidder as of press time is Dr. Felix Lapuz, outbidding Van and Marilou Dichoso, Mildred Deang,

Vina Lelim Nacionales, Romeo Balboa and Angelina Munar.

Benny Uy is the Community and Senior Services photographer for Los Angeles County and also serves as photo editor of Weekend Balita and US Asian Post.

Uy said he developed his passion for photography when he served as a photographer at his mother Luz Belar-mino-Uy’s social and church events and volunteered to take photos for the Mission Community United Meth-odist Church.

The La Habra Art Gallery is lo-cated at 215 N. Orange Street in La Habra. Gallery hours are from 12 to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. To place a bid on Uy’s photo and for private viewing of the gallery, call Luz Spanks at (562) 383-3643.

PALA, CA February 18, 2015. Pala Casino Spa & Resort has started a $5 million construction project that will add new venues to the property and renovate sev-eral existing restaurants. It also will add a permanent outdoor stage to Pala’s popular Starlight Theatre. All elements are slated to be completed and open to the public just ahead of the Memorial Day week end. Specifi c opening dates will be announced.

The cornerstone will be CAVE, a new 6,000-square-foot, full-service dining experience, bar, lounge, underground wine cave and entertainment complex. CAVE will build on the success of Mama’s Cucina Italiana, the res-taurant it will replace. Mama’s popular Italian Chef Luciano Cibelli and his entire staff will remain to ensure the quality of CAVE’s “Mediterranean cuisine with an Italian fl air.” CAVE also will offer an extensive wine list from Napa Valley, Sonoma, France, Italy, and Australia, a wide variety of wines by the glass and a creative selection of large format bottles. The CAVE lounge also will provide an imaginative menu of craft cocktails.

The subterranean wine cave

will be one of a kind and will pro-vide a unique, elegant setting for wine enthusiasts to enjoy their favorite selection. Atop the wine cave Pala will build a permanent, outdoor concert stage which will host a diverse schedule of head line entertainers in the Starlight Theatre. The spring/summer con-cert series will kick-off Saturday, May 23 with Queen Nation and Zeppelin USA followed on Friday, May 29 with Creedence Clearwa-ter Revisited.

“Chef Luciano’s new CAVE menu will offer many of the au-thentic Italian dishes for which Mama’s was well- known, but will add many, new, Mediterra-nean specialties as well,” said Bill Bembenek, Pala’s chief executive offi cer. CAVE’s menu will include “small bites” of Beef Tartare, Tuna Crudo, Lamb Carpaccio, Chicken Liver Cognac Pate, Brus-chetta and Charcuterie selections of Cured Meats and Cheeses. Appetizers will include Chef Lu-ciano’s family recipes for Octo-pus, Mussels, Clams, Escargot, Quail and Foie Gras. Cave will also offer fresh pasta dishes and salads while entrées will include Carbonara with Pancetta, Chef’s Daily Ravioli, Pappardelle with

Wild Boar Ragu, Muscovy Duck, Luciano’s Daily Risotto, Prime Filet or Rib-Eye Steaks and daily selections of fresh fi sh, Shrimp and Lobster.

In conjunction with the open-ing of CAVE, Pala also will unveil Luis Rey’s, a new indoor-outdoor entertainment venue with a patio lounge and bar. Luis Rey’s will bring the scenic, mountain views that are unique to Pala into a comfortable, casual patio bar with live entertainment. Its menu will offer a blend of appetizers from around the U.S. and Mexico to include Pala’s famous Street Tacos, Carne Asada Nachos, Ta-quitos, Empanadas, Grilled Hali-but Tacos, Ahi Tuna Carnitas, Ahi Tuna Poke, Oyster Shooters, Dungeness Crab Cakes, Coconut Shrimp, a selection of Sliders, Wings and Specialty Burgers, Fish and Chips, Beer or Chicken Satay, Egg Rolls, Lettuce Wraps, Fried Frog Legs and additional bar appetizers. Luis Rey’s will also feature a wide variety of local craft beers from San Diego and Mexico, craft cocktails and Te-quila. Luis Rey’s guests also will enjoy live bands performing on stage during weekend evenings and holidays.

Pala Casino starts construction of $5 million renovation

Montreal, Canada | AFP | Tuesday 2/24/2015 – A sophisticated tunnel has been discovered near a major sporting venue and a university in Toron-to, reports said Monday, with Canada on edge over the threat of possible ex-tremist attacks.

A municipal worker was walking through woods near York Univer-sity and the Rexall Center last month when he spot-ted a piece of corrugated metal on the ground, lifted it up and found a passageway, the public broadcaster CBC said.

The tunnel was about seven meters (23 feet) long and 2.5 meters tall and was lit by an electric generator. The walls and ceilings had been rein-forced and tools had been left inside.

Toronto is hosting the Pan American Games in July and the Rexall Cen-ter is one of the venues. The facility also hosts ma-jor tennis events.

National security of-fi cials have been alerted but there was no immedi-ate suggestion the tunnel posed a threat, CBC said.

Authorities have now fi lled it in but police were tight-lipped about what its purpose might have been. CBC said authori-ties had ruled out the pos-sibility of it being a drug lab.

Canadian authorities are on alert following two Islamist-infl uenced attacks last year that re-sulted in the deaths of two unarmed soldiers in Otta-wa and Montreal.

And in a recent vid-eo the Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab insurgent group threatened Canada’s mas-sive West Edmonton Mall, along with a mall in the United States and a ma-jor shopping district in Britain.

Mysterious tunnel found near Canada sports venue: media

Entrance to tunnel, sump pump water hose, electric extension cord, ladder.

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, March 4 -10, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST6

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MOVE-IN SPECIAL IF IN BY APRIL 1! Voices of young people infl uence the commu-nity to be active voters

Los Angeles – Students attending the Woodcraft Rangers NVSION program at Holmes Elementary located in South Los Angeles, set an example for its surrounding community. With the elections coming up on March 3rd, the youth candidates created a two week campaign that raised aware-ness as they ran for the after school leader-ship student council. Speeches were writ-ten and delivered to the young audience by the candidates.

The week ended with every student cast-ing their vote. The custom-made booths were designed by the art club to simulate the privacy of voting. This event created a buzz around the community as the students encouraged their parents be active voters.

Over 100 students that are enrolled in the NVISION program at Holmes Elemen-tary participated in the event. “I can’t wait until I am able to vote,” said one student. She continued, “I told my mom to register and vote because it’s important.” Encourag-ing their community to participate in the election, the students learned about the im-portance of having their voice heard. Wood-craft Rangers CEO Chris Johnson said, “Through our programs, students area able to use their critical thinking and social skills learned and relate them to real life experiences, such as creating these cam-paigns.”

Woodcraft Rangers looks to grow and add to their success. Their NVISION pro-gram helps inner city youth throughout the Los Angeles area academically and enhance their critical thinking skills. Through edu-cational state funds, the students are able to participate in free programs such as these.

Woodcraft Rangers has impacted over 1.1 million lives since its inception as they continue to inspire more.

For further information contact, (213) 249-9293 or woodcraft@woodcraftrang-ers.org. To learn more about Woodcraft Rangers go to www.woodcraftrangers.org

With the elections coming up on March 3, the youth candidates created a two week campaign that raised awareness as they ran for the after school leader-ship student council.

Woodcraft Ranger students set the example

By Ella IdeMilan, Italy | AFP | Monday 3/2/2015 – From

outfi ts for Lady Gaga and Beyonce to disabled fashion: Antonio Urzi, a long-time collaborator with Armani, is trying to revolutionize Milan fashion week with creations designed for ampu-tees.

Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and Britney Spears have all worn his masterpieces, but Urzi’s latest face is hunky British amputee Jack Eyers, the star of a radically different catwalk show which mixes able-bodied and disabled models. “My life’s changed dramatically, it’s a full-on roller-coaster ride,” said Eyers, who was born with a rare condition which meant his right leg failed to grow properly, leading him to decide to have it amputated when he was 16.

Now 25, the personal trainer-turned-model has got two years of work in the fashion industry under his belt, and is clearly thrilled to be in Mi-lan, sporting a large silver suit-of-armour type outfi t designed especially for him.

“It actually blends into the leg,” he tells AFP, showing off his prosthetic limb, which Urzi has incorporated into the quirky, gladiatorial design.

‘Disability as accessory“He’s using my leg and disability as an acces-

sory as part of his fashion clothes. I think that’s great,” he says with a grin.

Urzi, who did not go to design school but honed his art during a job as a dancer in night-clubs—where he made his own special-effects outfi ts—specialises in rigid materials such as aluminium and plexiglass.

This year has been his fi rst venture into dis-abled fashion and he created the collection for free, to draw awareness to a gap in the luxury clothes line.

“The big players, the important maisons (fashion houses), should start thinking differ-ently and contribute because the world is full of disabled people... who want to look good just like us,” he said, slamming the industry as “snob-bish” and “squalid.”

Designer to the stars dresses disabled catwalk in Milan

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, March 4 -10, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 7

Former actress Jackie Forster took to social media to address two rumors that have been haunting her for years.

In a series of Instagram posts, For-ster denied having sex and using drugs in front of her children in Boracay.

These two things were rumored to be the reasons why her two sons, Andre and Kobe Paras, were traumatized sev-eral years ago.

“For one, if you can speak to any man I have been intimate with, I have never been comfortable with my body. The only time I started becoming more confi dent was when I met my husband. Why or how would I do this in front of

my children? And when we were in Bo-racay, I only left these boys twice!” she wrote. “I did drugs in front of them or they found drugs in my home? I never kept drugs in my home as whatever I tried before was just given to me by a friend out in a club or after-party,” she added. “What or why would I do that at home with my kids? Plus, how do kids at 8 and 6 (years old) supposedly know what drugs are? Do they have an orien-tation in grade school? Seriously.”

Forster went on to challenge those who have been spreading the rumors to take a polygraph or lie detector test to clear up the rumors once and for all.

“I will tell you now, I am willing, at any point, to take a polygraph if they are, too – including the woman who raised them so well... All for one, one takes all,” she wrote.

“I’m done with fi ghting... This is all for peace and putting things behind. It’s much easier to live life happy and with proper healing,” she added, saying that she only wants her sons to know the truth.

Earlier, Forster shared things about her past relationship with PBA play-er Benjie Paras. The former actress claimed she had a “miserable” life when she married Paras at age 15. (MNS)

Former Jackie Forster denies using drugs in front of kids

Jackie Forster

Angeline Quinto clarifi ed on Tuesday that she never felt both-ered when rumored boyfriend, Erik Santos, invited singer K-La Rivera to his birthday celebration last year.

Earlier, Santos revealed that the Kapamilya singer did not talk to him for days because of the in-cident.

The 25-year-old Quinto said that she remains close friends with Rivera even after the con-clusion of the reality talent show “Star Power.”

“Ayaw ko naman po kasi isi-pan ni K-La na nagselos ako kasi malapit ako doon sa tao. Ayaw ko kasi maging hindi maganda ang dating sa kanya noon,” she said.

Quinto, who beat Rivera on her way to winning the title of the 2010 competition, added that she is even willing to personally talk to Rivera to explain the real score between her and Santos.

She noted that she already sent

text messages to Rivera clarify-ing the situation but has yet to receive a reply. Asked about her relationship with Santos, Quinto teased that she is not yet ready “na sabihin sa lahat.”(MNS)

Angeline denies she’s jealous of K-La Rivera

Angeline Quinto

Six years after the death of her husband, rapper-actor Francis Magalona, Pia Mag-alona believes she is ready to love again.

Magalona stressed that while she “wishes” to fi nd someone, she is currently not seeing anyone. “Hindi ba we are only human? Pero none so far,” Magalona said.

Magalona clarifi ed that the reason she is still not dating is not because of her eight chil-dren.

“Baka it’s the environment also. Kasi hindi ba when you look for friends or partners, you have to be in a certain en-vironment and I think the en-vironment in the Philippines, everybody knows that Francis Magalona was my husband. So baka they’re intimidated or something,” she said.

K-POP star Sandara Park has welcomed the idea of work-ing with Kapamilya drama actor John Lloyd Cruz in a local movie project.

“Gustong gusto ko yan kasi tal-agang I really love his movies and his acting. Nakaka-in love yung mata niya kapag umaarte kaya sobrang excited ako ‘pag nang-yari,” the 2NE1 singer said.

Fans of both stars pinned their hopes on a potential project when Sandara posted a photo with John Lloyd during Joross Gamboa’s wedding in November.

Sandara said if the movie proj-ect pushes through, she will let Star Cinema, ABS-CBN’s fi lm outfi t, to decide which genre would suit the tandem.

“Worried lang ako kasi diba mature na yung movies niya... yung mga series. Pero ako bata pa ako. Ano kayang magandang story? Star Cinema, hintayin ko ‘yun.” the 30-year-old said.

The singer starred in four mov-ies under Star Cinema, namely, “Bcoz of U,” “Can This Be Love,” “D’ Lucky Ones,” and “Super Noy-

pi” from 2 0 0 4 -2006. She left Ma-nila in 2007 to pursue a career in her native South Ko-rea.

While a comeback

movie project in the Philippines is still up in the air, Sandara enters the Korean drama scene for the fi rst time through web series “Dr. Mo Clinic.”

She’s paired with Kim Young Kwang, who plays a psychiatrist trying to treat the love problems of Sandara’s character.

Filming began early this month and is expected to be aired in South Korea and China in March.

“Ang goal ko for 2015 is to show the other sides of Sandara Park. Hindi lang sa 2NE1. Pati siguro actress Sandara or DJ. Bagong challenges ang gusto kong i-try,” Sandara said. (MNS)

Pia Magalona hopes to fi nd new partner

Sandara open to working with John Lloyd

Sandara Park

LOS ANGELES

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MOTORING (Relaxnews) – The latest iteration of the German

carmaker’s family sedan was voted a clear winner by the panel of 58 motoring journalists from 22 EU countries.

The win means that it is the third time in fi ve years that Volkswagen has scooped one of the auto-motive world’s most prestigious awards. In 2010 the VW Polo won, and in 2013 the seventh generation Golf did the double, winning both the European and the World Car of the Year.

The New Passat, which was offi cially unveiled in September 2014, is Volkswagen’s most technically advanced mass produced car to date, offering the highest levels of creature comforts, in-car connec-tivity, active driver safety aids and effi cient drive trains.

The hybrid version is capable of traveling for 50km on battery power alone and is capable of more than 1000km on a combination of traditional fuel and battery power.

With 360 points, the new Passat scored 112 more than the car that fi nished in second place, the

Citroen C4 Cactus (248), which fi nished marginally ahead of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class which came third with 221 points.

The new Volkswagen Passat: It is the third time in fi ve years that VW has scooped the award. ©Volkswagen

The Volkswagen Passat is European Car of the Year

cade will come with an inter-net connection as standard.

Companies like BMW, Audi, Cadillac and Mer-cedes now offer cars with integrated 3G or 4G/LTE hotspot as standard and a growing number of others from Ford to VW have the feature on the options list.

With an internet connec-tion, cars can talk to and warn each other as well as to road infrastructure such as traffi c lights and congestion monitoring sensors.

Manufacturers will also be able to wirelessly push out software updates and collect diagnostics informa-tion – as Tesla already does.

In January, the com-pany sent out a software patch for Model S drivers that made their cars faster overnight.

Volvo is testing commu-nicative capabilities with 50 cars in Gothenburg, col-lecting data via the cloud regarding driving conditions and the state of repair of the roads.

And while such technolo-gy will be standard on a host of vehicles before 2020, for the moment, the consumer focus is on web-based enter-tainment and communicat-ing with other people, i.e., getting the same services in vehicles that they get via smartphones.

Business Insider’s data shows that streaming music for in-car use is the most popular connected car fea-ture (69%), followed by surfi ng the net via an in-car display (57%).

One innovation BMW is showcasing at this year’s MWC is the “Vehicular Small Cell,” which boosts the reception of all connect-ed devices being used in the cabin. Dr Peter Fertl, Project Manager BMW Group, said: “It will allow our customers to enjoy uninterrupted in-car usage of all mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and other con-nected devices of the future – even when driving through areas with poor cellular cov-erage.”

A car’s body has to be able to withstand and re-route a lightning strike and therefore is very good at insulating rather than con-ducting when it comes to signals. The Vehicular Small Cell turns the car’s external areal into a smartphone and tablet signal booster, com-plete with its own wireless network without increasing electromagnetic radiation inside the cabin.

Meanwhile Seat on Mon-day offi cially announced a partnership with Samsung at the Mobile World Con-gress, which will enable the car company to develop its own suite of in-car infotain-ment apps and for owners to wirelessly link and mir-ror Samsung handsets to the consoles of future Seat cars.

BMW presents the world’s fi rst mobile femtocell for optimized in-car connectivity.

Connected cars head to MWCBMW is getting ready to take the

wraps off a number of new models in Geneva this week, but at the same time, in Barcelona at the Mobile World Con-gress it also has a very strong presence.

Truly self-driving cars are still de-cades away, but the age of the connect-ed car has already arrived. According to BI Intelligence, 75% of new cars shipped globally by the end of the de-

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, March 4 -10, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 9

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and CabbagePrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 8 hoursServings: 12

8 small red potatoes2 cups baby carrots1 small onion, quartered1 corned beef brisket (4 pounds),

rinsed and trimmed2 tablespoons McCormick Mixed

Pickling Spice1 teaspoon McCormick Minced Garlic

1/2 head cabbage, cored and cut into wedges

Place potatoes, carrots and onion in slow cooker.Place corned beef brisket over vegetables.Sprinkle with pickling spice and minced garlic.Add enough water (about 8 cups) to just covermeat. Cover.

Cook 7 hours on high. Add cabbage. Cover.Cook 1–2 hours on high or until cabbage istender-crisp.

Remove corned beef brisket to serving platter.Slice thinly across grain. Serve with vegetables.

Tip: For best results, do not remove cover whilecooking in slow cooker.

FAMILY FEATURES

It doesn’t take the Luck o’ the Irish to throw a great St. Patrick’s Day party.

These tips and recipes will help you throw a festive celebration you’ll enjoy

as much as your guests — including make-ahead corned beef and a minty-

green cookie recipe both adults and little leprechauns will love.

“We’ve developed recipes that make the tastes of Ireland easy to create — from

a simple Irish Soda Bread to a classic corned beef and cabbage recipe that can be

made in a slow cooker,” said Mary Beth Harrington of the McCormick Kitchens.

“And don’t forget the treats! Our Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect

ending to a perfectly green party.”

For more St. Patrick’s Day recipes, check out www.McCormick.com and visit

McCormick Spice on Facebook and Pinterest.

Mint Chocolate Chip CookiesPrep time: 15 minutesCook time: 10 minutesServings: 3 dozen, or 36 (1 cookie) servings

2 1/2 cups flour1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar2 eggs

1–1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick Green Food Color1 teaspoon McCormick Pure Peppermint Extract

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix flour, baking soda and salt inmedium bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and sugar in large bowlwith electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Addeggs, food color and peppermint extract; mix well. Graduallybeat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Stir inchocolate chips.

Drop by heaping tablespoons about 2 inches apart ontoungreased baking sheets.

Bake 10–12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; coolcompletely.

Savory Irish Cheese Soda BreadPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 40 minutesServings: 12

2 1/2 cups flour1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons McCormick Caraway Seed1 teaspoon McCormick Garlic Powder

1/4 teaspoon McCormick Red Pepper, Ground1/2 cup shredded Irish Cheddar cheese

2 eggs1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder,baking soda, salt and seasonings in large bowl. Stir incheese. Set aside. Mix eggs and buttermilk in mediumbowl. Add to dry ingredients; stir until well blended.Spread in lightly grease 9-inch round cake pan.

Bake 30–40 minutes or until toothpick inserted incenter comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 min -utes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Tip: Make muffins instead of bread. Prepare dough asdirected and divide among 12 greased muffin cups.Bake 20–25 minutes or until toothpick inserted incenter comes out clean.

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, March 4 -10, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST10

(Geneva-AFP) – More than one billion young people risk damaging their hearing through listening to loud music, the World Health Orga-nization (WHO) said on Friday.

The WHO estimates that around half of those between the ages of 12 and 35 in middle- and high-income countries are at risk due to unsafe levels of sound on personal audio devices or smartphones.

Another 40 percent are at risk from damaging audio levels at con-cert venues and night clubs.

“More and more young people are exposed to unsafe levels of sounds. Young people should be aware that once you lose your hearing, it won’t come back,” said Shelley Chadha, a WHO specialist on hearing impair-ment.

The UN health agency considers a volume above 85 decibels for eight hours or 100 decibels for 15 minutes as unsafe.

Exposure to traffi c noise at peak hours can reach 85 decibels.

The vuvuzela, a popular wind in-strument used in stadiums during the football World Cup in South Africa in 2010, has a sound intensity of 120 decibels and over nine seconds of exposure could result in irreversible hearing damage.

The WHO recommends that personal audio devices should not be used for more than an hour a day, at reduced sound levels. ©East/shutterstock.com

One billion young at risk of hearing loss from loud music: WHO

“It is something we can live with-out,” Chadha said referring to the vuvuzela.

To counter the risks, the WHO recommends that personal audio de-vices should not be used for more than an hour a day, at reduced sound levels.

The use of ear plugs in loud con-ditions and regular checkups were part of the recommendations as well.

The WHO also wants govern-ments to play a role by imposing strict regulations on noise in public places.

The UN agency estimates that 360 million people suffer from hearing loss worldwide. In addition to noise related causes and ageing, it is also brought on by infectious diseases, genetic conditions, complications at birth, and use of certain drugs.

(Relaxnews) – Traditional strate-gies for encouraging young people to eat healthily have come under fi re in the fi ndings of four US-based research teams.

Advertisements for weight loss programs that portray overweight and obese individuals in a negative manner could actually lead to weight gain, ac-cording to a study at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

In their study, they observed women who perceived themselves as being overweight reach for more calorie-lad-en snacks after reading a news article that portrayed extra pounds in a nega-tive light.

On the fl ipside, a control group con-sumed less fattening snacks after read-ing a neutral article. “Simply reading about the potential for weight stigma was enough to impair self-regulation among overweight women,” says co-author Jeffrey Hunger.

Another practice to zap, according to researchers at Harvard University, is calorie counting.

“If you’re counting calories, seem-ingly innocuous reminders of tempting, high-calorie food—such as an empty donut box in the middle of a confer-ence table—can lead to worse perfor-mance on diffi cult tests of attention and reasoning ability,” says lead researcher Aimee Chabot.

Chabot and her team recommend simple strategies such as steering clear of added sugars or eating only at prede-termined times.

Young people are confronted day-in and day-out by images of tempting snacks in advertisements, which are well known to lead to poor food choic-es.

In response, a research team at the University of Minnesota was pleas-antly surprised to fi nd that photographs of carrots and green beans on school lunch trays increased students’ appetite for veggies.

Getting teens involved in current controversies over Big Food could be another important strategy, according to researchers at the University of Cali-fornia at San Diego and the University of Texas at Austin.

Educating teens about deceptive marketing practices that lead shoppers to believe foods are healthier than they are and the extraordinary lengths com-panies go to in making their products as addictive as possible could increase interest in healthy eating, they say.

The four teams presented their work in a symposium called “Challenging Misconceptions About the Psychology of Food Choice,” at the Society for Per-sonality and Social Psychology’s 16th Annual Convention in Long Beach, California, which ended Saturday.

Research calls for reinventing strategies to encourage healthy eating. ©Lisa S./shut-terstock.com

Stop weight shaming, calorie counting to encourage healthy eating: study

Washington, United States | AFP | Monday 3/2/2015 – Eat-ing peanuts, in small amounts, may reduce the risk of mortali-ty, especially death from cardio-vascular disease, a new study Monday showed.

The report compiles research from people of varying races, including Caucasians, African Americans and Asians, all from low income backgrounds.

Researchers found that con-suming peanuts regularly re-duced mortality among men and women from all groups, and suggests that eating the nuts – which are relatively affordable – can be an inexpensive and nu-tritious way to reduce mortal-ity and cardiovascular disease around the world.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medi-cal Association, Internal Medi-cine includes more than 70,000 Caucasians and blacks in the United States and some 130,000 Chinese people in Shanghai.

“We found that peanut con-sumption was associated with reduced total mortality and car-diovascular disease mortality

in a predominantly low-income black and white population in the US, and among Chi-nese men and women living in Shanghai,” said senior author Xiao-Ou Shu, associate director for Global Health at the Van-derbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC).

There was a reduced risk of total mortality of in 17 to 21 percent of participants, the study showed.

The risk of death from cardio-vascular disease was slashed by between 23 and 38 percent.

But co-author William Blot warned that because the data was from observational epide-miological studies and not ran-domized clinical trials, “we can-not be sure that peanuts per se were responsible for the reduced mortality observed.”

“The fi ndings from this new study, however, reinforce ear-lier research suggesting health benefi ts from eating nuts, and thus are quite encouraging,” added Blot, who is also associ-ate director for cancer preven-tion control and population-based research at VICC.

Peanuts are less expensive and more widely available than many other nuts, and are eaten by many cultures around the world.

The nutritious nuts – which are actually legumes – are high in and unsaturated fat, fi ber, vi-tamins, and anti-oxidants and can boost cardiovascular health with as little as 30 grams eaten weekly.

“The results suggest that including a modest amount of nuts as part of a well-balanced diet may be of benefi t,” said Pe-ter Weissberg, director of the British Heart Foundation, who did not participate in the study.

“The data do not show that the more peanuts you eat the lower the risk of a fatal heart at-tack, so people should not start eating large quantities of nuts, particularly salted nuts, in the hope that it will protect them from heart disease,” he added.

Previous research has fo-cused on white upper class re-search subjects.

The participants in this lat-est study were observed for be-tween fi ve and 12 years.

A sizeable, healthy breakfast could help patients with type 2 diabetes manage their glucose and insulin levels when balanced by a modest dinner. ©MaraZe/shutterstock.com

(Relaxnews) – Type 2 diabetes patients should eat a high-ener-gy breakfast and a low-energy dinner for optimal control over their blood sugar, according to researchers hailing from Sweden and Israel who conducted a small-scale study.

In the new study, published in the journal Diabetologia, they worked with eight men and 10 women who have lived with type 2 diabetes for less than 10 years.

Participants ranged in age from 30 to 70 years and they had a Body Mass Index (BMI) range of between 22 and 35.

Ten of the 18 participants were being treated with a combination of diet advice and the drug met-formin and the remaining eight were being treated with diet ad-vice alone.

Patients were selected at ran-dom to follow one of two diets, referred to as the B diet or the D diet.

Following the B diet during the weeklong intervention involved eating a 2946 kilojoule (kj) break-fast, a 2523 kj lunch and a dinner containing just 858 kj.

Those on the D diet at an 858 kj breakfast, the same lunch and a dinner worth 2946 kj.

Offerings in the larger meal in-cluded milk, tuna, granola bars, scrambled eggs, yoghurt and cere-al and the smaller meal contained sliced turkey breast, mozzarella, salad and coffee.

On the seventh day, the sam-pling day, the research team drew blood samples before breakfast and at intervals of 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes after participants had begun to nosh.

After two weeks, the patients swapped diet plans and the re-searchers re-tested their blood.

After eating, glucose levels were a comfortable 20 percent lower while levels of insulin, C-peptide and glucagon-like-peptide 1 hormone (GLP-1) were 20 per-cent higher in participants who followed the B diet when com-pared to their counterparts on the D diet. “These observations sug-gest that a change in meal tim-ing infl uences the overall daily rhythm of post-meal insulin and incretin [C-peptide] and results in a substantial reduction in the daily post-meal glucose levels,” says Professor Froy.

The study is available online in PDF format: http://www.diabeto-logia-journal.org/files/Jakubow-icz.pdf

(Relaxnews) – Want to rec-reate the striking Autumn/Winter 2015/16 beauty looks seen on the catwalk at London Fashion Week this month? Then read on...

Earthy eyes (as seen at Burberry Prorsum) Earthy eyes were on show at Burb-erry Prorsum, where soft eggplant shades and a warm foundation base kept the look romantic and relaxed. Blog-ger easyNeon has created this cool video demonstrat-ing how to recreate the look with deep blues and greens.http://youtu.be/aTjpKEhdOQ8

Gothic romance (as seen at Giles) Gothic romance was the order of the day at British label Giles, with smoky eye sockets, pale bases and strong black lipstick making a serious style statement. UK blogger Emma Pickles has nailed the look in this tutorial, using a pretty eye and plenty of shim-mer to keep things feminine. http://youtu.be/viaXdHbC-qWU

Burgundy lips (as seen at Roksanda) Lips were full, sen-suous and a striking burgundy hue at Roksanda -- perfect for autumnal days. Skin was kept pale and luminous and eye makeup was pared right down for an almost complete-ly natural look. This video by MakeupAndArtFreak explains exactly how to copy the ombré lip paired with softer eyes.

Peanuts may reduce risk of death, heart disease

To manage diabetes, eat breakfast like an athlete, dinner like a sloth, study suggests

Get the beauty looks from London Fashion Week

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March is Global Women’s Month. March 8 is International Women’s Day when we celebrate the social, economic and politi-cal achievements of women past, present and future. Because of this, we will hear a lot of stories about the proverbial “girl power.”

Korean mermaidsI’ve heard and told my share, in my 20-year career as a print and broadcast journalist. But when it comes to women power, the female divers on Jeju island top my list.

Mermaids are legendary folkloric crea-tures that live in the water, enabled by their human upper body and the tail of a fi sh. In one of the nine provinces of South Korea, however, people have seen “mer-maids.” They’re called haenyeo or “sea women” translated in English.

Haenyeos are the famous female divers of Jeju, representative of the matriarchal family structure on the island. After all, the island is said to be abundant in three things - wind, rocks and women, not neces-sarily in that order. But when the popula-tion of women outnumber that of the men, you know who’s the boss. And these she-roes are the bosses who work...very hard.

Until the 19th century, diving was mostly done by men. But it became less profi table when higher taxes were imposed on male divers, compared to the women who did not have to pay any. Because of this, women took over the diving industry which was also considered the lowest of all jobs. But since most places on the island relied on sea products, these women divers also be-came the breadwinners.

“Women are also more adaptable to div-ing since their relatively warmer-bodied than men and are more suited to swim-ming, compared to men with more body fat,” said Kelly, the guide who accompanied us around Jeju in September 2001, when I fi rst met the haenyeos.

On Mara island, because sea products are the primary source of revenue before tourism started booming, these haenyeosbecame the head of their respective fami-lies. And because of these female divers, gender roles on the island were totally re-versed. Often, the men would stay at home and look after the children; while the wom-

en would go out and in the water, to earn a living.

“They’re not just income earners for their families, they’re also keeping a Ko-rean tradition alive,” added Kelly. The hae-nyeos sing/chant a traditional song before entering the water. “The songs are usually about the dangers of diving and being un-der water.” And these performances have become a tourist attraction.

Despite the culture and tradition behind it, these women are living dangerous lives. Precarious, indeed, especially because these divers are not as equipped as a recre-ational scuba diver would be. All they have is a fl oat to mark their location when they surface, a weeding hoe to pick up abalone and other shellfi sh that cling to the rocks; and a net, to hold their catch. Wearing a surf suit; and sometimes a lead-weight vest and goggles, they plunge into the water, as deep as 20 meters and hold their breath for 2-3 minutes. Once they come back to the surface, they make a distinct whistling sound called “sumbisori” - the sound of their effort to breathe in fresh oxygen and emit the carbon dioxide they accumulated from holding their breath under water, akin to the sound that whales and seals make.

“Maybe because we’re so used to it be-cause we do it all the time, being under wa-ter is more peaceful for me,” Sook Ja-Koh, a haenyeo we interviewed during our trip. “I know the dangers. But concentrating on staying alive while doing my job helps me to forget my day-to-day problems.”

That didn’t sound like a happy existence to me. Yet immediately I knew the hae-nyeos deserved my admiration – now and before, when it was even more diffi cult to maintain such a profession.

“30 years ago, there was no dive suit and

other gears. We wore white cotton suits and a towel on our head. Then we worked for an hour, at the most,” said Sook who has been diving since she was about 12. Now she’s in her 50s. Haenyeos usually dive at 10 years old, all the way to their 80s.

“In the winter, we would be very cold. We’ll be under water for about an hour, then warm ourselves by the fi re for 3-4 hours.” Temperatures in Jeju during the winter vary between 0-10 degrees Celcius. “After 3-4 hours by the fi re, our cotton suits would dry up; and it was time to get back in the water. In the summer, we are able to stay 2-3 hours in the water,” she proudly declared.

Andreas Weater, a European tourist, said: “I’m fascinated by the island. But the haenyeos are what to see here in Jeju. Re-ally, really exciting.”

While the haenyeos are now attracting attention from all over the world, unfortu-nately, their numbers are dwindling and their way of life is slowly disappearing. A Jeju Weekly article published in May 2014, mentions that there are only 48 haenyeos left in Daepyeong-ri is one of 44 sea villag-es in Seogwipo City. The oldest diver right now is 84 years old.

Frankly, I don’t know if this is a good thing or not. On the one hand, I suppose since it’s dangerous for the female divers to be doing this job, it’s better for them to fi nd a safer way to earn money. On the other hand, the end of this tradition will also be an extinction of this part of Korean culture that has stayed for more than a thousand years.

Female divers with their gears

Haenyeos in action.

Freshest catch of the day, courtesy of the haenyeos – female divers on Jeju island, in Korea.

Nonetheless, the Korean government values the contributions of the haenyeos to Jeju island lifestyle and livelihood. That’s why it is mandated that only these female divers are licensed to sell fresh seafood products on the island. And believe me, this meal of fresh seafood on the island was one of the best meals I’ve had in my life... cheap, too! [END]

Jannelle So is credited for creating, host-ing and producing America’s fi rst and only locally-produced daily talk show for Filipi-nos, that ran for 8 ½ years under her lead-ership, making it the longest-running Fili-pino talk show outside of the Philippines. On her spare time, she loves to travel. This new column will document her sojourns as she shares what she learns an discovers on her trips. Connect to her on Facebook, Twit-ter and Instagram; or email her at sojan-nelle77@gmail.com.