Us asian post january 7, 2015

Eight who posted pics of fi ring guns on New Year’s on Facebook charged – PNP

MANILA, Jan 5 (Mabuhay) – The number of stray bullet in-cidents from the New Year’s rev-elry has climbed to 61, already more than double the 2014 offi cial record of 30, the Philippine Na-tional Police (PNP) said Monday.

Acting PNP chief Deputy Di-rector General Leonardo Espina said Metro Manila had the most number of incidents at 18. He said one of the victims, reportedly from Abra in the Cordillera Adminis-trative Region (CAR), has died.

In a related development, the Bacarra Municipal Police Station in Ilocos Norte has fi led “alarm and scandal” charges against the eight persons involved in fi ring their guns including an M-16 and M-14 rifl es to welcome New Year. Photos and a video clip of the in-cident posted on Facebook by one

of them, Drew Lutchina, became viral.

Town police head Chief Inspec-tor Rex Bucayan identifi ed the rest as Cezar Funtanilla, Mark RJ Cabana, Jumar Cabreros, Ian Christopher Calixterio, Russel Funtanilla, Geronimo Gapusan Gomez, and Philip Andrew Fun-tanilla.

“We’ve already fi led alarm and scandal charges against them. Then maybe later we will fi le ad-ditional charges such as illegal possession (of fi rearms) if found that the guns were unlicensed,” Bucayan said in Tagalog.

But as far as Espina is con-cerned, the suspects can also be charged with “illegal discharge of fi rearm” for stiffer penalties.

“I saw in the photos an M14 and an M16 rifl e. These are is-sued only to the military and po-lice,” he said.

Espina said the local police See SHOOTING, page 3

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A local police station in Ilocos Norte said it has fi led “alarm and scandal” charges against the eight persons involved in fi ring their guns including an M-16 and M-14 rifl es to welcome New Year. Photos and a video clip of the incident posted on Facebook like the one above by one of them, Drew Lutchina, became viral.

Despite warnings, shooting incidents climb

A woman looks at souvenir pictures of Pope Francis on sale inside a religious store in Manila on Monday. Pope Francis memorabilia are a hot item as the schedule of the pontiff’s visit to the Philippines on January 15 to 19 nears and Pope mania reaches fever pitch. (MNS photo)

MANILA, Jan 5 (Mabuhay) – The two masses open to the pub-lic during Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines will be in English, in the pontiff’s bid for the congre-gation to understand him better, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said.

According to Lingayen-Dagu-pan Archbishop Socrates Ville-gas, CBCP president, the Vatican approved that two eucharistic celebrations – the one near the Tacloban airport in Leyte (Janu-ary 17) and the concluding mass at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila (January 18) – will be de-livered in English.

“He wants to reach out to more people,” Villegas said. “Latin is hard for many, while English is easy to understand.”

This is despite the Pope’s ad-mitted diffi culty with English, one of the offi cial languages of the Philippines.

According to the National Catholic Register, Pope Francis, an Argentine, is fl uent in Span-ish, as well as in German and Italian. In his biography, he ad-mitted that he has “the most problems” in English, “especially the phonetics.”

However, the mass at the Ma-nila Cathedral on January 16, to be attended by priests, nuns, and religious men and women, will be held in Latin, as the “clergy and bishops” are used to it, Villegas said. Pope Francis will be the third pontiff to visit the Philip-pines, following his predecessors Blessed Paul VI and Saint John Paul II.

His offi cial itinerary for the fi ve-day visit includes visiting Tacloban and Palo in Leyte to meet survivors of recent natu-ral disasters, as well as meet-ings with families and the youth. (MNS)

Athens, Greece | AFP | Mon-day 1/5/2015 – Two crew members of an oil tanker were killed in an air attack of “unknown origin” in the Islamist-held eastern Libyan port of Derna Sunday, offi cials said.

Greek coastguards said a 29-year-old Greek sailor was among the dead and that two oth-er crew members of the Liberian-registered Araevo were also hurt.

They did not say where the oth-er victim was from.

The vessel was at anchor and laden with 1,600 tons of crude oil when it hit on Sunday, they add-ed.

Twenty-one members of the crew of 26 were Filipinos, with three Greeks and two Romanians.

Libya has been plunged into chaos since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in October 2011 after a NATO-backed revolt, with rival governments and militias battling to control the oil-rich North African country.

MANILA, Jan 5 (Mabuhay) – The bodies of two crew members recovered after the Norwegian cargo ship Bulk Jupiter sank off the coast of southern Vietnam have been identifi ed, Vietnamese state media Thanh Nien News said Monday.

The bodies were identifi ed as those of captain Ronel Acueza An-drin and third offi cer Jerome Ma-quilang Dinoy.

The ship, which was carry-ing 46,400 tons of bauxite, was manned by 19 all-Filipino crew and left Malaysia Friday en route

The Metro Rail Transit (MRT) train slams the barrier at the corner of EDSA and Taft Avenue Station on Wednesday afternoon (Aug. 13, 2014) in Pasay City. Malacañang on Monday stood fi rm on the government’s decision to raise fares of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) amid calls from some senators to defer the fare hike scheduled that took effect January 4, 2015.(MNS photo) (MNS photo)

MANILA, Jan 5 (Mabuhay) – Senator Grace Poe believes the move of the Department of Trans-portation and Communications (DOTC) to increase the fares for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) was treacherous and insensitive.

Poe noted that the fare hike was announced during the holi-days and supposedly without un-dergoing proper public hearing.

“Ito ay parang ginawa nila na hindi malinaw sa atin at kung kailan nga hindi natin inaasah-an. Ito ay treacherous, insensitive. Kasi kung meron silang puso sa pasahero, hindi po dapat nang-yari iyan,” Poe said.

Poe said the MRT fare hike, in particular, is not justifi able since Congress had just allocated funds for the train’s repairs and other fi nancial needs in the P2.6 trillion 2015 budget.

“Kakatapos lang ng budget kung saan nabigyan naman sila ng tamang budget para sa taon na ito, para naman magawa ang dapat nilang gawin sa MRT,” she said.

“Hindi lang iyon, marami pang naibigay sa supplemental budget, sa pagbayad ng buwis nila na hindi nila nababayran, at ibang mga bagay na hiningi nila sa Kongreso. Kaya kami ay nagtata-ka kasi ni pabulong wala silang sinabi sa amin na baka magtaas sila.”

Poe also noted the poor mainte-nance of the MRT which is being blamed for its frequent bogdowns.

The neophyte senator said the Senate will ask the DOTC to ex-plain the status of the MRT and LRT maintenance system. She, however, said stopping the fare hike is now up to the court.

MANILA, Jan 5 (Mabuhay) – Outgoing rehabilitation czar Pan-fi lo Lacson on Monday urged the Philippine National Police to seri-ously take the challenge of clean-ing their own ranks to regain the trust of the people, a television report said Monday.

Lacson, who served as PNP chief from November 1999 to January 2001, warned the police organization that crime incidents will rise if the credibility of the PNP will not be restored.

The former senator issued the challenge during the PNP’s Eth-ics Day and fl ag raising ceremony in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

“It is a good opportunity for the OIC (offi cer in charge Deputy Di-

MANILA, Jan 3 (Mabuhay) -- Kabataan Partylist Rep. Terry L. Ridon has asked the House Com-mittee on Metro Manila Develop-ment to investigate the historical and cultural devaluation of sev-eral cultural properties in Manila due to neglect or demolition for multibillion-property develop-ment.

In House Resolution 1566, Ridon mentioned in particular the Army Navy Club, the old Meral-co building, the Anda Circle, the Philippine Post Offi ce, the Manila Metropolitan Theater and El Hog-

Two killed in air attack on oil tanker manned by Filipino sailors

2 Pinoy seafarers die in sunken cargo ship

Lacson challenges PNP: Clean ranks to regain public trust

Pope Francis chooses English for mass in PHL visit

Solon wants probe on historical and cultural devaluation of cultural properties in Manila

Poe slams ‘insensitive’ MRT, LRT fare hikes

See PINOY SEAFARERS, page 3

See LACSON, page 3

See LRT FARE page 3 See PROBE, page 3

A House member has asked for an investigation to the historical and cultural devalu-ation of several cultural properties in Manila, including the Post Offi ce on Liwasang Bonifacio (above), due to neglect or demolition for multibillion-property develop-ment.

Visit www.usasianpost.com Wednesday - Tuesday, January 7 - 13, 2015 THE US ASIAN POST2

MANILA, Jan 3 (Mabuhay) – Keep this year’s Feast of the Black Nazarene free of garbage and pol-lution. This was the appeal by the EcoWaste Coalition days before the devotees fl ock anew to Luneta and Quiapo for the yearly Trasla-cion.

“Piety is not an excuse to lit-ter. In fact, littering goes against the proverb ‘cleanliness is next to Godliness’ that most, if not all,

Filipinos are aware of,” said group coordinator Aileen Lucero.

“We invite all devout followers of the Black Nazarene to refl ect on a key message uttered by Pope Francis and strive for an ecologi-cal devotion,” she added.

She lamented the yearly feast is given a bad reputation because of the “brazen disrespect for the environment” as shown by trash on the streets, especially in Quia-

po.The group wrote to Quiapo

Church rector Msgr. Jose Cle-mente Ignacio to help publicize practical ways to prevent and re-duce waste during the Traslacion.

EcoWaste cited data from the Metropolitan Manila Develop-ment Authority showing 28 truck-loads or about 336 tons of garbage were collected in the 2014 Trasla-cion. (MNS)

Devotees eagerly touch the replica of the Black Nazarene during the Ist Friday mass with thousands of devotee fl ocking at the Minor Basilica on Friday January 2,2015 in Quiapo Church, Manila. (MNS photo)

Group appeals to Nazarene devotees for waste-free feast

Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Monday 1/5/2015 – Pope Fran-cis on Sunday named 20 new car-dinals, a majority of them from Africa, Asia and Latin America, increasingly key areas as the Ro-man Catholic Church’s support shifts from its traditional Euro-pean stronghold.

Fifteen of the new cardinals – considered “princes of the church” – are under the age of 80, mean-ing they are eligible to join the conclave which will elect the pope’s successor.

In announcing the new voting cardinals, Pope Francis said they come “from 14 countries from ev-ery continent (and) manifest the indissoluble links between the Church of Rome” and churches around the world.

The list of newly named cardi-nals includes three from Africa, fi ve from Latin America as well as a combined total of fi ve from Asia and the Pacifi c.

Bishop Soane Patita Paini Mafi of Tonga becomes the fi rst cardi-nal from the Polynesian archi-pelago. At 53, he will also be the youngest.

John Dew, Archbishop of Wel-lington, who also made the list, described Mafi ’s appointment as “great news” for the region.

“Although we are geographi-cally far from much of the world, Pope Francis has gone to the pe-riphery of the world to name new cardinals,” he said in a statement.

Meanwhile Archbishop Daniel Sturla, only the second Uruguay-an to be appointed a cardinal, said he was “shocked” by honour, which comes less than a year af-ter he was appointed archbishop of Montevideo.

The pope’s choice of a Haitian cardinal in February was also a fi rst for the church.

Despite the variety of nations represented in the pope’s new choices, Europeans still accounted for the single largest group with seven, including three Italians.

No Americans or CanadiansFrancis, who has undertaken

a reform of the Vatican’s admin-

istrative body known as the Cu-ria, named only one cardinal from within it: Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, a Frenchman. He used to serve as the Vatican’s foreign minister.

No American or Canadian car-dinals were named on Sunday, which Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said was be-cause “their numbers are already consistent and remained stable.”

Once these new members of the College of Cardinals are offi cially installed on February 14, there will be 228 members, including 125 who can vote in conclaves.

The new cardinals refl ect a change in church demographics, which have shifted toward Africa, Latin America and Asia in the past century.

Ben Mendoza, program di-rector of the Catholic Offi ce for Emergency Relief and Refugees in Bangkok, said the move to ap-point three Asian cardinals was “a very positive step.”

“The signal coming from the pope is a diversifi cation of the leadership of the church... He is changing the image of the church to make it more global and less fo-cused on the Vatican,” said Men-doza.

“We are in the age of globaliza-tion and the church has to keep up with that if it is to survive.”

In 1910 about 65 percent of the world’s Catholics lived in Europe with 24 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to a 2010 study from American think tank Pew Research Center.

By 2010 Latin America ac-counted for 39 percent of the church’s followers while 16 per-cent were in Africa and 24 percent were in Europe.

Despite the new nominations, the overwhelming number of car-dinals named during this and the previous two papacies have been Europeans.

Over the three papacies, 57 are from Europe, 19 from Latin America and 15 from Africa, 14 from Asia and three from the Pa-cifi c.

Montevideo, Uruguay | AFP | Sunday 1/4/2015 – Uruguay’s Archbishop Daniel Sturla spoke of his shock on Sunday after be-ing named as one of 20 new car-dinals by Pope Francis.

Sturla, 55, only the second Uruguayan to be appointed a cardinal, said the honor marked a “distinction” for the Catholic Church in Uruguay.

“I was and am still shocked by the news,” Sturla told re-

porters after a Sunday Mass in Montevideo following the Vati-can’s announcement.

“I was only very recently ap-pointed as archbishop of Monte-video so I view this as a distinc-tion for the Church in Uruguay, rather than to me,” added Sturla, appointed archbishop of Montevideo by Pope Francis in February 2014.

Most of the cardinals named by the pope came from smaller,

developing countries, as the Ro-man Catholic Church’s support shifts from its traditional Euro-pean stronghold.

Secular Uruguay has the lowest number of Catholics than any other country in Lat-in America after Communist Cuba.

The only other cardinal to emerge from Uruguay was An-tonio Maria Barbieri, appointed from John XXIII in 1958.

MANILA, Jan 5 (Mabuhay) – Muslim leaders gathered Mon-day in a roundtable discussion to convey their call for a sectoral representative of Muslims resid-

ing outside the Bangsamoro en-tity.

Led by 1-Bangsamoro move-ment, the event served as a venue for leaders to justify their recom-

mendation for the Bangsamoro Basic Law or BBL.

Among the factors which sup-port their recommendation are said to be the large number of

Pope names 20 cardinals, many from developing world

Uruguay archbishop ‘shocked’ to be named cardinal

Muslim leaders call for a sectoral representative of Muslims outside Bangsamoro

Washington, United States | AFP | Monday 1/5/2015 – Artistic trea-sures from Asia’s past have found a place online after the Freer and Sack-ler galleries in Washing-ton released its entire 40,000-piece collection on the Internet.

The museum is the fi rst in the Smithsonian network to digitize and release its entire collec-tion, which also includes a large number of works by the American painter James Whistler.

Dubbed “Open F/S,” the project enables “any-one to explore and create with the collections, from anywhere in the world,” the galleries said in a statement.

Most of the works have never been seen by the public, and more than 90 percent carry no copy-right restrictions for non-commercial use, it said.

On the web: open.asia.si.edu

US museums puts Asian art treasures online

NOW AVAILABLE!Balita Digital Copy

MANILA, Jan 6 (Mabuhay) – The Armed Forces of the Philip-pines will deploy about 7,000 soldiers for the upcoming visit of Pope Francis.

“There will be about 6 to 7,000 soldiers. We are also mobilizing about 5,000 reservists,” AFP chief General Gregorio Catapang Jr. told reporters on Tuesday at Camp Aguinaldo.

Air cover and sniper teams will also be posted along Roxas Bou-levard in Manila.

“Air cover means security air patrols to ensure that all the routes that will be undertaken or will be availed by the pope will be secured,” said Air Force chief Lieutenant General Jeffrey Del-gado.

“Most likely we’ll limit the air space for air cover,” he said.Catapang said the preparations for the pope’s visit was a “chal-

lenge.”“It is a security challenge in a way, but we can handle it. We

will just make do of available forces, we’ll join forces with the [Philippine National Police]. The PNP is the biggest contingent,” Catapang said.

There have been no security threats on the pope’s visit except for the crowd surge, the AFP chief noted.

“Our greatest worry is the surge of people,” he said.

AFP to deploy 7,000 soldiers for Pope’s visit

Muslims living outside the Bangsamoro entity who have found residence in some parts of Luzon and Visayas; and also the “big contribution” of the said sector of Muslims.

Apart from having a sec-toral representative, Muslim leaders also urged for the creation of Shari’ah courts in certain areas in the country where there is an “apprecia-ble” number of Muslims. This is due to some cases of Mus-lims which are only covered by the Shari’ah law, they said.

Adding to their list of de-mands for the BBL is the conduct of special voters’ reg-istration for Muslims outside Mindanao and also for Mus-lim OFWs.

In the House of Represen-tatives, only two committee hearings are left before the committee’s voting on BBL.

THE US ASIAN POST Wednesday - Tuesday, January 7 - 13, 2015 Visit www.usasianpost.com 3

SHOOTINGFrom page 1should ascertain the identities of the sus-pects if some of them were military person-nel or policemen.

But Bucayan said all the suspects were civilians, some were even students.

Espina has vowed the to hold responsible, including police personnel, who violated the “no fi ring of gun” policy.

“Lahat ng kinakailangang managot ay pananagutin natin (Those who should be held accountable will be held accountable) and I expect a major breakthrough this

week on all these cases,” he said.PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent

Wilben Mayor said 24 of the 61 cases were for the “illegal discharge of fi rearms.”

“At least 17 individuals were already apprehended and sad to say seven of them were police personnel, four security guards, and six civilians,” Mayor said.

Espina had said police personnel involved in such case would be administratively and criminally charged and automatically dis-missed from the service. (MNS)

to China.Except for the ship’s chief cook, Angelito

Capindo Rojas, there are no other known survivors. Search and rescue operations for the 16 other missing Filipino seafarers are hampered by bad weather.

Ships from Liberia, Oman, Singapore, and China were helping the Vietnamese authorities in the search, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

In a related development, Malacañang has ordered the Department of National Defense to look into the possibility of send-ing a team to help in the search.

“We are asking the Secretary of National Defense if we can extend assistance,” presi-dential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a briefi ng on Monday aired over state-run Radyo ng Bayan.

“The Vietnamese Navy has already add-ed three helicopters for the search and they

are asking other countries to help. So far, no new remains have been recovered or survi-vors rescued,” Lacierda said.

The ship’s cook said he did not know what caused the ship to sink. He said the ship simply tilted and he immediately put on the life vest.

Thanh Nien quoted Nguyen Anh Vu, general director of Vietnam’s maritime search and rescue operations coordination center, as saying the search operation was hampered by bad weather.

The ship owner, Bergen-based Gearbulk, said the vessel was 155 nautical miles) off Vietnam when it sent a distress signal that was picked up by the Japanese coast guard.

Filipino seafarers constitute among the biggest number of seafarers in the world. Some 250,000 Filipino seafarers are at sea on cargo ships, luxury liners, and passenger ships at any given time. (MNS)

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rector General Leonardo Espina). He has a fresh mandate, a fresh start. Ang impor-tante ay leadership by example,” Lacson told reporters after his speech.

He said police offi cers should not be in-volved in extortion, case fi xing, and other irregularities.

Lacson was known for his no non-sense leadership during his stint at the PNP.

On the other hand, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said the image of the PNP could be repaired through the more responsible conduct of police offi cers.

“Mahalagang maayos ang imahe ng PNP through performance,” he said.

No less than PNP chief Director General

Alan Purisima was ordered suspended by the Ombudsman for six months over the supposed anomalous contract the PNP en-tered into with a courier service in 2011.

Purisima is also currently under fi re for his sprawling resthouse in San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija, and the allegedly questionable renovation of the PNP chief’s offi cial quar-ters inside Camp Crame.

Lacson earlier said Purisima should re-sign from the top PNP post and spare Presi-dent Benigno Aquino III from the contro-versy. The President, however, defended Purisima, even saying he has known the PNP chief as “ a man of good character.” (MNS)

ar Filipino as among the cultural proper-ties in Manila that suffer from cultural and historical devaluation.

Ridon said the internal structure of Army Navy Club along Roxas Blvd., estab-lished in 1909 to serve as an exclusive so-cial haven for US soldiers during their oc-cupation, was demolished to pave way for its redevelopment into a boutique hotel.

The demolition, denounced by the Na-tional Historical Commission of the Phil-ippines (NHCP), is a clear violation of the National Heritage and Cultural Act, which provides for the cultural preservation as a strategy of maintaining Filipino identity, Ridon said. The club was hailed a national historical landmark by cultural agencies in 1991.

The Oceanville Hotel and Spa Corpora-tion is in charge of developing the Army and Navy Club building while AMH Philip-pines is responsible for the structural as-sessment of the building.

Ridon said the old Meralco building in San Marcelino St., which dates more than 50 years old and considered as an impor-tant cultural property, was demolished in 2013 despite clamor of heritage activists for the adaptive reuse of the building.

“The building was designed by Juan Arel-lano and featured the art deco style. Aside from the architectural craftsmanship, the façade of this building used to house the bas relief ‘Furies’ sculpted by Italian art-ist expatriate Francesco Riccardo Monti,” Ridon said.

In the same vein, Ridon said the De-partment of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) plans to demolish the Anda cir-cle located at the boundary of Intramuros and Port area and transfer the monument to ease up the traffi c congestion in Metro Manila. The monument was constructed in 1871 upon the orders of then Governor General Maria dela Torre in honor of Si-mon de Anda y Salazar who served as the governor general of the Philippines from 1770 to 1776. Anda was said to have re-belled against British invaders and led a resistance movement when he fl ed to Bula-can and Pampanga. He likewise denounced

the King of Spain for subjecting the Philip-pines in deplorable conditions.

As for the PhilPost Offi ce in Lawton, there is a plan by a construction fi rm that built the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore to redevelop the building into a hotel under Public-private Partnership or PPP, Ridon said.

“Fronted by the iconic structure of na-tional hero Andres Bonifacio, the building served as the main administrative offi ce PhilPost for 86 years. It boasts of a neoclas-sical style and was built in 1926 and sur-vived World War II,” according to Ridon.

Meanwhile, Ridon said, the Manila Met-ropolitan Theater formerly known as the Grand Old Dame of Manila Theater was once the center of cultural arts in the coun-try and etched its name in history as the home of Zarzuelas in the 1930s.

“The restoration for the MET, hailed a national treasure by the National Museum in 2010, has been impeded by a dispute re-garding the ownership of the cultural prop-erty between the local city government and the Government Service Insurance System. Because of the sluggish dispute settlement, the MET is compelled to sit idly, its beau-ty and cultural prestige withering away through time,” Ridon said.

As for El Hogar Filipino, the NHCP has been pushing since 2012 for the adaptive reuse of the building constructed in 1914 at the corner of Juan Luna and Muelle de Industria Sts. in Binondo, Ridon said. The news of demolition of El Hogar Filipino came out in February 2014 when tenants were asked to move out of the building.

According to Ridon, the weak implemen-tation of laws contributes to the historical-cultural devaluation of cultural projects.

“Loose preservation, conservation and restoration plans and actual work on na-tional treasures and cultural properties makes these vulnerable to deterioration. Congress must act as a steward for the pro-tection and preservation of cultural prop-erties by ensuring that laws intended for such purpose are enforced and violations and violators should be held liable,” Ridon said.(MNS)

As a result of the fare hike, an MRT trip from North Avenue to Taft Avenue now costs P28, from the previous P15.

A single journey LRT 1 trip from Roos-

evelt to Baclaran is now P30, from P20; and a single journey LRT 2 trip from Recto to Santolan is now P25, from P15. (MNS)

Filipina Pop Star Princess Sarah Geron-imo is poised to open New Year with a bang for a two-night concert to endear followers and avid patrons of the only getaway for music and game lovers, Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California on January 16 and 17 at 8 p.m.

Pechanga Resort & Casino is well-known for hosting the best and the brightest Fili-pino entertainers and performers such as Mega Star Sharon Cuneta, veteran actor Richard Gomes and OPM (Outstanding Pil-ipino Music) legend Rico J. Puno, who gave wholesome entertainment to the delight of the crowd in previous engagements.

Variety is the name of the game for Pechanga Resort & Casino, the reason why it is hosting in January 2015 the fi rst-

ever two-day concert of Geronimo dubbed as ‘Perfect 10’ by Viva Live group.

At age two, Geronimo, who was gifted with talent in both singing and acting, started a series of shows in the malls. She born July 25, 1988 by Filipino parents, Di-vine and Delfi n and is the third of four chil-dren.

When she turned four, her mother led her to audition to different TV programs where she became part of the kiddie show, Pen-Pen de Sarapen (4-6 years old), Ang TV (7-8 years old), and NEXT (8-9 years old).

She likewise, performed in various other venues as hotel lounges and huge shopping malls and in 1995 became one to perform for the 1995 visit of Pope John Paul II.

In 2003, when Geronimo was just 14

years old, she joined the singing competition Star For A Night hosted by Ms. Regine Velasquez. On fi nals night, Sarah’s rendi-tion of Celine Dion’s To Love You More won her the P1-million and a managerial contract at Viva Artist Agency grand prize in the singing tilt.

Soon enough, Geronimo be-came busy with albums, con-certs, soap operas, hosting chores in Sunday variety show ASAP, movies and endorsements. She became a role model for many as-piring young singers and dubbed as the Pop Star Princess. She starred in such teleseryes as Bitu-ing Walang Ningning, Pangarap na Bituin, and the short lived TV musical series 1DOL.

She was cast in such fi lms as Filipinas, Captain Barbell, Masikip sa Dibdib, Annie Ba-tumbakal, Lastikman: Unang Banat and Hating Kapatid. But she really made an impact as a box offi ce star when she did A Very Special Love and You Changed My Life opposite John Lloyd Cruz. The two romantic-comedy fi lms were both box of-fi ce hits. She also starred with the recently concluded fi lm opposite Coco Martin, re-leased in August 2014.

On TV, Sarah Geronimo is a regular on ASAP. She also had a Sunday night musi-cal variety show entitled, Sarah G. Live. Sarah also sat as one of the four coaches of reality singing competition.

All year-round, Pechanga Resort & Ca-sino delights its audiences not only in pre-senting innovative entertainment shows but more importantly, in varied gaming activities and foods galore, plus a tons of raffl es and giveaways for visiting partici-pants.

Time is running out. Buy your tickets now – from $85, $75, $70 and $65. Tickets are available at the Pechanga Box offi ce or online at www.Pechanga.com/tickets. Room and show packages are available. To purchase wheelchair seating, please call the Box Offi ce at 1-877-711-2946.

Shows in the Pechanga Theater offer a comfortable and intimate concert experi-ence. With 1,200 seats in its theater, each show features state-of-the-art and acous-

tically perfected sound. Enjoying favorite artists at Pechanga versus other venues proves effortless with free valet and self-parking for guests, complimentary casino/resort shuttles, gourmet and casual dining options on site, plus comfortable chairs and an up-close view from every theater seat.

About Pechanga Resort & CasinoPechanga Resort & Casino offers one

of the largest and most expansive resort/casino experience anywhere in the coun-try. Rated a Four Diamond property by AAA since 2002, Pechanga Resort & Ca-sino provides an unparalleled getaway, whether for the day or for an extended luxury stay. Offering more than 3,000 of the hottest slots, table games, world-class entertainment, 517 hotel rooms, dining, spa and championship golf at Journey at Pechanga, Pechanga Resort & Casino fea-tures a destination that meets and exceeds the needs of its guests and the community. Pechanga Resort & Casino is owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians.

For more information, call toll free 1-877-711-2946 or visit www.Pechanga.com. Follow Pechanga Resort & Casino on Facebook.com/Pechanga and on Twit-ter @PechangaCasino. Pechanga Resort & Casino is open 24-hours. Guests must be 21 and older to enter the casino.

Pechanga Resort & Casino’s New Year Gift: Filipina Pop Star Princess Sarah Geronimo Live in Concert on Jan. 16 & 17

LOS ANGELES


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OPINIONWith passage of AB 60, even undocumented can get driver license

LOS ANGELES – Through the tireless advocacy of the immi-grant community and their allies over the past several years, all California residents will fi nally be eligible to receive a driver’s li-cense regardless of their immigration status under the Safe and Responsible Drivers Act (AB 60). This long-awaited victory will allow undocumented Californians to be able to travel safely with-in the state without risking the consequences of unlicensed driv-ing such as tickets, vehicle impoundments, and potential arrests.“Our community members can now drive safely to work and school. AB 60’s long due and historic victory resulted from all immigrant communities working in unity.

The Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA) and Korean American community in Los Angeles welcome this change,” said Alexandra Suh, Executive Director of KIWA. “AB 60 will make it easier for hard-working Pacifi c Is-landers to support their families and contribute mean-ingfully to their communities while helping to make our roads safer for everyone,” said Tana Lepule, Executive Director of Empowering Pacifi c Islander Communities.“AB 60 will give undocumented parents the peace of mind when picking up and dropping off their children at school. Our com-munity looks forward to the implementation of AB 60,” said Hee Joo Yoon, Executive Director of the Korean Resource Center.Beginning January 1, 2015, undocumented Californians can receive a non-commercial driver’s license from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) by completing the DL-44 application form, paying the standard $33 application fee, and passing both the knowledge and behind-the-wheel tests.

Under the law, AB 60 driver’s license recipients are pro-tected from discrimination by law enforcement agencies.“This AB 60 Driver’s License Bill will allow undocumented im-migrants to step out of the shadows and be further integrated in society,” said Chanchanit (Chancee) Martorell, Executive Direc-tor of the Thai Community Development Center.

“It eliminates the fear from performing ordinary tasks like going to work, grocery shopping, and dropping kids off to school. It treats law-abiding members of our society as law-abiding members of our society. These are people who are trying to do what’s right and this bill is fi nally allowing them to do just that.”An estimated 416,000 undocumented Asian American and Pacifi c Islanders (AAPI) will be eligible to receive an AB 60 driver’s license in the state of California, underscoring the need to raise awareness within the AAPI community about this new policy and to demystify misinformation that might deter AAPI undocumented immigrants from availing it.“AB 60 is a victory for our immigrant communities and groups who have advocated for this issue for decades,” said Joanna Con-cepcion, Executive Director of the Filipino Migrant Center.

“Roughly 1 in 4 Filipinos are undocumented in the U.S. and it’s important that Filipinos are well-informed about how this new law could benefi t them.” “There are 1.2 million Native Hawai-ians and Pacifi c Islanders in the United States, and 24% live in California,” said Kawen T. Young, Executive Director of Native Hawaiian & Pacifi c Islander Alliance. “Among these residents, a signifi cant percentage of Pacifi c Islanders are immigrants from the nations of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. The AB 60 Drivers’ Li-cense implementation will ensure that those who are undocu-mented can drive legally and safely in the State of California.”As the DMV anticipates the full implementation of AB 60, the AAPI community will continue to advocate for the ac-cessibility of DMV resources and materials to AAPI un-documented immigrants, particularly to those who have low English profi ciency, to ensure that this policy becomes a successful program for all undocumented Californians.“This was fought for because it would make a big difference in many people’s lives, and we are here to help everyone in our community make it successfully through the application pro-cess. Nandito kami para tumulong (We are here to help),” said Aquilina Soriano Versoza, Executive Director of the Pilipino Worker Center.

“We are dedicated to informing the Asian American and Pa-cifi c Islander community about the benefi ts of AB 60 to help community members make an educated decision about apply-ing for drivers licenses,” said Stewart Kwoh, Executive Direc-tor of Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles. “As we look forward to seeing AB 60 improve the livelihoods of undocumented Californians, we continue our commitment to fi ght for a more comprehensive solution that would provide all undocumented immigrants with the dignity they deserve.”For more information, please vi it the AB 60 website: http://ab60.dmv.ca.gov/ or call the DMV hotline at: 1-800-777-0133

Benghazi, Libya | AFP | Monday 1/5/2015 – Libya’s internationally recognized government said Monday that its aircraft bombed an oil tanker off the Islamist-held port of Derna, killing two crewmen and drawing condemnation from Greece.

A spokesman for the Libyan government’s armed forces said the tanker was hit on Sunday after it re-fused to stop for checks on its cargo which had raised suspicions.

But the Greek government said the vessel was plying a longstanding route under contract to the Libyan state oil company and demanded prosecution of those responsible for the deaths of the Greek and Romanian crewmen. Greek coastguards said the Li-berian-registered Araevo vessel was at anchor two nautical miles off Derna and laden with 1,600 tons of crude oil when it was hit.

Libyan armed forces spokesman Colonel Ahmed Mesmari said the tanker had turned off its lights “in preparation for entering the port... and because of this it and its cargo were considered suspicious”.

But the Greek government condemned what it called a “cowardly and unprovoked” attack on a vessel plying a regular service between two Libyan ports.

“According to the shipping fi rm, the vessel was op-erating under contract to the Libyan National Cor-poration and had been working the Marsa al-Brega to Derna route for many years without problem,” a

government statement said.“This criminal act has caused the deaths of two

crew members – one Greek and one Romanian – and wounded two others,” it said.

“The Greek government will take all necessary steps with the Libyan authorities – in spite of the unstable situation – to help investigate the circum-stances of this tragic event and identify and punish the attack’s perpetrators.”

Two other members of the ship’s crew of 26 were wounded in the air strike.

Libya’s internationally recognized government, which has been based in the remote east since Is-lamist-backed militia seized the capital last year, has been determined to prevent any oil exports with-out its authorization.

The jihadist Islamic State (IS) group that has seized chunks of Iraq and Syria is thought to have gained a foothold in Derna amid the chaos in Libya since the 2011 uprising that ousted dictator Moamer Kadhafi .

More than three years after Kadhafi was toppled and killed in a NATO-backed revolt, the country re-mains awash with weapons and powerful militias, and has rival governments and parliaments.

In mid-December, Islamist militias in Derna an-nounced they had formed a new coalition, ahead of an expected assault by forces of the internationally recognized government.

MANILA, Jan 5 (Mabuhay) – Former Health Sec-retary Enrique Ona on Monday said he resigned his post as head of the Department of Health because he felt his relationship with President Aquino was already broken due to allegations in the DOH’s pur-chase of pneumococcal vaccines.

Ona, 75, said that after four years as DOH chief, he had already achieved some of the baseline re-forms he wanted in the country’s health system such as near universal healthcare for all Filipinos, the passage of the Responsible Parenthood and Re-productive Health Act of 2012 and the sin tax law.

However, he also pointed out that the President’s own pronouncements about the PCV-10 purchase and the subsequent investigation by the NBI showed that he no longer enjoyed the President’s support.

“I felt that the relationship between a Cabinet and a president should be, as his alter ego, should be very close. If there is a certain break on that, of course the president had all the right and preroga-tive to end that and I offered my resignation...” he said.

President Aquino earlier said he asked Ona to go on leave while undergoing investigation for the pur-chase of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines 10 (PCV 10) by the Department of Health (DOJ) in 2012 worth P833 million.

In his affi davit to the National Bureau of Investi-gation, Ona denied that the World Health Organiza-tion recommended the purchase of PCV 13 vaccines, supposedly because it was more cost effective.

He told ANC there were two contending sides within the DOH about the purchase, pointing out that PCV 13 was more expensive than PCV 10 be-

cause of the additional antigens.Ona said he made the decision to purchase the

PCV 10 because the DOH could vaccinate more poor children in the country with the cheaper vaccines.

“It was both a cost issue and effectiveness issue on what was best for the country. [PCV 13] is more expensive. The budget is the constraint and that is reason why, if you read the WHO recommendation if all the children can be vaccinated, if you have the money for all the children then fi ne maybe PCV-13 is more cost effective. Both are cost effective. Hindi mo ma vaccinate lahat ng bata, only essentially for the poor.”

The former DOH chief said he feels he made the right decision, noting that the purchase was also up-held as aboveboard by the NBI.

“Of course, I feel very much vindicated on that not just for myself but others associated with that transaction.”

He also said there is always a risk when you make a major decision as head of an important govern-ment agency.

“This is why you need full trust and confi dence of the President. The mere fact that based on his statement and the NBI investigation, that may not be there anymore. This is why I felt I should give way...”

Asked if he felt that he was not as infl uential with the president as other people, he said: “Malakas, mahina I don’t think that should be the important fi gure, point or issue with the president. It should be a relationship with full trust and confi dence and un-derstanding of each other on the program of health that we are pursuing.” (MNS)

MANILA, Jan 5 (Mabuhay) – The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) de-fended its move to green light the fare increase for the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT), which was based on laid-out procedures, its top offi cial said Monday.

This is in light of ongoing improvements in the light rails systems, which include the replacement of rails in LRT 1 and MRT, DOTC Secretary Emilio Abaya told reporters in a briefi ng Monday.

Abaya said the DOTC merely followed the proce-dures undertaken in the previous fare increase by LRT in 2003. “We used the same procedures... We’re careful about that. 2011 palang napapag-usapan na ‘yan, wala pa sa executive,” he said.

“The procedures were laid out, we had public con-sultations. What was laid out, we’re just merely fol-lowing,” Abaya added.

Abaya made the statement after Bagong Alyan-sang Makabayan (Bayan), a former lawmaker and 17 other individuals asked the Supreme Court to stop the LRT and MRT fare increase authorized by

the DOTC.Petitioners, which include Bayan Secretary Gen-

eral Renato Reyes, former Iloilo Rep. Augusto Syju-co and former LRT Administration chief Melquiades Robles questioned the fare increase – particularly the absence of public consultations.

While it was the petitioners’ rights to petition the high court on the fare increase, Abaya noted it’s about time to raise fares in the mass rail system.

“Just to put things in perspective, ang huling in-crease ng fares ng LRT 1 ay 2003... Mahigit isang dekada na,” he said. “Ang LRT 2, nag-open ng 2003, hanggang ngayon wala pa ding increase. Ang MRT 3, noong nagbukas ay pababa ng pababa ang fares.”

“Tingin ko, hindi ganoon ang disenyo... Any logi-cal infrastructure, one way or another, dahan-dah-ang pataaas dahil kelangang marecover ang costs at patuloy mo ma-maintain at mag-expand ang kan-yang kapasidad,” he added.

The DOTC chief blamed the former administra-tion for failing to adjust the fares of the mass rail systems in Metro Manila.

By Michael MathesWashington, United States | AFP | Saturday

1/3/2015 – The 113th Congress, which wrapped up December 16, was one of the least productive in modern history. Onward to 2015.

US lawmakers return to Washington on Tuesday under a new, fully Republican banner after the par-ty swept to victory in November elections.

Republican leaders will have plenty on their plate in the fi rst quarter, as the party seeks to roll back President Barack Obama’s legislative gains and press its own agenda ahead of the 2016 presidential race.

Conservatives are furious at Obama’s recent use of executive orders, notably to halt deportations of undocumented immigrants and to begin normaliz-ing US-Cuba relations.

Republican legislation, including several pro-jobs bills, should pass relatively easily through the House of Representatives, where Republicans ex-panded their majority to 247 of 435 seats.

It will be tougher in the 100-member Senate, where 60 votes are often needed to advance legisla-tion. Republicans will hold 54 seats in the chamber.

Expect a series of heated clashes between Con-

gress and Obama in months to come.Economy Obama gives his State of the Union speech Janu-

ary 20 laying out his policy priorities, but several issues will already be churning on Capitol Hill.

Approving the controversial Keystone XL oil pipe-line from Canada to the US Gulf Coast will be the Senate’s fi rst major order of business, according to incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The long-delayed project is expected to clear Con-gress, but Obama, concerned about how Keystone might hasten climate change, signalled his opposi-tion in a year-end press conference.

That sets up a potential presidential Keystone veto in early 2015, one that would be diffi cult to override.

Republican leaders expect to reach common ground with Obama on international trade agree-ments like the Trans-Pacifi c Partnership, which has Republican support but faces Democratic opposition.

Other issues could face even more hostility.Congress will need to raise the federal debt limit,

which was suspended early last year until March 15, 2015. McConnell said there would be “no default on the national debt.”

Tireless effort by immigrants cited for new driver license law

Deadly Libya strike on tanker draws Greek condemnation

Why Ona quit: Trust, confi dence of Aquino no longer there

DOTC chief claims LRT, MRT fare hike followed standard procedures

Slew of challenges for Republican-led US Congress in 2015


Governance for Kalayaan Incorporated is set for 2015 with the induc on of offi cers by Deputy Consul General Imelda M. Panolong on December 2, at Steven’s Steakhouse in the City of Commerce. From le : board member Rene Galano, PRO Lydia V. Solis; board members Myrna Baculi and Benel Se-Liban; assistant secretary Violet Mislang, secretary Archerie Calunod, president Zeny Sabocor, vice president Josie E. de Jesus, treasurer Lanie Ber-rei, assistant treasurer Virginia B. Vivas, and auditor Techie Emperador. Music by Midnight Mo on Band with board member Willie Manacsa in the background. Photo by Marc de Jesus.

Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Tuesday 1/6/2015 – Nearly 30,000 motorists applied for driv-ing licenses in California on the fi rst weekend of a new law offer-ing them to people in the United States illegally, offi cials said Monday.

Thanks to the 2013 bill ap-proved by Governor Jerry Brown, California last week became the 10th state in the nation to issue them to undocumented immi-grants.

Under the AB60 law, anyone who can show they are California residents – such as through bills or rental agreements – can now apply for a license, regardless of immigration status.

On Friday 17,200 people ap-plied for the AB60 driver’s docu-ment, while over 11,000 did so on Saturday, said Department of Motor Vehicles spokeswoman Jes-sica Gonzalez.

Opponents fear the law will encourage immigrants to come to the United States, and worry some might use false names to register for a license, thereby cre-ating national security concerns.

Advocates say it means more drivers will get car insurance and will make the roads safer.

Until now, immigrants in Cali-fornia without legal authoriza-tion risked heavy fi nes or vehicle seizures for driving without a li-cense. Many do anyway, as much of the huge West Coast state lacks comprehensive public transit.

California has the largest un-documented immigrant popula-tion in the United States, about 2.45 million.

They must still provide proof of identity, such as a passport.

The state’s Department of Mo-tor Vehicles expects some 1.4 mil-lion people to request a license.

Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Vermont and Washington state already have similar laws.

Opponents fear the law will

encourage immigrants to come to the United States, and worry some might use false names to register for a license, thereby cre-ating national security concerns.

Advocates say it means more drivers will get car insurance and will make the roads safer.

Until now, immigrants in Cali-fornia without legal authoriza-tion risked heavy fi nes or vehicle seizures for driving without a li-cense. Many do anyway, as much of the huge West Coast state lacks comprehensive public transit.

California has the largest un-documented immigrant popula-tion in the United States, about 2.45 million.

They must still provide proof of identity, such as a passport.

The state’s Department of Mo-tor Vehicles expects some 1.4 mil-lion people to request a license.

DMV director Jean Shiomoto said the law would “increase safe-ty on California roads by putting licensed drivers behind the steer-ing wheel.”

As DMV offi ces opened early Friday, hundreds of people lined up to be among the fi rst to request a license under the new rules.

Miguel Pineda, 37, has been driving illegally for 15 years and was among those applying.

“I got nervous when it was my turn to take the (driving) test. But it was easy,” he told the Los Ange-les Times.

He said he had been stopped in 2005 and had to shell out almost $1,500 after his car was confi s-cated.

Los Angeles city Councilman Gilbert Cedillo was among those supporting the law.

“It was diffi cult politically to carry a legislation for a commu-nity that was vilifi ed, not appre-ciated, and marginalized,” he told the LA Times.

Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Vermont and Washington state already have similar laws.

Nearly 30,000 apply for license on 1st week of new law

LA County Public Works will host a free used motor oil and oil fi lter recycling event on January 10, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, at the Maywood O’Reilly Auto Parts, located at 4401 Slauson Ave.

When used oil is ille-gally dumped into storm drains, it pollutes local water bodies and con-taminates sources of clean drinking water. In fact, according to the U.S. Environmental Pro-tection Agency, it only takes one gallon of mo-tor oil to contaminate as much as a million gal-lons of fresh water. That is equivalent to a year’s supply of drinking water for 50 people.

In exchange for prop-erly disposing of their used oil during the event, participants will be re-warded with free used oil containers, oil fi lters, shop towels, and funnels. Those recycling oil fi lters will receive one new oil fi lter. Promotional items are available on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis.

Items for drop-off should be prepared by placing oil fi lters in sealed plastic bags and storing used motor oil in leak-proof containers. Used oil should not be mixed with any other liq-uid, including water.

Used motor oil and oil fi lters can also be recy-cled for free at a local cer-tifi ed collection center or on weekends at a Coun-ty-sponsored Household Hazardous Waste/Elec-tronic Waste collection event. A full calendar of collection events and list of collection centers can

be found at www.CleanLA.com.For additional information on

the County’s oil and oil fi lter recy-cling program, call Edna Ganda-rilla, Program Manager, at (626) 458-6536.

LA County to host used oil and fi lter recycling event in Maywood

Immigrants snap up new California driver licenses

Washington, United States | AFP | Tuesday 1/6/2015 – Presi-dent Barack Obama prepared Tuesday to welcome his Mexican counterpart Enrique Pena Nieto for talks centering on immigra-tion and US plans to restore dip-lomatic ties with Cuba.

Another topic of discussion could be the disappearance and likely massacre of 43 Mexican students at the hands of police-linked gangsters in September in the southern town of Iguala, a tragedy that has triggered a ma-jor scandal for Pena Nieto.

In a letter to Obama, Human Rights Watch said the Pena Nieto administration has failed to take the crisis seriously and Obama should “call them on it.”

On immigration, Obama an-nounced in late November a se-ries of measures offering some fi ve million people living in the country illegally – out of a total of 11 million – temporary legal sta-tus. Two-thirds of the people that can benefi t from the reform are Mexican, according to the White House.

Starting in spring, any un-documented foreigner who has been living in the country for more than fi ve years, and has a US-born child or one with permanent US residency, can fi le for a three-year work per-mit.

Mexico has welcomed this change as restoring “dignity” to hundreds of thousands of people.

Mexico and the United States, which share a 3,200 km

Obama meets with Mexican leader on immigration, Cuba(2,000 mile) border, also worked together closely last summer to deal with a fl ood of unaccompa-nied Central American children crossing through Mexico into the United States.

Three-quarters of them came from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Mexico’s president was an im-

portant partner in handling this crisis, a US administration offi -cial said.

“The presidents will discuss how they can continue to work together to avoid a renewed surge in migrants this year, and to min-imize the number of people that undertake this dangerous trip,” the offi cial added.

Los Angeles, 05 January 2015 – The Philippine Consulate General is pleased to announced that it will move to a new location at 3435 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA beginning the 1st week of March 2015.

The change of location that is four blocks from its present location is part of a wider effort of the Consulate towards deliv-ering better client experience and enhanced image and repre-sentation of the Philippines in Southern California.

“At these times when the respect for our people and our country has increased considerably,” said Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim, “it is timely that we establish a presence in Los Angeles that matches up with that achievement.”

The Filipino community is one of the fastest growing com-munities in the Midwest region. Based on the 2010 US Census, there is about one million Filipinos within the jurisdiction of the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles.

PHL Consulate will transfer to new location in March 2015


Pokwang starrer from TFC@theMovies kicks off Star Cinema’s 2015 movie line-up

REDWOOD SHORES, CA, January 5, 2015 – The second original feature fi lm of TFC@the-Movies that was the talk of the town among Filipino moviegoers of North America back in Novem-ber 2014 will be shown in Philip-pine screens starting January 14.

ABS-CBN Star Cinema is bringing the much awaited, EDSA Woolworth, a story about love sur-rounding a blended Filipino

American family that trig-gered conversation among mov-ie-loving folks for its refresh-ing storyline, honest acting, and unforgettable soundtrack. EDSA Woolworth is played by co-medienne Pokwang who displays her acting depth and versatility anew in this family drama. Play-ing Chad, her love interest,

is American actor Lee O’Brian, who is joined by Steven Spohn as

Papa Frank, Ricci Chan as ED-SA’s younger brother Boni, Prince Saruhan as their adopted brother Paco, TFC’s Adobo Nation co-host Lee Robin Salazar as Pat-rick the lawyer, Princess Ryan as Shayne and Vivian Foz as her mom Norma, and Joji Isla as Rudy, Paco’s real dad.

The memorable, original Filipino American soundtrack is another aspect that distin-guishes EDSA Woolworth. Chan penned and performed,

“Felt Like Love” while talents from the San Francisco-based Luna Company also delivered songs which are available on iTunes: “Dancing All Night Long” by Michelle Martinez, “Undone” by Manny Garcia, and “Dressing Room” by Summer Breeze.

“What our moviegoers in the Philippines will experience from watching EDSA Woolworth is an insight into the lives of the mem-bers of a blended Filipino Ameri-can family – their needs, aspira-tions, ways of thinking and the

culture they live in. This is a journey of discovery:

travelling this road is an eye-opener for our folks living in the homeland on the way of life for many Filipinos in the U.S.

We’re so delighted and grate-ful that Star Cinema is kick-ing off its 2015 movie line-up with this heartfelt offering from TFC@themovies,” said direc-tor and ABS-CBN Global Head of Theatricals John-D Lazatin. EDSA Woolworth is the second feature from TFC@theMovies.

In 2011, its fi rst feature, A Mother’s Story surprised many with 18 nominations from the Fil-ipino Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) in 2012.

It was also adjudged Best Film at the 2012 Migration Advocacy and Media Awards (MAM) award-ed by the Commission on Filipi-nos Overseas. For more on EDSA Woolworth, visit www.EDSA-Woolworth.com, www.facebook.com/edsawoolworth and starcin-ema.abs-cbn.com

Miami, United States | AFP | Tuesday 1/6/2015 – Scores of same-sex Florida couples tied the knot early Tuesday after the state’s ban on gay marriage end-ed.

Overjoyed couples fi led into courthouses and exchanged vows just after midnight, as Florida became the 36th of America’s 50 states to allow gay marriage.

“I’m glad it’s fi nally legal,” Wil-liam Lee Jones told the Miami Herald after he married his part-ner of more than 10 years, Aaron Huntsman.

The couple were among sev-eral who had sued Florida for the

right to marry.US District Judge Robert Hin-

kle ruled last week that court offi -cials must not enforce the state’s ban, which was approved by vot-ers in 2008.

In an August ruling, Hinkle said the ban was unconstitutional and he likened it to laws banning interracial marriages that were overturned 50 years ago.

So many couples showed up at the courthouses in some counties that offi cials held mass wedding ceremonies as jubilant friends and supporters cheered outside.

“It’s about time, is what I feel. I didn’t think it would happen in

my lifetime,” Irma Oliver of West Palm Beach told the Palm Beach Post as she married her partner of a decade, Julia Borghese.

Florida is America’s third most populous state behind California and Texas, with a population of about 20 million.

In 2013, the US Supreme Court recognized marriage equality when it overturned a federal law that defi ned marriage in strictly heterosexual terms.

This cleared the way for mar-ried gay and lesbian couples to enjoy the same rights and privi-leges under federal law as their straight counterparts.

Star Cinema brings ‘EDSA Woolworth’ to Philippine screens starting January 14

Same-sex couples wed in Florida as gay marriage ban ends

Washington, United States | AFP | Tuesday 12/30/2014 – US home prices continued to fl atten out in October, with the year-on-year rise slowing to 4.7 percent according to the S&P/Case-Shiller index released Tuesday.

The pace of annual gains in the Case-Shiller 20-city index decelerated from 4.9 percent in September and 13 percent at the

beginning of 2014, evidence of a normalization of the market after the recovery from the 2008-2009 recession.

Housing markets in San Fran-cisco, Miami and Denver contin-ued to show strength while weak-ening was evident in Washington, New York, Boston and Cleveland.

David Blitzer, chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow

Jones Indices, said that gains in eight cities suggested there was still strength overall in the mar-ket.

“After a long period when home prices rose, but at a slower pace with each passing month, we are seeing hints that prices could end 2014 on a strong note and acceler-ate into 2015,” he said in a state-ment.

US home prices continue to fl atten in October

Now on it’s 38th year, the annual Christmas Family Reunion of the Velasco clan was held at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Ruby and Arnold Castaneda on Christmas day 2014. The momentous gath-ering was made more meaningful by the red shirt showing the family tree, which de-fi nes the real mean-ing of “Celebrating as One Big Family.”


A study found that having a so-called “small screen” within reach was slightly worse than a television set when it came to sleep deprivation in a group of 2,000 middle school kids. ©Jack Frog/shutterstock.com

Miami, United States | AFP | Monday 1/5/2015 – Children who have access to tablets or smartphones in their bedrooms get less sleep than children who do not have the devices with them at night, a US study said Monday.

The fi ndings in the January 5 edition of the journal Pediatrics show that having a so-called “small screen” within reach was slightly worse than a television set when it came to sleep depri-vation in a group of 2,000 mid-

dle school kids.Overall, those with access to

smartphones and tablets got nearly 21 fewer minutes of sleep per night than children whose rooms were free of such technol-ogy, and they were more likely to say they felt sleep deprived.

Those with a TV in the bed-room got 18 minutes fewer of slumber than kids without tele-visions in their rooms.

“Presence of a small screen, but not a TV, in the sleep en-vironment, and screen time

were associated with perceived insuffi cient rest or sleep,” said the study led by Jennifer Falbe of the University of Califor-nia, Berkeley School of Public Health.

“These fi ndings caution against unrestricted screen ac-cess in children’s bedrooms.”

Participants in the study in-cluded 2,048 fourth- and sev-enth-graders enrolled in the Massachusetts Childhood Obe-sity Research Demonstration Study from 2012 to 2013.

(Relaxnews) – Working out is catering increasingly to busy lives and thanks to new technol-ogy, we could soon fi nd an answer to the very diffi cult question of why some athletes get hurt over time and others don’t. We’re giv-ing you the skinny on what to ex-pect in workouts as the calendar fl ips over to 2015.

Short workouts will get shorter Gone are the days when get-

ting in shape was associated with spending hours in the gym.

Workouts have been trimmed down to 12, 10, 7 and most re-cently one minute of intense ef-fort and studies have demon-strated such short workouts to be somewhere between effective and better than nothing, depending on participants’ health and goals.

Between lack of time to dedi-cate to the gym and a pointed dis-taste for exercise exhibited in an increasingly sedentary popula-tion, expect this trend to fl ourish.

What’s behind it is high in-tensity interval training (HIIT), which means the workout is se-quenced with periods of all-out

effort sandwiched between quasi-relaxing breaks at warm-up-level intensity.

That being said, the actual time commitment to some buzzed-about short workouts is longer—and in the case of the one-minute workout, that only counts the in-tense part.

HIIT saves you time in any case and has been looked upon as a game changer in people’s ap-proach to working out.

More strategies for safetyShorter is not necessarily

safer, and even popular low-risk workouts that don’t use supple-mentary weights or equipment, like many categorized under body weight training or functional training, carry some degree of risk.

In fact, the Canadian military expressed concerns last year over cases of a muscle condition called rhabdomyolysis in HIIT partici-pants.

All fi tness activities carry risks, and wearable technology in 2015 will focus increasingly on technology aiming to prevent con-

ditions like rhabdomyolysis from arising and take joint stress into account before it becomes a prob-lem to the athlete.

More and more activity track-ers have launched that go beyond counting the steps you take and track lactic acid balance, muscle fatigue and hydration levels.

Increasingly sophisticated muscle activity sensors can help detect sprains and strains and, as always, everything gets logged for later access, so injuries will be more and more traceable.

Such forward-thinking fi tness wearables include Athos and Leo, both of which claim to contain electromyography sensors and are due to ship in 2015.

Other wearables take note of runner’s gaits in the hopes of fi nding out more about joint safety, such as runScribe, whose pre-orders will start shipping in January.

Kinesiologists are hard at work with increased access to new technology such as 3D mo-tion capture that is helping the industry take strides.

Miami, United States | AFP | Monday 1/5/2015 – People who are obese may appear healthy for a while but their condition de-clines over time, said a study out Monday that followed more than 2,500 people for 20 years.

The research by scientists at University College London is the longest of its kind, and its fi nd-ings support previous research that has shown people who are overweight face a higher risk of heart attack, stroke and some kinds of cancer than thin people as the years go on.

For the purposes of the re-search, “healthy obesity” was defi ned as not having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabe-tes or other metabolic risk factors.

A total of 2,521 men and wom-en between the ages of 39 and 62 were followed for the study that measured their body mass index, cholesterol, blood pressure, fast-ing plasma glucose and insulin resistance.

A total of 181 participants were initially classifi ed as obese, including 66 who were considered

“healthy obese.”By the time the two decades

had passed, just over half of the healthy obese people had become unhealthy obese.

Only 11 percent of those who were obese at the start of the study lost pounds and reached normal weight.

“A core assumption of healthy obesity has been that it is stable over time, but we can now see that healthy obese adults tend to become unhealthy obese in the long term, with about half mak-ing this transition over 20 years in our study,” said lead study au-thor Joshua Bell.

“Healthy obesity is a high-risk state with serious implications for disease risk.”

Nearly 36 percent of adults in the United States are obese, and nearly 25 percent of adults in Britain are obese, according to es-timates from government health authorities.

“Healthy obesity is only valid if it is stable over time, and our re-sults indicate that it is often just a phase,” added Bell.

‘Small screens’ prevent kids from sleeping: US study

Fitness forecast 2015: A focus on safe, eff ec ve workouts ‘Healthy obesity’ does not last, says study

LOS ANGELES


MEMORIESTHAT WILL LAST FOREVER.

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Former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada fi nally met actor Bernard Palan-ca, the boyfriend of his daughter Jerika Ejercito.

Palanca and Ejercito wel-comed their fi rst baby early last year.

In a series of posts in her Ins-tagram account, Ejercito shared photos where Estrada can be seen with the actor.

According to Ejercito, the met-ting between her father and her boyfriend made this Christmas extra special.

“Was going through my pho-

tos trying to free up some space and I didn’t realise that someone managed to capture these pre-cious moments when @bjpalanca fi nally met dad. Best Christmas to date. God has blessed beyond what we could ever ask for and we intend to make it right in His time,” she said.

Ejercito also shared some pho-tos where the former President can be seen bonding with her son.

In Ejercito’s latest post, Palan-ca can also be seen joining the Estradas in their family picture.

Several months back, it was reported that Estrada does not

approve of his daughter’s rela-tionship with Palanca.

In an interview with “The Buzz” which was aired on Oc-tober 20, Estrada said Palanca hasn’t reached out to him yet.

“I don’t know anything about it. No [I haven’t met him yet], no [efforts to reach out]. I don’t know,” he said at the time.

Asked if it is true that he dis-approves of Palanca to be her daughter’s partner, Estrada said at the time: “Anong tatanggapin? Nag-e-enroll ba? Meron na silang pamilya ‘yun. Bahala na sila.” (MNS)

Erap fi nally meets Bernard Palanca

Bernard Palanca and Jerika Ejercito

Daniel Padilla

Veteran television host Ger-man Moreno, more popularly known as “Kuya Germs,” was rushed to a hospital Friday after suffering from a mild stroke, a re-port said.

Moreno’s son, Federico, said that his father is currently rest-ing at the Acute Stroke Care Unit of St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City.

He added that his father is do-ing “okay.”

“We humbly ask for your prayers for his quick recovery. Pls pray for Papa,” Federico was also quoted in saying.

Moreno, who is 71-years-old, is the host of the local late night television program “Walang Tulu-gan with the Master Showman.” (MNS)

German Moreno hospitalized due to mild stroke

German Moreno

Gretchen Barretto

Daniel Padilla cried foul after some netizens continued bashing his father, actor Rommel Padilla, for supposedly telling him to pri-oritize his career above anything else.

Padilla said these bashers do not have the right to criticize be-cause they do not know his family personally.

“Nalungkot po ako dahil malungkot po ‘yung nangyayari sa social media. Kaya ayoko niyan eh. Nakakalungkot na ang babata pa nung mga kung anu-ano ang sinasabi sa amin. Akala mo kung sino nang may mga alam. Kaya ‘yun talagang ikinalungkot ko, kahit si Papa, si Tito Robin (Pa-dilla) dinadamay. Masyado si-lang nagmamarunong. Masyado silang maraming alam,” he said.

Although he usually does not mind his detractors, Padilla said he got irked this time because hurtful words have been thrown their way.

“Magaling nga sila eh. Medyo tinamaan nila ako ngayon. Dati hindi naman nila ako tinatamaan eh. Kaso ngayon, medyo bumanat sila sa pamilya ko. Medyo naka-kalungkot na ganun sila. Masy-ado silang nagmamarunong,” he said.

Padilla said he understands why some fans are too posses-sive when it comes to him and his onscreen partner Kathryn Ber-nardo, admitting that he wouldn’t be where he is now if not for their love team.

However, the actor said this does not give fans the right to ma-lign his father nor any member of his family.

“Kung wala si Kathryn, wala naman ako. Totoo ‘yun. Kaya malaki ang pasasalamat natin kay Kathryn. Ngunit ‘yun nga ang

sinasabi ko, may mga nagmama-runong na. Na akala mo sila ‘yung nagpapakain sa amin, sila yung nagpalaki sa amin. ‘Yun ang malungkot,” he said.

According to Padilla, he always reminds his fans not to engage with others who are spreading negativity.

“Kahit naman anong sabihin ko, hindi naman titigil. Ilang beses ko nang sinubukan. Kahit ‘yung last time kong get-togeth-er diyan sa malapit sa bahay, sinabihan ko na ‘yung mga sup-porters ko na ‘yun, ‘yung talagang mga solid, limang taon ko nang kasama. Simula pa lang, nandun na hanggang ngayon.”

“Sinabihan kong marami nang magulo eh. Kahit nga ako ang gulo ko na eh. ‘Wag na silang sumali, sabi ko.’ Sabi ko, ‘Huwag niyo na lang pansinin. Magka-roon na lang tayo ng sarili nating mundo. Maging suplado na lang tayo para wala na lang masabi,’” he said.

Setting aside controversies, Pa-dilla said he will just do his best in all his projects and give what-ever his fans deserve. (MNS)

Daniel Padilla defends dad from bashers

Actress Gretchen Barretto will soon release her own coffeetable book, which will be written by her friend Patrick Rosas.

“To give you idea, I will share not only part of my work as an actress but my love for fashion, for so many things. Hindi natin pwede sabihin baka maunahan tayo pero ‘yun ang aming next project,” Barretto said.

“My next plan, according to ABS-CBN, is her book. She will be the local actress to have a cof-fee tablebook. So secret pa ‘yon, Abangan,” Rosas added.

Barretto, meanwhile, an-nounced that will be doing a new movie with Star Cinema with the title “Etiquette from Mistresses.”

“Marami tayong gagawin,” she said of her plans for 2015. “May-roon akong movie with Star Cine-ma na ‘Etiquette from Mistresses’ under the direction of Chito Roño. Paghahandaan natin ‘yon.”

“As far as teleserye is con-cerned, hindi pa naman gawa ang mga scripts so wala akong pwe-deng i-divulge sa inyo hanggang hindi pa talaga siya concrete la-hat,” Barretto added. (MNS)

Gretchen Barretto wants own coffeetable book

When we think of the term “child wonder”, the name that immediately comes to mind these days is none other than Ryzza Mae Dizon.

Since winning the Little Miss Philippines title in 2012, the 9-year-old sensation has cap-tured the public’s imagination and has proven herself to be a bonafi de top-rated TV star and box offi ce draw. She also won nu-merous accolades including the Best Child Performer award of the Metro Manila Film Festival two years in a row.

In another time, however, there was another child star who was just as phenomenal as Ryz-za is today – perhaps even more so. For much of the 1970s and the 1980s, it was Niño Muhlach who was considered as the coun-try’s child wonder, who even won three FAMAS awards for his performances in “Kutong Lupa”, “Tahan Na, Empoy, Tahan” and “Ang Tatay Kong Nanay”, the last two directed by the late Na-tional Artist for Film Lino Broc-ka.

These days, not a few people see Niño’s similarity with his own son, Alonzo, who at 4 is already beginning to make his presence in the industry.

After a memorable big screen debut in the Star Cinema drama “The Trial”, Alonzo is currently in the cast of not one but two box offi ce hits in the Metro Manila Film Festival “Kubot: The As-wang Chronicles 2” and “My Big Bossing”, where he is offi cially introduced.

Asked about the young

Muhlach’s striking resemblance to his father who is now in his 40s, Niño chuckled and admit-ted that even he is amazed with their similarities.

“Minsan nga ako mismo kini-kilabutan sa sobrang pagkaka-mukha namin. I mean, you look at our pictures, we look so much alike,” Niño recently told Inter-aksyon.

Asked if he had any reserva-tions when Alonzo started get-ting fi lm offers after a brief but memorable appearance in the reality show “Pinoy Big Broth-er: All In”, Niño said he could not think of any reason why he should not allow his son to follow in his footsteps.

“Hindi naman kasi naging traumatic yung experience ko sa showbiz. Hindi naging masama yung epekto sa akin, naging mabuti pa nga. Nakapag-ipon ako, naging maganda ang buhay ko so why will I deprive Alonzo from experiencing what I actual-ly enjoyed during my childhood?”

he argued.Niño said that by allowing

Alonzo’s career to be managed by showbiz publicist Aster Amoyo, people cannot call him a stage father. Although like any proud dad, Niño said he would always be around to lend his support to his son.

In the recent Metro Manila Film Festival awards night where Alonzo performed the opening dance number with Ry-zza, Niño stood up from his seat upon seeing his son and ran near the stage to take photos.

Talent-wise, Niño said it’s not his place to say if Alonzo is already a better actor than he was when they were the same age. “It’s easy for me to say na mas magaling siya sa akin but I’d rather other people say it,” he quipped.

As for comparing Alonzo with Bimby Aquino who co-starred with Ryzza in “My Little Boss-ings” last year, Niño said the comparison is both unfair and unnecessary.

“I hope they don’t compare them because in the fi rst place, Bimby is much older. Nagsisim-ula pa lang si Alonzo so nangan-gapa pa siya at hindi pa ganun kasanay mag-Tagalog,” he point-ed out.

One thing that Alonzo has go-ing for him is that he is part of two MMFF entries that are not only box offi ce hits but have also received favorable reviews. “My Big Bossing” in particular is con-sidered by critics to be a vast improvement over its much-ma-ligned predecessor.

Is Alonzo Muhlach the second coming of Niño Muhlach?

Alonzo


MOTORING New York, United States |

AFP | Monday 1/5/2015 – US au-tomakers reported strong domes-tic sales in December, capping solid annual growth for General Motors and the newly renamed Chrysler, but a fl at year for Ford.

GM said it had the best Decem-ber in seven years, with a 19 per-cent year-on-year rise in US unit sales taking the company’s total for 2014 to 2.94 million vehicles, a 4.8 percent rise.

Both for the month and the year, GM’s Buick and GMC truck and sports utility vehicle (SUV) division led the gains, while its luxury unit Cadillac continued to drag, down 11.1 percent in the month and 6.3 percent for the full year. Ford, the number-two au-tomaker, said it enjoyed its best December in nine years, but unit sales were up just one percent from a year earlier.

For the year sales were virtu-ally fl at at 2.48 million vehicles, which the company blamed on a slowdown in pickup truck sales as it prepared the release late in the

year of the new aluminum F-150, and on a deliberate cutback in sales to car rental agencies.

FCA US, the new name of the US arm of Fiat Chrysler Automo-biles, said its December turnover came in 20 percent above the pre-vious year and marked a 10-year high, pushing the full-year 2014 sales to 2.09 million, a 16 percent rise from 2013.

Volume gains for all three US automakers were strongest in the trucks and SUV categories, as cheap gasoline continues to miti-gate the extra cost of the relative-ly low-mileage vehicles.

December sales for the indus-try appeared better than analysts had expected, and company offi -cials forecast rising sales through-out 2015.

“The momentum the economy carried through 2014 accelerated in the fourth quarter,” GM’s chief economist Mustafa Mohatarem said in a statement.

“Car-buying fundamentals re-main strong and we expect higher industry sales in 2015.”

(Relaxnews) - The RNB 6 is an aftermarket in-car infotainment system that runs the latest ver-sion of Android but that also sup-ports CarPlay, Apple’s system for connecting an iPhone and its apps in the car dashboard.

The unit packs a 7-inch 720p HD touchscreen display and of-fers a host of features even when not connected to a smartphone including an integrated naviga-tion system and voice control for making calls and changing music tracks.

It can also connect to a car’s di-agnostics port to provide diagnos-tics information and can link to a car’s dashboard cam, too.

When both Apple and Google announced that they were de-veloping systems for safely con-necting smartphones to the car dashboard there were fears that the car market could become as segregated as the old PC and cur-rent smartphone market – i.e., that some car brands would only support Apple and others only Android.

However, the Parrot system, which runs a tweaked version of Android Lollipop, the latest ver-sion of Google’s smartphone and tablet operating system, has na-tive support for Android Auto and for CarPlay.

So if a compatible iPhone is

connected to the RNB 6, users will be able to ask Siri questions, use Apple Maps or navigation and access their music libraries on the go.

Other thoughtful features in-clude being able to program mu-sic playback so that it optimizes speakers based on how many peo-ple are in the car and where they are sitting.

Although Parrot is demoing the RNB 6 at this week’s Interna-tional CES, which gets underway offi cially on Tuesday in Las Ve-gas, the company is yet to confi rm when the unit will be offi cially go-ing on sale or how much it is ex-pected to cost.

The South Kore-an manufacturer has brought its Blue Link mobile app to smart-watches, allowing users to start their vehicle’s engine, lock the doors or turn on the AC remotely through the device on their wrist.

Hyundai owners will soon be able to communi-cate with their car from a distance thanks to the new Blue Link smart-watch app. Specifi cally, the app may be used to locate the car, stop or start the engine, lock or unlock the doors, control the AC or honk the horn – all via touch screen or voice commands.

Compatible with An-droid Wear devices, the app will be available for download during the fi rst quarter of 2015. All of the South Korean brand’s models sold in North America are already com-patible with the technol-ogy, although this is not the case in Europe.

Hyundai will demon-strate the new app at CES 2015, which opens on January 6 in Las Ve-gas.

Watch a video demo of the Blue Link smart-watch app: youtu.be/IucixlcRfzU

At the 2015 International CES, Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang took the wraps off two new automotive computers that will be able to give the digital dashboard of the future a photo-realistic feel and cope with all of the incredibly complex processing that will be needed in order for self-driving cars to travel collision-free.

The Nvidia Drive PX packs the same punch as a turn of the Millenni-um supercomputer, uses two proces-sors and can simultaneously crunch through data coming from 12 individ-ual high-resolution cameras.

At the moment the most techno-logically advanced cars use a combi-nation of sensor types, including cam-eras, in order to navigate the road ahead, stay in lane and maintain a

safe distance from the car in front.However, the next generation of

these systems, which will bring fully-autonomous driving one step closer to reality, will do away with other sen-sors for higher resolution cameras, capable of capturing and identifying greater and greater levels of detail.

“Mobile supercomputing will be central to tomorrow’s car,” said Jen-Hsun Huang. “With vast arrays of cameras and displays, cars of the fu-ture will see and increasingly under-stand their surroundings. Whether fi nding their way back to you from a parking spot or using situational awareness to keep out of harm’s way, future cars will do many amazing, seemingly intelligent things. Advanc-es in computer vision, deep learning

and graphics have fi nally put this dream within reach.”

The Drive PX is already capable of enabling a car to fi nd a parking space and to park itself even in a crowded garage and has the learning capa-bilities to be able to discern different types of vehicle – from police cars to delivery vans and whether a car is parked or waiting to pull away.

While the Drive PX is monitoring what’s going on outside, the Drive CX computer powers the car’s digi-tal dashboard and can even keep a digital eye on the driver. Capable of powering 16.8 million pixels across multiple displays, Nvidia claims that the computer’s graphical capabilities are 10 times that of the current best systems.

Mazda Eclipses 300,000 CY sales in U.S.; December 2014 best sales since 2012; CX-5 records best-ever sales year

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) to-day reported calendar year (CY) 2014 total (combined fl eet and re-tail) sales in the U.S. of 305,801, up 7.7 percent over 2013 and the best result since 1994 (20 years), the last time the company sold more than 300,000 vehicles in a single calendar year. MNAO retail-only sales reached 278,880 units, representing an increase of 6.0 percent over 2013, and the best retail sales year since 1994, further showing the company’s reduced reliance on fl eet sales. Combined December U.S. sales of 24,808 vehicles represent an in-crease of 8.0 percent versus last year, and the best December since 2012 (27,253).

“2014 can only be described as historical when it comes to Mazda sales,” said Ron Stettner,

vice president of sales, MNAO. “Mazda3, Mazda6 and CX-5 have out-performed all year and, as a result, we surpassed 300,000 ve-hicle sales for the fi rst time since 1994. The support of our dealers, along with the strongest, most-competitive showroom we have ever offered is the driving force behind our success; I’m confi dent we’ll continue this momentum through 2015 and beyond.”

Key December and CY2014 sales notes:bMNAO achieved its best retail-only sales year since 1994 with 278,880 units. In 1994, MNAO sold 310,985 vehicles to retail customers.

MNAO achieved its best com-bined fl eet and retail year of sales since 1994 with a total of 305,801 vehicles sold. In 1994, MNAO sold 375,416 units. MNAO’s best-ever sales year was 1986, with 379,883 sales. Mazda reported sales of 24,808 in December 2014. This performance represents an in-crease of 8.0 percent year-over-year (YOY).

Strong December sales cap solid year for US automakers

Mazda reports best annual sales in 20 years

Parrot’s new in-car system aims to include all smartphone owners

The autonomous car is coming and Nvidia wants to be in its driver’s seat

New app from Hyundai turns the smartwatch into a car remote control

The Ford GT pictured with its illustrious predecessors. ©Ford Motor Company

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PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

Holy Spirit Thou who make me see everything and show me the way to reach

my ideal, You who give me the divine gift to forgive and forget the wrong that

is done to me and who are in all instances of my life with me. I, in this short

dialogue, want to thank You for everything and con rm once more that I never

want to be separated from You no matter how great the material desires may

be. I want to be with You and my loved ones in Your perpetual glory. Amen. A

person must pray this for three consecutive days without stating his wish. After

the 3rd day the wish will be granted, no matter how dif cult it may be. Promise

to publish this as soon as your favor has been granted. Grateful Thanks -ELLA

PRAYERS

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bottom of my heart to succour me in my necessity. (make request). There are

none that can withstand your power. Oh Mary conceived without sin, pray for

us who have recourse to Thee (3 times). Holy Mary, I place this prayer in your

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publish and it will be granted to you.Grateful Thanks.-ARPEE

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Look and feel great this holiday season...

Cinnamon Chocolate PopcornYield: 3 quarts 3 quarts popped popcorn Butter-fl avored cooking spray 9 tablespoons powdered cocoa mix (cocoa sweetened with sugar or sugar substitute) 3 teaspoons cinnamonPut popcorn in large bowl and lightly spray with cooking spray.

Sprinkle cocoa mix and cinnamon on popcorn. Toss to coat evenly.

Spray and toss again until mixture is well coated.

Serve immediately.

Blazing Buff alo Ranch PopcornYield: 6 quarts, plus left over seasoning mix 1 tablespoon ranch dressing or dip mix (from 1-ounce package) 1 tablespoon seafood spice mix (or celery salt) 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon powdered sugar (or sugar) 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon vegetable oil 6 quarts popped popcorn Cooking spray, optionalIn small bowl, blend ranch dressing mix, spice mix, garlic powder, powdered sugar and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle with vegetable oil and blend until well incorporated.

Place popcorn in serving bowl and spray lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle seasoning mix over popcorn to taste and toss. Store left over seasoning mix in airtight container for future use.

Coconut-Ginger Popcorn Truffl esYield: 3 dozen truffl es 5 cups air-popped popcorn 2 cups miniature marshmallows 1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter 1/2 cup shredded coconut 3 tablespoons candied ginger, minced Cooking spray 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate 1 teaspoon coconut oil or butterPlace popcorn in large bowl.

FAMILY FEATURES

As your winter schedule is sure to be packed with gatherings that bring family and friends closer, have plenty of treats that are gentle on the waist and wallet. Sweet, spicy, salty or with an Asian twist — any way you pop it —

popcorn is a satisfying snack suitable for every chilly weather occasion.Whether you’re hosting a game-day party or simply enjoying a family movie

night, popcorn’s wholesome taste can take on a variety of fl avors to please every guest. Plus, popcorn snacks are healthy and whole grain, which means they’re a more nutritious alternative to traditional party nibbles and noshes.

Cuddle up to these recipes and more by visiting www.popcorn.org.

Sweet and Salty Popcorn Party MixYield: 14 cups 10 cups popped popcorn 2 cups miniature pretzel twists (or another small pretzel shape) 1 cup pecans 1 cup peanuts 2 cups rice, wheat or corn cereal squares 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup corn syrup 1/2 teaspoon baking sodaPreheat oven to 300°F. Place popcorn, pretzels, pecans, peanuts and cereal in very large bowl; set aside.

Heat butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in medium saucepan. Stir mixture over medium heat until it begins to boil. Boil 3 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda (mixture will foam).

Pour syrup over popcorn mixture in bowl and stir until evenly coated. Pour mixture onto large, rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Bake 30 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. Stir mixture a few times as it cools on baking sheet. Store in airtight container.

Asian Popcorn MedleyYield: 8 cups 6 cups popped popcorn 2 cups Oriental rice cracker mix 3 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1/2–1 teaspoon ground ginger (may vary to taste) 1/4–1/2 teaspoon sesame oil (may vary to taste) Preheat oven to 300°F. Mix popcorn and rice cracker mix together in large bowl.

In small microwave-safe bowl, microwave butter on high until melted, about 20 seconds. Stir in soy sauce, ginger and oil. Drizzle over popcorn mixture; toss.

Spread mixture on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring once. Allow to cool, serve or store in airtight container.

Sweet and Salty Popcorn Party Mix

Asian Popcorn Medley

Blazing Buff alo Ranch Popcorn

Place marshmallows and 1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until melted; remove from heat.

Stir in shredded coconut and candied ginger. Mix well.

Spray hands with cooking spray, then scoop up 1 tablespoon of popcorn mixture.

Roll mixture with hands to form ball. Place ball on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Repeat to make 36 balls.

Place chocolate in small,

microwave safe bowl. Heat in microwave on high for one minute, until melted. If not completely melted, microwave for another 15 seconds and stir again.

Stir 1 teaspoon coconut oil into melted chocolate.

Place chocolate in zipper-style plastic bag and seal. Snip off tiny corner of bag.

Pipe chocolate on popcorn balls in decorative pattern.

Garnish with extra shredded coconut and extra minced candied ginger, if desired.

Place truffl es in cool place until chocolate is set.


MANILA, Dec 26 (Mabuhay) -- Despite the trials they faced this year, slightly more than nine out of 10 Filipinos – 93 per-cent – are facing 2015 with hope instead of fear, according to a new survey by pollster Social Weather Stations.

The SWS, which conducted the survey covering the period Nov. 27 to Dec. 1, said this was slightly below the 94 percent who faced 2014 with hope.

“Hope for the New Year has always been high, starting with 87 percent when the question was fi rst asked in 2000, and with 88 percent in 2001,” it said.

Only 6 percent are facing 2015 with fear, the survey showed.

Earlier this month, Pulse Asia said its survey conducted Nov. 14 to 20 showed 88 percent of Filipinos are facing 2015 with hope.

The SWS survey used face-to-face inter-views of 1,800 adults nationwide, 300 each in Metro Manila, the Balance of Luzon and Mindanao, and 900 in Visayas.

Sampling error margins of ±2.3% for national percentages, ±5.7% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon and Mindanao, and ±3.3% for Visayas applied to the survey.

According to the SWS, its survey ques-tion on hope against fear was patterned af-ter the polls conducted by the Institut für Demoskopie Allensbach (IfDAllensbach).

New Year hope The SWS said New Year hope reached

an all-time high 95 percent in 2002, but de-clined to 90 percent in 2003, and slumped to 81 percent the following year.

Such New Year hope rose to 85 percent

in 2005 and hovered at 91 to 92 percent from 2006 to 2008, then declined to 89 per-cent in 2009 before bouncing back to 93 percent in 2010.

In 2011, this matched the all-time high 95 percent recorded in 2002.

But from 2012 to 2014, New Year hope hovered at 92 percent in 2012; 94 percent in 2013; and 93 percent in 2014.

Hope in all areas SWS said New Year hope is widespread

in all areas including 91 percent in Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao; and 96 percent in Balance Luzon.

The 96 percent in Balance Luzon is similar to the record-high 97 percent who entered 2014 with hope.

“Compared to 2013, the percentages of those who are hopeful of the 2015 New Year hardly changed in all areas,” SWS said.

SWS noted New Year hope had been fl at for three years in Metro Manila, at 91 percent in 2013 and 2014, and 93 percent in 2012. This was 96 percent in 2010 and 2011.

In the Visayas, the 91 percent New Year hope is similar to the 93 percent in 2012 and 2013, but slightly lower than the record-high 97 percent in 2010 and 96 per-cent in 2011.

Mindanao’s 91 percent New Year hope in 2014 is similar to the 92 percent in 2013. It was a low 85 percent in 2012, from a re-cord-high 94 percent in 2011.

Happiness with Christmas The survey showed New Year hope is

higher among those who expected a happy 2014 Christmas than among those who ex-

Martin Edwards Seralde of KBB-CYN Canada takes a selfi e with President Benigno S. Aquino III during the Youth Summit 2014 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City on Friday (December 19, 2014). This year’s theme is “Fearless”. The Kristiyanong Kabataan para sa Bayan (KKB) Movement is the youth Life Group Network of the Jesus Is Lord Church Worldwide (JILCW). The KKB Mission is to inspire the youth to live for Jesus Christ and to offer the prime years of their lives in service to God and Country. (MNS photo)

SWS: 93% of Pinoys face 2015 with hope instead of fear

pected a sad Christmas. Of the 71 percent who were expecting

a happy 2014 Christmas, almost all or 95 percent look forward to 2015 with hope.

“Even among the 24 percent who say their Christmas would neither be happy nor sad, 91 percent are entering 2015 with hope,” it said.

But of the six percent expecting a sad Christmas, a lower 76 percent are hopeful of the coming New Year.

The SWS also noted 24 percent of those expecting a sad Christmas said they will enter the New Year with fear than with hope, compared to four percent among

those with happy Christmas. The SWS said that in Germany, where

the survey question originated, those ex-pressing hope ranged from 31 to 58 percent from 1990 to 2013.

It said New Year hope among the Ger-mans rebounded in 2013 to 57 percent from 49 percent in 2011 and 2012.

The SWS said the 57 percent in 2013 is the second-highest since the German reunifi cation in 1990. This reached 58 per-cent anew in 1994.

“German hope in the coming New Year exceeded 50 percent only seven times since 1991,” the SWS said. (MNS)

MANILA, Dec 27 (Mabuhay) – While Pope Francis’ upcoming visit promises a momentous start for the year, the rest of 2015 can be extraordinary for Filipinos as well, the head of the Catholic Bishops’ Con-ference of the Philippines said Saturday.

In his New Year’s message, CBCP presi-dent and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said, “The Year 2015 can be another regular year in our calendar but it can also be an extraordinary year. If we put much love into each day of this year; if we put much hope into every diffi culty we encounter this year; if we share fearlessly with everyone our joyful faith in our loving God; this year may be ordinary but it will be specially memorable one because of the love and faith and hope that we pour into

the days of 2015.”Villegas said 2015 will be remembered

in history as the year Pope Francis visited the Philippines for the fi rst time.

The Pope is expected to visit the Philip-pines from Jan. 15 to 19.

“With the challenge to be apostles of mercy and compassion, the fi rst visit of Pope Francis will surely become momen-tous days of grace for us Filipinos,” Ville-gas said. But Villegas said 2015 is also the Year of Consecrated Life for the Catholic Church worldwide.

It invites Catholics to “thank the Lord for the gift of religious men and women who remind us while on earth of heavenly things,” he said.

“Their lives of chastity, poverty and obe-

dience are signs that God lives among His people,” he said.

On the other hand, he said 2015 is also the Year of the Poor for the Catholic Church in the Philippines.

It is the fourth in a nine-year novena for the Great Jubilee of 2021, the 500th anni-versary of the fi rst Mass and fi rst baptism in the Philippines.

“We all look at Jesus and see how poor we all are! In our poverty, the Lord is our treasure,” Villegas said.

“The Year 2015 is a Year of the Lord as every year really belongs to the Lord. Let us make it truly the year of the Lord by liv-ing each day praising Him, thanking Him, loving Him and following Him forever,” he added. (MNS)

2015 can be extraordinary, CBCP head says in New Year message

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Us asian post january 7, 2015

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