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FEBRUARY 7-13, 2019
T H E F I L I P I N O –A M E R I C A N C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R
Volume 30 - No. 6 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages
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US report cites AFP’s ‘limited ability’ to track terrorists by FRANCES
MANGOSING Inquirer.net
A soldier views the site inside a Roman Catholic cathedral in Jolo, the capital of Sulu province in the southern Philippines after two bombs exploded last January 27. Photo courtesy of Armed Forces of the Philippines
DATELINE USA
THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has “limited ability” to gather and process intelligence information on its own to effectively fight terrorism, a recently released 2018 assessment report of the United States said. According to the 5th Lead Inspector General quarterly report on Operation Pacific Eagle-Philippines (OPE-P), “the AFP had limited ability to collect information on a target and provide that intelligence to a unit on the ground to act on it.”
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Jolo cathedral bombing suspects charged before court by KRISTINE JOY AND
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Filipina doctor named chief of staff at Glendale hospital A FILIPINA doctor has been named the chief of staff at Dignity Health-Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale, California, becoming the first person of Filipino descent to hold that position and the fourth female in the hospital’s history. Brigeli Westerband, an emergency Dr. Brigeli room physician, was named chief of Westerband, staff at Glendale Memorial Hospital who has been an this past January. AJPress photo by Noel Ty emergency room physician at the hospital for the past 20 years, was elected to a two-year term at the beginning of January. She succeeds previous chief of staff, Dr. Randall Roberts.
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Study: Filipinos spend 10 hours a day online, the most in the world Philippines also tops most time spent on social media
A NEW report revealed that people in the Philippines spent more time on the internet than any other country in the world in 2018. The annual Digital 2019 report, created by social media platforms and agencies, We Are Social and Hootsuite, found that those in the Philippines spent an average of 10 hours and two minutes online, an increase from the nine hours and 29 minutes spent per day in the year prior. The average amount of time spent worldwide clocked in at six hours and 42 minutes per day, with Japan spending the least amount of time online with just three hours and 45 minutes spent per day. Taking a closer look at usage, the Philippines topped other countries when it came to time spent using the internet in front of a desktop or laptop computer. Compared to
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FEMALE MAJORITY. Thirty-two female members of the Nevada Legislature pose for photos before the start of the 80th Legislative Session, in Carson City, Nevada on Monday, February 4 . Nevada becomes the first state in the U.S. with a female majority Legislature. Women now make up 51 percent of Nevada state legislature. Photo by Cathleen Allison/Nevada Momentum
PATAG EMMANUEL TUPAS Philstar.com
MANILA — The Department of Justice on Wednesday, February 6, charged the principal suspect Mukammar Pae alias “Kammah” and four others who were tagged in the Jolo cathedral bombing that killed at least 23 people and injured several civilians and authorities. Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete said that Officer-in-Charge, Provincial Prosecutor Rommel Cancio filed charges of complex crime of multiple murder with PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde says the five bomb suspects surrendered because they multiple frustrated murder against “Kamdidn’t want to die in the ongoing military offensive in Sulu. mah” and the following: Mukammar Pay alias Inquirer.net photo by Niño Jesus Orbeta
Kammah, Alnaji Gadjali alias Apah, Radjan Gadjaliw, Kaiser Gadjalli and Said Alih. The Star reported that the charges include 23 counts of murder and 95 counts of frustrated murder before a trial court in Jolo. Also named in the charge sheet are several identified and unidentified accused who remain at large. Trial in Jolo for now Perete said that Department of Justice has yet to ask to transfer the trial in a Manila court from Jolo. “The evidence and witnesses necessary to prosecute the case are in Jolo,” the DOJ spokesperson said. Perete said that it would be “more effi-
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‘PH closer to winning fight vs sexual harassment’ THE country is a step closer to winning the fight against sexual harassment after the Senate ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed Safe Spaces Act, according to Senator Risa Hontiveros. Hontiveros, who authored and sponsored the Senate version of the bill, said in a statement on Wednesday that the measure will impose stiffer penalties on people doing “unwanted sexual actions.” “We are one step closer to enacting a long-sought and long-overdue law that will better protect Filipinos – especially women and LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) persons – from bigotry and hatred we see rampant in our streets, schools and
even workplaces today,” she said. If enacted, the proposal will penalize acts such as “catcalling, wolf-whistling, unwanted invitations, misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic and sexist slurs, sexual comments and suggestions, public masturbation or flashing of private parts, groping, or any advances, whether verbal or physical, that are unwanted and threaten one’s sense of personal space and physical safety”. It will also amend R.A. 7877 or the AntiSexual Harassment Act of 1995, as sexual harassment “between peers and those committed to a superior officer by a subordinate, or to a teacher by a student, or to a trainer by a trainee” will also be penalized. The House of Representatives Committee on Health has recommended filing graft and technical
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malversation charges against former President Benigno Aquino III and former Health Secretary Janette Garin over the Dengvaxia vaccine debacle. Philstar.com photo by Edd Gumban
Duterte impersonator turns House panel wants charges vs heads at Hong Kong church Aquino, Abad, Garin over Dengvaxia by
RAE ANN VARONA AJPress
HEADS were turned on Sunday, February 2 when a Rodrigo Duterte impersonator walked into a Hong Kong church frequented by many of the city’s Filipino community members during a mass service. By his side was an uncanny doppelganger of North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un. Impersonating Duterte was 57year-old Filipino Cresencio Estremos Jr., who also goes by his impersonator name of Cresencio Extreme. Taking on the look of A Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte impersonator sparked frenzy and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un confusion during a mass in a Hong Kong church. He was accompanied by Howard was Hong Kong-based imperson- X, the Hong Kong-based impersonator of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
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Photo screengrabbed from Youtube/Inquirer.net
MANILA — The House of Representatives Committee on Health has recommended filing charges of graft, technical malversation and grave misconduct against former President Benigno Aquino III, former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and former Health Secretary Janette Garin in connection to the Dengvaxia mess. In its report, the House committee pointed out that there was an apparent collusion among public officials to ensure that the government would purchase a large quantity of Dengvaxia vaccine. “These officials provided shortcuts in the process to favor Sanofi Pasteur, the manufacturer of a
commercially available dengue vaccine,” the report read. The report noted that several public officials may be held liable for “conspiring and confederating with one another,” violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The House panel said Aquino should be held liable for approving the P3.5-billion budget for the purchase of dengue vaccines in 2015 while Abad should be charged for requesting the release of these funds. Garin, on the other hand, should be held liable for proposing the procurement of Dengvaxia despite
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From The FronT Page
US report cites AFP’s ‘limited...
PAGE A1 The counterterrorism mission OPE-P was quietly launched in 2017 when the Philippines was battling ISIS-linked militants in Marawi City. One of its primary objectives was to help improve the AFP’s Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities against the local ISIS.
The U.S. assistance continued even after five months of fighting in Marawi City, the worst security crisis of the Philippine government in recent years. Government forces’ battle against groups that have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) and other violent extremist organizations in Mindanao continue.
To fill in the gap, the U.S. had been providing ISR assets and training to AFP personnel in counterterrorism operations. The report said the Philippine military’s limited ISR capabilities were due to lack of assets, as well as institutional and infrastructure shortcomings. “Because of these challenges, the AFP relies heavily on the DOD and its contractors’ ISR capabilities to identify the locations of suspected enemy activity and provide intelligence products for their use,â€? it said. â€œâ€ŚThe desired end state is for the AFP to meet its own needs for ISR support to counterterrorism operations, including the capacity to target and conduct lethal operations against multiple violent extremist threats, without SHOPPING FOR ‘LUCK’. Customers check out different ‘feng shui’ cures and charms in a store along Ongpin Street in Binondo, Manila during the celebration DOD (Department of Defense) as- of Chinese New Year on Tuesday, February 5. According to the lunar calendar, 2019 is the “Year of the Earth Pigâ€?. PNA photo by Gil Calinga sistance,â€? it added. An assessment of the AFP’s progress was not included in the report, however, as the training has not yet concluded while the PAGE A1 23 people, including civilians Indonesians around Sulu. report was being made. cientâ€? to hold the trial in Jolo, “un- and soldiers, but eyewitnesses’ The unidentified couple, based At a forum on Monday, Defense less compelling reasons exist.â€? accounts showed he escorted the on intelligence reports gathered Secretary Delfin Lorenzana also “As of now, we have yet to Indonesian couple. by the police, arrived in Sulu mentioned the Philippine-U.S. receive any request from our prosSecurity forces also retrieved an on Jan. 21 on a pump boat from cooperation to combat terrorism. ecutor to effect such transfer,â€? improvised explosive device (IED) Lampinigan Island in Isabela City, This had been going on for some added Perete. and components from his home, Basilan. time, he said, even before the twin Suspects surrender Albayalde added. The couple alighted in Sitio explosions in Sulu last week, which Philippine National Police (PNP) Even with the arrest of Kammah Bastiong in Barangay Langhub, killed 23 people and wounded chief Director General Oscar and the others, the investigation Patikul where Kamah and Barak about a hundred. The Abu Sayyaf, Albayalde said that Kammah Pae into the cathedral bombing is “far escorted them to Sawadjaan’s a group that has pledged alle- or Kamah surrendered to Army from over,â€? he added. forest hideout. The man had been giance to the ISIS, were the main troops on Saturday, February 2, Abu Sayyaf is a militant organi- in the country for a year while the suspects behind the blasts. followed by his four companions zation notorious for kidnappings woman just arrived a few days The defense chief said the U.S. later on the same day and on and other acts of terror. It has before the explosions. has been deploying its drones and Sunday, February 3. Kamah is a pledged allegiance to Islamic The terror group had been other air assets, as well as sharing member of the Abu Sayyaf’s sub- State. planning the cathedral bombing intelligence information to track group Ajang-Ajang. “There are more pieces of for about a year, according to down terrorists. The other four are Albaji Gad- evidence that need to carefully authorities. Under the OPE-P, the U.S. jali, his sons Kaisar and Rajan, examined,â€? Albayalde said. Intelligence information also rereport said 86 U.S. special opera- and Salit Alih. Before President Duterte sug- vealed the group’s plan to fabricate tions forces and 185 U.S. troops Albayalde said relentless police gested on Tuesday that the twin an IED on Jan. 8 and get IED comhas so far been deployed in the operations left Kamah and the explosions may have been a ponents from a warehouse in Jolo. Philippines, supported by 8 U.S. others with no option but to turn suicide attack, military and police The plan was abandoned for uncontractors who provide trans- themselves to authorities. Details said the bombs within and outside known reasons. Sawadjaan would portation, security, and other of the surrender were not yet the church appeared to have been later give the group funds for the services. available. detonated remotely. cathedral bombing mission. Another 458 local national “He was forced to surrender,â€? A few days later, Interior and On Jan. 26 or a day before subcontractors provided services, Albayalde told a media briefing. Local Government Secretary the bombings, the couple were such as food preparation and gen- “He probably didn’t want to die Eduardo AĂąo said an Indonesian spotted at around 5 p.m. in Baeral labor. One DOD (Department during the military offensive.â€? couple carried out the suicide rangay Latih, Patikul with nine of Defense) civilian based here is Security forces killed three attack with the help of the Abu other members of the group on in charge of the Philippine Opera- suspected Abu Sayyaf militants Sayyaf. a jeepney, and carrying black tions Support Contract. and suffered five fatalities in a fireThat would be in line with a trolley bags. They disembarked A total of 12 U.S. aircraft, includ- fight on Saturday in Patikul town claim of responsibility by IS via in front of Suleco building in Jolo ing 8 unmanned ISR platforms, in Sulu as troops pursued those its Amaq news agency. and were not seen for the rest of 3 medium-lift helicopters, and 1 behind the church attack. Bombers’ escort the day. (With reports from Edu medium-lift airplane are in the Albayalde said Kammah denied A reconstruction of the events Punay, Michael Punongbayan Philippines for the counterterror- involvement in the twin bombings prior to the bombing indicated and Cecille Suerte Felipe/Philstar. ism mission, the report said. n at the Jolo cathedral that killed that Kamah had escorted two com)
Jolo cathedral bombing suspects...
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‘PH closer to winning fight vs... PAGE A1 “This measure will plug gaps in the existing law so that persons at work, school or elsewhere can be confident that they will enjoy protection from all sorts of abusers and harassers — no matter who they are,” Hontiveros explained. Unlike in advanced states where the #MeToo movement is prevalent, few cases of sexual harassment have been properly documented in the Philippines.
According to the Center for Women Resources, a non-government organization (NGO), one woman or child is raped every 62 minutes, or roughly 24 individuals per day. These numbers were obtained from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Women’s Desk, which indicates that unreported incidents were not factored in yet. However, discussions about sexual abuse have been given
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attention, thanks to several social media forums — an avenue where victims can easily conceal their identities for privacy. “We must listen to the pleas and cries of every Filipino and Filipina who has suffered cat-calling, stalking, indecent gestures and other forms of sexual harassment,” the senator said. “We must show the world that such acts have no place in our society – not in the past, not now, not ever,” she added. ■
LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 7-13, 2019
Civil rights, advocacy groups make case against proposed 2020 Census citizenship question by KLARIZE
MEDENILLA AJPress
AMID the ongoing legal battle over whether or not the 2020 Census should ask about citizenship, civil rights and immigrant advocates this week discussed the question’s social and legal ramifications. The Leadership Conference Education Fund and Ethnic Media Service held a teleconference on Wednesday, Jan. 30, which was joined by representatives from national organizations like Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO). The Trump administration last year approved plans to include a controversial citizenship question on the upcoming census, despite recommendations from the United States Census Bureau which advised against including the question, as reported in the Asian Journal. The question — “Is this person The bicameral panel on Wednesday, February 6, signed the reconciled version of the Safe Spaces Act which will impose heftier penalties for a citizen of the United States?” any unwanted and uninvited sexual actions or remarks against any persons in public spaces. The signing of the bill was led by Akbayan Senator — was approved by Secretary Risa Hontiveros and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian with their House of Representatives counterparts Rep. Tom Villarin, Rep. Rav Rocamora, Rep. of Commerce Wilbur Ross has Michelle Antonio and Rep. Bernadette Herrara-Dy, and the advocates. The measure will plug gaps in the existing Anti-Sexual Harassment Act sparked a discussion over the leof 1995 so that persons at work, school or elsewhere can be confident that they will enjoy protection from all sorts of abusers and harassers — no matter who they are. The bicam version is up for ratification in both houses of Congress. Senate photo gality of inquiring about citizenship on a survey designed to count residents of the U.S. Ross argued that it was “necessary” to include to question to PAGE A1 two also posed for some photos Manticao, Misamis Oriental, enforce a part of the Voting Rights Act in which citizenship data is ator Howard X, who also acts as while eating fried chicken at a said he found fame when a photo of him went viral and as needed to combat voter fraud, local Jollibee. Estremos’ agent. In an attempt to follow close a result got many appearance which the administration conWith Estremos wearing a tratends as one of its key issues. ditional barong tagalog shirt to Duterte-style rhetoric, Estre- invitations. He told the South China and black trousers, and Howard mos said after the meal: “When wearing a black Mao Suit, the I arrived at Hong Kong airport, Morning Post that he used to be two looked almost exactly like I didn’t see any beautiful ladies, afraid of the fact that he looked the two real leaders and gave but now I realize that Jollibee is like Duterte until a TV manager PAGE A1 encouraged him to enjoy it. the spectators great photo op- where they are all hidden.” the vaccine’s lack of certificate of “I never could have anticipat- product registration. He added, “If any drug lords portunities. Agence France-Presse re- are listening, I might look like ed people’s reactions,” he told As for the technical malversaported all eyes were on the duo him, but I’m not the president. SCMP. “One of the Duterte’s tion charge, the House panel as they sat in on the hour-long So I will kill you, but don’t kill goals is to kill all the drug noted that the 2015 national lords and get rid of corruption, budget did not appropriate funds me.” mass. It wasn’t the first time Estre- so when people discovered I for the acquisition of the vaccine While many found the performance amusing and took the mos made a public appearance looked like him, I was scared in the DOH budget, as well as the opportunity to take photos with as Duterte. Many may recog- that the drug lords would think I agency’s expanded immunization the toy gun-holding imperson- nize him from the Philippine was the President and kill me.” program. During his appearance on ators outside when the mass reality show, “Pilipinas Got Aquino, however, approved service ended, some were not Talent,” where he first gained “Pilipinas Got Talent” last year, Garin’s request to use “savings” Estremos did say that he hoped to purchase the dengue vaccine, widespread attention in 2018. so impressed. On the show, Estremos went to meet the real Duterte some- the report read. One lady described the stunt on stage with four bodyguards day. to AFP as being “impolite.” “Thus, the President may be “Mr. President, it is my authorized by law to augment any “Coming in here to make a and wowed judges with not scene—our Duterte is not like only his strong resemblance dream na mag kita tayo. Palagi item in the general appropriations to the country’s president, but ako nag susuporta sa programa with savings from other items, this that,” she said. But the church wasn’t the with his impressively Duterte- mo (It is my dream we meet. I power to augment necessitates an have always supported your existing appropriation to be augonly location visited by the like voice. Estremos, who hails from program),” said Estremos. ■ leader impersonators as the mented. Savings cannot be used
Duterte impersonator turns heads...
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In response, opponents of the question’s inclusion accused the Trump administration of deterring undocumented residents from being a part of the decennial count. Census experts and three legal and social justice organizations discussed the ramifications of the citizenship question as well as the pending legal battles associated with it. “The census is one of the most urgent civil rights issues in this country today,” Beth Lync, census counts campaign director at the Leadership Conference Education Fund, said on the call on Wednesday. “We are calling on Congress to remove the citizenship question to ensure a fair and accurate count so that no one is left behind.” Anti-immigrant rhetoric has permeated the country in the Trumpian era, and this question exacerbates that widespread hysteria and paranoia, the experts expressed on the call. Fear of deportation or persecution is the reason why undocumented immigrants may hesitate to submit census surveys, which could drastically affect the overall count, John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, said. As a result, this could sully critical demographic data needed to sustain the country’s power structures and institutions, including public assistance programs, schools, hospitals “The 2020 Census is our only
chance in a decade for a fair and accurate count of our communities,” Yang said. “Census data are used in countless ways to ensure that our families and communities have the resources and services the Census, and a citizenship question endangers an accurate count. We must protect the voices of all our immigrant communities because this is an America where everyone counts.” Last month, a U.S. district court judge presiding over two lawsuits from Oct. 2018 against the Trump administration issued a ruling blocking the addition of the citizenship question to the next census count. Shortly after, the Trump administration announced that it was planning to challenge that lower court ruling by asking for a review from the Supreme Court. Most recently, the Spanish-language media company Univision joined another lawsuit in Northern California against the Dept. of Commerce’s inclusion of the citizenship question. “Every person residing in the United States deserves to and must be counted in the census. Dating back to this country’s founding, there has been no higher purpose to this endeavor than to simply count the number of people living in our nation, regardless of status,” said Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, executive vice president for government and corporate affairs at Univision, which was previously attached to one of the New York lawsuits last year. ■
to fund procurements that have for which no appropriations have been made in the GAA,” it said. For this, Aquino, Abad, Garin and Philippine Children’s Medical Center executive director Julies Lecciones could be held liable for illegal use of public funds or technical malversation under Article 220 of the Revised Penal Code. The House panel also suggested that such acts constitute grave misconduct wherein the concerned public officials may be held administratively liable. Admistrative cases may be filed against the concerned public officials despite some of them not being in the government at the moment. They can be dismissed from the service under the Revised Rules on Administrative
Cases in the Civil Service. “In addition, Section 52(a) of the same Rule provides that the penalty of dismissal shall carry with it the cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, perpetual disqualification for reemployment in the governmetn service, and bar from taking civil service examination,” the report read. The Department of Justice earlier summoned Garin, as well as other officials, to answer the criminal charges against them over the deaths supposedly brought about by the dengue vaccine. At least three batches of cases have been filed against them before the DOJ in connection to the Dengvaxia mess. (Patricia Lourdes Viray/ Philstar.com)
House panel wants charges vs Aquino, Abad...
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february 7-13, 2019 • LaS VeGaS aSIaN JOurNaL
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More than 10K Filipino nurses took test for US license in 2018, ACTS-OFW says
BaACE-P participants pose in front of an FA-50 of the PAF and an F16 of the US at Cesar Basa Air Base in Pampanga. Photo courtesy U.S. Air Force
PH, US fighter pilots complete bilateral training in Pampanga by Christia
Marie Inquirer.net
raMos
THE Philippine Air Force (PAF) and the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) have concluded their joint training at the Cesar Basa Air Base in Pampanga. According to a statement issued on Tuesday, February 5, by the U.S. Embassy in Manila, members of the PAF and PACAF took part in a 12-day training dubbed as the Bilateral Air Contingent Exchange-Philippines (BACE-P) from Jan. 21 to Feb. 1, 2019. The training exercise served as an opportunity for fighter pilots from both military branches “to practice interfly training and conduct subject matter expert exchanges including intelligence, flight line, and maintenance operations.”
“Having the F-16 fighter [at Basa] allowed us to interact with our PAF (Philippine Air Force) partners along with their FA-50s and in turn helped to strengthen our interoperability and training with a key partner,” Col. Christopher Faurot, commander of the BACE-P 13th Expeditionary Air Squadron, said in an article released by the Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs. “Through this engagement, our bilateral forces increased their interoperability, and our partners demonstrated that they are a disciplined, professional and highly motivated force,” he added. The airmen also engaged in subject matter expert exchanges on topics on crash recovery, communications, fightline, and maintenance back-shop operations which concluded with a large
force exercise on February 1, the article further explained. Meanwhile, Maj. Mario Mendoza, a PAF FA-50 pilot, said: “The U.S. Air Force [shared with] us a lot of [knowledge] throughout this exercise that we can really apply in the near future.” “During our exchange, I learned a lot when it comes to fighter operations, specifically air-to-air and air-to-ground. Air-to-air-like intercepts of different kinds of targets, threats airborne, and… threats on the ground, specifically dealing with close air support mission,” he added. According to the article, this year’s training is the seventh iteration of the BACE-P. The first one was conducted on April 16, 2016, by the U.S. Pacific Air Forces, which was led by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. n
Manila priest on list of Texas clergy accused of child sex abuse A DISCLOSUrE by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston of the names of clergy accused of sexual abuse of children includes a Filipino priest who served at a parish church in Huntsville, Texas. Fr. Moises Cabrera, who between 1985 and 1988 served as a priest at St. Thomas the Apostle in Huntsville was among 42 individuals named in the report. The Huntsville church was one of six parishes in which Cabrera served over this three-year span. He was removed from ministry in 1988 but began serving in Manila in 1994, according to a report by
The Huntsville Item. Among Cabrera’s assignments had been at Prince of Peace, Houston, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. Michael, St. rose of Lima – all in Houston, Texas — St. Thomas the Apostle, Huntsville. The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston was one of 14 in Texas to identify a total of 286 priests and others accused of sexually abusing children. Its website says “the list contains the names of priests about whom the Archdiocese has received credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor.” The
allegations encompass nearly a 70-year span, from 1950 through the end of 2018. “The Bishops of Texas have decided to release the names of these priests at this time because it is right and just and to offer healing and hope to those who have suffered,” Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, head of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, said in a statement. “On behalf of all who have failed in this regard, I offer my sincerest apology. Our church has been lacerated by this wound and we must take action to heal it.” (Inquirer.net)
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MOrE than 10,000 Filipino nurses took the U.S. licensure examination for the first time in 2018, making up the bulk of test takers. According to a release by ACTSOFW party-list, 10,302 Filipinos took the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), up from 7,791 first-time test takers in 2017. In contrast, 1,232 Indians, 1,017 Puerto ricans, 783 South Koreans and 601 Nigerians took the NCLEX for the first time in 2018, rep. Aniceto Bertiz III said. Puerto ricans are U.S. citizens. The U.S. National Council of State Boards of Nursing Inc. administers the NCLEX to license registered nurses and practical nurses. Taking the test in the Philippines through the Perasin VUE center in Makati costs $200 (P10,500), ACTS-OFW said. The party-list said the number of Filipino nurses taking the test for the first time “is considered a good indicator as to how many of them are trying to enter the profession in America.” Bertiz said: “There’s no question many Filipino nurses looking for greener pasture overseas prefer to work and live in America, mainly due to the superior hourly pay, plus our attachment to the Western culture.”
ACTS-OFW party-list said the number of Filipino nurses taking the test for the first time “is considered a good indicator as to how many of them are trying to enter the profession in America.” Philstar.com photo by Edd Gumban
Bertiz, whose LinkedIn profile lists him as the president and CEO of recruitment agency Global Asia Alliance Consultant Inc. and the spokesperson of the OFW Advocates Coalition, said nurses are not covered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) yearlong ban on temporary work visas for Filipinos. “Filipino nurses entering America through the sponsorship of their prospective U.S. employers apply for and are issued a separate
entry permit – the H-1B visa,” Bertiz said. The party-list said it expects the demand for Filipino nurses in America to steadily increase in the years ahead. “America’s nursing workforce is growing old, and they are not producing new nurses fast enough, mainly because they lack teaching staff. In fact, U.S. schools are turning away many would-be nursing students due to the shortage of qualified instructors,” Bertiz said. (Philstar.com)
Study: Filipinos spend 10 hours a day online... PAGE A1 the global average of three hours and 28 minutes, the Philippines clocked in five hours and four minutes per day. The Philippines also —perhaps unsurprisingly— surpassed other countries when it came to social media use, with 99 percent of internet users in the country on at least one type of social media platform. This, compared to the global average of 58 percent. Also having 99 percent social media penetration were Malay-
sia, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates. Holding the highest numbers in social media use, spending an average of four hours and 12 minutes on social media—approximately double the global average of two hours and 16 minutes. The time was slightly higher than the previous year which recorded an average of three hours and 57 minutes among Philippine social media users. According to the report, the
number of social media users in the Philippines grew from 67 million to 76 million. Facebook was also unsurprisingly the social media platform of choice with 75 million Philippine users on it. But on the Facebook-owned photo and video-sharing social media platform Instagram, users in the Philippines faired lower than the global average with only 14-percent of people aged 13 years old and older using the platform. (Rae Ann Varona/AJPress)
Filipina doctor named chief of staff at... PAGE A1 t
“I’m following in the footsteps of a lot of great doctors who have been part of the institution for decades,” Westerband told the Asian Journal in a recent interview. “We have some doctors who have been here for 50 years and that has to mean something. I am proud to say that I am only the fourth woman chief of staff.” She also acknowledged joining the ranks of Dr. Virginia Keller, who not only was the first female chief of staff at the hospital in the mid-1950s, but also the first female to hold that high position in the West. Under this position, Westerband’s duties include enforcing the medical staff bylaws, rules and regulations, and keeping the medical staff up to date on changes at the nonprofit, acute care hospital. “This is a place...[where] I’ve devoted a big part of my professional career,” she said. “We are committed to providing quality and safe care to our patients. My role as chief of staff is also to bring that strength to our medical staff,” she said. Glendale Memorial President Jill Welton said in a statement to the Asian Journal that it was “gratifying to have a dedicated, compassionate woman, such as Dr. Westerband, leading the helm of physician alignment at Glendale Memorial.” She added that the Filipina doctor’s 20-year service at the hospital “wonderfully mirrors our commitment” to the greater Glendale community. A Los Angeles native, Westerband moved to the Philippines when her father, who was in the military, had an opportunity to work there. She went on to receive her medical degree from Far Eastern University in Manila and returned to the United States where she had her first
Brigeli Westerband, Glendale Memorial Hospital’s first chief of staff of Filipino descent. AJPress photo by Noel Ty
internship in New Jersey. She became board certified in emergency and internal medicine and found her way back to Southern California, where she ran a private practice before coming to Glendale Memorial as a staff physician in the emergency room. “There have been a lot of changes in 20 years in terms of leadership…but I also saw that the only way you could make real changes is if you’re active in participating,” she reflected on her time at the hospital. She was appointed the medical director of the emergency department in 2005 and sought more ways to be involved, which included joining the medical executive leadership team. She was chosen to be secretary-treasurer for two years, then another two years as vice chief of staff before her new role. Westerband still works in the emergency room, where she has a 12-hour schedule for about 12 shifts a month. Of her leadership style, she
said she is “more of a person who wants to improve each person individually and bring out the best in each of them.” “The only way you can be effective in whatever profession you choose is to be true to yourself,” she explained. “Doctors have an open and compassionate heart and as long as you remember why you went into the profession, you’ll succeed.” With many Filipinos on staff at Glendale Memorial, Westerband hopes her visible role will inspire them to participate and make their voices heard as well. “We have a strong base of Filipinos in our community and we have a very big percentage of Filipino nurses. Filipinos, in general, are known to be caregivers, whether they’re nurses, doctors or others in the medical field,” she said. “It brings about some pride in our community and I think it gives those younger ones a role to look up to, not just being a woman, but also being an Asian woman and a minority.” (Christina M. Oriel/AJPress)
TURNING BASECO INTO A MODEL SITE. In line with her advocacy to make Baseco Compound in Tondo, Manila, a model site for community rehabilitation, Sen. Cynthia Villar leads the distribution of fishing boats, tri-bikes and kitchen utensils to its residents and tree planting in the area. The senator, chair of the Senate Committees on Agriculture and Food and Environment and Natural Resources, was joined by representatives from the DENR, DepEd, DPWH, MMDA, Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran ng Baseco, MBC-DZRH and Gasangan barangay officials. The senator, seeking reelection in May, has been known for providing livelihood opportunities on top of espousing a clean and green environment. Senate photo
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Cebu governor supports asking UK gov’t to lift travel advisory on parts of island by RYAN
MACASERO Philstar.com
END ENDO BILL. Workers from the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition (NLC) on Monday, February 4, trooped to the Senate and made a ďŹ nal push for the “End ENDOâ€? or end of contract bill before the congressional break. NLC is a coalition of eight labor groups, namely: Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), Sentro Partido Manggagawa (SPM), Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Philippine Airlines Employees Association (Palea), Agila, UFSW and PSLink. NLC chairman Sonny Matula said that with only a few session days to go, the Senate was running out of time to deliver on a presidential promise to end ENDO. ManilaTimes.net photo
DOJ approves cyberlibel charge vs Rappler, Ressa by KRISTINE JOY
Philstar.com
PATAG
MANILA — The Department of Justice has recommended charges of cyberlibel against online news outfit Rappler, its former reporter, and its CEO Maria Ressa over an article published in 2012. State prosecutors charged Rappler, Ressa and former reporter Reynaldo Santos Jr. with violation of Section 4(c)(4) of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, or cyberlibel. The case stemmed from an article written by Santos about businessman Wilfredo Keng. Keng went to the National Bureau of Investigation over a story posted on the news site on May 2012. The businessman filed his complaint before the NBI in October 2017, more than five years since the story was published. Santos, who was then part of Rappler’s investigative arm, reported in 2012 that Keng lent his sport utility vehicles to Chief Justice Renato Corona who was facing an impeachment case in the Senate. Corona was later removed from office. The businessman claimed that Rappler did not observe “ethical standards of journalism� when it
In this ďŹ le photo, Rappler chief executive ofďŹ cer Maria Ressa submitted her counterafďŹ davit to the Department of Justice (DOJ) during the preliminary hearing. Philstar.com photo by Edd Gumban
published the story. ‘Article is defamatory’ In resolving the complaint, the panel held that the assailed article is “clearly defamatory� and “is presumed to be malicious.� The panel of prosecutors also dismissed Rappler’s defense that they could not be charged with cyberlibel as the law was not yet in effect when the article was published. They held that while the first publication of the article on May
29, 2012 was not covered by the Cybercrime Act of 2012, the story’s publication on Feb. 19, 2014 puts it under the “multiple publication rule.� “Accordingly, we hold that the republication of the article as may have been modified or revised is a distinct and separate offense, for which the author, respondent Santos, should be prosecuted,� the resolution further read. DOJ dropped the complaints against Manuel Ayala, Nico Jose Nolledo, Glenda Gloria, James Bitanga, Felicia Atienza, Dan Alberde Padua and Jose Maria Hofilena, “there being no showing of their participation of the commission of the offense or supervision or control over respondent Santos. Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Edwin Dayog and Assistant State Prosecutors Florencio Dela Cruz Jr. and Jeanette Dacpano signed the resolution, which was approved by Acting Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon. The cyberlibel complaint is one of the legal suits Rappler is facing. The news outfit and Ressa are also facing tax evasion charges before PAGE A7
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MANILA — Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III on Monday, February 4, said he supports the move of a Philippine Cabinet official to ask the UK government to lift the travel warning it issued over towns on the southern part of the island following the Jolo bombing. “I think that’s a good idea para we’d know what their reason is,� Davide said in a statement in a mix of English and Cebuano. Following a travel advisory updated by the United Kingdom on January 27 due to the twin bombings at a cathedral in Jolo, Sulu, top law enforcement and local government heads in Cebu assured the public that the tourism-reliant province is “safe.� Vice Governor Agnes Magpale said she has “the same questions� on the basis of the travel warnings. “In the same manner that [the municipality of] Dalaguete has been included a few months back. I support the move of OPAV (Office of the Presidential Advisor for the Visayas),� Magpale said. She was referring to a statement made on Sunday, February 3, by Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino who said in an interview with state-run Philippine News Agency that he would take up the lifting of the travel advisory with the UK government through a letter. No basis?
Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III
Philstar.com photo
Dino, whose role is to advise the president regarding matters affecting the Visayas, said there was “no basis at all� for the travel advisories. The governments of the United States and the United Kingdom have been issuing travel advisories since 2016 on and off for the southern part of Cebu, an area which had been relatively isolated from terror attacks before. In the latest travel advisory, towns “up to and including� Badian and Dalaguete are the only parts outside of Mindanao included “due to the threat of terrorism.� These towns have been consistently included in those advisories. In November 2016, for example, the United States government issued a warning on the same areas due to alleged kidnap threats. This warning was specific to the towns of Dalaguete and Santander, also in the south.
Then Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said they had also received unvalidated reports of plans to stage kidnappings in the area. Tourism concerns Dino said he would ask why the advisories “always� included these towns, an area known for its beach resorts and other tourist activities. He said he was wary that the travel ban could affect the tourist arrival count this year. According to data from the Department of Tourism, tourist arrivals in the Central Visayas reached over 6.8 million in 2018. Dino said during an inter-agency security summit last Sunday that the terror threat was “zero� percent in Cebu. This was a similar response to an advisory issued on April 9, 2017 by the U.S. Embassy, which said the American government received “unsubstantiated yet credPAGE A7
Duterte urged: Veto ‘pork barrel’ in 2019 budget by CECILLE SUERTE FELIPE, JESS DIAZ Philstar.com
MANILA — Vetoing the “pork� in the P3.757-trillion budget for 2019 would be an affirmation of President Duterte’s much-touted strong political will, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said. Asked for reaction to Lacson’s suggestion, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said in a text message: “Let us not preempt the President.� In a post on his Twitter account, Lacson said the President, who had shown strong political will in
a number of controversial issues in the past, can expunge the pork barrel from the budget using his line-item veto power. “Mr. President, you have displayed your strong political will on several occasions. This time, use your line-item veto power over the 2019 appropriations measure by removing all the ‘pork’ inserted by lawmakers who are incorrigibly insatiable and simply ‘beyond redemption,’� he said. Under the 1987 Constitution, the President “shall have the power to veto any particular item
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or items in an appropriation, revenue or tariff bill, but the veto shall not affect the item or items to which he does not object.� Lacson earlier bared the presence of billions of pesos of “pork� in the proposed budget, including at least P160 million for each House member. The P160 million includes P70 million for “hard� projects such as roads and flood control; and P30 million for “soft� projects such as textbooks and scholarships. Speaker Gloria Macapagal-ArPAGE A7
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FEBRUARY 7-13, 2019 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL
OPINION
Top-secret assets
FEATURES
WHILE President Rodrigo Duterte has issued an executive order promoting freedom of information in the executive branch, the House of Representatives is going in the opposite direction when it comes to transparency and public accountability. On Wednesday, January 30, the House of Representatives adopted Resolution 2467, which imposes stringent rules — and hefty fees — for access to HOR members’ statements of assets, liabilities and net worth. All government officials are required by law to submit the SALN every year. Mass media used to be able to access the annual submissions, which are supposed to be a matter of public record. Now access to the SALNs must be coursed through a formal request that must have final approval from the House plenary after vetting by a newly formed special committee. For every SALN, the requesting party must pay P300. This means access to the SALNs of all 291 members of the HOR will cost P87,300. Among the reasons cited in the House resolution is that information in the SALN “may be used to render them and members of their family vulnerable to threats to life and security, influence the action of the House or its Committees and, consequently, undermine the independence of the legislative branch.” Considering that each lawmaker is secured by at least one police bodyguard, lesser mortals who must settle for one police officer per about 500
people must be wondering about this vulnerability. One need not peek into any lawmaker’s SALN to threaten his or her security. The House, however, is only behaving true to form. There are House members who would want taxpayers to consider congressmen’s assets as a matter of national security, exempted from public scrutiny and rules on accountability. Lawmakers have posed the toughest roadblocks to the fight against money laundering. Corruption and tax evasion were among the last offenses to be included among the predicate crimes covered by the Anti-Money Laundering Act. Lawmakers also continue to resist proposals to ease bank secrecy rules and regulate campaign finance. It’s noteworthy that House Resolution 2467 was approved even as Congress is squabbling with the executive branch over a national budget that has been reenacted for the first time since 2009. The reenacted budget – which opens doors for corruption and misuse of people’s money – is now in its second month. The approval of HR 2467 is hardly surprising, but this does not lessen the disappointment over a move that is a step backward in efforts to promote transparency, accountability and good governance. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS AS OF PRESS TIME, President Donald Trump addressed the American people on Tuesday night, February 5 through the State of the Union (SOTU) address, which was originally scheduled for January 31, but had to be rescheduled because of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. This tradition has a basis in the U.S. Constitution. Article II, Section 3, Clause 1 mandates that the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” While the SOTU has undergone several name changes through the years, the focus of the president’s official message
President Trump’s State of the Union address: A historical primer
delivered in-person has been changing as the Union faces different challenges, crises and opportunities since President Woodrow Wilson’s 1913 address. According to the records of the House of Representatives, “earlier Annual Messages of the President included agency budget requests and general reports on the health of the economy. During the 20th century, Congress required more-specialized reports on these two aspects, separate from the Annual Message: Budget Message, required by the National Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 (42 Stat. 20) to be delivered to Congress no more than two weeks after Congress convenes in January. Economic Report, required by the Employment Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 23), with a flexible delivery date. Over time, as the message content changed, the focus of the State of the Union also
Commentary
YEN MAKABENTA MORE than TIME magazine’s increasingly discredited Person of the Year citation, I follow avidly the yearly competition among lexicographers and language mavens to pick the Word of the Year. From the Poynter Institute and the writer Daniel Funke, I got significant details of the citation. Funke wrote in November 2018: “In 2016, the Word of the Year was ‘post-truth.’ In 2017, it was ‘fake news.’ In 2018, the word of choice was significantly ‘misinformation.’” In a press release sent to Poynter (the Poynter Institute), Dictionary.com said it chose the word “misinformation” — which it defines as “false information that is spread, regardless of whether there is intent to mislead” — amid the growing role of technology platforms in spreading fakery online. “Recognizing ‘misinformation’ as the 2018 word of the year reveals once again the perspective that we can gain by thinking about the words of our time,” said Liz McMillan, CEO of Dictionary.com, in the release. “The emergence of a lexicon to describe misinformation alone is a
Philstar.com photo
changed: In the 19th century, the annual message was both a lengthy administrative report on the various departments of the executive branch and a budget and economic message. After 1913, when Woodrow Wilson revived the practice of presenting the message to Congress in person, it became a platform for the President to rally support for his agenda. Technological changes—radio, television, and the Internet—further developed the State of the Union into a forum for the President to speak directly to the American people. After the president delivers the SOTU, it has been a tradition to hear the State of the Union from the opposition party. According to the House, this began in 1966 when the television networks provided the Republican party with a half-hour slot. Senator Everett Dirksen (Republican, Illinois) and Representative Gerald R. Ford (Republican, Michigan)
delivered the first opposition response. By 1976 the television networks were providing a slot for the opposition party almost immediately after the State of the Union address. DAYS BEFORE Trump’s SOTU, almost seven in 10 said the federal government was doing a bad job of governing, with four out of 10 saying the government under Trump’s presidency is “the worst governing of their lifetimes”, according to the latest CNN poll. President Donald Trump’s overall approval rating stands at 40 percent approve to 55 percent disapprove, according to the same new poll. As we digest Trump’s SOTU, let us check out what the polls say regarding important issues that serve as the backdrop to Trump’s message. Quoting CNN: Trump’s approval rating for handling immigration — the issue at the heart of the shutdown — stands at 41 percent. Although
that is also not a significant improvement compared with his ratings before the shutdown, it is his best read on the matter in CNN polling since April 2017. But most still disapprove of the President’s work on the issue (54 percent disapprove) and the public is largely opposed to Trump’s proposed paths forward on the wall he pledged to build along the southern border between the United States and Mexico. Two-thirds say he should not declare a national emergency in order to build the wall (66 percent should not vs. 31 percent should), and 57 percent say they would oppose another partial government shutdown over wall funding. The President’s base, however, is playing a different tune. Among conservative Republicans, there is massive support for another government shutdown (78 percent would favor that if no agreement is reached including wall funding) or for the declaration of a national
emergency in order to build the wall (72 percent favor that). With the American people fearing another government shutdown because of Trump refusing to support any spending bill that will not fund for his wall with the warning this could happen again if he does not get the funding by February 15, the poll suggests most want to avoid shutdowns in the future: 53 percent would back legislation preventing any future shutdowns, 40 percent would oppose that. WILL TRUMP SUCCEED in his goal to get the American people on board and support his agenda and priorities. Will he be able to “unify” the American people through his State of the Union Address moving forward? *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https:// www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
‘Misinformation’ named 2018 Word of the Year
telling sign.” The runners-up for Dictionary.com’s 2018 word of the year were “representation,” “selfmade” and “backlash.” “The recent explosion of misinformation and the growing vocabulary we use to understand it have come up again and again in the work of our lexicographers,” said Jane Solomon, linguist-inresidence at Dictionary.com, in the release. “Over the last couple of years, Dictionary.com has been defining words and updating terms related to the evolving understanding of misinformation.” The site’s choice of “misinformation” instead of the widely used “disinformation” was purposeful. While the latter implies intent to mislead, the former does not. When people share misinformation, they often believe the content to be true — even if the original sharer had malintent, according to Dictionary.com. The company cited several events over the past year that contributed to its decision to choose “misinformation” as word of the year. Among them include the continued role of Facebook in spreading hoaxes, the rise of the QAnon conspiracy theory, WhatsApp rumors that led to mob violence in India and widespread misinformation during the Brazilian election.
Dictionary.com is just the latest dictionary to choose a misinformation-related term as its word of the year. In 2016, Oxford Dictionaries chose “post-truth” (“relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief”). In 2017, Collins Dictionary opted for “fake news” (“false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting”). Suzanne Fields on missing gatekeepers It was Suzanne Fields, columnist of the Washington Times, who alerted me to the selection of “misinformation” as the word of the year. In a column published on Dec. 14, 2018, she made this pregnant comment on communications in contemporary times. She wrote: “This has been a rough year for news junkies. Changing stations for network and cable-TV news reveals not coherence but alternative realities. It’s easy to be confounded when caught in the middle of a muddle of polarizing differences, as social media spreads interpretations of the theology of what Flip Wilson, a popular comic of an earlier time, called the Church of What’s Happening Now. Today, the abundance of sources
enables the news to fit personal prejudices and predispositions. It’s the famous slogan of The New York Times, ‘All the news that’s fit to print,’ distorted to ‘All the news that fits our bias, we print.’ “Television is the most obvious distorter of the news, but newspapers have their biases, too. Gone are most of the rigorous, careful editors of bygone generations. Abe Rosenthal, the celebrated executive editor of The New York Times, is long dead. Horace Greeley, founder of the dominant New York Tribune, is even longer dead. So, too, is Walter Cronkite, the authoritative anchor of the ‘CBS Evening News’ whose stentorian voice soothed his audience during the Vietnam War with his signature sign-off, ‘And that’s the way it is’ — not always accurate but reassuring. “The voices from respected institutions of newspapers and television networks once provided confidence in what was printed and said. We trusted them as gatekeepers. Investigative reporting was not driven by partisan opinion. “Loud barkers and boxcar headlines have always been around to mislead and misinform, eager to manipulate emotions. But most readers and viewers in simpler times were sure they knew how to separate
the wheat of facts from the chaff of manipulation. “That’s harder to do now. The language mavens at Dictionary. com have named ‘misinformation’ the Word of the Year. They stress that ‘disinformation,’ which is deliberately spread for malignant effect, is not the same as misinformation, though sometimes there’s a thin line of difference. When a person reads or sees this disinformation, believes it and passes it on, it becomes ‘misinformation.’ “Much that is passed on as grist for social media never goes through a competent fact-checker, and misinformation is spread, sometimes innocently, as news. And in a culture as divided and polarized as the one we live in, the question is moot. Even when it imitates the old structures for sorting out “the facts,” many journalists are crippled, either in self-delusion or self-defense, by bias that leads to self-censoring the news. “In an era of post-truth and ‘fake news,’ factoids are often accepted as the real thing and spread like gossip that quickly becomes gospel among the partisans of both right and left, feeding voracious appetites for support of prejudices. “The information balance of power has changed, writes Martin Gurri in a new book, The Revolt of the Public, which dis-
sects with originality and depth the impact of the internet on the political culture. ‘A generation ago, the public could exist only as a passive audience,’ he writes of the great age when the daily newspaper was the king of the mountain and television news was dispensed on a reassuring hierarchical model, from the top down. “The digital platforms today have created a new and different kind of public, one empowered by the online news, which it creates, collects and dispenses from preferred sites with ideology and emotion outrunning balance and thoughtfulness” In November 2017, I wrote a column on “misinformation” and “disinformation” to underscore the confusion ignited by “fake news.” I wrote then: “Instead of the Babel of definitions that are being used to define ‘fake news,’ I propose to readers and colleagues — and the Senate committee on information — that they adopt with two terms that are more precise and clearer: ‘misinformation’ and ‘disinformation.’ “The writer Franklin Veaux has provided an arresting distinction between the two. “He said ‘misinformation’ is information that is false, but the person who is disseminating it believes that it is true. PAGE A7
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Dateline PhiliPPines
LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARy 7-13, 2019
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House passes measure that punishes ‘political butterflies’ by Glee Jalea ManilaTimes.net
PuBLIC officials who change their political party a year before or after elections may soon be banned if a measure approved by the House Committee on Ways and Means becomes a law. The House panel on Monday, February 4, approved the proposed Political Party Development Act to strengthen the political party system and promote party loyalty and discipline. The unnumbered bill was authored by House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Majority Leader Fredenil Castro and 14 other lawmakers, consolidating House Bills 522, 697, 1695 and 7088. under the measure, political PANAGBENGA 2019. Seven schools compete in the elimination rounds of the 2019 Street Dancing Competition of the 2019 Panagbenga turncoatism, or changing political festival, which started in Baguio City on Friday, February 1. ManilaTimes.net photo by Whom Picaña affiliation a year before or after the holding of national elections will be punished. Penalties for “political turncoats” include forfeiture of their elective
office; disqualification from running for any elective position in the next election; prohibition from holding any position in any government office for three years after the expiration of his or her current term; prohibition from assuming any executive or administrative position in the new political party; and refund of the amount received from the previous political party and a 25 percent surcharge thereon. Any citizen of voting age or any candidate, political party may file with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) a petition to disqualify a candidate on the ground of political turncoatism. Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo previously cited the case of the Liberal Party (LP), which had lots of “political butterflies” when the term of former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III started. “Our party is small. When [Aquino] became president, politicians
House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ManilaTimes.net photo
rushed to LP and we became bigger, but when PNoy stepped down our numbers dwindled again,” she said. Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) President and Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said in August 2018 that since the 2016 elections, the membership of the party had significantly increased from 40,000 to 93,000 — with 300,000 pending applications. n
Immigration bureau to impose stricter rules on foreign workers in PH ‘Misinformation’ named 2018 Word...
MANILA — Amid a reported increase in the number of foreign workers in the country, the Bureau of Immigration said it would be imposing stricter rules on foreigners who intend to work in the Philippines. In a statement on Wednesday, February 6, the Immigration bureau said that it would be imposing stricter special work permits and provisional work permits to foreign nationals. Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said that the bureau would require foreign nationals to file the following additional requirements: Validity of stay as tourists Address, existence, nature of business and financial viability of petitioning company Securities and Exchange Commission and other government licenses to operate BI would also not issue work permits for those who would be employed as construction workers, cashiers, janitors, carpenters and other blue collar jobs. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo last month played down concerns raised over a supposed increase in the number of Chinese workers in the country. “We lack so many construction workers that is why many Chinese workers are being hired because
there are no more Filipinos. Many Filipinos are unemployed and yet they lack the skill so we need to teach them,” Panelo claimed. Permits for regulated professions will need PRC approval “Professions classified as regulated by the Professional Regulation Commission will also not be allowed without the approval of the PRC,” BI added. There are 43 Professional Regulatory Boards under the PRC. The PRBs prepare the contents of the licensure examinations and the course requirements of the listed professions. Morente said: “This is to ensure that these work permits are issued only to aliens whose jobs could not be performed by Filipinos.” “These new rules are meant to protect the interest of local workers, as we have observed that in the past, foreigners may abuse their permits and take away jobs from our kababayans,” added Morente. In November 2018, the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development looked into the reported influx of undocumented foreign workers, mostly Chinese, in the country. During the said hearing, a ranking official of the Department of Foreign Affairs said that some 1.6
million Chinese tourists arrived in the country in 2018, and only 18 employment visas were issued. The Department of Labor and Employment said then that it had yet to verify the actual number of Chinese workers in the country. DOLE data showed that 115,652 alien employment permits have been issued from 2015 to 2017, 51,980 of which are for Chinese workers. (Kristine Joy Patag/Philstar.com)
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“On the other hand, ‘disinformation’ is information that is false, and the person who is disseminating it knows it is false. It is a deliberate, intentional lie. “Both are false information. All fake news is false information. “At the time, former Foreign Affairs secretary Alan Cayetano issued a barefaced lie in the media: ‘All drug war casualties in the Philippines are drug dealers.’
“This plainly is false information. “Cayetano made the claim in an interview with Al Jazeera. He declared that all 3,800 people killed so far in police operations in the drug war are drug dealers. “Malacañang was more modest than Cayetano in talking about the drug war. Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella declared only that the government
Cebu governor supports... PAGE A5
ible information” that terrorist groups may attempt to stage kidnappings in the Central Visayas, including Cebu and Bohol. “How can we have an information that is unsubstantiated and at the same time credible? That travel advisory is pregnant with oxymoronic expression that needs to be clarified,” Dino said in a press statement then. This countered the information of then-Philippine National Police chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, however, who said on April 10 that they were actually monitoring a serious threat. That same week on April 11, the Philippine military clashed with members of the Abu Sayyaf in the town of Inabanga, Bohol, directly across the strait from Cebu City.
That armed encounter lasted about one month, leaving at least 11 members of the terrorist group dead and six military and police officers injured. Police visibility heightened Although this time police downplayed the uK’s advisory, they did say they would increase police visibility on the southern part of the island as well as station a Coast Guard vessel to patrol the area. Malacañang spokesperson Salvador Panelo gave assurance that the Philippines remains safe despite the travel warning issued by the uK. “We would like to assure the general public that they can go about their normal activities. Our country is still a safe haven,” he said, calling the attacks in Mindanao “isolated incidents.” n
DOJ approves cyberlibel charge...
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a Pasig court and Court of Tax Appeals. Rappler is also facing a legal battle, this time at the Court of Appeals, after the Securities and Exchange Commission ordered the cancellation of its corporate registration. The SEC said that it found violations of the constitutional prohibition against foreign ownership of local media. Rappler, however,
denied that its foreign investors have control over the company. On January 29, the company filed a Petition for Review before the appellate court to void the said SEC ruling. Rappler said that the SEC issued the order in haste and that it violated their constitutional right to due process. Rappler has cried harassment over the closure order, a claim that was denied by President Rodrigo Duterte. n
Duterte urged: Veto ‘pork... PAGE A5 royo added P50 million to the budget for “hard projects” and P10 million for soft projects. Some House members reportedly received much more. Even some senators had been found to have individual amendments totaling P23 billion. Lacson said that while his revelations prompted some “talking heads” to muddle the issue, it turned out they were actually advancing his cause in educating the public more about the “evil pork” in the national budget. He has issued a challenge to all fellow lawmakers to make public their amendments to the budget bill, just as he has done by posting his institutional amendments on his website. “The national budget belongs to the people because it comes from taxpayers’ money. It is bad enough if the money is not used properly; it is much worse if the money is abused by those in government in the form of pork,”
Lacson stressed. “The national budget is the lifeblood of our country. If we allow pork to ruin the budget, we taxpayers will suffer,” he added. Despite the controversy raised by Lacson, there seems to be no stopping the House from finally approving the proposed P3.757trillion budget. The final shape of the spending bill will appear in the report of the bicameral (bicam) conference committee jointly chaired by Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., appropriations committee chairman, and his Senate counterpart Loren Legarda. Asked what he meant by their commitment to pass the budget proposal, Andaya said, “I will try to do both – bicam and (House) plenary.” under their calendar of sessions, the House and the Senate have only until this week to ratify the conference committee report on the proposed budget for this year. n
)ROORZ XV RQ
did not sanction killings under the drug war. “Abella said in a statement: ‘We wish to emphasize that one death is one too many. These deaths are being addressed to ensure the accountability of perpetrators, even as it calls upon witnesses and individuals who can provide valuable evidence that will lead to [the] speedy resolution of cases.’” (ManilaTimes. net)
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FeBruary 7-13, 2019 • LaS VeGaS aSIaN JOurNaL
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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • FEbRUARy 7-13, 2019
VEGAS&STYLE
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Journal Homesick Miss Universe looks forward Getting to know H.E.R., the Fil-Am to her grand homecoming this month R&B singer nominated for 5 Grammys R&B sensation discusses Filipina heritage, inherent passion for music and why she remains largely anonymous By Klarize
Medenilla AJPress
WHEN R&B singer and songwriter H.E.R. stepped onto the B.E.T. Awards stage last summer the whole room gave her its undivided attention. Propped in front of violinists and a harpist playing the dreamy intro to the single “Focus,” H.E.R. sways in a haze of cyan and magenta fog as she strikes the audience with the first line of the song, “Me? Can you focus on me?” It’s less of a call for us to merely look at and acknowledge her as a strictly visual spectacle, but more of a petition to pay attention to the soulful expression emanating through the mic. Like water, her voice is soft yet unyielding. Her flawless harmonies permeate the room with the power of unconstrained feeling and soul so rare to find in a rising star. Before she transitions into “Best Part” with fellow R&B upand-comer Daniel Caesar, she offers a robust electric guitar solo with skill and authority rarely seen in young musicians these days. As music begins to rely more on computer programs and other digitized methods of producing and modifying, experiencing a truly live performance with instruments is becoming a rare bird. It’s even rarer that artists sound just as good — or in H.E.R.’s case, better than the studio versions. Amid working on her debut album, H.E.R. (which stands for Having Everything Revealed) has racked up a fortuitous and busy 2019. The 21-year-old R&B sensation is nominated for five Grammy Awards: Album of the Year (for the compilation album, “H.E.R.”), Best New Artist, Best R&B Per-
H.E.R. shared a photo on Instagram of her on a Spotify billboard in Brooklyn.
formance (for “Best Part” with Caesar), Best R&B Song (for “Focus”) and Best R&B Album (for “H.E.R.”). And that’s just the beginning. She’s also performing at the 61st Grammy Awards — airing this Sunday, Feb. 10 on CBS — and will be performing as one of the bigger acts at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. She’s currently working on her debut album, which she briefly took a break from to speak with the Asian Journal on Wednesday, Jan. 30. “I always say I could be taking a midterm right now, but I feel more blessed and grateful than anything that I get to do what I love every single day,” H.E.R. says in an interview, as her enthusiasm beams through the phone. But, who is she? Or, if you will, who is H.E.R.? A performer through and through Born in 1997 to Filipina-American Agnes Wilson and AfricanAmerican Kenny Wilson in Vallejo, California, H.E.R. — whose real
name is Gabriella “Gabi” Wilson — said she was raised with a “good balance” of the Filipino and Black American cultures in her home. Her maternal grandparents were first-generation Filipino immigrants who made sure that Filipino traditions were not lost in their familial diaspora. They spoke Tagalog, and although she “doesn’t speak [it] as much as she used to,” she understands the language. “I’m really grateful for my mom who encouraged me to be a hard worker, you know, that’s one thing about Filipinos, they’re really hard-working people,” H.E.R. warmly remarks. And, of course, H.E.R. says that her household was no stranger to the ubiquitous karaoke machine(s) that exist in so many Filipino homes. “She wanted me to sing Alicia Keys songs, Mariah Carey and all those love ballads, and I also sang some Tagalog songs, like I learned Sharon Cuneta songs, too. She’d bring her friends over
By MoMar
G. Visaya
AJPress
BEFORE going to the Philippines for her big homecoming, Miss Universe Catriona Gray spent an unusually warm winter afternoon with fellow Filipinos for a meet and greet at the Philippine Center hosted by the Philippine Consulate General New York. Gray on Monday afternoon, February 4, said that just being in the consulate is already like taking a trip back to the Philippines and reminisced when she was at the Philippine Center for the first time in 2016 a few days proceeding to the Miss World H.E.R. grew up in the Bay Area of California finals in Washington, DC. with a “good balance” of the Filipino and Black “I just want to say thank you American cultures. to everyone for being here toPhotos courtesy of Facebook/OfficialHERMusic day. I feel like I’ve taken a step Miss Universe Catriona Gray is all smiles as to the house and ask me to sing back home in the Philippines she stepped out of the Philippine Center in for them,” H.E.R. remembers with seeing you all,” Gray said as she New York. She will be busy in the next few thanked the roomful of Filipino a laugh. But it wasn’t just karaoke that gave her exposure to the performance life. Kenny Wilson used to perform in a blues cover band which used to rehearse in their living room. “It was a lot of James Brown and a lot of soul music and a lot of R&B,” H.E.R. shares. “And that influenced my own music heavily. I’ve always been drawn to that soulful and emotional music with real lyrics and those lyrics that make you feel something.” Growing up biracial opens the door to a myriad of identity crises, but for H.E.R., it was a source of empowerment and an opportunity to connect with a diverse array of people. “[Being biracial] helped me more than it did hinder me because I always tried to conquer any doubt I had in myself,” she remarks. “What I learned to do was assimilate, but not in a way where I had to conform or be something else that I wasn’t.” She adds that she embraced a diverse upbringing and that music provided an PAGE B3
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days attending New York Fashion Week. AJPress photo by Troi Santos
Filipino trio TNT Boys earn praise from judges on ‘The World’s Best’ by ritchel
Mendiila
CBS show, “The World’s Best.” The trio, composed of Francis The TNT Boys brought pride to Concepcion, Mackie Empuerto, the Philippines once again when and Kiefer Sanchez, performed the group returned to the Ameri- Beyonce’s “Listen” and imcan stage and earned praise on the PAGE B3 AJPress
The TNT Boys return to the international stage on ‘The World’s Best.’ Photo courtesy of ABS-CBN
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Dayanara Torres diagnosed with skin cancer by Jan
Milo Severo Philstar.com
MISS Universe 1993 Dayanara Torres revealed on Tuesday that she has been diagnosed with skin cancer and is currently waiting for treatment. In a lengthy Instagram post, the Puerto Rican beauty queen and actress began her statement saying, “As mothers we are always taking care of everyone around us... our kids, family, friends & often we forget to take care of ourselves.” “Today I have some sad news... I have been diagnosed with skin cancer ‘melanoma’ from a big spot/mole I never paid attention to, even though it was new, it had been growing for years and had an uneven surface,” she said. Dayanara said her fiancé Louis D’Esposito convinced her to have it checked. After the test, they learned that the results are positive. “Now we are waiting to see which treatment I will be receiving but they have already removed a big area from the back of my knee & also they have removed 2 lymph nodes at the top of my leg where it had already spread. Hoping it has not spread to any more areas or organs,” she said. Despite her condition, Dayanara said she’s a “warrior” who entrusts everything to God. “I have put everything in God’s hands and I know he has all control... My sons although a bit scared know about my faith and
Miss Universe Catriona Gray (center) is joined by Consul General Claro Cristobal, Consul Arman Talbo and Filipino-American media prior to her meet and greet with the Fil-Am community. AJPress photos by Troi Santos
Homesick Miss Universe looks forward...
Miss Universe 1993 Dayanara Torres
know they have a warrior of a mommy,” she said. The beauty queen said she’s sharing her experience in hopes of helping others. She also urged her followers to never forget to take care of themselves. “If you see something or feel something different in your body have it checked... I had no idea skin cancer could spread any-
PAGE B1 community leaders from the various states in the northeast who attended the event. “I am a little homesick but I am going back for my homecoming mid February and I’m very, very excited.” Consul General Claro Cristobal and Consul Arman Talbo joined Gray at the presscon prior to her meeting the community. “It has been a wonderful two months so far and I am really excited to go home and see everyone for the homecoming,” Gray added. According to press Photo from Instagram/@dayanarapr announcements, Gray will have a where else in your body,” she grand homecoming on February said. 21 and 23 in Manila. Dayanara rose to fame in the “As I said earlier in the room Philippines after she handed her next door, it makes me feel like crown to 1994 Miss Universe I’ve taken a little bit of a trip home Sushmita Sen in Manila. She to the Philippines. Seeing all became an actress in the country of your faces so many kababaywho was paired with Aga Muhlach ans dito— Thank you so much in several movies. She was also a po for being here,” she said, adpioneer host of ABS-CBN’s Sun- dressing the capacity crowd. day variety show “ASAP.” Dr. Aida Navidad Rivera and a group came all the way from Philadelphia to attend the meet and greet with the Filipina Miss
Jessy Mendiola plans to settle down before 30 by MJ
Marfori ManilaTimes.net
THE big three-oh is less than five years away for sexy actress Jessy Mendiola. She got candid talking numbers with In the Know during the promo of her movie “Tol,” which is now showing in cinemas nationwide, specifically about her three-year relationship with Luis Manzano. Very open about the love of her life, she’s already shared in her vlog that they’ve been discussing marriage plans already. “I’ve always said ‘yes.’ Huwag niya lang sana ako tatanungin in two months kasi siyempre marami pa ang naka-plano pero sinabi ko na iyon sa sarili ko matagal na,” Jessy Mendiola Photo from Instagram/@senorita_jessy Jessy laughed.
Universe. “Miss Catriona Gray is politely beautiful. She is beauty and brains, well spoken and engaging,” Dr. Aida Navidad Rivera said. “The Miss Universe title rightfully belongs to her.” “The event was of mutual expression of appreciation of who we are as Filipinos in the diaspora,” Rivera added. For another community leader, it was a pleasant opportunity to see Gray again, after meeting her back in 2016. “And she has blossomed so beautifully and oozing w it h confidence at that. She carries and embraces the Miss Universe crown so professionally,” said Joji Jalandoni. “It is a perfect vehicle to benefit her cause which is promoting education and increasing awareness of HIV in the Philippines.” Yet another group from Tom’s River, New Jersey is thankful to the consulate for the chance to meet the Miss Universe and have their photo taken with them. “Catriona is a very special
Jessy says her sister, who recently started a family, inspired her to think about having one of her own. Ideally, she’d like to have children while she’s young so she can relate to them as they grow up. “Mahirap kasi if mas matanda ako. Imagine, if I’m young, mas malakas pa ako na maalagaan ‘yung baby.” After all the body shaming and bullying that Jessy has been through online, she can say in all honesty she is over all the negativity and is at her happiest right now. “Ako na nga ang nagsasabi kay Luis na huwag na niya patulan ang mga bashers. Mas confident na talaga ako ngayon and mas deadma The new Miss Universe will have her grand homecoming in Manila this month. She said she is ako pagdating sa negativity.” excited to go home to meet her fans and loved ones.
lady in her own way, she is very beautiful inside and out, always smiling and (she) looks happy,” said Joji Ortega Babuschak. “I admired her more when she talked about her advocacy, I wish I can raise some money to support her mission to help our less fortunate children back home and folks who have HIV.” Promoting Filipino fabrics Gray was known to wear Filipino designed gowns using local textiles and fabrics during her time as a candidate for Binibining Pilipinas and again at the Miss Universe competition in Bangkok. At the consulate event, she wore a full hand-embroidered modern Filipiniana and Victorian inspired barong designed by Orias Studios. “I’ve fallen in love with our Filipino textiles and fabrics. As a Miss Philippines, yes I wore the sash but if I were to remove the sash, I wanted to look like a Miss Philippines,” she said, explaining why she collaborated with Filipino designers for her gowns and accessories. “We have amazing Filipino designers and our textiles are unique to us, they’re nowhere else in the world. If I could just share that in a way, I know it doesn’t encapsulate the whole of our culture, but it is a small aspect that I feel like, specially my age group would really sit up and pay attention,” Gray added. Responding to a question about how she sees herself in five years, Gray rattled off a couple of items in her list, including a possible career in music and business. “I would love to have my own business, but with a livelihood program. I have this love developed for our fabrics and textiles and I would love to have a business reflect that,” she said.
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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • FEbRUARy 7-13, 2019
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Iza Calzado ready to be a mom by Boy
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H.E.R.’s fourth EP released in 2018, “I Used to Know Her: The Prelude,” which was followed by Part 2.
Getting to know H.E.R...
PAGE B1 interpersonal gateway for her to connect with people of different backgrounds in the cultural hub that is the Bay Area. From teen prodigy to R&B sensation When it became evident that she was a born performer, Agnes and Kenny Wilson fully supported their daughter’s aspirations in music. When she was 12 years, H.E.R. was brought on the Today Show to cover Alicia Keys songs on the piano, and soon after, competed on Radio Disney’s “The Next BIG Thing.” In 2014, she was signed to Sony’s RCA Records and released a single called “Something To Prove” under Gabriella Wilson. “For me, it wasn’t really a decision so much as it was a fact that this was what I was meant to do. There wasn’t really an alternative career path for me,” H.E.R. explains. And then in 2016, she emerged with her new persona as H.E.R. to release her debut extended play “H.E.R. Vol. 1” which garnered acclaim from industry juggernauts like Usher, Pusha T and Wyclef Jean, as well as labelmate and childhood inspiration, Alicia Keys. That EP would end up on many publications’ end of the year list, including NPR’s “5 Essential R&B Albums You Slept On.” In 2017, she released a follow-up EP, “H.E.R. Vol. 2,” which further hoisted her up. Both albums represent a contemporary vulnerability with its beautifully crestfallen lyrics most people would turn to in the midst of heartbreak. We find solace in the resilient conviction she portrays, like in the song “As I Am” on the EP “I Used to Know Her: The Prelude” released in 2018. In addition to collaborating with Daniel Caesar on “Best Part,” she has also worked with fellow rising R&B star Ella Mai, Khalid and Bryson Tiller. Changing the game Clout. Flex. Influencer. Influencers flex to gain clout and more clout heightens your own influencer brand. This is all Internet speak for a new, millennial brand of prestige and celebrity shaped by the idea of one’s personal brand. Amplified by the continued merging of pop culture and social media, this trifecta forms the millennial mission statement for social upward mobility. In this
For most performances, H.E.R. wears dark sunglasses.
H.E.R. racked up five Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist.
world where celebrity transparency and intimacy are everything, and mysticism in pop culture has become obsolete, it’s become rare for an artist to take the backseat and allow their art to be the selling point. She only goes by H.E.R. and has curated an enigmatic persona, so much that for this interview, the Asian Journal was instructed to address her as H.E.R. For most performances, she wears dark sunglasses. In her album cover art, her eyes are blacked out and you rarely get a look at her face. And unlike so many stars, she’s never one to overshare and maintains a lowkey profile. “I wanted the music to be No. 1, I wanted it to get the attention, the forefront, the No. 1 focus, and I wanted people to just lis-
H.E.R. receives a plaque in December 2018 celebrating the self-titled compilation album going Gold. Photos courtesy of Facebook/OfficialHERMusic
ten and love the music because sometimes we get caught up in the gimmicks, the looks, and the glitz: these things that don’t really matter to me,” she shares. Social media has become a crucial application in celebrity promotion that is conducive to guerilla marketing that relies on gimmicks and stunts to spark conversation. The idea that all publicity is good publicity doesn’t jive with H.E.R., who has chosen to stay away from those means of influence. Though she’s maintained anonymity, there is still a warmth in what she shares with the world. She’s vulnerable and honest in her presence and in her records, but at the end of the day, you still don’t really know her. Despite straying away from the trend of increasing intimacy between celebrity and fan, she is rising in the ranks to become the next big superstar in, not only R&B, but in the music industry at large. But achieving celebrity status is hardly the objective. “I definitely don’t try to do what everyone else is doing at the moment,” she says. “I try to trust my gut and trust what’s got me this far, which were honest songs that I was afraid to do. Sometimes the most daring thing — the thing that you’re most afraid to do — is the thing that’s gonna get you from point A to point B. You have to dare to take risks and dare to be you. When you try to be successful trying to be someone else, the success eventually runs out.” The 61st annual Grammy Awards will air on CBS on Sunday, Feb. 10 at 5 p.m. PST. H.E.R. will be performing at Coachella this spring on Sunday, April 14 and Sunday, April 21.
Filipino trio TNT Boys earn praise from judges... PAGE B1 pressed everyone in the studio when they hit all the high notes effortlessly. American judges Drew Barrymore, RuPaul, and Faith Hill gave the boys an average score of 49, while the international judges that make up the Wall of the World gave them more than enough points to reach a total of 99. Barrymore, after the performance, admitted, “You know, I have a soft spot for kids. I was a kid performer, but I have kids now. This is a whole other thing. You possess a gift, you’re just that good.” RuPaul and Hill were im-
pressed, as well, with the latter saying: “First of all, you have some serious attitude. You’re so precious and so sweet but when you were singing, you were in that song. You were like, bam!” Dennis Jauch, a judge from Germany who worked with Beyonce in the past as her choreographer, told the trio: “I actually wouldn’t be surprised if she called you up after this and be like, ‘Join me in the next tour.’” Filipina singer Pops Fernandez, who sits as one of the 50 talented experts making up the Wall of the World, also praised the group and even unfurled a Philippine flag to show her support for them.
“I am so proud right now to represent the Philippines. On behalf of the Filipinos, guess what? I know for a fact that you can be ‘The World’s Best,’” she said. The TNT Boys, who won the second season of “Your Face Sounds Familiar” and performed in a concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last November, was tagged as the “vocal dynamo trio” in the pilot episode that aired after the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 3. “The World’s Best,” hosted by James Corden, is a global talent competition that features acts from every genre imaginable, from every corner of the world.
AFTER becoming Mrs. Wintle last December when she exchanged “I do’s” with her Filipino-British fiancé Ben Wintle in Coron, Palawan, Iza Calzado is expected to become pregnant with their first child soon. Are Mr. and Mrs. Wintle starting to talk about raising a family? The question led Iza to answer with a back-story to their marriage and admitted she initially had fears about committing herself to a big responsibility. She explained, while in the hot seat of Tonight With Boy Abunda (TWBA), “Well, it was something we had to talk about a long time ago. ‘Yun ‘yung isa sa mga ano (concern) ni Ben na parang gusto niya masigurado na kahit isa man lang papayag ako magkaroon ng anak kasi before medyo talaga ano ako, I still have fears of getting there, I mean, you know it’s a big commitment, it’s a big responsibility.” Iza further said, “At some point he had to ask me, ‘Are you willing to become a mother?’ and I said, ‘Of course.’” The actress committed to having one child first to Ben and assured him that if everything turned out okay, then that’s the time they will add more. “Parang let’s play it by ear muna,” she said. Given the difference in the nature of their work and time table, Iza revealed that they have yet to plan their honeymoon although she already has in mind a couple of places where they could go to like “I’ve never been to Italy
Iza Calzado with husband Ben Wintle
and then South Africa has always been a dream of mine. Wala pang timeline but hopefully it will happen this year.” The actress also shared precious moments during her beach wedding with Ben. Iza said it was her departed dear daddy Lito Calzado’s dream to walk her down the aisle “because when he passed away, I was turning 30. So, feeling n’ya talaga gusto n’ya makapangasawa na ako.” That’s why the locket, with the picture of her mom and dad in it, really made her shed copious tears. However, Iza would like to clarify that the locket, which was part of the bouquet, was not the reason why she didn’t toss the bouquet. As part of the tradition, the bouquet is tossed to single women with the belief that whoever catches it will be the next to marry. According to Iza, time constraint prevented her from doing it but she wished to pass the good energy to Ben’s sister Annika “hoping that she’ll be next (to marry).” Apart from the locket that made the “presence” of her parents more palpable, Iza also received a sentimental gift from her close friend Sunshine Dizon. It was a bracelet that belonged to Iza’s late mom Mary Ann Ussher, that Sunshine bought from Iza. Iza shared that like any normal family, they also experienced being cash-strapped and her mom then had her fine jewelries pawned. It was the time when Iza was not yet into showbiz. “Until my mother passed away, we didn’t have enough to redeem it and by the time I was already in
showbiz, I still had not enough to get it at mareremata na… I just joined the show of Sunshine and our friendship developed and then I said to her that I had no money to redeem it and instead of other people getting it, perhaps you want to buy it so she bought it. Then years went by, I completely forgot about it.” Iza added that Sunshine bought two items from her — a ring and a bracelet — but she only remembered the ring. Until her wedding day came and she had a pleasant surprise when Sunshine gifted her with the bracelet. “And when she was saying that to me I’m like what and everybody was crying. It was the perfect time to give it back to me. Not that I wanted her to give it back to me or demanded for her to give it back to me. But you know, I’m so grateful that it’s now back to me and you know (pertaining to Sunshine), I owe you one.”
Photos from Instagram/@missizacalzado
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Ai-Ai delas Alas trying to get pregnant at 54 by AllAn
PolicArPio Inquirer.net
Ai-Ai delas Alas plans to take a lengthy break from show biz next year in hopes of increasing her chances of conceiving a baby with her husband, Gerald Sibayan. “We’re going to actively try for one next year. That’s why, right now, hinahataw ko na. Because i will be taking a year off to rest—a vacation, really. We will do everything we can to have a child,” she told reporters at a recent press conference for “Hitmakers and Ai,” her upcoming Valentine’s concert with Hajji Alejandro, Rey Valera, and Marco Sison. Ai-Ai acknowledges that she’s “not getting any younger.” But she believes that, even at the age of 54, she can still get pregnant the natural way. “Just look at Janet Jackson, who had just given birth at 50,” she pointed out. if not, the actress is willing to seek out medical procedures, like in vitro fertilization, wherein mature eggs are fertilized by a sperm in a laboratory and, later on, implanted in the woman’s uterus. “if we can’t do it the normal way, then we will turn to science for help,” said the actress, who has had her eggs collected and frozen some time in the past—just in case. But if that still doesn’t work out, joining the fertility dance ritual in Obando, Bulacan, is also
Ai-Ai delas Alas
GMA photo
a possibility. “We’re praying hard. i believe prayers can move mountains,” the “Sunday Pinasaya” host stressed. Asked why she’s going out of her way to have a child, Ai-Ai said she doesn’t want to make her 25-year-old husband “feel like i didn’t try.” “After all, which husband doesn’t want to be a fa-
ther?” said the GMA 7 star, who has three children from previous relationships. For now, Ai-Ai will be giving her “full support” to Gerald, who’s studying to be a pilot at the Asian institute of Aviation. “i support him by not stressing him out!” she said, laughing. “it’s a difficult undertaking—you’re juggling a lot of things and doing calculations. But he’s enjoying himself.” While she’s happy about her husband’s progress, Ai-Ai admitted that she still doesn’t have the heart to join him when he flies a plane. “if he asks me to go with him, i would just tell him, ‘i love you!’” she jested. Ai-Ai leads a healthy lifestyle and is strict about her diet, which consists of organic food. “i’m fun to invite to events or parties. You don’t have to buy me food because i always bring my own,” she said. And she’s not one to shy away from showing off the results of her hard work and discipline. Recently, Ai-Ai sparked buzz online, after posting on instagram photos of herself flaunting her trim body while wearing a red bikini. Some wondered whether or not they were edited; Ai-Ai insisted they weren’t. “What good would it do me if i post edited photos?” she said.“i just ignore the bashers. As long as i’m not hurting other people, i will do as i please. i will wear a bikini if i want to.”
Dennis Trillo applauds Coco Martin for ‘Ang Probinsyano’s’ TV ratings success DENNiS Trillo recently congratulated Kapamilya actor Coco Martin for winning the primetime television ratings game. Coco posted on his instagram account a photo showing the national and rural TV ratings of his show “Ang Probinsyano” versus Dennis’ and Dingdong Dantes’ “Cain at Abel” on GMA. in Coco’s post, Kantar Media reported that ABS-CBN’s longest running teleserye garnered 41.7 percent national viewership against 13.7 percent for GMA’s drama. The former also garnered 44.3 percent in rural viewership while the latter got 13.3 percent. “Maraming salamat po!” Coco captioned his post, to which Dennis replied, “Congrats sa inyo
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brad.” instagram users commended Dennis’ remarks, saying the actor showed humility. “@dennistrillo super humble mo po for you to say this. And humble din po si mr. coco martin. Love you both po,” an instagram user commented. “dennistrillo congrats din po sa cain at abel pareho po kayong panalo sa lahat dahil napapasasaya nyo kami lalo na kaming mga ofw,” another user commented. This is not the first time the two communicated on instagram. Back in November when “Cain at Abel” first aired, Dennis posted a photo about his show that Coco ‘liked.’ Dennis commented,
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Dennis Trillo
“Salamat sa pag like mr.cocomartin” then plied with “Congrats magkatrabaho tayo (Philstar.com)
GMA photo
Cardo @ Coco reBro sana soon!!!”
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COMMUNITY JOURNAL
Uncertainty continues due to proposed changes to the H-1B visa lottery Your Immigration Solution ATTY. BRITTANY MILLIASSEAU IT has been nearly two months since the Department of Homeland (DHS) issued proposed regulations regarding the H-1B visa program and the filing of H-1B Cap-subject petitions, but uncertainty continues to loom as H-1B Cap season quickly approaches. The H-1B visa program allows companies in the United States to temporarily employ foreign nationals in a “specialty occupation.” A “specialty occupation” generally refers to an occupation that can only be performed by a person that possesses a bachelor’s degree and highly specialized knowledge about a specific occupation. Many positions may qualify as specialty occupations, including engineers, teachers, physicians, lawyers, and architects. However, even if a foreign national finds a prospective employer willing to employ him or her in a specialty occupation, it is not a guarantee that the applicant will be able to secure an H-1B visa. The yearly number of H-1B visas allocated by Congress is 65,000, with an additional 20,000 allocated for individuals who have earned a Master’s degree or higher from a U.S. university. Typically, there are far many more H-1B petitions submitted to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which creates the need for a computer-generated random selection process, or “H-1B lottery” system. The proposed rule published by DHS includes two very important changes to the H-1B visa selection process. Under the current process, H-1B employers are required to submit H-1B petitions during the first week of April. This results
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA (Sixth of a series) Select a handful of those things in your bucket list that have the highest chance of coming to fruition given your time frame. In tech speak, it means before your life’s energy goes into ‘ low batt mode’ and life has run out of sockets to plug into. Life is, indeed, “a moveable feast” to borrow verbiage from Hemingway. Travel makes it so. Do it while you can. I ask friends at random what is on the top tier of their personal bucket list. A consistent response is that they want to travel — to see the world —whether the world as their oyster, is local or global: just their city, their state, the length and breadth of their native land, or the world at large. One friend said that she and her family have been to 22 of the states in the US and would very much like to go visit all 50 states. This is at the top of her bucket list. Another said that she would like to travel to Europe except she could not find the time while she is still working. There are those who list the Via Dolorosa in the Holy Land and would like to take the time to travel to pilgrimage sites: Lourdes in France, Fatima in Portugal, Medjugorje in Bosnia
Health@Heart PHILIP S. CHUA, MD, FACS, FPCS THE Norovirus outbreak that sickened 277 on board the Oasis of the Seas of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines forced the 7-day Caribbean cruise to return prematurely to Port Canaveral about 3 weeks ago. This incident puts the spotlight on this most contagious gastrointestinal disease known to man. For the aged and the very young, this virus could be so devastating as to kill some victims. Annually, about 20 million people in the United States are infected with norovirus, 2 million are so severe as to require hospitalization. New strains are responsible for pandemics every 3 to 4 years. So far, the most virulent strain was seen in the pandemic of 2002-2003 and 2006-2007. Majority (around 80 percent) of norovirus infections are seen annually between November and April. Symptoms The symptoms of norovirus could occur suddenly as abdominal cramps and pains, nausea, severe vomiting and diarrhea, 12-24 hours after exposure to the virus. Some norovirus carrier may not have symptoms at all, but could
in USCIS receiving thousands of H1B petitions. If the cap is reached, only those petitions selected in the H-1B lottery are adjudicated and unselected petitions are returned. Under the proposed rule, H-1B employers seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions would be required to first electronically register with USCIS during a designated period. This period would be at least 14 calendar days before the H-1B filing window opens on April 1 and would remain open for at least 14 calendar days. The electronic registration process would require H-1B employers to provide basic information such as name, address, company identification number as well as the applicant’s name, country of birth, and type of degree. USCIS would then conduct the H-1B lottery from the pool of timely-filed electronic registrants. Subsequently, selected H-1B petitioners would be notified that they are eligible to file an H-1B petition within a designated filing period, which is expected to be at least 60 days. Another major change proposed by DHS is to reverse the order by which H-1B petitions are selected. Under the current process, if the “regular” H-1B Cap and advanced degree exemption is reached within the first five days, advanced degree exemption applicants are selected prior to the regular H-1B Cap beneficiaries. Under the proposed regulation, USCIS would reverse the selection order and count all petitions towards the number projected as needed to reach the regular H-1B Cap first. Once a sufficient number of petitions have been selected for the regular H-1B Cap, USCIS would then select petitions towards the advanced degree exemption. USCIS states that this would result in an increase of up to 16% of the number of beneficiaries with advanced degrees and ultimately H-1B visas would be “awarded to the most-skilled and
highest-paid beneficiaries.” The April 1 filing window is just around the corner and DHS has not yet published the final rule. Submission of public comments to the proposed rule ended on January 2 and comments are currently being reviewed. Before the final rule can be published, USCIS must complete review of the comments and the rule would need to be reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget. Given the tight timing, it is uncertain whether the provisions outlined in the proposed regulation will be finalized and implemented in time for the upcoming H-1B Cap filing season. If the rule is finalized and there is insufficient time to implement the changes, USCIS may postpone the electronic registration system and continue with the current system. Due to the uncertainty, it is important to ensure that you are represented by knowledgeable and highly competent immigration counsel who can keep you aware of the various changes and adapt as necessary throughout the entire H-1B application process. As April 1 nears, it is also important to meet with an experienced immigration attorney as soon as possible to explore whether an H-1B visa is the most suitable option for you or your company. *** REEVES IMMIGRATION LAW GROUP is one of the oldest, largest and most experienced immigration fi rms in the United States with offi ces in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Manila and China. For more Information please call (800) 7958009 or visit www.rreeves.com. Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com. *** The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case. (Advertising Supplement)
The bucket list
The world is your oyster - Go travel ”The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” — Marcel Proust and other sites where the Blessed Mother has appeared to children. The Grand Canyon is a sight to behold. The Great Wall of China is a must-see. Hongkong rocks and Palawan beckons. Bali says hi. What’s up with Cambodia’s Angkor Wat? Among the Japanese where the love of nature is deep, one of the more popular trips among the very hip, is to experience, at least once in their lifetimes, braving the freezing temperatures in the Arctic regions to witness first hand the dancing, mesmerizing Northern lights, the Aurora Borealis. To them, it is a sort of spiritual experience. I’m a warmblooded creature so I’ll take their word for it and experience the Northern lights vicariously. Then there are those who have been permanently bitten by the travel bug and have accumulated travel mileage to circle the moon and back. A married couple I know have made it a point to travel extensively and have visited more than 50 countries thus far, making it a
point to spend the Christmas holiday season in a different country every year. They travel light (perhaps the first rule of travel) and have become savvy on the art and science of world travel: planning in advance, budgeting, dealing with foreign currency, being aware of the local culture, booking planes and trains and arranging transport, choosing hotels and navigating their way in strange countries. Their experiences over the years can fill a travelogue but they go for the sheer love of adventurous travel, having gone to Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas in Peru and other exotic destinations. There are 3 things required for travel. These include health, time and money. You need to be in relatively good health to have the stamina for the rigors posed by walking, hefting luggage, prepping and being on your toes for activities and the stresses that come with travel. Particularly post 9/11, travel has PAGE B6
Norovirus can kill
infect other people. The other symptoms include low-grade fever, severe malaise, and muscle aches. The symptoms last between 24 hours and 3 days, depending on the age of the patient and the health of the individual. Most recover without treatment, except infants and those with major illnesses and those immunocompromised. The vomiting and diarrhea lead to severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. The infection is common in crowded situations, like cruise ships, nursing homes, schools, etc. About 10 percent of norovirus infection develop sever symptoms. Causes Noroviruses are found in feces of infected persons and animals. The virus is transmitted through ingestion of contaminated food or drinks, touching the mouth with fingers hat have touched contaminated surfaces or items, and by close contact with an infected person. Noroviruses are resistant to most disinfectants and to hot and cold temperatures. Infected cook could contaminate the food and drinks. The virus particle is about 38 nanometers and 3 particles of the virus could fit across the width of a single hair. Nanovirus travels at lightning speed. Consultation If diarrhea does not stop within 3 days or so, and/or there is blood
in the stools, especially when accompanied by vomiting, medical consultation is mandatory. While most will recover spontaneously, untreated dehydration and electrolyte imbalance could be fatal to some. The ones with a higher risk are infants, young children, older persons, those with chronic medical conditions, and those with compromised immune systems. Vomiting and diarrhea could deplete the body of water and vital minerals that allow all organs in the body to function normally. A tilt in the balance due to the loss of these vital element negatively impacts the kidneys, heart, liver, and brain. Normal homeostasis is essential to life. Prevention About 50 percent of norovirus infection is from contaminated food, especially leafy green vegetables, shellfish, and fresh fruits. As with any other infectious diseases, prevention is the key. In case of Norovirus and other contagious illnesses, a person can become infected more than once. Norovirus infected persons must stay home until fully recovered to avoid spreading it to others. Here are some simply common sense ideas that can help us avoid this and other infections, and prevent their spread to others: 1. Frequent handwashing after PAGE B6
LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 7-13, 2019
Calendar of Events across
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“Journey for Justice” book launch in Delano, CA Bridge and Delta Publishing in partnership with the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) and PapaLoDown Agency takes “Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong,” on a 15-city national book tour, starting with Delano, California, on February 8, 2019. This is the first nonfiction illustrated children’s book about Filipino American history, and the first book ever written about Larry Itliong. The children’s book written by the late historian Dawn Bohulano Mabalon, Ph.D. with Gayle Romasanta and illustrated by Andre Sibayan tells the story of forgotten United Farm Workers (UFW) cofounder, Larry Itliong, his migration to the United States and his lifelong fight for a farmworkers union. To celebrate these milestones and to honor Larry Itliong’s death anniversary (Feb. 8) and Dr. Dawn Mabalon’s six-month death anniversary (Feb. 10), and to kick off the Journey for Justice FANHS national book tour, a three-day event with a historical tour of Delano, panel discussions, children’s readings, Q & A with the co-author and illustrator, dinner, performances, a dedication mass for Larry Itliong and Dr. Dawn Bohulano Mabalon, and closing reception will be held from Friday, February 8 through Sunday, February 10. The historic Filipino Community Hall (“Filipino Hall”) in Delano, where the historical vote to go on strike occurred on September 7, 1965 (1469 Glenwood Street, Delano, CA 93215) will host most of the programming. All events, except for the dinner on Saturday night ($15/$6), are free to the public. Co-sponsors for the Delano event include: Filipino Community Delano, Delano Union School District, Delano Joint Union High School District, Bakersfield College Little Manila Rising, UC Davis Carlos Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies, Pin@y Educational Partnerships. For additional information visit www.bridgedelta.com.
F E B R UA RY 9
St. Finbar Church in Burbank, CA celebrates its 9th Annual Valentine Dinner Dance Come and celebrate Hollywood glamour on February 9, 2019 from 6:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. For information contact Marian at (818) 562-6819 or send an email to minobleza@yahoo.com.
5th Filipino American Community General Assembly in New York The Philippine Consulate General New York is inviting all Filipino American community organizations in the U.S. Northeast (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont) to the annual General Assembly (Connecting and Collaborating for Change) on Saturday, February 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Philippine Center in New York. Please register your organization at newyorkpcg.events@dfa.gov.ph with the subject 5th Filipino American Community General Assembly.
F E B R UA RY 1 5
Franchising Retail & Trade Conference in Cerritos, CA The Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce (COFACC) hosts this highly anticipated business event at the Cerritos Sheraton located at 12725 Center Court Drive South, Cerritos, CA 90703. Attendees will have access to opportunities in business match making & referrals, roundtable discussions, entrepreneurship training programs, and networking & business connections with participants representing both the United States and the Philippines. Business owners, entrepreneurs, corporations, and the general public are all invited to attend. The Philippine Retailer Association (PRA) and the Philippine Franchise Association (PFA) will be present to network with the US business community. Also present will be local franchisor and franchisee business owners, the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA), the National Asian American Coalition (NAAC), the National Diversity Coalition (NDC), the Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program, the Philippine Consulate Los Angeles Office, Philippine Dept. of Trade & Industry (PTIC) Los Angeles, and the Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA).Basic entry is only $10 but can and will vary depending on the participation experience desired. Registration for the Conference is simple and is processed online at by going to https://cofacc.org.
F E B R UA RY 1 6
Domestic Violence Prevention Symposium in San Fernando, CA The Valley Care Community Consortium partners with the Lions Clubs International/District 4-L3 to host the inaugural Domestic Violence Prevention Symposium to be held on Saturday, February 16, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the San Fernando Regional Recreation Park (208 Park Avenue, San Fernando, CA). Admission is free, open to the public and registration is strongly encouraged. For more information or to register for the event, please contact the Valley Care Community Care Consortium (VCCC) at (818) 904-5566 or email at healthy@valleyccc. org.
MARCH 30
Philippine Medical Society of Northern California installation of officers in Foster City, CA The Philippine Medical Society of Northern California will hold its 47th anniversary and installation of officers for 2019-2021 at the Crowne Plaza in Foster City, CA on Saturday, March 30. For sponsorship information, please contact Dr. Clementina Manio at drtina0427@gmail. com or visit https://www.pmsnc.org/.
United Bicolandia Los Angeles induction in Montebello, CA United Bicolandia Los Angeles will hold its 45th Anniversary and Induction Ceremony at Quiet Cannon in Montebello, CA on Saturday, March 30. For tickets and sponsorship information, please contact Lanie Berrei at lanieberrei@hotmail.com or (818) 281-3169.
A P R I L 25 -28
Philippine Nurses Association of America - North Central Regional Conference in Columbus, Ohio The Philippine Nurses Association - Central Ohio will hold a regional conference from April 25 to 28 at the Embassy Suites (2886 Airport Drive, Columbus, Ohio). For more information, please visit http://www.mypnaa.org/.
J U LY 24 -28
40th annual Philippine Nurses Association of America National Convention in Atlanta, GA The Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA) will have its 40th annual national convention from July 24 to 28 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, GA, hosted by the PNA-GA chapter. More information and details TBA. To learn about the PNA-GA, please visit: https://pnaga.wildapricot.org/.
AU G U ST 1 - 9
University of the Philippines Nursing Alumni Association International Convention & Alaskan Cruise The University of the Philippines Nursing Alumni Association International, Inc. (UPNAAI) will have its 40th convention on a cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas. The theme will be “In the New Millennium - UPNAAI at 40: Evolving and Emerging Nursing Roles.” On Aug. 1. it will be UPNAAI Volunteers Service Day in Seattle, then 2-9 will be a cruise from Seattle, Juneau, Skagway, Endicott Arm & Dawes, Victoria, and back to Seattle. Convention Fee $100 for Alumni in addition to cruise pricing. No convention charge for friends and family members. Contact Hours will be provided for the educational conference. For more information/to register and view cruise rates, please visit https://www.upnaai.com/.
AU G U ST 3 - 4
Travel, Trade & Consumer Expo in Carson, CA The second annual Travel, Trade & Consumer Expo is back on Saturday, August 3 and Sunday, August 4 at the SouthBay Pavilion in Carson, CA. The two-day event is Southern California’s largest B2B expo showcasing tourism, trade, and investment opportunities in the USA and Philippines. It will feature networking opportunities for business-to-business, business-to-government, and business-to-consumer. The event is powered by the Asian Journal and Balikbayan Magazine. For more information, please visit https://traveltradeconsumer.com/.
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Rain doesn’t stop Las Vegas community 722 soccer teams from around the world from donating to RMHC’s annual food drive register to participate in Las Vegas RMHC takes care of families’ basic needs so they can Mayor’s Cup International Showcase focus on the recovery of their child LAS VEGAS, NV — Despite the rain and chilly temperatures, the Las Vegas community rallied in support of Ronald McDonald house Charities of Greater Las Vegas to stock the shelves for an entire year! Residents throughout the Las Vegas Valley went to their local Smith’s and donated more than 17,500 pounds of food and household supplies to support RMhC families. RMhC provides families with their basic needs so that they can focus on what matters most – the recovery of their child. In addition, more than $13,000 was raised from cash and gift card donations. More than 250 volunteers came together to make this food drive possible by passing out wish lists at the 37 Smith’s Food and Drug Store locations, as well as collecting, sorting, dating, and weighing the donations to stock the pantry shelves at the house. Longtime supporters made generous dona-
Public welcome to attend games – free spectator admission
tions to RMhC by donating checks as well. Generous donations to RMhC including a $1,000 check donation from Smith’s and a $500 check donation from Nevada Farm Bureau. All in all, Las Vegas has once again shown that it truly is a sup-
portive community by enduring the rain to donate and volunteer for a great cause. This food drive helps to meet the basic nutritional and essential needs for families that must travel to Las Vegas for their children’s medical treatment.
ThE Las Vegas Mayor’s Cup International Showcase is back for the 12th year as the largest international youth soccer tournament in the country during Presidents’ Day weekend, Feb. 1618 (boys), and Feb. 22-24 (girls). The annual showcase expects 458 male youth soccer teams and 264 female teams, all ages 11-19, from 33 foreign countries and 33 u.S. states, to compete on valley fields at 10 different parks. The event is co-hosted by the city of Las Vegas and the Downtown Las Vegas Soccer Club, and is expected to bring about $28+ million into the local economy, according to Downtown Las Vegas Soccer Club President Roger Tabor. The showcase is expecting college soccer coaches and recruiters from across the country to scout the young athletes. Spectator admission and parking are free at all games. Parking is limited; carpooling and public transporta-
tion are recommended. Spectators are encouraged to bring their own seating. “Now we have to split this tournament into two weekends in order to have the space, the time and the referees to accommodate all the teams who want to play. This is our largest registration ever for the Las Vegas Mayor’s Cup International Soccer Showcase,” said Las Vegas Ward 4 Councilman Stavros S. Anthony. “It’s our 12th annual tournament over Presidents’ Day weekend. Every year, more young players come from all over the world to play soccer on our world-class fields. They play the game they love and enjoy our wonderful weather, meet with college coaches and recruiters, make new friends, boost our economy and bring great soccer competition to our youth. It’s a wonderful time for all, and I’m so proud Las Vegas hosts such a great event!”
The first weekend, matches will be played from 8 a.m. on artificial turf fields, and 10 a.m. on grass fields, to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Teams are guaranteed four games. Championship games will be played at Bettye Wilson Soccer Complex, 7353 Eugene Ave., starting at 10 a.m. Feb. 18 and 24. Medals and trophies will be presented to winning teams following each championship game, expected to be 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Individual awards are offered for first and second place. The event is co-hosted by the city of Las Vegas and the Downtown Las Vegas Soccer Club. For more information, including schedules, maps, teams, and rules, go online to www.lvmayorscup. com, or email info@lvmayorscup. com. The website will be updated daily with scores and standings; follow the tournament on Facebook @lasvegasmayorscup and Twitter @LVMayorsCup.
Sarah Geronimo wows with performance after Pope’s Mass in UAE
Lunar New Year Festival on February 10 OuR Lady of Lavang Catholic Church is proudly announcing the celebration of the forthcoming Lunar New Year Festival. This year is the year of the Female Earth Pig. Brown is connected to the earth. Therefore, 2019 is also called the year of the Brown Pig. The Festival will be held at our church venue located at 4835 S. Pearl St Las Vegas, NV 89121. The event will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 10 and conclude at approximately 9:00 p.m. According to the lunar calen-
dar, the celebration marks the start of spring and a year full of luck and new beginnings. It’s also called Têt, and it is the most important holiday in Vietnam and some other countries in Asia. The Têt traditions are a great way to reconcile grudges and sincerely wish peace and happiness for everyone. Join us as we follow tradition and pay tribute to the Vietnamese community with a celebration of Têt. These festivities will feature traditional activities ranging from
Lion Dance, instrumental performances, cultural dances, a traditional Áo Dài fashion show, singing, Kung Fu exhibitions, various children’s games, refreshments, live music, and much more. This year we extend our program with the inclusion of other Asian ethnic communities in the area. Admission is free to the public! Come join the fun! For more information, please contact Tuan Pham 702-306-4061 or Our Lady of Lavang at 702-8211459
POPSTAR Sarah Geronimo wowed the crowd in Abu Dhabi with her performance after Pope Francis led a historic Mass in the Arabian Peninsula on Tuesday, February 5. Geronimo performed the songs “The Prayer,” “Rise up,” “heal The World,” and her own piece “Forever’s Not Enough” among others. Many fans took to social media to share clips of the singer’s performance as they expressed their excitement. One netizen even shared a message uttered by Geronimo on stage. “Where there is hatred, let us sow love. Where there is offence,
kahit mahirap po, let us forgive. Let us be a part to heal the world,” the netizen tweeted quoting the singer. Geronimo’s boyfriend, actor Matteo Guidicelli, also voiced out how proud he was of his girlfriend. “My love is the best!!!!!!!!” he wrote. Aside from Geronimo’s angelic voice, her outfits — which were pieces designed by Dubai-based Filipino designer Furne One —also stunned the audience. In a short clip on Twitter shared by Josh Yugen, editor-in-chief of luxury fashion magazine XPEDITION Middle East Magazine based in Dubai, Geronimo can be
The bucket list
PAGE B5 become so tiresome because of tight security measures to counter terrorism. The second factor, especially for those who are still working for a living, is finding the time to squeeze travel in the limited amount of vacation days. The third factor is, of course, probably easier than the first two — finding the money required to fund travel. If still employed, then you can still make the money to fund the trip. Depending on the destination and the duration chosen, travel can require very little money or a lot of it. The most basic of travel gear is a good pair of broken-in walking shoes. Your feet will love you for it. While you can travel alone, it is certainly much more fun and safer, if you go with a traveling companion who shares your spirit of fun. If you are straddling the issue of whether to travel or not and you have at least 2 of the 3 basic requirements, I say, GO FOR IT, while you can still walk on two feet and have good eyesight and in relatively good health. If this is important to you, don’t hesitate. You can perhaps wangle the time, save the money or charge it to your credit card and pay it down later. But if one has serious health challenges that require being close to a medical facility, it can be
a bit tricky to pull this off as part of your bucket list. It is still possible to travel even if wheelchair-bound or if one uses a walker or a cane, but the level of difficulty for yourself and your companions will be a tad higher. Still, it may be worth a try. As in any circumstance, the mind can make a heaven of hell or a hell of heaven. A lot of people wait for retirement age to do this because there is available time and more often than not, there is expendable money for travel. The problem in many cases, is that when the time comes, there may be health challenges to contend with But who says one has to travel far in order to check this off from our bucket list? You can certainly explore the wonders in your own backyard or in your own neck of the woods. If you live in California, the possibilities for day trips and short trips are endless. Become a tourist in your own backyard and explore places like there is no tomorrow. There are mountains, deserts, coastlines, forests and campgrounds to explore. There are observatories, museums, restaurants parks and trails to discover. The truth is, we are only limited by our own sense of adventure. There are so many places that can be explored everywhere around the world but it is probably wise to start where we are right now.
Norovirus can kill PAGE B5 using the toilet, before eating, after any chores (changing diapers or cleaning a bed-ridden persons) that could render the hands dirty. Washing hands with soap and water frequently could go a long way in our quest for health; 2. Prepare and cook foods with extra consciousness about cleanliness and hygiene around the kitchen, including cook wares and utensils; 3. Do not eat or drink foods prepared by a sick person; 4. Chicken, pork, and sea food must be cooked properly; 5. The plates and utensils must be washed properly, and if in doubt, soaked in boiling water; 6. Fruits and vegetables must be thoroughly washed, soaked if needed, especially berries. 6. Stools, vomitus, and contaminated towels or items should be disposed off carefully, quickly, and properly to prevent spreading the disease by air or by contact. 7. With gloves, clean the contaminated area or surface with liquid disinfectant chlorine bleach. Only very high heat and chlorinebased disinfectants can inactivate norovirus fast. Proper use of gloves To avoid food contamination, some restaurants, fast-food chains,
etc., make their food preparers and servers wear gloves. As a surgeon, I am very conscious of the mistakes of food handler using gloves. Almost 100 percent of the time, I see them use the gloves improperly, which could even allow more contamination of the food. The gloves must never touch anything but the food, and the food item only. If the server touches the knife, or the microwave oven door handle, or the surface of the table, or anything else besides the food, he/she is contaminating the food that he touches next. It takes a lot of practice and a good teacher to nuse gloves properly, otherwise it will only give a false sense of security that the food is protected from contamination because gloves are used. That is not true. The situation could lead to more contamination of food, if not properly executed. Cleanliness of the food is assured when touched by gloved hands IF and only IF those hands would NOT touch anything else but the food being prepared. If you notice surgery on television, the operating table and every surface is draped with sterile cover, and the surgeon and assistants touch only the sterile instruments, and the draped areas ONLY. Treatment The management of Norovi-
Sarah Geronimo made a surprise performance at the Papal Visit in UAE. Photo from Twitter/@YugenPR
seen donning a stunning all-white jumpsuit with a delicate cape. She also stunned in a light blue gown a-line gown during her performance. (Inquirer.net) Or we can experience things vicariously as we read about travel adventures or watch travel shows or even surf virtually through the internet. But if life gives you the chance to physically travel and the spirit of adventure is in you, just do it. Getting there is half the fun; being there with all your senses engaged in the moment is the other half. The best thing about any kind of travel, local, domestic or international, is that it opens our eyes to the richness of our life here on earth. Yup, there is an embarrassment of riches right where we are. We just need to open our eyes and see and take it all in. Travel widens our horizons and broadens our understanding of human nature. We become aware of people of every stripe, color and persuasion. Above all, we learn to take nothing for granted. We come home appreciating our awfully tiny place in the universe and realize how blessed and fortunate we are to be part of all these. Don’t do it for show to post on social media. If done in the right spirit, there is something about travel that makes us more deeply thankful of just about everything in a quiet way. Next week: Another idea to consider for The Bucket List … *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com rus infection among those with significant symptoms includes fluid and electrolyte replacement, monitored by laboratory tests. If the person is able to drink, beverage with electrolytes (Gatorade, etc.) is recommended. If not, and if the vomiting and diarrhea are severe, intravenous fluid drip is initiated in a clinic or hospital ER setting. If there is fever, the patient is hospitalized. In the past, these patients were advised not to eat anything for at least 24 hours, but modern medicine encourage these patients to eat if they tolerate it. This has been shown to shorten the illness and improves the fluid electrolyte and nutrition balance of the patients. If being treated at home, the person should try to avoid contacts with family members and friends, preferably isolating himself, and eating in his room, with separate utensils, plates, glasses, etc. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@gmail. com
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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • FEbRUARy 7-13, 2019
B
B8 FEBRUARY 7-13, 2019 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL
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Located in Montemaria, home to the ninth largest monument in the World—the shrine to Mother Mary,Tower of Peace.
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DATE OF COMPLETION Second Quarter of 2020 TOTAL NUMBER OF UNITS PHASE 1 866 Units BUILDING 1 164 units
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