VOL. XXIII, NO. 33

MANILA, Sept 17 (Mabuhay) – S ena-tor Grace Poe on Thursday proclaimed her long-time friend Senator Francis Escudero as her running mate, ending months of speculations regarding their political plans for the 2016 national elections.

The announcement was made a day after Poe declared her intention to seek the presidency in next year’s polls.

“Sa araw na ito, mayroon na tayong napili na maging katuwang natin ... sa katauhan ni Senator Chiz Escudero,” Poe

said in Thursday’s gathering held at the Kalayaan Hall of Club Filipino in Green-hills, San Juan.

Poe also said, “Maraming nagsasabing ... napili siya dahil kaibigan. Ngunit siya ay may tunay na kakayahan...” Poe said.

In response, Escudero said: “Tina-tanggap ko, nang may buong tapang at pagpapakumbaba ang hamon ni Senator Grace na maging katuwang niya sa landas niyang tatahakin bilang kanyang ikalawang

LOS ANGELES

THE LEADING SOURCE OF NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR FILIPINO-AMERICANSSEPTEMBER 19 - 25, 2015

See PATRICIA JAVIER, page 15

Ex-sexy star Patricia Javier to stay in PHL for good

See ROBREDO, page 8

See POE-CHIZ, page 8

Senator Grace Poe with fellow Senator and now running mate Chiz Escudero. Poe on Thursday proclaimed her long-time friend as her VP candidate for next year’s presidential elections.(MNS Photo)

Senator Mary Grace Poe Llamanzares waves to her supporters shortly after her speech declaring her candidacy for the presidential election in 2016, at the Bahay ng Alumni in U.P. Diliman on Wednesday. Poe, running as an independent, fi nally ended months of speculation on her political plans. (MNS photo)

MANILA, Sept 17 (Mabuhay) – The Nationalist People’s Coalition expects to announce its preferred presidential candidate early next month.

NPC spokesperson Mark Enverga said the party is having a hard time arriving at a consensus due to the personal preferences of its members.

The NPC was well represented at yesterday’s announcement of Senator Grace Poe’s candidacy with at least six members in attendance.

Enverga said the NPC appreciates that Poe is a good listener adding that questions about her citizenship is not an issue for their party.

“Basing it on merits, it is not much of an issue. We believe that she is a natural

POE-CHIZ TANDEM FOR 2016Sen. Grace Poe’s citizenship not an issue: NPC spokesman

Grace proclaims Escudero as her running mate

MANILA, Sept 18 (Mabuhay) – The Liberal Party has formally asked Rep. Leni Robredo to be the running mate of its presumptive standard bearer, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas II, for the 2016 elections.

Robredo, widow of the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, however, said she is still contemplating on whether to accept the offer or not.

Robredo said she will have a final decision before October 12, the filing of certificate of candidacy.

Robredo also said that she posted on

LP formally asks Leni Robredo to be Roxas’ VP in 2016 polls

MANILA, Sept 16 (Mabuhay) – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has received “intelligence reports” that China may attempt to sabotage the Philippine elections in 2016, one of its ranking of-ficials told lawmakers Wednesday.

During the Comelec’s briefing for elec-tion preparations before the House com-mittee on suffrage and electoral reforms, Comelec Commissioner Christian Robert Lim said this is the reason why they trans-ferred the location of the factory that will manufacture the voting machines that will be used in the 2016 elections from China to Taiwan.

“We want to emphasize that the move to Taiwan was a product of the contract negotiations because we have received intelligence reports that there may be an at-

tempt to sabotage the elections by China,” Lim said.

Lim added the poll body en banc has made the transfer of the factory producing the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines “non-negotiable” for Smartmat-ic-TIM because they are concerned that the ongoing arbitration case between China and the Philippines may have an impact in the country’s national elections.

“The commission made it non-negotia-ble that the provider would have to transfer the facilities to Taiwan at their expense,” he said. Beijing and Manila have been locked in a long-standing territorial dispute over portions of the South China Sea, which is considered an important shipping lane and believed to contain rich gas and oil deposits. (MNS)

Comelec says China may attempt to sabotage 2016 polls

By Abner GalinoFilipino American veteran leader

Franco Arcebal recently urged the Filipino-American youth to continue seeking justice for his fellow World War II veterans who were denied rights by the government of the United States of America shortly after the war ended.

“You wouldn’t know (the injustice committed against the veterans) if no one had told you. That is why you need to

continue telling others about our story so that the others would know,” Arcebal told a gathering in the historic Filipino town in downtown Los Angeles last week.

Arcebal, together Bernie Ganon and Art Garcia, prominent leaders espousing the causes of WW II veterans, were part of a panel that spoke to students and commu-nity youths in an event called Face to Face with Filipino American Veterans organized by Kabataang Maka-Bayan, pro-people

youth group Los Angeles. “It’s terrible. Can you imagine? A gov-

ernment propagating justice all over the world, but doing this injustice to Filipino veterans?,” Arcebal lamented.

Arcebal was referring to the Rescission Act of 1946 which took away rights and benefits from some 200,000 Filipinos who fought with the US military during World War II against the Japanese. The said law

WW II veteran urges Fil-Am youth to continue work for justice

See CITIZENSHIP, page 8

See WWII VET, page 7

who threaten to sue us. What can we do?A: That depends on how long you think

it will take for your wife to find a job, how much you owe, and whether your creditors sue you and garnish your wages. Gener-ally speaking, if payments to your credit card debts are more than 30% of your take home pay, you are in trouble. In this case, you may want to consider bankruptcy as an option.

Q: Will filing for bankruptcy ruin my credit forever?

A: No, in fact it might even make an instant improvement, particularly if you cannot pay your bills. If you cannot make ends meet, your debt to income ratio is too high. At that point your prospects of getting more credit is zero. A bankruptcy cures the debt to income problem, discharging debt and leaving income. This gives you access to a number of credit card and other lenders who literally target people with bankruptcy discharges. See next question!

Q: Will anyone issue me with a credit card, when I have a bankruptcy on my report?

A: Yes, there are many creditors who specialize in doing business with bank-ruptcy debtors. They are usually secured creditors that offer auto financing, mort-gages and secured credit cards. Their main motivation is money - they want to charge you a little extra, and there is no real risk involved. After bankruptcy, you cannot file again for eight years. You have no other debts, a good debt to income ratio, and can afford to service the new loan.

Q: How long does it take to get unse-cured credit at the same cost as before my bankruptcy?

A: Anywhere between 30 days and six months. We checked out several programs available. Some offer secured visa cards. That is where the line of credit is secured by a savings deposit. Another program we looked in to, offers an unsecured line of credit of up to $5,000 to shop at their cata-logue store. Generally, most department stores will reestablish your credit after six months to a year of good payment his-tory with another bank. Mortgage lenders consider applicants based on fico scores. There are programs available, starting at about 560 fico. Building your fico score is not difficult, if planned methodically, and a secured credit card is a good way to start.

Bankruptcy optionsAdmittedly, most people filing bank-

ruptcy, file under Chapter 7, (The real bankruptcy) that discharges all unsecured debt. However, there are people with problems that are best resolved through Chapter 13, the debt consolidation pro-gram. Chapter 13 is used primarily by those who either have problems with secured debt, and want to keep the collateral, or perhaps, have plenty of assets, but no liquid cash, and want to avoid a creditor imposed liquidation.

Most Chapter 13’s are filed by people who are late on their mortgage, and want to avoid losing their home through fore-closure and trust deed sale. Since the mort-gage is a secured debt, you have only two choices, pay the debt or give up the house, but there is help - since Chapter 13 lets you amortize the mortgage arrearages, and in most cases, discharge unsecured debt at the same time. By discharging unsecured debt, your ability to service the mortgage is improved, and hopefully, you can stay in your home.

Sample questions on Chapter 13.Q: Can I make lower house payments if

I file a Chapter 13 repayment plan? A: If you have a second mortgage, we

might be able to strip that off the property. As far as the first mortgage is concerned, you may also be eligible for one of several loan modification plans that we work with. If you are not eligible for a loan modifica-tion, you must make the regular scheduled payments. However, the delinquent portion can be spread out over three years at a nominal interest rate.

Q: What does a Chapter 13 do to my credit card debts?

A: That depends on your income level. For most people, their unsecured debt, like credit card debts would be wiped out. This in turn helps to pay the mortgage arrears.

Q: Can a Chapter 13 stop lenders repos-sessing my automobile?

A: Yes, it will stop the repossession, and your monthly payments can be low-ered, based on the depreciated value of the automobile.

Q: Can a Chapter 13 help me with debts to the IRS or student loans?

A: A Chapter 13 can be very helpful with debts that are not dischargeable in a regular Chapter 7. These types of debts can only be discharged if they are past their respective statute of limitations. A chapter 13 will allow you to pay these debts over a period of time, and limit future interest accruing on the debt.

Q: What’s the main difference between Chapter 13 and Chapter 7?

A: Chapter 7 will discharge all unse-cured debts, but does not resolve problems associated with arrears on secured debts. (Such as late payments on the mortgage)

Q: I filed Chapter 7 last year, can I file Chapter 13 now?

A: Yes. Although Chapter 7 bars you from re-filing again for eight years, a Chapter 13 can be filed every three years.

Q: I own a house together with my brother. We want to file a Chapter 13 to stop a foreclosure, do we both have to file?

A: No, only one of you need file, preferable the party that owes the most in unsecured debt, and thereby has the most to gain.

Q: I have no equity in my home. I just want to stay here as long as possible. What can be done to stop a trust deed sale and prolong my occupancy?

A: Contact your lawyer to discuss all options available to you.

FREE CONSULTATION – BUT ACT NOW!

Need advice on a financial problem? Don’t let creditors intimidate you. For immediate compassionate help, call the Law Offices of Paul M. Allen. Two offices to serve you. Call now 818-552-4500. Consultations are free, but it is by appoint-ment only.

Discharge debt – reestablish creditBanks and credit card companies have told us how impor-

tant it is to maintain our credit, honor our obligations, pay on time, but what if we suddenly can’t pay on time, then what? What if I lose my job, and can’t pay anyone right now, where does that put me? The answers may surprise you:

Q: My wife recently lost her job. My income goes to food and rent. We haven’t paid our credit cards for two months, and have been sent to collection, and or get letters from attorneys

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MANILA, Sept 16 (Mabuhay) – The Department of Public Works and High-ways (DPWH) will finish two major flood control projects in Metro Manila before President Benigno Aquino III steps down next year, Secretary Rogelio Singson said on Wednesday.

During the presentation of the DPWH proposed 2016 budget at the House of Representatives appropriations commit-tee hearing, Singson said the Blumentritt Interceptor Catchment Area and the Mandaluyong Main Drainage Project and would be completed in March and June 2016, respectively.

The P609.12-million Mandaluyong project is 64 percent complete, Singson said. Meanwhile, the P600-million Blu-mentritt catchment area is 84 percent complete, he added.

Singson said the project incurred traf-fic in the area because the 3.3-kilometer catchment area was being built under the

road from Blumentritt in Manila to the Tondo area.

“In Blumentritt area, it’s a 3.3 kilometer long drainage … In Mandaluyong, the whole of Boni gets flooded with a little rain… These won’t get finished overnight. We’re doing it in existing roads so the wa-ter goes out to the Pasig river. We expect two major improvements to be finished April or May next year,” Singson said.

“The projects were undertaking are not easy projects because they pass through major thoroughfares in Metro Manila,” he added.

Singson said the DPWH had to address the flooding in the areas under the Metro Manila flood management plan because it covered 20 million people and a third of the country’s gross domestic product.

He added that some 12,000 informal settler families had been relocated from the waterways to restore the carrying capacity of the waterways.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino leads the inauguration of an additional ferry boat for the Pasig River Ferry (PRF) System at the Guadalupe station, Wednesday. Promoted as an alternative mode of transportation, the PRF operates 11 boats that service 11 stations from Pasig City to Manila. (MNS photo)

2 Metro fl ood projects done before Aquino steps down: Singson

MANILA, Sept 16 (Mabuhay) – Money sent by Filipinos who live and work abroad continued to rise in July, though at the slowest pace in six months.

Personal remittances from overseas Filipinos amounted to $2.3 billion, up 0.5 percent from $2.29 billion a year earlier, latest data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

“The growth was lower than the previ-ous year’s 7.3 percent growth. This is partly due to the depreciation of currencies in their host countries against the US dollar, which reduced the dollar equivalent of their remittances,” the central bank said.

The increase represents the second slowest inflow this year, after the 0.2 percent recorded in January. Personal remittances have expanded by 4.0 percent in February, 11.0 percent in March, 4.9 percent in April, 5.5 percent in May and

5.8 percent in June. In the seven months to July, personal

remittances totaled $15.7 billion – up 4.6 percent from $14.99 billion in the same period last year.

Cash remittances coursed through banks also rose by 0.5 percent year-on-year to $2.1 billion from $2.06 billion in July. This brought the total to $14.2 billion in January to July or 4.8 percent from $13.5 billion a year earlier.

Cash remittances from land-based workers totaled $10.8 billion and $3.3 bil-lion from sea-based workers, mostly sent from the US, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, UK, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and Canada.

“The continued demand for overseas Filipino workers remained the key driver of sustained remittance inflows,” the BSP said.

July remittances grow at slowest pace in 6 mos.

MANILA, Sept 17 (Mabuhay) – No Filipinos have so far been reported injured or missing in Chile after a magnitude 8.3 earthquake shook the South American nation on Wednesday evening, the De-partment of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday.

“So far, we have not received any report of Filipinos affected by the earthquake. We’ll get it (updates) when it arrives,” DFA spokesperson Charles Jose said in a text message.

According to Jose, there are 300 Filipi-nos currently living and working in Chile. The Philippine embassy there is located in the capital of Santiago, a city near the

epicenter of the earthquake.The quake hit 46 km (28 miles) from

Illapel City just 210 km (130 miles) north of Santiago, leaving it without electricity or running water.

CNN reported that three people – a 35-year-old woman, 20-year-old woman, and a man in his 80s – died in accidents or medical emergencies caused by the earthquake.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) Director Renato U. Solidum, Jr. explained Balitanghali that the subsequent tsunami predicted by experts after the quake will mostly hit areas near Chile and the French Polynesia.

No Pinoys reported hurt, missing in Chile quake: DFA

MANILA, Sept 17 (Mabuhay) – Count President Benigno Aquino III as among the men who are in awe of Filipino women’s strength and capabilities.

During the Asia Pacific Economic Coop-eration’s (APEC’s) Women and the Economy fora in Manila on Thursday, Aquino hailed women leaders in government and economy. He went as far as saying, “Women, more often than not, are more strong willed and capable than men.” “Is it any surprise that the common Filipino male never questions the authority of Filipinas,” he added, to the amusement of the predominantly female audience. “I believe it is intrinsic to our so-ciety that we see women as superior in many aspects including prudent budgeting and focusing on the advancement of the family as a whole,” he explained.

Aquino recalled that his mother, the late Corazon Aquino, had showed him “one of the clearest examples of conviction for one’s believe” when she would bring toiletries and extra clothes while campaigning. When he asked her why, the former president said she was just being ready in case she is arrested by agents of strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

He also enumerated women leaders with “unquestionable moral standing” whom he has appointed to key positions in the govern-ment: Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Mo-rales, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, Health Secretary Janette Garin, Philippine Economic Zone Authority Director General Lilia De Lima, Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares, Commission on Audit Chairperson Grace Pulido-Tan.

Aquino hails women’s contribution to economy, public sector

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Puente and several other churches around.This author’s Bicolano friends informed

us that they celebrate the Feast of Peñafran-cia due to the numerous miracles that hap-pened not only in their region but in the “slopes of Sierra de Francia , a mountain range situated in Spain’s two famous prov-inces: Salamanca and Caceres.”

Coincidentally, while the “primitive image of Our Lady was found in Caceres, Spain, a similar image was also found in Nueva Caceres, in the Bicol region of the Philippines.”

History has it that Simon, the sole heir to a rich French family who found the im-age, turned his back on his wealthy life to serve God by entering the convent. While at the convent he showed exceptional devotion to the Blessed Virgen Mary, and in his sleep one night, he heard a divine voice telling him to go to Peña de Francia, the “area where the sun sets and there he will find the image.” And so, he ventured as a pilgrim for five years and went to the western part of France.

“In his futile search, he again heard the divine voice telling him to search along with some companions as witnesses, which he did and when they reached San Martin de Castanar on May 19, 1534, at the foot of Pena de Francia, they removed a large stone and they found the image of the Virgen of Peñafrancia.”

The discovery of the image brought “miracles to Simon and his companions: his (Simon Vela’s) wound in the head was cured; Pascual Sanchez’s defect in the eye disappeared: Juan Fernandez ‘got rid of his ten-year old stomach trouble; Antonio Fernandez who was deaf began to hear and finally, Benito Sanchez’s finger which was defective from birth recovered its normal stage.” Thus, it was reported that the initial and subsequent miracles were documented and archived by the Notary Public of San Martin de Castanar “to bear witness to the past in order to enable the present and future generations of devotees to learn the

veracity of the miracles.”Similarly, way back in the 17th cen-

tury, a Spanish family from San Martin de Castanar came to and stayed in Cavite, Philippines. The husband and wife had a son named Miguel de Cobarrubias. This child was a very sickly kid, but he al-ways carried the picture of the Blessed Virgen of Peñafrancia from his grammar school in Sto. Tomas, where he further studied Theology. Whenever he is ill and recovered, in his own words, “so many are the miracles wrought on me by the Virgen of Peñafrancia. I have no tongue to relate them, nor paper to write them on, nor numbers to count them but all I could say is that I am the miracle of her miracles.”

While a student of Theology, he was summoned by Msgr. Andres de Gonzales, of the Dominican Order to be with him in Nueva Caceres. However, on his boat trip there, a storm developed and the ship was almost sinking, but by praying to his Patroness, the Virgen of Peñafrancia, the storm subsided and Miguel and his com-panions reached their destination.

Miguel was conferred to the sacrament of priesthood by Msgr. Gonzales after a few months and subsequently became Par-ish Priest of Nueva Caceres (which is now Naga) and he eventually became the Vicar General of the whole Diocese.

His first mission as a Parish Priest was to build a church which he did out of nipa and bamboo. The present church which is currently made of stone was built “more or less in the same place where the first one was constructed.” Some months after the completion of a stone church, in 1723, Miguel passed away but left a legacy of devotion to the Virgen of Peñafrancia which to this day, is acknowledged by all the Bicolanos in the region.

To all our Bicolano friends interested in participating at the various Peñafrancia cel-ebrations around, please call the Catholic Churches mentioned in your neighbor-hood.

Local Bicolanos celebrate the (Kaadlawan) Feast of Nuestra Señora de PeñafranciaToday, Saturday, September 19th culminates the ninth day

of novena prayers for Our Lady of Peñafrancia, spearheaded by groups of Bicolano devotees in the Southland.

Annually, various nine-day novenas are scheduled in Catho-lic Churches attended by the numerous Bicolanos in the Los Angeles area. Some of these Churches are: Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, St. Cyprian in Long Beach, St. Anthony Claret in Anaheim, St. Martha’s Catholic Church in La

MANILA, Sept 16 (Mabuhay) – Malacañang on Wednesday slammed Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. for “politicizing” the Mamasapano tragedy amid the so-called alternative version on the January 25 incident.

“Ano ba naman ‘to si Bongbong Marcos, pinupulitika ‘yung isang bagay na ‘di dapat pinupulitika,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a media briefing.

Marcos earlier said that he smells a “cover-up” in President Aquino’s pro-nouncement that there is an alternative version in the Masapano incident, which led to the deaths of 44 members of the Spe-cial Action Force (SAF), 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants, and at least five civilians.

Lacierda said it is better to wait for the validation on the supposed alternative ver-sion than to politicize the issue.

“It’s about making sure that we close this issue once and for all. There were a number of versions that were coming out. We need to make certain what is the final truth,” he said.

Marcos is the chairman of the Senate committee on local government, and author

of the substitute bill to the Malacañang-drafted Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

The timeline of having the BBL enacted has been affected following the January 25 operation of the SAF dubbed as Oplan Exodus. The SAF was in the area to serve an arrest warrant against international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as Marwan, when it clashed with the MILF.

Lacierda said the administration trusts that members of Congress are “mind-ful of the last mile” to achieve peace in Mindanao.

“The situation is we have come so far. We have been in decades of strife with the MILF. We are now in the last mile where we see that there’s a possibility of forging an institutionalized arrangement where we can better the lives of people in Muslim Mindanao,” he said.

“Our legislators are mindful of that last mile. We are confident that they will rise to the occasion and come up with a frame-work that will benefit the entire Muslim Mindanao, that includes the MILF,” he added.

Both the Senate and House of Repre-sentatives have yet to approve their own versions of the BBL. (MNS)

Palace slams Bongbong Marcos for politicizing Mamasapano tragedy

Photo courtesy of Evelyn Granada of St. Cyprian Catholic Church

in 1971 and has been at the forefront “of promoting environmental stewardship, state-of-the-art transportation programs and systems, an enterprising business environment and an enviable high quality of life”.

Irvine as a family-friendly city has more than 16,000 acres of parks, sports fields and dedicated open space. It is also home to the Orange County Great Park – the first great metropolitan park of the 21st century.

Global Village FestivalAll roads lead to Bill Barber Park at

the Civic Plaza on September 26 as people of many nations converge for a day-long celebration at the 14th edition of Irvine’s annual Global Village Festival.

For many years, thousands have trekked to this venue to celebrate the city’s diver-sity that mirrors the cultural tapestry of California.

In one day, visitors get a good glimpse the richness and color of some 50 cultures that make up the population of the city in

a multicultural event that features inter-national cuisine, live entertainment, and a kid’s village complete with crafts and activities, cultural and religious exhibits and an international market.

What started in 1998 as an event called Multicultural Festival “to help promote understanding and build harmony within cultures” has blossomed into an award winning event that has become the signa-ture feature of the city to celebrate its rich diversity.

The larger venue in the succeeding years enabled the Festival to accommodate thousands of visitors eager to lean of each other’s cultural intricacies. The pioneering organizers later on formed the Irvine Mul-ticultural Association to manage the annual event which grew in scope and attendance every year.

Irvine Global Village Festival was voted “Best Festival” by OC Weekly in 2009.Two years later, on the 40th anniversary for the City of Irvine and the 10th anniver-

Village Festival, the City of Irvine was conferred the “Cultural Diversity Award” in 2012 by the National League of Cities.

The Global Village Festival, offered free to the public, is also noted for being a “sustainable festival” taking advantage of the opportunity to educate the public on how to take care of their environment. With its goal of ultimate being a “zero

waste festival” the annual celebrations strives “to reduce, reuse and recycle may resources as possible”.

Among the features of the sustainable Festival include Green Transportation (shuttles powered by natural gas that pro-vide lower emission), Zero Waste Stations and use of bio-degradable materials for signage and banners, among others.

Irvine 14th Global Village Festival celebrates diversityThe City of Irvine, one of the 34 cities comprising the County

of Orange, is not only one of the nation’s largest master-planned communities, culturally diverse and fully integrated city of 250,384 residents but also holds the distinction of being ranked as the top city in California and listed as one of the Best Places to live in America of CNN Maga-zine of 2012.

Irvine has grown strategically into one of the safest cities in the country since its incorporation

Fil-Am Chamber joins Festival: More than 50 cultures will be represented at the day-long multicultural, multi-ethnic Irvine Global Village Festival in Irvine on September 26. The Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Orange, whose offi cers are shown here during a courtesy call to Consul General Leon M. Herrera-Lim recently, will participate in the annual event.

Multicultural Festival: Bill Barber Park in Irvine “explodes” in color as various ethnic groups put on display the richness of their cultures at an annual festival to celebrate the City’s diversity.

sary of the Festival, which was a record year when more than 20,000 visitors graced the event, a new fea-ture was incorporated, the United Nations Art Miles Mural Project for younger guests “to promote global peace by painting their own message of non-violence.

For improving and pro-moting cultural diversity and its role in develop-ing creative and effective programs like the Global

their employees and the owners take home some money.

Sometimes the problems are just too big to fix without serious legal assistance. That is where Chapter 11 reorganization can allow a company to rebuild. Here are some examples of what Chapter 11 reor-ganization can do:

– In – Chapter 11, creditors cannot demand payment of past due debts. The threatening letters and phone calls stop.

– In Chapter 11, most creditors cannot be paid without permission of a United States bankruptcy judge.

– In Chapter 11, creditors have to wait while the company reorganizes itself, takes care of its problems and then announces a financial plan to pay creditors money.

– In Chapter 11, unprofitable contracts and leases (including building leases) can be rejected.

– In Chapter 11, a company can rebuild itself and can bring in new employees, new products, new ideas and new vendors.

– In some instances, a company can sell its assets free and clear of creditors to third parties who take over the company’s business.

The third parties can be the owners of the companies. With disclosure of this fact, and a fair price for the circumstances, a federal can approve the sale.

– While there are things about Chapter 11 that are not good, e.g., the reorganiza-tion may fail, a Chapter 11 gives a chance to a struggling company to rise from failure to the road to success.

Here are some signs of a business head-ed toward either failure and shutting down or toward reorganization, a second chance:

– Product/service quality declines; customer complaints rise

– Over expansion leads to working capital shortage

– Stale inventory– Sales stagnate– Profit margin erodes– Aging of receivables increases– Payables paid with difficulty– Advertising and sales budgets cut– Payment of payroll taxes deferred– Cash balance declines; float played– Credit difficult to obtain– Creditor lawsuits begin– Lender turns matter over to problem

loan department– Employee morale low; key employees

seek new jobs– Layoffs begin– Business failure imminent; and– Company leaders do not want to go

to work, they not want to hear about the problems and it hurts to go to work. Their families are nervous or scared. They are having their own financial problems.

Chapter 11 is serious business. To win, that is to reorganize the company under an order of a United States bankruptcy judge, certain things must happen: A plan must be confirmed. Creditors may be paid in part or in full at one time or in payments over time.

A careful strategy must be put into place before the Chapter 11 case begins. Some of the issues are:

– How does the company go into the

Chapter 11?– Who are the important creditors and

vendors?– How much money does the company

need to have in the bank?– With whom does the company ally?– Who will the problem creditors be?

And– How does the company get out of

Chapter 11? In other words, before go-ing into Chapter 11, the company and its legal team

Develop what they believe is the company’s best exit strategy?

“FOR TO US A CHILD IS BORN, TO US A SON IS GIVEN, AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE ON HIS SHOULDERS. AND HE WILL BE CALLED WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FA-THER, PRINCE OF PEACE.” ISAIAH 9:6

Lawrence Bautista Yang and Steven R. Fox are experienced attorneys with deep bankruptcy experience.

Lawrence Bautista Yang is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and has been in law practice for thirty years. He specializes in bankruptcy, business and civil litigation and has handled more than five thousand successful bankruptcy cases in California. He speaks Tagalog and looks forward to discussing your case with you personally. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S Fremont Ave, MAILSTOP 58, Building A-1 SUITE 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803 OR at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789. Steven R. Fox has represented companies and individuals in Chapter 11 for over 25 years both locally and nationally, representing businesses and business creditors. He is a well-known writer and speaker on bankruptcy issues. His office is located at 17835 Ventura Blvd., Suite 306, Encino, CA 91316. Tel (818) 774-3545 Fax (818) 774-3707. His website is www.foxlaw.com.

Chapter 11 business re-organizationSigns of a company headed toward failure and important way to fi x the problems

Sometimes companies get into financial trouble. They have leadership issues, they have failures by suppliers, and they have cash flow problems. Companies have a lot of problems, often every day. Most of the time, companies get past their problems and move on, they continue to make money, pay

WWII VETERANFrom page 1

was passed by the US Congress a few months after it granted independence to the Philippines on July 4, 1946.

Prior to this, the US Congress passed a law called the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, popularly known as the G.I Bill, which granted a range of benefits for returning World War II veterans that included low-cost housing, low-interest loans for business undertakings, cash payments for tuition and living expenses for vocational, high school and college education, and one year unemployment compensation.

The Filipino fighters, being US nation-als during the time that they were enlisted to the US military, were eligible to receive these benefits. However, because of the Rescission Act of 1946, these benefits were taken away from the Filipino war veterans.

Arcebal lamented the fate of many of his contemporaries who have resorted to virtual panhandling and collecting empty plastic bottles and other recyclable materi-als in order survive here in the US.

“Sinasabi ko sa kanila, huwag naman. Bigyan naman natin ng dignidad ang ating pagiging beterano,” he recounted.

The veteran leader explained that the denial of benefits to the Filipino veterans was an act of bigotry which needed to be corrected by the repeal of the Rescission Act of 1946.

The US Congress had so far managed only to make little efforts to correct the in-justice. In 2009, through an insertion in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, it granted a one-time $15,000 lump sum to veterans who were US citizens and 9,000

Veteran Franco Arcebal and Bernie Ganon listen as Justice for Filipino American Veterans Coordinator Art Garcia stresses a point. Photo: Odette Galino

lump sum settlement for non-US citizens.But the compensation, according to the

veteran leader, was miniscule compared to what the actual benefits that were denied to the Filipino veterans. Many of the veterans have died due to diseases and old-age but the convenors of the event said that repeal-ing the Rescission Act of 1946 remains relevant because these Filipino veterans have families who should benefit from the sacrifices of their parents/ancestors.

POE-CHIZ

CITIZENSHIP ROBREDO

From page 1

From page 1 From page 1

pangulo.”He said he believes in the characteristic

and capability of Poe. “Tulad ng kanyang ama na si FPJ, nasa tamang lugar ang puso ni Senator Poe. Naniniwala ako na bilang pangulo, si Senator Grace Poe o GP ay magtatatag ng Gobyernong may Puso.”

“Ikinagagalak ko na may katuwang na tayo pagdating sa bayan. Ang batayan natin ay hindi lamang dahil siya ay kaibigan ko kundi dahil siya ay mapapagkatiwalaan, may kakayahan, at may nagawa na para sa bayan,” Poe said.

“Hinihingi ko ang inyong suporta para sa inaasahang manilbihan sa atin, sa ating pangalawang pangulo, Sen. Chiz Escu-dero,” she added.

In his response speech, Escudero also said: “Ako po si Chiz Escudero, isang Pili-pino, anak, asawa, at Bicolanong lingkod bayan. Buong pagpapakumbaba ko pong inaalay sa tulong ng Diyos at ni Ina ang aking sarili sa mas mataas na paninilbihan bilang inyong ikalawang pangulo ng ating bansa,” Escudero said

Among those present were Poe’s

mother, Susan Roces; sister Lovi Poe and actor Rocco Nacino; Escudero’s wife, ac-tress Heart Evangelista, and father in law Rey Ongpauco; and Escudero’s mother, Sorsogon Rep. Evelina Escudero.

Escudero reiterated their independence saying, “Pilipinas ang partido namin ni Sen Grace Poe at mga Pilipino ang am-ing kapartido.” “Naniniwala kami na ang sinumang tumatakbo o maninilbihan bilang pangulo o ikalawang pangulo, hindi dapat miyembro ng iisang partido,” he added.

Poe earlier said that she is more com-fortable with Escudero as her running mate.

Escudero served as spokesperson of Poe’s father, the late actor Fernando Poe Jr, during the 2004 presidential elections.

The two have been leading in recent presidential and vice presidential surveys. They earlier vowed to remain independent candidates should they decide to seek higher posts in the coming polls.

Earlier this year, Poe and Escudero had meetings with President Benigno Aquino III to discuss the 2016 polls, including the possibility of a unified ticket.

born Filipino. So we believe that she is qualified to run for the presidency.”

Enverga earlier said he and other NPC members were impressed with Poe’s speech especially after she laid out a 20-point agenda tackling various topics such as the lowering of income taxes, better health care for senior citizens and staggered work hours.

“Napabilib kami ni Senator Grace. Siguro gusto kong ma-point out dito yung kanyang 20-point agenda. Talagang mala-pit na malapit yung mga issues na inilabas, yung gusto niyang malunasan. Yun ang pang araw-araw na hinaharap ng Pilipino. Yun ay napabilib kami dun sa kanyang

pagtackle dun sa issue na yun,” he said.He pointed out that in their past meet-

ing with Poe, the senator only introduced herself and listened to the concerns of NPC members without presenting a clear plan for 2016.

The spokesman said all presidential candidates are on equal footing as the NPC leadership has yet to choose which candidate the party will endorse.

He admitted that some NPC members are “lobbying for a certain presidentiable.”

Aside from Poe, the other declared presidential candidates are Vice President Jejomar Binay and former DILG chief Mar Roxas. (MNS)

her Facebook account a photograph of her late husband with a question “Can I use my lifeline?” The post has been deleted.

She said that she is now feeling the pressure of accepting the offer to run for vice president.

Refran said that in her prayers, Robredo asked a sign from her late husband on what to do.

Robredo earlier said that she has no plans to seek the presidency and is instead contemplating seeking re-election or run-ning for the Senate.

Roxas is in Naga City with Robredo and other members of LP.

The Liberal Party will have a conven-tion on Sept. 28 to finalize the selection of Roxas’ running mate, Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice, LP’s vice president for political affairs, said on Thursday.

Erice said the ruling party is unfazed by the tandem of Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero because it will have a vice president to nominate when the National Executive Council (NECO) con-venes on Sept. 28. (MNS)

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pay off those student loans, car loans or even credit card bills with high interest rates. Properties in some area have tapered down, but the ratio of people looking for affordable homes still out weights the people selling; therefore I still have a very optimistic view of the real estate market for another year. At this point it would be very difficult to estimate the market longer than that.

A lot of people right now are doing the smart thing, taking advantage of the situation and making their equity work for them. Instead of them working hard to pay off those credit card bills, they cash out on their home equity and consolidate all their bills into one low monthly mortgage payment.

You can be one of them, working hard is not the only solution to debt problems; sometimes it takes a little creativity. Some are even selling to move up or take profit which is a smart thing to do.

Also, always be reminded that home equity loans are tax deductible unlike those high interest credit card bills which are not. So, let it benefit you in two ways, you can enjoy a monthly lower payment consolidat-ing your mortgage and high credit card bills and also pay less taxes each year.

A lot of programs right now allow you to cash out up to 80% of your property’s value. If you have a high interest first mortgage right now, we can also refinance your first and get you a better interest rate, which might even make your total payments lower that what you are paying with your consumer debts. Properties

purchased within a year’s time that have at least 6-10 month of mortgage payments can use the new value of their property to get equity cash out loan, For example: You had purchased a property in January 04 for $400,000.00.

Now the property is worth $450,000.00 as long as your credit or your income qualifies you, we have loan programs that will allow you to cash out up $40K. Meaning you can take out almost 10% of your original down payment in less than a year’s time. This is what you have been hearing about people cashing out money. We can enjoy these benefits and use our money smartly to bring us to the next level of life enjoyment.

For those who are not in debt but are considering to do home improvement such as adding rooms. Right now, interest rates are also at its lowest and this is the perfect time for you to put action into your plans. You have multiple choices on how you want to take out your equity, it will all depend on what your long terms goals are for the house. I will draft up some options for caller to identify which plans are best for your home improvement projects.

Please call our office at (562)697-7028 and I can help you look up your property value free of charge. I can also help you analyze your current financial situation and see which way to go will save you the most money.

If you invest a little time in doing this, I can assure that you will get very fruitful results and of course a lot of savings. I will be waiting to hear from you.

Using your home equity to pay off debtsHome values have been going up quite a lot since 2011. We

see an increase each year and due to the shortage in supply of properties, values have been increasing even more and in some areas have surpassed the highs prior to the Mortgage Crisis. Expect at least a minimum of 5-8% increase in your equity in just a year’s time. For properties in the Orange County area, it’s probably at least 6-10%. So, this is actually a very good time to cash out on your equity and

MANILA, Sept 17 (Mabuhay) – Vice President Jejomar Binay lost a supporter Thursday after former Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Romeo Jalosjos expressed support to the tandem of Senators Grace Poe and Francis “Chiz” Escudero in the 2016 elections.

In an interview with reporters before the start of the program where Poe and Es-cudero formally announced their tandem, Jalosjos said he would be a “traitor” if he would not support the two, especially Poe, noting her closeness with her parents.

“I cannot turn my back on Grace, her family is very close to us, the father FPJ (Fernando Poe Jr.), mother Susan, and Grace herself. I will be a traitor if I turn my back on her,” he said.

“I can never turn my back on showbiz,

my life is showbiz. The one feeding my family comes from showbiz, Eat Bulaga!. Especially the father of Grace is Fernando Poe Jr., who was our actor before in our TV show ‘Kamao’,” he said.

Jalosjos’ company, Production Special-ists, Inc., created Eat Bulaga! in the late Seventies. The erstwhile congressman said he already relayed his decision to Binay. “He was in Dipolog and I talked to him. He asked for my support and I told him I can-not [support him],” he said. Jalosjos said he supported Binay’s vice presidential bid in 2010, but he backed Poe and Escudero in the 2013 senatorial elections.

Meanwhile, former Partido Mang-gagawa party-list Rep. Renato Magtubo is confident Poe and Escudero would most likely get the support of ordinary workers.

Jalosjos leaves VP Binay for Poe-Chiz

WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is launching new efforts to highlight U.S. citizenship and immigrant civic integra-tion to celebrate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.

These initiatives will also improve cus-tomer service and support aspiring citizens on their path to naturalization.

The initiatives include:From Sept. 17-23, USCIS started wel-

coming more than 36,000 new citizens during more than 200 naturalization cer-emonies. During this time – also known as Constitution Week – museums, historic and public libraries, government landmarks and national park sites will provide the backdrop for our celebration of citizenship.

Constitution Day and Citizenship Day is celebrated each year on Sept. 17 on the anniversary of the signing of the Constitu-tion in 1787. Congress first highlighted the significance of U.S. citizenship in 1940 when it designated the third Sunday in May as “I Am an American Day.”

In 1952, Congress shifted the date to

USCIS boosts initiatives to highlight U.S. citizenshipSept. 17 and renamed it “Citizenship Day.” Congress changed the designation of this day to “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day” in 2004.

USCIS invites new citizens and their families and friends to share their experi-ences from the ceremonies via social media using the hashtag #newUScitizen.

Read the list of featured 2015 Constitu-tion Week naturalization ceremonies.

USCIS also announced was a renewed partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service (NPS) to enhance the meaning and stature of citizenship ceremonies.

Since the partnership first began in September 2006, USCIS has coordinated special naturalization ceremonies at many of the 400 NPS sites around the country, including eight events as part of USCIS’ 2015 Constitution Week celebration.

Beginning Sept. 19, naturalization ap-plicants will be able to use credit cards to pay the Form N-400, Application for Natu-ralization, fee of $595 and the biometrics fee of $85, if applicable.

(OAK BROOK, Ill.) – To meet consumers’ changing expectations and preferences, McDonald’s announced that it will fully transition to cage-free eggs for its nearly 16,000 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada over the next 10 years.

“Our customers are increasingly interested in knowing more about their food and where it comes from,” said McDonald’s USA President Mike An-dres. “Our decision to source only cage-free eggs reinforces the focus we’re placing on food quality and our menu to meet what consumers truly want.”

“We’re proud of the work we’re doing with farmers and suppliers to advance environmentally and socially conscious practices for the animals in our supply chain,” said Marion Gross, senior vice president and Chief Supply Chain Officer of McDonald’s North America. “This is a bold move and we’re confident in our ability to provide a quality, safe, and consistent supply.”

On an annual basis, McDonald’s USA purchases approximately two billion eggs and McDonald’s Canada purchases 120 million eggs to serve on its breakfast menus, which includes popular breakfast sandwiches, such as the Egg McMuffin and Egg White De-light. Since 2011, McDonald’s USA has been purchasing more than 13 million cage-free eggs annually.

“Animal welfare has always been important to us and our customers,” added Gross. “Today’s announcement is another big milestone building on our work with industry experts and suppliers to improve the treatment of animals.”

Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch, a family-owned and operated farm in Michigan, has worked with McDonald’s for de-cades to supply nutritious eggs. “Cage-free systems play an important role in our work to keep hens healthy and meet the growing consumer demand for responsibly-sourced food,” said Greg Herbruck, executive vice president of Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch. “We wel-come McDonald’s actions to continue these efforts and are pleased to join them in sourcing cage-free eggs across their supply chain. We continue em-bracing new technologies and strategies to ensure our hens are well-cared for.”

In 2000, McDonald’s USA was the first food service company to adopt a standard for hen housing systems, which provided more space per bird than the industry standard. In 2010, the company initiated research with the Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Sup-ply to better understand the impact of

various hen housing systems on animal health and welfare, the environment, worker health, food safety and food affordability.

This research provided important insights into the trade-offs of various housing systems for the company to make informed sourcing decisions.

Today’s news follows other actions announced this year by McDonald’s USA to source only chicken raised without antibiotics important to human medicine by 2017 and to offer milk jugs of low-fat white milk and fat-free chocolate milk from cows that have not been treated with rbST, an artificial growth hormone.

In addition, McDonald’s USA in-troduced the Artisan Grilled Chicken patty, seasoned with simple, everyday ingredients and introduced a new con-temporary salad blend of romaine, baby spinach and baby kale.

McDonald’s is also moving from liquid margarine to real butter on Eng-lish muffins, biscuits and bagels on the breakfast menu and has introduced a new Buttermilk Crispy Chicken, which uses real buttermilk in the breading. McDonald’s Canada introduced a salad leaf blend, including baby kale, in its three chef-inspired contemporary salads in May 2015.

About McDonald’s USAMcDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a va-

riety of menu options made with quality ingredients to more than 25 million customers every day. Nearly 90 percent of McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women.

Customers can now log online for free at approximately 11,500 participat-ing Wi-Fi enabled McDonald’s U.S. restaurants. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook www.facebook.com/mcdonalds.

About McDonald’s CanadaMcDonald’s is the leading foodser-

vice company in the world. McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited and its Canadian franchisees own and operate more than 1,400 restaurants with more than 85,000 employees from coast-to-coast. Approximately 80 per cent of McDonald’s Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. For more information about McDonald’s Canada, visit www.mcdonalds.ca or follow us on Twitter (@McD_Canada), Facebook (Facebook.com/McDonaldscanada) and Instagram (Instagram.com/mcdonald-scanada) for updates on our business, promotions and menu items.

McDonald’s to fully transition to cage-free eggs for all restaurants in the U.S. and CanadaMcDonald’s USA and Canada to source 100 percent cage-free eggs within 10 years

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are feeling very vulnerable because of the financial situation that they’re in. They could be facing a financial crisis for the first time in their lives and they don’t know what to do.

If you are facing serious debt problems, a foreclosure, a lawsuit, judgment or a pending wage garnishment, it’s not the end of the world and chances are that you have options that you didn’t even know existed. It may be possible to settle your debts out

of court or as a last resort, file bankruptcy to either wipe out or reorganize your debts.

Recently, a couple came to my office for debt help. They’ve just been assessed huge taxes by the IRS and they had to enter into a payment plan for that reason. But they were already behind on their mortgage payments, not to mention the credit card debts that were piling up. One car just broke down and needed replacement. Over the last few years, they’ve been borrowing

money from all sources just to keep their heads above water, including their 401K plans. The 401K loan payment deductions from their paycheck are not helping. If you were in this situation, what would you do? The tremendous debt burden has put a strain on their marriage and has caused a lot of grief at home.

I helped this couple reorganize their debts under Chapter 13. We came up with a payment plan that combined all their debts into one low payment every month- a payment that they could afford. This has allowed them to sleep better at night know-ing that they are paying their creditors the best they can. More importantly, they now

have peace of mind knowing that they will not lose their home and everything they’ve worked so hard for.

If you need help figuring out your op-tions, I’d like to help you. Call us for a free consultation at Toll-Free 1-866-477-7772. We have offices in Los Angeles, Cerritos, Pasadena & Valencia.

(None of the information herein is in-tended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has success-fully helped more than 5,000 clients in finding solutions to their debt problems. To schedule a free attorney consultation, please call Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866-477-7772).

The ‘Secret’ fear that comes with being in debtI know we’ve never met. But there’s a common fear every-

one shares when they’re in drowning in debt. As a debt relief attorney, I hear it from people who consult with me every day. It is this: The possibility of losing what they’ve worked hard for all their lives…their homes, their savings, their retirement money, their business, etc. Why is this fear so common?

Personally, I think the fear comes from a feeling of losing control. As a debt relief attorney, I deal with a lot of clients who

MANILA, Sept 17 (Mabuhay) – Vice President Jejomar Binay admitted that he felt a little disrespected with the way some students asked questions during the Forum on Governance, Transparency and Social Transformation in University of the Philip-pines in Los Baños Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters at the Mining Philippines 2015 International Conference and Exhibition at the Solaire Resort and Casino in Parañaque City, Binay admit-ted that he found some of the questions disrespectful. “Ah iyong isa lang naman iyon, iyong parang sabi, hindi ka naman nagsasabi ng totoo eh, taga-Mandaluyong ka naman, iyong kanyang charges hindi naman totoo ‘yon. Pero that’s part of it,” he explained. During the forum, a student asked the vice-president why there were still a lot of informal settlers in Makati despite his claim that the city had solved the informal settler problem under his leadership. “Bakit po sa Makati marami pa ring informal settlers?” the student asked.

Instead of answering the question, the vice-president asked: “Sa Makati? Excuse me, taga-saan ka ba?” When the student

said he was from Mandaluyong, Binay said: “Yun.” He then challenged the stu-dent: “Ituro mo sa akin nasaan ang informal settler.” The student then replied: “Hanapin n‘yo na lang po, sir. ‘Di niyo pa po siguro nakikita.” The response drew loud cheers from the audience of mostly UPLB stu-dents, many of whom had chanted “trapo” at the start of Binay’s speech.

The vice-president then admitted only three to five percent of Makati residents are informal settlers. “Alam mo, partner, kami siguro mga 3 o 5 percent na lang ang in-formal settlers sa Makati, ha,” Binay said. “Eh di meron pa rin po. Sabi niyo po wala eh,” the student said, eliciting more cheers.

Binay then replied: “Siguro yung 3 percent pwede mo na sabihin wala.”

Meanwhile, the vice president said he enjoyed the experience and that he was glad to be back to UP.

“Hindi, nag enjoy ako noon. Back to the good old days, biruin mo nakita ko na naman talagang ‘yon parin ang UP (Uni-versity of the Philippines) kasi kung hindi nangyari ‘yon hindi UP ‘yong pinuntahan ko.”

VP Binay felt disrespected at UPLB forum

couple continues to live together due to economic reasons like roommates. Is a couple living “sepa-rate and apart” under family code 771(a) when they continue to live together in the same home even though they no longer live their lives like married couple?

The California Supreme Court, in a recent case In re Marriage of Davis, 61 Cal 4th 4th 846 (2015), held that the phrase “living separate and apart” in the California family code refers to a situation in which spouses are living in separate residences and at least one of them has the subjective intent to end the marital relationship, abrogating In re Marriage of Johnson, 134 Cal. App.3d. 148. Prior to this decision,

” occurs only when the parties have come to a parting of the ways with no present intent to resume their marriage and their con-duct evidences a complete and final break in the marital relationship. The Court would consider all of the relevant evidence regarding whether the parties’ conduct evidences a complete and final break in the marital relationship. Living in separate residences, although a factor to be considered, was not required for a separation.

In re Marriage of Davis involved husband and wife married in 1993. The couple had 2 children. Couple stopped having sexual relationship in 1999. Wife moved to another bedroom in the house either in 2001 or 2004. Husband and wife attended children’s activities but used separate cars. On June 1, 2006 wife announced she was “through” with the marriage. Wife believed couple were acting simply as roommates after

2006. Wife increased her earnings after this date while husband left his job. Parties continued to live in the marital home and went on vacation together. Wife filed for divorce in 2008. Wife moves out of the marital residence on July1, 2011. Wife alleges date of separation of June 1, 2006. Husband alleges a date of separation of July 1, 2011. The trial court and the court of appeal found June1, 2006 as the date of separation. The California Supreme Court reversed the decision holding that living in separate residences “is an indispensable threshold requirement for a finding that spouses are “living separate and apart” for purposes of section 771(a). The interpretation aligns with the common understanding of the words, the statutory history of the provision, and legitimate public policy concerns.

The In re Marriage of Davis decision now requires the parties to be living in separate resi-dences as a prerequisite to a separation. In IRMO Davis, the California Supreme Court looked into the plain meaning of the statute, the legislative intent and history of the statute, and the case law in interpreting the term “separate and apart.” The California Supreme Court looked into the word-ing and legislative intent of family code 771(a) by tracing it back to a 145 year old predecessor statute enacted in 1870 “ An Act to Protect the Rights of Married Women in Certain Cases.” Sec-tion 4 of the 1870 act provided a procedure for a wife who was “living separate and apart” from her husband to sell her real property without joining with her husband by stating in a declaration ”her own place of residence that is “separate and apart

from her husband” which strongly suggests that the statute was directed at a situation where the spouses had physically separated and the wife in fact had her own residence.

The Supreme Court also relied on the hold-ing in the Norviel case which held that living apart physically is an indispensable threshold requirement to separation, whether or not it is sufficient, by itself to establish separation. The date of separation is one of the most litigated issues in a divorce case since it directly affects the characterization and division of community property. This case changes that analysis and may create problems in its practical application to the realities of contemporary families.

Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed.

The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC This article is not a solicitation.

Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immi-gration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and Cali-fornia State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. Law Offices of Kenneth Reyes, APLC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com.

Do you need to be living in separate residences to be considered ‘separated’ from your Spouse under the California family law?

Family Code 760 provides that all property acquired by the spouse during the marriage is community property. That means each spouse has a half interest on any assets that are acquired during the marriage, with certain exceptions, since it is generally characterized as commu-nity property. On the same token, Family Code 771(a) provides that earnings and accumulations of a spouse while living “separate and apart” from the other spouse, are the separate property of the spouse. How about the situation where the

VOL. XXIII, NO. 33

MANILA, Sept 17 (Mabuhay) – S ena-tor Grace Poe on Thursday proclaimed her long-time friend Senator Francis Escudero as her running mate, ending months of speculations regarding their political plans for the 2016 national elections.

The announcement was made a day after Poe declared her intention to seek the presidency in next year’s polls.

“Sa araw na ito, mayroon na tayong napili na maging katuwang natin ... sa katauhan ni Senator Chiz Escudero,” Poe

said in Thursday’s gathering held at the Kalayaan Hall of Club Filipino in Green-hills, San Juan.

Poe also said, “Maraming nagsasabing ... napili siya dahil kaibigan. Ngunit siya ay may tunay na kakayahan...” Poe said.

In response, Escudero said: “Tina-tanggap ko, nang may buong tapang at pagpapakumbaba ang hamon ni Senator Grace na maging katuwang niya sa landas niyang tatahakin bilang kanyang ikalawang

LOS ANGELES

THE LEADING SOURCE OF NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR FILIPINO-AMERICANSSEPTEMBER 19 - 25, 2015

See PATRICIA JAVIER, page 15

Ex-sexy star Patricia Javier to stay in PHL for good

See ROBREDO, page 8

See POE-CHIZ, page 8

Senator Grace Poe with fellow Senator and now running mate Chiz Escudero. Poe on Thursday proclaimed her long-time friend as her VP candidate for next year’s presidential elections.(MNS Photo)

Senator Mary Grace Poe Llamanzares waves to her supporters shortly after her speech declaring her candidacy for the presidential election in 2016, at the Bahay ng Alumni in U.P. Diliman on Wednesday. Poe, running as an independent, nally ended months of speculation on her political plans. (MNS photo)

MANILA, Sept 17 (Mabuhay) – The Nationalist People’s Coalition expects to announce its preferred presidential candidate early next month.

NPC spokesperson Mark Enverga said the party is having a hard time arriving at a consensus due to the personal preferences of its members.

The NPC was well represented at yesterday’s announcement of Senator Grace Poe’s candidacy with at least six members in attendance.

Enverga said the NPC appreciates that Poe is a good listener adding that questions about her citizenship is not an issue for their party.

“Basing it on merits, it is not much of an issue. We believe that she is a natural

POE-CHIZ TANDEM FOR 2016Sen. Grace Poe’s citizenship not an issue: NPC spokesman

Grace proclaims Escudero as her running mate

MANILA, Sept 18 (Mabuhay) – The Liberal Party has formally asked Rep. Leni Robredo to be the running mate of its presumptive standard bearer, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas II, for the 2016 elections.

Robredo, widow of the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, however, said she is still contemplating on whether to accept the offer or not.

Robredo said she will have a final decision before October 12, the filing of certificate of candidacy.

Robredo also said that she posted on

LP formally asks Leni Robredo to be Roxas’ VP in 2016 polls

MANILA, Sept 16 (Mabuhay) – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has received “intelligence reports” that China may attempt to sabotage the Philippine elections in 2016, one of its ranking of-ficials told lawmakers Wednesday.

During the Comelec’s briefing for elec-tion preparations before the House com-mittee on suffrage and electoral reforms, Comelec Commissioner Christian Robert Lim said this is the reason why they trans-ferred the location of the factory that will manufacture the voting machines that will be used in the 2016 elections from China to Taiwan.

“We want to emphasize that the move to Taiwan was a product of the contract negotiations because we have received intelligence reports that there may be an at-

tempt to sabotage the elections by China,” Lim said.

Lim added the poll body en banc has made the transfer of the factory producing the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines “non-negotiable” for Smartmat-ic-TIM because they are concerned that the ongoing arbitration case between China and the Philippines may have an impact in the country’s national elections.

“The commission made it non-negotia-ble that the provider would have to transfer the facilities to Taiwan at their expense,” he said. Beijing and Manila have been locked in a long-standing territorial dispute over portions of the South China Sea, which is considered an important shipping lane and believed to contain rich gas and oil deposits. (MNS)

Comelec says China may attempt to sabotage 2016 polls

By Abner GalinoFilipino American veteran leader

Franco Arcebal recently urged the Filipino-American youth to continue seeking justice for his fellow World War II veterans who were denied rights by the government of the United States of America shortly after the war ended.

“You wouldn’t know (the injustice committed against the veterans) if no one had told you. That is why you need to

continue telling others about our story so that the others would know,” Arcebal told a gathering in the historic Filipino town in downtown Los Angeles last week.

Arcebal, together Bernie Ganon and Art Garcia, prominent leaders espousing the causes of WW II veterans, were part of a panel that spoke to students and commu-nity youths in an event called Face to Face with Filipino American Veterans organized by Kabataang Maka-Bayan, pro-people

youth group Los Angeles. “It’s terrible. Can you imagine? A gov-

ernment propagating justice all over the world, but doing this injustice to Filipino veterans?,” Arcebal lamented.

Arcebal was referring to the Rescission Act of 1946 which took away rights and benefits from some 200,000 Filipinos who fought with the US military during World War II against the Japanese. The said law

WW II veteran urges Fil-Am youth to continue work for justice

See CITIZENSHIP, page 8

See WWII VET, page 7

2 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

3Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

who threaten to sue us. What can we do?A: That depends on how long you think

it will take for your wife to find a job, how much you owe, and whether your creditors sue you and garnish your wages. Gener-ally speaking, if payments to your credit card debts are more than 30% of your take home pay, you are in trouble. In this case, you may want to consider bankruptcy as an option.

Q: Will filing for bankruptcy ruin my credit forever?

A: No, in fact it might even make an instant improvement, particularly if you cannot pay your bills. If you cannot make ends meet, your debt to income ratio is too high. At that point your prospects of getting more credit is zero. A bankruptcy cures the debt to income problem, discharging debt and leaving income. This gives you access to a number of credit card and other lenders who literally target people with bankruptcy discharges. See next question!

Q: Will anyone issue me with a credit card, when I have a bankruptcy on my report?

A: Yes, there are many creditors who specialize in doing business with bank-ruptcy debtors. They are usually secured creditors that offer auto financing, mort-gages and secured credit cards. Their main motivation is money - they want to charge you a little extra, and there is no real risk involved. After bankruptcy, you cannot file again for eight years. You have no other debts, a good debt to income ratio, and can afford to service the new loan.

Q: How long does it take to get unse-cured credit at the same cost as before my bankruptcy?

A: Anywhere between 30 days and six months. We checked out several programs available. Some offer secured visa cards. That is where the line of credit is secured by a savings deposit. Another program we looked in to, offers an unsecured line of credit of up to $5,000 to shop at their cata-logue store. Generally, most department stores will reestablish your credit after six months to a year of good payment his-tory with another bank. Mortgage lenders consider applicants based on fico scores. There are programs available, starting at about 560 fico. Building your fico score is not difficult, if planned methodically, and a secured credit card is a good way to start.

Bankruptcy optionsAdmittedly, most people filing bank-

ruptcy, file under Chapter 7, (The real bankruptcy) that discharges all unsecured debt. However, there are people with problems that are best resolved through Chapter 13, the debt consolidation pro-gram. Chapter 13 is used primarily by those who either have problems with secured debt, and want to keep the collateral, or perhaps, have plenty of assets, but no liquid cash, and want to avoid a creditor imposed liquidation.

Most Chapter 13’s are filed by people who are late on their mortgage, and want to avoid losing their home through fore-closure and trust deed sale. Since the mort-gage is a secured debt, you have only two choices, pay the debt or give up the house, but there is help - since Chapter 13 lets you amortize the mortgage arrearages, and in most cases, discharge unsecured debt at the same time. By discharging unsecured debt, your ability to service the mortgage is improved, and hopefully, you can stay in your home.

Sample questions on Chapter 13.Q: Can I make lower house payments if

I file a Chapter 13 repayment plan? A: If you have a second mortgage, we

might be able to strip that off the property. As far as the first mortgage is concerned, you may also be eligible for one of several loan modification plans that we work with. If you are not eligible for a loan modifica-tion, you must make the regular scheduled payments. However, the delinquent portion can be spread out over three years at a nominal interest rate.

Q: What does a Chapter 13 do to my credit card debts?

A: That depends on your income level. For most people, their unsecured debt, like credit card debts would be wiped out. This in turn helps to pay the mortgage arrears.

Q: Can a Chapter 13 stop lenders repos-sessing my automobile?

A: Yes, it will stop the repossession, and your monthly payments can be low-ered, based on the depreciated value of the automobile.

Q: Can a Chapter 13 help me with debts to the IRS or student loans?

A: A Chapter 13 can be very helpful with debts that are not dischargeable in a regular Chapter 7. These types of debts can only be discharged if they are past their respective statute of limitations. A chapter 13 will allow you to pay these debts over a period of time, and limit future interest accruing on the debt.

Q: What’s the main difference between Chapter 13 and Chapter 7?

A: Chapter 7 will discharge all unse-cured debts, but does not resolve problems associated with arrears on secured debts. (Such as late payments on the mortgage)

Q: I filed Chapter 7 last year, can I file Chapter 13 now?

A: Yes. Although Chapter 7 bars you from re-filing again for eight years, a Chapter 13 can be filed every three years.

Q: I own a house together with my brother. We want to file a Chapter 13 to stop a foreclosure, do we both have to file?

A: No, only one of you need file, preferable the party that owes the most in unsecured debt, and thereby has the most to gain.

Q: I have no equity in my home. I just want to stay here as long as possible. What can be done to stop a trust deed sale and prolong my occupancy?

A: Contact your lawyer to discuss all options available to you.

FREE CONSULTATION – BUT ACT NOW!

Need advice on a financial problem? Don’t let creditors intimidate you. For immediate compassionate help, call the Law Offices of Paul M. Allen. Two offices to serve you. Call now 818-552-4500. Consultations are free, but it is by appoint-ment only.

Discharge debt – reestablish creditBanks and credit card companies have told us how impor-

tant it is to maintain our credit, honor our obligations, pay on time, but what if we suddenly can’t pay on time, then what? What if I lose my job, and can’t pay anyone right now, where does that put me? The answers may surprise you:

Q: My wife recently lost her job. My income goes to food and rent. We haven’t paid our credit cards for two months, and have been sent to collection, and or get letters from attorneys

4 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 BalitaLOS ANGELES

MANILA, Sept 16 (Mabuhay) – The Department of Public Works and High-ways (DPWH) will finish two major flood control projects in Metro Manila before President Benigno Aquino III steps down next year, Secretary Rogelio Singson said on Wednesday.

During the presentation of the DPWH proposed 2016 budget at the House of Representatives appropriations commit-tee hearing, Singson said the Blumentritt Interceptor Catchment Area and the Mandaluyong Main Drainage Project and would be completed in March and June 2016, respectively.

The P609.12-million Mandaluyong project is 64 percent complete, Singson said. Meanwhile, the P600-million Blu-mentritt catchment area is 84 percent complete, he added.

Singson said the project incurred traf-fic in the area because the 3.3-kilometer catchment area was being built under the

road from Blumentritt in Manila to the Tondo area.

“In Blumentritt area, it’s a 3.3 kilometer long drainage … In Mandaluyong, the whole of Boni gets flooded with a little rain… These won’t get finished overnight. We’re doing it in existing roads so the wa-ter goes out to the Pasig river. We expect two major improvements to be finished April or May next year,” Singson said.

“The projects were undertaking are not easy projects because they pass through major thoroughfares in Metro Manila,” he added.

Singson said the DPWH had to address the flooding in the areas under the Metro Manila flood management plan because it covered 20 million people and a third of the country’s gross domestic product.

He added that some 12,000 informal settler families had been relocated from the waterways to restore the carrying capacity of the waterways.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino leads the inauguration of an additional ferry boat for the Pasig River Ferry (PRF) System at the Guadalupe station, Wednesday. Promoted as an alternative mode of transportation, the PRF operates 11 boats that service 11 stations from Pasig City to Manila. (MNS photo)

2 Metro ood projects done before Aquino steps down: Singson

MANILA, Sept 16 (Mabuhay) – Money sent by Filipinos who live and work abroad continued to rise in July, though at the slowest pace in six months.

Personal remittances from overseas Filipinos amounted to $2.3 billion, up 0.5 percent from $2.29 billion a year earlier, latest data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

“The growth was lower than the previ-ous year’s 7.3 percent growth. This is partly due to the depreciation of currencies in their host countries against the US dollar, which reduced the dollar equivalent of their remittances,” the central bank said.

The increase represents the second slowest inflow this year, after the 0.2 percent recorded in January. Personal remittances have expanded by 4.0 percent in February, 11.0 percent in March, 4.9 percent in April, 5.5 percent in May and

5.8 percent in June. In the seven months to July, personal

remittances totaled $15.7 billion – up 4.6 percent from $14.99 billion in the same period last year.

Cash remittances coursed through banks also rose by 0.5 percent year-on-year to $2.1 billion from $2.06 billion in July. This brought the total to $14.2 billion in January to July or 4.8 percent from $13.5 billion a year earlier.

Cash remittances from land-based workers totaled $10.8 billion and $3.3 bil-lion from sea-based workers, mostly sent from the US, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, UK, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and Canada.

“The continued demand for overseas Filipino workers remained the key driver of sustained remittance inflows,” the BSP said.

July remittances grow at slowest pace in 6 mos.

MANILA, Sept 17 (Mabuhay) – No Filipinos have so far been reported injured or missing in Chile after a magnitude 8.3 earthquake shook the South American nation on Wednesday evening, the De-partment of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday.

“So far, we have not received any report of Filipinos affected by the earthquake. We’ll get it (updates) when it arrives,” DFA spokesperson Charles Jose said in a text message.

According to Jose, there are 300 Filipi-nos currently living and working in Chile. The Philippine embassy there is located in the capital of Santiago, a city near the

epicenter of the earthquake.The quake hit 46 km (28 miles) from

Illapel City just 210 km (130 miles) north of Santiago, leaving it without electricity or running water.

CNN reported that three people – a 35-year-old woman, 20-year-old woman, and a man in his 80s – died in accidents or medical emergencies caused by the earthquake.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) Director Renato U. Solidum, Jr. explained Balitanghali that the subsequent tsunami predicted by experts after the quake will mostly hit areas near Chile and the French Polynesia.

No Pinoys reported hurt, missing in Chile quake: DFA

MANILA, Sept 17 (Mabuhay) – Count President Benigno Aquino III as among the men who are in awe of Filipino women’s strength and capabilities.

During the Asia Pacific Economic Coop-eration’s (APEC’s) Women and the Economy fora in Manila on Thursday, Aquino hailed women leaders in government and economy. He went as far as saying, “Women, more often than not, are more strong willed and capable than men.” “Is it any surprise that the common Filipino male never questions the authority of Filipinas,” he added, to the amusement of the predominantly female audience. “I believe it is intrinsic to our so-ciety that we see women as superior in many aspects including prudent budgeting and focusing on the advancement of the family as a whole,” he explained.

Aquino recalled that his mother, the late Corazon Aquino, had showed him “one of the clearest examples of conviction for one’s believe” when she would bring toiletries and extra clothes while campaigning. When he asked her why, the former president said she was just being ready in case she is arrested by agents of strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

He also enumerated women leaders with “unquestionable moral standing” whom he has appointed to key positions in the govern-ment: Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Mo-rales, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, Health Secretary Janette Garin, Philippine Economic Zone Authority Director General Lilia De Lima, Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares, Commission on Audit Chairperson Grace Pulido-Tan.

Aquino hails women’s contribution to economy, public sector

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Puente and several other churches around.This author’s Bicolano friends informed

us that they celebrate the Feast of Peñafran-cia due to the numerous miracles that hap-pened not only in their region but in the “slopes of Sierra de Francia , a mountain range situated in Spain’s two famous prov-inces: Salamanca and Caceres.”

Coincidentally, while the “primitive image of Our Lady was found in Caceres, Spain, a similar image was also found in Nueva Caceres, in the Bicol region of the Philippines.”

History has it that Simon, the sole heir to a rich French family who found the im-age, turned his back on his wealthy life to serve God by entering the convent. While at the convent he showed exceptional devotion to the Blessed Virgen Mary, and in his sleep one night, he heard a divine voice telling him to go to Peña de Francia, the “area where the sun sets and there he will find the image.” And so, he ventured as a pilgrim for five years and went to the western part of France.

“In his futile search, he again heard the divine voice telling him to search along with some companions as witnesses, which he did and when they reached San Martin de Castanar on May 19, 1534, at the foot of Pena de Francia, they removed a large stone and they found the image of the Virgen of Peñafrancia.”

The discovery of the image brought “miracles to Simon and his companions: his (Simon Vela’s) wound in the head was cured; Pascual Sanchez’s defect in the eye disappeared: Juan Fernandez ‘got rid of his ten-year old stomach trouble; Antonio Fernandez who was deaf began to hear and finally, Benito Sanchez’s finger which was defective from birth recovered its normal stage.” Thus, it was reported that the initial and subsequent miracles were documented and archived by the Notary Public of San Martin de Castanar “to bear witness to the past in order to enable the present and future generations of devotees to learn the

veracity of the miracles.”Similarly, way back in the 17th cen-

tury, a Spanish family from San Martin de Castanar came to and stayed in Cavite, Philippines. The husband and wife had a son named Miguel de Cobarrubias. This child was a very sickly kid, but he al-ways carried the picture of the Blessed Virgen of Peñafrancia from his grammar school in Sto. Tomas, where he further studied Theology. Whenever he is ill and recovered, in his own words, “so many are the miracles wrought on me by the Virgen of Peñafrancia. I have no tongue to relate them, nor paper to write them on, nor numbers to count them but all I could say is that I am the miracle of her miracles.”

While a student of Theology, he was summoned by Msgr. Andres de Gonzales, of the Dominican Order to be with him in Nueva Caceres. However, on his boat trip there, a storm developed and the ship was almost sinking, but by praying to his Patroness, the Virgen of Peñafrancia, the storm subsided and Miguel and his com-panions reached their destination.

Miguel was conferred to the sacrament of priesthood by Msgr. Gonzales after a few months and subsequently became Par-ish Priest of Nueva Caceres (which is now Naga) and he eventually became the Vicar General of the whole Diocese.

His first mission as a Parish Priest was to build a church which he did out of nipa and bamboo. The present church which is currently made of stone was built “more or less in the same place where the first one was constructed.” Some months after the completion of a stone church, in 1723, Miguel passed away but left a legacy of devotion to the Virgen of Peñafrancia which to this day, is acknowledged by all the Bicolanos in the region.

To all our Bicolano friends interested in participating at the various Peñafrancia cel-ebrations around, please call the Catholic Churches mentioned in your neighbor-hood.

Local Bicolanos celebrate the (Kaadlawan) Feast of Nuestra Señora de PeñafranciaToday, Saturday, September 19th culminates the ninth day

of novena prayers for Our Lady of Peñafrancia, spearheaded by groups of Bicolano devotees in the Southland.

Annually, various nine-day novenas are scheduled in Catho-lic Churches attended by the numerous Bicolanos in the Los Angeles area. Some of these Churches are: Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, St. Cyprian in Long Beach, St. Anthony Claret in Anaheim, St. Martha’s Catholic Church in La

MANILA, Sept 16 (Mabuhay) – Malacañang on Wednesday slammed Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. for “politicizing” the Mamasapano tragedy amid the so-called alternative version on the January 25 incident.

“Ano ba naman ‘to si Bongbong Marcos, pinupulitika ‘yung isang bagay na ‘di dapat pinupulitika,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a media briefing.

Marcos earlier said that he smells a “cover-up” in President Aquino’s pro-nouncement that there is an alternative version in the Masapano incident, which led to the deaths of 44 members of the Spe-cial Action Force (SAF), 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants, and at least five civilians.

Lacierda said it is better to wait for the validation on the supposed alternative ver-sion than to politicize the issue.

“It’s about making sure that we close this issue once and for all. There were a number of versions that were coming out. We need to make certain what is the final truth,” he said.

Marcos is the chairman of the Senate committee on local government, and author

of the substitute bill to the Malacañang-drafted Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

The timeline of having the BBL enacted has been affected following the January 25 operation of the SAF dubbed as Oplan Exodus. The SAF was in the area to serve an arrest warrant against international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as Marwan, when it clashed with the MILF.

Lacierda said the administration trusts that members of Congress are “mind-ful of the last mile” to achieve peace in Mindanao.

“The situation is we have come so far. We have been in decades of strife with the MILF. We are now in the last mile where we see that there’s a possibility of forging an institutionalized arrangement where we can better the lives of people in Muslim Mindanao,” he said.

“Our legislators are mindful of that last mile. We are confident that they will rise to the occasion and come up with a frame-work that will benefit the entire Muslim Mindanao, that includes the MILF,” he added.

Both the Senate and House of Repre-sentatives have yet to approve their own versions of the BBL. (MNS)

Palace slams Bongbong Marcos for politicizing Mamasapano tragedy

Photo courtesy of Evelyn Granada of St. Cyprian Catholic Church

6 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

in 1971 and has been at the forefront “of promoting environmental stewardship, state-of-the-art transportation programs and systems, an enterprising business environment and an enviable high quality of life”.

Irvine as a family-friendly city has more than 16,000 acres of parks, sports fields and dedicated open space. It is also home to the Orange County Great Park – the first great metropolitan park of the 21st century.

Global Village FestivalAll roads lead to Bill Barber Park at

the Civic Plaza on September 26 as people of many nations converge for a day-long celebration at the 14th edition of Irvine’s annual Global Village Festival.

For many years, thousands have trekked to this venue to celebrate the city’s diver-sity that mirrors the cultural tapestry of California.

In one day, visitors get a good glimpse the richness and color of some 50 cultures that make up the population of the city in

a multicultural event that features inter-national cuisine, live entertainment, and a kid’s village complete with crafts and activities, cultural and religious exhibits and an international market.

What started in 1998 as an event called Multicultural Festival “to help promote understanding and build harmony within cultures” has blossomed into an award winning event that has become the signa-ture feature of the city to celebrate its rich diversity.

The larger venue in the succeeding years enabled the Festival to accommodate thousands of visitors eager to lean of each other’s cultural intricacies. The pioneering organizers later on formed the Irvine Mul-ticultural Association to manage the annual event which grew in scope and attendance every year.

Irvine Global Village Festival was voted “Best Festival” by OC Weekly in 2009.Two years later, on the 40th anniversary for the City of Irvine and the 10th anniver-

Village Festival, the City of Irvine was conferred the “Cultural Diversity Award” in 2012 by the National League of Cities.

The Global Village Festival, offered free to the public, is also noted for being a “sustainable festival” taking advantage of the opportunity to educate the public on how to take care of their environment. With its goal of ultimate being a “zero

waste festival” the annual celebrations strives “to reduce, reuse and recycle may resources as possible”.

Among the features of the sustainable Festival include Green Transportation (shuttles powered by natural gas that pro-vide lower emission), Zero Waste Stations and use of bio-degradable materials for signage and banners, among others.

Irvine 14th Global Village Festival celebrates diversityThe City of Irvine, one of the 34 cities comprising the County

of Orange, is not only one of the nation’s largest master-planned communities, culturally diverse and fully integrated city of 250,384 residents but also holds the distinction of being ranked as the top city in California and listed as one of the Best Places to live in America of CNN Maga-zine of 2012.

Irvine has grown strategically into one of the safest cities in the country since its incorporation

Fil-Am Chamber joins Festival: More than 50 cultures will be represented at the day-long multicultural, multi-ethnic Irvine Global Village Festival in Irvine on September 26. The Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Orange, whose of cers are shown here during a courtesy call to Consul General Leon M. Herrera-Lim recently, will participate in the annual event.

Multicultural Festival: Bill Barber Park in Irvine “explodes” in color as various ethnic groups put on display the richness of their cultures at an annual festival to celebrate the City’s diversity.

sary of the Festival, which was a record year when more than 20,000 visitors graced the event, a new fea-ture was incorporated, the United Nations Art Miles Mural Project for younger guests “to promote global peace by painting their own message of non-violence.

For improving and pro-moting cultural diversity and its role in develop-ing creative and effective programs like the Global

7Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

their employees and the owners take home some money.

Sometimes the problems are just too big to fix without serious legal assistance. That is where Chapter 11 reorganization can allow a company to rebuild. Here are some examples of what Chapter 11 reor-ganization can do:

– In – Chapter 11, creditors cannot demand payment of past due debts. The threatening letters and phone calls stop.

– In Chapter 11, most creditors cannot be paid without permission of a United States bankruptcy judge.

– In Chapter 11, creditors have to wait while the company reorganizes itself, takes care of its problems and then announces a financial plan to pay creditors money.

– In Chapter 11, unprofitable contracts and leases (including building leases) can be rejected.

– In Chapter 11, a company can rebuild itself and can bring in new employees, new products, new ideas and new vendors.

– In some instances, a company can sell its assets free and clear of creditors to third parties who take over the company’s business.

The third parties can be the owners of the companies. With disclosure of this fact, and a fair price for the circumstances, a federal can approve the sale.

– While there are things about Chapter 11 that are not good, e.g., the reorganiza-tion may fail, a Chapter 11 gives a chance to a struggling company to rise from failure to the road to success.

Here are some signs of a business head-ed toward either failure and shutting down or toward reorganization, a second chance:

– Product/service quality declines; customer complaints rise

– Over expansion leads to working capital shortage

– Stale inventory– Sales stagnate– Profit margin erodes– Aging of receivables increases– Payables paid with difficulty– Advertising and sales budgets cut– Payment of payroll taxes deferred– Cash balance declines; float played– Credit difficult to obtain– Creditor lawsuits begin– Lender turns matter over to problem

loan department– Employee morale low; key employees

seek new jobs– Layoffs begin– Business failure imminent; and– Company leaders do not want to go

to work, they not want to hear about the problems and it hurts to go to work. Their families are nervous or scared. They are having their own financial problems.

Chapter 11 is serious business. To win, that is to reorganize the company under an order of a United States bankruptcy judge, certain things must happen: A plan must be confirmed. Creditors may be paid in part or in full at one time or in payments over time.

A careful strategy must be put into place before the Chapter 11 case begins. Some of the issues are:

– How does the company go into the

Chapter 11?– Who are the important creditors and

vendors?– How much money does the company

need to have in the bank?– With whom does the company ally?– Who will the problem creditors be?

And– How does the company get out of

Chapter 11? In other words, before go-ing into Chapter 11, the company and its legal team

Develop what they believe is the company’s best exit strategy?

“FOR TO US A CHILD IS BORN, TO US A SON IS GIVEN, AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE ON HIS SHOULDERS. AND HE WILL BE CALLED WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FA-THER, PRINCE OF PEACE.” ISAIAH 9:6

Lawrence Bautista Yang and Steven R. Fox are experienced attorneys with deep bankruptcy experience.

Lawrence Bautista Yang is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and has been in law practice for thirty years. He specializes in bankruptcy, business and civil litigation and has handled more than five thousand successful bankruptcy cases in California. He speaks Tagalog and looks forward to discussing your case with you personally. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S Fremont Ave, MAILSTOP 58, Building A-1 SUITE 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803 OR at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789. Steven R. Fox has represented companies and individuals in Chapter 11 for over 25 years both locally and nationally, representing businesses and business creditors. He is a well-known writer and speaker on bankruptcy issues. His office is located at 17835 Ventura Blvd., Suite 306, Encino, CA 91316. Tel (818) 774-3545 Fax (818) 774-3707. His website is www.foxlaw.com.

Chapter 11 business re-organizationSigns of a company headed toward failure and important way to x the problems

Sometimes companies get into financial trouble. They have leadership issues, they have failures by suppliers, and they have cash flow problems. Companies have a lot of problems, often every day. Most of the time, companies get past their problems and move on, they continue to make money, pay

WWII VETERANFrom page 1

was passed by the US Congress a few months after it granted independence to the Philippines on July 4, 1946.

Prior to this, the US Congress passed a law called the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, popularly known as the G.I Bill, which granted a range of benefits for returning World War II veterans that included low-cost housing, low-interest loans for business undertakings, cash payments for tuition and living expenses for vocational, high school and college education, and one year unemployment compensation.

The Filipino fighters, being US nation-als during the time that they were enlisted to the US military, were eligible to receive these benefits. However, because of the Rescission Act of 1946, these benefits were taken away from the Filipino war veterans.

Arcebal lamented the fate of many of his contemporaries who have resorted to virtual panhandling and collecting empty plastic bottles and other recyclable materi-als in order survive here in the US.

“Sinasabi ko sa kanila, huwag naman. Bigyan naman natin ng dignidad ang ating pagiging beterano,” he recounted.

The veteran leader explained that the denial of benefits to the Filipino veterans was an act of bigotry which needed to be corrected by the repeal of the Rescission Act of 1946.

The US Congress had so far managed only to make little efforts to correct the in-justice. In 2009, through an insertion in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, it granted a one-time $15,000 lump sum to veterans who were US citizens and 9,000

Veteran Franco Arcebal and Bernie Ganon listen as Justice for Filipino American Veterans Coordinator Art Garcia stresses a point. Photo: Odette Galino

lump sum settlement for non-US citizens.But the compensation, according to the

veteran leader, was miniscule compared to what the actual benefits that were denied to the Filipino veterans. Many of the veterans have died due to diseases and old-age but the convenors of the event said that repeal-ing the Rescission Act of 1946 remains relevant because these Filipino veterans have families who should benefit from the sacrifices of their parents/ancestors.

8 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

POE-CHIZ

CITIZENSHIP ROBREDO

From page 1

From page 1 From page 1

pangulo.”He said he believes in the characteristic

and capability of Poe. “Tulad ng kanyang ama na si FPJ, nasa tamang lugar ang puso ni Senator Poe. Naniniwala ako na bilang pangulo, si Senator Grace Poe o GP ay magtatatag ng Gobyernong may Puso.”

“Ikinagagalak ko na may katuwang na tayo pagdating sa bayan. Ang batayan natin ay hindi lamang dahil siya ay kaibigan ko kundi dahil siya ay mapapagkatiwalaan, may kakayahan, at may nagawa na para sa bayan,” Poe said.

“Hinihingi ko ang inyong suporta para sa inaasahang manilbihan sa atin, sa ating pangalawang pangulo, Sen. Chiz Escu-dero,” she added.

In his response speech, Escudero also said: “Ako po si Chiz Escudero, isang Pili-pino, anak, asawa, at Bicolanong lingkod bayan. Buong pagpapakumbaba ko pong inaalay sa tulong ng Diyos at ni Ina ang aking sarili sa mas mataas na paninilbihan bilang inyong ikalawang pangulo ng ating bansa,” Escudero said

Among those present were Poe’s

mother, Susan Roces; sister Lovi Poe and actor Rocco Nacino; Escudero’s wife, ac-tress Heart Evangelista, and father in law Rey Ongpauco; and Escudero’s mother, Sorsogon Rep. Evelina Escudero.

Escudero reiterated their independence saying, “Pilipinas ang partido namin ni Sen Grace Poe at mga Pilipino ang am-ing kapartido.” “Naniniwala kami na ang sinumang tumatakbo o maninilbihan bilang pangulo o ikalawang pangulo, hindi dapat miyembro ng iisang partido,” he added.

Poe earlier said that she is more com-fortable with Escudero as her running mate.

Escudero served as spokesperson of Poe’s father, the late actor Fernando Poe Jr, during the 2004 presidential elections.

The two have been leading in recent presidential and vice presidential surveys. They earlier vowed to remain independent candidates should they decide to seek higher posts in the coming polls.

Earlier this year, Poe and Escudero had meetings with President Benigno Aquino III to discuss the 2016 polls, including the possibility of a unified ticket.

born Filipino. So we believe that she is qualified to run for the presidency.”

Enverga earlier said he and other NPC members were impressed with Poe’s speech especially after she laid out a 20-point agenda tackling various topics such as the lowering of income taxes, better health care for senior citizens and staggered work hours.

“Napabilib kami ni Senator Grace. Siguro gusto kong ma-point out dito yung kanyang 20-point agenda. Talagang mala-pit na malapit yung mga issues na inilabas, yung gusto niyang malunasan. Yun ang pang araw-araw na hinaharap ng Pilipino. Yun ay napabilib kami dun sa kanyang

pagtackle dun sa issue na yun,” he said.He pointed out that in their past meet-

ing with Poe, the senator only introduced herself and listened to the concerns of NPC members without presenting a clear plan for 2016.

The spokesman said all presidential candidates are on equal footing as the NPC leadership has yet to choose which candidate the party will endorse.

He admitted that some NPC members are “lobbying for a certain presidentiable.”

Aside from Poe, the other declared presidential candidates are Vice President Jejomar Binay and former DILG chief Mar Roxas. (MNS)

her Facebook account a photograph of her late husband with a question “Can I use my lifeline?” The post has been deleted.

She said that she is now feeling the pressure of accepting the offer to run for vice president.

Refran said that in her prayers, Robredo asked a sign from her late husband on what to do.

Robredo earlier said that she has no plans to seek the presidency and is instead contemplating seeking re-election or run-ning for the Senate.

Roxas is in Naga City with Robredo and other members of LP.

The Liberal Party will have a conven-tion on Sept. 28 to finalize the selection of Roxas’ running mate, Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice, LP’s vice president for political affairs, said on Thursday.

Erice said the ruling party is unfazed by the tandem of Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero because it will have a vice president to nominate when the National Executive Council (NECO) con-venes on Sept. 28. (MNS)

9Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

Did you know that shredding personal documents, including old bank statements, canceled checks, credit card offers, and any paperwork containing account numbers and Social Security numbers, is highly recommended to help protect against identity theft?

Join AARP in Los Angles on Thursday, October 1, 2015 for a Shred-A-Thon where you can properly shred old personal documents and attend a Fraud Watch Network workshop to learn how to protect you and your family from scams.

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pay off those student loans, car loans or even credit card bills with high interest rates. Properties in some area have tapered down, but the ratio of people looking for affordable homes still out weights the people selling; therefore I still have a very optimistic view of the real estate market for another year. At this point it would be very difficult to estimate the market longer than that.

A lot of people right now are doing the smart thing, taking advantage of the situation and making their equity work for them. Instead of them working hard to pay off those credit card bills, they cash out on their home equity and consolidate all their bills into one low monthly mortgage payment.

You can be one of them, working hard is not the only solution to debt problems; sometimes it takes a little creativity. Some are even selling to move up or take profit which is a smart thing to do.

Also, always be reminded that home equity loans are tax deductible unlike those high interest credit card bills which are not. So, let it benefit you in two ways, you can enjoy a monthly lower payment consolidat-ing your mortgage and high credit card bills and also pay less taxes each year.

A lot of programs right now allow you to cash out up to 80% of your property’s value. If you have a high interest first mortgage right now, we can also refinance your first and get you a better interest rate, which might even make your total payments lower that what you are paying with your consumer debts. Properties

purchased within a year’s time that have at least 6-10 month of mortgage payments can use the new value of their property to get equity cash out loan, For example: You had purchased a property in January 04 for $400,000.00.

Now the property is worth $450,000.00 as long as your credit or your income qualifies you, we have loan programs that will allow you to cash out up $40K. Meaning you can take out almost 10% of your original down payment in less than a year’s time. This is what you have been hearing about people cashing out money. We can enjoy these benefits and use our money smartly to bring us to the next level of life enjoyment.

For those who are not in debt but are considering to do home improvement such as adding rooms. Right now, interest rates are also at its lowest and this is the perfect time for you to put action into your plans. You have multiple choices on how you want to take out your equity, it will all depend on what your long terms goals are for the house. I will draft up some options for caller to identify which plans are best for your home improvement projects.

Please call our office at (562)697-7028 and I can help you look up your property value free of charge. I can also help you analyze your current financial situation and see which way to go will save you the most money.

If you invest a little time in doing this, I can assure that you will get very fruitful results and of course a lot of savings. I will be waiting to hear from you.

Using your home equity to pay off debtsHome values have been going up quite a lot since 2011. We

see an increase each year and due to the shortage in supply of properties, values have been increasing even more and in some areas have surpassed the highs prior to the Mortgage Crisis. Expect at least a minimum of 5-8% increase in your equity in just a year’s time. For properties in the Orange County area, it’s probably at least 6-10%. So, this is actually a very good time to cash out on your equity and

MANILA, Sept 17 (Mabuhay) – Vice President Jejomar Binay lost a supporter Thursday after former Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Romeo Jalosjos expressed support to the tandem of Senators Grace Poe and Francis “Chiz” Escudero in the 2016 elections.

In an interview with reporters before the start of the program where Poe and Es-cudero formally announced their tandem, Jalosjos said he would be a “traitor” if he would not support the two, especially Poe, noting her closeness with her parents.

“I cannot turn my back on Grace, her family is very close to us, the father FPJ (Fernando Poe Jr.), mother Susan, and Grace herself. I will be a traitor if I turn my back on her,” he said.

“I can never turn my back on showbiz,

my life is showbiz. The one feeding my family comes from showbiz, Eat Bulaga!. Especially the father of Grace is Fernando Poe Jr., who was our actor before in our TV show ‘Kamao’,” he said.

Jalosjos’ company, Production Special-ists, Inc., created Eat Bulaga! in the late Seventies. The erstwhile congressman said he already relayed his decision to Binay. “He was in Dipolog and I talked to him. He asked for my support and I told him I can-not [support him],” he said. Jalosjos said he supported Binay’s vice presidential bid in 2010, but he backed Poe and Escudero in the 2013 senatorial elections.

Meanwhile, former Partido Mang-gagawa party-list Rep. Renato Magtubo is confident Poe and Escudero would most likely get the support of ordinary workers.

Jalosjos leaves VP Binay for Poe-Chiz

WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is launching new efforts to highlight U.S. citizenship and immigrant civic integra-tion to celebrate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.

These initiatives will also improve cus-tomer service and support aspiring citizens on their path to naturalization.

The initiatives include:From Sept. 17-23, USCIS started wel-

coming more than 36,000 new citizens during more than 200 naturalization cer-emonies. During this time – also known as Constitution Week – museums, historic and public libraries, government landmarks and national park sites will provide the backdrop for our celebration of citizenship.

Constitution Day and Citizenship Day is celebrated each year on Sept. 17 on the anniversary of the signing of the Constitu-tion in 1787. Congress first highlighted the significance of U.S. citizenship in 1940 when it designated the third Sunday in May as “I Am an American Day.”

In 1952, Congress shifted the date to

USCIS boosts initiatives to highlight U.S. citizenshipSept. 17 and renamed it “Citizenship Day.” Congress changed the designation of this day to “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day” in 2004.

USCIS invites new citizens and their families and friends to share their experi-ences from the ceremonies via social media using the hashtag #newUScitizen.

Read the list of featured 2015 Constitu-tion Week naturalization ceremonies.

USCIS also announced was a renewed partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service (NPS) to enhance the meaning and stature of citizenship ceremonies.

Since the partnership first began in September 2006, USCIS has coordinated special naturalization ceremonies at many of the 400 NPS sites around the country, including eight events as part of USCIS’ 2015 Constitution Week celebration.

Beginning Sept. 19, naturalization ap-plicants will be able to use credit cards to pay the Form N-400, Application for Natu-ralization, fee of $595 and the biometrics fee of $85, if applicable.

10 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

(OAK BROOK, Ill.) – To meet consumers’ changing expectations and preferences, McDonald’s announced that it will fully transition to cage-free eggs for its nearly 16,000 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada over the next 10 years.

“Our customers are increasingly interested in knowing more about their food and where it comes from,” said McDonald’s USA President Mike An-dres. “Our decision to source only cage-free eggs reinforces the focus we’re placing on food quality and our menu to meet what consumers truly want.”

“We’re proud of the work we’re doing with farmers and suppliers to advance environmentally and socially conscious practices for the animals in our supply chain,” said Marion Gross, senior vice president and Chief Supply Chain Officer of McDonald’s North America. “This is a bold move and we’re confident in our ability to provide a quality, safe, and consistent supply.”

On an annual basis, McDonald’s USA purchases approximately two billion eggs and McDonald’s Canada purchases 120 million eggs to serve on its breakfast menus, which includes popular breakfast sandwiches, such as the Egg McMuffin and Egg White De-light. Since 2011, McDonald’s USA has been purchasing more than 13 million cage-free eggs annually.

“Animal welfare has always been important to us and our customers,” added Gross. “Today’s announcement is another big milestone building on our work with industry experts and suppliers to improve the treatment of animals.”

Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch, a family-owned and operated farm in Michigan, has worked with McDonald’s for de-cades to supply nutritious eggs. “Cage-free systems play an important role in our work to keep hens healthy and meet the growing consumer demand for responsibly-sourced food,” said Greg Herbruck, executive vice president of Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch. “We wel-come McDonald’s actions to continue these efforts and are pleased to join them in sourcing cage-free eggs across their supply chain. We continue em-bracing new technologies and strategies to ensure our hens are well-cared for.”

In 2000, McDonald’s USA was the first food service company to adopt a standard for hen housing systems, which provided more space per bird than the industry standard. In 2010, the company initiated research with the Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Sup-ply to better understand the impact of

various hen housing systems on animal health and welfare, the environment, worker health, food safety and food affordability.

This research provided important insights into the trade-offs of various housing systems for the company to make informed sourcing decisions.

Today’s news follows other actions announced this year by McDonald’s USA to source only chicken raised without antibiotics important to human medicine by 2017 and to offer milk jugs of low-fat white milk and fat-free chocolate milk from cows that have not been treated with rbST, an artificial growth hormone.

In addition, McDonald’s USA in-troduced the Artisan Grilled Chicken patty, seasoned with simple, everyday ingredients and introduced a new con-temporary salad blend of romaine, baby spinach and baby kale.

McDonald’s is also moving from liquid margarine to real butter on Eng-lish muffins, biscuits and bagels on the breakfast menu and has introduced a new Buttermilk Crispy Chicken, which uses real buttermilk in the breading. McDonald’s Canada introduced a salad leaf blend, including baby kale, in its three chef-inspired contemporary salads in May 2015.

About McDonald’s USAMcDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a va-

riety of menu options made with quality ingredients to more than 25 million customers every day. Nearly 90 percent of McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women.

Customers can now log online for free at approximately 11,500 participat-ing Wi-Fi enabled McDonald’s U.S. restaurants. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook www.facebook.com/mcdonalds.

About McDonald’s CanadaMcDonald’s is the leading foodser-

vice company in the world. McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited and its Canadian franchisees own and operate more than 1,400 restaurants with more than 85,000 employees from coast-to-coast. Approximately 80 per cent of McDonald’s Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. For more information about McDonald’s Canada, visit www.mcdonalds.ca or follow us on Twitter (@McD_Canada), Facebook (Facebook.com/McDonaldscanada) and Instagram (Instagram.com/mcdonald-scanada) for updates on our business, promotions and menu items.

McDonald’s to fully transition to cage-free eggs for all restaurants in the U.S. and CanadaMcDonald’s USA and Canada to source 100 percent cage-free eggs within 10 years

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are feeling very vulnerable because of the financial situation that they’re in. They could be facing a financial crisis for the first time in their lives and they don’t know what to do.

If you are facing serious debt problems, a foreclosure, a lawsuit, judgment or a pending wage garnishment, it’s not the end of the world and chances are that you have options that you didn’t even know existed. It may be possible to settle your debts out

of court or as a last resort, file bankruptcy to either wipe out or reorganize your debts.

Recently, a couple came to my office for debt help. They’ve just been assessed huge taxes by the IRS and they had to enter into a payment plan for that reason. But they were already behind on their mortgage payments, not to mention the credit card debts that were piling up. One car just broke down and needed replacement. Over the last few years, they’ve been borrowing

money from all sources just to keep their heads above water, including their 401K plans. The 401K loan payment deductions from their paycheck are not helping. If you were in this situation, what would you do? The tremendous debt burden has put a strain on their marriage and has caused a lot of grief at home.

I helped this couple reorganize their debts under Chapter 13. We came up with a payment plan that combined all their debts into one low payment every month- a payment that they could afford. This has allowed them to sleep better at night know-ing that they are paying their creditors the best they can. More importantly, they now

have peace of mind knowing that they will not lose their home and everything they’ve worked so hard for.

If you need help figuring out your op-tions, I’d like to help you. Call us for a free consultation at Toll-Free 1-866-477-7772. We have offices in Los Angeles, Cerritos, Pasadena & Valencia.

(None of the information herein is in-tended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has success-fully helped more than 5,000 clients in finding solutions to their debt problems. To schedule a free attorney consultation, please call Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866-477-7772).

The ‘Secret’ fear that comes with being in debtI know we’ve never met. But there’s a common fear every-

one shares when they’re in drowning in debt. As a debt relief attorney, I hear it from people who consult with me every day. It is this: The possibility of losing what they’ve worked hard for all their lives…their homes, their savings, their retirement money, their business, etc. Why is this fear so common?

Personally, I think the fear comes from a feeling of losing control. As a debt relief attorney, I deal with a lot of clients who

MANILA, Sept 17 (Mabuhay) – Vice President Jejomar Binay admitted that he felt a little disrespected with the way some students asked questions during the Forum on Governance, Transparency and Social Transformation in University of the Philip-pines in Los Baños Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters at the Mining Philippines 2015 International Conference and Exhibition at the Solaire Resort and Casino in Parañaque City, Binay admit-ted that he found some of the questions disrespectful. “Ah iyong isa lang naman iyon, iyong parang sabi, hindi ka naman nagsasabi ng totoo eh, taga-Mandaluyong ka naman, iyong kanyang charges hindi naman totoo ‘yon. Pero that’s part of it,” he explained. During the forum, a student asked the vice-president why there were still a lot of informal settlers in Makati despite his claim that the city had solved the informal settler problem under his leadership. “Bakit po sa Makati marami pa ring informal settlers?” the student asked.

Instead of answering the question, the vice-president asked: “Sa Makati? Excuse me, taga-saan ka ba?” When the student

said he was from Mandaluyong, Binay said: “Yun.” He then challenged the stu-dent: “Ituro mo sa akin nasaan ang informal settler.” The student then replied: “Hanapin n‘yo na lang po, sir. ‘Di niyo pa po siguro nakikita.” The response drew loud cheers from the audience of mostly UPLB stu-dents, many of whom had chanted “trapo” at the start of Binay’s speech.

The vice-president then admitted only three to five percent of Makati residents are informal settlers. “Alam mo, partner, kami siguro mga 3 o 5 percent na lang ang in-formal settlers sa Makati, ha,” Binay said. “Eh di meron pa rin po. Sabi niyo po wala eh,” the student said, eliciting more cheers.

Binay then replied: “Siguro yung 3 percent pwede mo na sabihin wala.”

Meanwhile, the vice president said he enjoyed the experience and that he was glad to be back to UP.

“Hindi, nag enjoy ako noon. Back to the good old days, biruin mo nakita ko na naman talagang ‘yon parin ang UP (Uni-versity of the Philippines) kasi kung hindi nangyari ‘yon hindi UP ‘yong pinuntahan ko.”

VP Binay felt disrespected at UPLB forum

13Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

couple continues to live together due to economic reasons like roommates. Is a couple living “sepa-rate and apart” under family code 771(a) when they continue to live together in the same home even though they no longer live their lives like married couple?

The California Supreme Court, in a recent case In re Marriage of Davis, 61 Cal 4th 4th 846 (2015), held that the phrase “living separate and apart” in the California family code refers to a situation in which spouses are living in separate residences and at least one of them has the subjective intent to end the marital relationship, abrogating In re Marriage of Johnson, 134 Cal. App.3d. 148. Prior to this decision,

” occurs only when the parties have come to a parting of the ways with no present intent to resume their marriage and their con-duct evidences a complete and final break in the marital relationship. The Court would consider all of the relevant evidence regarding whether the parties’ conduct evidences a complete and final break in the marital relationship. Living in separate residences, although a factor to be considered, was not required for a separation.

In re Marriage of Davis involved husband and wife married in 1993. The couple had 2 children. Couple stopped having sexual relationship in 1999. Wife moved to another bedroom in the house either in 2001 or 2004. Husband and wife attended children’s activities but used separate cars. On June 1, 2006 wife announced she was “through” with the marriage. Wife believed couple were acting simply as roommates after

2006. Wife increased her earnings after this date while husband left his job. Parties continued to live in the marital home and went on vacation together. Wife filed for divorce in 2008. Wife moves out of the marital residence on July1, 2011. Wife alleges date of separation of June 1, 2006. Husband alleges a date of separation of July 1, 2011. The trial court and the court of appeal found June1, 2006 as the date of separation. The California Supreme Court reversed the decision holding that living in separate residences “is an indispensable threshold requirement for a finding that spouses are “living separate and apart” for purposes of section 771(a). The interpretation aligns with the common understanding of the words, the statutory history of the provision, and legitimate public policy concerns.

The In re Marriage of Davis decision now requires the parties to be living in separate resi-dences as a prerequisite to a separation. In IRMO Davis, the California Supreme Court looked into the plain meaning of the statute, the legislative intent and history of the statute, and the case law in interpreting the term “separate and apart.” The California Supreme Court looked into the word-ing and legislative intent of family code 771(a) by tracing it back to a 145 year old predecessor statute enacted in 1870 “ An Act to Protect the Rights of Married Women in Certain Cases.” Sec-tion 4 of the 1870 act provided a procedure for a wife who was “living separate and apart” from her husband to sell her real property without joining with her husband by stating in a declaration ”her own place of residence that is “separate and apart

from her husband” which strongly suggests that the statute was directed at a situation where the spouses had physically separated and the wife in fact had her own residence.

The Supreme Court also relied on the hold-ing in the Norviel case which held that living apart physically is an indispensable threshold requirement to separation, whether or not it is sufficient, by itself to establish separation. The date of separation is one of the most litigated issues in a divorce case since it directly affects the characterization and division of community property. This case changes that analysis and may create problems in its practical application to the realities of contemporary families.

Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed.

The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC This article is not a solicitation.

Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immi-gration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and Cali-fornia State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. Law Offices of Kenneth Reyes, APLC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com.

Do you need to be living in separate residences to be considered ‘separated’ from your Spouse under the California family law?

Family Code 760 provides that all property acquired by the spouse during the marriage is community property. That means each spouse has a half interest on any assets that are acquired during the marriage, with certain exceptions, since it is generally characterized as commu-nity property. On the same token, Family Code 771(a) provides that earnings and accumulations of a spouse while living “separate and apart” from the other spouse, are the separate property of the spouse. How about the situation where the

14 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

OPINIONMANILA, Sept 17 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III on

Thursday said there is no doubt that the Philippine National Police - Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) killed Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan in the January 25 operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

Speaking before reporters, Aquino presented photos showing a SAF trooper cutting a finger from Marwan’s left hand inside his hut.

The photos prove that it was the SAF who killed Marwan, Aquino said.

“Maliwanag naman po sa presentasyon natin ngayon na SAF ang nandoon. Imposibleng pagdudahan pa na SAF ang kumuha ng daliri ni Marwan,” he said.

The President branded as “baseless” the “alternative version” that the Malaysian terrorist was killed by other people and that his finger was only given to the SAF.

“Ibig sabihin din po lahat ng iba pang salaysay ukol sa sinasabing alternatibong naratibo ay wala nang basehan at wala na ring saysay,” he said.

Aquino also said that 90 individuals will face the judicial process to be held accountable for the SAF members killed in the encounter with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters during the operation.

Former Special Action Force (SAF) chief Getulio Napeñas appealed to President Benigno Aquino III to believe his own men after Aquino hinted that he is looking into an “alternative version” of events sur-rounding the Mamsapano incident.

“Sana paniwalaan nila ang mga tauhan nila. Tauhan kami na nag-seserbisyo sa gobyerno,” Napeñas said.

“I cannot comprehend what is the meaning of alternative version. There is only one single truth. If there is an alternative version, they should just come up with the pieces of evidence.”

Napeñas has been blamed by the President for the aftermath of the Mamasapano mission last January 25, which saw 44 SAF troopers killed in action.

The President has said Napenas did not follow orders to coordinate with the military before launching the mission to neutralize Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan.

Aquino earlier said he is looking at an “alternative version” of the events, triggering talk that he is entertaining the claim of the Moro Islamic Libertion Front (MILF) that it was actually Marwan’s aides who killed him.

“Sana yung katotohanan - nandyan at na prove na ng mga inves-tigating bodies na ang SAF ang naka-take out. To say these things na nadidiscredit ang SAF it is simply discrediting ang PNP,” Napeñas said.

An MILF report on the Mamasapano clash earlier said the SAF troopers could not have killed Marwan, citing the bullet holes in the terrorist’s hut.

The group said Marwan may have already been dead when the SAF troopers strafed at his hut.

A picture published by the Inquirer, which the President said has raised some questions surrounding Marwan’s death, shows the Malaysian terrorist with a bullet on his chest and his head lying in a pool of blood. The MILF said this suggests that the terrorist was shot while lying down.

MANILA, Sept 16 (Mabuhay) – Saying the “Daang Matuwid” motto may already be worn-out, Senator Sergio Osmeña III advised former Interior Secretary and 2016 Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas to go beyond the motherhood statement of the present administration.

In an interview, Osmeña – who was one of the campaign managers for President Benigno Aquino III in 2010 – said Roxas “has to have his own mes-sage,” and a definite one, too.

“’Yung tuwid na daan, it’s an overused phrase, sanay na ‘yung tao, jaded na. They should come up with something new,” he said.

He added: “Decide on your message from the very beginning and stick with it.”

Osmeña pointed out that this had posed – and could once again be – a problem for Roxas, who he said had changed his message several times during the 2010 vice presidential race: from “Mr. Palengke” to “Mr. Padyak” to “Ramdam ko kayo.”

“It’s not too late to change your message, but when you change your message, you fragment your image,” Osmeña said.

Osmeña also agreed that whatever Aquino says may affect Roxas’ presidential bid.

“Makakaapekto talaga kung ano ‘yung sasabihin ng Pangulo sa kaniyang kandidato,” he said.

He added that if the President does not give his anointed candidate “more independence [and] elbow room,” “Whatever is negative to PNoy will be negative for Mar.”

Further, “Sinasabi ni PNoy, you have to take the good with the bad. [Pero dapat], ‘Teka lang, let me avoid as much of the bad because I’m not respon-sible for that.’” Osmeña, however, pointed out that the 2016 presidential race may still be anybody’s game, adding that it “looks like a three-cornered race” between Roxas, Vice President Jejomar Binay, and Senator Grace Poe.

He said nothing is certain at this point, as shown by what happened to Roxas in 2010, where he even-tually lost to Binay after an early lead in surveys.

“Anybody can win depending on how well or how badly they manage their own campaigns. Maraming mangyayari diyan. Anything can hap-pen,” he said. (MNS)

MANILA, Sept 16 (Mabuhay) – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is verifying reports that China is building a third airstrip over contested ter-ritory in the South China Sea.

The DFA is verifying information from US think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies that China is set to build a 3,000-meter airstrip at the Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, which is among the disputed areas.

The structure is big enough to accommodate most of China’s military aircraft, the US think tank said, adding that it is similar to structures China has been constructing in other contested territories Kagitin-gan (Fiery Cross) Reef and at Zamora (Subi) Reef.

A Reuters report quoted Greg Poling, CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative director, as saying that the work at Panganiban Reef “more likely than not indicates preparations for a runway” there.

For his part, however, Armed Forces Western Command chief Vice Admiral Alexander Lopez said it is unlikely that China might be building a third airstrip as the reef’s shape is “irregular” and slightly “oblongated.”

The Western Mindanao Command said they continue to monitor reclamation activities in the three reefs.

China’s dredging equipment is also there in the area, it said. (MNS)

MANILA, Sept 16 (Mabuhay) -– Former Special Action Force (SAF) chief Getulio Napeñas appealed to President Benigno Aquino III to believe his own men after Aquino hinted that he is looking into an ‘’alternative version’’ of events surrounding the Mamsapano incident.

‘’Sana paniwalaan nila ang mga tauhan nila. Tauhan kami na nag-seserbisyo sa gobyerno,’’ Napeñas said.

‘’I cannot comprehend what is the meaning of alternative version. There is only one single truth. If there is an alternative version, they should just come up with the pieces of evidence.”

Napeñas has been blamed by the President for the aftermath of the Mamasapano mission last January 25, which saw 44 SAF troopers killed in action.

The President has said Napenas did not follow orders to coordinate with the military before launch-ing the mission to neutralize Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan.

Aquino earlier said he is looking at an ‘’alterna-tive version’’ of the events, triggering talk that he is entertaining the claim of the Moro Islamic Libertion Front (MILF) that it was actually Marwan’s aides who killed him.

‘’Sana yung katotohanan - nandyan at na prove na ng mga investigating bodies na ang SAF ang naka-take out. To say these things na nadidiscredit ang SAF it is simply discrediting ang PNP,’’ Napeñas said.

An MILF report on the Mamasapano clash earlier said the SAF troopers could not have killed Marwan, citing the bullet holes in the terrorist’s hut.

The group said Marwan may have already been dead when the SAF troopers strafed at his hut.

A picture published by the Inquirer, which the President said has raised some questions surround-ing Marwan’s death, shows the Malaysian terrorist with a bullet on his chest and his head lying in a pool of blood. The MILF said this suggests that the terrorist was shot while lying down.

Two Marwan AidesInquirer sources from the military and the MILF,

meanwhile, said the two aides were a certain Datu-can Singgagao and Candao Langalan.

Napeñas said if the two aides indeed killed Mar-wan, they should have been able to get the terrorist’s remains. He said it is well known that it was SAF troopers who were able to get Marwan’s thumb, which was later flown to the United States for a DNA test. The DNA test was able to prove that the slain man was indeed Marwan.

‘’The aide could have taken an evidence na siya ang pumatay. They could have easily claimed it, even the reward,’’ Napeñas said.

The former SAF chief admitted Marwan had guards prior to the SAF attack. He said no one was found inside the hut aside from the Malaysian ter-rorist when the SAF arrived.

‘’Ang meron doon definitely yung security niya at based sa pictures sa hut, merong sleeping hammock na nakalagay doon sa lugar. Meron kas-ing parang receiving area ang hut na iyon bago ka papasok sa kwarto ni Marwan,’’ he said.

Amid allegations that US troops were involved in the actual firefight, Napeñas again insisted that the police operation was purely Filipino. He said the only involvement of the Americans was to give intelligence information and guidance.

‘’Fortunately the US government denied na may US servicemen.

Dinedeny ko rin, even nung inquiry ng nauna, (sinabi ko na) walang foreigner or Americans na combat troops na sumama on the ground,’’ he said.

A report earlier said that a video surfaced show-ing a supposed Caucasian looking man who died during the Mamasapano clash.

The justice department said the authenticity of the video still has to be verified.

Napeñas castigated the MILF for coming up with findings based on conjecture and not by a thorough investigation.

Aquino: No doubt SAF killed Marwan

Mar Roxas must go beyond ‘Daang Matuwid’ motto for 2016: Osmeña

China building third airstrip in disputed territory?

Napenas to PNoy: Believe your own men

15Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

Patricia Javier will be staying in the country for good.

Javier, who starred in the sexy movies “Ang Kabit ni Mrs. Montero” and “Gamitan” in the 1990s, moved to the United States in 2007 to start a family with husband, chiropractor Dr. Rob Walcher. They now have two children.

Last year, Javier returned to the Philippines to restart her showbiz career.

Javier admitted that her newest project, ABS-CBN’s “Doble Kara” with Julia Montes in the title role, is the reason she decided to stay in the country.

“Gusto ko lang i-take ‘yung opportunity na ito

na magpasalamat sa Dreamscape at ABS-CBN kasi kung hindi dahil sa inyo ay hindi kami magi-stay pa ng matagal sa Philippines,” Javier said during the press conference for the afternoon soap.

“Dahil sa project na ito, we are gonna be here for good.”

In “Doble Kara,” Javier will play the mother of Edgar Allan Guzman, one of the leading men of Montes.

“Medyo mabait pero controlling sa anak ko at gusto ko ang maging partner ay deserving sa anak ko, kasi siya lang ‘yung nag-iisa kong anak,” Javier said of her character. (MNS)

Ex-sexy star Patricia Javier to stay in PHL for goodENTERTAINMENT

Patricia Javier

Very,very soon ay ilo-launch na ang isang talent agency na based dito sa Los Angeles, California at naglalayong maka-discover ng mga Pinoy-American na may potential na sumikat sa Philippine-showbiz.

Ayon sa dating talent manager na si Al-lie H. Piquero na ngayon ay based na rito saL.A., nanghihinayang siya sa showbiz connections niya sa Philippines, kaya naisipan nila ng mga kaibigang sina Atty. Ramonchito Poblete Ocampo at ng tinagu-riang singing dentist na si Dr. Ner Azaula.“Marami rin kasi akong mga nakikilal-ang mga Pinoy-American na very tal-ented at puwedeng-puwedeng maging big stars sa atin, kaya naisipan ko nga na itayo itong talent agency na based dito sa L.A. at magsu-supply ng talents sa atin sa Philippines,” pahayag ni Allie.Noong nasa Philippines pa, hindi lang naman mga artista ang mga tinulungan ni Allie dahil marami rin siyang beauty queens at models na napasikat, kaya hindi lang daw mga puwedeng mag-artista’t maging singers ang hinahanap nila.“Puwede rin ‘yung mga gustong maging

ABS-CBN, TFC hold Europe’s biggest Filipino event with world-class Filipino and internationalBritish acts

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM September 15, 2015 – British music jour-nalist Kate Mossman in her acclaimed BBC rockumentary, “Stadium Rock at 50” men-tioned that “big concerts should be emo-tional, almost spiritual events which lift you beyond normal life for a few hours.” But for the 10,000 mostly Filipinos who saw the Philippines’ longest-running variety show, ASAP 20 Live in London, last September 6 at The SSE Arena Wembley, a venue that has played host to the world’s biggest acts - the likes of The Beatles, Rolling Stones, U2, Barbra Streisand, David Bowie, ABBA, The Cure, Madonna, Britney Spears and Beyonce - the experience was much more profound than fleeting escapism. Consider this stirring and heartfelt thank you message to TFC from First Sec-retary and Consul Voltaire Mauricio of the Philippine Embassy in London: ”It was my first time to watch a variety show live. It was my first time to see ASAP. It was my first time to set foot at Wembley. It was my first time to sit at the very front row of a big concert. It was my first time in the longest time to enjoy fully great performances from great artists up close. It was my first time to see my daughter truly enjoy and lighten up here

‘ASAP 20 Live in London’ draws 10,000 to The SSE Wembley Arena, inspires huge Filipino community in Europe

in London. Again, thank you very much.” People say that the event was historic, and indeed it was, being the very first Filipino event to be held at The SSE Wembley Arena, among other firsts. But more importantly, to thousands of Filipinos not only in United Kingdom but throughout Europe, ASAP 20 Live in London was he-roic: the effort on the part of ABS-CBN and The Filipino Channel (TFC) to mount it was monumental, but the audience re-sponse was epic as the more than 3-hour concert penetrated deep emotional spaces that unleashed unbridled joy, nostalgia, and national pride.”

Fil-Am talent agency para sa PHL showbiz

ASAP artists performimg in London.

beauty queens o models,” dagdag pa ni Allie.Sa tulong daw ng kanyang business part-ners na sina Atty. Ocampo at Dr. Azaula, inaasahan ni Allie na magiging very ex-citing ang talent agency na itinayo nila.“As of now, inaayos na namin ang lahat-lahat at very, very soon ay magkakaroon kami ng event to announce itong talent agency namin.

As of now, surprise muna ang panga-lan, pero sa mga interesado, puwede nila akong i-email ng profile nila sa alejandra.piquero@att.net at kung sa tingin namin, eh, pupuwede naman silang mag-artista, maging beauty queen o model, tatawagan namin sila for audition,” pahayag pa ni Allie.

Sa nalalapit nilang event para formal na i-announce ang kanilang bagong tal-ent agency na itinatag ay inaasahan ni Allie na makakarating dito sa L.A. ang isang top Philippine-showbiz producer na siyang magiging partner nila sa Pilipinas.“Exci ted na ako sa bagong ta l -e n t a g e n c y n a m i n d a h i l m a r a -mi na nga kaming kausap sa atinsa Philippines,” pagtatapos ni Allie.

16 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

Matteo Guidicelli was a no-show at the 9th Star Magic Ball held at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel because he was in Cebu to mourn the loss of his grandfather.

Guidicelli’s girlfriend, singer-actress Sarah Geronimo, was also in Cebu to comfort him.

A photo of the couple was uploaded on Instagram by celebrity doctor Vicky Belo.

In the caption, Belo wrote: “@justsar-ahg flew to #cebu to comfort @mateogu-

idicelli on the passing away of his beloved Lolo Nono. I know how much comfort this must have brought to Matteo because he’s super close to his lolo.”

Other photos of the two circulated online, which were supposedly taken on Saturday morning during the funeral of Guidicelli’s grandfather.

Wearing white, Guidicelli and Geroni-mo can be seen beside each other with the rest of the actor’s relatives. (MNS)

Teen actress Sofia Andres posted a heartfelt message for “The Voice Kids” season one finalist Juan Karlos Labajo, who recently graduated from elementary school.

On Tuesday, the 14-year-old Labajo shared on his Instagram account that he graduated from ETON International School.

Andres, who Labajo admitted to having a “childhood crush” on, wrote on her own Instagram page: This is your year! you are awesome! may your graduation be the beginning of a future filled with success and happiness!”

“Congratulations! I’m always here to support you Karlos. Just follow your dreams and I know it will come true coz you are very talented, sweet, humble and cute baby boy of mine.”

“Keep your feet on the ground. You’ve come a long way,” she told Labajo, who is part of the cast of the remake of the prime time series, “Pangako Sa ‘Yo.” (MNS)

Showbiz newcomer Sarah Carlos recalled her audition for the role of Bea Bianca in the remake of the hit prime time series, “Pangako Sa ‘Yo,” where she was pitted against hundreds of other girls.

The former theater actress and San Beda student admitted that she came to the auditions relatively unprepared as she only learned about it the night before.

Carlos also said that she did not rehearse any lines, but revealed that she was a fan of the series that starred Jericho Rosales and Kristine Hermosa back in 2000.

“I went there with nothing but my bio data and photos,” she said. “Hindi na ako naghanda kasi hindi ko rin naman po alam ‘yung paghahandaan ko, hindi ko rin alam ‘yung mga sasabihin ko.”

She eventually bagged the role, which she said was due to her confidence and “go-getter” attitude.

Carlos opted to stop her college studies for a while to focus on carving out “the best kontrabida role ever.”

“Once in a lifetime opportunity po ito eh. Getting this role is like having one foot at the door. Kung magampanan ko po ng mabuti itong role na ito, tutuloy na po ang lahat. Ito rin po talaga ‘yung pangarap ko,” she said.

Asked on how she deals with bashers that come with working with Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo, two of of the most popular young artists today, Carlos said: “Instead of focusing on what I can’t do, I just focus on what I can improve on.”

“Kasi kahit bida ka or kontrabida ka, magkakaroon ka naman talaga ng bashers. So there’s really no point on dwelling on it,” she added.

‘Pangako Sa ‘Yo’ airs weeknights after “Nathaniel” on ABS-CBN. (MNS)

So a Andres to JK: ‘I’m always here to support you’

So a Andres

Why Matteo, Sarah didn’t attend Star Magic BallSarah Geronimo and Matteo Guidiccelli

How Sarah Carlos beat out 200 other girls for Bea Bianca role

Sarah Carlos

17Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

HEALTH & BEAUTY

techniques on engaging millennials start saving for their retirement, the health-care landscape permanently reshaped by Obamacare, the 10,000 “baby-boomers” phenomenon ageing-in to Medicare daily, and a host of others. The 3-day event was made very exciting by the presence of industry giants like Tom Hegna, Van Muel-ler, and Joseph Jordan sharing their ideas.

Here are a few thoughts on retirement for your consideration: (from Tom Hegna)

Have a plan. ( A 2009 Hartford Survey showed that 39% don’t want to spend more

time on financial planning; but, people who plan out their finances have a better outlook on their retirement future).

Maximize your Social Security Ben-efits.

Consider a Hybrid Retirement. Retire while working part-time.

Protect your savings from Inflation. There are various ways to do this.

Secure more guaranteed Income. (So-cial Security, Pensions, and Annuities)

Plan for Long Term Medical Cost. (Long-Term Care). People today live

Postscripts to retirementI invest on education. I keep myself updated on current

developments to be able to better serve my public.In July, I attended the annual “Advisors’ Summit” held at the

Venetian in Las Vegas, Nevada. Attendees came all the way from as far as Florida and Ha-waii. Topics discussed ranged from the disruptive role of tech-nology in today’s markets, the emergence of robo-advisors,

longer than before. This is called the lon-gevity risk.

Use Home Equity Wisely. There are 3 ways to access equity in your home: Sell the home and downsize, take a loan against the equity, or reverse mortgage.

(from Van Mueller) He asked:Do you think your Social Security pen-

sion alone can carry you thru retirement?With the government saddled in debts,

do you think taxes will increase or decrease in the future?

How will you deal with inflation?The elderly today are more afraid of los-

ing money in retirement than dying. With the cost of medical care increasing, with a higher life expectancy, with inflation loom-ing everytime, people are endangered of outliving their savings. Fortunately, there

are systems in place that will allow them not to lose money in retirement.

If you need help, call me at 323-535-7373 or e-mail at: leo.balita@gmail.com.

I came across these questions some-where: “When was the best time to plan for your retirement? 20 or 40 years ago. When is the second best time to plan? NOW.”

About the author: Leo Monsalud hails from Sta. Cruz,

Zambales. He studied for his MBA and Law at the University of the Philippines. He worked for United Laboratories, Inc. where his last position held was vice-president assigned as general manager of a division. He helps seniors improve their lives. He holds CA license #0G55218 as well as a Non-Resident license for Nevada #837521.

Wednesday September 16 2015 (Re-laxnews) – Partners in a close relationship share heavy emotional loads and doing so can lead to better stress management, according to a recent study coming out of Queen’s University in Canada.

“We wanted to test a new evolutionary theory in psychology called Social Base-line Theory which suggests that humans adapted to be close to other humans,” says lead author Jessica Lougheed. “The idea is that individuals function at a relative deficit when they are farther away from people they trust.”

Lougheed and her team talked with a participant group of 66 adolescent girls and their mothers and asked everyone to rate the quality of their relationship.

Next they measured the stress levels of the 66 girls while they performed a spon-taneous speech task using technology that tracked skin perspiration.

The research team instructed the moth-ers to either hold or not hold their daugh-ters’ hand in order to gauge the effect of physical closeness during a stressful ordeal. Physical closeness, it turned out, allowed the young girls to manage their stress better, regardless of how close they were emotionally to their mothers.

Yet when the research team disallowed physical contact, only participants who had reported having a high relationship qual-

ity were able to effectively manage their stress, according to the study.

“Our results suggest that we are better equipped to overcome challenging situa-tions when we are closer – either physically or in terms of how we feel in our relation-ships – to people we trust,” says Lougheed.

Girls who reported low levels of close-ness in their relationships with their moth-ers experienced the greatest difficulties managing their stress, especially when physical contact was lacking.

Lougheed’s study suggests that physical contact could be a useful tool in overcom-ing the difficulties that go hand-in-hand with a relationship of a less-than-desirable quality, and that a high-quality relation-ship is as useful for managing stress as the physical comfort of a loved one.

The author admits, however, that her sample demonstrated high relationship qualities on an overall basis and that physi-cal contact could have a different effect in distressed families.

In addition, Lougheed cautions against applying the results to other relationships, such as romantic partners or platonic friends, suggesting more research to that effect is necessary, certainly if it factors in socioeconomic status and gender differ-ences, as a starting point.

The study was published in the jour-nal Emotion.

Close relationships can help ease life’s stresses: study

Wednesday September 16 2015 (Miami-AFP) – Drinking coffee before bedtime disrupts the body’s internal clock, making it harder to get to sleep on time and more challenging to wake up in the morning, US researchers said Wednesday.

The findings in the journal Science Translational Medicine not only explain why evening caffeine-drinkers may stay up – and wake up – late, but could also offer travelers a way to time their caffeine use in order to limit the effects of jet lag, researchers said. The study involved five volunteers who were randomly assigned to consume as much caffeine as contained in a double espresso three hours before bed, or who were exposed to bright lights, or were given a placebo.

Over the course of 49 days, the volunteers were studied under various conditions, and their saliva was regularly tested for levels of the hormone melatonin, which naturally regulates sleep and waking cycles.

They found that those who took caffeine in low-light conditions experienced about a “40-minute phase delay of the circadian melatonin rhythm,” said the study.

Those who were exposed to bright overhead lights three hours before bed saw their circadian clocks bumped back by 85 minutes.

Those who took both the caffeine and sat under bright lights were disrupted by 105 minutes.

“This is the first study to show that caffeine, the mostly widely used psychoactive drug in the world, has an influence on the human circadian clock,” said professor Kenneth Wright of the University of Colorado, Boulder.

“It also provides new and exciting insights into the effects of caffeine on human physiology.”

Coffee at night disrupts body’s internal clock: study

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COMMUNITYLos Angeles, CA - With a final vote

of 3-2, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020 tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for thousands of workers in unincorporated L.A. County.

Members of the Raise the Wage coali-tion, which led the effort in raising the wage for the City of Los Angeles, praised the L.A. County Board of Supervisors for approving the $15 minimum wage. Raise the Wage looks forward to working with the Board of Supervisors to create a

process for wage enforcement and more paid sick days.

“I have struggled to make ends meet my entire life, and now I will be able to provide for my family and ensure my children have a chance at a college education,” said Adan Martinez, father and Certified Nursing Assistant in East Los Angeles.

“I have never received pay for a full day’s work, nor an opportunity to take paid sick days to avoid getting my co-workers sick. I’ve always been unsure on how to make my employer account-

able for their actions, but with wage enforcement and more paid sick days I would finally be able to get the wage and benefits I have always deserved.” said Maria Garcia, a homecare worker in Canyon Country.

Los Angeles County Federation of La-bor Executive Secretary-Treasurer Rusty Hicks and President of SEIU Local 2015 and SEIU California Laphonza Butler, both co-conveners of the Raise the Wage campaign said, “Our campaign started in the City of LA., and now thousands of low-wage workers who make L.A.

County a vibrant place to live and work will also get a chance at a decent living wage for them and their families. We look forward to working with the Board of Supervisors to create a comprehensive approach to protect these workers from wage theft and a path to more paid sick days.”

Raise the Wage is a coalition of busi-ness, labor and community leaders work-ing to raise the minimum wage to $15, with enforcement provisions and paid sick days, to bring thousands of workers out of poverty.

LA County Supervisors approve $15 minimum wage by 2020

Influenced by tropical sounds and warm California vibes, the Quitapenas takes centerstage as the City of Carson presents the 2nd Annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration.

The festivities will take place on Saturday, September 19th from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. at Carson Park located at 21411 S. Orrick Avenue in Carson. The event is open to the public and admission is free.

The performers featured in this year’s program include the Tlanextli Tlacotan Aztec Dancers, Grupo Folklorico Faisan, Pasion Latina, Alma Latina de Lynwood, Alma De Oro, and Carson’s very own Mariachi Academy. Comedian Ralph Figueroa will be emcee for the event.

National Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes the contributions of Hispanic and Latino-Americans in the United States and celebrates the group’s heritage and culture.

“Hispanic Heritage Month allows us as a city to celebrate the rich culture of a prominent segment of the American population. During the month of September, we celebrate the diversity that truly makes our city unique and recognize the con-tributions of Hispanics to our country through music and festivities,” said Carson’s Mayor Albert Robles.

For more information, please call Recreation and Human Services at (310) 847-3570 or call Carson Park at (310) 830-4925.

Carson celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with music and festivity

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The Main Event Press Conference at Max’s Glendale shows Balita Media staff with the famous artists. Standing from left: Benny Uy, Gary Escarilla, Myrna Aquitania, Edith and Ray Andres with artists (seated) Joseph Gelito, Julius Obregon, Nonoy Zuñiga and Tanya Varona.

23Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

FOOD & DININGBarley is an excellent addition to any

diet. It packs four times as much fiber as brown rice*, and its high fiber content is beneficial to one’s overall health. Haku-baku’s Mochi Mugi, the number one barley brand in Japan**, is easy to prepare and provides a nutritious boost when included as part of a regular diet. Mochi Mugi bar-ley pairs well with many kinds of food, and one easy way you can enjoy it us by simply adding it to rice before cooking. It is a wonderful complement to Wagyu beef, as you will see in the recipe provided. Try a Wagyu beef steak bowl with delicious barley rice tonight!

Ingredients (serves 4)3 cups rice1 packet Hakubaku Mochi Mugi4 servings wagyu beef for steak (each

serving about 8oz)1 garlic cloveJapanese daikon radish1 pk shiso leaf

Green onion for garnish (optional)RecipeRice:1. Before setting rice to cook, add one

packet of Mochi Mugi and an additional ½ cup of water. Set rice aside to cook and prepare additional ingredients.

*Note: No need to wash or rinse Haku-baku Mochi Mugi. Be sure to add an ad-ditional ½ cup of water for every packet of Mochi Mugi used.

Beef Bowl:1. Slice garlic thin and brown in pan

with a little oil.2. Lightly season steak and add to pan,

searing it on both sides. Once it finishes cooking, remove and slice into strips to place over rice.

3. Grate Japanese daikon radish and mix in a little ponzu sauce to make a Japanese style horseradish.

4. Cut shiso leaves and green onion into thin slices.

5. Put desired amount of cooked Haku-baku rice onto bowl.

6. Top with a few strips of wagyu steak. Add a dollop of the daikon horseradish and

garnish with shiso leaf and green onion.* Source: Intage, Inc. - SRI Data 2015** Japanese Food Composition Data-

base 2010

Tuesday September 8 2015 (Manila-AFP) – If you are holidaying on a Mediter-ranean cruise ship, celebrating your win-nings at an Asian casino or dining with the president of the United States, the chances are a Filipino will be cooking your meal.

Since the 1970s, the Philippines has been known for its mass export of workers, particularly poorly paid maids and con-struction workers who choose an uncertain life abroad above deep poverty at home.

But in recent years there has been a trend towards higher-skilled and better-paying jobs, and cooking schools in the Philippines are now churning out tens of thousands of chefs a year for kitchens around the world.

“I’ve always been interested in cooking, especially baking, even as a kid,” former bank clerk Rochelle Evaristo told AFP as she took a break from making sandwiches alongside other aspiring cooks at a Manila school.

“I also want to work abroad. My cousin is in Canada and he said they need a lot of cooks.”

In her late 20s, she is among the oldest of the class of 39 mostly teenaged students at her government-run school in Manila.

More than 10 million people from the Philippines work overseas and maids, sailors and laborers are still the most com-mon jobs.

However cooks, bakers, and pastry chefs are becoming the most sought-after professions, with ships, hotels, restau-rants and casinos the main employers, the school’s deputy director for operations, Teodoro Pascua, told AFP.

Nearly 180,000 Filipinos went to work in ship galleys abroad between 2010-2014, including nearly 72,000 head chefs, with the rest made up of kitchen assistants, waiters and waitresses, according to labor department data.

Over the same period, about 65,000 Filipinos went to work in similar catering jobs in hotels and restaurants in foreign countries.

Filipinos are big assets in the global catering industry because of their English proficiency, the ease with which they adapt to the host countries, and a resilience that belies their easy-going nature, according to Pascua.

“These are soft skills that we have that make us a little more distinct than either our neighbors or other workers all over the world,” he said.

In this photo taken June 10, 2015, Rochelle Evaristo (le ) makes a sandwich at a school run by the government’s Technical Educa on and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in Manila. If you are holidaying on a Mediterranean cruise ship, celebra ng your winnings at an Asian casino or dining with the president of the United States, the chances are a Filipino will be cooking your meal. Since the 1970s, the Philippines has been known for its mass export of workers, par cularly poorly paid maids and construc on workers who choose an uncertain life abroad above deep poverty at home. ©AFP PHOTO / Jay Directo

Pascua also said a graduate of the entry-level six-month course at his school, supervised by the Philippines’ Technical Education and Skills Development Author-ity, would be able to master the basics in any kitchen.

“Your employers will know that you won’t drown in the kitchen. You won’t make a mess of anything,” he said.

There are about 2,500 cooking schools – mostly private but also government-run –in the Philippines, according to Pascua.

Remarkable trailblazers -The culinary trail was blazed by Pablo

Logro, a former dishwasher who rose to become the personal chef of the sultan of Oman. Logro got his start helping prepare soft buns for a Chinese restaurant in Ma-nila, which gave him a ringside view of its chef’s Asian cooking.

He then got a job as a chef’s assistant at a Manila hotel, where he befriended an Arab guest who offered him a sous chef job in Oman in the early 1980s.

It turned out to be at the Al Bustan Pal-ace, where guests of the sultan would stay.

In interviews with Philippine media,

Logro said during his decade-long career in Oman he regularly cooked lamb for the sultan and served visiting royalty and heads of state.

Returning to the Philippines, he became the first Filipino executive chef of a five-star hotel. He eventually left the job to open his own culinary school and establish himself as a celebrity chef with his own successful television cooking show.

A more recent success is Cristeta Com-erford, who began as assistant chef in Bill Clinton’s White House in 1995 after work-ing at five-star hotels in the United States.

She was then appointed executive chef in the presidential kitchen in 2005 by George W. Bush’s wife, Laura, a position she carried into the Barack Obama presi-dency. Visiting the Philippines last year, Obama highlighted her introduction to the presidential family of two of the better known Filipino dishes.

“Thanks to her, we in the White House enjoy the occasional lumpia and adobo,” he said in his toast at a state dinner, referring to fried spring rolls and meat marinated in salt, garlic and vinegar.

Cooking creating dreams Evaristo, the former bank clerk, has far

more modest ambitions, hoping to earn more money than her previous career that paid just 14,000 pesos ($300) a month.

After on-the-job training at a Philippine hotel or restaurant following her six-month schooling, she hopes to join a cousin in Canada who is the head chef at a Vancouver restaurant. “My cousin doubled his salary from his previous job here (as head chef of a Manila restaurant chain),” Evaristo said.

While kitchen salaries vary greatly, virtually all pay more than domestic work-ers earn. Maids are typically paid about $400 a month in Saudi Arabia and $530 in Hong Kong, two of the most common destinations.

Even an entry-level job as a chef’s as-sistant on a cruise ship pays about $900, according to industry publications.

But while earning more money is the main aim for most students, it also allows them to dare to dream of emulating the likes of Logro and Comerford, according to Imeldaughter Vera, one of the trainers at the Manila school.

Wagyu Beef Steak Bowl

Filipino cooks take over the world’s kitchens

Wagyu beef steak bowl.

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PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRITHoly Spirit Thou who make me see everything and show the way to reach my ideal, thou 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 dialogue, want to thank You for

from Thee no matter how great the material desires may be. I want to be with thee and my loved ones in Your perpetual glory. Amen. A person must pray this for 3 consecutive days without stating his wish. After the 3rd day, the wish will be granted no matter how

has been granted. - Mark R.

PRAYERS

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WEST LA ROOMAvail. now. Big room in a house, Filipina prefd. Semi furnished, close to bus stop, frwy, train station, mall, Fairfax & Wilshire Bl. $490/mo. free utils. Call Maria 323-549-0119 home or lv msg 323-481-4641.

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26 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

MOTORINGWoodcliff Lake, N.J. – The new BMW

3 Series is attracting buyers from all over the world, accounting for around 25 percent of total BMW worldwide vehicle sales with the BMW 3 Series Sedan and Sports Wagon representing the brand’s most successful model line with over 14 million sales globally.

For the 2016 model year, the new 3 Series receives a range of enhancements highlighting dynamics, supporting the vehicle’s true emotional commitment to the brand and its customers. The introduction of the BMW 340i, marks the world premier of an all new inline 6-cylinder gasoline engine, producing 320 hp with 330 lb-ft of torque. This new modular BMW EfficientDynamics engine features BMW TwinPower Turbo Technology, combining unbeatable per-formance with outstanding efficiency. The original sports sedan enhancedSince 1975 the BMW 3 Series has fur-nished regular evidence of its dynamic ability. Whether in comparison tests, on

the race track or in everyday use, it has traditionally set the benchmark in the sporting compact segment. Introduced to complement classical rear-wheel drive in the model line-up, BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive has also underlined this commitment. The new BMW 3 Series Se-dan and new BMW 3 Series Sports Wagon embody excellent efficiency in its class.

The cars’ dynamic talents are re-flected in their looks, which impress with their precision, tautness and elegance.The 3 Series – the heart of the BMW brandIn 1975 BMW opened the first chapter in a success story destined to endure for de-cades as the first generation of the BMW 3 Series rolled off the Milbertshofen as-sembly line on May 2, 1975.

Internally known by its development code E21, this first 3 Series arrived to North America in 1976 as a 1977 model, with the only available model being the 320i boasting a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder 110 hp engine.

Sales of the compact-size model reached almost 1.4 million units worldwide by 1983. Its successor, the E30, brought with it 4 and 6 cylinder gasoline engines as well as the introduction of a convertible as well as the four-door model in the US car manufacturers’ market.

All-wheel drive was also made avail-able in the US on the 325ix in 1988 and provided the second generation of the BMW 3 Series with the platform to expand its global potential between 1983 and 1993.

Next up was the E36, available in the US from 1991 – 1999. Its increased pro-portions allowed more passenger room while its perfect 50/50 weight distribution provided unrivaled vehicle handling.

A new 3.0 liter DOHC 24 valve 6-cylin-der engine with an aluminum head brought the output to 189 hp.

The E46 generation, available in the US from 1998 – 2006, managed to in-crease performance and its 2.8 liter inline 6-cylinder engine, featured at the time of launch, utilized an aluminum block pro-ducing 193 hp.

In 2000 the 3 Series expanded its line-up introducing coupes, convertibles and, for the first time in the US, Sports Wagons.

In 2006 the fifth-generation BMW 3 Series arrived in the shape of the E90, with efficiency and dynamics once again noticeably enhanced. Initially available in sedan and Sports Wagon form, the coupe and convertible followed shortly after.

It’s not a mystery that BMW dominates the luxury car industry. However, if you want to own one or test drive a BMW 3 Series, please call our kababayans Ed at 818-601-5667 (cell) and Ronald at 323-683-9351 (cell) or call Pacific BMW at (818) 246-5600 and come down to the dealership located at 800 S. Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91204 and find out why.

Who knows you may be the next new BMW owner? Or you may want to up-grade. Of course, we don’t need to mention that BMW is a favorite brand for luxury vehicles for the Fil-Am community, which is one of the car brand’s biggest consumer group in Southern California.

Top features in BMW 3 Series Sedan and Sports Wagon

The new BMW 3 Series

27Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

28 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

LOS ANGELES, September 16, 2015 - Honda took to YouTube today to unveil an all-new, dynamically styled 10th-gen-eration 2016 Civic Sedan, slated for sale in the U.S. this fall. With a more athletic stance and sportier driving position, the 2016 Civic Sedan is a new-from-the-ground-up design intended to recapture the sporty character of Civic while creating the world’s best compact car – setting a new benchmark in the mainstream compact class for fun-to-drive performance, safety performance and fuel efficiency, together with a new level of refinement.

The Civic Sedan is the first in a series of new 10th-generation Civic models that will include a sedan, coupe, high-performance Si models, a 5-door hatchback and the first-ever Civic Type-R model for the U.S. market, comprising the most diverse and innovative lineup in Civic’s 43-year history.

“This tenth-generation Civic is quite simply the most ambitious remake of Civic we’ve ever done,” said John Mendel, ex-ecutive vice president of American Honda Motor Co, Inc. “We are bringing more new technology and innovative thinking to Civic than ever before to establish a new benchmark for fun-to-drive performance, fuel efficiency, safety performance and refinement in the compact class.”

Backing up the new Civic’s dramatic and sporty design with new power and ef-ficiency, for the first time the 2016 Civic will feature two all-new engines – includ-ing the first-ever application of Honda turbo engine technology in the U.S. These powerful and fuel-efficient new engines combine with a sophisticated new body and chassis design to deliver incredibly responsive and sporty performance with a

higher level of ride refinement and class-leading fuel efficiency.

The 2016 Civic Sedan will be avail-able with the Honda Sensing™ suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive tech-nologies, including Collision Mitigation Braking, Road Departure Mitigation and, for the first time in a Honda, Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow – bringing new value to the compact seg-ment.

Further, the 2016 Civic lineup joins the freshened 2016 Accord in offering advanced smartphone integration with a new, 7-inch high-definition Display Audio touchscreen, offering tech-savvy customers a more advanced and intuitive connected-car experience.

Apple CarPlay® takes the things you want to do with your iPhone while driving and puts them right on your car’s built-in display. You can get directions, make calls, send and receive messages, and listen to music right from the touchscreen or by voice via Siri. Supported apps include Phone, Messages, Maps, Music and com-patible third party apps. Apple CarPlay® is compatible with iOS 8.4 or later and iPhone 5 or later. Android Auto™ was designed to give drivers a simple, intuitive way through touch and voice to minimize the potential for distraction so the driver can stay focused on the road. Compatible

with Android 5.0 and higher, Android Auto features Google Maps, Google Now, mes-saging, music and numerous popular apps.

Sporty Civic DesignThe dramatic and sporty new Civic de-

sign is grounded in its more athletic stance and low and wide proportions. Compared to the current model, the 2016 Civic Sedan is nearly 2 inches wider and 1 inch lower with a 1.2-inch longer wheelbase, featuring a more compact and sporty front overhang, a longer, more aggressively sculpted hood and fastback-style tail.

The taut and tidy proportions of the new Civic Sedan are complemented and accen-tuated by refined design details, including sleek and swept-back bodylines, a sharp and aggressive face and bulging wheel arches. The new Civic’s more premium compact sedan character is also highlighted by its available LED exterior lighting, including new Honda LED headlights (in-line type), LED daytime running lights (standard) and distinctive C-shaped LED taillights (also standard).

“The new Civic really is the embodi-ment of our global design team’s goal of styling a dramatic form that follows and speaks to the dynamic function of this am-bitious redesign,” said Jarad Hall, Senior Exterior Designer and project leader of the Civic Sedan, Honda R&D Americas. “The low and wide proportions, with the wheels

pushed to the outmost corners, emphasize the Civic’s dynamic handling prowess and give the car a crouched and muscular look, like a tiger ready to pounce.”

Two All-new EnginesThe 2016 Civic Sedan will feature two

all-new, more powerful and fuel-efficient engines. Civic Sedan LX and EX trims will be powered by a 2.0-liter, 16-valve, DOHC i-VTEC™ 4-cylinder – the most powerful base engine ever offered on Civic – mated to either a 6-speed manual (LX trim) or continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Civic Sedans in EX-T, EX-L trims and Touring trims will be powered by a 1.5-liter, direct-injected and turbocharged 16-valve DOHC inline-4, mated to a unique CVT, delivering a new level of responsiveness in this capacity class of turbocharged engine.

The new 1.5-liter powerplant is the first turbocharged engine on a U.S. Honda model and the most powerful engine ever offered on a non-Si Civic in America. Both engines will offer top-in-class performance and fuel efficiency, and are targeted to receive EPA highway fuel economy rat-ings in excess of 40 mpg. Additional powertrain details and specifications will be announced closer to launch.

The 2016 Civic will set a new standard for dynamic handling, steering, ride quality and cabin quietness in the compact class,

10th generation Civic sedan for North America is the most ambitious remake of Civic ever

courtesy of its all new platform, featuring the most rigid and tightly sealed body and the most sophisticated chassis in Civic history. Advancing the sporty character of this all-new Civic is its more sporty driving position, with a one-inch lower hip point compared to the current car. The lower hip point is enabled by the new Civic’s lower floor and engine and its all-new suspension design. The new Civic chassis features a redesigned strut front suspension and a new multi-link rear suspension mounted to an ultra-rigid rear subframe.

Torsional rigidity of the new body is improved by 25 percent, aided in part by more intensive use of ultra-high-strength steel. Twelve percent of the unit body is made of ultra-high-strength steel, up from 1percent on the current model. Aerody-namic efficiency is improved by 12 percent to class-leading levels, in part through the use of full underbody covers—a Civic first.

Despite its larger size, the new Civic unit body is 68 pounds lighter than before, while new body-sealing techniques result in a 58-percent reduction in cabin air leaks.

Although a Honda is a Honda wherever you see one, Filipinos flock to Carson Honda because of the friendly Filipino staff at the dealership and of course because of the service our kababayans provide.

One of them, Rohmer Manalese, has even earned the “Best in Customer Satis-faction,” an honor he keeps consistently, along with the three other Filipino sales staff in the persons of Ricky Agagas, Terzo Pallen and Christian Reyes, all of whom are veterans in the car sales industry. “We have a great staff and this is a great deal-ership,” Carson Honda General Manager Krisztian Kratky said. “We have a friendly atmosphere.”

Carson Honda is located at 1435 E. 223rd Street, Carson, CA 90745, home of thousands of Filipinos. They can be reached toll free at 1-800-503-2321.

29Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

30 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

by consumers, accounting for 75 percent of total Outlander sales in its first month on-sale. And while this is happening, Outlander Sport is leading the way for the brand alongside stellar sales results from the rest of our core models.”

Earlier, the new 2016 Outlander re-ceived a first place ranking on the Cars.com list of most affordable 3-row crossovers. The 2016 Outlander, which features an unprecedented number of engineering and design improvements, appeals to buyers who want value, quality and safety with standard three rows of seating. The 2016 Outlander has a lower starting MSRP than the 2015 model, despite all of the improve-ments that notably increase the level of refinement and overall driving experience.

“We designed the 2016 Outlander to be an unmatched value in its segment, so it’s no surprise to us that it leads the way on the Cars.com list of most affordable 3-row crossovers,” said Don Swearingen, MMNA Executive Vice President. “From its long list of features, to available advanced safety technologies and a new eye-catching design, the seven passenger Outlander is a leader in value and reliability.”

To determine affordability, Cars.com combines the cost to purchase each CUV (including destination fee), five years of fuel costs as well as each car’s residual value after five years. To qualify for the list, a vehicle must be equipped with basic

features that most car shoppers expect, including automatic transmission, power driver’s seat, rearview camera, USB port and Bluetooth connectivity.

The 2016 Outlander SEL, which meets the above criteria, features a 2.4L engine paired with a new-generation CVT, leather seats, 18” alloy wheels, black roof rails, seven Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) air bags and more, and is backed by an industry-leading 10 year 100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty.

The 2016 Outlander SEL, which meets the above criteria, features a 2.4L engine paired with a new-generation CVT, leather seats, 18” alloy wheels, black roof rails, seven Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) air bags and more, and is backed by an industry-leading 10 year 100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty.

For a closer look at the new Outlander, or any other Mitsubishi vehicle, come and visit our kababayans at Cerritos Mitsubishi, where kababayans are always treated as special customers. Even their marketing thrust is anchored on that magical Taga-log word: Kababayan. They also have a Kabayan Price.

Call Eugene, Cerritos Mitbushi’s Sales & Leasing professional for the Filipino market to get the best deal in town.

Call now toll free at 1-888-835-6136 to get the same Number 1 customer service from our very own kababayans.

Eugene Castro, Senior Sales Consultant at Cerritos Mitsubishi. Look for our kababayan Eugene for special discounts. Call him toll free at 1-888-835-6136 for the best deals.

More people buying Mitsubishi OutlanderCome to Cerritos Mitsubishi and find

out why brand’s August sales is bolstered with strong 2016 Outlander sales

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) reported August 2015 sales of 8,289, an increase of 22.1 percent from August 2014. This is the brand’s 18th consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases. Year-to-date sales are up 24.4 percent over the same period in 2014.

Featuring over 100 engineering and design improvements, the 2016 Outlander

seven-passenger crossover vehicle went on sale in August and showed strong results. Total August sales for the Outlander were 2,188, which accounted for its best August sales in 12 years; an increase of 92.9 per-cent over August 2014.

“August was another strong sales month of consecutive year-over-year increases for Mitsubishi Motors,” said Don Swearingen, executive vice president, MMNA. “But what is really exciting this month is how well the new Outlander is being received

Wednesday September 16 2015 (Re-laxnews) – The doors to the Frankfurt motor show are yet to open officially to the car-loving public but two things are already clear. The Porsche Mission E Concept car is the star of the show and, more important-ly, it’s finally a question of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ mainstream automakers are going to fully embrace more environmentally friendly means of propulsion. The Mis-sion E Concept, which, Porsche promises, will form the basis of a proper production model by 2018, can travel 500km on a single charge and, being a Porsche, is on a par with a petrol-powered Ferrari or Lamborghini in terms of acceleration, top speed and horsepower.

But Porsche wasn’t the only company touting 2018 as the date for the potential

gasoline alternating current changeover.“Audi will present an all-electric,

luxury-class sport SUV in early 2018,” said Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Mem-ber of the Audi Board of Management for Technical Development as he unveiled his company’s show car, the Audi E-Tron Quattro Concept. A crossover car with the same dimensions as Audi’s current A6 sedan, the concept uses electric motors for a combined 500bhp and a 0-100km/h time of 4.6 seconds.

And like the Porsche, the Audi is ca-pable of covering 500km between charges. “It combines driving pleasure with great range, an expressive design and excellent comfort,” continued Hackenberg.

What both companies have in common other than their electric offerings, is that

Frankfurt zzles with excitement about electric carsthey’re part of Volkswagen, the world’s largest car company.

And at this year’s event, VW was very happy to highlight that carmakers need to take more responsibility for the envi-ronment. “At a time of major social and technological upheaval, people expect new answers, new solutions and new direc-tions from us,” said CEO Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn.

The Porsche and the Audi both clearly provide answers to a handful of well-heeled consumers, but for electric or highly efficient personal mobility to go mainstream, it will need to be much more accessible.

To fill in this gap while charging net-works are established and the price of large capacity batteries comes down, VW is fo-

cusing on hybrids too. By 2020 it will have launched a further 20 new plug in hybrids or full electric vehicles. “No commitment to electro-mobility can be any clearer than that,” he said.

Alongside the VW Group, BMW, Mer-cedes, Land Rover and of course Toyota also showcased new innovative hybrid technology breakthroughs aimed at cut-ting fuel consumption and improving air quality but without diluting that emotional or driving connection that consumers still value. “What was once a rational purchase that for many customers focused on fuel economy, is now so much more,” said Bill Fay, group vice president and general manager, Toyota Division of the new Prius, which has been developed to attract new people to the hybrid fold.

31Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

32 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend Balita, Sat. - Fri., September 19 - 25, 2015 LOS ANGELES

LAS VEGAS, Sept. 8, 2015 – The same vehicle that pioneered the hybrid category just disrupted the status quo again. The all-new, fourth-generation Prius starred in a spectacular evening production of music, food and special effects to celebrate an industry icon in a way that was anything but expected.

More than 350 journalists, social in-fluencers and Toyota guests watched the all-new 2016 Prius elevate into the Las Vegas night sky.

After almost twenty years of shaping the world view on alternative energy vehicles, and more than 3.5 million global sales, Prius is setting out to change the world again. But you can enjoy the new 2016 Prius or any other Toyota vehicle here in Southern California at Wondries Toyota in Alhambra.

Today’s consumers expect environmen-tal credentials, and the new Prius delivers. Smaller, lighter hybrid system components, higher-energy density in the batteries, and an internal combustion engine tout-ing ground-breaking thermal efficiency (more than forty percent), contribute to a significant advancement in fuel economy.

With an expected ten percent im-provement in EPA estimated MPG on core models, Prius will offer best-in-class fuel economy among vehicles without a plug. A soon-to-be unveiled Eco model will achieve an even greater improvement, strengthening Toyota’s leadership in hybrid fuel efficiency. But it’s not just about MPG anymore.

Today’s customers want all the tradi-tional benefits of a hybrid, but don’t want to compromise on looks and performance.

So Toyota upgraded the Prius in-side and out to deliver the complete package – emotional styling, smarter technology and impressive MPG, in a vehicle that’s more fun to drive than ever.“Prius set the global benchmark for hybrids, but now is breaking its own boundaries with more engaging style and fun-to-drive dynamics,” said Bill Fay, group vice president and general manager, Toyota Division.

“What was once a rational purchase that for many customers focused on fuel econo-my, is now so much more. This Prius will invite new drivers into the category by de-livering an impressive look and feel, built on the foundation of safety and eco-conscious-ness that define the vehicle’s heritage.”Easy on the Eyes

The Prius’ exterior has been completely reimagined. From the side, it is longer and sleeker with the overall outline evoking an athletic shape. Inspired by a runner in the starting blocks, the sporty design conveys a feeling of forward motion.The hood is lower and the distinctive roof peak has been moved forward. Bold character lines run along the side from the front fenders – one just above the sill that sweeps up towards the rear fender, while the upper crease morphs into the rear spoiler, which has been lowered.The use of new standard LED headlamps

minimizes the Prius’ front fascia and, at the same time, provides an arresting lighting display which helps define the vehicle’s character. The unique and strik-ing rear combination lamps express the distinctive lines of the Prius from the rear spoiler to the trailing edges of the sides.A palette of seven exterior colors in-cludes an all-new Toyota hue, “Hyper-sonic Red.” This new color utilizes a newly developed treatment process, which results in a deep and vibrant luster highlighting the external forms.Need a Hug?

The Prius’ new, premium interior adopts advanced technology complemented by features that are functional, fun and have high visual impact. The wrap-around dash design, form-hugging seats, ease of con-trols and improved visibility put the driver in complete control.

Once inside, drivers will feel immedi-ately comfortable and impressed by styling cues that are unique in the industry. The wide instrument panel, seamlessly de-signed to be both functional and beautiful, gives a sense of comfort and spaciousness.

Available premium white ornamen-tation in the lower sections of the cab-in is reminiscent of fine bone china.Efficient Development from the StartThe 2016 Prius is the first global vehicle to implement Toyota’s New Global Archi-tecture (TNGA).

TNGA aims to greatly improve core vehicle performance and enhance product appeal through an integrated development program for powertrain components and vehicle platforms.

Development of vehicles is being grouped to promote strategic sharing of components with the goal of improving resource efficiency by better than twenty percent. Resources will be directed into developing advanced technologies, and most importantly even further strengthen-ing product appeal.

A Fun-to-Drive Hybrid? A “Wish” Come True Engineered from

the ground up, the new Prius is 2.4 inches longer, 0.6 inches wider and 0.8 inches lower than the model it replaces, provid-ing a planted on-road presence while delivering more occupant and cargo room.Hallmarks of TNGA, a lower center of gravity and a more responsive suspension package, dial up the driving excitement.

In fact, the height of the Prius’ front badge is exactly the same as that of Scion’s FR-S sports car – a remarkable achieve-ment in height and mass reduction.

Whatever the competitors make, pro-duce or advertise with aplomb, Filipinos always prefer the Toyota brand and our population is one of America’s biggest markets.

And speaking of markets or if you are in the market for a new car, which most likely you’re looking for a new Toyota, just call our kababayan Alex Almalvez at Wondries Toyota. You can easily reach Alex at 818-653-4410. Wondries Toyota is located at 1543 W Main St, Alhambra, CA 91801.

Beyond possible: The sky’s the limit for the all-New 2016 Prius at Wondries Toyota

The new 2016 Toyota Prius

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