weekend balita november 29, 2014

Republicans say immigration action was ‘unconstitutional’

LAS VEGAS, November 22, 2014 (AFP) – Obama urged Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform as he used his weekly address Saturday to again defend his unilateral action shielding mil-lions of undocumented immigrants from deportation.

“I still believe that the best way to solve this problem is by working together – both parties – to pass that kind of bi-partisan law,” Obama said in his weekly radio and television address, referring to

a wide-ranging overhaul that had passed the Senate but was blocked in the House of Representatives.

“That bill would have secured our border, while giving undocumented im-migrants who already live here a pathway to citizenship if they paid a fine, started paying their taxes, and went to the back of the line,” the president said, speaking from the Las Vegas, Nevada high school where he launched his immigration reform efforts two years ago.

“But until that happens, there are ac-tions I have the legal authority to take as

See ‘PASS A BILL,’ page 11

Los Angeles-based media practitioners in a ceremonial show of force and unity while giving honor to their fallen colleagues who were killed in the Maguindanao Massacre fi ve years. The journalists, who commemorated the fi fth anniversary of the infamous murder of 58 people, including 32 members of the press, also drafted a petition calling for immediate justice to the victims of the heinous act. Photo: Benny Uy

By Nimfa RuedaLOS ANGELES – Fil-Am community

and media groups have launched a petition drive demanding a speedy resolution of the Maguindanao Massacre case.

The petition was presented at an event honoring the memory of the victims on Saturday, Nov. 22, at Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA) in Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles.

The petition, which will be submitted to Malacañang and the Department of Justice, also demanded an end to the killings of journalists and the culture of impunity in

the Philippines.Event organizers from the National

Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)-US Chapter also announced the launch of a traveling photo exhibit depict-ing the massacre, which has been described as the single deadliest attack against jour-nalists in history.

“We will take this exhibit to community events, universities, churches, Fil-Am es-tablishments and other venues to let people know about our call for justice,” said journalist Larry Pelayo, who volunteered

Referee Genaro Rodriguez counts as Chris Algieri tries to pull himself up after being knocked down by Manny Pacquiao during their welterweight title fi ght in Macao on Sunday.(MNS photo)

BEIJING, November 25, 2014 (AFP) – China called on the Philippines Tuesday to release nine Chinese fisherman convicted of poaching after they were detained while in disputed waters, saying the incident was a violation of Beijing’s sovereignty.

The nine, arrested in May, were fined $100,000 each for poaching with an ad-ditional 120,000 pesos ($2,730) fine for catching an endangered species, prosecutor Allen Ross Rodriguez said Monday in the town of Puerto Princesa on Palawan island.

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, including Half Moon Shoal

and other areas near Palawan that are also claimed by the Philippines.

“We urge the Philippines to uncondi-tionally release the Chinese boat and the Chinese fishermen,” Hua Chunying, a foreign ministry spokeswoman, said at a regularly scheduled press briefing.

“The Philippines has illegally detained Chinese fisherman and made so-called judicial convictions, these actions have violated China’s sovereignty.”

Beijing’s claim covers vast fishing areas and shipping lanes which potentially hold

Obama to critics: ‘Pass a bill’

China calls for release of fi shermen convicted in PHL

Fil-Am groups demand swift justice for Maguindanao Massacre victims

MACAU, Nov 24 (Mabuhay) – A day after carving out an impressive win, Manny Pacquiao admitted feeling a tinge of pity for Chris Algieri.

Pacquiao, a seasoned boxer who plucked the crowns in eight different weight class-es, revealed that the inexperience of Algieri doomed the American fighter’s chances in their World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title fight Sunday at the Cotai Arena inside The Venetian here.

The Filipino champion noted that from start to finish, Algieri could do nothing but run, duck, and absorb the heavy punches that Pacquiao unleashed.

“Naawa din ako sa kanya,” said Pac-quiao in his luxurious hotel suite moments before flying out of this Asian gambling capital on one of the two chartered AirA-sia flights to General Santos City where a hero’s welcome awaits him.

“Yung experience kasi niya kulang na kulang tapos isinabak agad. May potensyal sana pero nasabak agad sa mas betera-nong boksingero. Kulang pa talaga sa experience. Malayong malayo ang level.”

Pacquiao, who became the toast of the town after winning over a long line of legends that includes Erik Morales, Marco

Antonio Barrera, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, dominated the 30-year old Algieri and pushed him to the brink of a complete destruction after knocking him down six times, one of the most in the history of professional boxing.

He downed Algieri once in the second round, twice in the sixth and ninth rounds, and once in the 10th.

The most devastating blow came in the ninth round when Pacquiao unloaded a wicked left hook that landed on Algieri’s jaw.

“Talagang buhos ako sa laban na yun, nandun ang killer instinct ko,” he said, trying to remember every single moment of what he branded as one of his most memorable fights of his career.

Manny Pacquiao on Chris Algieri: ‘Naawa din talaga ako sa kanya’

See CONVICTED, page 11 See MASSACRE, page 11

LOS ANGELES

VOL. XXII, NO. 43 THE LEADING SOURCE OF NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR FILIPINO-AMERICANSNOV. 29 - DEC. 5 , 2014

2 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend, Sat. - Fri., Nov. 29 - Dec. 5, 2014 BalitaLOS ANGELES

3Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend, Sat. - Fri., Nov. 29 - Dec. 5, 2014 LOS ANGELES

ROME, November 19, 2014 (AFP) – Pope Francis is raffling off unwanted gifts including a Fiat Panda, tandem bike and coffee machine to raise money for the homeless.

For just 10 euros ($12.50) those hoping to get their clutches on perfume, pens and even a panama hat given to the pope can enter a draw, the proceeds of which will go to a papal charity set up to help those who bed down nightly around the Vatican.

Tickets are to be sold throughout the upcoming festive season and signs have already gone up around the tiny city state advertising the draw, which will take place on January 8.

While the first prize is a gleaming Fiat Panda 4X4 in papal white, runners up could go home with racing bicycles, an HD digital video camera, a gentleman’s wrist watch, an umbrella or bottle of perfume – all of which will have much higher-than-usual value because of where they come from.

The Argentine pope – who chose his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of As-sisi and his devotion to the poor – has cast off luxuries such as the ermine-trimmed cape and red shoes worn by his predeces-sor Benedict XVI and focused his efforts on helping the down-and-out.

He is also unlikely to have room to keep the hundreds of presents bestowed on him in his modest apartment, having opted out of moving into the spacious papal palace after his election last year.

In February the 77-year-old pope sold off his Harley Davidson – worth around 15,000 euros and inscribed with his name – for 241,500 euros at a Paris auction, giving the proceeds to a hostel and soup kitchen in Rome.

He also appointed a papal almoner, Polish archbishop Konrad Krajewski, who helps those who regularly sleep rough

among the porticos near Saint Peter’s Square, or poor families struggling to pay their bills.

Krajewski announced last week that the Vatican would be installing showers for the homeless at public toilets just off St Peter’s square. The initiative followed an encoun-ter with a homeless man who declined an invitation to dinner because he said he was too smelly to dine with a bishop.

Meanwhile, Pope Francis also said that he will visit the United States in Septem-ber 2015, his first trip to the country since becoming pontiff.

The pope said he would travel to Philadelphia for the “World Meeting of Families,” a Church-sponsored gathering that takes place once every three years.

Vatican sources said the trip, whose details have yet to be finalised, would also include an address to the United Nations and a stop at the Mexico border, though it was yet unclear in which state – California, Arizona, New Mexico or Texas.

The organisers of the congress in Philadelphia said in a statement posted on the meeting’s website that the pope was expected to visit the city from September 25-27 for the closing days of the meeting.

He was due to attend two events in the city that will be open to the public – an “intercultural celebration of family life” on September 26 before holding a mass the following day.

In January next year, Pope Francis will bring a message of hope when he visits the Philippines in January, Church officials said Friday, on a trip that will see him tour areas devastated by last year’s super typhoon.

Millions of Filipinos in the fervently Catholic country are expected to turn out to catch a glimpse of the pontiff during his five-day visit, with officials planning tight security.

Pope turns Santa with Christmas giveaway for homeless

With 42 days left before Christmas, sparkling, colorful parols or Christmas lanterns fi ll some roadside handicraft stores in San Juan City on Wednesday night, November 12, to attract costumers. Pope Francis will also travel to the Philippines in January 2015. (MNS photo)

MANILA, Nov 26 (Mabuhay) – Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines in January will indeed be an inclusive one, as far as religious groups are concerned.

The Pope is to meet with 10 leaders of non-Catholic denominations at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said.

“We tried to seek peace and unity and the Pope is promoting the ecumenical movement and another thing, interreligious dialogue,” said CBCP Episcopal Com-mission on Interreligious Dialogue executive secretary Fr. Carlos Reyes.

Reyes indicated those who will meet with the pope are from religious groups actively promoting the ecumenical movement.

He voiced hopes next year’s papal visit will foster more cooperation, mutual respect and trust among religious leaders.

Meanwhile, the Imam Council of the Philippines and Philippine National Police Chaplain Service see the papal visit improving ties between Christians and Muslims.

Imam Council of the Philippines chairman Imam Ibrahim Moxir Alhaj said the Pope’s visit will be a blessing to the Christian community and the whole country.

“First, what I can tell the Pope is, I hope the mutual and symbiotic nature of the relationship between Christian and Islam religions continues. Let us Filipinos unite for peace in the Philippines,” Imam Moxir told Manila archdiocese-run Radio Veritas.

10 non-Catholic leaders to meet with the Pope


secondary liens. Section 506 of the Bankruptcy Code

acknowledges that a lien is only a secured claim to the extent there is value in the asset to which it attaches. To the extent that the claim exceeds the value of the collateral, that portion of the claim is unsecured. This is really great news. We are stripping liens every day, and returning property value to our clients.

Liens secured by vehicles:The most common application of lien

stripping is the reduction of car loan liens to the present value of the car. Thus a lender holding a $12,000 claim secured by a car now worth $10,000 has a secured claim of $10,000 and a unsecured claim for $2,000. Two thousand dollars of the lien may be stripped off the asset (the car) in a reorganization. The plan must provide for payment in full of the secured portion of the debt; the unsecured portion can be paid little or nothing along with other unsecured claims.

Recent changes to the bankruptcy law attempt to limit lien stripping on vehicles purchased within 910 days of the filing. The amendment says that “ §506 does not apply” to such vehicles. It is unclear just how courts will apply this. Some courts are publishing model Chapter 13 plans that allow the debtor to propose a strip down of cars regardless.

Tax liens:Tax liens can be stripped off in reorga-

nization proceedings (Chapter 13) to the extent that the lien does not attach to equity in property. Tax liens can’t be avoided in Chapter 7 on the grounds that they impair exemptions; if the tax is dischargeable in the Chapter 7, the bankruptcy court can determine the amount of the lien that is secured at the time of the filing. Payment of that sum entitles the debtor to the release of the lien.

Tax Lien & Levy Releases:We have successfully negotiated the

release or modification of wage and bank levies by the Internal Revenue Service and State tax agencies like the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) for many of our Clients. We have also been success-ful at convincing the Internal Revenue Service and State tax agencies to remove erroneous tax liens filed against our Clients which was preventing them from buying or refinancing a residence.

Federal and State tax laws generally al-low the government to involuntarily collect from you taxes, penalties, and interest they claim you owe without a Court order or judgment. Although the primary method of collection is placing a tax levy on the

wages and bank accounts of a taxpayer, occasionally they will also seize an auto-mobile, retirement account or real property.

Wage levies, particularly those imposed by the Internal Revenue Service can be financially devastating as they force the employer to turn over most of the wages of the employee to the Internal Revenue Service. In most cases, the issuance of a tax levy can be often avoided if the Internal Revenue Service or State tax agency can be contacted in time. Although the case is generally made more difficult once a levy is in place, it is still possible to negotiate a levy release or modification.

Tax liens appear on the credit report of the taxpayer and are generally filed in vari-ous counties in order to secure the claim of the government against any property owned by the taxpayer. Tax liens are par-ticularly problematic if you own any real property including your residence or you are trying to obtain any type of loan.

While tax collection laws do give the government broad powers, taxpayers have been given a number of rights, including the right to a Court hearing if it is believed that the collection action being taken by the Internal Revenue Service is illegal or unfair. However, the right to a hearing is subject to very strict time and procedural constraints.

If you have received a notice that your wages or bank accounts have or will be subject to levy by the Internal Revenue Service or State tax agency like the Cali-fornia Franchise Tax Board, you probably need professional help.

If you owe income taxes, get to know your options. Will a bankruptcy solve the problem, or should you consider an offer in compromise, which is a form of debt settle-ment with the IRS. There are other options too. To find out what is best for you, call our office for a free consultation. It takes an experienced attorney intimately familiar and experienced with both discharging income taxes in bankruptcy and non-bankruptcy alternatives to determine the best strategy to use. Filing for Bankruptcy even one day too early can render a tax debt non-dischargeable. This means that you will still be stuck with having to pay the taxes after your bankruptcy is complete.

Avoid problems, call and schedule a free consultation with the Law Offices of Paul M. Allen. We have two convenient offices to serve you. Glendale and Cerritos.

Call today, let attorney Paul Allen help you solve those problems and get the fresh start you deserve. We have two convenient locations to serve you in Glendale and La Palma. Call us not at 818-552-4500.

Discharge the second mortgage and keep the house!

Discharging a Deed of Trust in bankruptcy!A second or third mortgage can be stripped off the title

of your home, and discharged as unsecured debt in a chapter 13 bankruptcy. Imagine, your house is worth less than you owe, and now you can strip part of what you owe and still keep the property. Yes, it’s true. Liens can be stripped off of the debtor’s assets in Chapter 13 when the property is upside down, and the fair market value does not cover

MANILA, Nov 26 (Mabuhay) – The Office of the Ombudsman found basis to file graft charges against former Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) Chairman Camilo Sabio for allegedly influencing his magistrate brother in the controversial Meralco-GSIS case in 2008.

In a resolution, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales found probable cause against Sabio for two counts of violation of Section 3(a) of Republic Act No. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) and for violation of Article 243 of the Re-vised Penal Code (RPC).

In the resolution, Sabio supposedly called his younger brother, then Associate Justice Jose L. Sabio, Jr., to take the side of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in its case against then Lopez-led Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).

The GSIS-Meralco case began when a complaint was filed at the Securities and Exchange Commission concerning the proxy votes in Meralco. The power distribu-tion firm later accused the state-owned agency of trying to take over its board and refused to yield to an order from the SEC.

Ex-PCGG chief indicted for graft


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MANILA, Nov 22 (Mabuhay) – The Palace said it expects business confi-dence in the Philippines to continue in the coming years after a new survey found high expectations for the Philip-pines.

The survey shows a rosy picture of business confidence for the Philippines in the last quarter of 2014.

“Nakita din natin itong survey na ito conducted by the BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) at umaasa tayo na mag-papatuloy ang kumpyansa ng ating mga negosyante dahil malaking bahagi rin po ang ating mga negosyante doon sa paglago ng ating ekonomiya,” Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte

said in a radio interview Saturday.Valte also told dzRB Radyo ng Bayan

that the Philippines faired well in the recent anti-modern slavery index.

In the 2014 Global Slavery Index (GSI), the Philippines placed first in Asia and third in the Asia Pacific region. It is ranked 29th globally among 167 countries covered by the GSI, Valte said.

With the country’s good standing, Valte said she expects the report to encourage the Inter-agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) to work harder. The IACAT is under the Depart-ment of Justice and the Department of Social Welfare and Development and other government agencies. (MNS)

President Benigno S. Aquino lll views the solar rooftop project of SM Supermalls at Northlink Building in SM City North Edsa Complex, Quezon City, during Lunching of Solar Rooftop Project on Monday, November 24, 2014.The solar panels spread across 11,511 square meters of the mall’s rooftop have the capacity of 1.5 MW. The energy of the sun captured by the panels is converted to electricity by 60 inverters which can provide 5 percent of daily supply of 179,793 average kilowatt. Also in photo is SM Prime Holdings President Hans Sy.(MNS photo)

Palace sees continued business confi dence for PHL

MANILA, Nov 22 (Mabuhay) – Presi-dent Benigno S. Aquino III attended Friday the 60th anniversary of the Araneta Center likening its success story to feats that the nation could achieve if Filipinos work together and love their country.

In his message during the event, the President reminisced on his childhood experiences at the Araneta Center, where he and his family attended social and sports events.

The President praised the Araneta fam-ily for their love of their property in Cubao, developing the Araneta Center into a major commercial and entertainment center in-stead of just concentrating on the family’s agricultural business.

He admired the visions and achieve-ments of patriarch Don Amado Araneta.

At the 60th anniversary of the Araneta Center, the President said the dreams of

the new generations of Aranetas is not completed yet and there are many more to come.

For instance, the family, together with its partners are building 18 towers of the Manhattan Garden City, with 10 already erected.

They are also building the Novotel-Araneta Center Hotel, the more modern New Frontier Theater, a Civic Plaza and an Integrated Resorts Complex, which will complete the Araneta Center Cyberpark.

With all these projects, 29,066 jobs could be created inside the 35-hectare Araneta Center, the President said.

All these developments were built or will be built by the Araneta family because of their love for Cubao and their property there, according to the President.

“Ang masasabi ko nga po, at ang per-sonal kong nasaksihan mula kay Secretary

Mar at sa kanyang pamilya: Nagbubukal po ang lahat ng proyektong ito mula sa isang bagay: Pagmamahal. Mahal po ng pamilya Araneta ang lugar na ito, at ang buong Cubao,” he said.

Filipinos can emulate the example by the Aranetas that if they love their country, they could realize their dreams, he said.

“Ang dating liblib na lugar, maaaring maging moderno at progresibong sentro ng pagkakataon para sa napakaraming Pilipino,” he said.

“Kung nagawa nga po ito sa Araneta, tiyak ko po, kung tayo’y magkakaisa, kung tayo’y mangangarap at talaga naman pong magbubuhos ng lahat ng ating makakaya tungo sa katuparan ng mga pangarap na ito, makakamtan din ang malawak at positibong transpormasyon sa bawat sulok ng Pilipinas.”

The Araneta Group is a progressive and

diversified group of companies anchored on food, leisure and property development.

It is composed of four business units: the Araneta Center Inc., Philippine Pizza Inc., Uniprom Inc. and Progressive Devel-opment Corp. (MNS)

Nation could emulate Araneta Center’s success story: Aquino


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Senator Bam Aquino compares prices of pasta to the suggested retail price issued by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) during a surprise inspection at the Welcome Supermarket in Pasay City. Also in photo are Trade Undersecretary Vic Dimagiba and Welcome Supermarket owner and Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association, Inc. president Steven Cua. (MNS photo)

MANILA, Nov 24 (Mabuhay) – The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) on Monday failed to produce the bank records of whistleblowers in the pork barrel scam as ordered by the Sandiganbayan, citing bank secrecy regulations and lack of time.

During Senator Jinggoy Estrada’s bail hearing, Atty. Joel Jimenez said the AMLC only received a copy of the sub-poena last Friday, November 21.

Jimenez then asked for more time to submit the documents while telling the court that some of these were confidential under the Bank Secrecy and Anti-Money Laundering Laws.

Estrada’s lawyer Paul Arias objected to the AMLC pleading, saying the coun-cil was given enough time to prepare the documents. He added that it would unduly delay the proceedings.

But the court dismissed the arguments of Arias, saying the AMLC was merely asking for more time to produce the documents.

The court gave AMLC three days to file a pleading, and two days for the defense to comment.

Earlier, the court granted Estrada’s request to subpoena the bank records of whistleblowers Benhur Luy, Marina Sula, Marina Sula, Merlina Sunas, Gertrudes Luy, and Mary Arlene Baltazar.

Included in the subpoena were bank documents “any and all documents relating to the inquiry, examination, or investigation of any and all deposits, investments, and related accounts with

any and all banking institutions, non-bank financial institutions, and other covered institutions, non-bank financial institutions, and other covered institu-tions, and other monetary instruments and properties…”

Estrada’s camp wanted to find out if the whistleblowers benefitted from the scam.

State prosecutors tried to oppose the request, saying Estrada did not specify the documents requested and accused him of going on a “fishing expedition.”

“The request is so broad in nature as would require the AMLC to produce voluminous documents and records containing information that may have neither value or relevance…” their op-position read.

Prosecutors also said the law deemed bank deposits confidential unless the ac-count holders were respondents in a case.

“The subject matter of this case is the ill-gotten wealth in the amount of P183.79 million accumulated, amassed or acquired by Estrada… It is not the trans-action, money, deposits, or investments of (the witnesses) which are the subject matter of the proceedings,” they argued.

Estrada faces plunder and graft charg-es over his alleged involvement in the purported diversion of senators’ Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) to ghost projects for kickbacks.

He is detained in Camp Crame with fellow senators Ramon Revilla Jr. and Juan Ponce Enrile, who are also facing plunder charges. (MNS)

AMLC fails to produce whistleblowers’ bank records


feel I’m being lied to. Is my firing legal?A: Your firing may be illegal. Yes, the

boss may be lying, but that does not in itself make the firing illegal. What makes your firing suspicious is that your boss may be motivated by a discriminatory reason (your medical condition) that is being covered up with a business reason instead.

An employer may not terminate an employee for discriminatory or retaliatory reasons. Doing so may give rise to a wrong-ful termination claim. In order to justify the termination, the employer may claim that it had a legitimate, non-discriminatory rea-son for firing the employee (such as poor performance or customer complaints). It is then up to the employee to prove that the employer’s stated reason for the firing was a “pretext.” To prove pretext, the employee may show that the stated reason:

is false,did not cause the firing, or

is not enough to cause a firing (i.e., people are not usually fired for this reason)

Consider a recent case reported by the Daily Journal: Jose Rivera worked as a forklift operator for Costco Wholesale Corp. in Riverside County. Because he suffered from disabilities related to his shoulder, knee, and back, he needed to take several medical leave of absences for treatments. Costco knew about his medi-cal condition. After 12 years of working at Costco, he was terminated for allegedly grabbing a female supervisor in a forceful, aggressive manner, and that his conduct constituted illegal sexual harassment.

During the jury trial, the employee showed that the “grabbing” incident was “exaggerated” by the supervisor, that Cost-co did not follow its corporate standard protocol and procedures for investigating the harassment complaint. As part of the investigation, Costco’s general manager

noted in an email that “Jose has missed a lot of time.” Thus, the employee claimed, the employer’s reason for his firing was pretext. The real reason is that the employer was motivated by disability discrimination.

The jury believed the employee and awarded him a total of $1,686,500 in damages, which included $1.18 million for his disability discrimination claim, and $500,000 for his defamation claim.

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My boss lied about the reason for fi ring me –Is my termination illegal?Q: I was diagnosed with a medical condition and I asked

my supervisor that I needed to take 2-4 hours off work every week for a limited period of time for medical treatments. Last week, HR told me I had too many absences. Yesterday, I was fired for poor performance but I wasn’t shown my evalua-tion. Then later I was told that someone complained about me. When I asked HR about the fir-ing, I was told I was laid off. I

MANILA, Nov 24 (Mabuhay) – A Filipino congressman reveals some dentists are selling mercury to miners who use the chemical for gold processing.

In a statement, Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said he filed House Resolution 1590 urging the House Committee on Health to conduct an inquiry into this illegal practice of some dentists in the country.

Rodriguez said Filipino dentists who are still allowed to use mercury as dental amal-gam in their profession are selling mercury to miners for P18,000 to P30,000 per kilo.

The congressman said the illicit scheme was revealed by the International Associa-tion of Oral and Toxicology, which is also

seeking to ban the dental amalgam in the Philippines.

“There is a need to look into this prac-tice of some dentists who are still allowed to buy mercury in huge volume as part of their dental supply,” he said.

“Such practice of some dentists may lead to the proliferation of small scale min-ing in country which is very detrimental to the environment,” he added.

Rodriguez urged the House body to in-vite during the inquiry the representatives of the Department of Health, the Interna-tional Association of Oral and Toxicology, the Ban Toxic Groups, the Philippine Den-tal Association (PDA) and other concerned groups as resources persons.

The congressman said dentists use mercury as dental amalgam or tooth “silver filling.”

Dentists selling mercury to miners – lawmaker

MANILA, Nov 25 (Mabuhay) – The Bureau of Immigration on Tuesday lifted a ban on nine Hong Kong journalists, upon the recommendation of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA).

In a Facebook post, the BI said the “foreign nationals” were included in the blacklist on the NICA’s recommendation.

With this, it said the nine covered by the blacklist order dated June 6, 2014 “may now enter the Philippines as tourists, subject to regular immigration inspection.”

“Upon evaluation of the NICA letter dated November 21, 2014 and received by the BI yesterday (November 24), the BI has deemed it proper to lift the blacklist order against the foreign nationals,” BI spokes-person Atty. Elaine Tan said.

“Following normal protocol, the BI heavily relied on the advice of the NICA to lift the blacklist as NICA is presumed to be in a better position to know the facts surrounding the initial finding of undesir-ability and subsequent reversal of such finding,” she added.

Citing the NICA letter, Tan said the blacklist order was recommended lifted as no untoward incident transpired during President Benigno Aquino III’s visit to China for the 26th APEC Summit.

PHL lifts ban on blacklisted HK journalists


though the Hispanic lobby claims that the Obama amnesty does not go far enough, they are definitely thankful to the President for his initial first and important step to-wards the legalization of 11 million people who are now out of status. No question about it, even though the President most certainly acted out of political objectives to cater to the Latino votes for Democrats, the Obama immigration amnesty order is a Godsend, a blessing for millions of people who can now take advantage of the law to take their first step towards legalization of their immigration status which has been left in limbo for decades. What the execu-tive order has created is a springboard of realistic hope for permanent legal resi-dency in the United States, and thereafter becoming American citizens. Prior to this Presidential order, which, although some may not like it, is the law of the land, mil-lions of illegal immigrants had no door to open to legalizing their status. As of last week, this door has opened. At this time, however, only an estimated 5 million il-legal immigrants can take advantage of it.

If you are one of those 5 million illegal

immigrants who can qualify, I strongly suggest you apply now to take the first and important step to legalize your status here in America. There are two large classes of immigrants who qualify under the Obama program:

Parents of children who are American citizens or permanent residents. To qualify in this class you must have the following attributes:

You have lived in America for more than five (5) years;

You have a child who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident;

You have no criminal record;You will file tax returns and pay income

tax after you start working legally with the work permit obtained under this program.

For example: You and your wife came here with a tourist visa 8 years ago to spend your honeymoon here. After your honey-moon and seeing how beautiful America is and how friendly the people are, you and your wife decide to stay here for good. The two of you have a son born in Los Angeles who is now 3 years old, and a daughter who is now 2 years old who is also born here.

Apply now for Obama immigration amnestyLast week, President Obama finally fulfilled his promise

to provide executive amnesty to those who do not have legal status. The President did not call it amnesty, but in fact it is amnesty because his program gives legal status for a period of three years and gives eligible candidates a work permit to work legally in America while we wait for Congress to pass a bill next year that will flesh out the terms and conditions for a path to permanent residency and American citizenship. Al-

Your I-94 expired 8 years ago. Although you are a mechanical engineer abroad, you work here as a caregiver because you have no work permit. Your wife works part time jobs because she cannot get a full time job without a work permit.

Another example: You came to study here with an F1 visa. You finished your degree 7 years ago. You decided to stay here without status working low paying jobs because you have no work permit. Three years ago you married a woman who also did not have any legal status here. Two years ago, your wife gives birth here to your son who is now 2 years old. Both you and your wife can apply under the Obama amnesty to get your work permits now. You will not be deported, if you are in deportation, we can stop your deportation proceedings.

You were brought to America as a child no matter how old you are now. To qualify in this class you must have the following attributes:

You have lived in America for more than five (5) years;

You were brought to America as a child by your parents, no matter how old you are now;

You have no criminal record;You will file tax returns and pay income

tax after you start working legally with the work permit obtained under this program.

For example: You parents brought your whole family here for a vacation to see Disneyland 10 years ago. At that time, you were 18 years old, and your sister was 14 years old. Your parents decided that your whole family should just stay here for good after your vacation. Your parents started

working under the table, getting paid below what they should be paid because they had no work permits.

You started working also odd jobs. You used your credit cards to get a license as an X ray technician. You have been working in a hospital as an X ray technician with a fake social security card for the last 5 years. Your sister finished high school in the lo-cal high school, then works as a licensed vocation nurse in a facility for the last 2 years. Both you and your sister can apply under the Obama amnesty to get your work permits now. If you are in deportation, we can stop your deportation proceedings. It does not matter that you are 28 years old now and your sister is 24 years old now.

I strongly urge you to apply now to legalize your status and get your work permits. This is a once in a lifetime oppor-tunity. Call me for free consultation. In the meantime, prepare your evidence to prove the attributes required to qualify and show me your evidence at consultation time.

“Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or under-standing,” Proverbs 3:5.

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 appointment at 1000 S Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Bldg. A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803.

WASHINGTON, November 20, 2014 (AFP) – Presi-dent Barack Obama takes executive action Thursday to left the threat of deportation for some five million people, 44 percent of the estimated 11.3 million immigrants living illegally in the United States.

The nation’s undocumented people hail mostly from Mexico and Central America, and 60 percent of them live in just six US states: California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Texas.

Half of them have lived in the US for 13 years or more.Here are details of Obama’s sweeping plan.Authorization for three yearsA new deferred action program will shield up to four

million undocumented immigrants from deportation, al-lowing them to apply for three-year work permits.

Those eligible must have been in the United States for more than five years, and be a parent of a US citizen or of a legal permanent resident born on or before November 20, the date of Obama’s order.

Applicants must have a clean criminal record, pass a background check and pay taxes. They will also need to cover a processing fee of $465.

The Department of Homeland Security will begin ac-cepting applications next spring.

Expanded path for young migrants

Obama is broadening the Deferred Action for Child-hood Arrivals (DACA) program he created in June 2012 specifically for children, potentially adding 270,000 youths to the 600,000 already legalized by that program.

Children brought to the country before January 1, 2010 are now eligible, compared with DACA’s original June 15, 2007 cutoff.

The maximum age of 31 in the original program is removed, with no new age limit imposed.

As before, applicants must have arrived in the US

before age 16.Applicants must be in school or have a high school

degree or equivalent, or have been honorably discharged from the military, and have a clean criminal record.

Work authorization is expanded to three years instead of two.

Federal authorities will shift deportation efforts from a broad dragnet to “much more sharply defined” priorities, a senior administration official said.

Those deportation targets include undocumented im-migrants convicted of serious crimes, and people who recently crossed the border illegally.

Additional resources will help officials reinforce bor-der security, speed deportation of border crossers, and streamline the immigration court process to help clear a backlog of pending cases.

Legal immigrationThe administration is poised to facilitate visas for high-

ly-skilled workers and science and technology students, a move that could impact approximately 500,000 people.

Foreign graduates of US universities in STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – will be allowed to work longer in country after earning degrees, without needing a new visa, through the “Optional Practi-cal Training” extension program.

Details of Obama’s immigration plan


recognizing the exemplary achievements of their members and supporters.

Separated only by a couple of days, ABAOC and FACCOC had the limelights reserved for extraordinary achievers at prestigious venues, ABAOC at the Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach last Novem-ber 20 and FACCOC at the Paradise Pier Hotel in the world famous Disneyland Resorts in Anaheim last November 22.

Combined, ABAOC and FACCOC have a total of 43 years of service to the Orange County business sector in the county’s 34 cities. Orange County is the third-most populous county in California, the sixth-most populous in the United States, and more populous than twenty-one U.S. states.

ABAOC and FACCOC had both events highlighted by installations in office of the new set of officers who will set the tone for next year’s thrusts “in the service of entre-preneurs in Orange County with ABAOC anchoring its 19th edition of celebration on the theme “Celebrating 23 years of Service and New Generation of Business Entrepreneurship”.

FACCOC for its part celebrated (in mas-querade mode) its 20 years of service to the Fil-Am entrepreneurs by honoring its 20 past president who have volunteered their talents, business, and leadership skills for Fil Am business people and professionals to enable them to gain inroads in the com-petitive business milieu of Orange County.

ABAOC has the newly-elected congres-sional representative Young Kim as their inducting officer who took the occasion to thank the organization’s membership for its trust and support. FACCOC had their officers installed and sworn into office by Congressman Ed Royce. Philippine Con-sulate General Leo Herrera- Lim was the night’s guest speaker.

ABAOC officers inducted into office by Congresswoman Young Kim included;

Tom Nguyen, President (Wincorp Solutions); Gloria Rull, Past President, New York Life Insurance; Roger Chen (CB Technologies, Inc.), Anthony Ozogu (Oznet Systems)- Co-Secretaries and Kent Foltz (Kent Steven Foltz and Associates), treasurer.Board of Directors: Sun Hi Ann, Keri Osaki (Director Emeritus, Lily Otien-no, Christine Tan, Edith Andres, Suzanna Choi and Marlene Gomez.

Awardees – US Bank – Corporate Eagle Award, Southern California Edison - Executive Eagle Award, Orange County Transportation Authority – Executive Eagle Award, Rockette Richardson Ewell (US Bank) - Corporate Advocate of the Year, Jimmy Mai (Wells Fargo- Corpo-rate Advocate of the Year Award, Lidia S. Martinez (Southwest Airlines) – Corporate Advocate of the Year, Michael Cooper (Disneyland) – Corporate Diversity of the Year Award, Valerie Lertyaovarit (Southern California Gas Company) – Corporate Sup-

plier Diversity Person of the Year Award, Joseph F. Alderete (Southern California Edison) – Special Lifetime Advocate Award, Bekele Demissie (Orange County Transportation Authority) – Special Lon-gevity Eagle Award, Linda Young (Elite OC Productions) – Entrepreneur of the Year Award., and Linda Dumatol, Lifetime Recognition Award..

Carrying on the torch for the FACCOC in next years thrusts include the officers and members of the board of directors: Elena Lapid-Salonga (President), Edwin Baloloy (President-Elect), Rodolfo “Jun” Jao, Kasia Gola (Treasurer), Marita Jao (Secretary), Directors: Chris Andal, Edith Andres, Christine Consunji-Chen, Andy Edralin, Neil Estrada, Joseph Joseph, Natividado Maneja, Roger Ledina, Troy Nguyen, Gloria Rull, Virnie Tordera, Thomas Wong and Linda Sarno as Direc-tor Emeritus.

FACCOC Awardees include: New York Life, Cor-porate Maharlika Award; Linda S a r n o , I n d i -vidual Mahar-lika Award; US Bank, Corporate Advocate Award, (Dante and Fan-nie Cantal of-Twin Eag les , Inc., Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year Award; M e n d r e i a n d Menard Leelin (Leelin Bakery and Café), Emerging En-trepreneurs of the Year Award..

Life Achievement Awards were given to Rodolfo Jao, Chris Andal, Gloria Rull, Edith Andres, Maria Dumatol, Ernie Delfin, Norberto Reyes, Dr. Carmelita Co-Casquejo and Clemencio Cruz Apeles.

ABAOC, FACCOC trace decades of service to Orange County entrepreneurs

After months of preparations, two prestigious Orange County groups dedicated to almost identical audiences, the Orange County entrepreneurs and professionals, the organizers from Asian Business Association of Orange Country (ABAOC) and the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Orange County (FACCOC) were able to breathe a sigh of relief having done their parts in their respective signature events which were able to attain the objective of

ABAOC MEETS 2015 CHALLENGES: Newly-elected Congresswoman (behind the rostrum) inducts in offi ce the offi cers and members of the board of directors of the Asian Business Association of Orange County at its 23rd Gala and Awards Night at Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach.

OC FIL-AM 20 YEARS: Next year’s challenges for the Orange County Fil-Am entrepreneurs and professions, fi nd worthy allies in the new set of offi cers of the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce inducted into offi ce by Cong. Ed Royce at its Gala and Awards Night last Nov. 22 at Paradise Hotel in Disneyland where it also honored the 20 pass presidents of the organization.


CONVICTEDFrom page 1valuable mineral resources. It also conflicts with the claims of Brunei, Malaysia, Tai-wan and Vietnam.

The Philippines in March filed a formal plea to the United Nations challenging China’s claims, but Beijing has rejected UN arbitration. Originally, 11 Chinese were found on the boat, but two were mi-

Now that Thanksgiving is over and we look forward to the merrymaking on Christmas people’s accomplishments are often ignored. This writer however feels it is just the appropriate time to recognize people’s achievements. One such person is a girl-friend from college, Evelyn Portugal, whose last name symbol-ized the rigid college class registration experienced by all of us during our time.

’Tis the season to wish achievers well

This writer was honored and grateful for serving a four-year term as the former president of

Child star/singer Carina Afable, who was honored with the “Entertainer of the Year” Award at the recent Gawad America Awards, pose for a picture with an old fan.

the original FIlipino American Press Club of Los Angeles (FAPCLA)and the Chair-man of the Board as well.. I am glad that this position of leadership now belongs to Evelyn, who has equally been an officer and a member of the Club since the mid-80’s, through her media affiliations with the Philippine News and currently with the Beverly Hills Courier.

Now in its 36th year, I am hopeful that Evelyn’s FAPCLA leadership, through His “Divine Guidance,” will continue to “pre-serve and protect the rights and interests” of its officers and members.

May this fine organization continue to “uphold the prestige and dignity” of its Filipino media professionals. We wish Evelyn the best!

On a similar note, during the recent Gawad Awards, this writer’s friend, the famous singer/actress Carina Afable was given the “Entertainer Of The Year” award which she so deserves, having been a veteran entertainer since she was a teenager back home. Along with Carina

Josephine Lipsun (left) is shown with Rev. Fr. Martin along with her religious-themed cake entry at the recent All Soul’s Catholic Church Fiesta celebration n the City of Alhambra.

nors and were repatriated without charge.China refused to cooperate in the legal

proceedings against the fishermen and failed to provide a defense lawyer or trans-lator for them – a move which prosecutors said delayed the proceedings.

The court also ordered the confiscation of the fishermen’s gear and their vessel, which it turned over to the Palawan gov-ernment.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Rafael A. Ongkeko administers the oath of offi ce to Evelyn Aviado Portugal, president/board chairman of the 36-year-old Filipino American Press Club of Los Angeles, est.1978, Inc., at the installation of offi cers, Nov. 15 at Glendale’s Shiraz Restaurant. New offi cers, who were also installed, will serve through 2016.

at the Gawad Awards, well-known dental practitioner, Dr. Ner Azaula was given the “Entrepreneur of the Year” Award for pro-moting his Isla Pulillo Beach Resort in the Philippines.

Finally,, in a recent “fiesta celebra-tion” at the All Souls Catholic Church, a Filipino parishioner, Joesphine Lipsun, won the 2nd place in the religious-themed cake decorating contest. Josephine has been a very active parishioner and she be-longs to the Filipino ministry at the church. As Filipinos, we should all recognize the accomplishments of these kababayans in promoting excellence in their own field of interest. Mabuhay!


ceeds a specified share of their income (8% in 2014 and indexed over time);

People who are incarcerated;People belonging to certain religion.Only at Covered California may U.S.

citizens and those lawfully present may be entitled to tax credits and subsidies which may lower their monthly premiums. Or, get coverage for free thru Medi-Cal (those earning $10.6k (single) or $22k (married)).

Open enrollment has started and you

must be enrolled by December 15, 2014 if you want your coverage to be effective January 1, 2015. Open enrollment will last up to February 15, 2015.

Enroll only with Certified Insurance Agents. They will be there for you during enrollment, and most especially after en-rollment if, God forbid, you incur medical expenses that will be denied by your insur-ance company. You will need an advocate who will be by your side during this period.

If you need help, you may reach me at: 323-535-7373 or e-mail at: [email protected].

MEDICARE ALERT: Medi-Medi’s and Medi-Cal beneficiaries may be wondering what CalMediConnect is all about. On Thursday, December 4, 2014, at 1:30pm, there will be a seminar where CCI (Coordi-nated Care Initiative ) people will come to address your concerns at the FACLA Social Hall, 1740 W Temple St., Los Angeles CA. Come and bring your friends with you.

Everyone is free to attend.Leo Monsalud hails from Sta. Cruz,

Zambales. He studied for his MBA and Law at the University of the Philippines. He worked for UNILAB where his last position held was vice-president assigned as general manager of a division. He was a joint-venture partner of the San Miguel Corporation in an agri-business project. He holds CA Lic. # 0G55218 and a Non-Res-ident license for Nevada. He is a Certified Insurance Agent of Covered California.

$325 per person or 2% of incomeThat’s how much you will pay as fine, if you don’t have

health insurance coverage that meets the 10 essential health benefits requirement of the Affordable Care Act in 2015.

Exempted are the following:Unauthorized immigrants;People with income low

enough they are not required to pay income taxes ($10.5k and below);

People whose premium ex-

MANILA, Nov 24 (Mabuhay) – The Department of Health’s (DOH) P1-billion proposed budget for family planning sup-plies is hanging in the balance after Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III questioned the lack of certification from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during Monday’s budget deliberations.

The DOH is proposing a total of P1.025 billion for “family planning commodities” such as subthermal implant, medical sup-plies for implant insertions, combined oral contraceptive pills, injectibles, IUDs, bilat-eral tubal ligation, non-scalpel vasectomy , among other items.

Senator Teofisto Guingona III, chair-man of the Senate committee on health, said at least 2.7 million Filipinos would benefit from the proposed budget.

Sotto, a staunch critic of the Reproduc-tive Health Law, asked if the family plan-ning commodities had been certified by the FDA as required by the law. Guingona said the DOH was still awaiting the FDA certification.

“That’s why even for this year 2014, they have not (made a purchase) yet. They are awaiting the FDA certification,” Guingona said.

“Then why are we putting it in the bud-get, Mr. President?” Sotto asked, referring

to Senate President Franklin Drilon.“Well, on the presumption that the FDA

certification will come out, then at least it’s budgeted,” Guingona answered.

But Sotto said: “For 2014, wala pa nga e, ilalagay na naman natin sa 2015?”

“Mr. President, I understand lalabas daw yung FDA certification first week of December,” Guingona said.

But Sotto pressed for a categorical an-swer from the DOH.

The session was temporarily suspended and when it resumed, Guingona reiterated that the FDA certification would come out on the first week of December.

Meanwhile, fellow senator but accused Senator Jinggoy Estrada left detention in Camp Crame Wednesday morning to undergo physical therapy at the Cardinal Santos Memorial Hospital in San Juan City.

Escorted by police vehicles and an am-bulance, the mini-bus carrying Estrada left the Philippine National Police (PNP) Cus-todial Center at 9:15 a.m. for the hospital.

PNP spokesperson Sr. Supt. Wilben Mayor said the senator arrived at Cardinal Santos 25 minutes later.

On Tuesday, the Sandiganbayan al-lowed Estrada to undergo physical therapy at the hospital after the senator complained of shoulder pains.

Sotto questions P1-billion DOH budget for family planning items


vehicle plate number and the insurance company name and policy number, you can still successfully obtain compensation.

Other driver’s insurance will not pay for my medical and property damage bills because my insurance lapsed when the accident happened. Even in the un-fortunate event that your insurance lapsed by, say, your failure to pay your premiums on time, you can still seek compensation for your reasonable medical bills, property damage and loss of earnings. These are called economic damages.

Hiring an attorney is expensive. At the Ariel Law Group, you will not get charged with an upfront fee. We will get paid only if we get you compensation. In the event that you do not win your case, we will not get paid for any service we render to you.

If I switch lawyers, I will get charged twice. Absolutely not true. You have the right to have your attorney of choice represent you during the entire life of your claim. If you are not happy with your cur-rent attorney, you may switch lawyers at any time. Your old lawyer will get paid out of your new lawyer’s fee and there will be no additional fees and costs to you.

If you have been injured due to an ac-cident, schedule a free consultation now by calling the offices of the Ariel Law Group, toll free: 888-657-2626.

The contents of this article is for gen-eral informational purposes only, is not a substitute for obtaining legal advice from a qualified attorney and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is unique and consulting with a qualified attorney is strongly advised.

10 misconceptions on personal injury claimsA motor vehicle accident is one of the

leading causes of personal injury in Cali-fornia. Yet, many individuals are unwilling to file an insurance claim because of com-mon misconceptions and challenges con-cerning personal injury claims procedure. As a result, they are not able to obtain the medical care and compensation that they rightfully deserve. Here are common 10 misconceptions when it comes to personal injury claims in California:

I am not a legal resident in this coun-try and putting a claim may cause me immigration issues. WRONG! Opening a claim with an insurance company has absolutely no relation to your immigration status. None whatsoever. Insurance com-panies do not share information with the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Insurance company says they will fairly and fully compensate me. WRONG AGAIN! Insurance companies try to mini-mize the damages of an accident so they do not have to compensate you as much. Insurance companies are not charitable institutions and more often than not, you have to fight with them in order to be fully and promptly compensated.

I do not need an attorney to process my claim. Filing an insurance claim is just the first step. After that you have to fight to prove up your claim. The process is com-plex, frustrating, and confusing. You may not know the legal intricacies involved, and you are dealing with an insurance adjuster who is trained in the law, and is working to minimize or defeat your claim. Receiving compensation is never guaranteed, espe-cially if you do it on your own. Do yourself a favor. Hire an attorney that you like and trust. Don’t do it on your own.

My insurance rates will automati-cally go up because I made an insurance claim.

If you get into an accident through no fault of your own, your insurer may not raise your rates. If, on the other hand, you

were to blame for an accident, your insurer first considers many factors before decid-ing whether or not to adjust your rates. This includes your driving history. Nobody wants to be in an accident and if your cur-rent insurer automatically increases your rates, you can always shop for a better insurance company.

I will not get compensated because other driver did not have insurance or it was a hit & run accident. Sadly, it is a known fact that not all drivers or vehicle owners carry car insurance. If the at-fault driver or vehicle owner did not have insur-ance, you can still obtain compensation for your injuries if you carry Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage in your policy. This protects you from uninsured drivers, uninsured vehicle owners, and hit & run drivers. However, not all policies have UM coverage and you need to look at your policy.

I was partially at fault for the accident so I am not entitled to compensation.

California is a comparative negligence state. This means that if you are partially at fault for the accident, you can still obtain compensation for your injuries. Compara-tive negligence, however, reduces your re-covery proportionately to your degree or percentage of fault. The more at fault you are, the less you can recover. It stands to reason that the other driver and his insur-ance company will try their best to put the most blame on you. A qualified attorney will know how to effectively argue for you.

No police report was made so it’s useless to make a claim. While a police report is helpful, it is not entirely necessary. It is good to have one because the names of the parties, their insurance information, names of witnesses, investigation of the accident and designation of fault are all in one document. Even if there is no police report, as long as you are able to get basic information about the other driver (full name, address, telephone number), the

Even undocumented have legal right to reparations

LAW OFFICES OFKENNETH U. REYES, P.C.

Pilipino po tayo!Pilipino po tayo!

213-388-1611 or213-388-1611 or

CALL OR E-MAIL FORAN APPOINTMENT

3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700Los Angeles, CA 90010

LAW OFFICES OFKENNETH U. REYES www.kenreyeslaw.com

[email protected]

ESTATES AND TRUST• Living Trust• Wills• Probate• Conservatorship

CIVIL LITIGATION• Contract Disputes• Business Disputes• Corporate and Partnership Disputes

FAMILY LAW• Divorce• Community Property Division• Child Custody and Spousal Support• Domestic Violence Restraining Order• Legal Separation and Nullity• Parentage• Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements

* Certified Family Law Specialist The State Bar of California Board of Legal

Specialization

- 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

*Kenneth U. Reyes, Esq. CFLS*Kenneth U. Reyes, Esq. CFLS

IMMIGRATION• Marriage Petitions• Relative Petitions• Removal of Conditional Green Card• Humanitarian Reinstatements• Child Status Protection Act Issues• Deportation Defense• Employment based Petitions and PERM• H-1B Visas

[email protected]@gmail.com

President – the same kinds of actions taken by Democratic and Republican Presidents before me – that will help make our im-migration system more fair and more just,”

‘PASS A BILL’From page 1

MASSACREFrom page 1

to help NUJP-US coordinate the project. The group also plans to collect petition signatures at the exhibit sites.

In his remarks, FACLA President Austin Baul denounced what he described as the Philippine leaders’ lack of political will to bring the perpetrators to justice.

In response, Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim assured event participants that the government is doing its best to resolve the case. “Nalulungkot din kami sa nangyari….at sa mabagal na pag-usad ng hustisya (We are also saddened by this tragedy…and the slow pace of justice,”

Herrera-Lim said.Fr. John Brannigan, a parish priest in

Historic Filipinotown, led a prayer for the victims. “We pray for all journalists who have died worldwide in the pursuit of truth,” he said.

“We pray for those in the Philippines who work for peace, justice and truth.” Par-ticipants lit candles to honor the memory of the victims and show support for the Mil-lion Candles campaign to end the culture of impunity in the Philippines.

The program, emceed by former broad-cast journalist Thelma Aranda-Sugay, also featured musical performances, poetry reading and a die-in staged by members of the media.he insisted. Critics blasted the action as “illegal” and “unconstitutional” as soon as Obama unveiled Thursday night, bringing tensions with Republicans to a boil.

Already emboldened by their sweep-ing midterm election victory, Republicans vowed to thwart Obama’s plans.


but there are so much misunderstanding with this program, people will shut you off with just the thought of you offering them a Reverse mortgage.

Here are the facts about this loan pro-gram.

1. If I have a reverse mortgage I can lose my home and all of my remaining equity to the government or the bank.

False: A reverse mortgage is only a lien on your home. You still own your home. When you leave the home, the loan balance is repaid in full with the remain-ing equity passing to you or your heirs.2. A reverse mortgage will use up all of the equity in my home and there will be nothing left for my heirs.

False: Because you still own your home, and because it will continue to appreciate in value, it is very difficult to use up all of your equity. In fact, in many cases, de-pending on how much money you use, the amount of equity you have may increase.3. Selling my home is always better than doing a reverse mortgage.

False: Not necessarily. If you sell your home, you may lose one of the largest and most secure investments you prob-ably have. You may forfeit up to 10% of your home’s equity in sales costs alone. After selling, you may have to pay rent or some other type of monthly payment that would eat away at your savings. For most seniors, moving from their home is physically and emotionally difficult.

4. Reverse mortgages are all the same, so I don’t need to shop lenders.

False: While it may be true that most reverse mortgages are very similar, not all reverse mortgage lenders are the same. To thoroughly understand all of your op-tions, you need a lender with experience. You want to work with a lender that is helpful, knowledgeable, and professional - one that doesn’t try to pressure you.5. I already have a mortgage, so I won’t qualify for a reverse mortgage.

False: You can use the reverse mortgage to pay off the balance of your current mortgage or equity loan. By doing so, you will “free up” the money you used to use for monthly payments on the old loan.6. I have bad credit, so I won’t qualify for a reverse mortgage.

Not necessarily. There are limited cred-it, income, and asset requirements to qualify for a reverse mortgage. If you are 62 or older and you own your home – you may qualify.7. Reverse mortgages are more expensive than traditional loans.

False: Even though a reverse mortgage has up-front costs that are folded into the loan, there are NEVER any monthly loan payments and the loan is insured by the U.S. Government to protect you over your life-time. You only pay property taxes and home insurance. Other types of home financing that have monthly payments do not offer this level of financial safety and security.8. I have to fix up my house to qualify for

a reverse mortgage.False: Your home doesn’t have to be in

perfect shape, however if there are minor repairs that are required by the lender, they can be done after the closing in most cases.9. A traditional mortgage loan with month-ly payments costs less and is always better than a reverse mortgage.

False: A traditional (forward) loan with monthly payments may work well in some circumstances, but when you consider all of the monthly payments paid out on a traditional loan over time, you see that the overall cost of a re-verse mortgage is not very different.10. We are not eligible for a reverse mort-gage because my spouse is not 62 years

old yet.False: While it is true that both borrow-

ers must be 62 years or older, if one spouse is not 62, there are still strategies that can be employed that will enable you to obtain a reverse mortgage. These strategies can be very safe and practical.

I believe that if you are retiring, you should be free of all debts but if you do have a mortgage payment on the house you live in and have ample equity, you should at least consider this option of using your equity to pay the mortgage.

Thanks for your inquiries, please call Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance Group at 562-508-7048, or write to [email protected].

How can senior homeowners avoid having to pay their mortgage for lifeA regular mortgage loan is where you borrow a certain

amount of money and the bank will charge you a certain amount of interest rate per annum for you to pay monthly until the balance is paid off. If you home has a descent amount of equity, this loan is best for senior (over 62 yrs old) homeowners on fixed retirement income to have. The lender give you a line of credit to pay for your mortgage and will do it so you don’t need to pay every month. The legal term is “Reverse Mortgage”

WASHINGTON, November 25, 2014 (AFP) – US home prices were up 4.9 per-cent in September from a year ago as the pace of annual gains still slows, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller index released Tuesday.

The Case-Shiller 20-city price index rose a seasonally adjusted 0.3 percent from August to September, an acceleration from the previous period, but unadjusted prices were flat from August.

The strongest gains were in Miami, Las Vegas, Dallas and Charlotte, while home prices in the hot Washington DC-area

market fell.Regionally, only the southeast region

was showing firm gains, helped especially by Miami, Florida, and Charlotte, North Carolina, according to index data.

“The overall trend in home price in-creases continues to slow down,” said David Blitzer, chairman of the Index Com-mittee at S&P Dow Jones Indices.

“Other housing statistics paint a mixed to slightly positive picture... With the economy looking better than a year ago, the housing outlook for 2015 is stable to slightly better,” he said.

MANILA, Nov 24 (Mabuhay) – Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago on Monday criticized “minefields” in the 2015 budget, including an alleged “unconstitutional” definition of savings and the retention of pork barrel funds under a different name.

In a privilege speech, Santiago urged a return to the old definition of savings that refer to portions or balances “which are (i) still available after the cancellation or final discontinuance or abandonment of the work, activity, or purpose for which the appropriation is authorized...”

She warned that the new definition of savings talks simply of discontinuance or abandonment at any time.

“It could be during the first month, first quarter, first half. A deferral of a project can be construed as discontinuance or abandon-ment; the same project may be resubmitted for congressional authorization next year or two years from now.

This contravenes the constitutional mandate of Congress to authorize ap-propriations but may later be declared by the DBM Secretary as abandoned, at its whims and caprices, and then he may use the appropriations for another project which has not been previously authorized by Congress,” she said.

Santiago said that under the 2015 bud-get, an agency that fails to obligate any allotment loses it.

“What happens to the commitment to Congress of the agency head that the agency will deliver a specified level of outputs, such as number of school build-ings, completion date, kilometers of roads, linear meters of bridges, and so on? What if certain projects that were funded out of

‘savings’ were later submitted for Con-gress-authorized but DBM-discontinued projects? These are scenarios for corrup-tion,” the senator said.

She also criticized the allocation of P37.3 billion worth of projects to five dif-ferent departments including the Depart-ment of Public Works and Highways, De-partment of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Labor and Employment and Commission on Higher Education.

“Let me raise a BIG question about the 2015 budget. Last summer, why were representatives asked to submit lists of projects they endorsed for their districts? I understand that the form distributed did not bear any letterhead,” she said.

Santiago said the Senate should com-pel government agencies to comply with the reportorial requirements in Section 91 of the general provisions, especially the second paragraph, which requires the Department of Budget and Management to report on lump sums.

She also said Congress should restrict the use of savings from Special Purpose Funds, especially the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF) and the Pension and Gratuity Fund (PGF).

“DBM might have bloated the budget for the MPBF and the PGF with the inten-tion of using the ‘fat’ as a source for ad-ditional discretionary spending,” she said.

Santiago also urged that the P2.69 B for the socio-economic component of the Bangsamoro normalization process should be placed under Unprogrammed Appro-priations because Congress has not yet passed the Bangsamoro Basic Law. (MNS)

Rise of US home prices slow in September

Miriam: New defi nition of ‘savings’ unconstitutional

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MANILA, Nov 25 (Mabuhay) – Former Iloilo Rep. Augusto Syjuco Jr. on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to declare the P2.606 trillion proposed 2015 budget unconstitutional for allegedly containing funds already declared illegal by the high court.

In his 15-page petition, Syjuco said the National proposed budget still contains lump sum funds resembling pork barrel and the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), which were earlier declared illegal by the high court.

“Declare the creation, formulation, submission and approval of National Ex-penditure Program for Fiscal Year 2015 and 2015 General Appropriations Bill as unconstitutional and illegal,” read the for-mer congressman’s prayer on his petition.

The respondents were Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Senate President Frank-lin Drilon, and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

Syjuco filed the petition a day after

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, in a privilege speech, criticized the proposed budget as “very lopsided” and even linked it to the 2016 elections. She asked the Sen-ate to reject the House-approved budget.

In his petition, Syjuco also asked the high court to prevent the Senate and the House of Representatives from passing into law the proposed 2015 budget.

“Worthy to note in this proposed budget is the President’s special purpose funds, which critics call the President’s ‘pork barrel,’ amounts to P501.67 billion or 29 percent of the proposed appropriations for 2015,” Syjuco said.

Syjuco also questioned the P251.78 billion estimated savings for 2014, which he said is greater than the actual amount spent for the 116 projects under the DAP.

“With such huge saving targeted by the national government, the re-emergence of DAP or another DAP-like mechanism in the near future will certainly need to oc-cur,” he said.

SC asked to declare proposed 2015 budget unconstitutional

16 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend, Sat. - Fri., Nov. 29 - Dec. 5, 2014 Balita LOS ANGELES

OPINIONMANILA, Nov 22 (Mabuhay) – The immigration policy

reforms announced by United States President Barack Obama is a “welcome action” for Filipinos in the US, Malacañang said on Saturday.

“There are several parameters that President Obama laid down, and we also mentioned yesterday that any Filipino citi-zen who satisfies these parameters, we encourage them to take advantage of the window that was given by President Obama,” said Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte in an in-terview with government radio dzRB.

On Thursday (Friday in Manila), Obama eased threats of de-portation for millions of undocumented immigrants in America, 300,000 of which are Filipinos.

Nonetheless, Valte said any Filipino who wants to move to the US from now on should go through the proper procedure.

“So huwag po nating isipin that this is license to go anywhere undocumented. Please, if you intend to reside or to work in other countries, please make sure that we abide by the proper rules and regulations and that we fulfill all the documentary require-ments,” she said.(MNS)

MANILA, Nov 24 (Mabuhay) – Crime rate may be low but the boxing match between the People’s Champ Manny Pacquiao and Chris Algieri failed to deter all crime in the Philippines on Sunday.

Senior Superintendent Wilben Mayor, Philippine National Police public information office chief, said a total of four crimes were reported from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, November 23.

He said the four crimes include 2 shooting incidents, a stab-bing incident and a carjacking.

In the shooting incident, a man was shot by a still unidenti-fied gunman at No. 43, Singkamas Street, Barangay Tumana in Marikina Sunday.

Another shooting incident was also reported wherein a militiaman of the 14th Infantry Battalion was killed inside his home in Region 8. One motorcycle was taken at Angelo Street, Barangay Amoranto in Quezon City yesterday while a man was stabbed dead by suspect Carmelo Agapito at the Iloilo Terminal Market in Iloilo City.

Police also received a report of a vehicular accident at the national highway at Santiago, Agusan del Norte.

Manila’s streets are usually deserted before and during Pac-quiao bouts as majority of Filipinos watch the fights on TV.

Police authorities have said the crime rates drop every time Pacquiao enters the ring.

Pacquiao defeated Algieri via unanimous decision and im-proved his record to 57 wins with five losses and two draws. (MNS)

CHICAGO, November 25, 2014 (AFP) – Presi-dent Barack Obama on Tuesday condemned the violence that erupted in Ferguson in the wake of the decision not to charge a white police officer over the fatal shooting of a black teenager.

“Burning buildings, torching cars, destroying property, putting people at risk ... there’s no excuse for it,” Obama said in Chicago, calling for anyone found guilty of involvement to be prosecuted.

“Those are criminal acts,” Obama added, while expressing sympathy for minorities who felt laws were not being enforced “uniformly or fairly.”

Obama urged parties aggrieved by events in Fer-guson to work peacefully to achieve change, saying the case had exposed “an American problem.”

“The bottom line is nothing of significance, noth-ing of benefit results from destructive acts,” he said.

“I’ve never seen a civil rights law or a health care bill or an immigration bill result because a car got burned.

“It happened because people vote. It happened because people mobilize, people organize—it hap-pens because people look at what are the best poli-cies to solve the problem.”

BEIJING, November 24, 2014 (AFP) – Beijing on Monday fired back at US criticism of an arti-ficial island project in the disputed South China Sea that could reportedly include an airstrip, with a top general defending it as “justifiable”.

People’s Liberation Army Major General Luo Yuan told the state-run Global Times newspaper that Beijing was building infrastructure on the reef and the US should stay out of the issue.

“The US is obviously biased considering that the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam have already set up military facilities,” Luo was quoted as saying.

“China is likely to withstand the international pressure and continue the construction, since it is completely legitimate and justifiable,” he added.

A report last week by IHS Jane’s Defence revealed new details of a vast land reclamation project China is undertaking on Fiery Cross Reef, known as Yongshu in China.

It is part of the Spratly Islands, which the Chi-nese call Nansha.

Beijing claims nearly all of the resource-rich South China Sea, while Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have their own claims, several of them also building structures on reefs or occupying islands.

According to the IHS Jane’s Defense report

the artificial island is a huge 3,000 meters (1,000 feet) long and 200-300 meters wide, one of several reclamation projects being pursued by China in the region but apparently the first that could ac-commodate an airstrip.

A harbor also has been dug out on the east side of the reef that appears large enough for tankers and naval warships, it said.

Days after the report, the US called on China to halt the project and for other governments to cease similar efforts.

“We urge China to stop its land reclamation program, and engage in diplomatic initiatives to encourage all sides to restrain themselves in these sorts of activities,” US military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Pool said.

But the Global Times contended Monday that China was building on the reef “mainly to improve the living standards of the reef-stationed soldiers”.

The US, which is “not a claimant” in the South China Sea, has been acting “selfishly” in the re-gion, the paper added in an editorial.

“China’s construction on the Yongshu Reef will not be affected by US words,” the Global Times wrote.

It added: “The Yongshu Reef is becoming a big island, which shows China’s prominent construc-tion capabilities.”

Palace: Obama reform a ‘welcome action’

Not quite zero crime during Pacquiao match

Obama condemns ‘criminal’ Ferguson violence

Chinese island project in disputed waters ‘justifi able’: general

MANILA, November 26, 2014 (AFP) – The Philippines will simplify its weather warnings to make them easier to understand in order to prevent the annual loss of hundreds of lives from natural calamities, officials said Wednesday.

The state weather service of one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations is working with linguists to ensure that the threat posed by typhoons, floods and other events would be fully understood by people, they said.

“People need to be told in a language they can understand the dangers that they face,” said Roberto Anonuevo, executive director of the government’s Filipino Language Commission.

“Typhoons and storms are a common occurrence, so they become complacent. This will help them to respond. This is potentially life-saving,” he told AFP.

Giant walls of seawater, called “storm surges” generated by Haiyan, the strongest ever typhoon to hit land, were blamed for most of the 7,350 lives lost in the central Philippines a year ago.

Even though the hardest-hit areas were warned beforehand, the weather service and other officials later admitted that the victims were unfamiliar with the term “storm surge”, which they said failed to adequately convey the deadly threat.

President Benigno Aquino has been among the weather service’s most severe critics, often lectur-ing its forecasters publicly to use layman’s terms in its bulletins.

About 20 typhoons and storms hit the country each year, triggering floods and landslides that kill

hundreds.Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are also an

ever-present threat in the Asian archipelago that forms part of a “Ring of Fire” of Pacific islands formed by volcanic activity.

“People with lower levels of education at times have trouble understanding technical terms,” conceded Lani Aquino, a public relations officer for the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services.

“So what happens is they do not make the neces-sary precautions for certain meteorological events,” Aquino, no relation to the president, told AFP.

The weather service spokeswoman said it was reviewing a 300-word glossary of more easily un-derstood weather terms prepared by the language commission, including the words for storm surges in the country’s major dialects.

Aside from Filipino-language weather bulletins, Anonuevo said they will also seek to make English-language weather bulletins, which routinely throw up obscure terms such as “intertropical convergence zone”, more intelligible.

When Pope Francis travels to the Philippines next year, he bring a message of hope when he visits the Philippines, Church officials said Friday, on a trip that will see him tour areas devastated by last year’s super typhoon.

Millions in the fervently Catholic country are expected to turn out to catch a glimpse of the pontiff during his five-day visit, with officials planning tight security.

Disaster-prone PHL wants simpler weather warnings


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not even provide healthcare benefits to undocumented immigrants. It is still up to the Republican dominated Congress to pass legislation to overhaul the country’s immigration policies.

Some Filipinos here in Orange country said Obama’s immigration program for the undocumented is far too limited. Although the Obama immigration relief is temporary, I hope it will eventually compel Congress to act on the comprehensive immigration reform bill to provide lasting solution to America’ s flawed immigration policies.

Under the new immigration program contained in the Executive Order recently signed by President Obama, qualified aliens will be given works permits, driver’s license and a three year protection from deportation, provided they pass criminal background checks and pay back taxes. It will also delay the deportation of undocu-mented parents of children who are either U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

The new immigration law will also pro-

tect children brought in illegally by their parents in America before January 1, 2010. However, these privileges being given to undocumented immigrants who qualify under the new government program, are only good for three years and is revocable, although that part was not clear as it was not specified how these benefits intended for these aliens can be revoked.

My interpretation is that a work permit that will be given to a qualified alien is only good for three years. While some undocumented Filipinos will benefit from the Obama relief, many undocumented Filipinos will be left out and will continue to live in fear of being arrested and put in deportation proceedings. This is because most of them, if not all, came to the U.S. by themselves and have left their families in the Philippines.

Most of these Filipinos who would be left out in the program are working in restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes and board and care facilities for the elderly.

While they wait and hope for a more broader and sweeping immigration reform that will eventually grant them the legiti-macy to live here in the United States, these undocumented Filipinos will continue to work even without legal papers as long as they don’t get caught because that’s the only way that they can help their families cope with the high cost of living in the Philippines.

My heart goes to these Filipinos who have endured hardships and loneliness here in America, particularly this coming holiday season. I hope that someday all of them will be able to achieve their dreams of becoming legal here in America and later on be reunited with their families after years of long separation.

As I write this column, I am expecting calls from my relatives inviting me to their traditional Thanksgiving lunch or dinner.

We Filipinos here in America celebrate Thanksgiving Day as a way of expressing our gratitude to God for all the blessings that He has given us. Based on Thanksgiving tradition here in America, the family lunch or dinner consists of roast turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy and pumpkin or pecan pies.But among Filipinos, the roasted pig (lechon) is usually the main attraction in the dining area whether Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s day.

I have been writing this column for a while and I have not been able to express my gratitude to my good friend Rhony Laigo, for giving me an opportunity to be a columnist in this paper. Thank you very much Rhony and happy Thanksgivings to you and to Ruth and the kids. (Likewise, and to all of the readers of Weekend Balita – ed.)

Obama’s immigration relief not a pathway to legalization or citizenshipThousands of undocumented Filipinos living in the United

States must have been dismayed by President Barack Obama’s sensational immigration relief. I’m sure they were expecting a much broader immigration reform. They thought for awhile that the contents of the Executive Order of the President on immi-gration will pave the way for their citizenship, or at least for them to become permanent residents.

The order as it turned out is just a temporary relief. It will

Tech, medical sectors mixed on Obama immigration order

By Ivan CouronneWASHINGTON, November 24, 2014

(AFP) – Nestled in President Barack Obama’s plan to overhaul aspects of the US immigration system are tweaks to rules for high-skilled workers long frustrated with hurdles to getting work or residency approval.

The tech and medical sectors especially have for years complained of difficulties in recruiting talent from overseas, with many potential candidates subject to protracted bureaucratic delays.

“I’ll make it easier and faster for high-skilled immigrants, graduates and entrepreneurs to stay and contribute to our economy, as so many business leaders have proposed,” the president said during an immigration speech Thursday.

His executive actions, which were immediately blasted by Republicans, gar-nered most attention for the plan to shield millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation.

Silicon Valley had been hoping for ac-tion for high-skilled workers too, but many in the innovative sector felt the proposed changes fell short.

“We appreciate President Obama’s ef-forts to make minor incremental improve-ments to the high-skilled visa and STEM visa programs and look forward to seeing more details,” said Consumer Electron-ics Association president and CEO Gary Shapiro.

“Still, our high-skilled immigration system needs a complete overhaul, which can’t be fixed with an executive action.”

He was referring to foreign students studying in the so-called STEM areas of science, technology, engineering and math.

The tech sector has for years lobbied Congress to boost numbers of so-called H-1B visas, which grant skilled workers permission to work in the United States if they are sponsored by an employer.

“Administrative changes on highly skilled immigration can potentially act as a tourniquet to attempt to stanch the loss of foreign talent to other countries. However, we still need the surgery that only Congress can provide to achieve a real recovery,”

Computer and Communications Industry Association president and CEO Ed Black said in a statement.

Silicon Valley also wants the govern-ment to quicken approvals for green cards, which let the holder live in America and are not tied to a particular employer.

Green card quotas haven’t increased since 1990 and people from certain countries such as India or China must sometimes wait years. Only a new law can change the situation.

However, the chances are slim of signif-icant immigration reform being passed in what will soon be a Republican-controlled Congress.

Shortage in the health sectorCurrently, STEM graduates can stay in

the United States for 29 months without needing a work visa or a green card, but this will be extended, thus boosting their long-term employment prospects.

Qualified foreigners waiting for green cards will also be allowed to change jobs, a move aimed at encouraging fluidity in the employment market.

Finally, entrepreneurs should be able to more easily obtain visas to launch a busi-ness in the United States.

Still, for some the changes don’t get to the heart of the issue.

“There are a couple of things they could have done to reduce green card lines, but chose not to do,” immigration lawyer Greg Siskind told AFP.

“The long, long wait for green cards is not going to go away.”

About a million green cards are handed out annually.

In 2013, only 16 percent were given for job reasons, the rest were reserved for reuniting families, for refugees and for asylum seekers, as well as those who won a lottery to live in the United States.

Outside Silicon Valley, the health sec-tor suffers a worker shortage, especially of nurses and general practitioners. The wait for Indian and Pakistani doctors is notoriously long.

Paradoxically, the provisional relief of between four and five million undocument-ed immigrants under Obama’s unilateral action could make things worse because many will be able to work legally and get health insurance through their jobs.

Changes not enough: Silicon Valley


action.I. Deferred Action for Parents of U.S.

Citizens and Lawful Permanent ResidentsA new program that will be imple-

mented is Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA). To qualify for benefits under DAPA, an individual must fulfill all of the following requirements:

You must be a parent of a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident born on or before November 20, 2014;

You must have continuously resided in the United States since January 1, 2010 to the present;

You must be out of status as of Novem-ber 20, 2014; and

You must not be considered a priority for removal, such as by having a felony or multiple misdemeanor convictions.

Individuals who fulfill these requirements will be granted Deferred Action for a period of 3 years, which is a temporary lawful status that protects them from deportation. Individuals granted De-ferred Action will also be granted a work permit for 3 years. It is anticipated that the program will commence on or about May 19, 2015.

II. Expanded Eligibility for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

The President’s announcement includes an expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) that was implemented in 2012. The new requirements for DACA will be as follows:

You must have arrived in the U.S. before the age of 16;

You must have continuously resided in the US since January 1, 2010 to the present;

On the date you file your application, you must either be in school, have gradu-ated from a U.S. high school, have obtained a general education development (GED) certificate, or were honorably discharged from the U.S. Coast Guard or Armed Forces; and

You have not been convicted of a felony, a significant misdemeanor, or three or more misdemeanors, and do not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.

Under the expanded program, the individual’s current age no longer mat-ters. Similar to DAPA, individuals who fulfill these requirements will be granted Deferred Action and a work permit for a period of three 3 years. It is anticipated that the expansion of the program will commence on or about February 18, 2015.

III. Expanded Eligibility for Provi-sional Waivers for Unlawful Presence

The President’s announcement includes an expansion of the Provisional Waiver for Unlawful Presence program that was im-plemented in 2013. Currently, only those

who have a U.S. citizen or Lawful Perma-nent Resident spouse or minor child are eligible to apply for a provisional waiver for unlawful presence. The program will be expanded to include those who have a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent spouse or child, regardless of the child’s age.

The provisional waiver program is needed by those who are unable to adjust status in the U.S. because they did not le-gally enter the U.S., do not have evidence of their entry into the U.S., or entered the U.S. lawfully with a visa that is eligible for adjustment of status. There is no indication as of yet as to when the expansion of the program will be implemented.

V. Modernization of the Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Visa System

The President has laid a foundation for implementing numerous changes to modernize the immigration system that is aimed to more efficiently streamline the visa process and encourage business growth. The following are a few of the provisions to be implemented over the next several months:

Provide work permits to certain spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants.

Expand and extend the use of Optional Practical Training for foreign students.

Authorize parole to business entrepre-neurs and researchers.

The Department of Homeland Security will release further details of the forego-ing programs as they are developed. In the meantime, individuals should proceed with obtaining the documents that will be needed to substantiate their eligibility. For example, individuals should proceed with obtaining their vital documents, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, and valid passports, as well as evidence of their continuous residence in the U.S. since Jan. 1, 2010.

The President’s implementation of these programs through executive action is tremendous progress in the fight to fix our broken immigration system. The policy changes correctly focus our nation’s limited resources toward deporting felons and uniting families so that hard working immigrants may finally have the means towards attaining the American Dream.

For further information, please sched-ule an appointment with an attorney at Aquino & Loew, Certified Immigration Law Specialists; (888) 797-1140 or (626) 799-3089; [email protected]. Please also visit Aquino & Loew at www.aquino-loew.com and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. Aquino & Loew also handles family law and criminal matters. Provid-ing Personalized Service Nationwide & Abroad Since 1996.

Pres. Obama announces executive action on immigration

On Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014, President Obama announced sweeping changes to the U.S. immigration policies that are estimated to benefit approximately 4.9 million individuals throughout the United States. The new policies that President Obama announced will be implemented by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over the next several months.

The following is a summary of the key provisions contained in the President’s executive


HEALTH & BEAUTY (WASHINGTON-AFP) – The United

States on Tuesday announced sweeping new rules forcing chain restaurants and pizza parlors to publish calorie counts on menus in an attempt to combat the nation’s obesity epidemic.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said chain restaurants and vend-ing machines with 20 or more locations would be required to provide customers with full nutritional information about the food being sold.

Similar rules have already been used for years in several US states and cities, such as California and New York.

“Americans eat and drink one third of their calories away from home and people today expect clear information about the products they consume,” FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg said in a statement.

“Making calorie information available on chain restaurant menus and vending ma-chines is an important step for public health that will help consumers make informed choices for themselves and their families.”

Under the new rules, restaurants will be required to publish calorie information for all standards prominently on menus and menu boards. Temporary menu items and

specials are exempt from the requirements.The menu labeling rule also includes

food facilities at venues such as movie theaters and amusement parks.

Establishments affected will also have to provide upon request detailed nutritional information for food items such as total calories, total fat, calories from fat, satu-rated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, to-tal carbohydrates, fiber, sugar and protein.

The finalization of the new rules was required under the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Obesity epidemicThe rules come as America grapples

with ever rising rates of obesity.More than one-third of American adults

(34.9% or 78.6 million) are obese, accord-ing to recent figures cited by the US Cen-ters for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC said the annual medical cost of treating obesity in the United States in 2008 was $147 billion. Medical care for obese people averages $1,429 more per person than individuals of normal weight.

A 2009 study analyzing the effect of calorie labeling on 1,156 adult customers at fast-food restaurants in low-income neighborhoods of New York suggested that while the policy raised awareness of

calorie content, it did not necessarily affect the number of calories purchased.

Public health campaigners welcomed the introduction of the new rules Tuesday, saying they hoped small chain restaurants not covered by the new law would adopt the labeling policy.

“Menu labeling is the biggest advance in providing nutrition information to con-sumers since the law that required Nutri-tion Facts labels on packaged foods was implemented 20 years ago,” said Margo Wootan, the nutrition policy director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

“It will soon seem strange that once it was possible to go into a Chick-fil-A or a Denny’s and not see calories on menus and

menu boards.“We hope that small chains and in-

dependent restaurants provide the same information voluntarily.”

However the new laws, which will come into effect in a year’s time, were unpopular with the National Grocers Association, unhappy that the labeling rules will apply to food counters in supermarkets.

“Grocery stores are not chain restau-rants, which is why Congress did not ini-tially include them in the law,” a statement from the lobby group said.

“We are disappointed that the FDA’s final rules will capture grocery stores, and impose such a large and costly regulatory burden on our members.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said chain restaurants and vending machines with 20 or more locations would be required to provide customers with full nutritional information about the food being sold. ©Azurita/Shutterstock.com

(WASHINGTON-AFP) – Experts said Monday regular tests for vitamin D levels are not proven to be beneficial or harm-ful, despite previous research warning of damaging effects of vitamin D deficiencies in adults.

Studies have found that low levels of the vitamin can increase the risk of bone fractures, heart disease, colorectal cancer, diabetes, depression, Alzheimer’s disease and death.

But the US Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) said there was no evidence that getting regularly tested for sufficient vitamin D decreased health risks.

“Current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for vitamin D deficiency in asymptomatic adults,” USPSTF said in a statement.

“We found no direct evidence on effects of screening for vitamin D defi-ciency versus no screening on clinical outcomes.”

The experts from the federal panel said that tests should be ordered on a case-by-case basis and should not be conducted universally.

People get vitamin D from sunlight and from oily fish such as salmon, tuna or mackerel, as well as milk, eggs and cheese. It is also available in supplement form and is a key component for healthy bones and muscle strength.

A 2010 report by the US Institute of Medicine concluded that vitamin D was essential for bone health but did not find that a deficiency causes disease.

The Institute recommends 600 mil-ligrams per day for adults under 70 years old and 800 milligrams for older people.

A recent study in the British Medical Journal based on medical records from 95,766 people in Denmark found that re-duced vitamin D levels increased the risk of mortality by 30 percent and boosted the risk of cancer-related deaths by 40 percent.

However, the researchers found no link between vitamin D deficiency and cardio-vascular deaths.

About one billion around the globe are thought to have low vitamin D levels.

The elderly can be particularly vulner-able to such a deficiency because their skin is less adept at converting sunlight into vitamin D.

US orders calorie labeling for fast-food

Benefi ts of regular vitamin D tests remain unproven: study

People get vitamin D from sunlight and from oily fi sh such as salmon, tuna or mackerel, as well as milk, eggs and cheese. ©DUSAN ZIDAR/shutterstock.com


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COMMUNITY

By Hannah De Castro-Abinuman

AppleOne Properties successfully cul-minated their US Road Show on November 19, 2014 at the Sheraton Hotel in Cerritos, CA. The road show focused in three key areas in the US – New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Numerous Filipinos, mostly Cebuanos, flocked the said events looking for the per-fect property investment in their homeland. The property road show highlighted Apple-One’s most recent project – The AppleOne Banawa Heights in Cebu City, which derives inspiration from the vibrant spirit and colorful living of the San Francisco Bay area, with charming Victorian-themed facades. Situated right at the heart of Metro Cebu, AppleOne Banawa Heights is the first distinctly-themed gated residential condominium subdivision in the city.

During the event in Sheraton Hotel, Cerritos, Yvet Andalis, Executive Vice President of AppleOne properties, candidly started the program with an anecdote. “In my last visit to Qatar, I asked our kababay-ans, how many of you have Louis Vuitton bags? Ang dami pong nagtaas ng kamay. How about Hermes? May nagtaas din. Then I asked, how many of you actually own properties?”

It is a sad truth that not all of us are for-tunate enough to have financial literacy. In fact, most people work very hard for their families but retire without really saving a dime or making the right investments.

Andalis then said, “Put your money in solid investments. A solid investment is a good retirement plan. Don’t waste your money on fleeting luxuries like gadgets and status symbol items. As soon as you’re making money, plan for your retirement. Real Estate has always been a solid invest-ment and it appreciates in value.”

Through their road show, AppleOne, provided the Cebuanos living abroad with nuggets of wisdom regarding making the right investments for their hard-earned money. AppleOne takes pride in their sense of innovation which is apparent in their property designs.

The Banawa Heights has three different residential concepts: The Mansionettes, the Villas and the Towers, which are di-vided into private clusters. On each floor, a home-owner will only have 1 to 5 neigh-bors maximum. And sprawling on a 2.8-hectare property, the de-velopers allocated 70% of the entire development to open landscaped s p a c e s , w i t h walkways, jog-ging trails, pocket gardens, parks and playgrounds.

The residents will not be living in tight, congested spaces that is typical of condo living. The property also provides enhanced privacy and security with its Keyless Access Control (the first of its kind in Cebu).

AppleOne also offers our kababayans ways to make property purchasing easier. Since AppleOne also has a construction company, they are able to sell their units at a more affordable price, without sacrificing the quality and beauty of the development.

They have also tied up with Banco De Oro (BDO) Philippines to provide potential buyers financial loans in acquiring the units in the Banawa Heights. And for those who are interested in having their space rented, AppleOne is also affiliated with Rent.Ph, who will aid in looking for possible tenants for your property.

For the Cebuano attendees of the event, it was just logical for their hearts to be tied to their home town. But for our other kababayans who are not homegrown in Cebu, the place still boasts of a prolific and enchanting appeal. Cebu provides the best of both worlds – you are in the urban scene, and yet the beaches and other vacation hot spots are only a few minutes away.

Cebu is a thriving community, and due to the rise of BPO industry in the city, there is also an economy boom, which is a good sign for real estate investments.

Yvet Andalis, Executive Vice President of AppleOne Properties

The fi rst gated condominium subdivision in Cebu, Banawa Heights offers leisure, luxury and privacy.

AppleOne Properties provides sound investment for Cebuanos in the US

Cebuanos from various areas in LA and Orange County gathered in Sheraton Hotel for AppleOne’s fi nal Road Show event.

LBC continues to deliver smiles all around the world by opening a bigger and better branch in Carson City. The grand opening was held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, November 22, 2014 at 21636 Figueroa St. Carson, CA 90745. This is actually not the first time LBC has opened a branch in Carson.

In fact, LBC has been present in Carson for many years since the late 80’s. But ac-cording to Mr. Michael Salomon, LBC’s Vice President for Operations in Northern California, LBC believes that by mov-ing to this new location they will be able to provide better service by making the location more accessible and convenient for the Filipino residents in Carson. This new branch is relatively close to most local Filipino stores and restaurants that Pinoy residents in Carson frequently visit.

“Our main goal is really to continue to strive to make life more convenient for the Filipinos,” said Mr. Michael Sa-lomon. And with this in mind, LBC has been providing quality service for money remittance, ocean and air forwarding to the Philippines for many years.

LBC does not only move boxes, it also aims to move lives through their various retail products and services. In fact, LBC currently has an on-going promo called “Smile and Drive,” through which, LBC is giving away $250,000 worth of prizes. A total of 9 brand new Toyota Corollas will also be raffled off to LBC customers who avail themselves of LBC’s cargo and money remittance ser-vices through any LBC branch or partner agents in the US and Canada. The “Smile

and Drive” promo is ongoing and is open until November 30, 2014.

It has been a very challenging year for LBC and everyone in the Filipino shipping industry due to several shipping issues that were beyond their control, such as the port congestion and the recent truck ban in Manila.

But LBC is positive that the situation will improve in the coming months. LBC continues to make adjustments in their service to provide customer satisfaction to our kababayans. And they firmly believe that by maintaining their accessibility and visibility to the Filipino people, they will be able to reach that goal. (Hannah Abinuman)

LBC opens brand new branch in City of Carson

Michael Salomon, VP of Operations for Northern California, poses with one of LBC Carson’s loyal customers.

StaffWriter, Balita Media


REDWOOD SHORES, November 24, 2014 - ABS-CBN Corporation, ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc (Star Cinema) and ABS-CBN International filed suit in US Federal District Court in Florida last No-vember 21, 2014 against 18 pirate sites for damages of over $12 million dollars result-ing from the infringement of the copyrights and trademarks of ABS-CBN’s popular TV shows and movies.

The defendants are partnerships or un-incorporated business associations which operate through domain names registered with registrars in the U.S. and elsewhere. Their domain names are the following: 1)buhaypinoyofw.net; 2) freepinoytvshows.net, pinoylovetvshowreplay.com; 3) hapee-tube.biz, lovelytube.biz, pinoy-telebisyon.biz, pinoy-telebisyon.org; 4) lambingan.tk; 5) movieserye.com; 6) pinaytambayan.org; pinoy-ako.me; 8) pinoymoviegallery.net; 9) pinoytambayan.me; 10) pinoyte-lesine.com; 11) pinoytopmovies.com; 12) pinoytv.me; 13) projectcabbage.com; 14) tambayanofwtv.info; 15) telebesyon.com; 16) telebyuwers.ph,telebyuwers.tv; 17) teleseryereplay.com; 18) yzreplay.com.

Based on the complaint, the defendants provide on-demand streaming perfor-mances of full-length versions of ABS-CBN’s TV shows and movies through their websites. Defendants often display the latest content to their servers within minutes or hours of the original broadcast in the Philippines.

Further, they control the organization and presentation of the content by provid-ing links to ABS-CBN shows and promote and advertise the content as ABS-CBN’s through search engine optimization and meta tags, including the use of ABS-CBN’s marks, then stream the shows for users’ viewing through their websites. With the popularity of ABS-CBN films and TV shows, these sites drive significant traf-fic that enable them to reap profits from advertising and other revenue.

According to ABS-CBN AVP of Global Anti-Piracy Elisha Lawrence, “this is an-other phase in our relentless enforcement campaign to identify and punish pirates whose sites have been reported to contain malware that can cause substantial finan-cial harm to innocent people who were just trying to view our shows and movies.”

This latest lawsuit comes on the heels of the police search and seizure by police in Victoria, Australia at the home of Mary Smith in the suburb of Barooga, New South Wales in Australia where numerous pirate ABS-CBN DVDs, DVD burners and hun-dreds of pirated ABS-CBN movies on com-puter hard drives were located. Recently, ABS-CBN also received a US$10 million judgment from the U.S. Federal District Court in Oregon against Jeffrey Ashby for damages from his infringing the copyrights and well-known trademarks of ABS-CBN by rebroadcasting ABS-CBN’s popular TV shows and movies on his pirate websites.

Among the many pirate sites that Ashby owned werewatchfilipinotv.com, watch-filipinomovies.com and pinoytalaga.com.

“We at ABS-CBN are committed to giving our viewers the best viewing expe-rience for our content and protecting the rights of the talented creative and produc-tion teams that work hard to deliver these shows and films,” saidABS-CBN Global COO Raffy Lopez. “Online pirates under-mine that, hence, we are determined to discourage and stop them.”

About ABS-CBN International ABS-CBN International was founded in

April 1994 to be of service to all Filipinos. With the launch of The Filipino Channel

(TFC), the company became the first and most successful Filipino content distribu-tion company in the U.S. The company of-fers telecommunication, retail, theatricals, money remittance and cargo services, on-line audio and video streaming, IPTV, On Demand, along with philanthropic support for Filipinos and the communities they now call home. Based in Redwood City, CA, ABS-CBN International is a subsidiary of ABS-CBN Corporation, the Philippines’ largest entertainment and broadcasting company, through ABS-CBN Corpora-tion’s wholly-owned subsidiary, ABS-CBN Global Hungary Kft. For more information, visit www.tfc-usa.com.

ABS-CBN fi les $12M lawsuit against 18 pirate sites

Los Angeles – In preparation for its upcoming 3 annual BINIBINING PILI-PINAS USA 2015 Pageant (“Your Destiny Awaits!”), scheduled for August 2015, in Los Angeles, CA, the Binibining Pilipinas USA organization announced today that it is seeking regional/local pageant directors from various regions around the United States to operate, manage, and conduct of-ficial local pageants or candidate searches, with an eye towards finding the next Binib-ining Pilipinas USA queen.

“There isn’t a more effective way to reach every corner of the Filipino commu-nity in the U.S. than to partner up with our supporters in other states,” said President/CEO Mildred Deang.

“Our future partners outside of South-ern California live in large communities where many beautiful Filipinas live, and we look forward to working with them to

find our next titleholder,” she added. This prestigious national pageant seeks those special young women in today’s Filipino-American communities who not only have the beauty, grace and elegance to compete on an international level, and who also have the dynamic personalities that set them apart from the rest.

Interested parties are urged to contact pageant organizers through Associate Pro-ducer, Joey Galon, for further inquiries. He will work closely with regional competi-tions to find the best candidates to send as representatives to the national pageant in Los Angeles.

Regional pageants shall be completed by May 2015 in order to provide candidates sufficient time to prepare for the national pageant. Details of the regional licensee responsibilities will be outlined in writing, so get in touch now.

WASHINGTON, November 25, 2014 (AFP) – Sony Pictures’ computer network has reportedly come under cyberattack, with hackers threatening to release key information from the Japanese group’s entertainment division.

Sony did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. But the news site The Next Web reported that all Sony employees at the Los Angeles unit were ordered home and to stay off the company network.

A source within Sony told the news site that “a single server was compromised and the attack was spread from there.”

An image posted on the Reddit social network from an individual claiming to be a former Sony employee showed a page with the words “Hacked by #GOP.” It was unclear what GOP stands for, but some reports said the hacker group is called Guardians of Peace.

The posted image said unspecified de-mands must be met by Sony or important files would be released.

The website Geek.com said the hackers leaked a large file containing with spread-sheets and what appear to be passwords.

“We’ve already warned you, and this is just a beginning,” the message posted on Reddit said.

“We continue till our request be met... If you don’t obey us, we’ll release the data shown to the world.”

The Sony Pictures website appeared to be functioning normally Tuesday.

The Hollywood Reporter said it had confirmed the breach, but said the aims of the hackers were unclear.

A Sony statement to the entertainment publication said: “Sony Pictures Enter-tainment experienced a system disrup-tion, which we are working diligently to resolve.”

Binibining Pilipinas USA seeks licensees for U.S. regional pageants

Sony Pictures network reportedly hit by hackers


Los Angeles—The International Fili-pino Business Exposition sponsoredby the Historic Filipinotown California Expostion LLC will be held onDecember 5 and 6, 2014 at the Filipino American Community of LosAngeles (FACLA) Social Hall at 1740 W. Temple St. Los Angeles, Ca90026.This was announced by Dr. Veronico Agatep, the HIFI Cali ExpoPresident who said: “ the trade fair and exposi-tion is an annual event that will bring together FilAm business personalities and their potential partners from the Philippines to introduce products and services for possible trade partnershipsThe HIFI Cali LLC partnered with the Philippine Chamber of Commerceand Industry , Cagayan Chapter. Philippine Coordinator Cloyd Velasco,President of the PCCI-Cagayan Chapter will lead the Philippinedelegates who will attend the

trade exposition in LA.” Agatep ended.Speakers and Panel

Meanwhile, HIF CALI Chief Executive Officer Sid Balatan assured the public,.” that theevent preparations is in full swing.” Balatan also said, “ the trade fair is where the Fil-Am business community in California share information with their counter-parts coming from the PhilippinesInvited speakers are Los Angeles City May-or Eric Garcetti and Philippine Consul Gen-eral for Los Angeles, Leo Herrera-Lim.”Balatan also confirmed that, “Presidents of several Los Angeles and Orange County Chambers of Commerce will also be speak-ers at the panels for discussion andshar-ing of experiences and business trades.”For more information please call Sid at (213)399-4052 or go thehificali website at http//hificalifornia.com or at the event [email protected].

District 5K at Dodger Stadium in support of health & wellness

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) hosted its second annual 5K ‘Move It’ Challenge and Health Festival last Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014 at Dodger Stadium.

In partnership with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the District fundraiser was aimed to raise awareness about the im-portance of physical activity and a healthy lifestyle among students, employees and community members, while raising im-portant funding for the District’s Wellness Centers.

“The LAUSD is committed not only to the education of our students, but to their health and wellness as well,” said Chief Deputy Superintendent Michelle King. “We know that healthy students do better in school. With that said, our goal with this event is to raise awareness about the importance of physical activity and to encourage families to visit our Wellness Centers to learn more about programs

they can use to improve their health and the health of their families.”

More than a dozen LAUSD Wellness Centers offer FREE health and wellness programs and services, along with primary prevention education and parent education in their local communities. Statistics show that 27 percent of

L.A. Unified students remain unin-sured and 44 percent rely on Medi-Cal, an indication of the urgent need for the centers. The LAUSD 5K ‘Move It’ Challenge and Health Festival Activities kicked off at 8 a.m. with pre-event activi-ties before the event. The run/walk that followed took place later with a health festival that was held after the race until 1 p.m. A separate 1K was also held for younger students, along with those who chose to run or walk a shorter course.

Also hosting the event were The Los Angeles Dodgers, L.A. Trust, an organiza-tion aimed at improving student health and readiness to learn; Beyond the Bell, the District’s afterschool program; and The A.C. Green Foundation.

Former Laker AC Green leads all other runners in the second annual 5K ‘Move It’ Challenge and Health Festival last Saturday, Nov. 22, at Dodger Stadium.

NEW YORK, November 26, 2014 (AFP) – More than 4,000 flights were cancelled or delayed Wednesday in the US northeast as a winter storm delivered freez-ing rain and snow ahead of the Thanksgiv-ing holiday, one of the year’s biggest travel weekends.

Rain was falling in Boston, Philadel-phia, New York and Washington, according to the National Weather Service, and snow and sleet was predicted for Wednesday night.

The storm is not likely to leave more than an inch or two of snow, but the weath-er service predicted “havoc” for travelers

along the East Coast from the Carolinas up through New England.

But with the American Automobile Association predicting 46.3 million Ameri-cans will travel 50 miles (80 kilometers) or more for the holiday, most by car, the bad weather could create big problems on highways.

By late Wednesday afternoon, 671 flights had been cancelled and another 3,467 were delayed. The most affected airports were Philadelphia, Newark in New Jersey and LaGuardia in New York.

Reagan National Airport in Washington was also impacted, according to Flighta-ware.com.

United Airlines reported average delays of more than 90 minutes at JFK Interna-tional in New York and 190 minutes in Newark and LaGuardia.

Flight traffic at Boston’s Logan airport was also disrupted.

Many travelers opted to drive Wednes-day, taking advice from authorities to leave early to beat the winter weather.

Some airlines said certain passengers traveling to or from some northeastern US cities could change their flights without paying a penalty.

Thanksgiving, celebrated each year on the fourth Thursday in November, is a popular US holiday. Americans gather with family for a big meal that tradition-ally features roast turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie.

The estimated average roundtrip dis-tance traveled in the United States during Thanksgiving this year is 549 miles (884 kilometers), according to the AAA.

Thousands run in LAUSD’s 5K ‘Move It’

HIFI California’s International Filipino Exposition on December 5-6 at FACLA

Wintry weather sparks Thanksgiving travel havoc


LOS ANGELES – The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Ange-les, a California-based immigrant rights organization, announces the start of a new driver’s license test preparation class entitled “Road to Success” (Camino al Exito). The class focuses on applicants of the new AB60 driver’s license for undocu-mented immigrants residing in California.

CHIRLA has developed an easy to un-derstand, fun, and interactive curriculum it hopes will help California applicants of the new driver license take and pass the exam successfully. The 3-hour class is offered in Spanish and at the low cost of $30 for CHIRLA members. In test runs, almost all class participants failed to pass the first exam. At the end of the course, 85 to 95 of the class participants passed the exam.

Starting January 2, 2015, the Depart-ment of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will is-sue the new AB 60 Driver’s License. To qualify, an applicant must show proof of identity and residency. In addition, the applicant must pass a written exam and a practice test behind the wheel.

In January, the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles announced 71 percent of the people applying for the new driver authorization cards had failed the writ-ten exam in the first three days of the program. The lesson for all drivers who

feel all too comfortable on the road hav-ing driven without a license for too long is: study if you want your license.

If a California driver’s license applicant fails the exam on the first try, she/he will receive a second appointment to retake the exam. The next appointment, however, may not come until several months later due to the large crowds expected to apply for the AB60 license for the first time.

WHAT: Media opportunity to ob-serve and participate in a short version of the new driver’s license class, “Road to Success.” First time license seekers will participate in the class, take an initial pre-test and post-test to measure class ef-fectiveness. Class will be held in Spanish but instructors will answer questions in English or Spanish.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 19, 2014, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.

WHERE: CHIRLA, 2533 West Third St., Ste. 101, Los Angeles, CA 90057

WHO: Immigrants seeking to apply for the new AB60 driver’s license.

VISUALS: New driver’s license applicants will take a pre and post test exams, participate in the class, and answer reporter questions as to the process, their aspirations for a new license, and how they are preparing themselves to be ready January 2, 2014.

‘Road to Success,’ an innovative, low cost way to help immigrants pass driver’s license test

Celebrities, sports stars weigh in on US race protests

Class helps test takers improve chances of passing written exam on fi rst try

LOS ANGELES, November 25, 2014 (AFP) – Celebrities and sports stars voiced frustration and urged restraint on Tuesday following violent protests over the decision not to prosecute a white police officer for the killing of an unarmed black teen.

Magic Johnson, Chris Rock and LeBron James were among those tweeting after a night of unrest in Ferguson, Missouri linked to the death of aspiring college student Michael Brown, 18.

“The system enables young black men to be killed behind the mask of law,” wrote basketball icon Kobe Bryant, while filmmaker Spike Lee posted a photo of the slain teen with the caption “We are Mike Brown.”

“I am very disappointed with decision in Mike Brown case in Ferguson, MO,” wrote Johnson. “We must work together to stop the unnecessary loss of young men of color. Justice was not served in Ferguson.”

Grammy-winning white rapper Macklemore added: “The system that instills and protects white supremacy wins again. Humanity loses. No justice. I pray for Mike Brown and his family. So sad.”

Singer Katy Perry, on tour in Australia, tweeted: “Feeling stuck all the way over here in Sydney seeing the news just now... Sending my prayers to Ferguson & praying for an equal America.”

Cher said “Have problem re decision not 2bring 2 trial police who shot young man near St Louis,” but added: “Having said that, violence is NOT the ANSWER. I vote 2change state laws. There must be change in attitude and BALANCE in police and lawmakers.”

“I’m heartbroken over the news of no indictment in Ferguson. Let’s all pray for peace,” said “Happy” star musician Pharrell Williams.

Black US comedian Rock quoted civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois, saying: “A system cannot fail those it was never meant to protect.”

“Girls” creator and actress Lena Dunham tweeted love to Brown’s family, adding: “I applaud their strength and courage, mourn their loss, pray they see justice and change.”

Basketball player James posted a picture of Brown walking arm in arm with Trayvon Martin, another black youth controversially killed.

“As a society how do we do better and stop things like this happening time after time!! I’m so sorry,” he wrote.

Tennis champion Serena Williams simply wrote: “Wow. Just wow. Shameful. What will it take?”

On Wednesday, celebrities called for a boycott to take place Friday – one of the busiest US shopping days – to protest a grand jury’s decision not to prosecute a police officer who fatally shot a black teen.


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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 - HERSH

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PRAYER to the BLESSED VIRGIN(Never known to fail)

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. -ROSIEya

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Life and Leisure News for Filipino-Americanswww.usasianpost.com

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Nova Vocal Ensemble together with Christ the King School’s Pueri Cantores choir to perform familiar carols by composer-in-residence Dale Trumbore

A Christmas tradition comes back to Hollywood as the Nova Vocal Ensemble together with Christ the King School’s Pueri Cantores choir performs dazzling new arrangements of familiar carols by composer-in-residence Dale Trumbore in a free concert entitled Lesson and Carols on Sunday, December 14, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. at the Christ the King Church in Hollywood. Headed by Founder and Artistic Direc-tor, Jonathan Bautista who has appeared as a professional bass vocalist for choral groups and church choirs in New York,

New Jersey, Philadelphia, and California., Nova Vocal Ensemble is known to be Los Angeles’ chamber choir devoted to the music and choral works of living compos-ers of all genres.

In addition to contemporary classi-cal, Nova also performs various musi-cal arrangements from popular music, jazz, musical theater, film, television series, video games, and animation. Nova aims to not just entertain, but move and educate its audiences about the diver-sity of musical styles and arrangements. For more information about Lessons and Carols and Nova Vocal Ensemble please visit www.novavocalensemble.org.

The Christ the King Church is located at 624 N. Rossmore Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90004.

Nova Vocal Ensemble is a professional

chamber choir consisting of experienced singers dedicated to performing the a cap-pella choral works of living composers. Nova singers come from all over Southern California to entertain, move, and educate its audiences about the diversity of musi-cal styles in today’s choral landscape: the romantic, the experimental, the complex, the comical, and the profound are all part of Nova’s eclectic sonic palate. Nova pres-ents the music of beloved contemporary masters and classical music’s rising young stars, especially composers with ties to the choir’s home of Los Angeles.

Not limited to just contemporary clas-sical, Nova also performs arrangements of popular music, jazz, musical theater, film music, and music from video games, television series, and animation, all orches-trated with a flair that is contemporary and

fun by innovative arrangers active in the choral field.

Nova was born in the spring of 2012 and has expanded from a group of four singers to today’s roster. Nova boasts some of the finest vocal talent in Los An-geles, and its singers travel from all over the valley just to perform with the group. Nova has performed in a diverse array of venues, including the San Fernando Mission, the Echoplex, West Los Angeles Public Library, Christ the King Church, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Glendale, E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and Disney’s California Adventure.

Nova also functions as a caroling group during the Christmas season and is avail-able for wedding and funeral bookings, as well as other private parties and events.

On Tuesday, November 18th, the UCLA Pilipino Alumni Association Board of Directors held a dinner at Park’s Finest Restaurant in Los Angeles to celebrate the renaming of their scholarship program to the UCLA Pilipino Alumni Lovell Sevilla Scholarship Program.

The dinner is the first event of a re-newed scholarship campaign to strengthen the UCLA Pilipino Alumni Endowment and to honor Ms. Lovell Sevilla, who served as the UCLA Pilipino Alumni Scholarship Director from 1995 through 2000 and was instrumental in establishing the UCLA Pilipino Alumni Scholarship Endowment. Ms. Sevilla also served as

a UCLA student counselor for more than two decades.

In 2010, she was awarded the UCLA Chancellor’s Excellence in Service Award for expanding diversity in the UCLA Honors Programs and in 2011, became the UCLA director of counseling. In August 2014, Ms. Sevilla died at the Ronald Rea-gan UCLA Medical Center after a 9-month battle to acute myeloid leukemia. Stu-dents who were counseled by Ms. Sevilla remember her dedication to help them in any way she could.

Bobby T. Rimas, the current UCLA Pili-pino Alumni Scholarship Director stated, “Adding Lovell’s name is very fitting for

the UCLA Pilipino Alumni Scholarship program as it honors her passion and com-mitment to helping deserving students. It is our hope that this campaign will take the UCLA Pilipino Alumni Scholarship Endowment to the next level by eventu-ally serving more students and inspiring subsequent leaders to carry on Lovell’s legacy for years to come.”

The UCLA Pilipino Alumni Association Scholarship Program usually culminates in the awarding of both the UCLA Pilipino Alumni Endowment and private scholar-ships at UCLA Pilipino Alumni’s annual scholarship benefit.

To date, the UCLA Pilipino Alumni

Association has awarded over 100 schol-arships. The UCLA Pilipino Alumni Association’s mission is to create an environment for current students, alumni, and community members to network, both socially and professionally, as well as raise monies to support UCLA Pilipino Alumni’s initiatives, which include scholarships for incoming high school, undergraduate, and graduate students at UCLA.

If you have any inquiries regarding who may apply for UCLA Pilipino Alumni scholarships or contributions towards the UCLA Pilipino Alumni Endowment, please contact Mr. Rimas at [email protected].

Free Christmas carol concert at Christ the King Church in Hollywood Dec. 14

UCLA Pilipino Alumni renames its Scholarship Program

By Ed RameIt’s a long and challenging journey for Angeline

Quinto. Her rise to fame is not a silver platter story but one that is so challenged; saddled with endless hours of practice, quest for her own identity as an artist, patience and perseverance amidst incredible personal setbacks but her great love for singing has always prevailed. It can either be an outlet or truly a passion. She was gifted with a powerful voice that during the Star Power championship of Ms. Sharon Cuneta, she literally shattered the PA speakers. She won it with sheer talent.

As if a portent of things to come, Angeline has ac-tually shattered the walls that has painfully separated her from her dreams.

She won almost all singing competitions she has joined but still Lady Luck didn’t really smiled at her readily It took some year but Angeline is no faint of heart, coming from simple beginnings with her own share of life’s drama.

This must have inspired her to have this thirst for success and fame and I bet never in her wildest dreams that she is now singing the songs of her life as she is now crowned

The Queen of Teleserye Theme Songs. As there are a lot of queens and divas, her title is equally important because each songs she sings touches the hearts of the masses who were so enamored and so engaged with Philippine Teleseryes.

Lady Luck has indeed opened the door for her

as she continued to climb her way on to the top of the ladder of this elusive and sometimes fickle success. Having a good voice in the Philippines is not enough as a lot of Filipinos can give a run for the money to so many established singers but there are those blessed and favored to be not just winners but actually anointed to succeed.

From her first journey to the USA with her mentor Ms. Sharon Cuneta to present, Angeline’s life has changed forever. She has now become the inspiration to so many aspiring souls to taste the same sweetness of success she’s enjoying. She’s not just a certified Platinum Artist with three of her four albums, another door opened for her in the field of acting as she has now major roles in some movies like

Born To Love You, Four Sisters and a Wedding, Bakit Hindi Ka Crush Ng Crush Mo?, and Beauty in a Bottle.She has indeed all the indications of a certi-fied star worthy of her own salt.

What has allowed her to attain this suc-cess must one for the storybook. To have a life in such an incredible transformation is

Angeline Quinto takes the center stage on Nov. 30 at the Alex Theater

see ANGELINE, page 31

Popular singer Angeline Quinto (center) with Myrna Aquitania of Balita Media (left) and Lou Sabas of The Watchdog (right) at the Press Conference at Kusina FIlipina, for her upcoming show on Sunday, at the Beyond the Stars Palace in Glendale. Photo: Benny Uy


ENTERTAINMENT

not a trial and error or a mere coincidence. She must have learned to transform her ex-periences in her early life to fire her passion for her craft She truly earned it or success would have stopped flowing her way.

The way she has transformed her life tells of the fruits she is now harvesting. More than the accolades nor the abundance she’s enjoying now is the love that she can now share especially to her family which again is another one for the storybook. I believe this is everyone’s dream and she’s living it beautifully.

AT the center stage of Alex Theater (Nov. 30) and at Pala Casino (Nov 22), Angeline will sing your favorite songs not just to mesmerize and entertain you with her ultimate singing prowess and musicality but also to inspire you with her own story. She is actually at the Center of it all. This is her moment.

ANGELINEFrom page 30

RUFFA Gutierrez said all is well now between her and mother Annabelle Rama.

Gutierrez said she believed that her mother did not mean any harm when the talent manager criticized her new rela-tionship with French-Israeli businessman Jordan Mouyal at Rama’s recent birthday party.

“She was trying to be sarcastic and funny and napunta sa akin yung usapan. So, nung napunta sa akin hindi ko na na-kain yung dessert ko kasi katabi ko yung pinapatamaan niya,” the actress said.

Gutierrez said she left the party because she was hurt by what her mother had said. Afterwards, they were able to patch things up.

“Na-hurt ako because matanda na ako and pinapahiya pa niya ako. Sana, if ever, control lang... self-control. I don’t know kung mababago pa ‘yun. My mom kasi is so frank, she expresses what she feels for that moment and sooner or later she will regret it,” she added.

“We’re okay. She’s always at the house

and when I see her I always say ‘hi’. I love her naman even if she fights me. She mellowed na sa lagay na yun ha,” Gutier-rez said.

The actress said that even though they do not usually see eye to eye on a lot of things, her mother has a big heart.

“My mom naman has a good heart. When she loves someone and when she’s loyal to someone, it really shows,” she said.

In same interview, Gutierrez said that she and Mouyal are dating for a few months now.

The actress/television host is also thank-ful that Mouyal is unaffected by intrigues thrown at their new relationship. She said that even though her mom did the ranting at her birthday, he was still gracious and respectful to her parents.

“What’s really nice about him is andiyan siya kahit anong nangyayari, he’ll hold my hand and will support me along the way. Hindi siya nakikialam sa showbiz intrigues. He’s just there doing his own thing,” she said.

Ruff a Gutierrez speaks about Annabelle Rama, new boyfriend

Ruffa Gutierrez

Actor Jericho Rosales admitted that he and his wife, TV host Kim Jones, are not yet ready to have a baby.

In a recent interview, Rosales, who married Jones last May, explained that they still have other goals that they want to accomplish.

“As of the moment, hindi (siya priority). Priority namin ‘yung dogs namin. Doon kami nagpa-practice sa mga dogs namin,” Rosales said.

Turning serious, Rosales explained: “Dalawa kami, we want to work pa. Marami pang gustong ma-achieve si Kim. Si Kim is very hardworking, she’s an achiever. I want to give her that freedom and I respect her so much dahil alam niya ang takbo ng buhay namin. Nababalanse niya. At ako din, may mga gusto pa kami.”

The actor added that they also want to travel the world.

“For now, I don’t think na handa na kami. Ang baby namin ngayon is our rela-tionship. So we are taking care of that and learning a lot about each other,” he said. “At gusto naming mag-travel. Mahirap mag-travel kapag may chikiting na,” he continued, adding that they also don’t have a timetable.

Jones, a Filipino-British model who grew up in Australia, met Rosales in March 2011. They became a couple in October that year, but only went public with their relationship in 2012. They got engaged in August 2013. (MNS)

Jericho Rosales, wife not yet ready to have a baby

Jericho Rosales and wife, TV host Kim Jones

Actress Judy Ann Santos wel-comed back her friend Jolina Mag-dangal to ABS-CBN.

San to s s a id she’s really hop-ing to work again with Magdangal after their defunct hit show “Gimik.”

Judy Ann hopes to work with Jolina, Marvin again

“Yung mga Pinoy pag inaway na ni Mommy, nawawala na parang bula. Ito, wala siyang paki as long as I like him. He just smiles and ‘hello’ lang siya ng ‘hello’.

She added that Mouyal is friends with her two kids, 11-year-old Lorin and 10-year-old Venice. She said the kids know her relationship with Mouyal.

“They told me kasi, ‘Mom, if there’s someone in your life, you have to let us know first. Ayaw namin mabasa.’ Kasi matatalino na sila eh And that’s what I did. I’m always honest with them first. Mas okay na they know from me than sa iba,” she said.

“Ako looking forward ako na makasama ko ulit siya kasi ang ganda ng memories namin sa ‘Gimik.’ At the same time, ma-sarap ka-trabaho si Jolina and I’m really happy that both of them are back here,” said Santos, referring to Magdangal’s leading man Marvin Agustin, who has also returned to the Kapamilya network.

“Gimik” was a teen-oriented show which ran from 1996 to 1999 on ABS-CBN. Apart from Santos, Magdangal and Agustin, the show was also a launch pad for many Kapamilya stars including Diether Ocampo, Kristine Hermosa, Rica Peralejo, Dominic Ochoa and the late Rico Yan.

Santos admitted that she’s not sure if there is a “Gimik” reunion being planned, now that Magdangal and Agustin are back in ABS-CBN.

“Nagkaroon na kasi ng ‘Gimik’ reunion pero ewan ko lang kung magka-come up ulit ang ABS-CBN ng isang show like Gimik again,” she said.

“Pero open ako, oo naman. Kahit drama ‘yan o comedy, it’s always nice to work with Jolina and Marvin.” (MNS)

Judy Ann Santos


1tsp. black pepper3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar2 Tbsp. olive oilChimichurri:½ cup parsley, finely chopped5 cloves garlic, minced2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar1 tsp. salt1 tsp. black pepper¼ tsp. crushed red pepper⅓ cup olive oil

Wrap each block of tofu in a few paper towels and place them side by side on a large plate. Set another plate on top of the tofu, and weigh it down with something heavy (e.g. cans of beans or a cast iron pan).

Press and drain the tofu for at least 20 minutes, then remove the plates and paper towels. Slice each block of tofu crosswise into 8 even pieces.

Whisk marinade ingredients together in a shallow casserole dish. Place tofu slices in the dish and turn them over to coat all sides. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile make the chimichurri. In a

small bowl mix parsley, garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and crushed red pep-per. Mix in the olive oil and set aside to allow the flavors to meld.

Place the tofu slices on the top rack of a hot grill or in a grill pan over medium heat. Brush the top of each slice with a teaspoon or two of chimichurri. Cover the grill and cook for approx. 7 minutes. Turn the tofu slices over, brush the tops with chimichurri, cover, and cook for anoth er 5 – 7 minutes. The tofu should still be soft with light grill marks and browned edges.

Remove the tofu slices from the grill and spoon over additional chimichurri before serving.

Elena Johnson is a second-generation

Filipino American living in Baltimore, MD. As a vegan chef and caterer she rein-vents her family’s recipes and shares them with friends, relatives, and those interested in vegetarian cooking.

Elena combines her passion for vegetar-ian food with a love of teaching by offering cooking demonstrations to the public. Fol-low Elena on Twitter: @ElenaEJohnson.

Meat-Free Favorites – Chimichurri TofuChimichurri is a fresh and simple sauce commonly used

in Argentina. It gives a vibrant, herbal flavor to any food it accompanies. Here, I’ve paired it with marinated grilled tofu. Chimichurri is also a delicious compliment to grilled seitan (wheat protein), grilled asparagus, and sautéed mushrooms.

Makes 16 pieces(2) 14-oz. blocks extra firm

tofu, drainedMarinade:

1 ½ Tbsp. Dijon mustard1tsp. salt

reuse. recycle.reduce.

Chimichurri Tofu

(NEW YORK-AFP) – The hospitals of the Truman Medical Centers in Kansas City, Missouri no longer serve fast food in their cafeterias, after ending a contract with McDonald’s in 2012 – two years ahead of schedule. In Kentucky, Kosair Children’s Hospital signed up to serve Big Macs and Chicken McNuggets to its patients when it opened in 1986. But it has now followed in TMC’s footsteps.

The reversals by hospital chains that once embraced McDonald’s reflect a wan-ing love affair with fast food in the United States, as consumers become increasingly aware of the benefits of eating better.

“Fast foods have their place, but I am not so sure their place is inside the hos-pital,” recalled John Bluford, the former TMC chief executive.

“We thought that we needed to change the game a little bit and start creating a culture of health,” Bluford told AFP.

“It was a health-concerned decision

and a mission-driven decision, given our mission to improve the health of our com-munity.”

Shifting tastesSales of McDonald’s in the United

States fell 3.3 percent in the last quarter. The consumption of sodas fell last year to 1995 levels, according to the industry specialist Beverage Digest.

Americans drank on the average 51 gal-lons (nearly 200 liters) of soda per person in 1998; last year, it was 44 gallons.

The fall is more marked for light so-das, which fell six percent amid concerns sparked by studies suggesting some syn-thetic sweeteners were carcinogenic.

“There’s a shift away from the percep-tion of food that is mass-produced towards food that is perceived to be more home-made or artisanal or sustainably produced,” said Keith-Thomas Ayoob, associate clini-cal professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

The slow decline of fast food in America


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FOOD & DINING

FAMILY FEATURES

For many families, gathering around the table is as treasured a holiday tradition as gathering around the tree to exchange gift s with loved ones. With universal appeal, cuts of tender, juicy beef are ideal for a wide range of family-friendly dishes — from

appe tizers to special occasion holiday entrees.If your seasonal celebrations and commitments have you pinched for time, opt for the

convenience of home delivery. Starting with premium products, such as those available from Omaha Steaks, lets you create the perfect meal every time. Each cut of beef is perfectly aged and fl ash-frozen at its peak of fl avor and tenderness, and delivered right to your door with a 100 percent quality guarantee.

Th ere are as many ways to prepare beef as there are cuts to choose from. Th e best approach depends on the type of fl avor you want to achieve, and how you’ll ultimately serve the dish. One popular option that creates robust, hearty fl avors perfect for holiday feasts is braising. Th is celebrated technique is featured in this Omaha Steaks family recipe for Braised Beef Brisket. Or, add some pre-dinner bites to your holiday spread with Bacon Wrapped Tenderloin Tip Appetizers, a savory recipe that is sure to be a hit among guests.

Find these and more beef preparation tips and recipes at www.omahasteaks.com.

Braised Beef BrisketTh is recipe has graced the holiday table of the Simon family, the owners of Omaha Steaks, for generations.Prep time: 30 minutesCook time 8 hoursServings: 6–8 1 Omaha Steaks Brisket (3 pounds) 2 tablespoons canola oil 4 teaspoons Omaha Steaks All Natural Seasoning 2 cups diced yellow onion 2 tablespoons fresh chopped garlic

Th aw brisket overnight in refrigerator.Heat canola oil in large pan.Blot brisket dry with clean paper towel

Steak Tips (#670) 32 Omaha Steaks Precooked Bacon Slices (#177) 1 jar Omaha Steaks All Natural Seasoning (#1141) Round wood toothpicks

Th aw steak tips and bacon overnight in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 450°F degrees.Sprinkle each tenderloin tip with

seasoning.Wrap a slice of bacon around each

tenderloin tip and push a toothpick through to secure bacon.

Place bacon-wrapped tips on baking sheet. Bake for 3 minutes; fl ip and bake an additional 2–3 minutes.

Serve immediately.

1 cup bottled chili sauce 1 package dry onion soup mix 1/2 cup beef broth 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup red wine

Braising (from the French word “braiser”) is a combination cooking method that uses both moist and dry heats. Typically, the food is fi rst seared at a high temperature, then fi nished in a covered pot or pan at a lower temperature while sitting in some amount of liquid, which may also add fl avor.

Th e purpose of braising is to break down the connecting tissues, enhancing the meat’s tenderness.

Some examples of cuts that are typically braised include: Chuck (Chuck Eye Roast, Chuck

Arm Roast, Chuck Shoulder Roast, Short Ribs)

Brisket (Whole Brisket, Brisket Flat Roast, Brisket Point Roast)

Shank (Cross Cut Shanks, Whole Beef Shanks)

Round (Top Round Roast, Bottom Round Roast, Eye Round Roast, Boneless Rump Roast)

First brown your roast using a large pan and some oil over high heat, seasoning the protein fi rst.

Once the roast is browned, “deglaze” the pan using wine or some of the liquid that will be used in the braising process, to capture drippings from the pan that are loaded with fl avor.

Once the roast is browned you will want to place it, along with all the liquid including the pan drippings, in a Dutch oven or deep roasting pan. It is very important to cover the top of the pan as tightly as possible so steam and pressure will build up during the oven cooking process.

Th e liquid for the braising process can vary depending on the dish you’re trying to make. For example, barbecue sauce would be used for a barbecue brisket, and beef broth would be used for a pot roast. Usually if using a thick liquid such as barbecue sauce you will want to thin it down with wine, broth or water. It will thicken as it cooks, and if it gets too thick it will burn.

You can also experiment with putting root vegetables in the braising pan along with your roast to create a complete meal and enhance the fl avor.

Th e oven part of the process is usually done at 250°F and can vary in time from 3 to 8 hours, depending on what cut is being braised and how big it is. A general rule of thumb is that the protein will shred easily with a fork when it is properly braised.

Bacon Wrapped Tenderloin Tip AppetizerPrep time: 20 minutes (plus time for thawing)Cook time: 6 minutesServings: Approximately 32 pieces 3 pounds Omaha Steaks Tenderloin

and generously season each side with 2 teaspoons seasoning.

Brown brisket in hot oil on both sides for about 2–4 minutes each side. Remove brisket from pan and place in crock pot, raised side braising pan or Dutch oven.

Add onion and garlic to hot oil and cook until trans parent. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour sauce

into crock pot, raised side braising pan or Dutch oven.

If using crock pot, cook on low for 6–8 hours. If using braising pan or Dutch oven, cover tightly with foil or lid and place in oven at 250°F for 6–8 hours.

Serve the same day or cool overnight in refrigerator before slicing and reheating in sauce.


SPORTSMANILA, November 25, 2014

(AFP) – Manny Pacquiao is open to taking a smaller purse in a dream match-up with undefeated American Floyd Mayweather, the Philippines boxing hero’s business manager said Tuesday.

“The talks are already going on. It is more of what the fans want. It’s not about the pay (level). That’s the least of his concerns,” Pacquiao’s business manager Eric Pineda told AFP.

Pineda declined to discuss the amounts of money involved, but in 2012 there was speculation that a fight between the two could lead to the first $200 million purse in box-ing history.

Pacquiao defeated Chris Algieri, another once-undefeated American boxer, in Macau on Sunday in a suc-cessful defense of his World Boxing Organization crown before throwing down the gauntlet to Mayweather, saying “It’s been a long time since I’ve been wanting this fight, it has to happen”.

Sunday’s fight saw Pacquiao, one of the world’s richest sportsmen, knock down Algieri six times, con-vincing fans that the Filipino, who turns 36 next month, remains in shape to face Mayweather, 37.

Mayweather potentially has more to lose in a fight against Pacquiao. He has a perfect 47-0 record and has won world titles at five different weights, but a defeat at the Filipino’s hands could blot that streak.

The two were long-time rivals as the “best pound-for-pound” boxer of their generation, but the dream fight has never materialized to the disap-pointment of the boxing world.

Mayweather, the world’s light middleweight champion, has previ-ously demanded a bigger share of the fight purse as a condition for agreeing to any fight with Pacquiao.

Other conditions, including a blood test, have delayed any fight between the two despite anticipation of a huge payday for such a match.

In the meantime however, the Filipino intends to resume his other sporting interest Wednesday as play-ing coach for the Kia team in the Philippines’ competitive professional basketball league, Pineda said.

The pint-sized Pacquiao made a dismal pro ball debut last month, turn-ing the ball over twice while failing to get off a shot in nearly seven minutes of action as his team’s starting shoot-ing guard.

Despite his lack of top-notch bas-ketball training or experience, the newly-created Kia team, owned by a business friend of Pacquiao, recruited the hugely famous pugilist as its play-ing coach in what was widely seen as a publicity gimmick.

“He will be in all Kia games,” said Pineda, adding that Pacquiao would be able to juggle his basketball du-ties with his other job, as an elected member of the country’s House of Representatives.

Manny Pacquiao connects with the right against Chris Algieri during their World Boxing Organization (WBO) 12-round welterweight title fi ght at the Venetian Macau. (MNS photo)

Pacquiao would take less to fi ght Mayweather says manager

MANILA, Nov 25 (Mabuhay) – A resolution commending the recent vic-tory of Filipino boxing pride Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao against American boxer Chris Algieri was filed in the Sen-ate Tuesday.

In Senate Resolution 1028, Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara said Pacquiao further solidified his position as one of boxing’s greatest fighters ever with his outstanding fight, dominating it from start to finish, against Algieri in Macau last Sunday.

“Pacquiao, who stands only 5 feet and 6 ½ inches proved that with strong faith, tireless hard work, continued discipline, insistent determination, and proper mo-tivation, it is not impossible to dominate and defeat a taller, younger and heavier opponent,” Angara said.

He said the 35-year old pound-for-pound king remains to be the World Boxing Organization (WBO) International Welter-weight Champion after knocking down six times and defeating Algieri with a clear unanimous 12-round decision, improving his boxing record to 57 wins, 38 knockouts, 5 losses and 2 draws.

“Pacquiao’s extraordinary accom-plishments became, in the process, an inspiration to the ordinary Filipino people,

demonstrating the possibility to overcome tremendous odds and lead life in a positive and productive direction,” the senator said.

Angara, who chairs the committee on games, amusement and sports, noted that continually expressing the sense of the Senate for each of Pacquiao’s conquest is never an insignificant exercise.

“The Pambansang Kamao has brought much inspiration, pride, and honor to the whole Filipino nation despite his humble beginnings and is indeed a testament to the Filipino and the world the unrelenting spirit of every Filipino to face with ardor and dignity all challenges that come to their lives,” he said.

He said Pacquiao has long transcended boxing, and is one of the most recognizable sports icons throughout the world.

“He deserves to be once again com-mended for being an icon of sportsman-ship, fortitude, perseverance and remark-able humility despite his unprecedented achievements of being an eight-division world boxing champion,” Angara said.

“In victory as well as in defeat, the Filipino people have celebrated and cried with Pacquiao. In this recent victory, na-tional pride as a Filipino, a key ingredient in nation building, is strengthened,” he added. (MNS)

HANOI, November 25, 2014 (AFP) – The Philippines became the first team to book a place in the semi-finals of the AFF Suzuki Cup after they demolished 10-man Indonesia 4-0 in Hanoi on Tuesday.

The Azkals managed their second straight win in Group A, with a Phil Young-husband penalty and second-half strikes by Manuel Ott, Martin Steuble and Rob Gier, sending them through to the last four for the third consecutive time.

The Philippines had lost all five previous matches against Indonesia in the ASEAN regional tournament including a record 13-1 defeat in 2002.

Buoyed by a 4-1 victory over Laos in their opening game, Philippines began brightly at My Dinh Stadium and went ahead after 16 minutes when Misagh Bahadoran was brought down in the box by Indonesia captain Firman Utina and Younghusband stepped up to convert his 42nd international goal.

Philippines goalkeeper Patrick Deyto made a good save to deny Sergio Van Dijk just before half-time but the Philippines dominated after the interval with Ott mak-ing it 2-0 with a spectacular effort from outside the box in the 52nd minute. Steuble scored from a quickly-taken indirect free-kick 15 minutes later.

Indonesia’s evening got worse when Rizki Pora was sent off soon afterwards for bringing down Younghusband as he ran clear on goal.

Gier completed the rout with 11 minutes left when he turned the ball in at the second attempt after he had struck the post with a header.

Philippines will be looking to secure first place in the group on Friday when they meet Vietnam, who are in second place after a 3-0 win over Laos in Tuesday’s later game. The co-hosts took the lead in the 27th minute when Vu Minh Tuan took advantage of hesitant defending by the Laotians to turn in Le Tan Tai’s through ball.

The 2008 champions squandered several opportunities before Le Cong Vinh tapped in their second in the 84th minute after goalkeeper Sengathit Somvang had parried Tan Tai’s shot and Nguyen Huy Hung scored from close range two minutes from time to add some gloss to the scoreline.

Resolution commending Pacquiao victory vs. Algieri fi led in Senate

PHL fi rst team into Suzuki Cup semis


MOTORING53 MPG City / 50 MPG combined in Toyota’s most aff ordable hybrid

TORRANCE, Calif., November 19, 2014 – Toyota’s most affordable hybrid vehicle is also its most fuel efficient. The Prius c with EPA-estimated 53 MPG city / 46 MPG highway / 50 MPG combined, of-fers the highest MPG of any vehicle on the road today (MPGe vehicles not included).

There’s much more to the Prius c than super-high fuel economy. A restyled front with standard single LED projector low- and high-beam headlights, new exterior colors whose names demand almost as much attention as their hues (Electric Lime Metallic, Tangerine Splash Pearl and Sparkling Sea Metallic), and new “light pipe” taillights add a futuristic touch to the design.

Add to that a cabin upgraded with premi-um materials, and Prius c makes a compelling choice among compact cars, hybrid or not.For years, the iconic Prius liftback has been synonymous with “hybrid.” Today, the Pri-us is available in four different flavors. The Prius Family includes the larger standard Prius liftback, the even larger and roomier Prius v and the Prius Plug-in Hybrid that can handle daily driving for many people without using gasoline. In addition, Toyota offers hybrid versions of its Camry and Avalon sedans and Highlander SUV, mak-ing Toyota the clear leader in the number of hybrid vehicle offerings and sales volume.Toyota Value in Four Grades

Prius c is available in four value-packed grades. In all trim levels the cabin combines futuristic design elements with everyday comfort and practicality.

In addition to the all-new single LED projector low- and high-beam headlights, standard features in the Prius c One include a sharp shark-fin antenna, automatic cli-mate control, a full color TFT Multi-Infor-mation Display and remote keyless entry with illuminated entry. The tilt-telescopic steering wheel features integrated switches for audio, climate control and Bluetooth hands-free phone capability.

The Prius c is sized like a subcompact outside but has the room of a bona fide compact inside. (It is classified as a com-pact by the EPA.) Efficient packaging of the hybrid powertrain, battery pack and fuel tank results in 104.5 cu. ft. of total interior volume (87.4 cu. ft. passenger vol-ume, 17.1 cu. ft. cargo volume). Thirty-five inches of rear legroom puts it near the top of the class. The efficient packaging also gives the Prius c a low center of gravity and excellent weight distribution, which translates to fun-to-drive agility. And with NVH improvements for the 2015 model year, the drive experience is even better than before.Youthful Exterior and Interior Design

The Prius c design projects a fun, youthful attitude that appeals to all ages. It’s also slippery, cheating the wind with a low 0.28 coefficient of drag (Cd). Its lower-body area is wider below the beltline, and combined with very short overhangs and sculpted rear flares, it gives the car an athletic stance.

A wide-ranging color palette provides hues to satisfy every taste. In addition to the aforementioned new colors, the Prius c looks light and lively in Sun Fusion, Moonglow, Blue Streak Metallic, Abso-lutely Red, Black Sand Pearl, Magnetic Gray Metallic or Classic Silver Metallic. What Makes It Go (on So Little Gas)

The Prius c uses its own version of Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive, the tech-

2015 Toyota Prius c: Light, tight, bright and the highest city fuel economy

nology found in all the brand’s hybrids. The gas engine, electric motor and battery pack are all smaller and lighter than in the standard Prius.

The SULEV (Tier 2 Bin 3)-certified 1.5-liter in-line, 4-cylinder gasoline engine runs on the Atkinson cycle to increase ef-ficiency. It produces 73 horsepower and 82 lb.-ft. of torque, contributing to a total hybrid system output of 99 hp. Locating the Prius c’s 144-volt nickel-metal hydride battery pack under the rear passenger seat, near the center of the vehicle and low in the chassis, helps achieve a low center of gravity for excellent agility.

Like all Toyota hybrids, the Prius c is a full hybrid, meaning it can run on the gasoline engine alone, battery alone, or a combination of both. Hybrid Synergy Drive combines the output of the gas en-gine and electric motor through an innova-tive planetary-type continuously variable transmission.

As on other Toyota hybrids, the Pri-

us c employs a slew of other technologies to curb its fuel usage. Regenerative braking helps to recapture electrical energy under deceleration, sending it to the battery, which helps to reduce fuel consumption. Electric power runs the water pump and power steering assist, eliminating drive belts and even some maintenance needs.One of the three drive modes, EV Mode can let you drive the Prius c solely on

electric power for under one mile while remaining below 25 mph. Where would you do that?

If you want to check out the new Prius c, or any other Toyota vehicle now, come and visit our friends Brian Bautista, Daniel Rocha and Oscar Monge at Penske West Covina Toyota located at 1800 E Garvey Ave S West Covina, CA. They can be reached toll free at 1-855-593-2298.


By Hannah De Castro-AbinumanStaffWriter, Balita Media

The Los Angeles Auto Show opened its doors to the press on November 18-20, 2014 at the Los Angeles Convention Cen-ter, showcasing the world’s most sought after brands in the vehicle industry. Gen-eral Motors’ customer-driven culture has provided us with vehicle brand giants such as Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac.

Among the top contenders in the high luxury category of vehicle brands, Cadil-lac certainly did not disappoint with the 2016 ATS-V. Elevating the brand with so-phisticated performance, the 2016 ATS-V features the first application of the Cadillac Twin Turbo engine in the V-Series, with unique features that expand its perfor-mance range and support track capabil-ity. General Motors also showcased their vehicles exceptional innovations, with the latest vehicles equipped with 4G LTE wifi internet connection, vehicle diagnostics and other apps that support our modern day lifestyles.

The 2016 Cadillac ATS-V’s more pow-erful iteration of the Twin Turbo 3.6L V-6 delivers an estimated 455 horsepower (339 kW) and 445 lb-ft of torque (603 Nm), and is backed by a standard six-speed manual transmission – with Active Rev Match, no-lift shifting and launch control – or an available paddle-shift eight-speed automat-ic transmission. With the eight-speed auto-matic, the ATS-V reaches 60 mph from a standstill in only 3.9 seconds and achieves a top speed of more than 185 mph (299 kph). “The Cadillac Twin Turbo brings

a new dimension of technologically ad-vanced performance to the V-Series,” said Richard Bartlett, assistant chief engineer. “Delivering great power with world-class sophistication, it marks another large step forward in the product-driven expansion of Cadillac in the compact luxury segment.”

“Track capability was one of the primary objectives for the Cadillac Twin Turbo in the ATS-V,” said Bartlett. “It ex-pands the performance envelope of the ATS range, while advancing Cadillac’s legacy of delivering purposeful technology that inspires passion.”

Cadillac also aims to support a lifestyle of luxury. In today’s fast-paced world, where technologies are forever changing, it is important to have a vehicle that supports your lifestyle but does not sacrifice quality and performance.

According to Melody Lee, Cadillac’s Director of Brand and Reputation Strategy, who is Asian American, “Most people, especially Asians, aspire for other luxury brands in order to fit in. But if you want to stand out, go for Cadillac. Cadillac stands for Boldness, Sophistication and Optimism. And we have stayed true to our roots as a 112 year- old brand.”

John McFarland, General Motors’ direc-tor of Global Insights and Brand Strategy also showed the event participants how GM innovates by making its consumers’ lives easier through sophisticated technolo-gies. Aiming to be a step ahead of other companies, General Motors now offers vehicles that have built-in 4G LTE wifi

Melody Lee, Cadillac’s Director of Brand and Reputation Strategy, says “Most Asians aspire for other luxury brands in order to fi t in. But if you want to stand out, go for Cadillac.” Photo: Hannah De Castro-Abinuman

Cadillac wows audiences at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show

internet connection. With GM’s affiliation with AT&T and OnStar, now your car can be a moving hot spot.

Family road trips will be more enjoy-able and less stressful, where kids can watch videos or play games using their phones and tablets.

Tailgating can now be more exciting with your vehicle hooked up to a game console. Furthermore, GM has changed the workplace setting by helping us work even in the privacy of our own car. No

need to head to the nearest coffee shop for internet connection, just park your car and start working.

GM also offers their consumers a taste of convenience with their RemoteLink mo-bile app, where you can remotely unlock doors, activate horn and lights and remote start your vehicle from anywhere you have internet or phone connection. GM also uses GPS technology to locate your vehicle, in case of theft, or if you simply forgot where you parked.

K900 recognized for distinctive design, advanced technology and unmatched luxury

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 20, 2014 – In conjunction with the 2014 Los Ange-les Auto Show, Road & Travel Maga-zine (RTM) has named the 2015 Kia K900 as its International Car of the Year. The K900’s stunning design combined with luxurious amenities, impressive performance and great value propelled the Kia brand to an unprecedented third consecutive win of the prestigious ICOTY award. The ICOTY jurors honored Kia’s Cadenza premium sedan last year and the best-selling Optima midsize sedan in 2012.

“Since arriving in the U.S. market 20 years ago, Kia has repeatedly defied conventional industry thinking, and the

K900 is our boldest move yet, making a significant leap forward for the brand and bringing new and affluent customers into our retail showrooms,” said Michael Sprague, executive vice president of marketing & communications, KMA. “To win the prestigious ICOTY award three years running is a clear indication that our products consistently offer a world-class balance of design, amenities, luxury and value for today’s discerning car buyers.”

This year marks a new format for RTM’s annual “Of the Year” award. Previ-ously, one award for car of the year and one for truck of the year were announced. Be-ginning in 2014, RTM is honoring a single annual winner, adding greater significance to the K900’s victory amidst some very tough competition from Hyundai, BMW

2015 Kia k900 named ‘International Car Of The Year’

See KIA, page 382016 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe


Best-ever October sales for Outlander Sport

Will you be renting a car during the holiday season? Whether you’ll be renting at your destination or renting a vehicle and driving to your destination, you’ll face a barrage of questions when you get to the rental car counter: Do you have auto insur-ance? Can I see your insurance ID card? Do you want CDW, LDW and so on? Here’s some information that may help you under-stand more about insurance before you get to the rental car counter:

Call AAA before you leave – AAA can help you understand your current auto coverage so you can decide if it’s what you want. If you’ll be using the rental car for recreation only (not for business), in

many cases your coverage and deductibles may apply. Let’s have a conversation with friendly agent Arceli Cabatay before you leave.

Call your credit card company before you leave – If you’ll be depending on a credit card for rental car insurance cover-age, it’s very important to check with your card company before you travel. If you have more than one card, consider call-ing each one to see which offers the best coverage. Insurance benefits vary among companies and/or banks that issue cards, as well as by the level of credit card used. For instance, a platinum card may offer more insurance coverage than a gold card.

Do you need rental car insurance?

Mitsubishi posts 8th consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases

and Mazda. In addition to product attributes such as

style, comfort and performance, the award also considers how well the brand connects emotionally with the consumer through its marketing efforts. The winner is chosen by the ICOTY jury, which consists of nation-ally renowned automotive journalists from respected publications such as Consumer Guide® Automotive, MSN Autos, New Car News Syndicate and RTM.

“Three years in a row for the same brand is a first for RTM, and it says a lot about Kia’s growth and its continuous in-troductions of exceptional new vehicles,” said Courtney Caldwell, editor-in-chief of Road & Travel Magazine. “Not only is the car a beautiful piece of art inside and out, but Kia’s advertising agencies did a remarkable job of getting it into the

hearts and minds of luxury sedan shoppers before it even hit the road. Overall, the car is stunning and affordable, making upscale style and performance attainable to mid-America. We applaud Kia’s rapid rise from underdog to unbelievable!”

The range-topping V8 equipped with the VIP Package adds additional luxury amenities including reclining outboard rear seats.

If you want to find out why Kia is among the leading car brands of today, drop by Car Pros Kia of Carson at 21243 S Avalon Blvd, Carson, CA 90745 (tele-phone # 310-221-9131), or at Car Pros Kia Huntington Beach at 18835 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach, CA 92648 (714-613-1119) and last but won’t be the last, at Car Pros Kia Glendale at 400 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91204 (818) 745-1400.

KIAFrom page 36

Cypress, Calif. – Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) posted its eighth consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases thank to a strong sales month in October with vehicle sales through the month totaling 6,199 units, an exceptional 30.5 percent increase over the sales total from October 2013.

The Outlander Sport 5-passenger compact crossover – the brand’s best-selling vehicle – posted outstanding sales of 2,468 units for the month. This was the best-ever October sales month for the popular and versatile Outlander Sport and the thirteenth consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases. Moreover, Outlander Sport sales are up 22.8 percent from last October and are up 24.8 percent year-to-date.

October marked the twelfth consecu-tive month of Mirage sales of more than 1,000 units, with total sales for the month of 1,374 units. Mitsubishi’s 5-door hatch-back model is the most fuel-efficient

gasoline-powered non-hybrid vehicle in America with an EPA fuel mileage rating of up to 37 mpg city / 44 mpg highway / 40 mpg combined.

Mitsubishi’s vehicle sales for October were further boosted by robust sales of the sporty and affordably-priced Lancer sports sedan (up 17.5 percent from last October), as well as the recently rede-signed 7-passenger Outlander crossover (sales up 14.2 percent year-to-date) and the ultra-high-performance Lancer Evolution luxury sports sedan (up 10.5 percent year-to-date).

“The Outlander Sport has been leading the way for the brand in 2014 and Out-lander has steadily increased compared to last year,” said MMNA Executive Vice President, Don Swearingen. “But our se-dans are also doing well with consistently strong Mirage sales and Lancer with a strong showing in October.”

Highlights of October sales include:* Mitsubishi Motors total vehicle sales

are up 30.2 percent year-to-date* 12 consecutive months of Mirage

sales of more than 1,000 units* Outlander sales are up 14.2 percent

year-to-date* Lancer sales up 17.5 percent from

last October* Lancer Evolution sales are up 10.5

percent year-to-dateIf you want to know why the Mitsubi-

shi is up in its sales and why the Lancer is one of America’s top Mitsubishi vehicles or why it is the choice of many of our kababayans – nostalgia perhaps? – who

are looking for reliability, efficiency and comfort, call Richard Samaco, Cesar Macandili or Mark De Leon the dealer-ship’s Filipino salespersons at Glendale Mitsubishi at (888) 465-7218. Glendale Mitsubishi, a favorite car dealership among Filipino-Americans, is located at 1235 S. Brand Blvd. Glendale, CA, 91204. Call now or come and visit our kababayans for a closer look at the new Mitsubishi vehicles.

What’s more, test drive a Mitsubishi and you can get a three day/two night stay in Las Vegas for free.

Get prepared before you leave

Call Arceli Cabatay in advance of your travel and I can give you information that may help you make an informed decision about rental car insurance cover-age. The more you know the better you can prepare for the unexpected – and you won’t be overwhelmed at the rental car counter.

Be smart when renting a car

Checklist: How to protect yourself when renting a car

Questions to ask your auto insurance agent before you rent:

Do I have collision coverage? (If you have an older vehicle and dropped that coverage, you won’t have it on your rental.)

Does my policy extend to rental cars? (Most do.)

Am I covered outside the United States? Are any countries excluded?

Is there a limit on how long I can rent the car?

Are there any vehicle exclusions?Does my policy cover loss-of-use

and other fees charged by the rental car company?

How much liability coverage do I have?Questions to ask your credit card is-

suer before you rent:Do I have rental car coverage? Is it

secondary or primary?Does it cover collisions only or colli-

sions and theft? What’s the maximum reimbursement? Does it cover vehicles rented outside

the United States? Are there any vehicle exclusions? (Some won’t cover pickup trucks, moving vans or some types of SUVs.)

Is there a limit on how long I can rent the car?

Does my policy cover loss-of-use and other fees charged by the rental car company?

At the rental car counter: Decline the rental company’s collision

waiver. Pay for the car in full with the credit

card that provides the protection. Include the names of any other people

you expect to drive the car on the rental contract. Many insurance programs won’t cover a driver who isn’t on the contract.

Once you get the car, don’t speed, drive on an unpaved road or drive while intoxi-cated. All can invalidate your coverage.

Farmers Insurance Agent Arceli Caba-tay’s office is located at 3055 S Archibald Ave Ste A, Ontario, CA 91761-9007 CA. She can be reached at 909-947-8881.

weekend balita november 29, 2014

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