Issuu

January 23-25, 2019 Volume 29 - No. 6 • 3 Sections - 20 Pages

Palace: We have to respect if US has basis for banning Filipino workers by PATRICIA LOURDES Philstar.com

VIRAY

THE Philippine government would have to respect the decision of the United States if it has basis for removing Filipino workers from its eligibility list, Malacañang said Tuesday, January 22. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has banned

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issuing temporary work visas for new Filipino workers seeking jobs in the country until Jan. 18, 2020. Filipino workers will no longer be granted H-2A and H-2B visas due to high overstay rates. “If that is the law in the U.S. and if there were violations then we have to respect if they have basis for that. We will only re-

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Democrats reject Trump’s proposal of temporary protection for immigrants, call it a ‘non-starter’ AS the government shutdown entered its 32nd day on Tuesday, January 22 — the longest its ever been in U.S. history — President Donald Trump’s most recent proposal to offer temporary protection for undocumented immigrants in exchange for border wall funding seems unlikely to succeed. Lawmakers returned to Washington on Tuesday after the Martin Luther King holiday with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell expected to make a move to vote on the proposal offered by Trump on Saturday, January 19. But Democrats maintained that they would reject the proposal, and called for the reopening of government to come before further negotiations. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif). said early Tuesday that Democrats were prepared to vote on more bipartisan bills to reopen the

act if our workers are being mistreated, maltreated or being discriminated against but if they violated laws of the U.S. then they have to face the music,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a televised press briefing. The DHS, as well as the U.S. Department of State, raised con-

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PH House committee okays lowered age of criminal liability Pacquiao ‘fine’ despite eye injury after win vs. Broner Manny Pacquiao was declared the winner via a unanimous decision victory over Adrien Broner at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to retain his secondary World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title on Saturday, January 19. Pacquiao earned the nod of all three judges with scores of 117-11, 116-112 and 116-112, improving his record to (61-7-2) and sending Broner to a three-ﬁght winless streak (33-4-1). AJPress photos by Robert Macabagdal

by NATHALIE

ROBLES

AJPress

THE Philippines House of Representatives justice committee approved a bill lowering the minimum age of criminal liability from 15 to 9 years old on Monday, January 21, to protect “children from being used by ruthless and unscrupulous criminal syndicates to evade prosecution and punishment.” Committee on Justice Chair and Oriental Mindoro First District Representative Salvador “Doy” Leachon delivered his 18-minute opening remarks on the said bill seeking to amend the 13-year-old Juvenile Justice Welfare Act. Capiz 2nd District Representative Fredenil Castro immediately motioned for its approval, which was seconded

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MANNY Pacquiao’s camp on Monday, January 21, assured the public that the veteran boxer “is fine” after acquiring a reported career-threatening eye injury following his win against Adrien Broner on Saturday, January 19. The Filipino boxer’s team told the New York Daily News that they were alarmed when the 40-year-old boxer complained of pain and vision loss in his left

AMID the ongoing national conflict regarding immigration policy, Los Angeles County has vowed to protect immigrants rights by expanding legal resources, providing medical care and maintaining access to other public assistance programs for undocumented immigrants. “We can’t afford to sit back. We have to stand up and speak,” LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis said at a media roundtable in downtown LA on Friday, Jan. 18. Speaking to various ethnic news media, local leaders affirmed L.A. county’s role as an “oasis of support” for all residents regardless of citizenship status while calling out the Trump administration for its proposals to “strip immigrants” of their rights. Anyone who lives in L.A. surely knows the region’s rich immigrant communities and their histories. Rigo Reyes, executive director of the Office of Immigrant Affairs, highlighted the scope of the issue in a county as large and as diverse

The boxing champion is scheduled to return to the Philippines later this week to see an eye specialist after defending his World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title via a unanimous decision over Broner at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The scores were 117-111 and 116-112 twice. Boxing’s only eight-division champion Pacquaio – who was

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Teachers union, school district reach tentative agreement to end six-day strike by AJPRESS

AFTER six days, the Los Angeles teachers union and school district have reached a tentative agreement that could end the city’s first teachers’ strike in 30 u PAGE A2 years. The United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) union and the LA Rep. Salvador Leachon of Oriental Mindoro 1st District (left), chairman United School District (LAUSD) of the House Committee on Justice, with Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, during the House deliberations on lowering the age of criminal came to the tentative deal on responsibility. ManilaTimes.net photo by Roger Rañada Tuesday, January 22, following

LA County leaders offer “oasis of support” to immigrants in the Trump era

eye on Sunday morning, January 20. The team found out that the injury was a minor corneal scratch from the tape on Broner’s gloves. Pacquiao’s camp said that the boxer is feeling better after he was seen without his eyepatch during the NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center on Monday night, where the boxer once again ran into Floyd Mayweather.

the six-day strike that has affected 600,000 students from K-12. During a press conference at City Hall on Tuesday morning, LA Mayor Eric Garcetti — joined by LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner and UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl — called the deal a “historic agreement” that involves reducing class sizes, a 6 percent salary hike, hiring more full-time nurses, and des-

ignating community schools. “Everyone on every side has worked tirelessly to make this happen,” the mayor said. By June 30, 2019 the district will designate 20 community schools and an additional 10 the year after. These schools are meant to provide social services and academic programs to students and families. Other items of the deal in-

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It’s a resounding ‘yes’ for BOL in Cotabato City and Marawi by BONG AND

S. SARMIENTO RICHEL UMEL

Inquirer.net

THE “yes” vote for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) was leading in Cotabato City by at least 7,000 as of 6:20 p.m. on Tuesday, January 22, partial and official results from the Commission on Election (Comelec) showed. The poll garnered 28,828 “yes” votes compared to the 21,787 “no” votes, or a total of 50,615 votes. Of the 374 precincts in the city, 303 (81 percent) have been canvassed by the Cotabato City Plebiscite Board of Canvassers. In Marawi City and the entire u PAGE A4

Lanao del Sur province, people gave the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) a resounding “yes.” The Plebiscite Board of Canvassers of Lanao del Sur officially proclaimed the “yes” vote as the winner in the BOL plebiscite on Tuesday. Lawyer Allan C. Kadon, provincial election supervisor, said the affirmative garnered an overwhelming 503, 420 votes against the 9,735 “no” votes. He said the results were obtained from 1,984 precincts in 39 towns and from Marawi City, with 92.56 percent voter turnout. Kadon said the conduct of the plebiscite was very successful. “It was peaceful and orderly with

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MINDANAO VISIT. President Rodrigo Duterte is welcomed by Moro Islamic Liberation Front Chairman Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim upon his arrival at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex in Cotabato City on his way to attend the Peace Assembly for the Ratiﬁcation of Republic Act No. 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). Malacañang photo by Simeon Celi

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PH House committee okays...

PAGE A1 even after Gabriela Representative Arlene Brosas and Agusan del Norte 1st District Representative Lawrence Fortun objected. No voting took place. The justice committee chair ensured that the said bill would be a “pro-children legislative measure.” Leachon clarified that “there is no imprisonment, but voluntary confinement” at Bahay Pagasa, a youth care facility so it

is “not anti-poor, not ruthless legislation.” “For age 9 years old up to 15 and who commits serious offenses, there will be mandatory confinement at Bahay Pag-Asa but the court after one year of program intervention undertaken for the child in conflict with the law has to decide whether the child is fit to (be) re-integrated with his family and community,” Leachon said.

FROM THE FRONT PAGE

The approval of the bill garnered mixed reactions from the public, some in support and others in opposition to the said move. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo expressed his support on the said bill noting that the development of technology influences how children act nowadays. “For me, nine is fine. Considering modern technology, nine is like the equivalent of 12, 15 years old. They have discernment already,” Panelo said as reported by The Philippine Star. However, children’s rights group Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns said that the bill would compromise the well-being and human rights of children. “We hold legislators accountable as they placed children’s lives in greater danger in exchange for political favors from the House speaker and Duterte himself. They are the criminals who should be punished,” the group said. The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) asked the administration to scrutinize the said bill stating that the welfare of the children should be the utmost priority. “We urge the government to address conditions that push children to such circumstances rather than placing the burden on a child for the failure of institutions meant to protect them,” the CHR said. Senator Ralph Recto also addressed the necessity of implementing such a bill. He explained that the lawmakers should assess the facts on proposing the lowered age of criminal responsibility. “The proposal to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility calls for evidence-based legislation. We need to read the scholarship behind the proposed policy. In the absence of any, we may be legislating based on superstition,” Recto said. Senator Francis Pangilinan voiced the same sentiment citing the data presented by the Philippine National Police (PNP) that crimes committed by minors constitute less than two percent. “If this government wishes to end pervasive criminality, it should focus its efforts on going after more than 98 percent rather than the less than two percent but then again it is easier to after helpless minors than it is to go after powerful criminal syndicates backed by corrupt coddlers in government,” Pangilinan said. n

SEIZED FIREARMS FROM SECURITY AGENCIES. Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director Oscar Albayalde (middle) shows seized firearms totaling 1,025 from 96 private security agencies served cease to operate order in 2018 during a press briefing held at Camp Rafael Crame in Quezon City on Monday, January 21. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

Palace: We have to respect if...

PAGE A1 cerns about the high volume of trafficking victims from the Philippines who were originally issued H-2B visas. The continued issuance of H2B visas might encourage human trafficking from the Philippines, the DHS said. Data from the U.S. Embassy in Manila showed that 60 percent of T-1 nonimmigrants or certain victims of a severe form of human trafficking were identified to have been trafficked to the U.S. through H-2B visas. The U.S. government, however, did not provide figures on the supposed rising number of human trafficking victims from the Philippines. According to Panelo, the Philippine government has not yet received such report from the US Embassy in Manila. Panelo only noted that the U.S.

government must have conducted its own investigation into the human trafficking issue. “If their investigation yields that there was a violation, I don’t think we can interfere with that. What we can do is to do our own control here so that trafficking victims from here would not be able to go there,” Panelo said. The Malacañang spokesman further added that it would be the Department of Foreign Affairs and U.S .Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim who would handle the matter. The U.S. Embassy in Manila has yet to issue any comment on the directive of the DHS to temporarily ban Filipinos from the H-2A and H-2B visa programs. The DFA, on the other hand, reminded Filipinos abroad to follow immigration rules and avoid overstaying as allowed by their visas.

“Nonetheless, the Philippines is open to the possibility of working with the United States in addressing these issues, as it has previously done so with similar concerns involving the Filipino Community there,” DFA spokesperson Elmer Cato said. Asked how the Philippine government would console Filipinos planning to work in the U.S., Panelo said there are other countries where they can seek job opportunities. “Until they lift that, what we can do is first we need to know whether there is basis for the decision. If we can see that there is none then we will ask for reconsideration but that’s the job of the DFA and the U.S. ambassador,” Panelo said. “As soon as we receive the report then we will make a move officially,” he added. n

It’s a resounding ‘yes’ for BOL in...

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the assistance of the Philippine National Police and the 103rd Brigade Philippine Army Joint Task Group Plebisito,” he said. The official results here will be sent to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Kadon expressed gratitude to

the people of Lanao del Sur and Marawi City for taking part in the political exercise. “The Bangsamoro has spoken to end the decades old armed struggle and attain lasting peace for the benefit of the next generation,” said Lanao del Sur Provincial Gov. Bejoria Soraya

Adiong. “We expect a gradual development of the province and the total rehabilitation of Marawi and give better life and better living condition to the thousands of Meranaws displaced in the Marawi siege of 2017,” he added. n

Teachers union, school district reach...

PAGE A1 clude hiring full-time counselors and librarians, as well as exempting some schools from conducting random searches on its students. Despite the heavy downpour during the first four days of the strike last week, over 30,000 teachers, students, parents and community members joined the districtwide strikes. Estimates

say that the first week cost over $125 million for the district. . “This is a historic victory for public education educators, students and parents. Class-size reduction, limits on testing, and access to nurses, counselors and librarians will change our students’ lives forever. We won this victory through our unity, our action, and our shared sacrifice,” said UTLA President

Alex Caputo-Pearl. Both the UTLA and LAUSD went back to the negotiation table last week and then reached a deal on Tuesday morning following a 21-hour session. Following the agreement, the Board of Education was set to ratify it. Members of the UTLA are also set to vote on the deal before teachers could go back to school by Wednesday. n

Democrats reject Trump’s proposal of... PAGE A1 government, but were being hindered by the shutdown. She said in a morning tweet that President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) “need to stop holding Americans hostage.” “Stop blocking these bills, and #EndTheShutdown now,” Pelosi added. Trump too sent out a tweet, exclaiming “No cave!” while accusing Democrats of playing “political games.” In the proposal announced Saturday, Trump said he would offer temporary legislative protection of three years for some 700,000 Dreamers — recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program — who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. The Trump administration ended the DACA program late 2017. Trump also offered an extension of the Temporary Protected Status program that blocks the deportation of eligible immigrants affected by armed conflict or natural disasters in their own countries. Roughly 300,000 under the program face expiration. In exchange, Trump asked for $5.7 billion in funding for a wall on the Southern Border. He also requested funding for humanitarian assistance and drug-detection technology for securing ports of entry, additional border agents and immigration judge teams to address the backlog of 900,000 cases, and a system through which Central American minors may

only apply for asylum in their own countries. “This is common-sense compromise both parties should embrace,” Trump said. But Democrats were quick to reject the proposal and continued to call on Trump to first address the government shutdown, which Trump did not do in his proposal announcement. Since the government entered a partial shutdown last year on December 22, 2018, an estimated 800,000 furloughed federal employees have stopped receiving paychecks and many have picked up part-time jobs elsewhere as a result. In response to reports of Trump’s proposal, Pelosi responded ahead of his speech and called it “a compilation of several previously rejected initiatives, each of which is unacceptable and in total, do not represent a good faith effort to restore certainty to people’s lives.” “It is unlikely that any one of these provisions alone would pass the House, and taken together, they are a non-starter,” Pelosi said in a statement. “For one thing, this proposal does not include the permanent solution for the Dreamers and TPS recipients that our country needs and supports.” Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill, also called on Trump to reopen up the government before heading with negotiations. “First, President Trump and Senate Majority Leader McConnell must open the government today. Second, I cannot

support the proposed offer as reported and do not believe it can pass the Senate. Third, I am ready to sit down at any time after the government is opened and work to resolve all outstanding issues,” said Durbin. But not all voicing disapproval of Trump’s proposal were Democrats. Conservative commentator Ann Coulter described Trump’s latest move as “amnestying millions of illegals. “Trump proposes amnesty. We voted for Trump and got Jeb,” tweeted Coulter. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) who was recently removed from his House committee assignments following racist views, criticized the tradeoff and tweeted, “Amnesty is traded for $5.7 billion (1/5 of a wall), wouldn’t be enough illegals left in America to trade for the remaining 4/5. NO AMNESTY 4 a wall!” But McConnell, in announcing his intent to put the offer up for a vote in the week back from the MLK holiday, called Trump’s offer a “bold solution to reopen the government, secure the border, and take bipartisan steps towards addressing current immigration issues.” Acknowledging the situation for the affected furloughed employees, McConnell said it wasn’t looking “any brighter and the crisis at the border isn’t improved by show votes.” “The president’s plan is a path towards addressing both issues quickly,” said McConnell. (Rae Ann Varona/AJPress)

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Newsom announces first-of-its-kind diversity initiative for California Administration is partnering with Inclusv to help source talent and increase representational equity across state government

SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration recently announced a first-of-itskind partnership with Inclusv to source diverse talent and help California government better reflect the diversity of the state – in geography, racial and ethnic representation, sexual orientation and gender identity, professional experience, and disability status. Joyce Newstat, who served as Director of Public Policy for then-mayor Newsom, will lead the effort in a volunteer capacity. “California doesn’t succeed in spite of our diversity -- our state succeeds because of it,” said Governor Newsom. “I am deeply committed to building an admin-

istration that reflects California’s diversity, and it’s a goal I hope to advance at every level of state government.” Inclusv and Newstat, on behalf of the Administration, are partnering with more than 40 organizations across the state and country (with more being included as the effort grows) in order to create a broad and diverse talent pool for appointments, both within the Newsom Administration and across state government. The effort mirrors a similar initiative taken at the federal level by the Obama Administration that helped increase representational equity and broadened searches for applicants. Applicants sourced

through the process will apply through the same channels available to anyone applying for state service. Inclusv is an organization focused on building the bridge between talented political professionals of color and the campaigns, political organizations and government agencies who want to hire them. Since its launch, Inclusv has worked to transform the political world by releasing the first-ever report on diversity amongst the staff of state parties. Inclusv trains and mentors thousands of political staffers of color, and connects those staffers to campaigns, advocacy organizations, and government offices that are hiring. n

4 foreigners granted Filipino citizenship THE Senate on Monday, January 21, granted citizenship to four foreigners, one of who is the son of the Chinese billionaire who donated a multimillion drug rehabilitation facility in Visayas and Mindanao. The new Filipino citizens are Mohamad Wassim Nanaa, a Syrian; Margarita Melian Ortigas, a Philippine-born Spanish; Kitshon Soriano Kho, a Chinese businessman; and Hans Guenter Schoof, a German philanthropist. The Senate approved on third and final reading House Bill 7206

bestowing Filipino citizenship to Nanaa, who was appointed Philippine honorary consul general to Aleppo in 2011. Nanaa helped repatriate overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) during the 2011 civil war in Syria at the onset of the so-called Arab Spring – a series of uprisings that toppled Tunisia’s and Egypt’s presidents. Then president Benigno Aquino III conferred the Order of Sikatuna (Grand Officer) on Nanaa in January 2014 for protecting more than 1,000 OFWs in Syria. During his first appointment

on April 24, 2008 as Philippine honorary consul in Aleppo with jurisdiction in Idlib, Latakia, Ar-Raqqah and Tartus, Nanaa showed exceptional service in promoting Philippine-Syrian bilateral economic and cultural cooperation and in protecting the rights and interest of OFWs in his jurisdiction. Nanaa’s appointive position is without financial compensation. He graduated Bachelor of Laws in Beirut Arab University in Lebanon, is a successful import-export businessman in Syria. (Manilatimes.net)

Pacquiao ‘fine’ despite eye injury after win... PAGE A1

fighting for the first time as a 40-year-old, and the first time in the United States in more than two years – used effective jabs and sustained bodywork in his 70th professional fight that was watched by an announced attendance of 13,025 fans, including the retired Mayweather. “I proved in my last fight against [Lucas] Matthysse and now I proved it again: The Manny Pacquiao journey will still continue,” Pacquiao told reporters after his win. The boxer turned senator also expressed his plans to challenge Mayweather after his 2015 defeat that became the richest

one-day sporting event in history. He urged the undefeated champion “to come back to the ring and we will fight.” “I’m willing to fight Floyd Mayweather again if he’s willing to come back to boxing,” he added. Meanwhile, Mayweather, who was also in attendance on Saturday, was asked prior to the sixth round about a possible rematch against the Filipino boxer. “You keep asking me about Manny Pacquiao,” Mayweather said, adding, “And right now I’m living a happy and healthy life.” Pacquiao’s LA house robbed The Filipino boxer’s triumph

was interrupted when his family reported that their house in the Hancock Park neighborhood in Los Angeles was robbed the Las Vegas fight was taking place. Police said that the break-in of the $2.17-million mansion was reported on Sunday afternoon and was found ransacked. “A citizen contacted authorities to report the burglary on the 500 block of N. Plymouth Boulevard in the Larchmont area at approximately 4:15 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Pacquiao and his family are staying elsewhere while the investigation on the burglary continues. n

SENATE PUBLIC HEARING. Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon joins Senator Richard Gordon, chair of the Senate committee on Justice and Human Rights, during the public hearing on proposed measures granting survivorship benefits to the dependent children of a deceased retired member of the judiciary who was a solo parent, and lowering the minimum age for criminal responsibility from 15 to 9. Senate photo Joseph Vidal

WHO fears flu pandemic; PH vaccine shortage feared by SHEILA

CRISOSTOMO Philstar.com

AS the World Health Organization (WHO) warned of the possibility of “another influenza pandemic” within the year, an expert has revealed a shortage of flu vaccines in the Philippines. “Vaccine is still the best strategy against vaccine-preventable disease. But now that there is a shortage of flu vaccine, we should focus on treatment to curb the rising cases of influenza,” former Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases president Rontgene Solante noted at a media forum last week. Solante said the Philippines may not have enough vaccines to protect people from influenza because of the long-standing practice of the pharmaceutical industry worldwide to allocate supplies. Flu vaccination, Solante said, starts in April for the rainy season from June to October, which is the peak season for influenza infection. Solante claimed that the country has a “lag time” of two months before it can receive the vaccines needed for this quarter when doctors see a rising number of people consulting physicians. “What we can do now is to focus on treatment… We can also use the vaccines left from last year, if there are any,” he said. The expert also underscored the need to scale up information about good hygiene and sanitation, especially in crowded communities where the influenza virus can easily spread. Ten years after the widespread novel influenza A (H1N1) infection, the WHO warned that the world could face another influenza pandemic. “The only thing we don’t know is when it will hit and how severe it will be. Global defenses are only as effective as the weakest link in any country’s health emergency preparedness and response system,” WHO noted in a report. WHO added that 153 institutions in 114 countries are involved in the global surveillance and response. In June 2009, the WHO declared a pandemic of H1N1 virus after it was first detected in the US and spread quickly across the world. The virus was found to contain a unique combination of influenza genes not previously seen in people or animals. WHO’s website shows that the virus is transmitted primarily through droplets disseminated by unprotected cough and sneeze

and contact with contaminated hands. Shot-distance airborne transmission may happen particularly in crowded and enclosed spaces, WHO also noted. Every year, WHO recommends which strains should be included in flu vaccines. In the event that a new flu strain develops into pandemic potential, WHO has set up a unique partnership with all the major players to ensure the effective and equitable access to diagnostics, vaccines and antiviral-treatments, especially in developing countries. Other threats WHO added that aside from influenza pandemic, the world is facing nine other “multiple health challenges” that will “demand attention from WHO and health partners.” These threats include air pollution and climate change; rising non-communicable diseases; existence of fragile and vulnerable settings; anti-microbial resistance; ebola and high-threat pathogens; weak primary health care; vaccine hesitancy; dengue and HIV. This year, the agency said, air pollution is considered as the “greatest environmental risk to health,” affecting nine of 10 people. “Microscopic pollutants in the air can penetrate respiratory and circulatory systems, damaging the lungs, heart and brain, killing seven million people prematurely every year from diseases such as cancer, stroke, heart and lung disease,” WHO claimed. WHO added that the primary cause of air pollution – burning fossil fuels – is also a major contributor to climate change, which impacts people’s health in different ways. Between 2030 and 2050, WHO estimates that climate change is expected to cause 250,000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress. The agency also expressed concern over the rising cases of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease, which are collectively responsible for over 70 percent of all deaths worldwide, or 41 million people, including 15 million people dying prematurely, aged between 30 and 69. The rise of these diseases has been driven by five major risk factors: tobacco use, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets and air pollution. WHO said the presence of

“fragile and vulnerable settings” in almost all regions of the world is seen as a risk. The report showed that more than 1.6 billion people, or 22 percent of the global population, live in places where protracted crises — through a combination of challenges such as drought, famine, conflict and population displacement — and weak health services leave them without access to basic care. According to WHO, the development of antibiotics, antivirals and antimalarials are some of “modern medicine’s greatest successes.” “Now time with these drugs is running out. Antimicrobial resistance — the ability of bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi to resist these medicines — threatens to send us back to a time when we were unable to easily treat infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, gonorrhea and salmonellosis,” WHO added. The agency warned that the inability to prevent infections could seriously compromise surgery and procedures such as chemotherapy. Drug resistance is driven by the overuse of antimicrobials not only in people but also animals, especially those used for food production as well as in the environment. WHO also reported that the challenges posed by Ebola and other high-threat pathogens are real. In 2018, the Democratic Republic of Congo saw two separate Ebola outbreaks, which spread to cities of more than one million people. WHO said primary health care is “usually the first point of contact people have with their health care system and ideally should provide comprehensive, affordable, community-based care throughout life.” But there are countries whose primary health care cannot meet majority of the people’s health needs, WHO said. WHO is also concerned with “vaccine hesitancy” or the people’s reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines. This threatens to reverse progress made in tackling vaccine-preventable diseases, it said. “One of the most cost-effective ways of avoiding disease, it currently prevents two to three million deaths a year and a further (million and a half) could be avoided if global coverage of vaccinations improved,” WHO added. n

LA County leaders offer “oasis of support” to... PAGE A1 as LA County. The county has a higher population than that of 42 states and 60 percent of residents of all children have at least one parent who immigrated to the U.S. Immigrants also make up 42 percent of the county’s workforce, a figure that Reyes highlighted to show the clear influence of immigrants from all corners of the world. Of the nearly 3.5 million immigrants living in LA County today, Filipino immigrants encompass a sizeable community; the Greater LA area has the largest concentration of Filipino immigrants in the world with more than 600,000 Pinoy immigrants, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. And with the overall Asian American population swelling across the country, the Filipino immigrant population will continue to grow in the next few decades. “It behooves us to make sure to promote the success of immi-

grants,” Reyes said, adding that the county’s primary goal for immigrant affairs is to guarantee services “from womb to tomb.” Solis emphasized the administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that granted benefits — such as work authorization and protection from deportation — to eligible undocumented youth who arrived in the United States as children. “I, too, am a daughter of immigrants,” Solis said, citing that her parents “sought opportunities going through discrimination” not unlike many immigrant families struggling to make it in America today. Solis said that the board of supervisors voted on 34 motions that would protect immigrants’ rights. It also established a Legal Justice fund that would provide legal counsel and representation for immigrants in court; so far, the fund has accumulated $5 million from the county and City

of LA, and it is seeking another $5 million from foundations and private donors. Roundtable panelists also clarified the status of the Public Charge policy that the Trump administration proposed in October 2018, saying that, if put into effect, it would not be “retroactive” and that eligible undocumented immigrants should still make use of the county’s public services, like Medi-Cal, Section 8 housing, food stamps and other assistance programs. “Our message is that nothing has changed,” said Roxana Molina, chief of the county’s Department of Public Social Services. “If you are in need of cash assistance [or] medical assistance, you have the ability to get these services.” In reference to the continuing government shutdown, Molina also advised immigrants who receive CalFresh benefits (food stamps) to “budget their benefits wisely.” (Klarize Medenilla/ AJPress)

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Mayor tagged as mastermind in Batocabe slay arrested by ROY

NARRA ManilaTimes.net

A MAYOR tagged as the alleged mastermind in the murder of Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe was arrested on Tuesday, January 22 for possession of unlicensed firearms, police said. Mayor Carlwyn Baldo of Daraga, Albay was arrested at 2:30 p.m. in his home where police, by virtue of a court-issued search warrant, found two caliber .45 pistols and its 15 live ammunition, one empty magazine of Uzi

Machine Pistol, ammunition for a grenade launcher, and live ammunition for M16 caliber, said Chief Supt. Arnel Escobal. Authorities also confiscated a vehicle. Baldo has been placed under the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Bicol for proper disposition. Batocable and his aide, SPO1 Orlando Diaz, was killed on December 22, 2018 in Daraga as he was distributing gifts to senior Daraga Mayor Carlwyn Baldo citizens. n

PET: Ballot recount in VP poll protest nearing end

protest against Vice President Leni Robredo would continue on January 28. MANILA — The Supreme Reports earlier quoted lawyers Court, sitting as Presidential of the two parties as saying that STO. NIÑO PARADE. Images of Santo Niño were paraded in Tondo, Manila on the eve of the Feast of the Child Jesus on Sunday, January 20. Electoral Tribunal, said that re- the tribunal ordered the suspenManilaTimes.net photo by Russell Palma count of the “remaining few bal- sion of the recount. Vic Rodrilots” in the three pilot provinces guez, Marcos’ lawyer, said that of former Sen. Ferdinand “Bong- the suspension was effective bong” Marcos Jr.’s electoral “until further notice.” by KRISTINE JOY

Philstar.com

Comelec sees clean polls by ALEC

NALDO ManilaTimes.net

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is confident that the elections in May this year will be clean and credible. Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the transmission of votes would also be faster. “We are very confident in our system and we expect that we will have good, clean elections [come] May 2019,” Jimenez told reporters during the holding of mock elections on Sunday, January 20. “So far, this mock election is running smoothly. We are seeing a good mix of insights coming in from our observers on the ground,” he said. Jimenez observed the holding of mock polls at the Toro Hills Elementary School in Quezon City. “Sa tingin ko maganda ‘yung nangyayari ngayon pero kaunti ang dumarating. Because this is mock elections, we expect it to be different on election day. But we can see different aspects of the procedure thus we have an insight on what works and what doesn’t,” he said. He said the handling of people when they enter the polling place needed to be improved. “They’re all doing very well

A woman participates in the mock elections held at Araullo High School in Manila on Saturday, January 19. ManilaTimes.net photo by Russell Palma

here. But we want to see, we want to get more data so that we can determine if we can still improve the process. Right now, nasa one minute up to one minute and a half ang tinatagal nung gamit ng ating VRVS (the use of Voter Registration Verification System takes one minute to oneand-a half minutes). We’ll see if we can cut that down further,” Jimenez said. “We were able to identify people who were not supposed to be here. So the VRVS is doing well right now,” he added. The poll body simulated the

use of the Emergency Accessible Polling Place (EAPP) system. Jimenez said the EAPP is the Comelec’s response to the need to provide an easier way for disabled persons, senior citizens, and pregnant women to vote. Jimenez called on Filipinos to vote on May 13. “You cannot take this for granted and let other people decide for you. You need to be engaged,” he said in Filipino. He urged voters not to accept pre-marked or pre-shaded ballots, and to report such incidents to authorities. n

PATAG

But the PET on Tuesday, January 22, afternoon said the ballot recount in the three pilot provinces is almost done. Although, it would have to resume the recount on January 28 due to wet and damaged ballots. “The tribunal directed the Revision Committee to use the dePAGE A7

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OPINION

Juvenile justice

FEATURES

THE Senate has yet to pass its version of the bill, so the government isn’t about to lower anytime soon the age of criminal responsibility to nine years, as approved by the House of Representatives. Even several senators objecting to the House measure, however, have expressed openness to lowering the age threshold from the current 15 to 12 or 11. So the threshold is likely to be amended. A look at several countries could put this in perspective. The threshold age is 10 in Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Switzerland and South Africa. It’s 7 in India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Singapore and Thailand for certain cases. In Greece and Indonesia, it’s eight. In the UK, there’s a range of 8 to 10. The threshold is 12 in Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and Turkey. It’s 13 in France; 14 in Austria, Germany, North Korea, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan and Vietnam. In the United States, 33 states have set no minimum age for criminal responsibility; for federal crimes, it’s 11. President Duterte has often lambasted the principal proponent of the Juvenile Justice Act for the current age threshold, which he said has worsened

criminality and has been exploited by crime gangs that use children for their activities. Congressmen have stressed that the measure they have approved will not include imprisonment for juvenile offenders. It will also hold parents accountable to a certain degree for their children’s activities. Law enforcers support the measure; human rights groups are up in arms. They will likely have to settle for a compromise. In case the measure is approved, the government must prepare to make it work by providing sufficient facilities for detaining and rehabilitating juvenile offenders. The country has lacked such facilities for a long time. If the age of criminal responsibility is going to be lowered, the state must not lose sight of the fact that youths, while being held accountable for their acts, can still be rehabilitated and turned into responsible citizens. People deserve a second chance. This is true especially of juvenile offenders. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

Dear Filipinos in America: What is the heart and soul of America to you?

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. Day is one federal holiday in America that invites us immigrants to this great nation to introspect on something so profound I do not know if we have had a conscious effort to think about it before we chose to uproot ourselves from the Motherland and start a new life in this adoptive country. Why did you choose to immigrate to America? What about it enticed you to start a new chapter of your life here, given so many other choices? What was the “promise” of America that just spoke to your heart and gave you that courage and faith that this great nation could be your new home? What did you think was is America ‘s heart and soul and how did that converge with your own values and dreams? Amid the contentious debate now dividing this nation espe-

cially since President Donald Trump took office, allow me to share with you what stood out and spoke to my heart and soul about the true heart and soul of America exchanged online during the weekend and feel free to share your own thoughts: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” (Inscription on the symbol of America’s immigrant heritage - the Statue of Liberty, as watched over New York Harbor since 1886, and on her base is a tablet inscribed with words penned by Emma Lazarus in 1883) “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty

and the pursuit of Happiness.” (from the Declaration of Independence which was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776) “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. “Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say

here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us— that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion— that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.“ (Gettysburg Address is a speech that U.S. President Abraham Lincoln delivered during the American Civil War at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on the afternoon of Thursday, November 19, 1863, four and a half months after the Union armies defeated those of the Confederacy at the Battle of

Gettysburg.) “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character….” “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed - we hold these truths to be selfevident: that all men are created equal….” This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.” (Civil Rights Leader Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, in which he called for civil and economic rights and an end to racism in the United States.) “America, we know, is composed of diverse community.

We have different languages, different skills, different talents, and different religion. But when our way of life is threatened, like the freedom and liberty that we all cherish, we come together as one. And when we come together as one, we are invincible. We cannot be defeated. That’s why we need this national Navajo Code Talker Museum so that our children, the future generation, can go through that museum and learn why America is so strong.” (Peter MacDonald who served in World War II as a Navajo code talker, made introductory remarks at a White House Oval Office event honoring the Native American who were recruited into the U.S. Marine Corps to transmit secret tactical messages, in front of Press. Donald Trump) *** 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

Aquino and his officials concealed crony firm in passport scheme

Commentary

RIGOBERTO TIGLAO ONE of the clearest indications that the P38-billion scheme for the production of the new machine-readable passports that former President Aquino III and his officials engineered is the following. They strenuously concealed that it was a private firm United Graphic Expressions Corp. (UGEC), and not the government corporation APO Production Unit (APU), that would print the 45 million passports at a cost of P38 billion from mid-2016 to 2026. Such monopoly operations would generate for UGEC a staggering P11 billion in profits. The scheme represents one of the biggest deceptions ever to conceal corruption of the highest order. Aquino and his officials — mainly Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. and APU Chairman Milagros Alora — set up in November 2014 a dubious “joint venture,” without any bidding, with the formerly Malabonbased printing outfit UGEC. Billionaire Iñigo Zobel, the country’s 11th richest man, according to Forbes magazine, has been reported to have become only in 2014 its biggest stockholder through his family’s E. Zobel Inc. Zobel has not responded to these reports. APU is one of only three state entities — the other two being

the National Printing Office and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas — that the government has authorized to print “high-security” materials, such as excise-tax stamps and passports. APU, however, turned over its printing contracts, first, with the Bureau of Internal Revenue and trade and industry department, and later the gargantuan 10-year P38 billion job for the printing of the e-passports to the JV. Farce The JV is a farce. APU is a token partner with just 10 percent of its ownership, with 90 percent held by UGEC. Ninety percent and then 70 percent of its profits, under the terms of its agreement with APU, would go to UGEC. Even as UGEC charges the JV for the use of its machines, for P700 million annually. As a result, this shadowy private firm generated P3 billion in income from 2015 to 2106, and if it continues this scheme, will get another P8 billion. In effect, Aquino and his officials — mainly Coloma and Alora, both high officials in Cory Aquino’s government — had transformed a government firm into a façade of a private firm that has and will generate billions of pesos on the back of profit margins on the printing of 45 million Philippine passports. This colossal case of corruption has been successfully concealed, with mainstream media apparently looking the other way when these were first exposed in a congressional hearing in 2018. It is so strange — or maybe not

— that party-list representatives, Akbayan’s Ibarra Gutierrez in 2016 and Bayan Muna’s Carlos Zarate in 2017 had vociferously condemned early last year the passport scam, the latter even filing a resolution asking Congress to investigate. Quite suddenly though, the two became totally silent on the controversy. A prime example of how Aquino went to great lengths to conceal the scheme was when he inaugurated on June 20, 2015 what he and his officials called the “APU High Security Printing Plant” at the Lima Technology Park in Batangas, which started producing en masse the e-passports in July 2016. Aquino was issued the first such e-passport on the day of his visit to the plant. Boast In his speech, Aquino boasted that under his watch the APU had been turned around to generate income and that it had set up a high-security printing plant that could print the DFA’s new e-passports. Aquino didn’t mention at all though that the plant was almost entirely owned through the JV by UGEC and would get 70 percent of its net income for 10 years. APU’s equity in the JV was in the form of the one-tenth of the valuation of the land it had leased from the export-processing zone. Ninety percent of the JV’s managers and workers were employees of UGEC, with the APUs employees being there merely as fixtures to portray it as a joint venture.

Aquino inaugurating the facility that would print the 45 million e-passports for P38 billion, which he didn’t mention was 90 percent owned by a private ﬁrm, UGEC. ManilaTimes.net photo

He could have boasted that the plant was a good example of a partnership between a government agency and an efficient hitech private firm. That he didn’t can only be explained by the fact that he deliberately wanted to keep from the public the fact that a crony firm really owned the plant and would get the P38billion printing contract from the DFA. PCOO’s head Coloma — under whose supervision and authority APU was — in several media interviews claimed the “APU’s High Security Printing Plant” as a stellar achievement, but never disclosed that it was run and was 90 percent owned by a private firm.

In the APU’s 2015 annual report — the last under the Yellow regime and by its chairman Alora — no report at all was made of that P38-billion e-passport contract from the DFA, its biggest print job ever, and its de facto sub-contracting to UGEC. Its only mention of the firm was that APU “received an unsolicited proposal from UGEC for a joint venture for the purpose of upgrading APO Lima’s plant into a high-security printing facility.” No reply I asked Coloma, just before and after I wrote these articles on this fraudulent case, to give his side, with message relayed to his colleague at the Manila Bulletin where he is executive

vice president. There has been no reply. I also asked Alora, an old acquaintance of mine as she has been a PR practitioner since the 1980s, to similarly respond through Facebook’s Messenger platform. Alora answered four questions, the most important of which was on her justification for the subcontracting of the passportprinting to UGEC: “What APU and UGEC have is a joint venture and not subcontracting and approved by NEDA, Govt procurement board, DBM and DOST and other pertinent agencies.” The Commission on Audit though claimed that one of the PAGE A7

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Dateline PhiliPPines

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 23-25, 2019

Solo Exhibition of International Art Master Dr. Yuhua Shouzhi Wang at the Contemporary Art Center, January 23-27

10TH ASEAN PARA GAMES. Philippine Paralympic Committee president Michael Barredo (left), assisted by Ramon Suzara, chief operating officer of the Philippine ASEAN Para Games Organizing Committee, launches the one-year countdown for the 10th ASEAN Para Games held at the Novotel Hotel in Cubao, Quezon City. PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.

Aquino and his officials concealed...

PAGE A5 major “misrepresentations” — that is, lies — that APU told government regulators was even contained in its JV agreement, that the UGEC offer for a JV was “superior and more advantageous to APU“ than other offers. The CoA said that there was no other offer made to APU. It was in fact secretly negotiated, agreed to, and implemented. After those four questions, Alora blocked me from sending her messages in Messenger. Most abominable I have investigated and written columns on several other scams and instances of corruption during the Aquino government, among them the grant of a P5-billion MRT-3 maintenance contract shepherded by a Liberal Party finance officer, the P4-bil-

lion purchase of the defective Dengvaxia vaccine, and the Disbursement Acceleration Progra that was really the hijacking of government funds to projects that Aquino chose at his whim. This e-passport printing case is the most abominable. This is not only because of the magnitude of profits — P11 billion — it would generate to enrich the already rich, at the expense of 45 million Filipinos needing that main document signifying one’s membership in the Republic. It is most damnable in that the scheme was designed to be implemented whether or not the Yellow candidate won in the 2016 elections, since it practically hostages the government. In fact, former Foreign Affairs secretary Alan Cayetano declined to end the corrupt scheme

even after he knew about it. He feared the fate of his predecessor Pefecto Yasay Jr. whom the Yellows successfully took out of his post because he wanted it ended. The ambitious Cayetano also didn’t want to risk his career being damaged if there was a disruption in the passport issuances. Will the present foreign secretary who has built an image that he’s got huge balls end this colossal case of corruption? The Duterte presidency would be blamed if it doesn’t stop the scam. The Yellow forces would even throw Coloma and Alora under the bus, and spread the lie that it was under Duterte’s watch that the scheme was implemented, and he and other officials profited from it. (ManilaTimes.net)

PET: Ballot recount in VP poll protest...

PAGE A5 crypted ballot images provided by the Commission on Elections,” the statement read. It was earlier ruled that decrypted ballot images can be used by Head Revisors—head in the three-person committee conducting the recount—when “the paper ballots were wet, damaged or are otherwise unreadable.” “In the interim, the Tribunal shall prepare for the use of decrypted ballot images in the re-

vision proceedings,” the PET added. The recount of ballots from Marcos’ identified three pilot provinces, Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental, started on April 1, 2018. After the recount in the said provinces, the tribunal would proceed on ruling on all objections and claims of both parties during the revision proceeding. The results of the recount in the three provinces would deter-

mine if the tribunal should continue checking ballots in the rest of the clustered precincts in the country. Under Rule 65 of the 2010 Rules of the PET, “if upon examination of such ballots and proof, and after making reasonable allowances, the tribunal is convinced that, taking all circumstances into account, the protestant or counter-protestant will most probably fail to make out his case, the protest may forthwith be dismissed.” n

[WORLD News Thailand] The artistic accomplishment of Dr. Yuhua Shouzhi Wang has been acclaimed by Professor Stephen Farthing, an art scholar of world authority; who remarked that “Dr. Wang’s paintings may draw heavily on the traditions of Eastern art, but they present themselves as extraordinarily Western ideas and images.” Professor Farthing has served as the Rootstein Hopkins Research Chair of Drawing at the University of the Arts in London, and is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts in the U.K. He also said that “Dr. Wang’s paintings very elegantly bring two forces together—the force that rejects perspective and the force of Photorealism.” The ink paintings of Dr. Yuhua Shouzhi Wang are characterized by an out-of-thisworld aura that she created effortlessly; the compositions are audacious and elegant, held together by the fluidity of the ink without a trace of the brushes. The distinguished style brings about magnificent ambience filled with vivacious energy. On July 30, 2008, the United States Congress recognized Dr. Yuhua Wang as a “great artist and sculptor” and officially chronicled such recognition in the Congressional Record. The same record also mentioned that Dr. Wang “takes great pleasure in helping others, is a selfless person whose moral character is noble, and has made great contributions to the development of cultural exchange between the East and the West.” The paintings by Dr. Yuhua Wang are created from the foundation of Superrealism. Her

art transcends the art of noble style and grand ambience. Such achievements have established Dr. Wang as an international master in the art world. In 2013, President George Christophides of the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers, and Associations (WFUCA) led a group of experts to visit the International Art Museum of America. The group highly commended Dr. Yuhua Wang’s artworks that were on view at the time. On the spot, they conferred one of her artworks with the title “2013WFUCA,”and especially issued a Passport for Global Ethics to the International Art Mu-

seum of America. The solo exhibition of Dr. Yuhua Shouzhi Wang is cosponsored by the Department of Culture of Thailand and the Rare Art, Inc. of the United States. The exhibition will be held January 23-27; open daily from 10am to 7pm. Please call +66 818378961 for further information. Exhibition venue: Second floor, Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Center, Department of Culture of Thailand, 84 Rachadamnoen Avenue, Khwaeng Wat Thep Maha, NAKHON 10200, Thailand. Tel: +66 2 4228827. Source: www.udnbkk.com n

A january 23-25, 2019 • SoCal aSIan jOurnaL

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BUSINESSJ& COMMUNITY OURNAL

Hanjin woes hurt small businesses by BEN

O. DE VERA Inquirer.net

OWNERS of small businesses catering mostly to workers of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction-Philippines have closed shop as the South Korean shipbuilding company suffers from its worst financial crisis in years. A food stall owner, Vanessa Rapera, 33, used to serve 100 Hanjin workers, earning at least P1,000 daily. But since the company began laying off workers last month, Rapera said she was forced to close her business. “We’ve got no more customers here so we decided to just close our food stall,” she told the Inquirer. Nene Regojos, who operates an eatery at Hanjin bus terminal, said her business suffered “huge losses” due to the retrenchment of workers. “I’m barely earning now. I used to earn P1,700 just in the morning, but now I make just

DREARY SIGHT. A once thriving line of stores is now closed after Hanjin Philippines retrenched workers. Inquirer.net photo by Joanna Rose Aglibot

P60 a day,” she said. Layoff A dormitory that houses 300 workers near the bus terminal has been empty since December but the owner said it would remain open to accept boarders from other companies. Hanjin’s workforce of 30,000 during its peak has been reduced to 3,800. The company has offered a voluntary severance package for workers to cut costs.

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Banks tighten real estate lending by MAYVELIN

U. CARABALLO Manilatime.net

BANKS have tightened credit standards on loans extended to real estate companies and individual borrowers, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said. Results of the Fourth Quarter 2018 Senior Bank Loan Officers’ Survey (SLOS) indicated a net tightening of overall credit standards for real estate loans during the quarter using the diffusion index (DI) approach. A positive DI indicates that the proportion of banks that tightened their credit standards is greater than those that did otherwise (net tightening),

while a negative DI indicates more banks eased than those that tightened (net easing). The tighter overall credit standards for commercial real estate loans reflected the banks’ perception of stricter financial system regulations and deterioration in the liquidity of banks’ portfolio, wider loan margins, reduced credit line sizes, stricter collateral requirements and loan covenants, shortened loan maturities, and increased use of interest rate floors, the survey said. Demand for commercial real estate loans was noted to indicate a net increase, which

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Peso seen falling to 54:$1 as polls near

The peso is forecast to shed another 2.5 percent after emerging as the third worst-performing currency in the region last year. It depreciated 5.3 percent to 52.58 to $1 from the end-2017 level of 49.93 to $1. Philstar.com file photo by LAWRENCE AGCAOILI Philstar.com

THE peso is expected to weaken further for the seventh straight year in 2019 to 54 to $1 due to the impact of the mid-term elections, investment bank DBS said. The peso is forecast to shed another 2.5 percent after emerging as the third worst-performing currency in the region last year. It depreciated 5.3 percent to 52.58 to $1 from the end-2017 level of 49.93 to $1. “As if falling for six straight years was not enough, the Philippine peso is now facing an additional threat: a midterm election that may compound concerns about its economy,” the Singapore-based bank said. The peso has steadily depreciated from 2012 at 41.05 to $1 to 44.39 in 2013, 44.72 in 2014, 47.06 in 2015, 49.72 in 2016, 49.93 in 2017 and 52.58 last year. As the nation gears up for polls in May, the bank said political uncertainties could pose an added source of pressure to those stemming from its long-running deficits. “With risk appetite likely to remain fragile due to fears of a global slowdown, traders may drive the peso back below the 13-year low set in October,” DBS said. The local currency plunged to its weakest level in 13 years last Sept. 26 when it closed at 54.325 to $1 due to the continued normalization path of the US Federal Reserve, the trade war between Washington and Beijing on the external front as well as rising inflation and strong imports to support the growing economy on the domestic front.

DBS said the peso is seen emerging as the third worst performing currency in the region anew this year after the Indonesian rupiah and Thai baht. “The peso has been undermined by local politics more than once in the past,” it added. The peso sank almost four percent in 2003 as an attempted coup and corruption scandals hurt then president and now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. DBS said investors could choose to avoid Philippine assets for now due to an unfavorable external backdrop despite the higher approval rating of President Duterte. Cheuk Wan Fan, chief market strategist for Asia at HSBC Private Banking, earlier said the peso would weaken further to 54 to $1 in end-2019. “We expect a more stable peso this year given the BSP is expected to approach the end of a tightening cycle as well. So we only expect one more interest rate hike by the BSP in the first quarter as we expect inflation to further ease in 2019,” Fan said. Inflation shot up to 5.2 percent last year from 2.9 percent in 2017, exceeding the two to four percent target set by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) due to higher oil and food prices, the impact of the implementation of Republic Ac 10963 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, and the weak peso. Rising inflationary pressures prompted the BSP’s Monetary Board to raise interest rates by175 basis points in five straight rate-setting setting meetings from May to November before pausing in December. n

Economists see inflation above BSP’s 2 to 4% target Lapid said economists also cited the strengthening of the peso against the dollar after hitting its weakest level of 54.325 to $1 on Sept. 26, 2018. by LAWRENCE AGCAOILI

against the dollar. Dennis Lapid, director of the BSP’s Department of Economic ECONOMISTS of private banks Research, said results of the censtill expect inflation to exceed the tral bank’s survey of private sector two to four percent target set by economists for December showed the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas that mean inflation forecast for (BSP) amid volatile global oil 2019 declined to 4.1 percent comprices, geopolitical tensions, and pared to 4.3 percent in the Sepfurther depreciation of the peso tember survey. Philstar.com

Despite the decline, the latest forecast still exceeds the two to four percent target set by the BSP. For 2020, Lapid said private economists penned a lower inflation forecast of 3.8 instead of 3.9 percent. “While analysts expect inflation to remain elevated in the

Philstar.com file photo

near term, their assessment of the balance of risks to the inflation outlook has shifted toward the downside,” Lapid said. Bank of China Ltd sees inflation averaging 5.5 percent for 2019 and 2020, followed by Korea Exchange Bank with 5.4 percent for both years, Al Ama-

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B january 23-25, 2019 • SoCal aSIan jOurnaL

Barrister’s Corner ATTY. KENNETH URSUA REYES THERE is never the perfect time to think about who you would like to inherit from your estate in case you pass away or at least who among your closest friends (BFFs) and family members are even deserving of inheriting from your estate. In doing so, you should also think about which vehicle you plan to use in implementing your estate plan. One of the best vehicle in implementing your estate plan is a revocable living trust. Five major benefits of establishing a revocable living trust are: Your estate can avoid the time, cost, and hassle of going through the probate court process. If you pass away without a will (intestate) in California, one of your close family would have to file a petition in probate court to probate your estate. Your estate will be divided and distributed according to the California probate code rules of intestate succession. Even if you have a will when you pass away, your family would still need to file a petition in probate court if your estate is worth over $150,000 and go through the probate process. This can become a circus if certain beneficiaries contest the validity of the Will or the distribution of the estate. Your estate will pay for attorney’s fees, probate referee fees, appraisers and other experts, CPA fees, etc. If people contest the case, your

Business news

Five benefits of establishing a revocable living trust estate would end up paying legal fees to defend the estate in litigation. The entire process can take anywhere from 9 months to years depending on the contentiousness of the probate case. With a revocable living trust, your trustee or successor trustee if you were the initial trustee, would administer the trust and distribute the estate according to the trust document without having to open a probate court case. If the trust is funded with all your assets, it is possible to administer and distribute the trust assets without any Court involvement at all. This process is a lot faster than going through probate. Your estate is not public record When you file a probate case, the public has access to your probate case file. The public will know the assets of the estate including the values of those assets. If the Will is admitted into probate, the terms of the Will is open to public scrutiny. Establishing a revocable living trust makes your estate affairs private. Strangers do not have access to the terms of your living trust. Only certain beneficiaries and possible heirs can request a copy of the revocable living trust after you pass away. You can dictate who will inherit from your estate. If you pass away without a Will, your estate will be divided and distributed in Probate Court following the rules of intestate succession in the California probate code. Certain relatives will be

entitled to a share of your estate even if you feel they are not deserving. By establishing a revocable living trust, you can designate who you want to inherit from your estate. You can designate what and how much each one will received from your estate after you pass away. The assets distributed to each beneficiaries does not have to be equal. The people you designate as beneficiaries of your living trust does not even have to be close family members. You can designate anyone as a beneficiary, with certain exceptions, of your estate. You can structure your estate to minimize estate taxes If your estate is valued above the estate tax exemption, establishing a trust can allow you to divide up your estate into smaller sub trusts to minimize the overall estate tax effect on your estate. It allows you to set up a vehicle for certain charitable giving which carries tax advantage and asset protection. You can choose who will administer your estate after your death When you establish a revocable trust, you can appoint someone else as trustee or you can appoint a successor trustee if you are the initial trustee. The trustee will be administering (managing) the trust after you pass away without a need to open a probate court case. This allows for continuity in operating the trust and the efficient and cost effective distribu-

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“We’re no longer surprised [by the series of layoffs],” said Jerica Marie Alinabon, a former Hanjin office staffer. She said the retrenchment package was “not too bad.” “Since rumors spread about the drop in new orders, we prepared ourselves,” she said. Alinabon worked for Hanjin for four years and was among those who received severance pay under the second batch of the retrenchment. Impact on town “I still believe that Hanjin will rise above the challenges,” she added. John Beltran, who was among the retrenched employees last month, said he chose to leave the

company “to find better opportunities.” Subic Mayor Jefferson Khonghun said Hanjin’s situation would affect not just the workers but also the communities and businesses in the town. He said his office had been providing assistance to the retrenched workers. “For now, we can do so little about it, we need help from the national government,” he said. Zenaida Angara-Campita, director of the Department of Labor and Employment in Central Luzon, said the decision of an Olongapo City Regional Trial Court that allowed the financial rehabilitation of Hanijn had saved at least 3,800 workers. “It may not need to retrench

workers if the company finds new investors and contracts,” she said. Hanjin owes $400 million to five Philippine banks and $900 million to South Korean lenders. The 3,800 workers included 50 Koreans who were employed by 21 subcontractors. Their working days have been reduced. Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction-Philippines is still completing two contract orders of ships, Campita said. Should they be retrenched, workers will get separation pay equivalent to one-month salary per year of service, according to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III. (Inquirer.net with reports from Joanna Aglibot and Tonette Orejas) n

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA Select a handful of those things in your bucket list that have the highest chance of coming to fruition given your time frame. In tech speak, it means before your life’s energy goes into ‘ low batt mode’ and life has run out of sockets to plug into. As you begin considering to pare down the stuff you have accumulated unwittingly over a lifetime, you begin to realize that perhaps going through experiences might be a more worthwhile pursuit. Getting a massage is one of those supreme indulgences many people can’t seem to get enough of. Head massage, facial massage, whole boy massage, foot massage – there’s plenty to choose from in many spas that are becoming big business. Some salons are offering these as part of their services because there is a real need for it. People who are part of a worka-day world doing stressful jobs that have deadlines and quotas would probably love for their employers to give them vouchers to have a weekly or monthly massage as part of their benefits package. Their nerves and muscles tied up in knots could be loosened up and made to relax

The bucket list

Pamper yourself with a massage (4th of a series)

”I have a massage when I want to relax. I love being pampered. I love island massages when you’re outside in the fresh air.” —Angie Stone with a massage. If you haven’t had a massage in your life, indulge in one. It can be pretty pricey though since they go by hourly rates. But if you do so only once in a great while, the experience of a full body massage can be exhilarating. There are kiosks in the mall that offer this. It is usually the men who patronize this since the public exposure may be a turn-off for ladies who may prefer the privacy of spas instead. In a vacation at Boracay many years ago, on the spur of the moment, I had a massage by the beach done by a blind, elderly woman, licensed by the Philippine Department of Tourism. She was good. It was as though all the knotted areas in my neck and back disappeared. Foot massages are wonderful as well. In the hands of an expert masseuse, a foot massage can feel like all the tired bones and mus-

cles in the feet are given attention and care on a cellular level. Your feet, and by extension, the entire body, would become rejuvenated with the human touch. If you walk, jog or run regularly as part of your fitness routine, try getting a foot massage sometime. Leg cramps may be a way of telling us that we need to treat our legs and feet with the same tender loving care we give our faces. After all, the feet that carries our weight all day deserve some pampering. If you have happy feet, your day and even nights will be restful. You are likely to wake up energized ready to take on the next day. Next week: Another idea to consider for The Bucket List … *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

the key upside risks to inflation are seen to emanate from potential volatile global oil prices, possible depreciation of the peso against the dollar, increased demand due to upcoming school enrollment and during the holiday season, geopolitical risks such as trade tensions, as well as the expected rise in transport fares and utility rates. Based on the probability distribution of the forecasts provided by 23 out of 27 respondents of the survey conducted from Dec. 7 to 10, the respondents assigned a 44.8 percent probability that inflation would fall within the BSP’s two to four percent target range and 53.6 percent chance that inflation would breach the upper end of the target. Inflation kicked up to 5.2 percent last year from 2.9 percent in 2017 due to higher oil and food prices and weaker peso. It

peaked a near-decade high of 6.7 percent in September and October but eased steadily to 5.1 percent in December. The BSP raised interest rates by 175 basis points in five straight rate-setting meetings between May and November to prevent inflation from spiraling out of control before taking a breather in December. BSP assistant governor Francisco Dakila earlier said the central bank has already incorporated the second tranche of increase in excise tax on oil products under Republic Act 10963 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law at the start of the year. “We already incorporated the impact of higher excise taxes on fuel so that even with the higher excise tax on fuel we expect inflation to revert back to the target range for the two years that I have mentioned,” he said. n

Economists see inflation above...

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Hanjin woes hurt small businesses

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nah Islamic Bank with five and 4.5 percent, CTBC Bank with 4.9 and 4.2 percent, and Bangkok Bank with 4.5 and four percent. State-run Land Bank of the Philippines has the lowest inflation forecast for 2019 at 2.1 percent followed by Standard Chartered Bank, Citibank, East West Banking Corp. with 3.5 percent. Lapid said possible downside risks to inflation include declining global oil prices; easing prices of food and non-food items, implementation of non-monetary measures to address domestic food supply issues such as rice importation as well as the recent and expected further policy rate hikes by the BSP. Lapid said economists also cited the strengthening of the peso against the dollar after hitting its weakest level of 54.325 to $1 on Sept. 26, 2018. On the other hand, Lapid said

COMMUNITY JOURNAL

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Prospective client refuses to face reality of debt problems

Debt Relief

ATTY. LAWRENCE YANG ONCE in a while, there will be a prospective client who will come see me to argue against himself. I say the client argues against himself because he has decided not to face the reality of his debt problems. First, the client already has two judgments against him. One judgment is for $33,000, and another is for $8,000. I ask him if he has judgment liens on his house. He says that the $8,000 has a lien on his house, but as far as he knows, the $33,000 doesn’t have a lien on his house yet because creditor lawyer has sent him a notice of judgment creditor examination at the end of this month. A judgment creditor examination is a hearing where the client has to go to court and creditor attorney cross-examines him on the whereabouts of his assets so that creditor can enforce the judgment against those assets to take those assets to satisfy the judgment. Second, the client explains to me rather emotionally that the judgment for $33,000 is for a commercial lease that he did not pay years ago when he had a

business. However, he says that he only owed $13,000 of unpaid rent, so he does not agree that he owes $33,000. I said what’s the difference? The judgment is already against you for $33,000. If you believe you only owe $13,000, why did you not file an answer that says you only owe $13,000? Well, he says that he was never served by summons and complaint. I asked him why is that? He says that he was out of the country when they claim to have served him. He said he was out of the country for a week when he says he was served, pointing to me the date on the summons. I said that’s not the service date on you; that is the filing date of the complaint. So he says they also claim that they sent the summons and complaint to a P.O. box address. So, you can see that he’s arguing his case to me despite the fact that he has a judgment against him for $33,000. He believes he only owes $13,000. In any event, I told him that he could have the judgment set aside if he was never served, and then he can file an answer that says he only owes $13,000. However, I told him to attend the debtor examination because if he doesn’t attend that he will be

tion of estate assets. If you are concerned about whether you can trust any family members as your trustee, you can appoint an institution as a professional trustee to carry out the terms of the declaration of trust. These type of trustee services are often offered by banks, financial institutions, wealth management firms, and business management firms for a reasonable fee. This minimizes conflicts within the family and prevents negligence and wrong doing by inexperienced family members. ***

Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar

Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail HYPERLINK “mailto: kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com” kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com (Advertising Supplement)

Paco Catholic School Class of 1969 celebrates its 50th anniversary time ago) and a host of other religious men and women, to whom God must have said when they passed and went on the express route to heaven, “Well done, you good and faithful servants.” Father Godo who did the rounds of all the classrooms giving out white, green, yellow and pink merit cards for the deserving after every grading period instilled in Paconians a deep striving for excellence in whatever they do. Today, Paco Catholic School (PCS) is considered a highly reputable, parochial school with a long and steady history of providing valuable Catholic education from Kindergarten to High School — just as the founders envisioned it. For many graduates over the next decades, what they got was rare and foundational and without a doubt, a definite advantage to live humble and meaningful lives. Of particular note is Fr. Tony Tanchoco who passed last year after an illness. Sister Anna Maria Cinco of Hijas de Jesus has been God’s tool in the canonization of a recent saint, Mother Candida, and continues to shine as a beacon of faith in her quiet ways. Her proficiency in Spanish and Italian is awesome. To the eternal credit of the school’s founding pioneers along with highly qualified, dedicated, teachers, the Paconian influence, through the years, have struck deep making Catholic character formation a powerful work in progress honing God-given talents and shaping lives, its influence going far and wide in parts of the world wherever a Paconian lives his or her life. The success of any event is rooted in intensely detailed preparatory grunt work while never losing focus on the goal. Planning for the 50th reunion started a year ago but picked up speed and intensity sometime July 2018 as the core group shepherded activities to shape the event and nail down the details while overcoming personal differences and fending off unintended glitches and curveballs. Yet, half the fun of any adventure is getting there. So while laser-focused on the goal to pull off a memorable event for the books, they also had a ton of fun getting together for the meetings and learning from each other in the process. By and large, for the committee, it must have been a rewarding if mixed experience, still a ride worth taking. The Steering Committee members, all of whom have been working tirelessly in a voluntary capacity, deserves a big round of applause, gratitude and recognition. Mon Mojica serves as the Grand Kahuna Coordinator

those expecting the opposite,” the BSP said. Credit rules for housing loans extended to individual borrowers, meanwhile, were observed to have tightened in the fourth quarter of 2018 due largely to banks’ perception of stricter financial system. Over the next quarter, survey results point to expectations of a net tightening of credit standards

for housing loans in the first quarter of 2019 as banks anticipate stricter financial system regulations. At the same time, results continued to show increased demand for housing loans in fourth quarter 2018 as well as expectations of a sustained increase in demand for the said type of loan in the next quarter. ■

America

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People and Events

AND so the story goes: “Once upon a time, there was this spitfire class of sixty-niners in a quaint, old place called Paco…” Celebrating the 50th anniversary is the gold standard in most human achievements. This is why the Paco Catholic School Class of 1969 Steering Committee, headed by Ramon Mojica, is pulling out all the stops in celebrating this milestone year. If you are part of this group wherever you may be, mark these dates on your calendar. Be there or be square. Do what you need to do to be part of this event. You will pass this way but once. • Saturday, February 09, 2019 – Kick off event: 9 a.m. Mass/Recollection to 12 p.m. Fr. Sonny de Claro, Pandacan Parish priest will officiate the mass. • Monday, February 11, 2019 – Welcome Party at the Manila Polo Club from 6 to 10 p.m. Noel Onate had a lot to do with the choice of this venue. • Wednesday and Thursday, February 13 & 14, 2019 – Overnight Stay at Graceland Resort in Tayabas, Quezon Province. • Saturday, February 16, 2019 – Gala Night at Sofitel, 6 p.m. to 12 midnight with the FBC Rebirth Band providing live music. Former high school teachers and a principal were invited. A little bit of a backstory about the school is in order. In 1912, Paco Catholic School was founded by the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (the acronym CICM is based on its Latin name). These were a group of European Roman Catholic missionary priests and nuns, mostly Belgians, Austrians and Germans steeped in Christian values and inflamed with the zeal of spreading the word of God in many nations at the time. Fortunately, one of these nations was the Philippines. It was from a deep sense of Noblesse Oblige, French for “Nobility obligates.” It was the era of personal sacrifice to do the missionary work of Jesus Christ. These religious men and women heeded God’s call, left their families and homeland and sailed the seas to bring good, solid, affordable Catholic education to many students in and around the neighboring districts of Manila. Just to give 1912 a historical perspective, it was the year that the Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean and the dark clouds of World War I were gathering in the horizon. That war occurred a short five years later. Paconians owe a world of gratitude to Fr. Godofredo Aldenhuijsen, Fr. Prosper, Fr. Joseph, Fr. Smits, Mother Johanna, Sister Theophane, Sister Joza (pardon any misspellings, it was a long

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Calendar of Events across

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overseeing various committees. The Production Committee is headed by Butch Quizon and assisted by Marilyn Santos Lintag. Mon De los Reyes headed the Venues Committee with Leonora Pechardo Gonzales assisting. The Promotions Committee was headed by Marco Ibanez assisted by Agnes Yabyabin Ponce. Alice Santiago Sanchez and Melen Siochi Caraballo have taken charge of the Yearbook Committee. The all-important Finance Committee is headed by Mon Mojica and assisted by Nanette Santos Villanueva and Melen Siochi Caraballo. We stand on the shoulders of others, more so when we achieve something of real value. Special mention goes to Linda Gonzales del Villar who graciously hosted the initial meetings at her place in Makati. There is the invaluable support from Noel Onate once again. There is Cora Arroyo de Vera whose early, gargantuan efforts to gather information about every member of this class everywhere around the world for the 25th anniversary and countless other mini-reunions continue to pay off. She had the tenacity of a pit bull. Cora did so even before the advent of the Information Age and before Google ever came to be. She was the glue then and deserves emeritus level of recognition. This is, by no means, an exhaustive listing and any missing shout outs for due recognition is inadvertent. My deep apologies … There were active contributors to the Facebook page which kept the excitement simmering. Most were silent lurkers but kept abreast of what was going on. Generous monetary contributions to the pot were sent and all accounted for. Tempus fugit. Time flies indeed. Through all these months, the fires were stoked and kept burning brightly. Time will hover (oh so) briefly on those few days in February next month, from the 9th to the 16th, when everything comes to a head and many, if not all, will be able to see each other face to face, even share a laughter or two and spend wonderful, precious time together. With this milestone event, the PCS High School Class of 1969 will be given that rare chance to conjure, like magic, delicious, sparkling memories once more. This time perhaps, many will do so with even greater feeling and a heightened sense of gratitude, even saying quietly to themselves, “By God, we made it! Salamat po.” And so I will say it again: BE THERE OR BE SQUARE. (Written by Monette Adeva Maglaya) ■

Banks tighten real estate lending

banks attributed to their attractive in contempt of a court order and financing terms and increased can get sent to jail for contempt. working capital requirements of Another way is just to file real estate loan borrowers. “Over the next quarter, albankruptcy, in his case a Chapter though most of the respondent 13 because he owns a house with equity that is about $100,000 be- banks anticipate generally steady yond his homestead exemption. loan demand, more banks expect If the Chapter 13 case is filed demand for commercial real esbefore the date for the debtor tate loans to increase compared to examination, then he does not have to appear for the examination anymore because the bankruptcy filing will stop the debtor exam from proceeding because of the automatic stay order of the bankruptcy court which stops all collection efforts by creditors. So here comes the next argument. He is worried that the bankruptcy will affect his credit score. I said with two judgments against you, your credit score right now is probably 400 or below. But with Chapter 13 bankruptcy, your credit score will be perfect again on year 7. The client is still young, only late 40s. He thinks he’s old. No, I said, you’re just a baby. When you become 55, with Chapter 13, you may have perfect credit again. He said he wants to negotiate with the creditor to lessen the $33,000 since he believes he only owes them $13,000. I said JA N UA RY 26 even if you owe them $13,000,

Five benefits of establishing...

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SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 23-25, 2019

Event for recycling used oil ﬁlter in San Gabriel, CA

The Los Angeles Department of Public Works is hosting the Recycling Used Oil and Used Filter Event on Saturday, January 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at O’ Reilly Auto Parts located (965 E. Las Tunas Drive, San Gabriel, CA 91776). Participants who bring their used oil filter will receive one FREE new oil filter. Recycling motor oil and filters helps save our environment and keeps our water clean.

JA N UA RY 27

“Journey for Justice” book launch in LA Get a first edition “Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong,” written by the late historian Dawn Bohulano Mabalon and writer Gayle Romasanta, on Sunday, January 27 at the launch in Los Angeles! It will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Park’s Finest (1267 W. Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026). The book tells the story of Larry Itliong’s fight for a farmworkers union, the birth of the farm workers’ movement, and more. Books will be sold and signed with a Q&A with co-author Gayle Romasanta). A percentage of proceeds from this book will be donated to the nonprofit organizations, Little Manila Rising and the Filipino American National Historical Society. For more information, please visit http://bridgedelta.com/.

JA N UA RY 3 0

California Small Business Summit in Los Angeles The California Small Business Summit is a full-day event in Los Angeles that will bring together 50 small business leaders on Wednesday, January 30 from across the state to discuss important issues facing small businesses and provide education to help entrepreneurs and local economies thrive. As small business owners, you’re critical to the success of our local communities, injecting life and vitality into your neighborhoods, providing quality jobs and boosting prosperity for all. Our Small Business Summit is a platform for you to participate in meaningful dialogue about issues facing California’s small business community and educational workshops on critical issues like access to capital, healthcare, retirement and much more. The format will be an interactive mix of panel discussions, presentations, keynotes and breakout sessions featuring expert advice from business assistance providers and other successful small business owners. The day will begin at 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. at California Endowment Center (1000 Alameda St., Los Angeles, CA 90012). To register for tickets, please visit https://bit.ly/2TPbwP4.

F E B R UA RY 2

Philippine Medical Association of Hawaii’s gala in Waikiki, HI The Philippine Medical Association of Hawaii will hold its 41st inaugural and installation of officers on Saturday, February 2 at 5 p.m. It will be held at the Tapa Ballroom at the Hilton Hawaiian Village (2005 Kalia Rd, Honolulu, HI 96815). Attire is formal. For more information, please visit http://pmah-hawaii.org.

F E B R UA RY 9

St. Finbar Church in Burbank, CA celebrates its 9th Annual Valentine Dinner Dance Come and celebrate Hollywood glamour on February 9, 2019 from 6:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. For information contact Marian at (818) 562-6819 or send an email to minobleza@yahoo. com.

F E B R UA RY 1 5

Franchising Retail & Trade Conference in Cerritos, CA The Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce (COFACC) hosts this highly anticipated business event at the Cerritos Sheraton located at 12725 Center Court Drive South, Cerritos, CA 90703. Attendees will have access to opportunities in business match making & referrals, roundtable discussions, entrepreneurship training programs, and networking & business connections with participants representing both the United States and the Philippines. Business owners, entrepreneurs, corporations, and the general public are all invited to attend. The Philippine Retailer Association (PRA) and the Philippine Franchise Association (PFA) will be present to network with the US business community. Also present will be local franchisor and franchisee business owners, the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA), the National Asian American Coalition (NAAC), the National Diversity Coalition (NDC), the Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program, the Philippine Consulate Los Angeles Office, Philippine Dept. of Trade & Industry (PTIC) Los Angeles, and the Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA).Basic entry is only $10 but can and will vary depending on the participation experience desired. Registration for the Conference is simple and is processed online at by going to https://cofacc.org.

MARCH 30

Philippine Medical Society of Northern California installation of ofﬁcers in Foster City, CA The Philippine Medical Society of Northern California will hold its 47th anniversary and installation of officers for 2019-2021 at the Crowne Plaza in Foster City, CA on Saturday, March 30. For sponsorship information, please contact Dr. Clementina Manio at drtina0427@gmail. com or visit https://www.pmsnc.org/.

A P R I L 25 -28

Philippine Nurses Association of America - North Central Regional Conference in Columbus, Ohio The Philippine Nurses Association - Central Ohio will hold a regional conference from April 25 to 28 at the Embassy Suites (2886 Airport Drive, Columbus, Ohio). For more information, please visit http://www.mypnaa.org/.

J U LY 24 -28

40th annual Philippine Nurses Association of America National Convention in Atlanta, GA The Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA) will have its 40th annual national convention from July 24 to 28 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, GA, hosted by the PNA-GA chapter. More information and details TBA. To learn about the PNA-GA, please visit: https://pnaga.wildapricot.org/.

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

B january 23-25, 2019 • SoCal aSIan jOurnaL

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LAX closure of inner lanes, rental car shuttle stop and taxi zone at Terminal 2

ALL three inner lanes and the adjacent rental car shuttle stop and Taxi Zone between Columns 2H and 2K on the Lower/Arrivals Level in front of Terminal 2 will be closed for approximately five weeks for replacement of an underground water line. It will begin on Monday, January 21 until Thursday, February 28, 2019.

Vehicles will be unable to use the inner lanes closest to the curb during this work. Signs will be posted to direct pedestrians to the next available rental car shuttle stop and Taxi Zone. The sidewalk at Terminal 2 will remain open at all time, and access will be maintained between the terminal and parking structures. n

Prospective client refuses to face reality...

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plus interest for years unpaid at 10 percent p.a. plus attorney fees and penalties, you’re really looking at $33,000 and that $33,000 is increasing at 10% p.a. legal interest. If you don’t pay that, the creditor can foreclose on your house eventually. Why assume this kind of risk, losing your house to this judgment, when you can handle this through Chapter 13, which protects your house from foreclosure by this creditor? Even the $8,000 creditor that already has the lien on your house can foreclose on your house. Do you

EMPLOYMENT

really want this to happen? There are clients like this who are headstrong in the wrong way and insist on their own kind of justice that has no basis in reality. They’re living in a fantasy world. Bankruptcy law exists to protect you and your assets from debt and creditor enforcement to collect what you owe them. Use bankruptcy law against your creditors and either start fresh with no debt with Chapter 7, or reorganize and protect your house using Chapter 13. Don’t hide your head in the sand and pretend that everything is good; when the reality is that

your financial situation is truly a mess. If you need debt relief, please set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)

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SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 23-25, 2019

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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 23, 2019

Getting your space in order Jiliane Patriarca, founder The Organization Organization believes there’s a system for less clutter and more control BY

MALOU LIWANAG-BLEDSOE / AJPRESS

IT always happens — new year, new goals in trying to build our lives in order. Whether it’s financial, health or simply cleaning house; we always try to reach that goal of being organized. Just as 2019 entered, online streaming service Netflix released “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” a reality series on the Japanese organizing consultant on the art of keeping your home and workspace tidy and organized. This sent waves of people trying to “de-clutter” their spaces, in the hope that they’d be streamline what they need versus what they want. Unfortunately, not all of us get to our goal and maintain it. Professional organizer Jiliane Patriarca, founder of The Organization Organization (TOO) believes that being able to organize one’s space and maintaining it is achievable. “I recently saw a post on social media that said, ‘A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan. A plan backed by action becomes a reality.’ I couldn’t agree with this quote more and I believe one can use it to achieve and maintain a New Year goal,” she said. While many people think that hiring a professional organizer is expensive, Jiliane explained that the savings are found in terms of time and money in the long run. “According to the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO), of which I am a member, we spend one year of our lives looking for lost items. That’s a year we could be spending traveling or writing a book! And according to the Becoming Minimalist website, households who rent additional self-storage unit spend an average of over $1,000 a year in rent. If you’ve rented a storage unit for five years, that’s $5,000 that could have been spent on a trip around the world. Professional organizers are efficient with time, strategies, and tools for organizing and its process. I am constantly keeping up with the newest organizing tools and ideas so that when I enter a client’s home, I can already envision a solution for their organizing problem in my head. Clutter and disorganization that has been sitting around for 20 years can be gone in a few days with a professional organizer,” she said. Established TOO in 2014 to help others create the most intuitive organizing system and process. A daughter of Filipino immigrants, her journey to being a professional organizer was not planned, but more a realization during a time when she was searching

for the right job. Her talent for organizing, however, was already in her before that. Since it started, TOO has grown and is now offering clients to organize not only their homes or workspace, but their events as well. “Life is full of changes — whether it be getting married, moving, having a new baby, or celebrating an anniversary. Our mission is to help keep you organized through it all and to be the people you trust to call at each of life’s transitions. We now offer Wedding Coordination and Event Planning, and our organizing services now extend to helping establish Legacy Systems,” Jiliane said. “Weddings can be very stressful and it’s our job to stay organized so that you can enjoy your big day. I offer Day-of and Month-of Coordination packages and specialize in Fil-Am weddings,” she said and then added, “What are the candle, cord, and veil for? Interested in an ube-flavored cake for dessert? You want to stream your wedding to the Philippines? No worries, we can help you! “ The best part is that after the wedding and honeymoon, TOO can also help their newly married clients with organizing their home. “You’ve gotten married and now you and your new spouse are moving into your first new place. You have two blenders but only need one and aren’t sure of where to put all your clothes. With our Professional Organizing packages, we can help you declutter, donate, and unpack to settle into your new home,” said Jiliane. “With our Legacy Systems services, we can help you organize your most important items and documents so that they can be easily found and utilized, not only by you but your loved ones, too. “ From ‘organized chaos’ to letting go We always hear people say that they’re in the state of “organized chaos,” meaning that no matter how cluttered their space is, they can still function efficiently. Jiliane believes that there is such a thing and that people work differently. “We are all individuals and the way we think, process, and file information differs. There are certainly people who know exactly where one piece of paper is in a stack of thirty,” she explained. “The point, I believe, where a professional organizer is needed is when the ‘organized chaos’ gets in the way of healthy life and safe environment for oneself of their family, whether that be physically or mentally. Of course, chaos always happens when people are stuck with thousands of things they claim to have some sort of sentimental or monetary value to them. As a profes-

Some quick tips on how to start on organizing your space: 1. If your closet is an issue for you: • Switch from bulky, plastic hangers to thin, velvet hangers. This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to make more space. • Turn all of your hangers in one direction and as you use clothes, put the hanger back in the opposite direction. Whatever hanger isn’t turned at the end of the year, donate! 2. If you want to get organized in your kitchen: • Make use of vertical space. Use command strips or hooks and nails to hang things like lids for pots, cookware, or kitchen tools. • Lazy Susans are a quick and easy way to make things more accessible! 3. One option is to, of course, hire a professional organizer. Sometimes people

Jiliane Patriarca

just need an outside boost to get the ball rolling and that is one of the biggest advantages of a hiring a professional organizer. With no judgment, we can help get your office space to a clean slate that will be easier - and quicker - to keep organized. Some professional organizers can do the work at your home while you are at work, again saving you time. 4. For those who have very busy schedules and don’t think a professional organizer is the best route, I would say to start small. If you spend fifteen minutes organizing and do that six days a week, slowly but surely you will start to see change. If you bring your family into the equation, you can not only get more organizing done, but you get to spend time together!

Photos from Jiliane Patriarca/The Organization Organization

sional organizer, Jiliane shared that she has worked with clients who have a hard time of letting go. “We’re human after all! When it comes to choosing what should stay and what should go, I think it’s important to ask if the item brings back happy memories or not so happy ones,” she said. “Marie Kondo’s approach of only keeping items that spark joy is very similar.” For sentimental things that do bring back good memories, Jiliane can offer options on how to store them without getting in the way of their space. “...For those things that do bring back good memories, I explore alternative methods for storing them with my client. Maybe you love all of the trophies your child won when they were in elementary school but they are taking up too much space. My favorite solution for this is to take

photos of the trophies and keep them in an album, that way the memory can still be brought back when looking at the photo but the trophies aren’t taking up space anymore,” she explained. “Our physical surroundings can affect us mentally and emotionally. If you spend a lot of time looking for things, still can’t find those things, spend money buying new things you couldn’t find, or just want a fresh start the new year brings 365 more chances to make a change,” Jiliane said. You can call (510) 2920583 to schedule your free, 30-minute on-site consultation, visit their website at www.TheOrganizationOrg. com, or follow and message them Instagram @TheOrganizationOrg. TOO is also happy to offer 15 percent off on their three-hour initial professional organizing package for Asian Journal readers.

Marc dela Cruz is the first Asian American to play Alexan Hamilton in Broadway

tual to becoming a revolutionary and founding father of the Philstar.com United States. LAST January 19, FilipinoThe show is still one of the American actor Marc dela Cruz hottest tickets on Broadway in took the stage as the lead role New York City and generated of the hit-Broadway musical an estimated $1.9 million (P100 “Hamilton” for the first time. million) a week in its debut run, “I am over the moon to be a according to the New York part of Hamilton,” he said in an Times. interview with New York-based While the real-life figures Filipino-American magazine the characters in the show are “The FilAm.” “I’ve been a fan based on are all Caucasian of Lin-Manuel Miranda since Americans, Miranda often I saw ‘In the Heights’ and I speaks about deliberately castalways wondered at the posing actors of different ethnic sibility of being in something he backgrounds to play them in created.” the musical version to better The Hawaii-born Dela Cruz represent American diversity is the first Filipino-American today. “Hamilton” is frequently cast to play the lead role, origi- recognized for having one nated by the show’s creator of the most diverse casts on Lin-Manuel Miranda in 2015. Broadway. While it was his first time Dela Cruz is the third playing Alexander Hamilton, he Filipino-American member of has played several other roles the Broadway cast, the other such as Hamilton’s father-in-law two are Karla Puno Garcia and Philip Schulyer, James Reynolds Christina Glur. and Hamilton’s doctor. While Filipina singer The Tony Award-winning Rachelle Ann Go plays Eliza hip hop musical’s story revolves Schulyer, Hamilton’s wife, in around the life of Hamilton and the West End production of the his journey from a young orshow in London. phan in the Carribean who used The role of Hamilton his skill as a writer and intellecwas most recently played by by RYAN

MACASERO

In a post on Instagram, Fil-Am singer and “America’s Got Talent” contestant Angelica Hale said she could not believe that she got her second Golden Buzzer. “I can’t believe that I now have TWO #goldenbuzzers Thank you @howiemandel for believing in me and sending me through to the finale of #AGTChampions!!!” she captioned her post. Photo from Instagram/@angelicahale

Fil-Am singer Angelica Hale carves name in ‘America’s Got Talent’ history

Marc dela Cruz is the first Filipino-American to be cast as Alexander Hamilton in the hit-Broadway show “Hamilton.” Photo from Instagram/@marc_delacruz

Michael Luwoye, an American actor of Nigerian descent. Miranda recently opened the show’s debut with the touring company of “Hamilton” in Puerto Rico for a three week-run to raise funds for arts programs on the island that

was devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017. Aside from the touring company and on Broadway, there are also are other productions currently playing in San Francisco, London, and Chicago.

by JAN

MILO SEVERO Philstar.com

FILIPINO-American singer Angelica Hale made history on “America’s Got Talent” after she recently became the show’s first two-time Golden Buzzer contestant, earning her a ticket to the finals. “HUGE congratulations to

@angelicahale on becoming the first two-time #GoldenBuzzer in @AGT history!” NBC Entertainment tweeted. Judges and members of the audience gave the 11-yearold singer a standing ovation after she sang Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” for her comeback performance as a contestant of Continued on Page 3

Maricel Soriano gives Arjo Atayde’s acting a ‘Perfect 10’ by BOT

GLORIOSO Philstar.com

WHAT else does Arjo Atayde need to prove when even Maricel Soriano is impressed with his acting skills? The two stars play mother and son in “The General’s Daughter”, ABS-CBN’s newest primetime drama offering topbilled by Angel Locsin that is set to pilot on Monday, Jan. 21, after “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano”. Maricel had nothing but compliments for Arjo who portrays the role of Elai, Isabelle’s (Maricel) son who has autism. “I am very impressed with Arjo,” began Maricel. “Ibang klase talaga siya because I seldom get to work with someone who’s really good at his craft, ‘yung talagang saludo ako. Arjo is excellent that I get affected when he acts.” No wonder that when Maricel was asked to rate the Kapamilya actor’s acting ability on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the highest, it didn’t take her long and hard to think and say that Arjo deserves a 10. “He plays my son here and everytime I see him crying, it really breaks my heart that’s why I couldn’t stop myself from verbalizing my admiration for him.” Equally impressed was director Manny Palo who shared how determined Arjo in making his portrayal of a special child as realistic as can be. The kind of preparation the actor did is far different from that of his co-stars. Direk Manny revealed, “While other actors prepared for their characters through their immersion in military camp for trainings and proper handling of (military) equipment, learning protocols, etc., Arjo did a lot quite differently for his part. And he comes (to the set) prepared every day and already in character that sometimes, I get confused if I am talking to Arjo or I’m with his character (laughs).” He further said, “At s’ya talaga ang tumawag sa akin asking for pegs. So we identified some films and then I contacted some people who we can talk to and then we had lunch at this restaurant and the

entertainment

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 23, 2019

Janine on Nora’s absence at Lotlot’s wedding by MARINEL

R. CRUZ

Inquirer.net

IT would have been nice if she was at the wedding,” said actress Janine Gutierrez of her grandmother, Nora Aunor, who was conspicuously absent when her mom, Lotlot de Leon, tied the knot with her longtime partner, Fadi El Soury, in December. Janine confirmed that invitation was sent to the Superstar, “but we didn’t expect her to attend. Of course, she was invited because she is Mama’s mother. I really don’t know what happened. Maybe she was busy since she has an ongoing teleserye. We understand,” Janine said. “What’s more important is that Mama’s whole family was there,” said the young actress. Lotlot is the adopted daughter of Nora and actor Christopher de Leon. “Oma (Lilia Dizon), the mom of Lolo Bo (Christopher) and my great-grandmother, was there; so was Tita Melissa (ChristoArjo Atayde Photo from Instagram/@arjoatayde pher’s sister). I’m super happy for Mama. Ang laki pala ng pamilya next time na makita ko si Arjo, night and that was my assignn’ya.” in character na siya.” ment to myself before I slept Janine said Lotlot’s biological The restaurant direk Manny and I was just like really studywas referring to is located ing the character from head to sisters, Donna, Dawn and Myria, along Roces Ave. where Arjo toe. I don’t know if possible to all flew from the United States to did most of his preparation for others but during the first day attend the ceremony. “For me, the role. on the set, I was close to palthe highlight of the wedding was “It’s hard to explain how pitating already and knowing hearing the messages of Mama’s challenging my part here is that I was with direk Manny, siblings Tita Matet and Uncle Ian, — from the preparation up to Maricel and Angel, I was so as well as Lolo Bo’s. I really felt the actual work. But I know pressured.” direk Manny is observant and Thanks to direk Manny and their love for her.” Janine is Lotlot’s daughter with he likes watching movies, mathe production, everything visual s’ya so from the beginturned out well for him. “But of former actor Ramon Christopher. ning, I was trying to contact course, it’s still not easy doing She has three siblings—Maxine, him but he was busy and then it. For me, it’s a continuous Diego and Jessica. finally when I got to talk to him, preparation, observation and Meanwhile, the actress said he said that there’s this restau- research.” rant with servers who have the Aside from Maricel and same condition as me (his char- Angel, Arjo also expressed deacter) and of the same age. So, light at working in a soap with I went there to observe and Albert Martinez, Tirso Cruz III, From Page 2 thankfully the owner was open Eula Valdez, Janice de Belen, “AGT: The Champions.” to the idea that I got to talk to JC de Vera, Paulo Avelino, “Angelica, you are like the them. Sinamahan ako ni direk Loisa Andalio and Ronnie little boss lady that you are. Manny.” Alonte. You came here to win. I can see Apart from that, Arjo also “It’s an honor to be workthat. I can feel that,” said Heidi watched a lot of movies and ing with everyone and I know even videos on YouTube to that we have the same purpose Klum, one of the four judges in learn the behavior of people of giving you a good show and the competition. Judge Howie Mandel who with autism and understand his hopefully, to be at the top. We character well. just have to work hard and pray pressed the golden buzzer said he would help Angelica win the “I watched them every together.” contest.

Janine Gutierrez

it was “really nice” that her boyfriend, Rayver Cruz, got to spend the holidays with her in the United States. “He met my relatives there. It’s always fun to be with Rayver—makulit at laging nagpapatawa. I also feel safe walking the streets there with him because he’s so strong. He works out a lot.” With Rayver, “everything was just easy,” pointed out Janine. “I didn’t think this was possible with someone. Actually, when I was still working with (actor) Mikael Daez, he would always tell me that he and (his girlfriend, Miss Earth 2014) Megan (Young) never fight. When I met Rayver, I realized that this was exactly what Mikael was telling me.” She added: “We understand each other. No drama. Since everything is just light and happy, I can easily focus on work, and on

GMA photo

my family. Also, my parents love him. I realized that that’s how a relationship should be.” Janine is currently promoting the romantic comedy “Elise,” which reunites her with Enchong Dee. The duo previously worked in Gino M. Santos’ 2016 horror movie “Lila.” “Elise” is based on real-life events, according to its director Joel Ferrer, who also wrote the screenplay. It depicts events in the life of Bert (Enchong), who has always been in love with his childhood best friend Elise (Janine). They meet again years later and discover that they both have changed so much. “It’s a lifelong journey for the characters, whose lives have always been intertwined,” observed Janine. “The question is whether or not they will finally end up with their first loves.”

Fil-Am singer Angelica Hale carves... “When people show up on this show, the level of competition is much higher. Just by the title, you are amongst champions. You show up and you ripped the ceiling off this theater. That was your fight song and if I can do anything, I am going to help you win this fight,” Howie said. Angelica burst into tears when she learned that she is

going to the show’s finals. “I can’t believe this is actually happening to me. I never expected this to happen. I wanted to thank you so much. This is a dream come true,” Angelica said. Angelica got her first Golden Buzzer during AGT season 12 in 2017 when she became the show’s youngest runner-up.

entertainment The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 23, 2019

Dingdong Dantes calls for ‘enabling environment’ for children, not criminalization by JAN

MILO SEVERO Philstar.com

ACTOR Dingdong Dantes

is not in favor of lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 15 years old to nine years old.

In his Twitter account, Dingdong shared a video of Chel Diokno where the human rights lawyer said that he opposed the proposal. “Agree ako sa iyo, @ ChelDiokno! Crucial stage ang childhood and adolescence to one’s development. These are periods where psychological, emotional, social and physical aspects are strongly influenced by the surroundings and are formed,” the matinee idol said. In another post, Dingdong added that instead of passing the bill, the administration should focus on creating an environment that will help the youth become more useful to the community. “Instead of focusing on criminalizing children, the government should invest more on creating an enabling environment that will allow young people to be productive members of the society,” he said. On Monday morning, the House committee on justice voted to approve a bill lowering the age of criminal responsibility to nine years from 15.

Dingdong Dantes

Welcome the Year of the Pig at Barona Resort & Casino from February 5 – February 19 Lunar New Year Celebration includes Over $518,888 in Cash Prizes, 8X Points, All-You-Can-Eat Lobster, Hong Bao & Traditional Lion & Dragon Performances

(SAN DIEGO, CA) January xx, 2019 – Welcome the Lunar New Year at Barona Resort & Casino beginning Tuesday, February 5 through Tuesday, February 19, 2019, with traditional performances, lucky Hong Bao, all-you-can-eat lobster, and lobster specials, Party People games, Dragon Alley bonuses as well as over $518,888 in cash giveaways! “Come to Barona Resort & Casino for one of the most exciting and luckiest Year of the Pig celebrations in all of Southern California,” said Rick Salinas, General Manager of Barona Resort & Casino. “We’ll be giving away over $518,888 in cash prizes and ringing in a year of prosperity for all of our players.” Below is a preview of the exciting events at Barona Resort & Casino for Lunar New Year. Visit www.barona.com for promotional rules and details, entertainment times and restaurant specials. Lucky Points: Barona’s Lunar New Year celebration wouldn’t be complete without extra points from The Point Multiplier Capital of the World®. Barona players will get 8X points on Thursdays, February 7 and 14, from 8am to 8pm on slots and keno; video poker players get 3X points. Lucky Seats: On Tuesdays, February 5, 12 and 19,

from 10am to 10pm, one lucky player will be drawn to win $888 every 8 minutes. Lucky Drawings: On Sundays, February 10 and 17, one lucky player will win $8,888 and 8 lucky players will win $888 at each drawing which will be held at 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm, and 10pm. Winners do not have to be present to win. Club Barona members earn one virtual entry per 500 points earned from 12:15am to 9:45pm on each drawing day. Barona will be filled with the sights and sounds of the celebration on Tuesday, February 5, 12 and 19 at 9 pm with a traditional blessing at the Welcome Home entrance which will be followed by a colorful parade of Lion and Dragon performers dancing in the casino. Throughout the two-week celebration, players will receive lucky Hong Bao and win cash prizes playing games with the Party People. And, players can also earn bonuses at the table games in Dragon Alley, the largest and most exclusive Asian gaming area in San Diego. Barona’s restaurants will be serving traditional cuisine and lobster specials as part of the Year of the Pig festivities. On Wednesdays and Friday, lobster lovers can enjoy all-you-can-eat lobster at Seasons Fresh Buffet and lobster specials at Sage Café,

Ho Wan and the Parlor 32 High Limit area. Hong-Kong trained Executive Chef Ringo Lao will prepare favorites such as abalone with shiitake mushrooms, garlic-steamed Chilean Seabass with tofu and sausages with sticky rice. Players on a Lunar New Year lucky streak can have the celebratory dishes, or bento boxes served right at their slot machine or table game when they order through gameside dining. Named Best Casino and “Loosest Slots” for eight consecutive years in the San Diego’s Best Union-Tribune Readers Poll, Barona Resort & Casino is the ultimate gaming entertainment destination featuring 2,500 slot and video poker machines and 120 table games. The AAA Four Diamond rated property features 400 spacious guest rooms and suites with beautiful views of Barona Valley, award-winning dining, Spa Barona, a full-service events center and the 18hole championship Barona Creek Golf Club, ranked in the Golfweek Magazine Top 10 for the past 16 years. For Barona Resort & Casino reservations and information, visit www.barona.com, or call toll free 888-7-BARONA (722-7662). You can also socialize with Barona on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. (Advertising Supplement)

GMA photo

Xian Lim and Louise delos Reyes are paired for the first time in Viva Films’ “Hanggang Kailan?”, shot in Japan, which is about two lovers trying to enjoy the last days of togetherness before they finally say goodbye to each other.

If Xian & Louise were fancy-free, would they fall for each other?

Louise: I think his…chest? Hahaha! Xian is very strict with Philstar.com his diet and he exercised and IF you and your loved one jogged a lot during our stay in have one last trip together beJapan. fore you part ways, how would Xian: I’ll choose a safe you say goodbye? answer. Pipiliin ko ang mga In Viva Films’ “Hanggang mata dahil doon mo maseKailan?” (formerly titled “Baka sense kung totoo nga ba ang Hanggang Dito Na Lang”), pinapakita niya sayo. Truth written by Onay Sales and over everything else. Truth is directed by Bona Fajardo, delicious. Xian Lim as Donnie and Louise If you were to massage delos Reyes as Kath find each other, anong part ng themselves in that situation katawan n’yo ang uunahin as they spend their last four mong pipisil-pisilin? days and three nights in Saga, Louise: Oh, wow! Hahaha!!! Japan. Unlike other movies of Arms? Again, he is very discithis type where two people plined in terms of his diet and meet and fall in love, in “Hangexercise so every part of his In real life, Xian is committed to Kim Chiu and gang Kailan?”, Donnie and body has muscles. Hahaha!!! Louise to a non-showbiz guy. Kath still love each other but Xian: Kamay or likod. May Photos courtesy of Viva Films they have to break up anyway malisya na pag iba pa ang because Donnie is committed In my life, I don’t think I can nahahawakan. to somebody else, while Kath love two women at the same For your love/kissing remained the “third party” for time. Maybe if I can put in a scenes, nakailang rehearsals two years. situation where my heart will at takes kayo? Louise and Xian are both be asked who between the Louise: Few only. He was committed to somebody else two will I choose, I will let go very gentle and he always in real life, she to a non-showof the first one because it only asked, “Is this okay, is that biz guy and he to Kim Chiu. means that you don’t love the okay?” But have they ever found first person for that question Xian: We did not rehearse themselves in the same situto even come up. any of the kissing scenes. We ation as that of their “HangDo you know each other’s talked about it first with our gang Kailan” characters? kiliti spot and how did you director to make sure that our How do you see yourfind it? intimate scenes are done proselves in your characters? Louise: Xian laughs a lot. fessionally and precisely. Louise: Like Kath, I was I don’t have to find his kiliti What’s your favorite fanonce blinded by my love tospot. tasy (elaborate)? wards my ex. Xian: Hindi ko alam kung Louise: Hahaha! Please Xian: Donnie’s character in mayroon ba siya o wala. elaborate. “Hanggang Kailan?” portrays (To Louise) Xian has Kim. Xian: My favorite fantasy every man in a relationship What about you, who do you is being in control of any situthat has reached a point where have? ation. he finds love at the wrong Louise: His name is Jino. What’s the naughtiest time. The movie tackles the We’ve been together for 10 thing you have done to someissue if a man can love two months but it feels like 10 body? women in a relationship. The years already. He brings out Louise: I don’t wanna topic of having a “third party” the best in me. answer. is taboo but it happens and What part of each other’s Xian: Having the ability to we cannot hide the fact that it body do you find, ehem, deli- turn a serious conversation and happens. cious? make a green joke out of it. by RICKY LO

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 23, 2019