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Volume 11 – Issue 15 • 16 Pages
JANUARY 19-25, 2018
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Duterte on fighting corruption: ‘I’m on a purging spree’ by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, January 16 vowed to continue his drive to cleanse the government ranks from corruption by dismissing more corrupt officials. “I am on a purging spree. And I will continue to do this, I suppose, I’ll do it tomorrow. I’ll be firing more people from government,” Duterte said during a speech in Pasay City. Speaking before the inauguration of new Communications, Navigation, Sur-
veillance/Air Traffic Management Systems, the president warned officials from involving themselves in corruption, saying, “Do not do it during my watch.” Duterte also warned officials against taking excessive foreign trips. “And those who are into the wanderlust or are itchy for travel and wasting the many things that you do there without necessarily an impact on the lives of the people, better think of resigning,” he said. Duterte on Monday, January 15, said he sacked Commission on Higher Edu-
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PH gov’t launches Overseas Filipino Bank
USA
DATELINE Trump administration to ask Supreme Court to allow end of DACA
by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
THE Justice Department said on Tuesday, January 16, that it would ask the Supreme Court to overturn a California judge’s ruling in a move it described as a “rare step.” The overturn would provide a way for the Trump administration to put an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which has taken center stage in the
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Arum eyes to line Pacquiao’s return with Crawford-Horn match
AFTER suffering a controversial defeat in July last year, Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is likely to make a comeback this coming April. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he’s planning to include Pacquiao in the same card that will feature a WBO welterweight title showdown between champion Jeff Horn and Terence Crawford.
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FULFILLING HIS PROMISE. President Rodrigo Duterte gestures as he led the ceremonial opening of the Overseas Filipino Bank (OFBank) at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila on Thursday, January 18. The creation of OFBank is one of the campaign promises of President Duterte meant to provide financial and remittance services tailored to the needs of OFWs. ManilaTimes.net photo by John Micah Sebastian
Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio Inquirer.net photo
SC Judge Carpio: Nationwide martial law is legally possible
FULFILLING a campaign promise made by President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippine government on Thursday, January 18 launched the new Overseas Filipino Bank (OFB)—a bank that caters specifically to Filipinos abroad. This comes about four months since Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) 44 on September 28, which approves the Land Bank of the Philippines’ (LBP) acquisition of the Philippine
Postal Savings Bank (PPSB). It stated that the PPSB will be converted to the OFB. Duterte, who led the inauguration of the OFB at the Postbank Center in Manila, expressed satisfaction that he was able to carry out one of his electoral promises. “I made simple promises during the election. I am not into politics but I would just like to remind you that I kept my campaign very simple, with about four basic fundamental promises and I am very happy that mukhang naibigay ko sa inyo (I fulfilled it),” the
SIOSON AJPress
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Senate ‘unanimous’ against joint voting in con-ass
by DANA
IT is legally possible for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to expand the scope of martial law nationwide, Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said on Wednesday, January 17. During the resumption of oral arguments on the consolidated petitions against the one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao, Carpio noted that the threat posed by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), is nationwide
president said. With the OFB, Duterte added that the government can “give back what is due our kababayans abroad through a bank specially dedicated to servicing their banking and financing requirements.” The newly-opened bank is set to operate domestically and internationally. By the second quarter of 2018, the government plans to open foreign representative offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Bahrain. The OFB will offer deposits, loans,
by AJPRESS
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon fields questions to legal luminaries, constitutional experts and other resource persons during the Senate hearing on the proposals to amend or revise the 1987 Constitution, Wednesday, January 17, 2018. Drilon said that a possible disagreement between the Senate and the House of Representatives on the mode of amending or revising the 1987 Constitution could not be brought for resolution at the Supreme Court, since the issue “falls within the discretionary powers of both Houses of Congress.” Also in photo is Senator Panfilo Lacson. Senate photo by Alexis Nueva España
ALL members of the Senate agreed that Congress must vote separately in revising the 1987 Constitution should it convene as a constitutional assembly. According to Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, senators are “unanimously” against the proposal for them to vote jointly with the House of Representatives on the Charter change (Cha-cha). “It is the entire Senate as an institution. The unanimous vote — no dissent — is that we should vote separately,” Drilon told re-
porters on Wednesday, January 17. He went on to say, “In my 20 years as a senator, there’s just a few times where there is unanimity. The unanimity was shown yesterday when all the senators said, ‘no, we should vote separately.’” Drilon also disclosed that no one objected to Senator Panfilo Lacson’s proposal to expel from the Senate any of its members who attend the House of Representatives’ proposed constituent assembly. “There was a proposal yesterday by Senator Lacson to expel
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Int’l media giants condemn SEC move to shut down Rappler New York Times, Wall Street Journal stand in solidarity with the PH outlet ing the constitutional and statutory Foreign Equity Restriction in Mass Media, enforceable AS Rappler faces closure af- through laws and rules within ter the Philippine Securities and the mandate of the commission,” Exchange Commission (SEC) en read the decision dated January banc revoked its registration for 11, published on Monday, Januallegedly violating the country’s ary 15. Constitution, some of the top Following the ruling, press media companies have voiced freedom advocates and Philipsupport for the Philippine media pine government officials includoutlet. ing Vice President Leni Robredo The company is also being ac- were quick to defend Rappler cused of violating the Anti-Dum- which has maintained that the my Law, the Corporation Code accusations are false. and the Securities Regulation “Yung media, sila ‘yung inaasahan na maging watchEXPLORE ISLANDS PHILIPPINES LAUNCHED. JS Productions, led by Jerry Sibal and Edwin Josue launched Explore Islands Philippines with a Code. “The En Banc finds Rappler, dog… Kung wala nang bantay, festive party at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center last week. Among those who joined the festivities were Consul General Theresa Dizon De Vega (fourth from right), Tourism Attaché Susan del Mundo (third from right), Hank Hendrickson of the US-Philippines Society (third Inc. and Rappler Holdings Cor- ano ‘yung makakahadlang sa from left), David Alden Turley from the Office of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (second from left) and Josh Vasquez, area manager of poration, a Mass Media Entity pang-aabuso ng mga opisyal ng Philippine Airlines (right). Read full story on Page A4. Photo by Boyet Loverita and its alter ego, liable for violat- gobyerno (The media, they are by RAE
ANN VARONA AJPress
expected to be watchdogs… Without watching, what will prevent the abuse of government officials)?” asked Robredo. On Wednesday, January 17, the New York Times joined in by calling the SEC ruling “only the tip” of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s attack on media critics. In its op-ed, the Times also highlighted the proliferation of fake news and said Duterte’s denial of being involved was predictable. “His supporters have also made the Philippines a swamp of fake news, conspiracy theories and online harassment,” said the Times.
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A January 19-25, 2018 • nEW yOrK anD nEW JErSEy aSIan JOurnaL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426
From the Front Page
Duterte on fighting corruption... PAGE A1 t cation (CHED) head Patricia Licuanan, who announced her resignation earlier that day. The president did not cite specific reasons for dismissing Licuanan but he made note of rampant corruption in government when he made the revelation. Prior to Licuanan, Duterte also remove former Maritime Industry Authority administrator Marcial Amaro III from office. Both Licuanan and Amaro were accused of making excessive foreign trips.
The president went on to say, “Those who made trips more than 20 a year, that’s too much. So I will be asking almost all of them to maybe just step down, unless, of course, I have this commissioned for you to do something for the country and for the people.” In his speech, Duterte also hit public bidding in the guise of lowest bid as another source of corruption. He further warned that he will not tolerate winning bidders who failed to finish the public works
projects at specified timetable. “The highways in the Philippines are clogged with unfinished products and accidents multiply because of the sheer negligence also of the people handling the project. This insanity must stop,” the president remarked. He went on to say, “If you have the contract and you incur a delay of 30 days, I’ll take over. I’ll give it to another contractor which has the money to continue and I will not pay you, you go to court, then we will fight it out. n
PH gov’t launches Overseas... PAGE A1 t investments, remittance, and payment services “tailored to the requirements” of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), immigrants, and those with resident visas. In an earlier statement, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said a key feature of the OFB will be its provision of a remittance service for OFWs and a loan program for Filipinos planning to return to the country
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to start businesses or build their homes. According to him, the Landbank and the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) “are also exploring ways of mobilizing the savings of overseas-based Filipinos for them to invest in the country’s capital market.” “It’s just a matter of the administrative integration of the bank. It’s an administrative thing and all the approvals have been
cleared away for the acquisition,” Dominguez said. “You know, we are just fulfilling [President Duterte’s] campaign promise one by one. First, tax reform, then this new bank,” he added. Apart from fulfilling the president’s campaign promise, the finance secretary also remarked that the conversion of the PPSB into the OFB also saved the former from bankruptcy. n
Int’l media giants condemn...
“Mr. Duterte has refused to condemn the flood and has denied any involvement in its creation,” the newspaper added. “Predictably, he also denied that the revocation of Rappler’s was political, and he said he didn’t care whether or not Rappler continued to operate.” The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, January 16, listed the SEC ruling as the latest attempt by the Duterte administration to “silence” the media and those critical of the administration. “Other media organizations use the same structure; only Rappler is being singled out for punishment,” said the WSJ article. Under the Philippine Constitution, mass media companies are required to be fully owned by Filipinos. The SEC said Rappler had violated those rules by taking funds from Omidyar Network, a self-described philanthropic investment firm created by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, a non-Filipino. Rappler argues that the inves-
tors provided funding through a Philippine Depository Receipt (PDR) which essentially allow companies to invest in media companies without becoming owners. Many national companies are said to use PDRs. Marcus Brauchli, co-founder of North Base Media which also has investments in Rappler through PDRs, responded to a letter by Filipino journalist Rigoberto Tiglao who asked for Brauchli’s comment on the ruling that “violated our Constitution’s ban on foreign equity in a media firm.” “Why would the SEC rescind the business license of a truly innovative, viable and popular media company?” asked Brauchli who was also the former executive editor of the Washington Post, and former managing editor of the WSJ. “Filipinos we know are proud of the fact that the first successful digital media company in Southeast Asia took root and flourished in their country,” he added. “We admire and respect the people, laws, independence and accom-
plishments of the Philippines. That’s why we got involved with Rappler.” Rappler responded to the ruling Monday by calling it “pure and simple harassment.” “What this means for you, and for us, is that the Commission is ordering us to close shop, to cease telling you stories, to stop speaking truth to power, and to let go of everything that we have built — and created — with you since 2012,” said a response statement by Rappler. Rappler argued that in 2015, the SEC had itself accepted the Omidyar-related documents submitted by Rappler. Palace suggests “blogger accreditation” Maintaining that the move was not an attack on press freedom but on the compliance of the Filipino ownership rules, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Wednesday, January 17 that Rappler would still be able to apply for “blogger accreditation”. “They may need to get accred-
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EDUCATING THE YOUTH. As a legislator, wife and mother — Senator Grace Poe interacts with students of Immaculate Conception Academy during their visit at the Senate in Pasay City on Tuesday, January 16. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
SC Judge Carpio... PAGE A1 t and not limited to Mindanao only. “But if you follow the argument that the CPP-NPA [threat] is nationwide, legally the president can declare martial law throughout the entire Philippines because there is an ongoing rebellion nationwide,” Carpio said. While Solicitor General Jose Calida agreed that the president “can” expand the martial law nationwide, he pointed out that it was unnecessary. “There is the accompanying requisite of public safety that requires it [martial law declaration],” the Philippine government’s top lawyer added. Under the Section 18, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution, a president has the power to declare the Philippines under martial law subject to the Congressional approval “in case of invasion or rebellion, when the public safety requires it.” Further asked by Carpio if the first condition of an actual rebellion by the CPP-NPA had been complied with, Calida responded in affirmative but expressed belief that Duterte “will not impose martial law in the entire Philippines.” Last month, Congress granted
Duterte’s request to retain the martial law in Mindanao until December 31, 2018 for the “total eradication” of the communist rebels, Islamic State (IS)inspired groups, and other local and foreign terrorist groups in the area. According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), there are about 400 terrorists in Mindanao. AFP also added that there has been an “influx” of foreign terrorists, “in the guise of tourists and businessmen,” in the southern Philippines. So far, the military said it has monitored 48 foreign terrorists currently operating and recruiting in area. “Abu Sayyaf groups, in the presence of remnants, supporters, protectors and sympathizers of DAESH (another term for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or ISIS), pose a clear and present danger to national facilitation of rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction in Marawi, and hinder peace in Mindanao,” AFP deputy chief of staff for Intelligence Maj. Gen. Fernando Trinidad said. According to AFP Chief Gen. Rey Guerrero, the martial law in Mindanao has encouraged “greater compliance on all government entities” and the en-
hancement of the “climate of safety and security.” “People in affected areas could attest that they appreciate the implementation of martial law,” Guerrero added. ‘Paranoia’ over martial law Earlier on Tuesday, January 16, SC Associate Justice Samuel Martires questioned petitioners for supposedly being “paranoid” about the military rule. Martires posed the question following statements from former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay who cited the rampant human rights violations in the country from 1972 to 1986 during the martial law period under late President Ferdinand Marcos. “Why are we so paranoid about martial law and yet not worried about terrorism?” Martires asked petitioners. Hilbay is the counsel for former Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chair Etta Rosales, who is among the petitioners. During the deliberations, Hilbay maintained that threats of terrorism do not justify martial law. “That is not enough to justify the imposition of martial law… Many of us experienced martial law and it was not a pleasant experience,” he said. While agreeing that threats of terrorism should be addressed,
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From the Front Page
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 19-25, 2018
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Trump administration to ask Supreme Court... PAGE A1 t country’s most pressing legal disputes. The administration said it appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, an injunction made last week by San Francisco-based U.S. District Judge William Alsup. On Tuesday, January 9, Alsup blocked Trump’s plan to end DACA protections, allowing those previously protected by the program to apply to renew their status. The ruling does not though, require the government to accept new applications. In carrying out the ruling, Alsup said the plaintiffs “have clearly demonstrated that they are likely to suffer serious irreparable harm absent from injunction.” “Before DACA, Individual Plaintiffs, brought to America as children, faced a tough set of live and career choices turning on the comparative probabilities of being deported versus remaining here,” he said in his decision. “DACA gave them a more tolerable set of choices, including joining the mainstream workforce.” Now, the Justice Department said it will also be petitioning the Supreme Court to intervene in the case later this week. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement that the ruling
“defies both law and common sense.” “We are now taking the rare step of requesting direct review on the merits of this injunction by the Supreme Court so that this issue may be resolved quickly and fairly for all the parties involved,” said Sessions. Sessions had announced the federal protection’s end in September 2017, before giving Congress six months to find a fix. That gives Congressional members until March 5 to make a decision. The action comes as Capitol Hill approaches a January 19 deadline for avoiding what could be the first government shutdown since 2013. Advocates for the nearly 800,000 (former) DREAMers have been pushing for a DACA fix to be included in the solution. Filipino Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, who outed himself as an illegal immigrant in a 2011 essay in the New York Times Magazine, took to Instagram Tuesday encouraging those that may be affected to take a vacation day from work and get needed paperwork done. “If you’re an employer, I encourage your teammates to prioritize this (and not have them request a vacation day but just do it),” said Vargas.
Sen. Manny Pacquiao
Philstar.com photo
Arum eyes to line Pacquiao’s...
PAGE A1 t Arum, however, presented two main issues that are yet to be resolved: Pacquiao’s opponent and the availability of the venue. “We’re working on an opponent. Don’t want to be too premature about that, but we’re working on it as we speak. Pacquiao seems like he wants to come back, so we’re trying to get that finalized,” Arum said. Pacquiao has not been in the ring since losing his World Boxing Organization (WBO) Welterweight title to Horn in their match last July in Brisbane. This April, it is Horn’s turn to defend his WBO Welterweight title from Crawford. The bout will be televised by ESPN. It remains unclear, however, if Pacquiao will participate in the main event or as undercard. The last time Pacquiao fought in the undercard was in 2005, when knocked out Hector Velasquez in
Los Angeles. The event was then headlined by the match between Eric Morales and Zahir Raheem. “ESPN has a way to solve (the main event issue), so it will be very interesting when we announce it,” Arum said. As for the venue, Arum remarked that he wanted the match to be held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on April 21 but can’t confirm yet because the place might be used by the Golden Knights team for the NHL playoffs, slated to begin April 11. If failed to get an approval for the T-Mobile Arena, Arum said the bout could be held at New York’s Madison Square Garden on April 14. “Unless they can get some clearance from the league, we can’t do it in Las Vegas because none of the other arenas are available and we would have to do it somewhere else,” Arum said. (Dana Sioson/AJPress)
SC Judge Carpio... PAGE A2 t
the former solicitor general insisted that the military’s regular powers are the “appropriate tool” for responding to such threats. “Why are we not worried about terrorism? We are worried about terrorism but martial law is not the answer to terrorism,” Hilbay added. Martires then interrogated Hilbay about any occurrence of civil liberties being suppressed under the current martial law. “[Is] there a curtailment of freedom of speech? Of assembly? Academic freedom? Just like what happened during the previous martial law?” Martires asked. Hilbay, in response, said he
was not privy to “what the military did” under the present martial law. The SC has consolidated four petitions challenging the constitutionality of the one-year extension. The first and second petitions were separately filed by the socalled “Magnificent Seven” of the House of Representatives, led by Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, and by human rights advocates and cause-oriented groups represented by the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL). The third petition was filed by Rosales, while the fourth was submitted by a group led by former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman and one of the framers of the 1987 Constitution Christian Monsod. n
PH-EU COOPERATION AGREEMENT. Senator Loren Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, sponsors three Senate Resolutions seeking the Senate’s concurrence in the ratification of the Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation Between the Philippines and the European Union (PH-EU PCA) and the Social Security Agreements with Germany and Sweden. On Wednesday, January 17, the Senate approved the three treaties on second reading. Senate photo
“As predicted, Jeff Sessions just provided notice of their intent to appeal directly to the Supreme Court on the CA decision so we have no idea to know if this re-application window will close and if yes how quickly,” he added. “Not trying to induce panic, just trying to induce expeditious behavior in a very unknown crazy unfair and cruel period of time.” According to data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, nearly 5,000 applications from undocumented Filipinos have been approved since 2012 when the program was established by former President Barack Obama. Trump had rejected last Thursday, January 11, a bipartisan proposal for DACA that was introduced by Democratic Senators Richard Durbin, Michael Bennett, and Robert Menendez and Republican Senators Lindsey Graham, Jeff Flake, and Cory Gardner. The six said in a statement before the deal was rejected that they had “reached an agreement in principle that addresses border security, the diversity visa lottery, chain migration/family reunification and the DREAM Act.” In a succession of tweets posted Friday, January 12, Trump called the proposal a “big step backwards.” He argued that it did not fund the wall, it slackened policies family-based immigration “chain migration,” as well as the diversity visa lottery system. He maintained he wanted a merit-based system of immigration. (Rae Ann Varona/ AJPress)
FOR SAFER AIR TRAVEL. President Rodrigo Duterte gets a briefing about the capabilities of the new navigation and surveillance system at the Philippine Air Traffic Management Center in Pasay City. Malacañang photo
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Senate ‘unanimous’ against joint...
whoever that member is, there was no dissent. The point is that it manifests the sentiment, strong sentiments of the senators in so far as voting separately or jointly,” Drilon said. Lacson, for his part, confirmed making such a proposal: “I did suggest that yesterday after we all agreed to close ranks as one body. Nobody objected.” “I was just concerned that in case of that remote possibility na meron in the future, he or she
cannot escape a misdeed that borders on treachery to our Senate as an institution. We can use our mechanism in the ethics committee to execute my proposal,” Lacson added. The Senate has only 24 members, while the House is composed of 292 members. Overwhelmingly outnumbered by the House, senators argued that the power of the Senate may be diminished in a joint voting. Earlier on Tuesday, January, 16, the House of Representatives adopted a resolution to convene
as a constitutional assembly. The lower chamber approved the House Concurrent Resolution no. 9, which seeks to convene both the Senate and the House of Representatives into a constituent assembly “to propose amendments to or revision of the Philippine Constitution” in connection with the proposed shift to federalism. The resolution, however, did not state whether the voting will be conducted separately or jointly by the Senate and the House. n
A January 19-25, 2018 • nEW yOrK anD nEW JErSEy aSIan JOurnaL
Explore Island Philippines Expo launched in grand event in NY NEW YORK – A fitting launch event for the Explore Islands Philippines Expo, was organized by JS Productions Inc., with the support of the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) and Tourism Promotions Board Philippines (TPB) — to be staged at the Grand Central Terminal New York City in May — was held on January 11, 2018 at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center. Hosted by JS Productions, the launch attracted a capacity audience from the media; diplomatic and business communities; fashion, travel, and entertainment influencers. JS Productions President Jerry Sibal remarked that Explore Island Philippines is his and part-
ner realtor Edwin Josue’s way of giving back to their homeland by showcasing the best that the Philippines has to offer in trade, investments, and tourism, in one of the most visited commuter terminals in the world. Representing the DOT and TPB, Tourism Attache to New York Ms Susan Del Mundo said in her remarks, “I am confident that Explore Islands Philippines 2018 exhibition will greatly contribute to our goal of building more and sustaining the huge American market as a major source of tourism for the Philippines.” Philippine Consul General Theresa Dizon-De Vega expressed her anticipation for the expo, saying that the Philippines is a
Mr. Hank Hendrickson, Executive Director of the US-Philippines Society
NYPCG photo
treasure trove of tourist experiences and investment opportunities just waiting to be explored. She assured the organizers of the Consulate General’s support for the grand event, which will be a fitting prelude to the 120th commemoration of Philippine Independence. Performances from the San Francisco-based Parangal Folk Dance Group; singers Angel Ram and Bryan Magsayo; and jazz dance duo Sheena and Junggee Zamora delivered entertainment to the guests. A sampling of indigenous Filipino fashion were modelled by live mannequins throughout the event. Refreshments were provided by Filipino chefs from Maison Hugo, Ugly Kitchen, Tito Rad’s, and Cornucopia. Other special guests at the event included Mr. Hank Hendrickson, Executive Director of the US-Philippines Society one of the Expo supporters, along with Mr. Josh Vasquez Area Manager of Philippine Airlines (PAL), and Mr. David Turley, Director of Constituency Affairs of the Office of New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. Explore Islands Philippines will take place on 9 – 12 May 2018 at the Vanderbilt Hall East of the Grand Central Terminal, with a culminating black-tie event at Cipriani Hall on the evening of May 12. Exhibitor and sponsorship packages are still available. More information is available at www.exploreislandsphilippines. com. n
)ROORZ XV RQ
Dateline USa
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COMING TO LIFE. Mayon Volcano, enveloped by clouds, spews ash on Sunday, January 14m prompting local officials to evacuate residents in three towns and two cities in Albay province. Mayon, an active volcano, was placed under “critical” alert when it last spewed white smoke on September 2014 and caused thousands to flee the area. ManilaTimes.net photo by Rhaydz Barcia
Int’l media giants condemn... PAGE A2 t
itation as bloggers because they cannot continue conducting their business as Rappler since that company has, for all intents and purposes, been declared void by the SEC,” said Roque in a press conference in San Fernando, La Union. “Maria Ressa can continue to blog. Pia Ranada can continue to blog,” added Roque. Registration with the SEC is one of the requirements that al-
lows news outlets blanket access to presidential events through membership into the Malacañang Press Corps. Under the mentioned blogger accreditation which covers “social media practitioners who generate news and information regarding the activities” of the Philippine president, access would be given to bloggers on a per-event basis. The accreditation though, is granted by the office of the Presidential Communications Operations Office Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson, who has not had a friendly history with Rappler. Mocha likened the SEC ruling announcement to Christmas when speaking to followers in a livestreamed Facebook post the same day of the announcement. “Tandaan niyo ang araw na ito, Jan. 15, napakagandang araw. Ramdam na ramdam mo pa din ang Christmas spirit, ngayon ko lang naramdaman ang tunay na diwa ng Pasko (Remember this day, Jan. 15, a very beautiful day. You can still feel the Christmas spirit; only now do I feel the true meaning of Christmas),” Uson said. In November of last year, Uson wrote a formal request to Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar for Rappler to be reclassified as “social media” to be given accreditation by her office. “Rappler, an online publication that has no counterpart print or broadcast arm is technically considered social media. This should fall under the rules on accreditation by my office,” Uson wrote. In an interview Wednesday, January 17, Andanar said that no action in that direction would be started until the SEC move was finalized. “They have the right to go through a process. They can appeal at the Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court and even fix it there with the Securities and Exchange Commission,” said Andanar. “I will not even decide on that recommendation by Asec Mocha for now. Let’s wait for the decision of Rappler, what they do to be able to abide by the law,” he added. Age of “fake news” On Tuesday, January 16, Duterte made his latest remarks against Rappler during a speech for a new air traffic management system’s inauguration in Pasay City. “For your information, you can stop your suspicious mind from roaming somewhere else. But since you are a fake news outlet then I am not surprised that your articles are also fake, “ said Duterte in an interview. “Sumobra kayo (you went too far), you are not only throwing toilet paper, you are throwing shit at us,” he added. His answers were in response to recent articles published about the Special Assistant to the President Bong Go, which claim Go had been meddling in warship acquisitions. Formed in 2012, the media
company has grown to become the tenth most visited website in the country, according to Alexa. The company has nearly seven million followers across its social media account and has expanded its local coverage to Indonesia. The issue of “fake news” has become a burning topic in the recent media landscape, especially in the Philippines where nearly 97 percent of online Filipinos use Facebook which has proven to be a powerful platform for sharing information as evident by both Rappler and Duterte’s administration. Headlines once linked to a report from Facebook that called Duterte the “undisputed king of Facebook conversations.” In an in-depth Bloomberg article, Rappler’s CEO Maria Ressa was quoted being open to the opportunities Facebook offered in politics. “At the beginning I actually loved it because I felt like this was untapped potential,” Bloomberg quoted Ressa saying. Ressa and Duterte had once sat across from each other for a question and answer Rappler forum called #TheLeaderIWant that was broadcasted on 200 television and radio stations, and live streamed at viewing parties in over 40 colleges across the nation. “Duterte’s campaign on social media was groundbreaking,” she added. But in the following months, the company found itself under attack for its coverage of the administration’s war on drugs, its social media practices, and general ruling style. After writing an article titled “Propaganda War: Weaponizing the Internet” in October 2016, Ressa said she almost immediately began receiving hate messages, many of which were violent. An armed guard was hired to stand outside her office. Shortly after, a campaign for unfollowing Rappler was launched, causing the outlet to lose approximately 52,000 Facebook followers. The campaign was promoted by public figures like Uson who was personally mentioned in the Rappler piece. Ressa wrote in an article published last November after the company was recognized by the National Democratic Institute, that she had received more threats since founding Rappler than in the three decades she has worked as a conflict reporter and war zone correspondent. She also expressed concern over Facebook’s role in monitoring fake news. “They haven’t done anything to deal with the fundamental problem, which is they’re allowing lies to be treated the same way as truth and spreading it,” Ressa wrote. “Either they’re negligent or they’re complicit in state-sponsored hate.” But now, the priority has shifted heavily on the SEC decision. In a post to the company’s Instagram handle, Ressa said, “We are prepared. Bring it. We will continue to fight it and we will continue to push the government to respect and to maintain the rule of law.” n
‘We are not closing; we will fight on,’ say Maria Ressa and Chay Hofilena in a statement at a press briefing at Rappler. Inquirer.net photo by Grig Montegrande
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 19-25, 2018
Dateline PhiliPPines
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Duterte warns of war in SWS: Duterte admin hits record-high ‘excellent’ in Q4 poll Mindanao if BBL fails Philstar.com
by Dana
SioSon AJPress
PhILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte raised the possibility of a war in Mindanao should Congress fails to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). In his speech during the launch of the Overseas Filipino Bank (OFB) in Manila on Thursday, January 18, the president stressed that it was about time to address what he called the “historical injustice committed to the Moro people.” he cautioned that failing to address the years-long concerns of the Moros could lead to dire consequences. “Kung walang mangyari nito sa BBL ngayon (if nothing will happen to the BBL) or we change the Constitution or do not change the Constitution at all, there will be war in Mindanao. I can assure you, mamili kayo (you will choose),” the president said. Passing the proposed BBL has been among Duterte’s campaign promises. A version of the BBL crafted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) is now pending in the house of Representatives as house Bill No. 6475. BTC include representatives from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). The proposed measure aims to abolish the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and replace it with Bangsamoro Region that will enjoy fiscal autonomy. It will also serve as the completion of the peace process with the Moro rebels. Duterte further warned, “And at this time, it could be a double whammy because my enemy would be their friends and what
Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), said the Senate would do its best to pass the BBL before it ends its session on March. Senate photo by Alberto Calvelo
would that be?” “It’s the ISIS,” he said, referring to another name for Islamic State (IS) terrorists. Government forces recently engaged with a five-month long of armed conflict against pro-IS terrorists in Marawi City from May to October 2017. Mindanao remains to be under martial law due to threats posed by rebels and other pro-IS insurgents. In an earlier statement, Malacañang reminded that proposed BBL should adhere to the Constitution to be passed by Congress. “You need to pass a BBL that’s consistent with the Philippine Constitution, simply put,” Presidential Spokesperson harry Roque said in a press briefing on Tuesday, January 17.
A solon also shared the same sentiment, saying that the 1987 Constitution will remain to be the basis of the proposed BBL amid the Congress’ ongoing efforts for a Charter Change (cha-cha) in connection with the proposed shift to a federal form of government. Unless the current Constitution is revised, Zamboanga Sibugay 1st District Rep. Wilter Wee Palma II maintained that lawmakers “will base everything on the 1987 Constitution.” Last month, Duterte expressed doubt that doubt that the measure will be passed by Congress, remarking that the proposed BBL will unlikely “hurdle constitutional barriers.” he, however, did not specify which provisions will violate the Constitution. n
Pres. Duterte: ‘Prove Go meddled in Navy warship equipment deal and I’ll fire him’ by neStor
CorraleS Inquirer.net
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will fire special assistant to the president Christopher “Bong” Go if the allegations that he intervened in the P15.7-billion project of the government to acquire combat management systems for the two new warships of the Philippine Navy could be proven true. But Duterte defended Go as he slammed a report on Go, saying it was “pregnant with falsity.” “Who gave you idea he can intervene?” Duterte told reporters in an ambush interview in Pasay City. “Where is his signature? Where is your statement? And where is your… even a point of reference?” Duterte was referring to an article of news website Rappler, which said Go intervened in the P15.7-billion project of the government to acquire two new frigates for the Navy.
“You’re inquisitive mind goes beyond its normal proportion,” he said, citing Rappler was a “fake news outlet.” “But since you are a fake news outlet then I am not surprised that your articles are also fake,” he said. The Inquirer also earlier reported that Malacañang had special interest in Navy’s selection of the weapons system for the frigate project of the government. The report said Go allegedly intervened in the acquisition of new warships. But the president said the accusations against Go were impossible. “he seem to appear intervening because about money? The things that you are telling never happened,” Duterte said. “Pag magtanggap kami ng ganun, ipasa namin doon sa proper… If it’s Justice department, it goes to the Justice department. If the subject matter here is about transportation, it goes to [Secretary Arthur] Tugade,” he said.
“he’s not a military [man] and he intervened… what… You think, you think you can convince [Defense Secretary Delfin] Lorenzana and the guys there, you can bribe them? Or you think that sila papayag na kami ang mag-bribe with the way I talk, the way I’ve been firing people?” he added. he said he would ask Go to resign or he would fire him tomorrow if the allegations against his aide could be proven true. “I am now explaining even with your article. Find a way na magsabi ka ng totoo nag-intervene kami. I’ll give it to you,” he said. “And if you can find, I will ask Bong to resign tomorrow. Work on it tonight. Let me know tomorrow and I will fire him if he did intervene, even for one word.” Go had earlier issued a statement denying he had intervened in Philippine Navy’s selection of the weapons system supplier for the P15.7-billion frigate program. n
SC justices attend Sereno impeachment hearing by Dana
SioSon AJPress
ThREE Supreme Court (SC) magistrates appeared before the house committee on justice on Monday, January 15 to testify in the impeachment hearing against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. They were Associate Justices Lucas Bersamin, Samuel Martires, and Diosdado Peralta. Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, meanwhile, declined to attend the hearing despite being invited, saying he has no personal knowledge on the allegations hurled against the chief justice. During the resumption of hearings determining if the impeachment complaints filed against Sereno have probable cause, Peralta claimed that the existence of “favoritism” is “very clear” in the clustering method done by Sereno in the shortlist of candidates for vacancies in the judiciary. “Very clear, [there is favoritism] in the clustering method. This is [also] repeated in other recommendations of the JBC (Judicial and Bar Council),” Peralta said. he also slammed Sereno’s claim that several justices had waived their right to vote on the JBC short-list. “[That claim] is very shady. It is a privilege that I will not surrender. [The voting] is already a practice. I was shocked. [We]
Gaea Katreena CabiCo
bridges (+59), foreign relations (+55) and providing jobs (+50). These were good on reconciling MANILA — The administration with Muslim rebels (+48), telling of President Rodrigo Duterte ob- the truth to the people (+47), detained an all-time high “ex- fending the country’s territorial cellent” rating during the last rights (+46), protecting human quarter of 2017, surpassing the record set by his predecessor. by
rights (+45), reconciling with communist rebels (+43), fighting crimes (+43), eradicating graft and corruption (+42), ensuring an efficient public transportation system (+42), ensuring
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According to the latest survey of Social Weather Stations, 79 percent of Filipino adults expressed satisfaction on the general performance of the current administration. Only nine percent were dissatisfied, while the remaining 12 percent were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. This yielded a record-high net satisfaction rating of “excellent” +70, up by 12 points and by one grade from the “very good” +58 in September 2017. This also exceeded the record of “very good” +66 achieved in June 2013 by the administration of former president Benigno Aquino III. The polling firm noted that the 12-point increase can be attributed to record-high net satisfaction scores achieved in Mindanao, National Capital Region and Balance Luzon, combined with a steady score in the Visayas. It was “excellent” in Mindanao (+87) and NCR (+71), while it was “very good” in Balance Luzon (+67) and Visayas (+57). The administration’s net satisfaction rating rose to “excellent” +68 from “very good” among class D or the masa and “very good” +66 from “good” among class E. It stayed “very good” in classes ABC at +62. “Double-digit increases in the national administration’s net satisfaction rating occurred among men, among the 35 year olds and above, and among non-elementary school graduates, elementary school graduates, and college graduates,” SWS said. Very good on combating terrorism, helping the poor The net satisfaction ratings of the Duterte administration were “very good” on fighting terrorism (+67), helping the poor (+66), building and maintenance of public works like roads and
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THE WHOLE TRUTH. Associate Justices Samuel Martirez, Diosdado Peralta and Lucas Bersamin take their oath before testifying at the House of Representatives on Monday, January 15. ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez
were pre-empted from nominating a candidate for the position of a Justice in the Supreme Court,” Peralta said. he went on to add, “This I can say with certainty — when we were inside the room [for the meeting], not one justice inside waived [his right to vote on the short-list]. I did not agree to take that away.” Martires, meanwhile, agreed that Sereno’s creation of a technical working group (TWG) resulted in the delay of the issuance of retirement benefits to the surviving spouses of deceased judges. he also urged families affected by the delay to file admin-
istrative cases against members of the judiciary who has “slept on the job.” During the hearing, Deputy Speaker Gwendolyn Garcia said the TWG delayed the resolution of 29 applications for benefits for at least one and a half year. The alleged manipulation of the JBC list and the late release of benefits of the spouses of the justices who had passed away are among the grounds in the impeachment complaint of lawyer Lorenzo Gadon against Sereno. Gadon has accused Sereno of culpable violation of the Constitution, corruption, high crime, and betrayal of public trust. n
A6 JANUARY 19-25, 2018 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
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FEATURES
OPINION
Vulnerable targets
THE Philippines has a Data Privacy Act, an E-Commerce Law and AntiWiretapping Law. Yet in Southeast Asia, the country is reportedly the most vulnerable to cyber attacks. Although the Philippines ranks 37th out of 193 states in terms of cyber security preparedness, data from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation also showed that globally, the country ranks 10th in falling prey to cyber attacks. Apart from weak enforcement of cyber security laws, experts cite the low awareness of Filipinos about practices that increase vulnerability to cyber attacks. These include readiness to click on links and open emails from unknown sources. With Filipinos reportedly spending an average of four hours and 17 minutes daily on social networking sites in 2017, there is greater vulnerability to hacking, phishing and malware. Filipinos deeply engaged in social networking aren’t the only targets. As the nation has seen, banks and government offices have also come under cyber attack. Around the world, corporate giants and government security and financial agencies are also favorite targets. Countries that produce many cyber security experts also tend to be favorite targets of attacks. FBI data showed that the top targets of cyber attacks in
2017, ahead of the Philippines, were Canada, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, China, Japan and Germany. In Southeast Asia, Malaysia and Singapore were among the top 20 victims of cyber attacks in 2017. The presence of hackers in the country gives greater urgency to tightening the enforcement of cyber security laws. It also calls for greater effort to raise public awareness of what can be done to minimize vulnerability to data privacy breaches. The popularity of social media must be accompanied by information campaigns to make the public aware of the risks, which could include identity theft and losing one’s life savings. The internet is a powerful took for gaining knowledge, sharing information and social networking. Like any powerful tool, it must be wielded with a healthy amount of informed caution. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
Some Republicans now ask: What has happened to the GOP under the Trump presidency? AMID the growing par- The Fil-Am tisan divide in President Don- Perspective ald Trump’s chaotic first year in office, any criticism GEL SANTOS-RELOS against his action, words, policy, and character have been deemed by our Republican kababayans as a personal attack against the president by Democrats and liberals, who could not wait to bring down the Trump presidency because they could not accept that he won and Hillary Clinton lost. The most recent news about Trump allegedly calling certain African nations “shithole” and disparaging Haiti, among others with while saying the U.S. should have instead people from Norway, with a predominantly white population, emigrate to America just put a spotlight on what people say about Trump’s racist thoughts and attitude translating to national policies. The problems and concerns have been real, and the Republican Party — which used to embody the values that uphold the truth, rule of law, respect for all people, kindness, fairness, and conscientiousness that I see in my Republican friends — seems to be morphing into a different animal under the Trump administration. Republican journalist Elise Jordan summed up most of the sentiments privately shared with me by some Republican friends, in an article entitled “I’m a Republican. What on Earth Is Wrong
With My Party?” published by Time Magazine on January 15, 2017. Jordan started the article with these words of exasperation: “I am a Republican in the era of Donald Trump, and I am emotionally depleted by the constant cruelty of the President of the United States.” Elise Jordan wrote this piece to remind her party about the soul of America that the Republican Party has fought so hard for before the era of Trump: “While Trump spoke of ‘American carnage’ in his Inaugural address, Ronald Reagan ended his second one by describing what he called the American sound: ‘hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent, and fair.’” “These are values that all Americans used to proudly champion, no matter the political party. Other Republicans still can, if they can summon the courage to state the obvious.” She went on to give a rundown of headlines that have been making her and other Republicans like her feel so frustrated and worried about how the President has been misrepresenting the true values of the Grand Old Party (GOP): “My heart hurt when Trump went out of his way to attack Myeshia Johnson, the pregnant widow of a fallen soldier he sent to the battlefield. I recoiled in disgust when he slanderously (and laughably) insinuated that Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was willing to prostitute herself to him for a political donation. When the President offered that among the white
supremacists who killed a peaceful protester, there were ‘some very fine people,’ it felt like an alternate history, one where the Citizens’ Council ascended to power instead of ignominy. Then there’s his support for Roy Moore, even after multiple women accused Moore of preying on them when they were teenagers and he was in his thirties.” Elise Jordan’s concern goes beyond Trump because she sees how much of the Republican spirit that made her gravitate toward the party seems to be lost among Republican members just to accommodate and work with Trump: “The GOP’s journey from embracing compassionate conservatism to accepting Trump’s unparalleled capacity for casual cruelty cannot be dismissed as craven politics; it’s a threat to our security when the President taunts a nucleararmed rogue dictator on social media. There was a time not so long ago when Republican presidents — not to mention other Republican leaders — cared about America’s standing in the world, as a matter of principle and peace. The previous Republican president George W. Bush made compassion a literal domestic policy priority by funding what he called ‘armies of compassion’ through faith-based initiatives. This Republican president seems hell-bent on stripping any semblance of compassion from the national and global conversation.” Jordan also wrote about how the Trump presidency seems to isolate the United States from other countries all over the world, losing our allies’ respect, trust and support for the U.S. leadership in international relations, providing his-
torical context on how previous Republican presidents have valued these relationships in the past. She writes, “Trump believes there’s no need to fill diplomatic appointments — there’s still not an Ambassador to South Korea — because, as he puts it, ‘the only one who matters is me.’ His strategy of demeaning the homes of the men and women of an entire continent and a neighboring island and country is as cruel as it is irresponsible.” “In 1953, in response to the CIA’s pressure to overthrow the elected leader of Iran, President Dwight D. Eisenhower wondered aloud in a National Security Council meeting if perhaps we couldn’t try “to get some of the people in these downtrodden countries to like us instead of hating us?” Though Eisenhower would end up taking the CIA’s destructive advice to overthrow Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh, in general the former Supreme Commander of Allied Forces during World War II belabored the importance of alliances during the war and his presidency. ‘There is no strength equal to the strength of an enduring friendship,’ Eisenhower said, reflecting his belief that military might was meaningless without relationships based on mutual respect.” “President George H.W. Bush was another World War II hero who leveraged human connection for the national interest. By practicing exhaustive personal diplomacy, Bush organized a financial and military coalition that forced Iraqi tyrant Saddam Hussein’s withdrawal from Kuwait. A hypothetical question: how many world partners
could Donald Trump enlist to join him for a cause?” “In the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, other nations did join with us against al-Qaeda. But although we must learn from our failures in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya, the solution isn’t to withdraw from the world—or, worse yet, actively insult and alienate it.” Jordan finds it hard to come to terms with how supporters let Trump get away with words, behavior, policies that run against the principles her party used to uphold: “Trump’s most ardent supporters will continue to praise him for ignoring the social mores of political correctness. While I resent the stifling of free speech in an increasingly hypersensitive world, Trump is not a brave truth-teller; he’s the figurehead of our nation whose first year in office is most notable for his destructive casual cruelty.” “It is not hypersensitivity to be offended by blatantly racist, misogynistic and war-mongering statements from a man who refuses to exercise an ounce of self-control. Republicans used to believe that individuals were responsible for exercising self-control. Why does the Commander-in-Chief get a pass?” Does Trump represent the true Republican values you hold dear? *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos
Censuring Trump, silencing Rappler Family reunification is
Opinion
FRANCISCO TATAD THE conflict between government and the press is no longer simply about the proper appreciation of the facts on various issues, but rather about who is telling us the truth and who is feeding us with b.s., or fake news. In the United States, the toxic exchange between the White House and the mainstream media has grown to alarming proportions following President Donald Trump’s alleged profanities against “shithole countries” that have populated the U.S. unwanted immigrants. In the Philippines, the Duterte government has moved to shut down Rappler, an independent online news platform based in Manila, with a bureau in Jakarta, for allegedly violating the constitutional provision on the ownership and management of mass media. Trump and the mainstream liberal press have accused each other of peddling fake news, and the toxicity of the exchange threatens to breach the limit of the ethically permissible following Trump’s
90-minute meeting with US congressmen at the White House last week, where he allegedly asked, “why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here? Why not from Norway instead?” He was reportedly referring to Haiti, El Salvador and African countries. Haiti is one of the world’s poorest countries in the Western hemisphere; it is still recovering from the last deadly earthquake that hit it on January 12, 2010. Norway on the other hand is one of the world’s richest countries, with a GDP per capita of 62,510 PPP (purchasing power parity) dollars in 2017, according to the IMF. The Times vs Trump In one of the longest and more trenchant New York Times editorials I have ever read (Donald Trump flushes away America’s reputation, January 13, 2018), this flagship of the world’s liberal establishment press minced no words to show its contempt of Trump. This is an extensive quote: “Never mind that Norwegians are not clamoring to leave what is rated as the happiest nation on earth, and setting aside questions about Mr. Trump’s fitness,
the flip-flop (on immigration) left the issue…more confused than before. “Where to begin? How about with a simple observation: The President of the United States is a racist. And another: The United States has a long and ugly history of excluding immigrants based on race or national origin. “Mr. Trump seems determined to undo efforts taken by presidents of both parties in recent decades to overcome that history. “Mr. Trump denied making the remarks on Friday (January 12), but Sen. Richard Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, who attended the meeting, said the president did in fact say these ‘hate-filled things, and he said them repeatedly.’ “Of course he did. Remember, Mr. Trump is not just racist, ignorant, incompetent and undignified. He’s also a liar… “The current turmoil over immigration conflates several special issues. One is DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which has provided temporary work permits and reprieves from deportation for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. These are the so-called Dreamers who number about
800,000. “Another issue is the Temporary Protected Status program under which undocumented foreigners who were in the United States when disaster or conflict struck their homeland are allowed to remain in the United States. In November, the Trump administration ended the protection for about 60,000 Haitians, and on Monday the administration lifted it for almost 200,000 Salvadorans, most of whom have been in the United States for two decades. “A third issue is the future of the roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants who have come to the United States over decades and have effectively integrated into American life. The Trump administration has ordered a broad immigration crackdown against them. “And finally there’s President Trump’s imagined wall. “What is concerning is not the wall, or the word ‘shithole’ or the vacillation on the Dreamers or the Salvadorans. It’s what ties all of these things together: the bigoted worldview of the man behind them. “Anyone who has followed Mr.
the American Dream
IT is in the best interest of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) to support a clean Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) bill and oppose efforts by Republicans to eliminate family reunification and the diversity visa. You may think that CAROLINE FAN DACA does not apply to AAPIs, but thousands of the 800,000 young people who have DACA status are AAPIs, and we should help them remain in their homes. Republicans are trying to tie DACA to eliminating family reunification. Family reunification is how 80 percent of Asian immigrants, such as my family and probably your family, came to America. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that we can continue reuniting families who have been separated, sometimes for up to 20 years — which is how long some Filipinos have to wait. In two decades, children are born and become adults, estranged by an ocean and antiquated immigration policies. Tearing up families is immoral. And yet so many supposedly family values politicians are eager to separate DACA children from their parents, and to prevent Asian American families from being whole. Indeed, Republicans now call family reunification “chain migration” — the better to ignore the fact that they are keeping father and son, sister and brother apart. Think about your family, and how they came to America. What would have happened without family reunification? Indeed, my whole family is tied through family-based immigration — after my father came, he brought my mom. After I was born, they brought my grandma who applied for my uncle and he brought my two cousins. After benefiting from a public school education, my cousins taught in Riverside and Los Angeles, giving back to the community as teachers. Family
Commentary
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Cayetano: ‘Same rules for all countries’ seeking to study Philippine waters by Ian
TYPICAL MONDAY IN BORACAY. Foreign and local tourists enjoy the white sand beach of the famous Boracay Island in the province of Aklan on Monday, January 15. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon
Family reunification...
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is fundamental to Asian culture, with many of us living in multigenerational homes together, and it’s fundamental to how we are able to start small businesses, working alongside aunties and uncles to make our lives here a success. And family is fundamental to American culture. America was built on bedrock principles — principles of fairness, equality, and inclusion. It’s what the Pilgrims sought, and it’s what my dad was aiming for when he came here by himself after 1965, when the quotas were lifted with the signing of the Immigration and Naturalization Act. Prior to that, the Chinese Exclusion Acts of 1882 kept Chinese and Asians from immigrating to the U.S. Many AAPIs are under the assumption that Trump and his anti-immigrant base only seek to reduce undocumented immigration, but in reality, they want to limit the overall numbers of
immigrants in America. That is why they seek to prevent people from bringing their family here, regardless of status. They’d like to go back to the Exclusion Acts, overturn birthright citizenship, and leave our family members stranded. AAPIs need to be vocal and call on our elected officials to pass a clean DACA bill, and to preserve family reunification and the diversity visa, which allowed 16,000 Asians from places like Taiwan and Macau to come to the U.S. last year. We need to recognize that when the President hatefully maligns certain countries as being dirty and inferior, that he is talking about our family members, too.
Trump over the years knows this. We knew it in the 1970s, when he and his father were twice sued by the Justice Department for refusing to rent apartments to black people. We knew it in 1989, when he took out a full-page newspaper ad calling for the execution of five black and Latino teenagers charged with the brutal rape of a white woman in Central Park. (The men were convicted but later exonerated by DNA and other evidence, but Mr. Trump never apologized, and he continued to argue as late as 2016 that the men were guilty.) We knew it when he built a presidential campaign by demonizing Mexicans and Muslims while promoting the lie that America’s first black president wasn’t born here. Or when, last summer, he defended marchers in a neo-Nazi parade as ‘very fine people.’ “Just last month, The Times reported on an Oval Office meeting on immigration during which Mr. Trump said that 15,000 Haitians now living in the United States ‘all have AIDS,’ and that Nigerian immigrants would never ‘go back to their huts’ in Africa once they have seen the United States. See a pattern yet? “Donald Trump is by no means America’s first racist president. But he ran a campaign explicitly rooted in bigotry, exclusion and white resentment. To his die-hard but ever-shrinking base, comments like those he made recently only reaffirm his solidarity with the cause. The Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi website, certainly saw it this way. ‘This is encouraging and refreshing, as it indicates Trump is more or less on the same page as us with regards to race and immigration,’ the site wrote in a post.” The editorial does not end there. Here we see Trump being pounded to a pulp on the NYT op-ed page. But whatever he may want to do in return, there isn’t very much he can likely do to threaten The Times with possible closure, or any of its editorial writers with possible imprisonment. He, rather than The Times, is on the receiving end. Not so in the case of the Philippines’ Rappler Inc. The case vs Rappler The decision of the Securities and Exchange Commission to revoke Rappler’s incorporation papers, for allegedly violating the foreign equity restriction in the ownership and management of mass media—although not yet final and executory, according to SEC spokesman Armand Pan— sends out a most alarming signal not just to the national press, but to Philippine society as a whole. Rappler is the first Asian website, and the only truly independent news platform operating today in Duterte’s Philippines. It has performed a critical role at a time when the national media, with but a few exceptions, have tended to turn a blind eye on many execrable things happening before their very eyes. Indeed, the Constitution provides that “ownership and management of mass media shall be limited to citizens of the Philippines, or to corporations, cooperatives or associations, wholly owned and managed by citizens.” But given the cavalier regard the administration has shown for the most sacred constitutional issues,
Philstar.com
MANILA — “Same rules for all the countries.” This was Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano’s assurance to the public after a lawmaker blasted his agency for supposedly allowing a Chinese think tank to conduct marine research in Philippine waters, including the potentially resourcerich Benham Rise. Rep. Gary Alejano (Magdalo party-list) slammed the Department of Foreign Affairs for granting the request of Institute of Oceanology of Chinese Academy of Sciences (IO-CAS) to conduct research in waters off Eastern Luzon, where Benham Rise is located, and off Eastern Mindanao. The Chinese researchers will be joined by the University of the Philippines – Marine Science Institute “as a requirement.” Alejano also revealed that a similar plea was lodged by French-based non-profit organization Tara Expeditions Foundation, but it was declined by the DFA.
and federal levels.
like the separation of powers and the people’s right to choose their own leaders, I suspect not many Filipinos would mind a foreignowned news platform trying to supply some balance in the lopsided news reporting. Isn’t this, in fact, the case of all the foreign wire service agencies operating in the Philippines? But is Rappler, in fact, foreignowned? The controversy appears to center on Rappler’s issuance of Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDRs) to Omidyar Network Fund LLC, a fund created by eBay founder and entrepreneur Pierre Omidyar. A PDR is defined as “a security that grants the holder the right to the delivery of sale of the underlying shares, but not ownership.” Media giants like ABS-CBN and GMA Channel 7 are known to have issued their own PDRs to certain foreign fund providers. But here’s the rub. In 2015, the PDRs issued by Rappler to Omidyar were approved by the SEC itself, without an iota of suspicion the Constitution was being violated. Has the SEC’s understanding of it changed just because President Duterte ordered Rappler’s true ownership investigated during his last State of the Nation Address? Assuming the SEC had erred before, and Omidyar PDRs are now to be construed as giving Omidyar ownership or management control of Rappler, wouldn’t it be more fair and just to simply cancel those PDRs, which the SEC itself had erroneously approved, without revoking Rappler’s right to operate its website? After all, why should Rappler be punished for the SEC’s obviously “honest mistake”? I am assuming, of course, that the silencing of Rappler altogether is not the real non-negotiable official objective of this government move. But is it? Silencing Rappler solves nothing I am afraid DU30’s minions might yet succeed in silencing an entity like Rappler, but it would be at the cost of provoking a mighty and extended roar of angry lions from various corners of the world. I personally saw this and had to deal with it for years when Marcos’ martial law silenced the freewheeling national media in 1972; I would not want to see PDU30 inflict the same injury upon himself. While we are on the subject, a truly sensible and far-seeing move which those seeking to reform the Constitution may want to consider is the scrapping of the present provision barring foreign ownership and/or management of all mass media establishments. This ban serves no useful purpose except to protect the monopolistic interests of media oligarchs who want to use the mass media for their own extractive ends. The revolution in communications technology, which has given us a digital economy, has abolished all barriers to information from various parts of the world. Through the Internet and television, people of all ages are now able to share knowledge of everything with everyone else. The ban on foreign ownership merely prevents foreign capital and intellectual expertise from entering the country at a time they are sorely needed. (ManilaTimes.net)
Sought for comment, Cayetano said that while he has yet to check the details of the supposed DFAapproved Chinese exploration, the law gives equal chance to foreign countries to study Philippine waters as long as there are Filipinos on board. Foreign marine researchers must also share their findings and data with their Filipino counterparts, Cayetano said. “So there’s nothing suspicious about approval or disapproval of scientific research,” the country’s top diplomat said. “Whether they are Americans, Japanese, Chinese Mongolians, Singaporeans, et cetera, if they comply, we will approve. If they do not comply, we will not approve,” he added. Alejano had questioned the granting of permit to IO-CAS to conduct a research in Philippine waters, citing China’s maritime encroachment in the disputed South China Sea, which both Manila and Beijing claim. Alejano said Tara Expeditions was a better choice if Manila was seeking additional resources and
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China will deploy its most sophisticated research ship to study Philippine waters, including the potentially resource-rich Benham Rise (Philippine Rise). Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang confirmed that Chinese research vessel “Kexue” will survey Philippine eastern waters, adding that such a cooperation would further strengthen the two countries’ bilateral relations. Weighing 4,711 tons, China Daily described Kexue as a “moving laboratory on the sea” capable of global voyages and all-day observations. Philstar.com photo
manpower to study eastern waters, noting that France, unlike China, has no territorial conflict with the Philippines. In 2012, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf approved the Philippines’ undisputed claim to the Benham Rise. President Rodrigo Duterte ear-
lier signed an Executive Order officially renaming Benham Rise to “Philippine Rise” to assert the country’s sovereignty there following reports that Chinese research vessels were spotted surveying the area in 2016. The Philippine Navy now regularly patrols the said continental shelf. n
said, referring to the Duterte administration’s actions during the last quarter of 2017. But for activist leader Renato resolving the traffic problem Reyes, the highest rating of the (+23). According to Mon Casiple, Duterte administration was behead of the Institute for Electoral cause the full effects of the Tax and Political Reforms, the lat- Reform for Acceleration and est SWS survey only validated Inclusion Law, as well as the Duterte’s popularity in other sur- moves for charter change and term extension “have not been veys conducted before. “They matter insofar as the reflected in the surveys.” The survey was conducted public appreciate that he is following up on his promises,” he from December 8 to 16 using
face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults. It has a ± 3% error margin at the 95 percent confidence level. Among the news items when SWS conducted its survey was the approval of martial law extension in Mindanao, return of the Philippine National Police to the government’s campaign against illegal drugs and impeachment hearings against Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. n
SWS: Duterte admin...
that no family will be hungry (+33), solving the problem of extrajudicial killings (+30), and ensuring that oil comCaroline Fan is the Communications panies do not take advantage of Director for the Asian American Action Fund oil prices (+30). (www.aaa-fund.com), a Democratic political Meanwhile, the net satisfacaction committee dedicated to empowering tion ratings of the current adAsian Americans and Pacific Islanders by ministration were “moderate” electing better officials at the local, state, on fighting inflation (+24) and
Censuring Trump...
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A January 19-25, 2018 • nEW yOrK anD nEW JErSEy aSIan JOurnaL
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‘Adventures in ticolAnd: Where the MAgic of AniMAls never ends’ A story of iMAginAtion And innocence by Malou liwanag-Bledsoe/AJPress
AFTER his first book, “Half My Life: The Testimony of a Father and His Special Needs Child,” about the challenges a father is facing with a son diagnosed with autism and diabetes, author Joseph Lim is now equally proud to share his new book, “Adventures in Ticoland: Where the Magic of Animals Never Ends.” “It’s a children’s book based on a fictitious world and original animal characters created by my daughter, Ashley, when she was 7 years old,” said Joseph in an email interview with the Asian Journal. ‘Tico’ is a nickname I gave her at age 4, and she named ‘Ticoland’ after herself.” Explaining that Ticoland is a fairytale world of animals living their lives, learning lessons,
and having fun; the book is also the realization that his daughter won’t be that innocent little girl forever. “As I witnessed my daughter create several dozen animal characters, draw and color them, describe them, and even tell some stories about them, I was impressed by her creativity and wild imagination. “Then it dawned on me, she’s going to grow up one day. She’s not always going to be a seven-year old little girl. One day, she will lose some of that childhood innocence and carefree spirit that so defines her character. So I decided to ‘capture her imagination,’ so to speak, while she is still young. So that when she eventually grows up, she can see this book as a reminder of a really fun and innocent time in her life,” he said. Even when he has successfully published two books, Joseph admits that his first book, “Half My Life,” has a different purpose than “Ticoland.” He said, “With that first book, I wrote it for the purpose of bringing forth greater awareness and compassion towards the special needs community. So I’ve been busy spreading the word about it. This second book, on the other hand, has a completely different purpose. It is simply a gift for my daughter – nothing fancy, just a simple gift. But if it does well also,
Joseph Lim’s daughter Ashley and her drawings that inspired the characters in “Ticoland.”
that’s icing on the cake, because it has obvious sentimental value.” Joseph also added he does feel that he is an accomplished author, but then again, for him, it’s not just checking the box and claiming a goal. “Because there is so much more sentimental value in these books than I can ever really describe in a few short sentences. These books are for my beloved children, the first for my son, and the second for my youngest daughter,” he said. “It’s not important for me to be an accomplished ‘author’ unless I am also an accomplished ‘father.’” Joseph also wants to emphasize that a portion of the proceeds from the sales of “Ticoland” will be donated to selected charities such as the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), St. Jude Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House of Charities. He also wants to invite everyone to his YouTube channel, “Autism and Diabetes Dad.” His video blogs aim to impart his experiences and
knowledge as a parent of a special needs child. As an author, Joseph shared that he hopes to inspire other Filipinos — in the Philippines, the United States and all over the world — who are thinking of being a writer, to go for it. “Everyone has a story to tell, challenges that they’ve overcome, and causes they want to support. Writing is a great way to share their message. For me personally, I know there are many Filipinos with special needs loved ones who I hope can relate to the experiences I share in my first book, and in my YouTube videos. Also, I hope all children will find the stories in “Ticoland” to be fun and entertaining, while learning valuable lessons at the same time,” he said. “Adventures in Ticoland” is available on amazon by clicking www.amazon.com/Adventures-Ticoland-Where-Magic-Animals/ dp/1640289062. To view Joseph Lim’s YouTube channel, “Autism and Diabetes Dad,” go to: www. youtube.com/watch?v=dKvtY9nHibg&feature= youtu.be.
Robin Padilla, Jodi Sta. Maria and Richard ‘We’re leading up to it – slowly but surely’ Yap: Day time soap’s new heavyweight trio TOM RODRIGUEZ ON MARRYING CARLA ABELLANA
by lhar santiago ManilaTimes.net
Before Tom rodriguez left last December for Arizona to celebrate Christmas with his family in the U.S., he was already told he will be taping for a new series for GMA Network when he comes back. The series is entitled, “The Cure,” where he is paired with Jennylyn Mercado. “I was also briefed on the concept and I’ve been very excited about it because it’s something different. I haven’t seen a concept like this on any soap here. And my role as a lab tech is something I’ve been wanting to do because pasok doon yung mga interests ko sa science, sa chemistry, so I might be able to use things I know,” the actor enthused. He is equally excited to work with Jennylyn in a series for the first time. They have worked together before in a Lenten special but never on a regular show. “I’m so honored, I’m a big fan of Jen’s. She’s an amazing actress and I can only wish to learn more from her because that’s what happened when we did the Lenten special. I hope mas marami pa akong mahugot from her. “Very natural siya umarte and very convincing. Masarap makapagtrabaho sa artista na tulad ni Jen because she inspires you to do better in your craft.” Tom added he is doubly inspired these days because of his personal life. He had a very enjoyable and relaxing vacation in Arizona during the holidays. He is grateful to have spent time after a
Tom Rodriguez and Carla Abella
long while, even as it was their first Christmas without his dad. “I missed him,” Tom said, “but because my mom and my siblings were all there, we still had a very good holiday all together.” Two days after Christmas, Tom was even happier because his girlfriend Carla Abellana followed him there. “Medyo nainggit nga ako ng konti. It’s now Carla my nephews and nieces look for. Siya na ang pinagkakaguluhan,” he said joking. “But I’m happy that Carla had fun with them. We took her to a few haunted spots in Arizona. Yun kasi hilig niya—tombstones and other places like that.” Indeed, Tom and Carla’s relationship that is getting stronger by the day and he can’t ask for more. “Sobra—I’m really happy with the way things are going. It’s a really good pace, masarap.”
THree of the brightest stars in the industry—robin Padilla, richard Yap, and Jodi Sta. Maria—are set to stage one of the biggest comebacks on Philippine television as they team up for the first time in ABS-CBN’s upcoming afternoon series, “Sana Dalawa Ang Puso.” from their hit morning soap “Be Careful with my Heart” in 2012, Sta. Maria and Yap are happy to be reunite in the small screen in very different roles. In an interview with “TV Patrol,” Yap shared he was thrilled to find out he will be working Photo from Instagram/@akosimangtomas with Sta. Maria again. “I’ve always wanted to do another show with And just like any serious Jodi because she is fun to be with couple, Tom admitted they’re and she is a great actress,” he said. already making plans for the Sta. Maria, on the other hand, future—marriage very much is just as thrilled to work with him included. again and is excited to essay a “Definitely that’s the goal dual role for the first time in her naman talaga. Carla and I always career. think about it kaya I know we’re “It’s not an easy task for on the same page. from my me, but at the same time I’m end, I can only speak for myself, excited to do one of the most everything that I’m doing is challenging roles I’ve ever been always to that goal. Yun na given,” she stated. lagi ang pinag-iisipan so every Meanwhile, fresh from decision that make, whether it’s the success of his blockbuster with family or work, it’s always movie “Unexpectedly Yours,” involves that.” So when does Tom see himself Padilla finally stages his soap opera comeback after his last proposing to Carla and walking stint in “Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw” in down the aisle? “Sana very soon,” he answered 2013. familiar with the massive with a smile. “Although both of us following of the “JoChard” love team, the action star shared he are still focused on certain things went as far as asking Yap for we have to hit first. But we’re very happy that we’re working up to it. permission to join them in the show. We’re leading up to it, slowly but Padilla added jokingly, “I’ve surely,” he assured.
Robin Padilla, Jodi Sta. Maria and Richard Yap
been watching them since I was a kid! But I’ve always been amazed by Jodi Sta Maria’s beauty.” “Sana Dalawa ang Puso” follows the story of Lisa and Mona [both portrayed by Sta. Maria], two different people with identical faces. Another thing they have in common is that they are both facing their lives’ biggest ordeals. Lisa is known to be a strict and hardworking boss in their family business, but her world is turned upside down when her
ABS-CBN photos
father betroths her to their rival’s son, Martin Co (richard). She runs away from responsibility and decides to hide and live with one of their workers Leo Tabayoyong (Padilla). Her doppelganger Mona, on the other hand, collects bets in cockfights and is struggling to save his father whom she is trying to save from a networking scam. Somehow, Lisa and Mona’s paths cross and they try to help one another with their problems. (ManilaTimes.net)
Aljur & Paulo: From each other’s toughest competitor to friends toughest competition the first time they saw each other. He said, Philstar.com “When I saw Pau, wow this guy’s dashing. Paulo is handsome even IT’S a nice feeling to bring before. Kumbaga, sa competition, back memories especially the ito ‘yung makakalaban ko.” ones that make you smile while Paulo felt the same. He recounting them to others. Those reckoned Aljur’s singing talent got who tuned in to “Tonight With him miles ahead in the auditions. Boy Abunda” a few days ago still probably remember Paulo Avelino “(He’s) talented. I often saw him singing during the auditions; and Aljur Abrenica having fun nakikita ko ang galing kumanta reminiscing their “StarStruck” days. Both were in the same batch nito sana napunta na lang sa kin which got them to becoming rivals ‘yung talent n’ya sa pagkanta.” Aljur added, “I remember how for a while and friends until now. my aunts so admired Paulo. Crush Looking back, Aljur revealed na crush nila si Paulo for his good that he knew Paulo would be his
by Boy aBunda
looks and charming smile.” The two never denied about the rumors linking them romantically to each other. That was years ago but the issue nevertheless made Paulo and Aljur smile. “I don’t want to remember anymore, hahaha, naka-move on na kami,” Paulo said. “They said I looked soft na mukhang totoo naman (laughs) but everyone in the batch became close at na-misinterpret lang ng mga tao,” Paulo ruminated. And 11 years later, no one
had ever imagined that Paulo and Aljur will be seated side by side doing an interview as among the formidable actors in the Kapamilya network. Paulo caught the public attention for his impressive acting in film and on TV. Just recently, olivier and Tony Best Actress Lea Salonga was all praises for his acting in “Ang Larawan,” one of the entries in the just-concluded Metro Manila film festival. She posted on her Twitter, “If you’re a fan of Paulo, I urge you to watch his stellar performance in ‘Ang Larawan’. He Continued on Page 5 Paulo Avelino and Aljur Abrenica
ABS-CBN photos
Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ
February 2018 priority dates Application Filing Date
Visa Issuance Date
October 1, 2007
August 1, 2005
(2A) Spouse and Second Preference minor children (below 21 years old) of green card holder
November 1, 2016
March 1, 2016
(2B) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years old or older) of green card holder
September 1, 2007
July 22, 2006
Third Preference
Married sons and daughters of US Citizens.
June 15, 1995
March 15, 1995
Fourth Preference
Brothers and sisters of US Citizens.
March 1, 1995
October 1, 1994
Application Filing Date
Visa Issuance Date
FAMILY CATEGORY:
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAGlAyA YOUR postings at all social networking sites define who you are and delineate your character to the world. Your thoughts, your ideas and comments, your images, even your choice of words give an insight to your personality and character traits. They reflect your values, give a hint of your weaknesses and vulnerabilities and
Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens (over 21 years of age)
LABOR CERTIFICATION:
Second Preference
Advanced Degree (Masters)
Current
Current
Third Preference
Professional/ Skilled Workers
August 1, 2016
March 1, 2016
Other Workers
Non-Skilled Workers
August 1, 2016
March 1, 2016
Philippines are as follows: *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a
prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw and Twitter @GurfinkelLaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: (866)—GURFINKEL
Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)
Think before you post (Part 2 of 2)
“You are free to post whatever you like. You are not free of its consequences however.” can be a measure of the size of your ego. Taken altogether, they paint a composite picture of you, either flattering or not. Even the amount of time you spend on online games is a sliver of insight into your interests and how you spend your free time. It may be indicative of whether you are near the brink of obsessive-compulsive
behavior or a candidate for the nuthouse. Unfair? Of course it is. It is a flat and one-dimensional picture of who you are. You are a far more complex person than what your Facebook and Twitter postings give you credit for. But based on available information that you yourself provided, that’s how you
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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY JA N UA RY 1 9, 20 1 8
The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows:
First Preference EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again. Beginning last October 2015, the format of the Visa Bulletin changed, in that a new column was added, called the “Application Filing Date.” If a person’s priority date is earlier than the Application Filing Date, they can already file for adjustment of status and work authorization (provided they are otherwise eligible and USCIS indicates on its website it will use the Application Filing Date for that month). This could allow people to obtain work authorization much sooner than before, where they had to wait for the priority date to be current (in the Visa Issuance Date column) in order to both file for adjustment and be eligible for a green card. The priority dates for the
An Asian Journal Magazine
THE UPS AND DOWNS, AND THE BITTERSWEET ENDING OF A SPECIAL CASE ABOUT A SPECIAL SON WHO HAD AUTISM ON THIS SUNDAY’S ‘CITIZEN PINOY!’ When Norma immigrated to the U.S., she had to leave behind their autistic son, Michael because he aged out. The separation broke her heart. Norma and husband Joy (left) went to three other attorneys who were unable to deliver results, until they decided to retain leading U.S. immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel, who was finally able to bring Michael to the U.S., to be reunited with his parents. Watch the heartfelt journey of Michael and his family that led to a pleasant reunion, but with a painful ending, on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” – on Sunday at 6:15 p.m. (PST) on TFC.
want the people that orbit in your universe see you. Take heed from a phrase that police officers read to suspects, “ … Anything you say (and in social networking, what you post) can and will be taken against you…” If you have posted something offensive, ranting and raving at someone or something as a gut reaction to a situation that angers you, you would get the instant gratification of venting your ire. But do think about the far-reaching consequences of being hauled off to court and wasting your time and money defending yourself. A recent story is told of a CFO
of a pharmaceutical firm earning $200,000 per year and with stock options worth $1 million. A few years back, he decided to take advantage of the free water offered in a Chick-fil-A drive thru as a ruse for his hidden agenda to film himself berating the staff who served him the water so he can attack the corporation’s stand on traditional marriage. He recorded himself saying some awful words to the staff member who was stunned but remained gracious under fire despite the unwarranted attack. The guy then gleefully posted his video on youtube. Upon returning
to his office, his secretary was in shock because of the overload of emails sent to him by people who took umbrage against his action. To make a long story short, the married father of four was fired from his job, lost his home and his possessions reducing his status to live on food stamps. He found another job but when it was discovered that he was the author of that video, he was fired again. He has since then apologized to the staff member but maintains his position. No job offers seems to be forthcoming though. He has written a book about his experience and Continued on Page 4
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Anniversary sales with the best prices for you at 99 Ranch Market New Jersey stores
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Why Judy Ann doubted herself in Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes by Bot
Glorioso Philstar.com
JUDY Ann Santos is not shy to admit that she needed assurance from director Jun Lana for her acting while shooting for what is considered as her comeback movie “Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes.” She has been away from doing mainstream movies for quite some time with the indie film Kusina as her last acting project. The actress, who plays Lianne Reyes in the latest flick produced by Star Cinema with Quantum Films and Idea First Company, said during the grand presscon: “Natakot kung sa natakot that I had to ask direk Jun and the rest of the production staff if my work was okay. I wanted to know if something was lacking in what I did or if there was anything I needed to do. Ganun ako hindi kaconfident sa trabaho ko. I needed that assurance na tawid ‘yung ginawa kong punchline.” After two years of being away from acting (hosting kept her busy), Judy Ann was aghast to learn about the rapid changes in film production. For one, it was her first time to be in front of the grinding cameras without hearing any noise from the background. neither was there anyone in sight nor roaming around the set during takes. “A lot have already changed,” she said. “It took some time before I calmed down. Even in the past movies I did last 2017, I kept on asking. Ganun ako kawalang confidence sa trabaho ko and in myself as an actress. I felt I’ve just lost it at ako ‘yung bagong luma sa grupo. But I enjoyed the whole process because my motivation is to learn and challenge myself… and I guess I’m about to reach my finish line when the movie opens in cinemas.” Direk Jun, on the other hand, said that Judy Ann’s “feeling like a newbie” attitude worked in her favor. He liked her being
EMPLOYMENT
In appreciation of your continuous support, new Jersey 99 Ranch Market stores in Edison and Jersey City will be continuing their opening anniversary sales with huge discounts and the best prices. Noodles and Sauces Our Anniversary sales will continue through this week providing you with your favorite items such as smooth and tender Mizuho Frozen Premium Sanukiya Udon, many flavors of CJ Dumplings and Potstickers, Synear Dumplings with selected varieties, and I Mei Frozen Rice Ball. For those who are looking for quick and easy meals, those items are your best choices. When it comes to sauces, LKK Abalone sauce, LKK Premium Soy sauce, Kimbo Dumpling sauce, and Three Crabs Fish sauce are all on sale now. These incredible sauces are secret weapons of cooking! Hot Pot Products: Want to taste a delicious hot pot at home? You can choose
from many flavors of Little Sheep Hot Pot Soup base and RW Hot Pot items, LGM Hot Pot Spice. We carry a wide variety of hot pot products for you to choose from such as Pollock and Cuttlefish Rolls, Pollock Fish dumplings, Seafood dumplings, and Egg dumplings of Brand Laurel, G.W Bean Threads, Jane Jane Frozen Seafood Balls and Fish Tofu. Also, Zojirush Electric Skillets, perfect for the occasion, are on sale in new Jersey stores! Fresh Produce, Fish and Meat We carry DHA and vitamin rich norwegian Mackerel, fresh pork spare ribs, beef eye round , white sea cucumber, sliced Berkshire pork collar butts in the Seafood and Meat department. Moreover, You will find fresh produce such as Shitake mushroom, bamboo shoots, oranges, China Yali Pear at our Produce department. On January 27th, 2018, the Edison store will celebrate their 1st Anniversary with some
Think before you... Judy Ann Santos returns to the big screen via the Jun Lana-directed initial comedy offering of Star Cinema with Quantum Films and Idea First Company after being away from mainstream Star Cinema photo acting for years.
so inquisitive and “I liked her being not so confident because her performance turned out so refreshing. She’s really funny here.” It is now obvious that “Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes” steers Judy Ann away from heavy drama. Thus, curious minds are eager to know what caught her interest to star in a laugh-out-loud flick. “I was really looking for a material that would challenge me to go out of my comfort zone, something refreshing because most of the films I’ve done before were all drama and people are already used to seeing me cry. So, I challenged myself that this 2018, I should do something different before I reach 40 (years old), something that will make me think twice before accepting yet too tough to refuse and this is it.” In fact, after seeing the movie rushes, she told herself that she
should have done it long before raising a family. “It’s fun and at the same time you’ll get to realize that the story alone is a good material. It’s not new because it’s a reality but it’s not (the type) people are expecting to see (in a movie).” “Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes” is not your usual love triangle movie where two women are fighting for the same man. It is a journey of two women who pursue their erring husbands who have the same surnames. Their seemingly happy marriages are put to the test when both wives discover that their husbands have an affair, leaving the wives in a series of misadventures in hopes of foiling their husbands’ relationship. Apart from Judy Ann’s Lianne, portraying the other Mrs. Reyes is Angelica Panganiban as Cindy whose husband Felix Reyes (JC Continued on Page 5
PAWNSHOP
From Page 2 hopes that his book sells. In the internet, karma can be swift and unforgiving. not only do we now live in a sue-happy, highly litigious environment, we also have to deal with unpredictable backlash. Your posts are evidentiary proof. You are free to post whatever you like. You are not free of its consequences however. So if you’re angry, try venting the old fashioned way. Punch a bag. Break some plates. Or sweat it out. Write if you have to vent as a form of release but give yourself a week or two to cool down and pull yourself together. Write it, then trash it. Think of posting to the public as ripping a pillow filled with countless goose down feathers to the four winds. Damage is beyond repair. Someone once said that you can’t take something off the internet. It’s like peeing in a pool. It is quite easy for professional internet sleuths to find out where a message posting comes from even if you try to cover your tracks
with bogus identities. 9 out of 10, you will be unmasked. Like it or not, transparency has become the nature of this wired world. Of course, as it is playing out on the political stage at the moment, a noted political figure has wiped her internet server clean to erase all emails and proof of possible wrongdoing. Is there a technology out there that can undelete deleted emails? How about recipients of those emails who have their own servers? This drama bears watching if only to see if it is really true that emails can be wiped out clean. For now, you will be held accountable and may have to plead temporary insanity to free yourself from the sticky mess of your own doing. Increasingly, the justice system has come to rely on words in documents, images in photos and videos on the internet and DnA matches, as irrefutable evidentiary proof. As they often say in the movies, but no longer as empty bluster these days, “You can run, but you
SERVICES
special activities! From 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, customers may receive a free gift with a purchase receipt of $20 or more, and a free goody bag with a purchase receipt of $100 or more. Offer is good while supplies last. Furthermore, the Edison store’s 1st Anniversary birthday cake cutting will be taking place at 2:00 PM. All of our promotional events are planned for our beloved customers. We can’t wait to see you here in new Jersey! Edison Store: 561 U.S 1, Edison, nJ 08817 Phone number: 732-8198889 Jersey City Store: 420 Grand Street, Jersey City, nJ 07302 Phone number: 201-5368899 Find us on social media: Facebook.com/ 99RanchMarket Instagram: @99RanchMarket Twitter: @99RanchMarket WeChat: @Official99Ranch (Advertising Supplement)
can’t hide.” The ease with which we send and receive information is matched only with the ease with which messages are traced and tracked back to the original source. This is the reason why terrorists and kidnappers revert back to the old fashioned, slow way of communication — coded messages by couriers on beasts of burden, for fear of being traced. Your postings and when you log on to Facebook, particularly during work hours, can get you fired. Employers are exercising their right to be picky when there are millions out there who are qualified to take your job. As in anything, balance, good old common sense and a smidgen of humility should guide us all while social networking. Since we still live in a physical world, what is real still trumps what is merely virtual. Or you can just log off, canoodle with a loved one or go fly a kite with your kids. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com
Ins and outs of 2018 BY MONET
From Page 2
THE start of a new season means different things to different people. But as a hair expert, it primarily means one thing for me: new season equals new haircut.Winter is here and it’s the best time to hit up the salon and get your season haircut. But before you do, check out these chicest hairstyles and cut. Based on my opinion, these are the six best “hair looks” that are suitable for both men and women this season. Let me start with the ladies. The bob cut Seventy percent of my customers would request this type of cut for either of the following reasons: a new phase in their life (a relationship status-change or a new job), wants a new look to reinvent their selves, or just because someone they know—and like—is sporting it. Your reasons may or may not fall under any of the aforementioned categories, but you are definitely in the best season to get a bob cut. There is one thing you need to remember if you’re interested in trying a bob like Keira Knightley’s, Ginnifer Goodwin’s or Rachel McAdams’s. You have to be prepared for the attention—or the shock (if you had long hair)—that this haircut draws. Know that this cut makes a serious statement. Don’t dare if you can’t take the heat. Also, you have to manage your hair’s density with this look, or else the bob will look like a mushroom. Grown-out lob According to Marie Claire’s “20 Chicest Lobs of the Year,” ‘The Lob was this year’s tour de force cut.’ But while it is lovely, it is also way too much work to blow out the strands as regularly as the LA traffic permits. Don’t worry, I have good news! You can still grow you Lob and look like you step out of the salon every time. Just ask your stylist to texturize your mane for body and movement. You can also add some beachy waves to this cut. That is what’s great about a grown-out lob, you can style it in a variety of ways and it still looks chic. One renowned stylist’s reminder: “Use a combination of oil and hold products to blow dry,” he suggested, “and style with a flat iron to add bend.” Choppy and messy Since we are on the subject
of adding playful waves and body to your hair, let’s push it further with some carefully sliced strands. It’s razor-meets-gorgeous! You may check out Kim Kardashian for inspiration for this style. If you think this should be your look for autumn, enhance the “messy” effect by using a curling wand on your waves. Use plenty of texturing sprays to out some volume at the roots. The Mixie Mixie is portmanteau for midlength pixie. This haircut is best suited for fine to normal strands that are straight. I suggest this cut for those who aren’t ready for a super short style, but want something short yet feminine. For the men After the goddesses, we move on to the gods of killer haircut. And what easier way to describe the famous cuts is to name the celebrities who are sporting such looks. Allow me to borrow and coin the styles with their names. The “Ryan Gosling” cut Google it if you don’t agree with me, but I must say this style is suited for any face or hair type. Ask your stylist for something high and tight on the side. Make the top about an inch longer and polish the look by combing it with a matte pomade. I must warn you: this is a head-turner look. Proceed with caution. The “Chris Pine” cut If you’ve seen “Starship Enterprise,” you pretty much have
Health@Heart
Sudden cardiac death
What is Sudden Cardiac Death? Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) is a swift and unexpected death caused by a heart condition or mechanism, which may or may not be obvious. SCD varies in its range of definition. Usually, though, it applies to a situation where the person, who was thought to be free of heart disease, or only had a “mild” heart disease, suddenly died. What causes these sudden deaths? In the age range between 40 and older, the vast majority is due to coronary artery disease (heart “attacks”). In 20 percent (one out of five) of those who develop symptoms of coronary artery disease, and even among those with advanced coronary artery disease, the first symptom of the disease is sudden death. In those younger than forty years old, including teenagers, sudden death from “no apparent reason” is usually due to fatal ventricular arrythmia (heart irregularity), which could be brought on by electrolyte imbalance and other factors, and in some cases, to totally unknown cause. Brugada Syndrome, discussed below, is one such demise from a fatal heart rhythm abnormality. Can illegal drugs cause sudden death? Yes. Other “recreational” drugs could also lead to sudden death, many by causing deadly heart irregularity. Among some individuals, cigarette smoking could cause heart rhythm problems that lead to cardiac arrest. Thank God, this is rare. What is a “Widow-Maker”
The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY JA N UA RY 1 9, 20 1 8
Aljur & Paulo: From each other’s toughest...
LU
PHILIP S. CHUA, MD, FACS, FPCS
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An Asian Journal Magazine
doesn’t sing as well as the others, but his acting! He will be one of the greatest as he continues to grow!!! Congrats!!!” Asked to comment, Paulo admitted to feeling good whenever he receives compliments for his acting. More so now that it came from a Broadway star. With much appreciation and humility, Paulo said, “It’s good to hear praises, especially coming from wellrenowned artists. But I don’t get easily swayed by compliments because as much as I am thankful or grateful, one of my problems as an actor is that I don’t content myself with my previous work. I always think I
heart disease? As the name implies, this particular condition results in sudden deaths among men, leaving their wives widows. This is usually due to a severe blockage of the left main coronary artery. If the left main coronary artery is blocked, all the left ventricular muscles are deprived of blood causing a massive acute heart attack, followed by sudden death. Even a single coronary blockage, if severe enough, could be dangerous, and deadly, depending on the portion of the heart that suffers. Could Mitral Valve Prolapse cause sudden death? Yes, but, fortunately, very rarely. Mitral Valve Prolapse is a condition where this valve on the left side of the heart (between the left upper and left lower chamber) is kind of “limp” and “weak” resulting in a slightly or moderately leaking Mitral Valve. This condition is generally benign and does not require surgery in majority of cases. Medications and some lifestyle changes are the therapies of choice. What are the usual symptoms prior to SCD? Interviews with family of the victims usually reveal some angina (chest discomfort or tightness), or heart irregularity, and/or shortness of breath, and worsening of the symptoms over a few days or a few hours before sudden collapse and death in 75 percent of these people. Some of these symptoms may even be confused with indigestion, fatigue, muscle pains, or depression. Self-denial (of symptoms) makes this condition treacherous. Anyone with any of these symptoms should consult their physicians without delay. In many cases, the first symptom is cardiac arrest. Does a normal EKG preclude
an idea of your new look sans the highlights. Rock the “Chris Pine” cut by going shorter and with much tight on the sides. And please make sure you go easy on the pomade or you just might become the next most eligible bachelor. For curly hair I also have a recommended cut for those who have curly hair. This is also for those who want a more modest, subtle and less-attention-grabbing look. If you’ve got curly hair and a more angular face, go with a round cut. You’re going to have to ask your stylist to cut about a half an inch longer on top than on the sides for best results. And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. These haircuts are sure to make you look trendy this season. For a more detailed explanation and onpoint demonstration, visit Monetsalon.com or at its brand new location at 20113 Vanowen St., Winnetka,CA and at 8340 Van Nuys Blvd, Panorama city inside the Island Pacific supermarket for information,call 213-2164923 or 818-891-8949. *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary allnatural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com
SCD? No, a plain resting EKG that is reported as normal does not eliminate the possibility of Sudden Cardiac Death, especially among patients with coronary artery disease, whether previously diagnosed or still undetected. This is the reason why a Stress EKG, preferably with Thallium, or Stress Echocardiography, are recommended to find out how the heart would behave under stress. These are more accurate and significant tests compared to a simple resting EKG. A plain EKG is only helpful if it shows abnormal findings. If it is “normal,” it does not have an accurate diagnostic value, and thus, cannot be depended upon for prognostication. What is Brugada Syndrome? Brugada Syndrome is a baffling condition where a young person, who appears to be healthy, unexpectedly develops cardiac arrest, for no apparent reason. Most victims do not survive the episode. This condition is now believed to be responsible for countless sudden deaths among young people - athletes, students, etc., - who suddenly dropped dead. Did the victims have any prior symptoms? No, majority of victims did not have any prior symptoms. They were “in good health” when suddenly they collapsed, went into coma, and later died, or instantly died on the spot. Three Doctors Brugada (R, P & J) and their colleagues at the Unitat d’Aritmies, Hospital Clinic, in Barcelona, Spain, were the first to describe the syndrome in November 1992. The characteristic EKG findings in this syndrome was first described in 1980 among six patients who Continued on Page 7
could have done it better. “The messages that I have read help boost my confidence, or like what I tweeted or replied back to Lea, to tackle more challenging roles and to look for films where I can do more.” Aljur, on the other hand, had already appeared in such shows as FPJ’s “Ang Panday” and “Wansapanataym”. Beginning this week, he and Paulo are starring in the new revenge drama series Asintado with Shaina Magdayao and Julia Montes. The two actors, everybody knows, are already dads. Paulo has a seven-year-old son with LJ Reyes while Aljur has Alas with Kylie Padilla. Reports have it that Kylie’s dad, Robin Padilla,
wants Aljur and Kylie to get married. Aljur, for his part, said that he understands that any father only wants what is best for his child. “Even my dad said that any father would want what is good for his child which is to have a good family. In regards to wedding, Kylie and I have been talking about it and we are taking our decision step by step. Every decision we will make is always for the good of our son Alas. “Whenever we talk about marriage, it always ends up with our priority and our priority is Alas. I love Kylie no doubt about it at kung anuman handa ako d’yan.”
Why Judy Ann doubted herself... From Page 4 de Vera) is the lover of Lianne’s husband Gary (Joross Gamboa). Lianne and Cindy’s desire to win back their respective husbands will take moviegoers to an emotional rollercoaster ride as both women turn to humor and laughter in the midst of life’s most painful experiences. Working with her co-stars Angelica Panganiban, JC de Vera and Joross Gamboa, Judy Ann shared, took all her worries away what with the happy and all-play mode on the set every shooting day. Angelica also related that her and Judy Ann’s friendship has become deeper than before. The
two have worked together in “Sa Puso Ko, Iingatan Ka” many years ago but this is their first bigscreen outing. “I believe, we’re able to build a deeper friendship because we were together for a long time making this movie,” Angelica said. “Grabe ‘yung separation anxiety, perhaps I’ll be hanging out often in the South, at their house (laughs).” Judy Ann, for her part, said, “Before we became friends, she was my baby but now she’s not a baby anymore kumbaga with what she’s been through in life, Ange blossomed in a very nice way.”
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Asked if she could possibly fall in love with a gay, Judy Ann replied that it always depends on one’s love and feelings. Of course, everybody knows she is already married to Ryan Agoncillo and they have three children. She explained, “If you meet someone whose love is true, you can’t think anymore of the gender whether he’s gay or straight kasi masyado ka n’yang mahal, inaalagaan (ka) yun naman ang pinaka importante at ‘yung respeto. “For you to love a gay or a lesbian, it doesn’t really matter as long as your love for each other is true.”
America
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Dinner for GK e-Rotary Club for PH incoming governors in Westminster, CA The 6-year-old GK e-Rotary Club will be hosting a dinner for two incoming Rotary District Governors from the Philippines — Gov. Mar Reyes from QC D3780 and Gov. Nisce from La Union D3790 — on Saturday, January 20, at the new Luxe Buffet Restaurant at 2008 Westminster Mall, Westminster, California (restaurant is in the 2nd floor of the mall, along Bolsa Ave. at Godldenwest, just off the 405 freeway). Invited guests include Consul General Adelio Cruz, presidents and officers of several Filipino-American organizations, like the Fil-Am Chamber of Commerce of OC, the PressClub of California, the Phil American Society of CPAs, Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA, the Historic Filipino Town Rotary Club and many others. Please come and witness the launching of our first GK e-Rotary Annual Fil-Am and their Friends Young Professionals Ambassador Tour to the Philippines in July, that will also a part of the official Phil Government Ambassador Tour that is being done annually for many years now. For more information, please contact the Project Chair, Jhenny Evans at (714) 5986446, or e-mail at jhenny_evans@yahoo.com; or Ernie Delfin at (714) 746 3088 or e-mail him at ernie.gkerc@gmail.com.
JA N UA RY 2 1
31st anniversary of the Feast of Santo Niño in Los Angeles Santo Niño Cruzada USA, with the participations of the Filipino Catholics Choir of St. Paul the Apostle Church, The Saint Junipero Serra Province Knights of Columbus and The Southern California Sinulog Dance Co., is inviting everyone to attend the holy mass of its 31st year anniversary celebration of the Feast of Santo Niño, the Divine Infant Jesus, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, on Sunday, January 21, 2018 at 3:30pm. The main celebrant is Monsignor Kevin Kostelnik to be concelebrated by various priests from different parishes. We also offer this mass to honor the late Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, who returned to our Creator on October 18, 2017 in Cebu, Philippines. The Santo Niño image that we use to celebrate the annual feast was given by Cardinal Vidal to Los Angeles Archbishop Emeritus Roger Cardinal Mahony and Monsignor Kevin Kostelnik several years ago. For more information, please contact any of the following officers and members: Romy and Tess Esturas (213) 387-6982; Tess and Rey Edpao (818) 469-7292; Carmen Estrada (213) 413-2881; Fe Montano (323) 218-1587; Ester Paredes (213) 864-1149; Lilia Figuracion (626) 394-2661; Fe Reyes (213) 413-5286; Cherry Guerrero (323) 7476508; Cherry Nicodemus (323) 304-6195; Vicky Samia (818) 851-2262; Tessie Cruz (213) 361-0937; Purita Prather (626) 798-4674; Lourdes Cronin (310) 880-6069; Maria Oclarino (213) 427-0353; Jun Panlaqui (213) 413-2881; Flora Ferrer (323) 556-4855.
JA N UA RY 25
Immigration forum in Anaheim, CA There will be an immigration forum on Thursday, January 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Brookhurst Community Center (2271 Crescent Ave., Anaheim, CA 92801). RSVP is a MUST to attend. No registration fee required. Please contact (714) 657-7460 or admin@globallawcenters.com. The immigration forum is about employment-based immigration information regarding FAST TRACK Work Visas ( H-1B1, TN, E-3), green card by marriage, family-based immigration employment sponsorship for green card and work visas after graduation. Candidates with H-1B, TN, F-1, OPT & other visas issues are encouraged to attend for a FREE immigration consultation & immigration assistance. As you have already seen there are many changes happening in the field of immigration with regards to the new executive administration and their agenda. Global Law Centers strives to inform the immigrant community of its rights and make sure it is knowledgeable about what immigration processes might be available. The forum will also update everyone about new and recent changes which may affect immigrants and their families.
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Annual dinner/dance at St. Finbar School in Burbank, California You are invited to the annual dinner/dance at the Albert Hall of St. Finbar School (2120 W. Olive Avenue, Burbank, CA 91506) on Saturday, February 10 from 6:30 to 11:00 p.m. For tickets, please call: Marian Nobleza at (818) 562-6819.
If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com
An Asian Journal Magazine
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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY JA N uA RY 1 9, 20 1 8
‘Broken Hallelujah’ screens at Consulate General in New York expands contacts in Pennsylvania Philippine Center New York
NEW YorK - The Philippine Consulate General in New York NEW YorK – The Filipino film took steps to further expand “Broken Hallelujah” directed by and enhance its networks in roland Sanchez screened at the Pennsylvania by joining the Philippine Center in New York Consular Corps Association of on Tuesday, January 8 to raise Philadelphia (CCAP) starting this awareness of human trafficking month. The CCAP is the oldest issues. consular organization in the U.S.. organized by rescue Philippine Consul General Homeless Youth Through Theresa Dizon-De Vega met with Hymns, Movies and Spoken Mr. Peter S. Longsreth, President Word (rHYTHMS) and New York of CCAP and current Honorary advocacy groups against Human Consul General of Uruguay. Consul Trafficking, the screening drew General De Vega discussed the an audience of over 60 persons membership of the Philippines who stayed on for a dialogue in the association starting in with roland Sanchez, an agent 2018 and said the Consulate of the Philippine National Bureau looks forward to a more active of Investigation (NBI), who wrote partnership with the Consular Consul General Theresa Dizon-De Vega speaks before the screening with Director Roland and directed the feature film as Corps Association. Sanchez, Ms. Grace Baldisseri and emcee Ms. Potri Ranka Manis. part of his advocacy to educate Mr. Longstreth discussed the the public on human trafficking. partnership with advocacy groups regular activities of the CCAP as For rHYTHMS representative, well as the work it undertakes in are part of this efforts to educate Filipino-American poet Grace facilitating events in Pennsylvania the greater public. Baldisseri, the screening is a timely with the association’s local Prior to the screening, means of encouraging more rHYTHMS cited the contributions contacts. community members to educate At present there are 51 of ten Filipina members of the themselves about the evils of member countries in the CCAP Community in efforts to uplift human trafficking and the need to the condition of the underserved. some of which represented help victims. by career Consulates while a These include: Angela Ponce of Consul General Theresa majority are based in New York the Philippine Mission to the Dizon-De Vega, for her part, spoke or New Jersey with consular United Nations in New York, Kim of the need for more awareness Mende Itskov, Laura Garcia, Myrna jurisdiction over Pennsylvania. and more concerted actions CCAP organizes talks and Gutierrez, Gloria Cabrera, Evelyn to prevent human trafficking Gonzaga, rosario Magno, Zenaida briefings by Pennsylvania officials, which occurs practically in all regular members hip meetings, Santos, Carol Sibbaluca, and parts of the world. She noted the commemorative celebrations, Consul General Theresa Dizon-De Consul General Theresa Dizon-De Vega with Honorary Consul General of Uruguay and current seminars which the Consulate in Photo by NYPCG CCAP President Peter S. Longsreth Director Roland Sanchez introduces his film Vega. trade, and investment events.
Gladys & Chris’ formula for solid marriage: 3 P’s by Ricky Lo Philstar.com
Christopher and Gladys with children Gian-Christophe, Gianna-Aquisha and Grant-Carlin and Gavin-Cale. Photo from Instagram/@iamgladysreyes
IN a field where lasting unions are the exception rather than the rule, Gladys reyes and Christopher roxas should be commended for surviving the trials and temptations of showbiz. on Jan. 23, Jean-Christophe Sommereux (his real name; he’s French in case you don’t know) and Gladys are celebrating their “25 years of togetherness,”
blessed with four children: Gian-Christophe (Best Man), Gianna-Aquisha (Maid of Honor) and Grant-Carlin and Gavin-Cale (ring Bearers). Upon receiving an invitation, I texted Gladys, “Congratulations on your 25th year of marriage,” and Gladys promptly corrected me, “25 years of togetherness po, not as married couple.” Both Gladys and
Christopher are members of Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC). The renewal of vows will be done in INC ceremony at Fernwood Gardens-Tagaytay in Tagaytay City, with silver and mint as motif. Unlike in similar occasions, nobody from showbiz is part of the entourage. Asked what their “formula” is for a happy “togetherness,” Gladys said, “Three P’s – Prayers, Patience
and Partnership.” Printed on the invitation is this: The best of friendship through the years/Souls entwined by unselfish love and faith/A love that stood the tests of time/Now, a lifetime vow and a lasting commitment. The friendship between Gladys and Christopher started when they were in their teens, even before they joined showbiz.
Filipino student pilot crowned Miss Belgium by chaRmie Joy
PaguLong
Philstar.com
ğ įōíľ ÀðıÃæµįPçį ʼn æIJįıÀ ØÃĉÃæîÂ ß ğÃqPç qíß߼æÃıŎįĤÀíĽØ ÕæíŊįPdíĽIJĕ If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, email us the details (title, description, time & date, location, etc.) at info@asianjournalinc.com. And for consideration in our print calendar, please send submissions at least three weeks before the date of the event. To be included in our online calendar/ e-newsletter, please allow at least two to three weeks' notice. The Asian Journal would be delighted to list your event in our Calendar of Events.
A 22-year-old Belgian-born Filipina from Antwerp was crowned Miss Belgium 2018 on Saturday, January 13 at a gala show at the Plopsaland Theater in De Panne. Angeline Flor Pua will represent Belgium in the Miss Universe or Miss World competition. According to the flandersnews.be website, Pua is in her third year at the Flying Academy and dreams of becoming a pilot. She loves to travel and has interests in sports and baking. “I never expected this and still cannot believe it is true… I am so incredibly happy,” the student pilot said. on her Filipino heritage, Pua was quoted in the article as saying, “It’s certainly something new for a Miss Belgium, but I really feel Belgian. I was born here.” In 2016, she won the Miss
Miss Belgium 2018 Angeline Flor Pua is flanked by first runner-up Zoé Brunet and second runner-up Dhenia Covens in the pageant held at the Plopsaland Theater in De Panne, Belgium last Saturday, January 13. Pua, born and raised in Belgium, is a student pilot-in-training. Miss Belgium Organization photo
Filipina Europe title and in 2018, she was crowned Miss Antwerp, which gave her the opportunity to compete in the Miss Belgium pageant this year. According to missosology. org, her father is of Chinese descent while her mother is a
Sudden cardiac... From Page 5 had cardiac arrest and were successfully resuscitated. It was not recognized at that time as a disease entity, but those were classic victims of Brugada Syndrome. How does one prevent Brugada Syndrome? Since this disease entity has now been “described,” which makes diagnosis of this entity possible, everyone, especially those with a family history of unexplained sudden cardiac arrest, should be tested, starting with an EKG, and some “provocative” tests (with disopyramide, flecainide, ajmaline, procainamide) done to reproduce the characteristic Brugada EKG findings. Can genetic testing help? Since this disease is secondary to a mutation of SCN5A gene of chromosome 3 that has a dominant autosomic transmission pattern, with genetic defect in the alpha subunit of the sodium channel, genetic testing may be in order. However, 30% to 80%
of patients will have negative (normal) gene screening in spite of overt or latent clinical Brugada Syndrome. What’s the treatment for Brugada Syndrome? If one is diagnosed to have Brugada Syndrome, an automatic implantable cardiac-pacemaker defibrillator (AICD) may be implanted, which will pace the heart and increase the rate if the rate goes down (awake or when asleep, 24/7), shocks and jolts the heart back to normal rhythm, when the heart goes to ventricular fibrillation. Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide have AICD to prevent sudden death from a variety of causes. None of the available drugs today are effective against Brugada Syndrome. When diagnosis is made, which may be missed a lot of time, then, cardiac arrest may be prevented with AICD. Can other sudden cardiac deaths be prevented? Since most of these SCDs are due to coronary artery disease, primary prevention should be
Filipina. Pua was born on April 17, 1995. Zoé Brunet from Jemeppesur-Sambre won as first runnerup, while Dhenia Covens from Vremde was named the second runner-up. aimed at warding off coronary artery disease before it develops, like avoidance of cigarette smoking, obesity, sedentary lifestyle; and the management of high blood pressure, diabetes, and elevated cholesterol, if these are present. Secondary prevention is by early diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease, and any medically significant heart irregularity present. Where indicated, coronary angioplasty or bypass may be done. AICD implantation should be considered for those with a history of recurrent cardiac arrests. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. For more data, visit philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com (Advertising Supplement
Filipino immigrant story to be portrayed in new film by award-winning filmmakers NEW YORK — A group of Filipino-American producers are gathering support for a film venture that will tackle immigration, family, Filipino values, LGBTQ rights, among other social issues. To introduce the film to supporters, the Lingua Franca kickoff event was held at the Fridman Gallery in New York on Tuesday, January 16. Written and directed by Isabel Sandoval, Lingua Franca is a promising take on an undocumented Filipino transwoman’s immigrant experience in Brooklyn, New York. Tony and Grammy awardee Jhett Tolentino; Oscar winner Gigi Dement; Cecilia Mejia; and Richard Kim are producing the project, which will start filming in Spring 2018. Wisconsin-based lawyer Jerry Kerkman has pledged his role as Executive Producer. Isabel Sandoval, whose directing credits include Aparisyon and Senorita, considers the project as a personal testimony of the immigrant story, told from the perspective of a migrant director. Sandoval believes in the material that they have created and revealed that some of the artists they tapped have confirmed their involvement to the project based on the strength of the script alone.
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An Asian Journal Magazine
The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY JA N uA RY 1 9, 20 1 8
Filipino artist wins Hollywood movie’s poster contest
Consul General Theresa Dizon-De Vega (center) shows her support to the creators of Lingua Franca during the film kickoff. From left: Cecilia Mejia, Gigi Dement, Isabel Sandoval, Jhett Tolentino, Richard Kim, Vice Consul Khrystina Corpuz Popov. Photos courtesy of PCGNY
Actors committed to star in the film are Lynn Cohen, Eamon Farren, and Matt McGorren. The production team is in negotiations with Alan Cumming, Cynthia Nixon and Ivory Aquino for possible casting. Consul General Theresa
Dizon-De Vega graced the event and assured the filmmakers her support in promoting the film. Investors and co-producers are invited to partner in the venture. A kickstarter campaign for the film will be launched at the end of the month.
Miss International Kylie Verzosa calls for changes in Binibining Pilipinas WHILE Binibining Pilipinas winners like Binibining Pilipinas International and Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa is excited for the new pageant to be held held on March 18 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Kylie hopes to see more changes in the pageant this year. “I hope Binibini will (introduce changes) and good changes,” Kylie told Philstar.com in a recent interview. According to her, pageant organizers should get to know the contestants more. “Siguro… more one-on-one interviews so every girl can get Binibining Pilipinas International and Miss the chance to express herself, so International 2016 Kylie Verzosa. people can learn about her more, Philstar.com photo by Efigenio Christopher Toledo IV instead of just watching their
performance onstage with that one time question and answer. So sana, makilala nila ‘yung girls isa isa,” Kylie explained of the changes she wants to see. Besides the pageant, Kylie is also excited to join her second cruise as a SuperStar Virgo ambassador. She joined the maiden Manila-LaoagKaohsiung-Hong Kong trip last year, which launched Manila as a cruise homeport for the first time. “For the first time, Filipinos don’t have to go outside (the country) to join a cruise!” she said, believing that the cruise gives tourists a good opportunity to discover more about Southeast Asia without the need to get a visa. (Deni Rose M. AfinidadBernardo/Philstar.com)
A CAVITE-born visual artist has been proclaimed one of the five winners of the “Insidious: The Last Key” alternative poster contest. The competition was organized by Blumhouse Productions, the powerhouse studio of blockbuster thrillers (“The Purge,”“Get Out,” “Split”) in collaboration with the open-source creative platform Talenthouse. Blumhouse’s Jason Blum himself selected the five winners from participants all over the world. The winning Filipino artist is Adriann Delmo from General Trias, Cavite, a 25-year-old freelance graphic artist/designer and owner of T-shirt printing business. He is joined in the winners’ circle by artists from Peru, Ecuador, Spain and France. The five winning artworks received a cash prize of $2,000 each. Delmo gave his thoughts about his victory in the following interview. Question: When you learned about the contest, did you immediately want to join? What convinced you to take part? Delmo: I’ve been joining the Creative Invites of Talenthouse for more than six months. When I learned about the contest for the Insidious poster, I knew I wanted to join ‘coz the concept was interesting. I previously joined a couple of contests before but unfortunately I didn’t win dahil sobrang gagaling ng mga participants. Ang nakakatuwa almost lahat ng magagaling na ‘yun ay Filipinos. Q: Do you have funny or interesting experiences with these contests? AD: In one of the contests, I submitted entries full of confidence, really feeling I’d win. And then “nakita ko bigla mga malupit na entries. Natawa nalang ako kasi hindi pala.” Since then, I promised myself to always try something new and be more creative. After that, I didn’t notice at first but there were already
Filipino artist is Adriann Delmo (left) and his winning poster.
improvements in my craft. Q: For your “Insidious: The Last Key” entry, how did you arrive at the concept? AD: The participants were encouraged to submit artworks with movie poster styles from the ‘50s to early 2000s. I did a lot of research as I wasn’t familiar with vintage style since I’m still in my early twenties. My winning entry is simple but it gave emphasis to the demon coz that’s the style of old posters. Q: Did you have a feeling that you will win this time? AD: Actually, I didn’t expect to win “dahil sobrang dami talagang magagaling.” I told myself it is enough if people seek out my entry and like it. That’s why I was so happy and feel blessed when I learned my artwork was chosen. Q: You used Adobe for your entry. Do you consider yourself a digital artist? Do you also handdraw? What works better for you? AD: Yes. I consider myself a digital artist. I used to hand-draw before I got familiar with vectors and vexel arts. What works better for me? When thinking of a concept, freehand is better until an idea pops up. Then I just render the sketch digitally. I find my work better and complete “pag nagawa ko na sya in digital.” Q: What will you do with the U.S. dollar cash prize?
Philstar.com photos
AD: I am planning to buy higher specs laptop and pen tab to be able to catch up with the latest applications. The rest of the prize will be for financial savings. Q: Any advice for aspiring artists? AD: Always pursue what you want to be. Don’t be afraid to fail. Failures teach us to make something new and move forward. “Set kayo ng competition sa mind ninyo. Wag kayo papayag na di nyo nahihigitan yung last na gawa nyo. Magugulat nalang kayo sa improvements. And lastly ibigay lang lagi yung best and be happy sa napili nyong field.” “Insidious: The Last Key” is the new installment in the Insidious franchise coming to Philippine cinemas January 17. In the supernatural thriller, which welcomes back franchise standout Lin Shaye as Dr. Elise Rainier, the brilliant parapsychologist faces her most fearsome and personal haunting yet: in her own family home. The film is written by co-creator Leigh Whannell (“Saw”), who wrote the trilogy and directed “Chapter 3”; produced by “Insidious” regulars Jason Blum, Oren Peli (“Paranormal Activity”) and co-creator James Wan (“The Conjuring,”“Furious 7”); and directed by series newcomer Adam Robitel (“The Taking of Deborah Logan”). (Philstar.com)
An Asian Journal Magazine
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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY JANuARY 19, 2018