OCTOBER 1-7, 2010 4 www.asianjournal.com Fil-Ams give P-Noy a warm welcome at Seafood City at Seasons Marketplace in Milpitas MILPITAS, California— Philippine President Noynoy Aquino may have been on the other side of the world, but at Seasons Marketplace and inside Seafood City Supermarket in Milpitas, California, he felt right at home. It wasn’t just the warm welcome he received from the Filipino community. It was also because the Marketplace is a virtual Filipino center, reminiscent of Makati. The City of Milpitas is at the southern tip of the San Francisco Bay, also known as the “Crossroads of Silicon Valley.” It is home to over 70,000 residents, composed of 52% Asians with Filipinos comprising the majority, based on the 2000 Census. Seasons Marketplace houses some of the most popular Filipino brands, from fastfood chains to a range of merchandise and services, plus the new branch of Seafood City Supermarket. The 90,000-square foot shopping center, AyalaFil’s first mixed use retail center project in the United States, is a one-stop dining and shopping destination for FilipinoAmericans in the area. A deafening cheer from the huge crowd inside Seasons and the shoppers at Seafood City welcomed President Noynoy as he stepped into the Marketplace. The President, accompanied by Ayala President & CEO Fernando Zobel, Seafood City CEO Carlos Go, National Federation of Filipino Americans (NaFFAA) National Chair Greg Macabenta, Ayala Foundation President Vicky Garchitorena and Milpitas Mayor Robert Livengood, spent some time at each of the Filipino establishments in the mall. It was not surprising that the President took great interest in Seafood City Supermarket, where he spent a significant amount of time walking around the aisles of Filipino grocery products, as well as the vast display of fresh seafood, similar to what one finds at wet markets back in the Philippines. Seafood City is the anchor tenant of Seasons Marketplace, occupying over 34,000 square feet of retail space. Many FilipinoAmericans consider it their “home away from home” here in America. President Aquino also had lunch at Max’s of Manila, one of the restaurants at the Marketplace. Fresh from revisiting his taste for New York hotdogs, the President selected the newly opened Max’s at Seasons. But not everyone could join him inside the fully-booked restaurant, so the Manila-based reporters repaired to nearby Yellow Cub Pizza while Filipino American reporters dined at ChowKing. The President was in the United States to attend the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly and witnessed the signing of the Millennium Challenge Compact Agreement in New York. He brought home $2.4 billion in investment commitments from three companies. In media interviews, he said that the investments were indicative of renewed confidence in the Philippines. The complete details would be revealed upon arrival in Manila, he said, adding that his goal of generating more than 10,000 jobs would be achieved. The companies involved in this would make the announcements at the appropriate time. The $434million grant from the Millennium Challenge Corp. will also be a big help when infused into the economy. Seafood City and Seasons Marketplace is located at 1535 Landess Avenue, Milpitas, California 95035. Business hours are from 8am to 9pm daily. (Advertising Supplement) Moringa for diabetes DIABETES is a metabolic disorder where the human body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone that is required to convert sugar, starches, and other food into energy. Diabetes mellitus is characterized by constant high levels of blood glucose (sugar). The Human body has to maintain the blood glucose level at a very narrow range, which is done with insulin and glucagons. 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Magnesium helps in the metabolism of glycogen, Mg works closely with vitamin B6 to help the metabolic process with in the cell. Moringa which contains all these nutrients helps the diabetic patient to control their blood glucose level. *** Lark Ellen Inc. is located at 1557 E. Amar Rd. Suite H West Covina, CA 91792. For Dealer inquiries, please call (626) 964-6194www. moringamalunggay.com *** The statements above have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseases. Obtaining permanent residence through marriage Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth Ursua Reyes Marriage for many persons is the culmination of one’s life. Getting married signifies the beginning of a new phase in life, both socially and economically. For those persons who lack permanent residency in the United States and have married a United States citizen, marriage also presents an opportunity to obtain permanent residency. However, although the opportunity to obtain permanent residency arises in such situations, one must be aware of and comply with procedures in existence to obtain such status. Due to concerns that persons were becoming married to United States citizens merely to obtain permanent residence status, a two-step procedure under the Immigration Marriage Fraud Amendments of 1986 (IMFA) was set up to ensure such status was given to those only in marriages that are bona-fide and not entered into simply for immigration purposes. Under step one of the procedure, if a person is petitioned by his/her U.S. citizen spouse within 24 months after becoming married, that person is given only conditional permanent residence. Such conditional permanent residence status lasts for two years from the date on which it is granted. Step two of the procedure involves the removal of the conditional label to permanent residence status. Removal of the conditional label is initiated by filing an I-751 Joint Petition to Remove Condition to Permanent Residence (“Joint Petition”). The Joint Petition provides an opportunity for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) to inquire as to the legitimacy of the marriage after conditional permanent residence is granted. Accordingly, documentation evidencing that the marriage was entered into for bona-fide reasons should be submitted as part of the Joint Petition. The Joint Petition must be filed with the USCIS service center in the 90 days immediately prior to the second anniversary of the granting of conditional permanent residence. Typically, upon the filing of the Joint Petition, a one-year extension of the conditional permanent residence is granted. The extension affords the USCIS time to schedule an interview with the person seeking permanent residence, and to make a determination as to whether unconditional permanent residence will be granted for a ten-year period. In cases in which documentation submitted as part of the Joint Petition clearly show that the marriage is bona-fide and not merely for immigration purposes, INS may approve a Joint Petition without an interview. The procedure described hereinabove applies in situations where the marriage has not been terminated. Often, the Joint Petition cannot be filed or approved because the marriage, although bona-fide when entered into, has been terminated. In such cases, the prospect of obtaining unconditional permanent residence status still remains. A waiver of the joint petition requirement may be sought in such cases. By Atty. Darrick Tan and Atty. Kenneth Reyes. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@aol.com; Website kenreyeslaw.com. (Advertising Supplement) Why Ms. Gloria’s star still shines by Bayani San Diego Jr. / Inquirer.net Today’s generation of stars could learn more than a thing or two from this gracious movie queen. What’s the secret of Gloria Romero’s longevity? “Passion for my work,” she puts it simply. “I love my job. I still get excited about every new role.” Respected and well-loved in the industry, Gloria has maintained an unblemished professional record throughout six decades. It’s not surprising that she is still showered with projects for both the big and small screens, most recently filmmaker Neal Tan’s Tarima and ABS-CBN’s Kokey@Ako. Gloria credits the training she got from mentors in her old studio, Sampaguita Pictures, starting at age 16. They were primed to be pros in the truest and strictest sense, she says. “We never quarreled with each other. If I failed to bring a costume, a fellow actress would lend me hers. We helped each other. We didn’t backbite or envy one another.” That’s a code of conduct that today’s artistas should adopt, instead of building careers based on bickering. OC RED CARPET OCTOBER 1 w-ads.in4 4 Gloria also recalls that Sampaguita stars adhered to a system that put a premium on seniority. “We respected those who came before us. For example, at the premiere night of a movie, the younger ones knew where to stand— behind the more senior stars.” It’s a no-brainer, she explains during the press con for Kokey.” “Screen kings and queens like Carmen Rosales and Rogelio de la Rosa paved the way. Now, we are Ms. Gloria Romero playing the same role, which the younger ones will also the rich network owner on portray in the future.” Kokey to the cruel usurer in She enjoys working with Tarima. the young stars of Kokey, Gloria She is proud of her part in says, including the titular alien. Tarima as Fanny Serrano’s abusive “He’s cute naman. My co-stars 80-year-old grandma. “Fanny are well-behaved. Mr. M (Johnny asked me to slap him hard in a Manahan) trained them well. scene,” Gloria relates. “I didn’t During our time, our producer want to hurt him, but we wanted Doc (Jose) Perez hired Ateneo the scene to be realistic.” professors to teach us how to In most of her scenes in that speak in English and Filipino. indie film, she walks around with He also made us take classes on a hunched back. “I couldn’t be social graces.” my usual poised self. I studied It’s clear that Gloria still the way older people walked.” taps into all that training in She notes, “acting is a constant portraying diverse roles, from learning process.” 9/30/10 5:24:27 PM