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September 11 - 17, 2010 www.filipinopress.com

NEWS IN BRIEF
Aquino to meet with Obama
in U.S. during week-long visit
WASHINGTON – Philippines President Aquino
will meet with U.S. President Barack Obama
during a week-long visit to the United States
from Sept. 20-26. The visit will be Aquino's
first overseas trip as president since recently
cancelling traditional first visits to Southeast
Asian countries.
The president has a full
agenda for the visit, the
highlight of which will be
his address to the 65th
United Nations General
Assembly on Sept. 24. In
addition, Aquino will meet
with Obama and other
world leaders during a
Aquino
Boxer’s rant angers Fil-Am group
Mayweather apologizes, but
NaFFAA calls for censure
Compiled from news reports
WASHINGTON — The
National Federation of Fili-
pino American Associations
(NaFFAA) has strongly con-
demned boxing star Floyd
Mayweather Jr.’s racist and
homophobic attack against
Filipino boxing champ Man-
ny Pacquiao in a YouTube
video released last week. In
the video, Mayweather called
Pacquiao a “whore,” a “little
yellow chump” and a “midg-
et” several times. He also said
that he will force Pacquiao to
“make some sushi rolls and
cook some rice” and “we’re
going to cook him with some
cats and formance-enhancing drugs.
dogs.” “We are outraged by May- COMMENTARY
P a c - weather’s racially offensive
Greg Macabenta: If
q u i a o remarks,” said NaFFAA Na- Pacquiao’s ring prowess has
had chal- tional Chair and Filipino had a positive effect on our
lenged Press columnist Greg Maca- people, Mayweather’s insults
M a y - benta. “This disgusting di- have also had a negative
weath- atribe against Pacqiuao is effect.
er to a a racial slur against all Fil- SEE PAGE 7
Mayweather fight in ipinos and Filipino-Ameri-
the ring, cans and an embarrassment ly-laced profanities brazen-
but so far Mayweather has not only to the boxing com- ly crossed the line of decency
refused. Instead, he has munity but to all Americans. and respectability. Pacquiao,
defamed and slandered Talking trash may be com- on the other hand, has taken
Pacquiao with baseless mon between boxing rivals,
accusations that he uses per- but Mayweather’s racial- See mayweather on 15

Facebook, Filipino-Style
gathering of the Associa-
tion of Southeast Asian Nations hosted by
Obama on the same day. Aquino is coordina-
tor of the meeting.
While a one-on-one meeting with Obama has
not been scheduled publicly, Ernie Z. Bower,
former president of the U.S.-ASEAN Business
Council based here, thinks a meeting will Filipinos, Fil-Ams embrace Definitely Filipino creator and administrator Ben Totanes works
take place.
“The leaders will meet with the president
social networking, stamp on his Facebook page from his home in Tracy, Calif.

over a luncheon from noon to 2 p.m. I’m sure

Obama will also hold bilaterals (one-on-one own brand on Facebook
meetings) with them,” he told a Philippines
newspaper. By Bill Ramsey
Aquino will arrive in New York on Sept. 22 Filipino Press Staff Writer

from Vancouver, Canada. He will stay in New
York for three days and then fly to San Fran-
cisco, Calif., where he will meet with business
leaders and attend the Ayala Foundation’s
Philippine Development fundraiser in San
Jose, Calif.
A complete review of Aquino’s visit and
schedule will appear in the Filipino Press next
week.
Salonga among seven in
magazine's ‘Wonder Women’
MANILA, Philippines — Town and Coun-
try  magazine has named seven distin-
W
hen Malacañang in August decided to
launch a full-force, triple-threat online
presence to create a forum for Filipinos
to interact with the government and President
Aquino, the initiative — which includes a pres-
idential website, Facebook and Twitter accounts
— was greeted enthusiastically and quickly be-
came a favorite destination for Filipinos in the
Philippines and expatriated Filipinos around the
world. And while many lauded the administra-
tion’s leap into the world of social networking, the
government — as governments everywhere tend
to be — was seriously behind the power curve in
joining the social-media revolution.
Filipinos in the homeland and around the Photo: Courtesy Ben Totanes/Photo illustration by Bill Ramsey

guished and world are reported to be among the heaviest us-

accomplished
Filipino women
as “Wonder
Women of Style
and Substance,"
according an
ABS-CBN News
report.
Recognized for
achievements
in their respec-
tive fields are Cheche Lazaro for media; Gina
Lopez for philanthropy and public service;
Lea Salonga for music and theater; Margarita
Fores for entrepreneurship; Isabel Caro
Wilson for diplomacy and arts; Bea Valdes,
for fashion; and, Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil for
literature.
The honorees are featured in Town and Coun-
try's September issue and will be honored on
Sept. 14 at White Space in Makati City.
— Compiled from news reports
ers of social-media platforms such as Facebook
and Twitter. Earlier this year, comScore, a firm
that tracks and measures digital media trends,
issued a report ranking the Philippines as having
the highest social-networking usage in the Asia-
See facebook on 20
Facebook hot in RP, but texting is king FILIPINO PRESS ON FACEBOOK
The Filipino Press' own Facebook page
has been online for some time, but was
MANILA, Philippines – Despite the But a revolutionary idea may just accidentally launched as a personal
advent of social-networking sites like drive Filipinos to establish new re- page. We recently created an official
Facebook, text messaging remains a cords in texting. This new idea gives business page to better interact with
favorite activity of Filipinos. No won- the usual person-to-person SMS the our readers. On the new page, we
der the Philippines is considered the functionality of a social network update
undisputed texting capital of the world. such as Twitter and Facebook. news,
A recent study by U.K.-based Portio Called SMS Reply-All events and other information
of value every day. In addition,
Research showed that each Filipino mo- Chat, this new idea enables
we've created photo galleries,
bile phone user sends as many as 788 mobile phone users to
special events and polls. To find
text messages per month, more than 40 simultaneously com- us on Facebook, search "Filipino
percent more than their counterparts in Press" and click on the page
the United States. See texting on 15 with the logo shown above.

Story of ‘forgotten’ Fil-Am War

told in new Sayles movie ‘Amigo’
By Lito B. Zulueta to a select audience that included National Art-
ist for Literature and film critic-historian Bien-

Writer-director John Sayles on the
set of "Amigo," his new film about the
Filipino-American War.
Photo: John Sayles
M
ANILA, Philippines – A new feature
film by renowned American indepen-
dent filmmaker John Sayles brings
back the “forgotten” Philippine-American War
at the turn of the 20th century, depicting it
as the seed of the disastrous U.S. ventures in
Vietnam and Iraq.
Filmed entirely in the Philippines with a cast
and crew of Americans and Filipinos, the first
composite print of “Amigo” was shown by Sayles
on Aug. 25 at the Rockwell Power Plant cinema
venido Lumbera and Mayor Leoncio Evasco Jr.
of Maribojoc, Bohol, where the movie was shot.
Fresh from overnight post-production work
but lacking subtitles to guide an international
audience through the movie’s polyglot dialogue
in English, Tagalog, Spanish, Chinese and Lat-
in, the version shown was more or less complete,
according to Sayles and producer Maggie Renzi.
The movie will have its world premiere this
See movie on 18
2 THE FILIPINO PRESS
Homecoming for Filipinos aboard
U.S. carrier as it docks in Manila
MANILA, Philippines —
Aboard the United States’
100,000-ton nuclear-powered
aircraft carrier the USS George
Washington, which was recent-
ly docked in Manila for a four-
day port, is a “Filipino mafia.”
This, in light banter, is how
Filipino sailors described their
bond as part of the 5,000 crew
of what is known as one of
the world’s largest warships,
dubbed “City at Sea.”
Commanding Officer Capt.
David “Too Tall” Lausman told
a group of reporters given a tour
of the ship as it docked at Ma-
nila Bay their visit also serves
as a homecoming for its Filipino
sailors, who comprise about 30
percent of the crew.
The USS George Washington
and embarked Carrier Air Wing
5, along with guided-missile de-
stroyers, the USS John S Mc-
Cain and the USS McCampbell,
arrived before dawn recently
near Corregidor Island where
she was met by the Philippine
navy ship BRP Leopoldo Regis
and escorted her to the vicinity
of the SM Mall of Asia.
This is the warship’s second
port call to Manila, the last be-
ing in August 2009, when its
sailors also took the time to en-
joy Philippine culture.
“As you know from last year,
about 30 percent of the crew
have direct ties to the Philip-
pines either through aunts, un-
cles, brothers, sisters, fathers,
mothers, great uncles, great
grandmothers, etc., and this is
really a homecoming of families
and cultures because they are
waiting to come back to their
homes as well,” Lausman said.
He noted that during their
last port call in Manila, “there
Maguindanao
massacre trial
begins
MANILA, Philippines
— The trial of the suspects
in the gruesome murder of 57
people in Maguindanao prov-
ince in Southern Philippines
began on September 8.
After being postponed sev-
eral times, the lower court
set to hear the case formally
opened the trial Wednes-
day morning and called on the
plaintiff's first witness Lak-
mudin Suliya.
The trial was supposed to
start on September 1 but the
lower court judge granted
the motion to postpone the
hearing to give time for one
of the defense lawyers to file
his comment.
It involved a powerful po-
litical clan from Maguindan-
ao. Former Maguindanao gov-
ernor Andal Ampatuan Sr.
and his sons former Datu Un-
say Mayor Andal Ampatuan
Jr. and Zaldy Ampatuan, the
former governor of the Au-
tonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao, are among those
charged with multiple murder.
A total of 197 people were
implicated for the massacre of
at least 30 journalists, and the
wife, sisters and supporters of
Maguindanao Governor Ismael
Mangudadatu, the rival politi-
cal clan of the Ampatuans.
On Nov. 23, 2009, the group
was on their way to the local
Commission on Election office
to file Mangudadatu's certifi-
cate of candidacy for governor
when they were ambushed by
the suspects. (philstar.com)
Photo: Petty Officer 2nd class Summer Anderson, U.S. Navy
An F-14B Tomcat launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George
Washington. The warship recently docked in Manila for a four-day port.   see or meet along the hallway
was a lot of unique family re-
unions” and there are some
again this year.
“I know there’s a lot of fami-
lies that’s going to be welcomed
aboard for a personal tour while
we’re on port and some of them
(sailors) are going on leave,”
said Lausman, even recounting
that some of the returning Fili-
pino sailors talked about a spe-
cial family gathering or reunion
in their neighborhoods.
Asked how he would rate the
Filipino sailors’ performance on
the ship, Lausman quickly re-
sponded, “I don’t need to say
anything, this is a great war-
ship, they did it.” He added,
“This is great. I’m very proud to
be their shipmate.”
Meanwhile, the Filipino sail-
ors expressed their excitement
in coming home to the country
Philippines bus driver recounts
horror in rear view mirror
MANILA, Philippines — The
driver of a Philippine tourist
bus hijacked by a sacked police-
man told a public inquiry Tues-
day how he witnessed the gun-
man shoot more than a dozen
Hong Kong visitors one by one
as talks broke down.
Bus driver Alberto Lubang
said his left hand was handcuffed
to the steering wheel and he saw
the horrific scenes unfold at
the back of the bus through the
rear-view mirror as the day-long
standoff ended in a bloodbath.
"I heard the first shot and
then I saw a hostage cuffed to
the stairwell fall down," Lu-
bang, a shaven-headed middle-
aged man, said.
"Seconds later he (the gun-
man) had reached the back and
Philippine Airlines
cabin crews file
strike notice
MANILA, Philippines —
Philippine Airlines' cabin staff
formally advised the govern-
ment they would go on strike at
the end of October, saying the
move would ground all flights
by the loss-making flag carrier.
The 1,600-member cab-
in crew union said it had filed a
strike notice with the labor min-
istry, which by law has 30 days
to try to find a compromise be-
as they also shared their life on
the ship and how they anxiously
await their chance to see or vis-
it their families, relatives, and
friends even for t a brief time.
“I am glad that I get this op-
portunity to visit my family and
friends,” said Olongapo-born Avi-
ation Ordnance Airman Steven
Hoffman of Strike Fighter Squad-
ron 28. “It has been six years
since I was in the Philippines, so
it would be nice to see how things
have changed and to talk with my
family about the things I have
done in the U.S. Navy."
For Chief Aviation Support
Equipment Technician Carlo
Roberto Toledo, a port visit to
Manila is the chance of a life-
time for sailors who are from
the Philippines.
With the big number of Fil-
ipino and Filipino-American
(was) shooting again at the pas-
sengers sat there," he said.
"He was on the aisle, by the
middle. I saw him by the rear-
view mirror. He was shooting
left and right. Afterwards he
went into a crouch," he added.
Lubang said he managed
to unpick the handcuffs using
a nail file and jumped out of
the window beside the steer-
ing wheel shortly before po-
lice launched an assault on
the bus.
Sacked policeman Rolando
Mendoza took the busload of
tourists hostage on August 23
in a desperate bid to clear him-
self of extortion charges and
get his old job back.
Eight of the tourists were
killed.
tween the airline and employ-
ees to prevent a shut-down.
"Once we go on strike, no
flight will take off," said Bob
Anduiza, president of the Flight
Attendants Association of the
Philippines. "This will ground
PAL's entire operations."
PAL spokeswoman Cielo Vil-
laluna appealed to the union
to reconsider and return to the
negotiating table.
sailors on board the giant war-
ship, some of those interviewed
laughingly said there is, in fact,
what some of the crew from oth-
er nations tagged as “Filipino
mafia” not for anything else,
but because of the strong broth-
erhood that exists among them.
Aviation Ordnance expert
Gza Ione Larican, a petite sail-
or from Isabela province, said
Filipino sailors on board USS
George Washington “stick to-
gether, that is why they call us
‘Filipino mafia.’ ”
“It doesn’t matter if someone
says something bad or good, we
just stick together,” Larican said,
adding while they support one
another, they also blend with fel-
low sailors of other nationalities.
She also described how Filipi-
no sailors show their friendliness
as they say hi to everyone they
and resiliency as they just go on
even in some instances they ex-
perience a bit of discrimination.
“We always try to be happy,”
she said.
But aside from the Filipino
sailors, the rest of the crew of
the warship, according to Laus-
man, are also excited to come
to Manila, having fully enjoyed
their first visit last year.
He said the first area of inter-
est of the sailors is a trip to the
SM Mall of Asia, the fourth larg-
est shopping mall in the world.
“They are ready to go shop,
shop, shop and eat. Eat. eat.
And they enjoyed that last year,
and I think some of the shop
owners are waiting for them to
return as well,” said Lausman.
The sailors will also get
the chance to tour Corregi-
dor, go scuba diving, among
others. (mb.com)
The standoff, which played
out live on global television,
came to a bloody end when
police stormed the bus in a
botched attempt to rescue the
hostages. A police sniper even-
tually shot dead the gunman.
Lubang said he did not re-
call any crying or shouting by
the victims, but conceded it
was possible his hearing had
been deadened by the gunshot
blasts inside the vehicle.
President Benigno Aquino
has taken responsibility for the
tragedy, which has damaged ties
with Hong Kong and hurt the
country's tourism industry.
The public inquiry is expected
to wind up the hearings Wednes-
day before writing a report to be
submitted to Aquino. (MNS)
"This will affect Philippine
tourism and our financial po-
sition," Villaluna said.
The cabin staff are seeking a
raise that would put their pay
on par with that offered by for-
eign carriers. They are also de-
manding paid maternity leave
and an end to a company policy
that forces female attendants
to retire at the age of 40.
There was no immediate
comment from the labour de-
partment.
The planned strike is the lat-
est in a string of labour prob-
lems to hit the national flag-
carrier. Last month, 25 pilots
and first officers of PAL's short-
haul aircraft suddenly quit for
higher paying jobs abroad,
forcing the abrupt cancellation
of several flights. (MNS)
September 11 - 17, 2010
BIR may miss revised yearend goal of P860 billion
MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) may miss its
revised yearend goal of P860 billion but is nonetheless struggling to meet
the target, its top official said.
BIR Comissioner Kim Henares said it is difficult to meet the higher target of
P860 billion, noting that the shortfall has already widened to P21 billion as
of end-July. However, she nonetheless noted that the BIR is likely to meet
the original 2010 goal of P830 billion.
“The P830 billion is manageable. We can reasonably achieve that but P860
billion is difficult,” Henares said.
When asked why, the BIR chief said the collection shortfall that the Aquino
administration has inherited from the previous administration is already huge.
Henares said that the agency is also likely to miss its August collec-
tion goal as the reforms that the Aquino administration is trying to
implement will not bear fruits instantly. He said that she expects the
agency not to miss its monthly targets until September. The BIR has
a target to collect P87 billion in August.
In July, the agency collected P63.813 billion, or a shortfall of P3.57 bil-
lion against the monthly goal of P67.388 billion. Compared to the same
period last year in July 2009, when the BIR collected a total of P57.606
billion, this year’s performance showed an improvement of more
than P6.2 billion or a collection growth of about 10.8 percent.
In contrast, the performance in July 2009 showed a negative 10-per-
cent drop compared to the collections in July 2008. Collections in July
brought the BIR’s end-July revenues to P467.28 billion, an improve-
ment of P34.06 billion or 7.9 percent from the P433.22 billion collected
in the comparative period a year ago.
However, compared to the agency’s cumulative goal for the period of
P488.38 billion, the BIR’s performance fell short by P21.1 billion or by
about -4.3 percent.
Henares nonetheless vowed to make up for the shortfall by continu-
ing and further strengthening the BIR’s Run After Tax Evaders (RATE)
program. The RATE has so far filed four cases against tax evaders
since July 2010. (philstar.com)
RP foreign reserves reach U.S.$49.6B in August
MANILA, Philippines — Philippines dollar reserves further went up in
August to U.S. $49.58 billion, data released by the Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas (BSP) showed recently.
The latest level of gross international reserves (GIR) is higher than the pre-
vious month’s U.S. $49.04 billion and year-ago’s U.S. $41.5 billion.
BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. traced the expansion from foreign
exchange operations and income from investments abroad.
“Revaluation gains on the BSP’s gold holdings on account of the increase in
gold prices in the international market (also helped boost the GIR),” he said.
The dollar reserves as of last month is already at the upper end of central
bank’s U.S. $48-49 billion forecast for this year. Last year, the reserves
totaled to U.S. $44.24 billion.
Tetangco, on the other hand, said these inflows were offset by the
central bank and the national government’s (NG) payment of their
maturing foreign obligations as well as foreign currency withdrawals
by authorized agent banks (AABs). He said that dollar reserves last Au-
gust were enough to cover 9.2 months of imports of goods and payments
of services and income.
“It is also equivalent to 9.5 times the country’s short-term external debt
based on original maturity and 5.1 times based on residual maturity,” he said.
BSP defines short-term obligations based on residual maturity as the
“outstanding external debt with original maturity of one year or less, plus
principal payments on medium and long-term loans of the public and
private sectors falling due within the next 12 months.”
The rise was accompanied by the same development in net interna-
tional reserves (NIR) that included revaluation of reserve assets and
reserve-related liabilities, the central bank said. BSP data showed
that end-August 2010 NIR, which is the difference between central
bank’s GIR and short-term liabilities, amounted to US$ 49.6 billion
and was US$ 6 million higher than the previous month.
“The NIR level has been approximating that of the GIR ever since the BSP set-
tled its outstanding short-term liabilities in September 2009,” it added. (MNS)
Bank lending accelerates on strong manufacturing
MANILA, Philippines — Bank lending grew at a faster pace in July amid
the global economic recovery, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said.
In a statement, the BSP said outstanding loans of commercial banks, net of
banks’ reverse repurchase placements (RRP) with the central bank, grew 11.7
percent in the first seven months of the year from 9.6 percent at end-June.
Inclusive of RRPs, bank loans also picked up by 8.9 percent from 5.5
percent the previous month.
On a month-on-month seasonally adjusted basis, commercial banks’ lend-
ing in July rose by 0.2 percentage points for loans net of RRPs, but went
down by 0.2 percentage points for loans inclusive of RRPs.
According to the BSP, the growth of loans for production—compris-
ing 85.5 percent of the total loan portfolio—stepped up by 12 per-
cent in July from 9.3 percent the prior month. Loans for household
consumption also continued to rise albeit at a slower pace of 12.5
percent from 13 percent in June. Household consumption includes
credit card, auto loans and others.
The growth of production loans was driven by increased lending to manu-
facturing, which grew by 23.4 percent; real estate and business services,
15.7 percent; agriculture, 13.5 percent; electricity, water and gas, 17.6
percent; financial intermediation, 12.6 percent; wholesale and retail trade,
5.2 percent; and public administration and defense, 18.3 percent.
Similarly, lending to construction grew at a faster pace of 22 per-
cent in July from 18.7 percent in June. The central bank, however, said
lending to fishing contracted by 32.2 percent; transportation, storage and
communications, 2.3 percent; and other community, social and personal
services, 24.1 percent.
BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said the robust growth in bank
lending, especially to productive activities, is in line with the ongoing
overall expansion in domestic economic activity.
“The BSP believes that given the strong demand and ample liquidity
in the economy, bank lending will continue to rise. Going forward, the
BSP will continue to monitor unfolding economic and financial devel-
opments to ensure that the monetary conditions remain conducive to
growth while at the same time consistent with its price stability objec-
tive,” Tetangco said. (manilatimes.net)
September 11 - 17, 2010 THE FILIPINO PRESS 3

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4 THE FILIPINO PRESS
How financial
overhaul
changes the
market
By Nick Timiraos
The financial-regulato-
ry overhaul promises some
big changes concerning how
Americans go about getting
a mortgage.
The bill will offer more
protections for consum-
ers against risky or com-
plex mortgages, but bankers
say that with fewer choices
and more safeguards, loans
could be slightly more ex-
pensive. The upshot, said
Howard Glaser, an indus-
try consultant and Clinton
administration housing offi-
cial, is that consumers will
have “safer” loans, but few-
er of borrowers will qualify.
Some of the provisions of
the bill will take effect imme-
diately, but many of the ef-
fects won’t be noticed right
away. That’s partly because
many of the exotic mortgag-
es that fueled the subprime
bubble were swept away
when the market melted
down three years ago.
Mortgage bankers say that
lending standards are tighter
today than at any time in the
past two decades, and most
loans being made today are
conventional fixed-rate loans
that are backed in some way
by the federal government.
Here’s a look at some of the
main changes for mortgages:
* The bill requires lenders
to have “skin in the game” on
certain loans that are bun-
See overhaul on 5
By Amy Hoak
A
growing number of hom-
eowners are choosing to
pay down their mort-
gages at a faster rate--even if
it means a substantial jump in
their monthly payments.
Between January and June,
26% of homeowners who refi-
nanced chose a 15-year fixed-
rate mortgage, according to
data from CoreLogic, a provid-
er of financial, property and
consumer information. Dur-
ing all of 2009, 18.5% of bor-
rowers who refinanced opted
for a 15-year term.
Paying off the house
in 15 years
What's prompting the shift
to shorter loans? Historical-
ly low interest rates for fixed-
rate mortgages.
Homeowners are doing the
math and realizing that rates
have fallen enough so the in-
crease in payment between
a new 15-year mortgage and
their current loan is no longer
unbearable for their budgets,
said Bob Walters, chief econ-
omist at online lender Quick-
en Loans.
The average rate on a 15-
year fixed-rate mortgage was
3.86% for the week ending
Aug. 26, according to Freddie
Mac's weekly survey of con-
forming mortgage rates.
A change in thinking
The financial situation of
those capable of refinancing to-
day is a factor in the shift, Wal-
ters said. These people typi-
cally are homeowners with the
best credit and the most equi-
ty -- and, therefore, most suited
for a shorter-term loan.
But there might be some oth-
er psychology at work. "We're
seeing a different view on debt
than maybe we've seen in the
past," he said. Today, homeown-
ers are saying, "I really want to
pay this off. I'm going to bite
the bullet and take the pay-
ment and work toward pay-
ing this down."
A 15-year mortgage
also acts as somewhat of
a forced savings account
for homeowners, said Leif
Thomsen, chief executive of
Mortgage Master, a privately
owned lender, given that the
higher payments help a bor-
rower pay down the principal
at a quicker clip.
This is a huge shift in bor-
rower thinking. "There was a
drive a couple of years ago to
take out the biggest mortgage
that you could and use all of
the money you would have oth-
erwise had in the house and
put it into stocks and bonds--to
think of your house and mort-
gage as part of your entire in-
vestment portfolio," said Amy
Crews Cutts, deputy chief econ-
omist for Freddie Mac.
"That worked for people who
do investment finance for a liv-
ing and are good at managing
accounts," she said. "But for
See paying off on 5
September 11 - 17, 2010
Jerry
Soto joins
McMillin
Realty
Jerry Soto is the newest
real estate agent at McMillin
Realty, South County’s lead-
ing real estate sales organi-
zation.  Soto brings with him
ten years of real estate experi-
ence and is focused on provid-
ing clients with the informa-
tion and analysis they need to
make decisions, whether it’s
for an investment, short sale,
foreclosure or traditional real
estate transaction.
“Building relationships
is what life is all about and
I love being able to put that
skill to work for me every day
in my career,” said Soto.
A San Diego resident since
the age of 12, he has spent al-
most a lifetime building local
relationships, which has re-
sulted in his selling more than
100 homes in the area, most of
those sales based on referrals.
Soto has represented an array
of buyers and sellers, includ-
ing income property investors,
and second-home buyers.  His
track record for success has
led him to be ranked number
three worldwide among all
residential agents according
to Prudential California.
“Jerry is widely respected
among his peers for his ne-
gotiating proficiency and tal-
ent for problem solving,” said
Scott McMillin, president of
McMillin Realty.
Soto’s professional experi-
ence includes more than ten
years with Prudential Real-
ty where he specialized in
resale transactions, and in-
vestment properties.  He
attended San Diego City Col-
lege where he studied busi-
ness administration.
Soto can be reached at the
McMillin Realty Bonita office
at 4210 Bonita Road, suite B,
or by calling (619) 572-7724.
September 11 - 17, 2010 THE FILIPINO PRESS
overhaul
Continued from p­­­­­age 4
dled and sold to investors as
securities. The provision
requires lenders to retain at
least 5% of the loans that are
securitized. The bill exempts
certain “safe” classes of mort-
gages, such as fixed-rate loans
that require borrowers to fully
document their incomes.
* The bill sets stricter lim-
its on prepayment penalties,
or fees charged when borrow-
ers pay a loan off early.
* Lenders will have to take
greater steps to ensure that
borrowers have the abili-
ty to repay the loan they’re re-
ceiving. That means consum-
ers will be required to show
lots of paperwork—pay stubs,
bank account statements, tax
forms—to prove that they can
afford the loan. (That could
cause problems for some self-
employed borrowers).
One key provision tries to
improve transparency of com-
pensation for loan officers and
mortgage brokers. Brokers
and loan officers can’t be paid
paying off
Continued from p­­­­­age 4
the average person, debt is a
drag on their psyche as well
as their overall budget." Many
Americans have reverted to
the goal of paying off their
house and getting rid of their
mortgage, Cutts added.
Doing the math
Refinancing into a shorter-
term mortgage isn't a strategy
for everyone, however.
Choosing a shorter term
usually means you'll get a
better rate--and you'll pay
much less interest over the
life of the loan--but a shorter
time frame ramps up month-
ly mortgage payments.
For example, with a 4.5% in-
terest rate on a 30-year fixed-
rate mortgage of $200,000,
you would have a monthly
payment of $1,015, including
principal and interest, Cutts
said. The monthly payment
jumps to about $1,480 with a
4% interest rate on a 15-year
fixed-rate loan.
Of course, if the refinanc-
ing borrower's current 30-
year loan has a higher rate,
the difference between the
monthly payments could
be lower. Still, you should
count on some increase in
monthly payments.
In general, Walters said,
those who choose 15-year
fixed-rate mortgages are
older and have more equi-
ty and less debt than other
folks. They also earn high-
er incomes and don't have
some of the added expenses
that younger homeowners
typically do.
"People who are taking
these loans are financially
stable and can afford the pay-
ments, but at the same time
are planning on staying in
based on steering the custom-
er to a particular type of loan
or rate.
Other changes will modify
new appraisal regulations that
have been put in place in the
aftermath of the mortgage cri-
sis. Lenders will have to com-
pensate appraisers at a “cus-
tomary and reasonable” rate,
and new appraisal manage-
ment companies that facili-
tate the ordering of appraisals
will have to be registered with
state agencies.
The upshot of these rules,
said Glaser, is a smaller mort-
gage market that exercises far
greater caution:
The new law places signif-
icant hurdles to offering any
mortgage products outside the
“plain vanilla” category. Regu-
lators must define what is in-
side or outside the plain-vanil-
la box. Clearly, firm regulation
of mortgage products is neces-
sary in light of the subprime
meltdown. But exactly where
regulators draw the line will
have a substantial impact on
what kind of mortgages are
available and which borrowers
will qualify for a mortgage.
their home for an extended pe-
riod of time," Thomsen said.
Walters said you shouldn't
take on a 15-year fixed-rate
mortgage unless you have sub-
stantial savings, including at
least a year's worth of living
expenses in liquid accounts.
Also, he recommends hav-
ing a debt-to-income ratio be-
low 35%. So if you have a gross
salary of $5,700 per month, for
instance, your monthly debt-
-including any mortgage pay-
ments, taxes, insurance, ho-
meowners-association dues as
well as auto and student loans
and credit-card debt--would
have to be a max of $1,995 to
get a 35% ratio.
Borrowers who don't meet
those standards, or are wor-
The bill, he argues, also will
favor the big banks over small-
er lenders:
Thus risk retention re-
quirements, compensation
rules and licensing standards
are all tilted toward large
banks. The result is that the
big will get bigger—and the
level of mortgage risk will
concentrate further—though
the administration argues
that more competent regula-
tors and safer mortgage prod-
ucts alleviate the concern
about “too big to fail.”
But the biggest “winner”
could be the government,
which during the first quarter
backed or bought more than
nine in 10 new loans:
Private securitizations
will be helped by new rules
that create transparency and
requirements that rating
agencies do their homework
before rating a mortgage se-
curity. But other parts of the
bill impose new liability on
securitizers for the under-
lying mortgages originated
by third parties, and re-
quirements to retain capital
when transferring risk. The
ried about future loss of in-
come, might be better served
taking a longer-term mortgage
but making extra payments
on the principal to pay off the
loan faster, said Walters.
5
full contours of these rules
CALL 477-0940 TO ADVERTISE
won’t be issued by regula-
tors for 2-3 years—extending
a period of uncertainty that
has dissuaded private inves-
tors from restarting the flow
of mortgage capital. Mean-
while, the federal footprint in
mortgages will become deep-
er and deeper in order to keep
the housing market from the
dreaded double dip—and
making the unwinding of fed-
eral intervention that much
more difficult.
An Obama administra-
tion official recently called
the mortgage provisions of
the bill an important “first
step” but said that addition-
al measures were needed to
ensure better oversight of ar-
eas that had been at the root
of the foreclosure crisis, such
as nonbank lenders.
And of course, the bill is
largely silent on how to re-
make the broader mortgage
market, including what to do
with Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac. Stay tuned—the bill re-
quires the administration to
outline its plan by early next
year. (wsj.com)
For instance, if you refinance
a $200,000 mortgage into a 30-
year loan with a 4.5% rate, and
then apply $100 of the savings
to the principal payment each
month, you'd save $31,700 in
interest over the life of the loan,
Cutts said. And you would pay
off the mortgage in 25 years,
instead of 30, she added.
What's more, you would
have the flexibility of not pay-
ing that $100 in months when
money gets tight. "Maybe to-
day you're feeling flush with
money. Maybe you're worried
in the future that income might
change," Cutts said. With a 30-
year mortgage, you have more
flexibility. "Shortening to 15
years is a pretty big bump in
payment." (wsj.com)
6 THE FILIPINO PRESS
Discovery of delegating
enhances teamwork
A
long time ago, I happened
to be involved in a proj-
ect for the first time. I was
tasked with being in charge with
a particular aspect of the project
– and had people working for me
— but chose to accomplish the
whole thing myself. I felt then
that when something needs to
be done, instead of delegating, it
would be best to do it myself.
This, of course, led to oth-
er problems. When I finally did
ask an associate for help with
the project, things were done on
Co m m en ta r y
Prop. 23 wrong
for California
By Dr. J. Alfred Smith, Jr.
and Orson Aguilar
T
hey’re at it again: Once
more, special interests
are trying to hijack
California’s state ballot to en-
rich themselves at the expense
of our communities.
Two big Texas oil companies
are spending piles of money to
kill California's fast-growing
clean energy economy and the
hundreds of thousands of jobs
that economy has already creat-
ed. Get ready for the lies to fly
The RP and the
U.S.-China conflict
A
fter a long layoff, the dis-
puted Spratlys Islands in
the South China Sea are
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Danny hernaez
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postage-paid envelope to be returned. We reserve the right to edit materials. Views and opinions by our writers, contributors does not necessarily reflect
those of the publisher, management and staff of The Filipino Press.
their time and not on deadline.
It was a period of frustration.
But while I brought a lot of work
upon myself, the upside of the
experience was a sense of self-
discovery about what I expect
from myself and from others.
In other words, I realize there
is much to be learned about ones’
own ability, skill (or lack there-
of), the need for effective com-
munication and rallying on the
team from the outset to achieve
a common goal by setting stan-
dard of performance and identi-
thick and fast, and remember
who is behind them.
The very words “Texas oil”
should send chills up Californians’
spines. We’ve all seen the sick-
ening pictures coming out of the
Gulf Coast — the dead birds, the
oil-stained beaches, thousands in
the seafood industry and other
businesses thrown out of work.
And now Big Oil — with San
Antonio-based Valero Energy
and Tesoro Corporation in the
lead — is claiming to want to pro-
tect us and save jobs in our com-
munities. Yeah. Right.
back in the news again.  multilateral talks on the issue.
Last month, U.S. Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton set
The
FRANCINE MAIGUE • Valerie Farnal
Community Outreach: Ruby Chiong • Lorna delos Santos
ARMI GUZMAN • tess adams BRANDI PEREZ/JASON AGUIRRE
Cartoonists
Columnists/Contributors
JUN GUZMAN SOLY PARAISO
GREG B. MACABENTA JESSE T. REYES
JANICE MARTINELLI DOMINGO VARGAS
CORA PASTRANA ALFONSO VILLAMORA
fying what tasks take priority.
Of course, with time and expe-
rience, you learn, and since there
is always a learning curve in-
volved in every project, it helps
to be surrounded by people who
have the passion, skill and de-
sire to do a great job — resource-
ful people who see solutions, not
problems that overwhelm them to
the point of paralysis.
Over the years, I’ve been for-
tunate to have worked on proj-
ects where fun is one of the key
elements, working with people
who believe in the value their
expertise offers the participants,
stakeholders and the communi-
ty. After all, with all the details
and pressures involved in work-
ing with different deadlines, dif-
fering views and approaches to
any given situation, it certain-
ly helps to have people who are
committed to a common goal. It
is that kind of teamwork that
ensures a positive result.
For comments and suggestions,
e-mail me at susands4@yahoo.
com. Visit us online at www.
filipinopress.com and Facebook.
Also, check out our most recent
event at www.filipinofamilyday.
com and our next project at www.
seafoodcitysing-galingcontest.com.
You can bet they’ll aim their
bogus “protect jobs” pitch at com-
munities of color, whose unem-
ployment rates have been run-
ning three to four percentage
points higher then whites.  
But the Texas oil initiative,
Proposition 23 on the November
ballot, won’t protect jobs in our
communities; it will take them
away. It will strangle the fastest-
growing segment of California’s
economy, green energy and clean-
tech, just as it’s beginning to soar.
The clean energy economy is
growing faster in California than
any other state, thanks in part
to A.B. 32, the Global Warming
Solutions Act that commits our
state to moving towards a health-
ier and cleaner economy.
For businesses that want to ret-
rofit homes for energy efficiency,
make solar panels or build electric
cars, the law has provided assur-
ance that there will be a growing
market for their products and ser-
the tone for the renewed inter-
est in the group of mostly unin-
habited islands and coral reefs,
which are being disputed by six
countries, including China and
the Philippines, when she told
a conference of Southeast and
East Asian ministers that the
United States had a “national
interest” in seeing the territo-
rial disputes resolved through
a “collaborative diplomatic pro-
cess by all claimants.”
While stressing that U.S. re-
mained neutral on which coun-
try has a stronger claim to the
islands, Clinton said that the
U.S. has an interest in free
shipping on the South China
Sea and would help facilitate
As expected, China was out-
raged by Clinton’s remarks. A
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vices. And they’ve responded, cre-
ating over 500,000 new jobs, ac-
cording to the state Employment
Development Department, includ-
ing over 93,000 in manufacturing
and 68,000 in construction.
And A.B. 32 is written to ensure
that our communities get our fair
share of these jobs. It specifically
instructs the state agencies to “di-
rect public and private investment
toward the most disadvantaged
communities in California and pro-
vide an opportunity for small busi-
nesses, schools, affordable housing
associations, and other communi-
ty institutions to participate in and
benefit from statewide efforts to re-
duce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Since the law was enacted,
clean-tech investment in Cal-
ifornia has skyrocketed, and now
greatly exceeds all of the other
leading states combined. A new
economy that can boost all of our
communities is being born, here
and now. This is the only sector
Chinese defense official said
that Clinton’s remarks were
an unwelcome attempt at the
“internationalization” of a ter-
ritorial issue involving the
Spratly and Paracel chains.
Even as the Chinese spokes-
man made the statement, Chi-
nese news media reported a
large-scale military exercise
near the disputed islands.
The official said that Chi-
na will push for resolution of
the issue with “relevant coun-
tries,” but reiterated that Chi-
na has “indisputable sovereign-
ty” over the islands. Parts or all
of the two chains — which are
believed to have oil and gas de-
posits — are also claimed by
Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, the
Philippines and Taiwan.
Admiral Robert Willard, com-
mander of the U.S. Pacific Com-
mand, followed up Clinton’s re-
marks during a visit in Manila
last week by saying that while
Washington does not take sides
in the disputes, it will oppose
any use “of force or any forms
of coercion to stake these claims
on the part of any single nation
at the expense of the others.”
This exchange of words co-
incided with a show of force be-
tween the superpower Unit-
of our economy that has steadily
gained jobs during the recession.
And the Texas oil giants and
the rest of the dirty-energy in-
dustry don’t like it. They wrote
Prop. 23 to kill the law before it
gets any farther.
Prop. 23 claims to only “sus-
pend” our clean energy law, but
in fact makes it nearly impossi-
ble for the law to ever take effect.
Many of these new clean energy
jobs will simply disappear.
But it’s not just about jobs. It’s
also about our neighborhoods —
the air our kids breathe and the
environment we all live in.
It’s well known that minority
neighborhoods often have the dirt-
iest air, in part because highly pol-
luting facilities like oil refineries
and fossil fuel-burning power plants
have clustered in these areas. Such
clusters appear in several parts of
the state, including the Wilmington-
Carson area of Los Angeles County
— singled out last year by Commu-
ed States and emerging world
power China in Southeast Asia.
During the period, the U.S. con-
ducted joint military and na-
val exercises with South Korea
and Vietnam, the latter a most
unlikely but now willing ally,
while China staged their own
with North Korea.
The conflict between the
Americans and the Chinese in
the region is expected to es-
calate in the coming years as
China builds up its military
presence in Asia to gain con-
trol of the important South
China Sea shipping lanes, the
rich fishing grounds in the
area and the vast oil deposits
(estimated at 18 billion tons
underneath the disputed ter-
ritory) as the world’s second-
largest economy prepares to
become a military power, too.
The Americans, on the oth-
er hand, need to reestablish
their domination over South-
east Asia, which is fast be-
coming a very important focal
point in both world economy
and politics.
In this brewing conflict, the
Philippines is certain to be
caught in the middle. Among
the six claimants, the Philip-
pines is nearest to the islands;
September 11 - 17, 2010
nities for a Better Environment as
“a clear example of environmental
injustice, where a community of col-
or in a lower socio-economic bracket
is disproportionately impacted by a
multiple polluting facilities.”
By strangling efforts to move
away from oil and other dirty en-
ergy, Proposition 23 guarantees
that our children will continue to
breathe polluted air for decades.
Between now and November,
Big Oil will try to convince us to
vote against our own communities
with phony claims of “protecting
jobs,” and will spend millions of dol-
lars to do it. The real way to protect
our jobs — and our air, and our kids
— is to say a loud NO to the Texas
oil companies and NO to Prop. 23.
Dr. J. Alfred Smith, Jr. is senior
pastor at the Allen Temple Baptist
Church in Oakland. Orson Agu-
ilar is executive director of The
Greenlining Institute, www.green-
lining.org. The Filipino Press wel-
comes opposing viewpoints.
in fact, the southernmost tip of
Palawan is just 136 miles off
Mischief Reef, where the Chi-
nese have built a military in-
stallation. And although of-
ficially the U.S. has no bases
in the Philippines, it can use
either the Mutual Defense
Treaty or the Visiting Forces
Agreement to launch any coun-
ter-attack against the Chinese
from the country.
AFP Chief Lt. Gen. Ricardo
David Jr. admitted last week
that the country has no military
might to stop foreign aggres-
sion in the disputed islands.
But the general made the ad-
mission in the presence of Ad-
miral Willard, as if hinting that
the American troops would be
on hand to help the country de-
fend its claim to the islands in
case of any foreign attack.
It must be stressed that the
brewing U.S.-China conflict in
the region comes at a time when
the country is looking to both
the U.S. and China for assis-
tance in putting the Philippine
economy back on track. The
Philippines needs the billions of
dollars that China is willing to
dole out to the country. On the
See abelgas on 7
September 11 - 17, 2010 THE FILIPINO PRESS
A brief history of
the personal ad
S
ome time ago someone
placed this ad in a news-
paper: “I will listen to you
talk for 30 minutes without
comment for $5.00.” Sounds
like a hoax, doesn’t it? But
the person was serious. Did
anybody call? You bet! It wasn’t
long before this individual was
receiving 10 to 20 calls a day.
The pang of loneliness was so
sharp that some were willing to
try anything for a half hour of
companionship.
Classified personal ads are
the most public way of express-
ing our need for love, friendship
and even sex. As one contribu-
tor asks, “Ever get the feeling
that half of the world is lonely
and the other half doesn’t care?”
Millions of people feel the same
way, and they read, write and
Floyd
Foulweather
A
s if the hostage tragedy
hasn’t tainted the im-
age of the Philippines
enough in the eyes of the world,
along comes boxer Floyd May-
weather Jr. unleashing a flood
of trash talk on Manny Pac-
quiao. If you think that’s strict-
ly Pacquiao's business and does
not effect the rest of us as Fil-
ipinos, think again. The world
has a bad habit of going by ste-
reotypes, and if Pacquiao’s ring
prowess has had a positive ef-
fect on our people, Mayweath-
er’s insults have also had a neg-
ative effect.
I’m reacting as any self-re-
specting Filipino should. While
Pacquiao’s calibrated response
was proper — he being the
champion with the record and
the title that Mayweather cov-
ets — the rest of us cannot sim-
ply let the slur pass. When vile-
tongued individuals are allowed
to get away with slandering Fil-
ipinos, onlookers and kibitz-
ers tend to get into the act and
join in the insulting spree. We
can’t allow them to make virtu-
al punching bags of us. Slander-
ers must realize that there’s a
price to pay for their insults.
abelgas
Continued from p­­­­­age 6
other hand, it also needs the
usual economic and military as-
sistance that the U.S. normally
doles out to allies.
Obviously, the U.S.-Chi-
na conflict would create a di-
lemma for Philippine national
leaders, particularly President
Aquino, who is scheduled to
visit the U.S. this month to at-
tend both the United Nations
General Assembly and a sum-
mit meeting of leaders of the
Association of Southeast Asian
Nations with President Obama
in New York on Sept. 24.
The country can not openly
show its affection for the
answer these columns.
Connoisseurs of person-
als have in recent times been
struck by their candor and
ingenuity. Personal classi-
fied ads are the telltale sign
of a brazen if not golden age
of self-revelation that burst
upon us after a dreary epoch
in which the personal columns
rarely offered more than legal
notices to the curious reader.
Indeed, we have come a
long way from those person-
als whose agonies were rare-
ly masked behind such formu-
las as, “Bill, come home, all is
forgiven, Hillary,” or “My wife,
Jennifer, having left my bed
and board, I am no longer re-
sponsible for her debts. Brad.”
Like an exposed ankle on a Vic-
torian damsel, the phrase “has
  Back in the mid-1980s, a
disc jockey at KMEL-FM radio
in San Francisco simulated a
Pinoy ordering “dog sandwich”
in the course of his show. This
was reported by an irate Fil-Am
radio listener to the office of Ad-
vertising & Marketing Associ-
ates, USA, which, at the time,
was producing a weekly maga-
zine show, “Manila, Manila,” on
KTSF-TV Channel 26. I hap-
pened to be the recipient of the
complaint and I promised to do
something about it.
I reported the slur to the
Federal Communications Com-
mission and was informed that
the radio station could be held
accountable for it. I then called
up the KMEL station manager,
told him of the FCC’s opinion
and demanded an on-air apol-
ogy. The offending disc jock-
ey, who was doing his show at
the time, was forced to publicly
apologize for the insult.
In late 2007, Filipino doc-
tors were insulted in an episode
of the ABC series, “Desperate
Housewives.” In one scene, Teri
Hatcher, one of the stars of the
show, while discussing her on-
coming menopause with her gy-
U.S., its long time ally, with-
out losing China’s own affec-
tion, which could mean the loss
of billions of dollars in grants,
loans and assistance to put
the country back on its feet.
On the other hand, the Philip-
pines can not just turn its back
on more than a century of close
ties with the United States.
President Aquino will be
tiptoeing as he traverses the
difficult path of maintaining
relations with the world’s two
biggest economies in the com-
ing months.
During her time, Gloria Ma-
capagal Arroyo deftly played
the emerging power struggle
between the U.S. and China to
obtain funding for her numer-
left my bed” was all we needed
to inflame our imaginations.
Contemporary personals are
often euphemisms for what
is everyday behavior, some-
times brutal expressions of
need and, more often, they are
outrageously funny. Leaving
all or nothing to the imagina-
tion, they are a most tantaliz-
ing form of most private wishes.
They are the creatures of that
cultural upheaval of the late
20th century which has swept
all inhibition into the dustbin.
Advertisers in the personal col-
umns now enjoy complete free-
dom to express their desires (or
groins, as someone with an odd
sense of humor might write),
but they must work within the
limitations of a given form.
From this point of view, the per-
sonal ad can be appreciated as
a unique literary genre with a
distinctive typographical look
and contextual tone.
As art forms go, the person-
al ad is very young. It may take
some time for it to achieve the
literary standing of the English
sonnet, the Irish limerick, or
the Japanese haiku. It is, how-
ever, a unique and unusually el-
oquent voice from the heart of
contemporary America — from
California to the New York,
grass widows to machos.
The origins of the person-
als are murky, but their pre-
cursors are the lost-and-found
columns that were used for
the recovery of stray pets,
necologist, questioned the doc-
tor’s credentials and quipped,
“Can I check those diplomas?
Because I want to make sure
they're not from some med
school in the Philippines.”
The Filipino-American com-
munity immediately protested
the insult and more than 50,000
signed an online petition, initiat-
ed by Kevin Nadal, condemning
the show and ABC Network. The
National Federation of Filipino-
American Associations (NaFFAA)
organized protest demonstra-
tions at the offices of ABC and re-
tail outlets of its parent company,
Disney, and demanded an apolo-
gy. ABC apologized and vowed to
be more ethnically and culturally
sensitive in its programs.
Mayweather’s verbal attacks
require a similarly vigorous and
angry response from our com-
munity. While his obvious in-
“This disgusting diatribe against Pacqiuao is
a racial slur against all Filipinos and Filipino
Americans and an embarrassment not only to
the boxing community but to all Americans.”
tention was to demean and di-
minish the stature of Pacquiao
as the best pound-for-pound
boxer in the world, Mayweath-
er also demeaned the rest of us.
Of course, the tirade mere-
ly served to expose Mayweath-
er as a mean, envious, frus-
trated and completely insecure
juvenile delinquent whose par-
ents failed to imbue with man-
ners. Small wonder. Floyd May-
weather Sr. set a record for
profanity and Barnum and Bai-
ley quips in the weeks leading
to the Pacquiao bout with Ricky
Hatton. Of course, Mayweath-
er Sr. ended up like a dog with
ous dubious deals. While get-
ting billions from China, Ar-
royo allowed U.S. troops to
virtually maintain a military
base in Mindanao in the guise
of anti-terrorist training or
military exercise.
In February 2008, Malaya
publisher Amado “Jake” Ma-
casaet accused Arroyo and
former Speaker Jose V. de
Venecia of having commit-
ted treason in entering into a
so-called "Spratly Deal" with
Beijing in exchange for loans
attended by bribery and cor-
ruption. Macasaet said he was
told by a source that under the
"Spratly Deal," China would
be allowed to explore territo-
rial waters of the Philippines.
children and spouses. Out of
this came such matter-of-fact
blurbs as “Seek used brass
bedpost to match my mattress
spring.” When someone insert-
ed an ad, not for something
lost, but for an object sought,
it was a relatively easy —
though long-delayed — pas-
sage to the contemporary form
of the personal: “Have bed-
post and spring mattress, seek
compatible partner to share.”
Although now mainly used
for romantic and erotic purpos-
es, the personal advertisement
has proven to be a versatile ve-
hicle for making other connec-
tions as well. It is, for example,
not uncommon for espionage
agents to insert cunningly cod-
ed messages in the personal col-
umns as a way to transmit vital
state secrets. Kidnappers have
used the personal columns to
convey ransom demands and
other instructions to the kin
of their victims. Among oth-
er malefactors have been those
writers who have used the per-
sonal columns as a central plot
device in their fiction.
The personal ad has also
been shaped into a hand tool
for panhandling, as in the fol-
lowing: “Up to my ears in debt.
Need a helping hand for any
amount and I’ll repay you with
my gratitude and prayers.”
Here is a fellow who has appar-
ently risked his last fistful of
dollars on the gamble that his
message is touching enough to
his tail between his legs after
his ward got knocked out in
two rounds. At least, the Briton
fought like a man. Mayweather
Sr. spewed trash like a sewer.
And now comes his son, Floyd
Mayweather Jr., trying to outdo
his old man in bad manners. For
a pugilist who claims to be “the
best,” Mayweather is an embar-
rassment not only to boxing but to
sports in general. In case that ju-
venile brain of his hasn’t figured
it out yet, the essence of sports is
sportsmanship. And in case his
potty mouth hasn’t learned to ver-
balize it yet, the essence of sports-
manship is fair play.
Mayweather subsequently
“apologized” for his tirade
and claimed he was “just hav-
ing fun.” The idiot can’t even
tell the difference between be-
ing insulting and being funny.
He can’t tell the difference be-
tween fair and foul. Indeed, this
character should, from now on,
be known as Foulweather.
Floyd Foulweather
aka Potty Mouth
In case Foulweather’s father
hasn’t told him yet, Pacquiao’s
patronizingly civilized descrip-
tion of his insults as “uneducat-
ed” was as devastating as a left
hook to the chin of Hatton. The
contrast between Foulweather’s
below-the-belt attack and Pac-
quiao’s matter-of-fact dismissal
of it told a glaring tale of who
the better man is. It certain-
ly isn’t the one whose punch-
drunk brain can’t tell the differ-
"This is treason because
the pact has the effect of giv-
ing away Philippine sovereign-
ty to a foreign country. In re-
turn, Chinese-owned firms
provide the Philippines with
overpriced loans for numerous
projects," he said.
In the same month, Far
Eastern Economic Review’s
Barry Wain accused Arroyo of
selling out to China the Philip-
pine and regional interests in
the South China Sea.
Wain argued that Arroyo vi-
olated a 2002 regional agree-
ment that called on ASEAN
member-states to deal with
China as a bloc on the six-coun-
try Spratly Islands dispute.
Wain said that during Ar-
earn him a modest profit.
These practical applications
have their value, but the main
fascination of the personal ads
is the fresh view they give us of
the human condition: “Ordinary
man, nearly 40, seeks unas-
suming woman for serious com-
panionships,” makes us wonder
what kind of fellow is this who
is willing to lay his life on the
typeset line. We have overheard
his plea for help and, whether
desired or not, we have been
drawn into a drama of loneli-
ness and desperation, a song-
and-dance act that is played out
over and over again in the per-
sonal columns with a surpris-
ing variety of moods and styles.
The female advertisers in
the personal columns are no
shrinking violets, either. One
lady seeking a mate sees herself
this way: “Gorgeous, witty, wil-
lowy, willing, and acrobatic, if
called upon.” Thus the demigod
meets his demigoddess, often in
the very same personal column.
But while Adonis and Aphrodite
may or may not go off together,
we continue to wonder why she
had failed to score long before
her ad appeared. We readers
shall never know just how amo-
rous this gymnast is unless we
risk a response to her designat-
ed address, that Pandora’s box-
number from which may pop up
not the vision of loveliness, as
clearly advertised, but a harpy
with delusions of grandeur.
Of all Americans institu-
ence between right and wrong.
NaFFAA has, once again, tak-
en up the cudgels for our commu-
nity. It has released a statement
strongly condemning Foulweath-
er’s racist and homophobic re-
marks and has also asked civil
rights organizations, including
the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP), the leading African-
American civil rights group, to
censure the boxer.
Below is the official
NaFFAA statement:
NaFFAA condemns racist
and homophobic rant against
Filipino boxing champ.
WASHINGTON – The Na-
tional Federation of Filipino
American Associations (NaF-
FAA) has strongly condemned
boxing star Floyd Mayweather
Jr.’s blatantly racist and homo-
phobic attacks against Filipino
boxing champ Manny Pacquiao
in a YouTube interview released
two days ago. In the vitriolic
video, Mayweather called Pac-
quiao a “whore,” a “little yellow
chump” and a “midget” several
times. He also said that he will
force Pacquiao to “make some
sushi rolls and cook some rice”
and “we’re going to cook him
with some cats and dogs.”
Pacquiao had challenged May-
weather to a fight in the ring, but
so far Mayweather has refused.
Instead, he has defamed and
slandered Pacquiao with base-
less accusations that he uses per-
formance-enhancing drugs.
“We are outraged by May-
weather’s racially offensive re-
marks,” says NaFFAA Nation-
al Chair Greg Macabenta. “This
disgusting diatribe against Pac-
qiuao is a racial slur against all
Filipinos and Filipino Amer-
icans and an embarrassment
not only to the boxing communi-
ty but to all Americans. Talking
trash may be common between
royo’s state visit to China in
2004, the two countries signed
the "Agreement for Seismic
Undertaking for Certain Ar-
eas in the South China Sea By
and Between China National
Offshore Oil Corporation and
Philippine National Oil Com-
pany," which, Wain said, an-
gered Vietnam.
The articles of Macasaet
and Wain should explain why
Arroyo was able to obtain bil-
lions of dollars in loans to fi-
nance various projects, in-
cluding the highly anomalous
$329-million NBN deal, the
questionable $460-million cy-
b e r- e d u c a t i o n p r o j e c t , t h e
$500-million North Rail proj-
ect, the disadvantageous 19
7
tions, the personal column is
surely one of the most egalitari-
an, embracing all races, creeds,
colors, ranks, occupations and
sexual preferences. I know
that some of us, dear readers,
have been instilled by the un-
usually large number of college
professors from the most pres-
tigious institutions, who use
personal columns as a ticket to
spicy sabbaticals away from
a family setting. Doctors and
lawyers, no Indian chiefs, but
several nuns, are to be found in
the columns alongside desper-
ate housewives seeking not-
so-occasional love in the after-
noon. Corporate executives
lay out their business trips to
correspond with their male/
female/bisexual/transvestite
paramours they have procured
through the personal columns.
Airline pilots seek carnal re-
lief from jet lag, and bus driv-
ers from boredom. Catholics,
Protestants and Jews, whites
and blacks are all here — some
anxious to cross all lines, oth-
ers insistent on carrying on
only with there own kind.
For all of these individuals,
the personal column is an are-
na of fantasy where they can
reach out for love and freedom.
But, as illustrated by Craig-
slist’s recent self-imposed ban
on its “Adult Services” section,
it’s also a theater of the abyss,
a bizarre rendezvous for all
extremely dangerous) charac-
ters beyond the fringe.
boxing rivals, but Mayweath-
er’s racially-laced profanities
brazenly crossed the line of de-
cency and respectability. Pac-
quiao, on the other hand, has
taken the high road and acted
like the gentleman that he is.
“We call on the National Box-
ing Association and state athlet-
ic commissions to censure May-
weather for behavior that is
both abhorrent and demeaning
to boxing fans and to the whole
world of sports. We also call on
the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored Peo-
ple (NAACP) to reprimand the
boxing star for insulting people
of color. We are further asking
all civil rights organizations to
stand in solidarity with us in
denouncing this racist and ho-
mophobic rant. Mayweather’s
apology is unacceptable and he
must be made accountable for
his damaging statements.
“At a time when immigrant
communities are being viewed
with increasing suspicion and
mistrust, Mayweather’s cru-
el, abusive and hurtful remarks
can only stoke more hostility, de-
rision and resentment against
individuals who look foreign by
virtue of their looks, their size
or the sound of their names.
Coming from a boxing celebrity
with millions of fans around the
world, Mayweather ’s shame-
less and reckless conduct un-
fairly paints an entire racial
and ethnic group with a broad
brush and seriously undermines
America’s core values of inclu-
sivity and racial tolerance.”
  We urge every Pinoy who
does not relish being called
the names Floyd Foulweather
inflicted on Pacquiao to pass
on this protest statement. Re-
member, Potty Mouth didn’t
just insult Pacquiao. He in-
sulted the rest of us. (gregma-
cabenta@hotmail.com)
fisheries and agriculture proj-
ects totaling $4.9 billion and
many more dubious deals.
These highly inconsistent
deals were exposed one by
one, and China remained qui-
et amid the furor.
Aquino can play his cards as
deftly as Arroyo did. But even
without the accompanying cor-
ruption, he can get burned as
did Arroyo. In any three-way
love affair, the one in the mid-
dle — the one who plays with
fire — always gets burned.
The conflict between the U.S.
and China will someday come to
a head. Where the Philippines
would be when that time comes
will depend on how Aquino plays
his card. (valabelgas@aol.com)
8 THE FILIPINO PRESS
Register cell
phones for
emergency
alerts
The County of San Diego is
launching a campaign during Na-
tional Preparedness Month in
September to urge residents to
register their cell phones for Alert-
SanDiego and encourage fami-
ly and friends to do so. Currently,
about 200,000 cell phones are reg-
istered, which exceeds other com-
munities that use the system but
is still far short of the number of
residents in our county.
Registering gives the County
Office of Emergency Services an-
other way to alert residents with
emergency messages and evacu-
ation notices in their area during
a wildfire, earthquake or other
disaster. The County will work
through its community, emer-
gency response and media part-
ners as well as use social media
and the web to spread the mes-
sage during the campaign. Reg-
istration is quick and simple;
visit www.ReadySanDiego.org.
AlertSanDiego expands be-
yond the reach of Reverse 9-1-1
by including cell phone numbers,
VoIP phones and e-mail addresses
to the regional registry. Reverse
9-1-1 only contacts listed and
unlisted land-line telephones.
By registering with AlertSanD-
iego, you would receive notifica-
tion when the home or business
address associated with your
cell phone number is impacted
by a disaster or an emergency.
Health insurance can help
your child succeed in school
By David Sayen
O
ne of the best ways
to help your children
have a good year
in school is to make sure they
have health coverage. Young-
sters with insurance generally
enjoy better health. They can
focus on their studies and par-
ticipate in sports.
Your children may not cur-
rently have coverage for a
number of reasons. You lost your
job, your employer doesn’t offer
insurance, or you simply can’t af-
ford it. Whatever the cause, the
Children’s Health Insurance Pro-
gram, or CHIP, may be able to
help. More than seven million
youngsters now receive low-cost
medical care through CHIP.
The federal and state program
has been a lifeline for children 18
and younger whose parents don’t
qualify for Medicaid but, through
no fault of their own, don’t have
or can’t afford private health
insurance. The youngsters get
regular check-ups, dental care,
shots and prescription drugs.
They’re less likely to miss class
and fall behind.
Children with health insurance
are also better able to participate
in organized school sports. With-
out coverage, youngsters some-
times must pass up the chance to
join a team because their families
can’t afford the necessary phys-
ical or their parents worry they
couldn’t pay the doctors’ bills if
their children were injured.
Obviously, allowing as many
students as possible to get cov-
erage and get in the game is im-
portant to the children, who are
eager to play sports. But it’s also
valuable to a country facing an
epidemic of childhood obesity.
See insurance on 9
September 11 - 17, 2010
Research
needed on
heart
disease
DALLAS, Texas — There
are marked differences in
heart disease risk and occur-
rence among Asian-American
subgroups, but data on these
subgroups is limited, prompt-
ing the American Heart As-
sociation to call for more
research on this fastest-grow-
ing racial/ethnic group in the
U.S., according to a scientific
statement published in Circu-
lation: Journal of the Ameri-
can Heart Association.
“Available research shows
that subgroups of Asian-
Americans are at increased
risk of complications and
death from cardiovascu-
lar disease; however, Asian-
Americans are often studied
as a group, which masks the
differences within this het-
erogeneous population,” ac-
cording to Latha Palaniap-
pan, M.D., M.S., chair of the
American Heart Associa-
tion’s Scientific Advisory on
Cardiovascular Disease in
Asian-Americans.
Asian-Americans rep-
r e sent 25 percent of all for-
eign-born people in the U.S.
They are projected to reach
nearly 34 million by 2050.
Major federal surveys have
only recently started to clas-
sify Asian-Americans into
seven subgroups: Asian In-
dian, Chinese, Filipino, Ko-
See disease on 9
September 11 - 17, 2010 THE FILIPINO PRESS
disease
Continued from p­­­­­age 8
rean, Japanese, Vietnamese
and Other Asian. The first six
subgroups together consti-
tute more than 90 percent of
Asian-Americans in the U.S.,
according to the statement.
Palaniappan and her col-
leagues reviewed published re-
search on Asian-Americans and
cardiovascular disease, then
identified gaps in knowledge
and made recommendations.
“We found many dispari-
ties among subgroups,” Pa-
laniappan said. “If you group
all Asian-Americans togeth-
er, you do not detect these
differences.”
The statement cites some
of the following risk differ-
ences between Asian-Ameri-
can subgroups:
• Asian Indians and Filipi-
nos are at greater risk of cor-
onary heart disease compared
to the other subgroups.
• Japanese- and Chinese-
Americans have lower rates
of coronary heart disease but
higher rates of stroke.
• Chinese-Americans have
lower rates of peripheral ar-
terial disease, or clotting dis-
eases of the leg arteries, than
other groups.
The statement identifies re-
search showing that risk fac-
tors for Asian-Americans dif-
fer compared to Caucasians.
For example, body mass in-
dex, a common tool for de-
termining risk for cardiovas-
cular disease, is considered
normal when it’s less than 25
kg/m2 for Caucasians. How-
ever, a BMI under 23 kg/m2
may be more appropriate for
Asians, she said.  ties in other minority groups,
Some studies also show that
Asian-Americans metabolize
drugs, including those used to
treat heart disease, differently
than Caucasians and other ra-
cial/ethnic groups.
“Looking at this more close-
ly gives us opportunities
9
to improve health dispari- insurance for either program. Others may ilies can usually complete their children’s health coverage. The
ties among Asian-Americans,” Continued from p­­­­­age 8 not even realize the help exists. applications over the phone, on- goal now is to find and sign up
Palaniappan said. “We need Income guidelines vary by line or through the mail, without each of the five million eligible
changes in data collection.” One in three American chil- state. In California, for example, taking time from work. youngsters who aren’t enrolled.
Among the suggested dren is now overweight or obese. a family of four with an income Once your child is enrolled, Children deserve good health
changes: Instead of group- That should be as startling as up to $55,128 a year can get their you’ll be able to pick a physician for care to reach their full poten-
ing Asian Pacific Islanders if one in three youngsters were children covered. In Arizona, a your child and see that doctor when tial. Parents shouldn’t have to
together, separate them into found to have cancer. Unless we family of four may qualify with an your youngster falls sick. You won’t choose between paying for gro-
the appropriate groups for reverse this trend toward early income of up to $44,100. Even if have to worry about how you’ll pay ceries and affording a doctor’s
more accurate disease char- obesity and the health problems it you’ve been turned down before, for the visit, and you won’t have to visit. CHIP gives families con-
acterization. This is already creates, we will have the first gen- you may be able to have your chil- sit for hours in an emergency room trol over their health care and
done in the U.S. Census, ac- eration of Americans with a short- dren insured now, since a number when your child could be easily the peace of mind that comes
cording to Palaniappan, but er lifespan than their parents. of states have recently broadened treated in the doctor’s office. Your from knowing they’ll get high-
it is not done commonly in Getting all youngsters in- their eligibility for CHIP. children will also have access to quality care when they need it.
hospitals and clinics. sured is an important first step CHIP has softened the blow prescription drugs and dental care.- Sayen in the San Francis-
Other recommendations to keeping them fit and conquer- when breadwinners have lost A year ago, President Obama co Regional Administrator
for improving the quality and ing childhood obesity. With their their jobs during the recession. and Congress added money to for the Centers for Medicare &
quantity of data include devel- children covered, families can But the program has also helped the CHIP program to expand Medicaid Services.
oping standard Asian-specific develop standing relationships working parents when an em-
measurement tools for things with doctors who can teach their ployer has scaled back or end-
such as acculturation, which young patients healthy lifestyles ed group health coverage.
indicates how well a certain and tackle medical problems ear- A phone call is all it takes to
population has adapted to the ly, before they become serious. determine if your children are
U.S. culture, as well as diet. Still, as many as five million eligible for low-cost health in-
“In Mexican-Americans children are eligible for CHIP or surance. Call 1-877-KIDS-
and Spanish populations Medicaid but not yet enrolled. NOW (1-877-543-7669) to talk
we often use language as a Many families may think they with a representative or visit
marker as acculturation. We make too much money to qualify www.insurekidsnow.gov. Fam-
say: Do you speak English
at home? This is not such a
great marker in Asian popula-
tions because English is often
taught in the home countries.
In India, for example, English
is a national language,” Pa-
laniappan said. “Giving many
Asian-Americans the typical
American diet questionnaire
does not lead to accurate data
collection because these ques-
tions do not reflect culturally
specific foods.”
The committee also recom-
mends that researchers should
“over-sample” Asian-Amer-
icans in population-based and
clinical trials to ensure that
they are well-represented.
“We’ve done an excellent
job in researching dispari-
but great gaps remain in
our knowledge about Asian-
Americans,” Palaniappan
said. “We are making a call
to action for national funding
organizations that the study
of Asian-Americans should
be a priority.”
10 THE FILIPINO PRESS
AURORA SORIANO-CUDAL
My Personal
Testimony
The blessings
of a long life
W
hat is the key to
a long l ife? This
question remained
in my thoughts as I joined the
Idos Clan and their relatives
and friends in celebrating
the 100th birthday of their
grand matriarch, Dona Re-
gina Camacho Salcedo vda.
de Idos. It was a remarkable
event held at the Norman Se-
nior Center in Chula Vista
last Saturday, Sept. 4.
I was awed by our amaz-
ing celebrant. There she was
wearing a long-sleeve fus-
chia gown with enlaced gold
thread and matching hat,
amiably greeting her well-
wishers. She exuded the
priceless beauty of a life well-
lived. Her children and grand-
children were around to make
her birthday a day of thanks-
giving and celebration. Their
warm hospitality reflected
the love and devotion they
have for this grand lady who
has maintained her charm
and friendliness, her wit and
humor and her resonant voice
through all these years.
Chapel of Roses
Nature Garden
How I wish I’ll grow old
as gracefully as the cele-
brant and how I wish I could
speak as coherently as she
did when she delivered her
speech. Of course, there were
times when she repeated her-
self, when she paused to re-
call a word, but for me it was
all right. I could listen to
her forever, if only the time
was not of the essence. That
was a sacred moment — lis-
tening to someone who had
reached the age of 100. She
acknowledged her caregiv-
ers, her children, mentioning
all their names and their as-
signed days, her medical doc-
tor of almost 46 years, Dr.
Renato Masilungan, and all
those who have made a dif-
ference in her life.
There was a portion of
her speech when everybody
laughed. She said, “When a
woman comes and give me a
kiss, I would kiss her back
and say, how are you Miss
Beautiful? When a man
kisses me, I kiss him back
a n d s a y, h o w a r e y o u , M r.
Glen Abbey Memorial
Park & Mortuary
619-498-4600
Handsome? I call them Miss
Beautiful or Mr. Handsome
b e c a u s e I d o n ’t r e m e m b e r
their names.” What a keen
sense of humor!
When she said thank you
to Congressman Bob Fil-
ner for proclaiming Sept. 4
as “Regina Idos Day” in the
51th Congressional District,
she added, without missing a
beat, “There are 135 voters in
my family.”
Dona Regina said, “People
ask me what is my secret for
a long life. I tell them, it is
God’s will.” Claiming God’s
Will for our longevity means
that we have devoted our life
to doing what God wants us
to do as we raise our chil-
dren, as we take care of our-
selves and as we share our
talents for the good of others.
Dona Regina was a teacher,
albeit a very good teacher. In
fact, she grew up in a family
of top educators in the Phil-
ippines — the late Daniel
Salcedo, the first director of
private schools and the late
Benigno Aldana, the director
of public schools, her brother
and cousin, respectively.
But most of all she is a
very good mother and ma-
triarch. Her nine children,
62 grandchildren, 58 great-
grandchildren and eight
great-great-grandchildren
(and still counting), at-
tests to her love and devo-
tion, her firm hand in rais-
ing them and her generosity
and kindness to all the peo-
ple around her. Her life is a
lesson for all of us who as-
pire for longevity.
“O Lord, teach us to num-
ber our days that we may get a
heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)
DANNY HERNAEZ
From Whom All
Blessings Flow
A water problem
T
he ancient city of Laodi-
cea had a water prob-
lem. The problem was
there was no water. At least
not in the city itself. There
were hot springs 6 miles
away near the town of Hier-
apolis. That water wasn't
drinkable and would lose its
soothing warmth by the time
it was taken to Laodicea. At
about the same distance in
the opposite direction, there
were deliciously cool sourc-
es of water around Denizli.
These waters would also lose
their cool temperature when
transported to Laodicea, re-
sulting in an unpleasantly
warm drink. The only water
available to the Laodiceans
was lukewarm at best.
When Jesus addressed the
Christians of this city in the
book of Revelation, he used
an illustration they would un-
derstand: "I know your deeds,
that you are neither cold nor
hot. I wish you were either one
or the other! So, because you
are lukewarm - neither hot
nor cold - I am about to spit
you out of my mouth" (Revela-
tion 3:15-16). The Greek word
If you are a Christian, but find that lukewarm
describes your faith, let me encourage you to
go back to the basics. Focus on Bible study and
prayer. Find a church and make yourself an active
part of it.
translated "spit" is more accu-
rately translated "vomit." It's
an unpleasant image for an
unpleasant condition: Chris-
tians who have lost their pas-
sion, who have compromised
their loyalty to Christ.
Unfortunately, the world
has seen too many Christians
just like this. Mahatma Gan-
dhi said, "I like your Christ,
I do not like your Christians.
Your Christians are so un-
like your Christ." The agnos-
tic Sheldon Vanuaken wrote,
“The best argument for
Christianity is Christians:
t h e i r j o y, t h e i r c e r t a i n t y,
their completeness. But the
strongest argument against
Christianity is also Chris-
September 11 - 17, 2010
tians - when they are som-
ber and joyless, when they
are self-righteous and smug
in complacent consecration,
when they are narrow and
repressive, then Christianity
dies a thousand deaths.”  No-
body likes lukewarm. Nobody
wants to be lukewarm.
If you're not a Christian
and that's the only Christian-
ity you've seen, then I'd urge
you to look again. There are
Christians who have overcome
this perpetual state of apa-
thy. They know that Christi-
anity isn't just about showing
up at church at certain times.
It's a way of life. As Vanuaken
said, such Christians are the
best argument for Christian-
ity that exists.
If you are a Christian, but
find that lukewarm describes
your faith, let me encour-
age you to go back to the ba-
sics. Focus on Bible study and
prayer. Find a church and
make yourself an active part
of it. Reconnect with God each
week by participating in the
Lord's Supper.
Nobody likes lukewarm.
Nobody wants to be lukewarm.
And nobody wants Jesus to
"spit them out."
September 11 - 17, 2010 THE FILIPINO PRESS
SDG&E makes enrolling in
bill-assistance program easier
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — San
Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)
has made enrolling in the state-
sponsored California Alter-
nate Rates for Energy (CARE)
bill-assistance program even
more convenient for custom-
ers thanks to a toll-free phone
enrollment system. Customers
who enroll in the CARE pro-
gram may be eligible for a bill
savings of up to 35 percent on
their SDG&E bill every month.
“We recognize that during
these tough economic times not
all of our customers have easy
access to a computer or want to
wait for their paper application
to be processed,” said Hal D.
Snyder, vice president of cus-
tomer solutions for SDG&E.
“By providing more enrollment
options and making the pro-
cess as easy as possible, we
hope to reach all of our custom-
ers who may be eligible for the
program.”
Using a touch-tone key pad,
customers can enroll in the
CARE program in a few min-
utes by calling 1-877-646-5525;
all they need is their account
number. This is in great con-
trast to the several weeks it
can take to mail and process
paper applications.
“The economy’s slow recov-
ery is putting many of our cus-
tomers in unchartered territo-
ry,” said Snyder. “We believe
there are a number of custom-
ers who may be unemployed
for the first time and don’t real-
ize they are eligible for the dis-
count. If customers are strug-
gling to pay their bill, we urge
them to call us to discuss all of
their options.”
More than 280,000 custom-
ers throughout SDG&E’s ser-
vice area are currently en-
rolled in the CARE program
and benefit from the discount.
Mark Your Calendars!
I-805 South Project Public Hearings
September 21 & 22
Caltrans has scheduled two
public hearings for the I-805
South Project on September
21st and 22nd. The purpose
is to gather public input on
the 11-mile project from
East Palomar Street in
Chula Vista to the I-805/
SR-15 interchange.
Tuesday, September 21
5 – 8 p.m.
Loma Verde Recreation Center
1420 Loma Lane
Chula Vista, CA 91911
Please call (619) 688-6670 or visit the I-805 Corridor section
of www.KeepSanDiegoMoving.com or www.dot.ca.gov/dist11
for more information.
SDG&E estimates there are
some 70,000 customers who
are eligible but have yet to en-
roll.
The new phone enrollment
system is not only good for the
customer, it is good for the en-
vironment as SDG&E contin-
ues to look for more ways to
incorporate environmentally
responsible business practices
into day-to-day operations. Re-
ducing paper is one such way.
Customers may qualify for
the CARE program one of two
ways: through their partici-
pation in certain public assis-
tance programs, or based on
their household’s size and in-
come. For customers who are
recently unemployed, house-
hold income is calculated from
the date of unemployment. All
other provisions on determin-
ing income still apply.
Qualification criteria:
• Regardless of income, cus-
tomers may be eligible if they
are currently enrolled in any of
the following public assistance
programs: Women, Infants,
and Children (WIC) program,
Medi-Cal, Healthy Families A
& B, CalWorks/TANF or Tribal
TANF, Head Start Income El-
igible (Tribal Only), Bureau of
Indian Affairs General Assis-
tance, Food Stamps/SNAP, Na-
tional School Lunch Program
(NSLP), Low Income Home
Energy Assistance Program
(LIHEAP), Supplemental Se-
curity Income (SSI).
• Customers may qualify
if their current annual house-
hold income meets the latest
threshold. The income guide-
lines below will be in effect
from June 1, 2010 - May 31,
2011.
• Number of people per
household, 1 or 2= $31,300;
3= $36,800; 4= $44,400; 5=
Wednesday, September 22
5 – 8 p.m.
Jackie Robinson Family YMCA
151 YMCA Way
San Diego, CA 92102
11
$52,000.
• Add $7,600 for each addi-
tional household member
Applying for the program is
easy and customers may use
any of the following ways to
apply:
• A toll-free automated en-
rollment line (877) 646-5525
• Online at www.sdge.com/
care
• Requesting an application
from SDG&E’s customer ser-
vice at (800) 411-7343
In addition to the CARE pro-
gram, SDG&E offers a variety
of other assistance programs
that save energy and money,
such as no-cost home improve-
ments and energy-efficient ap-
pliances for income-qualified
renters and homeowners, re-
duced energy costs for custom-
ers with certain medical condi-
tions/equipment, and payment
extensions for those who need
extra help:
• Energy Team: Will make
your family more comfortable
and secure by sealing your
place from the heat and cold
and upgrading old inefficient
appliances;
• Neighbor-to-Neighbor:
This fund provides a grant to
help customers pay their gas
and electric bills;
• Family Electric Rate As-
sistance (FERA): Provides low-
er rates for households of three
or more persons;
• Medical Baseline: Reduced
energy costs for customers who
have medical conditions/equip-
ment that impact their bill;
• Level Payment Plan: Al-
lows for monthly payments to
be spread evenly throughout
the year.
Additional information on
these assistance programs is
available from SDG&E’s Web
site, www.sdge.com/assistance.
Check us out: The
www. .com
12 THE FILIPINO PRESS September 11 - 17, 2010

Airship ride donated to fundraiser GET LISTED: To have your event listed in Save the Date, e-mail your
SAN DIEGO, Calif. —
information (include date, time, location, cost, and phone) to filpress@
Farmers Insurance Group of
aol.com. Keep in mind we publish on Saturdays, so ensure your event
Companies lent is support to
happens on the day of publication or during the following week.
the Girl Scouts San Diego’s Ur-
ban Campout Feelin’ Groovy
fundraiser on Friday, Sept.
10, at Girl Scout’ Balboa Park
September 18
campus with a ride in the sky. Iluminada 2010: Celebrating our heritage
Farmers donated a Farm- The San Diego County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce invites community
ers Airship ride during the live members to attend the Annual Gala Event honoring member acheivements.
auction that evening, which The event will take place Saturday, September 18 at the Sheraton
also included gourmet food, Mission Valley.
games, live music and dancing.
“Farmers is proud to be a The silent auction begins at 6:00 p.m. with a Mariachi concert following at
part of Girl Scouts 13th annual 7:00 p.m. The dinner and awards pressentation will take place at 8:00 p.m.
‘fun fundraiser for grown-ups,’” with dancing following at 10:00 p.m. The gala is a black tie event.
said Kevin Kelso, Farmers chief To reserve tables, call the SDCHCC chamber office at (858) 268-0790 or
marketing officer. “Communi- call (619) 808-8250.
ty support is top of Farmers’
September 18
list when it comes to the Farm-
ers Airship, and we are very Reunion of Filipinos who joined the U.S. Navy
pleased that a ride on the air- The celebration will be held at the Filipino American Veteran’s Associa-
ship will be auctioned to help tion located at 2926 Market Street, San Diego on Saturday, September
the 30,000 girl and 11,700 adult 18, at 10:00 a.m.
local members of Girl Scouts.” Veterans widows are very much welcomed. Seats are limitied so please
Stretching 15-feet longer Photo: Courtesy of Farmers Insurance
RSVP as soon as possible. Videos of past reunions will be shown. Nita Bar-
than a 747 and 50-feet longer The Farmers Airship, Zeppelin Eureka, is the world’s largest airship, stretching 15-feet longer than a 747 rion’s band will perform.
than the largest blimp, the and 50-feet longer than the largest blimp and is one of only three Zeppelins currently operation in the
world. Farmers Insurance donated a ride in the airship that was auctioned during the Girl Scouts San Di- For more information, contact Bert Andrade at (619) 470-8039.
Farmers Airship, the Zeppe-
lin Eureka, is the world’s larg- ego’s Urban Campout Feelin’ Groovy fundraiser on Friday, Sept. 10, in San Diego. SEPTEMBER 19
est airship. One of only three
Zeppelins currently operating lifelong leadership skills,” said selves, connect with others, and For information or to pur-
AUP Ambassadors to perform at
in the world, the Farmers Air- Jo Dee C. Jacob, CEO of Girl take action to make the world chase tickets for Urban Cam- National City church
ship offers passengers spectac- Scouts San Diego. “We expect a better place. Girl Scouts, San pout, visit www.sdgirlscouts. The Adventist University of the Philippines’ Ambassadors choir will
ular 360-degree views of the bidding for this exciting oppor- Diego-Imperial Council pro- org or call Annie Revel at perform at the First United Methodist Church of National City on
sights on flight-seeing tours tunity to be fast and furious!” vides activities for 40,000 girl (619) 610-0807, Sunday, Sept. 19.
“Proceeds from auctioning Girl Scouting provides the and adult members, offers For more information about The Ambassadors, returning to San Diego on their fifth U.S. Goodwill
the Farmers Airship ride will world’s best leadership experi- training for volunteers, and Farmers, visit www.farmers. Concert Tour, will perform twice that day. The choral group, conducted by
support programs that help ence for girls. Through Girl maintains three camps and four com or www.Facebook.com/ Ramon Molina Luauco Jr., will first perform during the church’s morning
Girl Scouts develop valuable, Scouts, girls discover them- program and service facilities. FarmersInsurance. worship service at 10:00 a.m. The Ambassadors’ Gala Concert begins at 2
p.m. There will be no reserved seating for the concert.
Tickets for the concert will be sold in advance and at the door. Cost of
tickets are $20 (adults), $10 (children 5-12). Admission is free for children

Hispanic Chamber hosts Iluminada Gala 4 and under and senior 62 and older.
Advance tickets can be purchased at FUMC’s administrative office Mon-
day to Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The church is located at 242 E.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The States Hispanic Chamber of members and the Latino busi- tive members and affiliates, 8t St. in National City.
San Diego County Hispan- Commerce Entrepreneur of ness community’s accomplish- it is the largest and fastest- To purchase tickets or for more information, call (619) 477-2741 or e-mail
ic Chamber of Commerce will the Year Roy Perez will be the ments,” said Jesseca Saenz- growing business organiza- office@myfumcnc.org.
host its annual Iluminada keynote to join our 2010 Busi- Gonzalez, chair of the San tion in the region. The cham-
SEPTEMBER 22
Gala, a black-tie event that ness Awardees. Diego Hispanic Chamber. ber works with its members
will take place at The Shera- Each year the Ilumina- This year’s supporters in- to provide valuable servic- CANDIDATES FORUM 2010
ton Mission Valley on Sept. 18 da Gala brings together more clude Sycuan Resort and Ca- es for economic development Candidates Forum 2010 will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 22, from 5:30
at 6:00 p.m. than 300 attendees. Support- sino, San Diego Regional Port and growth. to 7:30 p.m. at Mission Valley Public Library, 2123 Fenton Way in San Diego.
Formally known as the In- ers include Hispanic leaders, Authority, Aetna, Anheuser- The SDCHCC was found- Come listen and ask questions of several local candidates, so that you will
stallation Dinner, the Ilumi- community leaders, elected Busch, Vic Salazar Communi- ed in 1989 to promote the be informed this coming election. Candidates attending so far are:
nada Gala was created to rec- and appointed officials, and cations, Wells Fargo, to name interests of local Hispanic
Board of Supervisors: Supervisor Ron Roberts and Stephen WhitburnSan
ognize outstanding business leaders from nonprofit organi- a few. For more information businesses. The chamber
DiegoCity Council
leaders within the San Di- zations, executives from For- or to reserve tickets or spon- has developed an expansive
ego Hispanic Chamber and tune 500 companies, academi- sor the event contact Paula network and provides District 6: Howard Wayne and Lorie Zapf
supporters of Latino busi- cians, small business owners Martinez at (858) 268-0790. its members resources, District 8: David Alvarez and Felipe Hueso
ness in greater region. Award- and others with a connection The SDCHCC represents tools, and information
County Assessor, Recorder, Clerk: David Butler and Ernie Dronenburg
winning television news an- to Hispanic America. the business communi- t o s u p port the San Diego
c h o r Vi c S a l a z a r w i l l h o s t “The Iluminada is a show- t y both in San Diego and Ti- economy. For more informa- Chula VistaCity Council: Pat Aguilar and Larry Breitfelder
this year’s event and United case and celebration of our juana. With nearly 1,000 ac- tion, visit www.sdchcc.com. National City Mayor: Mayor Ron Morrison and Vice Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis
National City Council: Luis Natividad, Mona Rios and Ditas Yamane
Please RSVP by Sept. 16. For more information, contact Vince Bumanglag,
vbumanglag@aol.com or (760) 224-4635; Mitz Lee, mitz@mitzlee.com or

Asian Business Association seeks scholarship applicants (858) 689-9462; or Willie Racelis, willieracelis@cox.net.
September 26
The Asian Business Associ- Tom Fat Scholarship, in mem- students attending colleges/ the Westin Gaslamp Quarter.  21st Annual AIDS Walk San Diego
ation of San Diego (ABA), the ory of the prominent business- universities are encouraged to The scholarship awards will be San Diego County’s largest one-day HIV/AIDS fundraiser will take place on
largest Asian business organi- man and co-founder of ABA.  apply.   presented at the Gala. Sunday, Sept. 26 at Balboa Park. The 21st annual event will raise funds for
zation in San Diego, announced Three scholarship awards will ABA is celebrating its 20th For additional information more than 20 San Diego County HIV/AIDS service organizations.
that it is accepting scholar- be made by the ABA Founda- Anniversary at an Awards contact Erica Oyama at erica@ AIDS Walk San Diego is a program of The San Diego LGBT Community Cen-
ship applications.  One is the tion.  High School seniors and Gala on November 18, 2010, at abasd.org or (858) 277-2822. ter. More information is available by calling (619) 291-WALK.
COV 28897 Filipino Press_SD_MECH:Layout 2 6/10/10 12:02 PM Page 1

Don’t slip
Fiesta of Flavors coming
up when to Old Town Sept. 18
choosing a
The Fiesta of Flavors dor, Jose Cortes, ambassador and The Spirits of Mexico Main
event is coming to Old Town spokesman for El Jimador Tequi- Event, including dinner, sem-
this September as a part of la, Mexico’s No.1 selling tequila. inars, guest talks, tastes and

franchise.
the largest agave festival in
the United States, the Spir-
its of Mexico Festival.
Hosted by the Old Town
Chamber of Commerce, Pol-
ished Palate and Fiesta de
With as little as $2,000 down, you can own a commercial Reyes, Fiesta of Flavors fea-
tures non-stop entertainment,
cleaning franchise.* live demonstrations, a tequila
Join one of the leading commercial cleaning service franchise companies in the world, with over garden and samplings from 14
9,000 Franchise Owners servicing more than 50,000 customers through a network of 90 Support Centers. restaurants in Old Town. The
• Financing available event takes place Saturday,
• Comprehensive training Sept. 18, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
• Initial customer base The Fiesta of Flavors event
will include performances by
• Billing & collection services
Chunky Sanchez y Los Ala-
San Diego Support Center cranes, the Calpulli Mexihca
7801 Mission Center Court, Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92108
Dance Ensemble, the Gutier-
* This offering is made by prospectus only. Franchise opportunities range from $2,000–$27,000 down. See disclosure document for details. Limited guarantee. rez Family Andalusian Horses
and a live ‘harvesting’ of aga-
Call 619-866-3078 today. www.coverall.com ves by third-generation jima-
The event also features a
free Everything Agave exposi-
tion, featuring agave products
for sale from a variety of mer-
chants. Participating vendors
include Tienda de Reyes, Fies-
ta Cocina, Hot Licks, El Agave
Tequileria, Urban Seed, Bazaar
del Mundo, Amore Cheese-
cakes, Acapulco Restaurant and
Royal Palm Nursery.
Participating restaurants in
the Fiesta of Flavors event in-
clude Barra Barra Saloon, Old
Town Mexican Café, Café Coyote,
El Agave Tequileria, Rockin’ Baja,
Casa Guadalajara, Acapulco Res-
taurant, Cold Stone in Old Town,
Crazee Burger, Viva El Café, Zo-
calo, El Fandango, Pizza Bella
and 25 Forty Bistro & Bakehouse.
demonstrations from more
than 100 agave distillers from
throughout Mexico, will be held
at The Cosmopolitan Hotel &
Restaurant on Saturday eve-
ning, Sept. 18, starting at 6:00
p.m. The main event will wrap
up the official Spirits of Mexico
Festival Day in San Diego.
Tickets to the Fiesta of Fla-
vors event are $25 per person.
Tickets to Fiesta of Flavors
plus general admission to the
Spirits of Mexico Main Event
are $65. VIP early entrance
to the main event plus Fies-
ta of Flavors is $85 per per-
son. To purchase tickets, visit
www.OldTownSanDiegoguide.
com or call (619) 291-4903 for
more information.
September 11 - 17, 2010 THE FILIPINO PRESS 13

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14 THE FILIPINO PRESS September 11 - 17, 2010

Something out of nothing GET LISTED: To have your concert, club or event listed in What's

San Diego Artist Organization formed under unusual circumstances

Happening, e-mail your information (include date, time, location,
cost, and phone) to filpress@aol.com. Keep in mind we publish on
Saturdays, so ensure your event happens on the day of publication

T
hree years ago, Frederick or during the following week.
Aguinaldo, was serving ART SHOW
as the only active duty The San Diego Artist Organization
serviceman aboard a civilian presents its art show on Saturday,
contractor ship in Southeast Sept. 25 from 6-9 p.m. at Market
Asia. He spent 372 days, most- Street Village Clubhouse, 699
14th St. in San Diego.
ly in isolation, forward deployed
in an imminent danger zone.
Armed with nothing but an
M-4, Sig 227 and steady vigi-
lance, he stood watch halfway The Greatest Hitmakers perform Sept. 26 at Pala Casino.
around the world while San
Diego, his future home, was IN CONCERT
threatened by record-break- NATIONAL CITY BAYFRONT
ing wild fires that covered the CONCERT 2010
city in ash. The Fabulous Pelicans, Street
He returned stateside in Heart
August 2008 and had trou- When: Saturday, Sept. 18,
ble re-adjusting to regular 2-6 p.m.
military routine. Fortunate- Where: Pepper Park, National City
ly, a co-worker recognized his
Tickets: Free. Online: www.
symptoms — Aguinaldo was
nationalcityca.gov. Phone: (619)
referred to health care pro- Frank Agostino, Bryan Palacios
336-4290.
fessionals and was diagnosed Photo: SanDiegoArtist.org and Carl Raymond Schmidt.
with Post Traumatic Stress The book is on sale now on THE GREATEST HITMAKERS
Above: Works by San Diego artist Frederick Aguinaldo. Right: "Brushstrokes," a
Disorder (PTSD) late Febru- new art book by Aguinaldo and other San Diego artists. the group’s website, just in time Rico J. Puno • Marco Sison • Rey
ary 2009. He underwent many for the San Diego Artist Organi- Valera • Nonoy Zuniga
months of treatment. ist or an art collector should be zation’s public art show debut. When: Sunday, Sept. 26,
In July 2009, Aguinaldo interested in San Diego Artist Aguinaldo has recently been 3 p.m. Julius Obregon
discovered his ability to paint “It's amazing how Organization,” Aguinaldo said. notified he will be on perma- Where: Pala Casino
after an inspirational visit to my final military “There are two main reasons, nent retirement from active Tickets: $38-$98. Online: www. MCDINI'S DINER & EVENTS
the Getty museum in Los An- both of which are financial in duty as of Oct. 28. usasiamediacenter.com. Phone: Filipino food every Saturday
geles, Calif. He visited a lo- deployment has nature. The first reason is that “It’s amazing how my fi- 1-888-874-1719. Tickets also avail- with live Filipino Bands
cal art store in downtown San artists can sell paintings with- nal military deployment has
Diego and decided to try his
transformed my mind. out paying the unofficial indus- transformed my mind”,
able at Pala Casino. Where: 105 E. 8th St., National

hand at painting, under the It's almost as if my try-standard 50 percent com- Aguinaldo said. “It’s almost THEATER City, (619) 474-6771

guidance of established San mission. This savings is directly as if my entire military career TROPHY LOUNGE
Diego artist Ric Gomez. The entire military career related to the second reason: never even happened.” Rising Star
duo went on to publish “Two never even happened." An art collector can now pur- The transformation is amaz- When: Every Thursday at 8 p.m.
San Diego Artists Making chase the same fine art they see ing. From forefront to home- Where: 999 National City Blvd.,
Something Out of Nothing,” a in traditional galleries without front. Frederick’s past and pres- National City, (619) 477-9862
21-page hardcover book. promoting the fine art of local paying high retail prices.” ent are like night and day. KARAOKE
One year later, Aguinaldo artists through Internet mar- For their second art book, Interested readers can check
18TH ANNUAL FIEST FILIPIANA
founded the San Diego Artist keting, book publishing and “Brushstrokes,” Gomez and out the San Diego Artist Orga-
MEXICANA
Organization, an artist-mar- art show venues. Aguinaldo are joined by estab- nization online at www.SanDi-
KARAOKE COMPETITION
keting business dedicated to “I’m often asked why an art- lished local San Diego artists egoArtist.org
When: Saturday, Oct. 23
Where: Seafood City, 1420 E.
Plaza Blvd., National City,

Filipina bests competition to win ‘Star Factor’

(619) 477-6080
EL JUAN RESTAURANT
Eric de Leon one-man band
By Bum Tenorio Jr. and how beautiful the lyrics 13 student at the South Is- Sri Lankan, Portuguese, Tai- Jennifer Paz
When: Every Thursday beginning
 meant to me and everything land School, part of the Eng- wanese, mainland Chinese Sept. 16 from 6-9 p.m.
MANILA, Philippines – just flowed from there,” Orte- lish School Foundation in and Filipino. MOONLIGHT AMPHITHEATRE
Where: 2316 Highland Ave.,
Here’s a piece of good news ga said. Hong Kong. She wants to Songs were as varied and Jennifer Paz stars as Kim in
National City, (619) 477-6262
from Hong Kong: A 16-year- In the light of the recent study law in college. performances ranged from solo “Miss Saigon”
old Filipina bested over 2,400 tragic hostage-taking inci- “The hostage-taking in - to duets, trios, quartets and When: Nightly through Sept. 25, GAPORESTION & KAROKE
singing contestants to win the dent, Ortega said she hopes cident in Manila last Aug. 23 full bands. 7:30 p.m. When: Tuesdays to Sundays,
grand prize in this year’s “Star to be a voice to aid in healing was a sad day for mankind. To get to the finals, the con- Where: 1200 Vale Terrace Drive, 7-Midnight
Factor,” the Hong Kong equiv- the wounds between the Phil- This should not happen to any testants had to pass the fol- Vista Where: 933 S. Harbison Ave.,
alent of “American Idol.” ippines and Hong Kong as race, creed, color, religion or to lowing guidelines: prepara- Tickets: $22-$45. Online: www. National City, (619) 267-3746
Margaret Marie Necio Orte- she is set to perform for Hong anyone in particular. It is not tion and the execution of a moonlightstage.com. Phone: JASMINE
ga, in an elimination that ran Kong-based charity events about being Filipino or about performance level presen- (760) 724-2110. Also available at When: Wednesdays, 9 p.m -1 a.m.
from May to July, won first for the Chinese and Filipi- being Chinese. This incident tation, enthusiasm, singing box office.
place for the English section no audiences as part of her was against mankind. I want ability, age, discipline, confi-
in the age category 15 to 21 in commitment for winning the to take part in healing the dence and entertainment lev-
Star Factor. “Star Factor” title. wounds,” added Ortega who is el to captivate the audience.
Singing “Terrified” by Kara “With my singing at the also fluent in both Mandarin The final set of criteria in-
DioGuardi (an American Idol charity events, it is my fervent and Cantonese. cluded: technical ability, stage
judge), Margaret bested the wish that I could somehow Ortega said the Star Fac- presence, audience rapport
remaining 23 finalists as she help in mending the wounds tor finals saw two age groups and overall presentation.
played her acoustic guitar and between Hong Kong and the — 8-14 and 15-21. The contes- Ortega won HKD 3,000
“sang from the heart.” Philippines as a result of the tants were of various nation- cash, a recording session at
“I was terrified, literally, hostage-taking incident,” said alities — French, Indian, Chi- Mad Max and a trophy. (phil-
but I thought about the music the eloquent Ortega, a Year nese, American, British, Irish, star.com)

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September 11 - 17, 2010 THE FILIPINO PRESS 15

mayweather
Continued from p­­­­­age 1
the high road and acted like the
gentleman that he is.”
In a new video, Mayweather
apologized for his remarks.
“I do want to apologize for
what happened the other night.
I want to apologize to everybody
because everybody thought that
it was a racist comment that I
said. I don’t have a racist bone
in my body. I have nothing but
love for everybody,” Mayweath-
er said.
The apology hasn’t appeased
Macabenta, who said the boxer
should be censured for his com-
ments.
“We call on the National Box-
ing Association and state athlet-
ic commissions to censure May-
weather for behavior that is
both abhorrent and demeaning
to boxing fans and to the whole
world of sports. We also call on
the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People
to reprimand the boxing star for
insulting people of color. We are
further asking all civil rights or-
ganizations to stand in solidar-
ity with us in denouncing this
racist and homophobic rant.
Mayweather’s apology is unac-
ceptable and he must be made
accountable for his damaging
statements.”
“It’s an uneducated mes-
sage,” Pacquiao, 31, told the
sports website bleacherreport.
com. The Boxing Writers Asso-
ciation of America named Pac-
quiao the “Fighter of the De-
cade” for the years 2000-2009.
texting
Continued from p­­­­­age 1
municate with multiple peo-
ple using SMS. It is ini-
tially available through Globe
Telecom but expected to be of-
fered also by other carriers
The developer of the service is
a company called SMS GupSh-
up, based in Mumbai, India. Its
founder and CEO, Beerud Sheth,
was in Manila recently and Tech-
news had the chance to inter-
view him. Born in Mumbai but
raised and educated in the Unit-
ed States, Beerud (pronounced
Bei-rud) was initially focused on
the Internet for his business in
Silicon Valley — until he realized
that 80 percent of the world’s pop-
ulation has never accessed the
Web, but they do use mobiles. It
was then that he chose to devel-
op products for the mobile mar-
ket, with special attention to text
messaging which is used by more
people in most parts of the world.
Here’s an excerpt from the
TECHNEWS interview:
TECHNEWS: So what is SMS
Reply-All?
BEERUD: The SMS Reply-
All Chat service extends the
capabilities of SMS from ba-
sic person-to-person or P2P
messaging to many-to-many
messaging. It is similar to the
commonly used “CC” and “Re-
ply-All” features on e-mail.
TECHNEWS: What makes it
unique?
BEERUD : SMS Reply-All
Chat works on every handset
and is very easy to use. It re-
quires no training, no software
downloads, no data connectivity
nor a change in handset.
TECHNEWS: How useful will
this service be and who are the
people who will most likely avail
of this service?
BEERUD: I expect virtually ev-
ery user of basic P2P SMS to also
use Reply-All. We're all social an-
imals. Texting one person at a
time just isn't social enough. The
early adopters of this service are
likely to be the youth and college
students, who are always hang-
ing out with friends. They can use
it whether they are just chit-chat-
ting or organizing social events
— be it parties, meetings or any
other activity that requires co-
ordination among multiple indi-
viduals. Instead of relaying and
forwarding messages from one
person in the group to the oth-
er, everyone in a group can up-
date everyone else at the same
time. In fact, reply-all conversa-
tions become so engaging that it
becomes hard for any participant
to stay out of the discussion.
TECHNEWS: Will the Internet
render text messaging obsolete?
BEERUD: The Internet will
not render text messaging ob-
solete. Just as radio did not kill
print, TV did not kill radio, the
Internet will not kill text messag-
ing. Text messaging will remain
the most popular way of commu-
nication since it is the most sim-
ple and most affordable and it
doesn’t discriminate. It is used
by the young as well as the old,
and with the most affordable
as well as the most expensive
handset. Text messaging will be
here forever. (mb.com)

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16 THE FILIPINO PRESS
Francine Maigue
The Pampered
Pinay
Falling for Fall
T
he temperature is
heading south. Stu-
dents are heading
back to school. Layered ensem-
bles are heading out of the clos-
et. Sure as leaves fall, I fall in
love with autumn every year,
my pampered friends. There’s
something irresistibly inspir-
ing about a season named for
the shedding of what was once
new and blossoming. It is as if
nature means to remind us that
some things come to an end to
allow for more beautiful, satis-
fying beginnings.
Fall fashion
Blazers and baubles and
boots, oh my! Don’t be afraid
to layer on pieces from your
wardrobe with color, courage
and charisma. There couldn’t a
more forgiving season in which
experimenting with eclectic
style is not only allowed but
strongly encouraged.
Tips: Pair up vintage with
trendy. Boldly incorporate pops
of color, even with standard
pieces like coats. Be willing to
step out of your comfort zone,
particularly with accessories.
Have fun playing with the size
and shape of your jewelry and
purses, for example.
Don’t forget that make-
up and fragrance are like the
whipped cream and cherry on
to begin listing the things for
which we should save up for,
like holiday trips and gifts.
Though it should be filled with
joyous celebrations, the holi-
day season is notorious for be-
ing one of the most stressful
times of the year, mainly be-
cause of money. Frugality is a
fine art, but it is one which we
can all learn to master.
Tips: Keep your list of holi-
day items to save up for near-
by and view it often. A daily re-
minder will keep you mindful
of holiday spending. Do your
research, and make reserva-
tions as early as possible. Last-
minute options are almost al-
top to a perfectly layered out- ways the most expensive.
fit. Express your emotions with Planning carefully and
thicker eyeliner or more deeply staying motivated to save
colored lips. Sultry scents get funds will empower you later
the green light when there is on this year. You will be able to
a chill in the air. Without go- travel, attend holiday parties
ing overboard, test out more and wrap up presents without
rich aromas like rose, vanilla guilt, without conflict, without
or amber for autumn. stress. Imagine entering 2011
with a bank account and finan-
cial habits you can be proud of!
Enjoy the emerging beau-
ty of autumn, my pampered
friends. Let the cool breeze
breathe new life into new
projects, new goals. See you
next week, when we dive
into Fall fitness!
— Francine, The Pam-
pered Pinay
Wanna keep in touch and
join in on fun weekly chats
with other Pampered Pinay
fans? Simply check out www.
Facebook.com or www.Twit-
ter.com, and search “Francine
A glamorous, designer handbag Maigue.” See you online!
like the "Fabiana" from Corazon de Check back every week for
Melon is a fabulous investment and ways to pamper yourself and
addition to fabulous Fall fashion. those you love. Why? The an-
swer is simple: You deserve it!
Fall finances Got a business or event I
In a blink of an eye, we’ll be should know about? Wish to
caught in the middle of the holi- agree or agree to disagree
day season. It’s important to en- with me? Want to send me a
sure that we won’t be caught in love note? (I love those.) E-
the middle of a personal finan- mail me at thepamperedpi-
cial crisis as a result. It’s time nay@yahoo.com.
Child, adult food program opens
The Hope Adult day Health
Care Center announces the
sponsorship of the adult day
care component of the Child
and Adult Care Food Program.
Meals will be available at no
separate charge to persons en-
rolled at the Hope Adult Day
Health Care Center located at
11239 Camino Ruiz, Suite A,
Unilab-USA to celebrate
27th anniversary
The Unilab-USA of South-
ern California will celebrate
its 27th anniversary on
Sept. 18 at the Los Coyotes
Country Club at 8888 Los
Coyotes Drive, Buena Park,
California.
Unilab-USA is an organiza-
tion of former employees and
retirees of United Laborato-
ries in the Philippines who
have settled in Southern Cal-
ifornia. These former United
employees were instilled the
Filipino concept of working to-
gether that has evolved into
a credo called Bayanihan
-- the glue that has bonded
them together in the orga-
nization borne of that con-
cept -- the Unilab of South-
ern California USA, fondly
called "Unilove."
We have heard of many
Filipino organizations in
the United States that have
disintegrated no soon-
er than they have or-
San Diego.
In accordance with Feder-
al law and U.S. Department
of Agriculture policy, this in-
stitution is prohibited from
discriminating on the basis of
race, color, national origin,
sex, age, or disability.
To file a complaint of discrimi-
nation, write USDA, Director,
ganized due to that draw-
back of the Filipino persona
-- crab mentality, pride ego,
self-centeredness. But mem-
bers of Unilab-USA may be
of a different genre. They are
bred by the storied B a y a n i -
h a n v a l u e o f m a g tulungan.
This must be the reason that
Unilab-USA has gone this far.
To ensure Unilab-USA con-
tinued growth the organiza-
tion is open for membership
to close friends and benefac-
September 11 - 17, 2010
Office of Civil rights, 1400 Inde-
pendence Avenue, SW, Washing-
ton, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800)
795-3272 or (202) 720-6382.
(TTY). USDA is an equal opportu-
nity provider and employer.
For more information, re-
garding enrollment at the cen-
ter contact Teresa H. Lucas at
(858) 653-5916.
tors and children of former
Unilab employees.
The highlight of the cele-
bration will be a dinner-show
entitled "A Dose of Laughter,
the Best Medicine" featuring
entertainers from Los Ange-
les and and Orange County's
communities.  To cap the eve-
ning will be raffles and ball
room dancing.
Unilab-USA president Aris
Reyes and the officers spread
the mat of welcome to all
United Warriors and their
families in California and Ne-
vada to attend this celebration
and reunion.
For more information call
F e l i x ( 6 2 6 ) 8 3 9 - 0 7 3 6 , Va l
(818) 439-3695, or Aris (951)
201-7075.
September 11 - 17, 2010 THE FILIPINO PRESS 17

L01_Fishing_BW_F_13x21_outlined.indd 1 New Master SCG Legend 4/5/10 4:18 PM Page 1 7/30/10 5:40 AM
18 THE FILIPINO PRESS
33rd Annual Bonitafest
Melodrama opens Sept. 17
Beauty is only skin deep,
maybe even less if you are the
evil villains Cadwell von Fowl
and Lickpenny trying to ruin
the region’s premier pageant.    back again to play the bum-
South Bay’s favorite bad
guys return to wreck havoc
and provide laughter in the
33rd Annual Bonitafest Melo-
drama “Ms. Sweetwater Val-
ley,” Sept. 17, 18, 24 and 25 at
the Bonita Vista High School
Bolles Theatre. All perfor-
mances begin at 7:30 p.m.
Written and directed by
Sunnyside playwright/song-
writer Max Branscomb, “Ms.
Sweetwater Valley” was in-
spired by a controversial local
pageant. Branscomb’s musi-
cal-comedy is a tuneful and up-
lifting story of a young woman
who draws from a strong up-
bringing to overcome tragedy
and disappointment to encour-
age others by her example.
Ethnic health journalists sought
for media fellowship program
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
The New America Media Fel-
lowship Program on Health
and Environmental Health for
Ethnic Media Journalists is
seeking applicants for its 2010
scholarship. Deadline for en-
tries is Friday, Sept. 17.
The fellowship will support
ethnic media journalists to re-
search and write at least one in-
depth story, documenting the
human impact of a health care is-
sue, or policy issue, or the impact
of environmental toxins on hu-
man health. The story, or series,
will be published or broadcasted
in the fellows’ respective ethnic
Advertise
with us
GET RESULTS
The
(619) 477-0940
or visit us
online at
filipinopress.com
Melodrama institution Tim-
othy Paul Evans returns for his
30th production as Lickpenny.
Gabriel Orendain-Necochea is
bling villain Cadwell von Fowl.  tory. Its multicultural, fami-
Talented 15-year-old singer/
actress Natalee Nordfelt plays
the leading lady Lindsey Mag-
nuson. Chantal Marie Brans-
comb plays her little sister, Pau-
lette. Chloe Yantis plays the
spacey but good-hearted Melody
Sue McGuire and Ginny Mabrey
plays the shy singing sensation
Shannon May. Also featured
are Lianne Brannon, Lauren
Grey, Dayna Hill, Ciarlene Cole-
man, Daniela Margolis and Tay-
lor Webster. Kerie Muller is the
stage manager and Tom Lord is
the music director.
San Diego County’s longest-
running theatre production,
the Bonitafest Melodrama was
founded in 1978 by Branscomb,
media outlets, including The Fil-
ipino Press, and selected stories
will be published on NAM’s web-
site. Fellows will receive a $2000
stipend at the completion of the
fellowship program.
In addition, fellows will par-
ticipate in a mandatory two-day
workshop hosted by the Univer-
sity of California Sacramento
Center from Oct. 19-20, where
they will meet state-level policy
makers, leading health report-
ers, advocates and researchers.
As a part of the two-day work-
shop, fellows will also partic-
ipate in a special NAM news
briefing on Oct. 19, where ex-
Glennalie Coleman, Corky Mi-
ser, Loren Tarantino, Marga-
ret Frank and Jane Fitch. It
features original musical-com-
edies based on South Bay his-
ly-oriented shows are known
for their tuneful songs, comi-
cal villains and uplifting story-
lines. The Melodrama has been
honored by the San Diego The-
atre League, National Endow-
ment for the Arts, Chula Vista
Commission for Arts and Cul-
tural, San Diego County Board
of Supervisors and California
State Senate for its work to el-
evate the community.
T h i s y e a r ’s p r o d u c t i o n
opens with its traditional Pic-
nic-on-the-Green on Sept. 17
at 6:00 p.m.  For $15 theatre-
goers receive a catered dinner
by Chick-fil-A and tickets to
the show. For ticket informa-
tion call (619) 850-7126.
perts will break down the new
healthcare reform law and its
impact on ethnic communities.
The organization is particular-
ly interested in stories that ex-
plore how the new health care re-
form law — which pumps more
money into community health
clinics and requires insurers to
offer such preventive services as
cancer and asthma screenings —
will impact efforts to address en-
vironmental health and justice
issues in your communities.
For more information, please
contact: Ngoc Nguyen, nnguy-
en@newamericamdia.org, or call
(415) 503-4170.
Anakbayan
San Diego
to screen
‘Dukot’
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — A spe-
cial screening of “Dukot” will
be shown on Saturday, Sept.
18, 2010 from 6-9 p.m. at the
Centro Cultural de la Raza,
2004 Park Blvd.
 Tickets are $10 if purchased
before Sept. 17, or $12 if pur-
chased at the door.
From the director of “Mano
Po” and “Pacquiao the Movie”
comes a landmark film for in-
dependent Philippine cinema.
Dukot dares to tell the story
of families who have lost their
movie
Continued from p­­­­­age 1
month at the Toronto Interna-
tional Film Festival in Cana-
da and at the San Sebastian
International Film Festival in
Spain, where it will be in the
competition. It will be commer-
cially released in the Philip-
pines next year.
Set in Luzon in 1900, “Ami-
go” opens with an inscription of
how the Americans, in prosecut-
ing their war against Spain in
Cuba, chose to extend it to an-
other Spanish colony, the Philip-
pines, “half a world away.”
“They chose to stay (there in
the Philippines),” the inscrip-
tion laconically adds.
Balancing act
The movie (formerly titled
“Baryo”) tells the story of a vil-
lage in the middle of the Phil-
ippine-American War as its
people try to pick up the piec-
es from the Philippines’ war of
independence against Spain,
while confronting the threat of
further disintegration as Amer-
ican troops invade the country.
When the Americans take
over, they force the village head,
Rafael Dacanay (played im-
pressively by Filipino actor Joel
Torre), to cooperate.
“Soy muy amigo (I am a
dear friend),” Dacanay tells the
Custer-looking American com-
manding officer (played equal-
ly impressively by Oscar-winner
Chris Cooper). From then on, the
Americans refer to him as “Ami-
go,” as if it were his real name.
But Dacanay’s brother is a
leader of the “insurrectos,” what
the Americans call the Filipi-
no revolutionaries who fought
Spain successfully and are now
trying to stem the U.S. invasion.
Dacanay’s teenage son has
also disobeyed him and run
off to join the Filipino freedom
fighters in the jungle. He is thus
forced to walk the tightrope, do-
ing a dangerous balancing act
between the American conquer-
ors and the Filipino resistance
in order to protect the interest
and safety of his people.
loved ones to alleged military
abductions under the Glo-
ria Macapaga Arroyo regime.
Directed by Joel Lamangan.
Written by Bonifacio Illagan.
Starring Allen Dizon, Iza Cal-
zado, Snooky Serna and Gina
Alajar.
Extrajudicial killings and
enforced disappearances of
militant activists, crusading
journalists and government
critics constitute one of the
more disturbing phenomena
in recent years in the Philip-
pines.
Since 2001 when Gloria Ma-
capagal Arroyo became pres-
ident, over a thousand cas-
es have been recorded by the
human rights organization
Karapatan. Philip Alston, the
United Nations Special Rap-
porteur, indicted the govern-
ment for the culture of impuni-
ty now reigning in the country
after completing his own re-
search.
The Philippine government
Low-intensity warfare
Since the Americans know
that the village is the lifeblood
of the rebels, providing the un-
derground with food and mate-
rial supplies, they “hamlet” the
village and define its boundar-
ies, impose a curfew, restrict
the movement of the villag-
ers and, to ensure that no food
reach the rebels, kill off the ca-
rabaos and put a stop to the
tilling of the fields.
The movie implies that to-
day’s low-intensity warfare
and hamletting originated
from the American policy to
constrict the Philippine resis-
tance in the early 1900s.
But the American detail is
also directed to “win the hearts
and minds” of Filipinos. Try-
ing to settle down with the na-
tives, the Americans find the
locals hospitable and the sur-
roundings bucolic.
An American soldier barely
out of his teens falls in love with
a barrio lass; another soldier dis-
covers the joys of the local wine,
tuba; and the lieutenant (Gar-
ret Dillahunt) allows certain lib-
erties, such as elections and the
holding of the traditional fiesta
in honor of the patron saint, San
Isidro de Labrador.
When the commanding of-
ficer returns already incensed
by guerrilla raids in other
towns, he explodes at the pol-
icy of rapprochement village
and orders Dacanay water-tor-
tured to force him to reveal the
rebel lair of his brother.
“It’s their country”
When the village chief leads
the Americans on a wild goose
chase to protect his brother and
son, the commanding officer or-
ders his execution.
The lieutenant, who is oth-
erwise conscientious and
would like to see Dacanay get
off the hook, wonders aloud
why the resistance fighters just
wouldn’t give up despite their
irreversible losses and the im-
pending American victory.
“Why should they?” his
subordinate tells him. “It’s
their country.”
September 11 - 17, 2010
has flatly rejected responsibil-
ity and denied complicity in
these heinous crimes, profess-
ing adherence to the Bill of
Rights and to all international
protocols on human rights.
Dukot could very well be the
first full-length film that gives
the lie to the claim.
In this horrid sojourn in
search of the missing, the story
of Junix and Maricel and the
seething unrest and its conse-
quent social movement in the
Philippines unravels, giving
light to true stories and actu-
al events to victims who have
been silenced.
A panel discussion will fol-
low the film screening with
special guest speakers includ-
ing Dukot filmmakers and hu-
man rights activist and torture
survivor Melissa Roxas.
Part of the proceeds from
this event will be donated to
a human rights group in the
Philippines and to the Melissa
Roxas medical fund.
Brave, provocative, and in-
sightfully funny, “Amigo”
weaves a complex tale that
does not simplify the issues
involved in the war and tries
to give voice to the Filipinos’
yearning for freedom.
It shows that even while sub-
jugated, the Filipinos continue to
resist through little acts of defi-
ance, such as exploiting the lan-
guage barrier in order to curse
the Americans and call them
tsonggo (monkey) and multo
(ghost), a reference to their pale
and ghostly complexion.
Complex, authentic
Sayles said he tried to cap-
ture the complexity of the war in
the movie while tracing Amer-
ica’s conflicted policy in Iraq to
its original imperialist venture
in the Philippines.
“It’s the same in Iraq as it
was in the Philippines 100 years
ago,” Sayles said about the U.S.
occupation policy. “Now it’s win-
ning the hearts and minds of
the people, the next moment —
finish them off!”
His films have become not-
ed for their ensemble cast and
the actors who have been iden-
tified with him include such
fine thespians as Cooper and
David Straitharn.
Only in the Philippines
In “Amigo,” Filipino actors
who got an opportunity to be
part of Sayles’ ensemble in-
clude, aside from Torre, Bem-
bol Roco, Rio Locsin, Ronnie
Lazaro and Pen Medina.
“I felt I could only make
this film here,” Sayles said in
an Inquirer report published
last summer while shooting
“Amigo” for six weeks in Bo-
hol. “Plus the Philippines has
a real movie industry. Our cast
and crew are film professionals
who’ve experienced working in
every type of movie.”
Filipino film professionals in-
volved in “Amigo” include cine-
matographer Lee Briones-Meily
and production designer Rodell
Cruz, who capture the mood, col-
ors and setting of a turn-of-the-
20th-century Philippine village
in the movie. (Inquirer.net)
September 11 - 17, 2010 THE FILIPINO PRESS 19

Young Fil-Am killed in Mira Mesa

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — St. Joseph’s School-
College, Olongapo City batchmate (Batch 80)
Abdon Pugal recently lost his son to a tragic
killing in San Diego.
Pugal's son, Aris “AJ” Elijah Pugal, 20, was
shot dead at a party in the 10900 block of Mar-
tinque Way in Mira Mesa on Sept. 4.
The family is facing a devastating challenge.
In addition to losing their son to a senseless
killing, the family’s home is now in foreclosure.
AJ was born on Sept. 7, 1989, and died on
Sept. 4, just days before his 21st birthday.
The funeral service will be held Saturday,
Sept. 11 from 2-3:00 p.m. at El Camino Memo-
rial-Sorrento Valley Chapel, 5600 Carroll Can-
yon Road.
The interment will take place Saturday,
Sept. 11 at 3:15 p.m. at El Camino Memorial
Park, 5600 Caroll Canyon Road.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests dona- For more information, pictures or memories
tions to be sent to Pugal’s godmother, Iit Pena- of AJ Pugal, visit a website dedicated to him at
flor, at 14378 Augusta Drive in Valley Center. www.tributes.com/show/89296798.

Music, food, fun on tap for

N.C.’s free Bayfront Concert
NATIONAL CITY, Calif.
— World-class riffs on a bay-
front stage are what you’ll find
at this year’s annual National
City Bayfront Concert at Pep-
per Park, Sept. 18 from 2-6 p.m.
Free to the public, classic rock
and oldies bands, Street Heart
and The Fabulous Pelicans will
provide one of the most rockin’
family- friendly events of the
season.
The Fabulous Pelicans are
comprised of some of San Diego’s
best local artists, such as Caro-
line Martin on vocals and Greg
Douglass on lead guitar. Caro-
line sang for MTV, “Entertain-
ment Tonight” and “PM Maga-
zine” as well as countless clubs
in Las Vegas, Miami Beach and
New York City. Her smoky voice
will light up the stage as Greg
Douglass pumps up the tunes.
Greg was the lead guitarist for
The Steve Miller Band at the
peak of their popularity and
has five platinum records to his
name. He has played with stars
such as Van Morrison, the Doo-
bie Brothers and Creedence
Clearwater Revival. The Fabu-
lous Pelicans are guaranteed to
put on an unforgettable show.
Street Heart has been in San
Diego for the past 14 years play-
ing classic rock on some of Cal-
ifornia’s finest stages.   Since
1987, Street Heart's vocally
driven classic rock variety show
has been featured regularly at
major venues and events. They
will rock the stage and dance
floor.
After dancing a jig to classic
oldies, attendees can enjoy deli-
cious Mexican fare from El Juan
Mexican Restaurant of National
City. Miss National City and
her court will be selling bever-
ages and tasty treats. For the
little ones, the National City
Community Services Depart-
ment will host kids’ activities
during the concert.
The event is made possi-
ble with the financial support
of the Unified Port District of
San Diego, City of National
City Community Services De-
partment, El Juan Mexican
Restaurant in National City
and the Walrus 105.7-FM. 
For more information, vis-
it www.nationalcityca.gov  or
call  (619) 336-4290. Pepper
Park is located in National
City at the South Terminus of
Tidelands Ave. To get to the
Park, exit the I-5 west on Bay
Marina Drive to Tidelands
Ave. and turn left.

Community gathers for State of

City Address in National City

Photos: Bill Ramsey

Top: National City Mayor Ron Morrison speaks to an
audience attending the State of the City Address on
Thursday, Sept. 9, at Cornerstone Church. Above:
Morrison speaks to guests at a mini-Taste of National
City prior to the address. Left: Congressman Bob Filner
greets Filipino Press publisher Susan delos Santos. Lop
left: A server from Tita's Kitchenette serves a long line
of hungry guests prior to the address.
20 THE FILIPINO PRESS
facebook
Continued from p­­­­­age 1
Pacific region, with more than 90
percent of its population with on-
line access visiting a social-net-
working site during the month
of February, followed closely by
Australia (89.6 percent) and In-
donesia (88.6 percent).
Clearly, the Philippines, as
does most of the world where so-
cial-media sites are not blocked
by governments, has embraced
such social-networking sites as
Facebook — which recently not-
ed its dominance with more than
500 million active users world-
wide — as its primary means of
interacting online, though not
replacing text messaging in the
Philippines (see sidebar on Page
1).
The level of engagement by
Filipinos is no surprise given the
country’s and the region’s histo-
ry of quickly adopting websites
as a means of communciation
and interaction, and is perhaps
only eclipsed by the use of Face-
book in the United States. A
quick search of Facebook for “Fil-
ipino” or “Philippines” reveals
more than 500 dedicated person-
al, business, organization and so-
called “fan” pages devoted to all
things Filipino. And as Filipinos
in the U.S. have become the fast-
est-growing Asian-American mi-
nority, it’s no coincidence that
the Filipino-American presence
on social-networking sites has
become a crucial, if not manda-
tory, method of communication
between both fellow immigrants
and families and friends back
home.
Top of the heap
Among this moveable feast of
serious and satirical pages exists
perhaps the most-followed Fil-
ipino-American page, Definite-
ly Filipino, heaquartered in the
northern California city of Tracy.
Anchored by its parent web-
site, definitelyfilipino.com, and
blog, Definitely Filipino’s Face-
book page has skyrocketed since
its debut in July 2009. Since
then, Definitely Filipino has
gathered almost 900,000 follow-
ers, placing it among, if not the
first page anyone searching “Fili-
pino” on Facebook will encounter.
Definitely Filipino is a bonafide
business, featuring its own store
and numerous tabs enabling it to
meet the qualifications of a “busi-
ness” page as defined by Face-
book. But its popularity and suc-
cess is largely the result of the
direction and enthusiasm of the
team of bloggers, administrators
and moderators who form the
Definitely Filipino team.
The “wizard” behind Definite-
ly Filipino is founder Ben To-
tanes, 47, a native of Kamuning,
a suburb of Quezon City, who
came to the U.S. in 1983.
“I was first exposed to com-
puters around 1978 when I took
summer courses in data process-
ing,” said Totanes. “At 18, I be-
came a working student during
college as a mainframe program-
mer at the Intelligence Service
of the Armed Forces of the Phil-
ippines around 1981. I came to
the United States in 1983 and al-
most immeditately started tran-
sitioning my computer knowl-
edge to PCs, which had just been
introduced by IBM.”
Anyone old enough to be fa-
miliar with the evolution of per-
sonal computers and the birth of
the public Interent — created by
the U.S. Defense Department as
an internal network, or Intranet,
as a means of communicating
and transferring information be-
tween various military agencies
— will be familiar with Totanes’
initial encounter with the what
would become many cite as the
defining technological phenome-
non of the 20th century.
“My introduction to the Inter-
net came around 1994, when the
company I was working for start-
ed using e-mail addresses” said
Totanes. But it would be anoth-
er year before Totanes would be
exposed to the true power of the
Internet when a co-worker ex-
plained to him the wider advan-
tages of the system — namely
browsing text pages through ear-
ly dial-up modems.
“The graphical browswer Mo-
saic came after that, and then
September 11 - 17, 2010
DEFINITELY FILIPINO: FACEBOOK EMPIRE? Key to the success of Defi- Filipino is now the largest Fili-
nitely Filipino, said Totanes, is pino cultural group on the Inter-
These are the Facebook pages Ben Totanes has created under the Definitely its forumla for taking advan- net.
Filipino umbrella, their URLs, his role in each and number of followers: tage of the evolving technology, Being Definitely Filipino
• Definitely Filipino
a passion for what they do and Given the varying interests
www.facebook.com/i.am.filipino (Creator/
avoiding the burnout that has and geographical separation of
Admin) Followers: 890,576
• Benigno "Noynoy" S. Aquino III plauged so many blogs and now its followers, maintaining Defi-
www.facebook.com/noynoy.aquino (Creator/ Facebook pages that are created nitely Filipino — and its grow-
Admin) Followers: 1,987,808 then abandoned. ing “empire” 11 pages (see side-
• Filipino NURSES “This is bascially one of the bar this page) has been, Totanes
www.facebook.com/filipino.nurses (Admin) reasons why I came up with the said, a remarkably simple task.
Followers: 143,168 concept of an ‘interactive wall,’ ” After creating the page and
• Santo Nino said Totanes, who is a technical posting content to the blog him-
www.facebook.com/santo.ninyo (Creator/ writer for a Silicon Valley firm. self at first, Totanes monitored
Admin) Followers: 3,443 In early 2009, Totanes joined the site for potential recruits. Of
• Efren Penaflorida, Jr.
a Facebook group called “I am the 20 who were initially offered
www.facebook.com/Kuya.Efren (Creator/Consultant) Followers: 14,635
proud to be a Filipino,” which, a position as an (unpaid) admin-
• Filipino Youngsters
www.facebook.com/Filipino.Youngsters (Creator/Admin) Followers: 7,387 at the time, had the largest istrator or moderator so far, only
• Gel Santos Relos amount of followers of all Fili- one has declined. And their geo-
www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos (Creator/Consultant) Followers: 3,745 pino-related pages. “After join- graphical separation means the
• The 21 Missions of California ing,” he said, “I remember say- site is updated almost around
www.facebook.com/21.missions (Creator/Admin) Followers: 417 ing to myself, ‘OK, I am proud to the clock with a wide variety of
• Filipino be a Filipino … now what?’” news and updates.
www.facebook.com/pages/Filipino/84541107889 (Creator/Admin) So many visitors of these “Our administrators and
Followers: 189,879 Facebook pages, said Totanes, moderators scour the Internet
• Juana Change joined and then dropped off, ei- and read the wall for trending
www.facebook.com/Juana.Change (Consultant) Followers: 2,335
ther due to lack of direction or topics and items that would up-
• Definitely American
interest by their creators. But it lift Filipinos as a whole. We’ve
www.facebook.com/definitely.american (Creator/Admin) Followers: 815
was the lack of interactivity that also cooperated with writers
bothered Totanes most. If he such as Balitang America’s Gel
were to create his own Filipino Santos-Relos to help us spread
Netscape,” he recalled. joy in knowing that even though Facebook page, it would not suf- U.S.-based issues to our mem-
The pre-Web Internet exist- I am physically far from the Phil- fer from the same apathy. That, bers,” he said.
ed only as bulletin boards and fo- ippines, Filipinos are still only he said, was the birth of the con- The nonprofit operation is still
rums known as the Usenet, pre- within a keyboard’s reach.” cept of an “interactive wall.” growing, but Totanes said the
cursors to social-media platforms “For example,” Totanes said, “Around May 2009, I was (main) Facebook page is, hands
such as Facebook, but without “in 2001, I thought eGroups.com browsing Facebook’s other Fili- down, the most popular. Citing
the bells and whistles. But there (which later became Yahoo!’s Ya- pino groups and pages,” Totanes August statistics, Totanes said
was already a plethora of forums hoogroups) was the best thing writes on the Definitely Filipino Definitely Filipino had 458,166
devoted to specific interests and since sliced bread, since it could website. “I realized that there active users with 129,102 dai-
cultures, including at least one do whatever Usenet did, but in wasn’t really a place on Face- ly post views. In contrast, he
started by Totanes. a graphical environment — and book where Filipinos can mingle said, the the blog logged a re-
“My earliest experience with more. Little did I know that that and meet others. These groups/ cord 22,000 views in one day and
social networking was with the was just the beginning. Later pages, though promoting Fili- around 200,000 views in August.
Usenet forums such as soc.cul- came Friendster, MySpace and pino culture and pride, did not Clearly, Facebook is the cata-
ture.filipino and rec.music.filipi- now Facebook.” have interaction between its lyst for Totanes’ success in build-
no,” said Totanes, adding that he Generation Facebook members. Their members would ing the network’s most popular
created the latter in 1996. “These Beyond the ability to instant- simply visit the group in the be- Filipino page.
forums were where the now-clas- ly and cheaply connect with ginning, then forget about it af- “It has improved tremendous-
sic ‘You know you’re Filipino if …’ friends and relatives a world terwards and seldom return.” ly,” he said. “For example, my
thread was born.” and several time zones away, Becoming the antithesis of other Facebook page (devoted
Like his fellow Filipino immi- Facebook has enabled Filipinos these pages was the guiding to President Benigno “NoyNoy”
grants, Totanes had a deep in- with a thirst for news and in- force and philosophy behind the S. Aquino III), currently with
terest in connecting to his home, formation from home and here creation of Definitely Filipino around 1.96 million members,
family and friends, and the In- in the U.S. an unfiltered plat- and its growing stable of pages has been credited with bringing
ternet provided that quick, inex- form that combines the ability to (there are now 11 pages, includ- together Filipinos online, help-
pensive link. comment in and connect in real ing the latest, Definitely Amer- ing in disseminating informa-
“The desire to connect with time. Facebook, Totanes said, ican). A combination website, tion and sending out our sup-
people through networking has has changed the way he and his blog and Facebook page to vis- porters to the streets during the
stayed with me since the Usenet fellow administrators and mod- it, learn, interact and belong, as campaign.”
days,” said Totanes. “It brings me erators approach their task. Totanes describes it, Definitely Now that’s definitely Filipino.
September 11 - 17, 2010 THE FILIPINO PRESS 21
22 THE FILIPINO PRESS September 11 - 17, 2010