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Wednesday - Tuesday, Nov. 25 - Dec. 1, 2015

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Vol. 5 No. 9 LOS ANGELES A BALITA MEDIA PUBLICATION

MANILA, Nov 21 (Mabuhay) No foreigners were arrested at pro-test rallies during the Asia-Pacifi c Economic Cooperation summit in Manila, but authorities said they will forward to the Bureau of Im-migration all infl ammation they have gathered about foreigners who joined militants in the streets.

At a press briefi ng on Friday, Philippine National Police spokes-man Wilben Mayor said the BI will deal with these foreigners who pos-sibly violated our domestic laws.

Those things were coordinated with the BI. Kasi nga ang approach natin diyan is rather than to create tension on that particular situa-tion is we let them express their sympathies, he said.

Mas maganda na yung after na lang ... and the Bureau of Im-migration will deal with them ac-cordingly, he added.

Also, he said that cops who were hurt during scuffl es at the rallies will defi nitely pursue cases against

the protesters.Yes because ang pulis when

they are performing their duties theyre ... actually representing the state and when you hit a policeman youre doing it against the state, he said.

Mayor also said they will make sure that the suspects who hurt the cops will undergo due process.

Dadaan din tayo sa proseso niyan because ang pagpa-fi le kasi [ng kaso] is one, identifi cation of perpetrators and considering the situation ng mga ganyan is there is a team that will be in charge of doing that, he said.

The challenge is the identity of the perpetrators. Everything on our side is we go to the process, he added.

Earlier, the PNP said that the countrys hosting of the APEC summit was generally peaceful even with the attempts of militant groups to hold protest actions near the APEC venues. (MNS)

MANILA, Nov 21 (Mabuhay) Even taxi drivers and hotel em-ployees benefi tted from the P10 billion spent by the government on the just concluded Asia-Pacifi c Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, Malacaang said Sat-urday.

Deputy Presidential Spokesper-son Abigail Valte told state-run radio dzRB that the P10-billion APEC spendings of the govern-ment actually went to the local economy.

Saan po ba pumupunta yan? Di po ba sa mga lokal na hotel, sa mga tip na naibibigay sa ating

mga nag-se-service doon sa hotel, sa mga taxi, sa mga local car ser-vices, sa mga local airlines, sa mga local restaurants so lahat po yan pumasok sa ating local economy, Valte explained.

She added: Kung ano man ho yung ginastos natin dito sa ating paghu-host ay sa ekonomiya po mismo ng Pilipinas pumunta yan. Sa mga hotel po dito ibinayad, doon sa mga infrastructure na ating pri-noyekto na maiiwan din po dito sa Pilipinas; hindi naman po para sa dayuhan yung infrastructure na-tin, para po yan sa mga Pilipino.

MANILA, Nov 21 (Mabuhay) The countrys hosting of the Asia Pacific Economic Coopera-tion (APEC) summit has boosted the tourism sector as the number of visitors surged especially this month, a Palace offi cial said.

The APEC 2015 National Or-ganizing Council held the APEC meetings in different parts of the country to showcase the Philip-pines tourist sites.

Nagsimula po ng Disyembre noong nakaraang taon, at nakai-kot na po ang ating mga delegado sa ibat ibang napakagagandang tanawin dito sa Pilipinas, Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio interview on Saturday.

Dinala po sila sa Iloilo, sa Cebu, sa Tagaytay, sa Bataan, sa Boracay, at sa Bacolod din po nakapunta sila. Talagang naikot po ng napakaraming delegado ang Pilipinas, hindi lang po ang

kanilang mga economic leaders, but more importantly the thou-sands of delegates that we have hosted in the last year, she told dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.

Valte said the Department of Tourism even surpassed the 10,000 target for November and posted 11,000 arrivals.

The 11,000 tourist arrivals did not include APEC delegates who arrived in the country in the past year, she said.

For the APEC CEO Summit, or-ganizers expected 800 participants but the actual number of delegates reached 1,300, Valte said.

The participants included busi-nessmen, CEOs, high-level busi-ness managers from all over the 21 APEC economies who attended the CEO Summit in Manila.

Talagang napakagandang ex-posure po ito at fi rsthand experi-ence para sa kanila na makita ang

His word is good, but we still have trash, Sen. Francis Chiz Escudero remarked as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau left Manila after the conclusion of the Asia Pacifi c Economic Coop-eration (APEC) meetings without providing a clear solution to the problem of Canadian garbage on Philippine soil.

Escudero, who has asked the Philippine government to compel Canada to take back the thou-sands of tons of trash shipped by a

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 (Mabuhay) President Benigno Aquino III has directed the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Po-lice (PNP) to further intensify operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group and other terror threat ele-ments following the beheading of a Malaysian hostage.

Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma also said the Phil-ippines extends its deepest sym-pathy and condolences to the bereaved family of victim Bernard Than, and stands in solidarity with Malaysia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in resolutely fi ghting terrorism.

Terrorism was high on the agenda at the opening of the 27th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

Prime Minister Najib Razak, in his opening statement, singled out the murder of their countryman at the hands of the Abu Sayyaf

Group.We are ever vigilant against

a threat that is very real in our region. Local militants and groups such as the Abu Sayyaf have sworn allegiance to the so-called Islamic State. It was they who cruelly mur-dered our countryman, Bernard Then, on Tuesday, he said.

The Islamic State has been linked to the attacks in Paris, France, which killed about 129 people.

Najib earlier condemned the killing of Then, calling it a savage and barbaric act.

I, the government, and all Ma-laysians are shocked and sickened by the murder of our countryman Bernard Then, and we condemn it in its strongest terms, Najib said in a statement.

We call upon authorities to take action against those who have perpetrated this savage and bar-

Kuala Lumpur, Malay-sia | AFP | Sunday 11/22/2015 Philippine President Benigno Aquino told an Asia-Pacifi c sum-mit on Sunday that the world is watching whether China would behave as a responsible power in the simmering standoff over maritime territory.

Aquino kept up a drumbeat of growing criticism of Chinas expansion of tiny atolls into fully-fl edged islands, as leaders including Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met in Malaysia.

The issue has increasingly loomed over the regional diplo-matic and security outlook, with China accused of upsetting the status quo by moving to enhance its presence in the South China Sea.

We are hopeful that China

US President Barack Obama waves back to the crowd before boarding Air Force One on Friday on route to Kuala Lumpur where he will be attending the ASEAN Summit. Obama ended his four-day visit to the country where he joined other leaders for the APEC meeting.(MNS photo)

Foreigners in anti-APEC rallies on watchlist: PNP

Palace: P10-B APEC spending went to taxi drivers, hotel employees

Chiz: PHL still left to deal with Canadas trash

Aquino: World is watching China in sea row

APEC 2015 hosting spur PHL tourism sector, says Palace offi cial

PHL extends sympathy to family of Malaysian beheaded by Abu Sayyaf

See CHIZ, page 12 See APEC SPENDING, page 12

See WATCHING, page 12See SYMPATHY, page 12 See HOSTING, page 12

Protesters burn an effi gy of President Aquino on a backhoe, during a protest action at the Mendiola Peace Arch on Monday, the 6th commemoration of the Maguindanao massacre. The protesters criticized the government for its inaction and demanded justice for the 58 who were killed, including 32 media practitioners.(MNS photo)

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, Nov. 25 - Dec. 1, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST2

Monday November 16 2015 (Lod, Israel-AFP) Israel will present to the public for the fi rst time this week an impressive mosaic accidentally discovered in what was a wealthy neigh-bourhood in Roman and Byzantine times, officials said Monday.

The colourful mosaic mea-suring some 11 by 13 metres (36 by 43 feet) discovered in Lod in central Israel is believed to have been the courtyard pavement of a magnifi cent villa, the Is-rael Antiquities Authority said.

It is the second such mo-saic found in the area, fol-lowing another uncovered in the 1990s that was the

fl oor of the villas living room 1,700 years ago and has since been exhibited in pres-tigious museums worldwide.

The authority called the fi rst mosaic breathtaking and among the most beau-tiful in Israel. It depicts roaring lions, elephants in battle, giraffes and dolphins.

The recent excavation in 2014 was to prepare for the construction of a visi-tor centre to house the fi rst mosaic, currently on display at the Palazzo Cini Gallery in Venice, when it returns.

Scenes in the newly dis-covered mosaic include hunting and hunted ani-mals, fish, flowers in bas-kets, vases and birds.

The quality of the images

portrayed in the mosaic indi-cates a highly developed ar-tistic ability, Amir Gorzal-czany, excavation director, said in a statement.

The authority said that numerous fragments of fres-coes discovered also refl ect the decoration and the me-ticulous and luxurious de-sign, which are in the best tradition of the well-born of the period.

It said that in light of the new discoveries, this part of the villa will also be Aincorporated in the visitor centre. Lod was known as Diospolis at the time, and served as a district capital. Today it is located near Tel Avivs Ben Gurion interna-tional airport.

A worker of the Israel Antiquities Authority cleans a 1,700-year-old mosaic. AFP PHOTO / MENAHEM KA-HANA

Israel accidentally fi nds impressive ancient mosaic

By Martin AbbugaoKuala Lumpur, Ma-

laysia | AFP | Sunday 11/22/2015 Southeast Asian leaders on Sunday symbolically declared the establishment by year-end of an EU-style regional eco-nomic bloc, but diplomats admitted it will be years before the vision of a single market can be realised.

At the groups annual summit, held this year in Kuala Lumpur, the heads of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed a declaration that the bloc hailed as a mile-stone in the integration pro-cess. The 10 leaders then put an aural exclamation mark on the agreement by banging once in unison on a traditional drum from each of their nations.

However, diplomats have admitted Sundays declara-tion has no practical effect, and was largely meant to

avoid having ASEANreg-ularly criticised for its lack of concrete achievementsmiss its own deadline of 2015.

Several years ago ASEAN set a 2015 target for launch-ing the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), a single market with a free fl ow of goods, capital and skilled labour across borders.

The summits host, Ma-laysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, urged his counterparts to step up efforts to realise a vision that many experts view as diffi cult, if not impossible, to achieve.

We now have to ensure that we truly create a single market and production base with freer movement of goods and services with common standards, far greater connectivity and removal of barriers, Najib said.

Achievement of that vi-

sion will cause foreign in-vestment in the region to expand exponentially.

The AEC is aimed at marshalling the combined economic force of a resource-rich and growing market of more than 600 million peo-ple to enhance its trading clout and help it compete with the likes of China for foreign investment.

Changing the mental map - Great progress has been made on lower-hang-ing fruit like slashing tariffs and removing other hurdles such as clashing customs systems.

But signifi cant non-tariff and other barriers remain in a region marked by ex-tremes in development lev-els, democratisation, and institutional capability.

A Southeast Asian dip-lomat conceded the single market vision is many years away but argued the dec-laration will help change

Thursday November 19 2015 (Hong Kong-AFP) - Oc-casionally obscured by mist and low cloud, shadowy hu-man fi gures loom from the tops of Hong Kong skyscrap-ers causing curiosity and consternation in the streets below.

It could be a scene from a science fi ction fi lm in fact it is the arrival of sculptor Antony Gormleys Event Ho-rizon project in the southern Chinese city.

Billed as Hong Kongs largest public art project, the exhibition features 31 sculptures of the human form all modelled on Gorm-leys 188cm (6ft 2in) frame 27 of which are made of fibreglass and have been placed on rooftops of key buildings such as City Hall, the General Post Offi ce and Queensway Government Offi ces, as well as privately owned towers.

The remaining four are made of cast iron - weighing around 630kg (1390lb)- and are positioned at ground level at iconic spots such as Hong Kong Park and Statue Square.

Some have said the fi g-ures conjure thoughts of an alien invasion, others that they radiate a benevolent force; while a few fi nd them alarming.

Suicide taboo So far, there have been

four calls to the police from worried onlookers who feared the fi gures were peo-ple about to jump to their deaths; and there has been some public criticism they are inappropriate for a city where around half of the 900 people who commit suicide each year do so by leaping from skyscrapers.

I accept it is the first thing you think when you see a human form at the top of a tall building but it takes half a second to realise this is not a living person, Gormley concedes but says the paranoia surrounding the project is getting out of proportion.

My purpose is not to bring the topic of suicide to people but I was shocked to hear about the suicide rate in Hong Kong. It is very high. It made me think - why didnt I hear about the prob-lem? Its obviously a taboo

subject and I would say that is not very healthy, he adds, suggesting the work might lead to the issue being talked about more openly.

The project was delayed by a year after a key sponsor, HongKong Land, withdrew its support following the sui-cide of a JP Morgan trader, who jumped to his death from a building it owned. New partners for the exhibi-tion had to be found.

There was a bigger panic when Gormley fi rst launched the project in London in 2008 then 35 calls were made to the emergency ser-vices within the fi rst hour of the fi rst sculpture being erected.

Look upHong Kongs fears have

been more muted - though this may be in part because the smartphone obsessed populace rarely look away from their screens as they beetle about the city.

This project is an invi-tation to look up. What an amazing thing it is to look up in Hong Kong, the sculp-tor says, but he later admits that the installation of one figure above a main thor-oughfare in Central district, complete with camera crew, failed to provoke interest from passers-by.

He agrees there is a chance that people here will see the sculptures fi rst on their social networks, hav-ing strolled past them, un-noticed, on the street.

Perhaps Hong Kong is inoculated against this kind of public art. Perhaps it is going to be more Instagram than substantial encounter, he adds.

This is not a thrilling prospect for a man who says he creates sculpture to reinforce fi rst hand experi-ences but Gormley concedes there is positive potential for social media to collect beyond the original scope of an exhibition.

He cites his 2009 One & Other project, which invited 2,400 people, to each spend an hour occupying the empty fourth plinth in Londons Tr-afalgar Square the entire project was digitized by the British Library and is now available online for anyone to revisit.

The 65-year-old, who was

knighted by Queen Eliza-beth II last year, is argu-ably the UKs best known modern sculptor, famed for his works interpreting the human form including the Angel of the North, a steel behemoth with a wingspan of 54 meters, and Fields for the British Isles, made up of 40,000 miniature terracotta fi gures.

Guardian angelsBy his own admission he

has had a diverse life. He was raised as a devout Ro-man Catholic and, although his faith has faded, he still peppers his speech with religious imagery, referring to how man cannot live on bread alone when discuss-ing the impact of corporate greed on ordinary workers, and describing his fi gures as guardian angels: benign, but watching over us.

Educated at Ampleforth College before going on to Cambridge, he then spent two years in South Asia, living on the streets in Kol-kata for a brief period. He returned to England and attended art college, before squatting for seven years in Londons Kings Cross, where he still has a studio.

Gormley is incredibly learnedat home discuss-ing Plato as he is neurosci-encebut is surprisingly self-effacing.

He says of his 1994 Turn-er Prize for Fields of the British Isles: I had no more right to win it than any of the others. I felt it was a cruel thing... applying the rules of racing to a form of human endeavour that is not particularly interested in rewards.

Gormley says heand ar-guably all artistsare driv-en by the same motivation as those who painted the prehistoric caves in Rouffi g-nac, Altamira and Chauvet, adding that the primary drive for art is about explor-ing or expressing life.

Event Horizon Hong Kong officially launches November 19 and the instal-lations will remain in place until May 18. It is being run in partnership with the British Council and the K11 Art Foundation. There will be a educational outreach programme in conjunction with the project.

ASEANs mental map and provide momentum.

We hope this will help the people and governments to think more and more on the basis of regional in-terests rather than purely national interests, the dip-lomat said. ASEAN includes wealthy Singapore, one of the worlds most developed countries, oil-rich Brunei, developing states like Ma-laysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Viet-

nam, and poorer nations like Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Its members range from free-wheeling to controlled democracies, communist-ruled states and an absolute Islamic monarchy.

Najib on Saturday ac-knowledged much work remained, saying non-tariff barriers, which affect daily life and employment across our nations, are too exten-sive.

Although ASEANs plans were inspired by Europe, offi cials insist they want to pursue integration in a way suitable to the regions cir-cumstances, and have ruled out a common currency.

US President Barack Obama, who is in Kuala Lumpur for a Sunday sum-mit of ASEAN and regional partners such as China, Ja-pan and India, praised the AEC and pledged American support.

Southeast Asia bangs the drum for single market

Gormleys alien invasion looms large over Hong Kong

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, Nov. 25 - Dec. 1, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 3

Sunday November 22 2015 (Relaxnews) Whether youre snapping your chil-dren receiving their gifts next to the Christmas tree or the grandparents sitting around the table for Christ-mas dinner, some basic rules apply.

Here are a few, provided by French photographer Lo-lita Lejeune, which are suit-able for all types of camera, including smartphones.

Frame carefully It is important to keep

the foreground clear (for example, a table looks bet-ter with just a few pretty cocktail snacks rather than overloaded). For the back-ground, it is better to have a plain single color rather than patterned wallpaper or

a wall with framed photos. A photo in the photo attracts the eye, which should be focused on the faces. Gener-ally speaking, it is a good idea to avoid an overly dark background and doors open-ing into other rooms.

Think about staging the photo

For big families, it is best to place everyone in rows (fi rst row sitting on the fl oor, second row sitting on chairs and the third standing) and then add an original touch such as putting the young-est on an adults shoulders, or everyone could squeeze in around a senior member of the family.

One option is to line up in single fi le and then everyone sticks their head out so they

can be seen, or they all lean to one side to make the photo more relaxed.

Another original idea is to position everyone in a window frame and take the photo from outside.

Go for a wide-angle While a zoom lens can give a more natural result for individual portraits if there is the right distance be-tween photographer and subject, a wide-angle lens is recommended when the photographer cannot go very far back in a room and there are a large number of people to photograph. For example, a wide-angle shot could include a table full of people, plus the surrounding decorations, Christmas tree and gifts.

Christmas photographs are a tradition that is set to continue, whatever type of camera is used. Dmitriy Shironosov/shutterstock.com

How to take successful family photos at Christmas

Clothes smarter than you are: Welcome to the futureSunday November 22

2015 (Rio de Janeiro-AFP) Wish there was a gadget able to transform your boring offi ce uniform into a party outfi t, or even a device that guides you straight to new friends?

Then call Marcelo Coelho.A researcher with Fluid

Interfaces at the Massachu-setts Institute of Technol-ogys Media Lab, Coelho works at the cutting edge of wearable devices that may be smarter than the person wearing them.

One of the most promising areas is clothing that inte-grates computers and can practically think for itself.

You can program your shirt for it to change color, or move to a different pattern, he said. Maybe youre at work today and want your shirt one way, but youll be at a party tonight and want it different. Another creation is a dress with a hemline that rises and falls or an-other dress, decorated with gently opening and closing flowers. Coelho, 35, was speaking at MITs 2015 Em-Tech conference Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro, where for two days leaders in emerging technology give glimpses of the future.

The message is that sci-

ence fiction-like develop-ments are rapidly under way in areas as diverse as drones and medicine. But for Coelho, originally from Brazil, the joy is bringing the mysteries of the lab to everyday situations.

Building on that office-to-party scenario, Coelho unveiled a device that would help you fi nd the people you might want to talk to, fl irt with or avoid. Shaped like a normal watch, the tiny computer is programmed with personal data your Facebook information or something more customized then communicates with other devices in the room. You go to the event and it can match your wrist band to someone elses, he ex-plained. If you have nothing in common with a stranger at the event, a red light will go on and if you do, a green light will go on. You may wonder where all this crazi-ness is going, he said with a wry smile.

The answer to that, says another MIT scientist, Sky-lar Tibbits, is self-assembly.

No, not self-assembly as in struggling with instruc-tions and wrenches over a bed you just bought in a box. Tibbits means self-assembly as in the thing the bed, or

whatever it may be assem-bling itself.

This is the idea of 4D printing, Tibbits specialty.

If 3D printers can produce three-dimensional objects at the touch of a button, 4D means they then go on to transform or organize them-selves in useful ways.

Unlike robots these ma-terials are not computerized and do not need power like electricity. They react to ordinary forces like pres-sure or heat or water and change, but are engineered by the scientists so that they change shape in a pre-deter-mined way. For example, a wet shoe or tire can be made to grow better grip, reverting to normal when dry. Tibbits Self-Assembly Lab at MIT, is exploring whether the tech-nology can later be applied to much bigger objects, even in construction.

They are materials that behave like robots, but dont need robots, Tibbits said by video link. We eventually propose that the materials could assemble themselves from scratch. If that doesnt sound creepy enough, con-sider what Coelho says is the next-next frontier: not wear-able technology, but chips and WiFi devices brought right into the human body.

Friday November 20 2015 (Relaxnews) New Balance has unveiled its fi rst 3D printed running shoe, following in the foot-steps of rival Adidas.

Set to launch in Bos-ton next spring, the New Balance shoe features 3D-printed midsoles cre-

ated with 3D Systems and DuraForm Flex TPU.

The te chno logy i s meant to achieve an opti-mal balance of fl exibility, strength, weight and du-rability.

The limited-edition shoe will launch fi rst in Boston in April 2016, before being

rolled out to retail loca-tions around the world.

They will also be fea-tured at the 2016 Con-sumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.

Last month Adidas un-veiled the Futurecraft 3D, its fi rst shoe made with 3D-printed materials.

Washington, United States | AFP | Sunday 11/22/2015 Dozens of US special operations forces will arrive in Syria very soon, as promised by President Barack Obamas adminis-tration, a senior offi cial said Sunday.

The troops will have the task of organizing lo-cal forces battling the self-proclaimed Islamic State in northern Syria, according to special envoy Brett McGurk.

They will be going in very soon, McGurk told CBS televisions Face the Nation program.

In late October, Obama authorized no more than 50

special operations forces to deploy to northern Syria in a non-combatant, advisory role to help coordinate local ground troops and anti-IS coalition efforts.

It marks the fi rst offi cial deployment of US troops on the ground in Syria since an international coalition formed to counter the violent extremist group.

The US troops will as-sist an Arab-Kurd coali-tion that includes the main Syrian Kurdish militia the Peoples Protection Units (YPG), Arab groups and Syriac Christians. These lo-cal forces have been doing a very successful operation,

McGurk said.This is focused on isolat-

ing the capital of ISIL in Raqqa.

He said they have retaken about 1,100 square kilome-ters (435 square miles) in the last two weeks and killed about 300 IS fi ghters.

The US-led coalition aims to suffocate and strangle them in the core of IS in Iraq and Syria through mul-tiple coordinated offensives, McGurk said. The coalition is also trying to cut off access for IS to the Syrian border in order to cut off the main access route between Raqqa and the Iraqi city of Mosul, McGurk explained.

Tuesday November 17 2015 (Relaxnews) A new report reveals that a large majority of parents believe that technology has a posi-tive effect on their children while a little more than half admitted that theyve learned a trick or two on how to use their digital devices from their kids.

Released from the Family Online Safety Institute in the US, the report entitled Parents, Privacy & Tech-nology Use is based on the responses of 589 Philadel-

phia parents of kids aged 6 to 17.

Overall, 78 percent of parents polled agreed that technology has a positive effect on their childs future, career and life skills, and another 64 percent said its also fostering their kids creativity.

The report also found that tech-savvy and educated parents demonstrate more confidence in overseeing their childrens technology use compared to parents who are less educated.

Interestingly, a large part (64 percent) said they dont impose parental controls on their kids use of tablets or phones, citing trust or already-established house rules.

About a third of parents also admitted to making friend requests with their kids on Facebook.

And 54 percent of parents admit their children have taught them how to use new features on their digital devices.

New Balance reveals its fi rst 3D printed running shoe

US special forces traveling very soon to Syria

New report sheds light on how parents oversee kids use of technology

San Francisco, United States | AFP | Tuesday 11/24/2015 US hotel chain Hilton revealed Tuesday that hackers stole credit card information from some of its point-of-sale computer systems.

Hilton did not reveal the extent of the breach, but warned anyone who used credit cards at Hilton Worldwide hotels between November 18 and December 5 of last year or April 21 and July 27 of this year to watch for irregular activity in their accounts.

Information swiped by malicious code that infected systems included credit card holders names along with card numbers, security codes and expiration dates, Hilton global brands executive vice president Jim Holthouser said in an online post.

The hackers did not get peoples ad-dresses or personal identifi cation numbers, according to Holthouser. Hilton said that it is investigating the breach with the help of

third-party forensics experts, law enforce-ment and payment card companies.

The announcement came just four days after Starwood Hotels, which operates the Sheraton and Westin chains, said that hack-ers had infected payment systems in some of its establishments, potentially leaking customer credit card data.

The hack occurred at A limited number of its hotels in North America, according to Starwood, whose other well-known chains include St Regis and W Hotels.

Starwood said that an investigation by forensic experts concluded that malware was detected in some restaurants, gift shops and other points of sale systems at hotels.

The malware was designed to collect certain payment card information, including cardholder name, payment card number, security code and expiration date, the group said in a statement.

Hilton hotels hit by cyber attack

Small businesses have the power to pro-pel local economies and uplift communities. When we shop small were supporting small businesses that create two out of three net new jobs and employ more than half of the countrys private workforce.

As the holiday shopping season begins, lets recommit in honoring our neighbor-hood champions, Americas small business-es. Saturday, November 28, 2015 is Small BusinessSaturday a day to celebrate and support small businesses for all they contribute to our communities.

On that Saturday, lets do our part to support jobs and economic growth in our own backyards. Visit your Main Street merchants to fi nd unique, handmade gifts that you wont fi nd at a big-box retailer. Af-terwards, dine small at your local restaurant to usher in the new tradition of supporting local eateries too. The restaurant industry

employs 14 million Americans and generates $709.2 billion in sales, equal to 4 percent of the gross domestic product.

Shopping small packs a big punch to the U.S. economy. Last year, there were 88 million consumers Shopping Small on Saturday. 77% of consumers said Small BusinessSaturday inspires them to Shop Small throughout the year and not just for the holidays. In addition, 66% of consumers state the main reason they support small businesses is because of their contributions to the community.

Main street businesses are critical to our nations success and supporting them during Small Business Saturday is an act of economic patriotism. To support the entrepreneurial spirit of small businesses, please join me and the U.S. Small Business Administration in shopping and dining small on Saturday November 28.

Shop and dine small for a big boost to our local communities

LOS ANGELES Twenty-six small business owners graduated from the seven-month U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Los Angeles Emerging Leaders program, a mini-MBA training initiative for local business on the brink of growth.

This is the third year that the Los Angeles District Offi ce hosted the executive education series, but was the fi rst time it led two cohorts instead of just one. The program includes approximately 100 hours of classroom time, connects small business owners with a network of industry experts and peers, and supports the creation of a three-year strategic growth action plan.

Since the SBA started offering the Emerging Leaders program in various locations across the country, graduates have created more than 2,400 new full-time jobs, ac-cessed more than $73 million in new fi nancing, and secured federal, state, local and tribal contracts worth more than $1 billion. The 2015 graduates from the Greater Los Angeles Area represent various industries including construction, manufacturing, fi nancial services, health and wellness, restoration, retail and food services.

26 business owners are SBAs new emerging leaders

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, Nov. 25 - Dec. 1, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST4

OPINIONMANILA, Nov 21 (Mabuhay) President Benigno Aquino III on

Saturday told his counterparts in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that Chinas reclamation in the South China Sea threatens stability in the region.

As I have stated many times in the past, our collective prosperity requires stability in the region. This has come under threat by unilateral actions such as the massive reclamation and building of structures on features in the Spratly islands, which have urgent and far-reaching implications to the region and the international community, Aquino said in his speech during the ASEAN Summits plenary session in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia hosts the 27th semiannual ASEAN summit attended by the leaders of the 10-member ASEAN.

We believe that, as a rules-based Community, ASEAN should not allow any country, no matter how powerful, to claim an entire sea as its own and to use force or the threat thereof in asserting such a claim, Aquino added.

The Philippine president urged fellow ASEAN leaders to develop a post-2015 Asean Connectivity Agenda that articulates both our aspira-tions and the complexities we have to contend with.

We have not resolved, even amongst ASEAN members, the compet-ing claims especially among the Spratlys. These improvements further complicate and increase the diffi culty of coming to compromises that will be necessary to prevent further tension from rising, he added.

China, which is also engaged in territorial disputes with Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan, is claiming almost the entire South China Sea.

Aquino was quited about the countrys territorial dispute with China last week as the Philippines hosts the Asia-Pacifi c Economic Coopera-tion Summit.

Both countries agreed ahead of the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting last week that the South China Sea disputes will not be raised during the meetings.

Last April, Aquino said that he will push for the crafting of Code of Conduct in the South China Sea during the regional summit in Malaysia.

US President Barack Obama said that the South China Sea disputes and the threat of the Islamic State will be the main focus at the ASEAN Summit.

The US leader was also very vocal about the territorial disputes dur-ing the APEC Summit in Manila. (MNS)

Independent vice-presidential candidate Sen. Francis Chiz Escudero could not hide his frustra-tion and disappointment with the Supreme Court justices who dissented the majority decision of the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) dismissing the dis-qualifi cation case against his presidential running mate Sen. Grace Poe.

Escudero said the position taken by SC Associate Justices Antonio Carpio, Teresita Leonardo de Castro and Arturo Brion was a clear form of discrimina-tion against foundlings whom they regarded as not natural-born Filipino citizens and thus barred from running and be elected to national posts.

Nakakalimutan po yata nila ang isang basic na prinsipyo sa batas na nagsasabing those who have less in life should always have more in law. Para sa mga kapos-palad at salat sa buhay, dapat yung pagkukulang na iyon pinupunan ng batas at iyon ang dapat maging susi at tulay at instrumento para makamit ang hustisya, Escudero said.

While the veteran lawmaker respects the decision of the three magistrates, he said they should not forget that laws are made to become instruments of justice and should not be used as a tool of injustice or to discriminate anyone.

Essentially sinasabi nila na ang pulot na bata na hindi alam kung sino ang kanyang magulang ay stateless at wala raw siyang bansang kinabibi-langan.

Ayon po sa isang mahistrado, hindi po pwedeng magkaroon ng mas malawak at malaking karapatan ang isang pulot o dampot na bata kumpara sa batang kilala ang kanilang magulang pagdating sa citizen-ship, Escudero said, referring to Carpio.

During the Sept. 21 SET oral arguments on the petition to unseat Poe from the Senate, Carpio opined that the lady senator, being a foundling, is a natural-ized citizen.

Under the 1987 Constitution, only natural-born

Filipino citizens are qualifi ed to run for president, vice-president, senator and congressman.

But Escudero insisted that Poe is a natural-born Filipino citizen, saying that under the 1987 Charter and international and domestic laws, a foundling found in the Philippines is presumed to have Filipino biological parents.

To say that a foundling like Poe cannot be a citizen of the Philippines is a violation of an individuals basic and alienable human right to bear a nationality from birth, he added.

Escudero said he expects Carpio, De Castro and Brion to inhibit themselves from deliberation should the SET verdict dismissing the disqualifi cation case is challenged before the SC.

He said it would be a violation of Poes right to due process if the three magistrates will be allowed to participate in the appeal of the SET decision before the high court.

If we look at the procedure, precedents and com-mon practice, the three justices cannot participate in the appeal of the SET decision because they cant review their own decision, Escudero pointed out.

Delicadeza also dictates that the concerned jus-tices inhibit themselves in the event the disqualifi ca-tion case is brought before the SC for fi nal determina-tion, he added.

On Nov. 17, the SET voted 5-4 to junk the disquali-fi cation case fi led by defeated senatorial candidate Rizalito David and upheld the natural-born status of Poe, who is seeking the presidency in the May 2016 elections.

Senators Bam Aquino, Pia Cayetano, Loren Le-garda, Tito Sotto and Cynthia Villar voted in favor of Poe.

Those who favored Davids petition were the three SC justices and Sen. Nancy Binay, daughter of one of Poes rivals in the presidential race, Vice President Jejomar Binay.

MANILA, Nov 21 (Mabuhay) Senator Bam Aquino on Saturday said that political affi liations did not hinder him from voting in favor of Senator Grace Poe on the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) case ques-tioning her citizenship.

Aquino said the Liberal Party (LP) left him free to deem Poe as a natural-Filipino who is eligible for public offi ce.

In fairness to the party naman, walang nakialam, walang kumausap, walang sumubok na impluwensyahan ang aking decision. Talagang they allowed me to make a decision na base sa aking prinispyo at konsensya, Aquino said.

Poe is running for president in 2016, opposite LP standard bearer Mar Roxas, among other candidates.

The SET, voting 5-4, dismissed the petition of David to disqualify Poe on the grounds that she is not a natural-born Filipino because of her status as a foundling.

Aquino and senators Loren Legarda, Pia Cayetano, Cynthia Villar and Vicente Sotto III voted in favor of Poe.

Aquino said he cast a conscience vote favoring Poe because doing otherwise would mean deeming other foundlings as stateless or natu-ralized citizens.

Iyun talaga ang medyo mabigat na because of an electoral case, iyung libo-libong foundling at lahat ng ipapanganak pa na foundling, mag-iiba iyung status nila from natural born to either naturalized or stateless, he said.

Stripping foundlings of their natural born status will limit opportuni-ties for them, Aquino argued.

Isipin mo, youre in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, for example, foundling ka, kapag na-decide kang ganyan, kailangan kang umalis kasi ang pagiging part ng armed forces, iyung natural born ay requirement, Aquino pointed out.

At the end of the day, kung iba ang desisyon, hindi lang si Grace Poe ang may problemalibo-libong Pilipino na foundling. Isipin mo sila na nga ang na-abandon na mga bata, lumaki na, nagkaroon ng trabaho, nagkaroon ng pangarap tapos ngayon, tatanggalan po ng pangarap, lilimitahan mo ang opportunities nila. Parang hindi rin naman tama, he added.

Aquino also cited international laws and the 1935 Constitution in justifying that Poe is a natural-born citizen.

The SETs ruling on the case may still be questioned by David through a motion for reconsideration and an appeal to the Supreme Court. (MNS)

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | AFP | Sunday 11/22/2015 US President Barack Obama insisted Sunday he would go ahead with a visit to Paris for world climate talks despite the deadly attacks there, urging other leaders to attend and show we are not afraid of extremists.

I think its absolutely vital for every country, every leader, to send a signal that the viciousness of a handful of killers does not stop the world from doing vital business, he said following an Asia-Pacifi c summit in Malaysia.

In addition to hunting down terrorists, missile strikes, curbing jihadist fi nancing and other steps, the most powerful tool we have to fi ght ISIL is to say that were not afraid, he said, using one of the

acronyms for the Islamic State group.Over the past week Obama and other Asia-Pacifi c

leaders have held successive summits in Turkey, the Philippines and Malaysia that have been over-shadowed by the recent string of deadly extremist attacks.

The carnage in Paris, Lebanon and Mali has sparked calls by assembled leaders for a concerted international effort to stamp out Islamic State and other jihad groups.

Obama is among world leaders due in Paris for talks beginning November 30 and intended to reach a global climate change accord.

We do not succumb to fear. Thats the primary power that these terrorists have over us, he said.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | AFP | Sunday 11/22/2015 President Barack Obama on Sunday said he would host the leaders of 10 Southeast Asian na-tions next year as he rejected accusations that Middle East turmoil was distracting him from focusing on Asia. Obama said he had invited leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to the United States, insisting that good ties with Asian nations were absolutely critical to US security.

Im pleased they accepted and I look forward to continuing our work, he said, speaking in Kuala Lumpur at the end of a marathon week of diplomacy which has taken in summits in Turkey, the Philip-pines and Malaysia.

Obama said his Asia tour, which had been ini-

tially overshadowed by the jihadist attacks in Paris, Lebanon and Mali, was neither distracted by, nor somehow disconnected from pressing global events.

This region is not a distraction from the worlds central challenges but is critical to security, prosper-ity and human dignity around the world, he said.

Americas self-styled Pacifi c president, Obama has been frustrated to see his stops in Malaysia and the Philippines designed to highlight his stated re-focus on Asia overshadowed once again.

The invitation to ASEAN comes after a week which has seen the US and China repeatedly trade barbs over the tense maritime standoff in the South China Sea, as they jostle for infl uence in the rapidly-developing Southeast Asian region.

Monday November 16 2015 (Paris-AFP) France declared that the show must go on Monday, with the public urged to go back out to bars, concerts and restaurants in defi ance of the terror attacks on Paris.

Culture minister Fleur Pellerin said musicians would never stop putting on concerts and claimed that in the face of barbarism... culture is our biggest shield and our artists our best weapon.

As the French capital still reeled from Friday at-tacks in which 129 people died, some were coming up with inventive ways of thumbing their noses at the extremists.

Music fans shared their favourite memories at the Bataclan rock venue on Twitter, while others started a social media campaign to get the US group on stage at the time, Eagles of Death Metal, to the top of the UK charts.

Amid emotional declarations that live music must go on in the shocked city, the hashtag #MonPlusBeau-SouvenirDuBataclan (My most beautiful memory of the Bataclan) became one of the top trending topics on Twitter in France, with many sharing photos and videos of singers and bands who had played there such as Ed Sheeran,Arctic Monkeys and the late Jeff Buckley. Pellerin said the government was preparing a special fund to help get live entertainment up and running again and to aid with the cost of new secu-rity measures. French people will not stop going to concerts and sharing these moments of joy together which bind us all together, she said.

All major concerts, including a show by the rock group U2, were cancelled in the aftermath of the at-tack, but Paris two biggest venues said they planned to reopen Tuesday.

US star Prince cancelled his entire European tour due to include dates in Vienna, Britain, Sweden and Paris in light of the tragic events, the Interconcerts

ticket company said.What makes FranceFrance -We have to turn the lights back on, Alexandre

Cammas of the trendy Fooding guide told AFP, as made he made a plea with Parisians to return to cafes, restaurants and entertainment venues as the citys museums and concert halls began to reopen Monday.

Almost all of those who died beyond the Bataclan were shot on cafe terraces and the French government at fi rst urged people to stay indoors with one suspect still on the run.

With newspaper headlines proclaiming France was at war with the terrorists and clearly mindful of Napoleons maxim that an army marches on its stomach the guide called on people to go out and eat and drink on Tuesday night so that which makes FranceFrance should not be betrayed by our fears.

Our objective is that on Tuesday evening people return to the bistros below their apartments, Cammas said after launching the Twitter hashtag #tousaubistrot (Everyone to the bistro).

Didier Chenet, of the restaurant trade association SYNHORCAT, said already more than half of the citys eating places had joined the call. It is impor-tant to say that we are going to keep on living as before, he said.

Although cafe terraces were full again on Sunday, false alarms sets off a series of panics across the capitalincluding outside the Carillon cafe where 14 people had been killedwhile at a bar in the Marais district an Australian tourist caused another alert when she mistook an armed plainclothes policeman for a gunman.

The Facebook campaign to support Eagles of Death Metal aims to push their cover version of 1980s Brit-ish pop group Duran Durans Save a Prayer to the UK number one spot this week.

Aquino at ASEAN meet: Chinas land reclamation threatens stability in the region

Why LPs Bam Aquino favored Grace Poe in SET case

Chiz disappointed over SC Justices decision on Poes case

Paris climate summit will show world not afraid of extremists: Obama

Denying distractions, Obama to host ASEAN leaders next year

France says show must go on with call to go to cafes and concerts

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, Nov. 25 - Dec. 1, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 5

Dahil sa Health and Wellness resources ng AARP, si Loida at iba pang katulad niya are now able to have as much fun in the ballroom as they did in the boardroom.

Loida has enjoyed a long career as a successful businesswoman, and she remains just as active today. Bilang miyembro ng halos 20 na taon, she keeps current with AARP publications on health, diet, exercise at iba pang activities that help her enjoy life and live it to the fullest. Not surprisingly, her boundless energy and generous contributions para sa Filipino community have made her a role model for many. Para kay Loida, walang hanggan ang mga posibilidad and the best is yet to come. AARP offers members a wealth of resources na siguradong makapagbibigay ng saya, sigla at importanteng impormasyon para rin sa inyo. To learn more, visit aarp.org/aapi or call 1-866-805-1986 today.

AARP is a non-prot organization committed to enhancing your life at 50-plus by providing trusted and useful resources to help you stay active, engaged and vibrant.

Caregiving Health & Wellness Fraud Prevention Volunteer Life Reimagined

This could be my best move yet.Loida Nicolas Lewis, AARP Member Chair and CEO of TLC Beatrice, LLC Philanthropist

LOS ANGELES

(Relaxnews) A study published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke suggests that bi-lingual patients could be twice as likely as those that are monolingual to regain normal cognitive abilities following a stroke, a cause of dementia.

To look at the effect that bilingualism might have on cognitive function research-ers based in India and the United Kingdom examined records of 608 Indian stroke patients from 2006-2013. Over half of the patients were considered bilingual, speaking two or more lan-guages.

Accounting for other fac-tors that may have affected patients health before the stroke such as smoking, age, high blood pressure, and diabetes, the team concluded that post-stroke around 40%

of the bilingual patients had normal cognitive functions, while the same could be said of just 20% of monolin-gual patients. In addition to this, bilingual patients showed better attention and were more capable in tests that involved retrieving and organizing information. However, researchers did not notice any difference be-tween the groups of patients when it came to the likeli-hood of experiencing post-stroke aphasia, a disorder that affects communication functions including speech, reading and writing.

The team behind the study cautioned against ap-plying the results to all bilin-gual people. Hyderabad is a multicultural city in which many languages (including Telugu, Urdu, Hindi and English) are regularly spo-ken. Constantly switching

languages is a daily reality for many residents of Hyder-abad, said Suvarna Alladi, lead author of the study, The cognitive benefi t may not be seen in places where the need to function in two or more languages isnt as extensive.

The team also advised that many activities, not just language learning, can help to improve cognitive function. Subhash Kaul, who also worked on the research said, Our study suggests that intellectually stimulat-ing activities pursued over time, from a young age or even starting in mid-life, can protect you from the damage brought on by a stroke.

On average, someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds, according to the American Heart Associations 2015 Statistical Update. It is the

Speaking more than one language could be of benefi t to stroke victims

leading cause of disability in the United States, and the leading preventable cause of disability.

The abstract to the study and a PDF of the full study can be viewed here:

h t t p : / / s t r o k e . a h a -

j o u r n a l s . o r g / c o n t e n t /e a r l y / 2 0 1 5 / 1 1 / 1 9 /STROKEAHA.115.010418.abstract

Friday November 20 2015 (Relaxnews) An Austra-lian study has found that older adults could reduce their risk of developing Al-zheimers and other forms of dementia by taking college courses to boost improve their cognitive skills.

The study, called the Tasmanian Healthy Brain Project, observed 359 partici-pants aged between 50 to 79 years who completed at least a year of a part-time or full-time college course. Cogni-tive tests were taken both before and after fi nishing of the course, with participants

reassessed annually for the following three years after course completion. None of the participants taking part in the study had dementia.

The results, published this week by the American Psychological Association journal and originally pub-lished online in the journal Neuropsychology, showed that more than 90% of the participants who had com-pleted a college course dis-played a signifi cant increase in cognitive capacity, com-pared to 56% of the con-trol group participants who hadnt taken any courses.

Commenting on the re-sults lead researcher Megan Lenehan, PhD, said, The study fi ndings are exciting because they demonstrate that its never too late to take action to maximize the cognitive capacity of your brain. We plan to follow these participants as they age to see if college studies could help delay the onset or reduce the debilitating effects of dementia.

The full study and press release is available online here : http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/11/college-dementia.aspx

A study published earlier this year by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Roches-ter, Minnesota, indicated that taking part in creative and social activities in old age can help to reduce the risk of dementia. The results of that study, published in the journal Neurology, showed that participants ages 85 and above who took part in artistic, craft, social, or computer based activities in both mid and later life all saw a decrease in their risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, which often leads to dementia.

Going back to college could boost cognitive capacity

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, Nov. 25 - Dec. 1, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST6

E N T E R T I N M E N T

Actress Heart Evange-lista is now ready to become a mother.

Evangelista, who is mar-ried to Senator Francis Es-cudero, admitted that she wants to have a baby in next year or two.

I do feel it now. I never used to feel that na parang when you look at a baby, when you look at his fi ngers, like yeah, there is something in your heart. Im starting to feel it now so I feel that Im probably there already and thats excites me because I never felt this way before, Evangelista said.

The actress believes that she will be a doting mother.

As a mom of my dogs

Im really like every single strand of hair maalaga ako. So they say, Sa mga aso mo ganyan ka, ano pa kaya sa anak mo? she said.

When she gives birth, Evangelista plans to take a year-long break from show business to devote time to her baby.

I want to experience liv-ing a normal life. Really normal na walang taping, walang anything and just devoting myself to the child and I feel like she deserves that. Kung nagsusulat nga ako ng libro para sa fans ko, ano pa kaya sa anak ko? So I think she deserves that time, the actress said. (MNS)

GMA Network welcomes the most-awaited season with the premiere of the MaGMAhalan Tayo Ngay-ong Pasko Christmas campaign on its primetime newscast 24 Oras last No-vember 12.

The message of love takes center stage in the Kapuso community as well-loved Kapuso artists and trusted News and Public Affairs personalities come together with viewers in a happy, heartfelt celebration of the season.

Renowned director Cesar Cosme, who helmed the project, says that the mes-sage imparted by the video is about genuine and pure love, much like that of a child.

Christmas is truly the season for loving one an-other and the Networks message is to spread the love this Holiday Season.

One with the Networks message of love are GMAs best and brightest stars including Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera, AiAi de las Alas, Lovi Poe, Heart Evangelista, Michael V,

Willie Revillame, Dennis Trillo, Tom Rodriguez, Me-gan Young, Carla Abel-lana, Barbie Forteza, Bianca Umali, Miguel Tanfelix, Andre Paras, Ruru Madrid, Gabbi Garcia, and German Moreno.

They are joined by Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon leading Dabarkads, with the phenomenal love team of Alden Richards and

Maine Mendoza, together with Lola Nidora, Lola Ti-dora and Lola Tinidora.

Also featured are GMAs formidable News and Public Affairs team with news pil-lars Mel Tiangco, Mike En-riquez, Jessica Soho, Vicky Morales, Arnold Clavio and Howie Severino.

With hear twarming scenes full of traditions and the sharing of the gifts of

love and laughter among those we care about the most, the 2015 GMA Christ-mas station ID shows a holi-day that is truly Pinoy, and truly Kapuso.

And as the countdown to Christmas continues, the station with a heart hopes that Kapuso viewers worldwide hear the mes-sage MaGMAhalan Tayo Ngayong Pasko.

Alonzo Muhlach is fast becoming the hottest child actor around yet he still attends and even excels in school.

Top one among the Kin-dergarten batch at La Salle Greenhills, the youngest son of former child actor Nio Muhlach proves proper time management and persever-ance work. To date, Alonzo boasts of chalking up perfect attendance in school.

The father cant be any prouder.

Kahit na nagsu-shooting siya ay first honor pa rin siya, Nio said, noting, Iba pala yung feeling na ikaw yung naka-fi rst honor saka yung anak mo yung naka-fi rst honor

Nio plays a big role in Alonzos performance in school. He sees to it that work is but play for his kid and ultimately, getting an education is top priority.

The 43-year-old actor encourages Alonzo to par-ticipate in extracurricular activities.

Nandito po ako para sub-aybayan si Alonzo to make sure na pangalagaan niya yung blessings niya saka wag lumaki yung ulo niya, Nio maintained.

Learning from his own father, Alexander Muhlach, Nio also monitors his sons earnings, which he will put into a trust fund that ma-tures when the child star turns 21.

Precocious Alonzo was fi rst recognized on Bet On Your Baby in 2013. He also charmed the Pinoy Big Brother All In housemates in 2014 upon visiting the Big Brother house.

Since then, the next child wonder has had back to back projects. He has already been in three movies namely The Trial as Richard Gomez son; and the 2014 Metro Ma-nila Film Festival (MMFF) offi cial entries Kubot: The Aswang Chronicles with Dingdong Dantes, and My Big Bossing with Vic Sotto and Ryzza Mae Dizon.

The child actor is cast in the 2015 MMFF movie Beauty And The Bestie alongside Vice Ganda and Coco Martin. Alonzo recently figured in the 2015 ABS-CBN TV series Inday Bote starring Alex Gonzaga.

Recently, Alonzo was launched as Frabelle Foods brand new ambassador, particularly for its latest campaign dubbed Aprub

MANILA, Nov 20 (Mabu-hay) -- VALERIE Concep-cion was last seen playing a contravida role in Once Upon a Kiss. Shes now a villain once again in Be-cause of You.

Okay lang naman sa akin maging contravida, she says.

Enjoy pa ako at hindi ako nagsasawa kasi chal-lenging talaga for me yung maging tagaapi ka ng mga bida.

In Because of You, ako ang magiging kaagaw ni Carla Abellana sa attention ni Gabby Concepcion. Excit-ed akong makatrabaho sila. Naiibang klase naman ang pagkakontrabida ko dito.

Kasi before, palengkera, bunganger ang kontrabida ako. But this time, sosyal naman ako.

Iya Villania is also part of the show and shes glad to be reunited with Iya. Magka-batch kami niyan sa GMA, eh. Sabay kaming ipinakilala as part ng cast ng youth show na Click. After so many years, ayan, magkakasama na kami uli. Misis na siya ni Drew Arel-lano at ako naman, may daughter na.

Because of You is one of the two new shows to be introduced by GMA7 later this month. The other one is Little Nanay with Kris Bernal.

With regard to her lovelife, Valerie was last linked to a lawyer-govern-ment offi cial, but shed rath-er not talk about him at all.

Id rather be quiet na lang pagdating sa personal life ko, she says. (MNS)

MANILA, Nov 20 (Mabu-hay) -- JENNYLYN Mercado returns to the big screen to spread joy, laughter and love in Quantum Films Metro Manila Film Festival entry, Walang Forever.

Jen was dubbed as last years MMFF Darling/Fa-vorite on the strength of the surprise blockbuster romantic-comedy fi lm Eng-lish Only, Please, where moviegoers came to love her tandem with Derek Ramsay.

The Kapuso actress was also named MMFF best actress for her outstanding performance in the movie directed by Dan Villegas, who won the MMFF best director trophy.

Jens winning streak continues with the recent box-office success of the romantic-comedy The Pre-Nup, which paired her with Sam Milby for the fi rst time under the able direction of Jun Lana.

As a fitting follow-up, Quantum Films, MJM Pro-ductions, Inc., Tuko Film Productions and Buchi Boy Films cast Jen in another lead role in the MMFF entry Walang Forever.

This time, the actress

fi gures in yet another unique tale of love and romance fi lled with riotous as well as kilig scenes.

The filmfest darling/fa-vorite gets a new leading man in the movie in the person of Jericho Rosales.

In the story, Jen plays an accomplished romantic-comedy writer while Echo is a renowned application and software developer based abroad.

The message of the fi lm is walang forever. Forever is how you live each day. When you share it with somebody, it will always be there for-ever. Its like the stories in the movies. It will be there forever, said producer Atty. Joji Alonso.

Appearing as Jens moth-er in the movie is multi-awarded actress Lorna Tolentino, whose husband dumps her for a younger woman.

The fi lm gets ample sup-port from the cast of the Pinoy rock musical Rak of Aegis and stars of ABS-CBNs On the Wings of Love, led by Jerald Napoles, Nico Antonio, Pepe Herrera, Kim Molina, Cai Cortez and more.

GMA Network celebrates love in 2015 Christmas campaign

Valerie mum about romance with government offi cial

The Muhlach boys are alrightValerie Concepcion

Aldub

Ni Bossing. His favorite is Bossing hotdogs and he is said to fi t the bill of endorser being smart, active and the type of kid who knows what he wants.

Alonzo can easily remem-ber lines, even kilometric ones. He asks for a retake of scenes he feels lacking on his part. The child actor never complains on set.

Much as Alonzo enjoys being an actor, Nio said he will put his foot down if he sees work taking a toll on his son.

Oras na magreklamo siya na napapagod (na) siya, ako mismo magsasabi na Stop na muna, Nio said.

While guiding Alonzo in his career, Nio makes it a point to give his eldest son

Alessandro the same atten-tion.

Nio constantly explains to Alessandro why he often accompanies the latters brother.

Ine-explain ko talaga sa panganay ko na kung binibigyan ko ng time si Alonzo eh maintindihan niya na baby pa siya at nag-tatrabaho na, he said.

Alonzo being a teenager, Nio knows how sensitive and vulnerable he could be if taken for granted.

I really try to commu-nicate with my eldest espe-cially sa mga ganyang edad. I really make sure na kilala ko yung mga kaibigan ng panganay ko (at) alam ko kung ano ginagawa niya, he said.

Alonzo Muhlach

Heart Evangelista

Heart Evangelista ready to be a mom

Jennylyn spreads joy and love

Jennylyn Mercado

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, Nov. 25 - Dec. 1, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 7

On Saturday, November 14, 2015, APAICS launched its fi rst ever Young Leaders Summit in Salt Lake City at the Utah State Capitol. The summit is geared towards college students and young professionals to promote and inspire leadership and public service.

We are excited to launch the very fi rst APAICS Young Leaders Summit, giving stu-dents the opportunity to de-velop their leadership skills to create positive change through public service and civic engagement in their lo-cal communities and campus groups, said Amy Wata-nabe, APAICS Program Director.

This is an important building block for a strong foundation for the next gen-eration of leaders and creat-ing the political pipeline for Asian Americans and Pacifi c Islanders.

From this group, we hope to see many of these young AAPI leaders involved in

local politics, be future mem-bers of Congress and even get to the Oval offi ce, said Floyd Mori, APAICS CEO & President.

O v e r 4 5 p a r t i c i -pants from University of Utah, Utah State University, Utah Valley University, Salt Lake Community College, Brigham Young University, Weber State University and the local community at-tended the full-day summit.

JACL NY/SC, LEAP, APAICS and APIAVote/National Tongan Society led workshops for students to explore how to to be an effective leader, network and create positive change through public service and civic engagement. State Farm hosted a workshop on financial literacy and American Petroleum Insti-tute facilitated a dynamic role-playing simulation that gave students fi rst hand ex-perience of making legisla-tive decisions and competing pressures elected officials

face everyday from constitu-ent relations, fundraising to media.

The Young Leaders Sum-mit is a regional event and done in collaboration with lo-cal community, government and student organizations.

We like to thank our collaborative partners of the Salt Lake City Young Leaders Summit: Japa-nese American Citizens Leagues National Youth/Student Council (JACL NY/SC), LEAP and OCA Na-tional.

This program is made possible with the support of our national and local Utah sponsors: American Petroleum Institute, Com-cast, State Farm, Southwest Airlines, Utah Offi ce of Mul-ticultural Affairs, National JACL Credit Union and Salt Lake County.

Check out highlights from the Young Leaders Summit below! Click here to see full photo album and here for full agenda.

APAICS hosted a Community Reception for the local community. Kathy Ko Chin, CEO & President, APIAHF, and Judge Michael Kwan, OCA National President, gave welcome remarks to the young Utah leaders.

San Francisco, United States | AFP | Thursday 11/19/2015 Facebook bil-lionaire Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday said that he and his wife are donating $20 million to help get high-speed Internet service to US classrooms.

The money is being given to nonprofi t group Education Super Highway to help with its mission, the Facebook co-founder and chief executive said in a post on his page at the social network.

In schools, Internet is critical for enabling some-thing we know leads to bet-ter results: personalized learning, Zuckerberg said.

Every classroom should have fast Internet access.

Most schools in the US are connected to the Inter-net, but fewer than half have high-speed broadband

connections, according to Zuckerberg.

Last month, Zuckerberg and his doctor wife revealed plans to start a private school in a hardscrabble Silicon Valley town, mixing education with health care.

Zuckerberg voiced pride in his wife, Priscilla, for the plan to create The Primary School in the working-class city of East Palo Alto.

Chan works as a pedia-trician and has also been a teacher, seeing first-hand how poor health hinders learning in classrooms, her husband said.

Health and education are closely connected, Zuck-erberg said in a post on his Facebook page.

When children arent healthy, they cant learn as easily.

In June of last year, Zuck-

erberg and Chan began pumping $120 million into San Francisco Bay Area schools.

Distribution of the money is being spread over five years, with initial grants going toward initiatives for providing computers and Internet access in public schools as well as train-ing teachers and enlisting parents in efforts to keep students on track.

Improving public educa-tion in our country and our community is something Priscilla and I really care about, Zuckerberg said at the time.

More than fi ve years ago Zuckerberg channeled $100 million to improve schools in the New Jersey city of New-ark in an early foray into improving public education that got failing grades.

The Regents of the Uni-versity of California (UC) will accept 10,000 more California students across the UC through 2018.

This will be funded with the $25 million allocated by the recent 2015-16 state budget and by phasing out the UCs need-based aid for low-income students from other states.

We applaud the UC Re-gents and President Napoli-tano for approving 10,000 more highly sought after college acceptance letters for California students.

These additional spots are urgently needed to ensure more qualifi ed in-state stu-dents can attend a UC cam-pus, said Michele Siqueiros, President of the Campaign

for College Opportunity.Since 1994, the number of

applicants from California students applying to the UC has more than doubled. Unfortunately, the UC has not kept pace with demand and students are finding it harder to get in. Insuf-ficient state funding and increasing competition for too few college spots means increasingly well-qualifi ed students are nonetheless turned away.

In response, the UC has signifi cantly increased the enrollment of out-of-state and international students - which comes with big rev-enue benefits while the number of California stu-dents at the UC has re-mained fl at.

As the demand for edu-cated workers is at an all-time high and admission to the UC system is increasing-ly more diffi cult, a plan like this opens doors to ensure more California students have a spot at the UC, said Siqueiros.

On November 30th the Campaign for College Op-portunity will be releasing, Access Denied: Rising Selec-tivity at Californias Public Universities, a report which finds that todays Califor-nia high school graduates have to meet a much higher admissions bar to get into the UC than previous gen-erations. Accepting 10,000 more California students is a big step in the right direc-tion.

San Francisco, United States | AFP The on-line social network de-voted to making the world more connected on Thurs-day began helping couples break up.

Facebook began test-ing tools that curtail how much ex-partners see of one another and their posts at the social network, according to product manager Kelly Winters.

We are testing tools to help people manage how they interact with their former partners on Face-book after a relationship has ended, Winters said.

When people change their relationship status to indicate they are no longer in a relationship, they will be prompted to try these tools.

The breakup tools are being tested in Facebook mobile device applications in the United States.

People can use the tools to see less of a former partners name and profi le picture at Facebook with-out have to unfriend or block the person, accord-ing to Winters.

Posts by an ex wont show up in News Feed, and their name wont be suggested when people write messages or tag photos, Facebook said.

The tools also limit pictures, videos or status updates that an ex can see, and let people untag themselves from posts with former partners.

We hope these tools will help people end re-lationships on Facebook with greater ease, com-fort and sense of control, Winters said.

Chicago, United States | AFP. At least 100,000 women in Texas have tried to end a pregnancy without help from a doctor and that number is expected to rise as a result of restrictive laws, a new study found.

Women took herbs, hormones, drugs, and even blows to the stomach to try to do so, according to the study published Tuesday.

As clinic-based care becomes harder to access in Texas, we can expect more women to feel that they have no other option and take matters into their own hands, said study author Daniel Grossman, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco.

The study comes just days after the Supreme Court agreed Friday to review the states curbs on abortion rights, its fi rst case on the highly sensitive topic since 2007.

Among the Texas restrictions in focus is a 2013 law, passed by a Republican-controlled legislature and signed by then-governor Rick Perry, which imposes conditions that have already led to the closure of roughly half the 41 abortion clinics in the state.

Texas will be left with only 10 abortion providers for 5.4 million women of reproductive age 1 in 12 of whom would have to drive over 100 miles (160 kilometers) to ac-cess a clinic should the challenged provisions be upheld.

This is the fi rst time a broad statistic on self-inducted abortion has been calculated, the Texas Policy Evalua-tion Project said.

Previous studies have found that two percent of women seeking medical abortions nationwide and seven per-cent of women seeking medical abortions in Texas had tried to end a pregnancy on their own before going to a clinic.

This study used a survey of Texas women aged 18 to 49 to try to determine the rate among all women of reproductive age.

Data collection occurred over a period of fi ve weeks between December 2014 and January 2015. Some 1,397 women were asked to participate in the survey, with 779 completing it.

Some 1.7 percent of respondents said they had tried to end a pregnancy on their own, which, when extrapolated to the population at large, would mean at least 100,000 women.

However, the researchers cautioned that the true number is likely signifi cantly higher since women tend to underreport abortions in surveys.

One in fi ve respondents said they knew a woman who had tried to self-induce an abortion.

The Supreme Courts decision is expected next June, in the midst of a presidential campaign.

Most of similar laws passed by various states purport-edly aim to protect womens health, but nearly all have the effect of limiting abortions.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, which sup-ports abortion rights but whose research on the subject is widely credited, US states adopted 231 legal restrictions on abortion from 2011 to 2014.

Zuckerbergs give $20-M to get US classrooms

UC will add 10,000 additional spots for California students by 2018

APAICS hosts fi rst ever young leaders summit for AAPI college students, young professionals

At least 100,000 women tried home abortions amid Texas restrictions: study

Facebook tests tools for dealing with former loves

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, Nov. 25 - Dec. 1, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST8 LOS ANGELES

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

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THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, Nov. 25 - Dec. 1, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 9

MOTORING Saturday November 21

2015 (Relaxnews) Unlike any other aspect of life, there are no grey areas when it picking the color of a new car; it really is a black or white decision.

The annual Axalta Global Automotive Color Popu-larity Report the most comprehensive of its kind in the industry fi nds that for the fi fth year running, white is the most popular car color across Asia, Europe and America, accounting for over one third (35%) of all vehicles sold. Black is a distant second 18% fol-lowed by silver (13%) and grey (10%).

In fact, of all the indi-vidual countries studied for this years report only drivers in India prefer sil-ver (30%) over white (29%). Meanwhile the Chinese are completely in awe of white, which accounting for 50% of all new cars in that market, as is Africa (46%) and South America (37%).

However, there are some regional tonal quirks. North

America is where red is most popular, globally, specifi ed on 11% of new cars com-pared with just 6% of Asian cars. And its Europeans that love both blue (9%) and black (21%) the most.

For the fi fth consecutive year, white is the worlds most popular color. How-ever, we did see some pock-

ets of color when we looked across regions, said Nan-cy Lockhart, Axalta Color Marketing Manager. For instance, red jumped eight percentage points over 2014 in South America, mid-shade blues are signifi cant in Europe, and bright blues gained popularity in North America.

Friday November 20 2015 (Relaxnews) BMWs latest concept car blends on-road practicality and poise with-out sacrifi cing backseat com-fort in order to show the next generation of drivers that an aspirational automobile neednt be big to have huge appeal.

The BMW Concept Com-pact Sedan reveals the po-tential we see in a com-pact sedan, said Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group De-sign when the concept was unveiled at the Guangzhou Auto Show in China on Friday.

And the choice of venue BMW is also currently out in force at the LA Auto Show is as important as the car itself. Thats because the Concept Compact Sedans development is based on research into how the pre-

mium compact car segment is being infl uenced and will evolve due to the changing priorities of the next genera-tion of Chinese car owners.

Traditional demands - quality, aesthetics, levels of equipment and rear passen-ger room will become even more crucial but at the same time so will an understand-ing that as cities grow and more people opt for personal mobility, automotive agility and maneuverability will be of equal importance. It not only gives the driver and passengers generous amounts of space within a compact area but does so while providing the sport-ing ability youd expect from BMW, said van Hooydonk.

Like its latest X1 SUV production car, this concept is a triumph of packaging. Though shorter than a 3 Se-ries sedan, the car is wider,

its hood shorter and the wheel overhangs minimal to create as much cabin space as possible without diluting BMWs signature styling cues. The characterful de-sign of the BMW Concept Compact Sedan embodies the driving pleasure offered by a sporting car with mini-mized exterior dimensions. It is as distinctive as it is essentialand, as such, it injects new life into the com-pact segment, explained Karim Habib, Head of De-sign BMW Automobiles.

Inside, the sense of space is amplifi ed by clever use of strong unbroken horizontal lines, minimal visual clutter, contrasting colors and a pan-oramic roof. These lines also appear to pull everything towards the driver so that he or she feels like theyre at the center of the automotive universe.

Friday November 20 2015 (Los Angeles-AFP) Ger-man car giant Volkswagen, tainted by an emissions scandal, is keeping a low profi le as it attends a major auto show in the United States and prepares to meet with regulators.

Gone were the companys flashy presentations and pompous speeches at the Los Angeles Auto Show Wednes-day when Volkswagens chief executive in America,

Michael Horn, made an appearance. Thronged by reporters, Horn wouldnt discuss details of dealings with federal regulators VW executives are to meet with on Friday. But he went out of his way to express regret over the scandal that has dealt a heavy blow to the automaker. Theres frustra-tions and theres sometimes anger but also a lot of sup-port, Horn told reporters in his fi rst public comments on

the emissions scandal since he appeared before the US Congress in October.

These reactions are fully understandable since at VW North America we have the same feelings.

Volkswagen is reeling from revelations by US regu-lators in September that the company had installed software in its diesel cars in the United States that helped them evade emis-sions standards.

Thursday November 19 2015 (Relaxnews) Teased as a Time Machine ahead of its unveiling, Volvos Con-cept 26 reimagines the car cabin as a space for creation and consumption as well as commuting once self-driving vehicles have become the norm

In the weeks leading up to the LA Auto Show, Volvo teased that it was bringing a Time Machine with the potential of giving signifi -

cant time back to drivers. And that signifi cant amount of time is 26 minutes the length of the average com-mute to work in the US.

Volvo has established itself as one of the early leaders in the race to bring autonomous driving tech-nology to real-world pro-duction cars. It is already running an ambitious multi-year Drive Me pilot scheme in Gothenburg, Sweden on real-world roads. Whats

more, it has pledged to have these next-generation sys-tems up and running by de-cades end. However, until now, the companys focus has been on the environ-ment outside rather than inside the car and how that is going to have to change when self-driving cars be-come the norm. Concept 26 addresses this by reimagin-ing the cabin as a space for working, relaxing or driving for pleasure.

Is BMWs new concept the compact car of the future?

Volkswagen, amid scandal, keeps low profi le at US auto show

White is the worlds favorite car color

Volvo puts the driver in the passenger seat

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, Nov. 25 - Dec. 1, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST10

By Abner Galino

CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday led the unveiling of the Bicycle Hotel and Casino in the City of Bell Gardens which has been infused with fresh capital to convert it into a fabulous place for events and relaxation rather than just a place to gamble.

The seven-storey, 99-room Bicycle Hotel and Ca-sino will open its doors on December 1 with its 185 tables of poker and other card games still intact but offering more to clients.

It will have an outdoor pool deck with private ca-banas, a spa and sauna, a fi t-ness center and 9,000 square feet of space for conventions and banquets. Its restau-rant, the Bike Brewery, will feature 28 beer taps that includes a blonde ale created just for the hotel clientele.

It is important to real-ize that the economy and the production of jobs come from many different ways, not just from economic plans from the government or from the city, its taking up from people people putting up their money and the money they can borrow and putting it at risks for having a vision or something, Gov. Brown said during a brief speech before ceremonial cutting of the ribbon.

The California governor took the opportunity to belie perceptions that Texas was having all the jobs.

Its not true. California is now producing jobs faster than the nation as a whole, Brown claimed.

Before the California gov-ernor arrived, tension mo-mentarily gripped the area when a group of protesters picketed in front of the hotel. The group carried placards and an effi gy of Gov. Brown.

Weekend Balita learned that the picket had nothing to do with the opening of the hotel and casino but on a long-standing community is-sue regarding a closed down factory that left pollutants in the neighborhood.

The picketers were de-manding action from gover-nor, who they claimed, did not do enough to address the problem.

Weekend Balita was not able to get Browns reaction on the issue as the governor quickly left after the cer-emonies.

City of Bell Gardens May-or Jennifer Rodriguez and Assemblymember Cristina Garcia led the group of local offi cials and the hundreds of guests from the community who joined the unveiling event.

The Bell Gardens Honor Guard started the ceremony through the customary pre-sentation of colors. It was later followed by a grand en-trance of motorcycles driven by tuxedo dressed bikers. Each of these bikers had beautiful backrider models who were dressed in sequin gowns.

The bikes converged in front of the stage and the models displayed oversized playing cards that spelled the word: Bicycle.

The Bicycle Hotel and Casino said the new hotel was built by the R.D Olson

Gov. Brown leads unveiling of Bicycle Hotel and Casino in Bell Gardens

California Governor Jerry Brown & Hashem Minaiy, Managing General Partner & CEO of The Bicycle Hotel & Casino.

Construction through the architecture by Lee & Saka-hara and interior design layouts by Hager Design International.

The hotel takes pride in its plush king and queen-size beds that are comple-mented by California-in-spired furnishing and lavish bath amenities.

In their website, the Bi-cycle Hotel and Casino says that for guests seeking pre-mium accommodations, 29 luxury suites will range from the Classic Suite (648 sq. ft.), the signature Bike Suite (904 sq. ft.), the ex-

travagantly curated Gover-nors Suite (1,359 sq. ft.), and a Presidential Suite (2,007 sq. ft.) fashioned to host and impress with its two bed-rooms, formal living room, and Jacuzzi tub.

Other food options in-clude the Coffee House, a 24-hour Snack Bar, and in-room dining.

Today was one of the most exciting days for all of us here at The Bicycle Hotel & Casino, and for the city of Bell Gardens.

This is truly a dream re-alized and we look forward to welcoming our fi rst guest

in just a few short weeks on Dec. 1, explains Man-aging General Partner & CEO Hashem Minaiy.

Hashem and I set out to not only build a beautiful hotel for our guests, but a great property that can be shared with and enjoyed by everyone in the community. Having the Governor, city offi cials and all of our guests here to see the hotel for the fi rst time made this a most memorable day, adds Rob-ert H. Carter, president of Carter Management Group.

The $50-million hotel has been under construction

since 2013 on a land previ-ously used for parking.

The Bicycle Casino has had a long and colorful his-tory in Bell Gardens. The federal government took over part ownership of the casino in 1991 after a jury found that $12 million of the $22 million used in its con-struction came from Florida drug smugglers.

Five years later, the fed-eral government sold its share of the casino to a large British gambling company. The casino is now privately owned by the Bicycle Hotel & Casino LLC.

Corp.The magnifi cent stone,

which originated from the south lobe of Lucaras Karowe Mine, is the world second largest gem quality diamond ever recovered and largest ever to be recovered through a modern process-ing facility, the Stockholm listed company said a state-ment.

Shares in Lucara shot up 34 percent to 14.2 kro-nor in morning Thursday trading in Stockholm.Botswana is the worlds second biggest diamond pro-ducer, and Lucara said the gem was the largest ever to

be recovered in the country.The signifi cance of the

recovery of a gem qual-ity stone larger than 1,000 carats, the largest for more than a century....cannot be overstated, said William Lamb, the President and chief executive of Lucara.

The stone is yet