asian journal jan 23 2009

(Continued on page 10)


Lay-Offs: So what if I got fired?



Menfolk dressed up as Spanish soldiers lift the altar bearing the image of the Sto. Niño as it arrives at the Cebu port after a fluvial procession. PhilStar photo by ALDO NELBERT

Parshooters Golf Club: Front row: L-R seated: Marissa Nave, Andy Verbs, secretary/treasurer/coordinator, and Ed Carangian. 2nd row: L-R seated: Ted Calaustro, Vice Pres., Ding Cope, Gus Martinez, Vic Oro-pilla, Ed Bassig and Ed Madriaga. 3rd row: L-R standing: Nick Sunga, Ed Samaniego, Mike Echada, Mark Santos, Paul Cruz, Mars Marcelo, Dan Magno, Tim Mendoza, Ted Delunas, Handicap Chair, Matt Mazon, President; Fred Bihis, Armando Bareno, Raul Gonzales, Lito Parani, Amor Garingo, Art Buangan, tournament chairman and Bob Navales. 4th row: L-R: Rino Belisario, Ruben Caballa and George David. Participant not in picture: Buddy Olivar, Brandy Brandenburg, Moreno David, Willie Velasco and Jack Bolado. See story on page 14.

Parshooters Golf Club of San Diego held its 15th year with the championship tournament

in December 9, 2008 at the Salt Creek Golf Course with tremendous success.

By Edu Punay

Several gays and lesbians in Quezon City have opted not to push for their accep-tance in major churches in the country and have instead put up a chapter of the 40-year-old American church for their kind, the Universal Fellow-ship Metropolitan Community Church (MCC).

Gays, lesbians form own church

REDWOOD CITY, CA, January 15, 2009 – Hot on the heels of its very success-ful premieres in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area (Redwood City), Star Cinema’s Love Me Again (Land Down Under) is now set for its multi-city U.S. theatrical run this January.

Love Me Again (Land Down Under) set a record by being the first Filipino film to be screened abroad before being shown in the Philip-pines. The world premieres were held last December 6 in Los Angeles and December 7 in Redwood City, attended no less by the film’s stars, Piolo Pascual and Angel Locsin. They were joined by actor-singer Sam Milby,

Blockbuster film to have regular screenings in several U.S. cities in January

“Love Me Again (Land Down Under)”set for North America theatrical run

Love Me Again (Land Down Un-der) stars Angel Locsin and Piolo Pascual attended the world pre-mieres of their film in Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Area last December. (Photo by Tara Kitta)

By Edmund M. Silvestre Philstar

Citing his late Filipino fa-ther’s strong influence on his political as-pirations, this first genera-tion Filipino-American member of the United States Con-gress was sworn in on Jan. 6, along with other freshmen belonging to the 111th Congress.

Rep. Steve Austria, a Republican and former state senator who is now rep-resenting Ohio’s large 7th congressional district, also holds the distinction of being elected president of his in-

A Fil-Am on Capitol Hill


coming congressional class. As head of the batch, he will meet weekly with a leader-ship team to “find common-ality with our freshman class

to help move good policy forward.”

The new congressmen first took their oath in an early afternoon group cere-mony at the House Chamber on Capitol Hill. They were

Busy streets in Quiapo (photos by John Brian Silverio)

Narding was a hard-worker and a good

person. He would surely be a good husband and

provider -- a prized catch for any decent woman in town. The

only problem was that he fell in love not with a decent woman, but

with Clarita, a tall, fair-skinned prostitute with a

sad but beautiful face.

See page 5

Quiapo Memories:

Narding

A photo coverage of President Barack Obama’s inauguration by the Na-tional Geographic News depicting the American and Kenyan flags.

For the children of immi-grants who were raised in this country, the country held possibility. To our parents or grandparents

who left both hardship and familiarity to make a life in America, this country

held boundless opportuni-ties. Yet as the younger generations grew up in this nation, we also saw

unspoken restrictions and glass ceilings.

By Ashley SilverioAssistant EditorThe San Diego Asian Journal

For the first time, I heard the voice of reality coming from the Capitol. A man spoke before millions and with his words captured a

President Barack Obama’s Inauguration

A possibility for the children of immigrants in America

vision of America as I know it. President Obama’s inaugu-ral address depicted the fears, concerns, and hopes of many across country.

For many who have long tired of the empty rhetoric of the past administration, the

inaugural address was like being spoken to as an adult, with full understanding of the issues and investment in the future. The coherent as-sessment of our nation’s

January 23 - 29, 2009

Msgr. Gutierrez EntertainmentThe Second

Coming of Ipe42/70 and Counting!

Riz A. Oades

Philstar

WASHINGTON – The World Bank said on Wednes-day it had uncovered a major cartel involving local and international firms bidding on a Philippine road project and it had barred seven companies – three from the Philippines and four from China – from bidding on its projects due to alleged corruption.

The World Bank’s cor-ruption-fighting unit said the firms were blacklisted for “engaging in collusive prac-tices” during the bidding of the project financed by the Washington global develop-ment lender.

Investigation by the bank “uncovered evidence of a ma-jor cartel involving local and international firms bidding on contracts under phase one of the Philippines’ National

Bidding for RP road project rigged - World Bank

January 23 - 29, 2009Asian Journal - (619) 474-0588 Visit our website at http://www.asianjournalusa.com

Father Francisco Truong Buu Diego, a martyred priest from Vietnam, has been gaining a lot of devotees because of the miracles attributed to him. Many people claim that their petitions have been granted when they prayed for him to intercede in their behalf in seeking God’s favors. These devotees are now telling people about Father Francisco’s miracles and martyr-dom. They hope that more miracles by him may occur that would result to his eventual sainthood. If you want to seek God’s favor, please pray the following. If your favor has been granted, please let us know. Thank you.

PrayerDear Lord, Dear FatherYou are the greatest saint within.

The all-powerful savior. Please hear my prayers and help me overcome the hardships that I now endure.

(Please say hardships or peti-tions)

Thank you, Lord.

Biography of Father Francisco Truong Buu Diep

Father Francisco Truong Buu Diep was born on January 1, 1897 and was baptized on February 2, 1897 at Con-Phuoc Parish, An Gi-ang Province in Vietnam. In 1904, when he was seven years old, his mother passed away. He followed his father to Bactantang, Cambodia. In 1909, he entered Cu Lao Gieng Seminary then the Phnompen Seminary in Cambodia. In 1924, he was ordained into priesthood in Phonmpen, Cambodia. From 1924 to 1927, he was a reverend of Ho-Tru Parish, a Vietnamese mission in Kandal, Cambodia. He taught at the seminary in Cu-Lao-Gieng from 1927 to 1929. In March 1930, he became the pastor of Sac-Tay- Par-ish. Father Diep helped establish other parishes including Ba-Doc, Cam-Do, An-Hai, Chi-Chi, Khuc Treo, Ding-Go and Rach-Ran.

Between 1945 and 1946, the war years, havoc and disarray forced people to evacuate to safer areas. Father Diep’s superior had ordered him to evacuate and only return when thing settled. But he refused and said: “I will live with the flock and if necessary will die with them. I shall not abandon them.”

On March 12, 1946, he was cap-tured along with 70 parishioners of Tac-Say and imprisoned. He fought and died in place for the people that were imprisoned together with him.

He was buried in a catacomb of the Khuc-Treo Church. In 1969, his remains were moved to the Tao-Sau Church. He served 16 yeas as pastor.

“A good Shepherd sacrificed his life for the flock,” Father Francisco Truong Buu Diep had indeed fol-lowed the word of the Lord, He had offered his life to God and sacrificed for his flock.

When his tormentors were about to kill all of them, he offered his life and asked his captors to let his flock go. He was beheaded and his body was thrown away in an undis-closed area.

Some of the miracles people be-lieve he had performed are:

1) He was believed to have led people to the discovery of his body.

2) When people did not have the construction materials to build a proper shrine for him, constructions materials were delivered, allegedly ordered and paid for a person bear-ing Father Francisco’s image.

Thousands of people troop to his shrine on March 12 to pray for and ask him to intercede in their behalf in seeking God’s favors.

If you want more information or help spread the word on Father Francisco, please call Rose Hina-hon of Hongkong Boutique beside Seafood City in National City at telephone number (619) 336-2456.

Send your petitions to God through Father Francisco Truong Buu Diejo

Barack Obama takes the oath of office to become the 44th president of the United States in Washington, …

Text of President Barack Obama’s inaugural address on Tuesday, as delivered.

OBAMA: My fellow citizens:I stand here today humbled by the

task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacri-fices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of pros-perity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shut-tered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversar-ies and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, sub-ject to data and statistics. Less measur-able but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false

Text of President Barack Obama’s

inaugural address

promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some cel-ebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Norman-dy and Khe Sanh.

Time and again these men and women

pended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers ... our found fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understand-ing between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghani-stan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apolo-gize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot out-last us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weak-ness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those lead-ers around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but be-cause they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in some-thing greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do

and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selfless-ness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibil-ity — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to our-selves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowl-edge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our charac-ter, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every

faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remem-brance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

“Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when noth-ing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it).”

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future genera-tions.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differ-ences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, power-ful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of stand-ing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the econ-omy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technol-ogy’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will har-ness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common pur-pose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political argu-ments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our gov-ernment is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the an-swer is no, programs will end. Those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always de-

President Barack Obama deliver-ing his inaugural address.

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Asian Journal - (619) 474-0588 Visit our website at http://www.asianjournalusa.comJanuary 23 - 29, 2009

The 15-foot stone pylon in Daet, Ca-marines Norte, which was completed in February 1899, was the country’s first memorial marker for Dr. Jose P. Rizal. PhilStar Photo by BERNARD SUPETRAN

By Bernard SupetranPhilstar

The 15-foot stone pylon in Daet, Ca-marines Norte, which was completed in February 1899, was the country’s first memorial marker for Dr. Jose P. Rizal. BERNARD SUPETRAN

DAET, Camarines Norte — While the Filipino nation pays homage to national hero Dr. Jose Rizal on his day of martyrdom, this quaint town of Daet, capital of Camarines Norte, is abuzz with activities around its own Rizal monument.

The 15-foot-tall stone pylon named after the national hero is bereft of intricate design, but is in every way special because it is the first-ever Rizal memorial marker in the country.

Situated in a river park, construc-tion of the memorial began on Dec. 30, 1898 in compliance with a decree of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, president of the revolutionary government, to observe Dec. 30 as a national holiday in the “Free Philippines.”

It was completed in February 1899, shortly after the outbreak of the Filipino-American War, antedating by about 14 years the monument in Luneta, which was inaugurated only in 1912.

By virtue of this act, Camarines Norte became the first province to celebrate Rizal Day.

The monument was built through the financial contributions of the townsfolk of Camarines Norte and the Bicol region, with Lt. Colonels Antonio Sanz and Ildefonso Alegre of the Revolutionary Army leading its construction.

Designed by Sanz, the monument is a three-tiered stone pylon, its square base surmounted by a two-level triangle, the last one tapering off to a point.

The front face contains a black metal slab from the National Histori-cal Commission when it was declared as a historical landmark in 1961.

Inscribed on the square podium are Rizal’s popular novels—Noli Me Tan-gere, El Filibusterismo, and Morga, a tribute to Antonio de Morga, author of Sucesos de las islas Filipinas in 1609, an important book on the early history of the Spanish colonization.

On both sides of the topmost triangle is an eight-rayed sun, a five-pointed star and the phrase “A Jose Rizal” (To Jose Rizal).

However, unlike other monuments, it does not bear any of his sculptured images.

According to oral accounts, the base contains a time capsule containing the list of contributors to the construction of the monument.

It is also a widely accepted belief that Masons played an important role

Jose Rizal’s first monument revisited

in putting up the pylon because of its pronounced Masonic elements. Add to this the fact that Aguinaldo and Sanz were Masons.

Masonic historian Reynold Fajardo wrote in the bimonthly periodical Cabletow, “the monument is unques-tionably Masonic, the squared base is surmounted by a triangle; on the sides of the triangle is a five-pointed star and the all-seeing eye at the top.”

“The First Rizal Monument is a source of pride, not only for the townsfolk but also for all Bicolanos. It also attests to the people’s reverence for Rizal and his ideals,” says Daet Mayor Tito Sarion.

He said Daet and the Provincial Government of Camarines Norte hold colorful Dec. 30 rites includ-ing a street theater reenacting Rizal’s martyrdom, which concludes at the Monument. There’s also a host of special events such as essay-writing and oratorical contests, socio-civic activities and wreath laying.

Sarion said Rizal’s life and ideals inspired Daet’s political leaders and citizenry to declare the municipality as a “character town” in 2002.

In recognition of the landmark’s historic value, the National Historical Institute (NHI) recently declared a national monument by virtue of NHI Resolution No. 12.

“Today, the monument is not only a reminder of the greatness of the Great Malayan, but also the top tourist drawer of Camarines Norte. Failure to visit it when in Daet would be a tragedy of monumental proportions,” he said.

CITY SENSE By Paulo Alcazaren

Philstar

(First of two parts)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Dark-ness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had every-thing before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way... — Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

In last week’s column, “An Ideal Christmas,” I featured downtown movie houses and how they contrib-uted to the vibrancy of pre- and post-war Manila. One of those edifices was the Times Theater. The theater

was probably scheduled to open in December 1940 but the construction of the new Quezon Boulevard fronting it may have led to its opening only in March 1941.

That new boulevard is one of the key elements in a story that brings to mind English novelist Charles Dick-ens’ classic tale. Quezon Boulevard was widened and extended to link old Manila with the planned new capital of Quezon City. The tale of the two cities of Manila and Quezon is as dra-matic and turbulent as that of London and Paris; as told through the story of Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton. But I will leave that to some young Palanca aspirant to weave a compel-ling yarn that channels Dickens.

I recently found an old souvenir pro-gram that I thought I had misplaced among my ever-growing collection of ephemera on Manila in particular and Philippine cities in general. It

The best of Timeswas from the 1941 inauguration of the Times Theater. Theater open-ings were grand affairs then but what made this event significant was that it pushed through despite the geo-political uncertainty that year. Europe had plunged into war. The Philip-pines’ independence was imminent. All this produced an anxiety built on fears of expansionist neighbors and an America initially inclined to shut itself off from the rest of the world’s troubles.

The souvenir was optimistic, point-ing to a fact that holds true today: That in the face of troubles (military, political or economic), people turn to the movies to escape. The souve-nir played on this as a justification of the theater’s opening. “With the threatening clouds on the horizon and amidst the turmoil of a perturbed and troubled world the Times Theater, undaunted and unafraid, a center of

joy, an institution of happiness, a sym-bol and champion of the Philippines’ bright future in this era of war is now open for the public’s entertain-ment.”

The architect of the theater was young, new and tal-ented. There were less than a hundred registered architects before the war and Luis Ma. Araneta entered their small

fraternity right before the tumult. He came from an upper-class background but little has been documented of his body of work. He is one of those forgotten but talented modern Filipino architects of the mid-century.

Araneta graduated with a degree in architecture from the University of Santo Tomas in 1939. He was the ar-chitect of the Makati Medical Center, the Manila Doctors Hospital and a slew of private residences but it was with the Times Theater that he made his landmark debut; or rather a debut that produced a Manila landmark that has survived to this day.

The souvenir program described the architecture of the theater in the article entitled “Arts, Science and Industry Play the Times Symphony.” The intro-duction credits the structure as a col-laborative effort between Araneta and engineer Jose Cortez, who “knows no impossibility in solving the structural

problems that modern architecture presents.”

The rest of the article was a flowery description of the exterior and interior treatment. It started with the main façade: “(The) center motif in the scheme for the façade is the tower-ing block of glass. Here, the march of time is symbolized in the use of glass, a material once weak and disgustingly fragile, now made firm and surpris-ingly strong by the progress of science …(suggesting) a look into the future. Night turns the tower of glass into a monumental lamp — an expression of the triumph of time over darkness.”

The theme of architecture as “frozen music” was used by the writer with the description of the rest of the the-ater: “Flanking the tower of glass are columns depicting organ pipes; as if to prepare us for the great symphony to be found within. …In the lobby the music starts with a sombre tone as reflected by the floor of black marble and columns of black carrara glass.”

From the article, we know that the architect specified what was consid-ered modern materials then — steel and structural glass mixed with luxuri-ous native and imported materials like marble, and Dao hardwood.

Araneta reserved the most dramatic note in his composition for the pro-scenium, the frame for the projected images of the featured movies. A magnificent mural was commissioned.

The artist was Enrique Ruiz, known for his illuminated illustrative type of murals in pre-war Manila.

The mural is made up of three pan-els. The right panel features the “Vi-sion of the Architect.” It was meant to personify “…the spirit of one man glorifying the edifice wherein shall spring the arts of film, fiction and comedy. Fiction embodied by the pleading female figure, pleads for the preservation of truth and the art of serious thinking.”

The central panel tells the story of “The Wooing of Maria Makiling.” This shows how much culturally connected Manila was then with its surrounding provinces. Finally, the

left panel portrayed “The influence of film,” showing the “producer upholding the contribution” of his art, the scripts, cameramen, actors and a “family” of artists towards the production of the movies shown in the theater.

One final innovation was introduced with the Times Theater. It was a light-ing effect that would not see popular-ity until much later, in the swinging ‘60s — blacklight. Intermissions were a regular part of movies in those days, so the lighting of the mural and the interiors were an important part of the experience.

The article ended by placing the the-ater in a perspective of the times (no

pun intended), “The Times Theater stands — a great structure of steel and concrete and glass and chromium and wood and a hundred other materi-als — a product of modern minds and modern mechanical power. In the course of time, men have learned to take advantage of the earth’s resourc-es, developing them to their maxi-mum perfection in order to fit human needs…Times Theatre is a notable contribution to Manila Beautifu l —a shining tribute to time, the modern times, the arts, industry and science — and the men who had courage to erect such a structure in these troubled times.”

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On the moveRead Ashley Silverio’s previous articles by visit-

ing our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

On Election Day 2008, my sister left her Manhattan of-

fi ce for a bar in the cheap, gourmet neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen. She and her friends sipped on some beers at the packed bar and monitored the television screen as all waited for the California polls to close. Ten seconds before 11pm, the countdown began. Each numeral was followed by a second of total silence until the count reached zero and the bar and surrounding neighborhood erupted in cheers.

There was a lot of hugging and screaming, my sister recounted. Then, she and her friends noticed a familiar, famous face at the bar. “Are you Sigourney Weaver?” my sister asked the woman, who was wearing a tie-dyed jumpsuit.

“Yeah,” she replied.“Cool!” my sister said. “Go

Obama!” she added, as they high-fi ved.

“You high-fi ved?” I asked skeptically, as I chatted with my sister over the phone from our childhood home in suburban San Diego that evening.

“Oh yeah,” she answered. “What did you do tonight?”

On the night Obama was elected, I was attending a class for one of those ever-important standardized tests that is sup-posed to change the course of one’s life, but rarely does. Elec-

High-fi ving Sigourney Weaver on the night of

Obama’s election

tion night was a veritable ‘where were you?’ moment, but I felt left out.

I had another chance with the inauguration. Excitement was mounting on the networks and on the internet. Urbandictionary.com coined the phrase “Obama Day” to express taking a day off of school or work in order to attend an Obama-related event. On Inauguration Day, I wanted to make a moment in history worth telling people about. I didn’t have to high-fi ve any ce-lebrities’, however, I did not rule out the possibility.

I watched the inauguration that morning, from the moment when the president-elect walked out before the Capitol building until the former president departed by helicopter over the National mall.

That afternoon after the morn-ing festivities, I took the exam that had indirectly marred my Election Day memory. By the time I completed the exam and emerged from the testing center, it was already dusk and rush-

hour traffi c had begun. At the same time, two neighborhood Obama parties were commenc-ing minutes away from my house. I had learned of both from an online political group to which I belonged. Either event was a good way to make a memorable night. One gathering featured a chocolate fountain and the other included two cats and a dog as guests. I RSVP’d for the one with the chocolate fountain.

Alas, as I stepped out of the testing center, I realized that I would not arrive in time for the party. I got a snack and then started my inauguration night commute. By the time I ar-rived back at my house, it was still early evening. I checked my email and saw an evite for another inauguration party. The friend who had invited me said it would be ‘legendary’ (another new buzz word). Still searching for a worthy story that would encapsulate the hope and dreams of the Obama phenomena, I jot-ted down the directions and set out again.

I recruited my sister to join me. The event was held at a new ho-tel in downtown and I imagined a mixer of well-dressed young professionals wearing Obama pins. Downtown looked a bit empty and without the air of fes-tivities. We drove under a bridge with homeless people settling down for the night. Just as we came out from under the bridge, the swanky hotel was before us. A line of young people circled the city block. They were all dressed for a Saturday night club party.

I wasn’t quite expecting it. In theory, it was exactly what I wanted: a big party (possibly with B-list celebrities in at-tendance). But, I weighed my options. The following morning, I had a 7:00 am accounting class that I couldn’t skip, because I had decided to sleep in (or “take an Obama day”) that morning. My sister also had to work the next day. So we drove away from the hotel, leaving the revel-ers to party for Obama.

Instead, we found a table at the local bar, which replayed images of the inauguration on television. We sat back and had a beer for President Obama.

President Barack Obama

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A vendor of dried fish in Quiapo

Narding

Sixth in a series of articles

Inday ng buhay ko, ikaw ay nasaan? Bigla kang nagtampo, ano ang dahilan? Dagling inulila, ang puso kong nalulumbay Taghoy ko araw-araw, ikaw, ikaw Inday Larawan mo, Inday, hinahagkan-hagkan Kinakausap ko, luha’y bumubukal Saan ka ngayon, ikaw ay matatagpuan Kapag ‘di ka nakita, ako’y mamamatay

(Inday of my life, where are you?You suddenly left angry, what is the reason?You orphaned my heart which is now saddenedMy cry every day, is you, is you Inday

Your picture, Inday, I keep kissingI keep talking to it, my tears keep flowingWhere can I find you?If I can’t find you, I will surely die)

This haunting melody about a lonely man searching for his lost love kept playing on a jukebox in an eatery on the corner of Platerias and P. Paterno Streets in Quiapo, downtown Manila that night during the summer of 1958.

As he lay in bed in their apartment near the center of the street, Eric could hear the sad, plaintive song play on repeated-ly untill late in the evening. He knew it was Narding who kept playing the record on the juke-box, drowning his sorrows till dawn for his lost love, Clarita, a prostitute in a brothel across the street from Eric’s house on Platerias Street.

Narding was a driver in his mid-twenties who lived with his mother and a younger brother and sister on the second floor of a building two houses away from the brothel. He was a quiet man who minded his own busi-ness, working during the day and doing part-time work in the eve-nings. Whenever Eric’s family needed a substitute driver, they could always count on Narding to take the place. He was a hard-worker and a good person. He would surely be a good husband and provider -- a prized catch for any decent woman in town. The only problem was that he fell in love not with a decent woman, but with Clarita, a tall, fair-skinned prostitute with a sad but beautiful face.

Eric would often see Clarita at ten in the morning as he played the pinball machine in Mameng’s corner eatery. Clar-ita would arrive as if she was ravished all night by a group of men, disheveled, weak and wearing a loose daster (house dress). Still weary with sleep, she would barely make it to the stool beside the counter, and would order a glass of sarsapa-rilla drink and one raw egg. She would break the egg and pour its contents in her drink, stir it with a teaspoon, and drink it straight. At that time when salmonella was not yet a household name, it was thought to be a healthy drink that would restore one’s energy. She would sit still for a while, catching a bit of rest before returning to the brothel to prepare for the day’s work.

If she were not a prostitute, Clarita would also be a prized catch too. She was pretty, espe-cially if she was dressed up and

In the evening, Clarita and Narding would sit side by side on a raised concrete on the dark part of the street

near the entry way to the brothel and weave their dreams for the future. Narding’s image would blend into the evening, but the milky white face, arms and

legs of Clarita would be clearly visible from afar.

even more beautiful than an av-erage Filipina woman of her day. But fate brought her to the broth-el, presumably along the route of an oft-repeated tragic story. She was a poor barrio girl who ventured to the big city to escape her impoverished childhood. Along the way she met the vul-tures of the white slavery trade, until she found protests hope-less and was forced to accept her fate: working robot-like as a prostitute. Women of her fate also lost hope and faith in God. They just let succeeding events dictate their course. The same went for Clarita until she met Narding, her “knight in shining armor”. It did not matter to him that dozens of men take her to bed at night and during the day, that the woman he wanted to be the mother of his children suf-fered daily the most inhuman ex-perience anyone could imagine,

making love, no having sex, no, giving her body to be abused by a stranger for money. For Nard-ing, it was nothing else but true love. How else can one explain the behavior of a healthy, fairly good-looking bachelor choosing to cast his fate with a prostitute, when dozens of equally good looking but decent women were available?

In the evening, Clarita and Narding would sit side by side on a raised concrete on the dark part of the street near the entry way to the brothel and weave their dreams for the future. Narding’s image would blend into the evening, but the milky white face, arms and legs of Clarita would be clearly visible from afar. When a customer came, Clarita would stand up and go with him inside the brothel. Narding would be left alone, waiting until his loved one is done having sex with a paying stranger. One could not imagine how many customers would come and go during an evening, and how Narding’s

heart would be broken into pieces each time his loved one was taken to bed by another man. But Narding could not help but contend with his heartache, pain and suffering each evening. He did not have the money to buy Clarita’s freedom from the clutches of the sinister operators of the brothel. Slowly but surely, he was saving some money, but he still had a long way to go.

Trip to the province

“Eric, you go with Narding to take your aunties back home to the province,” his mother told him.

It was seven in the evening. They just held an all-day an-niversary celebration at their house. His two aunts, who lived in the province, came to help cook the food for the occasion. Now that the party was over, they needed to be brought back home. Since their regular driver Riz was not available, Narding was asked to take his place.

Narding was hesitant at first

since it was a big night for him. Although he had not saved enough money, he planned to take Clarita away an hour before midnight. A Chinese customer proposed to buy Clarita’s free-dom and take her as his mistress in the province. When Clarita found about the plans, he told Narding. Narding promised to pick her up at eleven that eve-ning when their escape would be least likely to be noticed. Those were peak hours at the brothel when the guards would be busy attending to other things. Nard-ing’s mother, brother and sister would have to follow them wherever they would have set-

tled and start a new life. It would take him one hour to take Eric’s aunts to Bulacan and another hour to return. At the very least, he could return by nine-thirty, with time to spare before his es-cape with Clarita by eleven. He knew that by twelve midnight, the Chinese would come with the money and take Clarita away for good.

Narding did not take a chance. He drove the car as fast as he could so that he could return early. Eric and his two aunts kept telling him to slowdown, but their requests fell on deaf ears. By eight in the evening,


QuiapoMemories

Read Sim Silverio’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Simeon G. Silverio Jr.


Perspectives

ASIAN JOURNALThe fi rst Asian-Filipino weekly in Southern California

An award-winning newspaper, it is San Diego’s most widely circulated Asian-Filipino newpaper!

In Pursuit of Excellence

Ashley SilverioAssistant Editor

Eugenio “Ego” Osin, (1946 - 1994)Joe Cabrera, (1924 - 1996)

The Asian Journal is published weekly and distributed in all Asian communties in San Diego County. Publication date is every Friday of the month. Advertising deadline is Thursday prior to publication date at 5 p.m. For advertising rates, rate cards, or information, call (619) 474-0588. Subscription by mail is available for $50 per year (56 issues). The Asian Journal is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs but welcomes submissions. Entire content is © 2008 copyrighted material by Asian Journal. Materials in this publication may not be reproduced without specifi c permission from the publisher.

Genevieve SilverioManaging Editor

Simeon G. Silverio, Jr.Publisher & Editor

Miles BeauchampAssociate Editor

Santi SilverioAssociate Publisher

At Large...

Read Miles Beauchamp’s previous articles by visiting our web-site at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Miles Beauchamp

by Riz A. Oades

Voices & Images

Read Dr. Oades’ s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

It’s been a tough 2008 year for the stock mar-ket and, accordingly, the

em ployment scene. After a decade of record-setting growth, the great U.S. econ-omy is slumping. This pro-cess has been going on for over the past two years. The recession (or perhaps depres-sion is the more appropriate term) made it tougher for a good number of Filipino workers.

Nonfarm payroll employment declined sharply in December 2008, and the unemployment rate rose from 6.8 to 7.2 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. De-partment of labor recently reported.. The number of unemployed persons increased by 632,000 to 11.1 mil-lion in the same month.

When economic conditions force a company to lay off employees, minorities and women are often among the fi rst to go. These groups often have the shortest service or work at lower levels. This is unfor-tunate since many Filipinos are in unskilled and semiskilled jobs, some just entering positions that have the pros pects of being eliminated.

Facing Challenges Ahead

When Filipinos receive walking or pink slips, they often feel a sense of betrayal and dis illusionment. Work-ing hard to please and hoping for a chance at higher-level achievement, they feel that management has not reciprocated what they put in for the

Photo representation of unemployed lineup for collection of insurances.

The Ugly Face of Filipino Values

Lay-Offs: So what if I got fi red? *

company. Walang utang –na- loob (ingrate), they normally sigh.

When a person loses a job, it’s de-pressing. He’s fi lled with emotional peaks and val leys. He experiences high anxiety and frustration — even guilt. Much of his anxiety is caused by his fear of virtual deprivation of certain needs - food, clothes, shelter, social acceptance, self-esteem, “pub-lic” image, and fulfi llment.

“What will our neighbors, friends, relatives, and the community think of me? Anong mukha ang ihaharap ko sa tao? What will people say about me?” These are some ques-tions often asked by Filipinos when they are fi red.

Rather than worrying about other people, I like to suggest that in the weeks after a person loses a job; he has to take a close look at his fi nances or savings. He needs to determine a bare minimum cost of living – such as rent or mortgage, transportation, utilities, and food – and spend no more than that amount.

Some fi nancial planners have suggested the following: Don’t eat

out as often; only buy necessary clothes for employment; re-adjust your home thermostat to lower utility bills, and start doing your own yard work, car washing, and house cleaning.

One has to be prepared for the emotional upsets that come with layoffs, and under stand his place in his “personal hierarchy of needs.” Hurts and unfi lled needs are natu-ral. Such feelings are normal and can even help motivate one to resolve his problems.

What about the guilt feeling? Must one feel so guilty when he loses his job?

The answer is: “One shouldn’t.” Most especially when he has given the job his best effort and it wasn’t appreciated. Perhaps a personality confl ict contributed to his fi ring, or perhaps, hard times (i.e., reces-sion) created fi nancial crises for the company. Layoffs are usually caused by lack of work and lack of funds. Certainly these circumstances have no bearing on one’s ability.

But if one messes up on the job and he knows it was squarely his fault, then he must take responsibility. One however must not let guilt overpower him. He must learn from his mistake and hope to do better next time or to fi nd work that fi ts his terms.

Layoffs is a good time for refl ec-tion, “a time to rethink who gets the privilege of having you work for them,” writes Rayona Sharp-nack. “So don’t frame the event as a personal failure. Losing a job does not make one a “ne’er-do-well or a throwaway. “

A smart person should adapt to the harsh changes in the job market and be able to retrain for the challenges ahead. Layoffs or not, he lives in the right times.

”Our Damaged Culture”

Photo representation of depressed person over ongoing economic down-turn.

All my life, I am a believer of success through constant study, discipline and hard work, no matter how bright you are. I also believe in honesty, both in personal and group re lationships. And this should extend to the workplace - offering no “white lies” or excuses for not performing a duty, for being late, unwarranted absences, and other shortcomings or mis takes committed.

There are aspects in our culture that hinders rather than promotes progress or devel opment, which a sensible person himself should guard against. Just remember the fate of our beloved homeland and the plight of our people - poor in a naturally rich country.

Our neighboring countries have become world’s famous showcases for the impact of culture on economic development, such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore. They have succeeded through sensible plan-ning, discipline, hard study, and hard work. Our damaged culture and its practitioners are, of course, partly to blame. They are the main ob stacles to human and economic development.

To be sure, there are certain values

Re-enactment of Layoff Scene - Boss man-“You’re FIRE’D!” Betlog: “But I just started today… What’s wrong with my karaoke in the offi ce?”

that we Filipinos shouldn’t bring to this country and the work place - any place for that matter. These values have actually “a two-fold face” to it. “They can be collectively good,” some journalists averred, “but selectively bad.” These include areglo system, bantay-salakay, bingi-bingihan, bulag--bulaggan, kumpare/kumare, baka makalusot, kapal mukha, makadenggoy and gaya-gaya.

Baka makalusot attitude brings more harm to a person than good. What it

really im plies is, “It’s okay if one gets away with some wrongdoings,” such as dishonesty, lies, pilfer age and petty theft. Another is baka makadenggoy, a behavioral attitude with an object to outsmart or swindle some people as a showoff-, which I fi nd disgusting!

A very common one is gaya-gaya syndrome, that Filipino propensity for copying or imitating others. If other people, for example, are stealing some things from the company, it becomes an excuse for one to do the same. This is wrong. Where is your personal eth-ics?

Kapal muhka or di marunong mahiya means a sheer lack of concern or “shame” about what other people may think or say about one’s actions as long as the desired goals are achieved. Wrongful acts are recklessly resorted to - without virtual regard to their repercus sions, including losing a very good, valuable friend.

Signs of BiasDiscrimination is, of course, associ-

ated with the minority groups, but it needs not necessarily be so. Employ-ers can discriminate against any one at any time for any reason; one needs

not be a minority member to be the target.

Before Filipino charges an employer with discriminatory acts, he better be sure that he is on solid ground. Otherwise, he may make himself look ridiculous and prove that his fi r ing was quite justifi ed.

Filipinos who are laid off always are concerned about whether their loss of job re sulted from their minority status and whether they were being judged by the same standards as oth-ers. Looking for precedents within the company is probably the best way to determine if discrimination in fact exists. If others are late too, for example, but the Filipino employee is reprimanded and the others are not, that may be a sign of bias. If the mis-takes of others are overlooked, but the Filipino employee is held strictly accountable, that may be a further sign of bias.

Here again pattern of layoffs can be analyzed. If, for example, non-Filipino em ployees with comparable service have a lower percentage of layoffs than Filipinos, a dis criminatory pattern may exist.

Remember though that many laws exist today to protect minorities, who tradition ally have had diffi culty entering the job market at produc-tive levels. These laws have not, of course, eliminated discriminatory practices from the job scene. “But conditions today are far better than they have ever been before, though they are far from what they should be,” ob serves Dean B. Peskin.

Fight Discrimination

“When patterns of discrimination are quite apparent,” writes Author Peskin, “several strate gies may be taken. One is to discuss the matter


Sol Poetry

Read Soledad Bautista’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Soledad O. Bautista

Hapag ng Pag-asaI gaze with fascinationAt the “Hapag Ng Pag-Asa”Of Joey VelascoImpressed by the subtle nuancesOf awe and wondermentOn the faces of the childrenExpertly caught in canvasThere’s the boy gulping, savoringSo delightfully enchantedBy the nectar he never tasted beforeThe boy behind curious of what’s goingTwo bewildered boys not believingThey are not in Smokey Mountain scavengingA boy so hungry eagerly, longingly lookingAt the Hands dividing the breadThe boy at the other end of the tableWith a scavenged bag looking aroundIs he supposed to be the maverickOr just an unbelieving ThomasTrying to check if it is all but a dream?The girl behind him trying to fathom what he is doingThe boy beside her eating contentedly While the eating is goodThe pathetic little boyCrouching under the table Doing his daily “modus operandi”Picking crumbs competing with a kitten.The cutest, the most beguiling innocent curiosity Of a child in a loose ragged camisoleWatching intently the slightly furrowed browEngrossed in feeding His hungry lambsUrging, exhorting mankind To tend to His neediestThe way He is showing by example.Thanks to the GK for heeding the call

©2008 copyright by Soledad O. Bautista. All rights reserved.

Barack H. Obama took the Oath of Offi ce on the steps of the U.S.

Capital on Tuesday, Janu-ary 20, 2008 and became the 44th person to hold that offi ce. The age of wonder, the age of the miraculous, has not vanished.

Barack H. Obama took the Oath of Offi ce and changed forever the face of America. The age of wonder, the age of the miraculous, has not vanished.

Barack H. Obama took the Oath

The 44th president signs inThe United States fi nally walked the walk

of Offi ce and changed in one fell swoop how the world sees the U.S. The age of wonder, the age of the miraculous, has not vanished.

We really can do it

America has, in many ways, sometimes appeared to be that one parent so many of us seem to have. You know the one I mean, the parent you love, you’re proud of, and who somehow manages to embarrass the heck out of you from time to time.

Well on Tuesday January 20th, for one day at least, the U.S. was cool. We didn’t have to be embarrassed by George W. Bush any longer. We

didn’t have to be embarrassed by the fact that we just didn’t practice what we preached as much as we wanted to. We didn’t have to be embar-rassed by the fact that while we told our kids that someday they could grow up to be president, it was re-ally only meant for white boys.

In other words, America walked the walk instead of just talking the talk when it came to the highest job in the nation.

Watching the inauguration I was a bit overwhelmed at times because over thirty years ago I was one of those demonstrators, chanters, and disaffected kids doing sit-ins to say something we felt needed to be said. And fi nally, fi nally, one of the things we struggled for came to pass.

I took my kids to school late that inaugural morning, they needed to see history unfold, needed to see what so many thousands of Ameri-cans of all colors and races worked to achieve. And they needed me to tell them exactly why my eyes kept tearing up on that Tuesday morning.

I’m older now and haven’t marched in years. I have kids of my own, a mortgage, and everything else that comes as we see our own youth recede in the mirror. But I still knew what this nation could achieve. I still knew what this nation could be. I still knew who this na-tion could elect to be president when and if it chose to. And on a Tuesday in November it fi nally made one glorious decision.

Finally, simply fi nally

We fi nally have a president who gets it. A president who is con-nected and not disconnected; who dwells reality and not fantasy; who is in touch and not out of touch with the nation; and who sees the people of the United States as his partners. Look at just some of the highlights of President Obama’s Inaugural Ad-dress:

“Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during ris-ing tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vi-sion of those in high offi ce, but be-cause we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbear-ers, and true to our founding docu-ments. So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over confl ict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.

The time has come to reaffi rm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted be-neath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply.

The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families fi nd jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is digni-fi ed. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to ac-count - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more. Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint. For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weak-ness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot

help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace. To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms fl ourish and let clean waters fl ow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffer-ing outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources with-out regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it. This is the meaning of our

liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebra-tion across this magnifi cent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath. America. Let it be said by our chil-dren’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fi xed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.”

To that all I can add is well done, America, well done.


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Read Bill Labestre’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

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Finding or selecting a good tax preparer is not an easy task for some taxpayers. Most Filipi-nos rely on referrals from close friends, co-workers or family members. Quality service and professionalism scores big points but, the news of Big Refunds travel faster on the grapevine. For a large number of tax fi lers, refund money is still the bottom line.

There is no magic or big mys-tery in tax preparation. The tax codes are not very specifi c and interpretation can vary signifi -cantly among tax practitioners. Your preparer can be the con-servative type or an aggressive one who will bend the rules just to satisfy your thirst for a bigger tax refund. The real profession-als stay abreast of tax updates and spend money to attend good tax seminars. They also use tax software designed for tax prepar-ers and always take care of their loyal clients.

The fact is that there will always be unscrupulous tax pre-parers who will cater to greedy tax fi lers. When they get in trouble, they blame each other. If your tax return was audited be-cause of blown up deductions on Schedule A, be a mature person and pay your bill. It’s too late to review your tax returns now. Why did you not complain when you have received the unusu-ally large refunds? The burden of proof is on your side and it can be diffi cult to prove that you gave your church $6,000 in 2006. Some of you don’t even go to church or give any money to charity. Also, how can a hard working RN spend $5,000 on work uniforms for one year?

Any way, feel lucky that only

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The next time you shop for a decent Preparer, ask around and inquire the kind of service provided. If you want a qual-ity service, it’s worth paying the price. It’s only once a year fee, but you have somebody to answer your tax questions during the year. If you’re so cheap and calls different tax offi ces for a price quote, try the nearest IRS/FTB VITA site, they can prepare your tax returns for free.

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San Diego, CaliforniaJanuary 23, 2009

Last December 31st, we were honored to be invited to the New

Year’s Eve Party of Asian Journal’s resident poet, Soledad Oropesa Bautista, held in the beautiful home of her doctor son in Chula Vista. Sol is lucky to have her family intact here in San Diego and hold fam-ily reunions anytime. The Bautista family, like most San Diego Filipino Ameri-cans, came from the Cavite Province, in the Philippines where the American Naval Base, Sangley Point, was located. And many adven-turous young men in Cavite joined the U.S. Navy, not only because of the base’s proximity, but also in order to follow the footsteps of their elder relatives. Their predecessors not only paved

Recording the history of San Diego’s Filipino American Community

The San Diego Asian Journal, in cooperation with the Kalusugan Community Services, will revive the Fili-pino American Forum. The kapihan (coffee shop talk) meetings will start next Saturday, January 31st from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the KCS, located at 1419 8th Street in National City, with tel. no, 619-477-3392. We will interview Filipino old-timers and ask them to recall the past. The meetings will be recorded digitally, so

that it will be preserved for future use. the way but also achieved the American Dream.

In San Diego, it is possible for people from Cavite and Zam-bales (where the U.S. Naval Base in Subic Bay was located), to have reunions with their kindergarten classmates. The reason? Almost their entire com-munity is already here, thanks to the U.S. Navy. In contrast, Metro Manilans like me who reside in San Diego are lucky to run into somebody from our neighbor-hood in Quezon City. Fortunate-ly for me, I have two from our neighborhood enjoying the fine weather here in America’s Finest City: my brother Santi, and our across the street neighbor Dr. Maria Lourdes Reyes .

Close relatives

The house of Sol’s son, was full that evening. To my surprise, every one, except for my wife and I, was a close relative. There was no need to invite friends, as aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and other kin were enough to hold a big bash. Among the guests was an elderly gentle-man and a brother of Sol whom

I did not recognize at first: John Oropesa.

John was quite a legend in San Diego’s Filipino community as the founder of the first Filipino oriental store, Family Loompya. Located on Reo Drive in Para-dise Hills, it opened its doors in the 70s. I’ve always known John as a humble man who kept to himself, but I found him very ac-commodating that evening. John prefers to keep a low profile.

He was still with the U.S. Navy when his wife brought handmade lumpia to a potluck. A lot of American servicemen, especially the officers, liked the lumpia so much that they asked her to bring some to every party. When John sensed that it would be a viable product, he offered to sell it at commissary stores. He got permission and suddenly found himself with his hands full. Eventually, he put up a factory to keep up with demand. Later, he opened an oriental store to partly sell his product to the public, especially the growing Filipino American community during the 1970s.

As a pioneer in the oriental store business, John had to find creative ways to find suppli-ers for his unique products. He drove up to Los Angeles early in the morning to get fresh veg-etables to sell in his store. When he found out that the Los Ange-les middleman was getting his vegetables from a farm in nearby Riverside, he went there himself to buy the product directly from the supplier. The farmer refused at first, but when John offered to buy all the vegetables he could produce, the latter realized that there was no need for him to sell to Los Angeles consumers. His consumers in San Diego were more than enough to deplete his stock.

Filipina shoppers

John once overheard two Filipina shoppers in his store talking about the fish for sale.

“I want to buy the fish,” one of them said to another, “but I do not have the time to clean it.”

The casual remark gave him an idea. John’s supermarket became the first to offer fish cleaning services, saving shoppers time and inconvenience.

Then, there was this matter of

selling bagoong (anchovy) to his Filipino customers. At first, it was not a problem. But when the demand increased, he needed to import shipments from the Phil-ippines. However, the authorities refused to allow the products because of its smell. He told the customs people that it was safe to eat bagoong because it is a cooked product, but they did not listen. Finally, he organized his associates to meet with the government officials and plead their case.

“Let us not talk at the same time,” he told his associates who were all Filipinos. He was aware of the penchant of his countrym 5en to be disorganized during their meetings with Americans, He was especially careful to give everyone a chance to speak. However, during the meeting, no one would speak. Finally, John was forced to speak and plead the case on everyone’s behalf. They got the permit.

Early years

I am sure if we stayed longer at the party, I would have been able to learn even more about John and the early years of the

Filipino American community in San Diego. But my wife and I did not want to impose on the family during their New Year Eve reunion. However, that brief meeting reinforced a need, that is, to interview old-timers like John so that we can preseve and pass their history to the next gen-eration and even to those outside of our community. Our efforts will foster better understanding and greater appreciation of our community, especially for the pioneering efforts of those who were here before us.

Looking around, I realized that there are many newcomers in San Diego’s Filipino American community who do not have any idea of the past. One by one old timers are passing away before we have a chance to learn their story. I remember during the early eighties when people like Papa Cecil Remotigue, Johnny Casison, Rocky Bungay, Charlie Linayao, Gene Nocon and others used to attend the Filipino Men’s Forum and talk about their lives in San Diego during the seven-ties. They are now all gone, and their memories went with them. Lately, old-timers like

Ernie Flores, Dr. Ed Manaig, Del Labao and others are no longer with us as are their memories of the past.

For these reasons, the San Diego Asian Journal, in co-operation with Dr. Riz Oades and the Kalusugan Community Services, will revive the Filipino American Forum. The kapihan (coffee shop talk) meetings will start next Saturday, January 31st from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the KCS, located at 1419 8th Street in National City, with tel. no, 619-477-3392. We will interview Filipino old-timers and ask them to recall the past. The meetings will be recorded digitally, so that it will be preserved for future use. Community members, film makers and documentarians can use the materials in the future. We hope our forum will become a regular event, so that we can preserve accounts of the Fil-Am Community’s and pass them on to our future generations. We also plan to discuss other issues that affect our community. The public is invited to come, listen, ask questions and enjoy the ca-maraderie. And most important of all, have a free breakfast. It’s on us! - AJ

Our Life and Times

Read Sim Silverio’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Simeon G. Silverio Jr.

The San Diego Asian Journal and the Kalusugan Wellness Center

Present

The Filipino American Forum of San Diego County

Hear Filipino Americans recall the early days of the Filipino American Community in San Diego County

Open to the publicFree Breakfast courtesy of the

San Diego Asian Journal and Kalusugan Wellness Center

Saturday, January 31, 20098 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Kalusugan Community Center1419 East 8th Street | National City, CA 91950

619.477.3392 - office | 619.477.3391 - fax | [email protected]

For more information, call the San Diego Asian Journal at (619) 474-0588E- mail: [email protected]; Website: www.asianjournalusa.com


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Read previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjo-urnalusa.com

by Atty. Rogelio Karagdag, Jr.Member, State Bar of California & Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Phil - Am Law 101

they reached their destination. He and Eric made their way back home. Perhaps as the result of the fast and reckless driving when they reached the midpoint on their return home, in Marilao town along McArthur Highway, they heard the sound of metal dragging on asphalt. The car stopped on the dark side of the road. They got out and looked under the car. Using a small, flickering light from a cigarette lighter, they saw one end of the broken steering rod resting on the ground. It was only eight-thirty in the evening, but Nard-ing still panicked. He may still have plenty of time to have the car fixed and return on time to save the love of his life from the the demons of prostitution, but the stake involved, his happiness the rest of his life, was too high not to worry.

Together, Narding and Eric walked along the highway towards the lights of the town. It took them thirty minutes to

Narding

find a telephone and call Eric’s father for help. Eric’s dad had to dress up and take a taxi to go to the house of a mechanic. Since taxis could not go all the way to Bulacan, Eric’s dad and the mechanic had to take a public transportation to reach Nard-ing and Eric. As they waited for help, Narding could not help but agonize over the delay. He would pace back and forth along the highway, walking towards the rice fields and vent his frustrations on everything that came his way by kicking cans, throwing stones in the air and shouting. Eric sat quietly inside the car worried that Narding was losing his mind. At around nine thirty in the evening with no help in sight, Narding did the unthinkable.

“I am sorry, Eric,” he told him. “Your parents will be mad at me forever, but I have to leave you because Clarita will be taken away from me.”

Eric could not help but stare at him quietly. He was too scared to protest. Narding walked away from the car and tried to flag down every vehicle that passed by. Public transportation had ceased operating. To get a ride, he was at the mercy of the private vehicles intermittently cruising the highway every few minutes. But no one would pick up a stranger in the dark of the night and expose himself to potential danger. Finally, Nard-ing gave up and sunk on the side of the road. He was a sight of a broken man. When Eric’s father and the mechanic arrived, Nard-ing was like a zombie. He would not talk to anybody. It took hours to fix the car, and once he was back in the driver’s seat, Nard-ing once more raced the car as if there were no tomorrow. He was like a man possessed, refusing to heed the angry commands of Eric’s father and passing through red lights one after another. It

did not matter that all their lives were in danger. By the time they reached Platerias Street, everything was quiet. There was hardly a soul in sight; it was ten minutes past midnight. Narding frantically ran inside the brothel in search of Clarita, He was told that the Chinese took her just ten minutes before. He ran outside towards P. Paterno Street, After not finding any taxi speeding away, he ran back towards Car-riedo Street, turned right towards Rizal Avenue, hoping that the taxi holding Clarita would have broken down. Finally, a loud, agonizing cry was heard all over in that quiet neighborhood of Quiapo.

By the end of that summer in 1958, Eric could still hear the haunting melody of the song be-ing played over and over again every evening on a jukebox at Mameng’s Eatery on the cor-ner of P. Paterno and Platerias Streets. - AJ

So, there is something wrong with your Philippine birth cer-

tificate. Your name Lucio was misspelled as Lucia. Since the kumadrona who reported your birth thought that you were a girl -- either because of your misspelled name or her poor eyesight -- she erroneously put an “X” on the box next to female. What should you do now to correct these seem-ingly harmless errors?

Previously, you can correct your birth certificate only by going to court, which as we all know may be a tedious process. Fortunately, Re-public Act (RA) 9048 was enacted in 2001. This new law authorizes the civil registrar or the consul gen-eral to make the correction without need of a court order.

But not all corrections can be made by the civil registrar or consul general. They are limited only to clerical or typographical errors, or to changing a first name under certain conditions.

In the case of Lucio, the civil reg-istrar or consul general can change his first name from Lucia to Lucio, if he proves that the error was obvi-ously clerical or typographical. The Implementing Rules of RA 9048 define a clerical or typographical error as “a mistake committed in the performance of clerical work in writing, copying, transcribing or typing an entry in the civil register that is harmless and innocuous, such as misspelled name or misspelled place of birth or the like, which is visible to the eyes or obvious to the understanding, and can be corrected or changed only by reference to other existing record or records.”

In addition, Lucio can also claim that he is entitled to change his first name because he has been habitu-ally using the name Lucio and he

Correcting your birth certificateis publicly known by it, and that correcting his birth certificate will avoid confusion.

The more difficult question to an-swer is, can Lucio correct the entry regarding his sex? At first blush, we would think that this is an obvious clerical error which can be corrected by the civil registrar. After all, Lu-cio’s gender can be readily estab-lished by a routine medical exami-nation. But you would be surprised to know that RA 9048 does not allow outside-of-court correction of the sex entry. The law clearly says that “no correction must involve the change of nationality, age, status or sex of the petitioner.” No ifs and buts. Not even if the indicated sex is clearly erroneous.

The Philippine Supreme Court has ruled that “under RA 9048, a cor-rection in the civil registry involv-ing the change of sex is not a mere clerical or typographical error. It is a substantial change for which the applicable procedure is Rule 108 of the Rules of Court. (Silverio vs. Republic, G.R.. 174689, Oct. 22, 2007)

Last year, Rep. Florencio Mira-flores (Lone District, Aklan) filed House Bill No. 5445 to amend RA 9048. This bill would have allowed the registrar and consul general to correct an obvious sex entry in the birth certificate without need of a court order. Unfortunately, there is no indication that the bill was passed into law.

So, what must Lucio do? He can either wait for House Bill No. 5445 to become law, or he can now file the petition in the Regional Trial Court. In his petition, Lucio can ask the court to correct both entries per-taining to his name and sex. There will be no need for him to separately go to the registrar to correct his name. The court can correct both entries in the same petition. In his petition, Lucio must prove that he is the same person named in the birth certificate. He may present his par-ents or other competent persons to testify to this fact. He should present

documents proving his identity such as his baptismal certificate, medical, school and employment records, pictures, and other papers. It may also be necessary to present a doc-tor to testify on his sex and that he has not undergone any sex change, in view of recent Supreme Court rulings that disallowed transsexuals from amending their birth certifi-cates to indicate a new name and sex. Well, that would be an interest-ing topic in the future.

Atty. Rogelio Karagdag, Jr. is licensed to practice law in both California and the Philippines. He practices immigration law in San Diego and has continuously been a trial and appellate attorney in the Philippines since 1989. He travels between San Diego and Manila. His office address is located at 16486 Bernardo Center Drive, Suite 228, San Diego, CA 92128. He also holds office in National City inside the S&S Travel Agency at 2409 E. Plaza Blvd. Please call (858)348-7475 & (619) 475-3262 for your free consul-tation. We also encourage readers to write us questions about both U.S. immigration and Philippine laws to be future topics in this column. Our email is [email protected].

(Continued from page 5)


BalintatawRead Virginia Ferrer’s previous articles by visiting our website

at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Virginia H. Ferrer

BabangonNalulungkot ako ngayon na ikaw ay lumisan naat ako’y naiwan mo na malungkot at nag-iisamasakit tanggapin ito ang iyong naging pasiyawala akong magagawa sana ay lumigaya ka.

Iisipin ko na lamang ang maliligayang arawng kita dalawa’y magkasama at magkaulayawhindi kailanman maglalaho sa aking isipan larawan siyang nakaukit magpakailanpaman.

Tahimik ko na ngayong titiklupin ang ‘yong pahinasa aklat ng buhay ko na minsan din ay pinagpalawala ‘kong panghihinayang sa sinapit na tadhanababangon na lang ako pagkatapos ng pagkadapa.

problems, from waning tech-nological development, to global warming, to human rights violations, was the first step in addressing these ills. The people of America are unified in action and cause.

President Obama also captured what means to come from differ-ent backgrounds and be united under a common identity. The speech was a call to action and a statement of inclusion for groups alienated by the policies of re-cent years. Constituents so long ignored, because of race, age, or beliefs, now feel as if they have representation. President Obama reiterated this “patchwork” coun-try is stronger for its diversity.

That subtle acknowledgement of the racism of our past and the glory of the present during the inauguration speech, speaks of many individuals’ struggles to be part of America. When President Obama said, “a man whose fa-ther less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath,” we were reminded of how far we have come.

President Obama also recalled the past generations of Ameri-cans upon whose labor and ambition this country was built:

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life…. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

Some need to look no further than their own homes to see this scene play out. Many children of immigrants saw this scene play out regularly: as their par-ents worked two or more jobs, struggled to adjust to a new cul-ture so that their children could have a better life.

President Barack Obama’s Inauguration

A possibility for the children of immigrants in America

(Continued from page 1) For the children of immigrants who were raised in this country, the country held possibility. To our parents or grandparents who left both hardship and familiarity to make a life in America, this country held boundless opportu-nities. Yet as the younger gen-erations grew up in this nation, we also saw unspoken restric-tions and glass ceilings.

Now that our President is African-American, we can admit that our parents were right: you can achieve anything that you set your mind to. We’ve seen diversity in our streets and schools, and now we can see it in our highest-level of government. Our new president adds depth to the American dream and renews

possibilities that have grown stale in recent years.

President Obama’s words have renewed the nation’s promise and sent a clear message to all: we are all in it together.

LAYOFFS: So what if I got fired? *

(Continued from page 6)with employers and union representa-tives and attempt to resolve perceived or real inequities.”

Once I had a non-tenured Filipino colleague at the San Diego State University who, I suggested, on several occasions, to join the union, but refused for reasons that are still un clear to me. She never explained. She is decidedly a very competent professor, but felt she became a victim of discrimination. Desperate, she approached the university union rep for help. By then, her case was (Continued on page 13)

closed. It was too late for anyone to salvage her case. A junior faculty, whom she mentored, was given a contract to teach her subjects.

Another alternative is to seek relief through government agencies, such as the Equal Employment Oppor-tunity Commission and the Fair Employment Practices Commis-sion. Filipino employees can also request advocacy or activist groups to intervene with em ployers to attempt to resolve unfair practices without filing lawsuits involving the govern ment agencies.

I personally believe no Filipino should take a “sack” without a fight. He doesn’t have to “roll over and play dead” - especially if he has been falsely accused or unfairly treated. There are a number of tech-niques and grievances procedures, however, that one has to learn and follow if he decides in making a fight of it.

Considering the growing number of Filipinos in the workforce and em-ployment prob lems - relating to hir-


Spiritual Life

Read Monsignor’s previous articles by visit-ing our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Msgr. Fernando G. Gutierrez

Lower Your Nets

Food for ThoughtRead previous articles by visiting our website at www.asian-

journalusa.com


file , she was in for a surprise.Teddy’s first grade teacher wrote,

‘Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners... He is a joy to be around..’

His second grade teacher wrote, ‘Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle.’

His third grade teacher wrote, ‘His mother’s death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn’t show much inter-est, and his home life will soon af-fect him if some steps aren’t taken.’

Teddy’s fourth grade teacher wrote, ‘Teddy is withdrawn and doesn’t show much interest in school. He doesn’t have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class.’

By now, Mrs. Thompson real-ized the problem and she was

Joke of the week: A priest was quite depressed when he went to a psychiatrist, who, after some ques-tions, told him, “Father, you need a complete change of scenery. How about dressing in some old clothes, going down to Bill’s Tavern, and hav-ing a drink or two?” The padre took his advice. As he sat at table a sexy waitress dressed in a Playboy outfit came up to him and asked, “What can I give you, Father?” Surprised, the priest asked, “How did you know I am a priest?” “Father, don’t you recognize me?” declared the waitress. “I’m Sister Susanna, I teach in your school. I go to the same psychia-trist.”

Scriptures: First reading: Jonah 3: 1-5, 10. Unlike Moses who objected to God’s five calls before he posi-tively responded, Jonah answered the call far more readily. Accord-ing to archaeologists, Nineveh, the ancient city on the left bank of the Tigris River, across from the modern

42/70 and Counting!Mosul, had been the site where they found historical treasures: sculptures from the palaces of Senhnacherub, Esarhadon, and Asur-bani-pal and its extensive library. This story has no moderation. For example, Nineveh was enormously a large city, but it took only three days to go through it; and he had gone out only a single day, and the people repented. The story’s lack of moderation seems to convey the immediacy of conversion and God’s subsequent compassion. Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 7: 29-31. Paul’s thinking influenced his teaching: time is short and that Christians have already lived a heav-enly existence and should not waste their energies in worldly affairs. In heaven there is no need for marriage. Because of this some Corinthians in their extremist views even consid-ered marriage as sinful. Paul argued that marriage cannot be avoided just because one is a Christian. Gospel: Mark 1: 14-20. Jesus’ words are so

effective that they produced what they signified. When he said to the brothers, Simon and Andrew, James and John, “Come and follow me,” they immediately left their work to follow him. For Mark, journey with Jesus is like the swing of a pendu-lum, from life-giving exhilaration to confusion, from overwhelming power to powerlessness.

Reflections: Though Mark left out lots of details in narrating the call of Jesus to the brothers, Simon and An-drew, as well as to James and John, yet their prompt response to the call exhibits the urgency of the mission. The mission of proclaiming God’s kingdom cannot wait. Anyone who is called should waste no time and give no excuses. There is no turning back and no wavering. The mission takes priority over anything else, including love of family and valued profession.

I am turning 70 years old this Janu-ary. Praise God. I am grateful for the blessing of a long life. But I am more blessed a hundredfold for the gift of the priesthood. I was ordained at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines on December 17, 1966. I celebrated my 42 years as priest last December and God willing I am looking forward for more years as worker in his vineyard.

Responding as priest to the call of Jesus to follow him is not easy. The apostles and early disciples of Jesus did not also find the journey with him all rosy and sweet. There were times when they questioned him about his decision to go to Jerusalem in spite of the threat to his life. Not all of them stayed with Jesus during his dark nights and trials before Pontius Pilate; they could not watch with him even for one hour during his agonizing moments at the Garden of Olives, and when he was dying only one apostle stood beneath the Cross. But even though those men did show their true form as weak and vulnerable human beings, yet they remained steadfast in their love for him. And the Good Lord who knows the deep recesses of man’s heart fully understands and patiently supports those apostles and disciples with his love and boundless grace. God’s transforming grace coupled with the love of the apostles to follow Jesus at all cost made possible for them to respond perseveringly to the call, “Come and follow me.”

My journey as a priest is not easy too. The initial call to enter the semi-nary was not that exalted – to pro-claim the Gospel. My motive to study in the seminary was more mundane – a chance to have an education at the metropolis. But of course, just as the apostles and the disciples’ initial motive to follow Jesus had been puri-fied and cleansed, so was mine. There were times when I thought of giving

up the call and leaving the seminary. If the Lord had been patient with his disciples, he has been and still is more patient with me. As always the Lord is persistent and he wins all the times. Even now, after 42 years in the priesthood, my response needs puri-fication so that the Lord, the Potter, could continue molding me, the clay, according to his desire.

The Cross is not just made up of vertical, but also of horizontal beam, so the response to the Lord’s call is not possible without the prayers and love of family, friends, and commu-nity. Both – the Lord’s call and the prayers and support of others - are indispensable elements of a fruitful ministry and mission. The key aspect of this call is that it starts with the Lord, keeps going through the Lord, and goes back in the Lord, because he is and must always be the raison d’être of one’s vocation. The Lord is the Alpha and Omega, the origin and summit of one’s mission. It is said that the Missionary Sisters of Charity (members of the congregation found-ed by Blessed Teresa of Calcutta) start their daily apostolate with a visit to the Blessed Sacrament and end it with Eucharistic adoration. Though the prayers of family and community are essential for the priest to ministry in persona Christi (in the person of Christ), they are meant to support that mission and not to replace it.

Quotation of the week: “The furnace of purification for the priest in active ministry is charity for other men.” Thomas Merton.

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. How-ever, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, mak-ing bold X’s and then putting a big ‘F’ at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thomp-son taught, she was required to review each child’s past records and she put Teddy’s off until last. However, when she reviewed his

One of the best stories I’ve read!


Health

AN APPLE A DAY By TYRONE M. REYES, M.D.

Philstar

Medicine marches on — and at a pace much faster than anytime in history. Somehow, there seems to be a continuing flow of new discover-ies, new techniques, new drugs, and new dimensions in the treat-ment of diseases. Today’s column demonstrates this. It deals with the new guidelines in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, an improved technique in wiping out the bacteria that cause peptic ulcer, and the latest advisory on the use of the shingles vaccine.

New CPR Guidelines May Help You Save A Life

When a person is seized by cardi-ac arrest and collapses, unconscious, with no pulse, immediate cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may be the only thing that keeps him/her alive until medical help arrives. But if you saw someone in that state, would you know what to do? Would you feel confident enough to try and re-start the heart of a friend or a loved one? The American Heart Association (AHA) is hoping that new guidelines released in March 2008, which include a focus on chest compressions only and not the traditional mouth-to-mouth breath-ing, will help bystanders take quick decisive action.

Bruce J. Darrow, MD, assistant professor of cardiology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, says the average adult can survive about four minutes without blood circulating and oxygenating through the lungs before permanent organ damage and even sudden cardiac death begin. He says many rapid compressions are especially critical for getting blood to the brain, since the brain uses more of the oxygen in the blood than any other organ. “What the compression does is take some of the blood that still has oxygen in it and pushes it up to the brain where the blood is being depleted of oxygen,” Darrow explains.

While doctors agree that CPR

Health updates on CPR, peptic ulcers, and shingles

training is valuable for everyone, they also say that even untrained bystanders should try to save a life whenever possible. In fact, the AHA was prompted to begin its “Hands Only” campaign last year in recog-nition that more bystanders need to take action, but were unsure about traditional CPR — as well as recent evidence noting the essentially equal effectiveness of the two methods. “There is little danger to perform-ing CPR, especially now that rescue breathing is not always necessary,” says Mount Sinai cardiologist Eric Adler, MD. “Performing CPR for a long period of time can be strenuous, however, so if you are with others who are trained, it is recommended that you switch off to avoid be-ing fatigued.”

Dr. Darrow stresses that CPR should only be per-formed on someone who is unrespon-sive, with no pulse

or

no heartbeat. He also notes that CPR, even done by a trained bystander or emergency worker, does not guarantee resus-citation. “In movies and television, it seems like a person who receives CPR magically comes back to life almost every time,” Dr. Darrow says. “In reality, under 10 percent of people survive cardiac arrest outside the hospital, and a good CPR is es-sential for those who do survive.”

Here’s how to do compression-only CPR:

• Check to see if the person is breathing and has a pulse. If not, begin CPR.

• Place the heel of one hand in the

middle of the person’s chest and put your other hand on top of the first, with fingers interlaced (see photo on Page D-1).

• Push down on the chest between one and two inches at a rate that would equal 100 compressions per minute.

• Pause after 30 compressions and check again for a pulse.

• If there is no pulse, continue doing more sets of 30 compressions until a pulse resumes or the para-medics arrive.

New Strategy For Peptic Ulcers

Ulcers are often blamed on stress and spicy food, but the reality is that bacteria called Helicobacter

pylori (H. pylori) cause most of these painful erosions in the stomach and small intestines. The goal of ulcer treatment is to prevent stomach acid from continu-ing to erode the lesion and

to eradicate H. pylori. New research shows ways to fight

even the most recalcitrant H. pylori infection.Peptic ulcers are deep, non-heal-

ing sores — holes — in the lining of the stomach (gastric ulcers) and in the first part of the small intes-tine, called duodenum (duodenal ulcers). Between 70 percent and 80 percent of gastric ulcers and nearly all duodenal ulcers result from

H. pylori bacteria that

infect the lin-

ing of the stomach and

cause inflammation. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like aspirin and ibuprofen, can erode the stomach lining and are the second most common cause of ulcers. H. pylori may also be present in people who develop ulcers from NSAIDs. Painless ulcers may not be found until they cause bleeding. Symptoms such as anemia or blood in the stool may suggest bleeding due to a blood vessel ruptured by an ulcer. An upper endoscopy is often needed to check for ulcers. During endoscopy, a biopsy sample can be taken to be tested for H. pylori. (Breath tests can detect H. pylori, but an endoscopy allows your doc-

tor to gauge the extent of damage to the stomach and duodenum at the same time.)

Medications called H2-blockers and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) suppress the production of stomach acid and let ulcers heal. (PPIs are usually more effective than H2-blockers, so they are tried first.) Antibiotics are taken simultaneously to treat the H. pylori infection. To ensure that H. pylori are eliminated, doctors typically prescribe 10- to 14-day “triple therapy,” which includes a PPI plus two antibiot-ics. Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol and other brands) may also be recommended. In 2007, a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine offered another solution to H. py-lori: sequential therapy, which starts patients on a PPI and five days of a mild antibiotic — then two stron-ger antibiotics added to the proton pump inhibitor for five days. The study compared triple therapy with sequential therapy in 300 people. Patients received the PPI pantopra-zole plus the antibiotics clarithro-mycin and amoxicillin, and placebo followed by five days of pantopra-zole, clarithromycin, and the anti-biotic tinidazole. Eight weeks later, breath tests revealed that H pylori were eradicated in 93 percent of the sequential-therapy patients versus 79 percent of the triple therapy patients. More recently, an analysis of data from 10 clinical trials re-vealed similar results. H pylori were eradicated in 93.4 percent of 1,363 patients who underwent sequential therapy vs. 76.9 percent of 1,385 patients who took triple therapy. Sequential therapy may help combat H. pylori that have become resistant to frequently used antibiotics. The first stage of sequential therapy might eradicate enough H pylori to make mutations against the second wave of antibiotics more difficult.

Antibiotics may not cure ulcers that are caused by NSAIDs, and continued use of NSAIDs lowers the chances that ulcers will heal. However, people who take NSAIDs and then develop ulcers should still be tested and treated for H. pylori infection. Proton pump inhibitors might help reduce the risk of sub-sequent ulcers in patients who must continue taking NSAIDs to treat other medical conditions.

Shingles Vaccine

Advised For 60-Plus

People aged 60 and older should be vaccinated against shingles, or herpes zoster, a condition marked by

debilitating chronic pain, accord-ing to a new recommendation by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The CDC suggests a single



Work Visas/Green Cards thru Employment• Family Visas• Student, Trainee, Tourist, Investors, Visas • Reinstatement of Petition • Deportation Defense• International Adoption• Appeals, Motions to Reopen/Reconsider• Battered/Abused Spouse• I-601 Waivers (Hardship)• Consular Support in Manila• Experienced Criminal Defense Attorneys are also avail• able in our office.

IMMIGRATION (619) 819-8648Speak directly with an Attorney for FREE

The Law Offi ces of SUSAN V. PEREZ offer the following services:

We also handle ALL PHILIPPINE cases and have an offi ce in Manila to service your needs there.

*Susan Perez is a licensed attorney both in the State of California and the Philippines. She has eighteen (18) years of combined experience in both jurisdictions in the areas of Immigration, Family, Appellate, Juvenile Dependency, Civil, Criminal, Labor, Contracts, Tax, and Business Law. She is also admitted to practice before the Ninth Circuit of the Court of Appeals, and the District Courts of Southern California and Central District of California. She is a Certifi ed Public Accountant and pursuing Master’s of Law at the University of San Diego.

Nagsasalita ng Tagalog asin Bicol.

Walk-ins are welcome from 8:30 to 6:00, Monday thru Friday.

San Diego Office: Manila Office:2220 India St., Suite 3 Suite 2502-A East TowerSan Diego CA 92101 Philippine Stock Exchange CentreTel. No. (619) 819-8648 Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig CityFax No. (619) 923-9555 Tel. Nos.: (632) 687-2565 / 687-9851 Email: [email protected] Fax No.: (632) 687-2565

Atty. Susan V. Perez

Are you a Filipino who would like to work in the U.S. but do not have qualified relatives to petition you? Are you being petitioned by your relative but the wait is just too long? The U.S. immigration and naturalization service has a program that you should be aware of and this program is called the H1-B visa program. This program allows U.S. employers to employ foreign workers to perform services in a specialty occupation. The statute defines specialty occupation as one that requires “theoretical and practi-cal application of a body of highly specialized knowledge in fields of human endeavor…and which requires the attainment of a bach-elor’s degree or higher in a specific specialty, or its equivalent, as a min-imum for entry into the occupation in the United States.” Typical H-1B or specialty occupations include architects, engineers, computer pro-grammers, accountants, doctors and college professors.

The H1-B visa is popular among visa applicants because its basic feature is a college degree, which can be met by most Filipinos. A degree from an accredited college or university in the Philippines will qualify if it is determined to be equivalent to a U.S. degree. To get the U.S. degree equivalency, you need your academic credentials and work/professional evaluated by an accredited evaluation services in the U.S. The normal service cost to have a credential evaluated is $250.

My client from Naga City received a U.S. Master’s degree equivalency in accounting. She graduated from my alma mater, Ateneo de Naga, with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. She worked as bookkeeper, financial analyst, and auditor with Land Bank for several years. I’ve found a couple of U.S. employers who are willing to sponsor her. There has to be a specific offer of employment from a U.S. employer. Finding one these

by Atty. Susan V. Perez

Legal BriefRead Atty. Susan Perez’s previous articles by

visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

Cap Count for H1B Workers for FY2009

days is a challenge considering the current recession. However, there remains a high demand for Filipino accountants in the U.S. Our law firm works with a placement agency that has been successful in matching Filipino workers with U.S. employ-ers. This matching becomes easy when the foreigner is in the U.S. on a valid visa. We provide services to enable our clients to change status from one visa to another so she or he remains legal in the U.S. It is important to contact a good im-migration lawyer long before your visa expires so it would be easier for your attorney to accomplish this.

The current annual cap on the H-1B category is 65,000. These are the number of workers that can be issued an H-1B visa this year. However, not all H-1B nonim-migrants are subject to his annual cap. USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) uses “random selection process” or “H-1B lottery” when more than 65,000 H-1B appli-cations are received, which happens all the time.

The timelines permit a cap-subject H-1B filing no earlier than April 1, 2009, with a requested start date for the H1-B petition no earlier than October 1, 2009. These cases have to be prepared in advance and be transmitted for delivery on March 31, 2009, to reach USCIS on April 1, 2009.

We welcome your feedback. If you have any immigration ques-tions, please feel welcome to email me at [email protected] or contact us at 619 819 -8648 to arrange for a telephone consulta-tion.

*Susan V. Perez, Esq. is a li-censed attorney in California and Philippines. She owns a law office in San Diego, California. She special-izes in U.S. Immigration and Family law. She is fluent in Tagalog. For more info, please visit her website: www.law-usimmigration.com

ing, retention, and promotion - there ought to be an advocacy or activist group that will address discrimination or job grievance issues.

As of this writing, no local orga-nizations seem able to fill this need. Many community liders (leaders) are so engrossed in petty jealousies, backbiting, and fights that always predictably end in organization split-ting into two or even three groups. By then, each runs out of energy for cause-promoting projects and programs (e.g., a vehicle for fighting discrimination) for the rest of us.

Comments

Psychological stress is the most deadly component of Filipino unem-ployment. Ironi cally, when they need the support of others the most, many Filipinos are embarrassed by be ing out of work. They withdraw from friends, relatives, and religious or civic groups.

Some of them are so obsessed with their unemployment that they

LAYOFFS: So what if I got fired? *


become psycho logically paralyzed. Besides the outside conditions of economics and racism, which they cannot do much about, they suffer from an inferiority complex. This they must conquer.

Fortunately, there are many job-finding services and some timesaving techniques that exist. An employment service can tell a job seeker how to look for jobs, write a resume, and help motivate him to carry through a job search plan. An adequate job search will not be quick or easy. An essential ingredient is deter mination, good planning and know-how.

Families ought to be aware. Layoffs are an emotional time, and the un-employed persons may be depressed or irritable. It’s a good idea to let them know you support them and that together you’ll overcome their temporary setback.

Many well-qualified people have had hard times in a declining job market. That’s not very reassuring. But if they are looking for some comfort, they should remember that this is not the first recession in this country. There were a few that saw many people out in the streets in search of employment. Today the same people are working for a living. They did all right. Recession

really didn’t render any lasting dam-age. ~ Riz

By the Way…

Question: “What are my rights in a layoff?

Answer: You can sign up for unemployment insurance. Money every month. Your best bet is look for another job the same day you are layedoff. Employers will see the fire in your ambition.

Let me share to my readers some interesting “things” regarding the science of life as follows:

Romance Mathematics: Smart man + smart woman = romance Smart man + dumb woman = af-fair Dumb man + smart woman = mar-riage Dumb man + dumb woman = pregnancy

Office Arithmetic

Smart boss + smart employee = profit Smart boss + dumb employee = production Dumb boss + smart employee =

promotion Dumb boss + dumb employee = overtime

Happiness To be happy with a man, you must understand him a lot and love him a little. To be happy with a woman, you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all.

FilAm Forum/Kapihan:

On January 31, 8:30-10:30 AM, Saturday, Kalusugan Community Center and Asian Journal will host a group of Filipinos for Kapihan discussion about life and experi-ences in the USA.

Everyone, who has personal issue or experiences to share with the group, is invited to attend. In-teresting stories will be published in the Asian Journal if desired. -- Riz

________

*This is slightly a rewrite of the previous article of Riz A. Oades, “Job Prospects, Discrimination, and Filipino Values,” in the Asian Journal.


CONSULAR OUTREACH IN SAN DIEGO7 February 2009, COPAO Center

Los Angeles, 7 January 2009 – A team from the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles will be conducting a Con-sular Outreach Program on 7 February 2009 from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm at the Council of the Philippine American Organizations of San Diego County, Inc. (COPAO) Center, 832 “E” Avenue, National City, CA 91950. The following Consular services will be rendered:

Applications for Machine Readable Passport 1. (Cost: $50) and returned to the applicant by mail at an additional cost of $6.Applications for the retention and re-acquisition of Philippine citizenship pursuant to Republic Act 9225 or 2. Dual Citizenship Law (Cost: $50). Oath-taking will be scheduled on the same day for qualified applicants.Notarization of documents 3. (Cost: $25) will be accepted but this will be processed in Los Angeles and returned to the applicant by mail at an additional cost of $6.Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) Registration. 4. (Gratis)

The Consulate will only accept payments in cash, postal money order or cashier’s check. Personal checks will not be accepted.Application forms and requirements can be downloaded from the Consulate’s website at www.philippineconsulatela.org. In view of the anticipated high volume of applicants and in order to ensure an orderly flow of operations, this Consular outreach shall be guided by the following:

All Applicants for any of the above consular services are requested to set up an 1. appointment with the Consul-ate, not later than 4 February 2009, either through fax (213) 639-0990 or through email at [email protected] Applicants2. should send an advance copy of their passport application forms and data page (bearing the name and photo) of their passports to the Consulate either by fax or by email. Incomplete forms will not be processed.Dual Citizenship Applicants3. should send an advance copy of their application forms and supporting docu-ments. Incomplete forms will not be processed.OAV Registrants4. should also send an advance copy of their application forms and supporting documents. Incomplete forms will not be processed.Confirmed appointments of all applicants will be posted at the Consulate’s website (www.philippineconsulatela.5. org) by 4 February 2009. Personal appearance is required for all applicants.While 6. walk-in applicants will also be entertained, priority will be given to those with confirmed appoint-ments with the Consulate, as posted in the website. All walk-in applicants are advised to transact their business directly with Consulate officials and not through travel agencies. Walk-in applicants are by defini-tion those who did not pass through travel agencies.

For general information, interested parties may wish to call Vice Consul John Reyes (Tel: 1-213-637-3003 | [email protected]) of the Consulate.For the information of the public, the Philippine Embassy and Consulates General in the U.S. started to accept and to process applications for Machine Readable Passports (MRP) on June 2, 2008. This is in compliance with the require-ments of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for its member states, including the Philippines, to issue MRPs not later than 1 April 2010. Since applications received by the Philippine Foreign Service Posts in the U.S. will be sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila via diplomatic pouch, it will take six weeks for a passport to be released to the applicants, from the time the application is accepted. Personal appearance for all will be required for data verification, finger-printing and signature capture. Applications by mail will no longer be accepted.In compliance with the new photo requirements for the MRP, applicants are requested to visit the Consulate’s web-site.While some countries may still honor valid green Philippine passports beyond 1 April 2010 as bona fide travel docu-ments until they expire, most countries will require travelers to hold either MRP or e-Passport for their sojourn by 2010. Thus, all Filipinos, including those with valid green passports, are therefore encouraged to apply for their machine readable passports as early as possible.

Parshooters Golf Club of San Di-ego held its 15th year with the cham-pionship tournament in December 9, 2008 at the Salt Creek Golf Course with tremendous success. Santi Rabanar was crowned champion. Winners are as follows: “A” Flight Division: First place –Dan Magno; Second place – Ted Calaustro; Third place – Mike Echada. “B” Flight Di-vision – First Place – Andy Velbis; Second place – Ted Delunas; Third place – Amor Garingo. Ding Cope won the “High Gross Award” with a three games net of 338.

Members were fed with sumptu-ous lunch at the Ihaw-Ihaw Restau-rant, followed by the award presen-tation winners, trophies and money

Parshooters Golf Club of San Diego held its 15th year with the championship tournament

in December 9, 2008 at the Salt Creek Golf Course with tremendous success.

Awarding of Perpetual Trophy - Left to Right: Art Buangan (Emcee), Matt Mazon, President, Santi Rabanal 2008 Parshooters Club Champion and Andy Velbis, Secretary/Treasurer/Coordinator.

prizes.Parshooters Golf Club, an affiliate

member of the 800 southern Califor-nia Golf Association (SCGA) was founded in 1993. This year’s elected officers are Matt Mazon, President; Ted Calaustro, Vice President; Andy Velbis, Secretary / Treasurer / Coordinator; Ted Delunas, Handicap Chairman; Art Buangan, Tourna-ment Chairman and four board members, Rino Belisario, Paul Cruz, Ed Carangian and Ed Bassig. Tournament committee members elected are Ed Madriaga, Ed Bassig and Amor Garingo. Parshooters club has 50 active members consist-ing mostly of retired military and civilian personnel. The club has

been very prolific, amassing over 140 members since its inception in 1993. Par shooters club plays every Tuesday at various golf courses in Southern California. The club still clutched the same motto: “Profes-sionalism, euphoric, and cohesive-ness.” Those who are interested in joining the club, please call or email the ff: Matt Mason (619) 266-2341 (H), (619) 723-5482 (Cell), [email protected]; Andy Verbs (619) 482-7378 (H), (619) 518-4839 (Cell), [email protected]; Ted Detunes (760) 855-2018, [email protected]. Ted Cadastre (858) 504-0407, [email protected].

later sworn in individually in a private ceremony by reelected House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, with several family members in attendance.

Standing before Pelosi, Austria’s wife Eileen held the Bible for the new Fil-Am congressman, sur-rounded by proud members of the Austria clan, who flew to D.C. for the event.

Shortly before his oath, Austria remembered his father who in-spired him and paved the way for his deep interest in and passion for public service.

“My father was my mentor,” he told reporters, referring to the late Dr. Clement G. Austria of Tiaong, Quezon. “I learned from him to work hard, to do the right thing and help others. I think if my father were alive, he’d be very


happy to see his oldest son go to Congress.”

“But he would tell me to never forget where my roots are, never forget our local community, where I got started. And he’d probably tell me not to get caught up in all the hype of Washington, D.C. and not to get too comfortable,” Aus-tria, 50, adds with a laugh.

Austria’s father was a medical student at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila when he became a guerilla and fought the Japanese under Gen. Douglas MacArthur during World War II. The elder Austria came to the U.S. to attend medical school on a student visa and gained American citizenship in 1952 after approaching his congressman to change the im-migration laws at the time, Steve Austria says.

“It was something (Dr. Austria) felt very strongly about, being a legal citizen in this great country and having the opportunity to suc-ceed,” Austria notes.

His father was an ear, nose and throat specialist who practiced in Xenia, Ohio until his death in 1986. He was also active in local politics as the past president of the Xenia Area Chamber of Com-merce and member of the Greene County Republican Central Com-mittee.

In an interview with the Spring-field News-Sun, Austria said he never saw his being half-Filipino – “or you might call it half-American, I don’t know” – as a handicap.

“I’ve always looked at it as us-ing the talents given to me,” he stressed. “My father always taught me to be active and give back.”

According to the New York Times, the latest batch of con-gressmen offers “two new ethnic firsts:” Austria, the first Filipino-American; and Anh (Joseph) Cao, the first Vietnamese-American.

There are now three members of U.S. Congress with Filipino lin-eage: Rep. Robert “Bobby” Scott, an African-American represent-ing Virginia’s 3rd congressional


district; and Sen. John Ensign of Nevada.

As the oldest of nine children, Austria says he has learned “how to scream loud and get attention” when he has to.

It’s an attitude he intends to take to Washington in case “the new presidential administration starts raising taxes or increasing govern-ment spending, I will hold them accountable,” he says.The young Austria got his first

taste of politics in 1984, when the elder Austria stepped down from the Republican Central Commit-tee, passing his seat to his son.

“He walked door-to-door with me, we knocked on doors,” Steve Austria recalls. “I actually made a homemade sign that I put up for running for the central committee, so that was my first encounter in politics, with my father.”



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The Law that Matters

Read Atty Bautista’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Atty. A. Erwin Bautista

Where should you fi le Bank-ruptcy, your Residence State or your Home State?

Question: I am a service member and I want to know where I have to fi le for Bankruptcy because I am stationed in San Diego, California but my home of record is Las Ve-gas, Nevada when I signed up with the military?

Answer: Generally speaking any-one, even non-military individuals, must fi le bankruptcy in the district in which your domicile, residence, principal place of business in the United States, or principal assets in the United States, have been located for the one hundred and eighty days immediately preceding such com-mencement or for a longer portion of such one hundred eighty day period than any other district. [See 28 USC Section 1408 (1)]

Place of fi ling?

In your situation I can safely advise you to fi le in San Diego if you had been living or residing in San Diego for the past 180 days before your fi ling date even if your home state or home of record when you signed up with the military is Las Vegas, Nevada. This is true for anyone who is similarly situated even if non military.

A good example would be some-one who recently moved from out of State to San Diego, CA and the move has been in the last 6 months or the past 180 days, then that someone can now fi le Bankruptcy in the Southern District of Califor-nia otherwise known as San Diego.

For the strict purpose of place of fi ling determination only even those who are also from California but previously lived in a different district such as Sacramento or Los Angeles or San Francisco, who recently moved to San Diego, they need to wait 6 months or 180 days before they can fi le bankruptcy in

San Diego. The same is true if you are from

San Diego and you moved to another State or district within the same State, you will have to wait 6 months or 180 days before the bankruptcy court in that district can acquire jurisdiction on your petition.

Difference between State and District.

For fi ling bankruptcy the rule requires you to fi le at the district which covers your county of residence. In the State of California there are 4 Districts which refers to the U.S. District Courts jurisdiction. There’s the Northern (San Francis-co), Eastern (Sacramento), Central (Los Angeles) and Southern (San Diego).

But if you happen to be domiciled and residing in Las Vegas then you have to fi le in the district court which covers the State of Nevada since there’s only one district in the whole State of Nevada. There may be a lot of district courts operating in Nevada which may be located in Reno or Las Vegas, but it belongs to the lone district for the whole State of Nevada.

In case of doubt as to whether you should fi le in your home state or residence state, consult an attorney.

(We invite readers to set up their initial consultation with The Law Offi ces of A. Erwin Bautista. Atty. Bautista practices Immigration, Bankruptcy, Personal Injury, Fam-ily Law and Audit Representation/Income Tax Preparation. Atty. Bautista obtained his law degree from Western State University Col-lege of Law at Fullerton, CA and his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of the Philippines. He can be reached in Los Angeles at (213) 365 7690 at 3435 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 2700, Los Angeles, CA 90010 or in San Diego at (619) 474 7755 at 550 E. 8th St., Ste. 11, National City, CA 91950)

Bankruptcy: Military

ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy’s. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifl ed the children’s laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the brace-let was, putting it on, and dab-bing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, ‘Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to.’

After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead,

One of the best stories I’ve read!(Continued from page 11) she began to teach children. Mrs.

Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her ‘teacher’s pets..’

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had fi nished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he’d stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of

honours. He assured Mrs. Thomp-son that she was still the best and favourite teacher he had ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor’s degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favourite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer.... The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usu-ally reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the

perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear, ‘Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.’

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, ‘Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.’

(For you that don’t know, Teddy Stoddard is the Doctor at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)

Warm someone’s heart today. . .. pass this along. I love this story so very much, I cry every time I read it. Just try to make a difference in someone’s life today? tomorrow? just ‘do it’.

Random acts of kindness, I think they call it!

‘Believe in Angels, then return the favor’


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REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (opens 01/09) - Adapted from the reveal-ing novel by Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road is an incisive portrait of an American marriage seen through the eyes of Frank Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his wife April (Kate Winslet). The couple proudly declare their independence from the suburban inertia that surrounds them and determine never to be trapped by the social confines of their era. Yet for all their charm, beauty and irreverence, the Wheelers find themselves be-coming exactly what they didn’t expect: a good man with a meaningless job whose nerve has gone missing; a less-than-happy homemaker starv-ing for fulfillment and passion; an American family with lost dreams, like any other. Yates’ story of 1950s America poses a question that has been reverberating through modern relationships ever since: Can two people break away from the ordinary without breaking apart? Co-starring Kathy Bates, Kathryn Hahn, Michael Shannon and David Harbour. Directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty).- www.revolutionaryroadmovie.com - 119 minutes. – Rated R. - LANDMARK’S LA JOLLA HILLCREST CINEMAS

Movies to Watch(Following are movies now showing or

soon to be shown in San Diego.)

by Simeon G. Silverio Jr.CONVERSATIONS

With Ricky LoPhilstar

Bahala na si Lord!That was Phillip “Ipe” Salvador’s

initial reaction when I told him that our Conversation would have to be no-holds-barred — you know, “tell-all,” something like a true confession.

Actually, Phillip didn’t have to invoke the name of The Lord to Whom he now offers everything, his life included, as a member of the Church So Blessed, a Christian congregation.

He has just won another acting trophy, for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Baler, Viva Films/Bida Foundation’s entry which won, among other awards, Best Picture, Best Actress for Anne Curtis and Best Director for Mark Meiley at the recent 2008 Metro Manila Film Festival. Phillip plays the father of Anne, a young Filipina who falls in love with Jericho Rosales, an indio whom Phillip disapproves of because he considers him an enemy. The movie is set at the turn of the 20th century during the conclusion of the Spanish-American War when Filipino soldiers fought against a Spanish troop holed up at the Baler church. Jericho is with the Spanish troop while Phillip with the Filipino soldiers.

Last seen in Kaaway Hanggang Hukay (with Edu Manzano and Ina Raymundo, as he put it, “ages ago,” Phillip is into his second com-ing. He has gone through trials in

The Second Coming of Ipe

Phillip “Ipe” Salvador

both his personal life and profes-sional life, and he has emerged a “changed man,” a better person.

“Praise The Lord!”Two years ago, Phillip also got

an “award” in the person of his son PICS, two years and five months old, with his wife Emma Ledesma.

“Every letter of his name has a meaning. P for Phillip, I for Israel, C for Christian and S for Salvador/Salvation.”

How does it feel being a father again? (Note: Ipe won’t admit it but reliable sources said that he has nine children all in all — three with ex-wife Sony Dabao; one with starlet Vivialyn Dungca who’s now married to a Briton and living abroad; one, Joshua, with Kris Aquino; and this one with present wife Emma Ledesma. Who the mother or mothers are of the other three, the source won’t tell.)

“It feels the same even if the last time I (sired a son), Joshua, was 13 years ago. Joshua is turning 14 in June. But winning another acting

award is something else. Nanibago ako! It’s my 24th trophy na yata, but my first for Best Supporting Actor. I couldn’t believe it when my name was announced. I was backstage with Anne, Jericho, and Dulce and her husband Bernard. They were shouting, ‘Ipe, you won, you won!’ The last time I got an award...for Actor of the Decade, given by the Star Awards (of the Philippine Movie Press Club)...was years ago.”

You were gone from showbiz for years. Are you back for good?

“Oh yes, I am. I really missed act-ing. So I asked Malou (N. Santos, boss of Star Cinema). She said, ‘Okay, come to my house.’ I told her, ‘I want to work again. Do you think you can give me a chance?’ She said only one thing, ‘Matulog ka na lang, kuya. Ako ang bahala.’ My comeback was a ‘guest’ role in For The First Time (the first team-up of Richard Gutierrez and KC Concepcion, now together again in Regal Films/GMA Films’ When I Met U). Then, I did the ABS-CBN soap Maging Sino Ka Man (as the father of John Lloyd Cruz) and an episode for Maalaala Mo Kaya (as the politician-lover of Gretchen Barretto). God is good to me. Be-fore the year was over, binigyan pa niya ako ng ‘regalo’.”

It’s understandable because show-biz is in your blood. Come to think of it, how many Salvador children (by the late Lou Salvador Sr., a.k.a. Van Ludor) are you all in all?

“As far as I know, we are 102 siblings. Top-grosser ang clan namin sa dami ng magkakapatid. A few have died, including Kuya Jojo (Lou Salvador Jr., known as James Dean of the Philippines) who died of lung cancer last year

in Las Vegas where he was based. Three days before he died, Kuya Jojo called me. He said, ‘I just want to thank you for loving me as a brother.’ I cried! Then, I asked him, ‘How well do you know God?’ He said, ‘I always pray to Him. We are all sinners.’ I said, ‘Kuya Jojo, do you want to ask forgiveness?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ So we prayed together on the phone.”

How long have you been a mem-ber of the Church So Blessed?

“Since 2004. God gave me Emma who is a Christian. It was Emma who encouraged me to join. I’m not getting any younger. think I have found somebody with whom I want to spend the rest of my life and who is willing to do the same with me. Mabait siya. I thank her for show-ing me the way. There’s a little part of our house where I always pray. Nandoon ang Bible ko. When I’m there, alam nila that I don’t want to be bothered. But don’t get me wrong. I don’t go around as if I have a halo over my head.”

Is Emma the last woman in your life?

“I guess...I think so...Yes, she is.”What’s your mission as a member

of the Church So Blessed?“I want to help lost souls get near

God. Again, don’t get me wrong. I am not a perfect Christian. I pray all the time but I sometimes forget to read the Bible. I get invited to speak in our church and in other churches.”

You are a changed man now. What were the things that seemed to be “unacceptable” that you learned to accept?

“That I’m not getting any young-er. That no producers are making as many action movies as they used to. That new breeds of actors crop

up in every generation. So many things.”

In Baler, you got top billing. It’s a recognition of your stature as an actor.

“Thanks to Kuya Vic (del Rosario Jr. Viva boss) for trusting me. Dur-ing the movie’s second presscon, Lolit (Solis) stood up and said, ‘I was disappointed that I didn’t see

Phillip Salvador’s name above the title in the movie’s ad. I’m glad that you made the necessary correction.’ Kumalabog ang dibdib; parang umangat ako sa upuan ko. Later, I said. ‘Thank you, Manay Lolit.’ She said, ‘Another movie company did that to Christopher (de Leon)


Laughing MatterRead previous articles by visiting our website at www.asian-

journalusa.com

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If a 911 operator has a heart at-tack, whom does he/she call?

Why is “bra” singular and “pant-ies” plural?

Why do you have to “put your two cents in”...but it’s only a “penny

For your thoughts”? Where’s that extra penny going to?

Once you’re in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you

Were buried in for eternity?Why does a round pizza come in a

square box?What did cured ham actually

have?How is it that we put man on the

moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

Why is it that people say they “slept like a baby” when babies wake up like every two hours?

If a deaf person has to go to court,

Deep thoughtsis it still called a hearing? If you drink Pepsi at work in the Coke factory, will they fire you? Why are you IN a movie, but you are ON TV? Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground? How come we choose from just two people for President and fifty for Miss America? Why do doctors leave the room while you change? They’re going to see you naked anyway.

Can you cry under water?How important does a person have

to be before they are considered as-sassinated instead of just murdered?

If money doesn’t grow on trees then why do banks have branches?

Since bread is square, then why is sandwich meat round?

Banking on the belief that some Catholic saints were gay, members of the MCC congregation see noth-ing wrong in practicing religious services and ceremonies they refer to as “ecumenical or fusion of religions.”

TJ Agbayani calls himself a pas-tor of the MCC. Like a Catholic priest, he shares thoughts on the Holy Bible wearing a pink shawl and gives communion to members

Gays, lesbians form own church

during service held every Friday at a house in Project 6.

He leads communion and offer-tories with the Holy Cross as the backdrop.

However, the praise and wor-ship in MCC are similar to those in Christian churches – usually longer than the Catholic Mass and filled with many inspirational songs.

Agbayani prefers to classify their church as “Christian in denomina-tion with special ministry for gays and lesbians.”

“The main tenet of our church is that every member of the com-munity can serve God through holy service. It was stated in the Holy Gospel of John that God loves whoever believes in Him. It didn’t say that His love is for heterosexu-als only,” he told The STAR in an interview.

The MCC pastor believes a few Catholic saints were bisexuals, or those whose sexual preference cater to both men and women. One of them, he alleged, was St. Paul.

“They were actually historically documented of having partners. The public is just not aware because Rome doesn’t want to reveal their real orientation – that they were gay,” he alleged.

“We show pictures of these gay saints in our services. We don’t wor-ship them; we just want to remind our members that the Lord will bless you regardless of your gender,” clarified Agbayani.

In MCC, there’s “freedom and open atmosphere” in interpretation of passages in the Bible among members.

“Our concept of Bible study is not the scripture catechism type of preaching. Here, you are free to interpret the Bible the way you

understand it. But there are absolute guidelines. Usually a member shares a specific part of the Bible that he or she can relate to and then explain how it could apply to life,” the church’s pastor said.

He said they believe that the traditional catechism is “not enough to help deal with so many spiritual

issues.”Agbayani admitted that their

chapter had already administered 12 “holy unions or marriages” between gay or lesbian members since it was established in September 2006 as the church’s first local chapter in the country.

Roads Improvement and Manage-ment Program, known as NRIMP 1,” the bank said in a statement.

“As a result of swift action when suspicions of collusion in the bidding process were raised by the project team, the World Bank stopped an estimated $33 million from being awarded,” the World Bank said in a statement. It said no funds were disbursed to any of the firms.

It listed the companies as:• Philippines-based E.C. de Luna

Construction Corp. and its owner Eduardo de Luna were barred per-manently, the strongest possible sanction and the first since 2004.

• Philippines’ Cavite Ideal International Construction and Development Corp. and CM Pancho Construction, Inc. were each barred for four years.

• China Road and Bridge Corp. was barred for eight years.

• China State Construction Corp. and China Wu Yi Co. Ltd. were each barred for six years.

• China Geo-Engineering Corp. was barred for five years.

• Korean firm Dongsung Construc-tion Co. Ltd was separately sanc-tioned in August 2008 for four years for fraud and corruption related to the NRIMP in the Philippines.

The probe “closely analyzed the procurement process the firms par-ticipated in and conducted numer-ous interviews before closing the investigations and initiating sanction proceedings against the entities,” it said.

“This is one of our most important and far-reaching cases, and it high-lights the effectiveness of the World Bank’s investigative and sanctions process,” said Leonard McCarthy, World Bank vice president for integrity.

“As the World Bank Group contin-ues to ramp up its anti-corruption work, (it) will remain vigilant in investigating allegations and hold-ing wrongdoers accountable,” said

Bidding for RP road project rigged -

World Bank(Continued from page 1)

McCarthy, referring to the Philip-pine road project.

He said the World Bank was in the process of conducting a global review of its activities in the road sector in developing countries.

The sanctioning of the firms by the World Bank comes three days after the institution said it would publish the names of all companies involved in wrongdoing, including those that have direct contracts with it.

The decision by World Bank presi-dent Robert Zoellick follows revela-tions that Indian IT firm Satyam Computer Services Ltd., which the bank sanctioned in September but did not name publicly, was involved in a $1-billion corporate fraud scan-dal, which hit Indian stocks and the rupee currency.

On Sunday, the World Bank named three companies, includ-ing Satyam, it had barred from qualifying for direct contracts with the bank. The other firms included Wipro Technologies, India’s No. 3 software company, and India’s Megasoft Consultants.

Review of WB projects sought

In Manila, President Arroyo ordered a top-level review of all WB projects in the Philippines.

“This (WB decision) is going to be discussed at the Cabinet level to look into the corruption allega-tions, and make sure that we can put a stop to this and we will file appropriate charges against people who will be found guilty of these allegations,” deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez said at a news conference.

“One of the programs of this pres-ent administration is to weed out corruption and because of these re-ports, we will be able to review with the Cabinet World Bank projects, with the end in view of looking into corruption allegations,” Golez said.

Another Palace spokesperson Lo-relei Fajardo said the government is grateful to the WB for “stepping up its efforts to curb corruption.”

“They have the right to act accord-ingly when suspicions of collusion are raised,” Fajardo said in a state-ment.

She said the Department of Trade and Industry and other agencies

would look into the blacklisted com-panies and “make recommendations once facts are determined.”

“As for the government’s anti-corruption measures, the President has been working tirelessly to free the country from the bane of corrup-tion,” she said.

She cited Mrs. Arroyo’s doubling of the budget of the Office of the Ombudsman as well as her enact-ment of an anti-red tape law. She also said the Palace has been calling on Congress to pass a comprehen-sive anti-corruption law.

Also at the briefing, Budget Secre-tary Rolando Andaya Jr. said the er-rant firms are barred from participat-ing in any local project for 15 days starting yesterday pending a recom-mendation from the Department of Public Works and Highways.

“We will have to look into it since this is a World Bank debarment,” DPWH Senior Undersecretary Manuel Bonoan said.



Devotees hold up their own images of the Sto. Niño (Child Jesus) as they wait for a fluvial parade to pass by the North Harbor in Tondo, Manila, the start of a two-day celebration of the Feast of the Sto. Niño. PhilStar photo by Joven Cagande

By Nestor Etolle

Devotees hold up their own images of the Sto. Niño (Child Jesus) as they wait for a fluvial parade to pass by the North Har-bor in Tondo, Manila yesterday, the start of a two-day celebration of the Feast of the Sto. Niño. Joven Cagande

A three-year-old girl died in a freak accident in Tondo, Manila yesterday when a seven-foot statue of the Virgin Mary tum-bled from its stand on a parked tricycle and fell on her.

Doctors at the Mary Johnston Hospital failed to revive the unconscious Bea Venoya, of Nicodemus street in Tondo, and declared her dead an hour later from head and body injuries.

Senior Police Officer 2 Rich-ard Lumbad said Bea’s nanny, Analiza Isidro, 18, took her and her five-month-old baby sister to a nearby store at around 8:45 a.m.

While Isidro was buying a soft-drink with the baby in her arms,

Virgin Mary statue topples, kills

3-year-old girlBea went to get a closer look at a seven-foot statue of the Virgin Mary that was on an “open” tricycle parked nearby. Just then some children clambered onto the tricycle and unbalanced the vehicle. The statue fell and land-ed on Bea. Bystanders rushed the girl to the hospital.

Lumbad said the girl’s parents both work at a garments shop in Divisoria, leaving their two chil-dren in the care of their nanny.

Lumbad said the statue of the Virgin Mary, made of cast ce-ment and steel, is the patron saint of Sta. Quiteria district in Ca-loocan City, which traditionally joins the yearly procession of the feast of the Sto. Niño in Tondo being celebrated today.

The image’s sponsor, a certain Ramoncito de Guzman, prom-ised the girl’s parents he would shoulder the burial expenses, ac-cording to Lumbad. The parents chose not to file charges against the image’s sponsor, Lumbad added.

“Love Me Again (Land Down Under)”set for North America theatrical run

Shown with ABS-CBN Global COO Raffy Lopez at the company’s headquar-ters in Redwood City are Angel Locsin, Star Cinema’s Managing Director Malou N. Santos and Sam Milby. (Photo by Nino Nucum)

Star Cinema’s Managing Direc-tor Malou N. Santos and Love Me Again (Land Down Under) director Rory Quintos who also helmed the critically acclaimed international hits, “Anak” and “Dubai”. Star Cinema prepared this blockbuster film, which was shot both in the Philippines and Australia, to culminate its series of 15th anniversary offerings in 2008.

For its theatrical run, Love Me Again (Land Down Under) is sure to wow the audience with breathtaking cinematography, unveiling the beauty of the town of Impasug-ong, Bukidnon in Northern Mindanao whose claim to fame is “Home of the country’s finest cowboys”. Yes – expect Pinoy rodeo and horseback-riding from the lead stars who underwent training from famed riding instructor Vic Barba and equestrienne Mikee Conjuangco. The other half of the film transports the audience to the city of Darwin, dubbed Australia’s gateway to Asia and one of the most thriving areas north of Queensland.

The heart of the movie lies in the story of Arah (Angel Loc-sin) and Migo (Piolo Pascual). Migo returns to Bukidnon’s lush pasture lands and magnificent rolling hills after working in Ma-nila for years. He is reclaiming the ranch that his family had lost after his father’s death.

At the famous Kaamulan festival of the province, Migo chances upon his first love, Arah, the beautiful and fearless rodeo queen of Bukidnon. He falls in love with her again and resolves to win back her heart.

But Arah is already engaged to an Australian rancher. Be-ing the eldest daughter of a poor cowboy, she feels compelled to accept the foreigner’s offer of marriage in order to give her family a better life, no matter how much she still loves Migo.

Arah leaves for a vast and lone-ly Australian ranch with a group of other Filipino cowboys who have been hired to work there.

Will Migo be able to reclaim the love he has lost or will he learn to let Arah go and start anew? How far will Migo be willing to go for love?

“We ended last year with successful premieres of Love Me Again (Land Down Under) and we want to spice up our first quarter offerings with this perfect romance movie,” said Kerwin Du, ABS-CBN Inter-national’s category head for telecom, retail and theatricals.

Love Me Again (Land Down Under) will be shown in the following cities and dates, with more cities to be announced soon. Tickets are available at the theater box office on the day of screening:

SEATTLE, Jan 23-29, 2009Parkway Plaza Stadium 125910 South 180th StreetTukwila, WA 98188

LAS VEGAS, Jan 23-29, 2009Regal Village Square Stadium9400 W Sahara Ave.,

Las Vegas, NV 89058

SAN DIEGO, Jan 23-29, 2009UA Horton Plaza475 Horton PlazaSan Diego, CA 92101

HONOLULU, Jan 23-29, 2009Regal Dole Cannery Stadium

18735 Iwilei Road #B

Honolulu, HI 96817

CHICAGO Feb. 6-12, 2009The Pickwick Theatre 117 South Prospect AvenuePark Ridge, IL 60068

For more information, please call 1.800.227.9676 or visit www.abs-cbnglobalmovies.com


Are you still trying to think of a special gift for your Valentine? You really can’t beat a dinner-show-dance ticket for “Heart To Heart” for all over uniqueness and thought-fulness.

Celebrity Ventures, Inc., in cooperation with Acacia Funding Group, Inc., Truth In Lending & Real Estate, Inc., Duerme Insur-ance Agency, Only Son Marketing & Advertising Boutique and The Filipino Press, proudly present a powerhouse Valentine’s Concert featuring one of the Philippine’s enduring balladeers, the Consum-mate Performer, Julius Obregon with The Vincent Sisters, of the internationally renowned Tony Or-lando & Dawn, at the King’s Garden Restaurant, located at 10066, Pa-cific Heights Blvd., San Diego CA 92121, on February 14, 2009 at 7:00 pm. It will be an “an evening of ro-mance relived.“ This one night per-formance is exclusively dedicated to music concerning love, romance and matters of the heart, with immortal songs from America’s great com-posers like , Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and Richard Rodgers and many more. Isaias (Yoyong) Nalasa is Musical Director of the show.

The dinner-show’s concept is simple: love songs performed and sung by the soothing velvet voice of Julius Obregon, top performers, the Vincent Sisters (Pam and Joyce) and worthy musicians, Graham Dorsen on bass guitar, Elvio Ditas, on drums and Julius Obregon Jr., on guitar for an audience full of well-dressed couples. Of course, “My Funny Valentine” and “Some-where” will start the show, sung by Julius with stentorian reverence.

Julius, the headliner, will sing

A Pop, Jazz & Standard Valentine of (What else?) Love Songs

ballads with his magnificent tim-ing and suspense as concentrating with microscopic obsessiveness on every word, every phrase, every line, lingering over a crucial image, swooping ahead to the next idea, gliding with timeless languor over a trace of lovers’ rapture or pausing to let a melancholy moment sink in.

He then turns the symmetries of a half-time tempo of “I Love You More Today Than Yesterday“, a Spiral Staircase big hit in the 70’s. His other selections moves at a glacial pace, turning the chords into a nearly immobile backdrop for his curvy vocal improvisations.

Leaping between a breathy high register and an implacable baritone, Julius will thrill the audience with boast, special arrangement and pro-duction of Paul William’s “I Won‘t Last A Day Without You,” Captain & Tennille‘s “Love Will Keep Us Together”, “Anita Baker Medley”, “Matt Monro Medley” to name a few.

For The Vincent Sister’s, they will join Julius as special guest headlin-ers.

The instrumentalists are from various generations but will share a largely uniform approach. As Pam and Joyce Vincent tiptoe through the harmonies, Julius will croon the melody, sometimes allowing himself only between-the-lines interpola-tions.

The musicians, Isaias Nalasa ( mu-sical director of famous artists like Kuh Ledesma, Regine Velasquez, and producer of Arnel Pineda’s first album) bass player Graham Dorsen ( recording artist himself), and drummer Elvio Ditas (who played for singers like Frank Sinatra and cut an album with David Benoit)

will decorate Otis Redding’s “Try A Little Tenderness” and bossa nova interpretation of “There Will Never Be Another You.”

“The concept is based on the timing - the season as well as other circumstances - while ‘trendy’ is about satisfying both the audience and the sponsors. That means com-ing up with a good show, good art-ists and good music,” explains the Line Producer and Project Manager, Bobby Muldong. “Most important-ly, we want to make a concert for cool people - for San Diegans. Right now, with the flagging economy, it’s a risk investing in a concert. But I believe if you put on a good show, the audience will come”, Bobby, also Julius’ Business Representative laments.

The most awaited concert title simply means that people can ex-press their feelings heart to heart to the one they love everyday, not just on Valentine’s. It’s a message that will be underlined in significant and carefully chosen classic songs im-mortalized by Julius.

Executive producers and corporate officers of Celebrity Ventures, Inc., are real estate connoisseurs, Romy Quinto, Ralph Laserna, Jackie Novicio and Jet Lovings. There are other ways around songs that the concert may not include; for that matter, romance isn’t always so refined and restrained. But as elevated, elegant mood music for a Valentine’s Day evening, the concert is expected to do a fantastic job.

Tickets are at $60 per person and VIP Reserved Seats at $75 per person. For more information call: 858.564.2882/ 858.610.8489/ 858.842.7103/ 619.889.9507


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BALAYAN ASSOCIATION DINNER-DANCE POSTPONED

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dose of the zoster vaccine even if they had a prior episode of shingles. The new recommendation replaces a provisional recommendation that the CDC made in 2006, after the vaccine was licensed by the FDA. Researchers found that, overall, in those aged 60 and above, the vaccine reduced the occurrence of shingles by about 50 percent. For individuals aged 60-69, it reduced occurrence by 64 percent. Accord-ing to CDC statistics, about a third of people will get shingles, includ-ing half of those who reach age 85.

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and I was so mad. Respeto lang, di ba?’ Saludo ako kay Lolit Solis!”

With the slump in action-fi lm pro-duction, you are doing full circle by going back to drama, especially after Baler.

“I don’t mind; as long as I get projects. Anyway, that’s where I started, in drama.” (As the protegé of Lino Brocka who groomed him as a prized action-drama actor in such classics as Kapit sa Patalim, Jaguar, Bona, etc. — RFL).

What is the most bitter pill to swallow?

“Na may nangwasak sa’yong tao na pinaniwalaan ng ibang tao.” (He didn’t elaborate.)

Does your being a Born-again Christian affect your choice of roles?

“As a Christian, I believe that your talent is a grace from God. Doctors are given the ability to cure and writers to write. We actors were given the talent to act. If you play your roles well, you are giving back to God the glory; you are using the talent that He has given you. I am a Christian and I can play any kind of roles, even as a bad guy.”

Are you in touch with your “exes”?

(No comment. Only smiles.)What about your children?“I talk to some of them by

phone.”And Joshua?“I talk to him, also by phone,

every now and then. He also talks to his Tita Emma. Okay silang dalawa.”

Do you have any regrets, things that you should have done but didn’t do?

“I could have been a better person. I stand by whatever I did, including wrong decisions and

The Second Coming of Ipe(Continued from page 16) choices, but I wish that I didn’t

commit those mistakes.”What about all the girls that

you’ve loved before?“Wala akong pinagsisihan dahil

minahal ko sila. No regrets.”What about career-wise?“I’ve worked with almost all the

great actresses, under great direc-tors, but I regret not having worked with Sharon (Cuneta) in a movie. We were supposed to do one but I was busy then so the project went to Bong (Revilla, one of Phillip’s bosom buddies). I regret not having been directed by Ishmael Bernal. Now, I want to work with the new breed of directors like Joel La-mangan, Joey Javier Reyes, Olivia Lamasan, Rory Quintos whom I’ve already worked with on TV, and many others.”

Who’s the real-life character that you want to portray?

“Rudy Duterte, the Mayor of Davao City. His life is very color-ful. I admire his integrity as a public offi cial and his leadership. Hindi mo magigiba ang prinsipyo niya. Ano ba ang No. 1 city ngayon sa Pilipinas? Davao, di ba?

What do you consider as your best achievement?

“My children. They are all good children. I’m not a great father but my children know that I really trea-sure them and love them dearly.”

How would you rate yourself as a husband (he married twice, fi rst to Sony... their marriage was an-nulled... and then to Emma)?

“Ask them na lang.”If you were to rewrite your life

story, what would you change?“I would right the wrongs and

make sure that I wouldn’t hurt any-body. Dami kong nasaktan!”

(Continued from page 12) It was an encounter that would stick with Austria so that after 15 years as a small business and fi nancial adviser, he still wanted to be a politician.

Austria was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1998 and to the Ohio Senate in 2000, where he served for eight years.

Now a member of the U.S. Con-gress, he succeeded former Rep. Dave Hobson, who retired after 17 years in offi ce.

As one of four new U.S. con-gressmen from Ohio, Austria has pledged to work in a bipartisan manner in Congress and said that he will immediately buckle down to work after his oath-taking. Like President-elect Obama and the rest of the U.S. Congress, Austria’s focal point is the economy.

“I’m focused on protecting and saving jobs and giving businesses an incentive to create and expand jobs,” he told the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette.

Austria devoted his decade in the Ohio legislature as a champion of social issues. He noted that his biggest contribution to Ohio was introducing legislation that protects children and families. He singles out the bills he introduced – the “Internet Child Protection Act “ and in the Senate, “Jessica’s Law” and the “Adam Walsh Act,” all which have been passed into law and stiffened the penalties for all crimes against children. He also introduced and passed into law several domestic violence and daycare protection legislation, as well as Ohio’s fi rst Cyber-Stalking and Driving Under the Infl uence of Illegal Drugs (DUID) bills.

But Austria also has a back-ground in handling fi nancial issues that have faced Ohio, as bills regarding tort and tax reform, se-niors and small businesses are also listed on his résumé.

“I think that some of the things we’ve done in Ohio have worked,” he said. “I think we should be doing some of those things on a national level.”

He intends to keep offi ces in Springfi eld and in Fairfi eld County (Ohio) and plans to e-mail news-letters and hold town hall meetings to keep in touch with the concerns of his constituents.

Born in Cincinnati, Austria



grew up in Xenia and received his bachelor of arts degree in political science from Marquette University in Wisconsin. After graduation, he worked in politics for a couple of years before turning his pro-fessional interests to becoming a fi nancial planner with American Express for nearly 16 years.

Austria has resided in Beaver-creek for the past 20 years where he currently lives with his wife, Eileen, and their three sons Brian, Kevin and Eric.

Prior to his service in the Ohio Legislature, Austria was a small businessman and fi nancial advisor.

In 1984, the Austria family was chosen as the “Ohio Family of the Year” and subsequently was cho-sen as one of only nine families throughout the country as “The Great American Family” by the Reagan Administration. First Lady Nancy Reagan with President Reagan presented this award to the Austria family at the White House.

Jean Brockman Austria, a retired registered nurse and Rep. Austria’s mother, said her son’s accomplish-ment was one that would have made his late father proud.

“He will be an excellent con-gressman,” she told the Dayton Daily News.

Austria represents the 7th Ohio Congressional District, which is comprised of Clark, Fairfi eld, Greene, Fayette, Pickaway and Perry counties, as well as parts of Ross and Franklin counties. Aus-tria is the 35th person to represent this portion of Ohio.

“I am honored to be one of only 11,890 members to have served in Congress,” Austria said. “It is a privilege and honor to be elected to this position and I am com-mitted to the job of serving the citizens of the 7th Congressional District.”

Before taking their oath, Austria and other new congressmen spent much of the day checking out their new offi ces. Austria, whose offi ce is on the sixth fl oor, paused quietly and bowed his head to say a little prayer, as he stood with photos and paintings on the fl oor waiting to be hung.

The author is news editor of the New York-based publication Filipino Reporter.


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