See H-1B VISA, page 16

Dependent spouses will soon be allowed to work in US

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2014 (AFP) – The United States said Tuesday it will soon start issuing work visas to the spouses of some foreign workers as part of a drive to retain highly skilled people.

The change will affect the spouses of people with so-called H-1B visas, a limited-term working visa that employees obtain when they are sponsored by their companies.

As it stands now, their spouses only get a “dependent” H-4 visa which allows them to live in the US but not to work.

When spouses cannot work foreign families tend not to settle in the United States, depriving it of many workers highly skilled in science and technology.

Under the changes, spouses of people with H-1B visas who have applied for permanent residency ‘green cards’ can also apply for permission to work.

“The proposals announced today will encourage highly skilled, specially trained individuals to remain in the United States and continue to support US businesses and the growth of the US economy,” said Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.

“The fact is, we must do more to retain and attract world-class talent to the United States and these regulations put us on a path to doing that,” said US Commerce

Philippine and U.S. special operations forces (SOF) soldiers paddle from the starting point to another event during the 3rd annual SOF Challenge at Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, May 3, 2014, prior to exercise Balikatan 2014. Balikatan is an annual bilateral training exercise designed to increase interoperability between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military when responding to future natural disasters. (DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Pete Thibodeau, U.S. Marine Corps /Released)

BEIJING, May 8, 2014 (AFP) – The skipper of a Chinese fishing boat claimed Thursday that his vessel was shot at by Philippine police as 11 fishermen aboard another were seized, state media reported.

“They rushed toward us in a boat and fired at us,” He Junting, captain of the Qiongqionghai 03168, said of Tuesday’s events, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Philippine National Police official Noel Vargas denied the accusation, telling reporters: “I don’t know where they got

their information.“As far as the PNP (Philippine National

Police) side is concerned, we did not fire any shots.”

The allegation and denial came after Philippine police arrested the 11 fishermen in the South China Sea and impounded their ship as part of what Manila calls ef-forts to protect its resources and enforce its laws.

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, even waters close to the shores of its neighbors, raising tensions in the

strategically vital area.Separately, Vietnam on Wednesday said

that Chinese ships protecting a deep-water drilling rig in disputed waters in the South China Sea had used water cannon to attack Vietnamese patrol vessels and repeatedly rammed them, injuring six people.

Tensions between the Communist neighbors have risen sharply since Beijing unilaterally announced last week it would move the deep-water drilling rig into dis-puted waters − a move the United States

By Rhony LaigoBoeing’s new 777-300ER are now

part of Philippine Airlines US-bound fleet. Last Saturday, May 3, the new aircraft made its maiden voyage to Los Angeles from Manila and will be added to the regular fleet of Manila-US flights (Los Angeles and San Francisco) as PAL officials also announced a return to New York, Chicago and soon to serve Florida.

In a product briefing held by the sea at The Reef Restaurant in the scenic city

A total of 6,105 visitors, mostly Americans and other nationalities, were able to experience Filipino culture, many for the fi rst time, in what Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr. considers the most successful cultural diplomacy event undertaken by the Philippines here in the United States.

Trouble in the high seasChinese captain claims their boat was fi red upon by PHL police: Xinhua 

Fly PAL in style; new 777-300ERs now serve fl ights to US

WASHINGTON, D.C. – More than 6,000 people, most of them Americans, got to know why it’s more fun in the Philippines after the Philippine Embassy opened its doors to the public for the first time and regaled them with dances, music and, of course, Filipino food!

A total of 6,105 visitors, mostly Americans and other na-tionalities, were able to experience Filipino culture, many for the first time, in what Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr. considers the most successful cultural diplomacy event undertaken by the Philippines here in the United States.

“It simply was overwhelming,” Ambassador Cuisia said of

Hundreds show up at PHL embassy open houseNow many Americans know why ‘It’s more fun in the Philippines’

Huge change in H-1B visa

See TROUBLE, page 8

See PAL 777-300ER, page 8

See EMBASSY OPEN HOUSE, page 8

LOS ANGELES

VOL. XXII, NO. 14 THE LEADING SOURCE OF NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR FILIPINO-AMERICANSMAY 10-16, 2014

What Liz Uy looks for in a man

See LIZ UY page 23

PAL’s new 777-300ERs now fl y the Manila to Los Angeles and San Francisco routes. Photo: Rhony Laigo

of Long Beach for the members of the media and travel agents, PAL officials, led by Area Manager Marie Jemma Saranillo, presented a glimpse of the new Boeing 777-300ER which is said to be “the largest twin-engine aircraft of today.”

Powered by two large General Elec-tric 90-115BL engines, the new fuel-efficient aircraft can reach any city in the world from Manila “non-stop” while

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Debt collectors are calling. but whose debts are they? Are you personally liable?

The extent of your personal liability depends on numerous factors, some of which relate A) the State you live in, B) your current marital status, C) your tax filing status, D) if you own a business, how your business is structured, and E) whether you personally guaranteed any of these obligations.

Regarding the State, Cali-fornia is a “Community Prop-erty” state. That means that generally (There are exceptions to everything) you and your spouse share all assets and li-abilities.

Therefore, if you are married and live in California, your assets and liabilities are equally shared. (Again, there are excep-tions to this rule).

Unless you and your spouse file sepa-rate tax returns, a joint tax return tends to support the argument, that you do indeed live in a “community property” estate.

If you own a business, your personal liability will depend on how the business is legally organized.

If the business is a proprietorship, mean-ing it is not incorporated, all business debts are considered to be personal debts. If the business is incorporated, but you have signed a personal guarantee for a business obligation, you will be held personally liable for that specific obligation. To the extent you live in a community property estate, your spouse, while not liable, cannot protect community property assets in the event of a lawsuit.

Clearly, discussing all of the above is-sues with an attorney experienced in these issues, is important, because it will help you determine your options going forward. How can you protect yourself, your spouse, your business? What are the priorities? What comes first? If you have a business, you must first determine where the primary exposure lies.

General Partnerships: Is your business a General Partnership? Each partner is per-sonally liable for the entirety of the busi-ness’s debts (and any partner can usually bind the entire partnership to a business deal – a scary combination). This means that if there isn’t enough money in the business to pay the debts, and your partners are broke, creditors can take your personal assets to pay all of the business’s debts, not just your share.

Corporations and Limited Liability Companies: If your business is organized as a corporation or a limited liability company (LLC), your personal assets are usually protected from business creditors as a matter of law. Shareholders and LLC members have a form of asset protection called limited personal liability. Creditors cannot take owners’ personal assets to pay business debts, unless a business owner specifically gives up that limited liability protection, for example, by co-signing as a personal guarantee for the corporation or LLC.

Unfortunately, many small business owners are forced to give up their right to limited personal liability, at least for some of their business debt. Many creditors re-quire personal guarantees and/or personal security from small business owners before they will loan money or extend credit to a business. Landlords generally demand a personal guarantee before they will lease commercial property to a small business.

A personal guarantee is a promise by a business owner to hand over the owner’s personal assets to a creditor if the business can’t pay its debt and its assets are not worth enough to cover the debt. A creditor can also ask a business owner to secure a business debt by pledging specific personal property, such as an owner’s house, boat, or car. When you sign a personal guarantee or pledge personal property, you give up

your protection against personal liability, and creditors can come after your personal assets.

The most common form of defense against aggressive creditors is exercising the bankruptcy option. If your business bank account is empty, filing bankruptcy will usually give you some breathing room while you try to work things out, and in almost all cases, a bankruptcy will protect your house, your car, and your furnishings.

Business vs. Personal Bankruptcy. If you are a sole proprietor, you can file for either Chapter 13 or Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Either type of bankruptcy can be used for personal debts or business debts.

If you are a corporate shareholder, LLC owner, or partner in a partnership and you have signed personal guarantees or pledged collateral for business loans, you are per-sonally responsible for the debt. Assuming the business cannot pay, creditors will be looking at you.

Using Bankruptcy as a strategic tool. When you file for bankruptcy, something called an automatic stay immediately stops your creditors from foreclosing on your house or any other personal property that is at risk. In some situations, this can be reason enough to file for bankruptcy, because it will buy you time, if nothing else. Many creditors will think twice before leaning on you too hard if they think you may file for bankruptcy. Some creditors would rather work out a payment plan, or settle for partial repayment, than become a creditor in your bankruptcy case. From a creditor’s perspective, bankruptcy is an expensive and long process that eats into profits. You and your attorney can use that to your advantage in negotiations and perhaps spread payments out far enough to be manageable.

Bankruptcy is not the only option. Debt negotiation, debt buy-downs, and debt work-outs may also work to solve your problems. Creditors are frequently motivated to accept a workout, when they are negotiating with a savvy bankruptcy lawyer. Creditors know that something is always better than nothing!

Don’t wait until you are in imminent danger of losing your family’s home or livelihood. Think strategically, and get the professional help you need early on. Know your options ahead of time.

Call the law offices of Paul M. Allen and take advantage of a free consultation on debt management and business survival. It could save you a lot of money and a lot of heartache.

Two convenient office locations to serve you. No obligation. Get the legal advice you need, from the bankruptcy lawyer that people trust. Call today. Law Offices of Paul M. Allen. 818-552-4500; 562-865-4480.

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MANILA, May 8 (Mabuhay) − The Bureau of Internal Revenue has filed a tax evasion complaint against actor and director Zoren Legaspi, involving P4.45 million in tax liabilities.

According to the BIR, Legaspi “will-fully attempted to evade or defeat tax and deliberate failure to supply correct and accurate information in his income tax

returns” in 2010 and 2012.The bureau said the actor-director acted

in violation of Sections 254 and 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended or the Tax Code.

In a letter of authority, the bureau asked Legaspi to let the examiners look at books of accounts and other accounting records related to his income and tax payments.

Based on “Alpha Lists” provided by the BIR Information Systems and Develop-ment Operations Service (ISDOS), Legaspi earned P9.64 million in 2010 and P6.49 million in 2012. The BIR ISDOS also gave investigators a copy of Legaspi’s income tax returns for 2010 and 2012.

However, Legapsi merely declared an income of P6.79 million in 2010 and P1.82

million in 2012, according to the BIR.Those numbers showed Legaspi under-

declared his income by P2.85 million or 42 percent in 2010 and by P4.67 million or 256 percent in 2012, the bureau said.

The bottom line, according to the bureau, Legaspi incurred an income tax liability of P4.45 million, including sur-charges and interest. (MNS)

MANILA, May 8 (Mabuhay) − Model-stylist Deniece Cornejo and Bernice Lee on Thursday pleaded not guilty to the grave coercion charges filed against her and several others in connection with the January 22 mauling of TV host-actor Vhong Navarro.

Cornejo and Lee were arraigned be-fore the Taguig Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 74, said Navarro’s legal counsel, lawyer Alma Mallonga.

Bernice is the sister of businessman Cedric Lee, himself implicated in the two cases stemming from the mauling incident.

On the other hand, Mallonga said the court has ordered the arrest of another suspect, Jed Fernandez, for his failure to show up at the arraignment.

“Jed Fernandez filed a motion for suspension for proceedings, but it was de-nied,” she said, noting that the court found “no basis” for the suspension.

“His bail was canceled, and a warrant of arrest was issued,” she added.

After the hearing, Cornejo was imme-diately brought back to her detention cell at Camp Crame.

Cornejo, who surrendered to the Philip-pine National Police on Monday, arrived at the Taguig court shortly before 8 a.m. on Tuesday. She is also facing charges of serious illegal detention, a non-bailable offense.

On the other hand, Navarro, who was accompanied by Mallonga and his girl-friend, arrived shortly before 9 a.m. (MNS)

MANILA, May 8 (Mabuhay) -- Despite a court order to free him, murder convict Rolito Go cannot leave the New Bilibid Prison just yet, according to Justice Sec-retary Leila de Lima.

In an interview with reporters on Thurs-day, De Lima said based on her computa-tion, Go has yet to fully serve his sentence.

“Ang claim niya na-serve na niya ang sentence niya and he cited sari-saring crediting, iyong pag-deduct sa sentencing niya including purported colonist status,” she said.

“Well I am not recognizing his colonist status dahil ang alam ko diyan ang nag-bibigay noon ay either the President or

the secretary of justice,” added De Lima.De Lima said she has already directed

the Office of the Solicitor General to “promptly” file a motion asking the Muntinlupa court to reconsider its order granting Go’s habeas corpus petition.

“In the meantime, hindi siya dapat i-release,” said De Lima.

Go was convicted for killing De La Salle University student Eldon Maguan in a road rage incident in 1991. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1993 and has been in and out of prison ever since, including an escape in 1993 days before his conviction. He was re-arrested in 1995. (MNS)

BIR sues actor-director Zoren Legaspi for tax evasion

Denice Cornejo, Bernice Lee plead not guilty to grave coercion raps

De Lima: Rolito Go yet to fully serve sentence, can’t be released yet

PHL diplomats charged with nanny traffi cking OTTAWA, May 9, 2014 (AFP) – Canadian federal police laid charges Friday

against two Philippine diplomats for alleged human trafficking involving the ex-ploitation of the couple’s nanny.

Robert and Bueneflor Cruz, 45 and 44 years old, respectively, face charges in-cluding mischief, uttering threats, withholding their former nanny’s identification documents and human trafficking.

The suspects, however, have left the country while their 26-year-old nanny has been “relocated to a safe location” in Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said. Following up on a complaint by a third party in December, police said “investigators determined that the victim entered the country legally as a domestic worker for the couple, working as a nanny. “Investigators found that the victim was exploited for financial and material benefit, from July 2009 to December 2013, at the private residence of the couple in Ottawa.”

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MANILA, May 7 (Mabuhay) − Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court (SC) to review the Office of the Ombudsman’s decision denying him ac-cess to affidavits of government witnesses in the alleged pork barrel scam.

In his petition for certiorari submitted to the high court, Estrada said the Ombudsman “grievously ignored” his right to due process when it decided to recommended charges against him based on evidence “not disclosed

to him.”“By intentionally withholding filings in

its possession, including pieces of evidence it eventually used in precipitately deciding on the existence of probable cause, Ombudsman violated the right of Senator Estrada to be apprised of the records of the case pertinent to the charges against him,” Estrada’s peti-tion read.

The senator also claimed that the Om-budsman “effectively prevented” him from

exercising “his right to answer and to rebut” allegations by not furnishing him copies of his accusers’ sworn statements.

Last month, the Ombudsman junked Estrada’s request to be furnished copies of sworn affidavits of government witnesses Ruby Tuason and Dennis Cunanan.

In her testimony before the Senate blue ribbon committee last February, Tuason said she personally delivered pork barrel kickbacks to Estrada. The senator denied

Tuason’s claim. Meanwhile, Cunanan claimed that he was

pressured by Estrada to release government funds to fake foundations linked to alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Na-poles. Senators Estrada, Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. and Juan Ponce Enrile are currently fac-ing plunder charges before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly pocketing millions in their pork barrel funds through the scam supposedly engineered by Napoles. (MNS)

MANILA, May 8 (Mabuhay) − Alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles should be cited for contempt and slapped with estafa charges for her contin-ued stay in a hospital despite having been given clearance to return to her detention facility, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said Thursday.

In a text message, Pimentel, Senate justice committee chairman, said Napoles is already making a mockery out of the country’s legal system by insisting on her extended hospitalization. “Kasuhan ng estafa at ipa-contempt sa korte kapag hindi nagbayad,” he said, adding by refusing to return to her detention cell, Napoles is “making a fool” out of country’s justice system. Under the Revised Penal Code, a person can be charged with estafa if he or she defrauds another individual by abuse of confidence or by deceit.

On Wednesday, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Chief Superinten-dent Reuben Theodore Sindac said Napoles

cannot yet be brought to her detention facility in Laguna from Ospital ng Makati because of her unsettled bill amounting to P97,000.

Napoles is currently facing a serious illegal detention case before the Makati Re-gional Trial Court Branch 150. The Office of the Ombudsman has also recommended plunder charges against her in connection with the alleged pork barrel scam.

On Monday, the Ospital ng Makati in-formed the Makati court that Napoles can already be discharged from the hospital after her doctors gave surgical and gyne-cological clearance following an operation to remove her uterus and ovaries.

Napoles’ lawyers filed on Tuesday a motion for extension of her stay at the hos-pital, saying she still needs to be checked at least once a week in the next four weeks and at least once every two weeks in the succeeding months to ensure that she is completely healed.

Why tolerate Napoles’ hospitalization?

Sen. Francis Escudero questioned why officials from the Department of Justice

(DOJ) and the PNP are supposedly toler-ating Napoles’ extended hospitalization.

MANILA, May 8 (Mabuhay) − BU-HAY Party-list Representative Lito Atienza on Thursday filed House Bill No. 4345 creating an Independent Commission to investigate the Priority Development As-sistance Fund (PDAF), from its creation to the alleged abuses that are now being exposed.

“We filed this bill in response to the people’s clamor for a speedier investiga-tion into the PDAF scam. As of now there’s a continuing buck-passing and seeming avoidance of the truth. This proposed Independent Commission will investigate the alleged abuses from the time the pork barrel system was created during the 8th Congress in 1987 up to the present 16th Congress,” Atienza said in his explana-tory note. Atienza’s bill states that the Commission shall be composed of seven members to be appointed by President Aquino coming from the ranks of retired

Supreme Court Justices.“This relieves the Senate and the House

of Representatives, many members of which have been implicated in the pork barrel scandal, from investigating itself, thus allaying fears of a possible whitewash. These retired Supreme Court Justices’ in-tegrity is beyond reproach and the people can be assured that they would conduct the investigation without any political or per-sonal considerations,” Atienza pointed out.

According to the veteran solon, with an Independent Commission buckling down to work, the public is assured of a speedy resolution of this issue. In this way, the government can focus on the more pressing day-to-day concerns such as the impending water and energy problems, the continuing poverty which plagues majority of Filipi-nos, and the peace and order situation − all of which require a concerted effort to ef-fectively solve them.

MANILA, May 8 (Mabuhay) − Former Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. on Wednesday said he is ready to answer the questions of his colleagues in the House regarding the P10.207 billion the Department of Budget Management (DBM) released to the Department of Public Works and High-ways (DPWH) in the remaining months of then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in office.

In a statement, Andaya, who now repre-sents Camarines Sur’s first district, said he has not committed any wrongdoing when he authorized the disbursement of funds to the DPWH, which is now being investigated by the House committee on good government and public accountability.

“I am open to answering [the] queries of my colleagues… Although the records are

not with me now, I am confident that the release of funds complied with the law,” he said.

Rep. Oscar Rodriguez, the House panel chair, said on Tuesday that he plans to invite former DBM officials, Abaya included, to the committee’s probe to shed light on the fund releases to the DPWH in 2010, which were used for the construction of 1,074 infrastructure projects in several districts nationwide. The amount was inserted in the 2010 General Appropriations Act (GAA) in the form of congressional insertions during budget deliberations.

But Andaya noted that even Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson had stated in the hearing that he has found nothing anomalous with the implementation of the projects fund-ed by the P10.2 billion the agency received.

Jinggoy asks SC to review decision denying him access to ‘pork’ affi davits

Napoles should face charges for extended hospital stay − Pimentel

Atienza fi les bill creating an Independent Commission to investigate PDAF

Ex-Budget chief Andaya: I’ve done no wrong

6 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend, Sat. - Fri., May 10 - 16, 2014 Balita

MANILA, May 8 (Mabuhay) − Interior Secretary Mar Roxas denied Thursday he has a rift with Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery Panfilo Lacson, a day after the latter hinted about two Cabinet officials who were derailing rehabilitation efforts in areas affected by super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

When asked if he felt alluded to by Lac-son’s remarks, Roxas said, “Not at all. Ang pagkakaalam ko, wala kaming pending [responsibility] sa tanggapan niya. Kung meron man, maayos ang aming relasyon at matatawagan naman niya ako [tungkol doon],” he said.

Lacson claimed in a press briefing Wednesday that two Cabinet officials were making things difficult for him because they would usually ignore his requests or take long to get back to him.

The former senator and Philippine National Police chief, however, refused to name the two Cabinet members but said he may bring the matter to President Benigno Aquino III soon.

Roxas described his relationship with

Lacson as “very close,” having been former colleagues in the Senate.

“Maayos ang relasyon namin. ‘Partner’ ang tawagan namin sa isa’t isa sa text,” he said.

Although they are now both out of the Senate, Roxas said Lacson continues to refer to him as “my four o’ clock,” since that was his position behind the former PNP chief in the session hall.

The Interior Secretary, in turn, refers to Lacson as “my 10 o’ clock.”

To quell speculations about the identity of the Cabinet secretaries Lacson was re-ferring to, Roxas said the media should ask the rehabilitation czar himself.

“Siguro si Senator Lacson ang maka-kapagsabi kung kanino siya nagkakaroon ng difficulties,” he said.

Six months after typhoon Yolanda cut a destructive path in central Philippines, the government has yet to come up with a master plan for rehabilitation.

Lacson, however, said the country’s rehabilitation efforts are “right on track.” (MNS)

MANILA, May 8 (Mabuhay) − Malaca-ñang on Thursday shrugged off the claim of rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson that two Cabinet officials were derailing reha-bilitation efforts in areas affected by super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

Presidential Communications Opera-tions Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. just said it’s “best to focus on job to be done” after being asked about the issue.

“Hindi natitinag ang determinasyon ng pamahalaan na isakatuparan ang komprehensibong rehabilitasyon batay sa Post Disaster Needs Assessment sa bawa’t lalawigan, bayan at siyudad na apektado ng Yolanda. Paghuhusayin pa ang koordi-nasyon at implementasyon batay sa mga aral na natutunan nitong nakaraang anim na buwan,” Coloma added.

Coloma’s remarks came after Lacson on Wednesday claimed that two Cabinet

officials were making things difficult for him because they would usually ignore his requests or take long to get back to him.

Lacson, however, refused to name the two Cabinet members but said he may bring the matter to President Benigno Aquino III soon.

According to Memorandum Order No. 62 signed by Aquino last December, “all departments, bureaus, offices, agencies, or instrumentalities of the government, including GOCCs and GFIs, are hereby directed to render full assistance and cooperation to the Presidential Assistant [Lacson].” Super typhoon Yolanda, the strongest storm to make landfall in re-corded history, went on a destructive path in central Philippines on Nov. 8, 2013. Based on official government records, over 6,200 died. Property damage was placed at P39 billion. (MNS)

MANILA, May 8 (Mabuhay) − Au-thorities arrested Wednesday evening one of the police officers allegedly involved in the infamous Maguindanao massacre.

Suspect Warden K. Legawan was nabbed in Brgy. Tanyag, Upper Bicutan, Taguig City around 8:45 p.m., accord-ing to Chief Superintendent Benjamin Magalong of the Philippine National Police- Criminal Investigation and Detec-tion Group (PNP-CIDG).

Magalong said Legawan was appre-hended based on warrant of arrest for 36 counts of murder and malversation of government property.

Legawan, the 115th suspect in the mas-sacre arrested by police, is now detained

at CIDG in Camp Crame, Quezon City.The police officer has been dismissed

from service since 2009 when the charges were filed against the suspects in Magu-indanao massacre. He has hidden ever since.

Fifty-eight people, most of them journalists, were killed in the massacre allegedly masterminded by members of the powerful Ampatuan clan.

Among those accused in the carnage are Andal Ampatuan Sr., the clan’s patriarch and a former Maguindanao governor, and his sons Andal Jr., Zaldy, and Sajid. They are now detained and facing charges in connection with the crime. (MNS)

Roxas denies rift with Ping Lacson

Palace shrugs off Lacson claim vs. 2 Cabinet execs

Another Maguindanao massacre suspect arrested

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ROSEMEAD, Calif., May 2 , 2014 – Sixty-six percent. It would be a great number in an election.

Unfortunately, it reflects a one-month spike in power outages caused by metallic balloons. Since the month of May and its celebrations of Mother’s Day, graduations and proms has arrived again, Southern California Edison (SCE) urges its cus-tomers duringNational Electrical Safety Month to keep the balloons secured to a weight as required by law and to never release them outdoors.

Last year, SCE’s balloon-related out-ages increased from 70 in April to 116 in May and eventually caused 2,454 hours of interruptions for homes and businesses over the 12 months.

“Customers should keep the balloons indoors, if possible, but they should always keep them tied to a weight that prevents them from floating away,” said Don Neal, SCE director of Corporate Environmental, Health and Safety. “Never removing this weight is the best way to prevent outages and mishaps caused by balloons.”

Those mishaps include fires and injuries that can occur when balloon contact leads to downed power lines. May and June are traditionally the worst months for balloon-related outages, with nearly 33 percent of SCE’s 689 such outages last year occurring in those months. In the past five years, only the 126 balloon outages in June 2012 exceeded last May’s 116.

There were 110 outages last June. By comparison, February and March – also high months because of Valentine’s Day – produced 19.4 percent of last year’s bal-loon outages.

With this increase in mind, SCE rec-ommends some other safety tips for han-dling metallic balloons:

Do not attempt to retrieve a balloon – or any foreign object – tangled in power lines. Instead, call SCE at 800-611-1911 and report the problem.

Never tie a metallic balloon to a child’s wrist. If the balloon comes into contact with electricity, it will travel through the balloon and into the child, possibly causing serious injury or even death.

Los Angeles – The 2nd Historic Fili-pinotown Parade Organizing Committee ( 2HFTPOC) and the Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA) have announced that the planning and organiz-ing for the Philippine Independence Day Parade will be held June 7, 2014.

FACLA President Austin (Jun) Baul and Philippine Town Inc (PTI) Mayor Jerry Esguerra said that preparations are under way. FACLA’s parade theme is “Santa Cruz De Mayo.” Winners of Ms. FACLA and Ms. Teen FACLA 2014 and their court will join the Santa Cruzan with other sagalas. “

The 2HFTPOC also confirmed that

there are at least more than 10 groups from regional to town organizations who have so far committed to participate in the said event..

The parade will start and end at FACLA. Assembly time will be at 7 a.m. Parade will start promptly at 9 a.m.

Assembly area will be at N. Burlington St (FACLA South Side).

FACLA Director Arturo P. Garcia said this is the second time that the HFT PH Independence Day Parade will be held in Historic Filpinotown where Filipinos lived since 1945.

He said, FACLA and the Philippine

Town Inc (PTI) and The Consulate general of the Philippines-Los Angeles will lead the parade.

Those who have confirmed their par-ticipation in the parade were FACLA, PTI, The Philippine Consulate, Historic FiIipi-notown Neighborhood Council (HFNC), The Justice for the Filipino American Veterans (JFAV),The Insider Productions/Binibining Pilipinas-USA, Seniors 4 Pilipino American Community Empower-ment (S4PACE), Knights of Rizal of the Historic Filipinotown, Silverlake CBA,The Knights of Columbus of Lorreto Church, The Rotary Club of HFT, Historic Filipi-

notown California Expo, Ms. FILAM LLC, GEPENC D5, RVNC and other regional and provincial associations of Southern California.

Organizations and individuals who are interested to join or volunteer to help in the parade are being urged to get the participa-tion form at the FACLA headquarters lo-cated at 1740 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90026 and ask for Bernie Ganon. She can be reached at (213) 484-1527.

For more information about the 2nd HFT Independence Day Parade send an email to newfacla@yahoo.com. or visit our website at newfacla.org.

Show moms, grads your love but tie down those metallic balloons

Philippine Independence Day (116th) grand parade in Historic Filipinotown June 7

Never attach streamers to any balloon – latex or metallic.

When done with them, puncture the balloons or cut the knot to keep them from floating away.

If you see a downed line or dangling

wire – even if it appears not to be live – don’t touch or approach it and call 911 immediately.

More on metallic balloon safety can be found at on.sce.com/staysafe. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Offi cers, members and guests during the celebration of the 53rd Anniversary of the LA-Philippine Women’s Club, May 4, 2014. (From left) Minda Tan, Perla Reyes, Linda Jones- Vice- President, Rosalie Caratao-Auditor, Elisa Trasoras-Financial Secretary, Deputy Consul General Imelda Panolong, Linda Maestro- Chairperson, Amelia Arichea-President 2014, Madame Fediliz Carino Herrera- Lim, Cecil Berango- Treasurer, Luz Espina, Connie Gonong, Wilma Bautista- Cultural Offi cer, Maria Luz Martinez.

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TROUBLEFrom page 1

PAL 777-300ERFrom page 1

has described as “provocative”.Xinhua identified the vessel seized by

the Philippine police as the Qiongqionghai 09063. Captain He said his boat was nearby and he took evasive action after seeing the armed Philippine vessel. The Chinese em-bassy in Manila on Thursday demanded the immediate release of the boat and its crew, while Philippine authorities brushed it off.

Philippine police said the arrests were made near Half Moon Shoal, 106 kilome-ters (66 miles) west of the major Philip-pine island of Palawan, in waters which Manila has exclusive rights to exploit under international law. The Philippines in March filed a formal plea to the United Nations challenging Beijing’s territorial claim, in defiance of Chinese warnings that it would seriously damage their already frayed relations. Beijing has rejected UN arbitration and urged Manila to settle the

carrying a full load of 370 passengers and cargo.

Not only will the 777-300ER use lesser fuel, a PAL video presentation said cost in maintaining it is also lower because of the new avionics and other technology put in place in the modern Boeing model. PAL said the use of 777-300ER will “save Philippine Airlines some $20 million per aircraft per year.”

Saranillo said PAL, which is now 51 percent owned by giant food conglomer-ate San Miguel Corporation, acquired six of these new aircraft that are also being used to fly to Toronto and as mentioned soon to New York and to Frankfurt, Paris and Rome – all non-stop. Each 777-300ER costs $290 million.

Also unlike other airlines, the PAL 777-ERs will have a Business Class with “Full-Flat Business Class Seats” that allow Business Class passengers the ability to sleep like First Class passengers as their seats recline all the way.

Fiesta Class passengers will also be enjoying Business Class treatment as they will be soon be to rent iPads during long-haul flights for their own entertainment, apart from the modern in-flight movies they already have thru their individual

TV monitors. Meanwhile, chefs who spe-cialize in different international cuisines – Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Western – have also been tapped to beef up the menu for a world-class in-flight dining experience.

In addition, to make PAL more acces-sible to the flying public, kiosks will be installed at Petron gas stations in the Philip-pines where would-be passengers can book a flight and buy their tickets while gassing up their vehicles and pay either thru credit card or in cash.

Also gracing Thursday’s briefing were newly-posted Philippine Consul General to Los Angeles Leo Herrera-Lim and delegates from the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board led by its Vice Western USA/Latin America Azilina Azni Zainal Abidin, Deputy Director Azham Ishak, Marketing Manager Nora Jaffar and Marketing Executive Irni Nor, and from the Tourism Authority of Thailand led by Director Kulpramote Wannalert, Assistant Director Suriya Sittichai and Marketing Officer Proud Sukthavorn, who also made video presentations about their respective countries along with our very own Manny Ilagan, current Philippine tourism director in Los Angeles.

EMBASSY OPEN HOUSEFrom page 1the open house event that was undertaken as part of the annual Passport DC Around the World Embassy Tour organized by the District of Columbia Cultural Tourism Office.

More than 50 embassies participated in this year’s Passport DC, one of the much-awaited cultural events in the US capital that the Philippines participated in for the first time this year.

“For six hours on Saturday, we were able to let other people know why it’s more fun in the Philippines,” Ambassador Cuisia said, adding that the event was a tremen-dous success since the Embassy was only expecting a maximum of 3,000 visitors.

People started streaming into the Embassy grounds along Massachusetts Avenue even before the gates opened at 10 a.m. Many said the Philippines was their first destination for the day because the Washington Post listed it as among the embassies to visit for this year’s event.

The number of visitors entering the Embassy gates averaged 1,000 per hour with the 3,000 target being reached by noontime. There were still some people who wanted to get in after the gates closed at 4 p.m.

Minister and Consul for Cultural Affairs Emil Fernandez said the ube, buco and mango popsicles from Magnolia; cala-mansi juice; the Ati-Atihan costumes; and the Tinikling lessons were instant hits

among those who trooped to the Embassy.Aside from Filipino dance, music and

martial arts, the Embassy also gave visi-tors a taste of Filipino cuisine by serving them lechon, pancit, lumpia and turon that were provided by Filipino restaurant Bistro 7107 and caterers like Filipino Global; Northstar; Lumpia, Pancit Atbp; and Luming’s.

Even Philippine fastfood chain Jol-libee supported the event by providing its popular Chickenjoy and Peach Mango Pie while its sister company Red Ribbon provided mamon. Tito Al’s served its signa-ture chicharon as well as lumpia, Magnolia popsicles and Skyflakes while the Filipino Community provided four suckling pigs for the occasion.

The fiesta-like atmosphere at the Em-bassy was highlighted by Filipino dances like the Sakuting, Aray, Pagapir, Pansak Pindulas, Tinikling, Salip-Banga, Pan-galay and Asik performed by Mabuhay Incorporated, Club Filipino of Georgetown University the Philippine Culture Society of George Washington University and the Migrant Heritage Commission.

Visitors were also treated to an exhibi-tion of Filipino martial arts such as ar-nis and escrima courtesy of DC Lightning Scientific Arnis of Virginia and Pinakatay Arnis Sigidas of Maryland. The open house was capped by classical Filipino music per-formed by the Northern Virginia Rondalla.

Area Manager Marie Jemma Saranillo (second from left, seated) with her staff Account Executives Ricky Panis and Maricel Wall (5th and 6th from left respectively) in “selfi e” poses with Tourism Director Manny Ilagan (rightmost, seated) and travel agents during Thursday’s briefi ng in Long Beach.

dispute through bilateral talks instead. Half Moon Shoal is a bare outcrop on the eastern edge of the Spratlys, a South China Sea chain that sits near key sea lanes and atop what are believed could be vast oil and gas deposits. In Tuesday’s operation, Fili-pino police said five local fishermen on a smaller boat were also detained, suspected of helping the 11 others to illegally catch hundreds of turtles protected by Philippine environmental laws.

Meanwhile, scores of US and Filipino marines launched mock assaults on a South China Sea beach in the Philippines Friday, as a row escalates between Beijing and its smaller neighbors over the strategic waters.

The drills, part of annual war games between the two countries, came after Vietnam said its vessels were rammed by Chinese ships protecting a deep-sea oil rig in disputed waters off Vietnam’s coast.

The flare-up in South China Seat sparked concern from Japan, the United States, and the European Union.

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HOUSTON – U.S. Customs and Bor-der Protection (CBP) Office of Air and Marine hosted law enforcement agencies to an open-house style event highlighting aircraft capabilities within the local area.

More than 100 officers, agents, sheriff’s and represen tatives from federal, state and local police agencies gathered at the Lone Star Executive Airport in Conroe, Texas to discuss opportunities for collaboration particularly some of the best uses for law enforcement aircraft.

“These types of outreach events allow partners and stakeholders at all levels of law enforcement to come together outside of an operation,” said Houston Air and Marine Branch’s Acting Director of Air Operations Chad Bull. “Air support can be critical to an operation and after today’s event each attendant will have a better understanding of the capabilities available in the area.”

The event featured various aircraft from other agencies besides CBP that included U. S. Coast Guard, U.S. Federal Marshals, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI and Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

Law enforcement agencies at all levels of government who attended took inven-tory of the various resources available among their partners. Pilots, agents and officers toured the different aircraft and static displays. The synergy created by this outreach allowed participants to review common radio frequencies, call signs and other operational protocols.

“Organizations must be able to effec-tively work with local, state, regional, and federal partners to return the maximum value to the public,” said Scott Langum, U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Houston Commander “The importance of build-ing and sustaining these partnerships will only increase as fiscal resources decrease.

Events like this are an important step in this process. Coast Guard Air Station Houston is honored to be participating.”

A training exercise demonstrating interagency cooperation among CBP, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Of-fice was the event’s highlight. The team rehearsed conducting a collective approach of a high-risk suspect vehicle.

Participants agreed that outreach events like this strengthen partnerships among those who risk their lives daily.

“HSI is excited to participate in this important event,” said Brian Moskowitz, special agent in charge of HSI in Houston. “We continue to work with all of our law enforcement partners in protecting the homeland. Events like this build seamless collaboration that promotes public safety and the integrity of our nation’s borders.”

Following that demonstration, members from the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Houston performed a Rescue Helicopter and Hoist demonstration.

Aside from the show of air power, CBP displayed its 39-foot-vessel, Midnight Express, its mobile laboratory and a non-intrusive inspection vehicle. HSI brought a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) brought one of its SAFE boats and the Transpor-tation Security Administration provided information about flying while armed through George Bush International Airport.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protec-tion of our nation’s borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weap-ons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

A CBP offi cer air interdiction agent patrols the sky in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. Photo: Josh Denmark

DHS agencies showcase air power

Q: From looking online, I think that immigration law is mostly filling out forms. Since I can fill out forms myself, why would I spend the money to hire an immigration lawyer?

It’s true, one process of immigration is filling out many

Why you need an immigration attorney

forms, and sometimes, with some careful reading, a per-son can fill out those forms himself. But sometimes, one should hire an attorney. So, I want to answer your question in three parts: when you don’t need an at-torney, when you might need an attorney, and when you must hire an attorney.

On weekends, I enjoy feeling comfort-able, sitting in my favorite reclining chair, watching CSI, and snacking on some buttered popcorn. I don’t have a care in the world, and everything is perfect. You know the feeling? Now if, after reading the instructions to your needed immigration forms, you have that same feeling, then

you don’t need a lawyer. Fill out the forms yourself and save yourself some money. Hopefully, there are no legal issues you missed.

Next, Let’s assume that after looking online you’re not sure which forms to use, don’t totally understand the instructions, have 3 or 4 blanks you just can’t figure out, and think you might have a legal issue.

Consider spending the money to buy the peace of mind by letting the attorney

do it right. I tell my clients that there is no excuse for taking chances with such an important matter.

In fact, one mistake can cost the equiva-lent of your legal fee. Another reason to hire a lawyer is to accompany you to the interview. More than likely, nothing will happen, but you never know what that officer will ask. For some, the value of being represented in the interview is im-measurable.

Third, there are situations when you must hire an attorney. I won’t create a huge list because I think you’ll know it when you feel it. However, some examples in-clude: court appearances, removal orders, criminal immigration matters, discomfort, moderate to complete lack of understand-ing, spousal abuse, no time, requests for evidence, and financial disclosures.

Finally, some potential clients have con-sidered hiring an “unlicensed immigration consultant” because the fees are cheaper. When you need medical care, do you look for the least expensive doctor out there? Do

you walk to the strip mall across the street looking for Mrs. Smith’s immigration ser-vices? (It’s there next to the donut shop.) These people are unlicensed, unregulated, uneducated, and often have as much immi-gration knowledge as you do. Many of my clients didn’t read my advice. They hired an immigration consultant who ruined the paperwork or didn’t see an important legal issue. Now, the client is in removal proceedings. It’s not worth the few hundred bucks you’ll save.

If you need help, hire a licensed, edu-cated, attorney. If you’re not sure, get a free consultation.

John Davidson is a licensed attorney who practices only immigration law. He has 20 years of legal experience and offers free consultations. Attorney Davidson can be reached by email at john1davidson@gmail.com and by phone at 626-399-4194. His office is located in San Gabriel, CA. If you have questions you would like an-swered in this weekly column, please email them to Mr. Davidson.

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immigration laws to help millions who are in the U.S. illegally. On June 15, 2012 he stopped the deportations of those who came to the U.S. when they were young.

Obama’s action had both sides of the fence reacting. supporters of an immigra-tion overhaul complainedthat his initia-tive hasn’t gone far enough while those opposed to his move claimed he has gone too far and has accused him of “picking and choosing which laws to enforce.”

Now comes the Obama administration’s plan to allow high-tech guest workers’ spouses to hold jobs in the U.S. hailed as “a way of keeping the United States globally competitive by making it a more attractive destination for people around the world whose expertise are in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math”.

Affected under the proposal are spouses of as many as 100,000 H1-B visa holders who are highly skilled and are applying for permanent residence.

The proposal announced recently will encourage highly skilled, specially trained individuals to remain in the United States and continue to support U.S. businesses and the growth of the U.S. economy ac-cording to a statement of a Homeland Security executive.

The proposal would also address American businesses’ continuous need for skilled non-immigrant and immigrant workers and are expected would motivate people from other nations who are reluctant to come to the U.S. because of barriers faced by their spouses who are unable to work because of restrictions.

Visas for high-skilled workers (H1B) are among “the most sought-after by high-tech firms” which early this year accounted for 85,000 available visas for 2015 which

has already been gobbled up just a week after being made available. The same thing also happened last year.

Critics quickly assailed the proposed change and called it “an end-run around Congress”.

The Obama administration has put in place various initiatives designed to give breaks to undocumented immigrants which had been characterized as “temporary reprieves while efforts to overhaul the U.S. immigration system remains stalled in Congress”.

Republicans are wary of the additional 100,000 new guest workers under the proposal who perceive them as competi-tors to unemployed Americans “on top of the existing annual supply of an estimated 700,000 guest workers and one million new permanent immigrant admissions.

Sadly, immigration reform has been relegated to the back-burner lately and trig-gered pro-immigration advocates to take a more aggressive stance. It is estimated has it that matter of immigration reform would not be in the congressional agenda until 2017. The Immigration Reform bill has indeed caused division and uncer-tainty with much of the public in a recent research showing that “they still has yet to form an opinion about the legislation”.

More than a third of the respondents to the research “do not know what to think of the legislation and do not think that it will make much difference in the economy or how the bill would affect the economy”.

The Pew Research Center findings revealed that “an even greater percentage think the bill would have no impact on the country’s safety from terrorism and don’t know how the country’s security would be affected.”

Obama impatient on immigration reformPresident Barack Obama scored a hit in the hearts of thou-

sands of immigrants who pin their hopes on stabilizing their stay in their adopted country with a stroke of genius that also left the Republicans in a frantic mood to neutralize their “loss” in the immigration game.

President Obama’s impatience, expressed through an execu-tive order now known popularly as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), was an initia-tive he resorted sans Congressio-nal support to rewrite the nations

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2014 (AFP) – Several US lawmakers criticized China Friday for its “deeply troubling” actions in disputed areas of the South China Sea, and urged passage of legislation that seeks peaceful solutions to rising maritime ten-sions.

Communist neighbors China and Viet-nam have seen tensions soar since Beijing announced last week it would move a drill-ing rig into contested waters.

Several collisions in the area have been recorded between Chinese and Vietnamese ships, with each side blaming the other for the incidents.

“China’s recent movement of an oil drilling rig escorted by military and other ships into disputed waters in the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam – and the subsequent aggressive tactics used by Chinese ships, including the ramming of Vietnamese ships – is deeply troubling,” the senators said in a statement.

“These actions threaten the free flow of global commerce in a vital region.”

The bipartisan group of six lawmakers, led by Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Robert Menendez, are sponsors of a non-binding resolution introduced in April that condemns the use of force and advocates a peaceful diplomatic resolution of territorial and maritime claims.

China and Vietnam, which fought a

brief border war in 1979, have been locked in a longstanding territorial dispute over the waters and related oil exploration, fish-ing rights and sovereignty in the Spratly and Paracel Islands.

But Beijing is also locking horns with other Asian nations that have competing claims in the South China Sea, including the Philippines and Malaysia, as well as with Japan in a separate territorial dispute. There have also been recent skimirshes in the sea between the Philippines and China.

In November China set up an “air defense identification zone” (ADIZ) over the East China Sea that included contested islands claimed by it and Tokyo, prompting condemnation by Washington.

The senators warned that the ADIZ and Beijing’s “harassment of Japanese vessels around Japanese-administered territory in the East China Sea all raise serious ques-tions about China’s approach to regional security.”

Earlier Friday Beijing defended itself against previous “irresponsible” US criticism about the escalating dispute with Vietnam.

US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel was in Hanoi Wednesday where he told reporters that Washington opposed “any act of intimidation” in disputed areas and hoped sovereignty issues could be settled diplomatically.

US senators: China sea actions ‘deeply troubling’

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MANILA, May 7 (Mabuhay) − Ma-jority of Filipinos are unaware of any move in Congress intending to amend the Constitution, while less than half of those aware agree with it, a recent Pulse Asia survey showed.

Sixty-one percent of the respondents in the nationwide survey conducted from March 19 to 26 “have not heard, read or watched anything” about a resolution call-ing for amendments in some economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution filed in Congress.

Only 39 percent of Filipinos know about the resolution on Charter change, and ma-jority of them were in Metro Manila and those who belong in Class ABC.

Of those who were aware of the resolu-tion, 44 percent agree with it, 19 percent disagree, and 36 percent were unable to say whether they agree or not.

The survey showed that it is only in Metro Manila where a majority level of agreement on Charter amendments was recorded.

A total of 1,200 adults participated in the survey, which has a ± 3% error margin at the 95% confidence level.

Among the local and international developments during the conduct of the survey were the continuing investigation

on the pork barrel scam, arrest of Globe Asiatique president Delfin Lee, the power crisis in Mindanao, the scheduled signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, and the negotiation between the Philippines and United States on the enhanced defense cooperation agreement.

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. filed last year House Resolution No. 1, which seeks to amend the following articles of the Constitution: Article II or the Declaration of State Principles and Policies, Article XII on National Economy and Patrimony, and Article XVI which contains sections on foreign ownership. It was approved by the House committee on constitutional amendments on March 3.

Belmonte had urged his colleagues to consult with their constituents on the proposed amendments to the Constitution while Congress is on break from March 14 to May 4.

Belmonte had led the signing of a pledge stating that members of the House of Representatives will only introduce amendments to the economic provisions of the Constitution. The Speaker said this is to prove that the chamber, under his leadership, will not use the Charter change to extend term limits or change the form of government.

Majority of Pinoys unaware of Cha-cha move in Congress − Pulse Asia

On a recent evening in a 2-star hotel in Orange County, this writer was invited to a business presentation meeting of a new multi-level marketing program being presented by people who seemed to have recently implanted themselves here on the West Coast. I was amazed to see the function room packed

Vulnerable kababayans easily lured by multi-level marketing (MLM) companies

with vulnerable kababayans looking for the perfect “busi-ness opportunity to gain their financial freedom.”

In an attempt to help my friend decide if this was the right “business opportunity” I went with her to listen to the visual presen-tation. Apparently, this particular company is a brokerage, where they act as liaison agents or brokers handling various prod-ucts which they purchased wholesale to be re-sold retail to the public.

The skepticism in me creeped in as soon as the inflated earnings were explained. As the saying goes, when it is “too good to be true,” in most cases, it most prob-ably isn’t. So, I opted to leave and told her that this company, much like most multi-level companies, their mission is to sell “dreams.”

According to the Federal Trade Com-mission, “not all multi-level marketing plans are legitimate. However, if the money you make is based on your sales to the public, it may be a legitimate marketing plan.” Typically, in most multi-level or network marketing plans, salespeople sell products to the public either by direct sales or by word of mouth.

When an MLM agent becomes a prod-uct distributor, they earn commissions not only based on the products they sell but also from the sales made by people they recruit called their “downline.” When their so-called “teams” reach a certain level of sales, they (the sales agent) most often earn bonuses or incentives such as travel, gift certificates or additional cash.

The independent product distributors are non-salaried participants. They de-velop their organization by “ building an active network who buy direct from the company,” or by recruiting a “downline” of other independent distributors who also build a “consumer base, thereby expanding their organization.”

One of the largest MLM companies is Amway, though according to a recent USA Today article, “there are hundreds of firms in the industry with more than

16 million people selling everything from travel, jewelry, cosmetics, insurance, ap-parel to vacations.” .Some of these MLM companies popularly joined in by our kababayans (where this writer has been recruited numerous times), include Avon, Mary Kay, Nu Skin, Electrolux, Tupper-ware, Kirby (which my son has joined in the past), Alexander Hamilton (Insurance) and most recently, YTB (Your Travel Business).

One reason why large companies such as Amway flourished outside of the United States is due to its “direct selling” concept. According to Roland Whitsell, a former business professor who spent 40 years researching and teaching the pitfalls of multi-level marketing, Amway’s concept is “needed in countries with primitive distribution systems and limited choices in retail stores.” In other words, these countries don’t have Walmart or Costco where people can readily buy anything such as household/automotive products, furniture, apparel, pharmaceutical supple-ments, books, jewelry and the like.

Finally, out of sheer courtesy to my girlfriend, my advise to her is to beware of getting involved in “dream sales” programs because if the money you make is based on the number of people you recruit and you don’t concentrate on selling the product, the Federal Trade Commission will likely shutdown the operation as what happened to so many MLM companies I’ve known. On their website, the FTC warns that “the practice of getting commissions from re-cruiting new members is outlawed in most states as “pyramiding.”

So, dear kababayans, beware of being lured in by these “dream sales” programs. “An ounce of prevention is a pound of cure.”

When we parted, the one wish I gave my girlfriend was this: HAPPY MOTHER’s DAY!

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The means test is the IRS based form of calculating disposable income in bank-ruptcy to determine if the case should be a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13; and if a Chapter 13, how long the commitment period should be. In addition to the means test,

there is the schedule I which is now in the new very detailed format which came out last month that calculates debtor’s gross and net monthly income, and schedule J which is also in the new very detailed for-mat that calculates debtor’s total monthly

Means test misstatements may be proof of fraudulent intentexpense. Although the means test and the combined I and J calculate debtor’s disposable monthly income, the end result is not always the same amount. For instance, the means test may yield a negative disposable income, while I and J may be positive $500 a month for the same debtor! In this situa-tion, debtor is well-advised to file a Chapter 13, instead of a Chapter 7, because the fact that there is disposable income in I and J may lead to a US Trustee motion to dismiss your Chapter 7 case, or convert to Chapter 13 based on bad faith if the disposable income is enough to pay at least say, 10% of your unsecured debt.

Be careful in calculating your means test because misstatements in the means test may be deemed a false oath by the court. And a false oath can lead to a denial of discharge!

In , when the debtor filed for Chapter 13 relief, he said he was single, had two dependents, a 48-year-old “Live-in Wife/Girlfriend,” a disabled 27-year-old son, and worked as a car salesman with a monthly income of $2,801. According to the means test he had a current monthly income of $4,333, which was below the applicable median income. The debtor subsequently filed an amended Schedule I in which he changed his marital status from single to married but made no other revisions. Two years after he filed for

bankruptcy, the debtor converted his case to Chapter 7 in response to the trustee’s motion to dismiss. With the conversion to Chapter 7, debtor said he was unmarried, and had a monthly income of $4,333. The plaintiff filed a complaint against the debtor asserting that his discharge should be denied because he knowingly and fraud-ulently filed a false Chapter 13 statement of current monthly income, a false Chapter 7 statement of current monthly income and a false schedule I. The debtor responded by filing amended Chapter 13 schedules, which showed a current monthly income of $4,689, which resulted in annualized figure greater than the applicable median income. This doesn’t pass the smell test at this point.

Debtor then filed an answer denying the allegations in the complaint. After filing his answer, the debtor filed amended Chapter 7 schedules showing a current monthly income of $4,689, and total deductions of $5,058.02. The bankruptcy court said the plaintiff’s contention with respect to Sec-tion 727(a)(4) was on the statements made in the means test forms under Chapter 13 and Chapter 7. Both of these documents, executed under penalty of perjury, showed an annual income less than the applicable median income when the debtor’s income was actually in excess of the applicable median. When questioned about these dis-crepancies, debtor blamed them on climate change and Obamacare and on the fact that his attorney intended to file the debtor’s case on January 31, 2012, but it was not filed until February 3, 2012. “This explana-tion, however, does not adequately negate the clear misstatement in the defendant’s Chapter 13 means test understating his monthly income,” the court said. “Clearly, based upon the defendant’s own pay ad-vices, the $4,333 reflected in the chapter 13 means test and again in the chapter 7 means test is not an accurate figure, and the defendant’s testimony that the 3 days delay in filing his bankruptcy schedules cause a mathematical error is not plausible and is clearly incorrect.” The court said there were other discrepancies in the means test forms, the combined effect of which was to lead the court to conclude that the debtor made false oaths with fraudulent intent.

“I give my followers eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall any-one snatch them out of my hand.” – John 10:28.

Lawrence Bautista Yang is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and has been in law practice for thirty years. He specializes in bankruptcy, business and civil litigation and has handled more than five thousand successful bankruptcy cases in California. He speaks Tagalog and looks forward to discussing your case with you personally. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appoint-ment at 1000 S Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Bldg A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803.

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tions. This made them believe that they should work to meet the traffic quota set by the unit. When they refused, their superiors retaliated.

In that trial, the jury decided in favor of the two officers and awarded them $2 mil-lion in damages. In light of this result, the city decided to settle the suit of the eleven officers for $5.9 million, considering it a “prudent business decision.”

Perhaps it is a more prudent business decision for employers to recognize that the law prohibits retaliation against an em-ployee who has asserted their rights under the laws. In order to succeed in a claim for retaliation, the employee must prove all of the following:

1) The employee engaged in a pro-tected activity, such as claiming wages due, reporting discrimination, or testifying as a witness. Filing a grievance, contact-ing the media, refusing to perform illegal assignments, and other forms of standing up against violations of the law are also protected.

2) The employer knew or believed that the employee engaged in such protected

activity.3) The employee suffered an adverse

employment action, such as a termina-tion, demotion, discipline, and denial of overtime, promotion, or benefits.

4) The employee’s protected activity caused the employer to take adverse action.

Employees who prove they were wrongfully terminated may recover loss of earnings, emotional distress, and in certain cases, attorneys’ fees and punitive damages.

[C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is trial attorney who has obtained several million dollar recoveries for his clients against insurance companies and employers. He has been selected as a Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, featured in the cover of Los Angeles Daily Journal’s Verdicts and Settlements, and is a member of the Million Dollar-Advocates Forum. He is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center Washington, D.C. and the Univer-sity of the Philippines. Visit his website at www.joesayaslaw.com or contact his office at (818) 291-0088 for a no-cost inquiry.]

seeking to obtain lawful permanent resi-dency, any past fraud or misrepresentation renders the applicant inadmissible and ineligible to legalize status unless they are granted a fraud waiver. This includes all individuals who have committed fraud, even those who are married to a United States citizen.

A fraud waiver under section 212(i) of the U.S. Immigration and National-ity Act can be granted if it can be shown that the applicant’s U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse or parent (i.e. qualifying relative) would experience ex-treme hardship if the applicant is denied permanent residency. Applicant’s should note that this waiver does not allow a showing of extreme hardship to children. So, unless an individual has a U.S. citizen parent or spouse, they would not qualify to apply for a fraud waiver.

The laws do not specifically define what qualifies as “extreme hardship.” Rather, the definition has been developed over time on a case-by-case basis. As well, the D.H.S. and U.S. Embassies have estab-lished various criteria that they consider. There are no specific requirements as to what must be shown; rather, the D.H.S. and Embassies take a look at the totality of the circumstances to determine whether extreme hardship has been shown. The fol-lowing are some criteria used in evaluating extreme hardship:

Health: Ongoing or specialized treat-ment requirements for a physical or mental condition; availability and quality of such treatment in the applicant’s home country, anticipated duration of treatment; whether a condition is chronic or acute, or long-or-short term.

Financial Considerations: Future employability; loss due to sale of home or business or termination of a professional practice; decline in standard of living; ability to recoup short-term losses; cost of extraordinary needs such as special education or training for children; cost of care for family members (i.e. elderly and infirm parents).

Education: Loss of opportunity for higher education; lower quality or limited

scope of education options; disruption of current program; requirement to be edu-cated in a foreign language or culture with ensuing loss of time for grade; availability of special requirements, such as training programs or internships in specific fields.

When employer retaliation happens to law-abiding employees

The Los Angeles Times reports that in 2010, eleven officers of the Los Angeles Police Department’s traffic department assigned to the

Dealing with fraudulent entry to the United States

motorcycle unit, sued the city of Los Ange-les, claiming that they suffered retaliation because they refused to follow the traffic ticket quota system secretly set by their supervisors.

In California, ticket quotas are illegal because they can pressure police officers to issue questionable traffic tickets to meet the quota. The eleven officers claimed that their superiors required officers to write at least 18 traffic tickets for each shift with 80% of the citations consisting of major violations. Officers who failed to meet the quota, raised concerns about it, or refused to follow orders, were reprimanded, denied overtime assignments, given undesirable work schedules, and harassed. In some

instances, officers were re-assigned from the unit.

The Chief of Police defended the divi-sion’s practices, stating that management set “goals” and not quotas to reduce traffic violations that resulted in serious injury and death.

The then-captain of the motorcycle unit said she instructed officers to ticket illegal driving but did not set quotas.

Back in 2009, a similar retaliation case filed by two motorcycle officers, was tried before a jury. During trial, the two officers testified that they were transferred from regular patrol assignments and instead sent to streets where they were more likely to catch motorists committing traffic viola-

Because obtaining a tourist visa to the U.S. is so difficult, individuals sometimes feel that there are no viable options but to resort to fraud. From the Philippines, a common scenario involves individuals who go to a travel agency that advises and assists them with obtaining a tourist visa under an assumed name and/or different date of birth. If successful in entering the U.S., the problem then becomes how to legalize one’s status, such as if they marry a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

For individuals who are

Personal Considerations: Close rela-tives in the U.S. and/or the applicant’s own country; separation from spouse/children; ages of involved parties; length

of residence and community ties in the U.S.Special Factors: Cultural, language,

religious, and ethnic obstacles; valid fears See AQUINO, page 17

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Edmund Anciano is an attorney admitted to practice before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Board of Immigration Appeals. He is authorized by Federal Law [US Code of Federal Regulations 8 C.F.R. 1.1(f)] to represent persons in all 50 states before the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. His law practice is limited to Immigration and Nationality Law. He is not an attorney licensed to practice state law in California but is an attorney licensed in New Jersey. Edmund Anciano received his bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s University in Pennsylvania. He received his law degree from Rutgers University

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of the assessment is to determine if you are qualified under the new rules. If you are not, then the issue of your status becomes irrelevant. That being said, you are correct in saying that Canada has recently opened its policy to a wide array of occupations. Many occupations which have not been in demand before are now in high demand. Similarly, engineers and managers are always in high demand in Canada. If you have at least one year of full time work experience (within the last ten years) and a strong level of English then you are eligible to apply. No job offer is required. No rela-tive in Canada is required (to petition you). Finally, a person’s status in USA is not a factor. If you have lost status in USA you are still eligible to apply. We have been suc-cessful in doing so many, many times. You also do not need to leave USA to obtain medical or police clearances.

Q. What are the benefits of applying to Canada vs. USA immigration?

A. Any discussion on benefits to immi-gration should, in my opinion, first tackle the general method in which one can im-migrate. The USA immigration system is primarily family based or employer based. That is, an applicant must have a relative or employer to petition them for a green card. It is unlikely then for a person to “do it on his own” in order to immigrate to the USA. Canada, however, has a totally different outlook on how it selects its im-migrants. Canada’s immigration system does allow family sponsorship but only in limited cases. The bulk of Canada’s immigrants are those who apply without anyone’s assistance. That is, an applicant who has the required education, language ability and work experience can apply on their own. No assistance from an employer or relative is required.

Once in Canada as an immigrant, per-manent residents enjoy an array of benefits including free health care, free education

up to the end of high school and a diverse multicultural population.

Q. I’m a live-in caregiver in Canada. I have my open work permit. I will be giving birth to a child in Canada soon and I am planning to marry the father of the child early next year. The problem is that my fiancé is a failed refugee claimant. He has not been asked to leave Canada though. If we marry will he be able to remain in Canada?

A. I would think twice before marrying. Not only will he not be able to stay but it could potentially jeopardize your applica-tion. All those years working as a live in caregiver will be lost. You may get refused

and no one would be an immigrant. I am saying this because one of the requirements for you to become an immigrant under the live in caregiver class is that no dependant must be inadmissible or have an enforce-able removal order. If you marry, your spouse is your dependant and he has an enforced removal order. Either not marry or have spouse leave Canada.

Attorney Henry Moyal is a certified and licensed immigration lawyer in To-ronto, Ontario. The above article is general advice only and is not intended to act as a legal document. Send questions to Attorney Moyal by email canada@moyal.com or call toll free 1-888-847-2078.

Out of status applicants in U.S.A. eligible to applyQ. I read that Canada’s immigration program is open and

that there are many occupations in demand in Canada. I’m an experienced engineer and my wife is a manager. I believe we are qualified but need your final opinion. Most importantly, I am hesitant to apply because I am out of status here in Las Vegas. Can I file an applica-tion while I have no status? Do I need to leave the USA to do my medical?

A. The most important part

Glendale,Ca. May 7, 2014 – The 4th an-nual Fashion for A Cause is set on May 24th

, 2014 in Hollywood, California benefiting Bantay Bata or Child Watch program that provides relief and surgery to sick children with medical cases in the Philippines. Executive director and fashion designer Lou Razon (www.lourazondesigns.com), promises a one-of-a-kind event that will bring the community together with a common cause. One mission of Miss Philippines USA organization is to raise funds for charity through fashion show and pageantry. “Beauty pageant is an outlet to humanitarian work” , Joy Antonette Diaz, Miss Philippines USA Tourism 2012.

The highlight of the occasion is the fun and exciting KIDS Fashion Show sponsored by Kids Dream USA. More than 30 adorable kids auditioned last April to volunteer their time and talent for the cause.Another important part of the event is a fashion parade by Elite Sposa USA, Life Clothing, Lou Razon couture and Claire’s Collection. FANtv President Dean Arcillas will host a live charity auction that will help raise more funds for Ban-tay Bata through ABS CBN Foundation International.

Miss Philippines USA and Miss Young Philippines USA delegates will be presented at the event through a fashion show by Life Clothing. Beauty queens Jas-mine Sabio, Katrina Dimaranan, Danielle Walker, Jennifer Irene Gonzalez, Michelle Oblea, Anjanette Abayari, Holly Olalia, Jessica Lee will grace the event as runway models and hosts of the event.

Top Fil-am artists Garie Concepcion, Lianna Gutierrez and Liana Bartolome will also showcase their world class perfor-mances . Sponsored by Elite Sposa USA, Philippine News, Creative Strategies LLC, Van and Marilou Dichoso, Kids Dream, Life Clothing, HDI and Discover Burbank, Fashion for A Cause 2014 hopes to deliver to its patrons “An Affair to Remember”.

For ticket and advertising inqui-ries, please contact Dean at (650) 834-1631. Other information may be viewed at www.missphilusa.com, www.fantv.tv, or www.lourazondesigns.com.

Miss Philippines USA organization and Fan TV Global Network present a one of a kind fundraiser for kids

Secretary Penny Pritzker.Silicon Valley welcomed the news.

The US information technology hub has for years been pushing for changes in im-migration rules.

But a more ambitious immigration reform, which would go beyond a mere administrative tweak and for example raise the total number of visas available for for-eign workers, has been stuck in Congress for nearly a year.

This administrative change comes with further easing of restrictions for researchers seeking a green card.

H-1B VISAFrom page 1

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- Certified Family Law Specialist- Certified Public Accountant (Inactive)- J.D. Southwestern University Law School, Los Angeles, CA- B.S. Accounting, California State University, San Bernardino, CA

- Certified Family Law Specialist- Certified Public Accountant (Inactive)- J.D. Southwestern University Law School, Los Angeles, CA- B.S. Accounting, California State University, San Bernardino, CA

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child will reside primarily and under the supervision of one parent subject to visita-tion from the other parent upon order of the court. Family Code §3007. Joint physical custody on the other hand means that the child gets to spend frequent and continuing contact with both parents. Family Code §3004. The court would state specifically the periods of time the child will be under the supervision of each parent.

Legal custody on the other hand deals with the right and responsibility of a parent to make decisions regarding the health, education, and welfare of the child. Family Code §3006. Examples would be decisions such as where the child shall attend school, whether the child can

travel to another jurisdiction or state, legal decisions involving the child. In cases where joint legal custody is ordered by the court, either parent alone can make decisions concerning the health, education, and welfare of the child unless otherwise specified in the order.

In making its determination on child custody issues, the court considers various factors depending on the specific facts of the case. The court usually follows the public policy of ensuring and encourag-ing the child’s frequent and continuing contact with both parents after the divorce unless it would not be in the best interest of the child. Fam. Code §3011. If the court is inclined to order sole custody to

one parent, the consideration boils down to which parent is more likely to allow the child frequent and continuing contact with the noncustodial parent. Family Code §3040(a)(1). A major factor that would tilt the courts decision are incidents or history of child abuse and domestic violence. This can be from the part of a parent, a parent’s co-habitant, or other person to whom a parent has a relation-ship with. The childs amount and nature of contact with the parents is also another factor considered. Fam. Code §3011(c). Other factors that can be considered are the parent’s use of controlled substance, prior criminal convictions and registration as a sex offender, and existence of restraining order against a parent.

The family code requires that the par-ties go to mediation and attempt to agree on the custody issue prior to the court hearing the contested case. Family Code §3170(a). If the case is not settled in me-diation, it gets decided in court through a contested hearing. At

times, the court will order a child custody evaluation if it determines that it

would be in the best interest of the child. The court may also appoint a minor’s counsel if it feels it would be in the best interest of the child.

Family Code §3150(a). The court re-tains continuous jurisdiction over issues of child custody and support until the child reaches 18. This means the order may be modified all throughout this period if there has been a change in circumstances.

Attorney Kenneth Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Associa-tion. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association.

He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Ber-nardino School of Business Administra-tion. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@aol.com.

is that credit cards come with a steep price tag attached- the sky-high interest rates, not to mention late fees and over-the-limit fees.

Once credit cards are maxed out, some people resort to even more desperate measures just to make ends meet. Lately, I’ve seen a lot of people going as far as getting some of these so-called “payday” or “emergency” loans, which are ten to thirty times worse than credit cards! In most cases, the interest rates on these loans can be anywhere from 390% to 900% APR if you continue to “roll over” the loan (i.e., ask for an extension of time to pay)!!! Can you believe that? I’ve seen clients have 2, 3 or sometimes more payday loans at the same time. No wonder that these people are broke before pay day even comes! The “loan sharks” often prey on people who have bad credit and are already overextended on debt.

If you are struggling with debt, perhaps you are finding it more and more difficult to catch up every month. If some of your accounts have been turned over to collec-tions, this is even worse because this means that you can get sued by your creditors at any time. Once they obtain a judgment, creditors can then garnish your wages or

levy on your bank accounts. Some people get paralyzed with fear and do nothing, hoping that somehow by ignoring their debt problems, creditors will simply give up. Get real. You can’t ignore your debt problems. If you do nothing, one of these days you will realize that your inaction has simply made your debt problems worse.

If you’ve done everything you can but nothing has worked up to this point, should you file for bankruptcy as a last resort? Bankruptcy can often be an option for a lot of people who can no longer afford to pay their debts. In Chapter 7, credit card debts, personal loans, medical bills and most types of unsecured debts can be wiped out. That means you can start over and rebuild your credit instead of having all your delinquent debts reported to the credit bureaus every month. Your fresh start begins the day your bankruptcy case is filed and creditors can no longer collect from you. For the first time perhaps in a very long time, you can finally breathe and feel like a human being again.

If you are able to pay a certain amount every month, you may also qualify for Chapter 13 debt consolidation in order to

Awarding child custody in CaliforniaOne of the most emotional aspect of a marital dissolution

case is dealing with Child custody issues. Sadly enough, this is an area where most parents play games with each other trying their best to deprive the other parents of their right to maintain relationship with their child. Child custody comes in two parts, 1) physical custody and 2) legal custody. Physical custody may be awarded solely to one parent or jointly. Sole physical custody means that the

Are you sinking deeper into debt every month?Tough financial times are pushing strapped consumers

over the edge. Delinquencies and balances on delinquent credit cards are on the rise with no signs of slowing down. Faced with layoffs and difficult economic times, a lot of people are resorting to use of their credit cards in order to

pay for basic living expenses such as food and housing. A lot of people tap into their credit cards hoping it’s nothing more than a temporary solution “until things get better”. The bad news

of persecution, physical harm or injury; social ostracism or stigma; access to social institutions or structures.

With respect to these factors, it is reminded that the key term in the law is “extreme” hardship and therefore only in cases of real, actual or prospective injury to the qualifying relative will a fraud waiver be granted. Applications must therefore clearly address the reasons why extreme hardship would be encountered by the qualifying relative and supporting docu-mentation evidencing the hardship claims are essential.

The fraud waiver is a viable solution for those who have made a prior mistake of committing fraud or misrepresentation.

Unfortunately, some individuals are un-ethically counseled to commit further fraud to try to handle a prior incident of fraud. This approach should never be taken as the D.H.S. is highly unlikely to thereafter grant a fraud waiver when an individual has repeatedly committed fraud. The road may not be easy, but peace of mind can be attained when handling matters legally and appropriately.

For further information, please sched-ule an appointment with an attorney at Aquino & Loew, Immigration Law Specialists; (888) 797-1140 or (626) 799-3089; info@aquinoloew.com. Offices in Los Angeles (South Pasadena), CA and Honolulu, HI. Please also visit Aquino & Loew at www.aquinoloew.com. Aquino & Loew also handles family law and criminal matters.

AquinoFrom page 15

significantly reduce your monthly debt payments. In most cases, credit card pay-ments can be reduced to half (or even less) of what you are currently paying. You also pay 0% interest on your credit cards and can get out of debt anywhere from 3-5 years, depending on how long your Chap-ter 13 plan is. If you are in foreclosure, Chapter 13 can also help you save your home and help you bring your payments current. If you have a second mortgage not supported with any equity, a “lien strip” may also allow you to completely wipe out the underlying debt. See an experienced

bankruptcy attorney who can explain to you how this works. In a lot of cases, it is a lot better than doing a loan modification because you can significantly reduce what you owe on your property.

If you are in debt and need to find the best solution for your situation, call toll-free 1-866-477-7772 to schedule a free consultation.

(None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped over 5,000 clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866-477-7772).

18 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend, Sat. - Fri., May 10 - 16, 2014 Balita

OPINIONBy Imelda Magbutay

TACLOBAN, May 7, 2014 (AFP) – Parts of the Philippines laid waste by Super Typhoon Haiyan are showing signs of recovery six months later but years of work lie ahead, aid officials said Wednesday.

In the central city of Tacloban, which bore the brunt of the most powerful typhoon ever to hit land, streets are free of debris and the stench of rotting flesh has disappeared.

But thousands still live in evacuation centers, worried about their future.

“The challenges are indeed great. They are also surmountable,” UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for the Philippines Klaus Beck told a news conference in Tacloban.

“Rebuilding livelihoods is an enormous challenge.”Farmer Marcelo Silvano, 66, who saw half his coconut farm wiped

out in the nearby town of Tolosa, said extra jobs are needed.“There are so many of us who cannot find work. All I can do is

plant root crops and vegetables for home consumption. I am even short of farm tools,” he told AFP.

The storm which struck last November 8 left 6,293 dead, 1,061 missing and about 4.1 million people displaced, Red Cross figures showed.

It caused massive damage to homes, businesses, schools and roads, with power, water and all essential services in an area the size of Portugal cut off.

An international humanitarian effort has helped millions get back on their feet.

Water and electrical services have been restored in many areas and businesses are reopening. After a brief surge in looting just after the storm, police have returned to the streets.

“I can say without mental reservation that we are right on track,” the head of the government reconstruction efforts, Panfilo Lacson, declared Wednesday in Manila.

Lacson and UN officials both noted that despite the widespread destruction, caused mainly by tsunami-like giant waves, there had been no epidemics, no famine and no long-term collapse of law and order.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation said in a report that 600,000 hectares (1.48 million acres) of farmland and 33 million co-conut trees – vital to local livelihoods in one of the country’s poorest areas – had been destroyed.

Seeds, fertiliser, farm tools and alternative livelihood help had al-lowed about 80,000 families to bring in their first harvests since the typhoon, it added.

Huddled under sheltersThe effort has shifted towards long-term recovery but the chal-

lenges are still serious.Ned Olney of Save the Children said only half of hospitals and

clinics in affected areas are back in operation and many are function-ing under tents without vital medical equipment.

Many of the displaced are still huddling under makeshift shelters, which means they would be even more vulnerable when the typhoon season begins next month, he warned.

“If we have another medium-sized typhoon hitting these areas, we’ll essentially be knocked back to where we were six months ago,” Olney told reporters.

Years of hardship loom in typhoon-ravaged PHL

By Jeremy TordjmanWASHINGTON, May 8, 2014 (AFP) – The

United States portrays itself as a bastion of the un-fettered free market, but when foreign firms launch takeover bids for American businesses things are not always so laissez faire.

The United States is the world’s top destination for foreign investment.

Business leaders here scoff at protectionism, such as the French government’s opposition to US engi-neering giant General Electric’s bid for the energy business of French rival Alstom.

“There’s a sense here that the highest bidder should prevail,” said Mitchell Marks, a mergers and acquisitions specialist at the University of San Francisco.

Last year, Softbank of Japan acquired Sprint, the third largest American mobile phone carrier. And Smithfield Foods was bought by a Chinese investor for around seven billion dollars.

National securityBut there are limits to this openness, first because

of concerns over competition but mainly when the transaction involves assets linked to “national secu-rity” or “crucial infrastructure” under current law.

In these cases, takeover bids are examined by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

This panel brings together representatives of the Treasury, State and Defense departments as well as domestic intelligence services.

After an assessment period that can last up to 75 days, the committee can approve the bid, require changes or, in the most extreme case, recommend that the president simply nix it.

In September 2012, President Barack Obama blocked Chinese companies from acquiring wind power farms in Oregon on that grounds that they were located near a US military base.

“It is a unilateral, non reviewable decision and he doesn’t have to justify it,” said Samuel Thompson, author of a book entitled “Fusion, Acquisition and Tender Offers”.

A review does not even have to go as high as the White House.

Political pressure can also influence the process,

especially when the takeover bid comes from a coun-try with delicate relations with the United States, such as China or Russia.

“Many foreign buyers are surprised by the number of takeover defenses that are available to US companies,” said James Hanks, a mergers and acquisitions lawyer with the firm Venable LLP in Baltimore, Maryland.

In 2006, facing opposition from Congress even though it had the green light from the White House, the United Arab Emirates firm DP World had to give up on a bid to acquire management business at six American seaports including New York.

Opponents of the deal had noted that two of the perpetrators of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks were born in that country, and this was enough to trigger a media reaction.

In 2005, the Chinese company CNOOC withdrew a takeover bid for the oil firm Unocal, saying it was the victim of the “political climate” in Washington. The state-run press in Beijing complained at the time that the US economy was not free and open.

The mere fact that a takeover bid can be assessed by US authorities is enough to cool foreign firms’ acquisition appetite, the Congressional Research Service said in a report published in March.

Since 1990 nearly half of foreign takeover bid by foreign firms that were subjected to study were abandoned by these companies without even waiting for a verdict, this agency said.

It said companies do not want to be associated with anything that smacks of a threat to US national security.

In 2008, the investment fund Bain Capital, allied with the Chinese group Huawei, dropped its bid to acquire the American high tech firm 3Com, fearing objections from the CFIUS.

But allied countries like France, for instance, generally find less resistance on American soil. In December 2006 the telecoms group Alcatel won permission, albeit with strings attached, to take over the US firm Lucent.

“If it’s a company placed in a country that is as close to the US as France or the UK, I think that the chances of the transaction being barred are very, very small,” said Thompson.

Free market America? Yes, but with limits

Asians outperform white students because they try harder: study

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2014 (AFP) – Asian-American school-children tend to outperform their white counterparts in school be-cause they try harder, according to a US study out Monday.

The findings were based on an analysis of records from two separate surveys tracking several thousand whites and Asians in the United States from kindergarten through high school.

Scientists at Queens College of New York, the University of Michigan and Peking University in Beijing looked at grades, test scores, teacher ratings, family income and education level, im-migration status and other factors.

“Asian-Americans enter school with no discernible aca-demic advantage over whites,” said the study, noting that “advan-tage grows over time.”

By fifth grade, or age 10-11, Asian-Americans “significantly outperform whites,” and the peak

difference is reached by grade 10, or age 15-16.

“Overall, these results suggest that the growing achievement gap can be attributed to a widen-ing gap in academic effort rather than to differences in cognitive ability.”

Asian-Americans tend to be motivated by cultural teachings that instill the notion that effort is more important than inborn ability, researchers said.

They also endure “greater pa-rental pressures to succeed than in the case of comparable white peers.”

The notion of a hard-working Asian student who is destined to succeed may be a stereotype, but it may actually work to the benefit of Asian-American youths, the researchers said.

“These positive stereotypes may help bolster Asian-American achievement just as negative stereotypes have been shown

to hinder the achievement of African-American youth,” said the article.

Asian-Americans’ higher de-gree of success comes at a price, however.

Whether their family lineage traces back to the Philippines, South Asia, Southeast Asia or East Asia, these children report fewer positive feelings about themselves and say they spend less time with friends than whites, the study found.

“They also have more conflict with both parents than compa-rable white peers,” it said.

The research was published in the May 5 edition of the Proceed-ings of the National Academy of Sciences, a peer-reviewed journal.

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nos back home and the US center on reli-ance and pride. Our national pride makes us hate any presence of America that could impinge on our sovereignty. And yet, we rely on Uncle Sam to defend us against a bully in the ‘hood, surrendering in the pro-cess the sovereignty we so dearly hold as sacrosanct by admitting that the country is a weakling and is incapable of warding off foreign enemy attacks. Why bother asking for help if we don’t want to bite the bullet?

Since Manila is so BFF with Wash-ington, the Filipinos want the US to send

its mighty military forces to protect them against a Chinese invasion. Well, as former President Harry S. Truman once said, if you want a friend in Washington, get a dog. In geopolitics, there are no permanent friends or foes, only permanent interests.

And there are $1.2 trillion reasons China’s interests can trump those of the Philippines.

Despite the distressed calls in Asia to tame China’s hegemonic ambition, the US pays lip service to its mutual defense treaties to keep its line of credit with

China open. China holds $1.2 trillion of US Treasury bills, notes and bonds that if it dumps could trigger a currency crisis that would force the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates. This could result in an economic crisis worse than the 2007 Great Recession. Since China also sits on some $3.8 trillion in foreign exchange reserves that are mostly in US currency, Beijing can resort to financial terrorism to place the global reserve currency status of the Almighty Dollar at grave risk.

If push comes to shove, can we rely on the US to go to war on our behalf? Not under a retrenchment president like Obama who is defining his tenure by scaling back America’s international military obligation and restore a balance with domestic pro-grams. After Iraq and Afghanistan, even the American people are too weary to engage in another expensive and deadly military adventurism.

The best the US can do is impose sanc-tions on China once it trespasses into other territories, like how we are penalizing Russia for carving out Crimea from the Ukrainian peninsula. But pissing off China is easier said than done since the econo-mies of both countries are so intertwined one won’t last without the other; we buy their cheap and toxic exports, they lend us money to finance our profligate public

spending.Even Japan is being proactive by send-

ing a delegation of senior lawmakers to Beijing to mend ties between the two neighbors after military skirmishes over a territorial dispute. For Japan, China is its top destination for exports and No. 1 source of imports. If China were to pull the “economic trigger,” it would cripple the Japanese economy and even cause it to suffer another lost decade or two.

Unlike Japan, there is no need for China’s Navy to establish a beachhead at Spratly’s since the Chinese already control the Philippine economy, and its politicians and government officials in the pocket of Chinese traders cum smugglers who’ve stunted the growth of our agricultural sec-tor by flooding the market with cheap rice, fruits and vegetables, and have turned the country into a giant meth lab with the abun-dance of controlled substances coming in unabated. For all intents and purposes, the Chinese have already invaded the Philip-pines as Filipinos rely on the Chinese for money, shelter, products and services, from cradle to grave.

As for Kris, some can’t stand her for everything that she says and does but there are millions more who can’t get enough of her. Much just like China. For comments: omq1124@sbcglobal.net

Kris and America: I love her, I don’tTo the Filipinos, America is like Kris Aquino. You either

love her or hate her. Either way, nobody can stop her from doing what she wants.

Some can’t stand her but a lot more can’t live without her, like the 3.5 million Filipinos residing in the US. They must love America to be here even if to some of them, the American Dream is turning out to be a nightmare amid stagnant wages and a home mortgage under-water.

The dynamics of the love/hate relationship between Filipi-

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has heard that rumors are circu-lating among immigrant communities living in Los Angeles and the California Central Coast region about the redesigned Form N-400 Application for Naturalization. The fact that the form is longer than the one it replaces has led to speculation. As only the new Form N-400 will be accepted beginning May 5, 2014, the USCIS wants to make sure that everyone is well-informed about the new N-400.

Here are the actual facts:Filing Fee – Changes to the form do not impact the filing fees. The filing fee is not go-

ing up as a result of the redesigned form. USCIS conducts fee reviews every two years to make sure it is recovering its costs to administer the nation’s immigration laws, process applications, and provide the infrastructure needed to support those activities.

Citizenship Test – The citizenship test questions have not changed as a result of the new form. During a naturalization interview, applicants are asked up to 10 questions from the list of 100 questions. These 100 have been the same since the 2009 test redesign.

Citizenship Interview – The new form is not designed to increase the length of the citizenship interview. The form is easier for our customers to use, and will prevent mistakes that could result in applications being rejected or delayed. There are a few more questions, but not many. The questions take less than two pages, and are all “yes” or “no” answers.

USCIS dispels rumors in L.A. immigrant communities

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Abramowitz who has 30 years of experi-ence in immigration law.)

Question: I entered the U.S. by jumping ship in 2008. I had a crewman’s visa to meet my ship in Miami but I did not go to the ship. Instead I stayed here in the U.S. I met a U.S. citizen man and we started

dating. Last year we got married. We saw an immigration lawyer last year who told me that I did not qualify for my greencard because I entered as a crewman. I was very saddened and disappointed. I do not want to go back to the Philippines because I am now pregnant and will have a child here

soon. My husband served in the U.S. Army in Iraq and is a veteran. Can he help me get my greencard? Is there anything I can do?

Answer: Your question is excellent and we just may be able to help you because you are married to a U.S. veteran. Let me explain the problem first.

In order to adjust status in the U.S. to lawful permanent resident based upon marriage to a U.S. citizen, you must have entered the U.S. lawfully. This means persons who entered the U.S. illegally by crossing the border without a visa, persons who were in transit in the U.S. without a visa, and persons who entered as crewmen as not eligible to adjust status in the U.S. to permanent resident.

There are a few exceptions to this harsh rule. The most recent and far reaching ex-ception concerns those persons who were petitioned for permanent residence before April 30, 2001 under a law known as 245i. If a person qualifies because he had a labor certification or immigrant visa petition filed on his behalf on or before April 30, 2001, he can adjust status through marriage to a citizen even if he entered unlawfully or as a crewman. He just has to pay a penalty fee of $1000 to the USCIS.

Apart from this limited exception there is a new procedure authorized by the US-CIS for persons who are married to active military personnel or U.S. veterans of any age. It is called Parole in Place or PIP. Under PIP, a person who is married to a veteran or active duty soldier can request the USCIS to give him what is known as a parole. A parole is essentially a new entry into the U.S. By having this new entry, the prior unlawful entry is forgiven and for-gotten. The applicant, of course, does not have to actually leave the U.S. to make this new entry. This is why it is called Parole in Place-because the USCIS can give you

a new lawful entry without ever having to leave the country.

PIP is a legal fiction that can work mira-cles. Suddenly, a person who was ineligible for permanent residence because he had no legal entry, now has a legal entry and can immediately file for adjustment of status. The PIP has been used sparingly by the USCIS in the past six or seven years and it has really big one of the biggest secrets of the USCIS. Few persons knew about it and very few asked for it or received it.

Now the cat is out of the bag so to speak. The USCIS has published rules on how PIP works and it is official. It is not very well known and very few attorneys are aware of it. Now we are spreading the word to help those select persons who are married to veterans and wish to seek permanent residence without ever having to leave the U.S.

So, if you entered without a visa, as a transit without visa entrant, or as a crew-man, you may be eligible to apply for PIP if you are married to a veteran or soldier. The process is relatively fast and now available. Being granted PIP is not guaran-teed however and there are some risks that should be considered before applying. It is a good idea to speak with a knowledge-able immigration attorney before seeking PIP. However, if you qualify, your path to permanent residence just got easier. Congratulations to our veterans and their spouses.

(Paul Choi will answer all questions regarding immigration and naturalization for FREE. Address questions to pchoi@pchoilaw.com or call 818 714-2226. He is located at 5900 Sepulved Blvd. Ste. 303, Sherman Oaks, CA. 91411. Phil Abramowitz can be reached at pabramow-itz@pchoilaw.com or on his cell at 818 324-8110)

New relief for illegal entrants married to veterans

(Paul Choi is an immigration attorney and professor of law located at 5900 Sepulveda Blvd. Ste 303, Sherman Oaks, CA. 91411. Atty Choi will answer all questions regarding immigration and naturaliza-tion for free. Address questions to pchoi@pchoilaw.com or telephone 818 714-2226. Atty. Choi is pleased to announce that his administrator is Philip

Israel, Jordan & Egypt evoke images of everything that is sacred and holy. It is the country where Jesus Christ was born. It is the corner of the earth on whose paths He walked, prayed, lived, was crucified, buried, rose again and from where He as-cended into heaven. Israel is the Promised Land.

To visit Holy Land is not only a tour but also a pilgrimage. It is not just a matter of seeing the sights but more of a spiritual experience. It is not merely an adventure but a personal rediscovering of one’s faith. To experience Israel, Jordan & Egypt is to have a journey of a lifetime for the Holy Land not only resonates with centuries of Christian faith, but also a place full of natural and unique beauty and wonder. For many, to visit Holy Land and walk where Jesus once walked is a lifelong dream – a dream that 888MyTravel helps turn into reality for many people.

888MyTravel’s Holy Land Tour offers a meaningful, enriching spiritual experi-ence for those who wish to explore their Christian heritage. You will walk in the footsteps of Jesus as you visit Galilee and Capernaum where He began His ministry.

You will stand on the Mt. of Beatitudes and imagine yourself in His presence listening to His Sermon on the Mount. You will take a boat ride out on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus tamed the storm.

Pray at the Garden of Gethsemane and be overwhelmed as you stand in the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. For more informa-tion on the upcoming Holy Land Tours and other 888MyTravel Tour Packages and pro-mos, please visit www.888mytravel.com or call: (310) 481-2280 or (714) 202-8690.

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Ms. Gloria Resurreccion (center), Executive Council Member of the Philippine Children’s Charities, Inc. (PCCI) is seen here enlisting the support of community leaders Ms. Susan Oca and Dr. Art Flores (PhD), to the cause of her favorite charity. PCCI will hold a dinner-dance on Saturday May 10, 2014 at the Hilton LAX to honor 10 outstanding mothers for 2014. The 10 awardees were chosen based on their contribution to the community while exhibiting the virtues of motherhood.

SANTA ANA, California – The owner of a San Gabriel immigration consulting business and one of his employees have been sentenced to federal prison for partici-pating in a long-running scheme to prepare and file fraudulent asylum applications that made phony claims of religious persecution on behalf of hundreds of Chinese nationals.

Haoren Ma, 50, of San Gabriel, the owner of New Arrival Immigration Ser-vice, was sentenced April 28 to 4½ years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy, immigration document fraud and aggravated identity theft. Ma’s em-ployee, Minghan Dong, 49, of San Gabriel, was sentenced on Monday, May 5 to one year and one day in prison for conspiracy to commit immigration document fraud. Both men were sentenced by United States District Judge Cormac J. Carney.

According to court documents, Ma and Dong charged as much as $6,500 to prepare and file fraudulent asylum applications on behalf of Chinese nationals. Ma and Dong falsely claimed that their clients fled China after being persecuted for their Christian beliefs, even in situations where the clients said they were Buddhists.

Federal authorities founds that many of the asylum applications prepared by the defendants contained nearly identical accounts of purported persecution, includ-ing descriptions of underground church meetings that led to arrests and torture by Chinese authorities.

As part of the scheme, Ma and Dong provided their clients with detailed written materials and audio tapes on Christian-ity to help them prepare for their asylum interviews.

Suspicions about New Arrival Immigra-tion Service first arose in January 2009 when U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted a package containing a

stuffed animal that contained five fraudu-lent Chinese passports. The package was being shipped to an address used as a mail drop by New Arrival Immigration Service.

During a search of New Arrival Immi-gration Service and related offices, investi-gators seized stacks of partially completed asylum applications, counterfeit Chinese consular and embassy embossing seals, financial records and counterfeit identity documents. Ma and Dong were arrested in September 2011 by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforce-ment’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) following the execution of the fed-eral search warrants.

“As this sentence makes clear, those who corrupt the integrity of our nation’s legal immigration system by exploiting our country’s generous asylum laws must un-derstand there are serious consequences for those actions,” said Claude Arnold, special agent in charge for HSI Los Angeles. “As a country, we’re committed to providing ref-uge for those fleeing persecution, but there will be no such protections for people who manipulate this system for profit and put our nation’s security at risk in the process.”

As the investigation unfolded, HSI worked closely with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s (USCIS) Los Ange-les Asylum Office in Anaheim to identify potentially fraudulent asylum applications submitted by the defendants.

“We are very pleased with this out-come,” said David Radel, Acting L.A. Asylum Office Director with USCIS. “It is an excellent example of federal agen-cies working together to combat fraud and maintain the integrity of our immigration system. USCIS is committed to identify-ing those who may have illegally obtained asylum through this fraudulent scheme and providing this information to our investiga-

San Gabriel immigration consultant jailed for fi ling bogus asylum applications for hundreds of Chinese

tive colleagues.”Based upon queries of databases main-

tained by the immigration courts, HSI investigators linked the defendants to more than 800 asylum applications filed since 2000, making it one of the largest asylum fraud cases uncovered in the Los Angeles area in recent years.The County of Los Angeles Department

of Public Works will host a free used motor oil and used oil filter recycling event at San Angelo Park, 245 San Angelo Avenue, on Saturday, May 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

In exchange for turning in their used oil, participants will be rewarded with free oil containers, oil filter containers, shop towels, and funnels while supplies last.

In addition, residents can drop-off used motor oil and used oil filters for free at weekend County-sponsored Household Hazardous Waste/Electronic Waste Collec-tion Events or at local Certified Collection Centers. A full calendar of collection events and center locations can be found at www.CleanLA.com.

Residents are asked to prepare items for drop-off by placing used oil filters in sealed plastic bags and storing used motor oil in leak-proof containers without mixing the oil with other liquids, including water.

For additional information on the Coun-ty’s oil and oil filter recycling program, call Edna Gandarilla, Program Manager, at (626) 458-6536.

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An Essential, Everyday ToolIf some of her best culinary creations include savory sauces and delicious dips, Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to treat mom to an upgrade. Th is 3.5-cup Food Chopper in Cranberry is convenient for everyday use and takes up minimal space in the kitchen. With two speed settings and one-touch chop and puree options, this chopper ($49.99) is ideal for creating a scrumptious salsa, creamy hummus or tangy pesto sauce.

Blending Style with PowerWith its roomy, 60-ounce patented diamond pitcher design and stainless steel blades, the 5-Speed Diamond Blender in Raspberry Ice creates a powerful vortex to thoroughly blend everything from soups to smoothies. Automatic Soft Start technology pulls ingredients into the blade rather than splattering them outward, keeping them together for controlled blending. Th is colorful blender ($179.99) off ers stir, chop, puree, liquefy and pulse options — everything mom needs to create her favorite dishes.

Handy Little HelperWhether you need to blend up a milkshake or puree cooked vegetables directly in the pot, this 2-Speed Hand Blender in Cranberry gets the job done with ease. Two speeds provide blending control for more delicate foods, such as smoothies and baby food. Th e blending arm twists off for quick and easy cleanup. Th is hand blender ($59.99) comes with a 3-cup BPA-free jar with lid, so mom can blend away, safely.

Simply Adorable ServewareFeaturing artwork by PBS cooking show host Jacques Pepin, the Pass the Plate serving platter generates a $5 donation each time one of these individually numbered platters is passed and registered online. Plus, participants can also track its travels. With its fresh and cheery design, this unique serving piece makes sharing even more fun. A great gift for mom, the platter ($24.95) is available at Villeroy & Boch stores or by calling 1-888-886-8318.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

FAMILY FEATURES

From those irresistible homemade cookies to favorite meals that always warm the heart; no one knows their way around the kitchen quite like mom. While thinking of what to give your favorite lady for Mother’s Day this year, consider gift s

that allow her to tap into her inner foodie, chef or baker. Everyone knows the best gift s are those that keep on giving. Cook

for the Cure, a 13-year partnership between KitchenAid and Susan G. Komen®, has raised more than $9.5 million for the fi ght against breast cancer. In 2014, KitchenAid will donate $450,000 or more to Komen through the Cook for the Cure program, regardless of sales. Th e Cook for the Cure product collection, ranging from pink stand mixers and blenders to pink food choppers and hand blenders, is an easy way to give thanks to mom, and raise awareness towards a cause that aff ects so many women.

For other gift ideas that help support the cause, visit www.KitchenAid.com and http://CookfortheCure.KitchenAid.com/.

23Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend, Sat. - Fri., May 10 - 16, 2014

ENTERTAINMENT

Celebrity stylist Liz Uy believes she is not picky when it comes to dating, saying that she only looks for a few traits in a man.

The 32-year-old said she wants a man who has no vices and loves his family as much as she treasures hers.

“Gusto ko [rin] masipag kasi hindi niya maiintidihan ‘yung trabaho ko kung hindi siya masipag,” she said.

Uy, a well-known personality in the field of fashion, has styled local celebri-ties such as Toni Gonzaga, Anne Curtis and Kris Aquino, and Hollywood socialite Paris Hilton.

“Gusto ko ‘yung style ni Toni Gon-

zaga, especially ngayon na parang lagi lang siyang clean, classic, elegant,” she described the”Pinoy Big Brother” host.

“I’m really blessed to have styled all the celebrities na dream ko na makatra-baho,” she said, adding that she hopes to have the chance to work with controver-sial singer Miley Cyrus.

While Uy feels blessed to have been given the chance to earn a living doing what she loves, she said that she would love to spend more time for herself, given her almost decade-long career.

“I really need to make time for myself. Hindi naman tayo nabubuhay para sa trabaho lang,” she explained. (MNS)

Actress and model Sam Pinto already has other plans should she decide to let go of show business.

In a magazine interview, Pinto said she is considering taking up fashion design, calling it her “Plan B.”

“Plan B, I take up fashion design,” she said.

Pinto’s other dream is to put up her own resort. The “FHM sexiest woman in the Philippines” for 2011 and 2012 is often seen visiting beaches in Baler and La Union.

“Hell yeah. That’s my dream, to live by the beach and put up my own resort,” she said. “That’s my plan C.”

Defying notions about her celebrity image, Pinto said she can be “taken any-where.”

“I just have to be in a t-shirt and jeans,” she added.

Citing a time when she went to bargain hunter’s paradise Divisoria unnoticed, she said: “The trick is to not stay in one place for too long.” (MNS)

It had been quite a long time since Joey de Leon starred on a sitcom that it took a while for the iconic comedian and TV host to recall the last time he did one.

“I think it was ‘Kiss Muna’ for GMA. More than 10 years ago pa yun,” he told the entertainment media during the press launch of “One of the Boys”.

On TV5’s newest weekend primetime sitcom, Joey plays Daddy Jerry or simply DJ, a former London-based OFW who has decided to return home and run an automo-tive shop. A single dad to three children, in-cluding only daughter Gabriella or “Gabi” (Eula Caballero), he is also regarded as a father figure by his small group of workers (Juan Direction, Benjo Leoncio, Empoy Marquez) dubbed as the “talyer boys”.

Asked why it took him this long to do a sitcom again, Joey replied: “Honestly, ayoko na sanang gumawa ng sitcom dahil mahabang oras ang kinakain. Kung na-pansin nyo, puro mga gag shows na lang ang ginagawa ko.”

However, he admitted that he did miss doing sitcoms along with the camaraderie that goes with the family atmosphere of cast and crew during tapings. Joey was convinced to accept “One of the Boys” and the veteran funnyman confessed that he was having a blast.

“Medyo nanganay nung simula pero nung tumagal na, bumibilis na ang pacing namin. Enjoy ako dito. May outlet ako,” he said.

TV5 production unit head JoAnn Ba-ñaga attributed to Joey the undeniable chemistry between the mixed cast of vet-erans and newcomers on the show.

“You will see that the whole cast really clicks, and this is mainly because of Joey de Leon. For these younger actors, every taping is like a priceless crash course to act-ing and comedy with Joey, and they really do enjoy and cherish it. Ultimately, Joey is the anchor of ‘One of the Boys’, and you can really tell that in more ways than one, he is the father of this whole cast,” Bañaga pointed out.

Eula Caballero recalled that everyone in the cast was nervous on their first day of taping.

“We were reading the script and trying to memorize our lines and internalize our characters. Pero nung dumating si Tito Joey, ang sabi niya sa amin, ‘Ibaba nyo yang script niyo. Laruin lang natin ito. Let’s just enjoy doing this’,” she shared.

Joey also noted that “One of the Boys” is only the third time that he’s playing a father in a sitcom. Back in the ’80s, he played dad to a very young Ian Veneracion in “Joey and Son” then in “Kiss Muna”, he had another TV son in Rayver Cruz.

“First time kong magkaanak ng babae dito sa ‘One of the Boys’. Wala nga lang balbas si Eula gaya ni Ian at abs na gaya ni Rayver,” Joey cracked.

What Liz Uy looks for in a man

Sam Pinto eyes fashion design, resort business

Sam Pinto

Joey de Leon enjoys sitcom return with ‘One of the Boys’

Joey De Leon

24 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend, Sat. - Fri., May 10 - 16, 2014 Balita

25Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend, Sat. - Fri., May 10 - 16, 2014

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To find out more about U.S. Army career opportunities,please call a recruiter near you: Pasadena (626) 793-0621;Lakewood (562) 496-3815; Rowland Heights (626) 965-0239; or Culver City (310) 313-2675.

COMMUNITYWASHINGTON, D.C. – The Philip-

pines should take advantage of the good-will generated by the recent visit to Manila of President Barack Obama as well as the recent upgrade in the safety rating of the aviation sector to convince more Ameri-cans to visit the country.

Vice President Jejomar C. Binay issued the statement after the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. said it drew more than 6,000 visitors when it opened its doors to the public on Saturday as part of the annual Passport DC Around the World Embassy Tour.

Judging by what Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. described as the overwhelming number of visitors who came to experience Filipino culture, the Vice President said the Department of Tourism should take advan-tage of this interest among mainstream Americans to get more of them to visit the Philippines.

The Vice President noted that while Americans are on top of the list of foreign visitors, with a total of 642,626 arriving from the US last year, these are mostly balikbayans spending their holidays in the Philippines.

“The men and women of our Embassy in Washington, D.C. did a very commend-able job in letting hundreds of Americans know why we say it’s more fun in the Philippines,” the Vice President said. “We need to do more of this, we need to be more creative in attracting more foreign tourists to visit the Philippines.”

He noted that the Embassy, which was

participating in the event for the first time, was expecting only 3,000 visitors but as it turned out a record 6,105 people, mostly Americans and other nationalities, came to see the dance, classical music and martial arts performances and also have a taste of Filipino cuisine such as lechon, pancit and lumpia.

“This and the tremendous goodwill generated by the recent visit of President Obama as well as the granting of Category 1 status offer opportunities for exponential growth for Philippine tourism,” Vice Presi-dent Binay said.

“These opportunities must be matched by an intensive airport rehabilitation and modernization program as well as the ex-pansion of existing flight routes of Philip-pine carriers and the opening of new routes to non-traditional destinations,” he said.

With the recent safety upgrade by the Federal Aviation Administration, Philip-pine Airlines is expected to open new routes to New York and Chicago while Cebu Pacific is reportedly considering fly-ing to Hawaii and the West Coast.

The Vice President said he hopes the Department of Tourism could provide ad-ditional support to the Embassy for next year’s Around the World Embassy Tour organized every year by the District of Columbia Cultural Tourism Office.

The Vice President, at the same time, thanked the US-Philippines Society for its efforts in raising the profile of the Philip-pines in the US through, among others, cul-tural initiatives such as the performances

Americans and other nationalities try the tinikling, a traditional Filipino dance which is a favorite all over the world at the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C., which opened its doors to the public last May 3, Saturday. More than 6,000 people came to the Embassy grounds for a taste of Philippine culture, including food, handicrafts, etc.

in New York and Washington, D.C. of the Bayanihan Dance Company and the Madrigal Singers.

He also thanked the US-Philippines Society for organizing the After the Storm Concert benefit concert for victims of

Typhoon Yolanda at the Kennedy Center on 15 June.

Among those expected to take part in the concert are Broadway artist Lea Salonga, singer Apl.de.ap and actor Lou Diamond Phillips.

PHL should target mainstream Americans in tourism drive

FOR MORE NEWS AND INFORMATIONVISIT OUR WEBSITE

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Los Angeles, 02 May 2014 – Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim paid a courtesy call on Mayor Mark Pulido at Cerritos City Hall on 30 April 2014.

The two officials discussed political dynamic mix in Cerritos City and how to develop Filipino-American entrepreneur-ship.

The two further discussed the prospect of identifying a City in the Philippines that can forge a sister-city relationship with the City of Cerritos.

Consul General Herrera-Lim took the opportunity inviting Mayor Pulido to join

9th Ambassadors/Consuls General and Tourism Directors Tour with the basic tour beginning from 28 to 31 July 2014. He assured of the Consulate’s support for the future projects of Cerritos City. Mean-while, Mayor Pulido informed the Consul General of the City’s plan to celebrate this year’s Philippine Independence Day.

Mayor Pulido is the first Filipino-Amer-ican to be elected as Mayor of the City of Carson. According to data from the 2010 US Census, 14.6 percent (about 7,155) of the population in the City of Cerritos are of Filipino descent.

Los Angeles, 02 May 2014 – The Phil-ippine Consulate General in Los Angeles hosted a dinner reception on 30 April 2014 in honor of the Philippine National Police participants of the Public Safety Officers Senior Executive Course (PSOSEC) Class 2014-87 and 88. The PNP-PSOSEC Class is headed by Police Chief Superintendent Nicolas Salvador. Their counterparts from the Los Angeles Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also at-tended the reception. US Embassy Legal Attaché Gibson Wilson accompanied the 36-member PNP delegation from the

Philippines.The PSOSEC participants are in Los

Angeles for a training program to enhance the participants’ competence level and in preparation for their assumption to higher command positions in provincial, regional and national levels in the Philippine Na-tional Police.

This partnership between the PNP and the FBI is on its 9th year. It has deepened the law-enforcement cooperation between the Philippines and the U.S. This is the 1st 2014 received by the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles.

Left photo above shows Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim addressing participants of PNP-PSOSEC Class 2014-87 and 88. Right photo above shows P-SUPT Nicolas Salvador introducing members of PNP-PSOSEC Class 2014-87 and 88.

Notice is hereby given that under Re-public Act No. 9189, otherwise known as “The Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003”, as amended by Republic Act No. 10590, all citizens of the Philippines abroad, who are not otherwise disqualified by law, at least eighteen ( 18 ) years of age on the day of the elections, and who are registered overseas voters, may vote for President, Vice-President, Senators and Party-List Representatives.

All qualified Filipino citizens not reg-istered as voters under Republic Act No. 8189, otherwise known as “The Voters Registration Act of 1996”, (the system of continuing registration) shall file an ap-plication for registration while those who are already registered under the said Act

shall file an application for certification.For purposes of the May 9, 2016 elec-

tions, the filing of applications for regis-tration/certification shall be from May 6, 2014 (Philippine time) to October 31, 2015 (Philippine time).

Requests for transfer of registration records may be filed at the Posts or before the Office for Overseas Voting (OFOV) of the COMELEC during the registration period.

The 30-day voting period will com-mence on April 9, 2016 (Philippine time) until 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon of May 9, 2016 (Philippine time) at the Philippine embassy or consulate having jurisdiction over the place where the overseas voter is registered as such.

ConGen Herrera-Lim meets Fil-Am Cerritos Mayor Mark Pulido

Notice of registration and election to all Filipino citizens

Consulate welcomes US-trained PHL cops

LOS ANGELES – The Filipino Ministry of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles will once again celebrate the 10th Archdiocesan Filipino Marian Santacruzan 2014. It is a religious historical pageant that dates back hundreds of years ago to commemorate the finding of the Holy Cross by Queen Helena, mother of Constantine the Great.

Participants in the procession represent different biblical characters, traditional personifications and various titles attributed to the Virgin Mary. The theme this year is “Holy Mary, Fountain of Light and Love”.

WHEN: Saturday, May 10, 2014 2:45 PMWHERE: Cathedral of Our Lady of Angeles,555 West Temple Street, Los

Angeles, CA 90012WHY: The Filipino community consider the celebration a rich cultural heritage

and a Filipino tradition of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary involving the youth.PRINCIPAL CELEBRANT: Rev. Fr Alex D. Aclan, Associate Vicar for Clergy.SAGALA PROCESSION: The presentation of the “Sagalas” of the Virgin

Mary’s Court will be before the Eucharistic Mass. Highlights of the day will be the crowning of Our Lady of Penafrancia by Reyna Elena 2014, Noel Gadingan, the Flower Offering by the other Reynas, the Hermana, Hermano Mejores and Majores and the new LA Con Gen Leo Herrera-Lim.

Leading the procession is the Santa Maria Wind & Brass Ensemble “Banda Musiko”. The dinner dance reception will at the Almansor Court in San Gabriel from 7 p.m.-12 p.m.

For more information visit www.filipinoministry-la.org or call (213) 587-2226.

Santacruzan in Los Angeles celebrates its 10th anniversary

Newly-posted Consul General to Los Angeles Leo Herrera-Lim shakes hand with Filipino-American Mayor Mark Pulido in a courtesy call at Cerritos City Hall.

30 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend, Sat. - Fri., May 10 - 16, 2014 Balita

what they say – if we do not learn from history we are doomed to repeat it. Just like seven years ago, the stock market has soared to all-time highs... Just like seven years ago, the authorities are telling us that there is nothing to worry about.

Unfortunately, just like seven years ago, a housing bubble is imploding and another great economic crisis is rapidly approaching.

New home sales are also following a similar pattern. In fact, we just learned that new home sales have collapsed to an 8 month low...

Sales of new single-family homes dropped sharply last month as severe winter weather and higher mortgage rates contin-ued to slow the housing recovery.

New home sales fell 14.5% to a season-ally adjusted annual rate of 385,000, down from February’s revised pace of 449,000, the Census Bureau said.

Once again, this is similar to what we witnessed back in 2007. That shows how new home sales declined dramatically throughout that year...

And the chart shows what has happened to new homes sales during the past several months.

Sadly, we have never even gotten close

to returning to the level that we were at back in 2007. But even the modest “recovery” that we have experienced is now quickly unraveling...

If history does repeat, then what we are witnessing right now is a very troubling sign for the months to come. As you can see, new home sales usually start going down before a recession begins.

And don’t expect these housing numbers to rebound any time soon. The demand for mortgages has dropped through the floor.

One of the key indicators I follow in respect to the state of the housing market is mortgage originations. This data gives me an idea about demand for homes, as rising demand for mortgages means more people are buying homes. And as demand increases, prices should be increasing.

But the opposite is happening…In the first quarter of 2014, mortgage

originations at Citigroup Inc. (NYSE/C) declined 71% from the same period a year ago. The bank issued $5.2 billion in mort-gages in the first quarter of 2014, compared to $8.3 billion in the previous quarter and $18.0 billion in the first quarter of 2013. (Source: Citigroup Inc. web site, last ac-cessed April 14, 2014.)

Total mortgage origination volume at

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE/JPM) declined by 68% in the first quarter of 2014 from the same period a year ago.

At JPMorgan, in the first quar-ter of 2014, $17.0 billion worth of mortgages were issued, compared to $52.7 billion in the same period a year ago. (Source:

Real estate market correction coming sooner than we all thought?

If you read charts and believe in the real estate cycle, all points leading to a huge similarities between 2007 and this year 2014. As you are about to see, U.S. home sales fell dra-matically throughout 2007. The RE market has slowed down but my thoughts after reading what the analyst are predicting is somewhat skeptical. Here is what The Crux is saying:

Initially referring to 2007:It was the worst economic

crisis since the days of the Great Depression. And you know

JPMorgan Chase & Co. web site, last ac-cessed April 14, 2014.)

It is almost as if we are watching a replay of 2007 all over again, and yet nobody is talking about this.

Everyone wants to believe that this time will be different. The human capacity for self-delusion is absolutely amazing.

There are a lot of other similarities be-tween 2007 and today as well.

Just the other day, I noted that retail stores are closing in the United States at the fastest pace that we have seen since the collapse of Lehman Brothers.

Back in 2007, we saw margin debt on Wall Street spike dramatically and help fuel a remarkable run in the stock market. Just check out the chart in this article. But that spike in margin debt also made the eventual stock market collapse much worse than it had to be.

And just like 2007, consumer credit is totally out of control. As I noted in one recent article, during the fourth quarter of 2013 we witnessed the biggest increase in consumer debt in the U.S. that we have seen since 2007. Total consumer credit in the U.S. has risen by 22 percent over the past three years, and 56 percent of all Americans

have “subprime credit” at this point.Are you starting to get the picture? It is

only 7 years later, and the same things that happened just prior to the last great finan-cial crisis are happening again. Only this time we are in much worse shape to handle an economic meltdown. The following is a brief excerpt from my recent article entitled “We Are In FAR Worse Shape Than We Were Just Prior To The Last Great Financial Crisis”...

None of the problems that caused the last financial crisis have been fixed. In fact, they have all gotten worse.

The total amount of debt in the world has grown by more than 40 percent since 2007, the too big to fail banks have got-ten 37 percent larger, and the colossal derivatives bubble has spiraled so far out of control that the only thing left to do is to watch the spectacular crash landing that is inevitably coming.

For a long time, I have been convinced that this two-year time period is going to represent a major “turning point” for America.

Right now, 2014 is turning out to be eerily similar to 2007. Will 2015 turn out

See KEN GO, page 31

31Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend, Sat. - Fri., May 10 - 16, 2014

DOWNEY, Calif., May 6, 2014 – The new Kaiser Permanente Cerritos medical offices will open May 9 with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Members will be-gin to receive services at the two-story, 50,000-square foot facility on May 13. The medical offices, equipped with under-ground parking, will serve approximately 60,000 Kaiser Permanente members who live in the area.

Easily accessible from the 605 and 91 freeways, the full-service medical offices will offer convenient primary care, obstet-rics-gynecology, pediatrics, podiatry, radi-ology and x-ray, laboratory and pharmacy services from more than 30 providers.

“This facility helps us bring to Cerritos the excellent care and services Kaiser Per-manente is known for in a new, convenient location” said Rowena Javier, MD Physi-cian In Charge of the facility.

The new medical offices, located about 6 miles from the Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center, allow members the ease of receiving care in their com-munity while being connected to over 500 board-certified physicians of all specialties.

“Kaiser Permanente physicians are na-tionally recognized leaders in care quality, earning top marks from our patients and outside agencies,” said Binesh Batra, MD Area Medical Director. “Our care delivery model puts the patient in the center with

a medical home here in Cerritos, while maintaining a fully integrated, connected, broad physician network available to sup-port them.”

The facility will open to see the first patients on Tuesday, May 13, 2014.

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans.

Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 3.7 million members in Southern California. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of care-givers.

Kaiser Permanente expert and caring medical teams are empowered and sup-ported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management.

Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/share.

60,000 Kaiser Permanente members to receive full-service care in Cerritos

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Serve the People Institute (SPI) celebrated the start of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with its inaugural event on Friday, May 2, 2014, at 9:30 a.m. at the Japanese Ameri-can National Museum located at 100 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Over 210 community activists, leaders, and university students, staff and faculty attended the public unveiling of SPI, a community-driven project to document, preserve, and share the issues, events, and underlying values at the heart of the Asian American Movement in Los Angeles in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

During this time, a wide constellation of social, political, and cultural groups emerged to fight for social justice issues related to Asian Americans and their com-munities.

Sponsorship for the event reflected the community-driven nature of SPI. Sponsors included the Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment, County of Los Angeles Fourth District Supervisor Don Knabe, the Japanese American National Museum, the Asian American Drug Abuse Program, Asian & Pacific Islanders California Ac-tion Network, Little Tokyo Service Center, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, California State Assemblymem-ber Al Muratsuchi, Cordoba Corporation, Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, Imprenta Communications, Asian Pa-cific American Dispute Resolution Center, Magna Systems, Inc., National Asian Pacific American Families Against Sub-stance Abuse, OCA Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles Community College District

Trustee Mike Eng, Richard Toguchi, and Debra Fong.

Outlining the goals of SPI to document, preserve, and share the stories, lessons, and values of the Asian American Movement in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, SPI Director Warren Furutani emphasized the connec-tions between past, present, and future social justice struggles. “The purpose of the Serve the People Institute is to establish a point of reference from which to draw a perspective to move to the future,” Furutani said. “In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, we were but a continuum for those who came before us, and for those activists here today, we ask that you be a continuum for the work that we have done.”

SPI’s inaugural event showcased mu-sical performances featuring artists who emerged from the Movement, including Nobuko Miyamoto, Atomic Nancy, Benny Yee, Jaime Geaga, Florante and Rose Ibanez, and Carol Kimbrough. The event also captured performances by poets Traci Kato-Kiriyama and Jumakae.

In addition to music, the event featured speakers who came out of the Asian Ameri-can Movement, including Jai Lee Wong, an activist involved in the Free Chol Soo Lee Movement; Dan and June Kuramoto, founding members of the fusion jazz band, Hiroshima; Kerry Doi, president and chief executive officer of the Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment and one of the founders of South Bay Asian Involvement; and Warren Furutani, director of SPI and former California State Assemblymember.

“The main story is that it’s a people’s movement,” Furutani said. “It’s about the

SPI inaugural event kicks off Asian Pacifi c American Heritage Month

Serve the People Institute Advisory Committee members, speakers, and performers at the SPI Inaugural Event. Pictured above are (from left, back row) Kathy Masaoka, Carrie Morita, Miya Iwataki, Nancy “Atomic Nancy” Sekizawa, Evelyn Yoshimura; (front row) June Kuramoto, Traci Kato-Kiriyama, June “Jumakae” Kaewsith, Nobuko Miyamoto.reality that ordinary people in social move-ments have done extraordinary things. They have built communities, have built institutions, have provided a cultural base, and have been involved in every aspect of society with the same fundamental belief of making change for the betterment of society.”

For additional information about the inaugural event or the Serve the People Institute, please contact Christina Baggao at (213) 353-3982 or cbaggao@pacela.org. For future sponsorship opportunities, please contact Carol Gallant at (213) 989-3218 or cgallant@pacela.org.

The Serve the People Institute (SPI) is

a community-driven project to document, preserve, and share the issues, events, and values at the heart of the Asian American Movement in Los Angeles.

SPI aims to empower Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities toward greater economic and political self-sufficiency by developing and cultivating our next generation of activists and community leaders. To do this, SPI brings together a unique cadre of community leaders from the Asian American Movement based in Los Angeles to document the struggles of the past and empower the leaders who will continue the fight for social justice.

to be a repeat of 2008?My thoughts, I am still a bit optimistic

because the cause of the 2007 RE bust was due to faulty Mortgages written to homeowners who really cannot afford inflated homes.

Remember the first wave of foreclosures

that year where to homeowners owning their properties for less than a year, some even started defaulting their home loans after just the first few payments.

I hope I am right and that we just see a little hiccup and not a repeat of 2007.

Thanks for your inquiries and please call Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance or write to kennethgo@verizon.net. Please all Ken at 562-508-7048.

KEN GOFrom page 30

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PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRITHoly Spirit Thou who make me see everything and show me the way to reach my ideal, You who give me the divine gift to forgive and forget the wrong that is done to me and who are in all instances of my life with me. I, in this short dialogue, want to thank You for everything and con rm once more that I never want to be separated from You no matter how great the material desires may be. I want to be with You and my loved ones in Your perpetual glory. Amen. A person must pray this for three consecutive days without stating his wish. After the 3rd day the wish will be granted, no matter how dif cult it may be. Promise to publish this as soon as your favor has been granted. Grateful Thanks -JAYSON

PRAYERS

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Oh most beautiful ower of Mt. Carmel, fruit wine splendor of Heaven.Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh Star of the Sea. Help me and show me here you are my Mother. Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succour me in my necessity. (make request). There are none that can withstand your power. Oh Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee (3 times). Holy Mary, I place this prayer in your hands (3 times). Say this prayer for three consecutive days and then you must publish and it will be granted to you. Thank you Blessed Virgin. - LEN

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HEALTH & BEAUTY(Relaxnews) – A coffee a day could help

keep eye diseases at bay. That’s according to a joint study out of South Korea and the US, which concluded that powerful antioxidants found in coffee can play a role in preventing age-related eye diseases and the degeneration of eyesight. For their research, scientists looked at the impact of chlorogenic acid or CLA, a strong antioxi-dant that has been shown to prevent retinal degeneration in mice. To conduct their experiment, mice were treated with nitric oxide, which creates oxidative stress and free radicals and leads to retinal degenera-tion.Those that were pretreated with CLA developed no sign of retinal damage. The retina is a thin tissue located on the back

Why coff ee may be good for your eyes

days grace period for enrollees in a subsi-dized plan to pay premiums.

There is a provision in the law that if an enrollee falls behind in premium payment, insurers are required to cover their medical bills. But, for the next 60 days, insurers are off the hook paying the claims, and deny them if enrollees do not catch up on pay-ments. This may result in doctors and other providers not getting paid for their services.

I do not exactly know how doctors will react in such a case, or what measures they’re taking to address this matter.

If they withhold treatment, and turn

away patients, they definitely are violating their oath, and may even be legally liable especially if someone comes in with a life threatening condition.

If they reschedule patients, this could be a breach of contract because of anti-discrimination clause in many managed care contracts.

Meanwhile, I strongly urge doctors to educate their patients and stress the need to update their premiums for continuity of medical care.

ORSA benefits ended as of December 31, 2013. ORSA beneficiaries must be

Obamacare: ‘I missed the deadline. Can I still enroll?’

Those unable to enroll in a health insurance plan thru Covered CA and wish to find out if they still can, call me at 323-535-7373; or, e-mail at leo.balita@gmail.com for a free consultation. We may be able to find a qualifying event that will entitle you to a special enrollment. Having health insurance gives you peace of mind AND may reduce whatever penalty due you

wall of the eye that receives and organizes visual information, researchers explain.

It’s also one of the most metabolically active tissues and requires high levels of oxygen. Without it, the tissue is particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress and prone to the production of free radicals, which leads to tissue damage and loss of sight.

However, it’s not yet known whether or not drinking coffee delivers CLA directly to the retina, researchers stress. Future studies could lead to the development of a special brew customized for retinal sup-port, or CLA delivery via eye drops. The study, published in the Journal of Agricul-tural and Food Chemistry, is the latest to vaunt the nutritional merits of coffee.

transitioned to Medical if they qualify. Call me, if you need help.

Obamacare has impacted every facet of American life. If you get confused because of information overload (letters about Medicare, Medical, Covered CA, Health Insurance Plans, ORSA, etc.) call me and let me help you put some sense into this confusion. It is prudent not to ignore the letters. I will be happy to help At no cost to you.

Medicare Alert: Those ageing in to Medicare (65 years of age) have rich op-tions available. Let me discuss the ABCs of what you have and the benefits that you are entitled to but are not aware of, so you may exercise your options properly.

Senior Tidbits: Thanks to my friend, Mr. Vic Buan, for inviting me to a dance recently. Every Friday, starting at 8pm, a dance is held at the Philippine Village along Eaglerock Blvd. Free parking is of-fered on a wide space inside the compound. Entrance fee is $10 per person that includes a healthy dinner.

About the author: Leo Monsalud hails from Sta. Cruz, Zambales. He studied for his MBA and Law at the University of the Philippines (UP). He worked for United Laboratories, Inc. (UNILAB) where his last position held was vice-president and general manager of a division. He was a joint-venture partner of the San Miguel Corporation in an agri-business project. Currently, he holds CA license 0G55218 and is contracted with various life and health insurance and annuity companies.

comes tax time in 2015.Obamacare provides 90-

35Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend, Sat. - Fri., May 10 - 16, 2014

1. Fifteen years of highly specialized experience and commitment to excel in cosmetic medicine and skin rejuvenation have placed us among the leading and most respected medical institutions in the field with-out ever having to rely on celebrity endorsement or TV hype.

2. Dr. Apolinar Tiongson (founder and medical director of SouthMain Rejuve-nation Institute, A Medical Group) who established his first all-aesthetic medical facility in 1999 is among the pioneer-ing physicians whose practices are 100 percent devoted to the superspecialty of aesthetic medicine as opposed to other practitioners who offer cosmetic treat-ments part time or on the side, subordinate to their noncosmetic special-ties.

3. Over one and a half decades, the physicians and nurses at SouthMain Rejuvenation Institute have performed more than 100,000 laser skin procedures; over 10,000 Botox injections; 10,000 and counting facial chemical peels; 10,000 plus dermal filler injections for designer lip augmentation, noselifting, wrinkles and facial volume loss; and countless other nonsurgical treatments on satisfied patients, thousands of whom have con-tinuously entrusted us with the task of enhancing, restoring and maintaining the youthfulness of their skin and appearance since our very inception.

4. APOLINAR, a well-loved, let alone highly efficacious complete skincare line conceived at the dawn of the new millen-nium and still evolving toward perfection is only exclusively available at South-Main Rejuvenation offices in San Jose, San Francisco and Los Angeles and never sold online so users receive personalized

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6. We fulfill our continuing medical education by attending advanced courses on the cutting-edge developments in cos-metic surgery and aesthetic dermatology.

7. Dr. Tiongson is a well-rounded physician scholar who holds a board certification awarded by the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine, earned an Australian diploma in dermatology with flying colors, finished five years of dermatopathology focused residency in pathology and internship in internal medi-cine in the 1990s at New York Medical College and New York University School of Medicine programs, respectively.

8. Aside from reading, writing and editing, Dr. Tiongson is passionate about imparting his knowledge and expertise in laser medicine and surgery and cosmetic dermatology to the SouthMain staff as well as doctors and practitioners from all over the world in various educational settings.

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(Relaxnews) – The American singer is set to be unveiled as the face of a new Givenchy fragrance in the fall.

Givenchy announced the news on its Fragrances & Beauty Facebook page on Wednesday.

The as-yet-unnamed fragrance is ru-mored to be hitting shelves in September with an accompanying campaign. Given-chy is a big fan of music and fashion crossovers, with creative director Riccardo Tisci picking neo-soul singer Erykah Badu as the face of the brand’s Spring-Summer 2014 campaign, shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Keys is well-versed when it comes to the fashion world, having collaborated with Reebok on a line of sneakers. The 33-year-old singer and actress is currently working on the follow-up to her 2012 album “Girl On Fire” (her fifth so far).

Top ten reasons why SouthMain Rejuvenation is a top-notch institute

Alicia Keys is new face of Givenchy

Alicia Keys

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NEW YORK, May 9, 2014 (AFP) – Richard Parsons, the former chairman of media giant Time Warner and Citigroup, was named Friday as the interim chief executive of the Los Angeles Clippers following a racism firestorm.

The move by the NBA came in the wake of the life ban imposed upon Clippers owner Donald Sterling for racist remarks revealed two weeks ago by celebrity watchdog website TMZ.

“I believe the hiring of Dick Parsons will bring extraordinary leadership and immediate stability to the Clippers or-ganization,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said.

Sterling, who told his girlfriend he did not want her to bring black people to Clip-pers games or post photos of herself with black people on social media, was banned for life by Silver, who has started the pro-cess of having other club owners remove Sterling as owner of the Clippers.

Clippers president Andy Roeser, who has been with the NBA club since 1984, had been guiding day-to-day activities of the club since the scandal erupted.

But Roeser upset some with a press re-lease supporting Sterling in the first hours after the controversy began. On Tuesday, Roeser took an indefinite leave of absence, setting the stage for the league-appointed caretaker to handle operations for the team indefinitely.

In a recording released Friday by Rada-rOnline that is purportedly of Sterling, the 80-year-old real estate tycoon says he only made the racial comments to his 31-year-old assistant, V. Stiviano, because he was trying to seduce her into having sex with him.

NBA owners are expected to push to remove Sterling as owner before the end of the month, but Sterling could launch a

court battle rather than sell or lose a team worth more than $600 million.

Parsons, now a senior advisor at Provi-dence Equity Partners, was on US Presi-dent Barack Obama’s economic advisory team and also sits on the board of direc-tors for the Commission on Presidential Debates.

“Dick’s credentials as a proven chief executive speak for themselves and I am extremely grateful he accepted this respon-sibility,” Silver said.

Parsons, who once played basketball for the University of Hawaii, said he has been a life-long NBA fan who was upset at Sterling’s words.

“Like most Americans, I have been deeply troubled by the pain the Clippers’ team, fans and partners have endured,” Parsons said.

“As a life-long fan of the NBA, I am firmly committed to the values and prin-ciples it is defending and I completely sup-port Adam’s leadership in navigating the challenges facing the team and the league.”

The Clippers shook off the distraction of the racism controversy to defeat Golden State in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Now coach Glenn “Doc” Rivers’ squad is playing against Oklahoma City in the second round for a berth in the Western Conference final. “The Clippers are a resil-ient organization with a brilliant coach and equally talented and dedicated athletes and staff who have demonstrated great strength of character during a time of adversity,” Parsons said.

Sterling’s latest recording was revealed a day after the same website released a portion of the same conversation where the embattled team owner declares “I am not a racist,” and indicates he does not believe the NBA has grounds to remove the team from him.

Ex-Time Warner boss Parsons takes over Los Angeles Clippers

37Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend, Sat. - Fri., May 10 - 16, 2014

SPORTS

LAS VEGAS, May 5, 2014 (AFP) – Boxing legend Muhammad Ali is happy that Floyd Mayweather remains unbeaten, but the sporting icon wants to see him face Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao.

The former world heavyweight cham-pion posted a message on Twitter hailing Mayweather’s majority-decision triumph Saturday over Argentina’s Marcos Maid-ana but slipped in a jab of his own about Mayweather having yet to face Pacquiao.

“Congratulations FloydMayweather. Maybe after you rest up we can see you rumble with MannyPacquiao!” Ali tweeted.

Mayweather, 37, and Pacquiao, 35, talked about a showdown years ago as fans pushed for the superstars to meet in the ring but money and blood testing issues scuttled the talks.

Since then, Mayweather (46-0 with 26 knockouts) has said he will never work

with Pacquiao’s long-time promoter, Bob Arum, and Pacquiao (56-5 with two drawn and 38 knockouts) is reportedly in talks for a new deal with Arum that would likely take him to the end of his career.

Pacquiao beat Timothy Bradley by unanimous decision last month, avenging a controversial 2012 defeat, and could face Juan Manuel Marquez for the fifth time if the Mexican wins a fight later this month to become his mandatory next title

challenger. Marquez stopped Pacquaio in 2012.

Mayweather did not address Ali’s Twitter remark but did return to tweeting Monday after his tweets were named on Time magazine’s list of the 140 best Twit-ter feeds of this year.

“It’s an honor to be on Time’s list of best Twitter feeds of 2014. Go grab Time Magazine from the store,” Mayweather tweeted.

Boxing great Muhammad Ali wants Mayweather to face Pacquiao 

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada receives a token as guest speaker at the opening of the Palarong Pambansa 2014 at Laguna Sports Complex, Barangay Bubukal, Sta. Cruz, Laguna, from Education Secretary Armin Luistro (2nd right), and Laguna Governor Jeorge E.R. Ejercito Estrada. Also in photo was Chairman Richie Garcia (2nd left) of the Philippine Sport Commission (PSC). (MNS photo)

The American Basketball Association (ABA Global) has started to revamp key franchises in preparation for the 2014 regu-lar season games starting in November.

Florida’s Jacksonville Giants, Texas Fuel and the Los Angeles Slam are leading the way to improve television coverage, player exchanges and are working closely with ABA Global’s Singapore office to gain a foothold in Asia.

As a global league, the ABA already counts travel teams from China, Japan, Canada and Puerto Rico. The Philippines sent its national team, the Smart-Gilas in California in 2010 to gain exposure fol-lowed by a visit to Los Angeles by coach Vincent Reyes in 2012 to look into a travel team franchise for its cadet squad. . San Miguel has also been offered to partici-pate in the ABA in line with its business expansions in the United States. A travel

team for San Francisco Bay has already been reserved for the Cebuana Lhuillier Co. and they have already sent star guard Kevin Alas for training.

“A travel team of ABA Global does not commit to the full season of games but participate as an extensive training ground for speed and agility against big men and they participate only in the west coast or east coast games in the US. Their schedule is also tailor made for them so they can send their best players or national teams to participate at certain times of the year” said Paul Monozca, Chairman of ABA Global.

The ABA is also looking at drafting a Filipino guard to a top ranked ABA team for the 2014 season and is observing current and undiscovered players in the country today. It is a dream for a Filipino cager to play side-by-side NBA free agents and/or veterans in the US.

ABA eyes PHL travel team

38 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend, Sat. - Fri., May 10 - 16, 2014 Balita

For several months, I kept receiving an invitation from a car dealership to trade in my car. I realized that this little car may not survive the cruel traffic conditions of the freeways from West Covina to the LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) area. I’m driving side by side with big rigs where the drivers are unforgiving, they feel it’s only them who have the right of way.

Then one day, after having a dental work, my friend told me, “Let’s have your car replaced. Let’s go to Victory Autos!” I told her, “not now, my credit score is too low and I don’t wanna go through the hassles of haggling.” She said, “There’s no haggling in Victory Autos and everyone here is so nice. They are all Pinoys like us!”

When I got to victory autos, my eyes got focused on a beautiful black Mercedes SUV, I said to myself, “No, not that SUV. It must be expensive! I can’t afford that. The owner – his name is Hedi Trinidad – came down from his office and greeted me and said, “Oh this car fits you ok! You will be safe with this car.” Since I was not ready to buy, all the information I provided were all incomplete. I felt mesmerized and absent-minded, my mind was focused on

the black Mercedes SUV, Also, there was a young woman who was interested in it, too. But Hedi awarded it to me. We had some paperwork done, and even without the final financing company, I drove the Mercedes home with a partial down pay-ment and with my trade-in car.

I waited for a few days, keeping in touch with Victory Autos. Finally, they got a co-signer whose credit is spotless and got a credit union which will finance the car! This is God sent! I could not believe they will go the extra mile to get somebody who will offer her help to co sign with me. I am forever grateful to Victory Autos. From the owner Hedi Trinidad and all his staff, they are all approachable and helpful. And I’m very happy to share this with the readers of Weekend Balita. – ISABEL

“If you need a new car, or a pre-owned certified vehicle, come to us. We can help you buy that new car,” Victory Autos owner and proprietor Hedi Trinidad said. “You don’t even have to worry if you have bad credit or no credit at all. Even if you are just a working student. All you need to show is your paystub.”

According to Trinidad, they can also

Victory Autos goes the extra mile to help customer buy a Mercedes-Benz

MOTORING

help people buy a new car even if they filed for bankruptcy or if their old car had been repossessed. “That is not a problem,”

Trinidad said, “thousands have been af-fected by the recent Great Recession. No one was spared, even the banks that had

Isabel (center) chooses a Mercedes-Benz SUV because she needed a car that would make her feel safe while driving on the freeways, where semis also ply. With the help of Victory Autos friendly staff, Isabel, who thought she had “credit score issues” was able to drive home the vehicle of her dreams. For more details, please visit Victory Autos Showroom at 791 E. Arrow Highway, Azusa, CA 91702, (626) 859-9199 or (626) 969-6169.

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the money. But, just give us a call and we guarantee 100% financing. Even if the bank says no, we say yes.”

Backed by their 25 years in car busi-ness, Victory Autos is dedicated to of-fering high-quality, pre-owned vehicles to our customers. From the moment you walk through our door, “we’re committed to providing you with a great car-buying experience. With our skilled sales staff and financing options, we’ll help you get the vehicle you want, at the great price you deserve,” Trinidad said.

Victory Autos is dedicated in providing the ultimate automobile buying experience. Victory Autos is your #1 source for buying a quality pre-owned vehicle at wholesale price. We have extensive relationships in the dealer community allowing us to pur-chase a wide variety of lease returns and new car trades at exceptional values. This enables Victory Autos to pass along huge savings on the highest quality vehicles of your choice. In addition, we offer a full array of financing options to meet your needs.”

For more details, please visit Victory Autos Showroom at 791 E. Arrow High-way, Azusa, CA 91702, (626) 859-9199 or (626) 969-6169; Victory Auto Broker at 1579 E. Amar Road, West Covina, CA 91792, (626) 253-7576; and Victory Auto Care at 352 S. Irwindale Avenue, Azusa, CA 91702, (626) 334-7573.

For more information, please call Victory Autos’ toll free number at 1-877-821-7145. Or, visit their website at www.victoryautoconnect.com.

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39Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend, Sat. - Fri., May 10 - 16, 2014

40 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend, Sat. - Fri., May 10 - 16, 2014 Balita

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., May 7, 2014 – Hyun-dai’s award-winning 2015 Genesis sedan continues segment leadership as the first and only rear-wheel drive vehicle in its class to receive the Insurance Insti-tute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest honor as a 2014 Top Safety Pick + when equipped with op-tional front crash preven-tion. Genesis is also the first rear-wheel drive luxury sedan to earn a Good rating in the small overlap crash test.

IIHS rates vehicles in a moderate over-lap front crash, small overlap front crash, side impact and rollover test, and evaluates seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impact collisions. Additionally, IIHS evaluates available front crash prevention systems that aim to prevent a crash or lessen its severity. Win-ners of the Top Safety Pick + award must earn Good ratings for occupant protection in the moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests, no less than acceptable in the small overlap test, and at least a basic rating for front crash prevention.

“The Top Safety Pick+ designation recognizes state-of-the-art safety,” said IIHS president, Adrian Lund. “The new Genesis is not only engineered to protect people when crashes happen, but with its optional automatic emergency braking system rated superior in our tests, this car can help drivers avoid some of the most common kinds of collisions altogether.”

“IIHS Top Safety Picks are important ratings in vehicle crash test safety,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president, Corporate and Product Planning, Hyundai Motor America. “Genesis’ Top Safety Pick + rec-ognition further reinforces its segment leadership in delivering advanced safety performance and technology as well as a host of world-class active and passive safety features.”

Genesis’ suite of safety features aim to prevent accidents and maximize the safety of its occupants in the event of a collision. The all-new 2015 Genesis uses new Sen-sory Surround Safety technology including a Hyundai first, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), utilizing sensor fusion technology to help avoid a potential colli-sion or reduce its impact. With this system, Genesis will employ automatic braking whenever it detects another vehicle at an unsafe closing rate of speed. This system

uses the front radar from the Smart Cruise Control system and the forward camera from the Lane Departure Warning (LDW) to provide this extra margin of safety. In addition, Genesis combines available LDW with all-new Lane Keep Assist (LKA) to provide a driver-adjustable level of steer-ing assist to help prevent inadvertent lane departure when a vehicle approaches the edge of a lane and also provides steering wheel haptic vibration feedback.

Genesis is generously equipped with new, advanced technologies, many of them Hyundai firsts. A new driver-selectable Intelligent Drive Mode allows drivers to select from four drive modes depending on conditions and driving preferences. A new Blind-Spot Detection system (BSD) helps monitor traffic around the car and for Genesis’ equipped with the Heads-Up Display (HUD), the BSD system indicators also project onto the windshield, nearer the driver’s view of the road, a segment first. Lane Change Assist (LCA) helps detect vehicles approaching towards its rear side at high speeds, especially during higher-speed driving, while Rear Cross-traffic Alert (RCTA) scans areas to each side of the car when drivers are backing out of parking spaces. No other sedan in Genesis’ class offers the combination of BSD, LCA and RCTA.

Genesis also benefits from a world-first technology in its CO2 sensor control system. Hyundai engineers discovered that occupants start to get drowsy when CO2 levels reached more than 2,000 parts per million, so the new ventilation sys-tem helps ensure the cabin maintains a CO2 concentration well below that level at all times using freshly-ventilated ambi-ent air.

For more information about the new Genesis and other Hyundai vehicles, visit Hyundai Puente Hills is located at 17621 Gale Ave, Industry, CA 91748. For great deals, call our kababayans Hanzel Fraguere at (626) 393-4070 and Ferry Maringka at (626) 202-9687.

2015 Genesis awarded Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick+First-ever rear-wheel drive luxury sedan to earn highest safety rating

“The Top Safety Pick+ designation recognizes state-of-the-art safety,” said IIHS president, Adrian Lund. “The new Genesis is not only engineered to protect people when crashes happen, but with its optional automatic emergency braking system rated superior in our tests, this car can help drivers avoid some of the most common kinds of collisions altogether.”

41Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend, Sat. - Fri., May 10 - 16, 2014

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42 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend, Sat. - Fri., May 10 - 16, 2014 Balita

&Fil-Am News Lifestyle

Balita.comYour premier source for Fil-Am Lifestyle. Updated daily with local, national and international news.

Soul is recognized for its fun-to-drive personality, premium content and design

IRVINE, Calif., April 17, 2014 – Au-toTrader.com has named the 2015 Kia K9001 and 2014 Kia Soul to its prestigious list of 2014 “Must Test Drive” vehicles. Kia joins AutoTrader.com’s select collec-tion for the first time in 2014 and is one of only three brands to have more than one vehicle on the list, which covers cars, trucks, vans and SUVs. The AutoTrader.com editors look for that “something special” in each vehicle selected, and the K900 and Soul wowed them with unex-pected amenities, outstanding design and tremendous value within their respective segments.

“The Kia brand has always challenged convention and has consistently redefined the notion of what value means since en-tering the U.S. market 20 years ago,” said Michael Sprague, executive vice president of sales & marketing, Kia Motors America (KMA).

“To be recognized by the editors of Au-toTrader.com for our new luxury flagship

sedan and our wildly popular affordable halo vehicle is a clear indication that our products continue to surprise and delight today’s new-car buyers with a perfect bal-ance of world-class design and quality, user-friendly technology and amenities, as well as value.”

To be selected for the AutoTrader.com 2014 Must Test Drive accolade, vehicles must be available for sale by October of 2014, be widely available for sale in the U.S. (at least half of the 50 states), have a base price under $75,000 and be produced (or planned to be produced) in volumes of 10,000 or more.

The judging criteria focused on four key attributes: value, comfort, performance and style. Vehicles that were selected to the AutoTrader.com 2014 Must Test Drive list where those that had to be driven to be fully appreciated and offered something unexpected that would surprise car shop-pers, particularly those who may not have previously thought to consider that brand or model before. With so many brands in the market today, people have many choic-

es. But Kia is not just about affordability. With its leading technological advances in design, performance, fuel efficiency, safety and reliability, it just makes sense. Drop by Car Pros Kia of Carson today and find

out why people flock to that dealership. They are just located at 21243 S Avalon Blvd, Carson, CA 90745, which is home to many of us Filipinos. They can be reached at (310) 221-9131. Call or visit today.

“We specialize in all models” is the typi-cal statement that many auto repair shops advertise. Some even say that they are ex-perts in German and Japanese cars. With the advent of another Asian car manufacturer, Korean was added to the mix.

However, being an expert in so many car manufacturing models may also have a drawback. This means a spread of resources, which is lesser knowledge in one particular field as it is difficult to accommodate each and every car model on earth – if it’s even possible. Needless to say, the shop that claims that they can fix any car model may be able to repair your vehicle, but don’t expect it to be in the best of shape than it could be since becoming an expert in one particular brand takes time, experience and

a lot of knowledge.This piece of wisdom is what Shick

Automotive Inc. would like Weekend Balita readers to remember. Shick Automo-tive would also like to remind us that our cars – any type of a vehicle – are not just a mode of transportation, it’s an extension of our daily lives. Individuals need cars everyday to get to their destination in the safest manner possible. Families use them to take their children to school in hope for an accident-free drive. No one wants to have their morning ruined due to a stalled vehicle, which can result in a child being late to school. Oh, how we all dread seeing a tardy slip, not to mention the frown our children wear when we get to see them later.

Of course, no one can escape these facts

of life, but we can reduce them by being responsible and getting our vehicles in tip-top shape. Shick Automotive Inc. pro-fessionals are not only highly certified and experienced technicians, most of them are also parents – husbands and wives – who also want to go home to their families safely. But before they do that, they too are being responsible and use the best products and engineering known to man in terms of car manufacturer: German engineering.

At Shick Automotive Inc., only genuine German products are being used. These include the several types of engine oils that one particular type of vehicle needs. Shick Automotive Inc. also has a huge stock of German filter brands and other engine, transmission, tire and accessory products

that were manufactured specifically for one particular German brand.

Shick Automotive Inc. has a made a commitment to specialize in this only one type of engineering. This is why they also sell mostly German-made cars because they know that their customers are assured of top quality vehicles, including pre-owned vehicles that undergo several points of inspection before they are sold.

If you have German vehicle – BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi or Volkswagen – try visiting Shick Automotive and experience the difference. To hear the real sound of your engine roar and for a smooth ride, have your German vehicle inspected, repaired and maintained by the expert and highly-trained Shick Automotive technicians.

Kia soul named ‘Must Test Drive’ vehicle for 2014 by Autotrader.Com

Shick Automotive Inc. mechanics specialize in German cars

Kia Soul

43Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend, Sat. - Fri., May 10 - 16, 2014

Cherry Hill, N.J. - Subaru of America, Inc. today announced that the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded the 2015 Subaru WRX and WRX STI the IIHS 2014 TOP SAFETY PICK award for good performance in each of the Institute’s crashworthiness evaluations, including the small overlap front test. This is the first time IIHS has rated the WRX and WRX STI, which were both completely redesigned for 2015.

With the addition to the 2015 WRX, Subaru now has six models that have earned 2014 safety awards from IIHS – three with TOP SAFETY PICK and three with TOP SAFETY PICK+ including its Legacy sedan and Outback models with optional EyeSight?

Subaru has more 2014 IIHS Top Safety Picks than any other brand. The Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive Subaru WRX is one of the brand’s performance models and comes standard with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder 268 horsepower engine, mated to a six-speed manual trans-mission, and is priced at $26,295.

The higher-performance WRX STI model is priced at $34,495 and fea-tures a turbocharged, 2.5-liter boxer four cylinder engine that produces 305 hp.In addition to the standard model, the WRX STI is offered in Launch Edition.

Limited to just 1,000 units over the first three months of production, and offered exclusively in WR Blue with gold BBS® alloy wheels and blue trim throughout the interior.

All WRX STI models feature Alcantara seating surfaces and standard LED exterior lighting, and the Limited trim adds leather, a power driver’s seat, a moonroof and a

From left: Christian Marilla, Chris Garchitorena, Bobby Cheng and Jojo Diala of Subaru of Glendale.

2015 Subaru WRX and WRX STI earn IIHS 2014 Top Safety Pick

2015 Subaru WRX

premium Harman/Kardon audio system. Navigation and higher-end audio are op-tional on other models.

“Safety is one of our brand tenets and so we are extremely proud to have earned a TSP rating for our performance models” said Thomas J. Doll, president and chief operating officer, Subaru of America, Inc. “we are committed to providing engaging driving together with safety and this award is testament to that commitment.”

But while we all ponder as to why Subaru continues to become a favorite of many, come to Subaru Glendale where you will find that indeed these cars are selling like hotcakes just get in touch with our kababayans at Subaru Glendale, who

have been serving the Filipino-American market and who have made Filipinos love the Subaru brand and the Subaru vehicles’ versatility.

What are you waiting for, come on down to Subaru Glendale and our kababay-ans Christian Marilla, Bobby Cheng, Chris Garchitorena, Rico Dagohoy and Jojo

Diala will be more than happy to inform you why Subaru is becoming a favorite of Filipinos and the whole American market. Subaru of Glendale is located at 1308 S Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91204. You can reach them at 1-855-230-1547 or you can visit their website at www.subaruof-glendale.net.

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TOKYO, May 8, 2014 (AFP) – Toyota booked a record $17.9 billion annual net profit Thursday, driven by a recovery in major markets and the weaker yen, but the world’s biggest au-tomaker cautioned that earnings growth would stall this year.

Japanese car companies have been big winners over the past year as a sharp drop in the yen inflated their repatriated profits, while sales accelerated in key markets including the US and China.

Toyota’s buoyant results underscore a recovery not only for the Camry and Corolla maker but also for rival auto

Toyota posts record annual profi t of $17.9-Bgiants including Nissan and Honda, which saw its net profit in the past fiscal year soar about 55 percent. Nissan reports its annual financial results next week.

On Thursday, Toyota said it had earned a net profit of 1.82 trillion yen ($17.9 bil-lion) over the fiscal year to March, nearly doubling from a year earlier, as sales rose 16.4 percent to 25.69 trillion yen.

Toyota’s operating profit jumped to 2.29 trillion yen, from 1.32 trillion yen, it said.

Company president Akio Toyoda cred-ited cost cuts and stronger sales in Japan and North America for the results as Toyota looks to sell more than 10 million vehicles

in 2014, an industry record.But he cautioned that this fiscal year’s

net profit would come in lower at 1.78 trillion yen, as Toyota eyes “sustainable growth”.

“We’re determined not to target an unreasonable expansion that is beyond our capacity,” he told reporters in Tokyo.

“Our goal is to achieve sustainable growth. The biggest risk is the kind of ar-rogance that big companies tend to have...Profit is not an objective, but rather a consequence.”

Toyota kept the title of world’s biggest automaker with 2013 sales of 9.98 million

vehicles, outpacing Germany’s Volk-swagen and General Motors, and said it expects this calendar year to become the first to break the 10 million vehicle sales barrier.

‘Not so rosy’ Toyota ended GM’s decades-long

reign as the world’s top automaker in 2008 but lost the crown three years later as Japan’s quake-tsunami disaster hammered production and disrupted the supply chains of the nation’s automakers.

Toyota has also been dealt a heavy blow from a series of mass recalls af-fecting millions of cars that damaged its once-stellar reputation for quality and safety.

44 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend, Sat. - Fri., May 10 - 16, 2014 Balita

M O N T -VA L E , N J , April 23, 2014 – Mercedes-AMG pres -ents the most extreme ver-sion of the cel-ebrated SLS, the 2014 mod-el-year SLS AMG Black Series. Inspired by the SLS AMG GT3 race car, the fifth Black Series model from Mercedes-AMG boasts a mix of breathtak-ing design, outstanding driving dynamics and uncompromising lightweight construc-tion in line with the AMG Lightweight Performance strategy. With a curb weight of 3,417 pounds, the 2014 SLS AMG Black Series achieves a power/weight ratio of 5.49 lb / hp. The AMG 6.3-liter V8 engine generates 622 horsepower at 7,400 rpm and accelerates the most dynamic SLS of all time to 60 mph in only 3.5 seconds.

The SLS AMG Black Series achieves a whole new level of performance with its AMG Adaptive Performance Coil-over Suspension, AMG high- performance ce-ramic two-piece brake system and weight-optimized, forged AMG light-alloy wheels with new sport tires. Additional highlights include electronically-controlled AMG rear-axle differential lock and the AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sports trans-mission featuring spectacular shift and response times. The available AMG Aero-

dynamics package delivers a further boost to the vehicle’s handling and dynamics. The 2014 SLS AMG Black Series went on sale in the U.S. in summer 2013.

Black Series is a name that resonates with automobile experts and enthusiasts worldwide. Following the SLK55 AMG Black Series from 2006 (European model), the 2008 CLK63 AMG Black Series, the 2009 SL65 AMG Black Series and the 2013 C63 AMG Black Series, the fifth in the lineup sees the Black Series enter a whole new dimension with the iconic SLS AMG.

“The new SLS AMG Black Series is a perfect study in the one hundred percent transfer of technology and engineering from motorsport to road. We have drawn inspiration from the worldwide success of the SLS AMG GT3 customer sport racing car on both a conceptual and a technologi-cal level. Boasting numerous lightweight components and fascinating dynamics, our fifth Black Series model guarantees pure, unadulterated ‘Driving Performance.’ The SLS AMG Black Series is the ultimate choice for fast laps and a highly emotional driving experience,” says Ola Källenius, outgoing Chairman of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

“Fans of high-performance super sports cars will be fascinated by its high-tech package. The basis for passionate perfor-mance and supreme driving dynamics is provided by numerous new developments in the engine, transmission, suspension and aerodynamics – also giving top priority

to our ‘AMG Lightweight Performance’ strategy. Outstanding efforts in the field of lightweight design have resulted in a curb weight of 3,417 pounds,” notes Tobias Moers, incoming CEO and former Head of Total Vehicle Development and Member of the Board of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

AMG 6.3-liter V8 engine – synonymous with thrilling driving dynamics

The uprated AMG 6.3-liter V8 engine generates 622 hp and 468 lb-ft of torque, making the 2014 SLS AMGBlack Series the most powerful AMG high- perfor-mance automobile with a combustion engine. Only the SLS AMG Electric Drive with a maximum output of 740 hp has more power.

The 2014 SLS AMG Black Series ac-celerates to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds, and onward to a top speed of 196 mph of power. Compared to the 583 hp delivered by the SLS AMG GT, the additional 39 hp of the Black Series is a result of the following enhancements:

• Increase in maximum engine speed from 7,200 to 8,000 rpm

• Fully revised high-speed valve train with modified camshafts geometry and optimized bucket cam followers fea-turing a special coating that is typically used on race vehicles

• Modification of intake air duct-ing: de-throttling and adaptation to match the new maximum engine speed

• Adaptation of engine mapping and increase in intake pressure

The engineers at Mercedes-AMG have

further optimized the crankshaft assembly for optimum stability in tough race track conditions. This includes modified oil bores in the crankshaft, new crankshaft bearings, a new oil pump and high-strength connecting rod bolts. The entire water and oil cooling system for the engine and transmission has been optimized further.

The AMG V8 engine in the SLS AMG Black Series also has an additional special-ized mounting system. A gas-filled strut braces the eight-cylinder engine against the body, effectively eliminating undesired load shifts during highly-dynamic race-track driving.

In line with the AMG philosophy “one man, one engine,” the 6.3-liter V8 engine is hand-built in the AMG factory in Affal-terbach, Germany. This hand-made quality is confirmed by the black AMG engine badge bearing the signature of the engine builder, which is a hallmark of the Black Series models.

Now, isn’t it about time you join the list of new Mercedes-Benz owners? Why not? Call our kababayan Nelson Sioson, the Filipino Fleet Manager at Mercedes-Benz of Long Beach for the best in deals, among the best, if not the best in Southern California.

He will guide you in choosing what Mercedes-Benz is right for you. And don’t worry, Mercedes-Benz is not just for those who “can afford it.” Ever wonder why your kababayan neighbor or your relative has one? Call Nelson now toll free at 1-866-870-2966 and find out how.

Nelson Sioson, the Filipino Fleet Manager at Mercedes-Benz of Long Beach.

SLS AMG Black Series: Extremeperformance for the road

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US drivers would be happy to pay for a wireless connectivity system in their cars. ©Syda Productions /shutterstock.com

(Relaxnews) – In-cabin smartphone, infotainment and apps access are top of drivers’ wish lists when it comes to the features they want in their next car.

That is according to the 15,171 vehicle owners who took part in the J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Automotive Emerging Tech-nologies Study.

Published this week, the survey sets out to find the existing and upcoming technolo-gies that most excite the nation’s drivers and which ones they’d be most willing to pay extra to have.

Before cost enters the equation, the most popular features are all about smartphone connectivity -- 83 percent want wireless connectivity systems for pairing phones and tablets with the car, while 78 percent are most excited and interested in a device/application link, a feature that allows driv-ers to control a handset and access its apps via a vehicle’s standard equipment, such as a dashboard-mounted touchscreen display.

Yet, when it comes to cost, 60 percent of respondents feel being able to wire-lessly connect a phone to a car should be a standard feature. But when it comes to app integration, buyers are prepared to go the extra mile -- 79 percent said they’d be willing to pay a $250 premium for the feature, dropping to 55 percent if the price were $300 or more.

A number of car companies, most no-tably Ford, have developed their own sys-tems for offering this functionality, but in recent months the two big smartphone op-erating systems, Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android, have also been getting in on the act. Apple recently unveiled CarPlay, a system that mirrors an iPhone’s screen and a number of its core apps to the dashboard screen in a way that can be safely accessed by touch or via voice command.

Android has announced a partnership with Volkswagen Group among others to offer a similar system for Android device owners but is yet to offer a real-life demo or consumer release date. But it had better get into high gear quickly as the excitement around Apple’s system, already available on the latest Mercedes, Ferraris and Volvos, has made a huge splash.

So much so that ABI Research forecasts that by 2018 Apple’s CarPlay will be fea-tured in 50 percent of all new cars, either as standard or offered as an option.

“Smartphone ownership has increased to 70 percent in 2014, and consumers want the same connectivity in their ve-hicle as they are used to getting from their smartphone, computer or tablet,” said Mike VanNieuwkuyk, executive director of global automotive at J.D. Power. “De-vice/Application link enables the vehicle to replicate the display of a device on the vehicle’s screen while managing the device through the vehicle’s controls, which is why consumers want-and are willing to pay-to have that technology.”

Consumers want connected carsThe survey’s findings are also backed

up by the most recent report on the sub-ject by Parks Associates. It claims that 33 percent of US consumers want the ability to listen to their music libraries in their cars and there is also a growing demand for navigation, vehicle performance and diagnostics features and of course hands-free phone access.

“The rapid growth in smartphone adop-tion combined with the development of a robust app industry has educated consum-ers on the benefits and possibilities of in-car connectivity,” said Jennifer Kent, Senior Analyst, Parks Associates. “Smart-phone owners are far more likely to value connected car capabilities, and roughly three-quarters of those valuing connected car capabilities have smartphones.”

Respondents to J.D. Powers’ survey also said that they’d be willing to pay for a surround-view/rear-vision camera system ($550), for wireless smartphone charging ($75) and for an advanced accident notifi-cation system ($25 a month subscription).

However, it’s not all about smartphones. Drivers are increasingly interested in au-tonomous driving features that can take the strain out of parking or long-distance highway driving. In 2013, 21 percent of drivers said that they would be happy to pay up to $3,000 for an autonomous driv-ing mode feature on their next car, and this year 24 percent said the same thing.

Drivers are also interested in features focused on convenience, such as using a smartphone to remotely lock, unlock and start a car or open the tailgate or being able to use their handset’s voice command feature or a car’s own system to operate and access certain functions.

Right at the other end of the scale, the technology that generates the least interest and excitement is gesture control. Drivers were suspicious of the concept of being able to wave or move a hand in order to access functions like satnav or the stereo.

Meanwhile, the number of connected cars on the world’s roadways will increase at a 57 percent compound annual growth rate to total 420 million by 2018, according to a new report from the think tank IDATE. In 2013, the number of connected vehicles produced totaled just 45 million.

Currently, there are three main technical solutions for producing connected vehicles, which are defined simply as vehicles equipped with internet access.

The most obvious solution – and the most advantageous from a technical standpoint, according to IDATE – entails integrating a connection module directly into the vehicle. Another option relies on smartphone tethering for internet access. Finally, a third method combines the first two, enabling the use of an embedded module for certain practical applications (GPS, traffic alerts, etc.) and smartphone tethering for info-tainment features.

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Hurry into Mercedes-Benz of Long Beach And Take Advantage of This Limited Time Offer!

For a limited time, when you purchase a Certified Pre-Owned Mercedes-Benz it will have even more value than you ever imagined!

Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle Benefits:

Mercedes-Benz of Long Beach has an exceptional selection of Certified Pre-Owned vehicles. Find your dream vehicle and take advantage of these incredible offers today!

• MBCPO Warranties are Factory Backed: - Limited Warranty provides one year of coverage with unlimited miles - Available Extended Limited Warranties provide 1 or 2 additional

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years of coverage with unlimited miles

*Certifed Pre-Owned limited warranty coverage for one (1) year (and no mileage maximum) from expiration date of the original 4-year / 50,000 mile Mercedes-Benz new vehicle limited warranty. If the new vehicle limited warranty has expired, Certified Pre-Owned limited warranty coverage is for one (1) year from the date of purchase, with no mileage maximum. **2 month Payment Credit applies to select Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned C-Class, E-Class, M-Class and GL-Class vehicles financed through Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. Must take delivery of vehicles between 5/1/14 and 6/2/14. ***Complimentary Pre-Paid Maintenance contract available on select Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned C-Class, E-Class and GL-Class vehicles. Excludes AMG® and diesel models. Must take delivery of vehicle between May 1, 2014 and June 2, 2014. ****2.99 percent APR for up to 66 months at $15.45 per month per $1,000 financed applies to Mercedes-Benz Model Year 2010, 2011 and 2012 Certified Pre-Owned and S-Class vehicles. Excludes leases and balloon contracts. Available only at participating authorized Mercedes-Benz dealers. Subject to credit approval by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. Qualified customers only. Not everyone will qualify. Must take delivery of vehicle between 5/1/14 and 6/2/14. Minimum finance term applies. See Mercedes-Benz of Long Beach for complete details.

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Nelson SiosonFilipino Fleet Manager