Wednesday - Tuesday, November 11 - 17, 2015

Is Kim willing to work with

Gerald, Maja?

See Page 6W W W . U S A S I A N P O S T . C O M

Vol. 5 No. 7 LOS ANGELES A BALITA MEDIA PUBLICATION

MANILA, Oct. 20 (Mabuhay) – The Department of Social Wel-fare and Development (DSWD) reiterated on Tuesday its call for typhoon “Lando” evacuees wish-ing to return home to heed the ad-visories of concerned government authorities to ensure their safety.

According to DSWD Secretary Corazon J. Soliman, it is impor-tant that the evacuees wait for the go-signal of national and lo-cal government offi cials before returning to their places of origin.

“This is to ensure their safety against possible landslides and

fl ood waters coming down from high places,” Soliman said.

Based on the records of DSWD, “Lando” has affected 37,455 fami-lies equivalent to 182,946 persons from Regions I, II, III, IV-A, V, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

Of this number, 12,125 families or 55,554 persons are in 255 evac-uation centers managed by the Local Government Units (LGUs).

A total of PhP1,322,040 worth of humanitarian assistance was provided by the LGUs of Regions I, II, III, and V.

See 1-M HOMELESS, page 3

But on the city’s outskirts and elsewhere, many people endure deep poverty as they live in fl im-sy new homes that make them extremely vulnerable to future storms that will inevitably whip in off the Pacifi c Ocean.

More than 7,350 people were killed or left missing after super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) struck the Philippines on Nov. 8, 2013, with the strongest winds ever re-corded on land.

Tsunami-like storm surges higher than trees exacerbated the disaster, demolishing communi-ties on central Philippine islands that were already among the na-tion’s poorest.

“I cry almost every night. Je-sus, Mary and Joseph, how are we going to survive,” Esliba Bascal, 59, who lost her son and home in Environmental activists light candles at UP Diliman on Thursday, to commemorate the second year since Typhoon Yolanda hit the

central Philippines on November 8, 2013. The Category 5 super typhoon claimed the lives of more than 6,300 people and caused severe damage in Eastern Visayas.(MNS photo)

MANILA, Nov 7 (Mabuhay) – The government is having diffi culty acquiring lands that would serve as relocation sites for the survivors of Typhoon Yolanda that’s why there are some delays on the transfer of families who are still living in bunkhouses especially in Ta-cloban City, a Palace offi cial said on Saturday.

Deputy presidential spokes-person Abigail Valte said in a radio interview on Saturday that the tracts of land initially

MANILA, Nov. 6 (Mabuhay) – The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park has been offi cially declared an ASEAN Heritage Park.

The naming of Tubbataha as an ASEAN Heritage Park high-lights the importance of the reef not just in the Philippines but in all of Southeast Asia.

There are about 37 ASEAN Heritage Parks and Tubbataha is the only underwater marine park so far.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Center for Biodi-versity said Tubbataha’s inclu-sion on the list will greatly benefi t the park, as it will now have ac-cess to funding, capacity building training for staff and park rang-

Airport security screeners wear pink armbands during a Mass at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Friday. The security screeners appeal for public understanding while investigation of the “tanim-bala” scam is underway. (MNS photo)

MANILA, Nov. 6 (Mabuhay) – Workers holding lowly jobs at Ninoy Aquino International Air-port (Naia) have been reaping the bitter fruits of the “tanim-bala” (bullet-planting) scheme that victims suspect was an extortion scheme of unscrupulous airport personnel.

Maintenance workers, porters and security guards at Naia re-ported being subjected to suspi-cious glances, cruel jokes and sharp words by an unforgiving public, with two death threats becoming the latest aggravation phoned in at the airport.

The fi rst death threat was re-ceived by the Airport Police De-partment (APD) offi ce at Naia Terminal 3 around 8 p.m. on Sat-urday, Oct. 31.

According to the APD, an un-identifi ed male caller said, “I will plant bullets in the head of [Ma-nila International Airport Au-

thority or MIAA] offi cials. You have to fi x the extortion [in your offi ce]. One among you will fall. If I hear of another tanim-bala vic-tim, one of you will fall. There will be no warning.”

The second threat came a little past noon on Wednesday, from a man who claimed to be an over-seas worker in Saudi Arabia. It was received by the MIAA, and coincided with the press confer-ence called by transportation and aviation security offi cials.

Tracing the threatsThe caller expressed outrage

over the tanim-bala scheme and said, “We will blow your heads off.”

Although the death threats were not directed at any par-ticular person, David de Castro, spokesperson for MIAA General Manager Jose Angel Honrado, said they “will not be taken light-

MANILA, Nov 7 (Mabuhay) – Nine people were hurt after a Philippine Air Force (PAF) helicopter crash-landed in Malapatan, Sarangani Province on Saturday morning.

Capt. Alberto Caber, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Eastern Mindanao Command, said a PAF’s UH-1D helicopter crash-landed in Sitio Lamsalo, Barangay Upper Suyan at around 9:40 a.m.

Caber said strong winds caused the chopper’s crash.

He said that the PAF chopper was on a casualty evacuation mission for members of the

MANILA, Nov. 6 (mabuhay) – Malacañang on Friday denied the allegation that it plans to hide street dwellers from the view of state leaders attending the Asia-Pacifi c Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit from November 16 to 20.

Quoting Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky So-liman, the Palace denied that the department is giving out P4,000 to the homeless to rent temporary homes while the APEC summit is ongoing.

Deputy presidential spokes-person Abigail Valte said all ini-tiatives for the homeless of the agency are under their regular programs.

“Again, hindi po ‘hidden from view.’ Naipaliwanag po natin na ‘yung modifi ed CCT (conditional

cash transfer) ay isang program-ang matagal na, ‘yung ginagawa ng DSWD, at ‘yung pagtulong po nila ay hindi po limited sa tuwing mayroon malaki pong event ngunit nakikita po natin itong pagkakataon na simulan ‘yung pagtulong sa kanila para makapag-transition naman po sila from the streets into dignifi ed living quarters,” Valte said.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Brod-erick Pabillo on Thursday criti-cized the government for its sup-posed plan to hide street dwellers during the APEC Summit by giv-ing them money to rent a tempo-rary home.

Instead of providing perma-nent solutions to the plight of the poor, the government just conceals homeless families every

MANILA, Nov. 6 (MABUHAY) – There may be hope for the ve-hicular traffi c situation in Metro Manila, which has been ranked the worst on Earth by users of a road navigation application.

Amid growing public clamor to improve the deteriorating rail-way systems in the country, transportation experts said investing on a bus rapid transit (BRT) system and mobilizing people instead of vehicles may help in easing road congestion in the bustling me-tropolis.

Robert Siy, senior adviser of the Department of Transportation and Communications, admitted that traffi c congestion “is taking our lives away from us.”

“I think we all recognize that. Unless we have quality public transport that is reliable, we will have worsening traffi c situation in Metro Manila,” Siy said during the 24th national convention of the Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners in Makati City on Wednesday.

“Our vision is to have public transport as the number one choice of every person for their daily commute, even if they have the option of using a car or motorcycle,” he said, highlighting the increasing

Two years after ‘Haiyan’, 1-M still homeless: reportTACLOBAN, Nov. 6 (Mabuhay) – Two years after a super typhoon

devastated the Philippines and sounded a global alarm on climate change, a massive rebuilding program has had big successes but at least one million survivors are still without safe homes.

In Tacloban, a major coastal city that was nearly completely de-stroyed and where thousands died, restaurants and shops are bustling again – showcasing the best of a remarkable resurrection for many communities.

Palace denies street dwellers ‘hidden from view’ for APEC meet

Tubbataha Reef named ASEAN Heritage Park

9 hurt as PAF chopper crash-lands in Sarangani

Bus rapid transit, ‘inclusive mobility’ may solve traffi c woes – experts

Lowly airport workers reap bitter fruits of ‘tanim-bala’ scam

See ACQUIRING LAND, page 3

See DWELLERS, page 3See TUBBATAHA REEF, page 3

See LOWLY AIRPORT, page 3 See PAF CHOPPER, page 3See INCLUSIVE MOBILITY, page 3

Acquiring landhampers gov’trelocation program

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, November 11 -17, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST 2

MANILA, Nov 7 (Mabu-hay) – Despite claiming that there are ongoing ne-gotiations for a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao did not mention the brash Ameri-can as a possible opponent for his farewell fi ght.

Pacquiao, 36, also trimmed down his choices to four names and excluded Juan Manuel Marquez, who recently stated he won’t fi ght Pacquiao again re-

gardless of the money.“We have Amir Khan,

Danny Garcia, Terrence Crawford or Timothy Brad-ley (as potential oppo-nents),” Pacquiao said.

“But I don’t know yet, a lot of names have been given to me by my promoter Bob Arum. We are yet to fi -nalise anything.”

Recent reports circulated that Pacquiao and his for-mer sparring partner Amir Khan have agreed to fi ght

in April next year. While Pacquiao’s camp vehement-ly denied that a fi ght has been agreed upon, the Fili-pino ring icon says he’s not closing his doors for a pos-sible matchup.

“I’ve not talked to Bob Arum yet, but it’s possible,” said Pacquiao, referring to a potential showdown with Khan. “Of course if there is no problem about the ne-gotiation then why not?” (MNS)

MANILA, Nov 5 (Mabu-hay) -- The husband of presi-dential candidate Senator Grace Poe is already in the process of renouncing his American citizenship, her camp said Thursday.

Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian said Neil Lla-manzares has started taking “concrete and proactive” steps to fulfi l the require-ments necessary to give up his United States passport. “Sinimulan na ni Mr. Lla-manzares ‘yung mahabang proseso ng pagre-renounce. ‘Di simpleng proseso ito at maraming hinihinging do-kumento. Medyo voluminous ang dokumentong hinihingi. Gayunpaman, he’s already taking concrete and proac-tive steps to renounce his American citizenship,” he said at the sidelines of the

Makabayan coalition’s for-mal endorsement of Poe and her running mate, Senator Francis Escudero, in Quezon City.

In a separate interview, Poe told reporters she has no doubt about her husband’s desire to renounce his Ameri-can citizenship.

“‘Yung prosesong kai-langan ay kailangang may makalap tayong mga doku-mento para isumite. Wala naman akong duda at ‘wag kayong magduda,” she said.

The senator, whose citi-zenship is also being ques-tioned before the Senate Electoral Tribunal and the Commission on Elections, stressed that her husband is a good man. “Assurance lang na mabait ang aking asawa, hindi nakikialam, at isang Pilipino,” she said.

Poe confi rmed in an ear-lier radio interview that Llamanzares has decided to renounce his American citi-zenship after a discussion with her. According to the US State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, a person who wishes to renounce his American citizenship must appear in person before a US consular or diplomatic offi cer, do the act of renunciation in a foreign country (normally at a US Embassy or Consulate), and sign an oath of renun-ciation. While Llamanzares holds an American passport, Gatchalian said Poe’s hus-band is a dual citizen of the Philippines and the US. He noted that Llamanzares is a natural-born Filipino since both his parents are Filipi-nos who studied and worked in the US.

Representatives of the Makabayan bloc led by Rep. Neri Colmenares link arms with Sen. Grace Poe and Sen. Chiz Escudero during a solidarity event at the Quezon City Sports Club on Thursday. The group declared support for Team Galing at Puso in the 2016 election.(MNS photo)

MANILA, Nov 5 (Mabu-hay) -- The Offi ce of the Om-budsman has ordered the dismissal of eight munici-pal employees in Molave, Zamboanga Del Sur over the alleged procurement of expired and overpriced medicines in 2009 amount-ing to P1.8 million.

In a ten-page decision recently signed by Ombuds-man Conchita Carpio-Mo-rales, the respondents were found guilty of administra-tive offenses of grave mis-conduct and conduct preju-dicial to the best interest of the service.

Ordered dismissed were eight members of the Mo-lave Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) namely, Gasmelba Felicitas, Mar-cos Bahinting, Melita delos

Santos, Nikki Omboy, Jer-ry Gene delos Santos and Lina Lou Gitalan. Morales ordered Molave mayor Ire-neo Glepa to implement the order. Aside from dismissal from service, the respon-dents were also meted with the accessory penalties of cancellation of eligibil-ity, forfeiture of retirement benefi ts and perpetual dis-qualifi cation from re-em-ployment in any govern-ment offi ce.

In ordering the respon-dents’ dismissal, the anti-graft body gave weight to a Commission on Audit (COA) report which found several irregularities in the procurement of the ques-tioned items, such as the lack of public bidding, fail-ure of the respondents to

conduct eligibility check of the suppliers, and that no bids were ever submitted by the supposed bidders.

The COA also said that the purchased medicines were also overpriced by as much as 152 percent to 836 percent. The COA report also revealed that the medi-cines were already expired upon purchase.

The COA investigation also revealed that P1.2-million worth of the pur-chased medicines were still undelivered. The state audit body further noted that the purchased medi-cines also included Vita-min A capsules amounting to P645,000 even if the vi-tamins were provided for free by the Department of Health. (MNS)

Poe’s husband now processing renunciation of US citizenship

Pacquiao names four possible opponents for farewell fi ght

Ombudsman dismisses 8 Zambo del Sur employees for overpriced medicines

ISABELA, Nov. 6 (Mabu-hay) – Former Isabela goveror and poll commissioner Grace Padaca on Friday posted a P40,000 bail as she faces per-jury charges before the Sandi-ganbayan for alleged failure to submit her Statements of Assets and Liabilities Net-worth (SALN) for the years 2007 to 2010. Padaca person-ally appeared in the antigraft court Second Division to un-dergo the usual booking pro-cedures and pay P10,000 bail for each of the four counts of perjury.

She posted bail after the court issued a resolution fi nd-ing probable cause to hold her on trial, paving the way for the issuance of an arrest war-rant.

“It appearing from an eval-uation of the Resolution of the

Offi ce of the Ombudsman… that probable cause exists for the issuance of a Warrant of Arrest against accused Maria Gracia Cielo Magno Padaca in these cases for violation of Section 8 of the Republic Act 6713 (4 counts), let the corresponding warrant of ar-rest and hold departure order against her be immediately issued,” the court said in an Oct. 29, 2015 resolution.

The court then ordered the temporary liberty of Padaca after she posted bail from her charges.

“You are hereby directed to discharge from custody accused Maria Gracia Cielo Magno Padaca, she having posted the required bail for her temporary liberty in the amount of P40,000…only, unless there be other valid

reason/s for detaining her,” the court said in an order.

Ombudsman prosecutors fi led four informations of perjury against Padaca for violating the Code of Con-duct and Ethical Standards for Public Offi cials and Em-ployees, which require public offi cials to declare a truthful statement of their wealth, li-abilities, properties, and busi-ness interests.

The Isabela provincial government supposedly only had on fi le Padaca’s 2004 and 2006 SALN.

In an earlier statement on its indictment against Pa-daca, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said Padaca should have her own receiving copies of her SALN because it is “customary and essential” for proper record-keeping.

Former Isabela governor posts P40,000 bail for perjury raps

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, November 11 -17, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 3LOS ANGELES

Ipinagmamalaki ng L.A. Care Health Plan ang pagiging kasangga ng Covered California™

BUKAS NA PAGPAPATALA: NOB. 1, 2015 – ENERO 31, 2016

Dito sa L.A., ang ating mga mata ay kayumanggi,

asul at berde. Nasa ating balat ang lahat ng

timplada ng kulay. At ang ating mga ngiti ay nasa

lahat ng lugar. Iyon ay dahil ang L.A. Care CoveredTM

ay nag-aalay ng pangangalagang pangkalusugan

na bukod-tanging Angeleno na tulad mo. At sa

malawak na network ng mga doktor at ospital na

nag-aalay ng maginhawa, madaling makuhang

pangangalaga, ginagawa naming mas madali para

sa iyo na humanap ng doktor at punuin ang

reseta nang mas malapit sa iyo. Kaya tawagan o

bisitahin kami ngayon – at humanap ng plano

para sa bawat mukha sa iyong bahay.

1.855.222.4239 (TTY/TDD 711)

lacarecovered.org

PANGANGALAGANG PANGKALUSUGAN NA BUKOD-TANGING ANGELENO NA TULAD MO

1-M HOMELESSFrom page 1

ACQUIRING LANDFrom page 1

DWELLERSFrom page 1

TUBBATAHA REEFFrom page 1

LOWLY AIRPORTFrom page 1

the disaster and now lives in a makeshift dwelling just outside Tacloban.

Like many others, Bas-cal’s hopes for a new gov-ernment-provided house in a safe place have not come true.

She lives with her hus-band, widowed daughter-in-law and six grandchil-dren in a brick-and-tin structure built on the same site as their previous home that was wiped out by the storm surges.

“We were poor, but now we’re poorer. Life is hard but I have to be strong for my grandchildren,” said Bascal, who earns about 20 pesos (50 cents) a day sell-ing biscuits, chips, soap and other daily goods from her home.

Mixed successPresident Benigno

Aquino III’s government launched a 150-billion-peso ($3.2 billion) reconstruction program for the disaster zones, which the United Nations has praised for its effi ciency in some key sec-tors.

About 60 percent of that money has been spent, much of it on roads, bridges and schools, according to Economic Planning Sec-

retary Arsenio Balisacan, who is in charge of the re-covery program.

Money has also been used for start-up capital for survivors to start small businesses, as well as farm and fi shing supplies.

A resilient local private sector and hundreds of mil-lions of dollars in aid from the international communi-ty has also been extremely important.

The Red Cross, for exam-ple, said it had given cash assistance to more than 90,000 families and rebuilt or repaired 65,000 homes.

Yet, the government has come under fi re for not do-ing enough to help the more than one million survi-vors it identifi ed as living in coastal areas who were vulnerable to future storms and needed to be resettled.

Out of the 205,128 fami-lies living in the path of fu-ture storms, just 928 have been transferred to perma-nent shelters, according to the government.

The government calcu-lates an average of fi ve peo-ple per family.

Many of the others who have yet to receive new homes are simply living in repaired or rebuilt homes,

like Bascal.The government is aim-

ing to relocate nearly 100,000 families by next year, with the project to be completed by 2017, Chi-to Cruz, chairman of the Housing and Urban Devel-opment Coordinating Coun-cil, told reporters this week.

Cruz said one of the rea-sons it was taking so long to relocate people was because buying safe new land from private title holders was ex-tremely diffi cult.

Locals also complain that the proposed resettlement areas are in isolated loca-tions well away from the coast. The coastal areas are the main hubs of the re-gional economy, and people cannot afford to travel long distances.

“We have accomplished much over the last two years, but there is still a lot that must be done,” Bali-sacan said in a briefi ng on the recovery program this week.

But he also empha-sized that Yolanda had turned cities and towns into “wastelands,” and that even the US government struggled after Hurricane Katrina caused massive damage in 2005.

identifi ed by the govern-ment have some problem forcing it not to buy the land.

“Hindi po nagkatuluyan (land purchase) dahil may-roon po palang problema doon sa mga lupa na in-identify para naman po sa national government,” she told dzRB Radyo Ng Bayan.

“Malaki po talagang challenge ang land acquisi-

tion pagdating doon sa pag-tatayo po natin ng mga per-manenteng pabahay para po doon sa mga biktima.”

Asked to compare the post-‘Yolanda’ rebuilding problems to US government efforts to rebuild communi-ties devastated by Hurri-cane Katrina, Valte said even a wealthy country as the US has struggled to re-habilitate disaster areas.

Typhoon Yolanda was also devastating compared to Hurricane Katrina that hit the US.

But the Philippines fairs well in its rebuilding initia-tives, Valte said noting that even multilateral agencies like the United Nations and the World Bank have praised the government for its very effective process of rebuilding.

time there are visitors to the country, Pabillo said in a radio interview. The DSWD was also heavily criticized back in January when it brought street dwellers to a luxurious resort in Batan-gas during the fi ve-day visit of Pope Francis.

The department, for its

part, denied hiding poverty from the Pope, insisting that the “family camping” was part of the govern-ment’s modifi ed CCT pro-gram.

“Alam ninyo, ‘nung pag-katapos po dumating ng Pope, nagkaroon pa po sila ng isang ganitong activity.

Ilang taon na pong nang-yayari ito at hindi po nai-tataon... Baka naitataon lang pong nai-re-report kapag mayroon malaking event pero ang katotohanan po diyan ay ilang taon na pong ginagawa ng DSWD ang programang ito,” Valte stressed. (MNS)

ers, and attracting tourists from ASEAN neighbors.

Angelique Songco, head of the Tubbataha Reefs Nat-ural Park, is happy with the new international recogni-tion, noting that they badly need fi nancial assistance to protect nearly 100,000 hect-ares of the marine park.

She said Tubbataha re-mains to be one of the best in the world. However, cli-mate change and El Nino are damaging the corals.

There is also the possible

grounding of ships, similar to what happened two years ago when USS Guardian and a Chinese vessel ran aground, damaging hect-ares of coral reefs.

Pollution from cities like plastics and other garbage have also reached Tubba-taha, which is home to en-dangered species, both fi sh and birds.

Efforts are now being done to further protect Tub-bataha, including the con-struction of a new ranger

station which will include a visitor center, research building and a helipad.

Aside from being an ASEAN Heritage Park, Tubbataha is also a UNES-CO World Heritage site.

Meanwhile, just a few weeks ago, the mountain range in Camiguin has also been included on the list of ASEAN Heritage Parks, but the offi cial launch has not been scheduled yet. (MNS)

ly especially in a place of public convergence such as the airport.”

“We are currently trac-ing the calls and investigat-ing the threats received,” he added.

The phone calls were the latest backlash that airport workers have received amid public outrage and paranoia over the tanim-bala scam. Airport workers reported being the butt of jokes, in-sults and harsh words from suspicious passengers over the controversy.

One janitor assigned at the Terminal 1 arrival area restroom recalled be-ing asked by a passenger to mind his luggage while he relieved himself last Tues-day.

“When he came back for his luggage, he looked at me from head to toe and asked, ‘You didn’t put any bullet in there, did you?’ I told him I wouldn’t do that and just walked away,” the janitor said.

DistrustSince then, he has de-

clined any request for him to mind the luggage of pas-sengers while they use the restroom. “I just tell them it might be better if they took their luggage with them.”

A cleaning woman pre-viously awarded for her honesty, said she was sad-dened by how people have been treating them after the tanim-bala scheme sur-faced. “They look at us with distrust and say hurtful things. [But] we are just do-ing our jobs. We are not do-ing anything wrong.”

Philippine Army’s 73rd

Infantry Battalion, when the incident happened.

He said nine members of the PAF, including the helicopter’s pilot, suffered light injuries and that they have been secured.

Additional helicopters have been dispatched to the same area to continue the casualty evacuation mission, Caber said.(MNS)

PAFFrom page 1

INCLUSIVE MOBILITYFrom page 1car volume on the road.

Dr. Primitivo Cal, ex-ecutive director of the UP Planning and Development Research Foundation Inc., cited recent research fi nd-ings on the number coding scheme – 77 percent of cars were bought as alternative vehicles during coding days; 45 percent of car owners had more than one car; 76 percent of those who owned a single car intended to buy a new one; and 33 percent of car owners used an alterna-tive vehicle on coding day. Stressing the importance of transforming road-based transport, Siy said “we have to go beyond rails” in coming up with solutions to traffi c.

“Road-based public trans-

port should be suffi cient, high quality, reliable, af-fordable, and safe,” he said. “Transformation is required from low-quality, high-emission public transport to high-quality, low-emission public transport, and the BRT is part of the solution.”

DOTC’s proposed BRT will feature a dedicated roadway for system buses in the middle lanes of major thoroughfares, while both right and left lanes would be for private vehicles. Siy said the design of stations, fair collection and IT sys-tems, and buses themselves would allow fast boarding and alighting of passengers.

“Urban rail development is essential but it requires

more time and funding. BRT can be implemented with less cost and in shorter time,” Siy said, adding BRT could be a “precursor” to rail or subway and could com-plement rail on the same corridor.

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, November 11 -17, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST 4

MANILA, Nov 7 (Mabuhay) – A militant group has slammed the administration of President Be-nigno Aquino III for supposedly being the “bigger disaster” two years after super typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) pummeled the Vi-sayas and claimed thousands of lives.

In a candle-lighting event in Manila on Satur-day, youth group Anakbayan protested the Aquino government’s “criminal neglect, corruption, and exploitation of typhoon victims.”

“It has been two years now after Yolanda, but the people are suffering from the bigger disaster that is the Aquino government. Instead of helping the victims, the government pocketed the funds al-lotted for the victims and paved the way for pri-vate contractors and big businesses to profi t from the misery of our kababayans,” said Anakbayan national chairperson Vencer Crisostomo.

Citing a report by the Commission on Audit, Anakbayan said at least P382 million local and foreign cash donations were locked in the bank accounts of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, while P932 million were kept idle in the Offi ce of Civil Defense.

“The continuing neglect for the welfare of victims of Yolanda shows the heartlessness of the Aqui-no ‘tuwid na daan’ (straight path) government,” Crisostomo said, alluding to the administration’s slogan on good governance.

Crisostomo also criticized the Asia Pacifi c Eco-nomic Cooperation (Apec) and accused the 21-mem-ber economy of “using the disaster victims” to sup-posedly advance its “anti-people and neoliberal agenda.”

“The failed Yolanda rehabilitation aimed to ben-efi t big business and corrupt bureaucrats is proof of the failure of the Apec-type model of ‘disaster management’ and ‘disaster resiliency.’ Is this what they are set to adopt for the region? To use the disaster victims for their neoliberal agenda is an insult to Filipinos especially the Yolanda victims,” he said.

The Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting will be held in Manila next week, with leaders of the world’s top economies expected to arrive in the country. One of the topics that will be discussed in the sum-mit is disaster risk reduction and resiliency.

“Biktima na nga, binibiktima pa ulit. Hindi na nga tinulungan, ginagamit pa. Aquino and [Manu-el] Roxas should be jailed for their crimes against the Yolanda victims,” Crisostomo said.

(Victims who had been victimized twice over. As if being denied of help wasn’t enough, the victims have also been used [to serve their agenda].)

The Aquino government has drawn fl ak for its supposedly slow and ineffi cient rehabilitation ef-forts in Yolanda-hit areas. People Surge, and alli-ance of Yolanda survivors, has lamented the lack of permanent shelters and the presence of “small and cramped” bunkhouses even two years after the disaster.

A United Nations representative also previously called the government’s response as inadequate, saying that the Philippines has not done enough in rebuilding typhoon-hit areas.

Reacting to criticism on slow distribution of cash assistance to Yolanda survivors, DSWD offi cials said they had already released nearly P995 million of donations that the department received since November. (MNS)

MANILA, Nov. 6 (Mabuhay) – A Malacañang of-fi cial expressed hope Friday that the attention giv-en by international media on the laglag bala con-troversy at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport will not affect efforts to promote the country as a tourist destination.

“Unfortunately, these are unattended conse-quences of the attention that this (issue) has gen-erated and we are hoping that the effects will not be lasting,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abi-gail Valte told a press briefi ng.

“(We hope it) will not have a long-term effect on what our country is trying to do to promote the Philippines as a tourist destination. And sana po hindi ma-undo ‘yung naging trabaho at pagsisikap po natin doon sa mga nakaraang taon,” she added.

The supposed extortion scheme through plant-ing a bullet on the baggage of passengers has caught the attention of British Broadcasting Com-pany, Daily Mail, Hong Kong news sites HK Free Press and The Standard, a Fox News anchor, and even a Japanese TV entertainment show.

But at the press briefi ng, Valte said various gov-ernment agencies have already taken actions to address the issue.

“Apart from the fact na lalagyan ng CCTV, iyong policy nila is talagang hindi na puwedeng hawakan ng mga inspektor ‘yung bagahe para maiwasan ‘yung contact.

At kung magkaroon ng kaso na may makuha, kapag live ‘yung bullet, ituturn-over doon sa PNP Aviation Security Group para masimulan ‘yung proseso. Ngayon, kung hindi naman, malinaw din kung ano ‘yung puwede nilang dapat gawin,” she said.

Earlier, a Tourism offi cial maintained that de-spite the raging laglag bala controversy, the Phil-ippines remained an attractive tourist destination.

“We see no major impact of the latest reports and are confi dent the concerned authorities will be able to resolve the matter soon enough,” Tourism Undersecretary Benito C. Bengzon Jr. said.

“The numbers have remained upbeat with steady double-digit growth in visitor arrivals and revenue for the entire year,” Bengzon said.

In January to September, the number of foreign visitors in the Philippines reached more than 3.98 million or 10.8 percent above the year-earlier fi g-ure while tourism revenues amounted to $3.7 bil-lion. — (MNS)

MANILA, Nov. 6 (Mabuhay) – Despised by pas-sengers over the laglag bala extortion some of their colleagues are suspected of committing, luggage in-spectors and other personnel of the Offi ce of Trans-portation Security on Friday came up with a show of quiet love.

Screening offi cers from the OTS wore pink rib-bons around their right arms as they went about their tasks.

“Kahit na hindi love ang ipinapakita nila sa amin, love namin sila. Kasi ganu’n ang trabaho namin. Una muna ang pagmamahal namin sa mga pasa-hero dahil ‘yun po ang sinumpaan namin—na lahat po ng pasahero ay secure na makarating sa kanilang paroroonan,” OTS supervisor Nannet Ramos said.

“Kung sino man po ang magsasabi [ng mga bagay] against sa amin, tatanggapin po namin ‘yun,” she added.

Airport personnel, particularly screening offi cers, have been accused of carrying out the modus, which involves placing a bullet or several rounds of ammu-nition in the luggage of a victim without his knowl-edge. The victim would then be confronted with al-legations of illegal possession of ammunition during the screening process. The perpetrators would then ask for cash in exchange for letting the apprehended passenger go.

The scheme has drawn anger in the social media and attention from the international community.

However, Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said the laglag bala scare appears to “have been blown out of proportion,” which may lead to “those tasked with our security to suffer from lower morale.”

OTS administrator Roland Recomono said 11 of his personnel are already under investigation for the extortion scheme.

HopefulStill, Ramos said she and her colleagues are hope-

ful that the controversy will die down.“Medyo nabawasan na po ‘yung ganoong (negati-

bong) pagtingin sa amin dahil may nagpapatotoo na

kanila po ‘yung mga nakukuha sa bag nila na bul-let,” she said.

She added: “Tingin ko po matatapos rin po yan kasi may ginagawa naman po yung mga mataas sa amin, ginagawa naman kung paano kami ipagtang-gol.”

However, some airline passengers said they re-main doubtful of airport personnel because of the issue.

“They are not nice, they are very impolite,” said Vina Vagatsulon, a Filipina traveling to Thailand.

Thumbs down“A big down for them,” she also said, with match-

ing thumbs down, adding that she didn’t believe the offi cers are being demoralized.

Christita Estopa, who is fl ying to Taiwan, said she believes some are really involved in the modus.

“May gumagawa talaga. Imposibleng wala. Ika nga, kung walang apoy, walang usok,” she said. “Mas nakakatakot ngayon. Parang wala kang dapat pagtiwalaan.”

First-time seamen Julius and Denmark said that not all security personnel are involved, though they would not trust the said offi cers, as in everyone else at NAIA.

Syndicate?Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA)

general manager Jose Angel Honrado denied that a syndicate was operating to conduct the modus.

However, a source from the National Bureau of Investigation cited initial fi ndings of the probe for the issue that says otherwise.

An ammunition interception report released to the media said 1,394 cases were recorded so far this year.

Data from the OTS, meanwhile, said 3,325 bullets were found in passengers’ baggage at NAIA from January to August 2015.

Five people arrested at NAIA for bullets found in their luggages have been released.

However, three others were caught with bullets at Terminal 3 on Thursday afternoon. They were the bullets were used as anting-anting. (MNS)

MANILA, Nov. 6 (Mabuhay) – Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago will sponsor a proposed resolu-tion on the controversial Enhanced Defense Coop-eration Agreement (Edca) between the Philippines and the United States when she returns to the ple-nary session on Monday.

In a statement on Friday, Santiago said the pro-posed resolution stated that any treaty or inter-national agreement including the Edca requires a Senate concurrence.

Santiago, chair of the Senate foreign relations committee, will submit the resolution for adoption by the majority of senators amid reports that the Supreme Court is set to rule on the validity of the Edca ahead of the Asia-Pacifi c Economic Coopera-tion (APEC) world leader’s meeting this Novem-ber.

Once sponsored, the resolution will be opened to debate on the Senate fl oor where a simple major-ity of senators present in a quorum is required to

adopt a resolution.Santiago earlier sent to the Supreme Court a

copy of the proposed Senate resolution signed by Santiago and 12 other senators.

Among those who signed the resolution were Juan Edgardo Angara, Pia Cayetano, Joseph Vic-tor “JV” Ejercito, Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Teofi sto Guingona III, Lito Lapid, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Sergio Osmeña III, Aquilino Pimentel III, Ralph Recto, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., and Cynthia Villar.

The resolution decried “how the Senate, with which the President shares treaty-making powers, was sidestepped on the EDCA signed by Manila and Washington in April 2014.”

The resolution, however, clarifi ed that “the Sen-ate is not forcing the President to submit any trea-ty to the Senate for concurrence, abiding by the Supreme Court ruling in the 2005 case of Pimentel v. Offi ce of the Executive Secretary.”

Aquino gov’t ‘bigger disaster’ 2 years after ‘Yolanda’ – Anakbayan

Palace hopes laglag bala issue won’t affect PHL image

Amid hate over laglag bala, inspectors show quiet love with purple ribbons

Santiago to sponsor resolution on PHL-US defense cooperation pact

OPINIONRecently, the California State Legislature passed

the Healthy Workplace, Healthy Family’s Act of 2014 (HWHFA) requiring employers to provide paid sick leave to their employees. An employee who on or after July 1, 2015 works in California for 30 or more days within a year, and satisfi es a 90-day em-ployment period before taking any sick leave, quali-fi es for paid sick leave. An employer may limit the use of paid sick days to 24 hours or three days in each year of employment, through a written sick leave policy.

An employee begins accruing paid sick leave on the fi rst day of employment or July 1, 2015, which-ever is later, and may use accrued paid sick days beginning on the 90th day of employment. Employees may carry over accrued sick leave to the following year of employment and employers may cap an em-ployee’s ability to carry over sick time to 48 hours or 6 days.

An employer must provide paid sick days upon oral or written request of an employee for them-selves or a family member for the diagnosis, care or treatment of an existing health condition or preven-tative care, or specifi ed purposes for an employee who is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

The HWHFA prohibits an employer from retali-ating or discriminating against an employee who requests paid sick days or uses paid sick days. An employee can fi le a complaint with the Labor Com-missioner against an employer who retaliates or dis-criminates against the employee. Also, HWHFA re-quires employers to inform employees of their right

California’s new paid sick leave law

Atty. Jacob M. Krall

to paid sick leave by displaying a poster in a conspic-uous place at the employee’s place of work outlining the substantive portions of the law.

Many employers already had sick leave policies in place before California adopted HWHFA and may keep those policies in place if they satisfy the requirements of the new law. Employers without a written policy should put one in place to comply with this new law. The sick leave law is complicated and the Department of Industrial Relations has re-cently updated its website to assist employers with compliance. For additional information, please go to www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/sick_leave_law_FAQs.pdf, or contact an employment attorney experi-enced in sick leave law.

Article written by Jacob M. Krall, Employment Law Attorney of Rehwald Glasner & Chaleff. Mr. Krall advocates for clients in cases involving dis-crimination, harassment, unpaid overtime and La-bor Code violation. He can be reached at (818) 703-7500.

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, November 11 -17, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 5

WASHINGTON, D.C. – From Pittsburgh, the city of steel, to Seattle, the city of innovation, a private sector business delegation from Manila showcased the Philippines as Asia’s new emerging tiger.

On 19-23 October 2015, Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. and prominent Filipino economist Dr. Bernardo Villegas led the Fourth Pri-vate Sector Delegation to the United States in busi-ness forums held in Pitts-burgh (19 October), Dallas/Fort Worth (21 October), and Seattle (23 October).

The other members of the topnotch business del-egation were Mr. Engel-bert Camasura, Partner at Ward Howell Interna-tional Consulting Firm; Mr. Ronaldo Elepaño, 1st Vice President for Business De-velopment International at DM Consunji, Inc.; Mr. Jose Mari Mercado, President and CEO of the Informa-tion Technology & Business Process Association of the Philippines; and Mr. Juan Olondriz Peña, President of RAJI INC.

Writing about the First delegation in 2012, Dr Vil-legas explained that the “apparent reticence of US investors to invest more heavily in the Philippines motivated me and a hand-ful of top executives from the private sector to offer our services to Ambassador Jose Cuisia to organize a non-deal investment road-show to three key cities in the US, i.e. Washington, D.C., New York City and San Francisco City. The re-sults exceeded our expecta-tions.” That fi rst roadshow has since been followed by visits to Los Angeles, Chi-cago, and Boston in 2013; and then Houston, Atlanta and Philadelphia last year.

“The Philippines and the US are natural business partners because of our

shared values,” said Am-bassador Cuisia in open-ing this year’s roadshow in Pittsburgh. And in a sub-sequent statement, the en-voy also noted that “since our fl agship private sector-led investment roadshow in the U.S. in 2012, I have experienced fi rst-hand that the wave of optimism and business confi dence in the Philippines continues to-day. Through these annual events, we are connecting not only prominent Filipino businessmen, but also great Filipino minds, with Ameri-can partners in promoting the Philippines’ improving business image in the Unit-ed States.”

Dr. Villegas, who is also a Visiting Professor at IESE Business School, led off the presentations with an overview of the Philip-pine economy, and focused on the positive trends in growth and development. He also spoke on the weak-nesses and challenges of the economy, while identi-fying the key industries for investments.

In his presentation, Dr Villegas identifi ed “a stable democracy, improved gov-ernance, strong macroeco-nomic fundamentals, an educated, young and Eng-lish-speaking labor force, and OFW remittances as positive trends contribut-ing to the Philippines be-coming one of the emerging markets.” He also added that “the Philippines is in a demographic sweet spot with the young and growing population being the main source of our competitive advantage.”

Throughout the road-show, the delegates ex-tolled the Filipino worker as a “global resource,” in the words of one, describ-ing the talent pool as high-ly trainable, profi cient in English, having an affi nity with Western culture, hav-

ing good customer service orientation, and having a high level of commitment and loyalty.

There was much inter-est in the Philippine IT-BMP industry that has steadily grown to become an US$18.9 billion dollar industry, showing the con-tinued and growing interest of international companies to invest and put up opera-tions in the country. It is projected that 1.3 million people will be directly em-ployed in IT-BPM by 2016, with the industry generat-ing US$25 billion in rev-enue.

Even after nearly four years since the fi rst road-show, infrastructure and public-private partnerships continued to be important topics for American busi-ness. The delegation in-formed participants at the various forums that the Philippine government is allocating increased re-sources to infrastructure improvement and expan-sion, opening up numerous opportunities for invest-ment in the Philippines. In emphasizing the impor-tance of infrastructure, Dr. Villegas expressed the hope that the next President in 2016 will be an “infrastruc-ture President.”

In the discussions fol-lowing the presentations, whether with US business-men or Filipino-Americans, a recurring theme was the leadership transition in 2016. Recalling his visit to Harvard in 2014, as part of the third roadshow, Dr. Vil-legas, said that “the ques-tions were more penetrat-ing about how sustainable will be the present high growth of 6 to 8% in GDP once a new leader takes over in 2016. What if the next President is not as committed to fi ghting cor-ruption as President Benig-no Aquino III?”

For this year’s elections, Asian and Pacifi c Islander American Vote (APIAVote) and Asian Americans Ad-vancing Justice | AAJC partnered once again to support AANHPI voters through our national elec-tion protection hotline, 1-888-API-VOTE. Bilingual assistance was available to voters in English, Man-darin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Tagalog.

Calls were fi elded from across the country, in-cluding from states with APIAVote grantees, such as Virginia, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Texas. This was thanks to the voter mobili-zation efforts of APIAVote’s partners, who over the last few weeks sent mailers and phone banked into their communities, highlight-ing language assistance through the hotline.

Most questions that came

through the hotline asked for Election Day informa-tion, including the location of polling places, voter reg-istration information, voter ID requirements, and gen-eral voting procedures. No-tably, many callers wanted information on the election itself, such as what races are taking place and who or what is on the ballot.

“Many voters expressed a desire to vote, but did not have access to translat-ed, in-language materials about specifi c races or what and who was on the ballot,” said Christine Chen, Exec-utive Director of APIAVote.

“This emphasizes the critical need of in-language ballots and other election information for our commu-nities, to give them the ac-cess they deserve to the po-litical process.” The infl ux of calls throughout the last week and on Election Day

highlights the importance of voter outreach and mo-bilization efforts, and that AANHPI voters are notic-ing our efforts to reach out to them.

“The National Asian Lan-guage Election Protection Hotline helps voters know their rights at the polls,” said Mee Moua, President and Executive Director of Advancing Justice | AAJC. “Reducing language barri-ers is extremely important for Asian Americans to turn out the vote because roughly one in two Asian American adults (44 per-cent) have diffi culty speak-ing English.”

Ultimately, as we head into the 2016 elections, we must ensure that all AANHPI voters feel apart of the political process, and continue to provide this critical in-language assis-tance for our communities.

Dr Villegas argues that “President Aquino him-self acknowledges that the strong recovery of the Phil-ippines under his watch can be attributed to a series of reforms that spanned at least the last 27 years since the Administration of his mother. Gradually through more than a quarter of a century, the Philippines has been undergoing re-forms towards more inclu-sive political and economic institutions.”

In a statement, Ambas-sador Cuisia also says, “I am confi dent that the Fili-pinos will choose wisely. And I am confi dent that no matter who succeeds President Aquino in June of 2016, the pace and the sub-stance of reforms, of good governance, can no longer be reversed.”

This year’s roadshow is the fourth and last in a series of a non-deal invest-ment roadshows that Dr. Villegas and leading busi-ness executives in Phil-ippine growth industries have organized during the Aquino Administration in partnership with the Phil-

ippine Foreign Service Posts in the United States, led by the Philippine Em-bassy in Washington DC.

“Perhaps, it was only right that we started in Pittsburgh, the city of steel, and ended in Seattle, the city of innovation. Such a journey seems to paral-lel that of the Philippines, a developing country that built much of its economic development in the past on the shoulders of manufac-turing, but has over the last few years ridden the suc-ceeding waves of innovation and information technol-ogy,” Ambassador Cuisia commented on the itinerary of the recently concluded roadshow,

“The year 2015 is a fi t-ting end to these invest-ment roadshows under the Aquino Administration because hundreds of world leaders will congregate in key cities of the country for the APEC Summit and at the same time, the end of the year will see the launch-ing of the fi nal phase of the ASEAN Economic Commu-nity,” observed Dr. Villegas.

ASEAN has a combined

nominal GDP of US$2.4 tril-lion, and would collectively rank as the world’s sev-enth largest economy. GDP growth for 2015 is forecast by the Asian Development Bank at 5.1 percent. And with a combined population of some 625 million people, its transformation into a single market will unlock a massive amount of econom-ic opportunities.

As early as the fi rst roadshow in 2012, Dr. Vil-legas’s message has been that the Philippines is part of the large free market of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and is a most strategic gateway to a total population of close to 700 million consumers.

“Since our geographic location also puts us at the center of the most dynamic region for the next 50-100 years, we can be the gate-way of the Pacifi c to South East Asia, and to greater Asia,” said Ambassador Cuisia, marking the end of a four-year run of the pri-vate sector led investment roadshows, and perhaps also heralding new begin-nings.

Promoting PHL economic credentials from Steel To City Of Innovation: 4th private sector-led business roadshow lays groundwork for increased us investments in PHL

APIAVote, AAJC launch election hotline in multi-languages

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 3, 2015 – For the second consecutive year, AARP presented The Out-standing Filipino Ameri-cans in New York (TOFA-NY) Awards on Saturday, October 31 at Carnegie Hall in New York. Created to recognize and celebrate the achievements of individuals and organizations that have raised the profi le of the Fili-pino American community in a unique way, TOFA hon-ored 15 exceptional individ-uals and organizations.

AARP presented the TOFA award for ‘Senior Welfare and Advocacy’ to the Philippine Aging Group for Active Seniors of Amer-ica (PAGASA), a non-profi t

that helps the growing number of isolated elderly Filipino Americans and pro-vides a place where they can gather and interact with others.

“Supporting organiza-tions like TOFA-NY and PAGASA is an example of how AARP is strengthen-ing communities,” said Beth Finkel, AARP New York State Director. “The honor-ees embody AARP’s belief in turning possibilities into realities.”

“We are extremely for-tunate to have AARP head our list of sponsors this year and applaud them for their support to our community, especially during Filipino American History Month,”

said Elton Lugay, Founding Chair of TOFA.

“We’re very proud of our colleague Steven Raga, hon-ored by TOFA for his com-mitment to the community and his achievements work-ing with the National Fed-eration of Filipino Ameri-can Associations (NaFFAA), Pilipino American Unity for Progress (UniPro), and Forest Hills Asian Associa-tion,” said Daphne Kwok, AARP Vice President of Multicultural Leadership, Asian American and Pacifi c Islander Audience. “As our AARP Consultant, Steven bringsAARP’s resources to the Filipino American com-munity as well as brings the community toAARP!

AARP returns as title sponsor of 5th Annual TOFA-NY Awards

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, November 11 -17, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST 6

Former SexBomb Girls member Sugar Mercado is seeking a court protection order against her estranged husband, Kristofer Jay Go, and his parents.

Mercado also fi led a criminal case against Go for violation of the Repub-lic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court on Friday afternoon.

She was accompanied by her legal counsel, Atty. Mi-nerva Lopez of the Gabriela Women’s Party.

Based on the documents submitted to the court, Lopez said that Mercado claimed that she has been receiving “physical, emo-

tional, and economical abuse” from her husband since 2010.

Mercado also alleged that Go has been repeatedly making threats against her life and her family’s, as well as threats of taking away

from her the custody of her children. “Ngayon, iyong si-nasabi po nila na Sugar na bobo, na tanga, ito po ako, lalaban ako para sa anak ko at sa pamilya ko,” Mercado said in an interview with ABS-CBN News.

“Siguro naman po maraming tulad ko rin na babae na ganito ang sit-wasyon. Oo, natakot po ako nung una pero ngayon po ay lalaban ako kasi may mga mabubuting taong tumutu-long po sa akin,” she added.

Lopez, in the same in-terview, said that the Ga-briela Women’s Party has expressed their full support for Mercado. “Buong buo ang suporta para kay Sug-ar,” she said. (MNS)

Dawn Zulueta only has good words for Jessy Men-diola, who plays her daugh-ter in the upcoming ABS-CBN series “You’re My Home.”

Zulueta said Mendiola has remained professional on the set despite the con-troversies which she has been facing through these past few weeks.

“Jessy is always very professional and very sweet. Tahimik lang siya magtrabaho,” she said. “Ngayon, napansin ko lang na si Jessy is very serious, very quiet. She likes to sit by herself. Kunyari nagpe-prepare lang kaming lahat, parang tahimik lang siya.”

Asked if Mendiola ever opened up to her, Zulueta said: “Hindi naman maku-wento si Jessy. Pinakiki-ramdaman ko lang. I just make her feel that if she

needs to talk to someone or if she wants to ask me any-thing, she’s always welcome to do so. I make her also feel that way.”

While she does not want

to interfere with Mendiola’s personal life, Zulueta said she is always willing to lis-ten if case she approaches her. “I wouldn’t know what advice to give her until I know kung ano ‘yung pinag-dadaanan niya. I only have a hunch but I’m not going to speculate,” she said.

Directed by Jerry Lopez Sineneng and produced by Star Creatives, “You’re My Home” will mark the re-turn of the Richard Gomez-Dawn Zulueta tandem on television.

It will also launch the tandem of Mendiola and JC De Vera, who are working with each other for the fi rst time. The show also fea-tures Sam Concepcion, Paul Salas, Precious Lara Quiga-man and Assunta de Rossi.

It will join the primetime lineup of ABS-CBN soon. (MNS)

MANILA, Nov 7 (Mabu-hay) -- “Time heals every-thing.”

These were the words of actress Kim Chiu when asked about the status of her relationship with Maja Salvador and former boy-friend Gerald Anderson.

The 25-year-old Chiu said that whatever misun-derstandings she had with the two are a thing of the past.

“Okay naman kami. Kumbaga time heals na-man lahat. At least may natutunan ka sa nangyari at na-experience mo iyon at a young age,” she added.

Chiu and Salvador were estranged for a year because of Salvador’s relationship with Anderson, who became Chiu’s boyfriend after their stint on the hit reality TV series “Pinoy Big Brother.”

Asked if she is willing to work with both Salvador and Anderson for a project, Chiu said: “Tingan natin. Depende sa kuwento. Ba-hala na,”

The actress, dubbed the “Chinita Princess,” has worked with the two since “patching things up” in sep-arate occasions.

Chiu also closed the doors on suggestions that

she might get back together with Anderson, now that the two are friends again.

“Okay na iyon. Past is past. At oo sobra kaming friends. ‘Wag ka dapat kasi magtanim ng kahit anong galit kasi ikaw rin ang ma-papagod,” she said.

Chiu is being romantical-ly linked with leading man Xian Lim.

The two, despite remain-ing good friends, are open about their feelings for each other with the latter even saying that Chiu is the “closest woman to his heart.”

“Kumportable kami sa isa’t isa and he brings out the best in me,” said Chiu when asked if they are al-ready a couple. “Hindi na-man kailangan ng label as long as dalawang tao ay masaya.” (MNS)

is hoping the future boy-friends of his daughters will not be exactly like him.

Some people regarded Estrada as a ladies’ man when he was in his teenage years.

Estrada said in jest: “Hu-wag naman yung masya-dong katulad ko. Yung mga ibang parte lang.”

Admitting he is the jeal-ous type of father, Estrada said he can’t detach him-self from his daughters although he is aware that they will soon have their own lives.

“Siyempre inevitable na-man na magkaka-boyfriend sila, magkakaasawa sila.

But parati ko sinasabi na I’m a jealous father. They know that. Yung panga-nay ko si Inah, kapag na-kikita ko na may kasama, naku anak ko yan. Bakit may kasamang iba iyan at may ka-holding hands pa? I guess yung attachment

ko sa mga anak ko, parang, ‘You’re mine.’ Yung ang pa-rang I have to let go,” he ex-plained.

Nonetheless, Estrada said he is blessed to have children who are all obedi-ent and respectful.

“Masakit sa ulo [mag-palaki ng mga anak]. I’m taking one day at a time. But you know what, ang babait ng mga anak ko. I’m so blessed, I’m so happy and I’m so proud of them,” he said. Estrada has four children with his former wife, Janice de Belen, while he has a daughter with his current wife, Priscilla Meirelles. (MNS)

Ex-SexBomb Girl seeks court protection order vs husband

Sugar Mercado

Is Kim willing to work with Gerald, Maja?

Kim Chiu

Dawn commends Jessy for professionalism

Jessy Mendiola

John Estrada admits he’s a ‘jealous’ father

John Estrada

So Many Ways To WinTM

PalaCasino.com

1-877-WIN-PALA (1-877-946-7252)Located in Northern San Diego County.

From San Diego County and Riverside County: Take I-15 to Hwy 76, go east 5 miles. From Orange County and Los Angeles County: Take I-5 South to Hwy 76, go east 23 miles.

Descend into a space unlike any other. Choose from over 480 of the

GET READY TO BE AMAZED

LOS ANGELES

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, November 11 -17, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 7

AARP is a non-profit organization committed to enhancing your life at 50-plus by providing

trusted and useful resources to help you stay active, engaged and vibrant.

Caregiving • Health & Wellness • Fraud Prevention • Volunteer • Life Reimagined

This could be my greatest honor yet.

Tony Taguba, AARP Member

Retired US Army Major General

Dahil sa Life Reimagined program ng AARP, masayang nagagamit ni Tony ang

karanasan niya sa buhay para magbigay lakas, at mapabuti ang buhay ng iba.

Si Retired Army Major General Tony Taguba ay nakatanggap ng iba’t-ibang karangalan recognizing his distinguished military

achievements, tireless advocacy for veterans and continuous contribution to the community. Bilang isang masugid na miyembro ng

AARP ng ilang taon, si Tony ay isang natural na mentor. Natuklasan niya na ang kanyang personal experience ay importante at

makakatulong sa iba. Today, he finds great fulfillment bringing his skills and experience to people going through transition in their

work, relationships or self-definition. Through AARP and the Life Reimagined program, ikaw, ako at si Tony ay makakahanap ng mga

paraan para muling matuklasan ang ating layunin sa buhay, explore more possibilities, share learnings, and benefit through the

experiences of others. To find out what AARP has to offer, visit aarp.org/aapi or call 1-866-805-1986 today.

Friday November 6 2015 (Relaxnews) – Preg-nant women suffering from symptoms of depression are more likely to sit down for long periods of time, suggests a new UK study which also demonstrated that physical activity re-duces the risk of gestational diabetes.

To avoid feeling de-pressed, putting on too much weight, and contract-ing gestational diabetes, it is better for pregnant wom-en not to spend too much time sitting, especially in the second trimester, sug-gest researchers at War-wick University and George Eliott Hospital NHS Trust in the UK.

Their study, which was presented at the Society for Endocrinology annual con-ference in Edinburgh in the

UK, involved 1,263 preg-nant women. The partici-pants had to report on their level of physical activity and emotional well-being in the fi rst trimester of pregnancy and at the end of the sec-ond. The team discovered that the pregnant women with the most depressive symptoms were also those who were the most likely to spend a lot of time sit-ting. The results took into account such variables as the participants’ BMI and socio-economic status.

The women who spent more time sitting down during the second trimester and did fewer amounts of moderate or vigorous physi-cal activity gained signifi -cant amounts of weight be-tween the fi rst and second trimester.

The researchers also not-

ed that these women had a higher blood glucose level in the 28th week of preg-nancy and were therefore more at risk of developing gestational diabetes.

“Encouraging women to take breaks from sitting down might be an easier public health policy to im-plement than increasing their physical activity dur-ing pregnancy,” concluded Dr Ponnusamy Saravanan, one of the study’s co-au-thors.

The researchers noted that the advice of reduc-ing sitting time has the po-tential to benefi t pregnant women’s mental and physi-cal health, as well as their weight and their baby’s health when born, if the ap-proach is applied as a pre-ventative measure from the start of pregnancy.

Moderate physical activity or standing helps to ward off symptoms of depression in pregnancy, a study suggests.©Shutterstock/Rohappy

Pregnant women should stay active to avoid depression

LOS ANGELES

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, November 11 -17, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST 8

Happily ever after. That’s the hope and promise of romance. Televi-sion and fi lm have been searching for happily ever after since the beginning. A new perspective on this subject can be refreshing. The award-winning tan-dem of Dan Villegas and Antoinette Jadaone ex-plore this genre and brings something else into the mix, which is tadhana. “Destiny = Forever” is the theme that these two wonderfully cre-ative artists in Philippine Cinema today unintention-ally use as guide towards having a perfect relation-ship. Is happiness meant to be ever after? Well, only if it’s destiny. This subtle and interesting exploration of letting tadhana take its course to achieve happiness in fi nding true love, is an unusual and artistic depth that this couple brings to a well known form of artistic expression.

Their millions of viewers

have been touched by the ro-mantic comedies that show-cased the successful blend-ing of their talents. Movies like “English Only Please”, “That Thing Called Tadha-na”, “You’re My Boss”, and “The Breakup Playlist”, to name a few, were collabora-

tive works that are also re-fl ective of their passion for each other. It’s rare when a passionate couple is making great art together.

When two people fi nd their soulmate in each other, sparks fl y. That’s what hap-pened when Dan met Antoi-nette (aka Tonet). Their own love story is like a compila-tion of their box-offi ce hits. When I sat down and spent time with this adorable cou-ple, I asked them to tell me their story. Dan was quick to say, “First time I saw her, I found her very attractive,” as he lovingly glanced at Tonet he continues, “I was completely smitten. She was cute and funny.” They were briefl y introduced to

each other, and that was it for their fi rst meeting. Years later, they worked on a movie project together and became friends. Tonet shares an endearing trait that attracted her to Dan, “Tinodo ni Dan ang panli-

ligaw, sending me fl owers, picks me up regularly, he’s just very thoughtful.”

Their relation-ship is going on 3 years now. How do they manage their professional and personal lives? The answer is simpler than it seems. They work together. Dan

jokingly says, “ Always say yes.”

One thing that they have going for them is that their talents lie in different parts of production. He is a gifted cinematographer, she is a gifted writer. They are both very good directors but with their diverse creative back-grounds, this makes them a yin-yang good fi t of differ-ent skill-sets. Dan explains further, “I’m objective. She’s emotional.” Being in the same industry means they both understand the gruel-ling schedule of their work. Then he elaborates,“Last year, 2014, was hard be-cause we worked on 4 fi lm projects. What to prioritize?

Our projects or our relationship? But we survived,” look-ing mushy at Tonet as he continues, “because what we have is true love.” Then Tonet adds, “We clashed most of the time. Then we decided to have a compromise. Kung sino ang di-rektor, siya ang masusunod. Then in time we grew into each other’s system.” Yes, op-posites attract and they also complete each other. Liv-ing in the enter-tainment industry,

you’re in your own world. Dan explains, “Mahirap magkaroon ng relationship with someone not from the industry dahil maraming hindi maiintindihan,” then he continues, “schedule pa lang, selos factor na iyan, hindi nila maintindihan.

Nakakailang. Parang OFW ang life-

style because you’re on loca-tion shooting for days. Ang hirap.” Some people say that you should avoid going out with someone in the same industry. Confl ict of interest and competition can kill the romance. However, one of the factors that make a rela-tionship work is commonal-ity. Having a shared inter-est that a couple can both relate to is just as important as their genuine love and re-spect for each other.

Their current and on-going project is the hit rom-com television series, “On the Wings of Love”.

This is their fi rst venture into television as directors. Antoinette, who was in the series from the beginning had some reservations, “Gusto ko talaga sa fi lm kasi parang life consuming project ang TV series,” and with a childlike laughter she says, “parang kinain ko ang sinabi ko because now I am very involved with this show and I like it.” Not only did she eat her words about working on a television se-ries but now Dan is involved

in it too. Even though this show is an additional chal-lenge, they face it together just like anything else. Their TV project has not slowed down their collaboration on fi lm. The upcoming movie, “Walang Forever”, is written by Antoinette Jadaone and directed by Dan Villegas. This is the couple’s entry to the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival. “Walang Forever” stars the award-winning talents of Jericho Rosales and Jennylyn Mercado. It promises an exceptional ar-tistic standard that’s charm-ing. It’s inspired by real people and situations that also aesthetically captures the local fl avor. The teaser was released last month and it already has almost 3.5M views on different social me-dia sites. In this one-min-ute-35-second movie trailer, my interest was captured by the man-on-the-street inter-views answering the ques-tion, “Naniniwala ka ba sa forever?”

The collection of anec-dotes are hilarous. But what got my attention is in the last 28 seconds of the clip. It’s when the character of

Jericho Rosales confronted Jennylyn Mercado’s char-acter. He looked her in the eye as if examining her soul and all he said was, “Miss...” , which got her tongue-tied and confused as she re-sponded nervously to him, “wala, walang forever,” then immediately diverted to her optimistic point of view, “meron, may forever.” My heart melted.

Finding myself quoting lines from the movie’s trail-er is in itself remarkable. This is the magic that Dan and Tonet give us for enter-tainment. Their work capti-vates the heart of their au-dience. We fall in love with the characters, the story, and the whole movie. A good story told well is worth fol-lowing.

Will the characters in this fi lm overcome the ob-stacles that life puts in their way along the path of fi nding true love? Or are the hurdles that the couple face part of their destiny? Knowing how their other fi lms have played with the concept of tadhana, the only thing we know for sure is it will be worth watching.

Dan Villegas & Antoinette Jadaone: The Tadhana Tandem

With Antoinette Jadaone and Dan Villegas.

Dan Villegas and Antoinette Jadaon

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, November 11 -17, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 9

Friday November 6 2015 (Los Angeles, United States-AFP) – Offi cials in drought-stricken Los Ange-les want locals to consider installing special cisterns to collect rainwater that would otherwise run off and go to waste. It hardly rains in southern Califor-nia, but when it does, sud-den and powerful down-pours can lead to fl ooding and landslides – with much of the excess drain-ing into the Pacifi c Ocean.As California enters its fi fth year of drought ahead of an El Nino weather phe-nomenon that is forecast to bring heavy rain early next year, Los Angeles on Wednesday unveiled the fi rst pilot site of what it is calling the “StormCatcher Project.”

“In the face of a historic drought, Los Angeles is taking action” to save every water drop, said Los Ange-les Mayor Eric Garcetti. The plan is to retrofi t homes “to direct rain from the roof into large tanks that can be monitored and con-trolled electronically,” city offi cials said in a statement.The new systems has “the potential to turn two million rooftops in LA County into a distributed network of storm-catching sponges,” said Gail Far-ber, head of the county Public Works department.In partnership with the nonprofi t organization TreePeople and a tech fi rm, the StormCatcher Proj-ect will install and evalu-ate stormwater capture systems at up to 10 homes.

“By combining smart tech-nology with something as ancient as a cistern and as elemental as the land-scaping in our yards, we can greatly reduce our de-mand for potable water and recharge our local wa-ter supply,” said TreePeo-ple founder Andy Lipkis.The fi rst pilot site at a North Hollywood home modi-fi ed the roof to best catch the water, and includes a 1,320-gallon “smart cistern with cloud-based software that anticipates rain and adjusts settings to pre-vent overfl ow and maxi-mize irrigation and infi ltra-tion,” the statement said.If successful, city offi cials hope to approve subsidies to encourage locals to in-stall the systems.

It hardly rains in southern California, but when it does, sudden and powerful downpours can lead to fl ooding and landslides – with much of the excess draining into the Pacifi c Ocean. ©Brian A Jackson/shutterstock.com

Thursday November 5 2015 (Washington-AFP) – In nearly half of American families, two parents work outside the home, creating a better fi nancial cushion but a sometimes precarious work-life balance, a new US study found.

“As more mothers have entered the US workforce in the past several decades, the share of two-parent households in which both parents work full time now stands at 46 percent, up from 31 percent in 1970,” said the study released Wednesday by the Pew Re-search Center.

In terms of their fi nan-cial wellbeing, families with two full-time working parents are better off, with a median household income of $102,400 compared with $84,000 for households where the father works full time and the mother works part time.

In households where the father is the sole breadwin-ner, the average income is $55,000.

Despite greater fi nancial freedoms, the Pew Center found that 56 percent of all working parents say that the work-parenting balanc-ing act can be diffi cult to

manage.Forty-one percent of

working mothers said that being a parent has ham-pered their career advance-ment, while just 20 percent of working fathers said the same.

And in households where both parents work full time, many couples also said a large share of day-to-day parenting re-sponsibilities falls to the mother.

The poll, conducted from September 15 to October 13, queried 1,807 Ameri-cans with children younger than 18.

SACRAMENTO — Cali-fornia Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Public Health Offi cer Dr. Karen Smith today an-nounced California’s in-hos-pital breastfeeding initiation rates are on the rise accord-ing to annual California In-hospital breastfeeding data published by CDPH.

“Exclusive breastfeeding during the fi rst six months of life is the most important nutrition practice a mother can embrace to improve the immediate and long-term health of her infant,” Dr. Smith said. “Hospital mater-nity care practices play an important role in ensuring new mothers can meet their personal goals for breastfeed-ing.”

In-hospital breastfeed-ing initiation rates have im-proved between 2010 (base-line year) and 2014. The rate of any breastfeeding increased from 90.8 percent to 93.5 percent, while exclu-sive breastfeeding rates in-creased from 56.6 percent to 66.6 percent. Improvements were seen across all racial/ethnic groups. However, racial/ethnic disparities in breastfeeding initiation per-

sist. Only three out of fi ve African-American, Asian, Pa-cifi c Islander, and Hispanic women exclusively breastfed their infant while in the hos-pital, compared to four out of fi ve White women.

Among the factors that may have contributed to the rise in in-hospital breast-feeding rates is the work that CDPH and its many partners have done to promote public health and healthcare poli-cies that support a mother’s choice to breastfeed in the hospital. Currently, there are 76 Baby-Friendly™ Hos-pitals in California, with an additional 80 California hospitals at various stages in the four-phase process to achieve the designation, ac-cording to Baby-Friendly USA. “Baby-Friendly” is a designation for hospitals that have met UNICEF/WHO’s Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) criteria for supporting optimum infant feeding and care. The Hospi-tal Infant Feeding Act (Cali-fornia Health & Safety Code §123366) required that by January 1, 2014, all Califor-nia hospitals with a perinatal unit have a comprehensive infant feeding policy that

supports breastfeeding. Also, California Health & Safety Code §123367 requires that by 2025, all maternity hos-pitals adopt the “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeed-ing” per the BFHI, or an al-ternate process, such as the CDPH Model Hospital Policy Recommendations.

Many CDPH programs and initiatives promote breastfeeding. For informa-tion on these CDPH pro-grams and initiatives, as well as resources that can help pregnant or breastfeeding women, visit:

• Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Program

• Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program

• California De-partment of Public Health Breastfeeding Web Page

• Breastfeeding Data.

Mom, dad both work in nearly half of US families: study

More California mothers are breastfeeding in the hospital

Los Angeles wants backyard cisterns to collect rain water

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, November 11 -17, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST 10 LOS ANGELES

For advertising, call (818) 552-4503 ext 402 • Fax (818) 550-7635 • email: advertising@balita.com

TEL.: (818) 552-4503 ext 402 • Fax: (818) 550-7635 • MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED

PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRITHoly Spirit Thou who make me see everything and show me the way to reach

my ideal, You who give me the divine gift to forgive and forget the wrong that

is done to me and who are in all instances of my life with me. I, in this short

want to be separated from You no matter how great the material desires may

be. I want to be with You and my loved ones in Your perpetual glory. Amen. A

person must pray this for three consecutive days without stating his wish. After

to publish this as soon as your favor has been granted. James

PRAYERS

CAREGIVERS

PRAYER to the BLESSED VIRGIN

(Never known to fail)

bottom of my heart to succour me in my necessity. (make request). There are

hands (3 times). Say this prayer for three consecutive days and then you must

Roger

PRAYERSMEMORIESTHAT WILL LAST FOREVER.

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOJOURNALISMSTYLE PHOTO COVERAGE.

BLACK AND WHITE AND COLOR.W

GROUPONE PHOTOGRAPHY909.610.5847

G

PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

Holy Spirit Thou who make me see everything and show me the way to reach

my ideal, You who give me the divine gift to forgive and forget the wrong that

is done to me and who are in all instances of my life with me. I, in this short

want to be separated from You no matter how great the material desires may

be. I want to be with You and my loved ones in Your perpetual glory. Amen. A

person must pray this for three consecutive days without stating his wish. After

CAREGIVERS Quality Agency * High paying Westside jobs

Experienced * Compassionate * Caregivers

Active Supervision & Support

We will help you become a fully licensed Home Care Aid in compliance with the 2016 Home Care Services

Consumer Protection Act!

Full or Part Time * Flexible Schedules * Equal Opportunity Employer

AssistaLife Home Care * 310/337-7095 * www.AssistaLife.com

LIVE-IN CAREGIVERFor elderly facility in Orange

714-225-3725.

APT. FOR RENT

(213) 422-5307 or (818) 679-3333.

CAREGIVERS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

advertising@balita.com

BalitaGET RESULTS!ADVERTISE WITH

US TODAY!

818-552-4503CALL

advertiseHERE!

818-552-4503CALL

advertiseHERE!

Mag

Life and Leisure News

Tayo!

for Filipino-Americans

www.usasianpost.com

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, November 11 -17, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 11

MOTORING Friday November 6 2015 (Relaxnews) - The world’s

largest carmaker believes that AI will not only be a crucial component of future mobility but will also revolutionize everything from product development to manufacturing and safety. So much so that on Friday it announced it is investing over $1 billion over the next fi ve years in a new R&D company – Toyota Research Institute – which will offi cially open in Silicon Valley in January under the leadership of Dr. Gill Pratt, a lumi-nary in the fi eld.

Elon Musk, the charismatic head of electric car com-pany Tesla has described Artifi cial Intelligence as “our greatest existential threat” especially if it is free to develop and evolve without oversight. However, Akio Toyoda, head of Toyota, believes that when combined with big data, it has the possibility to be truly revolu-tionary.

“At Toyota, we don’t pursue innovation simply be-cause we can,” said Toyoda at a press conference in Tokyo, “We pursue it because we should. It is our re-sponsibility to make life better for our customers, and society as a whole.”

As for potential concerns about a Terminator-like future nightmare scenario, Toyoda and Dr. Gill Pratt were equally fi rm on stressing the importance of con-trol and collaboration rather than simply trying to stay ahead of potential competitors.

“Gill told me that AI can reduce traffi c accidents, but it cannot completely eliminate them without human in-put, and it is essential that people and machines collab-orate to create a truly safe and secure mobile society,” Toyoda continued. “This collaboration is important also outside the mobility fi eld. AI has signifi cant potential to further improve all of society.”

Therefore, when the new company begins operations, it will have strong ties with both Stanford University and MIT and according to Dr. Pratt will be focused on bridging “the gap between fundamental research and product development of life-saving and life-improving technologies.”

The projects it undertakes will target one of three long-term goals -- safety; accessibility; and robotics. Many leading minds -- those at Google in particular -- believe that AI will be key to truly autonomous vehicles that can avoid collisions regardless of a driver’s actions.

However, Toyota wants to explore how the technol-ogy can help people in remote areas or with illnesses and disabilities improve their mobility. As for robotics: “Our goal is to improve the quality of life for all people, and in particular to allow seniors the dignity of aging in place, in their own familiar homes, regardless of age or infi rmity,” said Dr. Pratt.

Thursday November 5 2015 (Relaxnews) – At this year’s Connected Car Expo (CCE), which runs as part of the LA Auto Show from November 16, over 70 com-panies -- from Volvo and Garmin to Qualcomm and Bosch – will be showcas-ing innovations that they believe will be the standard in-car features by 2020.

But this year’s show will also be a platform for a number of tech start-ups that are approaching the connected car challenge from the opposite direc-tion. They don’t build cars, but they know how to build products and services that increasingly connected con-sumers want.

“We’ve put a large em-phasis on startups this year at CCE because we value the importance of providing a platform where those companies can come together with automakers and suppliers to move our industry forward,” said LA Auto Show and CCE Presi-dent, Lisa Kaz. “This in-dustry is fast evolving and

we’re committed to bring-ing ground-breaking news and products to our show fl oor.”

To help bridge this di-vide, Nokia set up a $100 million fund to help these start-ups develop their ideas into products and several of these fi rms, in-cluding Prazo, a personal mobility concierge service will be at the CCE. “Entre-preneurs with unique solu-tions are helping to drive a lot of the new opportunities

in the auto industry,” said Prazo founder, Jon Alain Guzik.

The Web Summit in Dublin, Ireland, which con-cludes on Thursday is also a hotbed of connected car tech featuring both Ford and Audi as keynote speak-ers.

“The connected car brings opportunities for new innovative services. They will offer the cus-tomer more time and con-venience,” said Audi board

member Dietmar Voggen-reiter. “In this spirit, we at Audi are engaging in an exchange with creative minds, people who demon-strate the entrepreneurial courage to fundamentally rethink things afresh.”

Ford also hosted a €75,000 competition aimed at encouraging the devel-oper community to build apps for its infotainment systems. “Working with innovators from outside of the automotive industry is a proven way of generating ideas that can enhance the driving experience,” said Don Butler, Ford execu-tive director, Connected Vehicle and Services.The winning app Drive Ef-fi cient, built by Unu, moni-tors engine revving and torque in order to offer ver-bal and visual pointers for better fuel effi ciency.

“Ford Motor Company is tapping into talent like Unu that can generate truly innovative and dis-ruptive ideas with the po-tential to be translated to reality,” said Butler.

Car companies are working with app developers and tech startups to fi nd new connected car features and services.©Syda Productions/shutterstock.com

Why car companies are building stronger connections with tech start ups

Friday November 6 2015 (Relaxnews) – The appetite for and interest in subscrip-tion-based connected car features is at a new high among the vehicle owning pubic, according to Strategy Analytics.

However, a new study from the research fi rm out this week, which surveyed the opinions of consumers across the US, Europe and China, shows that its safety

and time-sensitive features, rather than distraction-free access to services such as Twitter, that are power-ing the trend and for which drivers would be prepared to pay a monthly fee.

“Strong value was placed on services which provide the perception of increased safety and security; the high percentage of consum-ers willing to pay for these remote vehicle management

services refl ects this tenden-cy,” said Derek Viita, Senior Analyst and report author.

For instance, services like GM’s OnStar have been independently proven to save lives. It summons emergency services in the event of an accident, and ac-curately predicts the sever-ity of injuries and briefs the fi rst responders accordingly.Likewise, apps and services that can track a stolen car,

remotely diagnose mechani-cal or electronic faults and provide remote control of features such as air condi-tioning and locking mecha-nisms, are all proving per-suasive. JD Power’s annual DRiVE report, which mea-sures US car owners’ feel-ings regarding in-car tech-nology found that 20% of consumers have never used the majority their car’s con-nected features.

Safety and security driving consumer interest in connected cars

Toyota bets big on artifi cial intelligence

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, November 11 -17, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST 12 LOS ANGELES