JANUARY 25-28, 2020 Volume 30 - No. 6 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages
DATELINE
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Trump administration places travel restrictions on pregnant women New rule would bar pregnant women who are suspected of traveling to the U.S. solely to give birth UNITED STATES embassies across the globe received a note from the U.S. State Department on Thursday, January 23, ordering consular officials to deny visas to pregnant women whom they suspect are coming to the U.S. to give birth, thereby giving birth to U.S. citizens. The rule has taken effect as of Friday, January 24 when it was published in the Federal Register. The rule is intended to curb what the administration is calling “birth tourism.” Traveling to the U.S. to give birth isn’t illegal, but there have been few cases of nefarious acts of birth tourism related to visa fraud or tax evasion. According to the official State Department mandate, the Trump administration “considers birth tourism as an inappropriate basis” u PAGE A4
PH gov’t starts termination of Visiting Forces Agreement with US by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the government to begin terminating the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines
and the United States, Malacañang said on Friday, January 24. Duterte threatened to terminate the VFA on Thursday, following the U.S.’ cancellation of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s visa. Though the U.S. Embassy did not
give a reason for denying the visa, speculation has been around dela Rosa’s role in spearheading the administration’s war against illegal drugs and the extrajudicial killings associated with it during his stint as Philippine National Police chief.
The chief executive said he is giving the U.S. a month to “correct” the cancellation of dela Rosa’s visa. “I am warning you kapag hindi ninyo ginawa ang correction diyan (if you don’t issue a correction) I will termiu PAGE A2
Passengers arriving at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City are monitored for fever using a thermal scanner on Wednesday, January 22. Inquirer.net photo by Richard Reyes
WHO: Coronavirus not yet ‘public health emergency US donates P5.1 million of international concern’ aid for Taal Volcano relief
THE United States government will be providing P5.1 million in relief assistance to the communities affected by the Taal Volcano’s continuing activity, the U.S. Embassy in Manila said this week. The announcement was made by U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim during a visit to two evacuation centers in Nasugbu and Calatagan in Batangas on Wednesday, January 22. “I’m inspired by the strength and resilience of these families who faced such devastation and loss following the volcanic eruption,” Kim said. “As friends, partners, and allies to the Philippines, we will continue to support our Philippine government counterparts as they work to address the needs of those communities most affected by the eruption,” he added. Through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the American government will partner with World Vision to prou PAGE A4
by RATZIEL
SAN Inquirer.net
JUAN
THE World Health Organization on Friday, January 24, locally said that it is still too early to announce a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” amid the 2019 Novel (new) Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) u PAGE A4
OLIVE BRANCH. President Rodrigo Duterte leads the distribution of benefits to former rebels at the San Isidro Central School in Leyte on Thursday, January 23. Duterte made an offer to communist insurgents in Leyte saying he is ready to give them land and livelihood if they return to the fold of the law. The president said the revolution being waged by the members of the New People’s Army (NPA) can’t solve the country’s problems and the solution is to break the feudal system that exists in the countryside. Malacañang photo by Valerie Escalerav
US hospitals need Filipino nurses by AJPRESS 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. He also said that there will be 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 President Donald Trump with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte at an ASEAM Summit u PAGE A3 dinner at the SMX Convention Center last November 12, 2017. Inquirer.net photo
El Nido among ‘best solo travel destinations’ to visit in 2020 Duterte rejects Trump’s invite to US-ASEAN summit by ROSETTE
ADEL
Philstar.com
This Nov. 28, 2018 photo shows El Nido, Palawan when Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año conducted a surprise inspection. Photo courtesy of DOT
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. HuffPost said they sought travel bloggers and other experts to 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 u PAGE A2
by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has decided to reject United States President Donald Trump’s invitation to attend the Southeast Asian leaders’ summit in Las Vegas, Nevada this March, Malacañang said on Friday, January 24. Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s visa cancellation reportedly prompted Duterte to decline the invitation, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo announced. In a chance interview with media, Panelo said, “What [Duterte] said is he’s not going.” He added, “(The president
rejected the invitation due to) many reasons which I’ve already stated earlier and the other reason was the cancellation of Senator Bato’s visa. That added to the other factors.” This confirmation comes after Duterte said “no” when asked if he would attend the summit during an interview with Russian international television network RT. He also said that he was previously invited by former President Barack Obama for a state visit to the U.S. “I’ve just received an invitation to go to the United States where there will be ASEAN leaders. I haven’t been to the United States. I was invited by Obama, u PAGE A2
A january 25-28, 2020 • La WEEKEnD aSIan jOurnaL
Duterte rejects Trump’s... PAGE A1 t but I didn’t go there,” the Philippine president said, alluding to the former U.S. president’s criticism against his administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign. Panelo previously said Duterte had some reservations about Washington’s offer and whether he would be issued a visa to enter the country. “I do not even know if the U.S.
will even issue me a visa and if the U.S. will issue me a visa, I do not know if I will be allowed entry,” Panelo quoted Duterte as saying on Thursday. The Philippine government last month issued an entry ban on U.S. Senators Richard Durbin, Patrick Leahy and Ed Markey for their criticism of the Duterte administration’s human rights record and anti-drug campaign,
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From the Front Page and the detention of Philippine Senator Leila de Lima. “He (Duterte) said he has to ponder over it because he doesn’t want to go there and if he’s already there, some U.S. senators might be unhappy seeing him there,” Panelo added. Now that Duterte’s decision has been made, Panelo said that the chief executive would not allow American lawmakers to “bully” the Philippine government. “Of course, he doesn’t want it. For one, as we said earlier, the demand of the U.S. senators to release Ms. de Lima is an intrusion into our sovereign rights as a state because they cannot dictate on us or bully us into releas- LIVING IN DANGER. Despite repeated warnings from the government of mandatory evacuation, some residents continue to live on the Taal ing a citizen of this country who 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, is lawfully detained,” he said. n
El Nido among ‘best solo...
PAGE A1 t 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 culture with the comfort of a group,” he added. This is not the first time El Nido has been cited as a travel destination to visit in the Philippines. In 2015, the island was voted as the top 5 best island beaches in the world by international travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler. 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. 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
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
PH gov’t starts termination of... PAGE A1 t nate the Visiting Forces Agreement,” he said during his speech in San Isidro, Leyte. “I am giving notice and they begin to count. I am giving the American government one month from now.” However, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that Manila will no longer wait for Washington’s response on Duterte’s one-month deadline for the U.S. government to reverse its decision on the senator’s visa. “Apparently it was not followed because I asked him last night, ‘When will the process start?’ ‘Tonight,’” he said. “The process of starting it has commenced or will commence today,” he added. “The President feels that we cannot sit down and watch idly.” Panelo also said that Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea was slated to meet with U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim to discuss the latest developments on the issue. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro “Teddyboy” Locsin Jr., for his part, said he has asked Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to “start the process of terminating” the VFA as well as to inform the Philippine Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “Called Sec Lorenzana as Vice Chair—I am Chair of VFA—to start process of terminating USVFA. Step 1 calling the Senate Foreign Relations Committee because on our side it is a treaty; on
President Rodrigo Duterte with Senator Ronald dela Rosa
U.S. side Executive Agreement,” he said in a tweet. The VFA, which came into force in 1999, covers the conduct of U.S. soldiers in the Philippines. Among the provisions of the deal include lax visa and passport policies for U.S. troops, and the rights of the U.S. government to retain its jurisdiction over its military personnel when they commit crimes in the Philippines. According to Locsin, Duterte can withdraw from the VFA without Senate approval, likening the situation to the time Duterte withdrew from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in March 2019. “There is a view which I think I shared once—on pulling out of ICC as I did as UN ambassador— that while Senate concurrence is required to make a treaty; none
Inquirer.net photo
is required to terminate it which is an entirely personal Presidential power. But that’s just a view,” the foreign affairs secretary said. Locsin also said that he found Duterte’s pronouncement as “good move.” “Good move. Visas fall under U.S. Justice Department in the Executive Branch. Either they’re serious about U.S.-PH military alliance or not,” he said. Dela Rosa, meanwhile, said Duterte is a leader who doesn’t want his people treated unfairly. “I don’t deserve this bargain but it is not all about me. It is about a one sided foreign relations,” dela Rosa told media. “Their soldiers can freely enter the country while a senator of this republic is barred from entering their territory due to their intentions of tinkering with our domestic affairs,” he added. n
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Dateline USa
LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 25-28, 2020
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AAPI communities urged to enroll in health coverage before January 31 deadline
Representatives of 21 organizations come together to form the AAPI Census 2020 Collaborative in Los Angeles to ensure an accurate count of AAPI communities in the county. AJPress photos by Christina M. Oriel
AAPI organizations in LA launch collaborative for 2020 census outreach by Christina
M. Oriel
AJPress
Community organizations in Los Angeles launched a collaborative campaign this week to encourage participation in the 2020 census as Asian American and Pacific islanders (AAPis) risk being undercounted. Led by the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCon), the AAPi Census 2020 Collaborative consists of 21 organizations that serve 10 communities in over 20 languages, such as tagalog. the Filipino American organizations in this effort include the Pilipino Workers Center and the Filipino migrant Center. “the work of our collaborative and the success we achieve in ensuring that every AAPi in Los Angeles is counted will be due to the tireless exertion and passionate concern of dedicated individuals who work at our partner organizations,” A3PCon Executive Director manjusha P. Kulkarni said at a press conference launching the collaborative on tuesday, January 21. Representatives from organizations, such as Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus, Koreatown youth and Community Center and the Asian youth Center, shared ways they are conducting their awareness campaigns and highlighted the funding and services that an accurate census would bring to their communities. the census — which is conducted every 10 years to count every person living in the u.S. at the time — serves as a basis for distributing more than $675 billion in federal funds annually to state programs in housing, education, transportation, health care and public policy. Additionally, the numbers determine the reapportionment of congressional seats and redistricting. AAPis — considered the fastest-growing minority group in the country — are the least familiar with the census and are the least likely to report their intention to fill it out, according to a u.S. Census Bureau study released in January 2019. Asian Americans and native Hawaiians and Pacific islanders (nHPis) historically have been undercounted for decades to the detriment of their communities and neighborhoods. Estimates show that roughly one in five Asian Americans live in hard-tocount areas, along with one-third nHPis. During the 2010 census, the bureau reported that it undercounted 0.1% of the Asian population and 1.3% of the nHPi population. “the cost of an inaccurate census is serious,” said Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) on tuesday. “it means losing our representation in government. Without an accurate count, Southern California is actually the forefront of standing to lose a congressional seat.” For every person not counted, estimates show that Los Angeles County would lose $2,000 a year per person. “What we do in this next month will affect us for a decade,” Chu concluded. Counting for the census began on tuesday in rural Alaska, more than two months before everyone else in the u.S. in order to reach residents in remote areas.
the rest of the country can respond online, by mail or by phone in mid-march. Households will receive an invitation encouraging them to respond online or by phone or an invitation along with a paper questionnaire. throughout the month of April, the Bureau will send out reminder letters before census takers start following up in person. the official counts are scheduled to be delivered to the president by December. the analysis from the Census Bureau found that there are five main barriers that might prevent people from participating: concerns about data privacy and confidentiality; fear of repercussions; distrust in government; lack of efficacy; and belief that there is no personal benefit. ivy Daulo, a partnership specialist for the Census Bureau in the Los Angeles region, gave an overview of the questions asked on the questionnaire, such as age, race and sex for each person in a given household. Addressing the language barriers, the internet and by phone options will be available in 12 non-English languages, including tagalog, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Japanese; support is provided for 59 non-English languages through glossaries and guides as well. the Census Bureau has also prepared AAPirelated resources available, such as advertising campaigns, brochures, videos and public service announcements. “it doesn’t matter where they are from, what language they speak, or why they are in the country. the count includes children, and newborn babies, young and old, citizens and noncitizens, new homeowners, renters, and even those experiencing homelessness,” Daulo said. Concerns about privacy and the use of the information have also been raised by many AAPi community members. Daulo reiterated that the process is easy given the ways to respond; safe because data will not be shared; and important for communities to receive federal funding and be represented. “Everyone’s responses are safe, secure and protected by law. your answers can only be used to produce statistics. they will not be shared with other government agencies and cannot be used against you,” she added. “the moment we collect their responses, our goal and legal obligation are to keep them safe.” Another hesitation about the census has been around the citizenship question, which will not be asked after the Supreme Court blocked the trump administration from adding it. However, some advocates express that fear still persists in communities about the questionnaire so it’s up to trusted organizations and leaders to reiterate the message of protection. “through our outreach with the Filipino American community, there has been some misinformation with regards to the question about citizenship. We inform them that the question is not going to be on the 2020 census,” Daulo told the Asian Journal. “We also have questions about social security numbers, which we also don’t ask for. We want to make sure the community is protected.” in addition to engaging with the AAPi organizations in LA county, speakers on tuesday
Ivy Daulo, a partnership specialist for the Census Bureau in the Los Angeles region, speaks at a press conference launching the AAPI Census 2020 Collaborative on Tuesday, January 21.
also encouraged community members to consider temporary, part-time positions, such as census takers and field supervisors. other organizations in the AAPi Census 2020 Collaborative are Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, APi EqualityLos Angeles, APi Forward movement, Asian youth Center, Center for Asian Americans united for Self-Empowerment, Chinatown Service Center, Empowering Pacific islander Communities, Khmer Girls in Action, Korean American Coalition, Korean American Federation of Los Angeles, Korean Resource Center, Koreatown immigrant Workers Alliance, Koreatown youth and Community Center, Little tokyo Service Center, South Asian network, thai Community Development Center, united Cambodian Community and Visual Communications. n
ASiAn American and Pacific islander community members have until January 31 to enroll in one of Covered California’s qualified health plans. in a press conference last week, Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles (Advancing Justice-LA) joined Covered California, the state’s marketplace created under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to remind the community about the deadlines and importance of enrolling. California has one of the longest open enrollment deadlines, until January 31 to enroll, which means that health coverage would begin on February 1. there is no deadline or open Enrollment Period for medi-Cal, California’s medicaid program for low-income community members. those who qualify for medi-Cal can sign up at any time all year round. on December 18, 2019, the
5th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the individual mandate requirement and sent the case back to a federal district judge in texas, who previously ruled the entirety of the ACA unconstitutional. However, as the decision makes its way through the court process, where 17 state attorney generals, are seeking to protect the ACA, the ACA continues to be in effect. therefore, any individual with an ACA health plan will have health coverage and will not lose access to their coverage through 2020. Advancing Justice-LA also assured the community that the public charge rule has been stopped from going into effect by a federal lawsuit and they should not be afraid of enrolling in Covered California or medi-Cal because it will not jeopardize their ability to get legal permanent residence (also known as getting your green
card). Health coverage has been integral to maintaining a person’s overall well-being and is essential in addressing the significant health disparities for many marginalized and immigrant communities. over a million Asian Americans, native Hawaiians, and Pacific islanders (AAnHPis) in California alone have gained access to health coverage since 2013 as a result of the ACA through Covered California or expanded medi-Cal. the organization offers inlanguage support (tagalog hotline is 8550-300-2552) and can connect community members with Covered California navigators. Additionally, individuals may apply directly through the Covered California website (www.coveredca.com) to learn more, sign up for, or renew a plan before the window closes on January 31, 2020. n
US hospitals need Filipino... PAGE A1 t
nurses are needed to avoid a further shortage. “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. 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. n
A january 25-28, 2020 • La WEEKEnD aSIan jOurnaL
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2019 a ‘tumultuous’ year for democracies in Asia – report by Daphne
Galvez Inquirer.net
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 mi-
norities, 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, 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 re-
u PAGE A5
U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim announced on Wednesday, January 22 the provision of P5.1 million in U.S. government support to those affected by the January 12 Taal volcanic eruption. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Manila
US donates P5.1 million aid for Taal...
PAGE A1 t
vide relief supplies including soap, sleeping mats and blankets to over 7,500 people sheltered at the Nasugbu West Central School evacuation centers. The assistance complements existing support to transport emergency supplies to evacuees, provide technical assistance to manage evacuation centers as well as lend specialized equipment and analytic support to monitor the Taal Volcano, according to the U.S. Embassy. In Calatagan, Kim joined the Philippines Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) partners in distributing supplies to the displaced Batangueños. He also expressed his thanks to the PDRF companies for assisting the evacuees. “I have been very encouraged to see the private sector – American companies alongside Phil-
ippine companies – mobilize to address urgent needs of communities following the Taal volcanic eruption,” Kim said. PDRF is a major private sector vehicle and coordinator for disaster management in the country. Libreng Tawag The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) recently launched Task Force Taal “Libreng Tawag” (Free Call) to help evacuees contact their families. According to OWWA Deputy Administrator Josefino Torres, the communication facility is the welfare agency’s share of assistance and care to the Batangueños displaced by Taal volcano’s unrest. He also said that domestic and international calls will be available under the program for those sheltered in various evacuation centers in Cavite
and Batangas. “The Libreng Tawag is open to all the evacuees, OFW (overseas Filipino worker) or not, so they can contact their families, loved ones, or whoever they would like to reach out to regarding their current situation,” he said in a statement. The OWWA has opened four lines, two of which will be used for international calls. In its pilot run on Monday, January 20, OWWA brought two generator sets to the Alfonso Elementary School in Lemery, Batangas, where close to 2,000 evacuees are staying, to power up the mobile communication hub initially comprising four mobile phones and a charging station. The OWWA is also providing free WiFi service for evacuees whose contacts can only be reached through social media and email. (AJPress)
WHO: Coronavirus not yet ‘public health emergency...
PAGE A1 t outbreak in China and its discovery in other countries. WHO Director-General Doctor Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee was divided if the 2019-nCoV warrants a PHEIC declaration. “Make no mistake. This is an emergency in China, but it has not yet become a global health emergency. It may yet become one,” Ghebreyesus said in a speech. “The responsibility of determining whether an event is [PHEIC] lies with the WHO Director-General and requires the convening of a committee of experts – the IHR Emergency Committee. This committee advises the Director General on the recommended measures to be promulgated on an emergency basis, known as temporary recommendations,” according to the organization’s website. The PHEIC was declared for viruses like H1N1 (Swine Flu) in 2009, Polio in 2014, Ebola in 2014, Zika in 2015, and most recently in 2019 for the Kivu Ebola epidemic. “Temporary recommendations include health measures to be
implemented by the State Party experiencing the PHEIC, or by other States Parties, to prevent or reduce the international spread of disease and avoid unnecessary interference with international traffic.” At least 584 cases of 2019nCoV, including 17 deaths, have been reported to the WHO. Almost all (98.45%) of which were reported in China. The virus has also been confirmed in Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Macau and the United States. WHO assessed that the outbreak is a very high risk in China, as well as a high risk regionally and globally, but said that it would not recommend any broader restrictions on travel or trade. “We recommend exit screening at airports as part of a comprehensive set of containment measures. All countries should have in place measures to detect cases of coronavirus, including at health facilities,” the directorgeneral said Ghebreyesus also admitted that much remains unknown about the new coronavirus, including the source, how easily it spreads, its clinical features and
its severity. Present knowledge, according to him, is that the virus can cause severe disease and can even kill, but only causes milder symptoms for most people. A quarter of patients experienced severe disease and most of the victims “had underlying health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes or cardiovascular disease that weakened their immune systems.” “We know that there is humanto-human transmission in China, but for now it appears limited to family groups and health workers caring for infected patients. At this time, there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission outside China, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.” WHO, meanwhile, said it is working nonstop with its partners in China and affected countries the fill the gaps in present knowledge as quickly as possible. The 2019-nCoV is a newly discovered strain of coronavirus, an umbrella term for a family of viruses that include the common cold, as well as the deadly Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. n
Trump administration places travel restrictions... PAGE A1 t
on which to issue temporary visitor visas. “An entire birth tourism industry has evolved to assist pregnant women from other countries to come to the United States to obtain U.S. citizenship for their children by giving birth in the United States, and thereby entitle their children to the benefits of U.S. citizenship,” the State Department said. It also claimed that “birth tourism poses risks to national security” and has been linked with “criminal activity.” The State Department did not provide a figure for how many babies were born due to birth tourism, but it estimates that “thousands of children” are born in the U.S. each year to people who are visiting on nonimmigrant visas. “Closing this glaring immigration loophole will combat these endemic abuses and ultimately protect the United States from the national security risks created by this practice,” the White House wrote in a statement, adding that the practice of giving birth to “anchor babies” poses a threat to “overburden valuable hospital resources.” Pregnant women coming to the U.S. for medical treatment are now required to provide thorough proof that the travel is medically necessary and that they are able to pay for the treatment and other costs. Since his presidential cam-
paign, President Donald Trump has been promising to put an end to birthright citizenship — the constitutional guarantee that anyone born in the U.S. is an American — as part of his stringent immigration agenda. Immigration experts and attorneys have warned of Trump’s “invisible wall” — the barrage of proposals and new policies designed to curb channels of legal immigration — and see this rule as a part of that overarching goal. Traveling to the U.S. while pregnant is not illegal, and the rule raises concerns on the feasibility of carrying out the rule, especially in relation to a woman’s privacy. The State Department document does not detail how border officers or other Homeland Security officials will be able to tell if a woman is pregnant or has plans to become pregnant. Consular officers currently don’t have the right to ask women if they are pregnant or if they expect to become pregnant, but according to a State Department official, they will take into account “the totality of the circumstances and what comes out in the interview.” Tom Jawetz, an immigration lawyer and vice president of immigration policy at the Center for American Progress, told the Washington Post that “the rule itself invites discrimination against women. If you have consular officers who are looking
for opportunities to restrict access to the immigration system, this provides a bit of a tool to do so.” Tangential to the new rule, Trump’s goal to eliminate birthright citizenship challenges the constitutional guarantee established in 1868: the 14th Amendment affirms that “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.” This guarantee has been interpreted as protections of jus soli, or, “right of the soil,” to children born in the U.S., even if their parents are not U.S. citizens or lack legal permanent residency. The rule challenging birth tourism was likely motivated after a string of instances, the latest of which resulted in the first criminal charges of birth tourism were filed last year. Last July, 19 people were arrested for their involvement in a 2015 raid of so-called “maternity hotels” in which mothersto-be paid between $15,000 to $50,000 to give birth in the U.S., according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The operation mostly catered to wealthy Chinese clients in Southern California, and those who were charged were accused of operating under the name USA Happy Baby, Inc., according to unsealed documents from the Dept. of Justice. (By Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)
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Dateline USa
LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 25-28, 2020
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MinDA taps help of Fil-Am groups Kai Sotto ranked 68th, tagged as for Mindanao products in California four-star recruit in ESPN US class of 2020 by Jigger Jerusalem Inquirer.net
MAlAcAñAng’s extension in Mindanao, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) is tapping the help of Filipino-American groups in california to help develop markets for Mindanao products in the U.s. state to boost income of local farmers and growers. MinDA chair Emmanuel Piñol said the large concentration of Filipinos in california, particularly in los Angeles, presents a good opportunity for exporting Mindanao products there. “We have to take advantage of this huge market,” Pinol said.
last December, Piñol sent the Mindanao Business Mission to california to explore export prospects in the state which is the most populous in the United states. california’s economy is also the largest among all the U.s. states. last week, Piñol met with officials of the Davao Association UsA (DAUsA) and FilipinoAmerican communities in los Angeles (FAclA) which saw good prospects for marketing Mindanao products in their communities. Piñol quoted DAUsA and FAclA president Fernandico gonong Jr. as saying there is huge potential for Mindanao products in los An-
geles because of the huge population of Filipino-Americans in one of california’s largest cities. The Filipino community in los Angeles is composed of about 500 Filipino-American associations, ripe for the ‘bayanihan’ or networking-type of marketing products, Piñol said, citing the discussions with gonong. Piñol said there was a need to promote Mindanao products in different trade and business events in los Angeles. For starters, Pinol said he was looking at bringing frozen milkfish, durian and chocolate tablets, or tablea, to the los Angeles market. n
by luisa
morales Philstar.com
KAI sotto’s exposure through Atlanta-based The skill Factory (TsF) is seemingly paying off with the 17-year-old ranking 68th in the EsPn recruitment class of 2020 rankings. sotto, who has impressed with TsF national, ranked 11th among big men in the list and
‘PH under China’s expanding media influence’ by Frances
mangosing Inquirer.net
cHInA’s expanding influence on the media may have reached the Philippines, according to a U.s. watchdog organization. In the last five years, 75 countries, including the Philippines, had sent officials or reporters to china for journalism, media or information control said a recent report of U.s.-based Freedom House called “Beijing’s global Megaphone.” “Media officials and prominent journalists from the Philippines visited china for two weeks in May 2018 to learn about ‘new media development’ and ’socialist journalism with chinese characteristics,’” the report said. The seminars or trainings, the report said, serve as “an avenue for the chinese government to promote an alternative approach to journalism and news management that is not based on traditional democratic principles regarding press freedom.” The state-owned news agencies of the Philippines and china have previously agreed to enhance cooperation. According to a report by the Philippine news Agency in november, the Presidential communications Operations Office has multiple bilateral media and communications agreements with the chinese government, which covers commitments to pursue personnel exchanges, workshops, seminars, information exchanges, rebroadcasts, joint production and mutual visits. china’s initiatives in improving
its image abroad may have been effective to some extent. citing Pew Research center surveys from 2018 and 2019, the report said public views of china are mostly positive in the Middle East, Africa, and southeast Asia than in Europe, north America, northeast Asia and Australia. It also noted that President Xi Jinping was well regarded in Russia, the Philippines, Tunisia, nigeria and Kenya in 2018. since 2017, chinese influence campaigns overseas have accelerated with new tactics in the form of censorship, propaganda, and control over content-delivery systems, the report said. “chinese state media, government officials, and affiliated companies are achieving increased influence over key nodes in the global information flow, exploiting the more sophisticated technological environment, and showing a readiness to meddle in the internal political debates and electoral contests of other countries,” said sarah cook, the author of the report. In china, the chinese communist Party (ccP) controls most of news reporting through ownership of most of the news agencies, accreditation of journalists and penalties for critical reporting. china also restricts certain social media apps and websites, as it exerts tight control over online discourse. chinese web app Wechat is gaining popularity in the Philippines, the report said. This app is a combination of instant messaging, business services and elec-
tronic payments. The popularity of this app is creating new avenues for ccP to potentially influence news distribution outside china, it added. china has also been attributed to Russian-style social media disinformation campaigns and efforts to manipulate search results on global online platforms, the report said. The tactics that were once used to primarily co-opt chinese diaspora media and suppress critical coverage in overseas chinese-language publications are now being used to influence mainstream media in various countries, it added. In other countries, china spends millions to disseminate propaganda using mainstream media. The print editions of American publications like the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal include paid news-like advertising supplement from China Daily, a chinese state-run news agency. similar advertorial inserts also appear in major newspapers appear elsewhere in the world, the report said. governments should push back against china’s efforts to influence media, including imposing penalties on chinese diplomats and tightening broadcast regulations. Diplomats, media regulators, lawmakers, and others should regularly discuss china’s foreign media influence tactics and bestpractice responses as part of the agenda at bilateral and multilateral meetings among democratic governments, it added. n
Kai Sotto has been tagged as a four-star recruit in the ESPN US class of 2020 ranking. Photo from Twitter/@kzsottolive
2019 a ‘tumultuous’...
PAGE A4 t port 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
was deemed as a four-star recruit. The 7’2” cager recently clinched an MVP citation with his squad in the King Invitational tourney in Atlanta. He averaged 27 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 4.3 blocks in a three-game sweep of the tournament. ncAA Division I schools have
already expressed interest in the Filipino basketball phenom. sotto has already made unofficial visits to Kentucky University, georgia Tech, DePaul University and Auburn University. sotto was supposed to suit up for Mighty sports in the Dubai International Basketball championship but had to beg off due to schedule issues. n
A January 25-28, 2020 • La WEEKEnD aSIan JOurnaL
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7.4-M tourist arrivals recorded from Jan. to Nov. 2019 According to data from the DOT Statistics, Economic Analysis and Information Management MANILA — More than 7.4 mil- Division (SEAIMD), South Korea lion international visitor arrivals remains the country’s top source in the country were recorded market in November 2019 with during the first 11 months of 176,185 visitors. This was followed by China 2019, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said on Friday, Janu- with 126,785 arrivals; the United States of America with 82,617 ary 24. The tourism department said arrivals; and Japan with 53,784 this was a 15.58 percent increase arrivals. Taiwan likewise recorded compared to the tourist arrivals recorded during the same period 53,784 arrivals; Canada with 20,405 arrivals; United Kingdom in 2018. In November 2019, a total of with 18,210 arrivals; Singapore 684,063 inbound travelers en- with 14,738 arrivals; and Malaytered the country which was sia with 13,531 arrivals. DOT said the data was based also 21.25 percent higher than what was recorded in November on the Arrival Cards collected by the Bureau of Immigration 2018. by neiL
arwin Mercado Inquirer.net
which were filled out by foreign nationals visiting the country. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat welcomed the increase in the number of foreign visitor arrivals in the country. “We are just happy that our collective efforts paid off with the yearend projections indicating an outstanding performance of the tourism industry,” Puyat said. “The continued increase in tourist arrivals through November ensures we would have achieved a year-end total that surpasses that of the previous year. But, what’s more important is we have launched a successful movement for sustainable tourism,” she added. n
Coming soon: More affordable transplants in PH Filipinos with end-stage renal diseases need not go abroad to avail themselves of organ transMANILA — It takes better plants. The NKTI’s Department of Orequipment and more local specialists to enable the National gan Transplantation, established Kidney and Transplant Institute in 1983, has pioneered kidney, (NKTI) to perform liver and kid- liver, kidney-pancreas transplanney transplants at a cheaper cost tation in the country. However, a liver transplant in and thus save more lives. President Duterte has wel- the Philippines, for example, is at comed the recommendation of least three times more expensive Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go than the P1.2 million needed for to capacitate the NKTI so that the same procedure in India. by ceciLLe
suerte Philstar.com
FeLiPe
This issue came to the fore last Jan. 15 when Duterte met Ronald Naval and Kendy Aguilo, parents of a child with biliary atresia. He encouraged them to have their daughter Sophie undergo liver transplant in the country instead of in India, which they preferred because of the cheaper cost. “Let’s try it here. I believe (the operation can be done here). I’m not for scrimping – I have money and I will help,” the president told the couple in Filipino. Duterte and Go also prefer the procedure to be done in the Philippines so that the patient can receive better pre-operative and post-operative care, as well as easier access to financial assistance from relevant government agencies. Go cited the unfortunate case of Eren Arabella Crisologo, daughter of a Philippine Army soldier from Butuan City. The president and the senator first met the baby, who had biliary atresia, when they visited the wounded-in-action soldiers at a hospital in Cagayan de Oro City in March 2019. They sent 11-month-old Eren and her parents to India in June 2019, but the operation did not succeed. “Unfortunately, baby Eren developed complications so she did not survive the operation,” Go said at the meeting with key
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DANGEROUS BEAUTY. Taal Volcano’s beauty and dreamy landscape never fail to amaze. Amid the destruction, Taal’s serenity and calm, as seen from Tagaytay City, are captured in this photo on Wednesday, January 22, ten days after the eruption on January 12. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
Forced evacuation of residents starts by roseLLe
aquino ManilaTimes.net
POLICE authorities have started implementing the forced evacuation policy ordered by officials as Alert Level 4 remains over areas near Taal Volcano. Brig. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr., regional director for Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), ordered police personnel to evacuate all residents in areas under total lockdown. Police and military officials discussed an exit plan on Wednesday to move people away from danger areas within 48 hours. “We are in the most crucial times; so, I am ordering the immediate evacuation of all residents within [the 14-kilometer radius] danger zone, including the relocation of our security forces,” Danao said. The police will set up check-
points to ensure that no one will slip into the danger zone. “Mas maiging tayo ay nakahanda sa lahat ng pagkakataon (It is better to be prepared). We value human life over property. Ang kaligtasan po ng lahat ang prayoridad ng kapulisan (The police is after the safety of the people),” the police official said. Towns and cities under total lockdown include Talisay, Agoncillo, Taal, Balete, San Nicolas, Sta Teresita and Lemery. Under partial lockdown are the towns of Laurel, Tanauan, Mataas na Kahoy, Alitagtag and Malvar. The forced evacuation of residents in these towns is expected to be completed on Thursday. “We were given by Phivolcs (Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology) 48 hours, so after 48 hours lahat ng tao namin diyan kukunin na rin namin (we will also pull out our police-
men),” Danao said. Elias Fernandez, regional director of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, said officials would bodily carry out residents who refuse to cooperate. “If maximum persuasion is not effective, we will be forced to do other actions. [We will physically] pull them out of the areas just to save their lives,” Fernandez said. Philippine National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said policemen deployed in the 14-kilometer danger zone would be moved to safer areas. Banac said the order to pull out policemen was given based on the advisory of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Banac said the situation within the permanent danger zone continues to deteriorate. n
PH down one spot in democracy index by Patricia Lourdes Philstar.com
Viray
MANILA — 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
In this January 10 photo, protesters call for peace in the Middle East amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States. Philstar.com photo by Edd Gumban
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 remaining four regions covered by the Democracy Index,” the report read. The democracy index was based on the ratings for 60 indicators, which were grouped into five categories — electoral process and pluralism, civil liberties, the functioning of government, political participation and political culture. “The condition of holding free and fair competitive elections, and satisfying related aspects of political freedom, is clearly the sine qua non of all definitions,” the EIU said. n
Duterte: Let time deal with PH-China sea row
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said it would be prudent to let “time” deal with the country’s territorial row with China than pursuing a “very dangerous” hostile approach. In an exclusive interview aired by Russia Today on Friday, January 24, Duterte said going to war with China over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) dispute would be “reckless” since the country would likely end up getting annihilated. “I cannot afford a stand where I would be drumming my war drums because we cannot afford it. It would annihilate the Philippines and so it’s a very dangerous (move),” Duterte said. “And I said, the war with China at this time is of no use for us,” he added. The President said that he preferred to keep friendly negotiations with China with regard to the ongoing sea disputes. “We want as well just be friendly, improve our trade and
commerce, and let time heal (everything),” Duterte said. “Tomorrow will take care of itself, one thing we are sure of. And like any other historical claim, the world is always changing. And we did not really do it at the expense of the lives of the Filipinos,” he said. The president also said he could not be as aggressive as Vietnam, because the Philippines and China might end up being engaged in a “bloody” battle. “Because you know the other side (Vietnam) really wants to do a more aggressive stance and I cannot afford to do it,” Duterte said. “Spratly Island is near our islands, our provincial islands. [The] local government of the Philippines is near them and so it would be a reckless move if I send out, just like Vietnam, small vessels only to get a bloody nose at the end of the day,” he said. Vietnam and China got into
a heated dispute when a Chinese energy survey ship began patrolling near Vanguard Bank, a seabed tract around 352 kilometers off the coast of southern Vietnam, in July last year. Since assuming the presidency, Duterte has sought to downplay Manila’s maritime dispute with Beijing in exchange for improved ties with the world’s second largest economy. Duterte has also refused to flaunt the Philippines’ victory against China in a United Nations-backed arbitration court in 2016 which invalidated Beijing’s expansive claims to the waters. But the president defended his approach, saying Manila cannot yet stand up to Beijing, whose military and economy are far superior. The Philippines claims parts of the South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone and calls it the West Philippine Sea. (Catherine Valente/ManilaTimes.net)
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Potential ABS-CBN shutdown a loss for Filipino Sara Duterte in US for leadership audiences and culture too, scholars note against program terrorism by Kristine Joy
Philstar.com
Patag
MANILA — Broadcast network ABS-CBN faces the possibility of having to shut down indefinitely if a bill to renew its franchise is not passed into law before March—a prospect that President Rodrigo Duterte has hinted at if not virtually guaranteed. The Palace has insisted that franchise renewal is an issue that solely rests with the legislative branch, where the PDP-Laban-led administration has overwhelming numbers, while media watchdogs and journalists’ groups have called the threat to let the franchise lapse a strike against press freedom. The possibility of ABS-CBN shutting down puts thousands of jobs in peril, but Asian culture and media studies scholars noted that closing of one of the biggest media companies in the country will also impact Philippine culture and society. TV amplifies voices of the poor Global Digital Media associate professor Jonathan Ong, who teaches at the Department of Communication at University of Massachusetts Amherst, said that TV in the Philippines is more than just a source of news, information and entertainment but it is also an “institution that the Filipino poor would turn to in times of need and calamity.” Ong has a doctorate in Sociology from the University of Cambridge and a master’s degree in Politics and Communication from the London School of Economics. He is also the author of “The Poverty of Television: The Mediation of Suffering in ClassDivided Philippines”, which was published in 2017. “In my research in Filipino slum communities and their TV rituals, what stood out for me was the intimacy developed with television. TV is not just a coping mechanism but for the most desperate, they are real places to visit and line up for so they could tell their own stories in the game show, or request for charity assistance,” Ong told The Star in an email. TV networks in the Philippines reserve their noontime slot for variety shows that feature games and nationwide talent competitions.
‘TV, movies shape us a people’ Asian culture scholar Laurence Castillo meanwhile pointed out that while TV and movies entertain, their stories “shape how we imagine, dream about and understand, the society, the nation and the world.” “How we relate to the world beyond our living rooms is influenced by how we see this world on the TV or movies,” he added in an e-mail exchange with Philstar.com. Castillo is a PhD candidate in Asian Studies at the University of Melbourne, and a literary and cultural studies professor at the University of the Philippine Los Baños. Public awareness, disaster response ABS-CBN runs programs from early morning until late at night and airs talk shows, variety shows, local and dubbed foreign teleseryes—some of which have become household names—and even situational comedies. Its news and public affairs programs on free TV include periodic news updates throughout the day and primetime newscasts. It also hosts documentaries. The ABS-CBN News Channel, ANC, runs news and current affairs shows round the clock. Ong noted that through ABSCBN’s Bantay Bata program, founded by the late Gina Lopez, helped “shaped public awareness about children’s rights,” while its Sagip Kapamilya program serves as a channel for disaster response that has, at times, arrived in disaster zones ahead of government relief. Bantay Bata is the country’s first media-based helpline for children’s welfare that continues to protect disadvantaged and at-risk children. Castillo also said that ABSCBN “is an influential force in shaping popular tastes, developing new forms of storytelling, and defining the ever evolving landscape of mass culture.” In the 1990s, ABS-CBN produced “Sineswekla” to teach Science to kids, “Bayani” to introduce Philippine history and our country’s heroes, “Math Tinik” for math, “Pahina” for Philippine literature and “Hiraya Manawari” for teaching kids life lessons.
ABS-CBN now airs “Wansapanataym”, which takes a leaf from “Hiraya Manawari”. Conduit for culture exchanges In the 2010s, ABS-CBN saw the export of its Philippinemade dramas like “Pangako Sa’yo”, “On the Wings of Love”, “Be Careful with my Heart” and “Wildflower”. With this, the television giant “has likewise become a conduit for the transnational circulation and exchange of popular cultures,” Castillo pointed out. Over the years, TV imported animated series to teleseryes— from Mexico to the now popular Korean dramas—and has “introduced local TV audiences to cultural works from other countries.” He adds: “TV series produced by the station have also been exported, introducing Philippine pop culture to audiences in other countries.” In September 2019, ABSCBN announced that its 2017 primetime drama “Wildflower,” a revenge-themed drama, aired on French channel Outre-mer la 1ère. Afternoon drama and cult favorite “Kadenang Ginto” has also announced that it has just been remade for Indonesia audiences. ‘Shrinking spaces for creative freedom’ Castillo noted that ABS-CBN’s “creative forms have gone to the extent of communicating, even commenting on, socio-political issues.” He stressed that a shutdown of ABS-CBN’s broadcast unit “[would mean] the loss of one influential platform for popular cultural dissemination, and more disturbingly the loss of employment for thousands...in the creative industries.” “It sends a chilling message about the ever shrinking spaces for creative freedom and artistic practice in the political context,” Castillo added. In the 1990s, ABS-CBN had post-martial law era sitcom “Abangan ang Susunod na Kabanata” that poked fun at a corrupt congressman and his rich family, and told the story of the family of a man juggling odd jobs to get by. Comedy show “Goin’ Bulilit” had children performing
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AS President Rodrigo Duterte continued his tirades against the United States, his daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte is in Washington D.C. for a leadership program sponsored by the State Department. In a Facebook post by the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C., it said that Manila’s Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez, along with embassy personnel, welcomed Duterte-Carpio and Zamboanga City Mayor Beng Climaco who has been participating in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) from January 21-28. “Strong Cities, Strong Partnerships: A Comprehensive Approach to Preventing Terrorism in Southeast Asia” is the theme
of the IVLP. The East Asia Pacific Bureau of the U.S. State Department posted on Twitter that DuterteCarpio and Climaco met with their U.S. counterparts during the IVLP exchange, which was focused on “working with allies to prevent counter terrorism.” When sought for comment, Duterte-Carpio confirmed the program to The Manila Times and that aside from Washington D.C., the event would also be held in Los Angeles. Duterte-Carpio’s attendance to the IVLP comes amid her father’s order to terminate the Philippine-U.S. Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) after the U.S. visa of Sen. Ronald de la Rosa, a staunch ally and former Philip-
pine National police chief, was revoked for his participation in Duterte’s drug war. (Dempsey Reyes/ManilaTimes.net)
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITY RFP NO. SP515-20 ON-CALL PLANNING SUPPORT SERVICES The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Authority) is seeking to retain a bench of qualified firms to provide oncall planning support services. The period of performance for this project shall be for a fiveyear base period and one oneyear option. Requests for Proposal (RFPs) may be obtained via download at: http://www.metrolinktrains. com/doing_business. (Vendors must register on the website in order to download the document). Electronic Proposal Submittals are due at 2:00 p.m. (PST) on February 17, 2020. The contract to be awarded is subject to a financial assistance agreement between the Authority and U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) under grants issued by the Federal Transit Authority. In conformance with the Authority’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Policy and Program, the Authority has established a 18% DBE contract-specific goal on this project. Prime Proposers will be required to either meet the DBE goal or submit a Good Faith Effort (GFE) demonstrating intent to meet the goal for their Proposal to be deemed responsive to DBE Program requirements.
Presidential daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, spoke to participants of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), which focused on “working with allies to prevent counter terrorism.” Photos courtesy of the Philippine Embassy
For further information contact: Marjorie Morris-Threats, Senior Contracts and Compliance Administrator at MorrisThreatsM@scrra.net. 1/25/20 CNS-3335081# ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)
A8 JANUARY 25-28, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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OPINION
Poor social mobility
FEATURES
DESPITE steady economic growth, every administration has admitted that the challenge is making the growth inclusive. This is not achieved by dole-outs even if conditional to the poor, and even less so with politics now allowed to play a role through the unconditional cash transfer. The long-term solutions lie in structural reforms that will improve health and education services, promote equitable access to technology, and create a better business climate that encourages the generation of meaningful jobs. The reforms should promote the creation of a merit-based society that provides equally shared opportunities for upward mobility. Where social mobility is robust, gross domestic production can be boosted significantly, according to the World Economic Forum. The WEF has just released its first ever Global Social Mobility Index. Covering 82 economies, the Philippines is in the lower half at 61st place. In the top 10 are the advanced economies where income disparities are also narrow and where there are substantial investments in public education and health. It is no coincidence that these countries also rank high in global studies on ease of doing business, transparency and the campaign against corruption as well as the latest international assessment of student performance among 12-year-olds. It’s unfair to compare the Philippines with the best 10 in the index: Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, the Netherlands,
Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg. In Asia, Japan led the pack at 15th place. But the Philippines can be compared with its Southeast Asian neighbors, several of which performed better. Perennial achiever Singapore ranked 20th overall; Malaysia placed 43rd; Vietnam, 50th and Thailand, 55th. At least the Philippines ranked ahead of Indonesia, which placed 67th, and Laos, 72nd. The Philippines scored 51.7 in the index that was based on the pillars of health, education, technology, work, and resilience and institutions. The country scored low in all the pillars, with the lowest in access to the internet and electricity. Adding just 10 points to a country’s social mobility score could translate to a 4.41 percent boost in GDP growth by 2030, according to the WEF. The WEF study affirms what people have been saying all along: that many things in this country are skewed in favor of a ruling class that comprises a miniscule fraction of the population. Connections matter more than qualifications, wreaking havoc on the delivery of public membership in special interest groups. The Global Social Mobility Index 2020 exservices and the business environment. Upward mobility is often based on one’s surname and plains why economies benefit from fixing in-
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
equality. This should provide more impetus for long-overdue reforms in the Philippines. (Philstar.com)
Impeach be with you
Street Talk GREG B. MACABENTA PINOYS are punny. When President Joseph “Erap” Estrada was being impeached, the predominantly Catholic Pinoy populace could not resist punning the quintessential Christian greeting, “Peace be with you!” ”Impeach be with you!” was thus added to the glossary of Erap jokes. That greeting — or rather, that wish — has now been added to the Trump lexicon, along with Trumputin and confefe. But there’s nothing funny about the current impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump. For only the third time in American history, a president is being threatened with removal from office through the process prescribed by the Constitution. President Richard Nixon could have made it four. But Nixon avoided impeachment by resigning before the House could vote on it. The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed two Articles of Impeach-
ment, against Trump: one for Abuse of Presidential Powers and the second for Obstruction of Congress. The House is the sole entity empowered by the U.S. Constitution to initiate the impeachment of the president. However, it is the Senate that is mandated to conduct an impeachment trial and decide on conviction or acquittal. A twothirds majority vote is required to convict. The first to be impeached was 17th U.S. President Andrew Johnson. This was in 1868. But the Senate fell one vote short of the two-thirds majority needed for his removal from office. President Bill Clinton, POTUS 42, was impeached but was acquitted. This makes Trump the third to be impeached. But it is almost certain that he will be acquitted by a Republican-dominated Senate. The Senators will act as the Jurors in the trial and will render the verdict. The Majority Leader, Senator Mitch McConnell has already declared that he has no intention of conducting an “impartial” trial. So has Senator Lindsey Graham, GOP Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. They both
aver that the Democrats in the Senate have also no intentions to vote impartially, thus they are really all being hypocrites about claiming to conduct an impartial trial. And yet, each Senator took an oath before the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (who will preside over the trial) solemnly swearing that, “in all things appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of Donald John Trump, president of the United States, now pending, I will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws, so help me God.” From the outset, that oath is intended to be violated. And Chief Justice John Roberts, as presiding officer, really has no power to do anything about it – unless he outright refuses to be party to a sham. He may not want to go down in history as having presided over a kangaroo court. But things are not as cut-anddried as they seem. The Democrats are insisting that witnesses be allowed to testify at the trial to support the charges in the Articles of Impeachment. The majority of Americans agree, even while
about half do not believe that Trump should necessarily be removed from office. By allowing witnesses to testify, the GOP could at least give the trial a semblance of fairness. But the Republicans would rather not allow the potential witnesses to testify. They are former National Security Adviser John Bolton who has already branded as a “drug deal” one of the bases for impeaching Trump. The others, Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and the non-partisan Government Accountability Office (GAO), have already made public statements that support the accusations against Trump. On the other hand, the Republicans still would like to avoid the spectacle of a flat-out sham trial for fear of being punished in the elections in November this year. Several GOP senators, including McConnell, are running for reelection. A kangaroo court could scandalize the American electorate, and the backlash could cause the GOP to lose control of the Senate. Even assuming that Trump will win a second term, a Senate and House controlled by
the Democrats could initiate a new impeachment process that could send Trump to jail. In fact, when Trump steps down from the presidency there could be charges waiting for him, specifically in the Southern District of New York, that could send him to the slammer. The Democrats, meanwhile, are hoping that at least four Republican Senators will vote in favor of a resolution to allow witnesses to testify. That would result in a 51-vote majority, enough to overcome any resistance from McConnell. Observers have bewailed the fact that “only four GOP Senators” appear willing to consider voting for witnesses in the trial out of the many Republicans in the Senate. All the others appear to have been bullied by the Masters of the Party into blindly following orders and protecting Trump. Of course, the main reason is because they are protecting their own political careers. But if they can give an impression of objectivity, even while supporting Trump, that would be a life-saver for them, thus the possibility of an affirmative vote for witnesses.
Mind you, these are officials who have sworn to do their duty to the country — over and beyond their own political and personal interests. Indeed, President Manuel Quezon, who was president of the Philippine Commonwealth under the United States, would have shamed them with his immortal words, “My loyalty to my party ends where my loyalty to my country begins.” Meanwhile, there are thousands of young American soldiers deployed in danger zones overseas. These young men and women are under orders to lay down their lives for the United States, should that be required. While the politicians in Washington, D.C. worry about their political interests, these thousands of young Americans, in the prime of their lives, are all expected to echo Alfred Lord Tennysons’ line in the epic poem, The Charge of the Light Brigade: “Ours is not to reason why. Ours is but to do and die.” What a shame. Impeach be with you! (gregmacabenta@hotmail. com)
President Digong should not go to the US
Commentary
RAMON TULFO I HAVE no love lost for Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa but what the United States government has done to him — banning him from setting foot on American soil on account of his part in the country’s war on drugs — is an insult to our government and should be reciprocated in kind. Henceforth, the government should require every U.S. citizen who comes to the country to apply for a visa. And since the cancellation of Bato’s visa clearly is a slap on our government, President Digong should give the U.S. the middle finger on Uncle Sam’s invitation for him to attend the special summit in Washington with other leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The U.S. decision to revoke Senator dela Rosa’s 10-year
visa on account of the war on drugs is a blatant interference in the country’s internal affairs. No matter what you think of dela Rosa — a clown in an august body, as far as I’m concerned — he’s a senator of the republic and in canceling his visa, the U.S. also insulted the Philippines. We should stand up to the bullying of Uncle Sam who should be reminded that we are no longer his colony, but already a sovereign nation. The president should ignore the advice of Sen. Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the Senate committee on Defense and Security, that his attendance at the U.S. summit could be helpful for the country. “The president may be well advised to attend the U.S. summit, the Philippines being a prominent and senior member in the Southeast Asian region,” Lacson said. But what if the president is held in detention in the U.S. and tried for “crimes against
humanity” on account of thousands of drug suspects killed under his watch? The U.S. did not have any qualms in invading the tiny island of Grenada 1983 just because the lives of a few of its citizens were in danger there during a coup. It did not also have any qualms in invading Panama to arrest President Manuel Noriega in 1989 for alleged drug trafficking. Those things the U.S. did despite condemnation from the world community then. How can we tell that the invitation to attend the U.S. summit isn’t just a ruse to detain him so that the Yellows could take over the government? We must remember that most Americans do not look kindly on our President who cursed their former president, Barack Obama, for interfering in our internal affairs. If President Digong were held in custody in the U.S., as it did ousted President Ferdinand Marcos in the wake of the
fake EDSA People Power revolution, many Americans would receive the news with glee. To most Americans, our country’s war on drugs stinks even though their current president, Donald Trump, thinks that Digong is doing the right thing. Also, most Americans look askance at President Duterte’s pivot to China, which is having a current trade war with the U.S. The Donald, who invited his counterpart Digong to attend the U.S. summit, is a controversial leader; most Americans hate him. Even the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has no respect for Trump who, it thinks, played around with U.S. Russians during the 2016 US presidential campaign. So, even if Trump says that our president was in the U.S. upon his invitation, you think the FBI and other agencies would listen to him? Remember, Trump is preoccupied with his impeachment
trial and could probably care less if President Digong were to be arrested in the U.S. *** President Digong’s war on drugs accounts for his phenomenal very high rating among the Filipino people. The reputable Social Weather Station (SWS), in its December survey, found that the President received 82 percent net satisfaction rating. The 82 percent rating is considered “excellent” by SWS standards. The other SWS ratings are “very good” (+50 and above); “good” (+30 to +49); “moderate” (+10 to +29); “neutral” (+9 to -9); “poor” (-10 to -29); “bad” (30 to -49); “very bad” (-50 to 69); “execrable” (-70 and below). If Mr. Duterte were a college student, he would be considered as a candidate for magna cum laude or summa cum laude honors. No other presidents before Mr. Duterte has achieved that high rating two years before
their terms expired. The survey ratings of his predecessors went down toward the end of their terms. However, the President should not rest on his laurels, as people are fickle; their minds can easily change. For the president to maintain his high ratings he should get rid of his corrupt Cabinet members and non-performing bureaucrats. Also, some of his decisions lately have been less than remarkable as when he appointed the lackluster Archie Gamboa as Philippine National Police chief vice the discredited Oscar Albayalde. Gamboa is an armchair general. A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1986, he has spent most of his career in the police service doing office or desk jobs. The president was apparently ill-advised in choosing Gamboa over the more popular and hard-nosed Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar. (ManilaTimes.net)
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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Dateline PhiliPPines
FEELING LUCKY. A woman checks out various Chinese lucky charms and other decorations for sale outside a shop on Ongpin Street in Binondo, Manila, on Thursday, January 23, the day before the Lunar New Year. ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan
Baguio to collect tourist fees by Artemio
DumlAo Philstar.com
BAGUIO CITY — The country’s so-called Summer Capital would soon collect fees from tourists for the use of the city’s environment and natural resources. Baguio City councilors Maria Mylen Yaranon and Joel Alangsab proposed an Environmental User’s Fee (EUF) system that could impact environmental management, development, and remediation. “The increase of tourism and economic activities within the City of Baguio has intensified the risk of environmental degradation, destruction of our ecosystem, and an increase in land, air, and water pollution,” the ordinance stated. Yaranon and Alangsab added that the proposed EUF will regulate the use of the city’s resourc-
es and will reduce pollution in many areas. The collected fees will defray the costs for waste management and environmental programs in the city. Once approved, tourists will be required to pay P75 per head for their stay in identified sites/ tourist destinations to be collected by authorized personnel. The city treasurer will be the principal collecting officer assisted by a collecting agent who will be appointed by the mayor. The collected fees will go to the city’s general funds. Under the ordinance, the city council will be tasked to periodically review the EUF system being guided by a study of technical information “in order to rationalize the rate of fees to be collected.” The proposal also introduces an incentive scheme where 10% of the net collection will be allo-
cated to all the barangays. From the 10%, the 40% will be given to the host barangay where the tourist destination/ site is located while the remaining 60% will be divided equally for all component barangays of the city. The barangays should allocate their EUF shares for their solid waste management and environmental programs in line with the solid waste and environmental management plan of the city. Baguio residents will be exempted from paying EUF as long as they show proof of residency such as passport, community tax certificate, or voter’s ID, among others. Children below 7 years of age will also be exempted. Tourists who are persons with disability and senior citizens with ID’s will be entitled to 20% discount. n
Potential ABS-CBN shutdown a loss for...
PAGE A7 in sketches that offered social commentary and political satire before it went off the air after 14 years, Gothic turned paranormal drama “The Killer Bride” has also created a massive following on social media as users share clips of the show’s characters throwing lines that border on commentary on national issues. These include controver-
sies on Sen. Imee Marcos’ educational background, the Dengvaxia controversy, and falling rice prices that have affected Filipino farmers. Ong said that a possible shutdown of ABS-CBN would mean loss of disaster responders and full-scale charity operations such as Bantay Bata and Sagip Kapamilya. “Historically, Philippine TV acts as the government in the context of a weak state unable
to respond to the needs of its poor constituents,” he said. “Philippine TV is the ‘big man’ patron of the poor. Under Duterte’s strongman government, other ‘big men’ patrons would pose a threat,” Ong added. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has launched a signature campaign to call for Congress to renew the legislative franchise of ABSCBN. n
LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 25-28, 2020
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A10 January 25-28, 2020 • La WEEKEnD aSIan JOurnaL
Dateline PhiliPPines
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EDSA decongestion seen in 6 months
A haze is seen over Makati City at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, January 24.
Inquirer.net photo by Lyn Rillon
Metro Manila blanketed in haze due to ‘colliding’ winds by PAtRiciA
denise Inquirer.net
M. chiu
THE air in Metro Manila on Friday, January 24, was noticeably hazier than usual, but experts said it had nothing to do with the currently restive Taal Volcano, which started to spew ash again on the same day. Instead, the haze which enveloped Metro Manila was due to easterly winds meeting with air from the sea, Gerry Bagtasa of the University of the Philippines’ Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology said. The “collision” of the two winds from opposite directions left the pollution in the metro stagnant, causing the haze. The easterlies or trade winds are permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that usually flow in the Earth’s equatorial region. Bagtasa
explained that while winds in the metro are usually northeasterlies, current high pressure in the region of Japan has pushed air lower.“The wind from the east is meeting the sea breeze, which is causing the air in the metro, and the pollution with it, to remain stagnant,” Bagtasa said, adding that coupled with light rains, and it gives the appearance of fog or haze. He further explained that while the source of pollution such as vehicle exhaust is always present in the metro, it is usually blown away day-to-day. Bagtasa recommended that the public avoid any strenuous physical activities outdoors, since the accumulated stagnant pollution in the atmosphere can be harmful. He also said wearing masks could help filter out pollutants in the air.
According to air quality monitoring site Airtoday, “poor” air quality was recorded on Friday afternoon. The level of air pollutants reached 63 to 65 micrograms per cubic meter at 1 p.m., significantly higher than the World Health Organization’s standard for exposure to air pollution, which is a maximum of 25 micrograms per cubic meter. Meanwhile, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the haze was unrelated to Taal Volcano’s eruption. Pagasa weather specialist Sheila Reyes said in a phone interview that the ash from Taal Volcano moved west of Taal, and that the weather monitoring service had not seen any indication that there was ashfall in Metro Manila. n
MANILA — Thousands of motorists and commuters can expect faster travel time along EDSA as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) delivers major road projects aimed at decongesting the major highway of Metro Manila in the next six months. Public Works Secretary Mark Villar also assured the public that no major flagship project will be delayed as a result of the eruption of Taal Volcano. “We have projects in the Taal area, such as the Taal circumferential road. At this point, we cannot push through with it. In terms of the flagship projects, it won’t be affected (by the eruption),” he said at the weekly economic briefing in Malacañang on
Wednesday, January 22. Villar is optimistic that the President will be able to comply with his commitment to decongest EDSA. “And I can say at this point in this administration, we will deliver on the promise to bring back EDSA to its original capacity,” Villar said. “So… what can we expect on EDSA decongestion by this year? By the second half of this year, we will relieve EDSA, 20 to 30 percent,” Villar said. “There will be a big improvement on EDSA, and for the first year starting this year, and in (the) subsequent year, we will see continued improvements.” At least 400,000 vehicles ply EDSA daily, which the DPWH hopes to trim down to the origi-
nal capacity of 288,000 by 2022. “The traffic decongestion, as I’ve said, every year there will be an improvement,” Villar continued. “When we lumped all the decongestion projects, we can expect that the President will deliver on his commitment to set travel time from Makati to Cubao at five minutes. That can be done.” The EDSA decongestion program involves the construction and rehabilitation of 13 roads and highways and 10 bridges that will provide linkages between major thoroughfares and increase the number of usable roadways that would decongest traffic in EDSA and other major roads in Metro Manila. (Philstar. com)
‘Oldest survivors of Taal:’ Centenarians from Batangas outlast volcanic eruptions by Rosette
Adel
Philstar.com
MANILA — Two centenarians who live in Batangas province were dubbed the “oldest survivors” of Taal Volcano eruption. Matilde Alcantara and Albina Salazar Geli are 107-year-old residents of Batangas who witnessed the last known eruptions of Taal Volcano with the most recent in January 2020. Alcantara, known as “Lola Tindeng” was born on Feb. 19, 1912, more than a year after a phreatic eruption in the main crater of the Taal Volcano, recorded January This composite photo shows Matilde Alcantara and Albina Salazar Geli are 107-year-old residents of Batangas. Philstar.com photos
to February 1911. On the other hand, Geli, known by many as “Nanay Binay” was born Dec. 15, 1912. Both of them were affected by the recent eruption and were evacuated in Taal, Batangas. Lola Tindeng’s granddaughter, Jocelyn Alcantara, told Philstar.com that her family, including her grandmother are temporarily staying at an apartment in Barangay San Roque, Bauan, Batangas, offered by the barangay officials. According to Lola Tindeng, the eruption recorded in 1965 was the most powerful as it left around 200 dead. She recalled that the fatalities
were residents who did not heed to the call to leave the danger zones. “Pinaaalis ang mga tao ‘don hindi umalis.. Bigla ang putok na ‘yon (The people were told to evacuate but didn’t follow. The eruption was so sudden),” Lola Tindeng said in an interview with ABS-CBN. In view of this, she called on the public to follow the warnings of the government. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised Alert Level 4 over Taal Volcano, indicating hazardous eruption is imminent. It added that areas within the 14-kilometer radius of Taal Volcano are high-risk zones. n
Duterte signs new... PAGE A7
quality of life for every Filipino,” he added. Under the new law, excise taxes on distilled spirits will be raised to P42 per proof liter in 2020, P47 in 2021, P52 in 2022, P59 in 2023 and P66 per proof liter in 2024. Excise taxes on distilled spirits will increase by 6 percent every year starting 2025. The excise taxes are different from the ad valorem tax imposed on the products, which is equivalent to 22 percent of the price of the distilled spirits.
Considered as distilled spirits are whisky, brandy, rum, gin and vodka, and similar products or products. They will be levied with a P50-excise tax per liter this year. The tax will increase by 6 percent every year beginning 2021. For beer products and other fermented liquors, a P35-excise tax per liter will be imposed starting this year, P37 per liter in 2021, P39 per liter in 2022, P41 per liter in 2023 and P43 per liter in 2024. Levies for beer products and other fermented liquors will in-
Coming soon: More affordable... PAGE A6 government officials and private health care professionals in August last year. The meeting aimed to address the growing cases of biliary atresia in the country and the high cost of locally performing a liver transplant. It was learned that the cost of the operation will significantly go down once NKTI has a sufficient number of specialists and the necessary equipment and facilities. Solutions The consultation with health officials and practitioners allowed Go to come up with shortterm and long-term solutions to the problem and presented them to the president. The short-term solution is forming a consortium among the Office of the President (OP), the Department of Health (DOH), the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) and The Medical City (TMC), a private hospital. The long-term solution involves acquiring equipment for and developing the facilities of NKTI and sending its specialist staff to Kaohsiung Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital (KCGMH) in Taiwan for training. Under the consortium, the estimated budget for each beneficiary is P3.6 million, P2.9 million of which will be spent on the operation at TMC and the rest will be for pre-operation and postoperation care at the PCMC. Considered to be the most feasible immediate solution to the problem, the consortium takes advantage of an existing partnership between the PCMC and TMC and will last until NKTI is capable of solely performing pediatric and adult living donor
liver transplantation. The government will spend P58.1 million for the equipment that NKTI needs and P1.3 million for a batch of 12 specialists who will be trained for one to two months in Taiwan. Each specialist will have to serve at NKTI for two years in exchange for the training. The long-term solution, expected to raise the standards of health care and elevate the morale of Filipino medical practitioners, also takes advantage of an established relationship between NKTI and KCGMH. “We want patients to trust in the ability of our doctors. We want to tell them that they don’t need to go abroad for a liver transplant,” Go said in Filipino. “That’s our objective. Hopefully and as soon as possible we could be at par with other countries (in this respect).” Fund assistance Based on Go’s suggestions, the PCMC will work out a possible assistance arrangement with the DOH through the agency’s Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients (MAIP) Program. The Presidential Management Staff (PMS) will also map out other sources of assistance and arrange a meeting with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) and private partners. Go also said that the patients can avail themselves of the services of Malasakit Centers, onestop shops that streamline medical and financial assistance from PhilHealth, DOH, DSWD and PCSO. n
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 25-28, 2020
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A12 January 25-28, 2020 • La WEEKEnD aSIan JOurnaL
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 25-28, 2020
SHOWBIZ&STYLE
B
Journal
Barbie bares her acting technique Coleen back to the showbiz grind By Boy
ABundA Philstar.com
By Bot
Glorioso Philstar.com
EVER wonder how Barbie Forteza is able to present an acting performance in a manner that is not repetitive despite the many characters she had portrayed in the past? The Kapuso actress is once again taking on a new lead role via GMA 7’s latest primetime drama series titled Anak ni Waray Vs. Anak ni Biday that is set to air weeknights beginning Jan. 27. As expected, Barbie is going to plunge into the character with her impressive acting skills. “It’s heartening and it makes me feel like a newbie (actor) again because it will be my first time to work with such seasoned actors as Dina Bonnevie, Snooky Serna, Celia Rodriguez and Teresa Loyzaga,” said Barbie, who is feeling the excitement more than the pressure of starring in a new Kapuso drama series. She continued, “Of course, there is pressure on my part. I don’t know when this started but I have this reputation or feeling ba na parang kailangan laging maganda dapat or my show always has to do well. It’s a good thing that all the projects I’ve done, they were presented with different flavors and they turned out so well due to the combined efforts of the actors and directors.” Her acting awards also serve as good motivation to excel in her next onscreen projects. “Those (awards) inspire me to show what more I can do during a scene. Honestly, I know it is a must to memorize my lines. What I don’t really like is to rehearse before the take because I prefer (that my acting will be) as raw, as organic and as natural as possible.” That way, Barbie is able to create a well-rounded character and present something unexpected yet true to the scene. “I just don’t really prepare for
Barbie Forteza
a scene, I just let the emotions come out naturally and I just go for it.” No wonder, Dina has nothing but praises for Barbie at a media gathering held recently. According to her, Barbie never comes to the set without studying the script and memorizing her lines. “It’s the only preparation that I do — to read the script and read it well. And I read not just my scenes but the whole script na kahit hindi ako kasama sa eksena because once I read it and come to the set, bahala na si Batman kung paano ko siya gagawin and through that (improv) technique, natural feeling ang talagang nakikita din sa screen. So, I think ‘yun ‘yung parang magic sa akin.” In Anak ni Waray Vs. Anak ni Biday, Barbie portrays Ginalyn, a Waray lass from Leyte who saves the Ilocana tourist Caitlyn (Kate Valdez) from falling off the San Juanico bridge. They hit it off
IT was nice seeing Billy Crawford in the studio of Tonight with Boy Abunda (TWBA) a few nights back. He was there not as a guest but as a “supporter” of his wife Coleen Garcia who is back to the grind after a temporary hiatus in showbiz. Coleen greeted the new year with Mia, her first acting vehicle after her two-year absence in front of the cameras. Sin Island was the last film she starred in before getting married to Billy in 2018. After that, “everything kind of slowed down,” as how Coleen put it. Yet, it turned out to be an opportune time for her to discover what else she can do apart from acting. Coleen shared she did a lot of traveling. “That’s why, it’s also hard to commit. But those travels were not just for fun Photo from Instagram/@barbaraforteza because a lot (of them) were opportunities as well. I got to well and become friends with- experience many things and I out knowing that their mothers, Amy (Snooky) and Sussie (Dina), are mortal enemies. The two will later on find out that they are actually half-sisters as both their moms fell in love with the same man named Joaquin (Jay Manalo). Barbie shared that she took classes to learn to speak Waray and also had a familiarity workshop with Kate “for us to get to know each other better and to work together comfortably in every scene. We are close friends now.” (Directed by Mark dela Cruz, Anak Ni Waray Vs. Anak Ni Biday also stars Tanya Montenegro, Jean Saburit, Faith da Silva, Migo Adecer and Benedict Cua, with the special participation of Lovi Poe, Max Collins and Jason Abalos as the young Sussie, Amy and Joaquin, respectively, Yanna Asistio, Mike “Pekto” Nacua, Pinky Amador and Franco Gray Nerona.)
Coleen Garcia with husband Billy Crawford
feel like a whole different person now that I got to experience so much not just here but outside of our comfort zone; outside of the country. I also got to meet a lot of people that got to teach me a lot of things that I didn’t know.” It was exactly the same time
ABS-CBN photo
when Coleen realized how she truly missed the movies. “I needed also to stop because the entire time I’ve been here in showbiz, I always had a bit of, like, reluctance and even the people around me, they just sensed that in me — that I was PAGE B2
Dina on Coney: We have forgiven each other
Dina Bonnevie
GMA photo
By AllAn
PolicArPio
Inquirer.net
WITH the story of GMA 7’s coming television adaptation of the 1984 film “Anak ni Waray vs. Anak ni Biday” revolving around best friends-turnedmortal enemies, the show’s cast members were inevitably asked if they have had a falling-out with people they used to be close with because of love. For her part, Dina Bonnevie touched on the feud she had with Coney Reyes over Vic Sotto, and the renewed friendship the two women now cherish. “My life has been an open book. And everyone knew that I
had a fight with a friend because of my (former) partner, husband. They had a child, too. Of course, it was painful,” the seasoned actress, who was married to Vic from 1981 to 1992 and with whom she had two children (Danica and Oyo), related at a recent press conference for the said show. But in “God’s time,” they eventually reconciled. “It took years before we made peace,” she said of Coney, whose relationship with Vic produced a son, Vico, who’s now the mayor of Pasig of City. “God is good. We have forgiven each other. He really finds PAGE B2
B january 25-28, 2020 • La WEEKEnD aSIan jOurnaL
EntErtainmEnt
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Part VI: A pilgrimage to Central Europe by Emil
Toni Gonzaga with husband Paul Soriano and their child Seve.
PErito
WE approached the ninth day of our trip, the last leg of the itinerary. After breakfast, we checked out from the hotel and began our long journey from Poland to the Czech Republic, which is about 216 miles away. When we left Poland, it was drizzling, wet, and chilly as the autumn season had just started to kick-in. Looking back at world history, the Czech Republic, as it is now today, used to be part of the federation of Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia under the name of Czechoslovakia. In January 1993, Czechoslovakia was dissolved Photo from Instagram/@celestinegonzaga and became two independent countries now known as the Czech Republic and Slovakia. En route to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, we stopped at Olomouc, which is considered one of the most important cities in the Kingdom hat ng nakaalala (thank you to of Bohemia. The historical heart all those who remembered)… of Olomouc is included in the Thank you Jesus for giving me UNESCO heritage list, one of the most important monumental another year,” she said. Gonzaga’s sister, Alex, mean- zones in the Czech Republic. It while greeted the actress via was lunchtime when we arrived Instagram in her usual jesting at the main square. Our tour guide gave us one hour to exstyle. “Happy birthday Ate!!!! I can’t plore and enjoy the place. Then wait to talk to you about wifey we were on our own to stroll, duties because you are a good take lots of pictures and enjoy a one!!” she said. “I love you but lunch of their local dishes. Thereafter, it was time for us not as much as [I] love Seve and to leave for our final destination, Mikee jk!” Gonzaga and her family spent which was still 188 miles away. the 36-year-old’s birthday cel- The ride was supposed to last only for three to four hours but ebration in Singapore. because of road construction, we ended up arriving late. It was past 8 p.m. when we arrived at the hotel. Before our arrival, our tour guide called the hotel to inform them of our late arrival. The hotel was so accommodating that they had to prepare us a late dinner. It was a long and tiring trip so we decided to retire early in preparation for the next day of activities. We started the following day with a visit to the Church of Our Lady of Victory where the worldfamous Roman Catholic icon, the original Infant of Prague is on display. We also had a chance to participate in the celebration of the holy mass. Also on display at its museum is the robe of the statue donated from the Philippines. As Filipinos, a number of us are devotees to the Infant of Prague, so to see the original
Toni on turning 36: ‘Age gave me gifts youth could never give’ by ian
Biong
Inquirer.net
AS one should, Toni Gonzaga is loving herself more and more as time passes by, and the actress shared some of her wise realizations as she turned a year older last Monday, January 20. While others frown upon the idea of growing older, Gonzaga made her fans realize the importance of the “gifts” that come with the passage of time to mark her 36th birthday. “Age gave me gifts that youth could never give me,” Gonzaga
noted on Instagram last Monday, holding true to the old adage, “With age comes wisdom”. Gonzaga’s message came with a sweet family photo of her and husband Paul Soriano carrying their child Seve. “I was so in love with who I was, they were not merely as good as who I am now,” the actress said. She then noted that she likes who she has become as a person. Gonzaga added that she appreciates the lessons life has taught her. “Maraming salamat sa la-
James, Nadine clear Issa Pressman from cheating allegations by Jan
milo SEvEro Philstar.com
KAPAMILYA love team James Reid and Nadine Lustre responded to Yassi Pressman’s statement defending her sister Issa Pressman, who was accused of being the third party in James and Nadine’s breakup. In Yassi’s Instagram post defending her sister, James commented on the post, saying sorry that Issa was dragged into the issue. “Sorry you girls got dragged into this. There are some messed up people out there,” James commented. He then commented with three heart emojis. Nadine, on the other hand, also commented on Yassi’s post, clearing Issa from fans’ allegations. “Love you both,” Nadine commented, tagging Yassi and Issa. James and Nadine announced on “Tonight With Boy Abunda” last Monday that the rumors of their breakup is true.
James Reid and Nadine Lustre
On Tuesday, fans of the couple accused Issa on different social media sites of being the supposed third party in the
statue is really a fulfilling experience. Moving on with our schedule, we headed to a guided tour to visit the Hradcany castle district’s grounds and part of St. Vitus Cathedral which used for the inaugurations of presidents. We also viewed the external part of Basilica of St. George and Prague Castle, which according to the Guinness Book of Records, is the largest ancient castle in the world. Then, we stroll through Mala Strana with its amazing architectural buildings. We crossed the famous Charles Bridge to visit the Old Town, which is considered to be one of the best-preserved historic city centers in Europe. Likewise, we visited the exterior part of Town Hall with its famous Astronomical Clocks which comes alive when the hour strikes and the twelve disciples appear to bless the crown. We had a late lunch, and then after that, we headed back to the hotel in preparation
for our flight back home the next day. Overall, our trip was a success! Everybody in the group enjoyed the experience, the places visited and the camaraderie developed among the group members over the course of the tour. As a tour organizer and a tour leader, nothing is gratifying than the satisfaction of the customers and the long-lasting memories the time together has created. Unlike others, our tours are designed in a private setting taking into account the needs and requirements of participants, ensuring that every detail of the tour is taken care of. Established in 1995, Air Plus Travel specializes in religious travel. We have our next Central Europe Tour in July 27-August 6, 2020. For more information, please contact Air Plus Travel at (562) 863-0624. Or visit www. airplustravel.net.
(Advertising Supplement)
Philstar.com photo by Kat Leandicho
breakup after a video surfaced allegedly showing James and Issa kissing behind Nadine’s back.
Dina on Coney: We...
PAGE B1 a way to heal our hearts and our relationships,” she said. “We’re not perfect people.” Now, Dina has nothing but kind words for Coney, whom she credits for her deeper faith in God. “She has now devoted her life to the Lord and stands on firm ground… Back then, she invited me to the church she goes to. And that was when my being a Christian grew deeper. She was instrumental to that,” she revealed, adding that having bad blood with anyone is never a good feeling. “I don’t like having enemies or someone you want to avoid.” Dina is also “proud” of Coney for having a “well-raised” son in Vico. “I admire her for that … for doing it on her own. Kudos to her. Vico is a very intelligent boy,” she said. Meanwhile, despite people
urging her to try her hands at politics, Dina, who has been married to Ilocos Sur Rep. Deogracias Savellano since 2012, maintained that it has never been a dream of hers. “But that’s my world now, in a way, whether I like it or not,” she said. Dina pointed out that one doesn’t necessarily need a government position to help other people. “I help market the products of our local workers and craftsmen, like weavers and sausage and bagnet makers. I help improve their livelihood,” she said. “I don’t get anything out of that. But by doing so, I’m like a public servant.” Even industry icon and Lipa City Rep. Vilma Santos tries to encourage her when they see each other in the Congress. “She would tell me, ‘Kaya mo ’yan. Ako nga, nakatawid. Next time, dito ka naman—classmates na tayo,’” she related. “But I really
can’t see myself campaigning and such.” In “Anak ni Waray,” which airs weeknights starting Jan. 27, Dina portrays Sussie, whose close friendship with Amy (Snooky Serna) falls apart, after finding out that they fell in love with the same man. The two, however, see their paths crossing once again, after their respective daughters, Caitlyn (Kate Valdez) and Ginalyn (Barbie Forteza), become good friends. Dina is known for calling out entitled young celebrities onset. Luckily, she didn’t have to do it while taping the show. “Unlike some of the ones I have worked with who would only start memorizing their lines once they’re on the set, my coactors here are all professional. They keep their phones away during blocking,” she said. “Otherwise, I would have said something!”
Coleen back to the showbiz grind...
PAGE B1 so reluctant and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be here and if I wanted to do this. Back then, it was true I wasn’t sure because I never thought I would have the backbone for this. I never thought that kasi di ko naman pangarap noon na to sing, to dance, to act or anything. I was always so shy.” Fast forward after two years of absence, has that changed? “Yes, definitely it took time away for me to realize that I miss, actually, more than anything, film talaga.” Coleen was visibly amused when reminded about the speculation that she is an “unhappy” wife. One netizen commented on her and Billy’s photo on Instagram that the actress looked unhappy with her married life.
Billy immediately slammed the basher. “I never saw the comment because I mean, I’m with him every day so I don’t stalk him anymore on social media so hindi s’ya nakaabot sa akin,” quipped Coleen and admitted that she only learned about it when she was asked to comment on the issue during the media gathering for Mia. “Maybe, it was the fact that they haven’t seen me for the past two years so they can only guess that ‘perhaps she’s so unhappy because she’s not working,’ you know, assumptions. Billy kasi is napipikon but with me, I just kinda let it slide.” She stressed that Billy can handle any comments but he doesn’t like it if the issue involves his parents or someone
he loves. By the way, Coleen already made clear in previous reports that she’s at the happiest stage of her life. She giggled some more when she gamely obliged to do the Fast Talk challenge. Read on: 2020 is the year of… “Hope.” What shuts you up? “’Pag pinahiya ako.” Sino ang kunsensya mo? “God.” Yes or no, do you miss being on It’s Showtime? “Yes.” One thing better than sex? “Ice cream, hahahaha.” Pinakamatigas na bahagi ng katawan ng asawa mo? “’Yung baba (chin), hahahaha. Ay, hindi ‘yung ulo — matigas ang ulo, sobra!”
JC Santos with Shaira Luna
Photo from Instagram/@shairaluna
JC, Bela together again — on screen
BELA Padilla and JC Santos, two gifted actors who continue to earn praises for their individual works, first proved their chemistry in the 2017 film “100 Tula Para Kay Stella.” In it, Santos played a stuttering student who tries to make 100 poems dedicated to winning a rock star’s heart, played by Padilla. Their tandem was such a huge hit that there was a clamor to see them paired anew. Heeding this call, the pair starred in the 2018 movie “The Day After Valentine’s.” This time, they played the roles of Lani (Padilla), who took it upon herself to help the brokenhearted and self-destructive Kai (Santos) to fix his problems. Both movies participated and did well in the annual Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino. Triumphant as these movies were, both, however, left hopeless romantics brokenhearted not to see Padilla and Santos’ characters end up together. Question is, will their characters in their upcoming film “On
Vodka, Beers and Regrets” meet the same fate? Opening on February 5, the movie follows the story of Jane Pineda, a washed up actress and former child star whose career hits rock bottom. Struggling to get movie roles and trying to escape from a big scandal, Jane seeks comfort in alcohol. Then one drunken night at a bar, she meets Francis, vocalist of a band. Suddenly, things started to change for Jane. She now finds comfort in Francis’ company. For his part, Francis, who’s with Jane drunk or sober, is more than willing to love her. But will his love be enough to keep Jane or will his love fall short and in the end, he will lose her? For their third film together, will Padilla and Santos’ lovesick fans finally get the happy ending they want to see for two? Or will there be another collective sigh of dashed hopes and broken hearts? On January 3 the movie’s producer Viva Films posted on
their Facebook page the teaser trailer for “On Vodka, Beers and Regrets” and in just 3 hours, the teaser had more than 900,000 views and was shared by over 30,000 people. As of press time, the teaser already earned almost 4 million views, 106, 000 reactions and 104,000 shares, proving that fans still anticipate the reunion of the duo in another heavy romantic film. Moreover, fans will be delighted to find out this movie is written and directed by Irene Emma Villamor, the same creative responsible for a string of box-office hits like “Sid & Aya: Not a Love Story,” “Meet Me in St. Gallen” and “Camp Sawi.” Adding a fresh dose of excitement to the movie, VIVA’s rising star Raphiel Shannon was asked to sing the movie’s soundtrack “Mundo,” the 2018 hit song by IV of Spades. All in all, fans can prepare for a heady mix of love and, who knows, maybe a hint of heartbreak yet again, that only Padilla and Santos can serve onscreen. (ManilaTimes.net)
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 25-28, 2020
B
WHY AM I BEING HELD FOR QUESTIONING, AND MY PASSPORT AND GREEN CARD BEING TAKEN EVERY TIME I ENTER THE U.S. EVEN IF I AM A PERMANENT RESIDENT? THIS QUESTION AND MORE WILL BE ANSWERED ON CITIZEN PINOY: YOUR TANONG, MY SAGOT! The fourth and final batch of Kapamilya who came to the Citizen Pinoy taping in Virginia get the chance to have their questions answered this Sunday. Find out if someone is able to acquire her work permit if there is an employer willing to sponsor, even if her B1-B2 visa already expired a year ago. And get to know what the best option is for someone who filed all necessary paperwork for humanitarian reinstatement after their father died, but the documents were misplaced by the USCIS. Get answers to these and more on an encore episode of --- CITIZEN PINOY, this Sunday at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers). (Advertising Supplement)
Lunar New Year: Are you ready? Celebrating the Year of the Rat Kakai’s pet peeves: lazy, whiny celebs
READY to ring in the Lunar New Year with fun and entertaining event ideas? Take your Lunar New Year Celebration and spruce it up in time for the 2020 Year of the Rat. The longtime celebrated occasion is a time to commemorate prosperity, health, and good fortune with friends and family. Innovate Marketing Group specializes in Multicultural events with clients including East West Bank, Zojirushi, LA Arboretum, Honda, Tik Tok, SF Express and more. In California, the growth of the Asian population is on the rise, which also increases events marketed towards the Asian community Innovate Marketing Group provides insights to the Asian Community and is able to help best leverage your multicultural marketing budget targeted to the Asian market: from sponsorship strategy and activations to creative strategy and design. Many brands have tapped into this Asian holiday to either introduce and/or expand their sales to the Asian market. Disneyland is the perfect example with its annual Lunar New Year Celebration at the park. See some of their activities here in preparation for the big holiday and New Year. With so many historic ideas, Innovate Marketing Group brings a modern twist to celebrate the traditional holiday. From the lion dance, tea ceremony, sugar painting, Chinese calligraphy, to dough modeling, these activities are sure to get your guests off their feet and engaged. Lion Dance: The traditional lion dance brings your event to life with a bang. Lions will be awakened in the eye dotting ceremony and scale to new heights as they dance their way through the crowd. The lions interact and welcome guests with the batting of their eyelashes. This traditional lion dance can be used for many occasions especially grand openings as it brings good luck and fortune. Tea Ceremony: For a more relaxing option, guests can learn the art of tea during a traditional tea ceremony. The tea ceremony represents harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility; pair that up with a traditional Asian instrument performance and your event will truly bring the cultural aspect to life. Sugar Painting: This traditional folk art uses hot, liquid sugar to create intricate designs, ranging from animals to flowers. Kids will love this
by
Inqurier.net
SOMETIMES, when she finds herself getting cranky on set from stress and lack of sleep, Kakai Bautista looks back at her time as a wardrobe assistant to Lea Salonga—the memories of which helps her recalibrate her mood and focus. “When you’re exhausted, you can get a little irritable. But when I remember how professional and how much Ms Lea loves her craft, it makes me snap out of it ‌ Ang galing, eh,â€? she said in an interview during a recent press visit to the set of GMA 7’s weekly noontime variety show, ‘All-Out Sundays.â€? Kakai got her start as an apprentice at the Gantimpala Theater Foundation under the tutelage of director Frannie Zamora. And working for Lea in the Manila staging of the musical “They’re Playing Our Songâ€? in 2000 was Kakai’s first paying job. “As a newbie, you don’t get to land roles right away. First, you have to undergo stage management training, so you could get a better grasp at how things work backstage,â€? she related. “I used to wash Manang’s (Lea) costumes—even her socks and inner garments. I also iron and sew them. Her costumes were heavy, mind you.â€? She did that six days a week for almost a year. The work was tough, Kakai recalled, but incred-
sweet snack to celebrate the New Year. Chinese Calligraphy: On to more hands-on activities, turn your guests’ names into a Chinese calligraphy work of art! A calligrapher can translate names into Chinese characters for some great memorabilia that guests can take home. Dough Modeling: Unleash your inner artist by creating dough figurines using a base of glutinous rice flour. Guests can sculpt and design different characters and animals into various shapes and bright colors, such as a rat to celebrate this year’s Zodiac animal! Take your Lunar New Year Celebration to a whole new level
with these fun and festive ideas. Merging tradition, fun, and festivity, these Lunar New Year event ideas will surely delight all guests and add a unique touch to your event. 2020 is the year of the Rat, starting from January 25, 2020 and lasting until February 11, 2021. 2020 is also a gold Rat year. The Year of the Rat is the first zodiac sign in the Chinese zodiac cycle. The 12 zodiac animals are, in order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. A Rat year occurs every 12 years. Rat Years- If you were born in 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960, 1948. The year of the Ox will follow in 2021.
Recent Years
Personality Traits
Rat
1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, Quick-witted, resourceful, ver1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 satile, kind
Ox
1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, Diligent, dependable, strong, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 determined
Tiger
1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, Brave, confident, competitive 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022
Rabbit
1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, Quiet, elegant, kind, respon1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 sible
Dragon
1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, Confident, intelligent, enthu1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 siastic
Snake
1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, Enigmatic, intelligent, wise 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
Horse
1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, Animated, active, energetic 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
Goat
1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, Calm, gentle, sympathetic 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
Monkey
1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, Sharp, smart, curiosity 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
Rooster
1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, Observant, hardworking, coura1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 geous
Dog
1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, Lovely, honest, prudent 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
Pig
Kakai Bautista
Photo from Instagram/@ilovekaye
ibly rewarding: Not only was she able to watch a master at work up close, she was also fortunate enough to have shared little moments with Lea. “Now that I’m a working actor, I hope to share what I have learned from her with other people,� said Kakai, who now gets to have her own assistant once in a while. Though she has been able to cross over to both television and film, the work ethic she has developed in theater remains with her. “I make sure that I give my best or deliver a good performance,� she said. Because of the exacting work environment she grew up in, she expects the same kind of discipline from her coworkers. But that’s not always the case in show
biz. And sometimes, she can’t help but give slacking or whiny young celebrities a nudge. “Tamad? You wanted to do this, right? Don’t complain,� Kakai said, adding that working with lazy people is one of her pet peeves. “There are no stupid people—we all have our moments. But there are some who are too lazy to learn. And I dislike that.� She also tries to remind upand-coming celebrities that being on television or having network contracts is a privilege that not everyone enjoys. “I tell them to always be grateful,� she said. For Kakai, being able to do what she loves most and call it a career is already a blessing in itself. “Everything else is just a bonus,� she stressed.
‘Beauty’ Foods Help You Look Younger
Use the chart below to discover your Zodiac Animal and corresponding personality traits based on the year you were born.
Zodiac Animal
AllAn PolicArPio
1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, Compassionate, generous, dili1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 gent [Chart Courtesy of China Highlights]
Contact Innovate Marketing Group at info@innovatemkg.com or 626-817-9588 for more information, to learn more about their services and how they could assist in your next Multicultural event! (Advertising Supplement) www.innovatemkg.com
By Grace O
What foods can you eat to help you look younger and promote healthy smooth skin, strong nails, and shiny hair? Fruits, vegetables, melons, peppers, JUDLQV QXWV PXVKURRPV DQG À VK FRQWDLQLQJ WKH FoodTrients anthocyanins, carotenoids, omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, and vitamins C and E, as well as copper, silica, and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD). Anthocyanins improve capillary function. Your capillaries bring blood to your skin and are therefore very important for optimum skin health. You can get anthocyanins in your diet by eating red, blue, and purple fruits and vegetables. Berries are an excellent source. Carotenoids convert to vitamin A inside our bodies. Vitamin A boosts the production of collagen, which strengthens skin and hair. Orange and yellow fruits and veggies are rich sources of carotenoids. I love mangos, papayas, jackfruit, and sweet potatoes. My Mango Tapioca recipes help build collagen and keep your skin young. Kale, spinach, and moringa leaves are also good sources of carotenoids. Omega-3 fatty acids are the best possible way to give skin the fat it needs to stay hydrated and HODVWLF DQG WKHUHIRUH ZULQNOH IUHH 2LO\ À VK VXFK as salmon and sardines from the ocean contain plenty of this good fat Selenium helps skin stay elastic, allowing it to bounce back from all those facial expressions we use every day. Mushrooms and Brazil nuts are a great source of this mineral. Vitamin C aids tissue regeneration, which is especially helpful after a facial, dermabrasion, or an acid peel. Citrus fruits, berries, melons, and peppers are all good sources. Vitamin E strengthens skin and hair, whether taken internally or used topically. Add vitamin E to your diet by snacking on nuts and seeds or even sea buckthorn berries. I hope this guide helps you eat your way to beautiful, younger-looking skin!
Mango Tapioca
SERVES 6-8
2 cups purÊed mango 1 Tbs. lemon juice (about ½ lemon) ½ cup sugar 1 tsp. lemon zest Ÿ cup tapioca 2 cups water 1 cup evaporated milk Instructions
1. Place the mango puree in a nonreactive saucepan, such as copper or enamel-coated cast iron. Add the lemon juice and sugar and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until very thick, about 5 minutes. 2. Add the lemon zest, remove from heat, and set aside to cool. Reserve ½ cup of the mango mixture for the topping. 3. Place the tapioca and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook tapioca, stirring continuously, until it is thick and transparent, about 1–3 minutes. 4. Add the tapioca to the mango mixture. Fold in the evaporated milk. 5. Spoon the mango tapioca into martini glasses or parfait cups. Refrigerate overnight until set. Top with the reserved mango mixture or slices of fresh mangoes.
ABOUT GRACE O
GRACE O is the creator of FoodTrients, a unique program for optimizing wellness and longevity. She is the author of two award-winning cookbooks—The Age Gracefully Cookbook and The Age Beautifully Cookbook, which recently won Gourmand’s ‘Best in the World’ Award for Innovation. She is a fusion chef with a mission to deliver delicious recipes built on a foundation of anti-aging science and her 20 years in the healthcare industry. Visit FoodTrients.com to learn more. Email us at info@FoodTrients.com
B january 25-28, 2020 • La WEEKEnD aSIan jOurnaL
Julia willing to play lesbian role with Liza
to film outfit Black Sheep that t hey shou ld create a mov ie Inquirer.net st a r r i ng t he t wo ac t r esses J U L I A Ba r ret to seems to as a lesbian couple, Barretto be willing to experiment with expressed that she will oblige roles as she revealed that she if it happens. is ready to play a lesbian if One Twitter user @erikabenpartnered with fellow actress gzon first tweeted a proposal Liza Soberano. to make a lesbian movie for SoA fter some fans proposed berano, tagging Black Sheep by Ian
BIong
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The timeless appeal of Ian Veneracion
and filmmakers Dan Villegas and Antoinette Jadaone. “LESBI A N MOV IE FOR @ lizasoberano PLEASE HEA R ME OUT @Black_SheepPH @ danvillegas @tonetjadaone,” she said on Twitter yesterday, Ja n. 22, accompa ny i ng her post with a series of photos of Soberano wearing a cap. Net i zen @creselsa nt i l la n meanwhile supported the idea, quoting the said tweet with an add it iona l suggest ion: “Yes pls!!!! @Black _ SheepPH and sana si @BarrettoJulia yung leading lady nya.” The 22-year-old actress took notice and simply answered: “I’ll dooooo it.” Fans are unsurprisingly liking the actress’s sentiment and have expressed their support for such a movie to be made. “I love you J,” @creselsant i l lan said in reply, shar ing a n i nt i m at e p h ot o c o l l a g e of the friends Soberano and Barretto. “OMG bet, something new and as early as now pls take my money for t his,” Tw itter user @nextchapter_ JB meanwhile said. Barretto is set to appear in director Mikhail Red’s zombie film “Block Z”, which will premiere on Jan. 29. Soberano is currently starring in the lead role with partner Enrique Gil in ABS-CBN’s new television ser ies “Ma ke It W it h You”, which debuted on Jan. 13.
By Monet
Lu
IAN Veneracion was at Morongo Casino performing last Sat u rday, Ja nua r y 18 a nd I c ou l d n’t h e l p wo n d er h ow impressive to how wel l he’s kept his still relatively youthful looks. Now t hat he’s bei ng “rediscovered” in a big way, his career in showbiz seems to be soaring high as he is paired w it h ac t r esses who a r e 20 years his junior! Cu r r ent ly, Vener ac ion i s teamed up w it h Bea A lonzo in their new primetime series on A BS-CBN. But for a long t ime since he came back to showbiz, he was paired with Jodi Sta Maria and their tandem has been such a hit! They starred in pivotal projects “All You Need Is Pag-Ibig,” “The Achy Breaky Hearts” and the remake of the classic series, “Pangako Sa Yo.” He was also nominated Best Actor in the 41st Metro Manila Festival for his performance in “A ll You Need is Pag-ibig.” No wonder Veneracion is one of the most bankable leading men. He’s like wine – he gets better with time, is sophisticated and his charm captivates both young and older audiences. Like, I said: a vampire! But seriously, Veneracion’s appeal is just timeless. A nd there’s nothing more relaxing than seeing his pretty face on TV as he plays Anton Noble IV in “A Love to Last.” In the series, he is the high-flying CEO and president husband of Grace (Iza Calzado). When Grace decides to seek an annulment, Anton finds love in newly-single Andrea (Bea Alonzo). Born on February 7, 1975, Stephen Ian Veneracion started acting since he was five years old. His parents are Roy Veneracion, a famous painter and Susan Lopez. He was f i r st cast by Leo Rialp in a Christmas TV show and has taken up many roles Julia Barretto with Liza Soberano from being child actor to matiPhoto from Instagram/@lizasoberano nee idol to action star to villain and finally a father. Among the remarkable movies under his belt are “Anak ng Demonyo” and “El Presidente.” Veneracion is also notable for h i s i nvol vement i n t he current defunct youth variety show called “That’s Entertainment” that he was a part of for a decade. But wait, t here’s more to this man than being a talented actor. Veneracion paints, plays the guitar and piano like a pro, and has licenses in piloting, sk yd iv i ng a nd pa r agl id i ng. He loves cooking and baking
Ian Veneracion
such that he took up a course in Culinary Arts. With all these amazing abilities, who do you think he loves doing all these things with and for? None other than his lovely wife, Pam Gallardo. Yes, my friends. This fish is hooked and is very much spoken for. Veneracion’s choice of a woman as his wife was indeed surprising for a rising celebrity like him as Pam is neither an actress, singer or painter. She is an industrial engineer who graduated from UP Diliman and has a masters degree in Education from Ateneo. At 22 years old, Veneracion ma r r ied h is long-t i me g i rlfriend Pam in 1997. Veneracion said in an interview that Pam is very understanding of his job, including the romantic scenes he has with his onscreen partners. He also mentioned her as an ideal partner who can balance bet ween her job and fami ly well. Pam is even supportive of Ian’s expensive hobbies. He and his wife have planned to set up a pre-school. The power couple has three children, Draco (17), Deirdre (15) and Buccio (8). Being a family man, Veneracion usually spends his time painting, swimming, fishing and visiting museums with his children. According to an inter view with Inquirer, Veneracion stat-
ed that he is quite proud to be a father, saying “But the role I’m the proudest of is being a dad. Fat herhood has a l lowed me to teach my kids what my dad (visual artist Roy Veneracion) has taught me: Explore your options.” Suc h a n a m a z i ng fa m i ly and I cannot get over the fact that he is just human. Yep, not a vampire, a Greek god or an immortal. St ill, not any mor tal man – an incredibly handsome one, if I may add – would have the same successes like this one if not for his character, will, deter m i nat ion a nd love for his family. For that, I applaud him. Ian Veneracion may not be i m mor ta l but t he va lues he passed on to his children and the contributions he’s made to the industry will last in perpetuity just as his youthfulness has through the years. *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, awardwinning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern C alifornia and L as Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold -out fashion and awards shows as well as unforget table marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com.
Intention or the amount? The real essence of giving Life Coaching in a Different Perspective Stargazer I WAS coming home from LA to Manila during the first week of last December when something caught my attention and made me reflect. It was one of my usual trips to the U.S. where I get to meet and talk to people I guide in the California area. After checking in, I proceeded to the lounge to take a rest before boarding the plane. Inside the lounge, I couldn’t help but notice this lady who looked at everyone as if trying to get their attention somehow. I ignored and sat quietly, unmindful of the goings-on around me. I was busy doing something needed for my program at DZMM. Then I proceeded to the gate and boarded the plane. While we were settling down and waiting for the rest of the passengers to board, I overheard the same lady brag about her numerous charities on the plane. Seated in business class, she enumerated to her seatmate the various foundations that receive her donations, the many children she sends to school and a handful of aspiring priests she supports in her hometown. I shouldn’t be eavesdropping but her voice was so loud that it seemed that she was really doing it on purpose. I cannot pass
judgment on her just based on her loudness but I guess she may be really doing her part in helping others. Based on what everyone was overhearing, it didn’t appear she had any political ambitions (I hope) at all. But should we be very obvious about what we do or should the left hand know what the right hand does? Helping others must come from the heart and not because you can have a tax deduction for it. Some may appear to have some foundation of sorts but it is just a prelude to another intention. Always keep in mind that the first intention is what really matters. Why do we help others then? How can you be of help to others? Lend a hand. Do more favors for those in need. An elderly woman may need someone to help her cross the street or climb a steep set of stairs. If a person at work may need physical help with what he or she is doing, offer to help out. It is not difficult to offer assistance to anyone. Give anonymously and randomly. A homeless person may be cold out on the streets or starving. Instead of giving money, buy him a hot meal or give him a blanket. Secretly giving without the accolades matter a lot. They actually count the most. Listen to people. A friend may feel sad so give him/her a call. A close buddy may be depressed over work or personal situations, have coffee with him/her. Simple things like letting them vent out are not negative. It helps them clear
their emotions. Let them talk and rant. Then hold their hand or give them a hug. You may not have all the answers but assuring them you are ready to listen may be enough. Standing up for what is right is also a form of helping. When you see someone being discriminated against, defend the person. Simple injustices can be addressed easily. Don’t just stand there, afraid to speak up for someone because you don’t want to be involved or hurt. The new year is here. You make resolutions or promises to yourself that most of the time you break. Now try to be more of help to others to keep the positive energy going. Let us start the ball of positivity rolling. It won’t hurt if you give. It won’t hurt if you speak out. It won’t hurt if you share a part of you with others. Smile too. It makes the world a little brighter. Love, be kind, and spread the culture of giving. *** Stargazer is a life coach, aura reader, psychic/clairvoyant, and lecturer on the paranormal. She uses the aura, energies & vibrations as focal points of her psychic readings. Using several techniques involving the psychological, spiritual, paranormal and her own experience of the intricacies of life, Stargazer makes one get in touch with his inner and understand life in a positive manner. Faith in God and belief in self is what Stargazer emphasizes on. Currently, Stargazer is a radio anchor of DZMM Teleradyo, the radio arm of ABS-CBN. Her show “Pinoy Vibes” has been airing every Sunday morning since Sept. 2007. She can be reached at stargazerphils@ gmail.com. For more information, please visit http://stargazer.ph/.
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 25-28, 2020
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 25-28, 2020
COMMUNITY Journal
Keep your 2020 resolutions
The Prophetic Voice ReveRend Rodel G. BalaGtas
Photo courtesy of asiansmokersquitline.org
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’s resolution even though the first day of the year has passed. Focusing on one change at a time will help you keep your 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. It would be better to focus on small changes instead of one big goal. Let’s say if you want to save up money for your vacation, make a change in your spending and living habits. You can make your coffee or tea at home instead of buying beverages outside. Replace your soda with water, and you will also be surprised how quickly you will save up for 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 by just thinking about them. It requires an 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 towards the prize. For example, treat yourself to a movie at a theatre if you have quit smoking for a week, or get a new suitcase that you have always wanted when your vacation fund reaches a certain amount. 5. Don’t give up Most of the time, 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 with your plan. For instance, quit coaches at ASQ is a free service for smokers who want to seek advice on staying quit and 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 will be able to achieve your goal one day. 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-, Ko-
rean- and Vietnamese-speaking smokers to call ASQ if they want free help on 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, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. to midnight Eastern Time). To enroll, call or register online today: • Mandarin & Cantonese – 1800-838-8917, www.asq-chinese. org • Korean – 1 - 8 0 0 - 5 5 6 5564, www.asq-korean.org • Vietnamese – 1-800-7788440, www.asq-viet.org. To learn more about ASQ in English, visit: www.asiansmokersquitline.org. (Advertising Supplement)
I’VE often wondered why we Filipinos have a great devotion to Santo Niño. And I’ve heard one thing: that praying to Santo Niño is effective (mabisa) and powerful. For example, a friend shared with me that the people of Leyte believe that the plague in their province stopped when they prayed a novena to Santo Niño and processed its image around the region. But is it the statue that is powerful and “mabisa” or our deep faith? I’d say that it’s our faith that is effective. Why? It’s because it is a faith that is childlike. And what is childlike faith? It is pure, totally dependent on God, entrusting, humble, meek, and poor in spirit. That’s what God needs to see in us as we pray to him. Haven’t we had this experience? It’s when we submit our will to God that we find help and healing. It’s this kind of faith that can move mountains as the Scriptures tell us. I’ve shared with my readers that almost five years ago, my doctor found an unruptured aneurysm in my brain. This news shocked why whole existence and so I turned to God for healing and asked prayers from many people. I’ve never prayed so hard in my whole life. I prayed like a child to God and submitted my entire being to him. I didn’t just pray like a child; I became a child in total dependence on God. And as you know, the Lord answered my prayer. My doctor told me not to worry anymore. The aneurysm has healed. All I need to do is to take care of my health. This childlike prayer is not only entrusting but is youthful. Many of us would say that we’re aging. But we know that it’s only our bodies that get old. Our spirits and faith should never get old. God should always see this in us. He needs to see a faith that is
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On praying to Santo Niño “ Our spirits and faith should never get old. God should always see this in us.”
youthful and hopeful, a “pananampalataya na sariwa sa pagasa, buhay na buhay at masigasig.” I have a friend named Ricky. He is 50 years old. Recently, he discovered something new about himself: a beautiful voice that had been buried for years within his being. One day, as he was sitting inside a bar in Hollywood, a man came to him. The man told him, “You know, I heard you pick up the microphone and sing. You have a great voice, and I want to work with you. I am a professional voice trainer.” Ricky could not believe that such a person would approach him to ask if he wanted training. To keep the long story short, Ricky agreed. What he and the
trainer discovered was astonishing. Hidden in a fifty-year-old body is the pure and original voice of his youth that had been trampled by frustrations and disappointments of life. We need to uncover this youthful voice in us—this youthful and faith-filled spirit. It’s the faith that is “mabisa” and powerful, and that can heal and renew us. So, let us ask God to grant us a childlike and youthful faith. Let’s not just pray to Santo Niño, but let’s also be like him: dependent on the will of his Father, entrusting, loving, and filled with awe and wonder. Amen. *** Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.
C JANUARY 25-28, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
Tax & Stock Tips Victor Sy and
Byron Sy
THERE’S been a buzzword in cell phone speeds: 5G. Just what is meant by 5G? Our Asian Journal crew of Roger Oriel, Victor Sy, and Byron Sy found out some valuable data at the latest Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas early this month. There are Three Different Versions of 5G with Varying Degrees of Speed: • Low-band 5G: About 20% faster than your current 4G LTE. • Mid-band 5G: About 6x faster than LTE. • High-band 5G: About 10x faster than LTE. Just How Fast is 5G? The current LTE (Long-term Evolution) bars that you see in your smart phone allows you to download a movie in about 10 to 20 minutes. High-band 5G
Tapat Sa Batas atty. rhea SamSon ANG isang dayuhan na may false claim ng US citizenship upang makakuha ng mga benipisyo sa ilalim ng federal law o state law ay maaaring maging inadmissible. Ang mga sumusunod ang mga elemento ng false claim ng US citizenship: (1) ang dayuhan ay nagsabi at naglinlang na siya ay US citizen; (2) ang kanyang pagsabi na siya ay US citizen ay hindi totoo; (3) alam ng dayuhan na siya ay nagsisinungaling noong sinabi niya na siya ay US citizen; at (4) ang dahilan ng pagsabi ng dayuhan na siya ay US citizen ay upang makakuha ng mga benepisyo sa ilalim ng Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), o para sa benepisyo sa ilalim ng federal law o state law. Ang dayuhan ay maaaring magsabi na siya ay US citizen sa mga interbyu, sa mga aplikasyon niya sa trabaho, o sa mga dokumentong kanyang ibinigay sa opisyal ng gobyerno ng US, kasama na ang federal official at state official. Maaari rin na ang pagsisinungaling ukol sa US citizenship ay sinabi sa isang pribadong tao,
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Superfast 5G for cell phones What is a postnuptial agreement? at the Las Vegas CES Barrister’s can do that in about 30 to 60 seconds depending on how far you are from a signal tower. For now, carriers are starting their 5G high-band millimeter wave in public spaces like stadiums, downtowns, and other crowded areas. We personal consumers have to wait a little longer. What is State of U.S. Carriers? AT&T has a low-band network in 20 markets for consumers and faster high-band networks in 35 commercial markets. It doesn’t sell devices that support both networks yet. T-Mobile has the same progress. Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10+ 5G supports the low-band network. AT&T 5GE is modernizing its existing 4G LTE network while it constructs real 5G. Verizon has high-band 5G live in 34 markets. Verizon will charge an additional $10 per month to use 5G. I don’t
know what the other carriers will charge. What is the Overall State of 5G? 5G is a mess with a variety of low to high band cocktails but this will change when Apple and Samsung introduce iPhone and Galaxy phones that support all levels of 5G toward the end of 2020. *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV - Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation. *** He retired after 50 years of defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He published a book on “How to Avoid or Survive IRS Audits.” Readers may email tax questions to vicsy@live.com.
Inadmissibility due to false claim to US citizenship katulad ng US employer. Para maging false claim sa US citizenship, dapat ay alam ng dayuhan na ang sinasabi niya na siya ay US citizen ay hindi totoo at ito’y isang kasinungalingan. Kung hindi alam ng dayuhan na hindi pala siya US citizen, halimbawa ay sinabihan siya ng kanyang mga magulang na siya ay US citizen simula noong siya ay sanggol pa hanggang lumaki na siya, at buong buhay niya itong pinaniwalaan, hindi masasabing ang dayuhan ay may false claim sa US citizenship. Ayon sa batas, ang isang dayuhan ay inadmissible dahil sa false claim ng US citizenship kung siya ay nagsabi at naglinlang ukol sa kanyang citizenship para makakuha ng mga benepisyo sa ilalim ng INA, o federal law o state law. Kailangan ding ang US citizenship ay materyal o mahalaga para sa benepisyong gustong makuha ng dayuhan, kagaya ng sa aplikasyon para sa US passport, pagpasok sa US kung saan sinasabi ng dayuhan na siya ay US citizen para hindi siya tanungin pa ng mga opisyal ng Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), o kaya ay sa paghanap at pagkuha ng trabaho sa pamamagitan ng pag-fill up ng Form I-9 Employ-
ment Eligibility Verification Form kung saan sinasabi ng dayuhan na siya ay US citizen upang hindi na siya hanapan ng US employer ng mga dokumento na siya ay legal na pwedeng magtrabaho sa US. Maaari ring ang dayuhan ay may false claim sa US citizenship upang makaiwas sa mga negatibong maaaring mangyari sa kanya kung siya ay wala nang status sa US, tulad ng paglagay sa kanya sa removal o deportation proceedings o pagbigay ng mahabang interrogation sa kanya ng mga opisyal ng Immigration. *** An alien who falsely claims to be a US citizen in order to obtain a benefit under federal law or state law may be found to be inadmissible. The following are the elements of false claim to US citizenship: (1) the alien made a representation of US citizenship; (2) the representation was false; (3) the alien made the representation knowingly; and (4) the alien made the representation for any purpose or benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) or any other federal or state law. An alien may claim to be a US citizen in interviews, written ap-
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A POSTNUPTIAL agreement is a contract between you and your spouse entered into after you get married resolving issues in your marriage. It is similar to a prenuptial agreement except it occurs after your marriage. For couples that get married without a prenuptial agreement, it is not too late to have an agreement dealing with issues of property division, management of finances, spousal support, division of a business that takes effect in case of a divorce. You can enter into a postnuptial agreement even if the marriage is going well. People grow and change over time. You can never predict if your relationship with your spouse will stay the same in the future. In a way, it is a form of planning to cover the contingency in case the marriage does not work out in the future. If you are the spouse who is the primary breadwinner such as a Registered Nurse, a Physician, or other Professional, California community property law provides for a 50% interest to your spouse for any income earned by you during the marriage and any property acquired by you and your spouse during the marriage. Basically, your spouse has a one-half interest in your salary, earnings, and any assets you acquired during the marriage even if it was you who sweated to earn that money and even if a particular asset or bank account is under your name alone. This 50/50 division can be changed even after the marriage by ways of a postnuptial agreement. What issues can be resolved in advance through a postnuptial agreement? You can agree on how a business or a professional practice is to be divided in case of a divorce. Through the postnuptial agreement, the division does not have to be 50/50. The agreement can provide that the business will
Debt Relief
atty. Lawrence yang THE first senior is 73. He has been separated from his wife for 30 years but not divorced. So, for all intents and purposes, he is single because even if his wife makes a ton of money, her income is irrelevant under the means test since the client does not benefit from that income. Even if his estranged wife makes $1 million a year as Manafort’s financial advisor, that income is not part of the client’s household income under the means test. He says he has no idea where his wife is and has not seen her for 30 years. He comes to see me with a woman who sits behind him in my office. She smiles a lot. I presume that she must be his girlfriend. What is his problem now? His social security benefits have been cut by more than half! Unbelievable is the word. Now that he needs social security to survive, they cut it by 50 percent. I don’t even want to mention figures because the reduced amount that he now receives is not even enough to pay for his room rent of $500. He used to get $1,000 a month of social security. He says he’s appealing the cutback. I hope he is successful in his appeal because this reduction is not only unbelievable, it’s cruel. It’s like cutting off the umbilical cord from the unborn child. Despite this misfortune, the client appears to be taking it in stride. To be precise, his problem now is that he has no money to pay for his $20,000 in credit cards, which need $600 a month of minimum monthly payments to keep them current. Needless to say, he has no money left to pay for these cards. His reduced $500 social security is enough only to pay for his room rent. I think we can all sympathize
The Metamorphosis
Corner
atty. Kenneth UrSUa reyeS be awarded to one spouse alone or it can provide a certain amount of buyout to the other spouse. There is a lot of flexibility as to how you want to structure this. You can also provide for how real property is to be divided such as a house or rental property. Typically, a house purchased during the marriage is community property to be divided equally. A house purchased before the marriage is separate property but if there was a mortgage or refinancing during the marriage and the monthly mortgage payment is paid from earnings during the marriage, there could be a community interest in that separate property house which entitles your spouse to a portion of the house. This confusion can be squared away and clarified in a postnuptial agreement. You can provide for who gets the house and what buy out , if any, your spouse will get in case of a divorce. Spousal support can also be addressed in the postnuptial agreement. A common provisions is to agree to a certain amount of spousal support which varies depending on how long the marriage was at the time the parties divorce. It is also possible to waive spousal support altogether. However, such waiver of support will be scrutinized as to unconscionability at the time of the divorce. Other issues that can be resolved in a postnuptial agreement are division of debts and credit cards, ownership of a life insur-
ance policy, beneficiaries to a life insurance policy, and who gets the family pet. Since the postnuptial agreement is the first issue that can be attacked in a divorce case, it is best that each party be represented by their own attorney in negotiating the agreement. In that case, there is less likelihood that the postnuptial agreement will be found invalid since you can argue that there was no undue influence since both parties were represented by counsel. Having a postnuptial is definitely beneficial in minimizing the uncertainty in the future pertaining to your marriage and finances. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com (Advertising Supplement)
A tale of two seniors in financial distress with his financial problem in his golden years. Nobody wants to be in this situation, as one becomes a senior. As a senior, one must have enough to pay for a roof over one’s head and have money left to pay for food and other necessities. And hopefully, have some money left to indulge in what one enjoys doing. Maybe eating out or traveling come to mind as life’s little pleasures that seniors can enjoy. I also know that many seniors feel lonely so they join a seniors club that allows them to have social activities of meeting other seniors and doing activities together. The client does have one thing going for him. He is in perfect health. No hypertension. No diabetes. Not overweight. He has no chronic illness of any kind, although some have argued that aging is a chronic illness. He needs Chapter 7 to wipe out the $20,000 of credit card debt. I’m glad at least I can help him this way. Who needs $20,000 of credit card debt at 73? Time marches on very quickly. We will all become seniors one day. All we can be is be young at heart and in the mind. Just like a car that starts breaking down, as it gets older, our bodies will do the same, as we get older. Right? Chapter 13 for senior no. 2 Senior no. 2 is 79 years old and married to his wife of 55 years. They are happily married to each other. They have aged well together. Unlike Trump, who has aged by himself, while his wives get younger & younger. Out with the old and in the new. Maybe that makes him feel like he will live forever. In the client’s case, they own a home with about $300,000 of equity. The mortgage balance is about $400,000. The mortgage payment is $2,500. Their joint social security income is $2,700. They have no other in-
come. They owe $60,000 of credit cards. Oops. Clearly, the math doesn’t add up. $60,000 of credit cards need $1,800 of monthly minimum payments to keep them current. But SS income is $2,700 while the mortgage is $2,500. This is where the children have to come in and help out because eventually, children will inherit the $300,000 of house equity. So, it’s only fair that the children help out now. The children can help out by contributing the amount necessary for clients to pay off the $60,000 over five years under Chapter 13 reorganization. They will have to contribute $1,000 a month to the Chapter 13 plan. At the end of the 5th year, the court will enter a discharge order and clients will owe zero on the $60,000 of credit cards. They will be free of all credit card debt at 82. And they will still have their home, which probably will have gone up by another $200,000. So, children stand to inherit $500,000, but they should help out now with $50,000 over five years. Even looking at it as an investment, they invest $50,000 and get ten times back in five years. And they are able to relieve their parents of unnecessary financial stress, which will make them live longer. If you need debt relief, please set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation, and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)
The United States is not the center of the universe, God is Part 2 of 2
ernie d. deLfin IF you ask many Americans (Americans are of many colors, creeds and nationalities) who have lived and visited many countries of all continents, you will also hear many derogatory comments because of what her political leaders do and declare that is inimical to the national interests of other nations. For instance, the White House policies alienating her own allies in NATO, as well as her solitary departure from the Paris Climate accord, is quite self-serving and not received well by many independent countries. The administration’s immigration policies, and the not-wellthought knee-jerk foreign policies in the Middle East without the consultation of Congress and the intelligence community may bring this country back to war,
that will further divide the American people, in addition to the ongoing, very divisive issue of the president’s impeachment. What can be done to reverse this trend of the spiral downhill of our country’s future? The excellent dialogue in the movie The Two Popes, starring Anthony Hopkins as Pope Benedict XVI and Jonathan Pryce as Pope Francis can give us some interesting ideas on how to deal with change to start with. To grow is to find that happy medium of equilibrium where all people win without dehumanizing anybody. The dignity of the person is paramount and power is not just the power of money and arms. The power of God (love or spirit) is more powerful and lasting. For me as a practicing Catholic who is trying very hard to live out my faith, going back to the basics which I may call ABC cube (Al-
liance of all Busineses with the Community, Churches, Colleges) with all institutions, whether public and private and all Community Benefit Organization (CBOs) like Rotary International must work together for the common good, to a higher good for all, without discriminating anyone, like how Christ treated all people including the Gentiles. The government (public) sector cannot do it alone; it also needs the private sector, and vice versa. The Church cannot just do it alone in the spiritual quadrant but must also do the corporal quadrant as the spirit and body must be both healthy to be alive. After all, the human person is both body and soul. Both must be fed with good food to energize him on his journey to reach his nirvana. Changes are inevitable, and changes must be made without
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 25-28, 2020
Employees injured at work are entitled to reasonable accommodation
VIRGINIA Hoover worked as a radiology technologist for a Dignity Health hospital for 24 years. In December 2012, her arm was injured while she was preparing for a CT scan. The injury resulted in medical restrictions, including the prohibition of lifting more than 15 pounds. She also had to go on a lengthy leave of absence to get treatments and to heal. When she was ready to return to work, the employer fired her purportedly because she could not do her job due to her lifting restrictions. She sued the employer claiming disability discrimination and wrongful termination. She argued that the employer failed to make the reasonable accommodation that would allow her to return to work. California law prohibits discrimination based on disability or medical condition. California law defines disability (whether mental or physical) as any disease, disorder, cosmetic disfigurement, anatomical loss, emotional or mental illness, or specific learning disabilities, which limits a major life activity. Working at a job is considered a major life activity. The employer has a duty to provide reasonable accommodation to employees to enable them to work despite their disability. The law and the regulations clearly contemplate not only that employers remove obstacles that are in the way of the progress of the disabled, but that they actively re-structure their way of doing business in order to accommodate the needs of their disabled employees. Depending on the employee’s specific restrictions and the employer’s circumstances, the
Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights ATTY. C. JOE SAYAS, JR. following are examples of reasonable accommodations: making facilities accessible to and usable by disabled individuals; job restructuring; offering parttime or modified work schedules; reassigning to a vacant position; or acquiring or modifying equipment or devices for use by the disabled employee. The employer also has the duty to find and offer suitable jobs for the employee. Simply telling the disabled employee to check available job postings in the company is not enough. The employer must in good faith determine whether a disabled employee can be transferred or reassigned to a vacant position. The employer is in a better position to know what jobs are vacant or may become vacant. Virginia Hoover’s case is similar to a case our law firm handled for an employee who was injured at work and deemed “17% permanently disabled” by the Worker’s Compensation judge. That employee, Lara May (not her real name to protect confidentiality), was released back to work by her doctors. However, when she tried to return to work, the employer responded by terminating her. The employer argued that Lara was terminated because of her 17% permanent disability. However, there was no finding that Lara was not able to return to work. There was also no finding that Lara was a Qualified Injured Worker who needed to be re-
trained for another position. In other words, the employer fired Lara without inquiring whether her 17% permanent disability allowed her to perform the essential duties of her job. In comparing both cases, Lara’s employer looked at Lara’s 17% permanent disability and Virginia’s employers looked at Virginia’s 15-pound lifting restrictions, as disqualifying them from work, without inquiring whether their current conditions would nevertheless allow them to perform the essential duties of their jobs. If the employees can still perform the essential duties of their jobs, then the employer must provide reasonable accommodation and allow them to return to work. Lara’s employer agreed to settle the case before trial and paid Lara a significant amount of damages. Virginia’s employers fought her claims aggressively all the way to trial. After a 20-day trial, the jury returned a verdict in favor of Virginia, awarding her $1.03 million in damages. The judge also ordered the employer to pay $957,510 in attorneys’ fees to Virginia’s lawyers. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. You can contact the office at (818) 2910088 or visit www.joesayaslaw.com. [C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is a Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino Overseas in 2018.] (Advertising Supplement)
The United States is not the center...
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disregarding or leaving the greatest virtue of all, love of our neighbor. God (who has been called love, Father, Almighty, Jesus, Allah or even “Sun” by some indigenous peoples) is and must be the real center of our Universe. No nation in the world will be a leader for a long time, if it destroys the very essence of man that is created in the image of God. There are lessons learned from the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, the grandeur of Spain and Portugal for centuries, that of England and Germany for a while, and now America for about a century now. All of these earthly power will also have their ending of earthly glory of power and might when their leaders turned away from God, the source or Creator of all things. The Good Book, or Bible, contains all the Basic Instructions
Before Leaving Earth. Last but not the least, for any reader out there, I am not just writing this commentary but also doing something on what I write and advocate. We have now our Philippines Eagles Network (PEN) that is now coordinating all these advocacy work with a group of like-minded individuals both in the Philippines and in the USA. About 20 of us from the USA and in the Philippines are investing our own time, money and energy to have our Valentines’ weekend retreat next month in the Villa Luna Resorts in Bolinao, Pangasinan to plan and strategize the work we must do to achieve our mission/goals for 2020-2021. We are very energized and excited about the possibilities of what happens when like minds and people work together, like the flight of the Canadian geese! Indeed where our treasures are is
where hearts also will be! We are working closely with many people from the business sector, churches, colleges, communities, and Rotary and government for some needed advocacy work with well-chosen partners (especially in ecology, education and entrepreneurship) for the common good. If anyone interested to know more, please email me at ernie. delfin@gmail.com directly and I can give you more information and send you our legacy newsletter, “Footprints” both online and in print very soon. More power to all of us who work for peace, justice, and the common good, a higher good for all! *** Email: ernie.delfin@gmail.com Websites: www.gkerc.org www.pagudpudsands.com www.kannaway.com/5236768
People and Events
More Than Pink Walk™: 23rd annual Susan G. Komen Los Angeles County event
SUSAN G. Komen Los Angeles County will hold its 23rd annual event at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, February 29, its MORE THAN PINK Walk™. Known for raising significant monies to help those with breast health issues in Los Angeles County, the affiliate does so with many activities, the Expo, Hope Village, for survivors and those living with breast cancer, Reflection Tent, and Team Zone in addition to the fun MORE THAN PINK Walk™ itself. There’s something everyone will enjoy. Sponsored by AutoNation, Spiritual Gangster, The Citadel and CBS-2/KCAL-9, 2020’s event is expected to significantly surpass 2019’s attendance of 6,000, nearly 400 survivors in atten-
dance, and over 900 members on the largest corporate team. “We are proud to be advocating for the breast health needs of LA County families, but we have a long way to go before we end this cancer entirely because it is not just one disease. One in eight women and some men will have this devastating disease during their lifetime. Breast cancer kills one person every 60 seconds. Please join us and support this event through participation and fundraising so we can continue to provide no-cost services to those most in need,” explained Mark K. Pilon. executive director of Susan G. Komen Los Angeles County. “Our attendees gather together to celebrate their lives, to sup-
port one another. To encourage even more attendance this year, we’ve reduced the registration fee to $15 for the rest of 2019. On January 1, 2020, it will increase to $30,” Pilon concluded. Check-in and on-site registration opens by 7:30 a.m. and the opening ceremony begins at 8:30 a.m. The walk begins at 8:45 a.m. then from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. is the post-walk celebration where guests can enjoy music, snacks and activities. Through events like the Los Angeles County MORE THAN PINK Walk™, Komen Los Angeles County invests 75% of the funds raised to support vital local breast health services and dedicates the remaining 25% to national research to
u PAGE C4
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K-1 fiancé(e) visa: Getting your significant other to the United States SEVERAL options exist for a US citizen to bring his/her foreign-national fiancé(e) to the United States. One popular option is to marry the fiancé(e) in the country in which he/she resides, and file an I-130 immigrant petition, with the fiancé(e) to undergo consular processing for an immigrant visa when the I-130 petition is approved. However, this option often is not advisable in that the US-citizen petitioner would have to learn and comply with complicated, country-specific marriage license requirements, or legal barriers to marriage may exist to the US-citizen petitioner in the foreign country (as in the case of the Philippines, which in some circumstances will not recognize a foreign divorce judgment). In such cases, the best way to get your fiancé(e) to the US is via a K-1 Fiance(e) visa. The K-1 Fiancé(e) visa allows a fiancé(e) to enter the US for 90 days to allow marriage to take place. By having the marriage take place in the US, couples are able to bypass the foreign country’s license requirements and/or other impediments to marriage imposed by a foreign law. To be eligible for the K-1 Fiancé(e) visa petition, the following are required: 1) the petitioner must be a US Citizen, 2) the petitioner must have an intent to marry the fiancé(e) within 90 days of his/her arrival in the US, 3) the petitioner and
Legal Advice ATTY. DARRICK TAN fiancé(e) must have the ability to marry (i.e. any previous marriages were terminated by divorce or death), and 4) the petitioner and fiancé(e) must have physically met each other within 2 years of filing the K-1 Fiancé(e) visa petition (certain exceptions apply to this fourth requirement). Minor unmarried children of the fiancé(e) may also come to the US under a K-2 visa classification. Upon arrival in the US, the fiancé(e) can immediately apply for authorization to work in the US. He/she does not have to wait until marriage to apply for work authorization. The work authorization issued to the fiancé(e) is valid for 90 days after entry. This provides the fiancé(e) the ability to immediately seek lawful employment. Once married, the spouse of the US citizen can file an I-485 application for adjustment of status (from K-1 to permanent resident), and remain in the US while the application is pending. At the same time the I-485 application is filed, the fiancé(e) may apply for an extended work authorization. Upon approval of the I-485 application, the fiancé(e) is granted a condi-
tional green card that is valid for 2 years, after which he/she can apply to remove the conditions on the green card. The K-1 Fiance(e) status automatically expires after 90 days. If marriage with the US Citizen who petitioned the fiancé(e) does not occur within that time, the fiancé(e) begins to accrue unlawful presence. Also, the fiancé(e) will be precluded from adjusting to permanent resident status in the US if he/she marries another US citizen (however, he/she may be able to become a permanent resident through consular processing with a provisional waiver). If you are a US Citizen who is planning to marry your foreign national fiancé(e), or you are someone who arrived under a K-1 Fiance(e) visa whose marriage did not take place, it is recommended you consult with an experienced attorney. *** Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to practice law in California and Nevada. Mr. Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southwestern University School of Law. He is a member of American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philippine American Bar Association (PABA). LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN, 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Tel: 323-639-0277. Email: info@dtanlaw. com (Advertising Supplement)
Inadmissibility due to false claim to US... PAGE C2 t
plications or by submitting documentary evidence to a US government official, any federal, state or local official, or even to a private person, such as an employer. For USCIS to consider the claim to US citizenship to be false, the alien must knowingly misrepresent the fact that he is a citizen of the US. The alien must have known that he was not a US citizen at the time that the claim was made. If the alien did not know that the claim to citizenship was false, the alien cannot be considered as having made a false claim to citizenship. The law only makes an alien inadmissible for falsely claiming US citizenship if the alien falsely represents himself to be a US citizen for any purpose or benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), or any federal or state
law. Furthermore, US citizenship must matter to the purpose or benefit sought. This means that US citizenship must be material to the purpose or benefit sought, such as in an application for US passport, entry into the US where the alien claims to be a US citizen, and in obtaining employment by filling-up Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form under a claim of US citizenship. If the alien also falsely claims US citizenship to avoid negative legal consequences such as being placed in removal proceedings and being placed in further inspection or interrogation by immigration officials, he is inadmissible. Likewise, if the alien claimed to be a US citizen to avoid showing valid and unexpired work authorization documents to accept an offer of employment, he is inadmissible.
*** ATTY. RHEA SAMSON is the principal of SAMSON LAW FIRM, P.C. She has been a member of the State Bar of California for over 15 years and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines for over 20 years. Atty. Samson received her Legal Management degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo Law School. She was a Professor for over 10 years, teaching Obligations and Contracts, Labor Laws and Social Legislation and Taxation Law. Atty Samson is the author of The Law on Obligations and Contracts (2016), Working with Labor Laws-Revised Edition (2014) and Working with Labor Laws (2005). SAMSON LAW FIRM, P.C., 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1710, Los Angeles, CA 90010; Phone: (213) 381-5710; Email: info@samsonlawfirmpc.com” info@samsonlawfirmpc.com. (Advertising Supplement)
C4 JANUARY 25-28, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
More Than Pink Walk™: 23rd annual...
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find the cures. To participate, call (310) 575-3011 or visit komenlacounty.org/walk. Susan G. Komen is the world’s largest breast cancer organization, funding more breast cancer research than any other nonprofit while providing real-time help to those facing the disease. Komen
has set a Bold Goal to reduce the current number of breast cancer deaths by 50 percent in the U.S. by 2026. Komen was founded in 1982 by Nancy G. Brinker, who promised her sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would end the disease that claimed Suzy’s life. Komen Los Angeles County is working to better the lives of those
Calendar of Events across
facing breast cancer in the local community. Through events like the Komen MORE THAN PINK Walk™, Komen Los Angeles County has invested $10,535,590 in community breast health programs in Los Angeles County and has helped contribute to more than $920 million invested globally in research. ■
America
ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS JA N UA RY 25
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.
Santo Niño de Cebú Fiesta at Saint Brendan in Los Angeles Come and join a Celebration of the Feast of Señor Santo Niño at Saint Brendan Catholic Church on Saturday, January 25 at 5 p.m. The church is located at 310 South Van Ness Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90020. Following the mass liturgy will be a blessing of images/statues of Señor Santo Niño. Please bring your statue of Santo Nino.
JA N UA RY 3 0
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/.
F E B R UA RY 1
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.
F E B R UA RY 1 5
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.
MARCH 10
Glenn Miller Orchestra to perform in Stevenson Ranch, CA The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra will swing into the Santa Clarita Valley for a special one-night-only event to be held at West Ranch High School on Tuesday, March 10 at 7 p.m. The most sought-after big band in the world will take the stage with Bandleader Nick Hilscher at the helm, performing beloved hits from their extensive library which includes In the Mood, Moonlight Serenade and Pennsylvania 6-5000. Hosted by West Ranch High School’s music program, the concert will be an event for all ages and offers the chance to experience history, enjoy the magical melodies and walk away knowing you’re supporting a new generation of talented musicians in the process. The most popular and sought after big band in the world today for both concert and swing dance engagements. With its unique jazz sound, the Glenn Miller Orchestra is considered to be one of the greatest bands of all time. The present Glenn Miller Orchestra was formed in 1956 and has been touring consistently since, playing an average of 300 live dates a year all around the world. The performance will be held at West Ranch High School Theater (26255 Valencia Blvd. Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381). Ticket prices are $25 – Seniors/Students/Military; $30 – General; or $40 – Premium Seating. Prices increase by $5 at the door the day of the event. Tickets available online at westranchmusic.com or by calling (661) 222-1220 ext. 645.
If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com
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&
February 2020 priority dates
Immigration Corner
The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows: Application Filing Date
FAMILY CATEGORY:
ATTY. MICHAEL GURFINKEL, ESQ
October 1, 2009
April 1, 2009
(2A) Spouse and Second Preference minor children (below 21 years old) of green card holder
December 1, 2019
Current
(2B) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years old or older) of green card holder
November 1, 2009
May 1, 2009
Third Preference
Married sons and daughters of US Citizens.
November 1, 1999
May 1, 1999
Fourth Preference
Brothers and sisters of US Citizens.
January 1, 2000
July 1, 1999
LABOR CERTIFICATION:
Application Filing Date
Visa Issuance Date
Second Preference Advanced Degree (Masters)
Current
Current
First Preference
EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again. Beginning in October 2015, the format of the Visa Bulletin changed, in that a new column was added, called the “Application Filing Date.” If a person’s priority date is earlier than the Application Filing Date, they can already file for adjustment of status and work authorization (provided they are otherwise eligible and USCIS indicates on its website it will use the Application Filing Date for that month). This could allow people to obtain work authorization much sooner than before, where they had to wait for the priority date to be current (in the Visa Issuance or Final Action Date column) in order to both file for adjustment and be eligible for a green card.
Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens (over 21 years of age)
Visa Issuance Date
Third Preference
Professional/ Skilled Workers
January 1, 2019
June 1, 2018
Other Workers
Non-Skilled Workers
January 1, 2019
June 1, 2018
*** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a pre-
diction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw and Twitter @GurfinkelLaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)
Business Quote of the Week “The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didn’t think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential.”
— Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft
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PH drops 14 places in latest Corruption Perceptions Index by IAN
NICOLAS CIGARAL Philstar.com
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines fell 14 places in the latest global corruption index released Thursday, January 23 by watchdog Transparency International, which found that majority of countries around the world are showing “little to no improvement” in tackling corruption. Results of the 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index showed the Philippines slipped to the 113th spot out of 180 countries tracked by Transparency International. The index ranks countries based on experts and business leaders’ perception of public sector corruption. It uses a scale of zero to 100, where zero is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean. In the 2019 edition of the report, the Philippines’ score dipped to 34 from 36 previously and shared the same ranking with El Salvador, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Eswatini and Zambia. According to Transparency International, more than two-thirds of countries scored below 50 on this year’s index, with an average score of just 43. “Similar to previous years, the data shows that despite some progress, a majority of countries are still failing to tackle public
Results of the 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index showed the Philippines slipped to the 113th spot out of 180 countries tracked by Transparency International. Philstar.com file photo
sector corruption effectively,” the Berlin-based watchdog said. New Zealand and Denmark, with scores of 87 each, topped the new corruption perceptions index, followed by Finland (86), Singapore (85), Sweden (85) and Switzerland (85). However, while the report shows top-scoring countries like Denmark and Switzerland to be among the cleanest in the world, corruption still exists, particularly in cases of money laundering and other private sector corruption. The worst performers were
Somalia, South Sudan and Syria with scores of 9, 12 and 13, respectively. This year, Western Europe and the EU is the highest scoring region with an average of 66/100, while Sub-Saharan Africa is the lowest scoring region with 32 points. “Governments must urgently address the corrupting role of big money in political party financing and the undue influence it exerts on our political systems,” said Transparency International chair Delia Ferreira Rubio. ■
EU investors pick Philippines as 2nd option in Asean Speaking at the launch of the Doing Business Philippines 2020 guide book for investors by the MANILA, Philippines — The European Chamber of ComPhilippines is now viewed as merce of the Philippines (ECCP) a secondary market for invest- on Thursday, January 23, Thoments by European Union (EU) mas Wiersing, charge d’ affaires investors in the Southeast Asian of the delegation of the EU to the region amid uncertainties on the Philippines, said while the Philcountry’s plan to change the in- ippines is seen as an important centives regime and concerns on fast-growing economy, EU ingovernment’s review of contracts vestors consider the country as a second option for investments with the private sector. by LOUELLA
DESIDERIO Philstar.com
compared to its neighbors in Southeast Asia. “Despite the efforts of government to streamline processes and attract more business and create investment in the country, the business climate still requires upgrade,” he said. He said among the challenges foreign investors, including those from the EU, face in the Philippines is the uncertainty over the PAGE D2
D JANUARY 25-28, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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Filipino families considering themselves ‘PH economic growth to rebound this year’ poor rise to 5-year high in Q4 by mayvelin
u. Caraballo Manilatimes.net
The Duterte administration wants to slash poverty incidence to 11% by 2022, a more ambitious goal than its original target of 14%. Philstar.com file photo by Edd Gumban by ian
niColas Cigaral Philstar.com
MANILA, Philippines — The proportion of Filipino families considering themselves poor surged to a five-year high of 13.1 million in the final three months of 2019, a new Social Weather Stations survey released Thursday found. Results of a December 13 to 16 poll of 1,200 adults showed self-rated poverty climbed 54% in the fourth quarter, 12 points higher than 42% (estimated 10.3 million families) recorded in the preceding three months. The latest reading was the highest since the 55% registered in September 2014 and brought the 2019 average to 45%, lower
than 2018’s 48%. “By area, the [self-rated poverty] rates are 67% in the Visayas, 64% in Mindanao, 47% in Balance Luzon, and 41% in Metro Manila,” the pollster said. According to SWS, 1.6 million Filipino households became “newly poor” in the fourth quarter last year. The report also revealed that as of December, poor families said they need a minimum monthly budget of P12,000 to survive, but they lack P5,000 of that amount. Meanwhile, 35% of respondents, or an estimated 8.6 million families, rated the food they eat as “poor” in the fourth quarter. SWS said poor households need a minimum monthly food budget of P5,000 so they can afford foods
that are not considered poor, but they lack P3,000 of the required amount. Last month, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported that poverty incidence among individuals — or the proportion of Filipinos whose incomes fell below the poverty threshold — stood at 16.6% in 2018, lower than the revised 23.3% recorded in 2015. The latest poverty result translates to a reduction of around 5.9 million poor individuals to 17.6 million in 2018 compared to 23.5 million in 2015. The Duterte administration wants to slash poverty incidence to 11% by 2022, a more ambitious goal than its original target of 14%. n
THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of Finance expect the country’s economy to bounce back this year after expanding to 5.9% in 2019, its slowest in eight years, missing the government’s target. “A GDP growth of 7% looks attainable this year,” BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said in a message on Thursday after the Philippine Statistics Authority announced the full-year growth figure, which he described as “impressive” despite falling short of the Duterte administration’s 6 to 6.5% 2019 growth goal. The timely approval of this year’s P4.1-trillion national budget, he added, would boost the construction sector and state spending, which rose by 11.8% and 18.7%, respectively, in the fourth quarter. “The Philippines is still one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia and in the world,” the central bank chief said. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd, meanwhile, said that besides the support from the national budget, the extended validity of the 2019 appropriations, the higher revenue take from the implementation of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, and the tax administration reforms by the Internal Revenue and Customs bureaus would bolster this year’s fiscal expansion for greater economic activity.
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno
He added that the hoped-for passage of the program’s remaining packages, including the Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act, would increase the country’s global competitiveness; attract more investments, including in micro, small and medium enterprises; and strengthen the local economy amid the global economic slowdown. “The pickup in growth in the fourth quarter of 2019, resulting in part from the government’s
Photo courtesy of BSP
catch-up spending following [the] anemic expansion in the year’s first semester, will gain speed in 2020, with the domestic economy firing on all cylinders as a result of even more vigorous investments in infrastructure and human capital development for the entire year ahead,” Dominguez said. GDP grew by 6.4 percent in the last quarter, faster than the 5.6-percent, 5.5-percent and 6percent expansions in the first, PAGE D3
PH eases real estate investment trust rules
International tourist arrivals seen to grow 3 to 4 % this year – UNWTO by Catherine
talavera Philstar.com
MANILA, Philippines — The number of international tourists is projected to grow by 3 to 4% this year as the industry sees a cautious but optimistic outlook, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said. “Looking ahead, growth of 3 to 4% is predicted for 2020, an
outlook reflected in the latest UNWTO Confidence Index which shows a cautious optimism: 47 % of participants believe tourism will perform better and 43% at the same level of 2019,” UNWTO said. “Major sporting events, including the Tokyo Olympics, and cultural events such as Expo 2020 Dubai are expected to have a positive impact on the sector,”
it added. In contrast, Brexit’s impact on Europe as well as current trade and geopolitical tensions are factors that could dampen the positive outlook for this year. Capital market regulators launch the new Real Estate Investment Trust framework. “As in previous occasions, 33% for as long as funds raised by Doris Dumlao-abaDilla external shocks happening in Inquirer.net using a REIT listing would be respecific countries may lead to a invested locally within a period of redistribution of travel to other ELEVEN years since the enact- one year. destinations,” UNWTO said. The SEC issued amendments PAGE D3 ment of the Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) law, the Phil- to the implementing rules and ippines has finally come up with regulations (IRR) of the REIT Act an implementing framework that of 2009 while the DOF and the is acceptable to the capital mar- BIR released a new revenue regulation updating the tax treatment ket. The Department of Finance of REIT transactions, specifically (DOF), Securities and Exchange on tax incentives for REIT comCommission (SEC), Bureau of panies and the exemption from Internal Revenue (BIR) and Phil- value added tax of the transfer ippine Stock Exchange (PSE) of property to a REIT company launched on Monday, January 20 in exchange for its shares of coordinated rules on securities stocks. The BIR also removed the reand revenue regulation as well as public listing of REITs. They quirement for a REIT to place in removed stringent tax and mini- escrow, the income tax collectmum public ownership (MPO) ible from the REIT on dividends requirements that prevented the declared and deducted from its rise of REITs as a powerful in- taxable income, as well as the 50 strument to tap retail investors percent documentary stamp tax (DST) given as incentive on the and recycle capital. As a new asset class, REIT transfer of real property to the gives investors the option to in- REIT. For its part, PSE also issued vest directly in the finished products that are already earning amendments to the listing rules money—such as residential and for REITs that provide the approoffice units, hotels or shopping priate mechanisms, internal conmalls or even infrastructure ven- trols, and procedures to monitor tures like toll roads and power the compliance of REITs with the plants —and not just the property applicable rules and regulations. Finance Secretary Carlos developer itself. This was meant to attract dividend-seeking inves- Dominguez III said the listing tors because the Philippine REIT of REIT companies on the stock law of 2009 required the distribu- exchange would create “a secure tion of 90% of income annually. opportunity for small investors to On the MPO, the SEC had ear- participate in the growth of proplier set the requirement at 40% erty development in the counat year one which would have try,” and is “a big step forward further gone up to 67% by year for greater inclusiveness in the three. The government agreed financial system.” “We likewise wanted to be sure to ease the MPO requirement to
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that the large investment funds to be raised using this mechanism will be reinvested exclusively within the country’s real estate and infrastructure sector. The reinvestment requirement is the regulatory framework, which ensures that the funds invested by Filipinos will stay in our domestic economy and will contribute to the improvement of our country’s infrastructure, rather than the benefits being squirreled away to other markets and countries,” he added. SEC chair Emilio Aquino said the amendment of the REIT implementing rules would “allow Filipinos to invest in the real estate market without owning actual property or the disadvantages of high transaction costs and illiquidity.” “REITs are a welcome addition to our product offerings as they will help our market become more competitive in the region,” PSE president Ramon Monzon said. “Potential issuers and investors, both retail and institutional, have been looking forward to the introduction of REITs in the country given the benefits of both listing and investing in this new asset class.” To further facilitate the formation of REITs in the country, the SEC enhanced the qualification requirements of REIT fund managers and property managers, to ensure their independence and specify minimum requirements for their organization, among others. n
EU investors pick Philippines as 2nd... PAGE D1 t government’s plan to rationalize fiscal incentives under the proposed Comprehensive Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act or CITIRA. The CITIRA bill approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives would cut the corporate income tax rate to 20 percent from 30 percent over a 10-year period and make changes to the incentives system. As part of the changes in the incentives regime, firms operating in economic zones under the Philippine Economic Zone Authority would no longer be allowed to enjoy the five percent tax on gross income earned (GIE) paid in lieu of all taxes. The bill has yet to be approved at the Senate. “We call for the speedy passage of the bill that contains fair provisions for both existing investors and newcomers,” Wiersing said. Asked if there are also concerns over government’s move to revisit contracts with the private
sector, Wiersing said it is necessary for investors that agreements entered into are honored. “It is obviously for business, it is important that certain contracts concluded would be respected,” he said. After putting the agreements entered into with water concessionaires Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Co. Inc. under scrutiny for alleged onerous terms, the government is also revisiting contracts with property giant Ayala Land Inc. for the development of the UP Technohub in Quezon City, and with Chevron Philippines for the lease of a property in Batangas. ECCP president Nabil Francis said other concerns of investors in the country are lack of infrastructure and the bureaucratic process. He said the government’s implementation of projects under the Build Build Build program for infrastructure development and move to improve ease of doing business would help. Wiersing said legislative reforms would also allow the coun-
try to attract more investments. “Further liberalization of foreign investment, amendment of Public Service Act and Retail Trade Liberalization Act, as well as reform in the public sector would certainly boost the country to attract more investment, to be more competitive as most other ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian) countries,” he said. Wiersing said six percent of the total approved investments in the country last year came from the EU. As the EU would want to encourage more investors to come to the Philippines, it also wants to promote greater trade and see an increase in the country’s utilization of the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+). Under the EU GSP+, the Philippines could enjoy duty-free entry of 6,274 products to the trade bloc. Wiersing said it is estimated that around 25% or two billion euros worth of Philippine exports to the EU enjoyed the preferential access under the GSP+ last year. n
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Duterte okays new sin taxes 2020 global risks involve the environment - WEF by Catherine
by louiSe
Maureen Philstar.com
S. Valente
Manilatimes.net
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a bill increasing the excise tax rates on liquor and heated tobacco and vapor products. Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo and Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go confirmed this in a text message to The Manila Times. Go said the new law also expanded the coverage of valueadded tax-exempt sales and importation of medicines. “The president signed into law a bill entitled: ‘An Act Amending Sections 109, 141,142, 143, 144, 147, 152, 263-A, 265, and 288-A, and Adding a New Section 290A to Republic Act No. 8424, as Amended, otherwise known as the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, and for Other Purposes,’” Go said. He said the president vetoed Section 5 of the measure prohibiting search and seizure by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) without prior court order as “this curtails the power of the State to collect taxes and restrains the enforcement power of the BIR on taxable articles.”
MANILA, Philippines — For the first time in history, the world is worried about the environment. In the latest Global Risk Report of the World Economic Forum (WEF), environmental issues topped the list of global risks in terms of likelihood and impact. In terms of likelihood, the top five risks are extreme weather, climate action failure, natural disasters, biodiversity loss and man-made environmental disasters. As for the impact, these included climate action failure, weapons of mass destruction, biodiversity loss, extreme weather and water crises. However, WEF also forecasted a year of increased domestic and international divisions as well as A store employee arranges packs of cigarettes inside a convenience store in Manila. economic slowdown. ManilaTimes.net file photo WEF president Borge Brende “The new law also provides the public health from ill effects said WEF noted with grave conframework for Food and Drug of sin products and also ensures cern the consequences of continAdministration to regulate the equitable access and afford- ued environmental degradation, manufacture, distribution and able healthcare services to every including the record pace of speuse of heated tobacco prod- Filipino through additional rev- cies decline. ucts and vapor products in the enues for the implementation “Respondents to our Global country,” Go said. of RA 1123, otherwise known as “The new law as public health the Universal Health Care (UHC) measure is intended to protect Act,” he added. n
‘PH economic growth to rebound this year’ PAGE D2 t second and third, respectively. The government set a growth target range of between 6.5 and 7.5 percent for this year. ‘Extremely resilient’ The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) shared Diokno and Dominguez’s optimism, saying on Thursday the economy did not disappoint. “We believe that the economy of the Philippines has been extremely resilient in 2019,” ECCP President Nabil Francis said during the launch of his group’s Doing Business in the Philippines 2020 publication in Makati City. According to him, economic growth last year was driven mainly by private consumption, supported by remittances from overseas Filipino workers. Remittances grew by 4.4% to $27.2 billion in the first 11 months of 2019, according to the BSP. Francis blamed the slowdown on external developments, such as the U.S.-China trade war and
SiMeon
Brexit, and on the fourth-and-ahalf month delay in the approval of the 2019 budget, which he said affected government spending. Meanwhile, several economists also forecast economic growth to further pick up this year. In a report, HSBC Global Research Economist Noelan Arbis said GDP was projected to rise to 6.4%. The growth, he added, would be “driven by our sustained fiscal spending and fixed investment outlook.” “President [Rodrigo] Duterte has already signed off on the 2020 budget, in addition to extending the validity of the 2019 budget, providing [his] administration with additional funds to disburse in the year ahead,” Arbis said. HSBC also expects the BSP to continue its monetary policy easing to boost private investment. Nomura senior economist Euben Paracuelles was more optimistic, saying the economy would grow further to 6.7%. “We reiterate our above-con-
sensus forecast that GDP growth will accelerate to 6.7% in 2020 from 5.9% in 2019, driven by higher public investment spending as the government gains more traction on infrastructure projects, as well as private consumption due to tight labor markets and record-low unemployment rates,” he said. JP Morgan Chase & Co. Economist Nur Raisah Rasid, meanwhile, projected the economy to expand by 6.2 percent. “The broader macroeconomic narrative for the Philippines has been centered on the investment cycle upturn that began in late 2015. Given the limited scope for a capex (capital expenditure) recovery, specifically in non-construction investment, which has driven the overall investment cycle, the underlying fixed investment momentum could remain modest this year, even as the gradual infrastructure lift will likely be sustained in the coming quarters,” Rasid said. (With reports from Tyrone Piad and Anna Leah E. Gonzales) n
Risks Perception Survey are also sounding the alarm, ranking climate change and related environmental issues as the top five risks in terms of likelihood – the first time in the survey’s history that one category has occupied all five of the top spots,” Brende said. “But despite the need to be more ambitious when it comes to climate action, the UN has warned that countries have veered off course when it comes to meeting their commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change,” he said. The report noted that climate change is striking harder and more rapidly than many expected. The last five years are on track to be the warmest on record, natural disasters are becoming more intense and more frequent, and last year witnessed unprecedented extreme weather throughout the world. “Alarmingly, global temperatures are on track to increase by at least 3°C towards the end of the century—twice what climate experts have warned is the limit to avoid the most severe eco-
nomic, social and environmental consequences,” it said. “The near-term impacts of climate change add up to a planetary emergency that will include loss of life, social and geopolitical tensions and negative economic impacts,” the report said. Further, WEF emphasized that more and more species are becoming extinct while oceans are getting warmer, stormier and more acidic, impacting the health of sensitive marine ecosystems such as coral reefs. The Geneva-based organization also warned that crop yields will likely drop in many regions, undermining the ability to double food production by 2050 to meet rising demand. Water scarcity is likewise expected to increase. “Because agriculture, livestock and deforestation produce nearly a quarter of global emissions, more efficient use of land is critical, it is also one of the best potential carbon sequestration options,” it said. As a result, countries will face more potential points of contention as climate change reshapes the security of and access to hisPAGE D5
International tourist arrivals seen...
PAGE D2 t “In a more favorable scenario, the Brexit transition, the first phase of the U.S.-China trade deal and the gradual improvement of the social environment could give clearer signs to the economy as tensions unwind,” it added. According to the latest edition of its World Tourism Barometer, UNWTO reported that tourist arrivals to worldwide destinations grew 4% in 2019 to 1.5 billion, meeting the UNWTO’s three to 4% target growth for the year. “A 4% increase on the previous year which is also forecast for 2020, confirming tourism as a leading and resilient economic sector, especially in view of current uncertainties. By the same token, this calls for such growth to be managed responsibly so as to best seize the opportunities tourism can generate for communities around the world,” the UNWTO said. It added that the increase in 2019 represents the 10th consecutive year of growth of international tourist arrivals. “All regions saw a rise in international arrivals in 2019. How-
ever, uncertainty surrounding Brexit, the collapse of Thomas Cook, geopolitical and social tensions and the global economic slowdown all contributed to a slower growth in 2019, when compared to the exceptional rates of 2017 and 2018,” UNWTO said adding, that this slowdown affected mainly advanced economies, particularly Europe and Asia and the Pacific. The Middle East has emerged as the fastest-growing region for international tourism arrivals in 2019, growing at almost double the global average at 8%. Growth in Asia and the Pacific slowed down but still showed above-average growth, with international arrivals up 5%. Europe also saw slower than usual growth at 4%, but continues to lead in terms of international arrivals numbers, welcoming 743 million international tourists last year (51% of the global market). The Americas, on the other hand, grew 2%, as many island destinations in the Caribbean consolidated their recovery after the 2017 hurricanes while arrivals fell in South America due
partly to ongoing social and political turmoil. In addition, limited data available for Africa points to continued strong results in North Africa, with a nine % growth, while arrivals in Sub-Saharan Africa grew slower in 2019 at 1.5% growth. “In these times of uncertainty and volatility, tourism remains a reliable economic sector,” UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili said. “Our sector keeps outpacing the world economy and calling upon us to not only grow but to grow better,” he added. Pololikashvili emphasized that the number of destinations earning $1 billion or more from international tourism has almost doubled since 1998. “The challenge we face is to make sure the benefits are shared as widely as possible and that nobody is left behind. In 2020, UNWTO celebrates the Year of Tourism and Rural Development, and we hope to see our sector lead positive change in rural communities, creating jobs and opportunities, driving economic growth and preserving culture,” he added. n
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Manila-Wuhan flights suspended Robinsons Bank sets P10 billion fundraising plan this year amid coronavirus spread by Benjamin
L. Vergara ManilaTimes.net
in Aklan. CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said that the operators of the THE Philippines’ Civil Aero- two chartered flights were now nautics Board (CAB) suspended locating its passengers to bring the direct flights of two airlines them back to Wuhan. from Manila to Wuhan, the “They have the names of their country’s aviation regulator an- passengers, kaya hindi mahirap nounced on Thursday in a bid hanapin (it’s easy to find them),” to stop the spread of the deadly Apolonio said. coronavirus that has killed at The two chartered planes fly least nine people in the Chinese to Manila from Wuhan three city and has reached the United times a week and vice versa. States. Pan Pacific, which started opThe Civil Aviation Authority of erations on April 27, 2017, also the Philippines (CAAP) said the serves the South Korean market. CAB suspension was on Pan Pa- Its main hubs are Kalibo Intercific and Royal Air, which char- national Airport, Mactan-Cebu tered passengers from Wuhan International Airport and Clark to Kalibo International Airport International Airport. The Royal
Air began operations as a budget airline on Dec. 14, 2018 from its hub in Clark, Pampanga. Wu-han is the capital and major industrial and commercial city of Hubei sheng province in China. It is located at the confluence of the Han and Yangtze rivers and consists of three adjacent former cities—Hankou (Hankow), Hanyang, and Wuchang, according to www. britannica.com The coronavirus has caused alarm because of its similarity to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which killed about 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong from 2002 to 2003. n
Singapore-based Southern Capital invests in Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf MANILA, Philippines — The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in the Philippines, one of the largest specialty coffee and tea retail chains in the country operated by The Table Group, has secured a strategic investment from Singapore based Southern Capital, a leading private equity firm that focuses on high growth middle market businesses in Southeast Asia. Terms of the deal have not been made public, but Southern Capital has a successful track record of acquiring and growing businesses with enterprise values of between $50 million to $200 million. Notable business leaders such as Menardo Jimenez (founding father of the GMA Network) and Victor del Rosario (executive vice president, Phinma) are major shareholders in The Table Group, which represents a diversified portfolio of companies across the food and beverage value chain, including Filipino home grown brands like Nono’s and The Blue Kitchen. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf continues to grow rapidly in the Philippines, ending 2019 with 158 retail units in various formats nationwide. Net unit growth rate will continue at a minimum of 15 percent in 2020 following a robust double digit same store sales performance in the fourth quarter of 2019. The Philippines represents the second largest
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franchise territory for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf worldwide, trailing only South Korea, which has over 300 units. The equity investment by Southern Capital represents their first in the Philippines, and their partnership with The Table Group includes the business of consumer packaged goods distribution under The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf brand. “Southern Capital is committed to supporting The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s strong management team in its goals
for sustainable expansion in the Philippines,” says Eugene Lai, managing director and comanaging partner of Southern Capital. “We see significant growth potential in the market and a tremendous opportunity to capitalize on the strength of our brand position, especially in CPG channels.” An iconic Southern California brand that was founded in 1963, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf operates over 1,200 units worldwide across 20 countries. (Philstar.com) n
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agcaoiLi
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MANILA, Philippines — Gokongwei-led Robinsons Bank Corp. is raising as much as P10 billion from the domestic debt market to fund the bank’s growing lending portfolio and diversify its funding sources. The bank’s board of directors approved on Wednesday the funding plan involving the issuance of corporate notes, bonds or long-term negotiable certificates of deposits (LTNCDs) in various tranches or multiple tenors. Last year, the bank raised P10 billion via the issuance of fixed rate bonds. It issued P5 billion worth of 5.125 percent peso-denominated bonds due 2021 on Aug. 13, 2019 followed by another P5 billion worth of 4.3 percent pesodenominated bonds due 2021 on Nov. 14, 2019. The listed bank also raised
P5.96 billion though the issuance of LTNCDs over the past three years. It raised P4.18 billion in June 2017 and another P1.78 billion in July 2018. The debt papers issued by Robinsons Bank were listed on the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. (PDEx). The family of the late taipan John Gokongwei owns Robinsons Bank. JG Summit Capital Services Corp. controls 60 percent of the bank while Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. owns the remaining 40 percent. The earnings of Gokongweiled bank jumped by 56 percent to P461.28 million from January to September last year compared to P294.96 million in the same period in 2018 amid higher trading and securities gains. The bank’s total operating income went up by 20.5 percent to P3.57 billion compared to P2.97 billion, while expenses increased by 19.4 percent to P3.01 billion from P2.52 billion.
Robinsons Bank booked a 35.6 percent increase in interest income to P3.53 billion from P2.61 billion on account of significant improvement in loanrelated activities and financial investments. On the other hand, interest expense surged by nearly 59 percent to P2.32 billion from P1.46 billion due to the increase in volume of deposits and bills payable on a period-to-period basis. The bank’s loan book reached P72.19 billion as of end September while its deposit base amounted to P81.41 billion. Net service fees and commission income rose by 37 percent to P198.02 million from P44.81 million on account of higher revenues earned on fee-based activities. Likewise, trading and securities gains reached P364.03 million from January to September this year or almost 31 times the P11.86 million recorded in the same period last year. n
2020 global risks involve the environment... PAGE D3 t toric common property resources, such as fishing waters. Latest data showed that worldwide economic stress and damage from natural disasters last year amounted to $165 billion, and 50 percent of that total was uninsured. “Countries will also experience losses unequally, with the highest economic costs being felt by large economies, while risk of exposure, death and non-economic costs is higher in smaller, poorer
economies,” the report said. “Central banks increasingly see climate change as a systemic risk to the global capital market and recognize that non-action is not an option,” it said. For the future of climate change mitigation, WEF noted that 2020 is a critical year. It said that the year presents the first opportunity for nations to revise their national plans to tackle climate change as set out under the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, and to close the gap
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between what they have pledged and what is needed. “Achieving significant change in the near term will depend on greater commitment from major emitters. Failure to seize 2020’s opportunity to mitigate climate change will have main consequences,” it said. The Global Risks Report is part of an expanded Global Risks Initiative launched by WEF that includes sustained analysis at the global, regional and industry levels. n
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