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Volume 26 - No. 50 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages

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DATELINEUSAfrom the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

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by Christina M. Oriel and agnes COnstante / AJPress

Typhoon Nona leaves PH, new storm coming

Foreign policy dominates fifth Republican debate In the fifth and final republican

debate of the year on tuesday, Dec. 15, candidates largely tackled issues of national security and ter-rorism, following the mass shoot-ings in Paris and san Bernardino, California.

outside the Venetian hotel-casino in Las Vegas, protestors

gathered hours before the two debates to criticize the GoP can-didates for their “hateful” rhetoric. many carried signs calling for top-ics, such as union rights and the Black Lives matter movement, to be discussed. Ultimately, domestic policies received little attention, as both sessions focused on foreign

policy. During the two-hour primetime

debate on Cnn, the nine White house hopefuls— real estate mogul Donald trump, texas sen. ted Cruz, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, florida sen. marco rubio, former florida governor

Nine Republican White House hopefuls took the stage on Tuesday, Dec. 15 at the Venetian hotel-casino in Las Vegas and covered topics ranging from immigration to the Middle East. This fourth debate marks the final debate in 2015 for the GOP field. (Photo courtesy of CNN)

by dOna Z. PaZZibugan / Inquirer.net

A PotentIAL tropical storm threatens the country on the heels of typhoon “nona” (international name: melor), which battered cen-tral Philippines on monday

and tuesday and left at least four people dead and mil-lions without power ahead of Christmas.

the low pressure area in PAGE A3

Roach acknowledges Mayweather as era’s best boxerby dinO Maragay

Philstar.com

eVen freddie roach is sold: floyd mayweather Jr. is the best boxer of his generation.

roach, manny Pacquiao’s longtime trainer, recently admit-ted that the undefeated may-weather tops his ward as the best boxer of this era.

“manny had eight world titles and a lot of great opponents and

so forth. mayweather had the same, had a great career and undefeated, so I guess we’re going to have to give it to may-weather,” the multi-titled cor-nerman said in a boxingscene.com report by Carlos Boogs.

mayweather actually won titles in five weight divisions,

three fewer than Pacquiao, who was champion in an unprec-edented eight weight classes.

But mayweather proved he is the top dog by besting Pacquiao in their showdown last may, which turned out to be the rich-est fight in boxing.

PAINTING THE TOWN RED. A legally binding agreement to curb global carbon emissions may have already been signed, but the fight for climate justice is far from over for the thousands of environmental activists who painted Paris red in protest of the lack of action against climate change. Inquirer.net photo by Sara Pacia

Over 190 countries adopt historic climate accord in Parisby agnes COnstante

AJPress

After 13 days of ne-gotiations on addressing climate change on a global scale, 195 countries on sat-urday, Dec. 12, approved a historic, unprecedented climate accord that seeks to address global warming.

Under the accord, known as the Paris Agreement, individual countries have committed to slash emis-sions and pledged to assist poorer nations to adapt to the damaging effects of a warming planet. It also sets a long-term goal of capping

Supreme Court hears historic case on affirmative action

Asian Americans will benefit, experts say

the nation’s highest court has been de-bating a landmark case regarding Us affir-mative action in college admissions.

the supreme Court appeared sharply di-vided last week, as conservatives, including Chief Justice John G. roberts Jr., believe that using affirmative action in admission deci-sions is “unneeded and unconstitutional,” reported the Los Angeles times.

“What unique perspective does a minor-ity student bring to a physics class?” Justice roberts asked, when a lawyer spoke of the importance of diversity in the classroom. “In the past, when the high court has upheld affirmative action, it did so with the under-standing that it was a ‘temporary’ measure.

Obama: US-led coalition is hitting Islamic State ‘harder than ever’

As countries across the globe continue fighting against the Islamic state (Is), President Barack obama on monday, Dec. 14, said the Us-led coalition is hitting IsIs “harder than ever.”

“IsIL leaders cannot hide, and our mes-sage to them is simple: you are next,” obama said at the Pentagon on monday, following a briefing from his national se-curity team.

his announcement comes several days after a mass shooting in san Bernardino,

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AFTERMATH. Children read rain-soaked school books being dried on a fallen coconut tree in Barcelona town, Sorsogon where Typhoon Nona made its second landfall last Monday, Dec. 14. In the background is one of the houses damaged by the typhoon. Philstar.com photo by Edd Gumban

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Foreign policy dominates fifth...PAGE A1

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Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich — sought to improve their standings in the polls, as the first caucus in Iowa is less than two months away.

Trump went in still at the fore-front of the polls, despite his controversial proposal to ban all Muslims from entering the United States. Bush, whose poll numbers have dipped to the low single-dig-its, took some swipes at Trump.

The former Florida governor called Trump “a chaos candidate” who would be “a chaos president” and has portrayed him as one who is more concerned with scaring Americans rather than devising actual war solutions against the Islamic State (IS).

“Donald, you’re not going to be able to insult your way to the presidency – that’s not going to happen,” Bush said. “Leadership is not about attacking people and disparaging people. Leader-ship is about creating a serious strategy.”

“Banning all Muslims will make it harder for us to do exactly what we need to do, which is to destroy ISIS,” Bush added.

Trump dismissed Bush’s attacks, saying they were made due to his not-so-successful campaign.

“Jeb doesn’t really believe I’m unhinged,” Trump said. “He said that very simply because he has failed in this campaign. It’s been a total disaster. Nobody cares.”

Since entering the race in June, Trump has belittled Bush’s strength and said during the debate that his opponent is simply too nice.

“I think Jeb is a very nice person, very nice person. But we need toughness,” Trump said.

Exchanges between Rubio and Cruz, who have seen their popu-larity in the polls rise and are now seeking the second-place spot after Trump, were also heated on Tues-day night. The two reflected on issues that the GOP is most divided on: immigration, foreign interven-tion and intelligence gathering.

Cruz — a Tea Party favorite — questioned Rubio’s conserva-tive credentials and his judgment on national security and immigra-tion.

“One of the problems with Marco’s foreign policy is he has far too often supported Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama undermining governments in the Middle East that have helped radical Islamic terrorists,” Cruz said. “We need to focus on killing the bad guys, not getting stuck in Middle Eastern civil wars that don’t keep America safe.”

The Texas senator accused Rubio of working with Democrats to give President Barack Obama a “blanket authority” to accept refugees, CNN reported. However, Rubio struck back by saying Cruz is in support of legalizing undocu-mented immigrants in the United States and pointed out that his colleague supported a contentious H-1B visa program that supports

immigration of highly-skilled for-eign workers.

Rubio also brought up Cruz’s vote to end the National Secu-rity Agency’s ability to collect bulk phone data, saying the Texas sena-tor gave away “a valuable tool” to fight terrorism.

“I promise you, the next time there is an attack on this country, the first thing people are going to want to know is, why didn’t we know about it and why didn’t we stop it?” Rubio said. “And the answer better not be, ‘Because we didn’t have access to records or information that would have allowed us to identify these killers before they attack.’”

In the closing statements, most of the candidates reiterated their commitment to improving the state of the country and keeping it safe in the face of terrorism; meanwhile, Paul brought attention to the na-tional debt and Kasich stressed the importance of winning Ohio in the national election.

WinnersReports from CNN and The

Hill put Jeb Bush as a winner of Tuesday’s debate. Despite polls indicating he has 4 percent of national support, the ex-governor of Florida gave his strongest per-formance to date.

Cruz and Rubio were also deemed top performers by both outlets, with Rubio demonstrat-ing his in-depth understanding of foreign policy and Cruz holding his ground.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also gave a strong performance, highlighting his executive experi-ence as a governor and how he prosecuted terrorism cases as a US attorney. Christie also poked at his senator rivals, who he said were “people who’ve never had to make a consequential decision in an executive position” and dispar-aged them as talkers rather than people who take action.

Trump, who was positioned center stage, avoided tangling with his opponents and gave a safe performance that wouldn’t impact his standing as the GOP front-run-ner, CNN said. Meanwhile, The Hill had him in a “mixed” category, noting his shortcomings in facts and details.

Trump also said that he would not run for president as a third-party candidate if he fails to secure the Republican nomination.

“I am totally committed to the Republican Party,” he said. “I am very honored to be the front-run-ner. I think I’ll do very well if I’m chosen.”

Carson, Fiorina Kasich were all categorized as losers in the debate by CNN and The Hill.

Carson, who was once a serious

challenger to Trump’s leading sta-tus, has since declined in popular-ity after botching details of his per-sonal history and national security experience. Tuesday was a chance for him to prove himself, yet he failed to step up to the task.

“I have a lot of experience build-ing things, organizing things – a national scholarship program,” the retired neurosurgeon said of the false narrative that has emerged about him. “Some people say, ‘You’re weak because you’re not loud and you’re not boisterous and you’re not rude.’ But the fact of the matter is, look and see what I’ve done, and that speaks volumes about strength.”

Undercard debateDuring most of the undercard

debate, the four candidates with lower poll numbers – South Caro-lina Sen. Lindsey Graham, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former New York Gov. George Pat-aki and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee – agreed on American intervention against ISIS and also criticized Trump for his proposal to ban all Muslims.

Graham said Trump did not speak for all Americans when he suggested the ban, and said that declaring war on an entire religion plays into the hands of IS terrorists.

“Donald Trump has done the one single thing you cannot do: declare war on Islam itself. ISIL would be dancing in the streets, they just don’t believe in danc-ing,” Graham said. “This is a coup for them and to all of our Muslim friends throughout the world.”

The South Carolina senator also noted that at least 3,500 Ameri-can-Muslims serve in the armed forces, and thanked them for their service.

“You are not the enemy. Your re-ligion is not the enemy,” he said.

“To target a religion and say that regardless of whether you’re an American soldier who has fought on our side or allies we have overseas simply because of your religion we’ll ban you is un-Ameri-can. It is unconstitutional and it is wrong,” Pataki said.

Despite Graham and Pataki’s statements, Huckabee and San-torum called for surveillance on American Muslims at mosques.

“I hear people act like that there’s something that terrible about going in and listening to sermons in the mosque,” Hucka-bee said. But, he said, aren’t the mosques open to the public? And don’t Muslims claim to be peace-ful? “Shouldn’t they be begging us to go and come and listen to these peaceful sermons.”

Santorum went on to call Islam

Over 190 countries adopt historic climate...the rise in global temperatures to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, while calling on nations to try to limit that in-crease to 1.5 degrees C.

“This is a tremendous victory for all our citizens,” US Secretary of State John Kerry said during the final session of the summit, according to Mother Jones, a non-profit news outlet. “It’s a vic-tory for all of the planet and for future generations.”

Saturday marked the culmina-tion of more than two decades of international attempts to come to a collective agreement on how to tackle the global problem.

In 2009, discussions in Copen-hagen failed, as officials could not agree on a way to level the playing field for wealthy and poor nations. Prior to that, the 1997 Kyoto protocol, which the United States and China did not ratify, also failed. Additionally, it only addressed approximately 14 percent of the world’s carbon emissions.

The Paris Agreement marked a major foreign policy success for US President Barack Obama, who touted the agreement, call-ing it a “turning point for the world.”

“We came together around the strong agreement the world needed. Together we’ve shown what’s possible when the world stands as one,” he said.

Other commitments made un-der the deal include a global re-view of climate progress by 2018, and the reconvening of nations in 2020 to present climate targets that “will represent a progression beyond the Party’s then-current” target, Mother Jones reported.

“Countries have united around a historic agreement that marks a turning point in the climate cri-sis,” said Jennifer Morgan, global director of the climate program at the World Resources Institute, according to Mother Jones. “This is a transformational long-term goal that should really send clear signals into the markets” about

the imminent decline of fossil fuel consumption.

After Copenhagen climate summit in 2009, many world leaders thought the United Na-tions process would no longer be effective in addressing global warming, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations told The New York Times.

But the Paris talks were differ-ent because of a shift in the geo-politics of climate change and a change in the perception of glob-al warming as an imminent threat rather than a warning. French di-plomacy also contributed to the success of the global meeting, by helping reduce the chances that major points of contention might kill a deal again, accord-ing to the Times. Economist Lord Stern said that France brought openness, expertise in diplo-macy and mutual respect to the talks, The Guardian reported. He added that they took great care to ensure everyone was listened to and consulted with.

“It was a wonderful surprise that after the incredible disap-pointment of Copenhagen, these [countries] could come to an agreement more ambitious than anyone imagined,” said Jim Yong Kim, World Bank president, who has been closely engaged in the talks, according to The New York Times. “This never happens.”

One word almost killed the cli-mate deal

In Article 4 of the agreement, a line read that wealthier coun-tries “shall” establish economy-wide targets for reducing their greenhouse gas pollution. Pre-vious drafts of the document had the world “should” in place of “shall.” While the difference may appear small, the latter term implies legal obligation, while the former does not. If the word remained, the Obama administration could have been obliged to submit the final deal to the Senate for approv-al, which the GOP-dominated chamber would have rejected, according to Politico.

“When I looked at that, I said,

‘We cannot do this and we will not do this,” Kerry told report-ers afterward, Politico reported. “And either it changes or Presi-dent Obama and the United States will not be able to support this agreement.”

The Philippines signs €1.5-million deal with France

Among deals reached in Paris was a grant agreement worth €1.5 million between France and the Philippines, which will take place throughout the next four years. Under the agreement, the Philippines will build ecosystems and community resilience in the central region of the country, ac-cording to Philstar.

Steps toward this goal will be-gin late this year with a focus on the coastal municipality of Con-cepcion in Iloilo, which will be jointly managed by Conservation International Philippines and the Biodiversity Management Bu-reau of the Department of Envi-ronment and Natural Resources. Supported developments include both natural and man-made defenses, such as mangroves, coastal armoring and small le-vees.

While the targets agreed upon in Paris are not legally binding, Climate Change Commissioner Heherson Alvarez said that the Philippines, which chairs the Climate Vulnerable Forum that called for a 1.5C global cap on temperature, can lead highly vul-nerable countries to transition to a zero carbon economy, accord-ing to The Manila Times.

Alvarez also said the Philip-pines can begin to come up with policies to prepare the nation for a low carbon economy with the adoption of the Paris climate agreement, the publication re-ported.

“A low carbon economy in the long term will mean low energy cost, low cost for the manufacture of goods and services. Philippine products would be competitive and will open up opportunities for jobs and higher productiv-ity,” Alvarez said, according to the Times.

(L-R) Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and former New York Gov. George Pataki. AJPress photo by Robert Macabagdal

Roach himself trained two boxers in an attempt to hand Mayweather his first loss ever. He worked Oscar De La Hoya’s corner when he fought May-weather in 2007 and did the same for Pacquiao.

In both times, Roach failed.Mayweather retired after beat-

ing Andre Berto in September, his perfect 49-0 record intact.

This, Roach said, is why May-weather’s the best.

“Mayweather had no losses and so forth, so he’s probably king of this era,” he added.

Still, Roach gave Pacquiao his due.

“But Manny was a lot more exciting for the fans,” Roach said.

Roach acknowledges Mayweather as...

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Obama: US-led coalition is...California and nearly a month af-ter multiple coordinated attacks in Paris, a time at which he faces pressure to convince Americans he is taking all measures to keep them safe. He is also pressured by Democrats and Republicans to pick up the pace and intensity of the campaign against IS.

To date, Obama said the Unit-ed States has dropped about 9,000 bombs; last month, the country hit more targets than any other month since it began its attacks on the Islam State last year

“Our partners on the ground are rooting ISIL out by town, neighborhood by neighborhood, block by block. That is what this campaign is doing,” the presi-dent said.

Still, Obama acknowledged that progress needs to continue more quickly.

“This continues to be a diffi-cult fight,” he said. “We recog-nize that progress needs to keep coming faster.”

The president also noted that there’s a particular problem in urban areas controlled by IS, where militants often use civil-ians as human shield, USA To-day reported.

“Even as we’re relentless we

need to be smart, targeting ISIL surgically and with precision,” he said.

The White House said it has experienced more success in escalating the war through air strikes on oil smuggling -- a key source of revenue for the organi-zation -- and expanding the co-alition of 65 countries aiding the effort, rather than using ground troops or “carpet bombing” por-tions of Syria and Iraq controlled by IS militants.

Last month, the Pentagon said it would deploy approximately 100 more special operations troops to Iraq as a “specialized expeditionary targeting force” to conduct raids, free hostages, collect intelligence and capture Islamic State leaders in Iraq, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Obama’s meeting at the Pen-tagon was the first since July 6, at which point he said there was progress in the fight against ter-rorism, but warned it would be a “long-term campaign,” accord-ing to USA Today.

On Thursday, Dec. 17, Obama will visit the National Counter-terrorism Center to learn more about its efforts to track terror-ism, before he departs for his annual two-week vacation in Ha-waii. (Agnes Constante/AJPress)

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The Court’s three liberals, led by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, argued in defense of race-based admis-sions policies at the University of Texas, which was segregated by law and later opened its doors to minority students in 1950.

The public university has always had a selective admissions system that “sought to increase the mi-norities, using race and ethnicity as one of many factors in evaluat-ing applicants,” reported NPR. An-gered lower courts have ruled that UT could not consider race in any way in its admissions policies, but the university has still implement-ed it, guaranteeing three-quarters of slots as reserved by law for stu-dents who qualify in the top 7 to 10 percent of their high school class.

Abigail Fisher, a white student who was not accepted to UT in 2008, challenged UT’s “holistic review” policy that combines race/ethnicity and class rank with SAT scores, independently-graded es-says, and extracurricular leader-ship, awards, and skills.

“There were people in my class with lower grades who weren’t in all the activities I was in, and who were being accepted into UT, and the only other difference between us was the color of our skin,” Fish-er argued.

Denying her claims, the univer-sity said it was neither extracurric-ular activities nor race, but Fisher’s grades and test scores were “sim-ply too low” to get her in. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reviewed the school’s claims of good faith in its use of race in admissions, up-holding the plan as constitutional by a 7-1 vote in 2013.

By contrast, Justice Antonin Scalia raised controversy when he questioned whether affirmative action benefits African American students.

“There are those who contend that it does not benefit African-Americans to get them into the University of Texas, where they do not do well, as opposed to having them go to a less-advanced school, a slower-track school where the do well,” he said.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, of-tentimes the key swing vote for the Supreme Court, suggested that the case should be sent back to a lower court to give the university an opportunity to present more ev-idence about the plan. It felt “like we’re just arguing the same case,” he said.

Supporters of affirmative action in higher education are fearful

Supreme Court hears historic case on...that the court might issue a broad ruling in the case, that would cur-tail a public university’s ability to consider race in order to produce a more diverse student body, said CNN.

The outcome almost certainly turns on Kennedy’s vote. If Ken-nedy votes with the three liberals, the court will be split 4-4, which would affirm the lower court’s rul-ing although without a majority opinion.

Justice Kennedy has long agreed that having a diverse stu-dent body is sufficiently important to justify consideration of race in admissions, but only if all other race-neutral systems have been tried and failed--such as economic status, NPR reported. During his career, Kennedy has never voted to uphold a race-based policy, but he has not joined with more con-servative justices in a ruling that would flatly forbid affirmative ac-tion, said the LA Times.

If the court writes an opinion in Fisher vs. University of Texas, it is not likely to be handed down until the late spring.

Jennifer Lee, a sociologist and professor at UC Irvine, said she hopes that Asian American par-ents who are against the concept understand that affirmative action represents a “net positive” for their community.

“They think it’s in their self-in-terest to fight affirmative action,” Lee, author of “The Asian Ameri-can Achievement Paradox,” told NBC News. “But it is only in a very narrow way, without thinking of their broader life course. We need affirmative action because we don’t have the institutional advan-tages we think we do.”

She also pointed to data from the 2014 National Asian American Survey that shows the majority of Asian Americans--69 percent of registered voters polled from California--are in support of affir-mative action, mainly because at some point, they may need such policies.

“This may come as a surprise be-cause there has been a small, but highly organized, vocal minority who opposes it. What’s important to note is that the second genera-tion are more likely to support af-firmative action than immigrants, most likely because the former understand how race affects their life chances, even as they attain high levels of education,” Lee con-tinued. “The better question [isn’t self-interest, but] whether Asian Americans are willing to recognize our ethnic and class diversity.”

“Affirmative action policies al-

low universities to consider the differential starting points while also promoting diversity on cam-puses,” she added.

A May 2015 study by the As-cend Foundation, a non-profit or-ganization dedicated to fostering business leadership in the Asian-American community, which found that while Asian Americans made up 27.2 percent of professionals at major tech companies Google, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, LinkedIn, and Yahoo, only 13.9 percent of executives were Asian-American, pointing to a lack of representation in leadership positions.

“They make up less than 1 percent of corporate board mem-bers and about 2 percent of col-lege presidents. Asian Americans may be facing a ‘bamboo ceiling,’ not unlike the glass ceiling that women face. How to break down that ceiling? Affirmative action, of course.”

In her collaborated research with UCLA professor Min Zhou, Lee explained that some lower-in-come Asian Americans were able to overcome class disadvantages by using what the researchers called “ethnic capital”—the “com-munal knowledge, practices, and institutions created by better-off peers to help others within their ethnic group. It includes aca-demic enrichment and tutoring programs,” she explained. “Those communities with larger middle classes are in [a] position to lever-age their education and financial resources to create it. But other groups like Mexican immigrants remain disadvantaged. Not all groups have access to the same type of ethnic capital. This is why affirmative action matters.”

Across the country, universities are making major efforts to diver-sify their campuses, whether affir-mative action makes it through the Supreme Court or not. In Novem-ber of this year, Yale University announced it would devote $50 million to retaining and recruiting a diverse faculty, and Brown Uni-versity said it would spend $100 million.

“The racial tensions that have come to light on campuses across the country, and the students’ non-violent protests show that race continues to matter in the lives of university students, even for those who are on the country’s most elite campuses,” Lee finished. “Students, faculty, and universities have made their positions clear: diversity matters, and insuring diversity is critical for all, not just certain groups.” (Allyson Escobar/AJPress)

the Pacific, about 1,600 kilome-ters east-southeast of Mindanao as of Tuesday, could reach the Philippine area of responsibility on Wednesday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophys-ical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

The new weather disturbance could start to affect the country later in the week, as Nona leaves the Philippine area of responsibil-ity on Friday when it is expected to weaken into a low pressure area in the West Philippine Sea.

In an information alert, the US military’s Joint Typhoon Warn-ing Center said the “potential for the development of a significant tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours is high.”

‘Onyok’Should the incoming low pres-

sure area develop into a cyclone, it will be locally named “Onyok,” the second storm to hit the coun-try this month and the 15th this year.

Onyok is next on the list of ty-phoon names after Nonoy, which Pagasa was ordered to change at the last minute to Nona since it sounded like the President Aquino’s nickname, Noynoy.

Nona battered the Mindoro provinces most of Tuesday after crossing Romblon province from Masbate province earlier in the day, remaining powerful with winds up to 140 to 170 kilometers per hour and heavy to intense rains within its 250-km diameter.

Northern Samar, Sorsogon, Masbate, Romblon and Mindoro took the brunt since the center of the typhoon island-hopped in these provinces since Monday.

ExitThe typhoon did not exit land

until Tuesday night, contrary to the forecast that it would leave the Mindoro provinces by Tuesday afternoon.

It slowed down but did not weaken as expected because it drew strength from warm surface waters while crossing the Sibuyan Sea, according to Pagasa.

Pagasa said the typhoon would be over the West Philippine Sea on Wednesday and skirt Palawan province on Thursday on its way out of the Philippine area of responsibility on Friday, all the while gradually weakening from a tropical storm into a low pres-sure area.

FatalitiesThree people were killed in

floods in Northern Samar prov-ince, which faces the Pacific, mu-

nicipal disaster officer Jonathan Baldo told dzMM radio.

Flying debris also killed a man in Northern Samar, national di-saster agency spokesperson Mina Marasigan said, without being able to confirm the other three fatalities.

At a press briefing on Tuesday night, National Disaster Risk Re-duction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said only one fatality had been confirmed—a 31-year-old victim from Allen, Northern Samar.

However, the Department of Health said it was still confirming the reported deaths in Northern Samar, on Burias Island and in Sorsogon, as well as six reported injured victims.

Zero fatality in AlbayIn the Bicol region, authorities

credited the early evacuation of 720,000 people for what they be-lieved would be a low death toll.

“We have zero floods, zero deaths, zero casualties,” Albay Gov. Joey Salceda told ABS-CBN television.

But he said the entire province of 1.2 million people was without power. “What we are asking for is the early restoration of elec-tricity.”

Residents of neighboring Sor-sogon were also without power on Tuesday, and authorities could give no guarantees if electricity would be restored by Christmas.

The storm toppled trees and cut electricity to at least seven provinces, the NDRRMC said.

“Our target is to restore power by Christmas, but it will still depend on many factors,” Marasigan said.

She said the timing would depend on how badly damaged towns were, and how much clean-ing up of roads was required be-fore teams could go in to put up new power poles and lines.

Lanterns, roofs litter streetsIn Legazpi City, Christmas

lanterns and lights, tin roofs and branches littered the streets.

Initial reports nevertheless showed that there was minimal damage to infrastructure in Al-bay, said Fr. Rez Arjona, social action director of the Diocese of Legazpi.

But the homes of some 100 families were destroyed in Pio Duran town, mostly in the coastal barangays, he said.

Arjona said Barangay Lidong in Polangui, Albay, reported major damage to farmlands and crops.

Power in main cities and towns in the province were restored by afternoon Tuesday.

Thanksgiving MassBishop Joel Balon declared that

the first “Simbang Gabi” (dawn Mass) be a thanksgiving Mass in the Diocese of Legazpi, which was spared the worst of the typhoon, according to the social action director.

“It will be a very sad Christmas and a dark one because we have no power. But the important thing is everyone around me is still

EVACUATED. Evacuees feel comforted by the presence of different Christmas lanterns hanged in classrooms turned evacuation centers at the Cabangan Elementary School in Camalig town while Albay province is bracing for Typhoon Nona. Disaster and local government officials in Bicol have moved to safer areas nearly half a million people as the region, particularly Sorsogon and Albay provinces, brace for the entry of Typhoon ”Nona” (international name: Melor) by early evening Monday, Dec. 14. Inquirer.net photo by Michael Jaucian

Typhoon Nona leaves PH, new storm...

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Phone (702) 922-6060

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Notice To Disabled Applicants:

Until Filled

Dateline USa

Foreign policy dominates fifth...PAGE A2

not just a religion, but a “political governing structure…that is a big problem.”

Reactions Following the debate, Repub-

lican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus went on to highlight the differences be-tween the Republican candidates and the Democrats.

“It’s clear from tonight’s de-bate that our Republican field understands the threats we face from radical Islamic terrorism and that we must change course from the failed Clinton-Obama foreign policy to destroy it. As President Obama’s Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton was [the] chief architect of an agenda that has left our country facing a more chaotic world and our homeland at a greater risk of attack. Our candidates understand we must defeat radical Islamic terrorism, while Hillary Clinton re-fuses to acknowledge we’re at war with ISIS or even call the enemy by its name. The fundamental dif-ferences between our exception-ally qualified candidates and the Democrat field couldn’t be more clear, which is why the American

people will elect a Republican president next November,” Priebus said in a statement.

With the 2016 election less than a year to go, the RNC reaffirmed its commitment to secure minor-ity votes.

“Filipino-American voters across the country saw another robust debate among the most qualified and diverse candidates our country has ever seen. As voters continue to hear from our candidates, the RNC will continue to fight for the Filipino-American vote in Nevada and across the country,” Ninio Fetalvo, APA Press Secretary at the RNC said.

On the other side, Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz called the debate a “complete di-saster for the Republican Party.”

“It was clear that not a single one of their candidates has what it takes to keep our country safe. From suggestions to shut down the Internet, to calling for punching Russians in the nose, to confusion about how to target ISIL -- or even where they are -- there were no se-rious proposals presented tonight. From Donald Trump on down, the

Republican Party’s candidates have allowed their dangerous rhetoric to get them in way over their heads on national security,” Wasserman Schultz said, adding that “We need to keep America moving forward. Our country just can’t afford to take a risk on any of these reckless Republican candidates.”

Democratic presidential con-tender Bernie Sanders took to Twitter to criticize what the nine candidates discussed.

Sanders said the GOP proposals to handle ISIS would “undermin[e] our civil liberties and religious free-doms,” while pointing out the ef-fects that a ground war would have on American troops — “PTSD and traumatic brain injury” — which none of the candidates mentioned. The democratic candidate again showed his support for accepting refugees into the US.

“Like the first [debate], not one word about income inequality, cli-mate change, or racial justice,” he wrote. “The Rs are out of touch.”

Sanders, along with Hillary Clinton and Martin O’Malley, will participate in a third debate in New Hampshire on Saturday, Dec. 19.

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Typhoon Nona leaves PH, new storm...moving,” said 54-year-old rice farmer Noemi Pesigan of Bulan, Sorsogon.

Nona blew out the windows of Pesigan’s two-story brick-and-wood house and she survived the storm by sheltering in a nearby shop.

Roads not passableFour road sections—two in Bi-

col and two in Eastern Visayas—were not passable to vehicles, according to the NDRRMC. These were the Catanduanes Circumfer-ential Road and the Panganiban-Sabloyon Road in Bicol, and the Catarman-Allen Road, La Vizares-Allen section, and the Pangpang-Palapag-Mapanas-Gamay-Lapinig Road in Eastern Visayas.

The Office of Civil Defense in Eastern Visayas identified the fatality in Northern Samar as Pascual Aniceto Jr. of Allen town. He died while he was trying to fix the roof of his house at the height of the typhoon.

In Samar province, two per-sons survived hours in the water after their boat capsized on

Monday evening.Communication lines downFor the second straight day on

Tuesday, Northern Samar and Eastern Samar remained without power. Communication lines in Northern Samar were also down. Globe Telecom submitted a re-port to the NDRRMC, claiming difficulty in 2G and 3G signals in the province.

Rosette Martinez, communica-tions officer of National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, said inspection of lines was still ongoing and could not determine when power would be restored in the two provinces.

She, however, said power was restored in Samar province as of 9:23 a.m. on Tuesday.

CalbayogThe Calbayog City council

on Tuesday passed a resolution declaring the city under a state of calamity.

At least 1,523 families and 2,631 individuals were evacuated, and damage to agriculture was at least P430,000.

In Cebu, more than 300 pas-

sengers were stranded after a flight bound for El Nido in Pala-wan was canceled because of the typhoon.

Flights to Tacloban returned to normal after these were canceled on Monday, said Merc Bahande of the Mactan Cebu Interna-tional Airport Operation Control Center.

The Cebu Coast Guard sta-tion commander, Agapito Bibat, said 363 passengers remained stranded at the Cebu City port after the MV St. Leo The Great had not been not allowed to sail for Manila since Sunday.

But other vessels for Eastern Visayas have been cleared for sea travel after the weather bureau lifted the storm warning signal for those areas in Eastern Visayas.

In Iloilo City, trips of ships and boats bound for Bacolod City and Cebu were allowed to resume at noon on Tuesday. But those bound for Manila, Batangas and Mindoro were still suspended, according to Lt. (s.g.) Jomark Angue, the Coast Guard station commander in Iloilo.

AS reports continue to develop regarding the Dec. 2 shootings in San Bernardino, California, sur-vivors of the attacks carried out by a radicalized Muslim husband and wife are beginning to speak out.

“I was under the table with some of the staff and we just kind of held on to each other. I think just instinct kicks in, adrenaline kicks in,” said Fil-Am survivor Trudy Raymundo, the chief direc-tor of the San Bernardino County Public Health Department, which was celebrating a holiday party for the Environmental Health Services division on the morning of the attacks.

Speaking to CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Raymundo shared the terrifying experience when Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, burst into the conference room of the Inland Regional Center, guns blazing. She and her assistant director, Corwin Porter, had planned to speak to the department employ-ees about the year’s accomplish-ments and upcoming goals at the party. According to reports, the event was also supposed to be a celebration for another em-ployee, well inspector Julie Paez, who was going to be named Em-ployee of the Year.

Following the massacre, where 14 people were killed and 21 wounded, Farook and Malik es-caped in a black SUV and were killed by police hours later in a shootout.

Raymundo said she was in the back of the conference room at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino around 11:00am, when the violence started. Of-ficials said around 300 people were in the building of the Inland Regional Center, which is a state-run center for over 30,000 people with developmental disabilities.

“I was at the table getting cof-fee and checking out the good-ies that were sitting there. And it was that point in time, you know, when we all heard gunfire right outside the door and all turned to look at the door to watch [Fa-rook] come in,” Raymundo said. “People throughout the room went diving under tables set up for the holiday meal.”

Officials said the couple, who were both dressed in black tacti-cal clothing and carrying AR-15 rifles purchased by a friend of Farook, fired 65 to 75 rounds.

“It seemed like it was forever,” Raymundo, who had been ap-pointed Public Health Director in early 2012, said. “He burst through the doors, firing and walking toward the middle of the room, just indiscriminately.”

“As it goes on, desperation kicks in and I kept hoping, it’s an exercise, right? It’s an exercise because this actually can’t be happening. And all I could think of was, ‘Why doesn’t he stop? Why does he keep shooting?’”

After the rampage, Raymundo recalled emergency responders arriving to the conference room on the scene. “The police were telling everyone, ‘If you’re not in-jured, get out.’ We weren’t going to leave anybody behind, and so we went out as a group. We tried to help those that we knew were injured. We needed to get them to safety...we needed to take care of them.”

The San Bernardino Environ-mental Health Services division also recently attended an active-shooter training in the same con-ference room where the attacks took place.

“We made sure all of our staff had that training,” said Porter. “It was pushed out county-wide that we have this training for all of our staff just in the event that

Fil-Am survivor speaks out after San Bernardino massacre

something might happen. And so they responded quite well. Those who had something to hide un-der tried to find protection right away.”

Raymundo also shared about the couple and her memories of Farook, who was a county pub-lic health department employee. “They were upbeat, they were happy, they were learning from each other, which is indicative of what this group has always been.”

Police said an altercation be-tween Farook and another em-ployee might have sparked the shooting, but have played down that possibility, saying most wit-nesses said they did not hear an argument.

Farook’s co-workers in the environmental health division said they had thrown him a baby shower about six months earlier, when his daughter was born.

“It’s a complete sense of be-trayal,” Raymundo told ABC News. “It amazes me every day how close this group is, how tight-knit they are, and it’s noth-ing but betrayal.”

“The fact that they gave him a baby shower is just indicative of the whole group. That’s how they treated everyone,” Ray-mundo added.

“I want to make it clear that this is a very tight, close-knit group,” she shared of her col-leagues, according to Inquirer. “They have always supported each other. They are beyond co-workers. They are friends and they are family. We are holding onto each other right now and will continue to protect each other through what will be un-imaginable weeks and months ahead.”

Raymundo also thanked law enforcement officials and medi-cal personnel for their immedi-ate and professional response to the emergency. “I want to thank all of the first responders and all of the EMS personnel who were treating our injured and wound-ed…I want to thank the incred-ible outpouring of support na-tionally and internationally…we have received your offers of con-dolences and help, and we are grateful for them.”

In an emotional press confer-ence, she asked people to join in mourning “the loss of our col-leagues, of our friends, of our families and our loved ones.”

“I ask that you come together and hold each other strong, be-cause it is this strength that will help us heal. And I want you to every day be grateful for those of us that were spared, those that are still with us today.”

County supervisor Janice Rutherford urged the communi-ty and its employees to “fight to maintain that ordinary. We can’t be afraid of our lives, of our com-munity, of our neighbors, of our co-workers. We stand with them to tell the terrorists, ‘You may not have our fear, you may not have our liberty, and you may not have our love’.”

As a wounded San Bernardino continues to heal, staff members in the environmental health di-vision, as well as in the Inland Regional Center, will return to work next week. Security has heightened in nearby county de-partment buildings, which have already reopened.

“You know, we’re certainly thankful for the outpouring of support from everyone, but I need folks to know, we are strong,” finished Raymundo. “We are strong. We will get through this. We are together. We are a family. We will get through all of this together.”

Memorial services, ongoing investigation, community sup-port

Funerals, tributes and me-

morial services for the victims continued over the week, as investigators spent another day searching for possible evidence and questioning suspects.

Officials have also looked into Enrique Marquez, Farook’s friend and next-door neighbor who acknowledged that he le-gally bought the two AR-15 guns for Farook several years ago, in an effort to cover his tracks.

Marquez also admitted to investigators about a plot that he and Farook conceived, but did not carry out due to fear, in 2012. Investigators are still try-ing to corroborate information and other potential suspects, and have not verified details of the alleged plot.

Marquez, 24, has not been charged with any crime, and has told investigators that he did not know about the couple’s plans for the attack at Inland Regional Center.

On Dec. 10, an FBI dive team searched for electronic devices or other evidence possibly left by the couple in San Bernardino’s Seccombe Lake, reported the Los Angeles Times. The search is still ongoing. Investigators are also looking at the couple’s digital electronics, which were found in their Redlands home, leading FBI to believe the shoot-ers were planning an even larger assault.

“There is no belief that there is anything dangerous as a re-sult of this case in this place,” said David Bowdich, assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles branch office.

Officials do not know if the attack was directed by an over-seas terrorist organization like the Islamic State, but believe the Muslim couple was “self-radicalized and inspired…than actually told to do the shooting.” Malik had pledged allegiance to an Islamic State leader on her Facebook.

“I felt very much demoral-ized,” Mustafa Kuko, director of the Islamic Center of River-side, told NBC News. “Let’s be frank—these days when a Mus-lim does something wrong...all of us are going to be implicated in it.”

Muslims United for San Bernardino raised more than $180,000 in funds to help the families of the shooting victims.

“To simply say that we love you from the bottom of our hearts and they should know that they are not alone in this calam-ity. We share their sorrow,” said Shakeel Syed, executive director of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California.

Members of a mosque in Cul-ver City said the fundraising is an example of what Muslims believe. Abdel Hamil Barraj said Muslims are peaceful Ameri-cans.

“There’s a minority that are calling for violence and all of that. We don’t go with it. We’re against it, all the way,” Barraj said.

In Corona, the Islamic So-ciety of Corona-Norco, which condemned the attack, hosted a dinner program and evening of prayers on Dec. 11 with resi-dents, law enforcement and public officials.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences and prayers to the families and loved ones of all those who lost their lives and ask Almighty God to grant full recovery to the injured,” the organization said in a state-ment. “The Muslim community stands shoulder to shoulder with our fellow Americans in repudiating any twisted mind-set that would claim to justify such sickening acts of violence. We encourage everyone to be extra vigilant.”

by Allyson EscobArAJPress

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com A�LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • dEcEmbER 17-23, 2015

Dateline PhiliPPinesAquino: Gains vs corruption irreversible

by Christine O. AvendAñOInquirer.net

by AureA CAliCA Philstar.com

MANILA—The gains achieved by the administration in its fight against corruption are irrevers-ible, President Aquino told a UN-organized anti-corruption forum on Tuesday, Dec. 15.

Speaking at the 3rd UN Con-vention Against Corruption State Conference (UNCAC) held at Malacañang, Aquino said his administration has shown its se-riousness in fighting corruption – from banning blaring sirens to putting the national budget to good use and in a transparent way.

“As I near the final days of my term, it is becoming easier to fully witness the scope of the reforms undertaken by our administra-tion, and the stellar results our shared efforts have brought,” Aquino said.

At the same forum, Senate President Franklin Drilon, Speak-er Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Ombudsman Conchita Car-pio-Morales also spoke about achievements in efforts to stop corruption in government.

Aquino said his administration has made sure there would be no “untouchables” in his campaign against corruption, citing the ouster of a chief justice, impeach-ment of an ombudsman and send-ing a former president, senators and other high-ranking govern-ment officials and individuals to jail on various charges.

“Justice must also be served to those who have erred. I am proud to say that, during our time in office, we have made no exceptions: we have gone after all those accused of corruption, regardless of their resources or

their influence,” Aquino said.The UNCAC is an international

anti-corruption treaty approved and ratified by 177 countries. The Philippines signed the conven-tion on Dec. 9, 2003, which was ratified by the Senate on Nov. 6, 2006. The convention requires regular review of anti-corruption initiatives and developments in signatory-states.

‘Wholehearted’ effortAquino said fighting corruption

“is a fight we are all engaged in wholeheartedly,” and such com-mitment has helped transform the country from being the Sick Man of Asia into Asia’s New Darling.

“And we have begun to see the tangible impact of our long-term efforts to alleviate poverty, we can see this in the form of 1.4 million Filipino households—roughly equivalent to seven million Fili-pinos—lifted above the poverty

Binay camp calls COA report ‘totally skewed’

A SPOKESPERSON of Vice President Jejomar Binay Tues-day, Dec. 15slammed as “totally skewed” the Inquirer report on Commission on Audit (COA) findings outlining alleged irreg-ularities in the construction of the overpriced Makati City Hall Building II.

“The news report is totally skewed and spiteful in the light of a COA press information of-fice statement that there is no COA report yet,” Rico Quicho said.

He said he found it strange that the report “did not say the details when it was released, what period was covered or if it included the management com-

ments on the said findings.”“The report is one-sided,

reeks with bad faith and with the sole purpose of discredit-ing again the Vice President,” Quicho said.

The Binay camp has not yet seen an official copy of the COA report, he added.

Quicho reiterated that the Makati parking building project was “subjected to 11 COA au-dits, including a technical audit by specialists.”

“There were no adverse find-ings and especially no findings of overpricing,” he said.

But the “malicious” resurrec-tion of the issue shows that the orchestrated and well-funded at-tack against the Vice President has now been revived,” Quicho said.

Rico Quicho, spokesman for Vice President Binay

American tanim-bala victim leaves PhilippinesMANILA—Visiting American

missionary Lane Michael White, a victim of the tanim-bala (bullet-planting) scheme at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, was scheduled to board a Philip-pine Airlines flight bound for Los Angeles at the NAIA Terminal 2 on Sunday, Dec. 13.

Pasay City Branch 119 Judge Pedro de Leon Gutierrez ordered the Bureau of Immigration to lift the hold departure order against White after he was cleared of any offense last Dec. 10.

White attended more than two months of hearings on the scheme.

White arrived in the country from the US last Sept. 16, togeth-er with his father and Filipina stepmother, to look for a small piece of land where they could build a church for their congre-gation.

They had a flight to Coron, Pal-awan the following day but they were held at the NAIA Terminal 4 after airport security allegedly discovered a .22-cal. bullet in his luggage after it went through the x-ray scanner.

White said he was not carrying the bullet but airport security in-sisted that it was not planted.

He was held for five days—from Sept. 17 to Sept. 21—at the Philippine National Police (PNP) detention cell after allegedly refusing to give P30,000 to Of-fice for Transportation Security (OTS) personnel in exchange for his immediate release.

He was later released from jail after the court acted on his mo-tion and reduced his bail from P80,000 to P40,000.

White identified the alleged suspects in the bullet-planting scheme as Maria Elma Cena, 46, and Marvin Garcia, 23, members of the Transportation Security Risk Management Bureau of the OTS and currently assigned at NAIA Terminal 4.

“I wouldn’t know what to do without the media on my side. I’m glad I became an instrument in helping the Philippines expose this scheme to the world,” White said prior to his departure.

“The people will now be more vigilant when they travel,” he added.

Deeper probeMeanwhile, Valenzuela City

Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian urged yesterday the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to go deeper into its probe of the bullet-plant-ing scheme at the NAIA as he be-lieves a syndicate is behind the racket.

“While we laud the effort of the NBI in filing charges against four policemen from the PNP-Avia-tion Security Group (ASG) and two personnel of the OTS, the NBI should dig deeper so that the syndicate behind this tanim-bala modus will be unmasked and brought to justice,” he said.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed that there were instances that the extortion

scheme was perpetrated by OTS personnel.

DOJ spokesman Emmanuel Caparas, however, clarified that the NBI cannot confirm yet if

there is a syndicate behind the bullet-planting scheme. He said the group behind the scheme is not big enough to be considered a syndicate.

Lane Michael White together with his step-mother Eloisa Zoleta (center), and father Ryan White (right) attended a Senate inquiry into the “laglag bala” incidents at the NAIA last Nov. 12. Senate photo

line, as well as the lowest un-employment rate in a decade,” Aquino said.

“From day one, we worked to dismantle the culture of corrup-tion, entitlement and waste that defined the preceding decade,” the President said, adding that un-der his administration, the people have come to realize “how it is to have a government that truly works for them.”

“We worked to eliminate cor-ruption and institute transparency in every possible pocket of gover-nance,” Aquino pointed out.

“While it is true that this might perhaps be a more tedious meth-od of doing things, it is more meticulous and gives way to far less wastage and manipulation by unscrupulous individuals, and rightfully so,” he said. “After all, we are aware that we are not spending our personal money, but our people’s hard earned money.”

Morales, in a speech, said her office was unyielding and un-compromising in combating cor-ruption and that even violations of laws against the environment were promptly addressed and resolved.

She said they were also working on an anti-corruption framework that would not only cover the cur-rent administration.

In the first semester of this year alone, she said the Office of the Ombudsman disposed of 1,475 criminal cases, eight forfeiture cases and 1,456 administrative cases, she said. She added case disposition rate this year is higher than in the previous year.

“The higher conviction rate in the Sandiganbayan was also reported in the first semester of 2015 as compared to last year,” she said.

by rudy sAntOs Philstar.com

Grace Poe holds out hope for positive DNA matchPRESIDENTIAL aspirant Sena-

tor Grace Poe is hoping that her DNA results would be released within a month.

Poe had undergone another DNA test after her first procedure with two other individuals turned out negative.

“Ginagawa ngayon so sabihin na nating mga tatlong linggo o isang buwan. Ako ay siyempre habang may buhay ay may pag-asa. Tingnan natin. Malay mo, mayroon,” Poe told reporters in an ambush interview on Wednesday, Dec. 16.

The senator said three more individuals from Iloilo have vol-unteered to undertake a DNA test as part of her continued search for her biological parents.

She said she was hoping that the results would turn out positive.

“So ano nalang, umasa na lang tayo,” she said.

Poe said someone approached her when she was in Iloilo, showed her pictures, and told her stories, which could determine her par-entage.

“Kasi malalaman o mararam-daman mo naman kung medyo may basehan o wala. Ito kasi ay nagkataon lang na pumunta ako sa Iloilo para sa isang imbestigasyon at lumapit sa akin. Nagpakita ng li-trato at nag-kuwento. Ewan ko, pa-

rang sabi ko ay ba’t naman hindi? So subukan natin,” she said.

A positive DNA match could establish Poe as a natural-born Filipino since she was aban-doned in a church in Jaro, Iloilo province, after birth on Sept. 3, 1968.

The senator was adopted by movie actor Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ) and his wife Susan Roces.

Poe is facing four disqualifica-tion cases against her before the Commission on Elections (Comelec). Two divisions have already granted motions cancel-ing her certificate of candidacy on the grounds of her allegedly questionable citizenship and her supposed failure to satisfy the 10-year residency requirement for the presidency.

by nestOr COrrAlesInquirer.net

Pres. Benigno Aquino III

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OpiniOn Features

ManilaTimes.net photo

“THE success of Donald Trump has so defied the conventional wisdom of political punditry that a new genre of analysis has come into being. Call it Trumpology. It consists of reaching for exotic explanations from surprising sources. For example, Barton Swaim, who wrote ‘The Speech-writer: A Brief Education In Poli-tics,’ hears magic in the Donald’s diction. Think word order. Think timing.”

Thus did American broadcast journalist Robert Siegel kick off a panel discussion on the mys-tique of Republican presidential aspirant and real estate mogul, Donald Trump, who currently leads the pack in the process of selecting the official GOP candi-date in next year’s US presiden-tial elections.

Participating in the discus-sion were PR specialist Mark McKinnon, vice-chair of Hill & Knowlton; political speech writer Barton Swaim; Scott Adams, the creator and cartoonist of Dilbert; and Rosalind Wiseman, a promi-nent parenting educator and au-thor.

The opinions came from left field, right field and center field, to use baseball idiom, but they all

Duterte, Trump, Hitler and Nardong Putik

GreG B. MacaBenta

Street Talk

DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to stop crime and corruption if elected president of the Philippines in 2016. It seems that he will stop at nothing to get there. The no-nonsense presiden-tial aspirant is on a mean streak lately and has been engaging his rivals in a political mudslinging.

Menacing

His first target was Sen. Grace Poe, who is currently facing disqual-ification cases over her residency and citizenship status. Duterte said he was convinced to submit his bid for the presidency because he does not want an American to be the country’s next president.

“The president should be a Filipino,” Duterte said.

Poe’s camp maintained the senator is a natural-born Filipino and that the Senate Electoral Tri-bunal (SET’s) favorable decision on the senator’s eligibility, rendered justice to Poe and all other foundlings. “In a democracy, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. We respect Mayor Duterte and we respect his opinion. But to reiterate, Sen-ator Poe is a natural-born Filipino. International laws and covenants substantiate this fact,” Poe’s spokesman, Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian said.

However, Poe’s candidacy remains in limbo af-ter the Commission on Election (Comelec’s) First and Second Divisions disqualified her from the presidential race due to citizenship and residency issues. The Supreme Court will review and give the final verdict on the cases.

On Sunday, Dec. 13, Duterte lashed back at the Liberal Party’s standard bearer, former Interior

Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and accused him falsely of graduat-ing from the prestigious University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

“I would like to ask the presiden-tiable [Roxas], you claim to have graduated from Wharton School of Economics, that is a myth. You did not graduate from Wharton School of Eco-nomics, Mr. Roxas,” Duterte said. Roxas present-ed his Wharton credentials, but Duterte remained adamant and said they were fabricated.

According to the university’s website, Roxas graduated with a Bachelor of Science in eco-nomics from the Wharton School in 1979 and is listed as one the institution’s notable alumni, which also include Donald Trump and Warren Buffett.

The word-war sparked when Roxas claimed that Davao City’s peace and order is a myth. Davao City was recently ranked the fourth saf-est place in the world by Numbeo.com, and the country’s most child-friendly based on a govern-ment ranking.

With neither one backing down on proving their claims, Duterte dared Roxas in a slapping match, while Roxas insisted a fistfight. The heated ex-change ended with Duterte challenging Roxas to a gun duel, saying he is not afraid of anything.

Editorial

While recent poll results are in his favor, Duterte should be reminded that there is a multitude of ills in the country that deserve more attention. Rather than trading barbs with his competition, he should elaborate on his platform instead to en-gage more voters to cast his name on the ballot next year.

Filipinos have unenthusiastic assessments on the socio-political situation in the country. As spectators to this current political drama, they owe it to themselves to think objectively and look at facts instead of having prejudices and biases. With the presidency on the line, civic participation is encouraged now more than ever. (AJPress)

Sara Solivende GuzMan

As A MatterOf Fact The Presidentiables

THE candidates for the 2016 Presidential race are all ready to rumble. The top contenders are Mar Roxas, Jejomar Binay, Grace Poe, Miriam Santiago and Rodrigo Duterte.

Mar Roxas is from the Liberal Party. He was the former DILG head and part of the hierar-chy of the current administra-tion. He is remembered with the Zamboanga Siege, Yolanda disaster recovery, and police operational integrity. He was the uninformed DILG head that resulted in the SAF44 massacre and rebuked for his lack of ac-tion in the Lumad killings and abuse and the many more con-flicting scenarios and decisions in the Daang Matuwid program of the president.

Jejomar Binay from United Nationalist Alliance and current Vice President, inundated with drastic plunder and corruption issues while being Mayor of

Makati and issues on ill-gotten wealth. Most of his outputs as Vice President is said to give aid to the selected needy with no significant infrastructure changes or development.

Grace Poe from heading the MTRCB to becoming a senator, possibly disqualified by Com-elec for issues about her resi-dency status. She was recently elected as sitting member of the Senate with really no significant achievements that addresses the needs of the nation.

Miriam Santiago current sitting member of the Senate with quite a fiery reputation. Her background previously is judicial based and as Sena-tor is quite pedantic when it comes to judiciary matters. Is she fit enough to address all the reforms to change the cur-rent machinery of government? Outside judiciary matters, does she have the skills to negotiate, compromise and devise needed reforms? What about her health issues? Is she physically fit to lead the country?

Then there is Rodrigo Duterte, current Mayor of Davao. He has

implemented massive reforms in the City of Davao, a satellite template of a safe and produc-tive functional city. He decided to run for president due to the demands and seemingly over-whelming support from citi-zens. He is quite an unorthodox operator with a background in judiciary. He applied stringent reforms in crime and punish-ment, improved infrastructure in the LGU level with success in functionality. Will his boldness, roughness and revolutionary ap-proach effect change? Will the people accept his coarseness?

Who amongst these finalists should lead the country? What are they made of? Are they made of sugar and spice and ev-erything nice? Are their prom-ises of a paradise land merely a lip service to the people?

What kind of leader do we need? In choosing a leader one must look into the very core of his/her existence: family back-ground and moral values, his growing up years that best show the character of the per-son he will become, his career that will exemplify his ability

appear to arrive at the same con-clusion: Trump represents the “anger” of American voters.

This has been exacerbated by the recent terrorist attacks, such as the one in Paris, which have made Americans feel vulnerable. The more impressionable are pining for a personification of Dirty Harry who will “make their day” by eliminating the threats to their security. Like a typical used car salesman, Trump has vowed to do that and a whole lot more.

We are witnessing a similar phenomenon in the person of former Davao City Mayor Rodri-go Duterte, said to be leading in the recent public opinions polls among presidential aspirants.

Duterte’s promises are the kind that could come from the mouth of Clint Eastwood as the San Francisco cop who fought crime by being a criminal him-self – to the cheers of the movie audience. If elected president, Duterte would give the funeral parlors a windfall by liquidating drug dealers and assorted crimi-nals. He would literally make the Philippines peaceful by making them rest in peace.

Duterte is foul-mouthed, lac-ing his public remarks with vul-

gar invectives. But that simply marks him as an over-aged juvenile. What makes him par-ticularly dan-gerous is his obsession with extra-judicial killings as a short cut to peace and order.

Like Trump, Duterte is exploit-ing the frustration of the Fili-pino people over everything that seems to be going wrong in the country, and the seeming incom-petence and cluelessness of the current administration. And like Trump, Duterte has one simple solution. Get rid of the crooks, the criminals, the incompetents and everyone who gets in the way of Duterte’s vision of a pro-gressive Philippines.

Apparently, Duterte considers the Law an obstacle to achieving peace and order. He may even suggest to the courts that the best way to clear the backlog of cases is to “shoot the suspects dead.” He hasn’t said it yet but Duterte, as president, may decide to con-vert the Philippine National Po-lice into the Philippine National Death Squad.

It’s classic used car sales-man talk and macho bluster, but even sup-posedly intel-ligent Metro Manilans are buying it. Of

course, it also helps that the campaign team of Duterte and vice-presidential hopeful, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, has some hotshot communicators and cre-ative minds – with skills that can make black look white and bad sound good.

Duterte’s fans do not seem to care that Duterte’s reputed suc-cess as mayor of Davao does not necessarily qualify him to lead a country of over a hundred million people, the majority of whom are wallowing in poverty – and a large percentage of whom may be on the verge of turning to criminality in order to survive (would Duterte liquidate all of them?).

A Duterte fan enumerated on FaceBook what he described as “Ten P—Inang Achievements of Duterte in Davao.” The list consisted of ordinances covering smoking in public places, public

intoxication, peace and order, using the karaoke after hours, vendors taking over sidewalks, etc. Aside from the incremental benefits created by these ordi-nances, nothing was said about job generation, the economy, foreign affairs, national defense, social welfare, health care, edu-cation and similar urgent nation-al needs. But this simple-minded Duterte fan appears convinced that his favorite local executive is ready for prime time.

Concerning peace and order, his fans do not seem to realize that Duterte’s promise to sum-marily liquidate criminals could one day see their own relatives and loved ones – even them-selves – at the point of a gun, on mere suspicion.

Duterte has publicly boasted that he personally killed crimi-nal suspects, including setting one on fire – and to hell with due process (it makes you wonder if Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales has been sleeping on the job or has not been reading the postings on social media – otherwise, shouldn’t she go after Duterte with her usual hammer and tongs?).

Now, where do Nardong Putik

and Adolph Hitler come in?I happen to have written the

screenplay of the film about that notorious Cavite bandit for Ramon Revilla. To say that his acting career was washed up at the time would be an understate-ment. But Revilla saw a chance to resurrect it by starring in a biopic on Putik.

His gamble hit the jackpot. Nardong Putik, the movie, was the biggest boxoffice hit that year, in spite of opening in the middle of a raging typhoon and floods in Metro Manila. But what followed next will give you an idea of how our people tend to confuse screen heroes with their perception of a real life knight in shining armor.

Encouraged by the box office success of his movie, as well as his subsequent films, Revilla ran for senator. He lost because he made the mistake of using his real name, Jose Bautista, in his Certificate of Candidacy. In the succeeding senatorial election, he ran again, this time as Ramon Revilla. He won. And not only that, he bred a new political dy-nasty in Cavite, with family mem-bers winning provincial posts and

and skills to lead and his socio-civic works and advocacies that will show his compassion for those in need.

We must keep in mind that we are not choosing a person who will lead a small group or an islet. We should build on the idea that this person will lead a nation – a nation currently in distress. This leader must have the ability to look at the bigger picture, the problems our coun-trymen face, the struggle of our development and the continued search of our identity as a peo-ple and as one nation.

It is not a joke to become a leader. There are many issues confronting a new leader. How-ever, if he or she has the purest heart, the sincerity, the desire to work, the compassion and the passion to get us back on our feet, then, we can make it. But these virtues are not enough. A good leader needs the ability to lead, to manage and to get things done. He or she cannot afford to lead with limited vi-sion, with shallow ideas and the lack of discernment. A leader cannot afford to be too bold or too meek. There must always be a balance of power.

Our country is an archipel-

ago made up of 7,107 islands. We have more than 100 ethnic groups with different dialects, nineteen languages and several religions (with the majority be-ing Roman Catholic). We have 18 regions, 81 provinces, 144 cities and 42,029 barangays.

As a country that lies in the Pa-cific Ring of Fire near the equa-tor in the forefront of Southeast Asia meeting the Pacific Ocean, we are clearly prone to ma-jor typhoons, earthquakes and other natural calamities. We are also surrounded by the different Southeast Asian islands which put our maritime security at a greater risk.

The political and socio-eco-nomic situation of the coun-try remains the same. Poverty, unemployment, and crime still abound. Traffic has gone from worse to worst. Corruption, al-beit curtailed by the present administration (as P-Noy would like to believe) will still be the main factor that will cause our misery and agony and hinder the progress of the nation.

Our current machinery of government is quite ineffective in all aspects of governance. Comments and words are used only for speeches with no effec-

tive outcome. You could even classify our country in a lawless category with the Laws of the Land so ineffectively written, making it easy for the lawyers to find loopholes in the whole Judiciary System.

All the government depart-ments are inefficiently run, put-ting to waste the much needed funds to provide proper services to the people. Added to this are the plunder, corruption and continuous questionable ac-tivities of our leaders that have gone wayward in victimizing the people in illegal acts like the “Tanim Bala” conspiracy. It took the government a long time to act. Even our prison system sucks. Criminals run their ille-gal businesses from prison and continue to destroy lives even in confinement.

At the end of the day we need to lower the 80% in the poverty line and the 40% workers living in illegal settlements. Reforms must be implemented by gov-ernment to better their living status and target them to be-come middle income earners. Just remember, an increased buying capacity of the workers is a massive increase in econom-

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(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com A�LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • dEcEmbER 17-23, 2015

Dateline PhiliPPines

Bongbong urges voters: Don’t elect candidates who disunite peopleby Rosette Adel

Philstar.com

The Presidentiablesic growth. This cannot however happen with the employment abuse of 3 to 6 months contrac-tual system we currently have in place. People cannot plan their careers as there is no stability of employment. Furthermore, the fees for employment require-ments for credible personal information such as renewal of IDs and security clearance are netting the government billions of pesos per year. This is taken from the people struggling to survive. This in itself is a hu-man right issue that no one ever bothered to attend to.

So now, we are at the brink of another presidential elec-tion. Will these presidentiables be able to produce the changes through proactive reforms to improve government service? Will they be able to address the problems of the nation?

As voters we have the duty to choose who is best for our na-tion. We must not base our de-cision on popularity. We must take time to look deeper into each individual candidate’s abil-ity to organize and plan to pro-duce the needed result. Listen to what they have to say about current issues and problems facing the country. Choosing the right leader may bring that efficient administrative infra-structure, thus, forming a totally functional machinery of govern-ment. (Philstar.com)

Duterte, Trump, Hitler and...his son, Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr., taking his seat in the Senate.

I could have used former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada as an example of the confused perceptions among our people, but the analogy of Nardong Putik, a killer, is more akin to the macho persona that Duterte has donned. Erap is re-garded more as a womanizer and, in this department, Duterte’s boast that he has two wives and two girl friends pales in compari-son. Erap is smooth. Duterte is crude.

And what about Adolph Hit-ler? Isn’t comparing Duterte with Hitler like matching the neigh-borhood basketball team with an NBA franchise?

That may be the case, but the fascination with Duterte is grounded on the same sense of frustration and hopelessness that catapulted Hitler and the Nazi Party to a position of leadership in Germany.

An online write-up entitled, “Why was Hitler’s Nazi party so appealing to Germans in the 1930’s?”, is very instructive:

“The 30s was in the great de-pression and the monarchy (was) seen to do nothing to alleviate the problems of no money and short food supply. The Nazi party offered nationalisation and work, building the autobahns and other national projects, giving Germans a sense of self achieve-ment by completing such major constructions…The Nazi party preyed on the sense of German pride in their self-achievement, using a charismatic Hitler to tell them how good and how much better than the rest of the world the Germans were. And since the party had done such a great job of ending the depression, then maybe, just maybe, it would be better for the whole world if they too were helped by the Ger-mans, ruling them for their ‘own good.’… Of course this was taken a little too far and the party was ruled by idiots, insane people and complete lunatics and mega-lomania (sic). In ‘39 when all the trouble started, the people went along for the ride, only to realise very shortly that they were on an unstoppable avalanche to hell.”

And as history tells us, it was hell, not just for six million Jews, but for all of Europe.

On social media, I cited the example of Hitler in an exchange of opinions about Duterte with some friends. Responded one of them, an advertising man, “If Duterte’s Jews are the rich, he’s my dude.”

I wouldn’t describe my friend as irresponsible. I think he is just getting carried away by the Nardong Putik, Trump and Hit-ler syndrome. I hope he realizes this before it’s too late (or his rich clients hear about it). (gregmaca-benta@hotmail.com)

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MANILA—Vice presiden-tial candidate, Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., urged the electorate not to vote politi-cians who disunite people in the upcoming elections.

Marcos said the efforts to move the country forward failed since there is an excessive par-

tisan politics manipulated by those who hold power.

He said the solutions to prob-lems are already available, but the government officials them-selves are divided so the solu-tions are not properly carried out.

“Ask yourself if this or that candidate is for unity. If not, then don’t vote for him or her. We can’t have stability if the

government is filled with politi-cians who divide the people for the sake of politics or their own personal agenda or gain,” Mar-cos said in a statement.

Marcos lamented that Filipi-nos are hindered by too much politicking of government of-ficials promoting their interests and the interests of their party mates, friends, close associates and relatives.

“The Filipino people are in-dustrious, honest, and resilient that’s why our OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) are preferred by foreign employers over other nationalities. Magagaling tayong mga Pilipino pero bakit mahirap ang ating sitwasyon?” Marcos said.

“The drug problem is alarm-ing; corruption persists; prices are high; crime is rampant;

unemployment rate is high; agri-culture is neglected; the housing program is a failure; traffic in Metro Manila is a big mess; the educational system is not at par with our neighboring countries. We know the solutions to these but we can only solve them if we are united as Filipinos and the first and paramount job of the government is to unite us all,” he added.

Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said the electorate shall reject those candidates that divide the people in the 2016 polls.

december 17-23, 2015 • LAS VeGAS ASIAN JOUrNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678A�

seafood cityfpfc

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • dEcEmbER 17-23, 2015 B�

VEGAS&STYLEJournal

By AJPress

What’s on a Filipino Table on Christmas Eve?Kumain ka na ba? (Have you

eaten?)in the Philippines, asking this

question is tantamount to saying Hi or Hello to somebody. Filipinos love to eat, and the smart phones and social media have only helped in proving that. if in the past people would gather and pray before a meal, now they transform into foodies searching for that perfect angle of any food served in front of them before taking a snapshot.

although times have changed, what can be seen on a Filipino table during noche buena or on Christ-mas Eve has practically remained the same. after hearing the mass

and completing the Simbang Gabi for some, the entire family gathers around the table like the knights of King arthur, all in preparation for a palatable battle.

While dining customs in the Philippines do not usually adhere to the appetizer-entrée-dessert format of the West, we have orga-nized the following Filipino Christ-mas foods to fit the menu of our kababayans abroad, particularly those second and third genera-tions of Pinoys who grew up in the united States.

Appetizer• Castañas – These are, simply,

roasted chestnuts. The smell of these shelled delicacies is enough to give any Pinoy that Christ-

mas feeling associated with the malamig na simoy ng hangin. For some, the essence of eating the castañas is in the peeling, so savor that moment.

• macaroni Salad – a small serving of this chilled pasta de-light is enough to tickle those taste buds and ready them for the bigger treats ahead. Just be sure not to consume too much of this as it might ruin your appetite and lose interest in other Christmas cuisines.

• Keso de Bola – Literally, a ball of cheese. This is actually an Edam or a semi-hard cheese that originated in the netherlands. This can be paired with any wine of your choice or eaten together with the

Christmas ham.Entrée• Hamon – The Christmas ham

(hamon for most Pinoys) is con-sidered the star and center of the table. Every grocery store is filled with boxes of this cured meat, made in different sizes, shapes, and types. But a typical ham must always, always, have a special sauce poured on top of it.

• Lechon – This roasted pig that usually comes with a red, succulent apple in its mouth is never absent in any special occasion being cel-ebrated by Filipinos, so it’s only natural that this meat be served alongside other “sinful” food served on the Christmas table.

Bibingka Photos courtesy of Balikbayan Magazine

Keso de Bola Fruit cake

‘Tis the season of giving: Alternative gift suggestions for this holiday

By MAlou liwAnAg-Bledsoe AJPress

WE all have to admit that we are all once guilty of recycling gifts. although it may seem like we have lots of choices, in the end we tend to give the same kind of presents to our family and friends every year. Shop-ping malls have many things to offer, but with the holiday rush, we might just end up being frustrated with long lines at the counter and crazy crowds who are also trying to do their last minute shopping.

This year, the Asian Journal has a short—but sensible and memorable—list of alternative gifts that you can give to your loved ones.

The gift of knowledgeOne of the best times to spend

the cold nights is to have a cup of hot cocoa, sit on your favor-ite chair and read. aside from the usual bestsellers you can find in mainstream bookstores, arkipelago, The Filipino Book-store recommends the following

books:A Taste of the Philippines by

Ghillie Basan and Vilma LausClassic Filipino recipes made

easy, with 70 authentic tradi-tional dishes shown step by step in more than 400 beautiful photographs.

(iSBn 978-1-844760949-0, 180 pages, paperback with flap cover, uS$19.99)

From Our Table to Yours: A

Collection of Filipino Heirloom Recipes & Family Memories by Angelo Comsti

Treasured recipes handed down from generation to gen-eration.

(iSBn 978-981-4398-56-5, 150 pages, paperback with flap cover, uS$28.00)

Four Sparrows: A Tale of Race and Survival in the Cali-

Arkipelago books

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Saucy is back.McRib®

$1 for a second McRib sandwichwhen you buy a McRib Extra Value Meal®.

Limited time only. Prices and participation may vary. Price of required purchase on menuboard.Dr. Pepper is a registered trademark of Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc. © 2015 Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc. ©2015 McDonald’s

december 17-23, 2015 • LAS VeGAS ASIAN JOUrNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678B� Features

The innkeeper’s untold storyBy Monette AdevA MAglAyA

[The following original story is a work of fiction meant as a Christmas gift to Asian Journal readers and everyone else who loves the story of the birth of Je-sus Christ. Its basis is the Nativity Story from the Gospel of Luke.

A Blessed and Merry Christ-mas to those on whom God’s favor rests!]

Joshua was excited with his new job at the inn. It sure beats having to herd sheep this time of the year when the cold nights chilled his bones on the hillside pasture where he tended his family’s small flock of sheep and cattle. The job fell to his younger brother.

Jacob, the owner of the inn, was his father’s friend. He had asked if Joshua could help him mind the inn for a period of time as he and his wife will be going on a long journey. Jacob liked and trusted Joshua like the son he never had. The young man was a good worker who quickly learned the ropes of the business.

Not long after, Jacob and his wife left for their journey to the town north of the country where they were born many miles away to comply with the Roman emperor Augustus’ decree that everyone be counted for the census. This is to determine the tax that can be collected

The king to rule all kings from the line of King David was to be born very soon within the kingdom. Micah, another prophet, had foretold that Bethlehem is the place where it will happen.

Though fearful, the soothsay-ers had to tell Herod. It was no wonder the ruthless king who had ruled Judea for 30 years was in a vicious mood. He brooked no opposition to his reign. He had three sons he named after himself as heirs to the throne to continue his line of succession. He would remove all threats by all means fair or foul. It was bad enough he had to bow to the superior might of the Roman conquerors who had allowed him to be king in this corner of the empire.

Just as Joshua was about to lock up for the night, a couple came in. The man, visibly tired and leaning on his staff with one hand, was supporting the woman with his other hand. She was heavy with child. The woman looked to be in some pain. Still, Joshua noted there was a stately calm, grace and beauty about her. The man asked Joshua for a room and told him his wife was about to give birth. He said the other inns turned them away because there was no room for them. Alas, the last room has been let and Joshua told him so. The man’s face fell and his shoulders sagged.

for the empire’s coffers. Few, if any, dared disobey the Roman conquerors.

The inn was busy. People for miles around were on the move, with many going back to their own hometowns. Joshua guessed that the few other inns in town were also humming with the brisk business brought by over-night travelers in their otherwise sleepy town. He was tired, yet he felt pretty proud of the work he was doing.

Today, just before sundown, he had filled the 12 modestly furnished rooms with tired and hungry travellers. He thought of meeting up with his shepherd friends in the pasture once he had turned over the inn’s affairs to the night attendant. He had heard his friends on night watch talk about an unusually bright star that has been moving slowly in the heavens for many nights now. They said it was a spectacle to behold and he wanted to see it for himself.

The gossip buzzing around Jerusalem was that the soothsay-ers studying the heavens in King Herod’s palace were cowering in fear. They were loath to face the wrath of the vengeful king if they told him the meaning of the star. The seers felt sure something earth-shaking was going to hap-pen. The time has come for a prophecy foretold in ages past by the prophet Isaiah to be fulfilled.

� Illustration�by�James�Christer�Francisco�and�Allana�Santos

Joshua glanced at the woman and his heart was filled with pity. He thought of his own home for them to stay for the night, but it was some distance away and it looked like the woman was about to give birth at any moment. Joshua had seen his own mother when she was heavy with child and he had helped his father deliver some of his broth-ers himself.

“Maybe, I have something for you. It’s not much, but it would get you through this cold night, at least,” he told them. “Come with me.”

Joshua gathered some blan-kets quickly. He gave instructions to the attendant to heat water. He then gathered food and other provisions. He moved in haste leading the couple to an empty stable a few yards at the back of the inn.

Earlier in the day before the sun was up, he took to clearing the stable himself. He didn’t know why he did it. But now he was glad he did so. He thought

the squalid stable with its walls and roof would shield this poor couple from the chilly night as the woman delivered her child.

Joshua gave the man the blan-kets, the warm water and some extra oil for the lamp to burn

Pork Belly Adobo TacosTHE Pork Belly Adobo Tacos, is served by Chef King Phojanakong

at Tito King’s Kitchen at Jimmy’s 43 in the East Village. It can be served as a merienda while waiting for the Noche Buena or an appe-tizer. “It’s not traditional but it looks, tastes and feels like Christmas,” Chef King said.

Ingredients• 2 pieces Pork Belly, 1¾”-2”

thick• 6 Garlic Cloves, crushed• ½ tsp Black Peppercorns,

whole• 1 Bay Leaf• ½ cup Vinegar, rice wine• 3 oz. Soy Sauce• ½ cupWater• 6 oz. Rice Vinegar• 1 tablespoon Salt• 3 oz. Sugar• 1 cup Red Onions, thinly

sliced• 10 Corn Tortillas, 4-5”• Your favorite salsa, to taste

Method1. Combine all ingredients

(pork belly-water) and let stand for at least ½ hour. If necessary, add more liquids to cover.

2. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and then cover and braise for 1 hour or until tender.

3. Remove from braising liquid and hold.

4. In a pot, combine the vin-egar, salt and sugar . Heat to dissolve the salt and sugar.

5. Remove from heat, cool slightly and add to onions.

6. For pickup, grill or saute the pork bellies until caramalized and

Yield: Serves 4-6

Crème Caramel LA CRèME Caramel LA is Los

Angeles’ neighborhood bakery and sweet shop. With a variety of goods, including French and Filipino-inspired crème caramels, bread puddings, upside-down pies, and savory bites, this is your one-stop bakery for custards and

confection desserts.The co-owner, Fil-Am Kristine

de la Cruz, attended California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, where she studied busi-ness marketing and soon realized her passion for the food industry. She began making custard des-

Kristine�de�la�Cruz

serts, incorporating her family’s special leche flan recipe as well as Filipino ingredients such as Ube and Buko Pandan.

She along with boyfriend Sean Gilleland started their business in 2010, from humble roots in farmer’s markets, pop-up events, etcetera; and eventually opened their store in Sherman Oaks in 2013. Since then, the success of Crème Caramel LA has been tre-mendous; with diverse Angelenos, Filipinos, and tourists from every which way coming to visit.

The bakery also helps other food artisans, incorporating lo-cally-made products into some recipes. Crème Caramel LA has been featured all over Southern California, from Coachella to the Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture, and was also recognized by LA Mayor Eric Garcetti as an Outstanding Small Business in 2014.

Bûche de Noêl (Yule Log) using Brazo de Mercedes

THIS holiday make a Filipino inspired Yule Log or Bûche de noêl using Brazo de Mercedes based on a recipe courtesy of Créme Cara-mel. Decorate with toasted coconut, meringue mushrooms, cranberry/rosemary “holly” and you have a sweet and festive treat for your family to enjoy and admire.

Ingredients• 10 Egg whites • 1 Tsp cream of tartar • 1 Cup superfine sugar (process granulated sugar for 5 minutes in a food processor), sifted• Powdered suar• Half sheet baking pan (12” x 18”)• Baking spray• Parchment paperMethodPreheat oven 350 degrees f1. Spray baking sheet with oil

and line with parchment 2. Beat eggs and cream of tartar

at low speed until foam forms, slowly add sugar in and mix until stick peaks form.

3. Spread egg mixture evenly on sheet.

What’s on a Filipino Table on...• Relleno – A special dish that

is quite hard to prepare, this is a stuffed cuisine usually made with either a fish (a bangus or milkfish) or a chicken. Put this in any din-ing experience and automatically it turns any meal into something extra special.

• Paella – This is another meal that is difficult to prepare. Thanks to the Spanish colonizers, Filipinos learned to cook rice in a special way, what with all the rich ingredi-ents mixed altogether to bring that exquisite blend, not to mention that it connoted wealth for some families.

Dessert• Leche Flan – Another Span-

ish-influenced food, this dessert is more commonly known by outsid-ers as crème caramel or caramel custard. The heavenly sweetness and awesome creaminess of the leche flan makes one ask for more and more... and more.

• Halaya – A Filipino dessert made of purple yam, many call it as simply ube. Westerners are probably more familiar with the

Japanese taro. Well, this is its close relative, and the taste is relatively the same—sweet, creamy, and extremely satisfying.

• Fruit Salad – In the Philip-pines, a fruit salad is a mix of all-purpose cream, condensed milk, and tropical fruits easily both in tin cans and is usually called fruit cocktail. To make it special, some add coconut meat shreds, nata de coco, kaong, and cherries.

Drinks• Tsokolate – Hot chocolate is a

Filipino favorite during Christmas Eve. A local recipe is called tablea, which is Spanish for tablet. It is hard chocolate melted into perfect viscosity and mixed using a tool called batirol, which is believed to bring out the flavor of the cocoa.

• Salabat – This is ginger tea, a strong brew that many Filipinos believe can help in soothing any throat malady and improve one’s singing voice. It is usually given free of charge when you buy puto bumbong or bibingka.

Breakfast/Snacks• Puto Bumbong – Usually

eaten after the Simbang Gabi, this

is a deep purple, seasonal rice cake made from galapong or sticky rice. The flour mixture is placed in a tube of bamboo or bumbong and cooked through steam. It is then served with margarine, sugar, and sesame seeds.

• Bibingka – A close friend of the puto bumbong, this rice cake is yellowish orange in color and is cooked using an improvised oven—two clay pots filled with burning charcoals. A special bib-ingka is one that is “baked” with cheese and itlog na pula or salted egg.

PAGE B1

Christmas�ham Puto�bumbong

4. Use a fork to score a design on the surface of the egg mixture and place in 350 degree oven – 18-20 minutes, remove and cool.

5. Sprinkle powdered sugar onto the top of the meringue and turn pan upside down onto a clean parchment.

FillingIngredients• 10 Egg yolks, beaten • 14 oz condensed milk • 2 Tsp ube extract • Sauce pot

• Heat resistant spatulaMethod1. Stir all ingredients until com-

bined and boil over medium high heat on the stove, continue to stir until thick spreadable paste.

2. Cool paste before spreading gently onto meringue. Gently roll cake using the parchment to help guide and cool in refrigerator for 2 hours.

3. Decorate with toasted co-conut, meringue toadstools, and cranberry/rosemary “holly.”

heated through and slice.7. Brush the tortillas with soy-

bean oil and grill to warm.8. Assemble the taco with

your favorite salsa, pork belly and the pickled red onions.

PAGE B3

Pork Belly Adobo Tacos, Pickled Red Onions and “Ginger Scallion Noodles” Photo courtesy of Chef King Phojanakong at Tito King’s Kitchen

Yule Log or Bûche de Noêl using Brazo de Mercedes. AJPress photos by Allyson Escobar

Hot�chocolate

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • dEcEmbER 17-23, 2015 B�EntErtainmEnt

BB-8 ANA jet model aircraft on the red carpet at the world premiere of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’

THE cast of Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” hit the red carpet for the film’s global pre-miere on Monday, Dec. 14 in Hol-

lywood. The cast and crew pose with one of the most talked about stars of the movie, BB-8—in the form of a jet plane. The aircraft is

a scale model of the real BB-8 ANA JET that was announced earlier in the year alongside an R2-D2 ANA JET and Star Wars ANA JET.

Actor Harrison Ford signs the BB-8™ ANA JET model aircraft on the red carpet at the World Premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on Monday, Dec. 14 in Hollywood, California.

Actors John Boyega and Carrie Fisher pose in front of a scale model of the BB-8 ANA JET.

Actress Daisy Ridley (right) with an ANA flight attendant in front of the BB-8™ ANA JET model aircraft.

The innkeeper’s untold storythrough the night. He set up a makeshift table for the bread, fish and wine and lit the lamp in one corner. Joshua helped the man make his wife comfortable. He could see the birth pangs seem to be stronger now. Beads of sweat lined the woman’s brow. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to meet up with his friends tonight. He was needed here for the long night ahead.

Just before he decided to go back to the inn to fetch a few more things, he said to them, “I’m Joshua. Let me know if you need anything else.” The man replied, “I’m Joseph and this is Mary. Thank you, Joshua. You have done more than you can possibly know. The Lord’s light burns brightly in you.” Mary looked up at Joshua and smiled through her pain. For as long as he lived, Joshua will never forget that smile.

Mary’s child was born that night. Joshua could not remem-ber a night more filled with won-der, mystery and myriad points of light.

He remembered Mary wrap-ping her child lovingly in swad-dling clothes and placing the child in a manger. The child was bathed in light. The entire stable was aglow. A sweet heav-enly fragrance wafted through the air. It seemed the heavens

were opened, the stars shone brighter and the world stood still that night.

Strains of celestial music can be heard from a choir of angels above the stable. An angel was heard praising God saying,

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Joshua’s shepherd friends came to visit the child. How could they have known? In hushed whispers, his friends said that an angel told them about the good news of great joy. Heavenly be-ings guided them to the stable. Filled with awe, their hearts bursting with joy they themselves could not understand, they knelt before the child who was to be king.

Later on that night, three foreign men garbed in royal splendor and bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh came to pay the child homage. They had been travelling from afar, following the bright star hovering about the heavens for many nights leading them to that dusty town called Bethle-hem. The men recounted how they had studied scripture and spent much of their lives watch-ing the heavens, waiting for this greatest of prophecies to be fulfilled. The fullness of time had come on that very night in a lowly stable.

Years later in his old age, the memory of that night still stayed with Joshua. He had remained the innkeeper. Joshua met many people who travelled the hill country. He had become privy to many untold stories he kept hidden in his heart. One of the people he met was a man called Luke with whom he had struck a friendship. He was a physician who stayed as a guest quite a few times at the inn. He was differ-ent from the others. Thoughtful, gentle and quiet as though on a mission, Luke was always writ-ing on scrolls of parchment in his room.

Joshua was nearing the end of his life. He did not want the memory of that glorious night to be forgotten when he died. He opened up to Luke. As he re-counted the story, Joshua care-fully removed himself from the narrative. He meant for his tiny part to be left untold through the ages -- it was to be between him and God alone.

The light of that bright night burned in his soul forever. He could not have known he was one of the few favored to witness the unfolding of the greatest mystery of God’s love for men on earth.

* * *Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya

is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

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Spotted: Anthony Bourdain at Carlos Celdran’s apartmentMANILA—Celebrity chef

Anthony Bourdain is literally everywhere in Manila - From Jollibee to Malate and now at Carlos Celdran’s apartment.

On Monday, December 14, Celdran snapped a photo of him and posted it on Facebook, with a caption: “Oh wow. Look who wandered into my apart-ment. S**t. Do I have beer?”

Celdran did not disclose why Bourdain is in his apart-ment, however he joked in the comments section, “Vote for Mar and Anthony Bourdain will visit each and every one of you. :o)”

Bourdain first came in the country in 2008 for his show, “No Reservation” and last Sep-tember he announced that he will return to the Philippines to shoot an episode of his CNN show, “Parts Unknown.”

On Saturday, Dec. 12, his

Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain is literally everywhere in Manila - From Jollibee to Malate and now at Carlos Celdran’s apartment. Facebook/Carlos Celdran

arrival spurred social media frenzy, with netizens posting

photos of him wherever he is spotted. (Philstar.com)

december 17-23, 2015 • LAS VeGAS ASIAN JOUrNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678B� PeoPle and events

First in Nevada: LV Surgery Center debuts full spectrum endoscopy in Southern NevadaLas Vegas—as the first

free-standing endoscopy center to open in Clark County since 2008, LV surgery Center now offers the most advanced, flex-ible gI endoscope to increase the find rate of adenomas during colonoscopies.

With the grand opening, LV surgery Center will introduce advanced technology to the com-munity. Dr. Noel Fajardo and Dr. Filippo Cremonini are the first gastroenterologists in southern Nevada to offer the endochoice Fuse. The Fuse uses three small cameras at the tip of a flexible gI endoscope; this provides a 330 degree panoramic view, as op-posed to the 170 degree field of image capture from a traditional

endoscope. This gastroscope has been shown to be 69 per-cent more effective at detecting adenomas and polyps (benign tumors in epithelial tissue) than a traditional endoscope.

On Oct. 1, 2008, The Nevada state Health Division enacted permanent regulations for ambu-latory surgery centers to tackle issues with disinfection and ster-ilization that led to a Hepatitis C outbreak and Hepatitis scare amongst southern Nevadans. as the first free-standing endoscopy center to open under new Ne-vada Public Health regulations, LV surgery Center will strictly adhere to regulatory compliance and safety measures for south-ern Nevada patients.

“Making sure that the scopes are sterilized properly and mak-ing sure that the providers only use disposable equipment, we want to assure our patients to feel safe receiving an endoscopy or colonoscopy. My vision at LV surgery Center is to provide services that are not available in other states,” says Dr. Noel Fajardo. “We are proud to en-sure that we are in complete compliance with every regula-tion, allowing us to provide the most advanced procedures and highest quality standard of care.”

LV surgery Center will ac-cept appointments for patients with most PPO insurances, and Medicare.

Dr. Noel Fajardo and Dr. Filippo Cremonini are joined by former Secretary of State of Nevada Ross Miller

aJPress photos by Robert MacabagdalDr. Noel Fajardo

FOR RENT

PSYCHIC

SERVICES

EMPLOYMENT

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • dEcEmbER 17-23, 2015 B�Features

AAG celebrates annual Christmas partyThe Asian American Group

(AAG) held its annual Christmas party on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at For-tune Chinese Restaurant.

Over 300 invited guests at-tended the party and brought gift cards to be to purchase Christmas gifts for over 700 students of Cahlan elemen-tary School. Families have expressed certain gift items for their children, particularly clothing, shoes, books & school

supplies.In line with AAG’s “Unity is

our priority and strength,” the AAG and Mike Vaswani passion for giving back to the commu-nity resonated with the true meaning of Christmas and the holiday season.

Among the special guests who joined the merriment and gift-giving include: Las Vegas Metro Sheriff Joe Lombardo, Capt. Jim Seeboo & Capt. Roxanne

McDavis, Judge Michael Doug-las, Judge Bryce Duckworth, Judge Katherine Delaney, Judge Joanna Kishner, Judge Carolyn ellsworth, Judge Cheryl Moss, Judge Stefany Miley, Judge Mathew harter, Judge ellisa Cadish, Judge Natalie Tyrell, Judge Cynthia Leung, Judge Cynthia Guillani, Judge Bert Brown, Judge Soonhee Bailey, Judge Ann Zimmerman and Judge David Gibson.

AJPress photos by Robert Macabagdal

december 17-23, 2015 • LAS VeGAS ASIAN JOUrNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678B� Features

Atty. RobeRt ReevesDevin M. ConnollynAnCy e. MilleR

Your ImmigrationSolution

Obtaining a green card through employment

A common way to be grant-ed permanent resident status (“Green card”) in the US is through employment. Tempo-rary work visas receive a lot of attention and publicity, but it is also possible for employers to sponsor foreign workers for green cards. This method has become increasingly common in recent years since many people do not have family members that can petition them.

The route to a green card through employment is a multi-step process, and can take any-where from 6 months to 6 years or longer to complete. When seeking permanent resident status through employment, it is obviously required that a foreign-born person have an em-ployer or prospective employer

who is willing to file a petition for them. The petitioner then begins the process by filing a la-bor certification request with US Department of Labor (“DoL”). This filing is a complex, multi-step process.

The first part of having a labor certification request approved is to obtain a prevailing wage determination from the DoL. The determination is based on the job’s duties and responsibili-ties, the minimum qualifications necessary to adequately per-form the job, and the worksite location. The purpose of the prevailing wage determination is to protect the labor market. By requiring that the salary offered is the “market” salary, foreign-born workers are protected from exploitation and the US workers are protected from losing their jobs to immigrants that are being paid only a fraction of a reason-able salary.

The next step is for the em-ployer to conduct proper re-

cruitment for the position by placing advertisements, post-ing notice of the opportunity, etc. This step is essentially the point of the labor certification process – to demonstrate to the DoL that there are no willing, able, qualified, and available US workers for the position. As part of the process, DoL exam-ines the job duties and educa-tion requirements to determine that they are truly necessary for the job offered and that the foreign-born worker is qualified to perform the job. DoL also looks to whether the job is truly open to US workers. As part of that examination DoL compares the job-requirements as stated in the application with the for-eign-born worker’s background to determine that the job duties are not tailored to the alien. DoL also investigates whether there is a family relationship between the employer and the job-seeker.

Following the approval of the

labor certification request, the employer apply for an Immigrant Petition with the US citizen-ship and Immigration Service (“UScIS”). The UScIS will re-view the petition in conjunction with the employer’s required financial documents and the applicable documents regard-ing the alien’s qualifications for the offered position. one major concern is the employer’s abil-ity to pay the prevailing wage. The documentation submitted in support of the petition must be persuasive and convincing. If the supporting documentation does not satisfy cIS’ concerns, it is not required to ask for more or better evidence. It can just deny the request.

If an alien is able to success-fully navigate the foregoing steps, then they are well on their way to acquiring lawful permanent residence status in the US. However, if they are residing in the US, it is critical that they remember that they are

only eligible for an adjustment to permanent resident status if they are maintaining lawful im-migration status at the time their priority date becomes current, or if they are protected by Sec-tion 245(i) of the Immigration and nationality Act. A person is protected by Section 245(i) if a qualifying petition or labor certification was filed for them prior to April 30, 2001. Also, in some instances, a person may be protected based on a qualifying petition or labor certification that was filed for their parents prior to April 30, 2001.

Throughout the US’ history, foreign workers have made significant contributions. The present time is no different as foreign born citizens comprise a large part of the workforce. Despite the large number of im-migrants, though, obtaining a green card through employment is one of the most complex areas of US immigration law. There are many procedural steps that

must be closely followed to suc-cessfully immigrate to the US, and even the slightest mistake can force you to start the process all over from the beginning. For this reason, it is always advisable for aspiring immigrants and their petitioning employers to retain the services of an experienced and knowledgeable attorney who is dedicated solely to the practice of immigration law.

***Atty. Reeves has represented clients in numerous landmark immigration cases that have set new policies regarding INS action and immigrants’ rights. His offices are located in Pasadena, Irvine, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Makati City. Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration @rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com. ***The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case. (Advertising Supplement)

PAGE B1

fornia Gold Rushby Daniel c. RoddickIn 1850, Tomas travels from

the Philippines to strike in rich in the california gold rush as a subconscious way to overcome racial barriers. In his struggle to gain legitimacy he progresses through various stages of racial identity development. He is not alone in this regard. John, an American, has remained in california after the mexican War to police the camps. cath has ar-rived from Ireland to escape her own experience with oppression. Jungdoo, from china, suppress-es a painful past brought on by his own cultural hegemony. All fight for legitimacy in an effort to continue their own way of life, at the risk of not living at all.

( I S B n 9 7 9 - 1 5 0 8 5 1 - 7 8 -9-4, 300 pages, paperback, US$21.95)

Cool Don’t Live Here No More: A Letter to San Fran-cisco by Tony Robles

In cool Don’t Life Here no more, Tony Robles sings the music of the San Francisco Streets—that rhythmic sound that is being lost and that some pretend never existed. Through honest humility and with crisp magic, Tony gifts us the food and

‘Tis the season of giving: Alternative gift...courage of his poetry, a life “tat-tooed on the tongue”. A pensive, penetrating study of the city that is being washed away but whose “smell ain’t never gonna come out.” - Benjamin Bac Sierra, Author of Barrio Bushido

(ISBn 978-1-943209-07-1, 180 pages, paperback, US$16.00)

Legions of Boom: Filipino American Mobile DJ Crews in the San Francisco Bay Area by Oliver Wang

“As a writer and scholar oliver Wang is relentlessly insight-ful and compulsively readable. With Legions of Boom he has created something indispens-able - a singular document of a forgotten yet influential era in West coast hi-hop and dance music, a rare and rich account of protean Asian American cre-ativity, and a subtle, poetic work of ethnography.” - Jeff chang, Author of Who We Be: The col-orization of America

(ISBn 978-0-8223-5890-9, 220 pages, paperback,US$25.95)

To Love as Aswang: Songs, Fragments and Found Objects by Barbara Jane Reyes

The Philippine Aswang is mythic, monstrous creature which has, since colonial times, been associated with female transgression, scapegoating,

and social shaming, known in Tagalog as hiya. In the 21st century, and in diaspora, she manages to endure. Barbara Jane Reyes’ To Love As Aswang, the poet and a circle of Fili-pino American women grapple with what it means to live as a Filipina, or Pinay, in a world that has silenced, dehumanized, and broken the Pinay body. These are poems of Pinay tragedy and perseverance, of reappropriat-ing monstrosity and hiya, sung in polyphony and hissed with forked tongues.

(ISBn 978-0-9763316-8-1, 90 pages, paperback, US$15.95)

The Brothers Luna: Mad-men or Geniuses by Jules Delgallego

Two brothers. one cause. Both willing to die for the freedom of the Philippines from foreign rule. The Brothers Luna is a novel on historical facts intertwined with a compelling story of romance, passion friendship, intrigue, murder and espionage, war and the arts.

(ISBn 978-149-479-126-1,420 pages, paperback, US$21.95)

(Arkipelago Books, The Fili-pino Bookstore is located at 1010 mission Street, San Francisco, cA 94103. For more informa-tion or inquiries, log on to www.

arkipelagobooks.com or call (415) 553-8185.

The gift of health and foodThe holiday is all about food

of course. However, for those who are want to give more than the usual peppermint bark, cook-ies and hot chocolate, why not consider a basket of natural fruit juices and products? SunTropics have a wide array of fruit prod-ucts that you can choose from like their Pure calamansi juice, mango and Soursop, coconut Water and dried fruits. All their products are made with real fruit puree, and definitely, no high fructose syrup is used. Sun-Tropics products are available at all 99 Ranch supermarkets, Sea-food city and costco northern california branches. (Sample gift basket cost is $27).

The gift of Fil-Am historyconsider giving a piece of

Fil-Am history to your family and friends this holiday season by gifting them a DVD copy of the Emmy-nominated documentary, The Delano manongs: Forgotten Heroes of the United Farm Work-ers movement.

As told by director marissa Aroy, the documentary positions the Great Grape Pickers’ Strike as a “last stand” for decent wages and working conditions. The manongs by mid-60s had been tolling in the farmlands and service industries of the

West coast for over 40 years but have been prevented from establishing families or owning property. The Strike, organized by Filipinos involved with the Agricultural Workers organizing committee (AWoc), was seen as a bold move for economic dig-nity. Legendary labor organizer and farmworker Larry Itliong appealed to mexican laborer and leader of the national Farm Workers Association to join the strike, which they won five years later. That the Filipinos who instigated the years-long action found themselves marginalized from this momentous victory is a sad footnote to this chapter of labor history, one that director Aroy seeks to rectify.

DVD copy is only $25 and can be shipped directly to your gift recipients. To order, log on to http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u= b37c4704f1a854fad4a973a6c&id=39e6c2534c.

The gift of compassion As we gather around the table

to give thanks for all our bless-ings, let us not forget that there are people in other parts of the world whose daily struggle is finding food to eat. This season, why not consider donating to a worthy cause whose main goal is to bring noche Buena dinner packs to poor families in the Philippines?

cassie Eng has been working

with the non-profit Project Pearls since was 6 and has become increasingly involved in more projects since then. This sum-mer she did her second Bag of Dreams challenge and delivered 600 backpacks filled with school supplies to the kids of Project Pears. Last year she gave out 300 bags to the Badjao kids in Lucena.

She has opened a fundraising page to be able to donate 167 noche Buena dinner packs to the families (as part of Project Pearls’ 1000 dinner pack goal). A minimum of $10 or PhP 500 donation will feed a family of 6–8 with a meal of spaghetti noodles and sauce, canned meat loaf, bread, champorado (porridge) mix and hot chocolate mix.

cassie has also been selling christmas ornaments made by the mothers of Project Pearls to help fund her project. This is a perfect gift for those who want to donate in lieu of presents, which includes a note saying that a donation has been made in the name of the receiver.

cassie’s noche Buena project is trying to raise $10,000 and still has 14 days remaining until the campaign ends on December 31, 2015.

To donate and/or more infor-mation, log on to: http://www.projectpearls.causevox.com/cassie-eng

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • dEcEmbER 17-23, 2015 B�Features

Flu could be deadly

The State of Nevada Now Provides K-12 Scholarships for Private School!K-12 Education in Nevada has changed! Learn about Education Savings

school choices be limited simply because of their zip code.

Education Saving Accounts• Every K-12 public school student is eligible for the program.

• Pays over $5000 for private school tuition and other educational services.

• Parents apply with the State Treasurer during an open enrollment period.

• Now parents can choose the best educational options based upon their child’s individual needs.

Nevada Opportunity Scholarship ProgramThis program provides families earning up to the 300% poverty level a scholarship up to $7,755 for K-12 private school tuition and fees. For example, a family of four earning up to $69,150 would be eligible. Scholarship can be used at any approved Nevada private school.

Text “NVESA” to #52886 or Go To: nevadas c hoo l c ho i ce . comFor More Information and Email Updates on Both Programs

Cox Business Named exclusive technology integration/telecommunication services provider for new Las Vegas Arena

LAS VEGAS—Cox Business/Hospitality Network, a subsid-iary of Cox Communications, Inc. and a leading provider of broadcast and technology-re-lated services to the commercial and gaming-resort verticals in Southern Nevada, has been named the exclusive technology integration/telecommunication services provider for the new Las Vegas Arena. The 20,000-seat sports and entertainment venue is scheduled to open on the celebrated Las Vegas Strip in April 2016.

“Cox Business supports many of the largest and most popular venues and resorts in the world and we are proud to be an in-tegral player in this iconic new arena on the Las Vegas Strip,” said Pat Esser, president of Cox Communications, Inc. “The broadband infrastructure we provide will directly enhance the guest experience for attendees who visit the Las Vegas Arena and employees who work there every day.”

Cox Business/Hospitality Net-work designed and constructed a 10-Gigabit diverse and redun-dant fiber optic network for the Las Vegas Arena to support the deployment of wired and wire-less Internet connectivity inside the premier events venue. Uti-lizing Cisco Connected Stadium Wi-Fi, more than 550 Wi-Fi access points inside the Arena will deliver targeted download speeds of up to 20 Mbps to Wi-Fi enabled devices. Guests will be able to authenticate their free Wi-Fi connectivity as they approach the arena from Toshiba Plaza, an adjacent two-acre outdoor entertainment space, while enjoying an inter-active experience throughout the venues.

In addition to the deployment and management of a wired and wireless Internet infrastruc-ture, Cox Business/Hospitality Network will use Cisco Stadi-umVision to centrally manage and target delivery of over 60 channels of high-definition news, sports and entertainment content from the Cox cable channel lineup and live in-house feeds from the arena floor to 650 digital displays throughout the arena located in VIP luxury suites, opera boxes and clubs, as well as concession and public areas. All monitors will have the capability to carry live in-house feeds from the arena floor. The solution, which allows for 4k video, provides the arena with the necessary flexibility to cre-ate unique experiences for each

event with themed content and promotions.

Mark Faber, senior vice presi-dent, AEG Global Partnerships, said, ““The partnership with Cox is a vital component to the Las Vegas Arena operation. As the leader in the broadband communications industry, their exceptional services and cut-ting-edge technology will sup-port our efforts in creating memorable experiences for our guests every time they attend an event.”

Cox Business/Hospitality Network provides high-speed wired and wireless Internet ser-vices to more than four million square feet of convention, trade show and meeting room space nationwide, including two mil-lion square feet at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Cox CommunicationsCox Communications is a

broadband communications and entertainment company, pro-viding advanced digital video, Internet, telephone and home security and automation ser-vices over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves approximately 6 million residences and businesses. Cox Business is a facilities-based

provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers, and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and digital media advertising. Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, indus-try-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For eight years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunications; Cox has ranked among DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity 10 times, including the last nine years. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enter-prises, is available atwww.cox.com and www.coxmedia.com.

Hospitality Network (HN), a product of Cox Business in Las Vegas, is the premier provider of choice for video, Managed Wi-Fi and In-Room Entertainment (IRE) to hotels and convention centers across the nation. De-livering a first-class guest ex-perience for over 30 years, HN has proven solutions that benefit our customers and their guests in over 110,000 hotel rooms, in 15 states from coast to coast. Visit www.coxhn.com.

Posing in front of the Las Vegas Arena are from left Mark Prows, senior vice president, Arenas, MGM Resorts International; Steve Rowley, senior vice president, Cox Business; Mark Faber, senior vice president of global partnerships, AEG; Rick Arpin, senior vice president of entertainment and development, MGM Resorts International; Pat Esser, president, Cox Communications; Derrick R. Hill, vice president, Cox Business/Hospitality Network, Las Vegas; Michael F. Bolognini, vice president and market leader, Cox Communications, Las Vegas; John Wolfe, senior vice president and southwest regional manager, Cox Communications.

PhiliP S. Chua,MD, FaCS, FPCS

Health@Heart

THE influenza season is upon us once again. While flu is com-mon and those afflicted usually recover uneventfully, this viral infection could be serious, or even fatal, for some people as discussed below. Statistics world-wide cite between 250,000 to half a million die of flu complications each year.

What is Influenza?Commonly known as “Flu,”

“Grippe” or “Grip,” influenza is a specific acute viral respiratory disease characterized by fever, coryza (cold or “sipon”), cough, malaise, headache, and inflamed respiratory mucous membranes. During this flu season people usually take drug remedies for cold, cough, sneezing and con-gestion. The FDA in the United State in November 2000 has warned the public that some these over-the-counter and even prescription cold and flu medica-tions (and diet pills too!) contain an ingredient in them that could cause fatal cerebral hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain), which issue we shall discuss in more details below.

What causes Influenza?The viruses that cause Flu

are called orthomyxoviruses, tiny “germs” who sizes vary from 80-120 nm. They are classified into types A, B and C. Type A is the most common single cause of Flu. Type B causes epidemics about every five years. Type C is not a very prevalent virus. The Influenza pandemic of 1918 left more than 20 million people dead. In the winter 2002, the flu vi-ruses were: A/Moscow, A/New Caldeonia, and B/Hongkong.

How does it spread?Flu is a very contagious illness.

It spreads by person-to-person contact. Airborne droplet spray (from sneezing or coughing) into the atmosphere infects people and contaminates objects that can transmit the infection. This is why persons who have the Flu are advised to cover their nose and mouth. Washing hands fre-quently is highly recommended to limit the transmission of the virus.

Who have the greatest risk?Persons of all ages are af-

flicted, but school children are

most prone to catch the Flu. People at highest risk of develop-ing severe disease are those with chronic lung disease and valvular heart disease, and those with lung congestion. The elderly, the very young, the bedridden and women in their third trimester of pregnancy are also at great risk. Deaths have been reported following a bout of Flu in this group, especially those who are old and bedridden.

Why is aspirin unsafe for children?

Aspirin was once used among children like water. However, since about 1963, a fatal condi-tion known as Reye’s syndrome was discovered and was linked to the use of aspirin, which increases the risk of having the syndrome by as much as 35-fold. The cause is still unknown but viral agents (Influenza A or B and Chicken Pox virus) have been implicated, and so with aspirin ingestion among children under 18 years of age. Children develop acute encephalitis and go into coma and die. Today, Pediatri-cians no longer prescribe aspirin and prefer acetominophen (Tyle-nol) for fever and aches and pains in children.

What are the other measures to prevent the Flu?

Having a healthy life-style helps a lot in warding off many forms of illnesses. This includes high fiber, low-fat diet, no smok-ing, daily exercises, taking multi-vitamins daily, including Vitamins B, C and E, and the mineral Zinc. Most one-a-day multivitamins al-ready include these. Flu vaccines are now available, and are recom-mended to be taken by adults October 15th-November 15th each year. This annual Flu shot (4-strain version) has been found to be 75% effective in preventing Flu. It also reduces the sever-ity of the disease and can even be lifesaving for some people. Both the person with the Flu and those around him/her should be careful to prevent airborne droplet transmission of the virus and infection by contaminated items. Kissing, handshaking or any form of physical contact can transmit the virus. Again, simple, old fashioned hand-washing that we learned in kindergarten can prevent infection.

Is there a painless way to get the vaccine?

Yes, there is, without the nee-dle. Flu Mist is a nasal spray vac-cine that is now available in the

United States, Europe and Asia. Ask you physician about it.

What is the treatment for the Flu?

Generally, the treatment is symptomatic: Bed rest to con-serve energy and minimize mal-aise. To reduce fever and body aches, antipyretic-analgesic (anti-fever-anti-pain) pills (Tyle-nol) is given. To feed and hydrate the patient, lugao, arroz caldo, chicken soup, juices, water, other oral fluids, etc. Sponge bath or cold compress over the forehead, if fever goes above 39 C (102 F). The physician might prescribe an antibiotic if he/she suspects a superimposed bacterial infection, and antiviral drugs for those who are at high risk of developing complications. As always, pre-vention is most essential.

What is the FDA drug warn-ing about?

The Yale University Hemor-rhagic Stroke Project researchers found that a common ingredi-ent in many cold, flu and diet medications called Phenylpro-panolamine Hydrochloride (PPA) increases the risk of hemorrhagic stroke (caused by bleeding in the brain). Many of these drugs are sold over the counter and some of them are prescription drugs, which physicians have prescribed over the years, until the recent FDA warning about the dangers of PPA.

What are these medications in the US?

Any medication containing Phenylpropanolamine Hydro-choloride, or diet aid ephedra (ma-huang, which is converted to PPA when ingested), can po-tentially cause brain hemorrhage and death, according to the Yale study. Some products with PPA include Dimetapp, Vicks Day-Quill Sinus caplets, Robitussin CF, Comtrex, Tavist-D, some Tri-aminic products, Contac 12-hour, some Alka Seltzer Plus cold medi-cations, appetite suppressants like Acutrim and Dexatrim.

***Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac

Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

THE Presidential Citation Award is given to a member of the Ilocano-American Association of Nevada (IAAN) or the Santa Maria Ilocos Sur Association of Nevada (SMISAN) who, in the current year, extended selfless and unselfish services to his or her respective Association and who went the extra mile when called to serve on their duties and responsibilities.

Margie Antonio (SMISAN Pres-ident), presented the award to Marylou Quiacusan and Madelyn Banez. Abe Velasco (IAAN Presi-dent), presented the award to Fred Mendoza and Madie Mendoza. Posing with the awardees are IAAN past presidents Marc Ayuste, Carlos Martin, Amie Belmonte, Leo Belmonte, and Alex Pena. The occasion was the Second IAAN-SMISAN Joint Christmas Party held last Saturday, Dec. 5 at the Christ the King Community Hall.

december 17-23, 2015 • LAS VeGAS ASIAN JOUrNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678B�