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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

The Fil ip ino AmericAn communiTy newspAper

w w w. a s i a n . c o mVolume 14 - No. 38 • 3 Sections – 22 Pages SePtember 18-24, 2015

1001 Bayhill Drive, Suite 200, San Bruno, CA 94066 • Tel: (650) 616-4150 • Fax: (650) 616-4152 • www.asianjournal.com Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NEw YORk/NEw JERSEY

DATELINEUSAfrom the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

HELLO TO A NEW DAWN. Sen. Grace Poe waves to supporters shortly after declaring her intention to seek the presidency in 2016. The much-anticipated but predictable announcement on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at Ang Bahay ng Alumni inside the UP Diliman campus capped months of speculation about the senator’s plans. The ruling Liberal Party had been courting her as running mate for its presidential bet, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas. Inquirer.net photo by Marianne Bermudez

the administration’s standard-bearer in the 2016 elections.

In a press briefing, Presidential spokesperson edwin Lacierda said unlike other poll candidates who are promising change, the administra-tion and manuel roxas II are running on a platform of continuity.

“We are confident of our campaign platform. We are confident that the people, as they continue to see the benefits that they receive, the people will rely and trust the ‘Daang Matu-wid’ coalition and platform,” Laci-erda said.

taking an apparent swipe at Poe’s

perceived promise of change, Lacier-da said the administration’s reforms should be continued for the Philip-pines to prosper.

“her ads stated ‘bagong umaga,’ so she’s talking about change,” he said. “We’re running on a platform of con-

As Poe declares 2016 bid, Malacañangconfident Filipinos will support Roxas

by Louis Bacani Philstar.com

mANILA—Ahead of sen. Grace Poe’s announcement of her presi-dential candidacy, malacañang ex-pressed confidence on Wednesday, sept. 16 that voters will still support

CALooCAN rep. edgar erice on Wednesday, sept. 16 expressed dismay that senator Grace Poe has de-clared her presidential bid even after the Liberal Party (LP) invested in her in the 2013 elections.

“Kawalan (sa LP) kasi kasama namin siya sa team PNoy noong 2013.

We invested with her, then iniwan niya kami,” er-ice said.

Poe topped the 2013 senatorial elections when she ran as an independent under the administra-tion coalition team PNoy led by the LP.

A political affairs officer for the LP, erice said it may be the LP’s loss that Poe refused its offer to run as vice president of its standard bearer, Interior sec. mar roxas. But the party is not harboring ill

Erice: We groomed Poe, then she left us

by Marc Jayson cayaByaBInquirer.net

Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice

UNA exec: Binay’srunning mate apresidential wannabe

mANILA—the camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay is now looking at three presidential wannabes to be the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) standard bearer’s runningmate in the 2016 presidential elec-tions.

UNA secretary General JV Bautista said Binay has yet to talk to the prospective running mates, all of whom have expressed their respective presidential bids, about his offer.

“he has not talked to them yet. It still is on the level of the search committee but it’s almost final... it has already entered the stage of selection. When we say selection, it is now a matter of him talking to the po-tential candidate,” Bautista said.

he said that the three prospective vice presidential bets have equal chances of being selected as Binay’s partner in the polls.

three correc-tional officers at a santa Clara County jail were charged on tuesday, sept. 8 with the murder of a mentally ill inmate who was found dead in his cell in late August.

the District At-torney’s office filed charges against 28-year-old fil-Am Jereh Catbagan Lubrin, from san Jose, California, matthew farris, 27, and rafael ro-

Fil-Am Jereh Lubrin, 28, was one of three Santa Clara County deputies charged on Tuesday, Sept. 8 for the murder of an inmate. Credit: Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office

Fil-Am among jail deputies charged for death of inmate

CALIforNIA lawmakers ap-proved and sent to Governor Jerry Brown a plan to help low-income residents have greater access to legal services.

the bill, known as senate Bill 134, would allow the state Bar to collect

Senate-approved plan would promote legal services for low-income Californians

Sen. Robert Hertzberg

mANILA—manny Pacquiao doubts he will have a rematch with floyd mayweather because

Pacquiao is OK with no rematch with Mayweather

by Dennis carcaMo Philstar.com

by oLiver Teves Philstar.com

the American says he’s retiring. And besides, boxing is not his priority these days.

mayweather beat Pacquiao in boxing’s richest fight in may, and after he defeated Andre Ber-to last week for the 49th win of his undefeated career, he said he will retire.

“Boxing is not my focus be-cause I can only fight next year, to give my shoulder a rest,” Pac-quiao told said on Wednesday, sept. 16.

Pacquiao was still rehabilitat-ing the right rotator cuff that was injured before the fight, and had

surgery for afterwards.

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PAGE A3

PAGE A3

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PAGE A2

PAGE A2

PAGE A2 Mar Roxas Inquirer.net photo

Manny Pacquiao AJPress photo by Robert Macabagdal

sImI Valley—fIfteeN repub-lican presidential candidates took the stage on Wednesday, sept. 16 in a two-segment debate hosted by CNN at the ronald reagan Presidential Library’s Air force one Pavilion.

the afternoon kicked off with second-tier candidates south Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, Pennsylvania senator rick santo-rum and former New York Gov-ernor George Pataki, all of whom have been at the bottom of the polls.

though Donald trump was not onstage during the first segment, he was still a prominent point of discussion, as moderator Jake tapper asked Jindal about his re-cent comments targeting trump.

“Let’s stop treating Donald trump like a republican,” Jindal retorted. “he’s not a conserva-tive.”

Pataki later chimed in to com-plain that there were other issues to discuss -- given it’s an “impor-

GOP hopefuls face off in second debate by chrisTina M. orieL anD agnes consTanTe

AJPress

tant election” -- yet the opening questions were about the real-es-tate mogul and republican front-runner.

“I will vote for the republican nominee but let me say this flat out, Donald trump is unfit to be President of the United states or the republican party’s nominee,” he said.

the four candidates tackled the issue of deportation and what the United states should do with the estimated 11 million undocument-ed immigrants in the country.

Graham and santorum said America needs a rational im-migration system because of its declining workforce, noting that American workers are the most affected.

“We’re not going to deport 11 million undocumented immi-grants here illegally, but we’ll start with felons, and off they go. And, as to the rest, you can stay, but you got to learn our language,” Graham said.

Graham also added that “in my world hispanics are Americans,” noting that republican candidates

september 18-24, 2015 • NOrCAL AsIAN JOUrNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150A�

From the Front Page

tinuity. For every country, if you look at the Asian countries that have prospered, it’s because... the good economic policies have continued.”

As Poe is also expected to present her platform, Lacierda said Roxas will present his poli-cies in time.

Lacierda said he believes that Filipinos will trust Aquino’s words that Roxas is capable of sustaining the reforms of the ad-ministration.

“He (Roxas) will be doing policy speeches but klaro naman sa sinasabi ni Pangulong Aquino itong… ang 2016 po ay magig-ing referendum po ng Daang Matuwid and naniniwala po tayo na ang ating mga kababayan ay marami pong maniniwala po sa

As Poe declares 2016 bid...PAGE A1 sinabi ng ating Pangulo,” the Pal-

ace officiaL said.Poe is scheduled to announce

her candidacy this afternoon at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Lacierda refused to comment on what could possibly happen in today’s event.

During the 2013 senatorial election, Poe ran under the ad-ministration ticket and received the highest number of votes.

After topping the recent sur-veys on voters’ preference for president, Poe was initially con-sidered by Aquino as the possible standard-bearer of the adminis-tration.

Aquino eventually endorsed Roxas as his preferred successor, saying the latter is more experi-enced than Poe.

feelings against Poe.Erice said it is time for the LP

Erice: We groomed Poe...PAGE A1

our vice presidential candidate,” Erice said.

“Kasama namin siya noon sa pagsusulong sa tuwid na daan, pero ganun talaga… We cannot

deny the fact the Senator Poe is popular. Siguro na-overwhelm siya sa kanyang popularidad kaya siya tutuloy sa pagtakbo sa pagka-presidente,” he added.

to move on from courting Poe.“Well, makaka-move on na rin

kami kasi we can finally choose

PAGE A1

could target Hispanic voters next year.

“[I]mmigration without as-similation is invasion,” Jindal said. “We need to insist the people who come here come here legally, learn English, adopt our values, roll up their sleeves and get to work. We do need to secure the border.”

Hours before the debate, im-migration advocates bearing signs and oversized papier mache cari-cature heads of Trump, Rubio and Walker flocked to the entrance of the Reagan Library to protest the Republican candidates’ stances on not granting citizenship to illegal immigrants.

Candidates also shared their positions on minimum wage, with Santorum proposing a 50-cent per

GOP hopefuls face off... Scott Walker) took to the stage at 5pm PST.

Each candidate was positioned on stage based on their rankings in recent polls.

A day before the debate, a CBS/New York Times poll indicated that non-politicians Trump and Carson have the most support with 27 per-cent and 23 percent, respectively, of Republican voters backing the candidates.

Trailing behind are presidential hopefuls are Bush, Huckabee and Rubio, all of whom have received 6 percent of support from Repub-lican primary voters, according to the same poll.

In Wednesday’s debate, CNN sought to capture the GOP candi-dates’ combative spirit through in-person engagement and on cam-era, the New York Times reported, as opposed to the first debate, which was hosted by Fox News. In the first such encounter among

Republican candidates, the Times reported that Fox relied much on three experienced moderators to pose challenging questions that led candidates to deliver prepared answers and sparse memorable moments on stage.

“My goal is more about: Let’s draw the contrasts between the candidates, and have them fight it out over these policies, over who has the best approach to Putin, over who has the best approach to taxes, over who believes what over immigration reform,” said Tapper, CNN’s chief Washington correspondent, who moderated Wednesday’s debate. “Have them lay it all out so voters can see it.”

Tapper was joined in the ques-tioning by CNN chief political cor-respondent Dana Bash and Salem Radio Network talk show host Hugh Hewitt.

Analysts expected a showdown

hour increase throughout a three-year period.

“How are we gonna win if 90 percent of Americans don’t think we care about them and their chance to rise in America?” San-torum said.

However, Graham countered that a federal increase in the mini-mum wage would be detrimental to businesses.

The remaining 11 candidates (former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, neurosurgeon Ben Carson, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fio-rina, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Ohio Governor John Kasich, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, Florida Senator Mar-co Rubio, businessman Donald Trump and Wisconsin Governor PAGE A4

(650) 616-4150 • http://www.asianjournal.com NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • SeptembeR 18-24, 2015 A�Dateline USa

unclaimed donations from mem-bers to fund a student loan repay-ment program for public interest attorneys.

“Every year, thousands of young lawyers graduate from law school with a desire to launch their careers performing public service,” said Sen. Robert Hertz-berg (D-Van Nuys), who helped author the bill. “Faced with sky-rocketing education costs, how-ever, more and more of our finest legal minds are opting instead to go straight into private practice.”

Lawyers of both parties de-scribed the legislation, SB 134, as an “innovative revenue source for a worthy program,” said a state-ment from the office of Hertzberg in Sacramento.

“There is too little incentive to work in public-interest areas of law today because the pay often is substantially lower than in private practice,” Hertzberg, who is also a lawyer, said.

SB 134 would support a loan-assistance program for attorneys committed to serving the pub-lic interest, by using unclaimed funds in lawyer trust accounts.

The proposal was unanimously approved in June by the state Senate.

SB 134 was previously approved by the Judiciary and Appropria-tions committees, also without a dissenting vote. The bill was next approved by the Assembly.

If the bill becomes law, an op-tion to donate to the Public In-terest Attorney Loan Repayment Program could be added to State Bar dues statements as soon as next year, the Metropolitan News-Enterprise reported.

According to the American Bar Association, the average debt of a 2012 law school graduate was about $85,000 when graduat-ing from a public school, and $122,000 from a private school.

“This level of debt makes it dif-ficult for attorneys to pay off their debt, despite any interest in pub-lic service,” Hertzberg’s office said in a statement.

As a direct result, legal-service advocates (such as child support agencies) have found it increas-ingly difficult to keep talented at-torneys staffed.

“Public interest law offices

Senate-approved plan would...

driguez, 27, who were suspected of murdering 31-year-old Michael Tyree.

“Michael Tyree was not protect-ed by those correctional officers who were supposed to protect him,” Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen told press. “In-stead, they killed him and we have now charged them with murder.”

Court documents reveal that Lu-brin, Farris and Rodriguez report-ed finding Tyree unresponsive, naked and covered in feces and vomit in his cell after midnight on Aug. 27. They tried to revive him, Sheriff Laurie Smith told the Los Angeles Times.

However, an investigation found that the three beat Tyree to death on Aug. 26. Earlier that night, a jail nurse told Lubrin that Tyree pock-eted his prescription medicine in-stead of swallowing it. Lubrin then confronted Tyree to take his pills.

Documents show that later on in the evening that Lubrin and Farris conducted a routine search of the cells, while the inmates were par-ticipating in “program time” in the common areas.

Rodriguez joined the two offi-cers to confront inmate Juan Villa. They allegedly hit Villa in the head and twisted his arms, according to the investigative report prepared by Sergeant Marc Carrasco. The three also face assault charges for this encounter.

They then continued their search of other cells, including Tyree’s. Lubrin and Farris alleg-edly entered Tyree’s one-man cell while Rodriguez waited outside the door.

Carrasco’s report stated that Tyree reportedly asked “Do I have to get up?” and was ordered to get up by Farris.

“Inmate Tyree’s distinctive voice

Fil-Am among jail deputies...

PAGE A1 must retain talented attorneys to ensure that their clientele consis-tently receive an acceptable level of service and equal access to justice,” Hertzberg told the com-mittee.

In a bill analysis, the Judiciary Committee staff explained that the program is authorized by legisla-tion carried by Hertzberg when he was in the Assembly. The Loan Repayment Program was created years ago to help lower student debt of attorneys agreeing to practice in certain public-inter-est areas of law. The bill became law in 2001, but the program has never been funded.

A budget item that would have appropriated $100,000 for startup costs was vetoed by then-Gover-nor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2007.

The California Student Aid Commission would administer the program, such as establishing eligibility and selecting partici-pants eligible for up to $11,000 for four years of service in quali-fying agencies.

How the commission would access the funds collected by the State Bar is not yet certain, the Judiciary Committee said. No op-position was received, the analy-sis said.

While the clients continue to have the right to claim their prop-erty, the property is transferred to the state General Fund after be-ing held three years.

A similar program in Oregon has collected more than $450,000 since 2010.

Supporters of the bill include the California Public Defenders Association, California State Con-ference of the NAACP, Equal Jus-tice Works, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Mexi-can American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Legal Aid As-sociation of California, Hastings and McGeorge law schools, Ven-tura County Public Defender’s Of-fice, and Worksafe.

Gov. Brown has 30 days to sign, veto, or allow the bill to become law without his signature.

“Too often we grant rights without providing the tools to make those rights real. Here is a creative way to ensure those rights,” Hertzberg said. (Allyson Escobar/AJPress)

PAGE A1 could be heard screaming, ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Stop,’” Carrasco detailed. “Screaming could be heard throughout the pod for sev-eral minutes and was accompa-nied by the sounds of thumping, wall banging and what sounded like blows to a person’s body. At some point during the screaming period, Officer Rodriguez closed the door so that it was open a small amount.”

Tyree died “within minutes to no more than one hour,” the re-port said, after the incident with the officers left him with wounds on his eye, chin and cheek; bruises above his left ear; and injuries on his upper arms, legs, back and hips. The injury on Tyree’s lower left back ruptured his spleen and liver and caused internal bleeding, Carrasco stated.

“The officers then left Inmate Tyree’s cell continuing their searches. They did not call for medical assistance for Inmate Tyree,” the report said.

After midnight, Lubrin went back to the cell for the routine welfare check and radioed, “man down” upon finding Tyree’s body. Tyree was subsequently pro-nounced dead at 12:35 am.

An attorney for Tyree’s fam-ily said he was schizophrenic and had battled mental illness most of his adult life, according to an NBC report. He was reportedly going to enter a residential treatment program at the Momentum Crisis Residential Treatment Center, a nonprofit for substance abuse, af-ter serving his five-day sentence for petty theft and drug posses-sion.

The death of Tyree — who was housed in a special wing of the jail reserved for inmates in pro-tective custody or with special

As a congressman, he said he was focused on building homes for the homeless in his southern home province of Sarangani.

“I’m OK. Whether there is a second (bout with Mayweather), it’s not a problem,” he said. “I heard he has retired, so it doesn’t matter.”

For his next fight, he said he will take on any other contender, “because I do not choose my op-ponents.”

Pacquiao also said he was waiting to see if U.S. boxing authorities will sanction May-weather for taking an IV drip af-ter the weigh-in for their fight in Las Vegas.

Punishment seemed unlikely, as Mayweather has been sup-ported by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, to which he disclosed the infusion beforehand. The

Pacquiao is OK with no rematch...PAGE A1 USADA said it contained no pro-

hibited substances.Pacquiao’s camp was critical

of anti-doping authorities who did not allow him to take medi-cation for his rotator cuff injury before the fight.

On Mayweather’s IV, he said: “What I want to know and clarify is if he committed an offense, how will the rules be applied?”

Regarding the Philippines general election in May 2016, Pacquiao refused to disclose his plans. He told reporters he will soon announce whether he will run for re-election or governor of his province, or seek a seat in the Senate.

He is expected to make his an-nouncement, and the presidential candidate he will support, before the Oct. 16 deadline for filing of candidacy papers.

PAGE A4

CLIMATE scientists say pow-erful tropical storm El Niño is on track to become “one of the most powerful on record” – also strongly suggesting that the West Coast could face heavy rainfall this winter.

“But El Niño still hasn’t sealed the deal, and there still needs to be a dramatic change in the winds in the Pacific Ocean if it is to be as strong as it might be,” said Bill Patzert, climatologist for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge, California.

“It’s still very impressive, but it’s a marathon with an El Niño,” Patzert said. “At 20 miles, do you hit the wall? Or do you pick up the pace?”

At this point, El Niño is strong and could be even stronger than the 1997-98 storm, which brought heavy rains, deadly flooding and mudslides across California, giv-ing the southern state double its rainfall and the mountains double the snowpack, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The latest National Weather

El Niño ‘likely, but no guarantees’by Allyson EscobAr

AJPress

Service’s Climate Prediction Center’s forecast, issued Thurs-day, Sept. 10, said that com-puter models unanimously favor a strong El Niño, and that there is a 95 percent chance that the storm will continue through the winter.

The rains prove beneficial for California, which is experiencing its fourth year of severe drought.

The Climate Prediction Cen-ter’s deputy director, Mike Halpert, said Thursday that sea-surface temperatures in a benchmark location of the Pa-cific Ocean are now exceeding 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above the average. Those are the high-est temperatures recorded “for the first time since the end of the 1997-98 El Niño.”

“The present El Niño is already one of the strongest on record and is expected to strengthen further through the late fall or early win-ter months,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with Stanford University. “At this juncture, the likeliest outcome for California is a wetter-than-average winter.”

According to Swain, California could receive stronger storms

than typical, especially between December through March. With sea temperatures particularly warm offshore, that could bring even more atmospheric moisture to fuel storm systems bound for this state, he wrote on his blog.

“All of this suggests that there could be a substantially increased risk of precipitation-related haz-ards this winter in California, in-cluding flooding and landslides,” Swain said.

The harsh effects of the drought -- deaths of trees, thick ash and debris left behind by wildfires -- could also increase the risk of mudslides and debris flow this winter.

California has already been feeling the effects of El Niño, with an increased number of hur-ricanes in the eastern Pacific that have sent intense storms over the state this summer. El Niño is a factor in the rising humidity and scattered thunderstorms and flooding over the Southland this week.

“This El Niño is already hap-pening and it’s already having impacts,” Patzert said, “as warm ocean water from the western Pa-

cific Ocean surges to the Ameri-cas.”

“But for this coming El Niño to rival the infamous “Godzilla El Niño” of 1997-98, the east-to-west trade winds of the Pacific Ocean along the equator need to dramatically collapse, which would allow the sea near Peru to warm up even further. And that hasn’t happened yet,” Patzert added.

“At this point, there’s no guar-antees.”

Weather experts are also warn-ing that while more rainfall would certainly be welcome, there is virtually no hope that one rainy winter could reverse the severe effects of the four-year drought. It would take many years of above-average rain and snow to officially end the drought and refill empty, dried-up reservoirs and wells, experts say.

“Californians should continue to use water carefully and spar-ingly in the face of the ongoing extreme drought,” state climatol-ogist Michael L. Anderson said in a statement. “Californians should not count on El Niño to end the drought.” n

UNA exec: Binay’s running mate...PAGE A1 the government in case some-

thing happens to him. In other words, somebody who will not only be winnable but who will be very capable,” he said.

He said UNA is expected to make the announcement of Binay’s running mate and com-plete senatorial slate on the last week of September.

Bautista said that Binay’s run-ning mate should not only be popular but has the capability to run the country in case some-thing happens to the president.

“He has become a vice presi-dent so in his experience the vice president should also be some-body who can take the reins of Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay


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Fil-Am among jail deputies...PAGE A1

needs — has reopened the debate about how jails treat mentally ill inmates.

“This is a tragic sad heartbreak-ing event,” family attorney Paula Canny said. “And that Michael Tyree, even though he was an inmate in jail, he was a person of value and inmates are to be respected. Michael was some-body’s brother, somebody’s son, somebody’s cousin, somebody’s nephew.”

Lubrin was hired as a correc-tional officer at the Santa Clara County Main Jail in 2012, a step in his dream of being in law enforce-ment. Lubrin was inspired by his grandfather, according to Dwight, who was a second lieutenant in the Philippine Army.

“He looked up to my dad,’’ Dwight said.

Rodriguez said that he was in-side Tyree’s cell for the search that night, but never had physical con-tact with Tyree.

“It sucks being in here for some-thing I didn’t do,” Rodriguez said.

Lubrin, Farris and Rodriguez

are scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 18. If convicted, they could face life in prison.

“These men violated the law, human dignity, and the job that they were sworn to do,” District Attorney Rosen said in a state-ment. “They may have thought that their violence, enacted late at night in the obscurity of a jail cell and against a helpless and mental-ly ill inmate, was invisible. Today we see it for all of its brutality. Mr. Tyree was not invisible. His death was not invisible. We will see that there is justice." (Christina M. Ori-el/AJPress)

Since the arrest on Sept. 3, Lubrin’s family and friends have stood by him, describing him as a loving and caring individual.

“He likes his job, and he works well with his sergeant and all of the good people there,” Lubrin’s father Dwight told the San Jose Mercury News. The report also said Lubrin told his father that “something had happened with an inmate” at the jail and told his mother, Julieta, “don’t worry. I didn’t do anything.”

Nearly 4,000 foster kids in Calif. live in group homesPALO ALTO—The number of

foster children in California who live in family-like placements, instead of shelters or group homes, has declined since 1998, according to the Lucille Pack-ard Foundation for Children’s Health.

Children fare best in fami-lies. To preserve the wellbeing of children who enter the fos-ter care system, out-of-home placements must be in the set-ting that most closely resembles family life. The same holds true for children in the child welfare system.

The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 was meant to ensure that children in the child welfare system grow up in families-cared for in their own homes or the homes of relatives whenever possible, or in new permanent homes if not. While the vast majority (more than 80 percent) of foster children in California are living in family-

like placements (i.e., in Foster Homes or Foster Family Agency Homes, with Guardians or Kin-Relatives, or in Pre-Adoptive families), between 1998-2014, the proportion of children living in these types of placements did not grow; rather, it saw a slight decline.

That means that each year, there remains a substantial number of foster children living in non-family placements, such as shelters, group homes, and other congregate or temporary placements.

In 2014, there were nearly 4,000 foster children living in group homes, one of the least optimal placement options.

The US foster care system aims to provide temporary living arrangements for children while attempting to safely reunite children with parents, or to find other permanent homes.

In reality, many foster chil-dren spend years in the system,

and move between multiple homes. Children age 6-20, as well as those with disabilities or illnesses, and those of African American and American Indian descent, comprise a dispropor-tionate number of youth in the foster care system

Children in the system face higher risks of physical and mental health problems as well as academic barriers.

Advocates of providing all children with safe, permanent homes, urge policymakers to ensure that prevention services, mental health resources and educational support are avail-able to foster children, their bio-logical parents, and their foster parents.

Efforts, they say, should also be made to recruit and support foster families who are kin to the children in their care, as well as non-kin families who are well-suited to provide homes to these children in need. (Inquirer.net)

BETHESDA, Maryland—Po-lice in Montgomery County be-lieve that a Filipino caregiver, who was arrested for allegedly stealing $193,000 from an el-derly couple and fled after post-ing bail bond, is now hiding in the Philippines.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department has issued an active arrest warrant for Al-exander Manguiam, 46, who was already facing charges of theft scheme $100,000+, theft $100,000+ and stealing prop-erty of a vulnerable adult, ac-

cording to an August 25 WJLA (ABC7) report.

Manguiam was reportedly hired in February 2010 to care for a Bethesda couple then in their late 80s in declining health. The husband passed away in February 2013. His wife was confined to a bed and wheelchair but is still alive to-day.

In September 2013, Wells Fargo Bank’s financial crimes unit contacted Montgomery County Police after flagging a forged check Manguiam had

Filipino caregiver wanted for alleged $193K theft in Marylanddeposited in his personal ac-count.

After an investigation, de-tectives found that Manguiam allegedly altered 44 of his pay-checks, for instance, in one case he turned a check for $1,630 into $4,630.

In 21 other instances, Man-guiam allegedly stole checks from the elderly couple’s din-ing room cupboard drawer and later made them out to himself. The grand total stolen over three years was $193,608.

Police arrested Manguiam in December 2014. He later posted bond and moved into a friend’s Silver Spring home while await-ing trial.

But Manguiam did not show up for his August 7, court date at Montgomery County Circuit Court. He had to surrender his Filipino passport prior to post-ing bond, but authorities fear Manguiam still managed to flee to the Philippines. (Inquirer.net)

between Trump and Fiorina, for-mer CEO of Hewlett-Packard, dur-ing the second round of the debate, as Wednesday would be the first time Trump would come face-to-face on live television with Fiorina after he insulted her “face.”

As election season continues, the RNC is planning to engage more Filipino-American commu-nities in Nevada and other battle-ground states. On Wednesday, it hosted a debate watch party with Fil-Am Mayor Ron Falconi of Brunswick, Ohio and the local community.

“The Republican National Com-mittee (RNC) continues to lay the groundwork for our eventual nominee by engaging and having a strong presence with our Filipino

PAGE A2

GOP hopefuls face off... candidates’ positions on immigra-tion, education, the economy and others pertinent to AAPIs.

Chu specifically pointed out how Trump and Rubio and Walker sup-port building a 1,900-mile fence along the southern US border, that Trump is in favor of mass deporta-tion, and that Carson has backed the use of drones on American soil to secure the border. She also spoke about how Bush has called for a crackdown on visa overstays, which Chu called a “coded attack on AAPI immigrants.”

“The ultimate irony here is that conservative champion Ronald Reagan primed legislation giving legal status to up to three million undocumented immigrants. With policies like that, Ronald Reagan would most likely be in the happy hour debate if he was a candidate in this cycle. It’s just another in-dication of how extreme the Re-

publican party has become,” Chu said.

The GOP candidates’ stances on the the economy -- with Trump in support of maintaining the fed-eral minimum wage at $7.25 per hour and other Republican hope-fuls saying there shouldn’t be a minimum wage -- would not be well-received among middle-class Americans, according to Chu.

“That line of thinking won’t be popular with middle-class working Americans who’ve seen their wag-es remain stagnant for decades, while the richest have seen their income skyrocket,” she said.

Despite the fact Trump is ahead in the polls, Honda said that was OK with him.

“If Trump is leading, it’s fine with me. Any of our candidates can beat any of those candidates hands down without even trying,” he said.

communities across the country. Unlike the DNC, the RNC has staff and volunteers listening to the con-cerns of Filipinos and encouraging them to get involved with the Re-publican Leadership Initiative in an effort to take back the White House in 2016,” Ninio Fetalvo, RNC APA Press Secretary, told the Asian Journal on Wednesday.

Ahead of the debate, the Demo-cratic National Committee took to a conference call on Tuesday, Sept. 15 to discuss how the Re-publican presidential candidates’ policies do not benefit the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

Reps. Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific Amer-ican Caucus, and Mike Honda, both from California, brought up

(650) 616-4150 • http://www.asianjournal.com NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • SeptembeR 18-24, 2015 A�

Dateline PhiliPPines

THE International Monetary Fund remains bullish on the Phil-ippine economy “despite uneven and generally weaker global growth prospects.”

The IMF gave this assessment in a press release after the con-clusion of the 2015 Article IV Consultation between the Philip-pines and the IMF on August 26.

The IMF’s Title IV Staff Report noted the Philippines’ continued strong economic growth, which is in line with the economy’s po-tential growth of 6.5 percent.

The IMF’s Executive Directors, agreeing with the appraisal of the IMF staff report, commended “the Philippine authorities’ pru-dent macroeconomic manage-ment,” which has helped contrib-ute to strong economic growth and for having “set the stage for favorable growth prospects de-spite external headwinds.”

Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. expressed appreciation for the effort of the IMF staff and the as-sessment of the Executive Board.

“Our economic performance can be credited to the good governance model of President Benigno S. Aquino III under the Daang Matuwid or the ‘Straight Path,’ as well as the sound mac-roeconomic management imple-

mented by Philippine economic managers,” the Ambassador said.

The following are the notable findings in the Staff Report:

IMF recognized that internal revenue increased as a share of GDP due to improvements in the Philippines’ tax administration.

The Philippines’ economic growth is expected to pick up slightly in 2015 to 6.2 percent as lower commodity prices lift household consumption and im-proved budget execution raises public spending. The IMF added that over the medium term, the country’s economic growth is projected at 6.5 percent, which is in line with the Philippines’ po-tential growth. Public and private investments are projected to lead economic growth, with public in-frastructure spending and expan-sion of PPP projects crowding in private investments.

IMF added that despite a fa-vorable outlook, factors such as global financial volatility, weak budget execution and weather-related conditions tilt risks to-ward the downside. However, the IMF noted that Philippine authorities are well equipped to respond as needed with suitable policies should any of these risk

scenarios materialize, particu-larly given the strong funda-mentals, ample policy space, and strong foreign reserve po-sition.

“As our country continues to reach new heights in political and economic affairs, the Philip-pine government remains com-mitted to enhancing inclusive growth,” Cuisia stressed, spe-cifically citingthe government’s commitment to rollout reforms to improve revenue collection.

Also highlighted in the Staff Report is the Philippine govern-ment’s bolstering of growth-in-clusive budgetary expenditures. These programs include the De-partment of Social Welfare and Development’s conditional cash transfer program, the expansion of the Philippines’ education pro-gram from Kindergarten to the Grade 12 level, and expansion of the health insurance program to cover the poor and informal sec-tors.

Under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds annual bilateral discus-sions with member governments to assess each country’s eco-nomic health and determine any potential financial concerns. (In-quirer.net)

IMF: Outlook for PH economy remains favorableTRAnSPORTATIOn Secretary

Joseph Abaya on Tuesday, Sept. 15 blamed losing bidders for the delays in government flagship projects like airports and sea-ports, at the hearing on his de-partment’s budget at the House of Representatives.

Abaya told the lawmakers: “There are many contractors in the DOTC that use MRs (motion for reconsideration) as their next course of action after not winning a bid. It’s like the elections—no-body loses, all were cheated.”

He was reacting to a complaint by Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Bato-cabe, Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento and Kabataan Rep. Terry Ridon about the inordinate delays in the awarding of flagship projects by the DOTC.

Batocabe said that DOTC’s project deployment record was abysmal compared to the De-partment of Public Works and Highways and Philippine Ports

Abaya: ‘Sore losers’ delaying gov’t projectsby Gil CabaCunGan

Inquirer.net Authority (PPA) which manage to award their projects ahead of schedule.

‘Extremely’ delayedUnder the Government Pro-

curement Act, state agencies are mandated to implement projects within 144 days from the date of the bid announcement.

Batocabe pointed out that DOTC projects, like the Bicol In-ternational Airport and the reha-bilitation of the Legazpi Airport and key shipping ports, were ex-tremely delayed.

“The Bicol airport project was begun in 2009, with a prom-ised completion date of 2016. Six years later, the airport isn’t even halfway done. With further delays, it won’t be finished on time,” Batocabe said.

“This is not an isolated case. Be it big or small, DOTC projects were all belatedly awarded in vio-lation of the procurement act,” he added, citing the Pili port develop-ment (138 days delayed), the Di-masalang port (175 days delayed),

the Prieto Diaz port (70 days de-layed) and the Legazpi airport de-velopment (92 days delayed).

Ridon said he had received reports the DOTC has been de-laying the bidding of at least 10 airport projects nationwide for no apparent reason.

He said this has raised suspi-cions that projects were being manipulated by “powerful politi-cal forces.”

Abaya, however, told the law-makers the DOTC had no reason to delay projects because their performance bonuses depended on how fast they implemented them.

Abaya said the DOTC’s budget has grown three to four times since 2012 but the number of its personnel, specifically engi-neers and bidding experts, has remained the same.

He said the DOTC should not be compared to the DPWH which has a “highly distributed procurement system” all the way down to the district level.

by Jose Rodel ClapanoPhilstar.com

MAnILA—Leaders of the House of Representatives said they would exert all efforts to pass the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which seeks to create a new autonomous region in Mindanao, before the end of the month.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chairman of the ad hoc committee that drafted the proposed law, issued the state-ment during the opening of the exhibit of the Office of the Presi-dential Adviser on the Peace Pro-cess in the House of Representa-tives.

“A lot of people see this (BBL) as solving the persistent and re-curring conflict in Mindanao. This is the best solution we have at this time. Despite the fact that time is short, we are giving this our best shot,” Belmonte told re-porters.

He appealed to his colleagues to be present during plenary ses-sions so that the deliberations on the BBL can continue and be voted upon before the end of the month.

Speaker vows to pass BBL before end of the month

“Let’s all vote on it (BBL). Even if you’re against it, just vote… but let’s all be there,” he said.

Addressing lawmakers and other concerned sectors, Bel-monte said the country is now in “very interesting times and every other critical piece of legislation must be backed by the support of the general public.”

“Unfortunately, camps who

oppose the passage of the BBL sow misinformation to gain un-fair public support. Myths are crafted to erode the momen-tum of the proposed bill, raising questions on constitutionality and distribution of power and re-sources,” he said.

Rodriguez said the House will ensure that it will not pass a BBL

HOLIDAY. Pres. Benigno Aquino III has declared Friday, Sept. 25, which marks the Muslim holiday Eidul Adha, as a regular holiday. “The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) recommends that the observance of Eid’l Adha in the Philippines be on 25 September 2015 based on the Islamic Calendar and the declaration made by Saudi Arabia’s highest religious authority, thereby amending its earlier recommendation to observe the occasion on 24 September 2015,” Proclamation no. 1128 said.

PAGE A7

Government peace panel head Miriam Coronel-Ferrer chats with MILF chief negotiator Mohager Iqbal during the opening of the exhibit of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process at the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Sept. 15. Philstar.com photo

september 18-24, 2015 • NOrCAL AsIAN JOUrNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150A� Dateline PhiliPPines

MANILA—There is no truth to China’s earlier announcement that it has stopped its reclama-tion activities over the disputed West Philippine Sea, the Armed Forces Western Command said on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

Western Command head Vice Admiral Alexander Lopez on Tuesday said that China is still conducting construction activi-

AFP exec: China reclamation halt not true

HERITAGE REDISCOVERED. A hidden heritage has been “rediscovered” deep in the mountains of San Remigio town, Antique province. A cluster of rice terraces spread in a combined area of 600 hectares has been preserved by the Iraynon Bukidnon, an indigenous group in Barangay (village) General Fullon, and is deemed a cultural treasure. Inquirer.net photo by Ruperto Quitag

by Patricia Lourdes VirayPhilstar.com

ties in the disputed territory.“They told the world that

they have completed four rec-lamation projects but they never did announce that they have stopped their construction works. It’s just technicalities,” Lopez said.

Lopez, however, clarified that the Chinese have stopped all reclamation activities but are now conducting vertical con-struction activities in Mischief, Subi and Fiery Cross Reefs.

The West Command official noted that construction activi-ties in the said areas are “going full blast.”

He noted that the facilities being constructed in the areas may be used for humanitarian and military use.

“We will see, we have to be very vigilant in monitoring,” Lopez said.

The said facilities are expect-ed to be completed by the end of the year.

Under the law, the non-pay-ment of the total administrative disability pension to pension-ers may be a violation of the 1987 Philippine Constitution which guarantees “immediate and adequate care” to veter-ans and their beneficiaries.

The law mandating the pay-ment of the total administra-tive disability pension was passed in 1994. However, the government only began paying this in 2010, leading to unpaid pension obligations worth P25 million in 2010.

The government began pay-ing the pension to 28,993 World War II veterans in April 2010, covering the period of 2003 to 2009. The payment then was P4.1 billion which came from the PVAO’s reform dividends.

The payment was imple-mented using the Direct Re-mittance Pension Servicing System, which also purged in-valid pensioners from the list.

The DRPSS facilitates pay-ment through direct remit-tance to the pensioners’ bank accounts with PVAO-accred-ited banks and financial in-stitutions, instead of the old

method of sending checks by mail.

As of September 2013, the government settled P2.9 bil-lion in outstanding pension ar-rears to living veterans, bring-ing the total payment to P6.9 billion.

Data from the PVAO showed that since January 2011 up to the present, the govern-ment has been able to pay the monthly total administrative disability pension.

However, veterans who died before the government started paying the pension in 2010 have not been paid.

In a statement, the PVAO said it has recommended to President Aquino that the government immediately pay the pension arrearages to the surviving spouses aged 80 and above.

It was learned that P243 mil-lion was appropriated in the 2015 budget for the surviving spouses.

There are 16,237 surviv-ing spouses above 80 years old who will benefit from this, the PVAO said as it sought an additional P2.7 billion for the purpose.

PH gov’t owes veterans, other pensioners P17Bby JuLie M. aureLio

Inquirer.net

THe goverment owes P17 billion in administrative dis-ability benefits to more than 80,000 pensioners, including war veterans and the surviving spouses, due to lack of funds.

The Philippine Veterans Af-fairs Office lamented that the welfare and well-being of the veterans were not being pri-oritized. At the same time, the legislature has failed to enact laws to upgrade the benefits of pensioners.

“We do not want to blame anybody for this. We just want the truth to come out, just the facts,” said ernesto Carolina, PVAO administrator.

As of August, the govern-ment’s obligation in total ad-ministration disability pension arrears was P17.53 billion to some 83,346 beneficiaries, including living veterans, the surviving spouses of deceased veterans and other pension-ers.

Under the law, a veteran who reaches 70 years old is deemed totally disabled and is entitled to a P1,700 monthly pension.

THe Philippines, which suf-fered the wrath of the most powerful storm ever to hit land in 2013, could complete its re-building in as little as two years, a UN official said on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

Areas ravaged by Superty-phoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) had shown dra-matic improvement since the di-saster barely two years ago, said Margareta Wahlstrom, United Nations special representative on disaster risk reduction.

Wahlstrom made the remarks after a visit to Leyte which suf-fered the brunt of Yolanda which devastated an area the size of Portugal and left at least 7,350 people dead or missing in No-vember 2013.

“It was encouraging to see how much progress they have had in two years,” she told re-porters on the sidelines of forum on disaster relief.

She said that usually, when major disasters strike, it takes up to 10 years for the affected area to fully recover.

However Leyte was reviving quite quickly with a lot of invest-ment and construction going on and the agricultural sector mak-ing “huge progress.” “We don’t need to think about 10 years. We can think about two years,” she said.

“If you go there now, you will already see important change. If you go there in another two years and it (the recovery) con-tinues at the same pace as of

now, it will be very visibly a new place,” Wahlstrom said.

She credited local towns for diversifying their economies and for efforts to rebuild their infrastructure.

Whole towns were destroyed by Yolanda with the government forced to provide survivors with temporary shelters which were criticised for being unsafe and poorly built.

But Wahlstrom said she had seen a lot of permanent housing being constructed with many people ready to move in.

The Philippines is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, at risk from earth-quakes, volcanic eruptions and an average 20 typhoons yearly. (Inquirer.net)

Leyte rebuilding fast after ‘Yolanda,’ says UN official

MANILA—The embattled military on Tuesday linked to the media Lumad leaders who claim that the New People’s Army (NPA) are to blame for the killings of indigenous peo-ples in Mindanao.

The Lumads, who held the press conference in Camp Agu-inaldo in the presence of sol-diers, denied activists claims of widespread militarization in the countryside.

They also claimed that the communist rebels, not soldiers, are the ones manipulating in-digenous peoples and occupy-ing communities.

“There are no armed govern-ment forces in the community. The NPA rebels are the ones occupying our area to control indigenous peoples and seize ancestral lands,” said Datu Malapandaw Nestor Apas of

Lumad leaders blame NPA for Mindanao killingsby aLexis roMero

Philstar.com

Protesters are blocked by soldiers in anti-riot gears during a rally to condemn the killings of three Lumad leaders in Surigao Del Sur at the general headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Quezon City.

the Langilan Manobo tribe in Davao del Norte.

“We are not lapdogs of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Phil-ippines). We were not ordered to do this,” he added.

The military is being blamed for the spate of Lumad killings in Mindanao, including the murder of emerito Samarca, executive director of Alterna-tive Learning Center for Ag-ricultural and Livelihood De-velopment (ALCADeV) and indigenous people’s leaders Dionel Campos and Bello Sinzo in Lianga town last September 1.

Activists said the three were killed by an Army-support-ed paramilitary group called Magahat-Bagani Force. The military, however, denied the allegations and attributed the incident to “tribal conflict.”

The press conference was held amid mounting calls to

punish the group behind the Lumad killings and to investi-gate the alleged militarization in Mindanao.

Art Tariman, convenor of the Victim of Injustice, Terrorism and Criminality in Mindanao and the one who asked the mil-itary to connect the Lumads to the media, said the indigenous peoples paid for their airfare to Manila.

The military, however, was mum when asked if the Lumads are staying in one of its head-quarters while they are in the metropolis.

Datu Marcial Belandres of the Igua clan in Barobo, Su-rigao del Sur, said the NPA has attacked communities who re-fused to be under its control.

When asked if they have evi-dence that would prove that the communist rebels are behind the violent activities, Apas said, “For sure there is evidence but

we do not have it right now.”“The datus are right when

they said that the NPA is just making these things up,” he added.

When asked whether the military helped the Lumads reach the media because it is trying to save its image, Maj. emmanuel Garcia of the AFP Civil Relations Service said, “We just want to ferret out the truth.”

(650) 616-4150 • http://www.asianjournal.com NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • SeptembeR 18-24, 2015 A�Dateline PhiliPPines

What’s the objective behind the recently emerging new de-tails, or versions, of the Mamasa-pano debacle?

Getulio Napeñas, former head of the special action Force (saF), posed this question, as he dis-missed Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) reports that a “Cau-casian” was killed in the Jan. 25 police operation in Maguindanao province and that international terrorist Zulkifli bin hir alias “Marwan” was killed by his aides, not the saF commandos.

sought for comment, the former saF commander maintained in a phone interview with the Inquirer on tuesday, sept. 15: “there was no other nationality, foreigner, or american … involved in the combat operations. and I stand by that. I know my men who went there.”

Napeñas pointed out that the rumor about a Caucasian being killed in Mamasapano had sur-faced before. he explained that it might be because two of the slain saF troopers had Caucasian-like features: PO2 Romeo Cempron and PO4 Noel Golocan.

asked who were behind the video, he said, “there’s only one possibility, and they are people out to discredit the saF.”

“Of course, the MILF. they want public acceptance because of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL),” Napeñas said. “Now, if they think they could do this to get the BBL approved in Congress, I think,

Napeñas laments anti-SAF storiesby Jaymee T. Gamil

Inquirer.netthey are making a mistake.”

the surfacing of the video fol-lowed a report, also from un-named MILF sources, that it was Marwan’s aides, not the saF, who killed the terrorist.

the report, in turn, came in the wake of a statement made by President aquino in a forum with the Inquirer last week that there may be an “alternative version” of the events in Mamasapano.

the elite Philippine National Police team lost 44 men in the Jan. 25 operation when they got caught in a firefight with the MILF and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in the area. survivors, as quoted by the Philippine Na-tional Police board of inquiry who looked into the matter, earlier said Marwan was killed in his hut in a firefight with the saF strike force. the commandos managed to cut off a finger for DNa identification.

Napeñas was relieved of his post following the bloody opera-tion.

Napeñas said it was “painful” that the saF’s accomplishment taking out Marwan was now be-ing belied by MILF claims “with-out proof or basis.”

“Isn’t that a slap on our faces?

It’s an insult, painful for us, not only the saF but for the entire PNP,” he said.

Napeñas also pointed out that the PNP, senate, house of Rep-resentatives and Department of Justice had investigated the Ma-masapano debacle.

“there was nothing about that. then suddenly the MILF spoke. It is a slap on the Philippine inves-tigative agencies, a slap on the whole Philippine nation by the MILF. all the investigating agen-cies are being discredited by the MILF statement that is without basis,” Napeñas said.

“after how many months did they put this out? What is their ob-jective? the saF is being discred-ited, the entire nation,” he said.

Napeñas said he “welcomed” any new investigation into the Mamasapano incident.

“We welcome that because we have only one truth,” he said. “Most importantly, they should bring out witnesses and evidence of these so-called alternate ver-sions or alternative truths. the burden of proof is on them.”

asked about the video of the purported Caucasian fatality, the PNP spokesman, supt. Wilben

Mayor, maintained: “a series of investigations were made relative to the incident in Mamasapano. Unless contrary evidence will be presented, its findings stand.”

the executive summary of the report of the PNP board on Ma-masapano, released in March, stated: “the Us was involved in the intelligence operations and medical evacuations. No Us per-sonnel/troops were involved in the actual combat operation. the Us supported the operation by providing technical support to enhance monitoring of the troops on the ground. they were also in-volved in the identification of Mar-wan through DNa analysis.”

In Zamboanga City, an elite po-lice commander, whose men were among those killed in the Mamasa-pano clash, said witnesses should corroborate the “alternative ver-sion” claim on the incident.

“they should come out with witnesses,” supt. Reynald arino, commanding officer of the 5th special action Force Battalion, said in Zamboanga City. Of the 44 saF commandos killed, 35 were arino’s men.

he maintained that Marwan was killed by saF commandos.

The University of the Philippines is still the top university in the country, according to the QS World Rankings.

MaNILa—the country’s leading universities slipped further in the Qs 2015 World Rankings.

the University of the Phil-ippines (UP) still topped the online rankings of Philippine universities with an overall rank of 401st to 410th, a sig-nificant drop from last year’s 367.

ateneo De Manila Univer-sity (aDMU) ranked 501st to 550th, lower than its overall ranking of 461st to 470th last year.

the overall world ranking of De La salle University also slipped from 651st to 700th to 7001st.

Top Philippine universities slip in world rankings

Meanwhile, the University of santo tomas maintained its ranking of 701st in the world’s top universities.

UP ranked 257th while aDMU ranked 395th in terms of academic reputation.

In terms of employer reputa-tion, UP scored 201 followed by aDMU with 259, DLsU with 291 and Ust with 384.

the Massachusetts Institute of technology is still the top university in the world.

six performance indica-tors were used to assess the world’s top universities - glob-al reputation, research impact, staffing levels and internation-al reputation.

PAGE A5

Speaker vows to pass BBL...that is not legally sound or uncon-stitutional, but a version that will be inclusive enough to integrate the needs and concerns of all.

Moro Islamic Liberation Front chief negotiator Mohaquer Iqbal said he believes the issue of lack of quorum in the house is just a “fleeting problem.”

“I still trust in the collective wisdom of Congress to pass the BBL,” Iqbal said at the event.

Meanwhile, Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat said the Department of National Defense (DND) and the armed Forces of the Philippines (aFP) have no knowledge of the reported normalization fund that was in-cluded in the peace agreement forged with the MILF.

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Philstar.com photo

Election seasonEditorial

OpiniOn Features

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AS early as now, Filipinos are encouraged to exercise their right to vote and do so prudently in next year’s elections. With a number of high profile politicians involved in controversies recently, political reform in the Phil-ippines is hounded by higher a public expectation, making next year’s polls even more crucial. Filipinos must realize the power that belongs to them, which is to choose the leaders they think will represent their interests. They must do so by exercise the right of suffrage with tenacity and good cheer.

Because of such pressure, every vote (from the estimated 54 million registered Filipino voters) has become more precious than ever. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) attempts to capture two mil-lion more qualified voters into the system until the deadline of December 15 this year.

However, with less than eight months before the 2016 national and local elections, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed that only three in four Filipinos are eligible to vote. As much as 46.6 million Filipino voters are at risk of disenfranchisement af-ter the recent SWS poll showed that only 76 percent of 1,200 respondents are registered voters and have had their biometrics digitally recorded.

It was also revealed in the June survey that 16 percent of the respondents—equivalent to 9.7 mil-lion—are registered voters but have not yet submit-ted their biometric data.Meanwhile, eight percent of the respondents, or 4.7 million Filipinos, are not yet registered voters.

The Comelec refuted these figures from SWS and

clarified that based on its own re-cords, voters who do not have bio-metrics data have gone down to 3.1 million. It added that regardless of SWS’ questionable results, the Com-

elec records are the official data that would used for next year’s polls. The voter registration is set to end on Oct. 31, and there are still 3,130,377 votes to be accounted for.

Meanwhile, to up the ante for next year’s polls, the Comelec is also pushing for the the conduct of debates for all candidates in the 2016 polls. Sen. Lo-ren Legarda, chairman of the Senate committee on finance, said the voters deserve to know the candi-dates’ stand on various issues and that holding de-bates is one of the best ways to bring the platforms of candidates to the electorate.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, chairman the Senate committee on electoral reforms, supported the initia-tive and said there are already proposed laws to make debates among candidates mandatory.

The Comelec also aims to get Filipino citizens abroad interested to vote in 2016 by presidential can-didates for their specific plans for overseas Filipino workers and disseminate copies of these plans to embassies abroad. There are eight million potential voters abroad, but only but only 1.2 million have reg-istered so far.

“Sooner or later, maybe not only the candidates, also our people will come to realize that the OFW vote could be a game changer, not only in the senato-rial but even in the presidential elections,” Comelec commissioner Arthur Lim said. Lim added that the

EArLIEr this year, the Federal Communica-tions Commission (FCC) voted along party lines to reclassify Internet Service Providers (ISPs) as public utilities and to regulate the Internet under outdated Title II regulations. The nega-tive effects of these burdensome regula-tions are quickly materializing. There are now clear indications that Title II harms broadband investment and innovation, which in turn harms many diverse com-munities and small businesses across the country.

Our country’s largest ISPs just issued their second quarter S.E.C filings, and these filings made it clear that the FCC’s Open Internet Order has already had a

detrimental effect on investment, with some ISPs showing a decline of as much as 29 percent, compared to this time last year.

Typically, these companies spend bil-lions every year to expand and enhance

network infrastructure, in order to meet consumer demand, deliver new innova-tions, and remain competitive. Those billions constitute economic growth, and they create jobs and bring important ben-efits to consumers and businesses. This decline means that both those who de-pend on the Internet the most and those who struggle to get access will be nega-tively affected as broadband providers and tech companies continue to react to

heavy regulation. These falling investment numbers offer

a warning about this new regulatory envi-ronment, and that’s a warning we cannot afford to ignore. There is much at stake, including economic growth, jobs, and op-portunity for minority populations – par-ticularly the Asian American community.

recent Pew research shows that Asian Americans are enthusiastic users of the Internet and rely on broadband more so than other groups. When it comes to broadband adoption, 97 percent of Eng-lish-speaking Asian Americans use the In-ternet compared to 78 percent of blacks, 81 percent of Hispanics, and 85 percent of Whites. Embracing policies like Title II will only lead to the deterioration of a re-source that has become indispensable to so many people.

The Internet is an essential tool espe-

cially for those who live in remote areas where educational and professional op-portunities may not be as widely available as in other parts of the country. Broad-band is an important resource for people in rural areas to excel through online edu-cation and career development programs. When overbearing regulations threaten access to Internet innovations, those who rely on that access the most also stand to lose the most.

Having the latest broadband technology is also necessary for small businesses to connect with new markets and offer mod-ern customer services. In California, there are over 600,000 Asian Pacific Islander-owned businesses. These businesses gen-erate over $181 billion in annual revenue, employ over 910,135 people, and have an annual payroll of $26 billion. Heavy federal regulations place a huge burden

on our tech startups and entrepreneurs. Other businesses throughout the country will also suffer if burdensome regulations continue to make it more difficult to ben-efit from modern broadband services.

These early signs of trouble caused by Title II regulations should not be taken lightly. It’s not too late to heed those warnings and correct course, thereby se-curing a future of innovation, possibilities, and continued investment, not only for the benefit of our Asian Pacific Islander com-munities and businesses but for our over-all economy and for all Americans.

***Bill Imada is the Chairman and Chief Connectivity

Officer of the IW Group, Inc. Imada is also a Board Member of the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, and Co-Founder/Board Member of the Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship.

Bill imada

Commentary

Title II threatens minority populations, small businesses

THIS question has to be asked in light of Mrs. Llamanzares’s completely crass effort to promote herself as a possible presiden-tial candidate, despite the clear language of the Constitution that renders her ineligible to seek the presidency or the vice presi-dency or even to remain in the Senate, where she was “elected” in 2013 after making false claims about her citizenship and residency.

She is now facing a disqualification suit before the Senate Electoral Tribunal for making those false claims, and the case is set for oral arguments at the Supreme Court on September 21. She has submit-ted to the SET some documents in her defense, including two certificates of live birth, in an effort to show that she is a nat-ural-born Filipino, who has resided in the country for six years and six months im-mediately preceding the election – longer than the two years required of senatorial candidates.

Both certificates are spurious, and tend to support the position of the petitioner rather than that of the defense. Thus, during the preliminary conference at the Supreme Court last Friday (Sept. 11), petitioner rizalito David, through coun-sel Manuelito Luna, adopted the same certificates as part of his evidence, to the visible chagrin and consternation of the defense.

Justice Antonio Carpio, who chairs the SET, suggested that petitioner drop the residency issue and concentrate on the citizenship issue instead. And David agreed. The conscript media saw this as round One for Mrs. Llamanzares, but this is rather naive. She has not won any round at all; to the contrary, Carpio’s sug-gestion may have brought the play closer to “sudden death.”

In a sense, the residency issue is al-ready subsumed in the citizenship issue. Unless the Court declares Mrs. Llaman-

zares a natural-born citizen, in spite of the Constitution and the circumstances of her birth, which show her to have been stateless at birth, there would be no need to raise the residency or any other issue to oust her from

office. Once the Court declares she is not a natural-born citizen – or even a legally naturalized Filipino – it would not matter anymore how long she has been in the country.

The first certificate of live birth, dated Nov. 27, 1968, shows that Mary Grace was born a foundling, and found in the parish church of Jaro, Iloilo on Sept. 3, 1968 at 9:30 am by Edgardo Militar who later put her in the custody of Emiliano Militar of Sta Isabel Street, Jaro. But the typewritten document contains so many handwritten alterations, which render it void and worthless. It identifies the child as Mary Grace Natividad Contreras Mili-tar, without indicating how she got her surname “Contreras Militar,” but this name is bracketed (as if for deletion) and on top of it is written “Sonora Poe.”

Its most fatal flaw is a handwritten note of seven short lines on its upper right hand saying the child was “adopted by the spouses ronald Allan Poe and Jesu-sa Sonora Poe as per Court Order, Mu-nicipal Court, San Juan, rizal, by Judge Alfredo Gorgonio dated May 13, 1974, under Special Proclamation No. 138.” The order itself is legally questionable be-cause adoption cases normally belong to the jurisdiction of the regional trial court, rather than to the municipal court. But the more important issue is, how did a le-gal document dated Nov. 27, 1968 man-age to take cognizance of an adoption decision, which purportedly took place six years later? This appears to be con-clusive proof that the certificate was man-ufactured on or after May 13, 1974, and is therefore null and void ab initio. It has no legal value; it cannot be the source or

proof of any claim that Mrs. Llamanzares was born a Filipino or became a natural-born Filipino after her birth. One is either a natural-born Filipino or not upon birth; nobody becomes a natural-born Filipino after birth.

The second certificate of live birth is no less invalid than the first. Dated May 4, 2006, or 38 years after Mrs. Llamanzares was born, it was executed by Mrs. Jesusa Sonora Poe, her adoptive mother, who identifies the child no longer as Mary Grace Natividad Militar but rather as Mary Grace Sonora Poe, allegedly born to herself (Jesusa) and to her husband ron-ald Allan Poe in Jaro, Iloilo City on Sept. 3, 1968, several months before they were married on Dec. 25, 1968 in Valenzuela, Bulacan. No medical or legal evidence exists to show that Mrs. Poe ever con-ceived and delivered a child during her marriage to the famous actor Fernando Poe, Jr. who died on Dec. 13, 2004. All the known facts about Mrs. Llamanzares’ birth, including public statements made by Mrs. Poe and Mrs. Llamanzares her-self, contradict this false claim.

And yet in her 2006 petition for “reac-quisition” of her non-existent Philippine citizenship, and her certificate of candi-dacy for the Senate in 2013, Mrs. Llaman-zares repeats her false claim that she is a natural-born citizen, born to the spouses ronald and Jesusa Poe in Jaro, Iloilo on Sept. 3, 1968. And so far she has got-ten away with it! How many times must someone tell a brazen lie before he or she is stopped repeating it and profiting from it? Or does Mrs. Llamanzares believe in the Nazi propaganda dictum that a lie re-peated consistently ultimately becomes a truth?

If she has not read the Constitution, Mrs. Llamanzares has enough lawyer friends, beginning with her apparent gray eminence Sen. Francis Escudero, to tell her what the Constitution says. It says no person may be elected President, Vice President, Senator or Congressman un-less he is, among other things, a natural-born citizen of the Philippines – meaning,

“a citizen of the Philippines from birth without having to perform any act to ac-quire or perfect his citizenship.”

The Constitution means exactly what it says, and there is only one way of under-standing it – the way the people, who are the real authors of the document, under-stand it. It is pure conceit for Mrs. Llaman-zares’ swaggering financiers and legal supporters to boast that the Constitution could be interpreted any which way they would like to interpret it, and that with their power and money they could make the Court dance to their wicked tune.

This is an obscenity and there is no ba-sis for it. On Aug. 18, 2015, the Supreme Court unseated a popularly elected town mayor in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte for having failed to comply with the require-ments of his reacquisition of citizenship, after having been a citizen of the United States. This is the case of rommel Ar-nado, a former natural-born citizen, who became an American because of natural-ization, relinquished his US citizenship, and on July 10, 2008 took an oath of alle-giance to the republic of the Philippines, pursuant to rA 9225, or the Dual Citizen-ship Law of 2003. However he used his US passport to travel at least twice to the US after taking his oath of allegiance. The Court interpreted this use of the US pass-port as an act of recanting his renuncia-tion of his US citizenship.

Except for the fact that Mrs. Llaman-zares was never a natural-born Filipino who became a US citizen after 2003, and therefore not qualified to benefit from the Dual Citizenship Law, the Arnado case is virtually on all fours with that of Mrs. Llamanzares; she continued to use her US passport until 2009 after she took her oath of allegiance to the Philippine government in 2006. But even without going into this, her not being a former natural-born Filipino disqualifies her from being covered by rA 9225, and her false claim that she is natural-born ren-ders her “reacquired citizenship” null and void.

The dire implications of this must have

dawned on Mrs. Llamanzares and her defense counsel during the preliminary conference that they decided to appeal to popular passion rather than to the law. She has therefore decided to launch her can-didacy, based on her alleged (but unveri-fied) popularity. On Monday, the first full page ad on the Philippine Daily Inquirer, costing at least P400,000, launched the so-called “ALL4GP MOVEMENT” (All for Grace Poe Movement) with the image of Mrs. Llamanzares standing beside FPJ and the following text:

“Kami ay nagbuklod upang ipaglaban ang katuparan ng ating mga pangarap.

Salamat FPJ, sa iyong anak nanatiling buhay ang aming pag-asa para sa bagong umaga!

Ikaw at Ako, anuman ang Lahi, sama-sama para sa Ganap na Pagbabago!”

(We have banded together to fight for the fulfillment of our dreams. Thank you FPJ, in your offspring lives our hope for a new tomorrow. You and I, whatever our race, all together for real change!”)

The Llamanzares camp is expected to make some announcements today. But the central message is out – you and I, whatever our race, and whatever the Constitution says, should stand together for Grace Poe. All the fortune tellers, fengshui dabblers and soothsayers have been mobilized to predict Mrs. Llaman-zares’ unstoppable “victory,” just as about a year ago they started predicting the presidency of Alan Peter Cayetano. Assuming pigs will finally fly, and the whole Court is bought to pronounce Mrs. Llamanzares as a natural-born citizen, this could be the first time the country will have a president with no clear nation-ality, but with an American husband and American children º an American family.

There was a time within memory when even the most shameless politicians would have hesitated and said, “naka-hihiya!” (So shameful!) to attempt any-thing like this. But all that is gone. In this time of Grace Poe Llamanzares, honor is something you feed to the dogs. ([email protected])

Where has Sen. Grace Poe Llamanzares’ sense of honor and shame gone?

Francisco TaTad

Opinion

Comelec is working closely with the Dept. of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to attract more overseas absentee vot-ers to register and participate.

The Comelec is also encouraging the Filipino youth, which accounts for at least 37 percent of the 2016 electorate, to register and vote. Manila-Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said today’s youth “unlike generations past, have access to high technology and a wealth of information. More importantly, young people, still have the energy and idealism to effect positive change in the country.”

The election fever brings a feeling of obligation

towards the citizens and those who aspire for posi-tions in the government. Future leaders depend heir success to the citizens of the nation and may serve as their motivation to work for the people and the com-mon good.

To weed out the traditional politicians (trapos) from actual leaders, the Filipino electorate must use this opportunity to educate themselves and create sensible demands for greater social or economic equality. This will force politicians to campaign toward some of their requests to make their votes count. (AJPress)

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COMMUNITYJ o u r n a l

Atty. RobeRt Reeves ben LovemAnAnd nAncy miLLeR

Your ImmigrationSolution

UNITED States Citizenship and Immigration Services (US-CIS) and Department of State (DOS) have announced a signifi-cant modification to the visa bul-letin system. The change is part of President Obama’s package of administrative actions aimed at improving the immigration system. The new system allows thousands of people to file their applications for adjustment of status (green cards) with USCIS in advance of the date that their application can be approved. Al-lowing early filing will provide huge benefits for potential appli-cants who will be eligible for em-ployment authorization, advance parole, job portability, and other benefits based on the ability to file their adjustment of status ap-plications early.

Effective October 1, 2015, the visa bulletin will include two sep-arate charts for each employment and family-based visa categories. The two charts will be posted in the visa bulletin and will be la-beled as “Application Final Ac-tion Dates” (the date when DOS or USCIS may issue a visa or approve an adjustment of status application) and “Dates for Filing Applications” (the earliest date on which an applicant may sub-mit a visa application with DOS or adjustment application with USCIS). In practice it appears that the date for filing chart will indicate dates well in advance of the final action dates chart. For instance, on October 1, 2015 the F-1 Family Preference for the Philippines (unmarried son or daughter of US citizen) date for filing will be September 1, 2005 whereas the final action date will be June 1, 2001. This means that eligible applicants with priority dates earlier than the filing date can submit their applications for adjustment of status (if in the US) beginning on October 1, 2015 but

Early filing for green cards and EADs is herethat the application will likely not approved for several years. The filing date is well in advance of the action date for several other categories including the F2B, F2A and EB-3 categories.

The beneficial effects of the addition of this new earlier date for filing chart will primarily ac-crue to persons inside the United States who are either maintain-ing lawful status or are covered by INA § 245(i) (because they are the principal or derivative benefi-ciary of a petition of labor certifi-cation filed earlier than January 14, 1998 or earlier than April 30, 2001 and they were physically present in the US on December 20, 2000). For applicants out-side the United States the date for filing chart may correspond with the date that the National Visa sends out notice that they may submit their visa applications and pay visa fees. However, they will still need to wait until their priority date is earlier than the date listed in the final action date to be eligible to receive a visa.

For persons in the US, the change is extremely important and the benefit will be clear. Ap-plicants in the US will be able to submit their adjustment applica-tions based on the date for filing chart and then, on the basis of the pending application, they will be eligible for temporary and re-newable work authorization and travel permission. Further, for employment based applicants, the ability to file an adjustment application early should lead to greater job flexibility and the ability for derivatives spouses and children to obtain employ-ment authorization. While the new system is extremely benefi-cial to numerous potential appli-cants it does not eliminate back-logs or necessarily even reduce current wait times. What it does is provide benefits to a portion of the applicants, here in the US, who are waiting in those back-

logs for the chance to become a resident.

The new two chart system rais-es issues which have not yet been addressed by USCIS or DOS in connection with this announce-ment. For instance, it remains to be seen which chart will be used to determine when the visa is considered to be available for the purposes of the Child Status Pro-tection Act. Allowing applicants to use the date for filing chart for the CSPA would be a major benefit (to applicants abroad and in the US) because the earlier a visa is considered available, the earlier the applicant can lock in their children’s ages under the CSPA. For instance, an EB-3 ap-plicant from the Philippines with a priority date earlier than Janu-ary 1, 2015 could lock in their children’s age now whereas un-der the prior system they might have had to wait eight or more years in order to do so.

The new visa bulletin system represents a fundamental change to the way visa and adjustment of status applicants will be treated under the law. The change may impact many aspects of a poten-tial applicant’s case. If you or a loved one believe this new system will impact your case you should contact an experienced immi-gration attorney immediately to discuss the potential benefits to your case.

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

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

IOWA CITY, Iowa – US high school graduates continue to make little progress in college and career readiness, according to The Condition of College & Career Readiness 2015, the latest an-nual student readiness report from ACT, released today. The lack of growth has prompted ACT to issue a call to action to policymakers, educators, students and parents, urging them to do their part to help improve educational outcomes and support college and career readiness for all stu-dents.

“The needle is barely moving on college and career readiness, and that means far too many young people will continue to struggle after they graduate from high school,” said ACT Chief Ex-ecutive Officer Jon Whitmore. “This should be a wake-up call for our nation.”

The report, based on data from a record 1.9 million ACT-tested students – nearly 60 percent of the 2015 US graduating class – shows very little change in overall college readiness over the past several years.

This year, 40 percent of graduates showed strong readiness, meeting the ACT College Read-iness Benchmarks in at least three of the four core subject areas (English, math, reading and science). That percentage has stayed virtually flat over the past five years.

In contrast, 31 percent of students did not meet readiness levels in any of the four subject areas. This figure is unchanged from the past two years and slightly higher than in 2011 and 2012.

These general findings from ACT mirror those of the National Assessment of Educational Prog-ress (NAEP) and other large-scale academic achievement studies, which show that US stu-dents have not progressed over the past several years in terms of their preparedness for success after high school.

The ACT numbers translate to serious reper-cussions for students making the transition to col-lege and career. Previous ACT research suggests that fewer than 20 percent of those students who met none of the benchmarks are likely to earn a two- or four-year college degree within six years. That compares to nearly 60 percent of students who met at least three benchmarks who will likely earn a degree.

“We’ve got to move past the numbers and focus on how this will impact students’ lives,” said Whitmore. “We’re talking about hundreds of thousands of U.S. high school graduates who won’t earn a two- or four-year college degree be-cause they aren’t academically prepared to do so. In the increasingly competitive job market, where decent jobs are requiring more advanced skills

and training, this is a huge problem.”Readiness levels remain weakest among under-

served minority groups. African American, Ameri-can Indian, Hispanic and native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students trail far behind their white and Asian peers in readiness in each of the four subject areas – as is also true in college enrollment and graduation rates – with no signs of closing those gaps.

“Our nation’s most underserved students too of-ten are being neglected, trapped in poor education systems and lacking access to critical information and resources in order to navigate the system,” said ACT President Jon Erickson. “We simply must do better. It’s time to step up our efforts to provide them and all students with quality tools, skills and behaviors that prepare them for success.”

ACT issues call to actionThe ACT report issues a call to action to federal,

state and local policymakers and agency heads, urging them to work to improve the education system as a whole.

“We can’t accept this lack of progress,” said Er-ickson. “It will have a long-term negative impact on our nation’s economic growth, as our educa-tion and economic agendas are intertwined. It’s time to face the fact that educational outcomes aren’t improving fast enough. We must take de-cisive steps to help more students over that bar-rier.”

The report offers specific recommendations to the education community at large to help improve educational outcomes.

• Promote system alignment – Encourage edu-cation system alignment so that all components of the system – standards, curricula, instruction and assessments – work together to achieve de-sired goals.

• Support and develop teachers – Develop ro-bust teacher evaluation systems based on student growth, strengthen teacher education and pro-fessional development programs and increase teacher pay.

• Safeguard and use data responsibly – Ensure that student data are used in a way that balances the potential to help students improve with the responsibility to ensure students’ privacy and confidentiality.

ACT also calls on students and their parents to take control of their own futures, urging them to take a more active role in planning and preparing for success after high school.

“Don’t count on the system to keep you in-formed and aware of what you need to do,” said Erickson. “That’s the path that too many are fol-

ACT issues call to action to improve education system

uPAGE CJ2

SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2015 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150CJ� Community Journal

The CTVFiles

Atty. Dennis ChuA, esq.

ON September 9, 2015, the government announced that it will now allow individuals who have been waiting for their prior-ity dates to be current both in the family based and employment based category to start their im-migrant visa applications or file their applications for adjustment of status earlier. In line with this new policy of the government, the US Department of State will be releasing two separate charts which shall be posted in the visa bulletin. The first chart is the “Final Action Date” which lists down when the priority dates for each preference category and country of chargeability will be current. The second chart is the “Date for Filing Applications” chart which lists down the cutoff dates for those who can start the processing of their immigrant visa applications.

For those individuals who are currently in the United States and are eligible for adjustment of sta-tus, they must refer to the “Date for Filing Application” chart if they can now file their application for adjustment of status. If these individuals fall within the cut-off date, they may now file their adjustment of status application with the US Citizenship and Im-migration Services (USCIS) even

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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CELEBRATE LOCAL with San Diego Restaurant Week!This September, San Diego Restaurant Week, presented by Lexus Dealerships of San

Diego, will CELEBRATE LOCAL... keepin’ it fresh - really fresh. San Diego Restaurant week returns September 20th - September 26th for ONE WEEK ONLY to “Celebrate Local” at all 180+ participating restaurants. Choose from a three-course dinner or two-course lunch deal to satisfy your cravings. NEW THIS YEAR, San Diego Restaurant Week will be partnering with Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank to provide backpacks for children in need within the San Diego community during the ALL FOR KIDS campaign. Ditch the dirty dishes and join over 150,000 fellow diners as we celebrate San Diego’s thriving culinary scene and the homegrown, local businesses that provide us with the produce and products we love! Tickets are not necessary for this delectable week of discounted dining, but reservations are recom-mended! Visit SanDiegoRestaurantWeek.com for more information, including a list of partici-pating restaurants, or to make your reservations in advance!

SEPTEMBER 20-26

Citizenship Day 2015 The Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association is having a FREE Citizenship

Day event on September 19, from 10:00am to 3:00pm, to assist low-income, 18+ immigrants eligible for US citizenship with the full naturalization process. Every case will be reviewed by a legal attorney. Please call us at 407-841-8310 ext. 3123 for an appointment and any questions you may have. Thank You!

SEPTEMBER 19

PiLiPinO inTER-CLuB OPEn invitational Golf Tournament The 11th annual PILIPINO INTER-CLUB OPEN (PICO) is open to fellow master golfers

from the tri-state area. The charity tournament will be held on Saturday, September 19, at Royce Brook Golf Club (201 Hamilton Rd, Hillsborough Township, NJ 08844). It will be a shotgun start @ 1:30 pm. Registration is $120 each player; includes golf cart and food after the game. Come early for registration, refreshments, and mini contests. Come and join the quest for individual and team honors by class. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Family Center Christian Church, and donations are 100% tax deductible. Sign-up now at http://www.spgolfclub.com/PICO. For more details, please contact Ed Badiola 908-531-7377, or Justil Cruz 973-926-1400.

2nd Grand Reunion GOT (RETiRED) from Cerveza San Miguel uS CHAPTERWhere: Gold Coast Casino & Hotel (4000 Flamingo Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89103)When: Sept. 25 and 26; Grand Reunion Sept. 26 at 7:00 pmFor details and information, please contact Renato Umayam at 323-841-3516, Nida Matias

at 818-394-9178, Greg Lacondola at 702-334-8068, or Arnold Navarro at 318-779-6254.

SEPTEMBER 25-26

LA Builder Lions Club 25th AnniversaryThe Los Angeles Builder Lions Club will celebrate their 25th Anniversary and Annual

Outstanding Parents Night on October 10, 2015 at the Almansor Court banquet hall (700 S Almansor St, Alhambra, CA 91801). Music will be provided by The Midnight Motion Band. For further questions, please call Lion Bill Menor (323) 465-0613, Lion Yoli Ramo (213) 305-1332, chairpersons or Lion Tita James, co-chair at (818) 203-2325.

OCTOBER 10

Heal the Bay Coastal Cleanup Day Heal the Bay, a volunteer-run nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the health

and safety of Southland beaches and waterways, will host the 26th annual Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, Sept. 19. More than 10,000 Southland residents and volunteers will mobilize from 9am to noon at more than 50 cleanup sites, from Compton to Malibu, to help remove trash along Los Angeles County beaches and inland waterways, parks, creeks, lakes, highways and alleys. Coastal Cleanup Day participants have collected more than 1 million pounds of trash in Los Angeles County since 1990. By removing debris from beaches and inland neigh-borhoods, volunteers reduce blight, protect marine animals and bolster the regional econ-omy. Join the world’s biggest single-day volunteer event! Attendees will receive hands-on education about the easy steps they can take to local watersheds and neighborhoods clean, and participants will be given a voucher for free sustainable seafood tacos at any Rubio’s restaurant while extensive supplies last. For volunteers, Cancer Treatment Centers of America will be distributing free tubes of sunscreen at all sites, and Heal the Bay will be hosting a number of community-building activities, such as a sand castle-building contest. Heal the Bay seeks volunteers of all ages and physical abilities, and no special equipment or experience is necessary. For registration information and cleanup tips, please visit www.healthebay.org/ccd. Contact Alys Arenas, (310) 451-1500, x148, [email protected], or Matthew King, (310) 451-1500, x137; cell: (310) 463-6266 for more details.

uBLA: Kaaldawan of the 41st Penafrancia Fiesta 2015 Most Reverend Gerald Eugene Wilkerson, D.D., V.G., former Bishop of the San Fern-

ando Valley Pastoral Region, will preside over a concelebrated High Mass to highlight the Kaaldawan (Feast Day) of the 41st Annual Penafrancia Fiesta on Saturday, September 19, at 10:00am, through the United Bicolandia Los Angeles (UBLA). Bicolanos are inviting all Marian devotees, Filipinos and other Catholics regardless of ethnicity, to join them in the day-long fiesta in honor of their regional patroness, Our Lady of Penafrancia, in the open air of Lincoln Park and Lake: 3529 N. Mission Road, Los Angeles, CA 90031 (corner E. Valley Blvd.) near downtown. There is a solemn Eucharist Mass schedule with music by Saint Anthony Claret Holy Rosary Choir, followed by a kaaldawan celebration including a novena, Fluvial parade of the Holy Virgin, lunch, and cultural entertainment highlighting Bicolano and Filipino culture. The 8-day novena will start on the afternoon of Friday, September 11 at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Hollywood. The 2015 Penafrancia Fiesta will end on Sunday, September 27, with a fellowship ball at Montery Hill Restaurant (3700 W. Ramona Blvd., Monterey Park, CA 91754) at 5:30pm. For a full schedule, novenas, and more information, please contact UBLA President Lanie Berrei (818) 281-3169.

Virgen De Los Remedios 59th Canonical Coronation AnniversaryWhen: Sunday, September 20, (2:30 PM Assembly for procession) Where: Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (555 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA

90012)Contact: Vidal Aguas, [email protected].

SEPTEMBER 20

Laudato Si (Praise Be To you, O Lord) caring for our common homeLaudato Si (Praise Be To You, O Lord!) is Pope Francis’ encyclical on “CARING FOR OUR

COMMON HOME” which addresses the grave impact of climate change in world’s commu-nities and ecosystems. On Thursday, September 24, Climate Scientist, Dr. Josh Fisher, from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will explain the scientific foundation of climate change, which is well-aligned with Pope Francis’ letter. The event will take place 7 to 9 PM at Holy Name of Mary Parish in San Dimas (724 E. Bonita Avenue, San Dimas, CA 91773). All are invited, and free refreshments and childcare will be provided. For more information, please contact Charlie Martinez, Director of Pastoral Ministries at [email protected].

SEPTEMBER 24

Philippine Medical Association Event The Officers and Members of the Philippine Medical Association headed by President Dr.

Arnel Joaquin, and Auxiliary President Divinia Encina will be holding a whole day event to be held at the Reef on the Water in Long Beach, CA on September 26. Assemblyman Rob Bonta and the Philippine Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim will participate in the discussion of the law that was passed by the State Legislature regarding full immunization of children before going to school with no exemption. There will be a Dinner Show with performances by the Tausala Polynesian Dancers. It will be a Luau event wherein all the past Presidents of the Auxiliary will be presented after their 35 years of service to the PMASC. The dinner ticket is $70.00 (if paid before August 31) and $80.00 after the due date. For dinner show reserva-tions: please contact Noli R. Zosa, M.D. or Mrs. Nena Zosa at (562) 572- 2481.

SEPTEMBER 26

USCIS now allows early filing of green card applications

if their priority date listed in the Final Action Date chart is not yet current. With the early filing of an application for adjustment of status, they will be able to obtain an employment authorization document to allow them to work while waiting for their priority date to be current.

To illustrate, an individual is the beneficiary of an immigrant petition filed by his employer un-der the third preference category. For the Philippines, the US De-partment of State is processing immigrant visa petitions with the priority date of January 1, 2007. Before the announcement of the new policy, individuals would have to wait for the priority date to be current before they can even file for adjustment of status. With this new policy in place, they can now file for their adjustment of status application if their priority date falls within the cutoff date of January 1, 2015 even if their pri-ority date is not yet current.

For those individuals who are outside the United States, the National Visa Center will be no-tifying these individuals for them to begin assembling and submit-ting their documentation to be-gin the immigrant visa applica-tion process.

Individuals who are covered

by this new policy may now file their application for adjustment of status this October.

Atty. Dennis E. Chua is a part-ner in The Law Firm of Chua Tinsay and Vega (CTV) a full service law firm with offices in San Francisco, San Diego, Sac-ramento and Manila. The infor-mation presented in this article is for general information only and is not, nor intended to be, formal legal advice nor the formation of an attorney-client relationship. Call or e-mail CTV for an in-person or phone consultation to discuss your particular situation and/or how their services may be retained at (415) 495-8088; (619) 955-6277; (916) 449-3923 [email protected].

***Atty. Dennis E. Chua is a partner in The Law

Firm of Chua Tinsay and Vega (CTV), a full ser-vice law firm with offices in San Francisco, San Diego and Manila. The information presented in this article is for general information only and is not, nor intended to be, formal legal advice nor the formation of an attorney-cli-ent relationship. Call or e-mail CTV for an in-person or phone consultation to discuss your particular situation and/or how their services may be retained at (415) 495-8088; (619) 955-6277; [email protected]. The CTV At-torneys will be at Max’s Restaurant in Vallejo on October 19, 2009 from 5pm to 7pm to hold a FREE legal clinic. (Advertising Supplement)

(Part 3 of 3)OUR stay in Laoac afforded us

to pay visit to the tombs of my departed parents, my two sisters and a niece in the local cemetery, and also to visit the famous Cath-olic Church of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Manaoag, now a Basilica, and my high school alma mater, Holy Rosary Acade-my, (now a branch of the Colegio De San Juan De Letran). After hectic days in my hometown, we proceeded to the town of Villasis, where we formally awarded the last four Gawad Kalinga houses to several family beneficiaries. We were hosted by our friends and fellow Rotarians, Pete and Rose Montilla, who founded the GK Villasis Namnama Village I.

The event was well planned, starting with mid morning merienda of tinupig, fresh fruits, coffee and juices, while waiting for the guests coming as far as Mindoro, Manila, Laguna and Tarlac. Our own Rotary District Governor from Quezon City, Gov. Dr. Rey David (D3780) and his classmate from Tarlac, Gover-nor Mai Ocampo (D3790) graced the occasion and witnessed the awarding of the houses that com-pleted GK Villasis Namnama Vil-lage. Celebrating this event with us were also some GK National officers led by Jose Ma. Montel-ibano and Dolphy Lanuza and government officials from Villa-sis, Urdaneta and Laoac, Pangas-inan, led by Laoac Mayor Boying Alarcio.

After the short presentations of the children as well as the par-ents of the GK Village – to give their pasasalamat and gratitude for giving them a place they can call their home and more promis-ing future – came the blessings

ernie D. Delfin

The Metamorphosis

US-born son’s first visit to his father’s roots in the Philippines

of the houses by a parish priest assigned to the local Guadal-upe Church located in the same compound as the GK Village. Thereafter, the symbolic giving of an oversized wooden key to the last four houses to the fam-ily beneficiaries was done by this Rotarian-columnist, followed by another sumptuous lunch locally prepared by the GK residents.

In my brief remarks, I tried to convey that “this event is not only a historical event but also an emotional moment for me,” simply because I could vividly reminisce and empathize with the life of these village children. Why? Simply because half a cen-tury ago, I was like any of these young boys that had almost noth-ing but their youthful dreams with a faith-filled prayer coupled with the hope or “namnama” that someday, they will also have the life that they dream about. Unfortunately, many of those dreams remained just a dream, as it is indeed very challenging and almost impossible for most to unshackled the pangs of poverty that many were born into. People need people (as a popular song of yesteryears declares), to share and lend a hand to sever strong chains of poverty. In my case, it was the Dominican Fathers who offered me scholarship to Letran where I graduated with a Degree in Business Administration, then becoming a CPA that granted me a passport to better things.

“With that brief background, I am here now and in the years ahead to give back, to share my many blessings from God above, and to lend a hand and to help empower some who are not as fortunate. That is the mission and vision of our Rotary Club and the ‘reason for being’ of our Ga-

wad Kalinga Movement! For us, this mission of humanitarian ser-vice of giving hope and lending a hand is one formula of a rich and meaningful life. For us, that is a truer definition of success that cannot be measured.”

Ending my brief speech, I took the courage and moment to ac-knowledge my son’s last full day in the Philippines, by quoting Martin Buxbaum, What is a Real Success: “. . . YOU can use most any measure when you’re speak-ing of success. You can measure it in fancy home, expensive car or dress; but the measure of your real success is one you cannot spend. It’s the way your son de-scribes you when he’s talking to a friend!”

Knowing my son the last 28 years, I am certain that he will be describing his recent cultural adventure and his unforgettable unique experiences in his Dad’s homeland to his friends, espe-cially after a very especial father-son bonding for two solid weeks! (Upon my arrival a month later, his sister told me that he already narrated his experiences to her and some friends that his trip was indeed wonderful and that everything was great except those bold pesky mosquitoes that tried incessantly to taste his fresh American blood!)

The Metamorphosis food for thought:

“Hope is the thing with feath-ers that perches in the soul.” – Emily Dickinson

In my next column: Rotary and Gawad Kalinga: Building houses and building up people.

***Email: [email protected] or

[email protected] Websites:www.rotaryeclubGlobalKalingaD3780.org

www.foundation4nextgen.zhuncity.com

lowing, and it’s clearly not working. Take charge early in the student’s educational career, learn what it takes to succeed and make sure you are getting what you need.”

ACT offers free solutions to help students, par-ents and counselors get a head start on finding their passion and planning for the future. These so-lutions include ACT Profile, which is a free college and career planning community, and the World-of-Work Map, which guides students toward careers that match their interests based on their responses to the ACT Interest Inventory, completed by stu-dents when they register for the ACT test.

Gap between aspirations and outcomesACT findings point to a gap between students’

aspirations and actual outcomes. Eighty-six per-cent of ACT-tested 2015 graduates – approximate-ly 1.6 million students – said they aspired to enroll in postsecondary education of some kind.

Based on previous research, however, ACT proj-ects only around 69 percent – approximately 1.3 million graduates – actually will enroll. This means more than 300,000 students who may have college aspirations will not actually attend a two- or four-year college this fall.

“We must work to close this aspiration gap and ensure that more students reach their goal of con-tinuing their education,” said Erickson. “One big way to accomplish that goal is to make sure more students are aware of and ready for college and career when they graduate from high school.”

About the ACTThe ACT is a curriculum-based achievement

test that measures the skills taught in schools and deemed important for success in first-year college courses. The content of the ACT is informed by re-sults of the ACT National Curriculum Survey con-ducted every three to four years among thousands of elementary, middle and high school teachers

and instructors of first-year college courses across the United States. The data obtained in the survey allow ACT to ensure that its assessments measure the skills most important for success after high school.

ACT research shows that students who meet the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks are more likely to persist in college and earn a degree than those who don’t. The benchmarks specify the minimum score students must earn on each of the four ACT subject tests to have about a 75 percent chance of earning a grade of C or higher and a 50 percent chance of earning a B or higher in a typi-cal credit-bearing first-year college course in that subject area.

The ACT was administered as a required state-wide achievement test in 13 states for the graduat-ing class of 2015, allowing these states to monitor student progress in college and career readiness as well as track school, district and state perfor-mance over time. For the 2016 graduating class, that number will grow to 18 states, plus three ad-ditional states that fund the ACT on an optional basis.

The national and state ACT Condition of College & Career Readiness 2015 reports can be viewed and downloaded for free on the ACT website at: www.act.org/readiness/2015.

ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa, ACT is trusted as the nation’s leader in college and career readiness, providing high-quality achievement assessments grounded in more than 50 years of research and experience. ACT offers a uniquely integrated continuum of solutions that help people succeed from elemen-tary school through career, providing insights that unlock potential. To learn more about ACT, go to www.act.org. n

ACT issues call to action to…PAGE CJ1 t

(650) 616-4150 • http://www.asianjournal.com NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2015 CJ�Community Journal

Atty. MichAelGurfinkel, eSQ

ImmigrationCorner

MonetteAdevA MAglAyA

ImmigrantLiving: 101 and Beyond

(First of 2 parts)EVERY place I have ever been

to is made significant by the im-ages and thoughts I have of peo-ple, places and experiences that still live on in my memory. For Mindoro, it’s memories of my father, this place called Naujan and sizzling hot summer days.

While my father worked as ship captain plying the inter-island routes and waterways and later on, the high seas on international assignments, my mother raised a big brood of seven girls and a boy practical-ly all by herself. During school breaks, she would pack the girls off for summer vacation to our grandparents’ home in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. It was then a half day’s trip from Manila via Batangas City. I was so excited, I thought my heart would burst.

Time can dull memories and I wasn’t ready to let go of the past just yet. Not until I’ve come full circle. I was determined to see this place one more time to rekindle the memories of glori-ous summers spent as a pint-sized kid gamboling about like a frisky, wet puppy, with my sis-

Mining memories of Mindoro

ters and cousins in the beaches of Kanipisan and Aplaya. These were seaside beach towns abut-ting this tiny town called Nau-jan. It was the place my father, Manolo, the eldest of a brood of siblings, were born and raised.

Those memories sparkle. They were happy, carefree, innocent, idyllic days of sun, sand, sea and simple pleasures. Lola would instruct Miguel, a trusted farm hand to bring us to the niyugan, or coconut plantation. Miguel would know exactly which trees to climb and with his gulok, (a Tagalog term for a machete), chop off the young nuts which fell to the ground with a thud. We drank cool, clear coconut juice straight out of its shell and with a teaspoon in one hand, scraped off the sides of the young nut, called malauhog by locals. These are young coconut flesh, resembling the consis-tency of early stage, transparent phlegm. Alright. Ewwwww. But who cares? When you’re young, unpretentious and really hun-gry, your grumbling stomach is the boss.

Calapan is the entryway from the Luzon mainland by air, land and sea to Oriental Mindoro. It enjoys a geographical proximity to the mainland and the ship-ping routes. It has a small pier in a cove where boats coming from Batangas docked. Calapan pro-vides a bit of excitement that a sleepy town like Naujan couldn’t muster. In recent years, an SM store in town was a definite cause for celebration.

Tio Oscar, my father’s young-est brother, was the town entre-preneur cum inventor who tried his hand at many things. He was short in stature but I remem-ber him as a big kid with a pure sense of fun. He drove around town in an old, rickety open-topped, army surplus World War II vintage weapons carrier which he used for business and leisure. He hauled huge blocks of ice coated with ipa, those rice husks used to prevent the ice from melting for the hot, dusty trip between Calapan and the only restaurant in Naujan, which he and his wife Tia Celia, owned

“Take care of all your memories,for you cannot relive them.” — Robert Frost

WASHINGTON, DC– Social Se-curity is critical to the retirement security of older Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), ac-cording to AARP Public Policy Institute’s new fact sheet. Sixty-five percent of AAPIs age 65 and older receive Social Security benefits, including twenty-eight percent who rely on it as their primary source of family income. Nine percent of older AAPIs rely on Social Security as their only source of family income.

“Social Security: Who’s Count-ing on It?” provides insight into how Social Security benefits all Americans. Last year, about 59 million people received Social Security, a federal program de-signed to protect individuals who can no longer work and their families from loss of income due to retirement, disability, or death.

“Following the 80th anni-versary of Social Security last month, it is a lifeline for many AAPIs that helps keep them and their families out of poverty,” said Daphne Kwok, AARP Vice President of Multicultural Lead-ership, Asian American and Pa-cific Islander Audience. “AARP works to strengthen Social Secu-rity because the vast majority of Americans of all ages believe it is important to provide financial security for everyone.”

As recent immigrants, AAPIs have lower median Social Securi-ty incomes according to an AARP report issued last year. Therefore they are less likely than Afri-can Americans, Hispanics, and whites to depend on Social Se-

Many older Asian American and Pacific Islanders rely on Social Security as primary source of income

AARP Public Policy Institute finds Social Security keeps people out of povertycurity for 50 percent or more of their family income.

Older minorities are less likely than whites to have family in-come other than Social Security. A little more than half (53.4 per-cent) of AAPIs age 65 and older own have income from assets, but only a quarter (24.4 percent) have income from pensions and retirement savings.

Other key findings:• Social Security income kept

roughly 33 percent of older Americans, about 14.7 million people, out of poverty. The poor (income below poverty line) and the near-poor (income between 100 and 150 percent of the pov-erty line) rely on Social Security for a significant share of their family income.

• Social Security benefits are particularly important for women because, on average, women live longer and earn less than men do, so they are more dependent than men are on Social Security’s progressive benefit and inflation-adjusted, lifetime income.

• Social Security is currently fully funded with $2.8 trillion in reserves, but in 2020 will begin to be drawn down these reserves in order to continue paying full benefits. At this rate, Social Se-curity reserves will be depleted in 2034, less than 20 years from now.

Visit www.aarp.org/ppi to read AARP Public Policy Insti-tute’s fact sheet and find more information about Social Secu-rity. Visit www.aarp.org/aapi to read AARP’s report Are Asian American and Pacific Islanders

Financially Secure?About AARPAARP is a nonprofit, nonpar-

tisan organization, with a mem-bership of nearly 38 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as health-care, employment and income security, retirement planning, af-fordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advo-cate for individuals in the mar-ketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members ob-tain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services. A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational informa-tion, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world’s largest circulation magazine; AARP Bul-letin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Español, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contribu-tions to political campaigns or candidates. The AARP Founda-tion is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older per-sons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.

(Advertising Supplement)

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STARTING in October 2015, the Department of State (DOS) and the USCIS will utilize a new format for priority dates. (I post-ed those priority dates already on my website).There will be two separate charts (or priority dates) for people to follow or monitor:

• Dates for filing applications (earliest date when a person may file for adjustment of status or for an immigrant visa)

• Application “final action dates” (dates when visas may fi-nally be issued.)

The “final action dates” are simply the old “priority dates” that have been listed on the Visa Bulletin for decades. When the dates in the “final action dates” chart are current, a person’s visa can be issued (if he is out-side of the U.S.) or adjustment application approved (if he is in the U.S.), and they receive their green card.

The new chart shows the “dates for filing,” but it is really not a new concept. The State De-partment has been following this practice for years for people ap-plying for their immigrant visas abroad. Months before the pri-ority date is actually “current,” applicants were able to submit forms and documentation to the NVC, so that by the time the pri-ority date was current, the case is “ready to go” for visa issuance.

That same concept will now be applied to the filing of an adjust-ment of status application (Form I-485). People will be able to file for adjustment of status (and

THREE PETITIONS BY TWO MOTHERS AND A “SISTER/MOTHER” CREATE VISA CONFUSION — ON A SPECIAL ENCORE EPISODE OF ‘CITIZEN PINOY’. A teenage pregnancy forced Armi (middle) to keep the birth of her son, Kevin (right), a secret. Kevin’s birth certificate listed his grandmother (Armi’s mother) as his mother. Years later, Armi became a US citizen. She petitioned her mother immediately. When Armi’s mother arrived in the US as an immigrant, she petitioned all of Armi’s brothers, including Kevin, who is actually her grandchild (Armi’s son). Armi also filed a sibling petition for Kevin. After much guilt and reflection, Armi decided to come out with the truth to set things straight and admitted to Kevin that she is his biological mother. After that major revelation, Armi filed a petition for Kevin (now as parent-child petition). This resulted in three distinctive petitions filed for Kevin (as a grandchild, Armi’s brother, and son) which caused a major confusion for the National Visa Center. Watch this inspiring story and find out how Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel helped Armi and Kevin on an encore episode of ‘Citizen Pinoy’ – on Sunday 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC.

October 2015 visa bulletin allows early filing of adjustment applications and work authorizationswork authorization) months (or sometimes years) before their priority date (or final action date) is actually current. Once the ad-justment application and work authorization are filed, the per-son could be issued the work authorization and renew it each year, until the final action date is current and the adjustment of status is granted.

Allowing the “early” filing of adjustment applications could have tremendous advantages. For example, the priority date for “filing applications” for em-ployment-based third preference (EB-3) and other workers (OW) is January 1, 2015. However, the “visa issuance” date for the same two categories is January 1, 2007. This apparently means that workers in the EB-3 and OW categories may file for adjust-ment of status and work authori-zation, if the “filing date” (or the old priority date) on their case is earlier than January 1, 2015. However, no visa will be issued (or adjustment of status will not be granted) until the January 1, 2007 “visa issuance” priority date is current. Under this ex-ample, a person may file for ad-justment of status if they have a priority date earlier than January 1, 2015, and renew work authori-zations for approximately 8 years until the “visa issuance” date is reached, and adjustment of sta-tus is granted.

There are other advantages as well. The law allows a person to change jobs or employers if their adjustment of status application has been pending for over 180

days, as long as it is a similar job, and the new employer is willing to continue the case. Some peo-ple may, under certain circum-stances, obtain “advance parole” to travel outside the US while their adjustment application is pending. This may give them the chance to visit their family years earlier than if they had to wait for the “visa issuance date” to be-come current.

However, in November 2015, the filing dates may dramatically change, and in some cases could only be a few months ahead of the visa issuance date, rather than years. Therefore, you may want to take advantage of the October 2015 dates. In addition, if you are out of status, you may not be eligible to file for adjust-ment of status unless you have the benefit of Section 245(i).

If the priority date (on your em-ployment or family based petition) is now “current” in the application filing date chart, you should seek the advice and guidance of an at-torney, who can evaluate your sit-uation, and determine if you can file for adjustment of status (and work authorization) years before your “visa issuance” priority date becomes current.

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

active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and

does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established

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

for anywhere in the US:

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

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

SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2015 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150CJ� Community Journal

and operated at the time.During those days, electricity

was miserly meted out from 6 in the evening till 6 in the morn-ing — that is, — when the gen-erators were working. The ice would chill Tio Oscar’s stash of soda in a cooler during the day and he would use the rest for the crushed ice for the best halo-halo in town.

It was said that his halo-halo was so scrumptiously delicious, it would entice barefoot hordes of Mangyans to come down from the mountains and give themselves the cool treat.

When Tio Oscar’s chores were done, he would then haul all of us, a ragtag band of scraw-ny, eager-beaver kids, off to the beach. We would bury our soda stash in the cold wet sand to chill it and rush to the sea and swim with abandon until our fingers and toes were wrinkled, our skin a few shades darker. By then we had worked up a fierce appetite.

Tio Oscar’s hungry horde of kids would then mow down grilled fish either banak or ban-glis, tulingan, halabos na hipon and steaming rice mixed with

Mining memories of…raw eggs complimented by chopped-up pajo, red eggs and tomatoes. We built black sand sculptures which killjoy waves promptly crushed and swept back out to sea. We would kibitz and swarm about like pesky flies at the abundant haul of fisher-men pulling in their nets burst-ing with their fresh catch of the day from the sea. Those were beautiful summer days. Life was good.

Those days have ebbed and are gone forever. But pure joy still flows back with remem-brance. I wanted to revisit the former site of my grandparent’s old place in the center of town where my father was born in 1912. Vicente Adeva, my Lolo was an insular (meaning island) teacher who received his civil service appointment on July 01, 1907.

One of the sepia photos my brother recovered from the old house was of Lolo who as Pro-vincial Treasurer, and then Sec-retary posed with provincial offi-cials and the American Governor General, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. The tall strapping American was appointed by President Herbert Hoover in 1932 as Governor

General of what was then called the Philippine Islands. Papa was immensely proud of his roots and proud of being a Naujeno even when he lived in the US af-ter retirement.

While living in Glendale, Cali-fornia in his mid-eighties, he always looked forward to dress-ing to the nines in a tuxedo, and tripping the light fantastic whirl-ing about on the dance floor with my mother or his daugh-ters for the Naujeno Annual Ball in some posh Los Angeles hotel, half a world away from the place he loved. He may have wanted to reconnect with a few remain-ing old timers, people he had common ties with while grow-ing up. But mostly during his last years, he was simply happy and content being home with my mother.

If he had the chance how-ever, he would have wanted to visit the place where he grew up —just one more time— before sudden death on a dreary and cold winter’s day overtook him. He was 87 years old.

More than a decade later, I went in his stead. It was some-thing I had planned on doing for some time, as a quiet tribute.

PAGE CJ3 t

THE South San Francisco Farmers’ Market season opened Saturday, May 2nd at Orange Memorial Park and continues ev-ery Saturday from 10am – 2pm, until October 24. A variety of ac-tivities for all ages and interests are featured each Saturday.

This week at your Farmers’ Market, South San Francisco Parks and Recreation will have an informational table. Stop by the South San Francisco Farm-ers’ and enjoy some of the great produce and try some of Country

2015 South San Francisco Farmers’ Market open through Oct. 24

Grill’s Rotisserie Chicken and more!! There will also be free CalFresh screening and enroll-ment this weekend.

Also check out the South San Francisco Farmers’ Market video highlighting everything the mar-ket has to offer on YouTube.

Lastly, don’t forget to Share Facebook video post for a free basket of strawberries on Face-book.

Additional information on special events throughout the season will be available on the

City of South San Francisco’s website and on the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Asso-ciation website. We hope to see Saturday!

For more information on South San Francisco Farmers’ Market please visit the City’s Farmers’ Market facebook page or visit the South San Francisco City website.

Or Pacific Coast Farmer’s Mar-ket Associates at www.pcfma.com. You can also find PCFMA on Facebook. n

THE Food and Drug Admin-istration (FDA) recently issued a warning to consumers about Injectable skin lightening prod-ucts: Injectable Skin Products: What You Should Know. These products are potentially unsafe and ineffective.

• They may contain unknown harmful ingredients or contami-nants.

• Unsafe and improper injec-tion practices may transmit dis-ease, cause infection and result in serious injury.

Mercury poisoning linked to

FDA warning: Injectable skin lightening products and skin products that contain mercury

skin products The FDA has also expressed

safety concerns about products sold as skin lighteners and anti-aging treatments that remove freckles, blemishes and wrinkles that might contain mercury. Skin products that contain mercu-ry—promoted as cosmetics-- are manufactured abroad and sold illegally in the United States—of-ten in shops in Latino, Asian, African or Middle Eastern neigh-borhoods and online.

• Exposure to mercury can have serious health consequenc-

es. It can damage the kidneys and nervous system and inter-fere with the development of the brain in unborn children and very young children.

• Skin bleaching drug products containing ammoniated mercury are new drugs and are required to go through the FDA-approval process .

• FDA does not allow mercury in drugs or in cosmetics, unless under very specific conditions.

For more information: www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/Consum-erUpdates/ucm294849.htm n

USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) recently an-nounced expansion of Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) crop insurance to all states and counties. WFRP was first made available for the 2015 crop year, and provides revenue insurance coverage on all of a farmer’s crops and animals under one policy. The policy was previously limited to certain states and counties.

In addition, USDA RMA made some other key changes to the policy that will help break down barriers to access for begin-ning farmers, integrated crop and livestock producers, and for

Changes to whole farm revenue insurance could increase access

those who direct market their farm products.

Beginning farmers now only have to show three years of tax records to qualify for WFRP. Previously they had to show five years of records to qualify. This is a positive change that we hope will open the policy to more be-ginning farmers.

Another important change in-cludes the elimination of the 35 percent limit on expected rev-enue from animals and animal products, and greenhouse and nursery crops. RMA will leave intact the $1 million cap on rev-enue from these sources. This is

one of the biggest barriers inte-grated crop and livestock farm-ers had to accessing WFRP.

Farmers who sell through di-rect markets will now be allowed to use their existing price records to calculate their revenue during the insurance year. Previously, farmers had to prove their rev-enue through third-party verified records, which is difficult if not impossible for those farmers who market directly through roadside stands and farmers’ markets.

For more information: www.rma.usda.gov/fcic/2015/812wholefarm.pdf. (Traci Bruck-ner/ Center for Rural Affairs)

FILIPINO-Americans have one of the highest rates of Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease in the United States. Type 2 Diabetes can lead to heart dis-ease, stroke and many other health problems. Dr. Melinda Sarmiento-Bender of the Uni-versity of California in San Fran-cisco (UCSF) is conducting an important study focused on pre-venting diabetes and heart dis-ease among Filipino-Americans. This is a 6-month lifestyle inter-vention promoting weight-loss through physical activity and healthy eating using your smart-phone and mobile app.

Filipinos needed for UCSF Pilipino Americans Go4Health Weight-Loss Program to prevent diabetes and heart disease

If you are a Filipino over 18 years old, have Type 2 Diabetes and are taking metformin (not taking insulin) you can join the UCSF Pilipino Americans Go-4Health Weight Loss Program study. The program aims to de-crease diabetes and heart disease risks through weight loss, healthy eating, and physical activity with personal tailored coaching. You should not have any disabilities limiting your ability to walk at least 20 minutes.

You will be asked to use your smartphone (iPhone or Android), wear a pedometer every day, and join a private Facebook group.

Participation requires a 6-month commitment that includes one office visit per month, 3 physical exams, and 3 blood draws. Par-ticipants will receive up to $80 and can keep the Fitbit Zip pe-dometer ($60 value) for complet-ing all 6-month study require-ments.

If you are interested, please call (415) 483-0992 or e-mail [email protected]

Your participation will help to understand why Filipinos are at such high risk for diabetes and heart disease, and to find ways to prevent these risks among the Filipino community! n

FORMER employees of Philippine Veterans Bank will hold their Grand Reunion on February 21, 2016 at the Marco Polo Hotel in Ortigas, Ma-nila.

We are trying to reach out to all members resid-ing all over the world to disseminate information about the upcoming event. For more details about

the reunion, please contact the following members through their Facebook accounts:

Southern California – Aurora CarilloNorthern California – Angie VirolaPhilippines – Lourdes Barbero Ramos and Lyn

LagpitanghapWe look to forward to see you all! n

Former PVB employees 2016 Grand Reunion

For my part, I wanted to under-stand how such a place shaped who he is and what moved him to sail the seven seas for 40 years as a ship captain, hauling logs and cars and tons of containers from port to port— from Siberia

to South Africa, from Pusan to Peru— bringing with him my mother’s keepsake, a small im-age of the Nuestra Senora de Antipolo, before the wanderlust gave out and he finally found home. He would have been sur-

prised with the changes in his old hometown. (To be continued)

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

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Friday, September 18, 2015

MARANAO. The Legend of Sarimanok / Maranao / Lake Lanao, Lanao del Sur Province, Mindanao. A Prince endeavors to catch the Sarimanok as a gift for the King. Though replete with danger, success brings good fortune to the one who captures the mythical

TBOLI. **Nga Libun / Tboli /Lake Sebu, South Cotabato Province, Mindanao. A cautionary tale of pride and revenge, and the tragic and fiery catastrophe wrought upon the village’s Datu and his people.

Jenny Bawer-Young, Kalinga resource person and master weaver who is also based here in California-Bay Area.

One of Parangal’s resource people, Arlyne Salazar of the Bagobo-Tagabawa.

SF2 cover storyThe Asian Journal SF MAGAZINE - September 18, 2015

SEVEN years ago, a group of people established a dance company to give tribute to Philippine heritage. Aiming to serve as a bridge to inspire and connect Filipino-Americans to their roots, Parangal (meaning “tribute) Dance Company has be-come one of the most respected Filipino folk dance groups in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Through the years, Paran-gal has provided workshops in ethnic attire, music and dance inspired from the cultures of the Philippines. In fact, art directors; choreographers and/or mem-bers immerse themselves fully by going to the Philippines to meet resource people and tribal groups to keep it authentic.

Now celebrating their seventh year, Parangal Dance Company has worked hard to present their anniversary offering on October 3 through Alamat.

“Alamat means legends, stories, events, or symbolic char-

acters that originate from specific group of indigenous or cultural groups,” said Parangal Founder and President Eric Solano. “We are excited to present legends and cultural traditions of Kalinga, Ga’dang, Tboli, Bagobo-Tagaba-wa and Maranao.”

Solano explained that they followed the same core of elements in Alamat. This meant doing research and getting in touch with cultural bearers and/or resources.

“What makes Alamat unique from our previous productions is that we will showcase stories/leg-ends, cultural traditions, events, and characters that are important to each indigenous groups,” Solano shared.

They are also thankful for many firsts—having Cordillera-inspired pieces from their Kalinga resource, master weaver (and the only one in the Bay Area/Califor-nia) Jenny Bawer-Young, and who will also be performing with the

‘AlAmAt/legends’: PArAngAl dAnce comPAny’s 7th AnniversAry offering

Taking you on a journey about thecultural traditions of the Filipino culture

by Malou liwanag-Bledsoe/AJPress

Resource persons for Ga’dang Ampara Mabanag and Margareth Balansi.

group; several dances including The Legend of Sarimanok which were all learned from the Philip-pines by a group of Parangal members; amazing illustration work by artist Don Aguillo; and receiving funding support from Alliance for California Traditional Arts and San Mateo County Arts Grants Program.

Preparations for Alamat started as early as July 2014 by connecting and interviewing resources, said Solano. However, research work started in 2011 with the Bagobo-Tagabawa, then Ga’dang, Kalinga, Tboli (as well as a workshop in Leyte with Leyte Dance Theatre for The Legend of Sarimanok) in 2014.

Parangal has also made strides during their seventh year. Aside from becoming a 501c3 non-profit organization, they also were invited to represent the Philippines at the Folkmoot USA International Festival in North Carolina. Their 18 cast members performed with the Cherokee and companies from other coun-

tries like Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Estonia and Puerto Rico. The Parangal Rondalla Ensemble also made their debut performance under the direction of Major Julian, and joined by Marlon Dumlao, Vanessa Gomez Brake and Rey Amado Arcilla.

Still with its milestones, So-lano admits that funding remains a challenge. “Now that we are a 501c3, we hope and ask the community to consider to be a ‘kabalikat’ of Parangal in helping us continue to research in the Philippines and share the knowl-edge with the community so we can create awareness and learn more about culture, traditions and struggles of our Philippine indigenous people.”

He would also like to thank his resources for sharing their legends and traditions with Parangal in making Alamat: Jenny Bawer-Young (Kalinga; Bay Area, California) the cultural masters of the National Com-mission for Culture and the Arts -- Amparo Mabanag and

Margareth Balansi from the Ga-dang community of Paracelis, Mountain Province; and Sonia D. Mangune and Arlyne D. Sala-zar from Bagobo-Tagabawa of Toril, Davao City and Silin Awed for Tboli of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato; as well as the Leyte Dance Theater and Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group.

“Let us and Alamat take you back on a journey and to the vil-lages of (the) Philippines without leaving the Bay Area,” said So-lano. “We are here today bcause the indigenous people who have and continue to preserve their culture and traditions. The elders/culture bearers/resources of Kalinga, Ga’dang, Tboli, Bagobo-Tagabawa, and Maranao have entrusted Parangal with valuable information about them and that we will present onstage. Join us in giving back to cultural resources and elders (so) that we can also be a source of inspira-tion to them so they will continue to dance, play music, weave, bead, chant, and pass on their

knowledge of traditions to the next generation.”

Watch Parangal’s Alamat, Legends on Saturday, October 3, 2015; at Skyline College Theater, 3300 College Dr., Building One, San Bruno, CA 94066. Show times are at 2pm and 7pm.

Tickets are: Group (6 or more) - $20 (main show) / $15 (matinee), Senior (65) / Child (12) / Student - $20 (main) / $15 (matinee) and General (from August to show) - $35 (main) / $30 (matinee). Website fees not included in pricing.

For tickets, go to www.eventbrite.com/e/parangal-dance-company-presents-alamat-legends-tickets-16456885989.

To know more about Paran-gal Dance Company visit www.parangal.org or like them on Facebook.com/Parangal.

*Kalinga cover illustration image design by Don Aguillo, concept by June Arellano. Inside photos by This is It Photography, editors Denise Wong and Voltaire Gunjab.

SF3featuresThe Asian Journal SF MAGAZINE – September 18, 2015

Dr. Vicki Belo

Naked TruthBy MoNET Lu

San FranciSco

So, what’s in it that makes it viral? Let’s talk about the AlDub fever, shall we?

When AlDub fanatics post anything AlDub-related, every-one jumps right in. And it’s hard to resist the urge to check them out. And when you start watching their skit and following them on every social media platform, that’s it – you’re hooked. Welcome to club!

I’ll play skeptic and say that at first you wouldn’t really get it. You would think to yourself: “how is this weird couple flirting stupidly on screen pass as comic?” But the longer you watch Alden “Bae Al-den” Richards swoon his beloved by flashing his deeper-than-deep-dimples and lip syncs to every cliché love song ever written, you get stuck. Then you watch Maine “Yaya Dub” Mendoza does her signature nostril-flare and tom-

and-jerry smile to look wackily ugly (which is never the case-coz she so adorable). And in the middle of them lip syncing songs and dubbing lines flawlessly, the stern and typical Lola-character played by Wally Bayola steps in and ruins their flirting session.

I would bet that just by that description alone, you are sold. I was.

But for the benefit of those who were like me—before I be-came pretty fond of them—who do not know anything about AlDub, let me give you a brief overview.

AlDub became a phenomenal Filipino love team by accident. It is not one of those love teams that are products of a movie promo or a teleserye gimmick. That’s probably one of the main reasons why people are attracted

Let’s talk about The ‘AlDub’ Fever

A coupLe of days ago, I overheard some of my custom-ers talking about a certain “Yaya Dub” and “Alden” with the highest level of excitement. They were exchanging opinions about how “Lola Nidora” is getting in the way of true love, and that the “diary” will reveal so much more, and now—the latest update—is the meet up between “Yaya” and “Alden,” who (also according to them) have never met each other since the whole thing started. Just hearing them chat as though they personally know the characters is enough to get my curiosity piqued. unlike my customers, I have no clue about who these characters are. And yes, I must be living under a rock because I didn’t know the latest craze that’s been spreading like wildfire!

So like the “martian-who-does-not-know-aldub” that I am, I looked them up and I discovered that this “AlDub” Mania has spread over the philippines like an airborne disease, and people out-side the philippines are following suit. To date, this TV skit-segment has reached over 4 million tweets! There is no escaping the “AlDub” fever and I’m just happy I caught on sooner than later.

Alden Richards Maine Mendoza aka Yaya Dub

HeLLo everyone! I am so thrilled by the influx

of your emails! And as I am so happy that you trust me with your concerns, I would also like to share something close to my heart. Recently, my beloved daughter cristalle is finally engaged! As a mother I always wanted my daughter to be happy with some-one who will cherish and honor her. She found the right partner in Justin. I was able to sneak a photo from behind-the-scenes of that wonderful moment when Justin proposed!

Now on to our letter sender :Dear Dr. Vicki,Doc, I am a marine engineer

by profession. I have been happily married for eight years and have children now. However, my wife noticed lately that I have lost hair at the upper back of my head. It has gotten thin and it looks like the eye of the storm. My wife always watches your show and has encouraged me to consult with you. I hope you can help me with this. I have also attached a photo for reference.

Thanks,Enzo Hi enzo,There are many causes of

hair loss among men. Some are acquired from genetic, envi-ronmental pollutants, or stress. others are caused by changes in hormones, getting scars due to surgery or health problems like

Effective solutions to hair loss

diabetes and high blood pressure. Seems like in your photo your are showing early signs of receding hair line and bald patches. What is important is you see a doctor. We have to be sure that your hair loss is nothing short of a health prob-lem. If that’s the case, you have to get well first and we can proceed with your hair loss treatment after.

Think of it this way, the soil is the scalp and the plant is the hair. When the plant is damaged, it dies and gets removed from the soil, same is your hair follicles. We have invasive and non invasive procedures for hair loss depend-ing on the condition and sever-ity. We have something called MesoHair, where we infuse “fertil-izers” to your scalpt to enduce hairgrowth.

For our invasive procedure and still the most effective means to address hairloss, Belo uses an advanced technology to auto-matically harvest and implant hair follicles to the balding area without removing the scalp. It is called the NeoGrafting. What makes it better is that the results are natural looking hair re-growth, it is least invasive with little to no discomfort, minimal downtime and no linear scar. And it is also FDA-cleared procedure.

Hope this helps you, enzo, on your problem.

So let’s have more stories coming in! Feel free to let me know about you. Send it to [email protected].

Love,Dr. Belo

oAK BRooK, Ill—To meet consumers’ changing expecta-tions and preferences, McDon-ald’s announced that it will fully transition to cage-free eggs for its nearly 16,000 restaurants in the uS and canada over the next 10 years.

“our customers are increas-ingly interested in knowing more about their food and where it comes from,” said McDonald’s uSA president Mike Andres. “our decision to source only cage-free eggs reinforces the focus we’re placing on food qual-ity and our menu to meet what consumers truly want.”

“We’re proud of the work we’re doing with farmers and sup-pliers to advance environmentally

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

and socially conscious practices for the animals in our supply chain,” said Marion Gross, senior vice president and chief Supply chain officer of McDonald’s North America. “This is a bold move and we’re confident in our ability to provide a quality, safe, and consistent supply.”

on an annual basis, McDonald’s uSA purchases ap-proximately two billion eggs and McDonald’s canada purchases 120 million eggs to serve on its breakfast menus, which includes popular breakfast sandwiches,

such as the egg McMuffin and egg White Delight. Since 2011, McDonald’s uSA has been purchasing more than 13 million cage-free eggs annually.

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

Herbruck’s poultry Ranch, a family-owned and operated farm in Michigan, has worked with

McDonald’s for decades to sup-ply nutritious eggs. “cage-free systems play an important role in our work to keep hens healthy and meet the growing consumer demand for responsibly-sourced food,” said Greg Herbruck, executive vice president of Herbruck’s poultry Ranch. “We welcome McDonald’s actions to continue these efforts and are pleased to join them in sourc-ing cage-free eggs across their supply chain. We continue embracing new technologies and

Continued on Page SF4

Continued on Page SF4

SF4 celebrityworldThe Asian Journal SF MAGAZINE - September 18, 2015

celebrity worldBy Ferdie Villar

Vina Morales finds love anew with French boyfriend

Redwood City—Lifestyle Network awakens the adventurer within with the latest travel titles to join its programming line-up. whether the dream destination is posh private resorts, zen and relaxation spots far away from city life, or unique metropolitan treasures, Lifestyle Network pulls up at all stops.

explore the world like never before, from diving into the spec-tacular underworld to walking through treetops and swinging across rope bridges. Trek through Phuket to Moscow, Mongolia to Bangkok, to uncover mysteries and marvels in Japan. Explore Asia on Mondays at 9pm PT.

Travel Thru History on Friday

nights at 9pm PT with the show that explores fascinating histori-cal and cultural experiences.

Join model and actress Jaymee ong and her sister, Lindsay, on their quest to find the top spas of the continent. Spa Seekers goes great lengths – Indonesia to Maldives, Thailand to Taiwan with only one goal in mind: To find and present you with the best spas of Asia on Sundays at 6pm PT.

Elite Access is hosted by the International travel writer and Hong Kong socialite, Nora Leung, who goes around the world, discovering the best the world has to offer on wednes-days at 9pm PT.

“For our global Filipina view-ers, life is one big adventure,” said Aileen Paredes, Channel Head for Lifestyle Network Global. “our new programs were thoughtfully curated by our team, understanding that discovery and exploration enrich our experi-ence, whether it means traveling by plane to a far off place or get-ting to a backyard gem by foot.”

don’t forget to keep discov-ering cities’ history, cuisine, and culture on XP GUIDE and con-tinue following hot backpacker Jason Godfrey as he uncovers all the awesome things that make the Philippines a perfect TEN. Check local cable listings for Lifestyle Network.

explore the world with Lifestyle Network’s new travel shows

Feed into that summertime wanderlust with thechannel’s latest programming additions

strategies to ensure our hens are well-cared for.”

In 2000, Mcdonald’s USA was the first food service company to adopt a standard for hen housing systems, which provided more space per bird than the industry standard. In 2010, the company initiated research with the Coali-tion for a Sustainable egg Supply to better understand the impact of various hen housing systems on animal health and welfare, the environment, worker health, food safety and food affordability.

From Page SF3

Mcdonald’s to fully transition... introduced the Artisan Grilled Chicken patty, seasoned with simple, everyday ingredients and introduced a new contem-porary salad blend of romaine, baby spinach and baby kale. Mcdonald’s is also moving from liquid margarine to real butter on english muffins, biscuits and bagels on the breakfast menu and has introduced a new Butter-milk Crispy Chicken, which uses real buttermilk in the breading. Mcdonald’s Canada introduced a salad leaf blend, including baby kale, in its three chef-inspired con-temporary salads in May 2015.

*Advertising Supplement

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

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

In addition, Mcdonald’s USA

From Page SF3to them. The moniker, “Aldub” is a combination of the names, Alden and ‘dub—short for, “Yaya dub.”

The love team is played by Alden Richards, a Filipino matinee idol and Maine Mendoza, who is an ordinary Filipina who became an internet sensation for her “dubsmashes.” She was discov-ered and sought by the show’s staff to play Yaya dub—the nanny of an “evil grandmother.”

The “love team-up” started when Maine Mendoza zoned out of her character being the grumpy nanny, when Alden was seen watching her doing her act. She became conscious and next thing you know, they were being teased together, thus creating an unexpected and extraordinary chemistry on TV. This is how Eat Bulaga!’s Kalyeserye birthed the “Aldub”.

Let’s talk about The ‘AlDub’...Aldub can be seen in Eat

Bulaga!’s Kalyeserye (a series done live in the streets). It’s the first ever street-skit that aired on TV. The characters, despite of the scenes being impromptu, are witty and natural. Their antics are attracting more and more audi-ences in and out of the country. And this is where it gets even in-teresting; Since everything is not scripted and Lola Nidora’s scenes are filmed live in the streets, while Alden is in the studio, the two love birds have not met each other personally. Therefore contributing to the suspense and “kilig” leading to the day when they will finally meet face to face.

As one critic said, “This Aldub craze started to take over the world through different social media and continued to cause commotion in everybody’s sched-ule for the day.”

I most certainly agree. In fact

writing about this had me smiling the whole time.

It’s nice to see something on TV that is “organically” pleasing to watch. out of the many things that media tried to manufacture, this one—I have to admit—they did right. Good job to the cre-ators of Aldub. Borrowing the words of Lola Nidora, things are done right “sa tamang panahon.”

Goodluck Alden and Yaya dub! #kiligpamore

***Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning

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

SULTRY singer/actress Vina Morales’ heart is a-flutter these days because after seven years, she finally has found a new love.

The Nasaan Ka Nang Kai-langan Kita star share a photo of her and her French boyfriend on Instagram. The shot was taken during Vina’s recently concluded ASAP Live in London show, held at the SSe Arena in wembley last September 6.

In the caption Vina wrote, “I rarely posted photos from my London trip. But this one I would like to share to you all...Yes it was indeed a happy and a beautiful day in London.”

The singer/actress also shared that she and her boy-friend met through Ilocos sur Governor Chavit Singson. The good part about it is that theirs is not a long-distance relation-ship as her boyfriend is based in the Philippines.

Ah, love! we wish Vina all the best in her new found love!

***Congratulations are in order

for actress Isabel oli and hus-

band, actor/dancer John Prats. The couple recently confirmed that they are expecting their first child, four months after their wedding.

Isabel made the announce-ment via her Instagram account last September 15, posting a photo about a baby being “the best gift,” especially for her up-coming birthday on october 20.

“we are happy to know that here will be a sweet addition to our lovely family. I’m already in love with you my lil pre-cious one,” she wrote and then added, “Thank You so much Lord Jesus Christ for this gift.”

Again, congratulations John and oli!

***The Queen of All Media Kris

Aquino revealed last Septem-ber 16 that she is leaving her late night talk show Aquino & Abunda Tonight. Before anyone starts speculating that politics or any kind of controver-sy is behind about her leaving the show, the 44-year-old Kris explained the real reason.

during the press conference for her upcoming film, etiquette for Mistresses, Kris said that she is leaving the show for health reasons.

three months na halos na siya mag-isa. And I’m so happy for him and I’m just also happy that next week, I’m being given the chance to close it properly,” she said.

They do say, “Health is wealth,” so we can’t blame her for leaving the show. we only wish better health for Kris!

Adding that she will be back in the show next Monday, Sep-tember 21, for her final week, Kris explained that with all the health issues she’s been having lately she is unable to shoot a movie and do two daily shows.

The actress was hospitalized last August 25 after a severe

vascular headache caused her blood pressure to shoot up. According to Kris, she could have had a stroke.

Co-host Boy Abunda will take over after her departure from the show.

“Rightfully, the show should be Boy Abunda Tonight kasi

Vina Morales’ heart is in the right place now as she found a new love with her new French boyfriend. The singer/actress recently posted a photo of them during the post-celebration party of ‘ASAP Live in London show.

Congratulations to actress Isabel Oli and husband, actor John Prats as they are expecting their first child. The couple tied the knot four months ago.

Actor Dennis Trillo is the lead in GMA Pinoy TV’s newest primetime teleserye, ‘My Faithful Husband.’

Marc Evan Perez, son of Antioch community leaders Anthony and Vangie Perez, will celebrate his third birthday on Saturday, September 26 with a party at their residence in Edgewood Drive. Marc Evan is shown in photo with his aunt Joy de Mesa Cabrera and cousin Joseph.

Alden Richards is making a name for himself as the other half of the now famous AlDub love team and kalyeserye broadcasted daily on ‘Eat Bulaga.’

The Queen of All Media recently announced that she is leaving her late night talk show, ‘Aquino & Abunda Tonight’ due to health reasons. Co-host Boy Abunda will be taking the reins after her departure from the show.

San Mateo religious leader Joe Santos and his wife, Lyn, hosted a welcome party for Rev. Fr. Sonny Ramirez OP of Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City recently. Shown in photo above are Mario Santos, Fr. Ramirez, Joe Santos and Merla Cardenas.

SF5The Asian Journal SF MAGAZINE - September 18, 2015

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