2 Men & D' Ladies : Willy Nepomuceno & Rico J. Puno

When :
Saturday Dec 01, 2007 at 8:00 PM

Where :
The Grand Theater-LA Trade Tech Center
400 W. W ashington Blvd
Los Angeles , CA 90016

Contact :
Ernan Ebreo
ee-entertainment@yahoo.com

Telephone: (626) 347-5565


This December, you're in for a vibrant, hilarious and pulsating evening! For the first time, Total Entertainer Rico J Puno will go on - stage side by side with Willie Nepomuceno, The Man with a Thousand Faces. Together they will relive hits and characters that have tickled audiences around the world for the past three decades.
To add pizzazz to the show, these gentlemen will be joined by the hottest female performers in Philippine show business today. Andrea del Rosario, Ella V., Sheree and Myles Hernandez

Don't miss the ultimate experience...

Malacañang Downplays 'Trillanes Revolt'

Presidential Spokesperson and Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye belittled today the Makati City incident as “merely a situation.” Before Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, former Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and the Magdalo rebel soldiers surrendered tonight to authorities, Malacanang called on the public to remain calm as the situation in Makati City was very much under control.

Secretary Bunye said that the incident in Makati where the group locked themselves up in the second floor suite of the Manila Peninsula Hotel had meticulously been monitored by the elements of the military and the police and that the area had already been cordoned. Bunye appealed to the people who had no business at all in the area to leave the premises and avoid the Makati and Ayala avenues in order not to hamper the operations of the authorities.

“The situation is very much under control and we would like to assure our people that the rule of law will be enforced strictly. We appeal to the public to be calm, and stay away from the area to avoid any possible confusion dahil mahigpit po ang kautusan na ipatupad po itong ating mga batas,” he said.

He said that the firm response of the state is to maintain peace and order to prevent any confusion, avoid anymore destruction of public property and to amicably settle the situation. He also called on the members of the media not to cross the yellow line in the critical area in order to avoid casualties and to have the military and the police the leeway to operate.

“To all our media friends: please comply with the request of the police to immediately vacate Manila Peninsula in order to prevent/reduce unnecessary collateral damage. Stay outside the yellow police line,” Bunye said. He said the mandate of the military and police is to enforce the law in accordance with the implementing guidelines of the law. He anticipated that the Makati situation would end up peacefully as he stressed that there are internal guidelines the authorities had to observe.

He said that despite the Makati incident, the projected European trip of the President would still push through. He noted that even some senators had already made their own statement batting for the implementation of the rule of law. He expressed the belief that Makati local officials at this point in time had no accountability but were expected to enforce the law.

He said the Armed Forces of the Philippines has always been behind the Arroyo administration and ”we are very confident of the unwavering support. As a matter of fact we were in touch with the different commands who expressed their support to the chain of command, to their Commander-in-Chief.” He described the President as a hands-on leader who immediately convened an emergency Cabinet meeting after learning of the Makati incident.

“She started issuing orders to different parties concerned. Ito naman ay base sa mga naging karanasan. The President appeared very cool, very calm as she issued her directives,” he said. He considered the incident as merely a “situation” but reiterated that the government is on top of the situation.

Bunye added that the government’s primary concern was to contain the situation. He expressed the belief that the situation would be put under control as soon as possible and reminded those who have locked themselves up in the hotel to pay for their hotel bills before they leave the premises.

Several leaders like Laguna Gov. Teresita Lazaro, Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos, president of the Leagues of Cities of the Philippines; Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo and Deputy House Speaker Amelita Villarosa, have expressed their support and confidence in the President and condemned the Makati situation as violation of the Constitution of the Philippines.

Palace won't allow another Oakwood mutiny

Malacanang on Thursday said it will not allow another "Oakwood mutiny" to happen with the marching by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim in Makati City where they called on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to step down.

Presidential Legal Counsel Chief Sergio Apostol, in a radio interview, said that while they have adopted a wait-and-see attitude for now, they will take the "necessary action" once they gather enough evidence against Trillanes and Lim.

"The necessary action will be taken. We cannot repeat what they did in Oakwood," he said. Apostol said that while it appeared Trillanes and Lim are "trying to create a commotion," they cannot say for now what rules have been violated. "We will see what happens. We cannot say now what rules have been violated. Titingnan natin kung anong gagawin pa nila (We'll see what they'll do next), we will know what to do," he said. Trillanes was one of the leaders of the Magdalo group that staged a short-lived mutiny at the Oakwood Hotel in Makati City in July 2003. He and his fellow Magdalo leaders were charged with rebellion.

President Arroyo, who was earlier in San Pablo City for the Local Peace and Security Assembly, left aboard a helicopter after delivering her speech and headed straight to Malacanang where she will preside over a meeting by the crisis committee of the National Security Council (NSC) that will discuss the situation in Makati City.

The entire National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has been placed on full alert following a protest march by the Magdalos. Malacanang assured the public today that the government is on top of the situation and the new attempt to overthrow the government by Magdalo rebel soldiers in Makati City will be dealt with firmly but peacefully.

Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye also told a press briefing that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo remains “very cool and calm” as she fired off several directives to government agencies during the emergency Cabinet meeting in Malacanang this afternoon.

The Chief Executive was visiting Laguna to preside over a local peace and security assembly in Region IV-A at the Villa Escudero Resort in San Pablo City when she was informed of the new anti-government movement launched by the detained members of the Magdalo group.

Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, meanwhile, said that the latest politico-military adventurism in Makati City will have a temporary effect on the market but will definitely not affect the economy. Teves based his statement on the assessment of National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) acting Director General Augusto Santos who reported that the economy is not only stable but “still growing.”

The Finance secretary pointed out that the country’s economic fundamentals are robust as shown by the 42.80 percent economic growth in the third quarter, while the peso remains strong. Teves added that led by the services sector, the economy grew by 6.6 percent in real terms in the third quarter from a year earlier and is expected to exceed the full-year target.

“Sa palagay ko kapag ganitong klase ang fundamentals, we are able to handle this kind of temporary disturbance sa ating ekonomiya,” Teves said during a press briefing at the New Executive Building with some Cabinet members, top leaders of the House of Representatives, and other government officials.

Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila also reported that the market reacted to the Makati City disturbance but recovered swiftly before it closed this afternoon. He added that Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said the market remains calm as shown by its immediate recovery this afternoon from a brief trading lull in the morning.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza told the Cabinet that Mindanaoenos are fully behind the President and they condemn the new attempt by the Magdalo rebels led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes to create a political-military standoff. He said he believed that the new disturbance in Makati City will end peacefully because the government will not allow the situation to escalate and cause further harm to the economy.

“If Mindanao people are able to resolve their problems peacefully, I’m sure a small event like this will end peacefully,” Dureza told reporters.

The tension in Makati was sparked by Trillanes, former Gen. Danilo Lim and other Magdalo officers accused of leading the July 2003 rebellion when they walked out of their trial Thursday morning at the Makati City Regional Trial Court. From the RTC grounds, they marched through the streets of the financial district calling for the ouster of President Arroyo. Trillanes and his comrades numbering around 30 armed guards smashed the door of The Manila Peninsula along Makati Avenue and Paseo de Rojas Street after they overwhelmed the hotel’s security guards.

They then read out a statement demanding the resignation of President Arroyo.

Mar Roxas as a Presidential Contender

FROM THE SIDELINES

By Alfredo G. Rosario
Thursday, November 29, 2007
The Manila Times

In the country’s political history, only one scion of a prominent family has ascended to the presidency once occupied by a close blood relative. She is President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, daughter of former President Diosdado Macapagal, who became president after her father left Malacañang more than four decades ago following his failed reelection bid in 1965.

In the 2010 presidential election, another member of a political family may try to replicate President Arroyo’s feat by running for president. He is Sen. Mar Roxas, son of former senator Gerry Roxas and grandson of the late President Manuel Roxas.

In a recent political gathering, Mar Roxas was installed as the new president of the Liberal Party which was founded by his illustrious grandfather when he ran for president against President Sergio Osmeña and beat him in the first post-war presidential poll in 1947. His election as head of his party was seen as a major step toward clinching his nomination as the LP standard bearer in the next presidential election.

Many believe that the senator possesses all the political advantages in seeking the country’s top post within the gift of the Filipino people. They see him as a formidable contender for the presidency.

First, he enjoys the advantage of name recall, being a scion of a well-known family. His mother, Judy Araneta Roxas, belongs to the affluent Araneta clan. He has a distinguished political record. In 1993, he ran for congressman in the first district of Capiz and won handily. Later he became the House majority leader and eventually Cabinet member as Trade secretary.

He surprised the whole nation with his extreme popularity in 2004 when he ran for the Senate and topped the race with an overwhelming 20 million votes, a record still unmatched in the history of the Senate.

Roxas has the political machine and the logistics to support a long and expensive campaign. The LP is one of the oldest political parties with grassroots organizations all over the country.

Above all, he has the integrity and passion for work. His educational, moral and leadership credentials have projected him as an articulate, intelligent and dignified person. He does not wear his social superiority on his sleeve and interacts with his fellowmen with humility and grace.

The central theme of his public life has always been the promotion of the national interest and the people’s welfare as evidenced by legislation he has authored and his innovations in job creation and consumers protection. His reputation has preceded him and earned him the recognition of the international community as “one of the global leaders of tomorrow” and “one of the young leaders in politics and business who will bring Asia and the Pacific to the forefront of world affairs.”

What are his chances in the 2010 presidential poll?

There are at least four other presidential contenders, notably Senate President Manny Villar and Senators Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda and Chiz Escudero. Of the four, Villar has made no secret of his strong will to run for president. Like Roxas, he has the Nacionalista Party, of which he is the president, behind his presidential bid.

He has a broad experience in the cut-and-thrust of political conflict. He was formerly Houses speaker, senator and now Senate president. He also has the wherewithal needed to wage an expensive presidential campaign. He is widely acknowledged as one of the richest men in Asia.

Lacson, who ran for president in the 2004 presidential election, finishing third behind President Arroyo and movie actor Fernando Poe Jr., has expressed interest in running again but has not shown enough élan and resolve to pursue it. Legarda and Escudero are playing coy about their presidential goal.

If Lacson, Legarda and Escudero abandon their interest in the presidential race, they may take other options, like seeking the vice presidential nomination behind either Roxas or Villar.

But the presidential race could become more complicated if former President Joseph Estrada, who was recently pardoned by the President and given back his civil and political rights, comes into the political equation. He made a vow not to engage in active politics but his body language in recent days belies his pledge.

The 2010 presidential race is far from predictable. We still have to reckon with the administration standard bearer who could be Vice-President Noli de Castro, the heir apparent, as it were, to the throne. That is if he gets the anointment of the President.

FAL To Receive Award At Simbang Gabi 2007 Headlined by Lea Salonga and Friends

REDWOOD CITY, CA – On December 1, 2007, Tony Award-winning singer and actress Lea Salonga will be the feature performer at Simbang Gabi 2007 — the 10th Anniversary Celebration Gala of Bantay Bata (Child Watch Philippines) at the Hyatt Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, California.

Becca Godinez joins Simbang Gabi with Lea Salonga and friends
Join Becca Godinez at The ABS CBN Foundation USA Family, Simbang Gabi 2007, A Celebration of the 10th Anniversary of Bantay Bata:

Saturday, December 1, 2007
Hyatt Century Plaza Hotel
2025 Avenue of the Stars, Century City, California, 90067

Using one of the most revered Filipino holiday traditions as its theme, Simbang Gabi 2007 will see the Hyatt Century Plaza Hotel transformed into a traditional Filipino church courtyard and town plaza.

Simbang Gabi is the traditional early morning Filipino church service celebrated for nine consecutive days before Christmas. To honor this tradition the pre-dinner reception will feature familiar Simbang Gabi fare served after these pre-dawn masses, including hot chocolate, bibingka, puto bumbong, ensaymada, pan de sal with kesong puti, and other delicacies. A rondalla band and children’s choir complete the setting that will surely conjure images of holidays in the Philippines .

The evening’s dinner will be designed by internationally-acclaimed Filipino Chef Rod Aglibot. Chef Aglibot is the founding chef of Koi Restaurant, a favorite hangout of the Hollywood entertainment community. Rod affirms, “The dinner will consist of Filipino traditional holiday food to bring back memories of Christmases back home.”

“Simbang Gabi 2007 promises to have the sights, sounds, and smells reminiscent of Christmases in the Philippines ,” adds Ted Benito, one of the event’s producers. “It will be the next best thing to going back home. This is sure to be a celebration unlike any other and one not to be missed.”

Rounding out the performances with Ms. Lea Salonga will be a host of other memorable entertainers, including Ms. Becca Godinez, the SIPA Children’s Choir, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Tinig Choral and Samahang Dancers, and the Rondalla Club Band of Los Angeles.

Guiding Star Realty Holdings, the Law Office of Michael Gurfinkel, The Asian Journal and ABS CBN Global/The Filipino Channel are proud sponsors of Simbang Gabi 2007.

Proceeds of the gala will benefit The Children’s Village — the transitional dwelling for the rescued children of Bantay Bata, who need medium- to long-term care and rehabilitation as a result of abuse, neglect, exploitation or abandonment. Situated in the outskirts of Metro Manila, The Children’s Village provides extensive nutritional, educational and psychological intervention in a live-in, home-like environment.

The individual ticket price of $350 is all inclusive of the pre-dinner Simbang Gabi reception, the Town Plaza dinner and entertainment with Ms. Salonga and Friends. For more information on Simbang Gabi 2007 or to buy tickets, log onto www.simbanggabi.org or call the Los Angeles Office of the ABS CBN Foundation USA at (310) 855-9110.

THE A.P.L. BENEFIT

THE BLACK EYED PEAS PEAPOD FOUNDATION PRESENTS

When: NOVEMBER 27, 2007

Where: Vanguard
6021 Hollywood Blvd , Hollywood, CA

Produced by Jeepney Music, In Association With Grassroots Productions, apl.de.ap, the Peapod Foundation, TDRZ Productions and Jin & Quinn Productions

"The Allan Pineda Lindo (APL) Benefit"

Hosted by Taboo from The Black Eyed Peas

Live on Stage

Will.i.am, apl.de.ap & Taboo of Black Eyed Peas
Bucky Johnson
Chingo Bling
Esthero
Rae

And DJ Rocky Rock, DJ Icy Ice (World Famous Beat Junkies), DJ Shy (102.7 KIIS-FM) & DJ Mia (MTV's Celebrity Rap Superstar)

http://losangeles.going.com/aplbenefit

Official Site: http://myspace.com/allanpineda

The Allan Pineda Lindo (APL) Benefit, created in 2007 by Allan Pineda Lindo, a founding member of the multi-Grammy Award winning group, Black Eyed Peas.

The mission of APL is to provide material, educational and monetary assistance to specific charities in Asia, including the Pearl S. Buck Foundation and Angeles University Foundation, among others. The objective of APL is to provide the tools for empowerment, progress and self-reliance for underprivileged and marginalized Asian communities.

Individual donations: Make checks payable to "APL Benefit" with "The Peapod Foundation" written on the memo line at the bottom. Mailing address is Jeepney Music Inc., 4470 W. Sunset Blvd, Suite 602, Los Angeles, CA 90027.

The Black Eyed Peas' Peapod Foundation was established as a Charitable Service Fund of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a leading philanthropic arm of Hollywood.EIF is a 501(c)3 organization. Contributions are deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. EIF's tax identification number is 95-1644609.

For questions, contact apl.benefit@gmail.com

PHOTOS OF THE CELEBRITY RED CARPET SOON TO FOLLOW

(Jay Fermin ppp-usa)

GMA Pinoy TV now available via Chula Vista-San Diego!

November 15, 2007 will always be a special day for Filipinos living in San Diego! They now have access to the best of Filipino programming through GMA PINOY TV via channel 62 on Chula Vista Cable Ltd. National City Cable, Inc.

“We look forward to serving the thriving Filipino community in San Diego through GMA Pinoy TV’s top-notch programming on Chula Vista and National City Cable,” said Joseph Francia, Officer-in-charge and Head of Operations, GMA International. “San Diego, like the rest of California, is special to us as it has been a preferred destination of thousands of Filipinos who now call America home.”

"The launch of GMA is a robust addition to the Chula Vista and National Cable systems line-up. This fits with NexHorizon's plans to bring a more competitive lineup of digital programming as well as other broadband services that will encourage subscriber growth and retention” said Calvin D. Smiley, Sr. CEO of publicly traded NexHorizon Communications.

All geared-up to bring the best of Philippine television to its subscribers through quality Pinoy programming at its finest, GMA PINOY TV boasts of a formidable program line-up composed of award-winning news and public affairs programs and undoubtedly world-class entertainment shows.

Bannered by two of the Philippines’ most respected broadcast journalists – Mike Enriquez (Review Philippines) and Jessica Soho (Hot Seat) – together with the full roster of the Philippine’s most credible news organization, GMA PINOY TV promises its subscribers top-notch reportage of the hottest and biggest news not only the Philippines but from all over the world via 24 Oras and Saksi.

Ably complementing its news programs are GMA PINOY TV’s public affairs programs that have been recognized both locally and internationally – I-Witness, Reporter’s Notebook, Emergency, Imbestigador, and Wish Ko Lang!

Also, follow the best of Philippine TV series that has successfully captured the hearts of many Filipinos across the globe led by the highly popular and much anticipated Filipino version of MARIMAR, the Snakeman superhero, KAMANDAG and the first Pinoy metal hero series –ZAIDO. Starring a number of the best and brightest stars of the KAPUSO Network – Filipina Marimar Marian Rivera, King of Philippine Primetime Richard Gutierrez, handsome hunks Dingdong Dantes and Richard Gomez, and Philippines’ sexiest Katrina Halili, plus the Zaido super cast of Dennis Trillo, Jay Manalo, Raymart Santiago and Lorna Tolentino – GMA PINOY TV is definitely making sure that its subscribers are being treated to the crème de la crème of Philippine TV.

Other premium Philippine series also being aired are LA VENDETTA, PASAN KO ANG DAIGDIG, MY ONLY LOVE plus the longest running noontime variety show that everybody loves – EAT BULAGA!

Call Chula Vista Cable at 619-476-0177 to subscribe to GMA Pinoy TV for only $12.95 per month and experience how it feels to become one of the many and still growing KAPUSOs (One in Heart) throughout the world! For more information, please log on to www.gmapinoytv.com.

Telltale Signs/ THE SERVANO FAMILY NIGHTMARE

By Rodel E. Rodis, November 26, 2007

On Thanksgiving Day last week, Dr. Pedro Servano and his wife, Salvacion, gathered family and friends together at their home in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania for what may be the last time they will celebrate this American holiday together in the United States. A few days later, on November 26, the Servano couple voluntarily turned themselves in to US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) authorities who were set to deport them back to the Philippines. Instead of detaining them, however, the DHS allowed the Servanos to return home after their lawyers obtained a last-minute reprieve.

Dr. Servano is a prominent Filipino physician serving approximately 2,000 patients in an underserved section of Central Pennsylvania. His wife, Salvacion, a registered nurse, operates a grocery store and a bakery in the town of Sunbury, just outside Harrisburg. They are proud parents of four US-born children: Shappine and Steven, both graduates of Temple University; a younger son, Peter, in 10th grade; and the youngest, Phoebe (13) in middle school.

Their saga began in 1982 when Salvacion immigrated to the United States after she had been petitioned by her immigrant mother in 1978. Pedro followed in 1984 after he was petitioned by his mother also in 1978. When they were petitioned, they were single. By the time they immigrated to the US, however, they had already been married since 1980.

They settled in Philadelphia where Pedro completed his residency in medicine while Salvacion obtained her nursing degree. In the course of a few years, they had a home, children and were on their way to living the American Dream.

In 1990, after they moved to San Diego, they applied for US citizenships, choosing to do it themselves without the assistance of an immigration attorney. They disclosed in their applications that they were married when they immigrated to the US.

Their naturalization applications were denied and they were placed in deportation proceedings charged with misrepresenting their status when they entered the US as they were not entitled to the immigrant visas that were issued to them as “unmarried” immigrants.

They could have applied for “suspension of deportation” as they had been in the US for at least 7 years, had been of good moral character during that period, and could have easily shown extreme hardship with their four US citizen children. But their lawyer apparently only argued that they did not intend to violate US laws as they were not aware they had to be unmarried until they arrived in the US.

The immigration judge did not accept their argument and found them deportable. Their lawyer appealed their case to the Board of Immigration Appeals which subsequently affirmed the decision of the immigration judge. The matter was then brought up to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals which denied their appeal. It was a legal process that took 15 years while the Servanos went about their lives, moving back to Philadelphia in 1992 before settling down in Selinsgrove three years later.

The bombshell news came on October 25, 2007 when they received their “bag and baggage letter” from the DHS instructing them to report to homeland security officers on November 26, bringing with them no more than 80 pounds of luggage each, to be processed for deportation. DHS spokesman Michael Gilhooly told reporters that the Servanos had their due process and ultimately must go.

After receiving the DHS letter, the Servanos sought legal counsel from Gregg Cotler and Ann Ruben from Philadelphia, and Gregory Graig from Washington, D.C. who are all making last-ditch efforts to contact the DHS directly.

Perhaps the only chance the Servanos have of remaining in the US is if one of their Pennsylvania senators, Arlen Specter or Robert Casey, sponsors a US senate bill that would allow them to remain in the US. To get a US senator to sponsor such a bill would require the endorsement and support of organizations like the Association of Philippine Physicians in America (APPA), the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) or the newly-formed Filipino American Leadership Council (FALCON).

An online petition has been initiated (www.ipetitions.com/petition/servanofamily) and letters of support (email:servanofamily@gmail.com) have come from patients, local officials and even from a surprising source, DHS counterterrorism operative Bill Schweigert.

In a letter obtained by the Daily Item of Sunbury, Schweigert wrote: "I fervently believe in the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) mission. However, the Servanos did not sneak into this country illegally, they have broken no laws, and they have not been a burden to the economy. They pose no threat. I cannot fathom how deporting the Servanos fulfills any portion of the ICE mission. In fact, I would argue the action runs counter to it."

In a letter to the DHS, immigration attorney Ann Ruben requested that their deportation be deferred for humanitarian considerations.

“The extraordinary lives of the Servanos and the evidence of their deep dedication and commitment to this country during their nearly 25 years in the US,” Ruben wrote, “ is borne out by the tremendous outpouring of letters of support and petitions containing innumerable signatures from throughout the United States and from a variety of disciplines.”

The outpouring of public support caused the DHS to grant a temporary reprieve. Whether that reprieve will be permanent will depend on the extent of that support.

Send your comments to Rodel50@aol.com or log on to www.rodel50.blogspot.com. Letters can be sent to the Law Offices of Rodel Rodis at 2429 Ocean Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127 or call (415) 334-7800.

Fil-Am Leaders Set Demands, Legal Option

By Johnny Pecayo, Manila U.S. Times Editor:

LAS VEGAS, NV -- More than 100 Filipino-American leaders from various states, associations, and sectors in the United States have emerged from the historic November 10, 2007 Summit held at the Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, as an integrated vigilant response to the slur on the ABC’s Desperate Housewives season premiere aired September 30, 2007.

The new advocacy movement named Filipino American Leadership Council (FALCON) adopted the policy of universal inclusion and involvement of all Filipino-Americans, medical and non-medical, with the avowed objective of advancing, protecting and defending the interests of its constituency and that of the American people as a whole against injustice.

The elected officers of FALCON are Primo Andres, MD, FACC, FSCAI, a cardiologist from Terre Haute, Indiana, chairman; Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a cardiac surgeon from Munster, Indiana, vice chairman; and, Stella Evangelista, MD, Executive Director of the UST Alumni Association in America, from Michigan, Secretary.

Appointed co-chair for Public Relations committee were Johnny M. Pecayo, publisher and editor-in-chief of the MANILA-U.S. TIMES; and Dr. Philip S. Chua, a syndicated columnist.

The demands of FALCON from Disney/ABC network, as approved at the Las Vegas Summit include: (1) A primetime airing of a more meaningful apology from the network aired during one of the coming episodes of Desperate Housewives; (2) The deletion of the offending segment in question from any of its domestic or international rebroadcast, its DVDs or in its any other format; (3) The production and airing by Disney/ABC of a Historical Documentary about Filipino Physicians in America in the past 50 years; (4) The institution by Disney/ABC of a cultural sensitivity program for their entire staff, especially geared towards teaching them tolerance to all the ethnic groups and various minorities in America; and, (5) The unbiased promulgation of genuine equal hiring practices and opportunities for all ethnic minorities.

The general consensus of the assembly at the Summit on its legal option against Disney/ABC network was to hold it in abeyance, pending the outcome of the negotiation between the leaders of this new Council and the network.

The legal counsels from four US law firms who participated in the Summit are continuing to research the defamatory and other implications of the Disney-ABC racial slur as a basis for a law suit against the media conglomerate if the negotiation fails.

FALCON has also welcomed the support of the Greenlining Institute, a powerful US national advocacy body, headed by Bob Gnaizda, a reputable American icon who, in the past, has successfully fought for various ethnic groups -- the migrant workers, the Jews, the Afro-Americans, and the Mexicans.

The majority of the Summit delegates include, among others, all the Filipino medical alumni associations in America, the Association of Philippine Physicians in America (APPA), the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), National Advocacy for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON), Society of Philippine Surgeons in America, Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC), Filipino United Network (FUN), the MANILA-U.S. TIMES, Mabuhay Alliance, The Beautiful Heart Foundation, and the various State and regional organizations.

The inspiring prologue that set the tone for the general assembly were delivered by Filipino United Network Chairman Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS; APPA Adviser Fred Quevedo, MD, FACOG; Jose Evangelista, MD, FACC, all past presidents of the APPA.

In spite of the very animated and passionate assembly discussion, a few times bordering on heated debates, on procedural strategies, the differences were amicably ironed out, and a consensus was expeditiously formulated during the 8-hour long deliberation. All the delegates and the Council members, who were all registered as official charter members, left the Summit inspired and more resolute than ever.

ABS-CBN, MANILA-U.S. TIMES, Philippine News, Provide Media Coverage

ABS-CBN, an international television network, based in Northern California, provided TV coverage of the event, while the MANILA-U.S. TIMES, based in Los Angeles, California, and the Philippine News, based in San Francisco, California, provided news and photo coverages.

In the on camera interview conducted by Bob Jose of ABS-CBN International, Johnny Pecayo of the FALCON Public Relations committee emphasized that this new advocacy group, comprising of leaders of various organizations, will be joined in by several other organizations from various ethnic groups all over the United States in its quest to attain the specific demands of FALCON against the Disney-ABC TV Network.

Dr. Philip Chua, Vice Chair of FALCON; Dr. Stella Evangelista, Secretary, FALCON; Lawyer Ted Laguatan, head of the Laguatan Law Firms; Lawyer Rodel Rodis, President of the San Francisco Unified School District; and Rozita Lee, Vice Chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations, in similar on camera interview, were one in condemning and protesting the racial slur committed by the Disney-ABC TV Network.

The well-organized Summit was hosted by the UST Medical Alumni Association in America, headed by Dr. Andres, Foundation President, who served as the moderator, Dante Gapultos, Jr., MD, USTMAA President, Stella Evangelista, MD, Pediatrician from Michigan, Executive Director of USTMAAA and Aquilina Saw, MD, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Board Member, USTMAAA.

Economic Boom or Boo-boo Economics

Upon her return from the ASEAN Conference in Singapore last November 21, 2007, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ebulliently declared, "The Philippine economy and our people have only benefited from economic growth due to global engagement. Increased trade between ASEAN nations will continue to accelerate our economic growth, foreign investment and the creation of good jobs for our people." Hmmm… Sounds like broken promises. For one thing, President Arroyo's rhetoric never failed to amuse me.

One of my readers, in response to my recent article, "Road to Perdition or Redemption" (November 9, 2007), commented: "How can we talk about broken promises while our country is on the verge of economic ascent?" Indeed, economic ascent or "economic boom" is the new buzzword today. Why not? The peso has been gaining strength against the US dollar... The growth in the second quarter this year was a whopping 7.5%… More mega malls and high-rise condos are being built… The OFWs are sending more money to their families back home… And the government has been on a "borrowing spree" from foreign lenders -- particularly China -- to fund its infrastructure projects.

The three factors that contributed to the "economic boom" were: (1) OFW remittances; (2) weakening of the US dollar; and (3) foreign direct investment. Evidently, the estimated $15 billion in OFW remittances this year would be a major element in boosting the Gross Domestic Product. It would also compensate for the trade deficit this year which was already $11.68 billion in the first nine months, an increase of 38.6% over the same period in 2006. At the rate it is going -- and with escalating oil prices -- the trade deficit would most likely to be somewhere between $16 billion and $18 billion at the end of the year.

The weakening of the US dollar has immensely contributed to the strengthening of the peso. At the current exchange rate of P43.00 to US$1.00, President Arroyo couldn't be happier. A weak US dollar means that the Philippines' repayment of its foreign debt would decrease substantially. As a result, the windfall -- P24 billion at the end of September -- has prompted the government to propose huge budget increases for education, health and infrastructure next year.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been averaging at $2.5 billion in recent years. Although FDI into the country has been increasing gradually, according to former Economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri -- remember the guy who allegedly turned down a P200 million bribe from former COMELEC Chairman Benjamin Abalos? -- "the ratio of investments to the GDP remained below 15 percent, which was not enough to ensure sustainability of high economic growth."

Indeed, "sustainability" is the name of the game. In my article, "Gloria's Enchanted Kingdom and the De Venecia Code" (August 4, 2006), I talked about "747: A Program for Economic Takeoff Toward Sustained Growth," a study commissioned by Speaker Jose de Venecia about five years ago. The study identified seven strategic programs designed to generate seven percent growth for seven years in order to achieve a "Philippines without absolute poverty by 2010." These are: 1) Rural modernization; 2) Creating a world-class service sector; 3) Promoting domestic competition; 4) Magnets for foreign investment and development aid; 5) Enhancing the assets of the poor, 6) Resource Mobilization; and 7) Political and administrative modernization.

Well, "747" never took off the ground. Instead, "economic boom" was achieved with the government doing nothing. The government has nothing to do with the weakening of the US dollar and the increasing inflow of OFW remittances. In other words, Arroyo was just lucky.

In a survey conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS) from September 2-5, 2007, 30% (around five million families) said that they were "better off before" while 13% (around two million families) said they were "better off now." A poll among families with at least one member working overseas (17% or around three million families), 45% said that the strengthening of the peso did not make any difference while 37% said they were "better off before" and 18% said they were "better off now."


Recently, a "wild card" -- the skyrocketing price of oil -- suddenly came in to play in the grand scheme of things. Apparently, President Arroyo didn't have any contingency plan on how to deal with out-of-control oil prices. Part of the problem is the Oil Deregulation Law which was implemented in 1996 to give big oil companies a free rein in setting the price of oil particularly at the gas pumps. Clearly, the oil profiteers are having a field day today.

In its media release last November 16, 2007, IBON Foundation, a research-education-information development institution, pronounced: " The already weak economy could only but worsen amid the high oil prices. In the coming months, we should expect more and more companies reporting plant shutdowns and retrenchment, aggravating job scarcity in the country, which has already been at its worst levels in history, and resulting in overall economic slowdown. With less businesses and wage earners to tax, government would have less domestic sources for its revenues. It will then have to increasingly rely on the regressive value added tax (VAT) on petroleum products that further drives up oil prices. The country is entangled in this vicious cycle with ordinary income earners shouldering all the costs." Whoa! Are we ready for this?

With 50% of Filipinos poor -- 40% of whom have experienced hunger -- and with unemployment rate at 7.8%, what we will soon be hearing is the "astronomic boom" of discontent and the wailing cry of the helpless poor. Indeed, Arroyo's boo-boo economics has created a short span of high -- albeit false -- expectations. She promised jobs for the people, yet more than one million Filipinos are leaving each year for jobs overseas. None of the seven strategic programs of de Venecia's "747" has been achieved. In other words, the "economic boom" that the Arroyo government has been heralding is nothing more than a mirage.

It's time for the government to do away with its practice of boo-boo economics and institute sound economic policies that would sustain real and long-term progress, peace, and prosperity.

(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

Bishop Oscar Solis 2nd Annual Golf Tournament November 28, 2007

Bishop Oscar Solis, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and Vicar for Archdiocesan Ethnic Ministry, invites you to the 2nd Annual Golf Tournament for 2007. Register now to secure a spot in this special golf tournament with Bishop Solis.

Date & Time: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 at 9:30 a.m.
Location: Robinson Ranch Golf Club, Santa Clarita, CA
Tournament Coordinator: Willie Calove
Tournament Fee: $150.00 includes greens fees, lunch & dinner

Special Awards and Prizes:
Hole-In-One: Mercedes Benz C350 (fully-loaded) or $40,000 cash
Closest to the Hole: Trophies and Plaques

This golf tournament is a fundraiser to benefit the Office of Ethnic Ministry designated by Cardinal Roger Mahony to serve the spiritual and pastoral needs of the diverse and growing racial groups that comprise the parish communities throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the largest Catholic archdiocese in the United States.

The proceeds are dedicated to help finance sponsored spiritual retreats, seminars, conferences and other events conducive for training and forming leaders of our various cultural groups so they can help build bridges between communities and pave the way for peoples of different races and cultures to live in unity and solidarity as on Christian family.

For more details, go to:
Bishop Solis Golf Tournament

Philippine Christmas Song: "Namamasko"

Nine Day "Simbang Gabi" at St. Brendan

Sunday, Dec. 16 - 8:00 A.M. to 9:00 A.M.
Monday, Dec. 17 - 6:00 A.M. to 7:00 A.M.
Tuesday, Dec. 18 - 6:00 A.M. to 7:00 A.M.
Wednesday, Dec. 19 - 6:00 A.M. to 7:00 A.M.
Thursday, Dec. 20 -6:00 A.M. to 7:00 A.M.
Friday, Dec. 21 -6:00 A.M. to 7:00 A.M.
Saturday, Dec. 22 -6:00 A.M. to 7:00 A.M.
Sunday, Dec. 23 -8:00 A.M. to 9:00 A.M.
Monday, Dec. 24 -6:00 A.M. to 7:00 A.M.

St. Brendan Catholic Church
420 S. Van Ness Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(on 3rd St. west of Western Ave., between Wilton and Van Ness)

(Submitted by Maria Maria)

ALTMIN TAX STILL GROWING ON THE MENU

By: Angel Y. Dayan, EA, ABA, CPA (213)-365-1040

Let me start today’s writing with an aside first for a little while if you will not mind. Now that Thanksgiving Day was over, Christmas (Jesus’ birth) will be the next big celebration to look forward to. It will be a much more busier time for us. As a testament to my own world, only very rarely would clients be concerned about what I do in the office daily around this time of the year, unless there is an urgent need. A case in point would be a client with a tax levy, a wage garnishment or an audit. The rest are being dismissed for now to wait until after the holidays are over. There is also that New Year celebration full of fun, excitement, and the promises of a new year. If you are in business, I hope that your record-keeping has been up to date all year ‘round, otherwise, this will be a worry that may be submerged with the merriment of the holidays. You should take care of your tax paperwork problem even now and before greeting the future, a happy new year. Shamefully, we are also closing the year with an early “bang” in the halls of the Philippine Congress, echoing once more our barbaric/sinful tendencies. I do not recall in recent history of a U.S. Congressman, or Senator or Mayor being killed in office. In the United States, only Presidents and those running for this office do get assassinated. And in contrast, in the Philippines, where we could not even impeach a corrupt President, we have just freed an ex-con President from jail lately. Our own republic now may not be that brutal after all, (saving Presidents) even as I should talk to the family members of fallen Philippine journalists. God help/redeem us govern ourselves well so that we may not find our people clawing the “surface income” in foreign shores to feed their family. And as “random or un-structured” and corrupt as we are in our ways, I am trying daily to find more of our strengths while living in a foreign country rather than dwell on our known weaknesses. The good in us (the Kingboxer) will help me raise my forehead with pride “taas noo kahit kanino” and avoid a “mea maximma culpa” before my peers. People with seared conscience like an ex-con have no more shame, or ultimately the fear of God. So much of this aside for this article, and let me get to business.

I have been curious lately to probe the honesty and forthrightness of our people pre-selling real estate property in the Philippines. My subject has been the purchase of the least expensive unit, a studio condominium. The mortgage interest expense of this unit could still be tax-deductible to Filipino-Americans if they could meet certain tests. After an exchange of emailed information, I found out that the interest rate over the term of the loan starts at 17%, and that is just the start. There are at least twenty (20) different convoluted options to choose from on Philippine “purchase financing,” or deemed “financial arrangements” on downs and discounts that are so treacherous, with conditions so covertly hidden (unless asked) that when unraveled in the end the only consolation would be the real estate value appreciation over the long haul. This values unfortunately are not readily measurable from the get go. Dig these offers deep in a foreign financial world and find the numbers that speak clearly before you write a check or sign the agreement. I could also tell you how you could write-off the mortgage interest payments. Take note, the interest rate is twice the average of the U.S. mortgage loan market. It is like borrowing from the credit card companies, perhaps even worst. It is a foreign world.

At home, some thirty (30) million Americans will eventually be subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax for the high-income earners (over $200,000 dollars a year). There are over four (4) million taxpayers right now who are paying this tax. This “altmin tax” is getting inevitable every year to many Americans joining in the ranks of “the rich” for whom this tax was originally intended. This tax is the “alternate/parallel income tax” that first gives you some tax exemptions, some tax deductions, and then eventually removes these all or phases them out as your income grows. It is fast replacing the graduated income tax rate structure that starts at ten (10%) percent. Could people avoid this tax? The answer is “yes” for some who are in business. Its demise from the tax code has been the subject of political rhetoric in recent days. And in my opinion, they should put this tax on the ballot. But it may not even disappear. It has grown into a monster now on the menu that more Americans eat every year. It is at best insidious like a disease that the system has not yet found a breakthrough. It has gone above the “waterline” and Americans are drowning. It is as complex as Darwinian evolution but it should be simple as Biblical creation of Intelligent Design, with a capital “I”. What do you think?

It is one thing to save for ones retirement and then make this long-term investment grow, but it is quite another when it is time to pass it on to your love ones in the family. This is the other fifty (50%) percent in the tax planning process. The rules are complex, and most people do not pay attention ahead of time, thinking they will withdraw it themselves anyway. But what if that day of withdrawal never came, will it make a difference? I tell you, surely it will. The question is, what do you do now before retirement withdrawal comes? First, you will need a good tax planning advisor on exit and/or transfer strategies. This is important, take it from me.

There is a relatively new item of tax deduction on line 35 of the Form-1040. It is called “domestic production activities deduction” with a complex computation for those in business. It is computed at six (6%) percent of taxable income, or half of what the business has paid for wages, whichever was lower. This deduction does not reduce self-employment tax but could substantially reduce income tax. Ask your accountant if you could avail of this deduction.

Finally, for today, I have to tell you that the cost of college education for children is increasing at the rate of eight (8%) percent per year, almost three times the rate of inflation. At the rate this is going, tuition fees double every nine (9) years. There are two (2) tax planning alternatives that partly offsets/allows to reduce taxes so you could save and deal with the effects of this yearly tuition increase. Another of course is to burn the midnight oil and save more from after-tax dollars. There are still many from our people who need lecture about planning for their children’s education. Why is that? Many children are left to fend on their own, who will also do the same to their children. This cycle will continue but you could stop it with yours.

(Angel Y. Dayan, EA, ABA, ATA, CPA, a Tax Resolution Services Specialist, is an Enrolled Agent, an Accredited Business Accountant-Advisor, Accredited Tax Advisor, and a Certified Public Accountant admitted in the State of Texas and the Philippines. He completed a Masters Course of study in Tax Defense Representation. He is a Tax Consultant admitted to practice in California and in 50 States. He is a Graduate Fellow of the National Tax Practice Institute and a Competent Member of the American Academy of Tax Practice. He is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). His office is at 150 East Olive Ave., Suite-116 in Burbank, California, 91502. He could be reached for appointment at (213)-365-1040. His email address is at angel@taxwork.com.)

Thanksgiving as a Cultural Bridge

The meaning of holiday is clear, even when family traditions vary

As a first-generation American, I link the Thanksgiving worlds of my immigrant Filipino parents and my California-born daughter. Certainly, her Thanksgiving memories are decidedly different from my own.

Thanksgivings were big on turkey, but low on trappings. My immigrant parents viewed it only as a big food day, American-style. My father was a hotel cook and each employee received a turkey. Working in the kitchen meant he could cook his own turkey and bring it home with any leftover banquet birds, much to the delight of my mother, who loved a day off from cooking.

On Thanksgiving Day, he would usually return home with at least two roasted turkeys, and unceremoniously plop them on the stovetop next to our ever-present pot of rice.

My father would announce, ''Well, everybody, help yourselves." Then he'd go watch the game.

As I said, big on turkey, low on trappings. No sitting around a decorated table. No bowed heads whispering thanks, and, most certainly, no invited guests.


Thanks to television and fall magazines, I grew up yearning for a ''Hallmark" holiday. I idealized the traditional image of Thanksgiving in Norman Rockwell's painting, ''Freedom From Want." As a teenager, I stumped for more pomp and circumstance, which my parents translated to ''more food."

Our Filipino heritage enjoys a blending together of Malaysian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Chinese influences. My parents talked to each other in a mixture of Tagalog, Spanish, and English. In San Francisco, where we lived, various cultures widened the cuisine possibilities, so it was only natural that later Thanksgivings would become a culinary free-for-all, Asian style. As we kids grew, so did our array of holiday dishes.

Alongside the big bird were Chinese-style beef with broccoli, and Thai duck. There were lumpia rolls (Filipino-style eggrolls) and cranberry sauce. Pansit (a Filipino noodle dish), rice, and mashed potatoes were lined up, with chicken adobo and spicy shrimp as bookends.

My sister, Christine, continues this fusion of Thanksgiving traditions at her house, and it remains a source of childhood comfort foods and memories. But once I became a wife and mother, I veered in the direction of the Rockwell painting I remembered, replete in traditional Thanksgiving splendor -- straight-up stuffed turkey with side dishes to match. The big gathering around the dinner table, decorated like a fall magazine cover, makes me heady with the season, and now my grown daughter follows suit with her annual observance of this quintessential American holiday.

Despite our different Thanksgiving styles, my siblings and I share common thoughts at this time of year of our parents, Esteban and Josefa, now passed. As adults, we more keenly appreciate their struggle and hardship in establishing themselves in a new country. Not just moving to a new town or state, as we have done, but leaving behind their beloved Philippines for the United States, where they happily transformed themselves into ''Steve" and ''Josie."

As a youngster, it bothered me that my parents didn't get Thanksgiving ''right" -- the way I saw others observing the holiday. Now I only recall the many times we gathered for celebrations and my mother would say, ''You kids don't know how lucky you are to be born in this country."

Over the years, my parents' stories of their early years in America emerged, recollections of loneliness and desperation as new immigrants. They never attained financial security, but they were hopeful their children would. At some adult juncture, I realized Rockwell's Thanksgiving painting wasn't about role-modeling the menu, but about the gift my parents sought for us: freedom from want.

This year, my relatives will travel from California to my home here to celebrate. They're thrilled to be so close to the geographic origin of Thanksgiving. My brother, Steve, is challenging me to dish up some authentic 17th-century fare. We laugh and wonder what our parents would say if they could see how far their children have come.

Giving thanks and the blessings of plenty are concepts familiar to all cultures. As a Filipino-American, I am appreciative of those first Pilgrim steps onto the New World.

In my mind, they are the footfalls of my mother and father.

By Suzette Martinez Standring

The Not So Impossible Dream

Alex Esclamado may have been looking forward to blissful retirement and to writing his memoirs when I invited him to travel with me to New York in April of 1997. I had been invited to speak at the regional conference of the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking for Dialogue (FIND) to be held at the State University of New York in Long Island when I unexpectedly received a round-trip ticket from the Filipino student group after I had already purchased a discounted “buddy pass” ticket to go there.

So, with an extra plane ticket in hand, I asked Alex if he would be free to join me. By then, Alex had a lot of free time as he had just sold Philippine News to his good friend, Ed Espiritu. For the first time since 1961 when he and his wife, Luly, started publishing the weekly newspaper from the garage of their home in the Sunset District of San Francisco, Alex did not have a weekly editorial to write, a newspaper to edit.

Alex said yes and off we flew to New York. En route, I had told Alex that the National Filipino American Council (NFAC) which he worked so hard to organize in 1987 just wasn’t working. We recounted how, after People Power ousted the Marcos Dictatorship, we had set about to unite the Filipino American community which had been bitterly divided between the proponents and opponents of martial rule.

Back then, Alex had traveled the country to invite community leaders to meet in Anaheim, California in August of 1987 to form an organization that would work to empower the community. In Anaheim, 1500 delegates from around the US met and formed the NFAC. They had all agreed that martial law was a thing of the past and that we should now look forward to being Americans and fighting for our place at the table. Alex had succeeded but not quite.

When the time came to electing a chair who would guide the organization forward, a majority of the delegates voted against Alex because they believed he was too partisan a Democrat. They elected, instead, a Republican from San Francisco, Dennis Normandy (now a declared Independent), a corporate executive who did not share Alex’s vision of chartered chapters in Filipino communities throughout the US. His “spokes in a wheel” model envisioned a more modest growth.

On the flight to New York, I told Alex that after 10 years of NFAC, we needed to form another organization that would be true to his vision at Anaheim. I told him that with what remained of the NFAC, a decision was made in Salinas in January of 1997 to call for a summit of Filipino community organizations to meet in August in Washington DC. I was going to the FIND conference to invite the members to join us in DC.

When we arrived in New York, Alex and I were met by a FIND member who took us to his home in Brooklyn where he put us up for the night. It was not a hotel but Alex did not mind. If he had sold his newspaper in 1977 when the Dictator Ferdinand Marcos offered to purchase it for $10 million, to silence him, Alex would be a very rich man and he could fly first class and be billeted at a suite at the Ritz Carlton.

But though Alex needed the money as he had borrowed heavily to keep his newspaper afloat in the face of iron-fisted pressure on advertisers applied by the Marcos government, he rejected the tempting offer, declaring that his principles were not for sale.

When we woke up the following morning, we learned that we did not have to be in Long Island until that evening so we had a day to spare. I called up my friend, Michael Dadap, a classical guitarist and conductor of the Children’s Orchestra Society of New York, and asked him to join us. Within minutes, as he lived nearby, Michael was there with his car to take us around New York.

We decided to call up Loida Nicolas Lewis, the Chief Executive Officer of the TLC Beatrice conglomerate and a personal friend of all three of us. By happenstance, when we called her, she was in town and she invited us for lunch at a restaurant across from her downtown Manhattan office.

Over lunch, we shared with Loida our plans to organize a national federation of Filipino American associations, although we had not decided on the name yet. In concept, we wanted the organization to have a national presence in Washington DC to lobby for the community’s interests on matters like the Filipino WW II veterans issue, on immigration and institutionalized discrimination. In short, we needed an NAACP for the Filipino community.

Loida was excited about this project and gave it her full enthusiastic support. With Loida’s backing, Alex was energized once again. In 1966, he had organized the Filipino American Political Association (FAPA) but although it had 29 chapters at one point, it was only based in California and it folded when martial law was declared in 1972, with members divided between those supporting and opposing Marcos. Before Alex’s dream for the NFAC could take off, he was taken off the driver’s seat because of division over American political parties.

Alex would give it one more try, the third time’s the charm, they say. With Loida's backing, he traveled the length and breath of the country, once more into the breach, contacting leaders from every city and every state, inviting one and all to come to Washington DC to organize the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA).

Some 1200 delegates, including about 200 students from FIND, formed the NaFFAA and elected Alex as the national chair, a post he held until 2002, when he was then succeeded by Loida Nicolas Lewis. Loida was in turn succeeded in 2006 by Alma Kern from Seattle.

Now, NaFFAA has working chapters in virtually every major city in the US where there is a significant Filipino presence and witha national office in Washington DC advocating for the WW II veterans and other community issues. For more information about NaFFAA, please log on to www.NaFFAA.org.

Happy Thanksgiving to all and especially to Alex Esclamado for empowering the Filipino American community. Your “impossible dream” was not so impossible after all.

By Rodel Rodis
email Rodel50@aol.com

Gawad Kalinga: Go Home, Go Build, Go Bayanihan 2008

Every year volunteers, partners, advocates and heroes of Gawad Kalinga (GK) from all over the world make a special trip to the Philippines. Gawad Kalinga translated means to give care. The trip is special in a way that balikbayan boxes are rarely a sight at the Check-In counters and neither are five star hotels on the itinerary. Every now and then there might be a tourist spot visited but not guaranteed. These special trips are sponsored and coordinated by Answering the Cry of the Poor (ANCOP) Foundation, USA, Inc. ANCOP is a registered non-profit 501(c)(3) organization here in the US that works hand in hand with GK of the Philippines.

The Trip. No five star hotels? Tourist spots occasionally? Why should you go? The trip is about Filipinos returning to the land they’re from or the land of their ancestry. The trip is about returning to one’s roots or touching base with one’s roots. The trip will take you to places not seen on postcards or tourist guide brochures. The trip will have you meet people who hardly speak English and barely have anything in common with you. The places you will go and the people you will meet are those often forgotten or ignored by society. Are you up to the challenge and experience of a lifetime?

The Guarantee. There is enough negativity around us without even soliciting. The trip guarantees you an insight and first hand experience of something positive happening in the Philippines. Skeptical about the success stories of GK? Come join us and be a part of the transformation that’s taking place all over the Philippines. Witness first hand how hope and dignity are being restored to the poorest of the poor. Witness an instant community rise from nothingness. Revitalize your outlook that there is hope in this world, one destitute person at a time, one family at a time, one community at a time, one country at a time. Let’s start with the Philippines, be a part of it and say Kasali ako d’yan (I’m part of it)! Finally, the trip not only transforms beneficiaries but benefactors as well. Life will never be the same after GK, guaranteed .

Go bayanihan . Go build a nation. We invite you to join the GK BAYANIHAN BUILD ’08 on JANUARY 4-11 and 18-25 or June 6-13 and 20-27, 2008 . For more detailed information, visit our website at http://venus.whbdns.com/~arcware/GKBuild/build.php , contact Tony and Marieta Pascua at tpascua@ancopusa.org , (661) 288-1672 or Evans Raymundo at evansraymundo@hotmail.com (661) 2968734. Trips for groups of 10 or more can be arranged outside of the above dates.

To a non-Filipino, this trip will be an unforgettable experience of literally making a difference. To a Filipino or an American of Filipino decent, this is about giving back and tracing one’s roots.

Make a difference! Be transformed! Be a Balik-bayani, a hero for others! JOIN the GK Bayanihan Build ’08!
To learn more about ANCOP and Gawad Kalinga, please check our web sites:

http://www.ancopusa.org
http://www.gawadkalinga.org

Richard Is Kamandag: A Snakeman Superhero!

After the trail blazing and rating breaking records set by Darna, Captain Barbel, Mulawin, Encantadia, Majika, Atlantika, and Zaido, GMA Pinoy TV brings to light its newest, most expensive, breathtaking and most spectacular telefantasya yet starting December 3 – KAMANDAG!

Based on the popular 1980’s Carlo J. Caparas comic strip, this well-crafted telefantasya will bring viewers to the world of mortals and the realm of the animal kingdom.

Kamandag is the story of the awe-inspiring journey of a young man as he searches for love, family, self-identity, purpose and whose slithering super powers make him today’s newest superhero.

Philippines’ most sought-after actor, Primetime King Richard Gutierrez as Kamandag leads a powerhouse cast. He specially trained with Brandon “The Truth” Vera, the Filipino-American international Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC) superstar for all his highly impressive action-packed sequences.

Joining Richard in this spectacular primetime program are award winning veteran actor Johnny Delgado, Mark Anthony Fernandez, Zoren Legaspi, Maxene Magalona, Jewel Mische, Ehra Madrigal, Francine Prieto, Benjie Paras and the newest member of the Kapuso Network, Ms. Eula Valdez.

Completing the star-studded cast are Supporting Actor grand slam winner Ronaldo Valdez, Ariel Rivera, Emilio Garcia, Melissa Mendez, Mike Nacua, Elvis Gutierrez, Gardo Versoza, Rainier Castillo, Sam Bumatay, Francis Magundayao, Justin Rosana and Martin delos Santos.



The story of KAMANDAG begins in a mythical land called Ambograw, the world of the Ambogs or half-human, half-beast creatures. The gods and goddesses of the animal kingdom dwells in Ambograw, where mortals are regarded as lower class and are treated as slaves.

The Ambogs are divided into five tribes: the HASBAYA are snake people headed by the just and good-natured King Saban (Gardo Versoza) and his mortal wife Queen Alicia (Eula Valdez); the OROBAYA are the “taong toro” or bull creatures led by King Budog (Johnny Delgado); the LOBOBAYA are the wolves-like creatures headed by ruthless King Gular (Zoren Legaspi); the GOYBAYA, the most humorous and most business-minded creatures, are the monkey-like beings led by King Dingol (Benjie Paras); the PUSBAYA are the wild cats led by Queen Kuran (Francine Prieto), the most deceitful leader in Ambograw.

It was in Ambograw where Vergel (Richard Gutierrez), the son of King Saban and Queen Alicia, was born as a mortal despite of his royal blood descent. Since mortals are treated as slaves in Ambograw, King Saban fought for his son’s rights but was ganged up on and killed by the other gods. This led King Budog, King Saban’s bestfriend, to send Vergel to the mortal world to escape his fate as a slave.

Baby Vergel was left outside the house of Domeng (Emilio Garcia), the zoo custodian who adopted, cared, and treated the abandoned boy like his own, while his wife, Elena (Melissa Mendez) despised Vergel.

As Vergel matures, he slowly discovers his snake-like powers. Like a snake, scales emerge on his skin; his eyes change color, senses danger through smell and gives out deadly venom whenever he is agitated.

Because of his kind nature, Vergel uses only his powers to do heroic acts that endeared him to the townspeople who fondly named him Kamandag.

Like an ordinary person, Vergel finds inspiration with the love of a woman. He became exceptionally close to three ladies: Ditas (Ehra Madrigal), his adopted parents’ daughter; Jenny (Jewel Mische), the wealthy Manila girl; and Lily (Maxene Magalona), his childhood best friend. Who among these three ladies ends up with the superhero?

What if Vergel finds out that his best pal Lucero (Mark Anthony Fernandez), who has the same powers like him, is also interested with the lady he loves? Will he give up his love for the sake of friendship? What will Vergel do when he finds out that Lucero is the culprit in staining Kamandag’s good name? Will Vergel get a chance to finally return to his own kingdom and continue what his father was fighting for – the equality among beasts, mortals and half-breeds?

With its breathtaking story, powerhouse cast, state-of-the-art props, visual feast of costumes, larger than life set designs, stunning visual effects, death defying stunts, a fitting theme song performed by First Circle, and renowned directors Mark Reyes and Topel Lee, KAMANDAG is definitely a MUST SEE!

Don’t miss the premiere of KAMANDAG this December 3 only on GMA Pinoy TV! Contact your preferred pay TV operator now to subscribe. For more information on GMA Pinoy TV, please log on to www.gmapinoytv.com.

Sheryn Regis: "Simply Sheryn, The Birthday Concert"

Sheryn has become part of different variety shows, including MTB, Most Requested Show, Wowowee, and ASAP '07. She was chosen by Mr. Vehnee Saturno to represent the Philippines in the 2004 Voice of Asia Song Festival held in Kazakhstan where she won Second Prize.

Sheryn hosted the now-defunct Search for the Star in a Million Season 2 with fellow champs Erik, Rachelle Ann, and Mark. She is also the host of Little Big Star Cebu, which was reportedly ranked as the fourth top-rating show in ABS-CBN's Nationwide Charts.

During her birthday concert held at the SM Centerstage, Sheryn announced the founding of her very own organization, Little Voices Foundation, established to help provide education for the less-fortunate children.

In October 2007, Sheryn was given her first major acting role as a fairy godmother in Love Spell's Cindyrella, starring Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson. Sheryn expressed her excitement as she is given the opportunity to dabble into acting and use her past experience in theater. The series will run through January 2008.

Sheryn is currently a mainstay in ASAP '07.

Watch Sheryn Regis on November 23, 2007, the Crystal Voice of Asia on her birthday show on November 23 at Rose Center Theater entitled : "Simply Sheryn The Birthday Concert".

When :
Friday Nov 23, 2007 at 7:00 PM

Where :
Rose Center Theater
14140 All American Way
Westminster , CA 92683
Telephone: (714) 990-3105

Contact :
Geraldine Quijano
glquijano@yahoo.com

Telephone: (714) 686-4240

It's Balimbing Season Again

Since the 1960's, the star fruit -- or "balimbing" -- has become the mark of a political turncoat. However, political turncoatism has been around since the Revolution of 1896 when switching allegiance was not uncommon among the followers of Katipunan "Supremo" Andres Bonifacio and his rival Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. Bonifacio was the leader of the Magdalo faction of the Katipunan which he founded and Aguinaldo was the leader of the Magdiwang faction, a splinter group of the Katipunan.

The balimbing's cross section is shaped like a five-sided star; hence, a person who changes political loyalty is called a "balimbing." Today, political turncoatism has become as common as the common cold. So be careful when politicians sneeze -- it's contagious.

After the Philippines gained its independence from the United States on July 4, 1946, Manuel Roxas -- the leader of the "Liberal" wing of the Nacionalista Party -- broke away and founded the Liberal Party. He ran for President against his erstwhile ally Sergio Osmena, Sr. -- founder of the Nacionalista Party -- and won. When Roxas died in 1948, he was succeeded by Vice President Elpidio Quirino, also a Nacionalista-turned-Liberal. Quirino then appointed Ramon Magsaysay as Secretary of Defense. Magsaysay broke the back of the Hukbalahap insurgency and became popular with the people. However, he resigned due to a dispute with Quirino. In 1953, he left the Liberal Party to join the Nacionalista Party. He became the Nationalistas' presidential candidate and defeated his former boss.

In 1965, when President Diosdado Macapagal ran for re-election, Senator Ferdinand Marcos, his rival within the Liberal Party, left the party and joined the Nacionalista Party. Marcos became the Nacionalistas' presidential candidate and beat Macapagal. Marcos' victory triggered a mass exodus of Liberal balimbings to the fold of the Nationalista Party. When Marcos ran for re-election in 1969, he was challenged by Senator Sergio Osmena, Jr. who bolted the party founded by his father to become the Liberal Party's presidential candidate. Marcos easily defeated Osmena. Before his four-year term ended, he declared martial law and stayed in power until he was overthrown in the People Power Revolution of 1986.

Gone were the days of the US-style two-party system. The Marcos dictatorship had put an end to that. He instituted a rubber-stamp legislature with token opposition. Virtually all politicians turned coats and joined his Kilusan ng Bagong Lipunan (New Society Movement). With the passage of the post-Marcos era 1987 constitution, political parties sprouted like kangkong (water spinach). Anybody who wanted to run for office then could form his or her own political party. Political affiliation became nothing more than a label on their shirts which they could change anytime to conveniently suit their political agenda.

In the first congressional elections held under the 1987 constitution, there were 1,899 candidates from 79 separate political parties who vied for 200 House seats. There were also 84 candidates who ran for the 24 Senate seats. Virtually all the candidates who were supported by then President Corazon Aquino won. In the local elections held the following year there were 150,000 candidates -- many of whom joined Aquino for self-preservation -- who ran for 16,000 positions from provincial governor down to town council member.

In the first post-Aquino presidential elections in 1992, there were seven presidential candidates. Retired General Fidel V. Ramos ran under the newly formed Lakas ng Tao-National Union of Christian Democrats (Lakas-NUCD), a union of Ramos' Partido Lakas ng Tao (People Power Party) and Raul Manglapus' NUCD. Ramos won the presidency but his vice presidential running mate, Emilio Osmena, lost to Joseph Estrada.

In 1994, Lakas-NUCD formed a coalition government with the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) in preparation for the 1995 congressional elections. As expected, the coalition -- Lakas-Laban -- captured the majority in both Houses of Congress.


In the 1998 presidential elections, there were 10 presidential candidates. Joseph Estrada formed his own party, Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino. Meanwhile, then Senator Gloria Macapagal Arroyo defected from LDP and formed Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI) which she planned to use as her vehicle to propel her to the presidency. However, it never took off the ground and she decided to mothball KAMPI and accept an offer to become Jose de Venecia, Jr.'s vice presidential running mate under the newly formed tripartite coalition Lakas ng EDSA - National Union of Christian Democrats-Union of Muslim Democrats in the Philippines (Lakas-NUCD-UMDP). It was a good move for Arroyo because Estrada was formidable. As expected, Estrada captured the presidency in a landslide and Arroyo clobbered eight vice presidential candidates with almost 50% of the vote. Thus, the stage was set for an Estrada-Arroyo confrontation which ended with the "constructive resignation" of Estrada in January 2001. Estrada's departure catapulted Arroyo to the presidency.

Prior to the 2004 elections, the Lakas-NUCD-UMDP was changed to Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD). But in an unexpected move, Arroyo resuscitated the moribund KAMPI and ran for President under the banner of Lakas-KAMPI Coalition. Arroyo beat the popular actor Fernando Poe, Jr. in a field of five candidates. However, her victory was marred by the controversial "Hello Garci" election cheating scandal, an issue that never ceased to hound her.

With the 2010 presidential elections just around the corner, the race for President has already started in earnest. Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay indicated that he is interested and declared, "I have what it takes to be President." Meanwhile, Senator Richard Gordon issued a statement denying that he is running for President. He did say, however, that "if and when I run for President, I will look not to the past but to the future." My take is: "when" is more likely than "if." Other "presidentiables" being bandied about were Senators Manny Villar, Loren Legarda, Panfilo Lacson, Mar Roxas and -- guess who? -- Joseph Estrada.

As President Arroyo comes closer to the end of her tumultuous term, her political influence has began to diminish. And like chameleons, her supporters' political colors would soon change to blend with those who are perceived to be running strong in the presidential derby. New political parties and coalitions would once again sprout like kangkong. Some would wither right away and some would struggle to survive. Yes, it's balimbing season again.

(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

Press Photographers Philippines - USA Elects 2008 -2010 Officers

Press Photographers of the Philippines (USA)elected their 2008 - 2010 Officers on November 16, 2007 at Bahay Kubo Natin Restaurant in Los Angeles. Elected as the incoming set of Officers are as follows:

Dan Baltazar - President (pictured above)
Ding Carreon - 1st Vice-President
Bobby Saddul - 2nd Vice-President
Bobby Crisostomo - Treasurer
Noel Ty - Assistant Treasurer
Larry Pelayo - Secretary Parliament
Irwin Jazmines - Assistant Secretary
Anthony Castillo - Auditor
Noli Yu - Auditor
Vics Magsaysay - Public Relations Officer
Sid Guerrero - Public Relations Officer

The Elected Officers will be members of the Board of the organization. Sid Guerrero was elected as Chairman of the Board.

L-R) Seating: Irwin Jaminez, Ding Carreon, Dan Baltazar, Larry Pelayo, Bobby Crisostomo. (L-R) Standing: Vics Magsaysay, Sid Guerrero, Noli Yu, Anthony Castillo, Bobby Saddul, Noel Ty and Jun Camacho

Press Photographers of the Philippines (USA) has been in existence for about a decade. Composed of professional photographers with ties to the media, this organization is affiliated with Press Photographers of the Philippines, which it looks up too as its progenitor.



PPP (USA) holds a series of photo exhibits over the years. Photo above was the exhibit held at the Rizal Hall of the Philippine Consul General Los Angeles in 2005.

PPP (USA) is a non-profit organization that serves as a uniting force for press and commercial photographers, visual artists, painters and illustrators. As a civic organization, PPP (USA) undertakes search for Miss Press Photographers as a means of focusing on the beauty and varied talents of young women of Filipino heritage in the United States. Again, the Miss PPP (USA) contest is patterned after the Miss PPP contest that is being held in the Philippines under the auspices of the Press Photographers of the Philippines.

Congratulations to all the newly elected PPP-USA Officers for 2008-2010

(Jay Fermin ppp-usa)

Fil-Am Jazz Vocalist Makes Radio History

November 14, 2007. ROCHESTER, NY. The current JazzWeek Radio Charts, which monitor the most-played records in America, contain a history-making first for Filipinos. Vocalist Charmaine Clamor, the creator of jazzipino, is ranked in the Top-5 on two charts simultaneously. Her new album, "Flippin' Out," which combines American jazz with traditional Filipino kundiman and harana, is also among the Top-5 sellers on Amazon.com in the Vocal Jazz category.

Ms. Clamor, originally from Subic-Zambales and now residing in Los Angeles, California, is #2 on the JazzWeek World Music chart and #4 on the Traditional Jazz chart. This rare feat, seldom accomplished by any artist, and never before by a Filipino, comes on the heels of Clamor's appearance on NPR's "Weekend Edition," where she was interviewed by host Liane Hansen. The interview is archived at NPR Music: Charmaine Clamor's 'Jazzipino' Swing .

"More than anything, I'm thrilled that the music of my people is being heard all around America," said Ms. Clamor. "Filipino songs that my friends and family have loved forever are now being discovered by millions of listeners around America and the world. I can hardly believe that the Tagalog and Bisayan languages are being celebrated on American airwaves!"

Clamor's "Flippin' Out" CD has been commended by national critics for breaking new musical ground, introducing the culture of the Philippines to mainstream listeners. The album has already been hailed as "a classic" and "a tour de force," and the smash radio hit, "My Funny Brown Pinay," a reworking of "My Funny Valentine" with Tagalog lyrics, is among the most played songs on jazz radio.

For her contributions to raising awareness of Filipino culture, the Filipino Women's Network recently named Charmaine Clamor one of the 100 Most Influential Filipino Women in the United States.

Ms. Clamor regularly headlines the top jazz clubs in America, including Hollywood, California's Catalina Bar & Grill Jazz Club, where she will participate in the 3rd Annual Filipino-American JazzFest, Presented by ABS-CBN Global on December 7-9. Information on Clamor's tour schedule and the top-ranked "Flippin' Out" can be found at her official Website: www.CharmaineClamor.com .

Pondahan sa California

Rural folks in the Philippines love to congregate in small make-shift huts or street corner stands and share endless gossips, chit chats, and local news over home-cooked meals and specialties served in improvised counters and seating areas. These favorite hangouts are known as “pondahans.”










“Pondahans” through time have been integrated in the small town local community alongside barrio halls and town plaza, where local events and meetings have been held while savoring the home cooked specialties and offerings. Unlike their formal counterparts, “pondahans” lend a relaxed, unassuming mood and ambience for the locals to gather while non-chalantly enjoying food, drinks, and talk. More recently, “pondahans” have joined the integrated transport systems by becoming a food stop and hangout for busy transport drivers and travelers.



HCM, Inc is proud to pay tribute to this timeless Filipino concept of everyday life by creating a restaurant concept which comes from the same spirit of gathering, food, and interaction in California – “Pondahan Fusion Restaurant, Café & Bar” in the heavily Filipino populated area of West Covina, California.



“Pondahan Fusion Restaurant, Café & Bar” lends a unique and friendly atmosphere that blends flavor, effects, texture, sights and sounds that provide a different dining experience. “Pondahan” is the culmination of Pochie and Lelizabeth Crisostomo’s passion, Pochie with his natural talent and craft to create and build sights and sounds and amazing cozy lights blended with Lelizabeth’s culinary flare for everything home-cooked, from original recipes of old as well as gourmet secrets. Throw in the mix of their youngest daughter Meribelle’s formal training as a college student majoring in Hotel and Restaurant Management, Restaurant Manager Regina Gumatay's attention to detail, and the artistic food presentation of Main Chef Art Sudoy together with his crew of two other chefs and one line chef, “Pondahan” indeed stands out unique from the rest of California’s restaurants.












Taking their inspiration from their lush residence in Walnut, California as a theme for the restaurant, the Crisostomosos have captured a masterpiece cozy dining experience, complete with pleasant ambient music, friendly hospitable staff, and subdued romantic lights. Guests are greeted by clay water pots surrounded by green plants and the friendly smile of the staff – Filipino hospitality of the Pondahan; inspired by the flavor of Pampanga and Malabon’s favorite cuisine blended and fused together with a dash of Asian and Western fare, it just feels like small town Philippines has arrived in California.

(Pondahan Fusion Restaurant Café & Bar is located at 535 S. California Avenue, West Covina, California 91790.)
Tel (626) 856_0416 and
(626) 826-7222

RHIAN, MARK, ALFRED SHINE IN "MY ONLY LOVE"!

This November, after the phenomenal successes of Sinasamba Kita, Pati Pintig ng Puso, Pasan Ko Ang Daigdig, and Mahawi Man Ang Ulap, GMA Pinoy TV launches its Sine Novela’s fifth installment of timeless romantic movie-turned-TV series- My Only Love.

My Only Love was the blockbuster romantic hit movie of Megastar Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion in 1982. This time for Sine Novela, the creative team has given My Only Love a new twist, making this timeless film-masterpiece-on-television series more interesting.

Instead of having the previous storyline of teenage romance, Sine Novela’s My Only Love brings to light the value of friendship, sacrifice and standing for your only love.

Featuring today’s hottest Kapuso stars: Mark Herras, Rhian Ramos, Bianca King, and Alfred Vargas in a special performance, this much-awaited fifth installment of Sine Novela will capture the interest of the viewers as the story revolves around the colorful life of a spoiled yet down-to-earth, boyish Cindy Moreno (Rhian Ramos).

Joining them are Rita Avila, Llyod Samartino, Sherilyn Reyes, Ruby Rodriguez, Gladys Reyes, Marco Alcaraz, Kevin Santos, Stef Prescott and Tess Bomb.

In My Only Love, Cindy is the daughter of Ricardo (Lloyd Samartino), a rich cosmetic surgeon and Camille (Rita Avila). Cindy has two stepsisters from Ricardo’s first marriage: Trixie (Bianca King) and Tiffany (Stef Prescot).


Between the two stepsisters, Trixie is the kind and amiable stepsister who falls in-love with Cindy’s friend, Billy (Mark Herras). But since Trixie’s priority was her ballet dancing, it eventually became a problem in her relationship with Billy.

Tiffany, on the other hand, is the rebellious daughter, the mean stepsister, and the black sheep of the family. Tiffany connived with her Aunt Loren (Sherilyn Reyes), Ricardo’s sister-in-law on his first marriage, to make Cindy and Camille’s life miserable.

As the story unfolds, Cindy, together with her parents, met a vehicular accident, from which Ricardo was killed instantaneously while Camille suffered a mental illness. Loren and Tiffany took advantage of the opportunity and ransacked the house of the Morenos.

When Cindy and Camille returned home, Loren confronted them and accused Cindy of not being Ricardo’s real daughter and that the marriage between Camille and Ricardo was void. On the onset, Loren wanted Cindy and Loren to leave the house but Trixie made an appeal on their behalf.

Loren, a dermatologist in the beauty center of the Morenos, allowed Cindy and Camille to stay on the condition that Cindy works for their stay in the Moreno’s household. At the beauty center, Loren and Tiffany indulged in making Cindy’s life miserable.

Eventually, Cindy met Emman (Alfred Vargas), a gym enthusiast and Loren’s discovery to be the beauty center’s model. Emman was smitten by Cindy’s beauty and charm. Ultimately, they fell in love.



This got the wrath of Loren even more since she had wanted Emman for herself. Loren vowed to take Emman away from Cindy. She plotted to seduce Emman and succeeded when Cindy caught them in a compromising position. Broken-hearted, Cindy went to Billy for comfort. The friendship between Cindy and Billy grew much stronger and developed into love while Trixie was away temporarily for her ballet dancing abroad.

Trixie returned home and found out about Cindy’s relationship with Billy. She vowed to make Cindy’s life extremely miserable by being her worst enemy. With a life outside the Moreno mansion, can Cindy together with her disabled mother be able to carry the responsibility of being the breadwinner and make ends meet? With Loren, Tiffany and Trixie joining forces to put her down, can Cindy withstand all the hardships she has to endure to save her only love?

With director Louie Ignacio at the helm, don’t miss the premiere of another heartwarming movie-turned-TV series as Sine Novela presents My Only Love on November 26 (PST 7:05 pm) only on GMA Pinoy TV. Call your preferred pay TV operator now to subscribe. For more information, please log on to www.gmapinoytv.com.

CONTACT PERSON: Jush AndowittTel: 310- 989- 4578
Email: joshandowitt@yahoo.com
www.gmapinoytv.com

Miss Young Philippines Global 2008

MYPG Winners from left: 1st Runner-Up Shaina Marie Riego, Miss Philippines Global 2008 Queeni Rodil, and 2nd Runner-Up Gerrilyn Perez

(Photo by Jay Fermin ppp-usa)

Glendale, California: Beauty they say is in the eyes of the beholder. But MYPG is different. Benedick Diaz, Alex Cabral, and Henry de Jesus, producers of MYPG 2008 pushes the envelope further. Beauty for them is not only skin deep but also lies within. With that in mind, the Miss Young Philippines Global 2008 was held in Glendale November 10, 2007 to select the Fil-Am's youth Ambassador of goodwill and the role model of the new generation.

The event which started at around 7 p.m. was hosted by Tallulah, one of the newest Fil-Am face on television today. She curently hosts The Filipino Channel's primetime show "SpeakOut - tackling the youth oriented issues that matters most to Fil-Am youth. She is a UC Berkeley graduate and is pursuing her career in TV and Music. (Contact her at tallulah@berkeley.edu).

Co-emcee of the event was Christopher Sean, Ginoon Pilipinas USA 2006 and the current Mr. Asia USA 2007. He hosted Apl De Ap's birthday bash (of the group "Black Eyed Peas") as well as the US Philippine Expo 2006.

Prominent members of the Board of Judges were Rosalinda Nery, VP of Prepaid Card Service for Asian Business and also my kababayan from Bacolod City. Other judges were Mhel Lago of Wilshire Travel, Tye Walsh of John Powers, Archana Kaushal of Marinello Schools of Beauty, Al Chu who is CEO of ABC Entertainment, former Mutya ng Pilipinas and Miss Asia 1983 Gloria 'Bong' Dimayacyac Naguid, Vivien Dejos Fermin, entrepreneur and Women of the Year Award of Excellence 2003 awardee.

Another event judge Mel Franco Reyes delivered a very heartwarming insight in the recipient of the MYPG project, Bantay Bata 163. Mel stated that "supporting Bantay Bata 163 will prevent a lot of parents who are troubled by life's challenges from harming their children. Bantay Bata 163 is a child welfare program of ABS-CBN Foundation that not only rescues sick and abused children, but also rehabilitates families in crisis, livelihood, scholarships, and outreach. In fact, the MYPG 2008 will be aired by ABS-CBN TV. Dr. Tomas Araneta MD from Cebu completes the list of the judges. He is involved in outreach projects for the Mother Theresa Missionary Charity in Tijuana, Mexico.

Working the event were members of the media Lou Sabas, Joe Cobilla, Jess Espanola, Romeo Balboa and yours truly Jay Fermin. A great project for a good cause, the selected Young Ambassadors of MYPG 2008 were not only selected on beauty, but also on inner character, talent, and intelligence. Let's make life better for the next generation.

(By Jay Fermin ppp-usa)

NAFVE APPLAUDS HOUSE MEMBERS STAND FOR FILIPINO VETERANS EQUITY

NAFVE Recognizes Veterans Day and Joins Congressmembers In Support for Filipino Veterans Equity Act

Washington, DC- In anticipation of Veterans Day on November 11, members of the United States House of Representatives are making remarks on the floor of the U.S. Capitol in solidarity with the Filipino World War II Veterans. With the legislative session preparing to wind down for the end of the year, members of Congress are pushing hard for passage of the Filipino Veterans Equity Act. NAFVE joins the growing chorus of voices on Capitol Hill and around the country this weekend calling for passage of this important bill.

On November 7, Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA) and Rep. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) gave speeches in support of the bill on the Floor of the House of Representatives. Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) also submitted prepared remarks to the Congressional Record (an "extension of remarks") calling for passage of the bill. On November 8, Guam Delegate. Madeline Z. Bordallo (D-GU) followed suit and spoke on behalf of the bill. The comments from these members are included below.

Commenting on this recent activity, Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono said, "I wanted to remind my colleagues in the House that when we honor America's veterans next week, we must also remember the service and sacrifice of the Filipino veterans of World War II, and of America's still unfulfilled promise to them. In addition to being a strong supporter of equity for Filipino veterans, I have introduced the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act ( H.R. 1287) to provide for the expedited reunification of their families. I am proud that CAPAC has made justice for Filipino veterans a high priority."

"NAFVE is proud to stand in solidarity with the members of Congress in calling for swift passage of the Filipino Veterans Equity Act," said Jon Melegrito, NAFVE Co-Chair. "Veterans Day is the perfect time to make sure that we recognize ALL of those who served our country in times of war. By passing this bill, we will allow the Filipino soldiers to take their rightful place side-by-side with all the other members of the 'Greatest Generation.'"

NAFVE represents over 20 local, national and international organizations committed to securing full equity for Filipino World War II Veterans. More information about NAFVE and the Filipino Veterans Equity Act is available on the NAFVE Web site: www.nafve.org.

(Submitted by Perry Diaz at PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

INTRODUCING The Rational Project Manager: A Thinking Teams Guide to Getting Work Done

It was an eye opener for me. I am talking about a three-day intensive workshop I was a part of last week. It was focused on how to get things done easier, faster, and cheaper.

In today’s increasingly complex business environment, work is done in the form of projects. To be profitable and successful, any organization must complete its projects on time and on budget, while also meeting its goals. As a result, the art of project management is vital to business.

In the tradition of the phenomenal business bestseller "The Rational Manager", this comprehensive guide explores and explains the rationale, processes, and tools of successful project management. While The Rational Project Manager covers the nuts and bolts of the discipline, it also offers a unique concentration on the logic and thought processes necessary for successful project completion. Each person is different, and the work-shop provided a systematic approach to address each individual's input in relation to the bigger goal.

The authors divide project management into three stages—definition, planning, and implementation— exploring each stage in depth and showing project managers and contributors how to apply concepts and avoid common mistakes. They also focus on the importance of a guiding rationale for orchestrating project activities. They propose that tools, techniques and software alone are insufficient and often too rigid to meet the demands of a given project. Instead, a thinking process or rationale is needed to inform and direct effective project work. After all, it the person doing the work who is the expert: they have the knowledge and the experience of actually doing the task. This is a paradigm shift of managing from the ground-up.

Practical, straightforward, and comprehensive, this one-of-a-kind resource is the bible for project managers everywhere. Offering unsurpassed insight on the methodology and critical thinking skills that form the cornerstone of any successful project, The "Rational Project Manager" and the 3 day work-shop helped get the right work done.

This is good news especially when you think of decision making that needs to be done with-in the dizzying hyper-speed of todays world.

(Jay Fermin ppp-usa)

What People Are Saying About "The Rational Project Manager"

“Change for business today is not a spectator sport. Translating strategic vision into bottom-line results requires discipline, execution, and participation—a theme that resonates throughout The Rational Project Manager. Longman and Mullins present a commonsense approach to executing against opportunities that is grounded in logic and resourcefulness.”
— George W. Buckley
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Brunswick Corporation

“The Rational Project Manager provides much-needed insights and tools for leaders at all levels. The bane of any leader’s worklife is those initiatives that lack focus, engender poor decision making, and are misaligned with organizational culture and goals. Given the ambiguity, complexity, and change that are the new baseline assumptions in the workplace, The Rational Project Manager’s simple, flexible approach fills an important gap overlooked by most books on the subject.”
— Steve Schloss
Vice President, Human Resources
Time Inc.

“The Rational Project Manager does a terrific job of dealing with both the art and discipline of project management. It focuses on the critical thinking that is essential to project success and also provides a wide array of tools and techniques for driving up performance.”
— John Case
President and Chief Executive Officer
Electrolux Home Care Products
North America

“Significant projects frequently are planned and executed by cross-functional teams of people who don’t normally work together. For a project to be completed successfully, the team and each team member must quickly develop both goal and role clarity. Kepner-Tregoe’s rational process tools, including the project management tools well described in this book have been critical to improving my organization’s ability to execute projects and have become a core part of our culture.”
— Ray Baxter
President and Chief Executive Officer
Interbake Foods LLC

“Half the trouble in modern life comes from ambitious projects gone awry. Some were not thought-through before they were embarked on. Others started with good intentions but fell apart when their leaders could not adapt to changing circumstances or keep their team moving toward the proper goal. The sensible principles laid out in this clear and useful book would go a long way toward making both public and private organizations more effective. Personally, I’d start by passing out copies throughout the U.S. government.”
— James Fallows
National Correspondent
The Atlantic Monthly

Robbing Hoods and the Milking Cows

Mariano Roque, Administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), stirred a hornet's nest when he refused to provide assistance to repatriate the remains of a murdered caregiver, Jocelyn Dulnuan, in Canada last October 2007. The reason he gave was that Dulnuan was not a "member" of OWWA at the time of her death because she did not pay her US$25 membership fee. That was brutally cold and insensitive.

OWWA records showed that Dulnuan's membership was processed in July 2005 when she left for Hong Kong to work as a domestic worker. She moved to Canada in November 2006 with legitimate working papers. However, she failed to register her new employment with OWWA when she moved to Canada.

Rashid Fabricante, Action Officer of the Volunteers in Service to Filipinos in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in an email to me said, "the legal assistance and repatriation fund as provided for by our Magna Carta should have covered Jocelyn's repatriation but I wonder what OWWA in Ontario have done with her case." He added that "OWWA should come into the picture to take care of our welfare to include repatriation procedures and/or hospitalization bills."

A more stinging rebuke was expressed by Flora Belinan, the Chairperson of Migrante-Metro Baguio. She was quoted by the Northern Philippine Times as saying: "The problem is the OWWA omnibus policies and not whether or not Jocelyn paid the membership fees. The OWWA, as the main agency for the supposed provision of services to OFWs in distress should provide this assistance to all OFWs. The membership fee should be charged to the employers and not the OFWs."

The OWWA controversy on Dulnuan's case has once again brought to the front burner issues that have been flickering in the back burner for the past several years: Is OWWA serving the best interests of the OFWs? And of equal -- if not more -- importance, how is the OWWA trust fund managed?

In a news release by the Migrante International (MI) on March 6, 2004, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was accused of "robbing OFW funds for her election campaign." It said that "P520 million from the OWWA Medicare was transferred to PhilHealth while P100 million was diverted into Malacanang's National Livelihood Support Fund." MI Secretary General Maita Santiago said: "As part of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration's effort to channel more funds into President Gloria's campaign, they implemented the recent OWWA Omnibus Policies and blatantly transferred millions of pesos to Malacanang." Senator Aquilino Pimentel, Jr., the Senate minority leader at that time said that the transfer was illegal because the OWWA fund was a trust fund for the exclusive use for the needs and welfare of the OFWs.

The controversial OWWA Omnibus Policies deny services to OFWs without current "employment contracts." For example: if an OFW's contract expired or terminated, he or she ceases to qualify for OWWA benefits. In addition, the medical reimbursement program and repatriation for distressed OFWs were scrapped. In other words, OFWs were left to fend for themselves.

There was the case of the "phantom" evacuation operations in the Middle East. In April 2003, US$293,500 was released to Ambassador Roy Cimatu to be used in evacuating OFWs during the US-Iraq war. But when MI Chairperson Connie Bragas-Regalado asked former OWWA Administrator Virgilio Angelo to confirm the evacuation operations, the latter said that no evacuation took place. The question is: what happened to the US$293,500 (15 million pesos) released to Cimatu? Your guess is as good as mine.

But it was a different situation in July 2006 when 34,000 OFWs were caught in the crossfire when Israel forces struck Hezbollah camps inside Lebanon. When Ambassador to Lebanon Al Francis Bichara asked the Philippine government to send funds for the immediate evacuation of the stranded OFWs, his request fell on deaf ears. When Senator Pimentel inquired about the OWWA funds, he couldn't get a straight answer. He asked the Senate -- which was controlled by Arroyo's party at that time -- to investigate the disbursement of the OWWA fund. However, certain people tried to dissuade him from proceeding with investigation saying that "the probe will not in anyway hamper the evacuation and repatriation of the OFWs." Nonetheless, Senate investigators proceeded with the probe and learned that there were P11 billion OWWA funds deposited in several banks. The question is: Was the money in the bank vaults? If there was indeed money in the banks, why did the government ask Congress for supplemental budget to fund the evacuation? Is it plausible then that the fund existed only on paper or made to exist on paper?

At about the same time, several advocacy groups demanded that the Commission on Audit (COA) conduct an audit on the OWWA fund amidst claims by OWWA officials that the fund was still "intact." However, no one in OWWA could produce any financial report that showed the status of the fund. The last known figure was given by Roque. He said that as of the end of 2004 the fund stood at P8.1 billion. Since one million OFWs leave for overseas placement every year and each paying US$25 to the OWWA fund upon departure, the OWWA fund should be at least P11 billion today. That's a lot of moolah for the "robbing hoods" to plunder. As Bragas-Regalado said, the OFWs are the "milking cows" of the government.

The other day, I received an email from Ding Bagasao, Chairman of the Economic Resource Center for Overseas Filipinos (ERCOF), informing me of the work of two Filipino-American fellows, Dovelyn Ranveig Agunias of the Migration Policy Institute and Neil Ruiz of the Brookings Institution, both of whom are based in Washington, DC. According to Bagasao, their paper, "Protecting Overseas Workers: Lessons and Cautions from the Philippines," will be the subject of a public forum in Manila, Philippines on the occasion of International Migrants Day on December 18, 2007. ERCOF will be a co-convenor of the forum. This would be a grand opportunity for the OFWs to air their grievances against government policies that denied them their rights.

The OWWA fund is the world's largest migrant welfare fund. However, as indicated by the COA audit for the 2005 year-end, there were allegations of juggling of OWWA funds. It's high time that reforms should -- nay, must -- be instituted in OWWA. It is ironic, however, that the government which benefits from the OFWs' remittances -- $15 billion this year -- has callously neglected them and turned a blind eye and deaf ears to their plight.

(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

Two Divas - "At the Movies"

Los Angeles: Kuh Ledesma and Pops Fernandez enthralled the crowd with hit songs from blockbuster movies that also were chart topper favorites. They were joined by the legendary balladeer Nonoy Zuniga and the amusing Fe de los Reyes, the classic Fil-Am singing comedienne. Kuh and Pops brought back a flood of memories with a repertoire that included songs from reel scenes we all knew then, which they brought to life for the Los Angeles audience at the concert entitled "Divas At The Movies" last October 13th, 2007.

Photo by Joe Cobilla

And Now a Word From ABC

Due to the "Desperate Housewives" incident, NaFFAA leaders are continuing to engage the network in opening doors and developing Filipino talent – in front and behind the camera.

Shortly after ABC apologized and deleted the offensive scene from the premiere episode – which were the only two demands in the Kevin Nadal-initiated petition – the senior vice president for diversity offered to undertake a special outreach program to increase opportunities for Filipinos who are interested in pursuing careers in television (writers, directors, producers, actors, execs, interns) and want access to direct information about ABC's many talent development programs. We agreed to schedule the first meeting on February or March next year in Los Angeles and New York.

As part of this relationship-building dialogue, we met last week with Steve McPherson himself – the president of ABC primetime entertainment – in his Burbank office. Arranged by Karen Narasaki, president of the Asian American Justice Center, the meeting included NaFFAA Vice Chair Rozita Lee, NaFFAA Exec. Director Doy Heredia and Dr. Fred Quevedo, representing the Association of Philippine Practicing Physicians.

McPherson acknowledged that the DH clip was "a terrible mistake" and "should not have happened." He assured us that scriptwriter Marc Cherry and their Standards and Practices Department, "and everyone who needed to be talked to were talked to," so that such jokes would not happen again.

Dr. Quevedo spoke about the vital role Philippine medical professionals play in this country, that 80 percent of doctors and nurses in the nation's hospitals are Filipinos. "But we don't see ourselves reflected on the screen," Quevedo said. Like "ER" and "Grey's Anatomy." In addition to being chief surgeons and head nurses, they are also experts on various fields of medicine. They can be called upon, for instance, on national news shows to comment on contemporary issues. On this, McPherson requested us to submit a data base of Filipino talents and expertise. "We're always looking at the same ten people all the time," he explained, referring to a relatively small pool of talent, mostly white. "We want more diversity, and the key is knowledge more than access."

To this end, he committed to working with NAFAA to develop an outreach brochure for ABC/Disney programs (funded by the company) specifically targeting the FilAm community, and to get the word out through NaFFAA about the network's various diversity programs.

McPherson also expressed interest in learning more about the Filipino veterans issue and possibly pitching it to "Boston Legal" (a lawyer show) as a potential story line. "We can have a Filipino suing the U.S. government," he said. He requested that materials be sent to him.
More importantly, McPherson – who has been honored by the Directors Guild of America for his "outstanding commitment to and leadership in the hiring of women and ethnic minorities" – committed to continue building on the relationship with the Filipino American community.

To maintain that relationship, NAFAA is joining the APA media coalition which monitors the networks and rates their diversity programs every year. Interestingly, the Latino Media Council gave ABC an A for making big strides in the portrayal of Latinos in primetime. Narasaki, however, noted that fewer advances have been made on the screen among Asian Americans, let alone Filipinos. Clearly, our work is cut out for us not only to educate the media but to position ourselves inside the industry.

Vida Benavides, a community activist familiar with how corporate media works, puts it bluntly: "We can complain all we want to Disney/ABC and other media organizations, but if our community does not back it up with supporting and promoting the next generation of writers, authors, actors, artists, dancers, choreographers, producers and film/studio talent, then who is going to do that for us?

"We need to have programs in place to encourage the next generation of artists and writers. Lawsuits, protests, boycotts, letters, calls to the Media and meetings with networks are all vehicles for social change, but with no lasting impact. But for the long term, we need to build a relationship that would enable us to put in place those mechanisms that will ensure our presence in front and behind the camera."

Engaging corporate media – with its power to influence hearts and minds – requires that we see the big picture. More conversations, and less confrontations, are more likely to open doors and sustain relationships.

If we are truly committed to transforming the complexion not only of corporate media but American society's culture as a whole, then we have to be actively engaged in a constructive way – in the way we harness and direct our collective energy in dealing with stereotypes, insults and racial slurs.

By Jon Melegrito, writer for the International’s Public Employee magazine and AFSCME International member.

(submitted by Perry Diaz: Contact: PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

"Common Destiny" Filipino American Generations Shaping Tomorrow's America

Filipino American Generations
A book by Juanita Tamayo Lott
Rowman & Littlefield
www.rowmanlittlefield.com

Filipino Americans, like many ethnic groups in America, are complex. This book documents how Filipino Americans have grown within the context of political forces, the prevailing social order, rights and responsibilities of individuals, economic success, and the American Dream. Lott shows how Filipino Americans have become active participants in the American democracy and why active civic participation is crucial to any emerging ethnic group. Her controversial thesis is that the twenty-first century will not be defined by the color line but by a more basic human relationship—the adult/child connection—because no society can survive without sustained commitment and shared sacrifice by adult men and women for the welfare of future generations.

This work by Juanity Tamayo Lott explores the mind and character of the Filipino American in relation to America's history within its four generations of expanding influence in American society, culture, economy, and politics. The second largest immigrant population in the United States is still preserving a resilient famly-centered, caring and hospitable culture amidst a vast shift in American culture. She recreates this phenomenon by going into her own family past, present, and future from family members from 6 years of age to 90.

Tamayo Lott recreates for the reader through personal and historical naratives the struggle, the courage, and determination in pursuit of the American dream. From the early 1898 migrants, she takes us back to the seaman who jumped ship off Acapulco, Mexico during the Spanish Galleon trade era and settled up north to Alta California which is now our present day California. Then she fast-forwards the view to the first 3 decades of the 20th Century when the first wave of migrant workers, the "pensionados" (scholars), non-sponsored students, unskilled workers, who mostly found jobs in Hawaii plantations, California agricultural fields (during the time of Cesar Chavez), and Alaskan canneries helped shaped the U.S.

She describes the second wave of this migration (1946-1965) of the military personnel who served with the USAFFE during World War II with the U.S. Armed Forces in the Philippines. They are the "Manong" generation. Next were the coming in of the professionals: doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers, and entrepreneurs in the post 1965 era who called themselves "expatriates." These two pioneer generations gave birth to the naturalized Filipino American citizens born here and raised in the U.S. but were taught by their parents to be proud of their Filipino Heritage and of their extended families. These are the children we call Generation X, the millenial generation. The digital and highly skilled Fil-Am generation of today. Whether they can build on the pioneering spirit of the previous generations remains to be seen. With the capacity to compete in high income specialized occupation, this generation will indeed change the landscape of American society.

This book by Juanita Tamayo Lott presents us with the challenge of the choice of continuing the strong foundation of the past generations and the great impact it can have on the America of the future. Through the foundation of the past, this great work gives us a large window of understanding for the future of Filipino Americans, now a vital part of the United States cultural map. Indeed, for Filipino Americans today as well as the rest of the American Society plays a critical role in America's direction for the future. It is after all our "Common Destiny."

(Jay Fermin ppp-usa)

Nationwide Pampanga Day: December 8 in Panorama City, California

Solidarity in vision and passion create a giant leap towards a noble mission. It is a great pride and privilege that our hearts are united with a common goal for the welfare of the Province of Pampanga.

We have all the reasons to celebrate this joyous day of our province. From its rich culture and unique identity; to its excellent and competitive sons and daughters, Pampanga is a place worthy of commemoration and honor.

Pampanga is blessed with richness in almost all aspects, but still, the greatness of the Supreme Being bestowed the province with a shining light en route for good governance. We believe the election of Governor Eddie Panlilio is providencial, which gives hope over our beloved province to heighten its bounties.

Once more, Pampanguenos showed their oneness in achieving victory through the union of spirit and faith. Amidst the distance that separates us, Pampanga Day Celebration Commission believes that all Kapampangans in the United States share the same spirit and faith, thus we are one and bonded.

We are calling all our Kabalens to join us as we celebrate the victory of all Kapampangans. This political renaissance in our province is what our forefathers and Pampanga’s heroes dreamt and fought for. We deserved this and should have this if only the early political leaders looked for the affairs of every cabalens.
The miracle of goodness over evils is something that all Kapampangans must celebrate with.

Let us not let the oceans separate us; but instead, let it move between the shores of our souls.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL 323-385-3201

MARIAN IS GMA’S BIG STAR!

The moment Marian Rivera got the much coveted role of Marimar, nasty rumors already started going around for the half-Spanish, half-Filipina actress about not fitting into the role. Marian, according to her detractors, is nowhere near the persona of the sexy Mexican character that once captured the hearts of the Filipinos.

But when the program’s formal launch in August 2007 came, a different and definitely more beautiful Marian appeared before the viewers’ surprised eyes. Marian was so captivating that she has successfully silenced all her detractors. And as GMA Network Chairman, President and CEO Felipe L. Gozon said, she is indeed “GMA’s BIG STAR!”

And now with her pictures all over the Philippine newspapers, stunning Marian has already received invitations from various men’s magazine asking her to grace their covers. But Marian has graciously turned down their offers but would not close down her doors on the possibility that she would one day appear on the covers of one of them.

However, Marian says that it’s a different thing altogether when it comes to indecent proposals. In an interview with Marian, she said that she would not be shocked if ever she receives one for this really happens in real life, but she stresses that she’d rather be friends with them than be anything else. With regard to the money that they would possibly give her, the Filipina Marimar was quoted as saying, “If they would just give it to the poor families, I would be much happier.”

MARIMAR is highest-rated primetime telenovela in the Philippines today. The weeknight melodrama has posted consistently high Mega Manila ratings peaking to as high as 47.9% on October 23, 2007, and surpassing even the original Mexican telenovela which aired in the Philippines in the late 90's starring Mexican TV actress Thalia.

Catch more of the stunningly beautiful Marian Rivera as she plays the role of the much famed MARIMAR daily on GMA Pinoy TV. Contact your preferred pay TV operator now to subscribe. For more information, please log on to www.gmapinoytv.com.

CONTACT PERSON: Jush Andowitt
Tel: 310- 989- 4578
Email: joshandowitt@yahoo.com
www.gmapinoytv.com

Lea Salonga Performs At West Point: Opens 2008 Concert Series

The United States Military Academy Band opened its 2007-2008 Guest Artist Concert Series with a performance featuring Lea Salonga. Held last October 26th at West Point’s Eisenhower Hall Theatre, the concert began at 7:30 p.m. In addition to Ms. Salonga’s appearance, the Concert Band’s performance showcased the percussion section with a selection entitled "Freckles Rag". Modest Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain and Donald Grantham’s Southern Harmony was also be featured.

Lea Salonga catapulted to international stage stardom when she was chosen to star as "Kim" in the 1989 world premiere of Miss Saigon in London. Only 17 at the time, the Philippines native received critical acclaim and went on to win the Olivier Award as Best Actress in a Musical. In 1991, she reprised her performance on Broadway, again earning rave reviews and winning the Tony Award as Best Actress in a Musical, along with Best Actress honors from the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics’ Circle. Ms. Salonga became the first Asian actress ever to play Eponine on Broadway in Les Misérables. She has released several albums which have sold millions of copies worldwide. Disney employed Salonga as the singing voice of "Mulan" in Mulan and "Princess Jasmine" in Aladdin.

Accompanied by the Academy Band, Ms. Salonga rendered selections from Miss Saigon, Mulan, Les Misérables, A Chorus Line and other favorites to a mixed audience of West Point cadets and guests. Guests' vehicles lined up hours before the concert at the Academy's Main Gate for the tight security check before the show.

U.S.A.F. Grounds F15s After Missouri Crash

The Air Force has grounded all noncritical F-15 fighter jet missions after one of the aircraft crashed in southern Missouri last Friday, November 2, 2007.

The accident remains under investigation, according to an Air Force news release, but preliminary findings point to "a possible structural failure" of the aircraft. It described the suspension of some F-15 operations as a precautionary measure.

An unidentified Missouri Air National Guard pilot safely ejected from an F-15C Eagle just before Friday’s crash in rural Boss, Mo. The pilot parachuted to safety but suffered a dislocated shoulder, broken arm and minor cuts. He was released from Barnes-Jewish Hospital on Saturday.

The 1980 model F-15 was built by McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis.

The single-seat aircraft was one of four Missouri Air National Guard aircraft involved in a training mission over southern Missouri. The other three fighter jets returned safely to Lambert Field, where the 131st Fighter Wing is based.

The F-15 now flies out of bases in the United States, Japan, England and the Middle East. There are more than 700 in the Air Force inventory, according to the Air Force.

"It's a widely deployed aircraft and suspension is significant," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Cristin Marposon.
Air Force spokeswoman Jennifer Bentley said Monday the F-15s will remain available for combat or if something happened in the U.S. or overseas requiring a combat response -- a terrorist attack, for example. Otherwise, they're grounded indefinitely.

"It's not a decision made lightly," Bentley said. "Until we can find out what the problem is, it's the safest thing to do."

Bentley declined to speculate on how long the grounding would last, noting the investigation into the crash in Missouri has just begun.

The planes were built by Boeing in Hazelwood and provide a large proportion of the Air Force's air-to-air fighter fleet, though the Air Force plans eventually to replace them with F-22 Raptors. They are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan and will continue to fly missions there, an Air Force spokeswoman said. But training flights are grounded indefinitely.
Boeing said it is helping the Air Force with its investigation and has been since the crash Friday.

“We're working with them. We're certainly at their disposal,” said spokeswoman Patricia Frost. “We want our customer to know that we're there.”

The suspension won't affect F-15 missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, Marposon said.

Since 1975, Boeing has built more than 1,500 of the planes for the U.S. Air Force, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Japan. It has no more planes in production for the U.S., but recently delivered the 26th out of 40 F-15Es to South Korea and is negotiating an order for 20 more. It is also starting production on 24 F-15Es for Singapore. The new planes cost more than $100 million apiece.

The company has no more planes in production for the Air Force. It recently delivered the 26th out of 40 F-15Es to South Korea and is negotiating an order for 20 more. It is also starting production on 24 F-15Es for Singapore.

Google Phone's "Android" is Finally Here

A lot of people have been waiting for an announcement for the so-called gPhone, a phone from Google. They have made their announcement, but it's not what most people expected. Instead, they announced "Android"...an open source telephone development.

A little history about Android. It was owned by Andy Rubin, who’s worked for Apple, WebTV, Motorola, and founded Danger, the company that invented the very popular Sidekick/Hiptop.

When Google bought Android, they got a lot of talented people including Andy McFadden (developed Moxi Digital’s set-top box), Richard Miner (VP of Technology at Orange), and Chris White (head of design and UI for WebTV).

What does this mean? Probably better and less expensive cell phones in the very near future. HTC (the company that makes the phone that I currently use) is one of the partners in this, good things are going to happen.

We expected Google to break the seal on their mobile OS plans today, and they didn’t disappoint. The search giant has formally announced their plans for the mobile space (in part, at least) with their new open mobile operating system, Android. Google has also announced the Open Handset Alliance (OHA) - a group of 33 (so far) tech and wireless companies devoted to developing the for the Android platform.

The OHA aims to improve the user experience for mobile users by supporting the open-source Android mobile OS - which is basically a Linux-based mobile platform (OS, software, user interface). Android will give developers and users free reign over any supported device’s functions - any application will be able to use any function on the phone, and users will be able to fully customize their phone’s interface on a whim.

“Today’s announcement is more ambitious than any single ‘Google Phone’ that the press has been speculating about over the past few weeks,” said Google chief executive Eric Schmidt. “Our vision is that the powerful platform we’re unveiling will power thousands of different phone models.”

Developers will be able to sink their teeth into the Android SDK when it’s released on November 12, but consumers will have to wait until at least halfway through 2008 to see the first Android-based handset hit the market.

Forget the GPhone, Google is set to shake up the mobile industry with an entirely fresh approach to the user experience - which is to say, a user experience that can be fundamentally customized to carrier/manufacturer/user needs. Android-based handsets will be more like a toolbox filled with features that the user/carrier/manufacturer can leverage with their own, custom solutions. Want to take a picture? Customize your Android phone with your favorite camera application. Need your contact viewer to integrate with the GPS module? Whip up your own application to do just that. The possibilities are endless - and incredibly enticing.

Bring it on Android!

Writers Guild of America ON STRIKE

On October 31, 2007, the contract for the Writers Guild of America, which represents 12,000 television, movie, news, and new-media writers, is set to expire. Despite more than two months of contentious talks, the usual sticking points—such as formulas for the distribution of residuals—remain. And this time, negotiators must contend with an additional problem: Neither side knows for sure where the money they hope to divvy up will come from, as new methods of content creation, distribution, and consumption emerge. With contracts for actors and directors set to expire in June, Hollywood is bracing for a meltdown. WGA Writers Guild of America is set to go on strike one minute after midnight Monday November 5, 2007 if contract bargaining fails. Strikes could start at Rockefeller Center in New York as early as 3 a.m EST and fan out to multiple Los Angeles Studios early Monday. At least audiences have this consolation: If theaters go dark and TV gets boring with re-runs, they can always turn to YouTube.

Here's the official Press Release:



Contact: Gregg Mitchell (323) 782-4574
Sherry Goldman (718) 224-4133
News Release: November 2, 2007


Writers Guild of America Votes to Call for Strike, Effective Monday, November 5

"LOS ANGELES -- The Board of Directors of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Council of the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), acting upon the authority granted them by their memberships, have voted unanimously to call a strike, effective 12:01 AM, Monday, November 5.
The decision was made following over three months of negotiations between the WGA and the AMPTP. To date, the studios have not responded to a single one of the WGA's important proposals, including Internet reuse, original writing for new media, DVDs, and jurisdiction.

On October 18, WGAW and WGAE members voted by an overwhelming majority of 90.3% to authorize a strike if a fair deal was not reached by the October 31 contract expiration date."



(Jay Fermin ppp-usa)

Ayala Land Unveils Nuvali: The New Makati of the Future

In 1950’s – Ayala decided to make a landmark move and master-planned Makati . They sold Forbes Park at 7 Pesos / sqm , built institutions, entertainment and office spaces - now Makati is Considered the most prime real estate in the country, with Forbes Park as the most sought after luxury residential village.

Smaller developments followed like Ayala Alabang, Cebu Business Park, and Laguna Sta Rosa Area ( all successful developments ).

Now after 50 yrs, - Ayala Land is doing another major milestone in Philippine property history: a 1,600 hectare private flat property will be developed over the next 30 years to become the next NEW TOWN of the Philippines: NUVALI is the name that signals new beginnings. "Nova" Latin for birth of a star, and "Valley" a place for growth and abundance - where a fresh approach to balanced living emerges.

Unlike Makati, Ayala Land will have a freehand to develop this whole town including its traffic system, water, utilities, telecommunications, police, transport system, waste management , rules etc. It will be rooted on sustainability, recycling, energy renewal and conservation and Quality of Life

It will be a walkable community, public parks, lakes, Work Life Balance - Ayala’s involvement will not only involve the high end (Commercial Business District) CBD of this New Town, but will also do the master plan of the mid and low income property market thru CII and Avida ( imagine Ayala managing the CBD, Poblacion, Buendia, JP Rizal – as one private town ) NUVALI.

Nuvali, in the next 20 years will be a word synonymous with Quality of Life, Safety, Exclusivity, Comfort, Luxury and Peace of Mind. Easily accessible from the now-expanding South Luzon Expressway, Nuvali is approximately 40 kilometers from Makati. It lies in the heart of the fast-growing Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay corridor, with schools and business parks such as the Laguna Technopark, St. Scholastica College, De La Salle University, University of Santo Tomas, Xavier University, Don Bosco, the South Luzon Medical Center, Paseo de Sta. Rosa Commercial Center, Rustan’s and others. Nearby are the Sta. Elena, South Forbes and Canlubang Golf and Country Clubs, the "hot springs" of Los Banos, and the fine dining restaurants of cool mountain resort Tagaytay City.



Nuvali's master plan includes residential communities, school, retail and business districts, and an integrated 8-hectare nature park and manmade lake complete with progressive water taxis and buses. Upcoming here is a new city with fresh lake breeze coming from Laguna de Bay, and plenty of water resources for the coming generations.

1st phase will include the development of the ABRIO village ( the new Forbes Park ). Ayala Land is now pleased to offer Abrio, the maiden project of Ayala Land Premier in Nuvali. Situated at the edge of the future Business District of the South, this heart-shaped residential neighborhood is strategically located near the business campuses, retail centers, and lake of Nuvali.

The area to be opened for Abrio is 70 hectares, comprising 379 lots in total. Phase 1, with 113 lots, will be launched on Sept. 29, 2007, while Phases 2-3 will follow.
High level of privacy and exclusivity
• Building density is only 5 units per hectare!
• Large lot cuts are offered within a tight range (800 sq.m. to 1,200 sq.m.), to ensure homogeneity in the community.
• Vast spaces are provided between homes

Environmentally-friendly infrastructure
• Roads will include generous bike paths and pedestrian walkways, to reduce dependence on the automobile
• Bio-swales direct the flow of rainwater for sustainable irrigation of common areas
• Dual-piping systems for all private lots allow the use of recycled water for specific purposes

Technologically advanced security systems
• Infrared-protected fences around the subdivision perimeter
• E-passes for entering and exiting the village
• Network of CCTV cameras monitor strategic areas in the neighborhood
• Emergency buttons in all homes

BPO outsourcing dorm type structures, E Services Office Spaces, Hotels, Malls, Hospitals, Offices, will follow. Xavier School will anchor the institutional zone.
It will be globalization friendly – meeting international standards and demands

Nuvali - will be top of mind for International firms wanting to do business in the Philippines as well as Balikbayans wanting to own a piece of the New Makati. Ayala Land are currently inviting people with vision, to invest in Nuvali. This is the same feeling people had 50 yrs ago, when Forbes Park and Makati CBD was first introduced. Nuvali will be the next main city of the Philippines. The feeling is like Makati: ‘Back to the Future’.

For Further Inquiries, Contact:
Zeny Torres at (632) 874-2327 or Cell 0920-947-0795

Carl Dy
Ayala Land Premier - Sr Manager
+63920-962.3265; +632-374.3679

Google Ready to Announce Google Phone

Los Angeles: After Apple's "iphone" revolutionary but controversial debut a few months back, there is a lot of whispers heard on the phone pc mobile world that Google (which by the way Google denied before) is finally ready to announce the "Google Phone" Monday November 5, 2007 and the software might be out as early as second quarter of 2008.


Apple's "iPhone" (named by Time magazine "Invention of the Year")is a revolutionary new mobile phone that allows users to call by simply tapping a name or number in an address book, a favorite list, or a call log. It also automatically synchronizes the user's contacts from a PC, Mac, or Internet Service like Yahoo. It even lets you select and listen to voicemail in whatever order you want - just like email. It captures images with its 2 megapixel built in camera which can be posted to a Mac Web Gallery. It's also a full blown IPOD complete with video. It sports a controversial missing keyboard - in favor of a virtual keyboard on a high resolution screen. It connects to the internet thru WIFI or ATT Cingular's EDGE technology.

The "Google Phone" though, is not a phone, but a software. It will be bundled up with either Verizon or T-Mobile (Talks are still underway) but it will turn the whole pc-phone revolution 180 degrees. After a brief repose from posting all things iPhone, our tips inbox was brimming — brimming, I say! — with news of the gPhone. Or gPhones. Or whatever Google is going to call it when it makes its announcement Monday. Yes, it’s coming. No, we’re not sure what it is. Yes, we’re excited about it.

Word on the street, though, is that gPhone will actually be a platform carriers and handset makers can add to their phones. By having its widgets on a variety of mobiles with no restrictions from carriers means that phone-to-phone or phone-to-PC tasks get much easier. Standardization is a good thing.

We’re also hearing rumors that gPhone will be ad-supported. The good: lower phone bills for gPhone users. The bad: ads before phone calls or in txt msgs. With gPhone, you can search the internet thru the google mobile search platform.

The Goog does a good job of keeping ads at a tolerable level, let’s hope that continues into our pockets. Hmmmm, finally I can probably live up with the ads and lower my internet everwhere bill and keep a cellphone all in one.

I can't wait till Monday.....If it happens. Stay tuned.

(Jay Fermin ppp-usa)

Driverless Robotic Vehicle 'BOSS' Win 2M Prize in California

A driverless car called Boss has scooped a $2m prize in a Californian race for robotic vehicles.

Boss shared the road with human drivers to simulate traffic
Boss successfully drove around an urban environment, avoiding other cars, and covering 60 miles (85km) in less than six hours, all without any human control.
The modified Chevrolet Tahoe was one of six cars that crossed the finish line, from a pack of 11 robotic vehicles which set off at dawn. The others had to pull out after crashes or other problems.

The race was organised by the US military's Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) and is designed to develop unmanned vehicles that could be used in battle situations. Automotive manufacturers say the technology could eventually lead to self-driving cars.

Boss navigated around a simulated town, created on a disused US Air Force base in Victorville, in the Californian desert.
It had to deal with single and dual carriageway roads, junctions, buildings and car parks. As well as the 10 other driverless cars, Boss shared the road with more than 30 professional human drivers to simulate busy traffic.

Road to Perdition or Redemption

The Vice President landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport from a trip to Europe and addressed a large enthusiastic crowd. "My beloved countrymen, after prayer and discernment, I have left the cabinet of the administration to join the true cabinet of the people," the Vice President said. "As a public servant and as an individual person, I believe it is my duty to do what is right and do my best, and then let God take care of the rest. We must show the world that the Filipino of EDSA is still with us. His spirit is alive. He has not lost his moral bearings. He will put his house in order. My faith in God is absolute. If we work together, we will bring our country back on the road to propriety, stability, and progress." The people were enthralled. Hallelujah! A messiah has finally arrived.

The Vice President then outlined a program of government that would converge on four core beliefs: "(1) We must be bold in our national ambitions, so that our challenge must be that within a decade, we will win the fight against poverty; (2) We must improve moral standards in government and society, in order to provide a strong foundation for good governance; (3) We must change the character of our politics, in order to create a fertile ground for true reforms. Our politics of personality and patronage must give way to a new politics of party programs and a process of dialogue with the people; and (4) Finally, I believe in leadership by example. We should promote solid traits such as work ethic and a dignified lifestyle, matching action to rhetoric, performing rather than grandstanding."

Those were the words of then Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on October 17, 2000 when then President Joseph Estrada was besieged for a series of corruption scandals. Arroyo was riding high on the crest of a popular movement to oust Estrada. Three months later, Estrada stepped down and turned the government over to Arroyo.

Sad to say, Arroyo's government did not go anywhere close to the way she painted it seven years ago. She finished Estrada's term with abysmally lackluster performance. Within a year after she won the 2004 presidential elections, the "Hello Garci" and Jueteng scandals were exposed. Calls for her resignation spread like prairie fire. Former President Fidel V. Ramos rescued her from the brink of collapse. She survived; however, her credibility and integrity were eroded beyond repair and she lost the respect of the people.

Like a can of worms, scandal after scandal crawled out into the open: the Joc-Joc Bolante fertilizer scam, Mike Arroyo's "Jose Pidal" bank account, the Nani Perez power plant deal, the Diosdado Macapagal Highway overprice, extrajudicial killings, Arroyo's secret bank account in Germany exposed by Senator Cayetano, the COMELEC automation fiasco, North Rail project, NAIA-3, Venable contract, ZTE National Broadband Network, Cyber-Ed Project, and the recent wholesale bribery of congressmen and governors. The list goes on and on.

Looking back to the four core beliefs that Arroyo espoused seven years ago, she achieved not a single point: (1) She promised that within a decade she'll win the fight against poverty. A survey conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS) last February revealed that one in every five Filipino families or 3.4 million households -- a record high of 19% -- suffered from "involuntary hunger" in the first quarter at least once. SWS also reported that hunger has been at double digits since June 2004. What that means is that hunger doubled since she took over the presidency. In March 2007, Fr. Shay Cullen, in his column "Reflections," said that "hunger is not the lack of food, but the lack of money to buy it." In other words, poverty is the cause of hunger. Further, he said, "the roots of poverty are in the dictatorship of the elite." Indeed, the rich became richer and the poor became poorer during her administration.

2) She promised to improve moral standards in government and society. Recently, Bishop Angel Lagdameo, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, stated: "Our country is not only suffering from economic bankruptcy but also moral bankruptcy which, disappointingly, is being shown by our leaders." Other bishops followed with demands that Arroyo resign on grounds of moral turpitude. The Philippine Council of Churches, the largest network of evangelical and Protestant churches in the country, deplored the "culture of corruption in government" and said that majority of Filipinos are living in poverty. Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV -- supported by prominent political leaders -- started an online petition www.petitiononline.com/snap08 calling for the resignation of President Arroyo and Vice President Noli de Castro. The petition stated that Arroyo "has completely lost her moral authority to govern this country" and called for a snap election within 60 days.

3) She promised to change the character of politics in order to create a fertile ground for true reforms. Instead, what Arroyo created was a fertile ground for graft and corruption at all levels of government. Instead of reforming the government, she deformed it into a monstrosity. Today, the Philippines is branded as the most corrupt country in Asia.

4) She promised to lead by example and promote solid traits such as work ethic and a dignified lifestyle. But the record shows that her leadership style bred and nurtured corruption and decadent lifestyles for her family members and high-ranking officials in her administration.

Arroyo's dismal failure and egregious disregard -- and disrespect -- for the people's sentiments should be grounds to abrogate her mandate of government. In six and a half years of usurped authority, Arroyo is embroiled in a quagmire of corruption and deception. She implemented ineffective programs and projects which only fed the voracious appetite of kleptocrats in her government. Indeed, as several bishops and political leaders have stated, Arroyo no longer has the moral authority to lead the people. Under Arroyo's leadership -- and skullduggery -- the country is on the road to perdition. It will no longer be the "Sick Man of Asia" but will soon become the "Somalia of Asia" where anarchy would be the order -- or disorder -- of the day and warlords reign supreme in their fiefdoms..

It's time for Arroyo to face the music. It's time for the Filipino of EDSA to put his house in order. It's high time for the Motherland's redemption from moral decay. And, once again, it's time for mass action.

(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

Book Review: The World Is Flat

On a recent visit to the local bookstore, I picked up the 3rd revision in two years (First released 2005) of the book "The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century". Is is a best-selling book by Thomas L. Friedman analyzing the progress of globalization with an emphasis on the early 21st century. Friedman derives his title from the expression "a flat playing field," denoting a competitive environment where both teams compete on equal terms (e.g., on an uneven playing field, one team would have the difficult task of running uphill while the other would have the easier task of running downhill). The book was first released in 2005, was later released as an "updated and expanded" edition in 2006, and yet again released with additional updates in 2007 as "further updated and expanded: Release 3.0."

Friedman recounts on a journey to Bangalore, India, he realized that globalization has changed core economic concepts.[1] Due to this discovery, he suggests that the world is "flat" in the sense that the competitive playing fields between industrial and emerging market countries have been leveled. Friedman recounts many examples of companies based in India and China that, by providing labor from typists and call center operators to accountants and computer programmers, have become integral parts of complex global supply chains for such companies as Dell, AOL, and Microsoft.

He explores the three main time span that rushed in globalization. First was Christopher Columbus' search for the West Indies in 1498 when he accidentally discovered a huge roadblock on his voyage to India, a continent later called the Americas. He aptly named the natives "Indians". Friedman compares his own voyage to India especially in Bangalore, which is the most high tech and wired location in India where Friedman, instead of finding Indians, he found Americanized Hindus trying to cope with the market in their American and European accent, handling inbound and outbound calls for giants like Dell and American Express. These call center representatives even changed their names to western names like "John" or "Tanisha". In search of the true India, he found America !!!

On a recent conversation with a relative in the Philippines, he related too how the Filipinos are riding on these convergence of a flat world. Flatness as Friedman describes it is not about geopolitics. It is about the explosion of access to a "level playing field." My wife recently checked her Northwest Account mileage with a lady from India, while I completed my Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone system with a gentleman from Cebu, Philippines, who respectfully started the call with "Sir, may I call you by your first name?"




Flatness is not complete yet. Outsourcing will be the next big thing in countries like India, Singapore, or the Philippines where labor gives these Western Corporations large and small a big bang for their buck in payroll costs. I cannot say where Friedman is going with his third revision of his book in only two years (now updated version 3.0), but he explained that "he should and was able to" because of the flattening of the "business playing field" in book printing. He further explains that, everybody and anybody could be an author, a content expert, , a publisher, a participant and may become a big player in this new phenomenon, thanks to fiber optics, deep sea internet cable, satellites, and hundreds and thousands of new college educated and well trained labor pool outside of the the G7 (Group of Seven) countries composed of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, and the United States).

The leading edge and specialized jobs and research will remain with these big players but eventually, outsourcing whether inbound or outbound will happen to small players like India and the Philippines. As one Hindu pointed out to Friedman, he cannot hand over a steak dinner to a client in America from India, but he can make a reservation thru the phone, give you a choice of a private room, main dining area table, or a quiet nook by the window in any restaurant at any time in the whole world ! And "did you say it was for a party of four?" he added.

Friedman reminds us that in 1992 when President Clinton came into office, email access was only reserved for members of Government and Military. Today, even my six year old niece has a couple of email addresses and a webpage or two. Hundreds and thousands of Filipinos in their early twenties are manning the phone 24/7 in places like Cebu, Bacolod and Manila, and the giant Global Infomation Hub in Bangalore, the most internet wired location in India.

I just started reviewing Friedman's book but he explains it plainly. From Columbus time, the world shrunk from a size Large to a size Medium. From the 1800 to the year 2000, although interrupted by 2 world wars, the world thru industrialization shrunk further from a size Medium to a size Small. Today, with the flat-world-platform thanks to the computer and internet, the world has shrunk further from a size small to a size Tiny. Countries & Monarchies controlled the first one. Big Companies & Industries ruled over the second. In the third flattening which is now, the main driving force is the Individual who can collaborate and compete in the global world market. This is the age of MYSPACE.

Indeed, the world is leveled flat. Where will it go? I cannot tell you because it is happening in a very fast pace. The only advice I can think of is go with the flow. I remember sitting with former Secretary Mina Gabor on his last "Outsourcing Trade Mission" which I attended with fellow journalists in Los Angeles and at how amazed I was that the infrastructure for Information Technology (IT), Software Programming, and Medical Transcriptions are ready and in place back in the Philippines to serve big U.S. Corporations. Her Trade Mission held a series of press conferences in number of major cities in the United States selling the idea of Philippine "outsourcing" to America.

I have to end the review here. I have not yet completed reviewing Friedman's book "The World is Flat 3.0" ; and, I have to place a call to my bank, and who knows, my call may be routed to a friendly representative on the other side of the world, the "nighthawks" they call them; call center representatives who work the grave-yard night shift in the Philippines or India to service the day time hours in the United States at one-fifth the salary of the a U.S. based representative.

My advise to you for now; buy Friedman's book and see "old things in a new way." For me, I have to go; the phone is saying "Your call will be answered in the next five minutes."

(Jay Fermin ppp-usa)

Pasadena District 2 Town Hall Meeting

Join Council Member Margaret McAustin for a conversation on the future of the world famous Rose Bowl, now that voters have said NO to the National Football League (NFL). She will be doing a conversation tour of the Rose Bowl together with Darryl Dunn, General Manager of the Rose Bowl, on November 7, 2007 at 1001 Rose Bowl Drive in Pasadena from 6 pm to 8:30 pm at the Rose Bowl Media Center.

In April 2007, Margaret McAustin was elected Pasadena City Council member for District 2, located in north-central Pasadena.

Ms. McAustin has been actively involved in civic activities for over 25 years. She served as Pasadena City Planning Commissioner from 1993-1997 and was appointed again to the Planning Commission in 2005 by Mayor Bill Bogaard. She served as a member of the City's l998 Charter Reform Task Force, was Co-Chair of the North Lake Specific Plan Coordinating Committee and a member of the Light Rail Station Design Review Committee.

Margaret holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from California State University, Los Angeles.




Margaret McAustin fell in love with the city and its neighborhoods after moving to Pasadena more than 30 years ago. She lives with her husband, John, and their superdog, Wrigley, in the Historic Highlands neighborhood. Now, let us see how Council Member Margaret McAustin can set the direction for the historic Rose Bowl for the next decade.

(Jay Fermin ppp-usa)