New Border Rules

Beginning Thursday,January 30,2008 U.S. and Canadian citizens who want to enter the United States from Canada must provide border agents with two documents: proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate and a government-issued photo identification such as a driver's license.

The rules apply to people who are 19 and older and who do not have passports.

Until this week, U.S. and Canadian citizens have been able to enter the U.S. without any proof of citizenship. Saying they were Canadian or a U.S. citizen was sufficient.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel could ask additional questions if they doubted those claims, but documents were not required.

But the new rules, which are meant to strengthen security in the United States, are causing anxiety for Americans who depend on tourism for a living.

They said they are worried that new travel security rules will keep away Canadian visitors, such as those who regularly flock to ski resorts across the border.

On Thursday, people were whizzing through at customs as border protection agents provided some leeway until Canadians and U.S. travelers get used to the new rules. Watch Canadian tourists talk about the new rules »

But people in the tourist industry remember last summer, when minor changes in document procedures at the border created hourslong backups and delays.

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About 50 percent of the skiers and snowboarders who visit Vermont's Jay Peak come from north of the border. The resort makes sure Canadians feel wanted. The sign at the entrance says "Bienvenue," French for welcome. The Canadian and U.S. flags fly alongside each other over the lodge. The snack bar and ski shop accept Canadian currency.

It is a stopgap security measure. Congress has pushed back implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which will require that travelers carry passports or other approved travel documents, until at least summer 2009.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in an interview that he thought the previous requirement of only an oral statement would be news to many U.S. citizens.

"I think this would frankly shock a lot of people. It certainly surprised me when I learned about it,"

The new document requirements will help secure the border at a time when the public is demanding tighter measures.

"It strikes me as a little anomalous to say we're going to build a fence between the ports of entry, but you can just walk right through the port of entry by saying, 'Hi, I'm an American citizen,' without being checked."

The new requirements have brought cries of protest from the travel industry, northern border states, their chambers of commerce and representatives in Congress.

"It's a terrible idea. It's a job killer, plain and simple,"..... "putting the bureaucracy ahead of the needs of the people."

Tens of thousands of Americans and Canadians cross the border every day to jobs and families on the other side. Some communities, such as Derby Line, Vermont, even straddle the border.

Despite publicity about the new document rules, many people living near the border may not have gotten the message.

"I think there is a degree of confusion," ...... "It's not just that they don't have documents; people don't know which documents are required."


U.S. Customs and Border Protection has indicated it will not enforce the new rules strictly at first, but such assurances haven't allayed concerns about possible backups and delays at border crossings.

"Have your passports. Bring your IDs. Have them ready at the border. Make it as efficient as possible. That way, hopefully, we can minimize the impact." the real test will come in about three weeks, when Canadian students get their winter break and head for U.S. ski slopes.

The Canadian government estimates that 7 million jobs in the United States are directly or indirectly tied to U.S.-Canadian trade.

"Every day $1.5 billion worth of trade goes across the Canadian border. Forty million Canadians visit the U.S. every year, and 16 million stay overnight," ..... "It's really going to have an effect."

A coalition of U.S. senators from 19 border states wrote to Chertoff this week asking him to delay implementation of the new requirements, but the secretary said it was time to end the "honor system" for crossing the border.

"I still have ringing in my ears the words of the 9/11 commission, which talks about the importance of dealing with this," ... "I frankly thought the heat I would get is, 'Why did it take so long?' and why were we still not at the end state."

But critics said asking for birth certificates is not going to improve security. There are thousands of different kinds, and they can be counterfeited or stolen, they point out.

Texas LoneStar

TEXAS is the only state that was a Republic before joining the Union. It is the second largest state in land mass and the third largest in population. It occupies approximately seven percent of the total land and water areas of the United States.. Now, that is a mighty big.

Texas owes its name to the Caddo tribe - and the Spaniards. During the Spanish exploration of Texas in the 1540s, the Spaniards met the Hasnai Caddo tribe in present-day East Texas. the Native Americans used the word tayshas for "friends" or "allies." In Spanish, the translation came out as tejas. Eventually, Tejas became Texas.


Texas is also known as the Lone Star State, in reference to the state flag. The flag displays a single, five-point white star on a field of blue with an upper white horizontal stripe and a lower red horizontal stripe. Texas declared independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836, to become the Republic of Texas. Texas was admitted to the Union on December 29, 1845, as the 28th state. Texas state government is divided into executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The governor is the chief executive of the state and is elected for a four-year term of office.


STATE OF TEXAS SYMBOLS
State Tree - Pecan, adopted in 1919
State Flower - Bluebonnet, adopted in 1901
State Bird - Mockingbird, adopted in 1927
State Motto - Friendship, adopted in 1930
State Insect - Monarch Butterfly
State Stone - Petrified palmwood, adopted in 1969
State Gem - Texas blue topaz, adopted in 1969
State Grass - Sideoats grama, adopted in 1971
State Dish - Chili, adopted in 1977
State Fish - Guadalupe bass, adopted in 1989
State Folk Dance - Square dance, adopted in 1991
State Fruit - Texas red grapefruit, adopted in 1993
State Seashell - Lightning whelk, adopted in 1987
State Song - Texas, Our Texas, adopted in 1929
Unofficial State Song - They Eyes of Texas are Upon You

Philippines

The Philippines is made up of 7,107 islands covering a land area of 115,739 sq. m. (299,764 sq. km.). Main island groups are Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Capital is Manila. Time Zone is GMT + 8 hours.

Two official languages --- Filipino and English. Filipino which is based on Tagalog, is the national language. English is also widely used and is the medium of instruction in higher education.
Eight (8) major dialects spoken by majority of the Filipinos: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinense.
Filipino is that native language which is used nationally as the language of communication among ethnic groups. Like any living language, Filipino is in a process of development through loans from Philippine languages and non-native languages for various situations, among speakers of different social backgrounds, and for topics for conversation and scholarly discourse. There are about 76 to 78 major language groups, with more than 500 dialects.

The Filipino is basically of Malay stock with a sprinkling of Chinese, American, Spanish, and Arab blood. The Philippines has a population of 76.5 million as of May 2000, and it is hard to distinguish accurately the lines between stocks. From a long history of Western colonial rule, interspersed with the visits of merchants and traders, evolved a people of a unique blend of east and west, both in appearance and culture.
The Filipino character is actually a little bit of all the cultures put together. The bayanihan or spirit of kinship and camaraderie that Filipinos are famous for is said to be taken from Malay forefathers. The close family relations are said to have been inherited from the Chinese. The piousness comes from the Spaniards who introduced Christianity in the 16th century. Hospitality is a common denominator in the Filipino character and this is what distinguishes the Filipino. Filipinos are probably one of the few, if not the only, English-proficient Oriental people today. Pilipino is the official national language, with English considered as the country's unofficial one.
The Filipinos are divided geographically and culturally into regions, and each regional group is recognizable by distinct traits and dialects - the sturdy and frugal llocanos of the north, the industrious Tagalogs of the central plains, the carefree Visayans from the central islands, and the colorful tribesmen and religious Moslems of Mindanao. Tribal communities can be found scattered across the archipelago. The Philippines has more than 111 dialects spoken, owing to the subdivisions of these basic regional and cultural groups.
The country is marked by a true blend of cultures; truly in the Philippines, East meets West. The background of the people is Indonesian and Malay. There are Chinese and Spanish elements as well. The history of American rule and contact with merchants and traders culminated in a unique blend of East and West, both in the appearance and culture of the Filipinos, or people of the Philippines.
Hospitality, a trait displayed by every Filipino, makes these people legendary in Southeast Asia. Seldom can you find such hospitable people who enjoy the company of their Western visitors. Perhaps due to their long association with Spain, Filipinos are emotional and passionate about life in a way that seems more Latin than Asian.
The Spaniards introduced Christianity (the Roman Catholic faith) and succeeded in converting the overwhelming majority of Filipinos. At least 83% of the total population belongs to the Roman Catholic faith.
The American occupation was responsible for teaching the Filipino people the English language. The Philippines is currently the third-largest English speaking country in the world.