New York : New Jersey -- March 18 - 24, 2016

MANILA—Saying they were unaware that they were dealing with funds suspected of having been stolen from the overseas bank accounts of the Bangla-deshi government, the president of foreign exchange dealer Phil-rem Services Inc. apologized on Thursday, March 17, to the am-

bassador of the impoverished South Asian nation and offered to return all proceeds it made from the transaction.

Salud Bautista – the president of the firm that facilitated the con-version of $81 million in funds stolen from the Bangladeshi cen-tral bank into the local currency – said Philrem “has no interest in profiting from any questionable sources.”

“We will prepare a cheque as soon as the Bangladeshi delega-tion confirms to us who the pay-ee will be,” Bautista said, adding that the total amount the foreign exchange dealer made from the transaction — and would return — was P10,474,654.

“That cheque will represent ev-ery centavo our company earned from this series of transactions,”

MANILA — Former US vice presi-dent and environment activist Al Gore on Wednesday, March 16 urged Filipi-nos to use “people power” to convince leaders to act on climate change and to counter the influence of industries opposed to the phasing out of coal.

Gore said groups advocating climate action should organize themselves and use technology like the social media to spread their message and express their concerns.

“People in social media can serve as counter balance (to the coal lob-byists),” Gore said during the Climate Reality Leadership Corps training in

PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire — There are now 1.38 million overseas Fili-pino voters, according to the Philippines’ Commission on Elections (Comelec). It’s a critical mass that now puts the overseas vote in the same league as the top ten vote-rich provinces in the Philippines and positions overseas Filipinos as a potential swing vote in the coming May elections.

The emergence of this new class of

voters now poised to flex its growing political muscle did not happen without growing pains.

There was great excitement among advocates and supporters of the political empowerment of overseas Filipinos when the absentee voting bill was finally passed into law in 2003. Section 2 of Article V of the 1987 Philippine Constitution clearly states that “Congress shall provide … a system for absentee voting by qualified Filipinos abroad.”

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MARCH 18-24, 2016

DATELINEUSAFROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

SENATE INQUIRY ON MONEY LAUDERING. Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Sen. TG Guingona III (center), Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto (2rd from right), Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano (right) and Senators Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV (left), Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara (2nd from left) and Joseph Victor Ejercito (seated) in a huddle during a break of the continuation of the Senate inquiry on the reported laundering of $81 million that suspiciously went through the country’s financial system, including local casinos. Senate photo by Alex Nueva España

RCBC bank manager Maia Santos at the second Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the reported laundering of $81 million that suspiciously went through the country’s financial system. Senate photo by Alex Neuva Espana

Philrem chief apologizes to Bangladesh over $81-M heist

Super Tuesday Part 3: Trump and Clinton dominate primary nightON Tuesday night, March 15, five more

states held key presidential primary con-tests--Ohio, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, and Missouri--where two party candidates emerged as front-runners of the race.

Hillary Clinton swept all five contests in Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, Missouri, and Ohio, racking up more delegates to solidify her lead for the Democratic nomination. The victories bolster Clinton’s claim that she is her party’s only candidate who can win diverse states that will be pivotal in the November general election, CNN reported, even despite her surprise loss in Michigan last week.

“We are moving closer to securing the

Al Gore to Pinoys: Use ‘people power’ to address climate change

FORMER US Vice President and global climate action advocate Al Gore on Wednesday, March 16 urged the public to act as a “counterweight” to governments and big businesses that continue to use coal-fired plants and other polluting sources of energy. On the third and final day of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps training in Manila, Gore urged some 750 climate warriors from 33 countries to “summon the political will to be in the streets, knock on doors and organize others to build a counterweight to business.” Inquirer.net photo by Richard A. Reyes

INTERNATIONAL students who earn their degrees in highly-sought STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields may be able to extend their stay in the United States longer.

The revamped STEM Optional Practical Training program, or STEM OPT for short, adds an additional seven months to the pre-vious length of stay required, while offering some safeguards to address labor concerns voiced by hundreds of American workers and STEM students, reported the US News & World Report.

According to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) records, there are approx-imately 70,000 students currently in OPT--of those, about 23,000 are studying in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics

Program allows int’l STEM grads to stay longer in US

SC denies Comelec appealon issuance of vote receipt

Overseas Filipino voterscould swing May elections

WASHINGTON, DC—US Rep. Mike Honda (D-Silicon Valley, Calif.) joined several of his Congressional colleagues at a press conference introducing the Reuniting Families Act (RFA), a piece of commonsense legislation designed to cut the backlog causing the separation of 4.4 million family members from US citizens and green card holders.

“Today’s press conference was to show our commitment to the family val-ues that America stands for,” said Honda on Thursday, March 17. “America was built by families of immigrants, spread-

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Donald Trump Hillary Clinton

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DAVAO CITY—Presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte told thousands of his supporters on Wednes-day night that the time has come for a Mindanao native to sit in Malacañang after decades of mismanagement by politicians from Luzon and Visayas.

More than 20,000 people were estimated to have attended his rally on Wednesday, March 16.

Duterte told the still swelling Presidential candidate Mayor Rodrigo Duterte gives speech to the people of Tabaco City, Albay province. Inquirer.net photo by Mark Alvin Esplana

Duterte tells supporters: Time for Mindanao to choose next president

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To return P10-M cut from dealby Daxim l, lucas

Inquirer.net

Voting 13-0, the Supreme Court on Thursday, March 17 dismissed with finality the appeal filed by the Com-mission on Elections (Comelec) and maintained on the need to issue receipts to voters on the May 9, 2016 elec-tions.

Ruling was issued around thirty minutes after the high court conducted an oral argument where Comelec pre-sented their timeline for the May 9 polls.

During the oral argument, Comelec conducted a dem-onstration of its vote counting machines (VCM).

One VCM was configured to only have an on-screen verification, while the other machine was configured to have an on-screen verification and to print receipts.

Comelec Commissioner Christian Robert Lim and Marlon Garcia, project manager of Smartmatic Philip-pines, led the demonstration.

Lim said on the first VCM, the voters have 15 seconds to see the onscreen verification of whether their votes were accepted or not.

On the second VCM, it will take 60 seconds or one minute for the on-screen verification and the printing of receipts.

MARCH 18-24, 2016 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426A�

From the Front Page

THE GRADUATES. Philippine Military Academy graduates toss their chaku caps up into the air after graduation ceremonies at the PMA in Baguio City. Kristian Daeve Gelacio Abiqui, who topped the Gabay-Laya Class of 2016, received the Presidential Saber Award. ManilaTimes.net photo by Thom Picaña

she explained. “I would like to present this to the Bangladeshi delegation, not only as an apology but as a symbol of a Filipino com-pany willing to help find justice.”

Reading a prepared statement, amid intense questioning from senators over its role in convert-ing the stolen dollars into the pesos, she said the company “ac-cepted this transaction with the understanding from the receiv-ing bank that this was a clean and legitimate transaction.”

“It now seems evident to us that this was not true, and we are deeply regretful of our unintend-ed participation in this shameful chapter in Philippine history,” Bautista added.

After the hearing, Bautista ap-proached the Bangladeshi am-bassador to Manila, John Gomes, who was overheard saying that he was in no position to accept the cheque offered by Philrem, that he would have to consult

Philrem chief apologizes to Bangladesh...his government’s lawyers first, and that his main goal, since the scandal erupted, has always been the recovery of the missing $81 million.

Of the amount that was alleg-edly stolen by electronic hackers from the Bangladesh Bank’s ac-counts with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, a total of $61 million was converted into the local currency by Philrem, acting on orders of Rizal Com-mercial Banking Corp.’s Jupiter St., Makati City branch manager Maia Santos-Deguito.

Bautista said Deguito’s in-structions were being made purportedly on behalf of RCBC’s client William So Go, which the Chinese-Filipino businessman denied..

About $50 million of the funds, after having been converted into peso, were eventually transferred to the accounts of Solaire Resort and Casino and Eastern Hawaii Leisure Co., the latter being an on-

line gaming firm located in the Ca-gayan Economic Zone Authority in Santa Ana, Cagayan province.

During the hearing, Anti-Mon-ey Laundering Council executive director Julia Bacay-Abad said the dirty money watchdog froze the bank accounts of Kim Wong (a.k.a. Kam Sin Wong) because it detected money moving from Eastern Hawaii to the Chinese-Filipino businessman after this.

Philrem’s Bautista also cor-rected an earlier “misimpres-sion” that the company made only P50 per transaction, saying this flat fee would apply only to expatriate Filipino workers to help them remit funds to their lo-cal beneficiaries.

“However, when we deal with other financial transactions, we apply a handling fee, and this is variable depending on the kind of transaction at hand,” she said. “For the transaction in question, our handling fee is one-fourth of 1 percent.” n

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Overseas Filipino voters could...PAGE A1 t

15-year waitThe long 15-year wait, which

saw years of sporadic and dispa-rate lobbying that ultimately set the stage for a more organized and relentless global push, finally came to an end.

The afterglow of political vic-tory was not dampened even if only 364,187 overseas Filipinos actually registered to vote for the 2004 elections.

Comelec underestimated what it took to maximize registration, scheduling what in hindsight was a very short two-month registration period. That level of participation was quite low considering there were an estimated seven million overseas Filipinos at the time.

In addition, voter turnout was just 65 percent, much lower than the 75 percent turnout in the Philippines. But it was the first time the law was implemented, so there was a nice-first-try sense of accomplishment.

In a joint congressional over-sight committee hearing to dis-cuss the implementation of the law, Representative Teddy Locsin congratulated the Comelec and the Department of Foreign Affairs for “doing their best.”

Steady increaseThe succeeding two elections saw

a steady increase in the number of registered voters, but the numbers were still way below expectations. The 2006 registration campaign raised the total to 504,124 voters.

Worse, turnout in the 2007 elections plummeted to just 16 percent. Interest in that election year was expected to be less because it was not a presidential election, but the drop in turnout was alarmingly steep.

Some members of Congress threatened to cancel overseas vot-ing considering the seeming lack of interest, but the threats were

probably made mainly to prod all the stakeholders (Comelec, DFA, civil society, Filipino community leaders abroad and overseas Fili-pinos in general) to more delib-erately and collaboratively help generate broader participation.

For the 2010 presidential elec-tions, Comelec scheduled a 7-month registration period. The total number of registered voters, after purging lists of those who had not voted for two consecutive elections, was 589,830—just a slight increase from 2007.

Filipinos voting in Hongkong. Inquirer.net photo

Lim said each clustered pre-cincts have 800 voters meaning there will be an additional 13 hours additional time excluding the initialization of the VCMs for 15 minutes after every 200 bal-lots.

Lim added that it should also be taken into consideration the time needed to change rolls of thermal papers and the possibili-ty that there will be a paper jam.

He added that they will also include security features in the receipt, including ballot number and polling precinct.

But during interpellation, Lim admitted that the May 9 election is still possible, even if they will enable the system that issues re-ceipts to voters, if they will not touch the source code.

“No need to revise the source code; we can enable it and gen-erate the SD cards that can allow the printing of the receipts,” Lim said.

“Did you touch the source code?” Associate Justice Marvic Leonen asked, to which Lim said, “no.”

“So, it is possible that with-out touching the source code, it is possible to enable it to print out the receipt that does

SC denies Comelec appeal on issuance of vote...not have the features you men-tioned, i.e. the precinct number, hashcode,”Leonen said.

Without touching the source code, issuing receipts minus the safeguards such as the precinct number and digital signature, Comelec admitted that they can still conduct the elections on May 9.

But Lim said based on the timeline presented before the high court, if they will include the safeguards, they need to recon-figure the source code and revise the SD card, which could move the elections to May 23.

Last March 8, the high court reminded Comelec that their duty is to enforce the law, and the law requires the poll body to activate the receipt-printing feature of the vote counting machines (VCM).

Under Republic Act 9369, the law that amended RA 8436 or the Automated Election System Law, aside from authorizing Comelec to use an automated election system during elections, the law also introduced the Voter Verification Paper Audit Trail or VVPAT, one of the minimum sys-tem capabilities of the automated election system and a major se-curity feature of the vote-count-ing machines.

Petitioner former senator and now a senatorial candidate Rich-ard Gordon explained that the VVPAT allowed voters to confirm whether or not the machine cast the vote correctly based on their choice, thereby ensuring the in-tegrity of the elections.

He added that VVPAT is a “critical and indispensable” se-curity feature of the automated voting machine.

“The law is clear because there is really nothing to discuss. The only thing being questioned now is timing. Its time we tell our leaders we have to do it, no ex-cuses,” Gordon said during the oral argument.

“Every time they are about to do something, they came out with excuses. If they cannot do it, sorry, resign, get another job,” he added.

Comelec opted to do away with the receipt-printing, saying that it will extend the voting hours. It added that the receipt can be used in vote-buying and could be used by losing candidates to dis-credit the elections.

But the high court, in the de-cision written by Justice Leonen, said Comelec cannot opt to set aside the requirements of the law

(212) 655-5426 • http://www.asianjournal.com NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 18-24, 2016 A�From the Front Page

BRING BACK THE BILLIONS. The millennials are not as vulnerable at all, as how they are perceived by the older generations. Donning electronic bowties like the one Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos as a young man wore on a family yacht party in the now-infamous Marcos Home Videos, the iBalikangBilyones ng Mamamayan (BBM) Movement demanded that Marcos return his family’s ill-gotten wealth as a prerequisite to becoming the nation’s Vice President. “It is incredibly sad that some of our fellow youth have fallen victim to historical white-washing,” said Bea Reyno, a spokesperson of the BBM Movement and a member of the UP Diliman University Student Council, in a statement.

Turnout was 26 percent, an improvement from 2007 but still very low. This was the election year when President Benigno Aquino was voted into office. He was lead-ing in all polls by double digits, so the lack of serious competition did not help turn out the overseas vote.

Pulling out all stopsIn 2013, total registered voters

shot up to 975,263 (a 65-percent jump), partly the benefit of aiming high—the goal was one million. Comelec tried to pull out all stops to maximize voter registration.

A longer registration period was conducted from November 2, 2011 to October 31, 2012. Registration booths were set up at the OWWA, POEA and CFO offices, and even at various terminals at NAIA.

More diplomats were trained as voter registration officers. For Filipinos living too far from a Philippine consulate, mobile regis-tration was made available. The in-formation dissemination campaign was also much more aggressive. Philippine missions were more actively involved. NGOs, such as the Center for Migrant Affairs, continued to help by bombarding overseas Filipinos with reminders to register.

In the U.S., where many Filipinos hold a green card, the infamous provision requiring those who want to vote to sign an affidavit signifying intent to return within two years was finally removed in 2013.

The provision had been inserted by legislators as a last-ditch com-promise to neutralize key opposi-tion to the bill. At the time, some members of Congress strongly believed that only contractual overseas Filipino workers (those in the Middle East or Hong Kong, for example) were entitled to vote, excluding those who have acquired permanent legal status in their host countries.

With four election cycles un-der their belt, the Comelec and

DFA seem to have become more adept at orchestrating broader participation. The overseas voter registration campaign launched in 2015 upped the total number of registered voters to 1.38 million. That’s an impressive 42-percent jump from 2013.

Can the now 1.38 million-strong overseas Filipino voters be a de-ciding factor in the May national elections? If they were a province, overseas voters would make it to the list of the country’s top 10 vote-rich provinces, just under Rizal (ranked #8), which has 1.4 million voters, and ranking higher than Iloilo and Nueva Ecija with their 1.34 and 1.3 million voters, respectively.

Critical in close contestsCertainly, the overseas vote can

be critical in close contests, which seem to characterize the current presidential, vice presidential and senate races. With the current field of presidential candidates, for instance, the last two Pulse Asia polls (conducted in the latter half of February) showed a statistical tie between Senator Grace Poe and Vice President Jejomar Binay, with Poe leading with 26 percent in both polls, and Binay trailing by just a percentage point or two. In the race for vice president, the last Pulse Asia survey showed Sena-tors Chiz Escudero and Bongbong Marcos in a tie.

In the Senate race, where 12 seats are up for grabs, the overseas vote can be an even more signifi-cant factor. The difference between number 12 and number 13 in sena-torial elections can be as small as 10,000 votes, as was actually the case between Roberto Biazon and Robert Barbers in 2004.

Overseas voters too can decisive-ly vote for party-list groups, helping favored parties to reach the critical threshold, which is 2 percent of the national vote, to earn a seat in the House of Representatives.

Now that overseas absentee vot-ers have reached a critical mass, the key for them to actually impact

electoral outcomes is to raise voter turnout.

If in May it stays at a low 26 percent as in the 2010 presiden-tial elections, or even lower at 16 percent as in 2007, then overseas voters may rightfully feel empow-ered when they cast their ballot, but their true influence will be greatly diminished. n

Overseas Filipino voters could...PAGE A2 t

ing out across our nation, build-ing their homes and their dreams. Right now, far too many of those dreams are being put on hold be-cause of bureaucracy that simply does not need to be.”

Some of these families have been waiting for more than 20 years to be reunited, because of a broken immigration system. The RFA will, in part, help that back-log by making use of thousands of visas that have been unused, over the past two decades. It will also exempt husbands, wives and children of green card hold-ers from numerical caps.

“Family unity is a cornerstone of our immigration system,” said Mee Moua, executive director of Asians Advancing Justice, one of several outside groups that have endorsed the RFA. “Since the founding of our nation, immi-grants have come to our shores to create better lives for their families. But today, our broken immigration system hurts fami-lies by keeping loved ones apart for years, and often decades. We need to update our immigration system with commonsense solu-tions like those included in Con-gressman Mike Honda’s Reunit-ing Families Act to strengthen our communities by strength-ening families. We at Advanc-ing Justice | AAJC are proud to support the Reuniting Families Act and commend Congressman Honda for championing family reunification.”

The RFA would also ensure that same-sex, interfaith and other couples unable to wed in

their home countries are still treated the same as opposite-sex couples.

“In most of the world, same-sex permanent partners do not have access to marriage equali-ty,” said Aaron Morris, executive director of Immigration Equal-ity. “The Reuniting Families Act provides these loving, committed couples the ability to stay togeth-er just like every other immigrant family. We are grateful to Con-gressman Honda for his leader-ship in crafting and introducing this critical legislation.”

The RFA is currently supported by more than 65 Representatives. Several of those, including Reps. Xavier Becerra, Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus; Judy Chu, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus; Barbara Lee and Raul Grijalva, joined Honda at the press avail-ability announcing introduction. They joined several of the groups supporting the RFA.

“More than four million spous-es, children and parents are wait-ing in backlogs that can last more than two decades, and Asian American immigrant families are disproportionately affected,” said Chris Kang, executive director of the National Council of Asian Pa-cific Americans. “Updates to the family-based immigration system are long overdue. Indeed, com-prehensive immigration reform is long overdue. NCAPA strongly supports the Reuniting Families Act, which would reunite these family members, strengthen our communities, and bolster our economy. Congressman Honda

has been a tireless leader--on this issue and on behalf of all Asian Americans--and we thank him for introducing this bill today.”

Not only will reunited families bring loved ones back together, but it will create economic ben-efits including increased con-sumer spending and worker pro-ductivity.

“Family based-immigration systems in America have not been modernized in the past 20 years, leaving millions of immi-grants and families separated due to visa backlogs,” said Greg-ory Cedana, executive director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance. “APALA applauds Con-gressman Honda for reintroduc-ing the Reuniting Families Act to help reunite immigrant families and create a more fair, just and inclusive family-based reunifica-tion process.”

“NCLR thanks Representative Honda for his steadfast leader-ship on reforming the family immigration system,” said Janet Murguía, National Council of La Raza President and CEO. “Family unity is a fundamental principle in our country, and it is against our values to separate spouses from one another and parents from their children for up to a decade as we currently do in our outdated immigration system.”

“Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service strongly be-lieves that our nation’s immigra-tion system must stop tearing families apart and must instead protect family unity for all mi-grants and refugees,” said Linda

Honda introduces legislation to…

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MARCH 18-24, 2016 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426A� From the Front Page

Pasay.“I believe it’s (social media) a

revolutionary that can dramati-cally increase people power,” he added.

Coal-fired power plants emit carbon, which has been linked to rising global temperatures, climate change, rising sea levels and extreme weather conditions. Environment activists claim that climate change poses the greatest threat to the global economy and endangers the lives of people liv-ing in disaster-prone areas like the Philippines.

There have been calls to phase out coal and to promote the use of the environment-friendly renewable energy but these are being opposed by industries and skeptics who are not convinced that climate change was caused by human activities.

Gore stressed that people who care about the environment should go beyond posting online com-ments.

“Meet with other human beings. Meet them in the eye,” the former US vice president said.

“This system can be made to work if and only if the people in this room decide to make a differ-ence, find ways to connect with one another and use the fabled strength in number,” he added.

Gore also encouraged partici-pants of the training to arm them-selves with knowledge about the climate.

“Someone who has political

should be in the streets knocking on doors, organizing others to create a powerful political counterweight,” he said.

Antonio La Viña, dean of the Ateneo School of Government and a member of the Philippine del-egation to the Parks climate talks, agreed that the climate issue is something that should be brought to the streets.

“We cannot underestimate the power of the coal lobby but getting a lot of people to advocate this in the national and local level will make a difference that this change will happen,” La Viña said.

“It’s not a fight that can be won in the inner circles or inner rooms of Malacanang or Congress. It has to be won in the streets. It has to be won in the plant sites and spill over to Congress, the executive branch and even to the judiciary,” he added.

La Viña said the building of new coal-fired plants is a roadblock to efforts to address clmatye change.

“We have lots of coal-fired plants already being built. Except some communities fighting that, there’s not much we can do,” La Viña said.

“The first thing the Philippines should do is put a cap on coal,” he added.

La Viña noted that the Philip-pines has committed to reduce carbon emissions by 70 percent by 2030 in the climate action plan it submitted to the United Nations.

“We do say that on the area of

energy we are failing and we will not be complying if we do business as usual,” the educator said.

“We have no space to make mistakes for ecosystems forests, marine coastal fisheries…We have to preserve and conserve them. Even if we do everything in energy, if we lose our forests and misuse our land, we will not meet the 70 percent (reduction goal),” he added.

Climate Change Commission Secretary Emmanuel de Guzman said the government is revisit-ing its climate action plan or the so-called intended nationally determined contribution to meet its targets.

“Right now, the national agen-cies concerned are developing their respective national roadmaps and examine existing policies to be able to really deliver the targets they set per sector and deliver the aggregate (carbon emission) reduction of 70 percent by 2030,” de Guzman said.

Last December, world leaders who attended the Paris climate talks reached a landmark deal that aims to hold global warming “well below” two degrees Celsius. They also agreed to pursue measures that would limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Critics of the Paris agreement, however, claimed that the deal was too vague on important issues like climate finance for vulnerable countries. n

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SAN FRANCISCO — US-based Filipinos extolled the late Senate President Jovito Salonga, who passed away at 95 on March 10 as a towering fighter for democ-racy, in the Philippines and while he was in exile in the United States.

Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara, sister of Salonga’s contemporary Senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr., fondly recalled that Ninoy called Salonga “Prof,” a sign of respect and admiration for the latter’s intellect and role as one of Ninoy’s lead lawyers during his “kangaroo trial” before a military tribunal during Martial Law.

“I remember Jovy (Salonga) as one of the leaders of the opposi-tion forces who fought against the tyranny of dictatorship, both in the Philippines and during his exile in the US He was a man of principle and vision, qualities that seem to be in short supply among those who are in the po-litical arena. He will be missed,” shared Kashiwahara.

Philippine Consul-General in San Francisco Henry Bensurto Jr. believe the whole country was saddened by the passing of “a very good man who was a very integral part of contemporary history, a very valiant defender of democracy, an institution when it comes to human rights, and the struggle for freedom and dignity.”

“Having participated in those struggles for democratic rights, I am saddened to see a good man die,” Bensurto intimated. “His legacy includes all the things that he fought for, democracy, human rights, freedom, human dignity, these are values that we will continue to hold dear to our hearts and continue to fight

for and ensure not to lose again. This is something we will carry in the next decades or so and have to fight for and exert a lot of effort to preserve. The whole country and the next genera-tions will forever be grateful to him and he has our love and ad-miration.”

Senator Heherson Alvarez, erstwhile secretary-general of the Movement for Free Philip-pines (MFP also led by Senator Raul Manglapus) and a found-ing chairman of Ninoy Aquino Movement (NAM), recalled that Salonga was a guerilla fighter maltreated in prison during the Japanese occupation.

“We deeply mourn the loss of a fellow freedom fighter against a home grown oppressor,” Al-varez said in an email message. “The clarity of his democratic vision was the spine for his vigorous conscientious objec-tion to martial rule, contrary to the current attempts of twisting history that the dark era of the Marcos conjugal dictatorship was the ‘golden age’ in our country.”

Alvarez recalled that under a restored democracy, Salonga vigorously asserted Philippine sovereignty, helping terminate the US bases agreement.

“He impressed me as an intel-ligent man with high principles and integrity,” said attorney Ted Laguatan who worked closely with Salonga in uncovering “the billions (of dollars) stolen from the Filipino people by the Marco-ses,” preparing the mechanism for the search “even before the dictator’s downfall. He devoted his entire life to public service and continued even after the se-rious injuries he suffered in the

Plaza Miranda bombing. Truly an admirable man.”

Rodel Rodis, also an attorney and an Inquirer.net columnist said Salonga w was his inspira-tion in becoming a lawyer: “I knew he topped the bar in 1944 and that he went to Yale.”

“I met him personally in 1986 after he was appointed by Presi-dent Cory Aquino as chair of the Philippine Commission on Good Government (PCGG) tasked with the recovery of the billions of dollars Marcos and his cronies stole from the PH government. He came to San Francisco and I met him as a volunteer PCGG at-torney,” Rodis said.

Rodis recalled that Salonga went to Pasadena and inter-viewed Marcos paramour Dovie Beams about what she knew of the Marcos wealth. Beams told them that she didn’t know that much because she barely got out of the country after Imelda tried to get her killed.

“I got to know him person-ally and I was impressed by the sharpness of his intellect and in-spired by his passionate love of our country. He was a patriot of the first order,” Rodis said.

For her part, author, editor and journalist Gemma Nemenzo believes that if Senator Salonga was set as the standard by which Filipinos choose their leaders, no one in the current crop of politi-cians would pass.

“He was the last of the great statesmen, along with Senators Claro M. Recto, Lorenzo Tanada, Jose W. Diokno — people who made us proud at a time when being a legislator was consid-ered a sacred trust, not a means to plunder or to abuse.” (Jun Nu-cum / Inquirer.net)

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Filipinos in US laud the late Sen. Jovito Salonga

INTREPID. Women rappel from a helicopter during a training held by the Philippine Coast Guard’s Special Operation Group in Manila on Wednesday, March 16. ManilaTimes.net photo by Russel Palma

NEW YORK CITY—The Philip-pines’ consul general met with top representatives of US Sen. Corey Booker of New Jersey to discuss collaboration on Filipino community concerns, particular-ly pending legislation beneficial to Filipino veterans of World War II.

Consul General Mario L. De Leon, Jr. met with George Helmy, state director for the Office of US Senator Booker at the Philippine Consulate General on Tuesday, March 8. Joining meeting was Senator Booker’s Constituent Advocate Dinesh Suryawanshi and National Chairman Atty. JT Mallonga and Region-1 Chair Atty. Merit Salud of the National Federation of Fil-Am Associa-tions (NaFFAA).

De Leon reported the commu-nity’s attempts to get legislators’ support for Filipino veterans, particularly Senate bill 1555 or the Congressional Gold Medal Award for Filipino Veterans of World War II. He emphasized how such a recognition would honor the valor and service of Filipino veterans who now num-ber less than a few thousand still alive in the US

Mallonga noted that the Filipi-no veterans were the only notable minority group not recognized for their contribution to Allied victory in the Second World War, unlike the Tuskegee Airmen, Jap-anese Nisei, Puerto Ricans and

NY consul, Fil-Ams bring agenda to US senator’s reps

George Helmy (second from right) state Director for Sen. Corey Booker, and Dinesh Surawasnshi (far right) agree to relay to Sen. Booker the issues and concerns raised during their meeting with Consul General de Leon, Merit Salud (far left) and JT Mallonga of NaFFAA. Contributed photo

others who have been honored for their service.

De Leon and Mallonga also re-ported on an initiative to increase the number of Filipino American voters for the US general and local elections this year and be-yond. There are currently about 3.4 million total of Filipino Amer-icans in the US, out of which 340,000 reside within the North-east US region, and 120,000 in New Jersey.

Thus far, only 23,000 Fili-pino-Americans within the Tri-State region have registered to vote, according to Mallonga, who said his group is holding registration drives throughout the year.

George Helmy remarked that the Filipino American population in New Jersey was well-educat-ed, community-oriented and well

integrated into the New Jersey public and that Sen. Booker was very keen on forging closer ties with the community.

De Leon cited the presence of several Filipino-owned small businesses in New Jersey and also brpight up the ongoing dip-lomatic row with China on the maritime entitlement issues of the West Philippine Sea. Helmy and Suryawanshi promised to relay the community’s concerns with Sen. Booker.

The meeting with Sen. Booker’s representatives stemmed from a meeting the Philippine Ambas-sador to the US last January, in which the New York Consulate General and NaFAA agreed to partner in forging the Filipinos community’s ties with US legisla-tors in pursuit of Filipino Ameri-can concerns. (Inquirer.net)

FINAL FAREWELL. Friends and colleagues fill the Senate hall to bid former Senate President Jovito Salonga farewell on Tuesday. Among those who paid their last respects were Senator Loren Legarda, former Senators Leticia Shahani, Rene Saguisag (in wheelchair), Heherson Alvarez, Ernesto Maceda, Joey Lina, Alfredo Lim and Teofisto Guingona. Inquirer.net photos by Marianne Bermudez

SC denies Comelec appeal on issuance of vote...to assuage its fears regarding the VVPAT.

“Vote-buying can be averted by placing proper procedures. The Comelec has the power to choose the appropriate pro-cedure in order to enforce the VVPAT requirement under the law and balance it with the con-stitutional mandate to secure the secrecy and sanctity of the bal-lot,” the high court said.

The high court pointed out that Comelec cannot do away with what is required them to do under the law because it “is not given the constitutional compe-tence to amend or modify the law it is sworn to uphold.”

If there are policy objections, the high court said the remedy is for Congress to amend the law.

“We see no reason why voters

should be denied the opportunity to read the voter’s receipt after casting his or her ballot. There is no legal prohibition for the Com-elec to require that after the voter reads and verifies the receipt, he

or she is to leave it in a separate box, not take it out of the pre-cinct,” the high court said.

Senior Associate Justice Anto-nio Carpio and Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin are on leave. n

Two vote counting machines – one which prints receipts and another configured to only have on-screen verification – sit at the session hall of the Supreme Court for demonstration during oral arguments on the Voter Verification Paper Audit Trail feature of the machines on Thursday, March 17. Philstar.com photo by Edd Gumban

(212) 655-5426 • http://www.asianjournal.com NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 18-24, 2016 A�Dateline USa

Hartke, LIRS President and CEO. “For this reason, we welcome the Reuniting Families Act, a bill that contains key reforms that will allow family members to reunite with their loved ones more quickly. As people of faith, we view family as the basic unit of strong communities and con-gregations. The value of family strengthens our resolve to stand for meaningful and just reform of

this nation’s family-based immi-gration system.”

The RFA is also supported by National Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Na-tional Council of La Raza, Service Employees International Union, HIAS, Church World Service, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Lutheran Immigra-tion and Refugee Services, Immi-gration Equality, Human Rights Campaign, National Center for

Transgender Equality, National Council of Asian Pacific Ameri-cans, OCA Asian Pacific Ameri-can Advocates, National Korean American Service & Education Consortium, South Asian Ameri-cans Leading Together, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, Southeast Asian Resource Action Center, Association of Asian Pa-cific Community Health Organi-zations and National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance. n

Honda introduces legislation to…PAGE A3 t

Democratic Party nomination and winning this election in Novem-ber,” Clinton told supporters dur-ing a victory speech in West Palm Beach, Florida, where her biggest win (214 delegates, 64 percent of the vote) took place.

Clinton added that by the end of the night, she would have two million more votes than her oppo-nent, Bernie Sanders, and hold a lead of more than 300 delegates.

“We are going to stand up for American workers and make sure no one takes advantage of us--not China, not Wall Street, not overpaid corporate executives,” she said.

In exit polls conducted by NBC News, of those who voted across the five states in the Super Tues-day primaries, only about half of Democrat primary voters say they would be satisfied with the outcome if their favored candi-date doesn’t end up the eventual nominee.

About half of Clinton support-ers in those states say they would be satisfied if Sanders were the eventual party nominee.

Sanders would need to win about 72 percent of the remain-ing delegates in order to do so, according to CNN estimates, and time may be running out for him unless he can start racking up huge victory margins in coming state contests. However, most Democratic strategists expect

Super Tuesday Part 3: Trump and Clinton…Sanders to stay in the race for several months.

Clinton’s campaign strategy has been questioned recently, particularly with Sanders’ big win in Michigan, but gave the Vermont senator a tougher climb for the nomination after winning more of the Midwest. Clinton’s multiple victories on Tuesday foreshadowed a general election battle with Republican front-run-ner, Donald Trump.

Trump prevailed in the biggest contest of the night, winning in Florida, North Carolina, Missouri, and Illinois.

“This was an amazing evening,” he said from Palm Beach, Florida, where he gained 99 delegates--the top prize--and 46 percent of the state vote. “This is my second home, Florida. To win by that kind of number is incredible.”

The New York real estate bil-lionaire has won in 18 states so far.

“We’re going to make our country rich again. We’re going to make our country great again, and we need the rich in order to make the great, I’m sorry to tell you,” he said.

Gov. John Kasich managed to best Trump in his home state of Ohio, ridding him of 66 crucial delegates.

“We are all very, very happy,” Kasich told CNN. Despite his win in only one state, it is unclear how he can overtake Trump, who is far

ahead in the delegate race.“I will not take the low road to

the highest office in the land,” he told supporters in Cleveland. “I’m getting ready to rent a covered wagon; we’re going to have a big sail and have the wind blow us to the Rocky Mountains and over the mountains to California.”

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz also claimed “a good night” from a rally in Houston. He and Trump are locked in a tight battle for Missouri, where the Associated Press reported extremely tight rat-ings throughout the night. In the end, Cruz was second in the state, winning 40.7 percent of the vote (and zero delegates) to Trump’s 40.9 percent.

At the end of the night, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, having lost disastrously in his home state, dropped out, leaving three Repub-lican candidates in the race.

“America is in the middle of a real political storm, a real tsunami and we should have seen this coming,” Rubio, who has been fighting bitterly with Trump, said in his final speech. “While we are on the right side, this year, we will not be on the winning side.”

Trump, however, was sweet in his last words to Rubio, congratu-lating the senator for “having run a tough campaign.”

“He is tough. He is smart and he has got a great future.” (Allyson Escobar/AJPress)

PAGE A1 t

fields. Some of these students were selected as skilled foreign workers eligible to apply for an H-1B, starting in October 2008, as part of the old program. Oth-ers can choose to continue their education, while some will depart the United States.

ICE and the United States Citi-zenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials have estimated that approximately 12,000 people will take advantage of the new STEM extension.

The new STEM OPT rules were initially proposed in October 2015 by the Department of Homeland Security, after a federal judge va-cated the previous rules that Au-gust. The judge’s action also left an estimated 50,000 STEM work-ers and their employers hanging, until the DHS drafted a replace-ment for the public student visa program, which essentially paves the way for hands-on job training and experience after graduation.

According to Numbers USA, the original STEM extension was struck down “because DHS did not go through the public and comment process when they is-sued the extension in 2008, which violates the Administrative Proce-dure Act (APA).”

District of Columbia District Court Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle gave a six-month deadline for a replacement program to be devel-oped, after a technology workers’ labor union filed suit against the first STEM OPT program.

Huvelle’s ruling centered on procedural issues discovered in 2008 with the rule’s original im-plementation.

DHS proposed the new rule on October 19, 2015, and received over 50,000 public comments. They had until February 12 to es-tablish the rule under the correct APA procedures.

Beyond offering graduates more field experience, the exten-sion serves to give immigrant stu-dents more time. “If my work visa gets denied this year, I still have

Program allows int’l STEM grads to stay…two more opportunities to apply, and I can keep working with the country,” said 24-year-old Shruthi Aramandla, a New York Universi-ty graduate from India working as an engineer.

According to USCIS, the new STEM program has four new, no-table features:

• Extended stay – The old OPT program allowed STEM gradu-ates to stay for up to two and a half years for on-the-job train-ing. The new program extends the time to three years, enabling workers more meaningful time to train in often highly technical STEM jobs. It also provides extra time for those in the process of applying for study grants.

• Protections for American and foreign workers alike – Under the new regulations, employers must submit formal training and men-toring plans (in line with US work-ers in similar employment posi-tions) to the government for OPT STEM employees. Companies must also pay foreign workers the same wages American counter-parts make. STEM students must also not replace a full-time, part-time, temporary or permanent US worker.

• Greater visa opportunity – By extending the OPT STEM program to three years, the new program potentially provides par-ticipants a third opportunity to apply for a more permanent H-1B work visa. An estimated 250,000 people applied for this visa in the 2014 fiscal year with only about a third gaining approval.

• Quality education assurances – The new program also offers some safeguards to assure for-eign students study at legitimate schools. To work under the OPT STEM program, students must meet requirements such as ob-taining their degrees from ac-credited American institutions. The rule protects students from some disreputable for-profit col-leges, and guards the country against frauds who would simply enroll in a degree mill programs

to gain the OPT STEM extension.The Washington Alliance of

Technology Workers’ lawsuit brought to light exploitation con-cerns with the program, regard-ing replacing American workers with cheaper foreign labor.

“It’s an ongoing assault on American workers,” said John Miano, a lawyer for a technol-ogy workers’ union in Washing-ton State. “They are just trying to double down on what they’re doing before. ‘OK, you didn’t like 29 months? We’ll make it 36 months’.”

A hearing on the issue is set for May in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. De-spite the challenge, according to US News & World Report, ICE’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program will move forward with plans to provide informational ses-sions about the new program for employers, academic institutions and eligible students. ICE also plans to secure training programs and mandate employer oversight, in order to prevent fraud.

“In our mind, it enhances train-ing and puts safeguards in to make sure that if you are an em-ployer that you are not unfairly disadvantaging US workers,” Rachel Canty, exchange visitor program deputy director, told the New York Times.

Heather Stewart, Counsel & Director of Immigration Policy for the National Association of Foreign Student Affairs, noted, “NAFSA is glad that DHS issued the ruling in this manner because it gives DHS time to educate and train their people to implement it. We look forward to working with SEVP on implementation.”

“The labor market is tight,” said Michael DesRochers, president of Loring Consulting Engineers in New York. “We don’t look at it as the international students are tak-ing away American opportunities. We feel we’re offering to all.”

The new OPT STEM extension will take effect on May 10. (Ally-son Escobar / AJPress)

crowd that Manila (referring to Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon) has always chosen who would become the President.

“It would have been alright if they ran the country well but year after year, lots of the country’s wealth are lost to corruption,” the PDP-Laban standard-bearer said.

In highlighting the importance of his candidacy, Duterte said all the taxes have always gone to “Manila,” leaving a measly share to the rest of the country.

Duterte’s political rally coincided with the city’s cel-ebration of its 79th founding anniversary. n

Duterte tells supporters…PAGE A1 t

PAGE A1 t

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte

INAUGURATION. President Benigno S. Aquino III with Solar Philippine Chief Executive Officer and President Leandro Leviste and Department of Energy Undersecretary Donato Marcos during the inauguration of the P5.7 billion Calatagan Solar Farm in Barangay Paraiso in Calatagan, Batangas on Wednesday, March 16. Malacañang photo by Robert Viñas

WASHINGTON, DC — Philip-pine Government officials en-gaged US legislators on March 15-16 to mobilize Congressional support for key Philippine advo-cacies in the United States.

On Tuesday, Philippine Ambas-sador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. and Acting Secretary of Justice Emmanuel L. Caparas led the Philippine delegation in separate meetings with Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) and Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chairman and ranking member of the Sen-ate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), respectively.

The Philippine officials noted the SFRC’s instrumental role in sustaining US interest in the Asia-Pacific region and in giving sub-stance to the rebalance policy.

“The Senate Foreign Rela-tions Committee has been very influential in the decision-mak-ing process of the current US Administration. We recognize the considerable impact that the Committee’s initiatives has had on increasing US foreign mili-tary financing (FMF) to the Phil-ippines and in ensuring that the United States continues to be engaged in our region,” said Am-bassador Cuisia.

Senator Corker observed the importance of raising FMF in view of China’s behavior.

On the other hand, Sena-tor Cardin reiterated that while the US maintains its neutrality with regard to the South China Sea dispute, his country takes a strong position against provoca-tive actions. He also expressed his firm belief in the rule of law and recognized the leadership of the Philippines in developing a regional Code of Conduct.

Representative Randy Forbes (R-VA), a senior member of the House Armed Services Commit-tee and a member of the US-Philippines Friendship Caucus, largely echoed the views of his colleagues in the Senate.

In a statement last March 74,

PH execs advance key advocaciesin meetings with US lawmakers

Rep. Forbes scored China’s re-cent actions in the South China Sea and reaffirmed the impor-tance of the alliance between the US and the Philippines to the maintenance of peace and pros-perity in the region.

“China’s behavior in the Asia-Pacific has undermined regional stability and unnecessarily an-tagonized the Philippines and other partners in the region. The United States has an obligation under its decades-old security treaty with the Philippines to re-sist acts of aggression against our ally,” a portion of the state-ment read.

When they met with Rep. Forbes on Wednesday, the Phil-ippine officials expressed appre-ciation to the Congressman for leading efforts to impel the US Administration to take the nec-essary steps in safeguarding the rule of law in the Asia-Pacific.

Rep. Forbes expressed the opinion that the United States needs to be more present in the South China Sea and that joint patrols would be “hugely impor-tant, helpful and useful.”

The Philippines’ campaign to combat trafficking in persons was likewise discussed with the Sena-tors. Senator Corker remarked that TIP, commonly described as “modern-day slavery,” should not

have a place in today’s world.The meetings with the US law-

makers also aimed to shore up greater support for a bill seeking to award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the more than 260,000 Filipino veterans of World War II.

The bill entitled “Filipino Vet-erans of World War II Congres-sional Gold Medal Act of 2015,” was introduced in the House (HR 2737) and the Senate (S 1555) in June 2015. Senator Cardin and Representative Forbes are among the bill’s co-sponsors.

The bill includes a historical account of the dedicated service of Filipino and Filipino American servicemen and service women during World War II and rec-ognizes them for their courage, bravery, and valor as they served under the command of the Unit-ed States Armed Forces of the Far East.

“As we celebrate the 70th an-niversary of Philippines-US rela-tions this year, let us remember that ours is a friendship forged by the experience of fighting side by side in wars for liberation. It is our fervent hope that our longstanding ties will only grow stronger over time and that our veterans receive the recognition they deserve,” Ambassador Cui-sia stated. n

(L-R) Philippine Defense Undersecretary Pio Batino, Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr., US Representative Randy Forbes (R-VA), Executive Director of the Presidential Commission on the Visiting Forces Agreement Eduardo V. Oban, Jr., and Undersecretary Emmanuel T. Bautista.

MARCH 18-24, 2016 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426A�

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OpiniOn Features

Gel SantoS-ReloS

The Fil-Am Perspective

Philstar.com photo

THE world today is characterized by intense global competition and rapid technological change. According to a human capital theory, economic development is a function of the quality of a nation’s education system. In other words: the more and better educated the people, the better the chances of reaching economic development. The key to success is a well-educated, technically skilled workforce producing high-value-added, knowledge-intensive goods and services.

Job hunting

It is graduation season in the Philippines and up to 700,000 graduates are expected to join the nation’s labor market of 41 million.

However, the Trade Union Con-gress of the Philippines (TUCP) warned that these fresh graduates would have difficulty finding im-mediate employment due to the job-skills mis-match crisis in the country.

“Out of the 4,239,392 domestic and interna-tional job vacancies offered in 3,686 year-round job fairs activities held in 2014 and 2015 nation-wide, only 391,088 were hired on the spot out of the 1,286,073 applicants,” TUCP spokesman Alan Tanjusay said. He added that the job-skills mismatch crisis in the country has been going on -- and it continues to grow. Competition is esca-lating, so employers are putting additional quali-fications in the job descriptions.

Tanjusay also said that heightened competi-

tiveness in the job market -- with little or no adjustment on the part of the learning institutions -- makes job hunting in the country worse than ever.

According to the Department of Labor and Em-ployment (DOLE), out of every 1,000 job appli-cants, only 10 would likely be hired. The majority of the aspirants will not be able to penetrate the labor market and many will eventfully become part of the unemployed.

Those who will fall through the cracks will seek better employment opportunities abroad. It is esti-mated that more that around 4,000 Filipinos leave the country to work abroad every day.

The country has been internationally recognized for its diverse and talented human resources. The skills of Filipino workers continue to impress for-eign employers, making more countries favor the quality of Filipino service. It is awe-inspiring that

Editorial

Filipino workers are in demand and valued by other countries. However, it is also alarming that their own country cannot grant them the same op-portunity.

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are glorified as modern heroes, but back home, the reasons why they left remain harsh realities.

With the impressive showing of the current economy, the protection and promotion of eco-nomic rights of all Filipino workers should be given appropriate actions. The government must continue to generate decent employment opportu-nities that will entice OFWs to come back or local employees to stay. (AJPress)

A WEEK before Super Tuesday 3 -- when five states were slated to vote for the candidate whom they believe should be their party’s nominee for the next president of the United States -- Donald Trump has been criticized from the left, the right, and everyone else in between. The latest round of criticism comes after violent encounters had erupted during his campaign ral-lies between his supporters and those who are op-posed to catapulting him to the highest post of the land.

While candidates may not have direct control over how their supporters may act during cam-paign rallies, Trump’s detractors contend that the problem here was that it has been the billionaire reality show/real estate mogul’s rhetoric and atti-tude against those who oppose him. Even worse, they argue, his toxic regard and public statements against undocumented immigrants, Hispanics, Muslims have gone overboard, and have planted seeds of hatred and divisiveness among his sup-porters.

His critics allege that Trump does not really promise to “Make America great again” if he becomes president, as his popular slogan goes.

What he is allegedly instilling in his avid fans is that “he will make America white again.”

The Daily News even wrote that “the 2016 Republican front-runner’s decision to push divisive rhetoric and policy has opened the door for an array of white su-premacy groups, that suddenly feel emboldened and legitimized

by Trump’s hateful bombast, to rejoin the national conversation.”

Trump says he never condones violence, but his detractors say his hate speech and bold combative statements negate his statements, and do in fact, encourage violence among his supporters.

Some of Trump’s statements were quoted by Vox:

[1 February 2016, Iowa] “If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them, would you? Seriously. Okay? Just knock the hell. I promise you I will pay for the legal fees. I promise.”

[26 February 2016, Oklahoma] “In the good old days, they’d rip him out of that seat so fast. But to-day, everybody’s politically correct. Our country’s going to hell with being politically correct.”

[29 February 2016, Virginia] “Get him out of

here please. Get him out. Get him out ... Are you from Mexico? Are you from Mexico? Huh? Are you from Mexico?”

[4 March 2016, Michigan] “Get out of here. Get out. Out! ... This is amazing. So much fun. I love it. I love it. We having a good time? USA, USA, USA! ... All right, get him out. Try not to hurt him. If you do, I’ll defend you in court. Don’t worry about it ... We had four guys, they jumped on him, they were swinging and swinging. The next day, we got killed in the press — that we were too rough. Give me a break. You know? Right? We don’t want to be too politically correct anymore. Right, folks?”

However, Trump’s supporters remain unfazed and continue to defend him by saying that that’s what they like about him: he is not a traditional politician. He is bold, unafraid and does not bother to be “politi-cally correct,” and that he is the kind of leader that America “needs to get things done.”

After Trump’s big wins on Super Tuesday 3, we will see if his momentum will continue and

make him clinch the nomination of the Republi-can Party.

* * *Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos

Is Donald Trump fostering divisiveness and violence in his presidential campaign?

WHY all the hassle over the two social se-curity numbers (SSN) allegedly used by Sen. Grace Poe when she was living in the US?

In the Philippines, there must be a lot of people who are paying monthly social securi-ty premiums but can’t remember their SS numbers. This, aside from the fact that millions in our country don’t have social security coverage at all.

But in the US, the SSN is a price-less code that you cannot afford to be without and you must know by heart. It serves as your virtual password to making major purchases such as a house or a car, dealing with financial institutions, securing government per-mits and licenses, and gaining access to restricted information, as well as be-ing employed, being paid wages and receiving social security benefits.

But you have to be in the US legally, either as a citizen or as a permanent resident (or green card holder).

You may also be entitled to your own SSN if you are in the US legally but not allowed to work, such as a foreign stu-dent on an F-1, M-1 or J-1 visa. The SS card would bear the legend “Not valid for employment.” As a temporary visi-tor with a working visa, you could also secure your own SSN but it would bear the notation, “Valid for work with INS authorization.”

Needless to say, a person with a questionable immigration status or a TNT (meaning Tago ng Tago – liter-ally, “always hiding”) cannot legally have a social security number.

The SSN is such a sensitive number

that you may refuse to divulge it to a pri-vate business entity or you may be asked for only “the last four digits” of the num-ber. And in making a major purchase that requires revealing the SSN, you do it much

like keying in a bank PIN – without anybody looking.

Note that a person in the US may have his own SSN from birth. And ev-eryone literally carries it to the grave - never to be used again. Thus, when that number appears in official records as having been used by someone other than the original bearer, that is a red flag.

Using an illegal SSN carries a major risk because any enterprising individ-ual, particularly a lawyer, journalist or private investigator, can do an online search and find out the identity of a person who has used a certain SSN.

This appears to have been the case with Poe. Someone keenly interested in her personal background – presumably because of her candidacy for president – dug up not one but two SSNs attrib-uted to her. One SSN appears to have been assigned to her in 1992 after she got married to a US citizen. The other one SSN 005-03-1998, according to online records, was released in Maine in the 1930s to a person who is either dead or is now well past his mid-90s (some online records refer to the per-son as deceased).

Philippine Daily Tribune publisher-editor, Ninez Cacho-Olivares, accept-ing a reported challenge of Poe for the journalist to come up with “proof”

concerning the illegal use of SSN 005-03-1998 (as published in her paper’s March 7 issue), apparently did due dil-igence and came up with incriminating results:

“The Tribune found evidence that in-dependent presidential candidate Sen. Grace Poe and her husband Teodoro Llamanzares purchased a property in the State of Virginia in 2006 with the use of Poe’s spurious US Social Secu-rity Number (SSN).”

Cacho-Olivares also wrote about other instances when the questionable SSN was used by a certain Llaman-zares, Grace P:

“More evidence of SSN-005-03-1988’s use -The records showed that it was first reported use for 2914 Post Office Box in Fairfax county in Merri-field, Virginia 22116-2914 on February 2, 1999; then at 129 Kingsley Rd SW, Vienna, Virginia in Fairfax county on June 1, 1999 and at 12021 Sunset Hills Rd Reston, Virginia on September 1, 1999.

“It was last used at 42931 Shel-bourne SQ, Chantilly, Virginia in Loud-on county on May 1, 2006.

“Grace Poe Llamanzares and her husband, Teodoro are listed as the owner of a home located at 42931 Shebourne Square. Chantilly, Virgin-ia, with a listed amount of $420,000, with named residents Grace Poe Lla-manzare (without an s), Mary Poe, Grace Poe, Teodoro Llamanzares and M. Llamanzares. The SSN used was SSN-005-03-1988, the dead person’s SSN.”

When news of the spurious SSN first hit the newspapers, Poe’s spokesman dismissed it as a lie. He pointed out that the number happened to coincide

with the date that Poe enrolled at Bos-ton College and that it was assigned to her as her college ID number.

In fact, the Department of Homeland Security states the following:

“Are you temporarily in the United States to attend a college, language, vocational, or nonacademic school with a non-immigrant F-1, M-1, or J-1 student classification? Your school may ask you for your Social Security number. Some colleges and schools use Social Security numbers as student identification numbers. If you don’t have a Social Security number, the col-lege or school should be able to give you another identification number.”

Assuming that Poe enrolled at Bos-ton College on a student visa, it is pos-sible that the school asked her for her SSN and, having none, decided to as-sign her an ID number corresponding to her date of enrollment.

But there are some problems with such an explanation. Firstly, would that mean that others who enrolled on that same date were also given the same ID number? Secondly – and this is the one most difficult to understand – why was that supposed ID number in her married name? Shouldn’t it have been in her maiden name, since she had not yet gotten married in 1998?

Thirdly, why was SSN 005-03-1998 used several times by a person going by the name of Llamanzares, Grace P well after Poe had graduated from Boston College (in 1991)?

It is common knowledge in America that many temporary visitors who de-cide to overstay find ways to secure a social security number. In flea markets in California, hawkers openly sell it (of course, keeping an eagle eye peeled

for immigration agents). Some of these numbers are, quite

likely, those of deceased individuals. Others may be the fruits of identity theft. And still others may be random numbers dreamed up by vendors that coincide with genuine SSNs.

Unless Poe can give a credible ex-planation for the uncanny coincidence of two SSNs being used by a person of the same name, then there certainly is something fishy, and it’s not in Navo-tas or Malabon.

Of course, to many of Poe’s undying supporters, this may be a “so what?” issue. Aside from the fact that we Pi-noys tend to be loyal to our idols, whether right or wrong, there must be thousands in our country who have relatives in America using illegal SSNs. So what’s the big deal?

Could that be the reason why the major newspapers like Philippine Dai-ly Inquirer and Philippine Star, have not bothered to write about this matter (except for one single PDI story about the insistence of Poe’s spokesman that the Tribune report was untrue). Per-haps they think that a possible case of identity theft by someone aspiring to become president of the Philippine is not important enough.

But to US authorities, it is a big deal. Using another person’s SSN is a felony and subject to a stiff fine and imprison-ment.

This problem could hound Poe for many years, whether or not she is al-lowed to run for president or whether or not she wins the presidency.

Note that in the US, an unpaid park-ing ticket can hound a recalcitrant all the way to the grave. ([email protected])

GReG B. MacaBenta

Street Talk

Did Grace Poe illegally use a dead person’s social security number in the US?

Donald Trump

(212) 655-5426 • http://www.asianjournal.com NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 18-24, 2016 A�

Dateline PhiliPPines

FOUR candidates for presi-dent, five for vice president and two dozen other candidates for senator and local posts have shelled out P6.7 billion since their political ads started be-ing shown in March 2015, or 14 months ahead of the May 9, 2016 elections, according to the Phil-ippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ.)

The group said with such a high tab, the May 9 elections will be the most expensive electoral exercise in Philippine history.

“Who paid for the ads? The candidates have variably said that their unnamed donors, and/or portions of their own money, covered the expense. But why ever must donors part with their millions when only the candi-dates stand to gain from politi-cal ads? And how, some citizens have asked, should the candi-dates pay back these donors who gave them not just money but also a quick ride to instant celebrity and fame on TV?” the PCIJ noted, citing a report of Nielsen Media, which has moni-tored the political ads of candi-dates shown on TV.

Candidates’ ads bill hits a whopping P6.7B – PCIJ

COOLING DOWN. A child quenches the summer heat with a drink of water, a habit that maybe indispensable these days as El Niño raises temperatures even more. Inquirer.net photo by Jilson Seckler Tiu

“By Nielsen Media’s monitor-ing reports, overkill is an under-statement. It does not suffice to describe the stupendously rich pre-campaign ad spend of four candidates for President–Jejo-mar Binay of the United Nation-alist Alliance; Rodrigo Duterte of PDP-Laban; Grace Poe of the Galing at Puso slate; and Manuel ‘Mar’ Roxas 2nd of the Liberal Party.

Specific to the last detail, Nielsen Media’s reports en-roll the day, date and time, and in which TV programs the ads aired; their rate card cost at the time of broadcast; and which ver-sions of the candidates’ ad mate-rials ran,” the PCIJ said.

In an article, PCIJ executive director Malou Mangahas said if these candidates had been dipping into their own pockets, nearly all of them would now be on the throes of bankruptcy.

She pointed out that Roxas, Binay and Poe “had even made it to the Billion-Peso Club of ad spenders ahead of the official 90-day campaign period that started on February 9, 2016.”

“According to Nielsen Me-

dia’s monitoring reports, as of January 31, 2016 and by the rate card of media agencies, the political ads featuring these three as “advertiser” and “prod-uct” had reached the billionth mark: P1,050,065,096 for Binay, P1,016,414,123 for Poe; and P969,173,267 for Roxas. And while he decided to run only in December 2016, a fourth can-didate for President, Rodrigo Duterte of the PDP-Laban Par-ty, had also recorded a bill of P146,351,131 for his pre-cam-paign ads,” Mangahas said.

She said six candidates for Vice President incurred similarly significant expenses for their solo ads:

P419,002,456 for Duterte’s official running mate Alan Peter Cayetano;

P273,856,544 for LP’s Maria Leonor ‘Leni’ Robredo;

P252,503,856 for Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.;

P29,673,341 for UNA’s Grego-rio ‘Gringo’ Honasan 2nd;

P8,953,380 for Antonio Trillanes 4th; and

P2,776,000 for GP’s Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero. (ManilaTimes.net)

“I AM not scared,” said Om-budsman Conchita Carpio-Mo-rales after she claimed that the camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay has threatened to run after her if he wins the presidency in the upcoming elections in May.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Morales said she had received a threat from the camp of Binay which was “per-sonally conveyed by a valued ally of the vice president.”

“I received threats. The threat was passed through a high offi-cial from a close and valued ally-politician of the vice president,” Morales said.

“They said they are going to run after me if the vice president wins as president. Go ahead, I welcome that,” she added.

Morales said the threat was coursed through a government official whom she refused to identify.

“The threat was personally

Ombudsman Morales on alleged Binay camp’s threat: ‘I am not scared’

by Nestor CorralesInquirer.net

conveyed by a valued ally of the vice president. It was given to a government official, all right, ver-bal. It came to me. It was received by me that this particular official told they will run after me. If he wins,” she said.

Despite the threats she has been receiving, Morales said she would continue to do what is right.

“They are scaring me. I’m not scared. I’m not deterred from do-

ing my work,” she said, referring to the damage suit filed by Binay against her.

The vice president’s camp has said that Morales was part of the demolition team, which aims to derail Binay’s presidential bid.

The Office of the Ombudsman has filed charges against the vice president’s son, dismissed Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay, over the alleged anomalous construction of the Makati City Parking Building II.

The Ombudsman has also rec-ommended charges against the vice president after his term ends in June since Binay is immune from any suit.

The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) President Toby Tiangco has earlier accused the Ombuds-man of hiring a public relations consultant to leak to the media the Commission on Audit (COA) special audit report that found anomalies in the construction of the Makati City Hall Building II.

“That’s not true,” Morales said. n

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales

BALAYAN, Batangas—Lib-eral Party (LP) standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and his running mate Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo has secured the backing of Eduardo Ermita, a trusted ally of former President Gloria Arroyo, for the May 2016 polls.

Ermita, who served as the Ex-ecutive Secretary during the Ar-royo administration from 2004 to 2010, welcomed Roxas and Ro-bredo on Wednesday, March 16 alongside local bets–Balayan City Mayor Manny Fronda, Batangas Rep. Ellie Ermita-Buhain (Ermi-ta’s daughter) and LP’s candidate for Batangas governor, Batangas Vice Governor Mark Leviste.

Fronda and Buhain are mem-bers of the Nacionalista Party headed by real estate magnate and former Senate President Manuel Villar Jr.

Ermita and the rest of the local candidates shared the stage with Roxas and Robredo, with Ermi-ta’s daughter thanking Roxas for the firetrucks that her district re-ceived from the government dur-ing Roxas’ tenure as secretary of Department of Interior and Local Government.

He hailed Roxas as the “next

Arroyo ally backs Roxas, Robredoby llaNesCa t. PaNti

ManilaTimes.net

President of the Philippines.”Roxas, in his speech, also

recognized Ermita for being his mentor when he was still a Capiz congressman in 1993.

Back then, Ermita was a Batan-gas congressman.

He was a member of the House of Representatives from 1992 to 2001, while Roxas was a Capiz representative from 1993 to 2000.

Ermita also a served as Defense secretary from 2003 to 2004 and the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from 1986 to 1988.

In their earlier stop in Dagu-pan City, Pangasinan, the tan-dem of Roxas and Robredo was also endorsed by a former Ar-royo ally, five-time congressman

and former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.

Both Ermita and de Venecia used to be stalwarts of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats party wherein former President Arroyo remains the chairman emeritus.

Robredo, however, clarified that welcoming supporters from different camps does not mean compromising the good gov-ernance platform that she and Roxas are pushing for even if the Arroyo administration from 2001 to 2010 has been rocked by a string of corruption controver-sies, including the botched and overpriced $329-million or P13-billion NBN-ZTE broadband deal and the P728-million fertilizer fund scam.

“I don’t see conflict there. All kinds of support are welcome, but the important thing here is whatever kind of support it may be, our principles and convic-tions remain the same,” Robre-do, whose husband Jesse was a recipient of the 2004 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Good Gov-ernance, said in Filipino.

“What is crucial here is that whoever and whatever kind of support that may be, that won’t affect our stand on issues and our supporters do not ask any-thing in return,” she added. n

Rep. Leni Robredo

MARCH 18-24, 2016 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426A�

peopleevents

artsculture

entertainmentMarch 18-24, 2016

2The Asian Journal NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY MARCH 18, 2016

An Asian Journal Magazine

by AJPress

Love may be universal, but weddings are as diverse as each couple getting married. Like the intricate Mehendi ceremony in India where the bride’s feet and hands are decorated with elaborate patterns and the breaking of glass underfoot to end a Jewish wedding, Filipinos

have their share of fascinating, if not eccentric, wedding customs. The Asian Journal briefs you on what to expect from a Filipino wedding and how amusingly more fun it can be.

All photos by Marc & Phoebe Aviles of This Is It Photography

Happily ever after:things to know before tying the knot

Wedding etiquette 101 The rules of planning a modern wedding are constantly

changing. While it is up to the couple to set the tone – whether adhering to or breaking old-fashioned rules – here are a few tips to consider:

• Don’t put gift registry information on the invitation – Tradition says that the practice of including gift registry information on the invitation is considered inappropriate and in poor taste. Instead, share the information on your wedding website or through word of mouth.

• Scrap the cash bar – Guests shouldn’t be obliged to shell out money during the wedding reception, Bridal Guide says. If offering more expensive alcohol options falls out of the budget, the couple can instead provide basic options like beer and wine.

• Take the time to greet each guest – Since friends and relatives have traveled and blocked off their day to celebrate the wedding, it’s imperative for the newlyweds to greet each guest individually.

• Send out handwritten thank you notes – Generally thank you notes should be sent out no longer than three months after the gift was received.

For guests, there are some rules to consider as well: • Don’t wear white – One of the long-standing wed-

ding taboos has been that guests should not wear white or ivory. Though brides these days don’t always wear a traditional white dress, the rule that guests should not appear to wear something that would upstage or take at-tention away from the bride still stands. Guests, however, can wear an ensemble with some white in it, as long as it’s not all white.

• Bring a plus one only if indicated in invitation – If it doesn’t say “plus one” on your invitation that means you were invited alone. however, if the couple has allowed you to bring a guest, kindly include his/her name on the RSVP so they can include the name on the seating card. It’s also important to make sure that the plus one can come. Generally a plus one means a date; though some wed-ding experts say you can ask if you can bring a close friend instead, if you feel comfortable having that conversation with the couple. (AJPress)

KASALANG PINOYMarriage, according to

Modern Oxford dictionary, is “a union of a man and a woman, typically recognized by law, by which they become husband and wife.” Intuitively, matri-mony poses a rather subjective sense of the matter—often in strict or outlandish fashion—but

it generally induce a concordant purpose which is to formally marry two individuals. Regard-less of the how it is done nor the words spoken, the underly-ing intention remains to be that of shared affection.

Much like love, mar-riage—or at least the ceremony akin to it—in the Philippines

goes back to pre-colonization years. Before the introduction of Christianity in the country, the people have been celebrat-ing this union in a rich, cultural fête reflective of their local credence.

According to history, prior to the Spanish colonization in the early 15th century, a wed-

ding in the Philippines usually lasted for three days. Both the bride and groom are brought to the babaylan’s (a tribal priest/priestess) home on the first day, during which the babaylan performs the first blessing: the couple’s hands are joined to-gether over a container of bigas

Continued on Page 6

enjoy the company of your parents, siblings, families, and friends. A photojournalistic style of wedding photography will capture your candid and emotional moments. Feel your wedding day. It’s okay to cry and show your tears of happiness — that means you are human and enjoying important moments of your wedding, and those real moments make good pictures.

3. Give your photographer a copy of your timeline at least two weeks before the date and ask your his/her opinion about it to ensure you have enough

Picture Perfect: HoW to cHoose a Wedding PHotograPHerteam shared some tips on how to choose the right photographer for your pre-nup/engagement and wedding day:

1. Talk to your photographer candidate. Tell all your concerns, like what you’re looking for, and get answers.

2. Review the photographer’s works. You must like their style. If you are paying top dollar, don’t choose a photographer who doesn’t have any experience in weddings. Wedding photography is a different skill set than other photographies — it’s a mixture of (a) photojournalism where you have to be fast, quick, to capture the story of what’s happening, anticipating reactions, etc; (b) landscape photography to capture the bride and groom in a landscape scenery; (c) portrait photography to ensure you’re captured in your flattering features and body language or pose; and (d) product photography to capture macro shots of rings, wedding details like dresses, shoes, veil, centerpieces etc.

3. Review the photographer’s contract and ensure all your requests and

whatever you paid for are in the contract.

4. Work with someone you are comfortable with.

For pre-nuptial / engagement shoots:

1. Maximize your pre-nup day. Schedule your trial make-up on the same day, after your trial make-up you can go to engagement shoot

2. Come prepared. Make sure your hair and make-up are done, and you have clean nails and have shaved.

3. Prepare wardrobe and accessories. Do different looks or styles per location, and the B&G ‘s wardrobe must not be too clashing, but instead complement each other.

4. Personalize your pre-nup. Some examples include going to the place where you first met, or if both love sports, go to a track and field or baseball court.

5. Scout locations. Check out places where you like to do the shoot and discuss it with your photographer.

6. Be open, comfortable and sweet. Enjoy the moment with your fiancé while being photographed. Your affections will show in the pictures.

7. Prepare wardrobe on how you want to be photographed. If you want something extravagant, style like you mean it. If you just want simple tees and jeans

because that’s your personality, then it’s okay too. If you want to look good in pictures, make every effort to look good in your wardrobe.

On the day itself:1. Do your homework. Plan

months or a year before your wedding, but on the day of, let go of control because you already did your homework and it’s now time to relax and enjoy your day. DON’T stress out on any small or big details because your stress will show in your facial expression body language, and it will be captured in the photos.

2. Enjoy your wedding day. Enjoy your bride/groom, Continued on Page 7

IT’S one of the most important days in your life and of course, it is a must to remember your wedding day through photos. The thing is, not every person is photogenic and most likely, she/he will be busy and nervous about other things. This is why having a good wedding photographer comes in as he or she will know your good angles to create the perfect memories.

Marc and Phoebe Aviles of This Is It Photography have

been in the photography business since 2007, and have received numerous awards in Engagement/Wedding categories notably the Accolade of Excellence for Commercial/Wedding/Portrait/Glamour in 2009 and 2010 from the Wedding Portrait & Photographers International (WPPI). (This Is It at 980 El Camino Real, Suite 380, Santa Clara, CA 95050 / (408) 888-2561 / www.thisisitphotography.com.)

The husband and couple

3The Asian Journal NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY MARCH 18, 2016

An Asian Journal Magazine

BEAUTY QUEEN’S CASE DENIED BECAUSE OF FRAUD, ON A BRAND NEW EPISODE OF “CITIZEN PINOY!” Karen (center) married US citizen Paul (left) in 2007. It was a match made in heaven, until their beautiful life was put under extreme hardship when Karen’s adjustment of status was denied, after she was found guilty of immigration fraud. They submitted a fraud waiver, and even that was denied. The couple was devastated and all plans for their family and businesses were shattered. Everything seemed hopeless until leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (right) took over Karen’s case and fought to convince USCIS Karen never committed any fraud. Watch how the “Beauty Queen” and her family regained their charmed life and Karen’s name was cleared, on a brand – new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” – on Sunday at 6:15 pm(PST) on TFC.

Atty. MichAel

Gurfinkel, eSQ

ImmigrationCorner

WHEN the US Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), their ruling enabled same-sex couples to marry and, for immigration purposes, to petition one another for green cards.

However, what happens if one partner is a US citizen, living in the US, and the partner is living in the Philippines? To file a spousal petition, the couple is supposed to get married, but same–sex marriages are not recognized in the Philippines. So, how does this couple get around that obstacle? The answer is a fiancé(e) (K–1) visa. The basic requirements for a K–1 visa are:

• The petitioner (the person filing the petition) must be a US citizen. Fiancé visas are not available if the petitioner is a green card holder.

• The couple must have met each other, in person, within 2 years of filing the petition. Therefore, the American would need to take a trip to the Philippines to visit their partner, and make sure the trip is well documented, with entry stamps, pictures together, etc.

• When the US citizen returns to the US, the K–1 petition is

How to bring your same-sex partner from the Philippinesfiled, hopefully approved, and the partner in the Philippines goes to the US Embassy for his or her K–1 visa interview.

• Once the K-1 visa is issued, the alien fiancé enters the US, and must marry the US citizen partner within 90 days of entry. If the fiancé does not marry the American who filed the petition, the petitioned partner must return to the Philippines. The sponsored partner cannot obtain a green card or other visa status in the US in any other way except through the petitioning US citizen. (i.e., they cannot marry another American, be petitioned by an employer, change to student visa etc.)

• The couple would then file for adjustment of status and will eventually be scheduled for an interview. They will be questioned about the “bona fides” of their marriage, i.e. if it is for real or fixed. If the officer is satisfied it is a true love relationship, the green card will be issued.

While same-sex couples are now entitled to the same rights and benefits as opposite sex couples, they are also subject to the same requirements, obligations, and suspicions that opposite sex couples are subject to. The officer may question them extensively on whether this is a true “love” relationship,

to discover or rule out any “marriage of convenience.” The same-sex marriage will be scrutinized especially if one of the partners was previously married to an opposite sex spouse and has children from that relationship, but is now in a same-sex relationship? Often, the couple may have kept their relationship “secret” from family and friends. Have they gathered and submitted the appropriate documentation and proof of their true love relationship? They may not have extensive joint documents or pictures together, and if the USCIS questions their friends or relatives, those friends or relatives may be totally unaware of the relationship. Or the interviewing officer may be deeply religious or conservative, and may not approve of same sex relationships, which could make for a difficult marital interview.

Although some same–sex couples, like many opposite sex couples, may think they can file and handle the case on their own, I would strongly suggest they seek the advice, assistance, and representation of an attorney.

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

active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute

a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com

Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US:

(866)—GURFINKELFour offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES

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

Monette

AdevA MAglAyA

ImmigrantLiving: 101 and Beyond

I CAME across an email message from a legitimate contact telling a sad story and asking for emergency money in a far-off land. I googled some phrases and sure enough, it was a scam. Out it went with the spam trash.

My take on this: my contact’s email was breached and his contact list hacked. This is one of the reasons I am loath to forward emails sent by well-meaning friends, no matter how funny.

What is amazing is that people have been victimized by this scam

Tips on scam-proofing yourself“There is a sucker born every nanosecond.” —A play on a quote mistakenly ascribed to circus impresario, P.T. Barnum

all over the world when a few keystrokes would have verified it and a bit of common sense would have raised one’s suspicions.

There are rough estimates of $183 million per year on average that have been scammed from the unsuspecting on the internet. The figure could be more since a big percentage of people will not admit to being conned.

The electronic age has brought us wonders and unbelievable

convenience defying space/time constraints and accomplishing things we can only do in previous times if we were physically present in one place. With an internet connection, we can do great and wonderful things that were the stuff of science fiction not so long ago.

But there is a sinister side to the internet. And it gets darker as moral turpitude appears to be on the rise and our capacity to be shocked is diminished with every jaw-dropping

crime. There was a time when crime was met with swift and appropriate punishment. For as long as the laws which were structured in the past cannot keep up with these phenomenon of cyber crimes, it is in our best interest to learn how to become savvy net users and defend ourselves from the onslaught that comes electronically.

The amount of available crud (translate that to disgusting things like porn, scams and gambling and some such variation of evil) on the net is staggering. In the book I wrote, there is a chapter dedicated on avoiding the pitfalls of scams and the schemes of con artists designed to separate you from your hard-earned money. This time, the level of sophistication is up several notches higher as unemployment and the current economic morass

worldwide is driving people to desperation.

If we are internet users, we are all at risk, unless and until we take the necessary psychological precautions to deal with this and become relatively “scam proof.” No one is sacrosanct. These scams are designed to prey upon two basic weaknesses ingrained in our DNA wiring as humans: GREED and FEAR.

Here’s one blanket caveat to keep us on our toes about how lottery scams and cons play out in cyberspace. REMEMBER — and I can’t emphasize this often enough, on this matter, and perhaps, other significant areas of life — IF IT’S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS. Okay, repeat that as your mantra.

The scams that feed on greed are so sophisticated that they can send a seemingly authentic check

by mail from a real bank with so many zeroes on it. If you bite at the first overture, they then ask for a processing fee from you for you to get the rest of the winnings. This is called the Nigerian scam apparently because the first perpetrators allegedly were well educated but destitute Nigerians who found that their facility for the English language could be exploited to scam millions using the internet.

The scam has spread and morphed with mind-boggling variations but with only one nefarious purpose — to separate you from your money. No one race or culture has the monopoly on these. These can originate anywhere in the world. I have had mine come in purportedly from G8 as well as impoverished countries. If

Continued on Page 7

4The Asian Journal NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY MARCH 18, 2016

An Asian Journal Magazine

BoBBy T. yalong

On thePEP FrontPeople, Events, Places

Dr. Felicisima David Quines: An archetypal epitome of munificence and dedicated service

Continued on Page 5

“WE can all make a difference in the lives of others in need… because it is the most simple of gestures that make the most of difference…” - Miya Yamanouchi

If volunteerism is to be based on theology, easily, it could mean the theory that God is to be conceived as some form of will and the ultimate nature of reality that involves the principle or system of doing something on voluntary action to carry out a policy, an advocacy, or a socially relevant service sans any expectation of reward or material benefits.

Cabanatuan City couple Alejandro and Angela provided life to Felicisima (eldest among

five siblings) with an almost premeditated education and foretold vision…that their first-born would be destined to a certain level of prominence with her assertive ways packed with never diminishing self-confidence and unrelenting fortitude.

True enough, the smart and determined Felicisima (a name of Spanish origin which means fortunate and happy) treaded the right track that led her to where she was predestined: to be a doctor which wasn’t actually her maiden intention. In reality she was leaning towards chemistry but fate had its way that she took the wrong queue that fortunately directed her to the right path where she could be best.

Maturing, Felicisima’s inherent compassionate nature became much more correlated with what she was training for. There was already a consistent overflow of concern for the underprivileged and the needy that gradually built from within. The deprived and the aid-seekers predominantly occupied a soft spot in her heart.

Her humanitarian attribute was eventually supplemented by the same compassionate trait when she married Emilio P. Quines, a graduate from the same medical school who was just ahead of her by two years. Together, they joined hands not only in raising a good-natured family but in sharing to the needy a part of what they were bountifully blessed with.

Dr. Fely Quines, in her instinctively benevolent nature and compassionate ways, could selflessly consider going out of her way if only to extend whatever relief or assistance to those in need. With her equally empathetic spouse they have jointly provided initial capital to Credit Corporation to assist indigents in starting small business for family sustenance, committed to the provision of livelihood support for safe drinking

water, supplied school bikes for students that live in far-flung areas, and initially instrumental in the construction of artesian well projects in various communities deprived of immediate water supply.

Believing that the truest efficacy of humanitarian service is delivering the best one could offer without the benefit of promotion and media hype, the unassuming lady doctor with a munificent heart merely embarks upon what she considers her human obligation sans fanfare. Not everybody knows, even her colleagues in the profession, that the couple had been instrumental in the construction of two fully equipped school medical and dental clinics and a Learning Center for the Disabled.

Their unprecedented benevolence was extended beyond medical services: they had generously provided emergency transportation to geographically handicapped patients from Ifugao and the mountain regions of the Aetas; aided the CDC Foundation Program for the eradication of malaria; and supported various charitable programs like Physician Homes, Inc., Good Samaritan Medical Center Foundation, The

Boystown, Salvation Army, the Statue of Liberty / Ellis Island Foundation, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, American Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and diverse religious institutions.

A graduate of Doctor of Medicine from UERM (University of the East Ramon Magsaysay) in 1968, Dr. Fely Quines and her husband were former presidents of PMAA that made both of them distinctly stalwart spirits and reputable figures in the Filipino-American medical arena.

And as if all these various outreach services she had altruistically delivered aren’t enough to keep her satisfied and fulfilled, Dr. Fely Quines still avails herself for emotional, sympathetic, and comforting guidance and counseling to friends who seek out for her inspiring words of wisdom. Her being a Leo-born (August 12), a hands-on mother, a committed wife, a dedicated medical practitioner, a pious believer, a loyal ally, and a motivated well-rounded individual all summed up to the entirety of her being an iconic personality… caring, eloquent, sincere, and influential.

Since life isn’t all about living and giving… it isn’t everything regarding survival that concerned

sharing. It is all about being able to face and tackle every challenge that crosses our path.The munificent doctor is completely submissive to and controlled by her powerful willingness to serve humanity and share her expertise in any given situation…regardless of the magnitude.

One significant event that endeared her even more to her profession was the horrendous 7.3 magnitude earthquake of August 2, 1968 that rocked Metro Manila and toppled-to-the-ground the posh Ruby Tower like a deck of cards. Just a fresh OB-GYN graduate conscientiously attending to more than 25 babies at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) when the destructive natural calamity occurred, made her realize the need for more doctors not only in the facility but all throughout the country. In such a disastrous situation where she was physically and emotionally impacted, her instant grip for mental alertness and unobstructed vigilance were put to acid test.

By the end of the same year, the audaciously focused Nueva Ecijana migrated to the USA,

Down-to-earth and low-key medical practitionerDrs. Emilio and Fely Quines

The philantrophic doctor, Fely Quines

Together in private practice and public service

SERVICESEMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT

SERVICES

5The Asian Journal NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY MARCH 18, 2016

An Asian Journal MagazineAlden Richards: What I do for Maine is out of free will

MANILA—Eight months into their wildly popular Kalyeserye segment for “Eat Bulaga,” Alden Richards said he still getting to know Maine Mendoza.

The GMA-7 actor added that he considers the 21-year-old actress “special.”

“Mahirap po kasi magpadalos-dalos sa mga desisyon to get into a commitment,” Alden said when asked about the real score between him and Maine during his launch as the newest endorser for medicine Neozep on Wednesday, March 16.

The two young stars, who have catapulted to love team fame thanks to their onscreen partnership on “Eat Bulaga,” have been constantly questioned by fans and the press if their relationship has turned from friendly to romantic the past few months.

This is especially after Alden surprised Maine during her birthday earlier this month by renting a private plane and going to Boracay, where the young actress was staying at the time. Many see this as a sign that Alden and Maine may been becoming more than friends, just like their “Eat Bulaga” onscreen alter egos.

Alden said Maine, too, is also trying to enjoy what they have

right now since she’s new in showbiz.

But he said: “Masaya po kami ni Maine kapag magkasama. I’m very happy kapag kasama ko siya, on and off cam. ‘Yun ang maganda ngayon kasi nabibigyan kami ng chance off cam, without cameras, without anyone following us.

Alden added, perhaps in reference to those who doubt that his gestures for Maine are scripted and “showbiz” and not genuine: “Kung ano naman po ang ginagawa for Maine, I’m doing that out of free will, hindi pilit, walang nag-plant, walang nagsabi.”

“At this point po, we’re still having fun. We’re still getting to know each other kasi it’s been,

what, eight months pa lang.”Nonetheless, the

Pambansang Bae said Maine is one of the most special women in his life right now.

“I’m very happy whenever I am with her,” he said.

Alden spoke to members of the press to promote the cold medicine, which tagged Alden’s family members, such as Alden’s grandmother and siblings, for its new commercial.

What’s next for Alden and Maine after their movie last December and their ongoing Kalyeserye? Alden said there’s a movie in the works, although he can’t divulge the details yet. They will also be part of the annual “Eat Bulaga” Lenten Special, to be aired next week.

by ChuCk Smith Philstar.com

Owen Wilson played tennis, visited BGC, and left quietly

by marge C. enriquezInquirer.net

IT’S NOT true, sources told Inquirer Lifestyle, that Hollywood actor Owen Wilson is dating Filipino businesswoman Wendy Puyat. The rumor circulated when Wilson was spotted arriving at NAIA last weekend.

Inquirer Lifestyle found out that the Academy-nominated co-writer and star of “The Royal Tenenbaums” was actually flying to Hong Kong but took a side trip to the Philippines on the invitation of two Filipino businessmen whom he met through mutual friends.

It’s not true either that Wilson went to the casinos. What he did was spend time at the Manila Polo Club (MPC) and a few clubs in Bonifacio Global City (BGC).

The same Inquirer sources said Wilson wasn’t expecting much but was pleasantly surprised at what Manila could offer. He enjoyed

the facilities at MPC and played a mean game of tennis.

Wilson effortlessly bounced off the balls of his opponent, a former national player.

He also had a good time in Las Flores Restaurant, Revel, and Bank Bar in BGC. Although he didn’t eat anything in Las Flores, he was said to have been very impressed with its ambiance.

Although he fended off requests for photos with fans last Friday and Saturday, he finally relented on Sunday—after visual artist and businesswoman Marivic Rufino bumped into him at MPC’s 51st Annual Horse Show and Equestrian Exhibit.

Wilson and two other Americans were standing near the MPC terrace entrance when Rufino asked him if she could take his photograph. Wilson said yes and even invited Rufino to join him in the photo op while his American companion clicked her smartphone.

After Rufino wished him well on his stay, Wilson thanked her; they shook hands and then he walked to the Cogon Village restaurant.

Wilson left quietly Sunday evening.

Yet even if he and Puyat are not an item (she’s in Hong Kong), another rumor is that he’s dating the daughter of one of his American companions at MPC.

With Llana Samson at the Manila Polo Club tennis court

Artist Marivic Rufino with Wilson at the MPC horse showWearing his signature cap, T-shirt and city shorts, Owen Wilson obliges for a photo op with Oudine Santos.

Fil-Am wins top prize in ‘Fit for Fashion’ Season 2by PatriCia P. eSteveS

Philstar.com

SINGAPORE—A Filipino-American banker from New York City was crowned as the grand winner of the reality TV show Fit for Fashion Season 2.

Thirty-two year-old Jackie Zapata bested 14 contestants, including fellow Filipino Kyle Ramirez and Australian Sam Gaskin in the finals, to take home the $100,000 prize money.

The was held at Singapore’s iconic Capitol Theater during the Digital Fashion Week.

“It’s been a whirlwind. A lot has happened for the past 10 weeks that I was in the competition and I’m still processing it. I feel happy and grateful at the same time,” Jackie told The Star.

Jackie, whose parents hail from Tarlac City, admitted that she had always focused on winning since Day 1 of the competition.

“I think one of the things that I always practice is visualization. So, a day before the finale, I was visualizing that the hosts will say my name as the grand winner. Believe it or not, I was playing it in my head. What I think I want in this competition was to make success almost like a muscle memory. I want to get used to the feeling of being triumphant,” she said.

On the final moment, when she, Kyle and Sam were standing together on the podium and host/judge Louise Roe was set to announce the winner, Jackie said she was already visualizing it’s going to be her.

“I told myself, Louie’s gonna say my name and get used to that feeling because you’ve been feeling it up until now nothing is gonna change that, and when Louise said my name, that visualization became a reality. So I have learned to make success a muscle memory,” Jackie said.

Jackie also made sure that she matched the muscle memory with hard work and determination.

Louise, in a separate interview, recalled an episode when the

contestants were struggling on a boat challenge that was a test of endurance. The rest have given up but Jackie refused to budge and in her agony, she let out a loud, piercing scream that Louise could never forget.

“Jackie just let out a primal scream and I never quite heard a sound like it and I was like, whoa, this girl is on a mission, because to have that kind of energy, to scream like that, it comes from someone who’s out there to slug it out and win,” Louise said.

If Jackie came more determined to win than the rest of the contestants, it was because she wanted to prove that she could rise above her physical limits.

Coming into the show as the girl with an injury, Jackie dislocated her elbow after a cross-fit workout gone wrong. She wanted to prove to herself that her injury would not deter her from winning.

It was the very same injury that weighed her down in life in general, Jackie said. After the accident, she said she didn’t want to exercise anymore and indulged in unhealthy habits, like eating junk foods.

It was through the prodding of her boyfriend Rusty Thompson, who was a contestant in Fit for Fashion Season 1, that she decided to join the show and give it a try.

Never did she imagine that it was going to change her life. Jackie is grateful that she learned how to make her injured left arm stronger again during the competition, thanks to the fitness trainers on the show, Mitch Chilson and Christine Bullock.

“I have to thank Mitch and Christine for making my weak arm strong. One of the things that they taught me was to focus on my injured arm and see where my capabilities were and bounce it out. I had to learn how to build strength in other parts of my body that was straining because I felt I was compensating on my muscles in a certain way. And to keep a slow and steady pace from my lowest strength, I was building on my

mobility. It does take time,” Jackie shared.

“I focused on training mobility, strengthening it and then halfway through the season, I wasn’t even thinking about the pain in my injured arm anymore because I’m starting to feel my strength back,” she said.

Jackie stressed that if you have injury and you are working out, it’s important to listen to your body.

“The key thing is not to hold back when you start to feel the pain or tension but to keep pushing just to take the line where you are uncomfortable, but you’re doing good,” Jackie said.

At the finale last night, she was wearing a lace see-through dress on the runway and wasn’t shocked to know that it was so sexy and revealing. She was not even coy if she looked scantily clad in the dress, in front of many viewers.

For Jackie, it’s time to flaunt the slim body she worked hard for 10 weeks.

“I did know that before the live show that I was going to wear that dress because we had a fitting and I love it. I’ve been working so hard for this new body that I want to showcase it. This entire journey was about taking risks. It says I’m gonna take a risk and find the most daring dress to show the world. That this is who I am and I embraced it. I

Dr. Felicisima David Quines: an archetypal...primarily to expand her medical knowlegeability and professional proficiency and, admittedly, to seek for the proverbial greener pasture. Fiercely armed with her innately ambitious ways that don’t dread anything in the pursuit of higher goals, the new immigrant found it unproblematic to adjust to her new-fangled surroundings and instantly fiddled with her newfound home.

Her new venture openly gave her the opportunity to be affiliated with the Jersey City Medical Center, Christ Hospital (now CarePoint Hospital) and Westchester Medical Center following her US training in Medicine at NJ College of Medicine and residency and fellowship for Adult and Geriatric Psychiatry at Downstate SUNY Brooklyn and Kings County Hospital.

Currently, the affable doctor is an attending physician at the Adult and Geriatric Psychiatry SUNY Downstate-Kings Hospital.

Leadership comes after having been fully equipped with a defining knowledge, empowering status and dynamic foresight, dedicated with powerful command, and the ability to lead… every single asset and much more that the low-keyed

doctor possesses. Aside from being the Lady-on-the-Totem Pole of the PMAA from 2004 to 2005, Dr. Fely Quines was UERMMMC NEC President (2005-2006), PIDCI Grand Marshal (2014), Ladies for Rizal (OKOR LI Chapter) President, former Director of Medicine and Chief Medical Officer of NYS OMH, aside from being the former Editor-in-Chief of The Granary and The Aesculapian.

After all what she had earnestly delivered and meritoriously accomplished with indefatigable energy incredibly channeled into laudable projects, the worth-emulating doctor deserves nothing but only the paramount recognitions and honors due her.

Among her awards and citations brought about by her vast community and philanthropic services included: recipient of Ruby Alumni Outstanding Jubilarian NEHS (2006), NEHS Golden Harvest Award, UERMMMC Foundation Award, Outstanding Fil-Am in Humanitarian Services, Physician of the Year, PMAA 2006 Leadership Award, Commendation from Friends Indeed USA, Woman of Worth Award, and a long roster more from different Philippine

Medical Missions and related civic and social organizations.

The connubial bond of the Quineses was blessed with three children: Emilio III - JD, MBA from Fordham University, VP at JP Morgan Fleming’s Investment Division, and married to Dr. Christine Aquino with a son, James; Alan who has a Masters in Computer Science and Information Technology, Program Manager and Consultant at Allscripts Company; and Lisa, a Management Information Systems (MIS) degree holder and married to Timothy Hulse, an MBA, with 2 kids, Brandon and Ryan.

Incidentally, Dr. Fely David Quines will be duly recognized for her remarkable achievements and influential status in the community and her almost five decades of dedicated service in the medical field (48, to be exact) during PACCAL’s (Pan American Concerned Citizens Action League, Inc.) Women’s History Month Gala on Saturday, April 2, 2016 from 1 PM to 5 PM at the Ramada Plaza Hotel in connection with the celebration of the International Women’s History Month.

For comments and suggestions, please email to: [email protected].

Continued on Page 7

From Page 4

Jackie Zapata

6The Asian Journal NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY MARCH 18, 2016

An Asian Journal Magazine

(uncooked rice). Marking the denouement is the act of blood compact—not for the squea-mish—where the babaylan pricks both the couple’s chest to draw a small amount of blood that will be mixed with water. The couple announces their love three times before drinking the water with their blood and eat-ing the rice taken from the same container on which their hands were adjoined on the first day.

It was only in the 18th century when Filipinos, major-ity of them, started to embrace the Catholic faith and exercise most of the customary practices concordant of the norms and ideologies of the time. The com-mon “white wedding” was the traditional praxis in the subject of matrimony where the bride would wear white and the rest of the entourage would dress up in a formal garb reflective of the couple’s preference or stature. And although the conventional “white wedding,” popularized by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom in her wedding to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg of Gotha on the 10th of February 1840, implies the use of a white wedding gown with European textile and a lace veil—in this case, Honiton lace—the Filipinos have adapted to this custom and made it uniquely their own by using indigenous materials like piña (fiber produced from pineapple leaves) to make the veils, barong (groom’s clothing), etc., all equally representing their rich culture and skilled craftsmanship.

Despite foreign influences, weddings in the Philippines can be distinctly Pinoy; and no matter where in the world it is held, it’s not that difficult to tell because you will know you’re in a Filipino wedding when:

There are more than ten people in your entourage es-pecially when all these people are present:

Happily ever after: Things to know...

Side notesVena Amoris Latin for Vein of LoveIf you’re an Austen

fan—or a reader of any English classic nov-els—you probably wear your engage-ment ring on the fourth finger of your left hand, or would prefer to wear it there if you’re not engaged...yet. Many have argued about its authenticity and scientific relevance, but it is believed that this Vena Amoris is the vein on the third finger of your left hand that runs directly to your heart.

Old custom suggests that giving arinola (chamberpot) as a wedding gift would bring good luck—both to the newlyweds and the giver. (Mary May Portez)

Sukob: Double weddings bring bad luck. Final touches: The bride is not allowed to fit the final wed-

ding dress before the wedding. Sneak peak: The groom must never see the bride on her

wedding gown before the wedding as this will bring bad luck.

Illustrations by Kenno Samulde

Put a ring on it. Where?

Old wives’ tale—or is it?

Believe it

Illustrations by Kenno Samulde and Luigi Cruz

Principal SponsorsCommonly known as

Ninongs or Ninangs, these people serve as witnesses to the marriage and act as symbols of wisdom and support for the bride and groom. These are often friends or relatives (aunts or uncles) whom the couple respect and admire. The prin-cipal sponsors are the official witnesses of the state whose signatures are necessary in the marriage contract part from those of the bride and groom’s.

Secondary SponsorsThey play an important

role in the wedding ceremony. These people are often close friends or relatives of the bride and groom and function as the following:

Coin SponsorsOriginated in Spain and

Rome, arras (Spanish term for earnest money) or arrhae, refer to the wedding coins given by the coin sponsors to the bride and groom. Traditionally, these thirteen (13) coins symbolize prosperity and the groom’s abil-ity to provide for his new family. Modern interpretation would express that while these rep-resent the twelve (12) apostles and Christ, these coins are also signs of the couple’s commit-ment to mutually contribute to the relationship, their children, and the community.

Veil SponsorsRegarded as the “cloud”

denoting the presence of the Lord over the matrimony, the veil represents purity and one-ness. This sheer piece of fabric signifies the couple’s commit-ment to protect each other and the groom’s strength and responsibility to safeguard his soon-to-be wife. Veil sponsors are usually close friends of the bride and groom.

Chord SponsorsThe yugal or chord draped

over the shoulders of the couple getting married is usually made from silk but other wedding cords could also be a string of flowers, link of coins, or a chain designed to look like a double rosary. Customarily, the chord is looped to form a figure eight (8) to symbolize infinity and everlasting fidelity.

Candle SponsorsAlthough some couples

choose to have their parents light the wedding candles, candle sponsors are usually the married friends of the bride and groom. This lighting of candles plays homage to the similar practice done in christening and as a way to signify the light of Christ and His presence and guidance to the couple’s mar-ried life together. The couple can decide, later on, if they will opt to have a unity candle which they will light using the two wedding candles to signify the joining of their families.

Matron of Honor (If mar-ried) | Maid of Honor | Brides-maids

The matron of honor or the maid of honor is expected to help the bride with the wed-ding preparations and is ide-ally expected to organize the bachelorette party. She could also serve as one of the wit-nesses of the ceremony. Often the sister of the bride or the closest friend, she is the official attendant of the bride. Her role entails helping with other wedding-related tasks like bridal shower, coordinating with sup-

� Illustration�by�Kendrick�Tan

pliers, deciding on invitations and motifs, coordi-nating with the suppliers, and many other miscellaneous to-do’s. During the actual wedding ceremony, the maid of honor acts as the bride’s right hand who will be communicating with the wedding planners on behalf of the bride.

Best Man | GroomsmenHe is the counterpart of

both matron of honor and the maid of honor. He could be the brother or the best friend of the groom. The best man has the vital responsibility of safeguard-ing the wedding rings before the ceremony. He can also act as legal witness to the marriage.

Flower GirlsPerhaps one of the wed-

ding highlights, the flowers girls are often relatives of the bride and groom that serve as “little assistants” of the bride. According to history, the refer-ence of “flower girls” dates back to ancient Rome during which marriages are celebrated by a parade of offerings. The flower girls (young virgins) at that time would carry sheaves of wheat and herbs as a symbol for prosperity and fertility. During the Medieval Era, wheat was replaced with garlic to ward off evil spirits. It was only in the early 18th century, Victorian Era, when the concept of flower girls carrying actual blooms was observed. These “flower girls” would carry baskets filled with herbs and fresh blossoms.

Ring BearerThis little page boy has

the responsibility of carrying the wedding rings during the ceremony: a custom that is be-lieved to have originated from the ancient Romans and Egyp-tians during a time when pillows and cushions were considered luxury. As a common practice of the affluent, the ring bearers would showcase these pillows carrying wedding offerings like pieces of gold, silver, or jewelry.

Coin BearerUsually a young boy present-

ing the wedding coins or arrhae to the groom. This practice, which is believed to have been an influence of the Spaniards, symbolizes the groom’s pledge and commitment to provide for his wife.

Bible BearerCould be a relative or a

friend of the bride and groom, although modern day weddings

often have bible bearers as young boys not older than ten years of age. The bible bearer’s main responsibility is to present the bible aloft while marching with the entourage during the ceremony.

The monetary dance be-comes a showcase of aesthetic and wealth

Observed in several parts of the world particularly in Poland, Ukraine, and Yugoslavia—to name a few—is a distinct Span-ish influence. Although the actual practice may differ from country to culture, the monetary dance serves as a creative, if not entertaining, way to offer mon-etary gifts to the newlyweds.

In the Philippines where cre-ativity often is at par with one’s individuality, monetary dances are reflective of a family’s stat-ure.

One (or more) of the rela-tives is part of the entertain-ment

In a Filipino wedding, there’s bound to be a talented relative. A violinist, pianist, drummer, or an angelic singer—heck, even a self-confessed artist—there’s always that prodigy in the family (both sides) and a wedding is the best stage to showcase such talent.

Nothing goes to wasteYou may never admit it, but

you did think of taking some of those desserts to go. Filipinos are known to be resourceful and—excuse the word—frugal. They simply cannot fathom throwing away good food and expensive flower displays.

There’s lechonHaving lechon on any oc-

casion is unmistakably Pinoy. A Filipino wedding without lechon is not a celebration. Period.

No mater how distinct wed-dings are around the world they serve as paragon of love and hope. Questions of “will you marry me” have been asked many times in different languag-es by men (or women) of varying stature from all over the globe with an optimistic statistic that many have said YES. A down-right gamble waging your ego, reputation, emotional invest-ments, hopes, and entire being for an answer that determines your future. Because above all else, it remains to be the most basic, if not consequential, love. And we all deserve it. (Mary May Portez)

From Page 2

7The Asian Journal NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY MARCH 18, 2016

An Asian Journal Magazine

Tips on scam-proofing...you have not consciously joined any lottery, why in heaven’s name would you think you have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning even one thin dime? Also, legitimate lotteries will NEVER, repeat NEVER, ask you for money in order for a winner to claim a prize.

Some scams feed on your fear. One of the most deceptive things is to receive an email from your bank instructing you to click on a link and verify your information since someone supposedly is accessing your account and if you don’t verify your information, particularly your pin number or password, this can result in a temporary hold on your funds.

The modern term for this is “phishing” which refers to the activity of defrauding an online account holder of financial information by posing as a legitimate company. I received one of these phishing calls which had a legitimate ID on the caller ID asking us to call a number and even left a reference number claiming to check on some gas card purchases. I told her I need to verify if her call is legitimate. I detected a hint of dejection in her response. Sure enough, a check on the phone number she left indicated it was a phishing call.

No legitimate financial entity will ask you for financial information online. Cut scammers off at the knees with the simple expediency of calling the fraud unit of your bank or credit card company yourself. Take the bull by the horns. Generate the call. Get the telephone number from your statement or your card and DO NOT CALL THE NUMBER that the caller or e-mailer provided you with. It’s a trap.

If it is an email, hit the spam button and empty the trash. Don’t just delete it. Sure, they will morph into another form but be proactive and make it more difficult for them. These scams are like viruses or shape shifters and can mutate faster than

Fil-Am wins top prize in ‘Fit for Fashion...wasn’t scared to wear it,” Jackie said.

Her journey at the show was all about taking risks, she stressed.

“It was a risk that I took because I don’t know how I will come out of the journey. It took a lot, I have to learn how to trust myself because I did not have that before, and it would be a disservice to me and the team behind me if I say it was easy,” Jackie said.

“It wasn’t easy. It was hard because at the beginning you go into it with enthusiasm. Thinking like I could do this and it’s gonna be fun. But it’s a lot of sweat, tears and a lot of soreness. They put us through a lot to break us down so we can build ourselves up again. My journey was a lot of discovery, believing in myself and looking up sore the next morning,” she said, remembering about the bruises she got from sliding, running and slipping but picking herself up, grueling challenge after grueling challenge.

Her stint on the show also made her discover a lot about herself, her tenacity and how

the speed of light. PC users are more vulnerable to spammers/scammers and pesky pop-ups than Mac users. But this too can change. C’est la vie.

Is there karmic justice? Because con artists rarely ever see the faces of their victims or know the full extent of the damage that they wreak on real people with real lives, these crimes seem impersonal in nature and rarely, if ever, do con artists get their comeuppance. Translate that to jail time or some form of punishment, like being exposed to an anthill, boiled in oil or tickled to oblivion… Just kidding of course… Con artists should be happy we no longer live in Medieval Times.

Often, these scammers are based overseas outside of any jurisdiction. The wheels of justice grind ponderously, exceedingly slow and you sometimes wonder if crime stoppers and society in general, would ever catch up with this distinct phenomenon of the interesting times we live in.

If you think only the “little people” are at risk, think again. Governments and institutions have become easy targets for sophisticated, often juvenile hackers. Cyber crime has reached daunting proportions and has reached the institutional level. Supposedly uber secure websites such as that of the CIA, NSA, FBI, Scotland Yard, the US Congress and mega-corporations like Sony, Nintendo, Citibank and a host of others have recently been either hacked or brought to a halt from the comforts of a teen-ager’s bedroom.

A few years ago, a 19 year old, baby-faced, reclusive boy from England named Ryan Cleary, is alleged to have been responsible for bringing down the websites of the CIA and Scotland Yard. The teener stayed glued to his computer holed up all day in his room filled with posters of scantily clad women.

The upside to be gleaned from such high-level security breaches is

that this exposes the weaknesses of such websites. It also shows how vulnerable we all are. The electronic security industry sees the potential of a business that can change the architecture of the internet by piping the flow of information.

For government operatives to use unsecured email to conduct top secret operations is like dangling fresh bait to a sea of sharks.

Clearly, these breaches, like Julian Assange’s wikileaks, are not for monetary gain but for the notoriety and the bragging rights of being a once lowly unknown gnat bringing down behemoths. The motive is deeply rooted in probably what Andy Warhol once said in 1968, “In the future, everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes.”

But those big holes are for the big boys to plug. As for the ordinary cyber citizens, simply proceed with caution when online. In cyber matters, a healthy dose of cynicism and a smidgen of common sense work as well as an ounce of prevention.

Be on guard. Better yet, UNPLUG for long stretches from Facebook or any other social media or from following inane and insane celebrity tweets on Twitter and strive to live in the REAL WORLD.

Grill mouthwatering salmon steaks brushed with butter and sprinkled with lemon juice or create panini sandwiches on your grill pan. Dance like mad, with or without a partner in private or in a dance hall. Take time to sip your tea or tend to your garden in the spring. Laugh with the kids. Log off for long stretches of time and create something that will make your heart glad. Get back and live in the real world rather than the virtual world. It is our way of affirming that indeed, life is for living.

* * *Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail [email protected]

From Page 3

Jackie Zapata, 32, raises her hands in victory after beating 14 contestants in the reality TV show to take home the $100,000 prize money.

much she can take. It wasn’t only at fitness that she had to be good but also in fashion and diet.

“For two months and a half, I was processing about the things that I discover each day or night about what I can bring on to the rest of me. It was just me discovering new strengths and weaknesses that I had to work on. It was very much up and down, but in the end, I took charge and overcome my weaknesses,” Jackie said.

One of the valuable things that she learned on the show was how to create balance.

“You have to learn what makes you feel good, what habits make you feel good. So that I will only be doing what will nourish me in the end. And of course, I could still have the late-night pizza, but in moderation. The show has taught me a lot about balancing the good, the bad, the stress and de-stressors and try to make a new pattern for myself,” Jackie said.

The show also made her realize that fitness is not just about muscles and not associated with

men alone.“For this season, it’s very

much breaking the boundaries and breaking the pre-conceived notion that fitness is just muscle. Fitness is a lifestyle for men and women and anybody can achieve that. I’m glad that I put that this season,” Jackie said.

“I can say that all the male and female contestants did an amazing job and they all realized their fitness goals, whether they wanted to become thinner or stronger. This show encompasses the fitness of your health and your body and your mind. It’s not just the men who can achieve that but women, too. Women can put it all together,” she said.

Kudos, too, to Kyle who showed true grit and determination in overcoming all the difficult challenges to snag a spot on the finals.

“I might not have won the grand prize but I’m proud to say that I gave it all my best. I know that I emerged a winner as well because I have endured and persisted until the very end,” said Kyle.

If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at [email protected] or [email protected]

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FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS

5th Statewide Disabilities ConferenceAgencies, service providers and caretakers, community organizations, consumers, job-

seekers, families…please join us for the California Statewide Disabilities Conference from March 18-19, 2016 at The Westin Pasadena hotel (191 N. Los Robles Ave, Pasadena, CA). Expert panels/sessions/topics to be discussed include special education for those with disabilities, autism, assistive technology, ACA/Health, civil rights, mental health, financial wellness, discrimination, employment benefits, college supportive services, transition to adulthood, and outreach to the diverse Asian American - Pacific Islander community. This event is sponsored by the Asian & Pacific Islanders with Disabilities of California (APIDC), giving a voice and face to Asians and Pacific Islanders with disabilities, and improving ac-cess to resources for API families. APIDC has hosted four major conferences in California. The conference will also include social service agencies, and exhibitors/representatives such as educators, attorneys, and health care providers. Special gift giveaways and raffle prizes are available to all registered conference attendees. For registration and more information (including scholarships) about the conference, please contact Jamie Hwang at 714-403-3188, [email protected], and visit www.apidisabilities.net.

MARCH 18-19

2016 Piyesta Pinoy ChicagoSunday, March 20 from 11:45am to 4:00pm is the Philippine Celebration (Piyesta

Pinoy sa Chicago), as part of the Neighborhoods of the World series at Navy Pier’s Crystal Gardens (Navy Pier 600 E. Grand Ave. Chicago, IL). Come travel to the Philippines without ever leaving your backyard! This cultural celebration is free and open to the public of all ages. Join us and enjoy an afternoon of lively folk music, special performances, traditional dance, cuisine, arts and crafts. The Philippine American Cultural Foundation (PACF) and thevibrant Filipino community of Chicago is so proud to put on this event for the 5th year in a row, and Piyesta Pinoy is a wonderful opportunity to showcase our culture with our people.For more information, or to volunteer, perform, exhibit, or donate, please visitwww.piyestapinoy.net, or email [email protected].

MARCH 20

Pilgrimages to Eastern Europe, Mexico and IndiaAmazing Pilgrimages for the Jubilee Year of Mercy! All are welcome to join Fr. Joe

Joseph of Holy Trinity Church for the spiritual and fun-filled experiences of EASTERN EU-ROPE (April 17- 30): Poland, Czech., Austria, Hungary, Medjugorje; COLONIAL MEXICO/OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE (June 20 - 27): Mexico City, Theotihuacan, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Ocotlan, Xochimilco, Guanajuato, San Miguel De Allende, Guadalajara, San Juan De Los Lagos, Cristo Rey, Zapopan, Tonala; and INDIA (September 15 - 29): Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Kolkata, Kerala. For more pilgrimage information and detailed flyers, please contact Berna-dette at [email protected] OR call 323-344-1548 & 323-547-6618.

ApRIl-SepteMbeR 2016

Eagle Rock High School Monthly Open House Tours Eagle Rock High School invites the community to International Baccalaureate Open

House Tours, from 8-10am during the spring semester on Friday, March 11; and Friday, April 1. Eagle Rock Junior/Senior High School serves students in grades 7-12, and was the first school in the LAUSD to be authorized to offer the prestigious International Bacca-laureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (grades 7-10) and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (grades 11-12), a project-based program for concept and content-based learning to promote global mindedness and service to others. The IB Open House is open to all interested students, and will include an introductory presentation in the ERHS library, followed by campus tours, classroom visits, and a short question-and-answer period. To register for the Open Houses, please visit www.erhs.la, and click on the “IB Open House Registration” link. Please email Mylene Keipp [email protected] for more informa-tion. We look forward to your visit!

MARCH 1 1 -ApRIl 1

CSFLU 26th Anniversary The City of San Fernando La Union, headed by Vickie Balcita-Neri, will celebrate their

26th Anniversary on March 19, 2016 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Brea (900 E Birch St, Brea, CA 9282). Music will be provided by The Midnight Motion Band. For invitation and other questions, please call Vangie So at (626) 485-3110.

MARCH 19

Prisoners of War Day at the Filipino Veterans Education CenterAll WWII veterans and families, please join us as we commemorate the historic 74th

anniversary of Prisoners of War Day and the Fall of Bataan, the Day of Valor, on Saturday, April 9th. In the spirit of reconciliation, friendship and international cooperation, let us leave the past behind us as we move forward with joined hands to attain peace for all mankind. The formal Commemoration and remembrance ceremony will start at 2:00pm in the Filipino Veterans Education Center, at the War Memorial Performing Arts Veterans Building (401 Van Ness Ave. San Francisco, CA 94102). This event is open to the public. Please RSVP [email protected]; [email protected]. Tel: 415 564 6262.

ApRIl 9

Chino Hills Multicultural FestivalInspired by last year’s successful celebration of the community’s diversity, the Rotary

Club of Greater Chino Hills Foundation will host its second Multicultural Festival on Satur-day, April 23, from 3 to 9 pm, at the Chino Hills Community Center (14250 Peyton Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709). Admission is free. There will be food booths, live entertainment, music, dance and performances by an array of participants. Sponsorship and advertise-ment packages are available for non-profit organizations to fundraise, and for businesses interested in market their products and services. For more information, contact [email protected] or visit www.chinohillsrotaryclub.org. Contact: Ted Alvarez (909) 456-0359, [email protected]; Tessie Lightholder (909) 576-4152,[email protected], or Ginny Mondonedo (951) 212-4624, [email protected].

ApRIl 23

COSC celebrates 27th Anniversary The Candonians of Southern California (COSC), under the leadership of their newly

elected president, Mrs. Elizabeth Gacula Singh, will celebrate their 27th Anniversary on April 30 at the Doubletree Hotel-Monrovia (924 W. Huntington Dr., Monrovia). Music will be provided by The Midnight Motion Band. For questions and those interested, please email [email protected].

ApRIl 30

PUP/PCC to hold 1st Global ReunionAttention all graduates of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and the Philip-

pine College of Commerce: join us in our FIRST GLOBAL REUNION being organized by the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Alumni Association, USA Inc. scheduled on May 27-29, 2016 (Memorial Day Weekend) at the New Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. We promise a weekend of fun-filled activities, of friendship and camaraderie as we reminisce our best memories during our high school and college days. There will be lots of entertain-ment, singing and dancing and photo opportunities with your classmates and friends.

For more information, please contact any of the following: Loi Herrera at 562-544-8210 or [email protected]; Monette Santillan-Rivera at 818-970-8317 or [email protected]; Rose Mejia at 323-997-3838 or [email protected]; Marissa Sugay-Palanca at 818-281-7460 or [email protected]; Rose Maghari at 661-794-8906 or [email protected]; Sally Mendoza at 323-695-0235 or [email protected]; Honeylette De Leon at 562-480-5743 or [email protected]; Virginia Herbito [email protected]; Connie Acosta at 323-854-5303 or [email protected]; Violeta D. Cristobal at 310-880-5808 [email protected]; Jun Mapoy at 323-627-5326 or [email protected].

MAY 2016

time for photos.4. If you got a well-

experienced photographer, then you are in good hands. You don’t have to worry about your angles and poses because a skillful photographer will bring out the

best in you.5. Prepare a list of group

pictures beforehand and assign somebody to call out the groups, so that you won’t have to call your people. Remember your photographer won’t know who your friends or relatives are, so

they can’t chase anyone. Inform your friends and relatives that you want them to be in the formal group pictures so that they won’t be missed in the photos, and this will make most use of your schedule. (Malou Liwanag-Bledsoe)

Picture Perfect: How to choose...From Page 2

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8The Asian Journal NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY MARCH 18, 2016

An Asian Journal Magazine