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T H E F I L I P I N O –A M E R I C A N C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R
Volume 31 - No. 4 • 16 Pages
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Senator urges Mamasapano probe reopened after court clears Purisima, Napeñas by CHRISTIA
MARIE Inquirer.net
RAMOS
MANILA — A “totally devastated” Senator Richard Gordon is eyeing the reopening of the Mamasapano incident investigation following the dismissal of charges against two former police officials for their roles in the botched operation. Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, January 22, GorFormer SAF chief Getulio Napenas and former PNP chief Alan Purisima during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs on the massacre of Special don said he was “severely disAction Force cops on January 25, 2015, in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, by MILF and BIFF rebels. appointed” and “totally devInquirer.net photo
USA
DATELINE US hospitals need Filipino nurses FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
THERE is currently a shortage of 11 million nurses in the United States, an immigration company said on Tuesday, January 21. U.S. employers are going overseas, including the Philippines, to hire qualified nurses, according to Frony Fortich, chief operating officer of Fortich Permanent Immigration Services based in Quezon City. “Nurses are a critical part of healthcare and make up the largest section of the health profession,” said Fortich in a release. His company has been recruiting nurses for employment in U.S. hospitals for several decades. Citing a World Health Statistics Report, there are approximately 29 million nurses and midwives in the world, 3.9 million of which are currently in the United States. “Estimates of upwards of 1 million additional nurses will be needed by 2020,” Fortich noted.
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PAL to reinstate Cebu-Los Angeles flight route this May FLAG carrier Philippine Airlines will once again have its nonstop Cebu-Los Angeles flight starting this May. In a press release on Tuesday, January 21, PAL said this flight is the “only direct air link between the Visayas and Mainland USA.” Residents of various cities in the Visayas and Mindanao will enjoy convenient connections via Cebu for their travels to Los Angeles. The new service will help boost Philippine tourism, as U.S.-based leisure and business travelers can now avail of the fastest and easiest travel option: a single flight nonstop to the Queen City of the South. Currently, the other options to fly to Cebu from the U.S. involve transfer flight connections via other Asian airports or Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. The service marks PAL’s comeback to the Cebu-Los Angeles route as it previously operated Cebu-LAX flights from March 2016 up to May 2017. The airline is touting that Cebu will be a
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LIVING IN DANGER. Despite repeated warnings from the government of mandatory evacuation, some residents continue to live on the Taal Volcano Island as seen in the photo during the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and Joint Task Force-Taal aerial reconnaissance of the volcano on Tuesday, January 21. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reiterates total evacuation of Taal Volcano Island, and high-risk areas as identified in the hazard maps within the 14-kilometer radius from its main crater, and along the Pansipit River Valley where fissures or cracks have been observed. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon
Duterte to consider Trump’s invitation to US-ASEAN summit by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte may be persuaded into accepting President Donald Trump’s invitation to an upcoming summit in the United States with Asian leaders, Malacañang said on Tuesday, January 21. Malacañang released a statement on Monday that Duterte was among the 10 Southeast Philippines President Duterte and U.S. President Donald Trump discuss Asian leaders invited by Trump bilateral issues, except human rights, during their meeting at the Philippine to U.S.-ASEAN summit on March 14 in Las Vegas. International Convention Center in Pasay City last November 14, 2017. “Given that this is an ASEAN Inquirer.net photo by Joan Bondoc
meeting of leaders, baka mapersuade si Presidente na umattend (The president might be persuaded to attend),” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a press briefing on Tuesday. Relations between the United States and the Philippines have been tense over the past few weeks as Trump signed the U.S.’ 2020 budget in December. The budget reportedly included an amendment that the U.S. Secretary of State “shall apply sub-section (c) to foreign government officials about whom
the secretary has credible information have been involved in the wrongful imprisonment of… Sen. Leila De Lima who was arrested in the Philippines in 2017.” The sub-section refers to the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act that authorizes the U.S. government to slap sanctions on persons tied to human rights violations, including barring them from entering the U.S. Earlier this month, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution con-
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Dela Rosa on US visa cancellation: El Nido among ‘best solo travel destinations’ to visit in 2020 ‘What a good birthday gift’ by ROSETTE
by MAILA
AGER Inquirer.net
MANILA, — Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa admitted feeling bad after learning on the eve of his birthday that his U.S. visa had been canceled. “I sent an official letter to the U.S. embassy inquiring from them if really my visa was canceled so I received their official answer the day before my birthday, January 20, what a good birthday gift— informing me that my visa is no longer valid for travel to the United states,” Dela Rosa told reporters on Wednesday, January 22. The senator turned 58 on Tuesday, January 21. The U.S. government gave no reason for the cancellation of his visa but Dela Rosa suspects it might
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Senator Ronald Dela Rosa
ONE of the top tourist destinations in the country, El Nido, Palawan is part of this year’s top 50 best solo travel destinations in the world, according to American news website HuffPost. El Nido made it to the 24th spot of the roster that listed the top destinations desired by travelers for solo trips and “safe” stay. The list was released last January 10. Vancouver was hailed the top best solo travel destination. Inquirer,net photo HuffPost said they sought travel bloggers and other experts to
Robredo to Bongbong: Accept poll results by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
FORMER Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos has to accept the 2016 election results if he plans to run for a national post in the 2022 elections, Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo said on Monday, January 20. “If he wants to run again, he can. That’s his right,” she said in Filipino during an interview. She added, “But if he runs again, he just has to make sure that he will accept the election results because if he can’t accept the results of the election, he will just drag down all the institutions.” Marcos filed an electoral protest before the Supreme Court (SC), sitting as the Pres-
ADEL
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share the solo travel destinations they recommend for 2020. Travel blogger Lamback of Youmelunch.com said “the Philippines is a great place to travel solo in 2020.” He cited El Nido’s beautiful beaches as among the things to look forward to. “El Nido is full of beautiful beaches with endless water sports, boutique hotels, and design-led hostels — perfect for meeting other solo travelers,” the blogger was quoted as saying. “The island’s famous boat tours are a great place for solo travelers to experience the cul-
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idential Electoral Tribunal (PET), after he lost to Robredo in the 2016 vice presidential election. Robredo’s lead over Marcos increased by almost 15,000 votes, after the PET’s revision and recount of ballots from the pilot provinces – Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental – Marcos chose. Following this, Robredo has asked the tribunal to dismiss the electoral protest filed by Marcos. The former senator, on the other hand, asked the tribunal to annul the votes in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao and Basilan due to alleged election violence, regardless of the test recount results. He previously announced that he plans to This Nov. 28, 2018 photo shows El Nido, Palawan when Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulorun for a national post in 2022. Puyat, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año conducted a
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surprise inspection.
Photo courtesy of DOT
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From The FronT Page
PAL to reinstate Cebu-Los Angeles flight... PAGE 1 hub for many tourists to transfer to connecting flights to Siargao, Camiguin, Davao, Boracay, Coron, Bacolod, Iloilo and other fabled holiday destinations for some sun and sea recreation and other nature adventures. The launch of the new service will increase PAL’s network offering to a total of 64 flights
weekly to the U.S., Canada and the U.S. territory of Guam. PAL’s Cebu-Los Angeles flights will depart three times weekly for Los Angeles from the new Terminal 2 of the Mactan Cebu International Airport, utilizing PAL’s largest aircraft, the 370 seater Boeing 777-300ER. Starting from May 2, 2020, PAL Flight PR152 (CEB-LAX)
will depart Cebu at 9 p.m. every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and arrive in Los Angeles at 7:30 p.m. on the same days. For the LAX-CEB journey, PR 153 will leave Los Angeles at 11PM every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, touching down two days later in Cebu at 5 a.m. after a 14hour nonstop flight. The latest-version PAL B777 features a fully-flat bed in business class, with an 18.4-inch TV screen, retractable privacy dividers, an ottoman which doubles as a storage area, and in-seat power and USB ports. Economy class features a seat pitch of up to 34 inches, and each seat is equipped with 11-inch TV screens and USB ports. “We look forward to treating our customers to the fastest flights between the U.S. Mainland and the Visayas / Mindanao region, via PAL’s new Cebu-LAX route. Our upcoming service from Cebu to LA is a vivid demonstration of our commitment to build up Mactan Cebu as a global aviation hub, a dynamic gateway, not only to domestic points, but to major international destinations,” said PAL President and COO Gilbert Santa Maria. “Los Angeles and the USA now joins Tokyo, Osaka, Bangkok, Nagoya and Seoul in the list of PAL overseas destinations served from Cebu.” As part of PAL’s 2020 New Year Sale, the airline is offering promo fares for flights between Cebu and Los Angeles for as low as $420 (base rate) exclusive of government taxes. Booking period for this special offering is from January 20 until January 24. Travel period is from July 1 to December 10, 2020. PAL is the largest airline operator in the Philippines-North America market, featuring allnonstop flights to and from Los Angeles and San Francisco in the U.S. West Coast, New York (JFK Airport) in the U.S. East Coast, Honolulu in Hawaii and both Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. The flag carrier also announced the inauguration of several international routes, including the first-ever nonstop flights between Manila and Perth (starting March 30); Zamboanga and Kota Kinabalu (from March 29); and between Davao and Manado (from March 29). (AJPress)
LEGALIZE MOTORCYCLE TAXIS. Senator Christopher Lawrence Go and other senators have expressed support for the legalization of motorcycle taxis, during the public hearing presided by Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services at the Senate in Pasay City on Monday, January 20. Under the proposed Motorcycles-for-Hire Act, filed by Senator Edgardo Angara, the Land Transportation and Traffic Code will be amended to permit motorcycles to be registered with the Land Transportation Office as “for hire” and may be used as a commercial vehicle to transport passengers and goods. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
Senator urges Mamasapano... PAGE 1
astated” by the dismissal of usurpation of authority and graft charges against former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima and former Special Action Force (SAF) head Getulio Napeñas. “Mamasapano is one of the great injustices of our time. We sent people who are simple folks who became soldiers and policemen to their deaths,” he said. “Ang dami-daming namatay. Forty-four yung namatay, pagkatapos walang responsible? dereliction of duty yan (Many were killed. Forty-four died, and then no one would be held responsible? That’s dereliction of duty),” he added. As chair of the powerful Senate blue ribbon committee, Gordon said he can reopen the Mamasapano investigation motu proprio or on his own initiative. “I’ve always been trying to open up Mamasapano (investigation). To my mind, mukhang nagkulang ang prosecution na naman (I’ve always been trying to open up the Mamasapano investigation. To my mind, it seems that the prosecution have
been lacking),” he said. “Pwedeng i-reopen sa tingin ko even here in Congress. Kausapin ko muna si Senator (Grace) Poe…I will talk to the Blue Ribbon. I’ll talk to the Committee on Justice, most importantly I will talk to the other senators (It can be reopened I think even here in Congress. I just need to talk to Senator Poe first. I will talk to the Blue Ribbon. I’ll talk to the Committee on Justice, most importantly I will talk to the other senators),” he added. It was Poe who led the Senate committee on public order in 2015 in investigating the botched “Oplan Exodus” where 44 Special Action Force (SAF) troopers died in an ambush in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. It was discovered in the Mamasapano investigation that then President Benigno Aquino III had allowed Purisima to take part in Oplan Exodus despite being suspended as chief of the Philippine National Police at the time of the operation. According to the Senate’s Mamasapano report, Purisima violated the preventive suspension order issued by the Ombuds-
man when he participated in the planning and execution of Oplan Exodus. It was Napeñas, meanwhile, who led the SAF troopers in Mamasapano in an attempt to capture Malaysian terrorists and bomb-maker Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan. “I have to respect Senator Poe, kung gusto niya we can join together. Maybe we can see something that was not presented before (I have to respect Senator Poe, if she wants we can do it together. Maybe we can see something that was not presented before),” Gordon went on. “Aaralin ‘yan, hindi basta… kailangan makita natin. When I would take it, I have an idea how to write the report para talagang hard-hitting para mahirap hindian. I think that’s a very easy case. Very clear case of injustice yun (That needs to be studied. It can’t be be done haphazardly. When I would take it, I have an idea how to write the report so that it will be hardhitting. I think that’s a very easy case. That’s a very clear case of injustice),” he added. n
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Duterte to consider Trump’s invitation...
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demning Philippine government officials involved in De Lima’s detention. Malacañang further said that the invitation for the Philippine president was first extended during the ASEANU.S. meeting in Bangkok in November, with Trump saying that the summit would provide “an excellent opportunity” to broaden and deepen cooperation between the U.S. and ASEAN on “matters of great importance” to the nearly one billion people in the U.S. and Southeast Asia. The invitation was then reiterated by the U.S. through a letter dated January 9. “This will provide excellent opportunity for us to broaden and deepen our cooperation on matters of great importance to the nearly one billion people in the United States and Asean na-
tions that we have the privilege to represent. The American people and I hope to see you in the United States soon,” Trump’s letter read. The American president added: “As the ASEAN outlook on the Indo-Pacific makes clear, we share a common vision for the future of this dynamic and diverse region, based upon respect for sovereignty, commitment to good governance and adherence to the rule of law.” Malacañang has said that a meeting between Duterte and Trump would “reaffirm the longstanding alliance between the Philippines and the U.S.” Duterte has been receiving invitations from Trump to visit the U.S. since April 2017 after their “friendly” conversation that also tackled regional security issues. “It was a very friendly conversation, in which the two leaders
discussed the concerns of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations regarding regional security, including the threat posed by North Korea,” a previous White House statement read. It added, “President Trump also invited President Duterte to the White House to discuss the importance of the U.S.-Philippines alliance, which is now heading in a very positive direction.” Then-presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella also confirmed the invitation, describing the conversation between Duterte and Trump as “warm.” “If you are in Washington, give me a call and we’ll have coffee. Or, if you are in New York. And besides, you are doing it (anti-drug campaign) right,” Duterte quoted Trump during a speech in Pasay City on April 19, 2017. ■
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Robredo to Bongbong: Accept poll... PAGE 1 “I can be a congressman, I can be a senator. If I retire, I can be governor in Ilocos Norte,” Marcos said. In response, Robredo advised: “Everyone who will run for office should accept the results of the elections. If you lose and you won’t accept it, it would be better not to run anymore.” Robredo also laughed off Marcos’ notion to revise history textbooks after he claimed that his family was treated unfairly in the history books. According to him, the history books were full of “propaganda” forwarded by their political rivals to besmirch their reputation. “That one is slightly hilarious,” Robredo said in Filipino. “I agree that there is (some-
Former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Vice President Leni Robredo Philstar.com photos
thing) lacking in our education system, in the sense that our students were not taught well on the effects of the dictatorship
before. Because if it’s effective, the things that happened during those days should no longer be happening now,” she added. ■
Dela Rosa on US visa cancellation... PAGE 1 have been because of his role in the government’s brutal war on drugs especially during his time at the Philippine National Police (PNP). As then chief of the PNP, Dela Rosa led the bloody drug war that resulted in the deaths of thousands of drug suspect. But the senator said it is no longer surprising that the U.S. would cancel his visa as he already had prior knowledge
about it. “Kung sama ng loob e tao lang tayo, talagang sasama ang loob (We’re just human, you’d really feel bad),” Dela Rosa said. “I’ve been helping my counterparts from the U.S. government, particularly their enforcement—the FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation], the CIA [Central Intelligence Agency], and other agencies ng [of] U.S. We’ve been working together, ngayon after that ganito, tanggalin nila (but
now this, they’ll just have to cancel it)? It’s quite bad.” “Sino bang masaya dyan. Sayang din, hindi na ako makapunta dun (Who’s going to be happy with that? I will no longer be able to go there),” he added. Dela Rosa said he would try to apply again for a new U.S. visa in case President Rodrigo Duterte joins and invites him to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Las Vegas this March. ■
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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 23-29, 2020
2019 a ‘tumultuous’ year for democracies in Asia – report by Daphne
Galvez Inquirer.net
In this Jan. 10, 2020 photo, protesters call for peace in the Middle East amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States. Philstar.com photo by Edd Gumban
PH down one spot in democracy index by patricia lourDes Philstar.com
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THE Philippines slid down one spot to the 54th place in the world on the Ecomomist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Democracy Index for 2019. The country previously ranked 53rd (6.71 points) in 2018 and 51st (6.71 points) in 2017. The Philippines is among 68 countries that experienced a decline in their total score compared with 2018. The London-based think tank labelled the country’s regime type as a “flawed democracy” with an overall score of 6.64 points. The EIU defined flawed democracies as countries that “have free and fair elections, even if there are problems (such as infringements on media freedom), basic civil liberties are respected.” The Philippines registered its highest score in electoral process and pluralism with 9.17. The country also scored 7.22 in political participation and 7.06 in civil liberties. The country scored the lowest
in political culture with 4.38 and functioning of government with 5.36. Norway topped the global rankings with an overall score of 9.87, followed by Iceland with 9.58, Sweden with 9.39, New Zealand with 9.26 and Finland with 9.25. The Philippines, however, ranked 9th in the Asia and Australasia region, which has an average score of 5.67. The report noted that the Asia and Australasia region has made progress in improving its standing in the democracy index but continues to lag behind North America (8.59), western Europe (8.35) and Latin America (6.13). New Zealand (9.26) and Australia (9.09) topped the regional rankings as they are the only countries with a “full democracy” in the group. Full democracies were described as countries “in which not only basic political freedoms and civil liberties are respected, but which also tend to be underpinned by a political culture conducive to the flourishing of democracy.”
Also in the top five are South Korea (8.00), Japan (7.99) and Taiwan (7.73), which were also considered as countries with flawed democracy. The think tank noted that the average global score for democracy fell from 5.48 in 2018 to 5.44 in 2019, the worst since the index first came out in 2006. “The decline in the average global score in 2019 was driven by a sharp regression in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, a lesser one in the Middle East and North Africa region, and by stagnation in the re- PAGE 1 maining four regions covered ture with the comfort of a group,” by the Democracy Index,” the he added. This is not the first time El report read. The democracy index was Nido has been cited as a travel based on the ratings for 60 in- destination to visit in the Philipdicators, which were grouped pines. In 2015, the island was voted into five categories — electoral process and pluralism, civil lib- as the top 5 best island beaches erties, the functioning of gov- in the world by international ernment, political participation travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler. and political culture. “The condition of holding free and fair competitive elections, and satisfying related aspects of political freedom, is clearly the PAGE 1 sine qua non of all definitions,” He also said that there will be the EIU said. n more registered nurse jobs available through 2022 than any other profession in the U.S., as stated by the American Nurses Association. Furthermore, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected 11 million additional nurses are needed to avoid a further shortage.
henson Philstar.com
FORMER super WBA/IBF lightwelterweight champion Amir Khan is suddenly in the candidates’ list for super WBA welterweight champion Sen. Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent with interest from Middle East promoters stirring the pot to make an intriguing option for a title defense. MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons said the other day there’s still nothing definite in Pacquiao’s schedule. However, he noted the target is to stage Pacquiao’s next fight in April. Whether the fight will be in the US or the Middle East or somewhere else is up in the air. The opponent is also a question mark at this point with former two-time world champion Danny Garcia a leading contender. Garcia’s chances hinge on how he performs against Ukraine’s Ivan Redkach in Brooklyn this Saturday. Believe it or not, MMA brawler Conor McGregor is now in the candidates’ list, too. Last Saturday, McGregor zoomed back into contention with a 40-second demolition of Donald Cerrone at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Shoulder strikes and a kick to the jaw set up Cerrone for the stoppage but McGregor also showed stunning power with his left hand. For his next fight, McGregor wants a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr., whom he lost to by a stoppage in 2017, or a duel with Pacquiao. Gibbons isn’t ruling out McGregor as an opponent for Pacquiao. Before McGregor’s win over Cerrone, Pacquiao wished
and support for democratic ideals is absent,” it added. Singapore’s introduction of a “fake news” law led to a deterioration of the city-state’s score for civil liberties, The EIU said, adding that as this can be used “to curtail political debate and silence critics of the government.” “The law could be deployed by the government during campaigning ahead of the general election that is expected to be held after the Chinese New Year holiday in early 2020,” the report reads. On the other hand, Thailand had the biggest improvement in democracy, garnering a score of 6.32 in 2019, which 1.69 points higher than its score in 2018. This resulted in Thailand’s rise in the global rankings on democracy by 38 places, The EIU said. According to The EIU, the improvement came after Thailand held an election in March 2019, which is its first polls since the military coup d’état in May 2014. “Voters had a wide array of parties and candidates from which to choose, and this helped to restore some public confidence in the electoral process and the political system,” the report reads. The Democracy Index is based on five categories: electoral process and pluralism; the functioning of government; political participation; political culture; and civil liberties. n
El Nido among ‘best solo travel destinations’... The following year, it was recognized by travel website for reviewers, Trip Advisor, as among the top destinations on the rise. The Venue Report in 2018 also said El Nido is an alternative destination to the popular Bali in Indonesia. El Nido also last year landed in the international Travel + Leisure’s magazine’s list of 15 Best Beach Destinations to visit.
US hospitals need Filipino...
Khan joins Pacquiao sweepstakes by Joaquin
DEMOCRACY in Asia was “tumultuous” in 2019 as protests in Hong Kong escalated while China’s alleged discrimination against minorities intensified, among others, a report from The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has shown. In its Democracy Index 2019, which ranked 167 countries of their state of democracy, India dropped 10 places in the Democracy Index’s global ranking to 51st since its overall score fell from 7.23 in 2018 to 6.90 in 2019. The EIU said this was caused by “an erosion of civil liberties” in the country as the Indian government stripped the Jammu and Kashmir state of its special status by repealing two key constitutional provisions granting it powers of autonomy. Meanwhile, a separate citizenship registration exercise in Assam, a state in north-eastern India, has excluded 1.9 million people from the final list of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The vast majority of people excluded from NRC are Muslims, The EIU noted. “The new citizenship law has enraged the large Muslim population, stoked communal tensions and generated large protests in major cities,” it said. Hong Kong also slipped in its
global rankings from 73rd to 75th amid the violent protests ongoing in the region. Its score fell by 0.13 points in the 2019 index. “Indeed, the wave of often violent protests that have been growing since mid-2019 is largely a manifestation of pre-existing deficiencies in Hong Kong’s democratic environment, rather than a drastic change in conditions last year,” The EIU said. It added that the only indicator in the index that improved in 2019 was that for political engagement, as evidenced by the unprecedented voter turnout in local district elections in November 2019. China’s score also declined to 2.26 in the 2019 index and it is now ranked 153rd, close to the bottom of the global rankings. This comes amid the intensified discrimination against minorities, especially in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, as well as the continued digital surveillance in 2019. “The widespread incarceration and detainment of Muslim minorities, coupled with other infringements of civil liberties, underpins the decline in China’s overall score,” The EIU said. “Given the country’s authoritarian rule, meaningful political participation and political culture remain extremely weak. Furthermore, the majority of the population is unconvinced that democracy would benefit the economy,
“Employment opportunities for nurses are projected to grow at a faster rate (15 percent) than all other occupations from 2016 through 2026,” Fortich said. He pointed out that lack of potential educators, high turnover, and inequitable distribution of the workforce are some of the reasons why the nursing profession continues to face shortages.
The interagency task force led by the triumvirate of the Departments of Tourism, Interior and Local Government and Environment and Natural Resources earlier said it would rehabilitate the famous tourist destination, citing that it faces environmental woes like Boracay island. The DOT, however, said it would not shut down the island to tourists. n
Fortich also commended the Filipino nurses who have stepped in and helped the shortage of nurses in the U.S. hospitals. “Certainly, Filipino nurses, many of whom are already working in the U.S., help alleviate the shortage,” he said. According to him, he has vacancies for 1,000 nurses to work in the U.S. for 2020. (AJPress)
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him good luck in a video message. “We’ve put Conor’s name out there,” said Gibbons. “We teased it a little bit. If the fans want a McGregor fight with the Senator, why not? I think it’ll be an exciting and competitive fight. Conor was green when he fought Mayweather but in the early rounds, he did well. He learned a lot from that. That was just his first foray into boxing. There’s never been any doubt about Conor’s striking skills.” Gibbons said he’s confident a Pacquiao-McGregor fight will bring in 60,000 fans to the Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium which is set for a grand opening in August. He said fans prefer McGregor fighting Pacquiao than Mayweather in a rematch. “The Senator versus Conor is more interesting because there are lot of unknown things that play into the fight,” said Gibbons, quoted by Michael Woods in SBNation.
Philstar.com photo
“Mayweather been there, done that. McGregor doesn’t beat either one but the Senator brings a fresh look.” While there is talk of McGregor as a future opponent, Khan has joined the sweepstakes. Last July, Khan stopped Australia’s Billy Dib in the fourth round to bag the WBC International welterweight crown in Jeddah. The win raised Khan’s record to 345, with 21 KOs. Khan, 33, was a silver medalist at the 2004 Olympics and is of Pakistani descent. As a pro, his losses were to Terence Crawford, Canelo Alvarez, Garcia, Lamont Peterson and Breidis Prescott. “Qatar will host the World Cup in 2022 and is clearly a player in promoting big international sporting events along with Saudi Arabia,” said Gibbons. “There’s interest in bringing the Senator to the Middle East for a fight. We’re exploring that possibility. We’re sorting out a lot of moving parts.” n
STOP! Policemen block a road as residents in a vehicle wait for approval to proceed to their evacuated homes in Tanauan town, Batangas province. Authorities ordered a stop to the evacuees’ daily visits to homes in the danger zone around Taal Volcano, amid a warning it could be ‘recharging’ for a more powerful explosion. ManilaTimes.net photo
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JANUARY 23-29, 2020 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL
OPINION
Virus control
FEATURES
PERHAPS the boy would be cleared of the novel coronavirus, like the three other Chinese travelers who were allowed to proceed with their vacation in Boracay. Unlike the three who had no history of visiting Wuhan in China, however, a five-year-old Chinese boy now being monitored in Cebu came from Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel CoV outbreak for which there is still no cure. The Department of Health said the boy had a fever, cough and throat irritation before arriving in the Philippines, and had tested negative for the known CoV strains of SARS and MERS. The DOH had sent samples to Australia for testing on the type of coronavirus, and the results are expected on Jan. 23. In China, where SARS also originated, the deaths from the novel coronavirus continue to rise, as health professionals confirm that human transmission is possible in cases of 2019-nCoV. The World Health Organization is still convening in Geneva, Switzerland to determine the appropriate response to the spread of the new coronavirus in Asia. Japan, South Korea and Thailand have also reported possible cases of 2019-nCoV – mainly people who have visited Wuhan.
From 2002 to 2003, SARS or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome killed 349 people in the Chinese mainland and another 299 in Hong Kong. Two deaths were reported in the Philippines in 2003: a Filipina nursing assistant who was visiting from Canada, who infected her father. The coronavirus is easily transmitted through coughing or sneezing, so it can spread rapidly. With numerous reports of the virus spreading from Wuhan, the government should have imposed more stringent controls on the entry of travelers from Wuhan. If the Chinese boy tests positive for the novel coronavirus, its spread could become as difficult to place under control as African swine fever. Greater effort is needed to prevent this from happening. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS “A TRULY free and independent press is a vital component of any healthy democratic society. [...] the prime value of journalism is that it imposes transparency, and thus accountability, on those who wield the greatest governmental and corporate power.” — Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras and Jeremy Scahill. This is the vital role a free and independent press plays in a democracy. For many journalists, whether in the Philippines and elsewhere around the world, this is a sacred function worth fighting for to defend democracy. This is also at the heart of the petition spearheaded by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) to the country’s House of Representatives and published through change.org for public support. If watching the news, documentaries, teleseryes, variety shows, drama anthologies and comedies delivered by The Filipino Channel is important to your life here in America, and more importantly — if you are concerned about the impact on Philippine democracy of the Duterte administration’s public threat and declaration to shut down ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation by not renewing the franchise set to expire on March 30, 2020 — then you have to make a stand and let your voices be heard. “We call on Congress to do
Let your voices be heard and fight for democracy: Support the petition to renew the franchise of ABS-CBN what is right and immediately pass the bill to renew ABSCBN’s franchise. The quo warranto petition the Office of the Solicitor General reportedly plans to file before the Supreme Court for the revocation of the network’s franchise is proof that this government, in a supremely undemocratic act, is out to silence a media outfit because of the animosity of one man, the president of the Republic. While we are dismayed at Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano’s brazen conflict of interest when he admitted having a personal beef with the network whose franchise the chamber he heads is supposed to deliberate on, we continue to hope that you, the elected representatives of the people, can rise above your leader’s petty vindictiveness and strike a blow in defense of freedom of the press and of expression. At the very least, if the president is really hell-bent on shutting down ABS-CBN, let him bear full responsibility by passing the bill renewing the network’s franchise and let him veto it if he dares to. Do not be accomplices in the rape of democracy. #NoToABSCBNShutdown,” the petition reads. As reported by Rappler, the online news organization that has also fallen from grace under the Duterte administration, there are at least nine bills filed with Congress seeking a renewal. The report further says ABSCBN’s television broadcast
Commentary
U.S. REP. SUSIE LEE FROM my first day in Congress, every action taken, policy supported, and bill introduced has been to benefit my constituents in southern Nevada. No matter the catchy headlines or endless breaking stories, my priorities did not change—my constituents came first. That’s why I take constituent services so seriously. As important as it is to legislate, a bill will not change the fate of a senior with bills piling up who didn’t get their social security check because of a clerical error, and a committee hearing can’t help a sick veteran who can’t access care because
Philstar.com photo
their medical records were lost— at least not immediately. Problems like these require immediate action and that’s a responsibility my staff and I take great pride in fulfilling. Through our efforts in 2019, we resolved nearly 80 percent of constituent cases opened with our office and helped recover over $900,000 for constituents from federal agencies. These are families, students, senior citizens, veterans, and small businesses on their road to success, health, or well-being who needed an extra hand to overcome some barriers or bumps in the road. They weren’t worried about the latest shakeup in Washington or the snappiest political tweet of the week. They were concerned about their families and their livelihood—and that’s what I’m
arm would have to cease operations if the renewal is not granted on time. The network, though, may reportedly still be able to operate by distributing its content onto other media platforms, such as online and through the company’s publishing and movie production arms. However, it will be the end of ABS-CBN programming on free TV as we know it. Duterte calls ABS-CBN and newspaper the Philippine Daily Inquirer “bastos (rude)” for allegedly reporting unfair news about him and writing in favor of the interests of the owners. He says that one day, “karma will come” to them. He says the Inquirer is “bullsh8t” and that ABS-CBN “published trash.” Duterte calls the Prietos and Lopezes, the respective owners of the companies, “oligarchs and elites.” In response, Inquirer says it has “upheld the highest standards of excellence in journalism” since its founding in 1985. The timeline as published by Rappler: March 31, 2017: The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) calls out Duterte for lashing out against the media, saying it was a “brazen abuse of your immense power as chief executive of this land and only shows how little, if any, appreciation you have of democracy and governance.” April 6, 2017: ABS-CBN Chairman Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III says that the administration’s anger triggered by
the reports is “part and parcel” of the work of a media institution. ABS-CBN maintains that the company has observed “fair and balanced” reporting. April 27, 2017: Duterte accuses ABS-CBN of “swindling,” claiming that the network did not show his political ads during the 2016 campaign although they were already paid for. These comments come just a few days after Duterte renewed the franchise of GMA Network, ABS-CBN’s rival, for another 25 years. Meanwhile, HB 4349 remains at the committee level. Duterte tells Congress, “No need to renew it.” May 19, 2017: Duterte says he will file charges of “multiple syndicated estafa” against ABS-CBN, in a speech at an event launch of housing designs for the military and police. “Kawalang hiya ninyo, kapal ng mukha ninyo, putang-ina ninyo, leche kayo (You have no shame, your faces are too thick, you sons of b*tches),” he says, addressing ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III. “Gabby Lopez, I paid ABS-CBN P2.8 million...You accepted my money, you never bothered to show my propaganda (political advertisements). After the elections, you didn’t return the money,” he adds. He says other candidates such as his running mate Alan Peter Cayetano and vice presidential candidate Francis Escudero experienced the same. August 3, 2018: The president repeats his threat to
block ABS-CBN’s franchise in a speech at the inauguration of a drug rehabilitation facility in Bukidnon. He challenges ABS-CBN executives to let him slap them if records show he has less than P40 million in his bank accounts. June 12, 2019: The Philippine Star reports that the House of Representatives froze HB 4349. A lawmaker, who requested anonymity, says no action on any bill seeking to renew the ABS-CBN franchise would be taken as long as the network still has issues with the president. ABS-CBN later says it is unable to comment on or clarify this report. July 1, 2019: HB 4349 lapses after 17th Congress adjourns, but its same sponsor Representative Micaela Violago refiles the first bill in the 18th Congress to extend ABSCBN’s franchise. October 29, 2019: House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano announces they are set to deliberate on the franchise renewal. At this point, there are at least 5 bills filed that seek to renew ABS-CBN’s franchise. December 3, 2019: In a speech before new Malacañang officials, Duterte says he is still angry with ABS-CBN, telling the network, “If you expect that (the franchise) will be renewed, I’m sorry. I will see to it that you’re out.” This is the third time Duterte reiterates this threat. December 4, 2019: Cayetano says they will no longer tackle the franchise renewal bills for the remainder of 2019, say-
Thank you for your trust
concerned with too. Don’t get me wrong, legislating and long-term change and improvements to the system are extremely important, which is why the legislation and policy I championed in 2019 reflects the everyday needs of the people of Nevada’s 3rd District. It’s not lost on me that intent is all well and good but it doesn’t mean much if you can’t get results. I made sure I got things done as nine of my bills passed the House in 2019, including bills to lower prescription drug costs for Nevadans on Medicare, reauthorize the Older Americans Act, protect and strengthen the GI Bill for student veterans, and extend newborn care coverage for veteran mothers. I was also one of just seven freshmen members of the House
to have a bill signed into law by the President. This bill was to rename the Boulder Highway Post Office to the Henderson Veterans Memorial Post Office Building. The renaming of a post office may feel insignificant to some, but recognizing our veterans is the first step to helping our veterans get the respect, care, and services they earned defending our freedom. I’m proud that the Henderson Veterans Memorial Post Office will serve as an everyday reminder to any Nevadan dropping off a letter or picking up a package that our community isn’t whole without our men and women in uniform. As we flip the calendar to a new year and a new decade, my priorities in Congress won’t change one bit. My constituents come first, and that’s one fact that ties every
member of Congress together. We’re all here—or at least we all should be here—to represent the needs of those in our district. That binds us beyond party or political identity. That’s why I will continue to work with any and all of my colleagues, Republican or Democratic, trying to do what’s best for their district and for our great country. As a proud member of the Problem Solvers Caucus, which consists of an equal number of Democratic and Republican members of Congress, I am committed to finding bipartisan solutions to our most pressing problems. The House passed 275 bipartisan bills in 2019, and we’ll have to tap into that same comradery if we’re going to protect and improve our health care, fix our public schools, create an economy to help every family make ends
ing there will be “more than enough time” for deliberations in 2020. Although Cayetano said earlier he has a “personal complaint” against ABS-CBN for “unjust meddling” in the 2016 elections, he gave assurances there will be “fair” deliberation in the House. House Minority Leader Bienvenido Abante Jr says the majority congressmen “might perhaps toe the line” with Duterte, which would make it “almost next to impossible” to renew the franchise. December 30, 2019: Duterte tells ABS-CBN it would be better to “just sell” the network, remarking that Congress renewing the franchise is unlikely. January 2, 2020: House Committee on Legislative Franchises Chair Franz Alvarez promises his committee would deliberate on the franchise renewal bills. He tells ABS-CBN that securing a franchise from Congress is “not a right, but a privilege.” WHAT IS YOUR STAND? Whether you are for or against the petition to renew the franchise of ABS-CBN, you have to speak up and speak out. *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos.
meet, and solve any other issue stopping our country from reaching its highest potential. It’s going to be hard work, it’s going to be hair pulling and brain rattling at times, but I’m up for the challenge and am more than ready to work hard and see what we can get done together in the new year. Thank you to my constituents for trusting me to serve your interests in Congress. With one year down and one more to go this term, I won’t let you down. *** Congresswoman Susie Lee represents Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District—including Summerlin, Henderson, parts of Las Vegas, and southern Clark County—in the U.S. House of Representatives. In Congress, she is fighting with her colleagues from both sides of the aisle to improve our education system, honor our promise to our veterans, and tackle rising health care costs.
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.
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D ateline PhiliPPines DTI, BOI conduct quick check of
business industries in Calabarzon Business as usual after Taal Volcano eruption
It is business as usual for most companies operating in the Calabarzon Region (Region IV-A) following the eruption of the taal Volcano last Sunday, January 12. “After a temporary disruption of one to two days, our factories in the Calabarzon Region have resumed operations,” trade Secretary and Board of Investments (BOI) Chairman Ramon Lopez said. “With a resilient Filipino workforce, these companies remain strong and can positively overcome obstacles with the ‘Make It Happen’ mindset,” he said. “In any situation of natural disasters, of course, the most urgent task is to ensure the safety of the people affected, and in the case of industries and businesses, the safety of its employees,” he said. “But after this, the BOI immediately conducted inspections in the affected industries to get a general assessment of the situation on the ground, taking note of the businesses’ concerns on its employees, utilities such as power and water, and logistics,” Lopez said. Officials of the Department of trade and Industry (DtI) and the Board of Investments (BOI) composed of BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo, BOI Executive Director Ma. Corazon Halili-Dichosa, DtI Region IV-A Assistant Regional Director Marissa Argente, and BOI Director Bobby Fondevilla conducted visits on January 15 to companies based in some of the industrial parks in the Calabarzon Region to get a general assessment of the situation in the areas affected by the eruption
of the taal Volcano. “It’s mostly business as usual as we aim to ensure operations in Region IV-A remain uninterrupted. We are on standby to help companies in their contingency plans and we will not hesitate to provide relief and support to firms affected by the taal Volcano eruption.” Undersecretary Rodolfo said. the DtI and BOI team visited companies in three industrial parks. Officials of the First Philippine Industrial Park (FPIP) in Sto. tomas, Batangas informed the DtI and BOI team that its business as usual in the park and that contingency plans are in place in the instance of worst-case scenarios. Power and water utilities temporarily shut down when the eruption happened. About 90% of the companies, however, have already resumed operations as of tuesday, while the remaining 10% will operate once their raw materials arrived, according to the FPIP. “As a response, these companies conduct three-day inventories and most of them operate on a “just-in-time” system. We also noted they maintain shuttle buses for the safe commute of their workers,” said Executive Director Dichosa. “the companies also highlighted the importance of accuracy of information gathered from the government agencies and established communication protocols particularly cascading of information from the heads down to the
employees,” said Director Fondevilla. FPIP also informed the team that they are already doing a parkwide clean up of all the debris including the collection of ashfalls from locators which will be given to the barangay for possible other uses such as fertilizers and conversion to hollow blocks. the team also met with officers of Denso, an automotive parts and components manufacturing company employing around 1,900 employees based at the Carmelray Industrial Park 1 in Calamba, Laguna. During the meeting, Denso informed the team that their company is up and running and that power and water utilities are not a problem. the company hired an outsourced service provider to clean up the debris in its roof caused by the volcanic eruption. It is also crafting a risk management plan in case of the possibility of the prolonged condition of the taal Volcano. Denso officers meanwhile requested BOI’s assistance in coordinating with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and the Clark Freeport Zone the gateway protocols on the shipping of raw materials. For its last stop, the DtI and BOI team visited Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Group, an electronic and semiconductor subcontracting group that offers technology and manufacturing solutions located at the Laguna technopark in Binan, Laguna. During the meeting, EMS thanked the BOI for the visit, saying that such a gesture is concrete proof that the government is doing its work. the team was also informed that EMS had to temporarily close its operations as the company’s raw materials up to the end products are very sensitive to dust. the company, however, was in full operation as of Wednesday. the officers of the company also briefed the team on the Risk Management Plan they formulated in case the taal volcano situation worsens to Alert Level 5. the plan included protocols and assignPhoto taken two days after the Taal Volcanic eruption from the shop floor of a factory based ment of decision authority levels in the Carmelray Industrial Zone. The factory has a clean room capability tolerance of 100 from the head of the company particles per million (ppm). up the cascading of decisions to
SWS: Duterte satisfaction rating reaches new record high by Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
PHILIPPInE President Rodrigo Duterte received a record-high satisfaction rating in the fourth quarter of last year, according to a new Social Weather Stations survey released tuesday, January 21. Based on 1,200 respondents, 82% of adult Filipinos were satisfied with Duterte’s performance. On the other hand, 10% of the respondents were dissatisfied, while the remaining 8% were undecided, resulting in a net satisfaction rating of excellent +72. this new rating surpassed Duterte’s previous record of “very good” +68 in June 2019. It is also seven points above the very good +65 registered in September 2019.
SWS also noted that public satisfaction with Duterte rose in almost all geographical areas. Duterte’s net satisfaction rating hit a new record +66 in Balance Luzon in December 2019, up by 12 points from +54 in September 2019. It stayed excellent in the Visayas, at a new record +79 in December, up by 4 points from the previous record +75 in September, as well as Mindanao, at +81 in December, up by 5 points from +76 in September. In Metro Manila, Duterte’s rating stayed very good at +66 from September 2019 to December 2019. Across socioeconomic classes, Duterte’s net satisfaction rating rose from very good to excellent in class E, at +71 in December
2019, up by 14 points from +57 in September 2019. It also rose from very good to excellent in class D, at +72 in December, up by 6 points from +66 in September, and stayed excellent in class ABC, at +76 in December, up by 6 points from +70 in September. the SWS’ latest survey also asked respondents about Duterte’s promises and which among those promises they think will be fulfilled, to which 52% said they are expecting “all or nearly all/ most” of Duterte’s promises to be fulfilled. the SWS survey was conducted from Dec. 13 to 16, 2019. It has a margin of error of ±3 percent for national figures, and ±6 percent for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. n
SC junks De Lima’s plea for habeas data vs Duterte by KRistine Joy
Philstar.com
Patag
MAnILA — the Supreme Court junked Sen. Leila De Lima’s petition for habeas data against President Rodrigo Duterte, claiming the president violated laws protecting women’s rights. the court junked the De Lima’s petition, citing Duterte’s immunity from suit. “the Court dismisses the petition for the writ of habeas data on the ground that respondent Rodrigo Roa Duterte as the incumbent President of the Philippines is immune from suit during his incumbency, ” the SC, in a ruling penned by now retired Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, said. the writ of habeas data is petition sought by persons whose right to privacy in life, liberty or security has been violated or threatened by an unlawful act of a public official or employee. the ruling is dated Oct. 15, 2019 but made public only Wednesday. Associate Justices Marvic Leonen and Andres Reyes Jr. filed their respective concurring opinions. In 2016, De Lima, a staunch critic of the president, sought relief from the high court to compel Duterte “to give her access to the sources of information collected” in the allegations thrown by the government against her. She said in her preliminary statement: “this case presents a
novel issue of transcendental importance: Can a sitting president wage a personal vendetta against petitioner and use the resources of his powerful office to crucify her as a woman, a human being, a duly elected senator in violation of her right to privacy in life, liberty and security?” De Lima cited statements from Duterte saying he “will have to destroy her in public” and calling her an “immoral woman” with “a very sordid personal and official life.” the senator said the statements were given outside Duterte’s functions as a chief executive and should not be covered by the presidential immunity. She also argued that proceedings for the writ of habeas data “do not involve the determination of administrative, civil, or criminal liabilities,” the ruling read. But the SC stressed: “the immunity makes no distinction with regard to the subject matter of the suit; it applies whether or not the acts subject matter of the suit are part of his duties and functions as president.” Ruling does not deny her of legal remedy the high court also said that while they agree with De Lima’s assertion that “for every right violated, there must be a remedy,” they stressed “that this ruling will not deny her any available remedy.”
Sen. Leila de Lima
Philstar.com photo
“Indeed, the Constitution provides remedies for violations committed by the chief rxecutive except an ordinary suit before the courts,” the SC held. “the chief executive must first be allowed to end his tenure (not his term) either through resignation or removal by impeachment,” the SC added. De Lima has been detained at the police headquarters in Quezon City due to the government’s drug charges against her. She is accused of having a hand in the proliferation of drug trade inside the national penitentiary during her stint as Justice secretary, an accusation she has denied. De Lima has earlier accused the government of using public resources to pin her down. n
DOST Undersecretary Renato Solidum (left) gives a brief on the current situation and possible scenarios of the Taal volcanic eruption. Joining him in the briefing were geohazard experts Raymond S. Rodolfo and Arlene Mae P. Tengonciang and Bobby Batungbacal, representing the industry stakeholders
Business Units and the rest of its 10,100 employees. the plan also included components of the Occupational Safety training as mandated by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). the DtI and BOI team also met an employee of EMS who shared her personal experience as to the Volcanic eruption in Batangas. EMS officials meanwhile sought the assistance of the team in the bulk sourcing of the prescribed face masks for its employees. Undersecretary Rodolfo suggested the possibility of sourcing these masks from taiwan. to shed light on the current state and possible scenarios on the taal volcano eruption, the BOI, in its Joint Board and Management Committee Meeting today (January 16), invited resource experts led by Department of Science and technology (DOSt) Undersecretary for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Affairs Renato Solidum, and Geo hazard experts Raymond S. Rodolfo and Arlene Mae P. tengonciang. Representatives from industry stakeholders led by Bobby Batungbacal were also present in the meeting to provide the industries’ insights and concerns particularly on logistics and utilities given the situation. Undersecretary Solidum clarified that only business establishments within the 14-kilometer radius of the taal Volcano Base Surge Hazard Map identified by Phivolcs are required to evacuate. A base surge is a special class of pyroclastic density currents which are “mixtures of fragmented volcanic particles, hot gases and ash that rush down the volcanic slopes or rapidly outward from a source vent at high speeds”, according to Phivolcs. Base surges are ringshaped spreading out from the base of the eruption column.
Business establishments can refer to the Bulletins and Advisories being issued by Phivolcs on a regular basis and to https://hazardhunter.georisk.gov.ph/ for the updated hazard areas. Business establishments outside the 14-kilometer radius are encouraged to have a Contingency Response Plan or Risk Management Plan ready to address the effects/impact of the eruption. the plan should include the following: Decision/Level of Authority Protocols; Occupational Safety Protocols for Employees; and Recovery and Cleanup Plan (coordination with Local Government Unit (LGU) authorities and park or ecozone administrators on park or zone-wide cleanup). As a take away from the concerns and insights discussed, Undersecretary Rodolfo said the BOI will mobilize its teams and delivery units to affected industries within and those outside the 14-kilometer radius hazard zone on power, utilities, logistics and a BOI Hotline to handle investor inquiries and concerns. He said BOI will also be coordinating with toll operators particularly the StAR toll in Batangas for the bay linking to the South Luzon Expressway and the connectivity of the ports for concerns on the shipping of goods from the affected areas to their respective destinations. BOI is also looking at partnering with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology for the geohazard risk maps of industries within the region. “Even as operations have resumed, we all remain vigilant. We continue to monitor the taal Volcano’s activity—mainly through the official Phivolcs bulletins, as a guard against fake news—and have enhanced coordination mechanisms with our private
stakeholders and government partners. Remember that we are still on Alert Level 4. Of course, in all of our actions, priority is the safety of workers and their families; and then comes Business Continuity,” said Rodolfo. As a follow-through for these initiatives, the BOI met industry stakeholders, resource persons from the various government agencies on January 21 to discuss businesses and industries’ concerns on utilities, logistics, employee safety, and other relevant topics. Rodolfo meanwhile underscored the strategic significance of the Calabarzon in the country’s economic growth and national development as it has been the top recipient of approved investments in recent years. BOI figures show that the Calabarzon region attracted P390 billion or more than a third of the committed investments in 2019 valued at P1.14 trillion. Batangas, alone, is scheduled to host two colossal power projects worth a total of P95.7 billion, and a natural gas plant costing P35.2 billion. the Quezon province, on the other hand, will be home to a 1200 MW power plant with a project cost of P130.3 billion and a P47.4 billion wind power project. the region comprises the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon. the Calabarzon region is the second-largest contributor to the domestic economy, accounting for 17% of the country’s economic output in 2018. the industrial sector dominates the region’s production, accounting for 62% of the gross regional domestic product (GRDP). In 2019, there were 6.2 million employed persons in Calabarzon, the biggest among all regions. n
january 23-29, 2020 • LaS VEGaS aSIan jOurnaL
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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 23-29, 2020
DOH probes ‘carrier’ of mystery virus by Jan
arcilla ManilaTimes.net
A FIVE-year-old Chinese boy who traveled from Wuhan in China to Cebu City could be the Philippines’ first severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-like virus case. The Department of Health on Tuesday, January 21, said it was monitoring the boy who tested positive for nonspecific pancorona virus. The boy arrived on January 12 from Wuhan, where the mystery virus originated. Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd said the patient had fever, throat irritation and cough upon arrival in the Philippines. “The child is considered a person under investigation,� Duque said. The child tested negative for Middle East respiratory syndromerelated coronavirus (CoV) and SARS-related CoV. “However, the samples tested positive for the non-specific pancoronavirus assay, thus the specimen has been sent to Australia to identify the specific coronavirus strain,� Duque said. The new virus appears to be a never-before-seen strain of coronavirus — a large family of viruses that can cause diseases ranging from the common cold to SARS, which killed 349 people in mainland China and another 299 in Hong Kong between 2002 and 2003. Arnaud Fontanet, head of the Department of Epidemiology at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, said the current virus strain was 80 percent
genetically identical to SARS. China has already shared the genome sequencing of this novel coronavirus with the international scientific community. For now, it is being dubbed “2019-nCoV.� Earlier, three Chinese bound for Boracay in Aklan were quarantined on suspicion that they had the SARS-like virus. The three are well and are no longer manifesting any symptoms, Duque said. The Health department has directed the quarantine bureau to intensify the screening of passengers. The Bureau of Human Quarantine at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport stepped up its monitoring of passengers. On Tuesday afternoon, the human quarantine team rushed to the boarding area after airlines personnel reported that a ChineseFilipino toddler was “suffering� from fever. Quarantine physician L.C. de Guzman said the boy was allowed to fly along with his family to China when his temperature went down. De Guzman said passengers coming from Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, Shenzen, Beijing and Shanghai, which are the possible connecting routes from Wuhan were strictly monitored. He, however, lamented that the number of quarantine personnel is not enough. “We need at least 50 additional health workers to augment our present force,� a doctor who refused to be identified said.
Countries on alert Asian countries have ramped up measures to block the spread of the new virus as the death toll in China rose to six and the number of cases jumped to almost 300 since it first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Taiwan on Tuesday reported its first confirmed case of the new SARS-like CoV. The patient is a Taiwanese woman in her fifties, living in Wuhan, who returned to the island on Monday with symptoms including fever, coughing and a sore throat. The patient reported her symptoms to quarantine officials on arrival at Taoyuan Airport and was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment, said the island’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Authorities were monitoring some 46 passengers and crew from the same flight, the agency said. The CDC raised its alert on Wuhan to the highest level, urging the public against traveling to the city unless necessary. The CoV has spread to Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Duque advised the public to practice frequent hand washing, avoid unprotected contact with farm or wild animals, and practice proper cough etiquette. “I urge travelers with symptoms of respiratory illness, either during or after travel, to seek medical attention immediately. I also call on our health facilities to enhance standard infection prevention and control practices, especially in our emergency departments. We must always be ready,� the Health chief said. n
72 percent of Filipinos worried about Duterte’s health — SWS by consuelo
marquez
Inquirer.net
MANILA — Seventy-two percent of Filipinos revealed that they are worried about President Rodrigo Duterte’s health, Social Weather Stations’ (SWS) 2019 Fourth Quarter survey showed on Tuesday, January 21. The poll said of the 72 percent, 25 percent said they worry at a “great deal� about the President’s health while 47 percent they are somewhat worried. The SWS said this was similar to June 2019’s survey where 74 percent of Filipinos expressed worry while 26 percent were not worried about the 74-year-old leader’s health. The December 2019 poll also showed that 28 percent are not worried about Duterte’s health.
Of which, 15 percent were somewhat not worried while 13 percent were not worried at all. Meanwhile, 61 percent of Filipinos believed that Duterte’s health should be a public matter while 37 percent said the president’s health is a private matter. The December 2019 survey asked: “Gaano po kayo nababahala na magkaroon ng mga problema sa kalusugan si Pang. Rodrigo Duterte? Kayo po ba ay‌ Talagang nababahala; Medyo nababahala; Medyo hindi nababahala o talahang hindi nababahala? (How worried are you that Pres. Rodrigo Duterte have health problems? Are you‌ Worried a great deal; Somewhat worried; Not too worried or not worried at all)?)â€?
The SWS interviewed 1,200 Filipinos aged 18 years old and above nationwide. Of the number, 300 were interviewed in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The survey, conducted from Dec. 13 to Dec. 16, 2019, used sampling error margins of ¹3% for national percentages, and ¹6% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, the SWS said. In 2019, Duterte’s state of health became a bigger issue because of his continued absence in public events, which was heightened after a motorcycle accident on Oct. 16. Overall, Duterte missed at least eight public engagements last year reportedly due to issues with his health. n
SURVIVORS. Live cows are seen near the shoreline of the island after more than a week since Taal Volcano’s eruption during the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and Joint Task Force (JTF)-Taal aerial reconnaissance at Taal Island on Tuesday, January 21. This ash dune-like landscape is what was left of what was once home to at least 3,000 people before the eruption.  PNA photo by Joey O. Razon
Ailments hound Taal evacuees by Franz lewin
embudo
ManilaTimes.net
A WEEK after thousands of families fled the wrath of Taal Volcano, the situation at evacuation centers sheltering them has begun to deteriorate because of overcrowding. Evacuees on Monday, January 20, said children were getting sick and water was getting scarce. Forty-year-old Luz Mendoza, from Barangay Laguile, Taal, Batangas, worried about her twomonth-old baby who has had a cold since Tuesday, a day after they arrived at the evacuation center. “’Yung pangalawang araw lang sinipon; [ang] mabuti may mga doktor naman diyan (On the second day, he caught a cold; good thing there are doctors there),� she said. “Gusto na nga po namin umuwi (We want to go home),� Mendoza said when asked about her plan for the next days. Department of Health local official Kennelyn Erodias said among the evacuees’ health problems are skin diseases, diarrhea, fever, headache, cough and cold. Lito Castro, head of the Batangas Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said on Monday there was an urgent need to decongest the centers, which are actually schools that had been designated as evacuee camps. “Last night (Sunday, January 19), we transferred some evacuees from Batangas City to the municipality of Taysan that will continue the decongestion,� he added. By the Batangas Provincial Disaster Office’s count, there are 34,939 families or 134,631 persons staying at the province’s evacuation
centers. Castro said another serious problem was the lack of toilets. Henidina Onal, 53, who is camping out at the Bauan Technical High School in Bauan, Batangas, said there was not enough water in the toilets and she feared for the health of the children. “Ang problema po namin dito, ang tubig sa CR (comfort room) minsan nawawala. Nagkakasakit ng ubo at lagnat ang mga bata (Our problem here is that sometimes our comfort rooms have no water. Children are getting sick),� she said. Close to 6,400 families or 23,000 people are staying at Bauan Technical High School, which is the town’s designated evacuation center. Onal narrated to The Manila Times her experience when Taal erupted: “Hindi po ako makatulog, lindol nang lindol. Nag-crack nga po ang aming kusina at mga kwarto. Ang aming kusina ay walang bubong kaya ay punong puno po ng abo (I could not sleep because of the earthquakes. There were cracks in our kitchen and bedroom. Our kitchen was filled with ash because it has no roof).� Onal could consider herself lucky. Mylene Encarnacion, 28, had to sleep on the ground outside the Batangas Provincial Sports Complex after a series of earthquakes rattled the area Sunday night. “Sa labas [ng gymnasium] po kami natulog lahat kagabi. Ang lakas po ng lindol (We slept outside the gymnasium last night. There was a really strong eathquake),� she said. Phivolcs recorded the strongest tremor at magnitude 4.6 at 8:59
p.m. on Sunday in the town of Mabini. It was followed by magnitude-4.0 earthquake at 10:02 p.m. in the same area. The Batangas Provincial Sports Complex is sheltering 548 families or 2290 individuals. The Polytechnic University of the Philippines’ campus in Sto. Tomas has taken in 773 evacuees. Two weeks after Taal belched steam and ash, authorities have kept the Alert Level at 4, which means a major eruption could happen within days. The threat from the volcano remains because magma beneath it continues to “recharge,� Director Renato Solidum of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said on Monday. He added that the volcanic earthquakes signify that the groundwater beneath the volcano island is “being oiled� and its steam is moving up. “The threat is there and the fact is [that] Taal Volcano can have various explosions,� Solidum said in a news conference at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City with National Disaster Council officials. One bright note is that electricity has been restored in some areas affected by the volcano’s explosion. In a message on Monday, Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga said all the power distributor’s main lines and circuits had been restored. Portions of Cavite, Laguna and Batangas experienced interruptions in the past week because of ash spewed by Taal damaged Meralco’s lines. About 180,000 Meralco customers were affected, said Zaldarriaga. n
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january 23-29, 2020 • LaS VEGaS aSIan jOurnaL
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VEGAS&STYLE
Journal Fil-Am designer Carol de Leon’s mission to promote sustainable, artisanal products made in the Philippines she didn’t imagine that she’d be in a creative field one day, she credits her architect dad as an artistic influence, as well as her mom and extended family’s sense of fashion and bespoke clothes. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in international marketing from Loyola Marymount University and a certificate in shoe design from Otis College of Art and Design, one of de Leon’s first jobs in her early 20s was designing a high-end women’s fashion footwear line in Milan, Italy with her then-husband Marco Delli. “I learned how to make shoes in Vigevano, which is a small town outside of Milan. It’s the same town where Manolo Blahnik makes all his shoes,” de Leon recalled. “Going between LA and Italy, we’d find leathers and materials to prepare the collections. This went on for years and I had to adapt to the Italian way of doing business.” De Leon eventually ventured off on her own with stints designing accessories at Wild Orchid and directing the design department at high-end footwear line Taryn Rose. She also dabbled in other mediums, like interior design, which included a gig with Missoni Casa. “My vision was to completely make my own mark and I actually wanted to get away from the shoe
FROM living and working in Milan and Los Angeles, Filipina American accessories designer Carol de Leon packed everything up in favor of Manila this past fall. A big question about her reverse migration that friends and industry colleagues have asked her is, ‘why?’ De Leon has worked as a shoe designer for brands in Italy and Los Angeles since the 1990s, and started her own successful lines that have been sold in major retails like Nordstrom and Bloomingdales. However, the overconsumption in the fast fashion industry has shifted her focus to more handcrafted, small-batch designs and products using materials from her native Philippines and training future designers to have products that can compete globally and be touted as proudly Filipino. “It’s almost like a renaissance, letting go of a lot of things in order to create new opportunities,” de Leon told the Asian Journal in an interview at her LA home in the midst of her packing. “The situation and potential in the Philippines motivate me to do more because I can just stay here [in the U.S.] and be comfortable and not grow or give back. I feel extremely
lucky and blessed to have this opportunity to have reclaimed my Filipino citizenship and be able to move back there.” Under her brand Angkan — meaning ‘clan’ or ‘tribe’ in Tagalog — she has developed a line of accessories and goods rooted in sustainability, championing cultural materials and providing livelihoods for indigenous communities and female enterprises. “I’m using Angkan as a platform to position the ‘Made in the Philippines’ product in a very high, positive view globally,” de Leon said. “So we’re working on collaborations with different brands, whether they’re based in LA, in Italy, or Manila.” One of her main missions for now being in Manila full-time is setting up a design center that will assist and mentor local Philippine designers in improving their work as well as providing linkages to sourcing materials, whether from other parts of the country or elsewhere around the world. “Seeing these Filipino designers shows that creativity runs in our blood, whether it’s fashion design, art or music. The talent is definitely there in our genes. I believe it just needs to be on a more globalized level,” de Leon said. Born in Manila, de Leon and her parents moved to Los Angeles when she was 4 years old. Though
Working with female artisans in local communities in the Philippines. Photo courtesy of Angkan/Carol de Leon
De Leon’s brand Angkan has introduced a collection of handmade bags using traditional Filipino materials and designs made by Philippine-based weavers. AJPress photos courtesy of Noel Ty
By Christina
M. Oriel
AJPress
industry 100% because I wanted to do everything on my own, meaning my own network, own everything,” she recalled. But the calls back to the shoe industry were louder as old clients wanted to hire her as a freelancer. It was around the time when a growing number of Italian brands — even big, luxury names like Prada and Gucci — started to move a part of their manufacturing processes to China. “You know how they talk about brain drain in the Philippines? In China, they needed designers who could do original designs because all they knew was how to copy things. So that’s when I ended up working in China for about 15 years,” de Leon said. For six of those years, de Leon was the creative director of Blonde Ambition, an LA-based shoe line that combined the city’s laidback lifestyle and vibrant aesthetic with European timeless design and structure. The line was distributed in the U.S., Europe, Asia and the Middle East. She launched another venture in 2013: FLOGG, a contemporary women’s footwear line that combined the comfort and cushioning of flip-flops and wooden structure and arch support of clogs. Priced between $80 and $250, over 120,000 pairs were sold in the first year at major retailers like Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Macy’s and Zappos and in 51 countries, including the Philippines. “It was great for the first couple of years but I burnt out because it was so fast and furious the way it worked and it was very demanding,” she said, detailing the many hats she took on while handling all aspects of the business from finances to design to logistics. One of the unintended results of traveling from LA to China during this period was tapping into a renewed appreciation and curiosity for the nearby Philippines. “Because I was in Asia a lot, that’s when I started to rediscover the Philippines,” she said. “Bonifacio
De Leon, a shoe designer and product development specialist, photographed in her Hollywood Hills home before she moved to Manila full-time this past fall.
Global City (BGC) was being built and so I saw that and I thought like, ‘Wow, this is a really new Philippines,’ you know, and I liked that part of it.” The rapid expansion and drive to increase production made de Leon take a step back and assess the impact she wanted to leave with her products. A major influence was watching Lauren Greenfield’s documentary, “Generation Wealth,” which explores the environmental and emotional consequences of fast fashion. “It’s not just pretty designs because companies look at the increase in sales and profitability and I have a good track record with that…But then you see the results on our earth and our environment, and the fact that we have the opportunities to achieve great wealth yet spend the least amount of time with our children and families,” she said. “So you gotta just think about that for a second and see what is
really important: Is it the profitability or how you live your life? And what kind of imprint are you leaving for the next generation?” ‘Made in the Philippines’ In early 2018, again back in Manila to do research for another line, de Leon attended Manila FAME, a trade show organized by the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)’s Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM). She stumbled upon a closed DTI meeting about improving product design in the country so it could be on par with other markets, and introduced herself and pitched her experience. She was then offered a contract as a product development specialist to lend her expertise to the DTI and its Go Lokal program, which helps Philippine micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) create products at a quality that can be sold in the local conPAGE 13
James, Nadine confirm split Gerald gets help on personal issues from new show by iza iglesias
by Krissy
aguilar Inquirer.net
CELEBRITY couple James Reid and Nadine Lustre confirmed on Monda, January 20 that they had broken up. The couple issued a joint statement aired over “Tonight With Boy Abunda” Monday night, announcing their separation. “It’s true that we have split up but not for all the reason that are being spread on the tabloids and social media but because, after quiet and mature conversations, we decided to focus on ourselves — not only for our careers but for our personal growth as we are still young and we want to achieve as much as we can,” the statement read. “We agreed that going separate ways was best for both of us. We are in good terms and are still really good friends and will continue to work with each other especially when it comes to music,” it added. The actors also took the opportunity to thank those who have supported them. “Thank you for all the Jadine
ManilaTimes.net
Nadine Lustre and James Reid
fans for their undying support and we hope that you continue to support us now and in the future. We shall forever be grateful to them for their love and understanding,” it read. The couple did not disclose further details on why they decided to part ways. Their breakup came a few days after rumors about their separation
ABS-CBN photo
surfaced online following reports posted on several entertainment sites. Lustre also earlier called out an entertainment columnist over an article about their supposed breakup. It was back in 2016 when Reid and Lustre first admitted their relationship during their first major concert titled “JaDine in Love.”
Sharon on who her bashers ‘support so blindly’ SHARON Cuneta said she has come to terms with the fact that “bashers will always be part of the whole package” of being a celebrity and has learned to “manage emotions” when it comes to dealing with them.“During the early years of Twitter, I felt so bad to have encountered people who were so disrespectful. I came from a generation where people confronted each other if they had unsettled issues,” Sharon pointed out. “Today, people are so brave to post negative stuff because they’re all anonymous,” the actress added. “I wasn’t used to dealing with these people before, so I would answer. Para akong nanay na pinagagalitan ang bastos na anak. Later on, I realized that I shouldn’t waste time on these people because I don’t know them, anyway,” she admitted. Sharon, however, said she has an idea on who these people “support so blindly.” She added: “They’re fans of people I’ve worked with before. I just block them because sobrang bastos, although I wonder why they’re doing it. Some are die-hard fans of KC (Concepcion, her daughter with actor Gabby), who don’t understand the dynamics of being part of our family. She explained: “My children didn’t grow up like them. My kids are all loved. I just wish they would stop meddling because they don’t know the root cause of everything. “The world will be a better place if we wish each other well. I wish that instead of patutsada, prayers na lang. They’re not helping us with what they’re doing.”
WITHOUT a doubt, Gerald Anderson is one of the names that made waves in showbiz last year — not because of his movies nor his stint in basketball via Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) — but for all the negative reasons. Anderson was dragged into the Bea Alonzo-Julia Barretto controversy which dominated the internet for a long time. The issue started from the Anderson-Barretto sighting at the birthday party of Rayver Cruz in July. The stolen shot of the two went viral. Prior to all these, there have already been talks about an alleged Barretto-Anderson romance that blossomed during the shoot of their first movie, “Between Maybes” (May 2019). This was released a month prior to the announcement in June that Barretto and Joshua Garcia have broken up after two years of dating. The day after the Barretto-Anderson sighting, Alonzo posted a cryptic message on her Instagram account, which led to speculations about infidelity in her relationship. Netizens then began accusing Anderson and Barretto of cheat-
ing their respective partners. Thus, the birth of the hashtags #TeamBea and #TeamJulia, pitting the two women against each other. But in separate interviews, the two denied the accusations online. The 30-year-old actor revealed on ABS-CBN’s “TV Patrol” that he and Alonzo had been having a succession of arguments that ultimately led to “one big fight,” where there came the realization that the relationship was no longer healthy, and that they were “just hurting each other.” Focused Indeed, Anderson faced a challenging year in 2019. But according to him, he doesn’t mind all the bashings he has been receiving, but is only focused on his new show “A Soldier’s Heart,” that premiered on Monday. “Kasama sa territory namin ang bashing. Exposed kami, open kami dahil sa social media. Kumbaga, open para sa kahit sino ang mag-comment. Pero nasa atin na yan kung paano natin tatanggapin. Alangan naman dahil may nag-bash sa akin, titigil na ako [sa pagtatrabaho]. E, ang dami ko pang pangarap, ang dami ko pang pinapakain. Hindi naman ako yayaman diyan sa bashers,” Anderson pointed
out during the show’s special screening and press conference on January 16. “Kailangan [maging mahinahaon], e. Alangan namang sasabayan ko yung gulo. At naging malaking tulong ito, itong mga boys, yung taping, yung training. Malaking tulong talaga,” he added. Tribute to soldiers Anderson’s comeback to the small screen through “A Soldier’s Heart” is a tribute to Filipino modern-day heroes. It is a timely and relevant series shedding light on the hardships of Filipino soldiers, who symbolize bravery for dedicating their PAGE 11
Sharon Cuneta
Sharon and KC are currently not on speaking terms. Sharon said KC did not join the family during the recent Christmas holidays. “I just want to know how KC is,” she said as an explanation on why she recently posted a lengthy and emotional message for KC on her Instagram account. “I don’t care if I don’t get supporters online. Mas importante ang pagkatao ko sa akin kaysa kasikatan ko. When show biz is done with me, my family is all that will remain,” she declared. (Marinel Cruz/ Despite a challenging year he faced in 2019, Gerald Anderson stays focused in his small screen comeback. Inquirer.net)
ABS-CBN photos
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Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA ONCE long ago when I was probably 9 or 10, while scouring through my aunt’s bookshelf, I came across a tattered pocketbook. I can’t remember the exact title of the book but it had the words “6 million” on the cover. Leafing through the pages, I saw black and white captioned pictures. In one photo, there were images of skeletal men and women with sunken, sad eyes staring at the camera wearing black and white striped uniforms with tattooed numbers on their left forearms. There were barbed wires around brick buildings in this place called Auschwitz in Poland. The haunting images were seared in my mind. In the intervening years, life happened. Although I would occasionally pick the book and browse through it, I knew that book showed me the
Health@Heart PHILIP S. CHUA, MD, FACS, FPCS WHAT is the usual type of gastric cancer? The most common variety of gastric (stomach) cancer is adenocarcinoma, usually found in the body of the stomach and in the area between the esophagus (food pipe) and the stomach. The word adeno stands for “glandular” cell type as seen by the pathologist in the microscope. How prevalent is gastric cancer? This varies among countries and by sex. Per 100,000 Japanese population, for example, it is about 80 men and 30 women; white American men, 11, white American women 7; British men, 18 and British women, 10. There has been an impressive decline in incidence in North America, New Zealand and Australia since 1930 but the reduction has been slower in Europe. The incidence also seems higher among those with Type A blood. In the United States, cancer of the stomach is relatively more common among Japanese American and Hispanic groups. The death rate in the U.S. for gastric cancer is between 14,000 to 15,000 a year. Sixty to 70% of total cases of these are men. Stomach cancer among the people in Japan appears to be “milder,” as compared to stomach cancer in the U.S. Is this cancer related to stomach ulcers? Lifelong stomach ulcer caused by infection with Helicobacter pylori appears to be strongly associated with cancer of the stomach, and so with poor intake of antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, (and folic acid and calcium also), and vegetables and fruits. The chronic inflammation in H. pylori infection may also be a contributing factor in the formation of gastric cancer among patients. What are the other etiologic factors? Smoking is strongly related to cancer of the proximal portion of the stomach. This is one unhealthy habit people should stay away from because cigarettes are deadly, killing hundreds of
COMMUNITY JOURNAL
Bucket list No.17 Visit Auschwitz and swear never to take your life for granted darkness of the human soul. It forced me to grow up. That book showed me pure horror. Fast forward to 2018, more than 50 years later, … A side trip to Poland from Rome gave me the chance to see Auschwitz up close. The complete name though is Auschwitz-Birkenau to include another camp in the area. In fact, there were 3 Auschwitz camps, designated I, II and III as Nazi Germany thrived on forced labor. The tour bus drive from beautiful Krakow, where we were staying, was a little less than an hour. It was a bright day but the tall stand of verdant, mature weeping willow trees with their bowed heads of drooping leaves at the entrance of the Auschwitz Memorial set the somber tone for the day. There were a good
number of visitors and sure enough, there were stringent security procedures. These days, tightened security measures are signs of our time. Then as now, things Semitic seem to trigger hatred among the evil ones that boils over to insanity, rage and cruelty. Pure hatred for the Jews moved Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany at the height of its power in World War II to murder brutally and systematically 6 million Jews. I listened intently as our expert guide told us the story of how a million Jews were murdered in that place. I had to keep up because there was so much to take in. We walked between the barracks where the prisoners were kept. Auschwitz Camp I had 20 barracks initially. I felt
On gastric cancer thousands slowly and “softly”. This type of gastric malignancy is also associated with obesity, gastro-esophageal reflux, high fat intake, and seen more among the more affluent people. Those in the lower socio-economic bracket are seen to be more prone to distal stomach cancer. How about eating smoked or salted fish? Eating dried salted fish and smoked foods (or the nitrates in them) have been suspected to increase the risk of stomach cancer. There seems to be a higher incidence in Asia, particularly in Japan. Currently, however, we find no absolute proof in the medical literature that confirms this, but I would still advise caution here. As far as a good daily dietary regimen is concerned, there is nothing better and safer than fresh fish, vegetables, fruits, high-fiber foods, and abstaining from red meat and eggs, which are high in cholesterol and fats and low in fiber. Red meat has been implicated as a causative factor in colon cancer and other cancers. What are the symptoms to watch for? They vary from person to person. Most do not even have obvious symptoms before they are discovered. The symptoms could be a sense of indigestion, upper stomach discomfort, gassy bloating feeling, loss of appetite or pain on eating, loss of weight, tarry (blood in) stools, anemia, weakness and fatigue, depending on the stage of the cancer. But any of these symptoms may also be caused by other illnesses, which may not be as serious and are curable. This is the reason why a regular medical check-up and seeing the doctor early are important practices to prevent serious illnesses. If in doubt, consult your physician. What is the survival rate? In the United States, the 5-year survival rate (the number of patients alive after 5 years) is 90% (nine out of ten) among those where the tumor is confined to the mucosa (stomach lining only) and 20% (one in five) among those with large tumors and lymph node spread. What is upper GI endoscopy? This is an examination of the food pipe and stomach us-
ing a flexible fiberoptic lighted and magnified scope (about the caliber of the little finger), that is passed through the mouth, down the throat, the esophagus and to the stomach to view any pathology, and do a biopsy, if needed. Endoscopic Ultrasound is another recent diagnostic tool and is very helpful in assessing the condition of the esophagus and stomach, and also for any lymph node or regional spread of the cancer. What is the treatment? When stomach cancer is diagnosed, complete surgical excision is the best option, if maximum survival rate is to be achieved. But this is not always feasible, depending on the stage and anatomy of the disease. Subtotal gastrectomy (removing part of the stomach involved in the cancer) has been found to have the same survival rate benefit compared to removing the entire stomach. No difference in the 5-year survival rate or postoperative mortality. How about chemotherapy? Current clinical evidence has shown that adjuvant chemotherapy (surgery plus chemotherapy) versus surgery alone significantly increases survival rate. In other words, it is not any better than surgery alone. It also found that those who had adjuvant chemotherapy had much more postoperative complications. There are various current chemotherapeutic agents that have not been fully evaluated. But ongoing research continues. Hopefully, someday soon, the “perfect” regimen will come along. Better yet, a vaccine to prevent gastric cancer. In the meantime, let us stay away from unhealthy habits and prevent diseases from coming our way, especially deadly cancers. For a gift of health, visit philipSchua.com *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.
Gerald gets help on personal issues from...
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lives to the country. Besides Anderson as Alex, six other brave soldiers will forge a loyal brotherhood despite their differences as they face the hardships and triumphs of their vocation. Alex’s band of brothers include Elmer (Vin Abrenica), Benjie (Yves Flores), Abe (Carlo Aquino), Michael (Nash Aguas), Phil (Jerome Ponce) and Jethro (Elmo Magalona). According to the actor, to be able to feel the real experiences of soldiers for the show, members of the cast had to train with the Philippine Army for three days. “Dumaan kami sa three-day Scout Ranger course. Pero disclaimer, hindi dahil three days lang madali siya. Siniksik nila ang two weeks worth na training in three days. So imagine that, talagang mahirap siya,” he recalled. “Grabe talaga yung ginawa namin sa Army. Sa tatlong araw, parang dalawa o tatlong oras lang yung tulog namin. Natutulog kami sa lupa, yung unan ko ugat ng puno, umuulan, kinakagat kami ng lamok. Buti walang nagkasakit pero maraming nainjure. Si Yves hindi nakalakad, si Jerome hindi rin nakalakad. But makikita n’yo as a team, walang iwanan, e, kasi wala namang celebrity treatment sa
training,” he continued. “Pero sa totoo lang, nae-enjoy ko yung ginagawa ko at alam ko na meron kaming ginagawa para sa bansa natin dito sa show. Kahit pagod na, at talagang nakakapagod siya, very fulfilling pa rin,” Anderson shared. Trained by Matteo Guidicelli Meanwhile their colleague in the industry, Matteo Guidicelli, who graduated from his 30-day Scout Ranger Orientation and Leadership Development Course in July last year, made time for the cast who underwent the three-day course in the Army — not to visit them, but to lead them in the hardcore training. “Si Matteo pinahirapan niya talaga kami. Hindi siya nakakainis kasi alam mong may dahilan kung bakit. Pag sumigaw siya ng lublob, kailangan lublob talaga sa tubig. Pag sinabi niyang dapa at mag-crawl, gagawin mo. Minsan hirap na hirap na kami pero kailangang tapusin. Higher officer din kasi siya. He’s an Army reservist Probationary Second Lieutenant,” the actor from General Santos City said. Despite all the sacrifices they had to do in the Army, Anderson said it was already an achievement for them especially when they get to send the important lesson for those who will watch their show.
“Sobra po akong nagpapasalamat na dumaan kami sa training na yun dahil kahit papaano totoo yung mga eksena namin. So sobrang thankful po ako na ako yung pinili para maging Alex Marasigan. Dun pa lang sapat na motivation yun para buong puso kong ibinuhos ang sarili ko sa proyektong ito,” Anderson said. “Pangalawa, gusto namin pag napanood nila, maiiba yung respeto nila sa mga sundalo natin at sa pamilya ng mga sundalo. Bata pa lang ako, yun na talaga yung pangarap ko. So malapit sa puso ko ito. Pero nung dumaan kami sa training, nakita ko yung pinagdadaanan nila, ibang level talaga. Sana makita nila yung ibang parts na yun sa show namin,” he continued. “Na-realize ko yung mga nirereklamo natin on a daily basis, mga maliliit na bagay, yung patience mo parang mahihiya ka nang konti sa mga pinagdaanan ng mga sundalo natin — sa training nila, sa mga bakbakan nila, hindi po alam kung makakabalik sila,” Anderson ended. Joining the ensemble cast of “A Solder’s Heart” are Sue Ramirez, seasoned actors Ariel Rivera, Irma Adlawan, Raymond Bagatsing, Sid Lucero, Rommel Padilla, Mickey Ferriols, Nikki Valdez and Ketchup Eusebio.
as though silent ghosts were still looking out from behind bars after 73 years since the last living prisoner left hell on earth for freedom in the winter of 1945. In 1939, Germany invaded Poland and much of Europe’s neck was under its boots. Auschwitz, a part of Hitler’s final solution to exterminate the Jews in Europe, was kept a secret from the world for 2 years in the beginning of the war. It was located in South Poland on 15 acres. It was chosen for the main railroad that went through Poland and Germany. The death camp was converted from a complex of Polish military barracks. Crematories, gas chambers and warehouses were added. There was housing for the camp commandant, Rudolf Hess, and the brutal SS guards. There was, alongside the camp, an industrial complex of factories that systematically fed off the camp’s slave labor for a host of companies that was building Nazi Germany’s war machinery. In many parts of Europe, these companies supported Hitler. Most were German companies but a few were from England, like Barclays, from
LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 23-29, 2020 Switzerland, like Nestle and even from the US, like Chase. Complicit with the war effort at the time are globally recognized names. They included Deutsche Bank, Siemens, Daimler Benz of Mercedes Benz, Audi, BMW and Bayer. Hundreds of thousands of slave labor were used, particularly in the automotive industry. Hugo Boss manufactured the smart looking, sleek German uniforms. There are many other companies that continue to thrive globally to this day, 75 years later. Sadly, billions of people today remain largely unaware or ignorant of these companies’ involvement in various capacities in the holocaust. Some of these companies were forced into cooperation by expediency or the need to survive but most were clearly in for the pure profit motive — humanity be damned. After the war, there were recriminations and sanctions. There were political apologies and largely unknown and undisclosed monetary reparations made to the Jewish nation through the years that followed. But if there was genuine con-
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trition and complete change of heart, only God knows for certain. With the passage of time and our collective human tendency to refuse to learn from the past, anti-Semitism is percolating and heating up once more. True and final reckoning is yet to come. Walking through the exhibits, I was riveted by the display of the mountain of empty canisters which contained the gas Zyklon (Cyclone, an insecticide) used for the gas chambers. The exhibits showed the mountains of luggage, shoes, a personal effects — of eyeglasses, pipes, canes and myriad others. There was a huge mound of hair cuttings. These drew gasps among the visitors. The black and white photos of the prisoners along the corridor walls of one of the barracks put a face to the numbers. Each photo staring out of the walls told a tragic story. (To be continued …) *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com
America
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Parenting Workshop in Los Angeles Register for a free parenting workshop at Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) every Thursday starting January 23 until March 26. It will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 3200 W. Temple St. Los Angeles, CA. Opening Doors is an evidence-based comprehensive training program created by and for Latino parents with children ages 0-5. Despite this, Opening Doors has been facilitated to not only Latino families, but to Black and Asian families with positive results. This program hopes that parents can raise their children to reach their highest potential. The first five years of a child’s life are integral for lifelong learning and social and brain development. This program’s approach strives to build parent leadership skills through an understanding that they are their child’s first teacher and their home their child’s first school. Building upon the tenets of understanding your child, ensuring children’s success at home, and continuing education at home, the mission of Opening Doors is to encourage parents as leaders of their families and as their child’s first teacher and advocate. This program works with parents wholly so that they can empower themselves to be mindful and positive forces in their children’s lives. For any questions, contact Eddy M. Gana at eddy@sipacares.org. and register at BIT.LY/OPENINGSIPADOORS. More information about SIPA can be found at sipacares.org.
Asian American Professional Association Entrepreneur Fireside Chat in Los Angeles Have you ever thought of starting your own business? The Asian American Professional Association, in partnership with ACEL & ACE NEXTGEN, has assembled a diverse group of entrepreneurs in various industries that are leading and paving the way for new rising success stories. Join in on some intimate conversations on Thursday, January 23 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. with both young entrepreneurs who are changing the industries they’re a part of, as well as seasoned entrepreneurs who will share their inside stories to success. Learn their tricks of the trade, the reasons why they decided to become their own bosses, how they made it to the top, and how you can, too! Participate in small group Q&A sessions with Asian American and minority community entrepreneurs in various industries, such as e-commerce, food & beverage, entertainment, media, and traditional and non-conventional businesses, who will answer your questions and give you some insight and perspective on entrepreneurship. It will take place at City National Bank (555 S. Flower Street, South Hall, 13th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071). It is open to all. RSVP on Eventbrite by Tuesday, January 20. Questions? Please email info@aapamentoring.com.
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37th annual Novena of the Infant Jesus of Prague in Winnetka, CA The Infant Jesus of Prague Apostolic Group invites you, your family and friends to the 37th annual Novena of the Infant Jesus of Prague on Saturday, January 25, 2020. Starting at 6:45 a.m., it will be held at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church at 19855 Sherman Way, Winnetka, California. The 2020 Novena Theme is: …and He said, “Amen I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 18:3). Several esteemed priests from Southern California have been invited keynote speakers. There will be hourly topics about Walking with Christ in the Modern World, Discovering Our Gifts Through Journeying Together and Guiding the Youth in their Discernment as Members of the Body of Christ. Lunch is provided and the Holy Mass is celebrated after the Novena. A blessing of the Infant Jesus images and a blessing of children will also take place. Now on its 37th year, the novena is attended by devotees from all over the United States, the Philippines, Australia and other parts of the globe. For more information, please contact Leo Nevada at (818) 633-3926 or visit www.IJPAG.com.
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2020 Office & School Supply Business Expo in San Gabriel, CA Hosted by Officezilla-Los Angeles, the 2020 Office & School Supply Business Expo will be a showcase of new and innovative products on Thursday, January 30. The event kicks off at 4 to 5:30 p.m. with a complimentary networking mixer where you can meet likeminded business professionals. From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Hilton Los Angeles San Gabriel, the expo will feature hundreds of exhibitors featuring office products, cleaning products, furniture, promotional items, printing solutions safety products, school supplies, ink/toner and so much more. They will also be raffling a variety of products. Guests must be registered and present to win. To register, please visit http://www.officezillalabizexpo.com/.
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2020 Filipino Policy Symposium in Hayward, CA The Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies and LEAD Filipino are inviting all interested nonprofit, grassroots, and student organizations to the 2020 Filipino Policy Symposium on Saturday, February 1. It will be held at Cal State University East Bay in Hayward, CA. Breakfast and registration begin at 9 a.m. with the conference from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Join as Filipino organizations from across California come together to discuss issues affecting the community and determine which legislative bills/public policies to push during the upcoming 2020 Fil Advocacy Day in Sacramento. Tickets ($25 for General Admission and $15 for Student) can be purchased on Eventbrite at http://bit.ly/FilSymposium2020.
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Live Filipino Music at Hard Rock Cafe in Boston, MA An evening of live music at the Hard Rock Cafe - Boston with talented Filipino American bands and performers, including Arianne Aldecoa, Balut Proof, Highland Ave Band, Jireh Calo and John dela Cruise. Bring your special someone, your besties or your family on this Valentine’s Day weekend. For tickets/info, call Rowena (617) 407-0232 or Ning (508) 843-0346.
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EntErtainmEnt
january 23-29, 2020 • LaS VEGaS aSIan jOurnaL
by Boy
How TJ proposed to KZ
ABundA Philstar.com
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Daniel, Kathryn renew studio contract
OnScReen love team and real-life sweethearts Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla Since there is no manual for renewed three-year contracts popping the question, it is always with ABS-cBn. interesting to know what it feels After working on projects like for a guy to propose marriage separately for more than a to his ladylove. equally fascinating year, the box office couple anis finding out the kind of joy it nounced their Kathniel tandem brings to the lady’s heart. in showwill be back on TV this year with biz, celebrity couple engagements an upcoming teleserye titled, make for an exciting news. “Tanging Mahal.” Moreover, the Just before 2019 came to a couple will also make a movie close, KZ Tandingan got engaged for Star cinema very soon. to TJ Monterde, her musician boyPresent at the contract signfriend of five years. The proposal ing were ABS-cBn chairman was made after TJ took advantage Mark Lopez, ABS-cBn presiof his birthday celebration atdent and chief executive officer tended by their loved ones. He deemed it as a perfect occasion to TJ Monterde, with fiancée KZ Tandingan, felt carlo Katigbak, chief operatit was proper timing to do the proposal in ing officer of broadcast cory make things official with KZ. the presence of their respective families on Vidanes, TV production head KZ revealed that she already his special day. Laurenti Dyogi, Star Magic head had an inkling about the planned Photo from Instagram/@kztandingan Johnny Manahan and head of wedding proposal. “June of last year, nag-paalam s’ya sa parents is just perfect, and he proceeded treasury Rick Tan. (ManilaT- Top tandem Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla announce a new TV series for 2020 following their contract renewal. ABS-CBN photo ko. So, nung nag-paalam s’ya sa to sing, “You are God’s guarantee/ imes.net) daddy ko, siguro nawala sa utak this beautiful reality / if i may ask ng daddy ko na it was supposed to now can i be your first, your last be a secret,” she narrated. and your only?/.” She continued, “So, while i “it’s important to me the part was arranging my things, my dad that says, you are God’s guarantee was telling me stories and then because magulo ‘yung mundo but he said, ‘Nag-usap pala kami ni whenever i see her, she’s God’s by iAn Biong TJ, parang may binanggit s’ya na guarantee that life is good and Inquirer.net propose, propose.’ Napasigaw this is the woman i gave you,” AcTReSS and TV host Anne talaga ako, sabi ko, ‘Daddy! Dapat said TJ. secret yun!’ at sabi na lang n’ya no specific date of the wedding curtis’ pregnancy has brought secret pala yun.” And that very yet but the newly-engaged couple her to a higher plane, as she moment also led KZ to realize that assured that it will happen this expressed that she has renewed TJ is ready. year “in a place somewhere cold,” her relationship with God. She is encouraging others to do so as According to KZ, her fiancé as how KZ put it. well, amid the weakening of their faith due to the “noise and clutter” of the world. For the soon-to-be mother, by ChA Lino the “little blessing” inside of Inquirer.net her womb is what reminded her AcTOR Baron Geisler appears to be one happy father of God’s love, she said on her after welcoming his newborn baby at a hospital in cebu. instagram account on Sunday, Talitha cumi is the actor’s first child with his psychologist January 19. wife Jamie evangelista. “Finally went back to church Geisler said he is “in love” with his baby girl as he shared today,” she said. “Although this a few photos of his sleeping child on his instagram account is probably so out of the blue for yesterday, Jan. 20. The actor also posed with his wife while some of you out there but i felt she was lying on the hospital bed, with Geisler holding moved to share, in hopes that it evangelista’s hand. could encourage others.” Geisler got some congratulatory messages from fellow “Today, the word really spoke celebrities such as Paolo Paraiso, china cojuangco and cai to me,” she added. cortez, among others. The actress noted that she is not Geisler announced October last year that he is having a a perfect christian, and is in fact Erwan Heussaff and Anne Curtis Photo from Instagram/@annecurtissmith bouncing baby girl. Baby Talitha appears to have arrived “far from it,” explaining that peoearly, as the actor said they were expecting their child in ple sometimes do things without with Him or read His Word,” she and be reminded of His love.” February 2020. realizing that these actually bring said. The actress added that she “Please help me pray for mommy and baby’s health and them farther away from God. curtis then went on to say that prayed for “a fresh infilling of safe delivery,” Geisler said in his post on Oct. 27. “Things we are not proud of or now, she is “quite far” from when the Holy Spirit,” aiming to have Geisler also asked his followers for parenting tips and we regret. And you feel like you’re she was baptized; back when she a brand new start in her spiritual thanked the “Lord for this priceless blessing and answered not worthy of going to church or had an intimate relationship with journey. prayer.” unworthy of His love… or your God “that even a beam of sunshine curtis is expected to give birth The actor married evangelista at a civil wedding last world gets too busy, there’s so would be Him talking to me.” to her first child with husband September, after being in a relationship since 2018. Geisler much noise and clutter, you no “And i miss that so much,” she erwan Heussaff in March. The Baron Geisler with baby Talitha and wife Jamie Evangelista appeared in the action TV series “Ang Probinsyano” with longer hear Him because you no stressed. “My little blessing inside two tied the knot in 2017 in Photo from Instagram/@baron.geisler actors coco Martin, Yassi Pressman and Susan Roces. longer have time to spend time of me has given me time to sit still.. Queensland, new Zealand. didn’t talk much about marriage that every time they would discuss about it, TJ would just tell, “Hindi, mga ano pa ‘yan, in five years.” “But that five years,” revealed KZ and in a frustrated tone continued, “is somewhat fixed because every year, he’s been telling me that — five years.” Thus, KZ shared that hadn’t TJ carried it out sooner, she would be the one popping the question instead. Good thing, TJ felt it was proper timing to do it in the presence of their respective families on his special day. He reasoned, “Families are important to us so sakto my family was there on my birthday and i also invited her family. i told myself, this is the best moment with the best people.” All he had in mind was the proposal he’s gonna make and, TJ admitted, he didn’t feel it’s his birthday. KZ, in turn, recalled that wonderful moment and described how she felt upon seeing TJ on his bended knee while uttering that music to the ears one-liner, “Will you marry me?” “You know when i saw him, he’s pouring his heart out for me and declaring his leveled-up commitment to me, hindi ko na din napigilan umiyak.” Asked to express his love for KZ via a song, TJ said the first line of the song that he wrote for her
Anne talks about renewing faith in God amid the world’s ‘noise and clutter’
Baron welcomes baby girl
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Beauty queen shares her fitness journey Fil-Am designer Carol de Leon’s mission... by Mylene
Mendoza-dayrit Philstar.com
LAWYER and Bb. Pilipinas International Bea Patricia “Patch” Magtanong is a perfect display of the endless possibilities available to a powerful woman. She became the Philippines’ bet to compete in Miss International 2019 held in Tokyo, Japan where she stunned the crowd with her breathtaking performance. Patch managed a Top 8 finish in the prestigious pageant, proudly bearing the Philippine flag. Naturally slim, Patch focused on weight training in order to develop muscle for the pageant. She also attended Core Classes in order to strengthen and tighten her abs, which is essential for a beauty queen. Philippine Star: What led you to your decision to compete? Patch Magtanong: I was invited to join Binibining Pilipinas in 2011. I was only 17 then, a sophomore in college. I had zero plans of joining. I wanted to graduate, go to law school, and become a lawyer, so that’s what I did. But throughout my four years of law school, I always found myself thinking about pageantry. By the time I was studying for the bar exam, I was pretty certain that I would join Binibini afterwards. Right after the last Sunday of the bar in November 2018, I met up with my mentor Atty. Nad Bronce and I told him I wanted to join Binibining Pilipinas 2019. How did you look like before your competition prep? What was your diet like back then? I had just come from five months of bar review when I started preparing for the pageant. That was five months of an almost completely sedentary lifestyle. I was pretty much sitting at my table reading 10 to 12 hours a day. I ate all my meals out and had Starbucks every day. I would go to the gym maybe once or twice a week. Towards the end of my review, I was already pressed for time studying so going to the gym became my last priority. Needless to say, I was extremely unfit. What changes did you have to make to your fitness and nutrition regimen when you began your pageant prep? The most important change I made was to eat a lot better. I used to treat myself to delicious, but unhealthy food. I would justify it by saying, “nag-aaral kasi ako, eh!” After I cleaned up my diet, I started to see improvements
PAGE 10 sumer market and eventually for international export. “It was really refreshing to go to the Philippines and actually see smaller production and handmade things,” she said. “I got a new perspective of business with a sense of social responsibility…Fortunately, I think everybody was also kind of coming off of this hyper-consumerism. It was a perfect climate I saw for the Philippine MSMEs and small makers to survive and put...their products out in moderate quantities and they could grow organically.” Some of the weavers and artisans that she visited around the country were trained and selected for a trade fair in Japan later that
Binibining Pilipinas International Bea Patricia Magtanong
almost instantly. I paired it with going to the gym consistently. I started slow at first and there’s no shame in that. You don’t need to lift the heaviest or have the most intense program as long as you’re constantly improving. What is the hardest part about preparing for a beauty pageant? It would be building selfconfidence and overcoming self-doubt. It’s one thing to do something out of your comfort zone, but it’s a completely different thing to do it in such a highly publicized arena. I had to find the courage in myself to try. That’s not something anyone can teach you or something you can train. It was a journey of self-improvement and self-discovery that I wouldn’t have had the chance to undergo had I not been brave enough to join. What was your diet and training program for Miss International 2019? For Miss International, I had to gain muscle. I didn’t restrict myself with the amount of food that I ate because I needed to build that volume but I always made sure I ate clean. Mostly greens, complex carbs, lean meat and fruits. I stayed away from sweets, junk food and alcohol but I’d make sure to give myself a small treat once in a while. I went to the gym three to four times a week. What does it feel like to step on stage? Were you nervous, scared, or excited? Would you recommend it to girls who are
Photos courtesy of Angkan/Carol de Leon
Photo from Instagram/@patchmag
passionate about fitness? My first time was absolutely nerve-wracking. It was the first time I performed in front of a crowd my entire life. Not surprisingly, my performance was shaky and my hesitation was apparent in my face. But I found that everybody gets nervous, that’s something you can’t control, only manage. The best thing you can do is to prepare well. If you practice to the point where your performance becomes muscle memory, error can be minimized regardless of the nerves. How did competing in pageants change your perception De Leon worked with the Philippine of fitness? Department of Trade and Industry to I learned that every woman’s assist indigenous artisans with design and body is different. We shouldn’t promoting their products. compare ourselves. I’ve met so many women both in Binibining Pilipinas and in Miss International, and each person has different body types and metabolisms which correspond to different diets and workout programs. What might work for someone else, might not work for you. So when starting your fitness journey, be patient. Learn what’s right for you, listen to your body and trust the process. What message or advice would you give to aspiring beauty queens? My message is to just take the leap, whatever endeavor it may be. I’ve missed out so many tremendous opportunities because I hesitated to just go for it. You never lose by trying. Either you win or Angkan’s Sol bag handwoven in Samar with natural straw and colors. you learn.
year, showcasing home decor, apparel, bags and more using traditional fabrics and materials. It also led to connecting with Sen. Loren Legarda’s work in funding livelihood and entrepreneurial programs for indigenous communities like those in Antique. “In the Philippines, if you give consistent work to the artisans — it doesn’t have to be like thousands of pieces — they’re very grateful and it does affect their livelihood. So that’s the part where I feel very empowered also, because in China, I was at a point where I’m giving a factory 150,000 pairs of shoes to do and they’re still not happy. They still want more,” de Leon said. Always the creative mind, de Leon at the same time saw another perspective of reframing her own brand that is artisanal, socially responsible and pays homage to her homeland. Through Angkan — which she had already started in Los Angeles — she released a small collection of magnetic cuffs “connected with your energy, consciousness and spirituality.” But her experience in the Philippines and linking with talent and materials motivated her to add a line of shoes and bags. Pieces debuted in 2019 have included sandals with textile designs made in Marikina, the shoe capital of the country, and waist bags using T’nalak, a traditional tribal textile made of natural abaca fibers handloomed by the T’boli indigenous
community of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. “It’s still related to the DNA of the brand that I started because it’s a higher consciousness of not just putting products out for profit and selling things. You’re developing a product so that you can create livelihoods for a small community and for a consumer to buy into a story and be part of this social responsibility,” she said. “They’re buying a product that has a spirit, a story and a soul and it’s not just something that you wear one season and toss away.” De Leon also launched apparel line Rich Gypsy, which uses 100% natural dyes and upcycled materials like linen and silk — as some studies show that plastic and other derivates like polyester can take over 400 years to biodegrade. Some of the line’s pieces are blouses embroidered by indigenous communities in the Cordillera region or hand-dyed using natural Philippine indigo. “There are a lot of Filipino Americans who want to wear their culture and learn more about their culture and I think that’s really important in reclaiming our identity,” she said. “It’s not too late to learn all about being Filipino and teaching it to your children.” She added, “At the end of the day, I want to be known for that girl that went back to the Philippines. After experiencing living in America and in Europe, being proud of where you come from is a baseline for happiness.”
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january 23-29, 2020 • LaS VEGaS aSIan jOurnaL
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Governor Sisolak meets with AAPI community in Las Vegas NEVADA Governor steve sisolak recently met with AAPI community leaders during a tour of businesses in Chinatown’s shanghai Plaza. Among the businesses visited were 85C Bakery, Weera thai, tea Maison, Dagu Rice Noodle and the brand new shanghai Plaza. sisolak also stopped by the Asian Community Development Council (ACDC) office, where President Vida China Lin provided the governor updates on the organization’s work, such as getting health insurance navigators to sign up more AAPIs for coverage and 2020 census outreach. AAPIs are considered the fastest-growing group in southern Nevada, with more than 220,000 living in Clark County today. Filipinos Americans comprise more than half of the county’s AAPI population with Chinese Americans being second.
AJPress photos by Robert Macabagdal
Keep your 2020 resolutions It’s the perfect time to review our resolutions. If you have not made any resolutions yet, below are many personal habits that you can improve easily — and often free. they are examples from the basics such as exercising more and living healthier to finding easier ways to save money. 1. Make one change at a time Please remember your resolution does not need to start on the first day of the year and you can start your New Year resolution even though the first day of the year has passed. Focusing on one change at a time will help to keep resolution for a longer period. take control of one habit, and then move on to another. 2. Make small changes It is difficult to make a big change suddenly and it would be better to focus on small changes instead of one big goal. Let say if you want to save up money for your vacation, make a change on your spending and living habit. You can make your coffee or tea at home instead of buying beverages outside. Replacing your soda with water and you will also be surprised how quickly you save up your vacation fund by quitting smoking too. the little changes will add up and help you accomplish your bigger goal of saving money. 3. Write out your goals Writing out your goals makes more of an impact than just thinking about them. It requires and extra step and will likely help you keep your eyes on the prize for a little longer. 4. Reward yourself setting up little rewards for
meeting your goals or steps along the way will help you stay motivated. think of a reward that helps you stay within reason and feel motivated to keep moving toward the prize. For example, treat yourself to watch a movie at a theatre if you have quit smoking for a week or get a new suitcase that you always wanted when your vacation fund have been saved up for a certain amount. 5. Don’t give up In most of the times, making changes involves setbacks. Don’t give up on your goal. If you mess up your plan, think about the reasons you want to change. Get back on track and make it happen. You can also talk to experts to help you stay on your plan, for instance, quit coaches at AsQ is a free service for smokers to seek for advise on staying quit and to offer free patches to eligible smokers as well. As the new year proceeds, keep checking in on the goals you’ve set for the year. You can tell someone else about your goals so they can help you along the way. Having a support group will add encouragement and motivation. As long as you don’t give up completely, you are able to achieve your goal in one day. Asian Smoker Quitline (Asq): AsQ is operated by the Asian smokers’ Quitline (AsQ). AsQ provides FREE evidence-based smoking cessation services in Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean and Vietnamese to Asian communities in the U.s. studies have shown that smokers who enroll in AsQ services double their chances of
quitting successfully. We encourage Chinese-,Korean- and Vietnamese-speaking smokers to call AsQ if they want free help quitting smoking. Friends and family of smokers may also enroll to learn how to help smokers quit. Cessation advisors who speak Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese are ready to offer useful information. smokers can receive a free two-week supply of nicotine patches while supplies last. We encourage health care providers and community leaders to refer Chinese-, Korean- or Vietnamese-speaking smokers by visiting our website and selecting “Web Referral”. AsQ will provide cessation advice and free patches at no cost to your patients. Visit www.asq-shop.org to order free promotional materials and fact sheets about smoking. shipping is free. Over 15,000 Asian language speakers from all 50 states have enrolled in AsQ services since 2012. AsQ is funded by the U.s. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). AsQ is open Monday through Friday, 7am to 9pm Pacific time (10am – Midnight Eastern time). to enroll, call or register online today! • Mandarin & Cantonese 1-800838-8917 www.asq-chinese.org • Korean 1-800-556-5564 www.asq-korean.org • Vietnamese 1-800-778-8440 www.asq-viet.org to learn more about AsQ in English, visit: www.asiansmokersquitline.org. (Advertising Supplement)
Gerald is San Pedro Calungsod FREsH from his triumphs on the United Kingdom and international tour of “Miss saigon” (where he played thuy) and the Manila and singapore runs of “sweeney todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet street” (as Anthony Hope), former “Pinoy Pop superstar” singing champ Gerald santos is back onstage to reprise the title role in “san Pedro Calungsod, the Musical.” Gerald told the Inquirer that while his two-year stint with “Miss saigon” did boost his confidence and crowd-drawing cachet, performing for Filipino audiences and working with homegrown theater Gerald Santos as San Pedro Calungsod actors, like his “sweeney” costars Contributed photo Lea salonga, Nyoy Volante and
Jett Pangan, keep him grounded. “there was a little pressure when I came home to do ‘sweeney todd,’” Gerald admitted. “Kaiba pa rin to work here because we all know that Filipino performers are perfectionists. We always set the bar high. But the ‘sweeney’ team was nothing but warm and welcoming to me. they never made me feel na bagito pa rin ako sa mundo ng teatro … that I was relatively new in this industry.” Working with a new set of actors, this time for “Calungsod,” gives Gerald a different kind of fulfillment and excitement—especially because he wrote some of the songs featured in the musical. (Inquirer.net)
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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 23-29, 2020
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january 23-29, 2020 • LaS VEGaS aSIan jOurnaL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678